> The Precious Life - Nightmare
>  by truekry
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Prologue - Silence of the Night 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I loved the night. I kept wondering why and found many minor reasons, but nothing stood out. Be it that nobody could see you, that the moon’s cratered surface always gave decent light like a reading lamp, or that the houses and highways started glowing the dark. Same went for the snow in wintertime, reflecting the dim light and creating an almost magical aura.
 
I don’t exactly remember when I started going out for those little walks. Someday, I simply felt like doing it. That was why I always took a walk when I could not sleep, admiring the path I only took during daylight. I followed this exact path several times a day, accompanied by my two dogs.
 
One was named Fiete, a slightly smaller Beagle who I could swear was more intelligent than he would admit, and Fanny, a Landseer. She was tall compared to Fiete, but that was normal for her breed. Although she actually belonged to my mother, she enjoyed being with Fiete, thus she often stayed in my apartment.
 
Yes, I still lived in my parent’s house, but I have my own room. My mother acquired the house when I was sixteen, and I asked if I could have one of the empty apartments. She left the penthouse to me, though I had to fix it myself. My mother and her friend each occupied one of the other apartments, and my grandma lived down in the cellar.
 
Well, she didn’t really live there because most of the time she stayed with her friend and only came around a few times a month just so the apartment didn’t get dusty.
 
Strangely enough, marriages didn’t seem to last in our family. I have three uncles, two of which were married and have children, yet they both got divorced after a couple of years. Pretty much everything to tell about my family. I was barely old enough to comprehend what my parents were arguing about when they broke up. My two brothers were still too young, and I was quite glad I was the one to find my mother in the kitchen crying her eyes out and not one of them.
 
Those weren’t memories I would wish anyone to have, but still I have quite a few of them because my stupid brain just kept remembering such things. For example, I could still recall my third birthday, but I have no memory of the party a few months ago, and that was not because of the alcohol. While I do drink every now and then, I completely fucked up myself when I was young, which gave me an experience for life. I never tried smoking, though; it was hard enough for me to breathe since I was born with asthma and still carried around an inhalator, just in case.
 
When it was discovered, I had to stop playing football and was no longer allowed to fully participate in school sports. It was actually really hard as a child when you cannot run for a long time. Some kids simply didn’t want to have anything to do with you when you couldn’t keep up with them. However, I have long since learned to deal with my illness and hardly recognized it anymore. Only my fairly strong breathing might give others a guess.
 
My free-time activities have long since switched from building tree houses, which I did more than once, to playing video games. Over the course of time, I had become very good at working with the computer, but hey, what did you expect when you hardly do anything else? If I was not busy crafting something, I played games instead, which eventually led me to another hobby: videos.
 
I recorded myself playing games and uploaded them on the Internet. The greatest thing about that was that I did not need to show myself. Since I spent a lot of time sitting, I would not consider myself to be good looking. That did not really help me with the girls, but I kept telling myself that I wanted to have someone who liked me for what I am, not for what I look like.
 
I am not a dreamer, though, and I know how superficial our society is. Call it luck, but despite that, I have had several girlfriends. Yet when I saw my friends constantly swapping partners, I could not help but wonder if I kind of lagged behind, though I have never felt this way.
 
I pondered over a lot of things while I walked between the fields, such as what I could have done differently today or how much this world actually sucked. There were people who didn’t mind making fun of others on television or believe they could change the world by spreading a certain video. I was a realist when it came to those things.
 
However, I could also completely space out at times. I did like to lose myself in thoughts of a perfect world or other ‘what if’ scenarios. When this happened, I usually conceived stories for My Little Pony. I was known as a ‘brony’, a male fan of the show.
 
I had a lot of time for this ‘work’ as I had finished my training and had also worked as an assistant for an IT specialist. Unfortunately, my contract was not extended, and I developed the idea of studying at a university. Being twenty-three years old, I may have been a little late for that, but there have been others who have had it worse.
 
My thoughts often trailed to my future while I walked. It was the best relaxation I could think of. The chilly night breeze blew across my face as I trekked between the fields all alone. Today, I once again mused about what could have been different. What if we had magic instead of technology and how far would we have developed it if the Middle Ages had not existed? How would the world be like if we were not humans but ponies instead?
 
I sometimes believed that if I actually vocalized my ideas and others heard them, I would be sent to a psychiatrist. Yet, who had not at least once dreamed about being someone or something completely different?
 
After such a long walk, those thoughts often lurked in my head while I lay in my bed in the middle of the night. But never once did I imagined what I would do if such a thought actually turned into reality.
> Chapter 1 - A New Day
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I despised being awakened by the first beams of light. Unfortunately, the bedroom of my small apartment only had two roof-windows, so I had no drapes or anything related. It had been very useful when I was back in school, but now that I didn't have any school or work anymore, it was just annoying. I crouched down in my full-sized bed and pressed my face into my pillow as deeply as I could.
 
It was a Sunday-morning, and all I wanted were a few more hours of sleep. Not that I was tired or anything, I just liked lying in my bed, especially when the last snow just melted. You might know the feeling of stepping out of a hot shower into a cold bathroom. That was how it felt for me to get out of my warm, comfy bed. But today I couldn't get my eyes as close to the mattress as I wanted, so I turned my head to the left, away from the windows, and towards my nightstand.
 
The laptop was still running, playing the DVD menu of Ironman over and over. Yesterday, after a little walk, I had watched one or two episodes of "My Little Pony" and then threw in the movie to fall asleep more easily. It was an old habit I kept from my childhood. Then I listened to tapes like "The Three Investigators" or TKKG. The stories that played in the background were to me what listening to the ocean was to other people. Many in my family had this habit, although they usually had a hairdryer running, which sounded similar to the breaking of waves.
 
The small alarm next to my laptop showed that it was five minutes to seven, and I sighed loudly. I had gone to bed around two in the morning and was wide awake after so few hours on a Sunday! I guess a lot of people would be frustrated by that. While I was lying there, gaping at the screen, I took stock of how my body was feeling. My neck was a little stiff and gave me a light headache, but thanks to my crooked spine, that wasn't new. My eyes did hurt a little, but without my glasses, it was a known feeling as well as the last one: my bladder. Last night, I had drunk a lot of water. Due to my asthma, I often had a dry throat and I drank, no matter if I was thirsty or not, just to get rid of this dryness.
 
I tried to ignore the pressure, but there was no hope; I had to get up.  And I knew myself: when I was finally up, there was no chance for me to lie down again. I lived in the country, and the work here started the minute you crawled out of bed. And there was always work. It was still cold, and the wood in the garden had to be carried in the basement in order for there to always have a stash for the oven, so new wood had to be chopped. Both our dogs certainly wanted a breakfast. Well, as soon as they heard someone in the house and their mess was cleaned up from the front garden. That was easy; you just had to take an old shovel and throw it into the field on the other side. I don't think that any farmer would complain about free fertilizer.
 
It came to mind to clean up the dishes and collect some empty bottles around my apartment. Those could be found everywhere, especially where I liked to sit with my laptop. Although I didn’t get a lot of visitors out here, I still hated it when people saw my mess. When I was alone, on the other hand, I didn’t mind a pig running through here and all I'd do was lift my feet so they wouldn’t be in the pig’s way. In this matter, I was the exact opposite of my mother, who couldn’t sit still for a second when she knew that there was something dirty. I guess everyone had their own stimulation. Mine was called "interest".
 
It was of no use; I had to get up and put my body to the rim of my bed. With the words of a famous astronaut in my head, I pulled the blanket aside and sat up. Today, my back was especially mean to me, and I had to crouch down to work against the pressure. Those were the moments where I missed my girlfriend since she knew how to give a backrub. But a few months ago, we had a fight and broke up. I replayed the whole fight in my head. In the end, a break-up was the best solution. Compared to the break-ups I had before, this one had been rather simple. Not that those break-ups were brutal, but I still felt weird whenever I saw a former girlfriend. Things were said that no one really meant, at least I didn't, and no one ever apologized. It was the feeling that you couldn’t look in that someone's eyes ever again.
 
Since a little massage wasn't an option, I let my head circle to relax my neck, which resulted in a cracking sound. I placed my feet on the floor, left foot first, and tried to stand up. As gravity wasn't on my side this morning, I fell face first onto the laminate, which by the way, I had put down in my whole apartment all by myself. After a fall like that, my knees wouldn’t be of much use for the next few days. During the impact, I closed my eyes because of the pain and stayed like that for a while. If it wasn't for my bladder, I would have stayed like that for a good while. The hard wooden floor was somehow comfortable. Or perhaps it was the strange, sideways position I was in. The pipe leading to the heat radiated a pleasant warmth, and all in all, the room wasn't really cold. I sat up again and looked at my bed, which seems strangely high to me, but then again, how often does one sit in front of one's bed? I reached to my nightstand, looking for my glasses and almost swiped down my laptop before I finally found them. But when I tried to grab them, they slipped on the floor between the bed and nightstand. Cursing, since that wasn’t the first time it had happened, I turned around to reach my glasses better. I stretched out my blue arm into the gap and kept looking.
 
After a few seconds, my brain started working even without the coffee. My arm was completely blue. Shocked, I shook my head and looked at my arm again in the hope that I was still more asleep than awake. Not helping my condition, I was still looking at the shining blue. Quickly, I pulled my arm out of the gap, only to be even more frightened. What had once been my hand was now just a little stump as if my hand had been cut off at the wrist. I looked at my other arm, which seemed to be in a similar condition. I tried to move a finger, but nothing happened. Looking down on myself, I saw the same yellow shirt and undershorts I went to bed with. While moving my view lower, I didn’t know what to expect. My legs were just like my arms, although a little thicker, but no sign of feet.
 
I slowly had an idea of what was happening, but I needed a mirror. Crawling around on my... well... ass, I reached the door and opened it with what was once my elbow. I had to reach really high until I was standing on my stumps which had once been my feet, but this way, I could use my own body weight to open the door. On the other side of the door was the biggest mirror my apartment could offer, and so I looked right into it. But it wasn't me who looked back, but a small, blue pony with a white mane and a horn poking out of it. I lifted my right arm just to see the mirror pony doing the same. Instead of a nose, I now just had nostrils, and my mouth had turned into a snout. My brain was now running on overdrive. According to all this, those weren't stumps, they were hooves. I inspected my right hoof by touching it with my left. Although it felt hard on the surface, the center felt soft and sensitive. Moreover, it felt like the hoof itself was flexible to a certain degree. I again looked into the mirror. I looked exactly like a pony of "My Little Pony". I mean that literally since I looked like I was drawn into reality.
 
I didn't know whether to cry out of joy or panic. I mean, it's every brony's dream, isn't it? To be a pony in Equestria? Then it clicked again in my head. This wasn't Equestria. This was the reality I knew, where what I was now only a fantasy. My bladder chose this moment to remind me of a certain duty I had to fulfil; in other words, to get on all fours again as a start. Although I had never done it before, it went surprisingly well. Until I took my first step and was mocked by gravity one more time, which placed my head once again on the laminate, only this time it was in the hallway. I thought of the series and how they moved there. Then I remembered the movements of my dogs I saw every day on my walks. With resentment, I noticed that Fanny had another way of walking than Fiete. But since Fanny was pretty young, I decided to try out her walking style first since children learned the easiest things first as well. On my legs again, I now moved my left hooves and then my right hooves, which led to something you would rather describe as ice skating than walking. It was enough to reach the bathroom door and to open it with my left arm, but that wasn't the right description anymore. I might look it up on the Internet. It took me a few seconds until I realized how stupid the idea actually was. I guess, without fingers, I'd look like my mother using her laptop for the first time. But at the moment, this problem came second, because if I didn’t hurry, I'd have to mop up a mess. I closed the door with a slick kick and turned around to lock the door. Not that it was necessary since I was alone, and even with my girlfriend around, I wouldn't have minded. It was just a habit and gave me a feeling of privacy. I reached out with a hoof and quickly discovered that a hoof wasn't made for turning keys.
 
Open door it is, I thought to myself. With one hoof, I opened the lid and took off my boxers. What I saw shocked me from nostril to tail because never in my life had I seen pony genitalia. As I’ve already said, I lived in the countryside. Every once in a while, mating horses here and there weren't anything special. But out of the blue, there was this thing I didn't know how to use. I had to chuckle about my own thoughts. Out of the blue, my hide, you get the idea. Anyway, there was a shaft that would usually be found on a stallion. Somehow, it bothered me that this never came in the series. In case of a ponyfication, please bear that in mind. All I could do was place my trust in the natural reflexes a pony must have. Otherwise, it would have been really unfortunate since the shaft pointed in the direction of my head.
 
With the help of my front hooves, as I wanted to describe them, I lifted myself on the bowl, and never in my life was I this happy about my bathroom hygiene. The toilet was NOT made for ponies, and I had to grab the rim really tight so I didn’t take an accidental bath. By now, I couldn't hold it in any longer, so I did the only thing that felt right and just let go. Without going into detail, all I can say was that it went well. One or two minutes later, I stood in front of the toilet, pulled my boxers back on, and flushed. Now it was time to wash my hooves. I stood in front of the sink. The last time I had seen it from this angle was when I was a little kid. I wished I had a small stool. But it was of no use, and I placed my former elbows on the rim for more of a hold.
 
The rest was a snap, and shortly after that, I closed the bathroom door and slid back to the mirror in the hallway. My eyes were as blue as ever, just a whole lot bigger. I opened my mouth and saw that it wasn’t much different to a human mouth except there being no pointy teeth at all. Again, everything looked like it had been drawn. I turned around a little bit and got a good look of my tail that ran though one of the boxers leg. It was white and stringy and almost reached the floor. If I didn't know better, I'd say it looked like one of my good times after a long night and really needed a shower. Now it came to my mind to look for a cutie mark. With one hoof, I pushed the boxers aside and really, there was a white symbol on my flank. It was white lightning which seemed to fly through a white circle. I had the sudden urge to yell "Go Go Power Rangers", but I saved it for later since there was a new feeling rising: hunger.
 
I slid into the kitchen and opened the fridge with one hoof. There had to be a trick with hooves, but I saved that for later as well. One look inside the fridge turned out to be rather depressing. Some toast, leftover salami, and some mustard was all that was left. My girlfriend used to keep the fridge and closets filled with food. I mean, as a confectioner, she knew how to prepare a meal. I took the bread out with my snout and proceeded this way with salami and mustard. It worked out quite well, but the downside now was the taste of plastic in my mouth. Next challenge was the little ring that kept the bread in the plastic. Best tongue workout you could think of. No shit, do this for a month or two and your French kissing will be legendary, well, in case you don't cut your tongue. I don't know how long it took me, but I actually did it. Here I have to agree with parents who always told you that you must not put your head into a plastic bag. I was able to free myself and carefully push out a slice with my hoof. I don't know what made me get the mustard out of the fridge. Even if I was able to open the lid, I couldn't handle a knife to smear the mustard on the bread. I gave up without trying.
 
I opened the salami package with my tongue and carefully took a slice between my teeth. If you have seen "American Pie 3", imagine me having Stiffler's reaction while eating the "truffle". I looked at the expiration date, a small challenge with no glasses. March 30th. So, still a week to go. Now it came to my mind that ponies were more of a vegetarian type which would explain the mean taste of the salami. So my breakfast was narrowed down to a single slice of toast. Toast in mouth, I slid into the living room half of the room. I lifted myself on the couch and let my back slide onto the soft leather. This usual comfortable position wasn't comfortable at all anymore, since it caused an irritable pressure on my back. So I laid on my side, all fours hooves away from me. Not the ideal position, but way better than before, and so I slowly started chewing on my bread.  I actually expected the bread to taste different, better, since the meat tasted kind of disgusting, but it was dry and boring as always.
 
My plan of watching TV was crushed by the simple fact that remotes couldn't be handled by hooves. Wasn’t there anything pony-friendly in this house? Underneath my apartment was my mom's apartment, and I could hear her walking around. How in the name of Equestria would I explain my situation? I mean, a pony alone in here would freak her out. But a talking one that's supposed to be her son might be too much.
 
Furthermore, I couldn't stay in here forever. Sooner or later, someone would want something from me and then see me like this. It could be my youngest brother who wanted a computer game or my younger brother who wanted to go somewhere with my car. Moreover, he only had a learner’s permit which would mean I had to go with him, and since I'm not quite myself right now, things might turn out complicated.
 
My mother could always think of something I could do for her; only her boyfriend left me alone most of the time. Except for our taste of music, we don't have much in common anyway, but all in all, he was someone you could spend your time with. Also, he's only here on the weekends due to his job as a truck driver. Often, my mother went with him on tour, which left my brothers and me in the house alone for a week. The last bite of toast slid down my throat, and I could have used something to drink now. The steps from underneath got louder, and the next thing that happened was Nils, my younger brother, opening the door.
 
"Timo, you awake? I need an external hard drive,” I heard from the hallway. If I had a mirror, I would bet that I would have seen a big P for PANIC on my forehead if it wasn't for the horn. His steps came out of the direction of my kitchen, and the door opened at the next moment. I made myself as small as possible and tried not to breathe. In the corner of my eye, I saw Nils going into the kitchen and then into the living room. It seemed like he hadn’t seen me as he went to the window facing the street.
 
"Where is he? His car is parked down there. TIMOOOOO!" His voice echoed through the room. He turned around and finally saw me. Slowly, he approached the couch, and I tried hard not to move or blink.
 
"I know that he likes ponies, but buying this huge stuffed one really is too much." Says the brother who has a giant stuffed Pikachu, I thought to myself. I prayed he would look for me somewhere else, but clearly this day was cursed. I mean, being a pony was kinda awesome, but all the rest was totally cursed. He reached out for me and wanted to pick me up. His fingers dug deep into my flesh pressed together. I couldn't hold it any longer and jumped up.
 
"What is wrong with you? That hurts!" I yelled at my brother, who was so shocked that he fell on the floor like I already did twice today.
> Chapter 2 - The good Life
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I've seen a lot of emotions going through my brother: anger, sadness, and a few more, but panic had never been one of them. He sat on the floor, leaning on his hands as if he didn't want to fall on his back and kept staring at something he thought was a talking stuffed animal. There were so many sentences in my head to make this moment really enjoyable. It went from "Take me to your leader!" to "I want to play a game," although that would have required a tricycle to pull off. When I was about to ask whether he had heard "the good news", I almost laughed to myself, which would only have provoked my brother. Not that he was very violent, but him being up so early was a sure sign of no sleep and significant quantities of alcohol and THC circulating through his bloodstream.
 
"Pinkie broke through the fourth wall," I finally said, smiling. Pinkie was the pony I used to explain to him the world of "My Little Pony" and why I love it so much. Although he didn't like watching the series, he had to laugh. I don't mind people not liking it, but it's the same as with a new dish: first you test, then you judge. I had to give Nils some credit in that matter; he was always fair with new stuff. He was still sitting on the floor, staring at me. I could almost hear his brain cells working, although it couldn't have been a lot due to his lack of sleep. I had to help his brain since it was too late to pretend being a stuffed animal with a speaker anyway. You know, like those Furby things. After all, I was still standing on the couch, and my face was, unlike my brother's, very active.
 
"Gimme a break, I can't look that bad." I don't know why, but my sense of humor decided to drive on maximum in that situation. I could see that I had activated my brother's as well since I could see his face changing back to a normal expression. That, in turn, reminded me of my glasses still being stuck between bed and nightstand, and if didn’t get them on my nose - nostrils - soon, I could add "skull bursting headache" to my list of problems. Last time I had this problem was when my dog got in possession of my glasses and transferred them into something I would describe as chewing gum-ish. Two days without glasses. By the frequency I had to rest my eyes, you would have thought I slept all day. Furthermore, my face felt kind of naked since I had worn glasses since I was six years old. Nils seemed to have regained some sense and got himself up, which meant him being two feet taller than me even though I was still standing on the couch.
 
Although my brothers and I had the same mother, we had different fathers, which resulted in my brothers, thirteen and seventeen respectively, being taller than me. They both took after their father, my stepfather, and I took after my mother. As the eldest brother, it wasn't always easy to gain respect from both, and sometimes that was necessary. I had to tear Nils a new one from time to time, mostly when he had a bad episode, which succeeded mostly thanks to my figure. Dirk, on the other hand, was just sassy as most of the kids his age and constantly questioned his borders. Above all, he was the pet of my mother and had too much freedom and knew how to use it. My mother fulfilled every one of his wishes, which sometimes reminds of Cartman, which had a funny side effect. Since he never had to lift a finger, he had no idea how to make a microwave pizza or how long it took to warm something up.
 
Nils seemed to have come back to his senses and slowly approached me and reached out his hand to touch my back as if he was looking for the small machine that made me talk and move. "What are you?" At least this question proved that he recognized my voice. I already wondered whether my voice had changed, but since everyone’s voice sounded different in their own heads, I had no chance to check for that. Some time ago, this led to me believing I could sing, and I needed one round of Singstar and a handful of laughing friends to prove me wrong. I guess Geier Sturzflug would have kicked my ass for my version of their song "Bruttosozialprodukt". But I loved music and decided to concentrate on instruments, although I didn't know how to play anything else than the flute at the time. The thought of a flute-version of "Disturbed - Down With The Sickness" on YouTube is still awesome. Luckily, my adolescent mind came to reason back then, and so I learned to play the guitar, though it was little more just reading some tabs on the Internet.
 
"So, how is it going? I'm your big baby brother." That was a running gag between us which found its start in the local Media Markt. I had taken him there to buy a new game - I can't remember which one - but it was eighteen plus. When I had been about to pay, the cashier hadn’t ask me for my ID, but had turned to my brother and had asked him if my parents were okay with me buying that game. No one had seemed to notice that he had been just sixteen at the time. You can imagine the mocking on the way back home.
 
He pulled his hand back, which made me smile even wider. I knew there would be problems concerning my current situation, but at the same time, it was just hilarious. "Please tell me the pot was bad. How come...? I mean, you look like one of those little ponies from that crappy cartoon!" He had a point. I had no idea how it happened. I guess I imagined this from time to time, but just because I had an idea, I knew it was impossible.
 
As much as I wanted to believe in magic, deep inside, I knew that it was an illusion made by mirrors that caused pretty assistants to levitate a few inches from the ground. Maybe there was a god who actually wanted to make my wish come true. But since I was an atheist, my faith found its end in my childhood, and it wasn't even faith in God. I had been certain that there was a house where the Care Bears lived.  Once, my mother took me into the city when I was about four years old, and we passed a house: very pink, very decorated with loads of hearts that seemed to radiate love. Now I know what kind of house that was, but back then, I called it the "Care Bear House". My mother was always open about those topics and had no shame inflating condoms on my sixth birthday when we were out of balloons.
 
"How should I know? I woke up like this." I started to realize more and more that this situation was crazy for me - in a good way though - but had to seem mighty disturbing to other people. My brother took a few steps back and looked to be on the verge of losing it. Last time I saw him like this was when a girlfriend of his had fallen down the stairs drunk.
 
"Listen, I'm fine. As far as I can tell, I’m still me. I just look different." I had to avoid him running downstairs and waking the whole house. I needed to explain it to everyone, but panic wouldn't make it easier for me. I jumped off the couch, only to remember that hooves were not made for laminate and crashed full speed into the coffee table. First thing I had to take care of. Not being able to move properly was bad enough, but sliding around was just annoying. How was I supposed to convince everybody that I was fine when I was bruised and sore all over?
 
"Nils, listen carefully. Please go into my bedroom and get my glasses from between my bed and nightstand. Also, I need some anti-slide socks; they are in the lowest drawer of my closet. Could you get both for me?" He nodded and slowly went into the hallway to my bedroom. He must have had just as many questions as I had, just different ones. I wasn't interested in what happened, but what was next. Nils probably cared more about what happened or whether he was dreaming. I stood up and placed myself on the small carpet in front of my hallway. Nils stepped out of my bedroom and brought my glasses and the socks.
 
"Could you please put on the glasses for me; my eyes are burning a little." He didn't say a word, just opened the frame. He bent down like I was a little kid and wanted to put on the glasses, but he hesitated.
 
"Umm… how?" At first, I didn't know what was wrong. Then I reminded myself that I was a pony, and my ears weren't in their usual position. I thought that some tin-wire would work, but that would have been uncomfortable on my fur. But fur wasn't a bad idea whatsoever. It was rather short but very soft and even a little sturdy.
 
"Just put it in my fur; that'll do it." Finally, I could see properly again. The feeling had the same relieving effect as my journey to the toilet earlier. For those who don't have glasses, it's like seeing HD-TV for the first time. Relieved, I let myself fall back and sat down on my thighs for the first time. Sitting like this was much more comfortable because it was the same sitting-position as in the series. In reality, I had never seen a horse sitting like this, and as far as I knew, they never do. Cats and dogs could sit like this, but to my knowledge, horses even sleep standing up. I guess using real animals as models only worked to a certain degree. I began to wonder which knowledge was still useful at all since this was far beyond reality.
 
"Could you help me with the socks too?" My brother nodded again, and I lifted my right foreleg to him. He slipped over a sock which didn't seem to fit, like an extra-large condom on a medium sized… you know what I mean. Nils, who seemed to be more awake than a few minutes back, identified the problem and rolled the sock up like a sleeve so it would stay on my hoof. We repeated this procedure with my other foreleg and with my hind legs as well. I had to stand up and hand them to him. I was never so glad to wear clothes. Although it seemed normal to be naked in the series, it wasn't for humans. Well, we're just taught to always dress, and you can't lose a habit like that with being a pony for hardly an hour. With socks on all four hooves, I now had more friction on floor, which made walking around just so much easier. I went back to the living room. After a jump that might have made me look like a dog, I sat down in the newly learned seating position.
 
"So, what now?" With that question, my brother wasn’t so far away from my own thoughts.
 
"Well, to sum it up: yesterday I went to bed human and woke up as a pony.” That was about everything I could certainly say about my situation.
 
"So we have about the same degree of no idea?" I just nodded. My brother pulled a cigarette out of his pocket and lit it up. Normally, I don't tolerate smoking in my apartment, but that wasn't the problem at hand right now. He blew out the smoke, and I had to cough.
 
"At least open a window." With a sigh, he got up and opened the window facing the street. It was bad enough that our basement always smelled like cigarette and something I liked referring to as "the green".
 
"What's your plan? You can't walk around like this." He had a point.
 
"Is there another option? Moreover, I think this is so cool." The brony evolved. The brony became a pony. I just played the music in my head.
 
"Seriously? You look like an oversized stuffed animal. By the way, how do you plan on explaining yourself to others? They’re gonna slice you up to see what happened to you."
 
"You watch too many trash-movies. No one just slices something up that can talk and prove intelligence."
 
"So you should start running." Good thing he got back his humour. It seemed like he could handle this now.
 
"Okay, all joking aside, how do you plan on explaining yourself?"
 
"What's with the Internet again?!" someone shouted. That rang a bell. My other brother, Dirk. He had this annoying habit of coming to me whenever there was something wrong with the Internet or his computer. Most of the time, those problems came from a bad Wi-Fi connection or because he caught a virus again. Nils and I were still sitting on the couch when Dirk entered. Just as Nils, he looked around.
 
"Didn't you just talk to Timo? I bet he's downloading again." Of course, it was my fault that he didn’t know how to use his laptop. Just like my grandpa. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't block their connection. Our router never had that kind of function, but try explaining it to them.
 
"Did he seriously buy one of those gay pony toys?" You had better watch out that the gay pony toy didn’t hit you with his hoof. I know, not very brony-like, but I heard this shit from him every day. Recently, I installed a satellite cable plus TV in his room, and he didn't even thank me. I had to climb up into our attic. I know it didn’t sound like much, but I was freakishly afraid of heights. All it took was the third step of our ladder.
 
"The gay pony toy is about to kick your ass!" Just because someone didn’t like something doesn't mean they had to make everyone hate it. For instance, I'm no friend of hip-hop or rap music, so I didn’t listen to it. When a friend or my brother listened to it, I didn’t say anything. My mother said I have more influence on my brothers than I thought, but in those matters, I couldn’t see it. Dirk's reaction turned out a little different. First he dropped his jaw like Nils, but recovered after a few seconds and fired back.
 
"How do they say: you are what you eat? Seems to work the same way with TV." For a teenager, that might have been hurtful, but I was just bored.
 
"You're not surprised, are you?" I thought I could pay him back for the 'gay pony-toy'.
 
"Honestly, how could I be surprised about you anymore?" I knew what he meant. I had done a lot of stupid things in my life. If I ever told some of it, I'd still be in jail. We had never hurt anybody, but two cars, several trees, and some hedges might beg to differ. And since my friends were of the opinion to tell some of this and some of that, my brothers knew about it all.
 
"Dirk, I'm a pony. A pony! I turned into another being." Although most of the time I didn’t give a damn about his opinion, I was disappointed.
 
"So it's not your fault with the Internet?" All he cared about, typical for him. I showed him a sock-covered hoof.
 
"How, you wiseass?" At least he got the subtext and left the room. "And stop yelling around when you lose again in League of Legends." He had the same habit as Nils did at his age when he lost. That had cost me more than one N64-controller. On his way down, he left all the doors open as usual so that my dogs stormed into the room. Fiete entered first and instantly sat down next to Nils without even so much as looking at me. Fanny, on the other hand, sniffed at me a little.
 
"C'mon, stop it Fanny; you're drooling all over me again." I shoved her aside, and she sat down on the couch as well. I noticed her being just slightly smaller than me, which showed me how small I actually was. Not that being small bothered me. I was still looking at all the pros and cons.
 
"Should I get Mom? I mean, sooner or later, she'll see you like this, right? I don't think you can hide up here forever."
 
"I guess you're right. Look, if you can find her and maybe prepare her for a little shock." Nils headed down and left me alone on the couch. Until now I was excited about being a pony, but slowly I began to worry. Could I live my life like this? What about working or even leaving the house? I stared into the black TV. The new me was reflected inside. I was a unicorn. Maybe I could use magic to gain back my human form. For this, I had to learn about magic first, but when I thought about how long it took Twilight to be able to use magic properly, this could take a long time. Also, she was talented in magic. I could hear my mother and brother coming up the stairs.
 
"There is a little... surprise. Maybe you should brace yourself."
 
"What's wrong? Did something happen to Timo? But then you would have called a doctor." More likely a veterinarian, I smiled to myself. As long as my humour was working, I was quite happy. My mother now stood in my kitchen and looked around, but she instantly spotted me on the couch.
 
"What a cute pony toy." Before I could do anything, she picked me up and held me in her arms.
 
"Where is this surprise now? And where is your brother?" I couldn't see Nils - I couldn't actually see anything - but I was almost certain he was smiling ear to ear.
 
"Down here." She released her pressure on me.
 
"Timo? Where are you?" I raised a hoof, so it was right in front of her face, and I instantly hit the ground. My mom took a few steps back and looked down on me. Her face didn't give anything away.
 
"Good morning. I'll take my coffee black, lots of sugar." Curse you, brain! My Mom slowly sat down without taking her eyes off me.
"What...how..." she stammered. What followed was a one hour talk. Nils brought my laptop to show her "My Little Pony". I told her about bronies and what happened to me, which was actually kind of obvious. She already knew I was watching some kind of TV-show for kids, but that was about it, and she didn't care to know any more.
 
"And I thought you would never make something of yourself," she finally said and proved where I got my humor from. "But Timo, how can you stay this calm? I'd totally freak out if this happened to me." Parents still knew how to ask the best questions.
 
"I don't know. Just the simple fact that something like this is possible. Moreover, it means that magic, maybe even Equestria, actually exists. There are so many possibilities. Also it's very exciting to be another being. I have a new look at my environment but still am the same." Her eyes widened, especially when I mentioned magic. My mother believes in everything esthetical, which is kind of related to magic. I knew what she was going to ask next.
 
"And yes, I'm talking about real magic. This horn on my head is, as far as I know, a medium of canalisation for all kinds of magic I have to learn first." In the meantime, my brother finished his third cigarette, and my mother couldn't decide whether to be excited or horrified.
 
"So, what will you do now?" This seemed to be the question of the day and even my life.
> Chapter 3 - Witchcraft
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The rest of the day was spent getting used to my new body. Walking was on the top of my list especially since I was not adept at ice skating. I never had the best coordination, which made my attempts of riding a skateboard end with eating dust. I asked my family to leave me alone; there were things I needed to research by myself. With socks on my hooves, walking went quite fine and even trotting worked. Well, at least for the few meters through my hallway. It was kind of like riding my bike after a long time - I just had to get used to it. I even tried walking on just two hooves, but that only resulted in me landing on my back several times.
 
I later attempted to use magic in front of a large mirror, focusing all my power into making my shoe levitate, but all I got was a view of some funny faces in the mirror. I thought about it some more, but the series had never given any indication as to how magic actually worked; it was just there. After hours of walking, trying to use magic, and some smaller accidents, I fell on the couch, totally drained. If I needed anything right now, it was music.
 
My cell phone was lying on the table, and I tried to pick it up with a hoof. In the series, they were able to pick up just about anything, so there had to be way, but if the trick was magic, I would be doomed. I don't know when it was said, but every pony type had its own magic. I took the cell phone between two hooves and tried to take one away, but that resulted in the phone falling onto the couch. I freed one hoof from a sock with my teeth and tried again. I pressed the hoof on the back of the phone. The idea of a plunger came to mind, but it didn't work. I licked my hoof to wet it a little. However, that just resulted in getting fur in my mouth. I got a little pissed and smashed my hoof on the couch. That caused the device to fly towards the laminate. I tried to catch it, and it luckily landed safely between my hooves.
 
Figuratively, I swiped of the sweat of my forehead, only to realize that the phone had to fall down now, but there it was, secured in my hoof, not even moving a little. Slowly and carefully, I pulled it back on the couch and inspected my success. I could feel the phone in my hoof as though I still had fingers. I turned my hoof at an angle where it would normally have fallen down, but my grip held it in place. I tried to move my hoof as if opening a hand and the phone fell down. I attempted to grab the remote and that also succeeded. Like a sword, I whirled it around, happy about my achievement.
 
I freed my other hoof of the sock, so that only my hind legs were enveloped as I tried to turn on the TV. I thought about the movement of a pointer reaching out. The TV jumped to channel 533 and showed some documentary about ants. Several attempts later didn't lead to another result, and I came to the conclusion that hooves weren't good for much more than grabbing. Still, it was great progress, and so I went into the bedroom to get my laptop. I closed it and considered whether to hold it in my snout but then changed my mind and grabbed it with my hoof. It stuck to my hoof just like the TV remote. Back in the living room, I carefully placed it on the table and started my first attempt to use it. Using the touch pad was like operating with a fist instead of a finger. It wasn't very precise, but it did the job. I put a hoof on the keyboard, and my limb instantly covered a quarter of it. Typing wasn't an option. The window showed me that the night had stealthily snuck up on me, and I decided to leave it for today. I laid down as comfortably as I could and closed my eyes.
 

***

 
Since I hadn’t programmed my alarm, I woke up relatively late. My glasses were crooked on my face, and the TV was turned off. I sat up and saw some carrots on the table. If I had to guess, I'd say it was my mom. Due to the only alternative being toast, I took one and started to nibble on the top.
 
“What's up, doc?” I mumbled to myself and went into the bathroom. After the usual routine consisting of using the toilet and brushing teeth which was now possible thanks to my new grabbing ability, I tried to take a shower. That went surprisingly well; only the drying took its time. I shook myself like a dog a few times and let the air take care of the rest. I put my undershorts back on and headed down to let my dogs out of their room. It was very quiet in the house since everybody was either at work or at school.
 
 After another carrot, I took my keys around my neck. I always had a strap on my keys, and that was especially useful today. The dogs made themselves comfortable on my couch again, and I told them both I'd be back again soon and went into our garden through our basement. I already wanted to go outside yesterday, but I knew no one would have let me. Right behind our house was a forest, and I loved to take walks in it, especially in the spring. And since I grew up here, I knew it like the back of my hand. At first, I walked on the hiking path, but after a few meters, it drew me off the road. The trees didn't have any leaves yet, but a fresh wind announced that it wouldn't take any more. The foliage felt very good under my hooves, and I was glad that I had finally gotten rid of those socks. I walked my usual tour, passed my old tree house I had built some time ago. There wasn't much left. Just a few boards in the branches and on the trunk indicated that there once might have been something.
 
While I was staring at the tree, I heard a noise. Not that this was news in the woods, but it made me happy every time when I saw a deer or a rabbit. This might sound cheesy, but those who grew up with Disney will understand. The bushes rustled a little and a magpie flew out of them. I didn't think about it further and continued my way. Normally this tour would take about an hour, but I was a lot faster today due to the trotting, or at least it seemed that way. Shortly after, I came to the playground where all hiking paths crossed. I wasn't afraid of being seen. It was Monday morning on a workday, so the only beings that could see me were animals. I walked up the ramp leading to the slide and slumped down for a bit. While I was laying there, my mother's words came to my mind. What would happen to me or my future? Should I go in public with my story or should I stay at home? I thought about the pros and cons, but neither seemed very pleasant. I needed a hint, needed to know if there was a reason I was a pony now. Was there something more to it?
 
Again, I heard a noise and looked down the ramp. Two large, purple eyes were looking at me, shock evident in them. I jumped backwards, slid down the slide, and landed rather uncomfortably on the ground. I looked up again but couldn't see anything.
 
“Are you okay?” I heard a voice saying. I searched for the source, which was standing next to the framework. There she was, the pony I knew as Twilight Sparkle. Just like me, she looked like she was drawn into reality and looked down on me with widened eyes.
 
“You didn't hurt yourself, did you?” She slowly approached and reached out a hoof. I was almost paralyzed and couldn't stop looking at her.
 
“Is there anything on my face?” she asked and reached out her hoof again. I took a closer look. Everything was right, every detail. She was just like in the series except for one thing I only noticed now: her horn was missing.
 
“Öh...” I stammered. “Nein, mir geht’s gut,” I said and stood up.
 
“Oh, you speak Germane. It's been a long time since I last heard that language.” She smiled from ear to ear. “But I'm glad to finally see a friendly face.” She dashed towards me and enveloped me in her hooves. She was pressing so hard that I couldn't breathe. After a short moment, she got off me.
 
“I have been here for I don't know how long. What kind of place is this? And what are those strange beings who keep passing all the time?” I just noticed by now that her fur was full of leaves and small branches. Before I could answer, I heard a loud barking, and I knew that someone was approaching with their dog.
 
“Quick, follow me!” I said, and we quickly disappeared in the direction I came from. We ran a few minutes until I was certain we couldn't be seen from the hiking paths. I slowed down until she could reach next to me. She immediately started asking questions again.
 
“So, where am I?”
 
“On Earth.”
 
“What are those beings, and why did we run away?”
 
“Those are humans, and we ran away because we shouldn't exist in this world.” With that last sentence, she stopped and looked at me, confused.
 
“What do you mean we 'shouldn't' exist?” Now I screwed up. While running, I worked up all kinds of scenarios in my head, and I thought it would be best not to tell her about ‘My little Pony’. I guess anyone would freak out if they learned that their life was just entertainment for others, and you couldn't even win a million with it.
 
“Look at us and then around.” I pointed at us and then at a tree. How do you explain cartoons to a cartoon-figure? She seemed to understand and changed the topic.
 
“And what are you doing here? Who are you by the way? Anyway, I'm Twilight Sparkle. Nice to meet you.” If I really didn't want to tell anything about the series, I quickly had to think of a good story.
 
“Well, my name is Timo, though friends call me Tio. I’ve lived here as long as I can remember. I grew up here.” I didn't want to start my adventure with a lie, and leaving out details wasn't lying, right?
 
“Wow.” She giggled. “That's an unusual name for a pony.” I rolled my eyes but said nothing. “So you live in the woods?” Her curiosity just couldn't be satisfied, but I wanted to know just as many things as she did.
 
“No, I live in a house not far away from here. I guess it would be best to go to my place; we can talk there without any disturbance.” I took another look at her. “And you could eat something and take a shower.”
 
She agreed in silence. We came back to the hiking path leading to my house, which was soon in sight.
 
“I live there,” I said, pointing at the house. The old, grey house stuck out between the branches, allowing for a decent view of the roof.
 
“That's a big house,” Twilight said and dashed all the way downwards. I looked at her, and I knew I wouldn't behave any different if I was in Equestria. Immediately, I looked away since, unlike me, she didn't wear any clothing, and I saw more than I actually wanted. I caught up with her at the garden door and opened it.
 
“This is a little big for you alone, isn't it?” she asked with her eyes still on the house.
 
“Well, my family lives there as well, I mean my mother and my brothers.” Again, I wasn't thinking.
 
“There are more ponies here?” Twilight was obviously excited.
 
“Err... no. I'm the only one here as far as I know.” How could I get myself out of this? “I grew up with humans.”
 
“You mean the beings walking around in the woods on just two hooves? But I thought they didn't know about us ponies?”
 
“My family are the only ones who know I'm here.” Again, not a lie. We entered the house through the basement and made our way to my apartment. Twilight examined several things, and I had to explain, for example, what shoes were. When I opened the door to my apartment, Fiete and Fanny instantly came to greet us.
 
“May I introduce Fiete...“ I said while pointing at the little Beagle, “and this is Fanny.” My hoof was on the big Landseer. This particular dog jumped at Twilight, which was quite impressive, since she was just ten centimeters taller than the dog. She sat on her thighs to avoid being thrown over and let greeting happen. After she was sniffed, the dogs made their way down, and I closed the door behind them. I offered Twilight a carrot which she accepted in thanks. After that, I showed her the bath. She wondered about the design at first, but after I explained that it was designed for humans, she was satisfied, and I went back into the living room. I had so many questions and oh my god, Twilight Sparkle was in my freaking apartment. I realized that in order to keep my camouflage, I had to change some things. I closed the laptop to hide the large wallpaper of Ponyville and pulled the Mane Six figurines, together with my cell phone, from my TV into a drawer. I was looking around to check if I had forgotten anything when Twilight came into the room with a towel around her neck.
 
“Thanks, I really needed that,” she said happily and laid down on the little carpet in my living room. This would be the ideal moment for questions if I only knew which one to start with.
 
“How old do ponies get?” was the first question I could think of. Twilight turned around to me and looked confused.
 
“That depends. How healthy does it live, what does it eat? Does it move enough...“ I shook my head.
 
‘That's not what I meant. I meant more in general.” Her eyes widened.
 
“You don't know?” I shook my head again. Twilight’s jaw dropped, and I could almost see her brain working overtime.
 
“You’re saying that… you're the only pony?”
 
“Probably...” I said as quietly as possible. Her face showed something I never wanted in my live: pity. Due to my asthma, I always seemed short and was kind of an outsider. I hated it, to be forced into the focus because of that.
 
“I'm sorry about that.” Twilight obviously didn't know what to say.
 
“Don't mention it. I'm doing okay,” I said, smiling. Fact was that I still didn't know what to do with her.
 
“But what are you doing here? How did you get here?” Twilight cleared her throat and began to talk. For quite some time now, she had been working on a spell to teleport over longer distances. She had finally found a spell in a book from the Canterlot archives she could modify. "I didn't land in Ponyville as I planned, but in the woods behind your house. On top of that, I lost my horn, so I can't contact Trent. But now you're here, so we can return to Equestria together, and you can learn more about your species. The last words echoed through my head. I could go to Equestria! The place every brony dreams to visit, at any costs.
 
“And how do we contact this Trent?” The excitement almost poured out of me. I had never heard of a Trent, but I didn't mind at the moment.
 
“Just little spell; that's all you need.” Twilight seemed to be just as excited to return home. But that last sentence stopped my excitement.
 
“There’s just one small problem, Twilight. I don't know how to use magic.”
> Chapter 4 - Horseplay
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I should have known better. The fact that I didn’t know how to use magic wouldn't stop Twilight from trying to return home. After she dried herself, we sat down, and she started to teach me the basics of magic. Magic was the forming of thoughts into matter. The horn functioned as a catalyst to project the thoughts onto the object. It was fortunate that I was a good student by nature. In my whole school life, I never did homework and still got good grades throughout that time. My advantage was that I always could easily memorize things, allowing me recall it anytime I wished. In the middle of her small monologue, she made me bring her a pen and paper and drew something which had a faint similarity with an ancient rune or an old scripture
 
“This is the basic form of levitating.” She added more symbols and wrote down some explanations as well. “When you add these, the object keeps floating without further magic input. Therefore, this spell drains more power.”  I just nodded. I only understood half of what she told me. Just like back in biology class. Only god knows how much I hated that subject. I turned around and faced the small log of wood we used as a test subject. In my mind, I crafted the runes from the paper, but nothing happened. During some of Twilights explanations, I doubted that I could use magic at all. I was human after all, and humans didn’t have magic. I kept practicing for a while with Twilight giving me some advice until she felt the urge to eat something.
 
I showed her the way to the fridge and gave a suggestion for her to get a slice of bread. I focused on the log again which I wanted to set on fire instead of levitating it, but Twilight’s screaming brought me back to reality.
 
“What's wrong?” I trotted over to her and took a peek into the normally empty fridge. She pointed at the salami.
 
“Is it what I think it is?” I knew by now that ponies were herbivores, but I wouldn't have imagined that they would have reacted that extremely.
 
“Well, humans are omnivores. So yes, that is meat. Salami to be exact. It’s a particular mixture of fat and meat,” I answered dryly. In Equestria, there were also animals which I assumed consumed meat. There was the manticore in that one episode and also the hydra which surely hadn’t have the intention of asking the Mane Six to pick some leaves for it.
 
“And you're not afraid of them?” She was shivering a bit. “I mean, did they never try to eat you?” I had gone through a lot in my life. Laughed at, beaten up, or hurt in other ways, but not once had somebody tried to eat me.
 
“No… why should they? There are only a few people who like horse or pony meat, and I doubt that anyone of them would eat a talking one.” That didn't really help her to calm down; it seemed to make the situation worse instead.
 
“There are ponies who can't talk and humans eat them?” She sounded horrified. I had really dug myself into a hole.
 
“How can I explain? Ponies don't have free will. They can't talk and just follow their instincts. They don't have a personality.” Small tears ran down Twilight’s cheeks.
 
“That doesn't give them the right to eat them! They also have feelings, and every life is precious.” In my life, I had to deal with several vegetarians, and usually I countered their speech about the morality of eating meat. With Twilight, things were different. She was exposed to the supposedly cruelty of a different world she didn't know. It didn't feel right, but there was no other way out for me.
 
“Twilight, plants are alive as well, and you still eat them, right? For the humans in this world, it's the same. But there are also humans who renounced the eating of meat.” I could see in her eyes that she wanted to say something, but she remained silent. I brought her the bag with bread out of the fridge, and after I opened the bag with my tongue, I passed her a slice. I closed the fridge and started to concentrate on the log of wood again while Twilight stood next to the fridge and slowly chewed her slice of bread. I don't know when, but a short time later, she fell asleep, her fur still moist from the tears she had shed.
 
It was one of the reasons why beings like her didn’t belong here. How terrified would she be if I told her of the misery in this world? I imagined all of this so differently. But this wasn't the time for complaining. In order to bring Twilight back home and to visit Equestria, I had to learn how to use magic. By thinking of how it would be in Equestria, my brain always got really creative. I imagined renting a small flat somewhere and spending my weekends there. I never thought of staying there forever. My family and my friends were here, and they were very important to me. In some fanfics, the protagonist always wanted to stay without worries, but I always found that to be unreal. Also, all of those persons were in some way a mental wreck, so much so that I had started to think I had to be at the bottom to get to Equestria.
 
The small clock on the wall said two o'clock, and I knew that my brother would soon come home. I wanted to ask him to buy salad and also to make some afterward. Speaking of the devil, the door opened, and not my brother, but Simon, one of his friends, stood in the doorstep.
 
“And your brother is really one of those horses?” he said, followed by a laugh. Two more friends of his came into the corridor followed by Nils. As soon as I saw Simon, I laid down still on the floor, hoping they would mistake me for a plushie, but if Nils told them everything, it would be useless.
 
“Dude this is gonna be fun,” said the other guy I knew as Dodi. They opened the glass door of the corridor and entered the living room. Dodi nearly stepped on me because he didn't see me. Instead of acting like a plushie, I now tried to act like I was asleep. I hoped it would hold them off from whatever they wanted to do. He picked me up as ungently as I could imagine and passed me over to Simon. Nils walked through the room and spotted the sleeping Twilight on the couch.
 
“Here is another one. Where did Timo find this?” He lifted her into his arms. Dodi walked over to him and lifted her tail. The only thing I could think of the whole time was ‘please don't wake up, Twilight’.
 
“Look here, it's a girl! Just became a pony and already has something to jack up,” said Dodi as the three started to laugh. I was raging inside, but against the three of them, I had no chance in that moment.
 
“Come on, guys, let's put our plan into action,” Dodi said as they mobilized.
 
“Where are the keys for his car?” asked Simon, who still held me in his arms. The key was still dangling off my neck, right under his nose. Of course Nils saw it and took it from me. They wanted to make fun at our cost and use my car for it? I had enough of this.
 
“Are you insane? What are you doing?” I hissed at Nils, whose face was just above mine
 
“You’ll see.” He grinned. “This is going to be fun. Don't be such a poor sport.” He patted my head and went with Twilight in his arm downstairs to the front door. Nils usually wasn't like that but those friends of his… And I was a bad influence, yeah? I wanted to free myself from Simon’s grip, but it was too tight.
 
“Be a well-behaved horsey,” he said to me as if he was talking to a dog. Outside on the driveway, Nils handed Twilight over to Sven, the fourth member of the group and sat himself on the driver's seat. Dodi and Sven sat on the back seats, and Simon sat on co-driver's seat with me.
 
Nils turned the key, and my old Cio came to life. We drove down the driveway, and about two minutes later, we reached the main road. On our journey, we drove through many small villages until I finally had an idea where we were going. I kept trying to break the Simon’s grip, but it was useless.
 

***

 
“Next stop: Toys'R'us!” Nils announced happily. He took the first parking spot he could find, and they got out of the car. Twilight was still sleeping, but I knew that would change soon. Some days ago, there was an advert in the local newspaper that on the occasion of the royal Canterlot wedding, “My little Pony” products had fifty percent off this week. I had actually planned to buy some, but I doubted that I would have that opportunity today. Nils and his friends headed towards the entrance, and I knew exactly what they were up to. The whole shop was crowded with little girls looking for toys. Their mothers were sitting aside in a small café which was just for them. Nils and his friends brought us to the vague center of the building. Between some Barbie shelves, they put us down, and Nils took a deep breath.
 
“Look kids! Two life-sized ‘My Little Ponies’ toys!” he shouted, and they were gone faster than I could look. They ran as if the devil was behind them towards the exit. A couple of seconds later, I could see them standing outside and lighting up their cigarettes. Suddenly, my view was blocked by two tiny legs and a skirt.
 
“Oh, this one's so sweet!” screeched a little girl and tried to pick me up. I didn't let her and trotted over to Twilight, trying to ignore the little girl as much as possible, but her high pitched voice made it impossible. I shook Twilight. I don't know whether my shaking or the scream made her wake up, but at least she was awake again.
 
“Eh... what?” she stammered, and then she saw me and the screaming girl. “Timo, what happened?” As fast as she could, she was on her hooves again, ready for whatever was to come.
 
“Twilight, run!” I yelled and ran as fast as I could. Several others joined the one little girl and started to stare at us, but they couldn't do it for long because we rushed round the next corner. In the next corridor, there were Lego and other building blocks of every color and shape.
 
“What in the name of Celestia is going on?” Twilight screamed into my ear.
 
“My brother....” We turned round the next corner and were in the computer compartment. They weren't the usual ones though, only those educational computers. ”He pulled a prank on us.”
 
“Why are these little humans chasing us then?” Again, we went around a corner. This time, the shelves were filled with diapers. The horde was still close on our hooves.
 
“Die Horde rennt sie macht alles nieder...” I sang a bit too loudly, which earned me a weird look from Twilight. “These are kids, fillies if you want, and they chase us… well, because they think we're toys.” We were now running through the department for toy guns.
 
“How did they come up with that?” she yelled, and it was obvious that she didn't like the idea of being a toy, especially after I had told her some hours ago that humans do, in fact, eat horse meat. A bunch of humans chasing her was the last thing she must've wanted. We went into another corridor filled with consoles, but I was more focused on what was lying ahead: the exit. Nils and his friends were still standing there and were watching how we got chased. I could see them grinning at us.
 
I ran down the corridor, and we were just to cross the main alley when I saw the department ahead of us: “My little Pony”. I turned right and followed the main alley to the next corridor but not without checking that Twilight was still following me. Luckily, she was, and so we went down the corridor. The cashier looked rather bored until she saw me and Twilight and, of course, the horde of little girls which were running after us. And I could swear that, to our left, there were two elderly men in the “My little Pony” corridor, who pointed a finger at us, not believing what they just saw. We ran past the confused cashier and stopped in front of the glass door which blocked our escape route.
 
I looked up and saw that the sensor didn't measure us. Of course, the door was configured to only open for adults so that kids couldn't leave the shop without their parents. Twilight started to panic because the door didn't open. With a look back, I saw that one of the two men slowly came over to us.
 
“Isn't that???” he yelled and poked his buddy with his elbow. The kids just ran past them as I got an idea.
 
“Hey, bronies! Come and get your little pony!” I shouted at them and spanked my flank. Twilight’s panic nearly doubled, and she was just about to run away. “Stay here; trust me,” I said to her, but she wouldn't have stayed if it weren't for my hoof on her tail. The two guys ran past the kids and the counter. It was at that very moment the alarm went off. They still had blind bags in their hands that triggered the security system, but as they ran to us, they also opened the door. Twilight and I sprang through the doors just before one security guard blocked them. I slowed down and stepped outside into the fresh air. It was afternoon by now. Nils and his friends were still standing on the left side of the entrance and were celebrating their little prank. I signalled for Twilight to follow me and slowly stepped over to them.
 
“Have you lost your mind?” I shouted as loud as I could. I didn't care for people that could see us in the parking lot. I was pissed off. “Do you know what could've happened?” Nils bent over to me and smiled brashly.
 
“Come on, Timo, that was just too hilarious. You would've done the same to me.” I pulled Nils with my hoof a bit closer so that he was the only one who could hear me.
 
“I don't care that you pulled a prank on me, but Twilight there....” Nils looked up and grinned at her. “She is from another world and was frightened to death.” I let go of him, and the first thing he did was to straighten his jacket. I gave him the most venomous glare I could. He rolled his eyes and pushed me aside, stepping up to Twilight. She was quivering so much that she looked like a ball on the ground just like Fluttershy did sometimes. Now I realized how afraid she must've been.
 
“Hey!” Nils kneeled down and nudged her. “I didn't mean any offense; I was just trying to mock my brother.” His smirk was carved into his face. Twilight slowly looked up to him, and seconds later, she was on her hooves again. The next thing I heard was a meaty thud and Nils falling onto the ground. Twilight walked past him and joined me. She had smacked him so hard that he was rubbing his right cheek. His friends became silent and looked down on me and Twilight. I guided her to the car and just before we reached it, I turned around to Nils.
 
“Come on, Nils, we're leaving.” I opened the rear door and climbed into the trunk. Twilight followed me, and shortly after, all of us were back inside, driving home.
 
During the whole drive, nobody said a word, and I was still sitting with the shivering Twilight. I didn't know how I could explain my brother’s idiotic prank, so I hoped that I would have time to think about it. Please let her be too tired to ask any questions. 
> Chapter 5 - All New
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I didn't believe that I would get away without an explanation. However, all we did was silently get out of the car and head to my apartment. Once there, I showed Twilight my sleeping room and offered her my bed. Though it was not even night time, she fell asleep pretty quickly, most likely because of today's excitement. I closed the door behind me and went into the cellar to my brother’s room. I knocked on the door before I entered. The ground was covered by empty bottles, rubbish, and god knows what else. This was one of the times where I missed shoes. My brother and his friends were sitting on the couch in the corner and watched as I made my way through the chaos.
 
“You seem to be not quite right in your head.” I looked at my brother. “Don't you think that was a stupid idea? And not just Toys'R'us but also telling these fools of me in the first place.” If I still had arms, they would be crossed by now. “How did you even get that brilliant idea?” None of his friends said anything, so Nils answered.
 
“After I told them what happened, and by the time they had calmed down, we talked about it. And we thought it would be hilarious to put you into a Toys'R'us.” Well, I had to admit it could have been fun for me if they would have let me in on the plan.
 
“How did you convince these idiots? I mean, if I said that someone got turned into a pony, they would put me into the madhouse.” Nils pulled his IPhone out of his pocket, tapped it several times, and showed it to me. It was a picture of me trying to walk with socks on my hooves. The next picture showed me crashing into the cupboard. He must have taken photos from the floor without me noticing. Nils put the phone back into his pocket.
 
“Now explain where you picked up this other pony? Was she transformed like you?” I took his keyboard off his computer table and threw it over to him, which knocked over several tins and bottles.
 
“Search for My Little Pony and play the first episode you find.” Nils didn't let me wait for long and found an episode. I told him to forward to about the middle and showed him a scene with the Mane Six.  I pointed at the screen.
 
“You see this pony there? Guess who's sleeping upstairs.” Nils and his friends stood up to have a closer look. “Exactly. That is Twilight Sparkle. A pony which doesn't exist in our world and therefore must be from another world. Equestria to be precise. She came here by accident, and you stupid idiots scared the first alien who ever got to our world half to death. Bravo!” I would have clapped or rather clopped if I could have stood on two hooves. With those words, I went back upstairs and left them to their thoughts. I knew they probably didn’t intend any harm, but it wasn't right either. And I had a block of wood awaiting me which would be either levitating or in the stove by that very evening.
 

***

 
I don't know what time it was when I woke up. I was still lying on the floor in the living room beside my friend, the wooden cube. I got up from my uncomfortable position and staggered slowly to the couch. I picked up the TV remote from the table and pressed the first button which came under my hooves carefully. I didn't care what was running on the channel; all I needed was some background noise, and as tired as I was, I fell asleep quickly.
 

***

 
I was awakened the next morning by a splitting headache. The TV was still running and was showing a news broadcast. I usually didn’t watch any of the news channels, but it seemed like I didn't care yesterday. I stood up and stretched myself. Then I went into the bath. A shower was exactly what I needed to get my thoughts organized. When I was finished, I unlocked the flat door which I had locked before. It seemed to be the best for Twilight to ensure that no one would take her away again. In front of the door, there was a basket with apples and carrots. Hotel Mama, somehow I got in again. I took the basket with my snout and went into the living room, where I found Twilight sitting on the couch. She could have been here for half an eternity, and I wouldn't have noticed her. She sat quietly, and with rapt attention, she stared at the television. I placed the basket on the table and took an apple for myself and another one into my hoof and went towards the couch. I nudged Twilight and held one apple under her nostrils.
 
“Morning....” I said. “You want one as well?” Her look was entranced, staring at the TV, and I decided it would be the best to turn it off. I placed the apple on the table, and with a simple push on the remote, turned the television off. Twilight seemed to awaken out of her trance as she turned around to face me.
 
“What is that?” she asked hesitantly and pointed at the still flickering TV. I really had to buy a new one soon.
 
“A television. It receives picture and sound. You could say it’s a picture book which narrates itself.” I didn't want to explain to her the complexity of electrical engineering, or at least not at seven o'clock in the morning with the headache I had.
 
“So these are only invented stories?” She probably meant the news broadcast.
 
“No, that's what we call news. Comparable to a newspaper.” The fact that the media was manipulated was something I kept to myself. My head was really humming.
 
“How can that human be so calm then? He just said that over one hundred humans died somewhere. That's a catastrophe.” She really seemed concerned. Her voice was like a mirror of emotions.
 
“Such a thing happens every day in this world.” I sighed and took a deep breath. “There are about seven billion humans in this world. A few hundred are seen as collateral damage. It’s sad, but that's the way it is here.” I could see from her face how horrified she must have felt.
 
“That's terrible! How can you live in such a place? This is dreadful.” I could only agree. The world really was a nightmare sometimes.
 
“We also have love and hope though, Twilight. The people who are important to us make all of this bearable. Here, you are strong together.” I didn't know how to express it differently. Surely she knew what I was talking about since Equestria also had to have bad times. “I better get practicing again. After all, you want to go home,” I said after a small moment of silence, but Twilight just nodded slowly. Just when I was about to start practicing, I had an idea that could cheer up Twilight for sure. I went to my bookshelf and took my copy of the Christmas tale and threw it over to her. “Now you also have something to do,” I said with a tired smile as I sat down next to the log. I saw how Twilight first had a look on it then read the cover and then the book itself.
 
The hours just flew by without me making any kind of progress. Twilight, on the other hand, proceeded pretty steadily and had already read about half of the book. I needed some music; that always relaxed me and also helped with the thinking. I took my laptop from the table and put it onto the kitchen table next to the wicker so that she couldn't see it from the living room. I opened it, and my usual working place greeted me. I navigated through various files and changed my background into a simple blue in order to solve one of my minor problems. I opened the media player, and a few clicks later, my music collection sounded through the room. Twilight was so lost in the book that she didn't even notice the music. I went back to my wooden friend and hummed to 'Rise Against - Satellite'. I could feel how the tension of the last days fell from my shoulders, and for the first time since my transformation, I could relax. I closed my eyes and quietly sang in my head. The wooden block could also wait a couple of minutes.
 
I opened my eyes again when the player started the next track and looked to my right onto the bare floor. I looked to the other side, but I couldn't spot the block either. I stood up and looked where I just sat, but as expected, I would have noticed if I had been sitting on a wooden block, which meant that there was only one option left. I looked up to the ceiling and there it was as, floating as if it had always been there. I could feel how my smile became wider and wider, and out of joy, I started jumping through the room which gained Twilight's attention.
 
“Hey, you did it.” She nodded, satisfied, as she put away the book. My horn was still glowing in a bright white, and the same aura was covering the log of wood. It didn't last long as the aura faded, and with a bang, the wood landed on the ground, leaving a notch in the laminate.
 
“So, how do we call this Trent now?” I wanted to visit Equestria as soon as possible, and Twilight also seemed to be happy about returning home soon.
 
“Well, we have to send a magic shock wave through a tree. Trent is the soul of all forests. Wherever a forest is, he can take form,” she explained. I was as excited as a kid the day before Christmas. I was just about to run through the door to try it out when I got a better idea.
 
“Do you mind if we wait till tomorrow? I would like to tell my family that I will be gone for quite some time. Besides, I would like to take some things with me.” I also had an idea how I would transport them.
 
“Sure, no problem,” she said with a strange smile. “I still have the book here. Take the time you need.” With those last words said, she continued reading. Meanwhile, I went into the basement and searched for something I had used ten years ago. In a chest with tires and other things one would use on their bicycle, I found my saddlebag. I had used it when I was thirteen to carry newspapers in order to earn money for my own computer. Others went to confirmation classes, but I worked. I threw the bag over my back, and I had to say that it fitted like fist and eye. I went upstairs and started to pack my things like boxer shorts and medicine. When I held the medicine in my hoof, I noticed that I didn't need them since my transformation, but just to be sure, I placed them in my bag. I put my laptop in the other saddlebag before taking my mobile phone. I didn't have to worry about Twilight since she was still lost in the book. If I ever came into a situation where I wanted to get rid of her, all I would need was a good book. I would have liked to try to see how long she would have needed for the three “Lord of the Rings” books, but this wasn't the time. My mobile phone was only important because I wanted to take some photos since I doubted that I would have reception in Equestria. Half an hour later, I was finished packing for my short trip, so I sat down on the couch again and turned the TV on. It wasn't easy to change the channels with hooves, and I often went way further than I wanted, but then I stopped on a channel.
 
“Yesterday, something unbelievable happened in a Toys'R'us. Eyewitnesses reported that two ponies ran out of the store and that one was even able to speak.” I held my breath. “The whole action was caught on tape. Here it is.”
 
On the screen, I could see how Twilight and I were running through various corridors while getting chased by kids and then the scene of us standing near the exit and me teasing the two men towards us. The view changed and now the focus was on one of the men, who told the cameraman what he had seen, followed by the narrator. “It's unclear whether it was a prank, but the police was able to narrow it down to several suspects. Witnesses told of a group of juveniles which left shortly after the incident in a blue Reno Clio. The license number was relayed to the police, and the owner is being tracked down at this time.” She took another piece of paper. “Berlin—” I hammered the big red button on the TV remote. Our cover was blown. I began to panic as it was only a matter of time until the police was knocking on the door. Twilight looked at me and seemed to realize that nothing good had happened.
 
“It looks like we have to leave today...” I said quietly and walked downstairs. I needed to tell my mother, so she wouldn’t be completely devastated if I would be gone for some time. I went down the stair, opened the door in the hallway to let my dogs out of her room, and then I entered my mother’s flat.
 
 Everything was quiet, and nobody seemed to be home. I searched in all rooms, even Dirk’s room, but nobody was there. Well, I couldn't help it. There were more important things. If the police found two speaking ponies, hell would break loose. I wanted to get Twilight when I saw the dogs scratching on the door. They probably wanted to go in the garden, so I opened the door. They rushed down the small stairs and went around the corner into the front garden. I was just about to follow them when I saw two policemen getting out of their car which was parked in our driveway. The driver was just closing his door when his colleague nudged him and pointed his finger at me. I turned around on point, and with a bang which was even louder than the “Stop, police!” of the policemen, slammed the door shut. I could hear them opening the door in the fence and entering our property. I ignored their demands and ran upstairs.
 
“Twilight, if we wanna go, it has to be now!” She stood up from the couch.
 
“What is going on?” She must have heard the shouting from downstairs.
 
“Remember that I told you humans must not know about us?” I didn't give her time to answer. “That ain't important anymore; they saw us. We have to go, doesn't matter where, but we have to go!” Humans searching for her was definitely scaring her. What else could be expected after my brother’s prank? We ran down the stairs. One of the officers must have had the idea to look through a window and was now calling his colleague. We went into the basement, and through it, went into the garden. If we just had to reach a tree, it shouldn't be much of a problem considering that the forest was just behind the house. The officers were not born yesterday, though, and followed us at the side of our property.
 
“How do I call this Trent now?” The officers just didn’t give up and now jumped over the small fence, landing in our garden.
 
“You have to cast a spell on a tree. That should gain his attention,” said Twilight while running next to me. The forest came in range, and I hurried over to the first tree and tried to do the same as I did to the wooden block, but nothing happened. The officers slowly gained ground, so we ran further into the forest.
 
“It's not working,” I said to Twilight after the first couple of meters in the forest. The weight of the saddlebag slowly made itself known. I got slower, and I knew I couldn't hold this pace with the weight on my back. “Twilight, you see the big black thing in my bag? Take it and throw it out!” She didn't hesitate long, and my laptop flew towards the officers and smashed into pieces. The crocodile tears would flow when we were out of here. We got a small lead, and I tried to call Trent again without success. We kept running, but I slowly ran out of steam as the magic was exhausting even without two officers chasing me. We came across another large tree which was blocking our way, so I had a look back. The policemen weren't as fast because of the forest floor, so we had about a minute until they would reach us. “The police are to protect and to serve! Can't you just leave us alone?” I shouted at them, but they simply ignored me. Again, I tried to cast the spell but without payoff. I was so frustrated that I banged my horn against the tree, which caused sparks to fly and made the tree glow white. That took the last bit of my strength, and I collapsed. However, before I fell on the ground, a limb caught me.
 
“Trent! You found me!” screamed Twilight. The limb heaved me up and put me down next to Twilight. I looked up to the tree and saw a big green eye looking down on us.
 
“But of course, Twilight Sparkle. I've been waiting for a sign of you,” said a very monotonous voice, one that was devoid of emotions. I couldn't see from where the voice came; it seemed to resonate from everywhere. The policemen also heard the voice and yelled at us.
 
“Are these friends of you?” asked the voice. Twilight only shook her head. A branch next to the running officer moved, and they got knocked back.
 
“So, I suppose you want to go home, right? Dawn is worried. He visited me a couple of times and asked where you were.” The eye focused on me. “And who is this?” I gulped. This being just injured two policemen and didn't even seem to care. I asked myself what he would do to me, but Twilight beat me to it.
 
“That's a friend; he helped me to call you. As you see, my horn is gone once again,” she said grimly, somehow reminding me of myself and my glasses. Another limb touched Twilight´s forehead, and with a flash, her horn was back. “Thank you, Trent.” She bowed. I decided that it would be best if I let Twilight do the talking. With a being that mighty, I didn’t want to somehow screw things up. “Could you send us home?” The tree didn't answer, but another limb came out of nowhere and drilled a hole into the ground. Shortly after, a puddle formed, and Twilight stepped happily into it. I did the same since she was the expert. The water wafted up my legs and covered me with a film of water. Twilight remained calm during the process as I took a deep breath when the water reached my throat before we got pulled through the puddle. I closed my eyes, and everything went black.
 
When I opened my eyes again, we were standing on a small meadow near a forest, but everything was different from what I've seen or at least with my real eyes. I could see the edge of the Everfree and the strange green eye.
 
“Be more attentive with your magic, Twilight Sparkle,” said the voice before the eye slowly faded, leaving an ordinary tree behind. Twilight walked towards a small hill and indicated for me to follow her. I stepped up to her, and I saw the village of my dreams— no, the village of dreams for so many. Ponyville stood before my eyes. The houses had a rustic flair even when they on the show, now even more so in reality. A river separated the small town in two parts. On one side, you could clearly see the residential area, and on the other side, the marketplace with its tents and booths. The biggest building was the town hall. It rose over the whole village. I also recognized other houses. One was a large tree not far from the town hall - the only rounded house in the whole village. As I gazed over the borders of Ponyville, I saw how one apple tree followed the next. Twilight nudged me and said:
 
“Welcome in Equestria!”
> Chapter 6 - Realm of Dreams
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I was still astonished by the look of Ponyville until Twilight started giggling, drawing me back into reality.
 
“I can show you around later, but for now, I need to go home. I already have somepony waiting for me,” she said in a friendly tone and headed towards the town. Somehow, her voice sounded strange, almost like I heard it twofold, but I didn't care. Following Twilight, we walked along a small path until the town buildings came closer and closer. I had so many questions, but I couldn't ask them since she'd notice that I knew too much. I would have loved to know to what degree the series was similar to this world and how our world even knew of the existence of this one. We came to a very quiet corner of the village with only a few houses. The houses were really small but looked comfortable. If I had to, I'd compare them to a bungalow. On the other hand, one house really stood out since it didn't really have a roof, but grass. It had the appearance of a hill with a bit of wood here and there and some windows. I had an idea whose house it was and marked it in my mind for a visit since Twilight didn't seem to want to stop.
 
Quickly, we went in direction of the town centre and got over the bridge where Fluttershy once dumped trash all over Bonbon and a friend. We were now on the main street and passed another familiar building: Sugarcube Corner. The house was exactly like in the series, and I would have loved to take a big bite from the wall. Some ponies around us started talking, and I had a certain feeling that it was about the new pony in town. I was from a small village myself, so I wasn't surprised. I was certain that it was just a matter of time until our ways crossed with that of a certain pink pony. I quickly dashed forward to not lose sight of Twilight.
 
It was just glorious here. Although it was just a small village, it was so full of life. The sun was shining, which resulted in a pleasant temperature. Everything just seemed so peaceful. Some ponies waved at Twilight, and she greeted everyone in return. The next interesting building was also our destination: the library. Twilight went to the entrance and opened the door with her magic.
 
"After you,” she said in a friendly tone and let me enter into her tree house. The first and only thing I noticed were books everywhere. Even the air had a scent of books. The small, round room had two doors and two stairs. One led upstairs, the other one downstairs. I knew that there was a basement down there and a bedroom on top of us, so the other doors had to be the bath and kitchen. Twilight followed me into the house and closed the door, which lit the painted candle on the door. What a clever idea to show whether the library was open or closed. I put my saddlebag next to the small table in front of me.
 
"Dawn! Spike! I'm back!" Her voice sounded through the room, but I somehow heard it twofold in my head, just as if she was speaking twice at the same time. The kitchen door opened, and the small dragon came into the room. As soon as he spotted Twilight, he dashed towards her and closed his arms around her.
 
"Twi, you're back! Why did it take so long to cast the spell?" His voice sounded just like Twilight's - twofold.
 
"There was a small problem, but thanks to my new friend here, I'm back again." She pointed her hoof at me, and Spike came closer.
 
"Thanks, pal, you've no idea how I missed her!" He closed his claw into a fist. Time for my first brohoof!
 
"Kein Problem Kumpel, umm, I mean no problem at all, buddy." I had to remind myself to speak English, but Spike just looked confused.
 
"Does he say everything twice?" he asked Twilight, who had a confused look on her face as well.
 
“Say, Timo? In what language am I speaking right now?” she asked.
 
“Mine, I mean Germane I think you called it.” Spike raised an eyebrow.
 
“Well, if that was Germane, I turned into an expert overnight. Except for Twilight, the only one I know who speaks that language is Rarity.” I was confused. Twilight, on the other hand, was totally relaxed and started to levitate a few books out of one of the shelves. She read through them faster than I could watch and stopped at the second book.
 
“Timo, do you hear us twofold?” She seemed to have a solution for my problem.
 
“Yes, it's like there was a second but significantly lower voice while you're talking.” She looked in the book again for a few seconds, nodded like she was content with what she read, and the books flew into their places again.
 
“It's a spell called Whisperer. It translates languages for oneself and others.” I made a face that was worth a thousand words. The last thing I knew was how to perform such a spell. “I guess you can thank Trent for that. I already helped some time ago. Now he did you a favour.” For now, I just accepted this explanation. What other option was there since magic didn't care for the laws of logic?
 
“Well, I guess that explains things well enough. Hello, Spike, my name is Timo, but friends call me Tio,” I finally introduced myself to the little dragon. Again, he reached out his claw, this time opened, and I accepted the gesture.
 
“And who is Dawn if I may ask? I can't see anyone else here.” Twilight seemed to notice the same thing as well.
 
“Right, Spike, where is he? Trent said he was worried.” Spike made a casual gesture.
 
“He went with the Cutie Mark Crusaders. So when they aren't devastating the village, they're probably on the farm.” Still not the answer I was hoping for.
 
“So again, who is Dawn?” Although the following came out of Twilight's mouth, I still couldn't believe it.
 
“Dawn is my son. I thought he'd be here.” Twilight… Twilight Sparkle has a son? How in God's name, well here it would be in Celestia’s name, could that happen? That wasn't the series I knew. I was so shocked that I sat down next to the door.
 
“Everything alright?” Twilight asked, worried.
 
“Yeah… it's just that I didn't know you were a mother.” She seemed to be a little angry now.
 
“You mean that I can't take care of a foal?” An angry Twilight was the last thing I wanted right now.
 
“No, umm... I mean you're still so young and... you know.“ That sounded so corny, I couldn't even believe it myself. All I could see was Twilight getting slightly red under her fur before I was forcefully pushed against the wall as though I was hit on my head with a board. If I hadn't been sitting sideways, my horn would now be sticking in the wall like a nail.
 
“Oh my gosh! Twilight, you're back!” I couldn't see who was talking, but I would have recognized that voice everywhere. Rainbow Dash, self-appointed fastest flyer in Equestria, dashed through the entrance and removed the only obstacle in the way, namely me. The door slowly closed, and I could get up. Twilight grabbed Rainbow Dash's tail with her magic to stop her from knocking her down as well.
 
“I'm happy to see you too, Rainbow, but I'd appreciate it if you knock the next time before you kick in the door.” She released Rainbow Dash from her magic and she fell on the floor with a smile.
 
“You know this is a public library, don't you, Twi?” she answered sarcastically.
 
“Yes, but you aren't the only guest here,” she said, pointing at me as I appeared from behind the door, rubbing my head with a hoof. Rainbow Dash was a bit startled but then flew over to me.
 
“Hehe, sorry, didn't see you there. No harm done, right?” She reached out with her hoof, and just as with Spike, I accepted the gesture.
 
“Well, my name is Rainbow Dash, quickest flyer in Equestria and future member of the Wonderbolts,” she proudly announced as if she just won a prize.
 
“T-Timo… Friends call me Tio,” I stammered, still feeling dizzy.
 
“What a strange name. Do you have dragons as parents or something like that?” Twilight had also wondered about my name from before.
 
“Actually, something completely different. I mean, I didn't grow up with ponies,” I explained.
 
“He even grew up in a whole other world. I found him there and wouldn't be back without him,” Twilight added.
 
“Cool, you seem alright. When we see each other again, you can invite me for some cider.” She turned to her friend. “I gotta go, Twi. I want to practice some new awesome tricks.” She was about to leave when Twilight held her back with her magic again.
 
“If you happen to fly across Sweet Apple Acres, please tell Dawn I'm back. Oh, and one more thing...” She pointed at me. “Timo needs a place to stay. Would you tell the others to come over tonight?” With that, she released her magical grip.
 
“No problem, Twi. See ya!” Rainbow Dash saluted, and with a flash, she was out of the library. I was impressed that Twilight thought of all those things. I actually thought I would sleep on the floor. That actually wouldn't have been that bad. I don't think it can get any worse than Wacken.
 
“So, Timo, what do want to do now?” Twilight asked. I had so many ideas. The top of my list was paying a visit to Fluttershy, and Sweet Apple Acres seemed tempting as well. If the Cutie Mark Crusaders were there, it might even turn out to be a little adventure. Actually, there was just one pony I wanted to see last: Rarity. Not that I didn't like her, but my taste in fashion was very different, and it might lead to an argument, especially since I was just wearing boxer shorts. I guess this wasn't the latest trend. Meeting Pinkie was kind of a catch 22. On the one hand, Sugarcube Corner would be an experience worth having to visit the dentist thrice, but on the other hand, I didn't want the party. I wouldn't stay here forever, and if Pinkie befriended me, she'd be very sad when I left. I was scared of her ‘other side’, especially after reading that damned Cupcakes story.
 
“Call me Tio. All of my friends do, and if you're asking me like that, how about a tour through the village?” I couldn't decide, so I left the choice to her. That was a piece of advice every man should take. Leave the decision to the woman, or in my case, to the mare.
 
“I'm sorry; I was gone for a week. I have to catch up with my appointments, but I'm sure Spike will show you around.” Two bros walking through the town; not a bad idea at all. After all, I could ask him some questions I couldn't ask to Twilight since she was a mare.
 
“No problem, Twi! What do you think, Tio?” The little dragon seemed to be excited to get out of this pile of books. I turned around and opened the door with a hoof.
 
“Alright, my guide, lead the way.” We stepped outside, with me following Spike.
 
“Tell me, Tio, how was it growing up with other beings?” I knew where he was going.  Spike was the only dragon in Ponyville. My experience, on the other hand, was just a few days.
 
“I think I wouldn't have turned out any different if I grew up with someone else. Sure I'd have different memories, but I'd still be myself,” was the best answer I could think of for this impossible question. Who knew how that was?
 
“You know, I'm the only dragon in Ponyville. I often asked myself whether I'd be different, but actually I don't want to,” he said with a smile. So young yet so grown up. Why couldn't Dirk be that way? While walking down the main street, although this time in another direction, I noticed other ponies talking and looking at me.
 
“Hey, Spike, what's going on here?” He looked around and then smiled at me.
 
“Well, your clothes... I mean, it's just spring and you look like you’re going to jump into the lake or coming back from the beach.” He touched my boxer shorts and took a closer look. “Also, I don't think this is the latest trend.” Now it was my turn.
 
“How do you know so much about fashion?” I knew where I was going.
 
“My friend Rarity is really talented with fashion. I often help her in her shop and so on. You learn a lot there.” There it was.
 
“So you already have a marefriend. Congrats, pal.” I could see his purple scales turning into a deep red.
 
“No, it's not like it... I mean she isn't my marefriend. She's just a friend, you know?” The way he didn't want to say it out loud was just too cute.
 
“So you wish there was more between you two?” It could be so much fun asking questions I already knew the answers to just to annoy someone.
 
“Well, yeah...” he said so quietly that I almost didn't hear him. “But you have to promise not to tell anypony. Pinkie Promise?” I was about to put my hoof over my heart when I remembered my camouflage.
 
“A what?”
 
Spike showed me the movements. He put his claw on his chest. “Cross my heart...” His claw went up into the air “... hope to fly...”and landed on his eye “... stick a cupcake in my eye.” I didn't know why it was in English again, but I liked it better that way. I repeated the oath, and Spike seemed satisfied.
 
“Someone said my name?” Pinkie appeared behind Spike as if she had been there the entire time, and I was so shocked that I fell down. The fourth wall really was no obstacle for this pony.
 
“Oh oh oh, you're new. I don't know you yet. Do you live here? Where do you live? What does your cutie mark stand for? Oh oh oh, we'll be best friends. I have to prepare a party.” She rattled on at a speed that would make Nascar look like an old-people-wheelchair-race. I was going on the vague assumption that the only reason I heard more than a shrill screeching was because of Trent's spell. As quickly as Pinkie had appeared, she was already gone, leaving a few clouds of dust. I had been mentally prepared for that moment, but I still had to focus all my powers to pick up my jaw again. Spike seemed to like that view since he was rolling on the floor from laughing, but after a few seconds later, he got himself together.
 
“What the hay?” I knew what the hay that was, but I was also concerned about my camouflage. If there was someone who still had all their ducks in a row, it would be Twilight and Spike, although the dragon could be a little childish.
 
“That was Pinkie Pie. Don't worry about that, but you should prepare for something later.” It was time to practice my surprised face.
 
“So, where to now?” Spike pointed next to me.
 
“Sugarcube Corner, and as you can see, we're already here. This place has the best cupcakes you can find, and of course, some other bakery products. By the way, Pinkie Pie works here.” I made a promise to myself to never ever touch a cupcake while I was here. Spike was already licking his lips and disappearing into the bakery. I used the opportunity to touch the wall and break off a little piece. It really was gingerbread. There were millions of thoughts about how it could hold for so long, against weather and so on, until I remembered where I was. So I let the gingerbread be gingerbread and followed my guide.
 
Inside the bakery was similar to Twilight's library except that it wasn't the scent of books but the scent of sugar smashing into my face. Every kind of pie and cake I knew of were shown in the display cases, and that wasn't even all of it. There were many more products that I couldn’t identify. No matter where I looked, the sugar figuratively burned into my eyes, and I was worried about getting diabetes by just standing here for too long. Spike was standing at the counter and was talking to a medium-sized, creme-colored stallion with a five 'o clock shadow, obviously Mr. Cake.
 
“So, Tio, what do you want?” Spike suddenly asked.
 
“Anything but a cupcake please,” I said without thinking. Spike looked a little confused but then shrugged his shoulders and turned to Mister Cake again. I started counting all the pastries and reached thirty before Spike held a muffin under my nose.
 
“Here, I didn't know what you liked, so I just took blueberry.” I held the muffin and took a bite. The dough was juicy, and I could taste every single blueberry on my tongue. What a beautiful piece of food.
 
“Thanks, Spike. It's delicious,” I said after swallowing the first bite. Spike and I left the bakery and proceeded on our way.
 
“So, what's next?” I ate the muffin while walking. This walking on three legs thing worked out surprisingly well.
 
“The spa and the Carousel Boutique are nearby. A little down the way, there would be the market place and the café. But I think we can cross the Spa off our list.” I had to smile at the last sentence.
 
“I think so too.” I thought about the other places. Actually, I wanted to pay a visit to Fluttershy, but without a proper reason, it might look strange to others. Since we just ate, I couldn't say I was hungry for an apple. The marketplace and the café sounded to me like places women or mares went to for some afternoon shopping and talking. So there was only one thing left.
 
“How about the Carousel Boutique? Maybe I'll find something more appropriate than these old boxer shorts.” I knew I'd leave the Boutique without them, so I prepared myself for a goodbye. Of course, Spike was happy about my decision and literally dragged me across the street.
 
“Awesome, then you can meet Rarity, You'll see, she really knows what she's doing." I was about to literally lose my last pair of pants.
> Chapter 7 - Like Ice in the Sunshine
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Spike really didn't get tired of dragging me all the way to the Carousel Boutique. It reminded of the episode where Rarity was dragged by her horn in front of the stone, and my inner reaction was just about the same as hers. The Boutique didn't lie with its name; it really looked like a carousel from the outside. The round building was supported by several wooden beams which hung slightly over the roof and were similar to the beams of a carousel. The front had large, half-moon-shaped windows which showed a selection of fashion. All I could say was that it looked very classy. So nothing for me. Spike opened the door, and a small bell chimed to indicate to the owner that customers had entered. Everywhere in the Boutique were little ponyquins which showed off all sorts of fancy fashion. My browsing was interrupted by a white unicorn who slowly came down the stairs at the end of the room.
 
"Coooming..." she sang more than said as she approached us. Spike stood there, frozen, and I admired his crush as she seemed to be elegantly flying through the room. I don't know if it was my inner pony, but something told me that she was a beauty. Her mane was styled as always, along with her tail.
 
"Spike, darling, what can I do for you?" I was still standing behind Spike, which seemed to hide my little faux pas concerning the boxer shorts. The dragon stammered some words and stepped aside. Rarity dropped her jaw like a snake that was about to choke down a camel. I was waiting for a sofa to appear, but my shorts started to lightly glow blue instead, and when they left my body, I lost my footing on the floor beneath my hooves. It landed on a sofa in the room.
 
"Darling, how can you walk around in public with something like that?" I was still lying on the floor, all four hooves away from me, and I didn't intend to change that in the foreseeable future. I was literally clinging to the floor.
 
"Umm, could I have my boxer shorts back?" Rarity ignored me, and Spike was still on cloud nine. She got a measuring tape out of a drawer, looked down at me, and cleared her throat.
 
"Darling, would you please have some courtesy and step up on the pedestal?"
 
"Err... no?" Last thing I wanted to do was walk around naked.
 
"Spike, honey, would you please inform your friend that in order for him to get new clothes, he must step onto this pedestal?" Spike snapped out of his trance and searched for me until he looked down.
 
"What's going on?" he asked, and I gestured him to come closer.
 
"What?" he asked once more, and I got him even closer.
 
"I don't want anypony to see me naked," I whispered in his ear. He just looked at me sceptically and then pointed to himself and then to Rarity, who watched the scene with a questioning look on her face. I still didn't move an inch, and so Spike started to try to get me on my hooves. Luckily, I was too heavy for him.
 
"Spike, what's the problem?" The dragon made a desperate gesture in my direction.
 
"Well, he doesn't want anyone to see him naked." Rarity looked dubiously at me, just as Spike had a few seconds ago.
 
"Listen, darling," she said to me. "As much as I love clothes, I'm not wearing any and neither does almost everypony else in Ponyville. We're all friends here, so you don’t have to be ashamed." Rarity could have talked even longer, but a habit of twenty years of wearing secure clothes couldn't be simply talked away. She waited maybe for half a minute, but I didn't move of course. Groaning, she yielded and threw my shorts to me with her magic.
 
"Please make sure nopony sees you leave my Boutique with these rags, else there might be some rumours," she said angrily and went upstairs. As soon as she was out of sight, I put on my shorts and left the shop. Spike caught up to me at the door.
 
"Dude, what the hay was that about?" I might have made him look bad in front of his secret crush but that couldn't be helped now anymore.
 
"Where I come from, clothing isn't optional. What I'm wearing now is just the minimum, and you can actually be sentenced for that," I explained, which only led to the dragon punching my shoulder.
 
"You're right about the sentence! Do you have any idea how I look now to Rarity?" I didn't answer since we both knew the answer.
 
"So, where to next?" I asked to change the subject.
 
"Maybe you should walk around on your own a bit. I have to go to the library and look for Twilight," he said with a hint of anger in his voice and left me outside of the Boutique. I felt somewhat sorry for him, but my privacy was important to me as well. At least I could discover the town on my own now and didn't have to think of a reason to visit Applejack and Fluttershy. Concerning Rarity, I could still make it with the spare shorts in my bag. I would just wash the shorts I wasn't wearing and that should do the trick. In matters like that, I was always very pragmatic.
 
The first thing I noticed as I tried to make my way to Fluttershy was that I didn't have any orientation. Even in my world, I couldn't go twenty miles without a navigation system before losing my sense of direction just like my mother. Once, when we wanted to spend our vacation in Switzerland, she managed to somehow land us in Italy. So I headed back to the library in order to get a sense of direction. From there, I would probably think of something. Although I got lost a few times, after a short time, I finally saw the remarkable tree one just couldn’t miss in the landscape of Ponyville. With that done, I made my way to Fluttershy.
 
It had to be late afternoon since the sun had already started descending, and some foals crossed my way carrying books. They were probably on their way home, and I had to think about my own way to school. Two kilometres every day to the bus and later again back home. Gosh, how I hated that. I still silently celebrated every new pothole on that street. While walking down the path, I started thinking about how to spend my time here. In any case, I wanted to learn more about magic to turn myself into my old form if I wanted to. Being a pony was fine when paying a visit to Equestria, but in my world, it was more of a curse, especially after what my brother did to me and Twilight. Another goal was to get one of Fluttershy's famous "yay"s. In the series, it was already heart-warming. I could imagine how it would only be in reality. I also wanted to try cider, but I didn't know when Sweet Apple Acres sold it. In the series, it was when they needed the money to come in, so I guess it was during fall. That might have to wait until another time then. Last thing was the party Pinkie Pie wanted to throw tonight, so I scratched the cider off my list.
 
I noticed I had gotten myself lost again due to thinking and not paying attention to my way, but I wasn't unsatisfied with my result: Sweet Apple Acres as far as the eye could see. A small white fence made the border between the trees and the path, and I saw how far it was to the actual entrance, so I decided to take a little shortcut. I climbed over the fence and made my way over the big yard. Again, I was lucky and found a small yellow house hanging low on a tree. The drapes were lightly blowing in the wind, and in the house, you could hear some cute but familiar voices. I placed myself beneath the house and listened to the Cutie Mark Crusaders making plans for their next action.
 
"How about hoofball?"
 
"We had did already, Scootaloo."
 
"Really?"
 
"Yeah, three weeks ago. You were hit on the head so hard that you had to get off the field."
 
"Now that you mention it, Sweetie Belle, so you have an idea, Apple Bloom?"
 
"Gimme the book..." Although I could perfectly understand Apple Bloom, I still heard a slight accent. The spell made the German version really endurable, I thought to myself. Someone behind me cleared his throat, and scared, I turned around. Applejack and Big Macintosh were standing behind me and were glaring death at me.
 
"Hello there!" I said, but they didn't even blink. "I'm new around here and took a tour through the town. I saw your farm from there and wanted to see if I could get an apple." I put on my best smile, but it was hard since the situation made me feel really uncomfortable.
 
"Customers usually use the main entrance," Applejack said. "And you got more the impression of a fillyfooler peepin' on them foals. Watcha thinkin', Big Mac, that a customer?" I knew that the stamina I didn’t have would be needed very soon.
 
"Noope," the big red stallion said as I prepared for a dash. I stopped talking and started running towards the fence. Big Macintosh was right behind me, and I didn't even had to look back to know that. The ground was shaking underneath his big strong hooves as he chased me between the trees. I only could keep a distance by zig-zigging since the big rock of a pony had problems with quickly changing directions. I didn't know how long the chase went on, but I had problems breathing, and if I couldn't reach the fence soon enough, bruises would be the least of my problems. I just wanted to turn around when something grabbed my throat and pulled me roughly to the ground. Before I knew what was going on, I was lying on my back, tied to a package. Before my eyes, I could see a smiling Applejack.
 
"Thanks, Big Mac, I got 'em. I think I'm gonna show Twilight what I caught, then the Royal Guards can deal with this fella," she said, more to me than to her brother. Again, I could hear her accent.
 
"Eeyup," Big Macintosh said and slowly went in between the trees. Applejack took the end of the rope and started dragging me over the ground like a sack of flour. I couldn't feel that much, though, but it was still anything but comfortable. I couldn't see where I was dragged since my view was fixed to the sky, so I used the time for some further thinking. I guessed the cider might have to wait for some other time. Enough about apples for now.
 
A blue something flew over the sky and dragged me out of my thoughts. I tried to get her attention, which somehow succeeded. Rainbow Dash looked down on me and Applejack and rubbed her eyes before breaking into laughter mid-air. I couldn't hear it since she was too far over me, but I could clearly see her in the evening sun. After a minute or two minutes, she was finished laughing her tail off and started to go on her way again. Applejack didn't see any of this and just kept on dragging me over the street. In the corner of my eye, I could see the first houses of Ponyville, and I wondered what the rest of the citizens would say about my situation. Unluckily for me, there was nopony who could see me, so I made myself as comfortable as possible since I had to wait until Twilight explained everything. The city hall gave me a sign that it wasn't very far any more to the library and I prepared myself for a long explanation on my side. I heard Applejack opening the door, and the next second, yelling started.
 
"SURPRISE!" The shout echoed through the small tree, the lights turned on, and ponies came out of every corner. I wasn't completely inside and saw everything through Applejack’s legs.
 
"Aaww, it's just Applejack," I heard Pinkie's voice saying. "I thought you were the new stallion who came into town today."
 
"Ah, I'm sorry, sugarcube. Who is this new fella in town?"
 
"Well, he has blue fur and a white mane, but he didn't look very old. That reminds me, I didn't ask him for his name." I could hear Applejack swallowing through the talking in the room.
 
"Ya don't mean this fella here, sugarcube, do ya?" She pulled the rope, and I slid over the floor, passed Applejack, and stopped at Pinkie’s hooves.
 
"Oh, there he is! You came with Applejack? Are you friends already? My name is Pinkie Pie and what's yours?" I didn't even try to talk. Twilight made her way through the crowd and looked at the scene before her.
 
"Applejack! What is going on?" she said angrily when she saw me lying on the floor.
 
"I, umm..." Applejack stammered. "Me an' Big Mac found him on the farm and took him for a fillyfooler. He was peepin' on them foals and had this strange smile so I wasn't thinking of anything good." Twilight used her magic to free my snout. I stretched my jaw.
 
"Applejack, would you please free him? I assure you, he's a good guy," Twilight said to her friend.
 
"If you say so..." Applejack started to untie me, and not a minute later, I was standing on my hooves again.
 
"I'm mighty sorry, but what were you lookin' for? If you wanted an apple, you could've just used the gate," Applejack said to me.
 
"Let's just say we both made some mistakes. My name is Tio. Nice to officially meet you." This time, I was the one who reached out with my hoof which was instantly shaken.
 
"Mighty strange name you got there, partner. If there’s something I can do for ya, you just say the word, will ya? The Apple family will always welcome ya as long you use the front door," she added with a smirk. Rarity and Rainbow Dash came to us as well. Fluttershy wasn't anywhere to be seen. Perhaps she was in some corner, trying to be as quiet as possible.
 
"There is still one thing to talk about, girls. Where can Tio sleep tonight? As I already told you, except for Applejack, he's new here. Actually, he is from another world, which means he has nowhere to sleep right now." Twilight was looking at everyone.
 
"Only if he loses that monstrosity on his flanks, darling," Rarity said, and I just snapped my teeth. She turned her head away, and Rainbow Dash and Applejack had to force themselves not to laugh.
 
"I'd let him stay here, but since I have Dawn, there is hardly enough room for the three of us," Twilight said.
 
"You seem to be alright, but you can't stay in my house since you have no wings.
 
"As I was sayin', sugarcube..." Thanks for the awesome spell, Trent! "The Apple family always welcomes ya. We always keep a guest room free for visitors," Applejack said, still a little embarrassed about our little incident.
 
"As long as you tell your big friend it was all a misunderstanding, I gladly accept your offer, Applejack," I said to put a little salt in her wound.
 
"Since everything is now taken care of, it's party time!" Pinkie Pie cried. "Pinkie Pie style!" she added with a big smile.
> Chapter 8  - Burn it to the Ground
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was the throbbing in my skull that caused me to wake. Although I had not had that feeling for several years, I wasn't able to get rid of it. The stuff that took away all my self-control and constraints - salt. I opened my eyes, just to close them again immediately because the sun was too bright for my eyes. I sat up and felt around. I touched the mattress and noticed that there wasn't any defilement except for a bit of sweat. The last thing I wanted was to clean up the food I ate the day before. Again, I looked around and inspected my environment. The room was rather large but furnished pretty meagrely. A dresser and a cupboard - both wooden - were the only furniture along with some paintings on the wall. I couldn't remember the place, but the wallpaper made things clearer. Since apples were the design of choice, I couldn't be anywhere else but in the promised guestroom in Sweet Apple Acres, which was proved by a quick look out the window. The final question now was how I came here. First of all, I needed to get something to drink. I opened the door and had a look around for the kitchen.
 

***

 
Pinkie Pie gave the DJ the signal to put the records on, and the small library was immediately pounded with enormous beats and ponies dancing to it. I had never been a good dancer, and I had no clue how this was going to work as a pony. I kept on a simple headbang and moved through the incredible mass of ponies who somehow all came together here. Some gave me a nod or started winking as I passed them, but I finally reached the room's other side where the buffet was set up. The hunt through those apple fields really made me thirsty, and a mug full of beer or anything else would be perfect. It wasn’t like I was a huge drunkard, but this was a party after all. Therefore, I got a mug from the table and drafted a bit of fluid. The brew gave off a sweet smell, and it was thicker than beer. I recognized the cider apple with the first swallow though. As expected, it was pretty sweet but delicious and didn’t contain much alcohol. If I had to compare it with anything, it would probably be banana wheat beer with a little too much banana.
 

***

 
While those first memories of yesterday night were flitting through my head, I walked up and down the corridor, one hoof after another. Since I wasn't completely awake by now, I forgot what I actually wanted to do, but my dry mouth reminded me of it. The problem was that I didn't remember which door led to the kitchen, and I didn't want to burst into somepony’s room. Once again, I stood in front of the room I had slept in and tried to focus my view. The guestroom was on the far left side of the corridor. Right next to it was another room, and on the opposite side, there were two more. Just at that moment, I noticed the stairs that probably led down to the ground floor. I wanted to slap myself, but that would have just made my headache worse. So I went downstairs and ended up in a huge room with the kitchen on the left side and the living room on the right. The kitchen was completely made of wood. A long bar split the kitchen from the dining area which was furnished with a giant table and a ton of chairs. A large sofa stood in the living room, completely covered with the apple pattern of the wall. Last but not least, there was a fireplace which must have burned just a few hours ago.
 

***

 
Usually I wasn't a party-pooper, but for some reason I couldn't get in the right mood, and others were having this problem as well. Twilight sat in a corner of the library, occasionally taking a sip of a drink which I assumed to be fruit punch. I went through the crowd and joined her.
 
"Nice party!" I sort of shouted at her, trying to drown out the music - no answer. I gave her a tap, and she turned around. As she saw me, she said something which I couldn't understand. I shook my head to show that I couldn't hear her, but she just turned around and trudged away. I knew that she wasn't a huge fan of parties, but it was still quite strange. I looked at the dancing crowd, the DJ rousing my interest. It was time to reveal another myth.
 

***

 
The front door opened with a slight groan, and Big Macintosh entered. I was still standing on the stairs and thinking about the night before as he gave me a look, making it clear that he didn't agree with my accommodation.
 
"Morning..." I said quietly. The massive stallion snorted and went into the kitchen. There, he turned on the water tap and held his head under the cold running water, taking a huge mouthful. Finally, he opened the fridge and took out some apple pancakes, which he then shoved on the table and headed to the front door again. "Are those for me?" I asked him on his way out the door.
 
"Eeyup," I heard him saying just before he disappeared out in the sun.
 
Immediately, I went in the kitchen and copied his example with the water, the cold liquid serving to give me some strength back.
 

***

 
It took some time to push through the room. Once in a while, some ponies would pull me over to them, trying to introduce themselves or inviting me for a drink which was, because of the loud music, rather difficult. Often, this wasn't necessary anyways since I knew many from the series. There were Lyra, Octavia, Ditzy, Colgate, Whooves, Aloe, Lotus, Caramel, and I was pretty sure that I saw Spitfire without her uniform. Rainbow Dash would probably freak out if it actually was her. Finally, I arrived at the desk where DJ-Pon3, also known as Vinyl Scratch, did her job.
 
"Pleased?" she asked, grinning. Somehow, I was able to hear her voice perfectly even though she didn't turn down the volume at all. To be honest, I wasn't that much into techno or of what kind this music was.
 
"Not exactly my scene," I shouted as loud as I possibly could. Vinyl pressed some buttons and came down to me. The music continued playing just like before, and I could see that she used her magic to control everything. She didn't even look at it and still knew what to do. That just multiplied the respect I had for the work she was doing. Just because I didn’t really like a certain type of music didn’t mean I didn’t notice when something was good.
 
"So, what does our new friend like to hear?" she asked as she stood next to me.
 
"I'm a friend of the harder sounds, like rock, metal, and sometimes goth."
 
"Never heard of it." I was a little disappointed, but every world had its own customs.
 
"If you want, I could give an example someday." She smiled.
 
"Oh yeah, sure! Just ask Pinkie where I live and come around." She was about to return to her music, but I did have another question.
 
"Would you do me a favour?" She turned around, thought a second, and nodded. "I’ve been wondering for quite a while now what eye color you have. Would it be a big deal for you to let me see?" Once again, she grinned.
 
"Oh, do I have a secret admirer?" I flushed.
 
"Nothing like that, just curiosity." She lifted her glasses slightly, and I could see the red glow of her eyes. My throat was dry again, and I needed another drink.
 

***

 
It was somewhat unusual for me to eat without a knife and fork, but it was not the first time. I ate one pancake after another, pushing one to the edge of the plate and then having a big bite. It took a while, but my stomach was soon filled with a ton of pancakes and still begged for more. That wasn't surprising though since the last thing it had was the muffin Spike had given me. When I was done, I pushed the plate into the sink where other dishes already were. Even though I would just leave it on the table at home, I knew how to behave as a guest.
 
I wanted to find the bathroom next, which was probably behind one of the doors next to the stairs. Since I was right-hoofed, I chose the right one, and I surprisingly ended up in another bedroom. I knew the odour of that room pretty well because it always had smelled like that when I visited my grandmother. This had to be the room of Granny Smith, and so I closed the door again and chanced my luck with the only possibility left. After I had taken a shower and done my morning routine, I stood in front of the sink to brush my teeth. There were several brushes, and all were labelled, from left to right: Big Macintosh, Applejack, Apple Bloom, and Tio. If there is one thing the Apple family was good at, it was making a guest feel at home.
 

***

 
Another mug full of cider went down my throat as fast as I could swallow. Although I tasted the alcohol again, I couldn't feel any effect. To be honest, I wasn't that guy who got drunk super easily, but I should have at least felt something. I wasn't disappointed but being tipsy would help me dance to this music enormously. A tapping in my flank brought a mare who sat next to the table in a corner, drinking out of her own barrel, to my attention. Her fur was purple and her mane was just a bit darker. Her cutie mark comprised of two grapes: one purple, the other one red. I went through the list and recognized her as Berry Punch. She looked tipsy. Her head was jiggling and her expression really made it obvious. She waved me to her and hoofed over a mug.
 
“You look like *hick* you needed ssomething sssstronger,” she muttered, and I looked into the mug. It looked like the cider on the table. I aimed a questioning look at her, but she pointed at the drink, commanding me. I shrugged my shoulders and took a mouthful, instantly being overwhelmed by the salty taste. The cider I drank before was sweeter but this one was salty, like really salty. Although I was a friend of spicy food, no matter whether it was salt, pepper, or chili, this was outstanding. The salt was burning in my mouth and throat, reminding me of the feeling I would usually get with liquor. I felt the warmth flow through me and emptied the mug. Berry smiled tipsily and gave me a refill.
 

***

 
After I did everything in the bath, I searched for a clock. My saddlebag containing my phone was still in the library, but I wasn't sure whether the times in the two worlds were the same either. In the kitchen, on a wooden beam under the ceiling, I found the longed-for time measurement instrument. It made me realize that I was probably the last one up. It was just about eleven o'clock. Once again, I sat myself next to the table and went through my plans. The most important thing was to regain my old form. Being a pony was a nice experience but would be a hindrance in my world. So, if I wanted to keep practicing magic, I had to ask Twilight to teach me further or tell her of my situation. She surely knew a way to transform me back or could ask the princess. She wouldn't send me straight to the moon. At least I hoped not. And maybe I could bribe her with a banana. I concentrated on the bowl of apples and tried to lift one with my magic. My white aura covered one, but it didn't move a single inch. I was definitely not a born magician. I also had to visit Fluttershy. Her name brought back some memories...
 

***

 
The salt had the effect that came from alcohol, and I had spent several hours on the dance floor. I danced with a couple of mares, but none danced like Pinkie. From time to time, I stopped dancing just to get supply from Berry. But after some time, she fell asleep, which was quite an accomplishment considering the volume, so I served myself. She didn't only have one barrel under her arm but five more behind her, all marked with three red crosses. I tapped the third one and looked under the table. While doing so, I saw a pair of yellow hooves next to the other end of the table. However, doing so made me miss the tap, and the hammer went straight into the barrel. The salty cider sprayed at me, and I happily opened my mouth. When the stream ebbed away, I reminded myself of the yellow hooves and looked to the other side of the table.
 
“Buttershy!” I yelled and hiccupped, seeing how she winced. My assumption was correct, and I slowly walked over to her, which wasn't an easy feat anymore. On the short way, I nearly fell several times. She was lying next to the table, probably watching the party from there. But now she cowered in the corner. “Hey F… F… Buttershy. I have been looking forward to meeting you.” She looked with her large eyes peeking out of her hair. She was so sweet, she was trembling.
 
“C'mon, lemme hug you.” I hugged her, which led to me more or less leaning on her. “You're so soft and huggable...” I said quietly and in the next moment, I fell on the ground. Fluttershy panicked and was gone. ”Oh...”
 

***

 
I felt horrible. I had probably scared Fluttershy to death. I had to visit her later on and apologize because every brony would most likely threaten me for what I did to her. The rest of my small list had already been worked off. And with a bite into one of the apples, I also checked the last point off my checklist. Aside from strawberries, apples and blueberries were my favourites amongst the fruits.
 
Then I thought of another thing. It was something I didn't like to admit, but I wanted to take a souvenir with me. Big, shining, and named diamond. Money was something everyone needed in our world, and not admitting that I had that idea was just a lying to myself. Arriving at the university with a new car instead of my old Clio would be a nice feeling. Subwoofer, speakers, and all that stuff. Whatever money I had remaining, I could put it aside for bad times. But I knew only one pony who could show me how to find some, and I would therefore have to apologize first and break up with my beloved boxer shorts. I wanted to look for them, but then I realized I wasn't wearing any just like I wasn't wearing my glasses.
 

***

 
After Fluttershy ran off, I calmed down a bit. I realized that if I kept on going like this, I was on the best way to drink myself into a coma. For the rest of the night, I avoided Berry and her barrels. The minutes just flew away, and I was here and there. I talked to some more ponies, but I couldn't remember what we talked about. At one point, I felt nature calling for me and went for the bathroom. Unfortunately, there was a small line, so I decided to go into the kitchen in order to sit down. With my bladder resting and not hanging down, it was easier to resist the urge. It was late in the night, and Vinyl had lowered the volume and changed to more calm tracks, which allowed me to overhear some words from the kitchen.
 
“What do ya mean he doesn't know?” That had to be Applejack; I could recognize her accent.
 
“Well, I haven't told him yet. I thought he wouldn't want to come then.”
 
“Probably not, you took him from his home!”
 
“But it was so cold, and the world was so full of hatred and pain. Even in the books, there was only greed.”
 
“That doesn't give ya the right to decide for him, Twilight.”
 
“I know. I just thought...”
 
“You know that you gotta tell him, don't ya?”
 
“I know, but let him settle in first. Maybe he’ll want to stay here then.”
 
“You know I'm there for ya, but ya gotta tell him.”
 
I stopped listening. In my mind, dawning comprehension was rising slowly since I was inebriated by the salt. What they were talking about was obviously about me. That much was for certain. It also looked like I was not going to be able to return home as soon as planned. I started to panic. My family was, thanks to my brother’s prank, probably still being pressed by the police and media. My life, my friends, everything was in a different world, my world. In addition to that, I wasn't even a pony, I was a human. This wasn't my home. Something went wrong in my head. Probably caused by the mix of panic and salt. With my best imitation of a bouncing Pinkie Pie, I crossed the room and shouted all kinds of things.
 
“I am a human, fear me.”
 
“Wilsoooooon.”
 
"Look at my horse; my horse is amazing..."
 
"LEEEEEEEROOOOOYYYYY..."
 
Vinyl and all other ponies were confused by my sudden outburst. The music stopped, and everypony had their eyes on me. Applejack and Twilight came with Rarity and Rainbow Dash out of the kitchen and watched my horseplay.
 
“Damn it, what's wrong with the fella?” Applejack shouted through the room, but everyone just shook their heads.
 
“I think he oversalted himself.” Rainbow Dash grinned.
 
I pushed Vinyl from her desk, and pulled my mobile phone out of my saddlebag which had been lying behind the desk. I took one of the cables and connected it with my mobile phone. Even with my chaotic thoughts, I somehow managed to select the right song. The next moment, the beat began, and I started singing.
 
I'm not a fan of puppeteers, but I've a nagging fear
 
Someone else is pulling at the strings.
 
Something terrible is going down through the entire town
 
Wreaking anarchy and all it brings.
 
I can't sit idly, no, I can't move at all.
 
I curse the name, the one behind it all...
 
I took of my shorts and circled them around my hoof before throwing them in the corner.
 
Discord, I'm howlin' at the moon
 
And sleepin' in the middle of a summer afternoon...
 
At the mention of that name, chaos spread through the crowd. Twilight reacted immediately and pulled me and my mobile phone away from the desk, causing the music to stop. My phone and I floated in her direction, but as I came closer, she levitated me further away.
 
“Yes, definitely too much salt...” she said with a face as if someone had just showed her a cesspool. Now she looked at my phone and levitated it back into my bag.
 
“AJ, I think it´s the best if you bring him to the farm.” Applejack nodded as I landed on her back. I struggled with my hooves, but I couldn't reach the ground.
 
“Hold still, will you?” In the same moment, Rainbow Dash gave me a smack on the head. I gave in, closed my eyes, and sobbed a bit. The guests now left the library one by one. Applejack waited with Twilight and I until the others were all gone before we left. On the doorstep, Twilight asked Applejack a question, and she had to have thought I was sleeping otherwise she wouldn't have asked.
 
“Do you think he heard us?” she asked in a worried tone.
 
“Maybe, sugarcube, but with the amount of salt, maybe he won't remember much.”
 

***

 
Now I had another reason to visit Twilight. I wanted to know what that was all about, regarding when or if I could return at all. She came to me with a spell, so why couldn't I do the same thing? Sitting around here was of no use. I stepped out of the house, knowing that this would be a long day.
> Chapter 9 - Me Against the World
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As I left for Twilight’s place, I saw Big Mac and Applejack working on the fields to the left and right of the road. He was carrying baskets filled with apples into the shed and came back with empty ones. They were so busy bucking trees that no one took notice of me. I would thank them later for giving me a place to stay after I figured out a way to pay them back. I hated owing people. So much that I hated lending even one euro. I didn't have money, but I knew that Caramel was their only help and that they needed more.
 
My throbbing head didn’t really help my mood. When Twilight offered me a chance to visit Equestria, I was also thinking about visiting but not living. Slowly, I reached Ponyville, and the first villagers greeted me but flinched as they saw my face. Quickly, I wandered down the road and got to where I wanted. The candle in the door wasn't lit and indicated that the library was closed. Nonetheless, I knocked on the door. Nothing happened, so I knocked again, and this time I listened. I could hear hoofsteps and then the door also opened. A small pegasus foal opened the door sleepily.
 
“We´re still closed. The party yesterday went crazy, and we still have to clean up the mess,” he moaned. His fur had a purple similar to Twilight, just a few shades brighter. His mane was a mixture of the colour of his fur and white stripes.
 
“I suppose you are Dawn?” I said, still a little bugged. He nodded and moaned again, but this time he covered his mouth with his hoof.
 
“I´m looking for your mother. It´s really important.” This time, I spoke calmly. I had affection for kids and liked to play with them. Probably because the difference in age between my brother and I was so big. I was used to it, and it wasn't his fault.
 
“She left this morning for Canterlot because of something important. If you wanna borrow a book, please come back later when Spike is there to help you.” I looked over him, which was not difficult, and I saw the remainders of the party all over the place. Since Twilight was in Canterlot, I couldn’t do anything.
 
“Please tell your mom that Tio was here and that I badly need to talk to her.” The foal rubbed his eyes and stretched his wings.
 
As I was about to leave, he said, “Then you are the reason we didn’t get any sleep? Come in. Mom left a note for you.” He opened the door, and I now saw the whole dimension of chaos Pinkie’s party had caused. I don´t know how much I had contributed to the chaos, but I felt guilty nonetheless. A shelf was lying on the ground, and the books were scattered all across. The table had buckled on one side and some jars looked like they had fallen down. I hoped that it was a foldable table. Confetti was also everywhere. Dawn guided me through the chaos into the kitchen and pointed at a parchment. “I feel bad for Spike,” giggled Dawn as he saw my reaction to the chaos. I ignored his reaction and opened the scroll, which was quite difficult to do with hooves.
 
Dear Tio,
 
I´m sorry for not telling you everything. I don´t know whether you heard me yesterday, but I hope that you give me time to explain. I´m already working on solving the problem which probably made you hysterical, but I can´t promise anything. Please enjoy your stay until I´m back, and if you need some bits, ask Spike. He can give you some. I´ll be back near the end of the week to answer all of your questions. And hopefully know how to solve your problem.
 
Hopefully still your friend,
Twilight Sparkle
 
I read the letter again and summed it up in my mind. Twilight knew that there wasn't a simple way back for me and still brought me here deliberately. When she realized that I found out and went crazy about it, although influenced by salt, she put everything, her work, her son aside to find a solution. Did I always have to screw up? If I had just told Twilight right away that I was a human, she wouldn't have brought me here in the first place. I recalled the conversation I had overheard. “It was so cold,” she had said. She wanted to show me how the rest of ‘my’ kind lived. It was obvious that she thought I would be happier here, and she must have been convinced of it. Her impressions of my world clearly weren't the best either.
 
My own brother letting a pack of carnivores loose. The Christmas story was also very sad and only in the end, where she never got to, was it happy, and then the news broadcast. The world must have seemed cold and cruel to her as one didn’t belong there. A pony alone in such a strange world. I was at least as guilty as Twilight. Slowly, I began to rage more against myself than her. I was such an idiot. Why didn't I just tell her the truth? I lied, no, even worse, I kept her believing.
 
Dawn came back into the kitchen. I didn't even notice when he had left. “Everything okay? You don’t look very good.” He really took after Twilight.
 
“Yeah. Everything´s fine.” I came to a conclusion. When Twilight explained herself, I would do so as well. By the end of the week, I would tell her the complete story. But for now, there was something more important: this mess. I was responsible for it to some extent, and I wouldn't feel comfortable letting Spike clean it alone.
 
“Dawn, could you please wake Spike. We're going to clear the deck now,” I said with my newfound motivation. I wanted to stay in Ponyville this week anyway, so I could follow Twilight’s advice. I would make the best out of my situation.
 
“Clear the deck?” Dawn asked.
 
“You know, tidy up.” I smiled as he sighed. You won't get around it, buddy, I said to myself. I went into the library and lifted the shelf from the ground as Dawn slowly walked upstairs. It was relatively easy, considering that the shelves’ contents were lying everywhere but on the shelf. As the shelf got to its former place, Spike and Dawn walked down the stairs. Just like Dawn had done previously, Spike rubbed his eyes before greeting me.
 
“Morning, Spike,” I said happily. “If you clean up now, you’ll get some free labour.”
 
Spike seemed grateful and dashed past Dawn and started picking up the books.
 
“Why are you helping us Tio? This isn't your business, is it?” he asked when he finished packing the first shelf.
 
“No, but I partied as much as the other ponies, and cleaning afterward goes with that. I also owe you one.” The dragon seemed to remember the incident with Rarity, and he gave me an angry look as he looked at me. Then, as he looked at me, he noticed that my shorts were missing.
 
“Oh, so all of a sudden, the fine pony can go without them?” he asked sharply. Dawn used his wings to gather the confetti in one corner.
 
“I guess all I needed was a little salt.” I laughed. Spike rolled his eyes and went back to work. After some time he found my beloved shorts between some books and held them like a trophy before he threw them in the bin. I knew that I would lose them; I just didn't know Spike would be the one to end up trashing them, literally.
 
“So, Tio, why don´t you simply use magic to clean? Everything would be much faster that way,” Dawn said.
 
“Because I can´t use any except for maybe levitating a few feathers. And even then, the wind has to help me.” That might have been shameful for a real unicorn, but it was just funny for me.
 
“I think mom would go crazy if she couldn't use magic anymore.” You have no idea, my young friend. Still, I wondered. Dawn was about as large as the Cutie Mark Crusaders or at least regarding to their height in the series. If he really was Twilight’s son, he must have experienced when Twilight went crazy. But if he was adopted, then why was he so similar? I would have to talk to Twilight or Spike about it… alone. Luckily for me, the table actually was foldable, and we were able to clean up the whole mess in just about two hours.
 
“Done,” I said finally. Happily, I inspected our work, and I could now recognize the library. I also found my saddlebag during the cleaning. Spike came out of the cellar where he had carried the trash and gave me a pouch.
 
“Twilight said you should take this.” I laid the pouch on the ground, and even before I opened it, I could recognize the unmistakable sound.
 
“No thanks, Spike. I don´t want alms. I was going to help Applejack on the farm in order to return the favour. Maybe she even has a job for me.” The dragon shrugged and took back his pouch while mumbling something I couldn't understand.
 
“Spike, before I forget, do you have a book about transformation magic?” He nodded and climbed up on a small cupboard. He scrambled a bit and returned with the book before he placed it in my bag.
 
“Thanks. I should really go to Sweet Apple Acres now though. See you.”
 
“Sure, see you.“
 
“Wait, Tio. I want to go there as well,” Dawn said as he walked past me towards the door. “Sweetie Bell and the others are most likely already waiting for me.” I asked myself whether the mention of that particular name had a special reason. I always could sense such affairs miles against the wind, at least if I was not involved.
 
With Dawn guiding me, I didn't have to look out for way points, and we quickly arrived at the border to the farm. When we reached the fence, Dawn leaped over and disappeared into the bushes. I thought about following him, but the incident with Big Mac yesterday held me back. So I decided to take the long way, and about five minutes later, I arrived at the entrance. Applejack was lying on the porch, seemingly taking a break. At least I didn't have to search for her on the giant orchard.
 
“Hey, Applejack!” she looked up to me while she stretched herself.
 
“Well look who came back from the dead. I was thinking ya would still be asleep, sugarcube. Ya really hoisted a few too many,” she reminded me of yesterday’s disaster.
 
“Didn't Big Macintosh tell you that I was awake?” She shook her head.
 
“Ya´ know we don't talk much.” I only could agree with her on that one.
 
“But how do ya´ know his name? I didn't introduce him to ya, did I sugarcube?”
 
“I asked Spike earlier today.” Phew, close one. Applejack just nodded knowingly.
 
“An´ what exactly can I do for ya?”
 
“I wanted to ask whether I can help in some way. I want to return the favour since you gave me a place to stay.” She gave me a strange look and then started to laugh.
 
After a few seconds of me keeping a straight face, she stopped and said, “I hope ya ain't offended, but ya ain't exactly looking like a hard worker.” She was right. Chopping wood or stacking stones was not that I would call hard work. I was never allowed to do most physical work due my asthma, but I hadn’t noticed it a single time here, so I was confident.
 
I put my saddlebag aside and replied, “I can at least try, right? There´s always a first time.” She looked at me for a few seconds and then agreed. I was expecting to talk her into letting me work, but I was happy that she wasn't as stubborn as in the one episode where she tried to do everything all alone. Actually, everyone behaved a bit different than I knew from the show. They weren't the same ponies, and I supposed it would be better to not expect them to be. I wouldn't like it either, being treated as an image of myself that was inaccurate.
 
“Then let´s see what we got for ya.” We went to the nearest apple tree, and with a precise kick from Applejack, all of the apples fell into buckets which Big Mac had carried out this morning.
 
“All yours.” She made an inviting gesture with her hoof. I tried to copy her motion as well as I could. I pressed my front hooves into the dry ground and flexed my hind ones. Like a spring, I released, and they hit the tree with a thunk. I could feel how the shockwave went through me and made my teeth chatter. Aside from one or two, all fell down, which not only surprised Applejack but also me. Not all of them landed in the baskets though, but I was satisfied, and Applejack seemed to be as well. I turned around and tried to get the last ones with my levitation off the tree, which only caused Applejack to smack my shoulder.
 
“Ya can use your fancy magic elsewhere. Here on Sweet Apple Acres, we work with our hooves and nothing else, understood?” I nodded. The pain in my left shoulder where she hit me was immense even though she had barely struck me.
 
“I can´t use magic whatsoever. I just started learning to use magic a few days ago.” Applejack looked at me, surprised.
 
“A unicorn who ain't using magic? I like ya, fella,” she said and hit my shoulder again. “Then keep going that way and we just might have some work for ya.” She said, smiling.
 

***

 
After tree number two hundred and one, I stopped counting and slowly starting to feel exhausted. Applejack told me I should stop when it became too much, but I wanted to prove something. Not only to her but also to myself. In the hours I spent working, the only distraction was a sleeping Rainbow Dash in one of the trees ahead of me. I didn't want to let this chance go by. I stepped next to the tree and gave it the strongest kick I was capable of. Not only the apples but also a pegasus with a rainbow-coloured mane fell on the ground.
 
“What in the hay, Apple... Oh. Tio, it´s you. What did you do that for?” she asked while getting back on her hooves, and this time I was the one laughing.
 
“Revenge.” I grinned. I expected her to pay it back, but after a few seconds, she joined me laughing.
 
“Man, your laughing really is horrible.” She looked around and saw only bucked trees around.
 
“So AJ put you to work for your little performance yesterday?”
 
“No, I offered my help for the accommodation.” Rainbow made a bored face.
 
“Lame...” I was more interested in what she meant.
 
“What performance do you mean? Me wreaking chaos at the party?” Now she was all into my words again.
 
“Don´t tell me you forgot what happened?” When she realized I wasn't about to answer, she started laughing again. “It simply gets better and better.”
 
“Come on, tell me what happened?”
 
“No way,” she said, and before I could ask, she continued, “Revenge.” She poked her tongue out at me, grabbed her pillow which was still in the tree, and flew away. Women and their little secrets, I said to myself and got back to work, but not for long. Less than ten trees later, I was done. Judging by the sun, it had to be late afternoon by now, which meant that I had been working for about three to four hours. Now I knew why Applejack was so strong if she did this the entire day.
 
 I wanted to get back to the house, but I had forgotten the direction I had come from. I was lost. I was definitely an excellent farmer. I glanced through the woods, trying to get a view of the house, but I couldn't see anything except trees, which made me decide that it would be the best if I followed the filled baskets. But I soon realized that I had no memory of the way I came either. I don't know how long I was wandering over the fields searching for the farm, but I finally saw the clubhouse of the Cutie Mark Crusaders. The girls and Dawn surely knew the fields like the back of their hoof. I walked up the small ramp and entered the clubhouse. It was decorated very roughly as I expected. Aside from a chest of drawers, a map, and a table on a small carpet, the room was pretty much empty, but the map was everything I needed. It wasn't the one I knew from the series but a more detailed one. Important places were marked like the farm and the clubhouse. According to the map, the trees blocked the view since I was no more than two minutes away. I left the house and ran into déjà vu. Big Macintosh was standing at the bottom end of the ramp, glaring at me.
 
“Hey, Big Mac. Good to see you.” This time, I wasn't conscious of any guilt I could have. “I was looking for the way back. This farm really is gigantic; makes it easy to get lost.
 
“Eeyup.” Although he responded normally, something seemed to be bothering him.
 
“Can I do something to you?” If I had to stay at least a week or even more, then I had to get rid of this thing between us.
 
“Nope.”
 
I waited shortly and asked, “Would you mind telling me what´s wrong then?” How do you solve a problem you're not even aware of? He still looked at me with his cross look and I thought about forcing him to tell me. I knew he had Smarty Pants somewhere; at least I thought so. But that wouldn't be the ideal way either and would only increase the tension.
 
“Keep your hooves of my sister.” He bristled with anger, his words ripping me out of my thoughts. His answer hit me totally unexpected, and I was so stunned that I didn't even know how to react. Was that something he told every stallion who came here or was it just me? He didn't wait for my answer and went his way. I marked this as an encounter as the fourth of its kind since the encounter of the third was already taken by Pinkie. I watched him for a minute as he disappeared towards the farm. It wasn't clever to go there now, and it was also time to apologize to Fluttershy.
 
That was easier said than done. About midway, I realized that Fluttershy’s house was on the other end of the town, and with my awesome orientation, it could only take hours. I asked several ponies in the town for the directions to reach the house before midnight. When I finally reached my destination, the sun had already gone down, and the evening’s red was reflecting in the windows and in the river in front of the house. For the entire walk, I tried coming up with the words I would say, but with the first knock on her door, all of it dissipated. I listened, but I couldn't hear any hoofsteps, which surprised me even more when the door suddenly opened.
 
“Yes?” asked a quiet voice, and I saw Fluttershy looking up to me from her bowed stance. As usual, her mane covered her right eye, but I only needed to look at the left one to see that my presence made her uncomfortable.
 
“Hello, Fluttershy, I don't think I´ve introduced myself before. My name is Tio. It’s nice to meet you. I’m here to apologize for what happened yesterday. I didn't quite have a clear mind.” She opened the door a bit wider.
 
“Come in… umm, I mean if you want to.” Now she opened the door completely, and I gratefully accepted her invitation. I entered her living room which had stairs leading upstairs and the entrance to the kitchen in it. As one could imagine, her house smelled like a petting zoo, just without the excrement. Since animals were capable of understanding the ponies, they were probably kind enough to do their business in the forest.
 
“Do you want ... umm some tea?” she asked shyly, the way I was used to from the series.
 
“Yes, please. I’m dying of thirst.” She pointed towards her sofa, and I sat down and waited until she came back. The walls had small holes all over them, giving the small animals an easier way through the rooms. Beneath the ceiling were several bird houses, but none of them were occupied, so they were most likely just decorations. After about a minute of me inspecting her home, Fluttershy came back balancing a tray on her back, placing it on the small table. She gave me a cup and then sat down in her armchair. I had to try out the balancing thing; it didn't look too hard for her. We sat in silence for a while since I just didn't know what to talk to her about. I liked Fluttershy in the series, but she had the most opposite characteristics compared to me. I liked to meet new people and talk a lot. I was like the counterpart to her.
 
“Err, regarding yesterday, I'm sorry that I scared you. From now on, I'll keep away from salt, so such things shouldn’t happen anymore.” She nodded as I took a big sip of the tea and emptied the cup in one gulp. The tea was hot but also good.
 
“So I umm... heard from Twilight that there are also animals in your world?” That was the first real thing she said to me
 
“Yes, we have pretty much every animal that I've seen here so far. Birds, squirrels, and so on.” Animals were her area of expertise, so it was clear that she would be interested in such matters.
 
“Is it true that humans ... eat meat?” I nearly spat out my tea. Could I tell the innocent Fluttershy about something like that? But I already knew where lies had gotten me.
 
“Yes,” I said shortly.
 
“What kind of meat?” I was surprised that she was so open all of a sudden, especially regarding a subject which scared Twilight so much. On the other hand, I was happy that I now could speak normally with her.
 
“Most eat beef, pork, or chicken. But it's mostly just a side dish to all kinds of vegetables.” She took a sip.
 
“So did you ever … umm, eat meat?” My heart skipped a beat. “You don't have to answer if you don't want to,” she added when she saw my reaction. I was thinking of how I could possibly explain it, but Fluttershy added, “You see, I care for all kinds of animals, even carnivores. I'm just curious how a species which is intelligent as we are that also eats meat behaves.” That was a question I would have more expected to come from Twilight, so factual. I really had to stop thinking of them as the ponies of the series.
 
“Humans don't eat other humans. Well, there are some who try, but it's a major crime and is punished. But there are also those who have sworn off meat. So there are both extremes. And to answer your first question, yes I have eaten meat.” Somehow, I felt as if I should feel ashamed for it.
 
“Does it taste… nice?” She really took it more calmly than I would ever expect.
 
“For a long time it did, but after an incident, I gave up. It just wasn't the same anymore.” She nodded again. “Why do you wanna know?” She had gotten me curious.
 
“I feed a lot of animals the same food we eat, so I can try it out first and make sure it's still good, but meat is a problem. I couldn't bear the feeling of eating another creature.” It was so simple that I never would have even gotten a hint of the real answer. I could weep for tears since I was already thinking of shed.mov after those questions. Sometimes, having seen too much was really a curse. A look out of the window showed me that the last sun rays were nearly gone, and I still had to get home.
 
“Thank you for the tea, Fluttershy, but I have to go now. It's getting late.” She also looked out of the window.
 
“I think you are right.” Fluttershy stood up and took my empty cup and carefully placed it on the tray. I did the same and slowly walked towards the door.
 
“I don't mind to continue our talk another time. So, see you later, Fluttershy.” I opened the door and waved to her. With the tray on her back, she waved back.
 
It was unfortunate for me that I had misjudged the time, and by the time I reached the small town, the moon and the stars were the only ones left. All except very few houses were covered in darkness. I walked slower than usual due the fact that an injury sure doesn't come in hoofy. While walking under the moon, I kept thinking the thoughts I already had the entire time, just in a completely different direction this time. I didn't think of what would be but of what was going to happen in the worst case instead. Well, if that was the case, I would simply be on the moon. But I thought of what I´d do if I came back to the “real” world as a human. How should I explain all of this to the press and the police? If I returned as a pony, it would be more important to not end up in some kind of lab. I mean, how could I prove that I was a human once and those rights counted for me? What would I do if I had to stay here and later turn back to a human? Being here as a pony was rather enjoyable and my first choice after returning as a human, but as of right now, I didn't want to deviate from plan A. That meant that I would work on the book about transformation magic tonight.
 
I reached the entrance to Sweet Apple Acres and just made the first steps towards the house when an angry Applejack approached me. The moon shone at just the right angle so that I could barely see her face. I twitched, expecting another hit ten times stronger than the one she gave me earlier, but I heard her angry-sounding voice instead.
 
“Thank Celestia you're finally back, sugarcube. Ya can't jus´ go missing. I already thought you lost yourself and somehow walked into the Everfree Forest. Ya gotta tell us when you wanna stay away late.” To me, she sounded more worried than angry, but I didn't know whether that was a good thing or not.
 
“Sorry, Applejack, I was finished with work and wanted to visit Fluttershy to apologize.” She sighed.
 
“All right, sugarcube, but next time, give notice when ya leave.” I nodded understandingly. “Now come inside. The others are all already asleep.” I followed Applejack back to the house but not without picking up my saddlebag which was still lying in the entrance. We went up the small stairs to the sleeping rooms, said goodnight, and went into our respective rooms. An apple and my glasses were still on the night table. I ate the apple and put my bag into a corner of the room. I took the book and lied down on the soft mattress. I flipped open the first pages, but I didn't get any further.
 


> Chapter 10 - Sleeping Awake
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

If there ever was a time when I thought the worst way to be awakened was your mother banging the vacuum against your door, I now stood corrected. A foal massaging your ribs by using them as a trampoline was much worse. I was lying in bed and being awakened by Apple Bloom.
 
"C'mon, get up! The sun's rising!" she yelled with a voice as if she was about to uproot a tree barehoofed. I turned on my other side, which resulted in her not landing on me but on the floor. Not two seconds later, I felt her little hooves poking my back.
 
"Let's go! Breakfast's almost ready!" I didn't want to.  It took only a few seconds before I felt a sudden chill. Apple Bloom had taken my blanket, and I was now uncovered in the cold room. Spring had just kicked in, so it was still pretty cold at night. I slowly got up and saw a proud Apple Bloom walking away in the corner of my eye. I didn't have to look into the mirror to know that my mane resembled Jackson Pollock. The book had fallen on the floor when I had gone to sleep, so I picked it up before I went downstairs. Big Macintosh and Apple Bloom were just putting the last dishes on the large dining table and were awaiting me. There were pancakes, oatmeal, bread with fried eggs, and of course, apple juice. I wasn't surprised by what was on the table but by how much there was. The table was generously filled for a dozen ponies. I joined them at the table.
 
"Morning," I said. Other than me, they already were up for a while and had also been in the bathroom.
 
"Good mornin', Tio. You helpin' at the farm today?" Apple Bloom asked and finished her first pancake in one bite. I would have preferred coffee, but apple juice was okay for now.
 
"I think so. Well, if your sister lets me. She said she had a job for me but not what kind of job." I summarized yesterday’s conversation. Big Macintosh didn't seem to be happy about it and made a face which almost made me say 'U mad bro?' Speaking of the devil, the door opened, and Applejack appeared. I had to admit, seeing her triggered something in my insides. Her mane was wet and hung down in long strands as her tail. Her fur was also wet and shining in the morning sun that was coming in through the window and made it almost gloomy. It was the first time, when thinking about ponies, that something crossed my mind which would have led to breaking over countless ethical and moral laws. To sum it up: rule thirty four. Unluckily, the big red stallion sitting next to me noticed my expression, and according to his face, might even know what I was thinking.
 
“Mornin', everypony. I'll take a quick shower and then I'll join ya. You look like it wouldn't hurt ya to take a shower too, Tio. Chop chop,” Applejack said and disappeared from my field of view. Oh how right she was. I choked down the pancakes and the apple juice in one gulp and went to the, thank you Celestia, lockable bathroom. Aside from the beat down I might expect from Big Mac later, I was worried about what I was thinking earlier. I had never looked at rule thirty four or anything furry in any way. I calmed myself down by holding my head under the shower and just letting the water flow over it.
 
What had changed since I became a pony? My asthma had practically disappeared. I got along without my glasses, and I had a different reaction to salt and alcohol. The last two were chemical reactions taking place in the brain, so my thinking machine had changed as well, and as far as I knew, the libido was also controlled by it despite what some women like to say. So I was sensitive to pony physiology. Man, was I happy not to be a pegasus right now. I decided to exchange the cold water from the rinse for a hot shower and got ready for the day. When I returned to the others, they had just finished their meal and cleaned the table. I looked at the clock just as it turned to six o'clock. Big Macintosh was the first to notice me and gave me a look that might have killed me. Applejack stood next him in her usual outfit. Then she followed his eyes.
 
“Ah, there you are, sugarcube. I'll just quickly finish up here and then we'll go.” I wondered what kind of task she had available for me.
 
“What are we doing?” She leaned to her brother.
 
“Big Mac here is gonna collect the apples we harvested yesterday, and we'll be workin' the stand at the marketplace today.” I gulped. Being alone with Applejack half the day wasn't the worst thought, but I could almost literally feel the energy radiating from her brother. My fear-o-meter went to over nine thousand.
 
“Okay, what should I do now?”
 
“You can put on the carriage in the barn, sugarcube.” I didn't wait any longer and made my way to the barn next to the house. All kinds of things were lying around. Some hay forks, smaller carriages with saddles in the front, and an unmounted winding tackle. In a corner, I found the small market wagon and took a closer look at it. It was slightly bigger than the others and had a frame in the front where a pony could hook himself in, just like with a saddlebag. I stepped into the frame, and with some stretching, I managed to close it. It reminded me of a trailer as I slowly took it outside.
 
I made a turn and waited for Applejack in front of the house. Sadly, the first one to show was Big Macintosh, but he didn't even so much as look at me. He disappeared into a small trapdoor next to the barn just to reappear again with about five barrels filled with apples. Not saying a word, he put them on the carriage, and I instantly felt the weight on the bars which connected me to the carriage. When he secured the load by closing a lock on the loading area, he got back to his work.
 
 A few minutes later, Applejack came out of the house with two pieces of white cloth and threw them on the wagon before we made our way. The wagon was heavy, and the bumpy road didn't make it any easier to pull it. Most of the time, I thought of a way to clear the air with Big Macintosh. Although it was nice talking to the girls, I kinda missed hanging around with a dude, but as long as he thought I had a crush on his sister, he surely wouldn't talk to me. I would have talked with Applejack about this topic, but then I had to explain what put this idea in his head in the first place. Moreover, I had no idea how that conversation would go about. And lastly, it wasn't very gentleman to talk about someone behind his back.
 
“What's wrong, sugarcube?” All this time I had been accidentally staring at Applejack while thinking.
 
“Nothing, I just was thinking about something.” We slowly approached the town.
 
“About what? I know this world is new to you. Ask me anything.” Bad luck that it didn't have anything to do with this world; just two guys and one of the guys' sister.
 
“Cutie marks,” I quickly replied. Applejack seemed to ignore the obvious lie.
 
“What do you want to know?” I quickly needed a stupid question.
 
“What do they mean? I mean, culturally? I know that they symbolize a talent but that's about it.”
 
 Applejack thought about it for a second before she replied, “First thing ya need to know is that they are unique, no two of the same kind, and we're very proud of 'em. Receiving one means yer grown up. Moreover, well... more than looking is reserved for married couples.” So look, don't touch. Good to know.
 
“What does your cutie mark mean? I never saw anything similar, sugarcube.” With that, she pointed at the encircled lightning bolt on my flank. I had never thought about it until now, and off the top of my head, I had no idea. My talents were more located in the field of computer and other IT stuff, nothing with ponies and their culture.
 
“To be honest, I have no idea. One day, it just was there.” She seemed a little appalled.
 
“I didn't know it was possible to get one without knowing your talent. You should talk to Twilight about that; maybe she knows something.” When she mentioned Twilight, I remembered that it might not be of any importance anyway.
 
“Will do.” We walked the rest of the way in silence until we reached the market. There were stands and small tents everywhere, not just selling food and drinks but also tools and all other kinds of goods. For example, I found out that you could purchase a hammer for fifteen bits or a small basket of blueberries for four bits. We walked along the market until we reached a small place where Applejack instructed me to put down the carriage. I freed myself from the frame, and she started to build the stand. When she was finished, she threw over one of the small pieces of clothing I now recognized as aprons. I put it on.
 
“What we have here are Boskoop. Those are winter apples that stay fresh pretty,” Applejack started explaining to me. “One goes for two bits and half a dozen goes for ten bits. Your break is from eleven to noon, and mine's from noon to one. We head back at three pm. Got it, sugarcube?” I nodded. We didn't have to wait long for the first customers. Either Applejack put the apples on her back when it was half a dozen or more, but for smaller sales, she grabbed them with her snout to pass them to the customers. Since nopony seemed to have a problem with it, I did the same, and in the first hours, the barrels almost emptied themselves. A bit later, Applejack came up to me and said that it was time for my break and handed me five bits. I asked where I could get something to eat and maybe some coffee, and to my surprise, she mentioned Sugarcube Corner. The thought of a strong coffee quickened me, and I even got there without getting lost. I opened the door and saw Pinkie behind the counter.
 
“Hey Pinkie, what's up?” I was in a good mood due to the expectation for coffee.
 
“Oh hey, Tio. Nice to see you again. What will it be for you?” She was completely different, not at all hyped up. Even Pinkie could be a professional at work. I really had to get the series out of my mind.
 
“I'll have a coffee and a muffin. What kind of muffin is up to you. I'm open for something new.” That got a smile on her face, and she quickly disappeared in the back room. While I was waiting for my lunch, a very familiar face entered the shop: Ditzy. Last time I saw her was in the party, but I didn't have the opportunity to talk to her.
 
“Hello, Ditzy! Can I invite you for a muffin?” She focused on me as much as possible and nodded heavily. Pinkie came out of the back room and placed the coffee and muffin on the counter.
 
“Hi Ditzy, a blueberry muffin, as usual?” she greeted her regular.
 
“Yep. Thanks, Pinkie,” she replied. I waited for Pinkie to bring the order.
 
“What do I owe you, Pinkie?”
 
“Four bits; the coffee is on the house.” Content with the price, I got the bits out of my mane and handed them to Pinkie. I often saw her doing this in the series, and surprisingly enough, they actually stayed there. I could have done a hoofstand and they would have stayed there until I needed them. I sat down with Ditzy at the small table in the corner of the shop. Lately, I had noticed a lot of things different to the series. Everything was much more detailed and closer to real life than they were in the series. Maybe the creators had lost their motivation halfway through drawing.
 
“So, Ditzy, tell me, what do you do?” Happily, she took a bite of her muffin and held her bag in front of my face. While doing so, she bumped my cup, which lost some of its contents. The bag itself said “POST”.
 
“So you're the mailpony. Does it pay well?” She had already finished her muffin.
 
“It's enough for me and my daughter.” She smiled. It reminded me that she had one. Dinky, if I'm correct.
 
“Can I ask you something in return?” I nodded. “Why do you call me Ditzy?” I didn't know what she meant.
 
“It's your name, isn't it?” Now she nodded.
 
“Yes, but everypony else calls me Derpy, because, you know.” She pointed at her eyes.
 
"Well, I prefer Ditzy; it's your real name." Derpy was also the name she was given by fans although she never chose that name. She seemed happy with my answer.
 
"Thanks Tio, that’s very nice of you. But I gotta go now." She stood up and flew away. As she tried to fly through the doorway, she bumped the door frame slightly. I winced and imagined the pain. She succeeded on the second try and disappeared. I finished my coffee and muffin. I couldn't say what was actually in this muffin, something like flowers or hay, but the coffee was good and strong. I put the cup on the counter and said good bye to Pinkie. My break was just halfway over, but I knew I would need time to find the way back to the stand. So I went on my way, and when the city hall rang for noon, I reached the stand. Applejack was already waiting with an impatient impression on her face. I didn't really care about little delays; everyone knew the problem of unwilling traffic lights. So I didn't mind letting people wait for a bit except for my girlfriend or my crush. Everypony wants to see his special girl as fast as possible, right? That's why I wondered why I felt uncomfortable seeing her angry because she had to wait for me. Backwash from this morning?
 
"Sorry, Applejack, I got a little lost." It was a lie, and I could see that she saw through it.
 
"See ya in an hour and don't screw up, pal." Just the simple fact that she didn't give me her usual 'sugarcube' indicated that she was pissed. Why did you notice that? I asked my brain. I spent the rest of the hour selling apples and following the coming and going of the market. I even heard some music which reminded me of the street musicians in the city. Until now, I only knew music from Vinyl. At the thought of her name, I remembered what I promised her at the party. This concluded my plan for the afternoon. Applejack arrived on the dot but still seemed a little angry.
 
"Hey AJ, how was your break?" I decided to defuse the situation by using her nickname.
 
"Ya really don't remember, do ya?" That was so unexpected, she might as well have answered with potato. I made a questioning face.
 
"During your break, I was talking to Rainbow an' she told me 'bout your encounter yesterday..." I reconstructed yesterday's events.
 
"Stallions..." she sighed. “Were you so salted that you even forgot that you asked me out?" I skimmed my memories of the party in high speed, but no matter where I looked in my brain, I couldn't find anything that matched her statement. The only thing I can remember was Applejack carrying me to the farm. Suddenly, everything Rainbow Dash said made actually sense. "Forget it, alright? If you need salt to find me pretty, then just leave it with that!" Again it clicked. I got a clear picture of how many stallions were brave enough to get past Big Macintosh. It must have made her feel nice to be asked out.
 
"Whoa, slow down! Of course I'd like to go out with you!" What the hay, Timo? "You're a beautiful..." I almost said woman, "mare, and it would be an honour for me to take you out." I was desperately looking for an exit in my brain. I began to understand Big Macintosh's behaviour. Siblings talk a lot to each other, and he was probably the first to know about it, and then the thing with this morning... I was dead. Doesn't matter if I could convince Applejack. If I break her heart, he'll break me, and if I go out with her, same thing.
 
"Really?" Oh, that word all the women say with that certain pitch in their voice, only this time with an accent.
 
"Yes, so Saturday night?" I couldn't think of a better time right now. Applejack spat in her hoof and reached out to me.
 
"Deal!" She took it more like a challenge. Don't know if this was an everyday gesture, but I took it. Maybe it was a sign that I'm the first guy to ask her out on a date. Satisfied, she nodded and started working again, yelling out her offer all over the marketplace. Until it was time to deconstruct the stand, we didn't say a word to each other, but every now and then, she threw a smile in my general direction. The silence went on during our way back and even as I put the wagon back into the barn. Before I could leave the barn, she threw a little package my way: my first payment. I thanked her with a nod and got into my room as quickly as I could.
 
I had done a lot of stupid things in my life, but this time I went nuclear. One: I wouldn't stay. Two: I wasn't even a pony. Three: I didn't like her THAT way, did I? Every episode she appeared in popped into my head, but that wasn't her. That wasn't the pony I asked out. My body told me that she was eye candy, but that shouldn't make a relationship. Oh, what was I thinking? Against all logic, I rather liked her. If alcohol had a comforting effect, salt did too, and I didn't have much pull against my subconscious. I fell on the bed and counted my payment. All in all, it was seventy bits for eight hours of work. Not bad for help if I compared it to the wages in my world. If I worked the same time tomorrow, I'd have a hundred and forty bits, probably enough to have a nice evening with her. I didn't need the money for anything else anyway.
 
My second plan for today was paying a visit to Vinyl, and I needed my cell phone for that. I got it out of the bag and looked at the display. The battery still had thirty percent left, which would be enough to keep it running until Sunday. Vinyl might also be an expert in social interaction, so she might have an idea for how to prepare for a date. I emptied my saddlebag and took only my cell and my money with me. I looked around every corner in case Big Macintosh was anyway near, but I got off the property without running into him. I knew I couldn't avoid him forever, but the question was still what would happen and when it would happen.
 
As I reached the town, it came to my mind that I could ask Pinkie for Vinyl's address. Luckily, Pinkie was home. Afterwards, I kept on the main street until I reached the gardener, turning right. The house at the end of the street didn't look like much from the outside. It was a simple farmhouse with a thatched roof and had seen better times. One difference from most of the other houses was that it wasn't painted or decorated in any way. I knocked on the door but didn't get an answer. I thought about what Pinkie said and was almost certain I was right. I followed a short path leading around the house and found a little stairway to the basement. Next to it was a sign saying "Studio". Now a hundred percent certain, I went down the stairs and knocked again. I heard some rumbling before the door opened.
 
"Sorry, no record possible today...oh hey newbie. What leads you to me?" Vinyl said with her head sticking out the door, glasses off today. Her eyes really had a dark red color.
 
"Well, I wanted to talk about music." Her face brightened as she seemed to remember.
 
"Oh right, now that you mention it. Come in, but watch your step." She opened the door, and I instantly felt like I had entered my brother's room. The little hallway was filled with cups that might have once held some sort of shake. Between that, there was either a piece of clothing or a vinyl record. As carefully as possible, I followed her through the chaos and passed a second door at the end of the hallway. The scenery changed in a snap from a garbage disposal to one of the most professionally equipped studios I had ever seen in my life, and I'd seen a lot. She sat down on a little wheeled stool and pushed one to me and then rolled to her console.
 
"Show me what you got." I got my cell of my bag, but before I could hand it to her, it levitated with a light blue aura out of my hoof as she inspected it. After a quick check, she got a cable from under her console and hooked it up. It was a simple 3.5mm input, but I was surprised something like that even existed here. The cell levitated back into my hooves again.
 
"Okay, start it up." I navigated my hoof over the display, which was quite complicated. I wondered how I had done this salted. I managed to start the music player and showed her some pieces:
 
Rise Against Satellite 
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nQCxwneUwA&ob=av2e
 
Disturbed – Stricken
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3moLkjvhEu0&ob=av2n
 
Nickelback - Midnight Queen
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EeIg1tAHek
 
Volbeat - Heaven or Hell  
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEN3mQ0ql30
 
ASP - Ich will brennen  
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYOabmPQdsI
 
After the last track, her eyes were literally shining. "That was awesome! I’ve never heard such music. Well, you're from another world." I wondered how she knew that. I thought Twilight only told her friends about it. "But I got a lot of new ideas from this. One last question. That last track was in Germane, right?"
 
"That's how Twilight called it as well. But you're right." I wondered whether she understood a word of the text and its ambiguity.
 
"My Germane isn't the best anymore, but it was about sex, right?" Now she earned my full respect. I had never met someone who got that from the first listen. I nodded. "What kind of device is this thing anyway" She pointed at my cell phone.
 
"It's a mobile phone or smartphone.  It gives you the possibility to talk to people at other locations if they have one too. It also can play music, record videos, take pictures, and a whole lot more. The only problem is the battery. If it’s empty, it has to be recharged," I explained, Vinyl seemingly understanding.
 
"Charged with what? Magic?"  I shook my head.
 
"Electricity." She tried to spell it out but failed.
 
"Come again?" Now I knew that it didn't exist in this world.
 
"Electricity. It’s what runs all the devices in my world." Again she nodded as if she understood.
 
"So this electrithingy is your kind of magic?" A good, though not perfect, comparison.
 
"You could say that. What do you run your machine with?" Now I was curious. She pulled something out that surprisingly looked like a car battery.
 
"With this. This little box saves magical energy and allows me to run all this without the constant use of magic. Patent in progress." She grinned.
 
"There's another thing I wanted to ask you, Vinyl." I changed the topic. “I have date on Saturday night and wanted to know whether you know a good place for that." She clicked her tongue.
 
"Not three days and already has a date. Who is the unlucky one?" she joked.
 
"Applejack." With that, she jumped from her stool, put her forehooves onto my shoulders, and looked me deep into the eyes. I wanted to step back but she held onto me tightly.
 
"How in the name of Celestia did you manage to get past Big Macintosh?" she asked with a voice indicating the apocalypse. But once again, my hunch was confirmed.
 
"Not yet..." She calmed down again and sat down on the floor.
 
"You're on your own there. As far as I know, she’s never been on a date, and I don't know her that well. Thus I have no answer." If she had never been on a date before, she had no reference. That meant I just had to be a little creative and think something that would fit to her.
 
"Still, thank you Vinyl. If I'm still alive on Sunday, I can tell you how it went." She just smiled while I stored away my cell and prepared to take off. I wished her a nice day, but she was already on her console again, mixing something. I let myself back out and headed back to the farm since there was a certain book waiting for me.
> Chapter 11 - Sweet Apple Acres
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I wasn’t awakened the next morning by a filly but by a lightning strike. Looking at my phone, I noticed it was already past eight and that I only had fifteen percent battery left. The short visit at Vinyl's house had taken its toll. As I lifted myself from the bed, I looked outside. It was rainy and stormy, and from time to time, you could hear thunder. So much for working today, I said to myself. I put the book into my bag so when the next opportunity was there, I wouldn't forget to bring it back. I had finished it last evening before realizing that it hadn’t answered any of my questions. Instead, it only served to create new ones.
 
Transformation spells usually didn’t last longer than a few hours. No matter how much magic one used, the matter would attempt to return to its original form. Now I know that I wasn't just transformed, but something different must have happened. In order to distract myself from this setback, I tried to change an apple into a banana which, to my surprise, worked quite well. It was way easier than levitation. The transformation held on for a few minutes, and the apple still had a slight taste of banana afterwards, but it was a worthy dinner. I knew that without the help of Twilight, I wouldn't get any further, so I put that to the end of my list.
 
At the top of that list was the date with Applejack tomorrow. I still had no idea what I should do together with her. A restaurant or something similar wasn't really her style. Such stuff was rather good for Rarity or maybe Fluttershy. Same thing applied to the spa, with the addition that I wouldn't enjoy it either. My previous girlfriend had always done the planning for us. She came from the city, meaning we often went to the cinema. Besides the fact that there weren't any cinemas in Equestria, the theatre wasn't really her thing either, and I doubted that my seventy bits would get me a trip to Canterlot and the tickets for the theatre. I needed something which didn’t cost much money, not far away, comfortable, and with rather normal food. A picnic. It was simple but not too casual. As long as I considered the weather, I couldn't do much wrong or so I hoped. There had to be calendars of the weather around here somewhere.
 
I left my room and walked downstairs. While passing Apple Bloom’s room, I heard voices. Probably the Cutie Mark Crusaders having another sleepover. In the kitchen, I encountered the second surprise in the form of Rainbow Dash. She sat at the table with Applejack as they chatted. A glance in the living room revealed Big Mac sleeping on the couch, the whole couch.
 
“Morning. What´s up?” I greeted the two.
 
“Hey, morning, Tio,” Rainbow Dash replied as Applejack just smiled at me. Did she want to remain quiet until tomorrow evening?
 
“Got any work for me?” It didn’t hurt to ask.
 
“Not today, sugarcube. The storm's gonna be lastin' all day. Rest a bit, will ya?” I joined them.
 
“And Rainbow Dash, what are you doing here so early this morning?” If I had to guess, I´d say she was sleeping in a tree when the rain surprised her.
 
“Somepony’s gotta get the storm, and when the last cloud just arrived, I was right above the farm.” What a great job being a weatherpony had to be. Moving some clouds in the morning, and in case of planned rain, just get a few filled out from Cloudsdale. The rest of the day could be spent hanging out with friends or sleeping. When she stopped talking, they looked at each other, seemingly waiting for me to make a move. It took me a couple of seconds to realize that I had interrupted their little mare talk.
 
”Err, Applejack, do you have any calendars here?” I didn't want to reveal too much of my surprise.
 
“Yeah, hanging in the shed, sugarcube.” Without waiting anymore, I marched off. It was really blasting outside. The strong wind had even got some apples off their trees and rolling around on the ground. I could see some places where the leaves were missing from the branches in the trees, and the ground was sometimes just a giant mud pit. I sprinted from the veranda to the shed, but my fur still ended up soaking wet. No wonder nopony worked during such a storm that even Rainbow Dash stayed indoors. Fur filled with water was twice as heavy as normal, if not heavier. While showering, I hadn’t really noticed that, but while running, it had an impact.
 
 Due the cloudy weather, there was hardly any light, so my eyes had to get used to it at first. As I couldn't see anything a few minutes later either, I used my magic to create a small light beam. Using it, I scanned the room and found what I was looking for next to the entrance I came through. It was one of the most accurate calendars I had ever seen because not only did it show the weather but also the temperature for day and night as well as the air moisture. The fact that I didn't know the date was no problem as there were notes of every past day along with what and how much got harvested of which field. Tomorrow, Saturday, would be the fourth of April. In my world, it had been in the middle of March when I left. The times were not running the same or were at least out of sync. The calendar showed that it would be a clear night with about twenty five degrees during the day and twelve degree in the night. Good pullover weather, and since fur was rather warm, it surely was bearable outside at night.
 
An apple, moved by the wind, rolled through the door into the barn until it collided with something in the dark. The thing, whatever it was, moved slightly, and the light of my horn created a giant shadow which scared me first. But then I went deeper into the shed and found an old rocking chair. Must have been Granny Smith’s, I said to myself. Suddenly, I realized that I hadn't seen her here since I had arrived. Maybe she was visiting relatives. The Apple family was quite large after all. On the chair was a collar, and beneath the dust was the name “Winona”.  I hadn’t seen her either. A lot of thoughts went to my head as I stared at them.
 
A lightning strike brought me back to the present, and I now noticed a small door leading out of the back. In the series or even in the time I was here, I had never seen the back of the house. I also noticed that all the windows were facing the road or the fields but never in this direction. Sure, it made some sense to build a window facing north, but it was still sometimes good for illuminating rooms. The door was heavy and hard to open. Behind the door, there was a small gravel path which stretched from behind some small bushes. I ignored the storm and made my way up the path.
 
I couldn't see too far ahead as the rain mixed with the trees and bushes. After a few minutes, I reached a place similar to a clearing. It was separated carefully from the woods; the grass was well trimmed and some flowers bedecked the rim. In the middle of the small area, there were a couple large stones looking like a miracle of nature. They weren't formed yet; they were a beauty. I kept following the short path while the roar of the rain cut me off from the rest of the world. The walk led me around the stones, and I slowly realized where I was. My presumption was validated when I read the inscription.
 


Golden Seeds
Beloved father and founder of Ponyville 


 
I shuddered. I stepped towards the second stone which leaned on the first.
 


 Red Stich
Beloved mother, source of hope, and founder of Ponyville 


 
The next stone was in the centre of the place and larger than the previous two.
 


 Big Apple & Golden Orange
Heroes of Ponyville and never forgotten 


 
I don´t know whether it was the rain or the tears. I myself had also lost relatives, and I knew it was hard. I wasn't an idiot; I know what a double grave meant. I felt memories coming up: the burial of my grandfather when I was six, my aunt when I was ten, and then I lost my grandmother two years ago. It was never easy losing loved ones, and it somehow always took me back to the hard reality. I don't know how long I stared at the grave, but I felt how the rain chilled me to the bone. I continued and read the words on the next stone. If I hadn’t been finished then, I was now.
 


 Granny Smith 


 
Her name was engraved in large letters; the stone, unlike the others, wasn't covered in moss. It couldn’t have been here for long. Although I never knew her personally, I had respect for the old mare. She lived in an uneasy time, raised her grandchildren after their parents died, and even when she was old, she helped wherever she could. I could only assume that if I had met here, she would have surprised me like the others. It was this moment which finally made me see this not as a fantasy world or just a series but a world like ours, with pain, sadness, but also happiness and passion. I felt like an utter asshole, thinking differently for just a second. These ponies were beings like every other, made out of flesh and blood and just as mortal. I had seen all this the entire time as a trip without realizing what it really was. This was life just as we knew it.
 
To whom the last stone belonged was no mystery anymore. I paid my deference to Winona and returned to the barn. When I closed the small door behind me, Big Mac stepped into my vision. Without emotion, he stood up to me, looking me over, then at the door. He seemed to understand where I had been as he looked right at me.
 
As if he could read minds, he said, “The Apple family is born on this land. For a lifetime, we work and care for it. When our time runs out, we become of this land. The family is the most important for us, and woe to him who dares to hurt a member of our family.” His voice was deep and superior yet not angry.
 
“Believe me, the last thing I want is to hurt any member of your family,” I said with all the strength I had remaining. He looked deep into my eyes and then nodded after a while. “I know you only want to protect your sister. I don't know what lies ahead, but like I said, the last thing I want is to hurt her.” He hauled his right hoof right into my ribcage at full force. The pain was immense, and I was instantly on the ground.
 
“Don't underestimate ma' sister. If she didn’t think you were worthy, she wouldn't have given you a second chance.” I heard him but didn't move due to the pain. “She doesn't need my help to keep unwanted colts away,” he added and reached to me with his hoof. I needed a while till I had enough force to pull myself up. After I stood, he looked me over once again and then for the first time since I was here, he gave me a look which could be interpreted as a smile before he went into the house again. I let myself fall onto a hay bale. I was still unsure of what just happened. But after some time, I realized that there was just one possible explanation. I was now one hundred percent Big Mac approved.
 
After my trip to the graveyard, some cheering up couldn't do any wrong, and I was happy that my humour hadn’t left me. The next hours, I spent preparing for the picnic. Some apples, of course, some sandwiches with flowers and jam. I didn't know any other foods for ponies, so I concentrated on the drinks. For a date, spritzer would be fitting, but where could I get some? The cellar beneath the barn was ideal to store cold drinks. I went outside in the rain which hadn't weakened at all and opened the trap door.
 
I was blind inside the cellar, so I used my magic once again to illuminate the room. I saw a lot of narrow corridors with shelves which were filled with barrels. Pretty much all of the corridors were empty, but at the end of the last corridor, there was an iron gate. Luckily for me, it wasn't locked. I pushed it open and revealed a small storeroom. A lot of old furniture was here: chests with photo albums, clothes, and rusty tools. I searched but couldn't find any apple wine or anything similar.
 
I was just about to leave when I found something: an old acoustic guitar. It was made of dark wood with apple-shaped brighter wood around the middle. I shrugged on the guitar belt and left the dark cellar. I sprinted through the rain so the guitar wouldn't get too wet. Back on the hay bale, I tried playing the guitar with my magic, but I couldn't even get one string to sound. I put one hoof up on the grip, and with a swing over the strings, it sounded. The guitar was completely out of tune though. But luckily, all the tools I'd need to tune it were on my phone, along with the tabs for the song I wanted to play as well. When I entered the kitchen, Applejack and Rainbow Dash were still sitting at the table, playing a game which reminded me of “Mensch ärgere dich nicht”, a German board game like pachisi, the difference being that this game had little ponies as figures.
 
“Wow, Tio, you look like you got struck by lightning.” Apple Bloom and her friends were standing in my path. I didn't even notice them.
 
“Are you all right?” Sweetie Bell asked with her sweet voice. Rainbow Dash and Applejack looked my way and grinned. I really had to look like funny if even those two giggled at my appearance.
 
“Yes, I´m fine, thanks. I just wanted to get something from the guest room.” I patted Sweetie Belle’s head with my hoof before I went upstairs. I placed my phone in my bag which I put on and went downstairs again. In order to learn everything till tomorrow, I had to practice for the rest of the day. But the three fillies blocked my way.
 
“Um, Tio,” Apple Bloom started
 
“Would you play with us...?” Sweetie Bell continued.
 
“Or can you help us get our cutie marks?” Scootaloo finished.
 
They had to be really bored by sitting in the house all day. As a kid, I always watched the thunder and with a little trick I spent my time.
 
“I know something you could do. Do you want to know how you easily find out how far away lightning is?” They nodded excitedly. ”After you see lighting, you start counting from twenty one until you hear the thunder. Then you take away twenty one from your number and then you multiply that by three hundred. Then you have the distance the lightning was in meters.” Their eyes brightened, and they ran off, jumping over the couch and leaning against the window in the living room.
 
“Cutie Mark Crusaders thunderstormexperts!” they yelled together
 
”How do you know so much about weather?” Rainbow Dash asked from the kitchen.
 
“Where I am from, clouds move by themselves. Humans use such tricks to know whether a thunderstorm is moving away or towards them”. She apparently couldn't believe what she had just heard. Without waiting for an answer from the still shocked Rainbow, I went back in the barn and hoped the rain wouldn't stop anytime soon because at least that way, no one would hear me practice.
> Chapter 12 - Fluttershys
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I spent the rest of the day on learning the song and generally preparing all I could while the rain lasted. I found an old blanket and cleaned it, and then I put some plates and glasses into my saddlebag. I wanted to prepare the food by myself, but then I would have needed Applejack out of the house. I could also buy it, and I knew a pony that could help me: Pinkie Pie. If there was somepony who knew her way around in the kitchen, it was her. She would most likely know what Applejack liked to eat.
 
I didn’t know what was wrong with me that day. Every time I thought of the upcoming night, something inside me started cramping as if I had swallowed a stone. I hoped that I hadn’t caught anything in the rain last night. I almost started leaving trails in my room due to my constant walking in circles. I went through the guitar tabs and the upcoming date over and over in my mind. It was my cell phone that got me back into reality as the battery went under ten percent. I leaned out of my room and listened. Downstairs, I heard some little hooves dashing through the house, but all in all, it was quiet. I quickly realized that the kitchen wasn’t an option today since the Cutie Mark Crusaders had one of their crazy ideas, and looking at the chaos they produced, I didn’t even dare to ask.
 
“Hey, Apple Bloom, where is everypony?” The best thing would be to analyse the situation.
 
“Morning, Tio! Applejack is at Fluttershy’s to help her with her rabbits, and Big Mac is somewhere outside.” Good, with Applejack on the other side of the town, I could prepare everything without any stress. “Do you wanna help us?”
 
“Umm, no. Sorry, but I don’t have any time. I still have some things to do.” I just wanted to go but was interrupted by Sweetie Belle.
 
“Ooohhh, he’s excited for his date with Applejack,” she said in a sweet voice. Scootaloo snorted.
 
“You’re going out with mah sister? How do you know that, Sweetie Belle?” I already knew the answer before she said it out loud.
 
“My sister. Rarity talked about it with Fluttershy yesterday when I came home. She wanted to go to the spa but couldn’t because of the rain.” I don’t know where Rarity heard it from, but we certainly weren’t very quiet in the market. I left the three fillies in the kitchen and made my way to the town. For a Saturday morning, there was a lot going on. I took a look at the scene and saw a couple of ponies carrying boxes on their backs while others decorated the outsides of their homes. In the middle of all that was a beige mare with a grey mane and small glasses on her nose who seemed to be coordinating it all. I had certainly seen her a few times in the series, but I couldn’t remember of her name.
 
“Excuse me, may I ask what’s going on here?” Of course they were preparing for some kind of festival but none of the ones I had seen in the series.
 
“And you are?” she asked sceptically. I still didn’t know her name, but from her voice, I recognized her as the mayor.
 
“My name is Tio, and I have been living with the Apple family for a few days now. I’m new here.” I decided to tell her everything right away to quickly get to the point.
 
“Well in that case, let me introduce myself. I’m Mayor Mare, mayor of Ponyville.” The name hit me like a bullet, and I had to suppress a giggle due to the double entendre.
 
“We’re preparing for the arrival of the princess. Twilight Sparkle sent me a letter, in which she said that the princess would give us the honour on Sunday.” I swallowed. If Twilight brought the princess right away, it couldn’t be good for me. Or she needed her to send me home. I couldn’t let my assumptions take over my mind.
 
“Is there a certain occasion?” Maybe there was just a certain event this weekend.
 
“The letter didn’t say anything about any occasion. But since you’re here Mr. Tio,” she paused at my name. “Would you mind lending a hoof? We could use the help of an able unicorn.” I looked around and noticed that there were only two more unicorns besides Lyra. They all had a pleading look in their eyes.
 
“I’m not really good in casting...” I couldn’t finish my sentence. I was pushed over the place, right next to Lyra who was busy hanging garlands along the main street.
 
“Thanks for your help.” And there I was, standing next to Lyra, looking pretty dumb because she just smirked when she saw me. Mayor Mare went down the street again and gave orders to some pegasi.
 
“Hi, I’m Lyra. Do you remember me from the party?” She threw herself in my field of view. Her smirk still went from ear to ear which seemed a bit strange to me.
 
“Yes, of course. But I have to give you a heads-up, I’m really bad in letting things levitate and stuff like this.” She still smirked.
 
“Don’t worry; I know that humans can’t cast magic.” My brain went from zero to panic in less than ten seconds.
 
“Humans?” Although I looked really dumb right now, I was even worse at playing dumb.
 
“You know, those creatures in the world you’re from.” Small towns, nothing stayed a secret here.
 
“Uhm, yes, what’s with them?” I hoped that she was just curious. By the way, she was still busy decorating the houses and pushed the box with the garlands along with us.
 
“They can’t cast magic, can they? Well, at least it isn’t mentioned in any of my books.” On the inside, I cursed the fandom. “So tell me, how was it living with them? Do they really just think about eating, sleeping, and you know... it?” At least the books seemed to be good.
 
“That’s humankind in a nutshell, plus the wars because of things like money, oil, or religion.” She seemed to be content with that explanation and kept asking questions.
 
“What’s oil or religion?” Oil would be easier to explain right now.
 
“Oil is natural resource found in the earth, similar to your gemstones. Humans need it to run their machines. The problem is that it will be used up at some point, so that’s why they fight for every drop.” She just nodded while putting another garland on the house.
 
“And religion. That’s harder to explain. Some humans believe in an invisible power which created their planet, even the whole universe. Some even claim they spoke to it and wrote down what they heard. On the other hand, there are people who want proof for this existence and trust in science.” I didn’t know any better way of explaining it.
 
“And why do they fight about it? Isn’t that something you should examine in a discussion or something like that?” If only.
 
“Yes, but the thing with the humans is that some of them tend to be violent when they run out of arguments. And then there is another problem that there aren’t just these two sites fighting, but even fights between other religious sites. I like to call it a fight about whose imaginary friend is the coolest. ” The last sentence made her laugh.
 
“Don’t you believe in this power?”
 
“Not really. Please don’t ask why. This would take hours.” She seemed to be disappointed.
 
“But there isn’t anything better to do now anyway.” I pointed at the houses. “Oh, we’re done already? Do you have any plans? I’d like to hear more. Are hands really as useful as they sound? Why do humans sit in that strange position? Why...” I literally had to shut her up with my hoof.
 
“I’m sorry, but I still have to stop by Sugarcube Corner.” The puppy eyes she put on couldn’t affect me. “See you, Lyra.” I took my hoof out of her mouth and went on my way. When I turned around again, she was talking to Mayor Mare. There were ponies cleaning their houses and running errands. It was a big event for them, although in the series, the princess was just there every now and then. I was somehow excited to meet her and even thought about giving her a banana for a second.
 
There was some intense activity going on when I arrived at Sugarcube Corner. Mister Cake was at the counter taking one order after another, and Mrs. Cake was trying to keep up with them. Sweat was running down her forehead. I lined up and waited for my turn. There were a lot of ponies I had never seen, and I’ve met a lot. It took quite some time until I reached the counter.  I was already thinking about leaving when the line moved, and I could see the counter in front of me.
 
“Hi, may I take your order?” Mister Cake greeted me.
 
“I just wanted to know if Pinkie Pie is here. I need her help.”
 
“Well you didn’t need to wait in line to ask. She is upstairs with the twins.”
 
Facehoof. Note to self: if you just need to ask something, nopony will complain about line-cutting. I thanked him and went upstairs into the apartment.
 
“Pinkie, are you here?” I yelled into the hallway. Some noise came out of the room to the left of the stairs. I knocked.
 
“Yes, come in, Tio,” I heard Pinkie’s voice from behind the door. Somehow she knew it was me. I entered and found Pinkie and the twins, Pumpkin and Pound Cake, in the bathtub. I don’t know what was going on. Usually I would be embarrassed if it was someone from my own species, but somehow the embarrassment was missing. On the other hand, Pinkie didn’t seem to mind it either; after all, she asked me in. The two foals were playing with a rubber duck which took turns between being in Pumpkin’s mouth or between Pound’s hooves, who tried to get away with it. Pinkie was busy keeping them in the bathtub.
 
“What can I do for you, Tio? I’m always happy to help my friends.” She smiled at me as she pushed Pound back into the water from which he tried to escape again. Ignoring the fact that she knew I came for her help and that she even knew who would come, this scene was just adorable.
 
“I wanted to cook something, but I don’t any ideas for recipes I could try, so I wanted to ask you if you have time to cook with me.” Pumpkin gave up the duck and discovered Pinkie’s mane as a replacement.
 
“Of course.” She beamed. “I’m almost done here, and then it’s time for these two to take a nap. After that, we can cook something. I never had an apprentice. That’ll be awesome!” With the last word, it was her who almost got out of the tub. She took the showerhead and rinsed the shampoo leftovers out of the twin’s manes. “Could you take Pound out of my hooves for a second?” With that, she pointed at a towel on a small cabinet behind me. I took it and wrapped Pound into it. He immediately tried to escape, but with hooves and teeth, I managed to keep him in. In the meantime, Pinkie got out the tub with Pumpkin and shook off the water like a dog before she got herself a towel. Shortly after, she was dry and turned to Pumpkin.
 
When she was dry as well, we went down the corridor, and she showed me their kitchen before she brought the twins into another room. As one could expect from a baking family, the kitchen was top notch and huge. There were work plates along the walls and even in the centre of the room was a small counter. The plates were made of some kind of stone I couldn’t identify, and the rest was some kind of precious wood. The fridge was popping out a bit from my angle, but it was probably necessary to store all the ingredients for experimenting with recipes. It took a while until it was quiet in the twin’s room, and Pinkie came back into the kitchen. Of course, she was jumping now that she didn’t have to take care of the babies.
 
 
“So, what do you wanna cook? We can fry or bake or barbecue,” she said while getting some cooking utensils out of a drawer.
 
“Well, I want something Applejack likes to eat that tastes good when it’s cold since I plan to give it to her tonight.” Pinkie knew everything anyway, so why keep it a secret? She thought about it for a second and then got a cooking book and held it under my nose.
 
“Cold Snout?” I didn’t expect that they had something like that, but we’re talking about Pinkie here.
 
“Yep, that’s a cake made out of cookies and a lot of chocolate. Instead of nuts, we just use apples. I’m sure she’ll like it.” Why not? Pinkie knew what was good.
 
“Aunt Pinkie’s gonna show you something.” With that, my mane became chaos. Pinkie rushed through the kitchen with a speed that Rainbow Dash would have been proud of and collected all the ingredients we needed on the table in the middle of the room. There was a lot of chocolate, eggs, a package of homemade cookies, and palm fat. “I’ll have to go out real quick; we’re out of powdered sugar and apples. Be right back. Why don’t you boil some water?” The last words came out the hallway she was jumping down. I used the rest of the noon to layer cookies, chocolate and apples in a form that resembled lasagne. Pinkie took her teaching role very seriously and corrected me on occasion. After an hour, the form was filled and stored in the fridge where Gummy was sitting and apparently doing nothing.
 
“How long will this have to rest for, Pinkie?” She looked into the book.
 
“Eight hours,” she said euphorically.
 
“Pinkie, I need something to eat in four hours.” Every word gave the feeling as if she was trying to play a prank on me.
 
“That’s why I already made one yesterday.” She pulled out the same form that had just disappeared in the fridge out of thin air from behind her back and placed it on the table. I couldn’t help but drop my jaw because the Cold Snout in front of me was the exact same as the one we had just made. Even the nuts were replaced with apples.
 
“Why didn’t you give me this in the first place?” was the first thing I was able to say.
 
“Dummy, how else would you have learned something?” I sighed deeply.
 
“And I thought you were playing a prank on me.” Relief was spreading inside of me.
 
“I would never play a prank on a friend, especially if he has a date with another good friend.” She smiled from ear to ear. I left it at that since I was dealing with Pinkie Pie. There was something else that bothered me.
 
“Friend? We just met a few days ago.” I knew that Pinkie wanted to befriend everypony, but I also knew that this didn’t always work out.
 
“Of course, you’re actually a very good friend.” Her smile was carved into her face.
 
“How can you know that after such a short time?” She took a deep breath.
 
“You took care of Twilight in your world and helped her come back. Then you made a good impression with the party, and your small performance was really funny. Then you helped to clean up even before I was there, and you helped on the farm without having to, and just moments ago, you helped decorate the town, and for two days, you’ve been doing anything possible just so that Applejack can have a pleasant evening and...” she took another deep breath ”... that’s it.” Just like an old computer, it took me some time to process that mass of words. I blinked twice and gave up trying to process it all at once.
 
“So, what do I owe you for the lesson and the cake?” She chuckled since it couldn’t have been more obvious that I didn’t get any of what she had just said. She put everything into my saddlebag and said, "One does not simply ask Pinkie for a Pie and pay for it" while looking me straight into the eyes and lifting her hoof as if she wanted to do the appropriate gesture. Trent, how can I ever thank you enough for your spell? We both couldn’t suppress an honest laugh.
 
I took my leave and made my way back to the farm. The store downstairs was still filled with Celestia knows how many ponies who wanted to get their pastries. I somehow felt sorry for them. Outside, they were almost finished decorating. Every house now looked as if it was finished two days ago. Banners, with the symbol of both princesses, were hanging all over the street and were also showing words of greeting and a quote by an author I didn’t know. Some pegasi were still busy hanging some more garlands, though in doing so, they almost ripped down another one. I wasn’t surprised when I saw a familiar face in one of those three. What did surprise me was Vinyl standing at the end of the street where all the cables ran together.
 
“Oye, Vinyl, what are you doing?” She waved at me as she saw me.
 
“The mayor asked me and my invention for support.” She kicked against her magic battery. “There aren’t enough unicorns to keep the street lit all night.” She grinned like a Cheshire cat.
 
“Well, good luck then. I need to go.” I still had to find a good place after all.
 
“Have fun, newbie, and remember that the princess will be here tomorrow. You don’t wanna miss that! We’re testing everything today.” Since all the ponies were somehow on the main street or at the great plaza, the way back was rather quiet. With that, I could concentrate on myself. With every step, I came closer to the farm. Something inside of me seemed to tighten up. I’ve got this, I thought to myself when I finally reached the property. I got the guitar out of the hay from the barn where I hid it and went on a discovery trip with it on my back.
 
The area of Sweet Apple Acres was huge, not to say gigantic. I was walking around for almost half an hour until I found a promising hill. From the top of it, you could see the whole town. Knowing that they would test the lighting tonight, this place was perfect. I hid the guitar in a bush nearby and my bag in another one since revealing both surprises at the same time seemed boring. All I had to do now was to catch Applejack when she returned from Fluttershy.
 
For the next few hours, I made myself comfortable at an apple tree next to the entrance. The Cutie Mark Crusaders, Dawn - who showed up a little later - and Big Mac all didn’t know when she would be back. It was the first time I actually missed my laptop because I would have loved to pass the time with some music. Right before I almost fell asleep for the second time, I finally saw an orange pony slowly trudging along the path to the farm. The sun was half down, and if we didn’t want to miss the lighting test, we would have to hurry. I met her on the other side of the fence.
 
“Evening, Applejack. I hope you’re hungry,” I greeted her while leaning over the fence. She jumped into the air as I freed her from her thoughts.
 
“Oh boy, you scared me. But sure, why not. Where to, sugarcube?” She blushed a little, which was hard to notice from under her orange fur. I gestured her to jump the fence, which she did, and then I led her up the hill I had found. I even marked the way with little arrows I carved into the trunks with my hooves. I felt sick to my stomach but not solely because of the butterflies. With all the planning, I didn’t eat anything myself. Applejack was slightly behind me.
 
“Tada!” I said as we reached the hill.
 
“Not to ruin this, but there’s nothing here, sugarcube.” I said nothing and grabbed my bag from the bush and spread the blanket on the ground. So my first meal today would be some blanket, great. After that, I got plates and two glasses out of the bag. Together with the Cold Snout, I placed it all on the blanket and served it. Then I put a piece of cake on every plate and poured some apple juice. Again, I made the same gesture as we arrived.
 
“Wow, looks delicious, sugarcube. Did you do all this by yourself?” she asked as she sat down.
 
“I had some help from Pinkie with the cake, but the rest I did by myself.” I sat down and got two forks out of the bag, but as I looked up, I saw that Applejack had already dived in head first into her piece of cake. I threw the fork away and followed her example.
 
“This is great. What is it?” she asked as she surfaced for air.
 
“A recipe I know as Cold Snout, but instead of nuts, I used apples.” The palm fat didn’t fail its purpose, and it was just like eating chocolate-apple-flavoured ice cream. Unusual but very delicious.
 
“When you said something earlier about eating, I thought you’d take me out in some fancy restaurant.” She smirked at me.
 
“Leaving out the fact that I couldn’t have afforded that, that’s not really my thing.” I don't even know the difference between a regular fork and a salad fork. I kept my distance from those fancy places.
 
“Then that makes two of us.” She had to laugh. I was glad she had fun, and when she finished her piece, it was time for me to reveal part two. I went to the bushes and got the guitar, which literally made her jaw drop. I sat down again, positioned the instrument in front of me, and started playing:
 
Why don't you come on down
To Sweet Apple Acres?
Got a whole family full
Of Tasty Treat Makers

And to top it all off
We're Apple Pie Bakers,
Don't be fooled by
The Flim Flam Fakers.

We'll whet your whistle
With sweet Apple Cider
We wanna be your number one
Apple provider.

We got everything you could
Ever ask for.
And I bet we even got
A little bit more than

ALL THE APPLES
YOU COULD EVER WANT
ALL THE APPLES
YOU COULD EVER WANT

And more....
 
I didn’t get any further since tears started building up in her eyes.
 
“What’s wrong?” I pushed the guitar aside. I hoped I had just messed up the notes and not some drastic blunder.
 
“It’s not your fault, it’s just...” She sobbed.
 
“Just what? You can tell me.”
 
“The guitar was my father’s. I haven’t heard it since I was still a filly. It just reminded me of him.” She kept sobbing while talking.
 
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to... I mean I didn’t know...” I couldn’t form a whole sentence, and my brain was somehow on standby, but Applejack shook her head.
 
“It’s okay, I’m just glad it sounds as beautiful as it did in the past.” She was clearly fighting back the tears. I had to change the subject.
 
“Can I ask you something, Applejack?”
 
“Call me AJ; all my friends do.” I took that as a yes.
 
“Why did you agree to a date with me? And I mean both times. I was a salted wreck the first time, and the other time, well you were there.” She didn’t look at me and took off her hat.
 
“You were so carefree at the party. You were alien to a new world, far away from family and friends. Still, you made the best of it and were friendly to everyone you met. Even to Fluttershy you were as kind as possible.” I shivered at the thought of my first meeting with her. I kinda felt the evil looks of bronies. “On top of that, you’re kinda... cute.” Cute? Me?! The last time I had heard that was when I was five. “When you offered your help and that without magic, I knew you were a nice guy who was worth to forgive a mistake.” I was stunned. What had I done to leave such an impression? That was literally the first time that a girl, or in this case a mare, threw herself at me, and the cherry on top of that sundae was that I liked her back.
 
“But now I want to ask you back. Why did you invite me?” This was one of those moments where I didn’t need to think about it.
 
“AJ, I like you for you being yourself. Honest, strong, and beautiful.” Cheesy, but true. “You don’t need glitter to affect others. I’m living proof for that, and you’re worth every trouble that might come. Be it a giant, angry, red stallion ripping off my head...” she had to laugh at that, “or whatever else.” I stopped for a second. “I’m just surprised you agreed so quickly. Where I come from, you have to court a mare for weeks before she so much as looks at you even when she likes you,” I said to explain my question. Everyone knows the women’s game.
 
“Why would anypony do that? If two ponies like each other, they should spend as much time together as possible.” That was one of the reasons I fell for her. Simple logic against which nopony could say something. It had gotten dark, but not for long. When the lights were turned on, it made a wonderful view. We bathed in the bright night for what seemed an eternity.
 
“You got some cake there,” AJ said, and I felt her mouth picking a crumb from my cheek. A bit startled, I turned and lost myself in those large green eyes staring at me.
> Chapter 13 - The Pretender
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I never understood why anyone would take drugs when getting to cloud nine was so easy. The past evening was still going through my head as the incoming sunlight interrupted my sweet dreams. About a week ago, this would have ruined my day, but now everything was different. In just one week, my life had changed so much that I never could have guessed. I remained a little longer on the bed, curled up and lost in my thoughts. I had found new friends and even a new love. My old life, day by day, seemed so far away, yet there was something holding me there. I was human. I didn’t belong in this world, and I probably would get banished today. As much as I wanted to get into this world, it was impossible. I couldn’t let this get too close to me although it hurt.
 
 My phone showed that it was eight am and also that it soon would run out of power. Twilight and the princess would arrive here around noon and then my adventure would find its end, no matter what. I would get sent home either as pony or as human. In the end, I asked for it, didn’t I? But was it still what I wanted? I had to explain everything, that was for sure, and I only hoped that Celestia, kind and wise as she was, would have some advice for me. Even if she sent me to the moon, she’d have a spare minute for a talk which would clarify everything. I cursed my mind again for not allowing me to just enjoy the moment.
 
I would have continued enjoying the bed, but the universe said no. Just as I got out of bed, somepony knocked on my door. Without answering, I opened it and encountered Big Mac with his mane looking like he just fell out of bed.
 
“Umm... morning?” I stammered. Big Mac looked sleepy, and even without standing straight, he was at least a head taller as he looked down on me.
 
“Ma’ sister wanted me to wake ya. Breakfast's almost finished,” he mumbled and slowly trotted downstairs. I watched him with a confused look. The encounter in the shed went through my mind, and I knew I had to talk to AJ. She deserved to learn about it.
 
“Good mornin’, lover boy.” My breath caught in my throat. I looked for the source and found Apple Bloom laughing under the table. With her small imitation, she had achieved just the reaction she had in mind. Big Mac was just sitting at the table, mumbling something unintelligible.
 
“Morning.” I ignored the prank. “Is AJ not up yet?” Apple Bloom joined Big Mac at the table.
 
“No, she is already in town. She’s delivering some apples for the buffet in the town hall.”  She could have let me do that. I wanted to leave the barn that instant, but my stomach held me back. After I paid my daily visit to the bath, I got going. While I walked the dusty road, I thought of how I should explain myself and how she'd react. Nothing was as cruel as one's imagination.
 
“Morning.” I was just about to enter Ponyville, but somepony blocked the road. With her horn glowing in a light purple, Twilight stood in front of me with an indescribable look on her face. “Don’t you think it's time to end this charade?”
 
“Twilight, I don’t know what you think you know, but it's different. I promise.” I couldn’t say any more before the first blast cut through the air beside me.
 
“You lied to me, my friends, and especially Applejack. Show your true face already.” She aimed at me again, and I barely managed to evade. Why did I do this? I wanted back my original body.
 
“Let me explain, Twilight.” I evaded again. “At least listen to my version of the story. You owe it to me!” I was getting angry. She couldn't possibly know it all and had already made her decision. She lifted her head, and in her face, I could read that she was at least thinking about it. “I won't resist; just let us go somewhere we can talk undisturbed, okay?” I kept suppressing my anger because yelling wouldn't make the situation any easier. She seemed to know what I was, no matter how she found out. Her magic changed, I could feel it, and in the next moment, I was caught in her aura.
 
“Hold still, I'm bringing us into the library.” I nodded just before I got a feeling like I got pulled through the eye of a needle. It was as if my body was squeezed to the size of a pea and expanded again afterwards. Opening my eyes, I saw the well-known furniture of the library. “So then, say whatever you want to say.” She blocked my way to the door to ensure that I couldn’t flee.
 
“No tea with the coffee?” I remarked and used all my willpower to not get angry. Twilight said nothing, but her face darkened. “Good, then at least tell me what you think you know so I know where I am at.”
 
She sat down, her eyes focused on me. “I know that you are not a pony. Although I don't know how you created that illusion since humans shouldn't be able to.” She most likely found some books concerning humans in the Canterlot archives. Even Lyra had basic knowledge. “I know that your story isn’t true, and you even got me to bring you here to do Celestia knows what.” She couldn't be any more wrong.
 
“One thing is true: I am a human, but this is no illusion. This is my current form. I'd like to know myself why I am how I am. One morning I just woke up like this. Just a few days before you appeared, to be accurate.” My voice dropped. “Yes, I didn’t tell you everything, and that was wrong, but I did not lie to you. And concerning the reason for me being here, your theory couldn’t be more wrong. This place is like heaven for any human. And the last I want is to harm this place or its inhabitants in any way.” My mind was throughout empty while I waited for a response.
 
“Then you shouldn't have any problem if I restored your original form.” I said nothing and closed my eyes. I felt magic concentrating in her horn and how it flowed through my body. I felt heavy, and my legs were about to give in. In my head, there was a presence I had never felt before.  I opened my eyes quickly and saw that I was still a pony. Although Twilight’s spell didn't change me, I felt that presence, but did it belong to Twilight? I looked at her, and to my surprise, she was bowing down. I looked around and saw the source of this disability: Princess Celestia.
 
“Twilight, my dear student, I must thank you for fulfilling your task.” Her voice was loud, strong, but so comfortable that I could have fallen asleep without any trace of sorrow. I couldn't hold on anymore and lowered my head like Twilight’s. I could feel Celestia's look resting on me. It was like she was petting me with her hoof. I was afraid. What would this mighty being do with me? “Do not fear, restless soul, you've had to bear enough. Sadly, there is yet more to come.” I slumped down, but her aura was simply too overwhelming.
 
“Princess, why didn't he change back to human?” asked Twilight, just loud enough to be heard at all. I felt how Celestia's magic concentrated, causing the painful throbbing in my head to increase. Twilight caused tickles, but this was tearing my mind apart. She laid her horn on my forehead, and then my sight faded.
 
Don't fear...
 
Who is there?
 
I won’t harm you; I just want to know what happened to you...
 
Princess Celestia?
 
Pictures flashed right before my eyes: my first years after birth, then my school time, my twelfth birthday, the divorce of my parents, the death of my aunt, my first love, my years in apprenticeship, how I discovered My little Pony, and finally the past days and happenings. My sight slowly returned, the mighty alicorn standing in front of me, smiling at me.
 
“He didn’t transform. This is now his true form, Twilight Sparkle,” was the answer she gave her student. “Tio, something happened to you, something that shouldn’t happen to any being. Your wish was fulfilled.”
 
I didn’t know what to think about first. That this was now my true form or that a fulfilled wish could be anything but great. “A wish always has positive and negative impacts.” Could she read my mind? Probably... “The positive being your dream has been fulfilled, but the more powerful that wish is, the higher the price one has to pay.” While she spoke the last words, I heard sadness in her voice.
 
“What kind of price?” Again, it was Twilight who spoke instead of me. Celestia sighed.
 
“It depends on the being and how strong the wish is. In your case, Tio, it’s a very high, sadly.” She placed a hoof on my shoulder. The hoof was warm as if the warmest summer sun was shining down on me. “Your existence has been rewritten to make your wish come true. This will mean that your human past hasn’t happened if my assumption is right.” I needed some time to process what she had just said. What would that mean? Would all who knew me as a human just forget me? I was still shocked.
 
“I fear it is. That's the price you paid.”
 
“Can’t you undo that?!” I yelled at her.
 
“That is far beyond my abilities, and I don’t know any being able to do so.” What should I do? My home, my friends, my family, nobody would ever know me.
 
“I know it is hard losing one's family. But you also have friends here.” Her words sounded hollow and numb. I was lying on the ground, giving in to my own sadness. This was worse than death because when you're dead, you are still remembered by the loved ones. I had to see them. I wanted to see with my own eyes that they had forgotten me. “I may let this wish come true,” said Celestia again, “but it will take a while to find your world.”
 
“But Twilight also just appeared.” I pointed my hoof at her.
 
“Through sheer luck. The spell she practiced got out of her control.”
 
“How long?”
 
“A month or a bit longer.” I nodded weakly. “Twilight, please take care of him and ask the others to do as well. He needs all the support he can get.” I didn’t have to look at Twilight to know that she nodded. “Be assured that all of what he just said is the honest truth. He only means well to you and Equestria.” She took her hoof off my shoulder and looked at the kitchen door. “You all have my word.” She looked back to Twilight and me. “I have to leave you for now. But I hope to see you all this evening.” A bright flash and she was gone. I was still lying on the floor, resigned to the sadness which overcame me. I barely noticed how Pinkie, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash came out of the kitchen.
 

***

 
I didn’t know how long I’d been lying down, but the first thing I realized was Applejack trying catching my view through my hooves.
 
“You are not angry?” I snapped.
 
“Why should I be angry, sugarcube ?” she responded calmly
 
“I lied to you. I'm not worth being...  I only got what I—” I felt how she slammed her hoof with all her force through my face, and I slid about a meter over the ground.
 
“No matter what you think ya did wrong, nopony deserves that. And if you ever say again that you're not worth it, I won't ever talk to ya again.” She stood above me and stared into my eyes. “You are what you are and therefore I like you, lover boy. And not only me but the others also. If you say you ain’t worth it, then you say our friendship ain’t worth it.” She sighed and shook her head. “You mind tellin’ me what your wish was?” She laid down in front of me. My head was still being reigned by the nothingness which Celestia had brought when browsing through my memories, and so I answered indifferently.
 
“A better life." My words sounded through my head. Our world was full of war and suffering. Who wouldn't wish so? I got my chance, and all I did was not value it. Life always demanded sacrifices, only this was...
 
AJ seemed to notice that I was normal again. "Come home when you feel like it, lover boy." She gave me a kiss on my cheek and left the library. Only now did I realize that I was still here. Home is where the heart is was what my grandma used to say. I lifted myself off the ground. My legs were as wobbly as the first day I had them. I looked out of the small windows. The whole day just flew by; the sun was already going down.
 
"I see Applejack got through to you." Twilight came out of the cellar.
 
"A bit." My throat still pained from the tears.
 
"Do you already know what you want to do?"
 
"Make the best out of it, I suppose. My family wouldn't want to have it any other way." If there were people who always wanted the best for me, it was my family. Even if I was the most well behaving child, I still caused a lot of trouble, but they never stopped trusting me or helping me.
 
"You know they are not dead..." I nodded.
 
"No, they are not, and I'll visit them as soon as possible. There may be no going back, but that's life.”
 
"You recovered fast, considering such a blow."
 
"I think that runs in the family, and humans are used to hard blows." I gave a weak smile and went towards the door. "Do you have an apple?"
 
She didn't hesitate, and I saw an apple flying out of the kitchen on my back.
 
"Just like AJ, always thinking about apples," she joked, but I ignored her.
 
I concentrated my magic, and a banana replaced the apple. The price alicorns have to pay for searching my mind. I was about to open the door, but a purple aura blocked me.
 
"Actually Twilight, I wanted to go..." She gave me a wondering look.
 
"How did you do that?" she asked, pointing at the banana which, due to my lack of concentration, began returning to its original red.
 
"I borrowed myself a book about transformation magic from Spike... Why?"
 
Her expression now looked as if her brain just rolled straight out the ear.
 
"Can you also levitate by now?" Her mouth was still wide open.
 
"No, it just wouldn’t work. Transforming is much easier anyway." She dashed over to me and inspected my cutie mark more precisely, which bothered me somewhat. "Umm Twilight... is something wrong?" Her face scrunched up.
 
"I know what your cutie mark means! I saw a similar one in one of my books. The circle is for any object. You should know that a circle is only a rectangle with an infinite amount of angles. The lightning represents magic. Do you understand? Your special talent is transformation magic or the manipulation of objects."
 
That would explain a lot, I said to myself. "But you can do that as well, can't you?"
 
"Yes, but only because my talent is magic. Normally, unicorns can only use a few spells which have a relation to their talent." Now everything made sense as they had already mentioned that in the series. And I had been comparing myself to Twilight. No wonder I was always inferior. "Now that we know what your talent is, I can teach you more specifically. Sit down already!" She started levitating books out of the shelves.
 
"Twilight, don't you think we should do that some other day? It was a long day, and there is still the reception of the princess in the town hall...." Most books fell on the floor, one hitting my head
 
"You're right. I mustn't be tardy, mustn't be tardy!" She ran out of the house and the last I heard was, "Turn out the lights when you leave" as she vanished in the night.
 
"Home huh?" I said quietly before I closed the door behind me.
 

***

 
The town hall was so crowded that it was near impossible to move without bumping into somepony. Celestia, accompanied by the mayor and Twilight, was sitting at a table in the focus of the hall while the guards were holding the crowd at an appropriate distant. They all looked the same in their golden armor, but as I knew this world, it was probably magic. Celestia and her student were busy talking, and I decided to look for the others. Pinkie was the first I saw, no big surprise. She was bouncing alongside the buffet. When she saw me, she only smiled shortly before she turned to her snack again. Rarity was the next one I spotted, and although we didn't get along very well, she smiled at me. Rainbow Dash made herself comfortable behind a chrome lighter under the roof, holding a drink. Fluttershy stood in front of a podium filled with birds and directed a melody. Only AJ I couldn't find. All of a sudden, it went dark, and the only spotlight was on Princess Celestia. How ironic.
 
"Thank you, my dear subjects, for attending today so numerously." Some ponies rejoiced. "I know all of this comes suddenly, and you probably ask why I am here today. Except for visiting you of course.” Her magically improved voice sounded through the hall. "My family has already been increased recently, and I am proud to bring you similar news today." Ponies started to mumble. Was the princess with foal or maybe Prince Blueblood had finally found somepony? Celestia lifted a hoof, and silence was restored. "Blue Light, would you please come up to me?" The crowd looked to see who would make his way to the table of the princess, but nopony moved a muscle. Celestia waited a bit longer, then nodded towards Twilight, and before I could react, I was standing at her flank. What was going on?
 
Don't worry; everything is going to be all right...
 
"This is Blue Light. Some may know him under his pseudonym, Tio."
 
The crowd exploded, causing Celestia to increase her volume. "He is a visitor from another world like some of you may know. In order to forge a diplomatic relation, I have decided to take him into my family and to give him a name he deserves."
 
WHAT?
 
This is only an official reason. All you need is a place you belong to, a family. I know I can't ever replace yours, but please let me help you.
 
The presence of the princess, what she just said, the whole day… it was too much to take, and I fell into a deep darkness.
> Chapter 14 - Over The Hills And Far Away
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As I woke up again, I found myself lying in my bed at Sweet Apple Acres. It took a while until I recalled what had happened yesterday, and I had to pull myself together to avoid not immediately falling asleep again. I forced myself to stand up, but something was hindering me from pulling back the blanket: Applejack. Her head was lying on my bed while she was still barely sitting on a chair. She must have spent the night here after I collapsed in front of the entire town. I gently placed her Stetson that must have fallen off at some point back on her head and got out of the bed as carefully as possible to not wake her up. The first thing I noticed was the golden hoofband around my right hoof. It was graced with fine writing and had a moon on one side and a sun engraved on the other. One Ring to rule them all… my humor really never left me hanging. I tried to take it off to have a closer look at it, but it literally stuck to me, so I tried to widen it with a spell, but it was to no avail. I walked around the bed and looked at my phone on the nightstand. It was off. I wanted to go downstairs and take a shower, but not before placing a blanket over AJ. As I stepped out of the door, I immediately noticed the two guards that stood across from my door.
 
“Can I help you somehow?” They slammed their hooves together and stiffened their lances straight up.
 
“No, sir. Everything is in order.” Okay, that sent a shiver down my spine. I made my way downstairs and immediately noticed that the two were following me.
 
“And everything is really alright with you two?” Again, they slammed their hooves together and adjusted their lances.
 
“Yes, everything is in order, sir,” they both said in unison. I already disliked them. I went downstairs where no pony seemed to be. The clock in the kitchen showed me that work had started a long while ago, so Big Mac was already out there and Apple Bloom must have been in school. I made my way to the bath, but of course not without my followers.
 
“Do you guys want to shower with me or do you think I can do that alone already?” I threw at their heads as they got ready to follow me inside the bathroom.
 
“I think we will wait outside, sir,” one of them said embarrassedly and stepped next to the door. I locked it behind me in case they changed their minds and looked at the bracers. Slowly, I got an idea what it meant.
 
“I just want to help you,” I aped Celestia. “Thanks, now I’m stuck with Bulk and Skull,” I said to myself before turning on the water. I tried to get the bracers off again when my coat was wet, but it still stuck in place. The only thing I could do was twist it. I wanted to give myself more time to avoid the two jokers outside, but Big Mac was alone on the farm, and since I was going to stay here, I would need the money. As fast as I could, I jumped out of the bath and surprised the two guards as I ran into the kitchen, grabbed an apple, and left the house. Outside, I immediately ran around the barn and disappeared between the trees on one of the fields.
 
“Problem one, solved.” I grinned and began looking for my big red friend. Luckily, it didn’t take long since the kicks he gave the trees were audible over a long range.
 
“Sir, you can’t just go like this!” I flinched and looked around. Nothing. A quiet noise above me told me where my pursuers were. Both guards, who obviously were pegasi, landed behind me and stepped into formation again. “Princess Celestia has ordered us to look after you.”
 
“Would you just look around? What could happen here?” I pointed at the trees and bushes that surrounded us. “Is an apple going to smash me?” The two just stared at me but made no signs to leave. “Then make yourself useful at least and tell me what this is.” I held the bracer in front of their nose.
 
“This is the royal sigil circlet. It shows that you are a member of the royal family.” Immediately, I got an idea.
 
“Then I order you to leave me alone. You get on my royal nerves.” They still kept a straight face, and I thought of the guards of Buckingham Palace, which immediately led me to thinking that such a place could surely exist here.
 
“I am sorry, but we can’t follow that order, sir. Orders by the princess have a higher priority.” I just sighed and gave up. I continued following the noise and soon found Big Mac standing under a large tree that he just had freed its load from .
 
“Morning, Big Mac! Do you need a little help?” He looked over at me and at the situation behind me shortly.
 
“Eeyup,” he simply said and motioned towards the field in front of him. Without further ado, I went to work, which earned me confused looks from the two guards. They probably weren’t used to seeing someone with the sigil working. The monotonous work with the trees was exactly what I needed to think since yesterday was still clear in my head. It was my thing to block out negative thoughts with humor, but this wouldn’t work forever. Twilight would surely be proud of me creating a mental list of all the positives and negatives things that the events had brought with them. Far on the top of the positives things were of course my new friends, especially AJ, followed by the fact that I was wielding magic, and I was in the world I had fled so often to in my dreams. On the negative side stood my family. They will or already had forgotten me, just like that. At least they weren’t going to mourn me, which gave me some positive energy.
 
“Damn!” I yelped. I was so deep in my thought that I hadn’t hit the next tree correctly. My right hind leg was bent a bit, and the pain slowly crawled up the leg. I let the joint circle a bit and made a short stop. The two guards stood a few meters behind me and watched but made no attempt to help me when I hurt myself.
 
“Everything alright there, lover boy?” AJ came around some trees.
 
“Morning, AJ. Yes, I’m fine. Just didn’t really hit the tree; I was too deep in thoughts.” She sat down next to me and inspected my hoof.
 
“What were ya thinkin’ bout?” She twisted my hoof firmly which caused a piercing pain that jolted through my body and caused me to flinch.
 
“Just about what I was going to do now. I need work to get money for my own place. I don’t want to sponge off you.” She twisted my hoof even stronger.
 
“Ah already told ya that you’re always welcome here. We’d rather build a new guest room than kick ya out, sugarcube.” I just couldn’t help hugging her, and I was glad that she returned to gesture. As we separated, she gave me a quick kiss on my cheek. “It’d be the best if Fluttershy had a look at your injury, not that it’s getting worse.”
 
“Do you think she would come out while these two there are with me?” I pointed at two guards who looked away slightly, probably because it was too embarrassing for them to watch us directly. “But I think I have a solution for that problem. AJ, you just have to help me gallop.” She nodded and without further ado, I gave her a kiss. It reminded me of the evening we had spent together. It was a wonderful feeling, but I needed to stay focused now. The kiss showed its desired result as the two guards turned away completely to give us some privacy, and I quickly pulled back from the kiss and ran off with AJ. I leaned against her to support my hurt hoof. Without the injury and the two guards, this would have been a wonderful moment to enjoy. We arrived at the end of the farm and at the fence, but instead of walking on the road, we stayed in the bushes of Sweet Apple Acres. On the road, we would have been way too noticeable, and the two guards would have easily spotted us again. We changed from the gallop into a light trot, and I saw that AJ was beaming with joy. “Then tell me, what did I miss after I passed out?”
 
“Well, Princess Celestia announced yer title, answered some questions, then she put the circlet on ya and said goodbye,” she summarized everything.
 
“My title?” I went through all the titles of nobility I knew, which weren’t very many.
 
“Well, it’s not a real title, sugarcube, more like your status.” She thought for a moment. “Maybe Twilight should explain that to ya. She knows more about that stuff.”
 
“But if she explains it, I only get half of the stuff. There’s nopony I would rather hear it from than you.” She turned a bit red.
 
“Well, yer something like a prince now, but not really. Like ah said, it’s somehow complicated.” She seemed to be embarrassed to be unable to explain it.
 
“Then just repeat what the princess had said.” Me a prince? What kind of joke was that?
 
“Well yeah, Princess Celestia took you in her family as her son, but immediately said that ya have no claims, then a whole bunch of diplomatic stuff. If ya want to know more, ya’ll have to buy a newspaper, sugarcube. I’m not so good with these things.” My mind somehow stuck to the bit that Celestia was something like my mother now, and I didn’t know if I was supposed to be happy or frightened. Myriads of Trollestia and Molestia jokes were racing through my head. But one thing I was thankful for was that someone took me in despite all these circumstances. On the one side was AJ, who loved me for who I was and now also the princess herself, and I would be a complete jerk if I didn’t appreciate that. I leaned a bit more against her before I spoke.
 
“I like you exactly how you are.” She leaned a bit against me as well, and it didn’t take long until we reached the town. Before stepping out of the bushes, I looked around to see if the guards were searching for us here by now, but they were nowhere to be seen. They probably thought that we were hiding somewhere on the farm. Ponyville was still decorated like last night, and nopony looked like they were going to change that. “How long will the decoration be out? Not that I don’t find it pretty, but the visit is over.” AJ looked at me like I said something stupid.
 
“Oh, sorry sugarcube. Ah almost forgot that yer not from here. The day after tomorrow is spring festival like every year on the first of May.” Before I had the time to think about it anymore, a flash of light distracted me, followed by a tremendous amount of words that were being thrown at my head. In front of me and AJ stood some reporters who I could identify from their notebooks and cameras as they began asking one question after the other.
 
“What is the full name of the world you are from?”
 
“Where are you currently living?”
 
“Is this your marefriend?”
 
“What do you do for a living?”
 
And these were just some of the question I could understand. AJ was just as swamped with the situation as I was, and slowly, we were pushed back by the reporters.
 
“Make room for a lady!” Rarity pushed herself through the mob until she landed in front of us. Quickly, she stood up again and stood between us and the reporters while her mane bounced up and down. “My dear gentlecolts, what kind of behaviour are you showing in the presence of nobility? Please think again and ask your questions after making an appointment.” Rarity managed to make the mob seem at least somewhat chagrined. She dropped a curtsey and took a few steps back. “Better. If you have questions, you will make an appointment at the town hall as is right and proper.” Slowly, the reporters beat a retreat, and the way was free again.
 
“Thanks, Rarity, these folks were really intrusive.”
 
“No problem, darling. I am the right pony if it comes to dealing with the press.”
 
“Umm… is everything alright?” I turned around to find the source of the whisper that I just heard behind us. “I thought they came again for… oh Tio, I mean Blue Light, what happened to your hoof?” Fluttershy flew over to me and immediately inspected my injury.
 
“Thanks, Fluttershy. We were just on our way to you because of that. What are you two doing out here?” Fluttershy pulled out a first aid kit from somewhere and began to bandage my hoof.
 
“Well, darling, with the recent weather cancelling our day in the spa and after all the stress of the past few days, I am in a dire need of a visit there, so we were heading there now.” I held back on a comment since I was appreciating her help.
 
“I have one more question, Rarity. Is there really an official place where they can go to because of their questions?” Did I have a post box or something like that?
 
“Not that I know of. But of course those gossip reporters don’t know that.” Rarity had actually tricked them. Now I could really start liking her. I just couldn’t help but laugh along with Applejack and Rarity. Fluttershy meanwhile bit off the bandage with her teeth and stored the rest in her small kit.
 
“Thanks, Fluttershy. Now I can go back to work.”
 
“Oh no, you won’t, mister!” She rushed into my sight and glared at me. “I mean… if you don’t mind. You should try to rest your hoof for the next few days.” She took a step back again.
 
“It’s going to be fine, Fluttershy, as long as I have AJ here.” At my last words, she took a step to the side and landed on the ground since I was still leaning against her.
 
“Ya better listen to Fluttershy, lover boy. We were doing fine before you as well and will manage for a day or two. So, have yourself a nice day. Celestia knows ya need it.” Fluttershy and Rarity nodded in agreement before AJ made her way back to the farm to help her brother.
 
“Darling, I have question. Are you two together now or not? I am a bit confused with the situation,” Rarity asked after she helped me back on my hooves. The hoof was still hurting, but thanks to the treatment, it was more than bearable now.
 
“I don’t know, Rarity, we haven’t talked about anything like that yet.” She rolled her eyes and held a hoof against her forehead like she was about to collapse. Fluttershy instead just turned red at the subject, probably just like me. “Why do you ask, Rarity?” I knew that, aside from all the differences, she still was a good friend and must have been worried.
 
“Well, it is unusual that two ponies who like each other don’t make it official, my dear.”
 
“Official? You mean like marrying?”
 
“Oh, somepony’s thinking a few steps too far.” She laughed. “No, it is common to ask the mare of your choice if she would like a relationship, nothing more. Most young couples host a reception to celebrate it.” Good, so you have to ask the mare for every step, nothing new to me.
 
“And when do you usually ask this question?” I really had to borrow a book about social conventions from Twilight.
 
“On the first date, darling, that’s why I am so confused. Is that not how it is done where you are from?” I shook my head. “Well, anyway! We have to get going. Are you coming, Fluttershy?” Fluttershy, meanwhile, was paying more attention to a butterfly, but now nodded towards Rarity and both went their ways after we said goodbye. Since AJ had forced me so nicely to take the day off, I could use it to learn more about magic, and since I needed a book, my destination was clear. It took a while with my hooves, and the looks of the citizens didn’t make it easier, but I eventually arrived at the library and followed Rainbow Dash’s example. I opened the door without knocking and entered, finally getting rid of all those looks. Twilight was busy packing some books into a shelf, and a delicious scent came from the kitchen, telling me that Spike was cooking.
 
“Hello, Twilight, I’m here for our magic lessons and for a certain book.” Twilight didn’t seem to hear me. “Twilight?” Still nothing. “TWILIGHT SPARKLE!” This time, the circlet around my hoof glowed as I spoke and amplified what I said so much that the little statue fell from the table in the middle of the room. I brought her mane a little out of form as well, and Spike opened the door to see what was going on. As the little dragon saw Twilight with me standing confused next to her, he burst out into laughter.
 
“Dude, that was awesome!” Twilight seemed to be annoyed, and I thought of the best way to get on her nerves. I walked to her other side and took a deep breath.
 
“FUS RO DAH!” It sounded through the library in the royal Canterlot voice and brought her mane back into its original position. I joined the little dragon in his hearty laughter.
 
“Ha ha, very funny, guys!” Twilight said snippely. “What brings you here, Blue Light?”
 
“You know that the princess gave me that name.” And Twilight’s mimic said that I should be grateful for that. “Then at least call me Light.” Wait a minute, I thought. My name is Light and my marefriend loves apples above all? I think I found my master.
 
“Okay, Light, why are you here?”
 

***

 
The afternoon didn’t seem to want to end. Whether it was because of Twilight’s endless lectures or the same exercises that I had to do over and over again didn’t matter to me. I craved for some music. Maybe Vinyl could get my phone running again if I gave it to her for a while. After all, she basically invented the battery here. It felt like this was the hundredth apple that slowly turned into a pear now. Twilight made it clear to me that it would be too hard to change the form too drastically, so small steps would be the best approach.
 
“Twilight, do you know a place where I can practice without endangering others?” I wasn’t thinking highly of her methods. She thought for a moment.
 
“You could go into the forest, but if you follow my directions, nothing should go wrong.” I threw a look out of the window. It couldn’t be after four o’clock.
 
“You know, I have to go somewhere. Would you mind if I come back tomorrow?”
 
“I think I have some room in my calendar for that; it’s no problem then.”
 
“Okay, thanks, Twilight. I’ll be on my way now, and thanks again for the lesson.” I had gotten a few ideas and was keen on trying them out. I ran as quickly as my hooves allowed it out of the library and towards the Everfree Forest. I thought nothing of it. If Twilight proposed it as a training place, nothing could go wrong, could it?
> Chapter 15 - Giggle at the Ghosties
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I had to admit that it felt great that the Everfree Forest somehow wasn’t scaring me. Seeing clouds that moved on their own and animals that cared for themselves didn’t seem like a threat to a human anyways. Well, I was no longer one, but I had luckily kept my memories. The forest itself seemed to be barely different from a forest on my world, the difference being that it contained many plants and creatures that were alien to me, but as long as I stayed away from a certain blue flower, I was sure to be able to handle everything. The last time I was really scared was when I had snuck out of my bed at night when I was a kid to watch the movie Alien without thinking about the consequences, namely nightmares for the next couple of weeks. If every shadow turned into what you’re afraid of the most, it inevitably increased your parents’ electrical bill.
 
Forests had never scared me, no matter if at dusk, dawn, or at the night of Friday the thirteenth. At Halloween, or rather Nightmare Night here, a few years ago, my friends and I made a nightly hike through the forest near our home. A friend and I had then split up, dressed up as Scream, and scared the others. Only another friend, who guided the others, was in on the secret, and we all had a good laugh. That was one of the advantages of living on the countryside. If I had wanted to go to uni, I would have had to move to a town, but small places attracted me more.
 
Despite the sun still blazing high in the sky, the forest turned darker around me with every step. However, I wasn’t worried about that. As long as I walked in the same direction, I would just have to turn around to leave the forest again. The branches of the trees hung low, and the wind blew softly, causing the various spider webs to flutter like the sails of a ship. I saw plants that resembled raspberry bushes and small strawberry plants, but also many that looked as though green goo would come out of them as soon as you approached them. I continued my way until I found a small clearing that seemed ideal for some magic experiments. I had planned a few things in my head already. What would happen if I only changed the form, size, or just the material itself? An apple out of stone would make a far better projectile than a normal one, but there were none around unfortunately as I had forgotten to take one with me.
 
The ground and the wood had to be sufficient as test subjects, so I picked up a branch from the ground. It didn’t taste very good. I started to concentrate and imagined the symbols that were required to turn wood into something harder. Iron or platinum flashed across my mind. I could feel with my tongue how the small branch began to change and slowly was covered by a new layer. After a few seconds, it was over, and it shimmered in bright silver. But the real test was just ahead, and I started to whip the branch against the nearest tree, which didn’t turn out to be a good idea. The metal jarred, and I thought I would have lost a couple of teeth. I let it drop and saw the branch slowly turning back into its original state again.
 
“Concentration,” I mumbled to myself while inspecting my jaw with a hoof. My next try would not be to change the material, but only the form. My model was clear. Full Metal Pony. I grinned at my thoughts.
 

***

 
Time flew by just like my stamina. I had no idea how Twilight had managed to levitate objects in her magic for half the day and still able to practice after that. She must have a lot more magical power than most other unicorns. My greatest success in the last few hours that I had spent here was to conjure a small wall out of the ground. During the first few tries, it was only a few centimeters wide, but with more practice, I was confident that I could improve that. A sound came from the bushes behind me, and I spun around to the source. I had been lying under one of the trees for the past few minutes to give my sweat a chance to drop on the ground. The small bush rustled again, and as I slowly walked towards it, I immediately regretted my curiosity as a manticore jumped out of it.
 
“Umm… hi… You don’t happen to know Pinkie Pie by any chance, do you?” Seriously, how did that enormous thing fit into that tiny bush? The creature was about twice my size and looked like a lion, and if it weren’t for the wings, bat ears, and the scorpion tail, he could have passed as one. By the experience I had from living near a forest my whole life, I stepped backwards slowly without taking my eyes off the manticore. I had to show that I was not afraid.
 
It growled at me but made no attempts to attack, but before I could disappear behind a tree, I stumbled with my injured hoof over a thick branch on the ground. That was just the invitation the manticore was waiting for, and it immediately charged at me, its claws ready to inflict the first blow.
 
Out of reflex or because I still had the runes in my mind, I built up a wall in front of me, but it instantly got shattered by the force of the blow and only left a dust cloud behind as it crumbled down. However, I could use that to my advantage and quickly stood back up to run away, which was quickly denied by my hoof. Due to the fall, it was now hurting as much as in the moment the injury happened, and so I could only limp. The large cat… thing behind me needed a while to realize that I was no longer in the small dust cloud, but as soon as it faded away, it was behind me again and would soon catch up if we kept going like this. I repetitiously placed more small walls behind me that didn’t stand a chance against the speed and momentum of the monster and only exhausted me more. I followed the same tactic that had kept Big Mac off my throat already: I always took a turn as soon as possible. Large animals and ponies had their problems with shifting their weight into new directions, and this was my advantage now. At the same time, however, it was my biggest disadvantage because I had completely lost my orientation. So even if I did get rid of that thing behind me, I would still be in this forest, but that problem could wait until I survived the first one.
 
I saw a low hanging branch coming towards me, and an idea shot through my head. I ducked underneath it, but not without turning it into platinum. I didn’t look back, but the sound of teeth hitting a platinum bar was music in my ears, which then felt like bleeding from the scream that followed the impact. I heard a tree hitting the ground and the usual heavy steps of the manticore behind me, but not for long. The creature roared, and I noticed a draft whooshing behind me which caught my attention. The manticore was nowhere to be seen, but there was a wide gap in the thick branches of the trees next to me. Shortly after, a familiar face looked out of the gap.
 
“Are you crazy?! What are you doing here in the forest?” Rainbow Dash shouted at me. I used the break to catch a breath rather than answering her. “Come on, we have to get you out of here. That thing will be back soon.” She tried to grab me by my forelegs and take off, but I was kicking around for my life. There was only one thing in my life, besides a manticore attack, that caused me to panic: heights. I had suffered from vertigo for all of my life. It was so bad that it would act up when I was on the third step of a ladder. “Why are you struggling…?” Rainbow couldn’t say more before both of us hit the ground again.
 
“Sorry, Rainbow, I’m just not a friend of heights.” She stood up from the ground and rubbed her side.
 
“I noticed.” Before she could stand on all four hooves again, she launched into the air again, but this time it was thanks to the blow of a large paw that struck her. She flew a few meters before crashing against a tree, her wing twisted at an unnatural angle as she lay there, motionless. The manticore turned towards me and roared at me loudly. If I ran now, he would turn to Rainbow, and that was out of question.
 
I slowly moved in a semicircle to the place where she was lying, not taking an eye off the creature. The game was starting anew, only that my disadvantage had grown since I could never run nor dodge now. I concentrated my magic as best as I could, prepared to let an iron fist jump out of the ground this time. The manticore stomped on the ground multiple times before jumping towards us, and with the help of its wings, it closed the gap. It was all or nothing at that moment. Thankfully the spell worked, but not in the way I had planned. A pole shot out of the ground, but instead of a fist on the edge, it was sharp and rammed itself into the body of the monster. The momentum was enough to send it flying through the air like Rainbow earlier, and it disappeared in some bushes. I had no time to wipe the blood off my face; I had to wake up Rainbow quickly. Hurting her was the last thing I wanted, but I couldn’t be fussy now either, so I slapped her face with my hoof a few times. After a few seconds, she opened her eyes again and instantly held her injured wing.
 
“Why is my face hurting more than my wing?” was the first question she asked after standing again.
 
“You can slap me back later, but we have to get out of here now. I don’t know how long the wound will keep that thing away.” She threw a look back and saw the pike poking out of the ground.
 
“Was that you?” she asked, uncertainty evident from her expression.
 
“Yes, but we have time for that later. Can you run?” She nodded and led the way. I said nothing more and just followed her without asking questions. If someone knew the way out of here, it was one who looked down at the layout of the land on a daily basis. We quickly went past the bush where the manticore had disappeared, only to hear some quiet munching. We exchanged some unsure looks before curiosity took us over. Rainbow was the first to take a peek through the branches but pulled back out after a second and threw up. Now I really wanted to know what was going on there and pushed my head into the bush.
 
 On the other side, the manticore was lying motionlessly on the ground. One of its wings had multiple holes, and an eye seemed to be missing. Its mouth opened slowly and out came various small flies that I immediately recognized: parasprites. Many of these small creatures were gathering around the manticore, taking a bite out of it here and there. As soon as the bite was gulped down, the parasprite duplicated and both started to eat. The whole thing was going so fast that half of the manticore was already gone. My horror slowly faded away, and I turned my eyes away. Rainbow seemed to have recovered from the sight too and walked over to me.
 
“I’ve seen some things, but what was that?” She pointed at the bush which covered the horrific sight.
 
“I would say those are parasprites, the carnivorous kind. Just another reason to get out of here before they notice us.” Rainbow just nodded, and we went on our way again. It didn’t take her long come to her senses again, and she realized why she had been running here.
 
“Now I really wanna know what you did in the forest. When I heard the manticore roar, I couldn’t believe my eyes at first.” Her wing still stuck out in an odd way, and if I had to take a guess, I would say it was broken.
 
“I wanted to practice a little; you’ve seen that. Twilight said the forest would be the right place.” She didn’t stop or turn around but I could see the hoof moving towards her face.
 
“Had it occurred to you that she maybe meant the Whitetail Forest?” A light dawned on me, and I was a bit ashamed for not thinking of it sooner.
 
“You mean the forest where the Running of the Leaves took place and you and AJ wrangled?”
 
“Yes, that forest… But hey! Where you know that story of AJ and me from? We had agreed to never talk about it again.” Now I had said something wrong. If AJ had promised her, she would have never told me, and neither would the others.
 
“Ancient human technology?” I knew that she wasn’t buying that even without her strange look.
 
“Fine if you don’t wanna tell me. But I will find it out.” Great, now I had set Rainbow ‘Eavesdropping’ Dash onto myself. Even the princess had thought it would be better to not mention the series, and at least she had seen everything. My fear of what the others might think was the only thing so far that made me keep this secret.
 
The trees were thinning out, and I could soon see the edge of the forest. Rainbow had tried to see through my game the whole time, but I kept my mouth shut. If I ever spoke with someone about that, then it would be AJ and Twilight in that order. The way from the road to the town passed quickly, and before the sun had disappeared, we were standing in front of the library. I knocked and Spike opened the door.
 
“Woah, dude, what happened to you?” I had completely forgotten about the blood on my face and coat, but now I understood the strange looks that were thrown at me on the way.
 
“Manticore blood, not my own. Is Twilight here? I think we have a problem here.” Spike let us in and then made his way into the basement to get Twilight. She arrived upstairs not even a minute later and threw a disgusted look at me.
 
“So you really ate a manticore?” At first I was flabbergasted at her question, but shook it off.
 
“What makes you think that?”
 
“Well, Spike said you were covered in manticore blood, and since you were a carnivore…” She didn’t finish her sentence but didn’t need to.
 
“Twilight.” I pointed with a hoof down my entire body. “I am one hundred percent pony. I can’t even chew meat, not to mention digest it or that I even feel the desire to eat it.” She nodded and apologized quickly, which I immediately accepted. It wasn’t every day that a blood-covered pony was standing in her house. I started to recount what had happened in the forest, why I was there, and everything after the manticore had showed up. She apologized again when I got to the point where I confused Whitetail and Everfree. That the Everfree couldn’t be meant when talking about a quiet place to practice seemed to be widely known here. The fact that I wasn’t bothered by the weather and animals caring about themselves surprised them again, however, so I had to explain that too. When I began to talk about the parasprites, she covered Spike’s ears, which probably was better that way. After I finished, she turned towards Rainbow Dash as well and brought her wing back into form with a bit of magic. She was told to try to rest it for a few days, but Twilight indicated that a flight back home shouldn’t be much of a problem before she sent Spike upstairs.
 
“And you are sure that the parasprites…” she gulped, “ate the manticore?” We both nodded, and Rainbow’s stomach seemed to twist just at the thought. “I don’t understand how that’s possible. Parasprites basically eat the same plants we do. Why are they suddenly eating animals?” As soon as Twilight had finished her last sentence, the reason fell from my eyes. However, if I told them, I would have to reveal knowledge I wasn’t supposed to have. But more was at danger here. At some point, the food in the forest would run out and then Ponyville would be the place where they could get delicious meat, pony meat.
 
“Twilight, I have a theory.” Both Twilight and Rainbow looked at me, surprised. “You remember the parasprite incident here in town?” Both nodded. “Before Pinkie lured them back into the forest, you enchanted them so that they would leave your food alone. I suppose you designed the spell so that everything that is considered food in your eyes would be taboo. Buildings, stones and other objects are not food for you and other ponies, but neither is meat. In the forest, there are almost only plants and animals, and one of them is falling under the category food, the other less so.” Twilight followed me eagerly while Rainbow looked at the titles on the backs of some books in the shelves disinterestedly. It didn’t take long until Twilight came to the same conclusion. At some point, there wouldn’t be any animals left in the forest, but ever so many more hungry parasprites.
 
“I have to look up something immediately, I have to write a letter to the princess, I…” She ran around the small table in the middle of the library like crazy as she listed off all the things she had to do. I was about to get her back into reality again, but then she stopped on her own and terror filled her eyes. “Fluttershy! She lives directly next to the forest and houses a lot of injured animals! She is in danger!”
> Chapter 16 - The Fight Is On!
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The speed at which Twilight and Rainbow Dash galloped out of the library was probably record-breaking. I tried to keep up with them, but my injury and the exhaustion of the day held me back, and so I fell further back after only a few seconds. This was the first time I noticed how fast ponies could gallop and that even with all the willpower in the world, I was just half as fast. Running and trotting went relatively easy for me by now, but in a full gallop, I would surely still fall over my own legs. I stopped to give my lungs a short rest and sat down. The main road was slowly becoming deserted while the sun had almost completely disappeared. What did Twilight plan to do against the parasprites? Could she reverse the spell?
 
I only had one answer to the question: Pinkie Pie. She had managed to free Ponyville from this plague with her one-pony-band before it could be devoured. If they could be hypnotized like that again, Twilight could carefully consider her next steps, at least as long as Pinkie could play. I collected my last bit of strength and made my way towards Sugarcube Corner, which wasn’t far away. I ignored the sign at the door that said ‘Closed’ and entered the bakery. Much to my surprise, the shelves that were usually filled with goodies were empty, and the usual smell of sugar was less distinct than I remembered.
 
“Pinkie?” I coughed. The door behind the counter opened, and a shivering Pinkie Pie appeared. It didn’t look like she was scared, more like she had a little sugar shock, and now I was really worried with what had happened with all the cakes.
 
“Hello Tio… Blue Light… What’s up?” Her voice sounded like she spoke through a fan while she rushed over to me as quickly as she could.
 
“What’s wrong with you, Pinkie?”
 
“My Pinkie Sense has been tingling for a while now. But I haven’t seen any parasprites all day long. But the cakes are safe now, so don’t worry.” With those last words, she threw a hoof around my shoulder and rubbed through my mane with her other hoof. I somehow freed myself out of her surprisingly strong grip and straightened myself again.
 
“Pinkie, we found parasprites in the forest. That’s why I’m here. Twilight and Rainbow probably need your help. Fluttershy is in danger as well. That’s where they are now.” The rest of the story wasn’t important right now.
 
“Oh, okie dokie.” She rushed up the stairs, still slightly shivering, and reappeared not two seconds later with her musical equipment downstairs. “Let’s go then.” She grabbed me again and dragged me behind her. I did not even want to know how she did that with her heavy equipment. The way from the bakery to Fluttershy’s cottage would have usually taken ten minutes if one was in a hurry. Pinkie instead somehow took less than two. It was like she was somehow able to skip certain parts of the way. As the cottage came into sight, I could already see Twilight, Rainbow, and Fluttershy. They stood on the small bridge in front of the building and tried to drag Fluttershy away.
 
“Fluttershy! It’s too dangerous here. We have to go,” I heard Twilight trying to persuade her friend. Pinkie came to a halt directly in front of the bridge, leading to me being thrown over her shoulder and looking up into Rainbow’s face with my stomach pointing upwards.
 
“There you are. Help us get Fluttershy away from here,” she said while keeping a straight face.
 
“Light, why did you bring Pinkie?” Twilight threw in. I was still lying on the ground, and three faces were now looking down at me.
 
“Distraction?” While Rainbow still looked at me in confusion, Twilight seemed to have grasped my idea quickly while Pinkie just laughed briefly.
 
“Great idea! Rainbow, get Fluttershy and help her with the animals. With Pinkie’s…”  Twilight pointed at the apparatus on the other mare’s back “…whatever, we should have enough time to evacuate the animals.” Rainbow saluted quickly and grabbed Fluttershy, who had watched the entire scene from the bridge, and both of them disappeared in the cottage.
 
“Pinkie, come, we’re going to look for parasprites. Ponyville is not safe while they are around.” Pinkie put on her serious face and then bounced together with Twilight towards the forest.
 
“And what about me?” I shouted after them.
 
“You’ve done enough for today. Just take a rest.” I sighed because I knew she was right, but I still didn’t feel right about letting the two go on their own. I realized that I was still on the ground and quickly stood up.
 
The parasprites had overwhelmed the manticore after I had injured it. But the sound of the hunt wasn’t what had attracted them because if it did, they would have been after me as well. This led to only one conclusion: it was the blood. So, I could either let those two search and they might get to the same conclusion, or I could go after them and show them the place where the parasprites ate the manticore. Fluttershy and Rainbow could handle the animals, so I made my way slowly but steadily into the forest.
 
I was careful to take the same path as the others, but in the ever fading light, this wasn’t so easy. And now that I knew what was dwelling in these woods, my fear was starting to become a problem as well. The trees that seemed inviting this morning were replaced by dark shadows and almost seemed to look down at me with grimaces. I stepped it up a notch and walked as quickly through the trees as my sight allowed it. However, that led me to going off the path, and I soon found myself in the middle of nowhere.
 
“Well done…” I said quietly to myself. The next time I got such a brilliant idea, I should slap myself. “Can’t get much worse from here though.” I knew the feeling of regretting what I just said, and it immediately came over me. Yellow glowing eyes stared at me from a few meters away, and quiet growling could be heard. In my head, I went through all the creatures of Equestria I knew, but the solution presented itself to me in the faint moonlight: a timberwolf. “Oh, Waldo wants a bone?” I was scared of large animals, but dogs didn’t count, having two of them myself. A punch on the nose was usually enough to show them who’s in charge. The wolf seemed to be unimpressed and slowly approached me while baring his teeth, which surprisingly weren’t made out of wood like the rest of him. What wouldn’t I give for a lighter right now, but since I had never smoked in my entire life, of course I didn’t have one.
 
I was tired, but I should be strong enough to handle this wolf, and so I began to write the first rune in my mind, causing the paws of the animal to be grabbed by the earth and rooting it in place. I hated it to hurt others; even the manticore was just an accident. I have never started or picked a fight, only reacted. I slowly went towards the wolf and tried to pet him with my hoof, but he just snapped after me. “Then you’ll stay here for a while,” I said calmly to him before going on my way. I didn’t know exactly how long the spell would last, especially since I was tired, but it should be enough to get away. A very distinct music filled the air just as I was out of vision of the wolf. I didn’t know the exact term, but Pinkie Polka seemed fitting. Following the music through the dark, I wondered if they already found the parasprites or used the music to lure them to them, but the answer came with a purple lighting that illuminated the night. Twilight was casting a spell on a single parasprite while Pinkie stood next to her and held them in place with her music.
 
“Alright, Pinkie, that should work.” Pinkie stopped playing, and Twilight eyed the parasprite warily. The little creature flew through the air and looked carefully at its surrounding before taking a large bite out of Twilight’s mane. She caught it immediately in a small purple bubble and held it on the ground before it duplicated. “It’s of no use. It’s like they never have been herbivores,” she groaned. Much to her surprise, the new parasprite ate grass on the ground before duplicating, but then the first one ate one of the two. Twilight turned away in disgust, and in a small flash of light a book appeared out of the thin air. “I don’t know why it isn’t working. I reversed the spell just like it said in the book.” She skimmed through the book, and Pinkie was busy with her little machine, so they didn’t notice that instead of just one carnivorous parasprites, there were three now that had started to nibble at the magical shield. Before the first one could get free, I wrapped her shield in dirt so that it was covered with grass. Twilight shrunk back before she saw me between the trees.
 
“Light, what are you doing here? Shouldn’t you stay back?” she snapped at me.
 
“I’m old enough to know what I’m doing, don’t you think? Also, these things would have been free any second now. Did you not notice how they ate through your shield?” Twilight, as much as she liked to lecture others, didn’t seem to like to be lectured by anyone but Celestia.
 
“And how is your little dirt wall better?” Stubborn as a mule, I thought to myself. No offense to mules.
 
“Because it’s covered with grass which they don’t seem to be eating anymore.” Pinkie held an ear against the shield like she was eavesdropping on them.
 
“Boooring, they aren’t doing anything in there,” she said after a few seconds and started to blow up some balloons. Twilight was overwhelmed by her curiosity as well and followed Pinkie’s example, which led to another conclusion for me.
 
“The grass, it’s herbal, so they don’t touch it! That’s the solution; we just have to lock all the parasprites in such a bubble.” Her eyes were almost glowing as she told me the solution.
 
“You know that my bubble only lasts for a few minutes, right?”
 
“That’s the least of our problems.” She pointed her horn at my bubble of dirt so that I was no longer glowing in my white but purple instead. After a few seconds it glowed no longer. “Done. This should be permanent now.” Credit where credit is due, magic, no matter which kind, was her element. “Let’s get to it then. Pinkie, play like you have never played before!” Pinkie took a deep breath, but just as she was about to start, I held my hoof in front of her mouth, causing the air to escape out of her ears while being accompanied by some streamers.
 
“I have a better idea on how to gather parasprites quickly without having to run through the entire forest.” Both looked at me confusedly, and Pinkie was mumbling something under my hoof that still blocked her mouth. I let go off her, picked up a leaf from the ground, and turned it into metal before cutting my right hoof slightly.
 
“What are you doing!?” Twilight shouted as the blood began dropping to the ground.
 
“Pinkie, prepare to play.” I ignored her for the moment. Pinkie didn’t need to be told twice and took a deep breath again. A humming sounded in the distance and quickly came closer. While Twilight tried to catch a glimpse through the trees of what was approaching us, I hoped that the music would be enough to hypnotize an entire horde of hungry parasprites.  The humming slowly got louder until it sounded more like the engine of a car mixed with the sound of branches cracking and falling on the ground. Twilight let her horn glow and gave us a better view on our surroundings so that we could see now what was heading at us: parasprites. Not just a few or a swarm, it was more like a black cloud spiked with countless little red eyes.
 
“T-Twilight…” I stammered.
 
“Yes?” In her voice, I could hear that she was just as nervous as I was.
 
“How do I make a bubble this size?”
 
“…”
 
“Thought so.” The crème de la crème of panic started to overtake my body. The cloud was still dashing towards us and seemed more threatening every second. I gave Pinkie a sign, and she began to play her melody, causing the parasprites at the top to halt their movements, but the rest just continued their way. The buzzing of their wings drowned out the music, and it was clear that our plan wasn’t working the way we had intended. Twilight was the first to react on our failure and created a magical wall in front of us. The parasprites crashed against it, causing many loud crackles, like a bumblebee hitting a windshield. The cloud began to gather at other side of the wall, and some even began to just fly past it while others started to nibble at it. Pinkie was still playing like there was no tomorrow, but only a few parasprites stopped. It was not enough by any stretch of the imagination. Twilight gave up her first wall and locked ourselves into a sphere which the parasprites immediately crashed against.
 
“Twilight, can you teleport us?” She was busy with maintaining the sphere and filling the holes that the parasprites created.
 
“Not far. I can barely keep this shield up. It’s like they are directly eating the magic,” she groaned. We couldn’t see anything but parasprites. As it were, it was like we were in complete darkness. Pinkie stopped playing and gasped for air, a few drops of sweat running down her forehead. The sphere was getting smaller around us as Twilight struggled with holding it. We had to come up an idea quickly or we would end up being these things’ next meal. A loud bang cracked through the air, then some kind of hissing that got closer to us followed, and before we knew what happened, the parasprites flew back to where they had come from. It was all thanks to a blue force wave that came just in time since Twilight had already collapsed under the pressure. She gasped and groaned and seemed to be close to passing out. Pinkie had already recovered but said nothing, instead looking at whoever had come to help us.
 
Much to my surprise, I saw the two guards that I left behind this morning, followed by a dozen more soldiers, one of them in significantly noticeable armor. He must have been their Captain or something. He nodded at his guards that consisted of multiple unicorns and pegasi, and they immediately made their way into the forest after the parasprites. The leader was a white unicorn, and as he took off his helmet, his dark blue mane which was highlighted by some brighter streaks here and there came into sight. With his helmet in a hoof, he came towards us and eyed the scene before beginning to talk.
 
“Everypony alright?” Twilight, who was still lying on the ground, turned around and seemed to be shocked but caught herself quickly before she flung her arms around the Captain’s neck.
 
“Shining Armor! Thank Celestia you’re here.” He began to stroke her mane.
 
“Everything’s alright, little sis. I’m here now.” He turned his eyes away from her but didn’t stop hugging her.
 
“I take everything is alright with you too, sir?” he addressed me.
 
“Everything’s fine. Thanks for the help.” He nodded at me.
 
“We should go now. My guards will handle this.” I didn’t want to disagree.
 

***

 
Twilight basically clung to her brother the entire way out of the forest as Pinkie danced around both. I walked a bit behind the small group, and only occasionally did Shining Armor throw a look at me to see if I still was there. We got back to Fluttershy’s cottage where she already awaited us. She led our group into the living room where she served some tea.
 
“Since we have time to talk now, maybe you can explain to me, sir, why exactly you ran away from my guards? They were assigned to your personal protection.” He didn’t seem to be angry, just annoyed.
 
“I have nothing against protection, but when those two try to follow me into the bathroom, I’ll take the risk of not having them around me.” He took a sip of his tea and said nothing more about it. “But I have a question as well. How did they know where we were and that we needed help?” I hope the bracer didn’t have GPS or something.
 
“Her Majesty received a letter from Miss Dash about the events in the Everfree Forest and that you, my sister, and Miss Pie had left to end them.” Now that he mentioned it, I noticed that Rainbow was missing.
 
“You don’t have to be so formal. I’m Ti— Blue Light. It’s a pleasure.” Easing the tension after all the exertion seemed like the right thing for me to do. He seemed to appreciate it as well since he started to smile a bit.
 
“The pleasure is mine, Light. I am Shining Armor, Captain of the Royal Guard and, as you might have noticed, also Twilight’s brother.” She had fallen asleep on the couch next to her brother, reminding me that a bed was waiting for me as well. The guards would surely have everything under control now.
 
“I’m sorry, Armor, but I think I will leave now as well. AJ is surely getting worried already about where I’m at, and she knows nothing about the whole thing with the parasprites.” He nodded briefly before he spoke up again.
 
“Then we will see you tomorrow. Her Majesties, Princess Celestia and Luna, wish to speak with you, so I shall escort you to Canterlot.” Since Applejack wouldn’t allow me to work with my injured hoof anyway, I would at least have something to do.
 
“Okay, but where will you and your ponies staying until tomorrow?” I knew AJ would tell me something if I didn’t at least offer them hospitality.

“I will stay in the guest room of the library, and my men will take a room in a hotel. I’m looking forward to see Spike again and how much he has grown since last time.” He seemed like a really good big brother, and since I was one myself, I could make a decision.

“Then give Spike and Dawn my regards if you see them,” I said before placing my cup on the table, which Fluttershy immediately took into the kitchen, and went to the door. It was almost silent for a moment, besides Pinkie Pie’s snoring, in which Fluttershy and I stared at Shining Armor’s dumbfounded face.

“Dawn? Does Twilight have a coltfriend?” He eyed his sister who was sleeping next to him.

“I think she will explain that to you herself. But believe me, it surprised me as well.” His face looked even more puzzled than before as I closed the door behind me and made my way back to the farm. To my dismay, my two favorite guards were already standing in front of the door. This time, they seemed determined to not leave my side for a second.
> Chapter 17 - Living after Midnight
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It had been a week since Celestia had ordered me to Canterlot. My adoption had to be completed, and I had to be introduced to some important ponies in order to be able to live up to my position as a diplomat. But since there was no communication between the two worlds, I would never actually have to do anything, making me feel more like dead weight. The incident with the parasprites had also been talked about again, but this time in form of Shining Armor giving me a lecture about leaving that sort of business to the guards.
 
Twilight and Applejack had each sent me a short letter after that. Twilight had apologized for acting so hastily and for getting me involved in it while AJ had held the fact that I hadn’t told her about going after the parasprites against me. When I came back home that night, I went directly to bed and had left after the breakfast with Shining Armor and his stallions. So there hadn’t really been a time where I could have told her. I would have written her a letter, but writing with hooves is harder than it looks, and I didn’t even want to try with my mouth.
 
Today was the last day in Canterlot, and I had gotten most of my meetings over with. Only two more ponies were left that I had to talk to. For one, there was Prince Blueblood who I was somehow related to now, and my aunt Luna. It was somehow very strange to call the Princess of the Night that, but Celestia had trained me to call her ‘mom’ for the first few days as well. I liked the way she was treating me; it somehow reminded me of my own family, who I hoped to see again at some point to say goodbye. I had slowly drifted into the stage of acceptance by now, as who or what I was could no longer be changed. I would stay a pony and would now belong to this world, not theirs anymore.
 
I bumped into a guard as I walked around the castle, wrapped deeply in my thoughts. “Sorry, I wasn’t paying attention,” I said and reached a hoof to help him on his legs again.
 
“No problem, sir, happens to the best of us,” the pegasus said, and I immediately recognized the voice. Haste, one of the two pegasi who had guarded me at the farm. It was hard to tell the guards apart since their armours were enchanted somehow so that they always looked alike. It was something like a uniform, and there were three of them. Celestia’s guards wore golden armour, their coat white, Luna’s knights wore black harnesses and got a dark blue coat, and then there were the Royal Guards. Something like a special force, they didn’t serve the princesses directly but the public. They enforced the laws that both applied to the public and the princesses.
 
Each of these troops had a Captain, as I had learned, who also had a seat in the courthouse. The courthouse was similar to a court on my world. Aside from Celestia, the three Captains, the mayor of Canterlot, and two randomly selected citizens also acted as judges. In this court, however, only the most severe crimes were heard, and they were so rare that the last case was around ten years ago. Since the laws were directly issued by Celestia or Luna, the Royal Guards were more or less just a formality, and no one had a problem with that since neither Celestia nor Luna had ever abused their powers to harm their subjects.
 
“Thanks, Haste. I have a question. How do you manage not to get lost? I’ve been searching for the dining hall for an hour now.” It was most likely a very good approximation, seeing that I didn’t have a watch.
 
“You just have to walk down this corridor and turn right at the end.” He pointed down the hallway he came from with his lance. I thanked him quickly and went on my way. Luckily, I had been smart enough to leave there very early, so I could still make it in time for breakfast. My assumption was confirmed as I opened the large door and spotted Celestia and Luna as they both sat at a large, lengthy table, eating a salad. Luna had been on a diplomatic travel in Gryfalla for the last few days to negotiate a new trade agreement and had only returned last night.
 
“Good morning, Blue Light. Slept well?” Celestia greeted me shortly after I closed the door again.
 
“Oh, is this our nephew thou have mentioned, Tia?” Luna apparently still had problems with the modern language, but Trent’s spell mitigated most of it.
 
“Yes, let me introduce Blue Light.” Celestia pointed at me, and Luna reached her hoof out to me, obviously waiting for some gesture from me.
 
“Pleased to meet you,” she said and reached her hoof out even further at me, changing nothing about the fact that I had no idea how to respond to the gesture. I did the first thing that came to my mind and met her hoof with my own, leading to a wildly confused Luna. Celestia, who had watched the entire scene, couldn’t hold back a little laugh, but as soon as her sister threw an angry glare at her, she quickly turned back to her salad.
 
“So, Blue Light, would you mind letting us in on this… gesture?” She still examined her hoof while she spoke.
 
“I think Twilight Sparkle has written to me about this gesture once. It is called a brohoof and is either a greeting between friends or used as a signal for good work,” Celestia explained while she nibbled at her salad.
 
“Yes, you could say it’s like that. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Princess Luna,” I said with a light bow. Luna returned the gesture and lowered her head.
 
“Since you two have been introduced, how about you do something together tonight?” I thought Luna had the same thought I had, and we both looked confusedly at Celestia.
 
“But Tia, he is your son. Why should we spend the evening with him?” Celestia reached over the table and placed a hoof on Luna’s shoulder.
 
“He belongs to our family now, Luna. You are his aunt, and I want you two to get along well. And you would do well spending an evening with a young spirit.” She killed two birds with one rock, and I couldn’t blame her since I probably would have done the same. I sat next to them at the table and waited for one of the cooks to take my order. On my first day here, I had gone into the kitchen and made myself something to eat, but as soon as the head chef had seen me, I had been thrown out of his little kingdom before I could even blink. He didn’t care who or what I was - it was his kitchen.
 
After the week in the palace, I could finally stand next to Celestia since my body had adapted to this world’s magic. I came from a world without magic, so my soul was under constant pressure, but Celestia was like an anvil that you had to carry. That was why I had almost collapsed at our first meeting.
 
“If you insist, sister, we will take care of him today even though we do not know what we shall do with him.” Celestia looked satisfied that she had successfully persuaded her sister.
 
“Why don’t you show Light the city and give him an understanding of our history? I’m sure you will find something to talk about.” And Luna would socialize as well, I thought. It was more that I had to keep busy, not vice versa.
 
“So shall it be. We wish to meet you at the gates at twenty o’clock, Blue Light.” With these words, Luna stood up from the table and left me alone with Celestia in the large room. I scooted over a bit so that I sat directly opposed to her and waited for the cook to take my order.
 
“Pardon my sister, sometimes she is a bit… like that,” Celestia said with a smile.
 
“No problem, Princess. I think we will make good use of the time.” She threw this look at me that somehow every parent knew. It told you that you had done something wrong even though you knew better. “I mean Tia.” I had agreed to call her that since ‘mom’ was still a bit too strange for me. The cook came from the kitchen next door and coughed slightly to signal that he was ready to take my order. “I’ll have a sandwich - surprise me with the toppings - and some hay fries.” The cream-colored stallion nodded shortly and disappeared with his chef’s hat in the kitchen again. I had tried something differently every day and was pleasantly surprised by hay since it tasted a bit like rice, just that it was as long as a noodle. It was already crispy, but it was even better fried.
 
“Before I forget it, Light.” Celestia’s horn glowed, and a piece of parchment appeared together with a small purse. “Here is your payment for your work for the last week.” I quickly skimmed over the parchment which basically was just a list of all the formalities I had done. At the bottom, my signature was required and next to it stood the proud sum of five thousand bits. I had used the library to educate myself more about their currency system. Simple goods like apples or other foods usually cost around five to ten bits, depending on the quality. Goods like furniture and such were available from twenty bits onwards where the upper limit was not set. Houses and apartments could be rented from around a hundred bits per week and be bought from two thousand onwards. The maintenance cost was relatively low. Aside from a water provision, there was only a low real estate tax to maintain the streets and bridges.
 
“That’s a small fortune!” I was left speechless by the sum. “I can’t take this. I just stuffed myself in the evenings and talked with a few ponies. Read a document here and there, but that’s about it.” I always had trouble taking money if I felt like I didn’t deserve it. During my apprenticeship as a computer scientist, I used to repair computers of acquaintances, which often only were a few minor things or some parts that had to be replaced. Most of them gave me a tenner or even more despite it being just almost no work. It didn’t seem appropriate.
 
“This is the minimum wage for employees of the crown,” Celestia said briefly. In my head, I roughly calculated how much Applejack made during one day on the market and came to the result that she earned about twice as much in a year than I did in a week. I came to realize how unappreciative the hard work on the farm actually was and why the cider season was so important. Every bit was important for the farm, and she had even paid me. I signed the document, which confirmed that I had received the money, like I did with every other one as well: with a hoofprint. It was an old method but was still officially valid. It would have to be enough until I mastered the art of writing. I could now understand why the writing in the series always looked so strange. Calligraphy was the last thing you cared about while writing with your mouth, and so everything that was mouth-written looked like it came from a doctor. That raised the question as to how horrible the calligraphy of doctors here was.
 
“You thought about the series again.” Celestia knew about everything since she had been my in my head, just like now.
 
“Could you leave my head alone? I’d like to keep my thoughts to myself.” I often had awry trains of thought and lost myself in little daydreams that were not necessarily suited for all ages, but that was what the nature of a man brought with it. Celestia laughed.
 
“Of a man…” It took a while for her to calm down again. “But there is one question I have to ask you as a worried mother. Do you wish to tell the Elements about the series in your world?” She had asked me a few days ago already, but I had just remained silent.
 
“Sooner or later, I have to. Yes, I know that it’s going to be harder the longer I wait.” She just nodded and emptied her plate. The cook came back and placed a plate in front of me. “One sandwich á la rainbow and hay fries as you wished,” he said in a Prench accent and trotted away again. I eyed the sandwich and somehow got the thought of searching it for cupcakes. Various flowers on it made it actually look like a rainbow on bread. Here goes nothing, I thought to myself and took a large bite. I chewed a bit on the flowers and couldn’t make out a distinct taste, but it was good.
 

***

 
It was midday already as I made my way from my room to the castle gardens, the little pavilion that stood in the garden to be more precise. It wasn’t far off the small labyrinth where a certain statue stood and, hopefully, held its everlasting slumber. A few guards stood at the small way, wearing armour I hadn’t seen before. Unlike the guards from the castle, these four didn’t look alike one bit. Their armour was made out of a plain, silvery, shining metal and had something that resembled a compass engraved. They watched me carefully as I slowly walked up the stairs of the pavilion and sat down by the large white unicorn with a blond mane. His cutie mark was exactly the same as the symbol on the armour, just that one part was gold and the other was silver. Blueblood took a sip of his tea before even looking at me.
 
“So, here we have the newest member of our family. I am Blueblood, fourth in the line of succession and nephew of her royal Highness, Princess Celestia.” Rarity sounded like a snob from time to time, but this guy took the cake. I knew that he was spoiled, but I would have never thought that one sentence would be enough to despise a person. He thought that he was something better and didn’t hesitate a second to rub that in everyone’s face.
 
“A pleasure to meet you. I am Blue Light, diplomat and son of said princess.” I tried to keep the formal voice and not sound snarky. For me, everypony had the same worth. I didn’t care about their rank or status.
 
“The pleasure is mine.” He sipped again from his cup that was floating in front of him, not in his magic but from a maid that stood behind in a bent posture. I was quite a lazy person who only worked if I really had to myself, but this was the second record this guy set today. “I have asked you here to talk about a few important things.” Another maid with a tray on her back stepped next to me and placed a cup of the same tea that Blueblood drank in front of me. “But first I would like you to explain to me the circumstances of your… adoption. I do not see what dignifies you for such a, well, dignity.” What a charmer, knowing exactly how to talk to others. He was the last one I would want to tell my story.
 
“Well, I came from another world as you probably already know.” He nodded. “And to keep peaceful relations with this world for the future, the princess has decided to take that step.” His cup was placed down on the table again.
 
“I see… a smart move; nothing else is to be expected by her Highness. Of course, I would not have handled it differently.” Of course not. “But let us come back to my small request. I want you to resign from your title as a prince.” He kept a straight face like it was the most normal thing in the world. “You have to know that I have acquired a certain reputation as a prince, and I would like to keep that.” Until now, I had no interest in this title as it was more of a formal thing, but putting a spoke in this snob’s wheel was its first positive aspect. “If the common ponies speak of a prince then usually my person is meant, and we would not like to confuse the ponies, do we?” I did my best to keep my anger in me and focus my thoughts on angering him a bit more.
 
“Your reputation can’t be that flawless if it risks to be confused by a nobody like me, right?” At those words, he choked on his tea and looked at me with shocked eyes. It must have been a while that someone had countered him, and to my surprise, the maid behind him couldn’t keep her laughter in. Unfortunately, he seemed to have noticed that, and his horn glowed in a deep blue before I saw the poor thing going to the ground.
 
“How dare you, you unworthy thing. Have you forgotten who I am?” He didn’t even turn around when he slapped her, his eyes turning back to me again. “Good personnel can be so hard to find.” The poor maid got back on her legs and began to levitate the cup of tea in her magic again.
 
“Pardon me, sir, it won’t happen again.” Her voice sounded so young; she must have been a year or two younger than Pinkie. Just old enough to no longer count as a filly.
 
“I will make sure of that later,” he snapped at her. “I am sure we will come to an agreement, Light. We are both civilized unicorns.” Money was the last thing I wanted from him.
 
“I think civilized is something else, Blueblood. Maybe you should look that up in a dictionary.” He whistled, and his guards slowly gathered at the steps to the pavilion and blocked the exit. He pulled out a piece of paper and pushed it on the table.
 
“Everything you have to do is sign here, and we forget the whole thing. What do you say?” I took the paper in my mouth and chewed a bit on it before swallowing.
 
“A bit tart with a slight hint of… never ever.” He seemed to have lost his patience and waved his guards over. The largest of them was an earth pony with a black coat and dark mane. His cutie mark was covered by the armor, just like the others, and at the according place was Blueblood’s. He lunged out and struck me directly in the face. I coughed a bit of blood but still smiled at Blueblood. “You know, somehow I had hoped you would try something like this.” My horn glowed, and in the next moment, the armor of my attacker was no longer made out of light metal but out of massive platinum, pulling him to the ground immediately. Unable to move, he kicked around with all fours, making him look like a baby that couldn’t even crawl. One of his colleagues thought it might be a good idea to follow his example and unfolded his wings to attack me from above. Just as he was about to rise from the ground, he noticed that his hooves were held to the ground since I had changed the ground around him to clamp his hooves. The last two were unicorns and now started to cast spells as well. A bolt flew past me by just a few centimeters and struck one of the wooden beams of the small pavilion. His partner had somehow changed the air pressure or something of the sort, making it much harder for me to be able to stand on my legs.
 
“Hey, idiot! How much air do you think your friend is getting up here with the additional gravity on his new armor?” In fact, I could see him struggling to breathe, and since I used to have asthma, I knew how it felt not getting enough air. I didn’t know which of the two had casted the spell, but my speech was successful, and the additional pressure disappeared again. The horns of the two glowed again in front of me, but they didn’t get to finish their spells as they both landed with their faces on the ground. I had grounded their armour with roots which had had spread through the ground, pulling the two with them. The smile which had been etched on Blueblood’s face until now had disappeared, and he quickly jumped off his chair to take cover behind the young maid. He pushed her in my direction.
 
“Do something! What am I paying you for?” Now I had enough with this guy. The maid was shaking and made no signs to attack me, so I ignored her and stepped towards Blueblood.
 
“You know that I can’t harm you. That would only cause a scandal that you would present to the public.” His grin returned. Apparently, that idea hadn’t come to him until now. “But luckily, I don’t need to harm you to teach you a lesson. In the silent corner you go.” I gathered all the magic I could generate, which wasn’t much at this point, and a pillar shot out of the ground below him, carrying him ten meters into the sky. He screamed like a little girl as he noticed the position he was in. “You have three choices. You either jump, which I would love to see, but I don’t think you are really that stupid. Choice number two is to wait until the spell that holds your pegasus friend to the ground wears off so he can carry you down, or you wait until the pillar disappears. But I guarantee that takes twice as long as you think.” He thought for a moment.
 
“Go on, Silver Tray! Do something, you stupid thing, or you are fired!” he shouted at the still shaking maid behind me. I slowly went over to her and put a hoof around her shoulder.
 
“If you want, I have a job for you. Don’t worry about him.” At least I hoped so. I never had a maid before.
 
“R-Really?” she asked with a little sob.
 
“We’ll find something,” I answered and gave her a smile. I took her aside and left the pavilion with her. I led her around the castle to a small terrace with a few tables normally used for receptions in the garden, but it was empty today. We both took a seat, and I gave the worried Silver Tray another smile.
 
“How old are you by the way? You seem so young.” She was still sobbing a bit but seemed to calm down now.
 
“Fifteen,” she said quietly. So she was just old enough to live alone. I knew that most ponies didn’t leave their homes until they were sixteen or seventeen.
 
“May I ask why you are working here? Shouldn’t you be in school or something like that?” I felt a bit of pity for her. This was surely her first job, and she had to work for such a jerk.
 
“I go to Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns here in Canterlot, but my parents can’t afford the school fee. That’s why I have to work besides school.” Now I had a good idea what she could do for me.
 
“Well, I don’t really have any use for a maid, but I could use some kind of assistant. Somepony who is available here in Canterlot and can look things up in the library for me. You would just have to send me the information to Ponyville by mail. Do you think you can do that? Of course, you may use the library for your schoolwork as well.” She nodded quickly, a smile slowly appearing on her face. “Then there’s only the issue of payment left… how much is the school fee per year?” She calculated in her head.
 
“With all the books and materials, a bit over five-hundred bits.” I nodded.
 
“How about an apartment? Or are you still living with your parents?” I needed a rough idea how much I could pay her.
 
“I’m living with my parents at the edge of the town.” I nodded again.
 
“How much did Blueblood pay you?” I knew that it wasn’t enough, no matter how much it had been.
 
“One hundred bits per month.” So she worked five months just to go to school? Exploitation was an understatement, but now I had found my first worthy purpose for my wealth.
 
“Since your new job is kind of a raise, I will cover your school fees and… let’s say one hundred and fifty per month?” She threw her hooves around my neck.
 
“Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you…” she said for almost a minute before letting go of me. “I mean, thank you, your Highness.”
 
“Your Highness would be my mother.” It was still strange to say that. “For you, I am Blue Light or just Light. If you want to, you can even call me Tio.” Almost no one did that anymore.
 
“Tio? What kind of name is that?” Somehow, it was still strange for many here.
 
“Never mind. I’ll set everything in motion, Silver Tray. Just check every day after school if you have an assignment from me, and if not, you can go home or hang out with some friends. We’ll leave it for today.” I was exhausted already, and I still had to find out who I had to fuck here to get this payment thing done. Somehow, I just hoped that an old stallion would not suddenly appear behind me and say, ‘Me, sir’.
 
“Thanks, Light, I won’t disappoint you.” With that, she stood up from the table and went on her way with a smile on her face. As she was reached further away and thought I wouldn’t hear her anymore, she burst out in a small cheer. I would now need a nap and somepony to explain me how this whole thing with employees worked here. I would have gone back and asked Blueblood, but I somehow doubted that he would answer me.
 

***

 
Haste, the only guard in the castle I knew by name, had explained to me about what I had to do about Silver Tray, and so I spent my entire afternoon filling out the necessary forms. Everything had to be done three times. One for the archives in the castle so that she got access to all the required places, one for the mayor’s office in Canterlot so that the payment would be taken care of, and then the school for the fees. Luckily, most of it was just setting a mark here or there so that I could do it on my own and signed with my hoofprint as usual. I had to write her name down sometimes as well, which looked like it was written by a first grader, but I didn’t care; I was too proud of my achievement of being able to write with my mouth. Levitating objects was still too hard for me, and Celestia said that was because my spirit wasn’t open for that. Or simply put, I could only do what I thought was possible, and flying objects apparently didn’t fall under that category.
 
The only change that came was the guards who occasionally knocked at the door. They had heard of my confrontation with Blueblood and were curious to know how I had beaten his four guards. My answer was the same every time: they must have behaved stupidly, and I had more luck than judgment. I wasn’t a trained fighter, and I couldn’t explain how I did it to myself either. After a kitchen help brought me a snack from the kitchen, I took a bath to be presentable for Luna tonight. Canterlot was already busy at daytime, but it turned really going crazy at night. I could hear music of every kind each night coming from the whole city, ponies wandering around to search for the best party everywhere. That today was Saturday and nopony had to work tomorrow due to the spring festival would surely not diminish their mood.
 
At twenty o’clock, I stood in front of the gate at the main entrance to the castle. A chariot, pulled by various pegasi, was already waiting for me. Only Luna was missing. I was eager to find out what she had planned for the evening. There were a few clubs I would have liked to go to, but a tour through the town would be enough as well. Tomorrow was the spring festival, and AJ and I would surely party a lot if it was that kind of festival. A flash of light exploded in front of me, and in the next moment, Luna stood in front of me.
 
“We wish you a good evening, Blue Light. Art thou ready for our evening?” She still spoke in that archaic tone.
 
“Certainly, Luna. I wouldn’t be here otherwise, would I?” Humour eased many situations.
 
“We demand thou address us with our title as is right and proper,” she said and stomped on the ground with a hoof.
 
“Certainly, Princess Luna.” She nodded with satisfaction and entered the chariot. I followed her, and the pegasi immediately took off to wherever we were going.
 
“May I ask what our destination is, your Highness?” I laid extra emphasis on the last word, so much so that it almost sounded ridiculous, but she either ignored it or didn’t notice.
 
“We have taken the liberty to book two tickets for the opera of Canterlot. As our sister has proposed, we will participate in a cultural exchange.” I was sure that Celestia had meant something different, more like a nightclub.
 
“May I ask which play we are going to watch?” I was sure that I didn’t know any of the plays, but a bit of information about the content couldn’t go wrong either.
 
“As chance would have it, ‘A Thousand and One Night’ is being shown at the moment. A wonderful play if we may say. We hope that the quality hasn’t decreased in a thousand years.” Of course, what other play could it have been if Luna got the choice. The rest of the ride she spent explaining to me what it was about, but I had a rough idea already. It was about a young prince who had taken a different princess every night, only for them to never be seen again. One day he had taken a princess who began to tell him a story, and it was so intriguing that the prince didn’t dare to harm her as he wanted to hear how the story ended.
 
“May we ask thou, Blue Light, have thou ever been to an opera? “ I had been to a musical a couple of times, like Starlight Express or The Lion King, but not an opera. I imagined it somehow the same, just a bit more sophisticated.
 
“It is over when the fat mare sings, right?” She just threw a baffled look at me.
 
“Come again?” Not the slightest sign of a smile.
 
“Just a phrase among my people, Princess.” The chariot touched ground, and we came to a halt. During the conversation, I had completely forgotten to look out of the window. Canterlot at night and from the sky would have to wait until after the opera. One of the pegasi freed himself from his harness and opened the door of the chariot, allowing me to see the opera house. It was a large building with a statue of two ponies in front of it. One wore a happy mask, the other a sad one. I got out first and held, as a gentleman should do, my hoof out for Luna. Not like she couldn’t take the step herself; she was a good head taller than me. Suddenly, a storm of camera flashes fell over us, and for the first time, I noticed that we had stopped on a separate spot with a red carpet rolled out over it. At the barriers stood various photographers and ponies with notebooks who were scribbling hastily. Countless questions were thrown at us, but I couldn’t understand a single one.
 
 I walked slowly with Luna at my side over the carpet, the mob of reporters on our heels. Luna paid them no attention at any time and basically had her head in the clouds. I, for my part, smiled to the right and left from time to time to make a good impression. For me, this was all new, but such a crowd was very pleasant for my ego. We walked through the entrance into some kind of lobby where a few tables with snacks on them stood together with some drinks. Luna immediately got surround by various ponies in fine suits. Without any clothes, I felt a bit out of place. I decided to let Luna do her thing and went to get us a glass of wine from one of the tables.
 
“Excuse me, sir, but you are Prince Blue Light, aren’t you?” An elderly mare in a fine black dress stepped towards me. In her hoof, she held some kind of binoculars on a lengthy stick.
 
“At your service. What can I do for you, Madam?” A wide grin appeared on her face as she pulled a younger mare resembled her almost out of thin air. Her coat was orange as well, and her mane was green like her mother’s. Her dress was a light purple, emphasizing that she was a lot younger.
 
“May I introduce you to my daughter, Orange Slice?” I knew what was going on here. She was trying to hook her daughter up with somepony, and why not with the new prince while she was at it?
 
“It’s a pleasure, but I already have company tonight. I am expected elsewhere.” I saw that I could quickly get away, so I got said wine and walked back to Luna. She was still talking to multiple nobleponies and took the wine without stopping for a moment. The conversation went from composers to various virtuosi of certain instruments to the construction of a new opera building in Manehatten and Cloudsdale until a bell signalized the start of the play. Luna and I bade goodbye to our company, even though I barely said a word, and made our way to our private box. It was high above the seats of the other ponies and seemed like the seat for a princess, with the seats being especially well-cushioned and showing a different pattern than the other ones.
 
Exhausted as I was from the day, I let myself fall into the comfortable chair and eagerly waited for the play to start. Luna seemed to actually be happy as I saw her smiling while she watched at the stage. I had realized by now that music was kind of her thing, just like classical being her first choice. The mumbling of the last conversation that rippled through the crowd went silent, and the light dimmed slowly until it seemed like the room was adorned with stars, appropriate for the play. The curtain was drawn and a scene that looked like an Arabian palace appeared. Instead of a throne, there were cushions everywhere, and the stallion, dressed as a prince with a turban, was lying between them, surrounded by mares that fanned him. A song began, and somehow I went deaf. I don’t know what it was, but I didn’t really like that kind of music or the voice of the actor. Usually I listened to all kinds of music, even though I don’t like all of them, but this was just unpleasant. I quickly began to distract myself by looking at the reactions of the audience below me. All were more or less looking at the stage and seemed to be caught by the play, so there was nothing to be seen there either. I began counting the lights at the wall and the ceiling and noticed my eyes slowly getting heavier.
 


***



Applause was what ripped me out of my slumber. Luna sat next to me and wildly clopped her hooves together while the actors soaked in the adulation. After a few bows and a brief speech by the director and the main actors, the crowd below us began to rise from their seats. Luna instead sat down again and angrily glared at me.
 
“We hope to not have disturbed your sleep,” she noted snarkily, clearly angry.
 
“It’s not like that, Luna… umm Princess Luna. I had a tough day and barely got time to—” She raised her hoof and motioned me to be silent.
 
“We do not want to hear thy excuses. If a visit to the opera is not to thy liking, thou should have told us.”
 
“It is not the opera,” I tried to calm her. “There was just an incident at midday today and that—”
 
“ENOUGH!” Her voice sounded through the hall with the power of the royal Canterlot voice. I was glad that the audience was gone by now so that only the remaining actors on the stage looked at us. She rose from her chair and slowly trotted back down the stair into the atrium. Many ponies were gathered there again and discussed what they had just seen, but Luna made no signs of staying here now. We went outside quickly, back over the red carpet, and entered the chariot that pulled up in front of us as the pegasi had seen us leaving the building. Luna opened the door with her magic before one of the pegasi had the chance to get near us and jumped inside. One pegasi threw a questioning look at me, but I ignored him and got inside as well. The chariot began to move, and I knew we were back on our way to the castle. I didn’t even need to ask.
 
“Listen, Princess. I am sorry.” She said nothing but at least looked at me again. “I know that it was inappropriate to catch up with my sleep during my time with you. I had promised to keep you company, and I have broken that promise.”
 
“We are happy to hear that thou are aware of your act,” she said and looked out of the window. “We will accept thy apology.”
 
“Did I miss much?” She just sighed.
 
“To our dismay, the quality has suffered over time. I should not even blame thou. Thou were not the only one.”
 
“What do you mean?” Was the play that bad? Why did everypony applaud then?
 
“After the first half an hour, half the room was in a deep sleep. We above all had noticed it as Princess of the Night.” I had to resist imagining the looks of the actors when looking at a sleeping audience. Apparently, they had been professional enough to finish the play anyway.
 
“May I ask you something, Princess? Do you play an instrument?” She thought for a moment and slammed her hooves together a few times, signalling that she was counting.
 
“We play eight to perfection and are learning two more. Why are thee asking?” Since my phone was out of battery, I had to play myself if I wanted to show her music from Earth.
 
“I can play the guitar a bit and would like to introduce you to Earth’s music during my next visit to Canterlot.” Luna’s mood seemed to have suddenly improved.
 
“Thou play such a difficult instrument?” She seemed to be eager to know more.
 
“I learned it when I was still human, but I practiced a bit since my arrival here. It is still a bit strange, but I think it should pass muster.”
 
“Most ponies need half their lifetime to master this instrument unless it is their special talent. Magic helps, but it is not sensitive enough for the harder pieces.” Luna seemed to be in her element.
 
“Then it is settled. The next time I come to Canterlot, I will bring you some music from Earth and will play it to you. If you want to, I can teach you a song or two too, Princess.” She was excited like a little foal, and maybe she still was that by alicorn standards.
 
“Please, we wish that thou call us Luna from now on. A friend of music is also a friend of us.” Somehow, I was happy to have gotten to her, especially since she seemed to love music even more than I do. The rest of the ride I spent trying to explain her all the different kinds of music on Earth and which instruments were used. When I explained to her that music could be made without them and on computers instead, she seemed to be keener on finding out more than she already was. A little later, we stepped out of the chariot which then disappeared into the darkness again. Luna and I bade each other good night, and I slowly began the search for my room. I slowly had gotten a feeling on where I had to go, and so I hoped to reach my bed soon. In one of the corridors, Celestia approached me and waved me over to her.
 
“I just met Luna, and it seems like the evening went well.” She held a hoof in front of her muzzle and yawned.
 
“It seems like when it comes to music, we are on the same page.” Celestia just nodded.
 
“I had been worried, but now I see that everything went fine. I will go to bed now too. Sleep well, Light.” In about five hours, the sun would be going up, and she had stayed up so long because she was worried? Somehow it was heartwarming, but I was too tired to further think about it, and so I staggered onwards through the corridor until I finally opened the door to my room and threw myself on my bed.
> Chapter 18 - Into the Night
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I was basically thrown out of my bed the next morning.
 
Wake up! The voice resounded through my head just as the sun appeared through the window in my room. Startled, I jumped up and struck my head against the nightstand. I could hear Celestia’s laughter for a while as I held my head. However, I didn’t have much time to care about the bump, for the chariot that would bring me back to Ponyville would be awaiting me in half an hour. I quickly went into the bathroom and packed all the things I had brought with me back into my saddlebag. The large canopy bed I had made and the books from the nightstand were stored, and the suits that I had received over the week were neatly folded.
 
The books were about customs and traditions from Equestria, and much to my surprise, many more of the festivals were similar to ours than I had initially thought. The spring festival was celebrated to end the seedtime since it was a huge chunk of work. So it was basically a festival for the farmers, but in towns like Ponyville, it became a general celebration. Usually the ponies wore fine clothes, a large table was filled with all kinds of treats, and then there was the dance. I had no clue about dancing. I couldn’t even do it as a human, and the few times I had tried it, it had looked more like I had attempted to do a rain dance. It was also tradition that the farmers choose their plus one, and I wanted to go back early because I hoped that AJ would invite me. The festival opened officially at sundown, and that was less than twelve hours away.

As I tidied up my little desk, I found the contracts for Silver Tray and set them on the desk for her. She would only have to sign them now and give them to the authorities. Still tired, I made my way into the hangar where the chariots were parked. I still had to ask a couple of guards for the way since this castle was really gigantic. I was only around on three floors, but I knew that there were at least eight, without counting the cellar. The towers, in which the two princesses lived, were a whole other story as they reached high over the rest of the castle. As I opened the large door to the hangars, a group of pegasi immediately flew over to me and saluted.
 
“Sir, what can we do for you?” the commander, identified by a small emblem on his armour, asked.
 
“I need a quick flight to Sweet Apple Acres, Ponyville.” The commander nodded rapidly, and three of his men began to ready a chariot and mount themselves to the cart. I entered, and my thoughts immediately drifted away. I found it strange that all was running relatively smoothly. Well, there was still the thing with the series that I had to talk about at some point, but that could wait until after the festival. What really worried me now was my relationship with AJ. I mean, two weeks ago I was still a human, and now I was a colourful pony that had feelings for another. But if I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life alone, I would have to accept that. And I knew that if I couldn’t handle that, I would have to take the matter into my own hooves for the rest of my life. Even if it wouldn’t be with AJ, I dreamed of having a family at some point. Maybe it was because my grandma raised me after the old values, or my own family never really was perfect. That it was too early to think about something like that was clear, but those were the kind of questions that you asked yourself if you had no plan on what to do next.
 
“We will reach Ponyville shortly. Where shall we land, sir?” I heard the voice of the commander against the wind.

“The road in front of the farm is fine.” I received no response. Instead, the chariot leaned into a turn, and I felt it slowly going down. As we touched the ground, I felt the difference to the paved roads of Canterlot immediately. I got jarred at first before being pushed against the front wall of the chariot. Slowly, I stepped out of it and was happy to feel solid ground under my hooves again. Despite my vertigo, I generally had no problem with flying since I couldn’t see the abyss below me. The pegasi in front of the chariot saluted again before making their way back towards Canterlot. Dreamily, I looked after them for a while before reality caught up to me.
 
“Hey, Light, you’re back again!” Apple Bloom bounced around me and almost lost her saddlebag in the progress, which didn’t seem to be tightened correctly.
 
“Morning, Apple Bloom. Where are you going so early?” She grabbed a few apples out of her bag.
 
“My brother’s been in town for hours now helping with the last of the preparations. He didn’t even have breakfast yet.” She put the apples back into the bag and walked past me. “Mah sister’s still in the house,” she said before running off with a giggle. I didn’t need to be told twice. The door wasn’t locked, and I could see Applejack clearing the kitchen table.
 
“Howdy, sugarcube. Are ya gonna stand there or help me?” AJ said without even looking at the door. I put my saddlebag off and took a few plates from the table onto my back. Just as they had all disappeared in the sink, AJ hit me with her hoof, with full power, against my shoulder.

“Ouch! What was that for?” She hit me again.
 
“The first one was for the thing with the parasprites; the second because ya had to ask.” She took a step closer and put a hoof around me. “And that’s for being back again.”
 
“I’m glad to be back. The castle is simply too big.” She turned back to the dishes. We talked for a while about what had happened during the week. I told her about the receptions and the ponies that I had met. In turn, AJ told me how there would not be that much work to be done on the farm since the seedtime was over, and a more peaceful time was ahead now.
 
“Oh, ah almost forgot. A part of the family’s comin’ to town for the fest. One more thing: would ya like to go there with me?” I grinned from ear to ear for two reasons. First being, of course, that she asked me; the other was how she did it. Just casually like that, without making a big deal out of it.
 
“With pleasure.” We finished the dishes, and I brought my bag upstairs. I unpacked my things while thinking, with a sly grin on my face, about just how different it was to be asked out on a date. One of the advantages in a population with a gender ratio of ten to one. A visit to Rarity to get some appropriate clothing seemed to be in order.
 
“AJ, is there any work today?” I asked as I came back downstairs.

“Not today. It’s spring festival, sugarcube.” She was lying on the sofa, probably to take a little rest.
 
“I’m going into town. Do you need anything?” She thought for a moment.
 
“Ya could bring some nails from the market. Celestia knows we’ll need them.” I just nodded to myself on the way.
 

***

 
In addition to the garlands, the town was now decorated with flowers and banners, with a small plant on them, that were blowing in the wind. A pleasant scent filled the air, and I could see that I wasn’t the only one who had to resist the urge to nibble at the decorations. A long line was waiting in front of Sugarcube Corner; ponies were probably all excited by the scents as the cafes were filled too. Some ponies greeted me on occasion, but most were busy with other things. Carousel Boutique wasn’t to be recognized. Rarity had wrapped the entire building in green velvet that was literally spreading spring into all directions, with rubies spiking out of it here and there like rose leaves.
 
“Wow, that’s something different,” I said, impressed.
 
“Thanks, darling; it has been a lot of work.” Rarity came out from behind the building and still held a few rubies in her magical grip. She carefully placed them at the entrance and looked over her work. “I have to say, I have outdone myself again.” She turned towards me. “How can I help you, my dear?”
 
“I wanted to ask if you have time to make something for me for tonight. I haven’t had the time to find something fitting.” The suits that Celestia gave me were a bit too uptight for this. They were two black suits, one with the seal of the sun, the other one with the moon.
 
“Too busy sleeping in the opera, I presume?” she noted with a slight grin. She opened the door to the boutique and let me enter.
 
“What do you mean, Rarity?” She floated a magazine, Fashion Mare, in front of my face and opened it on the first page. A picture of me peacefully sleeping on my chair in the opera with an angrily glaring Luna next to me was to be seen.
 
“Oh, that. I was a bit exhausted. I had a little encounter with Blueblood before that.” Rarity, eager to hear any kind of gossip, immediately perked her ears, and I had to tell her everything that had happened. As I got to the point with the pillars, she couldn’t hold back a gleeful ‘ha’. During the entire conversation, a measuring tape flew around me.
 
“What wouldn’t I have given to have seen his face, darling. But the story itself brightened my day.” She set the measuring tapes aside and wrote down some numbers.
 
“Tell me, Rarity, are my sizes normal for a pony?” I had never asked myself if I was good-looking or anything like that, but with a new body came new standards.
 
“I beg your pardon? Oh, right, I forgot that this is all new for you. I have to say that you are not an unpleasant sight, but not my type. But I can understand what Applejack likes in you.” I turned a bit red, or at least I felt my face heating up.
 
“Umm… thanks, Rarity.” She just nodded and put her clipboard aside.
 
“So, do you have any wishes?” I thought about it for a moment. Blue was my favourite colour, but my coat was already blue.
 
“Honestly, I have no clue about fashion. I don’t even know what should be worn for this fest.” She rolled her eyes and held up a piece of paper. She drew something on it, and about two minutes later, she held a sketch in front of my nose. A thin vest in bright brown was shown.
 
“I think that might suit you, darling. But I am no expert when it comes to stallions.” She held the sketch in front of me a few times like she was trying to imagine me in her design. My eyes trailed off and landed on a small patch of rainbow-coloured hair that could be seen behind the window. Rainbow Dash was still onto me, I remembered.
 
“I trust you, Rarity, I know your work, and you are the expert,” I assured her.
 
“Oh, which pieces?” I thought for a moment.
 
“The dresses you designed for your friends for the gala, for example.” She seemed surprised.
 
“Oh, may I ask where you have seen them? I mean, that was a while ago.”
 
“On a picture,” I quickly lied. Again, she just nodded.
 
“I will need around two hours; feel free to wait here.”
 
“No thanks, Rarity, I’ll be out on a walk.”
 
“As you wish, darling.” With those words, she disappeared upstairs into the sewing room, or so I assumed. I left the boutique and wandered through the streets a bit. My thoughts were trailing off into the same direction as this morning at the farm. I would probably spend the rest of my life here, and I had barely given a thought on how it would work. Before all this, I just wanted to get my degree at uni, a good job, and start a family. Well, that was still possible here, but I never went to school here, not to mention that I had no qualifications for jobs. I had my money from my services as a diplomat, but I only wanted to use that in an emergency. As I child, I had always placed the money from my biological father directly into my bank again, turning into a spoiled little brat. My best friend had opened my eyes then and brought me back to my senses. Money changed people, and the same thing surely counted for ponies. However, I wouldn’t come to a solution alone, so I thought of who I could ask for advice. Twilight was the first who came to my mind. She knew just about everything, or at least could quickly look it up.
 
Finding the library was one of my easiest exercises by now, but it was also very hard to overlook. I knocked briefly, and the door opened so quickly that I took a jump back.
 
“Oh, hello, Light, it’s just you,” Dawn greeted me. It was still unusual for me to know that Twilight had a child and a pegasus at that. I really had to talk about it with her at some point.
 
“Hi, Dawn, is your mother home? I would like to speak with her about something.” He nodded and opened the door completely so I could enter.
 
“She’s down in the basement; something about an experiment. Just go downstairs, but keep your head down,” he said and disappeared into the kitchen. From downstairs, I could already hear things flying around, and I carefully took one step after another down the stairs. Twilight let a few gems levitate around in her aura and repeatedly glanced over to a large book that was lying on a long table. The table was filled with various notes and other books. Some of them had ink spilled over them.
 
“Hey, Twilight, what are you doing there?” She looked up from the book at me, but said nothing. The stones flew together and formed a circle that was rotating in an insane speed and began to glow. It turned brighter and brighter, but Twilight suddenly screamed.
 
“Take cover!” She jumped under the table and held her hooves over her head. I jumped off the stairs and followed her example, and just a moment later, I heard something like glass shattering behind me and a loud hissing. Twilight waited for a couple more seconds until she left her cover and I followed her. “Damn, something is wrong with that spell.” She went back to her book and flipped through it. The glowing ring of gemstones had been torn into pieces, and the shards had ripped holes into the wall and some books.
 
“What are you doing there, Twilight?”
 
Twilight began to explain her little experiment to me, but after a few minutes had to cut her off, having understood none of the words she said. I felt like a primary-school pupil that was being taught the String theory. We talked about magic for a while longer. She gave me some more tips on how to levitate object more easily and some other little suggestions. After around an hour, I finally found the right opportunity to talk about what I actually came for.
 
“I’ve been thinking all day long now about what I should do. Until now, I was just living for the day, without really knowing what comes next. In my world, I was about to finish school and get a job, maybe starting a family at some point.” She looked at me with her large violet eyes.
 
“Then you are really mature for your age. I believe most ponies don’t think about something like that for like five or six more years,” she summarized her thoughts.
 
“I’m twenty-three, around a quarter of my lifetime as a human.” Immediately, she took some notes.
 
“I’m twenty now and in the middle of my training. I’m far away from knowing everything there is to know, and with a new world I could learn from…” She trailed off a bit and continued to let the feather scribble on the paper. “However, ponies do get significantly older than humans. If twenty-three is a quarter of your lifespan, then I assume eighty to ninety years in total?” I nodded. “Ponies can reach one hundred and fifty on average, depending on race.” She let a book float over from a nearby shelf and set it on the table in front of me. “I think you should read that. It’s a book about anatomy. It surely can answer all of your questions.” So ponies lived longer than humans. That just raised another question.
 
“If I really am a couple of years older than you, then why are we almost the same size?” I really was just a centimetre or two taller than Twilight, and AJ was even taller than me, with her hat. Twilight thought for a moment and got another book out of the shelf.
 
“I have a spell that determines your age here. If my assumption is correct, it might help us.” Her horn glowed, a little light surrounded me shortly, and then everything was over. “If I did this correctly,” she quickly looked into the book, “then you are nineteen years old for a pony.” I could only grin. After all that had happened, nothing really surprised me anymore.
 
“Then I have some more time to think about what I’m going to do.” Sooner or later, I would come up with something. At least I could speak Germane, even though the spell suppressed that. Maybe they would need a translator sometimes.
 
“I thought you would work on AJ’s farm?” Twilight asked.
 
“Yes, but don’t you think this is weird? I just don’t really feel too comfortable making myself at home on the farm like that.” Twilight looked around, closed the door that led upstairs, and dimmed the light.
 
“What I tell you stays just between us, as friends.” I just nodded. “AJ talked just about you the whole week. She wouldn’t mind having you with her.” She looked around the room again as though she was expecting someone to jump at her at any second.
 
“Thanks, Twilight. I think I should tell you something as well then.” This time, it was me who checked the room. “I told you nearly everything, all but one thing. I always knew this place existed. I knew you before you arrived at my place.” She looked at me in confusion and seemed to be thinking about what I just said. “The princess, of course, already knows, and I think it is time for you to know as well.” She stayed completely calm, which was somehow even worse than an outburst.
 
“That would explain a few things… would you mind to explain… how?” I began by reminding her of the television and went to explaining to her about one specific series. I explained to her as well that I had found many differences already and that most think it is just purely fictional. “So this is just like watching a book? This is so exciting!”
 
“Aren’t you concerned that another species is watching you?” I thought I would lose it if I were in the same situation.
 
“You said that most think of it just as fiction, and I learned another thing a long time ago. If magic is in play, don’t you ever be surprised.” A saying that I was had thought of since my arrival.
 

***

 
I was glad that Twilight had taken it so easily. We quickly exchanged a few stories from the series and quickly found out that there often were differences. It was really just a story that was loosely told. She nevertheless found it interesting that humans had heard about Equestria and that the ponies even had fans. She told me to not worry about it any longer since it wasn’t important, which was a big relief to me. And I was no longer worried about what might become of me. I had years to get everything under control and start a new life here. Only the goodbye to my family in a few weeks was still nagging me. But that was something for another time. I stood in my room and put on the vest that Rarity had made for me. It was made out of a leathery material, but that surely couldn’t be true. Thick threads in slightly brighter brown held it all together and rounded it all out. I was glad that she didn’t use any gems.
 
Satisfied with my appearance, I went downstairs into the living room and waited for AJ. I hadn’t seen her all afternoon and was thinking about what kept her busy for so long when I heard a clink from the bathroom.
 
“Don’t ya worry, sugarcube, we’ll clean that up later,” I heard her voice through the door. I didn’t know who was with her in there, and that raised my interest.
 
“Everything alright in there?” I shouted from the sofa.

“Yeah, it’s fine, sugarcube. Ah’m almost ready.” I knew exactly what that meant, but I never thought I would hear it from AJ. I let myself fall back into the pillows and stared at the wooden ceiling. I didn’t know how long I’d been staring at it, but it felt like an eternity, during which I only heard the ticking of the clock until the door to the bathroom opened with a quiet click. At first I only saw AJ’s old Stetson, but then I caught the whole image. Her mane was braided into a long tail, and she wore a kind of dress out of the same material as my vest. It even looked the same, at least from the front, but in the back it went over into some kind of decorated blanket that covered her entire back. Green ornaments were on both sides as well as a picture of her cutie mark. It really suited her and caught my breath.

“What do you think, sugarcube?” I had to sort my thoughts first before I could even close my mouth again. A quiet giggle came out of the bathroom, and Fluttershy stepped next to her friend.
 
“Uhm… I think he likes it.” I agreed with a strong nod.
 
“It suits you perfectly…” I said quietly, causing her to turn slightly red. We stood there for a while and tried to avoid looking into each other’s eyes.
 
“I… uhm… will be going then. See you at the festival,” Fluttershy said and walked past me out of the front door.
 
“Ah damn, the fest. We should get going, sugarcube!” Together, we left the house as well and went next to each other along the road towards the town. The sun was almost gone, and the place was starting to get a bit cooler, but it created a nice ambience. We just walked next to each other without either of us saying a word. Shortly before we arrived in town, AJ leaned slightly against me, which confused me at first, but I liked it and leaned against her as well.

At the town square, a stage had been built, also decorated accordingly with various tables surrounding it in a circular formation. Directly in front of the stage was a little fence that was covered with plants, which separated an area that was probably for dancing. At the many tables, which somehow looked like ale-benches, there were plenty of ponies already sitting. To be honest, I never thought that there were that many ponies living here. AJ broke contact with me and went over to one specific table. It was one of the most filled, and everypony present was already in the middle of drinking and celebrating. She talked quickly with an elderly pony with a long beard and bright brown mane, who also wore a Stetson just like her. A few moments later, she waved me over to her, and I trotted towards the table. Before I could even say hello, the elderly pony pulled me over and eyed me carefully.
 
“Let me have a look at you, colt.” His eyes ran over my face, and he tapped with his hoof against my horn once before kicking me against my right foreleg. I winced for a moment but mostly managed to keep a straight face. He had a similar accent as AJ. “Not bad. Good colt you have there, at least for some fancy unicorn.”
 
“Uncle Fritter, let the poor colt alone. You’ll just scare him away,” the pony next to him said.
 
“Seed, Ah’m just havin’ a look at what my niece brought with her.” He patted me on the back strong enough that I almost slipped. I threw a look towards AJ, who stood behind me and just rolled her eyes.
 
“Give it a rest y’all. Come, sugarcube, let’s find a seat.” I heard the old earth pony laughing as I took a seat with AJ at the end of the table.
 
“What was that?” I asked with a slightly worried laugh.
 
“That was mah uncle Fritter. He’s something like the head of the family.” She pointed at the ponies that were sitting at the table. She had just introduced me to her family, I thought happily. “Ah hope he went easy on ya; he can be a bit rough sometimes.” A mug was placed in front of me, and I looked to the left where it came from.  Braeburn, as I could see, was sitting next to me and had a wide grin on his face.
 
“Don’t you worry, AJ. I think he can handle it,” he said and took a gulp out of his own mug. I didn’t really want to drink much, but I couldn’t resist.
 
“He’s right, AJ.” I nodded towards Braeburn. “Takes a bit more to get me down.” She started to grin again, and I turned towards Braeburn. “Hi, I’m Blue Light. Nice to meet you.”
 
“Howdy, Light, I’m Braeburn; the pleasure is mine.” We tapped our mugs together and took a sip. AJ had one now as well, and I could see that she was watching how I would handle her family. I knew that it was important to her, and it wasn’t hard for me. They were all pretty happy ponies, and I had a lot of fun talking with them. Big Mac had joined us, together with some more relatives.
 
“So, Light, how come you know ‘bout hard work? Nothing against you, but unicorns tend to work with their magic,” Braeburn said as he started his third mug. Music was playing on the stage and had heightened the mood even further.
 
“Don’t know; I grew up without it, so it doesn’t really bother me to use my hooves.” I took another gulp so that I would soon have emptied my first mug.
 
“If only there were more unicorns like you,” Braeburn said jokingly. “I remember your friend. What was her name… Sparkle or something?” He turned towards AJ, who now sat opposite to me.
 
“Twilight Sparkle. Yeah, she’s really into the magic thing,” she said with a grin, probably thinking about the adventures that had gone along that with it. I looked over to one of the other tables where Twilight sat together with Rarity and Rainbow Dash.
 
“Hello! I would like to welcome you all to the spring festivals, my dear ponies!” the voice of Mayor Mare suddenly sounded from the stage. The music had fallen silent, and the spotlights were on her. “As always, I am delighted to see so many happy faces, and hope that you had a great time so far.” The crowd cheered, and I joined them of course. “A special greeting to our local farmers, of course, who especially deserve this fest.” This time, only some of the tables cheered, including ours. AJ and everypony around me were whistling and stomping their hooves. Braeburn nudged me to signal that I should join in, which I then did. “I am also happy to introduce our musical guests to you tonight: The BossHorse!” The crowd began to cheer again as the band entered the stage and began to play their first song. Some ponies stood up from the tables and made their way towards the dance floor. I just sat there, surprised by this world again since the name of the band sounded awfully familiar. Parallel universe, I thought and grabbed a new mug from the table.
 
The mood changed suddenly as one of the spotlights on the stage got loose and fell, with a loud clatter, on the guitarist of the band. I just saw the mayor, followed by Twilight and Rarity, rush onto the stage and tried to free the injured pony from the debris. The crowd went silent, and everypony stared quietly at the stage. The stallion wasn’t badly injured, but to make sure, he was carried to the hospital.
 
“Sorry fellas, but we’ll have to take a break. If West Strings doesn’t feel better, we won’t be able to play anymore for tonight.” He looked over to his two colleagues at the bass and drums. “Unless any of you can play our songs on the guitar.” I had the feeling of falling into a cliché and then rolling around in it. Somehow, this just reminded me of ‘Back to the Future’, and I was already looking for a pony that would play ‘Jonny be good’, but no one raised their hooves.
 
“I think I know one,” I shouted as I stepped towards the stage myself. The singer looked down at me from the stage.
 
“And which of our songs you think you know?” He didn’t really seem to believe me.
 
“Like Ice in the Sunshine.” His face brightened, and he offered me his hoof to pull me up on the stage. He threw the guitar over to me, which had been lying on the ground, and went back to the microphone.
 
“So, our young friend here will play a song with us. Don’t be too rough on him.” He gave his drummer a sign, and he began the countdown. I was just able to put the instrument around me correctly when they started.
 
When you walk along the beach
 
See the colts and fillies hoof in hoof
 
Relax in the mid-day heat
 
With an ice cream in your hoof
 
At first I was irritated about the text, but then I remembered where exactly I was.
 
Oh, let me cling to you, baby, like a honey bee
 
And let us have damn good time.
 
I've got a real good advice to get ourselves some action
 
'Cause baby it sure feels right, right, yeah.
 
The singer nodded as me and grinned, showing me that I was doing well.
 
Like ice in the sunshine, like ice in the sunshine
 
I'm melting away on a sunny day.
 
Like ice in the sunshine, like ice in the sunshine
 
I’m melting away on a sunny day.
 
We played the whole song, and I even got the short solo. I completely forgot the crowd of ponies in front of the stage, as it took my entire concentration to just play the guitar. The tabs were floating around in my head somewhere, and I was glad to be able to recall them. As the song ended, the audience loudly cheered for us, and the singer came over to me again.
 
“Thanks, mate, you really helped us out. May I ask what your name is?” I took off the guitar and went to put it down, but someone took it out of my hooves. Next to me stood the guitarist, West Strings, with a few bandages around his hindlegs and hip. He nodded at me and hung his instrument around him again.
 
“Blue Light, and it was no problem.” I went to leave the stage again, but I was stopped.
 
“Wait, wait, wait… You are that new prince that Princess Celestia has adopted, aren’t you?”
 
The eyes of the singer fell on my hoof band, and his eyes widened. “It was an honour, sir,” he then said. I just rolled my eyes and went back to AJ.
 
“You can really play, sugarcube,” she said with a smile. “But leave the singing to others.” We both just laughed before another voice sounded over from the stage.
 
“So, since we’re complete again, we will continue playing. But due to the injury, we’ll stick with simpler songs.” The crowd cheered nevertheless, and light country-rock sounded up. Braeburn stood up.
 
“I’m going to search for somepony to dance with. See you later.” And with a little smile, he disappeared between some tables.
 
“What do ya think, sugarcube? Shall we try too?” I wasn’t really sure, having never danced before, neither as a pony nor human, and I didn’t count head banging. I emptied my second mug of cider.
 
“Sure,” I said, still a bit unsure, and we both made our way towards the dance floor. I could see the other ponies dancing and had to say that it didn’t really look too hard. The forehooves were stomped on the ground to the rhythm of the music while you moved around a bit. Relieved, we entered the dance floor, and I was just getting ready when the music stopped. A new song began, and it was slower this time. Around us, ponies were leaning chest against chest and moved like waves in the water to the rhythm of the music.
 
AJ and I followed the example of the other couples, which let us both turn redder than tomatoes. My heart was beating wildly, and I wouldn’t be surprised if AJ could feel it. I didn’t know how long we had been dancing, but the world around me felt like it was in a thick jelly, so slow that everything was moving, but my eyes couldn’t look away for more than a few seconds from the mare in front of me.
 
“I love you…” It took a few seconds until I realized what had just left my lips. If time could go even slower, then it would be now. I wanted to run, close my eyes, and cover my ears, but that wasn’t possible now. We snuggled a bit at our dates recently, but that was it, and this was a whole other league. I had no clue why I panicked, more than being rejected couldn’t happen. But much to my surprise, I felt two soft lips pressing against mine, and I opened my eyes again. AJ stood in front of me and looked me deep into the eyes before giving me another kiss.
 
“Ah thought you’d never say something, sugarcube. I love you too,” she whispered into my ear. Loud whistles brought us back to reality and made it clear where we were: in the middle of the dance floor. The surrounding ponies were whistling and stomping their hooves, and I could hear one specific table cheer. With red faces, we slowly left the dance floor but didn’t return to the table, instead going back to the main road, away from the fest. During the entire way to the farm, we exchanged some kisses, and as we reached at the house, we sat down on the sofa. We were just lying in each other’s arms, not caring about the time. After a while, AJ went upstairs, and I was just about to go into my own room before something pulled me by the tail.
> Chapter 19 - Lullaby
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A tickling at my nose woke me from my sleep and made me realize how cold it was. I carefully searched for the blanket but only found something soft lying next to me. Sleepily, I opened my eyes and saw Applejack quietly sleeping next to me. With a wide grin, the events of last evening shot into my head again. However, that changed nothing about the fact that the blanket was missing. I sat up and found it hanging over the end of the bed. I stood up and threw it over the sleeping beauty that I had spent the night with. I knew that my own thoughts sounded terribly cheesy, but hey, who cares? Thanks to one of my stupid quirks, it was now impossible for me to be able to get back to sleep again once I had stood up, so I now couldn’t just snuggle back into the bed. I decided to use the time productively and make us some breakfast. I had never cooked since I became a pony, but how hard could that be? I walked out of the room as quietly as I could but stopped, a bit confused at the door. My bag, with all my things, stood next to me as though it was waiting for me.
 
I went down the small hallway and tried to enter the guest room, but it was locked. From the inside came the snoring of multiple ponies. A part of the family must have been sleeping there, and since my room was empty, they were using it. I didn’t want to disturb their slumber, and so I made my way downstairs where I found more ponies sleeping on the sofa, including Braeburn. His hat was lying on the armrest next to him, and he still held an empty mug in his hoof. My eyes fell on the kitchen, and to my surprise, various mares were already sitting at the large kitchen table there and were drinking something that smelled awfully like coffee.
 
“Look who we have here.” One of them was grinning over at me. A smile formed on the faces of the other four, and I tried not to blush.
 
“What do you need, colt? A headache pill? Did you drink too much? Or do you wanna drink coffee with us?” another mare asked.
 
“I just wanted to prepare some breakfast for… us.” A giggle made its round around the table again.
 
“Do you remember when our stallions were like that?” Everypony at the table agreed. “Then don’t let us stop you.” I slowly went past the table, knowing that all eyes would be on me as long as I was in the kitchen. The conversation at the table continued, but so quietly that I couldn’t understand anything clearly. I tried to ignore it as best as I could and got all the ingredients that I would need out of the fridge, mainly eggs. I put a pan on the gas stove, and with a little spark from my horn, the flames were ignited. I began to melt some butter in the pan and broke the eggs open in a bowl. In a cupboard, I found some parsley that I cut and added into the bowl as well. Sometimes I was surprised that everything worked so well with hooves, but it was a magical world after all. I put everything together into the pan and let it cook. In a small bread box, I found some cornbread which I coated with butter before putting the eggs over them. I finished the dish with some extra parsley that I placed next to it on the plate before putting it all together on a tray. I took a step back and inspected my creation that earned me some applause from the table. I stored the used utensils in the sink and went to go upstairs again with the tray on my back. While I was walking past the table, all the mares grinned at me again before returning back to their conversation. Just as I went to open the door to AJ’s room, Big Mac came out of his own, his eyes immediately sticking on me.

“Morning…” I said briefly, an uneasy feeling in my stomach. He just nodded shortly and threw a look at me that said more than a thousand words. ‘Break my sister’s heart, and I’ll break something of yours.’
 
He went past me downstairs, and I could hear him disappearing in the bathroom a few seconds later. I knew that he only meant well, and so I carefully opened the door again. AJ had woken up by now and looked around, seemingly confused.
 
“Good morning,” I said happily and placed on the tray on the bed.
 
“Morning, sugarcube. Ah was wondering where you went off to.” She reached for her Stetson that hung over one of the bedposts as I placed the tray in front of her.
 
“I thought I’d make us a little treat.” I had never been a big romantic, but breakfast in bed was always something nice. I knew that from my own experiences. I sat back down on the bed, and we quickly ate the meal together.
 
“Thanks, sugarcube, but Ah think Ah should go downstairs and help the others set up the table. A whole family won’t be fed with only two breads.” Slowly, she rose from the bed and went out of the room, but not without giving me a kiss. I gathered the dishes and followed her downstairs as well. AJ was now standing with the other mares in the kitchen, from where a pleasant scent now came.
 
“Hey, morning, Light!” Braeburn said from over by the couch, followed by a groan.
 
“Shush, Braeburn, not everypony’s as young as you,” I heard the voice of the pony that I knew as Seed. I went over to the two and sat down on a chair.
 
“So, how was your night? We didn’t see you again after the thing on the dance floor.” A giggling from the kitchen followed Braeburn’s words, and I could just see how AJ pulled her hat over her face. “AJ, come on, we’re all adults here,” he said with a grin.
 
“Now leave the two alone, or do I have to remind you how you and a certain Vanilla was like?” one of the mares from the kitchen piped up.
 
“Fine, Aunt Orange.” He leaned over to me. “I wish you to the best of luck. I know a gentlecolt never tells.” I didn’t know what to say, and sometimes it was better to say nothing.
 
“Could you all be quiet now? I tried to sleep it off here,” Seed spoke up again.
 

***

 
She had never had it easy. She had grown up as an orphan in an orphanage in Manehatten after her parents had abandoned her and her brother as foals. If they wanted to have more than a bit of hay, they had to steal it, and it was her brother who had done it for her. If they wanted to have a bed, they had to fight for it, and it was her brother again who had done it for her. When they were old enough, her brother had taken multiple jobs to afford a small place for both of them, and for the first time, there had been some hope at the end of the long dark tunnel. She could go to school and have a normal life for once, and that was all thanks to her brother. The good times would not last long for them, for a year later her brother had fallen terribly sick and could no longer work. It had then been her turn to earn the money for rent and medicine. And for her, there had been only one way of doing that: her special talent - magic.
 
She had put on small show and performed occasionally at some of the small, smoky nightclubs, but the big money and success had never come. She had quickly found out that the show business was harder than she had thought, and so she had to adapt. She hadn’t wanted to leave her brother hanging. But even with all her efforts, it still hadn’t been enough for both rent and medicine, and so she had admitted her brother to the hospital and built herself a small cart. In there she had lived from then on, set in a small secluded place. As time went by, her brother’s state had gotten increasingly worse, and after a few years of sickness, he had eventually passed away.

With the death of her brother, she had broken down, unable to bear that city for one second longer. It had never been good to her. She had packed her things, which was only her costume and her cart, and made her way over the lands to try her luck elsewhere. But no matter how many places she visited, her show had never been a success, and she eventually came to a solution that seemed to be only way out of this: she spiced up her reputation. She had told lies about heroic feats she had accomplished, the crowd basically hanging onto her lips, eating up every word. For the first time, she had felt respected and enjoyed every second of the fame.

However, everything had to fade away someday, and her end had come when she arrived in a small town by the name of Ponyville.
 
When she had done her show there, some foals had taken her story too seriously and lured a very dangerous creature, an Ursa Minor, into town. She had often dreamed of being powerful enough to defeat such a creature, but her magic had been of no use. She was eventually saved by a certain mare, Twilight Sparkle, Princess Celestia’s personal student.

On that day, she had not just lost her cart, which contained everything she owned, but also her career. The story from Ponyville had spread like a wildfire, and nopony would ever let her perform again. Without a home and money, she had been forced to live in a small forest outside of Las Pegasus. It was the city of easy mares and plentiful shows and casinos, but not even there did she receive another chance. She had fed off berries and grass, every day a fight with nature, especially last year’s winter. So when she had gotten her hooves on a newspaper after months, she couldn’t believe her eyes. What she saw was impossible, yet the picture had been just a week old. Quickly she had gotten on her way, back into the town she never wanted to see again: Ponyville.

“Trixie was hoping to never see this place again,” she said to herself as she saw the town on the horizon. The sun had just risen, and she had been on her feet for the last three days and nights. Without money for a chariot or the train, she had had no other choice. In every village she passed, she had heard news about what had gotten her so excited that she couldn’t find any sleep. Her hooves were burning, and her stomach had long given up pleading for food. She disliked the thought of wandering into this town, worn down like this, but she had no choice. And she would have to ask her way around since the newspapers had named no address. She pulled out a small picture from underneath her cloak and sighed. It gave her new courage, and so she continued her way.

It took her only a little while until she noticed that she would soon be in town. The sound of the bells told her that it was seven in the morning, and she hoped that most citizens would still be lying in their beds. Yesterday, there had been a fest, and surely most of them wanted to sleep it off. The path slowly changed into the main road of the town, and now for the first time in a long while, she took in the sights of this place again. Garlands and other decorations hung from the buildings and had given light last night. The large area around the town hall, where she had also performed once, was filled with tables and benches on which some ponies were peacefully slumbering. The white fence, which was covered mostly by plants and separated a dancing area, stung into her eyes. Mugs were lying everywhere on the ground, together with various other trash. She saw one pony sitting upright at a table and inspecting the mugs for any remains. The mare had a dark purple coat with a slightly brighter mane and tail. Her cutie mark composed of different kind of berries.

“Excuse me, Miss. Trixie would like to ask you something.” Her title she had dropped a while ago. Far too many times she had been laughed at, and she didn’t want to feel the humiliation here too. The mare turned around, and she could clearly see that she was far away from sober. Trixie could smell the salt as though she had just bathed in it.
 
“Shoot… but help *hick* me find something to drink.” Trixie could only roll her eyes but did as she was told. What other choice did she have? At least this mare didn’t recognize her, and it wasn’t sure to stay that way if she were to ask somepony else. She went over to one of the tables where a barrel stood and poured a fresh mug with her magic. She had just given it to the mare, but she had already halfway emptied it in one go.

Thanks Misss…. Missy. *hick* How can Berry help you?” Trails of saliva flew out her mouth as she spoke.
 
“It’s Trixie, but she doesn’t think you… Argh, doesn’t matter.” She pulled out the photo from underneath her cloak again. “I’m looking for this stallion here.” She pointed at the photo and held it in front of the salted mare as closely as possible. She eyed the photo for a moment and nodded strongly.
 
“I know him!” she said happily.
 
“Would you tell Trixie then where she can find him?” Berry seemed to ignore the question.
 
“I’ve drunk with him. Doesn’t stand a chance *hick*.” Trixie waved her hoof in front of her face to get rid of the smell of the other mare’s breath.
 
“Trixie doesn’t want to know how much he can drink. Trixie wants to know where he is!” She slightly raised her voice, causing a groan from the sleeping ponies around her. Berry took another sip from the mug.
 
“I think he went with the one *hick* from the farm,” she finally said before letting her head sink onto the table. Trixie remembered her last visit here. There was only one farm which was known outside of the town: Sweet Apple Acres. It would be the best clue.
 
Without paying any more attention to the sleeping Berry, Trixie went on her way down the road, into the direction of the apple trees that were visible in the distance. She knew exactly who that farm belonged to, and she didn’t like it in the slightest to have to turn to that pony, but what other choice did she have?

Even though she had gotten past the fear in her head, she still had to gulp as she stepped through the large gate and approached the house. As she came closer, she could hear laughter from inside, many voices speaking at once. She wanted to knock, but something held her back. It was impossible, and she would most likely just find a stranger, but she had come too far to turn back now. She wanted to know, needed to know.
 
“Can I help you, Missi?” a deep voice said from the side. Startled, Trixie looked up and saw a large red stallion who must have just came out of the barn. He had an orange mane, paired with a dreamy look.
 
“Maybe you can help Trixie, for she is looking for somepony.” Again, she pulled out the picture with her magic and held it in front of the stallion. His cutie mark clearly gave him away as a member of the Apple Family. She had met members of this family in many towns, and they all had two things in common: a cutie mark that revolved around apples and an accent, just like this stallion.
 
“Looks mighty like Light,” he said after looking at the picture for a while.
 
“Could you please tell him that Trixie is here and wishes to speak with him?” She stored the picture away again and looked to see how the stallion would react.
 
“Eeyup,” he just said and went past her inside the house. There must be a logical explanation, and she hoped that this Light would have it. She was nervous, almost like before her first show, causing her to run in small circles in front of the house. It took a little while but then a young, blue stallion came out of the house and looked confusedly over to her. His white mane was unkempt, showing that he had just gotten up. Trixie eyed him right down to the last detail and couldn’t believe it. The pictures in the newspaper hadn’t fooled her. Tears formed in her eyes as she ran towards him.
 
“Brother!” Her hooves fell around his neck to greet him, which just led to both of them landing on the ground.
 

***


Not only was I wondering what Trixie wanted from me, but also why she threw me to the ground and called me brother. Slowly, I rose from the ground and looked down at the showpony who was still lying there, her eyes filled with tears. If I had learned one thing, it was that everything was a little different, and I didn’t want to judge anyone by how they were depicted in the series. Behind me, the door to the house opened again, and I saw AJ and Braeburn stepping out.
 
“What’s going on, sugarcube?” She looked at me first as I beat the dust out of my coat, then at Trixie. “What in tarnation is she doin’ here?” She moved into an attack position.
 
“I take you it you know her?” Braeburn turned towards AJ.
 
“Oh yeah I do. It was her fault that an Ursa Minor demolished parts of the town, and she ridiculed me and mah friends.” AJ was seething as she recalled the events. Trixie had caught herself again and stood up to confront the three of us.
 
“Trixie is not here to talk about old stories. She is just here for her brother.” At those words, she pointed at me, which only caused me to adopt a surprised facial expression. Braeburn seemed to just watch while AJ did the talking.
 
“Again one of yer lies to get famous?” I knew that Trixie had spiced up her story, but the tears felt a bit too real to me.
 
“Trixie is not lying!” she insisted and stomped on the ground. “Say something, Changer!” She looked over at me as she called me that name, but I had no idea what she meant.
 
“I think you’re confusing me for someone else, Trixie. It is impossible that I’m…”
 
“Right, he can’t be related to YOU. He isn’t even of this world,” AJ interrupted me with clear repulsion aimed towards Trixie.
 
“Trixie knows what the newspapers say, but Trixie has proof that supports her claim.” Her horn glowed quickly, and a picture flew out of her cloak. I got a quick glance at her coat as she raised the cloak and saw how filthy it was. Little branches and resin were stuck in it in places, and many patches were turned dark by dirt. The picture halted in front of AJ, who grabbed it out of the air before eying it closely. She seemed surprised and hoofed it over to me. To be seen was a young Trixie, without her cutie mark or costume, and another young stallion who looked a lot like me.
 
“He looks a bit like me…” I mumbled to myself.
 
“Meaning no offense, sugarcube, but he looks like he was yer twin brother.” AJ could probably judge that better than me with my limited understanding of pony anatomy. I gave the stallion in the picture a closer look. His cutie mark was only halfway visible, but it was clearly the same as mine, which I checked with a quick glance on my own.
 
“Now I don’t understand anything,” I said and gave the picture back to AJ. Braeburn leaned over and took a look as well.
 
“So, Light, what now?” he asked as Trixie took the picture back again.
 
“I have siblings that I left behind, and they probably can’t even remember me anymore.” Braeburn grimaced. “But I’ll explain that to you later.” I turned back to Trixie. “I’m sorry, Trixie, but I’m not the pony you are looking for. You will surely find your brother elsewhere.” I was still thinking about the similar cutie mark, but since I received my talent rather than discovering it, I shrugged it off as a coincidence.
 
“Trixie’s brother is dead. That is why she is even more surprised to see you.” Trixie was at the verge of bursting into tears again as she spoke.
 
“Ah’m sorry for your brother, but Ah think the best thing for ya is to leave our land,” AJ said with a snort. Trixie just nodded miserably. Just as she was about to go, she collapsed. I rushed over to her and checked her. She had lost consciousness, and her pulse was low. I lifted her onto my back and felt how light she was. This couldn’t be healthy.
 
“AJ, I’m bringing her to the hospital. Go get Twilight. Braeburn, show me the way please.” Both just nodded, and as quickly as we could, we ran off. Unlike AJ, I was curious why there was a photo of me, or at least of somepony who looked like me, but now there was a life at risk.
> Chapter 20 - Bad Apple
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Trixie had been in the Ponyville hospital for three days, not having regained consciousness yet. The nurses had taken Trixie from Braeburn and me and immediately placed her into intensive care. Since we were not family members, we couldn’t follow her and so we left. Twilight arrived shortly after us, together with AJ back at the farm, and we told her what had happened. She reacted similar to AJ when we told her that Trixie was here, but she was just as curious as I was about the picture and immediately wanted to do further research. I hadn’t seen her in town since, and Rising Dawn had told me that his mother had basically barricaded herself in the basement with some books. Spike was providing her with food and made sure that she slept once in a while, but that still couldn’t be healthy.
 
Besides that, the rest of the week was standard fare. After the Apple family took their trains to their respective homes on Monday evening, we resumed work on the farm, or rather AJ and Big Mac did. I got commandeered into selling the apples in the town. I quickly realized that AJ wanted to make the best out of my unintentional fame. Many just seemed to buy from me so that they could talk with me or to tell their friends that a real prince had just sold them apples. But even I had to admit that I would be stunned if Prince Charles sold me apples in the weekly market. When I wasn’t working, I thought about what I should do next. I still had all my knowledge from my world, and that had to count for something. I would have asked Twilight if there were any jobs for mathematicians or even computer scientists, but she was too busy. Neither had I found the time to talk with Cheerilee. If it came to knowledge and education, she would be the second best option right after Twilight.

It was Wednesday now. Soon after I closed the market stall and drove it back to the farm did I decide to visit her. I went back from the farm towards Ponyville when I suddenly realized that I had no idea where Cheerilee lived.
 
“Hey, Dash, where does Cheerilee live?” I shouted into the air and waited for a response.
 
“White Saddle Street,” came the reply from a cloud above me. Rainbow Dash had stuck at my side for a while now and watched me, still wanting to know why I knew so much.
 
“Aren’t you getting bored? Or do you just wanna watch me and AJ?” I honestly didn’t care; I was just irritated that she seemed like having nothing better to do.
 
“You wish! I’m just making sure that you’re no spy.” I rolled my eyes and continued my path without paying any more attention to Rainbow Dash. At some point she would get bored, and I could wait till then.
 
Familiarizing myself with the town was much easier for me by now, and so it didn’t take long until I arrived at said street. I was rarely offside the main road that led directly through the town, but it was nice for a change. The houses had no large shop windows, but little gardens that looked neatly manicured and were spiked with various flowers. Must be very comfortable to be able to have your breakfast on the go, I thought to myself before my eyes fell on a very distinctive house. It was a small, one-story building that was covered with lilacs and had a small stony path that went through the garden and up to the front door which had the symbol of three little flowers on it. It was typical that the cutie marks of the owners were somewhere on the house, just like names next to doorbells on Earth. Since there were no house numbers, they were drawn relatively large so you wouldn’t have to look too long.
 
I went down the small path and knocked a few times at the door that was opened shortly after by the teacher.
 
“Hello, how can I… oh… Hello, your Highness. What gives me the honour?” She bowed slightly.
 
“Hello, Cheerilee, could you please stop that? If everypony starts doing that then this will be strange.” She laughed quickly and motioned me to come inside. She went into a small living room and offered me a seat on the couch before sitting down next to me.
 
“So, what brings you here, Blue Light?” It was still a bit strange. When ponies sat on a couch, it rather looked like they were lying down.
 
“Light is fine. I’m here because I’m looking for a job. I get along well with foals, and my math isn’t bad either, so why not trying to be a teacher?” She grinned at me.
 
“I could always use a little help around the school, but aren’t you working for AJ on the farm?”
 
“Well, yeah, but I’m not earning any money there. It wouldn’t be right of me to take money from my marefriend, would it? Also I don’t want to be a drain on Celestia’s pocket.” And the payment was irregular. I only got money when I was needed for special events and such things.
 
“Would it be alright if I let you take a small quiz to test your knowledge?” I just nodded, and she disappeared in a small room behind me. In the corners of my eyes, I could see a desk and various bookshelves; it must have been a workroom. She returned with a piece of paper and a pen. I quickly went through all the formulas that I had learned in school and tried to remember when the last time I had done math without a calculator had been. I panicked a bit, but as soon as I saw the paper, I was relieved. It was only basic multiplication. One assignment was to use the rule of three, and the hardest was solving an equation for ‘Y’. I had solved every problem within seconds; only the writing took some time. Luckily, numbers were easier to write with the mouth than letters. I was just waiting for the question as to why I wasn’t using magic, but she didn’t ask. After around ten minutes, I gave her back the paper, and she skimmed over it.
 
“To be honest, Cheerilee, I was afraid of something worse, like parables and such.” Oh, how I had hated those things, and still do.
 
“Are you planning on teaching at a university?” she asked with a smile, her eyes still wandering over the paper. I thought about that for a moment. If parables were something for universities, then what was the general knowledge of math and physics here? Cheerilee took the pen and scribbled something on the paper before handing it back to me. She had written an ‘A’ and a smiley face on it.
 
“I see you have no problem with math. This was the final exam at our school, and most ponies needed the whole forty five minutes.” So math really was something minor here, but what else would you expect in a magical world? What really flabbergasted me was that they used the decimal system.
 
“Cheerilee, why do you use the decimal system instead of binary?” The decimal system was used by humans because we had ten fingers, but ponies only had two forehooves, so that system would seem more fitting.
 
“It’s just generally accepted nowadays. Some professors say that we all borrowed it from the griffons or dragons. Others say that it was invented by Ponythagoras.” Parallel universe, I thought to myself with a grin. “But let’s come back to the subject. If you really want to try your hand at teaching, come to the school tomorrow morning. Then I will introduce you to the class, and you can teach them math in the second class. If it works, then you have the job.” I could mark that off my list for today now.
 
“How about working hours and payment? That would be nice to know.” Cheerilee held a hoof against her head.
 
“Sorry, I completely forgot that. We have math three times a week: Mondays for one hour, Wednesday and Thursday for two. Your wage will be five hundred bits per week.” She explained to me that teaching would not be my only job, but also field trips, preparing and correcting assignments, and having an open ear for the pupils. So if a pupil had problems, they could always come to me. I agreed to it all and said goodbye to Cheerilee.
 
Next on my list was Twilight. I was worried that she was still pondering over the subject instead of waiting for Trixie to wake up and give us the answers. I quickly marched towards the library, not letting myself stop for anyone, though many citizens tried. I didn’t even knock to get rid of my unwanted followers and found Dawn sitting over a book. The little pegasus didn’t seem to notice me, but I planned to change that.
 
“Hey, Dawn, what’s up? Is Twilight a child of the sun again?” He awoke with a start from his trance, and I couldn’t get around from seeing the similarity to his mother.
 
“Uhm, hi, Light. Sorry, I didn’t hear you come inside. Mom is still down in the basement. Rarity was here earlier, but she couldn’t get her out of there either,” he said before turning back to his book. I caught a glimpse on the title: ‘Daring Do and the Temple of Time’. I didn’t know if I was supposed to think about Prince of Persia, Lara Croft, or Indiana Jones, but that was something to think about later.
 
I took the stairs down into the basement and found chaos in the form of books. The table, which had taken up half of the room during my last visit, now stood at the wall and was packed with large books. Actually, there was nothing which wasn’t packed with books. In the middle of it all sat Twilight, reading one which was on the top of a little pile.

“Hey, Twilight, are you alright?” She briefly looked at me with bloodshot eyes and just nodded. “Have you found out something about our case?” A nod again. “Would you mind answering me?” She nodded. I went to the small window where the blinds were shut and carefully opened them. The room was filled with light, making all the dust that was flying around through the air visible, and Twilight hissed like she was a vampire.
 
“Could you close that, please? That burns my eyes,” she said quietly.
 
“Ah, it can speak!” I jumped behind a pile of books. “Go back, demon, go back!” I couldn’t hold my laughter in any longer. I didn’t even need to see Twilight to know that she was annoyed. “So, again, have you got any news for me?” I stepped out from behind the books and sat down next to her.
 
“I have some theories. Three to be exact.” This time I nodded. “The first one is that you somehow took his form, or maybe even his body. But since he is dead, that wouldn’t be possible, at least not with any known magic. Should that be the case, there is a more powerful being than me or even Princess Celestia in play.” More powerful than Celestia? That brought Discord to mind. “The second theory is that parallel universes must exist, and you are her brother in one of them. Since no two beings can take the same spot at the same time, you are lucky that he is dead, as sad as that sounds, otherwise you would have deleted each other sooner or later.” That sounded a lot more unpleasant, but the theory of multiverses sounded familiar to me. “The last one is simple: coincidence,” she finished her explanation. “Anyways, this case is disproving the theory of the princess.” At least that was one thing I could be happy about.
 
“The theory about parallel universe exists in our world as well. It sounds like the most likely one for me. Just think about what I told you about the series. This world shows so many similarities, yet is different.”
 
“This was my most likely theory as well. But that also means that the you from this world was Trixie’s brother. I believe she called you Changer, right?” I thought for moment and nodded. “The name seems to suits your abilities well - another piece of evidence for my theory.” She flipped some pages in a book. “Here is a spell to change your place with another self, but since you can’t stay long enough in the same world while both are alive, it was never tested. And you could have never performed it.” I took that a bit personal.
 
“Hey, my magic isn’t that bad.” She shook her head.
 
“I didn’t mean it like that. You were a human completely devoid of magical abilities, and one of you would have to cast the spell. That means that Changer was in your world and cast the spell. The only thing the spell needs from you is your agreement. And after what you told me, you agreed in your subconscious mind. The question that remains open is how Changer got to you and why he did it.” I noticed something else.
 
“If we swapped our existences, shouldn’t he be me in my world? And also, if I have his body, shouldn’t I have his disease as well?” Again she shook her head.
 
“A soul is always bound to one body. Your own body was altered accordingly to this world, and then you swapped your existence’s energy. That is the energy that every universe emits which identifies each creature living in it. I don’t know if he is in your world. But if he isn’t, there should be a body.” I gulped. It was somehow an unpleasant feeling to know that either someone else was me and I was him, or that there was a dead body that looked like me.
 
“And how do we get this information? Trixie said he died years ago… Wait a second! Years ago, how is that possible?” Of course, Twilight already had an explanation ready.

“Either he was declared dead and then disappeared or the time shift between the worlds has caused it.” I groaned at the thought of paradoxes. Those things caused headaches.
 
“Then I shall search for his files. There has to be records somewhere.” A good first job for Silver Tray.
 
“That would at least help us. But there is one more thing I have to tell you about the spell. It is irreversible if it lasts longer than a week.” I had already gotten used to life here anyways.
 
“That doesn’t really matter, Twilight. Yes, I lost a lot, but now I think it was worth it. I’ll soon have a job, a wonderful marefriend, and many new friends. I don’t think I could do much better.” She smiled at my words before she yawned. “And now you shall go to bed. We’ll meet again tomorrow afternoon in the park, then we’ll have a picnic, and you can get to see the sun again.” She looked at me sullenly. “And don’t make me write a letter to my mother.” She rolled her eyes.
 
“Fine…” she agreed, resigned to her future. I pushed her upstairs into the main room and said goodbye at the door. It was late afternoon by now, and it was time to look after Trixie in the hospital. I felt sorry for her even though she wasn’t the nicest pony I knew. Well, I didn’t really know her, only from the series, and this world was differently. I would have to ask Silver Tray to give me more information about her as well. I would prefer to ask her myself, but I doubt she would answer me.
 

***


I had to use my title as a prince, but after a long back and forth with the nurses and a doctor, I was finally let into the room in which Trixie was stationed. She was plugged into various machines, and I was told that she had been in that state for a while now. They had removed some poisonous mushrooms and berries from her stomach and treated some infections from her open wounds. The doctor left the room and let me alone with her. I took a seat next to her bed and looked into her file, but nothing what wasn’t already said stood there. Her belongings, which were only the picture and her cloak, were on the nightstand next to the bed. I looked at the picture again. Twilight’s theory must be correct, for all I saw was Trixie and my other self. I surely reminded her of her brother, so that was why she came here. At least that was what I was thinking.
 
“Changer?” I heard a quiet voice next to me.
 
“No, but close. How are you feeling, Trixie?” I was glad that she was conscious again, but I thought it too early to tell her about our theories.
 
“Changer, are you playing a prank on Trixie… I mean on me?” She had changed her way of talking. I had thought it was only a figure of speech for her shows, but I had never heard her speak normally.
 
“No, Trixie, I am not your brother, but very close to it. But we will talk about that another time. Are you feeling better?” I pushed a little button for a nurse to come.
 
“No, I… Trix… I’m not feeling well.” She was weak, and I could clearly see that. Nurse Redheart came into the room and saw that Trixie was awake again.
“Hello, my dear, I see you are finally with us. I am sorry, but I will have to ask you to leave, your Highness. The patient has to undergo some examinations.” She left the door to make room for me.
 
“Alright, nurse.” I nodded at her. “I will be back tomorrow, Trixie, and I hope we can talk then. I have just as many questions as you do.” I left the room, and the nurse let the door fall shut behind me.
 

***


She was miserable. Her body was hurting at every possible location, and she was also confused. Her dead brother had just left the room, stating that he wasn’t him. It would have been too nice if it really had been him, but that was just wishful thinking. The nurse took some blood, checked her temperature, and asked her some annoying questions before she also left the room. While she was alone and stared against the empty wall, she realized that this was her last straw. She had nothing, and in the end, she couldn’t even pay the hospital bills.


***


While I wandered through the town, I thought about whether I should be happy that Celestia’s theory wasn’t correct after all. If Twilight, thanks to all the new information, was right, then that would mean that I was still there in some form, even though it wasn’t really me. When I got the chance to visit my world again, it would be only fair to find Changer, simply because he had to answer my questions. The other thing that occupied my mind was Trixie. What would happen with her next? I knew she was destitute, as I saw how dirty and malnourished she was, but my empathy had its limits. AJ and Twilight had told me what had happened and how she had behaved, but nobody deserved such misery.

Also, she appeared to be my sister, or at least Changer’s. This was all so confusing. I thought I needed to build an idol and praise it and make it responsible for everything I can’t understand, but then the atheist inside me came out, even though that was strange in a world with a living goddess. I was playing with the thought of helping her, but I didn’t know how. I couldn’t give her a place to sleep since I was also just living with my marefriend. But Applejack was the best shot I had, and I hoped that she would at least tolerate her for a while. I didn’t want to play the family card, but it was the next best thing I got with my title, besides Celestia and Luna of course.
> Chapter 21 - Help is on the Way
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

*Boom*
 
Thunder crackled through the air and woke me with a start. As I sat upright in my bed, I quickly looked around to make out where I was.
 
“Everything alright, sugarcube?” Applejack was sitting on the bed next to me and put a hoof on my shoulder. “It’s just a storm. It should be over by tomorrow.” I remembered the preparations we did for the storm last night and also that I completely forgot to talk about Trixie.
 
“Yes, everything’s fine. I was just a bit startled.” The thunder was louder than anything I had ever heard before, and I had the strong suspicion that the storm was directly above us now. “I’ve just never heard a thunderstorm so loud.” Another flash of lightning, followed by thunder, lit up the sky.
 
“Damn, yer right, sugarcube. That really is too loud.” She got up from the bed and threw a look out of the window from which she could see the farm. “What in tarnation?” she shouted. “Sugarcube, come quick! Ya gotta see that!” I pushed the blanket aside and joined her by the window, only to be awestruck by the sight. This was no thunderstorm; this was a cloud burst. I couldn’t see further than ten meters, and the few that I saw was just water that stood a few centimetres above the ground.

“That doesn’t look like it’s going as planned, is it?” I got no response, and as I turned around, I saw that AJ had already disappeared. Not two seconds later, her voice sounded through the house.
 
“Everypony out of their beds! We got a flood!” Multiple things happened at once. The door to Big Mac’s room slammed open, and the large stallion rushed out of the room, slammed against a wall, and jumped down the stairs. As Mac slammed against the wall, the door to Apple Bloom’s room opened as well, and she stepped outside in a little rain jacket and followed her brother downstairs.
 
As I arrived downstairs myself, I was just able to see the front door slamming shut, everyone disappearing to do god knows what. I followed them outside onto the veranda, and my hooves immediately got wet. The water was reaching up to the door already, and if it continued raining like that, it would soon be inside.
 
“Light, try to keep the water out of the house!” Apple Bloom ran through the water and seemed to keep the communication between everyone flowing. “Mah sister says ya can do anything as long as it stays out!” I saluted, and Apple Bloom vanished into direction of the barn. As she left my field of view, I quickly went through some spells in my head and found one that seemed to fit perfectly here. I painted the runes in my mind and began to create a drain so that the water could flow off. The biggest problem was that I couldn’t see anything below the surface and didn’t know how deep the drain should be or where exactly it was. I slowly went down the way to the road. The rain had left me soaking wet within seconds as I formed multiple large holes at the roadside to create some room for the water to go to. Lastly, I created a small dirt fence so that no one would accidently fall inside before I galloped back to the house. Much to my surprise, Rainbow Dash was standing on the veranda and seemed like she was looking for someone.

“Rainbow, what’s the matter with the weather?” A bit of panic was clear in her eyes.
 
“Somepony ruined the mixture for the clouds. Gah, if I get my hooves on whoever did this! I just wanted to tell you that we’re about to clear the clouds, and in around ten minutes this should all be over. Tell AJ cuz I have to go to Ponyville now. The town was hit pretty badly.” Before I could react, she flew off against the rain and the wind and disappeared in a cloud. I went down the same path that Apple Bloom took and found the hinged door that led into the cellar behind the barn. The water inside the cellar was up to my neck, and I heard some voices further back. More like a dog, I paddled my way to the source of the voices and found Big Mac, with Apple Bloom standing on his back, as he was about to lift some barrels higher onto the shelf.
 
“Light, you gotta help mah brother. The barrels need to get out of the water or the apples are ruined.” I just nodded and tried to lift a barrel onto my back, but it immediately rolled off and just left me behind with an aching back. Big Mac fished the barrel out of the water and put it back onto the shelf.
 
“Can ya drain the water?” he asked with his deep voice. Before I could answer, a loud rumbling came from the shelf before it collapsed. Big Mac was hit by some barrels, and Apple Bloom fell off his back as the water rose further with all the barrels swimming in it now. I grabbed Apple Bloom, placed her on my back, and pulled Big Mac back above the surface. He shook his head and stood up on the ground again. “Out,” he barked, and we immediately swam towards the exit.
 

***


It was her best chance of getting out of the hospital. Due to the storm, all the nurses and doctors were busy with new patients, and nopony was there to see her climbing out of the window in the first flow. With her cloak on her back and the picture safely stored in her bag, she stepped out into the rain and looked at Ponyville that lay in a short distance ahead of her. The wind had unroofed some buildings, and others didn’t seem like they had been able to carry the weight of their wet roofs and had collapsed. The magic that the village was emitting could only belong to one pony: Princess Celestia. She was only visible through the rain because her coat was almost glowing against the grey clouds. She thought for a moment on where she should go now. Back to her little camp in the forest? But that would mean a few days of galloping. Go to Canterlot and try to put up a show there? None of the ideas seemed promising. Helping in the village to be later showered in the thankfulness of the denizens seemed like a much better plan, and so she went down the little hill into the village.
 
As she reached the first houses, the sky began to clear, and she saw some pegasi pushing the clouds aside.
 
“Help!” she heard a young foal shout. She rushed over to one of the collapsed buildings where she approximated the call came from and shouted back.
 
“Talk to Trixie! Where are you?” A cry for help came out of the debris, and she began to move some planks aside with her magic. She worked quickly, and a short while later, she saw a short purple tail. Quickly, she grabbed it and pulled it out of what was once a house. The little orange-coated pegasus was flapping her wings rapidly as she hung in Trixie’s mouth.

“My mum! My mum is still down there!” Trixie dropped the little one on the ground and continued moving the debris aside, only to see another aura joining hers shortly after. She looked up and found Princess Celestia standing next to her, concentrated on finding the mother of the filly. They both dug for a while longer but eventually found the injured mare. Celestia carefully lifted her out of the debris.
 
“Over here! I have another casualty!” she shouted in a thundering voice, and two pegasi immediately came over with a stretcher and carried off the wounded mare and her foal into the direction of the hospital.
 
“I thank you, Trixie, you have done well.” She was surprised that the princess knew her name and that she was acknowledging her so openly. She had always imagined the princess to be priggish and high-flown, but her voice was saying the exact opposite.
 
“Trixie was glad to be able to help, your Highness.” She bowed slightly and thought about the reward that was awaiting her. A bit of food or some bits would be enough for a start.
 
“Then please see where you can be of further help. And please come by the town hall later. I wish to speak to you in private.” She lifted off and quickly flew into the centre of the town. Trixie was overwhelmed with joy. Not only had she saved two lives, she would also get a reward from the princess herself. She grabbed the picture out of her cloak and looked at it.

“See, Changer? Your sister finally has something going for her.” Her grin slowly turned into a frown. The conversation with this doppelgänger was still recent in her mind. He looked exactly like her brother, had the same cutie mark, even his voice was the same, yet he said that he wasn’t him. Was he really just a doppelgänger, or had something different happened to her brother? Just a year ago she stood at his grave, and now he was here like nothing ever happened, like she had never existed. Disgruntled, she stomped a hoof on the ground, splashing a few drops of mud on her face, making her just grumble even more. “I will find out what is wrong with you, Changer.”
 

***




After we got out of the cellar, which was now completely ruined along all its contents, we began the search for AJ. The rain had luckily stopped by now, and the water that had flooded the farm was slowly flowing off through the swath that I had created.
 
“AJ, where are you?” I was running with Apple Bloom over one of the eastern fields and tried to show as little of my worry as possible. That her sister was nowhere to be found was not a good sign. A few trees were in a tilted position, while some were completely uprooted and were now lying in the mud.
 
“Sis? Come on, that’s not funny. We’re gettin’ worried.” While Apple Bloom continued calling for her sister, I thought about where she might have went. What meant so much to her that she would go so far away from the house during a storm? At first I thought of the graveyard, but Big Mac went there since he wanted to inspect the damage. Besides that, there was only one thing that came to my mind…

“Zap apple!” I shouted out. “Apple Bloom, where are the zap apple trees?” She looked at me confused, but then seemed to realize where I was going with this.
 
“Over here, Light.” She galloped as quickly as her little hooves could carry her through the mud, and I was right next to her. “Behind that hill over there are the zap apple fields.” We ran up the hill, which I only managed to do on the second try since I slipped on the mud and slid down again. The fields looked like a battlefield. Most trees had lost their branches, and many were either in a tilted position or uprooted and lied on the ground. I heard a sigh from Apple Bloom. I knew that the zap apples were the pride of their family.
 
“AJ, are you here?” No response again. We slid down the hill and slowly went over the field. Again and again we called her name and looked into every direction for a clue. We went over the field multiple times, but there was no sign of her to be found.
 
“Light, come quick!” Apple Bloom must have found something, so I rushed over to her. She stood in front of a tree that had fallen over and pulled something out of the mud. A Stetson.
 
“Step aside, Apple Bloom!” I almost yelled at her, and she quickly made way for me. I pushed some branches aside and then I saw her. AJ was buried under the tree crown, halfway buried in the mud and unconscious.
 
“Sis!” Apple Bloom screamed and tried to wake up her sister, but she only got a groan in reply.

“Quick, get Big Mac. He can help us.” Apple Bloom didn’t react. “Go, now!” I snapped at her, and this time she obeyed. She let go of her sister and staggered away through the mud. I tried to free AJ from the branches as best as I could and began to dig her out of the mud, which eventually led to her opening her eyes again.
 
“Sugarcube? Ah didn’t think ya’d be into mud masks,” she said with a faint smile. Humour always was a good sign.
 
“Are you alright, AJ? Do you feel anything?” The tree was lying on her back, and I was afraid of the damage it might have caused.
 
“Unfortunately, yes…” Her face flinched from the pain as I took the last branches off her. A tree not far away from us could no longer hold itself in the ground and fell over next to us. The mud began to run down the hill, and more trees were getting into a dangerous position.
 
“I think we should get going soon…” I gathered a bit of magic and tried to turn the tree into cotton, but nothing happened. The second try was not any more successful.
 
“Sugarcube, these are zap apple trees. Magic ain’t gonna work on them.” I looked around, but there was no sign of Big Mac and Apple Bloom, and I didn’t like the trees around us tilting even further. If I couldn’t transform the tree, levitating was still an option. I knew the runes and thought about the piece of wood that I had managed to send through the ceiling of my apartment back then. Quickly, I felt the magic leaving my body, but I kept up the spell. The tree was surrounded by my white light and began to shake slightly.

“Come… on… just… a…” Even with my limited magical power, it must have been possible to move this stupid little tree, damn it! I gathered all the magic that I could find in me, but it wasn’t enough, and I felt that my power was at its end. It felt like my whole body was sucked dry, including the pain. But there was still something left. In all the black that I saw with my closed eyes, there was this blue glowing ball. Whatever it was, it had to serve as a source. I opened my eyes, and with the new power source, I saw the tree slowly lifting off the ground and eventually flying a few meters above the ground, now in a blue light, not my usual white one. I ran to AJ, bit on to her hoof, and pulled her out from under the tree. She stood back up and went a few meters to the side before I cut off the spell. The tree smashed back into the mud, covering both of us in it.
 
“Everything… alright?” I asked while panting. AJ just nodded, and we slowly started walking back together to the farm but immediately slipped on the mud.
 
“Sis!” Big Mac came over the same hill that I had taken earlier and slid down to us. He rushed over to his sister and put her onto his back. “Are you alright? What happened?”
 
“Just a tree that no longer wanted to stand straight. Light had freed me, but Ah think that mah ribs got hurt.” She snorted and cast a sad look over the field.
 
“Don’t worry, sis, we’ll fix that,” the big red stallion assured her. “We’ve survived worse.” Slowly, we all trotted back to the farm together. As we reached the house, Big Mac placed his sister on the couch in the living room. “Thanks for freeing her.”

“No problem, Big Mac, you know how much she means to me.” He just nodded.
 
“But how did ya lift that tree?” That was still a mystery to me.
 
“I don’t know, I didn’t think I would be able to do it, but I haven’t really understood magic so far.” He shook his head again. “Are you going to carry AJ to the hospital now?”
 
“Nope.” I gave him a questioning look as he continued talking. “It’s only her ribs, n’ they will heal. We have to save the money, especially now with the damage to the farm. Fluttershy will have a look at her later and fix her up.” Now it was me who wanted to slap Big Mac, but I simply went upstairs into the bedroom, got the moneybag out of my carrier, went downstairs, and put roughly around two thousand bits on the table.
 
“That should be enough for the best treatment and for the bill for Trixie.” I saw that he wanted to say something, but he just nodded again and picked up his sister from the couch. “Where is Apple Bloom?” I hadn’t seen her since I sent her to get Big Mac.
 
“On her way to the school.” I completely forgot the school over all the chaos.
“Big Mac, I think AJ is in good han… hooves. I have to get to the school quickly.” He shot me a questioning look. “I’ll explain it to you later.” I ran out of the house and slid down the path to the road. AJ would get treated in the hospital, and her brother would be with her, but that blue ball was still haunting my mind. But I had to ignore it for now and focus on my job. I had no idea what was going on in Ponyville, but bringing the foals to safety sounded like a good plan.
 

***


As I reached the outskirts of the town, I saw that the damage was greater than expected, with some buildings having collapsed under the weight of their wet straw roofs while others had completely lost theirs. But I also saw many ponies had already begun to repair the damage, and there didn’t seem to be a panic, much to my relief. The school came into sight, and it luckily didn’t seem to have taken any major damage. Most of the playground equipment was covered in mud, and the swing didn’t seem to be completely fixed into the ground as before, but that was nothing that couldn’t easily be fixed.
 
“Apple Bloom, have you seen Blue Light?” I heard Cheerilee’s voice coming out of the little building.
 
“Yes, Miss Cheerilee. He was helping to clean up the chaos on the farm this morning.” I coughed slightly before all eyes turned to me. I saw Sweetie Belle trying to hold in laughter along with many of the other foals. Cheerilee left the room and took me a few steps away from the door.
 
“Morning, Light. Is everything alright with Applejack?”

“As far as I can tell, maybe some broken ribs. Big Mac is bringing her to the hospital, but it’s nothing serious,” I assured her.
 
“Very good. I was a bit worried after what Apple Bloom told me.” She let out a sigh of relief. “But let’s come back to a closer problem. Don’t you think it would have been a good idea to take a shower first?” I looked down at me and noticed that I was still covered in mud. A bit of magic that I had regained by now and the mud immediately hardened and crumbled off my coat as I shook myself. “I see that is no longer needed. So, are you ready?”
 
“Ready as I can be…” I didn’t get any further since Cheerilee obviously took that as a yes. She went back into the classroom and turned to the foals.
 
“So, kids, as I have already told you, I have a surprise for you today. As you just saw, Prince Blue Light is here, and I’m happy to tell you that he will be your new math teacher. So let’s give a welcome for him.” As she finished her little speech, I entered the little room again and stepped next to Cheerilee at the blackboard. The foals stomped their hooves on the ground and then waited for me to say something.
 
“Hello, my name is Blue Light, and like Miss Cheerilee just told you, I will teach you math. I hope that we will have a lot of fun together and that I can teach you a few things. Any questions?” My time as a youtuber was now proving its worth. Speaking in front of an audience could quickly make you nervous.

“Uhm… Mister Light? Where did all the mud go?” a young colt in the front row asked.
 
“Could you tell me your name, please?”
 
“Featherweight, sir,” he replied. I noted the camera around his neck and some memories about a certain episode came to my mind.
 
“I licked it off like a cat,” I said with a grin and let my tongue wander over the coat at my leg. The class grimaced, but Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and some others laughed. “Any more questions?” A young pony with a bright pink coat and diadem on her head raised her hoof. Cheerilee pushed a list that was lying on the desk closer to me, and I saw that it was a class list. On it was a picture of every student, their name, and cutie mark if available. But for this special foal, I didn’t need the list. “Yes, Diamond Tiara, right?”
 
“Correct, sir, I just wanted to know if you are really the son of Princess Celestia.” Her voice sounded as posh as I had remembered.
 
“Officially yes, but she is not my biological mother. She adopted me. For a more precise answer, I would have to look into the files myself.” I had no idea if there was something like a birth certificate for me. Another thing for Silver to do. Cheerilee had stood behind the desk quietly the whole time and watched how I interacted with the class, but now she coughed slightly, which I interpreted as a sign to start with the lesson. I tapped into my new power source and let the class list levitate in front of my face and began to check the attendance.

“Scootaloo?”  No reply. “Has any of you seen Scootaloo today?” Sweetie Belle raised her hoof.
 
“I saw that her house was destroyed, and I think she was helping her mother rebuild it.” I let a pen levitate over from the desk and noted her absence.
 
“So, what was the last thing you did in math?” Again many hooves shot into the air. “Yes, Silver Spoon?”
 
“We have started with fractions, sir.” I began to write a few exercises at the blackboard, and the class began to solve them in their notebooks.
 

***

 
She had been strolling through the town for a while now, and somehow it gave her a feeling of satisfaction to see the town that had ill-treated her suffer now themselves. At the same time, she felt guilty for thinking like that. They had deserved a little punishment, but this disaster was a bit too much. Most of the citizens were busy with the clean up or rebuilding their homes, and only a few seemed to tend to their normal jobs. Where did the princess want to meet with her? She came across the town hall, but if she had been there, there would have been a larger crowd instead of just a line of ponies who wanted to hand in their damage reports. Trixie thought it would be best to use a little search spell. Her talent was magic, and as such, it was an easy task for her to analyse the magic of others or find the source of a spell. Since the princess had used levitation magic in her presence, she stored her aura in her head. Slowly but steadily, the trace was leading her to a large tree that stood near the town hall and a sign that read ‘Golden Oaks Library’ next to it.

“Hello, anypony here?” She entered the tree house and threw a look around. No matter where her eyes fell, she saw books. The circular room had a small couch and pedestal with a bust on it stood in the middle of it.
 
“Hello, how may I— What do you want, Trixie?” Twilight Sparkle came down the stairs and threw a look at her that clearly said that she wasn’t wanted here.
 
“Trixie isn’t here because of you, and honestly, if Trixie knew this was your library, she wouldn’t have entered in the first place. Trixie is here because she wishes to speak with Princess Celestia, or rather her Highness has asked to speak with Trixie.” Twilight Sparkle rolled her eyes, and Trixie just snorted. It was obvious that Twilight Sparkle wasn’t easily convinced that the Princess had ordered Trixie here.
 
“Princess, Trixie is here and says that you wanted to speak with her,” she shouted upstairs into her private room, or at least that was what Trixie assumed.
 
“Let her in, Twilight. I have some important things to talk to her about.” Twilight just sighed and offered Trixie a seat on the couch.
 
“Do you want some tea, Trixie?” The hard work earlier had indeed left her thirsty.
 
“Trixie would much appreciate that.” That, and that her rival would serve it to her. Just as Twilight disappeared in the kitchen, the princess came down the stairs. She looked exhausted, and her aura had grown weaker since she had seen her the last time.

“Hello, Trixie, I am happy to see that you have accepted my invitation.” The regent stepped in front of the couch and smiled. Trixie reacted immediately by jumping off the couch and bowing before her.
 
“It is an honour for Trixie, your Highness.” The Princess of the Sun sat down next to the coach, as it was a bit too small for her, and Trixie sat down again as well.
 
“I have to thank you again, Trixie, for you have done a great deed today.” She just nodded to agree with princess. “But that is not why I have ordered you here. This storm was unfortunately not an unexpected accident. No, it is about the search for your brother. My son, who you have met as Blue Light, and Twilight Sparkle have already discussed some theories. Thanks to your help, we are a great deal closer to finding the origin of all this. That is why I would like to talk about something concerning you and Light.” Before Trixie could ask what it was, a dark flash of light appeared in the room, and Princess Luna stood right next to them.
 
“Tia, we have found it.” She didn’t seem to notice that Trixie was in the room. “We have found the world of Blue Light, but we have to be swift if he is to visit it.”
> Chapter 22 - Numb
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Keeping the class interested was easier than I had thought. I had written down a few more exercises on the blackboard after I showed them how to solve them from one or two examples. If someone during my school time would have told me that one day I would be a teacher, a creature that seemed to come directly out of hell, they would have only gotten loud laughter as a response. Still, I somehow liked standing here in front of the children and watching them think. Some raised their hooves from time to time to ask me questions that I gladly answered. During a quiet minute, Cheerilee went outside and motioned for me to follow her.
 
“I’m going to have a quick talk with Miss Cheerilee…” I looked through the classroom to see who I could leave in charge while I was gone. “Dawn, please make sure that everyone stays quiet here.” He simply nodded as I left the classroom.
 
“Yes, Cheerilee?” I asked after closing the door behind me.
 
“I just wanted to tell you that you are doing well so far, and if you want to, you can have the job.” I tried to make a ‘strike’ gesture, which only led to a painful twist of my right foreleg. “Everything alright?” she asked at my peculiar performance.
 
“Yes, just an old habit that doesn’t really seem to work anymore.” She laughed.

“What kind of habit is hurting yourself?” My answer was drowned in a bright flash of light, followed by a loud bang. Luna entered my field of view, and Cheerilee immediately bowed next to me. In the background, I could see the children gathering at the window and watching the princess come over to us.
 
“Greetings, Light, greetings, Cheerilee.” I bowed quickly as well to show her the respect that was necessary in public, though I knew that it would make no difference to her.
 
“Your Highness, what brings you to us?” Cheerilee asked, her head still pointing at the ground.
 
“We are sorry to disappoint you, but we are merely here for our nephew.” Cheerilee nodded, and Luna turned towards me. I went through all kinds of scenarios in my head. Was it something serious with AJ? But then Big Mac would have showed up here. Was Canterlot in even bigger distress? I didn’t get any further. “Light, we have come in regards of your visit to your home, but we have to leave at once.” My mood lightened immediately as I understood what she meant with home. She didn’t mean the farm, but my world, my family, and my friends that I all had to leave behind.
 
“I’m sorry, Cheerilee, but this is very important.” She just waved it off with a hoof.
 
“When the princess herself comes here because of it, it must be very important. I just hope it won’t become a habit.” I went over to Luna and stood beside her so that she could teleport us both.

“Thanks, Cheerilee. I’m ready, Luna.” I was nervous. Not only would I see my world again, but this would also be my first teleportation. Luna gathered a bit of magic that was around us and casted the spell. My sight went blurry as I saw the world whoosh past us at an insane speed. A house here, Canterlot there, quickly through Maretropolis and Manehattan, and with a bang, we suddenly stood in the Ponyville library, surrounded by books, Celestia, and Twilight. My head was still spinning, and I would have fallen over if I wasn’t standing on four legs.
 
“Hello, Light, it is nice to see you again.” Celestia stepped closer to me and gave me a quick hug. I was no expert in sensing magical power, but even I felt that she was weaker than usual.
 
“Everything alright, Celestia? You aren’t looking too good…” I asked myself what could have worn down the avatar of the sun. She pointed out of the window next to the door, and I followed her hoof with my eyes. The town was heavily damaged; many houses were missing their roofs while others had completely collapsed. “Is everyone alright?” Celestia just nodded.
 
“Yes, so far we have had nothing more serious than some bruises or broken bones. Some are currently in the hospital.” I tried to push away the thought of the town for now even though it was selfish.
 
“Why is the thing about my world so urgent? I mean, out there…” But I failed. I could go back into my world another time too, right?

“As you may know, the worlds are always in motion. Yours is only in reach of our magic for a short while. So, if you want to visit it, it has to happen within the next hour,” Luna summarized.
 
“And how do I get back?” I wanted to see my family again, but I had found friends here as well.
 
“You won’t go,” Twilight reported in. “Since Princess Celestia is still exhausted from helping resolve the chaos, Trixie and I will take over her part of the spell. But since we can’t create enough magic, we can’t send you over completely, only a projection. Your body stays here, and as soon as the worlds have drifted out of range, the spell should break automatically.” She was clearly excited to use this much magic, but there was another thing that stuck in my head.
 
“Trixie…?” I asked around, and just like she was waiting for a cue, a wall of smoke built up from the kitchen door and the Great and Powerful Trixie stepped out.
 
“Exactly, you have heard right. The Great and Powerful Trixie will help you with this endeavour. You should feel honoured.” Twilight rolled her eyes while Celestia preferred to just quietly chuckle. “Trixie would never have the opportunity to help her brother taken away from her.” Luna coughed at those words and was clearly confused, but Celestia and Twilight stayed calm.
 
“Trixie, I am not…” Celestia held a hoof in front of my mouth.

“Trixie, I think we will wait for that until Light has returned. For now, we should prepare for his departure.” She threw a soft look over to the mare who still stood with raised snout in the room and let her cloak wave in a magical wind.
 
“As you wish, Princess,” she simply said and bowed quickly. “So, Changer… I mean Light. The spell that the princess has explained to us earlier is of rather complex nature. Trixie does not want to be disturbed.”
 
“For you maybe,” Twilight mumbled just loud enough for me to hear it.
 
“Trixie is right, Twilight,” Celestia lectured her. “You should not think that this spell is easy. If something goes wrong, it can have consequences.” Both nodded, and Twilight pushed the couch aside, on which Celestia then sat down. “I will guide you, but unfortunately nothing more.” Twilight drew a circle with a piece of chalk on the wooden floor of the library and told me to step inside of it.
 
“Light, it is important that you are at the exact same position where you arrived once the spell breaks. Otherwise I can’t guarantee that you can come back.” Her look grew darker, and I knew that she was dead serious.
 
“Understood. Same place in one hour.” Twilight nodded contently and stepped at the border of the circle together with Luna and Trixie. The three nodded quickly and then began to gather magic.
 
“Ready?” Luna asked.

“As ready as I can be on such a day.” A storm, a marefriend with bruises or broken bones in the hospital, and here I was, leaving early from the first day of a new job to visit my family in another world. That sounded like Ponyville’s standard. The three let their magic shoot out on the circle on the ground, letting it glow in a bright blue light. Celestia closed her eyes on the couch and seemed to guide the three telepathically. The blue glow turned brighter, and I could see a few drops of sweat running down Trixie’s forehead. At the same time, the spell started to emit a buzzing sound. Every single hair of me stood up simply from the mass of magical power that surrounded me, and I had to concentrate to not collapse. The light, which so far only came out of the chalk, slowly approached me and went through my body, only to gather in a thin beam in the middle. As the beam left the ground, I lost my consciousness and my body fell to the ground.

 


***

 
The spell had cost more power than Trixie had expected. Exhausted, she sank to the ground but was happy to see that her rival wasn’t doing any better. Luna’s outer expression hadn’t changed, but she had also felt the change in her aura.
 
“I thank you, Twilight, and you too, Trixie, for making the travel possible for my son. And of course, I thank you too, Luna. As always, your assistance has proven valuable.” Trixie just nodded at the princess, as did Twilight. Luna slowly went towards her sister and sat down beside her, taking up all the remaining space on the couch.
 
“Trixie would like to know now what has happened with her brother. Why isn’t he remembering Trixie? Why is he saying that he is not Trixie’s brother? He is all that I… what Trixie has left on this world!” Her exhaustion, paired with the fact that she had found her brother who was supposed to be dead, began nagging at her.

 
“Twilight, would you be so kind as to put Light upstairs in your guest bed?” She followed Celestia’s wish and lifted the lifeless body off the ground and made her way upstairs. Once she was out of earshot, Celestia began to speak.
 
“Blue Light, Timo, or also Tio, as he liked to call himself, is in fact a creature from another world. We do not know why, but he was transformed into a pony. Unfortunately, there is no permanent way back for him. He had to leave everything behind - friends and family and his old life. His world is no longer his. If Twilight had not found him by accident, he would have died sooner or later since ponies need magic to live, and his world is without any form of magic. Magic is a part of us all, no matter if earth pony, pegasus, or unicorn. It is part of our world and makes us who we are.” Celestia paused before Trixie nodded that she followed. “My student, Twilight Sparkle, has found a theory after you showed up that states how every soul exists in every world, only in a different form. Light appears to be another form of your brother or somehow randomly received his body. Whatever happened, in some way he is your brother, but in another way he is not.” Trixie gulped. So he was her brother; he had never met her, but he was still the same pony. This wasn’t easy for her stomach, but how had it been for him, not knowing who or what he was?
 
“May I ask why Blue Light?” Trixie wondered who gave him that name and what it meant. Celestia giggled again.
 
“I gave him that name during the adoption, as it is my right as a mother and a gift to welcome him in this new world. I named him after the colour of his soul.” His soul? Was Celestia so powerful that she could not just see a pony’s aura but also their soul? She was barely able to feel the aura.

“Tia, you must be exhausted. We think We will be able to answer some of her questions as well.” Luna snuggled against her sister.
 
“Thank you, Luna. I will only rest my eyes for a second.” Celestia let her head sink onto one of the cushions, and she immediately seemed to be in the land of the dreams. Trixie found it astonishing to see the two princesses act so in private. It was truly an honour and surely something to be proud of as a citizen of this country.
 
“What will happen next, Princess?” she asked Luna, who had covered her sister with her tail.
 
“That depends on Light. If he accepts you as part of his life here, then so will we. Should this not be the case, we must ask you to respect this. He is an independent living being.” As Luna finished, Twilight came back from her room.
 
“I brought him to bed; now we can only wait.” Luna agreed with her.
 
“We may only hope that he finds what he is looking for. The next visit will not be possible for another month, maybe even longer. The movement of the worlds cannot be predicted precisely. We can only say if it is close enough or not.” She sighed. “But nevertheless, this spell costs a lot of power, and so we cannot use it very often. Equestria might be peaceful, but the world harbours dangers that only wait for a moment of weakness. This spell needs at least one of us princesses, and we cannot always take this risk, if only for the sake of our subjects.” Twilight was about to say something when someone knocked at the door. With a swing of her magic, the door opened and revealed a little yellow earth pony with a red mane and a red bow tied into it.

“Twilight! Twilight! Where is Light?” She was completely out of breath, and panic was clear in her eyes.
 
“What’s wrong, Apple Bloom?” Twilight asked worriedly and jumped back on her legs.
 
“Mah sister. Big Mac. Light. Big Mac will hurt Light!” Everypony looked confusedly at the little foal.
 

***

 
I opened my eyes again, having succumbed to the darkness for what only felt like a blink of an eye. I stood in a dense forest that I immediately recognized. This was the forest that I used to play in as a child, used for shortcuts as a teenager, and used to take my dogs for a walk during the summers for the last few years. However, something was strange. The entire world was behind a grey mist. A bit shakily, I leaned against the nearest tree and took a breather for a second. The magical pressure had faded rapidly, so much so that it was almost uncomfortable. I must have gotten used to the magic in Equestria. I took a deep breath, then I realized that could touch this tree, but I didn’t feel its bark against my coat. I rubbed my hoof against it, but I still felt nothing. It was then I realized what Twilight had meant. I was just a projection; my body here wasn’t my corporeal body, therefore no physical feelings. I looked around and found the same circle that had also been in the library. Luckily, I had landed on a footpath so that the circle wouldn’t be blown away by the first wind as it would have had it been drawn onto the leaves. I just wanted to get going before I realized that my hoof band was missing. Instead, a rune was drawn into my coat.

I didn’t know what it meant - I was still far away from knowing them all - but I soon realized that it must be some kind of watch and that I was wasting precious minutes just standing around here. I quickly got going and threw a glance through the treetops. The sun stood deep at the horizon, indicating that it would soon be night. At least I could be sure that my family would be home and not at work or anything similar.
 
Seeing the world only in grey didn’t make it easy for me to get my bearings, but after a few minutes, I came by the playground where I had met Twilight for the first time. From there, I could have found the way home even blind, but luckily that wasn’t necessary. Halfway there, I saw a cordon around a tree, but nothing indicated why it was blocked off. I suspected that this had been the tree that Trent had been using as he fended off the policemen. I gulped at the thought of what my family had to endure after that, so I galloped the rest of the way. Soon enough, I saw the roof of our house. Then came the rest of the house into sight, an image that made me catch my breath. The back had a huge chunk missing from it so that I could see directly into the destroyed room of my brother. The garden was dug over, and cracks could be seen in the ground. The garden door hung loose on its hinges, every window was shattered, and I saw what I didn’t want to believe were bullet holes in the walls.
 
“What the heck happened here?!” I almost shouted and ran towards the door and immediately went into the cellar.  Water rose up to my hooves and flew out of the wash kitchen directly through the door into the sink that was before it. “Nils?” I shouted through the cellar and looked through every room: the storeroom, the two workshops, and then my brother’s room, which was rather a party cellar. The door was the only one that was closed, and when I tried to use my magic to open it, nothing happened. No body, no magic. I stood up on my hind legs and opened the door the old fashioned way. The large TV was smashed in, the beer pump behind the counter was ripped out, and the couch, on which my brother used to sleep, was torn to pieces. Much to my relief, there was no sign of blood or anything similar.

“Mum? Enno? Dirk?” I called for them as I took the stairs back to the ground floor. The door that separated the cellar had a large hole with a black outline in it as though fire had burned through it. I pushed the door open and saw multiple floor tiles shattered in the hallway. The wardrobe for the jackets was on the ground, and the large glass door that marked the entrance to the apartment was shattered. Carefully, I stepped over the shards and looked into every room again, but each was in a similar condition to my brother's room.
 
The sink in the bathroom had fallen off, and the shower cabin was smashed in, as was the mirror. Dirk’s bed was shredded, and feathers from his pillow were scattered everywhere. Nobody seemed to be here either, but neither was there blood or anything like that to be seen. In my mother’s bedroom, I immediately saw that the glassy wardrobe had been emptied. Some clothes were still lying in the room like they had been packed in a great hurry.
 
“What happened here?” Slowly, I went upstairs into my apartment where I was met with the same chaos again. My computer room was a mess, with parts lying around everywhere, some old monitors being smashed in, and my second laptop had lost its screen. If I weren’t so damn worried, I would have made a joke, but any laughter stuck in my throat. The rest of my apartment was in a similar state to my mother’s, aside from that fact that someone seemed to have searched it. Every drawer in my bedroom was empty, and every wardrobe in the living room had lost most of their contents as well, which were now lying on the floor before them.

I went over to my large living room window from which I could see the neighbour’s houses, only to see that our house wasn’t the only one that had been demolished. The old farm house had collapsed, and the one at the end of the road had multiple large holes in the wall, making it seem very unstable.
 
I turned on the TV, but every channel only ran a test card, something I hadn’t seen in years. On the public channels, however, I saw a list of camps running up and down: Aachen, Bielefeld, Berlin, Chemnitz, Hannover, Stuttgart, and Munich. However, it was the last sentence that caught my attention. Düsseldorf and Cologne were lost. I turned on the radio, but there was no sound. The next thing that came to my mind was the newspaper, and that would have to be somewhere down in the kitchen. I rushed downstairs and actually found a pile of old newspapers, but they all seemed to be a bit older.
 
“Seventh of August? Is this from last year?” I had only been gone for a month, so it must have just been around the end of May. I searched for the calendar that usually hung on the fridge and found it under the table. The date stood at the twenty-ninth of June. So there had to be a time shift between the worlds, but at least we were still in the same year. I turned back to the newspaper and flipped through the pages, which wasn’t easy with hooves on the thin paper. On one page I found an article that confirmed my thought about the cordon. It was about two policemen being assaulted in the tree after following kids in pony costumes into the forest. The police had no further clues, besides coming from our house, and that the denizens knew nothing about it. So my family hadn’t sold me out, which was probably for the better since they surely would have gotten a hug-me-jacket, or they really could no longer remember me. Maybe even Changer was here and they thought he was me, who he somehow was. Then the headache returned. I took another newspaper from the pile and found a newer edition, noticeable from the pages not having yellowed yet. A hundred thousand casualties worldwide, read the headline in thick red. Quickly, I skimmed over the article.

“Since the appearance of these creatures, over a hundred thousand people have lost their lives. NATO is still counselling on how to fight these shadows since their only weakness is sunlight. Every UV-lamp in the country had been sold out since weeks ago, and people are barricading their homes. The government is building camps in larger cities to protect refugees.”
 
Shadow creatures that kill humans? That sounded like a bad nightmare or something like vampires since daylight was their only weakness. A picture below the article showed a black cloud with two, red, glowing eyes. I recalled already reading something like that in a book during my stay in Canterlot. The creatures were called Nightmares, and they feasted on souls, but that was all I could remember. The horror stuck deep in my bones as I imagined what must have been going on here recently. People fearing for their lives, children watching their parents die, and much more. This wasn’t World War Three, but it was very close. I skimmed over the article again. The humans had no weapons they could use against them, but Equestria had something - magic. What was better against magical creatures than magic? If someone was able to help the humans, then it would be Luna or Celestia.
 
I glanced at the rune that had halfway vanished so far. I couldn’t do anything here. My family was god knows where, and without magic I wouldn’t get far. I had to go back and get help, but not without a souvenir.
 
Slowly, I went back upstairs into my living room and opened a drawer at the large table and pulled out a picture. In the picture was me when I was around sixteen, my brother Nils was five, and Dirk had just been born. My mother sat on the couch and held him in her arms, with my father next to her. My grandmother sat on a chair beside them, and my grandfather stood behind the couch and grinned from ear to ear. I stored the picture in my mane and was about to close the drawer when I saw an envelope that I hadn’t seen before. Carefully, I pulled it out and placed it on the desk. Much to my surprise, there was no address or anything else written on it, only a negative of my cutie mark. I tore it open and a blue powder came out of it.
 

***

 
“Fire!” the commander ordered. The soldiers that had pointed their guns at the black creatures pulled the trigger. The German G36c was not the M4 that James Tuna, simply called ‘Fish’ by his comrades, was used to, but it didn’t miss its target. The creature shrunk back as the bullets pierced through its body and left large holes behind. “Keep them at bay until the civilians are safe!” another order sounded while the creature’s wounds slowly closed. These things were immobile while moving, but in the end it was just a waste of bullets.

For three weeks they had been in Germany now to assist the Bundeswehr while the shit hit the fan back home, just like everywhere else on the world. Those things had just appeared from the ground one day and started to kill anyone they touched. In the first night alone, hundreds, even thousands, lost their lives, and the world had fallen into chaos faster than anyone could have imagined. Europe had only been the start. After being here for two days, they had gotten the news from home that cracks were forming in Washington and New York as well, and the shadows were killing people there. He would have preferred to be with his wife and kids, but they were safe on the base. Once they found out that these creatures couldn’t stand the sunlight, every base and camp was equipped with UV-lamps so that these creatures couldn’t come close to it. Some had tried but simply perished once they touched the light.

The shadow in front of him and his company stood up again and got joined by a second one. “Fire!” ordered Commander Shepard, and a hail of bullets flew through the night air again.
 
“New belt!” Mac barked. John Mc Gilvey, nicknamed Mac, was a tall redheaded hulk from a farm from Texas. His face was covered with freckles, which were joined by a few blisters since, from time to time, the hot bullets from his M214 flew into his face. He wore the light machine gun like it was a machine pistol.
 
Alfred, a young guy fresh from basic training, wore a backpack with ammunition for all of them and quickly pulled out a new belt and rushed over to Mac, who had readied his weapon for reloading. He and his two comrades, Bill and Leroy, twin brothers, kept on firing at the two creatures, turning them into Swiss cheese.
 
“Hold your fire! Reload!” the order came, and everyone followed.
 
“Check!” shouted Mac and slammed shut the cover of his weapon, now equipped with a new one hundred bullet belt.
 
“Check!” shouted the two brothers that were handling their G36c much better than Fish.
 
“Check!” shouted Pill, their medic. He got that name since he was a Star Trek fan and his first name was Leonard. He was the smallest one in their group and wore thick glasses on his nose. He was barely able to use a gun, but he was the best thing that could happen to you if you needed medical help.

“Okay, listen up, everyone!” The commander turned around and looked at the stream of people that were preparing their march from the town a few hundred meters behind them. “We cover the civilians as long as we can.” The group nodded. “Düsseldorf has fallen, so our next stop is Berlin. We have to get to the airport and hold it as long as we can. Understood?”
 
“Sir, yes, sir!” the group shouted and held their weapons ready. Fish heard a honk, the signal of the jeep from the back of the convoy. “You’ve heard it; we march in a few minutes. We have to get to the stadium if we want to sleep tonight.” Everyone got into position again. The two shadows hadn’t completely regenerated yet, but they were close
 
"Hua!"
 

***

 
The blue mist began to take a form that I knew very well - mine. It formed into my old self and stood right in front of me in my living room. It was creepy to watch an image of myself grin at me. It took a few seconds until I regained my composure and touched my image with a hoof, but it just turned back into dust before building up elsewhere again.
 
“Hello, Timo,” said the construct with a voice that I immediately recognized as my own. “I believe you have a few questions, and I hope that I can give you some answers.” My old self bowed. “May I introduce myself? My name is Changer.” I wanted to ask a question, but the construct was faster. “This is a recording, so it won’t be of any use to ask questions. Yes, I know how you think; we are the same thing after all.” I still stood with open mouth in front of the image. “I hope you got behind what happened, but in case you haven’t, I’ll gladly explain it all to you again. I have swapped our existences, which was fairly easy, seeing that we are the same being. The spell I used is ancient, and I stumbled upon it when I was lying in the hospital and trying to find a cure for my disease. Unfortunately, there was none, and I came to terms with destiny, but I didn’t want to leave my sister alone. With the help of a spirit from the Everfree, I searched for a world on the brink of doom and found yours. With the help of the same spirit, I quickly found my counterpart, and to my surprise, your spirit was willing to accept the deal.”
 
Unfortunately, I was too weak at that point, and the spell didn’t go through completely, which resulted in our memories not being swapped. You were not supposed to remember your world and I wasn’t supposed to remember mine so that it would all go as planed. I would have either died of the disease or the plague that is haunting this world while you would have been with my sister and could have had a normal life.” The image took a few steps and went through me, only to rebuilding itself behind me. “That you are here means that you know the evil that has fallen onto this world - the nightmares. They are like locusts that feast of souls and move from world to world to satisfy their never-ending hunger. Your family is preparing to flee to one of the camps while I’m recording this message. When you opened this envelope, a magical signal should have alerted me that you have entered this world. If in the next five minutes no other letter appears, then my disease has already killed me.” I gulped and looked around to see if another envelope had appeared. “If this is the case, I want you to take my essence that I left behind here with you. I don’t know which consequences that might have, but see it as a last wish of a dying soul. Greet my sister from Changer and tell her the following, ‘Arion was wrong; we will always have each other.’”

The construct collapsed and gathered in a glowing orange ball which somehow seemed to be empty. It reminded me of the blue ball that I found inside me when my magic was exhausted. I wanted to take it into my hoof, but it immediately shot through my body and disappeared. Panicked, I looked around, but nothing seemed to have changed. I thought for a moment about what Changer had told me and why this all had happened - the egoistic reasons from both of us. He didn’t want to leave his sister alone, and since he couldn’t keep that promise, he ripped a soul out of another world. Even though it was about to die, it wasn’t right. And I fled from our harsh reality into another world that I thought was easier. We both were egotistical bastards, each in our own way.
> Chapter 23 - Blow Me Away
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

These fleabags were everywhere. “We take position at the traffic light! We can use the cars as cover!” Fish shouted towards his men that were all dashing down the street, trying to escape from around ten of the shadows. They had gotten the commander at the last crossway, so now he was the highest ranking officer, the one in charge, and his goal was clear: catch up to the convoy and reach the stadium. Beta Company had struck a camp there last week and replaced every light bulb with UV lights so that these things couldn’t get inside. Mac, despite his heavy weapon, was the first to reach said location, sliding over the bonnet of a Mercedes and mounting his weapon on its roof.
 
“Suppressing fire!” he shouted, and everyone dove into cover. The M214 emptied its magazine into the approaching shadows, piercing holes into them until they looked like mouldy, black cheese.
 
“That should keep them busy for a while. Staging!” Fish ordered, and the small troop gathered behind the cars. “Alf, get the map. We need to pin down our position and check our ammunition. Pill, how is Bill doing?” The soldier had been touched by one of the creatures and seemed to be mentally absent since, along with suffering a fever.
 
“Not good. Usually, a touch is deadly. I gave him just about everything, but without the right equipment, I can’t do anything more.” Fish nodded.

“Lee, take care of your brother. If we make it to the stadium, we can request a chopper and get him out of here.” Leroy nodded and picked up his brother again. He had been carrying him for a few blocks now as he could no longer do so on his own. “Mac, how much ammo do you have left?” He opened his gun and looked at the belt.
 
“Around one hundred fifty,” Alfred reported before Mac could say anything.
 
“I’ve got our position. We are around twelve clicks away from the stadium. That’s around thirty minutes through downtown or an hour if we go around. I have three mags for the G36 and around twenty for the M9 in my backpack.” Fish quickly did the math in his head. Every man had around two magazines with them and a full pistol, so they had around five hundred bullets.
 
“Lee, take your brother’s gun and ammunition. I don’t think he’ll need it tonight. Mac, only shoot if you’ve got the M214 set up - we will need your suppressing fire. Use your pistol if you need a short range defence.”
 
“Fish, these things are almost done recovered!” Mac, who had stayed at his gun the entire time, shouted.
 
“Okay, Alf, we go through the town. We’ll have more cover there, and we can get Bill faster out of here. I know that these things can walk through walls, but let’s hope they can’t see through them as well. Ready? Go!”
 
The group got moving again. As they ran between the skyscrapers, Fish thought about the words of his recruitment officer the entire time. “Like a holiday in Europe. Bah!” he mumbled under his three-day-old-beard.
 

***

 
I still stood in my apartment and looked at the empty space where the dust that had morphed into my old human body and introduced himself as Changer had just came from. In my head, I again went through what he had revealed to me. I didn’t like most of it although I had come to terms with some of the thing he mentioned a while ago. The whole thing was both our fault, and now we, or rather I, had to face the music. But that was something I had to deal with on my own, and that would take time. For now, it was only important to locate where my family was so that I could help them during my next visit. The few scraps of information that were scattered here indicated that the humans had no weapons against the nightmares, and I didn’t know how magic could help, but it would surely be better than bullets. Twilight or Celestia could surely find a spell to get rid of those things.
 
A clank came from downstairs, and by habit, I looked out of the window to see who came through our garden door. However, it had gotten dark outside already, and I couldn’t see anything, the glass in the window reflecting too much.
 
I looked back at my rune and saw that I didn’t have much time left - only around thirty minutes remained, and I would need around ten to get back to my arrival point. I grabbed the photo from the table with my mouth and was annoyed for not having pants. A pocket would have really been handy here.

Quickly, I went down the hallway and down the stairs, but I didn’t get much further. A large shadow blocked the way to the front door and slowly levitated around. As I realized after a few seconds what exactly was there in front of me, I slowly went back up the stairs so that it couldn’t see me even if it were to turn around. But since I was unable to feel anything, I didn’t notice that I had reached the top of the stairs, and so I slipped, eliciting a thud from the wood as I landed on it.
 
Immediately, the nightmare came around the corner and looked up at me. Its appearance had now changed. Two long, thin arms with three claws at each end came out of something that seemed to be a torso. It looked closely related to an insect and reminded me of a praying mantis. Further down, I saw two equally thin legs which ended in claws, just like the arms, but they reminded me more of a raptor. Its face was the snout of a wolf, and the eyes were without pupils, only a glowing red. A loud roar came out of its mouth, and as it opened it, I could see black teeth surrounded by a white fluid. The whole body of the creature was black, but it was not fur or skin. Instead, it just seemed to be fog that had taken a form, almost like a piece from the universe since it had something like stars shining in it. Somehow, it reminded me a bit of the shimmering mane Luna had when she had been Nightmare Moon, only much darker.
 
The nightmare was building up before me and wanted to strike down on me with one of its claws, but I reacted first and slid underneath him by stiffening my body, a trick I had learned a while ago when I used to slide down the stairs in a sleeping bag. What else could you do while being sick at home? My coat was working quite similar to the material of the sleeping bag, and I quickly got behind it. Swiftly, I got back on my hooves and dashed towards the front door.

I leaned against the handle and opened the door, only to immediately close it again. Another of the creatures was standing on the other side. I took a step back, and that saved me. Not a second later, the claw of the creature came through the door and grabbed for me before it put its head through as well.
 
The thing on the staircase had now realized as well what had happened and hung vertically at the wall, slowly crawling towards me. A bit of magic would have been really helpful now, but without my body, and the horn connected to it, that was not an option. The other nightmare had fully stepped through the door by now, ready to jump at me as soon as I made to move.
 
An idea shot through my mind, and I slowly took a few steps backwards and pressed my flank against the door to the dog room. That room had a balcony. It wasn’t very high, and if the table was still standing there, I could jump down into the garden and escape into the forest. My hoof searched for the handle as I couldn’t leave the two out of the eyesight. Finally, the door behind me gave way.
 
I slid through the opening and immediately shut the door behind me. I didn’t even wait to see what the two nightmares would do as I opened the door to the balcony and looked around. The large, white wooden table was still at its usual spot, meaning that it was a bit too far away from the handrail to jump.
 
I rushed outside and began to move it with all my strength, even though I didn’t really much right now. Slowly, it began to move, and with the sound of wood that met metal, it finally stood in the right position. Quickly, I climbed on one of the plastic chairs and then on the table, but a roar kept me from jumping. My two friends had just crawled through the wall and seemed to be angry that their prey wanted to get away. I wasn’t waiting for them and jumped over the handrail onto one of the trash bins that stood below it. From there, I scrambled to the ground and was off into the forest. I had to admit I was lucky that the trash bins stood there. Without them, my landing wouldn’t have been so soft.


***

 
“Nothing here either!” Pill shouted as he stood up from a motionless body. It was nothing unusual to walk past dead bodies these days, but something made Fish let the group look for signs of life. Of course they couldn’t stop, but with the wounded, they were slow enough so that Alf and Pill could look for life signs while the rest of the group gave them cover. Unfortunately, they had no success so far, rather the complete opposite. Alf had thrown up after walking past the body of a little girl to check the vital signs of her mother that still held her in her arms.
 
The deceitful hope came from the bodies not showing any external wounds, no blood or anything. If he didn’t know better, he would have said they weren’t dead, only sleeping. Only when they began to decay was it clear.
 
“Got a soldier over here! German!” Alf shouted as he went through a pile of bodies on the pavement.
 
“Take the dog tags and move on. We have no time to worry about the dead.” Alf nodded at Fish and rummaged around in the jacket of the dead. With a quiet click, he ripped the chain of the soldier’s neck and put the tag in his pocket.
 
"Per istam sanctam unctionem et suam misericordiam adiuvet te Dominus divites in virtute adsistit dabit Spiritum Sanctum Dominum liberat a peccato nisi te direxit te in misericordia." Just as Alf had finished the anointment, Mac came over to him and pulled him back up. Mac was religious as well, but he knew very well that this wasn’t the right time, especially if he wanted to do it to every dead soldier they would find. “Markus Schmidt…”
 
“Come again, Alf?” Mac asked.
 
“The guy’s name was Markus Schmidt.” Mac just nodded and let go of Alf, who managed to move on by himself.
 
“Alf, I know this is your first mission, but we don’t have time for that! Come on.” Fish jabbed him in the ribs with his G36 so that he would step it up a notch. He had to hand it to the Germans; they knew how to make weapons. The G36 was light and handy, perfect to beat someone round the head with.
 
They passed some larger stores like ‘Karstadt’ or ‘Galeria’, and behind one of the large glass doors, Fish could see some people lying. The doors were not working, and the power was reduced to a minimum so that the street lanterns gave the only light. The flashlights on their weapons had to stay off. The first soldiers who attacked the creatures at night had to learn it the hard way that light would only lure the nightmares towards them. Those things were dark as the night and lived in the darkness, so light only meant potential prey for them.
 
“Die Apokalypse ist da, die Rache Gottes, Alien Invasion…” As Fish heard screams out of the darkness, he motioned his men to take position. Everyone reacted immediately, even if Mac had to pull Alf behind a car. With their weapons ready, they all stared into the alley from where the voice seemed to come and waited for whoever might come from there. The shouting of the stranger continued, and after a short while, he stepped out of the dark alley. It was man of middle age, without pants but a thick jacket which was so dirty that it seemed he had been sleeping in his own shit and hadn’t shaved for weeks.

“Hey, shut up!” Fish hissed through the night and tried to stop the screams of the man, but he didn’t seem to notice them. Fish gave Mac the signal to go over to him while the rest of the group kept their guard up.
 
“Hey Mister, calm down! We’ll bring you to the stadium. You will be safe there.” Mac put a hand on his shoulder, but the man just kept on dancing and ignored the soldiers. Mac just shook his head.
 
“Okay, men, onwards!” Fish ordered, and everyone but Pill went back on their tracks.
 
“Fish, we can’t just leave him like that. He will die.” He was probably right. Fish knew that very well.
 
“Not our problem. Our orders are to bring the convoy to the stadium…”
 
“And help every civilian we find on the way,” Pill ended the sentence.

“I don’t see what we can do for this guy. He doesn’t want to come with us. His problem, not ours. Now move. I don’t wanna wait here until his screaming attracts the first shadow.” Pill gave up. He turned around one more time, just to see the man disappearing in another alley. Just as he was about to turn around again, the man screamed again, and in the next second, he saw multiple shadows coming out of the exact some alley. They had gotten him.

“Targets!” Pill shouted to his group ahead and quickly caught up to them. Fish turned around and saw multiple shadows gliding over the ground behind Pill.
 
“Lee, take cover! Alf, suppressing fire!” he shouted while they took position behind some benches that stood around. Lee did as he was told and hid together with his brother behind some cars that stood a bit off the side. Mac had meanwhile mounted his gun on the bench and emptied half of the belt that still was in it.
 
 
Fish had switched his weapon to semi-automatic and shot a few precise salvos into direction of the approaching shadows. Alf meanwhile searched his bag for the remaining belt for Mac’s weapon while Pill ran over to Lee and defended himself with his M9.
 
“Above you!” Fish noticed a shadow that hung from a tall building above Pill, Lee, and Bill and landed onto a car behind them. “Light, we need some light!” He turned on his flashlight and immediately wished he hadn’t. In front of him stood eight more of the things, and his magazine was half empty already. “Well, shit…”
 

***


I pulled myself together and dashed through our garden. I didn’t need to look around to know that the two nightmares were still behind me, for I could hear their white saliva dripping on the ground. Besides that and their occasional roars, they made no noise, otherwise I would have heard it with my improved hearing. Being able to turn your ears in any direction usually came in handy, but not this time.

Past the apple tree in the garden and the pool, I jumped over the low fence that separated our property from the forest. I was glad that we never got around renewing it, otherwise my travel would have ended there. Much to my dismay, the nightmares were not slowed down by any obstacles. They simply ran through them.
 
The forest was dark, and now with the moon covered behind some clouds, I almost slipped over a root that stuck out of the ground. I almost ran against a tree a few times since my eyes needed some time to adjust to the darkness.
 
I risked a quick glance behind me, thanks to my flexible neck, and saw that they were still behind me. However, I had gained a lot of ground on them. I couldn’t see much in the darkness, but I saw their eyes growing further behind, and I could no longer see their saliva dripping down.
 
I had troubles orienting myself in the darkness. Usually I used the tree to find the way, but now I couldn’t even recognize them even though I had lived by this forest for my whole life. A light spell was exactly what I needed now, but that would hardly work without a horn. However, right now it was worth a try.
 
Concentrating on my magic while galloping was hard, and just as expected, I found none since a unicorn’s magic was stored in its body. But what I found instead was that blue ball and the orange one that Changer had left me with. They both were floating through the darkness of my subconscious and slowly got closer to each other.
 
I used my familiar blue source and directed the power that I filtered through the runes in my head on the first leaf I found on the ground. A blue light came from my non-existing horn, and the leaf began to glow like a flashlight.
 
I stopped to take it into my mouth, next to the photo, and continued running with a bit better sight into the direction where I thought my arrival point was. I really should have remembered the way better. It didn’t take long for me to notice that it had been a very bad idea to make some light.
 

***

“Lee, let go! It’s no use!” Bill had been touched by the creatures a second time, and his vital signs had stopped immediately this time. “You can no longer help him.” Pill pulled at Lee as strong as he could, but he didn’t want to let go of his brother. The shadow, which had just jumped from a building a few seconds ago, was lying on the ground a few meters ahead of them and slowly regenerated the holes that Pill’s M9 had ripped through his body.
 
“I’m running dry!” Mac shouted, immediately followed by multiple clicking sounds. He let go of his M214, which was useless now without ammunition, and changed to his M9 as well. “Fish, where to?” Fish was busy keeping the shadows away from him and cursed constantly.

“We won’t make it to the stadium! We have to hide somewhere and wait until tomorrow. Alf, you know the town a bit. Any ideas?” Alf had just handed Mac a new magazine for his pistol.
 
“No, these things walk through walls like it was paper. No place nearby is safe from them.” Fish emptied his second to last clip of his G36 and looked around. Shadows were hanging off the walls of some buildings, but there was one special sign that caught all his attention. He thanked God that he had been listening to his wife once in a while when she had been talking about things she wanted to buy.
 
“Everyone in the building to our left, second floor! Move!” He fired a few shots at the shadows that jumped through the air to reach him. “Pill, get Lee even if you have to drag him!” Pill seemed to have a better idea and gave the stubborn soldier, who was still leaning against a car and held his brother, a firm slap on his face which released him out of his trance.
 
“Thanks,” he just mumbled, picked up his G36 from the ground and began to fire around him. Mac and Alf had meanwhile reached the entrance of the building and began to give cover fire. Lee took the dog tag off his brother and ran, together with Pill, to the rest of the group out on the middle of the road.
 
As he passed Fish, he tapped him on the shoulder to signal that they could go. Fish didn’t need to be told twice as he released his rifle, which only contained two more shots at that point, and sprinted together with Lee and Alf to the others. The only ones left with their rifles now were Pill and Lee. Fish opened the glass door with the back of his pistol, and they carefully went through. They found themselves in a small shopping mall which had been plundered weeks ago.

“Mac, Lee, down in the basement and turn on the generator. These buildings usually have a small one. Pill, come with me into the second floor, and we’ll prepare everything.” The three nodded and quickly went their way. With the flashlight on his M9, Fish made himself some light and quickly went upstairs with Pill, and they actually found what he had been hoping for: a tanning salon.
 
“Help me set up these things in a circle,” he ordered Pill, and they both began pushing around the solariums. After the last one was in position and Pill began opening the covers, a crackling sound appeared, and the lights at the ceiling began to flicker before they eventually brightened.
 
Steps sounded from the staircase, and they both saw Lee and Mac, followed by some shadows, coming into the salon. Fish began switching on one solarium after the other by throwing some coins into them. The money had been taken from the register, one of the few things that had been left untouched. The UV tubes began to buzz and lightened up after a few seconds. Lee and Mac jumped through a hole in the circle of solariums, and their pursuers vanished into thin air behind them. “Here, have something for your eyes.” Fish gave each of them a pair of sunglasses.
 
“And I thought Iraq was warm,” Mac noted and laughed while lying down on the floor, using his backpack as a pillow.
 

***

 
The light only seemed to attract the nightmares, and I slowly began to doubt the advantages the light brought to me. The only thing that held me back from letting go of it was that if I did, I would also lose the photo, one of the reasons I had come here in the first place.

I galloped on into the direction which my intuition said was the correct one. Usually I doubted it as it had often failed me before, but this time it seemed to be correct since I saw in the corners of my eyes the light of the leaf reflecting somewhere, and as I went closer, I saw that it was the slide of the playground. It was not far away from my arrival point, so I was on the right way, which was about time as the rune was only showing me around two more minutes.
 
Quickly, I followed the path and found what I had been looking for. The circle on the ground was glowing bright in the night already. I just wanted to step inside, but then another nightmare shot out of the ground in front of me and left behind a gaping hole in the ground, out of which a faint purple light was shimmering.
 
I was forced to turn on my heels and head back to the playground. I saw a few more nightmares here and there between the trees as they quickly came closer. Never before had I been so frightened in my life. Adrenalin, yes, from roller coasters, my first drive with my car, or my first accident, but there had been no time to be afraid. However, now I was basically seeing death running towards me, and I was sure that, if I would survive that, I would be plagued with nightmares like the one time when I watched Alien as a child.
 
I looked down at the rune - around one minute left. However, I had to get away from here, now. I rushed past one of the creatures, back into direction of the circle again, but my path was blocked again. So I did the only thing that I could. I wiped the rune off my leg. Immediately I was caught by the blue light, and it began to send me off somewhere. At that point, I didn’t care where as long as it wasn’t here!
> Chapter 24 - End of All Hope
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Iron Hoof knew that it hadn’t been a good idea to build a house near the Badlands, but the material was just easier to get here. That was a decision not just he, or his family, but his whole village would regret. One year ago, they had begun their journey to settle a new village with Princess Celestia’s and Princess Luna’s personal blessing. With a great party, the caravan had left Fillydelphia and eagerly marched on without thinking about the possible dangers for a second. What should a pony look out for these days anyway? They were living in peace. The war with the griffons was millennia ago, and most of the dangerous creatures were living in the Everfree Forest near a small town named Ponyville that was not far away from Canterlot. Who would have expected the danger to be here?
 
One month ago, they all had reasons to celebrate. The announcement of the marriage of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and the Captain of the Royal Guard, the brother of the Element of Magic, was a big thing everywhere. None of the villagers were able to attend the festival, but that didn’t keep them from holding their own banquet in honour of the couple. It had been the first real festival the village had celebrated; they just hadn’t found the right time for that before. The winter didn’t have to be wrapped up out here since there were no such things as seasons here in the desert. Even the spring festival, which the earth ponies liked to hold, didn’t exist out here since there were no seeds to sow.
 
But that was not what they were here for; that would be the iron. It was a rare good in Equestria and brought lucrative business with it, so many travelling salesponies would come out here to buy it. They would bring food and bits with them to trade for the valuable commodity.

The ponies who were not working in a mine themselves were providing pubs and taverns for the workers and merchants. With the few alternatives, that was also a good business out here.
 
They had a monopole, and life was good for them. The village flourished so well that they had even ordered the laying of a railway line to ease the transport. But that wasn’t meant to be.
 
His house, built out of simple wood that they had brought with them, was burning down, just like the rest of the village. Flames, green flames were to be seen everywhere, and a constant buzzing sounded through the air. Nopony would have ever imagined that Fillyburg, named after the hometown of the settlers, would end this way. Screams of ponies sounded through the chill night, followed by malicious laughter.
 
“It is not Canterlot, but for today it shall be enough. Eat, my changelings! Feed on them!” a rasp, female voice sounded through the air and ordered the black creatures. One of the things had rooted Iron Hoof with a green substance to the ground, and he had to watch his wife and daughter, not older than half a year, be dragged away by of these creatures.
 
“Stop! What are you doing with them!? Let me out of here! Give me back my family!” he shouted, but none of the creatures seemed to bother with his words. Rather, they seemed to give them pleasure.

Iron Heart was strong, not just because he was an earth pony, but also because he worked in his mine every day. If he could get his hooves on one of those things, he would crush them like the insects they were, but they had surprised him in his sleep and tied him up.
 
The large changeling that floated over the village came down to him and eyed him for a while. Her breath had the disgusting smell of death, and he wanted to vomit by just looking at her. Long, bilious green hair, an exoskeleton covering her back, incredibly long fangs, and holes in her legs - it was a horrific sight that was topped off with cold, green eyes. Her horn glowed for moment before she spat on the ground in front of him.
 
“This one is not worthy, but the other two are.” She pointed at his wife and daughter. “They will replace our losses in Canterlot very well. Put them into a cocoon!” she shouted to her two servants, who replied with a loud hissing and moved his family out of his sight. Iron tried to free himself with all his power, leaned into every direction, but the goo held him in place. “I see that someone is not being agreeable.” The queen giggled. “But you are lucky; I am giving you a chance. Defeat me, and you and your family are free to go.” Hope had appeared at the end of a long, dark tunnel, even if it was slim. He could save his family; he just would have to squash this large fly that dared to stand in his way.
 
With a flash of light, she removed the goo that tied him up and immediately he charged at her but immediately fell harshly on the ground. Her horn glowed again, and magic pushed him down in the dry sand of the desert. “What is wrong, little pony? Feeling powerless?” She laughed again in her raspy voice.
 
“Just wait… until I…” He flew through the air and crashed against a burning pillar that once belonged to his house. The pillar collapsed and buried him underneath.
 
“I do not know why Celestia is not here to protect you, but I will find out. This is only the first step to my revenge!” she hissed and slowly went towards him, her horn still glowing. He felt something being siphoned from his body, how the small light at the end of the tunnel slowly began to faint. “Time for a small snack, and what can I say, I like the taste of desperation.” Her horn glowed even stronger, and all his senses began to fail. He felt nothing. No wind, no pain, no emotion, no love, and certainly no hope. Her horn went out, and she rammed her fangs into his neck.
> Chapter 25 - Wizard Brothers (Part 1)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


[PoV: Blue Light]


I had no idea how long I had been falling, but it must have been for a while now. I regained consciousness just when it seemed I was heading towards a non-existent ground in an eternal darkness. The only clue I had to know that I was actually moving were the lights in the far distance that were slowly fading out of my field of vision. My first assumption was that I was somewhere at the corner of the universe, but I found no proof for that and didn’t even want to. Would my body have been here, it would surely have immediately succumbed to the nothingness of space. My hopes were now lying with Twilight and the others noticing that something went wrong and that they would try to get me back. With my limited knowledge of magic, and without the possibility to further study it right now, it was unlikely that I would solve this problem on my own.
 
I didn’t know how long I had been floating through the nothingness, but the lights had disappeared a while ago and somehow my surrounding felt thicker, as though I was falling in some kind of solid fog. To top it all off, I had that awful feeling of no longer being alone when I was supposed to be.

“Hey, how are you doing?” came a voice from nowhere. I looked around, but I could have also searched with my eyes closed; it wouldn’t have made a difference.
 
“I’m fine, thanks for asking. How about you?” A better response didn’t come to my mind, but I should also consider myself lucky that whatever that thing out here was, it seemed to be friendly.
 
“I’m fine as well, just taking a break. It’s quiet out here… usually… What’s your name?” the unknown presence asked.
 
“Depends on who you ask. You may choose; I have Timo, Tio, or Blue Light to offer. The latter being the most recent.” I really had to decide at some point. I was starting to get confused about all my names myself.
 
“Phew, what a choice… I’m going to take Timo then. I don’t really like the pony names… I’m Steve; nice to meet you,” the voice said in a very relaxed tone. At first, I imagined the god that we loved to praise on my world, sitting there in the nothingness of space with dreadlocks while casually watching over us while smoking a joint. The name seemed fitting as well. At least it was better than Jehovah.
 
“Now that you know what I am, what the he— heck are you?” To mention hell in the presence of a possible god didn’t seem like that good of an idea.
 
“I am death!” The voice now sounded raspy through the nothingness.

 
“Really?” I asked with careful interest. If this was death, he shouldn’t be able to harm me. My body wasn’t here, so he couldn’t take my soul.
 
“Nah, the idea’s good, but unfortunately wrong. Death is not there to kill you, just to take your soul into the next world…” At least I now knew that he wasn’t death, though he liked to search through my head just like Celestia.
 
“Could you leave my head alone? It’s enough that my mother does that.” I had never caught Luna doing it, but I couldn’t know for certain.
 
“You have problems… but okay, I’ll stop. However, you have a bigger problem right now!” And with that, Steve, whatever he was, threw me back into the reality of my state again. I was still floating through the darkness, barely snatched from the jaws of death, and I even wanted to go back there.
 
“Yes, I noticed. You wouldn’t pick up a hitchhiker, would you?” Through the galaxy and such.
 
“First of all, two things. Firstly, you are no longer falling. Secondly, your soul will vanish in the next two or three hours since you no longer have a solid body and the universe sees you as dead.” He was right. Much to my surprise, I was really no longer moving even a single millimetre.  It was the latter that worried me.
 
“Is there a way to fix this?” If he knew that much, he would surely know that too, but he somehow seemed to want to avoid the subject.

“There are thousands of ways, but unfortunately for you, there is only one for you… me.” As he finished talking, a human stepped out of the darkness as though he had pushed a curtain aside. He was about one metre eighty tall, which was hard to tell without reference, had shoulder-length white hair, and his eye shone in a bright blue. I had no idea why I liked that colour combination. “We are in the nought, the construction site of the existence, and only around seventy creatures can access it.” I let out a surprised ‘aha’, but my interest for these things was honestly kind of low, aside from the fact that it was astonishing to be here.
 
“Well, I know a unicorn that would really love to talk to you. I would just have to go home and get her.” I just couldn’t figure the guy out, but it seemed like the best thing to do was to not make him angry.
 
“She would probably annoy me to death. But like I said, bringing you home might get a bit… complicated due to the lack of time.” He moved his hand to his mouth and took a puff from what could only be a joint. I wouldn’t have been surprised. “But I could help you, but you owe me a favour. Tell my brother he has two months left.” I could live with that, literally.
 
“Okay, and how do we do that now? I mean we are still in the naught.” I had the feeling that this guy would be capable of shooting me through space in a cannon just like the one Pinkie had.
 
“Just like this.” He flicked against my head, and my view turned blurry. This was starting to get annoying.
 

***
 

[PoV: Toby]

 
The park bench in the Canterlot gardens was really comfortable. The sun in the sky bathed the surroundings in a comfortable light. Jonas was undoubtedly around somewhere and amusing himself with the power to push the employees around. Little Luna was sleeping her room, and Celestia… was doing something weird.
 
I watched with interest as some nameless, replaceable ponies stepped through the picture. The joint in my hand was glowing silver, a clear sign that Steve was following my example.
 
My mind drifted by like a warm summer breeze. What the hell was going on with me? Damn, I should have gone to sleep last night. Luckily, a call caught me out of my gloomy thoughts.
 
“Sup, whatchya doing?” Jonas, who must have stood behind me, asked.
 
“Chilling, what else?” Sarcasm, but hey, what else could you expect?
 
“Killing time, sitting on your hands, or how about something useful for a change?” Somehow, he seemed disappointed of me, but there was a note of resignation from having to witness my laziness in all its glory too many times.

“Hmm… nah. What has this world ever done for me that I should give something back?”
 
“Your life.” The answer was short.
 
“Nah, that was another world.” I turned around on the bench, and he looked at me with half-closed eyes. “But whatever. What have you been up to?”
 
“Talked with Celestia.” Now I was interested… really.
 
“And what did she say?”
 
“Not much, just that she had a mental breakdown…” I raised my brows.
 
“You know that you are trying to fool the king of the trolls?”
 
“Yep, and it almost worked.” Jonas smirked at me.
 
“Yeah… sure… Come on, you tard, we’ll get some dessert.” I stood up from the bench and was about to get going.

“Okay, le—” He was interrupted as something happened. A shiver ran down my spine for the second time in this world. The problem was that Jonas stood in front of me, and he obviously didn’t summon the sword.
 
“That is bad,” Jonas commented dryly.
 
“Amen to that!”


***


[PoV: Twilight]

 
It was disappointing that I couldn’t get more out of those two humans, but that book was at least a start, if I could understand it. With the help of some other books, I would surely be able to understand a few bits, but for that, I would have to get back to the library first. While we were trotting down the main road, occasionally stopping because Rarity wanted to take a look into one of the shop windows, I felt something like a shockwave catching me and giving me a good shake.
 
The next thing I saw were the faces of Fluttershy and Applejack that looked worriedly at me. “Everything alright, sugarcube?” Applejack asked.

“Yes, but something just happened. That was an enormous magical shockwave.” I stood back up and saw Rainbow and Pinkie standing next to Rarity, who seemed to have been caught by the same shockwave.
 
“My mane! A disaster!” she screamed and ran over to the next store window to fix it again. A look over the road showed me that we weren’t the only unicorns who had felt that shockwave.
 
“Oh my… what was that?” Fluttershy asked, concern etched on her face as she helped another unicorn back on his legs, who was lying a bit next to us on the ground.
 
“I don’t know, Fluttershy, but something this size can only come from Princess Celestia… or Toby. Come on, girls, we have to get to it!” Everypony nodded at me, and we were soon on our way back to the castle. Fluttershy let go of the unicorn, who just fell to the ground again.
 

***


[PoV: Blue Light]

 
Canterlot, definitely Canterlot. That was clear just by seeing the castle that rested at the side of the large mountain that I was hurtling towards. The ground quickly advanced upon me, and for the first time in my life, I wished for a plane. Somehow, the fall into the nothingness hadn’t been so scary, probably because I couldn’t see the ground, if there even had been one.

A cone slowly began to form around my hooves that were wildly beating around. I went past the first tower of the castle, which must have been Luna’s quarters, and headed towards the garden. If I was going to land rough, I at least wanted it to hurt someone, and so I aimed for the pavilion that belonged to Blueblood. I crashed through the roof, then the floor, and then I just saw dust and dirt.
 
Much to my surprise, the pain that I had been expecting didn’t come as I was still just a projection. I had expected to have my body back, but it must have been better this way. Now I had to get back to Ponyville so that Twilight could stop the spell and put me back into my body. I crawled out of the debris and was immediately greeted by some guards who pointed their spears at me.
 
“Hey, guys… just a little accident. Can somepony help me out of here?” None of the guards made a move. I quickly checked the seals on their armour to make sure that they weren’t Blueblood’s guards, but they all wore the symbol of Celestia. “Oookay… if you are too comfortable to help me, can you at least get Haste? And while you’re at it, prepare a chariot towards Ponyville?” The guards looked over at one pegasus with strange looks on their faces.
 
“I don’t know that guy!” I heard Haste out of the crowd of guards. Now their attention was back at me as I finally had freed myself from the debris.
 
“Would you tell what is wrong today? Is it the Ignore-All-Orders Day?” I raised a hoof and held my hoof band under their noses. It was just as pale and translucent as I was. The guards eyed it and finally took their spears out of my face.

“What is going on here?” I heard Celestia shouting and saw the white alicorn stepping out of the castle. She soared over the ground, and the guards made room for her so she could inspect the scene.
 
“Hello, Celes— mother.” I quickly corrected myself. Who knew what mood she was today? “Could you please tell me why everyone is looking at me so strangely?”
 
She seemed surprised, if not distraught, and nopony even dared to breathe. If I didn’t know any better, I would say that she tried to make sense of this all in her head.
 
“Didn’t expect that today… I owe you a beer, Jonas.” Next to the guards stood two humans that seemed to have appeared out of thin air. One was a tall guy who looked to be around twenty and had short blonde hair and green eyes. The other one looked scarily familiar since he looked almost exactly like Steve, only that his hair was black and his eyes were red. I was hoping that he wouldn’t begin to sparkle in the sunlight. With a snap of his fingers, a beer appeared in the hand of who I suspected to be Steve’s brother, and he gave it to his friend. Aside from the guards acting so strange, it was the presence of two humans that really was discomforting.
 
“Okay, Celi, take a deep breath and count to ten,” the one with brown hair said and took a sip from his beer.
 
“Is this your work, Toby? What kind of magic is that? Why is that pony wearing the sigil of the royal family?” Celestia snapped at the black-haired one, and her look grew darker. I was now completely flabbergasted and decided to wait and see what would happen next.

“Hey, don’t look at me like that. I have nothing to do with this. This was Steve’s handiwork. He sent him here. His energy still sticks at him like… like… like… whatever. It’s just the way it is. Why don’t you ask him yourself what he is doing here?” Toby raised his hands into the air as to show that he was innocent, but it was another question whether the ponies would understand that gesture.
 
“Yes, that Steve sent me here—”
 
“Guards!” Celestia interrupted me, and immediately the spears were only centimetres away from my face again.
 
“He said he would send me to someone who could help me,” I finished my sentence and looked at Toby. “In return, he wanted me to tell his brother that he has two months left or something like that.”
 
“Oh, cool, he sticks to the bargain. Celestia, he’s harmless. You can send the guards back home. Also, he is just a projection without body. Even if he wanted to, he couldn’t do anything,” Toby explained calmly.
 
“Except he’s a soul eater!” his friend threw in.

“Yep, except he is a soul eater. Are you a soul eater?” Toby’s sarcasm could be smelled ten miles again the wind, and there wasn’t the need for a hint.
 
“No,” I replied shortly.
 
“See, Jonas? Everything’s alright. Guards, you are dismissed!” Toby ordered, but they seemed to care about his words as much as they did about mine. With an annoyed sigh, he swiped with his hand through the air, and a moment later, all the guards disappeared, their spears falling to the ground with a clank.
 
“Hey!” Celestia shouted. “What have you done with my guards?”
 
“Nothing bad, they are in the next bar,” he assured her and grinned. This all seemed very strange to me. This was not the Equestria that I knew, especially not with these two guys in it.
 
“Would someone mind explaining to me what is going on here? I have been up all day, saved the farm of my marefriend from a flooding, or what is left of it. Then she had to get to the hospital because her ribs were hurt, and I couldn’t stay with her because my new job as a teacher began. In the middle of the first hour, Luna comes along and drags me into the library, and I had no choice if I wanted to see my family again. Then I find out of that nightmares—” I pointed a hoof at Jonas “— your damn soul eaters attacked my old world, and god knows where my family is, if they are even alive. And to top it all off, these things hunted me straight through the forest before I appeared literally into nothing and got sent here by some weed smoking joker!” I was completely out of breath as I finished my little exposition twice as loud as necessary.

“And you are dissolving,” Jonas added calmly.
 
“What?!” I looked down my body and saw that my tail was saying goodbye. “And I’m slowly dissolving,” I added, less surprised now.
 
“You know that there is a solution for that? It’s called a body,” Toby noted dryly.
 
“And you don’t happen to have one that is no longer needed?” I was annoyed. These two didn’t seem to bother the least that my life was just turning to dust.
 
“Yes. Say please.”
 
“Please…” I said quietly, very quietly.
 
“Okay… this will hurt a bit… Ah, who am I kidding, this will hurt like hell.” He grabbed my projected horn, and immediately an unbelievable pain shot through me from wherever it came from, but nothing happened. “Damn, the line is busy… You haven’t swapped or given away your body recently?” This guy was just as much as a comedian as his brother.
 
“Swapped, but the other one died in my body and well, this projection represents my body,” I briefly summarized. My tail had almost completely vanished.

“Ah… that makes things easier.” A surge of pain shot through my body, and in the next moment, I was thrown to the ground. However, this time I felt the impact, not just this pain, but the pain from Toby’s magic. I could only clench my teeth and try to breath. Toby took a step back and looked over his work.
 
“Done, problem solved.” He rubbed his hand together in satisfaction and then snapped himself a beer.
 
“Could someone please explain to me what is going on here?” Celestia piped up, having silently watched the scene.
 
“Okay. He is a human that got transformed into a pony, then got sent into a parallel Equestria, and from there…” Toby looked briefly into her eyes. “Yeah… just go back inside and tend to your duties again. We got this. But could you be so kind as to offer another guest room?” It was clear that he had no interest in repeating what he had just dug out of my head. As often as someone had dug about in there, I had gotten a feeling for it already when someone was in there.
 
“And why did he call me mother?” She stomped her hooves on the ground, and all eyes shifted on me.
 
“Can’t you just read my mind as you have done so often already?” I had enough of telling my entire life story. She came a few stops closer and began to search in the corners of my mind for the answers. “Could I have a beer as well? Salted? Please?” I asked Toby who just took another sip.

“Mix, Früh, Veltins, Kölsch, Guinness, or Öttinger?” He laughed out loud at the last one.
 
“Veltins if you don’t mind.” I almost sounded like Fluttershy now, but this was a very disconcerting situation. He snapped his fingers, and a bottle appeared in front of me, only to shatter on the ground since I couldn’t hold it in my hooves. “Another please, but this time directly on the ground if you can.” Confused, they looked down at me, but another bottle still appeared. “Don’t you have to snap?”
 
“Nah, just a habit, or rather an unnecessary effect. But seriously, can’t you levitate?” he asked curiously.
 
“Not really. I managed to do so for the first time this morning but only with the help of a second magical source.” One I had to question Twilight about later.
 
“There is only one source of magic in every creature. The only alternative would be your soul… and to use that would be more than just stupid,” Jonas told me. “If a spell… it gets nasty.”
 
“Yep,” Toby agreed and clicked glasses with Jonas. I concentrated and found next to what had to be my soul the other orange essence as Changer had called it. If the soul was too dangerous for me, he surely wouldn’t mind me using his essence. What worried me more was that the essence had disappeared halfway in my soul. The beer slowly rose from the ground, this time in an orange aura.
 
“Oh, lucky sad has two essences but doesn’t have to use either since you have enough power to,” Toby turned around and pointed at the pavilion, “lift that pavilion over there… or what’s left of it at least.” I looked at him and thought it to be a bad joke.
 
“I’m happy that I can lift the bottle.” I took my first sip. I wasn’t holding back on the salt. “If I tried to do that, I’d be out for days.”
 
“Because you’re doing it wrong. You blast around ninety-nine percent of your energy into the air,” Toby explained, looking bored. “You try to focus a lot of energy in your horn, but you forget that your horn is a medium and not a battery. A lot of magic is gone before you even cast the spell… and come on, you’re a human; do you really have to degrade yourself to use pony magic?”
 
“Since I didn’t have any before, yes.” Like normal humans could use magic. I still wasn’t sure if he wouldn’t just begin to sparkle.
 
“I’m talking about the method. There are way better variants.” He snapped against my forehead. “Like this!” I didn’t know what he did, but some of the runes in my memory seemed to have changed. Unfortunately, that loss of concentration caused me to drop my bottle and spill my beer. Immediately, I reached for the bottle, and it rose from the ground in my usual white aura without me even having to concentrate or drawing the runes in my mind.
 
“Awesome!” I just said and grinned like a child on Christmas.

“Yes, it is. And remember that when you learn something the next time. Split it into all its parts and put only the important bits together again, meaning energy requirement and your desire. And not step by step. If you do that in a fight, you have already lost. Who even taught you that nonsense?”
 
“Twilight Sparkle.”
 
“Of course…”
 
“So… you are my adoptive son in another dimension and came from another world where you used to be human?” I nodded at Celestia’s question, seeing as she seemed to have finished with my head. “But why Blue Light? In your memory, you are called Timo or Tio.”
 
“You’ll have to ask my mother about that,” I said with a grin. Somehow I could understand why Celestia liked to see dismayed faces— it was fun.
 
Jonas coughed loudly. “I’m starting to get hungry. How about you?” My stomach answered the question itself, and Toby nodded at his friend.
 
“To the kitchen and beyond!” With another snap, we found ourselves, with new beers, in the dining hall of the castle.
 

***


[PoV: Twilight]



The sun was setting slowly as we finally reached the castle. We had to stop multiple times on the way since Fluttershy insisted on helping every unicorn we found on the way. Much to my surprise, no guards stood at the archway to the castle, making me very nervous since that only happened if something serious had happened in the castle. “Quick, girls, I don’t have a good feeling about this.”
 
We stepped it up a notch and found ourselves in the large entrance hall of the castle. “Empty,” noted Rainbow Dash. “I mean, where are all the guards? This morning they barely wanted to let us in, and now they are gone!” She flew up to the ceiling and disappeared in one of the long hallways, only to reappear on the other side. “Nothing, nopony’s here,” she shouted down to us.
 
“Uh oh… I know, we’re playing hide-and-seek!” Pinkie cheered and bounced to a large pot plant, lifted it, and searched underneath it for something that wouldn’t even be able to hide there.
 
“It is a bit strange that nopony is here, don’t you think, Twilight?” Rarity carefully looked around.
 
“Come, we’ll split up and search for clues. Rainbow, you and Applejack search the ground floor. Rarity and Pinkie, you take the first floor up to the astronomy tower. Fluttershy and I will take the basement.” I was about to go towards Fluttershy, but she had hidden behind one of the large curtains already. “Come on, Fluttershy, this is the castle. What danger could be here?!” With a bit of magic, I pulled her over to me, together with the curtain she clung to.
 
“Eeeep!”

“Okay, we’ll meet back here in an hour. If one team finds something, just call. I think the castle is quiet enough that that we should all hear it.” Just as I finished talking, a clank sounded through the corridors. “See?”
 


***


[PoV: Jonas]


Crap. Just as my vision went clear again, I crashed against the next candle stand, causing it to fall with a loud clank to the ground.
 
“Sorry…” I grumbled quietly.
 
“Uhm, where are all the servants?” Celestia asked. All eyes went on Toby, who just raised his arms.
 
“Oh… it seems I was a bit… unclear… with my spell. Heh.” He put on his usual grin while I buried my face in my palm.
 
“Oh god…”
 
“And how shall we get something to eat now?” Celestia asked, who seemed to be about to throw a tantrum.

“Uhm, what do you want?” Toby simply asked.
 
“How about pancakes? I could use a second breakfast,” Blue Light said. He seemed to be handling the situation quite well, at least compared to how I reacted when I was thrown into all this shit.
 
“I’ll take an escalope with fires.” Toby gave me a nod.
 
“I’ll take the same. And you, Celly?” As usual, Toby showed no hint of respect.
 
“I… uhm, take a fruit salad…” Before Celestia could even finish the sentence, the table was already laid and the ordered dishes were ready.
 
“One thing you have to explain to me. What the heck are you? I have never seen a human with red eyes, let alone one who can use magic. The only creatures that fit that description would be vampires, but I don’t think you are one since you eat normal food,” Blue Light asked as he sat down by the table like he owned the place.
 
“Oh, that old story…” Toby began as they all sat down. “Long story short, I am the seventh son of the seventh son of the seventh son,” he explained quickly.
 
“Uhm… is there another short story?” The pancake stopped in the air in front of his mouth.

“Yes, there is…” I intervened. “Look, you know that we humans can’t use magic, right?”
 
“Yes, which didn’t stop my mother from reading cards…” Light responded. His name rang a bell in my head somewhere.
 
“Yeah, that’s not correct, not at all… but the average human just has enough magical power to stop a fly from lifting off, and the ones who are able to control their magic usually just get illusionists. Like Chris Angel, that fool…”
 
“Or Uri Geller?” Light asked.
 
“No, he just primes the spoons. My point, or rather Toby’s with the seventh son thing, is that his grandfather was a magician, who… nah, that would take too long, here’s the short version. He is a Krativer Magnus,” he summarized.
 
“Like from these Terry Pratchett novels?”
 
“Yeah. He’s one too. Has built his own reality and writes down the stories that happen there into novels.” His eyes, what could I say, I just loved to see something shatter inside others.
 
“I shouldn’t even be surprised anymore…” And with that, the last pancake disappeared. “I mean, I already entered another reality. Why not again?”

“Really? Nothing surprises you anymore? You know, because of the probability of an infinite multiverse, everything that happens here had just been written by someone.” Toby looked up. “I know that you’re writing that! You still owe me forty euros!”
 
“Uhm… yes. Who’s he talking to?” he asked confused.
 
“With one of his parallel selves. Met him once, was good time. Nice party but can’t remember half of it, just that my parallel self was female there… believe me, that is sick.” I almost said too much, but to my dismay, Toby pressed on the subject.
 
“Are you talking about before or after making out with yourself?” I would have praised to any god out there that the new one wouldn’t have heard that, but unfortunately…
 
“Good, thanks, now I have a new nightmare in addition to the others…”
 
“Okay, let’s make it fair,” Toby yawned next to me. I wanted to stop him, but it was too late. A blue unicorn mare with the same cutie mark as Blue Light’s appeared in a puff of smoke next to the table.
 
“What the?!” she screamed in a shrill voice. “What’s going on here?”

“Who’s that?” Blue Light asked, a bit of panic in his voice. Unfortunately, Toby noticed that part.
 
“May I introduce, Blue Light meets Blue Light.” He had this tendency of handling such situations very calm, and I wanted to shoot him for that.
 
“I should watch what I say…” Blue Light sighed, the male one. “Nice to meet me. Can you answer a question? What are you eating?” He seemed to hint at her stomach.
 
“Hey! I don’t have to put up with you! Or with me? AHHH…” She seemed frustrated. “Can you send me back? My coltfriend is waiting.”
 
“Please, shut up! I don’t even want to know. Please, Toby, send her away!” None of them seemed to have been looking forward for that meeting.
 
“Okay.” She disappeared again, this time without special effects.
 
“Uhm, there are two things we would need to get sorted, but first things first. Your name is, or was, Tio, right?” I began to remember, and this was starting to get really funny, at least for me and Toby.
 
“Yes, that was my nickname; got it from an ex.”

“Brony? Active in the forum and such? Two siblings, basically living at home? I suppose you have never written a fanfic?” I wanted to go somewhere with that, but I wanted to see if he figured it out himself.
 
“Should I just write ‘Library’ on my head? Everyone comes and goes as they please.” I could only smile at that reaction.
 
“I can’t read minds. I know that because…” I seriously had to hold back a laugh “… I often Skyped with your parallel self from our world.”
 
“Okay…”
 
“And this Tio has written two fanfics. One of them is a self-insert with the name ‘Blue Light’.” His thoughts were almost spilling out of his ears.
 
“Wow… now I know how Twilight must have felt when I told her about the show.” He emptied a glass of water that stood on the table in one go. “Strange to know something like that…”
 
“You have to see, it’s just a coincidence. Due to the probability, there has to be everything somewhere and sometimes. But enough of that for now before we talk more nonsense. I suppose you want to get back into your reality, right?”
 
“That was at least the reason why this Steve had sent me here. He said someone here could help me.”

“Toby?” I looked over at him, and he grinned and nodded. He stood up and went over to Blue Light, who looked at me with a look that could only say one thing: ‘Why me?’ Toby ignored that deliberately.
 
“Okay, hold still for a moment. I have to see where you came from and how…” He touched Blue Light’s forehead, and white light began to flow out of his body and formed pentagrams and formulas. Toby studied them for a few seconds. “Puh, you screwed up big time… Recently there was… oh, you have broken a projection spell too soon at the wrong place. That is bad and very complicated. Who does that? There are over three hundred ninety thousand and forty unnecessary spell constellations.” Celestia looked up from her meal from the first time. It seemed like she could read the drawings as well.
 
“I think I know that spell!” she exclaimed.
 
“It was you who taught it to Twilight, Luna, and Trixie since you weren’t in a good shape.”
 
“That is not good. This spell is extremely complicated, and if something goes wrong, it is almost impossible to reverse,” she explained. It was evident on her face that the destiny of her pseudo relative was getting to her.
 
“The problem is not to find your world, since I already have, but the connection is cut, and it would take around a hundred years to fix that…”

I have never seen a face go from hope to desperation so quickly.
 
“Ah, who am I kidding, I’ll do it in seventy two hours…” The door swung open, and everyone saw how Toby was thrown through the room in slow motion by something looked like a blue cannonball.
 
“Everything alright, your Highness? We were worried.” Applejack came into the room and joined the ponies that sat on the other side of the table.
 
“AJ!” Blue Light was about to throw his hooves around her neck but was stopped by one of her hind legs. “Different universe…” he mumbled from underneath the table.
 
“Aua…” Toby grumbled while lifting himself out of the remains of a wooden cabinet, together with a furious Rainbow Dash.
 
“YOU! What have you done with the guards and the princess!?!” she yelled at him.
 
“Nothing to the princess, and the guards are… busy…”
 
The auxiliary troops were trying to widen the door to Pony Joe’s donut shop. “I still have no idea how they all got in there,” one of the unicorns said to another. Through the shop window, you could see just about every guard in Canterlot cramped into the small shop, so that their faces were pressed against the windows, and the horns of some were dangerously close to the flanks of their fellow prisoners.



[PoV: Twilight]

 

The basement of the castle had always been dark, but now, without guards… it was a bit scary down here. I wasn’t bothered by that as much as Fluttershy, who jumped from cover to cover, ran away from every noise, and hid from every shadow.
 
“Oh, come on, Fluttershy, nopony’s here.” I groaned loudly. Fluttershy was just way too scared for my liking.
 
“But… it is— eeep!” Another breath of wind went through the halls, and not half a second later Fluttershy had disappeared behind the nearest armour.
 
“Keep it together, Fluttershy, for me and the princess!” I tried to wake her often underestimated self-confidence.
 
“Uhm… okay… I-I will try…” She clearly tried to pick herself up.
 
“Come, we haven’t checked this hallway yet.” I went ahead, followed by Fluttershy who was taking cover behind my flank.

For minutes, we wandered through the dark hallways of the cellar without finding even one soul. The armours threw threatening shadows into the corridors. Behind every corner lured suspicious-looking shadows, but unfortunately it was only shadows. But did we really want to find something? After a while, I had enough, and just as I wanted to turn around and go back with Fluttershy, I heard a voice.
 
“Hello? Who goes there?” I felt a pegasus behind me trying to hide underneath my tail.
 
“Hello? It’s Twilight Sparkle. Who are you?” I shouted back towards the voice in the dark corridor.
 
“Twilight? Oh, I’m so happy that you are here! It’s me, Cadance!”
 

***


[PoV: Blue Light]

 
I was still lying underneath the table and held a hoof at the place where the truck had just hit me. “That really wasn’t necessary,” I said towards AJ while supporting myself on the table to get back on my legs.
 
“Don’t get me wrong, sugarcube, but who the hay are you?” I saw Jonas wanted to answer, but I beat him to it.

“Blue Light, but I believe this is a misunderstanding. I’m sorry, miss.” I hated to be stuck in half-truths.
 
“Hey, let me down!” Toby climbed out the debris at the other of the room and held Rainbow Dash at her tail at just the distance so she could no longer hit him. “I’m gonna kick your flank, you… something!”
 
“Nah…” He let go of her, but gravity didn’t have her back yet. It seemed like she was still being held in the air by a spell. Rainbow kicked around and continued to curse.
 
“Maybe you should let her go. You are only making her angrier.” I knew Rainbow, or at least the Rainbow from my world, and she couldn’t even sit still for three seconds, yet alone being held in place for so long.
 
“No, I’ll let her hang until she apologizes!”
 
“Never!” she shouted, still kicking around.
 
“Fine, have it your way. But maybe you should know that I can let you hang there until all eternity. But if you want to, I’m tired, so I’m going to sleep soon.” You could see her mind slowly processing the information.
 
“Help! AJ, do something!” In her panic, she turned to her friend who still stood next to me and looked at the scene with confusion.

“What can Ah do? Ah don’t know anything ‘bout magic, sugarcube. Ya gonna have to wait for Twilight or Rarity.” As if on cue, Twilight, Fluttershy, and Cadance entered the room. Only now did I notice that I had never met Cadance in my world, only Shining Armor, who was now god knows where with the other guards.
 
“Twilight! Help me, this… thing won’t let me down!” she almost pleaded.
 
“What’s going on here? Toby, what have you done? Where are all the guards and who the hay is that?” She pointed at me, an angry expression on her face.
 
“She didn’t want to stop beating me, he is your student, and the guards are… busy…” He smiled innocently at her.
 
“To his defence, she really came in here and directly attacked him,” I assured Twilight. She just groaned in annoyance before her usual purple aura formed around her horn.
 
“I… I can’t get you down there. The spell won’t break,” she said in surprise and tried another time. “I’m sorry, Rainbow…”
 
“Of course you can’t. The spell has a direct connection to my magical source. It was like a fly tried to squash an elephant,” he said indignantly. She nodded quickly and…

“MY STUDENT???” She noticed that quickly. At least some things never change.
 
“Twilight, my faithful student. Do not let yourself getting fooled by these three. They are… different, or rather from a different world. I have not fully understood it yet, but Blue Light here,” she pointed a hoof at me, “is even from a different world than these two. We have members from three different worlds here. No one is asking that you immediately understand.” She deliberately let out the ‘son’ part at my introduction to not deep fry the rest of her mind. “If I am correct, Blue Light will stay here for around three days.” Twilight was seemingly confused.
 
“Oh, my… that is confusing,” Fluttershy said quietly, having hidden behind the door.
 
“Hi, Fluttershy!” Jonas shouted out.
 
“That would explain why he knows me, but would ya mind explainin’ why ya tried to kiss me, sugarcube?” Fluttershy turned red at Applejack’s words, and Rainbow, still in the air, had to hold back a laugh. Twilight instead seemed even more confused.
 
“Well… uhm… in my world, or rather the world I came from… How should I put it? We are together, and after all I’ve been through, I was just happy to see your, her, your, her… face.” Applejack stared at me unbelievingly before she burst out into laughter like Rainbow.

“Hahaha, don’t take it personal, sugarcube, heh heh, but me and a unicorn? Pffft, that’s something ah could never imagine,” she finished, her words trailing off into laughter. I could only roll my eyes. If there was one thing I learned from this whole world-travelling experience, then it was the following:
 
“It’s okay - everyone is their own being. You are not the AJ from my world, and she is not you. That could very well fit for you.”
 
“Yeah, okay, you guys keep going. I really have to go to sleep now. Jonas, heel!” With those words, he grabbed Jonas’ arm and dragged him through the room. Jonas didn’t seem to mind, instead just waving at Fluttershy who was still standing behind the door.
 
“I think I have to agree with our guest in this case. It has been a long day, and we all need time to handle what has happened.” Twilight nodded at Celestia’s words. “I would love to have you shown your rooms, but all the guards are unfortunately unavailable. Twilight, I would like you to show your friends their rooms. I will bring Blue Light to his.”
 
“As you wish, your Highness,” Twilight said, her mind still elsewhere as she went off without caring about the others. Fluttershy and Applejack followed her directly, and I could hear them trying to calm Twilight just as they were out of the door.
 
“Come, Light, I will show you your room.” Celestia rose from the table and went through another door at the end of the hallway. Now that it was quieter, I realized how tired I actually was and followed her directly. I didn’t want to spend three days here; I had my own world to be in with Applejack and my friends. They surely were worried, especially since my body had suddenly disappeared, but I had no choice.
 
“Hello? Anypony here?” a desperate Rainbow Dash shouted, who was now alone in the dining hall. “I should have apologized…” she snivelled. “I’m sorry, okay?” she shouted and fell to the ground.
 

***


[PoV: Toby]



As I stepped through the empty halls and dragged Jonas with me, my thoughts drifted to Steve. ‘You have two months left…’ Two months, in two months there would only be one of us. The question is: what was I worried about? Jonas? No, he was set. Steve would care about him just like I did. My death? No, I’m not a religious man. And hell would be a nice change for me, rotting there for a million years or two… Blech, why was I wasting my thoughts on that.
 
“Jonas, get it together, you little pervert…”
 
“Mhh, let me; you already had your fun!” he murmured. He was right. Why did I tell him about dimension ‘666’…
 
“Nah, come on, what are you even going to do with her?” I wasn’t actually being serious.

“Marrying?” He looked at me with a serious expression.
 
“Oh god…” Jonas slowly got back up and wiped his pants clean with his hand. I didn’t even need to look to see what he needed now. I pulled my Bigbox out of my pocket and handed him a cancer stick before lighting up one for myself. I leaned against the window and blew a stream of smoke into the night.
 
“What are you thinking about?” Jonas asked in a serious voice now that we were alone.
 
“Clarice…” My voice was flat, lost in the past.
 
“Mhh… you know that it wasn’t your fault?”
 
“Yes, yes it was, and it forever will be. I could have turned the guards into dust, the walls in to water, and the fire into butterflies… but instead I…” Jonas took a big swing and gave a strong blow into my face. Our equivalent for a slap.
 
“Now listen here, you ass, that was a long time ago, and you can’t hold yourself responsible for that shit. And we have other problems now…”
 
“You mean Blue Light?” I looked at him disbelievingly.
 
“Yes,” Jonas replied smugly.
 
“You’re joking, right? I mean, have you forgotten what happened in Las Vegas when I was completely pissed and summoned the same girl from hundreds of dimensions, and then the thing with the succubus…” Jonas rolled his eyes.
 
“She was hot…” he commented.
 
“Yes, she was…” That was all the talking I wanted to do for today. “I’m going to wake Luna and then go to sleep…”
 
“Okay, but just one more thing, I have an idea…” He came closer and whispered something into my ear. My grin turned wider.
 
“Settled… see you tomorrow.” I began moving towards Luna.
 
“Night, you turd,” he said while walking into the other direction.
 
A few minutes later, I stood in front of the large doors to Luna’s quarters and nudged her tiredly. With a well-meant kick, I woke her up.
 
“Ah… wake up you sleepyhead, I want to sleep.” She had just opened her eyes as I fell on the bed sheets next to her.


***


[PoV: Celestia]

 
I went down one of the corridors to the guest quarters with Blue Light. The entire time, he said nothing. It must have been uncomfortable to walk next to someone who looked so close to his adoptive mother but was still so different. However, it wasn’t much different for me. I didn’t know what caused my other self to take him into the family, but I only knew a part of the story. “You know, even if I am not the same Celestia, you can still talk with me.” I tried to cheer him up a little. He was home but yet as far away from it as possible.
 
“I thank you, your Highness, but there is nothing that can help me.” Worry filled his voice.
 
“You are talking about these nightmares?” He nodded. “I have never met one of those creatures, but I believe that you will find a solution. There is always a way, something you learn when you live as long as I do.” He smiled, even if it was forced.
 
“What’s the deal with this Steve and Toby? I know what they are, but why are they here?” Was he worrying about this world as well now?
 
“That, my little pony, is a problem that you will leave to us. Like I said, we will find a way.” We arrived at a room at the end of the hallway, not far away from my tower. “Here our ways part for today. I wish you a pleasant night’s rest.”
 
“Thank you, your Highness. I wish you the same.” He opened the door with a hoof, and it fell back shut behind him, a sound that wasn’t often heard here. Did he not trust us or was he scared?
 

***


[PoV: Rarity]


Pinkie looked behind every curtain, into every armour, and under every plant that we found in the castle. “Pinkie! Watch it! I’m going to get dirt on my coat!” She just didn’t know how to behave properly.
 
“Sorry, Rarity, but these guards are really good at hiding.” I could only roll my eyes and hope that my mane was spared from Pinkie’s antics.
 
“Pinkie, I do not think that they are hiding. And the hour is surely gone already. We should get back to meet the others.” She put the amour, which must have been way too heavy for her, back onto the ground.
 
“Oh, okay.” She bounced in her usual fashion back the way we came from, and I followed her. It didn’t take long before we were back in the entrance hall. It seemed we were the first ones.
 
“If the others are taking so long, they must have found somepony,” I said to Pinkie who happily jumped in circles.
“Oh, oh, I know! We surprise the others! That’s going to be super fun!” She dragged me with her, and somehow we both had found room in one of the large armours that were standing around in the hall. “So, now we just have to wait…” she said eagerly and pushed a hoof in my back.
> Chapter 25 - Wizard Brothers (Part 2)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


[PoV: Blue Light]


Sleep was something I found surprisingly easy, considering that my fate was in the hands of two guys I had known only for a couple of hours. On the other hand, I had trusted Twilight as well when she had taken me along to Equestria, and in the end, it had turned out good for the most part. Well, except for the Nightmares.
 
“Goood morning, sunshine!” a voice called from above me, right before I received a very sudden, unsolicited, and very cold shower. With a loud bang, the bucket fell to the ground, and I sat upright in my bed, trying to fight my way out of a mild shock.
 
“Sorry, but,” I took a deep breath, “are you insane?”
 
“Yes… are you?” Toby stood, grinning, next to my bed and looked like he was seriously expecting an answer.
 
“How late is it?” I answered that question myself with a glance at my clock on the nightstand. “Seven o’clock? Seven…” I wanted to go on a rant here, but since AJ usually woke me at around six, it would be better if I kept quiet. I threw the blanket aside and rubbed the remaining sleep out of my eyes. “What happened with your face?” As my sight got clearer, I saw a big hoofprint across his face.
 
“Little Lulu woke me up…”
 
‘Lulu? Who was Lulu?’ I asked myself before it struck me like lightning, and I had to stop myself from laughing.
 
“So Luna slapped you to get you out of bed? Then should I be thankful for just the water or what?” Revenge tastes good, especially cold.
 
“...Her bed… and yes, you should be. I woke up Jonas once by throwing him out of a plane… It was the first of April.” After the first two words, I stopped listening.
 
“Sorry, but HER bed? How long have you two been here again?” And I thought AJ and I had moved quickly.
 
“Five days.” I never wanted to picture my aunt like that… Damn it, go away pictures! “But whatever,” he went on. “There is a reason why I woke you up.” Well, since I didn’t plan to stay in bed for three days, why not.
 
“Which would be?”
 
“Jonas has a little surprise in store for you in the court. Just come along.” I should curse my curiosity.

“Great,” I said as disinterestedly as possible. If one of those two had planned something… God help me.

“Come on already…” I didn’t know if it was telekinesis or something else, but something dragged me behind him out of the room and across the corridor. Unlike yesterday evening, the guards were at their posts again, and life generally seemed to have returned to normal at the castle. A few eyes followed us, especially since I left a water trail behind me. We came past the double door, which led to Celestia’s tower, and took a staircase down to the ground floor where I could see, through a window, some guards training in the castle garden. As we took the exit to the pavilion, I saw a curtain missing in the entrance area. The pavilion itself was still just a huge pile of rubble, but some parts seemed to be cleaned up already, and I saw craftsmen, which could be identified by their belts with tools around their bellies, peacefully eating their breakfast. Which reminded me that I didn’t have any yet, damn it. As we came closer to the labyrinth, I saw Jonas at the entrance as he swung a sword through the air. That thing was about twenty centimetres longer than himself. It surprised me that he didn’t ram it into the ground, judging from how he handled it.

“So… You’re going to have to fight at some point in the near future,” Toby started, “and since only idiots and fools–” he did know what he was talking about “–believe that they can get through something unharmed with only the help of their friends, it is time for you to practice,” he finished his short explanation.

“So why the oversized toothpick?” That thing shimmered uncomfortably above me like it was only waiting to give me a new haircut.
 
“Ah… my little friend here?” asked Jonas. “That’s going to make the entire thing a lot more interesting, since today we’re going to train your reflexes and concentration under stress a bit.” My stomach replied in loud protest.
 
“Yeah, no food for you ‘til you’ve succeeded… but first, the rules. You have to try to hit Jonas with anything as long as you hurt him, and in return, you try to not get hit. Simple, isn’t it?”
 
I eyed a small stone in my sight and fired it with a little telekinesis at Jonas, who I hit at the shin. “Hey!” he complained. “We haven’t started yet!”
 
“Ha! And now some breakfast…” I knew that I wasn’t the best fighter, but I had still given Blueblood’s guards quite a beating. And what was the weakness of any swordfighter? Distance.
 
“Okay… that was luck. Also, you just incapacitated the guards – you won’t be able to do that with a Nightmare. But now it’s really going to start. Are you ready, Blue?”
 
“As ready as I can be.” Well, according to the circumstances.
 
“And you, Jonas?” Toby stepped between us.

“Yes,” Jonas answered promptly.
 
“Okay then…” I considered my options. Distance was my best chance since I was faster than a human, and with telekinesis, I could keep up some pressure.
 
“Three.” Toby snapped his fingers, and a big green three burned in the air. I found a big piece of debris which looked well suited to end this quickly.
 
“Two.” He snapped again, and the three turned into a yellow two. I readied all of my runes for every kind of magic that could be useful.
 
“One.” The two turned into a red one, and my body started to tingle. I couldn’t be nervous now, not as long as the toothpick stayed on distance.
 
“GO!” I looked at the number, which was a mistake since something hit my chest so hard that I downright flew through the air and slammed against one of the statues in the garden. It shook quite dangerously but luckily didn’t fall down. To my misery, I knew that I had at least broken some ribs since I struggled to breath. There was a tingle again, and then I could breathe like normal again.
 
“What the?” I moaned as I stood back up. I looked over to Toby who still had his stupid grin on his face and pointed up with a finger. I followed his gesture and barely noticed the black dot flying fast towards me in time. I rolled away about a meter to my side, just in time as I was covered in rocks and dust from what used to be a statue. As the dust settled, I saw Jonas coming closer, the sword blade pointing backwards and with a big grin on his face.
 
“You didn’t think that I wouldn’t be a serious opponent, did you? In a real fight, you would have already been dead.” I had at least hoped for that, but with these guys, that was unlikely. I stood up again, raising a stone wall up from the ground as I did so. I had to win some time to think, and I had the advantage of being able to see him while he couldn’t. Suddenly, something poked me in the back of the head. “You know that Nightmares can go through walls?” Jonas stood behind me, and the next thing that happened was me flying through my own wall. The pain was intense but disappeared after a few seconds again, just like it did earlier in the fight. With a rather uncomfortable landing, I stood with my back to the labyrinth and tried to think of something, an idea, but my head was empty.

“Concentrate! Don’t lose your cool because of the enemy. Go into the offensive and dictate the fight!” Toby called over the field to me while Jonas slowly started to move towards me. At first I wanted to take the advice, but then I remembered something my grandfather had taught me. As much as I hated that old fart, one thing did stick in my head. Jonas started to build up speed and now came running towards me. He was stronger, faster, and more experienced than I was. That was for sure, but that was also his weakness. He would never expect that I could also do something. It was the mistake of those who thought they were better than everyone else. I let him come a little bit closer to me before I formed thick spikes from the ground around me and pointed them at him. To my surprise, he simply dodged them by stepping to his right without losing any of his momentum. I released the spikes from the ground and lifted some into the air and shot them at his back. With one turn and swing, he deflected them all, and I used the brief moment that he wasn’t facing my direction. I took some branches out of the wall of the labyrinth behind me and formed them into little spears before I fired them in Jonas’s direction. Again he avoided them skilfully and now stood directly before me and grinned.

“You gotta think of something better than that.” His grin was replaced by a puzzled face as a few drops of blood landed on my face. I still held one of the spears in my telekinesis which he fortunately seemed to have missed, so it now stuck in his shoulder.
 
“Uh, nice hit, but unfortunately you lost…” Toby looked a little disappointed and pointed towards my neck. I threw a quick glance down and saw that the blade was barely one or two centimetres away from me. “Since you didn’t kill him, he killed you.” Jonas removed the sword from my neck and stowed it away on his back. He stepped a few steps back, pulled a small box from his bag, and lit a cigarette.
 
“I thought this was training?!” I only had to hit him, and that was what I did.
 
“Yes it was, but you also should have hit him with all you’ve got… Neither of you were in any danger. Didn’t you notice how your ribs and your lungs regenerated themselves? You would have died from internal bleeding after the first strike.” As if I didn’t feel that myself.
 
“You know, I figured that out myself.” I was a little pissed.
 
“Then you shouldn’t have showed any mercy, but who cares. Toby!” Jonas turned towards Toby.
 
“Yes?” Toby asked, perking up.

“I have to say he did do well for someone who never really was in a fight. He earned a reward.” Breakfast and a shower, a real one.
 
“So I can go now, right?” The shower really was a good idea. Aside from the blood on my face, I was more brown with dirt than blue with bruises.
 
“Man, Jonas, really? You held yourself back; don’t force me to…” They were ignoring me, and I tried slowly to slink away.
 
“You promised me that when I tell you he deserved it, you would give it to him!” I now was far enough away that I could start sprinting now.
 
“Ah… okay man, don’t always rush like that… Blue Light!” Something stopped me in place and pulled me back again… damn it. “Here, take this.” Toby held his hand out and held a little black card in front of my nose.
 
“You get out of jail?” I read loudly.
 
“Oops… wrong one.” He took it back and gave me another one. “This is the right one.”

“You get a free wish,” was written on it in a writing which could have come from a three year old.
 
 
“Uhm… yeah, what?” I look in confusion at the card.
 
“Can’t you read? You get a free wish!” Jonas cited the card without even being able to see it.
 
“Yeah… Thanks?” I took the card and let it hover next to me. I should really get a saddlebag… “How about a saddlebag?”
 
“... Really? A saddlebag? Really? The card is serious business, you know? You can wish for anything... and I really mean anything. Well, I would suggest not doing a few things, but I can tell you when it’s needed. Anyway, you really don’t want a saddlebag when you could, like I know, have a ten kilometre diamond or super powers… I mean, you could really wish for eternal life…,” Toby said, insulted that I just wanted a bag.
 
“I think… that I have to think about it for a while.” What should I wish for myself? There were so many things, but I could think of one thing that I absolutely wanted more than anything. I didn’t know what kind of aftermath that it would have, however.

“The card is also very easy to carry around,” Toby mentioned as the card turned into black mist and disappeared. “Simply think of the card and it will appear again, and you can wish for something.” At least now I didn’t need the bag anymore.
 
“But one wish I still have, though I don’t need the card for it. BREAKFAST!” My stomach clenched as I said that.
 
“Yes yes, the training is finished; now we can go eat,” Jonas said.
 

***


 


[PoV: Toby]


 

The way to the dining hall went as calm as expected. Jonas talked a bit with Blue… I think I am going to call him that forever, just like the little dog… However, I was bored once again. I stopped shortly at a statue and wished Jerry a good morning. Blue gave me a confused look for a while because of that. The guards seemed to have calmed down from yesterday evening, or they just didn’t dare to give me a bad look. That was just fine with me. As we finally reached the dining hall after twenty unbelievably long minutes, six ponies were already there waiting for us, four of them were from Ponyville, one was Celestia, and a white unicorn I didn’t know. Judging by Jonas’ and Blue’s faces, I figured that we were dealing with a major asshole.

“Morning,” I said to everyone around. The ponies greeted back aside from Celestia, who was treating me now the same way I treated her, and the new face, who just looked at us unbelievingly.
 
“Aunt Celestia, what are these things doing here?” he asked in a disgusted tone and pointed at Jonas and me.
 
“They’re my guests,” Celestia replied briefly.
 
“I beg your pardon, but these… things are supposed to be our guests?” I began to imagine what I could do to him if he took this too far.
 
“Yes… and it looks like they’re going to eat with us.” I didn’t know which she liked less, talking to me or talking to him.
 
“This is an outrage! I accept having to dine with these scoundrels…” he pointed at the presented Elements, “but that is just a bad jok—”
 
“Shut it, Blueblood,” Blue interrupted him and in the next moment smacked a tile from the floor against his head, which then returned to its place. I had to pull myself together for a brief moment – may not be my style, but that was still funny.
 
“Well done… otherwise I would have taken care of it myself—” However, the idiot now dared to interrupt me.

“Ouch! Guards!!!” The guards gave each other a quick look and then one to me. My smile let a cold shiver run down their backs, so they remained silently in their place.
 
“Heh, thought so…” I whispered quietly before I sat down together with Jonas and Blue. “So how were your nights?” I asked the group.
 
“Good.” Celestia didn’t even look up from her cake.
 
“Enjoyable…” Twilight wanted to continue, but again the impudent unicorn interrupted her. This idiot didn’t seem to take the hint.
 
“Celestia, I DEMAND that you remove these three!” he demanded.
 
“And if you don’t start to keep your mouth shut, I will send you straight to Jupiter,” I said in a playful tone.
 
“You dirty creature, don’t you even dare to—!” He made the mistake of looking me in the eyes. What happened next was one of my most favourite activities: trapping ignorant people in illusions. His vacant facial expression made me happy. Blue waved his hoof in front of Blueblood’s face.
 
“What did you do to him? Not that it bothers me, but I would find it useful for my Blueblood at home,” an amused-looking Blue asked me.

“Just a simple illusion… He now thinks that I put him on Jupiter. Luckily, he is stupid and doesn’t know that there is no oxygen on Jupiter. Before he even notices that this is all a trick, we should be long finished here. If you want to know how it works… It’s really difficult to learn and we don’t have the time for that… but you could wish to know how to do it.” I grinned at him, but he just rolled his eyes.
 
But now it was time to tend to the food, so I took a small salad. Jonas followed my example; a good appetizer for the main course. I felt like barbecuing again today. Aside from the shock from a few ponies present that suddenly meat was on Jonas’ and my plate, nothing else happened.
 

_________________________

 
“Did you hear something?” one guard asked another.
 
“No, why?” The unicorn gave his colleague a confused expression.
 
“I thought I heard something.” He pointed towards one of the suits of armour.
 
“I don’t hear anything…,” the unicorn said.
 
“I could have sworn…”A deep and loud growl came from the armour, and it began to move, clattering.

“Oh,” the unicorn answered while his ears fell flat.
 
“THE ARMOURS ARE ALIVE!!!” screamed the pegasus. “RUN!!!”
 
And so it happened that no more armour was placed in the fourth floor of the castle.
 

***

 

[PoV: Jonas]

 
After the meal, a curious Twilight dragged Blue Light away as she left. The remaining Elements followed her. Sadly, Fluttershy departed as well, but it was all the same since I had time later in the week to spend some with her. Blueblood was still in his seat and fought with the non-existing environmental conditions of Jupiter.
 
“Now…” Celestia announced “... how is it looking, Toby? When can you send him back?”
 
Toby thought about it for a second, then wiped reality away with a hand and revealed a white, glowing pentagram that represented the spell. Hundreds of runes sprang from one point to another, changing their positions or were replaced by other runes. “Ah, looks like I’m going to get finished by tonight… Your counterpart did better work than expected.” She smiled smugly at him.
 
“This isn’t really about the spell, is it, Celestia?” I pressed on the subject. She nodded approvingly.
 
“It’s about Steve. Blue Light said that he met him, so why would he send him here?” She had a point there, and it was a logical train of thought if you didn’t know the both of them.
 
“To tell me that he is coming in two months,” Toby answered simply.
 
“But that can’t be everything. There must be another reason for this. After all, you said that he murdered thousands already. Why would he help one confused and lost?” Once again that sounded logical, but it wasn’t that simple with the two of them.
 
“I have killed thousands as well… Also, I already said that he isn’t really evil nor am I really good. Neither of us are playing marked cards. He saved the small guy because it was just convenient for him. Nothing more, no ulterior motives, just that simple.” Celestia didn’t seem convinced, but accepted the answer.
 
“And you? Why are you helping him? And don’t tell me you’re doing it out of the goodness of your heart.” She stared at him deeply, trying to find out if he was lying.

“Okay… there is something extra for him,” Toby confessed.
 
“And that would be?” Her tension could clearly be felt.
 
“That…” he shook his head “...that is something you don’t want to know.”
 
“It can’t be that bad,” she replied nervously.
 
“You have no idea how bad it can be…” Toby was looking straight into her eyes and in a tone, which I had only heard two times before until now, he said, “There are fates worse than death.” Toby stood up and gave me a look which told me to follow. When we left the room, I heard how Blueblood came back to himself.
 
“What the…”

As I followed him through the corridors of the castle, I kept asking myself what it could be. When you start to spend enough time with this boy, you learn to understand certain signs. But I couldn’t figure out anything concrete. What did I know about magic? Not much, in comparison to him at least… otherwise more than most. Magic was separated into two— No, three schools: the physical magic, which followed the laws of nature, the mental level, and the spiritual one… In our case, we were moving on the spiritual level, and from what I knew, the consequences there were the worst. But what was it? I couldn’t get around it – I had to ask him.
 
“Toby?” He turned around.
 
“What is it?” I didn’t want to beat around the bush.

“What are the consequences?” He lowered his head and sighed.
 
“I told you that you don’t want to know that…” He was sad.
 
“But I do.” He had to tell me. I wanted to know, and he knew that I wouldn’t let it go before he talked.
 
“Come on, please don’t force me.” It had been a while since I heard him sincerely begging.
 
“I am sorry. But tell me.” Toby fought with himself for a moment, his struggle obvious.
 
“Okay… it’s like this… You know that no soul leaves the nought the same way it entered… There are only a few beings which can be there in the first place… but if you enter it anyway without being one of those… something happens to you…” I will never forget those words, and I will never be able to look at Blue Light with the same eyes as before.
 
We stood motionless in the hallway for a few minutes, neither of us daring to break the silence. I tried to process what I had just heard. To understand the words and to appreciate the consequences. There really were fates worse than death. At some point, I became uneasy.
 
“I need a joint,” I said shortly.
 
“Here.” Toby offered me an already burning one. It was good weed, Red Havana I think. But that always had been hard to recognize. With luck, we were close to a balcony which we could lean on.
 
“Toby?” I said quietly.
 
“Mhh?”
 
“Is there a God?” I somehow needed twenty years to ask this question.
 
“What do you think?”
 
“I think there is one,” I said. I really did believe that.
 
“Then there will be one waiting on you… when the end nears.” I had to smile. It was his style, his way of existing. He would still be around for a long time after I die, and still I had a feeling that somewhere in hell he would be waiting for me.

While we busied ourselves in even more senseless topics, the sun was slowly setting in the horizon, and as the sun touched the horizon, Toby slowly got back up again from the balcony.
 
“I have to go wake up Luna and sleep till morning.” I myself wasn’t tired at all, and I doubted that he was either.
 
“Well then, till tomorrow.” And with that, he disappeared. My thoughts about the subject earlier came back into my mind.
 
“Damn it, Toby, why do you always need to be correct on something like this. I shouldn’t have asked…” I threw the remains of the now fifth joint over the parapet and made my way towards the kitchen to get a little supper.
 

***

 

[PoV: Blue Light]

 
Twilight had been looking over at me over the course of the entire meal and seemed to have some questions on her mind, which is why I wasn’t surprised when she dragged me through the hall later on and we made ourselves comfortable on a sofa in a little chamber. Fluttershy, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash followed us, and four bewildered ponies were looking at me while one of them was preparing a notebook.

“So you’re from a parallel dimension to this one?” I nodded to Twilight’s question. “And you travelled from one dimension to another because?”
 
“Because the opportunity was offered to me, or rather the other you offered it to me.” She scribbled something into the notebook.
 
“So there is another version of me in your world?” she asked curiously.
 
“No, or at least none that I know of. You came from a different dimension into mine. It had to do with something about a failed transportation spell.” Or was it teleportation? I couldn’t remember anymore.
 
“For one of my students, you don’t pay a lot of attention. Come on, what was it?” I summed up the events of my appearing in the other world and explained to her why I was here now.
 
“So you weren’t always a pony?” Applejack asked. Rainbow flew out of the window a while ago, mentioning something about needing to practice. The only one who remained where they were and didn't make a sound was Fluttershy.
 
“No, I once was a being like Jonas, if he even is human. He is far stronger and faster than a human. Well, at least I looked similar to him.” I saw how they tried to portray me as a human. Twilight seemed to have given up after a few seconds, shook her head, and let her quill hover over to my hoof band.

“So may I ask you why you carry the royal seal?” I had completely dismissed that after it utterly failed at my arrival.
 
“Well I don’t really know why, but Celestia made me a part of her family. That was what she told me as to why I needed one.” I saw the shock in their faces.
 
“Then… then we’re related. I mean, my brother is married with one of your cousins, I mean Cadance, or isn’t he?” I just realised that myself a short while ago. I nodded, and Twilight scribbled some more into her notebook. I thought of my family, who were now in danger somewhere or dead or who knows what. Tomorrow, Toby was going to send me back, but until then I couldn’t do anything.
 
“Uhm… Blue Light, your Majesty… uhm… I would like to ask how your family is doing, if you won’t mind me asking.” This was the first time Fluttershy spoke.
 
“Light is enough, Fluttershy. In this world, I am not a prince, and in mine we’re friends. About my family, I don’t know how they are or if they are still alive. That’s why I need to get home as fast as possible. I will try to rally the Elements, that means you, and some others and rescue my world. I don’t know how, but I believe we will find a way.” Celestia’s words did me well and somehow, no matter which world, she still was there for me. Just like my real mother. I was a child of two worlds, and I would never be able decide, so was it wrong of me to think of her as my mother, especially after all she did for me? I owed her a lot.
 
“Oh my… I didn’t want to… I am so sorry.” Fluttershy lowered her head and buried herself in the sofa. Applejack put a hoof around her friend.

“Don’t worry, sugarcube. Light here meant that everything is gonna A-Okay.” Actually, I was scared. So many humans had died, and I didn’t have a slightest clue where I should start. I didn’t even know if there was a weapon against the nightmares or not, but that wasn’t their problem. Time passed as I discussed with Twilight theories about dimensions and travel between them, as well as the consequences in my case. Applejack and Fluttershy fell asleep at some point, and there was no trace of Rainbow Dash, so I could bet that she was doing the same as her friend on a cloud somewhere.
 
“So the problem is not the transportation of your body, but that of the soul and binding it to the new universe?” Twilight asked, who had already gotten a second notebook. Some things just never change.
 
“Or finding a certain world in the first place. If our assumptions are correct, then there is every possibility that there is a fitting world, but also somewhere there is Twilight the stallion, Twilight the musician. Celestia and Luna together needed a month to find me and that with a clue to follow. That Toby only needs three days… speaks volumes.” I knew from books what a magic could do, but to have an idea of scale of it was something entirely different.
 
“I think it has to do less with the finding. I mean, he did bring your body here as well. Maybe it has to do with another part about your soul?” Twilight corrected me, and she was right. I completely overlooked that until now. I had to yawn and looked outside. The sun was starting to set, which meant Twilight and I used most of the day to talk. She probably even thought that was actually a good thing, but I had no idea what else I should do here.

“I think I am going to get a snack. We’ll just let these two sleep.” Twilight nodded and we both went to the dining hall to get some food. Sadly, a full mouth didn’t stop her from asking more questions.
 

***

 
The next morning, I was able to start a bit more peacefully, since this time Toby didn’t throw me out of my bed, but one of the guards woke me. He informed me that Celestia wished for my presence in the entrance hall as soon as I was ready. I had completely forgotten to shower after yesterday’s events and found I needed it. I was surprised no one commented on it during dinner yesterday. After that, I felt like new and wondered what they wanted from me so early in the morning. My travel home wasn’t planned until tomorrow.
 
As I came from the corridor in the second floor into the hall, I saw Celestia, Toby, Jonas, and Twilight standing there, each having a serious expression on their faces.
 
“Good morning, Light,” Celestia greeted me and looked at me with a sad look.
 
“Well, we can start now, if you want?” Toby rubbed his hands.
 
“What can start now?” I was a little perplexed. Did I miss something?

“Uhm, you do want to go back home, do you? What else could be happening today?” he grinned.
 
“I don't want to complain, but haven't only two days passed so far? Didn't you say it would take three?” Actually, who cared – I was finally going home!
 
“Actually, I was finished yesterday evening, but I really wanted to go to sleep. So anyone wants to say their farewells or give him anything? Otherwise, let’s get it over with.” He looked alternately to Jonas, Celestia, and Twilight.
 
“I have something!” Twilight called and pulled out an envelope. “Could you give this to the other me? She would surely like to hear my theories about dimensions.” I took her envelope and held it in my mouth.
 
“I wish you all the best, Blue Light, and I hope that if we will see each other again, it is under more comfortable circumstances.” Celestia smiled seemed a little forced.
 
“Thanks,” I mumbled with the letter in my mouth.
 
“Well then, no need to worry about anything. It won’t hurt at all, and I doubt you’ll even notice it happening.” I prepared myself for everything and sat down on the ground.
 
Toby stood up straight, stretched briefly, and took me into focus. The mood in the room began to turn as his eyes started to glow. Small green lightning arcs formed on his body, the stone plates in the floor starting to crack.
 
And a similar oppressive feeling like from my first meeting with Celestia ran through me. But this time it was a lot stronger, as if gravity was pressing me in waves towards the ground. Everything around me blurred slowly. In the background, Twilight was pressed to the ground as well, which somehow calmed myself since I wasn’t the only one who was affected by it. The last thing I saw before the darkness closed around me was a glaring red light coming from Toby. And the last thing I heard was, “I am sorry.”
> Chapter 26 - My Way
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Headaches. If there was one thing I hated in my life, it was headaches. Well, that and Mondays. I groaned from the throbbing pain that jolted through my body and tried to find a more comfortable position, but my hoof was blocked by something as I tried to get it out of the warm bed sheet. I groped the object a bit until I elicited a quiet sigh from it, which helped bring me back into reality again. I opened my eyes and saw that I wasn’t lying in Applejack’s bed on the farm, or the guest bed, or my bed in Canterlot. I was now in Twilight’s bed in the library. I woke with a jump and looked around in panic. The sun seemed to have just gone up, and its first rays softly fell through the large window next to the bed. A telescope stood in front of it; there was another bed and a small desk, both overflowing with paper. I saw the sheet on the other bed slightly rising and falling.
 
My mind trailed back to the last two days which I had spent in another dimension. Somehow, I hoped that the others could explain to me later that this had all just been a bad dream because I removed the rune too early. Again a moan came from somewhere, and while searching for the source, I found something that I thought at first was a monster ready to devour me. Luckily, it turned out to just be Twilight, or rather her mane that was so unkempt that not even multiple tubes of hair gel would fix it. She slept, with her face on the bed, next to me on the floor and had dark rings under her eyes. I wondered what had happened to her while I was gone. The farm had been in a catastrophic state, just like the town, and Celestia hadn’t been feeling well either. To top it all off, I would now probably put another strain on them, but I could only hope that they would understand and want to help.

“You’re awake!” Spike came up the staircase and into the room and seemed surprised to see me back on my legs. Unfortunately, he had reacted too loudly, and the exhausted-looking Twilight began to rise from her position and carefully rubbed her eyes.
 
“Spike, what time is it?” she asked sleepily before trying to catch a glance at her clock beside the bed.
 
“Twilight, Light is awake!” he shouted again, and in the next moment, a book hit the back of his head.
 
“Shush!” mumbled something from the other bed, which could only be Dawn. His mother, meanwhile, just looked at me and tried to handle what she saw. It took a while, but then she let out a loud scream and threw her hooves around my neck.
 
“Thanksthanksthanksthanks…” she shouted over and over again, pressing herself a little harder against me every time. “We thought we had lost you! Especially after your body just vanished.” She had tears in her eyes that were now slowly making their way through my coat. She sniffled a few times before continuing to speak. “You have to tell us what happened! We only know what was in the letter.” For a moment, I wondered which letter she was talking about, but then I remembered that the other Twilight had given me a letter for herself.
 
“Hey, Twilight, happy to see you again. What was in the letter?” It was the first time I got to talk, which would probably be rare today. She opened the drawer of her nightstand and pulled out an envelope with said letter. She opened it with her magic, let it fly in front of her nose, and cleared her throat.

“Dear Twilight Sparkle,
 
I am writing to inform you of my knowledge about dimensions and the travelling between them. After what Blue Light told me, I have made a few theories and put them to test. If this letter reaches you, then one of them is already proven. Attached, you will find a script of my formulae and theories, and I believe that you will be capable of establishing a secure connection to another world by using these. The problem for that seems, unfortunately, that you need an item from the world you want to build a connection to, and it, in return, has to have a connection itself. The only one who currently meets these criteria is Blue Light.
 
My kind regards.”
 
She put the letter aside and looked up at me. “I have spent the last few hours studying these formulae, and I have to say that I’m impressed. Whoever helped you knew what they were doing.” I had to grin. Usually Twilight wasn’t one who praised herself, but I think it was fair to make an exception here.
 
“The one who did had only heard from other dimensions a few days ago by accident through a visitor a bit different to me. It was him who sent me home.” She seemed fascinated and ignored Dawn’s complaints for silence in the background.
 
“Oh, what would I give to meet this traveller. He could teach me so much.” And lead our world to doom with a snap of his finger. I was glad that he stayed where he was. Suddenly, she turned around to Spike and shook the poor guy. “The Princess!” she screamed. “I completely forgot to tell her that Light is back!” Spike, who had stayed completely calm, freed himself from Twilight’s grip and held his head so that his eyes stopped spinning around.

“Everything’s taken care of, Twi. I wrote her a letter when he showed up last night,” he assured her, and she immediately seemed to calm down again. She released Spike, turned towards me, and climbed onto the bed.
 
“So, what happened? Where have you been? Who helped you? What kind of other dimension was that? Were there ponies or humans or other creatures? Oh… so many questions…” She ran downstairs, without even letting me answer one of her questions, and returned with a scroll of parchment and a quill. She passed both to Spike and now seemed to happily wait for my answers.
 
“Everything in due time. How are Celestia, the town, and AJ? How long have I been gone anyways?” Twilight seemed to realize that I had just as many questions as she did. Spike couldn’t keep up noting down everything that had been said and dropped quill and parchment to the ground.
 
“The princess is… alright. Princess Luna has currently overtaken the most important duties. Ponyville is fine, and the repairs are almost complete. It has been a week since the storm, to answer your last question. AJ has been out of the hospital for two days, but something bothers her, and we don’t know what exactly,” Twilight summarized the recent events. A week without a sign of me – I hoped that she hadn’t been too worried. “At first we thought we had made a mistake with the spell, but when your body disappeared… We thought you were returned and then ran off or something like that.” She must have noticed what I had thought.

“It wasn’t your fault, Twilight. I was panicked and did something wrong.” I turned towards Spike, who just wanted to leave. “Spike, could you please write a letter for me?” The dragon shrugged and grabbed the parchment from the ground. I dictated a short message to him for Celestia, saying that we would be coming to Canterlot as soon as possible, where I would explain all this, but also make a request. He sealed the letter and vanished in a green mist out of the open window at the other side of the room. By now I had gotten out of the bed and was ready to go back to the farm.
 
“I will see you tomorrow, Twilight. Like I said, I want you all to come along. The request is for you just as it for Celestia.” Twilight tried to stop me since she thought that too many of her questions were left unanswered, but I fobbed her off. “You have to go to sleep. The last couple of days were rather like holidays to me, a very chaotic holiday, but apparently I have slept more than you.”
 
“He’s right, Twilight, you haven’t slept in three days,” Spike agreed and pulled at her tail to drag her upstairs. Now with him on my side as well she gave up.
 
“Maybe you two are right. I’ll see you *yawn* tomorrow…” And with a quick flash of light, she disappeared. Spike accompanied me to the door, and I quickly said goodbye, though not without thanking him for the bed.
 

***

 
The town was a sight I would not soon forget. Almost every house on the main street was covered by scaffolds and seemed to have been in dire needs of repairs. Every pony that I saw was busy with construction or getting their gardens and plots back into order. Most stores were closed – only some food and commodity stores were inevitably open. The market had been put on hold until further notice, indicated by a note in a store window. All other public buildings were closed as well, even the school. At least I haven’t missed any work, I thought to myself sarcastically. But that was the least of my worries now. This was the first time that I remembered nopony greeting or waving me, as they were all too busy. Sugarcube Corner seemed to be one of the few buildings that had stayed undamaged. Magical gingerbread seemed to be incredibly stable. I would have loved to look for Pinkie and the others, but my attention was focused on AJ since the last thing I saw of her was Big Mac carrying her to the hospital. I stepped it up a notch and shifted over into a slow gallop as I made my way out of town and towards Sweet Apple Acres.

The white fence needed to be repaired at a few places, and the path itself was getting more and more uneven the closer I got to the farm. A few bleak spots on the fields showed me that not all the trees could have been saved, but others were re-erected with poles, showing me that someone had taken care of the situation. I suspected a large red stallion. I stepped through the gate to the farm as a cough stopped me. Behind me stood a young, orange mare, maybe a bit younger than Tray. Her orange was of a brighter shade than AJ’s and suited her white, slightly unkempt mane.
 
“Excuse me, I’m looking for Ponyville,” she said and looked around. I pointed the way I came from. “Yes, exactly, sorry.” She rubbed her head with her hoof and bowed quickly before going on her way. She seemed a bit confused to me, especially since there was only one path that led from Ponyville, past Sweet Apple Acres, and up to the river. I had no idea where it led after the bridge, but I didn’t care. I was back on my track and saw the house quickly approaching. A few planks were added here and there to repair some damage, but aside from that, everything seemed alright. The barn stood there as always, just like there had never been a storm, not to mention a flood.

“Morning,” a deep voice with an ominous tone sounded behind me. I raised my head, only to meet Big Mac’s eyes. Somehow he didn’t seem to be as happy to see me as I was to see him. I had the feeling that if I didn’t start running soon, he would have a reason to decrease the number of my teeth.
 
“Light! There you are.” The little yellow filly with a red mane was my saviour, as Big Mac took a step back and looked at his sister who shot out between the trees. “Where have you been? We were all so worried. Princess Celestia even sent out a search party.” So that’s what Twilight meant when she said that they thought he had run off. Apple Bloom was dancing between my forelegs and seemed to be happy that I was back. And I was happy since she came at the perfect moment.
 
“Sorry, I was… delayed. I would have loved to return sooner, but I couldn’t.” For a moment, I considered telling her where I had been. “But now that I’m back, did I miss anything?” I was looking more at Big Mac than the little one, because something seemed to anger the large one. Just when I thought we were getting along well…. Well, as well as you could with the brother of your marefriend.
 
“Don’t mind mah brother, he’s just in a bad mood since mah sister came back from hospital.” Apple Bloom was more perceptive than I thought – she had quickly noticed the mood in the air. Maybe the usually calm stallion behind me was a good indication.
 
“How is AJ? Is she okay?” I said to get back to the point why I had galloped here instead of trotting.

“She’s fine, the doc said it just some bruised ribs…” That took a load off my mind. After Big Mac’s behaviour, I had expected something worse. “She just has to take it slow. At least that’s what he told me.” Apple Bloom still stood happily in front of me and wiggled her tail a bit. I couldn’t resist a smile – she was just too cute. I had always liked kids.
 
“So, where is AJ then? I have a few things to talk about with her.” Big Mac snorted and went inside the barn. It seemed like he didn’t have the chance to say what he wanted to since one of his sisters would be near me, at least for the next few hours.
 
“She’s in the house with that Trixie.” I had completely forgotten about her. I tried to remember what had been in Changer’s letter, but it just didn’t want to come to my mind. The escape from the Nightmares and that weird parallel Equestria had just wiped it out of my head.
 
“Thanks, Apple Bloom. I’m going to see her then.” I rubbed through my mane with a hoof as she disappeared between the trees again. If I had to take a guess, I would say she was going to her clubhouse.
 
Carefully, I opened the front door and entered the large living area of the farmhouse that had been my home for the past few weeks. One week of absence didn’t seem like much, but I still looked to see if anything had changed. The large table in the dining room was the first thing I noticed, together with the old clock that hung from a beam above it. The couches in the living room hadn’t changed, only that a new sheet was lying on them. The rest was the same as ever as well. I entered the kitchen to quench my thirst but was surprised by a blue unicorn. I wasn’t startled but was confused when she hugged me and pulled me to the ground.

“Changer! You’re back! I can’t believe it!” Me neither – I thought we had talked about that. With a bit of struggle, I managed to free myself from Trixie’s grip and stood back up.
 
“But it is you! I feel your magic.” I didn’t know how to tell her, but I had sworn to no longer use lies or half-truths to later worsen the effect.
 
“Trixie, I know you don’t want to hear this, but Changer is… dead.” I was no doctor, policeman, or firefighter. I never thought I would ever have to be the bearer of such a message. My stomach convulsed, my already dry throat felt like sandpaper, and I could have sworn it just turned ten degrees warmer. Not that it had been a hot day - it was rather cloudy - but I could have sworn that some pegasi had just cleared that up. I could see how her soul was basically forced into a jaw vice, and the first tears began to gather in her trembling eyes. “I have found a letter from him, but unfortunately… I couldn’t bring it with me. I am sorry, Trixie, I know how it is to lose family.” This time it was me who hugged her, just in time before she dropped to the ground.  
 
“How can…” She sobbed heavily. “How can that be!? I feel him right here!” She pressed a hoof against my chest while her tears soaked into my mane. I didn’t know what to say – my head was just empty now. I didn’t know how to react as a human, but I knew what to do as a pony. It had helped me when I thought my family had accounted me as dead, and they were right. There was only one thing I could do, not for Changer, not for this poor soul whose hope had been crushed more than once. But I would wait until she had calmed down. This wasn’t the time. This was the time to mourn Changer. I didn’t know him, but if someone shed such tears for him, he must have been a good guy. I felt for her, and before I knew it, I shed a few tears as well. Thanks, you self-complacent thing, great brother you had been, I thought to myself as the time passed by. I didn’t know how long we just sat there, but it must have been for a few hours since Trixie eventually and peacefully fell asleep. I didn’t know if someone saw us, but I doubt any of us would have noticed, even if someone would have walked to the fridge directly in front of us. I lifted her with my magic and carried her over to the couch where I wrapped the new sheet around her.
 
“Ya seem to have become better, sugarcube.” AJ stood on the staircase, similar rings underneath her eyes as Twilight. I felt guilty already – knowing that my marefriend had sleepless nights didn’t make it any better.
 
“Yes, a little.” It was no comparison to before. I could levitate as easily as if I had invisible hands. It was the same as earlier, only that the handling was like I was navigating them over a mirror with twenty pounds of additional weight. “How are you?”
 
“I should you ask the same question.” She was calm, and somehow that was worse than angry since I knew I was in bigger troubles this time. “Did you meet your family?” I shook my head.
 
“No, and I don’t think I will anytime soon. My world is in… trouble. Big trouble. I don’t know where or how they are.” The subject was even worse in my current mood than it already was. AJ came down the stairs and took a seat on the second couch, motioning me to sit down next to her, which I gladly did. She snuggled slightly against me, which comforted me.

“Tell me what happened, sugarcube.” I began telling her about what had happened after I had sent her with Big Mac to the hospital. I also included how I had gotten the job, the lesson, and the sudden appearance from Luna. She knew the story this far, so I went over to telling her how I found my home, the nightmares, and the hunt through the forest. “That sounds horrible… What are those things?”
 
“Nightmares, magical creatures of unknown origin.” I began to quote the entry of the book about the mythical creatures. “Like beasts looking for flesh, they walk through the worlds and feast on the souls of everything they can find, no matter if pony, bunny, or ant. Life is their enemy, and they find a way to rip exactly that from their victims.” A shiver ran down my spine. A creature that could kill by a simple touch, walk through walls like they weren’t there, and were immune to conventional weapons – yes those were the stuff nightmares were made from. AJ was shivering at the thought, just as I did, and she hadn’t even seen the red eyes and the saliva that only indicated their teeth. I continued the story up to where I was in the forest as she clung to me a bit harder. I recounted how I had removed the rune, despite Twilight’s warning, and was pulled into another world. I told her of the two humans who I met there and how they had helped me get back here.
 
“They sound a bit… careless. But if they helped ya, I should be thankful.” I just had to kiss this mare. She thought exactly as I did concerning that. “But what do ya do now, sugarcube? I mean, about the Nightmares,” she asked after we parted.
 
“Honestly, I have no clue. I was hoping that Celestia might have an idea, or maybe we could go there with the Elements and give them a big load of harmony.” She seemed to like the idea of kicking those creatures’ flanks. “So that’s why I want to go to Canterlot with you and the others tomorrow – to talk all this through.”

“The princess will know what to do. I’m sure of that. She’s never left us hanging.” I wished I could share her conviction. “Do the others know yet?”
 
“I hope Spike or Dawn will tell them. Twilight wasn’t in a state to leave the house. No offense, but you stand no chance against her eye rings.” She smiled. I was happy to be back here.
 
“We were just getting worried. We thought something bad happened to ya, or ya were confused and ran off. Big Mac thought that ya ran off because…” She stopped and seemed to bite her tongue.
 
“Because?” I was curious as to why he was as angry at me as on the first day.
 
“Nothing…” She was lying. Everyone could tell when AJ lied – it couldn’t be more obvious. She no longer looked in my eyes and bit her lips. I threw a look at her that said ‘You can tell that to someone who doesn’t know you’. “Well, it’s because of the injury. He thinks it was your fault.” That was a lie as well, but she didn’t want to tell me what really happened.
 
“It’s alright, just tell me when you feel like it. I’m the last one who wants to push you into doing something.” She seemed relieved.
 
“Thanks, sugarcube. Ah owe ya one.” Again our lips met.

“Ughh, can’t you do that somewhere else?” Apple Bloom stood in the doorway with a disgusted look on her face. “And Ah thought the thing with Miss Cheerilee was cheesy.” I could only laugh at her reference to the love potion.
 
“You know, Apple Bloom, I’ll speak to you about that in a few years. Let’s see how you will think about that then.” I loved to see those questioning looks on the faces of children, and foals were no exception. Applejack giggled as she understood what I meant and stood up from the couch.
 
“So, enough rest. It’s time to make some lunch. How do ya like hay fries?” I hadn’t tried them yet, but hey. You pony, you eat hay.
 
“Sounds good.” How bad could they be? Deep-frying something makes everything tasty.
 

***

 
The fuel of the generator lasted until morning, thank God, which Fish did multiple times. None of them could get a wink of sleep, not even a peaceful minute. For the entire night, they heard the creatures lurking there, crawling up the walls and God knows where else. With the first sunrays, however, it was quiet within seconds. Clear relief was spreading.
 
“So, now back to the stadium. We can sleep there.” Everyone agreed with Mac and put on their backpacks, which were now lighter by their last ration. They all took the staircase downstairs. The area was even more devastated than it had been last night, now that it was visible in the sunlight.


“I didn’t think I’d be this happy to see the sun again after Iraq,” Fish said and looked at his men. Alf and Pill were caught up in their thoughts and were randomly looking around. Mac seemed to be having the same feeling as him. He knew him already back from said operation, and they had worked together after that. Lee was distraught, and not without reason. He went to the other side of the road where the dead body of his brother was still lying on the ground, looking more like he was asleep than dead. He knelt down next to him and closed his eyes to give the body a veneer of peacefulness.
 
“The stadium is nearby. Come.” Fish put a hand on the shoulder of his comrade and pulled him to the rest of the group. As much as he hated to leave men out here, they had no way to transport the dead. Anything more than marking their bodies on a map for a recovery team wasn’t possible.
 
“I’d like to know what to tell my mom,” he asked no one specifically in the group, and he also got no answer.
 

***

 
As much as I would have liked to spend the night in a soft bed next to AJ, I just couldn’t leave Trixie alone down on the couch. AJ had taken her in reluctantly at the request of Princess Luna, and ever since, she had been on the farm. The week with her couldn’t have been described as easy, but AJ told me that she had behaved, and the farm mare couldn’t really complain. I was happy that she thought of it that way, seeing she hadn’t been very happy about my idea at first. 

‘See what you’ve gotten yourself into with me?’ I had said to her. As the statement had left my mouth, I had thought that I would suffer the consequences. But to my surprise, she had stayed rather calm then as well and had even shown a bit of sympathy, even if it was for Trixie. I mean, she hadn’t exactly been well-behaved during her first visit, but everyone deserved a second chance. Even I had received one.

I woke up as the door to the bathroom behind me closed. A glance at the couch next to me told me that it must be Trixie. It took around five minutes before she came back out. Not that it was my hobby to see how long women or mares needed in the bathroom, but I had been waiting for a good opportunity to speak with her in private, and what better time could there be than five in the morning, one hour before the rest of ponies in the house woke? To my surprise, she didn’t go back to the couch when she came out, but went straight for the front door.
 
“Where are you going so early?” I felt like an old, wise hobgoblin that sat at the roadside, giving travellers some advice. I had really played too many role playing games. Trixie seemed to be surprised that I was awake, and her leg jerked as though she wanted to run away. “I don’t want to stop you, but I think we should talk.” Really too many role playing games. She thought for a moment and then sat back down on the couch. “Did you really just want to go like that?”
 
“You don’t know me. To you, I’m just a stranger that found her way into your lives.” And had left a bad taste after her first visit, but that was not the point.
 
“And what if we like that? Okay, unlikely, but at least me?” She didn’t seem to understand and just looked at me questioningly. “What I want to say is that you don’t have to go. In some way, I am your brother, but in others, I’m not.  Even I don’t really understand that with the dimensions and such. I mean, we were not made to understand that. If we were to travel between dimensions, it should be easy, right?” She just stared at me with her mouth open, not knowing what to say. “Whatever! What I want to say is that I would be honoured if the Great and Powerful Trixie would see me as part of her family. I have no means of making that official - at least I have never heard that you can adopt a sister - but I hope that my word is enough.” I was still chagrined that I had forgotten Changer’s last words, but I would grant him his wish, even though it wasn’t because of him.

Trixie’s face was hard to read, and I could almost hear the gears in her head clicking. “I don’t expect an answer right away. I just want to tell you that I will always welcome you.” I put on my best smile and waited for a response. I had five half-siblings that I had never met in my life. What difference would one more make? At least, that was what I thought. I used to say that you get to choose friends, but not family, but today I did exactly that. The saying sounded much more negative than it was meant, but I felt like I had at least scratched a certain wall.
 
I had expected a lot of things. Rejection – I just wasn’t him, and I couldn’t replace him. Laughter, simply at the thought of what this stranger dared to do. Maybe even anger but certainly not what she did. Crying. It hit me maybe even more surprisingly than my offer hit her, and I needed some time to process the whole thing. As my head was clear again, I went over to her, and just like yesterday, let her tears sink into my mane. After a while, she caught herself again and sat next to me on the couch.
 
“That’s the first time that someone besides Changer has been nice,” she eventually said.
 
“What about your parents?” She looked even more forlorn.

“We were both orphans. I didn’t know my parents.” It was a mental punch in the stomach.
 
“Sorry, I didn’t know.”
 
“Don’t worry, you couldn’t,” she said and shook her head. “But are you serious with that offer?”
 
“Don’t get me wrong. I can’t and don’t want to replace Changer. I’m sure I couldn’t even do that. But what I learned here during my short time is that everyone deserves a second chance and that everyone needs a family.” Again she threw her hooves around my neck, and I just accepted that she had a thing for hugs.
 
“Uhm… I don’t know… how it…” she stammered after releasing me from her embrace. “Yes… I mean, I accept.” She sounded a bit like Fluttershy, but how should one accept such an offer without it being a bit awkward? I stood up from the couch and went into the kitchen, a curious Trixie behind me. “What are you doing?”
 
“Breakfast. The others will wake up soon, and what would my marefriend and new sister think of me if I greet them with an empty table?” I was glad to see Trixie smile for once. It just suited her more. To be honest, I liked her ‘imposing’ style. Even though she didn’t execute it very elegantly, she still managed to beat Applejack and the others in the show. Not by force, but by skill and thought, which reminded me of myself. Raw force had never been my thing.

“Would you mind if I help you? I owe this family a bit.” I passed her a knife and some apples with my magic.
 
“Save the skin. I’ll be using that for something else.” She nodded and began to peel the apples. “How come you don’t speak to me in third person?”
 
“Come again?”
 
“Or is it called third pony here?” I laughed. “I mean, why am I not hearing ‘The Great and Powerful Trixie is happy to help’?”
 
“It’s just a habit that came with my show. That way, nopony forgets your name.” That one was for sure. “But I never used it with my brother and since you… well, you know.” I looked like him and was now even her brother, got it. Together, we prepared the meal: pancakes with apple pieces and syrup, and as a special side, I had gently roasted the side and added some sugar. I got the idea when looking for bacon in the fridge. It looked the same and was crunchy. What more could you want?
 
It didn’t take long. The minute they had finished, Apple Bloom and Big Mac had already entered and sat at the table. The red stallion still didn’t seem enthused to see me but still tucked in. Apple Bloom swapped her syrup for chocolate sauce but didn’t hold herself back any longer than that. As we were halfway finished, AJ joined us as well. However, she just walked straight past us and into the bathroom.

“What’s wrong with her?” I had never seen her disappear into the bathroom so quickly, no matter how urgent it was. A while ago, we had been out on the farm the whole day and drunk a lot of apple juice without a break. Even I had been barely able to hold it in, but she had been completely calm.
 
“Dunno, she’s been doin’ that for a few days,” Apple Bloom said and continued to slurp down her breakfast. Big Mac just grumbled.
 
“By the way, how is the school, Apple Bloom? I didn’t get around to talk with Cheerilee yet.” I was wondering how long it would stay closed.
 
“No school this week. We are all real busy cleaning up. Even Miss Cheerilee’s house was hit, but Big Mac has been over for the last three days to help her.” She patted his brother’s back and spread a bit of chocolate that stuck to her hoof.
 
“Good friends, nothing more. Right, Big Mac?” I just had to rag him a bit about that.
 
“Eeyup.”
 
After AJ joined us at the table, I told Big Mac, Apple Bloom and Trixie what was planned for today, just so that the two knew where her sister would be. I offered to let Trixie come along, and she accepted with pleasure. I didn’t name an exact time, so I finished my breakfast quickly. After we were all finished in the bathroom, which took around two more hours, we were on our way to Twilight. To put it in mathematical terms, it was more than likely that she was up already. Also, I was sure that she knew the train schedules for Canterlot in her head, and I wasn’t going to be disappointed.

“The next train leaves in twenty minutes. I think we can take it.” She was even less happy than AJ about my new sister, but didn’t make any further remarks. “We just have to gather the others. Rarity said she took a day off and is just waiting for us; same with Rainbow.” The library was back in order, and I knew what happened: Spike. Apparently, this world had something against order, because while Twilight was still explaining the plan, a certain blue pegasus landed roughly in the middle of the room, reverting most of Spike’s work. Unlike Trixie, I was more surprised about the fact that Rainbow was awake so early rather than her crash-landing.
 
“Everything alright, Rainbow?” I asked her while I helped her up.
 
“Yeah, everything’s fine…” She rubbed her head.
 
“Fine? And what do you call this chaos here? Spike had just finished organising this last night,” Twilight groaned at the sight of her precious books on the ground. Immediately, she began putting each one back onto the shelves.
 
“Anyways, Rainbow, could you do me a solid?” She nodded at me. “Gather the others – we want to go to Canterlot now. Let’s meet at the train station in fifteen minutes.” She saluted.

“Done, then I’m gonna have some time for new tricks tonight.” And with that, she shot off through the same open window she had crashed through.
 
“She could at least have helped clean up,” Twilight said, who was still trying to get everything back into order. I could only roll my eyes and began to put as many books back into the shelf at once as my magic could handle. As it reached its limit, I used a bit of the new source, the orange essence as Changer called it, and now more than thirty books, some in white, others in orange, aimlessly flew towards one of the shelves.
 
“So, Spike should get the sorting done. We have to go now.” None of the unicorns moved.
 
“W-What was that?” Both Twilight and Trixie stammered.
 
“Magic, levitation? You know, moving objects without touching them.”
 
“You mean telekinesis,” Twilight corrected me. “But I was speaking about your aura. Why do you have two colours?” I took a book from a shelf, this time with my soul as the source, making it glow blue.
 
“I have another one, depending on which source I use.” Twilight was immediately at it, searching for a quill and some parchment and beginning to take notes.

“How did you do that, with the sources and the telekinesis? Prior to your arrival, you couldn’t even lift a piece of paper.” Thanks for the vote of confidence there, Twilight.
 
“Later, Twilight, I will explain all that when we get to Canterlot.” Now it was her who couldn’t wait any longer.
 
“What are we waiting for then?” She was almost pushing us out of the tree house.
 

***

 
She had been running through Ponyville for a while now and still couldn’t believe that she was here. When she came to that farm yesterday and met that unicorn, she had almost jumped into the nearest bush. Her cover couldn’t blow now, and unicorns had a good sense for magic. She must have stuck out of the crowd for them. She was told exactly what would happen if she were to be discovered and that it would have serious consequences for her and the others. But this was the chance to change something, and as she saw the Elements leaving the town towards the train station, she knew that she could walk a bit more freely now with Twilight Sparkle, Element of Magic, out of town. With her, Rarity was gone too, so that only Vinyl and Lyra were left as powerful unicorns. She had been explicitly warned by the two, and others shouldn’t be able to see through her spell, at least while she kept her distance.
 
Again, she was astonished as she walked through the town. It was like nothing she knew, for everything seemed so alien. She wished she could show the others and talk with them about that, but that would only happen if she failed. If her mission was successful, she would probably no longer notice that. Carefully, she opened the door to a certain library and began to search for the formulas. They had to be here somewhere. Her information hadn’t been too precise so far, but it had been enough.

“Aha!” she shouted happily as she found said document. To her surprise, they were far off the position where they had to be, but that didn’t matter. She took a quill and began to write a message on the paper. A bit of ink dropped on her orange coat.
 
“I hope that’s enough, but I’m sure to find out once they are back,” she said to herself, since no one else was there, and stored the paper back into the drawer where it came from. Until then, she only had two things to do: enjoying her stay and searching for a special pony. That surely wouldn’t be so hard if she only had some information about him.
 

***

 
The ride to Canterlot went by quietly since none of my friends really wanted to talk to Trixie, especially not Rarity. She wouldn’t soon forget the green hair since she had needed a lot of time to fix it. I was happy that they just accepted her and didn’t try to put her off. I mentioned neither Changer nor the fact that she was my sister now somehow. It was her decision to reveal that when she wanted to. The only real problem occurred before the ride at the train station. I didn’t have a single bit on me, but AJ had the presence of mind to take my remaining bits with her. There wasn’t much left of five thousand bits after taking away the annual wage for Silver Tray and covering the hospital bill for two ponies. It was still a lot, a bit less than one thousand five hundred, but much less than before.

“Darling, does that pony really have to be here?” Rarity asked as we left the train in Canterlot. Trixie was at the end of the group, so Rarity took the opportunity to speak her thoughts out loud.
 
“Rarity, I see you as a friend, but the same thing counts for Trixie. I will have to see her more often when we are friends. I won’t ask you to welcome her with a hug… you understand what I mean?” I knew that Rarity understood very well and that she could act respectful to everyone if she wanted to.
 
“As you wish, for you. But you owe me.” I nodded.
 
“I still owe you for your advice. Just write it on my bill.” She had given me a lot of advice when the whole thing with AJ started and for that I owed her a lot.
 
“Then I will wait with that until we are finished. I believe you said we should be present because your request for Celestia was also related to us,” she added with a smile and let herself drop back to Fluttershy. Twilight and I led the group to the castle for the rest of the way and we quickly found ourselves in the entrance hall again. The guards gave us a brief look, but as soon as they saw which group was moving through the halls, they didn’t give us any more attention. I had expected that Celestia would welcome us somehow, but instead we were just standing around, a bit clueless.
 
“Well, what are we waiting for?” I never had a formal audience before. I didn’t even know if I had to register somewhere or pick a number.

“Not exactly,” I heard a familiar voice talking from above. Luna stood on the first floor and looked over the railing down to us. “Wait, we are coming down,” she said, and with a flash of light, the Princess of the Night stood before us. “We are happy to see you all again, especially thee, Blue Light. How have thou been?”
 
“I am happy to see you as well, Princess Luna. But I would like to wait with this story until Celestia is here as well, so I don’t have to tell it twice. It is rather long,” I said with a little bow. The rest of the group did the same.
 
“There is no need for formalities. Thou and Twilight Sparkle count as our family, and the others we count as friends.” I was related to Twilight; I could only grin. “My sister will receive ye soon. We have just informed her of thy arrival. Please follow us.” This telepathy thing could really come in handy if you had no phone. We followed Luna through a corridor that led further into the castle.
 
“I have two questions, Luna.” Two things that had interested me for a while.
 
“Go ahead. We will happily answer all of your questions if we can,” she assured me, and I hoped that it wasn’t too personal.
 
“Well, I have noticed that your mane is not like usual. It’s not glowing and is rather… still.” Her mane was a bright blue and wasn’t moving.
 
“That is because we are currently not controlling the moon. Why should we, during the day?” I nodded in agreement. “Our sister, on the other hoof, rarely cuts her connection. After all, it is her sun that makes my moon shine, even in the night.” I had never thought that the moon wasn’t glowing on its own, at least on this world.

“Thanks. The other question is: why are you awake? Not that it bothers me, but don’t you have to be fit for the night?” She giggled.
 
“Thou are underestimating our power. An alicorn can last for weeks without sleep. We merely have to sleep when our magic reaches a low level and we need to replenish it. Since we want to see the sun from time to time, we just pull an all-nighter as it is called.” I could see how envious Twilight was of this ability of not having to sleep for a week and how she was already calculating how many more books she could read in that time. “Well, here we are. Please enter.” We stood in front of a large double door, large enough to fit a hydra through it, I was sure. Luna nodded as I stepped towards the door and slowly opened it with my magic. It was dark behind the door. Only a small carpet led through the room, and a two story podium was at the end of it, illuminated by spotlights. I couldn’t actually see what created the light, but I didn’t really care. Carefully we went up to the podium and as we reached it the door closed behind us.
 
“This looks more like a trial…” mumbled Twilight behind me as she tried to make something out in the darkness.
 
“Her Honour, Princess Celestia of Equestria!” it sounded and a door, that seemed to come out of nothing, opened behind a lectern on the podium and Celestia stepped out.
 
“Present are the applicant, Prince Blue Light of Equestria, son of Princess Celestia, accompanied by Princess Twilight Sparkle, daughter of Twilight Velvet and Cold Night, and the Elements of Harmony, namely Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkamena Diane Pie, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash.” I didn’t even know that Twilight held such a title, but I supposed that came when your brother married into the royal family. The only thing that surprised me about that formal introduction was my full title. “The hearing now begins.” I heard the sound of a few chairs being moved but couldn’t see any ponies aside from the ones behind me and Celestia in front of me. That was probably for her own safety.

“Well, Blue Light, you have approached me with a request, and we are here today to see if we can fulfil it. Since the Elements seem to be involved in this request as well, they have joined us in this hearing. You may speak,” Celestia announced from behind the lectern, and after she finished, the light around her was dimmed while it turned brighter around us. I had no idea how serious the situation here was, so I tried to stay as formal as possible.
 
“Thank you, your Highness,” I said shortly and bowed, just like with Luna earlier. “I stand here today to form a request to Equestria, since my world is in danger. As a diplomat of that world, I hereby plead for your help.” A mumbling went through the room. “During my last visit there, I have found out that we are in war with the creatures known as Nightmares. I do not know how high the casualties are or how the state of population is, as I did not have enough time to investigate, but I do know that none of our weapons have showed any effect on these enemies. Since our world does not have magic or their own Elements, it is at a disadvantage against magical creatures. That is why I ask for use of the Elements on my world, including appropriate protection for them.” The mumbling in the room got even louder as I finished talking.
 
“Speaker three has the word.” The light around me dimmed, like that around Celestia, and instead it lightened up a place in the darkness where a middle-aged stallion with brown coat and black mane appeared. He wore a suit, so I couldn’t clearly see whether he was a pegasus or earth pony.

“Question for Prince Blue Light of Equestria. How large are the enemy forces we would potentially have to face?” he asked with a threateningly deep voice.
 
“Unknown.” That was my honest and quick response. The light around him faded.
 
“Speaker twenty two has the word.” The light changed position and this time showed a white pegasus with blonde mane.
 
“What is the status of your forces?” she asked.
 
“Unknown,” I replied quickly like a shot. The voice appeared again, and with it, the question of a new speaker.
 
“Is an effect of the Elements on the enemies known?”
 
“No.”
 
“Can your world guarantee the safety of the Elements?”
 
“Unknown.”

“Are there maps or plans to brief our soldiers?”
 
“No.”
 
“Are you aware of the crisis that Equestria is in?”
 
“No.”
 
“Your journey was one week ago. Why have you taken so long with your request?”
 
“I was indisposed.”
 
This went on for a while, and except for very few questions, I couldn’t give answers that I liked. With every question, my hope that Equestria would come to Earth’s aid got smaller and smaller, and panic began to kick in.
 
“Since no other speaker has any more questions, does the applicant have anything to add?” I nodded and the light around me turned brighter.
 
“On my planet, Earth…” I had to give it a name, build up sympathy “… there are over six billion humans, other creatures not included. All these lives are endangered by the Nightmares, and no one has the power to stop them permanently. Who knows how many creatures were killed while I am here speaking to you. I beg for Equestria’s help since Earth does not have a chance.” I went silent, and after a few seconds, the light around me went out, something I was happy for. I was thinking about what was going on Earth and was on the verge of tears.

“I have come to a decision,” Celestia announced. “The applicant presented his case, and as always, I thank the speakers for their helpful questions.” She nodded at the unseen podiums. “But as it was correctly stated, we are in danger as well. Changelings of unknown numbers have been sighted. Equestria is in need of the Elements itself, and also of all their soldiers. As much as it pains me to say this, Equestria is unable to help Earth. When the situation has calmed, the applicant may rehearse his case. The hearing is closed.” The door behind Celestia and behind us opened and the sound of leaving ponies filled the room. But I just stared at the spot where Celestia had just stood. How could she? Why? Changelings, what are changelings and why weren’t they simply harmonized? She had promised to be there for me, to help me and yet she declined? I was angry, furious to say the least! But also I was sad and disappointed. I eyed the stone lectern in front of me and threw it, surrounded by three colours, at Celestia. Neither of them had a single scratch.
 
“Light, sugarcube, Ah’m sorry.” AJ wanted to put a hoof on my shoulder, but I slapped it aside.
 
“Out of the way,” I hissed like a snake. None of them moved. “OUT OF THE WAY!” I yelled at the group, with the royal Canterlot voice or not, I couldn’t tell. But the shout had its effect, and I furiously galloped out of the room, Twilight, Trixie, and Applejack directly behind me. I didn’t get very far since Celestia already seemed to be waiting for me after the first crossway. Not with her usual smile, rather with a worried look, but I didn’t care.

“CELESTIA!” I shouted at her. “I TRUSTED YOU! YOU TOLD ME YOU WOULD HELP ME!” I was about to throw one of the various plants that stood in everywhere in the corridor at her, but then I was caught in a purple aura.
 
“Light, please calm down. It is not the Princess’s fault,” Twilight pleaded to me while she slowly pulled me back.
 
“Light, I am so sorry.” Celestia stepped closer to me and snuggled up against me. I tried to resist, but Twilight held me in place. “But unfortunately, you are confusing something here. As your mother, I am always ready to help you, but as ruler of Equestria, I have to do what is best for my country.” I knew that she was right, but I didn’t want to hear a damn thing.
 
“Shut up! You are not my mother! My mother’s life is in danger while you all are just sitting and talking. Earth needs help and if I have to organize some myself, I’ll do it!” Celestia just shook her head.
 
“I am sorry that you think this way, but I promise you one thing. Everything will be fine – harmony always finds a way.” Twilight behind me nodded.
 
“Then let the Elements come with me! Use them once and that’s it! Damn, if all goes well, it’ll be over in half an hour!” I still tried to free myself from Twilight’s grip, but without success.

“You know it is not that simple. For that, every Nightmare would have to be in the same spot, and not even I know if the Elements would work on those creatures.” She went past me and turned towards Twilight and the others.
 
“I trust you to keep an eye out on my fierce son. I do not want him to do something stupid.” Applejack was the only one who didn’t nod.
 
“Pardon mah words, Princess, but Ah heard the whole story from Light. It sounded horrible what happened there, and Ah would love to help if it was in mah power.” Thanks AJ, finally someone on my side.
 
“Yes, it is horrible what is happening there, but it is out of our power. At least for now. We will talk about it again in due time. For now, I can do nothing more than wish you the all the best, especially you two.” I didn’t know to whom she was talking to since I was still in that damn force field. I felt the flash of light behind me and knew that Celestia had disappeared.
 
“Let me down, Twilight!” With a thud, I fell to the ground.
 
“Light, I—” I heard her saying, but I cut her short.
 
“Save your breath! If you don’t want to help me, then I’m going to do it myself! I wish you a nice ride home; maybe Pinkie can throw a ‘The Earth is Screwed’ Party!” Angrily, I rushed towards the library. If there was any information on how to handle this problem, I would find it there. Screw Celestia, screw Equestria, screw everything. Here comes Blue Light!
 
“Shall I?”
 
“No, Pinkie!”
> Chapter 27 - Stop Looking, Start Seeing
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

After Light rushed off, nopony really knew what to say, not even Trixie. She wasn’t proud of it, but she had eavesdropped the conversation between Applejack and him yesterday and knew the demons he fought. Knowing what she did, it shocked her that his own mother, adopted or not, didn’t want to help him. Of course, she had to choose between the sake of her own country and another, and that was never easy, but couldn’t she have done something different? She was a powerful alicorn, strong enough to move the sun and see the souls of ponies. She must know something.
 
“I think we should take a break, don’t you think?” Everypony stared at her like she had just set herself on fire. “Blind rage – we can’t do anything until he calms down,” she said to the Bearers, who were still wrapped up in their thoughts, probably thinking about what had just happened.
 
“Ah don’t like to admit it, but Trixie’s right, sugarcube.” Applejack went over to Twilight, who still stood with a hanging head in the hallway and hadn’t said a word. “As long as he’s…. angry, he won’t be open for words.”

“She’s right, Twily.”  Everypony turned around to the new voice and saw a white unicorn with blue mane that was traversed by a brighter stripe. Trixie knew that pony from the newspaper. He was Shining Armor, Captain of the Royal Guard. “If a pony is in blind rage, words won’t help.” He stepped over to Twilight and took her into a soft embrace. “I will see what I can do,” he said and went off. Trixie didn’t know how much he knew, but since he just came from the room behind them, he must have at least heard them talking. She hoped that he could calm Light, for his own sake.
 
“Come on, guys, I want to see what my brother is planning.” Twilight was a bit more motivated again, and they followed the Captain at a distance.
 

***

 
Still nothing. That was the tenth shelf by now that didn’t contain anything useful. I had immediately went into Starswirl the Bearded’s wing of the library and began searching for something that could defeat the Nightmares. Much to the dismay of the librarian, an elderly pegasus mare with a hair clip that held back her grey mane, I left behind a huge mess. I basically ripped every single book or parchment out of the shelves, skimmed over the title, and threw it on the ground when it didn’t looked like it contained anything useful.
 
“Your Majesty, please, you can’t just…” She flew across the room to catch the books that I threw away. “These books are very old, and you have to be more careful.” I ignored her and went over to the next shelf. From the middle of the room, where a large hourglass stood, I could see into every aisle, and so it was easier to clear everything. On a small table in a corner, I stored every book that caught my interest.
 
“Sir, I have to ask you to act more careful.” The librarian had gotten the help of a guard, who now stood next to me and didn’t really seem to know what to do. I didn’t mind him and took one book after another. “Sir, I have to ask you again to stop that, otherwise I will have to remove you from the library.” I didn’t bother answering, so it was no wonder that he tried to drag me out of the room shortly after. Unfortunately for him, I wasn’t in the mood for any shenanigans and simply tossed him aside with my magic and tied him to the ground by wrapping him in it. The librarian began to panic and ran out of the room.
 
“Finally some peace…,” I said with a sigh and turned back the next shelf. The guard tried to free himself from the stone wall but stood no chance. Without being able to move his wings, and not even his neck, there was no escape.
 
“I see somepony has a bit too much adrenalin.” Apparently another guard had entered the room, but I couldn’t care less. I felt some magic being used and the ground retracting.
 
“Thanks, Captain.” Now I was curious and turned around, the angry face of Shining Armor directly in front of me. He didn’t wear his armour, but that didn’t make him seem any less imposing since he was still a good amount taller than me. Not as big as Big Mac, but at least half a head, horn not included.
 
“How about we two go outside for a while?” Judging by his tone of voice, it was more of an order than a question.
 
“And what if I don’t want to?” I didn’t care that he could probably tear me into pieces. If I got angry, my brain didn’t function that logically.

“That was more of a rhetorical question.” Without further ado, his horn glowed, and in the next moment, we stood outside of the castle. To be more precise, on the training ground of the soldiers. With the training dummies and the obstacle course running alongside the maze, it was very distinctive. A few soldiers jumped aside as we appeared out of the thin air and pointed their spears at me as they saw their Captain preparing to attack me. “Back! This is just between us!” he ordered them, and they made space. “Listen to me, Light. I am here to help you, as a friend and family. I know that you are a good guy, but life goes on, not always as you want it, but it goes on.” I didn’t want to listen to that and got up to leave, but a magical wall blocked my path. “If you want to go, you have to defeat me.”
 
I didn’t need to be told twice in my current mood. I levitated a hard clump of dirt into the air and threw it after Shining Armor, but it was simply stopped in mid-air. His magical shield protected him. “That’s all? Come on! Show me what you’ve got!” More clumps were thrown at him but was stopped by the shield like their predecessor. I tried to manipulate the ground he was standing on, but I couldn’t control anything that was inside his shield. Frustrated, I continued hurling earth on him, but nothing happened and I got out of breath quickly. “Light, maybe we can talk now. I know that politics aren’t always pleasant, but—” He couldn’t get out more before I fired small metal projectiles at him. It was a bit harder to turn the little rocks into iron, but he also seemed to struggle with keeping his shield up. “No, listen to me! It’s useless to fight the system. That’s why I’m making you an offer.” Again bullets from all sides hammered against his shield. Some splintered after they crashed into it the third or fourth time, but there were enough stones to make new ones. “You know what, I’ve had enough! You’re worse than a little foal!” His shield expanded suddenly and hit me, causing me to be flung onto the ground. “Now you’re going to listen!” I was exhausted, physically and mentally, which only increased my rage. “You have sunk so deep into your anger that you have overseen the obvious solution.” I stood back up. It was time to bring out the big guns. I had so many ideas of what I could do with my new talent that I had overseen one completely, one that I could only smile about.

“A sword…,” I said quietly to myself, just loud enough that Armor could have maybe heard it. I used my second source for the transformation, and slowly a sword emerged from the ground. I grabbed it in my mouth and charged at him. Shining Armor just grinned and suddenly dropped his shield, and in the next moment, I had a hoof in my face. The sword flew through the air for a few metres before the magic left it and it turned back into the earth that it once was. I, instead, was lying on the ground, out of breath and magic, and with an aching jaw. I wanted to stand back up again, but his forehooves pressed me back down.
 
“So, now you have to listen to me. You didn’t really expect that we would send troops into a world that is overrun by an unknown amount of enemies and with no known method to fight them? That sounds like a suicide mission.” He snorted, his eyes almost drilling into my head. “And let’s not even talk about you going there alone. You couldn’t even score a hit against me or make me move at all.” I hadn’t paid attention to that before, but he really stood just in the same spot from the beginning. More frustrating was that, since my exhaustion made my brain function again, I realized he was right, unfortunately. For the last hour, I had cursed the world, saying they were all fools, only to be the fool myself. It wasn’t a nice feeling to get that slapped in the face, even without the other one having to make an effort.
 
 Shining Armor must have noticed that I began to understand and released me. He took a few steps back before beginning to talk again. “Like I said, I have an idea. Do you want to hear it?” Slowly, and with aching limbs, I stood back up, looked at him, and nodded shortly since I was out of words. “Good. You heard the Princess. We are having a changeling problem. Those things almost ruined my wedding a while ago, and now they’ve raided a helpless village. They are an immediate threat and can’t be ignored. They were the only real reason the Princess listed why she couldn’t help you, right? That means that if you get rid of the changeling problem, we will be able to help you.” I knew that I had watched too much television, but I remembered a quote from my favourite series. If you could not destroy the system, let it work for you. In my head, I made a list with three points. First of all, what were changelings? Secondly, how do I get rid of them, and thirdly, save Earth. It sounded like a simple quest, but it was the best I had.

“That sounds… acceptable.” I still had a bad feeling about how I just behaved, and I wasn’t one for admitting when I was wrong. I liked to chew on those moments until they turned into a gooey mass and slid down my throat on their own. It was quite rare that I got into a bad mood, and then it took me way too long to act normal again. Aries – we were just stubborn and had to run our head against the wall. I hated to admit it, but my mother had been right again with her astrology bullshit. “And how do I get rid of these changelings?”
 
“You? Not at all! At least not in your current state.” He laughed quickly, maybe even because I just thought about that. “But if you really want to do something, then I will help you. My troops are marching out in a week. If you manage to get into something resembling a shape until then, I will take you with me. That’s my offer.” Since I had no better plan, this was my only choice.
 
“Deal. But how do I get into shape in one week?” Judging by the grin on his face, I shouldn’t have asked that.
 
“I’ll make you get a move on, and I think…” He looked over to one of the windows in the castle. “Twily, come down here!” With a flash of light at the window and one next to Armor, Twilight Sparkle stood on the training ground. “I will look after your fitness, and my sister here surely will help you with your magic.” Twilight just nodded and put on a forced smile. I knew that she disliked the idea of fighting, but it was necessary. “I heard you are living on an apple farm in Ponyville? I will see you there tomorrow morning at six o’clock.” And with that, he left me behind with Twilight. The guards, who had been watching everything the whole time, let him go through their ranks and went back to their duties.

“Twilight, I’m—” I couldn’t get any further as six more ponies rushed over the field, with two coming right at me and one of them slapping a hoof across my face. “Hey, ouch, AJ, that hurts!”
 
“Serves ya right, sugarcube.” Too bad when you knew that someone was right. “We were worried, and ya can’t just go on a rampage in the library like a wild manticore.” I had never seen Twilight being angry until now.
 
“What, what, WHAT!?” Now I had two ponies with incredible magical powers that I owed an apology for two reasons. Luckily for me, Trixie, who came to me with AJ, interrupted Twilight’s tantrum.
 
“I heard what this Shining Armor said. Do you really want to go against the changelings?” As quickly as Twilight got angry, she calmed down again at the subject.
 
“Trixie is right, Light, there is no fooling around with these creatures. They almost captured Canterlot. Not even we could do anything against them. They were simply too many.” Now I was curious. What were these things?
 
“Okay, could someone explain to me what changelings actually are?” Everypony looked at me, bewildered, and seemed to search for words.

“Are you an idiot or what?” Trixie was the first to speak again. “You want to fight against something that you don’t even know?” Her hoof hit her forehead. “What have I gotten myself into?”
 
“Changelings are ponies in one way, but they are more like insects. They feast on the love of the ponies and suck them out. That’s what makes them stronger,” Twilight said curtly.
 
“Oh oh! And they imitate you, but really badly,” Pinkie said and grimaced.
 
“What Pinkie is trying to say, darling, is that they can transmorph into you or any pony that you love to weaken you and fight against you.” I couldn’t help myself, but did a dementor really need to nail a boggart? But the thought of having to hit an AJ copy didn’t suit me at all. Hitting myself sounded quite funny though. Still, I could understand why ponies were so afraid of them. In a world that almost solely consisted of love and friendship, they were the creatures that feasted on that. They must be the ponies’ natural enemies. They had something from vampires, and not the sparkly ones.
 
“And? Do they have a weakness? How did you defeat them the last time?” Everyone looked at each other worriedly.
 
“Actually, sugarcube… it was Shining Armor and Princess Cadance that defeated them. With a bit of help of our lovely Twilight here.” I think I really missed something with this wedding.

“They are like insects. They live in a swarm and are all connected to each other. At the top there is their Queen, Chrysalis. She orders every drone. I couldn’t find out more yet; there was a bit of chaos.” A HIVE? First dementors and now the Borg? My lucky streak didn’t seem to end.
 
“What chaos are you talking about, Twilight?” She turned red and pointed at me with a hoof. “Oh…”
 

***

 
She had enough of all this back and forth. His mind was clear again and that was all that counted. In one week, he would march with the other soldiers against the changelings. What would she do now? Continue to sour at the farm and watch one day after another go by? That wasn’t her style, not at all. She was the Great and Powerful Trixie, for Celestia’s sake! She belonged on the stages of Canterlot, Manehatten, or even Ponywood. Ponyville was nice, at least now that she had found something like a family there, but it wasn’t her home. She had to start from the bottom and make herself a name again, rebuild her reputation. She had a flash of genius right there in the corridors of the castle. There would surely be reports about the troops that were marching out to fight the changelings, and she could help her brother. That would help them both.
 
“We see we are not the only ones wrapped in thoughts.” She jumped around and saw a dark alicorn standing in the corridor behind her, a smile on her lips.
 
“Your Highness, yes, I was just thinking about how I could fix… help Light.” Luna’s smile vanished and turned into a thoughtful expression. It took her a few seconds to speak again.

“We know from thy little pact and are happy that Blue Light could give such an important lesson to someone else. But are thou feeling able to help, Beatrix?” She flinched at the name. Almost nopony actually knew her actual name. She hadn’t even told Light, and he was the closest to her, be it family or friend.
 
“That is what worries me, your Highness. I belong on a stage, not in a fight! But I want to help him. I owe him and I think it would mean a lot to him.” She could be quick-tempered from time to time, she knew that, but she wasn’t dumb.
 
“Then come with us if thou feel ready to take on this duty. The changelings have hurt our daughter enough already.” Her daughter? She didn’t know the Princess of the Night had a daughter.
 
“Forgive my ignorance, but you have a daughter?” She couldn’t really imagine Luna as a mother. Celestia suited that role much better and she was one too, at least for Light.
 
“Thou does not need to apologize, Beatrix. Our daughter, Cadance, as she likes to be called, was born before our banishment. A few years before Nightmare Moon. She is also not my only child.” Trixie was flabbergasted and saw the Princess in a completely new light. Even though she was barely taller than her, she seemed so much nobler now. She turned away from Trixie and motioned her to follow her. They went up a staircase into one of the towers, which must have been the Princess’ quarters.

“May I ask what happened to your children?” Luna stopped on the stairs for a moment. Trixie hoped she hadn’t hit a wound spot, but she continued walking after a few seconds.
 
“As thou may know, Cadance has been recently married. Our son, Arctus, was born under a different star. He was no alicorn like his sister, but a pegasus. From our sister, we know that he lived a good life and his bloodline remains to this day. Prince Blueblood is one of his descendants.” She wondered how many ponies in Equestria, aside the princesses, knew that.
 
“I am happy that you are so open to me, but may I ask why?” Luna sighed but didn’t stop this time.
 
“Light is trusting thee, so we do not see a reason not to do the same. Also, we are going about to teach thee a spell that is a far greater secret than this. We will show thee to use the night for thyself and its guardian, Beatrix Lulamoon.”
 

***

 
After Trixie had disappeared and the situation in the yard was under control, Twilight and the others were on their way again, but not without giving me words of encouragement first. AJ didn’t want to leave until I left, and I was happy to have her at my side. It sucked that it always took situations like this to realize that. Together with her, I was on my way to the throne room to apologize to Celestia. I would rather face a manticore now, but that was how it went with parents. I was actually grown up, but stepping in front of this alicorn made me feel like a toddler.

“Sugarcube, she’ll forgive ya. Ah’ve never seen her angry. Damn, not even after Twilight put a curse on half of the town.” AJ had been trying to encourage me for a while now, but only with moderate success.
 
“Thanks, AJ, but that doesn’t help much if you have to stand in front of your mother with remorse. Who knows, a year or two on the moon doesn’t sound that bad.” I couldn’t help it, but my humour was back again – a good sign. The large door to the throne room was blocked by two guards who immediately stepped aside as they saw us. The door swung open, and we entered the big room. On a pedestal that stood above everything were the thrones of Celestia and Luna, one of them that had a smiling, white alicorn sitting on it. I approached the steps, but before AJ or I had the chance to talk, Celestia began to speak.
 
“Applejack, would you mind leaving us two alone?” AJ just nodded, and with a peck on my cheek, she said goodbye before walking back to the door. I looked after her until the door closed and turned to my mission again. Where was that manticore when you need one?
 
“Celestia, I…” I didn’t get any further as her never-tiring smile vanished and her brows raised threateningly. “Mother, I wanted to—” She smiled again but raised a hoof to order me to be quiet.
 
“It is nice to see that you are using your head.” Slowly, she rose from the throne and came down to me. “I know that you didn’t mean the words that you said. Remember, I know you very well.” She had seen my whole life when she was inside my head, so it was to be expected.

“Still, I’m sorry. I was angry and let it out on you. That was wrong. I am sorry.” Her head pressed against mine before she continued talking.
 
“I forgive you. We all make mistakes and learn from them. As long as you have learned your lesson, I am happy.” She let go of me and looked me in the eyes.
 
“I have to thank you again. For all that you have done, I can’t really put it into words. During my… trip, I realized fully for the first time what that means. Thanks... mom.” It was the first time that I really felt right.
 
“I am glad that you feel this way. Would you like to tell me what happened?” I began to tell her the same thing as I told AJ. That our world is in chaos, overrun by Nightmares. That I was attacked and pursued and had to break the rune prematurely. About the parallel Equestria, the two humans, and of course how they sent me home. Not a single time did she interrupt me or ask any questions until I had finished. “You have seen a lot. I am sorry for what has happened to your world. I know the Nightmares, for they are monsters.”
 
“You have met them before?” She nodded and her look grew darker.
 
“Over a thousand years ago, they tried to invade Equestria. Luna and I fought against them back then, but could not defeat them, only stop them. Since then, we have maintained a spell to protect Equestria from them.” So there was protection.
 
“Could this spell help Earth?” She seemed to think about it for a moment.

“To a degree. The spell is designed to keep them from entering a world, not forcing them to leave it. But the problem is that it needs a focus, and your world does not have one.” Damn. I had to see that spell.
 
“What kind of focus does Equestria has?”
 
“Luna and I. As long as we both are close to Equestria, the Nightmares are unable to enter it.” So I couldn’t ask either of them to cast the spell on Earth.
 
“Could you teach me that spell? It could be useful if I ever see one of those creatures again.” Celestia just nodded and lowered her horn until it touched mine. Within seconds, runes flashed through my mind until I had the spell in my head, together with a small migraine. The spell itself was enormous. A normal spell had between two and five runes; this one had about two hundred. I could only trust in what I learned, for half of these runes were obsolete. I would find a way to make something useful out of it, and I already had an idea. My second one today to be precise. Creating a spell on your own was simple – you just had to translate your will into runes.
 
“Before you go, I have one more piece of advice to give you that I think will help you more. There is no known weapon against the Nightmares, but who knows more about these creatures than themselves?” Did she suggest that I should capture one of these things? “Nightmare Moon, the darkness that had possessed Luna, was one of them. A Nightmare feasts on souls, but the soul of an alicorn is immortal.” She began to explain right away since she sensed that I would ask anyways. “When Luna was touched by one of those things during combat over a thousand years ago, it merged with her. At first there were no signs, but over time, Luna changed more and more until she was Nightmare Moon.” So there was a story behind this all. I couldn’t believe that I hadn’t seen that on my own. Nightmare Moon was a Nightmare. It was just too obvious. “The Elements separated them again. Since then, Nightmare has been wandering around Equestria, unable to leave it, bound by the same spell that is keeping her kind away. She could get you the answers to your question.”
 
“But how shall I capture a creature that can rip out my soul?” That sounded much like the suicide Armor was talking about.
 
“The darkness changed when it merged with Luna. She will rather try to capture your body, and with the spell I taught you, you should be able to hinder her from it. Unfortunately, that is the only solution I have so far.” She didn’t seem to be excited about her own idea either.
 
“And where should I look for it?” Please not the Everfree, please not there. The parasprites had taught me to respect the forest.
 
“She is where misery, suffering, and death is.” In other words, when looking for the changelings, keep an eye out for Nightmare.
 
“Thanks, mom. It won’t be easy, but I think it’s better than nothing.” I was about to turn around and walk away, but then I was grabbed by a golden aura and a kiss was pressed on my cheek. I was confused and didn’t move. Celestia just giggled.
> Chapter 28 - This Suffering
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

One hundred one, one hundred two, one hundred three. It went like this for over an hour. Not that I had complained about bucking apple trees, but Shining Armor had made a new sport out of it.  At six o’clock sharp this morning, he stood on the porch and made me run five laps around one of the fields without mercy. Those things weren’t small, you know. Each field was about the size of three soccer fields and fairly uneven. I was happy each time I reached a slope. Magic was like a muscle that did physically affect the body, he explained, but I had realised this by myself already. Besides the running, it was actually pretty standard work if it weren’t for the weights that maniac had packed onto my saddlebags and the occasional few on my legs. As tiring as it was, I had agreed to it, so I had go through with it. What really bugged me was the silence, only interrupted by my hooves smacking the next tree. I would have given anything to get my phone back just so I could play some music, even if it was as cliché as Eye of the Tiger. In my boredom, I had already droned out Lemon Tree at least three times. It didn’t help, however, as I had to take breaks for breathing. That particular piece was a reminder of my childhood, as my mom used to play it all day long. In the car and in our house that was full of CD changers. After about a year, it made way for Supergirl and I had instantly wanted Lemon Tree back. At the moment, I was singing Everything just Stolen from Die Prinzen in my head.

“Go! Or do I need to make you?” That was the other interruption that prevented me from singing: Shining Armor. He really had his fun observing me and shouting whenever I was becoming slower by his opinion. One time, when I really had needed a break, he struck me with lightning to keep me running, much to Big Mac’s and Apple Bloom’s amusement. I disliked that the red one had such a good time watching me suffer. Ponies, cute and cuddly, except for Big Mac it seemed.

“One hundred fifty!” I called out before collapsing. The task had been finished, and I had only needed half an hour longer than Shining Armor had predicted. Then again, I had wasted ten minutes in a fruitless discussion about the senselessness of this exercise. Those damned trees did not even carry fruits! I was sure I’d have to do this at some point again. What a sadist.
 
“Good. You deserve a break. One hour, then we will continue on with evasion with the weights.” Shining Armor took off my saddlebags and the added weights and put them near the tree. As they hit the ground, so did I. My legs felt like pudding and couldn’t stand anymore. Breathing heavily, I watched as he walked down the road to Ponyville. I rolled on my side and saw the sun high up in the sky. It must have been close to lunch, which meant that he had hounded me over the farm for the last six hours. As finished as I was, the ground refused to be comfortable. The recent flooding had left a clay-like, grassless soil. With some effort, I managed to pull myself up and slowly walk over to the barn. The hay there would surely make a much better bed. After coming back from Canterlot yesterday, Twilight had given me copy of her observations about changelings and a quick rundown. Since AJ had gone to bed early, I had taken the sofa and learned there. Besides an accurate description of a changelings, it seemed there was also a spell that could neutralise their cloak.
 
With a loud sigh, my tired body landed on a bale of hay. I was simply happy with just lying there. Alas, my moment of serenity did not hold for long as I caught sight of an open door at rear end of the barn. The way there led behind the house, and the only thing there was the Apple family cemetery. Big Mac had gone into town some time ago, and Apple Bloom had gone with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo to Fluttershy’s. She had said something about vets, and I would almost have compassion for the critters if it weren’t for all the hard work I had done. Slowly rising up, I made my way over there to see who might have gone, but I had a good hunch as there was only one pony left. Through the door, along the cobbled path, the bushes came in sight that shielded the graves from the rest of the world.

“Mom, Pa, what should I do?” It was Applejack who had turned to her parents. I knew that feeling of asking someone dearly departed for one last piece of advice. I had often spoken to my aunt when visiting her grave. It really helped in life if you had someone to talk to, even if they couldn’t hear you anymore. “I love him but everything is going so fast…” So it was about me, something that had me wondering back then. It was Rarity who had told me that it was completely normal. If two ponies liked each other, why shouldn’t they be together? That outlook was so simple yet something a human would have to learn first. I hadn’t thought much about it but it seemed to cause AJ trouble. Not wanting to eavesdrop further, I stepped out into the cemetery so she would see me. Her hat was lying beside her on the ground and she was standing at the large stone in the middle of the other graves. At first she didn’t seem to notice me but then she gave me a nod. My presence was desired, so I joined her.
 
“Hey, AJ, a bit for your thoughts?” If you see someone you love suffering, even just in mind, you still suffer with them. On one side, I was happy to feel like this as it confirmed my feelings for this mare; on the other hand, I was sad to see her like that.
 
“Everything, sugarcube. The story about your world, the changelings, us, and how it’s going to end.” I could understand her very well, as the same thoughts had kept my mind busy as well.
 
“Don’t you want to introduce me to you parents?” She smiled and nodded.

“Ma, Pa, this is Blue Light. I told you about him.” I bowed to the stone to show my respect.
 
“I’m happy to finally meet you. Last time I was here, there wasn’t much time to talk.” AJ seemed startled. “I found this place once. Big Mac was with me and told me a few things.
 
“He did? He doesn’t even talk to us about things like that.” That left me wondering about why he had talked to me about it in the first place.
 
“Eh? Maybe he does like me a bit?” I couldn’t imagine sitting with Big Mac in a bar, raising a mug. He was more like a big brother whom you would see in the house all day but who had his own friends since you were not around his age.
 
“He likes you, sugarcube. He can just get a bit ….”
 
“Overprotective at times?” She nodded.
 
“He thought you had run off and left me here alone.” That must have been why he was so bad-tempered: afraid of someone hurting his sister. One could hardly fault him for that.
 
“AJ, I’m also worry about everything. What if this thing with the changelings goes off completely wrong? What if a Nightmare catches me? But I’ve got something worth fighting for. Humans are fighting every day for their goals and don’t intend to stop now. I have a place I can call home and friends who are waiting for me!” I know that it sounded a bit cheesy, but come on – wasn’t that what kept us all going? “I just want to put an end to this thing and live on. Here with you and the others.” I knew AJ wasn’t the type for all this kind of talk, so imagine my surprise when she started to snuggle me. “AJ?”

“Ma, Pa, Light, I need to tell you something, and I hope that you won’t be mad at me. I had promised to wait but now it happened. Light….I’m pregnant.” Fainting, panic, cardiac arrest, I expected one of those to happen. Something deep inside me screamed run, yet my legs remained glued to the ground. I felt oddly composed. Before I could collect my thoughts, AJ continued, a bit of panic in her voice as she rushed to explain herself, “I should have told you before. It must have happened sometime before the spring festival. I was still in heat and we shouldn't have… I knew what was going to happen but—”
 
I laid a hoof on her mouth to cut her off.
 
“You don’t need to justify yourself. We both wanted it and… we both carry the consequences.” That was a stupid word choice and I cringed internally. “No, not the consequences, the responsibility. I never told you, but my life goal, as simple as it is, was always to have a family. My family was… different, but it was mine. I always wanted a family without conflict, where both parents are around and the kids….foals can grow up without fear. It may not be the best time, but I still feel glad about it. No, I’m happy!” That surprised me greatly. A few years ago, this was the worst consequence resulting from the best side issue, and now I was happy with it? “It’s one more reason to survive all this and come back home.” Now I understood why Big Mac looked ready to break my jaw. I was gone and AJ was pregnant. Surely a great impression. My thoughts were interrupted by a long kiss.

“You have no idea how much this means to me, sugarcube.” I had no idea how long we just stood there, snuggling and staring at the gravestones. It could have been hours, but I knew that wasn’t true because Shining Armor would have interrupted us.
 
“Light! Where are you?” Speaking of the devil.
 
“Sorry, AJ, it appears I’m wanted.” She just nodded, and I gave her a kiss before I left her at the graves.
 
“I hope you are as happy for me as I am,” I heard her saying before I was out of earshot. I closed the door behind me as I entered the barn where Shining Armor was waiting. Beside him was his sister with saddlebags filled with books on her back.
 
“I see you are feeling better. What’s the reason for your wide grin?” I hadn’t even realised it but my lips must have been pulled up to my ears.
 
“I had a talk with AJ.” Okay, I just came from a non-visible part of the barn, had a grin as wide as a mile, and had been alone with AJ. No wonder that Twilight started to blush like a tomato. “Not like that, Twilight!” I assured her while flailing wildly with a hoof.
 
“Uhm, yeah. Whatever. I’m here because my brother asked me to help you out a little with magic.” She shook a bit, causing the books in her bags to jump.
 
 “Exactly. So get your gear and we will look for a nice spot.” I recognised the grin on his face. It only meant work and more stress.
 

----


Trixie was already chewing through the twentieth book that Princess Luna had thrown before her nose. When she had agreed to learn one particular spell, she would have never thought that she would have to read such an ancient tome.
 
“These spells need so many words. Trixie is tired just from thinking about it.” In contrast to the alicorn, she couldn’t spend one week without sleep, something that she absolutely needed.
 
“Just this one and you will have made it halfway, Beatrix. We would have never tried teaching you if we hadn’t been sure that you could do it.” Luna had been sitting on the bed the whole time, observing Trixie as she went through those old books one page at the time. As it had turned out later that night, the Princess herself had written them a long time ago. This gave Trixie a new incentive. It wasn’t only a great honour to be taught a spell that the Princess created and only the Princess knew – it would surely affect her reputation as well. The Great and Powerful Trixie, student of Princess Luna. Yes, that was a pleasing thought and a dampener for Twilight Sparkle at the same time.
 
“Aren’t there any runes for these spells? You created them after all; couldn’t you also develop some for them?” Luna shook her head.

“These spells are of a particular nature and use part of my power. To tame the power of someone else, you need a special form of magic.” Trixie had never been to a special school for magic, but she had taught herself a lot and had picked up a spell or two from other performers on her journeys. Many had been way too simple, so she had spiced them up a little for her own show. “It is very old, and thou should feel honoured to learn it from us.”
 
“You said that I need to learn it so I can help my brother. You must be worried about him and want him safe.” She wished she could have just closed her mouth. Did she just lecture the Princess?
 
“That is our intention. We don’t wish our nephew or anypony else to be injured during this mission. Remember, the husband of our daughter is the leader of the troops.” She would have never thought that the Princess would let that slide. Then again, she was also just a pony who worried for her loved ones.
 

---

 
We all live in a yellow submarine, evade, yellow submarine, evade, yellow submarine. It had been going like that for a while. Shining Armor and Twilight had led me to a barren part of the farm and were now shooting magical bolts at me. My only warning was one ‘Tenshun!’ from him, after which I had to jump around the place to prevent being struck. Sadly, the first shots were direct hits that felt like bullet hitting me square in the back. Twilight’s shots, albeit slower and less precise than her brother’s, felt like a punch in the gut instead. To keep my thoughts occupied, I had been humming this Beatles’ earworm for a while. I had long since given up on deflecting the shots. My stone walls had crumbled after three shots, and the metal ones just simply allowed the spells through but without the advantage of seeing them coming. It was probably the biggest disadvantage I had in my continued efforts of protecting myself with walls, and I was starting to see that I would have to drop that tactic in the future. When had it actually worked anyway?

“Come on, you want to jump all day long?” Shining Armor called out and shot two salvos in my direction. His yelling interrupted my humming, and my thoughts returned for a moment. There I was, standing before two of the most powerful unicorns in Equestria, under heavy fire, and with the prospect of becoming a father. I started to realise what had happened before.
 
“Ow! Twilight, can’t you do that less painfully?” A bullet had hit me as I had stopped dead in my tracks from the thoughts of the talk with AJ.
 
“Sorry, I’m not used to these kinds of spells. I only learned them but never practiced them.”
 
I’m going to be a dad! I thought in a normal fashion.
 
I’m going to be a dad? Worried
 
I’m going to be a dad and another hit from Armor.
 
I’m going to be a dad?! Another hit.

“I’m going to be a dad!” I screamed out and started to run like mad right into an apple tree that relieved itself of one Rainbow Dash, who had been watching when the two siblings had been whipping me into shape, and into the bushes. I felt like running – no idea where, just simply doing it. I crossed a few yards on the path near the fence and back into the bushes. When I reached the CMC clubhouse, I almost tripped over Dawn, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle. I couldn’t see what they had been doing, but I had the feeling, as I left visual range, that I had ruined their plans for the day. A large piece of paper was stuck to my flank and some glitter got caught by my coat.
 
I kept galloping for a few minutes until exhaustion kicked in. During the whole time, my mind was only filled with one thought: I was going to be a dad. Now that I was lying on the ground, the weights off my body, I really started to think about it. I had assured her that I would stay with her and saw nothing that would prevent that from happening, except a few changelings and a world full of Nightmares. It hit me then that we hadn’t been together for longer than two months maybe? I had been with my ex-girlfriend for almost three years, but this topic had never come up. My breathing came deep and heavy. Did I love AJ? Sure, that was out of question, but were we ready for this? The word abortion came into mind, and I hated myself for it. On one side, I didn’t know if they did it here, and I honestly didn’t even wanted to know. On the other hand, if it had been up to my grandparents, my mom could have aborted me as well since she had been a mere twenty two years old at the time she had me. She had fought for my life, and I had sworn to never ever consider something like this should it ever come up. Of course, it wasn’t just my own decision, but AJ wouldn’t consider it either – I knew her too well for that. No, I was going to do this. My mom had been two years younger than I was when she gave birth, and I would be just as good.
 
“Hahahahahaha, that was awesome!” Still on the ground, I turned my head towards Shining Armor, who had followed me between the trees, far off the path. “You should have seen your face; my sister’s as well. It took her a good five minutes until she realised what was going on.” I was way too occupied with breathing to answer. “I see you made it this far with all the weights. Respect.” He took the bags in his magic and put them on his back like they were empty. The little weights, all scattered on the ground, followed.
 
“You aren’t surprised?” was the first thing I could spit out with my fresh supply of air.
 
“You’re one day late. I had seen the first signs yesterday up in the castle.” It must have been something related to pony physiology that I hadn’t yet understood or learned.
 
“So obvious?” He chuckled in response.
 
“No, let’s just say we are both in a similar situation. Let’s call it experience.” It took the gears in my head a bit to start grinding, but I got what he meant. “Not a single word to anypony. We don’t want to announce it just yet. Also, with a bit more style than you did.” He laughed again as I blushed. I had basically shouted something private all over the farm. Good thing that we weren’t close to town. “Why the long face? Aren’t you happy?” I didn’t know Shining Armor that well, but in that moment, he was the only one I could openly talk to. I could hardly tell Big Mac about my worries.
 
“I don’t know. Of course I’m happy, damn it. Having a family is a lifelong dream of mine. Still, AJ and I have been only together for like two months. I even missed announcing that we are an item and now this? Then there is the thing with the changelings and the Nightmares. I don’t even know where to start.” Shining Armor sat himself next to me and followed my gaze over the farm.
 
“I can only say that you both have something. Something that only couples that can truly evolve into something bigger. However, in the end, I can’t promise you anything.” I felt myself go back in time when I used sit with my friends in our favourite pub, raising glasses and talking about problems once a week. In all honesty, all that was missing was the booze and the smoke fumes. “About the changelings, I can only tell you that I’m in on it and my guys are the best. We are going to take care of that.” I didn’t wonder why he didn’t say anything about the Nightmares. He had done that back in the castle.
 
“Thanks, you are a real friend.” And the only other buddy I had besides Haste. Maybe even the only one. Equestria’s population in regards to gender was either totally unbalanced, or I had blindly run past any other potential buddy candidate.
 
“Don’t tell anyone.”
 
“How come everyone is so nice and trying to help me?” It was a question I had long since wanted to ask. Shining Armor took his time to give me an answer.

“The Princess sees something in you. It was enough to even adopt you. I’d say that gives anypony the confidence that you are alright. Ah, and of course you will worry. You have to put AJ and the unborn foal before everything else. This makes you good in my book.”
 

---

 
She had been lurking around the library for a day now, but nothing had happened yet. The pony she was looking for still hadn’t shown up.  Her only find was a picture of weird creatures of different ages, apparently of a family. The picture had been between the formulae, and she was sure that she hadn’t seen it before. However, if it was related to the situation, then it was worth finding out the how and why. She also had the feeling that she needed to find the owner of the picture, but that was not likely to happen if she were to just sit around waiting. The problem was that she couldn’t just show it to anypony, especially not the unicorns. If she were to run into the owner, that would have severe repercussions on her operation. No, that particular pony was her main goal, and she knew where to find him, a place she knew all too well. She could focus on the picture afterwards. Carefully, she sneaked through the alleys of the town and onto the wide beaten path from where she came from.
> Chapter 29 - All The Small Things
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The days of torture had finally come to an end. For the last few days, Shining Armor had me in constant movement from morning till evening, and when I had time in the evening to lay down, there was Twilight and her books right there to take his place. She tried to hammer one spell after another into my head, but nothing really stuck since I was simply too exhausted. At least I was able to make a shield which could hold up against Twilight’s bombardment for about ten seconds. Considering I had basically gone against a pony who was the embodiment of magic, I was more than happy with it. Shining Armor still thought that it could have been better, but for a week of training, it wasn’t a bad result. Okay, the week might not be over yet, but on the last day, a Sunday, I was supposed to relax.
 
Sadly, I never got to relax thanks to a certain pink somepony who lived in a bakery and whose screws were a little loose. On the first day of training, Pinkie suddenly appeared before AJ and me to congratulate us. We had to give our best to convince Pinkie to hold back with the party until the last day of training. For that reason, I had been dragged from my bed at 5am by Pinkie so I could get the keys to the barn. My muscles still ached as I stood in the kitchen and tried to fix myself some breakfast. My list for the day was long. I needed to cancel on Cheerilee. After just one day of work, I was already taking holiday leave. I also needed to get some things for the party like the present for AJ. Then there was the party itself. If I found the time, I wanted to stop by Vinyl and ask if she could do something with my old mobile phone. With as much as I did during the training, I never missed my old music. Turning up the sound system had been the first thing I would do after getting up back in my old home. When I left the house, I always had headphones, and in the car, the radio had always been on. You could say that music followed me everywhere I went.

I placed a plate in front of me on the table and relaxed while I ate my bread and cheese.

 
Morning AJ,

I need do some quick errands and go to meet up with some ponies. Just a few things before I need to leave tonight for Canterlot.
 
Light
 

I laid the note onto the dining table and put my plate into the sink. It was now shortly after six o’clock, and I was really hoping for Ruby to be up already. Ruby was the owner of the local jewellery store, and to my sorrow, the mother of Diamond Tiara. Her store seemed to be ordinary, but that lovely little foal must have gotten her behaviour from somewhere. I had made an order for a necklace which had, along with a few rubies, an amber stone in the shape of Applejack’s cutie mark. With a small bonus, Ruby had promised me that it would be finished by Sunday, and the party was the occasion to present it to her. This gesture had cost me, on Wednesday, my entire break along with a considerable amount of bits. Still, it would all be worth it in the end, as the saying went.
 
I left the house and stood on the broad path to try a little magic trick. I lifted an earth plate from the ground and floated it in front of myself before I stepped on it. It cost a bit more power to support my own weight as well, but it was doable, and so I glided towards the large gate at the entrance of the farm, only a half a meter away off the ground. I couldn’t stomach going much higher due to my fear of heights. Flying was best left to Rainbow Dash. Still, this trick could be useful when trying to reach higher places which was, as a pony, not so simple. To climb a ladder was nearly an acrobatic masterpiece, as was walking on the hind legs, which I had tried in the last few days. Armor wanted to see if I could handle a sword, and I wanted to try to use it with my hooves. I was able to shift my weight and to stand up onto my hind legs, still being an old habit, but it triggered uncomfortable pain in my spine, and I was more quickly back to the ground than I would have liked. Lucky for me, he thought that he had another idea and took the sword back. I believe I would have most likely hurt myself otherwise. Of course, I tried levitating it, but Armor was able to grab hold of the blade within the first few seconds. I just wasn’t skilled enough with levitation to wield a sword.

I reached the town, noting that there were a bit more ponies outside, which was unusual for a Sunday, but I wasn’t going to lose any sleep over it. I turned from the main road into a wide side alley in which were many different shops. Among those were the jeweller and the famous Quills and Sofas. I had done a little window shopping on my last visit here, and to my surprise, they didn’t just sell quills and couches, but all kind of utensils and furniture. As I looked through the window onto the sofa on display, which had a lot of similarities with the one Rarity owned, I noticed the young mare who I met a few days ago on the farm. With a long white mane and a bright orange coat, she just stood there and seemed to stare holes into the scenery. She seemed to have realized that I could see her reflection in the store window and quickly returned to reality and disappeared around the next corner. I blamed the stupid hoof band, which distinguished me and, for new citizens, still must be something special.
 
I continued to Ruby’s store and tried to open the door, but it was still closed. I tried to look through the window to see whether somepony was inside, but nopony was to be seen. As I started to get a little annoyed and was about to leave, I noticed the small sign on the door which read that collections were to be made at the back door. Relieved, I went around the house and saw that in the back was a normal residence added to the store. Even if it looked normal from the outside, the decorations were a extravagant and seemed quite expensive. Ornaments were on the shutters, and the door was rimmed with gold. From what I understood, the precious metals here were worth perhaps even more than they were on Earth. Gems, on the other hand, were so common that you could feed your dragon with them, but the metals were much rarer. The iron which was used in Shining’s armor was worth as much, if not more, than most pieces in the shop. The door had an engraving of a large ruby and a sack of money. I was sure that I was at the right place. I knocked a few times, and the door shortly swung open in a wide arc.

“Yes, who’s bothering us so early in the morning?” A little foal with bright purple-pink fur and a mane in the same colour with white streaked through it and a tiara on the head stood in the door. Her eyes were closed, and her muzzle pointed towards the sky.
 
“Morning, Diamond Tiara. Is your mother at home?” At the sound of my voice, she suddenly opened her eyes and spluttered in surprise. Panicked, she looked around hurriedly.
 
“Uhm yeah… uhh. Mister Light... umm… what brings you here?” Was she scared because I, as her teacher, was here? Normally I would have a little fun with this, but today I didn’t have time for it – just too many things to do.
 
“Don’t worry, Diamond Tiara, I’m just here to get something I ordered. Or is there a reason why you should be worried?” I was sure that there was something eating her up, but I would be better served to leave that to Cheerilee.
 
“Phew… I will fetch her right now. Just a moment.” She shut the door a bit and disappeared into the house. Now I started to wonder why the family even bothered to live here. They surely had enough money to buy a house in Canterlot.

“Ah! Good morning, Prince Light.” Ruby, an earth pony with bright pink fur and a red mane, came to the door in some sort of bathrobe. “You’re surely here to get your order. One moment please.” Without leaving me time to reply, she turned around and disappeared into the house again. With a faint click, the door fell shut right in front of me, and I just stared dumbfounded at it without knowing what to do. Bored, I drilled my hoof into the ground and waited for the door to open again. I looked around a bit and noticed the mare, who I had seen on my way here, again.
 

***

 
She had good reason to believe that he saw her and so she disappeared as fast as she could outside of the line of sight of the alleyway. She peeked around the corner of the house to see where the blue stallion was headed and was surprised to see that he was going to the jeweller, even though it was a Sunday. Her brain immediately jumped to several theories, but that couldn’t be. She would have known about it. She hated unicorns and their magic, but why was he even here? He couldn’t be him, could he? Sometimes she cursed that they had refused to say anything to her.
 
“Can I help you?” Startled, she returned from her thoughts and jump back a bit. In front of her stood the blue stallion she had been following the whole time. In his magical grip, he held a large box, a black flat box. She remembered it from home. It had always been lying on the commode in the bedroom. Damn it! He was far too close and would notice the resem— “Hello?”
 
“Uhm, nothing, everything is alright.” She needed to get away from here fast. As she went to go, she crashed into the box the stallion was carrying. It now fell to the ground, and a golden necklace decorated with rubies and ambers fell out of it, a necklace she had seen often. “Excuse me!” She still was in panic, but if she made a run for it now, he would get suspicious.

“No problem, at least nothing happened. If my magic was a little better, then it wouldn’t have happened in the first place. I am happy that I can at least get it to float.” And with those last words, he started to laugh. If he really was so bad with magic, then there might be a good chance that he wouldn’t notice the spell.
 
“So is everything okay?” He simply nodded, picked the necklace back up, and placed it back in the case.
 
“You’re new in town, so may I ask you what your name is?” She could slap herself again. She thought of so many things but not a name? Quick, think about it. Ed? No, that would fit more to a stallion. ‘Quick, just say something,’ she thought, ‘otherwise, he will grow wary.’
 
“Aura.” Damn it, that was part of her real name.
 
“Hello, Aura, happy to meet you. I am Blue Light.” He reached out with a hoof on which was a hoof circlet. She carefully shook it and inspected the circlet. Two known symbols were engraved on it.
 
“May I ask why you wear the seal of the royal family?” She was curious. It was uncommon for someone of the royal family to be outside of Canterlot and even more to be on a farm. What confused her even more was that he supposedly was bad with magic. The royal family consisted only of unicorns and alicorns of tremendous magical power and skill.
 
“This thing? I have to thank my mother for it.” He shook a few times as if he trying to get it off and sighed when it was still there.

“Your mother?” She had learned the royal family tree in school, and the only female member that had children of her own was Princess Cadance.
 
“Celestia, big, white alicorn. Can be a real troll at times.” She couldn’t believe what she heard. Celestia, the goddess of the sun, was supposed to have a son, and he was standing right in front of her, strolling through a small town like Ponyville and entering and leaving the farm as he pleased.
 
“Wow, I didn’t know that Princess Celestia… Oh! I am truly sorry, your Highness.” She bowed instantly and expected to be lectured, but all he did was start to laugh again.
 
“It’s nice to meet somepony that doesn’t recognize me instantly. Come on, not so formal.” He held out a hoof and signalled for her to rise.
 
“Uhm.. okay.” Now was the chance, for when would she get another one to ask him? She couldn’t just stroll into the farm like that. “Could I show you something?” He just nodded. She rummaged through her bag and pulled out a picture, the one with the strange creature that she had found in the library. Carefully, she placed it in her mouth and showed it to him. His eyes widened, and suddenly the picture flew out of her mouth.
 
“Where did you get this?” With one eye fixated on the picture, the other one was more or less on her. He smoothed out the picture and cleaned it a bit before it disappeared from her sight again. “Sorry, but that’s a personal photo.” She must have found the owner, but where did he get it and what was that creature on it? Judging from his reaction, she didn’t want to learn it from him. “From where did you get this?” Now she was in a pinch. She couldn’t just say that she broke into the library, changed the formula, and took the picture.

“Found it! I just found it.”
 

***

 
I never thought I’d see the day where I found somepony who was a worse liar than AJ, but here I had a living example of it right in front of me.
 
“And where?” I really wanted to know that. I had seen it the last time before I was sent to the other dimension, so the other Twilight must have found it and put it in the envelope. There was no other explanation for it. It was new to me that ponies would break into other ponies’ homes. Actually, the entire concept of criminality was new to me here. In a world where there was some sort of police, there needed to be some kind of thievery, and my assumption was that I had a little thief in front of me. I still was wondering what she wanted with the photo or why she even showed it to me, but there was time for that later.
 
“I uhm… well on the street… right… back there.” She really lied a lot worse than AJ. It was almost unbelievable. Not a really good criminal. My visit to Vinyl sadly needed to wait. I was hoping to see whether I could start listen to music again, but this was more important.
 
“Ah yes,” I said and looked down at her. For a teenager, she backed down unexpectedly fast. Whenever I confronted one of my brothers, they always retorted with a snippy remark, or when my mother asked me something when I was little. Her eyes looked around the alleyway, and she seemed to search for a way to escape, but I wasn’t in the mood for running. My horn lit up, and faster than she could look, she was captured in a cage of stone.
 
“Hey, what gives?” As if she didn’t know what was going on.

“I believe that I’ve captured a little thief. This picture here should be in the library and not in your possession, and I highly doubt that Twilight just threw it out of the window.” Still, I would have to talk to her about forgetting to give it back. I waited for a reply or a defence, but Aura just sat down and remained quiet. “As you like. I have things to do. We’ll just have to continue this on the farm then.”
 
“Well try already! You can’t cast two spells at once. When you want to move me, you’ll need to open the cage, and in the time you need to recast a spell, I will be long gone.” So she was a teenager. I was relieved I wasn’t wrong. I added my second source and formed the levitation which surrounded the cage in an orange glow. “What? How are you doing this? This shouldn’t be possible!”
 
“Just because I am not good with levitation doesn’t mean that I can’t do anything. I believe you underestimated me, Aura.” As she had a shocked look on her face, I happily went on my way, with her floating alongside me, to the next store to do my shopping. During the entire time she was in the cage, she didn’t make a sound. One or two ponies gave us a confused look, but since I was the one who led the cage, nopony asked. The whole thing could have gone differently, so thank you, stupid hoof circlet, I thought to myself. As we reached the grocery store, I put the cage down in front of the door.
 
“Thieves are sadly not allowed inside,” I simply said and quickly brought everything I needed. Pinkie had brought biscuits without end and was bringing a cake later on, so all I needed to buy was punch and some refreshments. I brought a big bottle of fruit punch, lemonade, which tasted like rose and tulips, but also normal one like cherry as well. Apple juice and water just wasn’t right all the time. Lucky that AJ couldn’t hear that. I made haste, and my instincts didn’t prove me wrong. As I stepped outside, I saw a crowd of ponies around the cage and Aura, who was trying to break the stone with a few strong kicks.

“Thank you for watching over my wares,” I said to the bystanders. I turned the stone into iron with some magic and lifted the cage back from the ground. Admittedly, I did wonder to myself why she didn’t ask somepony for help, like another unicorn, but that was her problem. I went leisurely back to the farm and still had the grim-looking but quiet thief floating behind me. “Why did you break into the library?” No answer was also an answer. Good. Actually, it wasn’t, but I couldn’t just force her to talk. However, the pony that currently was in our barn could. If I unleashed Pinkie onto her… or was that too cruel?
 
It took a while, but finally we arrived at the farm. To my surprise, it was already nearly afternoon. The way to the barn was about thirty minutes; with the load, maybe just a bit more. Where did the time go? I went as planned straight to the barn, just to realize that it was locked.
 
“Pinkie! Open up, it’s me.” Something clattered in the barn and suddenly the upper half of the door opened and revealed a pink pony with a few streamers in her mane and a party hat on her head.
 
“Hey, Light, sorry, don’t have time, need to prepare everything!” And with a bang, the door closed again. I could forget the Pinkie torture then. Aura, in the meantime, had made herself comfortable in her cage and had fallen asleep. I knocked against the bars, which startled her awake.
 
“Hm… uhm… what?” Sleepily, she looked around. “No, no, no, NO!” She turned a few times around herself and seemed to be in panic. “I can’t be here! I am not supposed to be here.”
 
“Would you rather be handed over to the Royal Guards?” She seemed to consider it for a few seconds. I just wanted to give her a little scare and then talk with Twilight and AJ about this thing. Twilight was the victim, maybe me as well, and AJ was the Element of Honesty. Even if she had a hard time lying, she would find out the truth easier than me.

“What’s going on out there, sugarcube?” called a well-known voice. Its owner soon followed in its wake. AJ stepped out of the front door and looked at the whole spectacle in front of her. “Why is there a filly in a cage?” I looked at Aura, who had become so pale that it was actual visible through her fur.
 
“I caught her as she tried to steal this here from the library.” I levitated the photo out of the paper bag, in which were the drinks, and gave it to AJ. She looked at it and then to me.
 
“That’s your family?” she asked after a few seconds and I nodded. “It’s kinda... cute?” She didn’t seem to know what to say at the sight of humans. “I am the big one on the picture. Next to me are my brothers, and behind us are our parents. I took it along with me on a trip.” I looked at Aura, whose thoughts seemed to be racing. “So what do we do with our little thief here?”
 
“Let me talk to her, sugarcube. You bring the drinks into the house first.” I did as I was told and went with the bag into the house, but not without wishing AJ a good morning the right way. I loved kissing her, but this time it was accompanied with a gagging sound from Aura.
 

***

 
This couldn’t be. She had found him, and to top it all off, he had captured her in a cage and thought she was a thief. How he made the cage and at the same time was able to levitate her was incomprehensible. Her biggest problem right now was headed straight towards her: her mother.

“Howdy, may I ask your name?” She shouldn’t get close to them. That was against her instructions. Twilight had explicitly warned her about that, but what else could she do now.
 
“Latrine?” Okay, she would never buy that. The mare’s expression confirmed her belief. “Aura…” She sighed, and this time Applejack looked more satisfied.
 
“I take it that’s not your whole name?” She was simply too good with uncovering lies.
 
“It doesn’t matter. I shouldn’t be here!” She needed to get away from here. Who knew what could happen.
 
“You’re lying… Besides, you seem familiar. Do you belong to the Apple family? I thought I knew all my relatives.” Applejack seemed to ponder on that. Now was her chance. Blue Light was not around, so the spell was no longer active. If she could bend the bars, it would serve. She kicked with all her might against the iron, but except for her own pain, nothing happened. “One heck of a kick you got there, missy. Now tell me who you are and where you’re from?” She couldn’t say anything. Twilight had mentioned that if she revealed anything, they might reconsider their decision, and she would never have been born. She needed to watch out.
 
“Find out anything yet?” There he came again: her possible father. Why did nopony ever tell her about him? Why did her mother never talk about him?
 
“Just her name – Aura. She doesn’t want to talk, sugarcube.” What did they want to do with her? If she didn't talk, she would get into trouble, but if she did, she'd get into trouble as well. The question was: which was the lesser evil?

“I already know as much as that. I thought we should wait on Twilight. Maybe she knows something we could do, and it was her library which was broken into.” Twilight definitely would recognize the spell, and in the future, her Twilight would know that it would go wrong and never send her. No, she couldn’t let that happen.
 
“No, please not Twilight Sparkle! She can’t see me!” Could she speak with them? Would they believe her?
 
“Hey, Applejack, what’s going on out there?” The barn opened, and Pinkie Pie looked at the three. With a jump, she was next to them and reached through the bars. “Hi, you are new here, aren’t you? ‘Cause I know everypony in Ponyville, and I haven’t seen you before. My name is Pinkie Pie! What’s yours?” The party pony looked with widened eyes at her and waited for an answer.
 
“This is Aura, and I caught her as she was trying to….” Light did not get further as Pinkie disappeared with a whoosh into the barn. “And another party guest for our party…”
 
“Party?” She was curious. What were they celebrating, and why not a surprise party as was usual for Pinkie?
 
“Well, since you’re here anyway… AJ, would you be so kind and inform our first guest?” He leant against Applejack, who got a little red in the face. “Look at it as practice – you’re going to answer a lot of questions today.

 “Well, if you say so, sugarcube. Well, Aura, I don’t know if you know what it means since you’re relative young… but… well... uhm… I am pregnant and today we’re going to celebrate it a bit.” It didn’t take long for her to put it all together. Here in front of her stood her mother and her father, who she had never met, right in front of her, and they said to her that they were pregnant with her. So nothing could happen anymore, for she existed already. So Twilight’s warning was obsolete, right?
 

***

 
I had to say it felt good to hear AJ say it, even if the result was different from what we planned. I expected that she would be happier for us, but Aura didn’t seem to be excited about it. It was more accurate to say that she didn’t show any reaction at all.
 
“What do we do with her, AJ? I can’t keep her in that little cage for the entire day, well until Twilight is here.” AJ collected herself again, but she seemed a little off, like if she was somewhere else right now. That was a little weird for her.
 
“I have an idea. We just lock her into the barn with Pinkie. Then she can make herself a little useful, and nopony has ever escaped Pinkie.” And the Pinkie Torture was back in game, something I greatly agreed with. I nodded to AJ, and she opened the lower half of the barn door. I levitated the cage to the opening and opened the right side of the cage, but Aura remained in place.
 
“There is nothing to fear. Pinkie doesn’t bite. Well, except if you’re a cupcake.” I pushed her with a hoof into the barn, and AJ closed the door behind her. Eagerly, we waited a few seconds and listened to what would happen in the barn, but it remained quiet.

“Well it’s still better than if I kept an eye on her.” I turned myself back to AJ, who still seemed lost in thought. “What’s up?”
 
“I don’t know, sugarcube. I could have sworn that she somehow belonged to my family.” I never was good in differentiating between ponies. I knew what I liked about AJ, but I used the fur, mane, and cutie mark to separate them.
 
“A cousin maybe? But then why is she here, and why would she break into the library?”
 
“I don’t know. Let’s just see what Twilight has to say once she’s here. I’m going to be in the house preparing a little snack. Could you fix up the path a little?” AJ pointed at the road which led to the house. It was a little bumpy, and the weather had left its marks.
 
“Sure, no problem.” And so I started to flatten it back out again, meter by meter.
 

***

 
My name is Auralia Apple, and I am thirteen years old. My mother is Applejack and my father obviously Blue Light, son of Princess Celestia herself. Of course I knew my mother, but I never got to meet my father. Neither my mother nor my Uncle Big Mac, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy ever talked about him. All they had ever told me was that he had died in an accident. I had searched the graveyard for his grave many times, but there was none. I had put up with it for years until I found an old picture where my mother was with an old friend of hers, Twilight Sparkle. Until that moment, I thought that those two just couldn’t stand each other.

My mother practically hated anything to do with magic, and that included unicorns as well, so it was even more shocking to see this blue stallion just strolling in and out of the farm as he pleased. To hear that Twilight and Applejack still seemed to be friends was the icing on the cake.  Since my mother in the future had never given me an answer on the picture, I had decided to find Twilight Sparkle. To my surprise, she knew exactly who I was, which meant that she knew my father. Still, just like the others, she never told me anything about this good stallion. I started visiting her in secret to try and see if I could pry anything from her, anything, but she had remained silent. After a few months, she had made me an offer: she would send me to the past so I could do my own investigation, and all I had to do was simply change a formula in the library while I was there. Everything had gone as planned, so I could now make it back on my own, or at least that was how Twilight explained it to me. That little detail, along with many others, like the fact that I was from the future, who I was, and so on, I had been told to keep to myself, l. She warned me that if I did tell ponies the truth, it could have some unwanted consequences, but wouldn’t her traveling and changing the formula do the same thing? The more I tried to think about it now, the more Pinkie got on my nerves.

“Hold the streamer.” She pressed the end of a long streamer into my hood, and with a jump, hung it up on the ceiling and knotted it at one of the crossbeams. My parents would be celebrating a party and would announce that they would be having a foal – me. I don’t know if I would be able to stomach the entire thing. This world seems so peaceful, and the both of them seemed so happy, so what happened? What kind of accident did my father have, and why did Twilight want me to change the formula? Did he maybe have something to do with that? Couldn’t I just ask her then? That would surely have some sort of effect on the future, if not worse.
 
“So, what do you think of your party?” I was startled a bit. Did Pinkie know? She pointed at the banner on which was written, ‘Congratulations Applejack and Blue Light,’ and after that was scribbled with paint, “and Welcome Aura”. The irony behind it would have made me laugh, if this weren’t such a complicated situation.
 
“It looks… nice?” Pinkie beamed happily and skipped through the barn.
 
“That’s super, especially if the reason is twice here.” Now I could be sure that Pinkie had a hunch, and I didn’t ask myself any further as to where or how she knew – it was Pinkie. She had been often on the farm when I was smaller, most times because of some event like my birthday, but otherwise I only saw her rarely. Mom delivered the apples to the bakery where she worked, but even there she wasn’t this active. Something horrible must have happened, and I was sure that it had to do with the formula and my father.

“What do you mean, Pinkie?” I needed to know how she knew and if I needed to silence her somehow. I hoped she could keep a secret.
 
“Well, when a coming foal is eleven months too ea—” I held my hoof against her mouth, but she just continued to talk.
 
“Pinkie, quiet. Nopony is supposed to know that. More importantly, how do you know that?” Wait, did I really expect her to give me an explanation?
 
“Well, you totally look like your mother and you definitely got the mane from your father, and since Twilight already traveled through time, it was pretty obvious, even though you aren't a unicorn."” Her smile didn’t leave her face for a second, and she simply grinned at me.
 
“Promise me that you will tell nopony.” Please, Pinkie, please.
 
"Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." I didn’t know what that just was, but I assumed that it was a promise.
 
“Thanks, Pinkie.” I was relieved, and since I was still here, that meant that nothing had happened. Probably.
 
“Well, come on. There’s still a good bit of decorating we need to do. Here, I still have a list of decorations.” She pulled it practically without looking from another crate which was nearly twice as big as the first two we had just emptied.


***

 
I didn’t get to leave the farm anymore thanks to my unexpected guest. I knew she wasn’t dangerous, but I still didn’t want to leave AJ alone with the little thief. Cheerilee I would see at the party, and Vinyl would just have to wait. Since Pinkie had Aura fully under control in the barn, it looked like I could just throw myself onto the couch and be lazy. I actually wanted to help AJ and Big Mac fix more trees, but they insisted that I used my day off to relax. So here I was, lying disgruntled on a couch while my pregnant marefriend was out working. She might be still far from being burdened by it, but it still just felt wrong. Every now and then, I fell asleep for a bit since a little bit of warmth made me dozy. As I was woke up from my third or fourth nap, I heard somepony in the shower and saw that Big Mac was at the dining table chewing on a straw. I stretched really good and looked at the clock, seeing that it was a bit before seven.
 
“Hey, Big Mac, everything upright again?” I was speaking firstly about the trees and, in a more roundabout fashion, the thing that stood between us: his sister. It took a while, but then there was an answer.
 
“Eeyup.” He didn’t show any expression and remained relaxed. I was a bit relieved after hearing this since I was living here with him. I had thought about buying a house of my own now that I had a job, but AJ wouldn’t let me leave the farm. If I wanted something for myself, it would be built as an extension of the house. That actually wasn’t too bad of an idea, the annex. When the foal got here, then there wouldn’t be a guest room anymore and… I was just making too many thoughts right now. I’d have time for that once I got through the next few days safely.

“I’ll go check on Pinkie and then stay in the barn. The guest should start to come soon.” Big Mac just nodded, and I went from the house into the barn. I knocked once and stepped through the door into the brightly lit room. Pinkie had hung a disco ball on the ceiling. The table was filled with baked goods and the drinks I had gotten, and each crossbeam was covered in streamers. Above all of this was a banner: “Congratulations Applejack and Blue Light and Welcome Aura!” The last three words were written on it afterwards, and the paint was a little out of place.
 
“Pinke? Aura?” I heard a giggle from behind one of the bale of straw and focused a little more on it, just to have a pair of pink hooves pull me through it in the next moment. Behind it sat Pinkie and Aura, each with a cup of tea in front of them, apparently having some sort of tea party.
 
“Hey, Light, can I offer you some?” She got another cup, almost out of nowhere, and put it in front of me. She pretended to hold a tea kettle and filled air into it before pushing it a bit closer to me. “So Aura here is absolutely eager to hear your story and how better to do it than with a cup of tea.” She continued to grin at me as if it was the most normal thing in the world, but Aura seemed to avoid my eyes.
 
“Excuse me, you two, but there is no time for that. The guests should be here any moment now.” Pinkie jump up and threw her cup away.
 
“You’re right, I forgot to open the gate.” And with that, she whooshed through the straw and disappeared. Not one second passed before she was back again and pointed at the ground. “Would you be a dear and wipe that away?” And with that, she was gone again.

“Sorry, I was just curious, and Pinkie said she would take care of it.” That she was curious was nothing new. Why else would she steal a picture?
 
“We’re also not through with that. I still want to know what you wanted with that picture and why you were in the library. I am assuming that the picture wasn’t the only reason. Except for me and Twilight, nopony else has seen it.” She hung her head down again and tried to avoid my look again. There wasn’t any real damage, and I was just keeping her here to satisfy my own curiosity. I could literally feel that she was after something. Pinkie must have unsealed the big barn gate, for the two big gates swung outwards and the last few rays of sunlight fell into the barn. I immediately heard Pinkie talking with AJ and another voice which belonged to Twilight. A few others seemed to follow them, and I looked down at Aura, who seemed to be scared. “Come on, we can’t keep them waiting.” I grabbed her with a gentle levitation spell and pulled her from behind the straw. Next to Twilight were Cheerilee and Fluttershy, who were both happy about the drinks. I greeted them briefly and moved with my luggage into the direction of my marefriend and Twilight, who were talking about who knew what.
 
“Hello, look what I found today.” I let Aura float in front of me and placed her on the ground. Until now I didn’t notice it, but she seemed panicked. Served her right when you broke into another pony’s house. Twilight’s eyes widened, almost as in shock.
 
“What? Why? Who’s that, Light?” Her mouth was wide open, and I was really scared that a fly would get lost in there. Since Aura didn’t have any intentions of saying anything, I did it for her.

“This is Aura. I caught her this morning with a photo – the photo of my family to be exact. Actually, why don’t you hand that back to me already?” Twilight seemed to take a while finding a connection, but she got one.
 
“So she was in my library and stole the picture? Why would somepony do something like that? It doesn’t have a sort of value to her, does it?” Now she was asking herself the same question as I did.
 
“That’s it, and she is refusing to answer.” Both of our eyes were focused on Aura who was lying on the ground in a ball.
 
“But there’s something else. Don’t you recognize my magical signature?” She always had something new.
 
“Her what?” She rolled her eyes and pointed at Aura with a hoof.
 
“She’s radiating a strong magical signature; my own to be exact. I don’t know when or why, but there was a strong spell cast on her, and it’s still active.” I looked at the pile of misery on the ground.
 
“Wait a moment…. Are you saying that she… was conjured here or something. Or that her appearance… a changeling? But why your signature?” I was overwhelmed, at a complete loss. “You know what, Twilight, please take her. I currently have enough to worry about and a party which I have to partake.” I just left the two alone and made my way towards AJ. In the meantime, everypony we invited had arrived. There were naturally all of AJ’s girlfriends, Cheerilee, Shining Armor, Lyra, Bon Bon, Caramel, Big Mac, Carrot Top, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Even if I didn’t count Bon Bon and Lyra as my closest friend, AJ did.
 
“Howdy, everypony! I think we all know why we’re all here tonight. I first want to thank everypony who could make it.” A little applause interrupted AJ. “We would like to thank Pinkie for decorating. Thanks, sugarcube.” This time there was no applause for Pinkie.
 
“First off, we would like to announce that AJ and I have been a pair for a while now—” I was interrupted by applause, “and that I want to make it official with this.” I let the little package appear which, to my luck, succeeded. I had practiced teleportation with Twilight a bit and was at least able to teleport a book from point A to point B. Even if Twilight didn’t count it as a success, since the book was a pile of ash afterwards, it was one for me. I pulled the necklace out of the box and put it around AJ’s neck. She barely looked at herself and threw her hooves around my neck. I knew that this was already a lot for her. She didn’t like to show emotions often, especially in public.
 
“Thanks, sugarcube. It really is pretty.” The cheesy line remained stuck in my throat. “And now we have to announce something.” AJ took a deep breath. In the next few seconds, I look through the room and saw Pinkie smile. Twilight, who was focused on Aura and Armor, nodded shortly. “I am pregnant.” And then the party really started.
> Chapter 30 - Last Ride of the Day
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

All in all, the party went great. Everyone congratulated us, and the evening almost flew by as we celebrated up until late at night, singing, dancing, and drinking. The first two who left were Aura and Twilight, both saying they had to do something. Worked fine by me – I didn’t really have the time to care about the problem anyways. I had forgotten the world around me and enjoyed this moment in time, but inevitably, Shining Armor approached me.
 
“Light, we have to go soon. We’ll leave tomorrow early in the morning. The chariot to pick us up will be here soon.” I had really forgotten that over the course of the last few hours. I would have to go to Canterlot tonight and march out against the changelings with him and his men tomorrow, however that would look like. I expected the worse – why else would they have given me so much combat training? Still, I also hoped for the best, namely because after their attack on Canterlot, there were only a few scattered changelings left that were wandering around, separated from their swarm. That could be easily handled. I nodded at Armor and first of all went towards AJ, who was speaking with Cheerilee and Caramel. The conversation was interrupted as I cleared my throat.
 
“Sorry, but I have to say goodbye.” AJ gave me a quick nod.
 
“Ah’ll be right back, Cheerilee, Caramel.” She turned towards me, and we left the barn together. It was a chilly night, exactly what I needed since the barn felt more like a sauna. Pinkie knew what she was doing, just like Luna.
 
“Sugarcube, Ah only ask you for one thing: come back.” I gave her a kiss, knowing that it would be our last one for a while.

“Don’t worry, I will get this over with, then deal with the Nightmares, and then it will be all over. I used to dream about adventures all the time, but now I know that dreaming and experiencing them are two completely different things.” She gave me a smile. “Also there’s so much going on in Ponyville that you could call that an adventure already.” We both laughed at that. I would have to make sure that I would come back. This had become my home, my life. Our conversation was interrupted by the sound of wings that were flapping through the otherwise quiet night. “That’s my cue.”
 
“Correct. Come, you need to sleep.” Shining Armor, who had been waiting by a tree, signalled the pegasi with his glowing horn where they needed to land and waved me over to him. I left AJ and went over to him and waited for the chariot. They took a small turn before they landed vertically in front of us, probably because the farm was too uneven. The door swung open in Armor’s aura, and he was the first to take a seat in the small chariot. I looked back at AJ again, who still stood in front of the barn. Her face said a lot of things. One part of it said ‘don’t go’, another said that she wanted to join. I put on my best fake smile and sat down next to Armor, who closed the door behind me.
 
“It’ll be alright, my men are the best.” I nodded at him but wasn’t completely convinced. I had no idea what was awaiting me. These things could suck out love? Would I no longer like AJ then, or anyone? Would I just be a loveless hull, or would it kill me? And in the worst case, which would be the lesser evil? No, I couldn’t allow these thoughts to control me. This was Equestria, for Celestia’s sake. Here the good guys always won, but that was just in the eye of the beholder. For the rest of the flight, I kept myself busy with singing random songs in my head. Anything was better than to get nervous now. Shining Armor didn’t seem to mind that I was quiet, and so the rush of the wind was the only sound around us.

After a while, we landed in the hangar of the castle where I bade him goodbye for now as well. I knew the way to my quarters after all this time, and I just wanted to drift into an unsure semi-conscious state, otherwise known as sleep, and not waste any more thoughts about tomorrow.
 

***

 
I ran down the path to Ponyville, like a hundred times in my life before, but never before had I been so terrified. Twilight, directly in front of me, had noticed that I had gotten here by a spell, and also that it had been hers. She had tried to ask me about it during the party over and over again, but the applause and the general sound level had saved me from having to give an answer.
 
“I’m giving you one last chance.” Twilight suddenly stopped and turned around to me. She was a good amount taller than me and looked me directly in the eyes from above. “Either you speak, or I’m going to run a diagnosis. Either way, I will find out what’s going on here.” I could imagine very well that this wasn’t an empty threat. She was Princess Celestia’s student, and in my time, she ran a school for gifted unicorns. Her magical powers were mentioned in the same breath as those of Star Swirl. For a moment, I considered running, but Twilight was good in teleportation and could probably catch me within seconds. At least my father wasn’t sloppy when dealing with prisoners. Handing someone to Twilight was worse than the Royal Guard.
 
“Listen to me, Twilight. I know that you want to know everything, but that’s not possible! It could end horribly. No one should know too much about—” I held a hoof in front of my mouth. To my dismay, she immediately caught the hint, and it didn’t take her long to be wrapped up in her thoughts, just like it wouldn’t take long until she put one and one together. This was my best chance to run away. The distracted Twilight made no signs of stopping me as I jumped over the fence and disappeared between the bushes of the eastern field. I ran as fast as my legs could carry me, and thanks to daily workload that my mother had always given me, that was far. I ran down the entire field and disappeared behind a few hills, roughly five kilometres away from Ponyville and the farm. Exhausted, I dropped to the ground and gasped for air.

“You’ll have to do better than that.” An angrily glaring Twilight Sparkle stood behind me, staring down at me again. “Would you please explain to me why you are in the past and why I have sent you here?” Damn, but I wasn’t really surprised.
 
“How did you catch me?” I had to distract her again.
 
“Following my own signature is easy, but that’s not the point. Explanation, now.” I couldn’t tell her, for her own sake.
 
“No, Twilight, no one is allowed to find out about their own future. That’s your own rule!” Mentally, I prayed to Celestia that she would listen to herself.
 
“I don’t want to know anything about my future, but why you are here. If I endanger the space-time-continuum again, it has to have a good reason.” Again? Right, Pinkie had said something about Twilight having travelled through time already. I had to think about what to do now, but I had reached an impasse. “Then let me start you off, Aura, if that even is your real name. Right now, I believe this: you are obviously the daughter of Light and AJ. It’s a wonder that they both haven’t noticed the similarities, and for some reason that has to do with the library or this picture, I have sent you into this time. If I would have to take a guess, I would say around twelve years, am I right?” I could only nod.
 
“My name is Auralia, but my friends just call me Aura. And yes, Applejack is my mother, but I have never met my father.” She knew it all, so I had already blown it. “You told me that I should stop an accident, and for that, I should alter a formula in your library. If everything goes well, you said that I could meet my father.” This was also the only reason why I was here.

“I take that the formula was in the drawer at my desk, right?” I just nodded. “Then I think I got it. Light will, as soon as the changeling problem is dealt with, travel to his own world to go against the nightmares. For that, we need this formula so that the spell will work correctly. I believe that, if everything what you say is true, the formula is incorrect and he landed Celestia knows where, or worse. That’s why he wasn’t there in the future, and I can imagine very well that AJ will blame me for it. She has never been a fan of magic.” The way she put it made sense, but why hadn’t future Twilight not told me this?
 
“But what’s the deal with the picture and this other world you were speaking about? And how did my father get together with my mother if she doesn’t like magic?” Twilight put on an even more serious face, if that was possible.
 
“Your father, Blue Light, originally came from a different world, and he hasn’t always been a pony. I know this sounds strange, but he wasn’t given a choice in the matter but still accepted it. When he went to say goodbye to his family, his world had been overrun by creatures we call Nightmares. The princesses would like to help, but since the changelings are threatening us, we can’t spare anypony.” So that was his family on this picture, parents and brothers, my grandparents.
 
“How did he become a Prince then, and why does he call Princess Celestia his mother?”
 
“I was just getting there.” She told me about her accidental travel to the world where Light had come from, how she had taken him with her to Equestria, and his breakdown when he had realized that he was no longer alive in his world. About how she had found out that he used to be a human and how the princess had searched his memories afterwards. She had then given him what he needed: a family. Since he couldn’t use magic, he had gotten used to working with his hooves, and so even my mother liked him.

“So he’s now fighting against changelings so that the Princess can start an offense against the Nightmares?” Twilight nodded as I summarized the current situation.
 
“There’s still one question. How should you get back? You aren’t a unicorn.” I wasn’t really sure about that either.
 
“You told me that once the future changed, I would return automatically.” Again she was in her thoughts.
 
“Of course!” she suddenly shouted. “When the future changes, a time travel will no longer be necessary, and you would have never come here. That way, it will resolve automatically.”
 
“Huh? So I will never take this journey?” Needless to say, I was confused.
 
“Something like that. Since the accident never happened, I will never send you back. You will have a normal life with both your parents.” Excitedly I wondered what my life would be like then.
 
“So I can go talk with my mother, right? I mean, what harm could there be in that?” I so wanted to speak with my young mother since I had wondered who she was before I knew her.
 
“I don’t think that will be a problem. I’ll also talk to her myself. Anyways, let us go to the library. We will deal with everything tomorrow.” I didn’t have the power to disagree.
 

***

 
The next morning came much too fast for my liking. My room pointed towards the west so that the first sunrays would lighten up my room. My brain was idling, so the shower and breakfast just went past me. Now I sat in my room and waited for Shining Armor to pick me up for the briefing.
 
“Sir? You are expected outside.” That was the voice of the guard who stood in front of my door. Slowly, I rose from my bed and left the room. The guard went ahead and led me to the exit of the castle. I was still more a spectator of my actions than a participant. The large double door opened, and from there on, I went down the staircase that led the castle yard on my own. Below, I could already see Shining Armor waiting with a few other ponies.
 
“Morning, Light, hurry up!” he shouted as he saw me, and I went over with a light gallop. As I came closer, I could take a better look at the quite motley group. To my right stood Shining Armor, with plate armour on his back and spear between his hooves that he stabilized with his magic. Directly in front of me stood a white pegasus with short blond mane, also wearing a spear. Unlike Armor, he didn’t seem to need magic to balance his weapon. According to his armour, he was part of the Royal Guard. Next to him stood a purple unicorn mare, completely wrapped in some kind of leathery armour. That it couldn’t actually be leather was clear to me. She wore a few bags filled with maps and levitated a crossbow with her magic. Noticeable was Celestia’s cutie mark was engraved on the chest of her armour. Behind Armor stood another mare, a pegasus. Her coat was of a dark grey and her mane dirty blue. She wore a dark armour that belonged to Luna’s Night Guard. She looked over at me, and only then did I noticed that her eyes were that of a dragon, just like her wings. Behind her stood a blue unicorn that grimly looked at me. She wore a helm of the Royal Guard, but her cloak covered the rest of her armour.

“Trixie?” I could recognize that cloak anywhere. Her eyes lighted up, but she couldn’t say anything as Shining Armor had already taken command.
 
“Now that we are all here, let me introduce you to the group, Light. This here next to me is Night Hawk.” He pointed at the dark pegasus next to him.
 
“A pleasure, kiddo.” She grinned with a hint of smugness and bowed quickly.
 
“Our friend here is Shooting Star.” He pointed at the pegasus opposite to him.
 
“…”
 
Shining Armor leaned over to me and whispered, “He isn’t very talkative.” He took a step back again and continued the introduction. “Next to me is Glimmer. She’s our navigator.”
 
“Do we really have to carry along the newbie?” I liked her already.
 
“Pleased to meet you as well.” She snorted and looked away. I could imagine how keen she was on going into a possible battle with a new recruit.
 
“And you know Trixie already. She is here on request of Princess Luna.” I shot her a questioning look, but again Armor spoke first. “I don’t think I need to introduce Prince Blue Light to you. Very well then, let’s go to the hangar. We will start the briefing once we’ve left the harbour.” Shooting Star was the first to get moving and led our little group along the path that ran around the mountain. I was curious as with what kind of vehicle we would be travelling, but I didn’t have much time to think about that since Trixie came over to me.

“I hope you have used the time as well as I did.” I looked at her and couldn’t hold back a grin. Her white mane had been pulled through the helmet, forming a Mohawk like the other guards.
 
“I have, don’t worry. But I have to say, that helmet is to die for.” I put special emphasis on the last part to make it clear that I was joking. Trixie looked into the window of a house as we walked by and inspected her mirror image.
 
“I knew that she was fooling me.” She took the helmet off with her magic and threw it into one of the many alleys of the town.
 
“Who?” If I would have to blame someone for a prank, it would have been Pinkie or Rainbow.
 
“Night Hawk, she said it would be good to wear armour.” She snorted and angrily glared at the back of the pegasus hovering in front of us.
 
“Are you sure that you want to come along? I mean, it could be dangerous.” I had been happy that I wasn’t endangering anyone but myself with this mission. Shining Armour and his group would have left anyways.
 
“I asked Luna to join. I owe you something and I want to help, okay?” I was touched a bit, but we were talking about Trixie here. There had to be more to it.

The further we went around the mountain, the fewer houses were to our sides and soon it was just a wide path over the naked rock as we marched further down the mountain. After around ten minutes, without anyone really talking, Night Hawk suddenly split from the group, and with insane speed, disappeared out of our field of view.
 
“Where is she going?” I asked Armour, who was now in front of me.
 
“She’s gone to tell the crew that we’re coming so that they can prepare the gangplank.” The path took another turn, and then I saw the horror. A ship, an airship, was hovering next to a long wooden landing stage where a ramp was lowered down on it. The hulk was out of dark wood and the balloon coloured dark blue. Various, rather thin ropes hooked it to the hull so that the vehicle would overcome gravity.
 
“That’s our ship, the Lunar. Built in honour of the liberation of Princess Luna,” Shining Armor announced and went down the stage with Glimmer and Shooting Star. Without batting an eye, Trixie followed the three so that only I stood there at the start of the stage that hung a few hundred metres above the ground.
 
“Are you coming?” Trixie had noticed that I had stopped and that my eyes were locked onto the abyss below us. Glimmer seemed to notice it now as well.
 
“What’s the matter, Prince?” Never seen an airship before?” I had seen multiple ones, but so far only in video games. The only real one I had seen was on pictures and was named ‘Hindenburg’. Aside from the fact that I was scared to enter the ship, I also had to fight with my vertigo. I gulped hard and ran over the stage, past Trixie, Glimmer, and Shining Armor, directly onto the ship and clung to the ground. Confused, the group looked over to me.

“Don’t tell me you’re afraid of heights.” Night Hawk came out from below the deck and grinned at me. I just nodded quickly, and immediately she burst out into laughter, stomping her hooves on the wooden floor. “Oh man, a fine soldier you are. If you wet yourself, I won’t clean up behind you.” Glimmer joined the laughter and went past me towards a door, which seemed to lead into the Captain’s cabin.
 
“Are you alright?” Shining Armor stood in front of me. “I’m sorry, but we don’t have any alternatives right now. Our destination is near the Badlands, and we don’t have railroads down there yet, but I’ll explain the rest to you downstairs in a minute.” He went past me and disappeared below the deck. Shooting Star loaded the small boarding blank that joined the ship with the mainland aboard again and followed Shining Armor. Trixie just rolled her eyes and carried me with her magic downstairs. It was roomier than it looked from the outside. It was a large room with multiple hammocks, six for us and three more, possibly for the crew. In front of us were a few cushions that formed a circle, and Trixie put me down on one of them before sitting down next to me. Night Hawk and Shooting Star also already sat in their spots, while Armor stood in front of us, ready to give a short speech.
 
“Everything ready, sir.” Now Glimmer joined us as well, followed by two earth ponies and a pegasus whose wing hung down his sides in a strange angle. He had a light brown coat and black mane, something that I had rather expected from an earth pony. His cutie mark was a compass with four needles pointing in every direction at once.
 
“Ahoy, Captain Armor sir. Captain Finder, at your service.” He saluted quickly, and his two comrades did the same.
 
“Sailor Arbor at your service, sir,” the grey one reported. His cutie mark was a knot.

“Sailor Paddle as well, sir!” The light blue stallion lived up to his name, as his cutie mark was a paddle. Shining Armor nodded at the four, and now the crew seemed to be complete.
 
“Everypony, listen up!” he shouted through the room. “Our mission is simple, so I don’t want to repeat myself. One week ago, we received a report that changelings had been sighted near Fillyburg. A vanguard arrived there a few days ago, but so far we haven’t heard back from them. Unfortunately, the vanguard is not trained to deal with changelings, let alone detect them. And that’s where we come in.” He marched up and down in front of us while he spoke. “These creatures tend to disguise themselves as ponies to infiltrate us. We will stop them. As we speak, the railroads that Fillyburg requested is being laid, and the first train will test the track in five days. We have to get rid of all changelings by then and resolve the danger. Estimated time until arrival is two days. Everypony knows what their mission is?” He put special emphasis on the last sentence.
 
“Yes, sir!” everyone but me and Trixie shouted back.
 
“Good. Glimmer, you know the area the best. Mark all locations that may serve as a camp for the changelings on the map.
 
“Yes, sir!” She saluted quickly.
 
“Night Hawk, Shooting Star, you two will alternately fly low next to the ship and keep an eye out for any clues. If you find any sign of changelings, I want an immediate report.
 
“Yes, sir!” said Night Hawk, while Shooting Star only saluted and nodded.

“Trixie, Light. You both have learned the exposure spell. As soon as we reach the settlement, every citizen will be checked. Until then, you will be ready on call.”
 
“Understood,” I said and Trixie nodded.
 
“Dismissed!” The others stood up and began to tend after their duties. Shooting Star went back on deck while Night Hawk lay down in one of the hammocks. Glimmer and the Captain went to a short table in the corner and pulled out a map from her saddlebag. Trixie did the same as Night Hawk and took a hammock as well.
 
“Light, come over here.” Armor waved me over to him. He stood by a few boxes that were probably filled with supplies and other things. As I came closer, he opened a small box and armour came out. To be precise, it was the same one that Shooting Star wore, minus the holes for the wings. “Princess Luna had it made for you. I suggest that you should wear it. It may make the difference between life and death.” I couldn’t say anything against that.
 
“Thanks.” I took a look inside the box. Next to the chest, or rather the back part which Armor held in his grip, were four boots. They were made out of thin metal, like the rest of the armour, and would probably reach up to my knees in the front and my ankle in the back. I had finally found the time to finish that book about pony anatomy. The boot in the right foreleg was different from the others, by having a large white crystal embedded into it. “What’s that?” I asked as I pointed at it.
 
“A sun crystal. It is called that because it reflects the sunlight and magic.” So I could deflect magic missiles if I manage to hit them with the crystal.
 
“Neat.” He put the golden armour on me and pulled the straps tight. I put on one boot after another, simply by stepping into them and pulling the straps as well, just like a belt around the legs.
 
“I will go on deck now and enjoy the flight. Maybe you should get used to the thought of being in the air. Our enemies can fly as well, remember that.” With that, Shining Armor left me more or less on my own. It was unfamiliar to walk in these boots, but it was also my first time as pony to wear anything on my hooves. I thought about what Armor just told me. If there was one time to man, or stallion up, it was now.
 
“Here goes nothing.” And with that, I followed him back onto the deck as well but immediately regretted that decision. How many metres was it going down again?
 

***

 
Twilight had set me up a guest bed in the basement of the library after piling up all the books there in one corner. It was a bit dank, but as a foal, I used to sleep in the barn a lot, so I didn’t mind. She wanted to go back to farm with me today to explain the whole situation to my mother since keeping something secret from her wasn’t possible for too long with her being an Element of Harmony. Twilight had told me about them yesterday evening for the first time and described them as extremely powerful magical items. I wasn’t even surprised anymore about how much I didn’t know. My mother was allegedly the Element of Honesty, and as such, able to see lies rather well. Not like that would be a big news to me, but now I knew that she could have also had that as a cutie mark. Maybe I would take after my mother and it would be apple related. It wasn’t that I didn’t like apples, they were basically part of my life, but I didn’t love them like the rest of my family. Since my father was a unicorn, I might have another special talent, but what? I couldn’t use magic, so it couldn’t be anything in that field.
 
“Aura, breakfast is ready.” Twilight stood at the hatch that led into the first floor and looked down at me as I was lying with a messy mane on the folding bed.
 
“Coming…,” I said with a yawn and shook myself to loosen my coat a bit. For the last few days, I had slept in an old, abandoned building near the village’s border. The ground had been hard, but it was still better than outside. Compared to the ground, this bed had been heaven. I went upstairs into the kitchen, where Twilight Sparkle sat next to a pegasus who looked a bit younger than me.
 
“Oh right,” Twilight said. “This is Rising Dawn, my son. He went to bed early last night.” I stared at the colt calmly munching on his breakfast.
 
“Sup?” he said with full mouth and raised a hoof in greeting.
 
“Dawn, what have I told you about table manners?” she scolded him in a sharp voice. He gulped down his bite and wiped his mouth clean with a hoof.
 
“Sorry. Hi, I’m Dawn. Nice to meet you.” I sat down on the free seat, and a plate with a sandwich was levitated over to me.
 
“Hi, I’m Auralia, or just Aura.” And with that, he turned back to his sandwich.
 
“Spike makes the best sandwiches. Dig in!” And with that, I took a large bite and grinned while chewing. I didn’t want to start this stressful day on an empty stomach, so I gladly took his advice.
> Chapter 31 - Phoenix Down
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“So, you took private lessons from Luna?” Trixie and I were in our hammocks, summarizing our last week for each other. “What did she teach you?” Since Celestia had planted those runes within me – there was probably no better word for that – I had started to gain more and more interest in magic. I tried a few spells from the collection of runes, but so far none of them worked. It was as if something was missing.
 
“Old magic. It’s similar to the modern form but requires circles and incantations to work. Quite primitive if you ask me. Still, I think the effects are much more fierce.” So Luna had planted some combat spells into Trixie’s mind. I hoped that it was a good thing. “However, I find your news much more interesting. I mean, I’m going to be an aunt for a little princess or prince after all.”
 
“Yeah…” As much as I liked thinking about it, this just wasn’t the right time for it. “I’m sorry, Trixie, but I have other things on my mind right now.” Like bunch of changelings waiting for us, or maybe a bunch of Nightmares, or maybe how we were barely hovering above the clouds.
 
“It’s alright. I’m also thinking about our assignment. After all, the princess herself has tasked me to keep an eye on you all.” She grinned with content and kept staring at the ceiling.
 
“You all?”
 
“Yes, you and Shining Armor. Isn’t he also part of the family?” She had a point. I started going through the entire family tree in my mind.

“He is the husband of my…. cousin. Is there even a word for that?” Trixie shook her head, or rather the entire ship was shaking. “What the?” We both jumped out from our hammocks and went on deck.
 
“Hawk, do you see this?” Shining Armor stood with the Captain at the edge of the bow and seemed to be looking out for Night Hawk. I could hear them calling something, but the wind made the sounds unintelligible. I would have understood it if I would have dared myself to reach within five meters to the edge, but I remained near the hatch just so I won’t be reminded of the height we were at. Trixie ran past me and joined the others. The night was chilly, but I wondered why it wasn’t colder, considering our altitude. Either ponies were more resilient towards temperature, fur coat and all, or the ship had been enchanted. A shadow whizzed onto the ship, and glowing golden eyes stared at me. Night Hawk grinned as she saw my terrified face and turned to the others.
 
“Sir, no signs for the cause of the turbulence, and the ship itself is undamaged.” Shining Armor nodded.
 
“Okay, tonight we keep our eyes open. Night Hawk, back to your guard. Trixie or Light, one of you stays on deck. Four eyes see more than two.” Trixie yawned loudly.
 
“Then good night to you all. Trixie needs her beauty sleep.” And with that, she went past me down below, but not without giving me a malicious grin. She had been a bit faster.
 
“I’m going to take a rest a bit myself. Wake me if you need me.” He followed her down.

“Great,” I muttered and laid myself onto the middle of the deck, as far away from any edge as possible.
 
“Ey Princey, cheer up. If you fall, we’ll catch you, so no need to panic.” Hawk grinned at me, her eyes still glowing in the dark.
 
“Letting the baby fall into the well first? No thanks.” The way her eyes rolled into her head was almost hypnotic. I had always gotten weird looks when I told anyone about my vertigo. I had it ever since I visited a reservoir dam with my family. We were on top of it and I, being five years of age, had been standing on the lower railing hands on the upper so I could look into the depths below. My grandpa, that old fart, had hit me so hard on my back that I had ended up two thirds over the railing, looking down vertically. Since that day, I hadn’t been able to climb up the ladder to a slide without getting a little bit anxious. With my coming of age, I had discovered that it was reasonable to have vertigo. If you fell from a specific height, there was nothing that prevented you from impending pain or death, so it was best to not get into such a situation in the first place. Transportation, though, was a different issue. Aircraft were much safer than cars, so it was within reason to consider them safe. The same went for the carriages of Equestria, as long as both pegasi were not hit by lightning simultaneously. I didn’t know the chances for that to happen, but I hoped it that it was like winning the lottery. This airship, however, was held up by a balloon. Emphasis on balloon. No backup, no auxiliary engines. Long story short, a flying death trap.  
 
“Oh come on, have a little faith. I don’t bite and I’m faster than any Wonderbolt. And thanks to my dad, I can even see in the dark.” Within her grin, I could make out sharp teeth; probably another of her father’s gifts.
 
“I assume your father must have been a dragon? How is it like that, if me asking doesn’t bother you?” She laughed heartily and leaned into the ropes that held the balloon.

“Why does everypony think that it bothers me? I met the old man only once but didn’t talk to him. He’s currently having his centennial sleep in a cave near Stalliongrad. He and my mom met a few years prior when she became lost in the snow. She had to land due to a blizzard but was unfamiliar with the region. It certainly has its benefits. My wings are more sturdier than that of the average pegasus, and I don’t feel cold nor heat, well, except if it gets too extreme. As I said before, I can see in the dark like in broad daylight. Oh, and let’s not forget about the increased lifespan. There is no average for that as there are not many like me, but I’m counting on a few hundred years. My mom will never meet my dad again, but I will be there when he awakes.” She grinned fiercely. “I’m looking forward to learning more about him.” She seemed pretty happy with her situation. I don’t know how I would have reacted to the knowledge that I would outlive everyone. But she had her father right? “But I don’t wish for anypony to be like me. My childhood was anything but enjoyable. I was the outcast and everything, but I made the best out of it, and now I’m directly reporting to Princess Luna. All in all, I should be happy that my father wasn’t a diamond dog. Running around like a flufflepuff wouldn’t have been my thing.”
 
“Sounds like you have a few things ahead of you.” The question of life going on once you were no more had often entered my mind. She had the opportunity to go further than most other living beings. What really bugged me was how did it work with dragons and ponies? Magic, the answer for everything here.
 
“You got it, but that’s all in the stars. For now, let’s swat some flies on the walls.”
 

***

 
“And you are really sure that this is okay, Twilight?” I was worried that I might change something that could have unforeseen consequences.

“Why not? If my theory is right, then all timelines exist simultaneously, meaning that you have already spoken to her and nothing happened, or it did happen and something changed but without us realising it. Anyway, something is going to change for sure.” I didn’t understand a single word of what she said, but I considered it a yes.
 
“I’m still afraid of how she might react. Will she believe me? What will she say?” Twilight stopped on the wide path to Sweet Apple Acres and held a hoof up her chin.
 
“Let’s remember that we are talking about AJ here. She spots lies ten miles away upwind. So if you tell her the truth, she will believe you. Her reaction is a different issue. I think she will be happy to know that her daughter loves her and her father so much that she came here to correct a big mistake.” I really hoped she was right. One way or the other, we were about to find out. My mom was coming down the street, pulling a cart full of apples.
 
“Howdy, you two. What brings you here this early in the morning?” I swallowed, and Twilight pushed me a bit towards my mom that elicited a weird expression from her.
 
“Morning, Applejack. Do you think… we could talk a bit?” I used my best smile, but it didn’t seem to work.
 
“Sorry, sugarcube, but I need to head for the market. These babies won’t sell themselves ya know.” She pointed toward the apples in her cart. She took out one with her tail, put it into her hoof, and gave it a short rub on her coat. “Here, have an apple. They are the best far and wide.” She threw the apple at me and skilfully caught with my forehead before it disappeared down my mouth in one go. “Wow, you are good. Where did you learn that?” I quickly swallowed the apple, a really good one, and pointed at her. Applejack looked behind her if somepony might have been standing there, but then she realised who I had been meant. “Wait a second, I’ve only known you since yesterday.”

“That’s why we’re here, AJ. I think it’s the best if you just listen.” Applejack was visibly confused, but Twilight’s word was enough for her to suspend her work. She unhooked the cart and sat down.
 
“I’m all ears, sugarcube. I hope it’s important.” She looked at Twilight first then to me. I too looked over to Twilight, who gave me a nod.
 
“Umm… I know it will sound strange but you were right, I’m part of the Apple family…”
 
“I knew I recognised you from somewhere!” she exclaimed.
 
“... Uhm, to be honest, I’m not part of it just yet, only in ten months or so.” My birthday was in May, so it was a good guess.
 
“What do you mean, sugarcube?” I took a deep breath.
 
“What I mean is that I will be born in ten months. I am from the future.” I closed my eyes waiting for the world to collapse, but nothing happened. When I opened my eyes again, my mom’s mouth was hanging wide open and she was staring at Twilight. It wouldn’t need to talk any further – it seemed that she caught the hint.

“I reckon Twilight is involved in this?” I nodded.
 
“She asked me in the future to correct a mistake. One that would cause my dad to disappear.” She blinked a few times.
 
“And your dad is…?” She indicated with a hoof that I should continue.
 
“Blue Light, but I only found out after right now after traveling back in time.” She probably didn’t heard the last part of the sentence anymore as it had been way too much for her. Her hat slowly slid off from her head, but she didn’t move a muscle, not one blink, nothing. When her hat hit the ground, it probably took her out of the trance. She vigorously shook her head and went past me straight at Twilight.
 
“How dare you to send my daughter back in time?” she screamed at Twilight. “You yourself told me how dangerous this can be! Anything that could happen with the universe and like that.” She was fuming with anger. I had never seen her like this.
 
“Mom… Applejack, please calm down! I wanted to come here; I wanted to come to meet my dad. Twilight even gave me the chance to save him. Please...” I tried to hold her back. Her glare wandered from Twilight down to me as I stood between the two, trying to hold her back from her friend with my forehooves. Twilight had her guard up but hadn’t backed a single step.
 
“AJ, I would never do anything that would endanger one of our friends. What Aura has told me though… It sounded as if it was necessary. The formula for the spell that Light plans to use to go back into his world has an error and I, in my curiosity, wanted to test it so much that I forgot to check it. It will be my fault that Light misses his destination and gets lost. At least it was like that until Aura here appeared. She has come here, probably with my help, to prevent this from happening. She has compiled all the facts by herself. You should be proud about her.” My mom had scrutinised every single word that left Twilights lips, put them on the golden scale. and measured them. Her anger-filled face went slack, and all that was left was regret.

“It never gets normal with you, right sugarcube?” she finally said, and Twilight put on a smile again. “So I will have a daughter?” I nodded. “Does Light know about this?”
 
“He has no clue. He entrusted me last night to help Aurelia here solve an issue with a picture. I had recognised the magic immediately, and I put one and one together.” She sighed and turned to me.
 
“You know, I didn’t expected to become a mom this early.”
 

***

 
Only when the sun had risen did I realise that I had talked the night away with Hawk. Her cheerful nature was a relief, as I could finally talk to someone without having my three big problems as a topic. She told me a bit more about her father, a big black mountain dragon and how she visited his cave to watch him sleep. Her mother reckoned that he used to be much smaller when she had met him. Now he was as big as two houses.
 
Dragons had two growth phases. One when they were younger that only took a few months. They got their wings and grew a good bit bigger than a pony, about Celestia’s size. The second one came after about a hundred years and took about as long as well. In that time, they really became massive. Hawk’s mom believed that she got her happiness from her father where as she only got her dark coat from her. What really made me wonder was how contented she was with what she was and never wished to be something else. If I had been like that, I would not be sitting here on this airship in Equestria, heading out to fight changelings. But then I would have never met my new friends and especially not AJ. I would have probably fallen prey to the Nightmares.

“I’m going to make one last guard flight, your Prince-ness, then we can wake our relief.” I yawned and nodded to her. She let herself fall from the edge of the ship and disappeared in the clouds. I didn’t envy the pegasi for their wings. I didn’t know if it was from the lack of sleep or her if free spirit had gotten to me, but I went to the same spot from where she jumped and looked over the edge, straight down to the ground.
 
“Alert!” Hawk’s voice echoed through the air. Frightened, I backed off a few steps from the edge and took nervous glances around me. To the right, nothing but clouds and the left the same. “Alert!” It echoed again, but this time I reacted.
 
“Alert!” I called down below deck and heard a thud as somepony fell out of their hammock. Another sound led my view to the sea of clouds in front of me, and this time I saw Hawk breaking through a cumulus. She flew straight at the ship without as much as an intent to slow down. She turned so her hooves were pointing at the balloon. She used it to brake herself and crashed right next to me onto the wooden frame.
 
“What’s going on?” Shining Armor came up from the underdeck, and Hawk pointed at the hole she had torn through the cloud. Multiple shapes with massive wingspans came through at speeds close to Hawk’s.

“Griffons, sir, small squad, well-armed,” she finally said. I had to squint to see them better and indeed they were griffons, half eagle, half lion, wearing thick silver armour, armed with spears and swords. Not exactly the friendliest of expressions.

“What do they want here? This is Equestrian territory. Without royal decree, there shouldn’t be any troops here, especially not griffons.” Armor seemed really surprised and astonished. “Star, Trixie, Glimmer, on deck!” he bellowed down below, and the trio came up not ten seconds too early to miss the arrival of the griffins. They were twelve of them, all armoured and with swords on their belts and spears in their claws. They halted about ten meters in front of our ship, hovering, and one with a helmet, ornamented with many feathers, came closer. Before he could say anything, Shining Armor spoke up.
 
“Griffon, explain yourself or face the consequences for this!” The commander looked down upon us nodded shortly, which caused one of his guys to fly up and over our balloon.
 
“Silence pony!” he shouted. “That is, if you even are a pony. We are pursuing changelings that you banished into our lands. No matter what you say, it doesn't matter to us. Should one of you try to even move a muscle, my Lieutenant will let this ship crash!” He pointed up to the balloon. From below, we could see the tail of a griffin hanging down.
 
“We are on a mission from Princess Celestia of Equestria! Pull back now or we will be forced to defend ourselves!” Shining Armor shot back. One of the ropes that had been tied to the balloon was now sailing in the wind, which left the ship’s right side with only two more ropes. Shining Armor’s horn started to glow, which seemed to be a sign for us to act. Shooting Star shot past me like a lightning bolt and took two of the griffons with him into the clouds. Glimmer shot a bolt from her crossbow and hit one griffon in its wing. He slowly glided down to the ground, screaming from pain. Trixie took one of the ropes and fastened another griffon’s wings together. This all happened faster than the commander could open his beak. Hawk followed Star into the air. As she got close enough to one of the griffons, she took a deep breath and black flames came from her mouth! She was really spitting fire, which surprised me and the griffon as well. I looked for something that I could transform, but other than the ship itself, there was nothing available. Trixie was already using the ropes, so I felt pretty helpless.

“Do it, Victor!” roared the griffin commander. I looked up to the balloon in panic, but nothing happened. It was surrounded by a blue aura that could only belong to one pony: Shining Armor. Quickly thinking, he had covered the balloon with his shield, including the ropes holding it. The commander screamed again, and the remaining soldiers regrouped. The one particular griffon that got singed by Hawk looked wrecked, probably because part of his armour had melted to his skin. Star came back from the clouds, thankfully alone. He must have outwitted his opponents. Hawk herself was hovering directly between us and the commander to cut his line of sight.
 
“I repeat, pull back and leave Equestria at once!” Shining Armor bellowed with a bit more strain in his voice as he had to keep up the shield. The griffin commander made a gesture with his claw, and immediately his men swarmed out again. They disappeared in the clouds around us and it became quiet, too quiet.
 
“Watch for the smallest motion,” Glimmer muttered behind me and loaded a new arrow in her crossbow. Everyone looked into a different direction onto the white clouds but nothing moved. I took a step forward to look over the edge again, but by then it was too late. Something grabbed my neck and pulled off the ship into the air. I immediately felt how cold it had become and how I started to suffocate, not the least due to the claw around my neck. I started to struggle but it made no sense. My joints were not made to reach behind me, and I was too unfocused to call on my magic.
 
“Let him go!” Trixie yelled, magic at the ready and with a furious look on her face.
 
“I have a better idea. If you really aren’t changelings then maybe I should just let him fall, shouldn’t I?” I had a sense of foreboding. Would he really let me fall just to see that, when I hit the ground, I would end up as pony sludge?
 
“Do you even have an idea whom you—!” Trixie was stopped by Shining Armor’s hoof.
 
“Should anyone of this crew get injured, then it is, by all accounts, an act of war against Equestria. This is your last chance to pull back,” he said without looking away from me.
 
“You broke the peace first!” Time seemed to slow down as the griffon eased his grasp and gravity took me into its arms. I shot past the first cloud and looked up. Star and Hawk tried to chase after me but got put through the wringer by two griffins. Trixie tried to reach me with a rope and made it. It coiled around my right hind leg and pulled tight. However, one griffon left the formation, and with a little stroke, he cut the rope that my life was hanging on.
> Chapter 32 - Falling Inside the Black
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The wind of the free fall was pressing against my body. The pressure was insanely strong, almost robbing me of my breath, not to mention my ability to scream. So many things went through my mind, but I couldn’t really focus on any of them. I smashed through the next cloud, which collapsed into little pieces afterwards. Now that I was below the cloud level, I could see the desert below me. Cacti, rocks and sand looked at me from below, as did sea that crashed against the rocks. The desert stretched onwards, and no sight could have shown that clearer. How much time did I have left? Thirty, maybe forty seconds? Would Star or Hawk manage to get past the griffons and then catch up with me? Not likely, and if they did, I was probably far too fast already. If someone caught me now, they would have to lift my entire weight and would die themselves. I would die, no matter what.
 
~Not if I help you.
 
The voice sounded through my head. It was neither Luna nor Celestia but something else. “Who are you?” I wanted to say, but I could only think it thanks to the wind.
 
~Your only option if you want to live.

The voice was cold as ice, but I couldn’t figure out who it belonged to, not even if it were male or female. Half of my precious remaining time was over – I could already see the clear shapes of the large rocks and even the first cacti.
 
~If you want to live, you just have to say it.
 
I didn’t trust that voice a bit, but did I have a choice? ‘What’s the catch?’ I thought. The voice chuckled.
 
~You only have to promise to come to me.
 
That was by far the best deal ever. The catch was doable. “I want to live!” I shouted with all my force against the wind, yet it was still merely a whisper in my ears. The voice chuckled again but said no more. I continued to rush further towards the ground, not slowing down and nothing else happening. ‘Hello?’ I thought again but got no response. The ground was not even fifteen seconds away. I was going to crash, hard. Ten seconds. Now about five and now finally something happened. A gigantic black cloud, more like a shadow, weaved its way through the sandy ground and directly towards the place where I was going to land. How would that stop my fall? How would that save—
 
I didn’t get any further with my panicked thoughts as I fell into the deep black of the void. It was almost like water, but there was no resistance. I just slid through it, without a single of my bones having to crack, nor was a single hair torn out of my coat.


***

 
The rope had just torn, and Trixie was greeted by a griffon who slammed his sword against her armor. She jumped back a step to get out of the griffon’s reach and let herself fall behind Shining Armor and Glimmer. Shooting Star and Night Hawk were busy keeping two of the remaining eight griffons at bay. Since her flames were no longer a surprise, they managed to dodge every attack of the draconic mare, and Star couldn’t even use his spear for anything more than blocking attacks. Glimmer held another griffon from getting close to Shining Armor, who was busy protecting the ship and the balloon. ‘If he just wouldn’t have to protect the ship,’ Trixie thought and got an idea. It was still bright day, so Luna’s magic wouldn’t work, but it was better than nothing. She was about to prepare the spell, but then the griffon from before approached her again, and this time it was too late to dodge. In the last second, a mop hit the head of the feathered lion and threw him overboard. On the other side of the ship stood Captain Finder, a disgruntled look on his face.
 
“No one damages the Lunar! The princess entrusted me with this ship and I will protect it!” he shouted after the falling griffon, who was no longer to be seen. Satisfied, he snorted and looked for the next suicidal one who dared to enter his ship. Trixie used the newly gained time and prepared her spell. Her horn glowed and a circle of runes formed on the floor around her. She put a bit more magical power into it, and the circle began to glow and spin.
 
“The night may has passed…” Three of the runes in her circle began to glow and lifted off the ground “…but our enemies are not yet smashed…” More runes began to glow. Night Hawk had managed to fry the wing of one of her attackers, who now desperately clung at his colleague, but he just shook him off coldheartedly. Shooting Star was less lucky and had gotten a few cuts from some unblocked strikes. Just as he would have to take another hit, a bolt hit the attacker in the shoulder, and he sunk lifelessly to a cloud below. Glimmer had shot the griffon, who had just approached her, two bolts directly through the wings, nailing him to the ground. “…don’t let this fight compound…” The remaining runes shone, and the circle was now a completely glowing disc. “…so turn our rivals to the ground!” As the last word was spoken, magical chains, in the bright pink of her magic, flew out of the circle towards the remaining five griffins, pulling them where the circle had just been. Trixie jumped aside just in time, and not half a second later sat five bound griffons, including their commander, in front of her. Shining Armor saw that the immediate danger was under control and dropped the shield that he had cast over the sensitive parts of the ship.
 
“Well done, Trixie,” he said, exhausted. Trixie wasn’t waiting for his praise, but instead jumped towards the edge of the ship to search for signs of Light. Armor, who seemed to have realized what she was looking for, shouted at his two pegasi to start searching immediately, and with a salute, they were gone.


***


Now I could check off another box from my cliché list. I slowly regained consciousness and tried to inspect my surroundings, but it was too dark. I waited for a while until my eyes had adapted to the darkness, but it was of no use. At first I didn’t think of it at all, but my magic could create some light. In my mind, I searched for a light spell and immediately my surroundings were bathed in a bright, white light. Apparently I was in a large cave. The rock was dark blue, and every couple of metres were pillars that kept the ceiling where it belonged. So it was a mine, not a cave. I was wondering why a mine would be in the middle of the desert, but then I remembered the briefing. Fillyburg was a mining town, so I must have somehow fallen through the black shadow and landed here. But how was that possible? The town was still a day away. I stood up and looked for anything that could give me a clue to finding the exit, but nothing was here. No rails for mine carts, no tools, and no signs of any work being done here recently. Either I was deep down in an abandoned mine shaft or in a completely abandoned mine.
 
I couldn’t stay here forever, so with the help of a nursery rhyme, I decided which way to go: left. I shouted into the shaft a few times but got no response. The voice wanted me to look for it, so it was only logical that that was the reason it sent me here. Still, it was somewhat puzzling as to why I didn’t get a response. The shaft led up into a larger cave, which clearly identified this place as a mine now. In this large hall, around ten metres high, were various smaller shafts that branched off into every direction. In the middle was a large pulley which could transport something down into the hole that it was situated next to. Burnt out lanterns hung at various points. I didn’t think that anyone would mind if one of them went missing. There was still a bit of liquid in it, whatever was used for as fuel here, and so I reignited it. The light of the lantern was as bright as my artificial one, so I cut off my magic. There was no reason to waste power now. Again I shouted for help, but it remained silent except for my echo. A few rocks crumbled here and there, and I realized that it wasn’t the best idea to keep on shouting down here. If this mine really was abandoned, the wooden pillars couldn’t be trusted anymore.   I again had to decide which shaft to go down. Just as I was about take the first one to my right, I remembered something. If I had learned one thing from Minecraft, it was how fast you could get lost in tunnels. With my horn, I cut a ‘X’ in front of the entrance I came from and a ‘one’ in front of the one I was about to take.

“Someone tell me now how video games are useless.” I laughed at my own joke. I would have taken anything to not having to think about this depressing situation. Somehow it was ironic to be catapulted from the highest heights of the open sky to the depths of a mine. I would never ask to be somewhere else again, even if it felt unpleasant. I took a deep breath and took the first step into the new shaft. Just as I was deep enough into it that I could no longer see the entrance, I arrived at the end, a dead end. I turned on my heels, cut the symbol of a dead end next to the ‘one’ at the entrance, and went over to the next one. Just as I wanted to mark it with ‘two’, I noticed a blue light coming out of a shaft behind me.

“Well, if that isn’t an invitation…” I assigned the glowing shaft to the new number two. Keeping my mood with a bit of soliloquizing was a habit I hadn’t picked up for a while, as I was almost never alone since I came to Equestria. When I was younger, I used to lock myself in my room so that I could get some peace. Today I ran around naked and as a pony. Let me hear those who said that people never changed. Second lesson for today. Cautiously, I went around the large hole around the pulley. I wasn’t going to risk a second fall today. As I went closer, the light disappeared further into the shaft, obviously to lure me towards it. And it would succeed, because where there was light, there had to be other things as well, friendly or not. If it was a wild animal, it had to know an exit to get food from time to time. If it was friendly, it would surely show me. It was at least better than to aimlessly wander around the shafts. And there was still the possibility that it was the voice. If it brought me here, then it was probably not too far away. It wanted me to find it after all. I could only hope that it wasn’t some predator that didn’t want to have sand in his meal. I followed the shaft, not with placing the mark. As expected, the light went deeper down into the mine, showing me the way I had to follow. The shaft went smaller and tighter so that a pony could just barely fit through it. Celestia would have to duck to get through here. I let the lantern fly ahead as I seemed to get closer, since the light became brighter and brighter. It went around a corner and was so bright that I could barely see anything, but I kept on moving. That quickly proved to be a mistake, as I suddenly no longer felt ground in front of me and fell down a few metres before I landed in water. During the short free fall, I had lost my lamp, and the lack of light made it hard for me to see the surface at first. To my surprise, I saw the blue light again, and it no longer seemed to be alone. I paddled upwards, like a dog, and greeted the fresh air with a deep breath. I had fell into an underground lake, and the many small, blue lights made the surface glow. It was a beautiful sight, but the water was cold as ice, so I headed towards the shore. I climbed out of the water and tried to shake myself dry, but the armour mostly hindered me in doing so.

”Welcome!” Again there was the voice, but this time it sounded through the cave, not my head. I looked around. Behind me was the lake, and directly above it was the low hole that I had fallen through. Many of the lights were floating further back over the lake and now slowly came towards me. The ceiling above me went almost straight up, making room for a giant bulge. Below the dome-shaped ceiling gathered many of these small blue lights, illuminating what was in front of me. The room was filled by stalagmites, and their wet surface reflected the light that leaked in into every direction so that a play of shadows was in front of me. I walked between a few of them, almost as it was a path.
 
“Hello? Who are you?” It seemed like I was dealing with a powerful and magical creature here, so I shouldn’t give it any reason to attack.
 
“A friend…” Something about the voice sounded especially cold as it spoke these words. “… your friend.” The voice seemed to be near me, and I looked around. A dark, blue eye stared at me from the shadow that one of the stalagmites cast. Startled, I took a step back. I landed against another of the small stony pillars, which lost its top and fell to the ground with a loud clank. Panicked, I looked around and again saw the eye, this time from another shadow to my left. “Or your worst nightmare.”
 
I was scared and seriously not in the mood for a game of hide-and-seek in the shadows, so I used the same light spell from earlier. Immediately, the shadows were gone from my view, and a dark creature rushed over the ground, the eye still locked on me. “Show yourself! Who or what are you?!” It disappeared in the remaining shadows, deeper in the cave, and laughed maliciously.

“Has your mother not told you tales about me? The Shadow that will shroud the world, the Tormentor of Souls, the Bringer of Sorrow?” I quickly summarized the information. “But the most well-known name that was given me in this world was…”
 
“Nightmare Moon…” Again it laughed maliciously, confirming my thought. These lights were the same lights that gave the night in the moonshine, probably the remains of Luna’s magic in this creature. I had found what I wasn’t hoping to find until I had a way to capture it, but here I was, unprepared and without many options.
 

***

 
Trixie went up and down the deck of the Lunar, waiting for the return of the two pegasi. They had been gone for quarter of an hour now and hadn’t reported back yet. Either they hadn’t found Light’s body or there was none. She was hoping so much that nothing had happened to him. It had been him who had given her a second chance, her brother.
 
“Pegasi approaching!” shouted the shrill voice of Night Hawk, and in the next moment, the two searchers landed on deck.
 
“And?” Shining Armor asked distantly.

“Nothing to find, sir. We followed his track through the clouds but couldn’t find a crash site or anything like that. No landing side either.” Shining Armor sighed as Night Hawk finished her report.
 
“Then we have no other choice. Light is now MIA. Either he made it and is somewhere down there or more griffons came and took him. Either way, we can’t interrupt our mission.
 
“Has the questioning of the prisoners given anything?” Night Hawk turned towards Glimmer, who just shook her head.
 
“You could pull out their feathers one by one and they wouldn’t talk,” she said and went back to cleaning her crossbow.
 
“Does that mean we are leaving Light to his fate?” Trixie shouted angrily at the troops.
 
“Exactly. As soon as reach Fillyburg, I will send a message to the Princess. She will surely send out a searching party.”
 
“And you want to leave Light just down there in the desert for so long? Shining Armor, that is insane! He is your family, my family!” she shouted and snorted loudly.

“Do you think I wouldn’t know that, Trixie?” He loomed in front of her. “But the mission must go on. I have orders as well, and if a soldiers is MIA, the mission still continues. A mission is too important to be postponed for an unknown time because of the well-being of one soldier.” This time it was Shining Armor who made his point with a strong stomp on the ground.
 
“But—”
 
“No buts! He is a prince but not an active regent, and he knew what he was getting into. Dismissed!” And with that, he had countered Trixie’s last argument as well, without even letting her speaking it out, and ended the discussion. Angrily, she went past and disappeared in the Captain’s cabin.
 
“Don’t worry, Trixie, if the Prince can’t take care of himself, the Captain would have never taken him in the first place. I bet he’s lying at some oasis right now and enjoying the sun,” Hawk assured her with an encouraging smile.
 
“Or he is goo that is buried underneath a pile of sand,” Glimmer noted from the side. Both Trixie and Hawk angrily glared at her. “What? Can’t you handle the truth?”
 

***

 
I could hear how Nightmare was changing its position again and again, as it sounded like a hissing snake each time it dashed from shadow to shadow.

“I am not afraid of you! Show yourself!” That was a bold lie. My shaking legs, which was mostly from the cold and the water, and the flickering light from my horn, were clear signs of that. Again came the laughter from the darkness, which didn’t made the situation any more comfortable.
 
“I can smell your desperation, your worry, your FEAR!” The shadow loomed in front of me, three times my size. Thousands of blue eyes were staring at me, and the wall of shadows around me began to rotate slowly. “But I can be the solution to all these problems…” The wall leaned over and the darkness engulfed me in a small dome. All eyes were on me as my light finally died. I had never been a fan of horror movies, but this was worse than anything I had ever seen before I was really glad that I hadn’t drunk anything lately.
 
“W…What d-do you want?” I couldn’t help myself; my voice was trembling.
 
“You have something that I want; I have something you need. Let me in and we will solve both of our problems.” I took me a few second to realize what it wanted: my body. Nightmare needed a body – just like the other Nightmares, it couldn’t survive in the sun. If it wanted to get out, it would need a creature that it could possess, just like it had done once to Luna. Was that really a solution? I needed that creature’s knowledge to fight the Nightmares, but the price right here and now was too high. Twilight and the others could free me – they had done so before. Could that be a good idea?
 
Apparently it didn’t need more than this slight hesitation, this thought, to use as an opening, and the dome transformed into a dark mist that invaded me through my mouth, nose, and ears. The pain was unbearable, but I couldn’t tell if I was screaming or not. A nauseous feeling overcame me, just as though my heart was trying to jump out of my chest. It felt as though my brain was trying to burst through my skull to escape, then I mercifully lost consciousness.
> Chapter 33 - Liberate
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Hahahahahaha…” I couldn’t control it. Actually, I couldn’t control anything in my body at the moment. Everything had happened so fast that I had to go through it in my head once again. Nightmare had invaded me, causing everything around me to turn black, but I hadn’t fallen unconscious as expected. Instead, I was pulled in a room with it, where both my souls were. I was trapped in a cage of light, and an alicorn that looked an awful lot like me stood in front of the light globes. It was seemingly confused and seemed to be at the end of its tether.
 
”What is that supposed to be? it said, now in my voice, but still with a cold note. It had manifested into my form, adding in wings, but the colour was off. My blue coat had been replaced by a black one, and my mane was like that of Celestia and Luna, a kind of mist that was floating in the non-existing wind. It was also about as tall as Big Mac now.  “Why do you have two souls?” Now that I didn’t have to concentrate on my shivering body, I had an easier time thinking. It must have merged with the soul of its host to gain control, but it had a problem here. Only one soul could control the body, and if it chose the wrong one, it would be trapped. I could only grin.
 
“What’s the matter, Nightmare? The agony of choice?” It turned around to me and angrily glared.

”Explain!” it barked and loomed in front of my prison. We were in my body, with my soul and Changer’s floating in front of us. What was it supposed to do? Give my ghost a slap in the face?
 
“And if I don’t want to?” It reached out with a hoof, only to reach the same conclusion, because just it was about to strike, it lowered it again.
 
 “You will suffer for that!” it announced as it turned back towards its problem. I didn’t know how much time was passing, but it ran up and down in front of the two globes again and again. I watched the show for a while before deciding to distract it a bit more.
 
“It’s not the green one,” I said and couldn’t hold back my laughter. I could basically see how the head of the creature turned red under its black coat. It rushed towards me, with the help of its wings, and came to a halt a few centimetres in front of my cage.
 
”Speak, worm! Which one is yours?!” Her voice did credit to the Royal Canterlot Voice. I almost was thrown against the bars. As I stood up again, I saw how heavily it was breathing and that it was about to go mad. Not matter how powerful a creature was, it wasn’t all-knowing.
 
“It’s the blue one,” I said cheerfully and put on a grin. It was a risky move, but if I played my cards right, it could work. Nightmare looked over the two globes and grinned.

”Oh, you ponies are such terrible liars.” Maliciously laughing, it flew through the air and approached the orange globe. The grin dropped from my face, which wasn’t easy for me. When it saw that, it touched the soul. The merging began, and slowly but steadily, it disappeared in the orange light that, in turn, was turning black now.
 
“Well, sucks for you that I’m not a pony, at least not by birth.” Now it was her laughter that died. It looked at me first, then back to the soul. Panic was evident in its eyes, and it released a furious shout.
 
The next thing I knew was that I stood back in the cage, unable to stand because I was laughing so much. This powerful creature had completely underestimated me and was fooled by one of the oldest tricks in history. But that was only one reason as for why I was laughing; the other one was that I had actually been afraid of such a complacent thing. So I was laughing a bit at myself as well.
 
You tricked me! Me! Nightmare! Her voice boomed through my head.
 
“Oh, come on, don’t be a sour loser. Not the first time that you lost, is it?” I was waiting for a reaction, but none came. I closed my eyes and saw the two souls in front of me. The one was blue as always, only slightly damaged. It had a crack, probably the damage my stay in the void had caused, or my travel between the universes. Something like that at least. Next to it was now a black one. “You know what, Nightmare? You’ll be of good use to me.”
 
I won’t help a human! My kind has already devoured your planet!

Now it was my turn to be surprised. How did it know that?
 
I can read your mind! And this soul contains a lot of knowledge, including why you are here.
 
Which would answer my question. It took the information from the soul it possessed, but what really proved to be a problem was that it could access my mind. Probably because the two souls were connected so that I could use it as a source for my magic.
 
“Then say goodnight, Nightmare.” I cut the connection from my side, and the two souls drifted apart. Immediately I felt the pressure in my head gone, and there was no longer any sign of Nightmare. “Then there only remains the problem with the exit…” I began to look around the room. I would have to swim across the lake since the only safe exit was on the other side. Since I didn’t plan to get wet, I figured that the lake could use a nice ice cover. I focused on the aggregate state, but I could only create a small ice flow. Thanks to the separation, I no longer had access to my second magic source. Angrily, I shot a rock into the water with my hoof and began to look for something which I could use as a paddle. Behind me was a thin stalagmite, which was now being separated from its socket, and together with the stone, I jumped onto the small flow. “Row, row, row your boat, gently down the steam. Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream.” With the stalagmite as a paddle that was held by my magic, I slowly crossed the lake. My hope was that I wasn’t too deep in the mountain and would find an exit soon.
 

***


Trixie hadn’t found sleep during the second night, or at least not much. She was scared. Scared for Light, but also how Princess Luna would punish her. Putting her in a dungeon? Banishing her? Or putting her in a dungeon in the place she would banish her to? She had no idea. Uneasily, she paced up and down the Captain’s cabin. It was her turn to watch the prisoners, who still remained silent. The ship was rather small and didn’t really have a place for prisoners, so this room was used for that. The feathered enemies were still trapped in her spell, which was remarkable. This old magic didn’t need to be renewed or maintained; it worked as long as the caster desired it. The drawbacks were a long casting time and a high required amount of magical power.
 
“Water…,” rasped one of the griffons. They didn’t have much water on board, and despite Glimmer’s and her protest, Armor had still given the prisoners a small barrel. Trixie filled small silver mug and let it float at the beak of the prisoner. As he was halfway finished, she stopped her magic, causing a clank of the mug on the floor. “I wasn’t finished yet,” the griffon said indifferently.
 
“My bad,” she said snippily and put the now empty mug back to the barrel. Just because she had to keep watch didn’t mean she had to be nice. “Maybe I could concentrate better if I knew how my friend was doing.” She threw an angry look at the two awakened feathered kittens, as she liked to call the griffons, but they just snorted. Armor had told her that it would probably be better to not let them know who they made crash or taken as prisoner.
 
Behind her, the door opened, and Night Hawk, followed by Shooting Star, entered the cabin. Star went past Trixie and gave her a quick nod.
 
“Your shift is over, Trixie, let Star take over now.” She agreed with Hawk and followed her back outside. It was late afternoon and soon they would reach the city, as the ship had lost a lot of altitude already. The clouds were far above their heads already, and the large rocks of the desert almost next to them. “According to Glimmer’s calculations, we will reach Fillyburg within the next hour. Do you think you can take over Light’s part?” The town had about a hundred citizens, and they all had to be checked. Even with Light’s help, this would be a huge task, which would cost a tremendous amount of magic.

“I am Trixie! Of course Trixie can do that!” She was confident. It didn’t come from nothing that she had endured and seen so much during her life. Somehow she had always reached her goal.
 
The following hour she spent thinking about going to look for Light. At some point above the desert he had been thrown overboard, and without any clue, it was impossible to locate him. And that was if the griffons hadn’t taken him with them. Why hadn’t Princess Luna taught her a spell for this case? Hold on, didn’t she actually do that? Unfortunately, the spell was useless as long as the sun stood in the sky. Sullenly, she rolled in her hammock towards the wall and enjoyed the last quiet minutes of the flight.
 

***

 
I had to admit that I was lost. Not like that was something new, but this time it was really my own fault. Over the euphoria of capturing Nightmare, I had completely forgotten to mark the paths I had already taken, and now I had the feeling that I was running down the same path for the tenth time. Also I was more than just tired since I hadn’t slept in a while. I didn’t dare to close my eyes down here, especially since I didn’t know if my prisoner would take an advantage of that. The last time I drank something had been at the lake, and I couldn’t even remember my last meal. I had been about to eat breakfast, but then those griffons had showed up. Telling the time down here was also close to impossible, but it already had to be dark outside, meaning that I had been here for an entire day.
 
 I groaned loudly and looked down the path that had been going on for a while now. Most of the time I heard water, meaning I was still close to the little lake. Without any clue on how deep down I was, or in which direction just about anything was, I could be stuck down here for weeks, and for that I simply didn’t have the time. My only consolation was the knowledge that this actually was a mine close to Fillyburg, as I had found the remains of a small camp recently. Next to a few empty boxes and some rusty pickaxes were some documents, bills of delivery to be exact, which listed what the town needed to run the Deep Lake Mine. I could well imagine why it was called that, as the rock down here was in dark blue shade and the never ending rushing of water could be heard through the many paths. Unfortunately, there hadn’t been a map. At least I found a lamp, which was now comfortably hanging in my mouth so that I didn’t have to levitate it. I would never really get used to transporting things this way, but there were worse things than this lamp. Somehow it tasted like having a spoon in my mouth for the entire time. I came to a crossroad again. The path in front of me split to the left and the right, and once again, I had to make a decision. My grumbling stomach, however, told me that I didn’t have much time, so I just turned to the right, though not without making a mark with my horn.
 
After about a minute or so, it actually went uphill, literally speaking. I was thrilled, but then came the struggle, which was rather counterproductive in my current state. Couldn’t they have built escalators in here? Slowly but steadily, I went further up and finally had the feeling of being on the right track. A torch was the first confirmation for that. It hung in a rack that was carved into the rock and was the first sign that this was the way towards the exit. With the help of the lamp, I ignited the torch, lighting up the path ahead. More could be seen in small intervals ahead of me, just waiting to show me the way. With new hope, I followed the torches and finally arrived at a tube-like room.

Aside from the entrance I had come through, the room was circular and seemed to go up for a few hundred metres. In the middle was something that was supposed to resemble an elevator, along with a rope. I put down the lantern in front of the construction, spat the taste out of my mouth, and inspected it to see if it was stable enough to transport me. The board, which resembled the elevator, looked sturdy, and the nails held the construct together nicely. The ropes, which ran together to a thick one in the middle, had seen better days, but they held the strain as I tugged at them briefly. Trying to hold up my body weight with only my neck was an invitation for unwanted pain. I levitated the lamp over to me and put it down next to me on the elevator. Slowly, I began to pull at the rope with my magic, and after a few tugs, the elevator got going. I looked down between the boards and noticed that the ground was getting smaller and smaller. If I would let go now, this would surely be my end. Good thing that I had been holding back on my magic so far.
 

***

 
With a small lurch, the airship landed on the sandy ground a bit outside of the town. The sun was about to go down, and soon Luna’s moon would softly illuminate the night. Then the time to search for Light would come, Trixie thought as she and the others left the ship.
 
“Captain Finder, you and your crew stay on the ship and keep it ready to start again. We don’t know what we may find in the town,” Shining Armor ordered the elderly pegasus. He nodded while ramming a few wooden posts into the ground to tie the Lunar to them.
 
“Aye, sir!” He spat the hammer out of his mouth and turned towards his waiting group. “But we need water, unless you want to fly without any for two days.” The griffons had used up a bit of the supplies, so there was only enough left for tonight.
 
“I told you not to give the prisoners any, Armor,” Glimmer, who had wrapped a cloth around her throat, spoke up behind him.
 
“Acknowledged.” With that, he turned to the two pegasi in front of him. “Star, you fly above the city and look to see what’s going on there. Hawk, you check the surroundings, I don’t want any surprises.” The two immediately flew off and went about their duties.

“I think here comes the welcoming committee.” Trixie pointed at multiple silhouettes that were quickly approaching the ship. Glimmer immediately readied her crossbow and covered her mouth with the cloth too, probably to keep the sand at bay. Shining Armor let his spear float over to him, which had been leaning against the ship, and readied himself for the confrontation. She could see that they were three ponies with a dust cloud in tow. Two of them were stallions, one a mare, but all were unarmed.  As they came into hearing range, they slowed down and approached the ship in a normal trot.
 
“Halt! Identify yourselves!” shouted Shining as he stood next to Trixie.
 
“Hey! Easy there… I’m mayor Silver Digger,” spoke the dark brown stallion with a silver mane. His cutie mark comprised of two crossed pickaxes. “This is Black Rider, chief of our militia.” He pointed at the well-built grey stallion next to him. He had a white mane, and his cutie mark was some silvery machine that Trixie couldn’t identify. He had a couple of scars, and his green eyes inspected Glimmer, Armor, and Trixie, just like Armor was inspecting them. “This lady here is Marmorette, wife of the mine’s forepony.” Her mane was a mixture of grey and white, just like her coat. Her cutie mark was a single white star with four points.
 
“Militia? What happened to the sheriff? We received a distress signal from him,” Armor asked, his weapon still ready.

“Unfortunately, he was one of the victims, just like our forepony, Iron Hoof. Luckily, they were the only victims of the changelings so far.” Shining Armor lowered his weapon.
 
“I’m sorry to hear that, but I have to ask you to get yourself checked please.” The three looked at each other for a moment but then nodded. “Trixie, please?” She didn’t need to be told twice and stepped in front of Marmorette and began to cast her spell. A blue ray scanned the mare, but her image didn’t change. Trixie went over to the mayor, with the same result. She went over to the last one, Black Rider, and prepared herself for the spell.
 
“Get a move on!” he snapped and looked down at her.
 
“Watch your mouth! I am the Great and Powerful Trixie! If you don’t stay quiet, I might accidently falsify the result.” She laughed once. Nopony was allowed to speak with her like that. She glanced at the stallion’s eyes. He didn’t even flinch.
 
“There, there, easy. Rider, please be a bit more friendly to our guests. They are here to help us,” Marmorette next to him spoke up and put a hoof on his shoulder. The stallion looked down and remained silent. Trixie checked him as well, but like the others, he was clean.
 
“No changelings here,” she said to Armor and Glimmer, who now lowered her crossbow as well.

“Good, now would you please tell us what happened here? We received the distress signal but haven’t heard anything from the vanguard.” Armor turned to the mayor.
 
“Of course. I’ll tell you everything on the way into the town.” With that, he pointed at the city, roughly two kilometres away. The Captain motioned them with his head to follow, and together they were on the way into the town.
 
“Don’t forget the water!” shouted Captain Finder behind them.
 
A few minutes passed, but then Digger began to give Armor a report. “It happened over the week ago when our workers found the first signs of changelings in the area. Some were completely exhausted and angry, like they were sucked out of their love.” The sand whipped into Trixie’s face, and she tried to use her cloak to protect herself. “Of course we took immediate action and paired all the citizens like the princess ordered. But these things seemed to have other plans, because two days later a swarm attacked our town.” The town slowly came into sight. The buildings were simple huts, made out of wood, that had been repaired a couple of times. The sand had left its mark. “Luckily, most of us could flee into the mines, aside from Iron Hoof and Sheriff Luke. They stayed back to call for help. They’ve been missing since.” With that, he ended his story.
 
“What happened to the vanguard?” Shining Armor asked.
 
“They arrived one day later, flew for the whole night. After we assured them that the changelings had moved on, we sent the poor fellas to bed,” Marmorette answered. “They slept for the first few days, but they awoke two days ago. Unfortunately, they’re still weak.”

Trixie noticed the baffled look that Glimmer shot at Armor, but he just shook his head. “Then I have to thank you for caring about my soldiers.”
 
“Don’t mention it, dear.”
 
“Were there any more sightings of changelings since?” Glimmer asked.
 
“No, my stallions were on lookout since. Why do you think we were out here so quickly?” Rider spoke with pride. “We are not trained soldiers, but we know how to help ourselves in times of danger.” Glimmer was about to comment on that but was hindered by Armor.
 
“I still have to ask that every citizen will be checked. There is the risk that some of them are changelings.” Even though his tone made it come out as a question, Trixie knew that it was an order.
 
“Of course, I will immediately summon everypony,” Digger assured them as they reached the town. Just like Trixie had seen from afar, the houses were in a bad condition. Many were only patched-up and looked rather sloppy. For a town full of craftponies and workers, it was rather unusual. “Until then, let me talk to Big Joe; he runs the saloon. He will surely have a room for you.”
 
“We have two more soldiers who are patrolling the area,” Glimmer added. Digger nodded at her comment and together they went further through the rundown town. It was evening and ponies were probably eating dinner with their families, but the town was still too empty for Trixie’s liking. If they weren’t all eating at the same time, there at least had to be the noise of playing foals or the murmurs of conversations. Something wasn’t right here, but she couldn’t put her hoof on it.

Soon they arrived at the saloon, and Digger immediately went inside without waiting for the others. Armor turned towards Glimmer. “Signal to the others where we are. We’ll meet inside.” With that, he followed Digger, and together with Black Rider, he disappeared through the swinging door of the saloon. The building seemed to consist out of multiple huts that had been pushed together and gotten a second floor. Because of that, it was the highest building in town. Glimmer put an arrow with a little capsule in her crossbow, ignited the fuse that stood out of it, before firing it straight into the sky. The arrow flew a couple of metres into the sky, only to explode in a green fireball, which now burned over their heads. Almost instantly, she saw two pegasi from different directions flying towards the signal and preparing for descent as they saw Trixie and Glimmer.
 
“How are things?” Glimmer asked as they both stood in front of them.
 
“Sand, cacti and rocks, but no signs of changelings,” the black pegasus mare said, slightly out of breath. Glimmer shot a look at Shooting Star, who just nodded.
 
“Good, the Captain is inside and is arranging accommodations for us. Afterwards, the mayor will gather the citizens so that they can be checked.” Both nodded and looked at the guest in their group. “This is Marmorette, wife of the forepony,” Glimmer said shortly and pointed at her. The two introduced themselves to her and were just finished before Armor, followed by Digger, Rider and a very large, muscular, brown stallion, came out of the bar. What really stood out was that his mane was cut off, for whatever reason.

“That’s Big Joe. He’s happy to let you sleep in his saloon for the duration of your stay. Also, he is part of Rider’s militia, so you can sleep peacefully.”
 
“As soon as we check the citizens, I’ll gladly take this offer,” Armor said, determined.
 
“But of course. I will take the necessary steps immediately. Please follow me to the town hall.” And with that, they got moving again. Trixie inspected Big Joe a bit more. Something about him wasn’t quite right, just like with the whole town.
 

***

 
I still was on this stupid elevator, slowly going upwards. The thing could go a lot faster, but that probably wasn’t a good idea. I had tried to pull fast once, which had only led to it shaking around uncontrollably. Slowly but steadily was the motto here, not necessarily one of my strengths. I was relatively lazy, but once I wanted to get something done, that would change completely. Then my patience was over. I tried to sing to kill some time, but the echo reminded me that I wasn’t that great of a singer. I had no idea how AJ had endured my ballad. What kept me busy right now was counting gemstones in the stone wall, which was quite easy given that the light of the lamp reflected on them. A diamond here, a ruby there, and from time to time, a sapphire. If I had been on Earth, I would have been a made man, as I would have only had to get them out of the stone, which would have been a simple matter with some magic. Here on Equestria, it was like finding fool’s gold. I just left them where they were; I had to consider other things. My gaze wandered up, and I thought I saw something sparkling there. Slowly but steady, it came closer, and the light of the lantern allowed me to see what it was: a rope winch. I was going to arrive soon, thank Celestia! I stepped it up a notch, ignoring the shaking, and rushed upwards.

Unfortunately, this action cost me my second lamp, which quickly disappeared in the dark shaft below me. I gulped and made my horn glow. I could see a small wooden gangplank, and soon enough I was on the same level as it. Happily, I jumped out of the elevator and let it out of my telekinesis. Immediately, I changed the source of my magic, as my soul was just too damaged for that now. Twilight had told me that it wasn’t wise to use your soul for that, even though I hadn’t felt anything particularly wrong yet. I looked around and noticed that the elevator had followed the lamp down again. With a shrug – yes, that was possible as a pony – I turned towards the exit. The first thing I noticed was the wind that blew in my direction, so I was on the same level as the exit now. With a light trot, I worked my way through the shaft and soon found the first rails, then carts, and finally daylight, or what was left of it. The shaft widened in front of me and ended in a large bulge inside a mountain. I looked at the sky and saw the sun disappearing behind the horizon, but something else got my attention. Something seemed to hanging from the ceiling. At first I thought it was bats, but they would have probably been in the mine. Only now did I realize that I hadn’t found any there, no bugs, worms, or other animals for that matter. That was probably Nightmare’s work. One of the objects moved briefly, and green slime dropped down next to me.
 
“Eww, what’s that?” I said as I poked with my hoof at it. It felt like this glibber I used to have as a child, only a bit more translucent. I stepped on a flat piece of rock and let it, and me with it, shoot towards the ceiling. It was about fifteen metres up to the ceiling, but my pillar was wide enough that I could ignore that.
 
In front of me hung green rolled-up leaves, or at least something resembling that. Out of many of them dropped the same green slime. There were hundreds. Carefully, I touched one of it, and it fell to the ground where it shattered. “Whoa!” I shrunk back and looked down. “That could have been me…” I looked around again and found one of the leaves that was still closed. I lowered my pillar, moved below my discovery, and created a new one. Curiously, I inspected it, and somehow it seemed to pulsate, almost like it was alive. I couldn’t resist and touched the thing carefully. It didn’t go to the ground like its predecessor but instead burst open. I saw one of the most disgusting creatures I had ever seen. It was like a pony but not. Parts of it were covered by black, leathery skin. It had thin, insect-like wings wrapped around it and a horn, which seemed to be broken, protruding out of its head. The eyes were replaced by those of insects and consisted out of green facets. The remains of a green mane could be seen on its back as it hung there lifelessly.

“What’s that?” Just as the question escaped my lips, the thing sprung to life and hissed and screamed like crazy. Sharp, long fangs came out of its mouth and began to snap at me. I quickly took a step back, but it tried to follow me. The green slime that kept it on the ceiling gave way, and it immediately fell towards the ground. It tried to unfold its wings, but it was too late. With a thud, the creature landed on the hard ground and remained there, motionless. Again I lowered the pillar and went over to the remains of the strange creature. A mixture of yellow goo and blood covered the floor around it. I took a closer look and then it hit me. Without the fur, this thing fitted the description of a changeling from Twilight’s report.
 
Suddenly, a familiar pressure returned to my head and made my ears ring. I closed my eyes, concentrated, and saw that Nightmare as it tried to connect its soul with mine. At first I hesitated, but then let it happen, as I wanted to know what it wanted.
 
Run, you worm, or do you want to end up like this?

“What do you mean, Nightmare?” I asked in return. I tried to keep my head as blank as possible so it couldn’t get any information.
 
This is a changeling hive! If these creatures find you here, they will devour your body, and your soul will be lost. It was strange to hear my own voice in such a threatening tone in my head.
 
“May I ask why you are warning me? That would surely only be to your advantage, wouldn’t it?” I didn’t trust that thing one metre, not even a millimetre.
 
If your body gets into their hooves, it is useless to me, so run, you worm. That seemed plausible enough, so I turned towards the exit but was stopped by a screech. The changeling was apparently not dead yet and now writhed in pain on the ground. I turned around and thought about what I could do.
 
Leave that soulless creature to its destiny.
 
“The same thing counts for you, doesn’t it?” With that, Nightmare was silent as I leaned over the changeling who writhed in pain. I readied a spell for a magical projectile and took a few steps back. I had never before in my life killed, except from the obligatory fly, but this was a feeling and possibly thinking creature. I closed my eyes and fired the magical ball, and immediately the screams died. Quickly, I turned around and headed towards the exit, out into the desert in front of me.
 

***


Trixie was exhausted to say the least. A bit over a hundred citizens, stallions, mares, and foals she had checked, but they all were clean. No changelings were hiding amongst the villagers. After the town square had cleared itself again, she and the others had gone back into the saloon to discuss the situation. Glimmer had gone ahead to get the vanguard out of the hospital, and Shining Armor had just readied a map on the table.
 
“This is Fillyburg.” He pointed at a small dot directly in front of a mountain chain. “If the changelings overrun the city in such numbers, they must have a hive nearby.” He went with a pen over the map and marked an area, around thirty kilometres away from the city. “Where are your mines?” he turned towards Bone Digger, brother of the mayor and owner of the local book store. He was a hobby archaeologist, and according to the mayor, knew the area like the back of his hoof. He was a white unicorn with a red mane and a scruffy beard.
 
“The mines are here, here, and here.” He pointed at three different points near the city, and Shining marked them with his pen.
 
“Any other caves or abandoned mines?” Trixie took a closer look at the map and tried to find anything that looked like that.
 
“There are two old caves, here and here. We don’t have any abandoned mines yet.” Trixie followed his hoof and found a cove in the mountain, which could be a cave.
 
“What’s that?” She pointed at her discovery and looked over at Bone. He looked at it a bit closer and laughed.

“That’s only a little bump in the mountain, not enough to even throw a shadow.” Shining Armor didn’t bother at the comment and marked the place anyways.
 
“Is that all?” he asked the two Digger brothers, and both nodded. “Good, Trixie and I will take the mines around the town tomorrow. Star, you and Hawk split up and inspect the caves and this cove.” Both nodded. “Glimmer will stay in the town. She will fill up the water on the Lunar and lock the griffons up somewhere here.” With that, he stood up and rolled up the map. “Thank you for your time, sirs. You may go now,” he said to the two guests, who stood up now as well.
 
“It was a pleasure,” the mayor said and left the bar together with his brother. Big Joe looked at the group as they all followed Shining Armor upstairs and into his room. He locked the door and put a shield over it.
 
“Listen up. Something’s wrong here, and I want to know what. Be on guard and report everything you see tomorrow, no matter how minor.” Everypony nodded. Trixie was relieved that she wasn’t the only one who noticed that something was off. “I don’t trust any of them farther than I can throw them. I’ll tell Glimmer as well once she gets back. Until then, you can rest, but not too much. Don’t get ambushed  in your sleeps.” Star and Hawk saluted, and Armor dropped the shield. The two left the room, leaving Trixie alone with him.
 
“Armor, I’m going to search for Light now,” she said and moved towards the door.
 
“Are you sure you know what you’re doing? I can’t stop you at this point – you are a civilian,” he said with a tone that almost sounded like worry.
 
“I have the right spell to find him.” With that, she left the door and let the door fall into the lock behind her.
> Chapter 34 - A Town Called Hypocrisy
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

At first I was happy to be breathing fresh air, but that feeling quickly passed as soon as I realised how cold it could become in a damned desert during the night. I had always considered the cameleers to be crazy for marching through the sand during daytime. However, the air was close to freezing during the night. My coat and armor protected me from some of the cold, but my teeth were still chattering as I walked through the sandy steppes. I was happy that this place was more like the American desert around Las Vegas than the Sahara in Egypt. How my family had managed to convince me to go with them there was still beyond me.
 
My stomach had been rebelling for a while now and didn’t make things any easier to keep trotting. Ponies were like anime figures. If the stomach was empty, the action fell short, but that could have just been me as well. What made things worse was that I had no idea where I was going in the first place. Since Luna had redecorated her night sky, Feng Shui or something, I was unable to make out any constellations for orientation. Was the Ursa Major point towards north here as well? I had planned on asking her that question. The alternative would have been to stay in the changeling den, which would have still been dangerous if the rest had showed up.
 
“You don’t happen to know the way, do you, Nightmare?” I had no hope that it would give me even the dirt under my hooves, but it was worth a try.
 
Sure
 
“Will you tell me?” To ask questions that you knew the answers for was no fun.
 
Maybe…
 
“What’s the catch?” I was sure that it wanted something: my body, total control, or something else.
 
Why was a worm like you looking for me?
 
Maybe it had not been such a good idea to keep up the connection. It had warned me from the changelings, because its goal, probably my body, had been in danger. That had been my train of thought. However, it could still poke into my thoughts and memories, which I couldn’t do. Maybe it lacked a brain per se or it knew how to block off any access.
 
“As you know, my world is currently under siege by your kind. You could be the solution for that.” I could hear it laughing.
 
Do you really think I would tell you the weakness of my people? How stupid are you humans?

“That won’t be necessary. Celestia taught me an old spell that could keep yours away from Equestria. I could change it a bit so it could be used as a weapon, and you would be my first test subject.” I had always wanted to play bad cop. To be honest, I didn’t really have the scruples to really do something like this.
 
I… offer you a deal.
 
I was either better at the game than I thought or it was planning something. My suspicion was on the latter.
 
You don’t kill me and take me with you. In exchange, I will help you.
 
“What's in it for you?” Being sceptical was not the word I was looking for, but it would do.
 
I take pleasure in pain and destruction. It’s my sole existence, so I want to see what my people have done to your world.
 
I did not need to see it to know that it was licking its lips while pulling my face into a wicked grin. That was something that had surprised me. When we were in my spirit, it had looked just like me. Since it had also looked like Luna when she was Nightmare Moon, I had thought nothing of it. At least now that I was thinking about it.
 
“So you want to gawk?” Honestly, it felt wrong to approve of this, but if there was an entity that knew something about Nightmares, then it would be one of their kin. It would not hurt to have one on my side, even if it had a different goal. “I won’t stand in your way.”
 
As part of our agreement, I will warn you, but nothing more. If you die, your body is mine.
 
“I understood that. Now, would you please show me the way?” Did I really just say ‘please’?
 
You were going the right way all along.
 
Go figure. Why would it have problems helping me out? Again I heard the creature laughing, which caused a shiver to run down my spine every time. All of a sudden, I got blinded by something out of the sky, and I quickly put a leg in front of my eyes. I tried to see what it was, but it was all too bright, forcing me to stare at the ground. It was almost daylight brightness in a circle around me. I must have been visible for miles.
 

***

 
Trixie had been following Sagittarius for a while now. Asking the stars for help was a kind of magic on its own, and she would thank the princess again for being honoured with this knowledge. The one spell she could really use right then was one to keep her warm. Back then she would have trailed through the steppes during daytime and would retreat into her wagon for the night. However, with her wagon gone, she didn’t have the time to wait till the next day, as the spell would only work at night. She had been galloping towards the pillar of light for a while now, but as soon as she got close, it disappeared again.

“How far do you want to lead Trixie into the desert?” she called to nopony in particular to the skies. She had been on the trail for three hours now and was starting to doubt the orientation of the hunter. Luckily, the next mark was not too far off, and with a heavy sigh, she started moving.
 
“You gotta be shitting me!” She could hear a familiar voice screaming in the distance, and after a few minutes, she came into the range of her target. Her head shot up, and in the distance she saw a blue coated, white-maned stallion running around in panic, pursued by her pillar of light. “At first I fight for every lux of light I can get, and now it doesn't want to let go of me? Oh come on!” Trixie could not decide if she should scream in delight or collapse from laughing. It was a very humorous display to see Light trying to escape the light. She went with the latter. Light, still irritated by the light, turned towards the laughter. With a bit of effort, he could make her out.
 
“Trixie! So good to see you, now could you switch of the light please!” She needed a moment to collect herself, but then she cut the spell and the light died. “Thanks a lot…” At first they were just standing in front of each other, motionless, but then Trixie threw her hooves around his neck.
 
“Thank Luna you are alright! How did you survive the fall?” Light hesitated before he answered.
 
I tried to teleport and ended up in a mine.” Trixie knew that he was bad with magic, so she saw through the excuse. She wanted to get to the bottom of things.
 
“I know you can’t do that, so what happened?” Light seemed to be oblivious to her and deep in thought. Impatiently, she scanned his aura and almost instantly backed off. “WHAT IS THAT!?” Her screaming got her brother out of his stupor and back into reality.
 
“What do you mean?” She backed a few steps to get as much distance as possible between herself and the threatening aura.
 
“Your aura! The dark aura that is streaming from you.” She had never felt something so big and evil before.
 
“You mean Nightmare?” It seemed to be perfectly normal to him.
 
“Nightmare? As in Nightmare Moon?” She couldn’t believe what she heard. Was he possessed by that thing? Trixie instantly prepared for an attack, and her horn lit up.
 
“Whoa there, nelly…” Light raised a hoof in defence. “Since you now know about it, I will tell you everything about this.” He took one long breath while Trixie remained with her magic at the ready, prepared to knock him out at any time. “When I fell off the ship, it was Nightmare who saved me. Not out of charity, I can assure you of that. It teleported me into an abandoned mineshaft, a few clicks in that direction.” He pointed towards the direction he had come from. “It wanted to possess me there, something that doesn’t seem to work with goo. Anyway, it got confused because I was carrying two souls, mine and the essence of Changer. It chose the wrong one and is now basically my prisoner and vice versa. On why you feel the aura… a moment please.” He concentrated, and Trixie regarded his aura carefully, which suddenly vanished. “It’s gone isn’t it?” he asked, and Trixie could only nod. “Great, if I sever the connection, no one will notice.” Trixie dropped her magic.

“Why do you want to keep it a secret?” She couldn’t believe what she had heard. Blue Light had caught one of the most dangerous beings of Equestria all by himself.
 
“Hey, I’m carrying the one thing that represents all the evil in this world. Do you want a hug?” He remarked sarcastically, causing her to sarcastically roll her eyes.
 
“Whatever.  We should get on our way back. Maybe Shining Armor hasn’t told the princess about your disappearance yet.” Light agreed, and together they started heading for Fillyburg.
 

***

 
“With you, Twilight, we shouldn’t be surprised anymore.” Rarity and the others were sitting in Twilight’s library, drinking tea. I had to be with them since mother wouldn’t let me stroll through the town at this late hour. She had made me help her at the stand all day long, telling others that I was a distant relative. Well, better than letting them in on the time travel thing. Spike had already excused himself and gone to bed, so now I had to put up with Ponyville’s gossip.
 
“Well, to have my future daughter stand right in front of me… damn, that was something different…” During that, AJ glanced over to me and tried to evade the stares of the others by doing the exact same thing as Fluttershy, hiding behind her mane.

“As I said, AJ, I wouldn’t have done it if there would have been another way,” Twilight assured her. It wasn’t really pleasant to be talked about as if I were invisible, so I decided to honour them by going out of the kitchen.
 
“Where are you going, sugarcube?” AJ called behind me.
 
“Reading a book!” I yelled back and took a random book from one of the shelves called ‘Mushrooms and You’ and set myself onto the wide floor of the library. I browsed through the pages, looking at the pictures. There were all different types of mushrooms, from poisonous to rare delicacies. After about ten minutes, I had reached the end, so I started to listen in on what the other six were talking about.
 
“AJ, you really need to tell us something. He is from a different world and a wholly different being after all.” That surely was Rarity, who wanted to know about my father.
 
“Nope, Rarity, that's private.” She answered with determination.
 
“Don’t be like that. This could give some spice to this boring tea party.” Rainbow Dash seemed to be just as bored as I was. At least I wasn’t suffering all alone.
 
“Come on, AJ, it must be funny and we won’t tell anypony. Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!” Pinkie and her weird oath. I only had to pledge it once in my life, but I’d really like to know what happened if you broke it.

“Ahhhh… I give up. Won’t quit anyway. He likes it dolphin-style.” Murmuring went through the room, mixed with a dash of giggling.
 
“Dolphin… you mean face-to-face?” Twilight asked nervously for whatever reason. I was unsure of what they were talking about in the first place. Swimming techniques?
 
“I had almost kicked him off, but then I realised that it must have been new for him as well.” Kicked off? Dolphin? Face-to-face…
 
“Hey! I can hear you!” I heard how multiple hooves met their respective muzzles.
 

***

 
I sighed with relief as the town came into view. The Lunar was to the side, being a big contrast to the surrounding landscape due to its lighting. One could easily miss the place if the townsfolk decided to switch off their lights.
 
“So the town is secure?” I asked Trixie for the second time.
 
“Yes, no changelings. But the townsfolk are behaving strangely, and for a place full of workers, it’s pretty run down, almost as if…”
 
“As if it was put up in haste?” Trixie agreed to my completion that I based upon the view. The houses looked more like patchwork, and I could even dare to say that my self-built treehouses looked more stable. We stepped between two houses and got onto the main street that ran along the entirety of the town. Trixie went ahead to the only two-storey building from which also had a sign labelled ‘Saloon’. I followed her through the typical western-style double swinging doors, something I always wanted to do, but I was missing the colts. Also, why was I thinking about the ‘Superperforator Song’?
 
A beefy stallion with a shaven mane was standing behind the bar, cleaning the glasses. It was strange in that there was no one else around who would have wanted a drink. Why clean something that was already clean? Trixie gave him a short nod and then disappeared in short hallway past a flight of stairs in the back of the room. This hallway led to different rooms that were all located in the added second floor of the building. She went straight for the first door and knocked.
 
“Shining Armor, I found Light,” she whispered, and almost immediately a purple aura, probably belonging to the occupant, opened the door. She quickly headed inside, and I followed suit. Once inside, the door snapped shut and was surrounded by a barrier.
 
“Light! Good to see you. You came through in one piece?” Armor came up to me, and much to my surprise, gave me a hug before releasing me.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. I somehow survived. Anyway, what’s going on here? Why all this secrecy?” His happy look turned sour, and he glanced over to Trixie.
 
“Something’s not right in town. All buildings are on the verge of collapse, its history is full of holes, and the residents behave strangely.” He went to the window that was looking at the street.
 
“I see what you mean. Musclepony down here is cleaning glasses even though no one is around to drink.” He indicated for me to come to the window and take a look at the street that was only illuminated by the surrounding houses. Shining Armor pointed at a moving shadow down there.
 
“That resident has been moving along the same path for hours now, almost as if he had no idea what else to do.” Trixie joined us, and we observed the pony until he disappeared from our view.
 
“I know that things are a bit weird but couldn’t he be part of that militia?” Trixie asked. Armor shook his head.
 
“He isn’t looking into any lanes and isn’t controlling anything at all. Also, others must have been around as well. He is the only one out there.” This was creepy alright. On that thought, something else came into my mind.
 
“Now that I think of it, I believe I found the changeling den.”
 
“What?” Shining Armor whipped around. “Where?” His horn lit up, and a map was unrolled on the floor. I studied it for a bit but couldn’t find anything I would have recognised. Everything looked different from above. Also, in a desert, every corner looks the same.
 
“Trixie, can you roughly say where you found me?” She nodded and pointed at the right spot. I could only stare in disbelief.
 
“What? I’ve been around a lot. I should be able to read a map!” She seemed somewhat offended.
 
“I’m just not used to have family members being able to read a map, that’s all.” My family had a really bad sense of orientation. Mum and I were at the top of it. Have you ever been on the road to a trip to Switzerland and ended up in Italy? I looked onto the spot that Trixie had pointed and scanned the nearby area for anything that could have been my starting location.
 
“There, where you marked something. That is an old mine, and I found hundreds of cocoons near the exit on the ceiling. That part goes many meters into the mountain before it reaches the mineshaft and is about fifteen meters high.” Shining Armor snorted angrily.
 
“Just a shadow….” He went silent and started pacing up and the down the room. “The residents are to be seen as not trustworthy. They have lied to us, and everything seems to be way too suspicious, along with the fact that we have hundreds of changelings running around. They would never ignore an opportunity like this town.” His logic was sound. I felt how Nightmare tried to get into contact with me, but I couldn’t let it out near the others so I blocked it. Trixie yawned and moved towards the door.
 
“I think they will still be suspicious tomorrow, but I’m going to lay down. The spell to find Light took out the best of me.” Shining Armor nodded and lowered the barrier around the door.
 
“Light, you need to sleep here. There are no more rooms available.” While Trixie closed the door, I took a blanket and threw it on the ground and started to make myself a bed like a dog. Shining Armor prepared his shield spell, but this time with more power so it would stay active while we slept, and fired it. “G’night,” he said before yawning loudly.
 
“G’night,” I replied and looked at the clock over the door. It was almost three o’clock in the morning. There would not be much sleeping tonight.
> Chapter 35 - You're Gonna Go Far, Kid
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

At the crack of dawn, Shining Armor got us all out of bed and gathered us in his room. Night Hawk was the only who seemed happy that I was here again. Shooting Star said nothing and kept a straight face while Glimmer said something like “Celestia with these idiots.”
 
Shining Armor asked me to recount what had happened to me, and so I told everyone about my encounter with the changeling.
 
“It was really strange. According to Twilight’s description, they don’t even have fur.” Glimmer nodded in agreement.
 
“I have to agree with him for once. They also only have just a little bit of blood. I would like to take a look at this changeling since it would give us an idea of what’s going on here.”
 
"I concur. Here’s the plan then. Glimmer, you will go with Light and Trixie to that cave and examine the remains," Armor said to us and then turned towards Star and Hawk. "And we three will go to the mines as planned. Whatever is going on here, when the citizens notice that we suspect something, they will be more wary."
 
“Can’t we have breakfast first? I still have so much sand in my mouth,” complained Hawk and got support from her stomach in the form of rumbling.

“We’re going to make a stop at the Lunar before we separate. We should inform the crew about the current situation in any case.” With that said, Shining Armor lowered the shield in front of the door, and we went downstairs into the saloon. Big Joe, who was the owner as I learned, stood behind the bar and looked on as we slowly walked through the room. There were no glasses on any of the tables, much less any customers even at the current hour. As Armor passed him, he nodded at Joe once before we passed through the door.
 
“Shouldn’t we take the boys from the vanguard with us to the ship?” Hawk asked and looked into the direction of a larger house where a sign with a red cross was hung.
 
“No, they’re too suspicious,” Glimmer interjected immediately. “No soldier should be a week out of combat when he only flew one day straight. I mean, you were trained to fly for days, weren’t you?” Hawk nodded and began to follow the group.
 
“What’s with the vanguard?” I turned to Trixie, who walked besides me.
 
“Allegedly knocked out because they’re exhausted,” she said abruptly and yawned loudly. I needed to concentrate on the way again, and the first thing I noticed was that I noticed nothing. The streets were empty. Only sand and hassock were blown across the ground by the wind.
 
“Where is everyone?” I asked no one in particular. Even though it was early, even in Ponyville the first workers would be up by now.
“Probably in the mines,” Glimmer said. “It’s a mining city after all. No pain, no gain.” Somehow I had the feeling that the last part was directed towards me.
 
“If you don’t like something about me, feel free to say it to my face.” She was about to take my offer, but Shining Armor threw her a look that caused her jaw to snap shut. The rest of the way, neither she nor I said anything, not even to one of the others. I knew that the last thing we needed was a fight in the group, and I went on the assumption that Glimmer, no matter what her problem was, knew that too.
 
We needed about fifteen minutes to get to the ship but couldn’t board since the gangplank wasn’t let down. Without waiting for an order from Armor, Hawk and Star flew up to the deck and let it down.
 
“Why was it even up?” Hawk asked as we walked past them on board.
 
“More important, where’s the crew?” asked Armor and immediately split us up to search for the captain and the two sailors. However, no one was found. I came back up from below deck with Trixie in time to see Shining send the two pegasi to scout the surroundings.
 
“They should be back soon. Like I’ve already said to Trixie, we have no time to lose looking for the soldiers that disappeared. The construction work at the rails is coming along and they will be here in a day’s time. Since there are definitely changelings here, I don’t want to give them an entrance card to Canterlot.” Glimmer now came out of the captain’s cabin and floated something next to her.

“I found the logbook. There hasn’t been an entry since we arrived in the city.” She stowed the book away in one of her saddlebags which she always carried with her.
 
“Okay, nothing will happen with us just standing around. Go ahead and examine that cave. If there really were changelings out here, then we need to know where they are.” Glimmer saluted curtly in front of Shining Armor and left without waiting for us.
 
“Don’t hold it against her,” he said and signalled us to follow. We left him alone back on the ship.
 
That was when I wished for the cold of the night again. Even though it was long before afternoon, the sun burned my back. To my surprise, I seemed to be the only one who was disturbed by the heat. Glimmer was wearing leather armor, covered in a blanket, and loaded with the saddlebags, but didn’t sweat in the least. Trixie wore the golden armor of the Royal Guard, had her cape on her back, and she as well didn’t show any sign of exhaustion.
 
We went on for what seemed like hours. Even though Trixie and I had walked through it already, the journey seemed much longer this time. I would have complained if I hadn’t been so busy with sweating so much.
 
“We’re almost there. I found Light by this rock.” Trixie pointed at a large rock that took up the sight of the landscape behind. As we finally went around it, I noticed the little slope I had to climb yesterday, and in the distance, there was the little mountain to be seen, which represented the entrance to the mine. Glimmer didn’t go any closer but headed towards a nearby bush and pulled out a telescope out of her bag. Trixie and I hid ourselves next to her, and I immediately collapsed in the shadow of the grass. It wasn’t much cooler but a lot better than being directly in the sun.

“Are you alright?” Trixie asked as she noticed that I was completed at the end of my strength. Glimmer eyeballed me quickly but said nothing.
 
“The sun… hot…” I only said and laid myself onto the relatively cool ground. Trixie gave me an unbelieving look as though I was crazy. Then it suddenly hit me like lightning. There was nothing wrong with them but with me. Nightmare was sensitive against the sun and that seemed to have an effect on me. It was the last thing I needed. Trixie, who hadn’t let me out of her eyes, noticed that I realised something and bowed down to me.
 
“What’s up? You look like you figured something out.” I nodded and checked to see if Glimmer was still occupied with observing the mountain. She was writing something on a piece of paper and looked through her floating telescope every now and then.
 
“It’s Nightmare. It’s sensitive towards the sun and that seems to have an effect on me. I’m assuming that since it’s doesn’t have the control and is too weak to block the sun.” Or that it just couldn’t. Even with a body, the sun seemed to cause those beings a lot of problems, which would explain why it would want eternal night. Trixie nodded that she understanding and turned to Glimmer.
 
“How does it look?” She just put her telescope away and with another shimmer of her horn burned the paper in front of her.

“I just sent Armor the first report. No movement in the immediate area or in the air space. We’re going to move forward and look at the entire thing up close.” She frowned at me. “Can the good sir walk a little again?” she asked snarkily. I simply stood up.
 
“Ladies first….” And so we started to move. The mountain slowly but surely came closer. Glimmer looked behind us and up into the sky every now and then to be sure that we weren’t followed or that enemies weren’t close by. Trixie, however, relied on the fact that she could feel the auras of creatures. I asked myself which of the two would have more to show for themselves. Trixie didn’t have any strong magic, but she made the best out of what she had, but Glimmer was a trained soldier and scout. Naturally I didn’t want to fight, but it would happen, and for some reason I was looking forward to seeing the two in action. I used to watch my best friend Robin do his stunts on the trampoline when we were little. His parents had bought him one from the States, one where there had been enough space for five people. Many hours had been wasted on it, but no one learned as many tricks as he did. The most amazing part was that he taught it all himself. When he then started doing martial arts, the stunts became a means of choreography. We had often sat around the trampoline and watched him in amazement as he did diverse somersaults. In general, it was fun to watch people who enjoyed what they did.
 
We reached the mountain a little later and I saw the cove under which I had found the cocoons. “Back there,” I said and pointed to the spot. We walked a small bit and reached the soothing shadow of the semi-dome of the mountain. Trixie and Glimmer immediately looked up to the ceiling and both let out a sound of surprise. Glimmer promptly pulled out another piece of paper and scribbled a sentence at most on it before lighting it on fire.
 
“And you said that in the cave there were none?” I nodded.
 
“I was down there for about one day. Nothing but a deserted mine and an underground lake. Of course, I couldn’t have checked every single corridor, but I think I was in the largest of them.” I noticed that she wanted to tell me something but must have noticed something.
 
“And where is the changeling that fell from the ceiling?” I looked around but didn’t find anything. I saw the rocks I had used as pillars and the place where he should be laying.
 
“Here, here is the corpse.” But there was nothing: no changeling, no strange yellow liquid, and no blood. Glimmer promptly pulled another paper out, wrote a little on it, and sent it to Shining Armor. Trixie seemed to understand and lit her horn up. After the note was gone, Glimmer did the same. “What’s going on?”
 
“Are you that dull? If the corpse is gone, someone else was here. It was either the changelings or those villagers. No matter who it was, they count as enemies now,” she hissed at me. I have to admit that I should have reached that conclusion myself, but I was weak enough from the sun alone.
 
We all started to check the surrounding for more details, but it was Trixie who was the first to find something. “Didn’t you say that all cocoons were open?” Glimmer and I followed her sight to a dark corner under the ceiling where there were three closed cocoons. Without hesitation, Glimmer pulled out her crossbow and put in an arrow.

“We have to get them down no matter what. That way, they can’t defend themselves.” Trixie did as she was told and fired a magical salve, but it just bounced off. Glimmer took a short aim and fired an arrow that shot through the air and stuck in the shell of the first cocoon. Just like my touch back then, the cocoon seemed to open on contact and out came a changeling. It was just like the first one but was mostly covered in fur and looked a little bit like a pony if there wasn’t the black horn that came through the cream coloured fur. Suddenly, it started to scream loudly, just like with my first encounter, which opened up the other two cocoons. Out of them came similar looking beings as well, and now I noticed something that almost made me want to throw up.
 
“That’s the captain and the two sailors!” I yelled, which caused the two mares at my side to look at me in confusion. Slowly, they turned their gaze back to the screeching changelings at the ceiling and saw the similarities.
 
“What the…? Fire! No matter what they are now, they’re hostiles!” she yelled as the three got free of the cocoons and sailed above our heads. Their insect-like wings made a humming tone, which was made more intense through the echo.  The three made a turn in flight and fired green magical missiles at us. We barely jumped out of the way of them so that the missiles struck the hard ground. Glimmer unbuckled her bags and let another arrow float over her. Trixie, however, used the narrow room, at least for our flying enemies, and created a cloud that immediately started to shoot lightning bolts at our enemies. They quickly evaded the attack with their agile flight without any effort. I took hold of some stones with my magic and fired them at changelings, but I had no chance of hitting them, for they were just too quick and my projectiles too slow. Glimmer fired the next arrow at one of the incoming enemies and hit his right front leg, but he just shrugged the blow off. He left behind a mixture of blood and yellow secretion as he shot over our heads and fired the green magical missiles at us again. To our luck, they had horrible aim and the stuff, which mainly hit me, was gravel that was stirred up by the explosions. It was hard to make out things through the dust, but it didn’t only hinder us but our opponents as well. As it started to settle again, I saw one of the changelings hanging under the ceiling and this time I reacted without thinking. I formed the stone above him into a spear and flicked it at him. The changeling reacted in time but couldn’t prevent being hit, and the stony spear pierced one of his wings which caused him to fall to the ground immediately. With a muffled thump, he struck the hard stony floor and remained laying there. Trixie decided to get rid of the dust summoned water which covered the dry stone.

“One down!” I yelled to the others, but they were both too distracted with the other two changelings. Glimmer stood a little further in the cave and was busy evading from the one which once seemed to be Captain Finder. Trixie stayed with her lightning bolts but only got it so that the changeling couldn’t fire back. I looked around, but both remaining changelings were too far away from the walls for me to hit them with a similar trick. Glimmer still had priority since Trixie seemed to be okay on her own. I sprang past Trixie and again fired rocks at the changeling above Glimmer, who had to interrupt his attacks to evade my rocks.
 
“My bag!” she yelled towards me, and in passing, I grabbed it with my mouth and threw it over to her. She quickly opened it with her magic, and her arrows started to gather around her. She put the first one into her crossbow and fired it at the changeling who just lunged for another attack. The arrow flew past him as he evaded with a roll, but the next arrow followed instantly and hit him in the chest. One arrow after another flew through the air, practically in one second intervals, as Glimmer reloaded and fired her crossbow faster than I thought would be possible. Injured by multiple arrows, he crashed against the wall of the cave and fell motionless on the ground. A screech was heard, and immediately our heads turned towards Trixie. The remaining changeling had hit her and her cloak was burning in a green fire. I reacted instantly and pulled it off of her and threw it away. Overcome with pain, she dropped to the ground and started to whimper.

“Light, you take care of that changeling. I’m going to help Trixie!” I nodded and blocked another attack from the creature with a stone I threw at his missiles. I gathered some gravel with my magic and turned them into metallic balls like I did in my fight against Shining Armor.
 
“Take this, you freak!” I screamed angrily as one ball after another, like out of a pistol, shot towards it. They hit their goal, which encouraged him to retreat quickly. A quick glance over my shoulder showed me that Glimmer was using a spell on Trixie’s burns. A screech told me that the changeling had recovered, but to my surprise, it wasn’t in the air anymore but on the ground and was headed straight for me. It was too late before I realised what it had in mind and so it rammed its head into my side and I flew a few meters across the ground. Immediately, it jumped after me, ready to ram it’s fangs into my flesh, but out of reflex, I lowered my head.
 
The next thing I noticed was a weight on my head and that a viscous substance was flowing over my face. I opened my eyes and saw that something lifeless was lying on me and that its blood and secretions were all over me. Quickly, I freed myself from the changeling by pushing it away with my two front hooves and then taking a step aside. The changeling wasn’t breathing anymore, and there was a big hole in his chest. It had pierced itself on my horn. Heavily breathing and exhausted, I went back over to Glimmer who still was busy taking care of Trixie. She quickly glanced over to me but said nothing. Trixie’s armour had a hole on her back where the projectile impacted and the fur and skin under it was burned. I observed as Glimmer’s magic slowly but steadily treated the wound and renewed the skin along with the fur.

“She’s going to be fine, just a flesh wound,” she said shortly. It was the first time I had seen her use her magic not to levitate something or use her crossbow.
 
“Can I ask you why you don’t fight with magic?” She didn’t look to me as she answered.
 
“Magic is a gift that should make life easier and not easier to kill. I would never harm a living being directly with magic.” She stood up and the aura around the wound went out. “Good as new.” Trixie, who without a word had endured the treatment, stood up and stretched her back.
 
“Thanks, Glimmer.” She turned to her cloak. It was burned for the most part, so there wasn’t much left of it.
 
“We’ve got time for that later. We need to warn the others. If the changelings can turn ponies into creatures like them, then—” She stopped in the middle of the sentence. “How does that identification spell work?” she practically yelled at Trixie.
 
Trixie was slightly startled. “Uhm... It checks if the appearance belongs to the aura of a pony. If the appearance isn’t the own then it will be restored to it.” Glimmer nodded.
 
“Then I know where the changelings are. Think about it! Their original appearance was that of a pony. So if they’re changelings, they could turn back into their original pony form and the spell would recognize them, right?” I instantly understood what she meant. Fillyburg was an entire changeling city.

A shrill screech went through the cave. The changeling I had taken down first from the ceiling woke up again and stood on all four at the exit of the cave, horn glowing green.
 
“What the—?” I interrupted myself as it fired one large projectile at the cave entrance, and it immediately started to rain rocks. The mountain practically trembled above us as one stone after another started to bury us.
> Chapter 36 - Invaders Must Die
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

With a hammering skull, I opened my eyes, only to be greeted by darkness again, the regularity of which was slowly getting on my nerves. I gathered the little strength I had left and made my horn glow. The cave had collapsed and rocks and rubble lay everywhere, along with the remains of cocoons and two ponies. Immediately I realized who they were and rushed over to Trixie and Glimmer, who were buried underneath some smaller rocks. I leaned against the ones on top of Trixie to free her from them. I did the same with Glimmer, who regained consciousness with a groan.
 
“Damn changeling…” she muttered and held a hoof against her head. “If I get them in my hooves…” She stood back up and looked to my light source, only to immediately turn away again. “Could you dim that a bit?”
 
“Oh, sorry.” I dimmed the light and pointed the beam straight into the air so that the entire room was only being passively lit now.
 
“And that’s why we always make sure the enemy really is incapacitated. That wouldn’t have happened to a soldier,” she said snidely and dusted off her armor.
 
“I’m not a soldier, but I’m here to help. I think it’s safe to say that I’ve done well.” Glimmer laughed at my words.

“You managed to be thrown aboard by griffons without even putting up a fight and now you’ve brought us in this situation by not knocking out your opponent. Sure, you’ve done well.” She used that sickly sweet tone that one might have used to lecture a daft foal.
 
“Hey, I’m just here to help. Plus it was only because of that accident that we even found this hive in the first place!” I was starting to get angry. Why was she so negative towards me?
 
“You are here to help yourself and no one else! Because the princess forced you to help here first before we help your world. You are here for your own desires!” Why did I care what she thought, why did I want to justify myself? I didn’t have to put up with this.
 
“For your info, Equestria has become my home. My friends and especially my marefriend live here. I admit that I killed two birds with one stone, but is that a bad thing? I’m going to make the world safe in which I live, where my marefriend lives, and where my foal will be living. Then I’m also going to help my old world. I honestly can’t see what’s wrong with that. My thoughts are with Equestria just as they are with my world.” During my little speech, it finally struck me that I had heard Glimmer’s voice before. She had been one of the consultants during my hearing. I stared at her angrily, and she stared back until she eventually nodded and turned towards the exit. Trixie seemed to have woken by my little outburst and got back shakily on her legs.
 
“Did an Ursa run over my head?” she asked the room while she looked around in the faint light.

“Only the ceiling…” I said shortly and looked over to Glimmer who tried to clear some stones. I went over to her and pushed a few stones aside as well, but I couldn’t do much. Trixie was swayed on her legs and wouldn’t be much help.
 
“This is a waste of time.” Glimmer stopped and dropped the stone in her magic. She opened one of her bags and pulled out a small sheet of paper. As before, she quickly scribbled something on it and burned it with her magic.
 
“How long would the others need to get here?” I asked her but she ignored me. The azure mare sat down next to the blocked exit and looked at the bleak rock wall. “How are you doing, Trixie?”
 
“I’ve got headaches but everything else is all…” She looked over to the scorched cloak which was buried underneath a bit of dust. “No! No no no no no…” She rushed over to it, picked it out of the dirt with her hooves, and inspected it closer. I could see some tears and suspected that it had to be very important to her. I went over to her and put a hoof on her shoulder. “Changer gave it to me as a present after I got my cutie mark…” she said shortly, as if she knew what I was going to ask. I could have calmed her, or bought her a new one later, but this was nothing that could be replaced. So I left her alone in her grief for now while I faced the bigger problem.

“Glimmer.” She ignored me.” Glimmer! Can we dig out of here with magic?” She shook her head.
 
“It could cause the cave to collapse completely.”
 
“How about help from the others?” She showed me a small piece of paper, just like the one she had just sent.
 
“They won’t come; the message came back. Either they are out of range, or…” I gulped and looked at the rocks in front of me. We had to get out of here and find the others to report our findings and then get rid of this problem. An idea shot through my head, but I know that my two companions wouldn’t be happy with it, but that was a problem for later. I concentrated quickly to establish the connection to Nightmare. Trixie looked around, startled as I did so, but didn’t say anything.
 
~Look who comes crawling back to me.
 
Shut it, Nightmare.

I preferred answering with my thoughts to not make this whole thing crazier than it already was.
 
We have to get out of here, and I will need some help for that.
 
And why should I do that?
 
You want my world, right? That won’t happen if I die in here.
 
But then I will have your body…
 
Which will simply be taken from you by the Elements.
 
I heard it grumbling inside but then felt it giving off some magical power. It wasn’t like Changer’s magic from before. It was cold and hurt a lot.
 
What’s this?
 
My magic…
 
Why does it hurt this much?

I had to clench my teeth and tried hard to not grimace.
 
We are too different. No harmony. I just trump you.
 
I couldn’t get around hearing the happy sound in its voice.
 
Whatever, do you have a spell that can bring us out of here? 
 
You have that already.
 
What do you mean?
 
Celestia’s runes…
 
Now I remembered what Trixie had told me about the ancient magic of Luna. I needed a circle and a spell to cast them. That was surely not any different to that of Celestia. I quickly went through my head, searching for the right spell that would bring us out of here, and found what I was looking for.
 
“Trixie, Glimmer, get behind me and run outside as soon as the path is clear.” They didn’t ask any questions, instead did as I told them. I prepared the circle, by giving the runes form and quickly translated the spell in my head before speaking it out. “In harmony with the elements, fire, water, earth, air, light, and shadow, justice knows no name.” The circle began to spin and golden arcs that illuminated the room shot out of it. “So judge my enemies like you do with me.”  The circle was a single golden disk that was rising above my head now. “Carry out the sentence, the bow is drawn, spread bright and clean.” The ring parted and nine glowing arrows formed a half-circle around my head. “Light arrows!” And with that, the spell was complete and I immediately shot four of the arrows at the wall in front of us, which left a big hole in it. As Glimmer had expected it, more rooks began to fall from the ceiling as the small cave collapsed. Quickly the two mares rushed to the outside and I was close on their heels. The remaining arrows I saved for falling stones that would have hit us, but so far only dust remained of them. We came to a halt outside, and I immediately noticed that Nightmare stopped giving me magical power, as the pain was ebbing away. The first thing I noticed was that Celestia’s sun no longer stood in the sky, but Luna’s moon.

“Damn! How long were we down there?” Glimmer asked, noticing this as well, and pulled out a small crossbow from her bag. Her bigger one must be lying down there with the rocks somewhere, completely buried now and therefore unreachable. She put one of her signal arrows in the shaft of the weapon and fired it. A few seconds later, a red light lit up the night sky, and she immediately looked around to see if any of the pegasi were coming. Trixie was just as excited as me, but for a long time nothing happened.
 
“If the others are… prisoners, aren’t we giving away our position now?” I noted after a short thought.
 
“If the others are prisoners, it doesn’t matter what we do. We’d have to retreat and wait for backup,” Glimmer said while still inspecting the night sky. “We are only three unicorns who weren’t directly trained for combat.” I had never heard Glimmer talk like that. I didn’t know her for long, but she didn’t seem to be the type who easily gave in.

“Do what you must. I have enough magic in me to do it on my own.” She obviously didn’t have the same abilities as Twilight or Trixie, who could see or feel both auras, so she hadn’t noticed Nightmare. “And Trixie has trained under Princess Luna for the last week and is adept in magic already.” I knew how she was very sensitive with the little magic she had and that I seemed like a rough chunk compared to her. “She will surely help to find Shining Armor and the others.” Trixie nodded encouragingly at me.
 
“Do you think I don’t want to help them? I’ve know Shining Armor long enough – he was my instructor! But this is madness, a village full of changelings.” And I had a creature of pure darkness which was overflowing with magic inside of me.
 
Keep me out of this. I will not help you!
 
I’m going anyway, and if you want a body or to get into my world, then you’ll have to help me.

“Since it is settled then, in which direction lies the village?” Trixie pointed straight ahead and slowly we began to move out. Glimmer seemed to think about it for a whole, but then followed us with some distance.
 
“Are you sure that you’re alright?” asked Trixie slightly worried now.
 
“This time we aren’t in a cave and I can freely use my magic. Also, Nightmare and I have a deal,” I said with a confident grin.
 

***

 
With the borrowed binoculars from Glimmer, I looked from some distance into the dark village. Unlike last night, the houses were dark, but I could still see some figures moving through the night.
 
“Okay, it looks like there are only a few guards left in the village. If we sneak in quietly, they probably won’t even notice us.” I considered for a moment. “How well can changelings see at night?”
 
“Judging by their dark hives, a bit better than ponies. Why?” Glimmer seemed to be confused.
 
“Later.” Now all the years of playing computer games would finally pay off. “We’ll sneak in there now. I suspect that the saloon was their headquarters since it was the only building large enough. If the others were captured, then they’ll be there.” Trixie and Glimmer agreed with me. “If someone sees us, just speak with an assumed voice. With a bit of luck, they might think we are one of them and the darkness will do the rest.” I was just hoping that they were still running around in changed forms, as I had no clue if their screaming was some kind of language. Even if it was, it sounded just as friendly as Russian. It didn’t matter if one of my friends said, “Today is a nice day.” In Russian, it always sounded like “Piss off.” That was probably because Russian had a different intonation. “Okay then, move!”
 
Slowly but steadily, we went towards the village. The most important thing was now to act like it was the most normal thing in the world. Nothing was more suspicious than someone who tried to hide while the others weren’t doing it. We went between the same two buildings as during my first visit here and reached the wide desert road that went through the entire village.

“Halt!” And now came the time to put my plan to test. A citizen must have seen us coming out of the alley.
 
“What’s the problem?” I lowered my voice so that it was much deeper now, something that I was used to from working on Youtube.
 
“By Chrysalis, is that you, Cossus? You scared me.” I couldn’t believe that this actually worked. But what could you expect from a race that was constantly shifting their shape? I was bad with names already, but if they kept on changing their looks, I would be completely overwhelmed.
 
“Who else?” I asked and looked at Trixie to my left, who calmly stood there and watched the show.
 
“And what happened to the hive? Could you save the new ones before the soldiers came?” Apparently we unknowingly had crossed ways with a group of changelings who were on their way to their hive.
 
“Collapsed,” I said truthfully. “Everyone was buried.” I saw him nodding quickly before he was back on his way and disappeared in one of the alleys.

“I never thought that… that would work,” Glimmer said in surprise and seemed more motivated now. “We should hurry. If the real group returns, they will know that something is wrong.” And with that, we quickly trotted through the streets and came by the saloon not long after. Instead of directly walking to the door, we went around the building and looked through one of the windows. Behind the counter stood Big Joe who was cleaning glasses, as though it was the only thing he had ever learned.
 
“Okay, the bald head is behind the counter, and since the room is lit, our trick won’t work again. Anyone got an idea?” Trixie and Glimmer glimpsed through the window as well.
 
“He’s just a changeling. I can handle him,” Trixie assured us.
 
“Good, Glimmer and I will search the building in the meantime and keep an eye out for the others. A fight will surely draw some attention.” I was about to go, but Glimmer held me back.
 
“Since when are you giving the orders?” she asked with a curious look.
 
“Because you… I’m a prince, so move,” I hissed at her and immediately they both followed me. I knew that she wasn’t serious, but since her whole act, she just didn’t want to admit that I was right with my plan. We stepped in front of the door and I silently counted to three. Trixie, with her horn glowing, was the first to jump through the door at three. The surprised changeling didn’t have time to react before Trixie’s magic threw him into the shelves behind him, causing the alcoholic fluids to spill over him. Glimmer immediately shot past me upstairs, and I made my way past the counter and into the kitchen or rather what was supposed to be kitchen, as the room was completely empty aside from a large table. No windows, but another door at the end. Quickly I tried to open it, but it was locked. My training on the farm would finally be good for something, and I turned around and with a strong kick the door sprung out of the hinges. The now open door gave a look into the wide desert that was surrounding the city. A scream made me jump, and I almost flew back into the main room of the building where I found Trixie with a satisfied grin. The scream had come from a small fire wall where the counter had once been.
 
“Trixie, are you insane? You’ll wake up every changeling a few kilometers around us,” I said to her, slightly surprised.
 
“That was the revenge for my cloak,” she said shortly, looking satisfied. In that moment, Glimmer came back from upstairs as well.
 
“Nothing. Either they are being held elsewhere or are still out there. But then they would have seen our signal…” Glimmer didn’t get any further as she noticed the flames now.
 
“Her cloak,” I said and nodded over at Trixie. Glimmer didn’t seem to bother any further and came down to us. I was about to say that we should get going, but then I was hit by some kind of magical wave. Together with Trixie and Glimmer, I was smashed against the wall underneath the staircase where we were now hanging motionless in the air. I searched for the origin of the spell and saw a glow coming from the kitchen. Shining Armor, followed by Night Hawk and Shooting Star, entered the room, throwing dark glares at us.
 
“What is the code word?” Shining Armor barked at us and pushed us further with his shield against the wall. I tried to look over at Trixie or Glimmer, but my head was being held in place by force.
 
“There is none,” answered Glimmer and immediately we fell to the ground. I took a deep breath first and then stood back up.
 
“Good to see you again. Where were you for the past day and a half?” Armor asked. Just like my companions, I was more surprised about the time and not about them seeming to have searched at the cave.
 
“We were trapped in the cave. A changeling blew up the entrance,” I said, still feeling the pain from the harsh landing.
 
“We searched for that cave but didn’t find it. Now we know why,” Hawk said. “I told Star the whole time that you wouldn’t go down so easily.”
 
“Judging by your approach, I take that you’ve discovered the secret of the village?” Glimmer asked and Star nodded.
 
“We had to fight out of one of the mines.” Hawk grinned and licked her lips. “My throat’s still sore from all the fire spitting.”

“We can exchange stories later. We have to get out of here,” I threw in hastily. “We weren’t exactly quiet.” Shining Armor agreed. Glimmer had meanwhile stepped towards the window and looked into the dark night.
 
“Too late!” she shouted and immediately everyone was quiet and listened. A faint buzzing could be heard, and everyone in the room knew what it was too late.
 
“Retreat!” Armor shouted and we ran out of the kitchen and into the night.
 
They are faster than you.
 
I know!
 
We ran for a good distance before I threw a look back. I could see around twenty changelings in the dark sky surrounded by green aura and heading towards us with incredible speed. Armor seemed to have noticed them as well. “Get ready!” he shouted towards us. The group stopped and everyone turned towards the approaching enemies.
 
“Give me some time!” shouted Trixie and began to form a circle. Glimmer took out her small crossbow and readied a few arrows for reloading. Hawk and Star pushed themselves off the ground. Stare held his spear ready, and between Hawk’s teeth came the first green flames. Armor had his mobile shield ready again. I looked around for material, as I didn’t want to just throw stones again. To my dismay, there wasn’t anything suitable, and without a second energy source, I was too exhausted.

It will hurt… Nightmare said cheerfully and I instantly felt the power but also the promised pain. I didn’t have the time to think, as the first changelings crashed into the ground around us. With their bright green glowing horns, they fired missiles at us while others changed their form. One looked like Glimmer now, another like me, and a third like Trixie. Since they only copied looks and clothes, however, they weren’t wielding any weapons and as such were easy to spot. Shining Armor blocked the first missiles with his mobile shields. Hawk shot into the air and threw the first flame pillars at the approaching changelings. Star was close to her and fended off enemies that tried to attack her from the side. Glimmer was the one who responded to the missiles by shooting one arrow after another past me. For a second I wondered how many she had in her bag. My eyes wandered to my hooves and then I had an idea, actually the idea. A weapon from the sun crystal would be the perfect solution. I tried to form it, but it made its magic resistant abilities proud.
 
You are going to need more powerful magic for that.
 
Quickly I searched for the right runes in my head and gave them a form. With a faint grin, the right idea for the spell came to me.
 
“I am the light, I give you sight.” The circle around the crystal began to glow, just like the crystal itself. “The darkness will be consumed, with the help of this sword.” The circle disappeared in the crystal and slowly the crystal began to form. “Light blade, Bladework.” The blade formed so that now instead of a simple crystal, a sword’s blade was mounted at my right front boot. It would immediately be put to use. Armor blocked another missile for me. I charged past the shield and lunged out for a strike against a changeling behind it, but he simply flew into the air. My eyes followed him, which gave a second one, who was disguised as Trixie, the chance to ram her horn into my side. Luckily my armour caught most of the blow, and a moment later I hit the false Trixie in the chest. The effect of the blade came immediately, and the disguise of the changeling was gone. I was happy with my weapon, but it wasn’t of much use against the range of the insect ponies. I charged at the stumbling changeling who I just hit, who quickly made attempts to go into the air. “Traveler in the darkness…” I had more runes in my head and knew that this spell was perfect against their wings. “Witness of the past…” The changeling in front of me took off and shot a green ball down at me which I blocked with my sword, Zelda-style. “Come falling down on us…” The circle which had been around me feet the entire time vanished. “Star tail, witness of destiny!” And with that, the spell showed its effect. A beam of light came from the night sky and hit the changeling in the back. With tremendous force, he went to the ground and stayed there, motionless.

“I knew Celestia knows a lot of magic, but this is just awesome.” I couldn’t resist a small cheer. The pain that Nightmare’s magic was causing was almost gone and I looked for my next target. Shining Armor had been busy the entire time keeping mine and Trixie’s back free. Giving him the chance to attack surely wasn’t a bad idea. With a bang, another changeling landed in front of me, but before he could get to attack, I slashed my sword at his chest and he went to the ground. Green light was illuminated the ground, for once by Hawk’s fire, but also through the missiles of the changelings who hadn’t hit any of us yet. I ran over to Trixie and Armor and aimed for another changeling in the air as I ran past him. “Star tail!” The spell was still active and another of the powerful lasers shot from the sky and had the same effect as the first. With a thud, the insect landed on the ground.
 
“I’ll soon run out of arrows!” Glimmer shouted, still shooting in the sky like crazy. Some changeling had arrows stuck in their back armors but didn’t seem to be bothering much by them. Armor took his spear between his teeth and threw it over to Glimmer, who had just shot her last arrow. She tossed the crossbow aside and defended herself against two changelings who charged at her. Armor had to play shield for a few more seconds then. I changed my direction and came just in time to take out a third changeling, who was about to attack her from behind, with another shot of star tail.

The first signs of exhaustion were showing now showing despite Nightmare’s support, as the spell was very powerful. Next to me fell various changelings to the ground who were all either slightly charred or had a large hole somewhere in their body. Hawk and Star were in the air directly above me and had their hooves full with dodging and attacking if there was an opportunity. There were about five changelings left on the ground, most of who were occupied with Shining Armor’s shields, and just as many in the air. Just as planned, my next target was the small group of changelings who were shooting non-stop at the shields. As they saw me coming closer, they changed their target, and I had to roll to the side to avoid being hit. Glimmer, who had the same idea, used my tires and rammed her spear into the first of the three. He immediately went to the ground, but his two comrades now had her as a target. My chance had come and I charged at the remaining two and managed to cut off the horn from one of them. He screamed in pain and rammed both forehooves into my face. Surprised by the counterattack, I fell to the ground, lying down on my side.
 
“Why am I always breaking my nose when I’m fighting…?” I groaned and managed to dodge a missile that was shot at me from the side by… me. My doppelganger fired green balls at me and rushed to aid his comrades. I stood back on all fours quickly and dodged the incoming attacks, but my tail was less lucky and got slightly scorched. It didn’t really hurt, but the scent of burnt hair wasn’t really pleasant to the nose. Just as I wanted to fire at my doppelganger, my mirror image was smashed into the ground by one of the Shining Armor’s large purple shields. I looked around and saw him using another large shield like a flyswatter and sending the remaining changelings into the desert. Now there was only the doppelganger left on the ground and the two in front of Glimmer. “Star tail!” Only one in front of Glimmer. My doppelganger came crawling out from underneath the shield again and rammed into my side as hard as he could.
 
“You will never defeat us!” it said with my voice.
 
“Could have said the same thing myself…” I commented and dodged another of his attacks. Armor seemed to have switched to offense now as well.
 
“Duck!” he shouted and I dove onto my stomach. Another shield rushed over me and now two of them were smashed together, with my doppelganger in between them. Glimmer, who was just pulling her spear out of the other changeling, seemed to enjoy the sight. We regrouped on the ground and looked into the night sky where Hawk and Star were still dealing with around four of the creatures. What caught our attention were many small lights that were quickly approaching.
 
“What’s that?” I asked Armor.
 
“Backup… but not for us.” Glimmer had took out her binoculars and checked what the captain had just said.
 
“Changelings, around thirty,” she said shortly. “They’ll be here in around a minute.” We had just barely survived the fight with twenty of these creatures; how were we going to last against even more now that we are exhausted? The dots came closer quickly, and after a few seconds I could make out the shapes of the opponents and also the green auras around them.
 
“Get ready!” Armor shouted loud enough so that the two pegasi could hear him as well. They were still dealing with two remaining changelings, but still found the time to nod. I looked over to Trixie who was still busy with a circle. If she had been at it for the whole time, what kind of spell had Luna taught her?

“Big hunter in the firmament, heaven’s tent…” Trixie’s circle began to spin as the she started the spell. Armor renewed his shields which had taken a hammering. Glimmer freed her spear in the sand from unwanted remains and Star was ramming his own into the last changeling and pushed it to the ground. Now the two came over to us and saw exactly what was coming towards us.
 
“Well, they say that you should leave off with an appetite, but these guys are really hungry it seems,” Hawk said as she closely inspected the situation for the first time.
 
“Come down from up high…” I was hoping that Trixie would finish her super spell soon as I didn’t know how we could keep her clear from so many enemies. They still came closer with insane speed, and the first missiles were hitting the sand in front of us. They would just be flying over us like a bomber squadron and cover us in green fireballs. “Guide my way in the darkness…”
 
“Trixie, whatever you are doing, hurry up!” I shouted towards her, but she didn’t react. What I noticed was that her eyes were glowing white by the sheer amount of magic she was putting to use. I had thought that only Twilight could do that, but it seemed as if I was wrong.
 
“So that nothing stands against me in the night.” The spinning circle moved up into the sky and disappeared in the darkness of the night. The first missiles hit the shields that Shining Armor had erected in front of us. “I, Trixie, summon you, Sagittarius.” Just as she had spoken these words, the sky almost fell apart.

A large rift opened in the sky, flooding everything in a bright white light. If that wasn’t enough, a translucent creature stepped through it. At first I couldn’t figure out what it was, but as it floated down towards us, I could see it. The changelings, just as surprised by the display as us, had stopped attacking and were hovering in the air. The gigantic blue centaur, equipped with bow and arrow, was now suspended above us. Trixie’s eyes were still glowing as she whispered her command, so quiet that one could only hear it if one stood next to her. “Help us, destroy our enemies.” The huge centaur, who was at least as tall as a three story building, nodded and drew his bow. The changelings seemed to have realized what would happen next and began to fire at the translucent blue construct of stars and nebula to no avail. A gigantic glowing arrow flew through the night sky, and in one go, the enemy numbers were cut in half.
 
Our dear Luna knows how to help herself.
 
For the first time, I understood why Luna had been banished to the moon when she had been possessed. If Nightmare had been in possession of such powerful magic, it was the only option. The surprised changelings, who seemed stunned to stupidity, hovered motionlessly in the air and looked at their doom as the centaur drew a second arrow. It flew, just like the first one, with a bright glow through the sky and perfectly hit its target. Nothing was left in the sky, not even the remains which fell to the ground. The creature began to dissolve and I looked over at Trixie, whose eyes had turned back to normal before she fell to the ground. Glimmer caught her just in time.
 
“Now I know what Luna meant when she said that she had sent her to protect us…” I mumbled to myself. Everyone in the group was more than surprised about Trixie had just done, but Armor was the first with a clear head again.
 
“Quick, we have to get to the train,” he said. Glimmer had thrown Trixie on her back.
 
“What? Train? Is it here already?” I asked, surprised, but no one answered. Instead, we were galloped in the direction of the village.
 
“We had planned to move the Lunar in front of the train and destroy the tracks. The changelings took it over when it arrived and packed it with their kind,” Hawk, who was hovering above me, explained.
 
“But we haven’t seen the train nor the tracks in the village,” I said, but she interrupted me.
 
“It seems that they didn’t want to wait any longer. They caught it about a kilometer from the city.” And so what Shining Armor had expected at the beginning of their mission had occurred. The changelings were using this as a base to infiltrate large parts of Equestria. We were running directly past the village but saw from afar already that we were too late. Smoke was rising and the sound of a steam engine that was slowly driving away.
 
“Damn!” Armor shouted. “Quick, to the airship.” Immediately he changed direction and we all followed him. The ship was not far away, as we had the presence of mind to have anchored in direction the incoming rails, but again the changelings had been faster. The balloon of the Lunar was lying flat and with no helium on the ship.
> Chapter 37 - Resonance
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It had been bright daylight by the time we got back in the air again, even if we weren’t very high. At the last minute, Shining Armor had ordered Star to modify the balloon so that it didn’t use helium but would instead use hot air. The heating was produced by a very bored Hawk who was lying on her back on deck, occasionally blasting the balloon with her fire to keep the air inside heated. What really amazed me, aside from Star’s knowledge of sewing, was how fast we were going. The spell that had been cast on the Lunar had been broken and the wind was blowing around my face but not from the direction of movement. Glimmer used a wind spell that was normally used to mislead tracking dogs to push us from behind. Armor himself was standing at the bow and was holding up an aerodynamic barrier that further decreased air friction. I was sitting with a still unconscious Trixie at the wall of the captain’s quarters, accompanied by Star who was taking a nap. His blond mane was flowing in the wind, and I asked myself how someone could sleep under such air pressure. The only thing comparable was if one held their head out of a car that sped along at a hundred kilometres per hour.
 
“If we can keep this speed, we might be able to overtake the train!” Glimmer shouted as she stood above us on the roof of the cabin to maintain her spell.
 
“And then what?” I called back. The wind made conversations at normal volume almost impossible and sign language was not an option. Not that I had learned it, but I had always managed to order a drink at a nightclub without opening my mouth. It would fail here because of hooves.  

“We cannot let them reach any inhabited areas. Once they mix with the locals, it will be difficult to find them.” Glimmer was held in place by having tied herself to one of the ropes, otherwise her own wind would have blown her off the ship.
 
“What settlement is the closest on this route?” I asked, feeling worried, but I had a suspicion. With all the luck that town had…
 
“Ponyville.” Go figure, I thought to myself, angry that I hadn’t realised it sooner. I had been to a party in Canterlot, held to celebrate a new railway section. Canterlot was a city of craftsponyship. Jewellers, fine metal works, and other pricy shops and stores adorned the face of the city. When a new source of metals had been discovered, it had been worth a party. “On the journey here, it only passes by Ponyville. The metals are then unloaded in Canterlot and new tools are loaded. On the way back, it also stocks up on food in Ponyville,” I recalled from the stallion that I had to listen to. He had been the owner of the railway if I remembered right. Ponyville’s number one export was, thanks to Sweet Apple Acres and other small farms, food.
 
“So you do actually know something,” Glimmer called happily.
 
“I just listened a bit.” Too bad that I could not have had applied those listening skills in school more often. It was something of a miracle that I had graduated with all the points docked for not doing my homework.
 
“I see the train!” Armor shouted over the wind. I laid Trixie, who had been leaning on me, against the wall and fought my way through the wind up to the bow. Glimmer had come down the stairs and followed me, just like Hawk and Star. A light sleeper but the wind didn’t bother him? I didn’t have the time to wonder about it as a pillar of smoke was rising in front of us. With the tracks below, this could only mean one thing.

“What’s the plan?” Hawk asked, happy to do something else than spew hot air.
 
“We have to stop the train before it reaches Ponyville. The town is about fifteen minutes away.” The estimation showed how fast we had been. The outbound trip had taken us two days and we had been back within a half one. Canterlot was a bit further away but only maybe an hour by train, half that with a flying carriage. “Hawk, you need to fly ahead and melt the tracks. Once it derails, they’ll need to abandon it. We can use the surprise advantage to end it here and now.”
 
“What about Chrysalis?” Those were the first words I heard from Shooting Star. His voice was deep and filled with certainty, almost like Big Mac. It didn’t really fit his build but definitely his character.
 
“If she is there, I will take her. I still have a score to settle.” Armor’s words gave no way for objections. A tree brushed against the bow, prompting Hawk to return under the balloon. We gained a bit of altitude after that and soon we could see the rear wagons of the train.
 
“One stupid question though. If Hawk is down there working on the tracks, then who is going to keep the balloon heated?” The thought had crossed my mind when we had scraped the aforementioned tree.

“No one, we’re jumping ship,” Shining Armor answered serenely as we kept heading towards the train.
 
“WHAT?” I screamed at him, making sure that I had understood him.
 
“We are jumping on the train,” he called back.
 
“The one that’s going to derail?!”
 
“Exactly.”
 
“Are you crazy?!” I couldn’t help but see his wicked smile as some form of madness. I didn’t get an answer because as soon as we were over the train, Hawk shot past me, giving everything to overtake it. We only had seconds before the Lunar would smash on the top of the train. Glimmer had Trixie on her back once more and was the first one to jump onto the roof of the first wagon.
 
“Go go go!” Armor bellowed as the airship slowed down. Glimmer’s spell had been lifted and we rapidly lost speed. I looked over the edge and had to swallow. We were hovering about two, maybe three meters above the wagon, enough to trigger my vertigo. Having run out of patience, Shining Armor gave me good buck and I fell more or less down on the roof where I rolled around a bit before coming to a halt near its end. The captain landed right beside me on all fours and offered me a hoof to help me back on my legs. The airflow was still hefty but not as brutal as on the ship, the one that was now spinning out of control into the ground behind the train, smashing into pieces. Star was flying beside us in the air.
 
“Star, head up to Hawk and check on how she’s doing and give us a signal once it’s done!” Armor ordered the pegasus, who disappeared shortly after.
 
“And what now?” He pointed at the ladder that led to the ledge behind the wagon.
 
“We enter, what else?” He was the first on the ladder, followed by Glimmer and Trixie. I looked down the ladder, but before I could do anything, I was brought down by the magic of the purple mare.
 
“Thanks…” I gave as a short answer. Aside from the height, the main issue was that I had no idea how to climb a ladder as a pony. Now we were all standing in front of the door, preparing for a confrontation.
 
“We need to distract them long enough for Hawk to sabotage the tracks,” Armor instructed before kicking the door open. About thirty heads turned to the now open door and we got a lot piercing looks from the occupants, all ponies.
 
“Uhhhh?” It was the only thing I could say before noting the green shimmer in their eyes that preceded massive amounts of transformations. The entire room was illuminated in green before the ‘ponies’ showed their true nature while giving off their high pitched scream again. It was enough to even pull Trixie out of her coma. One might be able to imagine what she must have thought in the first few seconds, waking up to thirty or more hungry-looking changelings. She immediately joined the screaming chorus and fell off of Glimmer’s back while fighting to get her composure back. In contrast to both of us, Gimmer and Shining Armor kept their calm, and for a short moment, I thought I could see the stallion grinning again. The first few changelings came jumping from those wide cushions that were used as benches and instantly found themselves pressed against the wagons walls. Shining had used a shield that filled out the wagon’s interior, disabling all its occupants in one go. I realised that close quarters combat was his speciality, being able to further deny the already small fighting space of his enemies. I saw the first changelings desperately gasping for air before falling unconscious one after another. In my amazement, I looked over to Glimmer whose confident smile showed that she hadn’t doubted the outcome of the situation for even a second.
 
“They wouldn’t have made him captain if he couldn’t deal with a few insects,” she told me as if she could read my thoughts and trotted over to Armor. As soon as the last changeling was disabled, he lowered his shield and Glimmer pulled a rope out of her bags and started tying all of them together into one neat package. It was in the moment she finished that the room was once more bathed in green light. Within said moment, the roof disappeared, giving sight to the sky above. All our sights wandered up where we could make out a hundred or more changelings hovering, including one large specimen. That one had long green hair, almost like seaweed, a horn, double the size of the others and some form of growth behind it. Its build was also close to Celestia’s, leaving no doubt as to whom we were dealing with.
 
“Chrysalis!” Armor hissed, confirming my suspicion.
 
“So we meet again, Shining Armor. How is your little princess doing?” She spoke with confidence.

“Don’t even dare to talk about my wife, you monster!” he screamed at her. A shield bashed in her direction but only reached air.
 
“Are we in a bad mood today?” She was teasing the captain to make him lose his cool. “Would you kindly take care of that?” she said to her little armada, and they all nodded in response. Suddenly the train started shaking, a good sign that Hawk had finished her job. However, with our enemies now up in the air and the few of us still being on the train, the plan was about to backfire spectacularly. Another series of shakes and this time it was enough to throw the train off the tracks. We were about to be smashed against the wagons walls when Glimmer, thinking quickly, threw up a dome that softened our impact.
 

***

 
My head was hammering when I woke up from the noise around me, something that had been happening all too often lately. As I was slowly opening my eyes, I suddenly found myself being thrown through the air. Trixie had used her magic to pull me out of the small crater I had been lying in, the same crater that was now engulfed with green flames. While slowly getting to my senses, I noticed the battle around me being in full effect. After derailing, the train had fallen on its side and had slid quite the distance before coming to a halt on a green meadow. Above our heads, Hawk and Star were desperately evading the attacks of forty changelings all at once. My blurred view went over to Trixie, who was using illusion and teleportation to prevent the enemy hordes from hitting us.
 
“Thank Celestia you are still alive. You crashed quite hard,” she called to me before teleporting us again. Fireballs were hitting where I had been just lying before, and smoke was blocking our view. Trixie turned to me and I could see that she was almost at the end of her powers.

“Where’s Shining Armor?” I asked as I couldn’t make him out in the turmoil.
 
“Following Chrysalis. She disappeared with her entourage towards Ponyville.” Some green projectiles shot through the smoke, clearing the view. I detected ten changelings heading straight at us. We might have prevented the infiltration but we were now dealing with a full blown invasion.
 
‘Nightmare!’
 
My pleasure…

The dark being, always ready for a fight, once more lent me some of its powers. Even if it was painful, it was what I needed. I quickly formed a circle and changed my crystal into Bladework again. With it, I blocked the first shots and struck the first changeling that was coming through the smoke.
 
“Trixie, you better hide. You’re not in any condition to fight.” Neither was I from the concussion, but that didn’t matter. I looked around and then it hit me like lightning. “Glimmer?” I asked Trixie.
 
“Haven’t seen her since she protected us from the train crash.” I nodded. If she was alive, then maybe she would be at the train.
 
“Good, teleport to safety. I’ll look for Glimmer. Go gather the others and then we’ll meet in Ponyville.” Trixie nodded in approval and disappeared. The remaining changelings were now fully focusing on me and launched further fireballs while grinning in anticipation of an easy kill.

‘More!’
 
Nightmare did as ordered and I felt powers like I never had before. Now it was my time to grin. “In harmony with the elements…” I evaded their attacks and managed to strike another one with my sword. “Fire, Water, Earth, Air, Light, and Shadow…” A shot hit me on my armor that became painfully hot, but I ignored it. “Justice knows not names…” A changeling jumped at me; all it got was my blade in his neck. “So judge over my enemies as you do over me…” My circle once more became a brightly shining disc, forcing the changelings to shrink back. “Execute your judgement…” It split into the same nine arrows that I had invoked once already. “The bow is drawn, spread bright and clean, Arrows of Light!” With Nightmare’s powers, it was easy to control the nine arrows that were now drilling into one enemy after another. One lifeless body fell onto the next, and I felt how the dark creature inside me was rejoicing at the spectacle. Much to my wonder, I felt the same way a bit. I realigned the arrows, aiming them into the air. Both pegasi were still evading to the best of their ability, and I could make out the marks on Star. His armor featured a big hole now and on one hoof I saw burned flesh. I couldn’t see if Hawk had been hit, but her fire resistance should have prevented the worst. The arrows shot off and took out the first six pursuers at once.
 
“Heads up!” I called to them. They saw my attack and started to counter the enemy. “Traveller of the darkness, Witness of the past, come down upon us.” Those things made two mistakes: they attack them and ignored me. “Star’s Trail, Fate’s Witness!” Multiple pillars of light struck the enemies and many more lifeless bodies fell to the ground until there was none left. I took a deep breath and released my spells. Both pegasi came down instantly and were hovering in front of me.

“Thanks, Light, that was close. Too close for my comfort…” Hawk was looking around. “Where are Trixie and Glimmer?”
 
“Trixie is safe; she wasn’t able to fight any longer. I don’t know about Glimmer though…” I looked over to the train wreck and some very unsettling images crossed my mind. Even if we were never on the same line, we were still comrades in arms. I started galloping with both pegasi right behind me. They quickly realised my intentions and started looking under the wreckage.
 
An explosion echoed over the fields and our heads turned toward the source: Ponyville. Desperately, I used my magic to lift big chunks off the ground. Glimmer was nowhere to be found.
 
“Light, go and help the Captain, we’ll keep looking for Glimmer.” I looked over to the two and Star nodded. “We can’t fight like this.” Hawk pointed at Star’s wounds and some on her own coat.
 
“Acknowledged…” I kept looking at the debris for a few seconds before galloping off. I had to help Armor defend Ponyville.
 

***


Trixie was out of breath by the time she reached Ponyville. Luna had warned her that invocations took a toll on one’s power, but this was an understatement. She could have fallen asleep right on the spot and nothing would have woken her up for days. She could still make out the pillar of smoke rising from the combat site.
 
Lightning was striking in the skies, or more like beams of light and she knew that Light was still holding up and, if he was able to summon his magic, might even win the fight. She turned around and kept running for the town square. The village itself seemed deserted. The ponies must have holed up in their homes out of fear. It didn’t take long for her to reach the square but a large shield denied her access. She narrowed her eyes to look through it and in fact discovered two shapes circling each other like predators ready for blood. One shape was that of Shining Armor, which meant that the other one could only been Chrysalis. Something wasn’t right though. She had something in her jaws, something small.
 
“Shiny, be careful! She has Scootaloo!” she heard the familiar voice of Twilight Sparkle calling. She stood on the other side of the shield together with her friends, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack. Turning away, she realised the situation the Captain was in. The changeling queen had a hostage, a foal at that. Both must have been speaking but the shield prevented her from listening in. The Queen was shining in a strange way, and suddenly the next thing Trixie felt was pain and darkness as the shield shattered into a thousand pieces.
 

***

 
As I came closer, I could see smoke rising from the towns square. On my way there, I met some of Chrysalis’ changelings but those were hardly a threat. Their masses were what made them dangerous but in simple one on one combat, they were practically defenceless. It never crossed my mind why I didn’t feel any remorse for killing helpless beings, even if they were enemies. As I entered the square, a sight was offered to me that made a cold shiver run down my spine. Shining Armor was lying in a small crater in the middle, unmoving. Trixie was buried under a few beams of a collapsed building. However, what really made my blood boil was when I found the others. The Element holders were lying scattered all around the place, all showing injuries.
 
A piercing laugh filled the air and I looked up. Chrysalis hovered over the square, a lifeless orange bundle in her magical grasp.
 
“CHRYSALIS!” I screamed at her to get her attention. She stopped laughing and glanced down upon me.
 
“Oh look, another gallant knight.” She levitated Scootaloo to her mouth and large fangs enclosed the filly’s neck, wordlessly telling me what would happen should I even move a muscle.
 
‘Nightmare, give it all…’
 
All?
 
‘All!’
 
I felt how Nightmare wasn’t just getting close to my soul but was partially invading it. Surprisingly, it didn’t hurt one bit this time. Magic was overflowing my entire being, but I also felt the loss of control. It wasn’t like usual when it tried to overpower me, but more as if we were both in harmony.

“Last chance, Chrysalis! Let. Her. Go!” My voice had mixed with Nightmare’s. It was as if two people were speaking at once. The queen was looking down at me with a puzzled look. I was angry. I imagined tearing her apart in the air, ripping her wings out of her shell, and cracking her skull on a stone like a coconut. Rage and hate were dictating my thoughts, about what she had done to the ponies of Fillyburg, what she tried to do with me, and what she did to my friends.
 
At first she seemed startled by my outburst, but then she grinned like a Cheshire cat and simply let go of Scootaloo. I shot off like a rocket and caught her in mid-air. Astonished, I looked behind me and caught sight of two large wings jutting from my back. I was in the form of an alicorn, Nightmare’s form. However, before I could get used to it, a magical bolt packing quite a punch hit me square in the chest, sending me and Scoots down to the ground. Using my bewilderment, Chrysalis had launched a surprise attack.
 
I laughed. I hadn’t felt anything, absolutely nothing. Slowly I rose from the crater my impact caused and floated the little filly away from the queen’s reach. “Now it’s between us Chrysalis!” I launched myself off with full force, and within a moment, I was on eye level with the queen. I tried to lunge her with my sword but she skilfully evaded. She was way better at flying than I was. I was asking myself how I was flying anyway and quickly suspected Nightmare.
 
“I don’t know who you are but you stand no chance against me! I am the queen of the changelings, Chrysalis! I even defeated Celestia!” Her statement hit me like a brick. If that was true, then it wouldn’t be an easy fight. So I wouldn’t give her time to prepare. “Star’s Trail!” My familiar light beam shot down from the skies, now black instead of white, missing Chrysalis only by an inch. I kept bombarding her with attacks, again and again, using both my sword and my beam strike, yet I always missed. She either evaded the attack with the grace of a ballerina or countered with a small shot herself.
 
“Fight me, you monster!” I shouted at her as I was heading again for her, barely missing her head with my sword.
 
“Who is the monster?” she called back. “I am only making sure that my people have something to eat.” I ignored the answer went for her again.
 
~This won’t do….
 
It was right, and again the queen evaded. “Human, you should know better than all others how the food chain works.” She must have been able to see into my soul, just like Celestia and Luna, to be able to see who I was. “And the darkness within shows me you know what I’m talking about.” She shot me right in the face that immediately knocked me to the ground. Once more, I felt no pain. Still filled with rage, I rose from the ground. “At least you are persistent,” she told me with a grin and evaded another of my attacks. “But it’s getting boring…” Again a spell of hers hit me but this time it tied me up in the air. I tried to free myself but it wouldn’t do. “How about I show you as I destroy this place?” My eyes widened in shock and I stopped struggling. “Ah, a weak spot… wonderful. I love despair.” She launched a beam right at a nearby house that collapsed in a big explosion.
 
“Don’t you dare, Chrysalis! I will destroy you!” She laughed again.
 
“And how would you do that?” I thought about my brothers, my mother, and all those I abandoned on Earth.
 
“Have fun, Nightmare…” I said before my consciousness fell into darkness.


> Chapter 38 - A Song of Storm and Fire
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Free! Free at last!” Nightmare yelled as it had full control over the body. Excited, it simply freed itself from Chrysalis and, first of all, stretched thoroughly, something it hadn’t done in two long years. “I would never have thought that all it would take to convince that idiot to leave me in charge was a little desperation. I should thank you, Chrysalis.” Instead of a thankful gesture, however, a ball of dark energy hit her and catapulted her directly into the building she had destroyed before. “But I think I’ll have a little bit of fun with you instead. I cannot have any competition when the dominion of the world is at stake.” With a charge of magic, the queen freed herself from the rubble and looked up to the alicorn it had just defeated effortlessly. She didn’t quite understand what that human had done, but his soul was now completely black, and he was overflowing with magic.
 
“I’m going to crush you like the worm you are, human!” She hissed and launched multiple charges at once, which all missed the Alicorn.
 
“At least you’re persistent. I might not get bored as quickly after all.” Once again it fired dark energy at the Changeling Queen on the ground, but she was now prepared for this kind of attack and barely managed to evade it. The projectiles hit the pile of rubble that once was a house and turned into a small inferno of black fire. Chrysalis, now back in the air, fired a few rays at the black Alicorn floating above the plaza and hit one of its hooves. Most of it was blocked by his armour, but she was still certain to have caused him some pain. The biggest trouble she had with this opponent was that she couldn’t feel his emotions anymore. She used them to predict whether her enemy would attack, and if he did, how. Angry opponents usually attacked physically while more relaxed ones would more likely use magic. That way, it was always a breeze to evade attacks. Nightmare observed the small wound on its hoof and smiled for a moment before it healed up again and even the armour repaired itself. “My turn.” Faster than she could look, the alicorn soared through the air in front of her and tried to hit her with the small blade on his armour. With a short somersault backwards, she escaped the attack, only to be greeted by her opponent’s hooves. She flew back to the ground where she lied motionless for a few seconds, ironically right next to Shining Armour.
 
“I am a queen! How dare you?! I’ll show you what power is!” Nightmare saw the anger rise in his enemy, and there was nothing it enjoyed more than that. It lived for the battle, for victory, for devouring his victims’ souls. A smirk covered his lips as he thought that he was currently fighting for the ponies of the world, so they wouldn’t lose their emotions, only to have their souls be his afterwards. Eternal darkness and a world filled with delicious souls. Of course he would have like to find the rest of his kind and admire their destruction, but why bother if he could cause some here himself. The changeling arose from the ground and surrounded herself in green flames.
 
Curiously, he observed the action, and in the next moment, a dark figure darted toward him. He recognised the form at once; after all, he had lived within it for a thousand years. Princess Luna’s horn stabbed his side, followed by four hooves that freed her from his wound. With a wide grin, she looked at the damage she had caused. “The shape of Luna? Bad choice.” It knew every strength and weakness this pony had and immediately aimed for the most obvious weakness: her small wings. Luna was far younger than Celestia, and her wings were anything but as stable as hers. It had been a breeze countering this weakness. A ray of dark energy, igniting anything in its path, shot across the ground and hit the right target. A scream of agony filled the surroundings, a scream that was music for Nightmare’s ears. Chrysalis needed a while to get back in shape.
 
“It’s not just about the shape!” she yelled and casted a spell. Interested in his enemy’s next move, he let her do whatever she was planning and waited. “Sparkles, hope in the night! Shine me the way! Star cascade!”  She cast a spell, Luna’s spell, something that surprised even him. Apparently, she wasn’t the queen for nothing. The ability to use the magical powers of the imitated ponies was a rather notable one. He was so caught in surprise that he was hit by the hundreds of small stars raining from the skies and fell to the ground in a giant cloud of dust
 
“Not bad,” was audible through the smoke. As it settled, an undamaged alicorn stood there and smiled at the now wounded Chrysalis. “I think it’s time to stop with this foalish nonsense.” It accessed the information within the brain of his host and found what it was searching for: the runes Celestia had given to this oaf. It was about time to use them, it thought to itself as it created the first circle. The idea for this spell he owed to his host, but it didn’t matter, for he was no more. Combined with the runes, this spell was a powerful attack.
 
“I’m the bone of my sword.” The world around them started to change. “Steel is my body and fire is my blood.” The houses slowly disintegrated and the sky started to turn orange. “Unknown to neither Death nor known to Life.” The grass on the ground turned into dirt. “So as I pray, unlimited blade works.” Chrysalis, shocked by the sudden changes, moved back a few steps.

“What did you do? Where am I?” Thousands of swords were sticking out of the ground, no two being alike. The sky had neither sun nor moon or clouds, only a bright orange. There was no trace of Ponyville anywhere to be seen.
 
“This is my reality. Here, I am a god!”  Multiple swords were suspended in his magic and launched at Chrysalis. She noticed that none of the swords were directed at her, but her immediate surroundings. If she tried evading, she’d be hit. So, she stood still and didn’t bother about the cuts. As soon as the swords passed her, she cast another one of Luna’s spells. A bright light filled the area and Nightmare, blinded by it, turned away from his opponent. Chrysalis used this to her advantage and mimicked the previous attack. Multiple swords targeted the alicorn directly now. She was not as weak as to only wound her enemy. Just as he could see again, it noticed the swords, but didn’t try evading. Instead of hurting him, they passed right through. “Do you not understand? You are but a worm!”
 
Once again it lifted the swords in the air and levitated them above Chrysalis’ head. She couldn’t fly, and this time the swords would not narrowly miss her. She had to change again and disappeared inside another wall of flames. The same wall melted the swords above her, and in its place a black alicorn stood. “Now you learn fear. Try fighting yourself!” she said with the voice of his host and spread her wings. “If you are a god here, so am I now!” A ray of light emerged from the sky and hit Nightmare in the back, sending him to the ground.” He had expected many things, but not that he would realize the truth behind his spell. The simple reason behind the own reality had been that only he could manipulate things, and now that Chrysalis was him…
 
Another beam from the skies hit the alicorn, who was still lying on the ground, and a sardonic laugh could be heard. “The magic of this human is amazing.” She looked down at her victim, who was slowly getting up. She had enough of this alicorn and would torture him with his own magic in ways he could not even imagine. “Bolts of Light!” She ended the spell and nine glowing arrows flew through the air toward their target. Nightmare, still a little weakened by the two previous attacks, noticed them at the last second and teleported away. He was boiling with anger that he had given his opponent the chance to reach Celestia’s runes, but it was too late to be helped. Since his powers were leaving, he could not maintain the altered reality, and Ponyville returned to its rightful place.
 
“Light?” The blue mare at the edge of the field looked up to the two black alicorns and looked desperate. Nightmare wondered why she knew who was who, as she looked at him directly and did not seem to be confused. Chrysalis noticed the spectator as well and fired a few projectiles at her. In a wide loop, she flew back into the rubble she had been lying in front of and disappeared from sight.

Nightmare could not let this chance pass and used it since his opponent was distracted for a moment. “Shadows!” He cast the spell and turned into some kind of smoky cloud, spreading over the scene.
 
“Chrysalis, I am going to end this fight now.” It sounded from everywhere and nowhere at once. Confused by the state the alicorn was in, she looked around desperately. “Warming Star in the sky above…” A circle formed above the entire area and brightened the dark mist from below in a bright yellow light. “Come down from the heavens you are part of.”
 
The circle tightened and formed a small ball in the middle of the fog. The queen did not know what this was supposed to achieve and was damned to wait for what would happen. “Do what is within your might…” heat, immense heat was starting to radiate from the ball, “and be my light!” She saw what the alicorn was trying to create: a sun. Immediately, she started putting up magical shields, but it was too late. “I, Nightmare, summon you, Sol!” 

The small sun darted towards Chrysalis at a high speed and hit her shields. Even through them she could feel the extreme heat coming from the small celestial object and had to look at how it slowly burned through her shield. Panicked, she jumped to the side and saw how the sun shot through one of the houses behind her and how it immediately went up in flames. It took a turn and came towards her once more. She had to think of something new since the gravitation coming from the miniature star drained her powers as well. She had to be quick or else this alicorn would get her. She was a trickster – in direct combat, she had no chance, at least as long as she wasn’t well fed. Everyling has their weaknesses, and it was her strength to use them against her enemies. But where was the weakness of this alicorn?
 
Again she evaded the flying sun, which was a lot easier now that she could fly again in this shape. Shape, that was the right thought. Why did it turn itself into mist? In order to not be hit by its own attack? It was as experienced a fighter as she was, so that would probably not be the case. Then it hit her like a brick. Just as much as the Princess of the Night had problems wielding her magic by day, this alicorn was weak against the sun. Why else would it protect itself against its own attack? The sun was hot on her heels as she soared higher above Ponyville, always going in circles. The mist, meanwhile, calmly stayed on the ground and observed its enemy’s attempts to flee from its attack. Only that Chrysalis was not trying to flee. She had her victims’ knowledge and was searching for the spell that had transformed Nightmare into the mist. Each spell could be undone if you knew how it worked, and she found what she was looking for. She started a quick dive, passed by the sun, and prepared the counterspell.

Nightmare, not knowing what Chrysalis had planned, was amused by her attempt to attack him with magic. It steered the sun in a way that it was now diving towards the ground like the queen. Too late, he noticed that no attack by her ensued, but his fog spell was her target. He contracted and once again turned into his original form. “Dammit!” it exclaimed in shock as Chrysalis turned to the side and the sun hit the plaza. The force catapulted Nightmare through the air and into a building standing nearby. Getting hit by one’s own attack, one of Celestia’s even, was the worst that could happen to someone. Other than the previous attacks, this one was more than effective. His fur was literally burning on top of his skin and every attempt to move was futile. “Chrysalis…” He had underestimated his opponent and had been tricked. This had happened before when he underestimated a certain purple pony, and before that with the Princess of the Sun. Carefully, he turned his head and was confused by what it saw. The other ponies were surrounded by a golden shield and had been spared from the attack.
 

***

 
I looked out of the window and watched two dark alicorns fight in the sky. My mother had commanded me to stay in the library with Spike and Dawn and wait. When another explosion shook the village, however, I couldn’t stay sitting still. “We have to do something!” I told the other two, who looked at me funny.
 
“Why? If my mom says I should stay here, I’ll do so. That was for the better last time as well,” the small pegasus said as he looked over towards Spike.

“Dawn is right. Twilight will do it. She is the mightiest unicorn in Ponyville.” Spike’s words calmed me down a bit, but what I saw wouldn’t let me rest. I opened the door and turned around once more. “Then you stay here. I want to know what’s happening.” With that, I galloped the short way towards the marketplace without paying any attention to them. A few houses had scorched roofs, and when I arrived, I even saw some that had been destroyed completely. My gaze wandered over what was in front of me. Small golden domes were spread across the place and seemed to protect something underneath them. A deep laugh was audible and I hid behind a bush on my right.
 
“I’ve defeated you before, Celestia. What makes you think you will keep me from doing so again?” The dark alicorn flew over the area, eyes fixated on Princess Celestia. I only now noticed that she was floating right above me and was sporting a look of anger one could only describe as pure hate.
 
“You come to my kingdom, threaten my ponies once more and dare to hurt my son and my student. Prepare for your demise, Chrysalis!” The two of them started exchanging attacks, but my thoughts were with the words they had just spoken. Her son, my father, had to be here and was hurt, just like my mother and the others.  The collision of magical projectiles drowned out everything else, but I saw something move in the destroyed house next to me. Quickly and unnoticed, I ran over and saw another alicorn lying in the rubble. Carefully, I climbed over the mess and looked more closely. It looked just like the one Celestia was fighting, only that this one was covered in burns and wounds. “Who…?” it whispered silently as I came closer. It was the sound of two voices at once, and I immediately recognized one of them. It was the voice of Blue Light.
 
“Help!” I cried, but the explosions in the air were simply too loud. I could do nothing but watch him die. Tears ran down my cheeks as I buried myself in my father’s fur.
 

***


Chrysalis would never tell anyone, but she was at her end. First the short battle with Shining Armor, then the strange alicorn, and now Celestia had quickly strained her powers. She had never expected the princess to appear on the scene so quickly, or how she had gotten wind of the fight back in Canterlot.
 
“I’ll give you what you deserve, Chrysalis!” Another one of Celestia’s sunbeams hit her and dissolved her disguise. She flew a small circle and stopped in front of Celestia, their horns colliding.
 
“We both know how it went last time, princess, and it will be the same this time!” She caused a magical explosion and the princess of the sun flew back a few meters before she caught herself in the air.
 
“That’s why I am not here alone!” Just as she finished her statement, an attack hit the changeling in the back, and plagued by pain, she turned towards her secret attacker. She had expected Luna but not Cadence. The young alicorn was standing on one of the rooftops, her eyes narrowed to slits, and fired another beam at her.
 
“You tried taking our loved ones one too many times, monster.” She evaded the attack, only to be hit in the back once again, this time by Celestia.
 
“ENOUGH!” She hadn’t intended to end it this way, but she had no other choice. The problem was that she could easily lose control, but now it was her last chance to win. Once again, she surrounded herself with flames, and when they extinguished, she had disappeared. Confused, Celestia, and Cadence looked around for their opponent, only to be greeted by a dark, deep laugh. Celestia’s gaze froze as she heard the voice of her oldest rival. “Time for a little… chaos.”


> Chapter 39 - Take Me Away
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I found myself once again in the limbo of stars in which I had already been. The last time it was a result of the failed return to Equestria, but this time it was something different. Once more I fell a long time and brooded as to why I was here again. Was I dead? Had Nightmare banished me to this place? Strangely enough, I remained calm like my first visit. It was weird, as though this place exuded serenity despite lying in deepest darkness.
 
In contrast to my first visit, I was here without my body, just with my mind. I could neither talk nor feel. Neither could I sense my soul or cast magic. A small eternity I further fell, no ground, no destination, until the stars disappeared and my thoughts consumed me, all alone in the dark. Was this my end? Was this death?
 
"No, it is something worse," said a friendly female voice out from nowhere. Startled, I looked around, but I found no one.
 
"I am here..." I turned again to the source of the voice and in front of me stood a white alicorn with a smooth long red mane. She was bigger than Celestia but had the same loving expression on her face.


***

 
Startled, Cadance looked back when something tapped her back. The grim look which was on Discord’s face looked directly into her eyes before his sharp fang glistened in his broad smile. In a panic, she fell from the roof but not before the fake Discord flung a missile towards her. First she hit the ground, then the missile hit her, and her pained screams echoed through the small village.
 
At once, Celestia was at Cadance’s side, and with some attacks of her own, she forced Chrysalis to retreat. "Is everything okay, Cadance?" she asked while she searched for the draconequus.
 
"Yes… I was just surprised." Slowly the pink alicorn rose from the ground and stood ready to battle next to her aunt.
 
"We have to be cautious. If she can use Discord's magic—"
 
"Look out!" called Cadance, but the attack hit Celestia in the middle of her face. Completely bewildered, Chrysalis and Cadance looked upon Celestia who licked the banana cream pie off her face. Puzzled, fake Discord checked his lion paw that held a ball of chaos magic before it turned for some reason into the delicacy framing Celestia's face. He was so surprised that he was hit fully by Celestia's counter attack and sailed with great force into one of the destroyed houses.
 
"You might be powerful, Chrysalis, but Discord's magic can't be controlled even by you!" she shouted at the queen of the changelings who was freeing himself of the debris and patted himself down with both claw and paw, removing the dust from the fur.

"I do not need to control anything that is intended solely for destruction!" she snapped once and dissolved into a small explosion of confetti. Both alicorns searched immediately to see where Chrysalis teleported herself to but found nothing. The quiet flapping of wings was audible, but it was too late.
 
"Cadance, behind you!" her aunt called, but ‘Discord’ had already seized the wings of the pink pony and lifted her into the air. Black magic wafted around her, and with a laugh from Chrysalis, the alicorn fell back to the ground, wingless. Celestia caught her in her magic but she was already unconscious.
 
"You know, Celestia—" In the second Chrysalis started to speak, golden arrows narrowly missed her. "It is rude to—" Again she was interrupted as one of the arrows reversed its path and hit her, causing her to faceplant on the hard ground. "Ouch…"
 
"You might have Discord's magic, but I know the tricks not merely of his but yours as well. It doesn't matter what you'll do, you can only lose, Chrysalis." Celestia's horn glowed bright white as she prepared another attack. A giant magic sphere accumulated at its tip, and the earth around the alicorn, feeling the magic's attraction, began to float to it.
 
Not waiting for the recovery of the fake draconequus, Celestia released the magic. With wide eyes, he could only look at the attack and was soon swallowed by its light. The explosion of the impact tossed any wreckage too close into trees, houses and the golden dome that covered the Elements and Shining Armor. The Princess of the Sun had moved in front of Cadance and protected them both.
 

***

 
'Lauren Faust!' was my first thought. I wanted to ask her who she was and where she came from, but without a body, I merely floated in front of her.
 
“I see you know one of my other existences," she said cheerfully. "Here I use a different name. I am Albia the First, creator of this world," she introduced herself and bowed. "And you are Blue Light, aren't you?" I wanted to nod but couldn't. "Nice to meet you," she said and thrust a hoof into my direction, expecting a handshake. As I didn't know what I was supposed to do, I pretended for a moment to be still in possession of a body. "Oh right, I forgot that you are just a ghost."
 
'What’s going on?' I thought as I examined the alicorn, who still looked upon me with this big grin.
 
"Maybe I should explain this to you… Yes, that's a good idea." She made a small table and two cushions appear. "Please take a seat; I don't like talking while I stand." If I had eyes, I was sure that they would be rolling. She took a seat and again from nothing two cups appeared, apparently filled with tea. "Do you want tea or sugar?" she asked, pouring entire table spoons into her cup. Giving no answer, she took it as a no and allowed herself a sip. "So…" she said and put the cup down. "I believe you were already here once in the void, weren't you?"

'Yes,' I thought and Albia nodded.
 
"Well, if a being dies when they were already here once, then it doesn't move on but has to stay the rest of eternity in this place. That is the punishment for the mortals who dare to enter the realm of the creators," she said as if she read an entry from a statute book. "Actually we shouldn't keep them company, but for family I do make an exception now and then," she finished and winked.
 
'Family? I don't understand…' I slowly caught on that she probably could hear my thoughts.
 
"Well, you are the son of my daughter, aren't you? You know, big, white, with a green, pink, blue mane, moving with a non-existing wind." Every adjective was punctuated by moving her hoof in a circle. "Has a sister which controls the moon…"
 
'I believe I understand,' I thought and had to suppress an internal laughter. 'So I am dead and you are here to make the eternity slightly more bearable?'
 
"No. I am here to meet my grandson given the opportunity. Granny still has to give your present for the missed birthday." I noticed that I really skipped my birthday due to the time shift between the worlds. She again sipped her tea, and I couldn't help but imagine her as a blend of Celestia and Luna.

"Of course, I am their mother. I created them in my image," she said without placing the cup on the table.
 
'Created?'
 
"It isn't like every day a young handsome stallion comes along. So I created them." Albia said this like it was the most normal thing of the world. "But I treat them as if I had given birth to them and I love them in this way, too." Her voice became serious as she said this, probably to emphasize that there was nothing to question. "So…" she clapped with her hooves and was cheery again all at once "... Tell me something about you."
 

***

 
The raised dust cleared and Celestia saw an empty crater where her attack had struck. Instinctively, she erected a barrier around herself and Cadence and barely parried a ball of pure chaos. Before the shield, a crack in the space-time continuum appeared which swallowed a big part of the ground before it closed again.
 
The alicorn had to interfere with Chrysalis’ freedom of movement and had already the appropriate spell in her mind, but she needed a few seconds of peace to cast it.
 
"Aunty?" Cadance woke up behind her. There was no better moment. The young alicorn rose from the ground and began to stretch. "My wings? What happened to my wings?" she cried as she noticed her missing appendages.
 
"Calm down, Cadance. If we manage to defeat her, your wings should reappear," Celestia reassured her niece. "Can you keep her busy for a few seconds?" The Alicorn of Love thought a bit before she nodded. Celestia closed her eyes and concentrated on her spell. Cadance created several shields as taught by her husband, all of them independently movable. She wasn't the warrior like her mother, but the Princess of the Moon wasn't available at this time. She barely noticed in time the first attack coming from above and several blueberry muffins blocked her view through the first shield. The second attack followed at once and struck the second shield. The ball of energy burst into many small ones which caused small explosions at their impact sides.
 
"Annoying as the husband, I see," Chrysalis hissed with Discord's voice and moved on to attack physically. She weaved around the shields and raised her arm to strike Cadance with her claw. However, Celestia intervened and fired her prepared spell directly into the queen's face. Blinded by the bright light, she teleported a few meters away, only to be welcomed immediately by Celestia's hooves. She landed again in the front of Cadance who hit her full force with a shield on her head and pressed her further into the ground. Quickly, Chrysalis snapped her paw, and her body turned transparent with a false sense of security, as she was still hit by one of Celestia's beams in her back, throwing her into the wall of a house.
 
If the queen wasn't at the end of her tether, then she was now. Bent forward with a broken wing, she stood cornered before the alicorns and panted for air. "This is it, Chrysalis." Her form flickered and her true nature was soon visible. "I will be the one who ends this fight!" The white alicorn's horn glowed as bright as the sun itself, maintaining its intensity. Between both princesses, a large gate began to construct itself with the earth around it. When the gate was finished, runes of all kinds began to light up on its frame, and with a flash of light, the portal opened. Chrysalis, Queen of the Changelings, was not about to throw the towel in just yet.

"It isn't over for a long time yet, Celestia. You may have defeated my swarm but others still lurk out there, waiting for their opportunity!" she screamed, unable to maintain Discord's form any longer and sank on her own four hooves. Not having enough magic left, she couldn't force away the damage from her real body and so her own wing was bent and she had to hold up her broken right front leg.
 
"I, Celestia of Equestria, banish you, Chrysalis, to Tartarus. There you will spend the rest of your life thinking about your own deeds," said Celestia and loomed over the broken queen. The changeling pushed herself with her last of her power away from the ground and rammed her pointy horn directly into Celestia's barrel. Startled, Cadance gasped for breath, but Celestia moved no muscle. Slowly Chrysalis drew her head back to witness the end of her nemesis, but she was greeted by an everlasting smile. No blood could be seen, nor a wound.
 

***

 
"You got around a lot," Albia said when I finished my story. She had emptied her cup of tea and now and then nodded during my narration.
 
'And what do we do now?' I asked her.

"Now? Now I’ll give you a tongue-lashing." She rose from her cushion, cleared her throat, and looked directly at me with her deep blue eyes. "You are an impatient child who often looked after himself, and like a spoiled brat, cries for help when it is too late." I flinched in my thoughts. "Pure selfishness and love of adventure put you into this position. Do you agree with me?" I nodded.
 
"Good, because this is nothing bad." I was confused. "Everyone makes mistakes, and you can't always do the right thing even if you want to do it. You surely know the saying, ‘the road to hell is paved with good intentions’." She sighed. "What I want to tell you is that there isn't only good or evil. Sometimes you have to think of yourself and remember that there is nothing wrong about it. The art lies in thinking of your friends, to have both things in balance. Self-sacrifice is therefore never the right solution."
 
She paused for a moment and started to laugh. "You are the second former human I quarrelled about this." She stomped her hooves and was laughing so hard that she was short of being out of air. "Whoever created you humans, he was surely an odd fellow." So weird it was what she told me, I understood what she meant. What use was it to solve a problem if you weren't part of the solution? She made it clear to me how foolish it was to surrender Nightmare my body and my soul.
 
"Ah…" She began to calm down and took a few deep breaths. "I hear that you understand what I wanted to tell you. Nice that you aren't just a pretty face."
 
'Why don't you help Equestria when it is in trouble?' This question was on my mind some time already.

"But I do," she said. Behind her, six cutie marks appeared: those of the Elements of Harmony. "The Elements are a way to ask me for help. If you use them, I will not hesitate to lend my aid. However, they are only for extreme emergencies, like if, for example, my daughter has to be freed of an evil spirit or a chaotic god needs a time-out."
 
'Why don't you just kill them or banish them forever from this world?' She shivered a moment.
 
"I love all beings which live upon my world, regardless if they are evil or not. I could never harm a living being inside this world, even if they themselves don't follow this rule." That was why the Elements banished Luna in the moon and turned Discord to stone. It was her who played the tune the Elements would dance to. "So it is," she added to my thoughts. "And that is why I can't help your own world, unfortunately." I wanted to ask why but she anticipated the question. "First there is the fact that the Nightmares are not even doing anything wrong. Some worlds simply have reached the end of their existence and are not destined to be saved. Secondly, the Elements only work in my world, for that is how I designed them. It’s a safety measure so beings from other worlds cannot steal and abuse them for their own purposes."
 
'How can I help then my world?'
 
"You can't." It was as if my head was hit with a stone. "But you can show your people a way to help themselves, and my daughter has given you already everything you need."
 
'Her runes?'

"Exactly. She has told you already how she protects Equestria from the Nightmares, hasn't she?"
 
'Yes, but since they are already on my planet, the shield would no longer help them.'
 
"Not the whole planet but surely a part of it." An image of the Earth appeared from nothing, with a golden shield covering it. "From the outside, a Nightmare can't pass." Many small blue balls bumped into the shield and spared the Earth. "But you don't need to cast the spell on the entire Earth." The shield vanished and immediately many small domes spread on the Earth's surface. "If you protect the areas they haven't reached yet…" more balls bumped on the shields and slid between the domes "...then those would be safe as well." The Earth vanished and I saw the alicorn smile again.

 


***

 
Celestia grabbed Chrysalis, who was lying on the ground, and lifted her up to eye level. "Best wishes for the rest of your life…" With those words, she threw the changeling through the gate which instantly slammed shut and then returned into the ground from which it rose.
 
"Is it over?" Cadance asked. Celestia nodded and slumped down. "Aunt!" the young alicorn called and hurried over.

"It’s nothing, Cadance, I'm merely exhausted." The white alicorn pointed to the destroyed houses. "Please check if the others are safe." Cadance nodded and was about to gallop over to get to her husband when she noticed a familiar prickle on her back. Her wings had returned, and with one push, she sailed over half the distance.
 
"Armor, Armor…" she called as she nudged the white unicorn several times with her nose. The recipient’s eyes twitched before he moaned loudly. "Thank goodness you're okay!"
 
"Chrysalis?" he wheezed and coughed.
 
"Aunt Celestia took care of her. She’s gone." Satisfied, Armor smiled weakly before he slipped into unconsciousness again. Slowly his wife laid his head upon the ground again and looked for the Bearers, the first one being Twilight. Her sister-in-law was lying on her side with closed eyes. "Twilight, hey…" The unicorn opened her eyes and looked into the friendly face of Cadance.
 
"Oh… hey Cadance." She slowly rolled on her stomach and looked over the area. "What happened? Where is Chrysalis? Is everypony alright?" Cadance nodded, despite not having checked all personally. She could feel the souls of everyone present and knew that they would be out and about soon.
 
"They should be…" But there was a strange soul, as if it was shy of expiring. Without finishing her sentence, she rushed to one of the flattened houses. She hoped that most of the residents were safe. Walking over some boards, she lifted a beam to uncover her target. It was a young earth pony with orange fur and a white mane who, while unhurt physically, was devastated. Tears ran over her cheeks and fell into the black coat of the alicorn who she held with her hooves.

"Huh? Could you please take care of this pest?" The pink alicorn immediately recognized Nightmare. She ignored the dark being and lifted the foal out of the debris.
 
"Let me go, I want to stay with my father!" she yelled and struggled in the air.
 
Cadance looked down to Nightmare who replied with a dry laugh. "She means the actual owner of this body…" It coughed and spat blood. "Only that I killed him when I took over this body." Disgusted, she examined the being. She felt the hatred, the violent temper. There was no love, no compassion, only pure malice. The filly was holding still while Nightmare was talking but began to scream again.
 
"You killed my father after everything I had to do to find him!" She struggled madly and new tears ran over her cheeks.
 
"Who did this body belong to?" Cadence coldly asked the dying being. Again it laughed, only interrupted by the blood which dropped out of its mouth.
 
"Blue Light," it finally stated with a grin and lost consciousness. Cadance was shocked. She hadn't met her cousin personally but still felt sorry for him. Her mother and Armor had told her that he had settled in in Ponyville, had found friends, and was even founding a family. Sadly she shook her head and moved away from the house with the foal. Celestia met with her half way. Her aunt had listened in and was shedding tears.

"I'm sorry, aunt…" Cadance said. Celestia nodded and check the filly in Cadance's arms.
 
"Hello, little one, would you please tell me your name?" The filly sobbed and gasped for breath between the tears. She wasn't older than ten or eleven years at most, nearly still a little foal.
 
"Auralia…" she sobbed without looking at anypony.
 
"Would you please explain to me why you are in this time?" The filly's eyes shot up, locking on Celestia. They were blood red and full of mourning.
 
"I… I… I wanted to find my father. Twilight had sent me to correct a big mistake and I thought… I could…" Celestia wiped the tears from the filly's face with a wing.
 
"Everything will be alright…" Celestia said, her horn glowing. At once, the foal fell into a deep slumber before the alicorn laid her horn onto the pony's head.
 
"What are you doing, aunt?" Cadance asked worriedly, still holding Auralia in her arms.

"I'll send her into her own time. She shouldn't be here and it is important that she doesn't remember this." She concentrated on the seal of time which was on the filly, and Auralia was suddenly gone.
 

***

 
"So, let's talk about your present. It should be something which will be of use for a long time, as I don't believe that we will meet soon." With those words, the table and cushions vanished.
 
'What do you mean?'
 
"What are you missing right now?" I pondered a moment but nothing came to my mind. "Being alive, you dummy!" she finally said.
 
'Surely more a soul and body instead, right?'
 
"Call it like you want." She suddenly wore a diabolically broad grin on her face. Even broader than before. "Any particular wishes?" Was I crazy or did she offer me a new life?
 
"No, I’m giving you the chance to return into your old one. I’ll come up with a body and soul just like this…" She raised her leg and shook it. "Well, you get the idea." I started to think about it when she already stopped me. "Hold it! Hold it! Hold it! I have a better idea. I’ll do it like with Celestia and Luna, only that I’ll model upon Celestia. It’ll be a joy to more than one family member." She looked nearly as happy as I just did.
> Chapter 40 - Rebirthing
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Trixie slowly came to her senses as somepony pulled on her tail. She saw the destroyed house in front of her and started to feel the pain in her side. Slowly turning around, she noticed Fluttershy pulling her towards a tent at the town square. “Hey…” she whispered, causing the pegasus to quickly release her tail.
 
“Oh… thank Celestia you’re fine,” Fluttershy said with a gentle smile.
 
“What happened?” Fluttershy suddenly seemed to find the ground more interesting, even digging a bit into it with a hoof. Trixie was about to order the pegasus to spill the beans, but her injury and Equestria’s fastest flier prevented her from doing so. Rainbow Dash, who had been nearby, came over to answer instead.
 
“Chrysalis blew Shining Armor’s shield in our faces. If I ever got her in my hooves…” She slammed her forehooves together while hovering close to the ground.
 
“Where is she?” Trixie asked curtly. Rainbow finished her air kicking show and turned back to the other two.
 
“Celestia banished her to Tartarus. I already asked Twilight if I could bribe Cerberus to give me five minutes with her…” A bright blue aura forced her mouth shut. Rarity left the medical tent and had apparently heard enough of Rainbows muttering. Internally, Trixie was very grateful for that.
 
“Pardon me, Rainbow Dash, but there are more important things to attend do.” She immediately recognised Rarity’s expression that something wasn’t right. It was the same the nurse in Manehatten had worn when she had told her about Changer.

“No?!” she yelled, and despite her injuries, she slowly rose up and trotted over to the large tent. She didn’t even look at the other beds except the one that contained a large dark alicorn that breathed heavily. She felt its dark presence, and there were no traces of the young stallion he had once been. Nothing of the compassion he had offered her, nothing of the warmth with that he hosted her. There was only the dark, cold, even malicious aura emanating from the alicorn. She could still make out some of the facial features that had been Blue Light’s at one point. Again she was alone; again she had lost her family. Not to death but the monster that was now lying on the bed and breathing. She levitated a pair of scissors from a nearby bed stand behind her and placed them at the throat of the beast. There was no presence of Changer anymore, none of Blue Light, only darkness.  
 
“Trixie…” Startled, she fell out of her stupor and let go of the scissors. Princess Celestia was standing behind her. “I know how you feel, for I too feel the same.” She collapsed on the spot, unable to keep the tears at bay.
 

***


“Aaand done!” Albia called just a few seconds after closing her eyes. “You’re probably wondering why it went so fast, eh?”
 
Let’s go with ‘yes’.
 
“Simple, all I need to do is to simply imagine it.” She held a hoof up to her head and lowered it slowly. It was as though she was trying to mimic The Thinker. “To give it form, just like that.” She raised said hoof in the air. I had actually expected a more complicated magical explanation, but even I could understand this.
 
“Before you go, I’d like to ask you a few things.” This time, she had a worried expression.
 
Sure.
 
“Send my best wishes to my daughters. I haven’t seen them in a long time. And please take care of yourself… Remember, body, mind, and soul should also be in unity and never be split.” Albia’s image was getting blurry. “Always eat your hay and send me pictures of your foal… Oh, and tell Pinkie not to break the fourth…” I couldn’t catch the last part as everything turned dark for a moment before I found myself outside of Ponyville.
 
“What the?” I looked around, puzzled. It was the same spot where Trent had dropped Twilight and me off the first time I came to Equestria. The next thing I noted was that my voice had stayed the same. There was time later for a more thorough examination.

I immediately galloped towards the town and surprisingly remembered the way. Orientation must have been something that the body and soul were responsible for. I passed Fluttershy’s cottage and went over a small bridge that led to the marketplace. There were no traces of Chrysalis or her minions to be seen, but I made out a large tent with a red cross on it that had been erected in the middle of the square. Apart from it, I could hear ponies who had started with the repair works.
 
“One moment an invasion, repairs in the next. Life goes on I guess,” I said and had to laugh about my own situation. In that moment, I saw Fluttershy and Hawk leaving the tent, but they flew off before I could talk to them. I could barely make out the makeshift bandages Hawk was wearing on her hind legs. Sighing, I continued towards the tent and pulled back the tarp that covered the entrance with a hoof.
 
I saw Celestia and an unknown pink alicorn in the room, together with Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Twilight, and Trixie. They were all fixated on one particular bed. Slowly, I passed the other beds, one of them occupied by Pinkie Pie who was curled up in a ball. She was kicking out in her sleep and was murmuring something about cupcakes, which caused an instant shiver to run down my spine.
 
Opposite of her was Applejack, wrapped up in a blanket and sleeping peacefully. I decided that the others could wait. Quietly, I stepped over to her bed and picked up her Stetson. It must have fallen to the ground at some point, so I placed it back on one of the bedposts. As I looked around the secluded area, divided by those medical curtains, I found the picture of me and my brothers on the nightstand. With a smile on my face, I stepped back out and closed to curtain behind me to ensure AJ’s privacy.

 After that, I walked over to the group that I considered both friends and family. I pushed my way past Rarity and finally saw what the others were looking at: Nightmare. I almost didn’t recognize my old body anymore. It was larger now and the black coat didn’t match my original one. The armor and the white cutie mark were the only clues. The rest of my body was covered with wounds.
 
“You know, Nightmare, deserves you right,” I remarked.
 
“Exactly! That’s what you get for what you did to Light!” Dash added.
 
“The poor colt was such a kind soul….” Rarity said bitterly.
 
“Wait!” I called. “Was?” Six surprised faces turned towards me. Rarity fell onto her haunches, her mouth agape. Rainbow Dash did the same, just from a higher altitude. Twilight started to stutter something, but it was Celestia who finally asked the first serious question after she released me from her hug.
 
“Light… We thought we had lost you. What happened?” I looked down upon the lifeless Nightmare.
 
“Well, it tried to kill me,” I replied shortly. “However, according to somepony named Albia, my time has yet to come.” Celestia and the pink alicorn seemed astounded by my answer. The rest had question marks written on their faces.

“You met my mother? Please tell me!” Celestia was practically begging, and so I didn’t escape telling them about my meeting with the Creator. Besides the two alicorn, all the others except Rainbow Dash were hanging on my words. She was lying on an empty bed, yawning every now and then.
 
“...and then I was standing outside of Ponyville.” I finished my meeting with Albia.
 
“It’s nice to hear that she is doing well, you as well.” The Solar Princess seemed happy.
 
“If I got what Albia said right...This is not Light’s old body but a new one built after the model of Celestia. This means that you are the living son of the princess now.” Twilight summarized the situation.
 
“That reminds me, I haven’t looked at myself.” Rarity immediately reacted, and a mirror appeared out of nowhere.
 
“What?” she asked indignantly to all the stares she got. “A lady should always have a mirror at hoof.” With the feeling of everything being the same as it should, I stepped in front of the mirror and was astonished.
 
“I look like just before!” I said to my reflection. “Well, maybe a bit slimmer and an inch or two higher...But everything else is the same.” No wonder the others had recognised me so easily.

“Your horn, darling,” Rarity said and I took a glance at the protrusion on my forehead. It was somewhat longer now and quite sharp.
 
“So?” I asked with a frown.
 
“You know what they say about unicorns and their horns or…?” She probably wanted me to finish the sentence but that wouldn’t happen. I could hear Celestia and Twilight snickering, just like the pink alicorn. She probably realised that I was staring at her and came over.
 
“Pleasure to meet you, Light. I am Cadance.” Once more, everything in my mind made sense. Both Luna and Armor had mentioned that name numerous times.
 
“The pleasure is all mine, Cadance,” I answered with a formal bow. I never got the chance to look up again as a hoof hit me in the jaw.
 
“Never leave me again ever!” Trixie yelled, and I could see that she must have been crying. I pulled her into a hug.
 
“Wasn’t planned. I’m sorry.” She seemed satisfied with the answer and instantly collapsed. “What’s the matter?”
 
“She hasn’t seen a doctor yet, but from what I can tell, she probably has a few broken ribs,” Cadance answered and lifted poor Trixie over to a free bed. I looked around in hopes of finding others whom I recognised. Much to my shock, I did. One of the beds was occupied by Scootaloo.

“How is she doing?” I asked everyone around.
 
“The little one only was shocked,” Celestia said and stepped to my side. “Most got away without injuries. The few that didn’t are all here. A few ponies are now without homes, but that will change shortly.” The repairs outside were a good sign.
 
“Where are her mother and father?” Cadance asked, looking worried.
 
“She doesn’t have a dad,” Rainbow Dash chipped in. “She lives with her mother at the edge of the town. She’s still in the hospital though.” Dash had risen from her bed and flew over to us. “She got injured during the recent storm.” Together we stared at the sleeping foal until a thought crossed my mind. Slowly I went along the rows of beds until I found both Shining Armor and Shooting Star.
 
“What happened to Glimmer?” No answer. Some hissing became noticeable and suddenly the tarp at the exit was pushed aside by a blow of wind.
 
“We found her! And something else. Please, your Majesty, Glimmer needs help…” Hawk had rushed into tent, a strain in her breathing, and was looking at everypony present.

“Twilight!” Celestia called and her student obeyed. One flash of light and both were gone. The tarp was pushed aside again and a unicorn in scrubs entered the tent. His coat was cream-colored and his mane was brown. As I saw his cutie mark, a heart monitor, I recalled him being one Doctor Stable from the local hospital.
 
“Night Hawk, I thought I told you to stay in bed?” The eyes of the half dragon widened like saucer plates, and she instantly tried to make a run for it, only to be caught by the good doctor’s magic. Not wanting to further witness her attempted escape any longer, I left the tent with the others.
 
“Rainbow, would you mind flying ahead. I still have something to discuss with Trixie.” I knew that she was the only one who needed to be reminded about privacy. Rarity and Cadance were already standing apart from us.
 
“Oh… Okay!” And with that, she was off towards the railroad station. I started walking down the way with Trixie, and after we left the square, I began voicing my thoughts.
 
“How are you feeling?” I saw that something was weighing on her, like for the most time I had known her. She was thinking about a lot of things, just like me.
 
“I’m thinking about this situation.” She was pointing at me, but I knew what she was aiming at.

“Me too. And I think this is the right moment to put Changer to rest.” She looked at me, startled. “It was never really my body; it has always been Changer’s. His spirit might have not been there anymore, but in some ways it was. I cannot imagine how it must have been for you, looking into my face and seeing Changer.” She fell silent. Neither of us said a word until we were at the town’s edge from where we could see the remains of the crashed train.
 
“But you aren’t Changer. You are Blue Light,” she finally said.
 
“Yes… I don’t want to sound ungrateful. Changer saved my life, but I’m happy to have a body that is fully my own.” Trixie nodded.
 
“And we just bury Nightmare with him?” I liked the thought but I still needed it.
 
“Nightmare is part of the solution for my world. Albia told me what I could do but not how we could defend ourselves until it’s ready. No, it’s too early to dispose of Nightmare. Also, I don’t want to do this to Changer’s legacy.” After all he had done for me, I didn’t want to bury him as a Nightmare.
 
“What do you want to do?” I had thought of a few things.
 
“I’ll ask the Bearers to pull Nightmare out of Changer’s body.” Trixie pushed herself right in front of me.
 
“You want to absorb it again? Are you crazy?” Maybe a little.

“I don’t think that’s possible anymore, even if I wanted to… I have a theory for that. You see, my soul was taken out of my body and put into Changer’s and vice versa.” Trixie nodded. “But then how could I have absorbed his essence, the soul without the spirit, again? One soul per body, right?” It was a rhetorical question. “My soul was never really bound to Changer’s body. Probably a side effect of the unfinished spell.” Just as he had written in his letter. “I feel different in this body. I can say that my soul is now bound to it. If I were to assimilate Nightmare, I would be under his total control,” I finished my explanation.
 
“So what do we do with him?” she asked as we continued our trip.
 
“That’s what I wanted to talk about with Twilight and Celestia.” As I mentioned them, I could make out their outlines at the train. They were standing with other Royal Guards at one of the overturned wagons, seemingly discussing something. Trixie and I picked up our pace and tried to look past everyone to see what all the commotion was about.
 
“On three!” I heard and saw Glimmer. Her rear legs were splinted and an IV bag had been attached as well. Multiple unicorns lifted her onto a stretcher and two pegasi flew off with her in tow back to town. I gasped in relief. Once they were out of sight, I turned my attention back to the wagon.
 
“But she is still a child!” I could hear Fluttershy cry. She was standing inside the wagon in front of a closed cocoon. Standing opposite to her were Celestia and Twilight.

“I’m sorry, Fluttershy, but you saw what happened to the changelings once Chrysalis was gone…” Twilight said while pointing at a grey thing on the ground. I stepped past her into the wagon and examined the thing. It must have been a changeling once; that much I could tell. However, its leathery skin had completely greyed and it was missing its eyes. It was a weird sight.
 
“Isn’t there anything we could do? She is still a victim!” I turned to Fluttershy and took a good look at the cocoon. Wedged between two leaf-like fabrics, I could make out a shape. Lying there in the green goo was a foal, a changeling foal. It looked halfway into its metamorphosis. Her mane was still there, much like most parts of her physiology. Only her coat had turned black and would probably start to shed soon. Fluttershy, her usual calm behaviour gone, had tears in her eyes and made no move to leave the cocoon. She was too kind hearted to be on a battlefield.
 
“Why is she here anyway?” I asked Twilight.
 
“The doctor wasn’t here and she was the best we could find.” Twilight seemed to share my sentiment.
 
“Fluttershy, my dear.” Celestia turned to her. “There are many cruelties in the world, and sadly this is one of them. Her end is inevitable. All we can do is to ease her pain…” A loud sob drowned her out. I felt compassion for the foal. No child was supposed to die like that.
 
I suppose I was marked by my past. A close friend of my mom had lost her months’ old baby. Crib death was the cause. My young mind couldn’t fathom this, however, and it haunted me for years to come. How could the baby that you were wheeling around in a stroller one day be dead the next? Strange how death always pushed itself into my life yet spared me all the time.

“Out!” I called to Twilight and Fluttershy. Both stared at me in surprise. “Out, now!” I picked up Fluttershy with my magic and pushed her outside. Twilight helped herself. Even Celestia looked at me in bemusement. “No one comes in until I open the door myself,” I ordered the guards outside. “Please trust me…” I said to my mother and my two friends. As the door fell into the lock, I performed a blocking spell so no one could see and listen what was going inside. I would not let that arse have his fun with this world.
 
“Time to keep your promise,” I said as a small card appeared in front of me. “So, come out. I know you were waiting for this.” It paid off to have the outside cut off. A storm of lightning, smoke, and charm circles appeared in the small wagon. I hid my eyes with a hoof, and as soon as I could see again, there was a human standing right in front of me.
 
“Tada!” Toby shouted, his hands splayed out flambouyantly. He stayed like that for a second before he flicked a finger. A joint appeared in his right hand, a lighter in his left. He lit it and took a long drag out of it before looking down at me. “Hey, Blue, long time no see.”
 
“Were all the pyrotechnics necessary?” I asked with a raised eyebrow.
 
“The charm circles…” he said and pondered on it a bit. “Well, half of it.” He continued and took another puff of his special smoke. “But I have a question as well. What’s up with the different look?” He examined his joint and sniffed on it before looking back at me.

“Long story short, new body.” He nodded in understanding and looked around in the room.
 
“Why are we hanging around in a dark wagon with a changeling cocoon?” Another deep inhalation blew the fume into the room, with a satisfied grin on his face.
 
“You said that I had one free wish, and that changeling is part of it.” I pointed at the foal within. “I want you to sever the binding with Chrysalis so she won’t suffer the same fate as the others.” He exchanged looks between the cocoon and me.
 
“No superpowers? No immortality or anything? I expected more…” He took one last puff before snipping the rest away. “Give me… an hour.” I rolled my eyes.
 
“Really? How long does it take?” He was like the chief engineer of the old Star Trek show. Always double the time you would take to fix something so that everyone is happy when you finish sooner.
 
“And done.” He rubbed his hands. “Wanna show me this Equestria of yours?”
 
“Toby, honestly, I’m thankful for you sending me back and helping the foal.” My hoof landed on the cocoon. “But you are a reckless and careless prick and I hope we will never meet again.”

“Hold your horses…” He raised his hands in defence. “I have enough things going on as it is. So long, Blue!” He snapped with his fingers and a small charm circle appeared. Some lightning later and he was gone. The card that had been hovering beside me the entire time fell to the ground and dissipated.
 
For a short moment I thought about what I had missed out. Yes, I could have asked for a weapon against the Nightmares, or maybe immortality, but did I really want that? Seeing my friends go one after the other? Honestly, I wasn’t afraid of death. It was part of life. It was more of what comes after, the unknown, that caused fear. I had jumped into the unknown once when I came here with Twilight. Just like a believer, I thought I knew everything about this place. Boy was I wrong. I knew nothing and learned that the hard way. I lowered the spell around the wagon and opened the door. Fluttershy shot past me in that instant. Twilight and Celestia were standing outside, both looking at me with forced smiles. The Royal Guards were all occupied with cleaning the tracks from the wreckage.
 
“What did you do?” Fluttershy called behind me as she examined the cocoon.
 
“I cut her connection to Chrysalis. She should be alright if we get her out of that thing.” She didn’t hesitate but despite pulling with her teeth on its leaf-like surface, it was not going to give in. Twilight went past me and tried to help her friend.
 
“Who was your friend?” my mother asked from my side so only I could hear her. Startled, I looked over to her. “I felt the magic when he arrived.” I had forgotten to block magic as well.

“He was the one who sent me back after the expedition to my old world.” Celestia snuggled up against me, and I just enjoyed the moment. The crisis was finally over. I still had a big mission ahead of me, but for the moment, I had my peace.
 
A crumbling noise came from the cocoon, and in the next moment, a slimy green fluid washed over the ground. The foal fell out and stumbled a bit over the ground. Fluttershy immediately jumped into action and picked the little thing up with her hooves. The little one spluttered a few times but it soon turned into calm breathing. Fluttershy looked up and her smile was brighter than the rising sun.



> Chapter 41 - Wonderful Life
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It had been more than a week since Chrysalis had been banished to Tartarus, and things had returned to normalcy for the most part. I sat with Cadance at the breakfast table in her apartment, but I wasn’t alone with her. Next to us were the Element Bearers, along with Trixie and Hawk as well. Trixie and Hawk had taken up residence in a near hotel, while Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie were given room in the castle by my adopted mother. Twilight and AJ were housed with us. While Shining Armor recovered from some sort of magic feedback – had never understood what Twilight was trying to explain – we had gathered to discuss and plan the mission to my world. Meanwhile, the farm was being run by Big Mac, Caramel, and Braeburn.
 
Yesterday had been Changer’s funeral. It was a heavy farewell for both Trixie and me. That stallion did a lot of things that I would be grateful for as long as I lived. We buried him in the Canterlot cemetery with the ceremony he deserved. That was a small solace at least. Trixie had said her farewells to Changer a long time ago, so she took it much easier – I made sure of that. Nightmare had been extracted, just as I had planned, by the Elements from the body and locked into a crystal pendant now hanging around my neck. Interaction with it was not possible anymore – I had tried. I wasn’t able to look into my soul like before. Now, it was only a shining blue light. Nightmare was sealed and would stay like this for now.
 
“Are you finished?” Cadance asked as she picked up our dishes with her magic. It had become customary that we were the only ones having breakfast. Twilight, being head over hooves in her books all night, usually slept until noon or even longer if someone didn’t wake her up. AJ had taken to making regular visits to the toilet during the mornings and understandably felt no appetite after that. Shining was stuck with his soup in the bed. The only one who accompanied us after a while was Dawn. Twilight didn’t want to leave him in the library. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Spike, but she knew that the two together would be pillaging the ice-cream reserves.
 
“Yeah, thanks,” I answered and picked up the leftovers to put them back into the fridge. “Tell me, Cadance…” She raised her head from the sink where she had levitated a dish to and looked over at me. “How come you can eat in the morning?” Armor had told me that she was pregnant as well, and I somehow felt guilty for making AJ feel sick. She had assured me that it was going to be well worth it. I had no idea where she got that info.
 
“So dear Shining couldn’t keep his muzzle shut?” she said calmly and grinned. “There are a few spells for morning sickness. If you wish, I could teach you one.” She took a pot out of the cupboard, put water inside it, and placed it on the stove.
 
“That would be nice. I want to make it easier for AJ. I lived through two of my mom’s… biological… My human mom’s pregnancies, and I know how hard it can be.” She had to grin again over my stuttering.
 
“Magic can be quite complicated, right?” She had no idea. “Believe me, it will be all worth it. The spell only eases her nausea but not completely.” The water in the pot started to boil and she put different vegetables in like carrots and celery.
 
“How do you know?” She thought for a second, her hoof tapping on her mouth.
 
“I would say a mare knows such things. Also, you should have seen the results yourself.” Now it was my turn to think, and I came to only one conclusion.
 
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” She put some salt into the water and stirred the brew.
 
“Auralia of course. You do know her, right?” The gears in my head were grinding. Aura, Auralia, the equation added up, but the rest was still one big unknown variable.
 
“That little tramp? Yeah I met her.” Now that Cadance mentioned her, I realised that I hadn’t seen her since my return.
 
“Maybe you shouldn’t talk like that about your daughter….” she casually said while tasting the brew with a spoon as if it wasn’t a shocking reveal to me. There I stood now, as though struck with a paralysis spell. It must have shown on my face because Cadance slapped a hoof on her mouth. “Don’t tell me she hadn’t….” I did not hear rest as the puzzle pieces finally moved into place. Why she had been so interested in that photo, why she looked so familiar to AJ and me, why she disappeared with Twilight, and why she was so scared. All came together in my brain and formulated the following answer:
 
“Wait, what?”
 
“I’m sorry, sugarcube…” AJ stood at the kitchen door and trotted over to me. She still looked very tired and one could smell that she had been to the restroom recently. “I wanted to say, but there was no chance to and…” I sighed and put a hoof on her mouth.
 
“Let me guess. Our ten… eleven?” I gave AJ an enquiring look.
 
“She said that she was twelve.” I nodded thankfully.
 
“...Our twelve year old daughter appeared here and now, I think thanks to Twilight and a time travel spell, to do Celestia knows what. I presume it had to do something with the changelings.” I looked over to AJ in anticipation of an answer.
 
“Well, it was more about an error in the spell that we want to use to travel to your world—” Again I interrupted her.
 
“I stand corrected. Twilight sent our daughter back in time to correct her own formula although she knows what consequences such travels can have?” I shook my head to give expression to my indignation. Then I summarized everything. “You know what, AJ? I think I understand why you aren’t so keen on magic.” A thought crossed my mind as to how I would react to seeing my parents before I was even born. Cold shivers ran down my spine. “I hope the poor kid didn’t suffer any lasting mental issues.” I grasped around AJ while fumbling at her belly, which elicited a smile from her.
 
“Celestia sent her back and erased her memories about the journey. She should be fine,” Cadance stated while filtering the brew and went back to working on her husband’s breakfast.

“This feels relieving somehow. I thought I had a while before getting used to being called ‘Daddy’,” I said and had to snicker.
 
“Same with me, sugarcube,” AJ added and kissed me on the cheek.
 
“AJ, could you do me a favour?”
 
“Mmm?”
 
“Brush your teeth…” The hoof to the back of the head was worth it.
 

***

 
Later that afternoon, we gathered in the large living room where Shining Armor was guarding the sofa with an ice bag to his head. The foals were outside playing, consisting of Sweetie Bell, Dawn, and a new addition, Holly. Apple Bloom had stayed at the farm and Scootaloo was with her mother in the hospital. Holly was the foal that Fluttershy had released from the cocoon and had lived with her since that day. She didn’t know who she was or how she had become like that. Against all concerns, her dark coat did not fall off and she almost looked like a normal pony. Her bright purple mane hung in short bangs to the left and right, with a crooked little horn in between. The thin shell on her back and the insectoid wings attached to it were the only evidence of her aborted assimilation. She lacked the holes in her legs, her purple eyes were normal, and she only had one sharp tooth that stuck out from the others. She would seem pretty normal at first glance.

“She’s slowly opening up towards me, and once she even called me mom,” Fluttershy announced proudly. “But she still won’t touch any solid food.” She had quickly realised that Holly could in fact digest both emotions and normal food. However, she wasn’t overly fond of the latter. “I like giving her my love… but it’s such a bad feeling,” she added and looked at the floor.
 
“You can do this, Fluttershy darling. She will be proud to have gotten such a good foster mother as you are,” Rarity assured her and laid a hoof on her friend’s shoulder.
 
The existence of Holly made me think more of our enemy. All Chrysalis had really wanted was to ensure the survival of her kin. I could not fault her for trying to do that. After all, humans were not better in that regard. We held animals for food even though there were better alternatives, but those were either not tasty enough or hard to get. The changelings didn’t have that choice; there weren’t alternatives for emotion. Holly’s luck was that her assimilation was aborted half way so she could still process both.
 
“Rarity is right, Fluttershy,” Twilight chimed in. “Even the princess has entrusted her to you, and I can’t think of anypony more suited for the job.” A series of nods went around the group. “Let’s move to the next point.” She made a mark on her checklist and went on. “Light, I finished analysing your DNA. Just as I thought, it matches Princess Celestia’s by about fifty percent.” I only nodded, for it wasn’t a surprise really. “However, the other fifty are a mystery to me. I found parts similar to Changer’s and then others that aren’t even pony in origin. My assumption is that those are remnants of your human body. Still, this assembly doesn’t make any sense.” She scratched her head.

“Twilight, let me give you some advice, the same that I’ve used every day since my arrival to explain everything around here: magic makes no sense.” Everyone laughed except for Twilight, who gave me an evil look. Before she could object, however, Rainbow Dash interrupted her.
 
“Give it up, Twilight, nopony ‘cept you would have understood what you wanted to say anyway.” Again a series of giggles went around the group, and with a moan Twilight marked that point on the list as well.
 
“Alright, Light, let’s continue.” I had used the last few days to tell them more about my world. I talked about humans in general, our anatomy, our eating habits, and whatever else came to my mind. I reached the point where I talked about cars and other vehicles and that brought up my next point. I talked about how we used horses in the early days and how machines had replaced them. Then I spoke about how the horses usually lived a carefree life and were cared for on farms. Fluttershy even noted a wish to visit one at some point.
 
However, when I told them about humans riding horses for leisure, I got a lot of odd looks and many blushes. I had to ask first what the matter was, and after a private chat on the pony term of “horseback riding”, it was my time to burn of embarrassment. I had to assure them that it was nothing really sexual, or at least not in every case. Anyway, as we were talking about technology, we came to speak about weapons.
 
“Humans warriors these days rarely use bladed weapons such as swords, and really only combat knifes in close combat. We have developed ranged weapons that shoot small metal pieces called bullets that hit their targets at high speeds,” I summarized the concept.
 
“So more like the fight against me?” Armor asked.
 
“Exactly, except that the projectiles are sharp.” He nodded to Twilight.
 
“Our shields should protect us then if the humans decide to attack us.”
 
“I really hope it won’t come to that. I think they’ve already got their hands full with the Nightmares,” I told them.
 
“I devised a plan about how we could protect ourselves at night.” Twilight searched through her saddlebag lying next to her. “More precisely, your idea about Nightmare gave me the hint.” I looked down on the pendant around my neck. The little ruby had turned black when we had imprisoned it, just like the essence of Changer. Twilight retrieved a large diamond from her bag and put it on the desk. “Can you use a sunlight spell on it?” she asked, shifting the attention to me. I had slowly shifted through the runes that mother had given me and could control one or two spells so far.
 
“I think…” I began to concentrate and a circle appeared around me. One advantage of my new body was that I could, like Celestia, use the old spells without incantation. At least the smaller ones. The magic flowed into the ruby but nothing else happened. “So, here you go.” I gave it back to Twilight. She took it and instantly smashed it against the table. Now it shone like a lamp, a lamp of pure sunlight. “Cool, a glow stick!” Once more, odd views were aimed at me. “Humans have something similar, but it works with chemicals and isn’t sunlight.”
 
“Really?”  Twilight asked and threw the rock aside to grab her notebook again. The stone rolled into the chimney from where it illuminated the room. “Can you tell me how it works?”
 
“I am a mathematician, not a chemist, Twilight.” Her enthusiasm vanished from her face again. “But I will see that I grab one for you.” If the military was as active as the papers had said, then finding one wouldn’t be an issue. Pleased with my suggestion, she nodded and continued with her explanation on how she enchanted the stones so they could now hold a spell for about twelve hours. Pinkie Pie, in the meantime, had disappeared into the kitchen to make us some cookies. I had politely turned down her proposal of cupcakes. After some refreshments for us and the kids outside, I continued with my lecturing.
 
“I have no idea how large Equestria is, but the Earth is gigantic and unfortunately we’ll have to travel a lot of it. I also don’t know where we will have to go to find the camps of the survivors.” I had to think about the many roads on the German Autobahn, the many hours being stuck in traffic jams.
 
“Can’t we use one of those… cars instead?” Hawk asked and I just shook my head.
 
“Not without a human driving us. We’re too small.” I played with the thought of working around that issue like in the old cartoons, attaching something large to my hooves. I scrapped that thought pretty quickly.
 
“Aren’t there any trains or airships, darling?” Rarity inquired.

“We have trains but I doubt they still work. Almost all trains run on electricity, and I doubt most power plants are still running. Airships are also out. Ever since a terrible accident a hundred or so years ago, there hasn’t been any further development. There are aircrafts, the flying machines I told you about, but those need an even more skilled and trained human than cars do.” The mood had dropped significantly.
 
“Can’t we take an airship from here?” Rainbow asked.

“No, Rainbow, the portal is not….” Twilight didn’t get any further as she suddenly turned tail and stormed out of the room. The door behind her snapped shut and one could hear how she rushed into her room. Trixie, her barrel still wrapped up in bandages, took her place and looked at the list.
 
“I think we can check the point of transportations?” She looked at everybody around as we all nodded.
 
“What did she write here…?” Rainbow flew over Trixie’s head and took a peek at the list. I observed her eyes scanning down on all points until she reached the end, whereupon her face became awfully red. “Erm… Light, maybe you should see this….” Trixie followed Rainbow’s gaze down to the bottom and turned red as well. I snatched the document away from them and went through it myself.
 
“Attendance list...Training...Holly...Blue Light’s body, notes below?” I read out loud and looked to where the note had directed. There were a few notes about my DNA, features like my age, appearance, and an accurate account of my physical dimensions...all physical dimensions. “What the?” Twilight had examined me in order to see if everything was alright and at the right place. However, how the hell had she managed to note it all. I mean really, everything? Cadance bent over and found the data that was upsetting me.

“I see Twilight hasn’t stopped when it comes to thoroughness.” She observed quickly and handed the parchment over to Shining. He just chuckled a little before hoofing it back.
 
“You’re lucky. You should better not ask about her younger years when our parents explained to her the facts of life. I had to sleep on a sofa by one of my friends for a week.” He laughed lightly. Not wanting to think about it any longer, I put the checklist back into the bag and quickly forgot about the matter.
 

***

 
After having wasted the rest of the day with further planning, I was happy to have some private time with AJ.
 
“You know, sugarcube, the city is beautiful and all, but I’m missing the farm.” She was right. Canterlot was beautiful but also quite loud.
 
“I know what you mean. I’ve lived most of my life in the countryside and nothing beats the lovely silence of the night.” She laid herself next me and pulled the blanket over us.

“I see we speak the same language in this matter.” I leaned over to her and we exchanged a few kisses. However, I pulled back before it would become too heated, causing her to look at me oddly.
 
“What’s the issue, sugarcube? You look like you ain’t all here right now.” Oh, how I would have loved to switch off my brain right now.
 
“I don’t like the thought of putting everyone into danger. I mean, you girls have saved Equestria many times, but this is a lost battle. I don’t want you putting yourself into harm’s way for this, and I want prevent Fluttershy from seeing all the misery.” AJ smiled and gave me another kiss.
 
“I appreciate your concerns, but we want to help you. You are our friend, my friend. And it’s like you said, we saved Equestria two times now, first from Nightmare Moon and then from Discord. Shining Armor and Cadance sent Chrysalis’ changelings packing together once before. We’re pretty capable of handling ourselves.” She hit me with a hoof in my side. I flinched, and when I looked up again, I saw her smile. “Now get over here. We’ve done enough talking for the day.” She grabbed me with her hooves and pulled me over to her. I couldn’t wipe the grin off my face.




> Chapter 42 - Architects
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The days on the estate soon became a pattern: breakfast in the morning, training, lunch, reviews, and then dinner. I disliked how much into a rut we had fallen into, especially now that Earth could use help, but it was necessary. Even though I could cast most spells, it was their use that counted. Twilight had tried to explain the concept to me, and we found common ground. Magic was like trying to push a thread made of wool through the eye of a needle. Some had a lot of wool, others did not. Some could do it in one go; others needed many more attempts. Trixie was sensitive by nature, but her wool was short. Twilight had both a lot of wool and the required sensitivity. I lacked in both departments and usually tried to squeeze the entire ball of wool in one go through a rather small eye. The reason for this was simple: I wasn’t used to magic. Therefore, I spent one morning after the next repeating each spell over and over again. The lack of a second source of magic quickly became evident in my exhaustion.
 
“Twilight, I need a break….” I hadn’t even moved an inch in the last hour, but casting the same spell on the same stone was mentally more demanding than physically yet still had the same effect. Said pony was sitting behind me on a cot in the large garden and naturally had her eyes focused on a book. It hovered to the side as she examined me.
 
“I don’t mind,” she answered briefly and went back to her book. Good for her, sitting in the shadow. I laid on my back down on the well-trimmed lawn and observed the clouds above Canterlot. Some distance away, I could hear Dawn and Sweetie Belle playing hide-and-seek with Holly and discovered Rainbow, who was casually drifting around on a cloud. I got an idea how to get myself some shade.
 
“Hey Rainbow!” She jolted up and looked down in confusion. “You mind getting me a cloud as a sun screen? Please?” I saw her lips forming into a grin, and I knew that that was a no. She flew over to a small formation of clouds, caught one, and began to head in my direction at a ridiculous speed. I tried to get on my hooves, but it was too late. She came at me like a dive bomber and released the cloud. In fear of getting hit by the object, I held my hooves up, closed my eyes, and waited for the impact.
 
That was when it hit me. Not the cloud but a thought. If they were made of water vapour, then I should only get a cold shower since I wasn’t a pegasus, right? I opened my eyes again. The cloud was directly in front of me and had stopped, stopped by my own hooves. Astonished, I pushed it to the side and got a look at Rainbow, who had also been expecting an impact.
 
“Wha—? How did you…?” she stuttered and came closer to check on what had just transpired. That was when I heard an outcry of horror behind me, and I felt something pulling on my sides. Twilight, who had watched the event with interest and amusement, held me with her magic and stroked the feathers of a wing… my wing. Confused as I was, I first looked over the pair of feathered appendages growing from my sides before looking up to Twilight.
 
“Please tell me you tried a new spell on me…” I asked her but she only shook her head. She kept examining my wings and stroked over one with a hoof. Immediately, I pulled it in. “Hey, that tickles!” I snapped at her but got no reaction. In fact, her view now turned up to my forehead, and I somehow knew what she seeing, or rather, what she was not seeing. I began to scan the area with a hoof myself and came to the same conclusion: my horn was missing.
 
“I need to do some research. I’ll be back soon,” Twilight called and was off into the house. I looked after her for a few seconds before turning upright and testing my new appendages a few times.
 
“How did you do that? Is that some spell?” asked Rainbow, as confused as I was.
 
“I have no idea…” Twilight came back with tweezers, pulled out a few strands of hair from my coat, and was off again. Once more, we looked after her. “Well, at least someone is having their fun,” I remarked.
 
“Why one? You can fly now! That’s the best thing in the world!” Rainbow announced and made a small loop for emphasis. “Come on! Try it!
 
“No thanks, I’d rather stay on the ground.” She looked like someone who just had cod liver oil poured down their throat.
 
“How does somepony not want to fly?”  It must have been a foreign concept for Rainbow.
 
“I have vertigo, Rainbow! I can’t even...” I looked around. “I can’t even look down from that window up there without getting sick.” I pointed at the window at the first floor of the two story building. I was exaggerating perhaps, but the three meter tower at the swimming pool was my archenemy. The blue pegasus only shook her head and pulled the cloud from before over.
 
“Then it’s time you conquer your fears!” she announced and suddenly picked me up and put me on the cloud. Surprised by her strength and the fluffy feeling in my stomach, I failed to realise what she had planned for me. The cloud, with me atop, picked up speed, and within an instant, we were a few hundred meters above ground. It didn’t take Rainbow to prevent me from escaping – the sheer height did that job. With a scream, I fell back on the cloud and desperately clung to this weirdly solid construct of water vapour. My screams were accompanied by Rainbows giggles as she kept on accelerating. We flew one round after the other around the estate when all suddenly there was a hard stop. The forces of inertia still applying, I instantly made a forward roll and ended up with only my forehooves grabbing the cloud, twenty meters above the ground.
 
“Rainbow! Bring him down now!” I heard Twilight shouting, and I could see my driver was hanging in her purple aura. She only gave a sigh and began to slowly but steadily push down the cloud. Barely had it gotten it within a more acceptable distance when I let go of it and pushed my body on the ground.
 
“Thankyouthankyouthankyou….” It was all I could say as I hugged the dirt.
 
“Rainbow! What were you thinking?! We don’t know what had caused the effect. What if he had suddenly changed back?!” Twilight was frantic, but I wasn’t sure if it was about me getting injured or over almost losing a test subject. I decided that it was the former.
 
“Calm down, Twilight, I had it all covered. If he had fallen off, I would have caught him…” she flew a few small loops around the fuming unicorn “...just like that!”
 
“Darn it, what’s going on out here?!” AJ came through the open patio door and looked honestly confused. “I thought I had heard Dawn screaming.” That statement was too much for Rainbow, who was now rolling on the ground, laughing like mad. Twilight ignored her and stepped over to me.
 
“You alright, Light?” Still breathing heavily, I nodded and turned my head back so I could see AJ upside down.
 
“I think that was me.” I told her, and seeing as her expression changed, she probably noticed something missing.
 
“Okay, what in tarnation is going on here, sugarcube, and where is your horn?” Unable to give her an answer, I only looked over to Twilight, who could shrug her shoulders.
 
“I haven’t analysed the samples yet.”
 
“As you can see, we are working on a problem. Until then, I need to get used to these…” I tried to move my wings but nothing happened. Wondering, I stood up and realised that I was lacking both horn and wings. “Twilight... I’m starting to panic here…” She pulled some hair from my coat again with a bit more force this time.
 
“Sorry, no time for the tweezers.” With that, she disappeared into the house, again.
 
“So… you are an earth pony now?” AJ remarked and took a closer look.
 
“Looks like… from unicorn to pegasus to earth pony. I hope it doesn’t stay this way.” AJ gave me the evil eye.
 
“So you’re saying that being an earth pony is bad?” I wildly shook my head and held up my hooves in defence.
 
“Nonononono, not at all. What I meant was the changing. You know that I don’t care as long as I got be with you….” True story. I never had magic in my life before and flying was out of question.
 
“Ugh…” Rainbow shoved a hoof in her mouth. “Way too cheesy. I’m gone, taking a nap.” I couldn’t care less what the troublemaker had to say and gave AJ a kiss.
 
“I hope Twilight finds out what’s wrong with me….”
 

***

 
I spent the rest of the day as an earth pony and quickly realised that it helped to have access to magic every now and then. Moving the faucet or shower was way easier with magic than with hoof or mouth, just like all the doors in Canterlot. The main population consisted of unicorns so it was understandable that the doors were made for them. I could understand why Rainbow preferred flying through the library’s window over opening the front door.
 
Pinkie even wanted to throw me a party, a first-unicorn-then-pegasus-now-earth pony-party to be exact. Cadance, however, had some sympathy for my troubled soul and asked Pinkie to delay it until Shining Armor was cured. The next big challenge was now ahead of me: lunch. Rainbow, for whom the word etiquette had no meaning, was eating like a pig, to put it mildly, but that didn’t seem to bother the others. Twilight and Cadance ate with knife and fork aided by their magic, just like I did before, while AJ ate with her mouth from the plate, one bite at the time. The little ones had taken their food outside for a picnic. Carefully, and with the aid of my tongue, I managed to pick up one of those fried flowers and place it more or less in my mouth. The first five times the desired food had always fallen back on the dish, something AJ observed with a smile.
 
“I somehow gained a newfound respect for earth ponies,” I said as I swallowed down the flower. It tasted similar to bilberries. The flowers generally tasted like berries. On bread, they were like jam and honey; while fried, they now now tasted more akin to french fries with a strange ketchup dip. The hay fries, as a garnish, on the other hand (or hoof), were tasteless. However, they gave a fine aftertaste of something akin to woodruff.
 
“Too bad it had to come down to this to realise that, sugarcube,” AJ replied and took another bite from her dish.
 
“You know that I spent the majority of my life without magic. I mean, the interactions with the world, like doorknobs, the shower handle, those things. I can grab simple things with my hooves but other things just won’t work.” Twilight swallowed and coughed slightly.
 
“Those things were actually intended for unicorns only. The differences in technology came from the time when the three tribes lived separately,” the walking lexicon explained.
 
“My mother often told me about those dark times,” Cadance added. “She was traveling with Celestia back then, and she had seen a lot of suffering. It was understandable, though, as no pony trusted the next after Discord’s thousand year long reign of chaos.” I became uneasy as Cadance spoke about the dark past of Equestria. I got reminded of the dark ages on Earth, with the only exception that history took a turn for the good here, whereas on Earth war was still an everyday occurrence as people still didn’t trust each other.
 
The table became silent for a while. “Already a theory on what happened with me, Twilight?”
 
“Mmm.” She gulped. “A rough one. I told you about your DNA a few days ago.” I nodded. “Half your DNA is Celestia’s, so it’s from an alicorn. The other contains parts of Changer, simply because you two were the same person, and something else that I have never seen before. My assumption is that it’s the alicorn segment that interferes with the unknown one. Did you do something unusual this morning? What were your thoughts when it happened? What spells did you use?” I reflected on that.
 
“The last spell I tried to cast was a solar beam and thought about… actually, I thought about the runes. It still takes me a lot of concentration to cast these spells. You know I was pretty tired and barely had any magic left. But the trigger was the cloud that Rainbow wanted to throw on my head because I imagined it to be a solid block, rather than water vapour.” I looked at Twilight, she looked back, and I think we had the same theory.
 
“Albia!” we said simultaneously.
 
“She created both Celestia and Luna, both powerful enough to command the heavenly bodies that were also their special talents,” I finished the first thought.
 
“And since the same DNA is also in you, it amplifies your special ability. You can change objects, or in this case your body. The material is available since an alicorn is amalgam of earth pony, pegasus, and unicorn,” Twilight concluded.
 
“But how can I control it? I ain’t got a horn anymore to use magic.” Once more, I touched my head. I had somehow gotten used to that horn.
 
“You actually changed from a pegasus to an earth pony without a horn. If we find the trigger, then you should be able to control the changes.” Suddenly, the chair under me got pulled away. What surprised me more was the lack of gravity that followed.
 
“What was that supposed to be, AJ?” Said pony now standing behind me pointed at my side. I turned my head and saw a blue wing with white tips flapping autonomously, the same on the other side. That was also what prevented me from falling on my rear. “What the actual….?”
 
“Ponies do by default what they can do best. Since transformations are your talent, I thought I’ll give it a try, sugarcube.” Both Twilight and I looked at her with astonishment. “What? Yer doing as if I never said anything smart before,” she answered, slightly offended.
 
“It’s not that. I just know that it would have taken days for us two to discover this. If you know a lot, you think complicated. Sometimes it helps if someone with less insight of the mater brings you back to the basics.” A wisdom that my teacher for software programming had beaten me around my head. “You are not stupid, AJ, and no one thinks that. You just have a different field of expertise. I bet you know more about trees and plants than me or Twilight.” Said pony was about to protest but decided to let it go.
 
“It’s nice that you see it that way.” I pulled the chair back under my rear but my wings suddenly disappeared, and I felt a familiar tingle on my forehead.
 
“Hey, my horn is back!” I screamed in delight, and almost instantly, knives and forks came into my direction.
 
“Well, with you ponies around, it never gets boring.” Cadance laughed.
 

***

 
“You really had to run to your mom at once?” We all stood outside in the garden and watched as the sun was slowly setting, waiting for my mother and Luna to arrive. After our little discovery at the dinner table, Twilight of course had to immediately send a letter.
 
“Of course! If somepony can help us with this issue, it’s the princesses.” She was right. We had tried for the entire afternoon to control my ability, but aside the trick with the chair and the occasional ‘surprise’, we hadn’t reached far. Since we couldn’t rely on these tricks, a different solution was necessary. “Also, what’s so bad in calling for help?” It was actually a pretty good question. Maybe I wanted to accomplish something myself. Ever since I had gotten here, I had always gotten help with everything, but that was only a superficial excuse. I couldn’t explain it myself why I was so mad about it.
 
“Forget it…” Twilight rolled her eyes before we spotted our arriving guests on approach to the estate. From the settlement at the mountainside, which stretched down to the valley all the way to Manehatten, one had a nice view on the castle above, from where two spots were coming in fast. If you were to run the distance, it would take about half an hour, but for the two royals, it took just a fraction of it. So they were on final descent shortly after and were standing now in front of us in the gardens.
 
“Good evening, everypony,” Celestia greeted us with a smile.
 
“We wish ye a good evening as well,” Luna added and passed over the estate.
 
“You too a good evening, mother.” Cadance stepped closer to Luna and both nuzzled each other. I greeted Celestia by bowing to her and gave Twilight the primacy of hugging her mentor.
 
“What’s the matter, Light? You don’t feel like greeting your mother with little more love?” She turned to me as she let go of Twilight. I ignored her statement and went straight to the point.
 
“I’m sorry, but I’m not in the mood today. We are here for something else, right Twilight?” She nodded and Twilight stepped closer.
 
“At the moment, Light is once more a unicorn, but if we let him buck a tree…” Twilight’s horn flared, and an apple tree shot out from the ground. She had used that spell the entire afternoon. It wouldn’t hold for long, but for the sake of demonstration, it was enough. I moved over to it and struck out at it. Although I had practiced, not a single apple came down on the first try. I struck it again with more force, and this time the bark splintered and all the apples came raining down. They looked delicious but sadly were inedible. Celestia and Luna both observed and nodded at me as I stepped back to the others as an earth pony again.
 
“He can control it subconsciously, but without the motivation…” Celestia motioned for silence and nodded to Twilight that she had understood.
 
“This ability is quite impressive and I agree with your observations.” Probably those featured in the letter. “It is certainly an enhancement of his talent caused by the DNA we both share. I can even tell you why it doesn’t require magic to change forms, only to maintain it.” I perked up at those words. “We alicorns, which also applies to Light, live for as long as our magic source is sufficient.” Since that constantly produces new ones, they were as good as immortal. “The shapeshifting is caused by your soul, and your body reacts. As long as there is enough magic, you will be able to change forms.” That explained why I would change back to a unicorn eventually. The capacitor was empty.
 
“I think I have an idea on where to apply to get this thing under control.” I couldn’t move my soul like I used to be, but since I was able to see and feel it, I should be able to influence it.
 
“It would be of a significant tactical advantage to master all forms.” We turned around to Shining Armor, now standing at the door to the garden.
 
“Honey, you should be staying in bed,” Cadance said and hurried to him.
 
“I’m fine, thanks sweetheart,” he assured her and turned to the other royals. “If we are going to enter this other world, it would be a big benefit for us if he could fly and to control his ability.” Celestia nodded in agreement.
 
“The next hearing is going to be next week. Keep preparing, everypony, so that I will not have any other choice but to approve of this endeavour.” That was the main reason for our daily meetings in Canterlot. By now we had most issues addressed.
 
“These provisions have been made. That’s why AJ and I will head back to the farm tomorrow,” I said as everyone looked at me. “She’s missing her family and is going to be away for a potentially long time, so she should be spending as much time with them as possible. I will, of course, keep training.” Their smiles of approval were all I needed.
> Chapter 43 - Escape from the City
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

For two days we had been back on the farm, and AJ was as equally happy about it as I was. Not that I didn’t like living with Cadance and Shining Armor; both had grown dearly in my heart, and I really liked counting them amongst my friends. Braeburn was also an interesting fellow, but I had only met him once. If I wanted to sound sentimental, then I would say that I had only gotten friendly with Shining because we had fought together. There was something to that “brothers in arms” mentality soldiers always talked about.
 
However, there wasn’t much to be done on the farm besides watering dried-up plants and trees, cleaning the cellar, and repairing a few carts. There wasn’t enough work for Caramel, Braeburn, Big Mac, AJ, and me, so someone always had free time. However, that was only a polite euphemism for ‘watch the Cutie Mark Crusaders’. This task was mostly left to me since the others were much more efficient at working than I was. Personally, I would have preferred to explore my skills, and Twilight wanted to explore me more thoroughly. However, Celestia had tasked her with another project that was of a much higher priority. All I got was that it had to do with levitating large objects and the like.
 
“You will never defeat me, Chrysalis!” Celestia aimed her horn at her enemy, who fell to the ground in pain. The heavily injured Armor was lying beside me on the meadow between the apple trees and watching the battle unfold.
 
“Ahhh! You’re too powerful….!” the changeling queen whined and collapsed.
 
“Now it’s time to banish you to Tartarus. Get her, Cerberus!” The three-headed dog jumped out of a nearby bush, throwing itself onto the enemy and beginning to tickle it furiously.

“Stop, hahahaha! Apple Bloom, stop it!” Scootaloo begged for mercy, but her friend showed none. Sweetie Belle couldn’t hold her laughter and joined the fight. The three foals rolled over the ground, having the time of their lives. 

For me, the play was a reminder of what I had done in the past few weeks. There was nothing wrong with it, just the fact from where I got the bravery to do it. I wasn’t a coward to begin with, and I had stood my ground, even three against one. After a visit to a theatre once, I had been threatened by three thugs with clubs, wanting cigarettes. Since I was a non-smoker, I had none with me and that made them understandably angry. I had managed to disarm one and kick the other before the third one head-butted me, breaking my nose. To simply submit hadn’t been an option for me at that point. As a child, I had a lot to go through with my illnesses, and other children were cruel. They didn’t care if you were sick – you were different and that made you bad. During the fourth grade, I had it with the bullying and what followed was an incident that I was really not proud of. I smacked one of my tormentors, with a chair, right in the face. That was the point when I decided to fight back, not with violence but with words and an emotional shield. I couldn’t allow such things to get under my skin, and violence was only the tool of fools who couldn’t use words. If necessary, I would defend myself, but I would not shoot first.
 
“Why do I have to play Shining Armor? Just lying around is so boring,” Dawn asked his comrades, who froze in their poses.
 
“Erm…” Apple Bloom thought for a second.

“He is your uncle, right? So it’s logical!” Sweetie Belle added, and the others nodded in agreement. Not many knew about my part in the fight, and that was a good thing. I had let myself go; I had given up. That was why only the Bearers, Armor, his squad, and the princesses knew about it. I was with them on the front pages of the newspapers, just as Hawk, Glimmer, Star, and Trixie, but they rarely wrote about me. They hadn’t even noticed my changes. A few tabloids reported that I had primed and lengthened, for whatever good that was. However, they barely mentioned the changeling attack.
 
“Ummm… Mister Light sir…” I turned around and saw little Holly coming towards me. The few times I had spoken with her, it became evident how fast she was copying Fluttershy. What else you would expect: if you try to teach someone to become their own person, they would try to mimic their role model.
 
“Light is enough. What can I do for you?” Seemingly nervous, she was hoofing around and avoiding my gaze.
 
“Umm… where is…” The rest became unintelligible as her voice became quieter.
 
“Please, little one, speak louder.” She came a bit closer and whispered into my ear.
 
“I… erm… need to….” Okay, she wasn’t nervous; she needed to get to the toilet. I slowly rose up and looked at the Crusaders.
 
“I’ll show Holly the loo; be back soon. Don’t cause any trouble.” The collective grin of the four foals didn’t bode well.
 
Slowly we, the little one and I, went to the house. The entire way, I could see her straining, but galloping wouldn’t have helped. As soon as we reached the house, I escorted her inside and showed her the room. Like lightning, she disappeared inside, and I used the opportunity to get myself some apple juice from the fridge. With a relieved sigh, I put the now empty glass into the sink and savoured the chill. Summer was in full effect, and the outside temperatures must have been around the thirty degrees, Celsius that was. My coat had the practical ability to make the heat more bearable, something I had never expected. In that moment, a thought crossed my mind. Pegasi were much more resilient against weather, right, so why not run around with a pair of wings for a while? I just had to push the trigger. I had trained the last few days, and with a bit of effort, or rather concentration, or maybe a bit of both, I could feel those wings on my sides.
 
“Woah! How… ah… did you do that?” Holly was standing behind me, her large eyes fixated on my new appendages “I thought that…” She looked at the floor, not daring to finish the sentence. “Are you… like me?” I was a bit taken aback. I didn’t know what Fluttershy had told her or what she had found out herself. She must have realised that she was different. I had never seen a pony with black coat or with insect wings and a horn for that matter.
 
“No, but I’m a bit different too. Honestly, it feels similar to what you feel. I too came here and was accepted by my mother, even though I’m like this. So what can I say, I have my family and my friends here. Don’t worry about it.” I couldn’t think of anything better to say to the little one. I had a hunch that she wouldn’t always have it easy among ponies, but I wouldn’t remind her of that if it wasn’t necessary.
 
“And why can you do something like that? If I may ask?” Fluttershy had a good influence on her.
 
“Well, it’s my special talent.” I showed her my cutie mark. “It stands for the changing of matter.” I could see in her puzzled expression that “matter” wasn’t a formulation she was familiar with. “I’m good at changing objects.”
 
“Can.... Can you change me?” This time I was the puzzled one. “I know how ponies look at me in the big city or when I was with Flutt… mother in the market this morning.” Tears were running down her cheeks, and I felt completely overwhelmed.
 
“No hold it just a minute, sugarcube. You are you. If somepony has issues with that, then they have issues with all of us!” AJ had arrived just in time to help me out.
 
“Exactly. Also, no one would dare upset Fluttershy,” I added with a wink. What surprised me was that she hugged me with her forelegs.
 
“Hey, it’s alright.” I patted her head. “Now come on, the others are waiting.
 

***

 
After a short walk back to the open fields, Holly and I were looking out for the other Crusaders, but they had vanished without a trace.
 
“Apple Bloom? Scootaloo? Sweetie Belle? Dawn?” I called but got no response.
 
“Maybe they don’t want to play with me anymore….” Holly remarked with sadness in her voice.
 
“Nah, they’re just hiding somewhere…” Just as I finished the sentence, I felt something heavy land on my back, and with sound of four screaming foals, I ended up on the ground rather painfully.
 
“We got you now, changeling!” Scootaloo shouted and reared up in front of me.
 
“Yeah! We got you now!” Apple Bloom repeated.
 
“Very funny. Can I stand up again?” I tried to rise, but the weight of the foals kept me down.
 
“As if we would believe your fabrications,” Sweetie Belle hissed and poked me with her horn.
 
“Ow!”
 
“His what?” Scootaloo asked, confused by the word.
 
“His lies,” Apple Bloom clarified.
 
“Sheesh, are you both now dictionaries?” The little pegasus groaned.
 
“Two lexica and a chicken.” I grinned, gaining the ireful looks of the three. “So, why do you girls think I’m a changeling?
 
“Light is a unicorn, but you have wings and look like him,” Dawn summarized the situation. During the drama with Holly, I had totally forgotten to change back. The weather was simply more bearable this way. A little bit of concentration and I changed back to my regular form.
 
“Satisfied?” I asked, but they were looking at me with wide eyes.
 
“That’s the proof he’s a changeling. He changed right in front of our eyes!” Sweetie Bell screamed, and they began running around like crazy. Finally on all fours, I caught them one by one with my magic and pulled them towards me.
 
“Now look here.” My words were insufficient to overcome their screaming. “SILENCE!” boomed my Royal Canterlot Voice over the fields. It was nice to be able to use it without that stupid echo. The effect was instantaneous. “This is just a spell that I learned. I mean, your sister Rarity had wings too, right Sweetie Bell?” She nodded, and I let them down to the ground.
 
“Uh...Are you really that scared from changelings?” Holly asked the still thunderstruck crusaders.
 
“I’m not scared…” Scootaloo announced but got a jab to the side by Apple Bloom in response. “Alright, maybe a little…” she admitted.
 
“But you are not one of them, right girls? Sweetie Bell had understood the question, and her friends nodded with her in agreement. I could see how much this relieved the little one.
 
“So, Light, you can change into a pegasus?”
 
I nodded and added, “And an earth-pony as well.”
 
“Show us, show us!” was their call now. I thought for a second and decided that a little demonstration wouldn’t hurt.
 
“Everyone take a step back.” My exercises in the past few days consisted of me in my pegasus form using my wings for propulsion and shortly before hitting a tree, or any obstacle for that matter, changing into an earth-pony and bucking it as hard as possible. Of course, I wasn’t using AJ precious apple trees for practice but rather the oak trees at the edge of the farm, not far from where we were standing. I took a small run-up and went into a full gallop. It took me a bit of time to get some feeling in my wings, and once those were flapping, I had to take care not to trip over my hooves from the extra speed. One of the trees was coming closer pretty fast, and I prepared to change my form. Internally, I was counting down to three and tried to shapeshift, but nothing happened. “Damn it….” The word had barely left my mouth before I struck the massive tree squarely.

Pain flowed through my body as I tried to regain my bearings. “Light, you okay?” Apple Bloom asked, her voice worried.
 
“Yeah. Demo effect,” came my mumbled answer.
 
“Can you actually fly?” Scootaloo inquired as she examined my wings more closely. I remembered Rainbow’s reaction to my statement and decided to spare her the shock about winged ponies not wanting to fly at all.
 
“Nope.” Dawn and the others looked at me and grinned sheepishly.
 
“Then you should come with us to Rainbow Dash this afternoon!” the little colt announced.
 
“Exactly, she will teach you how to fly.” What did I get myself into?
 

***

 
Trixie was on cloud nine. An article in the papers about her heroic feats together with Light - her secret brother - and Shining Armor’s squad, were still the number one topic in Canterlot, even after a full week. Equestria had repelled a changeling invasion two times now, and just like the last one, there hadn’t been any victims, only minor injuries. The best part, however, was that the she was literally drowning in requests from nearly every theatre in town. It was all running according to plan.

“Mommy, look, she’s from the newspaper!” A little unicorn foal was pointing at her while she was trotting down the broad streets of Canterlot. She revelled in every moment of attention the townsfolks presented her with. With the outcry of the foal, more and more ponies looked at her, and the gossiping began.
 
“I heard she fought Chrysalis.”
 
“But she lost.”
 
“Who can blame her for that? Even the princess had problems with her from what I know.”
 
“Is your source reliable? I heard that she once claimed to have vanquished an Ursa Major.”
 
“The princess herself commanded her, so there must be something to it.”
 
How could they still doubt her? Hadn’t she risked her life to save theirs? Pissed off as she was, she turned towards the gossiping mares and threw them an evil eye. 

They realised that their cover had been blown and quickly dispersed in different directions.
 
Once out of earshot, a frustrated sigh escaped her lips. It was too good to be true, but that wouldn’t ruin her performance tomorrow.
 

***


“Give me twenty wing-ups for warm up!” Somewhat irritated since I had no intentions to learn how to fly, I stood with Dawn and Scootaloo below Rainbow Dash’s cloud house and began the exercises under her stern instruction. However, I thought that being able to break one’s fall would be a good idea. It was not likely that I would get into a similar situation anytime soon, but I hadn’t even expected it when it first happened. Also, this was Equestria and more specifically, if I wanted to challenge destiny, Ponyville. So I did as I was told and our trainer nodded in satisfaction.
 
“Alright, you two, you know the drills, so head out for a small one around the block, but not too high.” Much to my amazement, Dawn swung himself with one stroke a few meters up in the air and began to fly a large circle over the fields. Scootaloo did as well but she only managed to hold three meters above ground level and with much more strain in her flapping. “I never thought I would see you here, Light. Finally want to feel the best part of the world?” she asked with amusement.
 
“Not really; those two talked me into it. It’s more in case of an emergency if a certain someone pulls me up into the sky on a cloud again and I fell down.” I had hoped that that would hit its mark. Considering her mirthful laughter, it probably missed a mile wide.
 
“Your screams were so funny. I’ve never seen such a wuss before, except Fluttershy maybe.” I felt that she didn’t understand what I meant.
 
“Rainbow, I have vertigo. That wasn’t just a simple prank! I was scared to death up there!” She sighed and looked away.
 
“Alright, alright. I’m sorry, okay?” That was probably the best that I could get from Rainbow, but I didn’t take that the wrong way.
 
“We’re good. Now, how do I use these things?”  Suddenly, she was all over my face.
 
“These ‘things’ are very sensitive. You’ve got to feel the wind; you need to align yourself with them and let them carry you,” she snapped at me. I took note to never talk bad about anything that was even remotely related to flight in her presence. “So, first things first. Pegasus wings have a lot of magic.”
 
“Like a unicorn’s horn?”
 
“Maybe. It’s important to adapt to this circulation.” I would have expected ‘pumping’ and similarly simple words.
 
“Wow, such a big word from you…”
 
“You want to learn or not? I’m no Twilight, but I know how my wings work, okay?”
 
“Alright, alright.”
 
“Now, try to feel the magic within and build up a matching rhythm. It’s different from pegasus to pegasus, so I can’t help you with that. If you want to know how it doesn’t work, just look over there.” She pointed at Scootaloo, who still had problems remaining in the air.
 
“Where did you learn all this?” I just couldn’t imagine her being a striving scholar.
 
“Flight School in Cloudsdale. Since Twilight and Sunshine can’t fly and don’t even live up there, I teach them.” She wasn’t unlike me when it came to school. If a subject had been uninteresting, then I had done only so much so as to not get an F in my school report. Once my interest got awakened, the grades had reflected it. My subject was math while hers was sports or something. I still couldn't figure it out.
 
“Sunshine? Is that Scoot’s mom?” She isn’t a pegasus?” Rainbow became unusually serious.
 
“Yes, and she’s paralyzed. She couldn’t use her wings since birth, so she never learned how to fly. The docs even reckoned that Scootaloo might get it too. Lucky for her, it only turned into a deficiency. She will be able to fly, but nopony knows if she will ever get good at it.” That explained why her wings were smaller than Dawn’s even though they were of the same age.
 
“You seem to know a lot about her mother.” I could see that this topic was unnerving her.
 
“When I was young, she lived in my neighbourhood.” She nudged me a little. ”Now let’s get going. If you want a tea party, you better visit Rarity or Fluttershy.”
 
I nodded and began to focus, even though I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to focus on or what I was looking for in the first place. She said that it was like a magical cycle, something like heartbeats maybe, something you could build up a rhythm to. I closed my eyes and tried to feel for some kind of pulsing in my wings or if something would turn visible in my soul, but there was nothing except the wind flowing around my extended feathers.
 
“There’s nothing there, Rainbow,” I said after a few minutes.
 
“It’s there, trust me. It took Scootaloo a few weeks, and even I look for it sometimes for a whole hour. A whole hour!” She must have really put herself into that one hour.
 
I may have not been born to fly, but I could concentrate if I wanted to. Curse you, Internet! I closed my eyes again and began to focus. It was boring. I just stood there, humming a melody and waiting for something to happen, something not wanting to happen.
 
“I’m going to look at the kids. You… just keep doing that.” Meaning that ‘it’s much more entertaining to watch them fly their rounds than you’. “Looking good, Scoots!” she called from a distance.
 
There I was now, magical wings on my back, trying to feel something that wasn’t there. I could move them; I could flap them, but I couldn’t get off the ground with them. It was probably the magic in those things that kept the pegasi light enough to fly. Last time I checked, my bones weren’t hollow. At least the crash against that tree didn’t show any signs of that. Concentration was one thing, even if doing so was a bit strained with Rainbow barking orders around, but to feel something while the wind was whipping against my wings was different. How would I come to a result this way? It was time to put my brain into it. I had changed into a pegasus, but what did I know about the actual process? This you-are-half-an-alicorn thing and my powers made it possible, but I was still practically a unicorn, at least since my resurrection through Albia. If I wanted my magic to take effect, I had to create it. What would Rarity say?


“Idea!” If there was no magical pulse to be felt, why not create one? I started to alternate between tensing and easing my muscles. It somehow felt like I was clenching my butt. Much to my surprise, something was actually happening. One could call it a magical pulsing, but it came not quite from my body – rather, it came from my wings. It began from the tips and slowly passed through my body like a second heartbeat. It was a slow, continuous rhythm, just as Rainbow had described it. I started to move my wings to that rhythm, and a whole new feeling came over me: lightness. It was as if I had done one of those super diets, losing all my weight, feeling like a leaf in the wind. I also felt it much stronger now and let myself drift by it. “I’m flying! I’m flying!” I shouted with glee and looked down to my classmates, only to witness them having a moderate case of a laughing fit. Like the teacher, like the student.
 
“You call that flying? You’re barely hanging an inch above the ground.” But I was in the air. “Let’s call it a start.”
 
“How long did I need?” Surely I hadn’t taken that long. Rainbow only pointed at the setting sun.
 

***

 
I had made myself a fool in front of Rainbow Dash and, to cap it all, in front of Dawn and Scootaloo as well. After a short first flight, Rainbow had decided to call it a day and sent the youngsters home. She offered me some extra training, but I had done what I had intended, right? In case of an emergency, I could at least hover and break my fall. She was much more disappointed about that than I was, even going so far as giving a little speech on what I was missing out. Even Fluttershy was scared of heights yet flew sometimes. Rainbow’s words, not mine. I got the feeling that flight must be in the blood of the pegasi, so it was less something to overcome than an urge to satisfy, right? To cement my decision, I had turned back into a unicorn and left. It was not the proper way to finish a conversation, but Rainbow had asked for it. It was my decision, not hers.
 
Now I was sitting at the river that was flowing through Ponyville, just off the farm, thinking about the day. I hadn’t trained a single spell that day, so it was now or never. Since I hadn’t been stingy with my magic today, I decided to take it slow. Celestia’s magic, as powerful as it was, was getting boring. I hadn’t trained ‘simple’ alteration spells, and the water was practically screaming to be manipulated. I also could have used some refreshment. I stood up, stepped into the shallow water, took some of it with my magic, and formed it into a soccer ball.
 
“Well, at least something is working today,” I remarked with satisfaction and plunged my head into the ball. The cool water was pleasant after such a hot day and could spare myself the shower later. I immersed myself through it once and then shook myself dry. Who needed towels if you had a fur coat? 

A new thought crossed my mind. Maybe I could combine my magic with Celestia’s? Some light in the water, breaking in the right angle, and I could create an artificial rainbow that would make the Cloudsdale weather ponies envious. I began to form a circle, and the water quickly started to glow. I was about to call it a success when the sphere hardened and fell like a rock into the river. “Oh no…” 

The circle dissolved as the large water sphere shone brighter and brighter. I climbed out of the river as fast as my hooves could carry me and took cover near a large beech tree. I had barely made it when suddenly a large explosion went off, strong enough to be heard all over Ponyville. Water, rocks, and small bushes shot past the tree before silence settled. Cautiously, I peeked around the tree and saw one large crater, about fifty by fifty meters wide and a couple of meters deep, slowly filling with water.

“Well… shit!”
> Chapter 44 - Dancing In The Moonlight
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Satisfied, I looked over my handiwork. I had been in the sun for the entire day and had put the effort in, but it had been worth it. After my small "accident", Mayor Mare had forced me to fix the damage and left the responsibility to me. It was practically my lake, and should something happen to somepony, it would be my responsibility. That I should simply get away with that as the owner of a lake didn't suit Twilight at all. She held a presentation over the safe use of magic, starting in the evening until late into the night, warning that if I ever did something like that again without calculate everything in advance, she would personally put a ring on me. I had to ask Rarity first, and she explained that it was a magical item that was placed around the horn of a unicorn to suppress their magic. She mentioned that it was supposedly unpleasant, depending on how much magic the unicorn had.
 
As I didn't like that prospect at all, I wanted to keep that in mind for the future. Perhaps I would perform my spells so far from Ponyville that she wouldn't notice. During the lecture, I thought about what I could do with my new lake and had, in my opinion, a brilliant idea. This one I couldn't pull off alone, so I asked Pinkie Pie for help. She was all for it once I told her about my small project. She brought one stone after another to the bank, and I started the work. For the entire day, we remodelled everything that needed a make-over. Now, however, it was finished. I had pushed a part of the lake's ground up with my magic and subsequently bordered it with stones so that this area that ran alongside  the street was usable for swimming. Also, anypony could fall into the lake without problems from this side and nothing would happen, killing two birds with one stone.
 
"What do you think? Is this a good place?" She grinned and nodded wildly. "So, what do we need now?” I grinned back.
 
"A lake-warming party!" she called excitably and was gone in the next moment. In a flash, she ran towards Ponyville, probably to distribute the invitations. As it was only late afternoon, she would surely succeed. I was putting my trust in that slightly crazy pony. Then again, it was a reason I got along well with her, as I liked to be crazy at times. After all, it had been definitively crazy to invite AJ to a date.
 
If we really wanted to hold a party today, I would have to prepare a bonfire to provide light. A sunlight spell could have also been a possibility, but I could already hear the concerns of the guests if the magical energy ball that had participated in the explosion was floating above their heads. A fire would be better for the mood anyway, especially at a lake.
 
I took one of the stones, which was quite a pile thanks to Pinkie's experience of rock farming, and began to build a small fireplace. While one stone after the other sailed through the air and moved to its place, I pondered once more about the purpose of such a farm. I had asked Pinkie but got a "Duh!" as an answer before she pointed to the already collected stones. So they were obviously building materials, but I hadn’t seen a single building made of natural stone. Then again, I had been only in Canterlot, Ponyville, and Fillyburg.
 
I put the last stone into its position and started collecting loose branches off the ground. These, of course, wouldn't suffice, but I surely could get more from the trees on the farm. It was only a short trot of two minutes away from the farm. The lake was situated - coming from the farm - on the right, not far from the Everfree Forest. It snaked around half of Ponyville, and on the other side was Whitetail Woods, which meant that trees were basically everywhere. I prepared the pieces of wood that only needed a spark to ignite it and went to the farm as planned. Hopefully, Big Mac wouldn’t hold it against me if I took some wood.
 

***

 
Trixie had been preparing for her show for about an hour now. The manager of the small theatre had provided all props she needed, even the fireworks. She actually preferred to create it magically, but since her concentration would be on the spells, the risk of being indoors was too great. She was a professional, plus a fire at her first performance in a long time would not be received well by the press. She had, of course, made sure that the press ponies would be present. A few rumours that one of the heroes who had fought against the changelings, and who was also Princess Luna's student, was doing a performance were enough. For this, she simply went to Donut Joe's shop and had approached - without her costume - one of the present press ponies. That had been the simplest part.
 
For the third time, she went through her program in her head. The first item would be the greeting and introduction, then a few tales of her heroic deeds. Then it would be time to ask a few volunteers to come up on the stage, or rather those who doubted her. To beat them at their own talent was the biggest attraction and brought her the greatest satisfaction. She had indeed promised Light to be nice to Ponyville's residents, but this wasn't Ponyville and it was part of her show. He couldn't demand for her to leave out one of the best parts. After that, it would be time for her grand finale: the demonstration of her greatest spells. How she had improved in this area, thank Luna.
 
"The curtain will be opened soon," one of the stage hands who was levitating a clipboard in front of him informed her.
 
"Don't dare to disturb the concentration of the Great and Powerful Trixie!" she replied with her nose held high. She was simply too much in her element to care about politely dealing with the employee. He simply rolled his eyes and vanished behind the stage decoration. This one wasn't her familiar blue curtain from her old wagon, but was a painted canvas with her cutie mark on Luna's night sky. As part of her fee, she had requested this beauty to call her own. A nice bonus to the three hundred bits she had for sure. If they had a full house, it would be a hundred more. If her talent had not been magic, she would have had to put her negotiation skills to use.
 
Satisfied with her program, she started to check the fireworks again. She couldn't trust that these amateurs, obviously students of the Canterlot Academy earning their school money here, wouldn't ruin her show from the curtains erupting in flames. She had to admit that it had happened to her once, at her second or her third performance. Since that day, pyrotechnics had been part of her study plan. However, everything was to her satisfaction today. The last checkpoint on her list was the lighting, as she had to rely on it as well. The fat stallion with the cap on his head didn't inspire her with much confidence. With a thick sandwich in his hooves, he sat on a chair in front of the stage lighting control board, above the seats for the guests.
 
"Hey Mike!" she called to him.

"How often do I need to tell you, my name is Light Show!" There existed nothing that she cared less about than the name of this lazy bitch.
 
"Doesn't matter, we’re going to do a last light test. Yellow first." Mike mumbled something that she couldn't understand, and the yellow light above her head came alive. "Okay, now red!"
 
"You could at least say please and thank you!" he called this time.
 
"For doing your job?" No counter came to his mind, and the red light illuminated the stage. Satisfied, she nodded. "And lastly, blue."
 
"I know how to do my job." This time, she rolled her eyes.

"You mean to change the light at my command? I still don’t see any blue." She realized that she wouldn't have it easy here. The light turned blue, and slightly more content, she returned to her room to put on her costume. She didn't want to have her fans to wait more than necessary. She walked the short hallway behind the stage and closed the door behind her. A satisfied grin began to emerge on her lips.
 

***


Somewhat surprisingly, it was easier as an earth pony to use the axe with my mouth than with magic. The additional physical power I gained made it so that it took not even half an hour until I had loaded a wagon with wood. I had already related news of the party at the new lake to the farm residents. Unfortunately, the reactions were mixed. Apple Bloom had been obviously excited, as had Braeburn and Caramel. AJ and Big Mac both had concerns. AJ’s was mainly about whether our construction could fail. The stones might have redirected the currents, but what would happen if there was so much heavy rainfall that it couldn't hold together? It was not just about the party but about the construction itself. Big Mac, in the meantime, was against having such a party in the vicinity of the farm. The last thing he wanted to do was evict drunks from their land in the middle of the night. Despite their misgivings, they agreed to attend, in only to ensure that three of their employees avoided getting sloshed.
 
With the wagon attached to me, I made my way back to the lake to prepare the fire. Halfway back, Pinkie bounced towards me, grinning in satisfaction.
 
"Hey, Light, I invited everypony," she said cheerily. "Did you tell everypony here?"
 
"Yep, will surely be a nice evening. Was Twilight still mad?" She shook her head.
 
"Nah, she was more like this." Pinkie put on a bored expression and pulled her eyes with her hooves into slits. "And then she said that she didn't expect anything else." Interesting.
 
"May~ay~ay~be I should show her what I'm capable of," I said with my best Ace Ventura imitation. I forwent speaking with my behind, as that would be weird without pants.

"That was funny. Who did you imitate?" Pinkie was still bouncing around me.
 
"A character from a movie of my world: Ace Ventura, animal detective. He solved criminal cases where innocent animals were involved. Thinking about it, he’s like a mixture of you and Fluttershy." She blinked twice.
 
"Like a raspberry cupcake with vanilla sauce?" she eventually asked.
 
"Kind of. I mean, he was always fun and wanted to make everypony laugh and loved animals dearly too. His apartment could compete with Fluttershy's cottage. He had otters living in his bathtub." Apparently this wasn't so surprising for my pink companion.
 
"Dummy, otters live in rivers, not in bath tubs." We arrived at the lake, and I gave the wagon one kick so that the wood fell out at the back before I detached it.
 
"The next thing you'll tell Mr. Pepper that penguins don't belong in an apartment." Again the look before blinking twice.
 
"What are penguins?" Okay, maybe they did not have every animal that lived on earth, or maybe they were never that far north on this planet. Then I realized something I did not know: the name of this planet? I didn't even have basic knowledge, and I wanted to be a resident of this world?

"Those are animals that live on the south pole on my home planet, at temperatures around minus thirty degrees." I began to stack the wood, now once more as unicorn.
 
"What are minus thirty degrees?" Pinkie asked, pushing something around behind me.
 
"Very cold," I merely said and turned around. I was amazed, as now there was a table with lots of pastries, drinks, and even a record player. I only hoped that it would be a different piece than in the series. Pony polka. Just thinking about it made me shiver, even if the whole day had been hot.
 

***

 
"Fillies and gentlecolts, may I introduce to you… the Great and Powerful Trixie!" With that, the stage hand and announcer moved to the side and made room for her jump through the curtain. At first, she glanced at the room. It may not have been full, but it was also not empty. For her first performance after a long time, she was satisfied, as the empty seats were difficult to spot. If everything went as planned, her next performance would be sold out.
 
"Welcome, dear audience. Marvel at the magic of the Great Trixie!" The firework didn't start exactly on her signal but still in time. The fire columns shot one meter into the air, and she immediately formed images from the smoke. "Trixie has already fought against an Ursa!" Nopony needed to know the fact that it was just a minor and she had lost as well. The smoke above her had now taken the shape of a large bear and a small pony. As her audience consisted mostly of unicorns, they knew how difficult it was to fight against one of those creatures and that it was delicate work to form with magic these shapes, evidence of her skills.

The small pony figure shot a smoke beam at the bear, which dissolved afterwards. "In addition, Trixie has fought against the changeling army, and she stands victorious in front of you!" The smoke reformed itself once more, and now many small figures stood in front of the pony figure. "One after the other I felled with the help of magic taught to Trixie by Princess Luna herself!" Many small smoke beams shot from the smoke pony, and one changeling after the other dispersed. Once more, applause filled the hall. "However, Trixie is here to bring entertainment today."
 
The curtain opened and out came the masterpiece of a stage setting into sight. "But maybe there are some disbelievers among you who say that Trixie isn't as great and powerful as she claims. Trixie can do everything what you can do, only better!" This time, there was no applause, only a whisper that filled the room. She looked down to some young unicorns, who were surely easy victims, but nopony from the audience came forward. She had never experienced this before. Until now, there was always somepony. "What is it? Has nopony the courage to challenge Trixie?" A young pegasus raised his hoof and she grinned. "You! Come on the stage!" But the pegasus shook his head.
 
"Sorry, but isn't it dangerous to compete against somepony who was trained for combat and experienced? Plus you’re the Princess Luna’s student." The audience agreed with the pegasus, nodding. That was the time she was speechless in front of an audience. She had to think of something fast.
 
"That is only for your entertainment. Never would Trixie hurt anypony, for she is too cautious." She didn't like the direction in which this event was going.

"What’s the purpose of competing against you if you don’t give everything?" replied a unicorn mare from the first row. It was getting out of control, but as a professional, she had to continue.
 
"Nopony? As there is no doubt about Trixie's greatness and power, Trixie continues with the performance." She had to burn some time with her magical tricks. The performance was supposed to take an hour, and the challenges were thirty percent of the time. She still had to fill forty minutes and hoped that she would come up with ideas and that her magic reserve would suffice. "Be amazed as Trixie works wonders which no unicorn should be able to do, only pegasi!" A cloud formed in the air above the stage, and she slowly let the cloud drift over the heads of the audience. Some younger unicorns looked impressed while some older ones eyed the cloud disapprovingly. "But Trixie doesn't even create clouds, for which only the Rainbow Factory in Cloudsdale is capable of, but she can also handle them as well." With that, some lightning shot forth and illuminated the room.
 
"Why should a unicorn want to be able to do that? Pegasi are responsible for the weather and not us." Again the audience nodded and agreed with the heckler. This Canterlot audience wasn't easy to impress. She moved the cloud over the troublemaker and released a small shower, waiting for the audience’s laughter. And waited and waited, but none came. She looked again into the audience and realized that nopony agreed with this gesture.
 
"That serves those right who doubt the Great and Powerful Trixie." Normally, at this time, there were at least some who agreed with her, but today everypony remained quiet.

"I will send you the bill for the cleaning!" With that, her victim stood up from his chair and left the room, together with some others. An idea was needed fast.
 
"I will now use magic that many believed to be forgotten, taught to Trixie by the Princess of the Night herself!" Actually, that should have been her big finale, but the situation required it. The circle formed on the floor and astonished Oohs and Ahs resounded through the hall. She had won her audience back.
 
“Large hunter in the firmament, heaven’s tent…" The circle glowed brighter, and Mike switched off the light completely as arranged, so only her spell illuminated the hall. "Come down from up high." The circle slowly floated up, and again the audience marvelled. "Guide my way in the darkness so that nothing stands against me in the night." The circle tightened slowly above her head. "I, Trixie, summon you, Ursa—"
 
"STOP NOW!" A loud voice resounded through the hall, and she lost her concentration. The energy of the spell moved out of the focus, and several magical lightning bolts streaked across the stage, burning everything in their path, including the decoration. Startled, she looked up to the entrance of the hall, where Princess Luna was standing with two guards. One of them was Night Hawk. The light came back on. "We didn't teach you this magic to provide entertainment for the people, but for their defence." The ponies in the hall looked towards the princess and bowed deeply as their ruler trotted slowly to the stage. "This performance is over. Everypony, please leave the hall! What will follow isn't meant for your ears." Trixie had to watch as the last of the audience evacuated the hall and left her alone with the princess.
 

***


Pinkie Pie must have misunderstood me when I talked about a party. This was not a simple party; this was a second Wacken. The whole, not half, but the whole town was here and celebrated wildly in the still-warm water and on the bank. The usual suspects could be found easily. Berry Punch had made herself cosy on a stool next to table with the drinks. Vinyl showed up with her equipment and a magical battery and sent the turntables, without further ado, into the lake. Lyra and some other unicorns from the village brought garlands from the spring festival, attaching them at the tree along the beach so that not only just the fire was illuminating the lake.
 
AJ had seized the opportunity and, when the snacks became scarce, moved her booth. Judging from her face, she had made the fortune of her life. All concerns seemed to have been forgotten due to this. I saw that Braeburn was busy trying to woo some mares, while Big Mac and Caramel were sitting comfortably in the grass and drinking cider. Pinkie Pie, for who else could it be, was on the dance floor and did what might be called the funky chicken. Spike and the Cutie Mark Crusaders played with a beach ball in the shallow water, together with Fluttershy. They were a bit away from the thick crowd, where it was a bit quieter, probably to the relief of the yellow pegasus.
 
"Well, darling, I have to say that this has turned into a really divine spot. When I saw that ugly hole, I’d never have thought that it could become something beautiful." Rarity and I stood at the edge of the dance floor, simply a trampled area next to the lake, and moved our heads to rhythm of Vinyl's music. Again, it was not to my taste, but you had to take what you could get.
 
"I’ve got to say that the additional decoration isn’t half-bad." I pointed to the garlands which surrounded the area.

"I have to agree with Miss Rarity, your Majesty. I too would have never thought that you would create something so lovely out of this accident." Mayor Mare had snuck up on the two of us. "May I ask what you plan to do with the lake?"
 
"I'm still thinking about it. But doesn't this belong to the town?" The mayor shook her head.
 
"When I gave you the responsibility for the lake, it became your property as well. It would be exceedingly unfair if you had to bear the responsibility for a piece of land, or lake in this case, which doesn't even belong to you." Okay, I had a piece of land. Where were the red hotels? "Furthermore, this isn't Ponyville anymore. The boundary lays a few hundred meters in that direction." She pointed to the road to the town.
 
"Well, thank you. I will take care of it well." Satisfied, Mayor Mare trotted past me and vanished in the dancing crowd.
 
"Oh, just imagine if I held a fashion show here," Rarity said dreamily, and I decided to leave her to her thoughts. I went to Berry Bunch, got some of her special cider, and joined Big Mac and Caramel.
 
"..And then she just left me standing there," the beige stallion finished his sentence. I sat down on the ground next to the two others, whereas both nodded towards me. "I must say, Light, great party."

"Thanks, Caramel, but without Pinkie and the rest of Ponyville, this would be a lot duller." I indulged a first sip and instantly sensed the salt on my tongue. "So, Big Mac, still worried about this?"
 
"Eeeyup." What other answer could I have expected? But then I had a fitting idea with which I could solve two problems at once, again.
 
"We can quickly sort this out, my friend," I said and put a hoof around the big red one. He looked at me warily but didn't say anything for now. "How would you like it if this fine piece of land belonged to Sweet Apple Acres? You could rent this place for events, and you wouldn't have to worry that strangers would celebrate here, as it would be trespassing." That there has to be such a law I had learned on my first day in Equestria. If AJ had not towed me to Twilight at first, I might have ended up in a cell. Big Mac pondered for a bit.
 
"Where’s the rub?" he asked cautiously.
 
"There’s none, except that maybe you should be a bit nicer to me. I mean, you don't get such a present every day." We still had little lost love between us, but what did you expect if you were together with his little sister?
 
"Deal," he said, and we settled it with a hoof shake. I quickly emptied my mug and wiped my mouth clean of the foam.
 
"Good, as this is now your land, have fun with cleaning it tomorrow." I started running before I finished and didn't dare to look behind me.


> Chapter 45 - Everyday Combat
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I was in my own personal hell. When I was younger, I always thought it would be shopping with my friends or my mother on Sundays in the city, but that was surely no comparison to what awaited me today. My friends wouldn’t ever do it anyways, and my mothers… Well, one of them was in another world and probably had other things on her mind; the other one sat her flank on her throne and was dull. Still, there was no sign of me getting over this dread. Even though I was sure Celestia would have her fun with this, it was another white pony that was causing my headache.
 
I got the letter quite early today, telling me that our airship was ready for inspection. Twilight had probably managed to get one with the help of Celestia. It would be one of the bigger cargo ships that travelled between Equestria and the Griffon Kingdom, and we intended to use it for our exploration of Earth. Because of that, there were some modifications to be made at the Manehatten dry dock, and I would personally inspect them. Apparently, Rarity wasn’t only an expert on fashion, but also an expert on ships. How could she not? She had made quite a few cruise trips with her parents, so it was kind of a hobby for her to know about those things. Of course, it was also a nice opportunity for a stroll through the city. I was preparing for a very long day ahead of me, as tree after tree passed the window of our train.
 
“... Oh, and the fashion, darling! It’s definitely not Canterlot, but Manehatten has its own interesting style, you know. I’m really excited! All the hats and stores…” she continued from her nonstop chatter for almost an hour now.
 
From time to time, I nodded politely to show that I had not fallen asleep. I hadn’t gotten enough sleep after the party last night. Actually, now that I think about it, I didn’t get any sleep at all. It took until two in the morning for the lake to be cleared, and then AJ was still in the mood from her prize that evening, so the party had continued in the bedroom. Not that I was complaining, but a stallion still needed his beauty sleep.
 
“May I offer you something?” One of the attendants opened the door to our small cabin and looked questioningly at Rarity and I.
 
While Rarity preferred to sit on her own pillow, I had gathered the other three to build a make-shift sofa. I hadn’t drunk that much, but it had left quite the hangover.
 
“Just ignore him,” Rarity said to her. “It seems like he didn’t get that much sleep last night.”
 
If she knew that, why wouldn’t she just shut up?
 
“I’ll take a fruit tea, cherry if you have it, with some honey,” she continued.
 
I laid my head back on the pillow and barely heard the door shut behind me, knowing Big Mac would get his revenge, but not that fast. The big guy had said goodbye to me at the station and grinned, a spooky grin Pinkamena would have been proud of. He had wished me a good day with Miss Rarity after all.
 
“Darling, why are you so unsociable? The party was a complete success. The lake is safe, and the farm even got a good profit since there's usually no harvest during summer.”
 
“If it had just stayed at that, I would be fine,” I said. “AJ was too happy to let me sleep peacefully.” Rarity looked confused, so I continued.“The whole night I couldn’t even rest my eyes, and I had to work the day before, so after the party…” Now she seemed to understand.
 
“Why didn’t you mention it earlier?” she said as the door opened. The attendant had returned and handed over Rarity’s tea.
 
“Excuse me, dear, but could you please…” I couldn’t get the rest, my mind drifting away, just closing my eyes and relaxing to the soft movements of the train.
 
A hoof hit me in the face, startling me. “Excuse me, darling, but difficult times...” she said, smiling at me. The attendant still stood behind her, but I hadn’t noticed the glass with the red liquid before. “I asked Quiet Staff to bring you a drink.”
 
She levitated the glass in front of my muzzle and pushed it carefully against my lips. Still dozy, I opened my muzzle and felt something viscous running down my throat. It tasted weird and spicy, but I loved spicy stuff.
 
“What is it? It’s quite good… in its own way…” I smacked my lips and tried to savour the aftertaste.
 
“Well, it’s coffee, hot sauce, two raw eggs, and a few aspirin. It might not be anything special, but it does help quite well when I have a sleepless night in my boutique,” she said, listing the ingredients.
 
Okay, knowing the ingredients didn’t quite help, but the result was awesome. My eyelids were soon free of any weight, and the numb feeling felt my body.
 
“Thanks, it worked,” I said, but now my stomach was growling and making weird noises.
 
“Is there anything else I can do for you?” the attendant asked as she watched from the entrance to our small cabin.
 
“That will be all. Thank you, dear,” Rarity responded.
 
The unicorn bowed quickly and shut the door with her magic.
 
“How far is it until Manehatten, Rarity?” I asked her as she was looked out of the window.
 
“I would say about an hour. We should be there by noon.”
 

***

 
With the usual delay that could even make the German Bahn proud, we arrived at the largest station I had ever seen in my Life. I had travelled to various other big cities on the train before, but this one definitely set a new record. Travellers arrived at three different levels from not only all over Equestria, but also other countries I had never heard of before. Cows, deer, and griffons were crowding just as much as ponies around here. On the highest level, the carriages were arriving, as well as pegasi and other flying species, while the lowest level looked like a station for a tram. It seemed like it was run by magic and went to the most important spots in the city. Rarity and I were at the ground floor, which held several smaller shops next to the tracks.
 
“If I didn’t know better, I would say I’m back on Earth again,” I said. Everything at this station looked like Hanover, where people from all over the world would visit the city.
 
“Are you saying that Earth is just like Manehatten?” Rarity asked as we carried our luggage on our backs towards the exit.
 
“Change all the ponies, griffons, cows, deer, and—” I didn’t know what just passed me, but Rarity seemed to recognize my look and followed my gaze.
 
“It’s a hippogriff, darling,” she said, causing me to think for a bit.
 
Head and wings from an eagle, the body of a pony, and about the same size. It was better to not even try to think about how that could be possible.
 
“Yeah, well you could take this crowd here. Change them to humans, and you would have Earth,” I continued. “Except that the entrances to the shops would need to be about four hooves taller, at minimum.
 
“The whole Earth is like a station?” She looked quite stunned.
 
“No, but our stations really do look the same,” I said. After seeing the skyline of Manehatten, I was pretty sure that it could also be a city of humans. “The city pretty much resembles our architecture. However, Ponyville is…” I tried to search for a fitting word.
 
“Is a more sleepy town with its origins back in time?” she ended, and I nodded. “I’ve heard that various times, so don’t worry about it. While I love the glamour of the city, my home is and always will be Ponyville.” I could understand that really well.
 
“You know, the village I’m from is even smaller than Ponyville, so I can understand it pretty well,” I told her, and she nodded in approval.             
 
“Oh, please wait a second, darling. I found something.” With that, she was gone from my side, and her snout pressed against a shop window. Over it was a sign I couldn’t really read.
 
There were some dresses in it which were, if you asked me, rather exotic-looking.
 
“It’s the newest collection from Madame Frida. She’s been designing for ponies for around a year now,” Rarity explained.
 
Every one of the dresses was in brown or white and looked like they were made out of feathers.
 
“So if you would like to look like a chicken, it would be a perfect fit! Maybe I should ask Scootaloo…” Again, I spoke quicker than I could reign myself in. It was a common thing for me to just spill any silly things that came to my lips. I waited for the roasting from the unicorn next to me, but nothing happened.
 
“Well... it definitely does look chicken-like,” she said and giggled. “You’re welcome to share your opinion, Light darling, otherwise it wouldn’t be any fun.”
 
“In that case, I’m happy to be your very special critic today,” I said, bowing slightly in front of her.
 
We continued our way and soon reached the two giant gates that marked the exit. Outside, there was an enormous plaza with various carriages and their drivers, a large street with a lot more carriages on it, and skyscrapers as far as you could see. Since the ceilings hung lower for ponies, I couldn’t tell how high these skyscrapers were, but if I had to guess, I would have said around thirty to fifty floors high. While I was looking around, Rarity stepped towards a carriage and waved for me to follow.
 
“To the shopping mall, please,” she said to the stallions that pulled the carriage and sat back.
 
I surrendered to my destiny and sat down next to her, the carriage moving on with a small hitch once I’d made myself comfortable. All of the buildings were made out of brick and gave that folksy charm. It looked like I’d landed in a city from around the turn of the century. It was somehow fitting of Equestria that the trains ran with coal, there was no electricity, and if there was, then only in form of a giant battery from a certain DJ while smaller devices ran purely by magic. The best example was Rarity’s sewing machine. The road in front of us led directly to a bridge, and while looking at the other side, I recognized for the first time that there was no dirt under us, instead pure, solid stone.
 
“Is this a synthetic island?” I pointed to the stone which all the buildings and the road were built on. Rarity laughed, just like our drivers.
 
“Not only the other side, darling. Up to ninety percent of Manehatten stands on an artificial island in the small bay between Equestria and the griffon kingdom,” she said. I knew my astonishment would have showed, as I thought there wouldn’t be such a thing here.
 
“I never thought I would meet a unicorn who didn’t know that. Missed school in Canterlot?” one of our drivers asked, not even looking back. It was nice to be treated like a normal tourist, but oh Celestia, he was simply pleading for revenge.
 
“Well, I’ve been living in another world up ‘til a few months ago, so I’m seeing quite a lot of things in Equestria for the first time,” I answered sincerely, waiting for his response. After all, how many arrivals from another world had been in the newspapers recently?
 
“You mean you were raised in foreign country?” the driver next to the first asked. “Like Ponyland or Germane?”
 
“Not really. You could say it was practically another world,” I answered. It was more an alternative universe where the world was settled by humans and not ponies, but that wasn’t something to be discussed here.
 
“Oh, I’m so sorry, your highness, I didn’t mean to—” He seemed to understand who I was.
 
“Don’t worry,” I interrupted him. “The shock was just for the dictum. I’m Blue Light. Nice to meet you…” I waited for his name.
 
“Push,” he answered, “and this one next to me is my brother Pull.”
 
First place for the most creative names was surely going to Push and Pull. I had discovered many other weird names, but at that moment, I wished my brain would stop its silent laughter.
 
“Nice to meet you both. If I’m not bothering you with my questions, what’s the city like?” I asked while they stopped at some sort of traffic light, a device with signs instead of bulbs.
 
“A bit troubled since the griffon situation’s gotten worse. Mostly only travellers on business come here anymore.”
 
I thought back to the meeting with the griffon soldiers over the desert just outside of Fillyburg. The poor guys; even though they had been enemies at that moment, to be eaten by the changelings… I could imagine that their government wasn’t really happy about it. Since none of those two seemed to have anything more to say, I looked up into the sky and saw no sign of pegasus or griffon.
 
“We’ve reached the shopping mall,” Push or Pull said. I wasn’t really paying attention.
 
While getting off the carriage, I noticed that they were the same except for the eye colour. Earth pony twins with brown mane, light brown coat, one with blue eyes, the other one with green eyes. The one in front of me had a cutie mark of a carriage that was being pulled, and I would have bet that the other one had one being pushed, though I couldn’t see it at the moment.
 
“That will be ten bits please,” they said, but Rarity ignored it, so I paid for it.
 
I waved to both of them in farewell before they were back into traffic and gone. It was really strange to hear various hooves instead of running engines and the sound of cobblestone instead of smooth asphalt. I turned to follow Rarity towards the entrance of a large building, the structure of which I wasn’t able to discover yet. The ground floor was filled by various shop windows, same with the second floor, and the ceiling was a large glass dome. I gulped once I recognized the stuff behind the shop windows: dresses, dresses, shoes, and shoes. Instead of human shoes, you could find some in sets of four or two, maybe for various occasions.
 
“Rarity… just out of curiosity… Is there anything sold here other than… fashion?” I asked, but got no response.
 
Instead, she pulled me behind her through the wooden door that would have better suited a church to mark the entrance. My fears were sadly confirmed as I spotted boutique after boutique pressed into the building, mares walking around with their unlucky friends behind them carrying the bags, or just bags being pulled by magic. Soft music was played out of some speakers that seemed to be a radio station. The temperature, as usual in these places, was much too high for my taste, but since there was no air conditioning, I could not expect anything else in a building like this, and with this amount of ponies inside.
 
“Welcome to the biggest and only building that was built for the sole reason of selling fashion. This is the mareland of Equestria,” Rarity explained. I wasn’t really surprised.
 
Signs with offers were everywhere, salesmares that praised the best and latest fashion to passing ponies, and even the worst sort was here: salesmares equipped with perfume.
 
“Uhm… I think I’ll take a rain check on the whole thing with being a critic. I’ll just take a cab to the dry dock…” My escape attempt was prevented by a light-blue aura around me.
 
“Come on, darling! This is the paradise of fashion! I bet we could find something that you’d like, and even if we can’t, I could get ideas to make something for you myself.”
 
Rarity was a designer herself. She wasn’t just here for shopping – she was also here to gather some ideas.
 
“Well, if you think so…” I wasn’t able to keep all the sarcasm out of my voice. We walked past the first few shops together, and I knew that Rarity would only look at me to give me a bag to hold during the next few hours. However, there was another question that hit me.
 
“How come there are no pegasi flying here? They even use the stairs!” I pointed at some of the stairs in the far distance, but she didn’t even look.
 
“Because it’s forbidden to fly in this town unless you get special permission to do so,” she said and disappeared into one of the shops while I waited patiently for her to come out again.
 
“Why is it forbidden?” I asked as we continued our way.
 
“Well, darling, everypony lives in those skyscrapers, you know. Would you like to have various pegasi always flying past your window and looking inside your apartment?” she responded.  I decided that I couldn’t even think to live in such a city.
 
“Rarity!” We both looked towards the store from where the voice came from. A red unicorn mare stood behind the register and waved eagerly to us. Her purple mane was styled and groomed like Rarity’s, with the only difference being it wasn’t curly and only reached her shoulders.
 
“One moment, darling,” she said but didn’t wait for my answer. Instead, she disappeared into the shop to greet her acquaintance. I should have counted on her being recognized by the ponies here. At least her fashion was also praised by Canterlot. I hadn’t been to a lot of parties at the castle, but her name was often heard with a connection to fashion. I spotted a nearby bench where other despairing stallions probably waited for their marefriends. I took a seat next to one of them and listened to the radio, all the while taking in the sights.
 
“Which mare are you with?” asked the earthpony stallion on the bench next to me. The poor pony was sweaty, with a huge bunch of bags in front of him. Those would not be easy to carry for sure.
 
“With a friend of mine. White unicorn, purple mane, speaking with an acquaintance in there,” I answered and nodded towards the store.
 
He observed the actions for a few seconds before saying, “I would’ve waited here too.”
 
“Don’t have a choice since she’s an expert I’ll need later.” He nodded.
 
“So she’s not your marefriend?”
 
Really? He was here with a marefriend himself and yet still wanted to see if Rarity was free?
 
“Just a friend. My marefriend is at home at the farm,” I said. He nodded again.
 
“So, no herd?” What? I’d been stumped for an answer again.
 
“A what?” Now he seemed as confused as me.
 
“Well, a herd, duh.” Reading my still curious expression, he sighed. “You know, a relationship with more than two ponies, normally one stallion and various mares?”
 
Polygamy. Now it made sense for me, but I wasn’t surprised. There were far more mares than stallions in this country.
 
“Oh, well, I believe in a simple relationship. One stallion and one mare.” He just shook his head.
 
“Your loss,” he said.
 
I saw several mares heading for the bench, and my conversation partner stood up.  “See ya. They’re my marefriends.”
 
He went towards the mares, and I watched him give each one of his mares a kiss before they continued their way. The poor guy was loaded like a donkey, but it was my loss? I shook the thought out of my head and listened to the radio again. The soft music was replaced by a broadcaster.
 
“Let’s start with the gossip,” the broadcaster said, and I wished that Casanova would come back. “Rumours are still boiling about the newest member of the royal family.” So either me or Armor. With my luck… “Prince Blue Light…” well guessed “…is still shielding himself from the public. He’s officially drawn back from Canterlot and is living with his marefriend at a small farm in Ponyville these days.” They could have at least called her name, but I guess advertising was advertising after all. “There are no verifications as to why he has changed so much after the fight against the changelings.” At least the discussion about the horn extension was off the table. “The royal family has already disclaimed the rumours that he had been swapped with a changeling. Those appeared after a photo showed up, showing him with wings on a cloud, pulled by a pegasus.” So somepony had captured what happened when we had stayed with Armor and Cadance with a camera. Wonderful! “We have a professor from Canterlot University here to present his theory. Welcome, Professor Hoofington.”
 
“Thank you, Gossip,” a dark voice answered that seemed to belong to an older stallion. Compared to him, the voice of the announcer sounded jarring.
 
“Professor, you have your own theory about this. Would you be so kind as to share it with us?” Great bridge, really creative.

“Exactly! Nopony can change himself in that small amount of time, not without some powerful magical aid. As far we know, the talent of our prince is the change—”
 
“So he changed himself?” she interrupted the professor.
 
“No, but it would explain the wings. As we learned in magic kindergarten, objects can only be changed to a specific point: form, material, or state of matter. For ponies and other lifeforms, we need an element, a basic you could say. For example, through the last hundreds of years, some of the earth ponies are now carrying some DNA from pegasi. If there is enough information implemented, an experienced unicorn could add wings to an earth pony for some time.”
 
I was impressed. This Hoofington had figured out my new ability through indirect means. Twilight had done so as well, but she had to examine me directly to get the clue.
 
“But wouldn’t this only prove that his parents were probably pegasi?”
 
“Coming right to that in a moment. There was also the picture where you could see the prince as an earth pony. Everypony thought it was a fake, wherein somepony removed the horn from the picture with magic. I now believe that it was authentic, which can only mean one thing. He has all the genetic information from pegasi, but there is also earth pony in him. There is only one race that could fulfil those terms: the alicorns.”
 
“You mean Princess Celestia and Luna?” She raised her voice to add a dramatic effect for her audience.                
 
“Exactly! It would mean that he was transmuted all this time to hide his true origin. Accordingly, he is the biological son of princess Celestia,” he emphasized his last sentence quite a bit. I was really impressed that they were already considering this new angle. On the other hand, this Hoofington seemed to be quite smart.
 
“This would be a sensation!” You could hear a knocking sound on something like a table. “But why hide all this then? The last known descendant is Princess Cadance, and she was born over a thousand years ago. They weren’t hiding her back then.” Okay, Cadance was old. Did Shining Armor know that? “Besides that, what’s all this about another world?” Looked like they couldn’t get the solution to everything at least.
 
“Well, you would have to ask the prince or the princess yourself for that,” he said, adding an intonation to end the interview.
 
“In that case, thank you for being here today. Let’s recap the main revelation: Prince Blue Light is obviously the biological son of Princess Celestia. We shall continue trying to pursue investigations towards this. Let’s head over to our next topic, Cloudsdale…”
 
I stopped listening and started to think over everything I just heard. How could you explain everything? What would Twilight say?
 
“I’m scientifically impossible!” I said, imitating her voice.
 

***

 
I had still to wait over a quarter of an hour before Rarity finished her conversation with her friend. We continued our way through the building. At some places, she bought something but never used me as a pack mule. Later we sat at a small cafe, which was rare here, and had lunch, something we had missed on the train.
 
“Tell me, Rarity… I listened to a professor talking about DNA on the radio earlier. How high are the chances about… whatever comes out in the end?” I tried to stay away from the explicit topic during lunch.
 
I had a dish of pasta and tomato sauce while Rarity enjoyed a soup that I wasn’t able to identify. Her choice was the special of the day.
 
“You’re asking the wrong mare, darling.” I tried to rearrange myself on the pillow. “Twilight would be the better choice for this conversation.”
 
“That’s… not possible. You see, it’s about something I’ve been wondering about since I’ve came here, and it’s certainly not something you would ask directly.” She seemed to think about it quickly.
 
“I’d love to help you, as long as it’s nothing too personal,” she said. I nodded in response.
 
“It’s about Rising Dawn. When I met Twilight, I was unable to see her as a mother and definitely not to be a single mother on top of that.” Rarity seemed relieved.
 
“Well, she already raised Spike even though she was still a filly herself. So, if somepony has any experience with parenting, it’s Twilight. Even though I think she’s doing it by book.” Rarity had to grin about that.
 
“So what about Dawn?” She took a spoonful of her soup before answering.
 
“Dawn… is special.” I asked myself what she could mean by that. “To put it roughly, he came into this world just like you, by accident.” I didn’t have a clue if she meant accident in a magical or sexual way, but it seemed like she was aware of her own ambiguity. “Twilight was working on a teleportation spell and while doing that, well, she took a soul with her. It manifested itself as Dawn, but since a soul needs a body, Twilight’s magic unknowingly created a body after her model. Matching the soul, of course, so there’s no real father.” That sounded more like Twilight Sparkle, the number one bookworm and magician.
 
“What can I say, Rarity? I’m not wondering anymore.” She smiled and we finished our lunch, both of us laying some bits on the table before we left.
 
Over the next half hour, we did more shopping and talked about different topics which were decided by Rarity, so mostly about fashion in some form. At some points, she asked me about my opinion, but since I had no clue of fashion at all and definitely not of the pony variety, my answers mostly consisted of shrugging. After a while, we stood at the entrance again. I looked up, worried because there was the yet unexplored second floor waiting for us.
 
“I think it’s about time we go to the dock.” A stone fell from my soul when she said that. “When do they expect us, darling?” I took the letter out of my saddlebags and looked at it.
 
“Around five,” I said and placed the letter back before following Rarity’s gaze to a large clock, just hanging beneath the ceiling. It was just a few minutes after four in the evening. “How long does it take to get to the dock?” Besides that, I didn’t even know where it was.
 
“About half an hour. We should take a cab.” I followed her outside and saw her wave for a carriage again.



***

 
The description ‘dry dock’ was a poor joke. Where did an airship land if it was not in the air? In water of course. I was more than confused as we passed the largest buildings where multiple ships were anchored and finally reached the harbour. The drivers had dropped us at a depot that was at the address I told them before they left us. The hall was huge. Twilight’s library would surely fit inside up to three or four times. While I stood with my jaw agape, two ponies walked towards me that I only noticed once they greeted us.
 
“Hello and welcome to the Manehatten dry dock, Prince Blue Light,” an earth pony with a dark red coat greeted me. He was wearing a yellow protective helmet and a tool belt around his neck. His mane was completely hidden under his helmet, and his tail was cut short.  “I’m Shipwreck, and I’m the boss here. Friends call me Ship, and this here is my headpony, Clop.”
 
He pointed at the green unicorn next to him who had some blueprints levitating beside him. He wore glasses and also had a green mane, only slightly brighter than his coat. He shot me an annoyed glare as he saw my face. I tried to hold my laughter again.
 
“With all due respect, your highness, I’m named after the sound some of the workings produce and not what you’re thinking of.” Seemed like he had heard it various times from different ponies, but such a thing wouldn’t ever get old.
 
“Excuse me, sometimes I just can’t restrain myself. Be assured that it’s nothing out of evil intent, just some good old fun.” I giggled before continuing. “I think that should do it. I’m Blue Light and this is my friend, Miss Rarity.” She bowed shortly at the call of her name.
 
“Pleasure, ma'am,” they both said, a bit out of sync. “I would suggest we get right to the point,” Ship continued and I agreed. “Follow me please.” He turned and went to a small side door at the hall. “During the last few days, we’ve worked heavily on the requested modifications. We placed a lamp at the hull in front, where the steering wheel is also located.” It was to protect the helmspony from the Nightmares since he would have to sit outside. Twilight had explained some things to me because, after all, the blueprints carried by Clop were all drawn by her. “Aside from that, we changed the storage into various rooms, so we have eight bedrooms at the lowest level, another two on the first level, along with the kitchen and the new bathroom that was requested.” I just nodded at every point, having no idea how much work or cost all that added up to. Ship opened the door in front of us, and we entered the hall one after another. In front of me was an airship around four times bigger than the Lunar. The hull was painted dark red and strewn with some yellow decorations. The ropes from the balloon hung from it since it wasn’t attached yet, and there were some frameworks around it on which you could climb on deck.
 
“This is the Celestia, the biggest and most beautiful ship of the merchant navy of Equestria,” Clop stated. I was impressed by the ship and so was Rarity, as she didn’t say a word either, just staring.
 
“Should we begin the tour?” the boss asked, and without the need for a response, we climbed up the frameworks. I only recognized how high the ship was once I reached the deck. Nothing special, but big. “Here we’ve got the control room,” Shop said and motioned towards the door behind us which laid under the upper part of the deck. “Usually the captain would live in there, but we changed the room to fit the drawings you sent us.” We went inside, and I recognized a room full of maps and books, together with a couch and a good-sized table.  At the back, there was a big window that allowed one to freely look outside.
 
“What’s that?” I asked and pointed at a wooden sphere that was on the table.
 
“It’s a globe of Albion,” the boss said and pushed the sphere with his hoof three times. It instantly shone blue, and some kind of holograph closed around it, showing continents and oceans. “Equestria is here. To be precise, it’s currently showing Manehatten.” He pointed at a bright shining point on the globe. “The ship is enchanted, so its position will be always shown on the globe. If you put the information about your world in, it should also work.”                
 
“Should?” his headpony sneered. “I enchanted this by myself. It will work.” Ship rolled his eyes.
 
“Well, if everything here is to your satisfaction, we should continue.” He led us back out of the room and closed the door behind him. “Back there, you can go below deck.” He showed us a small hatch in the ground and trotted over to it. “Originally, there were two storage spaces here. Because of that, everything was built anew.” We went down a small stairway, took a left turn around a corner, and stood in a long corridor. “As I mentioned before, we have the recreation rooms here. Kitchen, bathroom, two bedrooms, and the communal room.” At each one he mentioned, he pointed towards a door.
 
“I guess we’re starting with the sanitary installations,” Rarity said, and Ship nodded, leading us to the next door and opened it for us and standing aside. The corridor wasn’t really wide, just enough for two ponies to pass each other. Rarity went in first, and I followed her. It was a medium-sized room with a shower, a small tub that was probably more used for washing clothes, and of course, a sink and toilet.
 
“The water will be delivered by the rain later. Open catch tanks will be placed on the hull and the water transferred here in hoses. There are filters of course behind the sink and the shower to make the water enjoyable. Same goes for the kitchen,” Clop explained and turned the valve of the shower once. “But since they still have to be delivered, it’s not working yet.
 
“Can you refill the water by hoof?” I asked and recognized that Rarity was about to ask the same question but remained silent since I was faster.
 
“Of course. You can open the tanks and refill them by yourself.” With that, we went back out of the room and straight into the one at the opposite wall. It was obviously a kitchen with the fridge, various working surfaces, and a kitchen sink. What confused me were the two different hobs.
 
“One of them works with magic, the other one with gas,” Ship explained as he noticed me looking at them.
 
“What about the fridge?” Ship just shrugged.
 
“Like all fridges, cooled with magic.” I really should start to ask Twilight about the secrets of Equestrian technology. I looked around once again. Otherwise, it just looked like a normal wooden kitchen. We went back to the corridor once again and passed an open room. In there were various couches and chairs, along with some bookshelves.
 
“I suppose this is the recreation room?” Rarity asked our guides.
 
“Exactly. You can use it as a dining hall at the same time,” Clop said and went into the room, showing us the tables and pillows behind the door. “Since the ship wasn’t prepared for a large crew, we sadly had to strike a compromise.” Rarity nodded in approval, and we went to another door. “This is one of the bedrooms. They basically all have the same design.” With those words, the green unicorn opened the door. Light fell through a single porthole on a considerably hefty bed. Next to it was a nightstand and a small book shelf in the corner. On the opposite wall were two small cabinets. There was a small lantern hanging from the ceiling, giving a bit additional light.
 
“Are all rooms designed like this one, gentlecolts?” Rarity turned towards the two.
 
“Exactly,” Ship replied. “Just the shape is different, depending on the location inside the ship.” Rarity pondered quickly.                    
 
“I think we should rebuild one of the rooms here into a sickbay.” I just realized that it was missing, and Twilight for sure had considered one.
 
“There was one planned, but since you didn’t give us an exact number of passengers, we decided to focus on the quarters,” Clop defended his work.
 
“That’s all fine and nice, but I think we should definitely rebuild this room into a sickbay,” Rarity explained coldly. “The nightstand and shelves should be removed to make place for a second bed and the cabinets filled with basic medical aid.” Both looked questioningly at me, and I nodded in agreement with Rarity. Clop wrote a note on his blueprints.
 
“Anything else you would like to change?” Clop asked as he looked over the flying parchment.                 
 
“I guess that’s all,” I said and looked over to Rarity, who approved my statement. After that, we went with both on deck again, down the frameworks, and out of the hall. Ship closed the door to the hall behind us before he spoke again.
 
“With the last finishing touches and changes, the ship should be ready to fly in a few days,” he said once we took the way to the road. “Where shall we deliver it then?” I had to think about it.
 
“Deliver the Celestia to Canterlot, to the docks right behind the castle.” I didn’t even know if they had a name or not. Clop wrote it down again.
 
“I wish you all the best then, your Highness. Our ways separate here.” With that Ship bowed shortly, and Clop did likewise after him. After that, both disappeared between some buildings that stood at the harbour. Rarity and I called for a cab again and made our way to the station. All I wanted now was to get a cabin and sleep.

> Chapter 46 - Kingdom for a Heart
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I still couldn't get my head around what Celestia had just told me.
 
"To make it completely clear," I put down my glass of apple juice and cleared my throat, “Trixie tried to use one of Luna's spells at a performance which, apart from the fact that it was against the agreement they had, put the entire audience in danger?" The white alicorn opposite to me on the couch nodded. She had appeared shortly after lunch on the farm and asked to speak with us. We moved into the living room, and I had to listen as to the reasons why Trixie now sat in a cell in Canterlot.
 
"You have to understand that it was very risky and that this was no trivial offense." She emptied her glass of apple juice and placed it next to mine on the table. "We are talking about several years in jail and a magic ban even after that." It was clear to me that there had to be laws against dangerous magic and its use in public. Concerning the explosion at the lake, I had gotten away with a black eye.
 
"Is there nothing what we can do? I mean, Trixie is practically my sister. Even if she made a mistake, I don’t want to condemn her to a dark hole." I knew all about familial mistakes. My younger brother Nils had been brought back home by the police several times because he drove without a driver’s license. Thirteen years of age, yet he found himself behind the wheel of a Reno Mégane. This incident was repeated every few years so until he was sentenced to community service and could only apply for his driver’s license when he reached twenty one. He had placed other road users in danger, and I had to say that I rather trusted Trixie to rein in Luna's magic than my brother to rein in a car. Still, I wasn't perfect myself and had committed my misdeeds, but I was still given a second chance.
 
"I fear that it is difficult to convince Luna to withdraw her accusation. She has taught Trixie some of her most secret spells and in return found her trust misplaced. The accusation of endangering the public alone would still yield a magic ban of several years." I pondered and looked over to AJ, who had said nothing so far during the entire conversation. "Light, I know it is no easy situation, and I am here to say that I will put in a good word for her.” That would not protect her from a sentence, but it should reduce the penalty. I owed Trixie much, as did the rest of the unit. She brought me back from a desert and later dispatched a whole unit of changelings with a spectacular spell when we had been too weak.
 
"Trixie’s a hero. She helped prevent the changeling's invasion. She saved the lives of the entire unit. Doesn't that count for anything?" I didn't know what I could do.
 
"He’s right, princess. Trixie even tried to fight Chrysalis herself and took a mighty beating. For a unicorn, she was really tough," AJ attempted to help me, and I was thankful for this.
 
"I will present the council those exactly arguments. However, as I said already at the beginning, my sister holds the chair and makes the decision at the end as she is the plaintiff. And before you say anything, Light, it is her right as princess to hold the chair." Great justice system.
 
"Even if she is prejudiced as the plaintiff?" I was shown the evil eye.
 
"Light, Luna is capable enough to distinguish between personal issues and her duties, as I am." She referred to my first appearance before the council. "If anything at all, we need to convince Luna or find a loophole which doesn't exist. I know because Luna and I drafted the law ourselves." This was really a great dilemma. For the last two days after the journey to Manehatten, everything had been relatively quiet, and I had used this time to spend time with AJ. We had wanted, after this morning’s work, to leave the farm in Big Mac's, Caramel's, and Braeburn's hooves and make a picnic.
 
While she was against too much billing-and-cooing, she was always open for good food and a roll in the grass. Literally. The best thing was that the CMC were camping somewhere together with Fluttershy, so we didn’t have to worry about Apple Bloom. Now things were busy and my second council hearing would commence, after which we would start to load the Celestia and finalize our preparations.
 
"We need Trixie…" escaped my lips. “Trixie had been commanded as part of the unit by the Crown for the last mission, wasn’t she?"
 
"She voluntarily offered her help." That was the answer I wanted to have from my mother.
 
"She did volunteer then. So she was a civilian in service of the Royal Guard. Until now, she hasn't given in her resignation, has she?" Celestia seemed to understand what I wanted to say. "If I say that I still need her for my mission, we could postpone the hearing until we save my world. As I'm still considered a diplomat, I could use that to grant her asylum, which would free her from Equestria's jurisdiction." She pondered my words for a moment.
 
"So we would be able to strike the endangerment of the public from the list of accusations, but not my sister’s. This one borders on treason, and if Earth would grant Trixie 'asylum'… it would seem as if she tried to get access to the spells." Celestia still thought one, two steps further than me.
 
"When is the hearing?" To me, this all sounded as though it was a personal matter between Luna and Trixie than anything else. Luna felt betrayed by Trixie and now attempted to subdue her with Equestria's jurisdiction. If I could make this no longer an issue, it would help us tremendously, and I had to attempt to postpone the sentence for the magic ban until the end of the mission. Even if this was very selfish, it was the best that I could do for both me and Trixie. In addition, she had shaken my confidence in her as well. It was me who had given her a second chance, and it had been used up by her actions.
 
"Tonight." I nodded.
 
"We can't protect Trixie from punishment, but we can influence it. I think I have the solution, but I need to talk with Trixie and Luna before." It was already afternoon, so not much time was left. "What’s the fastest way to Canterlot?” Celestia rose up from the couch and entered the open area at the entrance.
 
"Like how I arrived here: teleportation." I turned towards AJ for a moment.
 
"I’ll take care of this quickly and be back by tonight." I gave her a quick kiss and moved next to Celestia. "Please add one more plate on the table for dinner," I said before we vanished in a flash of light.
 

***

 
She didn't know what she was supposed to think of this. She had been fed only bread and water the last three days she had stayed in the castle’s dungeon, by those who had treated her like a heroine before. Princess Luna had been angry, that Trixie had been able to tell with a glance, but never had she expected to get charged. The first ray of light had been Light, who suddenly appeared in front of her cell and made her sign a note. He was also disappointed but assured her that he wouldn't let her end here. She knew that it had been dumb to use Luna's magic, but she couldn't resist. The magic was too great to not make use of it in her performance.
 
"Move it!" barked the guard behind her and pushed her with his spear. Like the food, it didn’t bother her. It was better than everything she had in the woods that she had called her home for more than a year. She had wasted her chance to return to the stage. She bet that every newspaper had already reported everything about her performance and the appearance of the princess.
 
No one would book her for a performance anymore, so what could she do? Magic was her talent, her one and everything, her being. What could a pony who could no longer exercise their talent do? What should she do if she could no longer be Trixie? Melancholic, she trotted along the dark stony corridor which led to the hall where her fate would be decided.
 
In front and behind her were two guards each who made sure that she didn't try any escape attempts, which was impossible anyways. A magic blocker had been fastened around her horn. This one alone would prevent any escape, as she was neither particularly strong nor fast. She could never take on the guards. The light of the torches cast threatening shadows on the walls, and the impact of her hooves on the cold stone filled the air. They all added up to make her situation even more hopeless.
 
Slowly but surely, she saw how it became brighter at the end of the tunnel. There stood two more guards in front of an iron door leading directly into the hall. She was led through it, and the heavy door was closed behind her. A spotlight was directed at her so that she couldn't recognize who else was present in the room. However, she could tell that it was a different room from the one where Light's hearings had been held. The podium that had held the advisors from the last time was missing, and in front of her there was a stone table from where two ponies sat. Their faces or other features were obscured, as the room was too dark and the light above her was too bright.
 
"Honour Princess Luna of Equestria!" sounded a voice. Another, much weaker light appeared to her right. In its cone was the Princess of the Night, her wings outstretched to their full size. "We are here today to execute the accusation against Beatrix Lulamoon. She is charged with committing treason against Princess Luna and having placed the public in danger with her magic. Representing the public is the mayor of Canterlot, Ink Quill." Again it became clear how serious her situation was. "The counsel for the defence of Miss Lulamoon is Prince Blue Light of Equestria." Another light showed him to her left, opposite to the princess. "The princess has the word," said the voice and fell silent.
 
"Beatrix Lulamoon!" Luna’s voice was cold, and her anger was obvious. "The details of your crimes are known. Before we start with the hearing, do you want to say anything in your defence?" Was she sorry? Not really. She had done what she had to do for her show, for her career. Of course she hadn’t wanted to hurt anypony, but what she regretted at the moment was that she had been caught. Light had advised her to keep that to herself.
 
"No, my defence lawyer will speak for me." That was what he had told her. She hoped that he would get her out of here somehow, but that was unlikely. He may be a prince, but he only had as much power as any other pony.
 
"So be it. We will hear the counsel." There was also anger in her voice towards Light as well. What did he do to anger her so?
 
"Thank you, your Majesty." He stepped forward and floated a few papers into the light. "As you all know, Miss Lulamoon has been taught magic by Princess Luna. It was intended to be used against the changelings." Did he wish to help her or dig her hole deeper? "Even if their relationship was restricted to these parameters, she is officially the student of Princess Luna, isn't she?" This question he directed to the alicorn.
 
"We have never acknowledged as such officially. However, in this interpretation, it might have been," she admitted and threw an evil eye towards Trixie.
 
"Allow me this question, but what legal privileges does a personal student of a princess enjoy?" What did he want to get at?
 
"None. They merely receive support for their research and have access to the royal library," answered Luna, who looked visibly annoyed.
 
"Isn't that strange? The student of my mother— excuse me, of Princess Celestia, practices her studies in the midst of an inhabited town. Isn't that endangerment to the public as well?" He used Twilight Sparkle for her defence. He was more cunning than she thought.
 
"But she doesn't use her magic to perform on stage," threw the mayor in.
 
"Agreed. Nonetheless, the whole town is being entertained if she tries a new spell now and then." He twisted the words in their mouths around. Where did he learn that? He was nearly as good… as her. "I hope there are no double standards." And he was direct.
 
"That is an allegation we won't put up with, not even from you, nephew!" Luna was hopping mad, as Light had good arguments. Could she actually walk out in the end?
 
"It was merely a question… aunt. What I want to get is that nopony has been harmed, has they? As long as this is the case, she should enjoy the same privileges as any other student of a princess. Therefore, I ask the mayor, Mister Ink Quill, to leave it with a warning." The pony whispered to his neighbour.
 
"Very well. We shall leave it with a warning and a fine. The confiscated money of the accused should suffice." Light nodded towards him.
 
"I agree to the deal." He had actually succeeded to negotiate a point of accusation away. Trixie couldn't help but grin. "Let's get to the second one, yes?" He had taken the hearing into his hooves. Another note floated towards Princess Luna's desk. It was the one she had signed. "If I remember correctly, Miss Lulamoon told me on board the Lunar that you had showed her the magic to protect us all. Is that right?" Luna nodded only as she scanned the paper. "She had been assigned as a civilian to the Royal Guard, as part of the unit. This document which you have received is a resignation from the service."
 
"That doesn't change anything of her misdeed," answered Luna as she put the paper away. Intently, Trixie observed how both looked at each other for moment. Then Light grinned.
 
"Agreed. Her sentence will probably be prison and a magic ban." What? Did he want to see her in a cell still?
 
"Light, what are you doing?" she called, but he merely held up a hoof to silence her.
 
"Something like that, yes," said Luna and now grinned as well.
 
"I, as a Prince of Equestria and current leader of the mission to Earth, hereby request the compulsory recruitment of Beatrix Lulamoon!" he called so loudly that it surely could be heard outside of the hall. "I am at liberty to call every former member of the Royal Guard into active service who I view as necessary. Miss Lulamoon possesses exceptional magic that you know best yourself and is indispensable for my mission." Trixie boggled at him, as did Luna. He didn't circumvent Luna but her authority. For that reason, she had to sign the resignation retroactively, as it was dated to Changer's funeral, the reason given as loss of family. Soldiers couldn't be prosecuted during their service for delinquencies committed as civilians. That couldn't please the princess, but she remained calm.
 
"Very well. But we remind you that the confirmation of your mission is still outstanding. Should it be declined... a magic ban of three years. Should the mission be a success, we will revisit this sentence. The hearing is over." With that, all lights were gone, along with the load on Trixie's mind. The iron door opened behind her, and the guards led her back down the hallway, but this time, it was her who was grinning.
 

***

 
"Hello, Luna. We haven't seen you in a while." I was standing at the door to her chambers and waiting for her answer.
 
"Hello, nephew. What can we do for you?" She was cold, and I knew she wasn't pleased that I had taken an adverse stance towards her.
 
"I have come to apologize and to accept any punishments that you can think of." She had been disappointed by a pony from which she thought they could be trusted. She needed something to vent her feelings.
 
"You only did what you thought to be the right thing. Beatrix is important to you, and we will respect that." I sighed deeply.
 
"Actually, you are supposed to be the rational one and me the child in need of a lesson." She was, after all, a few thousand years old. "Trixie is who she is: a show star keen on being in the spotlight. She wants to show others what she can do and expects praise for it. She had no parents who acknowledged her as child, only a brother who became sick and then vanished." That was my guess at least, but I wasn't a psychologist. "I can imagine that she added spells of others into her show, as she did with yours. She never wanted to deceive you or to endanger somepony." I entered Luna’s chambers and saw miscellaneous instruments, here a giant harp, there a grand piano, and a bass that leaned against the wall. The room itself had been kept in a dark blue and was filled with bookshelves.
 
"We are aware of her history. It is no excuse for such a betrayal." I could only agree.
 
"Possibly. But nopony is perfect, Luna. Maybe it was okay a thousand years ago to punish treachery with prison, I don't know, but today it is different. Celestia forgave my lie and didn't betray me. I believe that maybe you should do the same for Trixie. She needs guidance and acknowledgment, someone to whom she can look up to. You should have seen how proud she was to be able to call herself your student. Think about if you still want to teach her." For the first time, she turned towards me as I said this.
 
"Even after what she has done to us?" I nodded.
 
"So you could better supervise her to prevent a repeat of this incident." Luna pondered this for a while, and I decided to explore the room further. Blue curtains in front of the windows and dark blue silk cloth under the ceiling represented the night sky. A majestic matching canopy bed stood in the middle, next to two big windows. At the other end was a small balcony that directly showed Canterlot's market place.
 
"Very well. We will teach her what it means to show responsibility." I wanted to say something, but she put a hoof on my mouth. "Under the condition that you partake in the study sessions."
 
"You do know that both Twilight and your sister are already teaching me?" There was still a pile of books from Twilight on my bedside table that needed to be read, and I still hadn't understood all of Celestia's runes.
 
"Don't you wish to spend time with us?" That was her reasoning.
 
"If you want to spend time with somepony, you have only to ask. At least with me." She gave me a small hug. "But this time I choose the concert." I had to look if there is something like ‘Mareowar.
 


> Chapter 47 - Android Porn
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

If there was a place other than the farm to call home, it would have to be the greatest convention for video games. Every year, publishers worldwide would present their newest creations to their curious fan base. Anyone could suit up and come as their favourite video game character, such as Link, Samus, Mario, Lara Croft, and many more. Luckily, I didn’t need a costume – none of us did. I was a blue unicorn, a pony just like the rest of my companions. Well, not all of us were unicorns. Two were earth ponies, and the other two were pegasi. People gave us weird looks as we stood around, looking for a way into the hall.
 
“I’m not sure this was a good idea to come here…” Twilight had been worried ever since I suggested this little trip.
 
“Drop it, Twi’! This is awesome! Look how high the clouds are and all those would be spectators!” On the other end of the spectrum, Rainbow was giddy with excitement.
 
“Are you sure nopony will do us harm, sugarcube?” AJ was quite nervous being amongst so many strangers. “I mean, Twilight told us that humans,” she leaned into our ring, “eat meat.”


“What?” Trixie was surprised. “All these creatures are meat eaters? And we should simply walk among them? Then we could just mix ourselves with mixed spices and jump right down the throat of a manticore!” I had to roll my eyes.

“I already explained to Twilight that only pork, beef, and poultry are on the menu. Even if it isn’t, I doubt they have the necessary tools with them to prepare us for dinner.” As if to counter my argument, someone dressed as Cloud from the Final Fantasy games passed us, including that huge Buster Sword. Fluttershy ducked from sight and hid behind AJ and Rainbow Dash. “Those things aren’t real, just rubber.” In that moment, Gummy poked his head out of Pinkie’s mane and jumped onto her back, almost as if knowing that “rubber” sounded like his name in German. “It’s like with this little guy’s teeth.” Everypony looked over to Gummy, who blinked his eyes. “So no reason to fear.” Fluttershy looked up behind AJ and nodded cautiously.
 
“Come on, guys! This is gonna be great!” Pinkie hadn’t paid us any attention the entire time and had followed every single cosplayer, guessed their costumes within seconds, and tried to make friends with them. However, most didn’t heed her as they believed her to be some sort of remote-controlled animatronic thingy. That was what I wanted to capitalise on for our cover.
 
“Let’s get moving then and remember this: move as stiffly as possible and don’t mind the people until we are inside.” With that, I went ahead and AJ, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Trixie, Twilight, Pinkie, and Rarity followed suit. Speaking of the latter, she had been quiet through the whole time, busy with observing every piece of clothing she could lay her eyes on. I was wondering how she hadn’t jumped down anyone’s throat yet due to their lack of fashion sense. Together we went up the stairs to the western entrance. I had chosen that because it had the least amount of traffic. At the north gate was the parking lot and the taxi spot, while at the south gate was the train station. I still wondered why people didn’t seem to mind us. Then again, this was Europe’s biggest nerd meet-up. Why should a bunch of cartoon horses cause any sensation? We squeezed ourselves between the humans whom even us horned ones could only reach to hip height and stood in a little hall with the ticket control. We lined up as was right and proper.

“You really think we can pass like this?” Twilight was looking around nervously. As we waited, the first people around began to notice us and whispered amongst their friends. It was only a matter of time until the first would try to take photos with us, only to realise that we weren’t in fact robots.
 
“If we keep standing like this, then no. Everyone ahead in robot single file.” We waddled on past all the waiting humans. Last time I did that, I had an ID around my neck that allowed me to do so. Still, no one seemed to be bothered by this. Were humans really that ignorant? We reached the first turnstile where you needed to scan the barcode to pass. We could have easily created ourselves a few fakes or simply enchant the machine with magic, but we were small enough to pass under it. The staff on the other side watched with wide eyes as eight little ponies simply entered the cordoned area and trotted past them. I quickly glanced at Fluttershy, who had bitten onto Rainbow’s tail and had closed her eyes. I was happy that she had agreed to this journey in the first place. When I had told her about the event, she hadn’t been very eager. A female staff member went to the turnstile we had just passed.
 
“Okay, party’s over! Who owns these bots?” That was our mark to vanish.
 
“Go!” I called, and we galloped along the long hallway as fast as our hooves would carry us. Rainbow, with the Fluttershy accessory firmly attached to her tail, was flying beside me.
 
“Darling, my coiffure!” Rarity shouted. “And I’m starting to sweat,” she whined as the sound of hooves on smooth tiles filled the hallway.
 
“We’re almost there,” I answered. Ahead of us was the stairway down to the main hall. The staff was going to have a hard time finding us once we mixed with the crowd there. Our small size was our best cover. That was why I had chosen Saturday, for more people were attending. It would also make it harder for us to see, but that was why I had wings on demand. Twilight and Trixie could levitate and would do the same for AJ. For Pinkie, well, she was Pinkie. With that thought, I looked for the bundle of energy, only to realise that she had disappeared.
 
“Where’s Pinkie?” We were standing above the stairs, with the staff members, mostly students working for some extra cash, way behind us but closing fast. It would still take them a minute or two to reach us. Ponies, even the small ones, were simply faster than humans.
 
“I have no… idea,” Twilight answered, gasping for breath.” She was just… behind me.” Unlike Twilight, I was still in shape thanks to all that work on the farm. A few months ago, such a sprint would have easily finished me and not just because of my belly. I glanced over the crowd and actually located our missing friend, standing on top of an oversized Blitzcrank. Somebody had actually made the effort to build a costume of the champion from League of Legends. Now the same person had issues raising his heavy arms to shoo away the pony on his head. Said pony was leaning forward right in his view, dead set on striking a conversation.
 
“Back there.” I pointed at the spectacle that had already garnered some attention. So much for a stealthy visit. “I would’ve liked to welcome you to the GamesCon but for now… get Pinkie!” With that, Rainbow and I shot down the stairs, me on my hooves and her in a steep dive. Much to our dismay, the pink pony seemed to have discovered something more interesting and jumped off from Blitzcrank’s head.

“Pinkie!” I called out to her, but with all that noise, it was unlikely she would hear me, not to mention actually listening. Rainbow and I were now among the crowd searching for our friend but without success. I glanced back to the others, and much to my chagrin, they were gone as well. “This keeps getting better and better....”
 
“What now, egghead number two?” She hovered next to me and kept herself afloat with light wing strokes, but that was no solution. What was supposed to hide us had become the biggest issue in finding the rest.
 
“Well, we arranged a meeting spot, so let’s just try to see as much as possible. We’ll worry about the others if they don’t arrive past twenty.” I pointed to the large clock showing ten in the morning. “So, what games would you like to play first?”
 
“Oh! Those zombie games you talked about. I’ll show those undead how awesome I am.” She clapped her hooves together. If the head of a zombie had been there, it would surely be one less to worry about. There were supposed to be two games being shown: Day-Z, a mod turned into a full game, and a similar game set as a MMO, though I had forgotten the name. Before we had arrived, Twilight had provided us with a plan for the convention. Sadly, it had been left on my nightstand at the farm.
 
“Let’s check for those then.” I grew my wings and we rose up to just below the roof. We might not have been able to see our friends from here, but the others could see us, and we could look around for the proper booths. Also, no human would even think about looking up. I knew that some bronies from a specific forum were around, and they knew my story. In hindsight, I shouldn’t have written about everything. If AJ found out, I’d become a permanent resident on the couch. She disliked talking about ‘private’ things in public, and the internet was everything but private. Other than that, there might have been other bronies around who could cause a panic once they saw us. The little incident at the Toys’R’Us showed us that there was little time between fangasm and reasoning.

“What’s that?” Rainbow pointed at the Nintendo booth where multiple Wii’s were displayed and a few people were playing tennis or bowling.
 
“Those are games with motion control. Those two sticks transmit the movement of your hooves into the game.” From up here, it looked as if people were boxing with the wall.
 
“Cool! Can we play a round?” Rainbow had the biggest grin on her face, and to our luck, one visitor had just put down their controllers. What could possibly happen? Before anyone could occupy the console, we shot down, and like an eagle diving for her prey, she caught the controller with her mouth.
 
“God ith…” she happily said and spat the stick to my hooves. “How do I put it on?” Back as a unicorn, I levitated the device in front of her and opened the loop.
 
“Just put your hoof through here and grab the stick.” She did as told and now hovered in front of the screen. Much to our luck, we had gotten one of the bowling games and not tennis. That would have been problematic without fingers. “Now just do as if the stick was the ball and go for it.” I took a glance behind us and saw the disbelieving pairs of eyes slowly form a half circle around us. I followed suit and observed Rainbow reach back and land her first strike. “Awesome!” She turned back to me.

“What did you expect?” She noticed the crowd, and with an even bigger grin, reached back for her second toss. Once more it was a strike – go figure. My brother had owned a Wii for some time, and I rarely got more than three or four pins. I didn’t even want to talk about real bowling. There was a long applause when Dash turned around and bowed for the public. “Thank you, thank you, I know I’m awesome.” She finished the sentence with a small loop, gaining even more attention.
 
“I think we should look for something else. They’re becoming a bit too much.” She seemed disappointed but only for losing her freshly gained fans.
 
“Meh, that game was no challenge anyway.” I had to hold back in reminding her that the game had been on the lowest difficulty, but her attitude was really tiring. I hoped that other games would be much harder so that she would get her head out of the clouds.
 
“Thanks for your attention, but the performance is over now,” I said to the onlookers, and with a bow, I quickly transformed. Together with Rainbow, we went up to the ceiling and disappeared behind some metal girders from the crowd who had kept pointing at us with their fingers. Many of them were so in awe that they forgot to take photos with their phones.
 
“That game is impossible!” I looked down at that familiar voice and discovered something that had caused a little commotion. Twilight and Trixie were each standing on a mattress with their legs moving at near light speed, trying to hit the right fields. I had no problem with them causing a little bit of a racket, but they were standing on the damned stage of all places! The announcer for the weird dancing game had actually let go of his mic while watching the two ponies seemingly establishing a new high score. A large crowd did the same via a large screen.

“HA! Trixie is better than you, Twilight Sparkle!” Both were so absorbed in the game that they probably didn’t even realise what was going on. I flew down to them, causing some gasps to ripple through the audience, and tapped Trixie on the back.
 
“Hey! You can’t just waltz onto stage like that.” Trixie looked over to me but only so far as to keep an eye on the monitor with the instructions.
 
“Not now, Light. Trixie has almost defeated Twilight Sparkle.” I sighed and stepped behind the stage. Some of the staff there gave me weird looks but kept their mouths shut, at least until I bit on the main power cord, trying to pull it out of the outlet.
 
“Hey! You… You pony! You can’t just….” one of them called but I just ignored him, and with one strong jolt, the cable was out. I heard music go out and the public groan in frustration.
 
“Damn machine! I was about to win!” I heard Trixie shouting. I stepped back onto the stage and looked over to Twilight, who was more occupied with breathing rather than answering. “Don’t think this is over, Sparkle!” I coughed shortly before teleporting us a few meters up in the air to the roof of one of the booths. Rainbow was already sitting there, laughing her flanks off.

“You should have seen their faces when the machine went cold. Priceless!” Trixie gave her the same murderous look as she did to Twilight before giving her one hell of a magic punch that forced her off the roof. I ran to the edge and saw that Rainbow Dash had landed on some guy dressed up as…. Rainbow Dash. She was slowly rubbing her head before grabbing one of the wings at her side. On contact, her eyes widened. “My wings! I can’t feel my wings!” This time, it was I who had to stifle a laugh.
 
“Rainbow!” I called down, only to get the attention of both. “I think those wings belong to the guy under you.” Both looked around in confusion until their gazes met. I expected anything: wild screaming, Rainbow ramming her hooves into the guy’s face, they checking each other out before brohoofing and becoming instant friends. Instead, the guy just fainted. Back to the Future I-see-my-other-self type of blackout. Classic.
 
“OKAY! Why is this dude dressed like me? Is he some kind of creep?” Twilight was now standing beside me and looked down to the pile of rainbow below.
 
“Let’s just say he is a fan. Now get up here, Dash,” she ordered, and with a few powerful strokes, the mare was back on the roof.
 
“So, why should I just leave my fan down there? I mean, why do I even have fans? I did just one trick. Are humans that easy to impress?” Twilight and I exchanged a few nervous glances. Aside from her, only Celestia had knowledge about the show.

“Very easily. One or two loops and you’ll have hundreds of friend.” For a moment, I had forgotten that there was someone else with us who bathed in attention as much as our beloved stunt flyer was.
 
“Really? Trixie needs a stage immediately!” I facehooved as she was gone as quickly as a lightning bolt.
 
“That’s my stage, my fans!” Rainbow shouted and left Twilight and me behind on the roof. Perfect time for a synchronised sigh.
 
“You couldn’t just keep your mouth shut, huh?” I felt as Twilight’s gaze drilled holes into my sides.
 
“In my defence, you wouldn't have come up with anything smarter.” I saw how Twilight scanned the crowd and discovered that Rainbow’s temporary mattress was gone. Either he was picked up and brought to the paramedics or had stood up by himself. The last thing I hoped he would do was head for the next meet-up group and tell them about a how a living Rainbow Dash had fallen on his face. Alright, bronies might be crazy, but that would be too crazy even by their standards.
 
“So? What now?” I was thinking the same question. We still hadn’t found the others, and both Rainbow and Trixie were now on a stage probably trying to grab the attention of a puzzled audience.

“Any game you want to see?” She was not amused. “Alright… let’s look for the others.” I changed to a unicorn. “So, where to now?” Before I could teleport us anywhere, Twilight beat me to it, and we landed on the roof of another booth. I couldn’t tell if we were in the same hall, for there were too many blinking lights and signs in my way.


“AJ must be nearby. I felt her aura.” I nodded, and after a quick transformation, I was sailing over the crowd. The constant changes, however, were doing a number on my reserves, and I wasn’t sure how long my nerves could keep up with that. That was one of the reasons why I had never gone with more than three people to these types of events. No, seven ponies don’t count as three people even if stacked. They would actually be closer to fourteen, fifteen if I accounted for Pinkie.
 
I made another round and saw something at the FIFA ’13 stand. Electronic Arts had erected a small soccer field for the younger ones, but it was the goalkeeper who caught my eyes. She was the most beautiful one I had ever seen in my life, but I guess we all say that about our special others, right? The children seemed completely unfazed by playing soccer with a pony, and she on the other hand had no problems blocking balls with her had without losing her hat. I went down at the edge and laid my forehooves over the railing.
 
“Give ‘em hell, AJ!” I cheered for her, granting me a little smirk from her. The ball rolled over to her hooves, and she began to gallop the few meters all the way to the other goal. The ball remained right in front of her, giving her opponents only a small chance to get it. She skilfully evaded a girl who tried to intercept her and shot the ball from the middle line right into the goal. Much to misfortune of the kid standing there, AJ had underestimated her power, as the ball struck him square on his chest and catapulted him back in the net. Surprised from the outcome and the sudden amount of curious looks from the younglings, she pulled her Stetson over her head and left the field right beside me. “I see you had some fun.” I grinned at her, and we exchanged a short kiss.

“Look! That’s Applejack!” I looked over to the other side of the field, and I could make out a few guys standing there and pointing at us. Others were following the finger of a man with a T-shirt featuring a grey pony with white mane and an engine block cutie mark carrying a wrench in its mouth. I had seen that pony somewhere, but I was not sure. “That cosplayer was right!” AJ had also noticed our pursuers.
 
“Who are these guys, sugarcube, and how do they know my name?” Everyone was still looking at us, but everything had gone silent somehow.
 
“No time to explain. We should run!” I was about to turn, but AJ was standing still, her eyes burning with anger. “AJ?”
 
“What are you hiding from me?” Her voice was chilly and threatening. “What did you not tell me?” Her breathing became visible, and I fell on my ass in shock. “Are you lying to me?” It was the double voice of Nightmare, but that couldn't be.
 
“Hey Light! I found the zombies.” I spun around and saw Dash in front of a horde of undead. Not cosplayers, real ones. Rotting flesh, some without skullcaps, others with open chests. “They are so cool!” With that last word, one of the zombies bit down into her right wing and ripped out a large chunk of it. Rainbow did not even flinch. No, she smiled.
 
I turned around and was greeted by the cold gaze of my girlfriend. I ran off in the other direction, around an empty booth, down a long hallway, and fell into the first door I could find. What was going on here? I leaned against the door and fell on my side. Only then did I realise where I was. It was a shed. Not some random one – it was Fluttershy’s. Skeletons hung from the walls, brains were piled up in the corner, and from the shadow of the opposing side, the owner emerged. She had a serene smile on her lips.
 
“Why do you risk our life for a dead world?” That question came out of nowhere. “Why do you risk our lives for those who might be dead by now?” Her smile slowly turned into a grimace. Her eyes narrowed, and the shadows around her began to grow. Her teeth turned pointy and saliva ran down them. “Why do sacrifice us? Your loved ones are all dead!” I couldn’t move, nor could I answer. She picked up a massive chainsaw that had ‘Doomsday Machine’ written on it, and with a jolt of her head, it sprang to life. “If you don’t want to give me an answer, I will tear it from your head!” The saw shot down on me, and everything went black.
 

***

 
Bathed in my own sweat, I shot up from my sleep. My throat was dry, my head banging, and my breathing flat.
 
“That! Was just a nightmare.” I needed a few seconds to get myself together and looked down upon the pendant around my neck. I could almost hear Nightmare laughing. I levitated it off from my neck and hammered it into the corner of the room. “Even locked away, she still causes me trouble.” Slowly my heartbeat turned back to normal, but I had probably woken up AJ.

“You alright, sugarcube?” I flinched, that image of her still fresh in my head.
 
“Yes, just a bad dream.” One based on all the doubts I had at the moment.
 
“Do you want to talk about it?” I understood now why people always declined this offer.
 
“Actually.... yes.” I had to get it off my chest. “You girls always wondered how I knew so many things about you, right?” AJ nodded, and her hoof touched mine. “I said that I always dreamed about what might happen if I… If something like this were to happen.” She was still listening. “I dreamed about all this, about Equestria, about being here. Humans know about this world, AJ, but for them, it’s only a fairy tale, nothing more than a good night story for little children who still believe in a perfect world.” I couldn’t make myself look into her eyes. “You, Twilight, Pinkie, and all the others are the main characters in those stories. They talk about your adventures. Because of this, you had many fans. Not just a few but thousands, probably even more. I was such a fan myself, and when I ended up here, it was like a dream, a dream come true. But I made a mistake. Stories never carry the full truth.” With that, I remembered my dream. I would never tell anyone what had happened. There were both private and embarrassing moments. If someone would come to know… I don’t know. “I thought everything was the same, but I was so wrong. You’re not the pony from those stories. You are your own being.” For a while, there was only silence.
 
“That still bothers you?” I looked into her smiling face. “Twilight told us a long time ago, and I don’t care. I actually feel rather flattered. It’s not like being constantly watched.” She gave me a long kiss. “Even if they would get something to look at.” I couldn’t hide my smirk. “But I’m happy you confessed to me. Now let’s go back to sleeping.” We snuggled closer to each other, and I soon drifted into a deep dreamless sleep.



> Chapter 48 - Cast Off, Full Speed!
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The advantage as a pony was, without a doubt, that you didn’t need big suitcases filled with clothing. For adventures, it was pretty unnecessary. Light luggage was more than enough. Nopony seemed to have told Rarity this as she stood with five large suitcases at the train station and checked again and again if she had everything what she needed for the journey, almost like Twilight and one of her lists. Speaking of lists, there was one. It covered, much to my relief, not every object that was supposed to be in the suitcase, only the piece of luggage itself.
 
"Was this everything then, Twilight?" I asked her when she checked off another item. As an answer, she scanned the list again and hummed. I waited a few more seconds for something verbal, but all I got was the humming. She was somewhere else mentally, and I could understand what it was she was thinking about so much. We were on the way to move into the Celestia. The ship was already anchored in Canterlot and only waited for us to occupy it. The hearing for the mission was tomorrow and then we wanted to take off soon after.
 
"Can we finally leave now? If we wait for the egghead, we’ll still be standing here tomorrow." Dash floated impatiently above our heads, looking disgruntled. It was understandably that she was bored – after all, there was nothing going on aside from luggage and tired yawning. It was very early in the morning, and we were the only ones at the train station. We would say our goodbyes to the others before the portal would be opened over the Everfree. That was the only place whose environment emitted enough magical power to make the portal big enough so the whole ship would fit through.

"Ehm… could somepony please help me… if you don’t mind, that is?" Fluttershy was the last one to arrive and had problems with trying to carry her luggage, barely managing to float above it. Without looking up, Twilight's aura encased the piece of luggage and placed it on the heap where the rest of Twilight's and Rarity's luggage were. "...Thank you."
 
 AJ, Rainbow, and I, on the other hoof, only carried a saddlebag on our backs that were filled with the necessities. Toothbrush and other hygiene products, since if you lived with others in cramped spaces for a while, then stench was the last thing you wanted to have. I had also packed a few magic-themed books that I wanted to study. One was about advanced shapeshifting magic, while the other was about storing magic inside crystals. I had borrowed this book from Vinyl, as a battery on board would surely be useful. She obviously could not lend me hers, but with the book, it should be possible for Twilight to build our own. Aside from the precious stones, a few of the items needed were iron and aluminium, materials that should be easy to gather on Earth.
 
"What’s wrong with Trixie, darling?" Rarity and the others didn’t know much details of her hearing, and it wasn't my place to tell the others what had happened. She could explain herself to them on her own.
 
"She’s still in Canterlot and will meet us there. She’s been there the last week and a half and already has her belongings. It would be impractical to come here in the first place. She’ll meet us with carriages at the train station." She had also declined the invitation to the farm and, despite seeming to be happy, didn't appear to want to see anypony. AJ had also prepared a little sermon and had been a little vexed that she couldn't deliver it. Instead, I had to listen to a good part of it about responsibility, discipline, and other things. If you'd change her choice of words a little, then this speech could have come from Twilight as well.
 
"I'm looking forward to picking a bone with her." Nope, it certainly wasn’t my job to explain her doings to them. Everyone looked over to AJ as she angrily vented her frustration. "She abused our trust, even her brother’s." With me being mentioned, all looks locked onto me. Fortunately, the train now arrived and the whistling of the hot boiler drowned everything. Like the joker I was, I simply moved my lips and pretended to answer. After the last wagon came to the standstill and the squealing of the brakes lapsed, I ended my act.
 
"...And that's how Equestria has been made." Pinkie Pie had to visibly refrain from laughing at my imitation while the rest merely wore a questioning expression. Maybe I should tell them that Albia had created this world many years ago, maybe because of pure boredom. She didn't give me any reason, but I wouldn't put it past her.
 
"All passengers to Canterlot, please come on board!" called a brown earth pony in a blue uniform who had left the train. Twilight, who was finally separated from her list, started to levitate the luggage through the door of an open wagon. This one had no windows and was probably specifically for luggage, as Rainbow and Rarity entered the next one with windows. My sole train ride, aside from the forced one where I had to jump on from the Lunar, had been the detour to Manehattan. I followed AJ into the wagon and discovered at once that this was a train for shorter trips. There were no compartments, only rows of seats that consisted of cushions fixed onto the floor. Lying on one of the red, comfortable-looking seats was a certain cyan pegasus, already on her way to recover the lost sleep she had missed.
 
"Rainbow can sleep anywhere, can't she?" My question provided amusement for my company.
 
"You have no idea, darling." Rarity giggled. "I once found her on my ponyquins, in a very particular position, and she was snoring as if she was cutting every tree on Sweet Apple Acres." That surely had to be quite the view. Suddenly a question came to mind. If there were magical saws, did they also have the sound of a motor?

"I found her once tied up in the ropes inside the barn, sugarcube." AJ probably meant the old winch that hung below the ceiling. "She had a crash landing through the roof and couldn't free herself. Since nopony was there, she spent the whole day under the roof, sleeping the entire time." Imagining this, I couldn't refrain from grinning.
 
"The strangest sleeping place which I ever had was on two office chairs, the ones with wheels below. Torso on one, legs on the other. I’m sure you can imagine that I, of course, fell during the night onto the floor." I left out the story with the ditch full of nettles where I had slept after a long party. My friends had held the photos in front of my face for weeks that they had taken when they passed me.
 
"I can't imagine how that was supposed to work," remarked Rarity, seemingly imagining a pony in such a pose.
 
"I was still a human, Rarity. We sit upright." I tried to sit on my cushion like a human but merely fell backwards, causing AJ to roll her eyes.
 
"Ah… like that nice unicorn who I see in the park every now and then… Her name had to do something with an instrument… What's her name again?" She tapped her lips with her hoof several times.
 
"Lyra Heartstrings," I said curtly.
 
"Exactly!" she called in recognition. "Thank you, darling. Ponyville may not be big, but there are still lots of ponies living there." Again she pondered for a moment. "How can you remember so many names? No offense, darling, but you’ve barely been living here three months." I merely shrugged once I had propped myself up.
 
"I think it has something to do with the fact that I'm one of your fans," I said calmly, whereupon Rarity had a smile on her lips.
 
"So you’ve finally revealed your dark secret?" I nodded to her.
 
"I don't like to lie to my friends. I was also afraid what you would say." I had imagined how I would be run out of town with torches and pitchforks.
 
"Oh darling! You have no idea!" She waved the issue aside with a hoof. "Me, angry because I have fans in another world? Celestia forbid…" In that moment, Twilight, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie entered the wagon as well.
 
"You could have helped us, Light," Twilight said with an evil glare as she sat down one row before Rarity. "And don't say that you aren't good at levitating." But I actually wasn't. I was still missing magical sensitiveness. To cast a spell was one thing; it was another to maintain and use it. To move the object in the air was my problem, and I didn't want to start with several things at once.
 
"Sorry, Twi’, but I've been mentally elsewhere the last few days and thought that probably the most powerful unicorn in Equestria could deal with some old luggage without me." Honestly, I didn't even think of offering my help. "But otherwise, is everything else okay?" I immediately regretted the question as she fetched a list again.
 
"Spike and Dawn taking care of the library? Check. Caramel, Braeburn, and Big Macintosh looking after the farm and the other Cutie Mark Crusaders? Double check. Mr. and Mrs. Cake…" The train started rolling, and my thoughts drifted away from Twilight's endless accounting.
 

***

 
After an hour, we passed the walls protecting Canterlot from the rest of the world. Miss Checklist had gone over everything that had been done over the last half an hour and then one more time of course, just to make sure. Rainbow woke up in between for a moment and immediately held her hooves over her ears to block Twilight's voice, seemingly successful as she was still sleeping. Rarity had a book in front her nose – judging by the cover, it was a romance – and Fluttershy was still knitting. She did it with a combination of hooves, mouth, and wings, which she could bend unbelievably well. One could believe that they were like hands.
 
"Tell me, Shy, how are you doing that?" I asked her with a tap on her shoulder. I'm still talking about a shoulder, but I couldn't think of another term for the upper front leg joint. As with humans with the arms, the joints jutted out a bit so that they were really small shoulders when a pony sat like that.
 
"Mmmm…?" Fluttershy turned towards me. "Oh, Light, I'm sorry. I was a bit lost in thought." She created another loop and pulled it together. I had watched my mother knitting now and then, but her flexible wings made this special. If I could learn this, it would be nearly as if I had hands again. Not that levitation wasn't convenient, but I was somehow missing feeling something when I was using it. "What did you want to know?"
 
"How you are doing that with your wings." I pointed to the rounded ends that were holding a needle each. The yellow pegasus put away the needles and flexed her wings a bit for demonstration.
 
"I don't know. I think it’s a muscle that only a few pegasi discover… as they… um… stop flying with them," she said uncertainly and picked up the needles again. "I simply could do it after living on the ground for a while," she ended her explanation. It was a thing of practice and patience, my strength. If something didn't interest me or if I didn't have immediately success, I gave up easily, a reason why I never learned to draw and couldn't handle anything without my tablet.
 
"We will soon arrive. Please take your seats!" the conductor called from back into the wagon as he briefly stuck his head in. I did as I was told and took my seat again next to AJ, behind Fluttershy and Rainbow. As soon I had done so, a jolt went through the train, and the squealing of the brakes was heard. We hadn’t travelled that fast, maybe eighty kilometres per hour at most if I had to guess, but the braking distance was due to the weight of the train. We came to a standstill at a lively platform where many nobles were already waiting to enter. The conductor opened the doors with his key, and we slowly rose from our seats and left for the outside. Twilight had Rainbow magically in tow and started to wake her slowly through gentle shaking as we stood before the luggage wagon.
 
"Come on, Rainbow…" A frustrated groan came from Twilight, and she let her friend fall roughly onto the ground.
 
"Ow... What’s that for, Twilight?" The sleepyhead rubbed her eyes blearily, but her suitcases were thrown at her.
 
"We still have enough time to sleep. Now we have to load the luggage on the carriages and get to the dock." Twilight and Rarity fetched one piece of luggage after the other from the wagon and stacked them on a heap next to Rainbow.
 
"I don't want to shoot your plan down, Twi, but which carriages?" She pointed to the nearby street. As the passengers had entered the train and the platform was empty, one could clearly see that we were alone. No carriage and especially no Trixie was waiting for us.
 
"Super… Now what?" I posed the question to the group, who merely returned strange looks. "What?"
 
"She’s your sister. Where is she?" asked Twilight, completely unnerved.
 
"How I am supposed to know? In fact, Hawk and Star were supposed to be with her and help us." Both of them had been ordered to keep an eye on Trixie by nopony but Luna herself. She wanted to prevent Trixie from trying something like that again, even if she was only two days in Canterlot. "But I'll see what I can get." I didn't have the desire, and neither did the others I’m sure, to carry all our luggage to the dock. I walked a bit along the street to the livelier main street. There weren't a lot of carriages around as it was only early noon, but a few taxis were standing around at the edge, waiting for customers. I whistled loudly and winked towards one of the drivers, who winked back and came towards me with his carriage. Before he reached me, I noticed how the train accelerated and vanished towards Fillydelphia.

"Good day, what can I do for you?" asked the green stallion who stood in front of me, including the carriage.
 
"We have some luggage which has to be taken to the docks." I pointed to the train station, and with a nod, he was on the way. Actually, I intended to follow him directly, but a small newspaper stall caught my attention. 'Reconstruction of Fillyburg!' was the headline of the day. It seemed new settlers were willing to live in the ruins. Personally, nothing would be able to willingly carry me to that place, and the thought alone made me shiver. I slowly walked to the station, and halfway there, the carriage driver came towards me with the luggage and eventually disappeared down the main street. It made me wonder why he only had our luggage with him.
 
"There wasn’t enough space for us all. That's why Trixie was supposed to bring two carriages," I heard Twilight's voice behind me and turned around, startled. "Now we have to walk through the city." Canterlot was the nearest to what I understood as a medieval city with magnificent buildings. They looked as they had been erected from one piece or had been hewn directly from the stone. My last march through the city, from the castle to the docks, had been rather short, and I was looking forward seeing a bit more. Twilight and Rarity led us through one side street after the other. In one, there were herbs for concoctions available; in another, items rumoured to have magical properties, and in the last one; specially cut crystals. I was tempted to buy one, but the prices scared me off. One thousand bits was the price for the smallest one. Vinyl had to earn a lot of money to be able to afford these for her batteries, and it explained why they weren't in mass production yet. We went on through a quarter of the city, past some foals in the small gardens, in front of houses, before finally we stood in front of a particular house.
 
"Please wait here for a moment,” said Twilight as she walked towards one of the large houses. The tall white building with three floors reminded me of a villa. The roof consisted of two smaller pitched roofs and a big one in which a round window was embedded in the middle. The other windows of the house were more rectangle-like and stretched from a bit above the floor to nearly the ceiling so that a lot of light shone into the house. Ponies didn't place much importance on privacy unless it was the bedroom. The dining area and a part of the hallway could be seen from the street as well. At the door was emblazoned a large coat of arms that I had never seen before. This door was big enough that, as a human, I probably would not have to stoop down if I wished to enter this house. On the whole, it was a bit smaller than Cadence’s and Armor’s. I looked on as Twilight knocked at the door. It took a little while until it opened, and she vanished inside.
 
"Who lives here anyway?" I asked nopony in particular.
 
"Since that is the coat of arms of Twilight's family, I would guess her parents, darling," said Rarity. I looked back to the house where I could see Twilight walking behind one of the big windows, together with who seemed to be her parents. I had only seen them briefly in the series and observed the conversation. Her father was dark blue unicorn with an even darker mane, and her mother was a white unicorn like Rarity, along with a likewise white mane with a purple strip running through. Both children had inherited this stripe then.
 
What I noticed was that Twilight looked very similar to her mother. I had gotten better with judging the shape of ponies and the bone structure, so I could tell that if the coat colour wasn't different, an older version of Twilight Sparkle was standing there. Then the names of both ponies came to my mind again – Twilight Velvet and Night Light, if I recalled correctly.
 
We waited for a few minutes, where in the meantime Pinkie started to play hoofball after a few minutes. The strange thing was that she didn't dribble, but the ball jumped before her like she did. Rarity and Fluttershy conversed about some new makeup, the fashion designer soon taking over the talking. Rainbow flew back and forth the small street, and I counted the cobblestones that made up the road. After what seemed to be an eternity, Twilight finally left the building and the property. Somehow, she seemed depressed.
 
"What's the matter, Twi. You're not looking good," said AJ. She had waited patiently at the property and hadn't spoken a word before now.
 
"Nothing… My parents are still angry." It seemed that her family had a small quarrel. Something like that I only knew too well since it had happened between my mother and my uncles every now and then. Due to this, I only saw them a few times a year despite them only living a few villages away. However, I had always been at war with my grandfather. "I asked them to look after Dawn and Spike every now and again, but my father is as stubborn as ever."
 
"All grandparents love their grandchildren. From personal experience, that was a lie. My grandpa, for example, blamed me for my parents’ divorce and had made it clear to me more than once. That was also the reason why I had disliked the man. Unfortunately, he was the father of my mother and had visited us nearly every day, especially as he lived only a few houses away. "Even if they are angry with you, they’ll surely be reasonable enough not to take it out on Dawn or Spike." At least I hoped so.
 
"Light is right, sugarcube. Granny Smith even loved us so much that she raised us after the death of my parents." AJ, like me, had been raised mostly by her grandma. As my mother had still been very young when she had me, she had gone to work, and I had spent most of the time with my grandma until I had been old enough to go to school. That showed I wasn't the only one with problems – I just had the biggest ones. I would have the rest of my lifetime to help the others with theirs as way of thanks.
 
"Thank you both." She hugged AJ first and then me for a moment. "We should go now. My brother is probably waiting already." Shining Armor was the captain and thus the actual leader of this mission. I took over Glimmer’s as consultant and navigator since I knew my world better and she still wasn't fit again. After Pinkie had said goodbye to her new friends and invited them to a party in Ponyville, we had been on the way. That we didn't take the same path from the castle as before was evident when we walked through a large marketplace.
 
Unlike the small booths in Ponyville, real tents had been erected that could house three of the smaller stands. The wares ranged from victuals to pots and pans, and even several weapons were offered. However, these were decorated with gems and gold, so they were more intended as ornaments than for fighting. The brisk activities in downtown showed me, for the first time, how big Canterlot actually was. Aside from the outskirts where Cadance and Armor lived, I had not seen much of the population.
 
Here hundreds of ponies scrimmaged in the narrow alleys, flooded with offers. Vendors called their bargains into the crowd and basically pushed the fresh goods into one's nose. Fluttershy flinched every time she ended up as a victim of one these attacks. Rarity started to haggle with them while passing by, while we had trouble not losing sight of Rainbow and Pinkie. Both of them were more than susceptible to falling for some products, like a few fresh cupcakes or a signed Wonderbolt poster. In the last moment, Twilight pulled Rainbow away from the stand as she was about to hoof over several hundred bits.
 
As we finally left the market district and the castle was visible again behind the large buildings, the area started to slowly become familiar. It had been here where Trixie had thrown away her helmet into one of the dark alleys, which meant that the runway couldn't be that far away. All in all, I would say it took us a bit more than an hour to walk through the entire city.
 
"We're nearly there," said Twilight, which elicited relieved groaning from the group. "Back there is already the way to the runway." She giggled. "The way to the runway…"
 
"Yeah, Twi’, we get it," Rainbow deadpanned. Puns weren't one of her strengths.
 
We slowly followed the path that led around the mountain and quite a bit down. Finally, the ship came into our sight, and it was worthy of the word "flagship". The dark red bow with golden adornments gleamed in the midday sun. The large balloon, which was attached to the ship with ropes, was well-filled and showed the same adornments. Many small sails were on both sides of the ship, featuring the cutie mark of the princess of the sun, and fluttered lightly in the wind. Two wings had been attached parallel to the deck to hold the large ship, even in the unfavourable winds, in a steady position, and the water system had also been installed, recognizable due to the big four barrels, two hanging on each side at the end of the ship. As we neared the ship, I recognized the balloon itself was a wing as well several other wings attached to the aft. In the glassy lantern that hung in front of the fore, the wheel was visible and a fastener for the crystal which was supposed to hold the enchanted diamond. It was a magnificent ship, the Celestia.
 
"Wow… It’s beautiful," said Fluttershy quietly, and we could only agree with a slight nod.
 
"And it’s going to be our home for a while," I added. We walked further down the mountain and saw two familiar shapes at the runway waiting for us with our luggage.
 
"BBBFF!" called Twilight and ran towards her brother and sister in law. Armor and Cadance seemed to be in a tense conversation and didn't take notice of us newcomers.
 
"You can't be serious!" He didn't yell at her, but his voice was raised.
 
"And why not?" replied Cadance, scoffing. I really didn't want to get involved in a marital dispute, but it was simply a bad time to have one.
 
"Ehm… Hello you two." I nudged Armor a bit to catch their attention. "Could we do this later—?”
 
"Ah, Light, my love!" Cadance pulled me from Armor's side and aimed me towards him. "Would you please tell my dear husband that this ship is more than safe?" I had no idea what this was about and didn't want to get involved, but the ship was very protected after all.
 
"It should be safe. Twilight herself took all precautions—" Again, I couldn't finish my sentence.

"You see, dear!" She practically rubbed it in. "Or do you want to say that you don't trust your little sister's work?" He didn't quite seem to know how to answer and looked for help. Of course, his eyes had to land on me again.
 
"Light, do you feel easy about having AJ on board?" Slowly, I understood what this was about, as did the rest of the group.
 
"You want to join us, Cadance?" asked Twilight excitedly. I could imagine that it pleased her to travel with another good friend, but would she still be as thrilled if she knew that the alicorn was pregnant? I wouldn't take AJ with me if it was up to me, even if she was more than capable of taking care of herself.
 
"Yes, Twilight. I mean, you only have dear Fluttershy…" With that, she pointed towards the yellow pegasus, who hid behind Rarity. She didn't like to get embroiled as much I did. "...Who knows about medicine. What would you do if something, Celestia forbid, happens to her?" Cadance had a point. Fluttershy was the only one versed in medicine. Twilight could do a bit of healing magic, but it wouldn't suffice for anything serious.
 
"Cadance has a point…" Armor gave me the evil eye. "In addition, the ship should be safe." The golden ornaments weren't just for decorations, as I could enchant the diamonds to let them reflect sunlight. The ship was practically a fortress against nightmares. Twilight really planned this well. "And yes, I don't like that AJ is with me. Actually, I don't like to have anypony with me at all. But these six mares have proved more than once that they can take care of themselves, and I believe that Cadance is more than capable. After all, she assisted Celestia in the battle against Chrysalis."

"Thank you, Light," said Cadance cheerfully and embraced me briefly with an hoof. Armor merely sighed deeply.
 
"By Tartarus… But you need to stay on board, please." It was more an appeal than a request. She walked towards her husband and gave him a kiss.
 
"We will see…" She sported a really big grin on her face. Now only three things were left. We had to bring our luggage on board, set up everything, and…
 
"Where are Trixie, Hawk, and Star?" I asked Armor and was rewarded with a sigh.
 

***

 
It nearly took the entire afternoon to move into our quarters on the ship and to perform the last inspection. Shining Armor had looked through everything once with Shipwreck yesterday evening, at the arrival of the Celestia. Now that everything had been loaded with food, medical supplies, and all other necessities, he needed to do another inspection to see if anything had been damaged. To our fortune, everything was fine, and even the water was running so that, after our sweaty work, we could take a shower one after the other.
 
The sun was slowly setting, and neither Trixie nor Hawk or Star had reported in, and Armor and I were slowly starting to worry. I hadn't expected anything different from Trixie, but the disappearance of the two soldiers was alarming. Armor already had an idea where he had to look for them, however, and so we were away to check his assumption.
 
"Regarding the thing before, I'm not finished with you," he said to me as we walked through the lightly illuminated streets of the city. We were on the way inside a district in which I had never been before, and many buildings had been erected in a different style. Wood infused the stony works and provided a very beautiful though quaint view. They reminded me of frame houses.
 
"I understand both your opinions, Armor. I can understand you because I feel the same about AJ as you about Cadance. But on the other hoof, she wants to join and will be a big help." He only nodded and pointed towards a brightly illuminated building.
 
"There, The Golden Boar. That’s a hangout of the guards. If they aren't there, then they can only be in the barracks." We walked through the open door and were greeted by a musty pub atmosphere. The air was stuffy and warm, and everywhere sat members of the Luna Guard without their armor, playing cards, drunk, and revelling. Not far from the entrance, I immediately noticed something among the dark half-dragons. At one table, there was a white pegasus sitting, with quite a number of bits on the table next to some mugs, playing cards together with a griffin and another Lunar Guard. I could only guess that it was something similar to poker as all were keeping a straight face. I briefly nudged Armor and pointed to what I believed to be Hawk and Star. He nodded in agreement, though just as we were about to move to them, Trixie appeared between all these ponies and took the free seat next to them.
 
"What are they playing?" I addressed my companion, who showed a grim face.

"Poker. Appleloosa Hold'em if I’m seeing it correctly. Just you wait, they'll be in for." He stomped past many other guards, who looked at him with widened eyes and remained still behind the griffon at the table so that the others didn't see him. For this, they were far too engrossed in the game.
 
"All in!" With that, the griffin pushed his remaining bits into the middle of the table and leaned backwards on his hind legs, not without supporting himself on the table.
 
"Three of a kind!" Hawk revealed her hand and grinned at Star, who revealed his hand. "Damn it…" She slumped back in her chair.
 
"That's nothing against the Great and Powerful Trixie." She had a flush and appropriately had a grin stretching from ear to ear. The griffon with his full house gave up and left angrily the table while Trixie started to gather her booty. Unlike the unicorn, her co-players had noticed the angry Shining Armor, who was now visible.
 
"Ehm… Trixie…" Hawk tried to turn Trixie's attention to the problem in front of them, but without success.
 
"What is it? Trixie is busy counting her loot." The bits between her hooves suddenly rose into the air and vanished in Shining Armor’s saddlebag. Trixie followed the movement of her money and looked into a very dissatisfied face. "Oh… Hello Light… Shining Armor," she said and looked for help at her both colleagues, who preferred to look to the ceiling.
 
"Would somepony explain what is the meaning of this? You were expected to report in at noon!" he barked at the group, so loud that the pub went silent. Some Lunar Guards started to grin as they saw that others were being chewed out by their superior.
 
"Trixie told us that we still had time and asked us if we knew a place to play and—"Hawk started.
 
"Hey, it was you who wanted something to drink and dragged Trixie here!" she defended herself.
 
"We had no lunch and then we lost track playing poker," Star said curtly, which caused both mares to hit him.
 
"We’re going to the ship. Now." He met Trixie's gaze, which had been on her bag of money. "And I’ll keep the money as punishment for now." Angrily, she let herself fall from the chair and followed us to the outside. Together, we returned to ship. I was sure that Hawk and Star would continue their conversation with Armor later.



> Chapter 49 - Biggest Dreamer
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The first morning on such a confining ship was anything but comfortable. AJ and I had one of the two rooms in the bowels of the ship, at the same level as the kitchen and bathroom, just like Armor and Cadance. The morning needs of both mares had taken this decision from us. Rainbow, Twilight, Fluttershy, and Rarity had each shared a room. Hawk and Star had also shared one, much to my surprise. Her captain had explained to me later that cohabitation as a pair was not allowed on any missions, but as this was not an official mission in Equestria, he didn’t care and so neither did I. Besides, he already had his wife. I still couldn’t wrap my head around the active Hawk with the almost constantly silent Star. On the other hand, I’m sure nobody thought I would be with AJ. Trixie had been placed with Pinkie in a room as punishment, so now two cabins were free.
 
After we had arrived from the pub to the ship, Armor had made both soldiers the first to scrub the deck, though it had not been necessary since it had freshly arrived from the dry dock. That had gone on deep in the night, and I had heard them arguing about whose fault it was. Worse was when Pinkie had woken us up at 6am, military style. Someone had actually given her a trumpet, and if I ever found out who it was…
 
“Move it, sugarcube! I want to get a shower some time today. “AJ and I pushed past each other. Now that the ship was moving, some of the corridors and walkways somehow seemed to be narrower. To pass one of the more petite mares was easier than to do so with Armor or Star. If either of them wore armour, it would be better to first let them pass. My armour was still in the castle as it had gotten damaged, though it should be ready after the hearing today.
 
“Excuse me!” I positioned myself in the kitchen where Cadance had made breakfast to allow AJ to pass into the bathroom.
 
“Is it just me or is it pretty narrow?” Cadance asked, occupied with slicing bread with her magic. At the same time, she washed some fresh fruit in the sink. She had forgone her jewellery, shoes, and crown and as such looked more down to earth yet still graceful.
 
“We’ll just have to get used to it.” I actually liked smaller rooms and houses. I had spent my vacations mostly in Austria or Switzerland in a rented mountain hut, and it had been worth every cent each time. I used to spend the entire day with my snowboard in the cold, spending the evening cosy by the fireside with some hot chocolate. Unfortunately, I was the only one in my family who preferred the winter sport over the warm sun and the beach. The fact that I was averse to the sun had been surprising. I gladly went for a walk during the night, loved the winter sport, and so on. Perhaps it was a bit odd for the son of the Sun Princess.
 
“Certainly. I am more than happy to be able to spend time with Shining Armor and Twilight. It has been a long time since the three of us were able to spend time together.” She placed the bread on a plate and the fruit on another. “Could you help bring me the things from the fridge to the table?” I nodded and got marmalades and honey from the fridge and followed Cadance to the commons. Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow were already at the table and were deep in a discussion.
 
“I want to see one of those jet things. If they really are as fast as Light said, they would be my next opponents,” Rainbow declared as I placed the glasses onto the table with my magic.
 
“We aren’t going to sightsee in this other world, darling. I would think helping its inhabitants would come first,” Rarity tried to reason.
 
“Still, would we be able to buy some cupcakes?!” At Pinkie’s question, both Rainbow’s and Rarity’s hooves planted themselves upon their respective faces. In contrast, Cadance only smiled and put their plates down.
 
“I think we should discuss this further after the breakfast farther," she said before she pulled out a stool and took a seat at the table. I followed suit and sat down next to Rainbow. "We can start already. The others will be here soon,” she said and took a slice of bread and levitated a knife to coat it with honey and banana. “What?" she asked as she saw the look on our faces.
 
 After the first shock over the unusual breakfast passed, the others also came to the table, so the room was now well filled with ponies. I had my own discussion with Shining Armor about the hearing as the others formed their own little groups to talk.
 

***

 
“The objectives for the mission are as follows…” I once again stood in that room and faced my mother. Her vain advisors were out of sight as usual. The final question had been about how we were going to help free my world from the Nightmares. “We will search for survivors and gather as many as we can in new settlements. We will protect them with magic that will prevent the Nightmares from entering. We will try to do this in as many places as possible.” Murmuring went through the unseen audience. The light around the pony who had asked the last question went out, and a new one lit up on the other side.
 
“Is the magic fully functional? Is it certain to work?” a pegasus queried.
 
“The same magic has protected Equestria for more than one thousand years and was created by nobody other than Princess Celestia," I pointed out, which caused renewed whispers before the light changed again. This time it was a blue unicorn with a dark blue mane. He was Night Light, Twilight’s and Shining Armor’s father. I recognized him immediately. I was certain he was not enthused to see both his children endangered.
 
“Are the Elements still actually necessary when this magic is the solution?” he asked and looked down grimly at me.
 
“The power of the Elements is need to work on the magic.” He looked immediately to Celestia, who nodded. “Even if they have no effect in my world, I need their presence." Immediately, the light changed.
 
“Are you trying to tell us that the Elements cannot even defend themselves?” I believe that was something I should have kept to myself.
 
“Unfortunately, no. Albia told me that, individually, the Elements will not function. It is a protection that prevents anyone from stealing them and using them in his or her world,” I told the dark stallion.
 
“Isn’t this exactly what you’re trying to do? Against the will of the Creator, carry the Elements to another world?” That was Twilight’s father again.
 
"She was the one who presented this solution. Besides, I plan to safely return with the Elements." Again there was murmuring, and I saw some outlines nodding.
 
"What assurance is there that you will return?” Although the light was not on him, Twilight’s father still carried on.
 
“Well, there’s the fact that my marefriend and I are expecting a foal, and I certainly want her to grow up in Equestria…”
 
“She’s travelling with them,” someone said from the dark. “She could be involved in this, even with her being a Bearer.” AJ, as the Element of Honesty, planning with me to help steal the others? In which world was I in? “You have no relatives here, and have no connection to Equestria or Albion.” He wanted a connection? First he accused AJ and me of being thieves, and now he wanted proof? He would get what he wanted.
 
“MY NAME IS BLUE LIGHT OF EQUESTRIA!” I had not used this voice in a long time. “MY BODY WAS PERSONALLY GIVEN TO ME BY ALBIA…” I changed into a pegasus “… WHICH MEANS I AM THE BIOLOGICAL SON OF PRINCESS CELESTIA!” I changed into an earth pony. “I may not be an alicorn, but part of their family stands right in front of you.” Once again, I thought I saw Celestia smiling at my speech. It could imagine that she thought of me as only a young stallion who wanted to use her greatest defence to save other worlds. “I have put my life on the line for Equestria already, and I would do so again, but now there is a problem on another world. There is life there, living souls who are suffering. We can help without sending an army, and the risk would be worth helping the lives of million.” None of my interrogators dared to cough, much less respond, as I firmly put forward that I knew who I was.
 
“I see the council has received their answers.” Celestia smiled and looked around. I was sure she was more than capable of seeing through this darkness. “I have also come to a decision.” Whatever murmuring there was silenced as her hoof pointed down. “I have trusted Blue Light for a long time, and I believe him more than capable of tackling this mission. However, I can also understand the concern of the council. Therefore, I will appoint Captain Shining Armor as the commander of both the Celestia and this mission.” Which he actually already was – it just hadn’t been made official until now. “Furthermore, I hereby limit the mission to three months. After this time, they must report back. However, if things are going well, and judging the success of the first one, then I am open to a second mission.” With that said, she banged her hoof on the podium again, and the light behind her went out. The door behind me opened, and I slowly walked out to where Cadance, Twilight, and Shining Armor waited for me.
 
“Nice speech.” Cadance giggled. “I’m sure it was heard all over the castle.”
 
“I have to give credit to Armor. He coached me on how to handle the politicians here.” The council functioned like a parliament. These representatives were chosen by the different pony races and dispensed advice to the princesses about various issues. The princesses, however, had the final say. Naturally, each tried to influence the princesses in order to achieve their own objectives, something Celestia and Luna were more than conscious of. “They’re not much different than us. You only need to shake them up a bit.”
 
“I believe their ears will still be ringing into next week." Celestia giggled as Cadance did as she joined us. “However, I believe it’s time we discussed something more important. How soon do you want to leave?”
 
“Tonight, Princess. Light reported a time difference of around six hours. If we leave around midnight, we should reach Earth at around sunrise.” Twilight reached into her saddlebag and got a parchment “I have here the runes for the portal." She handed over the piece of paper to my mother, who immediately began to read.
 
“Very good, Twilight. Everything seems accurate to the smallest detail. However, the most difficult part will be harnessing the energy of the Everfree.” Curious, I positioned myself closer to Celestia, and she held the paper lower so that I could see. Next to the arrangement of runes that didn't make any sense to me, I saw the part that she was talking about.
 
“We’ll use the chaotic energy to expand the portal so that the ship can pass through?" Both Twilight and Celestia nodded.
 
“The three of us would be just barely able to transport small groups to another world. It is still an enormous magic act to guard you all from the universe.” My facial expression to Celestia’s explanation probably said more than clearly that I had not understood a word.
 
“You know there can only be one person or object existing at the same time in the universe?" I nodded at Twilight. "Because you were exchanged with your counterpart, it was no problem for you. I was lucky during my first visit in that my counterpart was either dead or I was not there long enough. Anyway we can enter at no risk. We need to guard ourselves magically to make sure that nothing is erased by the universe.” I didn't have a clue how that was supposed to work magically, so I simply accepted it. The fact that the problem still existed continued to linger in my mind though. On the other hand, nothing had happened to me in the parallel Equestria.
 
“In that case…" said Armor and stamped a hoof "… I think it’s time we took our first flight with the Celestia. An adventurous sensation bubbled inside me, even though it was inappropriate. “We should head out to Ponyville, Princess." We all followed Armor and bowed before we made our way to the ship.
 

***

 
The wind flowed slowly yet constantly about the wide deck of the ship as Twilight and I brought one sail after the other into position with our magic. They were inflated by a soft breeze, which caused the ropes that connected the landing stages to expand to their maximum length. Rainbow had filled up the water tanks with some help of some rainclouds, while Trixie stood below at the lantern. She was the only one besides Shining Armor who knew how an airship was to be flown, wherever she had learned it. Armor stood at the top in deck and barked orders at us.

"Pull stronger, Light."
 
“Could you please pull a bit stronger, Twily?”
 
“How does it look down there, honey?" He finally called down to Cadance. She stood in the lantern and was at the control wheel. For some reason she seemed to know how to fly these ships, which I thought only Shining was able to do.
 
“Everything is already in order," she responded, a little bit absorbed by the glass. As a result, the ropes were enveloped in the well-known aura that belonged to Shining Armor and began to be undone.
 
“Then bring us airborne. Next stop, Ponyville!” The ropes were coiled and now lay on the deck. The wind did not take long to give us a boost, and we were quickly in flight. The ship easily made the curve and rose much higher once round the mountain. Rainbow flew from one of the portholes and accompanied the ship in its flight. Trixie, Rarity, and the others all came from under the deck to keep us company.
 
“A very pleasant breeze. I can understand why my parents loves to spend so much time on these ships," said Rarity with closed eyes and held her nose into the wind.

“Not as nice as the wind in our meadows and fields, but it is good," AJ added and positioned herself to the edge. "Ah! There’s Canterlot." Frowsty
 
Besides Armor, Star, and Hawk, who positioned themselves at the edge, we began to admire the city. I swallowed briefly and followed their example. Due to the fear I had, Canterlot in the evening was a sight that, up to now, had escaped me. It was breath-taking. I had already seen London from above at night. It had looked as though it was the night sky filled with stars, only on the ground. However, Canterlot easily proved to be a better view. The lights were all actual fire and flickered amongst the sea of darkness below, making them seem more like stars. A different colour flashed below, which indicated that a unicorn had probably just applied a spell.
 
Slowly we floated away from the city and above the open fields that lay between the capital city and Ponyville. The night was very quiet as most animals were already asleep. Generally we did not fly very high so that we could hear if someone called to us. This was also the reason why our friends and relatives already waited for us, and they wanted to waste no time to say goodbye. We would only anchor for about an hour before we would have to head to the Everfree.
 
“I would like to say again that I don’t want to force anyone to come. If anyone says that they’ve changed their minds, I will understand completely,” I said, breaking the long silence that had settled in our group. Different looks met me. Some rather sad, other depressed, but no one raised a hoof.
 
"Sugarcube, shut up," AJ merely said and started to admire the landscape again. The others joined in, and I knew that she had to feel similar like me. They would go to another world, uncertain as to whether they would return.
 
“Another word,” I gave voice to my thoughts. “A world that I’ll no longer recognize.” And despite that, I was still more than ready to undertake this journey. I had stumbled into this adventure called life faster than I would have liked. One always wished something exciting happened on an adventure. Now that I was in the middle of one, I only wanted it to end
 
“There’s Ponyville up ahead," called Rainbow who sat on the balloon. Farewells, goodbyes, and departure. Somehow all of these seemed wrong and right at the same time. Slowly the ship descended, the wings folding themselves nearer to the bow and soon we were low enough that we could enter the landing stage that would carry us into town.
 
"In one hour’s time, the princess will meet us in the Everfree," Twilight said to us as we looked to disembark. “Use the time wisely."
> Chapter 50 - Own Little World
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Everyone left the ship and headed into the darkness that surrounded Ponyville. I could only guess where the others were headed. Rarity was surely on her way to Sweetie Belle and her parents. Rainbow Dash flew away in the direction of some clouds, likely on her way to her house. I did not know if she had any family or not in Cloudsdale. Fluttershy was certainly on the way to her small cottage to say goodbye to Angel and her other animals. Pinkie Pie had immediately disappeared into the direction of Sugarcube Corner, which was no surprise to me. Twilight’s destination was also a no-brainer. Dawn and Spike were waiting for her in the library. Armor and Cadance had found a quiet place for themselves near the Celestia and watched the stars or whatever else was on display in the night sky. Star and Hawk had simply disappeared, and I was sure they did not want to be found.
 
Now I was with AJ and Trixie on the way to the farm. Because we had landed on the empty fields between the farm and the town, the trek was relatively short. When we passed the entrance with the Sweet Apple Acres' sign, I saw how difficult it was for her to leave this place behind. That she had still decided to go ahead with our plan mean all the more to me.
 
“I’ll wait for you here,” Trixie said as we approached the brightly illuminated house. “This is your family, not mine.” I nodded to AJ and took the lead to the house.
 
“You know you are welcome here any time, right?" I could not say whether she did not feel comfortable around them or simply did not see the need for sentimental farewells. She simply nodded and remained there. I followed AJ into the house and found the family on the sofa in the living room. Big Mac sat with Caramel, Braeburn, and Apple Bloom on one. AJ went to the other one and I joined her. An awkward silence ruled the room for a short time.
 
“Well, Braeburn, I reckon I should thank you and Caramel again for helping us out again and picking up the slack," AJ started after some time. They both nodded at her shortly and smiled.
 
“We’re always here when the family needs us, right?" Braeburn rhetorically asked his cousin. The brown stallion agreed and then looked to Big Mac.
 
“Come on, Mac," Caramel elbowed him, to which he only snorted in response. He got up, went directly to me and AJ, and took out something between his neck and the yoke. It was a small photo, a bit crumpled, yellow, and faded, and he handed it to AJ and sat down again. I looked over to her and just still a tear trailing down her cheek. Immediately, I switched my gaze to the picture. A young mare, perhaps one or two years old than AJ, with an orange yellow mane and red fur stood with a yellow stallion with a red mane. They had the same freckles on their face like both older members of the Apple family.
 
“These are my parents," AJ explained, sorrow evident in her voice. "This is the only photo we still have of them. It was taken soon after they knew I was on the way.” I turned my gaze to her brother, who only looked at us with a blank expression on his face. “This is the most valuable thing ya own, Mac. Are ya sure you want me to have this?”
He shook his head. “The most valuable thing I have is my family. You and Apple Bloom.” It was minimal, hardly noticeable, but his voice echoed the same sorrow that had been in AJ’s voice. “Light, I know you’re strong and smart. If my sister…" He did not need to finish the sentence.
 
“I know, Mac. I’ll make sure nothing happens to her.” Big Macintosh only nodded before he got up and headed up the stairs to his room.
 
“I know you’re a nice guy, Light, but consider the same for. Take care of mah cousin," Braeburn added and embraced her briefly. Then he came to me and held out his hoof to me. “All the best.” I accepted the gesture, whereupon he withdrew to a corner of the room. Caramel followed him, but then left outside through the door.
 
“When will ya come back?” I didn’t know such a delicate voice could exist from the usually so boisterous Apple Bloom. She had said it so quietly that it could have been said by Fluttershy
 
"Soon," I assured her. "Your sister just needs to help save a world again. Certainly, this is a little farther away, but you know how good she is." She gave a tremulous smile, though her head soon focused on the ground.
 
“Can I ask you a question?” she asked the floor.
 
“Go ahead, sugarcube,” AJ said as she tucked the picture under her hat.
 
“You’re coming back, right?”
 

***

 
It wasn’t easy to look at Apple Bloom and lie to her face. None of knew what would happen, and the chances of something bad happening was not insignificant. Most of the time, we would spend on the ship, the vessel acting like a fortress against the Nightmares. AJ and I were on our way back to the ship when I saw a light emanating from the Everfree.
 
“Celestia and Luna are here,” I shortly said and looked over to my marefriend. She was looking at the light as well and so merely nodded. We trotted a bit faster to the ship and found the rest of our group already gathered, only that they were not alone. They were accompanied by none other than Holly, Spike, Dawn, the other two Cutie Mark Crusaders, and Lyra.
 
“Lyra?” I asked in surprise, which caused her to turn around.
 
“Light! I’m glad I caught you.” The mint-green unicorn ran towards me. “I heard that you were travelling to the humans’ world.” I threw a glance at Twilight. If there was anybody Lyra would have found out about it, it would be from her.
 
“Don’t look at me like that. The hearings were available to the public since they were related to the well-being of Equestria. Anyone can receive a transcript of the proceedings if they apply.” I could only sigh.
 
“Yes, it’s true. Unfortunately, we are full." I did not have to look behind me to know that the AJ was unimpressed with my lie, but I did not want to involve more ponies.
 
"I don't want to join you. I wanted to ask if you could bring something back like an anatomy book or photos. I don't want to be labelled as the crazy one anymore at Canterlot University.” Lyra was somehow the same as a brony. She believed in the lore from books and hoped that somewhere it was real. Now that she knew that there was truth to her beliefs, she wanted proof so that she could rub it in the noses of those who had laughed at her. I thought about doing something similar as the idea was to live on my planet again. The only difference would have been that I would have done it on the Internet, on a certain forum to be precise, than a university.
 
“That shouldn’t be too difficult. If I find something like that, I’ll try to bring it along if I can.” She beamed at me as though I had offered to bring back a slice of the land of milk and honey. She scrambled forward, and before I could react, grabbed me with her hooves and embraced me, lifting me off the ground, before setting me back down roughly.
 
“Can we get this show on the road already? I’ve just about had enough of all these tearful goodbyes and whatnot.” I could understand where Dash was coming from. The longer one kept putting it off, the harder it became to follow through.
 
“I have to reluctantly agree with Rainbow Dash. We shouldn’t keep the princesses waiting,” Twilight said and began to board the ship.
 
“You all heard my sister.” Having said that, Armor and Cadance also boarded, soon followed by Hawk and Star.
 
“Sweetie, keep your eyes out for Mom and Dad. They should be here in a week’s time. Until then, be sure to behave well while staying with Mister Macintosh.” With that, Rarity pulled Sweetie Belle into an embrace.
 
“That also goes to you, Holly," Fluttershy gently addressed her adopted daughter. “Make sure and listen to Mister Macintosh and pay attention to what Mister Braeburn and Mister Caramel say.” The young filly only nodded, looking downcast. Who could blame her though? She had formed a connection with Fluttershy so quickly and recently, and now she would be gone for a while. “Mama will be back soon before you know it." With that, she also hugged Holly.
 
 I saw like Scootaloo talking to Rainbow, the orange pegasus filly boring a hole in the ground with a hoof. I knew that they were not related, but she was Rainbow Dash’s biggest fan. I was distracted by Big Mac and Apple Bloom as they arrived to see us depart. AJ was already involved in a conversation with them. I decided to give them some privacy and went up the ramp and onto the Celestia. Pinkie Pie followed me, hopping and cheerful as always.
 
“Everything in order, Pinkie?” I had actually expected a depressed Pinkamena.
 
“Yep, everything’s okie dokie!” she cheered and hopped on the deck. “I’m so excited to be going to meet so many new ponies— no, it's going to be humans to meet and make friends with.” She always seemed to find a positive aspect of a situation. It was almost unenviable, as having to think twice could be considered a curse.
 
One after the other, our small party soon came aboard, and as soon as Fluttershy clambered on, Armor began to prepare to withdraw.
 
“Okay, I’d say it’s time to go. He went down the small flight of stairs that led under the deck, and after a few seconds stood under the lantern and at the wheel. “We’re taking off!” he called as a warning before the wings began to unfold themselves and the heavy anchors came aboard. The wind immediately began to work, and we slowly rose into the air.
 
“They’ve probably already left," Fluttershy said sadly as they looked downwards over the rail. I followed their gazes and saw that it was true. I could only make out Spike, Lyra, and Big Mac. The Crusaders had already disappeared, probably in search of a new idea on how to get their cutie mark.
 
“Don’t worry, Fluttershy, Big Mac will take care of them,” I assured her. She nodded shortly and went to the others aboard. Trixie, who had said very little for the longest time, was now in a conversation with Twilight over what I surmised to be about teleportation magic. Otherwise, most ponies on board were quiet and in their own thoughts, even Pinkie.
 
“We’ve reached the Everfree,” Cadance called after a short time as she stood in the briefing room. I went to her and saw two large figures in the distance. Magic swirled as it was collected and contained by a dark blue and golden magical aura.
 
“Get ready!” Twilight called as she now stood at the lantern and prepared her own magic.
 
~ Blue Light, I wish you good fortune and hope to see you return soon. Whatever you may find there, always know that you have a home here.
 
I did not believe that Celestia could see me over the distance, but I could produce nothing more than a nod as an answer. I would definitely, in any event, spend more time with my mother as soon as this was all over.
 
“Here we go!” Twilight called, and a giant magic beam erupted from both princesses. She fired one as well so that three of these beams collided between the ship and them. The energy pulsated briefly before a gigantic portal appeared. Between the energy, which formed a frame, I could clearly see a house I had spent years in.
 
“That’s my house!” I called, surprised. All eyes were already on the portal, but I could see that they were all looking a bit further away.
  
“That thing is huge!” Hawk said, whistling.
 
“Huge and old,” Rainbow added. The old grey house with the dark red roof simply stood there. I could see the multi-coloured trees surrounding it, showing how late into autumn it was. Slowly but surely, the ship approached the portal until we finally passed into it.
 
“Twilight! The hall is not wide enough!" Armor called from the lantern, and I heard as though he was wildly playing with the levers. The wings closed so that they would not break off. However, this caused the Celestia to start to drop. The ship was too big to be held afloat by the balloon alone. The aura around Twilight’s horn grew larger and shone more brightly, but the portal was only enlarged by a few centimeters.
 
“Can’t… go… on…” Twilight managed to grind out between her gritted teeth. The bow struck the edge of the portal and the ship began to shudder. I was, after Armor and Twilight, the first one out of the portal, and the first thing I immediately noticed was the difference in the air. The warm summer air gave way to the cool morning wind. The ship was still losing altitude and was being dragged to the right because of the light pressure. Armor did what he could to fight against it, but slowly we began to turn laterally. The rest of our group was on the other side, and Rainbow quickly flew off to the side and pressed against the ship, turning it to the left. Unfortunately, it was to no avail. I could see the concerned facial expressions of Celestia and Luna as the portal began to slowly close, even though part of the ship was still in it. They called something, but I could not discern what it was. If this went on, the rear of our ship would be separated, rendering our flying fortress useless.

“Trixie, can’t you do something?” I called, hanging onto one of the ropes.
 
“No! I would only disturb the energy flux. That could cause the magic to completely break off. Only the princesses and Twilight Sparkle can do something since they were the ones who casted the spell,” she yelled as the ship began to bend. I threw another look back. Everyone tried to hold on to something as Celestia and Luna seemed to argue behind the portal. We were now three quarters the way through, though the bow and starboard had gotten damaged. I couldn’t be sure of the damage, but we had lost two of our water tanks when we struck the portal. The side railing was pretty ragged, the wood twisted and shredded. My gaze turned back to Twilight, who was about to collapse. If that happened, it would be the end of our journey. I released the ropes and used my wings to allow me to glide to her. The nose of the ship fell, and at the last minute, I managed to grab her tail with my teeth. I had seen the others do it, but the taste of hair in mouth was unpleasant nevertheless.

“Do something, sugarcube!” AJ called to me, using all her strength to avoid falling overboard. Rarity had Pinkie in her magic, and Fluttershy hovered above the deck. Star and Hawk rushed past me to help Rainbow Dash try to push the ship upwards. The balloon was already pressed dangerously against the border of the portal, and the ship was in a twisted position, nose downwards and at an even keel on the left. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t think of anything that I could do without more damage being done.
 
“Dammit,” I muttered as I exchanged my wings for a horn and began to manipulate one of the apple trees from my garden. We were several meters above it. The tree grew rapidly and began to press under the bow, pushing it in an upright position.

"Ahhh!" Fluttershy shouted as one of the ropes that held the balloon was torn free and struck her. Her wings closed, she landed on the wooden deck and quickly began to slide downwards. I left the tree and, with Twilight’s tail still between my teeth, managed to grab her before she fell off and impacted the ground. Most of my strength had been exhausted, and I needed all my concentration to ensure that none of us fell.
 
“Hold on! We are coming!” Luna’s voice resounded around the ship, and I saw a dark blur pass me by. Luna flew past the ship and began to rise in the air, her dark aura flowing out of her horn, her eyes white and overflowing with magic. The entire ship was enveloped in her magic, and I felt as though we were being pulled. Now instead of us going downwards, we were slowly being pulled forward again.
 
“Mother!” Cadance called, hurrying around Armor at the lantern to help.
 
“Be not afraid, my child!” She pulled the entire Celestia through the portal, and when the shaking finally abated, the ship took a landing position. Her aura disappeared, and Luna began to circle around the ship. We dropped, faster than I would have preferred.

“Prepare for impact!" Armor shouted before the ship roughly bore itself into the ground. Earth, trees and stones flew around, yielding against the object ramming its way through them. With all the jarring and force of the impact, I could no longer hold onto Twilight and Fluttershy, and they flew towards the railing, myself not far behind. We slid for a while and I tried as best I could to protect both mares underneath me from the flying debris, which led to me being hit every now and then. Finally, after a small eternity, we came to a standstill, allowing me to venture a look at our surroundings. We had reached close to my house, the small forest that had separated us from the neighbours now gone from the ship barrelling through them. Luckily, we didn't hit the house and so the Celestia was spared of even further damage. Now the Celestia was wedged between some fallen trees, shrubs, and a depression in the earth.
 
“Is everyone okay? Anyone hurt?” I called into the silence.
 
“Everything fine, sugarcube!” I saw the rope that AJ had tied around her loosen as she slowly got to her hooves.

“Things could be better, darling, but we are also in one piece.” I saw that Rarity had used a magical shield to protect Pinkie and herself.
 
“Trixie is well.” She was still clinging onto the rope with her magic that I had used before. At that moment, Hawk, Star, and Rainbow came back to the deck. Rainbow came over immediately to me and began to help Fluttershy get on her hooves. I did the same with Twilight.
 
“We hope nopony was injured." Luna landed between us looked around at our group with concern. Armor and Cadance came from inside and looked the same.
 
“Apparently not, thanks to you," Armor spoke slowly. “However, this ship will not be flying anymore. I can’t say what our losses are for certain, but for now we should hang firm here.” Luna nodded and looked back at where the portal was now closing.
 
“It seems that we will be travelling with you," Luna said quietly and took the unconscious Twilight from me with her magic. “At least until Twilight has recovered.” A sound came from below before everything became quiet.
 
“I’ll go check it out!” Rainbow called and disappeared in a flash under the deck.
 
“I hope nothing else was broken. Can we repair our losses?” I directed the question to Armor.
 
“With the correct material, it should be a matter of a few days,” he said, “provided there was no serious damage to the balloon or wings.” He looked over to his soldiers. “Could you check that?” They both saluted and flew away.
 
“I think we have another problem.” Rainbow had already returned, followed by five scared foals.
> Chapter 51 - Long Way From Equestria
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Apple Bloom!”
 
“Sweetie Belle!” AJ and Rarity shouted simultaneously and approached their sisters with murder in their eyes. The fillies attempted to hide behind Rainbow, but she took off to make way for the elder sisters.
 
“Why are you two here? I thought you were supposed to stay with Big Mac.” shouted the farm mare.
 
“What am I supposed to do with you, Sweetie Belle?” Rarity stood in front of her, shaking her head and rubbing her forehead with her hoof.
 
“How did you squirts even get on board?” Rainbow asked the three, who hadn’t quite escaped the glares of their siblings.
 
“A porthole was open,” Scootaloo started.
 
“And we climbed in,” Dawn finished. Holly cowered behind him and looked over to her mother, who was being held by Luna as she stood next to Twilight. Both of them were still unconscious.
 
“Weren’t ya'll the one who flew out of a porthole, sugarcube?” AJ looked at Rainbow and raised an eyebrow.
 
“Well... I'm... um,” babbled Rainbow “I’ll go and help Star and Hawk with the damage.” She vanished in a small dust cloud.
 
“Come back here right this instant, ya varmint!” AJ angrily shouted while leaning as far over the railing as possible.
 
“It doesn’t matter. No use crying over spilled milked,” I said with a shrug.
 
“Right, I think it would be best to put Twilight and Fluttershy in their rooms. Then we can see what comes next,” Armor concurred while Cadence took the two unconscious ponies from her mother and took them downstairs. Dawn and Holly followed her straightaway.
 
“You should also go with them,” Rarity commanded. “We will talk about your punishment later.” Scoots kicked a stone over the deck and disappeared with her two friends below deck.
 
“Well, Light, any ideas where we can get materials to fix the damage?” Because Nightmares did have physical bodies, they were unable to cause damage to objects. Therefore, we didn't have any materials to carry out repairs on board.
 
“The next big town is about ten kilometres away. There are some hardware stores that will have wood and tools,” I explained while trying to remember the stores in my mind. “I think our best chance will be Praktiker or OBI.”
 
“Praktiker? OBI?” Trixie asked, bewildered.
 
“It's the name of the stores. I think we will get what we need there.” Armor thought for a moment.
 
“How much time would we need?” I briefly checked the position of the sun, which told me it was already past eight, maybe even nine. By car, I would usually need about twenty minutes when I drove through the tunnel.
 
“To get the materials and come back, I think maybe late afternoon.”
 
At that moment, all three pegasi came back. Star and Hawk landed next to us, Rainbow a bit withdrawn to keep the distance from AJ and Rarity
 
“The rear got some strong scrapes that have to be patched. The two water tanks are totally done for. We will need new ones, plus the right wing is broken. We also need something to fix the mast or a new one,” Star summarized.
 
“Light,” Armor turned his attention to me again, “assemble a squad and acquire the materials. Do you know what we need?” I thought for a moment.
 
“Something to seal the rear.” I was sure a little wood glue together with some clear waterproof lacquer would do the trick. “Two new water tanks and something to fix the mast or a new one, but I assume that fixing would be easier.” Armor nodded.
 
“Star and I will stay here and try to fix everything we can. Cadance will take care of Twilight and Fluttershy.” He turned to face Luna. “We regret that you had to step in, your Highness. I will prepare your room immediately,” he said with a small bow.
 
“You have our thanks, Shining Armor, but we think a normal room would please us.” Luna smiled briefly. “We will go and look after the fillies and talk to them.” With those words, she also went downstairs.
 
You could say whatever you wanted about Luna, but she seemed to know how to handle kids. Cadence seemed to have inherited that from her.
 
“Okay, Trixie, Rainbow, and I will go. We need materials, and we can look to see if we can get our hands on an atlas for our magic globe in there.” I pointed towards the conference room.
 
“I coming too, sugarcube,” AJ interjected from behind me. “No objections.”
 
“Fine by me. Let's take a quick peek in the house. I'm sure we will find a few supplies. I would like to preserve ours as much as possible.”
 
“With Luna and the fillies, I fear we will run out sooner rather than later.” Armor, who had observed my little presentation, nodded in approval. “I wasn't wrong when I choose you as my right hoof.” He smiled and vanished with Star and Hawk towards the back of the ship to observe the damaged wing.
 
“Pinkie Pie, could you please watch the little ones? The last thing we need is them getting lost here,” I spoke before I even found her.
 
“Oki Dokie ARRR!” I looked up where Pinkie Pie hung from the ropes with an eye patch and a hook over her right hoof. I tried to avoid thinking about where she had gotten them.
 
“I will start to clean up below deck. I will see your later, dears.” When Rarity also left the deck, I lowered the ramp, which simply crashed to ground.
 
“Okay, I think we will have to jump.” I quickly transformed into a pegasus and glided with closed eyes downwards. I opened my eyes as I felt the ground under my hooves. Rainbow picked up AJ under her forehooves and placed her next to me, and Trixie simply levitated herself to the ground. “Rainbow, could you please get us some saddlebags and meet us in the house?”
 
“Of course you couldn't think of it sooner,” she replied with irritation and flew back up to the ship. I jumped over the small fence on our property and walked up the driveway towards the cellar entrance. The door was still off the latch.
 
“I have to admit that this house is bigger than I expected it to be,” said Trixie, marvelling.
 
“Well it's build for humans and not for ponies. Humans tend to be a little bigger than ponies.” I placed emphasis on the 'little' part.
 
“It's okay, sugarcube. We’re only here for the supplies,” AJ said and walked past me into the cellar. I followed her and could see that, unlike my last visit, the water had run out, mud the only remains of the flooding. AJ walked straight towards the boiler room.
 
“This way.” I pointed right towards the stairs and took the lead. I opened the door to the corridor and walked straight ahead into the small dog room. Here we found among two baskets, three cabinets in which we stored old clothing, the good porcelain, and beverages.
 
“Did you have pets?” Trixie asked when she spotted the baskets. I only nodded and opened the balcony door for Rainbow Dash.
 
“Two dogs, Fiete and Fanny. Unfortunately, I have no idea where they are. Not to mention where my family is.” I faced the larger cabinets and opened it with my magic, for the bolts were too high for me to reach.
 
We had had to install those things because Fanny had learned to open the door to get to the snacks inside. The doors opened to reveal multiple levels with one litre bottles of Apfelschorle. “All right...”
 
“What’s that, sugarcube?” I levitated one of the bottles out of the cabinet and presented it to AJ.
 
“Apfelschorle. I think you will like it.” AJ kept staring at the label of the bottle. It seemed like she tried to read something. “What’s the problem?” She mumbled something before she looked past the bottle over to me.
 
“What language is that supposed to be?” Bewildered, I inspected the label myself, but I couldn't read it.
 
“That should be German… why can't I read it?” I knew the letters, I knew the words. How could it be that what was written there made no sense in my head? Then it crossed my mind. Trent had enchanted me back then so I could understand every language. That spell was on my old body, not this one. Albia had made this one, and it seemed like she didn't see a reason to let me keep my native language. I groaned. “Never mind. I know what it is.” I opened the lid and took a sip. Tingling, cool, and tasty, the beverage washed down my throat. “Want some?” I gave AJ the bottle, who held the bottle with one hoof and took a sip, only to spit it right back out.
 
“That’s what you call apple flavour? We had to run somepony out of town for less.” She stepped out on the balcony and threw the plastic bottle in the garden. I followed her outside.
 
“This beverage was mass produced for thousands of humans. I'm not even sure if there is even real apple mixed in...” She looked at me, flabbergasted. “You could say it's a potion that’s supposed to taste like apples.”
 
“Humans are strange beings if they simply accept something like that.” I couldn't hide my grin as my thoughts were similar. With a loud muffled thump, three saddlebags landed right next to me, followed by Rainbow Dash.
 
“Here’re the bags. What now?” I took one and handed the other two to AJ and Trixie, who had just now stepped out on the balcony. Trixie had a half-empty bottle levitating right next to her.
 
“Well Trixie think it's good,” she announced while taking another sip. “I've drunk worse.” I could tell by the expression on AJ's face that we had different views on 'worse'.
 
“It's the best we have at the moment. Well, maybe aside from tap water.” But to be honest, I doubted that water and electricity were still running. “Everypony should take a bottle. I will look into the kitchen to see if there is still anything edible left.” I also doubted that. The only that could still be good would be noodles and canned food, nothing we could prepare on the run. Maybe the canned food, but I was almost sure that we didn't have anything vegetarian.
 
I left the three standing there and walked through the corridor in my mother's apartment and went in the first room to my right. The smell wasn't particularly pleasant. I wasn't sure what caused it; either the bin of bio waste under the sink or the fridge. As I opened the fridge, my question regarding the smell was answered. A green film coated everything that was once edible. In an instant, I slammed it shut again. My electricity question was also answered.
 
I opened the cabinet that was directly next to the fridge, and I found the noodles, some kinds of tea, and cocoa powder. I stored everything in my saddlebags. The last thing I wanted to check on was the breadbox. For that, I needed one of the chairs. I pushed one with my magic in the right place, climbed on the chair, and moved onto the kitchen table. Again I was reminded that ponies were relatively small when I stood in front of the counter and only my horn suck out from the table. I opened the cabinet and looked over the small chasm into the cabinet. The bread was, of course, mouldy and inedible, but the milk was still good. We always bought the long-lasting unskimmed milk that was durable for a few months. I took the last four packages in my magic aura and levitated them behind me as I walked back to the balcony.
 
“Where are AJ and Trixie?” I asked Rainbow, who was chilling in one of the deck chairs and enjoying her Apfelschorle.
 
“They wanted to see your apartment.” I placed the milk on the balcony and hurried as fast as I could upstairs. My living room and my bedroom were okay, but my office has always been a mess and a lot of stuff was laying there. Even stuff that nobody was supposed to see, especially a pony. I took the last set of stairs with a small hop, slithered a little bit due to the laminate-covered floor, and heard Trixie talking in the kitchen.
 
Relieved that she wasn’t in my more private rooms, I trotted slowly towards them. Past the broken mirror and the unhinged bathroom door, I headed straight into the spacious kitchen of my attic apartment.
 
“Look at this, Applejack.” Trixie stood in front of my large dresser that held my TV and looked into a big photo album. Okay, this was almost as bad as a visit to my more private rooms. AJ was looking over to her from the wall, where there were a few pictures from parties, towards the album, and on her face appeared a wide grin.
 
I knew that bright white album with the old Polaroids. Baby pictures.
 
“Oh, somehow he is so cute.” I placed myself behind the two of them and tried to catch a glimpse of the picture in question. It was a picture of me when I was about half a month old in the arms of my grandmother, who was sitting on an old armchair. Trixie turned the page and the pictures jumped a few years. To be more specific, it was my first day in kindergarten. My young self stood on three small steps towards the small building. “Say why aren't ya wearing your glasses here, sugarcube? I mean, you wore them when you came to Ponyville.”
 
“It was first diagnosed that I need one after an ant flew in my eye.” That happened during a bicycle tour with my mother and a few good friends. And then the stupid thing had released its acid under my eyeball. The visit at the ophthalmologist revealed that I had weak eyesight.
 
“That sounds painful.” The kids in school were even worse.
 
“When I think back today, it wasn't that bad, but when you are younger, it seems like more of a big deal, AJ.” I took the album from Trixie and placed it back in the drawer. “Well, let's go.” They both followed me outside, disappointed that they weren’t able to see more embarrassing baby pictures of me.
 
“Well, where to?” asked Rainbow, already waiting for us.
 
My eyes scanned the road and spotted something that should be able to simplify the entire mission. It was my car.
 
“I guess we don't need to walk all the way,” I commented and sprinted to the little trench in which my car had been parked by someone. I had actually believed that either my family or scavengers had taken my car, but the small blue Clio was simply lying in the trench a little down the road.
 
“I thought we would need a human to operate one of these things,” Trixie objected as I tried to pull the little vehicle out of the trench.
 
“And what was it again I used to be? Come on, help me a little or do you prefer to walk all the way?” She didn't ask a second time, and with a little help from Rainbow Dash and AJ, we pulled the car out of the trench. I tried to open the driver's door, but the door was locked and the engine immobilizer was activated. “Step back,” I advised for safety reasons, as I didn't knew how tech would react to contact with magic.
 
 I opened the door and deactivated the engine immobilizer. To know the plans of these little gimmicks proved to be useful, but I doubted that this would work with modern cars. I placed myself on the driver's seat under the watchful eyes of my companions and opened the hatch under the steering wheel with my horn. To imitate a radio wave with my magic was easy, but an electrical spark was needed to activate the ignition. After a few tries, I managed to reveal the wires.
 
“I thought we wanted to drive that thing and not destroy it?” Rainbow Dash mused and landed on the bonnet to see what I was doing. Trixie stood in the driver's door, and AJ watched through the passenger’s window.
 
“I have to get the engine running. For this, I have to hotwire the right cables. Well, I wouldn’t have to if someone else didn’t have the key for the ignition lock.” I have to admit that I was slightly irritated as I didn't know much about cars. My brother, Nils, was the mechanic of our family. I knew enough to install or uninstall a radio inside my car. To imitate an infrared command for the engine immobilizer paled in comparison. And to unlock the door was only applied levitation.
 
“Why didn't you tell us that in the first place?” Trixie said and pulled me out of the car on my tail. I sat down on the asphalt and watched as Trixie coated her horn in her light blue aura. “So, where is the lock?” I pointed to the steering wheel. She searched briefly, found the longish keyhole, and tapped her horn against it. Instantly the engine started and the speedometer lit up. I quickly shoved Trixie aside and checked the fuel and oil gauge. Sadly, it was almost empty. We would have to refuel somewhere on the way.
 
“And this thing is really able to transport us safely to town?” asked AJ, looking worried as she took her place on her seat.
 
“Well, I've had never to operate it with magic, but I think it'll be Okay.” Maybe I shouldn't tell them that the steering had way too much scope. And the tires were worn down. It was supposed to be sent to a workshop before all of this had happened.
 
“Well if you think so, sugarcube...” AJ said as she sent the seat up for Rainbow and Trixie to get in.
 
“Not to be a buzzkill, but this thing doesn’t look like it's fast at all. I’ll fly shotgun,” said Rainbow and took off with so much force that it left a lasting impression on my bonnet. I couldn't suppress the grimace that came on my face when I saw the dent in my car. On the other hand, the headlights were already broken due to the forced parking in the trench, and the dent on the rear had been caused due to my brother’s scooter. I don't think that I would ever need it again. Trixie took my invitation and leisurely laid herself on the free backseat.
 
“Trixie could get used to this form of transportation,” she said with a grin and pulled one of my old sweaters out of the foot well. These sweaters were always in my car just in case I needed something to change into. She used the sweater as a blanket to protect herself from the still somewhat cool morning air.
 
“Well, all or nothing.” I positioned myself onto the driver's seat and rearranged the mirrors and put the car into reverse. I could barely watch over the bonnet, but it would have to work. I operated the pedals with my telekinesis and straightened the car on the road. I shifted into the first gear and laid one hoof on the steering wheel. I switched on the radio, with my favourite CD still inside. Rise Against – Satellite instantly came on, and with a rev of the engine, we drove down the battered road of my little hometown.
> Chapter 52 - Cambodia
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was when we drove from my small town and took the highway that led to the next town that I saw the different cars strewn upon the streets. I had release the gas to avoid colliding with them. In some of them, I saw bodies lying motionlessly, but I remained silent. Everything still felt like it was a bad dream. On the way here, I had already seen some corpses, from neighbours to friends. However, in such a small town, this applied to nearly everyone. To try and distract myself with some music, I tried to find a radio station, but they were all dead. The only sound was static.
 
“How many people actually lived here?” Trixie asked, looking out from the back window. She had positioned her legs on the seat to be better able to view outside.
 
“There were about ten thousand people in our region, in ten towns,” I answered. I had had to learn about the history of our district in the seventh grade, and some bits and pieces had stuck in my mind. “Originally, there were only a few farms here about two hundred years ago. More and more settlers came in as the need for workers increased, and so villages slowly formed.”
 
“Sounds a little like Ponyville, sugarcube.” I had already told AJ how it was similar to my town. “Our farm was the first thing there before other ponies came since they could get work and food.” I suppose the concept was the same in every world.
 
We went past a small bakery and began to go down the winding main road. There were a few dangerous curves, but when someone lived and drove around here, he knew how to stay on the road and not fly off it. Every year, particularly in winter, you could see cars skidding off the road, the locals unable to resist having a smile on their lips. Suddenly, Rainbow landed on the bonnet, and I instinctively tried to hit the brakes, which wasn’t possible with my hooves.
 
“Stop!” she yelled at me, causing me to press button for the hazard light and horn in panic before my horn lit up to use the brakes. The engine had cut off instantly since I had forgotten to use the clutch in my emergency stop. We came to a halt, a little bit too obliquely, at the last of three sharp curves.
 
“Rainbow! What the heck was that about? You shouldn’t startle me like that.” She rolled her eyes and pointed at the curve.
 
“Better than landing in five different parts.” I came out of the car, followed by Trixie and AJ, and went around the curve with Rainbow Dash. There were several cars right around it that would have blocked us.
 
"Seems the police had established a roadblock here," I murmured, mostly to myself. Five white and blue ruined BMWs lay across the street. To go straight would have been impossible. The left side of one of the vehicles was badly dented, probably from someone or something trying to break through.
 
“Trixie, can you help me?” We stepped to the first one, and we both took it in our magical grasp and tried to move it, without success. Rainbow and AJ tried to help, but even with the aid of them both, we could not do it. These things weighed several metric tons, which was clearly too much for us to handle.
 
 “Can't we move this thing like we did yours?” Rainbow asked, wiping some sweat from her forehead. “And why am I so tired…?” I ignored her second statement and looked closer at the BMW. It had been clearly altered to withstand a heavy pounding, so breaking it open would not be possible.
 
“Maybe we can’t destroy it, but Trixie…” I turned towards her. “Maybe the magic you learned could do it?”
 
“Let me try.” I was pushed to the side as she once again used her magic. I wasn’t surprised that, as a stage performer, she was able to perform such intricate magic. Even when constrained, it was certainly helpful that she could do such a thing in her show. I did not want to think of the other possibility. Perhaps I should talk to AJ about it, seeing as she knew her way around a rope…
 
With a bang, Trixie flew back directly against me, and together we tumbled back a few metres down the road. “Light! Trixie!” AJ and Rainbow shouted at almost the same time before they ran to us as I tried to rub my aching side with a hoof.
 
"Owww … What was that?" I asked Trixie, who was also obviously in pain.
 
“A magical repulsion.” I slowly rose to my hooves with AJ’s help. “The lock was… too complicated. Something struck my horn.” Some sort of security system? Even now, the police, the oh so friendly highwaymen, were a pain in the neck.
 
After AJ had also helped Trixie back to her hooves, we all stood before the insurmountable blockade of worthless old metal. “So, what now?”
 
“Now we walk, I guess.” I got my saddlebags from the car and put it on.“We still have some way to go.” Fortunately, it wasn’t too far to the next town. The small town was situated between where the two mountains met, and right behind them was the Weser, with the Weser Bridge being our target.
 

***

 
We walked along the pavement for about ten minutes before we finally arrived in the small town where I would have wanted to refuel. However, that would have failed anyway, as the gas station directly at the entrance to the town was only a small ruin. The corrugated roofing sheets lay scattered across the ground, and only one of the five pillars stood where it was supposed to be. The hoses had been separated, and the booth looked as though a bomb had exploded.
 
“What messed up this place like this?” AJ asked as they looked around further. I followed their gaze and saw the remains of a bank a bit further down the road. At one point in time, it might have had windows, and I saw several ATMs halfway leaning out of them. “Ah thought the Nightmares didn’t attack anything that wasn’t alive?”
 
“It was people who did this.” All three looked at me, aghast. “In times of panic, they only think about their own survival and take what they think they need, even if it belongs to someone else.” I pointed at the ruined building.  “This was once a bank. Money is usually important to a lot of people, but in a situation like this, food becomes an even higher priority. Still, they looted the bank. The main thing was that it was theirs.” If I had been here when the looting had taken place, I was certain I would have taken part. I was, by no stretch of the imagination, a saint, only lucky to have been in another place, mainly a different world.
 
“Ponies can be the same.” Surprised, I look at my girlfriend to see her sadly gazing at the sky. “We run away from our aggressors and trample down anything that stands in our way.” As a herd, they would move together in panic. It was no wonder, seeing as their ancestors were probably simple-minded creatures. Perhaps they had Albia as a model, as in various aspects, they were more people than pony. Our snouts were much smaller than those of real ponies, the legs were a bit longer, the hoofs could hold objects, and we had wings, horns, or incredible strength. Naturally, we could also think and feel.
 
“What smells so funny?” Rainbow interrupted my train of thought. I took a deep breath.
 
“That’s the gas that’s used to drive our cars.” I actually found the smell to be pleasant, but apparently my companions did not. “Well, we should get going. Can’t get anything here.” The gas station had been robbed of all its food and goods, with only a few scraps from a magazine, a picture here and there, remaining. Full newspapers and magazines were absent and therefore also valuable information. Only a Playboy had remained, and I stowed this away in my saddlebag. Lyra would certainly be glad for it. For my part, I had no desire to check it out when the mother of my foal stood nearby.
 
We went on our way again and passed the bank, then another bakery, then the pharmacy. All these had been looted, with the electronic doors ripped wide open. There were several packages of aspirin and other medication still lying on the ground. I had no idea if they would work on ponies, but it couldn’t hurt to take them just in case.
 
“I’ll check this out quickly,” I said to the three others and carefully stepped past the door and around the broken glass. As expected, there was nothing on the shelves behind the counter, but there were still the cupboards farther behind in the shop. I raised the hatch and crossed the corridor, only to trip over something. I landed roughly on my nose, only to end up staring directly into someone’s lifeless eyes . Frightened, I scrambled back from the body and took a deep breath.
 
“Everything alright in there, sugarcube?” AJ called, to which I only waved a hoof from the counter in response. I knew the dead woman who laid before me. Her skin was pale, and a rank odour hovered in the air above us. I knew Mrs. Eckart, as she didn't live far from us when I was younger. She would always drop off my asthma spray so that my mother wouldn’t have to make a detour here after work. “Sugarcube?”
 
“Yeah…. Everything’s fine.” I tried to breathe through my mouth as I pulled myself together. It wasn’t that I didn’t feel sad about the fate of the elderly woman; it was just that I knew that hers wouldn’t be the only one we would find. I just hoped to protect the others from this as long as possible, even if it was rather futile.
 
I went to the first cupboard with a lot of drawers, with the labels pointing out what their contents were. I saved myself the effort of looking for anything specific and pulled out the lowest three drawers with my light blue aura. They were all filled with haemorrhoid cream, which was useless to us. I opened one drawer after the other, but all were as empty as the last one. If there was still something in there, then it would have probably been useless. Cough drops and grape sugar were still behind the bar, and I pocketed some before I stepped back into the daylight.
 
“What did you find?” Rainbow asked curiously. I threw a little of the grape sugar to her.  She inspected it warily before taking the packet into her mouth.
 
"You have to open it first," I said as I trotted off and took the lead. I heard the sound of someone spitting, followed by something hitting the ground.
 
“As if I didn’t know that.” I passed her another piece, tearing off the top a little so that she could finish removing the rest with her teeth. “Whoa, this is good! You should give one to Pinkie!”
 
"Could I have one too?" AJ asked, and so I freed a raspberry-flavoured one from the foil before I handed over to her. I did the same for Trixie and myself.
 
"This is grape sugar. It’ll give you a bit of an energy boost. However, too much could be bad for you, since it could leave you even more tired than before." We came to the only roundabout in the town, near where the food market was. This had been a new building and even had a small underground parking lot. Why Edeka had decided to build such a thing was beyond me. It was probably because the A2 exit was not far removed, and the B482 did cross-country skiing directly behind him. Good customer accessibility and traffic flow was important for a business, after all. However, that meant that people had already had the idea of visiting the supermarket. There were several large gaping holes in the back of the building. Looking into the building, one could see the cars that had caused it.

“Well, at least it looks like some survived.”
 
“Are you glad about this vandalism?" Trixie unbelievingly asked and pointed in passing at one of the large holes in the wall of Edeka. 

“It only shows people were still searching for food. They are most likely hiding out somewhere." We went directly up to the bridge, and it became time to decide where we wanted to head to first.
 
“Where would be the best place for survivors to hide?" AJ asked. "Is there anything like a cellar or bunker where folks can hold out?" I thought about it for a bit, but I couldn’t recall there being a lot of places.
 
"The sports hall in the junior high school or perhaps in the swimming pool at the top of the crazy golf course. Then there would be The Bunker in Minden, where we'll be going, by the way. It’s a disco in an old bunker, as you could guess by the name. They would have to have a generator there to open the steel doors electronically, or if necessary, they could always just be left open." There were certainly still a few more, but I had never thought about the need to memorize them all. In the meantime, we were already half across the bridge.
 
“Should I head out to one of those places and look for survivors?” It was obvious that Rainbow was eager to investigate this unknown world, and we were not going at the right speed for her liking.
 
 “We need to stick together….”
 
“Oh come on, Light! I’m a pegasus and the best flier in Equestria! Do you really believe I would get lost?" She had a good point, plus we could save time.
 
"Fine, then let's get to the Obi first. There’s a Media Markt too where we can get some radios." I ignored their questioning looks. "We need them to stay in contact." I looked to the side of the bridge and downwards at the Weser. I started to get dizzy, but something down there caught my attention.  “It’s a technology, like the cars. Radio waves will transfer between a broadcasting station and a receiver. That way, we can remain in contact with Rainbow, even if she’s a few kilometres away." I explained Trixie, who seemed to understand the concept. 
 
“So it’s something similar to the mail spell?” I nodded.
 
"Except that we will be able to speak as though we’re standing side by side.”
 

***

 
I had to explain, during the next half an hour, the many other technical miracles of mankind as we walked past a small Minden suburb. The Obi was surrounded by a lot of other business, with the hospital directly in the middle.
 
“The hospital!” I yelled, completely aghast as we saw the first signs on the shops. "I forgot about the hospital!”

“There’s a hospital here?" AJ asked and looked around questioningly.
 
“Yes, the most modern one in Europe. At least it was when it was built." There, dinner was brought by robots to the wards, and everything was technically at the highest degree. Unfortunately, the construction had been a fiasco from the beginning. For example, instead of building several levels upwards, it was a single long building. One needed more than five minutes to come over from one end. My mother, who had worked there as an assistant, had often grumbled about the mileage it was putting on her body. "My family knows the building by heart. Maybe they are there!” We had often eaten there by noon, and I had even worked there after school for a while.
 
"What should we do now? We need the radios, search that Obi shop for material to repair the Celestia, and look in the hospital for survivors,” Trixie summarized. “Should we split up?” That was actually not a bad idea.
 
“Alright, this is what we’ll do. Rainbow will come with me, and we’ll get the radios. Then she can search the homes on the mountain. That was where we previously were. I’ll go to the Obi, and you and AJ can look in the hospital for survivors. Just do me a favour and avoid the basement,” I added quickly. In the basement would be the morgue, and without electricity, I doubt they would be able to endure the stench. Sure, there was a generator, but they consumed large amounts of diesel, and the tanks had certainly been empty for a while.
 
“I hear ya, sugarcube. Where and when should we meet up?" I considered shortly.
 
“Before the hospital, there’s a big fountain. We’ll meet there in approximately one hour." AJ and Trixie nodded. “The hospital is straight ahead, down this road.” We passed the abandoned guest house and the used-car dealership and found ourselves between the large business places.
 
“I gotta say, your people sure know how to build big buildings … " Rainbow said as they looked at the furniture store. I also studied it and placed it as the same size as some of the houses in Manehatten.
 
“Here is where we go our separate ways.” I pointed to the right of the street at a large red signboard with white writing where the name was engraved. AJ and I quickly gave each other a quick kiss before we separated, and I went up with Rainbow to the car park of the dealership. The smaller shops on the left along the car park looked largely untouched. However, this was probably due to the fact that shoes were at the bottom on the list of essentials, for people as well as ponies. So at first, I didn't want to bother checking the windows... A large stone flew through one of the windows and splintered it into many large fractions.
 
“Whoa! What was that?" Rainbow asked, spooked by the noise.
 
“Something I always wanted to do.” Deichmann could hardly complain. Rainbow quickly did the same and sent another stone through the glass.
 
“You’re right, this is fun.” She grinned. I took another stone from the car park and went with her to the entrance of the Media Markt. It had an entranceway that consisted of two electronic glass doors, with a once air-conditioned interior. It had been built after someone had driven through the old one with his car. Not by accident, but at three o'clock in the morning to escape with several TV sets. Without electricity, we would have to fall back on this method again.
 
"Fire!" I called and flung the stone with my magic at the first window. Rainbow and I covered our faces with our hooves to protect us from the shattered remains. Carefully, we rose and stood before the second door. "Alright, once again!" Again I raised and used the stone again, but it bounced off in the Plexiglas.
 
“Let me take a shot!” Rainbow got into position and lunged out to give the glass the kick of its lifetime.

“Might be better if you—” It was too late as her hooves banged against the flexible glass. The unfamiliar material stretched and flung back the same force at her, swatting her legs and sending her to the ground. “Are you okay?" I carefully asked as a groan escaped her.
 
“What kind of weird glass is that?” I believed it actually more of a plastic, but it was unimportant.
 
“One you should cut rather instead trying to break it," I said from experience. Whenever I had to cut Plexiglas for things for my computer, I always used a hot knife. I built a bit of energy in my horn, and a concentrated sunbeam hit our adversary. While the blue pegasus near me got up again, I cut slowly but certainly cut a hole in the glass so that we could walk through. When I had finished cut the hole, I stepped out and admired. "After you," I said to Rainbow and pointed with a hoof at the hole.
 
Slowly and warily, she stepped into the relatively dark shop. It did not surprise me that it had been somewhat, but the Plexiglas would have kept out most anyway. I followed her and produced a small bright glow above our heads that floated. I had often been in this shop. However, to be in it without sounds and the flickering lights of the televisions was somehow creepy.
 
"Is this a radio?" Rainbow had fished a power strip from one of the tables that held the discounted items and held the cable between her teeth. I could not hold back a smile.
 
“No, but you could take one of the headsets over there." On the other table, cheap headphones were set up with an inserted microphone in them so that they could be used on mobile phones. They had rather small earpieces, and I could have described them as looking somewhat uncomfortable, but one could adjust them to what we would need as ponies. Rainbow did what I said and took two off the table and threw one to me. I unwrapped it with my magic and placed it on my head. "It fits."
 
“And it even looks cool!" she said. “Take out my one." In contrast to my black one, she had taken one with a blue tribal design. I also freed this from the packaging, and she set up it eagerly. "Aww, I don’t hear anything,” she said and tapped lightly against the outer right ear.
 
“It’s still missing something." I for her to follow me, and so we went past the coffee makers, then the microwaves, and found the radios. The choice was rather small, though it seemed to be of good quality. I took the two most expensive and ripped open the packaging. Fortunately, they already had batteries in them. I put both on the same frequency and put one in my saddlebag after I stuck the headset on. The headset had a simple push-to-talk function, and I hoped it would be compatible with the radios. “Come over here, Rainbow." She had been occupied with checking herself out in the faint reflection in one of the televisions.
 
“These things are so cool!” She grinned widely and struck a pose that she probably thought was befitting. I caught the cable of her headset, connected it to the second device, and stowed away it in her saddlebag. Then I pressed the small button in the right outer ear and spoke.
 
"Test, testing, one, two, three." Rainbow seemed spooked from hearing my voice doubly and simultaneously.
 
"How did you do that?" she asked, and I pointed to the button on my headset. Immediately, she pressed hers. “LIKE THIS?" She had roared into her microphone so loudly that I wanted to tear mines away from my head.
 
"You do not need to shout. Normal volume should do." She nodded and pressed again.
 
"Then I’m going now," I heard her twice before she flew back past the shelves and to the exit.
 
“If you are in the Edeka, at the beginning of the bridge, tell me. From there, I can direct you." I released the button and waited for an answer.
 
“Okay!” I heard the rushing of the wind by her microphone, which meant that she was already in the air. Then she released the button.
 
"You need to release the button when you’re finished, otherwise I can’t answer you. Over." Perhaps I should have explained it to her a bit better.
 
"Over?" sounded by my headset.
 
“Say that every time you are finished so that I’ll know when I can answer. Over." I pocketed some batteries freed some other headsets from their packaging so that they could be carried more easily.
 
"Okay. Over. Over." It would work for now.

> Chapter 53 - Tears Don't Fall
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I adjusted the load on my back with a short jerk and moved towards the exit. I considered what items from the store we could use, but most of the machines would need electricity to operate. I guessed that we would have some kind of magical source on board, for example inside the fridge, but I heavily doubt that that source would be compatible with this kind of equipment.
 
“Err... I've got some movement here... one of these cars is moving … um, over.” I could hear Rainbow via the headset. The static in the background was growing stronger, which implied that she had covered quite a bit of distance. On the other hoof, it also could be the wind.
 
“Is it moving up the hill we came down earlier? If not, ignore it. Making contact isn't really a high priority at the moment. Over.” I really wanted to order her to follow the car for a while, but she had no knowledge of the terrain, and the target of the driver wasn't known. It was also possible that she would have to leave the range of the radio.
 
“It’s driving over the bridge we crossed...” She paused briefly, and only the static sound of the wind was audible. “Now it’s entering a tunnel. Over.” It seemed it was driving towards Minden, where the Praktiker was located. We would also have to go there if the Obi didn’t have what we needed.
 
“Okay, Rainbow, abort the pursuit and fly over to EDEKA. Over.” As I released the button, I could hear a door closing behind me, and I turned, startled, only to stare at a shelf. I was accustomed to being able to watch over these things. Confused, I trotted around that shelf and now stood in a wide corridor that connected the separated compartments.
 
I amplified the light over my head a little and saw how the door towards the employee area had opened a little. Somebody must have walked through the door a few seconds earlier. I threw myself against the door to keep it open and stared at a long dark corridor, hearing the sound of another door being used. I bolted down the hallway without much consideration and entered a warehouse, spotting a wide opened door. I passed the door and found myself behind the store. All I could see was a scooter speeding away from the store. Somebody had seen me or my light, to be more precise. It still floated over my head, and I cut off the spell. I could imagine how easy it was for somebody who only saw the floating light to be frightened. How often does it happen that a little star floated down upon you? And the world was already being invaded by Nightmares, so all survivors were edgy.
 
“For the third time, I've arrived. Over!” shouted a voice inside my ear. I continued to track the scooter that disappeared in the direction of Minden.
 
“Copy that, Rainbow. Follow the road down to the next crossroad. Then turn left until you reach the following crossroad. There is a signpost over by the gym, so keep a low altitude. Over.” I waited for an answer while I slowly walked away from the rear entrance towards the road to meet up with AJ and Trixie in the hospital.
 
“I’ll call you again when I reach the crossroad. Over.” I only rolled my eyes and accelerated my pace
 

***

 
This place was way too quiet for Trixie’s liking. It reminded her of the orphanage in Manehatten. It was a similar sterile building, and the staff had been more than distant and cold. Often it had been social workers ordered by court for minor felonies or those who were forced to work by their rich parents, who needed to at least pretend to care for the underclass.
 
“Hey, Trixie, any idea what this is?” Applejack stood behind a large white counter and peered at something that seemed to be some kind of big black mirror. In front of the mirror was some kind of control panel with various letters and other symbols.
 
“Trixie has no idea what this… object is supposed to be. I think my brother would be the better pony to ask. But Trixie will try to figure it out.” She started to scan the object with her magic. “This is odd... It's made mainly with some kind of unknown material, a little glass and copper, and a few other metals.”
 
AJ nodded and started to push a few buttons on the control panel. Her hoof didn’t fit with the small single keys, so she always hit more than one.
 
“Looks like it's busted. Doesn’t do anything.” She tapped her hoof multiple times against the black mirror, which fell of the table after three hits. “Whoops.” Trixie lifted herself with her forehooves onto the table, looked at the now one hundred percent broken device, and shot a look of irritation towards her companion.
 
“You know, Applejack, maybe we should wait for Trixie’s brother. He will know what to do with this thing. Let's search for humans until then.” They had already searched the rooms on their way but only found storerooms and rooms filled with odd, oversized gadgets. They had expected more beds and medicine from a hospital. The last room, directly behind the counter, was filled with papers and some kind of timetable. “Maybe we should search upstairs.” She pointed towards one of the glass ceilings where they could see one floor above them.
 
“It doesn’t seem like there are any patients’ rooms down here.” Applejack nodded silently and both walked down the wide corridor. The floor was made of an odd material that they had never seen, which was similar to the material from the black mirror thing. It had to be a really versatile material when it could be used for tech and also make floors.

“This floor feels kinda weird. It's almost as slippery like th' wood floor in Light’s house.” It seemed like that fact wasn't able to go unnoticed by the farm pony. “Ah mean, why does a stone house have a wooden floor?” Trixie hadn't really thought about it, but Applejack was right. Quite a lot was different in this world, but Light had warned them about this.

“Applejack… Trixie doesn’t see a staircase.” Again she scanned the corridor. The earth pony next to her did the same and started to scratch her head with a hoof
                        
                                                ***

I had completely forgotten the fact that, without electricity, the revolving doors at the entrance of the hospital couldn't operate. However, it seemed like Trixie had somehow found a solution. I saw the two at Station Two just before they vanished behind the counter. The only other entrance was the staff entrance on the other side of the building. I had no other option and walked straight across the parking lot. The few cars which were still parked here were all scattered haphazardly. A lot of the cars were dented and scratched. The other drivers must have tried to leave the parking lot at any sacrifice.

I turned the corner and saw the parking lot for the rescue vehicles. It was empty, people likely using them to flee, and that would mean the hospital had used them or some scavengers had taken them for the meds. To walk along the building took a lot more time than I had thought. The building had the form of a giant 'H' with two floors and was, from an architectural point of view, a complete balls-up.
 
A buddy from my trade school had told me how the company had scrimped on the building material. He had worked, like many others, as scab labour on it and another government building. When it was made public knowledge, a lot of local politicians had been plastered in their humiliation on the front pages of many newspapers. I had only laughed about it and enjoyed the irony. Heh, good times.
 
I walked up the loading dock and past the open door. Trixie must have used her spell again to gain entrance. I now stood on the loading dock where the laundry was gathered and where the robots were stocked with the food that they transported from here to the patients and brought the garbage back down, being  cleaned and again loaded with the lunch. The same procedure was followed for dinner. In the old hospital, everything had been done by the staff. After they fixed the usual start-up problems, everything worked just fine.

I walked past one of the robots that had stopped in the middle of the hallway and entered the basement of the building. The robots were little tanks, with flat treads so that they could transport the trays for the patients, similar to those little vacuum robots.
 
In the basement were the storage rooms, staff lounge, and the administration offices. Past these were the backup generators that were supposed to keep this place running if things got pretty bad. I decided it was worth a try to start them up. Maybe we could use one or two of the computers to contact somebody, or maybe one of the phones. However, I doubt that any data centre would have electricity, so no Internet.
 
“Dammit, how am I supposed to get my two hundred spam mail about how to enlarge my penis?” I grinned at my own joke, trying to push past everything that could happen out here. I really hoped we would find some survivors here, like my family for example. I walked towards the door to the backup generator and found the door locked, of course. I wasn't really in the mood to search for Trixie and AJ first and then walk all the way back. I channelled a little magic and fired a little heat ball on the lock, which melted and allowed the door to swing open. Celestia’s magic, which consisted mainly of warmth and light, really came in handy. Somehow I couldn't stop appreciating this fact again and again. Now I was able to enter the room that only had a large orange container with various buttons and switches, along with labels I couldn't read. Luckily, the word start was international. In the case of an emergency, everything was also labelled in Chinese, just for the hell of it. I pressed the 'Start' button with my magic since it was out of my reach and I really didn't want to press it with my snout.
 
The starting engine was audible, and the lights in the building started to flicker. Satisfied with the outcome, I inspected the liquid level, which showed an almost full tank. After the repairs of the Celestia, we could use the hospital as some kind of base, seeing as it had electricity and, I imagined, a good store of food and meds. The stuff in these little breakfast containers were long-lasting, and I couldn’t imagine that anybody would be against Nutella. To be honest, I thought Pinkie would love it. I, for one, wasn't a big fan of it when I was little, true, but now I preferred cheese and jam, along with various apple products of late.

Right, time to find the others. The few staircases in the building were behind thick iron doors, not really meant for visitors, and I hadn’t planned to do so. I went to an elevator that happened to be already there. I stepped inside and pushed the button with to the first floor and slowly closed the doors. With a jolt, the elevator started to ascend. After a short silent moment, the doors opened again with the usual noise. I stepped into the corridor and saw what had happened downstairs. The corridors of the second floor were constructed to be free-floating over the ground floor so you could see what happened downstairs and vice-versa. This was supposed to give the building an open feel. I always thought an air conditioner would have done the same, but those were simply non-existent.
 
I peeked inside the first room to my left and saw that there still were beds in the room and, according to the smell which lingered in the room, still in use. While there were still so many deceased here, we could forget my idea with the base. Alongside the diseases that were spread from corpses, we also had five unpredictable fillies, and I preferred to avoid traumatising them. Silently, I closed the door and marked the door with a swing of my horn, cutting a scratch in the white wood.
 
I walked down the corridor and found the nurses' station equipped with surveillance monitors and filing cabinets behind the counter. The hospital had six of these stations placed all over the first floor, and I happened to be in one of the biggest of them.

It was the Senior Wing, as the staff called station four in which I happened to be. Here the older patients were brought in who had Alzheimer's or similar illnesses associated with ageing. I couldn't even be mad about how the staff had abandoned them, knowing they would die one way or the other.
 
My thought might have sounded cold, but I had to distance myself or I would break down. Out there were survivors and for them I was here. Out there were humans who waited for help. And that was why I was here. If I had only found a dead world, I think I would have drowned in self-pity and guilt.
 
I inspected the monitor where, in six little screens, the cameras of the station showed what they recorded. If I wanted the backup generator to last for a while, I had to deactivate all the unnecessary equipment sooner or later.
 
“The electricity is back.” I suddenly heard a voice and quickly hid myself under the counter. There was an advantage to being small, but the saddlebags were hindering me. “Do you think the horses did that?”
 
“I don't give a shit. It's meat! Fresh meat. Hadn't had anything like that in months,” answered another voice, and I could hear as someone licked his lips.
 
So they had seen AJ and Trixie. “How many shots do you have left?” I could hear an ammo clip sliding out of a weapon.

“Five. But I think that will do.” The clip slid back in and the barrel was pulled back. The gun was loaded. “We should be able to jump onto the counter down there and surprise them.” I feared he was right. The corridor wasn't that high, only about two meters. Under us was the reception of station four, and the two men had planned to assault the two mares when they passed. I was really glad I didn't call out for them.
 
“The gym is empty. Over.” It was a really untimely moment for Rainbow to contact me. I couldn't reach the radio without them noticing my magic, or I had to open the clip on my bag. One way or the other, they would notice me. “HELLOOOOOO? The gym is empty. Where is this bathroom? Over.”
 
The hello was loud enough that I had to twitch. If Rainbow shouted again like that, they would find me.
 
“What was that?” asked one of the men.
 
“The electricity is back; maybe one of the machines.” I could hear a silent click “Psst… here they come.” I had to do something FAST.
 
“Why is one blue and the other orange? Was somebody that bored? And why is the blue one wearing a wizard’s hat and coat? And the other a cowboy hat? Who would do something like that?” I could hear how flummoxed this made him and had to smirk.

“Never mind. Ready yourself.” I could hear how their boots bumped against the glass as they climbed onto the handrail. This was my chance. I bolted out of my hideout and could see the two men sitting on the handrail like two chickens on their roost.
 
“HAAAAAAALLOOOOOOOO? OVER?” shouted Rainbow inside my headset, and this time it was audible enough for the two men to hear it.
 
One turned his head towards me, but it was already too late. I already was behind them and my hooves were ready to buck. And buck I did both men square on the back. The one who had looked at me managed to turn himself before he landed unpleasantly on the floor downstairs. His buddy wasn’t that lucky and landed nose-first on the linoleum.
 
“WHAT IN TARNATION?” I could hear AJ shout when the two humans landed in front of her. I stepped on the bridge that connected the two floors and looked down to my friends.
 
“Everything alright?” both faces looked up with a puzzled expression.
 
“Light, what's going on?” asked Trixie, but we didn't have time.
 
“Trixie, do you see the black object there?” I pointed on the nine mm Beretta that laid next to the one whose face pointed to me. “Take it and look after it.” She did what I told her, and instantly the weapon flew over to her. Her curiosity made her inspect the thing and when she looked inside the barrel I couldn't do otherwise then shout “Don't! That thing is dangerous. It's a handgun, a pistol to be precise.” It seemed like she remembered what I had told her about them and removed it to a safer distance. I transformed myself, in the meantime, to a pegasus and glided down slowly onto the counter like our attacker had planned to do.
 
“Could ya now please explain what's going on, sugarcube?” I jumped down the counter and traded wings for horn to collect the weapon.
 
“These two were on the search for food, and I guess they thought you two looked pretty tasty.” I know it wasn't really fitting to joke about something like that, but my mouth was faster than my brain “They planned to attack you with this here.” A quiet groan could be heard from the one lying on his face. I slowly stepped towards him.
 
“Everything okay?” I reached a hoof out. “Sorry about that, but you wanted to attack my friends, so I didn't had any other choice.” His face looked up, astonished. Long brown hair and a full beard didn't really conceal the shock in his eyes. My face didn't look any different.
 
 “Julian?”


> Chapter 54 - Alive
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Before me, flat on the ground, was one of my best friends. I had known Julian since the sixth grade, but we did not first meet in school. In our small town, there had been a weekly youth club that some teenagers had organized. The church had only provided a room for us; the rest we had done for ourselves. We had gone to the first furniture store that we had seen in the business section of town and asked for a donation in the form of a piece of furniture. We had gotten it along with several other things. I had donated an old computer and, together with another friend, put together an old processor. In addition, we had even found a fog machine. We had also gotten a foosball table, which went together with the billiards table. From then on, our nightlife had happened at that place, be it a party, simply relaxing, or having a LAN-party. Everything that we did, that place was our starting point. For a long time, Julian and I had maintained the equipment and oversaw the entertainment. I took charge of the computer and the music we played, while he was the one who did the live entertainment, seeing as he could play the guitar. In fact, he was the one who taught me what I knew about it. I hadn’t owned a guitar of my own back then, but he had lent me one of his to practice on. He had showed me how to read the tabs and showed me how to play the different chords.
 
Now he lay there, stammering in a language I could not understand and looking up at me with large eyes.  "What's up, Julian?" Nothing better came to my mind. I knew it wasn’t likely that he recognized my voice since I was speaking English, or rather Equestrian. I had already found out earlier that my voice sounded differently when I spoke a different language. On the other hand, he had spoken English to his friend just now, for whatever reason.
 
He seemed to react to his name being called, as he turned on his back and scrambled away a few centimetres. “Come on, I know you can understand me.” I could see AJ and Trixie from the corner of my eye as they simply looked on, but I feared that the situation of us three against him would not calm him. “Could you both put his friend on the gurney back there?” Trixie nodded. The pistol went on the counter, and in the next second, the unconscious body on the floor rose in the air. Frightened, Julian crawled away even further and squeezed against the wall as my companions disappeared with his friend.
 
“What are you?” was his whimpered response as we were both left alone. I held up a hoof in the air, ran it through my mane, and produced a beat when my hoof touched the ground again.
 
“I would say that I’m a pony.” He looked at me in terror, more precisely at my horn. “To be more specific, I’m a unicorn.” Apart from the situation we were in, I was actually somewhat glad to be able to tell someone, if only to see their facial expression.
 
“How do you know my name?” That meant he didn’t recognize me or my tune.
 
"Would it ring a bell if I say moving beer box?" The rigid look remained on his face. "Or the drinking game?" I considered briefly. “The bed of nettles?” These were all funny things we had experienced, though the last one was one-sided. At a party not ten minutes removed from my house, I had landed in a ditch, stone drunk, and took a nap there. My friends had all gradually passed me, each taking a photo. About five hours later, I had woken up and staggered home, with the morning almost already upon me.
 
“From where? That can’t be.” He leaned directly against the wall. “Timo?” I had not heard that name in a long time, and it felt so distant and wrong.
 
“I prefer Blue Light these days,” I corrected him.
 
“But you died! I was there at your funeral, before all this happened. How is that even possible? Were you reborn, or does one become a pony when they go to heaven? Or hell?” I was only glad to have found a friend.
 
“If only he knew…” I murmured before focusing my attention back to him. “No, nothing like that. Actually, there is a short, plausible explanation.” I stopped and took a deep breath. “Magic!” I got the confused look I had expected. “You know what? I’m sure the cafeteria is somewhere near the station here. Why don’t we go and talk it over peacefully?” He nodded hesitantly, still almost speechless, and began to rise. The midday sun, which poured in through the windows of the flat ceiling of the building, now made it possible to look directly at him. The first thing I saw were the shadows his hair over his face. His hair wasn’t the bright brown I had known. It was now black, as was his beard. It was an unsubtle reminder to how long he hadn’t experienced the pleasures of a bathroom. His cheeks had sunken in, which wasn’t all that surprising given that he had always been thin as a rake. He now towered above me and gazed at me with an empty look in his eyes, making me feel like a child. I went up to him, my horn just about reaching his navel.
 
“Can I get my weapon back?” It still lay on the counter behind me, and I was the only one who stopped him from reaching it.
 
“Sure.” I let the weapon float over to him, and he stretched his hand out carefully. As my blue aura touched his finger, he only twitched shortly before he grabbed onto it courageously and tore the weapon from the air. “Come on, let’s go.” I turned my back towards him and headed off around the corner to where Trixie and AJ waited for us. Julian actually knew his way around like I did, as both our parents had worked here. It was a wonder we hadn’t gotten to know each other through our shared bond.
 
A bang interrupted my thoughts, followed by a sharp pain that forced me to the ground. Frightened and with gnashed teeth, I looked over and saw the smoke that came from the weapon in my friend’s hand. This trembled, as well as his entire body. He needed, as I did, a few seconds to understand what had just happened before he allowed the pistol to fall and ran. AJ and Trixie came around the corner as Julian went around one of the stations on the other side of the corridor and disappeared.
 
“What happened, sugarcube?” My gaze wandered to my right hind leg where the pain emanated. The fur there was burnt, so I could only recognize half my cutie mark, and I saw some blood flowing. However, it seemed to be too little to be a gunshot wound.
 
“I don’t think I was as convincing as I thought.” I followed their gazes to the flesh wound on my flank, and the looks on their faces told me that their sympathy for me was light. “At least it was only a warning shot.” Julian had had an impressive collection of weapons, but everything had been either Airsoft or used to fire in the air. To be honest, I had not expected what had happened at all, but it explained why they had wanted to come so close. Over some distance it was harmless, but with direct contact with the skin, the consequences could be bad. A meter closer and I would have had to spend the remainder of my life with a depression rather than a cutie mark.
 
“That looks like it hurts,” Trixie said as their noses went closer to the wound. The cool air they exhaled somehow felt refreshing.
 
“I don’t suppose you know healing magic?” I asked hopefully as I applied pressure with my hooves to staunch the wound. Apart from the fact that they weren’t hands, they had already spent an entire day on the ground. An infection was already likely in any case. Trixie thought for a moment before she shook her head.
 
“None that fits your wounds, but I do have one for burns.” I could imagine why she would have one for that. When one worked with fire as she did, it helped to have a card up your sleeve in case of fire.
 
“Better than nothing,” I said and turned with the help of my forehooves so that they could have better access to the injury.
 
“This might hurt a bit.” Her horn lit up, and I immediately felt a cooling sensation dampen the burning feeling. She applied more and more coldness in such a way that one discomfort soon replaced the other. I cried out as the magic took its full effect, and the cold spread out across my entire rear. I bit my lip to deflect the pain to another area, an old trick my mother had shown me against syringes. As a child, I had had a great fear of them. After a few seconds, I noticed that the cold was retreating, and I began to feel my body again. I sympathized with her if she had to do that whenever she had burned herself during her performances. I felt something near to me and saw AJ, making me feel as though my time had come.
 
“What did your friend do to you?” A question I could only answer with assumptions. His eyes had been so cold and ready to kill. Perhaps I did not want to admit what I already knew – that people had fallen back to their basic instincts.  The sings had been everywhere. The pharmacist had won her uniform. She would have only worn it during the day. There were no Nightmares during the daytime, so she had not been killed by them. The police had erected road blocks to keep the mob under control, and the shops mirrored the fact that they had failed.
 
“Where are you? I’m at the hospital. Over?” Rainbow Dash announced, probably having turned back after communications between us had gone silent for a while. I threw a frustrated look at my marefriend and only shook my head at her question as to whether she should answer.
 
“We’re in the building. You might be able to see through one of the windows in the middle of the roof. Over,” I answered and left the volume on the headset. Trixie looked at it curiously, and I pushed it lower down so that it now hung around my neck. “It goes with the radio.” I had had several in my bag. They must have spilled out during my fall and now lay a bit away from my position. “They should be right there.” She floated them to me and carefully put them down next to me. From above came a knock on the glass, and I saw Rainbow wave to me as I looked up. I opened it with my magic, and she flew down and landed on the ground next to me in the next moment.
 
“What happened here?” She did as I had done with the headset and put it around her neck. “Why weren’t you answering?” She looked at AJ and I, but before I could answer, Trixie intervened.
 
“Someone who he wanted to have a word with attacked him,” she said emotionlessly. “Probably because it was a friend he trusted and turned his back to him.” She stared at Trixie and then to me, rage in her eyes.
 
“You were the one who said to be careful and avoid unintentional contact, and then you go ignoring your own advice?” She was ready to go for my jugular.
 
“Not to mention they tried to attack us first to try and eat us,” Trixie continued. I saw Rainbow already raising a hoof, but a second later, she moved back.
 
“Who was the person you blindly trusted like that?” she finally asked, and I could see the same question burning in the eyes of the others.
 
“One of my friends… my best friend.” The room became quiet, and no one said anything for a few minutes before the brightness of the sun finally made me take to my hooves. Putting pressure on the wound like this would not be harmless, and it hurt, but we couldn’t remain here the entire day. I tried to take a step but stumbled. My marefriend managed to prop me up just in time before I fell over.
 
“Hold on… did you say ‘they?’ Rainbow asked Trixie. I had almost forgotten that. He had abandoned his friend in our care. Trixie quickly ran around the corner where the stretchers were and came back almost immediately.
 
“He’s gone,” she said, and I could slap myself. He must have woken up when he heard the shot and taken the chance to slip away. “He left this here though.” She levitated a small black wallet in front my nose and let it fall to the ground. I opened it with a hoof and saw the identification card of one Kevin McDowell, an Englishman. It explained why I could understand the writing. I unfolded the inside pocket and found a picture of a young woman that had been cut out from an article from the London Post. With a bit of magical help, I freed it from the post and held it up.
 
"England evacuates," I read the headline, under which was a picture where hundreds if not thousands of people were to be seen aboard cargo ships. Soldiers could be seen in the foreground, ensuring that things were running to plan. “Two weeks after first contact, almost thirty percent of the populations have fallen victim to the shades.” No one said anything, and I swallowed. “‘The soldiers successfully fought back at night, but since the bullets couldn't kill them, their escape was just a question of time," said the Prime Minister.” The remainder of the article had been torn off. The way how faded the words that we were still able to read told me that the article was several months old.
 
“Where’s England?” Rainbow asked, looking questioningly over at me.
 
“English is an island-country. At the moment, we’re in Germany. I think your version is Germane. Anyway, it lies northwest of here, and you would probably need to go at your maximum speed for over an hour to get there.” She looked amazed.
 
“With the sonic boom, I need only about ten minutes to get to Cloudsdale. This England must be pretty far." I believed they still had the wrong picture of how big Earth actually was.
 
“Cloudsdale is still in Equestria, Dash. England is in another country, like the Gryphon Empire.” I had learned that this was located across the sea from Manehatten. “The Earth is big. We are, at the moment, on the largest continent: Eurasia. Then we still have Africa, North America, South America, and Australia. If I had to estimate, Germany, together with Denmark, Austria, and Switzerland, is as big as Equestria.” Then, with my comparison, Fillyburg would probably be the size as Spain.
 
"Well, Albion is not as small as you might think," Trixie interjected. “We have the countries like Camelrabia, Horsetralia, Vaporia, Zebrica, Prance, the Hooviet Union, Neighpon, Cowrea, Ib'Xian, Pingwin, Canida, the flying islands of Eden, Elir, Edonna, Ert, and Evisica. Also Germane that you already mentioned. Besides, there is still a continent that a researcher discovered only a few years ago. I believe his named was something like ‘Echo’.”
 
I stared in Trixie’s eyes and felt the wanderlust that laid in them. This was the first time that I had, for a second, felt a connection with her. I had already been to several countries in my lifetime, but those had always been family vacations. Only hotels and beaches had tired me out as a child, so I had remained at home as soon as I had been old enough. The last time we had taken one was to Bulgaria, almost four years ago.
 
“Okay, I’m impressed. Still, we’re not here to compare countries. I changed into a pegasus and began to float near the three to reduce my pain. I had to use the muscles in my back and wings, and I didn’t know how long I could endure. “We should go check out the hardware store.”
 
“What do we do about those folks?” She pointed to the exit where Julian had fled.
 
“We’ll leave them alone for now. We have our own problems to solve." With that, we started to move and went down the corridor to the main entrance. We went past the separate stations and also the lab where my mother had worked. She had worked there for more than thirteen years and did EKGs and other examination that involved the heart. Trixie abruptly stopped and held up a hoof to my chest to bring me to a halt as well
 
“What is that device?” She pointed to a monitor.
 
“This is a monitor. One can see information on the screen, depending on what device is connected to it. In this case, a computer. They’re used for the processing of data and other information, and they can solve problems within seconds. I used to earn money working with these… Well, before all this happened." Trixie darted over behind the table where the computers stood and began to press the keyboard.
 
“Can we not use then such a device?" She took the monitor between her hooves and tried to raise it. However, it remained in place due to all the connecting cables.
 
“It won’t work without electricity.” I rushed past AJ and Rainbow and knocked the screen from Trixie’s grasp. My head wandered under the table, and I quickly found the button I looked for. A sound I had long missed was heard and a light flickered above me. Trixie looked at the computer screen as it awoke to the life along with the others. The white lines gave way to the Windows XP boot screen before, finally, the login was to be seen.
 
“Name and password?" Rainbow read, surprised. "I need to give a password to this thing.”
 
“No you don’t. I have both." They all looked at me strangely. "I already told you that my mother had worked here. Because she was older, she can’t remember as much as she used to, so she used the same passwords at home." Though I wanted to use my hooves, they would be too big to utilize on the keyboard. I thought briefly before the magic around my horn lit up and began to give the required information. After a few seconds, the desktop loaded. Only few symbols were on the desktop, and the background was only a green surface, a little bit too dreary for my taste. However, one took what one could get. My first look at the network symbol what showed that the PC was connected with the network of the hospital. My hopes were high as I navigated the mouse and clicked on the Internet Explorer icon. The browser opened immediately and showed the white page that I had expected. Even if everything here in the hospital functioned, it was improbable that the servers still worked.

"What does four zero four mean?" Trixie asked, and I saw all three looking at the monitor.
 
"The page I wanted to connect to is not available." All looked at me as if I was speaking madness. "I tried to get access to a gigantic library, but the connection cannot be had without electricity. In addition, the place where these pages are must also be connected with electricity, not just here," I tried to make the Internet understandable. Trixie seemed to follow along, though AJ and Rainbow only threw each other confused looks. "Time to see whether there’s anything interesting on this thing." I accessed the Windows’ search engine and went through some. After inputting some of the names of persons, and then Nightmares, the term ‘survivors’ brought in the result of an inconspicuous text file. I opened it and began to read:
 
"To whoever reads this, the hospital has already been evacuated." As I had already surmised. "All patients were moved by the armed forces to Düsseldorf, where the population have already hidden. Enclosed here is a list of registered persons." However, there were several text blocks of names that were in German and Russian. I scanned over the list and found what I hoped to see. The name of my brother's Nils was quite prominent at the top, followed by my grandmother and Dirk. My mother was certainly under staff and was therefore not listed. A name nowhere to be seen, however, was that of Enno. He had been my mother’s friend for about two years and should belong here, but it was not.


"Did you find something, sugarcube?" I only nodded and clicked the print button. The device near the monitor took in one of the sheets, and in less than ten seconds, I had everything on black and white. Below, on one of the sheets I held with magic, was the date of October the thirteenth. This list was a month old if the date on the desktop was accurate. Today was the thirteenth November, 2013.
 
I allowed the sheet to fall and clicked on clock next to the calendar to check. My fear was confirmed. "The delay was worse than I thought…" I murmured and allowed myself to slam onto the ground so that it reminded me of my wound.


> Chapter 55 - Children of the Night
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

When we left the hospital, it must have been early afternoon already, as the sun was already high in the sky. The morning was gone, and in light of the fact that it was winter, we had to hurry a bit. On the short way back from the parking lot to the industrial park, I explained to the group how the days were shorter during winter time. It was obvious that they didn't know anything like that, and Rainbow refused to believe me for a while and absolutely insisted that the sun always stayed in the sky for twelve hours. During our time in the centre, which was well-stocked except for missing axes, saws, and other tools that could be utilized as weapons, we discussed how our solar system worked.
 
As planned, we packed wood glue, some weatherproof finish, and a brush. For the repair of the wing’s broken mast, I found a rectangular piece of metal that had four holes for screws. I had no idea what to call those things, but to call it a metal edge sufficed for my company and me. I was never one who was a talented craftsman, more like the opposite, preferring to be the coordinator. As a child, it was my greatest dream to become an architect, and I had always been thinking and drawing my dream house. I had abandoned the image over time, but I still managed to retain enough to use. Because of this, I roughly knew how long the metal pieces should be to be able to bear the weight of the wing, even under the burden of flight. Like twigs, three thirty centimetres-long metal edges, neatly stacked like spoons, protruded out of Dash's saddlebag. In the other one, the other souvenirs were stored.
 
"And you are sure that you know the way?" I asked her one last time as we stood in the big parking lot before the building centre. This one lay opposite of the Media Markt and a certain Toys R Us of which I didn't wish to be reminded. It was the last time that I had seen my brother.
 
"Of course!" declared the confident pegasus and hit herself in her chest while floating in front of me. "I always find a way." Even if it had to be head-first through the wall, I added to myself. "And even if…" She leaned towards me so AJ and Trixie behind me could not hear her. "We still have the radio." She grinned and slowly vanished over the building complex to my right. What I believed she didn't understand was that the others would hear. So, if I had to give her directions, the other two would surely take notice.
 
"Well, we should head out as well," I said and started to float slightly over the ground. "We still have to cover some distance."
 
"And you are sure that you can make it, sugarcube?" AJ alluded to my wounds that hurt now and then under the cold breeze. I hadn't noticed the low temperatures so far, but as a part of my flank was now without fur, I felt it distinctly. Ponies seemed to have a lower resistance against temperatures with their skin. Their coat took over this function, so why was a thick fat layer needed?
 
"I have to, don't I? I doubt you feel like carrying me." I said that more as a joke, but she seemed to really consider it. I knew that she was more than capable of doing it. After all, I did experience how easy it was for her to push me through the ground. As a pegasus, who could become lighter by their own inner magic, it was surely even easier. "No, really, not a problem," I said once more to be on the safe side.
 
"If you say so…" I saw that she wasn't convinced, but we nonetheless started to move. Immediately, my mind wandered and I thought about what I learned today. The humans had fought for survival and they did it even if they had to pit themselves against their own fellow men. Furthermore, I found it strange that three humans appeared here nearly simultaneously, so for me, they belonged to a group. If there were several groups, they had to have some kind of base.
 
The problem would be to find them, as by day there would be little to betray them. Of course, during the night they'd leave the light on to drive off the Nightmares. Even the dumbest human would have noticed that the sunlight was their enemy and that they could secure rooms with UV-Lamps. The problem was the power which restricted their bases to the few places with generators. The hospital I could strike from the list. It seemed that previously no one ventured to the generator room to activate it. We had to try to make contact again to discover if there were still bigger settlements.
 
The next problem was— "Ouch!" My view turned black, and I fell to the ground, which served to remind me of my wounds. I heard the clangs of metal and saw that I had flown into a street lamp. Both Trixie and AJ looked worriedly at me as I rubbed my snout with a hoof.
 
"You are sure that nopony should levitate you?" asked Trixie this time. "I can levitate you for a while." I turned down her offer with a wave.
 
"Thanks, but no. I was just lost in thought." Both mares threw a dubious look at each other before I rose up and we continued our way. Before I returned to my train of thought, I saw that both of them were engrossed in their own small conversation. The next problem was the date. I had been here and had found the newspaper and the letter. Then I assumed a time shift of three months, but how old had the newspaper truly been? It could have been lying there for months according to everything I knew. I had to learn what exactly happened after my departure to Equestria, and the only one I knew with possible answers was Julian. He could surely tell me what had happened in the city, when Changer had died exactly, and when the Nightmares arrived. Only I had to find him first.
 
I spent the next few minutes thinking of different methods to lure the humans out of their hiding place or to find them. Unfortunately, there were too many buildings that had been outfitted with generators to search, as this would take several weeks which we didn't have. To place food somewhere on an open street was also a stupid idea because it was far too suspicious. Who would, in such times, simply run openly on the street and not think it was a trap. Unfortunately, there was no opportunity to make a more subtle location known to the humans, except of course letting Rainbow fly over the city and let her yell at the place like a market crier. Also, this would not escape suspicion either. There had to be some place where the humans had to go, as they had to get something that didn't fit into their base or was impossible to transport.
 
"Hey, Light, Armor says the metal is okay. Over." The noise that originated from the headset around my neck startled me from my thoughts, and I sank to the ground. With a hoof, I directed the microphone in my direction without putting the headset itself on.

"All clear. We are…" I looked around and noticed, with some surprise, that we were nearly at the gas station already, "... nearly at the road block. We should be back within the next hour. Over." I once more considered taking the car but I decided against doing so. We wouldn't need it as we were only going to a certain point anyway. I didn't believe that it looked better for the other directions.
 

***

 
I still didn't know what came over Scootaloo to make us go on board the ship. I mean, sure, we had been sad that a part of our family wouldn't be with us for a while, but this was just a dumb idea. Princess Luna more or less locked us in the room and gave us one lecture after another. Now and then, Princess Cadance came around the corner and tried to calm down her mom, but it didn’t work too well. Luckily, it had been quiet for a while now, but my ears were still ringing.
 
"I imagined this differently," said Sweetie Belle sadly and briefly looked up from the edge of the big lunch table to us. "I thought they would be happy if we'd came with them."
 
"I thought the same. AJ is always happy when I help her on the farm," Apple Bloom agreed with her.
 
"I don't like to admit it, but I would have missed my mum very much," I threw in. I was the only one who had tried to prevent this as, one after the other, we had climbed through the open port hole. A sniffle came from Holly, who had sat quietly on her chair while she was hauled over the coals.

"I hope mom is okay. She still hasn't woken up." Princess Cadance had brought me and Holly to our mothers for a little while, who both were lying in the small hospital ward and sleeping. That was soon after the last of Princess Luna's lectures.
 
"Both of them will recover. I’ve already prepared a party!" called Pinkie Pie who at this moment passed the broad entrance to the common room.
 
"At least it seems that Pinkie is already on the up and up," I mentioned snappily. She had been present during the lectures and, at a certain point, namely that we could have been hurt or worse, her mane fell flat and she seemed more than sad. Cadance had explained to me and Holly, after we asked about it, that this was normal for the pink pony. "How about you, Scootaloo?"
 
"Leave me alone, Dawn…" came the reply from my pegasus friend who pressed her face against the table top.
 
"Come on, Scootaloo!" Apple Bloom put a hoof around her. "It was your idea to travel with them to this other world. We didn't get our cutie mark as world travellers, but there’s surely a lot to experience out there." There was no reaction from her.
 
"Plus, they will send us back as soon as possible. So it isn't that bad anyway." It was somehow strange. It was the always cheerful and positive Scootaloo who said such things, not Sweetie.
 
"I don't want to…" She sounded subdued.
 
"What's up, Scoots? We're your friends? The princess didn’t scold us that badly …"
 
"I said leave me alone, Apple Bloom!" Scootaloo screamed and galloped as fast as possible out of the room. Our eyes followed her as she vanished in the hallway, whereupon we heard her taking the stairs to the deck.
 
"What is up with her?" I asked everypony in the room. The girls knew her considerably better and, most importantly, longer than me.
 
"She is sad over a loss." It was more like a whisper from Holly, but we still understood her without any trouble. She flinched under our gazes.
 
"Okay, what do you know and from where?" Apple Bloom advanced to her and pressed her face so much over the table that she only propped up herself with her front hooves, her hind hooves hanging in the air. She was a few centimetres nearer to Holly, who was sitting on the other side of the broad table.
 
"I… Ehm…" she stammered in fright and hid behind her mane, like her mother.
 
"Spill the beans!" the yellow foal to my right pushed further.
 
"I… can… feel it." She went into cover as if she expected we would attack her like a manticore.
 
"You can feel that?" Sweetie Belle leaned over curiously on the table and looked to the eyes that just peeped over the table. She nodded.
 
"That is cool." I was happy not to be the only one with particular superpowers.
 
"Really?" She left some of her cover and looked to me.
 
"Yes, really, Holly. You know, I have a special power too, but my mom forbade me to use it…" Sometimes it would have been really useful during our crusades.
 
"Do you know what she lost? Maybe we can find it!" Sweetie Belle called happily, but Holly only shook the head. "What a shame." She sank back into her chair again.
 
"We should still look for it," declared Apple Bloom. "I mean, how difficult can it be to find something here from Equestria? It’s a whole different planet after all." There was no counterargument to her logic, and we all agreed with nods. "Besides, it can't that far from the ship, so we won't be in trouble if we look for it." Again we nodded and our lips shaped into grins.
 
"Cutie Mark Crusaders Detectives!" we called simultaneously and sallied forth out of the room, Holly a bit aside. Who could find better lost things than a detective, and besides, I liked the stories of Sherlock Hooves.


***

 
The only thing I took with me out of the car was the map. It was just one of Germany, but this had to suffice for a start. A map of Earth was on the back as well, but this was just a very rough overview. The rough surface of the earth was shown on the magical globe at the very least.
 
"Very good. Now we can at least navigate here." Armor stood with me in the room and had listened, until now, my report on our little expedition. He wasn't particularly delighted about the encounter with Julian, but at least he understood why I had trusted him so blindly. I was glad that he didn't rub salt into the wound, in the truest sense.
 
"How long will we need for the repairs?" I wanted to know how much time I'd have to find the humans and, if needed to be, I would do it alone.
 
"The glue itself has to dry for a day, the finish as well. Even if the wing could already work, we’ll stay for two days. That time we should use and look for supplies and maybe a better map." Our first target was certain, thanks to my list: Düsseldorf. If there was a base, then the probability of it having a military presence was high. Armor absolutely wanted to contact their leaders and ask for their help for our mission. They had to know where most of the settlements were located, and I agreed with him. The military surely had long range radio equipment or similar to sustain the contact.
 
"Then I'll go tomorrow to Minden." I clicked on the globe with our location, which had blinked since we had fed it the map, and called up the city. "There are a few food stores… here, here, and here." Each time, I pointed to a place in the city where I believed one to be. It was difficult to say what was a store and what was a residential building. After all, it was the image of a street map. "In addition, I will check on the way for a few possible hiding places." I didn't see the point to withhold this from him.
 
"Then tomorrow, please take Star and Hawk with you. Both have been trained, as you well know, and are experts for being on the lookout for enemies." That was the thing that didn't agree with me. Because one of them had attacked me, he had marked me as potential danger and rated us as enemies. He wasn't wrong, but still I didn't like it. "To prevent a repeat like with Trixie and Applejack." I only nodded and slowly went to the door. "And let Cadance have a look over you. The wound looks bad."
 
"I will." With those words, I left the meeting room in which we had discussed our mission over the last few hours, the presence of Luna and the Crusaders, and the consequences on our supplies, in particular, the additional water usage as long they were here. Their stay would take as long until Twilight was strong enough to open a small portal with Trixie and Luna, as she was the only one who knew the necessary steps. The princesses had only added their magical power. Then there was the night shift, for which I volunteered today as the first one, as I knew the area the best and I needed some time alone anyway to meditate on things.
 
Outside, the sun was already slowly descending, and a deep red marked the clouds in the sky. From below, the noise of eager hooves could be heard as it prepared the dinner. I saw that the Crusaders were in our garden and scurried like dogs over the grass, seemingly on the search for something.
 
"Hey, Dawn, it's going to be dark soon. Please return to the ship, all of you!" I called towards the purple pegasus who was standing closest to the ship. I saw that he nodded absentmindedly, but that was sufficient. I wanted to treat my wound first and ideally throw a blanket or so over my back. I bet that Rarity would have something like that. So I started to make my way down below, only to nearly be stampeded by Rainbow as she vanished through the hallway into the bathroom. I threw a glance towards the kitchen from whence she came and saw the heads of Pinkie Pie, Cadance, and AJ, who extended their heads towards me.
 
"I believe I overdid it a bit with the chili," said AJ and rubbed her head with a hoof.
 
"Or me with the rainbow extract." All eyes glanced at Pinkie.
 
"Maybe I shouldn't have added any pepper," added Cadance, lost in thought, whereas the other two shrugged their shoulders and went back into the kitchen. I asked myself if I should explain to them the wonders of tabasco, but I decided against doing so because of the lack of restrooms for everypony. I followed them into the kitchen and saw that the three had tried to cook a big stew. While AJ had a few red beans in front of herself, Pinkie cut broccoli, and Cadance was in the process of freeing carrots from their husks. Aside from the vegetable of death, I didn't see what could deter me. I walked to the big pot standing on the stove and looked into its depth. There was something cooking that I could only call a witch’s brew, as it was black, viscous, and bubbled ominously. I took a deep breath through the nose that led to my eyes tearing up and making me feel as though my nose hairs had been singed.
 
"Careful, Light, something got mixed up," said Cadance over her shoulders. "We all tried to cook something and didn't notice that we only had a single pot." She had to giggle to herself then.

"Yeah, and Dashie came and said, 'Oh, this looks tasty, I'll try' and suddenly ran so fast like I haven't seen for a long time." Pinkie took the pot from the stove and started to pour the contents into the sink. I simply wondered how somepony could view this black stock as appetizing.
 
"Can we help you, sugarcube?" asked AJ, who pushed past me and took corn from one of the cupboards.
 
"Actually, I wanted to ask Cadance to have a look at my wound." She dropped the peeler out of her magical grip and turned to me, looked at my face, then at my chest, and seemingly looked for my injury. I turned a bit and showed her my right flank. She immediately moved a hoof to her mouth.
 
"Bless my heart! What happened?" I saw Pinkie Pie also staring at the wound and decided to explain it to her right now.
 
"A spell fumble," I lied shortly, which sufficed as an explanation for both of them. My gaze went to AJ, who did not look happy as she viciously freed the corn out of the glass.
 
"Okay, let's have a look at that." With that, she pushed me out of the kitchen, and we went briefly through the hallway and into the hospital ward. As ordered, all unnecessary fixtures have been removed and only two beds, occupied by Twilight and Fluttershy, a couch and a cabinet with medical supplies remained. The purple unicorn had an ice bag on her forehead, directly above her horn, lying peacefully, while Fluttershy had a small bandage around her head where a bit of blood could be seen.
 
"Well then, turn to me and tell me what really happened." She fetched from the cabinet a clear fluid and a swab where a handle had been affixed so even an earth pony could use it. Being an alicorn herself, it was unnecessary for her.
 
"Was that so obvious?" She raised an eyebrow and I didn't get around guessing that the facial expression ran in the family somehow.
 
"Well, every magical injury has magical residues." Which didn't exist with a gunshot wound, it seemed. Only the residue of gunpowder.
 
"We had an encounter with two humans, one of them an old friend of mine. He likely was so confused that he, even after he knew who I was, attacked me and fled. AHHH!" She had put some fluid on the swab and rubbed it over the wound. There was only one mixture that could create such pain: alcohol.
 
"I am sorry to hear that. I'm sure he was just afraid." She rubbed the wound further with alcohol, which made it burn again like Trixie's spell. "But the wound is looking good, no infection. May I ask how it was caused?"
 
"An alarm pistol. It is supposed to merely make noise and look real, but it still creates pressure and heat. If you fire it near enough to people, it causes injuries." She made it clear with humming that she had understood and replaced the swab and alcohol with a tube containing a white salve. She spread some of it on my bald spot and, with a clap, a thick band-aid followed, which was fixated with some bandages around my stomach.

"So, that should do it. Tomorrow morning, we can change the bandages once more, and then we’ll look to see what we can do for your fur." With that, she started to replace everything in the cabinet. "Who is doing the night shift?"
 
"Me." Aghast, she looked at me.
 
"No, no, no. You should get some rest." I would prefer to lie into my warm bed next to AJ, but that was not possible.
 
"I am the only one who knows the area and probably wouldn’t go crazy seeing shadows. Besides, it is my magic that protects the Celestia. Should something happen, you are gonna need me anyway." Especially as Twilight was out like a stone. I had provided some diamonds in advance with a daylight spell, but these would not last forever, and she was the only one who was proficient with it as well. I had also tried to explain Celestia's magic to Trixie as well as I could, but she wasn’t too good at it. Unfortunately, I didn't have the ability like my mother to plant it into her head.
 
"Then let me at least give you a blanket." After opening the lowest doors of the cabinet, she pulled out a thick white woollen blanket. "It is quite cool outside."
 
"It is winter," I said with a smile, which coaxed one out of her as well.
 
"Very mild." Yes, global warming was something beautiful. Unfortunately, it went into both extremes.
 

***

 
A bit later, I sat here on deck and stared into the darkness. Directly after dinner, which I received first to be able to attend to my post, I had placed myself here and watched how the sun vanished behind the horizon. Somehow, it wasn't the same in Equestria. It was like something missing there, the little something you only noted when it was back again.
 
"They are out there." Shining Armor appeared from below, a cup floating next to him as he sat next to me. I followed his glance into the wood in front of me, past the first row of trees, through some underbrush, and then I saw it. Small red points that moved between the dark wood.
 
"Yep," I answered shortly and look briefly down to the illuminated ground. With nightfall, the enchanted ornaments of the Celestia began to glow and radiated a calming light. Would it not have been for reasons of safety, I had nearly shed a tear at this sight. It had something magical, literally, but I thought more of the Tales of a Thousand and One Nights.
 
"And you are sure that you can manage?" I adjusted the blanket over my back.
 
"In front of you sits the nerd who got by six weeks with only two or three hours sleep." Summer holidays, an empty house, and a MMO were not a good combination for a healthy sleep cycle.
 
"I don't know what a nerd is, but I’ll take it as a yes." He took a sip from the cup, which seemed to me as though it was filled with hot cocoa. "If you don't feel able anymore, Star is on call, as I am."
 
"Thanks," I merely said before I noticed hurried steps behind me, and we both turned around. Dawn and Sweetie Belle stood on deck and had panic in their faces.
 
"Scootaloo is gone!" he called, somewhat out of breath. "We just checked the entire ship, but she isn't here."
> Chapter 56 - Duet
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Everyone was already in a panic below deck. I almost tripped over Apple Bloom as she dashed down the hall and shouted into one room after another for her missing friend. Dawn and Sweetie Belle stood on the stairs, Armor right behind them.
 
"Where did you last see her?" he asked the two foals, who looked at each other briefly.
 
"After we were with our moms. She was sad because she had lost something and ran out the room. We thought she would be somewhere on the ship," Dawn explained. I was finally able to figure out why the youngsters had searched the grass so thoroughly.
 
"Light, bring the little princess and get the others on deck. We’ll go find her," Armor stated and disappeared upstairs. I did as I was told and grabbed Apple Bloom, who tried to sneak past me to look somewhere else, as well as the other two. Now the three hovered a few inches above the ground before I put them on my back.
 
"Where’s Holly?" I asked, looking back. The two fillies both had tears in her eyes, while Dawn just looked sadly at the ground.
 
"She's..." Apple Bloom began and sniffed "...in the infirmary with Fluttershy." I sped down the hallway and opened said door. Holly was next to the yellow pegasus on the bed and seemed to be sleeping peacefully. I put Sweetie Belle down and then the others followed on their own.
 
"You stay here. Luna will be here in a minute to take care of you." I closed the door and looked across the room as Rarity, Rainbow, and Hawk searched behind the shelves. I had no time for that and went down the stairs to the lower level where Luna had settled in one of the rooms to rest. I ran past the first, then stopped at the second door. I was about to knock on Luna’s door when I heard something from across the room. It was quiet, barely there, but it was there. Someone was crying. I stepped back from Luna's door and put my ear to the other. Now I could hear it more clearly than before. I carefully opened the door and looked into the dark room. It was our storehouse filled with jars, barrels, crates, and the distribution system for the water. The light that made ​​it past me through the door was enough to make out the silhouette of a small crying bundle of orange fur between a box and a barrel on the lowest shelf.
 
"Mom ..." it sniffed. I was always good with children, loved to play with them, and getting dirty didn’t bother me. I myself had been a litterbug, or at least my grandma had always said so. No mud hole was safe from me. However, as I saw the otherwise so hyper and cheerful pegasus lying there, I was at a loss for words. I did not know her mother, though I knew she was in the hospital far away in another world, and that could certainly be a scary thought for a child or foal. I wanted to close the door again, but I could not just leave her there.
 
"Scootaloo..." Her head snapped up as I approached her. In a panic, she kicked out, and one of the glasses fell off the shelf, struck my head, and broke. The preserved cherries ran down my face along with the spreading headache. She disappeared behind the shelf and other boxes. I was really the wrong person to talk to her.
 
I really left the room this time and freed myself as best as I could from the cherries and collected them in a magical bubble. It accompanied me as I slowly walked down the corridor, looking for Rainbow. She knew Scootaloo better than the rest of us. After all, she was the only one who knew her mother. Nobody was on the lower deck, so I went further up where the entire crew was gathered. Trixie was there, hoofing everyone a diamond. These floated over to their new owners and remained floating above their heads, so it looked as though we were about to play a round of Sims.
 
"You can call off the search," I said, and everyone stared at me, aghast. "She's down in the pantry.
 
"Are those...?” Rarity asked in horror and pointed at my head.
 
"Yep, these are cherries. I tried to talk to her, but I only got a glass to the head." I looked as Cadance was almost on her way down, but I blocked her. "Rainbow, I think you should go." I got another dumbfounded look as the shocked pegasus stared at me.
 
"Light, I think that glass did more damage than you thought. I'm not good with foals,” she pleaded and looked over at her friends for assistance.
 
"I think Light is right, darling. I mean, she already looks up to you. If she is going to speak to anypony, it will mostly likely be you.” Both Pinkie and AJ nodded as well. If the others knew the relationship Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo had, they would have certainly also agreed.
 
"Rarity is right – you are her super-duper hero!” exclaimed Pinkie and grabbed Rainbow’s face with both hooves and pressed it a little. She pushed Pinkie aside and flew a few feet into the air.
 
"You can’t—" she exclaimed before she was caught by my marefriend’s lasso and landed unceremoniously on her haunches.
 
"Rainbow, yer the only one who knows Scootaloo well enough,” said AJ when she spat out the lasso and knotted it at a post. "If anypony understands at all what she’s going through, then it’s you."
 
The addressed pegasus only groaned. "Ugh... whatever." She pulled on her leash to signal that it could be loosened.
 
"Not so fast, sugarcube." With that, she took the lasso between her teeth again and handed it to Hawk, who was standing next to her. "I’m sure Hawk will be happy to accompany you down."
 
"I've always wanted a pony as a pet. Can I keep it?" she asked Star happily, who only looked at the spectacle before him with a stoic look. For my part, it was somewhat upsetting, to say the least, to hear and see how Rainbow Dash tried to run away from something like this, especially when it involved someone who looked up to her like that. Without waiting for a reply, the two went down, closely followed by Cadance. When they were about to disappear through the hatch, the diamonds flew over their heads from Shining Armor’s aura and back into the bag from which they had come.
 
"Star, please take over for Light until he gets rid of the cherries," Shining Armor commanded before he disappeared into the meeting room, looking visibly relieved. I looked across the deck at where he had been sitting calmly about ten minutes ago. His cup of cocoa lay broken and leaking on deck, the contents slowly dripping down the side of the ship. He was at least as concerned about the presence of the young ponies as I, for he knew what danger meant.
 
"I’m going to take a bath." I nodded politely to Star and went down to the bathroom. The shower had a large wooden tub that could surely hold enough water for a bath. I turned on the water and adjusted it to a comfortable temperature. The heating crystal, which was mounted between the pipes, lit up like the others that illuminated the rooms and corridors here, and soon the room was filled with warm steam.
 

***

 
After she had collected and stored every diamond again, Trixie entered the meeting room. Shining Armor sat at the large table with the globe that was freshly filled with the information the map from Light’s car had provided. He moved it back and forth a little and seemed to study a particular point in more detail.
 
"Trixie has the diamonds here." She placed it in the corner of the room from which they had come.
 
"Thank you, Trixie. Can I ask you something?" The request was unexpected. She closed the door and turned to face Shining, who took that as a yes. "What do you think of today’s mission?" She did not think twice.
 
"It was irresponsible and inconsiderate. He gave a potential threat its weapon back and turned his back on it.” Though she wished she could have said otherwise, Light was to blame.
 
"I agree. He is too emotional in that matter, a mistake on my part as well. I will relieve him from his post. Although he has the knowledge, he is not a soldier like you." He shook his head and then banged a hoof hard on the table. “We have foals here, damn it. This was not part of the plan..."



***

 
It took a while until the bathtub was filled with enough water to comfortably be submerged in it. I took my hoof back out of the water, quite pleased with the temperature. I took off the necklace with the crystal from around my neck along with the still quite fresh bandages. Cadance would have to bandage me up again later. I placed the necklace on the small table and threw the bandages in the bin before I glided into the tub. It felt absolutely heavenly. I had taken my last bath months ago, even before I became a pony. I didn’t had much of a choice at home, as I hadn’t owned a tub in the first place, and I had showered at the farm. The vapour penetrated through the fur on my neck, and I slowly slid further down in the water and let out a low pleased growl.
 
The water slightly burned my wounds, and it was a bit unpleasant around my genitals, but that was the way I liked my baths, especially the relief when the pain started to fade. I leaned back, not as a pony would but like a human: with my back against the wall of the tub and hind legs stretched out in front of me. “Ah, that’s the spot.”
 
I closed my eyes and blended out the slight discomfort from my position and instead concentrated on the feeling of the warm water around me. The only thing missing was quiet music. For a moment, I slid completely under water so that my mane washed any residue from the cherries as well. In that moment, a knocking sound reached my ears that startled me quite badly. I sat back up in the water and rubbed the water from my eyes. “Yes?”
 
“Can I come in, Sugarcube?” I paused for a second. Normally I always locked the bathroom door, a force of habit. I looked at the keyhole and saw, to my surprise, that it was open. I really had changed.
 
“Sure, it’s open.” The door opened and closed as AJ slipped into the warm bathroom and locked the door.
 
“We didn’t spend much time together in the last few weeks, and I thought this would be a good opportunity,” she said as she came over towards the tub and leaned on the rim.
 
“I know… It’s just…” I pointed at the ship around us. “All of this, you know?” She nodded and placed her Stetson next to my necklace. “It’ just so much.”
 
“I know, Sugarcube. I can see that when I look at you.” She got her hairband out from her mane and let the golden threads fall around her body. I had seen her quite often like this, but I couldn’t get enough of it. AJ was a pragmatist, functional over aesthetics, but I had to admit that she was even more beautiful like this. She followed my lead and slowly entered one leg after another in the warm water, only that the tub wasn’t made for holding two ponies at a time. AJ tried to sit down on the opposite side, but I grabbed her and pulled her in an embrace, her back against my belly while my hoof wandered over hers.
 
“Thank you for being there for me, babe.” She had actually prohibited me from calling her that, as she hated nicknames like that. Still, despite her hard demeanour, she was still a mare, and mares loved to be called pet names from the ones they loved. I leaned my head over her shoulder as we nuzzled each other.
 
“I told you not to call me that.” I couldn’t hold back a grin that she obviously noticed. Before she could say anything else, I placed a kiss on her neck and then some more.

“You know, I can’t wait to be back home.” Home… Equestria. The small farm at the edge of Ponyville. “To trot with you over the wide fields every day. Picnics at sundown and far away from all of this.” I leaned further forward until our lips could meet. First it was just a kiss, but then I felt her tongue pressing against my lips, and I opened mine greedily. A small fight for power started between our mouths and took a good while until we broke the kiss to breathe deeply.
 
AJ took the opportunity to turn around so that she was sitting on my hind legs and her eyes could meet mine. Her front hooves wandered over my shoulder, and I could see her long blond mane floating on the water behind her. Our wet coats stuck together and rubbed against each other as we then shared another kiss. A well-known pressure was building up between my legs. “AJ...” I was able to moan between two kisses as I leaned back against the tub to better support the two of us.
 
Instead of an answer, AJ shifted her position a little on top of me, and we both let a deep moan of pleasure a short moment later. Slowly, we started to move in the tub, water splashing over the rim and on the wooden floor around us. The floor was soon as wet as our coats that rubbed together in all the right places. Our lips were kept sealed together as we moved faster and faster, and even more water found its way to the floor. Soon there wasn’t enough water left in the tub to even make good use of the drain. Without the lift of the water, it was difficult to hold us both in this unusual position, especially because AJ was throwing her weight in the other direction.
 
I gently laid her down on her back, into the small puddle that used to be an entire tub of water. This time it was me who could only grin as she bit her lip suddenly. She had held it back as long as she could, knowing the walls weren’t thick.

With the new grip my front hooves had on the bottom of the tub, I continued where I left off before I had to lay her down. With each thrust, her moans got louder, but I was soon at my limit. With a grunt, I got in a few last thrusts before I was locked in my position deep within the mare I loved.


***


After AJ and I had caught our breath, we added more water and sat down again in the position in which we had at the beginning. My back pressed against the inner wall of the tub, with her ​​resting in my embrace. I hadn’t felt this satisfied since several days ago.
 
"You look a lot better now, sugarcube." The lie was so bad that I had to laugh. We looked as if we both had just climbed out of a marsh. Our fur was twisted in the wildest directions and knotted, and our manes and tails looked more like a mop.
 
"Even though I'm a little exhausted, I'm fine." The fresh warm water especially did me good. Without this, it was ​​a little cold since the ship had no heating. "If I knew you were going to come with me to my bath, I would’ve taken one sooner."
 
"I thought you could use some cheering up. You looked so down." I could start getting used to this sort of solace.
 
"What? I’m okay. We’ll all have this behind us and we can return. After all, it is my fault..." I tried to smear on my best grin, but the jab in my ribs brought me out of my little high.
 
"What's wrong with you?" She pushed away slightly and leaned over the edge of the tub before she looked up at me. "This is your old home. I would be depressed if Manehatten would be reduced to rubble too, but you can’t blame yourself for everything." I didn’t blame myself for everything. "There was no way you could have helped your family."
 
"What do you know?!” I yelled at her. She had struck a sore spot. "What do you know..." A tear ran down my cheek. It sickened me how quickly I had fallen so quickly into despair despite trying my best to put up a good front. "Not even I know ‘what if’. And you know what? This ‘what if’ brought me in this situation in the first place." I could not hold back. "I let down my family for my own selfish dreams, and now I have to collect the debris! Look out the window; can you see death lurking in the dark? I don’t need to see them to know that they are there." AJ didn’t flinch. "They eat what they can get a hold of: friends, family, strangers, everything! Maybe I could not have done anything, but I would have been with them, not just in remembrance!" I looked at her with blurred sight. I was sure that everyone in the hallway was able to hear my words.
 
"So you're saying you'd rather have been here and see how all these humans die than come to Equestria?" At first I did not respond, but then I shook my head.
 
"No, I don’t mean that. I don’t know what I mean..." I sobbed and took a deep breath. "I just don’t..." We were embracing again, this time to give me comfort.
> Chapter 57 - Sun
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Two days had passed since AJ and I held each other in our arms, or rather our forelegs. Sadly, the next few days didn’t go better, nor was it easy for the others. For one, there was the thing with Scootaloo losing her mother. Rainbow had more or less voluntarily spent the night with the foal and talked with her about everything. Sunshine, who had been hospitalized due to the large storm that had hit Ponyville, had passed away a few days before the start of our journey, and the government had planned to put little Scootaloo in a foster home in Trottingham. Separating her from her friends seemed rather cruel, and I could understand why she ran away. However, the possibility of finding a solution was a world away at the moment since we weren’t able to contact Equestria at the moment. Twilight had woken up yesterday, as did Fluttershy, but she was way too weak to even try to open a portal. Of course, Twilight had a little freak out when she was greeted by the Princess of the Night, as her being here was definitely not on her list. Luna had assured the panicking unicorn that Celestia would be more than capable of moving her moon in her absence.

The second thing that kept us busy was the ship and the search for supplies and clues. Shining Armor had removed me from my position as leader of the expedition and ordered me to stay near the ship. My new task was to answer Star’s – my successor – questions over the radio. Armor and the other three pegasi used the radios to ensure smooth communication about what they found and what was needed. The three reported to me what they saw and their position, and I would tell them where to look exactly. A large stack of supplies had thus gathered on the balcony of my old house, though a good bit of the supplies had to be checked to see if they still worked. There were things like car batteries, a scooter, and even a bicycle, which was obviously useless since nopony could use it. Dash had brought it in despite my protest.

Then there was the situation with AJ. She wasn’t mad at me for yelling at her because she knew how it was to lose family and the feeling of wanting to keep the rest of them safe. At the same time, she made me remember something I couldn’t do stuck on the ship. Since all expeditions were canceled for me, I had to make a new plan of action. I had used the last few days to gather everything I would need. I stole a few of the parts from the scooter, a few of the enchanted diamonds from the conference room, and a bottle of apple juice that nobody seemed to like besides myself. Trixie called it unbearable compared to the puddle water she had had to drink in the woods around Manehatten. I still couldn’t believe she had lived out there for such a long time. In the evening, I finally had everything I needed together. The only thing missing was a distraction. Night Hawk had been sitting on the deck and passed the time with playing cards, which wasn’t really helpful. With a small wind spell, the one I had seen Glimmer use, I made her cards blow away from the ship. The mare had sped after them, and thus the way had been free.

Walking between the dark fields and then the cold stone buildings maybe wasn’t the best of ideas, but I didn’t had a choice. I kept the nightmares at bay with a simple daylight spell, not unlike the globe I had used in the media store. Of course, that didn’t keep away all of them, and some tried to grab me. As soon as they made contact with the light, they shrieked in pain and dissolved into nothing. The only sad thing about this, which actually managed to kill my mood after being able to laugh just once, was that a replacement immediately crawled out of the ground nearby. It was admittedly scary to know that from behind me, in front of me, or basically everywhere around, these things were waiting for the golden opportunity to end my life.

But here I was, just a little past midnight, in front of the entry to the tunnel that led to my destination. If the humans would be hiding anywhere, then on the other end of the city and during night time would be the only chance to find them. They must have had light or some sort of electricity. The scooter I watched passing by surely didn’t run on positive thoughts alone, though that might be a nice idea for Equestria. It disappeared into the direction of the city, admittedly taking a detour, but still. Knowing the surroundings was both my greatest advantage and disadvantage, especially because every little corner looked a little different and every new shadow creeping by meant possible danger. It was because of this that I was glad once I had finally left the suburbs and once again walked on the bridge, the streaming river beneath me. This meant that I was done walking approximately the half of my total way. It felt as though I was at the entrance to Khazad-dûm, not knowing whether or not the way was safe.

A quick peek behind my shoulder showed me what I did not want to see. About twenty nightmares waited at the other end of the bridge. They were crawling back and forth, climbing on the defunct street lanterns, hissing and shrieking at me. The red eyes never stopped glowing at me, the only other lights in the darkness. Although I was actually safe, it was still a pretty spine-tingling thought, having to pass through them. I gulped and started to move down the way from the bridge that led into the tunnel. The tunnel had been built years ago in order to prevent the overflowing traffic that occasionally formed on the bridge. On some days, people used to have to wait an entire hour on this bridge.

The tunnel was terribly dark. There was at least a little light coming from the moon when I was outside, but down here it was pitch black. Not the smallest trail of light could be seen for the eyes to adapt to, except for my small magical orb. Even though I wasn’t in the mood for anything fun, I still found myself reminded of that scene from “A Link to the Past” where Link had to wander through the canals with nothing more than a lantern. Continuing this thought, I was happy that I didn’t need to collect little green bottles that were dropped by monsters.

With every step I took further into the depths of the tunnel, the echo of my hooves grew louder and louder. At one point I even turned around to make sure that I wasn’t followed by anyone else, given how it didn’t sound like I was alone anymore. However, the only things that kept following me were the glowing red eyes that had stuck to my tail ever since I left the ship. I remembered the good old days where I was happy to stroll through the night, a beer in my hand and my headphones stuck in my ears playing a nice tune. Nowadays it would be hard to restore that feeling.

“Piss off!” I yelled at the nightmares as I turned around again. However, there was no reaction except for the echo of my last word. Frustrated, I stomped one of my hooves on the ground and fired another light ball towards the tunnel’s entrance. The nightmares didn’t even try to evade the attack, and so they just ended up melting like butter in the bright glow of the light ball, a shallow rattling sound following the process. I forced my eyes into slits so I could fight the returning darkness. With pleasure, I realized that all of them were hit by this attack. Just as I started to return on my way, I saw just how many of them were already approaching me from the street.

“I’m sick of you!” My initial plan was to save up my magic, mostly so I wouldn’t draw any attention to me, but they wouldn’t catch the sight of me in this tunnel anyway. I jumped on the small sidewalk, which was originally meant to be used by maintenance workers, and grabbed the electrical cable that led to the dark lamp above me with one of my hooves. I hoped that all the lamps in this tunnel were in some way connected whilst I drew a rune circle with one of my hooves. In the next moment, the lamp above me started to flicker in the same light as my orb, then the next one fifty meters later and so on. With a shallow magical hissing sound, the lamps all started to glow one after another, and after a few seconds, the tunnel glowed in bright light. All the nightmares that had just appeared before suddenly disappeared again, and thus the path was free to traverse. This little trick, however, came at the cost of a lot of magic, so in order to keep as much of it as possible, I released the cable once the last nightmare had vanished in a little pile of blackness.

The little orb floating above my head quickly became the only source of light again, and so I immediately went on to trot through the dark tunnel, soon passing the first curve inside. This tunnel had a rather peculiar shape of half an eggshell, meaning that it was practically impossible to directly gaze from one end to the other. Every few seconds I made sure that no more nightmares were following me, but for now it seemed like I had shaken the majority of them off my tail. Unfortunately, no one really knew whether or not light killed them or only forced them to back down for a while. Only one being could give me this information, and it was currently trapped inside the crystal that hung from my neck. It still managed to give me nightmares even from its prison. If it wasn’t for the fact that it would release the being inside of it, I would have already crushed the crystal from the frustration alone.

After about ten minutes of silently wandering through the darkness, my only assistance being a light that was barely brighter than a candle, I reached the other end of the tunnel, the bright full moon greeting me yet again. The light it delivered was more than enough to make my magical orb rather useless.

“If I was in Equestria now, I knew whom to thank for this,” I thought. Our existence was probably created by someone similar to Albia, who was now sitting somewhere and watching how their creation slowly bit the dust. Said creators most likely had various different personalities, and Albia was probably one of the better sorts. I kept walking down the expressway. It seemed peculiar to me that something appeared to be blinking in the distance, despite all the lanterns on the side of the street not working. It was a faint orange light that hung at the right height to be one of the lanterns. I went over into a slightly faster gallop, which wasn’t particularly good for my injury, but my curiosity was piqued too much to have resisted the temptation of this strange sight.

The source of light became clearer in a moment. It turned out to be a huge billboard that was used to display information about traffic and things like that. The difference was that this one wasn’t advertising anything, but rather displayed a big warning. At least that was what I interpreted the skull that the LED on the board to mean. I saw two smaller wires that were connected to a car battery standing on the ground, the contraption most likely responsible for keeping the electricity in the board working. The fact that the contraption was still working meant that this was probably the humans’ work, seeing how they had to exchange the car batteries regularly. This in return meant that I was on the right track. With quick steps, I reached the so called ‘pear’, basically just a roundabout that connected the downtown area with the tunnel, and the industrial area with an electronics store, a hospital, and the main street.

I immediately took the path into the city, passing the usual stores and buildings. First there was a McDonalds, then a car shop (the inventory of which had apparently already been raided a while ago), and finally the Novum. I used to park here a lot back in the old days, seeing as my father’s flat used to be right next to it. It wasn’t like he didn’t know how to enjoy a good porno – it was just that the internet was always way cheaper.

For a while I stared at the rusty fence and the white front door with the broken glass before I entered the property. My father had moved here after he had had to sell his house. During the first few years after his divorce from my mother, he had still been able to pay for it. Once he had lost his job, everything had started to fail: first his flat, then his reserves, and finally his health. Leo always used to be a heavy smoker, running through two packs a day in his better days. Unfortunately, that caught up with him sooner than he, or I would had expected, and a year ago he had found himself unable to move ten steps without having to gasp for air. One day he had gone into a restaurant with my younger brother Nils and had promptly had a heart attack. No actual seizure, but his breathing had stopped for a few seconds. My brother had naturally been in shock after that. We all knew that he wouldn’t be able to live for long, especially because of the problem with his lungs and his weight.

I just hoped he hadn’t suffered too much, as I had come here to give this man, the one who had raised me like his own blood, his last rites. My biological father had left my mother shortly after I had been born. In my entire life, I had only spoken twice to that man, and I wasn’t even interested in his name. I just knew it because my mother had mentioned it once. I despised him, and why not? After all, what sort of coward left his wife and son alone to fend for themselves? Even if their relationship was over, I was his son, yet he had found himself incapable of being able to call me once in eight years? After that, it took another eight years just to ask about how I was doing. And his primary objective in that talk was simply to ask my mother out. He had balls, I had to admit that. If there had been one good thing that came from him was the realization that I was better than him. I would never leave the mother of my child behind, even if we would live apart from one another.

Deciding that I didn’t want to sadden the memories of my father by thinking about that sperm donor, I slowly pressed down the door handle and allowed the gate to the garden to swing open. The rust on it proved traditionally effective since it created that high-pitched squeal that fittingly reminded me of a graveyard. The glass continued to crunch under my hooves as I walked from the entrance to the front door of the house.

A ton of mail was lying all over the floor, and with a sudden tickle of curiosity, I picked some of it up to check the dates on the mail. Although the light of my aura and magic helped see the smaller details, it was still difficult to read what was once written on the moldy envelopes. That the weather hadn’t treated these letters particularly well didn’t help matters either. In the end, I was only able to read a few dates, like the twentieth of December, 2012 and the fifth of January, 2013. This, at least, gave me the slightest impression of when the nightmares had attacked. I placed the mail back on the ground and started to look at the closed door to my dad’s flat. I wished that Trixie had taught me that lock picking spell, but a simple explosion spell would be helpful enough to jolt the wooden door out of its frame.

I went into position, leaned forward, and pointed my horn at the door, but I stopped just before I could cast the spell. It wouldn’t be beneficial to me to have the humans notice me, and if they reacted like Julian had done, I’d be in big trouble. Not all of them carried around a blank gun. Instead, I changed the kind of spell I would use to one of my beloved transformation magic. The wood melted and revealed the chaos I was already expecting. It had been years since my dad was still in the form to clean up this mess himself, so occasionally either Nils or I would come to bring some order into this place. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to do everything that needed to be done, and we never got to come as often as needed either.

Plastic bags were stacked from the floor to the ceiling, and thick dust covered everything in layers that were hardly imaginable. Whilst taking a deeper look into the apartment, I turned left and threw a look into the kitchen. As usual, I stepped past the several pots covered in green mold and instantly decided that it would be the best to not look into the bathroom, which could only be entered through the kitchen. I took a deep breath for the first time and made the big mistake of using my nose instead of my mouth. Adding to the smell of old tobacco and mold came a smell that I knew very well, a smell that I had already breathed in a few days ago. Down the hall was the living room where my father had practically lived in. Many times he never even made it to his bedroom because he had been too exhausted. With a deep breath that I drew through my mouth, I tried to prepare myself for the sight I was about to witness.

Nothing prepared you for the view of your dead father. He sat on his sofa, head tilted backwards on the cushion behind him, his face staring into the air with empty eyes. His clothes were dirty and soiled as always. It was sad that I was already used to seeing death, but knowing that it had finally happened, the one thing that I knew might happen every moment of every day for several years, felt like a kind of relief to me. This spontaneous feeling was immediately crushed and dissolved into pure sadness, my eyes growing wide and warm tears starting to stream down my cheeks. I had connected to Scootaloo when I heard what had happened to her mother, but I had never told her. I felt sorrow for not doing so, mostly because I wished I had someone with me right now.

My legs wobbled the further I walked into the flat. I made the orb float in front of the room. I wanted to remember my father with a smile on his face and not as a corpse lying far too long on a couch. The corpse itself was in a worse condition than the pharmacist, meaning that he had been dead for a longer period of time. I hoped that he had died because of natural causes, even though that meant nobody had ever found him. That was probably just as sad as if a nightmare had killed him.

My path led past the sofa towards the large window that was closed by its blinds. With a little magic, I moved them upwards and back into their box, and opened the window. Cold, fresh air of the night entered the apartment and allowed me to take a deep breath. Still having tears in my eyes, I levitated one of the old blankets over my dad’s body and then lifted him upwards. At first I was rather confused about how easy it was to lift him up, considering that he was about two meters tall and overweight, but the silhouette underneath the blanket showed me how much of his body mass had degraded. I made him float through the window into the garden and softly placed him on the soft green grass, my wings quickly allowing me to follow him through the window. Once I got outside, I created a new light source, seeing as the old one had vanished with the transformation before, and I started to look for a good place. Said ideal place was found after a bit of searching, and without wasting any time, I started to make a hole where a flower patch had once been. Slowly and carefully, I lifted his body into the new hole as I stood on the edge.

“Thanks for everything…” I sobbed with a trembling voice whilst letting the earth slowly rain down on his lifeless body.



***



Trixie and the others sat in the conference room of the Celestia and listened to the fascinating discussion. Applejack had woken about an hour ago and noticed that Light was missing. Worried, she had searched through the entire ship until she had met Hawk, who decided to help her. After a while, once both of them determined that he was nowhere to be found, they had decided to wake everyone up.

“And nopony saw him leave the ship?” Shining Armor asked the others. He had already interrogated Hawk repeatedly about this, the same with Star who laid down to get some rest in the conference room.

“No, sir.” the white pegasus replied, conviction in his voice as looked at his female colleague.

“I spent the entire day on the deck. Nothing odd went on.” Shining Armor nodded, but she still saw in his face that he wasn’t very satisfied.

“And it’s impossible that he’s just hiding somewhere?” he now asked everypony, since they had all searched through a part of the ship.

“As long as he isn’t as small as Scootaloo, no.” Twilight spoke with a bit of sarcasm in her voice. “I think we would have noticed if he was hiding behind a crate or something.”

“Well, he’s the only one familiar with this place, and it’s his mission after all. What does he think he’ll get by leaving us here?” Rainbow Dash was already not in the best mood when it came to Light for these past few days.

“I uhm… don’t think that he really just left us.” AJ nodded in approval at Fluttershy’s comment.

“I know him. When he sets his mind on something, he’s gotta do it right then and there. But why did it have to be at night, when all those damned things are out there?” Everypony at the table felt a shudder going down their spines as they thought about the nightmares.

“I don’t want to sound selfish and all, but this is his own fault.” All eyes fixated on Rarity. “I mean, he did go outside without asking any of us. I’m sure whatever his reason was, if it was important enough for him to take this risk, than it would also be important enough for us.” Silence held the room in its grip, everypony staring at the table.

“Since we don’t know where he went, or how far he already got, I’m afraid I have to agree to Miss Rarity,” Shining Armor spoke after thinking briefly. “Could you perhaps track him down with that spell you used in the desert, Trixie?”

A little confused that she was suddenly dragged into the discussion, Trixie quickly remembered what was said and then responded. “I don’t think so… Princess Luna doesn’t have a connection to these stars, does she?” She looked over to the still exhausted alicorn. Just like Pinkie Pie, she was lazily laying her head on the table as she followed the proceedings. The transport into another world had left her and Twilight drained and with a huge depletion of energy.

“Indeed, Beatrix. Our magic isn’t familiar with these constellations.” As the last option now also laid shattered on the ground, Shining Armor lifted himself up and wished everypony a good night.

“We will rise at dawn and go looking for him!” he added, as he left the room with a worried-looking Cadance, who briefly looked over to her mother.

“That idiot…” murmured AJ, Trixie the only one who could hear her.


***


Like in an hourglass, the last piece of dirt hit my father’s grave. However, I did not want to leave the grave as unadorned as it was. I turned to the window, broke off two of thicker plastic bars, and with fused them into a cross with a spell. With the same magic, just with a little more focus, I melted the words in the plastic that everything said about this man:

"Father, unsung hero."

I stood for a few minutes before the grave, thinking of moments that showed how much my father had taken care of me. As a child, he used to buckle me so firmly into the car seat that moving was almost impossible. I had no doubt found it to be annoying and stupid, but now I understood the gesture behind it. As a child, I only got spending money when I helped out, and what did my father do? He left behind all returnable bottles on purpose so I could keep the extra money for returning them. I remember the only time he had hit me, when I was three years old. I had tried to put my finger into an electrical socket and had gotten shocked so badly that the pain still came to mind all these years. All he had said was “This is going to hurt me more than it will you.”

I forced myself to finally turn away and took the road through the small garden of the three-story building. I stuck close to the wall and avoided the nightmares that had gathered there. They had been there all this time, and had watched. Nightmare had once said that it was pleased by death and misery, and I felt that this held through for its followers. Throughout the funeral, none of them had tried to attack; they watched and observed. Around the corner and on the street again, I went back to the pear, seeing as I had already done what I had came here to do. Now it was time to find the hiding place of the humans, and a building with a generator and a large amount of water came to mind.

The Kampa-Halle was a two-storey hall, about the size of one and a half football fields, and had a direct connection to the local thermal baths. There were filters to purify the water and large tanks for it to be stored. In addition, the hall itself was equipped with a small generator, meaning it could maintain a certain amount of people. I knew the way very well as my old school was halfway there. It was a vocational college I had attended before I started my education. There I had done a course to prepare me specifically for my job as a computer scientist. Programming, hardware engineering, and math had been the main subjects in which I had always excelled. The funny thing was that I never had to learn it, because it simply interested me. Therefore, my brain took all the relevant information like a sponge and could retrieve them at any time. It all went back to the time when I had worked on a computer role-playing game in the sixth grade with a friend. We never came to implement the thing, but the folder with the concept and the story was still in my apartment.

The McDonald's was right at the large roundabout and between the way to settlement and the main road. It wove through the entire city in a U-shape and ended up in the center where the bus station was. I would have to go up this road a fair bit, so I wasted no time. It was more than unusual to see this otherwise busy street at any hour in complete darkness, just like the houses on it. Immediately after a car dealer was an Aldi supermarket, and right after was another car dealer. There were many of them along the ring road, but the special thing about these two was that my father had worked for both. I paused and hit myself in the face with a hoof. I could not let my fatigue get the best of me. To sleep somewhere here would be my death sentence.

I went on past a Subway and the opposite pizzeria that lay just beyond the first of the three crossings. Every now and then I saw a nightmare by one of the shop windows, but these seemed to ignore me. The two or three that had followed me since I came back out onto the street also seemed to be further behind than they originally were. Apparently they lost interest because my defense was too good. After a few minutes came into view the shop where Nils always bought the parts for his skateboards and then the ruins of the old hospital. This, after the SEC had finished their exercises in the abandoned complex, had been blown up. I found it somewhat amusing, despite the circumstances, that the place I had been born was now rubble.

I left the second intersection behind me with the ruins, and it did not take long before the third was also passed. Only a mattress store and another car dealership separated the two intersections. I went off the road onto the sidewalk and tried, at some distance, to glimpse the building of the Melitta Company. They had their headquarters here and guaranteed work for people in the area. My gaze wandered up the large light brown building where somebody had written something in white paint on the topmost window. My plan was not to make this detour; that was for another time. I turned into the street leading to the hall and the school. The houses here were all a little older and made from dark red bricks that adopted an almost black tone in the moonlight. I paid no attention to the shadows that were cast by the railings and bushes in front of houses and stepped forward. It struck me again that despite the size difference, a pony went much faster than a human being. Our walk was already a light jog for a man. I could tell from how I quickly I had passed the houses and how it had been for me back when I was a human. I was not really surprised by it, because after all, the two police officers had had little chance as Twilight and I had galloped away back at the beginning of my adventures. Against a scooter or car we'd look slow, but so it was an advantage to keep in mind.

With a single leap I hid in the next bush. My ears twitched as they heard voices as soon as the outline of the school came into sight. I raised my head out of the greenery and saw that the fence around the school was entirely lit up, seemingly with UV lamps. Slowly and crouching, I left my hiding place and scurried as quickly as possible to the other side of the street and pressed against the lower part of the fence. This one was made of solid concrete of which single bars of metal rose from the top. Now I heard them more than clear: voices, maybe three different ones. Unfortunately, they spoke a language I didn't understand. Cautiously, I lifted my head a bit to have a better look at the courtyard.

On the way to the entrance of the school, three figures stood and conversed with each other, one of them holding a rifle over his shoulder. I looked further and saw on the grass a pile of car batteries, all connected with each other. Two cables finally led to the lamps. They operated them like the warning sign on the expressway. I looked up to the lamp directly above me as I heard something behind me. Startled, I turned around, was blinded by a lamp, and was struck hard on the head with an object. I sank to the ground and everything slowly turned darker than it already was. In front of me were two sneakers and those slowly advanced towards me. I had been only unconscious once in my life, but the feeling was one which I was not pressed to remember.
> Chapter 58 - Burn it down
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A clamour was the first thing to slowly pull me out of the limbo that was a forced, dreamless sleep. The second one was the headache from the rifle that had struck my skull. My senses were slowly coming back to me, and I felt like I was lying on something soft. There was an audible thump that sounded like something sitting down on a piece of furniture. I slowly moved a hoof and noticed a blanket covering me, which helped to ease my tension a bit. If they were set on eating me, they wouldn’t have treated me like a guest.

It was pretty stupid of me to get near a fence that was obviously guarded with a light hung over my head. After the first shock and my jump into the bushes, I had totally forgotten to kill it. Seeing that I wasn’t in danger for now, I dared to open my eyes and scanned the ceiling. It wasn’t the perforated white I was used to from my school days, so I must have been in the cellar or in one of the nearby houses. Rather understandable – I mean, who would bring a stranger, or say an alien, into their headquarters? I turned my head to the left and saw that I was in a living room, which meant I was on a sofa. Beside me, there was a glass table and behind that was small cupboard with an old fashioned TV on top of it. The room was illuminated by the light that came through a window on the other wall, so it must have been day time.


“Finally awake, I see?” I froze. I knew that voice. It had been my companion ever since I was three. I checked the room again. The glass table, the cupboard, the TV, even the lamp at the wall and the one on the ceiling, all the way to the tiger-striped couch I was on. I recognised this place. Not my taste but that of my best friend’s girlfriend. I turned my head back and there he sat. One leg over the other in his black jeans – I didn’t know if he had any other – and an equally black T-shirt with a skull on it, his oval glasses and a brown buzz cut. The grin on his face couldn’t be broader as he stared into my shocked expression. Raising his right hand, he took a relished sip from his bottle of Veltins V Plus. He looked like he had never changed, except for the goatee.

“Robin?” Sitting in a fitting chair was my best friend, beer in one hand and looking at me. He was about as old as I was, almost. He always insisted on the two months that divided us. We had been neighbours for over fifteen years now, rarely more than one or two buildings apart. We had moved a lot, first from the house of my grandparents, who had sold it after the divorce had been only two blocks away, to a small flat one house further. Once my brother Nils was born, my parents bought some land that was right behind Robin’s home. Only once we bought our house, near which the Celestia was parked, had we been more than a minute apart. I had known him all my life and there was no story where he wasn’t involved. Even our parents knew about our friendship and we could visit each other as we pleased. I hadn’t even needed to ask, for the balcony door had always been open and knocking had become obsolete long ago. The same rules applied to him as well. We had eaten with each other’s families and were like brothers, literally. We could trust each other blindly and we complemented each other. I was always the mindful one, rethinking everything three times over, always questioning and playing it safe. Robin was the polar opposite, headstrong and always doing as he pleased without thinking about the consequences.

“So, the good sir is still alive.” His grin became wider as he took another sip. He noticed how I fixated on his bottle and pulled out a second one from behind his chair. With a single action, he pulled out his lighter and uncapped the bottle before putting it down for me on the glass table. “Now tell. What did I miss?”

I still couldn’t fully grasp it. He was sitting there as if barely a week had passed, wanting to know what all had transpired. I pulled myself upright, forelegs stretched so that the blanket came off. I had to make sure that I was still a pony, for his reaction was way too relaxed. “Well…. I’m blue.” He was unfazed. “And a pony.” Still no reaction. “A unicorn to be precise.”

“I know.” Robin was never the one to panic – that was my part – but this was just uncanny. The contrast to Julian's reaction was way too big. “Changer had told me a bit.” I was still trying to process the first bomb when he dropped the next. What was that supposed to mean? He had talked to him? After our swap? “But I must say I had expected you to be smaller and less….horny.” He was never really good with English, and he hadn’t improved. However, as a human, he was just as high as I was, so it was very well for him to talk.

“Well, this is not Changer’s body.” He took a sip from his beer and wagged a finger in front my face.

“You see,” was his response after gulping. “I told you I had missed out a lot.” Me too, it seemed.

“Would it be possible to clue me in on everything?” He put the empty bottle next to mine on the table before sitting down again.

“So, that must have happened last summer, almost a year ago.” Or about three months for me. “I don’t know exactly when you two traded places – I could never press him to tell me. Like so many things. Anyway, I was coming by to pick you up for a night at the pub, since no one had heard from you for about two weeks by then.” Once every month, we would meet up with some old friends at a pub behind the pharmacy. “You were behaving rather weirdly in my opinion, and I realised quickly that you had forgotten all our stories. You couldn’t even remember your name. Long story short, I was about to call an ambulance when Changer came out with the truth. That he was a pony whose soul was damned to die, and he didn’t want to leave his sister behind alone.” I knew about that part but interrupting him would have been rude. “So he picked up a counterpart from another world. Of course, he didn’t feel like killing someone, so he sought out a world that was doomed anyway. He told me about how he followed the Nightmares’ traces back to us.” So that was how he’d found the Earth. If he could trace them through the dimensions, then there must have been a way to find them while they were already here.  “Honestly, it took me some time to digest that, but as soon as he lifted me up a meter into the air with his magic, I was sold.” He pulled out a silver box from his pocket, picked up a cigarette from it, and lit it with the built-in zippo. “At least he had proven that he wasn’t you.” I was still astonished by all this but the puff of smoke that hit my nose pulled me back into reality.

“That left you all cold?” I mean, I would have freaked out if my best friend had suddenly lifted me… “Hey!” Speaking of that, I found myself hovering above the sofa, encased in a red aura that originated from Robin’s hand. “Why?” He let go of me and pulled out a second cigarette.

“I tried to tell you years ago that I could do magic. You remember?” He actually did try. It was a summer about eight or nine years ago. I had gone over to him, and his first sentence had been about working on a new spell or something. I thought he had been trying to play a joke on me, as it hadn’t been so long after the second or third Harry Potter book had been released.

“I thought it was one of your jokes.” He held a hand over his chest, faking a heart attack.

“That hurts… But let’s get to the point. When Changer told me about the Nightmares, I panicked of course. After all, soul eaters would attack our world in the foreseeable future. He was sorry but couldn’t change that. So he told me that we could fight them off with the light of the sun or via magic. One of which I always had at hand, and so I prepared.” The ash of his smoke lazily glided over to the ashtray on the desk.

“Do you know the whereabouts of my family?” He reflected for a second.

“First, you tell me your part of the story.” I looked at him with impatience, but I nevertheless told him everything from my point of view. How I came to Equestria, the issue with the parasprites, living on the farm with AJ, and how I began to work as a teacher while the princesses looked for a way to send me home. I told him about my first encounter with the Nightmares and our mission to create a safe habitat for humanity.

“So, your plan is to gather humans at a place and surround that with a barrier created by these Elements that the Nightmares can’t penetrate?” I nodded as Robin began to understand the plan. During that, I looked around the room, trying to find the second person who lived here.

“Actually, where is Tanja?” Robin’s long-time girlfriend. They met each other on the Internet and, for me, were among the few couples who actually worked.

“Dead, a victim of the first days of chaos,” was his short answer, but he continued before I could express my sympathy. “Dirk is at the school. I don’t know about the rest of the gang. I’d talked to Dirk a few times and he said they were separated.”

“Thanks.” I jumped off the sofa and headed for the door, only find my tail being pulled back by Robin’s magic.

“Where do you think you’re going?” I was puzzled by the nature of the question.

“To Dirk?” I tried to free myself but it had no effect.

“I’m afraid I can’t let you go.” He was serious. “I first need to know where the other Elements are.”

“What? Why?” I managed to stutter, still held in place.

“I can’t let you destroy my lifework.” I looked at him aghast as he pulled out the necklace with the crystal, the one containing Nightmare, from his pocket. “So, where are the other five?” I couldn’t believe it. He actually thought that the pendant was one of the Elements.

“Listen, that is not one of them,” I answered truthfully. “It’s a dangerous magical artefact, and you should be careful. Give it back, please.” I extended a hoof, but he just looked down upon me with a wicked smile on his face.

“Sure… As if I would give YOU a potential weapon. You already made that mistake, haven’t you?” I cringed as I thought about the wound on my flank. “You know, Julian had told me that he had seen a talking horse who’d pretended to be you. So I ordered my men to get you alive should they see you.” His men? He was the leader of the survivors?

“Robin, this is not a game. We are here to help. I’m here to—” He pressed me down to the ground, my words getting stuck in my throat.

“Who says we need your help? We can manage ourselves. We have power and everyone is safe, thanks to me! You were enjoying your safety while others had to watch how the souls of their friends and families were sucked out right in front of their eyes! And suddenly there you are trying to tell us that there is a solution. You have no idea…” I went flying against the wall and one of the pictures fell down. “....What we had to endure. You can’t just fix that.” He let go of me and placed the pendant back in his pocket. “So, where is this ship?” I had wisely left out a few details from my story. How I got adopted, my marefriend, and things that seemed unimportant.

“As if I would tell you.” He tried to reach for me but this time I was prepared. His spell was deflected by my shield.

“I know that Changer’s talent was transformation magic, so I have enchanted every object in this room so that you can’t affect it with magic. Give up and tell me where the Elements are. I could use their power to destroy those monsters if they’d dare to come close.” He was totally oblivious. The Elements of Harmony were meant to preserve and protect. They wouldn’t outright harm even the darkest of monsters.


“I’m going now Robin. I’m sorry you think that way, but I can’t help you.” I turned around, still protected by my shield and put a hoof at the door. Big mistake. A seal on the door began to glow, and I was launched backwards, landing on the very chair Robin had been sitting on. Laws of physics applying, the chair and I crashed against the wall, the furniture cracking badly.

“Only I can get through the door, and even if you did, there are two guards on the other side.” I had a problem. I had made the same mistake twice now and trusted an old friend without knowing how I got there in the first place. Getting knocked out and waking up at my best friend’s house? Way too convenient. I should have seen that coming. Slowly, I got up on my hooves and saw my ‘friend’ looking tiredly at me. “Changer wasn’t powerful, but he had knowledge. That’s something you are missing. Better give up now.”

“One problem, Robin… Like I said, I’m not Changer!” I switched my horn for earth pony strength and rammed my head straight into his midsection. Surprised from this sudden attack, he fell to the ground and I jumped over him.

“Sir! Everything alright in there?” The guards were calling from the other side of the door. I used the confusion to throw the ash tray at the window. The heavy, hollowed-out rock sailed through the glass and down to the ground, which took a few seconds. I had forgotten that Robin’s apartment was on the building's third floor.

“Nice try…” Robin groaned as he recovered from the impact. “But it will only work once.” Back being a unicorn, I was preparing for his attack, but now it was him who decided to dash. Before I could react, he grabbed me at my neck and tossed me on my back like a sack of flour. Robin was definitely in a better shape than I. He had played on the trampoline as a child and later got into martial arts. He was no muscle man, but he had agility and knew how to move his body. I rolled to the side just in time to evade a kick and got right in front of the open window.

“You have always been the weaker one of us, Timo. Just give up and I promise to let you and your friends go once I have the Elements.” He was right. There was that one and only time we got into a fight, and I pulled the short straw. After that, we never spoke to each other for nearly half a year.

“I don’t want to hurt you, Robin. You are my friend.” I really hoped it wouldn’t come down to this. I needed a friend at my side, one whom I knew longer than a few months, who knew me.

“Friends... are worth nothing here.” His hand began to glow again, and a beam shot past my head, hitting the wall and leaving a scorch mark. “Now give up.” I had no choice. I couldn’t fight him. I took two steps back before turning as fast as possible and jumping out of the window. Cool morning air rushed past me as I desperately tried to switch forms. After multiple tries, I could finally extend my wings and managed to level my flight. I thought about the next steps but I couldn’t leave Nightmare with him. If it were to get free, it would be a catastrophe. I would have to tell the others what happened.

“Not so fast!” I looked back to the window. Robin was standing there, glowing arm stretched out. “Fulgoribus ac tonitruis obviam ibis!” A seal formed in the air in front of Robin’s hand, and something emerged the likes I had never seen before. It was like a snake made of pure energy, one that was heading straight for me. I tried to turn during my descent, but I didn’t know how and the spell hit me square. A pain I had never felt before went through my body, my wings turned stiff, and the next thing I felt was my body hitting the ground.

I couldn’t move anymore.
> Chapter 59 - The Tenderness of the Damned
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

'What was this idiot thinking by returning here if he knew that hell was expecting him?’ thought Robin as he paced around his flat and started, with a few gestures, to repair the damages. "He returned from a nearly perfect world to save what? The remains of a nearly destroyed civilization?" He snorted and, with another gesture, the destroyed window was whole again. Despite the short time that had passed, it had become very cold in the flat.
 
“Sir? We’ve loaded the creature on the truck,” reported one of his soldiers. Since he had proved that he was the most effective fighter against those damned shades, he was chosen by the group of survivors as their leader. Among them were many refugees from England, who were stranded here because of the blockade of the Mittelland Canal, meaning that ships couldn't pass.
 
“Thanks, Jonsen. Lock him up in the school,” he said briefly and closed the door again, which activated the magic seal. Exhausted, he dropped down in the armchair and lifted the half-empty beer on the ground that his old friend hadn’t drunk. “Why now, Timo?” he asked himself as he took the first drink. “I have everything under control. We’re surviving.” He got the pendant from his trouser pocket and looked closer at the black crystal. The magic energy pouring from it was unbelievable, so much so that even a non-magic being could still sense it. People were not unreceptive to magic, rather the contrary. How could they have an immunity to something that only a few had ever experienced? 

“If I had the other five, we would be guaranteed our survival. Actually, who ever made him our redeemer, our savior?” Furious, he threw the now empty bottle against the wall, smashing it to pieces. “For the last few months, I was the one who ran things here, made sure we lost nobody else, and now he comes and wants to dig up our remains, our wounds?” He gave a bitter laugh, and a new bottle floated to him. “He sounds almost like my sister…”
 

***

 
Without a word, I was thrown in a room in the school that was closed with a heavy iron door. It was one of the former computer rooms, the doors made so that it would be more difficult for burglars to enter. The men had looked at me strangely during the short journey on the truck and also when I was carried through the halls of the school. Some women and children had run past or made room for the soldiers as they had went up the first floor. The short excursion had ended when I was placed in the room directly to the right of the stairs. I could not stir yet, paralyzed by the magic Robin had used on me.
 
I had tried to see if I could glimpse Dirk or Julian, but luck was not kind to me. Lately it seemed that bad luck had attached itself to me, but I seemed to always find a way to wriggle out of it. There was the fact that I had survived the parasprites, then the thing with Nightmare and Albia. It was already a miracle that I had become a pony in the first place, as the number of worlds that existed meant that I had beaten odds akin to winning the lottery. 

To top off the wretchedness of my situation, my nose was itching something fierce. I tried to rub it against the linoleum ground, but it made little difference. It was only then I realized that movement had returned to me, and I could turn my neck a little. I built up momentum and then fell down on my back. Here was the ceiling that had already been there when I awoke this day. The panels were full of holes for whatever purpose they served. For me, they were a place to hide my pencils. I looked around in the room, but except for a chair, it was completely empty. There weren't any windows, and the only light came from a small lamp under the ceiling that ran with an energy-saving light bulb, so it didn't do much.
 
Finally, my right hoof moved and I could fight against this wretched itch. Relieved, my hooves dropped to the ground. “Come on already, Light… think…”  
 
I had snuck out of school in the past, but my experience was more in the field of avoiding teachers than picking a lock. Moreover, there were surely guards on the other side of the door. Slowly and melancholically, I got on my hooves, but I nearly buckled at the first step towards the door. That spell had really hit the mark, like peeing against an electric fence, a rather embarrassing childhood recollection.
 
“Could I have some water?” I shouted when I was near enough to the door. I heard like feet running along the ground, followed by an awkward silence and then some whispering. They had probably not known that I could speak. Still, with the fact that they had my saddlebag and my other provisions, I needed something to drink. Maybe I should have taken the beer after all.
 
“Uhh… yeah, sure,” a nervous reply finally came back. From the voice, I judged him to be an older man, the squeaking of his shoes growing distant as he went away.
 
“What are you?” came from behind door just as I had turned around. “The boss only said that we should treat you well.” 

‘That’s at least something,’ I thought while lying down.
 
“A pony and, if you want to add, an alien.” I could practically hear the gulps of the poor guy from across here. “I came from this world originally though. But something like that usually happens when they give you an anal probe.” Despite my weak state, I had to struggle not to laugh out loud at my own joke. To my delight, the guard seemed to believe me, which made my attempts at being serious more difficult. Now I knew why Rainbow and Pinkie liked to play such pranks. As my silent laughter petered out, I heard more footsteps.
 
“I have the water.” I knew this voice and, a few seconds later, the green iron door opened and another friend entered the space in the form of Julian. He seemed to have found a shaver and had probably enjoyed a shower. He had a bowl in his hands that he put down before me as he took the chair for himself and sat down.
 
“Are you serious? You really expect me to drink like a dog?” The bowl was really an old dog’s bowl. I glared at him took but still grabbed it and took a gulp.
 
“You are real?” Julian asked as I put down the bowl and wiped the remainder from my mouth with a hoof.
 
“What gave me away? Maybe it is my charm or the fact I had spoken to you?” I had not forgotten that he had shot me. I kept my eyes on the revolver that he had on his belt.
 
“Robin said you were telling the truth.” That surprised me. Although they were once my friends, I didn’t know that they had known each other. I had known them both from different circles. “I still can’t believe that you’re alive. I stood by your grave, man…”

“It’s happened a lot. Let me tell you that that wasn’t me the day that body died. When was the date?” He looked pensive for a moment.
 
“Last autumn, a few weeks before everything happened here.” So Changer had lived a summer as Timo. “And I’m sorry about the shot. I had been with Peter for a week, looking for food and other things of value. I haven’t been able to sleep…”
 
“Next time, I’ll shoot back.” I was absolutely serious. Before I would never have had the idea, but now two friends had already directed their weapons against me. “Do you know anything about my family, or why Robin is able to swing a red magic club?” Julian laid his arms on his legs and bent to look at me better.
 
“Dirk is here, but on patrol. I met Nils last when the military evacuated Dusseldorf. There are a lot of folks around here that you’d probably know, like my family.” I was happy for him that his family had survived. “Because of Robin’s magic… He was like a lot of people, an only survivor. When more and more were killed, he went crazy and destroyed more than half when they attacked. When the Colonel who had led us had died, he positioned himself as the top choice and became the new leader.” I could only imagine what Robin had gone through after he had lost Tanya. I would also have gone a bit crazy if something happened to AJ.
 
“Look, my friends are waiting for me. I have to get out of here.” He only shook his head.
 
“I’m sorry, but I can’t do anything. All betrayers are thrown from the camp with their family.” That meant his parents would be in the line of fire, something I didn’t want.

“Then do me a favour and let me talk to Dirk.” He got up from the chair and knocked several times against the door.
 
“I’ll see what I can do, but I’m only a foot soldier. I don’t give any orders.” With a click, the heavy metal door opened, and he left alone me in the cell with the half-filled bowl of water.
 
“Don't worry, if I have to go, I will let you know!” I called after him before the door was shut. Now it was back to working on an escape plan.
 

***

 
It was later in the morning when Robin nervously entered the school through the side entrance of the cafeteria. In this sat several in his charge: women, children, and some old people. The latter he only kept because they had knowledge worthy of protection. They had no productive abilities and used food, water, and medicine. He might have thought that line of reasoning to be cruel in the past, but he had learnt to adapt and adjust. One of the soldiers met him halfway to the hall and handed a paper to him.
 
“Sir, this is the list of everything we managed to salvage in the past twenty four hours.” He skimmed over it quickly. Beside things like some canned food, hygiene products, and some common equipment, he noted something was absent.
 
“What is with the thing Timo had with him?“ he asked the young soldier, not older than maybe fifteen.
 
“Timo, sir?” He sighed.

“The pony you found.” A light seemed to glow as he flipped through a notebook that he had pulled from his waistcoat.

“Here!” he said after a moment. “It was some sort of bag, but its contents haven’t been gone through as yet.” Robin caught the book and read the few lines on it.

“Then we should go have a look.” With that, he handed the book back. “Perhaps it will have another pendant,” he thought to himself, feeling the one he had in his pocket. Together with the young subordinate, he went by the hall, past the rooms that contained the survivors living in them, past the stairs, and into one of the rooms on the ground floor of the west wing. ‘Warehouse’ had been written with a marker on the door where a guard stood. With a nod to Robin and company, he opened the door as they got closer and let them in. “Where is the bag?” The boy crossed the room with quick steps and pulled the desired object from a big blue barrel.

“Here.” He returned with it to Robin and laid the bag on one of the boxes near the entrance. With a hand, he checked it for magic traps, but there were none to be found, arcane or otherwise. The buckle snapped with the help of his fingers and released the contents of the first pocket. A bottle of apple-juice spritzer, followed by some apples, fell out.

“He had probably prepared for a longer excursion,” he thought to himself. “His ship must be anchored somewhere more remotely.” He dug a little further and eventually pulled out a large stone, almost transparent and about as large as his fist..

“Is that… a diamond?“ the boy asked, to which Robin could only nod. He felt the magic that it had but could not say what had caused it.

“Take this as far away from here as possible. It could be a tracker.” He allowed the diamond to fall into the hands of the soldier, who looked at it curiously.

“But wouldn’t it be unable to work without a satellite or something like that?” Sometimes he envied the unknowing minds.

“I’m talking about magic.” To demonstrate, he made his hands and the stone glow. “It’s enchanted, and I have no intention in finding out how.” The soldier nodded and stowed away the diamond in his vest pocket. Robin had turned, in the meantime, to the pocket on the other side of the bag and brought out a headset with a transceiver. “Interesting. Timo must have made a stop at the Media Markt. To be expected from him.”

“Sir, it sounds as though you knew that thing.” Robin did not pay him any attention and turned the device on.

“Light? Can you hear me? Where are you?” sounded a female voice from the speaker. She spoke English, a language common enough here, though her accent was what caught his attention. It sounded Southern in some way. Although his mother was American, he had never learned a lot of the language. “We are sick with worry. I'm sick with worry. Please get in touch.”

“Who is that? And who is Light?” He ordered the soldier to remain quiet with a wave of his hand and listened further.

“I’ll try again in an hour. I love you, please come back,” whispered the voice. There were other voices in the background, though he could not understand what they were saying.

“Looks like he didn’t tell me everything,” he said and switched off the device. “Tell the guards I’ll check the prisoner later.” The soldier took this down in his book quickly. 

‘I also want to know who this ‘friend’ of his is,’ he thought as he left the room and closed the door behind him, but not without taking the transceiver.


***


The worst thing about being in prison was that I had no idea of how late it was. It could be minutes, hours, or already a day. The other thing was that when I asked for a way to relieve myself, they put a bucket into the room. I absolutely refused to use it, because I would die in here with the bad smell. Now I lay quietly on the ground to spare my bladder and thought, as I had done over the last few hours, about how I could escape. I could teleport myself like Twilight, but I did not know the magic for it. If I simply melted the door, I would have the guards breathing down my neck in an instant, and I couldn't just melt the walls. On the left was the stairs, and I would be discovered immediately if I made a hole. The same was true for all the other directions, even under or above me. I was in a position where the surrounding rooms would most likely be taken, making any potential escape a short-lived one. Furthermore I had no intention of getting pumped full of lead . So the best thing I could do was to either count the black stripes in the marble-coloured linoleum plate or the holes in the ceiling. An opportunity had to come sooner or later, either when they brought me something to eat or changed the bucket.

My thoughts wandered to my friends on the ship, who were certainly worrying about me. AJ would undoubtedly give me hell, and Shining Armor, Rainbow Dash, and Twilight would certainly be more than willing to pick up the pieces. Begging for mercy wouldn’t help, and it wasn’t like I could go to the police and complain about abuse. I had to smile, but it was little things like that that helped me pass the time in here.

“Back away from the door. You have a visitor,” I heard the voice of the older man, followed by the click of the door. First came the end of a gun, followed by the the face of a bearded giant. Finally, I had a face to the voice. When he had checked the room and made sure that nothing suspicious was afoot, a boy, not much older than around thirteen came in. The giant had short blond hair and wore a green military vest with several crowded pockets. Nevertheless, it was the boy with him that had me stupefied. Either he had grown more, or I had become even smaller than I had thought. With shoulder-length dark hair and with his small glasses on his nose, my brother stood in the doorway. They both nodded to the guards, and the door shut again. His blond company took a seat on the chair that Julian had sat on, while Dirk came up and sat cross-legged before me.

“Long time not seen,” he said as he looked me over. His English was as broken as I recalled. He was never good with it and just managed a C average in school.

“I wish it would be different. How are you doing?“ His company said something, and now I understood his function. He was a something like an interpreter.

“It goes for me okay.” He seemed to search for the words for his translator to put forward.

“He wants to know why you speak no German,” he finally said.

“Situational history. Let’s call it a magical accident.” This was duly relayed, and my brother nodded before he once more put forward a question. Waiting for the translation was irritating.

“He wants to know what happened.” I looked to Dirk and saw in his eyes that he recognized that I was in here, yet he still was suspicious.

“You remember the day I woke up as this?” I paused as he was told the information before he nodded. “I was never transformed, in the real sense, but I exchanged places with a pony called Changer. It was him in my body who died, not me.” Again a break. “After what Nils did, the police came after us, and Twilight and I had to flee. We went to Equestria where the ponies live. Unfortunately, we had not thought about how I could return and that there might be a time shift. While only three months have passed for me over there, it seems like more than a year has gone by here.” When his colleague finished speaking, Dirk did something that I thought I would never experience, as he never was someone to show his feelings openly. He reached around me and pulled me in a firm embrace, which I answered with pleasure. “Do you know where the others are? Antje and Nils?” He seemed to understand the question without translation.

“Been separated. Dusseldorf...” He struggled for every word as he tensed. "Airplane to Munich.” I was surprised, as I couldn’t make out the city’s name.

“Munich,” repeated his company on the chair. I had a look at him and saw he was playing with something in his hands: the diamond from my pocket. This was to be my chance out of here.
> Chapter 60 - Taking you Down
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The diamond was exactly what I needed to not be turned into Swiss cheese by the guards. I just had to get to it without being seen. The biggest problem was that my magic would be visible the moment I used it. The best time would be when they turned their backs to me.
 
“I’ll try to find him, Dirk.” As the one I depended on for my escape approached, he nodded and stood up. It seemed all that he had wanted to tell me had been said, or we had run out of time. Now escape was my top priority. Just then, a new problem flashed through my mind. Dirk was my brother. Would they throw him out of the camp if they knew to whom he was related? Would Robin do that to him? He had known Dirk since he was a baby. The safest thing would be to take him with me. But then what? My window of opportunity was closing, and the diamond was going to disappear in his pocket. I had no other choice but to act. Before it got out of my sight, I enclosed it in my magic grasp and let it slip from his pocket. Dirk turned to look at me again, and his eyes started to widen when he saw the glow of my horn. The attendant was already out of the door when I put my plan into motion.
 
“Get down!” I called out to my brother as I threw myself at him. Thanks to this, he fell against the door and closed it. In the same moment, I lifted the jewel fully out of the pocket and into the air. I had to use more magic since I couldn't see it. When I thought the time was right, I activated the light spell on maximum for two seconds. Everybody in that hallway that had their eyes open should be having considerable problems with their eyesight for the next few days. I heard the guard falling to the floor and screaming in pain as his retinas got roasted. His colleague evidently wasn't doing any better, judging by the second muffled impact.
 
“Follow me!” I called out to my bewildered brother and opened the door. As expected, the three of them lay on the floor, writhing in pain. I took no pleasure from it, but I was glad to be out of that room. Other doors opened up, and relatively scruffy-looking people in old clothes with haggard faces looked out to see what had caused the commotion in the hallway.
 
“What’s going on up there?” I heard from downstairs, while many footsteps could be heard coming up the main staircase. Luckily, I knew this building, and so I went for the small staircase at the other side of hallway. Our spectators saw a little pony that dragged a human, roughly double its size, like a doll down the corridor while magically grasping the human’s wrist. We made it to our destination just when our pursuers reached theirs.
 
“Over there, the ... the prisoner escaped!” I looked back and saw two men in uniforms, which looked to be from the British army, aiming pistols in our direction while running towards us.
 
“Not this time!” I yelled at them. I activated my transformation magic and used the floor in the middle of the corridor to build a sparse but effective blocking wall. I didn't linger to look upon my piece of art made of linoleum, instead turning and jumping down the first five steps of the staircase past my brother. I heard them fire the first shots and could imagine my wall taking on the appearance of Swiss cheese.
 
“Come on!” He seemed to understand simple instructions and began to descend the stairs behind me. Quickly, my focus returned to the hallway in front of me. Frightened because of the shooting, the survivors disappeared back into their rooms and made the way free for three more soldiers. One of them was wearing a uniform like the soldiers upstairs. The other two wore vests over normal clothing. These could be poorly trained civilians, I thought.
 
“Stand down or we will open fire!” yelled the guy in uniform before he pointed his pistol at me. The other two had Kalashnikovs, and crouched down to better aim their guns. I could see Dirk was behind me on the last landing, partially covered by the metal railings.
 
“I'm sorry, but we won't do that.” I prepared a spell, and that was apparently enough for my opponents to open fire. Before the first bullet left the barrel of their weapons, I rolled out of the way. This bought me a few seconds while they had to take aim again. I used this to throw the British soldier with my magic down the way he came. His slightly less trained companions could just watch as he crashed into the first pillar of the main hall and sank to the floor.  That was their mistake. With a flap of my wings, I soared forward and, with a little touch of my horn, turned their weapons into pudding-like mush. The rapid charge was still very tiresome, but used in the right moments, it was a priceless ability. I was completely ignored since our would-be assailants, in their panic, were too focused on freeing their hands of the weapon-mush. I gave Dirk a sign, and together we ran in the direction of the thrown soldier. In the main hall, you could take the exit through the mess hall, which was down another hallway, or the main exit to our right. Two shots echoed through the hallway, and two soldiers ran down the stairs. They had made the decision for me. I pulled Dirk behind the pillar, then nodded in the direction of the exit behind us and hoped he understood.
 
“Okay,” was the only thing I heard from him before he opened the door and disappeared into the sunlight.
 
“Let us go or I’ll have to—”A gunshot interrupted me, and I pulled my head back behind the pillar. “So much for that,” I grumbled to myself while I slowly formed a small energy ball.
 
“Watch out!” one of them cried out, but they were too late. I threw the light bomb into the hallway. I covered my eyes just in time with my leg, as the spell went off right in front of the soldiers. After a few seconds, the light was gone and I used the time to run back to the stairs and turn them into a slide. Since this light bomb wasn't as powerful as the diamond one, the soldiers started to rub their eyes. Maybe they had blurry vision by now. Still too late. The moment I was done with my spell, they slipped down to me. I turned my back to them, took aim, and bucked them in the pit of their stomachs with merciless precision. Both slumped down at the foot of the former stairs. Now I noticed a number of onlookers standing in the hallways around me, having observed my fight. None of them made an attempt to attack me or even say anything.
 
“I didn't want to do this, but they left me no choice!” I called out to them, but this wasn't met with any reaction. The last thing I wanted to do was turn the people I was here to save into my enemies. A little tired, I turned to the exit and followed my brother to the outside, but I couldn't find him anywhere. “Dirk?” I called out and took a look around in the small courtyard. In front of me was the stone path that led to the road. To the left and right of it were a lawn and a small bicycle parking, where the batteries from last night lay around. Around the lawn was the fence through which I had looked last night. But where was Dirk?
 
“Over here, Timo! Or should I say ‘Light’?” I turned around and saw Robin and Dirk coming around the corner of the building. “Did you think I would just let you go? We could exchange your brother for the other Elements.” He held something against Dirk’s back. If I had to take a guess, I would say it was a gun.
 
“Did you really sink so low, Robin?” He just let out a small laugh and pushed Dirk down to the ground. Afterwards, he emptied his Glock by sliding back the barrel. Then he took out the magazine and threw it all in the bushes behind him.
 
“This isn't about honour. Survival is all that matters now! You only give grace to the dying, Timo. You were not here in the last few months and witnessed it all going down the drain. We fight for fresh water every day, just to get a drink once a day. Since we can grow our own food, we have to defend our fields against other groups, because they wouldn't hesitate to kill us.” That may all be true, but that wasn't the point.
 
“I'm here to change that, Robin. Wouldn't it better for the last humans to cooperate instead of fighting? How about safety from the Nightmares? Or shades, as you call them?” He fixed me with a gaze and slowly walked towards me.
 
“We should work together with people that tried to murder us last week for a can of beans? You just don't get it! Human society is dead. No one trusts anybody further than he can throw him, and with the shades waiting in the background, it's a textbook apocalypse. We can just try to live as long as we can.” It made me sad to hear that, because it meant that somewhere along the way, he just gave up. “Just because someone says nice things doesn't make them a reality. Even if we went up to our neighbours with open arms, they would not hesitate to shoot us.” He now stood right in front of me and reached out with his hand. “So give me the Elements. With them, we would guarantee a safe life for a few people.” I took a step back and shook my head.
 
“Do you even understand what the Elements are? What you got there is only a dangerous relic, not an Element.” He pulled the necklace out of his pocket and weighed it in his hand. He weighed it a few times back and forth before he put it around his neck.
 
“Then I need more of these. It radiates pure might, and don't lie to me, I know you feel it too. Anyone with a little magical ability would notice it immediately.” To my defence, I realized it because of my nightmares. “With them, we could even destroy the shades."
 
“Robin, that thing is a shade. It's locked up in that crystal. Please take it off and be careful with it. You know what happens when it comes free.” He took a look at the necklace again.
 
“Are you sure?” he asked unbelievingly and stared into the darkness of the crystal.
 
“Robin, maybe I have not told you everything, but I never lied to you." Carefully, he took the necklace from his neck and looked down at me, a little lost. I saw the desire that the necklace stirred in him, but also the unwillingness to use one of those beings.
 
“Down!” I heard my brother yell and looked past Robin. The few moments happened in slow motion. Dirk had apparently crawled into the bush and put the magazine into the gun. He took aim at Robin’s back and pulled the trigger. Out of reflex, I threw myself at my friend and pushed us both to the ground. The amulet slipped out of his grasp and emitted a strange black aura that allowed it to remain in the air. In a lightning quick motion, it went into the trajectory of the bullet and burst into a million pieces. In that moment, Robin and I hit the lawn. Totally dumbfounded, we both stared at Dirk and then at the destroyed crystal. Cautiously, I set myself upright and slowly drew closer to the destroyed object as I would do when fireworks didn't go off. I lifted the chain up in my magic and let it flow in the air in front of me. A big piece of the pendant still hung from it, but the darkness dribbled down on the lawn.
 
“Shit..." was all I could say before an enormous shadow pulled itself together from all the little pieces and rose up in front of us. Immediately, it seemed like the light was fleeing, and around us rose a darkness as though it was already night. I looked over to Dirk, whose gun had fallen to the ground, and he just stood there, staring at the creature in pure fear. I could not even blame him there, because I had not reacted differently at my first encounter.
 
“Stare tamen!” Robin, on the other hand, seemed to have kept his cool and fired multiple magical projectiles into the darkness, but they fizzled like a drop of water in the desert. The incantation circle in front of his hand dissolved, and with it, the little light it emitted. “What is that thing? This can't be a normal shade!”
 
“It's a Nightmare, a shadow with a consciousness. Or in other words, it's capable of thinking,” I hissed out, as I already suspected what it was about to do. It couldn't survive long in the sun. I got up and took a step forward. “Hey, asshole!” I yelled into the blackness. “How about we cut this short and you just get back into the crystal.” One dark red eye opened up and looked down at me.
 
“Interesting. Aren’t you a soul that should be no more?” asked a monotone and ice-cold voice out of the darkness around us. More eyes opened up to take a look at what they had caught. “In addition, we have a human and a mage. And all around us nothing but death... Marvellous!”
 
“Magia seras!” Robin tried again and fired several magical projectiles simultaneously. “Come on, Timo. Together we can take that thing down!” He put some distance between us so that we couldn't be hit so easily. So his basic training in the army was noticeable after all. The things Shining Armor drummed into me came to mind, and I ran in the opposite direction. It was not easy to estimate the distance in the darkness, so after a quick sprint, I came to a halt and began to cast a spell.
 
“Buy me some time!” I called out to Robin, who was visible thanks to the red glow of his incantation circle. “In harmony with the elements: fire, water, earth, wind, light, and darkness." My incantation circle began to take on a yellow radiance, while I tapped into the magic of Celestia. Nightmare had started to fire magical projectiles at Robin, some of which flew in my direction. I avoided them and continued on casting my spell. “Justice has no name, therefore judge me as you judge my enemies.” Our adversary had started to swing at us with black spikes. I only noticed this because one of them grazed me. I started to move again to not get hit by it. Robin was ahead of me in that regard and moved around the whole time, while casting one spell after the other. Unfortunately, no effect was visible so far. “Carry out the judgment! The bowstring is drawn, so scatter before the pure light! Light arrow!”
 
 My incantation circle divided itself and out came the nine golden arrows, but this time I had a little experience using them. I took the first two and aimed them at two of the eyes in the web of shadows. As quick as the Nightmare was, it could not dodge them, and they punctured the wall of blackness like it was made out of butter. Light penetrated through the hole, and the following shriek made it clear that it had an immediate effect. The resulting hole was getting bigger, and I saw smoke from the outer skin ascending to the heavens. Not only did we trouble it internally, but there was also the sun from the outside.
 
“I will not go down!” it screamed out while I fired my remaining arrows at it. None of them hit their target, as the Nightmare pulled itself together into a little ball and everything was bathed in bright light. Blinded by the sudden transition, I protected my eyes. I feared what would happen next as I noticed a gurgling. It used its own weakness to catch us off guard.
 
“Robin, Dirk!” I called out in horror and ran over to them as fast as three legs could take me. Both of them lay on the ground with one arm over their eyes. In my haste, I chose my brother and pulled his arm away and looked into his narrowed eyes. “Dirk, are you okay?” He nodded weakly. Burns on his skin and his clothes suggested that he had not evaded many of Nightmare’s attacks. I slowly turned around because I knew what this meant. I was greeted by a black energy beam that hit me directly into the face and threw me a few meters back into the pile of car batteries.
 
“Damn it…”  With pain in all my limbs, I sat up and saw that Robin was only a black figure with smoke emanating from it. He also did not walk on the ground in my direction, but levitated a few centimetres over it. If that were not enough indications that something was wrong with him, the dark red eyes in his skull would be. The thing reached down to me and clasped my neck with his hand and brought me to his eye level.
 
“Hello, Prince of Equestria. Not even the Princess of the Sun can help you now. My army is on this world, and as soon as the night falls, it will be ours!"  With a gesture, it threw me against the fence and started to laugh. What disturbed me the most was that it used the voice of my friend. “I will let you live, you worthless piece of flesh. This way, you can see this world burn!”
 
With those words, it turned around and looked down at my brother, who still lay there and trembled in fear. “Dirk, run!” I cried out and built a barrier around him with my last strength. With that, my magic was spent.
 
“Let’s start with your friends!” It pointed at my brother, and dark energy gathered in front of its hand.
 


> Chapter 61 - War
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nightmare collected so much from the black energy that a black projectile appeared, larger than an average medicine ball, and held it in front of my brother’s face.
 
“Say farewell…”
 
Shocked, I saw Dirk looking desperately over at me with tears in his eyes.
 
A blue blur shot from the sky like a cannon and rammed the black entity, which was my former friend, in the side. It flew straight into a building and left a hole in what used to be a solid stone wall. In its place now stood Luna, obvious anger on her face as she looked towards me.
 
“Get out of here!” she yelled at me as two large, magical, blue blades appeared in front of her, and she took off after Nightmare through the hole with a flap of her wings.
 
She had barely flown away as the doors of the building were pushed open, hundreds of people running out of it with panicked shrieks. A few of them had weapons on them. Others held their kids and loved ones by the hand, whatever was left from their former property on their backs.
 
“Quick, to the hall!” one of the armed humans shouted, running in front of a bigger group. “We should be safe there!”
 
The humans did as they were told and went towards the direction he motioned. I rose and looked at my brother, who was lying on the ground, all four limbs stretched away from him. Hobbling slightly, I made my way over the grass to his position, and in the corner of my eye, I could see a weapon was directed at me. I ignored it and pushed my brother in the side with my head, because I needed all four legs to stand upright.
 
“Come on, Dirk. We’ve gotta get out of here.” He wasn’t reacting.
 
I didn’t know if it was from shock or unconscious, but his pupils were wide open, and he just looked into the emptiness of the cold day.
 
“Hey, what are you doing there?” The man with the ACR came to me and noticed Dirk’s state. “Was it that creature?” He motioned with a nod to the hole in the wall, and I just answered with a small nod of my head.
 
He started to bend down and grabbed my brother’s arm. Our gaze quickly met before he pulled him around his shoulder. “I’m bringing him to the hall a bit down the street.”
 
With that, he looked past me to see if any other refugees came out of the school, but that wasn’t the case, and he disappeared from the ground and followed the others. Now I stood here, looking at the spot where some blood was rubbed into the grass and where my brother had laid just a moment ago. Anger rose in me. Not only did Nightmare use my friend as a host, it had also attacked my brother.
 
Several circles formed as I prepared every attack spell I could find in my head. It hurt to use just one of them because I was at my limit, but I couldn’t care less. As if awaiting a signal, a window exploded in the third floor, followed by a piece of wall. First a black something flew outside, not seemingly by free will, followed by Luna. Luna swirled her blades through the air, still in flight, turning with them as they cut several times through the shape of Nightmare. Sadly, it caught itself in the air and fixed itself.
 
“I can see you haven’t lost any of what I showed you, Luna,” it said as it placed its head back on its shoulders. “But did you learn something new as well?” She didn’t answer. Instead, she cut with her blades once again through the black bulk.
 
“Luna, out of the way!” I screamed once the first spell was ready, and once again nine glowing arrows swished through the air and pierced through the two parts of Nightmare. The Princess of the Night backed away several steps with a roll and just looked at me as our enemy hung lifelessly in the air.
 
But slowly, a red something, maybe what was formerly the mouth, formed into a grin, and it slowly began to pull the arrows out of its bulk. It threw one after another into the air, where they disappeared.
 
“Not like that! Star tail!” Stars gave away some light even during the day. Maybe not that much, but I balanced it out with my bombardment of twenty to thirty shots very well.
 
One beam after another shot like lightning from the slightly clouded sky, and every one hit my target directly. The black bulk smoked from the energy that struck it, and with a jump, Luna was in front of it and worked with her blades once again until black drops slowly dripped to the ground, collecting in a puddle.
 
In the end, the last piece went down, and with a splash, it fell into the other pieces. Luna came down next to me, slightly out of breath, and shook her blades free of any remains. I, however, collapsed on my knees, feeling as exhausted as I would if I’d just run a marathon.
 
“Why is this unholy beast not in its exile?” Luna asked and looked down at me, eyebrow raised. That look apparently ran in the family.
 
“It freed itself. Somehow, it can manipulate its surroundings by will,” was the only explanation I had for the floating crystal.
 
What else could be there? Even Robin said that he could sense the power, which shouldn’t be possible. Even in Equestria, it could influence me in the form of nightmares. It wasn’t really captured all this time. It used us to get here, its target from the very beginning, and we played along nicely.
 
“It fooled us all.”
 
Our look went to the black remains, which had started to right themselves again.
 
“It is still day. We still have an advantage. We have to end this quickly,” Luna said, and I wanted nothing else but to agree with her, but that wasn’t doable anymore.
 
“I’m sorry Luna, but I’m wasted. I already had to fight my way out of the building,” I replied. She looked at me, disbelief in her eyes, but never letting the enemy out of sight.
 
“Use your potential. Your body was crafted by Albia, just like ours.” With that, she rushed forward as the bulk in front us started to move. This time, however, her blades crashed into a shield, and she was thrown back.
 
“I’m not making it that easy for you, Luna!” Nightmare said as its shape returned.
 
Where did its power come from? It could be hurt in Equestria and even suffer in a dying body. Why could it fix itself every time here? And what did Luna mean about my potential? Black projectiles flew at both of us. The princess easily deflected them with her blades, while I barely had enough time to roll over. It seemed to be aware of my condition, because the next thing it did was disappear from where it was and reappear directly in front of me.
 
With a murderous grin, it grabbed at my horn and pushed a burst of magic energy through my body. It was like getting shocked, only it didn’t affect my nerves. I screamed out in pain but wasn’t able to hear my own voice, and dropped helplessly onto the ground as it let me go. My view blurred, and it was like the whole world was spinning.
 
It went to Luna next, who still tried to protect herself, but just like me got surprised by the teleport. Nightmare grabbed at her as well, but not at her horn. Instead, it grabbed straight through her chest and into her. Luna’s gaze changed from the angry warrior to one of pure fear.
 
“You might be immortal, but the pain is very real for you.”
 
Luna gave a muffled scream and fell lifelessly to the ground. I could only guess what it had done, but I feared that it had attacked her soul itself. Nightmare turned in the air towards the building behind us and inspected it for several seconds, before a giant black circle formed above it. Magical lightning stones started flying in all directions, a cloud of dust passing us.
 
The most terrifying thing, however, were the bloody remains that flew against me. There were several from the immobilized guards left inside, who had been killed by the spell.
 
“Nightmare…” I called as the dust settled down slowly and the entity approached me, floating several feet over my head.
 
“Look who can still stand,” it said and extended an arm, pointing at me before a circle surrounded it, and a small beam shot at me.
 
I changed to my wings on instinct and used them to protect myself from the attack. A stinging pain came from my right wing as the attack hit it, and I saw that a hole had been burned into it.
 
“I’m not going to make it easy for you either,” I said and changed back to my horn, the pain immediately disappearing.
 
Sadly, I never got the chance for a single attack, because Nightmare fired multiple shots again. Once again, I used my wings to block them, and once again, there were holes burned into them. It hurt like crazy, but the first hole had disappeared. I quickly repeated it, and the other wounds had also disappeared.
 
“No… I won’t make it easy for you,” I said again and took off with force, preparing to crash into my enemy.
 
It seemed that it was also surprised by my ability to block its attacks, and as I made contact, I changed into an earth pony, pulling us both to the ground with all of the force I could muster. The improved durability was immediately noticeable because I felt much more rested in this form.
 
First Nightmare’s back came in contact with the ground, then my hooves pushed into him before I jumped off of him. I slid several meters back, but caught myself as I pushed against the force.
 
“So you can change your form. What a neat trick…” it said, and I looked at the non-moving black bulk before it disappeared with a small bang.
 
The voice wasn’t coming from in front of me, but from somewhere behind me instead. I searched for my enemy, astonished, but to no use.
 
“I’ve played enough for now. Let’s continue this tonight,” the voice said.
 
I waited for another attack, a beam that revealed Nightmare’s position to me, or something like that. But it seemed that it spoke the truth and had withdrawn. My ears were still perked up cautiously as I slowly went to Luna, who laid lifelessly in the grass. I gently nudged her once, and she gave a startled breath and jumped up.
 
“Where is that foul beast? How dare it attack our soul?” she shouted and looked around.
 
“It withdrew, Luna,” I replied.
 
There was a possibility that the sun took its tribute on it even before it had a body. Even as I took its power, the sun still took its effect on me a bit. It was its only weak spot. Luna landed next to me and inhaled deeply.
 
“We could have only weakened it in the end anyways. This creature is indeed a true nightmare. The last fight our sister and I had with it was only winnable due the fact that the Elements were bound to us, and then we let our guard down and…” There wasn’t any need to complete her sentence to explain what happened next, because that was known to all.
 
“What can we do now?” I had no clue. The whole situation was bad enough, and now the shades had a leader.
 
 “We have to admit that the situation seems bleak. However, first we should go back to the Celestia. Everypony is worried about you,” Luna answered, and I could imagine that quite well.
 
“How did you find me anyways, Luna?” I asked, aware that I took caution to not leave any tracks behind. On the other hoof, I wasn’t a genius in stealth.
 
 “We felt Nightmare’s presence. Since you had the pendant, you couldn’t be that far away.”
 
Again, the same thing that Robin said. Even he noticed the influence outside the crystal.
 
“I would like to get my brother first. He was taken with the other refugees to the hall back there,” I said, pointing down the road at the blue, flat roof of the campus hall.
 

***

 
Luna and I were both noticeably exhausted, so the short way down the road took us a while longer than the usual five minutes. The hall itself was a large two storey building with outer walls that were around ninety percent glass. Between the glass and the first inner wall, which was normal stone, you could walk around the building completely and reach the two stairways quite quickly to reach the upper area. I had never been to the cellar, as it wasn’t accessible to visitors. My last visit was over two years ago, as Otto Walked had done a show here. I was pretty sure that there wasn’t any broken glass or ruins in the way at that time. The school’s explosion affected some buildings around it, but due to the small size of the ruins, the damage wasn’t as bad as expected. Not that anypony still cared.
 
“Stop!” a voice shouted, and various guards appeared out of the bushes, directing their weapons at us. “What do you want?” the man asked, the one who took Dirk with him earlier.
 
“I want to see my brother,” I said, and he looked in disbelief at me. “The boy you took with you.”
 
The man couldn’t be much older than thirty, but he had dark hair that was thinning and was dressed in a mix of different military uniforms.
 
 “We don’t give humans. Now get lost,” he replied, pointing with his weapon the way we came.
 
 “Now listen up, you little ass clown.” I had no patience left for this. “I was locked in an empty room for half a day by a ‘friend’, then somepony knocked me out by hitting my head with something, and then I fell out of the third floor.” I approached him and stomped down with my hoof at every step. “When I wanted to fight for my freedom, you shot at me, and after that, I fought against a shade that could last in the sun for a while. All that to find my family, and now you want to stand in my way?” I pointed at Luna next. “Besides that, this being at my side is powerful enough to move the moon. Now bring me to my brother.”
 
The three men stared at their commander, who had nothing better to do than to stare at me. “Uhm, alright, but you’re coming with me alone,” he said.
 
I nodded and followed him as he started to walk through one of the broken glass walls into the building. Looking back, I saw that the other three still pointed their weapons at Luna. Should only one think about firing, she wouldn’t hesitate to defend herself. We approached the door leading to the hall, and he knocked two short times before opening it.
 
As I followed him, I noticed the reason for this action, because on every side behind the door, two armoured men stood and watched, so nopony would get the idea to just walk in. The hall was empty besides the grey, short carpet and a bunch of humans hanging in each other’s arms. Their gazes were pointed at me as I entered and was led to the middle of the room by my guide.
 
There were some provisional beds made out of old pieces of cloth and backpacks, and on them laid a few injured with some cuts and scratches, but nothing too serious. On one of the beds there was my brother, lifeless and only slightly breathing. The mumbling in the room became louder as I approached him and put an ear on his chest.
 
“He isn't hurt. He was in shock and I gave him some sedative,” one of the humans said as he stepped out of the crowd, going down on a knee towards me and looking to my brother. He had glasses and his brown hair was kept in a ponytail. The whole picture was completed by his three-day-old-beard. “I’m Doctor Brown, British Royal Army.” He extended his hand for a greeting that I returned.
 
“Blue Light, Royal Guards of Canterlot,” I replied.
 
He just nodded and looked back to my brother. I expected some reaction to the mention of Canterlot, but no such luck.
 
 “May I ask what relation does… a pony have to a human?”
 
Before I could answer, a guard behind me spoke up. “He said that this is his brother.”
 
Again I was met by a suspicious gaze, this time from the doctor.
 
“Long story short, let’s just say that I wasn’t always like this,” I said and pointed towards my body.
 
 “Well, if you think about it, we were attacked by creatures who nobody ever believed in. I shouldn’t say anything. At least we were witnesses of magic, thanks to our commander.”
 
I realized that the things that had happened hadn’t reached this place yet.
 
“About Robin… he was caught by the shade...” a voice said, and the doctor immediately looked to the guard behind me while I followed his gaze. Such a flexible neck was something helpful. The guard only shook his head now. “I’m gathering everyone and then we’ll discuss everything,” he said and left us alone with my brother.
 
 “Is he stable enough for transport?” I asked, and Doctor Brown laid two fingers onto the arm of my brother, checking the pulse and nodding afterwards.
 
“As long he stays under observation I don’t see any problem with it. Why?” he asked.
 
I took him into my aura and made him levitate a few inches. “Because I will take him with me.”
 
Some surprised screams went through the room as they saw what was going on, but the doctor stayed calm. “May I ask why you are here?” he asked.
 
My brother slowly hovered to me, and I took one of the blankets to wrap him into it. It was cold outside, I knew that myself.
 
“We are ponies from Equestria, planet Albion, another world. I’m here to find my family and want to help you, every single human. Sadly, we’ve got a way bigger problem now.” With that, I left him and went to the exit under the gazes of many people while my brother hovered behind me.
 
The two guards opened the double door for me as I came closer and let me step outside. Luna was still standing there, and she was eying a weapon she obviously took from one of the guards. The others seemed unconcerned and, as I came closer, I knew why. They had removed the magazine before.
 
“I see you succeeded,” she said as I approached her, and she let the weapon float back into the hands of its owner. He put the magazine back in and loaded the weapon while Luna continued. “But we have one question. Where, pray tell, do you plan to take your brother?”
 
At her hint, I looked closely at my brother and realized that he wouldn’t really be able to walk over the lower deck, not to mention he wouldn’t fit into a bed, sized for a pony.
> Chapter 62 - When We Stand Together
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next few days passed without any sign of Nightmare. Even if it were to rear its ugly head, we would never even notice it. Luna could sense it if it was close, but even she couldn’t scan an entire planet. The review of my actions had been one of the most uncomfortable talks I’ve had in my entire life, only surpassed by my dad explaining to me the fine nuances of human reproduction. Among my brothers, I was probably the only one who had learned about the natural order of things in this rather awkward way. At least later in school I could name all parts of the human genitalia without getting red-faced or falling into a nervous giggling fit.
 
To summarize the entire thing in a few sentences: Shining Armor wanted to beat the horse apples out of me, at least considering his expressions. It was AJ, however, who did the actual part by confusing hugs with bone-crushing headlocks. She was probably unsure if she was to be happy or cause permanent damage for my return. Both Cadance and Fluttershy were kind enough to ask them to leave enough of me alive to be worth tending for, but enough to emphasize the foolishness of my solo action. Twilight and Rarity had given me one lecture after the other, and each time I tried to pull my head back so far that it would have given a tortoise a run for its money. It has to be mentioned that Rarity’s attitude was like that of a mother having found her kid with both hands deep in the cookie jar. Trixie, weirdly enough, never said a single word. In fact, she practiced the ‘cold shoulder’ punishment. Lucky for me, Hawk and Rainbow believed that fighting Nightmare was more interesting than giving me a hard time, and for a change, they had listened to my story more than attentively. These sessions were often accompanied by the Cutie Mark Crusaders sans Scootaloo, who preferred to stay in her room.
 
In the end, it was Luna’s judgment on what had to be done. With her presence here, the dimensional barrier was vulnerable, and should Earth fall, Equestria would be the next. The shades had been a danger before, but with a mind that was only out for destruction at the helm, they were more dangerous than ever before. It was all that more worrisome since we hadn’t seen a shade for the last three days. Something big was in the making, and all we could do was prepare. Every one of us now had the chance to get one of the diamonds, even the foals. We taught them how they were to be used, and I told the others how to rig the diamonds into flash bangs. If he hadn’t been so mad, I bet Shining Armor would have kissed me for this neat little trick. It was a way to disable any enemy for a short duration, and it would surely come in handy back in Equestria for the future. Against the beasts of the Everfree Forest, no matter the type, one throw and the danger would be gone.
 
Anyway, destroying Nightmare had become our top priority, and Luna had to get back to Equestria as soon as possible. Our window of opportunity, when both worlds in the interdimensional realm were the closest, was in about two weeks. Until then, we could only hope that our enemy wouldn’t find out that the barrier was the weakest then.
 
The last point on the board had been my brother, who was residing in the sickbay. He had slept through the last three days, probably sparing him another shock. Luna had simply used a spell to get over the problem of his size. However, the spell had to be renewed daily, and that was the hard part. Twilight, Trixie, and I were trying to master it, but except for our resident bookworm, we could barely get it right. Heck, Trixie was even more successful than I.
 
I was on my way back to the forest with Dawn, who had talked to Trent about every little thing. For some odd reason, the two of them had gotten very close, but Twilight refused to explain it to me, and I decided not to push the matter. He seemed to have succeeded at certain points since he had given me a spell scroll just a few seconds before.
 
“Thanks again for asking Trent, Dawn. Not speaking my native language was really getting annoying.” I had asked him to get a spell from the spirit of nature that would allow one to speak and understand every language. As expected, it was a similar sealed spell like Celestia’s and Luna’s ancient ones.
 
“No problem. He wasn’t keen on handing it out for nothing, but since I asked him, he made a good price. Sadly, he couldn’t really help with the other issues.” Like finding Nightmare or sending Luna home. “Even he can’t find things that don’t want to be found, and for Luna’s return, he wanted something that I just can’t give him.” The old spirit was neither evil nor good. He lived by the creed of giving and taking. Similar to Albia, he never intervened directly.
 
“What did he want for the spell?” Dawn said that it hadn’t been much, so I was sure to compensate him.
 
“One year.” I gave the little pegasus a quizzical look as we walked down the path to the Celestia. He didn’t elaborate though, so I stopped. “What?” he asked in response.
 
“What do you mean? One year?” He rolled his eyes and turned around to look me in the eyes.
 
“One year of my life. No big deal.” I could have sworn that there was an audible pop when my jaw detached itself. I only had recently learned the value of life, and he just gave away a year of his, just like that.
 
“Dawn, one year is a lot of time, and you don’t even know how old you will live to be.” I had no idea how to explain to the little one what this meant for him.
 
“Don’t worry about that. My body is made of magic. I will surely live for a few centuries, maybe even a thousand years. At least, that’s what I was told.” I remembered what Rarity had told me back in Manehatten. Rising Dawn was a product of Twilight’s magic.
 
“Alright then, but if there is anything I can do for you, don’t hesitate to ask, please.” He just nodded and continued our way back to the ship in silence. With a single stroke from his wings, Dawn flew up on deck while I took the ramp. By the time I arrived, he had disappeared below deck, probably to report back to the others. I turned my full attention to the parchment in my saddlebag. I took it out and laid it down before me, beginning to copy the circle and following the instructions of the runes. The circle began to orbit around me for a few seconds before shocking me for a moment, an indication that the spell was done.  A test was in order.
 
“Parlez-vous français?” I couldn’t tell if my pronunciation was correct, but every bit of French was a little success. “Voulez-vous coucher avec moi?” Full success, considering my French classes were always F grade. “Me gustaría una cerveza.” Spanish, no problem. According to the description, which was more or less an Ikea manual, it was normal to be able to speak any foreign language as long as one concentrated on it. Other than that, the spell worked by analysing the user’s native language and allowed me to subconsciously speak in a different one. If people from different parts of the world were present, each one would hear their own language. Same for me.
 
“Can I see?” Twilight came up the stairs and set down beside me. I pushed the parchment over to her.
 
“I won’t need it anymore. It would be a good addition to your library.” This way, Dawn’s sacrifice wouldn’t just help me but other ponies as well.
 
“What did you bind the spell to?” was her question as she reached the lower parts of the document, easily recognized by her rapid eye movement. The spell had to be bound to something that was always in the bearer’s possession. It could be anything, from a pendant to the body’s own bones.
 
“My last rib.” I pointed at it with a hoof. “So you can only break the spell by splitting me from my body, again.” Or if someone used a counterspell, but in order to do so, one had to understand the main spell, which was impossible without the parchment. At least for now.
 
“Thanks, Light, this spell is going to be a great addition.” I waved her off.
 
“Like I said, Dawn is the one you should thank.” The familiar sound of a pegasus rushing in reached my ears, and Twilight’s as well. We looked up to see Hawk approaching at breakneck speed who landed a bit too hard beside us. Her legs buckled, but she kept a straight face.
 
“Humans! They are coming this way!” she called, clearly out of breath but loud enough to wake the entire ship. The door to the conference room burst open, Shooting Star, Shining Armor, and Trixie rushing out.
 
“How many?” he bellowed as a spear came flying out from the room and he prepared for combat. Rainbow Dash and Luna also appeared from below deck.
 
“Only three, but they are running straight to our position,” Shining’s look wandered from Hawk over to me.
 
“Did you tell anyone where we are?” I couldn't resent him for distrusting me.
 
“No, of course not.” There were only three people who knew where I had lived. One had been taken over by the Nightmare, the other one was sleeping in the sickbay, and after what Julian had allowed himself, I don't believed he would betray me again.
 
“We believe that we can take on three of them, but we will tell our daughter to get the foals out of sight.” She pushed past Pinkie Pie who had just hopped up from below and oddly enough carried a basket covered by a blanket in her mouth, causing some attention.
 
“Uh, Pinkie? What’s that picnic basket for?” Twilight asked.
 
“For our visitors of course, you silly filly.” I raised the blanket with a hoof. There were a dozen or so muffins hidden underneath. Rainbow and Twilight tried to dive bomb me, but it was already too late. The question had been asked.
 
“Where did you get those from?” came out faster from my mouth than I would have liked, and I realised that I had asked Pinkie Pie, of all the ponies, about the logical origin of something. Before she could even start her gibberish, I shoved a hoof up her mouth, fixating the baskets handle there as well. “Just forget I asked, Pinkie…”
 
“There they are!” Hawk hissed, hanging from a rope whilst balancing with her wings. We sprinted over to the bow of the ship and could make out three shapes coming around the corner, all hand raised. Sadly, my previous assumption about Julian turned out to be false, as I could clearly see his face among them. The other two I recognised as well. One was the doctor who had treated Dirk, but his name eluded me. The other one was the boy with the vest who had given me the diamond.
 
“What do you want?! Talk now!” Shining Armor held his weapon close to their heads, ready to strike at a moment’s notice.
 
“Hey, hey, keep calm! We are unarmed. Hands up, remember?” It hit me like a brick wall. Ponies did not know the meaning of raised hands, as the doctor tried to explain.
 
“They are coming in peace, Captain! Raised hands mean they surrender,” I explained quickly.
 
“So, you have no firearms on you?” All three shook their heads. In response, the spear went back to its wielder. “What do you want then?”
 
“We have come to talk,” Julian answered, his gaze turning to me.
 

***

 
After some back and forth, Shining Armor was willing to let the talk take place aboard the Celestia. The conference room was out of question, however, for it was way too small to access. Instead, we prepared a few blankets on deck to sit on, with Pinkie’s basket in the middle. The moment the cover had been lifted, the three of them couldn’t hold themselves any longer, and the muffins disappeared within minutes. It has to be noted that said muffins were barely two bites for a human, but in the end, we were showered with praises. Julian explained that it had been months the last time any of them had eaten baked goods.
 
“Well then, now that our guests have been sated, what do you want to talk with us about? I mean, last time when I tried to come forward, I got smacked in the head.” I glanced over to Julian, who seemed more than happy that I didn’t mention the thing at the hospital.
 
“Ah! Exactly. Well, my name is Doctor Henry Brown, British Royal Army, or what’s left of it. My companions are Julian,” he pointed at my friend, “and Mike.” He pointed at the boy with the vest. “We already had the pleasure.” I nodded in response.
 
“You are not the only familiar person to me, doctor.” We both looked over to Julian, who also nodded in agreement. “But now it’s my turn for introductions. My name is Blue Light, Royal Guard in service of the Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, Diarchs of the land of Equestria.” As I pointed over to Shining Armor, I was glad that the captain didn’t add to my statement. “This is Shining Armor, Captain of the Royal Guard and leader of our group.” He nodded to the group. “Beside him are other members of our group, Royal Guards Night Hawk and Shooting Star. That would be the military members on board.” Hawk gave a grin while her partner was stoic as usual. “To my left are Twilight Sparkle, protégé of Princess Celestia, and her friends Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash.”
 
“Fastest flyer of all of Equestria,” she added quickly.
 
“So, I saw you liked my muffins! Do you like parties? Stupid question – of course everyone loves parties! Do you have time for one? I just need to collect the material and load up my cannon…” Thankfully, Twilight disrupted the verbal assault by shutting Pinkie’s mouth with a zipper, literally.
 
“These are not all, but it should be enough for now,” I closed the introductions. “However, before we start the talks, I have one final question. How did you find us?” As I glanced over to Julian, he just shook his head and pointed over to his colleague.

“The blanket you took had been prepared with a transmitter.” He pulled out a small device from his pocket that began to beep rapidly at the push of a button. “The closer you get to the transmitter, the faster the beeps. An old method, but it’s the best we have. Other than that, the transmitter isn’t larger than a coin.” He reached into his pocket again and pulled out another device that seemed to resemble what he had just described. Cautiously, Twilight examined the device and even sniffed it. I had to recall that my own hearing and sense of smell had greatly improved compared to that of humans and that it was normal for ponies to examine things this way. “Once past Hausberge, Julian knew where he could find you and the transmitter did the rest,” Henry finished explaining. It was kind of a relief to know that they would have found me even without Julian.
 
“So, I would like to know the reason for your… visit.” Shining Armor signalled everyone while Twilight took the transmitter apart with her magic.
 
“Sure. I’m here as a temporary representative for our little group and well… as you might have noticed, there hasn’t been any sightings of the shades these past few days.” Neither of us said a word, except for Pinkie who was still struggling with the zipper. “We agree that something is brewing – we don’t believe that they would disappear just like that. That’s just one factor, however. There is the issue that we don’t have a safe place to stay and the need to secure a wider area. And then there is your….” He was making wilder gestures to underline his points.
 
“Magic,” Twilight added the missing word on which the man flicked his fingers and pointed at her.
 
“And wings.” Rainbow stroked her wings for emphasis.
 
“Exactly. We would like to ask shades for your help in finding a new place that could be secured against the shadows.” Twilight, Shining, and I exchanged a few glances. “We know from Blue Light that you are here to help us, which we are in dire need of.”
 
“We will quickly discuss that.” With that, Shining Armor stood up and indicated to me to follow him into the conference room. The door was barely closed when he began talking. “No!” That was bewildering. “I know you want to help, be we can’t start helping people with their little problems wherever we go. We just don’t have the time for that. The plan is to gather them and create the magic dome.”
 
“We can throw that one out of the window, alone because Nightmare is still out there.”
 
“And whose fault is that?” Ouch….
 
“Okay, I admit that, but we can’t let them suffer for it. Also, we are likely to get something in compensation, and we need those resources since we will have multiple bellies to fill in the coming weeks. And it’s not like we can get anywhere else before that.” Something about equivalent points in interdimensional space. I should really pay more attention to Twilight. Shining closed his eyes and let his head sink, deep in thought.
 
“Whatever,” he mumbled as my arguments began to sink in. With that, he opened the door, and we sat down back with the others again, who were deep in a conversation with Twilight.
 
“So Timo… erm, Blue Light is now living in a place called Ponyville?” Julian asked as we join the group again. Our guest had taken up a more comfortable cross-legged position, another indication for me how much had changed. I sat there, rear on the ground, forelegs stretched out. It was nothing special really, just the contrast made me think about it. “Speak of the devil…” Julian added as he realised I had heard his last sentence.
 
“We will resolve THAT later, okay?” That said, I turned away from him to my actual negotiating partner. “We have decided to provide aid. However, in light of recent events, we have a few conditions ourselves.” A hand gesture that asked me to continue. “We have a few stowaways on board and need food supplies. We don’t need a lot since we arrived with a relatively full stock.” Minus one glass of cherries. “Just enough to feed those extras. In this case, a few foals and one adult pony. Together, they eat about as much as two humans.” This time, it was Mike and Henry who turned away to hold council. I saw how the boy pulled out that book of his, and I came to the conclusion that it was a list of their entire inventory. In the end, they both nodded and turned to us.
 
“I’d say we have a deal. So, any idea on your part where we could stay? I assume this ship can fly and you must have come around a bit.” I gave it a thought and indeed, there was a good option.
 
“The clinic. The generator still works and should have one or two days’ worth of diesel. We never switched it off again.” It was probably dependent on how many devices were active. “At least long enough to secure the area against the shades.”
 
“Two problems. We have no way of saving water or getting it directly there.” They had used the thermal bath for that. He lowered his finger. “Secondly, it needs to be secured against both shades and other intruders as well.”
 
“The area around the clinic is a bog. If we can drill a well, that should solve the water problem,” I assured the doctor.
 
“That’s nice and all, but the ground is frozen solid and we lack the heavy machinery to drill a hole.” I tapped at my horn and the intent was received immediately.
 
“About security… Twilight, isn’t there a spell that signals trespassing ponies, or in this case, humans, should they approach a building?” She tapped on her chin a few times before she remembered one.
 
“We only need to enchant a few stones. Some will be used as borders while others would be carried by the humans themselves. Then, if someone without such a stone were to approach, they wouldn’t be able to enter. However, I’m not sure if that also works against shades.” She drifted off, but the issue had been resolved for me.
 
“That is acceptable. We only need a bunch of these stones, for us and the compound.” I glanced over to Shining Armor and then to Twilight, with Trixie, Rarity, and Cadance also being available to help.
 
“Sure, we should than...” I was about to suggest we head over to secure the clinic when I noticed Luna hurrying up from below deck.
 
“We have come to tell you that your brother is waking up.” She looked around but stayed at the stairs, waiting for me.
 
“How did you get Dirk down there?” Julian asked, puzzled look on his face.
 
“If thou wishest, we could show it to thee. Tis but a minor, harmless spell. It might hurt for a few moments though,” Luna answered, but her gleeful smirk told a different story.
 
~Tis be the human who had injured you, right?
 
I nodded to the telepathic question, and her smirk grew even wider. I couldn't remember when I had seen her this happy before. Julian, unaware of what was coming, just shrugged, stood up, and went over to Luna. “Sure, why not?”
 
Immediately, he lit up like a Christmas tree, and we could hear bones breaking, organs shifting, and saw fur growing where it shouldn’t. I would never ever get used to the morphing spell. Unlike transformations, it wouldn’t create a whole new body but instead worked with the available mass. However, I knew that it wasn’t as painful as Luna made it to be. She had Dirk stunned before performing the spell. Julian’s screams of agony were also a good indication. The other two had jumped up but could only watch. After a few seconds, the spell subsided. Where Julian stood once was a black-maned, grey-furred pegasus, breathing heavily and staring up into Luna’s diabolic grin.
> Chapter 63 - Move
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

For a while, all we could do was to stare in awe at the human-suddenly-turned-pegasus, who himself had a look of horror written on his face. 

“That… was… painful!” he finally managed to wheeze before taking a look at his new hooves. The reaction was instantaneous. In a blind panic, he pedalled with all fours but only ended up falling on his back. “What the fuck?!” His new grey coat had a brighter pattern, probably from his clothes, and his mane ended just above the neck, still looking very human-like.
 
“We apologize. We had forgotten to sedate thee…” Luna held a hoof to her chin, considering the outcome. For this kind of conversion, you had to have considerable knowledge of the targeted body’s anatomy, contrary to regular transformations. Turning someone or something into a pony was an easy task for her, but the reverse process was a different matter in that she didn’t have the necessary information to do so. However, the effect would only last for perhaps twenty four hours unless one kept refreshing the spell. 

“Still, as we can see, you have survived the ordeal fairly well.” She nodded and headed down the stairs. “We’ll be waiting for thee at the sickbay.” I went over to Julian and looked down at the distraught being at my feet.
 
“Yo, buddy, still alive?” I just couldn’t resist as I grinned like Luna had done before.
 
“You knew this would happen, didn’t you?” he asked. I could only nod. After all, I had seen Luna perform the spell on Dirk as well. I had tried to learn it but without success. The newly transformed pegasus began to lift himself and scan his new body. Hooves, legs, wings— It was right then and there one could see his mind connecting the dots. In a moment, he had spread his wings and was off the ground. If I hadn’t known that it was the spell that even allowed him to stand upright, I would have probably been envious. I had to learn everything from the start, and this bastard had gotten himself a shortcut. “This is awesome!” he screamed while diving over our heads.
 
“You think that’s good? Wait until you see me fly!” And with that, Rainbow shot into the sky, taking pursuit of our newest member to the surprise of no one. Faster than we could follow, she overtook him and was now flying backwards in front of him. “I think you should take a few lessons,” she tried to goad and shot away to the clouds. What she didn’t know was that Julian had a pilot's license. Even though it was only for gliders, it was still more than I or any of our friends could claim. He had invited me many times to come flying with him, but for obvious reasons I had always declined.
 
“Oh, this is so exciting! First I get to know three humans who love muffins and then one becomes a pony and I can get to know him again! Does he like muffins? I need to throw a party….” None of us knew how Pinkie had escaped Twilight’s spell, but she was now blowing up three balloons with an old air pump.
 
“I’ll go check my brother.” I looked over to our guests and the others. “We’ll meet tomorrow at the clinic to begin the work that needs to be done.”
 
“I agree. There isn’t much daylight left, and I need to explain everything to the rest of the group,” Henry concurred. “What’s going to happen with Julian?” He pointed at the two small dots in the sky.
 
“We’ll take care of him,” Twilight assured. “Princess Luna’s spell is only temporary, and he will be back to his old self by tomorrow.” I saw the relief in his eyes as he bade goodbye and began to walk home. Hawk and Star were ordered by Shining Armor to do a quick scan around the clinic before he himself disappeared in the conference room. I was getting curious on what he was doing there all the time. However, I didn’t have the time to check, and so I just followed Twilight down to the sick bay.
 

***

 
Oh… There you are.” Twilight and I were greeted by Fluttershy as we entered the small room. We had run into Cadance on her way to Shining Armor. She had wanted to discuss something about the foals, and Luna preferred to wait outside. I had seen AJ in the kitchen, preparing dinner.
 
“How does it look?” was my first question as I looked at the sleeping earth pony. Dirk had a dark green coat, and his mane was brown and way too long for his now considerably smaller frame. He had been just as tall as I as a human, but now he would only reach up to my neck. The eleven years between us were easy to spot.
 
“He was awake for just a moment but then he fell back asleep. I don’t think he knows what's going on,” Fluttershy explained as she wrung a towel. My brother was sweating profusely, probably a side effect of the transformation, and the heavy blanket in combination with his coat didn’t made things easier.
 
“Let me do it.” I took the bowl of water and the towel from her and began to wipe my brother’s face, much easier to do with magic than bare hooves, I reckoned. It might also be much better for him as I had to rub the fur to properly clean it.
 
Just as I washed the cloth in the bowl, I noticed something moved under the blanket. A hoof rose up and found the way to its attached head. He groaned before opening his eyes. His look wandered first from me, around the room, before settling on the blanket, more precisely the hooves below. I knew I had to do something before he got another shock.
 
“Hey!” I pushed my head into his line of sight while trying to raise his head with a hoof.
 
“What’s going on?” he asked, tiredness evident in his voice as he tried to push me away. Dirk had always been keen on keeping personal space, both from his brothers and our mother.
 
“You were knocked out for a few days from to the shock and medicine. We brought you on board of the Celestia, our ship.” Just as the name was mentioned, his head shot straight up and scanned the wooden wall that contained the porthole. He nodded as he seemed to understand. “However, you were too big to fit inside, so Luna had to.... adjust you.” Once more, he began to look at his forehooves. “Don’t worry,” I added quickly, “it’s only a temporary spell. If we don’t renew it, you’ll change back after a night of sleep.”
 
“Okay,” was his only answer as he sunk back into the bed, his expression unreadable. I gave my companions a helpless look but no one had any idea of what to do.
 
“Maybe… he’s hungry?” Fluttershy asked, aiming more at him rather than me. A small shake of his head was the answer, and with that she trotted over to the door. “I’ll be back…” Before she could open the door, AJ entered with a tray on her back loaded with all kinds of goodies.
 
“Sorry, sugarcube,” she apologised as she squeezed past the yellow pegasus. “I thought our guest might be hungry. She had a hay sandwich on a plate with different kinds of flowers. Something usual for me, less so for my little brother, if his surprised face was anything to go by. AJ put the tray down on the bed and even pulled out an apple from under her hat. “If you want something more fruity.” Dirk instantly tried to grab that apple, but with only a single hoof, it was not going to work. I was about to help him, but thinking quickly, he used his second hoof and began to munch away on the fruit. I thought about telling him that an apple would easily fit inside a pony’s mouth, but I left it at a slight grin, knowing that my brother was alive and well.


“Erm…” Twilight cleared her throat, giving me the signal that someone else was also present. I waited until Dirk had annihilated the apple before I began to introduce Twilight and Fluttershy...
 
“…And that's my girlfriend Applejack,” I finished. That bit of news was a bit too much for him, if the pieces of apple that hit my cheek were any indication.
 
“You have a problem with that?” AJ misunderstood my brother’s reaction and began to pester him.
 
“No, just surprised,” was his answer in his usual monotone. She stepped back a notch, slowly calming down.
 
“Is your brother always like that?” That was a no-brainer
 
“Mostly. He’s a guy of few words… except if he loses a game of League of Legends. Then he can curse like a master of the art.” He gave me an angry look, though the others were just confused. “That’s a game where you play against others. Only one team can win, and your bad luck can extend to your teammates if they aren’t great at it.”
 
“Then he should watch his mouth while he is here, sugarcube. I don’t want my sister and the other foals to learn any of his swears.” With a look, I delivered the message.
 
“Foals?” It took him a moment to understand the terminology. “You have children here?”
 
“My son and his friends snuck aboard,” Twilight explained. “Next week we will send them back.” Speaking of the Crusaders, where had they gone now? Except for Dawn, I hadn’t seen any of them.
 
“Until then, you better watch your tongue—” I stepped in front of AJ and turned to my brother.
 
“What my girlfriend wants to say is to please show your better side. And AJ, he’s my brother, so please give him some leeway. He’s been through a lot lately.” And I hadn’t even told him of our father, but Dirk was no idiot. He had figured it out by now. It was still something different to be told to your face. AJ only nodded.
 
“I’m sorry there, Dirk. I’m kinda stressed right now. Must be from the pregnancy…” Now that was another bomb I wanted to drop on him at a later date, once he had gotten used to everything. This time it was he who grinned.
 
“Someone was—” He got cut off when I pulled back the blanket and the cold air caressed his boy bits. With look of utter shock on his face, he realised what it meant to be “naturally clad”, and both forehooves shot down to cover his genitals. Of course, except for him, no one else was bothered by this. In this regard, Equestria was the world turned on its head. Clothing was considered to be more suggestive than being naked all the time. It vexed me that I hadn’t stayed on deck to watch Julian's reaction to that little detail. Once he thought that no one was looking, Dirk pulled the blanket back on him up to his neck.
 
“I think you should get some rest now,” I said to him as Fluttershy nodded. “We’ll check in after dinner, and I’ll introduce you to the rest of the crew.” His answer came in from of a grumpy gaze, his usual reaction whenever he was irritated. It wasn’t much more different in pony form. He blew his mane out of his face as one after another we left to room to give him some privacy and so he could process the day's events. I was the last to leave the room, and when I closed the door, two pegasi joined us.
 
“You’re not bad for a newbie,” Rainbow praised Julian, who seemed rather excited, as if he had two cups of coffee too much.
 
“I’m a pilot but this felt different... So... real!” He beaming with joy and somehow I was happy for him. This must have been his happiest moment in a long time. “The wind under my wings, it’s.... I can’t describe it!”
 
“Good to see you liking it, Julian. Do tell, have you noticed something else as well?” He scanned over his body, even looking behind him, seeming oblivious.
 
“Not that I can tell. It’s weird to walk on four legs, but still feels as if I just had two.” His gaze wandered over to the orange mare by my side. “Hey, I know you…”
 
“Is this Julian?” AJ asked in horror, and I nodded.
 
“Luna just had him—” I was cut off when she suddenly turned around on the spot. “Seems she forgot to—” She cut me off again when she planted her forelegs on the ground, and I realized what was going to happen. Within seconds, she had angled her rear legs, and with the force of a jackhammer, her hooves connected with Julian's chest. Rainbow managed to jump aside at the last moment as Julian was sent flying through the hall. Just before impact, a purple pillow appeared out of nowhere and mitigated the fall, if barely.
 
“T-Thanks, Twilight….” I stuttered as I headed to help my friend. Admittedly, he deserved to be punished for attacking us, but a buck from Applejack was like being shot with a shotgun set right on your body. And even those blanks could cause bruises and broken ribs, things you’d have fun with for a while. For the second time in the day, he lay on the ground and writhed in pain, reminding me of my first day as a pony.
 
“Ohhhhh... man... Was that a steamroller?” He managed to groan while trying to stand up again. That of course failed, and he landed on the floor again. “Damn it! What was that for?”
 
“That’s for you vermin trying to eat us,” AJ answered coolly and disappeared down the hall in our room, the door closing with a bang.
 
“I think...she is right, you know....” I helped him back on his legs. “I mean, you wouldn’t like it as well if your girlfriend and your sister were considered food.” He held himself up by putting a foreleg around my neck and gave me a weak smile.
 
“Score for you...But you know what's really weird?” I could only shrug. “You’re larger than me.” A weak laugh followed his sentence as I escorted him down to one of the empty rooms one floor lower. “You really need to tell me what I’ve missed.” He groaned when I put him down on the free bed. I was getting tired of doing that, so I gave him the summarized version. The body switch with Changer, arriving to Equestria, and my thoughts about having to start a new life there. How I wanted to say my goodbyes, how I found out about the shades, and Changer’s letter that finally explained his reasons for the body swap. Before that, we had thought that I had been transformed. Then I told him about the thing with the changelings and Nightmare who I had reduced to being a travelling companion.
 
“And now we are here. Thanks to me, Robin, and the people in your camp, the Nightmare is on the run, and we are aiming to hunt it down. With all that, I found my dad....” Both Julian’s and my gaze darkened when I mentioned him. Finding someone these days had become a bad sign.
 
“Did you tell Dirk?” I was considering if I should ever tell him about that.
 
“No, and I’m not intending to do so any time soon. He’s still processing that his brother isn’t dead even though his body is slowly decaying somewhere on Earth while he himself is now a pony. I need to keep an eye on him.” Sudden distraction came by a hoof being laid around my neck.
 
“I’m so sorry. It must be really hard to come home and find your father like that… I… I....” Fluttershy must have followed us, probably due to Julian's injury. She must have heard everything we’d talked about, something I wanted to prevent. No one should’ve learned about that, probably because everyone thought that I wasn’t so stable after all. But what should I expect them to think anyway? Home world devastated. Friends and family either dead or missing. My best friend got his soul ripped out in front of my eyes and his body was now possessed by a being of pure evil. It was Fluttershy’s hug that summarized all this in my head.
 
“Hey, it will work out in the end. What I know from Dirk is that your mom and Granny took a plane to Munich. One of the last standing army bases is still there. We might find them there,” Julian tried to support me as I realised that the first tears were leaking from in the corners of my eyes. I got rid of them with a swipe from my foreleg.
 
“Thanks, both of you, but we will have time for that later.” Gently, I pushed Fluttershy away from me and made some room for her so she could check on Julian. “You better check his ribs. I think some of them might be cracked.” She also brushed the tears away. Her cheeks were slightly red and her coat was wet. She must have been listening for a while.
 
“Did I hear right? Girlfriend and sister?” Of course, the things I wanted to keep to myself were the things everyone asked about.
 
“Well, yeah. Changer had a sister named Trixie. Since I’m practically him, this counterpart thing, she’s now also my sister. She was devastated when she came with a picture of me in the newspaper. We both had hit rock bottom and kind of understand each other. And Applejack, the one you can thank for the beating.” With that, I put a hoof on the point of impact to make him wince, much to Fluttershy’s disapproval as she smacked me on the foreleg. “She is my girlfriend, or rather marefriend. She is also pregnant with our foal.” Julian choked on that, and Fluttershy backed off a step.
 
“Foal?” He rasped. “As in… you’re becoming a father?” I only nodded to that, as did Fluttershy.
 
“I’m still very happy for both of you,” she explained while beginning to rub the bruised area on Julian's chest with a similar salve that Cadance had used on me.
 
“‘Gratulations man.... To be honest, I’m kind of amazed.” I could only give him a weird look as I couldn’t really fathom what he’d meant. AJ and I had been in a relationship for a good three months by now and had talked about having a child. Not in the near future, but it was an open topic. “Please don’t get me wrong. I’m really happy for you. It’s just that there hasn’t been good news like that in a long time now.” Once more I could only nod. After all that shit they’d been through, this was a small light hanging in the darkness.
 
“So, this should help.” Fluttershy finished her treatment and stored the medicine away in her little bag. “If you don’t mind… I’d come and take a look at it again tomorrow morning.” Julian nodded in agreement, and the pegasus left the cabin.
 
“Maybe I should have checked that show out after all, huh?” I could only laugh at that.
 
“I have, and it brought me nothing more than trouble. These aren’t the same ponies as in the show.” I also went for the door and waited for my friend. “Come on now! Dinner should be ready soon.” I was gleefully looking forward to his face the moment he’d get hay on his plate.
 


> Chapter 64 - Young
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"If you can't forgo meat then you maybe should let the spell expire," I spoke through the closed toilet door to my friend, who was apparently vomiting his soul from his body. After he had suffered through a week of little more than vegetable soups and apples, having rejected flowers and hay, Julian had cooked himself some bacon about an hour ago. Apart from the fact that a pony’s digestive system was not primarily made to process meat, I could not imagine how it would have tasted to him. Nevertheless, he had gulped down the entire plate by himself. Now I could say that I had seen an equine vomit for sure.

“How do you *burp* manage?” I tried to breathe through my mouth, because with my more sensitive nose, the smell was even more disagreeable than the times I had found myself in similar situations as a human. “You ate meat, just like me.” Once more, I heard the sound of liquid hitting porcelain.

“That was a pure habit thing. Moreover, I am, in contrast to you, actually a pony. As I went on longer without eating meat, my body also wanted none of it.” It had been so long since I had even thought of looking at a piece of meat that I actually could not remember.

“I think that was…” I heard the click of the cabin door and saw his hoof by the gap as he closed it again. Once more, the same noise from the last quarter of an hour was to be heard. “Couldn’t you warn me?”

“If I had known that you’d loot the stockroom of the hospital and cooked a year’s worth of bacon, I would have. Even if you weren’t a pony, the electricity had been switched off for several months. Even as a human, you would have gotten food poisoning. Then it wouldn’t be just one orifice...” I was distracted by opening the door to the hall, where Dr. Henry Brown now stood. He had become the official representative of the survivors here, fairly chosen and accepted by all.

“How does it go for the patient?” I said nothing and let the noises speak for themselves. “That doesn’t sound good… Shouldn’t have a veterinarian… a doctor have a look?” This was only one of many smaller awkwardness the meeting of humans and ponies had caused. When we had moved the Celestia onto the roof of the hospital about half a week ago, after everything here had been prepared, they had provided our demanded provisions. The whole thing was done like a small ceremony, in front of the gathered humans, and it screamed from back to front how weird everything was. As we were ponies, they had assumed that we would eat the same as normal ponies did. While we had considered our two races to be at the same level of intelligence, they had handed over ten large bales of hay. They had then seemed frightened that they had insulted us somehow, and none of the two parties knew how to act. Pinkie Pie was the one who finally solved this impasse by simply being herself. After several minutes of embarrassed silence, she had disappeared into one of the bales before she reappeared with her mouth filled with hay, and held a single needle in the air with pride. We weren’t able to contain our laughter at that, and the humans had followed suit not long after.

“It boils down to him being something that simply can’t process meat, and his body is now trying to get rid of it. As soon as everything is out, he should be fine.” The flush of the toilet was to be heard.

“Nothing is fine! My neck hurts, my stomach is rebelling, and I can’t eat meat!” I didn’t do anything but roll my eyes. 

“Then tell Luna that you don’t want to extend the spell anymore.” I looked over to Henry, who only sighed and left us alone once again in the hospital’s washroom area.

“Are you crazy? Do you know how cool it is to fly with your own wings?” I could well imagine that he had only touched the ground to eat or sleep for the past few days.

“You already know that we have to leave to go back to Equestria. Then it’ll run out sooner than later.” Again the door opened. This time, however, stepping out completely and with still some bits of fur hanging around his mouth, he went over to the sink.

“I know!” He turned the knob with a hoof and kept his head under the tap. “Therefore, I want to enjoy this as long as possible. I can even understand you a little why you have no problems with it. If your magic is in such a way like how I feel about flying, then I understand you very well.” The jet of water turned off, and I got a hoof up just in time to protect my face as he started to shake it off.

We had succeeded in integrating, with the help of some engineers and some magic, the water treatment plant of the thermal bath into the system of the hospital. In addition, we had installed a water retention system like the one in the Celestia, plus there was still the well in the garden. The garden was a small piece of vacant land in the middle of the medical centre to relax in, though mainly for the patients to walk around a little. To our luck, there hadn’t been a cellar, and we only had to work on the foundation.

“You already sound like Rainbow when it comes to flying around. I can’t understand the two of you.” Julian only grinned as we both walked back down the wide hall of the building.

“Hah, you were always the one ready to piss their pants when you stood on a ladder. Believe me, being up there with your own wings is something completely different than just being in an airplane. You’d have to feel it yourself to understand.” For a few seconds, I considered whether I should shake up his world a little. What friend would I be if I didn’t do it? A quick moment later, and my horn gave way for two wings at my sides.

“I could if I wanted to.” He looked at me in complete shock as we both halted our trek in the hallway.

“How the hell?” The shock now gave way to confusion.

“Like I said, my cutie mark shows my talent at transformation.” I had had to explain this to him and my brother several times as both did not have cutie marks. “A change of race is pretty indicative of this talent.” With the help of a little alicorn DNA of course, but I had decided not to tell anyone else about that. Armor felt that it was bad enough that now everyone knew that Luna was a princess. Twilight had accidentally let it slip in the briefing on the first day, and the word “princess” didn’t escape the Brits. Our surprise was therefore considerable as we had been greeted so formally after the landing, or at least Luna had been.

“I don’t understand why that’s so important. I know what I am good at.” The Crusaders had tried to make Julian, as well as Dirk, join their club. The grey pegasus beside me had excused himself from the fillies with some flimsy excuses and had taken off. My brother had less luck, as he was not able to do like Julian and escape with the winds. By his rather taciturn nature, it came as no surprise that he had not been able to offer up any excuse and was thus practically kidnapped by the five foals. As the area had been secured with the magical stones, nopony was actually worried about them, instead saving their concerns for their victims. Curious as they were, they didn’t shy away from trying to help one of the poor humans with their tasks. It often ended with us having to apologize for them after they had been brought back by an annoyed human.

“I know what you mean, but it is a big event in pony society. It indicates that you're on your way to becoming an adult and taken the path best suited for you, to know what job you can get and to fit into society. Ponies work for pleasure, since what you’re good at is usually what type of job you’d choose. It’s something humans, who work only to survive, wouldn’t really understand. I mean, yeah, there are those folks who get their dream jobs, but they were only a fraction. In Equestria, everybody knew what they were good at and lived with it.”

“And what do you have for a job with your talent?” A good question. My dream was never to be become a teacher or diplomat. In addition, those positions had little to do with my talent. Nevertheless, I was not unhappy with it.

“Because there are no computers in Equestria, I’ve made use of my mathematical knowledge. I teach in an elementary school. I think there I’ve remained a human. I don’t have to work with my talent to be happy. Moreover, I’ve always liked working with children.” I hadn’t realized how far we had walked, and we now stood in the cafeteria where Julian had swung the cooking spoon about an hour ago. The smell of the roasted bacon still lay in the air.

“Better than not having a job.” He probably meant the year when I had stayed at home between finishing university and getting my job “Well, I should clear up the kitchen. See you later.” I saw how he tried to ignore the smell of the bacon. That’s how you learn to hate a dish for life.


***


I had just covered half of the distance to my next goal when suddenly several children a bit smaller than me ran past me with a laugh on their lips.

“Thou can hide! Nevertheless, we shalt find thou!” a loud voice barked behind me, and Luna ran past me the next moment. On her back was a young girl with blond hair, laughing with joy. They seemed to have come from one of the waiting rooms. These had been converted into recreation rooms because they couldn’t really be used for anything else. Three of the walls were made of glass, and nobody would be able to really enjoy any sort of privacy. In the room were several toys like building blocks, large jigsaw puzzles, and Legos. In the second room, I saw Cadance, also surrounded by some children, but these seem to be tensely hanging onto the words coming from her lips as she read from a book that floated in front of her. The things were procured from the Toys'R'us, which was not far from here. Because, however, Twilight and I declined to go there, some soldiers had taken over this job.

“It’s a blessing to see the children so happy.” I had only noted the woman beside me when she spoke. I had grown accustomed to louder noises when being approached. I looked up to her. She was around thirty, wore old jeans and a thick red pullover. Her long brown hair was woven in a plait. “I can’t remember when last they had a chance to play. At night they lay awake, the noise those creatures made keeping them from sleeping. Then they sleep during the day.”

“Children should also not grow up like that.” She stretched a hand and patted my mane like a dog. Surprised, I looked at her.

“You ponies are somehow cute, I have to give you that.” She went into a squat to be able to look at me in my eyes. “I am Denise. It’s a pleasure to meet you properly… Blue Light, right?” We had been all introduced to the humans, and most of them accepted that we were here to help them when we showed them what we had changed at the hospital for the last few days.

“Correct… Ehm… Is that necessary?” I asked with my eyes looking upward. She followed my look and pulled back her hand quickly.

“Sorry. I had horses when I was younger, and it’s a habit I had. They always calmed down when I did it.” I only nodded.

“No problem, just makes me feel like I’m a child,” I confessed, which earned me a nod of understanding of my own.


“Sorry if I sound rude, but how old are you all again? If I had to go by the behavior of your friend a few days ago, I’d say you were teenagers. I don’t mean anything bad by that.” I wouldn’t take offense at that. After all, Pinkie Pie never really acted her age.

“Ponies age differently than humans. Our span of life is a little higher. In human years, I would be around twenty four.” I could tell that she didn’t expect that bit of information. “As for the others… How old Shining Armor, Night Hawk, or Shooting Star are, I don’t know.” However, I had also never asked. “The foals are between seven and ten human years. Pinkie Pie is the youngest and AJ the oldest one. So they all are between eighteen and twenty two.“ Whereas one birthday party was still pending this year.

“You all are a few years older than I thought. I mean, Princess Luna and Princess Cadance are a good bit bigger than you.” She indicated to the room at the pink alicorn. She noted the small gesture and waved briefly to us both.

“They both also belong to another race. Luna, for example, is more than three thousand years old.” Denise looked at me in shock for a few moments.

“You weren’t joking about the extended life span. Still, she’s rather well-maintained for her age.” We both could only grin at that. “Now I have to go get my daughter though. It’s time for her lessons.” With that, she rose again to her full size, so that I only reached to her up to the hip, and went to the room where Cadance was. She lifted one of the small girls in her arms, thanked the reader, and walked again out on the hall.

“Mummy, that was Cadance, Princess Cadance!” the small girl exclaimed and waved her hands about excitedly. “She will save us from the bad monsters. She also saved Canterlot.” I said nothing. It was uncertain whether we really had one more chance, and the last thing I wanted to do was to take away their hope. We represented that hope.

“Light! There you are.” I whirled around and saw Twilight coming up to me, the children in a line behind Luna. “We need to talk. There is new information.” I started to follow her before she could say anything more.

“What is with Cadance?” I asked as we took the staircase to go onto the first floor.

“My brother said that he is going to tell her later. She needs to avoid being stressed.” I only nodded. Cadance had been pregnant as long as AJ, and one only needed to take a good look at her to see that. Those who didn’t pay attention to her figure needed only to look at her plate. Pickles with mayonnaise were a clear language. We had half of the steps behind us as the next question occurred.


“What is going on? As far as I know, no meeting had been scheduled.” Every two or three days tasks had been distributed, and small squads were sent off to gather food. This didn’t affect us as much since we could simply get our food from the empty farm houses in the neighbourhood or simply pick from the empty fields. Often only Armor or Luna were present as our representative.

“You were not present last night. We have got the short wave transceiver running and made contact with two other stations.” Because the satellite dish on the roof was useless without transmitters, we had converted them into a transceiver with a long range. Yesterday we had started running them. “However, something seemed to have happened.” Twilight opened the door to the upper floor and we ran down the hall to the large conference room. The door was open and some others were already gathered. Among those were Henry, some other humans, Luna, and Armor. The momentary conversation was interrupted as we came in, and the humans took their seats in the luxurious leather chairs. Twilight, her brother, and I did so as well, only we hopped on them and plopped our rears on them. Luna was large enough to see above the table if she sat on the ground.

“As I just already explained…” began one of the humans who I identified as one of the engineers. He had also been a member of the British army. He looked different than Henry however, as he was substantially more athletic and maintained his military haircut. “We made contact with two groups of survivors last night. One group was from Spain and other here from Dusseldorf.” With that word, my ears perked up. It was the place my family had last been seen. “This morning before sunrise, contact with Manuel, the name of my correspondent, suddenly broke off. Since then, there have been no more responses, and the transmitter seems to be dead.”

“Either we have a raid by the Nightmare…” Everybody looked over to Armor. “The shades or another group of survivors attacked them because of the resources.” All around the table nodded except for Luna, who did not move a muscle.

“With Dusseldorf, we never had direct contact, only one SOS signal of American origin. Because it was interrupted, however, for one hour and then began again, somebody must have renewed the energy source.”

“Wasn’t that from the airplanes for the evacuation and whatnot the Yanks provided? Nevertheless, they worked together with the armed forces,” one of his two colleagues threw in. For me, my next aim was clearer than ever before. Dusseldorf was substantially closer than Munich, and the place of residence could be confirmed there, perhaps preventing a wild search.

“In this Spain… That was Nightmare,” Luna spoke suddenly, and all eyes lay on her.

“What do you mean, Princess?” Henry asked.

“We are sure that it was Nightmare. We were once one with this being, so we know how it thinks.” None of us ponies said anything, but the present humans made up for it.

“What do you mean ‘you were once one with that thing’?” asked the engineer, looking confused.

“We call these beings Nightmares. They move from world to world and feed on the souls of the inhabitants. Albion stood in their way once. However, thanks to our immortality, my sister and I had stood against them. It is impossible to consume an immortal soul.” They nodded even though they couldn’t entirely comprehend it.

“Princesses Luna and Celestia are the living Avatars of night and day. They are immortal and guard Albion and Equestria,” Twilight explained quickly, accompanied with a grateful nod by Luna.

“In our fight against them, one succeeded in diverting my defenses and tried to devour my soul. However, as I was immortal, we melded into a singular being. A great evil called Nightmare Moon was born and was exiled, finally, by our sister to the moon for one thousand years. After this time had passed, I was freed from this being by Twilight and her friends, and We thought We had rid it from ourselves. It was my nephew here who discovered it again.” She directed a hoof at me, and all humans stared at me. “Our sister probably had an idea and warned him about the possibility that the being still wandered through our country. In spite of the warning, the Nightmare also succeeding in taking him.”

“Hold on!” Henry threw in and held a finger in the air. “Your nephew? I thought Light had once been a human?”

“We will explain this later,” Luna said, looking a bit irritated. “However, Light had to prevent, at that time, the possibility that it could reach his soul, which would have led to his death. He viewed it as an opportunity to master control of the Nightmare and decided to hide the being inside of him. When he fought against another evil with Shining Armor and his troops, however, Nightmare finally took over his soul, and he died.” Once more, the looks of everyone landed on me.

“I was pulled into the Void, a place where the creators live,” I continued the tale. “There I met Albia, creator of Albion, and Celestia’s and Luna’s mother. She gave me this body and sent back me. My time has not come yet.” Everything sounded already like a fairy tale to me. I could only imagine how the others thought of it.

“I imagine you have a lot of questions, but suffice it to say, magic is the long and short of it,” I forestalled the doctor’s questions.

“The problem with Nightmare is that it does not have a conscience. It longs for revenge, death, and ruin, and it has the intelligence to do so, in contrast to others of its kind. At the moment, Light and myself are the objects upon whom it wishes to inflict sorrow and pain upon. It would be no surprise to destroy the source of hope to see us suffer.” Depressed expressions were exchanged.

“I think I have understood most of it,” Henry said after some seconds. “But what is it with you?” He indicated to me. “What are you now?”

“I am who I am. My soul is that of Timo, a human, but the body here was made for me by Albia, who modelled it directly after Celestia. She is my mother like Antje who had given birth to me originally.” One of the other engineers questioningly lifted a hand.

“What prompted this Albia to… to recreate you like this?” I sighed and took a breath.

“When I entered Equestria the first time, I had been told that there is no way back for me. I was devastated. The princess saw my despair and believed that all I needed was a family, so she took me in. This happened when I still had my old body. Albia thought it would be a nice present for both of us to… create me as her son.” I was getting sick of telling this story. “Celestia was also the one who gave me my new name of Blue Light.”

“If you both know this Nightmare, what should we do now?” I looked from Henry to Luna who thought the same as me.

“It’s main aim is to see us suffering, and because it knows everything about me, thanks to the fusion with Robin, it knows what I’m after: my family. Their last sighting was, according to my brother, in Dusseldorf.” With that, Armor hit a hoof on the table.

“Then our next aim is clear. As soon as the princess and the foals are again in Equestria tomorrow, we go in the direction of this Dusseldorf,” he said with certainty and finished the meeting.
> Chapter 65 - Luna
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------



"NNNNNNNiiiiiiiiiiiightmaaaaaaaaaaaare!"





***

 
As everything was ironed out, we left the meeting room on the upper floor of the hospital. Directly after breakfast this morning, a final meeting had been scheduled to discuss the next steps with the humans here. We clarified on what we actually had in mind when we said that we wanted to help. I explained that the protective magic of Albion could be created here in a certain radius by me. Although the entire planet would also be possible with the help of all the Elements, it would not make sense since the Nightmare was still a threat. Before we could build a protective barrier, Nightmare would have to be defeated, for it knew the magic as well. If she could create the magic, she could more than well destroy it. That was another reason to send Luna and the Crusaders back to Equestria. In the event that we could not stop her, they would be needed there.
 
"And you're sure you can maintain the magic?" Julian asked Twilight for the third time that day. She was now visibly annoyed.

"Yes, all alone so that Dirk can stay with us. It's not like I would have to cast the spell again. I’ll take care of him with new energy. Even if he runs out again, I will not." Julian indeed had his problems with existing as a colourful horse, as he put it, but flying made up for a lot of it.
 
"Hey! Wait a second." Henry came out of the room and sprinted after us. "I wanted to ask Julian something quickly." Twilight and I nodded while the grey pegasus turned to him. "Are you sure you want to go with them?" He thought for a few seconds before answering.
 
"Timo… um, Light here is my friend and has a plan to save our asses, right? If I can help, I will do that. Better than going stale here and searching through the garbage for food every day." He grinned over at me, and I would give him a big thumbs up if I had one. "Besides, I'm a little tied to Ms. Dumbledore here if I want to continue to fly," he said, nudging Twilight in the side, who bewilderedly looked up from the laundry.
 
"A famous magician out of a movie," I whispered in her ear, and she beamed.
 
"Thank you," she finally said, nudging him back, which was probably a bit more than he would have liked. The wound AJ had given him had degenerated into a small bruise, but probably still a little hurt.
 
"Then I hope to hear from you and hopefully our friends in Dusseldorf, since we always have room for helping hands here." He saluted briefly and clicked his heels before he disappeared down the hallway.
 

***


At last, Trixie had gotten over this annoying period. At home, she would eat in her own home and shunned any contact with stallions, but due to lack of space in the Celestia, that was not possible until further notice. To have to eat while the others were there or to wait until nopony was around to sneakily use the washroom was just not her style. After all, she loved great performances and attention, just not of this kind. She had done a performance once while in that state, which had led to irritated mares and embarrassed stallions in the first rows.
 
After that pesky last week and a half, to get some fresh air again, and not just through the small porthole, simply felt wonderful. Even though the air on this planet was a bit strange, which probably had something to do with this pollution Light had told her about, it was refreshing in any case. She stood on the wide flat roof of the hospital, which had become a sort of base that housed some of the humans. She had no problem with that, because somepony had to stay here while they travelled. Slowly she made ​​her way to the door that led to the stairwell to get something from the cafeteria. The last time she was there, however, it had smelled as though one of the humans had prepared meat even though the deal was that they had to do so away from the building. She had been ill all day and had not gotten the smell out of her head.
 
She made ​​an abrupt stop when she saw a figure sitting on the edge of the roof, quietly muttering something under his breath. She had seen the pony only once and heard the rest about him from Fluttershy, because she was the one who had looked after him. She took her job a bit too seriously as a ship's doctor for Trixie’s taste. She weighed for a few seconds whether she should go to him or not. After all, he was kind of a part of the family.  It was the brother of her brother. With a sigh, she decided to be a good soul and changed course to the end of the roof where the green stallion sat. 

"Hello down there," she greeted him when she was in range, but got no response. "The Great and Powerful Trixie is talking to you..." she added, a bit annoyed. The young stallion in front of her now looked at her as he leaned until he was on his back.
 
"Mmm..." he just mumbled ​​and looked past her into the sky.
 
"You don’t seem to be a very talkative fellow." Again, no response. "I'm trying to talk to you." She gritted her teeth. "You could at least have the decency to give me your name."
 
"Dirk," came tonelessly out of his mouth, the former human not even twitching a muscle.
 
"Are not you cold out here? It’s winter here." Although they had their robes, they protected very little against the chill, as evidenced by his shivers.
 
"A little." He placed his head to the side, toward the fields off the hospital grounds. Slowly, she became more annoyed since it was unusual that someone did not want to listen to her. Still, she told herself that she had to be patient, and so she sat down beside him and followed his gaze.
 
"Do you know who I am?" she asked after a few seconds.

"The Big Something Trixie?" came out of the mouth next to her, and she hesitated for a few seconds on whether she should correct him or not.

"Right, I'm Trixie. I think we both have the same brother." She tried to broach the subject that had been on her mind. Dirk’s face wandered in her direction, which showed that she now had his attention. "I'm sure Light told you that he is the counterpart of Changer of my world." A nod confirmed her suspicions. "Changer... was my brother, and therefore so is Light... somehow." Since there was no question or reaction, she continued. "I know that we’re not directly related, but I’d like to think of you as family as well. I’d like to get to know my younger brother a bit better," Trixie reluctantly confessed. She would have loved to have grown up in a large family with parents, and here she had the chance to extend her family by one.
 
"Aaaarrrgh!" He heaved himself to his feet and walked away a stone's throw from the edge. "Can’t you leave me alone? I never asked for any of this! I never asked for him to rescue me or turn into this!" He tried to get on his hind legs to show his body, but that failed and he landed hard in the gravel. "Do you see! I am a man, not a stupid pony. Why can’t you all just leave me alone?" Trixie was a little shocked. She could understand that he did not get along with this foreign body, but she would be glad if someone would have gone so far for her.
 
"He's your brother. Is it not natural to worry about his family?" she asked the angry stallion who was on the ground and made lines in the gravel with his hooves.
 
"I am happy that he is doing well... but I can take care of myself. I don’t need a babysitter to look after me. I’ve fought for my life for the last year alongside soldiers, at least once I could hold a gun. Now I cannot even remember..." He held a bunch of pebbles in his hoof and threw them over the edge of the roof.

"I think Light wants to make sure that doesn’t happen—"
 
"This is exactly the point! I want to help, but all he does is lock me away. He has always acted as if I were small and stupid, even though I was bigger than him." Trixie had no idea what to say. She did not know the finer details of the relationship between the two, especially since she had also only known Light for a few months. "If you manage to clear out Düsseldorf, I’ll just about certainly stay here."
 
"Well, if you want, I can talk to him. I am sure he will understand that you want to help." She had only caught bits and pieces of the mission, but finding a radio signal and contacting the humans sounded harmless enough in her ears. In addition, he had confirmed that he had combat experience. At that moment, the door opened to the hallway.
 

***

 
"Radio, double-check." Twilight ticked the last object from her list as she opened the door to the roof without even an attempt to look, and we met the cold wind. "Should I check your bag?" she asked as she made her list disappear with a flash of light and turned around to me.

"No thanks, Twilight, I checked everything myself." I assured, lying in the freezing cold. The bag had only spent a day in the hospital, and I was sure that AJ had taken out nothing. A diamond, a radio, a bottle of water and a laptop should be within. I had charged the latter from the charger I had borrowed from the Media Markt on the generator here in order to copy the list of survivors. It had, in contrast to my previous models, a long battery life, an eco-CPU, and an integrated graphics card. I could appreciate the quality of the laptop, as it could remain idle for seven to eight hours. Sure, I could have done the same with pen and paper, but those things were so easily broken or lost, or so the justification had been to the bookworm in front of me.
 
"Okay," she said, clearly disappointed. As Julian didn’t have any bags, she moved on from the topic. We were about to move on when I saw Dirk and Trixie from the corner of my eyes.
 
"Trixie, I see you're better!" I shouted and waved at her until she came to us, and I gave her a brief hug. "Still in a bad mood, Dirk?” I didn't think the Crusaders would be able to lift his spirits, but to even lower it was an accomplishment. I had to think of something. "Dirk, I know you, and I know you want to stay here. We’ll try to be back here tomorrow evening at the latest, before the spell ceases in order to—”
 
"I'll come with you," he interrupted me.
 
"It's out of the question. We do not know what’s waiting for us in Dusseldorf and—"
 
"I also think he should come along." That was Trixie this time.

"I see you agree with him, but it's far too dangerous because Dirk has no way to defend himself against the shades." Brute force unfortunately had no effect in these things.
 
"And whose fault is that? I have never asked to be a pony. I'm worried that the spell can expire at any time!" he almost yelled.
 
"Then stay here and wait." I did not come here to save them, just to put them back into danger. Not Dirk, not Nils (if I found him), and neither my mother or my grandmother.
 
"I know what I want and I’m coming with you. I can manage without you since I’ve gotten basic training. I am actually familiar with the weapons, not only from playing." He had a point there.
 
"Still, you're only fourteen, and—" My sister’s hoof blocked my lips.
 
"So what if he’s fourteen?" Damn it. "He's a pony right now, and since ponies are adults when they turn fourteen, he can decide for himself." I bit my lip since I had dug this grave myself.
 
"But he will remain on the ship or at least in its immediate vicinity. That is my condition." He said nothing but turned his back on us and went up the ramp to the Celestia.
 
"What was that about, Trixie?" I hissed at her when he was out of earshot.
 
"We have to talk. After all, he is a part of the family, right? And he was unhappy about the way you treated him, and Trixie can understand that he feels undermined for an adult pony," she declared with absolute certainty in her voice.
 
"He's not a full-grown pony but a fourteen year old boy who is a little too big for his age!" Trixie wrinkled her nose and followed in the direction of my brother. "Twilight!"
 
"What? This is your family. I’m not going to interfere," she said, following Trixie. I looked at Julian, who only sported a large grin.
 
"Those two surprised you, huh?"
 

***


The flight back to my house lasted only a few minutes. During this time, Trixie, Twilight, and Luna had gone over the magic to open the portal and calculated the necessary magical energy. Rainbow and Scootaloo had been in a rather heated discussion about something, and the remaining Crusaders had watched them go at it with interest. I had watched the spectacle from the meeting room along with Armor and Rarity. We were now just landing, and for the first time in a week, everypony came at the same time on deck. Fluttershy, AJ, Cadance, and Pinkie emerged from below. Star, Hawk, and Julian landed next to them, as they had accompanied the ship when it had been in the air. The last was to come out was Luna, who bore a worried look.
 
"We wish we could continue to be useful to you, but as long as Nightmare is free..." Cadance approached her mother and gave her a smile before they embraced.
 
"Do not worry, Princess, we'll be fine. Right, everypony?" Twilight asked, which elicited a "Yeah!" from the Bearers and triggered a "Hoorah!" by the present soldiers, Trixie, and I. The ramp was extended again, and one by one we left the ship and walked the few meters to the entrance of the forest. The grass was still somewhat covered by the frost from overnight and crunched under our hooves. The hedge on our fence was overgrown and lost some branches as Julian ran past it with outstretched wings. No one really said anything, as we knew that it would be more difficult without Luna. On the other hand it would mean the foals would be safe. They were especially quiet since Big Mac and Caramel had certainly already noticed that they were missing, and a proper punishment was more than likely. Finally, the first branches revealed a little sunlight, the bit that still managed to peek through the clouds. Our ragtag group came to a halt.
 
"Ready?" Luna asked as Twilight and Trixie both stepped forward and began to concentrate. Nothing happened for a few seconds, but then their horns began to shine and energy gathered at one point between them. The point was exactly in the middle of the triangle that they formed, and a circle slowly appeared between the three. We had probably not seen this the last time, as the trees of the Everfree had obscured the view of the forest floor.
 
"And you really promise me, Rainbow Dash?" I heard Scootaloo say behind me while dragging her idol by her wing.

"Yeah, Squirt, I promise you. Once we get back, I’ll take care of it." She pressed the little pegasus gently back to the ground with a hoof, and to my right I saw Fluttershy and Holly embrace. The two had grown close in a short period of time, and I hardly regretted Toby’s guarantee that I had used. Dawn came a little further forward to get a better view while Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom stayed with their sisters. Armor and the rest of the group were further behind us and watched the surroundings closely, almost as if they were expecting an attack. Dirk, as he swore, did not stay close to the ship and was a few meters behind us and seemed to count blades of grass. A noise drew my attention back to the spell being cast in front of me, and I looked just in time to see the portal formed slowly and a view of the famous trees of the Everfree.
 
"Please hurry," Twilight moaned, visibly exhausted. "We can’t maintain the spell forever." I saw AJ give Apple Bloom a kiss on the forehead before she pushed her forward.
 
"I'll see you again soon," she added, and the filly went to the portal. She stopped briefly in front of it, gulped, and stepped through. A few seconds went by before she appeared on the other side and seemed to look around. She moved her lips, but we could not hear what was said. Suddenly, a large red stallion came into the picture and pulled his little sister in his hooves. Apparently he had thought ahead and already anticipated her return.
 
"You see, Sweetie Belle?" Now Rarity also nudged her sister towards the portal. “Big Macintosh is already waiting for you." She did the same as Apple Bloom. She stopped in front of the portal, stretched out a hoof, and then the rest of her followed. As before, it took a few seconds until she was seen on the other side, but the moment she came into sight made Rarity sigh in relief.
 
"Come on, Squirt, you're next," Rainbow urged the orange foal to her right and went with her ​​a few steps toward the portal.
 
"And you’ll keep your promise?" Annoyed, she rolled her eyes and nodded.
 
"I’m the Element of Loyalty and all that. Do you really think I'd disappoint my biggest fan?" Scootaloo was still a little unsure about the portal.
 
"What did you promise her, Rainbow?" I asked her now that she was standing next to me.
 
"We’ll go look for her father." My silence made ​​it clear that she would have to explain further. "Sunshine was never with him really. He was just a colt who went after mares in heat.” He sounded like the perfect parental material. "He owes her at least as much now since his daughter is eight." Still, I could not be one to talk.
 
"I do not want to go, Rainbow..." whined Scootaloo and stepped back a little.
 
"We don’t have all day," reminded Trixie, focused on maintaining the portal. The little one sighed and began to walk to the portal before it suddenly collapsed. In seconds it imploded, thereby cutting off a good portion of Scootaloo’s mane and flinging both her and the three others to the ground. Rainbow shielded herself with a wing from the wave of pressure, as I did with a foreleg. When it was all over, I saw Luna, Twilight, and Trixie slowly rise off the ground, questions and pain written on their faces. I rushed to Luna and saw Armor squeeze past the shocked Bearers and came to his sister. Rainbow and Pinkie rushed over to Scootaloo, and AJ went over to Trixie.

"What happened?" Twilight asked in confusion and looked at Luna and me. The lunar princess shook her head to get her mane out of her face.
 
"Something has cut magical connection or interrupted the open portal," she said and started to get back on her feet. I went to assist her, and she nodded in thanks.
 
"Not something... ME!" All heads shot up to the source of the voice out from behind one of the trees. Robin, no longer completely black but with red glowing eyes, had a big smile on his face.
 
"Nightmare!" yelled Armor as his spear appeared from nowhere and was directed at our approaching opponent.
 
"No... It's just a projection," Luna said, pointing with a hoof at something glittering in the foliage on the ground. I looked past Nightmare and saw that there was a little gem amongst the brown leaves, not much larger than a bottle cap. That meant that it was from Earth and not Equestria.

"Bravo, Luna. I did not think that you would figure that out so fast." It clapped sarcastically and then stayed about five feet in front of us.
 
"What do you want?" Twilight had a furious look on her face while her horn was ready and loaded.
 
"Always so curious, hmm Twilight Sparkle?" She did not respond to the comment, only her horn glowed a little more. "As to why I am here, you should have figured it out already."
 
"It wants to prevent Scootaloo’s return to Equestria? What is it?” Rarity asked no one in particular.
 
"Almost. It's about our lovely Luna here." It pointed to Luna and then to me. “And also this worm." It wasn’t a good sign that Nightmare was so calm, because that meant that it felt superior and confident in its position.
 
"It wants to prevent us from going back to Equestria and uniting with our sister," stated Luna and Nightmare nodded.
 
"I see we still think the same, Luna." She only spat on the floor in front of it.
 
"We are nothing like you. You are just a beast that follows its immoral instincts." The two looked at each other for a few seconds before it began to laugh maniacally.
 
"Yes, I was perhaps once like that! But now I am something better. You of all creatures should know better, because after all, I am you, Luna!" Luna's face was angry again, untamed rage blatant.

"We are not a being that senselessly kills without any moral consequences to fear!" she barked at Nightmare, and its face turned grim.
 
"No? What do you think I used as a model? I am you and you are me. What you know, so do I! Did you really think I would not be haunted by the consequences of my actions? Oh no, Luna. This gift I owe you and you alone!” it screamed, and I saw how Holly and Fluttershy seemed to roll into a ball.
 
"If you know what you're doing is wrong, why are you doing it?" asked Twilight, horn still at the ready.
 
"I cannot change what I am, even with a so-called conscience. Destruction is my existence and death my life, Twilight Sparkle." Its tone was something more relaxed. "I'm no different than your beloved princesses. You cannot help but to worry about each pony, no matter who they happen to be. Anger and hatred are what burns in my veins. You are my raison d'être, the reason why I, we were created."
 
"Do you not know what torment you’ve added to our ponies and the people of this world then?" Luna whispered to it.

"Torture, Princess? You don't even know what real torture is! How would you feel if every time you do what you meant to do, it caused you mental agony? But you can't help yourself... because that is what you are. I owe all that to you!  I will make sure that you, and anyone who stands in my way, learn the same agony first-hand." It pointed a finger at us accusingly, and its image seemed to flicker with every word. "You are the culmination of all that, Luna. I will save you for the end because I want to enjoy this." It looked down to me with eyes that once belonged to my friend. "We will start with this creature that dared to use us as a tool..." It stretched out its hand behind its back and pulled out an old wooden chain, which I immediately recognized. "I see you know what that is." It grinned.
 
"My grandmother’s chain." I was about to immediately go for the jugular, even if it was only a projected image. Twilight beat me to it, but the projectile just flew through it and drilled a hole in one of the trees.
 
"No, Twilight Sparkle," Luna said without taking her eyes from Nightmare. "It's not really here. This projection could come from anywhere in the world. "
 
"I found this on a small Spanish campsite that served as a hiding place for some humans," it explained, examining the old memory of our vacation in Turkey. "No good if I may say so. My friends took a full ten minutes to find the last one." I sprang forward, ready to end the life of this being with my horn. However, I passed through it like the bullet had done. I bared his teeth and tasted the salt from my tears of anger, sadness, and pain. "I love despair..."
 
"Nightmare! I swear that I will find you, and when that happens, you'll wish that it will be a quick death. You’ll have to beg for it..." My breathing was uneven and I was close to a breakdown. No matter what, I would not let it escape.
 
"Twilight! Destroy the crystal!" Armor yelled. It took her a few seconds process what was said, but then she began to sprint.
 
"Before our conversation ends, let us continue from where we stopped the last time."  Immediately I remembered the day when it had been released. I had lost my best friend and recalled the last thing it had wanted to do it before Luna had intervened.
 
"Dirk..." I muttered, my gaze swivelling around to look past the heads of the others to my brother. Behind him stood the dark figure, the real Nightmare. The trademark crazed red grin was on its face and its arm were outstretched to the sky, unnoticed by its victims. 
 
"Dirk!" I yelled to get his attention, but it was too late. The dark hand shot down and pierced his body through his back and came to his chest out again. No blood, no screaming—Dirk’s mouth only opened a bit before he was slowly lifted into the air. His eyes became cloudy, and with a jolt the penetrating hand withdrew. With a thud on the grass, he went to the ground.
 
"NNNNNNNNNNNNNiiiiiiiiiiiightmaaaaaaaaaaaare!"
 
Without thinking, without ever doing anything consciously, I swung my wings and soared like a cannonball across the ground to the monster. Revenge, revenge, revenge, revenge! Again and again and again and again, I repeated this word in my head or screamed it. I could not tell the difference. It quickly came closer, and no magic came to me or took shape. I just wanted to destroy it, kill it in the cruellest way possible. Magic was needed no matter what. The main thing was that it would end the life of this thing. My wings vanished in favour for my horn, and two thin magic blades formed in the bright blue of my magic. It was raw, unformed magic pressed into shape without a spell or even any runes. Nightmare fought against this attack as much as it could, but I repeatedly pressed on. Still in the air, I did not drive the blade with my horn but as an extension of my front hooves and reached out to bring down this monster.
 
The next thing I saw was both blades being drilled into the ground, no trace of my ultimate goal. I whirled around and, with all four hooves, skidded across the frozen ground until I came to a stop. I immediately pushed off again and soared to the monster that was now to my left. It still had a grin on its face and went back to my attack. The fence, which had incurred my wrath, crumbled into small pieces as I immediately repeated the manoeuvre. This time I was caught by its black hand, and it closed around my neck. "Come on... Kill me!" I cried as it started to tighten its grip.
 
"Light!" I looked down at the others a distance away, which made ​​it clear how much had happened in the last ten seconds.
 
"You won’t escape so easily." It lifted its other hand and reached out to slam against my head. Then, darkness.


> Chapter 66 - Oblivion
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

His breathing was all that he could think about. He didn't pay any attention to the can rolling down the street as it was pushed by the wind, as was the newspaper trying to free itself from being pinned under his foot. All that mattered was the target directly in front of him. Cautious yet relaxed, he observed every movement. The front hooves moved a little as the creature bit into the grass. The ears always changed its direction, on the lookout for anything that might present the smallest danger.
 
A gust of wind moved through the narrow shopping street, and the head of the target jumped upwards, nose into the wind to catch every scent. Slowly, he breathed out and used the noise of the wind as protection to move a step closer to the old car in front of him, weapon at the ready and red dot at eye level. The dot itself remained the entire time on the head of the first fresh meal for a month. Cautiously, he laid the front part of the G36C on the roof of the car to stabilize the weapon. The target began to eat again, which meant that the head would not move for the next seconds. A last breath, and as the air left his lungs, the bullet left the muzzle. Immediately, James "Fish" Tuna looked above his weapon and saw how the deer went to ground.
 
"You got it!" called Mac, who bolted around the corner and ran to his squad leader.
 
"That’s at least forty pounds of meat." He pulled a knife from his belt and handed it over to his comrade. "Finally, something else than those stupid German cookies." The last few months had been hard. The town has been more or less deserted, and everything not nailed down had been moved with the fleeing populace. At first they had survived by looting cellars of residential houses. However, after some time, there were no more cans to be found, and they started to collect "non-perishable food" from any possible location. They couldn't live forever on chocolate cookies though, so the dead German soldiers had been relieved of their rations stored in their backpacks. A dead soldier meant several meals for them. A few weeks later and wild animals had begun to enter the city, probably from how quiet it was. That meant fresh food, and what couldn't be prepared immediately was placed into a hole in the ground. These worked, especially in the winter, as refrigerators and kept everything edible for a longer time. Mac had salted a substantial amount the first few days, but their salt stash diminished too fast. If they planned to keep seasoning their food, they had to forgo this method. Fish retrieved the second knife from the inside of his vest and walked to Mac. His mate checked the animal for worms or other visible diseases.
 
"It looks healthy… Still, better roast it well done." He wiped off the blood that stuck on the knife due to digging the bullet out of the head wound. "I’ll get the pole." It was an old pipe that they had found on a construction site that same day. Last week it had been an old broom handle, but it broke after the last transport and could only serve as firewood. Quickly, the soldier rose and ran back to the corner where he had been waiting, and returned with the object in question. Fish lifted the animal's legs and started to bind them together. With a few well-practiced twists, it was tied and the pole pushed below the knots.
 
"On three." They bent their knees and placed one end of the pipe on their right shoulders. Some pieces of foam had been attached to their vests so that the pipe didn't hurt them. "Three!" With a powerful yank, they stood up again and had the food for the next few days securely between them now. The destination was the butchery now, which handily lay near their base. No one in their group had ever expected that it would be a small McDonald’s restaurant. There was only a double door which led to the broad shopping street, which they were walking down. Otherwise, there was only the back door which they had more than secured. The display panels didn't show the menu anymore, but instead held the installed UV lamps that were powered by the generator from the panels one block further. One of the posters Mac had kept, namely the one with his namesake.
 
"Cover!" hissed the two meters tall Texan before him, and they immediately vanished through a broken window of a drugstore. His mate turned to him, pointed with his index and middle fingers to his eyes before showing three fingers. Fish nodded and they slowly laid the deer down on the old conveyor of the register. With a click, he released the safety, and Mac drew his M9 from his belt. Both stuck to the wall and dared a glance outside of the store.
 
"Damn. Those kids again." A gang consisting of more than fifty teenagers had terrorized the area for about a month and stole already scarce resources. At their first encounter, he had tried to talk with them and to come to an agreement. The youth were either against him, or didn't speak English. In any case, the Glock in front of his nose had spoken a clear language. Since then, they had met a few scattered groups, but until now they had avoided a direct clash. Not only that they were significantly more than them, they were armed better. They pulled their heads back, and with a sign, Mac gave Fish the order to go back into the store. They shouldered their prey and began to move into the back. "We’ll take the delivery entrance and circumvent the gang." He had not seen any weapons, but he didn't want to take a chance, and he was reluctant to kill children.
 
"There!" Mac pointed to the door and in the next moment he pushed it open. They found themselves in a small hallway which probably led into the storage and the common rooms for the staff. A delivery entrance would probably be in the storage, so they took the way through the big iron double door. Everything here had already been looted, like nearly the entire store, and so it was possible to see the back door. Without hesitation and moving quickly, they moved past the shelves. Silently, Mac opened the door and checked that the coast was clear before he gave the signal. The driveway had been placed directly next to one of the small streets. These speedily led to the places to which one wanted to go, but unfortunately you were easy to see as well. Two armed men weren't an obstacle to be left in peace, especially if the prize was food for several days. In the moment where the door closed, they saw out of the corner of the eye, at the other end of the alley, the group of youths were walking past. A glance to the left from one of them, and they had a real problem. Tensely, they held their breath and breathed out in relief when the group moved on.
 
"God is with the dumb people. But he helps the really dumb ones," the captain quoted the old proverb of his grandfather.
 
"Eeeyup," agreed Mac.
 

***

 
I had been running for what felt like hours over this dumb checkerboard of white and blue, no idea of where I was, who I was, or anything at all. Dammit, I didn't even know what I was. I had four hooves, a blue coat, and white hair. But somehow my mind was empty. No name, no memories. Could it be that I had been always here? Or did I fall down? I could only see a few meters, then everything else dissolved in white fog. Only the blue sky was always the same. No clouds, nothing. Only this perfect green sky.
 
"Green is really a pretty color. Why I am not green?" I looked down and noticed that I was green. Strange, a moment ago I wasn't… I had forgotten what it was. But it was different. My feet – yes, that was the word – always made this loud noise when they knocked on the floor. I had already tried to call someone, or something, to see if I wasn't alone, but I was. Only me, whoever, wherever, whenever. The red-coloured tiled floor was somehow pretty. I wished I could be red as well...
 

***

 
He knocked two times against the barricaded window and kicked once against the plastic frame of the door before he opened it. That was the signal that they had agreed on so that the rest always knew that a friend was coming. Should someone be forced to open the door, then it was to be performed the other way around. If the door opened without any signal, they would immediately open fire. Too many precious things they had stored in the small restaurant to take any risk to lose any of it.
 
"There you are again, Fish," Bones greeted him, who sat on his bench and once more played Solitaire. Directly on the other side sat Alf, praying softly with his necklace in his hand. This he did every day since more than a year, every day he could see the sun. "Did you shoot something?"  
 
"Mac is over there in the butchery cutting it." That his mate grew up on a cattle farm paid off. "Should suffice for the next days." They had sworn one thing, namely never to tell the others what exactly they had shot. Dogs and cats had been on their plates a few days already. "Is Lee still up in the nest?" In the vicinity, there was a high office building on which the roof had been a lookout point. Also, the transmitter was attached there. Every day, two went foraging and one was the lookout on the roof. Unfortunately, it was winter now and up there had grown very cold. It was fortunate that clothing had not been high on the list of the looters.
 
"He should be here soon. He signed off half an hour ago." With those words, Bones pointed to the old radio on the counter next to the registers. A car battery had kept it working for nearly two months now, and there were enough replacements as well. Fish walked to it and took the speaker off. "Come in, Hawk, this is Clown. Come in, Hawk, this is Clown. Over." Another precaution not to be intercepted and be located. He let the button on the speaker go and waited a few seconds with the head hanging next to the loudspeaker. "Come in, Hawk, we have sighted Mouse."
 
"You did what?" came from the loudspeaker. He had thought of the code just now. "Doesn't matter! You need to come now. There is...” The last part was drowned in the noise. "...Quickly."
 
"Alf! Bones!" The soldiers reacted at once. The Solitaire game forgotten, the medic buckled his backpack on and chambered a round for the M9 that had been lying next to him on the bench. His colleague followed suit, only that he had a pistol instead of a revolver in his hand. They had found the weapon during looting a house. Immediately, they sprinted out of the door and vanished in the pedestrian area of Düsseldorf's downtown. One store after the other flashed by them, their eyes always directed towards the large building in which their mate was in danger. 
 
"Looters?" asked Alf between the others.
 
"Unlikely. They left when the pipes were full of air," answered Bones. Their water they got from the Rhine but didn't use it before boiling it off and filtering. A trick which every scout boy learned.
 
"It could be also that gang of kids. We nearly ran into the arms of three of them earlier." Fish turned around the corner, the journey almost half complete. Now they were at the location of the first encounter with the teenagers and they had to be particularly cautious because of this. Still, Lee had said that the gang wouldn’t think they would use this way again. "You take the stairs; I’ll take the fire ladder," he ordered as they crept through the knocked-in revolving door of the building. This meant that he wouldn't manage the thirty floors over the stairs like the other two, but over ladders. Fish dashed past the reception area, took the few steps into the first floor, and entered the first office to his left. He opened the window of the empty room and followed the black railing upwards with his gaze. "At least it didn’t rain."
 

***

 
Red, red, blue, green, blue, yellow. To jump always on the same-coloured tiles distracted from how it was so empty and dull around here. The most exciting thing that happened so far was… I had forgotten. Ah yes! The tiles on the floor had two colours. I jumped on the next one and painstakingly took care not to touch the white fields. Why? No idea, but somehow they seemed fishy. It was as if my head told me that it would be painful to step on them. That reminded to me to look up what a head was or a painful.
 
"Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious," I recited proudly as I managed to get to the third tile in a row. I had no idea what these words meant, if they meant anything at all, or where they came from. They were simply there. Like me. "Squirrel!" I called and quickly sent my gaze into another direction. It was as if I was drawn there. After some time, I slowly walked over the grey floor to the suspicious-looking place. It somehow looked wrong, as it had no color, nor light. A large, round, dark something without color. It wasn't blue like everything here.
 
"I see you found the damage?" The question was posed.
 
"It’s not as if it could be overlooked." I turned to the side and looked up to a being that was double the size I was. It moved on fours like me, but had a blue coat and not a brown one like me. Something was there on his back, seemingly arms or wings. In addition, a big lump poked out from his hair. Who had hit the poor guy so much?
 
"You look a little lost," it remarked with a voice I already had heard somewhere.
 
"Nope. The world is pink, my fur is magenta. I am happy," I explained to him and began to jump around the big dark thing.
 
"Night is colder than outside?"
 
"What a question! Of course." As if everyone didn't know that already.
 
"I think you have been hit quite hard." I stood on the other side, but somehow he didn't want to play catch. He still stood where he was since the start. Maybe it couldn't walk? But... it also had legs.
 
"Are you gonna hide now? I thought you wanted to play?" He had some nerve.
 
"Soul! Come here! I’ve found him," he called into the white fog and the coolest thing that I had ever seen immediately appeared. The being walked on two legs and seemed to wear fur on its skin, only that it had a different color than the skin itself. The skin on the legs was blue and on the torso white. It had far smaller eyes that were framed by glasses as well. A little dark blonde fur, not brown as many thought, was on his head.
 
"Phew. Well done, Body. I thought we would never find Mind."
 

***

 
Fish had to get into the building for the last five floors of the building. The last ladders had been pulled up for whatever reason, and he didn't want to risk a jump with that wind. In addition, his vest had not been lined, so his hands had become numb a bit. Without further ado, he knocked one of the windows in and found a large office with a desk and several chairs. A typical boss’ floor. The other two probably had several floors on him, but he had not many left himself. The stairs in which he climbed the steps was on the other side, and anyone who wanted to leave had to come by him or Bones and Alf. Unless, of course, the free fall towards the asphalt was a solution. In case of doubt, it would save them ammunition. The door to the twenty-ninth floor came into view. He leaned lightly against it and took a deep breath, as the last meters had taken their toll on him. With a click, his stride suddenly left him and he nearly fell over backwards, if not for the two hands that caught his back.
 
"Man, Fish!" called Bones and lowered his weapon. "We already thought you were another trespasser. Didn't you plan to take the fire ladder?" Alf helped his captain up, who bent over and supported himself with his hands on knees.
 
"The fire ladders didn't go up any further," he explained between breaths. "I should have stopped smoking earlier…" He stretched himself once and positioned his weapon around his neck again. "Go on." The other two nodded and moved to the small stairs lying offside of the main hallways, leading to the roof. They prepared their weapons for fire. Alf and Bones positioned themselves next to the door, one on every side, and with a relaxed kick from the radio operator, daylight entered the building. Fish tried to throw a glance through the gap but was welcomed by a M4's barrel as the door opened completely.
 
"Finally, there you are," Lee greeted them and secured his weapon before he threw it on his back. "When I heard the clatter of a window, I thought I was a sitting duck." Slightly confused by their relaxed comrade, the three looked at each other.
 
"If no one is here, why were you in such a panic?" Alf asked in confusion and looked around on the roof. Next to a sheet for wind protection stood the chair in which Lee probably had been sitting most of the time. Next to this was a coffee machine that was powered with a battery and some bottles with fluids.
 
"Come, it should be visible soon like this." He raised the spyglass from his neck and scanned the sky. The other followed him behind the wind protection before he pointed to a row of skyscrapers. "It should soon appear behind that." For a few seconds, nothing happened but then they saw it, and no one wanted to trust their eyes. A ship made of wood, which looked like as if it originated from the medieval times, seemed to have been bound to a zeppelin and placidly floated through the air. Without a word, Fish grabbed the spyglass and took a closer look at it. It had been painted in a dark red and was covered with yellow ornamentation. Now and then some minor damage was noticeable, but it seemed to be intact.
 
"From which Disney movie did that escape?" he asked no one in particular.
> Chapter 67 - Labyrinth
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The both of them were real bores. They simply stood there and waited for me to come to them, but I would not make it so easy.
 
"Body, I think it would be best if you cleared this up for him," the large being said without looking up at me. What a lame attempt at distracting me. "We cannot remain in this condition for very long." The other being nodded and disappeared all of a sudden.
 
"Hey! That’s not fair. Invisibility is cowardice." Something tapped against my back.
 
"I am not invisible." I screeched and dove for cover, even though there was none to be had.
 
"Damn it. Fine, I’ll give you to the count of ten—" He held one of his legs in front of mouth to stop me from speaking further.
 
"I do this only reluctantly, but it must be done." His hand touched me and things came back all of a sudden. Recollections. A name, pictures, emotions, and with that, rage and sorrow. It was as though I had awoken from a dream, and with a blink, I looked into that which I called reality.
 
"I see we are a little more together than before." I had to throw a look again at the person before me. It was my old body, but not completely. He did not look like how I had been, but rather how I imagined myself to be. "As I already said, I am Soul."
 
"What is this place?" That was the first question that I uttered. The ground was tiled like a chessboard in white and blue. This seemed to go infinitely in every direction, while above us was a blue, cloudless sky. The only thing that seemed out of place was the appearance of Soul and the dark hole that came out of the ground.
 
“I know just as much as you do, seeing as we are one and the same. On the basis of our assumptions, I would postulate the theory that all this here are ourselves, or rather what we imagine what we are." He pointed at all directions with both hands.
 
"I thought always it would be here a bit more chaotic. Regardless where here may be…" I looked up into his face. "Dirk is really...?" He scratched his three-day beard and considered shortly.
 
"Not necessarily. Nightmare has done the same to him like she did to us." I went through the last seconds that I had experienced in reality. Nightmare had rammed itself into my head and had wanted to destroy my soul.
 
"I see you came to the same conclusion. We should be dead, but we are not for some reason. Otherwise, we would not be in this void again." I nodded at him.
 
"Body, spirit, and soul—they belong together. That was what Albia said to me. The draft of the life, with which one cannot exist in nature without. Because I was just confused… I’m guessing Nightmare attacked my soul.” I pointed at the hole with my hoof. "And this is what is left of it." Soul nodded and continued.
 
“However, we know that Nightmare has not consumed our soul, and also not Dirk’s. He likely suffers from the same condition as us. In any case, we know a few things now. Firstly, we know why Luna always speaks in a plurality. She was exposed to an attack of this nature a thousand years ago and also has this condition. After so long, speaking like that would have no doubt become a habit.” The fact that the attack would reveal so much information was something I never would had thought as possible. Then again, here I was talking with myself.
 
"The other thing is: why did it only place Dirk in this condition. Why not consume his soul and be done with it. To put it simply, it cannot. After all what we know about Nightmare, it’s the only logical option. Their kind consumes souls since they don't have any, and so wish to quench their hunger for them. Now, however, Nightmare has a soul, and therefore the hunger is satisfied. It also cannot eat them anymore. It can only kill and take over the soul. It must leave the body to kill, and these seconds are its weakness." Soul went on his knees to look at me directly in my eyes.
 
"You have beautiful eyes." He batted his own eyelashes to underpin the joke.
 
"Oh shut up. We need to wake up from here… and pull ourselves together.” I pushed him back, causing him to land on his backside. "Should we do this now?"
 
“Not at all.” My short-lived amusement came to a screeching halt.
 
"What? Why… I don’t understand. You are my soul, right?" He patted me on the head and grinned.
 
"Do I look as though I would be your soul?" He looked like I saw myself as a person, but I was as a pony here.
 
"No, not really. But you’re still part of me." His grin became even wider.
 
"There you have it. We are too different and so cannot become one." The logic was not so far at all. The fact that I had my body modelled after an alicorn was the basis for my relation to Celestia.
 
"Then we have to change that! I must help here and Dirk, because I don’t think he’ll come to the same conclusion as me. Besides, we don’t know how long it will take for us to die in this condition.” If body, spirit, and soul could not come together, the division would certainly lead to death. "What must we do?"
 
"We? I am what you see in you. Say to me why I am like I am." Oh, please no. I simply did not have the temperament for these kinds of puzzles.

"You look like this because I was once a human and do what you have to do." He only stuck out his tongue and grinned. “Urgh…” I was one moment away from hitting myself. “I don’t have time for this.” This time, there was no reaction from him.
 

***

 
Trixie sat for an hour in the sick room between both ponies she could call family. In the bed to her left lay Blue Light with his raspy breathing which sounded as though it could stop at any moment, like he was recuperating from a marathon. In the other bed was Dirk, his breath almost non-existent. Cadance monitoring magic confirmed that his pulse was weaker with every second that passed, his brain activity deteriorating with it. Why the older brother had not passed on was a puzzle, even to Princess Luna.
 
"How can both display so different reactions?" Twilight Sparkle was also present and had tried one spell after the other on both of them. However, Luna was the only one up to now who had gotten something to happen.
 
"He’s not breathing anymore!" Twilight called suddenly, and now Luna was immediately on her legs again. She had tried to rest a little near Dirk’s bed. The constant resuscitation magic itself was too much for the Princess of the Night. Now she went directly to his bed and quickly began to form several circles above the dying stallion.
 
"He is very weak. We cannot keep this up much longer, and he cannot go on like this in any case," she muttered to herself as the blanket around him almost unnoticeably began to lift. “His body is basically only running on magic.”

Trixie saw from the corner of her eyes as Light’s own eyes shot open, and white light poured from them. The attention quickly changed to him, but as quickly as it had happened, it had disappeared.
 
"Was that a magical discharge?" Trixie asked and looked over to Twilight, who quickly began to run some magical tests.
 
"That was no magical discharge. It must have been something else." She looked down to her friend, who somehow seemed to be more at ease. "However, his respiration has become more stable. I hope this is a good sign." She pulled his blanket again so that both he and AJ were covered. She had refused to give way from his side and lay near him in the bed. Now she had a smile on her face as the warmth of the blanket returned.
 

***


I hit myself on the head with a hoof and regretted it immediately. I had forgotten how hard it could actually be. "You almost had me worrying, even though the answer is so simple!" The smile of my counterpart had not shrunk and nothing had changed so far. "You even told me. I am the one who is projecting you. I decide who I am. That was the reason why I experienced everything here as the Mind. I was the consciousness; body and soul reported to me, not I to them." He began to clap sarcastically before he heaved himself to his feet.
 
“Then I would say we should take a look at ourselves.” He begun to shine, and before me was my earth pony form. It was like when Body had placed himself against my horn. This time there was no direct change, but it was there nonetheless. I knew that.

“For what is a good soul, actually?" I ask nobody, now that I was alone here. I waited for a few seconds and expected to wake up, but nothing happened. “I also need to check for an exit.” I sighed and looked around again. Behind me was the hole and the endless chessboard. I stepped a bit nearer to the border and looked downwards. It was the only blemish upon this place. It looked as though the light from around the hole was sucked down into the darkness.
 
"Hello?" I called downwards, but there was no echo. I felt with a hoof carefully the hole and was greeted by a surprise. It was as if a glass plate was placed above the hole. I carefully set one hoof, and then another, until I finally stood in the middle of the hole.
 
"Beam me up, Scotty!" As expected, nothing happened. “I need to be quick about this…" I turned around and saw that where I had stepped now looked like the rest of the ground. "Not even the Lufia puzzles let me be in peace…" I ran over every centimetre, and after a few moments, there was no indication of where the hole had been. Content, I looked down and noticed something. My eyes widened as the ground began to drop. I tried to think of where to run but came up empty. So I simply allowed myself to drop, white light surrounding me until it took over everything in this void.
 
I shot upwards, threw the blanket over me from the bed, and stared at the medicine cupboard that was directly in front of me.
 
"Light?" I turned around to the voice and saw Twilight as well as Trixie to my right side. They sat before the other bed and looked as though they had had a few hard hours behind them.
 
"No time, Twilight. How is Dirk?" I tried to climb from the bed, but AJ hindered me from her position next to me. Quickly, I took the other side and jumped to the ground. My legs were shaky and I felt rather dizzy, as if my blood pressure was too low.

"Careful! We do not know what Nightmare did to you." Trixie hurried to help support me.
 
"I already know, and I know how to help Dirk. How is he?" Slowly leaning on Trixie, I walked over to the other bed, and I saw that some runes were written in his fur.
 
"Princess Luna had to resuscitate him several times. The runes helped keep him alive. However…" Twilight’s look wandered to the ground and I saw Luna sleeping on a blanket and pillow. Sweat dripped down her forehead and it seemed that her sleep was not at all restful. "She broke down after the last resuscitation."
 
"Nightmare did not try to eat our souls. Instead, it tore apart body, spirit, and soul," I explained quickly and considered what I could do to help my brother.
 
"It makes sense as to why he survived the attack. Death is usually the outcome, at least according to one of my books. If the body dies, it separates the spirit and soul. If Nightmare forces this separation, this could also lead to death." Twilight took my theory and turned it into fact. “Can we join them together again?”
 
"We can’t. He has to do it, and only he knows how to do it. I had to do it myself, and I was lucky that my mind was the one that absorbed most of the attack. If it had gotten my body or soul, it would have been a different kettle of fish." Trixie tapped me on the shoulder.

"What you’re saying is that you were split in three natures?" I nodded and got an idea.
 
"Trixie! You studied Luna’s magic, right?" She nodded weakly, surprised by my outburst. "Are you familiar with dream magic?" I had also read about that in my book about conversion magic. If one could change dreams, there was the possibility to plant suggestions.
 
"He’s not breathing anymore! His heart's stopped,” shouted Twilight and began a heart massage. "We must do it! Quickly!"
 
"Trixie?!" I screamed at her, although she was directly next to me.
 
“Yes, uh… sure. What should I do?" My panic was reflecting on her now.
 
"If he’s having a dream or something like that, his three parts must unite." She said nothing and walked with me. Her horn lit up and a small silver thread formed in the air and penetrated into my brother’s head. Twilight had levitated a breathing mask over to me in the meantime, which I now strapped onto him.
 
"What now?" Trixie asked as we tried to go about our efforts of keeping him alive. I had not many memories left of first aid courses I had to take for my driver license, not to mention that I had little knowledge of a pony’s anatomy.
 
“Hope,” was all I could say.


> Chapter 68 - Inside the Fire
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dirk was alive, even if barely. Twilight, Trixie, and I fought for another three minutes to keep him alive until he could breathe by himself. By the time we had finished, AJ had woken up as well and threw her hooves around my neck, smacked me in the face, and hugged me again.
 
“Sugarcube, I thought we’d lost you!” 

‘It wasn’t the first time,’ I thought as I returned the hug.
 
“You can’t get rid of me that easily. I’m like the roach that crawls to you every morning in the shower.” She let go and gave me a grumpy look.
 
“You really have a hoof for ruining beautiful moments, you know that?” I poked my tongue out before receiving a kiss from her.
 
“How’s your brother?” she asked as we parted and looked at the bed behind me. Trixie and Twilight looked over to us as well once they were sure they weren’t interrupting anything.
 
“I think the message arrived, but he will have to take care of the rest.” I saw from her puzzled expression that she didn’t understand. “I think it’s time to call everyone together. I have something to report and would like to know what happened myself.
 

***

 
No one had anything against my proposition and so we met, not twenty minutes later, in the common room of the Celestia. Due to a lack of space, the sofa had been moved over to the wall, and everyone was sitting in a circle on the floor. Cadance was visually exhausted, due to her having to perform the reanimation spell before Luna, one that she had to abort due to the circumstances. Luna was now the only one missing, now occupying the same bed I had been in the sickbay. Holly was sitting between Fluttershy's forelegs, the same with Rainbow and Scootaloo and Twilight with Dawn. Dawn was the only calm one; the others were still visibly shaken.
 
“So Light, who do we need to thank for your quick recovery?” Hawk began. “No offense, but we thought that Nightmare had finally gotten you.” AJ and everyone else gave her a dirty look. “Just saying.”
 
“It’s alright. I was sure I was done for myself. However, Nightmare couldn’t kill me, at least not directly. It just severed the connection between body, mind, and soul. None of the three can exist without the other, resulting in death.” I pointed at Twilight, who nodded with me.
 
“When I… created Dawn…” She looked down to her son and smiled. He returned it. “He was just a soul. Due to a teleportation incident in between worlds, I accidently pulled him with me. He could not exist without a body, however, so I created one with my magic. For that, I had to use the majority of my reserves. I will never be able to perform as much magic as before, but I got something in return that means much more to me.” They began snuggling each other, causing all of us in the room to smile, with Fluttershy and Holly repeating the act. Cadance darted a look to Shining Armor and rubbed her own stomach with a hoof.
 
“Anyway, I knew from Albia that this separation was nothing good, and my subconscious… or whatever it was that my body and soul did to bring it back to my mind. Trixie passed on the same information to my brother in a dream. I can only hope that his own mind leaps to the same conclusion, because a soul without memories is like… Pinkie… on twenty cups of coffee.”
 
“Oh oh oh! Do we have any?” Speaking of the devil. “Maybe with sugar or milk… Marshmallows! Definitely marshmallows! And even—” This time, it was Star who silenced the assassin of ears with a hoof while keeping a straight face. It did not prevent her from talking though, but the reduced volume was as pleasant as it could get.
 
“Can I explain what happened here now?” Shining Armor signalled to the others, and even Pinkie went silent. “You went head-first at Nightmare, something none of us resents you for. I would have lost it myself if something had happened to Cadance or Twilight. Anyway, Nightmare did not react for a few seconds, and some of our spells struck, but those did not seem to bother it at all. Only once Princess Luna launched something akin to raw magic did it seem to wake up from its trance, almost as if it was just as shocked from what it just did.” I digested the information and came to the same conclusion as Twilight.
 
“It never wanted to kill me/you!” we exclaimed together, before I continued. “At least not then. It wanted to see me suffer, right?” Other than that, it seemed to be unaware that the attack was not directly lethal. It hadn’t been after Luna. I believed that after living with that creature for a thousand years, her own subconscious would know how to help itself.
 
“This we can answer thee.” All heads turned to the door where the pony in question was leaning against the frame.
 
“Mother!” Cadance rushed over to her. “You should be resting! You used a lot of magic.” Luna shook her head and came over with Cadance to us where she sat down beside her daughter.
 
“So, Princess, why did that shade change its mind?” Julian asked. Those were his first words, except that brohoof before, that he had said after leaving the sickbay.
 
“Fear.” Everyone stared at her in bewilderment. “Nightmare fears death, and it saw it in your eyes.” So I did go berserk. “However, we believe that there was another factor as well, one that we cannot yet determine. When it grabbed thee…. thou sprouted both wings and horn for a mere moment.” Now all the gazes were on me, scanning my face and my sides, but there no wings of course. “As we said, we are not sure. Either your panic-induced transformation had been so rapid that it may have resembled it, or you really were an alicorn for a few seconds.” I had to swallow hard.
 
“Is that even possible? I know I inherited some things from Celestia, but I’m truthfully just a unicorn.” And I had no intentions of having that change, now that I had come to terms with myself.
 
“There was never a case like yours, which is why nothing is certain. However, we believe that Nightmare has realized that as well and decided to eliminate you before you became a problem,” Luna finished her theory.
 
“Are you absolutely sure about that, Princess? I mean, you were created by Albia as well, right?” Twilight asked curiously.
 
“We are sure, Twilight Sparkle. Light here managed to perform something only our daughter, our sister, and I are capable of: manipulating magic without the need for a spell. It’s the way we move the heavenly bodies and how Cadance amplifies the feeling of love, for there are no spells for these.” So raw magic was only something an alicorn could cast? I had only used Luna's spell and compressed magic to its form, right?
 
“Luna, I just mirrored your spell. You already used it once against Nightmare at the school.” She nodded.
 
“Even if it was just a copy, every alicorn can form a magic weapon of this kind. My sister’s is a great sword, and ours a pair of daggers,” she explained as said daggers formed above her head, but they disappeared within seconds. “However, it takes a lot of power and concentration to maintain, both of which we are lacking at the moment.”
 
“Mine is a halberd,” Cadance casted it above herself for emphasis. “However, I always try to abstain from using it. This magical weapon can cause wounds that cannot be healed with spells. The victim would die a slow and painful death. I would never dare to wish that upon my greatest enemies.” With that, the weapon dissolved into thin air, and both alicorns now shared a sad expression.
 
“I say we let go of this for now. After all, neither have I permanent wings attached nor have I grown a few centimetres.” I pointed out to the royals. “But we should have the element of surprise on our side since Nightmare thinks it had killed me.”
 
“I agree with Light. Even though we are not out of imminent danger, we could continue the search for his family without too much stress, now that Nightmare won’t seek them itself. Only your mother and your brother remain, right?” The captain asked, and I nodded. “We will reach Düsseldorf within the next hour. How can we find the exact location of the transmitter?”
 
“I asked one of the technicians… What's his name...? Marvin! Exactly, Marvin, to build a radio with a gage to measure the signal strength,” Twilight explained, and with a little pop, the device appeared in front of her, which Dawn pushed into the centre. She then pushed out her chest, filled with pride.
 
“Umm, you do realise that we don’t have any way to plug it in, right?” I asked her as I held the power cord with my magic, dangling its plug in front of her nose. She quickly realised I was right.
 
“Erm… no,” she admitted, beginning to blush.
 
“It’s alright, Twilight darling. We know you tried to help,” Rarity assured her.
 
“Exactly, everypony can forget something sometime,” Rainbow added.
 
“Like bringing back the basket once you brought the apples home?” AJ asked with a raised brow.
 
“Or like bringing back the last Daring Do books?” Twilight tuned in.
 
“Or do the promised flight lessons?” Scootaloo added, grinning widely.
 
“Hey! Aren’t you supposed to be on my side?” Rainbow said to the little orange pegasus between her forelegs and began to playfully knock on her head, causing her to giggle.
 
“What about the portal? Shouldn’t we send these three back to Equestria?” Luna, Trixie, and Twilight gave each other worried looks.
 
“We’ve tried to build up a connection but we are being blocked.” The mood slightly changed after her statement. “It’s as if Nightmare is using our own tactics against us. It keeps us here like hostages.”
 
“For which it needs to focus a hell of a lot of magical energy, just like with the elements. Is there a place on this planet that could act as a focus point?” I quickly thought about that. What was there that no human had ever discovered but was no problem for Nightmare, either by knowledge of the magic arts or a place?
 
“Maybe Atlantis. There is legend about a city built on an island that was more advanced than any other place in the world. However, it was supposed to have sunk to depths where no one can dive down to, at least not without magic. Then there are those Mayan Temples, the Nazca Lines, enormous pictures of animals carved into stone….” I tapped my chin with a hoof while pondering. “Then there’s Stonehenge, a burial site that puzzles people to this day, the pyramids of Egypt—” This time it was I who got a hoof in my mouth, for which I gave a AJ a startled look.
 
“Thanks, all of those places sound interesting, but we just don’t have the time to check every single one of them,” Twilight added. “But I would really like to…” Dawn poked one of her hooves. “Ahh… sorry. Sans any option, we have no other choice but to confront Nightmare directly.” Awkward silence followed.
 
“First thing first: we are going to look for survivors and seek out clues on the whereabouts of Light’s family. After that, we can look towards finding either Nightmare or the spell that keeps us here. Whatever may happen, we need to take on both.” Everyone agreed with Shining Armor. “So, how are we going to find any survivors here?”
 
“Well, it’s just a theory but wouldn’t they be using some kind of radio mast, like a satellite dish? We should look for something similar, or at least our scouts should.” I pointed over to Star and Hawk, followed by RD and Julian.
 
“But didn’t you say that every household had one of those?” Rainbow jumped in. “I mean, we can’t say which one it is, right?”
 
“The one from the clinic was many times larger than the normal ones. We’re actually looking for a proper communications tower. How do I describe it best…?” As I tried to come up with an explanation, someone beat me to it.
 
“You need to look for a large metal construction formed like a pyramid that also has some signal lights on them to warn low flying aircraft. Chances are those won’t be running, but if the survivors were smart enough, they might have rerouted power to them,” Julian added. I forgot that he had always been better with electronics than I was, since he was trained as an electrician.
 
“If your friend here knows what to look after, then it should be doable, right?” Rainbow asked, and the other pegasi agreed.
 
“Then I will make some lunch now.” Cadance rose up and left the room, followed by her husband. The remainder did the same, leaving the room one after the other, except Pinkie who preferred a jumping style. Kind of dangerous considering the low ceiling. In the end, only Luna and I remained, as AJ wanted to help in the kitchen as well.
 
“Light, take our advice: ensure that it never happens again. You have no idea what you are dealing with.” Her voice held a sympathetic undertone. She then rose as well but could only stand somewhat wobbly. “We mean you only well, as our sister counts on us to look out for you. We believe that you don’t know how much you mean to her.” I pondered on her words as she left the room. Being an alicorn was equally a blessing and a curse.
 

***

 
After an extensive lunch and a visit to the sickbay, Dawn and I were by ourselves on deck. When I said I wanted to practice some magic, the little one was hooked to watch me.
 
“So, what spell do you want to practice?” He had been jumping around me for a little while now and asked me all kinds of things about transformations. He was like Twilight, pocket edition.
 
“I want to find my weapon,” I said and tried to concentrate.
 
“Like the one from Cadance and Luna?” Giving him a nod while my eyes were closed, I ran through what had happened this morning. It was a harder task than I thought as everything had happened so fast, and one did not simply memorize everything while in blind rage. Still I had seen many times how Luna had conjured that weapon, same with Cadance. Both their horns were not glowing, meaning that magic was not the in the game, at least not their own.
 
“Dawn, what did Twilight tell you about magic per se?” Being a part of this seemed to be of his liking.
 
“There is magic everywhere. It flows through the world like water in a river. Unicorns can absorb this magic and then bend it to their will, usually with spells. Basics of Magic, page one, paragraphs one to three.” He grinned like a Cheshire cat.
 
“Umm… yeah, thanks.” He had confirmed my suspicion. Alicorns could directly affect that magic flow, as he had called it. I also realised how simple teleportation could work, like surfing. Change your body to energy and ride the waves. Keeping the energy together was more complicated, but it was probably doable with a shield.
 
“I thought mom taught you?” I sighed.
 
“A bit. Most of my info comes from reading or was taught by my mother.” More like implanted. “You don’t happen to know how to materialise stuff?” I opened my eyes and saw how Dawn was hastily scanning our surroundings.
 
“I’ll show you but only if you promise not to tell my mom.” He even checked the empty water barrels hanging from the railing.
 
“Sure.” I had no idea why he made such a big deal out of it. He came back to me, now sure that we were all by ourselves. He closed his eyes for a few seconds, and in the next moment, an apple appeared out of nowhere. It hovered there for a few seconds before falling to the ground and exploding into small bon bons.
 
“Darn it. I thought I had better control over it.” Still a bit perplexed, I look down upon the little pegasus in front of me, whose eyes had changed color from the original bright purple, same as his coat, to a light golden. It took me only microseconds to find the connection, for only one being had golden eyes and could make sweets appear out of nowhere.
 
“D-Discord?” I stuttered, gaining his attention.
 
“Huh? How come you know that old grump?” I blinked twice and pointed at his eyes.
 
“Oh right! Yeah… that’s chaos. They always appear like that when someone uses it. Please don’t tell mom! She doesn’t want me to train without oversight.” I had a totally different issue on my mind.
 
“How come you can do it?” He seemed to be happy that someone was interested.
 
“It has to do with my creation. How did Discord put it…? Something lives that shouldn’t. There is no bigger chaos.” He even darkened his face and lowered his voice to imitate said character. “That guy even had the nerve to ask me to work with him.”
 
“Whoa…” was the only thing I could bring myself say as I thought about the castle garden. There were many different statutes, but now that I thought about it, Discord’s one was missing. “Where is that bastard anyway?”
 
“Gone. I’m doing his job now.” I had no idea if I should take that for granted, but considering his prideful posture, it was serious business for him. “Well, I’ll do it, but in a thousand years maybe. I have a lot to learn.” The puzzle in my head was slowly taking shape as to why Dawn was going to become so old and how it had happened. Twilight had created Dawn in a teleport accident, a being that was oozing chaos. They somehow managed to defeat Discord again, but this time for good, and Dawn became the new spirit of chaos, even though he was younger and less experienced.
 
“Oh great! Bon bons!” With one gulp, all the sweets on the ground, wrapping included, disappeared down the maw of a sudden Pinkie Pie. As she finished the sweets, she grinned at us. “Can you make more, Dawny?”
 
“Ah! Pinkie! How long have you been standing here?!” he managed to stutter as he realised that he had been watched.
 
“I smelled candied apples and came here in an instant. At first I wanted to give the pony who had let it fall down a once over, but then I saw there were Bonbons and it was all forgotten. Nopony wastes sweets when I’m around. NOPONY!!!” We could only nod as Pinkie’s glare seemed to impale us. “By the way, land in sight,” she added and jumped back down below deck. Dawn and I shook her cameo off and stepped to the bow. Just like Pinkie had said, the Cologne Cathedral was visible in the distance. Düsseldorf had to be close.
> Chapter 69 - Survivors Guilt
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Düsseldorf inspired, similar to my first visit here, a lot of respect in the ponies, as Twilight immediately noticed that the city area of Canterlot would fit in here twice. The skyscrapers were higher than the tallest building in Manehatten, Rarity had said, before I noted this wasn’t even the largest city on Earth.
 
“Pay attention! Julian here is a civilian and is not well-versed in flying. I expect that you’ll take care of him like a raw egg!” Shining Armor marched up and down before his subordinates and barked out his commands. “You will not establish contact or the like. We want nothing to happen like the last time, so that one of us ends as a prisoner.” With that sentence, he threw a look over his shoulder, then cleared the throat and dedicated himself again to the job before him. “You know what we’re looking for. As soon as we’ve found a landing strip, we’ll contact Light on the radio.” I pointed at the transceiver around my neck. Julian and Rainbow also had one. The last two were claimed by Armor and Luna. She had taken hers, however, in her cabin with her. “You will report any sighting or occurrences, no matter how trivial they may seem. Rainbow Dash will accompany Shooting Star, and Julian will go with Night Hawk. Everything understood?” The entire lot saluted, Julian almost knocking his headset off. He had not completely gotten used to using hooves yet. “Then move out!” The four of them began to beat their wings and jump, one after the other, like divers from a ship. Nevertheless, Rainbow could not resist turning the jump into a somersault.
 
“Did you find something?” Trixie asked me over my shoulder. I had stood all this time a bit apart from them and had tried to recognize any known structures. Unfortunately, I had only been to this city four times in my life, and three visits were only in the airport area. But not even this I could find.
 
“No. I had always arrived by the train and never saw a lot from the town except a shish kebab booth.” I brought a hoof to my head.
 
“What…?” I used the other to block the question.
 
“Don’t ask, Trixie…” I put both on the ground again so that I did not have to shift my weight so unpleasantly anymore, and looked down again from the rail and into the town. “From this angle of view, I will never recognize anything.” From above, everything looked so wrong.
 
“The ship won’t be able to go down further or we could get stuck somewhere or collide with a building,” explained Trixie, not understanding what I had meant. I took up one of the ropes and bound it to, with a little help from my magic, around my belly.
 
“Fix the other end somewhere please.” Trixie took over control of the rope that I passed to her, and I jumped on the rail.
 
“What do you plan?” It was something stupid that I had already begun to panic from.
 
“Getting a better overview.” I swallowed and exchanged horn for wings before I jumped.
 
“Light!” Trixie shouted from behind me, and I saw Rarity and Twilight hurrying towards us. My attempts to find a rhythm were messed up with the adrenaline running through my veins. If I didn’t do so quickly, I would experience an unpleasant jerk since the ropes were not very elastic. It did not help that I had closed my eyes after a few seconds, and thus there was nothing left to do except dangle at the end of the rope and wait before I would be pulled up like a fat herring again. I tightened every muscle and waited and waited and waited, but nothing happened. Carefully, I opened an eye and saw that I remained at the same height. The wind up here made it seem that I was falling when instead I was actually floating. A look back showed that my wings had decided to work, and I drew in a deep breath, which was unfortunately too early. Before me was a tall building, and I was aiming to smack onto the top floor at my current height. I succeeded in flapping my wings as rapidly as I had ever done before and slowly got to the required height to prevent crashing into the glass window. My hooves trailed a little above the roof, though the worst was prevented.
 
“Light! Are you crazy?! What was that all about?” Twilight’s voice came through the earphone around my neck, which I ignored for now. As Trixie had Armor's radio, both of them had to share that one.
 
“What’s wrong on the ship?” I heard Rainbow ask, as we all on the same channel.
 
“Light put a rope around himself and jumped from the ship.” That brought a ‘WHAT?!” from Julian. I ignored the conversations in the background and turned in order to get a better overview. I did this by simply beating a wing faster than the other, which was difficult since it was like one hand wanting to paint a circle and the other wanting to paint a triangle. However, I saw a structure that I recognized – the observation tower, as I called it. It was a sort of television tower, or at least I believed it to be, and further on top was a sort of ball that would serve as a vantage point. This tower was not far from the airport area. Joyfully, I looked high up to the ship where I could see Trixie and Twilight by the rails arguing, before I looked down again. This time, there were no feelings of motion sickness to threaten to overcome me, as I was only four and five seconds away from a freefall.
 
“Pull him up!” came through Twilight’s and Armor’s transceiver at the same time.
 
“Give me that.” I heard how Trixie gave the device back to Armor. “Light, what the hay are you doing?” I put on the headset, which also helped to block the wind rushing by my ears.
 
“I needed a better vantage point, another perspective.” I heard one of them groan as I released the button.
 
“And you thought doing something that you’re scared of was a good idea?” I still hung like a living yo-yo under the ship and looked upwards.
 
“No, that’s why I also fastened the rope, for security.” There was no answer as I felt like I was slowly pulled upwards. The rope now shone with Shining Armor’s blue aura. At the halfway mark, I stopped helping with my wings and let them do the rest. With a slight thud, I landed on my right side on the wooden floor of the Celestia and looked up into the furious faces of Trixie, Twilight, Rarity, and Armor.
 
“Darling, you simply cannot give us such a fright! What came over you?” I had a reason, a good one.
 
"As you noticed, it is going to be dark soon. After all, we’re in winter." What that meant on Earth, I had explained more than once. “Now that Nightmare isn't focusing on finding my family anymore, the shades will surely hunt again, so we have to deal with them again. Normally I wouldn't care, as the Celestia is safe, but we still have three foals on board. It would be nice to have a bigger camp that we can secure.” Twilight looked as though she wanted to say something, but her brother interjected before she could start.
 
“Reason, consideration, and action. Not perfect, but you actually took my advice. What did you find?” I saw Twilight and Trixie both looking as though they wanted to protest.
 
“A few miles in a northern direction is the television tower. From there, it is not far up to the Rhine and to the airport. It has large halls that we would use.” I grinned contently along with Armor.
 
“How big are the halls?” I only twitched my shoulders.
 
“No idea, but they’re definitely bigger than the Celestia, or at least one of them. Why?” I saw that he had a plan.
 
“Twilight?” With the mention of her name in that commanding tone of her brother, her head jerked in his direction. “Do you think it is possible to teleport the Celestia through the ceiling?" I immediately understood what he planned.
 
“Umm… Sure… With enough magic strength and knowledge of the surroundings, with some calculations, runes, and.…” She wandered off into her thoughts.
 
“Well, best start immediately. Trixie, see if you can help her.” Twilight was still in her thoughts, and only when Trixie nudged her did they come together to work out the calculations. “Good work,” Armor added before he disappeared into the conference room and left me with Rarity on deck.
 
“Why did you have to do that, Light? There was certainly a better and safer way, I’m sure.” It wasn’t over for her, it seemed
 
“Sure, but we would have had to recall one of the scouts, and I would have had to judge after his description – not very exact. Moreover, everything has some risks to it. The humans could have weapons and shoot at our friends in the air or the fact that you are here. Everybody is giving their best, even Fluttershy. I have seen her crying alone in the sickroom once. She was affected just as deeply as me, knowing how many have lives had ended here, and what do I do? I sit here when I could be flying outside. All that’s holding me back is this stupid fear of heights.” I took a deep breath. "My grandpa was a person you'd just want to avoid, to put it mildly, but he taught me one thing. You'll learn fastest by jumping in at the deep end.” However, he was also the cause of my fear of heights. We had once visited a dam with the whole family and stood at the top on it, I on the first step of the railing and looked down at the water. At that time, my grandfather had knocked into me so hard that I had almost fallen over the railing and into the water below. I believe that it hadn’t been intentional, but it scarred me for life.

“I know what you mean, darling. But don't you think that was a bit much for such a small thing?” Maybe a little, I had to agree to her.
 
“Better now than later when it counts, right?” Rarity only nodded weakly and turned away from me. I know that I had been a little gruff with her and that she had only meant well, but it had been something that needed to be done. Nightmare had taken our trump card, our way home. In an emergency, if everything had gone downhill, Armor and I surely would have called a retreat. But now this option was not available to us anymore. As I saw them standing happily together, I realized what I was fighting for. So that family and friends and everyone else could smile again. Not just for the ones I knew, but for every survivor out there.
 
“Sugarcube, Rarity meant that in a different way….” AJ had come up to me while my thoughts had been on the town below
 
“I’m not hero like her, AJ, but I’ll do as much as I can from now on. I will have to talk to Rainbow about those flight lessons again. I'm sorry for overreacting but we are running out of options.” Just like my family members. My father was buried, my grandmother death and missing somewhere in Spain. Never mind that my best friend had been taken hostage by our enemy, or rather his remains. He had no immortal soul like Luna or a second one that he could trick Nightmare into taking. Then there was Enno, my mother’s boyfriend. There hadn’t been any word of him, and I did not hold out hope.
 
“Nopony says that you have to,” she said and cuddled up to me. Even my strong marefriend thought I needed a shoulder to lean on these days, but I did not complain.
 
“That is the problem. I could give more, but nobody requires it of me…” She looked to the ground guiltily.

“You’ve gone through so much already. We are afraid you were getting lost.” Yes, my thoughts and feelings were quite messy lately. Between the two of us, maybe I was the pregnant one.
 
“You remember the party and how Twilight told you the first time about Earth? How cold this place is and how cruel it could be?” She nodded. I would also never forget that day, because it had been more or less been the point of no return for me. “She was right. It blunts your emotions if you get slapped with misery and suffering every day. One hundred humans died in a plane crash." I twitched my shoulders. “And we have billions more to replace them.” She looked at me with a shocked expression. “War on all corners of the planet, and the victims only get a brief mention. What do their families get? A letter and a medallion for the loss of a son or a daughter? Humans have long forgotten the value of life, if living in Equestria has taught me anything. AJ, I want life, my life together with you and all the others, even if it’s in this hellhole. I want to get my family out of here and show them what it means to live.” In her eyes were tears, just like in mine. “It’s not fair what happened here, even though there are some bitter people who would say that humans deserve this. That they’re learning how lucky they had to been alive up until now.” I shook my head. “Nobody deserved this.” We paused our embrace, just resting against each other.
 
“Do you still wish you could stay here?” She asked after a few seconds.
 
“No… but… I don’t know yet. I wouldn't give up what I have for anything in the world. A wonderful marefriend, a new home, and new friends were more than I could have hoped for. But I also don’t want to let down my old friends.” I laid a hoof around AJ, which ended on the other side of her belly. It felt warmer than usual, probably to protect the life that was inside.

“Honey…” This was the first time she had called me that. I only hummed and listened to her words. “I was wonder to myself… if we make it back… would you want to make us official? It would mean a lot to me and my family—” At that point, I interrupted her with a kiss that felt like an eternity.
 
“Whatever makes you happy.” It felt weird how it wasn’t me on my knees while I held up a ring like all the other guys in the movies. With the disparity in genders in Equestria, I should probably not be surprised. We leant back against the rail and snuggled up a bit together.
 
“Congratulations, you two!” came from the headset. Startled, I jumped and looked around until I found the device around my neck. AJ had pressed the button the entire time she had leaned against me. That meant that Julian, Armor, and Rainbow Dash had to have heard. Rainbow, in any case, as it had been her voice which left the radio. The button had been released as we had come apart. However, this was pressed once more by an orange hoof.
 
“Rainbow Dash, didn’t your mother ever teach you not to eavesdrop on other people when they’re talking?!” she roared into the mouthpiece and by extension my ears, causing me to wince.
 
“As if I had any another choice if you occupy the channel.” I could tell that she rather fancied that excuse, as I could practically hear the grin from over the radio. “But much more important than that: herd or that mono-thing?” I knew what Rainbow meant and that monogamy was the exception rather than the norm, though it seemed that it was the majority setting in Ponyville. “I mean, your family isn't as big as it is without reason, isn't it, AJ?” Something clicked, and I remembered the day after the spring party. Several mares of the Apple family had sat in the kitchen and what some of the stallions had said now made more sense in this new context. Moreover, it explained why the family was so damn big.
 
“I leave this decision…” I answered before I saw my fiancé’s face. “No, the mono-thing, Rainbow…”
 
“What’s that about a herd?” came Julian’s voice across the channel.
 
“I’ll explain it to you later,” I answered, irritated.
 
“Okay, forget it. Still— Hey!” I heard something scrambling.
 
“A herd? What are you talking about?” Hawk butted in. This could last for a while.
 

***

 
I was right. I spent the next half an hour on the radio and argued with the disagreeable questions from Julian and the interruption of Rainbow and Hawk. Only when I pointed out that they should be looking for something did they finally quieted down. AJ had smiled for the first five minutes of the conversation, then had disappeared back downstairs while rambling about Pinkie and how she couldn't shut her mouth. I had an idea of what she meant, and the last thing I wanted was a party in a theatre of war. That was simply disrespectful, but I also doubted that was that was a reason Pinkie would accept to have none. Now I leaned by the rail, glad to have a break, and looked as we flew over the Rhine. It wasn’t as wide nearer the airport, so we should reach soon enough.

“It really is a large city.” That was Cadance, who had probably come from down below. If she was up here, then that meant Rarity was probably the one who was at the controls. In general, the ship seems to be easily controllable. There was a lever to control the angle of inclination and the rest was done by the steering wheel. The only thing missing was an altimeter and artificial horizon, so you had to trust your eyes and experience. That was something that would not prove difficult for the experienced designer.
 
“And it was once so full of life,” I sighed as an answer and looked down on the streets where nothing stirred. However, I did not want my good mood to be erased so quickly. “What can I do for you, Cadance?”
 
“I wanted to congratulate you and AJ.” She took me from the side and threw her hooves around me, but not so firmly as AJ had always done. “You were quite a sight, and the glass by the lantern is not as thick as you might imagine. Moreover, you went back and forth with Rainbow about it,” she answered my unspoken question with a smile.
 
“Do not get me wrong, Cadance – I am happy. It’s just not the right time or place to celebrate.” She nodded with that same smile on her face.

“Light, we’ve found something,” Julian’s voice came on radio. He had used some of my old nicknames on occasion, but now he seemed to be used to my new one. Then again, he probably thought of it as another nickname.
 
“What makes you so sure?” I looked over to Cadance with my question asked, who tried to follow the conversation in her head, because I only had the headset only halfway on my head, and she couldn't make out what was said.

“For one, a car battery was hooked up to a transmitter, which was hooked to an antenna. Then there are still four people with weapons and binoculars standing on the roof.” On the one hand, I was glad that we had found some people; on the other hand, they were with weapons. I understood that they were most likely looking after their own protection, but it would be hard to not imagine them as turning into aggressors. “On top of that, they are watching you.”
 
“How do you mean?” I looked over the edge, but I could see neither Julian nor those four people he mentioned.
 
“They have binoculars and are look over here to the Celestia. They definitively know we are there.” They knew that somebody was there, not what we were. There was no possibility that they knew that magical ponies from another world awaited them.
 
“Well then, we know where we must look. Everybody, come back to the Celestia in such a way that they do not see you. We are here at the airport and will base our camp here.” I saw the Armor looking to his wife in from the corner of my eyes as he came up from below deck, and he nodded to confirm my orders.
 
“Understood,” came from Julian, then from Rainbow. Armor placed his headset on and pressed the button.
 
“Everyone, prepare for a teleport. Tonight, we sleep indoors.”
> Chapter 70 - Carry On
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I was right in my assumption. Now that Nightmare didn't need its underlings any more to kill humans, they patrolled the streets again right after sundown. Armor and I sat on the roof of the hangar where the Celestia had been parked. He had teleported himself up here while I had climbed via the use of the trapdoor. The hall was wide enough that three other ships of this size could fit, though the height had just been adequate. All in all, it was a good place to come to a halt, as it had begun to snow a little outside.
 
We secured everything with lamps under the ceiling in which we replaced the light bulb with diamonds, which could be turned on by a switch. It had been an idea from Twilight and carried out with the help of Rainbow and Fluttershy. We had similarly protected the outside area. Some floodlights stood on the edge of the runways and now held something of value, at least from our point of view. They were directed upon the hall so that it was illuminated from two sides. Otherwise, the airport had an open field and we could spot if anything was coming long before. It was powered by its own generator that we just had to turn on.
 
"If you had told me one or two years ago that I would be a unicorn on a flying ship going around the world, I would have laughed at you," I said to Armor. Still, it had only been months that I had once been a human. "Never mind the fact that I would be engaged and have a foal on the way.” Emphasis on the word ‘foal’.
 
“And yet you’ve managed to remain mostly quiet and calm. Particularly impressive when one considers the situation with your family.” This evening he wasn’t here as my captain, but as a friend.
 
“I’ve let out my frustrations long enough. It’s something I’ve been fighting all this time, bit by bit. I’ve probably reached the acceptance stage and trying to see everything in a more positive light.” A hiss interrupted me briefly as a Nightmare ran in the light and dissolved. It was just like a mosquito lamp. “I naturally still hope that my mother and my brother are still alive, and would be sad if that isn’t the case, but I know there’s nothing I could do for them. I most likely would have died with them. I think they would be glad to know that I’m alright and well since they are my family."
 
"Just remember that we are also your family and friends, and want the same,” he answered and nudged me in the side.
 
“Hey!” A cry came from the hall to us and, at the next moment, Julian came from the same trapdoor as I did, only he had something else between his front hooves. "Is this what I think it is?" He positioned a small keg under our noses as he made room for himself. I examined the keg shortly and gave it a quick smell.
 
“Apple cider?” I stated in amazement. “Who smuggled that on here?” Armor gave me a look that told me just what he thought of such an idiotic question. “Pinkie, naturally,” I answered for him.
 
"Is there alcohol in there?” asked Julian and tried to open the barrel.
 
“Sure, only that it won't work for you.” He looked up from the barrel to me. “Ponies aren’t that susceptible to alcohol. Now, if you want to get the desired effect, you need salt." Armor pulled the barrel from his hooves and sniffed in it.
 
“No salt.” Julian allowed a disappointed sigh to escape him. “Not that I would have had any if I could get drunk from it. We need to stay in top form.” With that, Julian took back the barrel again.
 
"Hey, Light, what is that on the ground?" I looked to where his hoof pointed, though I only saw the normal tin roof of the hall.
 
"I don’t see anything—" I only realized what he had planned a split second before wood smashed into my horn. He had hit the lid of the barrel against it and now a hole was large enough in order to drink from it. The problem was that wooden splinters now landed on my mane and face. I cleared myself of them with a hoof and saw that Julian had balanced on his hind legs and used his wings to aid him while he used his front hooves to lift the barrel. A giggle from the side startled me as it came from someone I never thought it could originate, and I saw Armor desperately trying not to laugh.
 
"Give me a drink too.” I glared at him as Armor practically ripped away the barrel from his grasp. It floated to him as he gladly took a drink as well. Not as quickly as Julian had done, but he still managed to imbibe a good bit.
 
"This stuff is good. Doesn’t your marefriend make this on her farm?" asked Julian, noisily gulping down the remainder that he had saved in his mouth.

"Yes and I will gladly take some," I was just about to levitate the barrel away from Armor before a blue blur beat me to it and snatched it away.
 
"Nothing so fast! I’m next." Rainbow had to have also come through the trapdoor and had seen the oh so desirable golden beverage we had in our possession. “Besides, I already saw you drinking your share,” she said between two gulps.
 
“That was Julian when he used my horn to make the hole.” I looked over to him, though he only grinned idiotically and Armor again tried to suppress his laughter. Rainbow was about to take another gulp before my aura worked to take it away from her. “Hey!” I exclaimed as the last three drops fell onto my tongue as I overturned the barrel. “You can’t be serious!” Rainbow, probably because she had had this happen to her before, lay down and started to laugh. It was so infectious that the two others soon joined in. "Yes, ha ha ha, very funny." From frustration, I threw the wooden keg on one of the shades just as it sprung from the darkness before it met the searchlight. Although the object simply sailed by it, it seemed to take exception to my actions and took some steps in our direction. It sizzled again.
 


***



I signalled to the others to follow me. Rainbow and Star were above us; Armor, Julian, Trixie, and AJ behind me. We were on our first investigative trip of the city and we had just reached the industrial section that bordered the airport. Twilight had stayed behind with Luna to discuss the possibility of ways that we could get back home. Besides, somebody had to remain in order to protect everyone else and the ship, as the light emanating from it was not exactly subtle in this darkened city. Both pegasi had been chosen by their fur colours harmonizing with the sky, thus reducing the chances of them being spotted. Therefore, even Star was without his armour for the first time, allowing me to glimpse his cutie mark, a falling star.

Armor took a look around once he reached my position, though he quickly pulled his head back from around the corner. "The air is… really…" I knew that there was no fitting description for the smell. I stepped in the narrow alley between some apartment houses and saw the corpses that were there. There were two women and three men in clothing, or what was left of it at least. Flies and maggots were almost everywhere.

"Can we take no other alley?" Trixie asked nervously when she saw the conditions of the path as well.

"We must avoid open streets,” came the answer of the captain. “Just… try not to breathe with your nose.” He demonstrated and moved on. However, my attention was directed on AJ. She had insisted at all costs on not remaining on the ship any longer and joining the expedition. Since we were only exploring the surroundings and not planning to meet any humans or the like, neither Armor nor I had found any objections, so the Element of Honesty had started to argue when she didn’t need to. I made a wide curve around the man in the middle and even pressed myself against the wall a bit to try and avoid him. I really tried to breathe through my mouth, but even still, enough of the rotten smell, the taste of death, seeped in. I looked and saw AJ as she left behind her breakfast at the entrance.

“Are you alright? Do you want to head back?” Somehow I hoped that she would do so.

“No… it’s not his fault.” She pointed at the corpse that I had just walked by. “It’s yours.” And now she pointed at me.

“Should I renew the magic?” I asked as me again I again pressed against the wall to avoid the dead person and she joined me.
 
"It’s already gone. I can tell you that this morning sickness is something I’m not going to miss." I pulled a cloth from her saddlebag and handed it to her. “Now if my joints could stop feeling so funny." She held out the cloth to me, now a bit dirtier, and I simply levitated it on the ground by her breakfast.
 
"I don't think someone will complain in the near future." Now we both squeezed past the other man and joined the others who had been waiting for us on the other end.
 
“How does it look up there?" Julian asked through his radio that he had received from Armor. It made sense to give it to another being that had once been a human and thus could operate the technology better. "Okay," he said after the short break when he had waited for an answer. "Still nobody in sight. Everything is good to go."
 
The alley divided before us and we took the left path that went further into the city and the television station. We needed information on how many survivors there were and the possibility on if we could get more weapons. We went through the alleys, always waiting on the information from above, always finding more corpses. They looked mostly intact from the cold weather, and I saw that everyone had problems keeping their meals intact. We came to another stop as we discovered another group that would have been more dangerous than ordinary civilians. The German flag was visible on their shoulders.

"Soldiers?" Armor asked, and I nodded. With my magic, I lifted the silver tag from around the neck of one of the soldiers and noticed that the second tag was missing.
 
"Somebody has made the effort to collect their tags. It's a kind of chain holding something that can be used to identify their body,” I explained. Either they had been here long enough for them to be looted, or their brethren had collected them. However, it generally seemed that at least someone had passed through here. "I want to check something a bit." I separated myself from the group and turned into an alley obliquely on the right from myself. It was darkened as expected, but I nevertheless saw the horror with my eyes. It was a cul-de-sac, though I could not say whether it had always been so. Hundreds from corpses, stacked on each other, flies and maggots everywhere, blocked the way. The sound of thousands of flies was so strong that it was as though I was standing before a speaker and allowing the vibrations through my head and chest. Someone had to also be here to collect and stack all these bodies.
 
"Light? Are you okay?" I heard Trixie’s voice and reared back into the alley where the others were.
 
"Yes! Stay there! Do not come!” Trixie had been already been halfway down to me as they saw the horror on my face. "Please… do not come." I was glad that I did not have any breakfast, as only froth came up. I wasn’t going to be able to eat anything anytime soon. AJ wanted to run to me, but Shining Armor held her back.
 
"If he says you shouldn’t go, then you should trust him." I supposed he knew how bad it could get and did not want the mares to see. "Let’s go."

"Yes… sure.” I got a small bottle of water from my saddlebag, freed the cork and gargled some water before I spat it on the ground. "That’s better…" At least I had gotten rid of the foul taste in my mouth. I joined the others and we continued on our way. After a few minutes and several turns in the alley, Shining dropped back to me.
 
"I do not know what you saw, but I can think I can imagine. During my education, I was in Cowrea for some months, the homeland the minotaurs. They have a different way of thinking than we do. Differences do not end if the other one is still breathing. If a bull takes another bull by the horns that isn't what I would call a good day. It’s another reason why I’m in the Royal Guard. I don’t want such things to happen if I could help it.” With that, he took the lead again and took us to a small street that had smaller businesses.
 
“Hold!" came from Julian, and we immediately moved up and waited for further clarification. "We have three persons, possibly with weapons, and a fourth one to the opposite side. Not visible if they’re armed or not. They are a bit down the street and then the first alley on the right." 
 
"Light and I will check it out. Turn your radios on." I did as requested and made the device operational. Because we did not know when next we would get batteries for them, we had to use them rather economically. Sure, we had gotten some from the Media Markt, but they had been disposed of like snacks at a Pinkie Pie party. "You others stay here and make sure we don’t have any additional visitors. Trixie, you can disguise the entrance of the alley?" She grinned in response.

"Naturally, the Great and Powerful Trixie can perform such a simple task," she said in her usual ‘humble’ way, walking with a raised head to the entrance of the alley and making her horn light up. The air gleamed shortly for a while before she pointed at the empty space with her hoof. "Done.” I was surprised, but Armor was satisfied.
 
"Come on." He looked around the corner to be certain there was no change in the situation, before he quickly crossed the street and squeezed against the house wall on the other side. One would only see him if they came out of the alley. I followed and did the same quickly. I wanted to throw a look back on the others, but to my surprise, the alley was not to be seen any more. Now there was simply a wall between the two buildings. My attention was directed at Shining Armor when he turned his horn to me, and a flash took away my eyesight for a few seconds. “Stealth magic, so our hooves won’t be heard.” Like the idiot who did the same after being told a plate was hot, I had to test it out immediately. I hardly heard anything as my hooves hit the sidewalk.
 
"And you could not have taught me that earlier?" He didn’t answer, concentrating on the place Julian had described to us. “Only use the radio for emergencies,” I said over the device as we got closer, and I caught the first words to escape.
 
"Are you sure that they are in there?" asked a voice that obviously belonged to a young person. He could not be older than perhaps fifteen or sixteen.
 
"Yeah. I saw them disappearing in the old MCD. They came out again after a few minutes. They had one or two rifles and pistols. Nothing we can’t handle.“ This voice belonged to a yet younger boy. Perhaps ten or eleven years.

"What is it about?" Armor whispered to me. "I do not speak the language, but it sounds like Germane."
 
"They’re talking like they’ve met other survivors." I stopped and listened.
 
"We’ll gather in K and simply get rid of them. We have more people here, and we need the food. The bastards have hoarded everything for themselves.” This had to be a third one, and slowly a picture formed in my head. The youngest one was a scout, because he could hide in the smallest places. The older ones had given his report to someone who was likely their leader, which seemed to revolve around a dispute with another group and the supplies in the region.
 
"They’re preparing to attack another group," I hissed to Armor. He pulled me back a bit by my tail.
 
"We cannot interfere here. We can’t afford to get stuck in between two groups." I had to agree to him. Being caught in the crossfire was not an ideal situation, particularly because we had only just arrived and hardly had any information or knew the surroundings. Risking a battle would be more than stupid. It clicked.
 
"Wh… Wah… Don’t move!" We both turned and saw a human behind us, his weapon at the ready and pointed at us. He was thin and slight, probably about a meter seventy and looked to be about fourteen years. He looked frightened as his grip tightened around his weapon. "I’ll shoot!"  Armor did not seem to have understood what he said, but the presence of a weapon was enough for the captain not to react aggressively.

"Okay, calm down. We don’t mean harm to you,” I said. Damn it, why hadn’t Trixie or Rainbow warned us? He looked at me suspiciously.
 
"Hands up!" If there hadn’t been an AK trembling under my nose, I would have put a hoof through his face.
 
"Unfortunately, I don’t have any,” I answered instead.
 
"Micha! What are you doing?” one of the other voices called.
 
"I have… horses." I did not try to correct him. Armor, on the contrary, looked as though he was concentrating on a plan to get us out of here, or at least I hoped so. If necessary, we could still defend ourselves, but I did not want to fight children. At least the others were safe.
 
"You’re trying to take me for a ride… eh?" I saw the other young persons in the corner of my eye coming from the alley and the weapons they had at hand was surprising. The biggest, possible the leader of the small gang, had a Glock in hand, while the other two both had MP5’s. It was probably easy for someone to get such weapons in Germany. The three got closer, while the youngest stayed behind them. He was also the only one who did not seem to have a weapon.
 
"Did they fall in paint? What’s wrong with them?" One of those who had a MP5 approached me and prodded with his shoes against my rear.
 
"I think everything is alright, huh?" I asked Armor before all the weapons were directed upon us. Now they were levelled at me.
 
"Holy… speaking horses! Do you think we can eat one? We haven’t had meat in a while." This time it was the other owner of a MP5, a stocky kid with a cap on his head.
 
"Maybe we should ask them." With that, the leader bent to me and held his Glock under my nose. “What are you? Some kind of mutant animals that broke out of a lab or something?"
 
"Yeah, and you’ll get superpowers if I bite you,” I said with as much sarcasm as I could muster. "We come from the planet Melmac and want to speak with your leader." I had one run.
 
"Now listen to me, you wiseass. Either I have an answer at the count of three or you and your friend over there will both have something else to worry about. At least after we’ll have some meat to eat." He cocked his weapon. "One!"
 
"No matter what I say, you will not believe it." He obviously enjoyed threatening us.
 
“Two…" I saw from the corners of my eye that Armor kept his cool. He would surely protect himself with magic, and I hoped it would also suffice for me.
 
“Okay boys, fire up the grill. Three!” A shot rang out.


> Chapter 71 - Where Can I Stab Myself in The Ears?
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

John, or Mac as his friends liked to call him, once again stood with a knife by yesterday’s prey. Over the excitement caused by the flying ship, he had not found the time to work on it further. In any case, he believed it was a joke they had tried to pull. How could it be possible that a balloon could lift an entire ship? Even the biggest zeppelins could only hold small cabins. He had come to the conclusion that they had smoked something on the roof without telling him, or they were just pulling his leg.
 
Not wanting to have anything to do with gossip at that point, he had headed right after breakfast to the butcher's section a few buildings away to continue with his real task. He wore old rubber boots, a thick white apron over his old uniform, and carried an improvised mask made from an old towel. He tried to keep his work environment as sterile as possible. However, with the lack of a water filter and cleaning materials, there was only so much he could do. Therefore, Mac was quite certainly this room would fail every health inspection, although it was likely, at the moment, one of the cleanest places.
 
“At least the summer is done,” he groaned as he began to cut the skin from the animal. It had hung overnight by the heels, and most of the blood had already seeped from the body. He would have to work quickly if he wanted to prevent more of it from going bad. He split some muscle fibres and exposed the shoulder joint. He would need the saw for this. He stuck the knife in the wooden board that served as a base and turned to the back room. Among other things were the tools he would need to disassemble an animal. He understood why so many Germans became butchers, as they had invented the sausage, or least he thought so.
 
Mac tore the towel from his head and wiped the sweat from his forehead to avoid wiping it with his sleeves and having to wash his hands again. The difficult iron door gave way to his pushing and the small light from the room went out into his work area. Fortunately, the light worked without electricity. A small bang sounded from outside the door, followed by a second bang, more softly than the first. Instinctively, he reached for his M9, which was behind in his pants. It had interfered with his work more than once before. The single source of light outside was a small roof light from Perspex, which was covered with some snow of the night. The vague light did not reveal too much.
 
"Who’s there?" he called and freed himself from the apron, as it would only hinder him. Because it was still quite cloudy, the few remnants of sunlight was all but negated. “I am armed and will shoot.” Mac listened into the twilight and finally heard steps, only they did not come before him but from the alley behind the building. Now he also knew what the quieter bang had been: the back door. Somebody had found their warehouse here, and if it was one of the gang of youths, they would soon receive a visit. He had to catch up with the spy at all costs. Those kids had the numerical advantage and the weapons. As bad as they would be with their weapons compared to trained soldiers, they would have the balls to attack them and keep at it.
 
Mac went to the door, pressed the handle, and ripped it open with all his strength. His head looked around the alley and he spotted a small form going around the corner before it disappeared. He tried to be quick and quiet, even though that worked against each other. He got around the corner to see another form disappear. This form was going at quite a pace. With the third bend, he would have almost run into it if he hadn’t slowed down, as it came to a halt. Quickly, he got a view of his surroundings. Around him were many apartment building in the city. Many of the windows had been broken, and rubbish lay scattered. It reminded him of Chicago, where his uncle and aunt had lived. Above him wafted a tarpaulin, which made it possible to see from a window. Should they want to lure him into an ambush, it would be more difficult.
 
“~There you are. What’s the situation?” he heard a voice ask in a language he did not understand. Given where they were, it was likely German.
 
"One was in the butcher's shop, but that wasn’t their warehouse. They only have the animals they caught there. They seem to live in the McDonalds." The voice was younger, higher. Either a girl or a small boy. Even if he did not understand what they had said exactly, he had recognized the name of the restaurant. They now knew where their base was. This was not good at all.
 
"Are you sure that they are in there?" came from the first voice. He needed to to think fast. Could he take on both of them if he needed to?
 
“Yeah. I saw them disappearing in the old MCD. They came out again after a few minutes. They had one or two rifles and pistols. Nothing we can’t handle.” 

Come on, he thought. Tell me something I can work with.
 
"We’ll gather in K and simply get rid of them. We have more people here, and we need the food. The bastards have hoarded everything for themselves.” Now there were three, and all were likely armed. His chances were looking slimmer by the minute. He listened further and suddenly other voices were to be heard, one even sounding like English. Unfortunately, he was too far away to understand it.
 
"Micha! What are you doing?” Apparently the three had heard something and seemed worried. He heard some footsteps, and it seemed that they walked away, because they became quieter. Now Mac trusted himself to take a risk and sneak a peek, and he saw his assumption was correct. Quickly he followed them, pressed himself against the houses and applied his knowledge from basic training. He moved in such a way to make as little noise as possible.
 
"Did they fall in paint? What’s wrong with them?" He stood directly around the corner of a house and listened in. Apparently they had bumped into somebody of interest.
 
"I think everything is alright, huh?" That was definitely English, as he had understood the speaker more than clearly. Apparently he was also not alone and had a companion. Mac heard like weapons being drawn. Either he had answered their question wrong or the members of the gang did not understand English.
 
"Holy… speaking horses! Do you think we can eat one? We haven’t had meat in a while," said one of the teenagers, obviously excited. Whatever they had found had put them in a good mood. Normally, whatever put their enemies in a good mood spelt trouble for them. If the other survivors had food or anything of value, no doubt the gang would try to take it.
 
"Maybe we should ask them." There were a few seconds of silence. “What are you? Some kind of mutant animals that broke out of a lab or something?" At least one of them understood German, even if he didn’t speak it.

“Yeah, and you’ll get superpowers if I bit you.” He had not heard the question, but apparently the answer was about Spiderman. “We come from the planet Melmac and need to speak to you leaders.” They had probably also asked where they had come from.
 
“Now listen to me, you wiseass. Either I have an answer at the count of three or you and your friend over there will both have something else to worry about. At least after we’ll have some meat to eat.” The voice sounded pissed, and he heard the cock of the weapon being pulled back. Mac fingered his own. Would it be worthwhile to intervene? “One!”
 
“No matter what I say, you will not believe it.” The stranger had realized it himself. They wanted his belongings and his life.
 
“Two…” Mac recognized a countdown if he heard one, even in German, and he quickly came to a conclusion. These were at least three of them and the two strangers who spoke English. If he intervened, it would be three against three. The enemy of my enemy was my friend, and so he believed. Since both parties did not see eye to eye, this could be their chance to even things up a bit. If they could contribute food or weapons, it didn’t matter if they were trained or not. Every person had one or other useful abilities. He took a deep breath and turned around the corner. All three backs were turned to him. The closest belonged to a young boy. The others were teens and two of them had on a weapon belt. That meant that it was a bigger calibre. One of them was in a little squat and looked downward. Had they attacked the person already? In any case, they were still a threat to him, and he knew what to do. Up to now, they had avoided shooting at them to avoid a bigger conflict, but now they were trying to kill someone.
 
 
“Okay boys, fire up the grill. Three!” That was the signal he had waited on. His weapon had been quietly waiting to be fired, both hands grasping his weapon, his breathing slow and steady, his aim unwavering at his target: The head of the young person squatting down.
 


***




Several things happened at once. First there was a shot, but instead of a shield building up in front of me, the weapons were wrapped in a light blue aura. The next thing I heard from was a kind of battle cry from above, and I was somehow pulled to the back. That all happened in a second. The aura belonged to Armor, who now pulled my tail in front of the shocked teenagers. What shocked them was not the magic, however, but the hole in their leader’s head. Blood spurted onto my face from the mouth of the dead guy before he slumped onto the ground. I looked over him to the shooter. He was practically a giant with red hair. He wore an American uniform and held a M9 in his hands as he focused on the next of the group, the guy in the cap. He did not seem to have realized yet what had happened completely, because as we went past, his hands were trembling. The next shot came, and my ears rang for a second time. The bullet struck him in the shoulder and he fell to the ground, his cap falling down as he screamed in pain. That made me wonder where the first cry had come from, and I looked just in time to see Rainbow tackling the other guy with the MP5 with her hooves and disappearing with him through a nearby shop window.

"Drop your weapon!" called the shooter, who had not even noticed that the third had disappeared. I heard the AK dropping to the ground as Armor finally succeeded to dragging my paralyzed body one store further away. It was a shop for exotic food, as the smell of spices lay in the air as I took in my first real breath.

“Dammit… now we’re stuck in the middle,” Armor hissed and tried to catch a glance of the situation outside. "But it's better they attack each other than us." I was still reeling at the thought of the bullet flying through the head in front of me, having missed me only because the shooter had shot in an acute angle due his size. Practically in the back of his head and out his chin again.
 
“Shit… shit shit shit,” I muttered to myself. This had turned from a simple reconnaissance mission to a combat zone. At least the others were safe “Report!” I yelled as into the radio as I pressed the button. There was no answer, only another shot that rang out. First there was one, then other. I immediately thought of Rainbow alone with one of those guys, trying to charge at him while he had one of those weapons. I could imagine how it would turn out.
 
“Be right back,” I said quickly. I hoped I wouldn’t land in a wall or any other solid object. My body was compressed to the size of a pea for a split second, and with a bang and slightly singed fur, I reached my destination. It was a clothing store for children, the items scattered across the floor.
 
“Rainbow!” I cried, and heard a moan from the corner.  I immediately rushed to the source and found the pegasus laying on the ground, dazed but unharmed. A crack in the wall showed me why. She had to have smashed her victim against it. I saw said person on the ground as well, completely knocked out and probably nursing a few fractures and broken ribs.
 
“Did I win?” She moaned again and tried and sit up.
 
“Yeah, everything’s good.”  I freed him from his weapon and threw it over my own neck, before I pulled the belt tighter.  Now I levitated on me, right next to my saddlebag. I would be reluctant to use it, but it was better than if he had it. Rainbow began to shake her head and take in her surroundings. “How come you didn’t warn us though?”
 
“Huh? He came from this store. When Star and I saw him, it was already too late.” In that case, it was a good thing they had remained silent.
 
“Where is Star?” I had noticed the pegasus hadn’t entered the battlefield. More shots sounded off.
 
“He went back to the Celestia to get reinforcements.” I only nodded and moved closer to her. “Hey, I’m fine! Some privacy please.”
 
“I’m going to teleport us to Armor, so hold still.” This had been only my second teleport. Now I understood why Twilight was one of the few who knew how to do it. Few seemed to know about the magical waves that existed everywhere, probably because it was a secret of the alicorns. That meant she had probably learned that move from Celestia. I saw that Rainbow was not comfortable with my proximity, but I moved closer anyway, and we were back a moment later.
 
“You okay?” Armor entered my field of vision.
 
“Yeah, we’re both good.” Rainbow moved away from me and stretched limbs. “Only my legs hurt a bit.”

“We have to go back through the illusion. Any word from Julian?” I shook my head. In the background were more shots, but they were more quiet than before. “Get ready, it’s a short distance away. Can you teleport again?” I could only shake my head again.
 
"Just with Rainbow was already too much. I haven’t had any practice with it before. We would land in the middle of the street if I tried to teleport all three of us." I could see that Armor did not like that answer, and neither did I for that matter. Running through crossfire was not a pleasant thought.
 
“Mac is down there! We have to go over the edge and in!” The voice from outside quickly got our attention. A few moments later, a few American soldiers jogged past the window, none paying attention to us. They were too focused on helping their comrade. One guy was a coincidence, but it seemed as though there was an entire company here and brought me hope that there was still another camp that existed and was home to civilians. I rushed to look outside at them as they rushed down the alley where the shots had come from. Still on the ground were the dead leader and the AK. Next to him was another puddle of blood, which must have been from the other other kid, lining up with my theory that he was still fighting.
 
“The coast is clear! Now or never! I cried, startling the other two and ran across the street. Halfway down, I paused and waved at them to hurry and join me. As both passed me, I saw other teenagers with weapons approaching. The boy, who had dropped the AK, had called reinforcements after the soldier let him go. I did not intervene again and went through the illusion.
 
“Light! I was so scared!” AJ threw her hooves around me, followed shortly by Trixie.
 
“What went on? Why did no one report?” Armor asked around.
 
“My radio went dead,” Julian called from somewhere in the background. “My battery is finished, and Light has the extras.” That was technically true, even though I was down to the last one myself. Nevertheless, I levitated out of the saddlebag to him.
 
“What do we do now?” Trixie asked after we had reassured each other and had a moment to clear our heads.
 
“We should help the Americans,” I interjected before Armor could say anything. “I mean, one of them tried to help me. Furthermore, there could be another survivor’s camp with the Americans. Even the English soldiers had said they were here.” That a counter argument did not come from Armor was a good sign for me.
 
“Do you really want to get involved here?” AJ asked carefully.
 
“Sure, that’s why we’re here,” Julian spoke up, having finally succeeded in placing the battery in the device. “Rainbow and I can fly, and we have three magical unicorns. I think we can work it out.” Up until now, I had not thought to check something.
 
“Armor, could you create a shield a bit further down there?” He nodded and did as I asked, curious as to what I was up to. I pulled out the gun and fired a volley at the shield. As expect, it held firm and repelled the bullets to the left and right. Up until now, I had not been sure whether or not the shield would actually hold against the bullets. Armor seemed to understand my test and came to a decision.
 
“Trixie and Applejack, you wait here for the others and pass on what’s going on. Julian, you and Rainbow will act as our aerial reconnaissance. Tell us if anyone is approaching from behind, no matter the uniform. We don’t want a repeat of what happened. Give a headset to them." Rainbow gave hers to AJ. "Light, you try to take them out. I want to avoid killing. Deaths only means there will be ponies with the wish of revenge. I will keep the bullets away from us.” He looked around and saw we were ready.
 
“Go!”


> Chapter 72 - Animal I have Become
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Beating their wings quickly, both pegasi took off. Armor and I stepped through the illusion and back onto the road and galloped after them.
 
“So, how do we explain to one party that they shouldn’t fire on us?” Armor asked, as though I had a password or something.
 
“I think the easiest thing to do to show that we’re on their side is to save their asses.” We reached the corpse and continued to run down the sidewalk. Now that there were no bullets flying around my head, I noticed a few things. Aside from the usual things to be found in such a place, like benches, trash cans, billboards, and shops, there were no signs of any victims. So either the Americans or the gang were responsible for making the stack of corpses in that alley. It did not serve as a deterrent or mass grave, but had probably been done to make other areas more habitable. As I had mentioned, the theory that the younger ones had a camp here made sense. That meant they would probably not lead us to their hideout, as nobody wanted to carry the enemy home.
 
“I can hear the guns again,” Armor said, his ears swivelling. I could do it to a certain degree, but he had almost perfected it. “They’re more on that side.” He gestured with his head to what I guessed was in a northern direction. We continued to gallop down the streets and eventually came to the fight scene. A big shopping centre lay in the centre of a wide square, and we witnessed how windows were shot out and several forms disappeared. Shots rattled out from the building we were now approaching. It was practically just steel beams with a glass outer wall that had been shot out, probably just before we had arrived. Getting closer revealed the names of the various shops in the shopping centre, mostly clothing stores and jewellery shops.
 
“They are in there? How do we proceed?” We stopped at the entrance at looked to the side. We could either go through one of the smashed windows to go to the ground floor, or simply use the main entrance.
 
“The main entrance, I suppose.” The captain created his signature shield. “Can you make it alone through that window over there?” He pointed to a broken shop window that our suspected enemies had just climbed through. “Try to follow them from behind.” I only nodded. “If it doesn’t work, try to avoid killing anyone. We don’t need them coming after us to get revenge.” We parted here, and I ran a few meters through the busted glass to my destination. A mannequin in a summer dress showed how long it had been since this place had seen a semblance of normalcy. The other mannequins were unclothed or missing altogether, as four in such a broad showcase were too few.
 
I first crouched down and then sprang up to jump and avoid the broken glass. Hooves were hard, no doubt, but the soft flesh in the centre was still sensitive. I had poked AJ there with my horn for fun, which she hadn’t found funny at all. She had borrowed a quill from Apple Bloom and made me realize why. Normally I wouldn’t have waited until she came at me with it, but the lasso around my legs had prevented my escape. My brain had since internalized that it was unhealthy to walk under glass and other sharp objects.
 
Ponies, or horses in general, were naturally good jumpers, and so I could avoid making a bloody path through the shards. I felt like Bruce Willis in Die Hard. I could use the motivation – after all, life and death were at stake here – but it felt inappropriate. To my pleasure, I ended up in the women’s underwear section. Not that I had any untoward interest in them, unless they were on the appropriate body of course, but now there were few enough remaining. Most of the clothing in the sections had been looted, which allowed me to spot several of our opponents. Two young men stood with weapons in the hands at the exit of the store and looked down the corridors. They did not seem to have noticed my elegant landing through the windows, of which the carpet had a role to play. Often it had served as a place to rest, because when one went shopping with the now ex-girlfriend, it served as a pleasant substitute for the cold floor. It also dampened my steps.
 
As I walked by the shelves of panties and risked a look, inevitably thinking about AJ, I was already thinking of the best spell to disarm and incapacitate my enemies. Only as I was close enough that an outstretched hoof could hit their shoulder, I realized what was going on. Shots rang through the corridor and suppressed any other noise with their loud echoes. The two in front of me shouted to each other as they returned fire, though it did not seem they knew where to fire, shooting opposite them where they guessed the soldiers to be. Height was always an advantage. Satisfied with this new knowledge, I looked back to the two who still hadn’t noticed me, and I got an idea. They were only human. None of them would be able to counter any magic I used on them. With the urge to slap myself rising, my horn lit up broke their grip on their weapons. The guns flew through the air and out the window I had come in through the next moment. Perplexed, the two turned around to look into my smirking face.
 
I had several reactions in mind. Perhaps they would scream like a little girl and run away, or pepper me with questions. What I did not expect was one to start to stammer at the sight of me and the other to throw his arms around me. Not maliciously or any other intentions I blocked from my mind. No, he simply hugged me.
 
“I don’t believe it! Are you a pony? Can you speak?” I heard from my new friend as he released me so that I could be back on all fours.
 
“Umm… yes?” The fight in the background had been shoved to the back of the minds for these two.
 
“Oh my God, are you from Equestria? What are you doing here?” I blinked, trying to compensate for the fact that I had just picked up two bronies.
 
“Actually… I wanted to knock you out and disarm you… and do the same with the entire gang… if you didn’t mind.” I was completely overwhelmed, so my mouth did the talking for me. Some of the joy left their faces, but they made no attempt to defend themselves.
 
“What? Why? What have we ever done to you?” the other asked, now finished with his imitation of a goldfish.
 
“A couple of your buddies wanted to grill us when we tried to talk to them, and then shot at us.” They exchanged a few glances, rose, and looked down at me.
 
“Umm… sorry about that?” They plastered on some forced smiles. “We’ll just wait outside then, okay?” I said nothing and nodded my head in the direction of the shop window. My eyes followed them as they stepped over the glass and finally climbed out. Once there, they went into a crouch and stared directly into the store at me. This entire thing did not make any sense. These two were around twenty and acted as a six year old might when he got an order from his father. I could tell them to chew on glass for a while since it would be good for their teeth, and they might actually do it. I was glad I had been able to keep my composure when I had first met Twilight. If I had confronted her like that, I would have rotted in my apartment and could only dream of visiting Equestria. Dealing with fans was nothing new to me, as my career on YouTube had gained me some fame, but most had been respectful and kept their distance. At least those I had met at GameCon.
 
A noise pulled me from my thoughts, and I did like the two young people and looked inside the building and down the hall. It seemed a member of the gang had fallen to the first floor and into a flowerpot, or what was left of it in any case. Every few meters was such a stone circle built, like a well, only that it wasn’t open but filled with soil. Around it were benches to sit on. Now he lay there, legs and arms hanging over the border, not stirring. Even if they were hostile to us, I did not want anyone dead, as our intention was to save as many as possible.
 
I looked up and saw more people from his gang. They had their weapons drawn and seemed to be shooting at someone, though I could not spot who. As soon as I saw the path was safe, I stepped out of the store and went in search of an escalator or flight of stairs. The fight had gone upstairs, and there wasn’t much to do here due to lack of vision. Even though the floor was now marble, I still did not hear my hoof steps. The gunfire covered everything. I went past a few boutiques and the odd café until I finally left the broad hallway and went into a circular room that seemed to connect with other hallways. In the midst of these were escalators that ran both upstairs and downstairs. The lack of electricity meant that they were out of order.
 
“Fire in the hole!” a voice screamed, and my head snapped around to try and find the source. Although I could not see anyone above the stairs, a small object sailed through the air. However, it faltered before it could reach its target on the opposite side of the escalator and was pulled down by gravity… towards me.
 
“Dammit,” I muttered even as I jumped from the first step of the escalator, my wings springing out from me. Unfortunately, there was not a lot of room in front of me, and so I crashed through one of the broken shop windows and landed on a clothing rack. There wasn’t any time to recover as I made it behind the cashier’s counter just in time before the grenade exploded. The explosion was smaller than I imagined, only the volume that pounded my eardrums and the splinters from the glass in the escalator being a problem. These flew like bullets and landed on the wall behind me. Some got into my coat as well as my mane. For a few seconds, I heard nothing before it was replaced by dull sounds and a buzzing. I shook my head a few times frantically and hit my ears a few times with a hoof. It would have been better if I had not been in the direction they had thrown the grenade. They had done it rather automatically, almost like an instinct.
 
"Ever heard of friendly fire?!" I exclaimed on the assumption that the grenade had belonged to one of the soldiers. Why should the gang stop when reinforcements could arrive? I put my front hooves on the counter and looked over to examine the damage. The lowest steps of the escalator were virtually non-existent, the glass missing and spread around, and the railing, in which this had been incorporated, was strongly bent. The buzzing in my ears was slowly replaced with the sound of gunfire once again. How many were there?
 
I came out of my cover and quickly went up the remainder of the stairs, hoping to avoid a second such incident. The paths at the top were divided in two to be able to see the bottom floor. Now I had the choice of four ways to proceed. There were two to the right and two to the left. An old rule of mine made the decision to go right. Most of the people in the world were right-handed and tended to subconsciously go for that as a choice. Again, I went past some shops, all that had seen better times. Clothes shops, stores with the kind of stuff only women would find great, and so on. From one of the shops, a body poked out, and I stopped for a moment to check it. I tried to move it with my magic until I noticed that I was still as a pegasus. On the second try, I succeeded, but I found help for him had come too late. The boy, no older than fifteen, had multiple gunshot wounds in the chest and his eyes looked lifelessly to me. I closed it and moved on, as it was not the moment to get caught up in regret. A whizzing sound told me that I had come closer and finally saw the conflict down the hall.
 
On the side where I was standing, there were some teens at the railing and more in the shops behind it. The view straight down was clear, and I saw the other party in this conflict, three of the soldiers. Among them was the red-haired giant who had tried to help. I went by two or three stores the teenagers were in and prepared to teleport in front again. If I could surprise them, it was more than likely there could be no more losses. In the store itself, there was nothing left. I could not even say what had been sold here. I stood against the wall in the direction of the nearest shop and prepared to teleport. Finding the magic waves and protecting myself with a shield, my body again compressed to the size of a pea and appeared on the other side, accompanied by a small bang. For a few ominous seconds there was silence, but then it was followed by the next shot. I wondered briefly if they could hear me, but that did not really matter as they could not expect an attack by the wall.
 
The business which I was now in was a watch shop. Everywhere there were still some and even in the showcases were what remained, but all were non-functional as they either had no battery or had to be keyed. As I walked past them to teleport me to the nearest store, my eyes fell on a special piece, a Swiss. Steel case and bracelet, dial in a brilliant shade of blue. I eyed the watch for a second time just before it disappeared into my bag. Now that the distraction was gone, I positioned myself again and focused on the runes. Find magic waves, mix them with my own, and I was flying at an insane speed against the wall, which gave way. The first impact against the wall itself was not so bad; the second was much more so. I flew with a piece of wall below me in the store where the young people were holed up and slammed against the back wall of the room. The shock went through me, and without the ability to touch anything, I fell to the ground. "Damn ..." I groaned when I realized that I had forgotten to build a shield and to shrink myself to pea size. Or whatever it was. I had literally gone with the flow without any protection. I had been quick, but the wall was solid.
 
"What the hell?" I lay on my chest on the ground, front legs buried under my body. My head looked up where I was greeted by the sight of three youths who now held their guns in my direction. So much for stealth. Karma was a bitch, and I probably had about three seconds before they would find me. Without time to think things through, I repeated the spell and was again catapulted forward at a speed that would make Rainbow envious. This time I did not hit the wall but the chest of the enemy in front of me, and I felt like his ribs moving to yield to the force. The force hurled him forward and slammed his back against the iron railing in the hallway. His other colleagues were a surprise to me; the other seemed a bit behind. Unfortunately, however, I also attracted the attention of the other three that had been in the earlier store. Now it was five opponents that waited to pounce on me.
 
"Kill it!" cried a familiar voice that belonged to the wounded man from outside. One of the three from earlier now pointed his gun in my direction. Again I turned to magic, but this time I shot right to the hole from which I had come and managed to evade the first shots. Not to bang against the wall again, I applied the magic again, but a little weaker, and use it in order to brake. Unfortunately, it did not completely work, but I made it and used my hooves to cushion my fall. Like a swimmer would do, I pushed off the wall with all fours again and this time used the magic against the second of my enemies. I used what had once been a shoulder and rammed it against his head. The impact was almost as hard for me as it was for my opponent, though he obviously got the worse of it. Like a bowling pin, he instantly fell to the ground on the hard floor of the shop. It had once been a perfumery, at least going by the bottles that lay on the shelves.
 
I slid a little about the PVC with which everything was covered here. I finally came to a stop and saw that I had also knocked out this opponent successfully. The impact of my shoulder and the ground would certainly give him a concussion. My next problem was the other gang members and how I could take them out without hurting them. Shining Armor had taught me how to dodge magical bullets, how to free my sword from an enemy’s telekinesis, and such similar things. Unfortunately, he did not show me how to knock people out with magic. And then it dawned upon me that if magic was too strong, why not? My wings spread out to their full span, and I was in the air in an instant and hurtled towards my last opponent. He had now realized that his second friend was not standing on his legs anymore, and my forehooves drilled into his stomach. I hoped at least that I had hit his stomach and not his spleen or kidney. The liver I could live with, because a certain online game had taught me that a hit into the kidneys had serious man-stopping power. It didn't really matter if I hit liver or kidney, as the hit was enough and he went to the floor. Bullets flew around my ears before I had hardly come to a standstill near my opponent, and two penetrated my outstretched wings.
 
“Ahh! Shit!” It felt as though someone had burned holes into them. It was clear that these wings had too many nerves, and I exchanged them urgently. I was faster as an earth pony and still stronger than any human. Some bullets struck the spot where I had been a few seconds ago, and I dove behind a few of the shelves in the back area.
 
“What is that thing?” one of my opponents muttered. Apparently my old friend was among them.
 
“Don’t ask! Just shoot it!” The MP5 was made shorter of a few bullets that pierced through the metal plate above my head. Hollywood exaggerated the shell life of such objects, and I quickly started to move in order to avoid being struck. As fast as I could, I ran in a zigzag position back and forth between two columns, trying to make good distance since I had to rely on melee without wings or horn. When I heard the click of the fully automatic weapon, I risked a glance in their direction and saw an opening. Apparently it had jammed due to a lack of cleaning, knowledge that these kids lacked. I braked and used what I had learned from the apple harvests, only the other way around. I went into a squat as far as my hind legs could take me and jerked forward like a spring. With three or four steps that were almost like jumps, I stood before my old friend and saw the fear in his eyes before my forelegs slowed me down and put the momentum into the turn before I outstretched my hind legs. I felt my hooves make contact with his chest, causing him to fly back and hit a shelf and even sent him over the railing. The next thing I heard was a dull thud as he struck the marble tiles of the ground floor. I looked at him for a few seconds before I realized how quiet it had gotten. No one was firing any more, and the two youths looked at me in horror.
 
“Anyone else?” I was quite out of breath but could not let it show. I had to keep up the bluff and make them piss themselves in fear, at much that was possible from a small pony. That apparently worked as they ran to the hole that I had come through in a bid to escape. Since they had no weapons, I let them disappear and looked to the other side where the soldiers presumably were. They were entrenched behind a desk in a bakery. I thought of how I could talk to them without them replying with a hail of bullets.
 
“Flash,” I called out to them without showing myself. For a few seconds, there was no reply.
 
“Thunder!” exclaimed a voice on the other side, and I knew that my idea had taken root. It had worked before the Second World War, so why not now.
 
"Welcome!" That was the third part of the slogan, as not everyone knew it from film and television. "Die Bande hier ist ausgeschaltet oder geflohen. The air is pure,” I added.
 
"Okay, I’m coming out." I heard movement and saw by a crack in the shelves several men coming out behind the bar.
 
“I’m also coming out. Don’t shoot!” I put emphasis on my last sentence, understandable after the events of today. There was no answer, so I took it as a yes as I spread my wings down to go past the burning holes and the shop below. I could see them on the other side, though it seemed it was less so for them. The railing had many thin bars blocking the view, so I had no choice but to fly over. I saw five weapons pointed at me when I was just above the gap, and they followed me as I landed. To my surprise, they seemed less shocked than they should have been.
 
“Blue Light?” one of them asked, and this time I was the one who had received the first contact. “Hey, White Horse, we have one of your friends here!” one of them in the middle cried. The glass – no, it wasn’t glass but a barrier – broke now so that the counter was once again without protection. Shining Armor came from behind it.
 
“Great that you’ve made it.” Of course he had been here before me. The weapons were lowered, and five men dropped exhaustedly to the ground.
 
“So, this time in peace. My name is James Tuna; friends and comrades call me Fish. What can the rest of the Third Delta do for you?”
> Chapter 73 - Until the End
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

All in all, the soldiers were more at ease than I would have thought. First there was James Tuna, called ‘Fish’ by his subordinates. He was a man in his mid to late thirties, about six feet tall, and well trained. His stubble was on its way to becoming a full beard, and his brown hair also stopped just below his shoulder. Toiletries were obviously either rare or non-existent. The next in the group was Leonard, who reminded me a little of his namesake in a particular television series. He was shorter than Fish and had uncombed, medium length, black hair and glasses. Why a paramedic was called Pill was not explained to us during the presentation. Alfred was the radio operator and technician of the small unit and also the youngest. He was perhaps twenty-five and did not seem as trained as the others, a sign that he must have formerly been one of the army’s desk jockeys. He also showed clear signs of facial hair, but because of its light shade of brown, it wasn’t as noticeable. Leroy could best be described if I compared him to Mordecai from Borderlands. He was tall, about the size of Fish, and lanky. However, that did not mean that he was untrained. His long black hair was tied back in a ponytail, and a goatee graced his face.
 
It was the last of the group who was the most interesting of all. Not because of his appearance, or at least not only because of it. John MacGilvary, or Mac, was the giant who had tried to help us. He towered at about seven feet in height, had shoulder-length red hair, and freckles all over his face. Added to this was the distinct Texan accent, something that I knew only two ponies possessed. It was almost too much of a coincidence.
 
“So, I admit to be curious enough for an explanation. The only thing our white friend here has said was that he wants to help. Honestly? I don’t think any of us care what type it is. Help, no matter what, is something we need in these times," Fish summed up his group’s position and gestured to Shining Armor.
 
"As I earlier tried to explain, I am Captain Shining Armor of the Canterlot Royal Guard. My companion here is Private Light." I gave him a quick look as he nodded almost imperceptibly. "We are ponies from another world and are here to help, as you already know. We are more familiar with these beings that you call shades and can successfully push them back and keep at a distance." The soldiers exchanged some incredulous looks before Alf coughed.
 
“Did you say that you can keep them permanently at bay?” Armor nodded. “How?”
 
"Sunlight is their biggest weakness. You would have certainly noticed that they avoid it,” I continued for Armor. "We have magic that can create barriers and keep them away."
 
"I have a question," the giant interjected. "How did you know that this world needed help?" Armor quickly looked over at me.
 
"That’s because I—" I was interrupted by the crunching of glass from the floor, and we were immediately all back on alert. Everyone listened intently in silence as we waited to find out who had crashed the scene and how many we had to deal with.
 
"Light, sugarcube?" I heard AJ’s voice echoing through the corridors. Relieved, Armor and I exhaled, but not the soldiers.
 
"Do not worry, that's just my girlfriend... fiancée," I quickly corrected. "We’re up here!" I shouted as loudly as I could, and now we once more heard hooves quickly rushing across the floor, followed by at least two pairs of wings. Accordingly, Dash and Star were the first that joined us and were greeted by weapons pointed at them. "Hey! They are friends." However, Rainbow seemed unfazed by the threat directed at them. Either because she had forgotten how dangerous they were, or because she was brave. As the five saw that nothing happened, except the two were now present with wings next two ponies with horns, they lowered their guns again.
 
"So, how many are coming?" asked their leader—Fish, if I remembered correctly. At that moment, I saw AJ, Trixie, and Twilight coming up the same escalator that I had also taken.
 
"I think that’s the rest of them," I explained, pointing to the ponies. "The others must have remained on the ship." The troops nodded faintly.
 
"So was that your flying balloon-ship thing?" came from Mordecai. I could not remember his real name anyway. Before I could answer, we heard shots from the basement and the roar of several people.
 
"I think reinforcements just arrived," Rainbow noted and flew down. Our eyes followed her through the railing where she disappeared down the hallway. It was a little calmer again, and we exchanged some worried glances, but no one said anything. Then shots were heard, and a panicked pegasus came directly towards us. "Hey! Careful where you aim that thing!" she shouted as a bullet whizzed past her and struck the ceiling. The soldiers jumped up and leaned over the railing and waited for what was about to walk into view. No sooner had Rainbow landed did the other members of the gang come into view and began shooting again. The first targeted salvos of soldiers missed none of the targets, and the first five or six victims went to the ground.
 
"Pull back search or we will continue to shoot!" yelled Fish as loud as he could, but only got a few shots as an answer that just about went in his direction. "Ah fuck! Can anyone of you tell the German bastards that they should fuck off?"
 
"Withdraw now and you will be spared!" I called in the Royal Canterlot voice throughout the entire building, bringing silence.
 
"A warning would have been nice..." Twilight noted. "At some point, I'm going to go deaf."
 
"I said German!" Fish roared, who probably had to fight now to hear, seeing as there was no reason to be so loud.
 
"My voice is enchanted. While I speak English to you, it is German for them," I explained as I leaned in his direction. I did not know if he did not understand me or if he was hung up with the magic voice thing, but it took a few seconds before he nodded.
 
"You killed our friends! Surrender and give us your weapons," a voice called back. They also sounded relatively young.
 
"What does he want?" Fish asked me.
 
"Your arms and our surrender." I translated the demand, and he began to shift through Alf’s backpack.
 
"How about no?!" he shouted, pulled the pin from another hand grenade, and threw it down where he suspected the gang to be.
 
"Take cover!" I yelled to the others, threw myself on the floor, and put my hooves over my ears. I saw AJ, Twilight, and Armor follow my example, while the soldiers only covered their ears. A dull bang was heard, and a puff of smoke drew past us. Unlike us, the five were quickly back on their feet and turned their guns down again to watch for fleeing enemies.
 
"Behind us!" I heard the deep voice of Star call, and spun around to see that some of the gang had climbed the escalator in the confusion and had already turned their weapons on us. The first shots rang out, and we all tried again to jump for cover in the bakery behind us. Twilight responded faster than her brother or I, pulling us behind a shield.
 
"Star! Hey! "I looked over at Rainbow as she stood over the white pegasus, who had been struck. Armor pushed her aside and now looked at him and his wound. A bullet had hit him in the shoulder, and he did not move.
 
"Oh Celestia... This is not good..." muttered Armor and looked over at the others. "We need to get out to the ship as soon as possible."
 
"Where is your ship?" Fish asked as Twilight maintained the shield.
 
"At the airport," I answered quickly.
 
"And it’s secured?" The soldier went into cover to reload his gun, and Mac took over his position. "Against the shades?" I nodded. "Good. Okay, people, listen up. Our new friends here have a really secure post that would be mighty cozy, especially if Mac’s right about our position having been exposed. We’ll shoot our way out of here, collect what we can to contribute, and head out to the airport." 
 
"I'm coming with you," I added, which earned me some looks. "You could have information regarding what we’re primarily here for, and I don’t want to risk not getting it." This time it was Fish who nodded.
 
"Trixie! You accompany Light. Twilight, how far can you teleport us all?" She thought for a moment about Armor’s command and obviously had trouble with it, as she still maintained the shield. It absorbed one bullet after the other.
"I think up to the crossroads where we met Trixie and the others, after a short break." Armor attended to the unconscious Star and threw him over his back.
 
"Good. Rainbow, you can fly and find your way?" She looked away from the bleeding wound on Armor’s face and nodded. "Applejack, come over to us!" he shouted when he turned to Twilight. "As soon as you’re ready, let the shield fall. See you on the ship." Trixie saluted while I just looked over to AJ and grinned at her briefly. In a small purple explosion, they disappeared, and we all ducked immediately behind the counter when the first bullets whizzed to the back of the store.
 
“How much ammunition do they actually have?" I asked no one in particular.
 
"Enough. They’ve taken the stadium where we had our arsenal. We had to give it up when the shades invaded," Mac said and fired back a few volleys. "How do we get out of here?"
 
"Trixie will create an illusion that we will use. Rainbow Dash will go through one of the open windows to escape while we simply take the exit." Without waiting for an answer, her horn shone, and the next moment we were surrounded by five other soldiers that looked just like their originals. "They will hold for about five minutes. Until then, we should be out of reach." Again there was no answer as she sent the mirages across the hall, where they were immediately greeted by bullets. From this angle, I saw that they were running a bit strangely and were slightly transparent, but at greater distances, this would not attract attention. I came out from behind the counter and looked around more closely. The mirages fought a gun battle with a few young people in the basement and had their complete attention. I pointed to the window above us, and Rainbow understood that it was time for her departure. Hardly had she disappeared that we seized the moment to be as quiet as possible to disappear in the opposite direction, only further into the building. The distraction seemed to more than work well because we were now virtually alone as the sounds of battle in the background moved.
 
"We need to head west," Mordecai said, and so we turned at the correct direction at the earlier chance. However, we were quickly forced to hold by Mac, and he pointed with two fingers to his eyes, then pointed three fingers at us. Unlike Trixie, I understood the gesture and so she looked around the corner. She let out a gasp, and I wanted to just grab her tail, but she was already around the corner.
 
"Excuse me, but would you gentlemen kindly make way for the Great and Powerful Trixie?" she asked in near-perfect High German. My curiosity was piqued and looked at what happened. The three guards were perplexed as to how to react to the talking pony, and as Trixie close enough to them, her horn glowed briefly and they collapsed to the ground. "I see no one can resist the appearance of the Great and Powerful Trixie." The shock of her appearance was probably more responsible, I thought as I ran with the others in tow towards the exit.
 
"Oof... I've never been a friend of shopping..." I sighed as we left the mall a bit behind us. Trixie and I had moved into a trot, which forced the soldiers to jog. Although we were much smaller, we had less effort to cover the same distance, all thanks to the four legs.
 
"This way," said Fish and turned into a small side street. "So, now back to you again. What are you and what are you doing here?"
 
"As I said, we are ponies. To be exact, we come from a parallel dimension and are here to help. My name is Blue Light and this is my sister Trixie." I started the usual explanation that had become a habit when I came into contact with humans.
 
"You look similar enough," Alf said casually.

"Whatever," I pressed on before he could interject further. "We followed the signal of a radio station by the survivors to be found here, because we are looking for my family."

"Sorry, but if colourful ponies had been amongst the survivors, we would have noticed," Fish noted.

"They are human beings. Don’t ask." We turned into another street and were still a little slower because the paramedics and Alf seemed to be out of breath. "We learned that they were brought into a camp here and continued to fly to Munich. We do not know whether this has already happened or not. That's why we thought you could do something." The men looked at each other and walked silently on.
 
"My brother asked you a question," Trixie said when they had still not responded after some time.
 
"No place left in Munich, not that it matters," Mac whispered to her and strode past her. Before we could catch up, they disappeared around a corner, and then into a building. I examined the sign and found that we were well on target.
 
"McDonalds? What's that?" Trixie asked as she looked at an old advertising poster. In it, a burger could be seen with fries.
 
"A fast food restaurant. Unhealthy but convenient if you want something to quickly fill your stomach." I thought this was a good opportunity to check with the others. With my magic, I put my headset on my head and pressed the button for the microphone. "Light to Celestia, please come in." There was silence for a few seconds. Actually, it was too quiet. I looked in my right saddlebag, where the unit was stowed, and found that it had made acquaintances with a bullet. "Damn..." I took it out and threw it in a high arc down the road. Now the door of the restaurant opened again, and the five men came out with thickly-filled backpacks.
 
"Before we go to your ship, I want to know what you meant by ‘it makes no difference?’" I said to Fish, who was at the other door. He looked to his colleagues, then nodded to me.
 
"You know what a WMD is?" he asked hesitantly.
 
"Of course, a weapon of mass destruction. Atomic or hydrogen bombs, for example," I said without a clue of what he was getting at.
 
"It’s fallen," he said and went on his way.
 
"What do you mean ‘it’s fallen’?" Trixie was next to me and seemed to not quite understand, but I just did not care.
 
"When the situation had seemed hopeless, the chancellor tried to use atomic retaliation." I swallowed. They had actually used nuclear weapons? "Without success. After they did, other countries panicked. Everywhere on the globe, several bombs went off." I was stunned, my head blank. "If you didn’t get caught then, you would start bleeding from your mouth months later."
 
"What does he mean, Light?" Trixie asked with some panic in her voice.
 
"Atomic bombs are the destructive weapons to man. They have a large explosive force, but that is not the worst. It's the deadly radiation. It can make an area uninhabitable for hundreds of years." And when bombs rained down, the entire world could have been blanketed by a lethal cloud. I swallowed. "Trixie, we need to go back to the ship to check something."


> Chapter 74 - Pain
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Trixie and I stormed into the hangar, we boarded the Celestia and moved down to the infirmary. Almost everypony was standing in the hallway in front of the room. Rarity, Luna, and Hawk were in the lounge since the hallway was too narrow. All of them had a look of concern on their faces, all but Hawk. Her facial expression was a mix of pain, grief, and dread.  Nevertheless, there were no tears in her eyes.
 
As we made our way to them, AJ was the first to notice. She came over to me and threw her hooves around my neck. Armor came over next. "I see you made it back. Where’s the radio?” he asked in a monotone. I could see from his face that he was near collapsing himself. Shooting Star was one of his oldest comrades, and I could still see Star’s blood on Armor’s back.
 
“Busted. How is Star?” I asked while I hugged AJ. If even she was so distraught, it could mean nothing good.
 
“That projectile punched through his sternum into his lungs and took some bone fragments with it. That was the last thing I heard before Twilight, Fluttershy, and Cadance kicked us out of the room.” I winced at the thought, though that was not the biggest problem, but one of many.
 
“Do we have a prognosis?” Armor shook his head, and I looked at AJ, who still clung to me.
 
“I need to talk to Luna. Something else came up and we have to investigate it. We could be in terrible danger. I would not be—" Armor put his hoof on my shoulder. Here I thought he needed a shoulder to lean on. He wasn't just physically stronger than me. “AJ, stay here and keep an eye on things for me, okay?” She nodded and released me. Without further hesitation, I walked past Hawk, who was staring at the floor, directly to Luna.
 
“We have to talk,” she said before I could say anything. She walked past me down the hallway to the kitchen. “While you were out scouting, we sensed a strong magical energy. Twilight Sparkle felt it too and suspects the Nightmare is responsible.” I just nodded.
 
“We have a more urgent problem. The humans have a weapon that emits a deadly radiation. Several of those weapons have been used, and we could already be exposed to the radiation. I don't know the exact chemical composition, but I know that it causes tumours that inevitably lead to death.” Luna’s horn lit up, and she closed her eyes for a few seconds. “The composition of the air is a bit different from Albion. It appears to be... polluted. If this radiation is in the air, we cannot distinguish it from the remaining pollution,” she said as the light around her horn vanished. “Maybe Twilight Sparkle knows more. She was prepared much better for this mission than I.” I agreed, and Luna got back to the others. I poured myself a glass of water that I desperately needed.
 

***

 
When I got out of the airship, I found the five soldiers who were putting up a makeshift camp in the opposite side of the hangar. Behind a barricade, they set up their tents and rolled out their sleeping bags. When Fish saw me trot over to them, he broke away from his men, and we met in the middle.
 
“I see you’ve made yourself a little more comfortable.” It was more of a statement than anything else, and I took a quick glance past him.
 
“I hope you don’t mind if we utilized your protection when the need arises. We should thank you anyway. Without your intervention, it all might have been different.” I thought about telling him that Mac’s actions had not been necessary and without our help they probably wouldn't have made it in the mall. But I let it go – who knew how long they could have held that position against an assault.
 
“There should be enough space for all of us.” He nodded and looked around the hangar. “How’s your comrade?” I took a glance at the porthole where I thought the infirmary was.
 
“No idea. But we have magic, right? I think he will...” I swallowed my emotion down. “I came here to talk about the nukes... Are you sure about that?” Fish pulled out a blue plastic tag out of one his pocket and held it out to me. I grasped it in my magic and took a closer look at it. Thanks to my mother, who worked at a hospital, I was familiar with this kind of objects. There was small slit in the tag and in it was a red discoloured foil.
 
“That thing was in my pocket for the last few months. Nowhere else, plus we saw the flashes in the night.” I gave him back his property and looked at his face. “We will die one way or another. Before we go, we will put those monsters through hell. Our lives should not have been in vain.” This answered a question I was mulling over on our way back to the hangar. Why would you fight if you would die anyway? What for?
 
“When did they drop the bombs?” Fish began to count on his fingers. It must have been difficult to keep eye on the time when you were constantly in danger.
 
“Approximately three month ago, so in one or two months the radiation should kill us. How long were you here? Maybe it's not too late for you guys.” I shook my head.
 
“One month. No matter how little we absorbed, it's enough time to be contaminated.”  Fish nodded. “As soon as my friends help Star, we will take a look to see radiation has an effect on us. After all, we are different from humans or any living being on this planet.”
 
“I hope so, for your sake...” He paused and looked past me. I followed his gaze and saw AJ walking over to us with a basket of apples.
 
“Howdy y'all! I thought you lot might be hungry,” she said as stood next to us, and Fish gladly took her offer. The apple seemed a little small in his hand, but it didn't bother him at all.
 
“Did I hear something about food?” Mac came over to us, and when he saw AJ and the basket, he sprinted the last few meters and reached into the basket. He noisily ate with several apples in hand. “Oh man!  Those are better than the apples back home,” he uttered between two apples.
 
“Care to repeat that, sugarcube?” AJ asked while she looked up at the giant with wide eyes. The three of us looked at her, and I even waved my hoof in front of her muzzle, but her sight stayed on Mac.
 
“Um, Applejack, this is John.” I used his real name so she wouldn't be more confused. "This is my fiancée, Applejack,” I introduced her while gesturing at her. Mac wiped his hand on his vest and stretched it out to AJ.
 
“A pleasure ma'am…” He swallowed the rest of his apple. “Name's John but mah friends call me Mac.” Since she didn't respond, he felt compelled to tell her a little more. “It's because of my last name, McGilvey.” Two hooves dragged me to the side, so we wouldn't be overheard by the two soldiers.
 
“Would ya care to tell me why that fella over there looks like mah brother if he were a human?” she whispered into my ear. “And why does he have the same name?” I had to pull myself together to tell her that she overlooked the obvious.
 
“Think about Changer and my "kinship" to him..." I gave her a hint and smiled at her. You could practically see how it dawned on her.
 
 “Sugarcube, are ya telling me that he is the Big Mac of this world?” I just nodded and shook my head in Mac’s direction.
 
“Either that or he’s a brony and made the effort to look that way.” This I said loud enough for them to hear us, and she only shrugged her shoulder.
 
“Okay, that makes it clear then. He is the Big Mac of this world.” And in terms of his size, the name suited him better.
 
“Should we tell him?” I thought about that for a few seconds.
 
“I don't think so. It would only bring more unrest into this strange situation.” Plus, who could tell how he would react to a statement like: ‘Hey, I'm your sister from another dimension.’ Having to deal with talking ponies must be hard enough for them.
 
AJ nodded. “I’ll go back to the ship..."
 
As we turned around to the Celestia, we saw Twilight trotting over to us. “How is Star?” A tired smile formed on the lips of the unicorn.
 
“We were able to remove the projectile, but the bone fragments are still in his lung…” She looked at us and started to answer our unspoken questions. “We can't remove them, as they belong to the body. Foreign objects have a different aura, and because of that, it's easier to isolate them. The fragments, on the other hoof, have Star’s aura. To remove them, we would have to teleport large parts of his lung. If he coughs them up overnight, he should be getting better. If not ...” She lowered her head and sniffled.
 
“Don't fret, Twilight. Y'all done all you could, I'm sure 'bout that.” I nodded approvingly at AJ and, like her, put a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “Everything will turn out fine, you’ll see." She sniffled again and nodded slightly.
 
“Princess Luna said we may have a different problem on our hooves and I should take a look at it. But I have to say straight away, I'm quite finished.” I could tell by looking at her sweat-soaked mane.
 
“Just a quick analysis, Twilight.” She thought about it and nodded.
 
“I think I can manage that.” She took a deep breath to compose herself.
 
“What's going on, sugarcube?” AJ asked and nudged me slightly from the side by leaning against me.
 
“Just a precaution.” I didn't want to agitate my marefriend, but we had to verify the situation as fast as possible.
 
“Okay, what should I analyse and what are we looking for?” I put a hoof on my chest.
 
“Start with me and look out for unusual growths in my body. Things that do not belong in a pony.” She leaned her head slightly forward, closed her eyes, and her horn started to glow in the next moment. For a few seconds, I was wrapped in her magic, and it felt like electric shocks pulsed through my limbs. It was over as quickly as it begun.
 
“I can't find anything out of the ordinary. You are in excellent health, and your nervous system is working well, as is your magic system. You are slightly dehydrated – you should drink a little bit more.” After the rush this morning, I wasn't surprised. But I was relieved about the rest she said.
 
“Do you, by any chance, know how ponies react to radiation?” She looked at me in bewilderment. “Um... how do I put it ... nuclear radiation? Does that ring a bell? Uranium?” She just shook her head.
 
 “It's a type of radiation. It mutates your cells and they form deadly tumours,” Fish interjected. “It was released when several weapons containing the element of uranium were used.”
 
“Element of uranium? Never heard of it.” I waved a hoof at Twilight.
 
“Chemical elements like iron or lead and so on ... this one emits a dangerous radiation.”  She thought about it for a few seconds and then looked straight at me.
 
“This is what you are afraid of?” I nodded. “Did you even read the book about pony anatomy that I gave you?” I thought back for a moment.
 
 “I glanced through it…” I confessed and flinched under her gaze.
 
“Well maybe you should read it. Our magic protects us from any kind of external influences that may harm our bodies. It also enormously accelerates our healing. So you’d have to eat this uranium to get harmed by it or there has to be a gigantic amount of it.” I exhaled in relief.
 
“Could you take a look at Fish? They don't have this kind of protection.” Somewhat annoyed, Twilight approached him. “Do you mind?” she asked monotonously.
 
“What doesn't kill me...” That was as far as he got before he got wrapped up in Twilight's magic aura. I could see when the electric shocks pulsed through him by looking at his eyelids. She started to mutter to herself a few seconds after being done.
 
“I don't know much about the human body, but when I compare it to ours, they are relatively similar. If that is the case, then I have to tell you something. There are a number of objects in your lung and brain that are not supposed to be there...” Fish just nodded.
 
“Thank you, miss…?” She blushed and smiled sheepishly.
 
“Sorry, my name is Twilight Sparkle, student of Princess Celestia.” She held out a hoof and Fish shook it firmly.
 
“Captain James Tuna or just Fish. Can your magic remove these tumours?” I think we both knew this would just delay the inevitable.
 
“They have the same aura as your body, which makes the removal with magic difficult, if not impossible. At least not without damaging the surrounding tissue and that wouldn't be good regarding the brain.” Fish murmured a few curses under his breath and turned away from us with a wave. “Did I say something wrong?”
 
“No, Twilight. These tumours are a consequence of exposure to radiation that was emitted after the use of nuclear weapons. Thank Celestia it seems harmless to us, but for humans... Exposure for a longer period of time is deadly for them.” I heard AJ inhale a frightened breath of air.
 
“What about the rest of your…?” she asked nervously.
 
“They still have time. The bombs were dropped approximately three months ago. If we find them, we might still be able to help them.” They both nodded. “We should all rest a little. Go on ahead; I will be with you in a bit.” With that, I turned away from them and followed Fish behind the barricade.
 

***

 
Trixie was exhausted and tired. First the illusion in the alleyway and later in the mall had taken a toll on her. Nevertheless, she found it inappropriate to distance herself from the group at this moment. Shooting Star was injured while on a mission, and Twilight, Cadance, and Fluttershy had done everything they could to save his life. Twilight and Cadance came out of the infirmary a short while ago and told them Star had a chance to make it, but they couldn't say for sure. Fluttershy would keep an eye on him while both princesses would take a much needed break. Cadance and her stallion walked to their cabin, and Twilight was taken aside by Princess Luna. Trixie stayed below deck with the rest of the crew and listened in on what went on from the couch. None of them noticed that she was not sleeping.
 
“Hawk, darling, he will be alright. We can all see what Star means to you...” Rarity tried to comfort the sobbing half-dragon and attempted to put a reassuring hoof on her shoulder.
 
“Exactly! And he means a lot to us too, because he is our friend,” Pinkie said in her usual cheery tone, likely without a clue how serious Star’s situation really was. “We can worry together!”
 
“I’m not worried about him!” She hissed at them. “He is a soldier and knew the risk, we all do!” The following sobs spoke another language.
 
“Please Hawk, let us be your shoulder to lean on. Even a blind could see that you are more than just comrades...” Rarity tried again to put a hoof on Hawk’s shoulder, and the gesture was rejected yet again.
 
“Do you not see?! I can't ... I don't want to!” Trixie briefly opened an eye and saw Night Hawk storm off. Rainbow Dash and Julian seemed to have walked off quietly, and now she was alone with Rarity and Pinkie.
 
“I don't like to see my friends this sad. Lighty being all pessimistic lately is bad enough. And he stays gloomy although AJ always tries to cheer him up," Pinkie said to her friend.
 
“I don't like it either Pinkie, but unfortunately in this situation, there is no reason to be especially cheerful. I hope we can return to Ponyville soon. This world is just as inhospitable and there are those shades... It sends a shiver down my spine every time I think about it.” Pinkie hummed in approval, and Trixie closed her eyes again. “Don't you have something to say about it, Trixie?” She was a little surprised that Rarity noticed that she was not sleeping.
 
“Trixie does not interfere in other ponies’ relationships. If Night Hawk does not want any help, she shall not get any,” she answered without moving.
 
“It's one thing to ask for help and another to need it, darling,” Rarity informed her in a sharp tone.
 
“Hawk has to admit to herself that she needs our help. This is a lesson Trixie had to learn the hard way herself.” She ended her sentence with certainty and turned on the couch so that she now faced the wall.
 
 

***

 
“You are sure that there was no plane flying to Munich?” I had tried to get a better picture of what had happened in the last few months. Fish answered my question as best as he could.
 
“We were separated from our company as the shades overran the stadium. We suspect that they either went to the south by airplane or went back to the stadium. If that's the case, the survivors now belong to that teenage gang. They must have taken the weapons we had to leave behind and now those survivors might be their hostages.” I liked the situation less and less. My family was possibly being held hostage by a bunch of murderous teenagers, who were living out their dream of the Fallout universe
 
“Is there a way to get into the stadium and verify the situation?” According to Alf, the stadium had a roof, which meant we could forget aerial reconnaissance.
 
“There is an access to the sewer in the basement,” Mac interjected while he licked his fingers clean. “In the first days, I was on guard duty down there a few times. One or two well-placed shots should crack that door." I briefly went over the possible scenario in my head.
 
“Too loud,” I finally said. “It would echo through the entire sewer system, and the risk of discovery would be too great. Trixie knows a spell which can open locked doors, or if we have to, we can just melt it. I want to get in there without them noticing us.  If they realize that we can get into their base unnoticed, they will have a reason to search for us.” They already knew of my initial plan: Save as many humans as possible.
 
“You do know that they won't be so lenient with us, right?” Lee remarked while he cleaned his M9. “We should eliminate whatever stands in our way. Better a few more dead than thousands of other victims.” I understood his argument and I knew that he was right.
 
“Nevertheless, we mustn't rile up another enemy into fixating on us.” They turned their heads to me.
 
“What do you mean by fixating on us?” Pill stood up and took a few steps in my direction. “As far as our scientists know, those shades seemed to have no intelligence. Why should they be fixated on us?”
 
“They assaulted our world one thousand years ago, and we fended them off. But one of our princesses was possessed by one of those beings.” I told them how Princess Luna’s soul fused with the being and in so created Nightmare. Every now and then, one of them interrupted me with a question, but all in all I gave them the abridged version.
 
“And this Nightmare is now in command of the shadows?” Fish asked at the end of my little narration. “And you don't want to fight it until your family is in safe?” I nodded, but I already got a bad feeling. “Bullshit!” He stood up and threw his stool around, tearing down a tent. “Millions of people are dead! And just because there are maybe a handful out there you call your family, you let this genocide continue?”
 
“Fish is right! We gave up and lost so much and still we fight on! Although we know that we are going to die either way. So why wait? You have a means to go up against those things and this Nightmare wants to get you. So use that to your advantage! Lure it out and kill it!” Lee agreed to the furious roaring and stood up to his full height in front of me.
 
“We have a plan and it will work. It is not the fastest, but in the long run, it is the most secure.” It was hard to assert myself vocally against five people, without the Royal Canterlot Voice.
 
“So according to you, we should wait for our inevitable, radiation-induced end in a magical cage? No thanks…” The captain kicked the stool again. This time, it hit the metal wall of the hangar. “I say we go to the stadium and take it back from this gang. And before the shades come for us, we will have outfitted the floodlights with those strange stones, and we will fry them like bacon in a pan. Even that Nightmare creature!”
 
“That is not that simple. Nightmare is indeed weakened by sunlight but—”
 
“No buts! I do not understand you. It might be because you come from another world.  Here on earth, we take the bull by the horns, when the opportunity presents itself.” He pointed his fingers at me and looked down at me threateningly. Then he sighed. “Why do I discuss this matter with a Private? I will look for Shining Armor and just speak to him…” He strode past me in large steps and quickly disappeared in the direction of the ship.
 


> Chapter 75 - Getting Away with Murder
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was an incredible stench. The sewers under Dusseldorf were certainly not a place where anyone would want to vacation, but now that it was no longer maintained, it was practically unbearable. I took my last breath through my nose as Fish and Mac lifted the manhole cover, and all my nose hairs were immediately killed. The same was true for my appetite, and I got an irresistible urge to soak my hooves in soapy water for the next few weeks. I had resigned myself to eating with the same limb on which I ran, but there had to be a limit. In those thoughts I was not alone, as Rarity wailed at least as much as I did, just not in an inner monologue.
 
"Is there really no other way to the stadium?" she asked for what surely had to be the tenth time and made a wide circle around a puddle on the path. To the left of us was the waste water that rushed into the darkness behind us.  Fish and Shining had had a heated discussion on the ship, which was followed by another hour inside the meeting room as they had moved off the deck. The discussion had been anything but quiet, but I hadn’t been able to garner anything in the hall. Therefore, I had taken the time and gone with AJ in our cabin to take a nap. I had been awakened in the evening when she told me that there was a new plan. The two had agreed on a compromise after Armor had made ​​it clear to Fish that we were a rescue team, not a combat unit. However, Fish’s point also resonated with us, namely that it would not make sense that people should be placed in a cage where they would practically perish one after the other due to the air. That had been a hard pill for all.
                                
Julian had flown down the hall and wrecked everything in his path until he had calmed down, mostly thanks to a small injury, and had been examined by Twilight. The result had been the same as in humans. Although he was now a pony, while Luna and Twilight prolonged the spell, he had been a human long enough to be exposed to the radiation and for his body to develop tumours. It had been one reason why he finally agreed to the plan of the soldiers. Twilight, in contrast, had remained surprisingly calm and rational. She repeatedly told them that it was not their fault and that if she could do anything, she would do it without hesitation. Rarity promised to do everything in her power to make their remaining time as pleasant as possible. That seemed to extend to entering the sewers as well.
 
What had surprised me were Pinkie and Hawk. The soldier had only said something about how they had deserved it and remained silent otherwise, which was not like her. The same was true for Pinkie. She remained silent and did not say a sound, which sent a shiver down my spine along with the others. We didn't involve Cadance and Fluttershy since they were both too sensitive. Finally, there were Trixie and AJ, who had both been more concerned about my well-being than that of the humans. It wasn’t that they did not feel sorry, but it was something that could not be helped, as Twilight repeatedly said.
 
Now we were in the night, in fog and freezing temperatures in the sewers under Dusseldorf. The only light came from our diamonds which, with their soft light, reminded me a bit of the light of dawn. Each of the participants in the mission had received one. We were down here with the five soldiers, Twilight, Trixie, Rarity, and Shining Armor, moving in a single file behind Fish. The troops had a rough idea of where we were since they had seen the maps when they had secured the stadium at that time. It was better than nothing.
 
The plan was to take the stadium back, free any possible prisoners, and to look for clues to my family. Once that was done, a trap for Nightmare was to be established in order to defeat her. We had to get rid of her sooner or later, as she still blocked our way home. The first part of the plan involved us coming through the channels in the sewers and, from there, to open the control room to the ceiling so that our air squadron, composed of Princess Luna, Rainbow Dash, Night Hawk, and Julian, could intervene. Of course, they had received diamonds and now waited only for our signal, which would be a flare from Twilight, Armor, or myself. Rarity and Trixie had the task to protect the entrances to the sewers in the event of a retreat. Since there should also be a generator in the basement, that was also one of our goals.
 
“The only other option, Miss Rarity, was for the pegasi to fly us into the stadium. But it was rejected since it would ruin your hair…” Fish flashed the light of his diamond onto the fashion designer.
 
"Had I known what would be in these sewers, then ..." She was distracted when I put a hoof on her shoulder, which meant that now a dirty hoof print was visible.
 
"You’ll just have to take a bath when we’re back in the Celestia, okay?" The horrified look on her face spoke volumes, but I could not help but grin.

"You. Will. Regret. This," she hissed at me and turned red with rage. For a few seconds, I really thought her head was about to explode.

"Light is right, Rarity," Twilight joined in. "Please bear it, for all of us." Rarity studied her friend’s face for a few moments, then sighed deeply and shook off my hoof.
 
"This is still not over," she said as she caught up with Twilight. I looked at Trixie, who only grinned at me and then pointed at her hooves. These were wrapped in a kind of magical aura, so that they seemed to float slightly above the ground.
 
"I can understand it a little. I've lived a long time in the woods and have to say that this place is much dirtier than anything I’ve seen in that time." It did not help to know what exact kind of dirt that was below, and I missed the boots from my armour.
 
“Unfortunately, that doesn’t help, Trixie. Otherwise we wouldn’t have been unnoticed in the system.” We went right around a large curve. A little moonlight came through the lid over us, but not so much that it would help anything. We had not encountered any shades so far, which I considered a good omen since one could hear the shades more than well enough.
 
"We're almost there," Fish said softly before he stopped at an intersection. He poked his head around the corner and ordered the rest of the unit to keep back. "A guard with a pistol." He threw the diamond from his hand to Mac, who was standing behind him, and shouldered his G36.
 
"What are you doing?" Armor asked, and we all saw how the soldier went to the ground and slowly began to crawl around the corner. He did not answer, probably not to direct any attention to him, and finally began to aim his gun. He exhaled deeply, and the next moment, a shot echoed through the sewer. There was a dull crash as a body bounced against the cold ground.
 
"Did you have to do that?" Twilight asked grimly. "We could have put him to sleep with a spell."
 
"He would die one way or another. Radiation, remember?" Fish justified himself as he secured the weapon again and replaced the cartridge in the magazine. "At best, I have done him a favour." We walked the rest of the short path, went past the body, and headed towards the heavy iron door.
 
"There are always heavy iron doors..." I sighed and gave my sister space to do her work. "How come you know this magic, Trixie?" I added as she began to search the lock for patterns.
 
"Do not bother me," she only said and began to work with her ​​magic. I looked as Fish examined the body and finally pulled something out of its pocket.
 
"Who needs magic when you have the key?" He walked past Trixie, who quickly cut her magic, and quickly opened the lock. The door swung open and a dark cellar appeared. “Hold on for a bit, Trixie and Miss Rarity.” The soldiers had insisted on referring to her by that. “You two should protect the basement and the way back. Light and Twilight will see if they can find any information in their commander’s room, and Shining Armor and us will secure the premises and try to open the roof for the others." He looked briefly around to everyone by the light provided by the diamond and then nodded. "Let's go." Armor also nodded and followed the Americans in the cellar.
 
"Aren’t we trusting them too quickly?" Trixie asked when we were alone now.
 
"We have no reason to distrust them. They want to get rid of Nightmare just like us, and if we help them with the stadium, we can look for information," I assured her. "If we can get use them to destroy Nightmare, then why not.” Twilight and Rarity followed me, and we were now on our way.
 


***

 

The basement was dark since the diamond did not contribute much light. Rarity had even reduced hers as much as possible. Light and Twilight had disappeared up a staircase to the upper floors, and now it was up to them to secure the basement. This consisted of wide halls and a number of doors, but all seemed to be closed.
 
"So where do we start?" Rarity asked as they walked down the first of many corridors and eyed every door carefully. She found this entire thing rather frightening, as according to the description of the humans, they were supposed to meet much more resistance.
 
"Trixie suggests we simply take one of the doors." Rarity nodded and pointed to the first available one on her left.

"I wonder what humans keep in a basement like this. Maybe stage props and costumes for shows. Or even the remains of a fashion show! I’d give so much to see so—”
 
“Meat.”
 
"Excuse me?" At Trixie’s interruption, Rarity came back to reality and also glanced through the now open door. The room was covered in ice and on shelves were some frozen meat products. The designer let out a yell, and with a quick swivel of her magic, slammed the door shut. "Those barbarians..." She snorted at the door and turned to the next. "Let's see what is in this room..." She turned the knob of the next door, and hardly had it opened a few centimetres did a foul smell quickly escape. This time it was Trixie who responded quickly and pressed the door back into the frame.
 
"I believe we do not want to see that..." she said to Rarity. She knew that sound and the smell: decay. In her time in the forest, she often ran into predators on the road and had seen what happened to their victims. This was probably another one of the cold rooms, only it had failed in this case.  "Maybe we should look for clues. There must also have one of those generators so it can be protected. Once we seize the controls, we’ll be in charge.”
 
"What do we look for then?" Rarity was still a little pale in the face from the sight behind the first door.
 
"I knew from the Light that humans eat flesh, but the amount... This could not all just be for show, right? The stadium would have to be huge." Trixie could understand Rarity’s reservations, but if humans needed to eat meat to survive, it was an evil that they would have to accept for the time being.
 

***


After Twilight and I had carefully went up the stairwell to the ground floor, we now squinted through the door into this and saw there were several guards posted. Every now and then the light of a flashlight flickered on the walls, but that posed a question.
 
"How do they protect themselves from the shades? Flashlights are unlikely to do anything, right?" Twilight nodded.
 
"It seemed strange that only one guard guarded the entrance when they just had an encounter with another group yesterday. This is not logical. Anyone in their right mind would still reinforce the guards and not allow such carelessness." I could only agree with her. Something was not right here from start to finish. Yesterday there had been so many of them, and now there were so few guards at night that we had almost free reign?
 
“Anyway, I say we search for that office and disappear again.” We quickly both scurried through the gap in the door, and I closed it slowly so that we didn’t make ​​any noise. We were in the office area of the stadium, where management had probably worked, and it was fitted, to our relief, with carpeting. Hastily, we went behind the first desk to take cover as the light from a flashlight soared above us. The muffled steps of the guard approached.

"I thought I saw something, Mark!" he called to one of his colleagues as he stood by the stairway outside the door. The light scanned the door, went a little along the wall, and then on the carpet. I saw it from our hiding place, just like our pursuer. We hadn’t noticed it in the darkness, as we had deactivated the diamonds, but we had left tracks on the carpet. Dark marks were visible where someone had stepped, and now the marks of our hooves were there as well. I cursed inwardly and briefly thought about magic as the light passed over our heads on the desk.
 
"There's somebody there!" he cried suddenly without looking further, and a gun was loaded. I had no choice and did the first thing I could and aimed my magic at the iron door and spike erupted from it. That pierced through the guard’s stomach, where the liver was supposed to be and blood splattered to the floor as it retracted. The gun fell to the ground, then the guard, and the carpet slowly started to turn red. I stared at Twilight, who returned the look.

"I… Twilight..." We both looked a few seconds before pulled me in her hooves.
 
"He would have shot ... He would have shot at us and killed us. We didn’t have time..." Yes, I had seen dead, I had already even killed, but only soulless monsters like changelings and shades. This was a man who only did what he saw fit to survive. He had probably been alone and been so afraid for his life that he did not dare to look at who he was facing.
 
"Björn? Hey, Björn?" someone called from the distance. "Björn, what's going on? What did you find?" Along the wall shone a light again, but this time much weaker. I looked down to the open eyes of Björn, whose life I had just ended. Was it right? No, but I was forced too, right? In addition, he would have died from radiation in any case, right? And were we not here to defeat them? If that wasn’t the plan... All of a sudden, I was dragged along the floor as Twilight began to relocate our hiding place. I responded and began to move my legs again. 
 
"Damn! What's that?" I did not dare to turn around, but I assumed that he had found the blood on the door.
 
"It’ll be swarming with guards soon. Where do we go?" asked Twilight when we turned into the corridor by a double glass door. I gulped down the bile in my throat and looked around. On the wall here in the hallway hung small signs for the various departments, such as advertising services, financial services, and so on. It was the sign to the extreme right that caught my attention: Management.
 
“Through there.” I pointed to the door that the arrow had indicated.
 

***

 
Fish reloaded his rifle again. Every shot that missed in a later battle could decide between life and death. They had arrived on the top floor of the stadium, where the VIP area and control of the lights and the retractable roof would be.
 
“Are you sure no one heard the shot?”  Armor asked again as another guard went the way of his comrade. He had been on the wrong side of the door from the stairwell and blocked their chance to move on.
 
"He was right there," Lee explained. “For us, perhaps it was loud, but sound wouldn’t carry a shot like that very far. Besides, if anyone had heard him, we would already have visitors."  He could see that the pony did not like that as they advanced, but he kept his mouth shut and tolerated it in the knowledge that it was necessary. It was just one enemy less that could spring on them if they had to escape the way they came.
 
"All right," Fish said when he was sure that Lee was right and that they would remain alone. "Alf and Lee, you stay here and secure the way back. Mac and Pill, you're looking for information, but trying to use as little ammunition as possible and collect every weapon that still looks useable." He then picked up the guard’s revolver from the floor and looked at it briefly. "These kids haven’t heard about cleaning weapons apparently. This thing could be used for Russian Roulette at most." He opened the chamber, letting the cartridges fall into his hands before he stowed it his pocket and laid the gun itself back on the corpse. "Pony and I will look for the controls to the ceiling, so that our air support has a place to land."

"What are we supposed to look for?" Pill asked, keeping an eye all the while to the passage to the right of them.
 
"Food, weapons, medicine, how many of them they have and where. Just about anything you can find. We do not know if our plan will work, or if we’ll get a second chance. "
 
"Hua!" the four soldiers said to their captain.
 
"Hua!" he answered quietly, and the meeting broke up. Pill and Mac disappeared down the corridor, and Lee and Alf went back into the stairwell, pulling the corpse behind them.
 
"You know that my name is Shining Armor and not Pony," he complained as they took the passage on the left, which the sign led to the lighting controls.
 
"Far too long. The nickname you have is so that orders can be given quickly and one that everyone knows, except the enemy of course." They walked slowly so as not to accidentally run into another guard. “Are ponies named by the brand on your asses?" he asked. His companion, who had been in his thoughts, started a bit.

"Not really. My parents gave me my name after I was born." That surprised Fish. These creatures lived according to their names? But that was a question for later, if it ever came.
 
"What I'm saying, even the enemy can detect who is given a command when your real name is used, and they can respond accordingly. Would it not be wiser to use the nickname only you understand?" He really wondered how the military in their world was. Shining Armor seemed tough and well-trained. The same went for the pegasi who had been wounded, but that Blue Light looked like a recruit who had come straight out of basic training and someone who should have continued to train for a few more years instead.
 
"That's a good thought. The thing is that there haven’t been any major wars for about a thousand years. Yes, we have conflict with a neighbouring country from time to time, but so far there the princesses have always managed to resolve the issue peacefully.” No war? This Albion had to be a utopia, with magic and everything.
 
"You’re making me more jealous, Shining Armor." Fish grinned down at him. "Better be careful, otherwise I might regret what I'm doing here." He knew exactly how dangerous this was for him and his men. The ponies had magic and could, in the worst case, bring them to safety. It was an argument that he had attached to convince their captain to agree to this action.
 
"Careful." A hoof hit Fish on the thigh, and he pressed himself against the wall. In front of them, a light slightly moved. Probably another guard who stood at his posts. Slowly and quietly, he moved forward and finally looked down the corridor where not one but two people stood. They stood in front of a door that was their goal, according to the writing on the wall. Due to the slight curvature of the corridor could they spot the second one, and both had their faces straight ahead, directly in their direction. The only reason why they were not seen was that, in the darkness, they probably looked like the potted plants that were scattered throughout the room.

"Any ideas?" asked Fish as he went down into a squat so that he could hear Armor without the need to raise his voice.
 
"My magic would glow in the dark. So, if I do something with magic, it has to be fast, and I would only use stun bullets or just a shield. The missiles they could dodge but…" He took his G36 from his back without activating the red dot. Even that could betray them.
 
"I can do it from right here, but I can’t let him leave my sights. Would you manage to cast a spell simultaneously with my gun fire and to hit him?" If they could make it look as if they were just one enemy, it would be a surprise if there were others nearby.
 
"I’ll do my best." Fish nodded and put his weapon on again, his goal in mind.
 
"Three." He switched on the red dot and set out his gun. "Two." He looked at one of the two dark figures in front of them probably pointing at something. "One." The horn of pony next to him lit up, and they both fired almost simultaneously at their goals. Only the bullet struck its target’s head and made it collapse to the ground. His friend looked at him and took a step in its direction. Armor seemed to have taken into account that is his magic was slower, as it hit his goal on the shoulder a second later, causing him to collapse onto the ground as well. Just as he set down his gun, he heard a noise behind him where a door flew open. They hadn’t noticed as the person did not have a flashlight, and now a young member of the gang came into view. Even before he looked into his direction at all, Fish whirled and squeezed the trigger of his gun again. A volley of bullets struck their goal, and the victim jerked before hitting the ground as well. 

"That could have gone better..." he muttered, and when he was sure that was no one who would come out of the room, he stood up. “Now we should really hurry up a bit." The pony agreed with him and briskly walked down the aisle to the door that had their goal. He checked the knob and turned it to make sure that the door was open. Only the tip of the weapon went into the room, followed by the rest of him. He briefly looked around the room and quickly noticed that they were alone. On the walls were several server cabinets and in the centre were two controllers. In the wall inside the stadium was a large window, but that was closed by blinds. Satisfied, he closed the door behind him and hung his weapon on his back.  
 
"The devices are running, so why was there no light in the hall?" he asked more to himself than his companion.
 
"To recognize any enemies? If someone were to turn on the lights, they would know that someone was here who did not belong here." That was a fairly plausible answer. "That was probably where there were no lights in the basement as well. You could see anything that moved if there were."
 
"Now we have to look for the button that opens the roof so that we can prepare for the attack." He went to the front desk and swallowed. "Damn it, all in German!" Shining Armor leaned with his front hooves on the desk to read what was written on the buttons there.

"The same here. Light or my sister could read it." Inwardly, he was annoyed that the two were not here.
 
"Then we have to see which is most likely." He scanned the console, found some switches in different color, as well as buttons that were blinking occasionally. But two levers that were on the edge seemed to be the right ones to him. In his mind he sang the short rhyme from his childhood, and then chose the left of the two. Immediately an engine roared to life, but it was to be much too low to be the roof. He looked over at the Armor, who pointed a hoof at the window. The blinds slowly came up and gave a good view of the pitch. But it was not pitch what they saw down there, no. It was something that even Fish, as a soldier and a veteran, found his stomach turning. He had only heard the stories from his grandfather.




> Chapter 76 - I Can Walk on Water
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

With a thud, another guard fell to the ground. This was now the third that we had run into on our way, but it still seemed all too easy, almost as if only a tenth of the gang was here.
 
"We have two hours before he and the others wake up again," Twilight stated as she levitated the sleeping youth in a darker corner of the corridor. She took over the duty to knock out the guards, as I was not in the condition to do so and because she was better with magic. She had improvised and combined a sleep spell with a magical bullet to create a new kind of stun spell. She had explained to me that these would take out their targets through the force of the impact, which surely wouldn’t be pain-free when one woke up from it. I had received first-hand experience with a milder version of it during training.
 
“We shouldn’t need more. The management office should be around here somewhere.” I again threw a look at the dark silhouettes of the individual booths where there were small desks for employees. The only light came from the LED monitors that signalled that power had to be present. The darkness was to our advantage, and with no shades showing themselves, I wanted to keep it at that. As I had done with the other gang members, I melted the barrel of his gun to render it unusable. This would last longer than the sleeping spell and ensure that we would not be greeted by lead after their rough waking.
 
"It has to be one of the doors here." I pointed to the right wall of the room where three doors were just to be seen. There were some on the left as well, but I excluded them for now.
 
Twilight and I slowly felt our way forward through the room, but occasionally bounced into a trash can or other things that stood in the aisle. We had only gotten a brief look at the room when Sleepyhead’s flashlight had wandered, but since neither of us had photographic memories, it hadn’t been quite enough to get our bearings while near-blind. Over the years that I had lived in my apartment, this had been sometimes possible. Of course, those times had been at nine o'clock in the morning and not wanting to have the lights turned on because of a hangover. Getting from the trance called being half-asleep and finding some measure of peace had often proven difficult.
 
"Ahhh... Damn it," I muttered as I struck something plastic and ended up face first on the floor, spitting out some fluff from the carpet. "That’s enough. Let there be light." I created my little ball of light that immediately flew under the ceiling of the room and brought everything in a soft light. Now it was easy to recognize the overturned office chair on which I had just tripped over and also the shade that just came out of the ground in the middle of the room. I quickly sat up again and jumped aside, just like Twilight, so that it did not hit me. She now levitated her diamonds from her saddlebag and peppered the now glowing rock against the dark creature. When the first ray of light struck the shade, it began to unravel and was soon quiet again. Only the laboured breathing from the two of us could be heard.
 
"We should be more careful. That was too close for my taste." I agreed, nodding, and Twilight summarily changed the nature of my light. The runes formed around it, and the next moment it was slightly lighter and looked more natural.
 
“The room should now be safe.” I didn’t like that we had more luck than anything else, because if I hadn't stumbled over the chair and made the light, the shade would have attacked us from behind. "They’re almost like animals. It is as if they had no fear of the light, because I see no defence against this as with the other survivors so far." Even the soldiers had replaced the advertising lights with UV lamps, and the group at the hospital had secured the fence around the school.
 
“I’ve had the same thought. Are you sure those flashlights do not have sunlight in them?” She had a point, but I knew UV lamps. They always seemed bluer, or at least I had thought so.

"Not likely. People cannot reproduce sunlight, only the UV-radiation. This therefore resembles the colour of light somewhat." I hoped that I hadn't gotten anything wrong and left it at that.

"Okay, but we should hurry now. Someone could notice the light at any time.” I had no objections, and we were soon at the doors to check.



***



"Nothing," Rarity said as she checked another door. "Only a bucket, a mop, and other cleaning tools for anypony who got in a cleaning fit."
 
"There is nothing special here either." Trixie closed the door and sighed in disappointment. That generator had to be here somewhere. Fortunately, Rarity knew a bit of Germane, so they could save themselves some time by reading the signs on some of the doors.  Still, it was a bit interesting as to how the methods of human sanitation looked. At the hospital, she had not gotten off the ship and had therefore not had the opportunity there. Now was not the right time for that though.
 
"Do you hear that?" At her words, Rarity raised her heads as her ears swivelled around. There was a slight noise as if a faucet dripped onto stone or the like. "Water? A leak?" Trixie reinforced the light of their diamonds and just managed to see a shade as it disappeared through the walls of one of the rooms.
 
"We’re not alone," Rarity also responded immediately, and the stone in her magic began to glow as if it were a sunrise. She waved it forward to make a part of the corridor come to light.
 
"Not alone at all..." They both looked as the stone melted several shades that had been lurking in the distance. Trixie did as Rarity had done and directed her stone in the direction from which they had come. The same spectacle occurred, and something akin to panic was spreading in her. "We should stay away from the walls." They came together in the middle of the corridor and let their stones circle them slowly.

"Darling, we should agree that the other cellar is probably no longer an option." Trixie agreed with her, as she did not know how long the stones would hold at this point. This was not their first time in use, and only Light would be able to recharge it for them.
 
"The stairwell is down there. Let's hurry, dear." Even if the two were in a hurry, they could not be faster since the diamonds floated in circles around their heads, and losing their protection was not an option. The red eyes of the shade followed them out of the shadows, and Trixie was able to detect that it had come out of the wall as soon as the light had moved on. Now she could also assign the sound she had heard. It was the dripping saliva that ran out of the wretched creature’s mouth. Step by step and always paying attention to the walls, they tried to forge ahead even as the shade stayed out of reach of the light. Only the red eyes and the soft sounds it made ​​showed any attention to their presence.
 
"I do not think we'll make it until then," said Rarity, and Trixie saw what she meant. The diamond that circled around her in her magic was dark and would only hold a few minutes. She did not know how long it would affect them at that stage, but they did not feel like waiting to find it out.
 
"We have to hide somewhere..." Trixie looked around. She could no longer distinguish what doors they had opened in this tangle of corridors and those they had not, no matter how hard she tried. "We’ll take the door right there," she said, pointing in its direction. Rarity nodded quickly. "You release the rest of the crystal in a rush. They would have to either hide or be destroyed. By the time they regenerate, we’ll have disappeared. I'll see to it that the door is open." Apart from that, it seemed logical to give up the diamond that would exhaust in the near future anyway.

"All right, here goes nothing..." The designer squinted her eyes as she channelled enough magic to cause a discharge. For a moment, the light was a little weaker, and some shades took advantage to press forward, but the passage was lit up not a second later. Trixie use the time to unlock the door and open it with her ​​magic. She reached behind and pulled her companion into the room with her.
 
“I hope we’ve lost them…” Trixie’s groans echoed that of an exhausted Rarity.
 
"Who's there?" came a voice from the darkness, and the two jumped, startled.
 

***

 
I now searched for the fifth office, the penultimate on this floor. Looking at my new watch showed me that we still had about thirty minutes before the roof would open and we would start to take the stadium. With a sigh, I closed the drawer and looked again from the leather chair at the desk in front of me. An old newspaper, a few documents, and some notes on the screen was all out, apart from the image of the family.
 
There was a woman with long brown hair, in her arms a child, maybe about a year or two, and two others at her feet, a boy and a girl, twins, about ten years old. Those who had always worked here had been happy. The house in the background looked like a new building, probably built for the young as the old one was either too small or the apartment was no longer sufficient. This employee must have been on the payroll as a manager or above for the office here. I had often thought about if I would someday sit in an office like this and do my work every day, only to get home and take care of the concerns of my family and then go to bed. Every day would be the same thing. How could that make a person content? Why not experience adventure, see the world, shake things up a bit? Yes, I wanted a family, but that did not mean I wanted to do the same things every day, especially not in Equestria. This picture brought many things from the back of my mind that I did not want to think about, so I laid it flat on the table. 

I loved AJ and I would also love our foal. I wanted to be there for both of them. AJ was indeed strong and independent, but even the strongest needed someone on whom they could lean on. It was something I had learned in my relationship with her.  At first she was rather restrained when it came to showing feelings, just as the show had illustrated, and now it was almost the opposite. It hadn’t bothered me much, as I was never one to always want someone in my arms or even have them constantly around. Still, I was now more than happy to know that she needed me, because I needed her just as much. It was one of the reasons why I had probably agreed to her request. I had no idea if there would be a wedding in the traditional sense, or if it would be something that would be uniquely Equestrian. I had even missed the wedding of Shining Armor and Cadance and therefore no idea what to expect.
 
"Thank you, Mister Doe..." I said to the picture as I jumped from the chair and went about opening the drawers. These were probably closed, but those cheap metal locks were no problem for a powerful jolt magic. Other documents came to light, but these were wrapped in a band, so I had to free them from it. However, there were only contracts with companies such as Coca Cola or Pepsi for billboards in the stadium. Under one of the documents, I suddenly found a familiar package.

"Condoms? Guess there’s nothing like a perfect world..." I threw it aside and turned to the wooden cabinet on the wall. "The best for last..." This was not locked, and the doors gave almost immediately when I started to open it. A second later I realized why. Empty folders were stacked in this cabinet and were now aiming towards me. I just managed to lift a hoof to my face when I was buried under them. For a few seconds, the light from the hallway that filtered into the room disappeared, and pain spread through my head. These things had metal reinforced corners that were drilled through my coat and into my skin. I remained in that position and gritted my teeth, more in anger over the mishap itself than because of the pain. I had always had the art of knocking my knees and elbows on various edges, only I used to be always the one who went to the edges and not them to me. That had happened so often to me that my old square wooden coffee table had became round. I had never so happily operated a chain saw. Barely a month later I got a new one, this time made of solid wood covered with tiles. I had found a new nemesis that day.
 
“Light, I think I have something here," Twilight said from out of the room while I freed myself from the avalanche of folders. "There is a list of names, like in the hospital, and also in different languages." I was hardly on my feet before I rushed through the half-open door and quickly found Twilight sitting by a desk in the next office. She had her eye on a document and seemed to search for something.
 
“Have you found my mother or brother?” She held out a hoof to stop me from further speaking.
 
“To whomever may find this…” she began to read. "The American soldiers are planning to bring us to Munich to take us from there to safety overseas. I have noticed how they have begun to talk about how the shades have appeared there as well. In addition, we have not heard from the survivors that they have flown over the last few months. I am writing this now after we have come with the convoy from the airport back to the stadium. The pilots were caught by the shades, as the soldiers call them, and we are now sitting more or less stuck here. We will try here to endure to see if help comes. Anyway, when you’re reading this, we will probably no longer be here. We hope you will have better luck, and may God be with you." She laid the paper aside.

"You said there's a list." I went to the table and reared up to see on top of it.
 
"Light... If they are no longer here..."
 
"Where is the list?" She did not respond, but I put two and two together and pulled the remaining piece of paper between her hooves, and it began to fly over to me. The list was much longer than that in the hospital, so that meant more groups here had sought shelter. Some names were familiar to me; some I was sure to have it read to me at the hospital. The rest was absolutely foreign to me. "I’m going to look for one of those assholes and beat out some answers from him..." I let the paper fall to the ground and stormed out of the office, because it was time they told me where my brother and my mother were. Both names were on the list.
 
 

***



"What kind of a sick shit?" Fish could not believe what he saw in the square below. The grass had long faded and was, in the light of the torches, no more than a brown mush. It still was enough to reflect the blood that was smeared everywhere.  Several large tents had been set up on the square, at the top of an altar. This was obviously intended as a stage for concerts but now served a different purpose. Several large wooden crosses stood on the stage where tattered corpses hung. They had probably been picked apart by ravens or other scavengers and worn down by the weather, which meant that they had hung there for a long time. In the middle of the stage was a kind of wooden platform on which a man was strapped. From the various tents came more people and rallied in front of the spectacle. Other humans were driven forward with crosses on their backs. "What are they doing there? A... human sacrifice?"

"What do you..." He looked at Shining Armor, who probably had to fight with his stomach at the sight. His mind didn’t piece it together at first, but slowly it made ​​sense. That was why there were no other survivors in the area, why they had wanted them to surrender. They needed more victims for this sick ritual or whatever they were doing down there. A deafening scream could be heard from the other end of the arena.. Their heads shot up again to the window, and they saw someone on stage had ignited the wooden altar, together with the people who had been strapped to it.
 
"Holy crap, what's going on down there..." he muttered as dark smoke rose from the stage, and the crowds broke out into jubilation. The person on the podium began to move, which probably meant that he had begun to speak to the masses. The cheers died away, and they all listened well now to the words of their leader. "Can we follow what's going on?" He turned to his companion, who nodded numbly. He looked back down where hundreds of people celebrated the execution of another.
 
"Okay, here's a picture..." A beam escaped Armor’s horn and struck the window, allowing them to see the stage as though they were viewing it from a pair of binoculars. Although everything was still quite small and they had no idea what exactly was said, but it was still better than nothing. The character on stage was an older man, about the forty to fifty. He had probably lost his hair for a while now, a few wisps the only reminder of what he once had. He was dressed in a black priest's attire that concealed a round belly. In his hand he held a book. Fish thought it was a Bible, but then he saw that it was another. It was a book he did not know, but from the inscription on it, it was no doubt religious. The man shouted something to the mass while gesturing wildly, occasionally pointing at the book. Finally, there was another great rejoicing, after which one of the cross carrier was led by force to the stage.

"They’re calling someone there? What is it, James?" The pony was just as shocked as him.
 
"I do not know, but whatever it is, it's terrible." There was a young woman who was led onto the stage and stood next to the priest, who presented her to the crowd. He grabbed her jaw and turned her gaze upward, away from the people. There were cheers again, and he pulled a knife out from his robe. He slowly drove it into her torso, eventually her waist, and his hand disappeared in the end with the knife in her pants. Her face was enveloped in pain, and the blue jeans she wore was instantly dyed in red. Quickly, the man withdrew his hand and presented the knife of the crowd. Meanwhile, two helpers stormed to the woman who had dropped the cross, both hands held between her legs. They pulled apart her arms and began to tie it on the cross.
 
"We must do something! This is torture and public execution. We have to—" Armor roared at him, but he realized that they were too far away to do anything.
 
"We have to wait until they are no longer all there. Even if we open the roof now and begin the operation prematurely, there are too many. It would be too much for you, even with your magic, right? "The nod of the stallion confirmed his suspicions, and he again threw a look at the glass. The cross was erected and placed behind the priest as he went on with his speech. Tears streamed down the woman’s cheeks in pain and fear, along with her blood. No one seemed to be bothered as her end slowly came.
 

***

 
Trixie lifted her diamonds and they, with a little spark from her horn, began to glow again, but much weaker than at the beginning of the mission.
 
"Who's there?" she asked anxiously as she slowly began to illuminate the room. The walls were covered with white tiles, and strange chains hung here and there from the ceiling. She had once seen something similar on her travels, in the griffon kingdom. This had been done to keep their food for later, and since humans were carnivores, it had to be something like that here. But why was there speaking prey? Didn’t Light tell her that humans were the only creatures capable of speech in this world?
 
"We're over here," called the voice again. Trixie went further into the room, with Rarity behind her. Their hooves echoed when they met on the tiled floor, where traces of blood were still visible. The diamonds moved slowly forward, Trixie not being too keen at moving them too far away from her. She did not know was how many shades Rarity had caught and whether they had noticed when they had left. Moreover, she knew not whether they were able to locate any. 
 
First it was just a dark shape, then became more visible. It was a strange being to her, but not unknown. A man who was sitting on the floor, legs stretched out in front of him. She levitated the diamond a little further in his direction and realized that he was not alone. Other people sat on both sides of the room on the wall, turning their faces away from them. They shone the light on the back of the one who they thought had spoken and looked at him closely. He was tall, probably taller if he was standing. His hair was shoulder length, and she noticed that one of his front legs was missing. He was wearing a pullover, but out of its left sleeve no arm was visible like with other humans. With his other hand, he protect his eyes, apparently from the dim light.
 
"What is this place?" asked Rarity as she moved her ​​magic on something that Trixie did not immediately recognize in the dark. She looked a second time and saw that it was a chain, at the end of which was fastened to someone's neck. She turned the light to focus on the human and the chain, and saw that he was attached to his remaining arm.

"You're one of them, aren't you?" he questioned weakly. "Cannot remember the women they took." He still kept his hand before his eyes.
 
"Are you afraid of the light?" Rarity asked softly and took a step away from him. Trixie looked over at the others. At least thirty other people were still in the room, or at least that was the number that she could see here in the dark. But none of them said a word or moved. They slept, or were they dead?
 
"No… After a week without daylight, it appears bright." That took Trixie to the human who spoke the language. He tried again to look in her direction but turned because of the light. "If you aren’t here to stretch, you should disappear... If they find you, they will kill you."
 
"Do not worry about us, humans. We are here to help," she assured him. "And we know to help ourselves." He again tried to look at her, and she made it easier by lowering the diamond instead of having it at eye level.
 
"Ponies… I’ve seen something like you a long time ago." He looked Rarity and Trixie closely. "I've seen you somewhere before,” he directed at Rarity. "And you look kind of like the pony that I met," he now said to Trixie, and she briefly considered whom he could mean. Had he perhaps seen Changer when he came into this world, or later Light when he was in his body? One thing was certain, however. This man knew something.
 
"You do not happen to know Blue Light dear?" asked Rarity as she surveyed the chain.
 
"Never heard of... But I also do not think that you know the pony. After all, he reverted shortly after and died." Trixie and Rarity exchanged only a brief glimpse.
 
"What is your name?" asked Trixie as Rarity continued trying to destroy the chain.
 
"Nils."
 


***



Fish had spent the last five minutes praying that the woman would soon lose consciousness, and now it was finally time. Her face was slack, and she was either dead or at least close to it. At least her suffering was over, and she would no longer be aware of this disgusting ceremony. The fat priest had kept on talking and received applause from the crowd for his words. Shining Armor had long turned away from the scene and stood in the far corner of the room.
 
"How can they? Why would humans do something like that in their hour of need?” Fish leaned against the desk behind him and sighed, keeping an eye on what happened down there.
 
"Religion is a power that must not be underestimated. Have you no religion where you came from?" The stallion shook slightly, but Fish saw that he was clearly trying to pull himself together.
 
"Of course. We believe in Princesses Celestia and Luna. They are the immortal rulers of Equestria and move the sun and the moon." The soldier had to hold back a laugh. A world full of magic and colourful horses, but they believed their rulers were immortal and controlled the day and the night?
 
"I do not want to interfere, but there have also been many claims like that in this world, but they have all fallen flat and still the sun rose the next day." He tried to suggest to him that his worldview was perhaps a tiny bit wrong.

"I have learned from Light that it is a little different in this world with the day and night, but I can assure you that everything I said is true. Princess Celestia and Luna are several thousand years old and there are pictures to prove that. In addition, Princess Celestia once a year raises the sun in front the eyes of our ponies, our Summer Sun Festival." If that really was the case, the two princesses were either really powerful mages or came closest to what Fish imagined what gods would be like.
 
"I have seen Princess Luna herself briefly. I don’t want to offend your people, but they don’t really look that divine. But as the saying goes, don’t judge a book by its cover." The blue princess was more like a cocky teenager, at least in the two sentences that he had heard from her. Shining Armor nodded and Fish looked back down to the stage, where the priest was apparently making room for something. He watched as he went towards the edge of the stage, and the helpers who had tied down the woman earlier extinguished two of the torches. He was just able to make out the cross in the murkiness. The masses below began to mumble something. 
 
"Shining Armor, I think that you should see this…" He waved this to the pony, who hesitated but then followed. A dark creature came out from behind the stage and began to circle the cross, and he made out the red glowing eyes that were so familiar.
 
"That’s a shade,” Armor said as he looked down through his own magic. It looked from the stage to the mass of people murmuring their mantra and shrieked at them briefly before turning back. It raised one of his claws and ran through the body of the unconscious woman. Immediately, there was another cheer from the audience.
 
"This bum pray to the shades? A lunatic..." He gritted his teeth and punched the desk behind him. He felt the pain of his hand radiate through his whole body and pressed his lips together, making a hissing noise.

"Look!" Armor barked against his painful noises and pointed again to down below. The priest went again to the stage where the shade remained, which now seemed to chew on something. He bowed before the dark being, then spoke again to the crowd. However, what happened next was just as shocking as anything that had happened before. The Nightmare spat a slightly bluish ball that landed on the ground and disappeared through the back wall of the stage. The fat preacher picked up the object and presented it to the crowd in front of him before he put it, now visible to everyone, back down to earth. It stirred, then it wobbled briefly and lit up. First it was just a black blur, but then came arms and legs, and slowly a new shade lifted up its legs. It was small and did not have stars in its body, but the red eyes were unmistakable. "That explains why there are so many..."
 
"What do you mean?" Fish still could not quite believe what he had seen there.
 
"They eat the souls of their victims and then lay an egg... or something. If they do this after every victims... They are practically endless. Your world isn’t the first that was attacked, according to Princess Celestia." He did not want to imagine how many there had to be of those things. It really did not matter how many they would gather and destroy here. There would always be more out there.
 

***

 
"You are Light’s brother!" said Trixie excitedly and threw her hooves around his neck. He did not resist, and she could feel how skinny he was. That could not be healthy.
 
"Light?" he asked, still in her embrace
 
"She means Timo. That was his name as a human being," stated Rarity when she finally let go of him.

"He'll be so happy to see you. We are practically only here because of you!" she told him with a big grin on her face.
 
"You must be confused... Timo was, about a year ago... died shortly after he had turned himself back," he said in a sad voice.
 
"No, he’s alive. He exchanged bodies with a pony named Changer, who died in his place." It was the second time that he looked in her direction, this time in amazement.
 
"Is that... um?" Rarity looked away from the iron chain as she spoke with him.
 
"Rarity. Yes, it is the truth. He is currently with Twilight Sparkle in this stadium and looking for a clue where you and his mother could be." With a small pop, the chain from the bracket on the wall broke, and Nils was freed. He looked over to his fellow prisoners.
 
"Shall we also set them free?" Trixie asked as she began to walk over to the next closest human, but was stopped by a hand over her chest.
 
"We should not disturb their peace... And we should get out of here well. Somebody just has to help me." The boy tried to rise to his feet and placed some pressure on her back, which Trixie did not mind. Light would jump in the air with joy when he saw his brother.
 
"Have they given you anything to eat?" asked Trixie when she again saw how weak he was.

"No... not for months." He finally stood upright, but almost immediately crumpled again.
 
"How did you… for so long..." Rarity’s eyes widened when she put two and two together. There were tears in her eyes and she turned slightly green.
 
"Do you know where your mother is?" Trixie asked worriedly, afraid she would have to continue into the room.
 
"They took them a week ago. I don’t know whether they have been sacrificed..." They took a few steps toward the door, but after every third step, Nils broke down again. Rarity now also offered him to support with her back, and so it went on, slowly but surely towards the door.
 
"Sacrificed? What's going on?" Trixie asked as Rarity still had not recovered.
 
"The Father, as he calls himself, made them believe that these shades are gods and since then, they sacrifice everyone who opposes them. Below is where they keep the sacrifices… Many don’t even live long enough to be sacrificed." Trixie exchanged a worried look with Rarity but said nothing. "How did you ever come down here? Weren’t there any shades?"

"We have this diamond. They are enchanted and emit sunshine to drive them away." Trixie brought it closer to her.
 
"So Timo was right when he said that ponies could do magic..." Had he not seen Rarity just use magic? she wondered as they came to the door.
 
"It was even your brother who made it," Rarity said, having recovered from the shock. Of course Trixie had been so as well, but she had seen many ponies do worse things because of dark magic. To eat the flesh of their own kind was, in the darker days of magic, proof of a sacrifice. Twilight Sparkle was definitely also well-informed of this field, for one only bypassed the history rarely as a student of magic. Many of the magic today had been developed on the basis of these ancient rituals.
 
"Really? Glad he had it a little better than me." Rarity opened the door and glanced into the dark hallway.
 
"The way seems to be clear..." she said as she opened the door all the way and took a first step back into the hallway. Trixie looked around and made her diamonds fly up and down the aisle. No shades were to be seen.
 
"Then we should go back to the others." They went on their way again, this time slower in order to support the ailing human.
 

***


"They’re leading the next sacrifice on stage," Fish said dryly. He had now gone on the floor and checked his weapon again and again. "I hope the others come soon... I want to deal with that bastard soon." This was now the third woman to be executed. Had he not seen some men at the back of the line, he would have believed that it was something intentional. The only reason could have been because the fat bag on stage seemed to paw at them before he drove the knife into their bodies. The last one he had groped a good ten minutes at her chest, whereupon Armor asked why that was particularly unseemly. He didn’t take the question wrong, because it was just a cultural difference, but he quickly understood why Fish was outraged. Some things were just the same everywhere and this included where and why a woman was not to be touched. When he had finished, he had rammed the knife between her breasts down to her stomach, before she was suspended on the cross. The rest they had to look at saving, and as cheers went up again, he took another look.
 
"Not only you..." The stallion grimaced. "The irony is incredible. We come here to save people, and what do they do? They kill each other and throw them in the claws of the enemy." He shook his head and looked again into the hallway, looking for a sign from the others.
 
"As I said, humans have a different attitude to religion. For many, it is everything, and they blindly obey preachers to do everything for their God." A bit of dirt fell out of the clip as he probed it with the wire from his backpack. A scream was heard, probably because the next victim had made acquaintances with the knife. “At least they’ll be finished with the women soon.” From the corner of his eye, he saw how this one had also been tied to a cross
 
"What do you think you’re doing, you crazy priest pig?" barked a voice through the stadium. At least that was the way it sounded from up here. Immediately Fish got up and looked at the image, but this showed only the stage and not the field further behind. Armor came trotting beside him and now also looked for the source. "Have you lost your fucking minds?" echoed again in a dark, angry tone.

"Light…" muttered Armor as his horn lit up. The view was lined up from anew, and now a small blue shape was to see bellowing over by the entranceway to the people gathered at the far end of the field. Armor added another spot on the glass and showed the people in front of the stage. These humans turned to the source of the loud voice and looked in amazement at the intruder. The priest seemed to reply but was not as loud as Light, and his response could therefore not be heard.
 
"Damn! What is he doing?" Fish stuffed his cartridge back into the magazine in a hurry. "We are not yet ready."
 
"Are you kidding me! They're not gods! These are soulless monsters that destroy everything what comes in your way! Now let the prisoners free and fuck off, or you will regret it!" Fish looked as the priest only heartily laughed, and the first people from the crowd broke apart and drew their weapons against the intruder. The spotlight followed these humans, and when it was a bit closer, Fish and Armor could see the AKs in their hands begin to deliver the first salvos. The flashes of gunfire could be seen even without the benefit of the glass at night, and Fish already thought that had been it for Light, but he just stood there and then even took a few steps forward. "I will not repeat myself!" he yelled again in his incredibly loud voice.
 
"What we do, Armor?" Fish took his weapon and tried to get a few targets into his crosshairs, even though it would not make sense to fire because it wouldn’t hit anything over this distance.

"We’ll get the others and get him out of there,” he replied and went to the levers for the window and roof control. "This lever, right?" Fish nodded quickly.
 
"Yeah, I don’t see any other way." His horn lit up as began to work some magic. The soldier used this to throw one last look at the scene. The men with the guns had obviously not listened to him and fired again. That same second, Light basically dissolved. The view whirled wildly across the lawn and finally came to a halt behind the men. After a few seconds, it appeared on Light at his new point. He tried so make sense of what had happened down there, but all he could see was the men lying on the grass and had stopped moving. "Shining Armor, I think you should take a look again..." He was still busy with spells.
 
"I come here to save you from these beings, and what are you doing? You worship them? I’ll say it for the last time. Out of my way!" Again, some people ran towards him, this time with machetes, pitchforks, and axes, but they did not get very far. The last of them was just still in range of the spotlight, and Fish saw what had happened. From the floor came a kind of spear that shot out, stabbed through his chest, and went back into the ground and pulled the lifeless body with it. That was Light’s magic? "I used to be a human." Anger was written on his face, along with splashes of blood. "But I did not become a pony to be a murderer! No more!" Armor was beside him again, and they both watched as Light’s entire body began to glow and twist.
 
"That looks like his transformation magic, but he’s so far only applied it to his horn, wings, or to gain strength. What's he doing?" Armor yelled, though his companion could not give him an answer. The light around him grew brighter and the spotlight and the room were soon enveloped. Fish had to use his hands to avoid being blinded.



***



"So you’ll gladly kill each other? Let me help you!" I yelled to the crowd as my transformation was complete. I knew that this had to be possible. It had since Albia told me and Twilight confirmed it. My body still had human DNA in it, something I used now. It was strange to be back on two legs, and I was only briefly confused at the amount. Then I looked at my feet, where I wore two white sneakers, followed by blue jeans, and a black old hoodie that covered my upper body. All in all, it was not my old body, for it felt larger and lacked the scar on the back of my hand. No, this was not my old human body but my pony body in human form. My white hair blocked my field of vision somewhat as I turned my attention back onto the stage.
 
"Grab that guy!" roared the fat fuck on the stage, gesturing at me. If he brought out more clichés, I would certainly throw up even more than I already had at the sight of him. I gathered my magic, not around my non-existent horn but to my hands. Well, fingernails were also a kind of horn, right? I did not even wait until the first reached me and released a wave of magic in his direction. Like the last time, when I had done rather accidentally, it hurt every second as though I had crashed through a wooden wall, but I didn’t care. Even before that last attack had finished, I reached into the ground and pulled out my now-materialized sword. With the momentum of a half teleportation, I ran through the first opponent like hot butter and did not hesitate to do so to the second. These bastards had no problem victimizing helpless people at their mercy, so why should I have any for them? The third went to the ground as I rammed the sword into his chest and at the same time built a shield around me to ward off the blows from the hand-wielded tools.
 
"In harmony with the elements: fire, water, earth, air, light, and shadow. Justice does not know any name, therefore bring down judgement upon my enemies, and me." I started my magic without bothering about the sounds around me. "Enforce your judgement, light arrows." The ground under me glowed in the light of the circle above my head, and with one hand I began to draw arrows. The first one bored through three humans as they tried to flee when they saw that their weapons had done no damage. The second and third roamed through the crowd, striking random people before taking to the heavens. With a twist of my hand, numbers four, five, and six sprang up and threw the gunner, who had been reloading, into the air before they also broke up. I was not able to control the others in this form, as I was not accustomed to doing so with hands, but they had done enough damage for my taste.

"Oh God! Protect your servant before this monster tries to harm me!" cried the bastard on stage as he descended from it and sought shelter behind his men. I had already prepared my next spell and teleported myself from the shield onto the stage, where it dissolved as he made his escape
 
"Star tail!" I cried, pointing to the crowd in front of me, who had not yet realized where I had gone. The light beam hit the roof of the stadium, then burst and rained down upon the field. The small explosion was enough to clear away some people and debris. To my displeasure, I saw the priest as he made his way to one of the exits.  I ignored him for the moment and turned to the woman on the cross… my mother. She had lost consciousness and was bleeding from her stomach where he had rammed the knife clean through. I broke her free from her bindings and floated her down. How I wished Cadance or Fluttershy was here now.
 
"What's going on?" I heard Luna's Royal Canterlot voice and looked up. The Princess of the Night came in, followed by Rainbow Dash, Julian, and Hawk through the hole I had made ​​and flew towards the stage. She batted not an eyelid as she landed on the stage. "What's going on, Blue Light?" She recognized me from my magic no doubt.

"These bastards sacrificed people to the shades." I fired another Star’s Tail at the fleeing mob. Luna looked horrified, as did Julian, who had landed right behind her. Rainbow and Hawk hovered a little above us and pointed to something. I followed their hooves and saw the light from one of the large glass booths come over the grandstands.
 
"You all take care of it. We’ll take over here," Luna said to them, and I turned back to my mother.
 
"Can you do something for her, Luna?" I asked quickly.
 
"We will try," she said, and I made room for her.
 
"Here!" I threw my diamonds that I pulled out of my pocket to the Julian. The entire contents of my saddlebags had apparently somehow wandered into it. "There were some shades here, so give some to Luna." With two stones, it should make it easier for him.
 
"What are you doing?" he asked, but still I did not answer him and teleported again, heading towards the exit taken by the fatso. Once there, I sprinted down the stairs that had to lead to the basement. I jumped down several at the same time, and once even a half floor, until I came to the only door. I yanked on this and found myself in the basement corridors of the stadium again where we arrived. I created my three tiny light sources, looking at the surroundings. Some Nightmares disappeared in my corner of my eye when I checked the corridor in both directions.

"Come out, you piece of shit! I’ll find you anyways!" I screamed but only heard my echo. "I promise you it will be even more painful!" This time, I heard the sound of footsteps that could not be far away. With half-teleportations, I came very quickly to the intersection at the direction I thought I had heard the steps and listened again. "Right!" I cried and then shot down the aisle and saw my goal. At full speed, I grabbed him by his robe, pulled it, and pushed into the back of both his legs. He immediately landed with his face on the stone floor and skidded with me on his back over a few meters. I was breathing as hard as the fat untrained bag on the ground, because this form cost more magic than I thought. It was probably due to it being the least natural form I had taken so far.
 
"P-P-Please spare me! I’ll give you power! I’ll give you women... I’ll even present you to the Master Nightmare," he stammered as he sat on his ass and tried to crawl backward. The name Nightmare struck my mind as if he had used his knife. Everything here had to do with that. It had seen in his mind his perverse pleasure for making people suffer and even his desire to stand as a god. "Once it has control of the moon, it will control the world! We just have to swear allegiance to it." This scum was giving more information than I had hoped for in his last moments on this world. "We are living under the masters of the night!" I walked slowly towards him.
 
"How will Nightmare control the moon?" I asked as calmly as possibly. In front of me, a mass murderer whimpered for his miserable life. At some point love and tolerance ended, and today that was at my feet.

"Our God did not tell me how... only that it is traveling to an island in the north." I heard confidence return in his voice. Did he really think I would let him live or even to join this madness?
 
"Greet Nightmare for me and tell it I'll fight it until either it or I have turned to dust." I put a hand on the wall next to me and pulled out another sword. "Actually... just tell him that I wish him a lot of fun in eternity." I swung the blade and heard as his body crashed onto the ground, followed the dull impact of his head.


> Chapter 77 - The Last Firstborn
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I breathed in deeply. The chase and the force I had used to swing the sword had drained my strength, and I now leaned on the weapon to try and recover. "Still a gamer, huh?" I murmured to myself as I raised the blade and got my first look at it. The entire hilt, consisting of pommel, handle, and guard, was in a dark blue. The guard was formed like two wings and from them the long blade of the zweihänder.

"Sorry, Link, it was probably sword envy." After that, I broke the enchantment, causing it to fall apart again to the stone from which it had been made. Thereupon, I supported myself with my hands on my knees and began to breathe deeply, watching as the blood slowly ran from the body and headed in my direction. I decided that I was already dirty enough and went over to the remains of the priest and down the aisle I had come. My three little glowing balls swayed slightly as they followed me, but were no longer long as bright as when I had created them. It was hard to keep them in a straight path and at the same strength, probably because of my fatigue and the human form. It was too exhausting to keep up in any case, so I turned back and fell forward. At least that was what it felt like, but my head never hit the ground, only two front hooves. Some energy quickly came back to me, and it was now easier to control the glowing balls. The connection was not difficult to see. I had a horn as a unicorn, which was directly connected to my magic system and my brain, thus serving as a focus for magic. Therefore there was a direct connection, unlike when I was in my human form. My hands were much farther away from my head and were only passively controlled by it. Also, they were not meant to channel magic.
 
I arrived at the intersection again, still completely in thought as I went left back to the stairs, accompanied only by the sounds of ​​my hooves on the stone. I wondered why I had not taken the form of a human being until now. I knew that it had to be there, as I had the others. I had all the genetic material of all three pony materials plus my original human form, so why not turn into one earlier? The encounter with the people here would have been easy, and I certainly would have handled some situations differently. Even if I had been a pony for months now, my motor skills were better as a human and most importantly I could better grasp things. Was I afraid what the others would say? What would AJ say? Even then, it was just a transformation and not the real me. I was a unicorn, the son of Princess Celestia and Antje, who was wounded above me. 
 
At that thought, I came back to reality and realized that I had already gone up half of the stairs. There were a total of only eight steps for each of the four floors, which I had not noticed in my rush. Unfortunately, I could now no longer climb up as fast as I had gone down, though I still hurried as much as I could. I wanted to see how my mother fared and if I could help Luna in any way. I started to take two stairs at once, which resulted in me almost tripping over my own hooves on occasion, but I eventually came to the top and glanced across the field. Coming up to the surface and by the gate to the exit, I saw as Mac and the three other soldiers were about to force the survivors in a corner. Then I saw the grass, the red and green that was mixed together. I had done that to some of them, probably about two dozen, and some even lay injured on the ground and writhed on the spot, moaning piteously. On stage I saw Luna still working her magic, Julian next to her with a diamond in each wing. As I was about to go in their direction, I heard my name being called.
 
"Why?" I looked around and saw Twilight galloping towards me across the field. She tried desperately to fix her eyes on me, but had problems with it since she had to dodge the bodies in the grass. "Why did you do that?"
 
"You have to ask?" I replied and began to go to her, but further towards the stage. "You saw what they did to people." Twilight slowed and was now beside me.
 
"But that... That's not right!" I saw how upset she was, almost to tears.
 
"And what exactly do you mean?" It was the same expression she wore that time when she had seen the news on my TV.
 
"This! Magic should not be used to..." I knew exactly what she was getting at. Magic was her element, and it just spoke of her nature to want to avoid harming anyone, regardless of whether they had attack or not. "Couldn’t you have disabled them so they couldn’t fight?"
 
"And then what? Who’s going to stay here and make sure they wouldn’t do it again? Who can guarantee that once we are out of here, they won’t recapture and kill other people?" I waited briefly for an answer that never came. "On this planet, in this dimension, there is something called the death penalty, Twilight." The fact that it was not carried out here was something I failed to mention. "Yes, only the worst criminals get that punishment, but what would you call this?" I pointed to the stage in front of us. "In addition, they would die anyway, right? Should we have let them live their last months running around freely and doing this to anyone?" Twilight’s tears still streamed down her cheek, but she finally nodded.
 
"Please promise me one thing if you ever want to learn a spell from me again." I nodded back. "Never use magic against somepony who has no defenses against it." Twilight was right. Humans had no defence to magic. "Retaliating the same way they did does not make it right."
 
"I know that, Twilight, or do you think I enjoyed doing it?" We stood in front of the small staircase leading to the stage. "Just... When I saw my mother... And what they did to the others..." I had fought not to break down at that point. I had felt like a monster that had struck wildly in anger. I walked up the stairs, leaving Twilight behind. The gazes of Julian and Luna met me, and the Princess of the Night just shook her head and gave me room. My mother lay on the ground, the grey pullover she wore soaked red. Her auburn hair was spread loosely around her head, and her chest heaved with each rattling breath, probably from the blood filling her lungs. 
 
With a few steps, I was immediately by her. "Hey," I said gently and saw that she opened her eyes slightly.
 
"Timo?" she asked, barely audible.
 
"Yes, I'm here." I saw her eyes were looking at me in the scarce light, and I steered one of the balls to us, but only to the extent that it did not blind her. "How are you?" I could have slapped myself.
 
"Clever as always..." She coughed briefly, some blood remaining on her hand. "I probably should not be surprised after what Changer said." Her arm fell back to the ground.
 
"He told you who he actually was?" I asked, surprised, and she laughed briefly once, holding her stomach afterwards.
 
"No, but what kind of mother would I be if I didn’t recognize my own son? He couldn't even keep up a single day against me" This time, both of us smiled. "So, how are you?"
 
"Better, now that I found you. Dirk is also with us." I preferred not to tell her his current state.
 
"I’m… happy to hear that." She took a hand and placed it on my cheek. I stood at the side next to her and sat down. Talking above her was certainly not very pleasant. "What have you been doing all these months?"
 
"Half the things you probably won’t believe me... but I can say that I've built a life. I live on an apple farm, found new friends, and am engaged." My mother beamed.
 
"I’m glad to hear that you're okay. I had hoped that you had it better than us if you got the chance." I clung to my mother and lay down beside her.
 
"In addition, you are going to be a grandma. My fiancée and I expect a daughter." She turned her head completely to me and put his arms around my neck.
 
"I am so happy for you; you do not know how much." Fresh tears ran down my cheeks as I remembered that this would be our last conversation. She let go of me and wiped my cheek with her ​​thumb. "Want to introduce me to your friends?" I looked at Julian, Luna, and Twilight, who were now on stage.
 
"Mom, this is Princess Luna of Equestria and behind her is Twilight Sparkle. Although you probably do not recognize him, the pegasus there is Julian." She tried to turn her head to better look at them.
 
"Do not strain yourself," Luna ordered in a gentle but firm tone. "You need to conserve..."
 
"I saw that you could not help me with your magic... Luna. Thanks anyway for trying. I was a nurse and know what happened..." She tried to sit up. "My liver got hit badly; maybe my gut." She turned around and leaned against the back wall of the stage. "Julian, how are your parents?" He had watched the scene all this time in silence.
 
"They’re... good." I knew he was lying, as I remembered the radiation.
 
"Then please tell Irena I said hello." Julian nodded, and my mother turned to Twilight. "And you are?" Twilight, still with slightly red eyes, came one step closer.
 
"I am Twilight Sparkle, a student of Princess Celestia and—" She didn't came further as soon she saw the wound of my mother. I followed her gaze and saw how the ground turned even red beneath her. If only Cadance or Fluttershy were here... Then I noticed something.
 
"Mom?" The rattle was gone, her chest not moving. "Mom!" I jumped back over to her and nudged my muzzle against her head, but that was just as lifeless as her shoulder. I bit my lip as I could no longer hold back the tears.
 

***

 
For a long time, no one said anything. I wasn’t able to because of the lump in my throat.
 
"Light, we must take care of the situation here." I felt as Luna put a hoof on my shoulder to calm me down. I didn’t say anything and just nodded. I thought I had resigned myself to it. I knew it would happen, so why I was so sad? Of course, it was my mother but...
 
"We could use some help!" I heard a voice calling offstage. It was Trixie. Luna’s hoof left my shoulder, and I heard as she and Twilight went over to my sister.
 
"Timo... I'm sorry, but we’re all suffering. You know that I'm... sick. I want those bastards to pay for making the end come sooner." The light from the diamonds in his wings came from right next to me now. "Let's be honest – the world was going to end one way or the other, only we all thought we would not live to see it." I had to actually smile when he said it, feeling the dried tears on my face. It was like breaking a crust and feeling air under my fur after days.
 
"Light, I think we found someone you want to see," I heard Rarity say, closely followed by Trixie and Twilight as they came to the stairs backstage. They were followed by Luna, who had a lifeless body lying on her back. At first I did not recognize him, but when the light fell on him, I saw my brother, Nils. Immediately, I was at her side and saw that my brother had his eyes open, but seemed to somehow look into nothingness.
 
"He is not doing well ..." Twilight also approached and used ​​a quick spell to run over him. "His wounds have to be treated, and he has lost a lot of blood. In addition, he’s dehydrated and urgently needs something to eat." I tried to turn his face to me, but it fell back into Luna’s back, still completely insensate.
 
"We should bring him to the ship as soon as possible." I was happy they had found him, but I could lose him just as quickly. "We postpone the trap… These maniacs are a too big risk anyway." I looked over to the soldiers, who Fish and Armor had now joined. As Rainbow stood with them, they had probably seen the light on the upper floor.
 
"What happened here?" Trixie asked as she probably looked over the field for the first time. "It looks as if a manticore raged over the place."
 
"I got rid of... the madman who offered people as a sacrifice to the shades," I said, averting my view from the remaining cultists. I had to make an effort not to tremble.
 
"This is terrible..." I did not know whether Rarity meant the sight on the field or the story of the sacrifice, but I could not care at that moment.
 
"I’ll clarify with Armor, so get ready to withdraw." I walked off the stage and saw how the others now turned to Twilight, probably to get an understanding of what had happened here. With a quick trot, I needed a minute before I arrived by Fish and Armor, who were engrossed in a conversation.
 
"We are not prepared for this. This is not a camp of survivors but armed murderers!" Apparently the captain saw things as I did.
 
"We have them at bay!" He gestured with one hand behind where Mac and the others had turned their guns on the other people. Rainbow hovered beside them and threatened them with air kicks. "We’ll lock them somewhere and build the trap." I decided that this was chance to interject.
 
"We should really go. We don’t know how many shades there are, if we overlooked other people, and we also have an injured person who needs to get on the ship." Both turned to me.
 
"What? Who was hurt?" Armor asked immediately and looked past me to the stage.
 
"My brother, Nils. He was apparently among the prisoners." He nodded.
"Another reason to break off here," he quickly told Fish. "Is there anything else about your family?" I just nodded, and Armor seemed to understand.
 
"So we have a wounded, a soldier who is not able to fight, and—" Armor suddenly looked puzzled by something, and Fish and I followed suit, looking to see what was so distracting. "It’s become dark?" I looked over the field and saw the light of torches and the coals on the stage that were left by the fire. But there was something missing something, a light that should have been there. My gaze wandered up through the holes in the ceiling and then it hit me.
 
"Can we go to the ceiling?" I asked Armor, who seemed to understand quickly as his horn lit immediately.
 
"I attached the lever with my magical aura. I should be able to control it from here," he said, the engine already in motion. The sudden loud noise probably startled the others, and now everyone who was capable of looking up at the sky did so. It had been a cold and starry night, but now the latter was literally gone. No Big Bear, no Orion, and especially no moon.
 
"Damn it..." I murmured, as I knew the Nightmare had succeeded.
 
"What's going on?" Fish yelled, panic in his voice. "Where is the moon?" We scanned the sky, and Rainbow finally pointed at something.
 
"There, what’s that?" she asked more than she pointed to a dark object. I narrowed my eyes before I realized what it was. It was the moon, but it was no longer white or silver, but gray to black, almost indistinguishable from the starless night sky.
 
"That was Nightmare," I confirmed what everyone had probably already guessed. "It’s taken control of the heavenly bodies." But the question was: what could it achieve? Suddenly cheers broke out among the prisoners.
 
"Our Redeemer has come!"
 
"We are saved!"
 
"Take us into your ranks!"
 
They fell to their knees and looked into the darkness. Confused, Mac and the others looked over to us, but Fish just shrugged his shoulders.
 
"We have lost a further advantage. We retreat." This time, it was no longer a question from Armor. "With or without you, this is too risky, because unlike you, we have something for which we want to live for." Fish appeared to be struck hard by the question, as he remained silent and lowered his weapon.
 
"Nightmare!" Julian suddenly cried and I already saw how Hawk with glowing fire between her teeth dashed from her waiting position to the field.  The dark being got a full broadside, and it was briefly daylight in the stadium. It had not come alone.

"Okay! Let’s go!" Armor cried as he set off with several shields up. The prisoners were no longer held and tried to get past their guards. First shots were fired but there were too many to stop them all and they jumped out the path of the crowd as it started their way into the darkness, accompanied from their own cheering.
 
"Come to me, my children, and become part of the darkness..." I heard an all too familiar voice whisper, but she was heard everywhere in the stadium.
 


> Chapter 78 - Nightmare
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Silence. There was darkness, and now there was silence. The cheering cultists had knocked down the torches on their way across the field, after which they were quickly extinguished. The fire on stage was only smouldering embers that showed the outlines of the ponies gathered here. I looked at Julian’s slightly glowing diamond in his wings, but this was no more than a slight glow. No one around us said anything, everyone staring tensely into the darkness around us to detect any movement. Then it happened. First it was only two glowing red balls, then four, then sixteen, then too many to count.
 
"Light! We need light!" I heard Armor shout, and I needed a few seconds to put my thoughts in order. I looked around to try and make him out, but it was too dark to definitively do so. Suddenly some flashes of light appeared, triggered by the weapon of the soldiers as they shot at something in the dark.
 
"They're everywhere!" It was the young voice of Alf, and more shots immediately echoed around the stadium. They struck the wall of red eyes, but none of them even blinked. The red saliva ran from some of their mouths, revealing their grins.

 "Ahhh!!!" I looked behind me where the shots came from and saw how this very same red mist poured over a human shape, which collapsed in the same moment.

"Damn! Alf!" Mac also began to open fire, and flashes of light again briefly lit up the surroundings.
 
"If someone could put on a light!" Fish also started to load a magazine as the shades swirled virtually everywhere. Pill! Lee! Fire now!" It took a few seconds before more gunfire could be heard.
 
"Pill? Pill!" I looked at the faint outline of Lee as he turned to his comrade, but he only had the red eyes of a shade.
 
"Light, we need light, damn it!" My eyes darted back to the Armor, who had probably maintained the shields to prevent any shades from going for the jugular. I started to go through the runes in my mind, and a single beam came out of my horn a few seconds later, but it was enough to us to give a general overview. Someone landed on my back, and I looked up to see a dark claw above my head before it dissipated. Armor had thrown me to the ground and had counterattacked with some magic beams at our opponent. A magical vacuum appeared for a few seconds before it contracted and tore into everything it touched.
 
"We need more light, quickly!" He raised himself on his hooves again, as I realized his weight was no longer on my back. I did as I was told, and a second light source emerged and began to cross the field, eventually gaining some altitude. A large part of the field was illuminated and again gave a better perspective on what was happening here. On stage, Julian was keeping the attackers at bay with the diamond he held in his wings. It sparked at the shade but only made it cringe slightly. Twilight, Trixie, and Rarity were behind Luna, who probably still had my brother on her back, with one of her magical blades dividing the approaching shades. When the weapon struck them, they disappeared as if they had been touched by sunlight. "We need to get to the others." Armor resisted the shades with one of his shields and fired back at them.
 
"Nightmare is here..." I said to myself and began to search for her. It was that creature who was responsible for all the suffering here, for the deaths of my mother, my grandmother, along with billions of other people, and the injury to my two brothers. "Nightmare, come out!" A laugh was heard, and all the shades paused their attacks.
 
"Look at who actually still dwells among the living. I thought you were already mine." It was again just like a whisper, but I heard her as clearly as though she stood right next to me.
 
"I would rather destroy my soul than to let it be used as a monster! Now show yourself, you coward!" I did not care that I was exhausted to the point where two small lights posed a challenge. I did not care that hundreds of shades had surrounded us and had already caught two of us.
 
"I’m afraid that’s not possible, seeing as I’m at the other end of this miserable planet. The moon gives me a pleasant view of what’s happening." I looked up at the dark star in the sky, and it was now almost as if Nightmare’s aura radiated like a spotlight from it. But what had brought her to control the moon in the first place? The sun would weaken her, and it would be in the sky in a few hours. Of course! It was not strong enough to move the moon, so it was satisfied with the next best thing. In the dimension where the planet Albion was, the universe functioned differently and the night could oust the day, but the planets here were fixed objects. The moon already moved around the earth, but the earth itself was moving around the sun and not vice versa. It's easier to change the direction of an already moving object than getting it to move in the first place. The only thing left was the reason.
 
"Why the moon, Nightmare? Got moon envy from Luna? Or are you too weak to move around a sun? Even my mother can do that!" For a few seconds there was silence, which meant that I had somehow hit a nerve.
 
"I do not need any sun to achieve that what I want!" That meant the moon was only one option. "The night will be as endless here as I want it. There is no escape." I realized what she meant. A solar eclipse could control it. Indirect sunlight could not hurt the shades, the moon being the best example of that. In that way, there would always be a certain area in darkness where the moon would be between the sun and Earth, bringing about night. There would not be eternal global night, but it had the next best thing.
 
"Sorry to say that nothing will help you against us. Celestia entrusted me with her magic and I can produce sunlight wherever I want. We will kill you." Laughter was heard. Apparently she really enjoyed these little talks. She was almost following the villain’s cliché to the letter, as she had given enough time for Luna to pass my brother to Twilight and Trixie.
 
"That is why my subjects will soon take care of you, and you shall soon belong to me." This abruptly signalled another wave of attacks by the shades, but this time we were prepared. One of my lights hovered over to Armor, who no longer used his shields to defend but also to attack. Luna left the three unicorns and pegasus alone on stage and waded into a number of the shades. Armor and I went, step by step, further and further into the direction of the others, because we had to stay together and reach the exit.
 
"Fish, come on!" Armor yelled backwards as soon as my light was out of range. I also looked at them briefly and saw that they were just two. Mac and him stood back to back and fought back with everything they had, but more and more came from behind the stands
 
"Get out of here! This is our fight!" he called back and threw his gun in the face of the shade and pulled out his pistol from his belt. Several bullets punctured through the shade before it began to reform. "This is the point where our cooperation ends."
 
"Show the beast how humans take revenge." Mac reached at his throat and took something Fish passed him. He weighed the articles briefly in his hand before he threw them in our direction. The two objects glinted in the light of my short spell before they landed a few feet in front of me in the grass. I enclosed them with my magic and made the two dog tags come to me. When I looked up, I could no longer see the two soldiers because they were completely surrounded by the dark creatures. Individual shots were heard, then the guns were silenced.
 
"Light, we need to leave." I pulled the two tags after me when I caught up to Armor and finally put them in my saddlebag. "Do you still have power for a few attacks?" he asked as he pushed more enemies into the radius of my light with his shield, which caused them to fizzle.

"I have problems maintaining the light.” We were already halfway across the stage, where Luna still flitted back and forth to try and cover all sides. Two daggers whirled through the air, slicing through one shade after the next.
 
"Twilight! Do something!" Armor shouted to his sister, who clung to Rarity and vice versa. The call took her out of her shaky demeanour, horn directed forward and all four firmly on the ground. Though still slightly trembling slightly, she began to help Luna as they began firing at the approaching shades, also with only mediocre success.

"We'll never make it to the exit!" I yelled at him and swung the remaining light like one would when faced with wild animals, but the fear of the beings faded just like my light itself. "Soon we wouldn’t even have to worry about that..." I added with some anxiety. A shade surged forward, as my light was now apparently weak enough, but when I held the ball in front of me, it began to dissolve anyway.
 
"...Celestia!" I heard call Rainbow, wherever she was. Then I also noticed that Hawk was out of sight, or rather her flame. By if on cue, a new wave of flames came down from the heavens and lit the grass around us, so its flames separated us from the shades. "The Celestia is right here!" At the repeated shout, my eyes darted upwards again, and I saw them. In the distance, like a single star, a shining ship quickly came in our direction.
 
"Okay everypony, get ready to head out," said Armor and broke into a gallop towards the stage. I quickly followed him, striking a couple of shades within the fire and then climbed with a quick jump to the others. Luna landed at the same time next to me and was also visibly out of breath.

"Shining Armor, where are the humans who were with you?" was her first question when she lowered the blade.
 
"They did not make it. There was a crazy bunch of humans that surprised us, and we were not prepared..." Luna nodded and pushed a shade off the stage as it was about to attack Twilight, who was preoccupied with dealing with one of her own.
 
"Do not come near me, you... thing!" I turned and saw one of the shades tried to grab Rarity from under the stage. Trixie responded as I did, and my light raced in the direction of a hole in the wooden floor. Thus, the ground was now illuminated under the stage, and I heard multiple enemies fizzle.
 
"That was just..." Julian muttered, balancing the diamond, which was as weak as my light, on his wing.
 
"Give me that," Rarity said, and it flew over to her in the next moment before she splintered it into many pieces. "Nopony interferes with a lady!" she exclaimed at a level that would rival Rainbow Dash, and began to fire the shards across the field. They appeared transparent as they reached the shades, but as they struck, they left cannonball-sized holes in them.

"Wow ..." was all Julian said as Trixie and him hoofed over their almost exhausted diamonds to Rarity. She did not look at them as she also crushed these and fired the small splinters across the field.
 
"This will show you for scaring me like that!" she declared as the last salvo was fired, and we now had much fewer opponents heading towards us.
 
"Give all your diamonds to Rarity," Armor said to us, and now Twilight and her brother threw theirs to her. She examined the two just before a diabolical grin broadly spread ​​across her face.
 
"Party BOMB!!!" suddenly echoed from the sky above us, and I could not believe my eyes. Shining brightly, halfway down to the ground was Pinkie Pie. The Celestia hovered above about her. What she sat on was something I could not precisely tell, but what I did recognize was the gun belt that was filled with charged diamonds. She was wearing a sort of helmet on her head, and darted straight toward the ground in the middle of the stadium.
 
"Pinkie!" I watched as Rainbow and Hawk rushed to her, but she was already too far down. Suddenly there was a loud bang, and now it was also clear on what Pinkie had sat on: her cannon. More diamonds flew out of the tube and soared into the air. As their momentum faltered, they began to fall to the earth as Pinkie did, but parachutes had been attached to them, ensuring that the loss of speed was reduced. In Pinkie’s case, a parachute flew out of her cannon, which slowed her descent as well. Meanwhile, the diamonds began to show their effects, as the new light sources ensured that the field was now relatively cleared of the shades. Some were still visible in the stands, but they were far away.

"That was great!" Pinkie shouted as she sat on the grass and hopped over to us with her cannon in tow.
 
"Pinkie darling, that was incredible!" Rarity let the shards fall to the ground and hurried to meet her friend. Twilight was right on her heels and Trixie huddled together with my brother and I in her magic aura.
 
"We need to get out of here. He has a fever and is getting weaker." I nodded to Trixie and stood at the edge of the stage.
 
“I hate to break up the reunion and all, but we need to get Nils out of here." I pointed to Trixie, who made him slowly float off the stage. Now Rainbow and Hawk also came to us and landed next to Pinkie. "And here we already have two pegasi that can do the job.”
 
"What?" Rainbow asked in surprise as she looked at me, then on Trixie and my brother. "Ow... He looks ill." She flew over to Trixie and tried to get Nils on her back, but he was just too big. "Will you help me, Hawk?" She did not say anything, but spat out a small flame ball on the grass and then began to lift my brother in the air with Rainbow. Hawk held his arms with her hooves while Rainbow took over his feet.
 
"Be careful with him!" I called out as they took the first two feet off the ground and flew up to the ship. It slowly came down, and I could see Cadance steering it by the lantern. She waved frantically down to us at the bottom. The pegasi and the Celestia met halfway while the others were deep in conversation.

"...And then we saw Hawk’s flames and I said we should help better, but Fluttershy said we should wait because we had gotten instructions and…" She paused and took a deep breath. "Then my Pinkie Sense struck and told me that the moon had been taken hostage. You know, a twitch in my right hoof, a tingling in my kidney, and an itch in the nose," Pinkie stated, after which her two friends hugged her. "Hey! This is the first time that I got to say something without one of you interrupting me!" She grinned even wider and returned the hug.
 
“Pinkie, if you ever save us from so many shades, you can talk as much as you want,” Twilight replied and squeezed her harder.
 
"So! Fluttershy is treating the patient on deck since he does not fit below," Rainbow announced their return. "Who else wants to fly on the Pegasus Express?" she asked, looking at the gathered ponies. I hoped she would overlook me for now, as I knew that a horror flight awaited me, but I was too exhausted to speak again at this point in any case. Of more importance now was to find out where Nightmare was staying and how she controlled the moon, along with how to end this usurpation. Too bad that I did not get any information from her.
> Chapter 79 - The Heart Carol
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A kiss, a hoof down my cheek, and AJ disappeared with the others in the meeting room, apart from Fluttershy, Rarity, and Cadance. When she learned what had happened to my mother, she had not left me for a minute that night and had tried to comfort me. However, Twilight had convened a meeting now and explicitly demanded that I should not be there, and Armor made sure she got her wish. After what happened in the stadium yesterday, Twilight was still mad at me, probably because I dodged her promise. I could not promise that I would never use magic again to harm someone. I did not know what lay ahead of us, so it was a promise that I did not know I could keep. Besides, I wasn’t sure about how I felt about the entire thing. I knew that it was wrong what I did, yes. Any guilt that I felt was drastically less.
 
Apart from what was going on just behind the closed door in front of me, I started thinking about my brother who had been treated below deck. Despite his poor state, Luna had teleported him into a large enough room that he could fit into. This was far less dangerous than to transform him, because his body was in no shape to do the transformation successfully, and the wounds would carry over. Since neither of the two had ever treated a human, they asked Rarity to set his stump properly. I still couldn’t believe that he had severed his own arm to get free from the chains.

I sighed and leaned over the railing, looking down on the snow-covered landscape below. The snow did not reflect the sun as would be the norm, as this was still obscured by the dark moon that cast a shadow on the world. The usually white clouds also looked as if a dark veil was placed over them, and the falling snow seemed just as dirty. With the latest triumph by Nightmare, we had come to the end of our rope. The ultimate goal of our trip was met: we had found all of my remaining family members, and now would have been the time to gather the survivors and build the shields. However, the radiation negated that plan, and soon the planet would be destroyed, or at least the flora and fauna and humans with them. With the way home blocked and the moon a constant threat over our heads, it was truly exasperating. The only thing we knew was that Nightmare was on some island up north and that was it. Actually, I had anticipated that it would amount to a confrontation, but I had not given it much thought, as it had seemed so far away. And now? We were left with no choice but to confront Nightmare in order to get home.  The only thing I felt towards that being was anger and hate, but I also knew how strong it was. Even Luna had problems with fighting it, and the Elements were not here. I was stumped.
 
"Light, darling? Are not you cold?" I still leaned with my front hooves on the railing as I looked around to Rarity. Around her neck, a wrapped scarf blew in the gentle gust which moved across the deck. It showed me how cold it had actually become, because even the deck was covered with a thin white layer.
 
"Maybe a little bit..." Rarity pulled another shawl virtually out of nowhere and made the white cloth wrap around my neck.
 
"Better, right?" I nodded. "While I would prefer some tea to talk in the warmth downstairs, that is simply not an option. Don’t you want to tell me what’s bothering you?" Rarity turned to me and followed my gaze down to where we had just crossed a forest.

"Nothing against you, Rarity, but I do not think..." Up until now, actually, she had had good ideas to put forward, and these problems concerned her as much as anyone else.
 
"You do not think what, darling?" She smiled at me from the side. I briefly thought about where to start and opted for the latest issue.
 
"Nothing, Rarity. On the one hand, there's this thing with Twilight. She’s been so distant since what happened at the stadium. I can understand that she does not like to see magic used like that, and I also know that it was wrong, but..." I stopped when I saw her shake her head.
 
"You certainly have a point, but unfortunately that's not the reason. We all can not approve of what you've done, but we also understand how you must have felt. To see your mother like that with your own eyes... I do not think I would have been able to control myself in those circumstances." She again gave me a smile and put a hoof on my shoulder. "Anyway, the princess gave you a part of her power and surely expected you to use it accordingly. It may not really be my place, but I think you know that Princess Celestia would not approve of your actions." I just nodded and let it go. "Anyway, that's just part of the problem with Twilight. She probably cannot bear it that someone she mentored disappointed her, especially like this. You are Twilight’s student, remember?" I slowly realized what Rarity was getting at. Twilight felt responsible that I could even do something like that. She thought she had put her trust wrongly by teaching me, and she believed that Celestia would feel the same way. As her student, Twilight probably thought it was her job to be mad for both of them.

"I will take the responsibility for it before Celestia, not Twilight." I knew that, as this was an official mission, I would have to give a report and justify my actions to the princess.
 
"As I said, that is only one part. She is disappointed, Light." That had been clear to me, as was the reason. I had misappropriated her beloved magic. Rarity probably saw the confusion on my face and looked more serious. "What I'm telling you now is between us. You have to promise me."
 
"I promise, and thank you for trying to help me." Like I said, although AJ was up all night by my side, we had not talked a lot. At the time, I didn’t need any words, just my marefriend to hold me in her hooves.
 
“That’s how I am, after all." She waved a hoof. "But let's move on. Where were we?" She tapped her chin briefly. "Right, Twilight. What do you think she sees in you?"
 
"A friend and pupil?" At least I saw a good friend and teacher in Twilight, and I assumed that she did the same.
 
"Please, think of the circumstances that you got to know Twilight the first time. Can you imagine what it must have felt like?" I thought of the day in the woods when her face had suddenly appeared in front of me and what had followed the next few days. All this seemed so long ago. "I had only heard it from her later on, but she was alone in the forest for a week, Light, in a world stranger than anything she had ever encountered as well. I hope you can therefore imagine how happy she was to see another pony?" I nodded again. "In addition, there was one that saw her plight and was willing to help. You know how helpless she feels when she cannot use magic. Now take all this together, and imagine that you had to be something like a knight in shining armour for her. Why did you think she was so fixated that you would like Equestria? She wanted to show you her gratitude and, although it is just a guess on my part, I think she had even a little crush on you." It was as if someone turned on a light in a dark room. Why hadn't Twilight stopped everything the moment she noticed I wasn't happy? Why was she angry when she discovered, but now was one of the most determined to help me, more so than everyone else?

"Are you sure Rarity? I do not think I’m the guy Twilight would be..." And again I realized how stupid my guess was. Twilight had experience in many fields, but love was certainly not one of them.
 
"Like I said, it's a guess, but I know Twilight, and I know one thing for sure. Her admiration for you grew. When you collapsed when you found out that there was no way back, the incident with the parasprites, the changelings, and then Nightmare. Each of these events affected you personally, but you went about things logically, a trait she values very much. You were her role model, especially after what happened with her ​​parents." Rarity finished her little speech and turned her gaze back to the world around us. Small black dots could be seen in the village below us. Now that there wasn't any direct sunlight anymore, the shades were running around everywhere. That was the reason the ship was now glowing even though it was day.
 
"And so I destroyed her hero image? Rarity, I was never one, and I’m still not one. This mission is pure self-interest and the thing with the changelings was for the same reason. The parasprites were also a threat to me. Heroes do things because... what? But not for personal gain." She stifled a laugh by pressing a hoof in front of her mouth.

"Light, you said that we were something like heroes for you, right?" I could do nothing by nod again. "Was it not in our own self-interest to oppose dangers like Nightmare Moon, Discord, or the changeling queen? It is not about being heroic, even if that's a noble idea. No matter why somepony is doing it, somepony has to do it. What you call a hero is a fantasy, but it probably comes close to what Twilight saw in you. You were not strong in terms of physical or even magical strength, per se, but you are emotionally strong and never gave up. That was something that not only Twilight and I, but also all the others admired about you." I would have just loved to take the mare next to me in a big hug. She had wanted to help me with a problem and had done even more for me. I paused because I didn’t think she would appreciate if I ruined her hair. It was still funny how the pony who I thought that we would get the least from was the reason things were clear for me for the second time.
 
"Thanks, Rarity. Really, thank you. You have no idea what you took off my shoulders.” She only hummed in confirmation and kept her nose to the wind.
 
"Think nothing of it, okay darling? That’s what friends are for." A particularly strong gust of wind moved across the deck, and I again realized how cold it was. Even though the magic in the ship meant that we did not feel the weather as one would on the ground, it still felt like the temperature had gone past zero. I turned around and noticed that the door to the meeting room was slightly open and some tracks in the fresh snow led towards the stairs.
 
"I had not realized that they were finished." Rarity nudged me and pointed in the direction of the tracks.

"Maybe we should do like the others. A warm cup of tea really calls to me." I agreed with her, able to tolerate something warm, and together we went to the warm interior of the ship. Hardly had we entered the long corridor that we ran into Fluttershy, a bowl of dirty water and towels on her back and a first aid kit in her mouth. She tried to give us a smile as she crept past us, presumably to dispose of the water in the toilet.
 
"Blue Light!" I heard Luna from the other end of the ship call me.  "We want to talk to you and expect you in our quarters." She stood on the stairs that continued down and nodded when she saw that I noticed her. She went ahead and disappeared.
 
"I'll see you later, Rarity. I think my aunt wants to talk to me." I had a hunch how it would go.
 
"When you finish, please come to the common room, okay?" I freed myself from the scarf around my neck and gave it back to her.
 
"Thank you. I will." So I went away.
 

***

 
"You wanted to speak to me, Princess Luna... and apparently also you, Twilight." When I came into the room, I had not seen her as the room was quite dark. After a few seconds, my eyes had adjusted and I could see them in the dim light.

"That is correct, Blue Light. We stand before you as a ruler of Equestria and want to talk to you as one of our subjects, soldiers, and as our nephew, about your misbehaviour on the last mission." She stood in front of me, head held high and betrayed nothing as Celestia would do. Twilight, on the other hand, glanced at me briefly before she directed her gaze at the floor. "Is it true that you have abused the magic entrusted by our sister to execute defenceless humans?"
 
"Yes."
 
"Do you wish to deliver an explanation in this regard?" If I had one.
 
"There is neither an explanation nor an excuse. What I did was wrong, and I have abused my power. However, I do not regret what I did. In my opinion, these people deserved such a penalty. Although I had done it in a blind rage at that moment... because of my mother, I see no other way even now. They had done something terrible, probably against the law in both worlds, and they were doomed to die, even if they were unaware of it themselves. The only real punishment they could receive was to take away what time they had left." I could not see Twilight’s face properly, but I could well imagine the look she had on her face. In contrast, Luna barely flinched. "In any case, I am not the Legislative, the Judiciary, or the Executive, and did not have the right to do so. Nevertheless, if I was in the same situation, I would most likely act the same way." The only thing I could hear was Luna’s heavy breathing and my heart hammering in my chest. Even though I appeared collected on the outside, I feared what consequences awaited me.

"We appreciate your honesty, but you need to be corrected on a few points. As ambassadors of this world to Equestria, you asked us for help and were thus made a part of these forces at our discretion. You confronted the enemy, asked that they adjust their actions several times, and your desire was answered with violence. Therefore, you were in the right to defend yourself." Luna lifted a hoof as Twilight seemed to want to interrupt. "Nevertheless! We know your skills and know that you are capable of rendering your opponents incapacitated without the need to strike a mortal blow. In addition, you have the magic that my sister has entrusted to you to fight against a declared enemy of Equestria. Two crimes, but you were understandably not in control of your emotions. Therefore, we will refrain from a direct punishment, but we must ask you to step down from your post as ambassador as soon as we get back. Do you understand?" I bowed.
 
"Yes, Princess."
 
"Well then, please go now to your brother. We will explain later how we will proceed. Now, we all need some time off." Thus the door opened behind me, and Twilight and I stepped out into the hallway.
 
"Light, I did not want you... It was just..." I shook my head.
 
"It's okay, Twilight. I had a long talk with Rarity and feel better to have been punished with the knowledge." We took the stairs and came to the entrance of the common room, which was blocked with a blanket. We eyed this strangely and finally came through.

We practically found another world. The room was decorated with garlands, candy canes, and green twigs and branches of all kinds. A small Christmas tree was loaded with colourful balls, a few candy canes, and pine cones, and snow was in the middle of the room. All around were the two sofas. On one sat Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and AJ. Shining Armor and Cadance were seated on the floor next to the sofa. In a corner of the room, Dawn, Holly, and Scootaloo sat and were busy painting pictures. On the other sat Hawk, Rainbow, Julian, and with a blanket over his shoulders and a too-small cup of cocoa in hand was my brother. He put the cup on the small table next to the sofa and greeted me with his remaining hand.
 
"Hey," he simply said when he saw me and grinned a little sheepishly.
 
"Nils!" I ran over to him and leaned on his legs to reach his neck at all. I snuggled against him, and he returned the hug after a moment. "How are you?"
 
"Um... Cadance, right?" The pink alicorn nodded. "And her friend... Flutters here have me somewhat patched up." The mentioned pony blushed a bit.
 
"He's still malnourished and needs a lot of liquid, but his wounds have been treated and should heal," added the princess, grinning over at me. I could not help it and hugged him again. In my life I had never shown such affection for him, at least not since he was a baby.
 
"Hey, calm down, someone could think you will jump my bone any moment," he finally said, pushing me away a bit, and then a chuckle went around the room.

"Did I miss something?" We turned to the entrance in the ceiling that separated the room from the rest of the ship and the outside world. Trixie came in and took a seat in front of the sofa, right next to Hawk.
 
"Nils, this is Trixie. Rarity and her were the ones who found you in the basement,” I said on the assumption that the rest had already been introduced.
 
"Thanks, Trixie. For me, it was all just a blur what happened the last few weeks." He held out his hand to which she placed a hoof in it.
 
"I have a question? What's up with the Hearts and Hooves Day decorations, Pinkie?" asked Twilight, who had watched everything so far in silence. The referenced pony had been even more quiet, but had a huge grin on at the same time.
 
"Well..." She took a deep breath. "I know that it’s not the time for Hearts and Hooves Day, but I saw that everypony was so dejected and sad about everything that happened, and I could no longer have that happen because it's my job to make sure everypony laugh, and I love just to see my friends laugh! And what’s better than to sit comfortably with all our friends around a tree and celebrate this festival? Nothing! At least I don’t think so, so..." She took another breath. "Let's go party!"
 
While Trixie, Nils, Hawk, and Julian looked more confused, the others could do nothing but laugh, as Pinkie was being Pinkie.

"But where did you get all the decorations? I saw nothing like this when the ship was loaded?" asked Trixie, trying to get over her surprise.
 
"She’s hidden decorations for a party in case of an emergency everywhere on the ship," I answered for her.
 
"Wowww, you're good," said Pinkie, and stuffed a candy cane in my mouth. "So let’s sing and have fun, because as long as we are among friends, everything is always good!" She rushed off the sofa and pulled a gramophone out behind the other one and placed it next to Nils’ cocoa on the small table and gave it one small pat. The needle slid on the already resting record, and familiar tune rang out:
 
"The fire of friendship lives in our hearts..." Pinkie began singing, and we all jumped in soon after. Fluttershy started another, and Pinkie passed around more cocoa for everyone. Some time after, Luna joined us. Today, just today, we could forget our worries for the moment and enjoy the presence of our friends. For the moment, I could spend time with my brother and my marefriend.


> Chapter 80 - Restoring The Light Facing The Dark
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

England, the land of eternal rain, territory of fog, home to thousands of shadows and mysteries. These islands had legends like other countries had ants. As Luna led us further to the north, and finally across the sea to England, it finally made sense to me. Great Britain, England, or in an ancient language, Albion. Some of the legends of this part of the world should have come to me when I had seen Robin use his magic. So much in our history now found more meaning, although magic itself had raised more questions than answers.
 
Albion: for us, a country; for the ponies, their world. There was so much that resembled between our worlds, things that went beyond the cartoon: languages, places, circumstances, people with their quirks and personalities. Was it really so surprising that we also had the opportunity to control our moon, perhaps the sun as well? The moon at least had been a part of the world once, and when magic was in the game, there was certain to be some kind of connection. Apparently the Celts knew this and built the place where we were headed to: Stonehenge.
 
We had wanted to make a stopover to the hospital but had decided against it. What would we have told them in our big report? They were doomed. How would it help them to know that? Panic and despair would ensue. In this way, they were instead able to spend the last couple of weeks in peace together. It was a decision that Luna had shared with me. Twilight had wanted to tell them, but she had eventually been swayed. She understood that we did not mean harm.
 
My brothers were already showing clear signs of what was to come. Nausea and exhaustion ensured that they remained in their beds in the cabin. It ate at me that I could do nothing for them but watch them slowly wither away after the pain and emotion of finding them, knowing that sooner rather than later, they would once again be lost to me. We had teleported them inside, and Fluttershy now looked after them every few hours. Julian was as well as could be expected. Through the metamorphosis, his body fought the radiation somewhat but not enough to heal him. It slowed everything to the point where he was satisfied. He just wanted to face Nightmare, as we all did.
 
And now here we were. Below us were the white cliffs of the former Kingdom of England. All that was left was rubble. Nothing was there to remind someone that this had been one of the greatest countries in the world. What nature was left with, it had begun to claim what had once been theirs, as though they had never left at all. I had had no idea how radiation worked with plants, but it was not so different to that as seen in humans. Sooner or later, they would also meet their end. No clue why so many people liked the idea of Fallout, because all it did to me was to send a shiver down my spine. I had seen how England looked from an airplane as it overflowed with life. Now it was dead, as though the last person would have lived here thousands of years ago. Of course I knew what that meant, and I saw in the faces of others beside me that they came to the same conclusion. We now knew where at least one of the bombs had hit. Unfortunately, this had not caused the country to be completely razed to the ground, as shades walked down there as though nothing had happened.
 
The moon hung before the sun and wrapped the entire island in its enormous shadow, allowing them to move freely. "We should have ended them a long time ago.” Luna was the first to produce more at the sight than a nervous swallow. Her faint voice was filled with regret and tinged with sadness as she stared off into the distance, seemingly looking beyond what was present, into some time in the past. "Tartarus would certainly enjoy consuming that evil."
 
I remembered what Celestia had told me about the circumstances of that time. Cadance had just been born, and even with the Elements, they had only just managed to erect a barrier. "It's not your fault," I assured her. "With the amount of worlds, you couldn’t have known where they would have gone. In addition, if humans had the possibility to block them, they would have done that no matter who would have instead been affected." That was if they didn’t keep it in a laboratory and try to tame it.
 
Luna nodded at me and then turned to the others. "No one knows what awaits us here. This is the base of the enemy." That was more or less obvious, given the amount of shades on the ground. "Nightmare, it uses this Stonehenge monument in order to control the moon. Our goal will be to destroy this compound and to move this moon back to its natural path." That would weaken Nightmare, as she would be exposed to the sun and would banish her army again into the night. "It will be very dangerous." Fluttershy and Rarity looked at each other uncertainly, Armor placed a hoof on Cadance, and even Rainbow looked a little worried. Twilight on the other hand seemed ready for anything, but not really keen on personally fighting. Another description for her expression eluded my mind. "Therefore, only those who know how to defend themselves will come." Progress with the gun was slow. Luna had still given me a few tips, but always with the remark that I might regret it. The desire to ram it into Nightmare’s body was stronger than my concern. "Since the Elements are not here, I want the Honesty, Kindness, and Laughter to stay here." Fluttershy seemed relieved while Pinkie did not say anything. On the other hand, AJ looked ready to protest. I could feel it coming.
 
"Pardon me, Princess, but I won’t let my friends go alone without us. There must be something we can do." She approached Luna, pointing to Pinkie and Fluttershy. Despite myself, I felt a small bit of pride in her for wanting to fight, even though I could not show it for fear of encouraging her. 

"I'm sorry, Applejack, but we cannot allow that. Fluttershy is clearly not a fighter and would not fit into our plans. Miss Pie certainly has some unusual abilities, but these are not suitable for the coming battle. As for you, Honesty, it will not be only your life you would be risking." Luna pointed to her visibly rounded belly, and AJ stepped back angrily, but also in understanding. "In addition, I would also ask Cadance to stay here for the same reason. If it were up to us, you two would not be here." A quick glance of her eye hit Armor and I.
 
"Okay, Princess, just tell us how to beat them and we’re all on board." Rainbow floated in front and smashed her hooves together to emphasize her point. Luna stopped her and ordered her to be silent, the brash pegasus doing so immediately.
 
"I'm afraid it is not so easy, Rainbow Dash, even if we wished it were so." She turned to Trixie and Twilight. "We will ask you only once for help. I will not force anypony to stand with us against this monster. "
 
"Of course I'm going, Princess." Twilight didn’t spend a moment to think it over, in contrast to Trixie. Luna waited until she too had voiced ​​her thoughts.
 
"I'm in, Princess... I mean, there is no other way forward, is there?" Trixie was right again. Nightmare still blocked the way for us to Equestria. Should we therefore not at least weaken it, we would likely be stuck here, a thought that did not sit well with me.
 
"Thank you both." With that, she turned to Rarity. "I present to you the same choice, Miss Rarity. We do not demand it from you, for it is your decision." She mulled it over as Trixie had done, evident from her eyes as they shifted back and forth, not really looking at anything in particular. Still, I kept my features neutral, for I did not want to try to influence her decision. Finally, she looked worriedly over to Fluttershy and then to Rainbow. The two pegasi were polar opposites: one scared to death and the other eager for battle.
 
"I don’t know..." she said finally. “Do not misunderstand me, Your Majesty, I want to help, otherwise I would not be comfortable here. But what about my work, my family, Sweetie Belle...?" We all knew what she meant, and why no one commented on what had been said.
 
"We understand, Miss Rarity. Would it be too much, then, to ask you to take over the Celestia in our absence?" Startled, the designer’s eyes widened as she shook her head furiously.
 
"Of course not, Princess." She bowed briefly. "It would be an honour." Luna looked pleased and turned her attention now on us, as in Armor, Hawk, Julian, and me.
 
"We think you've already made ​​your decision?" A common nod was all she got in return. Then she did something with nobody expected: she strode to the remaining foals in Holly, Dawn, and Scootaloo. "Even to you we ask this question, Rising Dawn, Spirit of Chaos." So he really had replaced Discord. Not that I had not believed him with his demonstration, but it was something else to get confirmation from Luna.
 
"Princess Luna!" Twilight was between her and her foal in seconds. She glared at the Princess of the Night, bearing an impressive frown. "He's much too young for something like this. I can’t let that happen." The sheltered foal found a way past his mother and looked up at Luna. Again his eyes lit up with a golden glow.

"Do not fear, Twilight Sparkle, Rising Dawn is like us, in a way. He is a law of nature. Even if one of these creatures affected him, he would recover. Even if his body would shatter, he would recover." If he really had the power of Discord, I would not doubt it. Harmony and Chaos were two sides of the same coin. The one could not exist without the other. The magical nature of Equestria or maybe even the universe would therefore ensure that it both remained in balance, which was why Dawn existed in the first place.
 
"It's all right, mom," he said softly and briefly seemed to consider something inside that head of his. "Princess Celestia and Trent told me moments like this would come after I had defeated Discord." His eyes were bright, and with a flash of light, a little horn appeared on his forehead. "I'll try to help as much as I can." Twilight began to him to hug, and Luna just nodded again as she had done so often today. Some things just did not have to be said. The gratitude she felt, the gratitude I felt, was natural.
 
Nevertheless, it hit me slightly out of nowhere that Dawn was an alicorn. Still, a being of Discord’s power had every right to be one. "So we meet again, Night Bringer." The deep voice that the colt now spoke with really threw me off. It was not as loud as the Royal Canterlot Voice, yet pervasive, echoing a bit, although it should not be outside here. "My lord has informed me of the situation." Everyone watched as Dawn lifted into the air and floated above the rail, his wings beating slowly. "Yes, this world is more than just off-balance." The alicorn turned back to us. "I will do my duty and fight at your side."
 
Luna bowed briefly. "Thank you, Chaos." Chaos. So this was Chaos in person and spoke through its master, Dawn. I looked at Julian, who looked just as puzzled as I thought. 

"Princess Celestia explained everything after Discord was defeated," Armor explained quietly. "Chaos itself is not good or bad. There was no one there. In the case of Discord, he abused its power."
 
"The young captain speaks wisely." He was interrupted by the deep voice. "I am the chaos, one side of the eternal balance. My job is to keep chaos and harmony in balance, no matter the means. If a world is in chaos, like this one, I shall aid in bringing balance. In a world in harmony, I will destroy it." That made Equestria ​​a strong target for this being, this power. "Son of The Eternal Light." That got my attention. "As my master tells me, you seek the path of the weapon. Let me give you some advice. The necessary power is not only around you, but also in you. It takes two to create something. Even life is a mixture of chaos and harmony. Your bodies are the result of millennia of chaos, but your spirit brings harmony to the whole. Once before you have used this power, when you thought to have no strength." I did not know what to say, and only gave a nod to the spirit to show that I understood what he had said.
 
The shine in the eyes of Dawn was again slightly weaker but did not disappear completely, and the horn remained. "I hoped Chaos could help you a little." His voice was back to normal, and apparently he was again himself. "I find it always tries to say so much, but there are only images, not what I understand. That's why I thought it was better to let him speak." He looked at his mother as if he would have to apologize for something. Twilight only took him into her hooves and snuggled him.
 
"That was a view of what this foal has in store for him in the future," voiced Luna, who had joined Armor and I. "It may be difficult to live a normal life when one knows that one's future is set in stone." With that, she looked at her cutie mark, and I understood what she meant. She and her sister were not asked if they wanted this existence; they were created like this. The emergence of Discord also spoiled Dawn’s choices for what he would do in life and beyond. "Still, we should be glad that he and his power are on our side." Inwardly, I agreed with Luna. Knowing Discord’s force was on our side was comforting.
 

***

 
Even after Luna’s speech, we continued our way through the barren landscape of Britain, Dawn’s words buzzed through my head. I was alone again on deck. The others were busy preparing for the coming battle. Part of me wanted to do the same, to be down with AJ and enjoy the calm before the storm. The other part wanted to get this spell in order.
 
I was together with Armor and Luna as part of the shock troops that would advance directly to Nightmare. Dawn was supposed to be attending, but Twilight was strongly opposed and would refuse to help if we dragged him in so deeply. I could not say I blamed her. It was why I had to make an effort all the more. We would not have a lot of time, depending on how long the others could hold Nightmare by the neck. That would be Twilight and Trixie, along with Dawn, Rainbow, Julian, and Hawk. My brothers were both not going to be able to help in this situation, just like Star.
 
In my head, I kept going over what Chaos had said. It was not just the magic that existed in nature but also my own, yet it was something other than my current one. It was one that I had previously used when I thought I had no strength. Did he mean Changer’s essence? That was no longer in me, devoured by Nightmare. Then there was my soul. Both Twilight and Albia had warned me against using it for magic. All of a sudden, it clicked in my head. Now I knew why Luna had warned me. To use the power of your own soul was dangerous for someone like me. The souls of the princesses were immortal, as were their bodies. Their weapons were therefore safe to use, given their very nature. For a mortal being, it would be a double-edged sword.
 
When I had used this the last time, I could only access it because I wasn't really bound to my new body. Therefore, would it not be easier now, seeing as I had spent months adjusting and growing into it? The real problem was the magic that surrounded us was everywhere, at least according to what Twilight, Trixie, and Luna constantly said. They felt that it would work contrary to me. I was a lost case in that regard.  So how could I manipulate something I could neither feel nor see? Well, it was there, everywhere. When you walked into the sea with a bucket to come back with water, sand or other things were present as well. The difficult part was to estimate how much magic I took from the environment. Balance seemed to be the key, and so I had to apply two sources equally in strength, or at least that seemed to be the logical way to me.
 
So, how should I go about to form this bucket? The bodies of unicorns took to magic like a sponge, slowly but steadily. It filled their reserves and was filtered through the horn as a separate magic. However, now I had to collect the magic and expel it unfiltered along with my soul. I had done this unconsciously when Nightmare had attacked Dirk. I knew that it was in me, but I was not aware.
 
I sat down on the floor and let my unfiltered magic flow out of me. It felt a bit like as though I was being deprived of an inner heat. As the feeling reached an unpleasant point, I tried to breathe again and stopped the flow. A little of the heat returned, and I knew that it worked. The emptier a sponge was, the faster it took in water again, though not as much as before flowed. So far, so good. Now I had to do the same thing with my soul and have it engage with the natural magic. I searched for the feeling, the feeling I had when I had used my other source of magic. That had been such a long time ago, a lifetime in many ways.
 
I do not know how long I sat there, but I was sure that someone came and checked on me. However, they said nothing and disappeared after a few minutes. Sometimes I felt it, but only for a few seconds. Now, however, I had an idea of what I was doing, and focused on the point. I grabbed the known energy, mixed it with my magic, and allowed it to escape.
 
Immediately my eyes flew open as my senses were bombarded with impressions: voices, smells, feelings, memories, thoughts. Everything was pounding at me, forcing my hooves to hold my increasingly pained head.
 
"As we said, this magic is dangerous." I heard Luna's voice as I writhed in pain on the ground. "The natural magic carries much with it, and your nature is not made ​​to filter this. Not even we can shield ourselves from everything." If it did not hurt so badly, I would have been proud that my comparison with the bucket in the sea was true. It was as though other things besides the water were bombarding me: cannon balls of sand, mud, and shells. "Of course, this place is even less suitable to use this spell. The remains of billions of lives are buzzing around here and are outraged."
 
"Luna, what must I do?" I squeezed out between my clenched teeth as I rolled on the floor.
 
"Release it. As I said, this is not what we want for you, neither I nor my sister." I did not let go. I was so close to getting the magic to work. I rolled on across the floor, doubled up, curled, and groaned to myself. 
 
"Luna! Either you tell me what I need to do or I'm not going to get to be able to fight Nightmare." I knew that my body could not endure this pain forever. Neither could my soul. Luna knew that as well as I did, but it seemed she would rather lecture me and try to turn me back from this path even though she knew it was futile.
 
Again there was a short silence, and I felt like Luna placed a hoof on me and tried to calm me down. "You know that there is no going back?" She was holding something back, I could feel it. However, the situation at hand was more important than trying to figure out what she was hiding. 
 
"Yes!" I yelled, the frustration and anger bubbling up and begging for release. My entire being was shrieking in agony and on the verge of collapsing from exhaustion into unconsciousness, an oblivion that I was not certain I would manage to ever wake from.
 
"Let it go; let it happen." I no longer had to think about the power of what she meant and released it. It was as if I had stopped my breath and my lungs filled with the vital gas after weeks without it. Exhausted but relieved, I slumped down on my back and looked up at the dark sky and the moon, a shadow of their former selves. The bite of the wind was especially sharp against my sweat-matted fur. My field of view was blocked by two things: Luna’s head and an object hovering behind her.
 
A broad grin formed on my lips, and I raised a trembling hoof in the air. "Done..." was all I could say before I was caught in the deep darkness of sleep.
 


 ***

 
The first thing I felt was a presence next to me. Not physically – it was as though I could feel the radiating warmth of the presence, but at the same time I did not feel warmth myself. Then there were more, but they were much further away. Three of these were massive, like the sun in the sky, while the others were like small stars, even the presence beside me. It was familiar, and just like the other, I recognized it. I knew each of these presences, one of which I had felt before. It was Luna, as hers radiated out like Celestia. Then the two others had to be Cadance and Dawn, the three gods aboard the Celestia.
 
I immediately knew who was next to me and put a hoof to AJ. "I see you're awake, sugarcube." I moaned my answer. The pain still seeped through my bones and I shivered a little, although it was not cold. "I’ll go get the princess. She wanted to speak to you as soon as you woke up." I said nothing, noting how she got out of bed and opened the door to the cabin. Although I had my eyes closed, I could tell exactly where she was. She passed Rarity and went into Luna’s cabin. I saw nothing – everything was dark – but it was clear as the brightest day. Did it have to do with magic? What exactly had I actually done? I had ripped with my magic a part of my soul out of my body and let it be formed by the world. And it had worked. Was this a side effect I was suffering from? Was this something that Luna had tried to warn me against?
 
I looked further into me and saw the presence of my friends around me, around the vessel. I ‘saw’, for it was something beyond normal sight, that Luna and AJ were making their way towards my cabin. I again found Dawn’s presence, and he seemed to look at me. Although I did not see his body, I knew that he was smiling, smiling at me. I shivered again, though once again it was not due to anything physical.
 
"Blue Light, we are pleased to hear that you're feeling better." As Luna opened the door and spoke, I lost my concentration and again found myself in darkness. I slowly opened my eyes and sat up, swaying slightly.
 
"How long was I passed out for?" I threw a tired look through the porthole outside. It was dark, darker than before, and the Celestia seemed to shine. It had to be evening or night.
 
"A few hours. The magic made ​​you very weak." That was to be expected if you played with your soul. I knew that she still disapproved of what I had done, and wished I had not resorted to something so wrong in such a basic level. I myself could not say that I was overjoyed at having to do so. I was all the more grateful that she did not remonstrate with me out loud, especially in front of my marefriend. "I ask you again: do you know what you have done?" I nodded, albeit slowly.
 
"I have joined a part of myself, part of my soul, with the natural magic that surrounds everything and had it shaped into my weapon," I summed up the most painful process I had ever gone through. Thousands of thoughts, emotions, and impressions had been slammed into my brain. Now I know why such a thing should not be done by a mortal. It would have been so easy to simply destroy oneself.
 
Luna sighed. "By and large, this may be true. However, have you not asked yourself why only an alicorn has such a weapon? Twilight Sparkle and Shining Armor are both more than capable to accomplish the same thing." Alicorns had immortal souls and bodies, so they need not have to worry about them being destroyed by such a spell. But beyond that...
 
"No, I only know that you don't have to fear this spell." Luna seemed to be angry. Apparently she had wanted to make a point that I had missed, and her patience had run out.
 
"You fool!" she yelled. "Of course we do not need to fear such magic. We created it!" She took a deep breath and calmed down a bit. "The soul of an alicorn is always associated with magic. It is how we are born… or created."
 
"You're forgetting one thing, Luna,” I interrupted. She did not look pleased at that, which added to her already sour mood. "I was also created, just like you and Celestia. Maybe there are other ponies that Albia herself created over millennia, I do not know. Don’t you think that she, in all her wisdom and experience, would have made it impossible for me to do what I’ve just done if she did not want me to use it? That she would say she would not intervene and then sent me back? Someone who had broken a law of the gods when he visited the Void, the nothingness? Someone who should have been punished for gazing upon what no mortal eyes should have seen? That soul would be punished so that they would never experience heaven or hell, only darkness for all eternity." Luna said nothing and stared at me in shock, as did AJ. After a few seconds, I noticed that her eyes were not on me, and I also looked to the side. There, at the end of the bed sat Albia, sipping a cup of tea with relish.
 
"Mother!" Luna shouted and wrapped her hooves around the much larger alicorn. Albia just managed to get her cup to safety and had it hover above them as the blue alicorn held onto her.
 
"It is also good to see you, Luna, even though the circumstances are rather sad." She patted her daughter’s back and stroked her several times on the mane before the two parted. "I am here because of my grandson and to explain something to you." It began to dawn on me what she had to say.
 
"I think I can also explain it." The two looked at me, and Albia nodded at me to speak.
 
"Sugarcube? What's going on?" AJ interjected before I could even begin. Luna coughed and got back to her own four hooves, pointing at Albia.
 
"May I introduce my mother, Albia, Creator of the planet on which we live and the universe around it." AJ's eyes were like large plates as she dropped and bowed so deeply that it rather looked like she was lying down. It was not often a god personally dropped in front of you, after all. Paying your respects was the safe option.
 
"Excuse me, Your Majesty, I did not..." A giggle from Albia interrupted AJ in her apology.
 
"Oh, Applejack, you need not apologize. One could look at both of us as a family, in more ways than one." The questioning face my girlfriend wore caused her to continue. "For one, you carry my great-granddaughter in you and are engaged with my grandson here." She pointed at me and took a sip of tea. Apparently the cup was never empty. "On the other hand, you carry a part of me in you. The items that I have created are always connected to me, but also with you. So we are very close, my dear pony." The cup disappeared, and her eyes immediately became something more serious. "However, it is not for those reasons that I am here."
 
"Exactly." I took over the conversation again. "I think it has to do with these." I spread my wings and put a hoof on my horn. Albia nodded again, and I saw AJ gaping at me. "You had everything planned, didn’t you, Albia?" She nodded again. "Since the moment with Changer and the knowledge of which world the shades were going to attack next, she had her fingers... hooves in this. She had been the one who let Nightmare know to catch me, as it had been too weak to notice me otherwise. It was also her who somehow brought us into battle, just like my death was part of her plan. She wanted me to come to her because I was the exception in her own rule." I paused and nodded again at the red-maned alicorn. "I was an outsider, a being not of her world, not bound by her impartiality rule. I was the medium with which to kill the shades, without her needing to intervene. She had given me this body to act in her interest. She set my mind on this plan. It was intended from the outset that Nightmare and her kind would be locked into this dead world and this..." I again waved my wings and tapped my horn, "...was her insurance policy. The only thing I did was to break a spell that made ​​me use only part of an alicorn’s power." That explained why it had felt like I was only able to breathe for the first time earlier.
 
"Well, I see you’ve figured out most of it and therefore wasn’t wrong with choosing you," she said as if it were the most normal thing in the world. "If I had trapped the Nightmare here myself, another of my kind would have come and undid it. They are not my creation, and it is not allowed for being as us to meddle with the creation of others. However, you did not belong to the world anymore from the moment you were entered the Void the first time.”  Should I be upset that my life has been used as a tool? Probably, but I was not. Had it not been so, I would not be here with AJ and my other friends. I would certainly have long been worm food under a meter of soil otherwise.
 
"So you're not going to help us against Nightmare, mother?" I could see Luna, see how she was nervous. This being was just as powerful as her, now perhaps even more through its connection to our moon, and it also scared me. I knew the answer to the question before Albia even opened her mouth.
 
"Unfortunately not, my daughter, as this is your fight. However, both Harmony and Chaos are on your side to bring balance once again." This time it was Albia who hugged Luna. "I cannot stay longer as well, but I will see you again soon." As suddenly as she had appeared, she disappeared again.  Luna turned to wipe a tear from her face, then stepped over to me again.
 
"Light, you are not angry about what was done with you?" Now I knew what Luna meant. She had seemed to know it all this time. That meant that Celestia and Cadance also knew, maybe Dawn as well. They all knew about the nature of this body, even under the spell. I suppose it was something a mortal such as me was not privileged enough to learn about, even though it concerned me. "You could have had a normal life as long as you had been under the spell."
 
"Maybe, but did you ever think that maybe I want this?" I threw back the covers and tried to get out of the bed. "It was normal life that had brought me in this situation, which was why I wanted something else." I turned to AJ. "Do not get me wrong, but nothing is normal with us," I said with a broad grin, hugging her briefly, basking in the warmth of her body and the beating of her heart. "No, my life in Equestria is not what I would describe as normal, but in a good way. In addition, what would change? It wasn’t that I had anything to look forward in my life, unless of course the eternal nothingness was something desirable." Luna lowered her head thoughtfully, and AJ snuggled up next to me. "I'm not angry at you, or your mother, that you wanted to rescue me from my destiny. But Nightmare leaves us no choice, right? I mean, Celestia's sun magic is strong, but it is only as strong as I am. "
 
I still did not know where these insights, these thoughts and images had come from and interacted with me. It was almost like sitting next to my grandma with an old photo album as she told me about people and things that had happened before I was born. It was as if it had always been there, this knowledge. Was this about the connection to the natural magic that Luna mentioned? Was this what she was accompanied by every second of every day of her endless life? Sure, you could somehow block it, but things had become so clear to me. Little things, such as why the chicken wanted to cross the road, or significant things like the workings of our universe. Like how I had felt the presence of the ponies before, it was more a mix of feelings and impressions, like reading a face. Their thoughts were blocked, but their feelings could still be conveyed. You could call it a hunch.
 

***

 
The shock, although all had already seen me with wings or a horn, was written on their faces, at least on the faces of every non-alicorn on the ship. Luna tried to explain what had happened with my help and how I had actually been an alicorn ever since Albia had sent me back. I was glad no one tried to bow at me.
 
So much excitement in the morning was not quite my cup of tea, which was why, as soon as a general murmur broke out, I retreated to the kitchen. I was closely followed by AJ, who obviously wanted to talk to me alone. "Are you really okay, Sugarcube? What you and... Albia spoke about sounded like a lot to take in one night."
 
Of course, it was like a small bomb, but one that had hovered over my head for months. I was so used to her shadow that I was not so surprised when she finally struck. "I think so, even if it's a lot to digest." What I really wondered was whether eternal life was better than eternal darkness. At least I would not spend the coming years alone.
 
"And what does that change... with us?" I did not know where it came from, but the question almost drove me mad. It was so like Applejack to ask a question that would hammer home the reality of what had been done, and what was to come, how it tried to affect even the very nature of our relationship.
 
"AJ. You know that I love you, and when this is all over, it’ll be back to the farm for both of us. Got it?" She nodded, and I calmed down a bit again. In both of us was much activity. In me, my thoughts, and in her, her hormones. I could not forget about that. I was not allowed to forget. I tried to let my horn or my wings vanish as I had done just a few hours ago, but only both at a time did. It was all or nothing. "No one outside here would know anything about what happened." Celestia would know one way or the other, but I did not want to be dragged into Equestria’s politics. Well, more than what had already been done. 
 
"According to the globe, we’re in range of our target. We’ll have to prepare to disembark." I did not turn to Armor and gave AJ a kiss. We were now in the eye of the storm.
 
 

***

 
 
With a small shake, the Celestia landed on the dusty ground of one of the vast fields of England again. Twilight and Armor together brought down the ramp, so we were all ready to leave the Celestia. It still gleamed over us, keeping the shades at bay. At about two hundred meters surrounding us, hundreds of the creatures had gathered and just waited for us to leave the comforting light of the Celestia behind us.
 
Packed lightly, one pony walked down the ramp after another. All that was contained in the bags on our backs were the remaining charged diamonds and, in the case of Twilight, her son. Pinkie Pie had saved our asses with her actions in the stadium, but she had also burned a hole in our armoury. Most diamonds were therefore with Julian and Rainbow, who would otherwise have no opportunity to defend themselves. Hawk even had a few, but her fire should also cause enough damage, at least enough to drive them off.
 
"We must reach this Stonehenge so the princess can separate Nightmare’s connection to the moon. That means we need to take position once we’re past them, and have to hold it as long as possible,” Armor began to explain the mission again. We had already gone through this several times, but it was better to be safe than sorry. "Our air support will keep our backs free, but see to it that this is not necessary. Count on them, but try not to depend too much on them.” One could not rely on something for so long to the point where our lives would be weighed on how long the diamonds could hold out.
 
Usually we would all just fly over them, but that was not up for discussion with Twilight and Armor. Luna and Twilight would only overanalyze everything and Armor was too heavy to be carried by me. Sure, I would have gotten past the shades, but not with additional weight. Now I paid the price for having knocked Rainbow’s offer for her to teach me more about flying. It was one of several regrets I now had at this point.
 
"Now everything is settled," Luna said into the silence and proceeded to march forward to the mass of opponents. They flowed and ebbed erratically, excited at the movement toward them and hardly able to hold themselves in place. However, they seemed to know that our light would mean their downfall. The pegasi took off into the air and remained above our heads, in their hooves each of our last weapons.
 
I swallowed nervously as we were about to run the gauntlet and levitated three of my little light balls that shot out of my horn. I was again reminded that I now had wings and horn, because even though I had not put a lot of magic in the lights, they were larger and brighter than I had planned. The first row of shades dissolved into thin air, though not without screeching and hissing. The others took it for what it was, an attack, and began to surge. Like thousands of rats, they broke out of position, one shade taking advantage of his brethren in front of it to protect against the light.
 
"Careful!" I heard Rainbow call from above, and with a quick swoop she was behind us, bringing her diamond against a shade that had risen from the ground.
 
"Hurry!" Armor barked, and we all rushed away without hesitation, the lights above our heads. I saw Twilight and Trixie in front of me as they had to avoid a shade, the creature attempting to exploit the ponies’ shadows to get closer while they tried to keep the light more vertically above our heads. This did not stop it from jumping out of the ground like a zombie that wanted to free itself from its grave and bringing its claws down. I brought one of the lights on the level of our legs, right next to Luna. Unlike the rest of us, she did not bother to try to evade, but ran through every shade with her daggers that dared to come near her. The crazy thing was that she did not need to look, as if she knew where they were coming from long ago.
 
Dawn mimicked Luna from Twilight’s back, but he fired golden rays of chaotic magic at the shades, which resulted in that they turned into chicks, hamsters, or a mixture of the two. If Fluttershy were here, it would break her heart to see how these little creatures then dissolved when they came into contact with the light.
 
"I can see the structure," said Armor when he reached a small hill. Luna and I quickly joined him, and I saw it as well. Stonehenge was no longer what I had once known it to be. The large stones were only small chunks. What we saw now was confirmation that we were right, as there was a glowing magical circle on the ground.
 
"Ok, secure the surroundings," Armor shouted towards the pegasi at the sky, while pressing onwards through the mass of black creatures in the cover of his shield. They did not disband, but worked as well as a snow shovel after a night of snow. That was mostly because they landed before Luna or me, who were directly behind him and Twilight.
 
"Wow, that's a lot of magical energy. This could light a city for a year," Dawn noted as he looked around over his mother’s head. "How can one manage to maintain something like that for so long?"
 
"You forget the Nightmare is not tied to the body it currently possesses, Rising Dawn," Luna answered and jumped over the remains of one of the large stones that had been, at one point in history, a wonder of the world. Julian and Hawk landed beside me and threw the bags from their back. We all took a moment to regain our composure.
 
"That’s great, but the area is safe." At Julian’s words, I looked back and saw that we were now circled on the hill and that the Celestia was a short distance in the valley. "What now?"
 
"We are waiting for Princess Luna and Twilight Sparkle to analyse the charm and undo it, and then we can smash Nightmare in the mouth." Hawk flew on one of the larger chunks and surveyed the area.
 
"I like that idea!" Rainbow nodded and joined the soldier. Meanwhile, Dawn jumped off Twilight's back and examined some of circular icons on his own. Twilight and Luna rapidly exchanged their opinions on the matter. I, however, had nothing to add to the conversation, even though it centred around magic on a structure humanity had known for centuries. 

What really concerned me was the whereabouts of Nightmare. Why was it not here, even though it knew that we had come? Was it waiting in the shadows, hidden from sight, before it would cut us down one by one, revelling in our misery? Was it waiting for us to come to it, ensuring that we would be worn down by the time we reached wherever our destination was? Even the thought that it was no longer here and had some other goal in mind was not beyond the realm of possibility. 
 
"Looking for Nightmare?" Armor stepped toward me, eyes more focused on the surroundings.
 
"Yes, something is rotten here." However, I could not feel anything. I couldn’t differentiate it from another creature, as everything had a soul. Maybe body warmth, but I didn’t know enough about my magical rebirth, so to speak, to say for sure. Still, it was certain that Nightmare was not here and there were no other souls except for those aboard the Celestia, as far as I could tell. I could only sense Cadance because of the distance. That at least meant that the ship had not been attacked by Nightmare. I stepped on the dusty earth beneath my hooves and looked up at the sky. The moon was still black, but otherwise it seemed to have not changed. Perhaps this was also its natural shape and people had changed it with magic. There were so many things about my own world that I would have liked clarified, now that I could see the world differently. That was the way it was with the forest and the trees. Someone wanted to look for adventure, not realizing that it was right in front his nose. All he had to do was open his eyes.
 
"Will the planet recover?" asked Armor and probably looked at the area we were in for the first time instead of scanning for any approaching enemies. "Could humans come back here someday to live?"
 
"Sure, the radiation will be gone in a few centuries or so. I don’t have an exact timeframe." My knowledge of nuclear weapons was limited to Fallout, and that was fictitious. "When the Nightmare and the shades are no longer here, life will again be possible, provided that something survives as a base." Who knew how things looked at the Cape of Good Hope and Australia. Sure, they had gotten something, but maybe there were survivors. Not that it would still play a role. The Earth had been made a sacrifice to spare other worlds this outcome.
 
"Sorry." Armor had noticed my face as I thought of it. I shrugged casually, trying to hide how much the thought bothered me.
 
"It's too late to change." I picked up a stone and threw it towards the moon, not that it reached anywhere. After a few meters, it flew down into the crowd of lurking shades.
 
"Mom!" Dawn was excited and jumped up and down, supported by his flapping wings. "I have something here." Luna and Twilight immediately rushed over to him. Armor and I did the same after a few seconds.
 
"What is it, Dawn?" I realized that it had to be runes, not unlike those from Albion. One could even speak of a distant relationship. "Levitation?" I asked as I approached the shining rune.
 
"Almost." Twilight slapped my hoof to the side as I was about to touch the rune. "Gravitation. It is similar to our gravitation rune. I’ve used one before for a reverse-gravity-spell.”
 
"Aha..." Twilight and I stared at each other for a few seconds. "And that means what exactly?"
 
She rolled her eyes in annoyance. "That is to say that this is definitely the magic that controls the moon."
 
"Seriously, Twilight? I thought that was clear." And again a moan. Despite the hopelessness that sometimes gripped me, the situation we were in, the things that we had had to endure up to this point, I could not help but chuckle. For just that brief moment in time, things were almost like we were back in Equestria, having a normal interaction.
 
"When you analyse a strange magic, you have to start at the base. And this is what we have here!" She stomped next to the rune on the floor, and Luna nodded curtly. "Now that we know where we have to start, we should not have long to spend here." I left Twilight to herself and followed the other symbols that glowed in the dust. They all had a general resemblance to the few runes that were known to me. There was a rune for light, but it was modified. It likely meant that the moon reflected the sunlight. Maybe the moon was indeed a completely magical object. Whatever the reason, someone could have artificially created one. I scanned some more, came across one almost together with Dawn and then with Armor, but in the end I got stuck at a particular rune.
 
"Guys, I think I know now what this is." Twilight and Luna came over to me. I could see that my teacher didn’t seem to believe that I had found anything of relevance. Hawk and Rainbow looked down from their stone. Armor and Julian sat somewhat apart and had probably heard about my reputation. "I know this rune."
 
"Of course you know it. We all know them from somewhere. It's like a dialect." I shook my head.
 
"No, I mean I've already used this one once." That gave me her full attention. “Please leave me in one piece, Twilight. You know I’ve gotten good at teleportation lately.”
 
"That still amazes me. It took me a few years until I could do it perfectly with all safety precautions, shape safety image, space check and..." She paused as Luna tapped her on the shoulder.
 
"Perhaps it would be better to allow Blue Light to finish speak, Twilight Sparkle."
 
"Um... yes." She ducked her head sheepishly.
 
I took a breath when there were no interruptions. "Point is, I shortened the spell, because quite frankly, it was too advanced for me. The final result looked like this rune. Teleportation from point to point," Twilight’s eyes had narrowed to slits, "but without the whole security rubbish." I saw that she had to fight to not go for my throat. "Come on, Twilight, it is not as if every step in this world isn’t now life-threatening."
 
"Yes, I've used this technique that I had learned from my trip through the Void. From a human mage." They all stared at the rune.
 
"And... where shall that teleport us?" Hawk asked, who now hovered above Armor in order to see better.
 
"You understand that?" asked Rainbow in disbelief.
 
“I serve with unicorns in the Royal Guard. You end up catching a few things here and there, whether you really want to or not.” She shrugged her shoulders.
 
“I think what Light is trying to tell us is that this is a spell to teleport something." Luna brought us back to the topic on hand.
 
"Not something—ponies," interjected Dawn, next to two runes, "or humans. Actually, whatever is present here and activated the magic." I looked up at the moon.
 
"Then at least we now know where Nightmare is." The others followed my gaze. "Time to take care of it."
 
"No!" Luna barked, stomping her hooves. "Nightmare is our problem. We will confront it and finish this thing." She looked ready and determined to go and rid us of our problem herself, alone if she had to, which made me slightly regret what I had to say next.
 
"Luna, I hate to say this, but Twilight needs you here." We both looked over at Twilight, and at first she did not seem to realize that we meant her.
 
"What? Who?" She looked around briefly to everyone. "No, I think I’ll manage here." She went over to the rune next to the one for teleportation. "The matter is here, you see?"
 
"Actually, it's here," Dawn once again reported.
 
“Concentrate on breaking the spell so we can get home, and Nightmare loses control over the moon.” And with that, its extra strength. Even if those who confronted it ultimately failed, those who survived would hopefully have enough time to escape.
 
"I'll come with you," Rainbow said and was immediately on the rune. "Which button should I press?"
 
"I will also come," Armor came over to us. "Someone needs to cover your back."
 
"I'm afraid that's not possible. The moon is not a place for a normal pony. It has no atmosphere. You would inevitably find your end." Rainbow quickly jumped off the rune.
 
"Unless, of course, you were an alicorn, an immortal being." Luna nodded in understand at what I was planning.
 
"Then I'll go with him," Dawn hovered over and landed on my back. "All we have to do is stall until the spell breaks. Then Luna will come and we can all take care of Nightmare." I saw the excitement in the faces of the Sparkle family just by the way the two siblings looked at each other.
 
"Are you sure you can do it?" asked Hawk, also looking uneasy.
 
"We have no choice. What would prevent Nightmare to otherwise come back to Earth and activate the magic again?" No one said anything. "Hey, we're two alicorns. What will Nightmare do with us? Eat our immortal souls?"
 
"Actually, only your body..." began Twilight, but immediately clammed up as I glared at her angrily. Still, she had a point. That may even be part of the reason why I just couldn’t get the hang for these new senses. My soul was not designed for it.
 
"So, everything is settled. Dawn and I are going to the moon. You concentrate on breaking the spell, and Luna will come as soon as possible. When we come back, we will use the Elements, seal the planet, and then be off." I stepped in front of the rune. “Just don’t take too long.” Twilight smiled briefly, and I poured some magic in the rune. It instantly felt as though we were off.
 

***

 
It was just a twinkle in an eye and we were there, the moon. I tried to breathe, but no air filled my lungs. It was cold, incredibly cold, so much so that my blood should have frozen instantaneously. However, nothing happened. "Wow, that's weird."
 
"You said it..." came Dawn’s response. Even that was a mystery for me. Without air, no sound could be emitted, and the lack of sound meant there shouldn’t be anything to be voiced.
 
"Celestia." Dawn looked at me quizzically. "Her mane that always waves. It really is a breeze, a breeze just for them, or better only for an alicorn." It was the most logical thing that came straight to mind. Our attention was again on our location. It was dark, around us only stars. Obviously we had landed on the dark side of the moon. Honestly, I never had any desire to search for Nightmare in this eternal darkness.
 
"Nightmare! Come out, you cowardly piece of shit! "I shouted as loudly as I could, and got laughter in response. Yes, it was definitely here. We walked a few steps forward and I noticed that, while it was still dark, there were still the runes that we had used. Without the faint blue light, there was only black left, for not even the stars were visible.
 
"I see two alicorns on my moon. Strange though, I had actually counted on Luna being here." The voice came from around us, dripping in malice and eagerness to cause more suffering and destruction than it had already done so far.
 
"Unfortunately, Luna cannot come to the phone. You'll therefore need to wrangle with us.” Dark red eyes appeared a few feet in front of us, then the associated grin.
 
"I beat you once before. What do you think will be different this time?" I grinned and turned back into my human form. Again I stood there in blue jeans, a black hoodie, and my white hair. My magic was worse, but I was far more agile. I would not need to fly here. I had felt as though I was a walking spring dancing across the surface of the moon. Low gravity was something else.
 
"On the one hand, I am not alone." Nightmare glanced at Dawn.
 
"Hail, Spirit of Chaos. I was wondering when you would get involved." Nightmare did not seem worried at all. "All in all, I have done a pretty good job here. Don’t you think so, Creator?” No one said anything, and I tried not to let the shock show. "What? I do not mean this ridiculous foal. I'm talking about the Spirit of Chaos." The eyes of Nightmare lit up, and the short form of my old friend became visible. "I do not even mean Discord but his master, a creature of incredible laziness that created us to perform his duties. Life and death are as harmony and chaos – they belong to the same scale. Life and death are only a part of the weight which harmony and chaos exists upon. By the look on your face, foal, you still have a lot to learn from me." Until a few seconds ago, I had banked on Dawn controlling the powers of Chaos and would defeat Nightmare with a wave of his hoof, but he now only stared silently and did not move. "And you, human. Do you really think I would be afraid to break the rules of Albia’s small experiment? I play this game for more than my oh so dear Creator. "
 
"Perhaps, Nightmare, but it's like you said. Life and death are on the same scale, parts of the whole. Shall I tell you what life is? Change. Anything that is alive will change. The only thing that remains the same is death, cold and rigid as it is." Nightmare had practically said that I had to defeat it. The scale would align itself. "My element is the change and to stop that is as important. Today, it will be yours." I reached into the world’s magic around us. This time it came without pain, more like cold water after a long sleep but without the shock. There was only a pleasant coolness to a burning wound. The magic formed, and I reached for the handle of my weapon. Just as expected, it weighed nothing. In one move I pulled the scythe out of the blue dust and readied it for battle. 

The roar of the souls slain below on the world whirled around in my mind, urging me forward, thirsting for vengeance. 

The corpses that scattered the cities and towns, the fear and pain on the faces of young children that remained even in their death, seared my mind.

My mother slowly slipping into oblivion, sacrificed to evil incarnate by zealots, her happiness just at seeing her oldest son one last time.

The fear of the future, knowing that I would have to bury my brothers, unable to protect them from what was to come. 

I stared at Nightmare, not daring to blink.


"I will bring you your desired wish of death."
> Epilogue - Blue Bird
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"If you asked me, time is a strange concept. I mean, it just goes by so damn fast, especially when one is doomed to stand on the edge and watch as it passes by. You see life go by so fast that you don't realize what you’ve really missed. The first time I noticed this effect was a while ago."
 

* * *

 
"I’m going out to the fields. I'll be back!" I yelled through the old farmhouse.
 
"Then hurry up! I'm starving!" I could hear Applejack giggle as I stood outside of the door and shook my head. I had begun to think that she would burst if she ate one more cookie, though I wisely kept such thoughts to myself. Still, over the course of the last few months, I had gotten used to the fact that she was eating for two, and that she liked to claim as much space in the bed as well. In order to make room for her round belly, my wife preferred to sleep on her back or on the side, stretching out all her legs. The consequence of that was that the sofa in the living room was always ready to take a guest in the middle of the night.
 
Now was the point where I had to get a few apples from the trees to satisfy her endless appetite. As I left the porch, it hit me that this was the reason that the Apple family seemed obsessed with the eponymous fruit, since they were practically only nourished with them in the womb. After all, people liked to say that listening to music from the womb inspired people to become musicians, don't they?
 
I sighed and went to the first few trees past which had long been picked empty. Big Mac and I had the trees closest to the house deliberately left unpicked at the great harvest a few weeks ago to always be able to pick fresh ones for Applejack.

"Well, here we are. Just you and me, buddy," I said to the tree as I briefly felt its bark with a hoof, a habit I had probably picked up here. I turned around, took aim, and gave the tree a gentle kick. Four apples dropped down to the ground in response, whereupon I immediately wrapped them in my magic and levitated them over to me. I checked to make sure that I had not overlooked any as another one hit me on the head. "Not gonna give up so easily, huh?" I looked for the fruit on the ground, but all that lay on the floor was a scroll.
 
"I'm sorry!" shouted a very familiar voice to me from the air, and seconds later Ditzy Hooves shot through the foliage. I couldn't do anything but raise my  foreleg protectively in front of my face and hoped that my blue coat would once again do a good job covering all the bruises. However, the expected impact failed to materialize.

Carefully, I opened my left eye again and saw Ditzy was stuck on a low branch, over which she hung like a wet sack of potatoes, and rubbed her head. "Are you okay?" I asked warily.
 
Ditzy opened her mouth to answer, but the threatening crack was faster. "Uh oh…" And with that, she now lay on the grass, burying the branch below her. "What went wrong again?" I rolled my eyes and helped her with a bit of magic to bounce back. She blew a few leaves from her mane before she fixated on me with one of her eyes, the other aimed at the tree. "I had a scroll here…" Her head turned to her saddlebag, where she immediately began to rummage around in.
 
I waited a few seconds and then levitated the scroll between us. "Are you referring to this one, Ditzy?" She looked up, smiled, and nodded.
 
"Yep! It’s directly from the Bridle Shores Islands." Now it was my turn to be surprised, and suddenly it was I who was in a hurry.
 
"Thanks, Ditzy! I have to go!" I called and galloped as fast as I could back to the house, passing Holly, Dawn, the other three Crusaders, and Big Mac, who came out of the barn with a cart. In passing, I grabbed the bowl from the kitchen table, and as soon the apples were placed in it, I had reached the bedroom. I put the bowl onto Applejack's belly, still lying on her back and holding a book between the hooves, and sat down next to her in our bed.
 
"What you got there, sugarcube? You seem excited,” she asked, putting Daring Do and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull aside.

"A letter from my brothers!" I explained excitedly and practically tore the seal from the paper and unrolled it. "So…
 


Hi, Blue Light. How are you? 


 
"Really?" I was interrupted by AJ. I turned the parchment briefly in her direction as evidence.
 


"We're fine. The last shipment of building materials finally dropped anchor yesterday. People started to unload it immediately, but it will certainly take a while. It doesn’t help that everyone wants their own home as well. I probably will still share a room at the community house with Dirk. Still, I'm happy to have finally hands again. Not that it was so bad to be a pony for a while to get rid of the radiation but, well, it just wasn’t for myself or Dirk. Speaking of which, guess who has a girlfriend now? Who would have ever thought that would happen? Guess the end of the world had to come first." 


 
 I stopped short.
 
"Your brother is strange. How can he make jokes about it?" Yes, how could he? Trying to forcibly suppress a laugh didn't help as well.
 


"Please relay to Julian my best regards if you were to go to Cloudsdale again. I'm happy for him that they had a place in the flight school for him. What's left to say? It’s still not agreed upon whether we should create our own state or join Equestria. Many want to do that after how much the ponies have helped and supported us, but some naturally want to remain independent.

I hope you come visiting us here someday. And if you do, please bring with a pen with you. These quills are horrible.

Nils. 


 
I had to laugh at the last paragraph, and how many ink blots were splattered throughout the parchment. Not that I had fared better at first.
 
"Maybe we should visit sometime soon," I said, lost in thought.
 
"Well, without me, sugarcube. You could only bring me as baggage on a ship." While Applejack stroked her swollen belly and giggled, I could only think about how I didn't want to leave her alone, especially not so close to giving birth or even afterwards. In general, we would hardly be able to get away from the farm for the first few years, right? At least no more than one evening, if Big Mac or one of our other friends—Pinkie Pie—let themselves be talked around to playing foalsitter. Unfortunately, Cadance had already laid claim to the pink pony.
 
"It's okay, honey." I kissed her on the cheek, then on her stomach. "Nils said that it's all good. We’ll just wait a bit until we both can visit." Inwardly, however, it annoyed me. My youngest brother had his first girlfriend, and Nils, who I knew only as a good for nothing, actually helped the construction with an active community. I was annoyed to miss something like that. However, I'd also hate to miss my life here in Equestria.


* * *

 
"It was not as if we don’t have the power to do something about it, right? What use it was to have a horn next to a pair of wings if you could not take advantage of the power that came along with it? Or rather may? Should? Who said that we were doomed to stand on the edge and just watch?
 
I thought, why not use the powers that have been given me…."
 

* * *

 
Rain. I hated the rain. Over the past few weeks, I had simply seen too much of it. Someone who could not get enough of it was the foal next to me, staring out the window to the outside as if spellbound. "You like that, don't you?"
 
At the sound of my voice, Auralia mumbled something and tried to come a little closer to the rain, which just resulted in her flopping off the couch and onto the floor. Call me heartless, but it was just too cute. In addition, ponies, even foals, were much more robust than humans. The small fall had no consequences aside from some disorientation. The proof was how quickly my daughter straightened again and now watched the clouds on the ground at a new angle.
 
Satisfied that she was still preoccupied, I turned back to the book that Twilight had left me. The book about the Elements of Harmony, written by nopony else but Star Swirl. It contained, besides some interesting theories about their origin, a question that had since been resolved, and a lot about the potential impact on the bearer. None of this, however, had yet started to occur. As I said, theories.
 
What was really interesting, however, was the list of names containing the prior bearers, or at least those suspected as such by Star Swirl. Celestia and Luna were not the first in history. After all, the Elements had existed since the world’s origin. It would practically be a miracle if nopony had stumbled over them.
 
The first use went back to a place named Dream Valley by Star Swirl. An evil centaur named Tirek, who was even illustrated in the book, was possibly its first victim. I had, of course, shown Twilight the page, and with the help of several other books that had to be requested from the archive in Canterlot, we were able to determine that that Dream Valley was the place where the ponies had lived before they migrated because of the winter to the country that was Equestria today.
 
Other names on the list were Chancellor Puddinghead, Princess Platinum, Clover the Clever, Smart Cookie, Commander Hurricane, and Private Pansy. Twilight also figured out something as well. She suspected that they had not driven the windigos away due to friendship alone, but with the Elements. Friendship was in this case only a synonym for the six magical jewels that had been triggered by it.
 
"Sugarcube, have you seen Auralia?" I put the book down.
 
My eyes went to the floor. "Yeah, she's right here…" No, she was not. The place where the foal had been sitting was empty. Panicked, I looked around, but found no evidence of her.

“I don't see her. And why’s the front door open?" My eyes widened. Applejack looked up at me and probably came to the same conclusion. Without saying a word, we both raced out into the rain and started to call for our daughter, not that we could get an answer. Foals did not take long to learn to walk, but talking took as long as humans.
 
Having found no trace of her even after minutes had passed, the panic got only worse. "Who left the door open?" murmured AJ. On the other hoof, I had a very good hunch. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo had organized a small overnight stay in the clubhouse. The three had stormed a while ago into the kitchen to get something to snack on.
 
"It's no good. We should split up. I’ll go along here," I pointed in the direction of the Everfree, "and you go down there. She couldn’t have gone much further." Foals were nimble on their short legs, but thankfully did not have the endurance. In addition, they were easy to distract, and I was sure that Auralia sat somewhere under a tree and watched an apple blossom. With a nod, AJ set off, and I soon went my way as well.
 
I do not know how long I searched, going around each tree, turned every stone, until finally the rain stopped. "Auralia!" I called again, my voice a bit hoarse.
 
Then I heard it. It was her faint voice expressing clear displeasure. My foal screamed for her parents. I went from standing into a full gallop and saw very soon what had so upset her.
 
Diamond dogs, five in number, fought for the right to lay their dirty paws around my daughter. "I would advise you to release my daughter at once," I called as I still stormed up to them. The dogs turned in my direction, but only grinned.
 
"Look, even more pony.” One nudged the other. "No horn, no wings, means good worker." I skidded into a stop in front of them.
 
"I won't repeat myself. Let my daughter go." My face must have only been a single grimace at this point, which, seeing as what species I was part of, had to be as threatening as a squeaky toy to the dog.
 
"Pony come with us. Pony will work. Many gems for the pack." They tried to grab me, which would not turn out well for them. For my daughter’s sake, I kept from raising my voice as I spread my wings and my horn came to life. Within a second, one of the nearby trees had become a scythe, whirling over to me and forever separating one of the dogs from his forearm. The others stared at their comrades as he fell to the ground and began to writhe in pain.
 
"Kill them!"
 
"I warned you," I whispered, letting my weapon do the rest. One by one they fell victim to my weapon, so that finally only the dog that held Auralia in its paws was left.
 
"P-Pony stays away, or l-little pony gets ouch," he stammered out, holding my daughter with his sharp claws by her neck. She had already begun to cry.
 
Without batting an eye, I looked at him. "As if I would have to move." My horn flickered, and I caught Auralia when the dog dropped her, a spear made of earth poking through his chest. Releasing my power, I grabbed my daughter in a hug and began to comfort her. On the way back to the house, AJ came towards us, no doubt hearing the cries of our filly.
 
"What happened?" she asked and took Auralia from me.
 
"Nothing. I think she just realized that she was alone."
 

* * *

 
"I still remember what a sermon my mother had given me when I informed the Royal Guard of the incident, going on about how we had to responsibly use the power given to us. This was coming from an alicorn that used hers to secretly smuggle cakes at night into her room.
 
I did only what any father would have done. I protected my daughter. Why am I telling you this. You can certainly understand it better than anyone else, right?"
 

* * *


For the second time in a few years, the farm was covered with white flowers. There were garlands as far as the eye could see while ponies ate, drank, and laughed with each other. Some danced to music performed by Fiddlesticks and Octavia.
 
Auralia ran with some other foals her age between the legs of the guests, looking for a new hiding place for the next round of hide and seek.
 
I sat at the table with the groom and watched as my own wife and all her friends stood around the bride, congratulating and celebrating with her. Big Mac had finally managed to ask Fluttershy if she would marry him. However, for what was supposed be one of the happiest days of his life, the stallion was looking fairly grim.
 
"A little cider?" I asked.
 
"Nope."
 
"Apple juice then?"
 
"Nope."
 
I thought for a moment. "Cake?"
 
"No… Eeyup." And with that, my slice disappeared.
 
"What's going on, Big Mac? I mean, about an hour ago you were as excited as a young foal on his birthday party, and now…"
 
"It's too small." I blinked in bewilderment and looked at him.
 
"What’s too small?" Thinking about what he might have meant. I looked into his eyes. Slowly, I lifted the tablecloth, but was stopped by the stallion. "Oh come on, what's wrong with you? Can’t you take a joke?"
 
"This is serious."
 
"Yeah, I got that. Still, I can't really talk to you if you don’t tell me what you’re talking about.”
 
"The house." Now it clicked. The guest room had been turned into a nursery for Auralia a few years ago, and with Apple Bloom, Big Mac, AJ, and myself, it would become an issue sooner or later. "Fluttershy said she wanted foals… It's too small."
 
I sipped my drink. "Well, like Applejack said back then, we’d rather add to the building before we throw anypony out. I don’t see a problem." Both our gaze wandered back to the old farm house that already began to shake in the wind. "Well, maybe a small one."
 
"And we have no money for it."
 
I laughed dryly. "Let me worry about that."
 
"And we have no money for it," Big Mac repeated emphatically.
 
I shook my head at his belligerence, or rather his pride. "We can do it. We should make a good bit with the upcoming harvest. Then we can count on the summer rent for the property by the lake." I sighed. "I know how important it is that the family stays together. Believe me, we will find a solution." Big Mac nodded and actually seemed somewhat relieved.
 
"Hey!" a cry sounded suddenly over the festivities. "You aren’t allowed to cheat, Dawn. That's mean!" That was clearly Apple Bloom.
 
"I didn't cheat. I found you fair and square! "
 
"I saw how your eyes glowed. You used your magic! "
 
"I did not!"
 
"You did!"

"I did not!"
 
At that moment Twilight intervened, and the screaming subsided. "And you're sure you want a foal?" I asked Big Mac with a smile.
 
"Six."
 
"What?"
 
"Fluttershy said six foals were her dream." All of a sudden, not only me, but everypony present was blown off their feet as a pressure wave came out from somewhere of the crowd.
 
"I did not cheat! That is how it looks like if I cheat!"  Dawn hung in the air, his eyes glowing red and his voice deeper for a pegasus his age. "Here, you want me to find the others?" His gaze wandered to a bush which then grew legs and ran away, bringing Sweetie Belle to light. Dawn's head turned further, so that his neck would have been broken several times over, and looked at a barrel of water from which a suspicious-looking piece of straw was showing. With a flash of light, the water turned into green jelly. Immediately it began to shake like crazy until it finally capsized, and the block of jelly slid out. Scootaloo was trapped inside it and tried to escape from the block.
 
The squeak from Fluttershy startled everyone when a draft moved under her dress and took Holly with it. "This is what it looks like when I cheat. Or is this not enough? How about the answers to all the tests for the next five years?" Some feathers fell off his wings and turned into sheets of paper. "How about—"
 
"Dawn! Stop it at once!" Twilight’s voice cut through the tirade.
 
He did not. He began to show everyone what he understood as cheating until the Bearer of Magic was left with no other option than to shoot her son out of the air. The unconscious pegasus fell to the ground, and she hastily made ​​off with him.
 
I learned of the consequences a few days later. Celestia would keep him under watch from then on. Should it turn out that he became a danger to others around him, drastic steps would have to be taken...
 
That was the case a few years later.
 

* * *

 
"So you know exactly what I mean, Princess Twilight Sparkle. Did you also not use your power to protect your son? From your own mentor? Do not deny it.
 
But that does not matter. This wasn’t about us. This was about what was going wrong in this world, and I had the chance to change that. To erase an injustice which should not be."


* * *

 
It was one of those weeks that I spent in Canterlot again. Applejack and Auralia took the time to visit Braeburn and Little Strong Heart in Appleloosa.
 
While the two ate corncobs with butter and listened to the stories of the buffalo around a campfire, I sat here with a seemingly endless mountain of paperwork, things I could not let others do because my signature was required. There were also invitations to banquets, celebrations, and charity meetings to sort through. I usually refused the first two if only on a matter of principle, and only replied with a brief formal rejection letter that I was too busy. The last I actually tried to attend. At least so far the reason was justified. Blueblood, for instance, had once tried to raise funds to build by a private park for the upper class. Unfortunately, he had been successful.
 
I actually tried to avoid the Royal Pest whenever possible. Following an incident a few years ago, shortly before Auralia’s birth, I thought it was just for the best. I had gone to get something to eat after a tiring day in Canterlot with Twilight, and Blueblood had coincidentally been present at the same restaurant. To make a long story short, he rattled me with some comments about the humans, after which I had split the table. With a scythe. Which ended up stuck in the ground an inch in front of him.
 
Lost in thought, I opened the next invitation and was amazed. It came from the humans. They had announced their accession to Equestria a month ago. They were inviting me and seemingly many others to a reception in their city, which until now still had no name. Without putting much thought into it, I wrote a small response in which I assured my appearance. It was so long ago that I had seen my brothers.
 
Although Auralia was now more than old enough to travel, we still had not managed to visit them. Julian had repeatedly flown down, and Twilight had also travelled a couple of times to them as a representation for Celestia, but that was about it.
 
No longer in the mood to skim over the remaining one hundred and one invitation, I rose from my desk and walked out of my rooms in the castle's hall. The soft moonlight lit up the halls as I slowly walked toward the library. I loved to wander between the shelves containing such an amazing collection of knowledge, and to see if something would arouse my interest.
 
The two guards at the entrance just nodded as I walked past them, my walk through the bookshelves equivalent to searching through a paper forest.

My head wandered from left to right between the giant shelves, looking for something that would give me ideas. I discovered it faster than I thought—an old book sticking out a bit from a shelf. On the back was not a title but rather an emblem, one that I had seen the last time when I had studied the Elements in more detail a few years ago. It was the logo of Princess Platinum, a silver crown that was set with a single gemstone.
 
I levitated the book down to me and made ​​my way to one of the tables in the middle of the room. As soon as I had sat down, I began to devour the first few pages. It was a diary written by nopony than Princess Platinum herself. It began shortly after the founding Equestria's. She wrote at length of the distrust that had still existed between the tribes, as well as how she had tried to tackle it with her new friends by being exemplary role models.

I rolled through several years of her life, which was not difficult as it might have seemed since the entries tended to be several months apart. Still, it gave me a very good impression of her life and that of those around her. After everything I had read, I could not deny some similarities between her and Rarity, as with the other founding members of Equestria's with today's Bearers. Smart Cookie reminded me very much of my wife, and Commander Hurricane was Rainbow Dash through and through. Well, except that he had a penis that he had put, according to Platinum, to use with any maiden at her court. Apparently ponies were even more open with relationships at that time than they were today.
 
I hovered just above one of the last entries, as the book was no longer particularly thick. She described a device Clover had been working on that would take images within seconds—the first camera. I flipped to the last page and stared at a nearly fifteen hundred year old picture that occupied the entire page. It contained six older-looking mares who smiled back in seemingly one of the first pictures ever taken.
 
Apart from the monumental importance of such an old relic, it was more of the contents that almost made ​​me suffer a heart attack, if that were possible. Although the picture had no color, very faded, and some pieces had dissolved in the course of time, what was important was clearly visible. From left to right in the picture were Private Pansy, Commander Hurricane, Clover the Clever, Princess Platinum, Chancellor Pudding Head, and Smart Cookie… or Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack. All you had to do was to imagine the six mares present in the picture a few years younger and you had an accurate image of the current Bearers.
 
I had often wondered how Celestia knew that Twilight would be the Bearer of the Element of Magic, and that the others would as well. How could she have been certain that they would have followed her into the Everfree to defeat Nightmare Moon. Well, here was the answer right before my eyes. They could be identical twins, considering everything I saw here.
 
I tucked the book under my wing and stormed out of the library.
 

* * *

 
"We should take responsibility for what we consider to be just. Don't make me laugh! Did you have any idea what my self-appointed mother had done to you? Not only to you, but also to me? She had given me a burden that no one should have to bear, the same as what she did to you."
 

* * *

 
I slammed the book down on my mother's table and pointed a hoof to the picture. "What's this supposed to mean?" I asked loudly. "Can you explain that to me?"
 
As always, Celestia remained calm. She turned the book over to her and looked at the photo. "I would say these are Equestria's founding members."
 
"I can see that myself! But why do they look so much like Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rarity, Rainbow, Twilight, and AJ?! I demand an answer."
 
Celestia sighed. I clearly felt that she did not want to talk about it with me. "What happens to a soul after it has died?"
 
But I did not have to think twice. "It moves to Elysium, as it is called here."
 
"Correct." She nodded. "But then what?"
 
"After that?"
 
"Exactly, after that. What happens with a soul after that?" I had to think about it. Albia had indeed explained why Elysium would forever remain locked to me, but never what happened there. "It will be purified and reborn."
 
"Purified?"
 
"It is separated from the spirit. This remains in Elysium to spend eternity with its loved ones. The soul then returns to the world of the living."
 
"And what does that have to do with this?" I pointed again to the picture.
 
"What you see is the result when a soul is not purified. If they are reborn before it could happen."
 
"So… Are AJ and the others…"
 
"Yes."
 
Why?"
 
"The gems that you refer to as the Elements are just magic amplifiers. The real Elements are these six souls, created by my mother to protect us." I gasped. "Unlike other souls, they do not go to Elysium. They wait until they are needed again and then come back. I know that you've read the book about the Elements. Do you remember the part about the Dream Valley?" I nodded. "The first Bearer of Magic, the first to have used that power, was also named Twilight Sparkle. It was the beginning of the cycle…"
 

* * *

 
"The saying that you should take a few things to the grave was not without reason. From that moment, I could never look at Applejack with a genuine smile. I knew what awaited her. She, too, was denied access to Elysium. She would wander in the void until she's needed again, no different from a tool. She would never again see her loved ones, and I did not mean just Auralia or myself. How many loved ones she must have had over time? How much others had the rest of Bearers lost over time? It made ​​me sad and angry that my wife was denied something that should be the most natural thing in the world. And of course, it did not escape her."
 

* * *


It was a quiet winter evening. I sat contentedly with AJ on the sofa by the fireplace of our house on the lake. Auralia had gone out with some of her friends to a party.
 
"You’re looking grim again, sugarcube. What's wrong with you?" I could not tell her. The last five years I had carried this secret around with me, and it was not even the only one. I wanted to help her. I mean, she was my life, and I wanted to make it as pleasant as possible for her. That was, after all, the only thing I could do.
 
‘Only you believe that.’
 
"No idea." It was my answer to everything as of late.
 
"Come on." She turned to me and looked into my eyes. "Something's wrong with you and not just since yesterday. I'm your wife. Talk to me."
 
"It's nothing, Applejack. Really."
 
"Really?" she parroted, staring at me. "Then what was that last week with Rarity?"
 
"What do you mean?"
 
"The suit you tore."
 
"It itched and—"
 
"Or when Aura accidentally broke your new guitar last month?" I sank a little deeper into the sofa. "When I came into the room, our daughter was crying. You’ve never done anything like that before." She was right. I had never lost my temper with my daughter to that extent. "Or when you—"
 
"I get it, okay?! I understand what you mean!" I stood up from the sofa. "I know what you mean, but I cannot tell you! Do you understand?! I can’t tell you."
 
Applejack, now also angered due to my shouting, rose and pressed her nose against mine. "What can you not tell me? I'm your wife, for land’s sake. And I can see that something is eating you." I said nothing. "Speak!" She jammed her nose harder against mine.
 
"Ah, I see who wears the pants around here."
 
"No!"
 
"You tell me right now what's going on, or you can spread your blanket on this sofa here tonight." It could have been such a beautiful evening.
 
"No!" I shouted.
 
"Last chance…"
 
"NO!"
 
Applejack recoiled, eyes wide and mouth open. "Y-Your eyes…" she stammered. I cursed inwardly. "It’s can’t be…"
 
"Applejack…" I took a step toward her, but she only took one further back.
 
"Tell me it’s not true. Tell me that's not true!" I said nothing. "How long? How long already?"
 
"Always. From the moment when we came back from the moon." She shook her head in disbelief. "Try to understand… Try to understand, there was no other way. All we could do was to lock it away. And what's better than an immortal vessel so it would never become free again."

"You lied to me. All of us. You said it had been destroyed." I could no longer face her eyes. "Get lost!"
 
"What?"
 
"Do you hear wrong? Get out! Get out and take that thing with you! How dare you expose our daughter to something like that!"
 

* * *

 
"And I did, as you know. I disappeared the same night. I dropped off the letter that declared that I had been unfaithful to her, and I could not bear my shame. If that was what made her happy, who was I to object?
 
And I stayed away. At least until a certain day."
 

* * *

 
I stood apart from the crowd, looking over the heads of hundreds across the podium. Twilight was behind it, wearing a black elegant dress like all the others present. I did not really listen to what she said, just as I had not listened to the others who had spoken before her. Somehow it did not interest me, because all the things they had to say were long known to me. In addition, the last thing I needed was my mood dropping further.

‘Just take it out on them.’
 
"She had a good life. She was always there for her family, strong, determined, and willing to do anything for them." At these words, I felt the blow Twilight wanted to deal me. Not only I felt it because some heads in the crowd turned to me. I could not return her gaze, preferring to stare at my hooves. "She was one of my best friends, like a sister, and I am sure that we will all miss her." Twilight turned the card in front of her. Even after all this time, she had not gotten rid of that habit. "I do not need to remind anypony why we stand where we stand. More than once, Applejack risked her life to help not only Equestria, but also other countries. "
 
"Except you."
 
Agreeing nods were Twilight's answer. I, on the other hoof, looked around the military cemetery of Canterlot. I actually always thought that AJ wanted to be buried on the farm, but apparently she had chosen the joint one with her friends. Twilight stood in front a large monument, carved with five very familiar cutie marks, which marked the entrance to the underground walls, containing a chamber of pure crystal. Rarity had of course not missed the opportunity to design her own grave and that of her friends. Now she sat with Sweetie Belle, her husband, and her foal in the front row and watched as the second of her friends was being buried. Fluttershy had gone before Applejack. She had succumbed to an illness, because even at an advanced age, she had not stopped taking care of animals. On this occasion, she had probably caught something through them. I bit my lip as I could not help thinking how ironic life could be from time to time. Even AJ had passed relatively early for an earth pony. The constant work on the farm had demanded a tribute from her body.
 
"From time to time?"
 
"I thank all those present. I would now like to ask the family to speak a few words." I had missed the rest of Twilight's speech, and she left to the side where Celestia, Luna, and Cadance stood. At first no one moved, but then I saw as Auralia rose, and guilt again awoke in me. I did not know the colt by her side, as I did not my two grandsons. The two briefly exchanged some glances before they went to the small stage and the podium.
 
"I also want to thank all those present for coming." She sounded hoarse, her eyes red. She had been crying for a while. "My mother would certainly be glad to see how many of her friends thought of her and spared no effort to be here today." I did not even know the half of those present, sitting here in the rain under a magical dome to give AJ their last respects. "I know that mother did not have it easy the last few years." She too searched for my eyes, but again I did not have it in me to reciprocate. As Auralia continued, I saw that she bit her lip.
 
After my eldest grandson, Galmac, had finished speaking, the mourners were led into a nearby building. There, a room had been prepared with food and drink. I had stayed away from the group and was the last who entered the hall. "I never thought to see you here." I only sighed.
 
"Really, Princess?" I put special emphasis on the last part when I answered Twilight. "I thought we knew each other better."
 
"We all thought that. That's why we were all horrified. Where in Tartarus were you the last eighty years?" Yes, where had I been? Here and there, staying nowhere for more than a couple of days.
 
"I needed time to think." I saw how angry she became, but due to where we were, she pulled herself together to regain her composure.
 
"Couldn't you have postponed that to a later time? Your family needed you! Especially AJ. Do you have any idea what they've been through?" Of course I did not, and she knew that. I had abandoned any connections to Equestria. Today was my second day back. "Auralia’s and Pip’s hooves were worked sore after Big Mac was gone, but nothing helped. You know how devastated they all were when they had to give up the farm?" Again, I could meet Twilight eye to eye.
 
"Do you think it was easy for me?" I struggled with my own tears. "Do you think I wanted to leave everything behind me? Do you think I woke up one morning being hugged by AJ and said ‘I slept with another mare’ and left?” It was I who was becoming louder and louder. All eyes in the hall were now upon us, the two alicorns fighting at the entrance. Me, not wearing black, still completely soaked. Twilight did not reply, but I heard another familiar voice.
 
"Dad…" I looked to the side where Auralia stood, together with my two grandchildren. She came to me, and I bent down a little so that she could lay her forelegs around my neck. I had grown and reached about the same height as Luna, as did Twilight. After a while, she released me. She smiled briefly before she hit me with a hoof in my face. I didn't even blink because I had seen the blow coming, and I deserved it. "Why do you have to make a scene here?"
 
"I'm sorry…" was all I could say.
 
"Eighty years and all you can say is that?" I acknowledged this with no response. "By Celestia, Dad, eighty years!" The crowd was still staring at us. "If you don't want to say anything, then leave. Mom deserves better!" With that, she turned and herded the foals away.
 
"Was that our grandpa?" I heard the little mare question, but her brother only ordered her stay silent.
 
"Be quiet, Mama is crying," I heard Galmac whisper to her as the three of them walked away. I decided to honour the request of my daughter and turned away as well. I again walked out into the rain and looked at the dark clouds hanging over Canterlot. The city itself had not changed. The old section was the same as always. To allow further growth, artificial beams had been built along the mountain where new buildings now arose.
 
The rain in my face mingled with my tears as I thought about the past: my time on the farm, my time with AJ, with Auralia when she was herself a foal. I thought of our mutual friends and our later adventures, though not to the extent of a Discord or a Nightmare. They were the small adventures in life.
 
"You know, a few years ago I would have all the clouds removed in less than ten seconds." Rainbow stood next to me, the color of her mane and tail long gone. She wore a uniform that identified her as a veteran of a certain Air Force. The last time I saw her, it had been still in use.
 
"I think it fits…" She eyed me suspiciously. "It was weather like this on the day when I realized I felt something for AJ. I still remember how I was sitting in the barn, tuning the old guitar of her father, and rehearsed a song to play on our first date." I laughed. "I wasn't able to hold a note." Rainbow still didn't say anything. "In addition, it coveres very beautiful how pathetic I am."
 
"Why did you disappear?" she finally asked. I had thought about this question, and she wasn't the only one interested in the answer. I felt the presence of Twilight, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie behind us. "You made a mistake, but that was no reason to just leave."
 
"Because it was the best for both of us." I saw that she wanted to strangle me as soon as I had spoken. "Time was our worst enemy. While it practically does not exist for me, AJ succumbed more and more clearly."
 
"So that's why you went to another mare?" She was in my face, which was still looking on the clouds. "What happened to you? What became of the Light we knew? The Light who walked through Tartarus for his family?" I gave her an angry look, and she sank to the ground again. Immediately, my countenance changed back to sadness.
 
"No." I felt more and more warm tears running down my cheeks next to the cold rain.
 
"And? Do you regret it?" A question I had asked me, again and again.
 
"Every day."

"Light." Twilight walked up to me from behind. "I know that it’s not easy to see love leaving. Dawn is out there somewhere; Spike is out there somewhere, and my father… But we have to enjoy the time that we have with them. In there are your family and friends, or at least there was a time they were. They deserve that you're there for them, especially Auralia. You know that she hasn’t even told her foals about you? You do not even know her husband. You've missed so much."
 
"It's the best if they grow up without me, Twilight. It is better for Auralia, better for everyone."
 
"You know that this is not true. Had you stayed, you would be at my side now, helping to make Equestria a better place. You know that. Auralia would have a father that she could proudly show her foals, and we would not be standing here now. At least not this way."
 
"Maybe this was a bad idea. I shouldn't have come; it was too early." I spread my wings and prepared for the departure. It was funny. I still had my fear of heights, but when you can't die any longer, this fact doesn't bother you quite so much.
 
"Light!" I heard Twilight call through the rain as the ground was shrinking. I did not look back, and headed straight for my next destination. If I was already here, I wanted to use my time.
 

* * *


Twilight was right. Not that I would ever have doubted her, but it seemed so unreal. Boards in front of the doors, broken windows and vines dominated the picture that was once home to my family. I didn't need to enter and couldn’t find it in my heart to do so. Inside, only dust and painful memories would await me. Instead, I walked over to the barn. The roof was practically no longer existent, the color fading and the wood exposed to the weather. I walked through the open door, which was just barely hanging on its hinges, and looked around in the little light that managed to penetrate the dark clouds. I didn't want to use magic, not here.
 
I looked under each blanket which covered old furniture and other remnants of a bygone time. However, I couldn't find what I was looking for. Disappointed and depressed, I went back outside and began to walk around the grounds. Many of the trees were about to succumb to the early fall temperatures. The grass was tall and wildly overgrown. Moles and other animals had recovered the open ground. Stumps were a clear sign that a beaver had settled here somewhere. Many of the non-harvested apples fell to the ground and now served as fodder for various beetles.
 
I walked around for hours, and although many things had changed so much, I kept finding places that pulled me back into the past, especially when I walked by the old tree house of the Crusaders. I had repaired and restored it over the years along with Big Mac over and over again for the next generation. A swing had been added, a slide serving as an emergency exit, and another room added. But there was not much left. Many of the wooden planks were lying in the grass, and the structure looked as though any gust could cause its downfall.
 
My real goal, however, was another one, albeit subconsciously. I wanted to go a very specific hill, one which was the beginning for everything. It was where AJ and I had spent our first night, a place which we connected with many memories. Finally, I arrived at this very familiar place.

“I'm back, AJ," I said softly. Somehow, I hoped that no matter where she was, she would forgive me. If I had to make the same choice again, I don't think I would have the strength to leave. I'd want to keep them in my grip and never let go. Not her, not Auralia, no friend of mine. How often had I been sitting in front of my laptop and wished to stand here instead, to be forever part of something special?
 
Now that it was there, I let it go again. It was my fault, and we both had paid the price. She had always been stubborn, so why had I listened to her? Why had I yielded to these sad green eyes filled with tears when I had been ordered to disappear? I, a powerful alicorn that, if I wanted to, could affect life itself? Life meant change. To stand still meant death. It was a simple equation that I had internalized. I had taken the last eighty years away from myself. AJ did it for our wellbeing, but was it in the end what I wanted?
 
"No, it wasn't."
 
Completely lost in thought, I let myself sink into the still wet grass and looked over Ponyville. Long ago, it was a small village that had been seen by hundreds of thousands on a monitor. It now extended over the entire field, as far as I could see. Cobbled streets filled with life of all kinds: ponies, deer, some griffons, and even one or two human. Their city had grown as well. Hope, as it was called. Under the teachings of Celestia, humanity had experienced a change for the better, and their city was the best example. Funny how much it tended to remind me of an elven settlement from a fantasy novel instead of a city like New York or the like. They didn't want to repeat their mistakes. Air pollution, greed and war. As part of Equestria, they had renounced this style and enjoyed the protection of the godly princesses. That Twilight now belonged with them had not surprised me. Her ascent could be felt by every being if it wasn't a numbskull. It had been a magical wave shaking Albion itself. Twilight was powerful, probably even more powerful than Celestia or Luna. At least she would be in the distant future.

"Um, hello?" I was a little scared. Normally, I could feel it when someone was approaching. However, the voice of a young mare surprised me completely. "Blue Light?" I turned my head to the voice and thought I had Cadance before me for a few seconds. A smaller pink alicorn, but unlike my cousin, she had a darker complexion with strong yellow highlights in her mane. "I, uh… It's me. Skyla." Of course I had not forgotten. How could I, when she was one of the best friends of Auralia.
 
"We haven't seen each other for a long time. What can I do for you?" Actually, I would rather be alone, but that was no reason to take it out on her.
 
"I only came to bring something. Applejack had asked me to. She wanted to ask Aura to do it but… well… she had declined." She summoned a small little brown album and laid it in front of me on the grass. "Aunt Celestia also put something into it, but I do not know what." Cautiously, I opened the first page, on which there was only one sentence:
 
"I will always love you,
AJ"
 
That alone was enough that I almost would have collapsed if I had not been already on the ground. I quickly turned the page. Now the tears flowed. On the first page was a newspaper article. It was old and yellowed, but still readable. ‘Prince Blue Light rioted in the restaurant at dinner with Prince Blue Blood.’ Although I cried, I smiled too. I had really gotten into trouble for that at the time. Not because of Blue Blood, but because I had held a weapon to the throat of Twilight's father. AJ was the only who had been on my side. On the other side were two photos. The former showed AJ and me at the Grand Galloping Gala, her at the end of her pregnancy with Auralia. The other photo I remembered better. It was from our wedding. We were both in front of the cake in which Pinkie had just landed on belly-first. One of the best moments of my life.
 
I looked up to thank Skyla, but she was long gone. I decided to look at what AJ had left me as our best moments.
 

* * *


"That was the moment where it became clear to me that I had to do something. I was sick of the so-called gods abusing us as tools. I searched a long time for a solution, very long until I finally found it. Do you know where, Twilight?"
 
The alicorn that was standing over me was shaking her head.
 
"You'll laugh. Dream Valley. Turned out that you in your previous lives had always been a genius. Your old self even came up with the theory of the multiverse tens of thousands of years ago. The balance between harmony and chaos and all the stuff you're selling as new today. She even described that if you want to produce a particular change, only the corresponding branch must be cut off at the root. As simple as that."

"What happened to you in the last thousand years?" she asked, shaking her head. I squirmed a bit in the magical shackles that I was chained with.
 
"I became someone who wants to enter the game of gods. I will wipe out the Elements from the world, just like the nightmares. All this will never have happened. No more infighting, only harmony."
 
"You admit having tried to tear a rift into reality?"
 
"How else can I destroy the branch at the root? Don't you understand? This is just one of many worlds out there. "
 
"And why do you have to destroy it for your goal?"
 
"Now don't play stupid with me, Twilight. It was, after all, your spell. It sends someone without a signature to a random world. How else could I guarantee that I do not travel in the wrong direction? I destroy the worlds left behind me, so I can go only forward. A simple logic that even you can comprehend. But it's not like I was going to kill anyone. To destroy the reality just means that it has never existed. Once I separated the branch and let a new one grow, it is as though it had never happened. So do not worry, just a blink of time will have passed for you."
 
"Did you really lose sight of reality?" No, and that was exactly the point. I had never seen more clearly in my life. Why bother explain all this to her? I just needed a few minutes more time to gather strength after our fight.

"No! But you'll lose yours soon!" I broke the chains that held me to the ground and rose to my full size. "By the way, may I introduce someone? The other!" Her eyes widened in shock as she realized the nature of the being in me.
 
"Light! Stop! You are under its influence!" I did not listen to her and sent her to the ground with a targeted spell. Then I turned back to the runes that I had drawn where the house was in which I had lived with my family a thousand years ago.
 
I let all my magic flow into the runes, and it took only a few seconds until the portal opened. "When I leave here, this world will dissolve. The counterweight of harmony is chaos. With Rising Dawn in the pocket dimension where you froze him until you could help him, only Nightmare remains. When it leaves, this world will fall into eternal harmony. A state without time, without changes. In short order, without death. And without death, there can be no life. This reality will crumble like dust."
 
I saw the terror on Twilight's face, and for a moment I felt sorry for her. Still, it would all be over soon. Everything would be all right. Nobody would suffer. Dawn could live as a normal pony. I could return to a mortal being and grow old together with Applejack. I would right everything. 

All that stood in my way were an undetermined number of other worlds.
> Afterwords
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Author's note:
When I started writing this story back in early 2012, my only goal was to prove that a ‘Human in Equestria’ concept didn’t have to suck. There was a heavy discussion going on about that on bronies.de and as someone new to the fandom and writing at the same time, I wanted to give it a try. I didn’t know that it would be eighty-one chapters long by the end of it. 90% of the story I made up on the go.
 
Maybe that’s the reason why there are so many clichés.
 
I made a lot of other mistakes too. Many of my “revolutionary ideas” are by now anything but, and so many events only happened for plot convenience… Sometimes I want this story to be printed just so I can be slapped with it. But a wise man said:
 
“Your first work as an author will suck, the second too, and also the third.”
- Hank Moody
 
Well, this is the second story and Journey my third. Looking at the ratings, I think I’ve already made good progress. Still, that is only thanks to my readers and the feedback. I think most authors, or at least I, think that everything they write is gold. We need readers to tell us otherwise.
 
Also, don’t let us forget guinea pigs, like editors and beta readers. There were many people helping me with this story, and thanking them all one by one would take all day I fear, so I will just name the most important ones. Yes, all you not mentioned are not important enough. How does make you feel, scum? I also think the names of my German “crew” will mean nothing to any of you. I don’t even think those people will read this. Anyways…
 
JBL. You dirty little chapter hoarder. Thank you for everything. Without you, this story would never be fully translated into the beautiful English language. He managed the entire project: enlisted new translators, proofreaders, and kept everything on schedule. When I’m Neil Armstrong, you’re… well, not Buzz Aldrin… You know the guy who had to fly around the moon to pick them up again? That guy! You’re that guy. You are the best background pony of editing. What else is there to know about him? He likes dragon dicks. Very much so. He will be grateful for every picture send to him via private message, I guarantee it.
 


Editor’s note:
I’d tell Tio to go fuck himself with a cactus, but the dirty German would probably enjoy it.
 


Next on my hit list would be Gron. He was the first translator and did a huge amount of work on his own. Sadly, the evil temptress known as university pulled him out of my clutches.


 
(JBL: also his man)
 


Okay, who else? Verequus? Dj7291993? (What kind of name is that anyway?) LtCWest, Scratch my Tavi, no… ScratchnTavi? Sounds about right. Like I said, too many to remember.
 
But yes, this was a team effort. And in the name of everyone helping me, I want to thank everyone for reading. It was a long journey, over three years, and it was a pleasure. (And if you want another, even longer journey, you can always read the indirect sequel.)


 
Editor’s Note: Yes, tio, I get to say a few words. After all, I worked on this thing as well for far longer than I expected to. Ahem. I curse Gron’s name when he convinced me to help edit this. Along the way, I even started translating myself, though I know not a lick of German. Since tio is too lazy to thank the people who worked on this own story properly, let me do so. My gratitude goes out to Gron, Verequus, Ltc West, Tripl3M, ScratchnTavi, Muetze198, Yurtus, Bjarnulf, and GentlemanPirate for all translating chapters of Nightmare. Some of you did one or two, some did many. I thank all of you regardless. I’d also like to thank Deep Thought for helping with translations in general, and Dj7291993 (he really does need to change his name!) as well for helping proofread chapters with me. Sorry I left you behind in the end! If there is anyone I left out, I apologize and thank you for your time and assistance in making this story a reality and what it is today, both the good and the bad. Don’t hesitate to check out Truekry’s other stories as well.