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Marks Of Babylon | Italian Stallion & Armored Harmer | Marks of Babylon
Chapter 6
Italian Stallion & Armored Harmer
"-ZZ- all landing links, check in -ZZ-"
"-ZZ- sigma up and running. Raider, Sawbones and Kitten.destroyer, you are clear for come down, over -ZZ-"
""-ZZ- double copy, VXZ, we have platforms 2, 3 and 5 ready in sight. -ZZ-"
Many radio communications were shared over the com. lines somewhere in the storm riddled sky above.
In what one could make out of the fog, something big, hot and metal was approaching something in the sky. Suddenly, the fog was pierced and three fighter jets made their way to an aircraft carrier in the Babylon sky.
"-ZZ- VXZ we are prepared for landing, clear any and all threats approaching. Over -ZZ-"
"-ZZ- Nothing on the radar, boss. Over -ZZ-"
"Alright baby, let's do this!" Called their apparently boss. He charged into full gear and landed on the carrier drifting on the deck.
Before the jet had even fully stopped, he deployed the hatch and jumped right out onto the deck boards. He proceeded to walk on letting the engines cool down, not caring about the safety of the plane, or how it landed at all.
He continued walking to the main base.
As soon as he was in sight, every single pony instantly metaphorically and literally dropped what it was they were doing and began applauding the young stallion.
The stallion was green with a black tail that looked as though it hadn't been so much as touched in the last 8 years. He was wearing a golden, soft, cold pilots jacket zipped up over his black vest with regular kids shorts. He was also wearing a pair of golden/yellow/beige shades over his eyes, which could only just be seen under his pilot helmet.
He only continued to smile smugly as he chewed his gum and walked on through the corridors.
"Spanner!!" He called.
"A'up Cal, mate!" A British working stallion in overalls replied as "Cal" walked up to him and bro hoofed him.
"Right bro, I'm heading down Ant's, grabbing a sharp split in 10. You wanna rev out with me?"
"Aye, getting me new piston for me back wing, in all."
"Right arrivederci lad!" Cal finished up and proceeded to walk into his main room. There he got a surprise.
"H-Hey amico, doin' alright?"
"I trust you have only now returned." A deeper posh voice facing the wall replied.
"Yeah ragazzo ricco! So what cha need from me?"
He slowly turned round to face him.
"Calsuricxs. Have you ever heard of the element of loyalty, Rainbow Dash?"
Calsuricxs went over to a small fridge and got out a bottle of *insert bottle name here*. He smashed the top of it against the edge of a table as a quarter of it leaked out and some of the glass shattered over the floor.
"Nah, she don't ring a bell. Why?" He drank some from the broken lid which he held in his deployed wing.
"Dear friend, we've been over this discussion so many times. Our plan of ridding the world of these "villains" Phoxjes constantly mentions."
"Erm... Know what, I might have 'bout them guys."
"...They're girls. What do you have then?"
"'S in the cupboard. The keys for it's the box. Cupboard, bottom draw."
He then turned around to see a metal cupboard behind the eight pizza boxes and several sport mags.
Illiux cringed, as he barely found it in him to slowly reach through what he considered a dump that Calsuricxs calls a room, and levitated a small bronze key.
After that he unlocked the cupboard door and all at once the few thousand unread, discarded and/or improperly stored files of paper flew out onto Illiux's face as his eyes widened at what he already expected.
"Ya found it?" Asked Calsuricxs.
Illiux slowly appeared from the scattered clutter, not amused.
"Yes, I found it(!)"
"Oh that's good; thought I might've needed to help ya, pal."
"Allow me to explain. But you have to listen to me."
Calsuricxs slouched down onto his practically broken couch.
"Right... So I'm supposed to listen to what the mark of mistrust is telling me about some random kid I've only now been told about... Illiux, I'm not following you."
Illiux looked back at him, after he climbed out of the mountain of trash.
Calsuricxs then pulled out a dark gold heptagonal pendent with a green jewel shaped like an eye in the center and proceeded to put it on.
"Hmm... I didn't really expect you to."
"Will you relax, Twilight?" Asked her lazy cyan colored friend lying on a cloud hammock.
"Spike... What have they done to you?" Twilight looked to the sky. "You were my best friend. And maybe you still can be."
"C'mon Twilight, Spike and that, er, Sandy girl was 3 days ago. We haven't heard anything about them since."
"Rainbow dash! He's like my brother, I couldn't live without him. It doesn't matter how long ago it was. I JUST WANT HIM BACK!"
Rainbow Dash slowly backed off, knowing that has just offended her friend greatly.
"I'm sorry, Twi."
"No, I should be sorry."
Just then, a dark green light started to come out of Rainbow Dash's chest and flew up above them.
"Girls, girls, you're both sorry." The two mares turned to see a young stallion swinging on a cloud above them.
He was definitely physically younger than the two of them, but looked older than Scootaloo. He flipped round to see them.
"But try as you might, you'll never be..."
"WHAT DO YOU WANT!!!" Twilight was just about ready to turn to her Rapidash form at the sight of him.
"Ooo, the princess was feeling grumpy today." He playfully replied.
"WHERE'S SPIKE!?!? ANSWER ME NOW!!!"
"Well he's not here." He laughed.
"THAT'S NOT HELPING!!"
He laughed harder at her outburst.
"I guess I could help you "find" him. If..."
She started to calm down now.
"If... What?"
"I'm looking for this chick... Um, Rainbow something. Tell me where she is and have 'er race me."
"Ha! A kid wants to race against me!? This is a joke!" She laughed.
"Eh! Don't chu laugh at me, kid! I'm the fastest in the center of the world! And I'm 3900 years old!" The Italian Pegasus flew down.
"Sorry, A grandpa wants to race me then!" She chortled.
"Forget about it! I'm still the second youngest in my Babylon." He argued, as he readied his (first) two wings.
"Fine if you wanna lose to a pro, bring it on." Rainbow looked at him in a determined expression.
"A pro? Where?" He looked around, jokingly.
"Hold on." Twilight interrupted. "You're a Babylonian, right?"
"Is your brother a big, white softy?" He answered back.
"So if you lose, I want you to tell me everything that happened, and where Spike is!"
"Stakes? Yeah, now you're speaking my language."
"Well?" Rainbow dash back off a little so they could start. "What do you say?"
"Hmm." He put his hoof to his chin and rubbed it for a second. "Alright, cool. But if I win..." He pointed at Rainbow slowly. "You have to go on a-" he stopped himself.
"Yeah? On a what?" She still looked mad.
"Uh, nothing, it don't matter."
"...Right."
"Now let's do this!"
"So you two have to race from here to Ourtown, to back here. Is that clear?"
"Yeah." Rainbow replied, concentrating on this race.
"Let's do this!" The masked green over-haired colt shouted, eager to start.
"Are you two ready!?" The princess of friendship asked the two competitors.
"As always, Twilight!" Her friend replied.
"Bada bing, I were born ready!" Her enemy replied.
"Then on your marks!" The two readied their legs.
"May the fastest Pegasus win." He said as he looked at her.
"Get set!" They then bent forwards slightly.
"Sure." she looked at him, then back to looking straight forward.
Tension built up.
"...Go!"
There was a loud rush of wind soaring past Twilight, as a green and multicolored zoom charged directly past her.
"Augh!!" She screamed as she tried her hardest to stay in place, fighting the strong wind force.
The two of them started their race both wanting to get ahead from the start.
They constantly changed positions in the race, one second in front, and the next behind.
This went on for a few seconds, until Rainbow had an idea from a dark cloud she saw on the right in the distance.
She stopped in her own tracks and went straight for it.
Calsuricxs became confused by this and decided to follow her, catching up a decent enough speed.
"Hey, ya know Starlight and her friends are THAT way!?!" He shouted to her, pointing in the other direction.
"Yeah, I know that!!" She shouted back, picking up the thundercloud, then making a U-turn so she was facing him with it.
"But YOUR stop is here!" She kicked the cloud and fired the lighting directly at him.
"Ahh!! He screamed as he was about to become electrified, but suddenly his pendent began to light up yellow, and it absorbed the lightning completely.
"Ha!" He pointed at her and continued the race to Ourtown.
"Hey!" She called as she followed him.
The two of them still tried to advance ahead of each other, avoiding every tree, mountain, hill, anything. Eventually Rainbow caught up to him, trailing just slightly behind.
"I gotta say, I'm impressed you've kept up so far!!" She complemented him, preparing to tackle him to the ground.
"Unfortunately, this part of the race isn't available to kids like you!!" That was when she charged down from above in an attempt to slam him onto the ground.
However, as she did, she noticed his back moving slightly behind his wings and something came out from under his black vest, and he then accelerated further without a problem, dodging her slam.
"What the?" Rainbow wondered as she flew back into the race in the right direction.
"Yeah well, I'd be more worried about yourself, grandma!!" He laughed back at her, turning around and flying backwards, and he was still ahead of her.
"Hey, how did you-" she noticed that there was something else flapping underneath his wings, which looked exactly like another pair of wings.
"You have four wings!?!?!" Rainbow dash asked with her jaw agape.
"Nope! I have six!" He smiled and turned the right way again.
"No, that's cheating!!" She called in a childish manor.
A record-scratching sound effect was heard as he stopped in midair, allowing her to pass, and then he continued flying to be right next to her.
"You fly me off course, fire lightning at me, try to body slam me, and I'M cheating!? Hello pot, this is kettle: you're black!"
"Grrr. Kettle THIS!" Rainbow dash said as she squinted her eyes and flew even faster, trying to touch him.
He looked at that and flew slightly upwards to the left just as she was about to make contact.
"OK, that didn't even make sense." He then flew even higher and descended right onto her, wrapping his hooves around here and began smiling. "If you're gonna taunt me, at least do it right!"
"Let go! Let go! LET GO!!" Rainbow screamed as she squirmed.
"Okay~" Calsuricxs released her and threw her across the sky.
"Whaaahaa!" She cried, as she spun in the air. regaining her aerial balance, she noticed that that competition was getting ahead again.
"Later!" He spun around and looked at her, before he flew further. Rainbow noticed that Starlight's old home was currently in sight as were they.
"Oh no you don't!" She then pursued him.
"Ya know, it's been a lot more lively after receiving our cutie marks. Again." Double Diamond commented whilst polishing his skis, as Sugar Belle was bringing out the muffins she had made to him.
"I know, but we've heard what Starlight had to say and why she did it, and she apologized." She replied to him.
"Yeah, I know. But all I'm saying is we seem to be using our special talents a lot more now that we're even more grateful for having them."
Suddenly, right next to Double Diamond, a small explosion of balloons and confetti, as well as 'surprise' music appeared and out came their blue unicorn friend.
"And if it weren't for Twilight and her friends..."
"Gahh!!" Double Diamond fell off the bench.
"...We'd still would've had our marks in the vault."
"Party favor..." Double Diamond got up. "You said you'd stop doing that."
"Heh heh heh heh heh heh." Favor laughed it off.
"Hey guys!" Night Glider flew down onto the ground and greeted her friends. "Look who I found!" She turned around and pointed in the sky at Rainbow dash in the distance.
"Is that!?" Sugar Belle stepped forward to see her better.
"I think so!" Diamond exclaimed, standing on a bench.
"Hey Rainbow Dash!" Night Glider shouted to her.
Party favor then pulled out some balloons, blew them up and twisted them into the shape of a telescope.
"Look! She's waving at us!" Party waved back to her, noticing her hoof motions which were shaking about near them and pointing above them.
Diamond's smile slowly faded as he came to a realization.
"Uh, guys? I don't think she's waving..."
The other three then caught onto this as well.
"In fact, I think she's trying to warn us about something. But what do you think-"
"Watch out!" Night Glider tackled him to move him out of the way in the nick of time, as a green blur impacted the bench he was just on, crushing it and creating a cloud of dust with a loud boom.
"Thanks." Double Diamond got up again and helped her up as well.
"Hey, what's the big idea!?" Night Glider asked the blur at the broken table.
All they could here was the sound of uncontrollable laughter.
"That was cool!" Calsuricxs laughed as he caught his breath.
"Who are you!?" Sugar Belle asked the laughing colt.
"Awesome." The pegasus said as he got back up and on all fours again.
"She asked you a question, tough guy!" Night Glider said, flying above him and looking mad.
"Later!" Was all he said as he then charged off into the distance in the opposite direction.
"Come back here you!" Rainbow Dash called as she raced him back to Ponyville.
The two of them had vanished into the landscape barely a moment later.
"...Well, that was..." Sugar Belle broke the silence.
"Who and what was that?" Diamond questioned.
"Hmmmhmmhmmhmhmhmhmmhmmhmhm" Calsuricxs hummed out loud, while flying upside down, with Rainbow slightly trailing.
However, when he got up, he saw that she was catching up, so he turned round and flew normally, allowing her to catch up.
"I gotta say, I'm kinda disappointed, bambino." Calsuricxs was looking at Rainbow Dash whilst flying backwards with his fore hooves behind his head in a relaxed manor.
"What did you just call me!?" Rainbow yelled back trying to advance ahead of him.
"I mean you're meant to be the fastest, but so far I've either been ahead or next to you this whole race. Are you even trying, or is this a test?"
By this point Rainbow had enough of him, so she decided to show him something incredible.
"Fine! You want me to try!?" She stopped in the air right where she was, causing him to do the same thing in confusion.
She began to fly straight up higher into the air. Seconds later she was almost as high as a mountain.
"Uh, what are you doing?" He asked, thankful he was wearing his mask as the sun would've blinded him otherwise.
"You're about to find out!" She then began to fly down directly towards him at supersonic speed.
About halfway down from her descent a large circular rainbow blast exploded in the sky where she was, and her signature rainbow trail intensified.
"Whoa whoa whoa!!" He cried as he just figured out she was aiming for him.
She made impact seconds before he could fly out if the way, knocking him onto the ground below.
She was about to finish this competition between the two, until a final thought came to her head.
Was she about to feel bad about that?
As he was still laying there, she began to question whether or not using the Sonic Rainboom was a bit excessive.
She WAS the element of loyalty after all, so she couldn't just leave him here injured. Plus, in comparison, he did seem a little bit nicer than the other marks of Babylon so far.
On the other hoof, he was still a Babylonian; he still wanted to invade Equestria.
Her angel and devil both fought for her choice. The difference of what's right and what's easy is never a simple one.
What to do? That question still rested on her shoulders.
"Ughh..." She heard him groan in slight pain.
"Heh heh. Uh sorry..." She laughed off. While she didn't want to admit it, she was actually having fun in this race. Meeting another pony who could keep up with her, and find a way around her strategies.
"That. Was. Awesome." He managed to stand up. "Think you can teach me how to do that sometime?"
"Hah! No way! You're just a kid, this takes years of practicing and talent to do." She turned round and began to fly back to the finish line, until a stream of lightning struck her in the plot.
"Ahhh!!" She squealed as she was electrocuted down there.
After covering it with a slight blush she looked behind her to see him flying again with his pendent lit up in the lightning yellow color again.
It must have been the same lightning she fired a while ago.
"How's THAT for practice?" He asked as he began flying to Twilight again. "C'mon, we ain't done yet!"
Twilight was still waiting at the finish line for at least one of the two to actually show up.
She sighed.
"Where are they?" She wondered. "The two of them were fast at the beginning, so how come they haven't shown up yet? I mean Ourtown isn't THAT far away."
Just as she was about to find them herself, she heard the sound of wind breaking though in the distance.
"Huh?" Her ears perked up at the sound.
After squinted her eyes, she could just about see a rainbow and green trail approaching her direction.
"Oh no, not again." She whispered to herself and her horn lit up.
With the speed the two of them were travelling, she wanted to teleport out of there as soon as possible.
Her instinct was correct, and she teleported behind the trails as they literally just hit the spot were she just was, breaking the earth beneath them.
"Are you two alright!?" Twilight ran over to them in the ground.
"I'm good." Rainbow Dash then climbed to her hooves.
"Far out." Cal got up as well.
"Good. So who won? Rainbow, please tell me it was you." Twilight's expression turned from one of relief to desperation.
"Dunno. Looked pretty tight." She replied, looking unsure.
"It's a tie then." He smiled.
"No. It can't be. It just can't." Twilight became more depressed by the second.
Calsuricxs saw her face, and began to fly back onto the same cloud he was lying on when they first spoke, even though it was quite a way away by now. Once there, he appeared to pick up something and circle his way back down in front of her.
"Here." He smiled, as he handed something to Twilight when she turned to look at him. "Should tell you a bit."
It was a book. A very old, beaten, worn, dated documentary.
The title was 'Babylonian History. Vol.17. Kingdom Connections.'
"Thank you." Twilight looked shocked at his gift. "But what about you?"
"Eh, I got what I wanted already." He looked at Rainbow.
"Oh...oh." Twilight came to a realization, and it made her giggle a small bit.
"Just don't tell her, yeah?" He whispered.
"I won't." She whispered back.
"And don't worry about Spike; we ain't hurting him. In fact, we've given him something you honestly couldn't have done by yourself."
"And what would that be?"
"His fam-" He was cut off by his mask glowing green and a strong wind heading in his direction.
"Uh, sorry, gotta get goin." He began flying again and headed to the north. "Arrivederci!" He called as he flew away.
Twilight simply looked at the book.
"Goodbye." She said, opening the book.
"Oh great(!)" rainbow said, catching her breath and standing back up to look at it as well. "Exercise followed by storytime."
The pair looked over the documentary, with Twilight clearly the more invested one out of the two.
"So... What is it?"
"It's a history documentary about Babylon and it's past relations with new kingdoms. But what's this got to do wit-"
She stopped herself midsentence and looked closer at the top of the book. There was something sticking out. In was another piece of paper, this one looking new and crisp white. Obviously, it had been left there as some kind of bookmark.
"What's this leading to?" Twilight asked herself, turning the pages to see where it lead.
"Another page?" Rainbow sarcastically answered.
"I don't get it. It looked like someone speaking with another king, but there's nothing..."
Once again, Twilight had stopped herself.
""Nothing"...?" Rainbow urged her to continue.
Nothing came from the Alicorn still.
"Twilight?"
Still nothing.
"Twilight, what are you..."
As she peered her head to observe what had stunned her, she could see why. Taking up most of page 173 was a black and white photograph of a king standing in a large throne room, with some obvious Babylonians speaking with him.
What was hard to decide as more surprising was either the room that they were in, or who one of the Babylonians was.
"Isn't that...?!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed.
"It looks like him... But what's he doing in the Crystal Empire!?"
"This just doesn't make sense! How can he be there all that time ago, and still be alive today?"
"I'm not sure, but maybe Cadence does. If he's somehow old enough to be alive then and in the present day, then there might be a connection."
"We don't even know if she was there when this happened. Heck, we don't even know if that definitely IS him. for all we know, it could be a doppelganger or just a lookalike, like his dad or something."
"It's worth a try! Go tell the girls, and pack your bags; we're going on a little trip to the Crystal Empire." |
Marks Of Babylon | Agony Is Better Than Misery | Marks of Babylon
Chp. 7
Agony Is Better Than Misery
"Are y'all sure 'bout this?" Applejack asked, as the group ran from the train station through the streets and to the castle.
"It's our only lead!" Twilight answered. "Even if it's a small hope, it's still our best bet so far!"
"But you got that book from a Babylonian! Are you really going to go by their lead that they so willingly gave you!?" Rarity questioned the princess.
"If it means getting my friend back, YES!" She answered again, running faster.
Evening was fast approaching as they headed towards the castle. The sun was already setting, and the sky rippled with color.
As the girls made their way to the front doors of the castle, another figure had been observing them for as long as they had been off the train.
"...Heart." He began.
"What it would mean to possess a heart.
How what we feel differs from what we believe we feel.
Why those ungrateful enough to possess a heart live.
Who does carry a heart and who should carry a heart.
Where those who are ungrateful for a heart keep a heart.
When those ungrateful realise how meaningful a heart truly is."
A stallion can be seen walking up a cliff in the dark looking at his mask in front of him. Once he was on the very edge of the cliff, he replaced his Mask back on his face.
"Decisions and opinions persuade me to follow back here." He said to himself as he prepared to jump from the cliff. "There is only one living creature in this world who I must test for their heart."
He forced out his wings.
"Fluttershy." He flew down to the crystal empire from the cliff where he was looking over. "If you do not prove your worth to me, then like many others whom I have faced..." He landed and walked up to the castle.
"Your life will end."
""Babylon"?" Cadence quoted.
"That's correct." Twilight simply replied.
"I've never heard of it. Aunt Celestia has certainly never spoke of it, and as far as my knowledge, neither has anyone else in the kingdom."
"Really? Nothing at all?"
"So we travelled all the way here for nothing!?" Rainbow Dash asked, sounding irritated.
"I'm afraid that it appears so. I'm sorry; if there was anything I knew, I'd tell you."
"It's not your fault, Cadence. They would've never come to a war if he hadn't made the choice." Twilight explained to her friends.
"Who made what choice?" Asked Rarity.
Twilight place the book Calsuricxs gave her down so her friends could see as well.
She was on an open page with a silhouette of a stallion with a mask of the Marks of Babylon with red marks on.
They recognized him by his cavalier hat. It showed him standing on a pillar lifting a heart into the air above him.
"Normally, the Babylonians would've aged normally and passed away eventually like everything else, but one of them, Phoxjes, traded his heart for some ritual that keeps him and his friends young, alive and powerful forever."
"Oh great! First they're dangerous, and now they're immortal?" Rainbow Dash complained.
"So now he can't feel anything inside?" Asked Applejack.
"He can't, nor could he for the last thousands of years. I guess his friends just meant that much to him."
"Oh dear." Began Rarity. "Imagine how much he had to go through to keep them safe. And he may do the same to us or even Spike right now. Poor darling."
"I thought I told you to stop calling me that." Shouted a young dragon's voice across the room at the open door.
"Spike!" Most of them shouted at the same time.
When they took a look at him, they caught sight of the outfit he was wearing. The top looked like a black leather robe over his torso, although it didn't cover his right shoulder or arm. His pants were dark brown and made of fabric. Over the trousers they noticed he was wearing what looked to be a long leather komodo.
"Spike, what's with the getup?" Twilight asked in sheer confusion.
"The Marks said that if I'm gonna be a hero, then I better dress more appropriately for combat." Spike replied.
"THIS is a combat outfit?" Twilight continued to analyze.
"How did you get in!?" Asked Cadence.
"Wasn't too difficult." He smirked as he walked up to the ponies. "I had a little help."
"Your guards may be shiny, and the head may be Twilight's brother, but they can't really do much against thousands of years of training, as opposed to only about 2-5 years." He pointed at her.
"Look, what does the Babylon want!?" Asked Twilight knowing that this wouldn't end well.
"Well world domination would be nice." He joked.
"Spike..." Twilight growled.
"If I had it, I'd probably just hand it over to Illiux or Xandra. Then followed by a way for me to grow bigger other than by my greed, having Rarity as my wife, the great dragon migration under our command, and of course, the most important of all..."
The mane six and Cadence perked up.
"... Er, nevermind."
"Yes, Twilight was just telling me about some certain goals of theirs." Cadence started. "Or should I say, yours."
"Oh goody! Has she mentioned the part where it's apparently necessary to blow up the Crystal empire!?"
Cadence looked puzzled. "...No; that never came up."
"Oh in that case..."
On cue, a large boom and massive rumble from outside the castle caught their attention. Smoke entered the room from all available directions. More explosion sounds and vibrations came, each one getting closer to the throne room.
"... It's apparently necessary to blow up the Crystal empire!" He finished looking smug.
"Ahh!! My castle! Alert all unaware guards! We're under attack!!" Cadence continued to shout down the corridor.
The doors slammed open as a loud field of smoke and small traces of fire burst through them. As it did, Spike looked shocked at the sound, and then scared at what was about to come in.
"I trust you need no introduction for this young dragon." A stallion older than all the mares entered the room, walking in his black leather coat, jacket, jeans and boots, in addition to being soaking wet. He stopped next to Spike and placed his hoof on his shoulder.
"However, if you recall my previous presence, that would perhaps be more respectful, as you appear have more concern about my presence." He finished showing no emotion under his mask. Spike slowly nodded and backed off in fear.
"Wait, wait, don't tell me." Started Rainbow Dash. "You walked in, too."
"Partly, as I found it necessary approach you in a proper manor, your majesty. However, a small selection of your guards attempted to prevent me from reaching this room. As honorable as it was for them to do what they were trained for, I found it necessary to make my point clear that I will stop at nothing to obtain my objective, even if it requires injuring innocents."
"So you instead blew up some parts of a castle!?" Asked Twilight.
"Partially correct your highness. I chose to test some of your guards and their will to fight on. Whilst admittedly strong, clearly their wills were not strong enough."
"Excuse me, but what does that have to do with damaging my castle!?" Cadence replied.
"Princess Mi Amore Cadanza?"
"Yes. And you are?"
"Phoxjes Rome. Guardian, Mark of Babylon, Goth faction leader and self-proclaimed hero."
"Well it doesn't matter who you are; you didn't answer me before!"
"Every action is destined to have a consequence in return."
"Enough!! Why are you here!?"
"You clearly do not understand my true intentions, princess Cadence. I am here for more than one reason, one of them being looking for the Element of Kindness, miss Fluttershy."
"Yeah, well, you're never gonna get to her!" Shouted Rainbow as she covered Fluttershy underneath her. She then charged straight at him.
"Take this!" She shouted as she prepared to assault him with her flying kick.
He then prepared for the impact of her attack by countering with a head-on strike, but just then Spike then ran in front of him and blocked him from her using himself as a shield.
"Uh-oh." she called as she the purposely hit the ground rather than either of them. She then flew back to the girls.
"If I could feel pride, it would generate at this moment for what you have just done." Phoxjes complimented.
"Spike, what are you..."
"Do you understand?" He started to make his way over to the girls.
"Understand what!?"
"I have done nothing to your former friend. What he has just done then was of his his own choice. Now then..." He looked down at Fluttershy.
"Phoxjes Rome." He lifted his hat slightly to greet her.
When he did the ladies all noticed an unusual feature about him. He had what appeared to be shattered remains of a horn on his head. As if some pony or something had snapped it off.
"I am aware of who you might be, miss Fluttershy. You are, after all, the cause of more than 80% of my Babylon becoming annihilated."
"Um, well, I, uh, I'm sorry. I'm sorry!" She managed to stutter out in fear as he began to approach.
"I forgive you, Element of Kindness. In all honesty, I never accused you alone to begin with. Upon my analysis, the one who once meant more than the very world itself to me is the cause of my actions."
"Uh... Who are you talking about?" Asked Cadence.
"Princess Celestia, but it matters not."
"Why?" Asked Twilight. "What do you have to do with the princess?"
"Perhaps another meeting will answer that. But for now, I understand that you are rather proud of your magic and elements. However, what you do not seem to show any sense of responsibility or respect towards is the motivation and determination of your enemies."
"And you feel you do?"
"I cannot feel much, if anything. With all my victims I am able to show both manners and understanding, even if they only commit crime for their own selfish deeds."
"Okay, so you seem... Heroic, but that still doesn't answer my question." Twilight turned back to him and Spike.
"All that you require to know is that I have known Celestia longer than you may believe, or wish to believe." Phoxjes looked down.
"Moving on, miss Fluttershy." She also collapsed on his words. "I demand that you and I battle. If you are victorious, than I shall grant you and your friends one agreed possibility."
"Eeep!" She squeed.
"In addition, that was not a request." He began to approach her as Twilight tried to defend her.
"Hey! Stay away from her!" Called out Twilight. To their surprise, he actually did stop.
"Very well." He looked at her.
'Did... Did that actually work?' Twilight thought to herself.
"You will fight in her place. However, before we begin, perhaps you can answer this question. Why have you chosen to put your own life in danger, as opposed to allowing the element of kindness to feel possible pain?"
"Because, well... Because I'm her friend! And I'll never want to see my friends get hurt!
"So you are protecting her? Noble. Truly. However, shielding one from another only proves so much. If you were be killed in this battle, where would that leave her?"
"Wh-what?" Twilight felt scared at his words, as he has literally just said he could kill her right here and now, and in a very casual tone for him.
"She would become defenseless, an easy target. If you protect her now, it will only prove that you believe she is weak without you."
"T-that's not true!! She is strong! Strong enough to handle any pony! Or even a dragon! She proved that to us once, and she even convinced the spirit of chaos to change! She is strong enough!"
"That spirit was once almost considered a son to me, until you forced him to change his nature and join you against his will. I fail to see how what has happened to Spike is any different."
"If it helps, he turned evil again a couple of seasons ago!" Pinkie interrupted.
"So then, you say I am wrong? That this girl can survive, regardless if her friends are there for her or not?"
"That's right!"
He then took his mask off slowly, showing Twilight his Ruby eyes.
She saw the constant expression of anger in his eyes and eyebrows.
His eyes were very much different to anypony else's. They had the pupils, irises, and everything, but they had no white reflection. There was nothing there at all; it looked as they he had been hypnotized.
"If you believe she is strong, yet still wish to battle me in her place..."
"Wait!" Shouted her one time assistant across the room.
"Spike!?" Twilight had hope that maybe that talk the two of them were just having might of helped.
"Yes?" He turned to him.
"If they're gonna switch opponents, then can we as well?!" He asked enthusiastically.
"Hm? You wish to take my place against the princess of friendship? You understand that you will be fighting against your old mistress."
"SHE WAS NEVER MY MISTRESS!! Plus, I only want to do it because I wanna face Twilight at least once before you're gonna kill her."
"It is your decision if you wish to, boy; I am an honorable stallion. However, I ask you to recall what it was that I said about the use of apostrophes In my presence."
Spike looked in fear, realization and idiocy.
"Uh... Not to use them."
"Excellent. It is good to see that you can learn quickly. Now go forth and eradicate that element of harmony."
"Yeah! Alright Twilight, let's do this!" Spike called as he cracked his knuckles walking over to her.
"No. No, you can't really try this, Spike. Please, I'm your friend, not him!"
"If she was your friend, you would be trying to stop me rather then them. She cares only for her friends and herself, leaving all she despises to live in misery. It is beings such as her who are the cause of the collapse of our Babylon."
"AAAUUUUGGHHH!!!" Spike roared as he pounced on her and tried to fire his flaming breath directly in her face.
When he landed, he actually managed to slam her right down, and open fired. She did however cover her face with a magic shield, then attempted to buck him off of her.
He dodged and clung onto her mane and spun round her. He then grabbed her by her fore hooves and threw her away across the room.
"My..." She picked herself up. "Some dragon's certainly gotten stronger."
"Now she is mocking you, and declaring that you were weak in the time you had with her."
"Yeah, well, THOSE days are OVER!" He created the same small flaming meteor and sent it hurling at her.
"TWILIGHT!!" The others shouted in concern. Xandra's light then showed from her chest and faded once again.
"Come on we need to help her!" Ordered Rainbow Dash. They knew that the Babylon barrier hadn't been set up, so they had a fair chance, until...
"You shall not dishonor this challenge; this battle shall stand." Phoxjes flew right in front of them, preventing them from reaching the fighting two.
"No, you're just not gonna stop us!!" Rainbow charged directly at him. He prepared for this by flying up at her and grabbing her by the neck, then threw her downwards. She managed to stay in the air, but he then rammed into her, crushing the ground throwing her up and bucking her into Applejack.
"Ugh... Hey!" He then grabbed her by the back hoof and spun her around, knocking her into Rarity and Pinkie pie. He released and sent the three of them flying into a wall, cracking it.
Fluttershy looked in horror, then became enraged.
"How... How dare you..." She turned to him.
"HOW DARE-" He flew straight up to her, placed his left hoof on her shoulder, and forced his right hoof right into her chest, knocking every sack of air out of her, leaving her literally speechless.
"O--ow--" she weakly gasped out. Before collapsing.
Twilight and Spike were still fighting each other, until she saw what he had just done to her friends.
"You... You... You absolute..." She was about to release her true anger and power out on them, when she was reminded.
"You know Twilight, the angrier YOU get, the more serious and stronger HE'LL become!" Spike taunted.
She found it difficult to make a decision a this point: herself, or her friends.
She was almost brought to tears.
"You monster. You monster!" She charged directly at him.
"How dare you!" He charged back and overpowered her greatly.
She was sent back flying into a wall.
"Uh...ugh..." She weakly stood.
"You recklessly use your elements to defeat opponents you consider an actual threat, caring not about their fate..." He fired some sort of mostly red and black energy from his hoof at her, knocking into the wall again.
"Ah!!" She cried.
"You fight in the name of your ruler, without notice or consideration that she is either too weak or too much of a coward to battle in her own name..." This time, his hoof lit up in the energy again, but this time it was used to ram into her directly.
"Ohh!!!"
"You care not about the struggle and the strife of the ordeals that your opponents face..." Another attack.
"Ugh!!!"
"You allow your friends to suffer without cause simply because you believe that friendship will be the cure of everything, when the truth remains that the magic you are fortunate, yet ungrateful, to wield is the only real answer for you..." Another strike.
"Ugh..." She barely had any physical energy left.
"You treated your former assistant with the worse possible care of any other living creature you know or even knew, expecting him to accept this." Another energy attack.
"Agh...ah." She fell down, on the brink of unconsciousness.
"And yet you view me as the outlaw." He finished attacking.
"I understand why you do not wish for me to continue my path on restoring my Babylon; you wish for your world to become perfect in harmony, where there is no war, no crime, no famine or pestilence."
"That, young Princess, is exactly what me and my Babylonians intend to do; split this world in half!"
He lifted her head up slightly so that he could see her face wincing in pain.
"One half shall remain in peace and harmony, whilst we bring the other half into chaos and disarray. If this happens, my Babylon will have become restored, and perhaps then every pony can be happy."
He let go of her.
"True, I, nor any creature, can determine how this idea will result, yet I passionately believe that this will save Equestria and Babylon. The idea of it: Babylon floating in-between both halves of the world, restored and perfected."
"H-How can yo-you save a-an-nyth-ing by dest-destr-o-ying the w-w-world?" Twilight asked in between breaths.
"There is a distinct difference between destruction and sacrifice. I will not allow all that has been lost to be in vain. Perhaps, in the next life, you can understand my intention." He looked slightly miserable.
With that he reached for his belt over his tight Gothic jeans and pulled out what looked like a handle of some sort. It became more clear as he pulled.
It was a sword. An Eyelander in fact.
He turned round and prepared to put the sharp straight weapon to proper use. He raised his hoof holding the sword and struck it right down into her body.
As his swing came striking down into her flesh, a loud metal clang was heard on impact.
"I remember you." Phoxjes quietly told the newly arrived stallion looking him dead in the eye. "You are important to both of the princesses in this room; they both share the same feeling about you, one which I can no longer feel: love."
"That's right! Both of them are important to me, and I shall defend then with my life!" The captain of the guards tried to strike again with his spear, to which Phoxjes was quick to defend himself by blocking.
"Sh...Shin...y?" Twilight looked up with one open eye.
"D...dear?" Cadence walked back to the center.
"Twily! Cadence! It's alright; I'm here now!" He looked both relieved and worried.
"You may be here now to save them, but I am still alive and standing, meaning that my endeavors for victory shall continue." Phoxjes continued.
"You will not ever lay a single hoof on MY family again!"
"I no longer have a family. Because of that, yours is of no importance to me, Shining Armor!"
"Cadence, get out of here before they hurt you, or get to Flurry!"
With that, she began to proceed her way out of there as fast as she could.
They both charged at each other with their weapons and saw them clash. When they did they forced them into each other and stared at each other in silence for the longest time, neither one of them wanting to give up.
"Wow." Spike commented. "White and blue vs black and red. This could make for a good movie."
"Spike!" Twilight argued. "This isn't the time to be entertained!"
"I heart fully disagree; now is the perfect time. But then again Twilight, i shouldn't bring up anything i have an opinion on, should I(?) So unless you wanna take this disagreement to a personal level, stay outta this!" His claws once again glowing in a green fire as his fists clenched.
"*sigh* Spike, be honest. Do you really want to fight because you believe that, or do you wanna fight because the Babylonians told you to?"
"Be quiet! The Babylonians treat me way better than how you did! And they actually taught me to defend myself! Here, I'll show you!"
Spike prepared the flame meteor again and was ready to fire at Twilight again, until she fired a spell directly at his hand where the fire ball was, causing it to implode on him.
"AUGHH!" He screamed as he grabbed his wrist with his other hand while the burning pain lingered for a second. He then looked back at her and decided to attack her physically instead. He ran at her and tried to jab her, only to have her dodge out of the way.
He didn't let that stop him though. He attacked her again, yet she still dodged. She noticed that he was a lot faster than before, especially when it came to his reflexes in battle.
She had a harder time moving out of the way each time. Eventually, once she was against a wall had to resort to teleporting.
Unfortunately, she learnt that was an even worse idea as she then left herself wide open for an attack the second she reappeared.
The flash of light had arrived, and Spike let loose the fireball again. Twilight was hit, her body now burning from the attack.
Spike then smirked and began to walk up to her to continue his physical damage, but was stopped by a rope being wrapped around his hand again.
"Gotcha!" Applejack shouted with the rope in her mouth trying to pull him towards her.
"Woah!" He called as he lost his balance, being forced to walk there.
"Ha!" Rainbow dash then flew down and grabbed his other hand and pulled that as well.
His struggle then began, and both mares pulled at equal strength to prevent him from moving at all.
"Illiux, where are you guys?" He asked himself as he was still trying not to be ripped in half by the girls.
"What's that supposed to mean!?" Rainbow asked as she had a serious look on her face.
"Phoxjes! Are they ready with operation H.R.R. yet!?"
Phoxjes was in a one on one weapon press with Shining Armor with his sword against his spear, until he looked up and saw Spike in pain by his position.
He then ceased the press by pulling his sword away, moving to the left, therefore allowing Armor to fall forwards slightly, striking his Eyelander directly in between him and his spear and blocking him from using it. Phoxjes then proceeded to knee him in the face, causing him to turn round.
Shining was now covering his bleeding face with his fore hoofs. As he was turned round, Phoxjes then picked him up and threw him across the room, giving himself enough room to fly towards Applejack.
"Uh-oh." She said as she had to let go of the rope in order to try and block him.
As she readied her bucking hoofs, he landed when she tried to kick him, but instead kicked the air, as she was now vulnerable for him to pick her up by wrapping his left hoof around her leg, and his right hoof around her waist. He then lifted her up vertically, and threw her straight down headfirst.
While he kept her occupied, Rainbow dash then fell over as Spike was free to use the rope to wrap around her neck. Now it was his turn to pull. She got up as her instincts told her to, realizing she was currently being choked with her strangler on her back.
"Yee-haw!" Spike laughed, as he continued to suffocate her, until he felt a magic blast on his back, causing him let go and leaving Dash coughing on the ground.
He turned around to see that Twilight was standing again, her horn lighting up, showing she was ready to fight.
He smiled evilly as he got off of her and began making his way over Twilight again. Once Rainbow dash had finished coughing, she looked up and started to fly over to stop him, until she was hit by Rarity's body as she landed on top of her.
Rainbow then looked up to see that Phoxjes was still battling the other four at the same time, and winning. She didn't know who to help, when the light shone from under the balcony. This caught the eye of everyone there.
This blinding light came higher and closer, until Illiux jumped up onto the balcony ledge, followed by Roranxoa standing on a rising pillar of earth on his left, and the wind carrying Calsuricxs on his right.
"Is Xandra ready?" Phoxjes asked the three of them whilst he and Spike were walking to the balcony.
"Operation H.R.R. is ago, Herren." The non-accented German stallion said to the two of them.
"About time, guys!" Spike smiled as he hopped onto Phoxjes's back when he prepared to fly away with them.
"Wait! Where're you going!? And what's operation H.R.R.!?" Twilight wanted to know as she was ready to follow them.
"Hey, pooch! Ya know what curiosity did to the cat? The same thing what I do ta cats: feed it to ma dogs." Roranxoa called to Twilight.
The five of them then dropped down onto the ground outside. Twilight and the others then looked out to see the five of them heading towards Canterlot.
"So then, the elements provide the singularity source for the rainbow, then the harmony is emitted in Rainbow form to ascend, then descend onto the disharmony around it?" Xandra was still trying to figure out how the elements function from the three that she helped Spike steal.
She figured that the best place to do this would to be outside of the Discord statue, which had been moved back into the Canterlot gardens.
"If so, then the elements will have to prevent all recent quarrels among the wielders, otherwise the connection between them could become corrupted. Meaning that, with potential, the smallest argument, even in subconscious form has the capacity of obliterating the elements power."
She then continued to write down what she said on the notebook she brought with her.
"I'll need to share this with the other Babylonians then."
"If the girls fall out, the elements don't do nuttin'. Got it." Capxe was leaning against Discord smoking another cigarette and drinking his Pepsi. On the ground was four other cigarette butts.
"Fair way of putting it Caxpe..." She said under her breath.
"Xandra!" She heard several voices call her name as she looked up and saw the other five running and flying towards her.
"You're here!!" She stood up and hugged Illiux to greet him.
"Yes! Get in!" Capxe then greeted Xoa and Cal by using his darkness hands from his cape to high five them.
"This is not the time for a reunion. Xandra, you must initiate the plan as we rehearsed." Phoxjes bluntly stated.
"Yes, of course." She said as she walked back to wards the statue. The others proceeded to stand behind her.
"So this is gonna do, what, exactly?" Spike asked in confusion and excitement.
"I believe the visual will speak for itself." Illiux stood firmly while answering.
"Uh..."
"Just shuddup and find out, really." Caxpe then got out his E-cig and started with that.
Xandra then took a deep breath in and out. She used her magic to levitate her saddlebag up and place her notebook inside and pull out the elements of honesty, generosity and loyalty.
She moved the elements to one above her, one on the left and one on the right and to make a triangle with her horn in the centre.
"Here goes..." She whispered as her horn lit up, and three thin white magic beams connected very slowly to the three elements.
"So princess 'I can't do anything to run a country' isn't gonna follow us here?" Calsuricxs asked Spike.
"What're on about, mate? Celestia isn't in this chapter." Caxpe then laughed off.
"Hahahaha. No I meant Twilight."
"Oh, you meant Sparkle the useless!" Caxpe laughed again.
"Nah, she isn't coming after Phoxjes and I finished with her and the others." Spike replied.
"So you battered her?" Caxpe then asked, patting Spike on the shoulder, before looking back at Xandra. "Top man."
"Thanks. Uh... What did you mean 'this chapter'?"
"Look, she's ready." Illiux drew their attention to her.
The three beams then connected to the elements, which now had a same color glowing outline on the three of them, and the beams them made a circle connecting to the other two.
As they connected, the ground started to shake, the magic had a strong wind blowing away from it in all directions.
The circle then glowed a similar white color in the center of it, as Xandra then started to scream in pain from the new power.
"Xandra!!" Illiux shouted with his fore hoof in front of his face trying to block the wind as every pony's mane was blowing and their clothes flapping in the wind.
"Xandra!! Hold on!!" He shouted, as then tried to approach her.
"Illiux stop now!!" Phoxjes shouted to him, running in front of him and turning around on his hind legs with his forelegs out to block him.
"What are you doing!? She's in pain! A true gentlecolt does leave a lady in such peril!!" Illiux shouted to him.
"I am concerned about her as well, however we cannot interfere with the spell!!"
The circle then emitted a light blue ring in the center, which then expanded to the edge of the circle, followed by a yellow circle, which expanded from the center to the edge of the blue ring, then a light red ring which expanded from the center to the edge of the yellow ring.
"Guys!! What is this!?" Spike then asked the six of them.
"Operation H.R.R.!! Harmony Rainbow Refraction!!"
A loud boom sound was heard as well the wind faded and Xandra's horn stopped glowing instantly as she dropped to the ground.
The circle had fired a powerful Rainbow, which was heading in the opposite direction. It was similar to the Rainbow Of Harmony, but this one was rotating repeatedly so that it connected to itself, forming a spinning Rainbow beam.
Once the beam had traveled far enough, constantly piercing through walls, plants and even small animals, there was a rainbow colored explosion in the distance, which was spreading across the land.
"Xandra!" Illiux then ran up to her, and picked her head up in his hooves. "Xandra, bist du in Ordnung, mein fraulein?"
"Eh... Jawohl..." She replied as she smiled while her eyes opened.
Illiux was reassured as he smiled back.
"Oi, get a room." Caxpe said to them, as Illiux's horn glowed and a panel flashed in his face.
"Ahh! That hurt, you Muppet!"
"This power is phenomenal. If we use this magic on the right half, our plan can advance." Phoxjes stared into the distance.
"It came from outside!" A voice called from inside the castle.
"There they are! They're by the statue!" Two guards arrived at the garden arch as the Marks were spotted.
"Call for back up!" More guards arrived as they started to become surrounded.
"How many are there!?" "All of them! All six of them! The dragon is with them as well!"
"Hey! 'The dragon' has a name!" Spike shouted angrily.
"Yeah, yeah, another time mate." Caxpe then back up to the others.
"Hey, uh, Il? About now would be awesome..." Cal joined them.
Illiux's horn lit up again as the seven of them were then surrounded by rotating panels again. After about five seconds, the panels disappeared, and so were the Babylonians, and the discord statue. |
Marks Of Babylon | Dragolonians Part 1 | Marks of Babylon
Chapter 8
Dragolonians Part 1
Crystal empire.
Dawn.
5.55am.
Guard meeting room.
Before his position started, due to the most recent physical damage, Captain Shining Armor was talking to his fellow guards about how they may need to increase their security, as well as other matters.
This continued until one of them needed to go to the John and left the others.
As he entered the empty bathroom, he opened the stall and to his surprise, some one was waiting for him on the inside, and immediately pulled him in. He tried to protest and call out for help, when an off-screen punch sound emitted, followed by a thud, and he suddenly went silent.
Meanwhile in the other room, it was almost time to start their day jobs and so Shining's colleagues went their separate paths. He was turning to grab his helmet, and as he put it on...
"Shining!" A stranger called out from behind.
He turned to see the unfamiliar voice. "Yo Shining!"
It was a teenage dragon wearing one of the guards outfits. His appearance almost made him gasp at first.
Imagine Spike:
Was Garble's age.
Had razor sharp spines and claws.
Had green spikes for spines all over his head like a porcupines back.
Got a six pack.
Was muscly
Grew wings as big and long as a Charizard's.
Had a mace at the end of his tail instead of that pointy thing.
Had a 9 foot long tail.
Grew a thin beard like an 18 year olds.
That's basically a description of what this dragon looks like.
"Name's Xervint, your new recruit." He began to approach Shining. "Just wanted to say that's gonna be awesome hanging with you, brah."
Shining wasn't sure what to make of this; he had never had a dragon used as a guard before, and he wasn't told that there would be any new recruits joining recently. Still, they may have needed the help of everyone at the moment, and he seemed nice enough.
"Um thanks?" He replied.
"Hey, don't sweat it. High five, man!" He offered his claw. Shining smiled and returned with a hoof, until...
As soon as he made contact, Xervint appeared to lightly wrap the front of his claw around his hoof, and Shining could feel energy flowing straight out of his body. He felt like something sucked the life out of him. All of a sudden, his cutie mark went dark.
Xervint smiled. "Hmm. See ya." He then walked off in the opposite direction to where Shining weakly trotted.
About the same time as this, the apple family were just about to start their work routine, except for Applejack, who was still resting due to injury, left over from Phoxjes and Spike.
As Applebloom was walking past her sister's room, she felt scared at the sound of her sister's groans of agony, trying to move. She crept her head in the slightly opened doorway, and looked sad.
'How much longer til ah'm like that? Are they gonna come fer me as well?' The thought of being ambushed by the five stallions and one mare lingered in her head.
As she began to walk down the stairs, something was thrown into the corridor.
She jumped when it dropped on the floor behind her, but she reluctantly went to pick it up anyway.
It was a melted apple pastry. More worrying was that it was the pastry that SHE made yesterday. She noticed that there was a note attached to it.
'Hey AB baby! We haven't met, but I need ya for something. Meet Spike at the Collapsed Chasm in 10 minutes. Oh, and Bring your friends, just for the laughs.'
Yours faithfully
Xervint.'
Meanwhile, just outside of Ponyville, Twilight and Rainbow dash were walking together debating what they should do next about the Babylonians.
They continued their discussion, until they came to a mountain side and overheard some distant fillies above them.
"Hey, what're you doing up there!?!!" Twilight panicked.
"Heading for the collapsed Chasm! Spike said he'll meet us there! Scootaloo responded.
"And you really believed him!?!" Shouted Twilight.
"Don't worry, we'll be fine!" Called Sweetie. "Up here we're perfectly-" she was then cut off by the explosion caused right behind her and the other two by some mixture of green lightning and Shining Amour's magic.
The three of them lost their balance and fell off the cliff.
"NOO!!" The two elements shouted in unison as they flew up to try and catch them. And they were about to, but were out flew by a certain dragon as he caught two in one hand each and the third in his tail.
"Spike!?" Twilight called out surprised, and as she did he circled and landed them and himself safely on the ground. The other two ran up to him and once they stopped he turned his face.
"Nope, never heard of him." He stated. She hardly cared, however, seeing as how he just saved the lives of three young fillies.
"Twilight he looks exactly like-" Rainbow Dash whispered to her.
"I know. Should we go and talk to him?" Twilight whispered back to her.
"Hey, thanks for the save." Said Rainbow to the dragon.
"That was pretty cool of you."
"Seems as though we owe you our gratitude." Followed Twilight.
"Well, I'm flattered that you're grateful, but I just wish I could do what you do. I mean you're like real heroes or something! It's great to meant ya!" He said offering Twilight a hoof shake.
She took it and, like what he did to Shining, she felt a draining shock as soon as he wrapped his claw around her hoof. Now she felt power drained. Her cutie mark's light faded as well. He released.
"You too" he said to Rainbow, repeating the cycle over again. Her strength felt strange as well.
"Later~" he playfully whistled. As he walked off.
"Hey, Twilight? I'm not feeling too good." Moaned Rainbow.
"Yeah, me nether."
They both then found it difficult to stand up, and were about to fall over, until the other three girls tried to help them up.
"Just try again, Twi" Applejack said picking up a book and putting it on a desk.
"Come on, Applejack, this is the fifth time now." She moaned.
"Okay, I'll try." She then tried with all her might to use her magic to even shift the book at all, but to no avail. She only hurt herself from stress and fell down. Again.
"Huh...huh...huh...this is...as fast...huh...as...I can go...huh" gasped Rainbow dash while running at a regular ponies running pace on a treadmill. Her newly formed cramp forced her to stop.
"Well..." Said Twilight as she picked herself up. "The problem's clear enough. Rainbow and I are no longer in possession of our special talents. The question is, how?"
"Hey! You six!" The elements turned their heads to see Scootaloo rush in on her scooter.
"Scoootaloo, what're you doing here?" asked Fluttershy.
"You gotta hear this! There's been a massive fire started in the ever free forest, and it's about to hit Fluttershy's cottage!"
"What!?!" Fluttershy cried. "Those poor animals could get hurt!"
"Well then let's not waste any time!" Said Pinkie.
"Twilight, perhaps you and Rainbow Dash should stay hear and rest." Recommended Rarity. "You shouldn't strain yourself too much."
They agreed.
The other four galloped as fast as they could over to the cottage and saw that the roof was already on fire. But for 'some' reason, the fire was purple.
"Hey." Called Pinkie. "I thought that she said that it was ABOUT to catch fire." They all had to push their way in front of the crowd of ponies in front of them. There were a numerous amount of other ponies at the scene looking at the flames work.
"Alrighty then." Began Applejack. "I'm gonna see if I can bust out any of them lil' critters" she ran to the other entrance to break the doors open when she heard...
"Help!" She turned to the stream to see something struggling. "Somepony help me!" He said before going down. She had no choice but to jump in and try to save him.
As soon as she even dived in, she felt something grab her and drained something from inside of her. She was flown out of the water quite quickly. She weakly saw that she was in the arms of a certain dragon as he safely landed her onto the land and began his show.
The other three tried what they could to extinguish the flames, before they were shown up. Something was flying above them with incredible speed. He used a source of purple magic in his left hand and a somewhat pink source in his right to move some parts of the stream water over the fire.
"Here, let the people show you how it's done." He shouted as he zoomed around the house at Rainbow Dash speed putting out every inch of fire.
"Who is that guy?" Asked Rarity as a very exhausted Applejack walked on scene.
"Aw...heck if ah know." He suddenly rushed over right in front of Rarity.
"Name's Xervint! And I've always wanted to meet the most beautiful pony in Equestria." he said while taking her hoof.
"Oh! W-well-"
The energy drain happened again.
"You two, babe." he said as he let go and offered it to Fluttershy as she whimpered to the sight of a teenage dragon. He was about to grab her by force before, to his unfortunate surprise, the other ponies in the crowd carried him away.
"There he is!" "He saved the animals!" "Xervint!" "He's a superhero!" He was lifted and rode the crowd.
"Nah... Just a regular hero." He called to his newly adoring public.
"Then he touched us, and all of a sudden our special talents were gone." Rarity finished explaining to the others.
"Well it's clear what the problem is. Him." Replied Rainbow.
"On one hoof, he is using our talents to help ponies." Said Twilight.
"But on the other hoof, it's just stealing. And I want my speed back! Nothing that this guy does is gonna stop that."
"At the very least, Xervint acts as though..." Fluttershy was interrupted.
"Wait a minute. Xervint? Isn't that the name of the dragon who sent the letter to Celestia the day Spike got kidnapped?" Of course, only Twilight would remember that.
Before any pony could answer, three guards came running down the hallway, two of them carrying the third.
"Your highness! Captain Shining requires to speak to you straight away!" One of them called to Twilight.
"Shiny what happened!?" She asked as she tried to help him up.
"I'm the one who should be asking that." He said as he found the strength to stand.
"You should still be resting after that battle we had with Phoxjes a few days ago." twilight was still focused on that battle.
"Have any of you seen a dragon come by here?"
"As a matter of fact, we have. In fact, we're just talking about him." This got him to stand properly.
"He didn't touch you did he!?"
"Um... Maybe?"
He sighed.
"You see, this morning he came by the crystal empire and claimed that he was joining my command. He then touched me and I felt a strange power running through me. After this, I caught him with my own eyes abandoning his post, and flying off into Canterlot. I ran as fast I as could to follow him until my energy completely dropped. Even during passing out, I managed to see what he did next. He fired some sort of energy beam from his spines and caused a rock slide."
"That dirty little gecko!" Twilight shouted. "So first he stole your talent, then he caused a dangerous rockslide, then he rescued the crusaders and stole our talents, just so he could be famous."
"Yeah, an ah'm fairly certain he's the one who started the fire at the cottage where mine an rarity's talents went missin'" replied AJ.
"Well, I think that it's payback time!" Declared Rainbow. "Now let's find us a certain dragon."
Just then, they all heard some cheering in the distance. They looked out of the window to see tons of ponies gathering around a teenage dragon who appeared to be signing autographs.
"Well, that wasn't too difficult." Joked Twilight.
"Xervint!" "Over here, Xervint!" "Sign mine!" "Xervint, come on!"
"Easy, every pony!" He called. "My beautiful face is here to stay, so there's plenty of Xervint to go around."
"Oh, is that so?" A tomboyish voice called from behind the public.
"Better save the celebrations, Xervint, for the real magic show, because there isn't any power in you, is there? Cause the real Xervint is nothing more than a big powerless, uh..., Xervint head!" "Twilight only shook her head at this.
"Dash, that makes no sense."
"You stole our special talents, didn't you! Admit it: you're a big fraud!"
The ponies all gasped.
"You're not getting away again." Rarity finished.
"BHA HA HA! Stole YOUR talents!? Look, every pony, they're only jealous because for once, someone else can do something better than they can, and Twilight wants me gone for looking like her enemy!"
Unfortunately, the public was still on his side at this point.
They all started booing at the mane six.
"But I'm a nice drake, so I am willing to forgive and forget." He used Rainbow's powers to rush over to Fluttershy and place his hand on her shoulder.
"We can be friends, right?" He asked with a friendly tone.
She then felt her inner strength flow straight into his claw emitting from all of her body.
"Fluttershy! Get away from her!" Twilight called as she ran up and pulled her friend away too late.
"See? I thought she was meant to represent the magic of friendship!" He called as the crowd then began to boo at the mane six again.
"Alright, I've had enough of this super clown!" Rainbow shouted. She then whispered "Maybe if we rush him all at once, he won't be able to defend himself."
"Good thinking, dash." Twilight replied.
The six of them did just that.
He then used Rarity's powers to pull some gems out of the ground at use Twilight's to launch each one at them. This knocked them all back into one big pile.
"Any more thoughts?" Asked Rainbow.
"Man, they are totally out for me!" He shouted as he then charged up his spines and fired against some streetlights and trees nearby, causing them to fall on the girls.
"Ya see? I gotta defend myself!" The mane six each tried to avoid the rocks as they dodged each one. He was toying with them and they knew it well.
Then out of nowhere, a pink puff of smoke appeared on top of the rocks.
"Alright, captain suck-up! And I mean that literally. You may think you can do everything, but can you do..." She reached behind her and pulled out her infamous party cannon. "THIS!?"
"Hey, I thought Caxpe broke that toy!" He smirked back at her. She open fired and he flew out of reach, then back down.
"Sweet! But can you do this?" He said as his razor sharp spines lit up and fired the same energy beam from before directly at Pinkie.
"AHH" she shouted as some smoke was summonsed around her. Xervint saw this and took an opportunity and rushed over to her using Rainbow's speed.
"Gotcha." He playfully said when he wrapped his claws around the smoke, but to seemed to grab nothing.
"Huh!?!"
The ponies and one dragon then looked up to see her on top of one of the houses.
"Ha! Can you do THAT!" She mocked. He then rushed up a different house and charged right at her. He crawled down when landing, and tried to grab her, but she seemed to have gone again.
"Grrr" he snarled.
"Oh Xervint~" she called. She was now on a random ponies head. He charged again, and she disappeared again.
"Where are ya, Pie dude!?"
Twilight and her friends then smiled at Pinkie's usual randomness.
"Hey look! Pinks is actually getting to him." She said
"Seems like she's somehow evolved irritating to a special talent." Replied Rainbow.
Xervint was still looking around for her, when suddenly...
"Heads up!" A shout was heard from another roof. They all saw that she was using her party cannon again and was already launched directly at him. However, he was a quick thinker and got into counter position he jumped onto his hands and readied his legs.
"Back at ya." He shouted as he used AJ's talent to buck it away back to Pinkie. She couldn't move quick enough and was hit as well as sent flying off of the roof.
"Ha!" Came a teenage voice as it flew by and grabbed her. "Gotcha now party girl. How's it feel to be shaking and grooving in fear?"
A strange shock wave then flew right through her body and into his.
"Not fun." She sadly answered.
"Well that makes six out of six." Twilight began.
"What are we gonna do? Now that he's got my power, he's almost unstoppable." Whined Pinkie.
"You know, maybe what Phoxjes told us can help."
"You mean "Help is what he will have have, if his power you are to feed.
Retrieve that power back, and help is what he will then need."?" Asked an uninterested Rainbow.
"Yeah, if we somehow find a way to steal our special talents back, maybe then he'll be completely powerless." Twilight brainstormed.
"OK so we have a plan. Now how do we get our talents back?" Fluttershy joined in.
"We do what they would've done. Go in there with as much brutal force as we can until we get what we want."
"Alright, let's draw him out with some bait first." Suggested Rarity. "And I believe I know where to find it."
"THIS is yer plan?!" Asked AJ. "Yer makin' us walk all the way over 'ere again to find a dragon?!"
"Ugh." grunted Rarity. "I do believe I'm starting to see why these dogs blame me for whining."
"Ah still think ma plan is gonna work better."
"Rarity what if the diamond dogs take you again?"
"AAAHHHH!!!" Screamed a voice from the inside of the nearest cave.
The mane six went over to investigate, when rover and his old friends were sent hurdling out.
"Hahahahahahaha!" Laughed a teenage voice from inside.
"Run!!" Called Rover. The other mutts followed as they pegged it.
The mane six knew who it was and rush in.
"Xervint!!" Shouted Twilight as they reached the end of the tunnel. "We've come for our- woah." She stopped as she saw what Xervint had done to the cave.
There was gem and rock statues of famous dragons who Twilight and her friends couldn't recognise.
Xervint could be seen from the other side on a ruby, sapphire and emerald throne. Golden robes hung from the ceiling and the room floor was almost spotless from loose stones.
Everywhere was nicely decorated with gems and even regular paintings. Not to mention the room itself was now approximately 60-100 metres long and wide.
"What took you so long? Was wittle Fwuttershy scared of the big mean dragon, or did Rarity spend another five hours preparing her mane?"
"I love what you've done with the decor." Gazed Rarity.
"If you beat me, you can have it."
"We didn't come for a cave, we've come for our talents." Shouted Twilight.
"Bring on, Zelda!" He roared as he leaped from his throne and flew above and over them as he fired his familiar spine beam at them. They managed to dodge each one landing almost perfectly.
"Ha. Been practising? Well that won't help much against this!" He shouted as he fired all three magic sources of Twilight, Rarity and Shining from his hands and tail.
The six jumped out the way as it hit a pillar, causing it to fall on him.
"Heads up, Xervint!" shouted Rainbow. He gasped and flew out of the way.
"Wow! You're trying to mock me too! Keep it up Dash and maybe soon you'll be able to insult me."
"That won't be the only way you'll be hurt!" Charged Twilight. She jumped up and tried to slam him. He blocked her and threw her down.
"Bring it on! I've still got my old moves too!" He tries a few punches, kicks air strikes and slam.
This continued until she got behind and pounced on him, wrapping her hooves around him tightly. They struggled for a few milliseconds when...
"Ah, hooves off, kid!!"
A purple glow emerged from his body and began to slow transfer over to her.
Twilight's eyes then began to glow in the same colour of her coat. She could feel herself getting stronger.
He proved stronger still, and managed to throw her forwards, getting her off of him.
"Hey..." Her horn started to glow slightly. She had an idea.
"Hey Xervint, I've got a little present for you" Rainbow dash confidently said as she ripped out part of the ground and launches it at him having Applejack buck it.
He was still a bit shocked from having Twilight absorb him so he couldn't dodge. He was buried in the rubble.
"Grrr..." He snarled as he got back up and his eyes glowed up in the same colour as Rarity's magic as he lifted his left hand at the two and fired a light blue magical beam, knocking them down.
"Surprise!" Shouted a pink earth pony as she then had a ton of small rocks and boulders next to her. She then took cover behind them and her mane then activated like a launcher, firing each one at him.
"Oh, so that's how it's gonna be?" He reached behind him and pulled out "his" party cannon. He started to open fire at each rock, causing balloons to pop and confetti to scatter everywhere.
The other girls then took cover. Twilight then began to inform them.
"Girls, I know how to beat him. When I touched Xervint I felt my powers coming back."
"So that is why he won't let any one near him. He absorbs the powers through touch, so we can get them back the same way." Suggested Fluttershy.
The party explosions continued until eventually Pinkie ran out of rocks to launch and the cannon aimed right for her, knocking her back into the other girls.
"And that was extreme measures, Xervint style."
"Time for a little squeeze play. Come on, girls, altogether." Twilight declared. They all rushed at once.
He then punched Twilight to the left, punched Rainbow to the right, threw Applejack up into the air, knocked Pinkie pie away with his tail, grabbed Rarity and threw her down when he jumped and kicked Fluttershy away.
Applejack then looked down as she prepared to land on him by bucking. Xervint saw this and used Twilight's powers to teleport away.
"Uh-oh." she stated as she landed on Rarity and Xervint reappeared 4 feet away.
"Why don't you take a seat, Xervint(?)!" Shouted Rainbow as she picked up his throne and lobbed it at him.
"That's okay Dashy!" He replied as he used Shining's magic to pick it up and throw it back at her. He then picked it up and placed it back at the original spot.
He laughed and used Twilight's magic to pile them all together.
"He's never gonna let us get near enough to him, girls." Twilight whispered.
"Unless he don't see us comin'." Replied Applejack.
"Ahahahaha! Aww, the poor little moron six all fall down." He laughed.
"Yeah, well come closer and say that to my face." Ordered Twilight.
"Ha! I have Pinkie sense, remember? I know what you're up to!"
Just then a familiar red aura emitted from HIS chest. The girls all knew what this meant.
"Let's see(!) You're all failing, I'm getting stronger with each passing second, your world is in danger, and every pony is treating ME like a HERO. Does that sound at all familiar(?)" He pointed to a painting above his throne. The girls looked.
It was so many cities crumbling and falling apart with many ponies and dragons getting hurt. No one seemed happy in this. The mane six instantly knew what this was meant to be.
This was clearly Babylon.
"I've been where you are, and I'm NOT going back! You six are so over! Grrraah!" He roared as he looked up.
"Bloom, now!!" Applejack shouted across the room. Xervint looked confused.
"Order up, big guy!" Shouted a younger cowgirl from behind the throne. She showed herself and threw the melted sludge of what she once called her apple pastry directly at him. He turned around a bit too late.
"Ugh! Ah! My eyes!" He tried to wipe them as her then fired the two unicorn's and one alicorn's magic in random directions.
"Now! Rush him!" Twilight called out. The other five obeyed. They each grabbed onto a different section of him and stretched him wide.
"No!!" He cried.
"Oh yeah!!" Shouted Rainbow dash.
"No don't!!"
"Ahh!!" Squealed Rarity.
"Uhh ha ha!!" Twilight grunted.
"No!"
"Yes!!" Applejack pushed.
"Ahh!!"
"Hehehe!!"
They released their grip.
"Will all real powers stand up, and all phonies fall down?" Twilight playfully stated as Xervint fell on cue. They just left him their staring at him breathing heavily.
"Only one thing left to do." She then declared.
Xervint woke to find himself in a metal prison cell with him on the floor. He open his eyes more to see a certain white stallion hovering over him.
He placed his hoof directly on him.
"Ahh-ahhah!" He wanted to scream.
"I'll take my talent back, thank you very much." He started as he released.
"He-he- Twilight made you wait til I was awake to do that, didn't she?"
"Charismatic until the end, aren't we?" Xervint looked up slightly to see the goddess of the sun herself standing on the other side of the room to them.
"Cel baby!!" He laughed. Even she smiled.
"Hello, "Sypher.""
He tried to move, but quickly caught on that his hands were trapped in something. They appeared to be metal holders for his hands, preventing him from touching anything.
"Huh?"
"We shall release those and free you whenever you want. All you need do is hand Spike over to us." She demanded sounding serious.
"Hahaha. I would if I could- Well, actually no I wouldn't, but the point is that Spike is in no way of my control."
She sighed, then got an idea.
"Discord would've probably said the same thing..."
"Ah the old disc dude? Now that I could sort out with Phoxjes..." |
Marks Of Babylon | Dragolonians Part 2 | Marks of Babylon
Chp. 9
Dragolonians Part 2
"Alright Sweetie, this should be far enough." Rarity told her filly sibling.
"So, remind me again, why are we looking for anything valuable to give to them, instead of keeping it for ourselves?" Sweetie Belle questioned.
"Because it's all part of our new plan. If we are able to persuade the Babylonians to not only give back Spike, but to sign the peace treaty, then the less amount of problems we will have. In addition, because of what happened yesterday, we now have a cave all to ourselves."
"Well OK, but I still don't see why finding gems is- oof!" Sweetie then felt herself trip on something small and yet extraordinarily beautiful. She pulled it out after giving a few hard grunts.
It was the most gorgeous and flawless gen she had ever laid her eyes on. It was about the size of an infant's hand. It was intended to be white, but the center was radiating many different colours.
"Wow..." She still gazed in Awe.
"Aww, it's perfect dear sister. It is, however, still your first, so you should keep it for yourself." Rarity then used her special talent to levitate it out, via the already head sticking out.
When they got a closer look at the stone, they saw that it had some very small spikes coming out of the edges of the near end. The glowing heaven was flat on its top, then began to widen at the downward slide, then finally connect at the bottom with a somewhat sharp point.
Conveniently, it also had a long bit of string piercing through the end just below the spikes, perfect for Sweetie's size. She put it on Immediately.
Later that same day, the two sisters were on their way to the bank in order to keep the gems they discovered a secret from any pony else.
"Are you alright, Sweetie?"
"Yeah, I guess."
"LISTEN UP, PONIES!" A big deep booming voice came across the entrance.
He was on four legs with razor sharp claws on each of them. There was a lump on his back which looked to be almost a shell, spikes sticking out all over. This caught the attention of every pony there.
They all turned their heads to see a dragon, walking on four legs with muscles practically living everywhere.
Naturally, being a dragon, he was expected to be physically stronger than ponies, but he looked stronger than Big Mac, Iron Will and Bulk Biceps combined.
He seemed to be wearing a trenchcoat and fedora hat.
"I... Am Auxron!" He then used some sort of red and white aura from his front claw.
The magic lifted his coat and hat away, revealing that underneath he had on a thin black waistcoat with holes to fit his spikes out of, and bandit mask on his head.
"This is a robbery! I ain't leaving here without the gold!"
"Claws up!" The guard ordered, aiming his horn at the koumori.
"That's not gonna happen." He used his aura on the stallion's horn, and the stallion then found it extremely difficult to stand up as his horn then glowed the same colour as his claws magic, and dropped to the floor by having his horn pulled.
"Now why don't half of you reach for the sky?!" He shouted as he lifted his left glowing claw to the ceiling, and half the ponies in the bank were forced straight up, including the sisters.
"And the other half hit the floor?!" He shouted as he did the same with his right claw, forcing every other ponies weight to intensify.
"As you could probably see I'm into gravity. Well, that and money."
He made his way over to the vault doors.
"Hmm, five hoof thick steel titanium bolt layer bars. Heh heh, hasn't anypony in this world heard of the word challenge?" He chuckled as he aimed his magic claws at the lower bar and watched as it crushed into the floor beneath. He then did the opposite with the top bar, crushing it into the ceiling.
"Ah, there we are."
He looked at his newly found trophy: 10 million worth of bits and gold bars. He levitated it with him as he moved it with his gravity magic. He stuffed it into a bag and made his way out until...
"Hmm, hello pretty, where've you been all my life..."
He flew up to the ceiling when he looked at Sweetie Belle and, more importantly, her gem. He pulled hard at it until it broke off the string.
"Remind me to send a shout out to you for finding it again."
"Hey! That's mine!" She cried.
"Aww, I'm sorry. But every little bit helps." He smiled as he flew back down.
"No don't! Please!" Sweetie then began to cry at this.
"And one more thing..." He shouted as he walked out and turned around to the bank.
He dropped the bag and stood on two claws and lifted the front two up high, causing the magic to reappear. The building then loss balance for itself, and the ponies above fell to the ground. The ceiling was crumbling and fell apart as the whole thing then came down.
Inside of the rubble Auxron reached in side and dug out the still crying Sweetie. He lifted her up by the hind hoof and looked at her.
"...Have a nice day." He laughed and walked off.
"So what did this particularly "special" gem look like?" Questioned Twilight, as she took notes on Sweetie's dilemma, watching her on Rarity's faint sofa.
"Well, it was white, shiny, glowing, spikey..." She began to sob into a cushion. "And it was MINE."
"Now there there, sweet sister." Rarity patted her sibling on her shoulder.
"We've got to get back at these guys soon." Twilight commented over to Rarity.
"Indeed. Nopony makes my sister cry. What could one POSSIBLY achieve in stealing from a defenceless filly?"
Twilight looked down at Sweetie's state.
'Knowing these guys, probably a lot.'
"So I get the pink 'un in me dark claws, 'old 'er up to a wall, get the field down, and Spike's the one who gives it to us." Caxpe finished his story in the ancient room from the first chapter with Spike and the other marks, as all but Phoxjes were still talking about what had happened.
They all had their masks on their faces, obviously symbolizing the importance of this room.
"Hahaha, yeah, well, that's coz I thought if you're gonna torture anypony, it should be some one who I hate." Spike replied taking a sip of his Gem related drink that Xervint gave him.
"Ha! Nah it's coz you're a legend, mate." Caxpe replied, sipping his soda.
"It might be 'coz Pinkie's an easy target fer anyone." Roranxoa intercepted the two, walking over a bit. "An' coz this boy's lazy, an' coz the mark o' light o'er there took his keys, Caxpe did what he does best: hurt somepony 'til he gets what he wants."
"I had to do what I had to, alright?!" Caxpe snapped at him, grumpily.
"Caxpe, your answer is usually violence for everything." Xandra told the greaser. "Although, that's not to say that it hasn't been progressive and successful over the years."
"Yeah, innit?"
"Miss Pinkie Pie certainly changed her tune when she saw your powers. despite having them seem absolutely meaningless at the time."
"You what? Pinks should know why I did what I did to her. Soon as I see her again she's goin' right back to her mum and dad on that stupid farm."
"Stupid." Illiux said, staring at the symbols on the walls.
"Eh?" Caxpe said.
"'Stupid farm'."
"What did I say?"
"Shupid." Illiux answered, correcting on his accent.
"Whatevs, right? Me point is, Pinkie's goin' right down when I'm finished with her. What about you then, eh?" Caxpe asked Illiux.
"What about me?"
"What you gonna do to Marshmallow? Why's she got aught to do with you?"
"Miss Rarity has something that I need. That is all you're require to know, Herr Fear. Although, In all honesty, she has more reason to come after me, rather than the other way around." Illiux responded, using his magic to bring up his panels.
"Why's that, money bags?" Xoa asked him.
"Her fashion company pales in comparison to mine, I understand the privilege of having a sister and parents, to which she never uses, I am much more popular than her, gents want to BE me, ladies want to BE WITH me, I have a rather irritating disability that has not stopped me, and I have exclusive access to a huge gem mining complex. Is that a suitable answer, Herr pounce?"
"So yer goin' after HER, 'coz ya want her to come after YOU?" Roranxoa questioned, getting a small laugh from Caxpe.
"it is rather more complicated than that, but I wouldn't expect someone like you to understand that. Please, briefly remind me why miss Applejack and her family are your designated targets, Roranxoa? Herself, I can understand, but her family?"
"Ah already told y'all, those ungrateful apple-suckin' lil vermin cut me off fer the first and last time, after ah worked mah tail off fer them on that pathetic scrap o' land they call home. Now, they're gonna pay fer it." Roranxoa answered, looking up.
"I see..."
"It shouldn't matter, really." Xandra added to the conversation. "All I want is to teach miss Twilight the benefits of helping our Babylon, as well as fulfill my role of being a Mark."
"But you don't feel as though it may be a little difficult, considering that she is the princess?" Illiux questioned.
"Perhaps, but it's still a stronger motivation than Calsuricxs." Xandra replied. "If that truly is the reason why he has chosen to defeat Rainbow Dash."
"It will work!" Calsuricxs shouted up. "Me and her. It's gonna work, I'm telling you all now!"
"If you say so." Illiux responded, turning to see the last Mark in the room. "Which leaves Herr Rome with Miss Fluttershy."
*sigh* "Why are Xervint and Auxron not back yet? Even those reptiles, who I should expect this from, are not usually as late as they are now." Phoxjes finally spoke up.
"Woah... Ah done believe it, but the Foxy can talk to other ponies once in a while." Xoa called back, overhearing him. Before Phoxjes could reply, they heard a door open behind them.
"Auxron, amicco. You doin' alright, man?" Calsuricxs looked over his shoulder.
"Morning, boys. And Xandra." He waved to them.
"I trust you have reason to be late..." Phoxjes closed his eyes.
"Oh, yeah, wait til ya see..." Auxron reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a familiar necklace."...This."
Phoxjes turned slowly and opened his eyes even slower, and suddenly seemed interested as his ruby/emerald eyes widened slightly.
"Hey, innt dat..." Cal looked amazed.
"Indeed it is." Replied Illiux, gazing at the stone.
"Dragon." Xandra said, tilting her glasses.
"You have done well, Auxron." Phoxjes flew over and retrieved the gem. "I am almost happy to see that we can trust you to retrieve what it is that girl has lost."
"She is your family, Phoxjes." Xandra said to him. "Wherever she may be."
"By blood, yes we are still relatives. However, I disowned her many years ago, after she and her own faction had opposed what we are trying to achieve."
"She has the right to disagree with anyone. Everyone does." Xandra spoke up again.
"True." Phoxjes gave the gem back to Auxron. "Give this to your newest recruit, then return for your the initiation of Skixep, Auxron."
"Glad to know you remember I'm still here." Spike cheerfully chirped.
"Got it." Auxron said, grabbing the string again. "Spike, hop over here, mah homie."
Spike went over to the much bigger, stronger and older dragon. The two of them left the room, and headed out to Equestria again.
"So, uh, what's that gem all about?" Spike asked, flying on Auxron's back.
"It's nothin' ya need worry about. Just something that belongs to Virtuoso." Auxron replied.
"Okay." Spike said, as the both sat in silence for a second, before Spike spoke up again. "Who's Virtuoso?"
"So, any ideas?" Rarity asked, keen on helping her little sister in any way that she could.
"Well, according to what Calsuricxs has loan me, this one is believed to be called Auxron." Twilight read out.
"What can he do?"
"From what you've told me, and the damage in the bank, he looks like gravity's his specialty. The question is, is there a weakness to it?"
"Well yes, I can think of one in particular." Xervint commented hanging from the boutique ceiling.
"Thank you, Xervint, but we are capable of handling thi-AAAHHHH!!!" They screamed in unison to see him.
"How, you were, I mean- you can't- when did, you're-" Twilight tried to figure out.
"Well, remember when I said that you could have me cave if I lost?"
"Um... Yes?"
"Before that, I might have "borrowed" the doggies strength. That's how. Plus, I'm literally twice as old as the chaos dude, so really I hardly needed them mutts."
"Alright, well, what do you want now!?"
"I just wanna help you, babe."
"Do not call me 'babe', darling."
"Don't call me 'darling', sweetness."
"Enough!"
"Happy as ever, eh Zelda(?)" He smiled fiendishly.
"Why are you here, Xervint?" The two backed off a few paces, in case he tried to copy their special talents again.
"Well, I ain't here for your special talents again. Yet. Nah, I'm here for a little "favor" from you, Rares." Xervint stated clearly.
"A favor from moi? How very flattering, but what makes you so sure that I would help YOU?" Rarity looked like she was in complete authority.
"Because if you do I'll give you your element of harmony back."
This brought Rarity to a conclusion. If she got her element back, then would they still have an upper hand in terms of power?
"Are you sure you're not here for my special talent?"
"Yeah, your fashion isn't really my top priority right now. Besides, I already got what I need from you for Xiāoshī."
"Xiāoshī?" Twilight asked. "That's Chinese for Vanish, isn't it?"
"Yes it is. And I got what I need for her."
"Her? Xiāoshī is a girl?"
"If by "a" you mean "my", then..." Xervint then reached to his tail tip and grabbed a small black box with a faint glow radiating from the inside.
"...Yes." He finished with a slight blush.
"Awww." Both girls said in unison while placing their hoofs on their hearts.
Twilight was the first to snap back into reality.
"Wait, so you only needed our special talents just so you can propose to a dragoness?"
"Not quite. If I was worried 'bout the proposal, then I could've done it all by myself. So I did, before you even came in."
"Then why did you need the talents to begin with!?" Twilight asked again.
"For the ritual and the reunion of course!" Xervint replied.
"What ritual? What reunion?"
"I'd like to explain, but we're out of time folks. Here, I'll let Auxron explain, coz I know you two have had such a great start, Rarity."
"I beg your pardon?" She asked. "I don't recall becoming acquainted with any- oh no." She then came to a realization.
"Wait, you mean the one who robbed the bank!?" Twilight asked angrily.
"S'appinin?" A deep booming voice was walking right behind the two unicorns.
"There's my bro." Xervint had a wicked smile plastered onto his scaled face.
"Who these two mules?" He stopped walking.
"Mule!? How dare you!" Rarity turned around and faced the dragon.
"Aw, ya gonna cry like ya did with'em dawgs?"
"Dogs, not 'dawgs'. Twilight corrected.
"Yeah, come on then!" He snarled back to the librarian.
"Where is Sp- oh!" She became startled after turning around and looking at over muscled Drake. Her eyes widened as she saw the living intimidation right in front of her.
She couldn't decide what exactly it was: the black fangs, the excessively toned body, the body-piercing spikes on the back, the grand sized wings. He had the strength of Phoxjes, the fear of Caxpe, and quick wit of Roranxoa.
"You wanna know where ma home boy is? Man, you mules ain't got no respect for keeping a plan together."
"T-tell me where he is." Twilight almost backed off a little bit.
She knew by now that magic wouldn't work on him, his muscles on all four of his legs were over half the size of his head, they were about the same size, and after seeing and hearing what the other Babylonians had done, it wouldn't surprise either of them if he ripped either of them in half.
"Hahahaha. Look at this, a couple of four legged losers, thinking that their strength could do ME bruises.
Your magic don't work, your muscles are too flat. I'm gonna rip you a new plot, coz your old one's are too fat.
Spike hates you and he's on his knee to me. You got some serious guts to mess with MY family.
Step down now, or this is gonna hurt a ton. There's only one who's the best, all hail the Babylon.
You ain't got nothing on me, you're as useless as the sun. You outta know better that to scrap with me. Auxron."
Auxron finished by dropping a figurative microphone on the floor. Twilight and Rarity were staring with their mouths agape, whilst Xervint was laughing on the floor.
Both of the ponies took one line each into serious dedication. The only thing Rarity remembered the most was him calling her posterior fat. She then began to ran into her bedroom with a deep blush on her face and tears in her eyes.
Twilight's line, however, was much more confusing. 'His family'? But Spike doesn't have a..."
The Alicorn's pupils then shrank to the size of peas as she came to a startling realization.
Silence filled the room immensely, as she stood there with her heart skipping beats, and Auxron with spiteful smile on his face.
"Alright Ron, I better get off." Xervint then walked casually towards the door.
"Oh, you leaving then?"
"Yeah, I got to. My Chinese treasure's waiting for me." He finished with a wink and a laugh.
"Heh heh. Alright, see ya whenever bruh."
"Your... Spike is your..."
"My baby bro? Yeah man. What, ya never wonder why he and Xervint look like one another?" Auxron asked while flying on his back with his front arms crossed.
"I had no idea. I thought he didn't have a..." Twilight then looked down with her pupils returning to the original size.
"So you still want him back? You wanna take our family away from us again? Is that what you're saying, girlfriend?" Auxron asked her aggressively.
Twilight then took a deep sigh and turned back around slowly to face him again.
"Listen. Spike is your brother, and it's definitely going to be a while until I accept that. But I have a brother as well, so I understand what it's like to have someone that close to you, and how much they mean to you. And yes, I would never want to see anything happen to him that might take him away from me, for possibly forever."
Auxron time a deep yawn at this speech.
"I think I'm gonna fall asleep in a minute; can ya get to ya point?"
"Alright then. Spike might have been my best friend since he was hatched, but if you really are his own flesh and blood, then..." Twilight felt her tears beginning to stream down her face. "...Maybe you should keep him."
Silence hung in the room for a while.
Twilight felt like this wasn't the best place to allow her sadness to be exposed, so she slowly walked out of the boutique, bringing her tears with her.
Auxron just stood there with a confused gaze on his face.
"Hmm. Weird, honestly. Since when did SHE have a choice in what we do?"
Twilight stopped walking to her castle, but her trip down memory lane never ended. There was no light at the end of THIS tunnel.
She looked up, although it was tough to see through her tears. The castle was in plain sight. In fact it was the only thing she could see at this point. The castle which used to think she could call her own, never truly realizing that it wasn't, until now.
Now she realized that the one thing that made this castle not feel like an oversized isolation chamber was missing. She continued trotting towards her home.
As she came to open the front door, she decided that she wasn't even going to try to hold back her tears anymore, and used her magic to blast the doors open instead.
She ran inside as the doors closed themselves. She teleported to her bedroom and proceeded to throw herself on her bed in an attempt to cope with what she had recently just learnt.
Her tears were combined with he anger that had erected inside of her, and her magic began to spiral out of her natural control. Beams and blast hit a decent chuck of the bedroom, followed by her carrying a finale by shooting her most powerful magic at the chandelier above.
Eventually, her energy had run out and she was left with heavy breathing on her bed as everything went silent.
Suddenly, to her surprise, there was a calm knock at the door. She was curious as to who this was now.
"Y-yeah? What?" She tried her hardest to remain calm. As she responded, the doorknob had turned slowly, and the door was opened.
Her eyes had widened, then turned to extreme anger at the face of exactly who had come here at this moment.
"Good afternoon, your highness." He lifted his hat to greet her politely.
"Phoxjes...? Phoxjes. Phoxjes! PHOXJES!!!" She became more and more angry with every passing second at the sight of him, until she stopped caring about consequences and let the true beast out.
She jumped into the air, and let out the fire from inside as her body went white, her eyes turned red, and her mane and tail became ignited in flames.
Somewhere, in another part of ponyville, the red light in Fluttershy's chest lit up, and disappeared.
"YOU HORRIBLE EXCUSE FOR A HERO!!!" She charged with all her might at the goth and literally heartless stallion in front of her and attacked him head on. She started by hitting him in the face with her hoof, then by trying to wind him with her other one.
He did look slightly in shock by the assault. However, he continued to keep his expression of constant hatred on his face.
"I am not here to fight you right now." He commented to her. She simply ignored him and continued fighting.
"Last time you were here you destroyed my castle in several places! I won't allow you to do it again!! You're going to pay for what you've done!!" She tried more direct attacks to his face.
This was when he decided he needed to prove his point. He reached for his sword and wrapped it around her front hoof as she attacked again.
She was surprised by his movement, but then she tried using her other hoof, only to have him throw his Eyelander to his other hoof to block that as well.
He then threw it onto the ground, piercing the floor with the handle facing upwards. With her hoof still tangled in his, he slammed her face onto the ground, the launched her into the sky.
When she hit the ceiling he flew up to her and hit her back down using his front knee. She shot straight down and her spine cracked on the top of the handle where she landed.
She gave up already from this. She then reverted back to her original form and she expected to have Phoxjes to finish her here and now.
On the contrary, he instead flew down at a normal pace, and even helped her up from the injury, as he held her in his hooves and flew her over to her bed.
As she was then laying down on her belly, he reached into his lower jeans pocket and pulled out what appeared to be a small med kit and treated the dark purple inwards mark on her spine with some medicine spray of some kind. The majority of her barrel was then bandaged.
"Wait... Why are you helping me?" She asked through her agonizing pain and tears as she turned around.
"I do not harm beings for pleasure. I came here to offer you an opportunity." He remarked as he fixed her up.
"What opportunity? Is it to do with Spike?"
"Indeed it is. The ritual of Babylon, which you are currently invited to see if you desire." Phoxjes then stood up and helped her sit up properly.
"Spike is..."
"The dragon that you once cared for is going to be officially declared a Babylonian, along with his family. I trust you are still coming to acceptance with that."
"Yes." Twilight looked down and remembered the fact at hand. "Yes I am." She almost cried again.
From the same med kit, Phoxjes pulled out a small packet of tissues and passed them to her.
"Thank you." She whispered as she took one.
"I understand what it is like losing family at your age." Phoxjes began to slowly walk towards the exit of the room. "In addition, if you do not wish to attend the ritual momentarily, then that, too, is acceptable."
"You've... Lost family?" Twilight asked, not wanting him to leave yet.
"Correct. My parents became deceased when I was approximately your age. Perhaps older, yet still young."
"Oh. Well, I'm sorry for your accidental loss."
"You may find this understandably surprising, but it was not an accident; my mother and father were murdered. Additionally, the murderer was not the one who wished to perform the execution."
"Wh-What do you mean? Who was it?" She asked.
"...Me." He answered.
"YOU!? You killed your own parents?! HOW COULD YOU!?"
"I had no choice in the matter. Back in that time, I was... A different pony. Would you not sacrifice two creatures to save an entire village?" He asked her, remembering his own past.
Twilight thought on the question for a second. Suddenly, a lot more about Phoxjes was understandable to her.
"Do not misunderstand, please. I begged and pleaded to have my own life ended, and to spare theirs. The underworld Babylon god would not approve. I was forced. Tragic, indeed, but alas, such is the way of the world. Especially when you have responsibilities of being a leader. Perhaps in time, you may be faced with a burden such as mine. Would you sacrifice one or more of the elements to save Ponyville, knowing that you can not sacrifice yourself?"
Although her body was nearly physically healed completely by now, Twilight's mental pains intensified with his every word.
"Irrelevant. Your highness, there is another reason for me being here currently. You must go over to Sweet Apple Acres and warn your friends over there that Auxron will be heading to that location in approximately 15 minutes. He wished to not only rob the farm, but also to challenge Mr Macintosh."
"Applejack..." Twilight whispered in concern, as Xandra's light reappeared. "Wait, challenge Big Mac to what?"
"That is not within my knowledge currently, your majesty."
"Hold on! Why can't you just go and warn them yourself?"
"I am a noble stallion, as you may or may not believe, meaning in any other circumstance I would. However, the ritual of acceptance can not begin without all six marks of Babylon. I apologize."
"You'd rather help them than Equestria?"
"As the Famous saying may suggest: the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few." He started to head towards the door. "I shall pray for your injuries to cure in time. Farewell." With that, he was out the door.
Millions of miles beneath the planet's crust, lives the historical, sacred and now advanced ground that is Babylon.
For the majority of time, residents of this forbidden city spend their time enjoying their almost immortal lives attempting to repair what they can.
Right now, however, is an exception to everyone there. At this moment, every creature was gathered in the same room currently witnessing the accepting of the newest Babylonians to their society.
The room was know as the Tribute hall, as was generally unused for a long period of time, unless a sacrifice was required to satisfy the Babylonian gods, so that their rage would quieten. Either that, or today's occasion.
The door at the end of the hall finally opened, revealing Phoxjes as he took his seat next to Calsuricxs on the end of the bench, exclusively for the six Marks.
As every pony and dragon were discussing their own conversations with each other, a cloaked and hooded figure entered the room from the door next to the main podium and cleared their throat, causing the entire room to become silent.
The figure was wearing a clearly expensive silk robe, made from ancient materials from what looked like millions of years ago.
He/she/it was now standing behind the podium. It took off its hood. It was wearing a mask as well.
Their mask had markings on it, similar to the other six Marks of Babylon. However, this one was clearly the most important.
Their mask was bigger than any of the others. That was because theirs had all six of the other marks on it:
Roranxoa's and Illiux's on the top, forming a half brown/half yellow semicircle with three brown spikes facing the top left, and three yellow spikes facing the top right.
Caxpe's and Xandra's in the center, curving the symbol 1/5 of the way in each, carrying a half purple/half blue double lined X in the center connecting to the top on both sides, and the sides touching the edges of the curves.
Calsuricxs's and Phoxjes's on the bottom, making a green and red diagonal line on both of the curves, connecting them to the center bottom. Where the X had finished laid a half green/half red horizontal line, connecting the two.
Noticeably, to Spike anyway, this pony wasn't actually saying anything to anyone. They were just standing there in total silence, very slightly moving about a little as if they really were talking to the ponies and dragons in the room.
Even the ponies and dragons in the room acted as though they knew and could hear what this one was saying. Though the ears and minds of the actual Babylonians, however, what they could hear was along the lines of:
"Babylon. That word brings so much meaning to so many beings, regardless if they are yet aware or if they are still oblivious to their true heritage. Today is a truly pleasing day for us all. Today we welcome three of our newest recruits to join our soon to be perfectly balanced society."
A rather petit amount of applause vibrated through the large hall.
"Now then. Illiux Nusku Lure, will you kindly approach podium, in order to welcome your first member." The figure then stood aside, and raised what looked like a hoof as everyone looked at the posh Unicorn walk towards the stand.
"Good morning, my dear friends." He started. "This will not be the first time that a new member has joined my faction in this Babylon this year. Therefore, I must say how vital this introduction is for me, as it may be necessary to have our new friend welcomed ASAP."
Out of the door on the left of the podium he came.
RayCon.
The stallion walked towards Illiux and stood by his side. Despite the amount of audience members being more than what he would've preferred, he was able to keep his cool throughout the speech.
As expected, everyone in the room had different opinions about the newest arrival.
"(He's hot.)" A mare whispered under her breath to her friend next to her. She simply chuckled lightly.
"Welcome RayCon, to my faction. Do you swear, under the watch and the oath of Tiamat, Mummu and their 47 offsprings, that you will forever accept..."
Whilst this accepting was taking place, from behind the door which RayCon had just stepped out of, Spike and another pony were waiting, sweating, pacing in the small room, knowing one of them was to be next for the accepting.
"Auxron, what if I can't do this?" Spike asked his newly discovered older brother. "What if I embarrass myself? Or worse, what if I make a mockery out of Babylon?"
"Chill, bro." Auxron put a claw on his youngest brother's shoulder. "Ya gonna get though this, ya hear?"
"But what about-"
"Hey, I got through, didn't I? So why can't you?"
"I don't know... I mean I've been in front of thousands of ponies before, and I couldn't have made things worse if I tried."
"If ya on 'bout that Cloudsdale, then lemme just clarify for ya: one, I'm gonna bring that place down with my gravity soon 'nough."
Spike laughed on the inside at that.
"And second, bear in mind, brav, that you were still obeyin' Twily at that point. Just blame her for what happened, ya hear?"
At the name of Twily, Spike clenched his fist and the green flames in his palm were re-summoned.
"Nice... Plus, if I were you, man, I'd be more worried 'bout that brand." Auxron then pointed behind him, and saw RayCon with his front hoof out and Illiux pressing a brand into it, while he struggled to remain still.
"Oh... You... Didn't... Mention that..." Spike was now terrified.
"Heh heh. Man, you don't got nuttin' to be 'fraid of, boy. 10 bits says this ain't gonna even hurt ya. Speaking of which..."
Illiux looked as though he was now finishing his welcoming for RayCon, and Spike was next.
"Now then, upon exiting this hall, your weapon awaits you my friend. A Katana, as you requested. Now, please be seated, as we welcome our second member. Xandra, if you will."
Illiux stepped down from the podium and let the blue mare step forwards to the podium, and it was now her turn for applause. This time, the applause was mainly given by the faction of the hall wearing smart business outfits and glasses, slick hair, etc.
As the two leaders passed each other, they took each other's hooves and gave each other a polite kiss on each check, before continuing.
"Thank you, my old colleague. Yes, it appears as though another fortunate creature wishes to share my dream for knowledge over everything."
A small cheering session took place from the same spot as before.
"But this time, not just any creature! This time, finally, after so long, the dragolonians have their forth and final brother back!" Before she had even finished her sentence, the entire hall started to cheer at this celebration.
Backstage, Spike was blushing and smiling, because he knew that he was the reason that every creature there was happy.
"Transitioning all the way from Equestria to our great city of Babylon, please welcome, Spike the Dragon!"
"Go on then." Auxron shoved him out the door, waiting for him to walk to the podium next to Xandra.
As he showed his face, the cheering began to die down as everyone knew that he had to speak.
"Spike, do you swear, under the watch and the oath of Tiamat, Mummu and their 47 offsprings, that you will forever accept your true heritage to being in our Babylon, and forever acknowledge that you will be forbidden from ever abandoning these grounds in some feeble hope to return to whence you came?"
"I... I do." He promised.
"And are you prepared to provide your fellow historical family with your full and true service, wherever they may be, and whatever they may ask?"
"I am prepared." He stood firm.
"Spike the dragon, once you become an official Babylonian, your memories of you original home with Princess Twilight Sparkle shall fade, and reappear as much more tragic within given time. In addition, whilst you will still chronologically age, your physical body shall forever remain the same, unless you are to change it yourself. Are you ready to begin your new life, my boy?"
"This is my new life, beginning right now." He felt massively confident.
"Then by allowing me..." She used her magic to levitate the hot iron from the hot coal pit. "To forever scald you with this mark, you will forever place your loyalty to me, and the other marks."
Spike then took a deep breath in, then slowly exhaled, giving Xandra his hand. "Do it."
Then, it came, but as Auxron mentioned, it didn't hurt one bit. In fact, all it did was warm him up slightly.
He then remembered the reason why: he had cold blood.
As soon as the ritual was completed, he began to walk out of the room back where he came from.
"Boy, I do believe you currently owe me 10 bits." Auxron greeted his youngest sibling.
"Heh. Great... So what now?"
"Dunno 'bout you, but I'm getting me some hardcore cider."
"Hey, buy me something, yeah?"
"Bruh, I ain't gonna buy you nothin'."
"What? But Auxron-"
"Spike, I ain't gonna BUY nothin'."
"Oh, I get cha. OK, have fun." Spike waved as Auxron left. He then turned round to see Phoxjes take to the stand and began to speak.
"Fare greetings, fellow members of our great garden that is Babylon..."
"So we gonna scrap then, or just stand here?" Auxron was already at Sweet Apple Acres by the time Twilight had warned Applejack about what Phoxjes had warned.
"Ah shoot, we're too late!" Applejack and Twilight ran to the front of the barn to see the to older brothers squaring off with each other.
"This isn't good." Twilight commented. "This won't end well."
"Y'all done need ta worry, Twi. Ah know may bro can take this lizard out."
"Don't be so sure; this Auxron can be brutal."
The two of the males eventually started the wrestle, with Auxron taking an early advantage already. He had Big Mac in a headlock, and proceeded to body slam him. When they were on the ground, Auxron then grabbed his back hoof and threw him on the ground by lifting him in a circle throw.
While on the ground, however, Big Mac then used his free hoof to buck him in the face, causing him to let go. Mac then spun round onto his back, and the kicked him again with his back hooves. He was then able to tackle him onto the ground and started to beat him whilst on top of him.
This went on for about three seconds when Auxron dug out his claws and used them on his torso. This got Mac off and Auxron lifted him by his head and spun him round and threw him away.
By the time Big Mac had looked back at him, he was gone. Suddenly he heard the sound of tearing behind him, and turned around, only to see a part of the apple treadmill thrown at him as it collided with his face.
More parts were thrown at him, but he was able to avoid every one. This went on until something else caught Auxron's eye: he saw Applebloom and her two friends coming back from their old clubhouse when they were still blank flanks.
Auxron turned to her and smiled, whereas Big Mac had only just noticed what he was now aiming for. With most of his might, he was then about to throw his piece of metal at the filly, whereas her brother was rushing over the protect her.
As he launched, Big Mac was able to save her in time, causing the metal to hit him instead. Auxron then thought of something, and used his gravity intensifying powers to make the metal part float up, then crash down on him again as he still covered his sister. Auxron laughed and did it again and again.
After about seven hits, he flew over to him and lied on his side and grabbed the back of his head and smashed it onto the ground. He then followed up by using his back leg to kick away Applebloom and with his hind leg raised he used his tail to whack away Big Mac.
The stallion was laying down, with his back bleeding, almost unconscious.
Auxron then picked up the same bit of machinery from before and slowly walked up to him, and prepared to smash him to dust one last time.
Whilst walking he thought about what he was once told: "if it's worth doing, it's worth overdoing." He then looked over to the other parts of scrap and used his gravity to bring them over to him. With the parts in place floating right above him, he was about to let them drop, until-
He then felt a presence on him, as it appeared somepony had literally jumped him, as he then felt a filly with her leg around his neck and trying to pull him down.
"Yo kid, what you doin!?!" He asked as he tried to pull her off of him, not realising that as he did, the parts of levitated metal above Big Mac were slowly coming towards himself.
When he did manage to grab ahold of her, he had to release his gravity powers, and the pile of metal fell on his head.
Auxron fell down and had a bad vision because of Sweetie Belle.
Knowing he couldn't fight like this, he simply grabbed Big Mac and used his gravity force to transport into Babylon. |
Marks Of Babylon | Dragolonians Part 3 | Marks of Babylon
Chp.10
Dragolonians Part 3
After spending countless hours pacing about in her quarters, princess Celestia finally allowed herself to carry off to her bed in a struggling attempt to sleep. Finally getting back to Canterlot from the Ridge that she was "invited" to, and she couldn't feel any less at home.
Knowing full well that she had just finished from helping someone she despises with a project that could very well mean the end of her, she worried about the outcome of her current concern becoming a success.
As she began to try to sleep, a small gleaming stream of light began slithering it's way into the room, and floated up to halt in midair.
Celestia noticed this and looked in slight confusion at the tiny blue flame levitating before her eyes, before she had an immediate idea of what it probably was. These suspicions were reinforced, and then confirmed once more flames had emerged in the corners of her eyes and began to connect with the center flame. The combination of fire then began to rotate horizontally until they expanded and form an orb.
It took a few seconds for the expansion to come to a halt, finally realizing that what they were forming was more than just an orb; it was a sun. A blue sun, similar to her own, except minus most of the natural heat, a lack of movement and just a few inches smaller than she was.
"I recall you saying that you finished with my services, Dr." she said with an exhausted expression on her face, looking up at the blue sun before her. As she finished her statement, a figure had stepped out of the sun and onto her floor.
"You recall correctly, my walking source." A somewhat feminine voice told her as she stood up to look at the figure. It was another dragon.
This dragon was slightly shorter than Celestia was, but still about average for it's age from looking at it. It was wearing a white buttoned up lab coat, white trousers, and blue sneakers. The dragon's face was covered by wide-eye googles and a gas mask. However, this one had a detail that Spike, Xervint and Auxron seemed to lack: a head full of hair. The hair was blue, flat on top, covered the left eye up to the chin and tied up at the back up to the center of the spine.
"Then WHY are you here right now?" Celestia demanded to know.
"As you may or may not know, your apprentice Twilight Aurora Sparkle currently processes the first of many archives of Babylon history." The dragon replied.
"Oh? And where did she get that?"
"Calsuricxs apparently gave it to her after a race with Rainbow Dash. Anyway, I appear to have left my... notes in there at the epilogue, and I would ve-"
"Epilogue?" Celestia cut the dragon off. "What kind of history contains an epilogue?"
"This one, my dear, and I would very much like it returned to me, if you please."
"Well, forgive me for your disappointment, but she isn't here currently, and her presence is of no concern of mine, so farewell!" She commanded, as she pointed the dragon to leave the room.
"Hmm." The dragon seemed ready to leave, as it was leaning out of the window and had wings deployed.
"Oh, before I leave..." The dragon looked back at her. "...When she finds out, tell your sister to at least give him a chance." It said before taking off.
"Tell him to dream on..." Celestia whispered to herself.
"So what do y'all make of these dragons then?" Applebloom asked her two young friends.
"Dangerous." answered Sweetie Belle. "Stealing talents is one thing to worry about, controlling something as big as gravity is another, being from Babylon is even worse, but now they have Spike."
"So what?!" Scootaloo interjected. "That's only more reason go after these dragons, isn't it?"
"What do you mean?"
"I say no more waiting around! It's about time that we bring the battle to them, instead of just waiting for another fight to start here! Plus, you two already took out two of those dragons, when am I gonna get my turn to fight?"
"Scoots, we didn't exactly ask to get involved with this, it sorta just... happened, really."
"She's right, ya know. Ah reckon if you took on Xervint or Auxron all by yer lonesome, you'd be signing yer death warrant."
"Hold on! Are you two saying I can't handle it?!" Scootaloo shouted.
"We didn't say that." Applebloom replied, looking apologetic, alongside Sweetie.
As they realized what they had just said, Scootaloo picked up her scooter and readied to shoot off.
"You didn't have to." Was the last thing she said before riding right out of Ponyville.
"Ohhh..." Sighed Sweetie Belle, looking sad as she saw her friend ride away.
"Well, that was entertaining." An entirely different voice came from the same Sweetie belle, sounding like a stallion about twice her age.
"I concur, she took it rather well." The same voice change appeared from Applebloom. "Now, shall we remove this illusion and get changed, good chap?"
"Yes, let's." With that, the two "fillies" left to find a spot to hide. As they began to walk away, the real two girls walked into Ponyville, in search of the third. Unfortunately, the fillies didn't see their doppelgangers, and just kept walking.
"Huh... she said she'd be here..." Sweetie stated.
"Too dangerous to handle by myself? I'll show them!" Scootaloo thought to herself, rushing to her one chosen destination on her scooter. Ignoring everypony that she rode by and even those that she happened to hit, nothing had stopped her.
"I'll make a change in this war. I don't care who I take on, I'll do it, and I'll win!"
Finally, after about 15 minutes of riding, she made it to where she wanted to settle it. She had made it back to The Collapsed Chasm.
"Hey! Babylon! Come and get me, if you got the guts!" She shouted out to the world, only hearing her echo in response.
"Hey, did you hear me?! I said I wanna fight you!" Still nothing but her own echo.
"I SAID I WANNA-" was all that was heard in the valley, right before the sound cut off, as if she had been grabbed.
"I heard what you said, Thanksgiving." A tough British voice came from right behind her.
"Gaahh!" Wailed Scootaloo as she was then thrown across the cliff, onto the rocky floor. As she got back up on her hooves, she looked to see that Caxpe had disappeared.
"Oi oi, chicken." A whisper said to her right behind her, making her heart skip a beat in fear. This was followed by him wrapping his fore hooves under hers, bending them upwards, behind her head and lifting her up. As she was held like this, his cape then began to creep around her and form some kind of metal bind that held her in place as he let go.
"Now, just as a small word of advice: when your hanging around places like these, you need to be QUIET, or else you'll get-"
"Hey, quit your whining, some of us are trying to sleep!" A faint voice called to them in the distance.
"Oh, mate, give us a break."Caxpe then whispered to himself. "Right, wait here for us, yeah?" He said as he walked to the edge of the cliff and looked down.
"HEY WHY DON'T YOU SHUT YOUR FACE, YA SMEGHEAD!?" Caxpe shouted down to what sounded like a fat hairy single middle-aged stallion, living in a rented apartment.
"WHY DON'T YOU COME DOWN HERE AND MAKE ME, TOUGH GUY?!"
"WHY DON'T YOU COME UP HERE AND MAKE ME COME DOWN THERE, YOU MUPPET?!"
"GO BACK TO BRITAIN, YOU VINDALOO SCOFFING TEACAKE!"
"GO BACK TO YOUR MUMS BASEMENT PLAYING W.O.W., YA FAT SACK OF BEER!"
"WHY DON'T Y-"
"Hold on, Scootaloo!" A mares shout interrupted the arguing pair, as all three looked up. "I'll get you outta there and away from-"
"HEY, SHUT YOUR MOUTH, YOU STUPID PEGASUS!" The other stallion shouted to her, as a tire screeching sound effect was heard.
"Hold on, one second..." Rainbow then landed and walked to the cliff alongside Caxpe. "YOU WANNA REPEAT THAT, PUNK?!"
"YEAH, MATE, SAY IT AGAIN TO HER!"
"I SAID SHE'S STUPID, JUST LIKE YOU, PAL!"
"I'M JUST HERE TO HELP MY FRIEND!"
"YEAH, SHE'S HERE FOR HER KID, MAN!"
"Daddy, we can't sleep..." A foal's voice came from the same place as the stallion's.
"Oi, don't let him kiss you goodnight, he'll give you his rabies." Caxpe laughed at him.
"YEAH, HE'LL INFEC- Wait, what am I doing? Scootaloo, i'm here for-" Rainbow Dash then looked to see her state, looking surprised.
She saw that Scootaloo was lying unconscious and free of the bind. However, what really caught her eye, was the more obvious figure standing there as well. It was a dragon, wearing a lab coat, goggles and a gas mask.
"Take her to aid, quickly." The blue dragon told her as it placed her on Rainbow's back, before she flew off.
As she was flying away, Caxpe turned to see her go, only to find the same dragon looking at him, disappointed.
"Oh, er, A'up doc." He laughed.
The dragon then walked away before finishing with "You're an idiot."
"Oh... My head... ugh..." Scootaloo regained consciousness and looked around.
"You okay, squirt?" Rainbow Dash asked the tiny Pegasus, rubbing her head gently. The two found themselves in Rainbow Dash's room, expecting to be safe.
"Yeah, I guess so... What happened, anyway?"
"Hey, you were there longer, you tell me."
"Well, I remember wanting to fight a Babylonian, coz I wanted to prove a point to them."
"Whoa whoa whoa, hold on! You wanted to prove yourself to the Babylon, so you took them on by yourself?! That's suicide!"
"Not to the Babylon, to prove Sweetie and AB wrong; they said I couldn't look out for myself and that those other dragons would eat me alive."
"You'd be right, mein Hunchenpfanne." A stallion's voice called from the door frame. As the two saw who it was, they had different responses, preferably because only one knew who he was.
"Illiux! Can't we ever catch a break with these guys?!" Rainbow shouted as she got on her hooves and readied to fight, wings deployed and everything.
"Guten tag, miss Dash." Illiux simply bowed to her in a civilized manor, before he stood up and tried to walk up to her. He was still wearing his white long sleeve polo shirt with an aqua-berry sweater over in, along with dark blond jeans.
" 'Guten tag' THIS!" she yelled as she charged at him to kick him with her back hoof, only for him to respond by lighting up his horn for literally 5 milliseconds, and another one of his glass illusion panels to show up and have her kick that instead.
Thinking that she could break through, she took a shot at the panel, just to end with her being greeted with a sharp pain. It felt as though somepony had just shot her hoof in the middle with a nail gun, hammered it in further, and then pulled it out with a hammer claw.
Naturally, a scream of agony was welcomed from this impact, before a collapse and grabbing her injured hoof on the floor.
"Illusion optimized neon magical reinforced Plexiglas, Rainbow; you won't be breaking that today. No, scratch that; you won't be breaking that. Ever."
"Agh! Urg, Sc-Scootaloo, get... Outta here!" Rainbow Dash cried.
"Hmm... I appear to have hypnotized your friend." Illiux stated to her.
"Wh-What d- What did you do to her?!" Rainbow asked as she tried to stand back on her hooves. The key word being 'tried'.
"Here, allow me." He then stated as he actually got his fore hooves under her legs and back and lifted her up like a superhero saving the damsel in distress.
"Hey, put me down!" She demanded. He complied as he placed her on the bed alongside Scootaloo, who hadn't stopped staring at the stallion since she laid eyes on him.
"Are you quite alright, darling?" He queried.
"I'm fine, and don't call me that." Rainbow Dash replied, only to be surprised when he answered with "I wasn't referring to you."
"You-You're... perfect..." Scootaloo droned, with her gaze still fixed on him.
"Ah, another suitor for the prince." He smiled.
"WHAT?!" Rainbow nearly fell off the bed. "Squirt! He's the enemy!"
"Then I wanna be an enemy too..."
"Oh stop, darling, blush doesn't go with my outfit." He placed a hoof on his cheek like a lady after being flattered.
"Ugh, I think i'm gonna hurl... Scoot, you don't wanna be with him."
"Right now, she may wish to be with anyone other then miss Belle or miss Bloom."
"You know what happened?" She gasped.
"Perhaps I do, then again I may not. Those who spoke to you in Ponyville were speaking their minds. They were your friends, and they were not your friends. Perhaps an illusion best describes the thought."
"Uhhh..." Both the girls were lost.
"So, that's all Illiux said to you?" Twilight asked the pegasi as they were walking down the streets of Ponyville once more.
"Pretty much. If it's a riddle, we might be here for a while. All i know is that to him, i'm his 'mein Hunchenpfanne.'" Scootaloo said dreamily.
"Uh, Scootaloo? Being called a Hunchenpfanne isn't a compl-"
"Anyway, where's Pinkie, she'll help us, won't she?" Rainbow Dash interrupted, not wanting to crush Scootaloo's happiness.
"Yes she will!" Pinkie suddenly emerged from nowhere, as she does, making the other three jump.
"Pinkie, we've been over this." Twilight closed her eyes, opening them slowly.
"I know, but i'm just excited. About everything! So what's the problem this time? Time bomb? Robbery? *gasp* Murder mystery?!"
"No, thankfully.The problem, well problems, are-"
"Firstly Scootaloo has become infatuated with her enemy, Secondly Illiux found a way to stand on clouds without magic, Thirdly Twilight has something that shouldn't be with her, fourthly the war is still on, and lastly, thanks to Celestia, my experiment is nearing completion." A feminine voice came from behind the four of them.
"You again?!" Rainbow asked in surprise.
"Who are you?" Twilight asked the same dragon.
"I am Expherient. Dr. Expherient. I have come here to collect your dept, Rainbow Dash."
*gasp* Pinkie gasped. "A dept?" She whispered through her gasped gasp followed by another silent gasp. She then turned round and bent Rainbow down with her and whispered: "Dashie, do you owe something to the Dr.?"
The pegasus then pulled out of her hoof and flew back behind the girls.
"What? No, of course not."
"Oh, you're quite wrong about that." The dragon then walked towards the group. "You owe me something for allowing you to find your... sibling... alive, and in one piece."
"Hey, you hardly did anything!" Rainbow Dash stated. "Whatever you did, I probably could've done quicker."
"Again, you're wrong in what you believe. You may recall the last time you Equestrians attempted to beat our magic with brute strength and your own magic? If that didn't work the first few times, why would this be any different?"
"Because Caxpe is an earth pony; magic isn't available to him." Twilight interjected.
"Your highness, did you not read the history volume that Calsuricxs gave you?"
"Most of it, yes. But what's that got to do with this, though?"
"So you never got to the end? Good, then my research will be worthwhile after all. Where, prey tell, is the book as of now?" Expherient asked the princess.
"That's not your concern, Expherient." She snarled back at the Dr.
"I couldn't possibly disagree more; it's entirely my concern. Now you could tell me where it is, or you can get to work on Scootaloo's memorial."
"Hey, You touch one hair on her mane, and I'll- AAAHHH!!!" Rainbow Dash shouted in fear, looking behind her as Mr. Fear himself had grabbed her again.
"Don't lose her this time, Caxpe!" Expheirent shouted to the greaser.
"Hmm! HMMFF! The filly tried to yell, muffled by the much older stallion.
"I told you to wait there for us!" Caxpe aggressively whispered down her ear, pulling her away.
"Hold on, Scootaloo!" Rainbow Dash yelled as she charged at him, which he blocked by using Scootaloo as a pony shield. She then had no choice but to negate her own attack and stop herself in midair, which worked to Caxpe advantage.
He slammed the filly onto the ground, and proceeded to use her as a leg up to stand on and kick Rainbow in the face.
"Hey, lay off them!" Pinkie shouted as she tried to slide underneath him and grab Scootaloo for herself. When Caxpe saw this, he stood back on his hind legs, held Scootaloo in his left hoof, and used his right hoof to grab Pinkie's and throw her upwards.
"Uh-oh..." Pinkie exclaimed as she was thrown, then caught by the same guy, followed immediately by a headbutt which knocked her out.
"Caxpe, let her go. NOW!" Twilight walked over to him, hoping to calmly sooth him.
"Come on, then!" Caxpe shouted back as Pinkie fell and he stood back on four legs, using his extra shadowy hands in his cape to grab hold of her.
"It doesn't have to be this way, Caxpe. I'm sorry about what happened to your home, and I know you must be angry, but I can help you and your friends, if you let me, and so can Hughh-!" Twilight was cut off from talking as Caxpe used his cape again to grab hold of her by the throat.
"You what?" He began to walk towards her, as she noticed Expherient walk past her and up to him. "You actually, WHAT?"
He then passed the now unconscious filly to the scientist, as the dragon then flew away.
"Like, babes, I ain't Sunset Shimmer, I'm glad I'm not Starlight Glimmer, and I'm bit upset that I'm not Seafood Dinner, so these little friendship talks that you like to give to these "villains" of yours aren't gonna influence me, yeah?"
He finally let go of her as she fell down, coughing.
"Mate, I'm not smart or aught, and I have been raised without a family, but I'm not dumb or anything, like. In fact, if Bronies React have taught me anything, it's that firstly, Blackgryph0n is gonna be after my plot for hurting you, secondly this show has finally jumped the shark, and thirdly you can't and shouldn't force anyone to change how they feel or how they react to anything. Besides, I've waited long enough to not see summit blow up, for smeg's sake."
"You're mad, Caxpe." Twilight told the stallion.
"And Flash Sentry's a waste of animation, what's your point?"
Twilight then stood up again to talk to him properly.
"The reason why Sunset and Starlight became reformed isn't because they were told to." She explained, as he snorted. "They both knew that they could've done better with their magic, and that-"
"Right, I'm sure what you're saying is dead important, but we've gotta get back to the plot." Caxpe then shoved Twilight of the way and looked to the camera. "So basically, we kidnap Scootaloo, now back to German Maximilian Pegasus and I'm just a sweet Dragsvestite."
"So, the experiment might work this time?" Illiux asked the dark cerulean drake, as they walked down the hallway to the lab, while carrying the unconscious Pegasus on his back.
"We should dare to dream, old friend." Expherient replied as he continued to look at a clipboard containing some information.
"Your life's research, almost true, in just a matter of moments! So why are you not excited, comrade?"
"Well, about that..." The doctor put his claw on Illiux in a suspicious manor. "...There is, one small detail that I have waited until last minute to tell you about, that requires your assistance." Expherient finished with a sly smile on his face, causing Illiux to raise an eyebrow. "You see, to perform this start up I'll have to use several extracts of other material matter scattered around random areas of Equestria, most likely gathered in the Equestria geographical landscape group."
"OK, so I need to break in and steal them? Isn't that more of a job for Caxpe or Calsuricxs?" The unicorn then asked the scientist.
"No, not exactly. You see, to save on time, I found it much easier to have an insider help us, specifically one young, but experienced in this area, and of course female."
"Oh... You need me to flirt with somepony to have them help us? So what's the problem, having to meet new ladies and assisting you in your lifelong goal, whist boasting my own popularity?"
"THIS is your problem." Expherient replied as Illiux was then handed the clipboard, showing the pony's face and bio.
"O-Oh... Oh my... Wow, uh... What, er, What a lovely young, lady..." The prep looked in confusion at the pony. She was purple, wore glasses, had her frizzy ginger hair tied up at the top, an extended snout, buck teeth, and wore what looked like an average school girl uniform shirt and sweater.
"Her name's Frazzle Rock, and whilst her social status is less than average due to her interests, she appears to have high authority in this group, and should have the materials that're required for this experiment to work. The list for the gems are in her bio, so if you're ready I'll take your "chicken casserole" and keep it in the oven for you." Expherient took Scootaloo and continued onwards to the lab.
"Auf Wiedersehen, pride." He groaned.
"So what does this ridge do, your highness?" Twilight asked the recently returned ruler of Equestria.
"From what I know, Dr Expherient needs this ridge to create and/or collect data for his lifelong work and dream: to create a second successful sun, after my own." Celestia replied after sipping her tea.
"He wants to create another sun? Wait, wouldn't that benefit Phoxjes's idea of splitting the world in half?"
"Yeah, that's pretty obvious." Caxpe answered as he drank his larger. "In fact, when he's done it, we've pretty much won this, really."
"What do you mean, Caxpe?" Twilight turned to ask the calmed down greaser.
"Apparently, he just needs the energy of a Unicorn, a Pegasus and an Earth pony so that it can start, so that's why he's taken your bird, your muscle and your dragon."
"He needs all three?" Celestia asked in return. "But Spike's not a Unicorn, so this won't work, will it? Also, why are you still here, Caxpe?"
"I brought your slave here, didn't I? Plus, we don't need Xandra's prodigy to be a Unicorn, he's still magic, init? So if he can replicate that kinda aura, yeah, we don't need a unicorn."
"Is that all you need my friends for? For one science project?! Kidnapping my friends just so yours can try something?!" Twilight stood up and walked towards him.
"Twilight, you must calm down." Celestia told her faithful student.
"Yes, my student." Caxpe answered in reply, as he appeared to be holding a microphone to his mouth, which edited his voice to sound exactly like Celestia's while mocking her. "You must quell your anger, as you can not defeat someone as good-looking and powerful as Caxpe. Not to mention his brilliant hair and perfect outfit. I wish I was as cool as him, but I know that's impossible." Caxpe finished with a snort.
"Whilst insulting, he raises a point Twilight. If your magic is nullified by him, and his physical strength is admitted far superior to ours, it would be better to avoid any conflict."
"Oh, trust me, I understand that. However, no disrespect to yourself, princess, but it wasn't his insults to yourself, or his mockery that angers me. The fact that he referred Spike to being "Xandra's prodigy" is what gets me irritated."
"Sorry, what'd you want me to call him then, some bloke who hates you? Or how 'bout Spike: Twily's scaled slave? Oh oh, better! What about Spike, my number 1 assistant?"
The last name, of course, angered her the most. This caused her to clench her hoof in anger and duck her head.
"Heh heh heh. Go on then, hit me. Come on." Caxpe laughed.
"Leave her be Capxe! Your ordeal is to be faced with me."
"Alright then, I'll face you. Ha ha: your a terrible leader and everypony hates you."
"I did not mean it like that, Caxpe." She whispered. "Say what you desire about me, but you can not blame her for what has happened and-"
"Yo-Yo, boss!" A street wise pony was heard down the corridor holding a sheet of paper. The three of them looked down to see him approaching. The pony was pale blue, had a thin blue fabric jacket which matched his coat. He had his black mane blown dried and gelled back, and a pair of black leather biking gloves on his hooves. His cutie mark was an arrow pointing left, with what looked like a door on the end.
"Yes, Left! What's happening?" Caxpe hoof bumped the other greaser pony.
"Take a quickie at this chick!" He stated as he showed Caxpe the paper, noticing how his face turned to looking as though he was about to throw up.
"Urgh, she is minging!" Caxpe turned his face away, putting his hoof over his mouth. "Who is she?"
"Right, get this: Illiux has gotta flirt with her, so doc can get his rocks!" Left laughed as he told him.
"You're joking!?! He's gotta get it on with that? With THAT? Oh mate, we've gotta see this!" Was his reply as he pulled Left towards himself and wrapping his cape over them, and vanishing as they did.
"Well, that's a load off our minds." Celestia muttered to herself. "Now Twilight, I understand that you're upset about what he may say, but understand this for me: these six do not have satisfying upbringings, unlike you and your friends."
"So just because they had bad lives, they think they can take and do whatever they want?" Twilight asked her teacher.
"It is more than just that, my dear student. You see, because of their backgrounds, they believe what they're doing, or at least trying to do is right. For example, Caxpe was raised in a broken and abandoned trailer site, without his family..." |
Marks Of Babylon | Lěng Chénmò | Marks of Babylon
Chp. 11
Lěng Chenmò
"Find her before she escapes!" The guard shouted to his ally's down the corridor of the Crystal empire, on search for yet another intruder. This time, however, no pony actually knew where she was, or even what they were looking for.
"What does she look like?" Another guard asked while slowly backing up with a spear in hoof.
"No one knows yet; just keep your eyes peeled for anything moving!" The first guard shouted for the same guy, but got no reply. "Hey, did you hear me?! I said-" before being met with a thud and the sound of metal clashing.
"IT'S HER!!" Numerous guards shouted at once. Every one of them headed down the corridors to the sound. Once they arrived, they noticed him face down on the floor, with his back cut open by what looks like three knives.
"Was this her?" One of them asked in slight fear. As he did, he was met with a hoof on his shoulder. After gasping and drawing his spear, he turned around with his shaky hooves, only to see his captain.
"Pull yourself together, solider!" Shining Armor told him. "She just wants us to panic, so everyone stay calm. Spread out and find her, now!"
With that, every guard spread across the empire, trying to find this intruder, whoever she was. As two of them were backing up on their hind legs, about to bump into each other, they both heard the sound of something razor-sharp and metal being drawn right behind them. Following their instincts and training, both of them turned right around and attack with their spears.
When they realized that they had nothing to fear, both were put on ease, which left them open to having something beneath their hooves and trip them both over. As they fell, whatever was there had jumped out of the way and continued through the hallway.
"It's headed for sector 4!" One of the downed guards shouted to the others, right before the girl came back and threw a blade at his shoulder, possibly for knowing her whereabouts, but more likely because of being referred to as 'It'.
"Sector 4? But that's where..." Shining's face turned into confusion, right before his heart skipped a beat and his pupil's shrank. "... Flurry."
Shining then dropped all other thoughts in the world and charged full speed in the direction of his daughters nursery.
"ALL GUARDS MOVE TO THE PRINCESS'S QUARTERS NOW!! IF THE INTRUDER GETS ANYWHERE NEAR HER, YOU'RE ALL FIRED!! UNDERSTOOD!?!"
"Yes sir!!" Everyone of them shouted in reply. Hoof steps were heard trampling to the nursery from all angles.
"If only you could stay as quiet as this all day..." Princess Cadence whispered to her now asleep daughter in her crib. Flurry Heart's gentle snoring seemed to make the stress of getting her to do so all the worthwhile.
"While your daddy and I are ruling the kingdom, you're busy ruling the land of dreams. The simple life is the hard life, I suppose." The monarch smiled onto her little princess. Her attention was drawn, however, to the sound of charging towards this room. Unfortunately, this noise got Flurry slightly scared, as she began to whimper in her sleep.
A worried daughter equals a worried mother, so Cadence ran over to the door to stop this miniature mob.
"Shining, stop!!" Cadence loudly whispered to her husband, as the doors flew open and she saw the charge.
"Sweetie, watch out!" Shining yelled as he tried his hardest to stay put, causing a screeching sound effect. As he stopped right in front of her, silence came across between them for about two seconds, before the sound of crying of their child.
"Your fault, your turn." Cadence stated as she tried to force him into the bedroom.
"Okay dear." He replied as he withdrew his spear and turned to the guards. "Keep an eye out for her. Two of you stay here and keep watch."
As they both walked into the room, Cadence's attention was drawn to his words.
"Keep an eye out for who?" The princess asked her husband with concern.
"There's an intruder in the castle. Female and armed, but that's about all we know."
"I see... Well, right now, you can deal with this little dangerous female. Start with one of her teddy's."
"Yes dear." Shining then walked over to the shelf full of toys, only to be met with a particularly creepy stuffed animal. It was a white bunny with Chinese looking reptilian eyes, as well as a creepy razor-sharp teeth smile.
"Um, Sweetie? When did you get this?" The captain pointed to the creepy faced rabbit.
"Get what?" Cadence asked, before looking at the vicious toy. As she began to come closer, Shining was about to touch the evil-looking smile, but his hoof was grabbed by an invisible claw. As he gasped, he was lifted up quickly on his hind legs, spun around and kicked down onto the floor.
"It's her!" Shining said after getting up, somehow following the creepy face. The face had moved from in front of the toys to the side of the room, noticeable by the difference of the wall color and the yellow narrow eyes and white razor teeth. The smile appeared to be crawling around the room. "Come on out!" Shining Armor demanded to the intruder.
"We don't have to hurt each other, miss." Cadence told her, while still holding the crying child in her hoof.
She stopped moving, only to stand on all four legs, before only on two.
"Are... Are you done?" Shining asked her, before she replied by pouncing on him in the face and jumping on her, which they both learnt the hard way.
Upon falling, she threw Flurry in the air, who was then caught by the Chinese girl.
Once she had the baby in her claws, her smile faded and then, surprisingly, her whole face, hair, body and outfit became visible. She was what they hadn't hoped for: a dragon. This one was a Chinese hot pink Salamander, with 2 pitch-black 5ft. long hair braids coming out of her head. She was also wearing a Kimono, long light green with an ivy theme all across it. The sleeves were long enough to cover her arms and claws completely, with a long skirt at the front and back. Under the skirt she was wearing black leggings, with small green pumps which matched her outfit.
Upon seeing her real face, however, Flurry's crying appeared to have ceased. Likely because of her colors of her scales, or her traditional outfit, or even her calm yet menacing face. But whatever it was, Flurry was either too entertained to cry, or scared to move.
"Let go of my baby!" Shining demanded, snarling at the dragon. As he did, she got on one leg and did a quick twirl which caused her braids to smack him in the face, then stood up to face him on both legs.
When Shining was hit, he felt a sharp, literally and seriously sharp, pain slide across his face. Once he fell to the ground after wincing in agony, this raised a question: Was she hiding something in her hair?
This question was unfortunately answered with the girl holding Flurry in her left claw, and drawing her right Kimono sleeve down, revealing not only her claws, but also four dagger blades strapped to her arm. The blades alone would've been threatening enough, the fact that she had the princess in her hand was terrifying as well, but because the blades were pointing directly AT her made everything in the world seem as important as what's going through a worm's brain right now in comparison to this.
Somewhere, in another part of Equestria, a wormologist felt insulted by something.
"Don't. Hurt. Her." Shining told her after getting back up. Looking at this predicament, fear was the only thing either of the parents could feel.
"We'll do anything. Just don't harm her." Cadence begged the Chinese drake. She didn't even look at the princess and instead proceeded to look around the room some more, almost as if she was analyzing everything around her.
She was finished a few seconds after, and literally just handed over Flurry back to her father.
"Flurry, you're safe now." Shining Armor sighed in relief, as he held his daughter safely in his hooves. Before he was able to say anything to the mysterious girl, she appeared to be gone entirely, smile and all.
"Okay Twilight..." Pinkie Pie said to her, as she was pulled in to a earshot distance. "So let me get this straight: Caxpe grew up in a broken trailer site, abandoned by his parents, with no friends, and only a bike and jacket to rely on?" Pinkie whispered to the princess.
"Pinkie, you don't have to whisper only to me; the others need to hear us as well." Twilight replied, seeing as how they were all sitting outside at a table from Sugarcube Corner.
"Sorry~" Pinkie replied as she backed off. "It's just that this is where we were when we were wanted by Mr. dog, that handsome guy, a British lad, the token female character, some kid and one pony who wants to kill us... If only we knew their names..." She then got lost in thought.
"You're joking. right?" Rarity asked. "We know their names. We've met them all at least twice, and never for our benefit."
"Which brings us back to this:" Rainbow Dash butted in. "Kidnapping and interrogation. C'mon, first Babylonian we see, take 'em down and start asking."
"Rainbow, we ain't gonna kidnap anypony just so we can get a slight edge in battle." Applejack told her Pegasus friend.
"But Applejack, don't they have your, um, brother?" Fluttershy asked in return.
"You just had to bring that up, didn't ya?" Applejack turned to her, having a very serious expression on her face. This caused Fluttershy to whimper under her hooves.
When she did, Applejack sighed to herself.
"Ah'm sorry, sugar cube. Y'all can't understand what it's like knowing that ya might never get someone back, especially your family."
"Maybe not, but we've also lost Spike, Scootaloo, Discord and who knows who else. I know it must be hard not knowing where your brother is..."
""Um, Twilight?" Rarity interrupted.
"And that five stallions and a mare are having him do Celestia knows what..."
"Twilight?" Rainbow Dash said to her, rubbing her shoulder.
"Plus, he may be turned against us in a battle or something like that..."
"Twi." Pinkie said.
"But we can't be disheartened by that, and all it means is that we need to help them come to their senses, or even win them their freedom back."
"Twilight!" Fluttershy whispered loudly as she whimpered behind the table.
"Even if the magic of friendship isn't enough, we can't let the Marks of Babylon take over Equestria, or else everything we know and love could be gone."
"Would ya just turn around all ready!?" Applejack snapped at her. With a look of confusion on her face, Twilight looked behind her, only to see three figures standing there.
The one on the left was a scaly blue torso, in a lab coat. On the right there was a massive muscular body on four legs, with two black razor sharp clearly from a smiling mouth. In the center another scaly torso was shown, being green in the vertical middle and purple on the sides, which could just barely be seen by the cornflower blue parka coat.
"Gah!!" Twilight cried as she fell off of her seat after quickly realizing who they were.
"Ha ha." The middle one laughed as she hit the ground, still with his arms crossed.
"S'appining?" The bulky guy asked with his dragon wings spread out.
"Feeling well?" The last one spoke with a smile.
"Xervint! Auxron! Exphrient!" Twilight shouted in a mixture of surprise and fear.
"Twilight! Applejack! Rainbow Dash! Rarity! Fluttershy! Pinkie Pie!" Xervint replied by mocking her with a look of "Shock" on his face, backed up with the other two snickering.
"What are you doing here?!" She asked as she got herself back up.
"You don't think that line's a bit cliche?" Expherient asked.
"Answer the question!" She demanded, looking up at him.
"Uh-oh. Better do what she says, before she gives us a lecture we'll never forget(!)" Xervint whispered to his brothers, before turning back to the girls. "So, basically, we need Rarity."
A long silence drifted into the atmosphere, until one spoke up.
"You... need me?" Rarity asked in confusion.
"Well, no, not so much you, just your special talent." Expherient answered. "You see, there's a small little event that we're preparing for, and we thought that you would be useful, seeing as how THAT'S your destiny signature."
"Seeing as how that's her what?" Twilight then spoke up. None of the six of them knew what that really was.
"Her destiny signature." ...
"He means those nice-looking gems on that sweet rear of hers." Auxron replied, pointing to her. Upon hearing his words, Rarity immediately blushed and tried to hide herself behind a menu. Seeing her face like that, Pinkie and Rainbow then snickered to each other.
"Do you guys mean her Cutie Mark?" Applejack asked, looking at the three of them in confusion.
"Her Cuti-" Xervint couldn't even finish his sentence before he and his bros burst out into laughter.
"Did you just say-" Expherient tried to ask before resuming laughter some more. "- Cutie Mark?! You call those Cutie Marks?!"
"A-Alright then, we need her talent, cause her "Cutie Mark" says it's useful!" Auxron tried to say, his laughter growing stronger as he continued the sentence.
The three dragons were practically in hysterics, while the ponies just looked in confusion.
"Seriously, though, Rarity: Come with us nice and quiet, or come with us nice and quiet and unconscious." Xervint said to her as he cracked his knuckles.
Auxron and Expherient then backed up slightly as he walked over to her.
"Oh no you don't!" Rainbow Dash shouted as she tried to flew up and kick him back. Once she impacted him he look winded, with his arms around his stomach. Rainbow then backed up a bit in case he tried to attack her back.
"Nice trick..." He weakly said as he turned around slightly from the attack. Before she could even say anything, he felt her hoof being grabbed by a claw, only to realise that it was his. Xervint then stood up straight and looked at her with an evil smile on his face with his eyes glowing green.
"...Here's mine." He then said normally as his spines then became electrified, which then travelled down to his arm and then to his claw, which then electrified her entire body.
The other five knew that they couldn't just sit there and watch their friend in pain, so they each tried to rush him like they did last time.
Unfortunately, he still had back-up. When Applejack tried to buck him, she felt the gravity around her decrease harshly, and she was then lifted into the air via Auxron's magic.
Speaking of magic, Twilight then tried to use hers to bring Rainbow Dash back over to her. However once her horn lit up, she felt an instant sharp pain up there. Her magic was cancelled out entirely, as she found out that there was some sort of crystal in her horn, pointing to Expherient. She looked at him, noticing that the dragon was holding a weapon: an arrow gun of some kind, designed to shoot those crystals.
Xervint did eventually stop the energy surge, causing Rainbow's body to become limb as she was almost unconscious. Noticing that Rarity was trying to escape, Xervint had to act fast, so he threw Dash right at her, knocking them both to the floor.
Fluttershy, at first intimidated by the trio of beasts, saw the pain that they were causing her friends, and decided to get assertive on them. This, however, was quickly disbanded when she felt her gravity increase so much, that it her hurt her to stand up, so she fell right down. Looking at Auxron, it was likely his power keeping her down.
Lastly, Pinkie tried to attack the trinity with her cannon, only to have a tail wrapped around her torso and lifted slightly.
"Uh-oh..." She said as she came to the unfortunate realization, then followed up with the familiar feeling of having her talent drained from her. When Xervint was finished with her, he threw her up into the air, and slammed her down with the same tail, and proceeded to walk over to Rarity.
"OK, time to collect." He continued to walk over to the unicorn underneath the cyan Pegasus. When she saw him approaching, she tried to climb to her hooves and make a break for it, only to see that Expherient was already there right in front of her. Seeing him made her stop, turn to the left and try to run there, not noticing Auxron until she was about within 5 ft. of him. She then turned round and tried to run there, which was followed up with Xervint flying to be in front of her.
"So, you wanna help us or not? Not that I'm giving you much choice." Xervint commented to her as he began to walk forwards towards her. She then began to back up slowly, not really thinking about what was behind her; escaping his grasp was all that mattered to her at this moment.
He then stopped moving forwards, which caused her to become confused, and then worried as her tail was grabbed by a claw, and she was lifted into the air upside down Auxron.
"Unhand me, you ruffian!" Rarity demanded as she squirmed to get away.
"Okay~" Auxron complied, letting go and dropping her on her head.
"Oof." She said as she tried to get back up. When she was crawling to her hooves, she heard the sound of something reloading. Curious, she turned to see the source of the sound, felt an impact on her horn, and fell right down into unconsciousness.
The other five saw this and looked back at Expherient was still had the same arrow gun in claw, as he pulled it up to his mouth and blew the smoke away.
"C'mon, we gotta get goin' if we want dis done 'fore tomorrow." Auxron stated as he carried Rarity over his shoulder and began to walk over to Xervint.
"I'll drop her off when I'm finished with her." Expherient laughed as he snapped his fingers and opened his hand behind him. When he did, a large sphere of blur light emerged behind him. The sphere then concentrated itself, and formed itself into a sun. The three drakes then walked into the sun, which caused Applejack and Fluttershy to have their gravity return to normal.
"Oh no you don't!" Pinkie shouted as she run for it after them.
"Pinkie what are you doing?!" Rainbow Dash asked from further away.
"You're not getting away with MY talent!" Pinkie cried as she jumped into the sun the split-second before it began to disappear.
"PINKIE NO!" Twilight yelled as she and her 3 friends ran after her, only to see that the sphere was evaporating quickly, and had vanished before they got to it.
"Oh, not again..." Fluttershy whimpered as she realized that this was the forth time she's had someone she knows taken away by the Babylon.
"Tho, in concluthion, if our guild manageth to get the funding, our project might be capable for revolutionithing the geothermal induthry. Thank you." The purple mare closed with the meeting of the guild coming to an end. She was met with applause as she walked off the stage and out of the door.
Frazzle Rock mad her way over to her favourite little cafe. Being in Canterlot, it was needless to say to the food and drinks here were all above average. When she opened the door, she noticed a mysterious stallion waiting at the counter where she usually stood. Curious, she approached the guy to get her order. As she was about to get the waiter's attention, the strange unicorn spoke up.
"Side Order." The employee then turned around to face him. "Liquor Coffee for me, Honey-glazed tea for the lady, please."
"How did you know that?" Frazzle asked him.
"Lucky guess, darling." The blonde stallion answered. "Illiux."
"Um, F-Frazzle." She said with a blush after seeing his face. Like most females, aside from the mane six and the princesses, she found him gorgeous. Even the mares and fillies at the tables were shooting looks at him from afar.
"Sugar, sir?" Side order asked him.
"Latte, no sugar. I have something sweet already." Illiux replied, clearly indicating Frazzle Rock.
"Wow. Um, thank you. I, uh, I uthually don't have any boyth flirting with me." She said with her head facing the ground. 'Come to think of it, no boys really ever talk to me, except for the guys in the guild. And that dragon that one time.' She thought to herself.
"I find that rather hard to believe." Illiux complimented her again as they took their drinks. She continued to blush like crazy and remained silent, occasionally taking sips from her tea.
"Now then, my dear, the reason why I'm here, apart from having the privilege of meeting you today..." Illiux then drank his latte and took hold of her hoof with his own. "...Is that your assistance is required. What if I were to tell you that you, Miss Frazzle, could be a key roll in revolutionizing the entire world as we know it?"
"Um, how tho?" She lisped.
"I understand that you hold a high position of authority in a guild of geothermal rock analysis? Well, with your knowledge, a little experiment that a few friends of mine are working on may be able to succeed. It is his life's work after all, so please have a think about it my darling." Illiux finished as he drank down his latte, leaving his money for Side as he left.
Walking out the door, Illiux took a deep breath in, then exhaled.
"Hello Caxpe." He said while walking forwards.
"How's things with your bird?" Caxpe laughed as he appeared out of nowhere.
"They're fine. How're you doing with your lady? Oh, pardon me, you don't have one, nor will you ever." Illiux replied, taking out his golden hand mirror and checking his parted mane.
"Rather not have one then have her, to be honest mate." Caxpe retaliated. "Now come on, Better get started. Canterlot castle's waiting for us."
"Aww, Come on. Please? I just wanna see it! Aaaaaand maybe get my talent back at the same time, but mostly the first thing!" Pinkie pleaded to the dark lime dragon that pinned her down. Without her special talent with her, her options were even more limited than before.
"You're not getting in the way of Expherient's project." The dragon replied, keeping her on the ground with his foot and tail. Being right outside the laboratory, pretty much anything could be in there.
Wondering what was happening with Rarity in the next room, Pinkie couldn't hear the sound of walls and floors being pounced on, and that the sounds were approaching this direction.
"She's coming." A pale grey dragon said to them as he turned corner.
"Already?" The first one asked in response. As he did, he stood up straight, and held Pinkie in his arms, still keeping her immobile. The other dragon came to his side and stood in the same position, as Pinkie still tried to escape.
"Lady Xiaoshi." They both said, seemingly in union. Pinkie turned her head to him and tried to ask what they were talking about, but before she asked, she turned her head back forwards and saw a creepy smile right in front of her.
The smile then proceeded to come closer to her and the other two, then the dragons moved out of the way.
The doors behind her opened, and the smile appeared to walk through them.
"Uhh, what was that?" Pinkie asked the two dragons.
"That was my S.I.C., and my girl." A voice answered her question right behind her. She turned her head, and saw someone she really did and didn't want to see right now.
"Xervint!" She yelled in surprise. Even the guards holding her were surprised to see him appear like that.
"Boss, how'd you do that?" The grey one asked.
"I have her talent." Xervint answered, pointing at Pinkie. "So, babe, what'd you think of Babylon? Pretty cool, I know."
"I've only seen this one corridor." Pinkie replied. "And to be honest, it's a kinda dump. Couldn't you have kept me held in a more suitable environment?"
"Firstly, since when have you cared about your surrounding environment? You lived on a rock farm for most of your foalhood. And secondly, because of you and the other elements, this room is actually one of the more appealing places in all of Babylon."
"Boss, aren't you supposed to be in Caterlot?"
"Not yet, man. Rare-bear isn't finished yet with the ring, so I gotta wait for her. Might take her a while." Xervint answered as he reached his arm out to the side of the screen and grabbed on to the next scene.
"Honestly, kidnapping me is absolutely pointless. They simply could've asked me to sort this ring out." Rarity complained as she continued to work on the small circular golden object.
"Just shut up and keep working." Left said to her, with a toilet pipe in his hoof. It was his job to make certain that she couldn't leave the room, which he was doing great at right now, much to her dismay.
"All I'm saying is that it seems absolutely pointless to keep me hostage down here, just so I can attach a gem to a ring."
"Look, I don't care if he asked you to bathe Auxron after he's finished a full day at the gym, they say something and you gotta do it. Capiche? 'Sides, that ain't the only reason you're here; someone's 'ere to see you."
"Oh, well I'm sure that I'll be delighted to see them too(!)" Rarity looked back at the ring, making sure that it had to exact measurements requested and a lack of scratches. "Okay, I think I'm finished. Happy now?" Rarity turned her head to look at him.
"Well, it's got literally naught to do with me, so no." Left walked over to her to see the ring. "Cool, but you're not finished yet. Turn around, babe."
"Would you mind not calling me 'babe'?" Rarity said as she complied. Her jaw then dropped slightly, and her hoof rose to her mouth when she saw who was standing there.
"He'll call you what he wants." Spike said with an evil smile on his face as he walked over to her, but then stopped half way across the room. "Babe."
"Sp- Spikey wi- ow!" Rarity was cut off by the feeling of a metal pipe being whacked in her head. "Don't call him that." Left loudly whispered to her, and then turned his head to see him. "Yo, Skixep!"
"What up, Left?" The dragon shouted back to the greaser. "She sorted it then?"
"Yeah, without using you as her personal slave this time." Left joked to him, which caused Rarity to become interested at both his new name at what he thinks he is to her.
"Hey, whe-whe." Skixep/Spike whistled to her as though she was a dog. "Eyes on me." He began to walk forwards again, and she looked at him.
"You got the ring sorted, now attach this." The dragon ordered, as he pulled out a luminous gem from his pocket. He was still wearing the same outfit as the last time they encountered.
On further inspection, this gem looked awfully familiar to her. Recently, somewhere, important to her and her sister.
Then it hit her: it was the same gem that Auxron stole from Sweetie belle at the bank. And now, here she was, about to attach it to a ring that she could possibly never see again.
Rarity couldn't believe her eyes, or the order she was just given.
"There HAS to be something in here that can tell us more about them. Anything." Twilight continued to scan through the one artefact that she had to might have even been close to a help against the Babylon.
"Look, if there ain't nothing in there, then let's just wait fer them to strike and then counterattack." Applejack suggested.
"That's not gonna work!" Rainbow Dash replied. "Don't wait for them to strike, just go for it."
"Um, I still think that we can talk them out of this..." Fluttershy interjected.
"Hold on a second, I'm trying to think!" Twilight silenced them all.
"There is a limit to thinking, Twilight." A male voice came from behind the four of them, causing them to turn around.
"If you overthink your strategy, you'll think too far ahead and leave yourself exposed for an attack." He said. The pony was a sort of Brown-barley color. He was wearing a white long sleeve polo shirt and a black and white tie with a pin to keep it from hanging low. He also wore a pair of light green glasses on his face.
"Who are you?!" Twilight asked the stallion. She was beginning to get sick of asking ponies that question.
"My name is rather fitting for your current situation: Checkmate. I'm Xandra's most trusted member and S.I.C. of the Ingenium faction of Babylon." He replied.
"S.I.C.?" Fluttershy asked him.
"Second In Command."
"Come here you!!" Rainbow Dash charged to the unicorn.
"A head-on attack?" Checkmate asked in somewhat confusion. As she was about to make contact, his horn lit up for a few seconds, and just then a giant vintage chess clock appeared behind him, and Rainbow Dash started to become much more slower.
Checkmate, however, then just walked right out of her way and walked over to Twilight. His horn lit up again as the clock vanished, and her speed returned to normal, allowing her to crash into the wall.
"The knight can move evasively, so beware its movements." He turned to face her on the floor. before he could talk to Twilight though, he felt himself being grabbed by two pretty strong hooves.
"Yeah? Well, ah'm not so evasive, but ah can make sure you don't go anywhere either." Applejack said as she tried her best to bind him.
"You just saw that brute force can't do much to me, and now you're trying this?" Checkmate asked the farm pony. "Interesting, but I feel I should warn you: Even a pawn can be more than a throw-away. Observe."
A chair was then levitated with his horn lighting up, as well as herself.
"Hey! Let me go." She demanded. Her demand was met with denial, as the chair was then rammed into her, knocking her away, and leaving the chair in perfect tact, and being placed back on the ground.
"Are you next then?" He turned his attention to Fluttershy. "Or do you know better?" He asked her, right before she backed up slightly.
"That's better." He whispered. "Now, I'll cut to the chase: Twilight, beat me in a game of chess, and you'll have Sk- I mean, Spike back. However, if you los-"
"I accept." Twilight firmly said, cutting him off and closing the book and dropping it on her desk.
"You... You haven't even heard the condition yet."
"Doesn't matter. I'm gonna win, no matter what and get my broth- er, assistan... no, my BROTHER back."
"Emotional. Very well, let's get it on." He said as his horn lit up again, and a pair of chairs, a table, a 64 place checkboard, a chess clock and all 32 pieces showed up.
"Who's first?" He asked as they took there seats.
"I want you to be." She replied.
"Very well." He said as he moved pawn from D2 to D4, and pressed the clock.
"Alright..." Twilight studied the board. She thought that he wanted her to move her pawn forwards so he could take it out, and then have her take that out, only to have something take that out. She wasn't going to fall for it.
She moved her pawn from C7 to C5.
"You've not played chess in a while, have you?" Check mate asked, as he looked at her in the eyes.
"What makes you say that?" Twilight asked as she pressed the clock button.
"You do know it's a rule that you must move your king once you're in check, don't you?"
"Yes, so what?"
He then took hold of his queen and moved it from E1 to A5. Looking at the state of the board, he smiled and sat up straight.
"Checkmate."
"What? It's not che-" Twilight saw her situation, and her pupils shrank. She could only move her king, and the only direction she could move it was diagonal, but it was the same direction that the queen was it. She was boxed in, and had loss.
"Well, that's no surprise." Checkmate said as he made the whole equipment then disappeared.
"I... I lost." Twilight said, with a large tone of disappointment and sadness.
"So you have. Tragic really, I thought we'd be here longer. Oh well, can't win everything." He said as he closed his eyes and shrugged his shoulders.
"Hold on! You're not taking this away from me again!" Twilight shouted in such a violent tone that even her three friends backed up a little bit. She then growled and ducked down slightly, then spread her wings out and tackled him to the ground.
"Oof!" He grunted as she pinned him down on the floor. Seeing this, Applejack and Rainbow dash walked over to him to help her keep him immobilized.
"We're done playing around now, ya hear?!" Applejack questioned the stallion on the floor.
"You're gonna take us to Spike and our friends right here, right now!" Rainbow added.
"You know what, girls? That's exactly what I'm going to do." Checkmate told them, causing the four of them to become confused.
"You... You are?" Fluttershy inquired.
"Well, no not so much me. You'll have to take it up with my leader. I have a feeling you've already met."
"Who is she?" Twilight asked as she got off him.
"Me." A very faintly familiar voice spoke from behind her and in front of the others. Twilight turned around and saw someone who filled her with dread right now.
"Hello again, ladies." She said to the four of them. She was in a business suit and skirt, wearing her hair straight, down on the right hand side of her face, halfway down her hooves. Her hair was nearly all black, with a few strands of blue across random sections of it. She also had a pair of circular black glasses across her face.
"Xandra!!" Twilight shouted across to the girl at the desk.
"Salutations, Miss Beswick." Checkmate said to her as he stood up.
"Checkmate, Xervint needs to see you for the plaid decor, if you please."
"Understood. Farewell." was the last thing he said before teleporting out of the room.
"Hey wait!" Twilight yelled as he vanished to who knows where.
"He said he would take you to your former assistant, I know. I can take you there myself, if you desire." Xandra calmly told them.
"I don't trust you with my life." Twilight turned back to her. "The last time you told us where Spike supposedly was, you almost had me obliterated."
"Almost, but not quite." Xandra replied, her facial expression remaining the same. "Now I'm going to see him, so are you four coming with, or would you rather not risk it?"
The four of them then looked at each other, in a way that they clearly didn't know what to do, so they had to reach a conclusion soon. |
Marks Of Babylon | The Proposal | Marks of Babylon
Chp. 12
The Proposal.
"I'm so glad you and your friends decided to accept this Twilight. Soon you'll all be seeing something truly life changing for all." Xandra said to her as the five girls all walked casually towards Canterlot castle.
"And what, pray tell, would that be?" Twilight asked her in return. So far they were halfway through the walk to where Xandra said that they would be meeting Spike. The problem was, that the place they were heading for was Canterlot's throne room.
"That's not my secret to share. I apologize, but you'll have to wait." Xandra told them as she didn't even look back, and continued to walk through the main street of Canterlot.
It was then that she felt her sleeve on her fore leg being grabbed by somepony. She looked back to see that Rainbow Dash had grabbed her, and lifted her off of her fore hooves as she grabbed the other leg. She then pinned her against the wall of the nearest building, and talked to her face to face.
"Listen up, Beswick." Rainbow snarled to her face. "We've waited long enough for this to be over, just so you and the other losers from underground can try and get even with us. Now tell us what's happening, give us back our friends, and get lost."
"Let go of me, please." Xandra simply told her as she looked her in the eye.
"Rainbow..." Fluttershy whispered.
"Let go." She firmly said as Rainbow refused to comply. When she was still held there, her horn began to light up.
"OK, OK fine, go." Rainbow ordered as she let go. After seeing what happened last time when Xandra used her magic, she really didn't want to risk calling a bluff.
"Good." Xandra got back on all four hooves, swept the dust off her clothes and started to walk back in the right direction, before stopping about four steps later. "However, you just referred to my Babylonian residents using an insult."
"Yeah, so what if I did?" Rainbow Dash asked her, while still in the air.
"I will not let you speak to me like that." Xandra replied as her horn lit up and, very quickly, as did Rainbow's flank. The others saw this as well and wondered what she was doing.
"Hey! What're you doing?!" Dash demanded to know. Her question was somewhat answered as her Cutie mark began to illuminate. The mark then appeared to become extremely thin as it traveled through her body. It stopped at her front, as it slowly waited for the rest of it to catch up.
Once it all gathered in one spot, a glowing blue and rainbow sphere of light escaped her body. Wondering what that was, she looked back at her flank.
"Hey, my Cutie mark!" She gasped as she saw that it had disappeared from her body. She then looked back at the sphere, realizing that it was indeed her cutie mark.
"This probably looks familiar to you, Twilight." Xandra said to her, and she knew that she was right.
"How are you..." Twilight pondered in curiosity.
The sphere moved over to Fluttershy, and as it touched her, the same transition happened, as her Cutie mark was then extracted from her as well.
"Ahh!" Fluttershy then squealed as she saw what just happened. The sphere then traveled across her body and eventually reached her flank. Another sphere was extracted from her body, and traveled towards Rainbow. This one was yellow and pink, and connected with her, travelling to her flank.
"What did you just do to us!?" Rainbow asked the mare.
"I simply swapped your Destiny Signatures, therefore also your special talents."
"What!?!" Twilight exclaimed, as she analysed the two of them. Sure enough, she was right: Their Cutie Marks were indeed swapped.
"That's not possible. It took Starswirl the Bearded almost a lifetime to invent that spell, how did you do it so quickly?" Twilight asked her, more fascinated than annoyed.
"I learnt this spell about 900 years ago. I believe it was called The Talent Trade spell, and it's proven to be more useful than I initially thought, as you can clearly see."
"That's impressive. You'll have to teach me sometime." Twilight said to her as she then moved to see Fluttershy's new mark. "But can you change them back?"
"Maybe later." Xandra said so casually, as if a kid just asked her for an ice-cream. The five of them then proceeded to walk towards the castle, just now approaching the staircase.
"So Spike, Rarity and Pinkie're just right up there?" Applejack asked the Babylonian.
"As far as I'm aware, yes." She replied to the farm girl.
"Wait, hold on." Twilight interrupted. "What do you mean 'As far as I'm aware'? Did they not tell you?"
"They did, but for all I know, events can play out entirely different from what we've been told. You should have experience with that just as much as we do."
"Well, true enough, I guess." Fluttershy interjected.
"But our friends always share everything with each other, and almost never go astray." Twilight told her.
"Yes, but that's mostly because you have better upbringings than us."
"What do ya mean?" Asked Applejack.
"Applejack, you and your family have always been respecting for each other, and you had your family's farm even before you were born, so you were naturally prepared for your future. Roranxoa ran away from his home at the age of 10, after stealing his parent's money of course. This was mostly because his parents were violent and ignorant, so he set off to find his own place to stay. Being unsuccessful for the first week, he came across a pack of stray dogs. Knowing that he could relate to these animals in terms of home, he decided to stay with them. Eventually, they become like family, he got his Destiny Signature, and realized his further destiny was to become a Mark."
"Must of been pretty rough, growing up like that." Applejack replied, now looking at the ground after hearing that story. The other three were no exception to sympathy. Twilight especially, because Celestia had already told her this once before.
"Yes, I should imagine so." Xandra then started to walk to her. "Ironic really; you got your Signature because you returned to your family, and he got his because he abandoned his."
"Abusive parents... That'd been unbearable." Rainbow Dash added.
"Still, some may prefer to have abusive ones, as opposed to none at all." Xandra continued.
"You're talking about Illiux, aren't you? About his adoption, and his heritage." Twilight replied, as they continued walking.
"Being raised in an orphanage for 8 years, with only his sister to help him, he learnt the hard way that there are very little ponies in the world that you can rely on, apart from yourself."
"Hold on, Illiux is adopted, and has a sister?!" Rainbow asked again.
"'Had', not 'has'." Xandra corrected. "Illiux HAD a sister, but she's tragically no longer with us. For now."
'For now'? Twilight thought as she continued to climb up the stairs to the castle.
"Now, I'm sure that Twilight has told you about Caxpe, and his backstory. Roranxoa had parents, but no proper upbringing. Illiux had no parents, but a good upbringing. Caxpe had neither of those. You see- Oh, here we are." Xandra stopped herself, noticing that they were at the top of the stairs.
"Good. Finally." Twilight exclaimed, as she rushed herself into the castle, if only to see her friends again. The other three then followed, leaving Xandra on her own.
"Well, no need to rush." She said to herself, straightening her glasses, and walking slowly after them.
"Please?" Pinkie asked, for what seemed like the 278th time to the same pony.
"For de last time, baby, no!" A male Jamaican pony answered her again. This one was dark brown and had a black slick pompadour mane. He also wore a red t-shirt and brown baggy jeans, which complimented perfectly with his black leather jacket.
"Please?" Pinkie asked again, now making it 279.
"Ask mi dat again..." The pony reached behind his chair, in front of the doors to the throne room, and pulled something out. "And I'll be cleanin' yo brains off dis in about 10 minutes."
It was a sledgehammer. A big one, at that. In fact, the head of the hammer was just bigger than his whole head, and he seemed to be about 4 years older than Pinkie and her friends.
"Whoa! Okay, I get your point!" Pinkie replied, as he put it down next to him. She still wanted to see what was right on the other side of the doors behind him. "But just onnnnnne question..."
"What?" He asked, clearly irritated. "If it's to ask 'bout the door, you're dead."
"When do I get my special talent back?"
"Xervint's in dere, about to ask a certain girl a certain question. If she says "yes", you can have it back. 'til den, your under dis guy's watch." He finished, pointing at himself.
"And hopefully, she WILL say yes." A voice came from behind Pinkie, causing them both to look behind her.
Xandra was now right behind her. She began to walk forwards, with her eyes closed calmly and her gentle breathing surrounding the now quiet room.
"Thank you Stonefort, but I'll take over from here. You should get back to your post in the throne room." Xandra ordered the stallion in front of her.
"You got it, miss B." The Jamaican said, before turning around and exiting through the door.
"Hey, you're that girl from the train, aren't cha?" Pinkie asked her, now recognizing her face. Xandra simply nodded, and her horn lit up.
Pinkie then heard a loud banging noise behind her. She turned around, and saw that one of the oversized doors had been slammed shut, leaving the other one slightly open.
"Hey!" Pinkie yelled as she rushed for the doors, now that the Jamaican pony was gone.
"Too late." Xandra told her, as the other door closed as well, leaving Pinkie to hit her face into the door. When she got off to rub her face, Xandra the continued to use her magic on both the doors, making them glow in her blue horn aura. The doors then had a massive lock shape in the center of them, before the aura had disappeared altogether.
"No!" Pinkie shouted as she tried to go for the door handles. When she touched the door, she had a magical, yet electrical zap jolt through her entire body, causing her mane to become more frizzy than usual.
"Small advice: don't touch anything that I've used magic on; you'll end up getting hurt." Xandra said, looking at Pinkie's damage.
"Now you tell me..." Pinkie whispered in return.
"PINKIE!" Four voices came from the hallway. Pinkie knew those voices all too well, and her hopes were somewhat restored.
"Girls!" Pinkie rushed over to where the voices came from. When she arrived, she banged heads with a Pegasus moving at an incredible speed.
"Owie..." Pinkie said, as she got back up, again rubbing her head. "Rainbow Dash! Boy, am I glad to see you. You've got to come see-"
"Um, Pinkie?" A timid soft-spoken voice came from the Pegasus. Pinkie turned around to see the girl she was speaking to was not the one she had in mind.
"Fluttershy?! But how did-"
"We'll explain later, Pinkie." Twilight said loudly, as she and the other two caught up to them. "Right now we need to warn you: Xandra's on her way up here, and she-"
"I'm already here, Twilight." Xandra said from behind Pinkie, as the five of them saw that she was walking up to them.
"What!? How!?" Twilight exclaimed, with her jaw hitting the floor.
"Three reasons: 1, Although a lady stereotypically isn't one to admit their way, I'm way older than you all combined, so my powers are advanced in ways that might seem impossible to you. 2, When you teleport, Twilight, you have to be able to see where you reappear. I don't, I just have to know where. 3, I was a major role in the creation of Va- Pardon me, Discord, and his magic was modeled after my own."
"Enough; stop toying with us! Why are we here?! And where are Spike and Rarity?!" Twilight demanded to know.
"Where's mah brother?!" Applejack asked in addition.
"Give me my talent back!" Pinkie Yelled to her too.
"Put our Cutie marks back." Fluttershy whimpered.
"And hand over Scootaloo!" Rainbow snarled.
Seeing the five of them team up against her from their friendship, Xandra scoffed.
"Patience, ladies. In time, you'll all have what you want back. Well, four of you anyway." She looked at Twilight.
"If you're talking about Spike..." Twilight threatened.
"His name is Skixep now, Twilight. And yes, I am; You're never having him back. That's not even being said as a cliche line either, it's a fact."
"You're not taking him from me forever!"
"Why not; you and your friends did the same thing to me." Xandra turned around.
"Wh-what?" Twilight and the other four looked puzzled.
"I said you turned- nay, FORCED my friend to your side, so I need to do the same thing to you. Difference is, Skixep has his family with him now."
"What're you talking about?!" Rainbow interrupted, causing the girls to look at her. "Spike doesn't have a family!"
"Oh, you're quite wrong about that." Xandra told her. "Xervint, Auxron, and Expherient. All three of them lost there youngest unhatched sibling from a war years ago, and have been looking for him since. I ran a DNA test with some of my colleagues. and it turned out to be a genuine match."
"Oh..." Four of them said unison, save for Twilight who already knew that. "Wait, what about his parents?"
"His mother has yet to hear the news that her baby has been found, and therefore has yet to return. His father is..." Xandra hesitated.
"What? His father is what?"
"Well, Pinkie, that young stallion who you just saw before I arrived?"
"The one with the sledgehammer? Yeah, what about him?" Pinkie asked, not noticing the other's look of fear at the word 'sledgehammer'.
"His name was Stonefort Wreckage. Stone is the second in command of Caxpe's faction of Babylon, the Greasers. The mostly spend their time either smoking cigarettes at the motorhome site, by the shops, whether it be for candy and soda, or their bikes, or out on the streets, starting a riot somewhere."
"What other factions have you got down there?" Pinkie asked, looking at the ground. If she still had her special talent, she would have slammed her head into the ground like an ostrich.
"Roranxoa's faction is P.B.F. (Pony's Best friend), Illiux's faction is Preppy, Caxpe's faction is Greaser, mine is Ingenium, Calsuricxs' faction is Skylord, Phoxjes' faction is Goth and Xervint Auxron and Expherient all have a faction of dragons each: Factions 1,2 and 3. Each one has a second in command, appointed by us personally."
"What's your point?" Rainbow asked in slight boredom.
"My point is, that like yourself, we all have a figure in command, similar to Celestia. Difference is, no one would even dare to DREAM about going head to head with our leader."
Twilight was ready to attack, before she backed herself up. Instead, she just asked "So Spike's dad is the S.I.C. to this leader?"
"Skixep, and yes. Needless to say, he's busy all of the time, so he also has yet to meet his son. In fact, Xervint, Auxron and Expherient are rarely seen with their old man. Look behind you."
"Just because he has a higher authority than all but one member of Babylon doesn't mean he can't find some time to find with his family."
"Look behind you."
"Either way, being with his family or not, I want-"
"Look behind you."
"-To see Spike again, even if you force him to try to destroy us."
"Look behind you." Xandra said for a forth time.
"WHAT!?" Twilight shouted, turning around, then quickly bringing her hoof to her mouth, gasping.
"Firstly Twilight, yeah, it kinda does..." Spike told her, now that she was looking at him.
"Spike..." She said quietly.
"Second, you should be careful what you wish for." He finished. The girls noticed that he was still wearing the clothing he had on from last time, but more importantly, he was holding someone in his claws.
"RARITY!!" The girls all shouted in unison, seeing the unconscious, beaten up unicorn in the dragons hands.
"Could you take her off me yet? She's a lot heavier than she looks."
The five girls rushed over to them, wanting to get the two of them separated. Twilight used her magic to take her out of his hands.
"Rarity, what happened?!" Applejack exclaimed, getting only faint moaning in reply.
"Allow me." Xandra answered for her. "We originally borrowed her so she would make a slight modification to something Xervint needs, but then we figured that we'd give her some alone time with your former friend. However-" Xandra stopped herself at the sound of celebration balloons going off from the doors.
This got their attention, and Xandra immediately unlocked the doors with her magic.
Once she did, the doors opened from the other side, and Checkmate reared his head from inside.
"We're ready." Was all he said.
"Okay girls, before you go in, bear in mind that not only are all nine faction leaders in there, but you're about to see something that will change life as we know it. Got that?" Spike asked them.
"Got it. Now let us in." Twilight demanded from him.
Spike complied, and opened both the doors at the same time, using his newly found strength.
The elements expected the place to be completely clear, thinking that Xervint was there to, as Xandra said, make a proposal to Celestia about this war.
Not... this.
"Wh-wha... What is- Wha- how- were did-" The girls were all in complete shock, seeing what had happened to the throne room.
Before they could say or do anything else, they all saw a faint light glowing in the corner of their eyes, so they turned to see what it was.
However, once they turned their heads, the six of them were hit with a beam of Xandra's magic. This time though, they noticed that the beam had been refracted through one of Illiux's illusion panels, who was standing right there next to her.
When the light faded, the girls were all unharmed. However, they noticed that they had a warm feeling around their bodies. Looking at each other, then at themselves, they quickly found that they were all wearing Kimonos.
"Why are we wearing these outfit all of a sudden? And what did you do to the room?" Twilight asked the Babylonians. Their kimonos all matched their coat and mane colours.
The room was almost completely golden, with statues of Chinese ponies, and even dragons surrounding the walls. Red and green carpets with Chinese markings were laid across the floor, stretching from the entrance to the throne. Tables with white cloth had been placed up all around the room, and all of them were completely stacked with food, nearly overflowing at the top. There must have been about 60-70 tables of food in the room. In addition, crystal glass chandeliers had been hung by some pegasi on a temporary ceiling. Giant Chinese banners had also been hung on the walls, all with different markings and symbols. Even Discord's statue had been transported from the gardens to this room, right in front of the throne. Finally, above the throne on the other side of the room was another banner, but this one was the biggest of them all. It had the Mark of Babylon on it, representing the Marks them selves, who were all here in the room as well.
In addition to the Marks, the room was nearly cram packed with ponies and even a few dogs that none of the mane six recognised. However, given the way that they were dress, it was fair to say that they were all Babylonians as well.
"I thought Xandra already told you." Spike answered her. "Xervint's about to ask a certain lady a question that could change all of our lives forever, and we want you to witness it."
"I know that, but I don't see Celestia anywhere."
"What's with the Chinese decorations? Are you guys having a party or something?" Pinkie asked.
"It's not for Celestia, and you'll find out right about-"
"Twily!" A voice shouted from her left. Twilight knew that voice and that name all too well.
"Shiny!" She shouted back, turning her head. She was right, it was Shining Armor, Cadence and Flurry, also in the traditional outfits.
Twilight ran over to him, and they both locked hooves in a warm embracing hug.
"BBBFF, Why are you here as well?" Twilight asked the stallion.
"Well, it all started this morning. We heard that a dragon was intruding the crystal empire, so me and every guard in the castle went to go pursue her, but we had no luck. That is until she went on the offensive on a few of us, who are still in recovery." Shining told her, breaking the hug, allowing the other five to catch up.
"Before they found her, she wrangled her way into the bedroom, without us noticing at first. Turns out she can turn invisible, simply by smiling." Cadence replied.
"Is she dangerous? I'll take her on, no problem." Rainbow told the couple.
"No offensive, Dash, but last week you proved you can't even beat a colt at a race in flying, let alone taking on an assassin." A voice came from right next to the girls.
The ponies then turned to see him, now realizing that Xervint and his brothers were there. He and his family were also wearing the Chinese clothes.
"You guys are here as well?" Rainbow asked the dragons.
"RD, I'm hosting this entire thing, of course I'm gonna be here." Xervint replied.
"So then can you clarify exactly WHAT this thing is?!" Twilight demanded, still not being on the same page as them.
"If you haven't caught on yet, then firstly, you're stupid, and sceondly-" Xervint stopped himself, as he ducked down a bit, as the other girls noticed Pinkie trying to jump him from behind.
"No!" Pinkie yelled, as she missed, and was now right above his head. Knowing that she was trying to get her special talent back, Xervint reacting quickly as he grabbed her sleeve and threw her across the room.
She crashed into a table on the floor, and caused some sort of pudding to fall on her head. As she got the bowl off her head, she was approached by a small pack of dogs, who pounced on her and began to lick her clean.
"Boys, get off o' her." A cowboy told the dogs as they seemed to obey. Just as Pinkie was getting up, she felt something being poured on her. She picked one up and looked in annoyance at what it was: dog food.
Pinkie then looked up at the pony, and stared in even more annoyance at WHO it was: Roranxoa.
"Carry on." He said with a smirk. The dogs resumed their munching, as Pinkie struggled to get up. Roranxoa, Caxpe and their packs/greasers laughed at her.
Every pony suddenly stopped at the sound of the speed of light being shattered. Everyone looked at the window, and the young stallion flying through it. Calsuricxs flew into the room, and stood next to Xervint on the other side.
"Right everypony, Xiaoshi's coming! Clear the way for her arrival." The Italian colt announced to everypony. Upon hearing this, literally everyone in the room grabbed anything in the way, and moved it and themselves to one side.
"Already?!" Xervint exclaimed, his face turning from a smile to shock at the news. "She's not suppose to arrival for another 1/2 hour."
"Who?" Rarity asked him, looking around along with the other girls.
"His girlfriend, of course. Lady Xiāoshī, leading assassin and second in command of Xervint's dragon sector of Babylon." Spike told the girls.
"Could she be the one who entered the Crystal Empire?" Twilight pondered. As she was wondering, the sound of thin metal clanging lightly on stain glass caught the attention of everypony. More specifically, the clanging came from the stain glass window that showed Twilight and her friends using their elements on Discord.
Within seconds, the sound stopped briefly, and the a horrific noise of steel scratching on glass spread through out the room. Luckily, the noise was only heard twice, and now an obvious figure of a dragon could be made out from the three crosses in the window, clearly made by what looked like razor blades.
Despite what the dragon had just done to the glass, it was amazing to see that the glass had actually stayed in tact everywhere else, especially if said glass was stain glass, which this one was. But this only lasted for about 4 seconds, before the figure moved in attack formation and shattered the window almost entirely.
When she entered, everypony got up off the floor from the sound, and stood up straight to look at her. Unfortunately for Twilight and her family, it was indeed the same dragon from before. Same outfit, hair, scales and weapons. Not that Twilight knew that, of course.
"That's her, the intruder from before." Shining whispered to his sibling
"All yours, big bro." Spike whispered to his.
After opening her eyes, the dragon was about to take a step forwards and wonder why she was called into the room, and more specifically, why Phoxjes asked her to break that exact window when she did. However, she stopped herself even before she moved her foot all the way. The dragon took her time examining the room around, and getting a familiar feeling.
It felt like an eternity, but the silence was finally broken in the room with the sound of footsteps approaching the centre of the room. Every one looked to see Xervint walking towards her slowly, with a look on his face clearly showing how nervous he is.
Without changing her facial expression at first, she looked at who it was that decided to approach her. Knowing that her boyfriend was the only being in the world brave enough to talk to her in a room alone, then it seemed hardly surprising to anyone that he would do something like this.
The dragon smiled her trademark smile, causing her to become invisible again. Just like before, only her squinty eyes and razor sharp teeth were visible to everyone other than herself. Her swift movements caught nearly everyone off guard as she began to pounce about the room, on to several walls, tables and everywhere on the floor, until the teeth and eyes were right in front of Xervint.
Looking at each other in the eyes, they both knew that they were here for a reason. Difference was, Xervint knew what it was, whereas she had no clue. The smile began to fade, along with her invisibility until she was visible to every pony in the room.
With a sigh, he placed his claw on her check and began.
"Xiāoshī. For the past 450 years, you've made me live a fulfilling life. And by fulfilling, I mean you've put me in more danger than that time I let Lord Tirek borrow my powers, and my chainsaw." Ponies in the room laughed, whereas she just stared at him, with a slight smile.
"In that time, I've learnt a lot from you and your culture. What it means to try, how far is too far and what happens if anypony gets on your bad side. All my life, I've wanted to find that someone who helped me feel that I need a reason to keep trying in life, and that I need someone to love. I see now that someone... is me." More laughter. Even Xiāoshī cracked a smile for a second.
"But if anyone comes close, then yeah it's probably you." Xervint commented still. It was obvious that he was getting less nervous about the whole thing.
Twilight and her friends were now starting to catch on with what was happening.
"Now, needless to say, we've had some perfect moments in our home we proudly call Babylon. A prime example being when my mother and father managed to make contact with the Marbidrons of the 8th dimension parallel to this one, and I was given the honour of delivering the speech for peace. Though I still don't understand why I wasn't allowed to use the one I wrote." Even more laughter erupted from the audience.
"I think Xandra knows what I mean." He pointed, to which she replied: "Xervint, your opening line was "What up, dudes and babes? Sick scales alive here, ready to talk to you about myself.", So I had to."
Everyone turned back to the dragons.
"Still, You're the reason I carry on with what I do in life, because you mean too much to me. After all, you light up my life like nobody else, the way you flip you braids gets me-" Everypony kept laughing the more he continued. Xiāoshī placed her claw on her head and shook. As she was putting it down, she felt something gently grab her. She looked to see that it was Xervint, holding her claw with both of his.
"Anyway, I've had a lot of sad moments in my life that I've had to endure. I've had to slaughter my own pets for their own benefits, I've been expelled from school, seeing Brownman leave the Achievement Hunters, and I've even lost my baby brother for eight years." Xervint looked back at Spike, who then winked back at him.
"But, easily the most miserable moment of my life is right now..." Xervint got down on one knee. "Knowing that you're not my bride."
Upon hearing this, her eyes widened and she covered her mouth, knowing exactly what was coming up next. Twilight and the other elements weren't exactly oblivious to this either, seeing all the signs earlier. The girls had different reactions, including either covering their mouths at the news, tilting their heads in confusion, or placing their hooves on their hearts and "d'aaaawww"ing.
"Xiāoshī, my leading lady, my loyal S.I.C., my treasure from the caves, the lotus in my garden, my beat for my wingbeat and Chinese beauty, will you marry me?"
Xervint, for the first time since he could remember, felt a genuine feeling of nervousness spreading across his body. sweat starting appearing on his head, his wings starting to flutter quietly as Xiāoshī was staring at the ring he just pulled out. The very same ring that he had forced Rarity to modify earlier in the day.
Knowing and/or seeing everything that he and the other Babylonians had done for her, just for this one moment, really touched her heart that she rarely used. Without even having to look, she knew that all eyes were on her right now. However, being an assassin, she wasn't used to having the spotlight shining over her. luckily for her, she was blessed with her unique ability to vanish upon showing happiness.
This time, however, was a very rare occasion, as she actually did feel genuine happiness.
There wasn't much left to say or do right now, except for the obvious: give him an answer. Seeing those teeth open, everypony drew in closer; for the first time in their lives, Xiāoshī was going to reveal her voice to someone other than Xervint.
"Yes." |
Celestia Shorts | pre | Celestia smiled and patted my back with her wing. "I really wouldn't mind--"
"I would." I shifted in my seat. "A, I'm not gay, B, I've been with two ponies...one I love, one I love like a sister--"
Celestia smiled wryly. "Am I the one you love like a sister?"
I felt my cheeks tug downward. "Thanks.... You know who I'm taking about. Apple Jack...." I put my hands together. "Anyways, I had my exploration thingy with ponies...I'm not about to leave you any time soon."
Celestia reached down and nuzzled my head. "I know."
"Good." I looked Cadance over. I looked back to the doors of the dining room. "He really should have found you by now."
Celestia sighed and slid off the bench. She lit her mane up and brushed her coat with her magic. "Well, I suppose I'll go hold court. Wait for Shining to show up."
Cadance nodded and watched her leave. "Bye auntie." Things grew quiet as a pony came over and set my mug back down on the table. Cadance watched as the pony took her cereal away and dropped off a small cup of tea. "So, she's much more casual behind the scenes."
I shrugged. "I wouldn't know. I never really see her, on scene." I rubbed my neck. "Heard she's really proper."
Cadance nodded. "Normally I'd say so. Very motherly and kind, very reserved--"
"Ha!" I leaned down towards the table. "Sure."
Cadance cocked her head. "Well maybe you should sit with her while she's doing business. See what I mean."
I grunted and looked back towards the door. "Maybe. Hey, so you know he's the guard's fucktoy?"
Cadance nodded. "Oh there are some days where he has to go to the bathroom to poop out cum."
I cringed and hissed. "Oh my god...what the fuck?" I crossed my legs and covered my mouth.
Cadance nodded. "He goes to shower with them, then comes back, pretends like nothing happened."
I shrugged. "Courtly love or something, right?"
Cadance grunted. "No...just love and sex, can be a little different." She looked me over. "You were in a military, you know--"
"No." I shook my head. "No I don't. I was never gay for anyone in the barracks. I had sex with one solider, a woman, out in a foxhole because we though we were going to die the next day." I rubbed my arm. "Wait, so does that mean you just fuck random ponies too?"
Cadance tried to hold her hoof out. "I have one servant who comes by and gives me oral. It's not love thought."
I grunted again. "Ponies are weird...."
"Humans are weird." She tapped her back leg on the ground.
Things grew quiet as we both sat there, waiting for something to happen. I scratched my neck. "So...you wanna go watch a movie or something? I think they remade Titanic with ponies."
Cadance shrugged. "Alright."
I stood up and walked over to her. I hoisted the pink mare over my shoulders and started off towards the doors. "So... only a nine out of ten?"
Cadance sighed. "The best kidnapper would take me to dinner first. And probably wouldn't be human. A dragon kidnapping would be interesting."
"Hmm. Weird times we live in." |
Celestia Shorts | Still Kidnapped | "No...light infantry." I moved my pieces across the board. "I'm telling you, a mixed force of light armor and infantry is your best bet here." I shifted my pieces again.
Cadance shook her head. "I've always studied under Canter and Crystal schools, you need support. You need supply lines." She levitated her pieces over the large textured map. "You need to maintain supply lines, possible retreats, and ways to move fresh troops forward."
I rubbed my chin and looked at her placement. "In my experience we were a self sufficient unit." I cleared the board and laid out a few infantry and one light armor. "One IFV with two platoons made up of eleven each. Scouting groups could split five and five with the commander hanging back." I scratched my chin. "Do you get what I'm saying? A unit like this could move behind enemy lines without needing to supply or stop."
Cadance scrunched up her muzzle. "I suppose. It's certainly experimental."
I shrugged and walked around the board room I'd hijacked. "It's a covert group if nothing else. I think you're thinking from a national perspective, I'm thinking limited resources." I tapped my chin. "Quebec, we were the first group in, and we tore resistence to pieces before the main force could arrive. We flushed them out of buildings and the main force swept them up off the street."
Cadance nodded. "I don't think Equestria has really had a conventional war in over one-hundred years." She looked up at me. "The last one was with the griffons, and it was one repelled invasion then Celestia dropped the sun and refused to raise it until they left."
I stared at her. "Whoa...that's fucked up." I scratched my head. "I keep forgetting how pointless a war would be when you can just control the fucking sun."
Cadance shrugged. "I suppose. We could hold wargames."
I shrugged. "It'd probably be good if ponies had some grasp of war." I looked her over. "So is Shining coming for you or not?"
Cadance looked down at her roped up body. "I'd hope so." She flapped her wings a few times then nestled into them. "What would you do if Celestia was kidnapped?" ***
I stared out over the burning lands. Ponies in gold marching down the streets with banners held high. The smell of burning plants and falling ash littered the fields as we marched on towards her. The smell of blood clung to my bayonet and the stink of fresh gunpowder drifted up from my rifle.
I watched the blue glow of my mask reflect in an ashy puddle as I walked down through the corpse filled lands. They would burn for taking her, and not one would live to see her sun rise again. ***
I rubbed my chin. "I would blow up the whole god damn world."
Cadance's eyes opened wide. "Um...your voice changed."
I cleared my throat. "Hmm, ignore that." I looked back at the map. "So if he doesn't get her by dinner, you want to invite Twilight and make it a dinner?"
Cadance looked me up and down. "You'd really explode the world if somepony took her?"
I smelled smoke. I saw the fires rise in the distance. "I would commit a genocide to get her back if that's what it took."
Cadance cleared her throat. "Do...do humans have Nightmare Variants?"
I stared into space. The heat of the disposal fires warmed my shoulders. The smell of fresh dragon blood clung to me, envoloped me as I saw her, clad in rags. "I don't know...." I stared past Cadance, lost in my campaign. "Let's not find out."
Cadance looked off to the side. "So...you're a little scary."
I grunted. "Depends on the day." I scratched the back of my neck. "Anyways, you wanna come to dinner or not? I kinda like talking with you, and if he's not gonna come get you...."
Cadance smiled nervously. "Sure. Maybe just don't have that thousand yard stare again."
I rubbed my cheeks. "Hmm, was a bit much, wasn't it?" I shrugged. "I had my chance to become the devil, I kinda threw it away so don't worry too much." I reached out and picked up the pink horse. "Come on, go tell Celestia and get ready. Can invite some ponies or something." |
Celestia Shorts | Still? | I fixed the old black jacket Rarity had made for me. "Still...?"
Cadance nodded. "Still."
I scratched my head. "So is he just inept, or is he not trying?"
Cadance flopped onto her side. She nestled into my couch and sighed. "I don't know. I really don't know."
I fixed my cuff and sat down next to her. "I'm sure he's just inept.... Probably." I sat her upright and rubbed her side.
Cadance huffed loudly. "I'm not really sure that's better."
I hugged her against me and held her cheek. "We can fix ineptitude. Harder to fix not caring."
Cadance sighed again. "I suppose."
I lifted her up and tossed her over my shoulder. I turned to the door. "Sorry by the way, dinner in ropes isn't--"
"Sounds vaguely sexual." Cadance shot back. "Planning something?"
I coughed roughly and hurried down the steps out of my office. "Celestia in a black dress...so, yeah probably." I rubbed my throat with my free hand. "I mean no offense, but I'm gonna force her dress up and just ruin her after the dinner."
Cadance whipped my back with her tail. "Kinky. Do go on."
I grunted and stepped into the main staircase downward. "There's not really more to say. I'm going to put my dick inside princess. Simple as that."
Cadance sighed. "You make it sound so simple, like she's not a world leader."
I shrugged, bouncing her up slightly. "Still a mare. Still someone I have to look out for, mentally and physically." I rubbed Cadance's back. "Either way, treating her well doesn't always mean treating her nice. Sometimes you have to be stern. And sometimes you have to just fuck her." I scratched my head. "Gets stressed as fuck and sometimes she doesn't calm down until she either goes and uses a vibrator or I bend her over."
Cadance looked me in the face. "That's...an interesting perspective."
I shrugged. "I've been here like...feels like years. But, I can't treat Celestia like a woman, she's not." I shook my head. "She's a mare, and as simple as the differences seem, it's the difference between someone I have to take care of, and an equal I have to watch out for."
Cadance hummed. "How would you treat her if she was human?"
I laughed hard. "Oh my god, I'd tell her to calm the fuck down quick as shit!" I felt my chest rise. "Oh man.... But that shit doesn't work for her right now. She can take care of herself, she just forgets she's still a living creature from time to time." I scratched my sideburn. "I think she used to calm down with Twilight, but even she's getting all grown up."
Cadance looked me up and down. "Are you saying she needs a child? It sounds like that's what you're implying."
I ran my fingers down over my cheek. "Huh... I guess I am. Well, what do you think?"
"I'm not sure. Does she really get that stressed?"
I reached the base of the stairs and set Cadance down. "Tell you what, you stick around the castle a bit, I'll go up to the Crystal Empire and see what I can't do about your guard. Deal?"
Cadance shifted in her binds. "Sure. But first, can I get these ropes off?"
I shook my head. "Not until Shining gets here." I wiped off my shoulder. "And I don't really think it has to be a kid. A student, a kid, a pet, something to take her mind off the constant Princess Celestia blank did blank now I need blank."
Cadance scrunched up her muzzle. "I suppose. The Empire isn't the biggest place, I've never really had an overload, except when the Empire was getting started."
I put my hands out. "Right, now think about the Crystal Empire, then add in like thirty other cities, and a landmass double the size of North America."
Cadance laughed. "Wide wide world of Equestria."
"No joke." I picked her up again. "Rural as fuck though."
Cadance rolled her eyes. "Oh please. It's--"
I shook my head and walked on. "You have a major city, then miles and miles of fucking nature! It's great, don't get me wrong, but it's weird. Back home it was almost the opposite. Lots of cities and a few dense clusters of nature." I walked out a side door onto the castle grounds. "I like Equestria way better, so don't take it personally."
Cadance grunted and stretched her legs. "The planet is big too. Still whole continents unclaimed." She smiled and looked up to the dark night sky. "And there's other planets just out there that we could reach...."
I felt a knot sit in my throat. "Wide wide world indeed." |
Celestia Shorts | Finally? | I sat with Celestia and the other princesses. Celestia wore her mane a soft shade of blue and covered her wings with a thick black dress. Cadance and Twilight sat across from us, talking to each other. I took a drink of water while Celestia one of wine. "So, how was it?" I asked calmly.
Celestia sighed. "About as I expected. A few ponies came in just to talk about Cadance, aside from that standard."
I took another swig. The cold water was easy on my throat after all the days yelling. "Hmm, you alright?"
"Yes, Able."
I nodded. "You seem a little quiet."
Celestia tapped me with her wing. "There are other ponies around. And I'd rather--"
"Tick." I tapped my fingers on the table. "Other ponies never--"
Celestia slapped my arm with her wing. "That was different." She left a blue smear on her glass. "You know how I feel about bugs. Same way you feel about Spike."
I felt my skin creep. "Don't even compare that to him...I don't--"
Celestia scoffed. "Please...you nearly threw him through a window."
I nodded. "And I would have done it if you'd let me." I moved my hand to her thigh.
Celestia sat calm under my hand. She sighed heavily. "So what are the odds Shining is bent over in the showers?"
I grabbed the inner curve of her thigh and squeezed. "Hopefully low."
Celestia nodded and looked up at her ponies. "How are you both? It is very nice to see you, perhaps not under--"
I squeezed her leg. "Relax."
Celestia looked down at me with a grimace. "I am."
I rubbed her leg. "Speaking as an agitated madman, you're not."
Celestia levitated my hand off her leg. "At any rate.... Twilight, how have you been?"
Twilight smiled wide. "Great! I mean...great, it's been going very well. No major catastrophes."
I scratched my ear. "How'd the tree grow in? That crystal thing still there?"
Twilight sighed heavily. "It just doesn't feel right."
Celestia leaned forward. "The crystal tree, you mean the crystal tree, don't you?"
Twilight nodded slowly. "I just feel a little--"
"Too formal?" Celestia asked calmly. "Personally I think it suits you, since the tree is still a bit young I think it'd work well for you."
Twilight rubbed her neck. "It does! It really does. I just feel a little out of place in Ponyville, since it kind of stands out...."
I rubbed my chin and looked around. A loud metal scraping was coming from the door. "Oh...well shit."
Shining was dragging himself over, a sword sat next to him, barely held in a magical grip. He wore bright gold armor, the same kind I'd proved completely pointless with a bayonet. His mane was singed at the tips and his hooves were covered in mud. "Cadance...he found us."
Cadance popped upright, still tied up. "Shining!"
He walked over rather slowly and tossed the sword down. It clattered loudly and startled a passing man with a food tray. He walked up to me and stared at me. "Why?"
"Testing." I answered with a drink. "Where the hell where you?"
Shining glared at me. "Dragon lands...."
I nodded. "Poor scout work there my friend."
Shining looked over to Cadance. "...You kept her tied up all day?"
I nodded. "Yeah, until you cut her out."
Shining glared at me and snorted. "Are you...kidding...me?"
I shook my head. Celestia and Twilight were still talking. "No, it really took you a day to track her down. If I was actually trying to kidnap her I would have shaved her head and sent you it in a box by now," I turned to Cadance, "no offense."
Shining let out a long grunt and laid down on the floor. "I walked for twenty miles today...."
I rubbed my chin. "Why didn't you send out scouts? Pegasus cover that much ground in minutes."
Shining glared at me. "There are no Pegasus in the Crystal Guard...you ass."
I scratched my neck. "Breed some, you dipshit." I finished off my glass and stood up. "Celestia...." She turned around to face me. "I'm gonna head back home, get things ready. Have fun."
Celestia looked up at me. "Oh, alright. I planned to."
I turned to Cadance. "See...equal, can't baby her." I picked Shining up and set him on my old seat. "Later ya'll." I started off towards home. Crisis now resolved, I was about ready to have a sandwich and go to bed. |
Celestia Shorts | Crystal | I sat on the train northbound. I had a private car with a new assistant helping me sort through guard portfolios. I rubbed my chin, busy looking over a young crystal pegasus. "So, Shard, crystal ponies haven't been around long? All earth ponies?"
Shard turned in his seat. "Hmm? Oh, no, they popped up a year or two ago. But yes, most pure blood crystal ponies are earth, its a subsect of earthpony with a higher crystal content in their bodies." He rubbed his desk with his hoof. "Less iron more zircon."
I scratched my head. "So what, they don't need to eat iron rich stuff?"
He shook his head. "They eat oxide or silicon based foods in place. So, yeah, no spinach, more crysol."
I nodded. "But, they can crossbreed." I tapped my fingers on the desk. "That work like--"
"Same way as any other crossbreed. It all depends on the genes." He looked down at himself. "I'm half thestral, you'd never guess by looking at me though."
I shook my head. "Your coat is softer and your colors are more greyish."
Shard looked up and down himself. "Oh...well, most ponies couldn't tell."
I shrugged. "So are your systems all wonky? Can't they eat meat?"
Shard nodded. "Equestrian Genetics are strange."
I looked down at my balls. "Yeah, tell me about it." I scratched my ear. "Satyrs? What the fuck man?"
Shard shrugged. "Genetics. Anyways, there could be a pegasus or a unicorn with a crystal coat fairly easily. And if not born like that, you've seen the new potions out of Van Hoover."
I smirked and nodded. "Right. So, we need a quota. About ten to start?"
Shard nodded. "Ten pegasus, maybe four or give unicorns."
I nodded. "Alright." I looked over the files Cadance had handed over. "You have the physical requirements?"
"I'm drafting the new ones right now." He turned back to his desk. "These crystal ponies are a lot more fragile, but they're a lot lighter. Like an earth pony but with less durability and more agility."
I stretched my neck. "Still stronger than pegasus?"
Shard nodded. "Earth ponies are like steel, crystal ponies are like iron. Context wise you can tell which is stronger, but compared to anything else, they both hit pretty hard."
I nodded. "Good." I stretched my arms. "It's like making a brand new military, all over again."
Shard nodded. "Ponies and war aren't really strangers. We've just been away a while."
I leaned back in my chair and looked at the picture of Celestia I had. "Well, we'll bring them armies worthy of the land and the title then."
Shard's hooves tapped against his desk. "Have you heard? Ponies and humans, heck, even griffons and dragons have been buying noble titles."
"Hmm?" I turned my chair around.
Shard smiled and nodded. "Yeah, noble house revolution. Seems like knights and royal families are gonna be a thing again. Castles and counts and dukes and all that are coming back."
I rubbed my chin. "Cool. Even more reason to have a good national army." I thought back to home. "HPI had the same idea, and that was the only thing I remember walking away from Nova Scotia."
Shard looked back over his chin. "...You think that stuff could ever happen here?"
I shook my head. "No...there was years and years of buildup before shit hit the fan back home. And you can see contact with Equestria kinda taking those things away." I nodded hard. "You can see the Earth getting colder with the pegasus controlling the climate more. Spark power is really taking off...no...things are looking...pretty beautiful."
Shard nodded and went back to work. "Nowhere but up, right?"
I nodded and turned around. I stared at Celestia's picture. "Nowhere but up." |
Celestia Shorts | Celestia Gets Hammered | I sat with Celestia as two mares laid down on a stage in the sitting room, kissing eachother while Celestia watched. "...Able.... Why are ponies so fucking sexy?" Her breath smelled like whiskey. "Humans...humans are good.... I just...." The pauses between her words were agonizing. "Able...pull your cock out." She turned to me, her right eye opened more than her left. Her purple eyes were bloodshot and darkened. "I want...to lick...and suck...and eat it."
"You're drunk--"
"I know!" Celestia slammed her hoof and made the ponies stop going at it. She snapped her head around. "Did I say you two could stop!"
The two ponies looked at eachother for a bit then slowly started to get back into it.
Celestia leaned towards them. "...Dicks would make this so much better. Two stallions...and dicks...." She laughed and sloppily levitated a half empty bottle of fine scottish brandy atop her head. "Able...you have a penis."
I nodded. "Yes I do."
Celestia sighed heavily. "If I...became a stallion.... Would you fuck me?"
"Probably not."
"What...if you were gay?"
"Then yeah, probably." I shrugged. "Not gay though."
"Cadance...could make you gay." She laughed loudly. "Oh my gosh...she could make you give me a blowjob!" Celestia laid her head down against the stage and started heaving. "Able...suck my dick! I'm gonna go-" She forced herself up with the bottle. "-grow a cock. And you can suck it!"
I looked up at my obliterated wife. "...How much of that did you drink?"
Celestia took another swig. She licked her lips and went back to watching her strippers kiss. "...A lot...." She set the bottle down and sat on her haunches. "The...Prime Minster...of the United King of Britney gave me...three bot-les!" She reached out and knocked the whiskey onto the ground. "...Two! I drank...the others."
"Rough day?"
Celestia sighed heavily. "Twilight almost got...freaking kidnapped! Almost got her friends kidnapped too! Then I'm like...sitting there, wondering if I should send the guard, and I get a letter from Spike.... Like...Everything's fucking great Celestials! I got unkidnapped and learned a lesson about...mother fucking sewing circles! And how her friend is sexy...." She stared ahead, one eye half closed. "...Able...I'm going to--" She hiccuped loudly. "I'm going to call Fluttershy.... I'm going to fuck her with a dildo and lick her...while you fuck me..... I want this."
I nodded. "Sure...."
"No! I'm shheious!" She knocked her hoof against the stage. "I want.... All of them. Just...we call Twilight, we call Cadance, we call Luna, we get some strippers, and we fuck! We fuck...a lot!"
I nodded. "Hey, you wanna go to bed?"
Celestia hissed. "No! I duns wanna go ta stupid beds!"
I stood up and walked up to her. "Come on, let's get you to bed." I grabbed her foreleg and started pulling her. "Come on, let's go."
Celestia tried to stay in her chair, but her wobbly way of sitting caused her to lurch forward. "Able...stop it. I'm gonna put you in the moon! I will put you in the moon!" Her horn flickered with a dim gold light. "Ables.... I hate yous...."
"I know." I waved to the strippers. "Go ahead and go home." They stopped kissing and started cleaning themselves up.
Celestia followed me rather slowly. "Able...would I be a pretty human?"
"Probably gorgeous."
"Would you fuck me?" She leaned her head next to me. "Would you?"
I nodded. "I fuck you now.... I can only imagine tits would make it better."
Celestia sighed. "I'm gonna do it... Like...tomorrow. Gonna turn human, and you fuck me...okay?"
"How about you get some sleep first, then we'll talk."
Celestia sighed heavily. "Able...suck my dick." She lit herself up and flashed away. In her place was a completely midsection sized disk of wall. I looked down the hallway and found Celestia teleported into the wall, her ass hanging into one of the other rooms while she hung her head down and slept.
I let out a sharp sigh and turned the other way. |
Celestia Shorts | Hung Over | I stood in Celestia's bedroom. "What kind is it?" She groaned from the bed, her head covered up to the muzzle.
"Sweet, easy, and creamy as hell." I walked over with her coffee and held it for her. "Also brought some water."
Celestia didn't pull the covers off her head. "Water first, two bottles."
I reached into my stuffed pockets and pulled one from each. The coffee found a home on her bed as I nursed my wife with water. She suckled at the bottle like a baby, chugging down the water like a true drunk.
She polished off the first and sighed. "Oh...no.... Do I have court--"
"Luna's pulling a day shift, you're going to have to handle night."
Celestia sighed heavily and motioned her hoof for more water. "Thank you Able...."
"Yep." I brought another bottle to her lips. She chugged it back and levitated the covers off her flushed face. Her eyes were a bright beet red. "You gonna be okay?"
Celestia pulled the bottle out of my hands and spat it out across the room. "I'll be fine." She levitated the coffee up, her magic trembling as her horn struggled to stay lit.
I took my mug from her and held it for her. "Just let me."
Celestia sighed and drank quietly. "Able.... Why is it you're always taking care of me?"
"Because I don't complain." I took a sip of the coffee, horridly sweet for me. "Even if I was hurt or sick, I wouldn't bring it up."
Celestia sighed. "But you don't even act as dumb as me anymore--"
"The fire thing?" I held her coffee for her. "The hockey thing." I let her polish off my mug. "The sword thing. The Applejack thing...." I held my hand out. "What do you want from me?"
Celestia sighed. "We never act like...serious anymore."
I stared at her. "...Do you want to talk about the terrible shit we've done? You're holding court at night, you wanna tell the bat ponies about the genocide? I'll tell the government about my Halifax thing...and the bodies."
Celestia sighed. "Not what I meant." She rubbed her head. "...Invite...Twilight and her friends for court tonight.... We're gonna sit and be smart about things tonight."
I shrugged. "Alright. Just gonna sit there on my hands then."
Celestia groaned and pulled the sheet back over her head. |
Celestia Shorts | Scars | Celestia sat looking down at my hand. "Able...how long have you been missing your finger?" She reached up and pinned my hand against my desk. "Your missing the middle one."
I stared at her hoof. "Uh, like three years now, three or four." I pulled my hand away and swung around in my office chair. I flexed my fingers and leaned back. "I lost it back home. Carrying a friend outside and someone shot my finger off."
Celestia grimaced. "Why did you not ask me to fix it?"
I shook my head. "I don't want it fixed."
"Are you sure?" Celestia sat neatly by my side and looked it over.
I grabbed my pen and held it between my fingers. My right middle finger was cut to a nub around the first joint. I jammed the pen in place and wrote my name with it. "I get by without it. And it reminds me of certain things I did...bad things."
Celestia smiled and turned her neck to me. She lit her horn up and a patch of her coat fell away, revealing a rather large bite scar running from her throat to her jaw. "I'm glad I'm not the only one."
I swung my arm around her and hugged her head. "Oh Jesus...you just know how to fucking tweak my god damn gut." I rocked side to side with her head against my chest. "God I love you." |
Celestia Shorts | Sombra | I sat with Celestia, more next to her as she held court. A pony was asking nicely about some gift to the state of Saddle Arabia. Something about flowers, something about some brothers trying to patch up relations with Equestria.
"Of course, you'll have my full support." Celestia smiled down at the red-head pony. "I'm sure this will help you as well." She smiled knowingly. "Am I safe saying you plan to fill the full order?"
The little red-headed pony laughed softly. "Well, I wouldn't say no. But if you decide to give the contract to some other pony, I won't argue."
I rubbed my face. "Smart bitch," I whispered to myself, letting a loud yawn cover it as I stretched. "Celestia I'm gonna go."
Celestia turned and watched me as I stood. "Are you sure--"
I pointed to the red-head. "Go play with your ponies, sorry for interrupt--"
A bright red paper scroll exploded into existence before Celestia's throne. Celestia snapped her head around and caught it with her magic. "Oh...oh no."
I stopped dead and bit my lip. "Where?"
Celestia shook her head. "Roseluck, I'm sorry this meeting is going to have to be cut short." She set the scroll down and stood up. "I need to go--"
I walked up to Celestia. "Where?"
Celestia licked her lips and looked to one of the windows. "Sombra was spotted in the Crystal Spire, he hasn't done anything, but he's there with an accomplice--"
I sighed heavily and turned to the guards stationed at the far main door. "Alright gentlemen! You heard the lady!" I felt my chest rise as my voice boomed across the room. "Light Sortie, two pegasus four mainliners, let's go!" I clapped my hands together and started running towards the main doors. "Come on, pick up your fucking hooves!"
"Um...Able?" Celestia called after me. "Able? Able! ...Able?"
I hit the doors hard as the ponies started down the stairs to the outside world. "Sit down there Princess, you don't send the most important person in the nation as first responders!"
Her tail whipped to the side as she trotted in place. "But--"
I hopped down the flight of stairs and started off towards the steps out of the foyer. I hit the hard stone floor of the entry with a loud smack. The two guard ponies were already at the main doors, holding them for me as I ran. I stopped at the door and looked the ponies over. "You, arrange a temp guard for Celestia."
A red pony with show armor nodded and sprinted off into the summer day.
I turned to the grey mane. "Come on, scramble some transport and scouting I'll get the grunts in order!" I ran out onto the nicely paved walkways through the castle grounds. The air was warm, and the sun beat down just enough to burn my skin. I pulled my jacket off and let it fall against the grass as me and the unicorn guard bolted towards the barracks.
I hurried up to the offshoot of the castle and threw myself into the door. My bare arm scratched roughly against the unpainted wood door. "Fasted four to meet in the track go! High priority, let's go!" I didn't stop running as I passed the main lobby of the guard, a few ponies and a human were already running around in the back offices.
I hurried through the clerk areas and the logistical offices. I passed through the herds of ponies in fine white shirts, fine pants and skirts. A loud bustle filled the room as I ran past, only slowing near the doors to the track yard. "Arms and light armor, in the field now!"
A pony looked up at me and nodded idly. "On it sir...." He tapped a keyboard with his hoof tips.
I slipped past a mare in yellow and hurried outside. The field was clear save a collection of equipment sitting in the middle of the track's green area. A few guards were already hooking up a sky carriage with three pullers. "More than I asked for!"
A bat pony with a tired look about him walked over from a box of equipment. "That's my fault. You'll get there faster and it'll take up less time when you're dropping in."
I shook my head and walked past him towards the black cased of gear. I slipped a vest over my shirt as the others got ready. "Fine, sorted." I ran through the weapons as the other guards were fitted and following me to get armed.
Three ponies and a rather dark skinned girl were getting ready to go with me. A pair of unicorns pulled smaller carbines from the case while the earthpony of the group had a set of rifles strapped to his sides on a strange boxy firing rig hooked onto his neck. The human guard grabbed a long rifle and pulled herself away.
I found whatever rifle was left and pointed back to the carriage. "Lock in, get ready!" I pushed the heavy boxy earth pony aside and went to the pullers. "Listen you fucks, this is a crisis level problem, you pull hard as you can!"
The lead puller nodded and flexed his wings. "Ready to go sir!"
I nodded and turned back to the carriage. The nice green world disappeared to a small two by three meter box with jet black walls. The others were already strapped into the walls, waiting for us to move. I stood in place and brought down a small brace bar at about human height. The ponies were braced against the floor and seemed to rattle much less as we took off.
The earth pony nodded his head in some strange quick tune as we moved.
I spotted the unicorn guards sharing a set of earbuds clipped to their ears.
"What songs?" I asked gruffly.
The unicorn guards looked over at me. "DJ Vinyl Scratch, sir!"
I looked to the earth pony as he wiggled the buds off his ears. "Uh...Waylon...Jennings...."
I laughed softly. "Fucking hick." I looked to the human guard. She wasn't listening to anything, she just shook her foot rather briskly against the floor.
I huffed and took a deep breath. "Alright, so Sombra is back. He's not being violent yet, but we're prepping for the worst. Weapons locked down until I say otherwise, understand me?"
The tiny room lit up with a sharp yes sir.
"Good. Now get ready. We go in fast and hard, clean up this mess before it gets any worse than it is."
The ride went by rather quietly, with the ponies listening to their music and the human just standing there, waiting patient as could be.
I had been in things like this too often to be stirred up. And in my life since I moved to Equestria, not one thing had matched the combat back on earth.
I felt the floor shake rather hard. "Music off, let's go!" I lifted my brace and turned to the door. My rifle met the sky as I twirled out and held the door for my team. I spotted Shining sulking over, his horn covered in black bumps. "Where?"
Shining sighed heavily. "Down below, there's only one way...."
I sighed and let the door go. The air was crisper and much colder than I'd expected. "Seriously...did he at least sneak up on you?"
Shining sighed again. "I didn't think he'd ever actually come back...then he just-- Look, just go fix this, that's why you're here."
I twirled my hand in the air and bolted with my team over towards the main castle doors. Crystal ponies were already on scene, holding things down and keeping others away. The Canter Guard took the main room, a large crystal cover carved with a large vaulted ceiling. A set of blue and green crystal guards were waiting by a rather narrow entryway.
I hurried over, keeping my rifle low as I walked past them. The steps down were immediately a pain, and the narrow walkway had zero cover.
We all stayed quiet as we descended the huge staircase. Little by little the twirling seemed to lead downward to a rough noise. Breathing and grunting filled the air as we started off towards the hard crystal floor.
I raised my rifle up and hit the ground. The guards got into position around me as a man stayed crouched down over a dark charcoal pony. "Canterlot Royal Guard! Let's see some fucking hands!" I pointed my rifle at the man's back. "Hands, now!"
The man didn't answer, he hunched over and stayed still for a few moments.
I glared hard as the grunting stopped. "...Are you fucking serious?" I held my hand up. "Two go, we'll cover."
The unicorn pair broke off and walked around either side. The one on the right lifted a hoof in disgust. "Oh dear Cadance...we need a blanket or a towel."
A gravel filled voice coughed into the air a few times. "Really...I didn't do anything this time...." The charcoal pony leaned to the side and looked at me. "...I'm not counting the idiot, neither should you.... Would have been a better cock slave than guard...." He laid his head back against the ground.
I sighed heavily. "Sombra?"
The charcoal pony grunted. "Who else?"
I hugged again. "Alright...why shouldn't I shoot you?"
"Because I literally haven't done anything illegal." He wiggled back and rolled onto his side. He walked towards me with a very heavy limp. "I'm not attempting a coup, I'm not using my magic, I'm simply taking care of something personal--"
I pointed to the ground with my rifle, stopping him in his tracks. "Getting fucked in the ass is hardly business!"
The human in the back was slowly tucking himself away and surrendering to the armed guards. Sombra coughed roughly. "I took care of my business...this was more of an afterthought--"
"You still incapacitated Shining...."
Sombra's eyes fell flat. "They boy can pull off spells decently, but aside from that, what use is he? I think you're trying to make me feel bad for doing something extremely easy."
I glared at him. "Well if you're not doing anything wrong surrender--"
"I am."
I licked my lips. "...Okay." I held my hand up and pointed to Sombra. "Tie hooves, cap his horn."
The human guard slowly approached, with the earth pony and I covering her move. I cleared my throat. "So...why does everyone hate you?"
Sombra groaned loudly. "Because in a past time I was a dictator, and in a magic fueled rage I tried to take my land back.... And for abusing Shining, but I'm not sure that was documented."
The human guard capped his horn and went to work tying his hooves. "Wait...like s--"
"Do you really want to know?" Sombra held his hooves out. "Now this is getting ridiculous. Who even sent you creatures?"
I sighed heavily. "I did.... Sounded like a bigger problem than it actually was." I slung my rifle and stood up.
The earth pony guard grunted. "Well 'ta be fair, he was a real big 'ol issue a while back...nearly took out a princess."
Sombra cocked his head. "Do I look anywhere near the same? Do I--"
"Ya do." The guard shot back. "Ya really do."
Sombra grumbled and growled. "I don't. I'm actually a normal pony right now....not some sickly smog monster--"
"Close enough." The guard finally eased his posture. "Ain't really the smoke that scares ponies, more your face."
I shook my head. "Take them up, they're royal guard property now, not Cadance's."
Sombra looked up at me. "Really? You're taking me--" He stopped himself and looked away. "Actually this might be better...I can't imagine Cadance would be too pleased seeing me."
I grunted and looked to the stairs. The guards were escorting everyone up and away.
An eerie whisper came from behind me. The large circular room seemed to drag a rush of air around the central spire. I looked back and felt the rush shoot down the back of my shirt. Come on.
I walked slowly towards the bend in the spire. I followed it around and found nothing but a door. It opened rather slowly. Hi there. |
Celestia Shorts | Immortality | I stomped back up the stairs of Celestia's tower. I stepped up into the lobby of Celestia's home rooms. I walked up towards the doors to Celestia's bedroom and threw them open. "Celestia...."
She peeked around a small partition. "Able, how--"
I walked up to her and threw my arms around her neck. "Uh...gonna be here a while." I squeezed her warm body against my chest. "Longer than you'd expect...."
Celestia trotted in place and settled in. "What? Able, Sombra just got here not that long ago, what hap--"
I let go of her and stepped back. "Long story."
Celestia's eyes opened wide as she looked me over. "Able...are you feeling okay? You look...different."
I rubbed my chin. "Yeah, knocked off about four of five years recently...." I shook my head and pointed to a small couch. "Probably take a seat...let me tell you about a fucking door." ***
I stepped over to the door. It opened wide and showed off a floating pony head, completely matte with purple skin and glowing white eyes. Its eyes wrinkled up into a mouth less smile. Hello there. One of Sombra's friends?
I looked the door up and down. "Alright, what is this shit?"
The face in the doorway shook its head.Oh you're no fun. Not even going to try and play along?
I shook my head. "I'm not a big fan of magic shit." I slung my rifle over my shoulder. "So what are you?"
The door shimmered as the face pointed its brow inward. Well...that's a long story. Sombra called me a genie, others called me a sage--
"Cut to the chase." I tapped my foot on the ground. "If you're magic crap, you're gonna want to talk to Celestia, not me."
The face looked annoyed, its general shape a bit sharper than before. Hmm. I've given Sombra a rather long message, some immortality, and perhaps a new lover recently. I was rather hard on him. Took his first love and taught him the meaning of letting go...only took a few centuries more than it should have.... But you're here now, and I can give you anything you want, so long as--
"Nah."
The face swished around. What?
"No thanks." I shook my head. "I don't really need anything."
The eyes of the creature lifted up with some unseen brow. Great wealth?
"I don't need it."
Eternal life?
I laughed sharply. "Oh my god, I can't wait until I fucking die. Be done with this shit and get some rest for once in my life!" I rubbed my face. "Its great with Celestia too, she'll be hurt for a little bit, but that mare is so strong...."
The face narrowed its eyes. Really? A kingdom? A reality? Unlimited power? Women, men, do you want to meet a god? Do you want to rip a hole in space and time? Do you want to meet Christ? Do you want to meet anything? I can make anything real, I can bring about whatever reality you choose...just let me--
"I said no." I glared at the door. "I don't care what happens to me. This has never been about me. It's been about her, about making her smile, about being there when she's sick or hurt, about holding her when she had a bad fucking day. About keeping her safe! About--"
Then you want nothing? I could send you home. I could make it as if you'd never even fell through the portal in the fir--
"Fuck no!" I stomped my heel. "Get rid of all this? All the people happily moving around? All the stories they'd tell? All the time I've spent here. You want me to take it back? Go fuck yourself."
The portal flickered. ...This is a first. Most of the time ponies pick at least something. Even if it's to be killed.
I shook my head. "No, I'm really pretty happy as is. Seems like this is a problem with the people you meet, not me."
The doorway grew a bit bright. This is odd. Well...would you want something for somepony else? Somebody? Something? World peace, an end to hunger, something?
I scratched my head. "Make Celestia happy? I don't think she's been feeling too great recently. A little tired and works been piling up--"
See...that's where we meet an impasse...I could just make her happier, I could give her a life of utter joy.... But I kinda like you, you're nothing like Sombra...you let go.
I shrugged. "The dead have it easy, they just get to watch us fuck around back here."
The face in the doorway's eyes curved upwards into a pleased look. Exactly. Sombra enslaved a nation, brought me gems and gold, tried to fill a body of metal with a soul of a pony. He just wouldn't let go!
"I get it." I shrugged. "If I lost Celestia I'd be kinda...well...fucking crushed. But I wouldn't blame her or try to disturb her. Probably kill myself."
The face in the doorway frowned with his eyes. Hmm. Well, then consider my option. Give her something to keep with her. Something to have with her as a companion, as a friend, as--
"You're talking about me...."
The door laughed. I am.
"No."
Come again?
I shook my head. "No! Fuck no! I'm dying! You can't fucking stop me!"
The doorway's eyes narrowed. Why? Why can't you just let me be nice for once?
"Because fuck the undying! That shit is a recipe for losing your mind."
The eyes in the mist cocked upward. So you'd rather let Celestia go round and round mate to mate, century to century never holding the same life in her hooves? You want that to never end?
I shook my head. "Look, when I'm gone, you can give it to whoever she picks up next. She's a big girl, she can make up her own mind. And at some point we'd fight and break it off--"
And? Two unaging ponies could part however many times they wanted, I guarantee it all comes back together. Look at Sombra, look at the Headless mare, look at Luna, look at Merlin and Tyros, Melik, Frost, I could go--
"Look...just fuck off. I'm not doing it."
We stood off a bit the whirling of the doorway grew a bit repetitive. Just a little. Just let me keep you from aging.
"Fuck you!"
The doorway sent out a bolt to grab my leg. It wrapped around my knee. Look, I'll leave it to where you can be killed...just let me--
"Fuck off!" I fell onto my ass as the arm started pulling me into the glowing doorway. "Let someone else do it!" I held onto the frame as the creature dragged me in towards the light. "No!"
Really...do it for her! Do you have any idea how much she'd love it to have somepony at least more durable than--
I reached for my rifle and pressed it into my mouth. "Fuck yo--" ***
I woke up on the floor before the door. A note rested on my chest. Undying until a mare of the sun decides to end you.
Below it was something more earnestly scribbled. Go ahead, shoot yourself. You'll be back. The princess decides when you go! Don't be a bitch.
I tossed the note away. I felt energetic. Like my back no longer hurt, like my eyes were more focused, like my beard was softer, like I was younger. "Aw what the fuck?" I stood up and ducked back down to look in the highly polished floor. My face was twisted up and fresh. My hair looked darker, my skin pale and smooth. "Are you fucking kidding me!?"
I pulled a pistol from my side and jammed it against my head. "Fuck off--"
I opened my eyes, on the floor exactly where I was just crouched down. I frowned hard and found a single casing rolling around under my arm. "Fuck." I sighed heavily. "And she's too much of a pussy to actually kill me...and I just-- Fuck!" I sat upright and sighed. I looked up at the door. "Wait, so if she dies, what happens?!"
The door creeped open. I was supposed to just-- Why'd I even leave a note!? You can't kill yourself, anypony else does, you're in the ground, so calm down and go--
I hopped up and slammed into the door, knocking it shut with my shoulder. "Screw you!" I stumbled back and straightened out. "God damn it...." I huffed and lowered my head. "Great.... Fucking magic bullshit." I turned towards the stairs. I was gonna have some serious story to tell Celestia. ***
Celestia sighed heavily. "So you're like me now?"
I huffed. "Yeah...."
Celestia groaned loudly and sat upright. "I'm so tired right now.... Able, what do you want me to do?"
I rubbed my forehead. "I don't know. You wanna grab some tea and go to sleep?"
Celestia turned her head to me. "I mean if you want to d-- Tea?"
I held my arms out. "I'm here, for a long haul apparently."
Celestia stared at me. "...You said you didn't want thi--"
"I don't care at this point. Like I told the asshole, I just want you to be happy."
Celestia's right eye watered slightly. "I was happy before this--"
"Well are you more happy now?" I asked calmly.
Celestia dabbed her eye with her fetlock. "Um, happy.... No, a bit touched."
I shrugged. "Close enough." I stood up and looked towards the door. "So do you want tea? I'll go grab tea...."
Celestia coughed roughly. "Able...I--"
I turned to face her. "Look at me, right here." I pointed to my eyes. "Don't say thank you, don't get all mushy, nothings changed."
Celestia trotted in place a little. "A lot has changed--"
"Nothing has changed." I shook my head slowly. "Not a thing."
Celestia's mouth hung open ever so softly. "...I wanna be mushy right now.... Hug--"
"No hugs." I walked out into the hall. I waited there a bit, then started off towards the stairs down. "I don't do mushy hug--" A flash later and Celestia was standing before me, a small divot was caved where her hooves had displaced the floor. "Don't!"
Celestia wrapped a hoof around me and yanked me against her. "Stop me." She nuzzled the back of my head and held me close. She made a strange cooing noise as she rubbed me. "Thank you Able."
"God damn it." I slipped down and out of her grip. "Someone had to. It was either gonna be me or Sombra, and that dude took it in the ass like a champ." |
Celestia Shorts | Ponies Don't Understand RPGs | I sat with a few guards in some flat land in the Canter Mountains. A pony with a camera was sitting taking video as we demonstrated a new weapon. "Alright, RPG Q-3! Lightweight high explosive warhead! Its built by Celestia's finest to punch straight through dragon skin and concrete." I picked up the launched and held it up. It was a long rectangular tube with a harness on the side. "You would mount this up onto the side of a pony, and set up the firing system."
I walked it over to a pony waiting calmly towards the range. He looked up at me as I slid the harness over his side and pulled it tight until it settled in on his withers. A small sight popped to the side and over the pony's eye. "Alright, see this. That's your distance and aim." I pointed to the sight as the pony with the camera walked over.
He filmed the pony as he stood still and looked down the range. I looked over towards a heavily padded cased by the pony's side. "Alright, Dommy, show them the firing system." I walked around the ponies, my boots crunching the gravel of the range. I walked over and found the warhead stuffed in layer after layer of padding. I dug it out and looked it over.
The pony with the camera turned to me and looked at the warhead. "Alright, simply put this here is the business end!" I pointed to the head of the blue painted death machine. "You'd load it as such." I walked over to the pony's side and slid it straight back into the launcher. "Live ordnance!" I felt it snap back into place. "You getting this?" I looked to the camera. "Ready to fire!"
Dommy yelled back, "ready to fire!" He turned his hoof and sent the rocket puttering out of the tube. It landed just down the hill and started rolling down.
I jumped back and started yelling. "Whoa fuck!" Everyone at the range scrambled back as the failed launch fell in a ditch and sat there hissing. "Fuck fuck fuck!" I started laughing as I followed the ponies towards a wall in the range.
Ponies didn't seem to understand the launch aspect of making a grenade. |
Anthropology | pre | She passed by Big Macintosh, pulling a wagon back towards Sweet Apple Acres. He was wearing a particularly impressive costume complete with top hat. Lyra stared at the image on his cape - she hadn't noticed it before. It was a skull, stylized to look like an apple, but she couldn't help but think it looked somewhat like a human. She shook her head. No time to focus on the small things. Where was Luna?
It was a little odd, since even with as late as it was, there didn't seem to be as much noise coming from Ponyville. The lights still seemed to be on. But a lot of things were weird tonight.
Lyra happened to glance up and noticed a figure standing out by the bridge on the outskirts of town. She did a double-take, almost certain that she was mistaken, but it was actually her. Princess Luna was standing all alone, staring out at the sky.
Taking a deep breath, Lyra prepared herself. She just needed a moment. She had to get right to the point. She might not even get an answer, but... if Luna didn't know about humans, who would?
"Princess?" Lyra approached her slowly, her heart pounding.
Luna turned around to face her, and Lyra could have fainted. "We have no interest in thy foalish celebrations." She turned her face up.
"Um, y-yes... It's not about that," Lyra stammered. She tried to compose herself. "I... actually wanted to ask you something, since you've been around for so long, I figured you would know..."
"Thou... wishest to speak with us? Thou art not afraid?" Luna's voice was much quieter now, and she gave a small smile. "Certainly. We would be most happy to grant thee an audience."
No reason to waste time. Lyra asked her straight out. "Well... What do you know about... humans?"
At the mention of the word, Luna's expression changed, becoming significantly less good-natured and much more fearsome. "Speak not of the foul beings!"
Lyra jumped back. "Huh? What's wrong with - "
"Tell me, how doth thou knowest of such things?"
"Just a few books, nothing much," Lyra said. "But please, if they're real, you have to tell me about - "
"Away with you! No more talk of the beasts!" Lightning flashed behind the Princess, emphasizing her words. "Our kingdom shall remain peaceful without their influence!"
In spite of everything, Lyra was grinning - actually smiling, just to know that humans were more than just legends, and she had heard this directly from one of Equestria's princesses, no less. "Um... thank you so much!"
"Now begone!" Her voice actually seemed to create a strong blast of wind.
Lyra did just that. She was running straight home, and hardly even noticed when she passed by Twilight Sparkle on the way there. This was the development she'd been waiting for.
"Bon-Bon? Bon-Bon! Wake up!"
As Bon-Bon opened her eyes she gave a start at the huge gold eyes staring right into hers. She didn't remember falling asleep on the couch, but the past few hectic days of finishing all these candy orders were a haze in her memory.
"Lyra...? Let me go back to sleep..." Bon-Bon moaned.
"No, this is too important," Lyra said. She backed away from the couch, but she couldn't stop bouncing. "You kept on telling me that humans didn't exist. Just like everyone else has always said."
"I'm really not in the mood for this."Bon-Bon stretched out, wondering if she could make the effort to go back to her bedroom where it was more comfortable.
"Princess Luna said they're real."
Bon-Bon sat up. "The Princess? When did you meet her?"
"She came to Ponyville for Nightmare Night. Long story. Anyway, she knows about humans."
"Princess Luna was here?" Bon-Bon rubbed her eyes. "Why would you ask her about humans?"
"Luna's thousands of years old! If anyone knew about humans, I knew it would be her, and I was right!" Lyra clapped her hooves together. Then she stopped, and frowned. "Except she wouldn't tell me much... To be honest, she seemed kind of mad."
"You dragged Princess Luna into your insane theories, and you got her mad at you," Bon-Bon said in a flat voice.
"You know, I definitely think she was mad..." Lyra repeated, stroking her chin. "But they're not 'insane theories!' Luna said that humans existed a long time ago in Equestria."
"Princess Luna..." Bon-Bon repeated. "She actually comes to Ponyville for a visit - royalty, in Ponyville! - and all you care about are these humans and..." She shook her head. "Exactly how angry did you make her? In that costume, at least she wouldn't be able to identify you, but do I need to worry about the royal guards coming to our door?"
Lyra turned her back. "You're ignoring the most important part of this. Humans are real, or... were... and there's something that the government doesn't want us to know about them."
"No. Don't pull the government into this. I'd rather not have either of us get arrested."
Already heading off to her study, Lyra just said, "I need to write down exactly what Luna said before I forget. There could be clues. This is a huge development!"
Bon-Bon sighed, and collapsed on the sofa again. No... There would have to be limits on how far Lyra would actually go with this. For tonight, there was no way Bon-Bon was going to argue with her, so she'd leave that for later. Within minutes she was asleep again and snoring. |
Anthropology | Dressing in Style | There were quiet hoofsteps going down the hall. A door creaked closed, and latched shut.
Lyra was still awake, listening for the telltale sounds of Bon-Bon going to bed, waiting until she could be sure she wouldn't be disturbed. It was more for Bon-Bon's sake than her own; Lyra had promised that she'd never try this again after the first disaster.
She was sitting on her bed, with her journal on the nightstand. She raised up her two front hooves in front of her face, closed her eyes, and concentrated. Slowly she felt the magic changing her. All this practice had made the spell much easier to cast, with fewer accidents. She hardly noticed the discomfort in the process anymore. It had only taken two nights after Bon-Bon's panic attack before Lyra just hadn't been able to resist trying out her handwriting again. Now she was doing this at least three nights a week.
When she opened her eyes, she saw a perfect pair of hands. It was a sight that always managed to make her smile. She flexed her fingers, adjusting to the feel of them again. What would be the reaction if she tried to keep them like this, all the time? True, most ponies would probably react like Bon-Bon had... At least Lyra could still have hands at times like this, when she was on her own. She picked up her journal and a quill, and flipped to a blank page.
There hadn't been any dreams over the past few nights. Still, one of the recurring details had been on her mind a lot lately. As she stared at the page, Lyra scratched her chin thoughtfully, and then started sketching out a few lines.
First of all, she had to get the posture right. And the curves of the figure. Female humans had some differences in their shape from the males. Lyra ran her fingers through her mane. It came to down to her shoulders, so she tried drawing it like that in the sketch. It didn't look quite right, so she made it a bit shorter. A human's neck wasn't as long as a pony's.
Also, there was the issue of clothing. Ponies only wore clothing for special occasions, but humans were always fully clothed. In casual situations they'd wear pants - Lyra drew those over the legs of the figure, and a long-sleeved shirt on top. Yeah, that looked pretty good.
Finally, the face. Lyra stopped for a moment. Her fingers idly stroked the feather of the quill. What exactly would her face look like as a human? She tried just a general female face. The eyes - they looked a little small, but that was normal. Her ears wouldn't be pointy at all and they'd be on the sides of her head, about centered. No horn.
The horn was something she thought about often. Humans didn't have them, so they couldn't use magic. That might not be so bad. After all, being able to have hands seemed like a fair exchange. She held up her left hand to examine it as she drew with her right. It seemed easier to control the quill with her right hand, so she always used that one.
That was it - this was what she'd look like as a human. Lyra held the book up and examined her work. She looked pretty good. All of those weird details - the bipedal posture, the lack of a tail, the fingers - when they were all part of a human figure, they didn't look weird at all. Lyra found herself wishing that she actually did look like this, but... Hands had been difficult enough. She sighed. This would probably be out of the question.
Lyra closed her journal and set it back on the nightstand. Then she blew out the candles and laid her head on the pillow. It might have been a little ridiculous imagining herself as a human. Knowing that they were real didn't change anything. She'd never actually be human no matter what she did.
There was an itchy spot behind her ear, so she reached up to scratch it... and realized she still had hands. That was a close one. As much as she wanted to, Bon-Bon might kick her out if she kept them, so they had to go. The green light from her horn lit them up as the fingers retracted back into the hooves.
The next morning, Bon-Bon was preparing breakfast, as she normally would on the weekends. In the month she had in between the two biggest holidays of the year, work would be at a relaxed pace and she could take it easy for a while. Not to mention all the crazy things Lyra had been doing had also seemed to slow down lately. Bon-Bon would be content if she never saw another pair of hands again.
"Good morning, Bon-Bon," Lyra said.
"Good mor - " Bon-Bon turned around, saw Lyra, and stopped. "Um... what's with the...?"
Lyra was dressed in a white dress shirt and - something that was especially unusual for a pony - a pair of black pants. A tie was hanging loose around her neck. Bon-Bon had a sick feeling that she knew what this was all about, but hoped she was wrong.
"I was going to head over to Rarity's later," Lyra said. "I thought you knew I was picking up my dress for the Gala today."
Bon-Bon let out a sigh of relief. "Ah, yes. I almost forgot you had ordered one from her. "
Lyra's horn started to glow as she looked down at her tie and adjusted it. "Anyway, humans dress like this all the time, and I was thinking I might make a habit out of it. Personally I think it looks good on me."
Bon-Bon stared at her. She started to speak - or tried to, she couldn't think of what to say. She looked down at Lyra's hooves to make sure they were, in fact, still hooves. "Um, it's..."
"You don't like it?" Lyra said.
Bon-Bon wrinkled her nose. "It's not that, I just think... Well, it must be a hassle getting dressed every day. Are you sure you want to put up with that kind of trouble?"
"Nah, it's not really that big a deal. This didn't take long at all." Lyra sat down at the table. "Anyway, let's eat!"
Taking a deep breath, Bon-Bon joined her. Clothes were not that much of an issue. Some ponies liked them. And maybe Lyra would finally get tired after some time and give up on this foolishness.
But she was sitting that way again. Leaning back in her chair. It was as if she thought she was one of them.
Lyra left home shortly after breakfast. It was chilly out. The leaves had started to fall already, but the trees wouldn't go completely bare for another couple weeks until they had the Running of the Leaves. The oranges and reds of the trees stood in stark contrast to the grey skies.
Wearing clothes was a good way to stay warm. It definitely helped to block some of the wind. This might be a good habit to start after all. Lyra was beginning to wonder why this particular aspect of human culture hadn't been retained by ponies.
Lyra noticed that a few heads were turning to watch her as she trotted through town, towards Rarity's boutique. In her dreams, the humans were always wearing clothes, but that wasn't how pony culture worked at all. Clothing really made a pony stand out.
Lyra knocked on Rarity's door and waited patiently, humming to herself contentedly and rocking back and forth on her hooves.
The door opened, and when Rarity saw who it was, she smiled. "Ah, I was expecting to see you today. Come on in. Love the outfit, by the way."
"Really?" Lyra said, following her into the shop.
"Oh, but of course! Classic black and white, and that tie really pulls everything together... You truly are a Canterlot pony, aren't you?" Rarity examined her approvingly. "Some special occasion?"
"Nope, just felt like it," Lyra said. "I actually find the pants very comfortable."
"You know, my mother seems to like them as well, though I've always found them a bit... tacky, I suppose," Rarity said, frowning. She looked back at Lyra. "Oh, but they look great on you!"
"Thanks!" She thought Rarity sounded sincere enough.
"But let's not get sidetracked. I just know you'll love what I put together for you," Rarity said, leading her through the chaotic jumble of supplies and sketches to stand in front of a newly-completed dress on a mannequin. "How do you like it?"
Lyra's dress was all pure white except for some turquoise trim and embroidery on the back. The back flowed out gracefully. The sleeves and neck had gold accents, and a brooch shaped like her lyre cutie mark was on the front.
"It looks... great!" Lyra said. She was reminded of a toga more than anything else - that was an old style of human garment, although she wasn't sure if Rarity would have ever heard of those.
"Why don't you try it on? I need to make sure it's absolutely perfect," Rarity said. "Oh, and don't forget the matching shoes and mane clip. I went ahead and made you an entire ensemble."
"Wow, this is really amazing," Lyra said, admiring the detail on the brooch.
"Now quickly. I'd like to see how it looks on you," Rarity said. Her horn glowed as she lifted the garment off of the dress form and passed it over to Lyra.
"Sure," Lyra replied. "Um... excuse me." She stepped behind a screen as she changed out of her shirt and pants and into the dress.
Rarity came over to where Lyra was examining her reflection in the mirror. "So, how do you like it?"
"This is excellent," Lyra said. She turned from side to side, craning her neck to look at herself from all angles. Then she carefully lifted herself up onto her back legs.
"Um... What are you doing?" Rarity said.
"Just wanted to see how it would look..." Lyra said. She tried to stay balanced, but it was hard to stand on two legs for very long.
Rarity bit her lip. "Lyra, I've noticed that you sometimes sit a tad strangely, particularly when you're performing. Perhaps at the Gala you should attempt to be more..." She searched for the word. "Ladylike."
Lyra dropped back down to all fours. "Huh? Oh. Right..."
"It is a formal event. You're quite fortunate to have been invited. You should know that they will expect all the formalities in Canterlot," Rarity said.
"You've been to the Gala before, haven't you, Rarity?" Lyra asked.
Rarity's face twitched. "Well... yes, but I'm afraid I will not be attending again. Still... don't hesitate to tell everypony where you got your tailor-made dress. And if you see any important Canterlot personalities - "
"I probably wouldn't recognize them if I did. I've never really paid attention to that kind of thing," Lyra said. "Thanks again, by the way."
"It's not a problem at all." Rarity regained her composure. "Would you like me to wrap that up for you?"
Lyra headed out of the boutique and headed back home through Ponyville, thinking about what Rarity had said. The package was floating along next to her.
Canterlot.
Lyra was having mixed feelings about going back there. Like Rarity said, it was very formal. Stuffy and boring would be more accurate. Still, the Grand Galloping Gala was an honor. Being invited was a testament to her talent as a musician.
She came up to her house and opened the door. Her head was down in thought as she habitually headed into the living room.
Rarity had actually called her a "Canterlot pony." That was a laugh. These clothes were more for the human look than high-society. Lyra had always felt out of place in Canterlot, which was why she'd been happy to move away from her parents' house.
"Ah, there she is! We've missed you, Heartstrings!"
Lyra's head shot up at her father's voice. Bon-Bon was seated in the living room with a dark blue unicorn and a violet pegasus. Lyra was speechless. Her... parents? Here? Now? The package dropped to the ground. "Dad? Mom? Wh-when did you get here?"
"They just arrived a few minutes ago. I told them you wouldn't be long," Bon-Bon said.
"We told you we'd be visiting today," her mother said. "You must have gotten our letter. You're even dressed up. Very nice."
"Oh... Right," Lyra said, smiling nervously. She'd never gotten any letter. She loosened her tie; it seemed to be getting kind of warm in here. Funny, she'd been shivering outside just a few seconds ago. "Just let me put this away and I'll be right back."
Leaving the room perhaps a bit too quickly, Lyra headed for her bedroom. First she threw the package into the closet, then she lifted up her journal and hid it under the bed. Rushing into the study, she took down all of her old books and dropped them behind the sofa.
Lyra looked over the room, satisfied with her efforts. Should she change out of her human clothes? No, that would take too long. Besides, her mother had already commented on that. Lyra spun around, only to come face-to-face with Bon-Bon.
"You never told me your parents were visiting, Heartstrings," Bon-Bon said, placing an odd emphasis on the name. "What was that about a letter?"
"I never got anything. It must have gotten lost in the mail," Lyra said. Her eyes darted around the room, looking for any traces she might have missed. "You know that one pegasus who always brings our mail. She's a total ditz. She loses stuff all the time."
"That may be so, Heartstrings. Anyway, I was just about to start preparing lunch. I'll be in the kitchen. Why don't you spend some time with your family? They've been waiting for you."
Lyra's eyes darted all over the room again. "Great! You do tha - " She stopped. "Wait, why do you keep saying my name like that?"
"Like what, Heartstrings?" Bon-Bon asked, with a mischievous grin.
"I..." Lyra began. She blinked. "I've never told you what my real name is, have I?"
"No, you didn't. I thought for sure they must have the wrong house when they were asking for 'Heartstrings.' If you had just seen the look that they gave me when I said my roommate 'Lyra' was out! Why didn't you tell me that 'Lyra' was just a nickname?" Bon-Bon said.
Lyra sighed. "Fine... I've been going by a human name ever since I came to Ponyville." Bon-Bon's mouth dropped open, but she didn't say anything. "It never really caught on like I wanted to back in Canterlot, but... I've never liked my real name."
"We've been living together for a few years now. You could have at least told me what your name was."
"Sorry... But you have to do me a favor! Please don't tell my parents about the research I've been doing."
"Your... research?" Bon-Bon frowned.
"About humans. My parents... They've never really approved of it. They thought I was just going through a phase. All they've ever wanted was for me to act like a 'normal unicorn.' Everything about humans... They think it's all a bunch of nonsense."
"Lyra, I think it's a bunch of nonsense."
"How many times do I have to say this? What Luna said proves there's more to this! I'm going to find something out." Lyra took a deep breath. "But... Please. Just for today, can you act like I'm... normal?"
"You realize how difficult that's going to be." Bon-Bon's eyes narrowed.
"I'm sorry. I know I've put you through a lot lately," Lyra said. She stared at the floor, trying to look as apologetic as possible. She hoped it was convincing.
"Normal," Bon-Bon said. "You realize how much you're asking, right? You never even told me your real name! And after that incident with those hands - "
"Not so loud, please!" Lyra's voice had dropped to a harsh whisper. She glanced towards the living room nervously.
"You're absolutely insane." Bon-Bon shook her head. "I don't know how much more of this I can take."
"I'm real sorry about that. Honestly, I am. But... they were so proud when they heard I was hired for the Gala, and they've always just wanted me to focus on my musical career..." Lyra said. "They don't understand how important humans are to me."
"I don't, either."
"Just for today. Neither of us is going to mention humans."
"That sounds wonderful, Heartstrings. Perhaps you can make a habit of it," Bon-Bon said.
"I'm serious. Don't say anything." She jabbed a hoof in Bon-Bon's direction. She didn't want to discuss it any further. She headed for the living room, and Bon-Bon went to the kitchen.
"Sorry for the wait," Lyra told her parents. She was about to take a seat on the couch, but stopped herself. She couldn't sit like she usually did. Not in front of them. Slowly, awkwardly, she laid down like most ponies would. It wasn't a normal position for her.
"It's been a while since you wrote home. We haven't heard from you in months," her mother said. "How have you been?"
"Oh, I've been... busy..." Lyra's voice trailed off. She quickly interjected, "Practicing, of course."
"Your roommate mentioned that," her dad said, pushing his glasses up. "I still can't believe you were accepted for the Grand Galloping Gala. That's a huge honor."
"We always knew you were a prodigy," her mother added. "By the way, when we got here, your roommate said you were still going by that old nickname. I thought you'd grown out of that."
"Oh, that?" Lyra said. Her voice trembled. "Yeah, the name kind of caught on. It's what everyb-" She corrected herself. "It's what everypony calls me now."
"Just so long as you're done with those ridiculous old stories," her father said.
Lyra barely contained an outburst, knowing it wasn't worth it. Her parents were immovable in their skepticism. Her father had pointed to that grade on her report about humans all those years ago and claimed that was proof they weren't real. What about the proof all around them, all of those relics of human society in Equestria that were so obvious if you just knew what to look for?
Bon-Bon came out of the kitchen carefully holding a tray of food in her teeth. She set it down on the table. "When we heard you'd be coming I made sure to prepare something special." It was the leftovers of the breakfast casserole she'd made that morning. She'd done a spectacular job of fixing it up to look fresh. "Anyway, I don't believe I caught your names earlier."
"Dewey Decimal," Lyra's father said.
"And my name is Cirrus," said her mother. She started a plate. "This is quite delicious. You mentioned you were a professional chef?"
"Confectioner," Bon-Bon clarified. "I just got the job recently, to be honest."
Lyra breathed a sigh of relief. The conversation had drifted away from her - for now, at least. And as long as her parents weren't going to get on her case about the nickname, everything would go fine and she could enjoy the visit.
"You're quite lucky, Heartstrings. You must get homemade sweets all the time," Dewey said.
"Yeah... Everything's pretty great around here," Lyra said.
"Of course," Bon-Bon said.
"Everything's perfectly normal," Lyra added.
Her father gave a nod of approval. "Glad to hear it. Anyway, there's been a lot going on in Canterlot ever since you left, Heartstrings."
Lyra winced at the name. She knew she'd be hearing it a lot today. But honestly, she was sixteen years old. She was an adult now, and she'd been living on her own for several years now. Her parents still treated her like a filly.
The next few hours dragged by. Her mother started talking about the weather factory's plans for the coming winter. Her father just wanted to talk about Canterlot society, which Bon-Bon seemed to absolutely love. Lyra suppressed a yawn.
At one point they asked Lyra to play some of her material for the Gala. She got out her lyre and played a piece for them. She went through about half of it - the melody just repeated in the second part, anyway - and then put her lyre back in its case.
"It would be great if you tried to take your talent further," Bon-Bon said, nodding. "Perhaps you should focus on it more?"
"Well, there's been... other things... occupying my time," Lyra noticed the look that Bon-Bon gave her, and knew exactly what she meant.
"Such as?" Dewey leaned in. Lyra had no idea what to say.
Then there was a knock at the door.
"Someone's here?" Lyra's head shot up. "I'll go get it."
She was glad to be away for a little bit. Whoever it was, this distraction was welcome.
After Lyra left the room, Cirrus turned to Bon-Bon. "We have been worried, though. Heartstrings hasn't mentioned anything about 'humans' to you, has she? When she was a filly, she was simply obsessed with them, and it's really not good for her. She's even still using that name."
Part of her wanted to scream at them, telling these surprisingly normal Canterlot ponies about the horrors she'd experienced because of their psychopath of a daughter. But instead, against her better judgment, she simply replied, "Humans? No. Of course not. What are those? I've certainly never heard of them."
"That's a relief. She must have forgotten all about them," Cirrus said.
Bon-Bon glanced back towards the entry.
"Hello, Lyra. I was hoping you'd be home. Can I come in?" It was Twilight's voice.
"Sure. Um, my parents are over for a visit, though."
"That's fine." Twilight followed Lyra as they headed in to the living room. She stopped once she saw Lyra's father. A smile spread across her face. "Mr. Dewey? From Canterlot?"
"Twilight Sparkle! It's been a while since I've seen you," he said with a nod. "I had almost forgotten you were living here in Ponyville now."
"Lyra? You didn't tell me your father was Mr. Dewey!" Twilight said, grinning.
"You never asked," Lyra replied.
Twilight seemed to be getting misty-eyed. "I've really missed the Canterlot library. It's the largest in Equestria. I used to spend hours there."
"How have you been, Twilight? Still studying for the Princess, I assume," Dewey said.
"Of course. Actually, she just gave me a new assignment. I came over because I needed to pick up a book that Lyra was borrowing," Twilight said. "I thought you'd forgotten. It's The Illustrated - "
"Oh, that book?" Lyra cut her off. "I didn't forget. In fact, it's in the study. We'll go right on back and get it." The book in question was hidden along with the others, behind the sofa. She quickly formulated a story - she was terribly unorganized, it must have ended up there on accident... along with all her other books, when the bookshelves were bare? No, that wouldn't make any sense.
"That's great," Twilight said. "I probably wouldn't have remembered either, except that the princess wanted me to write up some information in a report for her."
She noticed that her hooves that had begun sliding across the floor. Lyra had gotten behind her and was pushing her towards the study. "That's very interesting, Twilight. Let's go find that book. I'm sure you're very busy."
"It's fine, Lyra, I can walk there on my own," Twilight said.
Lyra hurried off down the hall. With a puzzled look, Twilight followed her. Heading over to the couch without a word, Lyra lifted up a book wedged behind it and the wall.
"That's funny, how did it get back there?" Lyra said in a flat voice. "Anyway, there's your book. We were in the middle of something, actually, so if you could just leave and - "
"Just checking, you're done with this, right? You got all the research you needed?" Twilight asked.
"Yeah, of course. You can have it back. It's fine." She waved a hoof.
"Well... thanks!" Twilight headed back out, passing through the living room towards the door.
Lyra's father spoke up. "I didn't realize you two were friends. We'd really like to hear about what you've been up to, Heartstrings."
"Um, yeah... Sorry," Lyra said. She really hoped Twilight would leave soon, before she could say anything about what that book was about.
"It's strange, I've never really had much of a use for a book on cryptozoology, but I looked through my library and this was the only book I had that I could use for my research report."
Lyra was starting to feel a spell of lightheadedness coming on.
"Really? What does the Princess want you to study this time?" Dewey asked, pushing up his glasses.
She paused for a moment. "Actually, Lyra, maybe you could help me with this. I actually never heard about humans until you showed up."
Dewey seemed to be overcome by a coughing fit. "Did you say... humans?"
Lyra's eyes darted from side to side. "Um, of course not, Twilight, I don't really know anything about..."
"I thought you said you were finished with this 'humans' obsession, Heartstrings," Cirrus said.
"I am! Of course I am," Lyra insisted.
"You were just in my library a few weeks ago asking about them." Twilight cocked her head, frowning. "That's the book I came over for. I couldn't find anything else about humans in my other books. By the way, I noticed your hoof is better now."
Bon-Bon choked on a bite of casserole.
"Yeah, I told you it was nothing," Lyra said. Her mind was filling up with questions. Princess Celestia wanted a report on humans, but if Luna was any indication, they should both know more than anyone. And, on top of that, hadn't Luna said that they'd never speak of humans again? Why would Celestia be sending out her own apprentice to dig up whatever information was left? Unless...
"Heartstrings, we really thought you'd come to your senses," her father said, shaking his head.
Her mother cut in. "I'm sure you're going to be very busy preparing for your performance at the Gala. You only have a few months. It's probably best if Twilight just gets her paper written." She looked over at her. "But I can't believe the Princess would have you writing such a ridiculous assignment."
Twilight glanced back at the door. "Maybe I came at a bad time..."
"It's fine," Lyra said. "I'm done with humans. I really should focus on my music, shouldn't I?" She couldn't believe what she was saying, but she had to speak carefully now. Twilight showing up like this was suddenly very suspicious.
"That's good to hear," Cirrus said. She turned to Dewey. "I've always said you never should have given her those books in the first place."
"I never thought it would become such a problem," he said.
Lyra grinned nervously. "I don't even have those books anymore, so..."
"Well, thanks for giving me this back," Twilight said, moving slowly towards the door. "The Princess actually didn't tell me very much. She's always giving me extra research projects in addition to my usual studies, it's really nothing special."
"It is rather strange," Dewey said. "But we shouldn't keep you from your work."
"You're right. I shouldn't stay longer than I have to," Twilight said. She quickly turned and bolted out the door.
Lyra's parents turned to look at her. There was a long and painful silence.
"So, um... anypony want dessert?" Bon-Bon offered.
Dewey and Cirrus said their farewells as night fell, and Lyra waved goodbye as their carriage started down the road back to Canterlot. Once it was out of sight, she went back inside.
"I must say, your family surprised me," Bon-Bon told her as she stepped inside. "They're so ordinary. Knowing you, I expected them to be - "
"She's onto us," Lyra said.
Bon-Bon stared at her. "Who?"
"Princess Celestia!"
Bon-Bon put a hoof to her face. "What in Equestria are you talking about now, Lyra?"
"Do you honestly think it's a coincidence that Twilight's out, asking around about humans? She's the Princess's personal apprentice! She's spying on me because they know I know something nobody's supposed to know!" Lyra was restlessly pacing back and forth across the room.
It was starting again. They'd had a day that was almost normal, and Lyra had truly been able to pass as a reasonably sane pony, but the moment her parents were gone, she had snapped again.
"Lyra, Twilight's been our neighbor for over a year now. She's not a spy," Bon-Bon said.
"Then why does the Princess need a report about humans? If Luna's any indication, I'd say she probably already knows enough about them," Lyra said. "It's me they're studying." |
Anthropology | Christmas | There was something about this time of year that always made Lyra feel nostalgic. And, since she was back in Canterlot for Hearth's Warming Eve for the first time since she'd moved away, that was especially true this year.
Still, home or not, this was the center of the conspiracy, so she couldn't afford to be careless.
The streets were covered in snow, the ribbons and garland hung from every building, the lights shone in all the trees. She'd always heard that Canterlot was the best place for the winter season, and she had to admit that Ponyville's celebrations had always felt a bit lacking compared to home.
"Scootaloo! Get back here! You already got your tongue stuck to one candy cane, we don't need to go through this again!" Bon-Bon called down the street. She shook her head. "How did we get talked into fillysitting?"
Lyra simply pulled down the hood of her parka, stepped forward, and called out, "Hey, girls! Want to know where to get the best gingerbread in Canterlot?"
Suddenly all three fillies were right in front of her.
"Did you just say the best gingerbread?" Apple Bloom asked.
Lyra nodded. "I used to go to this bakery every Hearth's Warming Eve when I was your age. It is, hands down, the best you will ever have."
Bon-Bon shot her a look.
"Well, it is," Lyra said. "No offense, Bon-Bon, you're a great cook, but I've always found your gingerbread is seriously lacking."
"Hurry up! We want to see!" Scootaloo said, bouncing up and down.
"Well, we don't have much time until the play starts, but it's right on the way to the castle. We can stop in for a few minutes," Lyra said.
With a look of satisfaction, she started down the street with the Crusaders following behind, wide grins on their faces. Bon-Bon gaped at her, and ran to catch up.
"How do you do that?" she asked.
"What can I say? I'm good with kids," Lyra replied.
"You practically act like you still are one," Bon-Bon muttered.
Lyra turned to enter a building on the corner of the street. "It's right here." She inhaled the smells of baked goods emanating from the building. Peppermint, chocolate, and, of course, that gingerbread. "Pony Joe's usually just sells donuts, but they step it up around this time of year. I've missed this."
They entered the bakery, with the fillies chattering excitedly. Bon-Bon was scanning the shelves of baked goods behind the counter, and attempting to peek through the window into the kitchen.
Lyra stepped up to the counter. "How's it going, Joe?" It hadn't escaped her notice that he had a human name, though he didn't know it was anything special. Some ponies were lucky enough to have real names like that. "Five gingerbread cookies, please. Oh, and a hot chocolate."
"Heartstrings? Haven't seen you in ages. That'll be ten bits," Pony Joe replied.
Lyra produced the coins from the pocket of her coat. There were just so many benefits to human clothing. She'd started wearing clothes every day now.
"Thank you," Joe said. "Happy Hearth's Warming."
"Merry Christmas!" Lyra said cheerfully. He stared at her, one eyebrow raised in confusion.
They took the cookies and Lyra's hot chocolate and sat down. The Cutie Mark Crusaders all sat around a table, while Bon-Bon and Lyra took some nearby seats at the window.
"I'm almost afraid to ask, but... why do you keep saying that to everypony?" Bon-Bon said in a hushed tone. She glanced over at the Crusaders, but they were satisfied with their cookies and weren't paying any attention.
"It's the dreams again," Lyra said, and Bon-Bon let out a groan. "I was human again in this one. I really like those ones... But anyway, I was in one of their towns. It was decorated just like this, for Hearth's Warming Eve, but I kept hearing humans saying 'Merry Christmas.'"
"Where did you even get that word from, though?" Bon-Bon said.
"When I woke up, I wasn't sure exactly what it meant. I looked it up in my books, and sure enough, something called Christmas was mentioned a few times. I think it's a human holiday. I didn't remember reading about it before, though."
"You must have. You just forgot about it, or... something." Bon-Bon shook her head. "I've never heard of anypony taking their dreams so seriously."
"There wasn't much information. As far as I could tell, Christmas is some celebration that takes place in winter, but as much as I looked I never could find the true meaning of Christmas. It's too bad. I'd really like to know what it is."
"This isn't like what you were saying about... whatever that harvest festival last October was called... is it?"
"Who knows? Maybe we've been celebrating a human holiday all month and didn't even realize it."
Bon-Bon finished her cookie. "I suppose you may have a point about the gingerbread..." She was eager to change the subject at any cost.
"It's the molasses," Lyra said. "You always use too much of it."
Bon-Bon's eyes narrowed. "We're going to be late for the play," she said. "We should get going."
Lyra walked over to the table that the Crusaders were gathered around. "Come on, girls. We're headed to the castle now."
"Yes!" Scootaloo said. "I can't wait! Rainbow Dash is going to be awesome in this play!"
"Aren't you forgetting somepony?" Sweetie Belle said. "My big sister's playing Princess Platinum. She's the best!"
They headed outside into the street, joining a number of other ponies all heading to the castle. Lyra stared up at the gold-capped towers looming over their heads. Maybe it was a mistake coming to the play this year. Staying hidden in the crowd would be a good idea.
"I've never been to the Hearth's Warming Eve pageant in Canterlot before," Bon-Bon said. "And we even know the stars. I'm excited."
"I can definitely understand why the Princess would want Twilight in the pageant," Lyra muttered. "She's a great actress. She's especially good at playing clueless."
"Are you still convinced she's a spy?" Bon-Bon whispered. "You need to let it go."
"How do you know she's not? It's not like she'd tell us if she was," Lyra said.
This had been going on for a month now. Bon-Bon had hoped that Lyra wasn't harassing Twilight too much, but it wasn't like she could keep an eye on her roommate when there were literally thousands of cookies to be made this season.
The castle seemed to grow even taller now as they crossed the bridge into the entrance, and Lyra stared up at it apprehensively. They were coming into the entrance hall now. This was where the Gala would be held, too...
Bon-Bon gave Lyra a look. "Perhaps you'd like to take your coat off and stay a while?"
Lyra groaned, but Bon-Bon had a point. "Fine...." She knew it shouldn't be so much of a problem, but she would actually feel awkward being out in public and not wearing clothes.
There was a coat room nearby, so she left it there among all the scarves and hats. Not many ponies realized the value of a full coat to keep yourself warm. Or the usefulness of a hood to hide yourself from unwanted eyes, for that matter.
The play would be on a huge stage that had been set up in the throne room. Ponies filled the audience from wall to wall. Dim moonlight faintly illuminated the stained glass - on one side, Twilight and her friends bearing the Elements of Harmony. On the other side, Discord, the spirit of Chaos. It had been just a few months since he'd broken free, but now he'd been sealed away again and things were calm... relatively speaking.
Lyra kept her head down as they entered the hall. Their ticket stubs floated in front of her.
"Can I see those?" Bon-Bon asked. Lyra moved them in front of her. "Now, where are we... These are..." Her eyes widened. "We're in the front row?"
"Great, just great... Bon-Bon, can you look around for me? Is the Princess here?" Lyra asked.
"If you want to see her - "
"I can't make myself too suspicious!" Lyra whispered. "You need to look for me. Where is she? What's she doing?"
Bon-Bon sighed and glanced around. The entire hall was packed with ponies of every race and color, but there didn't seem to be any special audience box. Princess Celestia, if she had been there, would have been easy to spot.
"She's not even here," Bon-Bon said, surprised.
"Really?" Lyra raised her head up to look for herself. "That's strange."
"Lyra, you're paranoid. It's a wonder I was even able to convince you to come to Canterlot," Bon-Bon said.
"They would have noticed if I turned down the offer to watch the fillies. The secret is to act natural."
They reached their places. The Crusaders had the very front row - reserved for family of the stars, obviously. Bon-Bon was behind them, and Lyra was stuck across the aisle.
"Oh, Lyra... Are you okay being over there by yourself?" Bon-Bon frowned.
She waved a hoof. "It's fine. It's pretty packed, anyway," Lyra said.
The lights dimmed and the curtains opened. A hush fell over the audience. Spike was on stage, apparently playing the part of the Narrator this year. Lyra was mostly interested in his costume. Baby dragons were bipedal, and his outfit, although small, was extremely similar to something a human had worn. The style actually seemed to match an illustration Lyra had seen in one of her books.
"Once upon a time, long before the peaceful rule of Celestia, and before ponies discovered our beautiful land of Equestria, ponies did not know harmony," Spike began. The lines were familiar to the point where Lyra hardly even heard them anymore. "It was a strange and dark time. A time when ponies were torn apart - by hatred."
Not everybody was so used to the play, though. Over in front of Bon-Bon, the Cutie Mark Crusaders had just recoiled in shock at that revelation.
Although the events of the pageant got to be routine over the years, Lyra still remembered the interest she'd once had in the play. Unicorns and pegasi as enemies? That had been hard for her to understand as a filly. Her own parents got along just fine. And now she was sharing her rent with an earth pony.
When she'd been really young, though, her own identity had always confused her. Pegasi, like her mother, had their weather control and flight. Unicorns had magic. For a long time Lyra had neither. She didn't even have any talent with food, so she couldn't just call herself an earth pony with a useless horn either. But then she'd picked up the lyre, magic had become second nature to her, and she had moved past that entire awkward phase.
They were on to the part where the leaders showed up for the first time. Lyra had zoned out and practically missed the first scene of the play. Now Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity had taken the stage. Lyra heard Scootaloo give a quiet squeal of excitement.
Rainbow Dash's natural hotheadedness made her a perfect Commander Hurricane. And Rarity was just as extravagant as always, but now she had a tiara to match. All three of them were adding something to the normally predictable pageant. It was hard to see them as the characters rather than their own selves, but at least it was something new.
The costume design definitely was top-notch this year. The characters were all so well-established that everybody knew what they looked like, but these outfits came the closest to the popular depictions. But then again... Lyra was absolutely certain she'd seen illustrations of humans dressed just like Applejack's character, Smart Cookie. That hat, and the shirt...
Sure enough, the influences of human culture were even in the Hearth's Warming Eve play if you knew what to look for.
Lyra's attention was fixed on the stage for the remainder of the play. Of course... Even something as simple as this couldn't be overlooked. What was really going on in this story?
"Hurry up! Let's go!" Apple Bloom led her friends towards the entrance to the backstage area.
"Girls, please, slow down!" Bon-Bon chased after them. Lyra was about to follow, but stopped. There was a guard posted in front of the door, his rigid face staring straight ahead. Bon-Bon stepped up to him. "Family and friends of the cast," she explained.
Rainbow Dash stepped out, still dressed in her costume as Commander Hurricane. She noticed them immediately, and nodded towards Scootaloo. "Oh, hey, squirt." She turned to the guard. "It's fine, they're with us."
"This is... so cool!" Scootaloo said. She was nearly about to faint and fall over backwards, but Lyra stepped up and gently nudged her back onto her hooves.
With a nervous glance at the guard, who hadn't reacted to her at all, Lyra followed the others to the backstage dressing room. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom immediately ran to their sisters, while Scootaloo just tagged along behind Rainbow Dash. Across the room was Twilight Sparkle.
Lyra tried not to acknowledge her. She looked through the props and costumes, and a few pieces of flat scenery that had also been stored back here. Just about everything seemed familiar from her books. Everybody thought that this play was all about three different races settling their differences and coming together, but what about the race that walked on two legs and had the hands necessary to use some of these props? They'd certainly gotten the short end of the deal...
"Hello, Lyra. How did you like the play?" Twilight asked.
Lyra jumped. "Oh, it was... excellent! You did great." She grinned nervously. "Actually, I was wondering if I could see a copy of the script."
Twilight glanced around the room. "Sure. We've got tons of them lying around." She found a copy folded open on one of the dressers and passed it over to Lyra. "But it's really not very different from the plays they put on all over Equestria. Just about everypony knows this story."
"Of course. It's just that... Well, Equestrian history's always interested me." Lyra shrugged, then added, "Especially things about ponies."
"I see..." Twilight said.
Lyra glanced over at the window, avoiding Twilight's gaze. "I'd better get going now. Don't want to miss the train," she finally said. She took the script and sprinted out of the room.
"Don't worry about that, you've still got - " Twilight called out, but Lyra was gone. "Another two hours."
Twilight looked over and saw Bon-Bon talking to Fluttershy. She joined them.
"Bon-Bon, I noticed Lyra's been acting a bit strangely lately. I mean, more than usual, I guess," Twilight said. "Is everything okay?"
"What did she do now?" Bon-Bon said in an exasperated tone.
"Nothing, really," Twilight assured her. "I can't explain it. Is this something to do with her parents? When I came over, she just seemed really nervous about them. That's when this all started."
Bon-Bon gave a sigh and shook her head. "It's ridiculous, really. She thinks you're a government agent sent to spy on her."
Twilight raised an eyebrow. "I thought everypony had gotten over that after I first moved to Ponyville. I'm not a spy. Why would I even be spying on her?"
"It's this obsession with humans. She thinks that the Princess is hiding some kind of secret about them," Bon-Bon said. "Don't ask me to explain it. There's no logic to it."
Twilight frowned in confusion. "The Princess wouldn't hide something like that. All she wants is a report on them. And as far as I've been able to tell, humans aren't even real," she said. "But I do need to get a complete report, and there just hasn't been enough information to fill even a single page. I hate to ask, but... what if Lyra helped me?"
"Oh. Well, I do try to avoid bringing up anything about humans. Once she gets in one of her moods, it's hard to reason with her," Bon-Bon said. "Quite frankly, it can be... horrifying, sometimes." She cringed at the memories.
"Maybe I could show her what I've been able to come up with. I contacted a few libraries in Manehattan and Trottingham, and they sent me a couple books that they were able to dig up. But there's still been no concrete evidence that humans exist."
"Exactly. Now if you could just get Lyra to understand that..."
"I'll do what I can. If nothing else, I do find these stories a fascinating part of Equestria's culture and folklore," Twilight said.
Bon-Bon left the backstage area and found Lyra waiting outside. She was wearing the parka with the hood up again, glancing around nervously, and didn't seem to notice Bon-Bon approach.
"There you are, Lyra."
Lyra gasped and spun around. "Bon-Bon? Oh, it's just you. I really don't want to stay here any longer than we have to. It's dangerous." She was already heading for the door out of the castle.
Bon-Bon caught up to her. "For the last time, Lyra... I just spoke to Twilight. She says that Princess Celestia isn't hiding anything from you."
"Of course she'd say that! But that's oddly specific," Lyra said. She stopped. "Wait a sec. Don't tell me you actually asked her."
"Well..."
"Did you mention me?"
"Of course, but only because you've been so unreasonable lately."
"Bon-Bon, you just blew my cover! I need to get out of here - now." Lyra broke into a gallop and disappeared into the packed streets of Canterlot.
Bon-Bon let out a sigh. They'd probably meet back up at the train station. If not, then... Lyra would probably make it back to Ponyville eventually, right?
The sky had turned to orange as the sun set. Bon-Bon scanned the crowd of ponies at the station, looking for the familiar mint-green mane, but didn't see it. No, Lyra wouldn't have just run off like that. Then she remembered - of course, Lyra would still be wearing her coat. She saw a pony with a hood up, and headed over.
"I can't believe you'd tell Twilight what I know," Lyra muttered as Bon-Bon nudged her way through the crowd to join her.
"You're being completely impossible. All Twilight wants from you is help with her project," Bon-Bon said.
"Yeah, a research project. The perfect cover."
"For the last time, there's no conspiracy!" Bon-Bon yelled. Everypony at the station turned their heads to stare at her. She hung her head down, avoiding their eyes. "Anyway, Twilight said she wanted your help, but if you're just going to keep acting like this..."
Lyra blinked. "Wait... that's it."
"What now?"
"I'll have to be careful about how much I reveal, but the only way I'm going to find out what Princess Celestia wants is by talking to Twilight. I have to get on the inside!"
"That's not what I meant. Twilight's been doing some research on her own, and she doesn't even think that humans are - "
"I'll have to act carefully," Lyra said, ignoring her. She seemed to be talking to herself again. "She already suspects me, but this may be the only way forward." Then her head jerked up. "And the Gala! The Princess will be there. How could I have forgotten that?"
The train whistle blew as it pulled into the station, so nopony heard Bon-Bon let out a groan.
"You're a genius, Bon-Bon! I'm getting so close now, I can just tell!" Lyra said. "But first, there's something else I need to look at..."
Most of the ponies on the train were quiet. A few, Bon-Bon included, had fallen asleep after the long day. But Lyra was wide awake, her horn glowing to let her read the copy of the script she'd be given.
[Enter CHANCELLOR PUDDINGHEAD]
PUDDINGHEAD
Since the other tribes have refused to make peace,
I have decided that the Earth ponies will go it
alone!
SMART COOKIE
The other tribes didn't come around? I thought we
could get to them if we agreed to work together.
PUDDINGHEAD
With the food gone, they just wouldn't come to a
reasonable solution!
So Pinkie Pie had forgotten her lines and starting making stuff up on her own. Lyra didn't need a script to see that. The chimney scene had been brilliant, though; she'd definitely admit that.
She skipped back a few pages to the scene before that one where the tribe leaders had been at the meeting.
NARRATOR
The Earth ponies were freezing. The home of the
Pegasi fared no better. The Pegasi were hungry. And
the unicorns were freezing and hungry. Even the
unicorns' magic was powerless against the storm.
She scribbled a note in the margin.
Windigos - do these appear in any other books?
Weather was usually caused by pegasi. If Windigos had caused this storm, due to the ponies' lack of cooperation according to the play, then what had happened to them since then? If all it took were arguments to start blizzards, then Lyra and Bon-Bon's house would have frozen over a long time ago.
Lyra stared at the lines of script. There had to be something here. A missed detail, some inconsistency, a word out of place...
She flipped over to the end.
NARRATOR
The three leaders agreed to share the beautiful
land, and live in harmony ever afterwards. And
together, they named their new land...
ALL [unison]
Equestria!
[COMMANDER HURRICANE, CHANCELLOR
PUDDINGHEAD, and PRINCESS PLATINUM raise
the flag of Equestria together.]
According to this play, Equestria had been founded by those three leaders. A pegasus, an earth pony, and a unicorn. So where was Princess Celestia? Not only had she been absent from the audience, she'd never shown up in the play itself. Not even a mention of either princess.
No, that wasn't quite right. Lyra underlined the phrase "flag of Equestria" twice. It had been the modern flag of Equestria, with Celestia's image on it.
And there had been another thing. Lyra flipped back to the first few pages. Yes, here it is.
NARRATOR
Once upon a time, long before the peaceful rule of
Celestia, and before ponies discovered our beautiful
land of Equestria, ponies did not know harmony. It
was a strange and dark time. A time when ponies were
torn apart - by hatred.
Lyra stared at it. Everything was quiet except for the low rumble of the train along the tracks. This was it. "Long before the peaceful rule of Celestia." She circled it. That line was everything!
Exactly how long ago had Celestia come into power? And then when was this play supposed to be set? Not a single mention of humans in the entire thing, and yet it was supposed to be before Celestia's day?
Just about every prop in the entire performance looked like something out of one of her books about humans. Not even that, but then how did Luna know about humans? Lyra could only assume from her brief conversation that Luna had some very close knowledge of them.
"Are you still looking through that old play?" Bon-Bon had just woken up, and was watching her sleepily.
"It's all lies..." Lyra muttered. "Nothing about this makes sense. The entire story is made up!"
Bon-Bon sighed. "Not this again."
"This could be just the beginning. Who knows how much of Equestria's history has been fabricated? This could go even deeper than I realized!"
"It's just a silly holiday play. They put these pageants on every year. Don't tell me you've never seen one," Bon-Bon said.
Lyra's eyes scanned the heavily annotated script. "Nobody ever questions it because this story is so ingrained in our heads. It's just an ego trip for ponies. We're covering up the real origins of our world and claiming that we created everything ourselves. Why is Celestia insisting on this?"
"Not everything has to do with humans, Lyra. They never even mention them in the play."
"Exactly."
The conductor's voice called out throughout the train. "Next stop, Ponyville. Next stop, Ponyville."
Lyra closed the script. "I need to cross-reference this with other accounts of pony history. If I'm right, then there should be contradictions everywhere." She stood up as the train rolled into the station. "And the perfect place to start is Twilight's library." |
Anthropology | Research and Rivalry | The snow was really coming down now. This meeting could have been timed better. Lyra had known that the pegasi were planning another snowfall today, but she hadn't been counting on the wind as well. She was freezing even with the pants, sweater, scarf, and the heavy coat over top of it all.
She glanced up to see the library just ahead. With a final burst of speed, she hurried to the door and dashed inside.
Recovering from the wind and cold, she kicked the snow off her hooves and shook off her parka. A coat rack was right next to the door, so she pulled it off and hung it up.
Twilight had noticed the door open. "Oh, Lyra. You're here," she said. "Make yourself at home. Spike's got a fire going in the other room."
Lyra's eyes narrowed. Twilight was being way too friendly... Or was she just always like that? "Thanks..."
"So how's your roommate been? I haven't talked to Bon-Bon in a while."
"She's been okay for the most part, but when I said I was headed over here to help with your report she said she wanted to find something heavy to hit her head against." Lyra shrugged.
"Oh..." Twilight said, frowning. "Well, you can go ahead and get started. I'll be in there in a minute."
Lyra turned and headed for the other room.
Twilight really did own a lot of books. This room, like the other, was mostly shelves upon shelves of them. A ladder leaned up against one wall. On the opposite side of the room, Spike was sitting by the fireplace, holding his right claw and grimacing. He glanced up at Lyra as she walked in.
"Hey, Spike. You okay?" she asked, tilting her head.
"Yeah... Twilight's been having me write notes for her all day." Spike rubbed his wrist. "I've got a serious claw cramp."
"I know how it is. Those are a real pain," Lyra said, nodding. Spike stared at her strangely. "Uh... from what I've heard." She averted her eyes. "So anyway, what have you been writing? Anything for the Princess? Care to tell me anything?" She moved closer.
"Just more to-do lists and some rough drafts of Twilight's report. You wouldn't believe how much preparation she always does for these."
Lyra leaned in closer. "You're sure you haven't been writing to the Princess? What about Twilight? Has she told you anything?"
The door opened and Twilight entered the room. Owlowiscious flew in behind her and perched on the top rung of the ladder. A couple books floated in the air around her head. They drifted over to the table and settled down.
"Hey there, you two," Twilight said cheerfully. She turned to Spike. "You've been working pretty hard today, Spike. I think Lyra and I can handle it from here."
"Finally," Spike said. He yawned, stretching his short arms upwards. "G'night." He headed up the stairs.
"Let's get started, Lyra," Twilight said.
Lyra idly examined a shelf of books. "Yeah, I guess we should..."
Twilight's smile vanished. "Lyra, you're not still suspicious of me, are you? Because I'm telling you the truth - Princess Celestia has never told me anything about humans. Other than this assignment, of course."
"Of course not," Lyra said. She stared at Twilight in disbelief.
What was Twilight doing? How lousy of a spy could she be if she was just going to blatantly deny it like that? She had even been the one to bring it up in the first place. Lyra obviously hadn't been planning on saying anything about that to her.
Twilight crossed the room and searched through a drawer, taking out scrolls and loose sheets of paper. "It's in here somewhere. Aha! Right here." A single scroll floated up out of the stack, and the others fell back into the heap. "You can look at this yourself."
The letter floated over until it was right in front of Lyra's face. She unrolled it and read the fancy script.
My faithful student, Twilight Sparkle,
In the interest of understanding early Equestrian culture, I would like you to compile a complete report on the various legends concerning creatures known as "humans." As usual, keep me informed on your progress and any questions you may have.
Your mentor, Princess Celestia
Lyra took note of the official seal at the bottom of the parchment. It didn't appear to be fresh. "So when did you get this?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Over a month ago. That's all the information she gave me," Twilight said. "It's taken me a long time to get started. There's just nothing about humans anywhere."
"She calls them legends," Lyra said, reading over the letter for what must be the third or fourth time.
"Of course. There's nothing else they could be," Twilight insisted. "I'll admit that the entire world humans were said to live in is extremely detailed. I'm especially fascinated in how there are so many different kingdoms and rulers in these stories. Not only that, but the same historical events keep getting mentioned. It's very consistent."
"Because they're not legends."
"Because, through generations of storytelling, imaginary places like France got to be universally accepted. I didn't even realize that when Rarity talks about 'French couture' it's actually an allusion to ancient pony mythology. She's probably not aware of that herself."
"You honestly think it's made up?" Lyra said. The letter drifted over to the table and settled down there. "Or did Princess Celestia tell you to say that?"
"Of course she did!" Twilight said. "Well, no, it's not what she told me to say, it's just what it is. That's all the background I got from her. Lyra, you've been reading these longer than I have. All we know about humans comes from books. There's no scientific or archaeological basis to prove there's any truth to these stories."
Lyra moved even closer. "What about their tools? We still use those! And clothing, you even admitted that Rarity's styles are based off of human designs!"
Twilight shook her head. "They're made-up creatures who are always shown using the same objects ponies do, because ponies created them and those objects. These stories might even be part of some kind of creation myth. Historically, lots of mythical creatures have some kind of relevance to the society that imagined them," she said. She thought for a moment, then added, "That's the only reason I can imagine that Princess Celestia would want to know about them. Cultural relevance."
Lyra gaped at her, but she couldn't think of any response. She was not about to admit to Princess Celestia's own student that she had heard it from Luna herself that humans were real.
Maybe Twilight wasn't lying... She really did seem to know nothing. But Lyra still had to speak carefully. Anything she said could potentially be reported back to the castle, and that would be a problem.
"Fine," Lyra said finally. "Just let me see what you've been able to find." She walked over to the desk and checked out the books that Twilight had set there.
Pre-Equestrian Mysteries, The Human Hypothesis, and The Age of Man. The titles were faded and nearly unreadable, and the books seemed to be falling apart. But these were all-new sources, books that weren't in Lyra's own collection from Canterlot. Lyra had never considered what other cities' libraries might have.
"It's probably best if we just dive right in," Twilight said. "I got these ones from the Manehattan library. It took them weeks just to respond to my letter. They said they had to check their oldest section before they found anything."
Remembering her own trip to the Canterlot archives all those years ago, Lyra nodded. "That usually seems to be the case."
"I've checked Pre-Equestrian Mysteries and all it had were a few paragraphs mentioning humans. I don't think it's anything other than what you already know. By the way, you said you'd check to see what books you had. Did you bring them?" Twilight asked.
Lyra slowly took the saddlebags off of her back. "It took me a while to find this. There was only one left, so I brought what I had."
Designs for Dexterity was the smallest of her books, just barely a hundred pages. The other books, the ones that went into more detail, were all at home. Hidden. She had to withhold as much information as she could from Twilight. Just like she'd always done with her parents, really...
All this particular book mentioned were human inventions. The introduction even stated that these were meant to be "theories," but the pony who had written the book most likely believed in them. With this evidence, how could anyone not?
"Well... alright then," Twilight said. "You're sure this is all you had? I thought you said you had more."
"Nope. My parents wanted me to get rid of them." Lyra shrugged. "When I was here a few months ago, that was nothing. Just curiosity. I haven't been studying humans for years."
That was the story Lyra would stick to. The same one she'd told her parents. Her interest in humans had been a childhood phase, and she'd grown out of it. Of course, Twilight knew that she'd been researching the structure of hands just a few months ago, but there was no way she'd hear about the results.
Twilight frowned. She opened her mouth, then shook her head and decided not to say anything. Glancing over the books spread out on the table, she chose The Age of Man and opened it up.
"This one was actually from Trottingham. It's the only one they could find. I guess 'man' is short for 'human,'" Twilight said. "Have you heard that before?"
"That's basic knowledge, Twilight. So what's that one about?" Lyra came over to see.
"It's what I was talking about earlier - the different nations of humans and how they interacted with one another. Political structures, languages... I can't believe they took the time to create entire languages for fictional cultures."
"What's it going to take to convince you that humans aren't fictional?"
"Lyra, you can't just believe everything you read. You have to use your judgment."
"Maybe you should be using yours," Lyra said. She was beginning to feel irate. All this skepticism really got on her nerves. "What about that play you were in? I found a lot of things wrong with that. Are you sure that's really how Equestria was founded?"
Twilight stared at her, and then, strangely, laughed. "Of course it happened. That story's been part of Equestrian culture for thousands of years. Sure, maybe some of the details aren't historically accurate, but it's a dramatization, and - "
"Windigoes," Lyra said.
"Huh? What about them?" Twilight asked.
"What happened to those? Supposedly they're spirits or something that create blizzards as a result of disharmony, but what happened to them? That's certainly never happened as long as I've been around," Lyra said.
"You believe in humans, but you don't believe in that?" Twilight said. "You can ask any foal in Equestria. Everypony knows about windigoes, but nopony's ever heard of humans."
"That's not the point!"
"They disappeared because our society has learned the value of harmony, and - "
"Do you know that?" Lyra's eyes narrowed.
"Well... it's just what the play implies..."
"Exactly!" Lyra paced across the library. "Just another plot hole."
Twilight was starting to raise her voice. "I said it was a dramatization!"
"Then where's the proof that any of it's true?" Lyra said. Her eyes locked with Twilight's.
Outside, the blizzard raged and the wind howled past the window.
It was only then that Lyra realized all of what she'd just said. She wanted to smack herself. How could she have been so stupid?
"Well... that's just a theory of mine..." She tried to laugh it off. "I haven't really given it any serious consideration at all."
Twilight didn't look convinced. "Let's just get started on this," she said. She picked up the book Lyra had brought in, and Lyra started with the first chapter of The Age of Man.
It was like being a filly again. All these new books about humans, new things that Lyra had never seen before. The political systems of humans were described in more detail here than she'd seen before. Most of them were monarchies, similar to what Equestria had, but human kings and queens didn't have any magic power. They were so much closer to the common people that way. And they wouldn't live forever. The power would pass through each generation of sons or daughters, so it was in constant shift.
Then - there it was.
The lyre was an ancient Greek instrument, played (of course) by humans. There was a picture of a human, seated and plucking the strings of a lyre just like the one she herself used. It looked so much like that drawing Lyra had done, based on what she'd seen in her dream. She read the caption about how the music would usually accompany a recitation of an epic story.
Where were those? Surely written copies must exist.
Obviously lyres had more significance to human culture than Lyra had previously realized. Now she needed to find out what those stories were that went with them. She loved the stories about humans. Legends, sure, but that only proved they themselves were real. There was no reason for a legendary creature to have its own mythology.
"I've got it!" Twilight suddenly exclaimed. Lyra looked up from the book.
"What do you mean?" Lyra said.
"I get what the significance of humans is. They're all the same!" Twilight said. "Of course, I should have seen this earlier!"
"What do you mean by 'all the same?'" Lyra asked.
"Ponies are all different. Humans can't fly, and the books never mention them doing magic. The whole point is that they all have the same abilities," Twilight said. "That's what I was saying when I said they had significance to ancient cultures! By having this imaginary civilization that's all the same, ponies would learn to appreciate and understand how different they were!"
"Who?" Owlowiscious hooted.
Lyra sighed. "Twilight, you haven't found anything about Greek myths, have you? Or any songs?"
Putting a hoof to her chin, Twilight said, "I think everything about the... Greeks, was it? It was all in that book." She nodded towards the one Lyra was reading.
"No, this one's all factual. I'm looking for..." Lyra noticed the look that Twilight was giving her. She didn't want to have that discussion again. "Never mind."
They continued for another half hour or so. There was a real gold mine of information here. Lyra tried to think if there were any other cities in Equestria that were known for having good libraries. It was always possible that she could find out more about the lyre there...
The idea that she'd been using a human instrument gave her such a connection to them, and she loved that. Not to mention she'd even learned how to play the lyre in the human style - with hands. Magic could never compare to the physical feeling of the strings against her fingers.
She skimmed over the paragraphs about Greece a few more times. It was frustrating, none of this was information that she could really use.
Twilight was completely absorbed in the book Lyra had brought. This was her chance. She stepped over to the wall of bookshelves, scanning the titles. If the answers about humans weren't in these books, maybe the clues were somewhere else. Hidden in plain sight, right in the ponies' own history.
Here was one. Pegasi: From Past to Present.
Lyra pulled it from the shelf and flipped it open. She started at the front, where the earliest pegasus leaders were described. Her eyes rapidly scanned the pages for anything about a "Commander Hurricane" or "Private Pansy." Nothing in the first chapter. Turning to the index, she searched for the names.
Nothing.
Pretty odd, wasn't it? You'd think that the pegasus who originally founded Equestria would at least get a mention.
"Lyra? Did you find something else? I didn't think I had any other books about humans," Twilight said.
Lyra dropped the book in shock, and found Twilight standing right next to her. "Oh, no, it's..."
Twilight had picked the book up off the floor to look at the cover. "You were reading about pegasi?"
"It's for... another project."
"I had no idea you had such diverse interests, Lyra. You could be an excellent historian if you wanted," Twilight said. "If you ever need to borrow one of these, you're welcome to it." She passed the book over to Lyra.
The magic aura around it changed from purple to green, and Lyra stashed it away in her saddlebag. She didn't have any actual intention of reading further; she'd found what she needed. Or, more accurately, hadn't found it. "I'll do that. Thanks."
Twilight picked up the book she'd been reading earlier, but stopped. "Lyra, I know that you think humans must have been real, but..." Twilight hesitated. "There's really nothing to suggest they ever existed. The theory would be more plausible if you had solid evidence, but..."
"What about Nightmare Moon?" Lyra said. The idea had suddenly popped into her head.
Twilight drew back. "Huh? No, you're changing the subject, I'm - "
"I'm not changing the subject. You talked about Nightmare Moon when you came to Ponyville, and none of us believed you then. How is that any different?"
"It's completely different! There were references to her in all sorts of stories. We had a celebration dedicated to her, and an exact date that she was said to return, and then she did. All you've got that mentions humans are - "
"Stories," Lyra said. "Princess Celestia probably told you that Nightmare Moon was a story too, didn't she?"
The snow was piling up in the window panes. The candlelight flickered in the dim room.
"Face it, Twilight. We're not all that different. Someday I'll find the truth."
Returning to her reading, Twilight didn't say any more on the subject. Lyra just couldn't understand how anybody who'd read the books could still be so skeptical. It was even worse than her parents. They didn't believe in humans, but they wouldn't even touch the books...
Dewey Decimal had found his daughter in her bedroom. It was dark out, almost midnight, but she was still poring over one of those books by candlelight. The past few days, this was all she had wanted to do. Even the history report that she'd nearly failed hadn't done much to discourage her - if anything, it had just made things worse.
"Heartstrings... I've been talking to your mother, and we agreed that you really shouldn't be reading all of those books," he said.
Her head perked up, and she turned around. "What my teacher said was wrong. I just know it."
He had just known this wouldn't be easy.
"Please... You've been spending every waking moment on this, and it's just not good for you. Your mother's been very upset. "
"Why? What does Mom have against humans?"
"Nothing... Absolutely nothing. We're just worried... that you're neglecting your other schoolwork," he said. He paused, then asked, "Have you been working on your magic?"
Lyra's horn glowed as she closed the book and set it over on the corner of the table with the others. "I can do magic just fine now. It's easy." Her father smiled.
There had been an illustration in one of the books of a human using a quill with their hands. She wished she could do that. How would it feel to actually grip the quill as you moved it across the page? Of course, it was probably best to keep that little wish to herself.
"I know you'll be an excellent unicorn someday. All we want is for you to reach that potential," he said, looking over at the corner of the room where her lyre was resting on its stand. He turned back to her, his expression more serious. "But by tomorrow, we want these books out of the house."
Lyra's mouth dropped open. "That's not fair!"
Dewey sighed. "I'm sorry," he said. "Now, it's getting late. You should probably go to bed. There's still school tomorrow."
He left, and Lyra glumly turned back to her books. There was no way she'd get rid of these...
Of course she wouldn't. She lifted them up off the table, set them down next to the bed, and then lifted up the mattress. One at a time, she slid them in between the mattress and the bed frame.
Hopefully her parents wouldn't find them here. If necessary, she'd come up with another hiding place and move them. Whatever it took, she wasn't giving up on humans.
Sure, all she had were books, but... Lately she'd started having dreams, too.
It was best to stay rational. If she was constantly reading about humans and thinking about humans during the day, it only made sense that she'd dream about them during the night. But it all seemed so real. The parts she remembered, at least.
She climbed into bed and pulled the covers over herself. Her eyelids felt heavy. She was asleep in a matter of seconds.
Most of her dreams were very hazy, and often Lyra would wake up with just a fleeting image in her mind that she'd completely lose within a few hours. But tonight it was mostly sound.
Just a single word, in a voice she was half-sure she hadn't heard before, but obviously speaking to her.
"Lyra..."
"Lyra."
She stared at the drawing of a human in the book she was reading. It was a female in a long, elegant dress and a tiara. Human royalty, from some long-forgotten nation. This outfit reminded her of Rarity's from the play.
"Lyra?"
Twilight was staring up at her. Lyra had barely noticed the first time her name had been called.
"Yeah?"
"Just suppose for a minute..." Twilight began. "Just suppose that humans were actually real. And you had proof of it. What would you do?"
"I..." Lyra paused. "I'm not sure."
"You seem so fixated on finding proof that they existed, but either way, it's obvious that there aren't any of them around now," Twilight said. "If there ever were. I'm also trying to understand why Princess Celestia wouldn't want ponies to know about them. According to your theory. There's nothing here that seems objectionable."
There was certainly something that Luna doesn't like about them, Lyra thought. I'd consider that proof.
But, all that aside... what exactly had drawn Lyra to humans in the first place? It was something that was hard to put into words.
"I guess that's what I'd like to know, too. There's so little information on humans, but I just know there's more to them that we don't understand," Lyra said. And even though she knew it was unlikely, she added, softly, "And if there was any chance that they weren't gone, somehow..."
At night when Lyra would suddenly find herself in a human world, one that felt so real but didn't always line up with what the books said, it really felt like humans might not be so far away.
Maybe it was time to put aside the books and test out some more of her theories. |
Anthropology | Property Damage | Applejack had set up her stand in the center of town. Now that winter had been wrapped up for the year, she was happy to be back to growing and selling apples. Her first customer for the day was already here.
"Howdy, Bon-Bon. What can I do ya for?" Applejack asked.
"Oh, just the usual. I'll just take..." Bon-Bon looked over the bushels sitting around the apple cart. "A dozen should be fine."
"Alrighty then." Applejack started inspecting some apples and started picking out the best ones to fill up a bag. "How've you been lately? Haven't seen you for a while."
"I've been quite alright," Bon-Bon said. "It's just that... well, it took Lyra and I quite a while to finish all those apples, and then she was saying that if she ever saw another slice of apple pie she'd probably be sick, and I have to admit that I was running out of recipes that could be made with apples..."
Applejack nodded. "Apple Bloom won't be handling sales anymore."
"It's for the best," Bon-Bon said solemnly.
"Anyways, how's business at Sugarcube Corner? Pinkie Pie ain't gettin' to you, I hope," Applejack said, smiling.
"Pinkie's quite manageable. I'm sure you know my roommate. I'm used to occasional strangeness."
Applejack helped load the apples into Bon-Bon's saddlebag. "That reminds me. I just talked to Lyra this morning. Any idea what she's up to?"
"She left early today. I thought she'd be playing another concert in the park." Bon-Bon tilted her head in confusion. "What did she talk to you about?"
"She was just asking if she could borrow one of our carts for the day. I can't imagine what for, but we've got a few of 'em," Applejack said. "I figured we could spare one."
"One of your carts?" Bon-Bon said, frowning. "Why would she need one of those?"
"No idea," Applejack said with a shrug.
"The Gala's in a week. What is she up to?" Bon-Bon sighed. "But you know what they say about these artistic ponies. They can be a tad... eccentric."
"I'm sure it was nothing to be worried about," Applejack said. "But anyhow, enjoy your apples, Bon-Bon!"
"Thank you," Bon-Bon said.
There was a low rumble in the distance, followed by the sounds of ponies screaming and gasping in shock. Applejack was squinting at something down the street, and only had time to mutter, "What in tarnation?" Then something wooshed past, just a blur going through the streets of Ponyville with speed to rival the Wonderbolts.
"Hey, Bon-Bon!" It was Lyra's voice, but it quickly cut off as she zoomed past.
Bon-Bon didn't want to look at what had just hurtled through town, but she slowly turned around and stared down the street. There was an apple cart quickly fading into the distance.
Applejack's hat had blown off her head. She picked it up, shaking the dust off before putting it back on. Her eyes were wide in disbelief. "Uh, was that..."
"What did she do now?" Bon-Bon said, in a voice that was almost a whisper.
"More importantly, what the hay was pulling that cart?" Applejack said.
Twilight nearly ran straight into them at a full gallop, and quickly skidded to a halt. She glanced at the two of them. "Hey, girls. Do you have any idea what that was?" Her head turned to watch it, now just a brown dot in the distance.
Suddenly Rainbow Dash had shown up as well, flying a few feet over their heads. "Did you guys see that? Where'd it go? What was it?" she said, gaining some altitude trying to see where it had gone.
"I think it's my roommate..." Bon-Bon said. Her voice still quavered in shock.
"What? How?" Rainbow Dash said, taking another glance down the street.
"That was Lyra?" Twilight said. "I don't understand! What's she doing?"
"I think it's best if we stop talking and do something before somepony gets hurt," Applejack said.
Dash gave a quick nod. "I'm on it!"
She was gone in a blur, chasing after the cart. She was accelerating as fast as she could as she flew down the street, but was still just barely catching up. There was a lot of distance to clear. Pumping her wings harder, she managed to match the speed of the vehicle and fly right alongside the driver.
"Oh, hey, Rainbow Dash," Lyra said, glancing over to her and then fixing her eyes back up front. She was sitting at the front of the cart, her shirt flapping in the wind as they sped through town.
"Lyra? What're you doing?" Dash watched her, frowning.
The last few houses in Ponyville whisked past and now they were headed out of town. Lyra's horn glowed for a moment and they just barely swerved around a tree and then continued hurtling down the road. Rainbow Dash veered to the other side, then flew back alongside the cart.
"It's an experiment. I'm... Well, it would take too long to explain," Lyra said. "And I don't think we have that much time."
Rainbow Dash looked ahead and noticed the ravine they were headed for.
"Can't you stop it?" she asked.
"It took me a while to get this thing up to speed. Braking is much harder, it turns out," Lyra said matter-of-factly. "Steering's nearly impossible."
"You're headed for a cliff."
"I noticed."
With seconds to spare, Rainbow Dash grabbed Lyra with just her front hooves, lifting her off of the cart with a jerk. She was only able to support her weight for a few seconds. The cart sped past under them and they both collapsed to the ground, trying to catch their breath.
The cart zoomed over the edge and vanished from sight. There was the sound of smashing wood on the rocks below.
"There they are!" It was Twilight's voice.
Twilight and Applejack galloped over to them. Bon-Bon followed close behind at a quick trot. Lyra, putting a hoof to the side of her head, was struggling to stand up straight. Her legs wobbled, and she leaned to one side and fell over completely.
"Lyra, what in Equestria are you doing?" Bon-Bon demanded.
With some effort, Lyra managed to pull herself up off the ground. She shook her head. "I know it seems weird. But hear me out on this," Lyra said, raising a hoof. "Oh, and Applejack, sorry about the cart."
"H-How...?" Applejack managed to force out. She was staring down into the canyon in disbelief.
They could see the splintered remains of the cart. One wheel still spun around on its axle, sticking straight up into the air. Another rolled along the ground and fell over. Lyra grinned sheepishly.
"Come-to-life spells are extremely advanced. You really shouldn't attempt them on something so large without proper practice. Even I can't quite manage to control them," Twilight said.
"I had a good reason for this!" Lyra said.
"What, exactly?" Applejack said, raising an eyebrow.
"Um... You see..." Lyra took a deep breath. "Humans have carriages that move on their own. They actually don't look like these ones, they're made of something different, but I had to use the closest thing I could find."
"That's what this is about?" Bon-Bon said. She put a hoof to her forehead in exasperation. "Humans again?"
"Lyra, I've read all the books. Humans aren't supposed to be able to do magic, and they could certainly never manage anything that advanced," Twilight said. "Where would you even get that kind of idea?"
Lyra hesitated. "It's... well... I dreamed it." Her voice was very quiet.
"All of this. It was all just a dream?" Twilight's voice was flat.
"Well, yeah. I see humans in my dreams all the time. It doesn't always match what's in the books, but... these things all make sense to me," Lyra insisted.
"We can hardly consider dreams to be a valid source for research," Twilight said. "Especially when the very existence of humans is questionable at best."
"Just look at this logically. Humans don't pull carts, we can tell that by looking at them, but what if they need to travel long distances? How would they get around? What if they had to transport some kind of large cargo, like furniture or something?" Lyra said, her voice rising in intensity with each question.
"I guess that almost makes sense, but - "
"Twilight, don't tell me you believe her," Bon-Bon said.
"I really can't make any conclusions about humans with what little information we have. But I don't think that this can be included in our final report," Twilight said. She looked at the remains of the cart. "Lyra even admits that there's no record of anything like this. While this would have been beneficial to humans, it is far beyond what their abilities were said to be."
Lyra stared at the ground. "I've never been able to understand how things like that work, either. That's why I needed to test it."
"If humans had really had something like that, wouldn't we still be using them?" Twilight said.
"Probably. I don't know," Lyra said.
Bon-Bon stared at Twilight. "You said you didn't think humans were real."
"Well, no," Twilight replied. "But even considering the accepted mythology, this doesn't make any sense." Her eyes widened. "That reminds me, I need to fill out a report to the Princess on my progress. Not that I've made much..."
"Maybe we should go too," Bon-Bon said, shooting Lyra a look.
Lyra turned to Applejack. "It's fine. I'll pay you back."
She hurried along after Bon-Bon without another word, glad to be away from that mess.
Once they returned home, Bon-Bon turned to her roommate.
"Lyra, I know that I've been saying this before, but I really mean it this time. All of this business about humans needs to stop," Bon-Bon said. "I've put up with those... hands, I didn't even say anything when you started wearing clothes, but this? You could have killed yourself out there!"
"It was my first experiment with this technology. Mistakes happen," Lyra said.
"Your first - ? No, please tell me you're not doing anything like that again. You completely destroyed Applejack's cart, all because of some theory that doesn't even make any sense - "
"I know what I've seen," Lyra said. "If you knew what my dreams were like, you'd understand. If I figure out how humans worked these carriages, imagine how much Equestria would change!"
"Humans aren't real!" Bon-Bon yelled. Lyra shrank back. Lowering her tone of voice, Bon-Bon continued, "You're too old to believe in these stories. Just listen to Twilight. Listen to your own parents, for Celestia's sake."
"None of them understand what's going on here. I know humans are real," Lyra said.
"But all of these things you've been doing... You're a unicorn! Nothing's going to change that. You're not a human."
"I never said I was."
Bon-Bon took a deep breath. "Lyra, I didn't want to have to say this, but... If you keep doing these experiments, or whatever it is you call them, I..." She hesitated. "I really don't want to have to force you to move out, but..."
Lyra stared at her, completely taken aback. "You'd... seriously do that?"
Bon-Bon nodded slowly.
"But..."
"I'm worried about you, Lyra. I was willing to let it go and say it was harmless before, but this... This is just too much. You could have hurt somepony with that thing."
There was nothing else to say. "Fine." With a sigh, Lyra turned and headed to her room.
Closing the door behind her, she collapsed on the bed and rolled over to stare at the ceiling.
It was so frustrating. All she needed was a solid piece of proof. Maybe all she had were only theories, separate pieces of evidence pointing to the fact that something had existed and created this society before ponies had come along.
But they seemed so close in her dreams.
She looked over and saw her journal by the nightstand. The night before she'd woken up again and had those images in her head. She flipped back to the last page and stared at what she'd drawn.
She'd managed to get most of the details before she'd forgotten them. It really had very little in common with a wooden apple cart, but that was the closest thing she had. These human vehicles were made out of something else... possibly metal, based on the appearance? There were glass windows all around the sides. Passengers and drivers would sit inside. And the wheels were fatter and not made of wood. They'd been moving in the dream so she hadn't gotten a very good look at them.
The real problem was propulsion. She'd been using magic, same as what powered anything in Equestria. The books all said that humans couldn't use magic... but how else would these carriages work? She'd seen them moving around at impossible speeds without anything pulling them.
Twilight didn't believe in Lyra's dreams, but she'd never experienced them. They weren't normal dreams. Everything was extraordinarily detailed. Lyra often saw things that were never described in the books, but there was no way she'd be able to imagine all these things on her own.
And yet, Twilight did have a good point... If humans had built those things, what had happened to them, and why didn't ponies use them now?
She set her journal down on the dresser, on top of a cluttered mess of sheet music for the Grand Galloping Gala. That reminded her, she only had a week left. She picked up a copy of one of the waltzes and scanned the lines of music, hearing it in her head as her eyes moved along the page.
Fine. Maybe she'd give it a rest for a while. Do some last-minute practicing for the Gala, even though that was hardly necessary. Bon-Bon was upset and any further research right now would just make that worse.
Lyra was tired. She just wanted straight answers, but would she ever get them? Just anything that would make Bon-Bon see things her way.
She turned out the lights, and tried to tune out her thoughts and get some sleep.
A cab had just pulled up in front of the house. Bon-Bon was the first one to see it through the window.
"Lyra, are you ready? Your carriage is here," she called.
"On my way!" The response came from down the hall.
Lyra did a quick sweep of her bedroom, gathering up everything she needed. There was sheet music, both loose and bound into books, scattered all throughout the room on her desk, nightstand, and bed. She used her magic to scoop it all up hastily. Everything on her dresser was piled into a jumbled heap, which she compacted as much as she could, and she dashed out the door without another thought.
Lyra was running as fast as she could in her dress, trying not to trip over the fabric. She was much more used to pants. This was too wide and hard to move in. She paused in the front room.
"Good luck out there," Bon-Bon said. "Do you think you'll be back tonight?"
"Dunno." Lyra shrugged. "My parents sent a letter. They said they wanted me to visit after I'm done, which'll be late, but I'll try to make it back as soon as I can."
She checked over all of her things - her lyre case, the books of sheet music... That should be it. They all floated along above her head as she trotted out the door.
Lyra stepped up to the door of the carriage. She opened it, and started setting down her things inside. Bon-Bon followed her outside and walked around to the front of the vehicle.
"Everything alright?" The driver had noticed the expression of worry on Bon-Bon's face.
"Oh, it's fine. Just wanted to make sure you were driving," Bon-Bon said. She got a quizzical look in response. "Um... it's a long story." She hung her head.
"Don't worry about that, ma'am," the stallion replied. "I make the trip between Ponyville and Canterlot all the time. Everything will be fine."
"Yes, of course..." Bon-Bon gave a short laugh. "I'm sure it will be."
Maybe she worried about Lyra too much. Her... quirks... had gotten more severe in the past few months, without a doubt. But what was the worst thing that could happen at the Grand Galloping Gala? This would be nothing but a step in the right direction for Lyra. Perhaps she'd eventually find a permanent career with an orchestra and get some steady income.
"Alright, I'm ready," Lyra said, coming around from the side. She looked at Bon-Bon, then to the driver. "Let's get going."
"Goodbye, Lyra," Bon-Bon said. "Do your best."
"I'll see you tomorrow, at the latest." She pointed a hoof for emphasis. "Bye!"
Lyra stepped up into the carriage. She sat on the cushioned bench inside, but her dress made it odd and uncomfortable to sit the usual way. She'd have to sit like a normal pony while she was performing, anyway. Just like Bon-Bon and Rarity had both told her.
She watched as Bon-Bon and their house grew smaller as the carriage pulled away. Canterlot was probably an hour or so away. She settled back for the ride. |
Anthropology | The Canterlot Conspiracy | The carriage slowed down and pulled up in front of the castle gates. Staring out the window, Lyra took a deep breath.
She was expected here. The invitation had come months before Twilight had showed up at her house, before she'd asked Princess Luna about humans, before any suspicion could be placed on her at all.
But it was still dangerous.
Lyra opened the door and stepped down from the carriage. Her gold shoes clicked against the paved stones of the path. She glanced up at her lyre case and books floating down out of the carriage, and pulled them down closer to her.
"Good luck, ma'am," the stallion pulling her carriage said.
"Thank you," she said absently.
She heard the wheels rolling along the path as the carriage pulled away. Lyra hesitated in front of the castle gates. Things were a bit eerie right now when she was the only one here.
It was still light out. The musicians were expected to arrive early. It wasn't much different from any other performance, really. Lyra tried to convince herself of that, but somehow she knew that something was about to happen tonight. Princess Celestia probably knew what Lyra had been up to... But would she do anything about it at this public event?
The path leading up to the castle was long, but right now it was empty. No guards. That was good.
She walked into the entrance hall. A long red carpet led down the center. Lyra glanced around and found the ballroom - her post for the night. The other band members were already setting up inside. The stage was right in front of some abstract-patterned stained glass windows. Quite a venue.
Walking up to the stage, Lyra took her place next to a elegant-looking grey earth pony in the process of tuning her cello. There was also another mare with a huge brass instrument - a sousaphone, Lyra thought - and a stallion at a piano.
Just give me ten fingers and I bet I could play that even better than he can, Lyra thought.
A music stand was there by itself, waiting for her, so she stacked her sheet music on it. Then she set down the case for her instrument, clicked it open, and took it out.
"Hey. You ready?" Lyra asked the pony next to her. "I'm Lyra, by the way."
"Octavia." She'd barely turned to look at the newcomer and was back to adjusting her strings. Apparently satisfied, she stood up on her back legs and played a long, drawn-out note to listen to the tone.
Lyra stared at her, mouth hanging open. "So... you always stand up like that when you play? How?"
"Years of practice," Octavia replied.
"It must be hard to keep your balance," Lyra said. She thought maybe she could put more effort into learning that pose herself.
"One learns to maintain posture, even for extended periods."
Lyra turned back to her own instrument. She'd always taken care of her lyre, ever since her parents had bought it for her when she was a filly. The gold frame still shined in the last of the daylight filtering in through the window, and the strings... She plucked one with her magic, frowned, tightened the string, and tried again. There it was.
The ballroom was all decorated for the party. Tables had been spread out, and waiters dressed in suits were arranging the food on the main buffet. The Gala ran until midnight. Lyra would be in here for hours... It might be good to grab some food while she still had a chance.
It was typical prissy formal-event fare. Tiny sandwiches that weren't meant to fill you up, little cubes of expensive cheeses. Some floral arrangements were in the center. Lyra took a glass of punch. Maybe she'd need it if she wanted to make it through the night.
Heading back up to the stage, she finished tuning her lyre and waited for the guests to arrive.
The sun was setting, and the colorful light streaming down on the stage was fading away. Lyra tried to settle on a more pony-like method of sitting that she could hold for the entire night. It wasn't easy.
The earth pony playing the sousaphone turned to Lyra. "That's a very nice dress."
"Thanks!" She remembered what she'd been told to say. "It's an original Rarity design."
"Rarity?" the pony said, tilting her head.
"Certainly not Prince Blueblood's... disastrous... date from last year, I'm certain," Octavia said, raising an eyebrow.
"Nope. Different Rarity," Lyra said, shifting her eyes. She stared off in the other direction towards the door.
"Oh, yes. I wasn't sure whether I wanted to return after that," the stallion at the piano turned to join the conversation. "Nadermane certainly didn't. Though I'm sure our friend Lyra here will fill in for him just fine." He nodded towards her.
A chime sounded from up in the tower, tolling out the hour.
"It appears the party is starting," Octavia said. "On my count."
As the first few guests arrived, the band started into the first piece, a slow-moving sonata that lasted a full fifteen minutes. Lyra was already bored.
Canterlot had always made Lyra feel alienated from other ponies. Nobody here cared about anything interesting or important, just fashion and high society and the most boring of all the boring classical music that had ever been written. Why had she taken this gig?
Right. So that she could advance her career. Towards even more boring parties and concerts.
And now the song was coming to an end, and they started into yet another song, and another one, for the next two endless hours.
Lyra was nodding off. She fought to stay alert, her mind going through each song she was playing without really thinking about it. After practicing a song so much, it got to be an unconscious action. It usually didn't even take her much practice to master a piece anyway. She'd always been a fast learner. A prodigy. Whatever.
The night was a blur of ponies dancing, talking, entering and leaving the ballroom from the gardens outside. It was hard to imagine she'd actually been nervous when she arrived. Absolutely nothing was going to happen tonight, if it ever ended.
She played the coda of one song, and the other musicians seemed to be preparing to finish up for the intermission. The only intermission of the entire evening. But then they started into another waltz, and Lyra lifted up her instrument again to play.
Finally the waltz came to an end. There would be a brief break - about ten minutes, but it was something - before they continued with the rest of the music. She set down her lyre and gratefully stepped off the stage to stretch her legs for a bit.
"Excuse me. Which one of you would be Heartstrings?" One of the servers, a white unicorn dressed in a tuxedo jacket, had walked up to the stage and was speaking to the band.
Lyra turned back around. "That'd be me." She was surprised to hear that name being used.
"Ah, yes. The Princess has requested an audience with you after the conclusion of tonight's festivities," he said.
Lyra's eyes widened. "What? Princess... Celestia?"
The server nodded. "She will be expecting you just after midnight." Without another word, he walked away.
That had certainly been a wakeup call. Lyra's mind was reeling with questions now. There was no way this had anything to do with the Gala. She was just a musician here, nothing special. Other plots were at work here. She'd been right. Princess Celestia was undoubtedly at the top of the entire conspiracy.
"The Princess wants to speak with you?" Octavia said. Her mouth hung open.
Lyra gave a nervous grin. "What can I say? I must be a very important pony."
She quickly trotted off into the crowd, her head bent down. The voices in the ballroom all blended together. A stallion somewhere raised his voice for the punchline of a joke, followed by a burst of polite laughter from one corner. Lyra glanced over to the side and recognized Spitfire, one of the Wonderbolts, talking to a fan. Everything seemed so ordinary. None of these ponies knew what was really going on.
The complimentary buffet was just up ahead. She got another glass of punch and downed it.
"You're with the band up there?" asked a pegasus with her mane done up in an elaborate curly style.
Lyra was caught off guard. "Y-yep, that's me..." She had to calm down, pull herself together. No reason to suspect everybody.
"Simply smashing work. I quite enjoy a good concerto."
"Thanks." Lyra nodded, finishing a second glass of punch without realizing she'd picked it up, and hurried off, almost tripping over the tail of her gown as she turned.
It was easy to get lost in the crowd. Maybe she could slip out unnoticed. Not until the end of the Gala, though. They'd definitely notice if their musical quartet was suddenly a trio. But after tonight, then what? How could she hide from the Princess of Equestria herself?
Through the archway she could see her. Princess Celestia - right there, personally welcoming each pony in a line of guests, smiling and offering polite greetings. So close. What was going to happen tonight?
Lyra had to prepare for the worst. Luna had reacted strongly to a mention of humans. Celestia had commissioned that report from Twilight, but what did that mean? One thing was sure - if Celestia was asking for her specifically, then she knew.
Watching her from a distance, Lyra examined her fancy mannerisms. She would say something to each pony she greeted, just a few words, though Lyra couldn't catch them, then - as a pair of guests stepped away after greeting her - Celestia's head turned towards her, and she briefly met Lyra's eyes.
She froze. It had only lasted a second, but she'd definitely been watching her. She quickly dashed off, weaving through the crowd, heading towards the stage to rejoin the other musicians.
Just a few more hours remaining. Octavia was giving her a strange look, no doubt jealous that Lyra had been invited to such an honor.
Lyra sifted through her music, trying to find the next piece. Something fell out of the stack of books. It wasn't one of the Gala pieces, though, it was...
No. How had she managed to pick up her journal? She was stuck at the Gala, the Princess knew she was here, she knew what she was doing, and on top of everything else she'd brought all of her incriminating research.
What else could she do? Lyra slid her journal in the middle of the books of sheet music she'd already played. It was easy enough to miss. She'd definitely not been able to notice it. Hopefully she'd be able to get it out without anyone noticing.
The stallion at the piano started an intro, and they began playing another piece.
Here, at one of the biggest social events in Canterlot. In all of Equestria, even! Princess Celestia would actually choose to confront Lyra here? Then again, she was the supreme ruler. Couldn't she get away with anything if she wanted? And if Lyra happened to already be here as a musician, that was the perfect excuse.
The lyre began to play out of rhythm with the rest of the band. She'd gotten at least three measures ahead of everyone else, and Octavia shot her a look. Lyra quickly caught herself. She had to focus. The situation had become that more intense. She couldn't let her thoughts influence her magic.
Lyra did her best to concentrate on the music in front of her. She'd practiced these songs hundreds of times. It was no challenge to play them. One note at a time, staying in time with her other band members. She was a professional.
How was she supposed to focus on this boring classical music when she'd essentially just been told that the government really had been spying on her?
Her perception of time grew hazy. Had she been playing for five minutes, or for five hours? Lyra honestly couldn't tell. Her horn glowed, the next song was there, and the lyre continued to play.
Another hour passed... or it seemed like it had been an hour, Lyra couldn't tell. She glanced up from the music for a moment to check on the crowd. What time was it now? Was it just her, or was the ballroom starting to empty out?
No, the party was definitely coming to a close. By the end of the next song, practically everybody had left. Her chances of getting away had dropped to zero.
She turned another page of sheet music over. There was nothing but the shiny brass music stand behind it. This was the final song of the evening.
After it came to a close, there were still just a few scattered circles of ponies talking to one another. The silence was sudden and unnerving. Octavia had started putting away her cello, the stallion had stood up from the piano.
A female voice spoke to her from the side of the stage. "Heartstrings?"
"I prefer Lyra," she said automatically, and then glanced over to see Princess Celestia speaking to her. Her eyes went wide.
"Oh, of course. My mistake." The Princess smiled at her.
Lyra was feeling dizzy. What was she supposed to do now? Did she even have a choice other than to go along with it?
"Perhaps you would like to join me in private," Celestia said. "I have some important business to go over with you."
"Y-yes..." Lyra said. She nodded. "Of course."
Her head turned towards her instrument case, the sheet music (with her journal hidden in the middle, she realized).
"You can leave your things for now," the Princess said. "Shall we go, then?"
Lyra nodded silently. Her stomach was doing backflips. It was a good thing she hadn't eaten anything.
She followed Celestia out of the ballroom. Her legs were shaking as she walked, and probably not because of all the punch. They climbed the stairs, and continued through the hallways of the castle. The silence here after the bustle of the Gala was extremely unnerving.
Lyra and Celestia continued through the castle up to the throne room. Stained glass windows flanked the long hall. The last time Lyra had been here was when it was publicly open for the Hearth's Warming Eve pageant. The huge room was completely empty now.
Celestia spoke to a guard posted at the door. "You may leave us. Wait outside."
"Yes, Your Majesty." He promptly left, and the doors closed.
They were alone now. Lyra's heart was pounding. In the quiet room, she could almost hear it.
Celestia finally spoke. "This was your first Gala, wasn't it? Even after a thousand years, these always seem to drag on forever." She smiled.
"Y-yes..." Lyra stammered.
"It's a shame that Twilight and her friends couldn't make it, but we couldn't exactly have a repeat performance of that." The Princess laughed softly. "So how was your night?"
"Pretty boring, actually." Lyra stared at her in confusion. This wasn't at all what she'd expected.
"Ah, yes. I'd have to agree." Celestia nodded. "It never gets any better, no matter how many we have."
"So, uh... what's this about?" Lyra frowned. "Why did you call me up here?"
"I suppose I should get to the point, shouldn't I?" Celestia said. "Twilight told me you've been helping her with her research project. I must say, I was surprised to see your name in her report."
"Oh... right," Lyra said. This was about humans, then. Her fears were confirmed. It was probably useless to deny anything at this point, but what else could she do? "Oh, but, uh... We went over everything we found, and it looks like humans don't really exist at all." She forced a grin, even though the words were hard for her to say.
"Is that so?" Celestia raised an eyebrow.
Lyra hesitated. "Of course."
"Just a complex series of myths and legends, invented by ponies long ago, with absolutely no basis in fact," the Princess said. Lyra could almost hear her parents saying the same thing.
"Absolutely." Lyra gritted her teeth.
Celestia's expression became more serious. "Yes, from what I've heard, you found quite a lot of information," she said. "In recent years, it's become obvious that humans won't be able to stay forgotten."
She couldn't take it anymore. "Don't lie to me! I know that humans exist!" Lyra's outburst echoed in the large, empty hall. It was only then that she realized... "W-wait... are you saying... Oh."
Celestia paused. She stood there, facing away from Lyra, and was silent for what seemed like an eternity. Lyra took a step back nervously, though somehow she wasn't feeling threatened anymore.
"I've... been hesitant to even talk about humans," Celestia said finally. "In recent years they've started to press on my mind once again. And just a few months ago, my sister came back from her visit to Ponyville claiming that somepony still remembered them."
Lyra was really regretting opening her mouth now.
"Unfortunately, my sister wasn't able to describe who had asked her about them. Apparently they were entirely hidden by their costume," Celestia said. She turned around, and had a slight smile. "That's Nightmare Night, though."
"Y-yeah..." Lyra said, nodding.
Celestia continued. "I realized then that I had neglected to tell her of the recent developments, since it happened only shortly before she returned to Equestria... Our relationship with humans has become more complicated than my sister realized. But the truth is, Lyra, humans did exist once in the world we now call Equestria."
Lyra's mouth was hanging open. "You're... just going to tell me?" She'd honestly been expecting more difficulty than this. The Princess was being amazingly open about it all, and far more calm than Luna had been. "I've been studying them all my life. Everybody just says they're made up, though. Why doesn't anybody remember them?" Then she fully comprehended what Celestia had said. "Recent developments?"
They began to walk slowly down the length of the room. "Well, relatively speaking, recent... But it's best to start at the beginning. For well over a thousand years, there were no humans left in Equestria. I myself was very young when humans were still alive. But after what happened to them... my sister and I devoted ourselves to wiping away every trace that they ever existed. Gradually ponies have forgotten what humans even were. Those who did thought they were made up."
"Why would you do that? I've done research. We owe nearly everything to humans," Lyra said. "Our entire civilization is based on what they created."
"That is true..." Celestia said. "What humans lacked in magic power, they made up for with their intelligence. Ponies all have innate magic power. Not just unicorns, but the earth ponies have their connection to the land, and pegasi can regulate our weather. Humans, on the other hand, have only their minds. They invented their own solutions to make up for what they lack. We still use some of what they made; those tools are that useful. Ponyville looks almost exactly like a human village would have, all those years ago. But then..."
Lyra quickened her pace to get even closer. "What happened to them?"
Celestia walked over to one of the stained glass windows. The image of a draconequus, nearly the entire height of the window and the room itself, was etched there. "As ambitious as they were, humans were also naturally prone to conflict and disorder."
Discord... Just last year he had reawakened. Everyone in Ponyville remembered it. He was the spirit of chaos. Most of what had actually happened while he was out was just a confused blur, but Lyra remembered the chocolate milk rain, buildings turning themselves over upside down, and ponies suddenly turning against their best friends.
"Even the smallest differences between humans could lead them to fight amongst each other," Celestia said. She stared up at the unmoving face, the yellow eyes, the twisted body composed of so many unmatching parts. "When Discord came to power, he escalated what tension already existed. The disharmony between humans gave him even greater power."
"I-I've never read anything about humans fighting each other," Lyra said. She tore her eyes away from the window to look up at Celestia. "This never even came up in any of the books."
"This is exactly what Luna and I wanted to hide. The wars between humans became increasingly brutal. They began inventing new weapons, rather than tools of creation. Eventually..." Celestia closed her eyes. "No civilization can survive for long when it devotes itself to destruction."
The words hit Lyra hard. She couldn't even imagine it. Humans... They'd destroyed themselves? How could any kind of creature even do that?
"It's all Discord's fault, though, right?" Lyra said, finally breaking the long silence. Celestia looked down at her. "Humans couldn't have done that on their own. They wouldn't."
"They were already vulnerable," Celestia replied. "I know this must come as a shock to you, but you must understand."
A shock? That was a bit of an understatement. Lyra could barely convince herself to accept it, even when she was being told these things by the Princess of Equestria herself. It didn't seem right.
"After humans had been wiped out, Discord's power was growing weaker. He'd driven them to such chaos that it had overwhelmed them, and with the humans gone he didn't have that source of power anymore." Celestia left the window and crossed the hall. "That was when my sister and I first used the Elements of Harmony. He was finally defeated and sealed away... although it was too late to save any humans."
Now they stood before one of the new windows. Twilight Sparkle and her friends were immortalized here, wielding the Elements of Harmony to defeat Nightmare Moon.
"Kindness, laughter, generosity, honesty, and loyalty. Those are what Equestria was founded on." They both gazed up at the window. "Luna and I created a new society based on harmony and friendship, so that what happened to humans would never happen again."
Lyra was staring at the floor. This seemed to go against everything she had ever thought about humans.
It was all a mistake, Lyra told herself. That's not what they really were.
"You said you tried to destroy all the records. I found books about humans in the Canterlot library when I was a filly," she said. "They never mentioned anything about the war, but..."
"There could be nothing remaining of war in Equestria. That much was certain. We tried to find every remaining trace of humans, but... They were very widespread. Not everything could be caught," Celestia said. "I'm surprised you were able to find anything remaining when you were so young... and right here in Canterlot, of all places. I suppose humans always were a persistent race."
Lyra didn't even know what to say anymore. "So our entire way of life... The entire reason we even have the Elements of Harmony, it's all to cover up... the war?"
"Of course, it's hard to understand just how important friendship is unless you've seen its absence," Celestia said. "We couldn't let any of the truth be told, but ponies had to know. That's why we came up with the Hearth's Warming Eve play. It's nothing compared to what really happened to humans, but it serves as a warning."
"So that play really is made up."
"Chancellor Puddinghead was my own creation. I'm particularly proud of him," Celestia said. "I hear Pinkie Pie did an excellent portrayal this year."
Maybe it was just the fact that she'd spent the entire night playing music at a boring party, but Lyra was feeling drained. "You've worked so hard to keep this a secret. Why are you telling me?" She stared out one of the clear glass panes over the dark castle grounds with their stone statues, and the hedge maze extending to the horizon.
"Your... parents... spoke with me not too long ago. They were concerned," Celestia said. "They said that you'd found out about humans, that you'd continued to study them all your life."
"My parents talked to you? Why would they... No, they wouldn't..." Lyra laughed nervously, and shook her head. "My parents hate humans. They've always tried to keep me away from all of this."
"I wouldn't say they 'hate' humans," Celestia said. "Like most ponies, they'd never heard of humans before. That was... until what happened. About fifteen years ago if I remember correctly." She paused. "It was just a few months ago that they spoke with me, and we agreed that you needed to be told. Please, you must understand why we ponies have taken such measures to distance ourselves from humans..."
"Huh?" Lyra said.
Celestia hesitated.
"When Cirrus and Dewey Decimal found you as a baby, and brought you to me, they had no idea what you were. I myself wasn't sure how it was possible. All we knew for sure is... you weren't born here in Equestria, Lyra." |
Anthropology | Lyra | It was probably about two in the morning. The streets of Canterlot were empty. Lyra knew she wouldn't be catching a train back to Ponyville tonight like she'd planned, but even if she could, she still had to go back to her parents' house. She had some things to talk to them about.
It was still hard not to think of them as her parents.
They'd sent that letter asking her to visit. It hadn't seemed strange at the time. But they'd known. All this time...
"It's been too long now. No magic, no cutie mark. What if it's all because she's - "
Honestly, Lyra hadn't been surprised to hear that humans were extinct. It was just how it had happened that she hadn't expected. But the whole idea that there was another world out there, and that she was actually...
"'A normal unicorn,'" Lyra muttered to herself. "All this time, they kept telling me to act like 'a normal unicorn.'"
She'd arrived at her house. She stepped up to the door, raised a hoof hesitantly, and knocked. Waiting there nervously, Lyra glanced around at the other houses with their darkened windows. She heard hoofsteps coming up and finally the door opened.
"Heartstrings?" Cirrus said. "I wondered if you'd come by after that Gala. How was your night?"
The Gala? Lyra had practically forgotten any of that had happened. "Uh... Mom, if you don't mind... I'd just like to go by Lyra now. I mean... Heartstrings is a pony name..."
The look of realization in Cirrus' eyes said that she knew exactly what Lyra meant. "You spoke to the Princess."
"Yeah."
Cirrus sighed. "Come inside, then."
Lyra followed her into the living room and set down her instrument case and books. It had been some time since she last visited, but not much had changed. Cirrus headed upstairs to find Dewey. Lyra glanced around her childhood home as she waited. A few photos of her parents, taken shortly after they'd met, were hung on the walls. And there were some pictures of Lyra as well, when she'd been a filly. She now realized that she'd never seen a picture of herself as a baby.
Her parents came back and sat down. They stared at her across the coffee table, not sure where to start. The only sound was the ticking of the clock in the hallway.
Cirrus finally broke the uncomfortable silence with a sigh. "The Princess told us she'd be speaking to you. She could explain what she did better than anypony."
"It was starting to seem like it was inevitable. We knew we couldn't hide it from you forever," Dewey added.
"No matter what you are, we still consider you our daughter."
"The only reason we tried to keep you away from all those stories about humans was to protect you. If you ever found out the truth - "
Lyra interrupted them. "Listen... I'm not mad at you," she said. "I completely understand why ponies would be afraid of us. Humans, I mean. And I really appreciate that you took care of me. I know how much of a risk it that must have been."
"We're not afraid of you, Heartstrings," Cirrus said, frowning.
"I'm just Lyra now," she said. "Princess Celestia told me just about everything, but... where did I really come from?"
Her father - she still couldn't help calling him that - exchanged a glance with his wife. "We were just taking a stroll through the castle gardens together. The first thing we noticed was... well, furniture, scattered all over the garden. Naturally we didn't know what was going on. We found you in a crib, but... you weren't a pony. We weren't sure what you were."
"The only thing we knew was that you were alone. Taking you to the Princess seemed like the best idea. The whole situation was strange, to say the least," Cirrus said. "The royal guards looked over everything in the gardens and couldn't figure it out either. So they let us in to see the Princess, and, well... She told us the same things she explained to you."
"About... what humans are," Lyra said. "And what we did."
"But the Princess says you aren't from Equestria. She wasn't sure exactly where, though," Dewey said. "Based on how scattered everything they found was, it seemed like an accident, whatever happened. And besides, you were only a baby. It would have been wrong to abandon you just because of what your kind did thousands of years before you were born. Still, other ponies might not understand, so..."
"Turning you into a pony was the best option for any of us. Especially you," Cirrus said. "Princess Celestia said that humans were supposed to be extinct. She didn't know where you'd come from, so she couldn't send you back. Besides... we'd never been able to have a daughter of our own, and as long as you needed somepony to take care of you..."
Lyra stared at the floor. "Who else knows about this?"
"Just us. And the Princesses. Nopony else," Dewey said.
Lyra nodded. "So Twilight never was part of this." Her own parents had been the last ones she would have expected to be part of any conspiracy.
"Princess Celestia told us she had no intention of telling Twilight about humans. We'd been worried ever since she showed up at your house, but there was nothing to it," Cirrus said.
"So you've been talking to the Princess all this time?" Lyra said.
"We had to. No human has ever been turned into a pony before. We had to let her know how you were doing - that you had finally learned to use magic, that you seemed to be growing up like any other pony, when you... found those books about your species..." Dewey's voice trailed off.
"I still think it would be better if we hadn't told her," Cirrus said. "It's only going to make things difficult."
"This doesn't have to change anything," Dewey replied. He turned to Lyra. "But now that you know, you'll just have to keep this quiet when you go back to Ponyville. If anypony found out you were human, we're not sure what would happen," Dewey said. "Surely you must understand."
Princess Celestia had told her the same thing as she'd left. If she went back home, she wouldn't be allowed to tell anyone about this. Humans were better off forgotten. And now... it was hard enough before, but to hear Bon-Bon or Twilight say that humans were nonsense and know that she was one... Lyra wouldn't be able to bear that. But there had been a second option.
"That's the thing..." Lyra said. "I'm not going back to Ponyville."
Dewey blinked. "What do you mean? What about your roommate?"
She hesitated, knowing that they wouldn't be happy about this next part. "The Princess has been trying to find out where I came from, and she said that, if I wanted... She could send me back to my own world." She forced a smile, though she was already anticipating the reaction.
Once again there was a long and painful silence.
"Princess Celestia told us she had perfected the spell," Dewey said. "She's been studying the artifacts from your world. Those things from the gardens when you appeared."
Lyra had been told about those. The explanation of the magic Celestia had been using to trace the human world was far too complicated to understand, and combined with Lyra's current mental state, she couldn't remember any of it. All that mattered to her was that there was a chance that she could go back and live as a human.
"Heartstr - or, Lyra, I suppose..." Cirrus said. The pronunciation was strange to her. "You don't have to do this. Humans are dangerous. Didn't the Princess tell you about the war?"
"Not all humans are like that!" Lyra insisted. "I mean, I'm not like that... And there's so much more to us than that. All of the things we've invented to make life better. Ponies still use them. We're not just destructive, no matter what Celestia says. I know we're not." Her voice faltered.
"You've never even met another human," Cirrus said. "We raised you as if you were a pony. I don't even know what would have happened to you if you had stayed there."
"That's part of why I want to go. I'm supposed to be there." Lyra stared down at the floor - at her hooves. She hadn't been born with those. "Besides, the war was caused by Discord, and it was in Equestria. The humans where I come from might be... different." She lifted her eyes just slightly.
Cirrus was about to raise another protest, but Dewey lifted a hoof and cut her off. "This is Lyra's decision." It was as if he was trying to convince himself as well.
"Princess Celestia told me all about the risks, but I need to know the truth about humans," Lyra said. "I know we can't be as bad as ponies think."
"You're not thinking straight," Cirrus said. "You're tired. You'll feel differently in the morning."
Dewey nodded. "Perhaps you should sleep on it."
Lyra shook her head. "Ever since I found out about humans, I've wanted to know more about them... Or, really, I guess I've wanted to be one. This is what I want."
"You never should have let her keep those books," Cirrus muttered.
"By the time I found her with them, it was too late," Dewey replied. "I didn't think she'd take any of it so seriously."
Lyra looked at her father, then back at her mother. "I need to at least try." She paused. "I'm sorry."
"Maybe we all need to talk about this in the morning," Dewey said. "Whatever you decide, Lyra... Just make sure it's what you really want."
Lyra was on her bed in her childhood room. She'd taken off her dress and was trying to relax, but there was no chance she would get to sleep tonight. It was practically morning now anyway.
She should have felt happier about this. She'd always loved humans.
So her parents still thought humans were dangerous. Not only them, but Princess Celestia, too. Normally Lyra would have no trouble saying they were wrong, but she was still thinking about the war. What if it hadn't been Discord's fault?
No... That was ridiculous. Celestia had admitted she and Luna weren't able to defeat him right away. He just had more time to gain power, and he'd started with humans. He could have twisted ponies that much, if he'd wanted to. That's what he'd started to do last year.
The human world would be perfectly safe.
She picked up her journal off the nightstand and looked through it again. Her dreams had most likely been things from her own world, not from Equestria. It would explain why everything looked so different from the books.
Just how much would be the same? The dreams had been similar enough that she'd honestly thought they were the same place... That was the only thing that made sense. She was still having trouble with the concept of a separate "human world."
There was a knock at her door, and she glanced up. Dewey was peeking in from the hallway.
"Is it... alright if I come in?" he asked.
"Yeah. Of course," Lyra said. She set her journal down.
There was something floating in the air next to him, glowing blue. Lyra couldn't tell what it was. Some flat rectangular object.
"You still want to go back and live with other humans," he said.
Lyra nodded.
"Perhaps that's what you should do. I really don't know anymore..." He glanced over to what he was carrying. It floated over to Lyra, and she took it with her magic. "Celestia told you about what they found. Things that fell through the rift along with you. She wanted to study them. But I kept this one."
Lyra couldn't believe her eyes. It was just an old photo frame, but...
"These are... real humans?" she said. Two of them - a man and a woman - standing in front of a large house, and one of those self-moving carriages from her dreams. The man had dark hair and a beard, and had his arm around the shoulder of the woman. She stared up at him. "How do you have this?"
"I've never known for sure, but they just might be your parents."
She was speechless. She set down the photo on her nightstand, but could barely manage to tear her eyes away from it. Any photographic evidence of humans would have been exciting, but that... Well, of course her birth parents would be humans, but actually seeing them suddenly made it all so much more real.
"You've had this all these years?" Lyra asked.
Dewey nodded. "Your mother doesn't know that I kept this, but it's our only clue to who you used to be. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious about your species. I've wondered about those humans ever since we found you."
Lyra glanced back at the photo, then looked up at him. "I can't believe you have this..."
"I'm not trying to tell you what choices to make. But before you make any decisions about what you're going to do... just make sure you're absolutely certain. If you leave Equestria, you might never come back."
"I know that..." Lyra said.
"I understand why you'd want to go," he said. "It's still your choice, in the end." Turning and heading to the door, Dewey was about to leave the room.
"Wait."
He turned his head to look at her. He looked very tired.
"Dad, you don't think that... all humans are evil, right?" Lyra said.
He smiled. "I've only ever known one."
She looked back at the photo on her nightstand, the picture that still seemed so impossible, and then back to him. "Good night."
"Good night, Lyra." He left, and the door swung shut behind him.
Lyra laid in bed all night, but never got to sleep. She was staring at the faces of those humans. Every picture she'd seen of humans before had been a drawing. Or in her dreams. But these humans... her parents, maybe... They were real. They were still out there somewhere.
The next morning, Lyra went out for a walk.
Canterlot was familiar to her. She'd lived most of her life here, and even after moving in with Bon-Bon in Ponyville she'd come to visit a few times. So why was she suddenly feeling like she didn't belong here?
Princess Celestia had explained to her, while she'd been stunned into total silence, that she was still a citizen of Equestria regardless of her heritage. She could stay here. That's what Celestia recommended, even. And of course her parents didn't want her to leave.
Passing by the train station, she watched as an engine pulled in. Lyra could easily go back to Ponyville later tonight if she wanted. Go back and pack up all of her books, tell Bon-Bon that she was finished with humans forever. Forget that she'd seen who her real parents were and that she had never been a pony to begin with...
No, that wasn't possible at all.
She passed by the stadium where the Wonderbolts derbies took place. There were posters up with a date, saying that there would be a race there in a few days. Lyra liked seeing those...
Her pegasus heritage was all a lie. She'd thought that explained why magic had been so difficult. And now she realized that, the first time she'd ever used magic to play the lyre, she'd been imagining fingers moving through the strings. And when she actually did use hands to play, it seemed so much easier.
Ponies, dressed in their fancy hats and high-class Canterlot fashions, passed by her, without a second thought. They had no idea she was something that was only supposed to exist in myths.
Nothing was different. She hadn't actually changed. She'd always been human. The only difference was that she knew about it now. All those times that Bon-Bon had looked her in the eye and told her to stop obsessing over those "crazy dreams..."
When she was a filly, she'd always believed that humans might still be around somewhere in Equestria. It wasn't until she was older that she'd resigned herself to the fact that they were probably extinct. The Princess's offer was almost too good to be true.
And it was a good thing. Because all of those fears about humans were completely unfounded. Weren't they?
Humans weren't truly extinct. What had happened to them in Equestria was unfortunate, but that didn't mean that Lyra had to be nervous about going back home.
Lyra stopped and stood there for a moment. She let out a sigh. This wasn't going to get any easier. She just had to make her final decision.
Turning around, she headed back home to make some final arrangements.
Canterlot Castle felt different in the daytime than it had at the Gala two days earlier. It was brighter, but so quiet. They'd passed a few guards on the way to the Princess's chamber, posted at the gate. Dewey was recognized as the head librarian, so he had no trouble getting in.
There hadn't been much discussion when they'd arrived. Princess Celestia had instantly known what they had come for. Cirrus seemed restless, Dewey kept on starting to say something, then his voice would trail off.
An entire world outside of Equestria, Lyra thought. With living humans.
Lyra hadn't brought much with her. She had her lyre, of course, in a large saddlebag at her side. Also, her journal - she'd recorded the dreams in there, and those were her only record of her own world rather than Equestria's past. And the photograph of her human parents. She was going to find them... somehow.
Now Lyra and Celestia stood alone together in one of the guest chambers.
"You're absolutely sure about this," the Princess said. It wasn't so much of a question as it was repeating a statement.
"I'm sure," Lyra said. "I need to know who I really am."
"My offer still stands. You would be more than welcome to stay in Equestria," Celestia said. "I've only been able to see limited glances of the world you came from. It's very different from the human society we knew of. Your species survived much longer... Their technology is far more advanced."
"I've seen it in my dreams. That's what it was, wasn't it?"
"Perhaps..." Celestia said. "I thought you would be too young to remember anything."
Lyra could feel her heart pounding. Soon enough she would no longer be a pony. She'd never have hooves again. Princess Celestia was the only one powerful enough to do this kind of transformation spell... No, it was the opposite. She was removing the spell, that was all.
"Let's not delay any longer, then." Celestia lowered her head, pointing the tip of her horn towards Lyra. "Relax. This will only take a moment."
Her horn glowed softly, pure white. Lyra had gritted her teeth, expecting the process to be painful, like the times she gave herself hands, only multiplied by a thousand, but... now she was transforming and she barely felt anything.
Lyra hadn't come home from the Gala yet. She had said she would be back two days ago.
Bon-Bon had started to feel concerned. Yet, honestly, what could have happened to her? Despite all of Lyra's ravings about government conspiracies and humans, and how Princess Celestia was "out to get her" or whatever, there was nothing to be afraid of in Canterlot. Bon-Bon was a little ashamed of herself to be so worried.
There was a knock at the door. Bon-Bon's head jerked up, and she went to answer it. She pushed the door open. A grey pegasus stood there, eyes skewed in two different directions.
"I've got a letter for you, Ms. Bon-Bon!" she said cheerfully.
Bon-Bon took the envelope, and saw the name "Rainbow Dash" on the front. She frowned.
"Uh, thank you..." she said. There would probably be time to take this over before clocking in at work.
That ended up not being necessary, since Rainbow Dash showed up right behind the mail mare carrying another letter in her teeth.
"Hey there, Bon-Bon," she said in a flat voice. "I got your mail."
"Thanks, Rainbow Dash. I have yours." They swapped envelopes. Her letter had "Bon-Bon" scrawled in Lyra's familiar writing. It felt heavy for some reason. There was something extra in there.
Rainbow Dash turned to the other pegasus, standing there looking downcast. "Uh... you're getting closer, at least. I only had to go to one house this time." The mailmare gave a goofy smile and flapped her wings.
Bon-Bon took the letter back into the house, wondering what it could be. Some kind of an explanation for why she was running late, maybe. At least Lyra had the consideration to write back if she was held up for some reason.
As she opened the envelope, a few gold coins fell out and clinked on the table. Actually, after shaking it out, there was a substantial amount of money enclosed. Frowning, Bon-Bon took out the letter and began to read.
Dear Bon-Bon,
Sorry for the short notice. Something came up in Canterlot and I'm moving out. This should cover my rent for the next few months. Maybe you can find somebody else to room with. It was great knowing you. Thanks for being so patient with me.
- Lyra
She stared at the hastily-written note in disbelief. Lyra was really moving out, just like that? Bon-Bon couldn't help but feel like maybe she was responsible for this. Had she been too hard on her about that cart incident?
Bon-Bon scowled. It was just like that pony to do something so impulsive. She really shouldn't have been surprised. Still, this was drastic. What exactly did she mean by something "coming up?" And all that money... Bon-Bon's eyes widened.
The Gala... of course!
Lyra must have been spotted at the Gala and hired for a symphony. Celebrities from all over Equestria would have been in attendance, so there was really no telling where she could have ended up. She would have moved to a big city, probably, wherever the symphony was located. The extra money was probably just a fraction of whatever they'd offered her.
But she had just gotten up and left. Not even so much as a goodbye, other than this letter. She'd left behind everything she owned - her clothes, furniture, books...
All of her crazy theories about humans...
Despite everything else, a smile crept onto Bon-Bon's face.
Was it possible? Lyra had finally figured out who she was. She was destined to be a successful, daresay even famous, musician. Her days of hunting for humans were finally over.
Lyra stood in the private bedchamber, examining herself in the mirror. She'd just finished getting dressed in the clothes the Princess had provided her with. Reaching up to her forehead with one hand, she felt the smooth skin behind her bangs. No horn. If she tried reaching out with magic to move something, nothing happened.
But that was fine with her.
Lifting up her hands, she inspected the fingers. They still fascinated her, even though she'd been able to make them herself as a pony. Compared to these, though, her past attempts had been crude - the fingers had been too thick, not as flexible. These were real human hands. Slender, graceful, and completely amazing. It seemed like a fair trade for her magic.
Her eyes were still gold, and her mane - no, her hair - was mint green with a white stripe, just like when she'd been a pony. Those weren't normal human colors as far as she knew. But she did have the same light-colored skin like most of the humans in her dreams had. It was strange being almost entirely hairless, but Lyra wasn't completely opposed to it. In fact, she kind of liked it.
She was dressed in a simple green shirt and tan pants, and shoes - those had been somewhat new to her. The only shoes she'd worn had been the fancy ones that Rarity had made with her Gala dress, but these new ones were plain and meant to be practical. Now that the skin of her feet was so soft, instead of hooves, shoes were going to be necessary.
Along with the clothes she'd found a gold necklace with a small golden charm shaped like her cutie mark. Which was gone, just like her horn. She'd checked over her entire body. The necklace served as a reminder of Equestria, she supposed.
Being a human was a surreal experience, yet still somehow familiar. Maybe it was her instinct, or maybe just all those dreams where she'd looked exactly as she did now. Lyra ran her hands along the smooth, hairless skin of her arms. This was all real, not a dream this time. She was a human.
She turned and walked over to the door. Everything in the room was made for ponies, and it all seemed miniaturized now. She'd been about four feet tall as a pony, and now she was between five or six. There was a new bag sitting there that she had transferred her few things into. The long strap went over her shoulder. Kind of like a saddlebag, but for walking on two legs. She took the doorknob in her hand - it didn't turn, most in Equestria didn't - and pushed the door open.
Lyra walked through the empty halls of Canterlot Castle. The floor seemed to be so far away when she looked down at her feet. Her arms were crossed in front of her. It was kind of strange, having those two extra limbs that she didn't need to use while walking around. Not that she couldn't get used to this.
She eventually reached the throne room where her adoptive parents were waiting with Princess Celestia. They turned to stare at her.
Hesitating for a moment, Lyra finally spoke. "I'm ready."
Cirrus stepped back, shocked by Lyra's appearance. "I-It's really not too late to change your mind," Cirrus said. "You're... absolutely certain?"
Lyra's fingers tapped restlessly against her arms. "I'm sure. I've been studying humans long enough. I think I'll be able to get by."
"Once you arrive in your world, you'll most likely be unable to return here," Celestia said. Lyra was now almost at eye level with the Princess, though her size was still impressive. "You'll be on your own."
Lyra's mind went to the photo in the bag hanging by her waist. Not exactly alone... She just had to find them.
"I suppose this is your decision..." Dewey said. He looked up at her, and gave a weak smile. "I didn't realize how tall you'd be."
"This is about normal for humans, I think," Lyra said. She couldn't help but grin. "I mean, wow. I can't believe I'm really..." She put a hand to her forehead.
"The spell is similar to teleportation, though a far more complex variation," Celestia said. Lyra turned to look at her. "As soon as you're ready. I'll give you time."
Lyra turned back around, and knelt down in front of her parents. "I really am going to miss you guys. I just think... this is what's best for me."
"We can't talk you out of this, can we?" Cirrus said.
Shaking her head, Lyra replied, "I'll be fine."
"Just be careful," Dewey said. "All we want is for you to be safe."
"I will. I... I know exactly what I'm doing..."
She put her arms around him in a tight hug, then turned to Cirrus. She was slightly uneasy about Lyra's true form, but returned the embrace. Lyra felt a tear going down her cheek.
Finally, Lyra stood up. She turned to look at Princess Celestia. "I think I'm ready now."
Celestia looked at the human standing in front of her, wishing she could see something other than the corrupt beings from all those hundreds of years ago. Lyra still had some of her pony qualities about her - the hair color, her eyes. But even so, Lyra was as human as the day she'd been born.
"For your own sake... I hope you're right about humans being different in your world," Celestia said.
She lowered her horn again, and it started to glow.
Lyra stood there as Canterlot Castle, Princess Celestia, her parents, all of Equestria faded away. |
Anthropology | On The Road | Lyra felt warm sun and a gentle breeze on her face. She found herself standing in the middle of a flat stone road, but it stretched off farther than she could see in either direction into a clear blue sky. Flat green fields were on either side. There were also tall poles with ropes stretched tight between them, for some indiscernible reason, running along the side of the road. A faint smell hung in the air, a bit like something burning, that Lyra couldn't identify the source of.
But what really concerned her was that gigantic sign towering over everything.
A 15-minute call could save you 15%.
It was written in legible Equestrian, even if the actual meaning didn't make sense. The part that bothered her the most was the picture of a lizard next to it. Not a human. And it looked much more like a photograph than a drawing. Maybe it was a gecko, but the word was spelled wrong. Had Celestia really sent her to the human world? She didn't see any other humans around. What if there had been some mistake?
She turned away from the sign. If there was a road, it would go somewhere. She just had to follow it. She chose the direction going away from the sign and started walking.
Lyra stared down at her feet, which treaded along the yellow line painted down the center of the road. Who had painted it? Hopefully not a giant lizard... It seemed to stretch on as long as the road itself.
Just moments ago she'd been standing in Canterlot Castle. Now she was... Somewhere else. These fields all seemed close enough to what she was used to in Equestria, but the road itself, those weird poles - and that sign with the lizard - proved this was definitely some other world. Whether or not it was the right one remained to be seen.
A few minutes passed without any event. Then there was a low rumble coming from behind her. She turned around to see some kind of object coming towards her. It was getting closer, and fast. She stood there stunned. It came right past her, swerving to the side and making an incredibly loud noise like a trumpet blast forcing her to clap her hands to her ears. That burning smell got stronger as it passed.
That was one of them!
The carriages from her dreams. Like the one she'd tried to make herself out of Applejack's cart. And there was also one in that photograph of her parents. Humans drove them. They were real, and Lyra had just seen one in real life. As horrifyingly fast as it had been, she was excited. There could have been a human inside that thing. Lyra was grinning.
It had been going in the same direction she was headed, and by now it was a tiny speck in the distance. Lyra headed over to the side of the road. If more were coming, she didn't want to be in the way. She knew from experience that it was hard to steer those.
Continuing on, she saw a green sign - about eye level, not massive like the lizard one - with just a few words on it. She stopped in front of it.
DES MOINES 7
How was she supposed to pronounce that? And what was it? At least the other sign had been in readable Equestrian, by some stroke of luck, but Lyra had no idea what this meant.
Lyra talked to herself as she continued walking, trying different ways to pronounce "Des Moines." None of them sounded right. Oh, well. She'd figure it out.
Something was starting to come into view down the road. A white speck, starting to take the form of a house. It didn't seem too different from one she'd see back home. Any building would have been a good sign, but somebody might live here. She could figure out where she'd ended up.
As she got closer, she noticed one of those carriages was outside it - red, slightly rusted, and sitting completely still. Lyra headed towards it to investigate. At the moment it did nothing, but she walked around it carefully just in case.
Leaving the main road, she continued down a dirt path past the house and followed a wooden post fence running along the path. Then she saw them.
Not humans, but ponies. They looked different from the ones back home. Their coats were dull shades of grey and brown, and as she got closer, Lyra realized they didn't have cutie marks. Their faces were a bit longer too. But still, it was good to see anyone else that she could talk to.
Lyra stepped up to the fence and leaned her arms on the top beam. "Um, excuse me. I'm new around here. I'm looking for humans."
The ponies didn't say anything. One of them flicked his tail.
"You know about humans, right? They'd look... well, like I do..." Lyra's voice trailed off. There was something wrong here. "Do you speak Equestrian?"
Still no response.
"'Scuse me. This is private property."
At first Lyra thought the voice was coming from the pony, which was strange because he'd never opened his mouth. Then she turned around and saw a human standing there looking directly at her. She stumbled backwards, hit the fence, and put out her hands to steady herself against it.
The human was a male - she was pretty sure. His hair was very short, barely coming past his ears, like most human males were shown to wear it. He wore a white shirt and dark blue pants, with heavy mud-caked shoes.
It took Lyra a while to find her voice. "Oh - i-it is? I'm just..." Her mouth had gone dry. "I'm, uh, looking for somewhere with humans. Like us." She flashed a somewhat uneasy smile.
The human looked at her like she'd said something strange. He lifted one arm and pointed a finger in the direction she'd been walking. "Nearest city's Des Moines. It's a few miles down the road." He pronounced it like "day moyne."
Lyra's eyes were locked on his hand, the way that he used his fingers. "Oh... Thank you!"
"I don't know where you're headed, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave. You're scaring the horses," the human said.
"Y-yeah... Sorry..." Lyra was in shock. She stared down at her two feet, which at the moment she could barely remember how to use - just move one, then the other... "Thanks again!"
She turned and ran for the road again. She headed off, head down, arms crossed in front of her. She waited until she had a good distance away to slow down.
In spite of how terribly that conversation had gone, Lyra couldn't help herself. She burst out laughing.
She'd just talked to a real human. Of course, she was one herself, but still, it was amazing. As impossible as it seemed, humans were alive and well, and she was about to see even more of them.
Lyra had to make sure, though, so she reached up a hand and prodded herself in the face. And then again, a bit harder, but still nothing. She wasn't sleeping, then. She half expected to wake up, find out she'd passed out from boredom at the Gala, and dreamed the entire thing. But she was here, and she was a human.
It was going to take Lyra a long time to get used to the fact that humans were common in this world. They'd always seemed so far away and unapproachable. But in this world, there must be thousands of humans. There would be more like that one in Des Moines.
"Des Moines..." Lyra said aloud to herself, trying out the way that the human had pronounced it. She'd probably be expected to know how to say it.
Next time she saw a human, she'd have to try to stay calm. This was just another stage in her research - close-up observation. It was going to take some time to learn how this world worked, and she'd have to use everything she knew about humans if she was going to live here for the rest of her life.
The rest of her life... This was her home now. She looked around, even though the scenery hadn't changed much. It seemed peaceful. There was nothing to worry about. The human world would be great.
Still... something else bothered her. The ponies had never talked to her. Then again, they didn't exactly look like ponies; their facial features were different. They had still been close enough to at least resemble ponies like the ones she'd lived with...
Lyra shook herself. No need to worry about that. She was a human now. There was no reason to worry about ponies anymore.
Her feet were starting to feel sore. It was impressive enough that she was having such an easy time of walking on two legs, but it was still unfamiliar. The only other time she'd ever done this had been in dreams.
Trying to keep her mind off of her sore feet, she took some time to examine her hands. She moved the fingers of one hand over the other, feeling her skin, and the bone structure underneath. She studied the interesting patterns of lines on her palms. These were completely unlike anything ponies had, even different than her magically-created hands had been.
But the best part was - these hands were here to stay. Bon-Bon couldn't tell her to get rid of them anymore, and besides, these were an integral part of what made humans what they were.
"You thought we didn't even exist," she said under her breath, smiling. "If you could just see me now, Bon-Bon..."
That made her stop. Because now, she'd suddenly realized that she wouldn't see Bon-Bon ever again. Lyra would probably never talk to another pony - the ones she'd just seen weren't capable of speech, as far as she knew. Only now was it starting to sink in just how much she'd given up to be human.
It wasn't too bad, right? She'd wanted this ever since she was a filly. This was a kingdom inhabited by the creatures she'd read about for so many years - her own species, as it turned out. That made her smile again.
A few more of the carriages passed by over the next hour or so, and Lyra watched them pass with interest. How exactly did they move if humans couldn't use magic? They were much faster than a pony-drawn carriage. One of them that drove past was huge, with several sets of wheels and a big box-shaped section on the back. There was writing on it, but it had been too fast to read.
At least, she was pretty sure humans couldn't use magic. Lyra saw a glass bottle on the side of the road, and focused on it. She tried to raise it up into the air... Still nothing. It sat there lifeless.
Lyra lifted up her head and saw some buildings off in the distance. A group of houses, much closer together. Probably the village she'd been looking for. That was her goal, and seeing it gave her an extra boost of energy. The other humans would be there. Maybe even her parents.
Walking on two legs was barely a conscious effort anymore. She focused on those buildings. Another carriage zoomed past, blowing her hair into her face. She brushed it away with her fingers - they were so useful. As she got closer to the city, the structures were beginning to come into focus.
It wasn't much farther now.
For the past few hours, she'd been headed into the city. The few scattered farmhouses along the road had given way to a neighborhood of hundreds of houses, all just one or two stories. Then the buildings just got progressively larger until she reached these massive towers at the center. This could easily be the capital of the human world. Or at least whatever country she was in.
Lyra stared up at the tallest of the buildings. She was right underneath them now. This one must have been at least thirty floors, capped with a dark pyramid shape. It was dizzying being so close to it.
She'd seen some tall buildings in Equestria. These particular buildings, though... They seemed absolutely massive. Once they'd come into view, she'd been able to tell they were big, but they were definitely larger than anything in Manehattan, and they even would have dwarfed Canterlot Castle, which could be seen from miles away in Ponyville.
Just like Princess Celestia had said, these humans were far more advanced than the ones in Equestria had been.
Her neck was craned up as she walked, trying to see the top of the tower, and she bumped into a human.
She jumped in surprise. "E-excuse me..." Lyra stammered.
"Watch where you're going." The man, dressed in a suit and tie, hurried off in the other direction.
There were hundreds of them. Humans, everywhere. All different colors - but, as Lyra had expected, the spectrum of human colors ran from dark brown to a light tan (like herself). There was a bit more variation in hair color. Lots of brown and black, but also a few reds, yellows, and greys.
Lyra was conscious of her own green hair. Nobody seemed to be making a big deal about it, but she was getting a few looks. Maybe... It could just be an especially rare hair color for humans. Like how Rainbow Dash was the only pony Lyra knew with a multicolored mane like that.
It was just one of many questions she had right now. This city was almost exactly like the ones she'd dreamed of. She didn't recognize anything specific, but it was extremely similar. This was undoubtedly where she came from. It was so exciting.
It hardly felt real. Lyra was here in the middle of a human city, surrounded by them on all sides, and she fit right in. She was one of them. She may have been raised by ponies, but she was a human at heart.
There was just so much energy here. Ponyville was such a quiet little town... Most days, at least. But a normal day here was filled with so much motion. Humans walking in all directions, flashing lights everywhere like it was a festival...
And those carriages were running right in between all the buildings! Apparently they could slow down enough to be controlled with precision in these tight passages. Whatever magic humans used, they had excellent control over it. That was the only explanation that made sense.
Lyra was watching the humans around her, but none of them were actually using magic. At least, not anything that she recognized. They carried everything with their hands. But of course they would - if you could choose between carrying something with your mind, and having a real, solid, physical grip on it, the choice was obvious. Still, she wasn't sure how these carriages and lights would be working if humans didn't have any kind of magic.
She was at another street corner, waiting to cross. Lyra had decided she would only try to cross in a group. At these intersections, there were panels that lit up with pictures of human figures and bright red hands. That on its own had instantly gotten her attention. After watching the behavior of the humans, she'd determined that the hand meant stop, and the walking human meant to cross. Either way, it was best to follow another human across just to make sure.
One of the carriages pulled up and came to a stop. There was loud music playing from inside it. Well, more like just a low bass beat that seemed to shake the ground. Lyra turned to stare at it as she crossed, and saw a human in the front seat tapping his hands with the rhythm. Where was the music coming from, though?
Lyra kept going deeper into the city, but she was feeling lost. This network of buildings and streets was like an endless maze, and she wasn't even sure where she was headed. She just wanted to see everything.
There were signs and words all over the place, even if not all of them were very clear. How was she supposed to know what "Drive-Up and ATM" meant? And she was pretty sure "Quizno's" wasn't a word. Or maybe it was. Maybe she didn't know as much about this world as she thought.
One building with large red letters was apparently called "Marriott." It seemed to be a hotel. That reminded her - she'd need a place to stay. But there was no way she'd be able to do that without some money. Whatever humans used as currency, she didn't have any of it. Besides, this hotel looked incredibly fancy. From what she could see of the lobby, the rooms would be even nicer than a private suite in Canterlot Castle.
Down the street she saw a store with some books on display in the windows. Lyra paused, and looked at the titles. These were different from Equestrian books. The covers were interesting, usually with full color photographs on them, but they were hardly thicker than the pages. There were a couple traditional hardbound books in the mix, but those were a minority.
Lyra walked inside to look around, a bell ringing as she opened the door. A few tables were set up in the front, with some books set up, and towards the back there were rows of shelves.
"Hey, how's it going?" There was a human behind the counter - probably the owner. A male with thick-rimmed square glasses.
"Just fine..." Lyra said.
"Let me know if you need anything."
"Thanks." She headed into the shelves at the back without looking at him.
It was such a casual greeting. A pony would do the same thing if you walked into their store, but this was a human. A creature that had just recently stopped being a picture in a book and was suddenly speaking to her. It was going to be hard to get used to that.
It was quiet here, and the smell of paper reminded her of home. It was good to see that humans valued books just as much as ponies did.
Lyra ran her fingers through her hair, enjoying the sensation as she tried to decide on a course of action. Her attention drifted to the books in front of her. Some of them had been placed with the covers facing outwards instead of the spines. The names of the authors were featured even larger than some of the titles - Robert Jordan, Steven Erikson, Thomas Michelakos... Humans had such interesting names.
She picked one up off the shelf. It felt heavy in her hands, but it was a nice weight. The humans pictured here looked more like the ones she knew about from her books, based on the clothing styles. On closer inspection, this cover was a painting, not a photograph. The thatched-roof houses in the background could have been just like the one she'd lived in with Bon-Bon, but instead of ponies, there were humans - dressed in armor and carrying long blades and axes with them.
Putting the thick book back on the shelf, she noticed the label on the top of the shelf. So this was the "fantasy" section? But... These were the only things that looked very familiar from her studies. Everything outside seemed more like a fantasy, to be honest.
Lyra wandered around the store a while longer. Most of the books here were fiction. Still, just about every single one was about humans, so they were all fascinating to her. She'd just like to know how things here in her world worked. She felt so lost here.
She couldn't let herself feel overwhelmed. The first thing she had to do was earn some money. Then she could worry about finding a place to stay and getting something to eat. Lyra noticed for the first time that she was hungry - probably something to do with the long walk into the city.
Leaving the store, she headed further down the street. The number of humans she saw was truly staggering. In Ponyville, she'd known just about everyone else. Canterlot had even seemed like a big city. But here there must be hundreds of humans.
The buildings gave way to an open green park. It was amazing how similar it was to the one in Ponyville. There was grass, trees, well-maintained gardens... There were a few humans walking through, so she'd have an audience. That was the important part.
Lyra sat down on a bench, just like she did back home. She took her lyre out of her bag, set the case down in front of her, and started to play. |
Anthropology | Culture Shock | She'd stopped playing once she hadn't been able to take the gnawing hunger anymore. Lyra hadn't eaten since, well... This morning, at home in Canterlot. Had that really been today? Des Moines was about as far from home as she could get, it seemed.
She knelt down in front of her lyre's case, and examined what the humans had dropped in there. She was happy to see a few coins - silver and bronze, no gold - but mostly it was just green pieces of paper. She picked one up. It had a human's face on it and the number "1" in all the corners. Was this worth something? Lots of humans had given her these, so maybe it was.
"I've never seen an instrument like that before."
Lyra jumped at the voice. She stood up and whirled around, still holding her lyre in both hands.
It was a girl - probably about the same age as her. Lyra recognized her, this human had been watching for a while. She had dark hair, tied back and hanging down just past the collar of her red plaid shirt. Lyra caught her breath. So a human was talking to her, again. No big deal. Just had to stay calm.
"Yeah..." Lyra said. "Wait, you've... never seen one..." That couldn't be right. This was a human instrument - it had to be. Didn't humans play these too?
"It's a lyre, isn't it?" the girl asked.
"Yeah." Lyra gave a quiet sigh of relief. "I thought you said you hadn't seen one before."
"Well, not in real life." Smiling, the girl asked, "Does it have any magic powers?"
Lyra was taken aback. "Magic? No, of course not..."
The girl laughed, and shook her head. "Calm down, I was only kidding. I mean, it just made me think of..." She noticed Lyra's look of confusion. "Never mind. You must not play Legend of Zelda."
"I'm actually not taking requests," Lyra said. She didn't know how to play that one, but it might be one of the legends that humans were said to recite with a lyre. Maybe she could learn it. She scooped the money and the green papers up and shoved them in her pockets, then put away her instrument. "I was just about to get going, actually." She paused, and turned her head. "Wait, you live here, don't you? Where can I go to eat something?"
The human shrugged. "It's not like there's anything too special around here."
"I'll eat just about anything at this point." Lyra clicked the latches on the case shut and stood up. Her stomach growled.
"You'll probably just want something cheap anyway. I don't imagine you made very much playing. But you were pretty good," the girl said. "Oh, by the way, I'm Audrey." She extended a hand.
She was offering a handshake, probably. Lyra knew about those. Ponies had a variation, but without the fingers.
"My name's Lyra," she said, and took Audrey's hand. Their fingers closed together. Lyra stared at their hands, hardly believing this was happening.
"Lyra? Like your instrument," Audrey said.
"Huh?" Lyra said. "Yeah... I guess so." She picked the case up off the ground, and slung her bag over her shoulder.
"Where do you even learn to play one of those?" Audrey nodded towards the case as Lyra tucked it back into her bag.
"I've been playing ever since I was a fil - I mean, ever since I was a little kid," Lyra said. "My parents got it for me... Well, not really my parents. I was adopted." This conversation wasn't going well. She smiled awkwardly.
"Oh..." Audrey seemed unsure of what to say next.
"I'm just really hungry right now. I need to eat something."
"Right. I was just on my way to dinner too. Why don't you come with me?"
"Seriously?" A human was offering to eat with her? This was almost too good to be true. And it still wasn't a dream, this was really happening.
"It was just an offer. You don't have to. I mean, it's summer vacation and I'm a bit starved for human interaction - "
"Same here!" Lyra blurted out.
"Well, that settles it, I guess."
Lyra nodded vigorously and followed her out of the park.
"So do you play here often? I cut through here a lot and I've never seen you," Audrey said.
"No, I'm from... out of town," Lyra said. "Where do you live?"
"Walnut Street. It's a short walk from here." Audrey gestured over to their right, and Lyra's eyes followed her hand. She was a bit more interested in the hand itself than where it was pointing.
After a few blocks they reached a green-roofed building - a restaurant. Through the windows, Lyra could see humans seated at tables, eating something. It reminded her again how hungry she was.
"It's not much, but you said you didn't care," Audrey said as she pulled the handle of the door. She let Lyra enter first.
The smell of something good - food, though Lyra couldn't identify what - was strong. The inside of the building was set up like any other restaurant, except that there were humans at the tables and in the kitchen at the back. There was a family with some children in the corner. Music was playing - from where? It was probably a recording, but there was no phonograph set up that she could see.
Normally Lyra would have been more interested in observing what was going on here, but right now she was starving. Besides, she was about to figure out what human food was like. It might be similar to what ponies ate. She hoped humans liked cake as much as she did.
Audrey went up to the counter and spoke to the human operating the register. "I'll have a... number one. And no mustard on that."
"You want that as a combo?"
"Yeah."
"That'll be five sixty-seven."
Lyra was watching closely at how Audrey paid, but all she handed to the cashier was a small rectangular card. And then he gave it back to her. Wasn't she supposed to actually pay?
"Can I help you?" Now the cashier was talking to Lyra. What did she order? All Audrey had said was a number.
"Uh..." Lyra said. "I-I'll just have the same thing." That was the safe way to go, she figured.
"Alright. Five sixty-seven."
Five sixty-seven... what? Lyra reached into her pocket and pulled out the wad of paper. She was pretty sure it was human currency. She stared at it for a few seconds, then handed it over.
The human looked confused, but took out some of them and handed the rest back to her. He scooped a few coins out of the register.
"Thirty-three cents is your change. Have a nice day."
"You too..." Lyra said.
Everybody here was so friendly. Princess Celestia had been wrong about humans. Or at least, Lyra had been right that the humans in her world would be different. It was hard to believe that just this morning she'd been in boring old Canterlot, and now she was somewhere as amazing as Des Moines.
"So, um..." Lyra started. "What exactly does 'Des Moines' mean? That's where we are, right?"
"Uh... I can't remember," Audrey said. Her arms were folded in front of her. "It's something French."
"Oh... Really?" So she'd ended up in France... Lyra smiled, imagining what Rarity's reaction would be if she knew where she was right now. France was a real place. In this world it was still thriving.
"How long have you been in town?" Audrey raised an eyebrow.
"I just got here today," Lyra said.
"You'll get used to it. It's pretty boring around here, really."
"I doubt that." Lyra smiled.
As they waited for their food, Lyra listened to the music, wherever it might be coming from. It was pretty catchy, whatever it was.
"It don't take money, it don't take fame, don't need no credit card to ride this train..." It was an upbeat tune. This was human music, Lyra realized. She liked it more than the classical stuff that was popular back home. "It's strong and it's sudden and it's cruel sometimes, but it might just save your life - That's the power of love!"
The food came out on brown trays. Lyra recognized some of the food as fries, but they didn't look like they were made from hay like the ones back home. The other food came in small square boxes made of cardboard.
They'd been given empty cups, made out of paper. She watched Audrey go over to a box next to the counter and fill up hers with something. Lyra just imitated what she'd done, and took a sip - it was just regular soda. A bit sweeter and more bubbly than back home, but other than that it was like being at Sugarcube Corner again.
By the time they sat down, Lyra couldn't hold herself back. She opened up the box - it was some kind of a sandwich - and started eating immediately.
"So you really were hungry," Audrey said, staring at her in mild amusement.
Lyra nodded, and swallowed a bite. "It's delicious."
"It's really nothing special," Audrey said. She leaned forward. "Anyways, where did you say you were from?"
"It's, um..." Lyra took another bite, wondering how much she should say. What did humans think about ponies? She wasn't going to take chances until she knew. "It's a small town. Really far from here. You've probably never heard of it. It's that far away."
"Right..." Audrey gave a slow nod, and started her own food.
The lettuce was falling out of Lyra's sandwich onto the tray. It was difficult to hold the sandwich all together. Maybe she just wasn't experienced enough with her new hands.
Lyra watched as Audrey picked up and ate some fries. She used her fingers thoughtlessly. She'd always had them, so she didn't realize they were anything special. Humans like her couldn't even imagine how lucky they were.
"I'd really like to hear more about you," Lyra said. "What do you do? Do you have a job?"
"I tried applying a few places last summer, but didn't get anything back. Same thing this year." Audrey's hands moved idly as she spoke. "Usually I'm too busy with school to work the rest of the year."
Lyra stopped and stared at her. "You're still in school? But... how old are you?"
"Sixteen, as of last February. What do you mean, 'still?'"
"I graduated years ago," Lyra said.
"From what?" Audrey said. "I've still got two years of high school left. Then I want to go to Grand View to study psychology, and that'll be another four years, at least."
Lyra didn't know what to say. Humans really went to school for that long? She was even a few months older than this human, and yet she'd been out of magic school for a long time.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a sudden burst of music. It had a tinny quality and sounded close by, closer than the other music that was playing here.
"Whoops. That's mine," Audrey said, pulling some small black object from her pocket. She stared down at it for a moment, and got an irritated look on her face. Lyra sat there, not sure what the proper response was. "Why would he expect me to know anything about eBay?" Audrey wasn't speaking to her, she just stared at the thing in her hands and then started tapping at it with her thumbs, which was interesting. Then she put it away again, and her friendly expression returned instantly. "Sorry. That was my friend Nathan."
Lyra nodded, though she was even more confused than ever. That thing had a name, and Audrey considered it a "friend." Audrey's explanation had been so casual that it was as if Lyra was simply expected to understand.
"But anyways, I still don't know anything about you. What are you doing here in Des Moines?" Audrey asked.
"Oh, well..." Lyra hesitated. It was probably best to tell the truth. "I'm looking for my parents, actually."
Audrey nodded, and took a sip of her drink. "Right... You mentioned you were adopted earlier," she said, and then quickly added, "You don't mind me asking about it, do you?"
"Not at all," Lyra said. "I actually didn't even know that I was adopted until just recently."
"Really? Most adopted children these days know about it. It relieves a lot of the stigma, lets kids know that they're still wanted..." Audrey said. "I can't imagine what you must have gone through when you found out."
"My situation was... complicated. Let's leave it at that," Lyra said.
Shaking her head, Audrey muttered, "Still. Leaving your parents behind and all that."
"I moved out a while ago... I guess I could've stayed in town, closer to home. Twilight did that," Lyra said, shrugging.
"Twilight?"
"Yeah, she was a... friend," Lyra said. She remembered when they'd been doing research together a few months ago. Look who had turned out to be right.
"That's... kind of an odd name," Audrey said, wrinkling her nose. "What, were her parents hippies or something?"
Lyra suddenly realized what she'd done. Pony names were different from human ones. It had completely slipped her mind. "Yeah... Total hippies." Whatever that means, Lyra thought. It seemed to be a satisfactory response, though.
"People must always be teasing her. You know, about the books."
"Well, sometimes, but..." Lyra blinked. "Wait, how did you know Twilight likes books?"
"No, I was talking about..." Audrey gave a sigh. "You know what? Never mind. Keep going. You were talking about when you moved out. How long ago was that?"
"About..." Lyra thought for a moment. "Four years ago?"
Audrey stared at her. "And you're... how old?"
"Sixteen. Same as you." Lyra grinned.
"You've been living on your own since you were twelve."
"Yeah. Well, I mean, I had a roommate," Lyra said. "This city's bigger than what I'm used to, but I think I'll be able to manage."
"Your parents kicked you out when you were twelve?" Audrey seemed shocked for some reason.
"No, I chose to move out," Lyra said. "They didn't force me to leave or anything. And I wanted to be on my own. My parents didn't really like all of the research I was doing about... Uh..." Lyra's voice trailed off. Her eyes wandered around the restaurant, at the humans behind the counter at the other tables, at Audrey, sitting right in front of her. "Well, it's not really important. But I was able to do whatever I wanted."
"You were twelve," Audrey repeated. "That's just, I don't know... a serious case of neglect, or something... Didn't social services find out about it?"
"It's really no big deal," Lyra said.
Audrey shook her head, then continued. "And... you mentioned trying to find your real parents. That's why you came here."
"Yeah. My parents... well, my adopted parents... They gave me this." She reached down to pick up her bag by the side of the table, and took the picture out of it. "This is all I have from my real family."
Audrey took the picture and looked over it for a few moments. "This is all they gave you? Do you even know their names, anything about where they're from?"
All Lyra knew was that they were from this world. Still, she didn't think humans were aware that Equestria existed. She hadn't known that this place had. "No... I don't really know anything about them."
"Jeez. I hate to say it, but I don't think this'll do much good." She turned it over, but nothing was on the other side. She handed it back. "I can't believe they'd just send you out on your own with nothing but that. This kind of thing just doesn't happen. It makes no sense."
"Oh, it's fine. Like I said, I've lived on my own for a long time," Lyra said, slipping it back into her bag next to her journal. "I think I can manage."
"Where are you from?"
"Like I said... You wouldn't have heard of it. It's not important." Lyra waved one hand, holding the remaining quarter of her sandwich in the other.
"I don't even know what to say to this."
"Uh, yeah," Lyra took another bite as she tried to figure out what to say next. She finished the last of her sandwich. It was exactly what she'd needed, and she was feeling completely full. "That was delicious. What is it?"
"You've seriously never had a Big Mac before?" Audrey said.
The first thing that came to mind was Applejack's big brother, but obviously that wasn't what she was talking about. The sandwich must just have the same name, by coincidence.
"So what's in it?" Lyra asked.
Audrey shrugged. "Greasy meat and cheese on a cheap bun? I don't know exactly what the sauce is, but that's - "
Lyra had stopped listening after the second word. She slowly raised a hand to her mouth. "You said... there's meat in that."
"Of course. Well, kind of. I mean, it's fast food. Who knows what it really - "
"Like... animals."
"Huh?"
"That... That came from something that was alive! Who did I just eat?" Lyra demanded.
Audrey's eyes went wide with concern. She put her head in one hand and stared at the table. "Oh my god. You're a vegetarian," she said. "You should have told me! I figured everyone knew what these are. Don't tell me you've never been to a McDonald's before."
"Who was that...?" Lyra said, her voice barely above a whisper.
"It was... from a cow, probably. Mostly. I mean, I don't know how much of it was filler." Audrey was stumbling over her words.
There were cows on Applejack's farm. They raised them for their milk, and treated them kindly. Humans ate them. And Lyra had just...
She was going to be sick.
Audrey seemed panicked too, but not even half so much as what Lyra was feeling. "Oh my god... If you're a vegetarian, you could've warned me earlier. I would have suggested someplace else. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
Lyra shook her head slowly. "Pinkie was right..." she muttered. And the worst part? Meat was delicious.
"Who?" Audrey said. "Right about what?"
"Oh, did I say Pinkie? I meant... Diane." Lyra hoped that would save her from more questions. Her stomach was doing backflips. "We always call her Pinkie because it's her favorite color. But... she told me about..." Lyra's voice trailed off, and she groaned.
"Lyra, are you really going to be okay? I mean... I feel really terrible about this whole thing."
"I'll be fine..." she mumbled. "Do... Do all humans eat like this?"
"Well, no... I mean, you just said you were vegetarian..." Audrey shook her head. "God. I really am sorry." She put her head in her hands and stared down at the table.
She finished the rest of her food in uncomfortable silence, avoiding Lyra's eyes. The rest of the food seemed okay. It was safe, at any rate. Lyra picked at the fries, though she wasn't feeling hungry anymore.
Lyra finally spoke up again. "Audrey... you don't eat... ponies, do you?"
"What? No."
"Uh... okay..." That was good, at least, though it didn't really make things any better.
Lyra really wanted to trust this human. Things had been going so well, but this... Could she really overlook this? Then again, all humans, or most of them, anyway, did eat like this. It was their natural biology. Maybe they had no choice.
But... it had tasted good.
Audrey had called her a "vegetarian," so maybe it was normal for some humans not to eat it, but it had sounded like the exception instead of the rule. Lyra just wasn't sure what to think anymore.
Finally Audrey spoke up again.
"Uh... Lyra. You said you were just passing through town," she said, pointing a finger outwards idly.
"Yeah, that's right," Lyra said.
"Where are you staying?"
"I... haven't really thought about that, to be honest," Lyra admitted. Today had been too overwhelming.
"Well, uh..." Audrey was looking for the words to say. She took another drink of her soda. "You're an interesting person, Lyra. I'll say that much."
Lyra smiled a little bit. "Thank you..." Having a human call her "interesting" was an incredible honor. She thought Audrey was much more fascinating.
"You're also incredibly naïve, and something terrible's going to happen to you if you're left on your own."
"What do you mean?" Lyra asked. The human world had seemed safe to her. Well... other than the food. It seemed impossible that anything worse than that could happen.
"What I'm saying is..." Audrey gave a small laugh, and looked down at the table. "I'm crazy for saying this, because I just met you and all. But we've got a guest room back home, and if you need a place to stay until you get things figured out - "
"I'd love to!" Lyra said, her face lighting up. Then she shrank back down. That outburst had been louder than she'd wanted.
"I guess that's settled, then," Audrey said, smiling. "Come on. I'll show you where I live."
Audrey's house was just a half hour walk away. It was two stories, painted white, with a grey roof. It looked a lot like the other houses that were all around it, actually. They seemed to be arranged a bit more orderly than Ponyville, kind of in a grid pattern. It was thanks to the roads that the human's carriages required. One of them was sitting in front of the house.
This part of the town was quieter than the center had been. All of the houses had lawns with grass and trees, some better tended than others.
"Looks like Mom's home," Audrey said, nodding towards the stationary carriage. "I'll tell her you're staying over. Don't worry. It shouldn't be a problem."
"Alright..." Lyra was still amazed that she was about to stay in a human's home. It was almost enough to make her forget what she'd just eaten. Almost.
Lyra noticed the word "LOREN" on the side of the mailbox in front of the house. She followed Audrey up to the door, and stepped inside. The entry hall really didn't feel too foreign. There was a still life painting hung on one wall of some fruit, and across from that stairs headed up to the right. Lyra noticed that the stairs were narrower than back home, making them far more compact. Besides, the extra width wouldn't be necessary for a two-legged human.
Not long after they'd entered the house and Audrey had pulled the door shut, another human walked in. She looked kind of like Audrey, but her hair was curly instead of long. "Oh, I thought you'd be home soon."
"Dad's still at work?"
Audrey's mother nodded, then noticed Lyra. "And who's this?"
"This is Lyra. I told her she could stay with us for a while..." Audrey's voice trailed off, and her mother gave her a look. She turned to Lyra. "Um, make yourself at home. I'll handle this."
"Oh. Thanks," Lyra said. She headed down the hallway and left the two humans in the entry.
Their voices had dropped low. Lyra couldn't make out what they were saying, but she trusted Audrey. Maybe more than she should... No, the meat had been a misunderstanding. She couldn't dwell on that. Even if she couldn't force it out of her mind no matter how hard she tried. Besides, was she really in any position to turn down the kindness of strangers? Especially humans?
She had to get her mind off of what she'd done. This was a human house, after all - the thought of that was still exciting to her, regardless of everything else. Lyra headed into the other room.
Now the house was starting to look different from Ponyville. The living room - if that's what this was - had a strange setup. A couch and a few chairs were set up, all facing a black box. At the moment Lyra had no idea what it was for. It looked boring, so she turned her attention to the framed photos on the end table.
This one... It looked just like Hearth's Warming Eve. They had a tree decorated and everything. No, wait. That would be Christmas, wouldn't it? Lyra was grinning. Maybe she could ask them about what that was... But she couldn't be too obvious that she didn't know about it. All humans celebrated Christmas, after all.
Another one seemed to be Nightmare Night. A small human, the age of the young ones she'd seen at the restaurant, was dressed like a black cat. It was probably Audrey at a younger age. But if humans didn't have Nightmare Moon, then who did they celebrate?
She noticed the coffee table in front of the sofa had a vase with some flowers in it. Lyra was feeling a bit peckish. Hopefully she wouldn't be overstepping her bounds as a guest if she just took one.
She bit into the petals, and instantly had to resist spitting it out. It was way too bitter. She coughed, and tried to swallow it.
Lyra headed back into the entry hall. As she got closer, their voices became clearer.
"She's had a hard life. She won't even tell me what she's been through."
"I realize that, but this isn't like when you used to bring home stray animals. This is a human being, Audrey. A stranger. Do you even know anything about her? Where she's from?"
"She's going through a rough time. She's confused." That voice was Audrey's.
Lyra walked in. "Um, sorry, but... I think your flowers went bad. They don't taste right at all." She was holding the stem with the head partially bitten off.
Silence.
"Uh..." Audrey wasn't quite sure what to say.
"Sorry..." Lyra said quietly.
"No, it's... It's fine," Audrey said.
"Lyra, was it?" Audrey's mother said. "Audrey says you're in town working to make your own money."
Lyra nodded. "I really won't be any trouble. I can stay, right?" She took another bite of the flower stem without realizing it, and grimaced again. How could this taste bad, when earlier today she'd eaten...
Audrey exchanged a glance with her mother, then turned back to Lyra. "Come on. I'll show you where you'll be staying." Audrey led her over to the stairs.
It was starting to get dark outside. Lyra was helping Audrey to put covers on the guest bed she'd be sleeping in.
"Could you get that corner?" Audrey held one end of the floral-patterned sheets and pointed with her free hand.
"Sure." Lyra helped tuck it under. "I can really stay here, right? How long?"
"However long you need to. I think you need to come up with a better plan, though. At this point, trying to find those people from your photo is just unrealistic."
They finished with the mattress cover and started on the blanket. It was just a simple task, but they were using their hands for it. One hand had to hold up the corner of the mattress while the other pulled the cover over it. Audrey had picked up the blanket when a man walked in from the hallway.
"You must be Lyra," he said. "I heard you'd be staying with us?"
She turned to look at him. He was probably Audrey's father. "Yeah."
"Mom talked to you?" Audrey said. "About... well..."
"I really won't be any trouble," Lyra cut in.
"I'm sure you won't be," he said, smiling. "And we can't exactly throw you back out on the street, now can we?"
Lyra could hardly believe how lucky she'd been to end up here. "I... can't tell you how much this means to me."
"It's nice to meet you, Lyra. Just let us know if you need anything. We really do want to help you."
"Thank you," Lyra said, smiling. "I think I'm doing okay right now, though." She went back to making the bed, and finished putting the sheets on.
"I'll leave you be for now, then." He turned and left as they finished making the bed.
"Looks good," Audrey said. "And like Dad said, just tell us if you need anything."
Lyra was staring at the bookshelf at the end of the room. "Do you mind if I read some of those?" She pointed at them.
Audrey shrugged. "Sure. If you want to, I guess."
"Thanks." Lyra yawned. "But... actually, I think I'll just go to bed for tonight." She realized again that she'd woken up this morning in Canterlot. It felt like years ago. She needed some rest.
"Okay. Good night, then."
"'Night."
There were strange, unidentifiable sounds outside in the human world. Lyra thought they might be those carriages, but there was also a loud, high-pitched whine that grew louder and faded away. Lyra was stretched out on the bed, with her journal open in front of her, and a pencil in her hand.
It wasn't too different from home, except now she was writing from experience. And there were so many new things she'd learned about humans today. Where to start? She tapped the eraser against her lip.
She took another glance over the room she was staying in. It was dark other than the lamp on the table next to her. In front of that she'd set down her bag. Curtains hung in front of the window, but she hadn't felt like closing them. Earlier she had looked at the titles of everything on the bookshelf, and just couldn't decide where to start. Human culture was even wider and more varied than Equestria's.
Back to her journal. First off - Be careful of what you eat.
That note was worth circling. Lyra cringed just thinking of what had happened earlier today. Audrey hadn't meant any harm, though. Eating meat was just a normal human behavior.
It didn't change the fact that Lyra never wanted to do it again.
Moving on, there were all of those inventions that were in this world. She flipped back to a few sketches of carriages that she'd done based on her dreams. Those had been surprisingly accurate. She went back to a blank page.
The idea that this was her world - this huge, amazing place - was just wonderful. Equestria just couldn't compare to what might be in store for her here in France. And she'd already made a friend who could help her find her way around.
Though... She did miss Bon-Bon. A smile came to her face as she imagined what Bon-Bon's reaction would be to seeing her now. But... that would never happen. How could she get back without any magic? Besides, the spell was too difficult even for a normal unicorn.
How had she even gotten to Equestria to begin with?
Too many questions, and she'd been though too much today to even consider them all. She yawned. She really should just get to sleep.
She turned and saw her necklace hanging on the bedpost. A gold lyre, just like her cutie mark. She reached past it to the lamp, trying to find the switch. She wondered if all humans had things like this in their homes. Magical appliances existed in Equestria, but they weren't too common. But, judging from what Audrey had said this morning, she'd made it sound like magic was some kind of a joke. How did anything here work, then?
Her fingers closed around the knob, and it clicked as she twisted it to the "off" position. She was too tired to think about all these questions right now.
All things considered, day one as a human had been a success. |
Anthropology | A Chance of Rain | Lyra woke up to the smell of something baking... Was that cinnamon? Bon-Bon must be making breakfast.
She pulled herself up and rubbed her eyes. Then she stared at her hands. That's right... She was a human now. The sun was streaming in through the window, and she could see a carriage moving past on its own through the streets of France.
After taking a moment to readjust, Lyra stuck her legs over the side of the bed and stood up, steadying herself against the bed with one arm. She stretched to get rid of the stiffness.
There were voices coming from downstairs, and not ones she recognized. The words were hard to make out, but it didn't sound like any of the humans she was staying with. She scratched her head, and headed downstairs to the kitchen.
Audrey was sitting at the table, staring at a silver box on the kitchen counter. Her hair wasn't tied back like it had been yesterday, and hung down to her shoulders. She was also wearing glasses, even though she apparently hadn't needed them before. She turned her head when she heard Lyra enter. "Good morning."
"Good morning..." Lyra said, yawning. She looked at the thing Audrey had been staring at. It seemed like that was the source of the other voices.
"We're back with our continued coverage of the presidential campaign..." It was like it was talking to nobody in particular. Audrey was hardly paying attention to it now. She picked up a long black object and the box suddenly went silent.
"Mom and Dad left for work already," Audrey said, pulling Lyra's attention away. "You slept in pretty late, I was almost about to go wake you up."
"Yeah. I tend to sleep late," Lyra said.
"Great hair, by the way. Even crazier than usual," Audrey said. "I could lend you a brush if you need one. After you eat, if you want."
The smells were irresistibly stronger now, and these were familiar ones. "You made breakfast?" Lyra asked. She ran her fingers through her hair, trying to get it to stay down, but without much success.
"Cinnamon rolls. That's fine with you, right?" Audrey said. "I still feel awful about yesterday."
"No, it's fine," Lyra replied. "Great, actually. My roommate used to make these all the time. She's a professional baker."
"I'm definitely not," Audrey said, with a smile. "They're just Pillsbury." She noticed Lyra was confused again. "Pre-packaged. All I did was turn on the oven and put them in."
Lyra was just glad to see some recognizable food. She headed over to the stove, where there was a pan waiting on top. A plate and some silverware was sitting to the side.
"I made coffee, too, if you'd like some."
"No thanks," Lyra said. "I don't really like it. Too bitter."
Even when everything else seemed so unfamiliar, there could still be something recognizable in the human world. Plenty of ponies liked coffee - Pony Joe made most of his money off of that, back in Canterlot. Lyra had given it a chance a few years back. Even when she tried to dump in as much sugar as possible, she had never really gotten used to the flavor.
She took a seat across the table from her human friend. That still seemed too good to be true. Not too long ago, Lyra would never have imagined sitting down to eat breakfast with a real human.
Lyra took a bite, and even though the cinnamon rolls weren't quite as good as what Bon-Bon made, she still liked them.
The silver box was behind her. She turned to get a better look, and - as impossible as it was - there were human figures inside, though a window. There were words all around the figures, too many to focus on, all moving around. The humans' lips moved, but no sound was coming out anymore.
"It's been nothing but election coverage. I'm already getting tired of it. I guess I should probably pay more attention to it. I mean, we'll both be voting in another year," Audrey said. "I assume you will be, at least. Are you democrat or republican?"
Lyra stared at her. "I... don't know."
"Undecided? I guess it's no big deal." Audrey shrugged. "So, anyways, your roommate?"
"Huh? What about her?"
"She was a professional baker, you said?"
"Yeah. More of a confectioner. Candy and sweets and stuff," Lyra said. She took another bite. "I love that kind of food, so it worked out well."
Audrey nodded. "And how old was she?"
"A few months older than me."
"That's still pretty young to be a professional..." Audrey said.
"Not really. She worked for years before she even got hired where she is now," Lyra said. "But, uh, what do your parents do?" She wanted to change the subject back to humans. Thinking about home was a little difficult right now.
"Dad works for Principal, in 801 Grand. That's the tall building in the middle of town," Audrey said. "And Mom's a teacher. Middle school English. She's still got some summer classes going on."
So, a teacher, and... Lyra wasn't really sure what to make of the other one. "So, uh... what's English? You mean, like England?" It was one of the human nations she recognized from her books. She was still unfamiliar with how human society worked, with all these different countries. They couldn't possibly have teachers for all of the other ones, too.
"You know, English. Literature, writing. Language arts," Audrey said. "Lyra... What you told me yesterday really worries me. I think you were probably taken out of school too early. What exactly happened?"
She shrugged. "That's when everybody graduated."
Audrey frowned, and raised an eyebrow. "Okay... So what school did you go to?"
Lyra hesitated. "It's... uh..." What did she say? Audrey had laughed at the idea of magic when she had brought it up yesterday. The Canterlot Magic Academy had been a good school, but clearly human education worked differently. "Oh, uh... you know. School."
Audrey leaned back in her chair and folded her arms. "Fine..." she said.
"I really just want to see more of this place. I walked around a little yesterday, but there's even more out there. I don't really want to think about home right now."
"Lyra..." Audrey hesitated. "When I talked to my parents yesterday, they said the same thing I'd been thinking. You need professional help."
"You're doing just fine," Lyra said. "You're doing plenty just by letting me stay here. I really appreciate it."
"Well, yes, but... I mean therapy."
Bon-Bon had said that a few times, too. But why would Audrey be saying that? Her very existence proved that Lyra wasn't crazy.
"What do you mean?" Lyra asked.
"Obviously you can't afford it in your current situation, and we can't really spend that much either... But at the very least, it would help both of us if you just told me more about where you came here from."
"I told you it doesn't - "
"It does matter, Lyra. Why would you leave your parents' house when you were so young, for one thing? What did they do?"
"Nothing... They just decided it was time that I knew the truth about myself. My parents always did the best they could for me."
Audrey had said she was the same age as Lyra, and yet she still lived with her parents. They were going to work, but she still had a few years of school left. Lyra wasn't sure if she could even consider herself an adult anymore... But that still seemed ridiculous. She'd been able to take care of herself for years.
Audrey sighed. "I know you don't want to talk about it, but is any of this even true? What you've been saying hasn't made any sense."
"Of course it's true," Lyra said. "I get that your wor - I mean, this place works differently than where I'm from. But this was all normal for where I used to live."
"I just find it hard to believe that you'd get up and leave everything and everyone behind like that."
"My life back home was completely fine," Lyra said. "I guess... I just always felt like I didn't belong there. When I found out about my real family, that explained why. I just need to know who I'm supposed to be."
Audrey picked up her mug and finished the now-cold coffee, which had stopped steaming a long time ago. "I'd like to help you find your parents. I just don't see how we'll get anywhere with just a photo, much less one that's at least as old as I am," she said. "Have you considered going back home? It sounds like you had plenty of friends there."
"That just... isn't possible anymore," Lyra said.
"Why not?"
"It's too hard to explain." Lyra stared at her empty plate. "Trust me. I really am telling you the truth."
"I'm sorry if I'm coming across as intrusive. But as long as you're staying with us, we just want to know a little bit more about where you're coming from," Audrey said. "Anyways... what's your plan for today? Let's just take it one day at a time."
"I thought I'd go out and play some more. I still need to make some more money," Lyra said.
"Oh. That's right. Did you get a permit?" Audrey said. "I did some research online earlier. The city's pretty good about street musicians, but you do need a permit."
"No, I never thought about that," Lyra said. She wondered how Audrey could have had the time to look up that information just today - how long had she been awake? "I used to play in public all the time. I've never had problems with that before."
"Well, you're just lucky nobody called you out on it. You should probably get one today, before you try any more. It's just five dollars. Oh, and take your I.D."
"Huh?"
"Which reminds me..." Audrey's fingers drummed against the table. "You never told me your last name. You could at least do that, right?" She smiled.
Lyra sat there for a moment. "My... last name?"
"Yeah."
She glanced sideways. "That's a problem... I don't know what it is," she said. "I still don't know anything about my parents."
"But you must've gone by something back where you're from," Audrey said. "What about your adopted family?"
Lyra shook her head. "No, I've always just been Lyra." Well, actually, Heartstrings. But if Twilight sounded like a weird name to a human, what would they think of that one?
"So... No last name. And no I.D."
"Nope."
"Getting fined for playing would definitely be counterproductive..." Audrey rubbed her forehead. "I really don't know what I got myself into," she muttered.
"Sorry," Lyra said. "I told you. Things were really different where I grew up."
"I can tell that."
She glanced over at the box on the counter again. A human figure was inside. Behind him was a confusing mess of color. He seemed to be gesturing to one region. Audrey picked up the long object from the table. "Oh, the weather's on." She pointed it at the box and the human's voice could be heard again.
"Should be seeing some cloud cover and a slight chance of rain in the afternoon..." The colors behind him vanished and were replaced by a series of numbers and small icons of suns and rainclouds.
"They said earlier it might rain around three or four," Audrey said, pointing at the box. "If you're still going back out for anything, you should try to be in by then."
Lyra's head was turned and her eyes were glued to the box, but she nodded. "Yeah." Then, after a moment of consideration, she added, "My mom used to work in weather."
"Oh, really? Like an anchor, or...?"
"Production," Lyra said, frowning. She hadn't said anything about boats.
Audrey nodded. "But I don't suppose you'll tell me the name of the station."
"It really doesn't matter."
"I guess it's a start... If you want to tell me anything else, you can trust me. You know that, right?"
"Yeah, of course..." Lyra said. She idly picked up the fork, even though she was done eating. She held it in between her fingers and examined it with curiosity. After a moment, she looked up again. "Actually, one question."
"Shoot."
"Is there somewhere I could buy some more clothes? I didn't pack much with me when I left."
"Yeah, there's a few thrift stores downtown. It's not that far of a walk if you wanted to head out later today."
"I think I will."
They cleaned up the breakfast dishes together, and Lyra headed upstairs to get ready.
Lyra stood in the bathroom in front of the mirror, with a green-haired human staring back at her. She was almost surprised when she saw her reflection move at the same time as her as she picked up the hairbrush. She still couldn't believe that was her.
The handle fit into her palm perfectly. It was almost exactly like the kind she would use on her mane when she was still a pony, but now she was using it the right way.
Moments like these seemed to bring everything into perspective. Even something as simple as a hairbrush had been designed by humans. This world's past was probably a lot like the other, if you go back a few centuries. But how far, exactly?
She ran the brush through her hair, trying to brush out her bedhead as much as possible. It still stuck up a little on top, but that didn't matter.
With one look back at her reflection, she decided it was good enough. She took another moment to admire her new self. She really did look startlingly similar to that picture she'd done a few months back... Part of her had always known she was meant to be human.
Lyra headed back to her room, and stood in front of the window. The weather report had said it was scheduled to rain between three and four, so she'd wait until that was over before heading out to the store. The clouds had already been moved out, and the sky was grey.
For now, she checked out the bookshelves in her room like she'd been planning to do the night before. There were so many books here that she hardly knew where to start. This was, quite literally, a whole entire world of information that she was just beginning to tap into.
There was a series of books, big hardcovers that increased in thickness, called "Harry Potter." It looked like fiction, though - the titles reminded her too much of the Daring Do adventures that she'd read as a filly. Actually, a lot of these books seemed like fiction. There was an entire shelf of books by some human named William Shakespeare that seemed to be plays when Lyra looked inside.
Lyra would have really preferred a history of the human world, but... here was something. Understanding Human Nature. That was perfect.
She took it with her and sat on her bed, starting with the introduction. It seemed to be focused more on psychology than anything else... But that was good, too. The preface said it was intended to improve relationships with "our fellow human beings." Practical application was exactly what she wanted to understand.
She read the first few chapters, but this wasn't what she'd been expecting. All this stuff about consciousness and the psyche... It was too bad that Twilight wasn't here to explain what all these words meant. And it certainly didn't explain the human world very well.
Lyra glanced up at the window. It wasn't raining yet. She wondered if she had the time wrong, but she was almost certain it should have started by now. It was still cloudy, but it was dry.
She closed the book and set it down on the nightstand. It was getting late, so she should probably head out before long. Besides, she'd been reading about humans her whole life. What she really wanted was to go out and be a part of this place. Practical application, like the book said.
The wad of human money was sitting there, so she picked it up and put it in her pocket. Eventually she'd run out... It was hard to tell if she'd even made a lot from her performance yesterday. And she needed a permit? This was getting too difficult...
Heading downstairs, she found Audrey putting dishes back into the cupboards. She watched her for a while, the way she'd pick up a few plates in her hands, stack them, and move them up to the cupboard four or five at a time.
Audrey stopped, noticing she was being watched. "Can I help you?"
"No, I was just... Uh, I think I'm going to head out to the store now," Lyra said. "Are you coming?"
"I've still got a few chores to do. There are a few thrift stores downtown - just head past that park I met you in, and it's a few blocks past the capitol building. You'll know that one when you see it."
Lyra had been right - this was the capitol city. Maybe a more typical human city would be smaller, more like Ponyville or at least Manehattan. But of all the places she could have started out her life as a human, it was so exciting to be here.
"I think I'll be able to find it. Thanks!"
"Yeah. Be careful out there," Audrey said.
"I'll try to be back before too long."
Lyra headed for the front door and went back out into the human neighborhood. She took a moment to orient herself, trying to recall how they'd gotten here the day before. They'd come back from that... restaurant. She shuddered as she remembered it. But the park would be down the street from that. She started down the sidewalk in that direction instead, enjoying the cool breeze.
She passed a couple of humans walking a dog on a leash. It was a small black one, not quite up to her knee. It wagged its tail as it looked up at her. The human holding the leash gave her a nod, and she smiled back at him. Even with this being a big neighborhood, there were rarely as many humans walking outside as there would be ponies in Ponyville. It was a little odd.
The park was easy enough to find a few minutes later. And then, down the street, that building with the domed towers must be the capitol. That made sense. It wasn't as tall as Canterlot Castle, but it was still a very impressive structure with a similar sense of majesty. Lyra wondered if they ever held parties there, like the Gala.
Downtown would be where the buildings started to get closer together. There were more carriages driving past now, and more humans on the sidewalks. Lyra was almost getting used to seeing them - almost.
As Lyra headed into one of the shops, she took another glance upwards. They hadn't cleared the clouds away yet, even though the rain had been called off. Why bother sending out a weather report if they weren't going to adhere to it? She shook her head and walked inside.
She checked the money she had brought with her. Human currency was still hard to understand, but she was beginning to work her way through it. The paper ones were called dollars, and those seemed like they were actually worth more than the coins. There was literally no difference between the five- and one-dollar bills other than what was printed on them. Still, humans considered that normal.
It was easy to get sidetracked when there were so many human clothes for sale. There were so many more casual outfits than there would be in Equestria. Maybe that was partly because she'd grown up in Canterlot, but it was also because humans wore clothes all the time. She'd noticed yesterday that the different colors and designs made up for the lack of variation in their own physical appearances.
Lyra knew she had to stay focused on what she was actually going to purchase. She counted through the money she'd brought, and tried to make sense of the price tags on the clothes. She could buy a few outfits, but that was going to blow through her remaining funds in a hurry... At least she didn't have to worry about paying for food or a place to stay. For as long as she was in town, at least.
It wasn't until she checked out that she realized most of the shirts she'd picked out were green. She'd just chosen what she thought would look good on her. Maybe green was just her color.
As she handed each item to the cashier, she took a look outside. There were droplets forming on the windows. Rain?
"Um, excuse me. What time is it?" Lyra said. Maybe her sense of time was off.
The human working the register checked her watch. "It's almost five."
"Seriously?" Lyra said. The weather report had said it was supposed to rain between three and four today. They were completely off schedule. Lyra shook her head. Her mother never would have allowed this. Not even Rainbow Dash would have slacked off that much.
"Are you in a hurry or something? Be careful out there."
Lyra handed over the money for her clothes. As she had expected, she was nearly out. Before long she'd have to earn some more. Somehow.
The human handed her the bags with her clothes inside, and she took them. These strings on the top... Most ponies would have thought that those were to hold in your mouth. Maybe that's what they'd become to Equestrians, but it made so much more sense to hold those in your hands. If you were lucky enough to have them, that was.
Lyra was about to head outside, but she stopped. She decided she didn't really feel like heading into the humans' poorly timed rainstorm right now. They'd probably cut it off after an hour or so, like it had been scheduled. Lyra wasn't sure how they did it, if humans couldn't fly, but they did plenty of other impossible things. They could probably reach the clouds if they really wanted to.
She stood near the exit, watching the spray of water as carriages zoomed through the rain. Turning back to the store, she considered looking around some more. She obviously couldn't buy anything else, but human fashions and goods were interesting enough to look through a second time.
There was a bulletin board with some flyers posted near the exit. Lyra read some of them over. Her eyes stopped on one in particular - a word had grabbed her attention. She read it over again. Tore it off of the pins that it was hung up with. Maybe this was just the answer she needed.
Once it had cleared up, Lyra hurried back to the house with a grin on her face. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been this excited. Well, maybe when she first got to Des Moines, but this was even better.
She swung the front door open and called out. "Audrey?"
"In here." The voice came from the living room.
Lyra headed in to find the black box turned on. Just like the smaller one in the kitchen, the glass panel was now showing images of humans and different places. Audrey was sitting in the recliner in front of it.
"Mom's home. We've been waiting for you to get back. Did you get caught in that rain?"
Lyra handed her the flyer. "Hey. Take a look at this."
"Huh?" Audrey stared at it for a while, and read it. "Lyra, you know you're supposed to just take one of these tabs at the bottom, right? Not steal the whole thing." She pointed to the flaps of paper hanging off the bottom.
"Those were just numbers. I wasn't really sure what they meant," Lyra said. "Actually, I don't know what a lot of it means, but they need musicians, so that means me!"
"It's a phone number," Audrey said. She looked up at her. "What do you mean you didn't know what it meant?"
Lyra ignored the question. "We both know I need a way to make money, and I make a ton more if I do actual performances. Playing in public is really just a side thing."
Audrey started reading the flyer.
SEEKING MUSICIANS FOR HARD ROCK BAND
LEAD GUITAR, DRUMS
INFLUENCES INCLUDE : GNR, AEROSMITH, AC/DC, DEEP PURPLE
"Lyra... This is a rock band." She looked back up.
"Huh?" Lyra frowned. "Well, I mean, I've heard of that. It's not all that popular back home, but I pretty much know what it's like."
"Playing the lyre would be, what? Classical? Folk? I don't know. Point is, there's not really a need for that in a band like this," Audrey said. "Looks like they need a guitarist."
"Guitars?" Lyra nodded. Another human-designed instrument. "I've heard of those before."
"You've heard of them?" Audrey said. "Sounds like you're all set."
"Yeah! I mean, I've heard they can be difficult to play, but I think I'm up for it." Lyra was examining her fingers.
Placing a hand to her forehead, Audrey said, "No, I mean..." She sighed. "I guess that it might be useful to learn. There's definitely more of a demand for that than a lyre."
"If this is the kind of music that's popular with humans, then I want to learn it," Lyra said.
"Um... what?"
"I think I can do it. Music's my special talent."
Audrey rubbed her forehead. "Just when I thought I was starting to understand you..."
"Anyways, I'm gonna go drop these off upstairs." Lyra grabbed the flyer back from Audrey and took it with her.
"We were just about to have dinner!" Audrey called after her. Lyra nearly tripped over the unexpectedly narrow stairs, but caught herself just in time and hurried back up.
Lyra headed up to the guest room and left her shopping bags there. The flyer she left tucked in the pages of her journal. She paused for a moment when she saw her lyre's case. Then she headed back downstairs to eat.
Dinner that night was lasagna, which Lyra was assured was mostly cheese and tomato sauce and contained absolutely no meat. Audrey's mother had made it. They said it was Italian - yet another reference to a human nation. Lyra hadn't realized how interconnected they all were.
After they had finished and it had gone dark outside again, Lyra was back in her bedroom, taking another look through the books. She was in the middle of one when Audrey interrupted her.
"Hey, Lyra, about that flyer earlier..." She was leaning against the doorframe, holding out that little thing in one hand. She'd called it "Nathan" yesterday, if Lyra's memory was correct. Her wrist moved around in an idle motion.
"Yeah?"
"Well, I don't know how joining the band will go... But if you really want to start playing guitar, turns out I know someone who could help with that." |
Anthropology | Walk This Way | The next day Audrey brought Lyra to a house a few streets away. Lyra watched her as she pressed the doorbell with a single finger and then stepped back to wait on the porch, arms crossed in front of her.
Lyra was dressed in some of her new clothes. Blue jeans, and a green sweatshirt. These clothes fit her better than the ones she'd arrived in, but those had been made in Equestria. They might not have even been intended for a human originally. These felt perfect.
"I haven't seen Nathan in weeks," Audrey said. "This is the perfect excuse to come by and bother him."
From what Lyra was able to gather, this Nathan was another human. Lyra wasn't sure why Audrey would have given the same name to that little object she was always tapping her fingers on or occasionally holding up to her face and speaking to.
"He's a musician?" Lyra asked.
"Tried to be," Audrey replied. "That was a few years back. He never really got anywhere. He said he was trying to sell his old guitar on eBay, along with a bunch of other things, but I told him you'd be interested."
Lyra was about to point out that Audrey had just said that she hadn't seen Nathan in weeks when the door opened and another human greeted them. A male, with dark hair just past his ears, and a black shirt that read "Aperture" across the front. As was typical for most human males, he was a few inches taller than either of them. He scratched his head.
"Hello..." he said, as if he hadn't expected them.
"You remembered we were coming over, right?" Audrey said.
"Yeah, of course." He gave a glance towards Lyra. "So you're...?"
"Lyra." She put out her hand for a handshake, and he took it. She was getting good at this.
"I'm Nathan. You're the one who was interested in the guitar, aren't you?"
She nodded.
"Come on in. I'll go get it for you." He turned and headed inside. Audrey followed him, and Lyra tagged behind her.
There was music playing, growing in volume as they came into the living room. Humans seemed to love music even more than ponies did. They would play recordings of it practically everywhere - stores, restaurants, sometimes even out on the streets from their carriages. Lyra tried to locate a phonograph in the room, but she still couldn't see one.
It was hard to understand many of the words past the chorus - "walk this way, talk this way" - but the repeating instrumental motif could really get stuck in your head. Lyra could recognize it as rock music. It was different than what she's heard in Equestria - heavier, with different instruments - but wasn't everything here different? This was what she was going to learn.
"It's been a while since I've seen you. What have you been up to?"
"Nothing much," he said. "Enjoying the summer. Making a little money. So how'd you meet her?" He nodded towards Lyra, who was busy examining a half-empty bottle of Mountain Dew on the coffee table.
"It's complicated. I'll tell you later," Audrey said.
"That's cool," he said. "It's just great to finally find a buyer."
"Well, not exactly. More like borrowing."
"Alright..." He nodded slowly. "What's the deal there?"
"Oh, um..." Lyra had been watching how the humans interacted with interest. It caught her off guard to be addressed directly.
"She's pretty dead-set on joining a rock band," Audrey explained. "Even though she's never played guitar before."
"If nothing else, she definitely looks the part..." Nathan said.
Lyra grinned. "Thanks!"
"And you don't have it listed online, do you?" Audrey said.
"Relax. I never even got that far," Nathan said. "eBay's pretty confusing when it gets to selling big stuff like that. I was trying to figure it out, but I didn't get very far. And from the looks of things, I'd be lucky to even get two hundred for the guitar."
Lyra wished she knew more about what the humans were talking about. It was still fascinating just to observe them.
She noticed that he had one of those big black boxes in his living room, too. Lyra thought she'd heard Audrey's father refer to theirs as a "TV," whatever that stood for. The one in this house had a list of words - "Resume, Options, Quit."
Audrey had noticed it too. "Looks like you've been hard at work."
"Well, I was. Earlier," Nathan said. "I've been selling a ton of stuff. I managed to list a few old games, some books. I've got a lot I'm getting rid of besides the guitar." He turned to Lyra. "So, you said you were just a beginner?"
"Oh, um... I've never really tried guitar before. I wanted to learn something new. I play the lyre. I heard that's not very popular around here, though."
"A lyre?" Nathan said. "I guess if you found someone who played ocarina, you could start a band."
"Really?" Lyra said, cocking her head. If she found out what that was, that could make things easier.
"She doesn't really get sarcasm," Audrey said.
Nathan laughed and said, "Anyways, I've got some beginner's guides, too. You can borrow those to help you get started. I'll get all of that for you. It's just upstairs."
"Thank you so much," Lyra said.
"No problem."
Lyra waited with Audrey in the living room, listening to the footsteps from upstairs.
"I wonder if he's even chosen a college yet," Audrey said, settling down on the couch. She glanced over at the television again - those words were still there, not moving. "He's never really had much motivation, though. I'm not even sure what he plans to study."
"He's still in school, too?" Lyra said.
"Of course," Audrey replied. "He'd better start looking into colleges soon. We've only got a couple years of high school left."
It had been over four years since Lyra was last in a classroom. Eventually she'd have to go back, probably. Human schools were probably completely different than in Canterlot. She'd never really learned the full history and culture of her own race, and that was making it hard to fit in. What she'd studied all her life only went up to a certain point.
At least her musical talents were still just as useful here as it was in Equestria. And for now, all she had to worry about was finding some steady income. Then she could worry about other things, like school, or going back to find wherever she'd been born...
A few moments later, Nathan returned carrying a large black case. He unzipped it - it seemed to be made of nothing more than stiff fabric, nothing at all like the hard instrument case she used for her lyre.
"Man, I don't think I've even taken this thing out in years," he said.
"Um... can I..." Lyra was watching him intently.
He nodded. "Go ahead."
Lyra took the guitar, and Nathan showed her how to put the strap over her head and shoulders. She moved her hands into a position that was comfortable - right hand on the strings, left holding the neck.
"It's a Les Paul, but don't get too excited. It's just an Epiphone. This is one of the cheapest ones they make," Nathan said.
"Um... okay," Lyra said. Another inanimate object that the humans had given a name like their own. Interesting.
This wasn't quite like the guitars Lyra had seen in drawings, not even like the ones she'd seen ponies play a few times. Those were usually made of wood. She ran a hand over the smooth black face, and plucked a few of the strings with her fingertips. They felt too loose. She found the knobs at the top of the neck and tightened them, but it still sounded too quiet.
"Uh, I don't think it sounds right..." she said.
"You need to plug it in," Nathan said. He picked up a long cord and handed her one end. He pointed to a metal tip. "This goes in the end. I'll go get the amp for you."
He headed back up the stairs. Lyra searched over the body of the guitar and found where the end of the cord clicked into place, and moved across the strings. It still didn't sound right. Way too soft. She wasn't quite sure why she'd assumed that attaching a cord would change anything, but Nathan had sounded like he knew what he was talking about. The guitar was missing the hollow chamber inside, she realized. Without it, the sound just wouldn't project. It was even quieter than her lyre.
He returned with a small black box. Taking the other end of the cord, he fit it inside. "You'll probably want to adjust these."
She watched him twist some knobs on the box. They were small, just large enough to take them in between the forefinger and thumb. The varieties of uses for fingers was really amazing.
"What do those do?"
"That's the amp. It's how you adjust your sound." He pointed at each one in sequence as he turned them. "You'll want this one about 5, usually keep the treble up a bit higher, add some reverb..."
She was completely lost.
"Now try," he said.
Her fingers strummed the strings, and this time she jumped at how loud it was.
"It's... supposed to do that?" she said.
"I could turn it down a bit for you," Nathan said. He adjusted something again on the amp.
She tried a bit more, and found that she actually liked the sound. It was unusual - nothing like what she'd expected from a stringed instrument. Or any other kind of instrument, for that matter. But somehow Lyra still found it musical. After listening to some more, she realized this was a sound she had heard in a lot of human music over the past couple days.
The physical act of playing it, though... That felt great. One hand was using the strings, which wasn't entirely unlike her lyre. But her other hand had to move along the neck, adding a whole new dimension to how this instrument was played. Both hands, each of her fingers, they all had to work independently in order to play this. But the challenge made it exciting. It felt like she was a filly again, learning to play her first songs in music class.
"I've also got a tuner, it's somewhere in here..." He dug around in the case. "I'll show you how to use it."
Lyra was busy with the knobs at the top of the neck. "I think I've got it." She played one string at a time, testing the sound.
"Just by ear?"
"That's how I've always done it." She tried a few more notes, one at a time, and nodded.
Nathan scratched his head. "Try it out for a bit," he said. "I mean, I never quite got the hang of it, but yeah."
Lyra smiled. She slid her left hand along the neck, trying a few different positions and hearing what they sounded like. "I think I like this," she said. "Just give me a little time. I think I can figure it out."
She tried a little bit more, her fingers quickly learning their way around the strings.
"Do you mind if we step out for a while?" Audrey said, gesturing towards the door. "I wanted to talk to Nathan about something."
"That's fine," Lyra said, staring at her left hand as it moved along the neck of the instrument.
"Just keep working at it," Nathan told her. "Try to get used to it."
She nodded, but she was lost in concentration. Audrey led Nathan out into the hallway, still listening to the sounds of Lyra's playing. One flat note at a time, repeated over and over until it sounded right.
"So what do you think of her?" she said.
He stared at her. "What do you mean? I guess she's kind of cute, but - "
Audrey shot him a look. "That's not what I meant. She seems a little... off, right? I wanted your opinion on that."
"Well, yeah, I guess she's not really what you'd call 'normal.' You said you met her a few days ago. What's her story?"
"What she's told me is that she just found out that she's adopted and she's trying to find her real parents. And she was sent away from home with nothing but an old photograph of them that she was found with as a child."
"That's... a little dramatic," Nathan said. "How did you get into this?"
"She was in the park down by the statehouse a few days ago, playing her lyre. The hair kind of got my attention."
He nodded. "Yeah, I can see that."
"But... once I actually started talking to her, it turned out she can be a little strange."
"I could've told you that."
"You have no idea."
From the other room they could hear a few off-key notes and screeching feedback from the amp. They both winced simultaneously.
"Sounds like she's getting the hang of it," Nathan said. "Anyways, you were saying?"
"That's part of it," Audrey said. "You saw how she didn't understand anything about how an electric guitar worked. She gets that way with a lot of electronics. It's like she's never seen them before."
"Maybe she's Amish," Nathan suggested.
"With hair like that? I don't think so."
"Space Amish?"
"Get serious, here." Audrey's eyes narrowed.
Nathan waved a hand. "Okay. Start at the beginning."
"Well, we weren't exactly off to a great start. I started talking to her. She asked me where she could go to eat, so I took her to McDonald's. I thought that wouldn't be a problem, but I'm pretty sure she'd never been to one before. She didn't even know what the food was. And it turned out she was a vegetarian."
"Oh," Nathan said. Then the realization hit him. "Oh. Yeah, that's... That's not good."
"The look on her face... It was like she'd committed a murder. She probably felt like she had..." Audrey said, shaking her head. "But while we were there, I was just kind of making friendly conversation, and she said some other things that bothered me."
"Such as?"
"Well, apparently she's been living on her own since she was twelve. Her and some other girl who she called her roommate," Audrey said. "They might have been runaways. But Lyra doesn't even realize that it was anything out of the ordinary to live on her own at that age."
"You're serious? Where exactly do two preteen girls go to live and not get found by child services - or worse?" Nathan said.
"She won't tell me. Every time I try to find out where she came from, she just tells me the same thing - that it 'doesn't matter.' I don't even know her last name." Audrey paused. "Well, she doesn't know her last name. Or she just won't tell me."
"And you're letting her stay at your house, even though you know nothing about her."
"After everything she was saying, I started to get worried about her. She really has no idea what she's doing," Audrey said. "I was able to convince my parents that she's harmless. And she's pretty much determined to make her own money... hence this whole thing with joining a band."
The sounds were gradually becoming closer to something musical. Nathan paused for a moment to listen. "So before this, she said she just played a harp."
"When she came up with the idea to try guitar, I figured she'd be able to do more with that. I don't think she'll be able to actually try out for a band for a while, though."
"A harp's pretty interesting, though. Where did she learn to play that?"
"Believe me, I'd like to know. I'm hoping that she'll open up if I give her some more time," Audrey said.
Nathan leaned against the wall and folded his arms. "So what has she told you?"
"Nothing I can really use. She claims her mother - adopted mother, I guess - was a meteorologist. And she mentioned a few of her friends." Audrey paused, and they could hear a few notes being played. Lyra was trying to play a scale, and coming fairly close. "Let's see... Someone named Twilight, and then there was Diane. But at first she called her Pinkie. But she said that Twilight wasn't a nickname."
"If she was making those up, she'd have gone with something more sensible."
"I do think she's telling the truth, when she says anything at all. But she's still avoiding telling me anything specific about where she's coming from or why she left. At first I wondered if there was something going on, like... abuse." Audrey hesitated. "But she seems too cheerful. Actually, she seems a little sad to have left home."
"Then what do you think is wrong with her?"
"Maybe nothing. Well, not in the 'disorder' sense. She's naïve, but her lack of understanding seems mostly culturally-based. I get the feeling that she can actually be pretty smart. The only problem is what culture she's coming from, and how she ended up in the middle of Iowa when she hardly understands how American society works. And you saw how she reacted just now with the guitar, how she didn't even expect it to sound like that."
"So what are you going to do with her?" Nathan asked. "I mean, how long can she stay at your house? It sounds like it'll already be impossible for her to find out who her parents are supposed to be."
"I realize that..." Audrey said. "I'm starting to think that all she really needs is a hand up. She's definitely willing to work for what she needs; she just needs a place to stay for a while. So I'm doing that much for her."
"All I can say is that you're in way over your head, Audrey."
"Not as much as Lyra is."
Then they heard something - a simple, familiar riff. One that they'd both heard not that long ago. Nathan and Audrey looked at each other, then headed back to the room where Lyra was practicing.
"I think I've got it now," she said.
"That's Aerosmith..." Nathan stared at her in disbelief as she played the riff a few more times.
Lyra let the guitar hang from its strap. "I heard this as we were coming in. I thought I'd try it out."
"You're sure you've never played before?" Audrey said.
"I've always been a fast learner. Music's my special talent." Lyra gave a shrug.
"That's one way of putting it..."
Lyra stared down at the guitar again, still trying to familiarize herself with the new instrument. She'd never even dreamed that something like this could be possible. The sounds were unlike anything she'd ever heard.
"I'm not the best musician myself," Nathan said, scratching his chin. "And even if you're not exactly Joe Perry - "
"Of course not. I'm a girl," Lyra said.
" - I still think you could probably audition for a local band if you really wanted to," Nathan finished. "You're already about as good as I was ever able to manage. Somehow."
"How did you pick that up so fast?" Audrey said.
"I told you. Music's my special talent. I've always been a fast learner." Lyra turned to Nathan. "I can really have this?"
"Not exactly."
Lyra frowned. "But - "
"I'd still like to make something off of it," Nathan said. "I'm letting you borrow it for a while."
"I could pay for it. Just give me some time to make money." She'd liked this instrument. It felt right. She might start playing it full time.
He nodded. "Sure. It's not worth that much, but that's fine."
"I'll buy it from you as soon as I can afford it. I promise," Lyra said. She carefully set the guitar back in its case and zipped it back up. There was a strap to carry it on her back.
"I'll take this, Lyra," Audrey said, taking the amp by the handle on top.
"I'll get those beginner's guides, but I'm starting to wonder if you'll even need them," Nathan said. "You sound great. You've really got a knack for it."
"You really mean that?" Lyra could hardly believe her own ears. To hear that from a human - and about their own kind of music, too! It was such an honor. "As soon as we get back to your house, I want to start practicing right away!"
"You're serious about going through with this," Audrey said.
"Of course!" Lyra said. "My parents always told me I should focus on my music career. Ever since I first picked up a lyre they said I could go far with it."
"They probably didn't mean joining some guy's garage band, though."
Lyra smiled. "Probably not."
She wasn't about to tell either of them, but her parents hadn't even wanted her to become human in the first place, much less start playing human music. She wished that they could see her now and know that she was doing alright. Things were starting to look better already. |
Anthropology | So Much to Learn | After a little over a week in the human world, Lyra was beginning to understand what Audrey had meant by it being "boring."
Well, no. That wouldn't be the right word. Humans were still managing to surprise her every day. A better term might be "peaceful."
Truth be told, the past year or so in Ponyville had been unusually eventful. Nightmare Moon had only been the beginning, but then there had been the parasprites, the Ursa Major, the dragon. Countless other things in the Everfree Forest that she only heard about but hadn't actually seen. And that time when Twilight had cast that spell on her old doll, and Bon-Bon and Lyra had ended up giving each other some ugly bruises.
Things like that never happened in Des Moines. Humans were completely in control of their world, it seemed. Lyra couldn't forget what Princess Celestia had said about the war... But she hadn't seen any humans carrying around weapons. It was hard to imagine Audrey, Nathan, or anybody else she'd met doing something like that.
Lyra had settled into a routine, spending most of her time working on her guitar playing. She was picking it up fast. Music had always come naturally to her, so it wasn't a surprise. The guitar itself was easy enough, but that amp confused her. It was necessary to get any sound, but she hardly understood how or why.
Nathan's books had helped, too. It turned out that guitar was based more on chords than individual notes, so it wasn't quite like her lyre. She tried playing some old songs she had memorized from her Gala performance, but on the guitar they didn't sound right.
This was an instrument made for human music. She had asked Audrey for some music recordings that she could try to listen to and learn by ear.
"You mean, like rock music?" Audrey had said.
Lyra nodded. "Like what it said on the flyer. I don't know who those musicians are, though."
"I think my dad might have some stuff like that. Ask him."
It was a Saturday - Audrey's parents both had work off today, so Lyra found Audrey's dad in front of the television in their living room. They spent a lot of time there, but staring at the moving images for too long would make Lyra's eyes sore.
He noticed her before she could say anything. "Hello, Lyra. Do you need something?"
She nodded. "You have records of guitar music, right? Rock, specifically. I'm trying to learn it."
"You're looking for guitar music? I thought Audrey had said you played a lyre."
"Well, I used to, but I want to learn something new." She'd been doing a lot of that lately, and music was probably the least confusing of it all. "If I have something to listen to, I can usually play it by ear."
"Let's see. I've got a lot of music from the seventies, if that's okay," he said. Humans tended to describe a lot of things with numbers. He led her over to a shelf filled with thin cases. "CCR, Deep Purple..."
"I think that one was on the poster I saw. These songs have guitar players, right?" Lyra asked.
"It wouldn't be rock without it." He pulled a few of the square cases from the shelf.
"Those are what you keep music on?" Lyra asked, taking one and turning it over in her hands. It was so small. "I'm used to these other things back home. We call them records."
That made him laugh for some reason. "Usually it's the kids your age who don't know how records work. Do you need me to show you how to play it?"
She nodded.
He opened up a case, moving his fingers quickly. He pressed down on the center. "Hold it like this. Try not to get fingerprints on this side." He held the disc with one finger through the hole in the center, the others on the edge.
Lyra took it from him, carefully holding it the way that he had. The light caught the silver disc and created rainbow patterns on the blank side. "It looks amazing."
"I think there's a stereo in your room, Lyra," he said. "I'll show you how to play it."
She hadn't noticed the "stereo" before because it looked like just another piece of furniture. The disc was hidden inside a tray that came out, and it would play music despite not having horn for the sound to come out of. But the sound was less scratchy, and Audrey's dad showed her how to skip exactly to the beginning of each song or play them on repeat.
She'd listened to a song called "Lodi" a few times. It was nice and slow, and she could definitely relate to the lyrics. Once she'd picked out the lead guitar part, she'd practiced it all that afternoon until her fingers moved on their own and she could practically play it in her sleep.
Back when she'd been a unicorn, playing her lyre for too long could give her a headache. Magic required such concentrated mental focus, but playing either instrument with her hands was so much more relaxing. Once she got the song down, she could lose herself for hours. And, in fact, she had - she had to remember to cut off her practice time once Audrey and her family were going to bed.
Some ponies did play guitar, but Lyra had no idea how. Her fingers gave her precision control over each string. She'd seen ponies play guitars with their hooves, but it didn't even come close to what she could do with fingers. Humans probably made better piano players, too. Any instrument, for that matter.
It had been a little over a week since she'd started. It was hard to imagine she'd been human for that long already. Lyra was in her room as usual, working on another new song.
"Sounds good." Lyra looked up from her guitar to see Audrey standing in the doorway, arms crossed.
"Thanks. I've been working on a new one," Lyra said.
"How many songs have you learned?"
"I think maybe... three?" She tapped her chin. "No, four."
"It's only been a week."
"I know." Lyra went back to playing, doing the main riff from a song called "Smoke on the Water."
Audrey sat down next to her and watched. "It's weird. You're good at this - really good. You're like a prodigy."
"My parents used to tell me that." Lyra smiled.
Audrey just nodded and stared at the ground. She'd stopped asking Lyra so many questions lately, probably because Lyra had no intention of answering. Lyra set down her guitar on the bed at her side. Audrey had a point, she had learned how to play really fast.
Lyra stood up suddenly, and went to her bag. Her journal was right on top, right beside her lyre which had sat in there unused for a while now. But all she needed was the flyer tucked in the front cover.
MUSICIANS NEEDED. Lyra couldn't help but wonder if they were still looking for somebody to play guitar. And now she knew a little bit about Aerosmith and Deep Purple - those were famous human bands, and she could play a few of the songs off their albums.
She sat back down next to Audrey, reading over the flyer a few more times. "You know, I think I could probably audition for this now."
"You're still set on that one, aren't you?" Audrey said.
Lyra nodded. "How do we contact them? You said you knew how."
Audrey leaned back on the bed, supporting herself with her arms. "It's been a while since you picked that one up. They could've gotten another interested guitarist."
"I still want to try."
"You sound like you're ready, at least. Somehow." Audrey shrugged. "We could try to call them."
"Yeah, let's do that." Lyra wasn't sure what she meant by "call," but she was still getting used to human slang.
Her parents had always wanted her to pursue her music career. In a way, that's what she was doing now. Maybe she wasn't a pony anymore, and maybe this human music wasn't what most ponies listened to, but Lyra knew they'd still be proud of her if they could see her now.
"Here you go," Audrey said, holding something out to her.
It was the thing that she'd seen Audrey use so often before, which by now she was pretty sure wasn't actually called Nathan. Lyra took it hesitantly, and examined it. "What is it?"
Audrey scratched her head. "Right. I probably should have asked if you knew how to use a phone..."
"Well, no," Lyra said. "But I'd like to learn! Teach me."
"Uh... How exactly do I start..." Audrey thought for a moment. "It's weird. You catch on to music so fast, but I still have to explain things like this..."
"Please? Just do your best."
"You'll put in that number off of the flyer. Then just talk to whoever picks up. Tell them you saw their ad and you want to join the band." She paused, then added, "If they ask you how long you've been playing, lie to them."
"Alright..." Lyra stared at the phone in her hand. She tried to think of how Audrey had used it. "So... these numbers?" She ran a finger over them lightly.
"I'll read it off for you." She started reading off the number, but Lyra cut her off.
"Slower."
Audrey sighed and went back to the numbers, listing them off one at a time. Lyra touched each one in sequence with her finger. They gave in just a little, and it let out a note each time.
"Now what?" Lyra said after the last one.
"Just talk."
Lyra held the phone up to her face. She could hear something buzzing. "Is... is somebody there?" She felt ridiculous.
The buzzing continued, then stopped suddenly. "Hello?" The voice was actually coming from inside the phone. Lyra almost dropped it in her surprise, but caught it just in time.
"Oh, uh... who are you?" she asked.
"Do you have a wrong number?" the voice said.
"Um..." Lyra looked to Audrey for answers.
"Tell him you're interested in the band," Audrey said.
"Oh! Right." Lyra wasn't sure exactly where to look. It was strange talking to somebody when she couldn't even see them. "I saw this poster, and I'm a guitar player, so I was thinking..."
"This is about the band? Yeah. Great," the voice said. "My name's Randall. I'm the lead singer and temporary manager, until we get that spot filled. When can you come over? It'd be good to get an audition in with you."
"Oh, uh..." Lyra paused. "I think I can come over whenever." She turned to Audrey, who gave a confused look.
"Get his address," she said.
"Huh? Oh, right. Where do you live?" Lyra said.
Audrey handed her a pen. Lyra juggled it and the phone, shifting it to her other hand so that she could write.
"What do I do with this?" she asked.
"Write it down." Audrey put a finger on the flyer, and Lyra nodded. She copied down what the voice on the phone told her. It sounded like an address. A lot of numbers were mixed in there, too. Humans seemed to really like numbers.
"Did you get all that?" the voice said.
Lyra finished writing and nodded. Then, remembering the human on the other side probably couldn't see her, either, she added, "I've got it."
"My schedule's pretty open this weekend. Think you could make it tomorrow afternoon sometime? Just wanna hear how you sound, that's all."
"Tomorrow..." Lyra glanced over at Audrey. "Yeah, I'd like that."
"I'll see you then. Bring your own music. Looking forward to hearing you."
The sound suddenly cut off from the other end. Lyra held the phone away and stared at it, trying to figure out what had gone wrong.
"Press the red button," Audrey told her. Lyra tried one. "The other one, on the side." That seemed to work. A flashing time was displayed on the phone now.
"So what happens now?" Lyra asked. She handed the phone back to Audrey.
"You said you'd audition for him tomorrow, right?" Audrey said. "My parents will both be at work again, and I don't have a car..." She thought for a moment, then started pressing numbers on the phone again. Her fingers moved quickly. Lyra watched how she used it - it was much more natural and easy for Audrey.
"Hey, Nathan? Are you busy tomorrow?"
The doorbell rang the next afternoon.
"That's probably him. Go answer it, I'll print this out." Audrey had barely looked up. She was using something she'd called "Google Maps" - though it looked more like another television instead of a map. And she was sitting way too close to it.
Lyra headed downstairs and opened the front door.
"Oh hey, Lyra," Nathan stood there, a ring of keys hanging from one hand. "Is Audrey here?"
"Hi! Audrey's upstairs. I'm not sure what she was doing," Lyra said.
They heard footsteps coming down the stairs, and a moment later Audrey was there carrying a piece of paper. She handed it to Nathan.
"I just got the directions printed. Thanks for offering to drive her."
"Not like I was busy or anything today." He stared down at what she'd given him. From the glimpse Lyra was able to get, it looked like a map - a very complicated one. "I think I know where this is..."
"We don't really know much about this guy, but he seemed okay on the phone," Audrey said. "Just be careful."
"Will do." Nathan nodded and looked up from the map. "Ready to head out, Lyra?"
"Yeah, I'll just get my guitar."
"Technically, it's still mine."
"Right..." Lyra said. She headed back up to her room. She packed up the guitar into its case, slung it over her shoulder, and lifted up the heavy amplifier, her fingers straining with the weight.
Once she was downstairs, she almost dropped it in front of the two humans. "Now I'm ready," she said, panting.
"I can get it the rest of the way. My car's in the driveway." Nathan pointed over his shoulder with his thumb, towards the front door.
"Your...?"
Lyra followed him out to the front yard, where one of those carriages was waiting. It wasn't the same one that was usually there - this one was grey, and it was one of the smaller ones.
"We're taking that?"
Nathan slammed down a hatch on the backside. "Yeah. Don't worry - I haven't had my license that long, but I'm a very safe driver. You've got nothing to worry about."
He circled around to one of the front doors and got inside Lyra stood completely still for a moment, but he gave her a look as if telling her to get in.
"Go ahead and put the guitar on the back seat," he told her.
She nodded, and found the door handle. Her fingers slipped up inside it and it pulled outwards. The back seat was covered in all sorts of things - papers, a metal can, some shopping bags. She put the guitar on top of the mess, closed the door, and went around to the other side to get in the front seat next to him, on the right side.
There were all kinds of buttons like the ones on the phone or the stereo, a lever in between the seats, and some kind of wheel in front of Nathan. Like a ship, Lyra realized - he'd probably use that to steer. The seats were soft, but there was almost no leg room.
"Where'd I put that..." he said. He looked over and found the map. "Ah. There it is."
Lyra was still taking inventory of the vehicle. A cup sat near Nathan's seat - there were two indentations perfectly sized to it, one next to it that had a few coins in it.
He turned a key and the entire vehicle shook. There was some kind of a loud rumble from behind them. Lyra could feel her heart pounding in her chest. It had been loud, and when they started rolling backwards out into the street she could barely keep her eyes open.
"What's wrong? Carsick?"
She managed to open her eyes just a little, then squeezed them shut again. "No, I'm... fine. I'll be fine." She might have been talking to herself.
"Lyra, have you ever been in a car before?"
"One of these?" Her legs tensed up. She stared at them. Better those than the windows.
A memory suddenly played out in Lyra's mind - Rainbow Dash pulling her out of the runaway apple cart just seconds before it careened over the side of a cliff. In this vehicle they were completely enclosed and had even strapped themselves in. Not to mention she hadn't seen a pegasus in over a week.
That didn't make her feel any better. "Well... once."
"Just once?" He glanced over at her for just a moment, then looked ahead again.
"It wasn't exactly like this. But... similar. We didn't have these where I was from."
He nodded slowly, even though he was obviously confused. "Don't worry. We're not going that far." He kept his eyes focused ahead, without turning when he spoke to her. "Where'd you come from that you've never been in a car before?"
Lyra sighed. "Is it normal to ask this many questions when you've just met somebody?"
"Right... You've probably been hearing a lot from Audrey. It's not just you. She likes to analyze people," Nathan said. "The whole reason she took you in is probably because you're such a mystery. Though it does make sense that she'd want to figure out more about you."
"I'm just a normal human." Lyra noticed her own reflection in a mirror attached to the side of the car.
"You really don't want to talk about it, huh? I won't pressure you."
"There's nothing wrong with me."
"Maybe not, but I'd still say you're a long way from normal."
Nathan seemed completely calm. Lyra watched his hands, and that distracted her from what was going on. They gripped the wheel as they drove through the city, and he'd move it to either side when the carriage changed direction. As she'd assumed, it was the steering mechanism. After some time Lyra was getting used to the motion, but she still felt curious about how this thing moved at all.
They were going much faster than a carriage would. The speed wasn't as noticeable from the inside as it was when you watched one from the sidewalk. They slowed down again as they entered another neighborhood.
The drive had only been a few minutes, even if it had seemed much longer than that. And they must have been miles away from Audrey's house. They'd pulled up in front of a brick building, and Nathan was peering out the windows at the number on the mailbox.
"This is it... You're sure you want to go in there?"
"That's where we're supposed to go, isn't it? You had the map."
"Well, yeah, but..." He kept glancing around.
"I'm not nervous at all. I've been practicing a ton," Lyra said. "I'm sure he'll let me join."
Nathan just stared at her. "That's not what I'm concerned about."
Lyra searched around for the release to the strap across her chest, and clicked it down. She opened the door and stepped out, her legs still shaking. She braced herself with one arm against the car until it stopped. "What are you waiting for? Come on!"
"Lyra, don't you think - " Nathan started to call out to her, but she had already grabbed her guitar and was headed for the front door. He let out a sigh and left the car, double-checking to be sure he had locked it.
She searched around the edge of the door. "They don't have one of those..." There was no doorbell, so she made a fist and knocked. It hurt her knuckles, they weren't as sturdy as a hoof.
"I'm just saying, if this doesn't turn out well, just let me know. We can head right back," Nathan said. He made a gesture behind him, towards the car.
The door opened and another human stood there, taller and bulkier than Nathan. He lifted a hand to push his stringy dark hair out of his eyes. It was about as long as Lyra's own.
"Um... I'm here about the band?" Lyra said.
He nodded. "Right, right... You're the girl who wanted to try out for guitar. I was expecting you. Come on in. Let's talk."
Lyra quickly followed him inside, but Nathan touched her on the arm. "You're sure about this?"
"Come on. He's a human just like we are."
"I didn't doubt that."
"You guys coming?" The man looked back at them.
"Yeah!" Lyra put a hand to the guitar case on her back and hurried in to the living room."
They were invited to sit down on a couch, and the other man took a lumpy armchair across from them. He nodded towards Lyra. "You were the one on the phone?" He looked her over. "You seem a little young."
"Oh, it's fine. I'm sixteen."
"Right... You must be the one I talked to yesterday," he said. "You can just call me Randall."
His voice sounded kind of like the one she'd heard on the phone, but it was weird to think that they'd already talked if she was just meeting him for the first time now. She noticed the odd artwork on his T-shirt - unusually detailed, even for human clothing. It had what must be a human zombie on it, and the words "Iron Maiden" in red.
"Are you the one in charge?" Lyra said. This wasn't like the auditions she was used to coming to, but then again, those had all been with ponies.
"Gotta say I'm glad that we've got somebody willing to be our guitarist. A band can't really hold itself together without one, you know?"
"Uh... yeah."
"So you're...?"
"Lyra."
"Lyra...?" His voice trailed off expectantly.
She stared at him. "That's what I said."
"You got a last name, Lyra?"
"Nope. Just Lyra."
His expression was blank for a moment, then he laughed. "Well, okay then. So, just-Lyra, got any performance experience?"
"Yeah. A ton." She beamed with pride. "I was chosen to play at the royal Gala back home, as a matter of fact."
"A... royal Gala." He leaned back on the sofa. "What, are you British?"
Lyra frowned. "I don't think so..."
"Well, anyways, let's hear what you've got. All that really matters is if you can play. Am I right?"
"Yeah..."
Nathan stood up. "I'll go get the amp out of the trunk. You go ahead, Lyra." He hurried out.
Randall lifted a finger. "So that was...?"
"My friend Nathan. He's lending me the guitar."
She noticed on his left arm he had a twisting black pattern. It looked like a dragon - like the ones she'd seen in the dragon migration, or that time when Spike had grown to his full size. That was the only time she'd ever seen a full-size dragon up close. "How'd you get that?"
"Oh, this?" He lifted up his arm and glanced down at it. "Heh. I woke up one morning with a splitting headache and this happened. Who knows what else went on that night."
"Fascinating..." Not only did this human have a cutie mark, he didn't even remember how he earned it.
He opened a door and led her into another room. "We usually play in here. I'll let you get set up." He touched something on the wall and an entire wall rumbled and started pulling itself up.
Outside, Nathan was carrying the amp up to the house, and walked inside the room where they were. He glanced around. "Wow. A literal garage band."
"We use what we've got," Randall said.
It was like a tool shed attached to the house, with a solid stone floor stained with something black. Lyra got to work setting up the amplifier. It was still difficult to remember how to set this thing up - she'd kept it ready to be used in her room ever since the first time she'd used it so that she wouldn't have to worry about this part.
"Need some help?" Randall said, raising an eyebrow. He took one of the cords and plugged it into the wall.
"No, I... I think I've got it." Lyra was crouched down, trying to figure out all the cords. She found the end that plugged into the guitar and clicked it into place, then stood up. "I'm ready."
"Let's hear it." He stood back with his arms folded.
Lyra started into "Smoke on the Water." It was her newest song, but one of her favorites. She put all her concentration into her fingers and the sound of the guitar. She practically forgot about the two humans standing there watching her, or the cold and dirty room they were standing in. When you really got down to it, this wasn't too different than trying out for a concert in Canterlot. If she was good enough at the music, she had nothing to worry about.
After a few minutes, Randall raised one hand. "That's fine. That's enough."
Lyra stopped and lifted her head up. She brushed her hair out of her eyes. "Was it good?"
"Yeah. Great, in fact," Randall said. "I mean, I was just about to let you in no matter what you sounded like. We've been a bit desperate. But that... how long've you been playing?"
"Just about my whole life." It wasn't technically a lie. He just hadn't asked what she'd been playing. Or how. Lyra flexed her fingers. "Who did you mean by 'we?'"
"I'll introduce you to the other band members later. Practice'll be next Monday afternoon."
"So... I'm in?" Lyra started to grin.
"Welcome to Crimson Thunder."
She couldn't believe it. A human band. She was going to be playing music with other humans!
She ran up to shake Randall's hand vigorously. "Thank you so much!"
He stared at her in mild surprise, his eyes wide. "I guess I'll see you then."
"Right... Monday afternoon." She nodded, still grinning.
If she hadn't already been here for so long already, Lyra would have sworn she was just having an incredibly vivid dream. What would Bon-Bon think of her now? |
Anthropology | A New Challenge | It felt so long since the Grand Galloping Gala, but it hadn't even been a month yet. So much had happened since then. Still, going to Randall's house for her first band practice felt like returning to a familiar routine.
As Nathan pulled his car up in front of the house, Lyra saw the garage door open and Randall standing there with another musician, who was tuning his own guitar. There was an unoccupied drum set behind them. He noticed her and waved. She grinned, and ran up to meet him. Nathan stayed behind to get the amp out of the storage compartment in the back.
"Hey, I was hoping you'd show up." Randall turned to the other human standing next to him. "Mike, this is Lyra. She's our new lead guitarist."
"It's nice to meet you." She held out her hand, expecting a handshake.
The human he'd referred to as Mike looked her up and down, not saying anything for a while. "She seems a little young."
"Yeah, she's..." Randall thought for a moment. "My mind just went blank. How old are you again?"
Lyra slowly lowered her hand when Mike didn't accept it. "Sixteen."
"Right, right..." He nodded. "I figure we just won't mention her age at any gigs and it shouldn't be a problem. And as long as she doesn't take drinks from anyone, we'll probably get away with it."
Mike just shrugged. "Alright."
"Me and Mike started this band. Then we met Casey from one of the posters we put up - same way you found us, right? Mike's our bassist, Casey's on drums. We couldn't really hope to get an actual gig until we got our lead guitarist, though."
"Where is he, anyways? We were supposed to start by now. You'd think a drummer would have better timing." Mike laughed at his own joke.
"That's just it, though. He is the drummer." Randall turned back to Lyra. "Don't mind him," he said. "Anyways, we've been working on a few songs. Covers, mostly. Stuff from the eighties, maybe early nineties. Old favorites, maybe you've heard them before." Lyra could almost guarantee she hadn't. "You'll have to put in some extra work to catch up, but you sounded good last time."
"I'm a very fast learner," Lyra said.
"Good to hear it."
She got another glance at Randall's cutie mark, still wondering why the other humans she'd met didn't have theirs. And shouldn't she have one herself, if she'd earned it as a filly? The placement made some sense - the forearm instead of the back hip, which you couldn't usually see on humans because of clothing. She wondered what Randall's talent was that got him a dragon mark like that.
Nathan came up behind her, the amp hanging from one hand. He set it down for her. "Hey, uh, Randall..." He gave a small nod, his eyes darting towards Mike, then towards the door. "Mind if I wait inside? How long is practice going to take?"
"Should be a couple hours. You can watch some TV if you want to. Don't touch the fridge." He pointed at Nathan as he said that for emphasis.
Nathan shrugged. "Fine with me. I'll see you later." He headed inside, glancing back at her one last time before he closed the door.
He'd told Lyra earlier that he didn't want to drop her off there and abandon her. Why he was so nervous, she couldn't understand. But it would be convenient, and she appreciated it.
Lyra slid the guitar case off her back and set up. There was a tangle of wires on the ground, and she stepped over them as she plugged her own guitar in. She played a few notes to try it out.
"So we've got our guitarist... I guess," Mike said. "When do we get a manager? We don't have a band until we've got a gig."
"I'm working on that. For now I've got a few contacts waiting and we might be able to perform soon," Randall said.
Satisfied with her guitar's sound, Lyra stood there wondering when they'd start. And what songs they'd do. That was a problem.
"Hey, Randall?" she said. "Do you have any, you know, sheet music? I'm not sure what you guys play..."
"You mean tabs? Oh, sure. Pretty sure I've got some in there somewhere. Let me go look for 'em." He headed into the house.
While she waited in the garage, Mike didn't say anything to her. He pretended to take an interest in his bass, even though it was obviously ready and in tune. It was quiet except for the low notes coming from his own amplifier. She wasn't sure whether to offer friendly conversation or not.
Randall returned a few minutes later. "Here it is. We're working on a few things right now. You might have to practice on your own time to catch up."
She looked over it. Guitar tabs - that's what they called these - weren't quite like regular sheet music, but a lot of the notation was exactly the same as it was in Equestria. That couldn't possibly be a coincidence, any more than the countries and language being the same as what she'd read about in Equestrian history. But for now, it was just convenient.
Outside, a dirty car that was probably blue once pulled up, making all kinds of weird rumbling noises. It made Nathan's car look fancy by comparison, even though he tended to joke about what a mess it was. Another human got out from the front seat, a blond male with some scraggly facial hair. He jogged up to the garage to join them.
"Casey! Finally made it, did you?" Randall said.
The newcomer stared at Lyra. "Who's she? Your kid sister? Crazy hair, by the way." He grinned when he said it, though Lyra wasn't sure how to take it.
"Our new guitarist," Randall said.
"You serious? No, who is she really?"
"I'm Lyra. I can't wait to perform with you guys!" She stuck out her hand, and Casey reluctantly took it.
"Look, I know we were getting desperate, but she's a kid," he said.
"I do have professional experience," Lyra offered.
"So you've told me," Randall said. "You'll understand once you hear her, Casey. Now let's get started already. I've been dying to get back to practice ever since I got off work."
"Sure. Whatever. Let's just get going." Casey took the seat behind the drum set.
Other than Randall, this band almost seemed as standoffish as the other musicians at the Gala had been. Lyra was getting a bad case of dejà vu. That is, until they started into the first song. She'd just seen the guitar tabs, but she could understand how it sounded. The riffs were simple enough, with the same few chords repeated through the whole song.
Once they finished, all the humans were silent. The final note seemed to reverberate in the garage for a long time. Maybe that was just the echo.
"That was your first time with that one?" Mike said slowly.
Lyra nodded. "Yeah, I think I got lost somewhere around the second verse. Can we try it again?"
"Where did you find this one?" Casey said.
Randall gave a glance to the other two musicians, as if to say "I told you so." Then he counted them off to start again.
Practice lasted for a few hours. It hardly felt like any time at all. Rock music was pretty short, catchy, and high-energy. It was nothing like the droning classical pieces that Lyra had always performed in Canterlot - complex, but often forgettable.
She was back in Nathan's car, heading back. It was still hard to get used to this fast motion in a vehicle that was propelling itself somehow. Lyra was doing better than her first time, though. Like all human things, it just took some getting used to. She reminded herself that she'd never seen one of these go spiraling out of control like the apple cart had, but it was all too easy to imagine.
"I texted Audrey back there, asked if we could do something out for dinner," Nathan said. "To celebrate, I guess, but to be honest I'm just bored. And my parents don't really care what time I'm home."
"That sounds fun," Lyra said. But she realized it would probably mean more driving.
They stopped in front of Audrey's house just long enough for Nathan to go to the door and pick her up, and then they headed to what the humans had called "the mall." Lyra had told them she'd never been to one before, but they were used to hearing that from her by now.
They pulled into an open space filled with other humans' cars. Lyra was the first one out of the cramped vehicle, as relieved to be out of the cramped seat as she was interested in where they were now.
The building was huge - it rivaled Canterlot Castle; it even made the humans' own capitol building seem tiny. And once they'd entered, the sights took Lyra's breath away. This one structure had tons of small shops, more than all of Ponyville. It was enough to impress a Canterlot pony - well, a Canterlot girl - with all of the selection.
Nathan was just amused at Lyra's wide-eyed stare. He and Audrey both acted like they were used to this place, as unaffected by the sights and sounds as they were by all the other amazing things in their world.
"Chinese good with you?" Nathan asked.
"I'm feeling more like sushi. The Chinese place here isn't that good," Audrey said. She grimaced. "I actually might've gotten food poisoning the one time I tried it."
"Yeesh. Well, looks like we're being fancy today," Nathan said.
"I'm fine with anything... pretty much," Lyra said. She'd lost track of how many new foods she had tried, especially all the desserts. "But there's no... um..."
Audrey caught on to what she meant. "They've got a few vegetarian options," she said. "Unless you eat fish. I know some vegetarians make an exception for that."
Lyra shuddered. "No, I'll... I'll just stick to the vegetables."
They passed a florist and a salon on the way there. This place really did have everything. It kind of reminded her of the flower stand that Roseluck worked at on market days, or Aloe and Lotus' beauty shop that she'd been to a few times with Bon-Bon...
The restaurant was on the second floor, in front of a balcony. There were more levels of stores above and below them, all packed with humans. Lyra leaned over the rail to look down at the tiled mosaic floor, with the sun from the skylight above their heads shining down on it.
"You coming?" Audrey called out to her. Lyra turned around and headed up to where they were waiting in front of the restaurant. The menu was posted on the wall. Audrey gestured towards it. "Good news for you. Their vegetarian options are actually cheaper than the regular ones. I might even go for that."
"Regular..." Lyra muttered. It was normal for humans. Would she ever get used to that?
It was still hard to accept that most humans did choose to eat meat. They even knew exactly where it came from. But... there were plenty of animals that ate meat. They had to sustain themselves. Just like other animals might eat plants, or gemstones.
They placed their orders at the counter. Lyra was getting really good at talking to humans - not too long ago, even being near one would make her mouth go dry. Now it was just an everyday thing. She was feeling like she fit in here.
They sat down at one of the tables. Even though the mall was crowded, this restaurant's seating was all available.
"So how're things going with that band?" Audrey asked. "You seem to be in a good mood."
"It's great! Randall said we'd be doing covers. That means we're doing songs that other bands wrote," Lyra said. "I didn't realize bands wrote their own music. Do most of them do that?"
"The good ones do," Nathan said. "The ones that get famous."
"He said that his original stuff wasn't any good, though," Lyra said. "I just think it sounds hard. Writing music and playing it? You'd really... have your hands full with that, don't you think?"
"I guess so. I thought I heard Guns 'n Roses back there," Nathan said.
"You know that one? Everything we're working on is completely different from the songs I practiced before. A lot louder. But I don't really mind," Lyra said. "I think the other band members have been practicing them longer than I have, but I'll just work extra hard back home."
"Yeah, about those band members..." Nathan said. He hadn't gotten a chance to really meet them. He had waited inside until they stopped playing.
"Everyone in the band is really nice. But I am the youngest one there," Lyra said. "I was kind of surprised, actually."
"Most kids our age would be focused on school," Audrey said.
"Right..." Lyra nodded. She'd forgotten that.
"They were all in their twenties, it looked like," Nathan said. "I'm amazed Randall even let you join in the first place."
"I guess I'm usually younger than the other po - than the other musicians I play with. It's always been that way." The musicians at the Gala had all been older than her by a few years, plus they had seemed like regulars to the event. Still, these humans were, what? Six or seven years older than her? It hadn't seemed like that much of a difference.
"Right. The young musical prodigy with a mysterious past," Nathan said.
Audrey gave a sigh, though she didn't say any more on the topic. She opened up a thin paper wrapper and taken two long wooden sticks out of it. Lyra nearly forgot how hungry she'd been as she watched Audrey move her fingers expertly and pick up pieces of food with them.
"What are those?" Lyra pointed at them.
Audrey paused for a moment and looked at her. "I think this one's an avocado roll..."
"No, I mean the things you're using to pick them up."
"Chopsticks?"
"I've never been able to get the hang of them, myself," Nathan said. "Too much of a hassle. And they give us forks anyway." He stabbed at his own food with one.
Lyra didn't hear him. She was concentrating on the complicated movement of Audrey's hands. This was a challenge. And it looked like so much fun.
She glanced down at her plate, searching around the edges. There! She had one of those paper wrappers too, so she tore it open and took them out. She snapped them apart at the top, and held them up to her face, examining them intently.
"Have you ever used them before?" Audrey said. "Actually, that's a stupid question, isn't it? I'm guessing not."
"I've never even seen anything like this," Lyra said without looking up. She tried to figure out how to hold them - Audrey made it seem so easy. There was no secret in their design, it seemed. They were just smooth wooden sticks. Humans had designed them as a test of skill or something, a way to show off their dexterity. It was the only explanation Lyra could think of.
"Getting a little intense, there, Lyra." Nathan had stopped eating and was watching her.
She said nothing. Her entire concentration was on these little wooden sticks, trying to figure out how to fit them into her fingers without dropping them, and then trying to pick things up with them. It was almost impossible.
"You... do have a fork," Nathan said. "You know that, right?"
"I've been using forks all my life. This is something new." She fumbled with the sticks some more, and they fell out again. She picked them up off of her food and tried again.
Audrey reached across the table. "Here. Put the first one like this..." She put one stick in between Lyra's thumb and forefinger. "Then only move the second one."
Singling out one of the pieces of sushi, Lyra attempted to pick it up. It fell out. A few more times, without any better results. Then, leaning her face in, she was able to lift it up into her mouth.
Nathan clapped his hands together. "Nice work."
Lyra was beaming. "Got it." Then she made a face. "What exactly is this?" The taste was odd. Not unpleasant, but unexpected.
"I think it's just avocado and cucumber. Oh, and seaweed," Audrey said. "Those... aren't a problem, right?"
"No. I've never eaten seaweed before, though. Where do they get it? Is there an ocean near here?"
"I wish. Iowa's about as landlocked as you can get," Nathan said.
"And that's... where we are," Lyra said slowly, watching him. "Obviously."
"Of course," Audrey replied. She frowned. "Lyra, you do know where we - "
"I was just kidding." Lyra smiled awkwardly, and waved a hand. "Of course I know where we are. I'm not that clueless." She gave a nervous laugh, but they didn't look convinced.
Iowa, though? She thought the word sounded familiar, maybe humans had mentioned it a few times. It must be a smaller region in France. She hadn't looked at a map in a while, but she thought she remembered France having some ocean coasts. Des Moines must be somewhere inland, then. It wasn't easy to just go up and ask for a map without a good reason, though. They already noticed she wasn't like them.
She went back to trying to use her chopsticks, picking up a piece, lifting it almost all the way up to her mouth before it slipped and dropped back on the plate. "Horseapples..." she swore under her breath.
Audrey stifled a laugh. "What was that?"
"Oh, uh... Nothing!" Lyra said. "It was nothing." She made another attempt at picking up the sushi, and was successful this time.
"What do your parents think of Lyra staying for so long?" Nathan asked. "I mean, she's been there for, what? Over a week now?"
"They seem okay with it..." Lyra said. She glanced over at Audrey. "They like me, don't they?"
"Well, yeah. They've definitely gotten used to you," Audrey said. "I'm sure it helps that you're always offering to help around the house. Helping out in the garden now and then seems to make up for all the loud guitar music."
"I do like to work with my hands." Lyra gave a slight smile. Chores hardly felt like work - they were just another opportunity to see how humans got by without magic. And it turned out that they did pretty well. It was all of their tools - some of which were recognizable from Equestria, though it was obviously a lot easier to use a garden trowel when you could grip the handle properly.
"Sweet. Are they paying you?" Nathan asked.
"Well, yes..." Lyra said. But the money wasn't why she did it. Honestly, she'd been surprised when they'd offered to pay her for her help, but she had accepted it.
"It's practically like she's always lived here at this point." Audrey smiled.
Lyra had to admit, she did have a point. She'd been here so long it was starting to feel less like some strange other world and more like, well... home. And yet she still felt like she needed to find out who she was and where she'd come from. If that was even possible. Audrey had found Nathan's house on that computer somehow, why couldn't they find her parents?
Returning to her food, and these fascinating wooden sticks, she worked on picking up another piece. Glancing at the others' plates, she realized they were already done.
"Looks like we'll be here for a while," Nathan said, glancing up at the skylight. "By all means, take all the time you need, Lyra."
She'd get the hang of these sticks eventually.
Practice went on as usual, every Monday, Thursday, and Friday. Those were the days when the other band members' work schedules didn't conflict, according to Randall. On each of those days, Nathan would show up, Lyra would gather everything into her bag, and head out with her guitar on her back.
Her journal was still inside - if Audrey or her parents happened to find it lying around, there would be too much explaining to do. Better to just keep it close. And she was still taking notes in there. She'd just filled up an entire page on how to use chopsticks.
On this particular day, she was the last one at practice. Mike and Casey were already in the garage setting up, but Randall was nowhere to be seen.
Lyra checked the tuning on her guitar, plugged it in, and played a few chords to test it out. Setting up in Randall's garage for practice had already started to feel natural. Sure, it didn't compare to a fancy stage, especially not the one at Canterlot Castle, or even a normal practice room, but she was surrounded by humans here. That more than made up for it.
She took one of the songs Randall had given her out of her bag to read it over. They were working on several different pieces at once.
"Well, everyone, I just got off the phone." Randall swung the door to the house open and stepped out. He was in a good mood. "We're set to play at a music festival in two weeks. Told 'em we'd just play what we've been working on, and that was that."
"Seriously?" Casey said. "That's cutting it close."
"Lyra, I'll really need you to double-time it." Randall pointed a finger towards her. "This thing's coming up fast, but you've got talent. Mike and Casey, good work so far, but we could be better. We can always get better."
Mike nodded. "Sure. Guess so."
"Now, same songs we worked on last time. Let's get them perfect. We might actually get paid for this, so no slacking off."
A paid performance? Lyra knew that Randall had been trying to get them in somewhere, but hadn't been expecting it so soon. The idea of being back on stage again - in front of an audience of humans, no less - was incredible, even if she'd been expecting it to happen at some point.
"Starting off with Highway to Hell, then." Randall counted them off, and Lyra started. |
Anthropology | The Best Night Ever | Lyra had wondered what she was supposed to wear on stage. Usually at concerts she was expected to dress in something fancy, like that white-and-gold dress Rarity had made her for the Gala. No... Nothing like that. It wasn't the style. She was wearing jeans and a T-shirt like she would on any normal day.
The music festival was taking place in a darkened building with an audience of humans standing out there watching. Randall had joked about getting a "real crowd" someday. Lyra wondered what this was considered, then.
There was a voice booming out from the ceiling. She only caught the words "Crimson Thunder," but that meant it was time to start. Lyra hardly had time to look up to find the human who had spoken before the lights came on, nearly blinding her. Her heart was pounding, but she couldn't panic now. This was what she had been waiting for.
She looked over at Randall, standing near the microphone, and he gave a quick nod towards her. Just like they'd practiced, then...
All it took was Lyra playing the first few isolated notes of their first song, something called "Welcome to the Jungle." The crowd was already yelling and cheering, and they hadn't even finished yet. With her guitar hooked up to the stage's sound system, it was still enough to drown them out.
This was her first performance since the Grand Galloping Gala. All those stuffy Canterlot ponies had just wanted simple, quiet music to play in the background while they ate and talked amongst themselves. The soft sounds of a lyre could get lost in the murmurs of conversation. But not here. Now she was the center of attention.
The music picked up into the intro. She could feel the sound shaking the stage through her feet. Randall stepped up to the microphone and started into the vocals. His voice wasn't nearly as raspy as the original singer on the recording - she actually preferred Randall; the original one didn't even sound like singing.
"Welcome to the jungle, we've got fun and games! We got everything you want honey, we know the names!"
Fear was turning to a rush of pure excitement. This was a song that humans knew, she was here playing it with them, in front of an audience of at least a hundred. It felt like her ears were going to burst, but she didn't even care.
The solo was coming up. Lyra loved this part. She got to play whatever complicated melody she wanted, just making it up on the spot. Her fingers were gliding over the strings, knowing where to go simply by touch. After listening to enough rock music, she had an ear for this, and the applause after she finished was the best sound in the world. Humans clapping their hands together for her. It was like a dream.
Randall came back in with the vocals and finished off the last few verses. "In the jungle, welcome to the jungle, watch it bring you, to you - It's gonna bring you down!" Lyra finished off with a drawn-out chord, letting it reverberate for a while like they'd rehearsed, until finally Randall gave a hand signal to cut it off. And then the cheering got even louder.
There was hardly any time to stay silent, they started right into the next song. They wouldn't be playing for too long. It wasn't their own show, after all, there were plenty of bands just like theirs waiting to go on. But Lyra would have been willing to let this last all night.
She had friends here, and she had music. Humans understood those two things just as well as any pony. Well, maybe their taste in music was a lot more fun than Equestria's. And her band mates were definitely more welcoming than Octavia and the others, once they'd warmed up to her.
Maybe she'd known it ever since she'd arrived here and seen another human for the first time. It had just gotten clearer after staying longer. It had been so hard to leave everybody in Equestria behind at first, but now she was where she belonged. The human world was where Lyra had been born, and it was where she would live for the rest of her life.
She didn't care if she never saw another pony again.
She packed everything up backstage. The whole performance had ended way too quickly. She felt energized, despite the late hour.
Randall's arm clapped her on the back, making her jump. "Hey, awesome work out there."
"Thanks!" Lyra said. "What are you guys doing next?"
"We're going back to my place to celebrate. Hey, your friend Nathan's still here, isn't he? Maybe you should go find him."
"Can't you drive me there?" Randall had a black van that they used to move some of the larger equipment, like the drum set.
"What? To the party?"
She nodded.
"Oh, uh... Listen, Lyra, it's great and all that you joined up, but... This party's more of an adults-only thing, you know? Casey's already gone out on the beer run."
"But I..." Lyra stopped herself. It was useless to protest. She knew she could hold her alcohol pretty well, though she was more fond of wine or punch. That was probably unavoidable since that's what they tended to serve at Canterlot events, and she'd gotten used to it. But she wasn't an adult here. Not anymore.
"Listen, you can come over tomorrow. I'll get you your cut of the pay. The last thing we need to do is get tangled up in anything illegal, right?" He grinned.
"Fine..." Lyra said, letting out a sigh. "I'll see you tomorrow, then."
She zipped her guitar case closed and lifted it up. There was a backstage exit to the alley behind the theater, but she headed the other direction into the audience to find her friends. It was dark, loud, and crowded, but she found them standing towards the back.
"Great work out there!" Nathan had to yell over the music, but even then it was impossible to hear him.
Audrey stood there with her arms crossed. "Yeah, great. Can we get out of here?"
Lyra couldn't stop grinning, but she nodded. "Lead the way."
After living here a couple weeks, everything was starting to look familiar. It used to seem so huge after living in a quaint little town like Ponyville, but Lyra supposed that with enough time you could get used to anything. The route Nathan drove to Randall's house always drove through the central part of town, with the tallest buildings. Lyra recognized the book store she'd stopped in on her very first day as a human. That first day seemed like so long ago.
"So. You have fun last night?" Nathan asked.
"Of course." Lyra smiled. "I've never been to a concert like that. It was incredible."
"You always kind of struck me as a rocker type, though," Nathan said. "You must just like hair dye, I guess."
"Music like that's just not popular where I used to live," Lyra said.
"In medieval times, where people still listen to traveling minstrels and have never seen cars."
She could tell he was joking, but he wasn't too far from the truth. "Well, I guess I've been to one. I don't think it counts, though. These... kids... Some of my friends' younger sisters, actually, they tried to do one for their school talent show."
"Really? That must've been good."
"It was terrible, actually. Their lead singer was completely tone-deaf and they tried to work kung fu in as dance moves." She stopped. "You know what kung fu is, right?"
"Yeah. That sounds interesting." He laughed. "You're not making this up? Nobody put it on YouTube, did they?"
"No. They're nice kids, but that performance definitely wasn't their special talent. I don't think I could even do it justice. You had to be there..." Lyra's voice trailed off. "But nothing could top last night's concert. That was amazing."
"Glad you thought so. There were these guys near where me and Audrey were who were really drunk. They were yelling and cracking bad jokes the whole time. Kinda ruined it. But you were still awesome out there, Lyra," Nathan said. "You really got them going."
"Thanks." Lyra went back to staring out the windows. "Oh, and I should be able to pay you for the guitar soon."
"There's no rush," Nathan told her. "But... how long are you staying with Audrey and her family? I mean, you can't move in with them permanently. School's starting soon, too. I didn't even expect you to stay as long as you have."
"I didn't think I would, either," Lyra said. "But I like it here. I... didn't really fit in back where I used to live. They used to think I was weird."
"Really, now? I can't imagine why."
She could hear the sarcasm in his voice, but really, he probably couldn't imagine it. Even with as little as she knew about humans, she still felt like she fit in more than she ever had in Equestria. Lyra would never have to hear Bon-Bon tell her that humans weren't real ever again. She'd never be called crazy. And these car seats had been designed for this sitting position, the way she'd always done it.
They pulled up outside Randall's house. Lyra unbuckled her seat belt and got out, adjusting the bag hanging at her side as she stood up.
"I'll just wait out here. This'll be quick, right?" Nathan asked.
"Right." Lyra nodded. She ran across the overgrown lawn and up the front steps.
She knocked on the door, and stood there waiting. Nothing happened. She tried knocking again, harder, and there was a muffled voice from inside that she couldn't make out. Then she was greeted by a very exhausted looking Randall, rubbing his forehead.
"Oh, hey, Lyra," he said slowly. "There's no practice today. Everyone's worn out from that concert. And the afterparty," Randall said. He rubbed his forehead, wincing. "Mostly the afterparty."
"It's Saturday. You told me to come over and you'd give me my cut."
He blinked. "Oh. That's right." He dug into his pocket and pulled out a wad of money - paper bills, the kind that were worth more. He counted out a few of them. "That should be it. Great work out there. I think I should be over this by Monday, but I'll call you if I'm still feeling like crap."
"Thanks... I'd definitely like to keep playing..." She looked over the money. Adding in the allowance she was getting from Audrey's parents, this would definitely be enough to cover Nathan's guitar... If she played more concerts, she'd be able to actually make a profit. But... then what?
"You're thinking of leaving?"
"It's nothing... Nathan and I were just talking. I guess I'm staying in Des Moines longer than I planned."
"You don't live here? What're you doing, then?"
"Well... I mean, I know this probably won't get me anywhere." She reached into her bag, finding the photo wedged between the guitar books and her journal. "I was just passing through town. I've been trying to figure out who my parents are. This is all I have of them, though."
Randall took the picture, and looked it over. She couldn't read his expression. It seemed like he wasn't entirely there.
"I think it's obvious by now that they don't live around here. I need to get out there and find them, even if I don't know where to start. France seems like a huge country, and I've only seen part of it."
He stared at her blankly. "Why are you talking about France? You're not making any sense..." His words seemed to slur together. He stared back down at the picture. "Besides, they live in Pennsylvania."
Lyra stared at him. "Huh?"
"You're joking. You're not his kid." He tapped the glass with a finger. "You told me you didn't have a last name."
"I don't. I mean, I don't know what it is..." Lyra said. "And what do you mean they live in Pennsylvania?"
"I've seen this house before. And your dad." It was like some realization had finally struck him. "I mean, holy... Just hold on a second." His sluggishness seemed to have completely disappeared. He shoved the picture back into her hands and ran up the stairs.
Hesitating for a moment, she stepped into the house. Everything seemed messier than usual, which was really saying something. It must have been from his party. If she didn't know better, she'd have thought Pinkie Pie had been through here.
But other things were more important now. Lyra stared down at the photograph. Audrey had told her it was unlikely anyone would recognize them. Did Randall know her parents? How would that even be possible? And... where was Pennsylvania, anyway? She'd never heard of that one.
The creaking on the steps signaled that Randall was back. He was carrying a large hardcover book, and handed it to her. "On the back."
She turned it over, and saw the man's picture there. "Wait..." She looked back at the photo of her parents. Then back to the book. The same short, dark hair. His beard. He wasn't smiling in the photograph on the book, but there was still something similar about the eyes. Lyra thought she had seen enough humans to tell one from another.
"It's the same guy, isn't it? It's not just the hangover getting to me?" Randall said. "That book's from '95 or something like that, before he took a break. His pictures after that look different. He got older."
The title said "Thomas Michelakos" in large, ornate letters above the title, Entering Eternity. A few human figures stood in a dense forest, one with a tall staff, the others with swords slung on their backs like Lyra wore her guitar. They wore cloaks and tunics. Things like the humans from her Equestrian history books had worn, not like what humans here dressed like.
"How did you - " Lyra began.
"Don't act all surprised that I actually read every now and then," Randall said. His words weren't slurring as much. "I like some good fantasy every now and again. Tolkien's the best, Blind Guardian's what got me into that. But Thomas Michelakos is still one of the better authors right now, if you ask me."
"So... my dad's a writer?"
"Your dad's on the New York Times bestseller list. Seriously, I don't think I've ever heard of him having a kid, though."
She looked at the humans on the cover. If she didn't know any better, she'd think they were the extinct Equestrian humans. "What's it about?"
"Typical fantasy stuff. Epic battles, magic, the usual. But it's the characters that really - "
"You said... magic." The word had struck her. It couldn't be a coincidence... could it? Humans seemed to know what magic was, even if they couldn't use it.
"It wouldn't be fantasy without it, would it?"
"I... guess not..." Lyra said. Maybe that's what humans would consider fantasy, but to her, it was part of an old life she thought she'd left behind. Why would a human... No, why would her own father care about that? Didn't they realize how great their own world was?
"Seriously, though, if you're his kid..." Randall laughed. "All this time. You really should've pulled that out earlier. What are the chances?"
Lyra didn't know what to say. She never would have expected something like this. The human world seemed so big that she had believed Audrey when she said the picture wouldn't get her that far. But when she turned the book back over, and looked at that photo on the back, it was unmistakable.
"Ah, man. This is unreal," Randall said. "Get me his autograph, why don't you?"
"Um... y-yeah," Lyra said. Unreal was right. "Listen, I'm supposed to go back..." She thumbed over her shoulder in a shaky gesture.
"Yeah, sure thing. I won't keep you. You've got better things in store, don't you?" he said. "This is probably going to sink in once my head stops pounding."
She handed him back the heavy book, with one last look at her father's picture. "I'm sorry. I guess I really won't be coming back to practice."
"It's fine. Maybe I'll see you again, right? Say 'hi' to your dad for me." He laughed at that.
Lyra gave a final look back as she headed outside. The car was still waiting there, and she mindlessly drifted towards it. Her mind was still reeling. What did all of this mean?
Nathan looked up from his phone as Lyra opened the door and got inside. "There you are. I just got a call from my parents. They want me back home soon. What took so long?"
She sat there for a moment. "I... have a last name."
"Come on, Lyra. I'm pretty sure you weren't in there long enough to get married."
"I thought I'd show Randall that picture of my parents. He recognized them," Lyra said, staring ahead blankly.
"He's friends with them? Do they live around here?"
Lyra shook her head. "My dad's a popular writer, I guess. About... magic." She said the last word quietly.
Nathan leaned forward with interest. "That's out of nowhere... What's his name?"
"Thomas... Michelakos?" It was a hard name to pronounce, but she'd have to get used to it. It was her own. "I've never heard of him."
"You said you'd never heard of Aerosmith until a few weeks ago." Nathan shook his head. "The guy's a bestseller! Even I've heard of him. Randall must have been kidding."
"No, he showed me one of my dad's books. The man in the picture was the same. I'm sure it's him."
"Oh God. You are serious... If you're actually his daughter, why'd he give you up? It doesn't make much sense."
"I don't know anything about that. My other family didn't know how I got... to where I used to live," Lyra said. She wondered if she'd ever find out why she had ended up stuck in Equestria. At least she'd probably find out what the reaction had been on the human side.
"Can't wait to hear what Audrey thinks of this..." Nathan muttered.
"You're right... She's got a computer, she can look him up." Lyra still didn't understand exactly how computers worked, but Audrey could get just about any kind of information out of hers. Like an entire library, but not much bigger than a single book. "We can find out where he lives."
Nathan was grinning. "You know, if Randall does turn out to be right about that, then at least you won't have to worry about earning money with some shady band."
"It wasn't that bad..." Lyra muttered. She hoped there would be more opportunities like last night once she got back home. All those years and she was finally enjoying her musical career.
Nathan started the car and they pulled away. Lyra took one last glance at the house. There would be other bands... That kind of music was popular with humans. She could always find another gig.
"This is really crazy, Lyra. Not that everything about you wasn't already," Nathan said. "Really, though, nobody's ever recognized him in that picture? Who have you shown it to?"
"Well, you... Audrey and her parents..." Lyra said. "And now Randall."
"What about before you came into town?"
Lyra shook her head. "No, they wouldn't have heard of him."
Nathan laughed. "Sometimes I really do wonder if you came from outer space."
"No, it's nothing like that," Lyra said. "I'm a normal human."
Though, all things considered, she was still having trouble letting go of everything else. No pony could have imagined this place. She still remembered Bon-Bon telling her to work on her music instead of studying humans. How Twilight had told her that there was just no evidence that humans existed. Her pony family telling her to study magic instead of...
Her real father wrote books about magic. Her human father.
Fiction, not instructional - humans knew about magic, they just didn't believe in it. And Thomas Michelakos would still be a typical human. He still lived in this world, after all. He owned a car, probably even a computer of his own... It just seemed odd that a human would take an interest in something as mundane as magic. Why couldn't he realize what the world they lived in was like?
She stared out the window at the now-familiar sights of Des Moines. She had really thought that she was finished with magic. How could any human care about it when there was all of this? She'd been impressed by human achievements back when she was reading about them in the Canterlot library, but nothing the humans in Equestria had done even compared to this world.
The one thing Dewey had wanted was for her to find out where she actually came from. All that really mattered was that she had a last name. She had a human family. Apparently a very well-known one, at that, but it's not like she ever would have heard of them before. Why wasn't she feeling better about this?
"You're going to try to contact him, right?" Nathan's voice snapped her attention back. "Your dad. Find out if Randall was right about him. I don't really know much about the guy. Never been much of a reader. Actually, I'm surprised Randall is, of all people..." He took one hand off the wheel to scratch his head.
Lyra remembered something Randall had said. "How far away is Pennsylvania? I guess that's where I'm from..."
"Pennsylvania? What part?"
"I'm not sure."
"Doesn't matter. You'll figure it out. It's... I don't know, exactly," Nathan said. "You'd probably have to fly there."
"I can't fly. I'm not a pegasus," Lyra blurted out, and then instantly regretted it.
Nathan just laughed. "That's the first flying animal you think of?"
"Right... You didn't mean like on my own, with wings... Sorry." She laughed nervously. She couldn't start slipping now. Not when she was so close.
"You've got a weird sense of humor..." They pulled up into Audrey's driveway, and sat there with the car still rumbling. "Here we are. I can't stay, but tell me how this goes. I gotta know if this is for real."
Lyra stepped out and was about to get her guitar out of the back seat. She hesitated. "I think I can afford to pay you for this now."
He twisted around in his seat to look back at her. "Oh, right. Forgot about that. Yeah, go ahead and take it for now. We'll figure that out later," he said. "You've got more important things to worry about right now, don't you?"
She nodded, and slid the case out. As he pulled away, she waved, then turned to head inside.
Lyra's legs were shaking. She wasn't sure how to feel at the moment - she knew who her dad was, and yet something was just off about the whole thing. She went up the stairs and into Audrey's room, pushing the door open. "I know my last name."
Audrey was seated at her computer. It took her a moment to process that. She spun herself around in the chair. "You... what? How?"
The words all came tumbling out at once. "Randall recognized my parents. I'd never shown him the picture before. My dad's a writer, he lives somewhere called Pennsylvania, I think - "
"The guy from your band? How does he know them?"
"He doesn't know them personally. He showed me one of my dad's books. His name is Thomas Michelakos," Lyra said. She pointed at the computer. "You can look him up on that, can't you?"
"Yeah, sure, but... a writer?"
"Nathan said he'd heard of him, too. I guess he's famous. He writes books about magic."
"I wouldn't know him, then. I don't read a lot of fantasy."
"I know. It's so boring, isn't it? Nobody needs magic," Lyra said. It was good to know there were other humans with some sense. "But this might be it. I think he really might be my dad."
"Lyra, I wouldn't listen to everything Randall says. Besides... you said they were having a party, he probably drank a lot last night. I'd like to say he means well, but - "
"I saw the picture myself. I know it's the same man." Lyra glanced back at the computer. She still wasn't sure how it worked, but humans could use that to find out just about anything. "Could you try?"
Audrey sat down, spinning the chair to face the keyboard. "I'll see. Just... don't get your hopes up." The screen lit up. "Now, how did you spell that name? It sounded like it was Greek or something."
Lyra tried to remember. "M-I-C-H..."
"Nevermind, Google autofilled it. Here's the Wikipedia page."
Lyra stared over Audrey's shoulder. The computer screen had words all over it, like a book, but it was glowing and they kept on moving away from her eyes. It finally stopped on a photograph of a man at the corner of the screen. He looked older - his hair was a little grey instead of black, and his beard had been trimmed down, but Lyra thought that maybe he looked like an older version of the man in her photograph. Her dad.
"That's him..." she said, pointing her finger out. "I know it is."
Audrey leaned forward, with her head on one hand as she squinted at the text. "Let's see... Biography... He lives near Philadelphia. His wife is a freelance artist, and they have a... daughter? No, wait, that's not..."
"Fillydelphia? That can't be right..." Lyra leaned in close to get a better look at the page. All these tiny letters. She wasn't sure how Audrey was able to stand it. If it had just been on paper, it wouldn't be nearly so hard to read.
"It's what it says. So they had a daughter in... 2005." Audrey leaned back in the chair, and put her hands behind her head. "Sorry, Lyra, but you don't look like you're seven years old. Besides, she still lives with them."
Lyra stood up, blinking. "No... It has to be him. I know it is."
"Randall probably made a mistake. I'm not surprised."
"No, I looked at the picture too. It was him."
"He could've just looked similar. And I know it sounds great that your dad would be some successful author, but someone else would have recognized that picture in the past fifteen years."
"Well... no, I don't think they would have." No matter who a human might be, there was no way her Canterlot family would have known him.
Audrey shrugged and kept reading. "It wouldn't make sense. I just don't see how your family could have had that picture, and it's somebody fairly well known, and they didn't..." Her voice trailed off. "Wait. They had another child, but..."
The entire screen flashed and another set of words appeared.
"Here it is..." Audrey scanned the lines of text. "It says she went missing back in... 1997. Her name was... Oh my god." She leaned back in the chair, holding a hand over her mouth. "Lyra Michelakos."
"This thing has information about me?" The words had stopped moving long enough for Lyra to see her own name. She leaned down closer, one hand on the back of Audrey's chair. "My name - " Her name actually was Lyra. It would explain why she'd always liked the sound of it, ever since reading it in a book years ago.
Audrey shook her head. "It's not necessarily you. It could be a coincidence." She went back to the article, and the words scrolled up the screen, slow enough to read. "I'll admit that everything fits. With the date, you would have been... a year old, about. It says... the Michelakos family was robbed. Just about everything from their daughter's room was taken. Including her." Audrey's mouth hung open. "They'd made some money from the book series at that point, but there wasn't even a ransom. Everything was just gone. They never recovered anything, no signs of a break-in..."
Lyra grinned. "No... I know about this. It all fits. This is me. I know it is."
Like Princess Celestia had told her, she'd been found as an infant human in the Canterlot gardens. Objects from her home in this world had been strewn around, including the picture that she was carrying now. Obviously from the other end it would have looked bad. Her real parents must have been devastated...
Audrey stared at her. "I thought you said you were adopted, Lyra. You mean you were kidnapped, and you knew about it? All this time?"
"It's not as bad as it looks."
"How could it not be?"
"Well, um..." Lyra didn't know what to say. Whatever magic had brought her into Equestria, she didn't think anyone had done it intentionally. That didn't change the fact that she had no idea what had actually happened. "It's... It's all just a misunderstanding. I ended up okay."
"Federal crimes aren't just 'misunderstandings,'" Audrey said. "For a while, I thought you might be hiding something important. Repressing it. If you're really this Lyra..." She spoke slowly and evenly. "I really need you to tell me. Where exactly did you come from? And what do you know about how you ended up there? You told me you didn't even know who your parents were."
"I don't - I mean, I didn't know who they were. I just knew how I..." What did she say? "There's really nothing wrong. My other parents loved me. They took good care of me."
"You've said that plenty of times. I'm not sure I believe it."
"They told me they found me abandoned. All they had was that photograph, but they didn't know who my parents were. There was nothing they could do to send me back, anyway. And they had nothing to do with this." She gestured towards the news article that was still on the screen.
Audrey put a hand to her forehead. "But you won't tell me any names, where you lived before coming here... How did you even get to Iowa from Pennsylvania? How far did they take you?"
"A lot farther than that..." Lyra muttered.
"What?"
"I... didn't mean that. Not in the way you think."
Audrey turned back to the news article that was still on the screen. "You're not making any sense. Why can't you just tell me what happened?"
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Even back in Equestria, where magic was just a part of everyday life, nobody would have believed that you could somehow end up in another world entirely. Humans definitely wouldn't accept that. They didn't believe in magic.
"This whole thing sounds insane, to say the least. But somehow, I believe it. Somehow it makes sense. There's just one thing..." Audrey sighed. "If you come forward claiming you're Lyra Michelakos, there's going to be an investigation. You can tell me if you want, but you're definitely going to have to answer to the police. And your family."
"I told you it's nothing illegal..."
"What part of it wouldn't be?"
Whatever Audrey thought of her, of all of her misunderstandings about human culture since she'd arrived... They were friends. That much was clear. And it would be easier to talk to her than any of the human authorities.
"Well... I really am Lyra Michelakos. From... Philadelphia." It was hard not to habitually say the name of the city in Equestria. She took a deep breath, and continued. "And I am a human. But for the past fifteen years... I was a unicorn." |
Anthropology | Past Lives | "A... unicorn," Audrey repeated. She slumped down in her chair.
Lyra nodded, and took a seat on the bed across from her. "I don't know how I originally ended up in Equestria - that's where I lived - but that's what happened when I disappeared from this world."
"So... what you've been hiding all this time... is that you're a unicorn."
"I used to be," Lyra corrected her. "I didn't even know I was actually a human up until... less than a month ago, actually. I'd been researching humans my entire life, but Princess Celestia told me that they were real, and that you still lived here - "
Audrey put up a hand to cut her off. "No. Just... stop talking."
Lyra shrugged. "You wanted me to tell the truth."
"Of course. I do want the truth. You've mentioned a few things about where you came from, and I don't think you were talking about unicorns." Audrey paused to recall something. "Like... you mentioned that your mother worked at a weather station."
"Well, she's not a unicorn. She's a pegasus, and she worked at the weather factory in Cloudsdale. Specializing in rain cloud production."
Audrey shook her head. "No, that's... ridiculous. Are you saying you've just been giving me straight lies this entire time?"
"I didn't lie. I didn't tell you the entire truth, but I haven't lied to you." Lyra glanced down at her necklace, and held it out so that Audrey could see the lyre-shaped charm. "See this? This was a gift from the Princess before I came here."
"What, are you going to say it's magic or something?"
"No, that's not how magic works. I can't even do anything without a horn," Lyra said. "I lost it when I became a human. Not that I really mind, since I have these." She held up her hands.
Audrey almost laughed at her. "You're sounding crazy right now. Do you realize that?"
"I know it's a lot to accept. That's why I never mentioned it before. Besides, I don't want to go back to Equestria. I want to meet my real parents. My human parents."
"So... The reason you haven't told me anything is because you're a unicorn trying to fit into human society."
"Exactly."
Audrey laughed weakly. "You actually believe this?"
Lyra stared at her. "Of course. I haven't been in the human world very long. I'm still adjusting to it. When I first got here, I was overwhelmed. Des Moines is just so much bigger than Ponyville."
"Ponyville?" Audrey said.
"Yeah, it's where I used to live."
"That's - " She couldn't even find the words. "Never mind."
"You're the first human friend I've ever had. Up until I met you, humans seemed so distant. I didn't even think of them as being much like myself, I guess. But you showed me what we're all like. You taught me so much. I don't know what I would have done without your help."
"You were a unicorn up until I met you?"
Lyra nodded. "That was the day I left home," she said. "You... believe me, then?"
"Of course not. All this stuff about unicorns... It doesn't make any sense! I shouldn't even have to say this, but unicorns aren't real, Lyra."
The words seemed like an echo, something she'd heard so many times before - but reversed. Lyra stared at her. "You're just like Bon-Bon."
"Who?"
"My old roommate. She never believed me either."
"Exactly! If she didn't believe you about unicorns, what makes you think I would?"
"No, she doesn't believe in humans. Ponies think that we're just made-up creatures from old stories. Most of them haven't even heard of us. Even when there was so much proof that humans were real, all around us. Even before I knew what I was."
That actually made Audrey laugh, though it sounded harsh. "Lyra, I'll admit that this is one heck of a story. It almost makes sense that your dad would be a writer. You're definitely good at making things up. Except..." Her expression became sober. "You still believe everything you're saying, don't you?"
"Of course," Lyra said.
The problem was just that she didn't have any proof. Even then, would it have made any difference? Bon-Bon's mind had never been changed no matter how much evidence Lyra had found - and she had been right. Princess Celestia had admitted to all of Lyra's suspicions, and now she was here with a living human.
"I never thought I'd have to convince a human that unicorns were real..." Lyra muttered.
"Trust me, I never expected to have this conversation either," Audrey said. "Please... Don't mention any of this to my parents."
"I didn't plan on it. I just want to be a human. I didn't even want to tell you any of this in the first place.."
"Good. Because they like you, Lyra. They let you stay here a lot longer than I ever expected them to. If you start saying stuff about being a unicorn and Ponyland or whatever - "
"Ponyville."
"Whatever. The point is, they're going to think you're crazy. And they'd be right."
Lyra was wondering why she'd ever said anything. She should have known this would happen. The human world really wasn't so different from Equestria, was it? "Fine..." she mumbled.
"We'll get in touch with your parents. Find out if they really are your parents. I think it would be best for you if you just have a permanent place to stay so that you can get back in touch with reality."
"Just one thing," Lyra said, holding up a finger. "You know what unicorns are, right?"
"Of course, but I don't see - "
"How do you know what they are?"
"Well... There's stories about them. But they're all fantasy. They're just made up," Audrey said. "Lyra, if this is about what your dad writes about, he'd probably be the first to tell you it's all - "
"We had a few stories about humans in Equestria. Not very many, but they were there if you looked for them. And that's because humans exist, and all those stories were based on fact."
Audrey put a hand to her face. "That probably sounds like a logical argument to you, but it really doesn't hold any ground."
"I don't know much about what our worlds have in common, but there are so many things I've noticed that line up. We even know what France is in Equestria, even though most ponies don't realize it's a real place," Lyra said. "They'd hardly believe that I'd gone there."
"When did you go to France? You're from Pennsylvania. Or at least, we think you are," Audrey said.
Lyra tilted her head. "But you said... You told me Des Moines was French."
"We're in America. There are plenty of foreign words here."
"Wait, we're..." Lyra stared at her feet. "But I've never heard of America before. That wasn't in any of the Equestrian histories I read."
"You've never heard of America?" Audrey said. She shook her head, and stood up. "Lyra... You're really going to need to get help. Look, I'll figure out how to get in touch with your dad. You just... I don't know. Let me handle this."
Lyra returned to the guest bedroom, collapsed on the bed, and stared up at the ceiling. Initially, she hadn't planned on telling any humans about Equestria. There were a number of reasons for that. She wanted to fit in, like she'd always been a part of this world instead of having been yanked out of it all those years ago. She also didn't want to have to explain that, where she came from, the species that covered this world had caused its own extinction.
And there was also the fact that she had no proof that another world existed, and humans would likely call her crazy for suggesting it. Sure enough, that had been it. Audrey didn't even believe in unicorns.
This was too much like what had happened during her last week in Ponyville. Bon-Bon had thought she was crazy and wanted her to drop the whole "human" thing, so Lyra had shut up about it. It had calmed things down, but it had been hard.
The evidence had been everywhere in Equestria. And of course it had - humans had lived there once, they'd left their inventions. And then they'd gone extinct. She still hadn't mentioned that part to Audrey. That war was even harder to think about now that she considered herself more human than pony.
Then again... Her life in Equestria felt like another life, and at the same time it seemed like she'd only just been there yesterday. Lyra was used to sitting down to dinner every night with Audrey and her family, but when she thought about staying in this house with creatures that she'd worked so hard simply to prove the existence of, it still amazed her.
They'd all gone their whole lives without seeing unicorns, though. And whatever those ponies she'd seen weeks ago had been, they were nothing like the ones in Equestria. They hadn't even talked to her.
Lyra idly inspected her fingers. She could always do what she'd done with Bon-Bon in that final week. If she didn't mention unicorns, maybe she could convince Audrey she was over it. That she wasn't crazy.
She knew even less about this world than she thought. She'd been in some place called "America" all this time. Judging by Audrey's reaction, France was still real, but Lyra had no idea exactly how far away it was. It didn't sound like it was anywhere close.
She let out a sigh. What was she supposed to tell her real family?
Audrey found her dad working in the living room at his laptop. She approached him slowly. This would have to be handled delicately...
"Hey, Dad?"
"Yes?" He didn't look up.
"I know it's kind of out of nowhere, but... we found Lyra's parents," she said.
He stopped typing immediately, and turned his head around. "You're sure?"
Audrey nodded. She went on to explain everything about how one of Lyra's friends from the band recognized her dad, the news articles they'd found. The entire story, excluding the conversation that she'd just had with Lyra. The story was insane enough already without her help. "I'm not sure how nobody figured it out before. Thomas Michelakos. Ever heard of him? I guess he's fairly popular."
"I don't recognize the name. But you're sure it's him? I don't see how nobody would have - "
"Why they didn't recognize him?" Audrey said. Well, Lyra had a perfect explanation for that... "I don't know, either. But the picture matched up, and there were news stories about her disappearance that matched her age... I don't think we can really say anything for sure, but it seems very likely."
"Let me see it before we make any decisions," he said. "And she hasn't said anything about where she's been?"
Yeah. She wasn't kidnapped at all. She's been living in a magical land with the unicorns. No worries there, everything was all sunshine and rainbows. But instead, all Audrey told him was, "No... Still nothing. I still think that something might have happened to her. Like..."
He nodded. Nothing needed to be said, they'd discussed that possibility plenty of times.
"And Lyra still won't say anything. You showed her what you found, right?"
"Of course. She said... She said she didn't remember anything about it."
They were both quiet for some time. "But, Audrey..."
"Yes?"
"If this doesn't turn out to be her family, we'll need to do something about Lyra. She's a good kid, but she can't stay here much longer."
"I know that..."
"I just need to finish this up and I'll be up there to look at what you found."
She headed back upstairs to wait.
The light from the computer screen shined in Audrey's face in the dark room. It was late at night. Her mom had checked out what they'd found, too. She'd heard of the book series Lyra's dad wrote, though she'd never read any of them herself. High fantasy wasn't her preference. But everything about that story of Lyra Michelakos's disappearance fifteen years ago seemed to line up. Now it was just a matter of getting in touch. Lyra had told her to handle it, since she had no idea what email even was.
Why did she have to go and make things so much more complicated, though?
She'd actually been getting better up until now. The first time Audrey had met her, Lyra had been completely hopeless. A total wreck. It had just been Audrey's attempt at a good deed, letting her stay for a few days... that had turned into weeks. But a girl like that - obviously a runaway - alone in a (moderately) big city. That was asking for trouble. Who knew where Lyra would be by now if Audrey hadn't stepped in? If she'd even be alive. That might be pushing it, actually... But not impossible.
It had been hard enough to convince her parents that this random green-haired stranger who occasionally tried to eat flowers wasn't a total lunatic. They would not hear anything about unicorns. Audrey would have to make sure of that. The more of this she could convince them to let her handle on her own, the better.
Asking her about Lyra's past straight-out hadn't gotten her far at first. Audrey had thought maybe building some trust could get her talking. And that it had.
So Lyra thought she had come from "Ponyville" - creative name, must've spent a long time on that one - and that she'd been a unicorn. And now she'd been turned into a human by a magic princess and was trying to fit into human society. There were worse delusions, for sure, more dangerous ones, but that was a doozy.
Audrey's first suspicions of child abuse couldn't be completely counted out. If anything, they seemed more likely. Assuming she was Lyra Michelakos - there was enough to indicate that - and she'd been kidnapped as an infant, who knew where she had been? She was blocking the memories. She must be. Something in her behavior when she opened up about her little "secret" said that she believed every word that was coming out of her mouth.
When they had first met, she'd thought Lyra was interesting. And yes, she was interesting, all right. Audrey put her head in her hands and groaned. The sooner she was done with this, the better.
Audrey tapped the spacebar impatiently to wake her computer up. She opened up the browser and went back to Thomas Michelakos's official website. The page was just a flashy ad for his book series. The guy had built his fortune off of fantasy worlds, and Lyra thought she had come from one. Was this really the place to send her, even if it was her real family?
On one hand, she acted like she didn't want to be a unicorn. Considering whatever those years in "Ponyville" had actually been, it made sense that she would want to get away from it. Her goal was to find her parents and become a normal human. It didn't sound too harmful.
And, on the other hand... She thought she was a unicorn. Of all things, a unicorn. What was the proper response to that, anyway?
Lyra needed help. As long as her delusions weren't dangerous... Therapy, medication. Probably expensive stuff. Sending her halfway across the country might not be the best thing right now, but it wasn't like Audrey's family could provide any help. And now Lyra had her own family to take care of her, assuming she could reach them.
It took a lot of digging through the site, but Audrey finally found a link on the page to the author's email. Probably just for fan letters and that sort of thing, but there was no other way to get in touch. Her parents had discussed this with her - what she should do, what she should tell him.
She spent a good few minutes typing out a message, and read it over a few times. She didn't exactly want it to sound like a school paper. Was it too formal? Not enough? She tried to phrase the part about Lyra's issues mildly. If she sounded too crazy, that could threaten the one part of the story that actually might be true.
Mr. Michelakos -
My name is Audrey Loren. I am sixteen years old and live in Des Moines, Iowa. Several weeks ago, I met a girl my age passing through town who called herself Lyra. She's currently staying in my home and working as an amateur musician. She has no known last name and said she was searching for her birth parents, after discovering that she was adopted.
It was not until very recently that we identified you and your wife in the photograph Lyra carried with her. She has never heard of you, but her name and age match those of your missing daughter.
Lyra refuses to tell me anything truthful about her past or who her former caretakers were. She seems to be suffering from delusions, and may need medication or professional help.
Audrey paused on that part. At the moment, it would be best not to mention just how severe those delusions were. This guy's daughter had been abducted and he hadn't seen her in years. There was no way to fit in "by the way, she told me she was a unicorn" and not have it sound like a cruel joke.
I understand that when your daughter went missing fifteen years ago, several objects were stolen. If this photograph is one of them, I see no other way she could have obtained it.
Please respond.
Attached to the message was a photo she'd taken of Lyra's picture frame. Audrey didn't have a scanner, and besides - the frame might help identify it. Prove that the picture hadn't been copied. She also included a picture of Lyra herself.
"I hope to God you actually check this thing," Audrey muttered, and hit send.
It had been a few days since they'd found her parents. Lyra was starting to get uncomfortable in this house. At the moment she was just sitting on the bed with her guitar - not playing it; she hadn't even plugged it in. She was starting to spend a lot of time alone, just thinking.
Audrey's parents had started asking her what she remembered about her adopted family, and Lyra had noticed Audrey's face whenever they brought it up. She hadn't said anything about Equestria since their conversation. Audrey had practically begged her not to.
They were still being hospitable enough, but the questions had started again. Lyra just wanted to get back to Fillydelphia - Philadelphia, she corrected herself - and live the normal human life she'd been dreaming of. She had been pretending that was what she'd had here, but really, she had been an outsider for the past few weeks. Now she finally had solid ties to the human world.
Well... maybe. They still hadn't -
"I got a reply back."
She stared up at Audrey, who had just stepped into the doorway. Something about her facial expression said that things weren't going as planned.
"From my dad? What did he say?" Lyra asked, frowning. She set her instrument down to the side.
Audrey took a seat next to her. Her arms were folded, and she stared at her lap. "Well, first off... He's not entirely convinced you're his daughter."
Lyra leaned forward. "What? But everything on your computer said - "
"They'd been searching for you for years after your disappearance. Obviously they wanted their daughter back, but eventually they gave up any hope that you were still alive," Audrey said. "But... you're not the first person who's claimed to be Lyra Michelakos."
"You mean... somebody pretended to be me? Why?"
"He's got a missing daughter and a lot of money. You do the math," Audrey said. "He doesn't want to put his family under too much strain. But he was interested in the picture. Nothing from your disappearance was ever recovered, but he said that picture was one of the things missing."
Lyra gave a sigh of relief. "See? I told you. That should prove everything, right?"
"Nothing can really be taken for granted until they get a DNA test, but first he wants to talk to you. He gave me a phone number," Audrey said.
"A phone number..." Lyra remembered what those were. Like what she'd used to talk to Randall the first time. "So I can talk to him with that, right?"
"That's kind of what it's for, yes. Just don't say anything crazy to him, alright?"
"You mean about Eques - "
"Yes, that. Nothing about that."
Lyra laughed nervously. "No, of course not. I know I'm not a unicorn. I was... kidding, that's all."
"So are you going to tell your family where you've been for the past fifteen years? I'm sure they'd like to know."
"Well..."
Audrey shook her head. "Whatever you decide to tell them, just remember that you're still on thin ice. The last thing you need is for them to think you're just trying to take advantage of them."
"I'd never do that."
"Lyra... In spite of everything, I still trust you. Maybe I shouldn't. Maybe you are crazy." Audrey handed her a small piece of paper. "This is the number he sent me. All you can do right now is talk to him."
The phone was in one hand, and the slip of paper was in the other. Lyra thought she remembered how to enter the code onto the device. The operation had been pretty straightforward. Still, it was only her second time ever talking on a phone, and the last time had been a while ago. Not to mention she'd be talking to her dad for the first time ever.
She took a deep breath. She'd been watching the family relations between Audrey and her parents. They got along well, for the most part. But Audrey had always been a human, and had known them her whole life. This human - and that was part of it, he was a human - was like a total stranger to her. She hadn't felt this way about talking to a human since the first time she'd met one.
Lyra gritted her teeth, and punched in each number.
"Um... hi..." There was no response, just periodic buzzing. "Hello? Is anybody - "
"Hello? Who is this?" A man's voice came from the small device, unexpectedly.
She froze, but finally found her voice again. "My name's Lyra." She said it softly, and waited for a response. He didn't say anything, either. After a moment, she continued, "Are you... Thomas Michelakos?"
"Yes..." His voice suddenly dropped low. Maybe he was just as nervous as she was right now. He said nothing for a while, and then: "I read the email about you."
"Oh, you... did?" She was finding it just as difficult to say anything.
"Your... friend told me - "
"Audrey? Yeah, she sent the letter. I don't know how to use a computer." She gave a short, nervous laugh.
Another long pause. "How long have you had that photograph?"
"Since... Ever since I was young. I never knew who you were. Another friend of mine read your books. He told me about your books. The ones about magic."
"Lyra..." There was something strange about the way he said her name, like he wasn't used to saying it anymore. "Where have you been all these years?"
That question had been inevitable. It was only right for him to want to know. And yet, he probably wouldn't believe her. And if her family - her only solid connection to this world, and her only permanent home - if they abandoned her, she'd have nothing.
She remembered the night that Dewey had shown her that picture. It was one of her final nights in Equestria. After seeing those humans, not even knowing who they were, staying in Equestria didn't seem like an option. And now she was talking to the man from her picture.
If she wanted to live there, in Pennsylvania, then it would be best to put Equestria in the past. Permanently.
"To tell the truth..." She scratched her head. "I don't remember what happened to me."
"The email said you were... confused about it."
"Yeah." Lyra's voice trembled. "It's all kind of a blur."
The phone went silent again, then, "Are you alright?"
"Of course. Nothing bad happened to me. But I don't remember very much from before I came to Des Moines. Audrey and her family took me in for a while. Before that... I don't remember how I got here."
It sounded weak, she realized that. She just didn't know enough about the human world to come up with a convincing lie, even though she'd been pondering it over the past few days. She didn't even know what "America" was like, even if she was right in the middle of it.
"You don't remember anything?" he asked.
"I wish I did."
Her legs moved restlessly. The strangest thing about talking on a phone was that you couldn't see the other human. What they were doing, what they looked like. That was only making it harder to talk to her father.
"So... Green hair, huh?"
"What?" Lyra glanced around, but she was alone in the room. How did he know?
"Your friend Audrey sent me a picture of you. You aren't what I expected, to say the least." The good humor in his voice sounded forced. That much was clear without even being able to see him.
"Uh... yeah, I guess not." Lyra smiled weakly. The other humans all thought she dyed her hair. She actually didn't know what color hair she was supposed to have - green obviously wasn't what she'd been born with. Her parents would know, but not her.
"And you're a musician? Am I remembering this right?"
"Yeah. Guitar, mostly."
There was yet another long silence. "I saw you write books about magic."
"Yes... I suppose you could say that, but there's much more to fantasy these days than just magic."
"I'm not really interested in that..." Lyra said.
"You might be the odd one out, then. My wife does artwork, a lot of it is for my books, and... your sister... Well, she's..."
Ever since Audrey had mentioned her while reading the information off the computer, Lyra had been curious about her sister. "What's her name?" Lyra leaned forward.
"It's Chloe."
"I'd like to meet her." Lyra smiled. She'd always been used to being an only child, but she was good with younger fillies. Her sister was probably around the same age as the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
"I haven't told either of them about you yet. It's just..." She heard him sigh. "Lyra, I really would like to trust you, but we can't be too careful. You're not lying about where you got that picture?"
"Of course not! I really have had it since... Ever since I can remember."
"You said you didn't remember anything."
"Well, not everything... But that picture, I've definitely had it - " For a few weeks. "For years," she said instead.
Well, Dewey had kept it for years, and where else would he have gotten a photograph of humans? Besides, it wasn't like they were going to tell her the truth. Up until the end, they just wanted her to be a regular unicorn. Hadn't they realized that would have been impossible?
"If you could just tell me what happened, where you'd gone after... well..."
"I can't. I'm sorry."
Neither of them said anything. Then, he spoke up again. "Would you be able to come here? To Pennsylvania?"
"Huh? I mean... I think so..." Lyra had no clue where that was in relation to Des Moines, but it would probably be possible to get there somehow. "You mean you do trust me?"
"I may be getting my hopes up."
"I really don't have anywhere else to go. Thank you so much..." she whispered.
"One final thing. Would I be able to talk to the family you're staying with?"
"Um, sure... I'll go find somebody... Do I just give the phone to them? I'm sorry, I'm new at this."
"That's fine."
She lowered the phone from her ear. She supposed she could walk around with it until she found one of Audrey's parents. There seemed to be a certain etiquette humans followed when using these that she'd observed but never understood.
But, more importantly... She was finally going home. |
Anthropology | To The Skies | Something huge, with stiff, gliding wings, flew right over their car. Lyra leaned towards the window, trying to see what it was. She was pretty sure that it wasn't alive, despite the roar it gave as it passed.
"What was that?" she said, still trying to see it through the windows on the other side. The sky was still dark.
"It's just a plane. You'll probably be on one like that," Audrey said. She seemed unfazed by it.
"Right. You said I'd be flying..." Lyra had never seen anything like that. She'd been expecting an airship, or a balloon, or something that at least made sense.
After they'd talked to her dad on the phone, Audrey's parents had helped her book a flight to Philadelphia to meet him. It would cost just about all of what she'd made from household chores and her concert combined. She had been concerned about paying Nathan for his guitar, but he had told her not to worry about it. It was in the back of the car now, along with a suitcase of her clothes.
About an hour ago, Lyra had been woken up. It was early enough that it still looked and felt like night. As they had driven out to the airport, Lyra had slowly become more alert and realized just how nervous she was feeling.
It wasn't the actual flying that was making her nervous. It was more of how humans flew. If that "plane" was what they used, she was beginning to have her doubts. It was so loud, and so fast, and so bulky. Humans could accomplish some unbelievable things without magic, but this seemed questionable.
She'd been up in the clouds plenty of times. Cirrus was originally from Cloudsdale, and still worked there in one of the production centers. When Lyra had been very young, her father - well, not her father, just Dewey - had taken her to visit the city.
He'd used a spell that would let unicorns walk on clouds, and they'd taken a balloon from Canterlot to get there. Lyra still remembered how exciting it had been to see a whole new place up in the sky. It was so different from anywhere on the ground. At the time, going to Cloudsdale had been like visiting another world.
Once Lyra was old enough and she'd learned to use magic, Dewey had taught her to use the cloud walking spell on her own. It was an intermediate-level spell, and not very common, but she'd picked it up after some practice. Her parents had been proud.
But of course they would be. A human, learning a difficult spell like that? They must have realized what that meant at the time. No human had ever used magic before. And yet they'd never said anything to her, all throughout her childhood.
Recently, Lyra had felt like she was in Cloudsdale again. That same feeling like being the only unicorn in the middle of a pegasus city, even though here in Des Moines she was just as human as everybody else.
"Just checking. Do you have your boarding pass?" Audrey's voice snapped Lyra back to the present.
She thought for a moment, trying to remember what that meant. "You mean the ticket? Yeah." Lyra found it in her bag. It was a sheet of paper that Audrey had printed off her computer. They hadn't even needed to go to the airport to buy it.
"You'll be transferring flights in Chicago. Make sure you get to the gate on time, otherwise... I'd rather not consider that. You'll be alright on your own, won't you?" Audrey said.
"Of course. I..." Lyra was about to say that she'd lived on her own for years and travelled alone by train plenty of times, but bringing up anything about her past, especially Equestria, wasn't a good idea. "Don't worry about me."
Audrey took a deep breath. "Yeah. You're probably right," she said. "Besides, your parents said they'd be waiting there to meet you at the Philadelphia airport."
Her parents. She'd been thinking so much about the flight that she'd practically forgotten why she was doing this. Maybe that was the real thing making her nervous.
"They will be waiting... They told us that, right?"
"Of course," Audrey said. "Look... If you're nervous about meeting them for the first time, I understand. It's only natural."
"They aren't completely sure that I'm theirs. They said I'd have to take a test, or something."
"Well, a DNA test is really the only way to confirm your identity. It would still be necessary even if you did remember anything."
Lyra could tell what Audrey meant. She still thought Lyra was crazy, or that she was holding something back. Neither one of them had said a word about Equestria since that one time, but it was still on both of their minds.
"Did you remember to give her our phone number, Audrey?" her mother said from the front seat. "Lyra, you should call us when you get home. Let us know you arrived safely."
"I guess so," Lyra said. She turned back to the window, trying to see if any more planes would go overhead. "How far did you say it'd be?"
"You won't be there until this afternoon. It's, I don't know... About six hundred, seven hundred miles or so?" Audrey said. "About halfway across the country."
"You're serious?" Lyra said. "This afternoon...?"
There was nothing in Equestria six hundred miles from something else. That distance sounded impossible. And to travel that far in less than a day? If humans could manage that, Lyra would be even more impressed than ever.
Still, an airplane would have to be insanely fast to manage that. Lyra was beginning to feel jittery again.
"Just relax," Audrey told her. "I've flown a few times. It's not that bad."
"Right..." Lyra tried to force a smile.
The car pulled into a large, dark building. Some other vehicles were parked here. All different colors and shapes. The car swerved through all these tight spaces, up several levels of ramps. Lyra was used to cars at this point, and Mrs. Loren was a more careful driver than Nathan, but it still felt like they were coming close to the others. At least they were on the ground.
Once they had pulled in between two other cars, Audrey swung open the door on her side and got out. Lyra did the same. The lid of the trunk popped open and she removed her guitar and suitcase. It was a small one, cheap - she'd just needed something to keep her few changes of clothes in. The handle extended so that you could drag it behind you with one hand, on wheels. It was easier than carrying luggage on your back, or even keeping it afloat with magic.
"Do you need me to take any of that for you?" Audrey watched her as she pulled the guitar case onto her back, with her smaller bag hanging near her hip and the suitcase at her side.
"You're staying here, though, aren't you?" Lyra said.
"We'll be with you until you get to security. They'll check your bags before then," Audrey explained. Lyra stared at her blankly. "It's not as complicated as it sounds. Really."
"I've just never had to take this many steps to travel before. I've taken a train a few times," Lyra said. They started walking past the lines of silent vehicles. Another car passed them, but only once.
"A train? Where was that?" Mrs. Loren asked.
"It's..." Lyra noticed Audrey's expression. "It was a while ago."
She would have to watch herself. She'd slipped again, right after she'd told herself not to. This was going to be a fresh start with her parents, and she'd simplified her story - she would say she remembered nothing. She would tell them as much as they wanted to hear about Des Moines: living with Audrey's family, learning guitar, all the times they'd hung out around town. But absolutely nothing about what happened before that. Like Equestria wasn't even real.
They crossed over a bridge that spanned across the road. Only a few cars drove underneath, shining light ahead of them in the dim morning light. The structure they parked in was several stories tall, and big, but the rest of the airport looked like it would be even bigger. Nothing at all like the simple train platform in Ponyville.
Even the train station in Canterlot seemed big, but it was really nothing compared to this. This airport was a whole lot more complicated - needlessly so, it seemed. All she needed to do was get on one of these planes and go, what was so hard about that?
She let Audrey's mom talk to most of the humans at the airport. They had to stand in line just to show her ticket to a human at the counter, sitting there at a computer. Then they actually took away her suitcase and guitar. Lyra had almost raised a protest when they took them behind the desk and carried them away.
"They're just checking your luggage. Just go to baggage claim when you get to Philadelphia and you can pick them back up," Audrey said.
"But..."
"They don't lose things in transit. Usually," Audrey said. Lyra was about to raise another protest, but she was cut off. "Forget I said that last bit. It'll be fine. Don't worry about it."
Lyra just didn't understand why she couldn't carry everything with her. The guitar technically still wasn't even hers. She'd had to spend pretty much everything she had on the plane ticket, with just a few dollars left over. She really wanted to pay Nathan for the instrument, since it had done so much for her. Without that concert she wouldn't have been able to afford fare. Nathan had told her not to worry about the guitar, and that she could pay him back later - but how? Through the mail? She hoped it worked like Equestria's mail system... and that the carriers were reliable.
After handing off most of her belongings, they continued into the airport. Lyra was astounded at the size of this place. She'd thought the mall was big.
They came to some flights of stairs, but they were moving on their own. Audrey and her mom stepped onto them and just stood there, letting themselves be carried up. Lyra cautiously followed their example. Why exactly this was necessary wasn't clear - it seemed like they'd reach the next floor quicker if they just walked - but Lyra had enough on her mind as it was.
She'd be home soon. Then she could relax. Focus on studying human behavior then. For now, she just had to get through all of this.
They paused right before Lyra got to security. There was a long line of humans waiting to go through. She watched what they were doing at the front - sending their bags through some sort of machine, walking through gates that occasionally beeped, causing the human to stop and get searched by the workers in blue uniforms. This entire process just got stranger and more complicated as they went on.
"This is as far as we can go," Mrs. Loren said. "Will you be alright?"
"When you get to Chicago, just go right to the next gate. Don't get lost. I'm not sure what you'll do if you miss your next flight," Audrey said.
Lyra nodded, still sidetracked by the line she was about to enter.
"Please have your photo I.D. ready when you reach the security checkpoint! Thank you," one of the uniformed humans announced.
"I don't have an I.D." Lyra glanced from Audrey and then at her mother. "What do I do?"
"It's the other line, over there. It shouldn't be a problem. They'll... probably search you, though."
"Um... okay..." Lyra said. She looked at where Audrey had told her to go. The line was much shorter, at least.
"You'd better hurry up. Don't want to miss your flight," Audrey said.
"Yeah." Lyra nodded.
"Remember to call when you get home," Mrs. Loren added.
"I'll do that. I think I remember how..."
"You'll be fine. Don't worry about it," Audrey said.
"You're right... I'll be there this afternoon, just like you said."
"And you're feeling alright about this? Travelling on your own? And... meeting them?"
"Yeah... This is exactly what I was trying to do the whole time. I just need to go back home to my real parents," Lyra said. "I couldn't have made it here without your help."
With one last glance back, she hurried to get into line, and waited there for a while. She watched the humans ahead of her pass through. She couldn't tell exactly what the purpose of this step was... Her other belongings had been taken, but apparently the luggage you were allowed to take had to be checked first. It was all so pointlessly complicated.
"Step on up, ma'am." Lyra realized they were talking to her. She was next.
One of the humans started feeling her arms and legs with their hands. Like they were looking for something hidden in her sleeves. Lyra wasn't hiding anything, so other than the uncomfortable invasion of space she didn't mind too much.
But she nearly panicked when she glanced over and saw the humans going through her bag. They opened up her lyre's case, and flipped through her journal filled with observations of human behavior. If they saw that she'd been studying them, they'd ask questions, and Audrey hadn't reacted very well to the answers...
The search ended, and everything was put back. Lyra had been watching carefully to make sure of that. Apparently whatever the humans had been concerned about finding wasn't in Lyra's belongings, and she was free to go. When her bag was given back to her, she quickly put it back over her shoulder and held it close to her hip with one hand. She hurried out of the checkpoint and off to the other side.
Back on her own again.
In a way, it felt like her very first day as a human. All by herself, no friends to help her find her way around.
This area right outside of security had a place called the "Capitol City Marketplace." Apparently you could buy food here. A few humans were seated and eating breakfast, but Lyra was too nervous to even think about food right now.
Lyra glanced back at the security checkpoint. Those humans in uniform seemed to be looking for something. Not all of the humans were searched quite as thoroughly as she had been, but it was all very meticulous. But, as Lyra watched a few humans pass through, it seemed like they never found whatever it was they were afraid of finding.
A screen overhead - like a flat television, but the words were stationary - seemed to list all of the planes and destinations. Her eyes scanned the list. Atlanta, Austin... Chicago! It was pretty early on the list. Gate C6. Wherever that was.
"Attention, passengers." It was a female voice, speaking in a calm tone, but the way it had come out of nowhere still made Lyra jump. "Delta Airlines Flight 3849 to Orlando, now boarding at Gate A2."
The hallway on her right seemed to have C-numbers. C6 would probably be on the end. She started to walk down, looking at all the different humans waiting for their own flights. Considering that it was still about six in the morning, the airport was still filled with humans. Maybe this type of flying was a new experience for her, but humans seemed used to it. Another part of human life that she was getting to participate in. Even if she was still feeling nervous.
There were seating areas spaced intermittently between sections of hallway. Large windows let you see outside, where a few of the airplanes were waiting in the early morning light. She found a room marked C6 at the very end of the line.
She took a seat on one of the cushioned chairs, and leaned back to try to relax. A few other humans were scattered throughout the area. Some of them were reading books, or on what looked like portable computers, but a few of them seemed to be sleeping or resting. It made sense, considering how early it was. They were all different ages - there was one who had grey hair and wrinkles, and then a few that had families of young children. Those young humans seemed especially tired. One of them who was actually awake seemed cranky. Seeing them made Lyra wonder about her own younger sister. What she was like. What were humans like at seven years old? They had different standards of age than ponies... She couldn't even guess the ages of the children here.
Lyra opened up her bag. Everything seemed to be in order even after they'd searched through it. She found her old journal and took it out. Flipping through the first few pages, she could see her sketches of her dreams, then the writing changed when she started using hands to write. It changed again when she became human. Lyra found a blank page and started listing off the names of cities that she could remember.
Atlanta. Memphis. Those ones were easy to remember. And someplace called "Phoenix." Princess Celestia had one of those. Lyra wondered if those still lived in the human world - she hadn't seen many animals, so she wasn't sure exactly what did or did not exist. If unicorns weren't even real here, then nothing could be taken for granted.
She sat there for a few minutes, just watching the other humans. They weren't doing very much. A few more came to sit down in the same waiting area.
Outside, the huge winged vehicles like the one she was about to board were moving along the roads, and in the distance she could see them taking off. They had wings, but they didn't flap. How did they lift themselves? She didn't often question the specifics of how human technology worked, but if it was going to carry her hundreds of feet into the air...
"Attention, passengers. United Airlines Flight 6190 to Chicago, now boarding at Gate C6."
Lyra's head shot up at the mention of Chicago. All she knew about it is that it was where she was supposed to go. The other humans were moving towards a doorway that seemed to be connected to a plane outside. All she could do was follow their lead as they waited for their tickets to be taken individually and entered the hallway.
The plane was little more than a tube, with rows of seats and a low ceiling. Most of these seats were already filled by other humans. It was kind of like a train, just... smaller, and they'd be flying up into the clouds...
Lyra held her bag close to her side as she moved down the aisle. She couldn't hold up the line behind her. Her eyes scanned the seats, and she went for the nearest empty one.
"Excuse me..." She stepped over another human, a male, and dropped down into her seat. Her bag was still held close to her chest. She took a deep breath.
"Oh man. You look terrible," the human next to her said. It was a male, maybe a little bit older than her, with light-colored hair. It was still so hard to judge their ages, but he seemed a little older than Nathan, but not quite as old as her band members. "You're going to be okay, right? The last thing I need is for you to be throwing up the whole flight."
"I-I'll be fine," she managed to force out.
"You don't look like it."
"I've just never done this before."
"First time flying?"
"No... I've been up to the clouds plenty of times. Just..." She indicated everything around them with her hands. "Not in one of these."
"You're either high or really crazy."
"I'm not crazy!" she said. Maybe it had been too much of an outburst, because he was looking at her strangely now. She was starting off fresh, no need to make things worse now like she had with Audrey. "It was... a hot air balloon."
He nodded slowly. "Well, this will be an interesting flight."
"Really? What's happening?"
"You, for one thing."
"Oh. Right." She tried to smile. "Don't worry. I'm just a little nervous." Her eyes went down to his hands, and she remembered her human etiquette. She pried her right hand away from her bag and offered it for a shake. "I'm Lyra Michelakos." It was the first time she'd ever introduced herself with her full name.
He took her hand slowly. "Paul Chandler, but... Wait, don't tell me you're going to Philadelphia too. You're not related to - "
"Thomas Michelakos? You've heard of him?" Her eyes widened.
"You're serious?"
"He's my dad."
He laughed and shook his head in disbelief. "That's... Wow. I've actually got a friend who works at a used bookstore. She's met him a couple times."
"Really?" Lyra said. "To be honest, I haven't met him before. I didn't even know who my parents were until recently. It's... kind of a long story."
"I don't mind. We've got a long flight ahead of us, and I happen to be sitting next to someone famous. Or someone with famous parents, but it counts," he said. "For the next few months, I'm going to be telling people about this whenever there's a lull in conversation. That's the unspoken rule of meeting famous people on a flight."
Lyra stared at him, wide-eyed. "I didn't realize..."
"Yeah, I had a friend who saw Orlando Bloom at an airport once. I was hearing about it constantly for weeks afterwards. You're not quite that famous, but you'll do."
Orlando... where had she heard that before? "Oh yeah! I think I saw a few flights listed going to Orlando."
"That's a different Orlando."
Just like in the airport, a voice came on out of nowhere, but it was male this time. It sounded slightly distorted and crackly. "Attention all passengers, this is your captain speaking. We'd like to thank you for flying United Airways today. We'll be at an altitude of about 30,000 feet today - "
"Thirty... thousand... feet..." Lyra said.
"You're scared of heights? I'm serious, I really don't want to deal with you throwing up."
"Why do we need to go that high? That's insane! We were nowhere near that high up when I went to Clouds - I mean... Never mind." She had to keep herself together. I'm starting fresh. No mention of Cloudsdale or ponies. This human already thinks I'm acting weird.
The flight attendants were giving a demonstration of how to use the safety equipment. Lyra knew that she should probably pay attention, but it wasn't making her feel much better. They weren't even moving yet and the first thing they talk about is what to do if they crash? That wasn't exactly reassuring.
"Ma'am, I'm going to have to ask you to put that under the seat in front of you." Lyra realized the attendant was talking to her about the bag she was holding even tighter than before against her chest.
"Wh-what? Oh..." She did as she was told, but instantly searched for something to hold on to. Her fingers closed around the armrests on either side of the seat. For some reason it just felt better if her hands were full right now.
She sat there for a moment, eyes closed, breathing deeply. Paul didn't seem bothered at all. Then, the same male voice from above their heads: "We've been cleared for takeoff."
Lyra felt the plane move forward underneath her. Her entire body tensed up. She stared down at her lap, trying not to look at the window.
"You're seriously going to be okay?" Paul asked.
She couldn't get any words out.
He leaned back in his seat. "This should be fun."
When she finally managed to lift her head up and glance outside, they were on a long strip of road, slowly moving forward... Then the high-pitched humming sound got louder and they started speeding forward. She was being forced back into the chair. She squeezed the armrests as hard as she could. And then the shaking stopped. Most of it, at least. They were tilting back, moving upwards. It wasn't so bad...
Her hands shot up to her ears. Something had just happened to them, and it hurt.
"Here." Paul's voice sounded far away. He handed something over to her. She opened her eyes just enough to see it was a magazine.
"SkyMall?" Lyra said, reading the cover. "I-I've been to a mall before, but why - "
"Maybe it'll help you get through the flight. Personally, I always look forward to reading it."
She lowered her hands from her ears, even though that weird sensation was still there. She started looking through the catalog. Human inventions did interest her.
"You can actually buy all of these things? That's incredible..."
"Um, that's not exactly what I was talking about," he said.
"What do you mean? This stuff is fascinating."
"In a way, you could say that. Honestly, who's going to spend that much on the world's largest crossword puzzle? I'll admit that the Bigfoot garden statue is... 'interesting,' but it's out of my price range."
A smile came across Lyra's face as she flipped through the pages of human inventions. "What's this?" Lyra pointed at one of the photographs. A close-up of a human's hand with some kind of device strapped to it, connected to each finger. "A 'hand fitness trainer?' How does it work?"
"Nobody knows. Probably not even the people who designed it," he said. "And it's yours for just $30. Wow. Though, considering who your dad is, you're probably able to blow some money on whatever you feel like. You must be loaded."
"Huh?"
"He is a bestselling author. Something of a local celebrity, I guess."
"I guess I didn't really think about that... His books are sold everywhere, aren't they?"
He nodded. "And I see you've already forgotten you're afraid of flying."
"I told you, I'm not - " Lyra stopped. The strange thing was, she did feel better after looking at that magazine. She was much less nervous. Though she still couldn't bring herself to look out the window. "Um... thanks."
"Glad I could help," he said. "Anyways, you mentioned you had a story to tell. I'm still interested in hearing that."
"Oh yeah. Right..."
She told him just about everything about her weeks with Audrey. Meeting Nathan, learning guitar, playing the concert with Randall, and finally finding out who her family was. It was almost like practicing what she'd be telling her parents once she got home. Paul mostly listened, but offered a few comments.
"I stand corrected. I'm probably going to be bringing this up in conversation for years to come, not just months."
"What do you mean?" Lyra cocked her head.
"Honestly, I think you're making most of this up."
Lyra was speechless. It was like a curse - no matter what she said, nobody ever believed her. "It's all true, though."
"What you've got is interesting, but I personally would have added in some aliens, maybe a zombie outbreak, or magical - "
"Wait, I never said anything about magic." She stared at him in shock.
"You should have." He shrugged. "It's still a good story, though."
Maybe it had just been a joke... She tried to tell herself that. "So why were you in Des Moines? You haven't told me much about yourself," Lyra said. Anything to get the conversation away from magic.
"I was visiting an old friend who moved away a few years ago."
"That must have been fun. He's so far away, but you can fly to visit him?"
"Well, he's kind of a jerk, but yeah. I guess you're right. It is nice."
Flying to Cloudsdale had usually been pretty smooth, but the plane kept on shaking around. And the engines were still pretty loud. She tried not to think of those safety demonstrations they'd given at the beginning of the trip.
Lyra finally worked up the nerve to look out the window. As she'd expected, they were in the clouds... but it was so barren out there. There weren't any buildings, no structures, just flat expanses of clouds.
"It's so empty up here..." she muttered.
"What'd you expect?" Paul said. "Besides, wouldn't it be worse if there was something up here?"
So humans could get up here, sure, but they hadn't done anything. It figured. They couldn't fly on their own, so they probably couldn't walk on the clouds. And over the past few weeks Lyra had gotten the impression that all of their weather happened randomly. She wasn't sure how they predicted it, but they were accurate some of the time.
"You're right... I don't know. It's my first time being up this high."
"So you've told me. So, what's it like taking a hot air balloon? I've never done that before."
They were descending.
The flight had lasted a little over an hour. Or so she'd been told, it felt like forever. If she hadn't had someone to distract her, she wasn't sure what she would have done.
Lyra could see the ground slowly coming up closer to them, and a part of her was bracing for the impact... But mostly she was just transfixed by the sight.
The entire ground was covered in buildings. Just a whole sea of gray box-like shapes. Some of them were small, like Audrey's neighborhood, but there were also some tall towers. It was hard to tell, but this city - Chicago - might be even bigger than Des Moines. And, as far as she could see, hardly any open green spaces. That feeling of being in a completely unfamiliar world was stronger than ever.
She felt the plane shake violently. It must have hit the ground. They were speeding along the road, but she could feel resistance like they were slowing down. Still, it seemed impossible that they could stop in time...
But the other humans were unimpressed. Some of them stretched as they woke up from sleeping. Imagine, taking a nap. Through this.
The captain's voice came on again, with that weird crackly sound to it. "On behalf of United Airways, I'd like to welcome you all to O'Hare International Airport in Chicago. Please remain seated until we come to a complete stop, and we hope you had a nice flight."
Lyra leaned back and let out a sigh. "Finally. I don't want to do that again."
"Suck it up. We've still got one more flight before we're home," Paul said.
"You're right... Do you think I'll see you again? In Filly - I mean, Philadelphia?"
He laughed. "You're already sounding like a native. Maybe we will."
This airport was even bigger than the one in Des Moines, and much more busy. She was beginning to believe what Paul had told her about Des Moines being a "small city."
She'd lost track of him as the airplane had cleared out. Maybe she would find him again before they boarded the next plane. Having someone else there had really helped her keep her head clear. Right now there was too much to worry about.
She had some time to kill before the next flight. About two hours, plus however long the flight itself would be. She wandered into one of the stores. The words "Hudson News" were lit up above the entrance, in white cursive letters. It seemed to have a little of everything - snacks, t-shirts, souvenirs, magazines... There were some books on one wall, with the paper covers instead of hard ones.
Her dad's name instantly jumped out at her. Voice in the Dark, by Thomas Michelakos. His name was slightly larger than the title. The cover art was similar to the others - humans, dressed in armor or cloaks, one of them seated on the back of a pony.
Well, it was closer to those ponies that she'd seen in Iowa instead of anyone she'd known in Equestria. Taller, with the long face and small beady eyes. Still, a human riding on its back... Spike did that with Twilight every so often. A human, though? That was different. Maybe when she'd been a pony, she would have agreed to that if a human had asked.
That was strange to think about.
It didn't say much about what the story was. All it said was that it was the first book.
It was only a couple dollars, and she was curious to know what exactly he wrote about. Between waiting for the flight and sitting through it, she'd have plenty of time to find out. She took out the little bit of money she had left, counted it, and took it up to the counter to pay.
The second flight went easier than the first, perhaps because she knew what to expect. She'd seen Paul in line as they boarded, but lost him as they'd taken their seats. Instead Lyra was sitting next to an adult human woman who slept, snoring noisily, the entire time. Lyra was getting a bit more comfortable with airplanes, but she wasn't at the point where she could go to sleep yet. She settled in and kept her mind occupied with her dad's novel instead.
The book started off with a wordy introduction, and then went into a history of... a war.
Like what had happened in Equestria.
But this one hadn't ended the human race, in this world her father had dreamed up. Obviously it hadn't, since this took place at the beginning of the story. But why would humans want to read about something like that? War was just about the worst thing humans could do, even if they stopped themselves before going too far and wiping themselves out completely.
She kept reading, though. The tone lightened soon enough, focusing on a few humans living in a small village. Details of it reminded her of Ponyville - the thatched roof houses, the farms on the outskirts of the town, the marketplace they set up every week or so to sell crops and other goods.
But then she came across a mention of magic.
The world of this story was inhabited by humans, but certain ones used magic. Not that they were born with it - apparently in this book magic was just something ordinary humans could learn if they studied enough. And knowing magic created a huge divide between them and the other humans. Magic users lived in a city far away from this little village, all by themselves. Kind of like the divide between the races in Hearth's Warming Eve. That story had been just as fictional as this novel, though.
Lyra lowered the book and stared out the window. The human world stretched out below her, too tiny to see any details. It was huge and fascinating. Maybe she'd get the chance to explore it someday.
But more importantly... Magic didn't create any kind of tension between those who had it and those who didn't. Lyra and Bon-Bon had had their differences, their arguments, but it had never been about magic. It had been about... other issues Lyra had. She inspected her fingers. Though maybe in this book, it caused such problems because every human who could use magic was about as powerful as Twilight, maybe even more. Magic wasn't that easy or that useful. Everything in this book was so wrong...
Her dad knew nothing about real magic.
The flight lasted long enough for her to get through a good chunk of the book, though it hadn't been easy. All she could focus on were the inaccuracies, and wondering why any of this would interest humans who lived in a world where you could cross over six hundred miles in a few hours.
Lyra was grateful when the plane touched down in Philadelphia, once again landing on that long road and speeding along until it finally slowed to a stop.
"Thank you for flying with us. The local time here in Philadelphia is 12:53. We hope you enjoyed your flight."
As soon as the captain's voice came through the ceiling, she'd been grateful to stand up, stretch her legs, and hopefully never fly like this again.
She followed the sea of humans pouring out of the single exit. They'd probably know where to go. She tried looking for Paul again, but couldn't find him. Besides, now she was looking for someone else. Someone more important...
The signs hanging above her head directed her towards baggage claim, and that made her remember her suitcase and guitar. Audrey had said that she'd get those back after arriving here.
Lyra followed the arrows through the airport. It was different from Chicago or Des Moines - had she really been to three of these already? But it was equally as huge and crowded.
Her eyes were suddenly drawn to something - her own name. First and last, in thick block letters, on a sheet of white paper.
Being held by a woman she recognized. |
Anthropology | Home Again | Lyra stood there frozen for a moment. There was no mistake. That human was the same as the woman in her photo. She'd been looking at it every day since she left Equestria. That was her real mother. And she was holding a sign with Lyra's name on it.
She felt herself start walking towards her. It was an almost subconscious motion.
"A-are you..." she started to say.
The woman stared at her, like she was hardly able to believe what she was seeing. "Lyra?"
Lyra could only nod in response. She remembered how humans greeted each other, and offered a handshake, but instead her mother put her arms around her in a tight hug.
They drew apart slowly, and then something crossed her mother's face. "Your eyes..."
"What about them?"
"No, it's... nothing," she said. "It's nothing to worry about. Lyra..." She shook her head. "When your father said that he'd found you, and that he'd spoken to you, I just couldn't believe it."
Lyra noticed something. She looked around at all the humans surrounding them. "Where is he, though?"
"He had to pick up Chloe from her day camp, but they should both be home not long after we get back."
"My sister." Lyra was grinning. "I can't wait to meet her. I'm pretty good with kids, you know. I'm so excited to meet her."
Lyra's mother nodded. "But until we know for sure... We don't want to tell her who you are. Who we think you are. If there's still a chance you're not..."
"I understand," Lyra said, but really she didn't. She reached into the bag at her side, and dug out the picture frame. "Um, I've had this picture, and - "
"I saw that in the email... I remember this photo. It was one of the things missing from your room."
"So that proves it, right? What else do you need?"
"Lyra, of course we believe you, but it's been so difficult for all of us. We would have given anything to know what happened that night."
"Yeah, same here," Lyra said. She idly reached up and shifted the weight of her bag on her shoulder. "I wish I could tell you what had happened, but..."
"You don't remember."
"Nothing."
"Do you know how you ended up with that?" Her mother indicated the picture frame Lyra was holding in front of her.
The night after her performance at the Grand Galloping Gala. Lyra had been lying awake after being told by Princess Celestia herself that her entire life had been a lie. And then Dewey, the unicorn who had adopted some creature from another world, had given her this picture and it had seemed like things could turn out alright. And now it was the very moment that Lyra had been waiting and hoping for ever since leaving Equestria.
"I... don't remember where it came from," she heard herself say. "I've had it all my life. That's all I know."
A frown crossed her mother's face, and she sighed. "Well, we'd better get you home, anyway."
"Oh, um - I need to pick up my bags. They took them before I went on the plane," Lyra explained.
"I didn't forget." She noticed Lyra's face. "Don't look so worried. They'll be at baggage claim," her mother said. Her head tilted up to find the signs hanging from the ceiling. "This airport is a nightmare. We've had to get through it a few times. It never does get any easier."
"You've been here before?" Lyra said. "This is my first time ever flying... In a plane, I mean."
Her mother gave her a strange look, but it only lasted a moment. "Follow me. We'll try not to get lost."
The "baggage claim" was a large room with some kind of moving track snaking through it. Tons of suitcases were drifting along. So many of them looked the same. Lyra tried to remember what hers looked like... She hoped it was here. This entire system didn't make sense - why even take her things away if they were going to get here at the same time she did?
She watched for a while as other humans lifted suitcases off the track and rolled them away. The crowd was slowly thinning out.
"So, uh... where have you flown to? You said you'd been here before," Lyra said. She didn't take her eyes away from the baggage claim for more than a few seconds.
"Mostly conventions, things like that, but we've gone on a number of family vacations now that Chloe's getting old enough."
"Is it always like this? With all the security and stuff?" Lyra asked. A man stepped right in front of her to take his suitcase off the track.
"It's gotten so much more strict than it used to be. It's hard to believe it's been over ten years now." From the tone, Lyra guessed she was supposed to know what that meant, but she would have been a pony back when whatever it was had happened.
She spotted the suitcase - now she remembered what it looked like. It was coming around the bend towards her. She prepared herself to snatch it up - she'd have to be fast. The handle was pointing away from her... As it passed by her, she quickly reached down, spun it around with both hands, then closed her fingers around the handle to hoist it up and onto the ground in front of her.
"There it is. Ready?" her mother asked.
"My guitar, too," Lyra said. She really didn't want to lose that. She was more familiar with that case than her suitcase, so as soon as it came through...
"I heard you were a musician."
Lyra nodded. "Yeah. Well, the guitar's kind of new for me. I just learned it."
Her eyes were still fixed on all the luggage that continued to drift past. The guitar case would be easy to spot with its long, irregular shape. Not to mention she'd been looking at it for weeks going to and from practice. She was going to miss that.
"Another artist in the family. You'll fit right in."
"I hope so," Lyra said.
She spotted Nathan's guitar - her guitar - and pulled it off the track. For a moment she'd been worried that it would be lost. She had everything, and she was here with her mother. She felt such a strong sense of relief.
"That's it, then. Ready to go home, Lyra?" her mother asked.
"This is... our car?" Lyra said. She walked around it, examining it. It wasn't much different from other ones that she'd seen before. Big. Red. Not the same one from the old picture, but that had been taken years ago.
"Of course," her mother said. She pulled open one of the back doors. "You can put your things in the back."
Lyra slid everything across the back seat, and then got into the front seat. The right side, since humans always drove sitting on the left. She was learning. This vehicle belonged to her family... Her other parents hadn't even owned a carriage of their own. Not that there was any need to. Unless they had to leave town, everything in pony cities was within easy walking distance.
They were in a darkened building just like the one Audrey's mom had parked in at the other airport. The same cold grey walls, floor, and ceiling. It was weird how things were so similar here. It was almost like being in the same city. When Lyra had found out she was going hundreds of miles away, she'd expected it to feel so much different. Just thinking of how diverse all of the Equestrian towns she'd visited felt, and those were relatively close together distance-wise.
They drove around the grey building for a while, then exited into the bright sunlight. It was weird. It felt like it should be so late, but it was probably just because she'd woken up so early.
It was a bit of a drive to get from the airport back home. It went through a city that was - as impossible as it seemed - even bigger than Des Moines. The buildings were so much taller, and all different styles. One that was reflective, practically a giant mirror, was right across from another tower made of light grey stone. This was her own hometown...
That's right. It was. She had seen this place before, nearly a year ago. In her dreams... This time Bon-Bon wasn't going to wake her up, though, because this time she was actually here. She leaned closer to the window, bending around to see up higher.
"Did you live in Iowa? There aren't many big cities out there, are there?"
Lyra shrugged. "Well, I didn't live there... I mean, I don't remember where I lived, exactly. I... think it was a smaller town, though." True enough - Philadelphia would have made Manehattan look like a backwater village, let alone Ponyville.
She read the names of buildings, shops, and restaurants as they drove past. What she at first assumed was just dejà vu turned out to be more than just a weird feeling. Some of these hotels really did have the same names as ones around the Des Moines area. Like they'd just been lifted out of one city and replanted here.
They drove through the city for a while before the tall buildings started to thin out. They crossed a bridge over a wide, brownish river, drove alongside it for a while, and then turned into a neighborhood amidst some trees. The forest got thicker as they continued on, with houses becoming farther and farther apart. Eventually it was just a forest and hardly a village at all.
And then there it was.
Lyra had seen this house plenty of times, but only in that photograph. Suddenly it was right in front of her.
As soon as the car stopped, she clicked out of her seatbelt and opened the door. She stepped out onto the pavement and just stood there.
Not much had changed in those fifteen years. She'd still recognized it, after all. It was so big, though - two stories, fairly wide, and the driveway had been longer than she realized. The picture also hadn't shown her all the trees surrounding the house.
"We're home, Lyra," she heard her mother say.
This house - her house, Lyra realized - was nice. Really nice.
She entered into a hall with stairs on one side. There was a balcony going across, and she could see a doorway into another room upstairs. Directly in front of her she could see through to the living room. Light was pouring in through the large windows, filtered through the leaves of the woods outside. Already she could tell it was maybe twice the size of where Audrey lived.
As she headed further inside, she noticed a painting on the wall. A large red dragon, sitting on top of a mountain of treasure. She'd never seen one up close, or in its cave, but it looked about right from what she'd heard from other ponies. And the details were accurate enough - though dragons had a huge variety of body shapes and sizes. In the corner, there was a name - Selena M.
"That's one of my early ones." Lyra's mother had noticed she was examining it.
"You painted this?" Lyra said, pointing at it. She turned back to look closer. "How did you know what a dragon looked like?"
"I based it off of Tolkien. Have you read The Hobbit?"
"No... I don't know that one." Lyra shook her head. Probably a human book. "I heard you were an artist."
"Your father and I do share a love of fantasy. It's how we met, actually, all those years ago," her mother said. "I've been doing the covers for his books, ever since Voice in the Dark. That was the first."
"I was reading it..." Lyra said. She remembered what the cover had been. "So, um... I remember the picture on that one. I was wondering about that. Have you ever... ridden on the back of a pony?"
Her mother laughed, a light sound. "I've done some horseback riding. It was a long time ago."
Lyra nodded. She wasn't sure what to say to that.
"Why do you ask? Do you do any riding?"
"N-no. Of course not," Lyra said. "It's just... well... never mind."
She hurriedly moved past the painting and into the next room.
The living room was spacious like the hall had been, the feeling of openness enhanced by the large windows on the back wall. There was a cobblestone fireplace, and Lyra was a bit shocked to see a sword mounted over it. She was about to ask about it, but she noticed something on the coffee table in front of the sofa that was even stranger.
"What are these?" Lyra said, reaching out tentatively to pick up one of the small figures, but stopping short of it.
"Those are your sis - They're Chloe's."
"Oh... They are?" Lyra's voice shook.
She'd thought they were just small figures of horses at first. White horses, with a certain gracefulness like Princess Celestia, while still not looking quite like Equestrian ponies. They weren't as stocky. The faces were different. But she'd noticed the horns.
"You know how little girls are. Just about everyone goes through a unicorn phase at least for a little while," her mother said. She laughed. "Maybe I never outgrew mine."
"Um... right." Lyra grinned nervously. "I... I guess you could say I'm done with unicorns, though... And magic."
Her mother simply nodded. "Lyra... We really did miss out on so much time together. We never knew you when you were that age..." The smile had vanished from her face.
When Lyra had been that age, she'd actually been a unicorn, learning magic, and discovering humans for the very first time. Just how different were these two places? She was standing here with a human talking about how dragons and unicorns were just stories made up to entertain children. It was almost like talking to Twilight, but reversed.
"After we lost you... Well, neither of us wanted to go through that again. But we knew we still wanted a child..."
"I don't think what happened to me was normal."
"You're probably right about that."
They both heard the front door swing open, and footsteps quickly running through the entry hall. Then a small human girl ran into the living room... and stopped as soon as she saw Lyra. They both stared at each other, not saying anything.
"Who are you?"
"Um... I'm - " Lyra couldn't find her words.
"Chloe, we told you we'd be having a visitor, didn't we?" Lyra's mother said.
A man followed the girl from the hall. He was tall, with a small beard the same silvery-grey as his hair neatly trimmed framing his mouth. He noticed Lyra immediately.
"You're here..."
Lyra nodded. She wasn't sure what to say. Although she'd never met any of these humans before - and they were humans, that was still the strangest part - something about them felt so familiar. Welcoming.
"Chloe..." The man found his voice again. "This is Lyra. She's going to be staying with us for a while."
"Why is her hair like that?"
Lyra had to admit that she was wondering the same thing. Both her mother and her sister had dark brown hair. "I-it's because... I like this color, so I dye it." She flashed a nervous smile. In the back of her mind, she considered maybe learning how to use hair dye and changing it back to its original color.
"Chloe, why don't you go upstairs for a while?" her father said, bending down slightly and putting a hand on her shoulder.
Chloe nodded, gave a final glance towards Lyra, then headed for the stairs.
Lyra turned her head at the sound of footsteps heading up the stairs. They faded away. She looked back at her father, back to her mother. The faces were the same as her photograph. The first real human faces she had ever seen. Finally, her father spoke up. "Did your flight go well?"
She scratched the back of her head. "It was okay."
He looked over at the sofa behind her, and motioned to it. "Please, sit down. Make yourself comfortable."
She did as he said. She was feeling tired even though she'd been sitting for hours on the airplanes. That had hardly been what you'd call relaxing, though, with all the noise and being shot up thousands of feet into the air.
"It's been so many years..." her father said. He crossed the room and took a seat next to her. "We thought we'd never know what happened to you."
With any luck, they never would. She gave another glance towards Chloe's unicorn toys sitting on the table. "I'd kind of like to know what happened, too... It's like I told you on the phone. Before I stayed with Audrey's family, I can't remember anything."
"How did you find us?"
"I had a... friend. Randall. I played in a band with him," Lyra said. "I showed him the picture of you, and he recognized you. From the books. And then Audrey used her computer and found some news article..."
Her father nodded. "We're not going to talk to any media this time. When you went missing, they just made everything more difficult."
"We're just glad you're home now," her mother said, putting an arm around her.
Lyra smiled. "I am, too." Then, "One thing..."
"Yes?"
"I haven't eaten all day. Do you have anything I could have for lunch?"
Her parents had acted surprised when she told them she was a vegetarian. Lyra was having trouble deciding what she could eat, so she just grabbed an apple from a basket of fruit in the kitchen. She hadn't had one in a while. Probably not since they'd finished off the giant bag that Bon-Bon had been forced into buying.
They'd talked over lunch. The awkwardness never seemed to completely go away, although it took mere minutes for everybody to open up. She'd told them all about Des Moines. It was all she wanted to tell them about. She turned the questions onto them. She definitely had enough.
"That sword above the fireplace..." she said.
"That's an interesting story..." It brought a small smile to his face. "It's a gift from a fan. I have dozens of stories I could tell... I have been writing for a long time, now. Since before you were even born."
"It's a weapon, though..."
"The blade is dulled. The guy who gave me that actually owns a metal forge, and wanted to recreate Errian's blade for me. I met him at a convention."
Lyra nodded. "I was reading your book. You really seem interested in... magic. I don't really get that."
"Those are the things that draw people to fantasy. Everyone wants to escape sometimes, to a world more interesting than their own. I think that's what helped us." He looked across the table at his wife, then back to Lyra.
She stared at the apple and noted the way it seemed to fit perfectly into one hand. "Maybe you're right about that."
After that, she'd been shown where her room was. The same one that she'd slept in as an infant, according to her parents. It was refurnished since then, and they didn't use it very often.
Her father set down her suitcase by the door. "Do you need any help unpacking?"
She shook her head. "I'll be alright. I don't have much."
"I'll let you get settled in, then, Lyra." He gave a final glance, then turned and walked out.
Lyra wasn't really sure what she had expected. It was just a room, after all.
It was simply furnished, with a bed and a dresser and a nightstand, all dark polished wood. Nothing too fancy, though it was nice. Her window overlooked the back yard, which was mostly just forest. Thinking of her guest room at Audrey's house, and how she'd gotten used to falling asleep with the occasional sounds of a passing car or a siren, this would be more like Equestria than ever.
Fifteen years ago - well, at this point, almost sixteen - she had been right here, when something had opened up and dropped her in the middle of Canterlot. A human child, the first to be seen in Equestria for over a thousand years. Kind of significant, even though she'd ended up just being a single face in the crowd in Ponyville.
But suppose that hadn't happened. Suppose she'd stayed here. Grown up with her human parents, attended school - she'd probably still be attending school now, actually - and lived out her whole life as a human in Philadelphia.
She probably would have ended up like the rest of her family. Fascinated by magic, and dragons, and... unicorns. Completely ignorant of how great this world was by comparison. Most of the unicorns Lyra knew weren't very interesting, anyway. She'd had a few friends in Equestria... Not like here, though. Even if she'd left behind her human friends in Des Moines, she could meet more here in Philadelphia easily enough.
Lyra knelt down in front of the dresser and started transferring her outfits out of the suitcase and into the drawers. Once she was done with that, she leaned the guitar up in the corner of the room. Her smaller bag was still on the bed. She took out the photograph and set it up on the dresser. After considering it for a moment, she took out her lyre and laid it next to it.
Once everything was unpacked, Lyra stretched out on her bed, hands behind her head, and stared up at the ceiling.
Here she was. This was her house. She was back.
Her dad wrote books about magic... and war. Her mother was an artist who painted pictures that looked almost like Equestria. And her little sister was apparently obsessed with unicorns.
Today really had been exhausting. She didn't even notice when she fell asleep.
The human doctor was shining a bright light into one of her eyes. Lyra squinted, and started to tear up. Then he finished and turned it off.
It was only her second day here in Philadelphia. Lyra was in for her first doctor's appointment as a human. She sat on a strangely uncomfortable yet cushioned bench. Everything was pretty much the same routine as an Equestrian doctor. The office even looked similar - other than some anatomy diagrams, which she examined with interest whenever she could. Detailed diagrams of the human body. What she would have given to see these years ago.
The doctor, a younger man with neatly combed dark hair and thin square-rimmed glasses, asked about a few vaccines for diseases she hadn't heard of. Apparently humans could catch "chicken pox." She had nearly admitted that she had already gotten the pony pox when she was a filly, but caught herself before saying anything. Just how many species' diseases humans were susceptible to was still unclear. She had gotten a few needles stuck in the soft flesh of both arms. It was even more painful than getting shots as a pony.
But she knew the real reason they brought her here. Well, kind of. She didn't understand how they would accomplish it, but...
"You're trying to find out if I'm really Lyra Michelakos, aren't you?"
The doctor nodded. "We already took the samples. They're off to the lab and it should take a couple weeks to get your results."
He was probably talking about those swabs they'd taken from the inside of her mouth. She had no idea why they were doing that. Maybe humans used potions, like Zecora. Those could be a substitute for magic in some cases. And what else would they be doing with it?
He had gone quiet again, just scribbling some things down on his clipboard. Lyra sat on the bench, her fingers curled around the bottom edge.
"This is my real eye color," she told him.
"Your family has a history of brown eyes."
"Well, um..."
"Amber isn't a very common color. It's not entirely unheard of for eye color to change in the early years after birth, although that's also very rare."
"It's... always been this way. As far as I know." She looked around at everything in the room except him.
"Lyra, do you remember - "
"I've told you, and I've told Dad plenty of times. I don't remember anything before I went to Des Moines," Lyra said.
"Did you live there?"
"Yes. Well, kind of. I stayed with another family for a few weeks."
He nodded, taking a few more notes. It bothered Lyra that she couldn't see what he was writing. "How did you get to the city?"
"I, um..." Lyra hesitated. "I walked there."
"And where did you walk from?"
She sighed. "That's as much as I know. I really can't tell you any more."
The doctor wrote down a few things on his clipboard. He didn't say anything. Lyra fidgeted, and turned back to one of the diagrams on the wall. The inside of a human ear. She felt her own, how it was kind of stiff. Much less flexible than pony ears. She had never noticed a significant difference in sensitivity, just that it was harder to move it on its own.
"Have you spoken with your... ah, parents, about therapy?" He looked at her over the top of his glasses.
She turned her head to look directly at him. "I'm not crazy."
He smiled. "Nobody's calling you crazy. We're only concerned about your emotional state. How you're adjusting to your new life."
The last three words caught her attention. "What do you mean by that?"
"I don't have very much experience with cases like yours, personally, but the adjustment when children are reunited with their lost families can be difficult. Not just for you, but for your parents as well. And your younger sister, especially."
"Oh. I guess you're right."
"Do you feel like you're at home when you're with them?"
She suddenly remembered those white unicorn figures she'd seen on the table. They hadn't looked like anyone she knew, but it was too similar to be ignored. "I guess you could say that."
"It's good to hear so," he said. "Though I'll still be giving your father the number of a psychiatrist I know."
She sighed. There was just something about the way he said "your father" like he wasn't entirely convinced. She'd noticed that from her parents, as well - like they wanted to believe who she was, but had to tell it to themselves over and over and still not fully believe it.
"I just want to know about this test. When do we find out if I'm really Lyra Michelakos?" And she'd also like to understand what exactly they were doing, although just the words "paternity test" seemed to be good enough for everybody else.
"Those results should be out in about a week."
She leaned back, her back pressing against the wall mirror. Just one more week. Then they'd all have the answers. |
Anthropology | Living a Lie | Once again, Lyra was finding herself disoriented in the mornings. Waking up in a new place did that. At least this would be the last time she had to move. Those results would come soon, and then she'd be able to settle down.
She dragged herself out of bed and walked down the hall, past her mom's studio and to the bathroom across from Chloe's room. In the past nine days, she'd managed to learn her way around.
The first thing she noticed when she looked in the mirror was that her hair was a total mess. She found her hairbrush sitting on the edge of the sink and started straightening it out.
She really took more pride in her appearance now than when she had been a pony. True, she still looked somewhat like her pony self, but it was just her hair and eye color. Those things didn't really matter.
The brush snagged on a tangle of green hair, and she pulled it through. She rubbed her eyes and blinked at her reflection sleepily. She thought about how she'd look with dark hair. More like a regular human. That'd be good.
She looked down at her fingers. A few rough patches were forming at the tips from guitar playing. It had been painful at first, but she'd been told they were good - it would make it easier to pick the strings. What had Randall called them? "Calluses," that was right.
It was mostly on her right hand, but there were a few forming on her left as well. She poked at them, curious about the odd stiff texture. She winced as her brush got caught in her hair again, then went back to looking at her hands.
She stopped.
Both her hands were empty, but she was still brushing her hair.
She looked up at the mirror again and had just a glimpse of a fading aura around the brush before it dropped and clattered on the floor.
In a panic, she knelt down to pick it up, but... her fingers were gone. Two mint-green hooves were sticking out of her sleeves in their place.
Lyra sat straight up in bed.
It was still dark outside, and completely quiet except for the crickets chirping. She turned to look at the clock on the nightstand. The numbers "2:43 AM" were glowing on it. Just the numbers - her parents had called it "digital."
She pulled her hands up to check that they were still there. Everything seemed to be in order. Then she reached up to check her forehead, just to make sure it was still smooth. She let out a sigh of relief.
Had she really expected to find her horn again? Of course not. Humans didn't have those.
But... She'd better make sure she was really still normal.
As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she scanned the room. There was the dresser, and that large shape leaning against the corner was her guitar. She could barely make out the indistinct shape of her lyre in the shadows. It was set up on top of the dresser, probably about ten feet away from her. She tried to remember how this worked - focusing her mental power, letting it flow into the object and picking it up.
Nothing happened.
It had just been a dream. She still didn't have magic. It was crazy to think that she would.
Even though it had turned out to be nothing, she was still feeling short of breath. That feeling when she'd realized she was using magic again. The first thing that had flashed through her mind had been how she would explain that to her family.
For the past couple days, she'd just kept on telling them she had somehow lost her memory. She was feeling like a broken record, but what else could she say? Especially after what had happened with Audrey. But... how long could she really go on lying to her own family?
She laid her head back on the pillow and pulled the covers up. Everything was going to work out. Somehow...
One thing that hadn't changed since being a pony - Lyra still slept in late. On most days, at least. This morning she was up unusually early, but after that dream, she hadn't exactly been able to rest easy.
Lyra slowly worked through her daily routine. Nothing out of the ordinary... No magic. No hooves. That much was good.
It had been over a week, and Lyra was starting to get used to how things worked with her family. They had their own routines. At times she felt that she was throwing them off by suddenly showing up, but her parents seemed happy that she was back. Most of the time, at least. There still seemed to be a trace of doubt, every once in a while, but that would soon be cleared up.
The door to Chloe's room was still shut. She was probably still asleep. Lyra was still getting used to the idea that she had a younger sister. For the past seven years, she'd had a sister. A human one. Chloe seemed to be adjusting to Lyra being around all the time, but she didn't really like to talk to her. And she didn't know who Lyra was yet - if those results came back and it turned out Lyra was who she thought she was (and Lyra just knew they would), then they'd tell her, but only then. For now, Lyra was just "staying at our house for a little while."
Chloe was almost the same age as the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Lyra had been great at getting along with them. But, for human kids... What did they do? They definitely weren't concerned with getting a cutie mark or anything like that. And Lyra really didn't know much about the kind of unicorns Chloe was interested in.
Her parents' room was down the hall. Her mother was most likely asleep as well. She would probably wake up soon, sit on the back porch to eat breakfast, and then work on painting. There was a half-finished work in the studio that Lyra could see as she walked past. It looked like it would be a human figure with wings, but that was about as ridiculous as a human who could use magic.
Lyra stopped in her bedroom again to pick up the paperback sitting on her nightstand. A bookmark stuck out about three-quarters of the way through. She picked it up and took it with her.
Nobody else was down here yet. Her dad was probably awake. He would get up earlier than anybody else and work on writing. Well, he called it writing, but it was actually all on the computer and not on paper. Humans did use those for just about everything. Maybe Lyra would learn how to use one herself someday. "Typing" looked like it was fun.
She set the book down at the kitchen table and walked over to the cupboard. She opened it up, but it was the wrong one. This one was filled with plates... She moved on to the next one, and the one after that. She still couldn't keep track of what was where. Here it was.
Now, where were those things... Those thin pastries with the fruit filling that came in the shiny foil wrappers. She searched the shelves and found the blue box they came in. It was up high. Maybe she was still half-asleep, because her first instinct was to levitate it down. She shook herself and reached up, closing her fingers around it. She stood there for a while, staring at it blankly.
"Good morning, Lyra." She was snapped back by the sound of her father's voice.
"Oh... Good morning." She managed a smile.
"You're up early. Is everything alright?"
"Yeah, of course..." Her eyes went back to the box in her hand. "I just... had a weird dream last night. It's still kind of getting to me."
"Do you remember what it was?" he asked.
"No," she said. "I'm already forgetting why it bothered me in the first place. I used to have dreams all the time."
"How long ago?"
"It was... Um..." She moved her fingers unconsciously, drumming them against the box. Then she remembered what she was doing, and took out one of the packages. "I don't know. I... just used to have them."
He started making coffee. They had a machine that did it automatically. From what she'd seen, humans were practically addicted to the stuff, and her parents were no exception.
Lyra sat down at the table and crossed her legs, leaning back in the chair. She tore open the foil, took out one of the pastries, and took a small bite from the corner. You could heat these things up in something called a "toaster," but she didn't feel like it today. It still tasted good, if a bit stale. Bon-Bon would probably be horrified, but prepackaged food was a major part of a human diet.
A few minutes later her father sat down across the table from her with his coffee.
"Uh... Dad..." Lyra said.
"Yes?"
"I've been reading your book." It was on the table in front of her. She tapped it with one finger. "There's a few things that confuse me, though."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, magic, for one thing. How do they use it? You say that they can just learn it, but... anybody can do that?"
"It takes some complex mental focus and years of practice, but essentially any character could learn it." He seemed to be speaking more openly than he had been before. It was an easier topic. "Of course, the Citadel doesn't let anyone in. They want to protect their power and teach it only to those they decide are worthy. You've read about that part, haven't you?"
"Hm..." Lyra said. She thought back. The first time she'd ever used magic, it had been an accident. "I guess I just never thought magic worked like that."
"That's the thing about magic." He smiled. "It's not very well-defined, so writers can do whatever we want with it."
Lyra frowned. That wasn't right... The exact nature of magic wasn't easy to get, even if you could use it, but there were some basics that were just undeniable. For one thing, in order to have any control over it, you would need a horn to focus it through. And it was a lot easier to learn than he claimed it was, partly because a unicorn was designed to be able to use it.
"Oh, and... unicorns," she said.
He stared at her.
"Do you have any of them in this book?" Lyra said. She quickly added, "I know Chloe likes them, but... You know."
"I don't have many mythical creatures in my world, no. Just regular horses."
Mythical creatures, like all of Lyra's friends and family up until a little over a month ago. The "horseback riding" was mentioned every so often in the book. It was like they were just animals. It was hard to explain exactly how she felt about that. The horses weren't much like ponies except in appearance.
A lot of things in this story seemed like the humans Lyra had read about. She hadn't read anything about humans riding horses, but if the Princess had wanted to erase records of humans, that would be one of the first things to go. Along with warfare... There was a lot about that in her dad's story, too.
"It's... an interesting story," Lyra said. "I definitely haven't read anything quite like it before."
He smiled. "And I've got critics who claim it's too cliche."
"Is this kind of story normal for hu - " She caught herself just in time. Making these questions sound natural was hard. "Is it a common theme for stories?"
He shrugged. "It's a very wide genre, but some things never change."
She nodded, and turned towards the windows.
"It's all somewhat based on history, though, isn't it? You just added things to it like magic, and the countries..." She waited for his response, because she realized that the kingdom of Emathia and the nation of America sounded equally unfamiliar in her mind. For all she knew, it could be a real place.
He nodded. "There are some Greek influences. That sets it apart from - "
"Greek? You mean like... Those old stories and songs, like they'd play on a lyre. I know I've heard some things about that."
"Half of our family - my half, that is - comes from Greece. That's where the 'Michelakos' name comes from. My grandfather lived there, but I've only visited the country twice in my life."
"That's amazing!" Lyra's eyes widened. Greece was one of the countries that had really fascinated her ever since seeing the couple pages in Twilight's book. Not only had they invented the lyre - which was a very popular instrument in Equestria - she was one of them.
"You're interested in your heritage like I am, I take it."
"Just recently, to be honest." Finding out she wasn't Canterlot-born had greatly increased her interest in herself. "I used to - "
"What?"
"Um..." Lyra fidgeted nervously. "Nothing. I forget what I was going to say." She finished her breakfast and stared out the window again, away from him.
"Lyra... " He stroked his chin. "The doctor told me that it looked like nothing was wrong with you."
"Why would there be? I'm normal," she said.
He sighed. "When we lost you, all those years ago... Your mother and I didn't hear anything. Everything was gone, but there was no sign of a break-in, all the doors were still locked. You had just vanished into thin air. And now you've reappeared just as suddenly, and you say you don't remember anything."
Lyra lowered her head. It was too much like what Audrey had said when she dodged answering questions. "I really don't. You have to believe me." She looked up at him. "You do believe me, right?"
He reached over and put his hands over hers. "If there's anything you don't want to talk about..."
"I really don't remember anything," she insisted. "I'm sorry."
Lyra wished that she could make up a convincing lie. But how much about the human world did she really know? She knew Des Moines, she had kind of seen Chicago... She thought back to the list of towns she'd copied into her journal at the airport, but she didn't know what any of them were like. Anything would be better than saying nothing.
She put a hand to her forehead and rubbed it. "I... I need some fresh air. I think I'll take a walk."
Before her father could say anything, Lyra stood up, slipped her shoes on, and headed out the door.
Lyra didn't plan to stay out for long - she really had just needed a walk. It was nice and quiet out here in the woods. It was away from all the cars, so the smell wasn't quite as noticeable. In fact, it almost seemed like being in Whitetail Woods. She'd participated in the Running of the Leaves a few times there... Back when she had been a pony.
She'd almost let herself slip up.
It had just been little things, sure. But she couldn't mention that she'd always liked reading, because that had come from spending so much time at the Canterlot Library as a filly with her other father. And the reason she was "just now" interested in her heritage? Because she'd always thought she was just a half-unicorn mix, with weakened magic as a result, but now it turned out she was descended from an ancient race of humans. She couldn't say a single word about herself to her family, and it was getting impossible.
Maybe she really didn't feel like she was at home here. Lying definitely made things difficult. But she wasn't sure if she was really missing Equestria, or if she was missing that feeling of performing on stage with Randall in Des Moines... And yet she still wouldn't give up the chance to live with her human family for anything.
She walked along the side of the road, since there wasn't a sidewalk out here. One time a human went past on the other side, sitting on some kind of weird machine that ran on two skinny wheels. Lyra stopped in her tracks and watched. It seemed like they were moving forward by pumping their legs, and they were going so much faster on that machine than they would just walking. Humans really did never cease to amaze her.
She paid careful attention to the street signs and the houses that she passed. She didn't plan on going far, but the last thing she needed was to get lost. The trees thinned out eventually, giving way to a neighborhood where the houses were closer together. It really didn't seem like she'd come that far from Des Moines, this place was so similar.
This was her hometown, she realized. She had been born here. Did it feel like home, though? Her parents might have their doubts about her, but... Lyra was certain she was right. She had to be.
For a while she just moved on, lost in thought, until she eventually came to what must be the downtown area.
A few small shops were here. It was nothing like the big city - these buildings were scarcely any bigger than houses. Actually, Lyra realized her own house was bigger than a lot of these.
There was a metal stand fixed to the sidewalk, and another one of those two-wheeled devices chained to it. Lyra stopped for a closer look. She knelt down, pushing a pedal slightly with one hand. It clicked as it spun around. When she pushed the other way, it gave some resistance, and - yes, the wheel moved. She had to learn how this worked.
Another human walked past. He looked at her strangely, and she stood up quickly and moved on.
Looking around, it seemed like there were some restaurants here. Pizza, Chinese, Mexican. Those were all countries, she was pretty sure. One darkened shop had a "For Rent" sign in the otherwise empty window. But then she came to one that really seemed interesting - "Belfield Used Books."
A bell rang as she opened the door. She had a sudden flashback to that store that she'd walked into in Des Moines, just hours after arriving in the human world, but this time she could afford to look around. And she wasn't nervous about talking to that human behind the register at all.
It was a female, older than her, but still fairly young. She seemed lost in a book, even though there was something in front of her on the counter that might have been a computer. A glowing picture of an apple was on the side facing Lyra.
"I was looking for a book on human history," Lyra said, with an aside glance towards that might-be-a-computer.
The girl looked up at her. "Any specific period?"
"All of it."
She started to laugh, but then realized that Lyra was completely straight-faced. She glanced over at a section of shelves. "Well, over there is nonfiction. Are you looking for American history, or... I guess you'd be looking for world history, right?"
America. Lyra knew that was where she lived now, but not much else. "Actually, I know about some other countries, but not much about America. You have books about that?"
"Of course." The human at the register paused. "Are you from overseas? You don't seem to have an accent, but - "
"I'm from America. I just... I'm just now starting to research history. I need a good overview."
"Right..." She nodded slowly. "You didn't learn it in school?"
"My school was... different."
The girl circled out from around the counter. "I'll see what I can help you find. It looks like it'll be a slow day, anyway."
As soon as she was out, Lyra offered her hand. "My name's Lyra. I'm kind of new in town."
"Monica..." The shopkeeper returned the handshake. "Wait, that hair..." For some reason, she laughed. "You really exist."
"What? Of course I do," Lyra said. "What do you mean?"
"I was talking to a friend of mine. He said he'd met some girl with green hair on a plane who claimed she was Thomas Michelakos's long-lost daughter. And I kind of doubt there are that many green-haired Lyras in this city."
Lyra was taken back by surprise. "You know Paul?"
"He comes in here every so often," Monica said. "Small world, isn't it?"
"I don't think so..." Lyra said. The plane trip had proven that much.
"So you're staying with Mr. Michelakos now? I've met him a few times, he comes here every once in a while. I know he has a younger daughter, but I've never heard of you. Figures, that's why you'd be his 'long-lost' daughter."
"Yeah... Um, his books are pretty popular, aren't they?"
"You could say that," Monica said.
Lyra looked at all the shelves lined up to the back wall. They were divided into sections - fiction, history, travel. She didn't even know where to start. And it was hard to ask her questions straight out without getting weird looks and more questions in return.
"Anyways, you said you wanted American history."
Lyra nodded. She'd almost forgotten that. "Right."
Monica led her through some rows of shelves to a section near the back of the store. "This is what we've got. Feel free to..." Lyra had already pulled out a volume that had caught her eye and was flipping through it, looking at the occasional diagrams and illustrations. "Take a look around," Monica finished.
"Quick question. This is going to sound odd, but it's... the year 2012 now, isn't it?" Lyra said, her eyes still fixed on the book.
"It has been for a while, yes."
"And America was founded in the year 1776." She looked up. "This country isn't very old."
Monica raised an eyebrow. "You really don't know anything, do you? I'm starting to see why Paul found you so interesting..."
Lyra ignored her. "I think this one looks good. I'll take it."
"Uh... great. Glad I could help."
"Oh, and, um..." Lyra scratched the back of her head, and mumbled, "Unicorns."
"What was that?"
"Well, it's... My sister," Lyra said quickly. It was partially true, Chloe was the main reason she wanted to do this research. "She loves unicorns. Do you have any books on those?"
"You mean like children's books?"
"Whatever you have." If unicorns really were just stories for kids... Well, that's just what they would be in this world. It didn't really matter.
Lyra hadn't really considered it until she'd started running her mouth off to Audrey, but humans did know something about unicorns. It was odd, really - how they knew about unicorns despite there being none around. Then again, Equestria had been similar. Everything had felt so backwards ever since she'd come home. But now she'd start getting some answers.
Monica glanced around the store. "I'll see what I can find for you."
Lyra followed her to a section of shelves labeled "Fantasy." Obviously. They both scanned the titles printed on the colorful spines.
"There's one of Dad's," Lyra said.
"Yep," Monica said. She glanced over at her. "What was it like, finding out who you were? Had you heard of his books before?"
"No... I can't say I had. I'm reading them now, though."
"I see..." Monica crouched down to look at one of the lower shelves, then pulled out a book. She looked at it for a moment, then stood up and handed it to Lyra. "I think this is the best I can do."
Lyra stared down at the cover of the book. A plain white unicorn - a blank flank, even though he (or she, it was hard to tell) was an adult - standing in the forest. Drinking straight from a river. That was just disgusting, completely uncivilized. She raised an eyebrow. "So, is this... a novel?"
"Yeah. It's a pretty popular one. There's a movie of it, too, but I'm not sure if we have that in stock."
"You mean like what they show on TV?" Lyra said. "I think I'll just read this... I mean, I like the idea of movies. It's like getting to watch a play whenever you want. I just can't stare at a box like that for very long."
"Really, now? You're a dying breed," Monica said with a smile. "Seems like people don't read as much as they should these days."
Lyra looked back down at the book in her hands. "This is the best you have about unicorns, though? I was thinking of something more... informative. Factual."
"I don't know, you could check the mythology section. I doubt anyone's written a field guide, though."
"Right... Because unicorns aren't real," Lyra said. "And magic's completely made up."
"Uh... yeah," Monica said, giving her a strange look. "So, will that be all? I can check you out over at the front." She thumbed over her shoulder.
"This should be enough for now. Thanks for helping me find these," Lyra said.
"It's no problem." They headed back to the counter. Monica circled around to the other side behind the register. She glanced over the titles again as Lyra handed them to her. "That's an interesting selection of topics there, though." She slid them both into an unmarked brown paper bag.
"I guess you could say I have a wide range of interests. I've always read a lot," Lyra said with a shrug.
Monica nodded. "It's a good habit to be in. Besides, it keeps this place in business. And your dad, for that matter," she said. "Say 'hi' to him for me."
"Yeah. I'll... do that."
"I know this isn't exactly my place to pry, but... I can tell. There's something bothering you, isn't there? Something important on your mind and you don't want to talk to anyone about it."
"What? No, there's not - I'm not hiding anything," Lyra said. "Why would I be - "
"There you go. That's exactly what I'm talking about. You're acting so strange." Monica's voice was even, and Lyra fell silent. "I'm not going to ask you what it is, but... If it's really that important, then you won't be able to cover it up forever."
"I don't have a choice."
"Trust me. Sooner or later you'll need to get it off your chest. You'll feel better. That's all I'm saying." She handed the bag over the counter, and Lyra took it with slightly trembling hands. "Just some free advice."
"Thanks... I guess."
"It's no problem." Monica gave her a smile. "So will I see you again?"
"Probably."
"It was nice meeting you, Lyra."
"Yeah... Same here." Lyra turned and headed out the door without another word.
Lyra found her way back through the neighborhood to her house easily enough. She only got lost once. It hadn't been much longer than an hour or two since she'd walked out. Maybe she should apologize. Her dad was probably worried.
There was still some part of her that didn't like that she was still considered a child. She'd paid her own rent - well, half of it - for several years. But maybe it was best to live with her parents. It wasn't like she could fend for herself in this world. She needed to start learning about it.
She thought about what Monica had said. Did her parents notice she was acting strange? If Monica had, then yes, they probably had, too. But... she couldn't exactly just tell the truth.
She walked past the mailbox right by the side of the road and down the long driveway towards the house, past both of her family's cars - one was the big red one she'd come back from the airport in, the other was a smaller black one.
Her hand closed around the doorknob and pushed it open. With an uneasy smile on her face, trying to give the impression nothing had gone wrong, she walked into the kitchen.
Both her parents were sitting there together. A stack of letters was on the kitchen table. They were reading one of them - a sheet of paper that had been folded a few times. There was something on their faces...
"I'm back," Lyra said, setting her new books on the counter.
Her mother looked up from the letter. "Lyra?"
"Is... Is there something wrong?" Lyra asked. They were acting strangely...
Without another word, her mother stood up and wrapped her in a tight embrace. Lyra noticed there were tears on her cheeks. |
Anthropology | Long Distance | "Fifteen years," her mother said. "You were gone for fifteen years."
"I know that, but..." Lyra pulled away slowly, and saw her dad still looking at that letter. She realized what it was. "Are those the results?" She headed over to look at them.
The paper was mostly a large table filled with numbers. Lyra squinted, trying to figure out what she was supposed to look at. She hadn't expected something complicated like this. Her father placed one finger on the bottom number.
Probability of Parentage - 99.124%
It wasn't phrased like Lyra had expected, just a simple "yes" or "no." The whole thing kind of looked like something Twilight would understand better than she would, and the decimal point was oddly precise. But it was still a good number.
What that meant was clear enough. It meant that she was who she thought she was - these really were her birth parents. But maybe even more importantly, this confirmed that she was a real human.
Lyra tried to read the columns above the final result. "What does all of that mean?" She poked the paper with her finger.
"There were only a few instances where it was off," her father explained. "They said it's probably nothing more than a simple mutation."
"Mutation?" Lyra repeated slowly. That didn't sound good.
"It's really very common in these tests. It happens often with age. It could even be a mistake in the process itself. Harmless."
"Yeah... It was probably that." Her hand moved up and tugged on her hair unconsciously. It still naturally grew green and white. Not brown.
Sooner or later you'll need to get it off your chest. You'll feel better.
Her mother placed a hand on her shoulder. Lyra looked over at it. "We're sorry if it ever seemed like we didn't believe you."
"No, I understand," Lyra said. "For a while... I wasn't really sure either."
But now she was. There wasn't a question anymore - this was where she was meant to be. As a human - with these humans.
There was a sound of light footsteps on the stairs. Chloe walked out of the entry hall into the kitchen. She rubbed her eyes sleepily and then noticed all of them standing there by the table. "What's going on?" she asked.
Lyra's father went over to her and knelt down. "Honey... We have some very good news. Lyra is going to be living with us from now on."
"Huh?" Chloe tilted her head, and looked over at Lyra, then turned back to her father. "You mean, like... always? Why?"
"She's your big sister. And now she's going to be living with all of us again."
"How is she my sister? She looks weird," Chloe said, frowning.
"Now, that's not - "
Lyra laughed. "It's... It's okay. Really. I've been thinking about dy - I mean, washing this out anyway." She reached up and touched the white streak.
"I'm sure you'll get used to having her around. Your father and I missed her very much," Lyra's mother said.
"But where did she come from?"
Lyra shifted uncomfortably. "Well..."
"We don't know where she's been, only that she's back now," her father said.
"I've never met her before!" Chloe said. "Why haven't I met her before?"
Her father started, "It's very hard to - " But Chloe ran out of the room and back upstairs before he could finish. He sighed, and went back to where Lyra was standing by the table. "We'll talk to her later. It's hard, forcing this on her. We never even mentioned that she had an older sister."
Lyra nodded. "I know. You didn't think I'd ever come back. I understand."
"Exactly."
Really, it was a miracle that she had. If she hadn't found those books about humans all those years ago in the Canterlot archives, she would probably still be in Equestria now. Not to mention finding them again after getting back to the human world.
"We really are glad you came back, Lyra. Even if you can't tell us why," her mother said, putting her arm around her shoulder again.
"I know. It's fine. She'll come around eventually, right?" Lyra looked at her mother, then over to her father. "I'm usually better with kids, though..." She noticed their looks, and then hung her head. "I mean, I think I was..."
Lyra opened her journal and found the torn-off piece of paper that she'd stuffed between the pages. The drawings it had fallen between were old ones - some studies that she'd done comparing the size of a human to a pony. It had been fairly accurate - she'd estimated a pony's height as slightly less than half of a human's, when it was really closer to two-thirds.
She smiled at the memory of when she had drawn that. Back when humans seemed completely strange and mysterious. Then she took out what she was looking for and closed the journal again, slipping it back into her dresser drawer where she hid it. She read it over. Just a numeric code with Audrey's name above it. She took it downstairs to find the telephone.
Although she'd never admit it to her family, she felt a rush whenever she used something like this. An incredible human invention that she'd never dreamed was possible, and yet here it was, and she was using it.
She pressed each number with her finger. There was that now-familiar buzzing sound when she placed it by her ear, and tilted her head to hold it in place against her shoulder. She waited for the voice to come. It all happened in sequence.
"Hello?" It was hard to tell, but it sounded female.
"Audrey?" Lyra said.
"No, this is her mother. May I ask who's calling?"
"Oh, um - sorry," Lyra stuttered. She recomposed herself. "This is Lyra. Is Audrey there?"
"Lyra? It's good to hear from you! How are things?"
Lyra was grinning. "It's great. Absolutely perfect."
"Hang on just one moment. I'll find Audrey for you."
The other end went quiet, and Lyra leaned her back against the wall as she waited. She could hear faint voices. Then: "Lyra?"
"Audrey! Hey, I just wanted to tell you something."
"How have things been?" Audrey asked. Lyra could kind of tell the difference between Audrey's voice and her mother's now, even if the phone made it so difficult. That was the problem with these things - you couldn't see the other human, they barely even sounded right. Still, it was a useful tool. Nothing like it existed in Equestria.
"My parents had me take some kind of a test. To prove if I was really their daughter," Lyra said.
"Oh, right. Your dad mentioned that..."
"The results came back. I was right. I really am Lyra Michelakos." She loved the sound of that name - it was unmistakably a human name, and carried down from her Greek ancestors. The ones who had invented the lyre.
"That's... That's fantastic news!" Audrey said.
"Yeah," Lyra said. "
"I still can't believe how we found them... That was just crazy luck, or something."
"Speaking of which, have you talked to Randall lately?" Lyra said.
"He was your friend, not really mine," Audrey said. "I've got no clue what he's up to these days."
"Hmm... You know, I've been thinking I want to find another band out here. Get back to playing guitar," Lyra said. "I really miss that."
"Yeah. But, Lyra..." Audrey's voice lowered. "You've been... okay, right? No more... I mean, have you told your family..."
About Equestria? Lyra could tell that's what she meant. "No, I told you. I was just... Kidding. That was all. I shouldn't have said anything," Lyra said. "We're just going to work through it... Not knowing what happened, I mean. I still can't remember."
"That's what worries me. Memory loss usually isn't a good sign."
"It's fine. Everything's fine," Lyra said. "I really don't want to talk about it."
She heard Audrey sigh. "Well... How's everything else over there?"
Lyra's mood brightened again. "Great! I found a cool bookstore today..."
She talked with Audrey for a little while longer. Back at the airport it had felt like she was leaving everything behind again, but... not quite. Thanks to human technology, she could still talk to her friends in Des Moines. It wasn't like leaving Equestria, and knowing that her contact with her friends there was all lost...
In an odd way, Lyra felt like she was back in Ponyville, staying up late to research the history of humans.
The book she had gotten about American history was just one of countless others available to her in this world. Once she was done with this one, she could go back and find tons more information. That feeling of uncovering ancient secrets wasn't quite the same - there had been no hunt through the archives, the book was fairly fresh with clean white pages. Not to mention she was using her very own hands to turn each page. But it was still exciting. Her hands practically shook with anticipation as she began reading.
This country of America was a little under two and a half centuries old. Compared to how long Equestria had stood, that was nothing. Princess Luna's banishment by itself had lasted over four times as long as that. And to think - Lyra's first breathtaking glimpse of Des Moines had led her to think that the city must have stood for millennia.
This book started off with the basics. There actually was no Princess in this country - or a king, or a queen. They had something called a "president." Who that was now, Lyra had no idea. They had four year terms, and the book wasn't quite that recent, so whoever was in charge in 2012 would have changed by now.
At eighteen years old, humans could actually vote for the new president, among other things.
And that made Lyra realize that her own birthday was coming up soon. Summer was just about over, it would be fall before too long. She would be seventeen years old in probably a few weeks. She wasn't sure of the exact date, since her Equestrian family wouldn't actually have known the right day, but her birthday had always been in the fall, so it might be close.
She wasn't old enough to participate in her human country's government yet. And she wasn't old enough to drink. Or even just live by herself, though she wasn't in a hurry for that. She smiled to herself. No wonder Bon-Bon had always scolded her for being so childish.
Lyra hadn't thought much about Bon-Bon lately. That was for the better, though. They had gone their separate ways. Bon-Bon would live out the rest of her days as an ordinary pony making a comfortable living in Ponyville, and Lyra had, impossibly, gotten the chance to live out an "ordinary" human life. In this place called "America."
She turned back to the book in front of her to find out more about what that meant.
Now she was looking at the early history of the country. There were a few mentions of countries she was familiar with. England, Portugal, and, yes, even France. America had split off from England, so that would explain why they called this language "English." It didn't explain how it was the same as the Equestrian dialect Lyra had always spoken in. She wondered if she'd ever find those answers.
But, in order to become a country, those early American humans had...
"No..." Lyra whispered.
So humans did fight each other, and they didn't even need Discord to start it. She looked ahead, and - yes, there were even more. It was like humans defined their history around what wars had taken place.
Lyra had to stop reading.
After the Gala, when Princess Celestia had told her about humans, she'd said that war was an unavoidable part of human nature. Even before Discord, they'd fought amongst themselves for whatever reasons they could think of. Lyra had spent two sleepless nights wondering if that was really what humans - what her own species - did.
She had come here to reassure herself that humans were better than that.
But here in this world they'd never completely ended their species. And the book seemed to know that wars were terrible, that was clear from the way it described them. Flipping ahead, it looked like some of the more recent wars had resulted in protests. Humans knew that it wasn't right... They must.
There was enough war in America's history that they classified periods of time by them, and yet Lyra didn't understand how they could even start in the first place. What would drive a human to think that was the way to solve a conflict?
She'd been in such nice neighborhoods, made friends with all sorts of different humans. It was hard to accept that they were anything like Princess Celestia had made them out to be.
Her head hurt. She'd deal with this later.
She set the history book aside and picked up the other one. It would be less stressful, she was sure. This one was just a novel - The Last Unicorn. The unicorn in question was pure white and blank-flanked. He (or she) looked too much like those horses Lyra had seen back in Iowa. She wondered if this unicorn could even talk.
Already Lyra was having her doubts about this one, but she needed to know what humans thought about unicorns. Maybe they were just as misinformed as ponies were of them.
That did seem to be the case, as she discovered. This unicorn was so graceful and beautiful and stupid that she was practically devoid of personality, and she lived out in the woods instead of in a civilized town... But the line at the beginning about this unicorn and how "she was no longer the careless color of sea foam" made Lyra shudder. It was only a coincidence... Plenty of unicorns were that color. There was her, and then there were... Others. She just couldn't think of names right now.
Lyra hadn't been expected to be so frustrated by this book. What did she really care about unicorns, anyway? It had just been simple curiosity. More about what her little sister was into than her own personal interest... She yawned, and set the book on the nightstand with the other as her eyes fell closed...
The phone started ringing - in an odd way, it almost had a musical quality, but it quickly got irritating.
"Could you get that, Lyra?" her dad called from the other room.
Lyra stood up and crossed the room to where the phone was sitting and picked it up. "Hello?" She gave the standard greeting.
"Lyra? Oh, thank goodness. I've been trying to get in touch with you for ages - "
She frowned. "Uh, who is this?" The voice was hard to identify again. It sounded oddly familiar.
"Come now, Lyra. You haven't been gone that long. Don't tell me you've forgotten your old roommate already!"
Her eyes widened. She moved a hand up to press the phone closer against her face. "Oh my gosh, Bon-Bon? Is that really..."
"Oh, you do remember! I'm flattered."
"I can't believe it's really you! How have you been?"
"Still the same as ever, though the house is noticeably quieter... And yourself? You just up and disappeared without a single word. I'd like to know what was so important."
"It's fantastic here, Bon-Bon!" Lyra said. "I wish you could see this place. Philadelphia is a huge city. And there's so many more like it. There's humans everywhere."
"Sounds like you're enjoying yourself." Bon-Bon's voice was flat. Lyra could just imagine her scowling.
"You bet! You used to say we didn't even exist," Lyra said. She paused, and shifted the phone by her ear. "Wait. Bon-Bon, how do you know how to - "
Lyra sat up in bed, stared at her dark bedroom, and instantly groaned and fell back down. She ran her fingers through her hair. What was wrong with her? Thinking that Bon-Bon could get a phone and just call to see how she was doing?
She took a deep breath. It would pass. Sooner or later, this would all be over. After all, they'd proven it. She was a human... Even if it didn't always feel that way.
Lyra took the book out to the back porch one afternoon and settled down in one of the wooden chairs, bracing herself for more painful misinformation. To be fair, this "Peter S. Beagle" probably never expected anyone who had actually been a unicorn to read his book. Just like her dad had said about his own books - magic was "made up" so writers could do whatever they wanted with it.
It was just ridiculous, though. Not only did this unicorn not have a cutie mark (it was never mentioned in the story, but she could see it on the cover), she didn't even have a name. Plus she just lived out in the woods, not in a proper house like a civilized pony. Lyra glanced up at the trees all around her. Well, she lived in the woods now. In Ponyville they all lived away from the forests. It was almost ironic.
It didn't make sense how this unicorn could live by herself and not realize she was "the last of her kind." Or how there could be humans in the same world as unicorns, and nobody thought it was strange. And even more strangely, the unicorn couldn't use magic, but her human companion could. Lyra liked him better. He was kind of clumsy, but he seemed to get things done. That was more than could be said about this unicorn.
Her fingers flipped through the pages slowly, and she thought about setting the book aside again and heading inside. But then - it was in the middle of the nameless unicorn being chased by the evil bull or whatever it was - something happened.
That human magician she was traveling with turned her into a human.
Lyra smiled. Finally, this unicorn was about to get some sense knocked into her. Lyra remembered the exact moment when the same thing had happened to her - the initial confusion, and how it was quickly replaced with relief and sheer joy once she moved her fingers for the first time and stood up on her own two legs.
But... something was wrong.
This unicorn was acting like becoming human was some terrible thing. What was her problem? Humans could do so much more, they looked so much better. And it wasn't even like this unicorn had ever used magic. She was shocked to be in a "mortal body" now or something. And ever since Lyra had come here and moved in with her parents, she had actually been feeling younger.
Lyra had to fight not to throw the book out into the yard. But she glanced up at the sound of the back door sliding open, and noticed Chloe had come outside.
"What book is that?" she asked. She still kept her distance on the other side of the deck.
Lyra closed the book and held it up for her to see the cover. "It's called The Last Unicorn."
"You like unicorns, too?" Chloe said. She moved a little bit closer, eyes focused on the book.
"Well..." Lyra's face twisted. "Kind of. I just wanted to see what this book was about, that's all."
Chloe nodded and looked away. Lyra looked at the cover illustration again. Maybe she was reacting too hard to everything the book said - after all, she had never really been a unicorn. She'd technically always been a human.
An idea struck her. "Chloe, you seem to know a lot about unicorns," Lyra said. She swallowed a lump in her throat, then asked, "Have you ever... heard of Equestria?"
It felt strange to actually say that word out loud. Lyra practically had to force it out. And yet, now that she'd said it, she was feeling better. Maybe Monica had been right. She did just need to get it off her chest.
"No. What's that?" Chloe asked. "Is that what your book is about?" She pointed at it.
Lyra smiled. "No, this book doesn't know anything about real unicorns."
"Well, what do you know about them?"
"Equestria is where all the unicorns live. But there's also pegasi, and earth ponies. Only the unicorns can use magic, but all of the ponies are still important."
Chloe seemed interested now. "Where did you learn about that?"
"Well... It's just a story I've heard," Lyra said.
Chloe took a seat in the other chair next to Lyra's, and leaned it closer. "Tell me."
Lyra smiled. "Where do I start..."
She told her all about Canterlot, the capitol city where the Princess lived. And about Cloudsdale, where the pegasi made all of Equestria's weather. And about the ponies who lived in Ponyville - Twilight Sparkle, the expert on magic; Fluttershy, with all of her animals she took care of; Pinkie Pie, who worked at Sugarcube Corner and drove her coworker Bon-Bon up the wall every single day...
And, of course, about a unicorn musician named Heartstrings. |
Anthropology | Another Year Older | Lyra's seventeenth birthday came earlier than she had expected. Her Canterlot family hadn't known the right date, they'd just guessed and ended up a few weeks off. For the first year in her life, her birthday would be celebrated on the actual date.
This party (if you could really call it that) was a lot quieter and more intimate than the past few had been. Living in Ponyville came with a guarantee that your birthday would always be a huge affair with the whole town invited. Pinkie Pie made sure of that. Not that everybody would actually show up - there was a huge birthday party for somebody on average of twice a week, so obviously not everybody could make it to every single one.
Her cake was store-bought, from some bakery in the city. It was good, but it didn't compare to Sugarcube Corner, in terms of flavor or decoration. Not even close. Bon-Bon used to bake whatever Lyra wanted for her on her birthday. Most years she had considered that enough of a gift. What she wouldn't give for some of Bon-Bon's homemade chocolates now...
But she had plenty this year. It was her first year with her human family, and they were the only ones at the party, not that she knew many other humans in town yet anyway. A few gifts, not very big boxes. Lyra had gained so much in the past few months that she didn't mind. Though... she was curious at what a human got for their seventeenth birthday.
They were all sitting in the living room together, Lyra in the center of the couch between her parents. She tore the paper off of one of the gifts - it was a rectangular box just barely able to fit in one hand.
"Uh... what is it?" Lyra asked, turning it over and inspecting the pictures on the sides.
"It's a cell phone. We thought you should have one," her mother said. "Just so that we can keep in touch when you go out on your own. Things like that."
Lyra nodded slowly, examining the photograph printed on the box. It didn't look like the others she had seen before. Still, it was a fascinating piece of human technology, and now she had one of her own. Like a real, normal human.
With her parents' help, she unpacked it, they showed her how to plug it in - it was called "charging" - and later how to actually use it.
It was very different from the others Lyra had seen. The top was just a flat, glassy panel, but it came to life if you pressed a button, and then the screen responded to the touch of your fingers gliding over the surface. She spent a few minutes just watching the colorful shapes slide around when she touched it.
Her mother showed her how it worked. There was a lot more to this than she realized. Not only could you talk to other humans on it, there was a camera, a music player, a watch. She could also use the Internet... if she learned how. It was odd, since she was pretty sure that the Internet was in computers and not in this tiny little phone. Whatever it was, it still seemed complicated, but she knew enough that it was useful.
There were a few other gifts, too. Smaller things. Albums from rock bands she liked, that her dad promised to help her put onto the phone's music player. Lyra was curious how exactly that would work - the discs were bigger than the player. However it worked, it was human ingenuity at its finest, no doubt.
Chloe had nearly fallen asleep on the sofa, and after she was taken up to her bed Lyra just spent a few moments with her mom and dad.
"This hasn't been an easy day in past years..." her mother said. "You're almost grown up now."
Almost. Lyra gave a very small smile at that. "I'm glad I got to spend this one with you. Thanks for everything."
"It's so good to have you here, Lyra," her father said.
Lyra sat up in bed until well past midnight, studying her new phone. It was giving off a surprisingly bright light even though her room was dark. It seemed incredible that one object could have so many different functions. The way it was operated, reacting to her fingertips. That was something that ponies would never be able to do, even if they had the technology. The tiny numerical buttons on regular phones had been impressive enough.
She flipped through the photos she had taken that day, stored on the screen but not printed out or even developed. Maybe tomorrow she'd get her dad to show her how to put her music onto it.
For now, she set it to the side on her nightstand, and picked up the history book instead. She'd been slowly working her way through it.
She was done with the other book about the unicorn. It hadn't taken too long to finish. After all of that nonsense, she'd been happily teaching Chloe about real ponies and magic. They were pretty good friends now. More than that. Sisters.
If The Last Unicorn had been frustrating, then human history was absolute torture. It was almost enough to kill the good mood she was in from her birthday. Lyra wanted to stop reading, but she couldn't just convince herself that humans didn't do these kinds of things. She had to face the facts if she was going to be one.
Humans kept on fighting each other. Maybe it was just an unfortunate side effect of having all these different countries, even though the war that had happened back in the 1860's seemed to suggest it didn't even take that to set humans off. And each one brought with it more of this brilliant human ingenuity, wasted on coming up with more weapons. It honestly got sickening how much they'd accomplished.
Lyra glanced over at her phone on the nightstand. Humans were capable of coming up with good things, if they wanted to. If ponies would have had those, she could have called her parents in Canterlot whenever she wanted. The mail wasn't nearly that fast, and it was much more impersonal than just talking face-to-face. Or whatever phone conversations were, it was close enough. She wondered how long ago humans had come up with phones.
But she turned back to the more difficult, more troubling information about "American history."
This particular book said that there had been wars up to the year 1991... Lyra had heard just earlier today that she had been born in the fall of 1995.
How would she go about asking if there had been any more since then? This book was clearly outdated. All of the recent events - pretty much everything that would have happened while she was gone - weren't written in here.
There was always Monica...
A bell rang as Lyra opened the door the following morning. She noticed Monica right away. She had hoped she'd be working again, but then she noticed someone else standing there talking to her. A wide grin spread across her face when she recognized him.
"Paul?" Lyra said. She headed over to the counter to join them.
He turned around. "Oh, wow, Lyra? I didn't expect to see you in here."
"I come here all the time," she said.
"Like I told you, I've seen her a few times in the past few weeks," Monica said. "She reads a lot. Usually it's either unicorns or American history."
"Interesting tastes..." Paul said. He looked back at Lyra. "So how've you been? It's been a while since you came out here."
"I've been great, really. Never better," Lyra said, and she honestly did mean that. "I was just coming in to get some more research... I mean, reading." She gave a nervous smile.
"Of course." Monica nodded. "I think you know your way around pretty well by now. You don't need my help, do you?"
"No, I think I'll be fine," Lyra said.
Maybe the reason she liked this store was because it felt so much like home. She walked in and was greeted by somebody she knew - this time, two of them. Other stores in Philadelphia weren't that personal. Once she had come to the bookstore in the evening and a different human was working - an older man who didn't talk much - but if she came in the mornings Monica was almost always here.
"Wait, so you really weren't kidding about your dad," Paul said, pointing a finger at her in a casual gesture. "I mean, I was almost sure you were making all that up, about having this famous author as your long-lost dad and all that. Must be crazy living with a guy like him. What's he up to, six? Seven books? And they're all huge."
"I think he's getting ready to release the eighth one," Monica said. "Wait, Lyra, you would know that. When's he coming out with that?"
"Actually, I'm not sure what he's writing now..." she admitted. "To tell the truth, I actually think those books are kind of weird. I mean, all the humans using magic, and the battles."
"It's traditional fantasy. I'd say that the generic theme is almost part of the appeal - it's very straightforward, but it's well-written. Pretty consistent quality, too," Monica said. "And it is cool that he's local."
"I'm with Lyra. I don't really read fantasy. Maybe some Terry Pratchett here and there. If he counts," Paul said.
"Exactly. I guess I'm just not into this kind of stuff," Lyra said. "This world is good enough for me. I don't need a different one." She frowned. "And those humans are always fighting with each other in Dad's stories..." That made her remember her original purpose. "I was reading that history book you gave me and it said that America had been in wars. A lot of them, actually."
"News flash," Paul said. "I've never heard that before."
"So... It wasn't true?" Lyra said. "I mean, if there had really been so many, you would have heard - "
"That was sarcasm, Lyra."
"Oh..." Her face turned red. She hated being called out on her lack of human knowledge.
Monica raised an eyebrow slightly. "Well, if you really want to know more about it, there should be shelves back there marked. You can find some books about the specific conflicts you're interested in."
"Well, it's more of just the general idea of the thing. I don't get it," Lyra said. She hesitated. "I know I must sound kind of clueless right now, but I've never really understood war."
"Told you she was a hippie," Paul muttered under his breath.
"Now I think you're getting more into... philosophy, maybe." Monica leaned up against the counter, one hand on her chin. "But you're asking some pretty heavy stuff. Nobody really understands it."
"So it's normal for humans to not understand what it means to be human?"
"I... guess? Like I said, philosophy, it's over by the - "
"Suppose that... hypothetically, I mean... a human grew up not knowing that they were human. Would they still be the same as the others?"
Paul put a hand up in a dismissive gesture. "Speaking of not understanding, I'm completely lost at this point."
"Yeah..." Lyra said quietly. She gave a nervous laugh. "I guess I've just been having some odd thoughts lately. Things have been weird."
He nodded. "And what would be normal for you?"
"That's... not easy to explain." Lyra stared at her shoes.
Paul gave a shrug. "Figured."
"Oh, by the way, check this out!" Lyra took out her phone. Her parents had suggested she take it everywhere. "I've been putting some of my friend's numbers into it. My parents showed me how it works. Do you guys have phone numbers?"
"Sure. I'll just enter that for you," Monica said. Lyra handed it to her, and once she was done she passed it over to Paul.
"I get the feeling I might regret this, but... fine," he said, tapping the screen quickly with one finger. He seemed even more adept at it than Lyra was, and she had thought she was getting pretty good at it.
She took the phone back once she was done and put it into her pocket. "Sorry if I was asking some weird questions. I'm just curious."
"No, it's all fine," Monica said.
"Thanks. I think I'll find what I came for. I told Dad I wouldn't be out long."
Lyra headed to the back of the store, locating the extensive history section. Humans certainly kept better records of their past than ponies did... for better or for worse. She realized that she was oddly willing to accept whatever these books said, more so than history back in Equestria. But if they were going to make up lies, they wouldn't say this kind of stuff.
She took a few minutes browsing around, pulling out books and reading a few pages out of each one, and came out with a good assortment. Not all of them were about war - she found a few others about inventors and popular culture. Because those things were just as human as anything else.
As she carried her pile of books back to the counter, she thought about what Twilight would think of having so much unheard-of knowledge at her disposal. What her other dad - what Dewey - would think. He probably worried about her...
"Whoa. Think you've got enough there, Lyra?" Paul said, eyeing the stack in her arms. Lyra set them down on the counter with a dull thud.
"For now," Lyra said simply.
"You're one to talk. You hardly read nonfiction unless it's assigned," Monica said.
"Well, yeah..." He scratched the back of his head. "Speaking of which, what school are you going to, Lyra? I don't know what district you'd be in."
"School...?" she said. "Well... none yet. My parents weren't sure if I was ready. They talked about homeschool."
"I guess that would make sense. Different circumstances and all."
She nodded, but this was another area she was uncomfortable with. She thought she had completed all the education she needed to five years ago. Sure, the magic classes wouldn't be useful now, but everything else was probably still applicable. Did humans have classes on using their hands, or was the behavior too instinctual to require that?
Lyra paid for the book, said her goodbyes, and headed back out towards home. Paul waited until she was out the door, then turned back to Monica.
"Time travel," he said suddenly.
"What?"
"I'm calling it now. Time travel. She's catching up on all the history that's happened since whenever she lived." He thought a moment. "I'm not sure what the unicorns have to do with it, though."
"You who doesn't read fantasy..." Monica muttered.
"That would be science fiction. Not that I read too much of that, either. But isn't she like something out of a movie? Like Tim Burton, if the quirky outsider played by Johnny Depp was a teenage girl instead."
She sighed. "This is a real person we're talking about..."
Lyra sat on the couch in front of the TV, although it was turned off. Her attention was focused on the tiny screen she held in her hand. She'd found the Internet function, but actually using it was a different story. It was a major source of information for humans, it had even helped her find her family - but what exactly was it?
Chloe sat down next to her. "Tell me more about Fluttershy," she said. "Please?"
Hearing that name gave Lyra a jolt, but it was fine. She'd told Chloe a few stories about her old friends. "About Fluttershy? Let me think..." As odd as it was, to be honest she looked forward to this as much as Chloe did. It was getting easier to relax, having all of this out in the open. And for a human, everyday life in Equestria must have sounded exciting. It was different, that was for sure... But Lyra was certain that the human world was still better. "Have I ever told you about the dragon before?"
"Spike?"
Lyra shook her head. "This was a much bigger dragon. He was sleeping in a mountain just outside of Ponyville and making a cloud of smoke. Fluttershy was the first one to see it, and she ran to the park to tell everybo - I mean, everypony else."
Using those pronouns was still hard to get used to. And Lyra had thought she was never going to hear them again after she came here. Chloe seemed to think it was cool, though.
She continued. "But Fluttershy isn't very loud. So when she got to the park, nobo - " Lyra gave a sigh, and corrected herself a second time. "Nopony heard her, and we... I mean, they were all too busy to look up and see for themselves."
"What happened?"
Good, she hadn't noticed Lyra's little slip. She had been in the park that day. Practicing her lyre, and then just taking some time off to enjoy the nice weather and talk to some other ponies. That was another thing different about Ponyville - it was so easy to meet other ponies, and yet after weeks in Philadelphia she only had a couple friends.
"That was when Twilight showed up, and she told everyone that Princess Celestia had called her to get the dragon to leave," Lyra continued. "Fluttershy was really worried, since she's actually very scared of dragons."
"I thought she liked animals."
"Yes, but dragons are different..." Lyra said. "You know that painting in the front hallway? The one Mom did?"
"Yeah."
"That's what this one was like. Huge. Probably bigger than our house." That was an estimation - Lyra had never seen this particular dragon, but Rainbow Dash had been talking about it for weeks afterwards.
"Why does it have all of that gold, anyway? What do dragons do with that?"
"It's what they build their nests with. And they eat gemstones. Remember, I told you Spike loves them."
"I wonder what those taste like," Chloe said.
Lyra smiled. "They probably taste better to a dragon than to one of us. Ponies can't eat them," she said. "Or humans."
Lyra's dad walked in. "It's getting late. Chloe, don't you think you should get to bed? You've got school tomorrow, remember."
"But I want to hear the rest of Lyra's story!"
Lyra smiled. "Dad's right. It's getting dark. I'll tell you the rest tomorrow." She was a little relieved, actually - she'd reached the end of her own personal experience with that story. She'd have to dig deep in her memory to remember what she'd been told about the actual trip. Rainbow had certainly made a big deal about it.
"You promise?"
Lyra nodded, and Chloe headed upstairs to bed. Then her father joined Lyra on the couch.
"You know, I've been hearing a lot about Equestria from Chloe lately. Whenever I'm driving her to school, she's usually got something new to tell me."
"Yeah, I was actually just telling her another one of the stories..." Lyra said. It was odd, being so open about her past now. But everybody thought that she was making it up, just like that other writer had made up his maddeningly inaccurate unicorn novel. "What has she told you?"
"Oh, all about the ponies, the magic, the princesses." He smiled. "It certainly sounds like something she'd like. You came up with all of that yourself?"
"Of course," Lyra said, shifting her eyes.
"You're pretty talented. Maybe you could even write someday - children's books, something like that."
Lyra shook her head. "I think I just want to stick with music. It is my special talent." She realized that she was talking about it like it was her cutie mark. How much did Chloe know about those? Had she mentioned them to their dad? "I mean, I've always been told - "
"Told what?"
"Oh..." Lyra said. "I was told... Well..." Her mind worked frantically. She couldn't say that her other family - and Bon-Bon - had wanted her to pursue a musical career. "Audrey... said that I was really good at the guitar. She said I could have a future doing that. Join a real band someday." It was partially true - Audrey had been impressed at Lyra's talent, but she had never really offered that much encouragement towards a career.
He gave a heavy sigh. "I thought maybe something had come back to you."
"Sorry... Maybe it did, just a little, but I just can't tell what it is." Lyra lowered her eyes. "So you think Equestria would be good for kids' stories?" She was eager to change the subject. And her dad's opinion on real magic would be interesting to hear, even if he didn't realize that's what it was.
"Sure. It's not quite my taste, obviously, but Chloe sure seems to like it. I keep hearing about one character... Fluttershy?"
Lyra nodded. Chloe liked to hear about Fluttershy more than Heartstrings, and that was quite a relief. Talking about her own experiences would be difficult. This was a better way to start. "Yeah. I saw the picture Chloe drew. It really looks like her." She quickly added, "How I imagined her, I mean. I guess I'm pretty good at description."
He laughed. "Maybe your mother could do something with all of this. She's been looking for material."
Lyra gave a small grin. "Maybe."
They talked for a little while longer. The topic drifted away from Lyra's stories on to more serious stuff - the school year was starting, and there were some decisions to be made there. If Lyra would join the other humans her age at the public school, or if she'd get her own special lessons at home.
Her mind was still stuck on what her dad thought of Equestria. So that's really all Equestria sounded like to humans - stories for little kids. Well, Lyra had been talking about it that way. She'd leave out most of the really awful stuff. Just a few sparing details about dragons, and make parasprites seem like something that could be laughed at. Rebuilding what was left of the house after they'd gone through sure hadn't been funny. Lyra had been fortunate they hadn't gotten anything really valuable.
But the one thing she'd never so much as mention... Discord. He had been on Lyra's mind a lot lately. Reading about the wars in America's past had made her think about him. But he was sealed away in stone in Equestria. There was no reason to worry about him. Humans were in total control of this world. Even if he'd driven them to extinction in another one... But nobody needed to know that. |
Anthropology | Beginning of the End | There was a lot to look forward to this year.
Lyra's parents had been talking about school lately. At her age, most humans were finishing up their final year of "high school." But, in all likelihood, she'd be getting homeschooled. They could tell that her education wasn't quite on track, no matter how much she tried to fake it.
What she'd been learning from the history books was useful, and more than anything else, that was the subject she was behind on. When she looked at the history of other countries - ones that she had read about in her old books - familiar things starting popping up, though they were all centuries ago. The recent stuff was what was important, though. And what was difficult.
Other than all that academic stuff, though, Chloe was getting really excited for something she called "Halloween." Lyra had been listening to her, and taking some mental notes. It would be at the end of the month, and there would be costumes and going door-to-door to get candy. This was clearly the human version of Nightmare Night. It was almost the same day, too.
It wasn't the same harvest festival Lyra had read about. None of the same customs from her old books. In fact, Halloween was almost exactly the same as Nightmare Night - it was a little eerie. Though it certainly couldn't be in honor of Nightmare Moon, could it? Chloe had heard that story but didn't talk about any connections to the upcoming holiday. Whatever humans did this for, Lyra figured she would find out more once the day finally rolled around.
And after fall, it would be winter, and she'd get to experience another human holiday. Christmas. Lyra remembered how exciting and colorful Canterlot had gotten around Hearth's Warming Eve, and wondered how humans in Philadelphia celebrated their winter holidays. The city was bigger. Maybe their celebration would be, too.
And then it would be a new year, and she'd go through winter and spring and the next summer with her human family. It was getting a little easier to fit in each day that went by. Soon she'd be just like any other human.
It had started out pretty much like any other morning in the Michelakos household.
When Lyra woke up she could hear the faint sound of her father typing on the computer in his study down the hall. She got dressed in a T-shirt and jeans and headed downstairs for some breakfast.
Eventually Chloe came downstairs, got a quick bowl of cereal, and sat down across from Lyra. They talked a little while. Not always about Equestria, either - as Lyra had hoped, those stories had just gotten her sister to open up to her. She also told Lyra about her school lessons and the new friends she'd made in her class.
"Will you take me out trick-or-treating?" she asked suddenly.
"That's... the candy part, isn't it?" Lyra said.
"Obviously!"
Lyra grinned. "Of course. That's my favorite."
"Alright, Chloe, are you all ready?" Dad had just come downstairs. He got his coat off the back of one of the kitchen chairs and started to put it on.
"Yeah." Chloe stood up to get her bookbag. Lyra watched how the two straps fit over her arms, and the weight would be centered on the back - almost like a saddlebag, but modified. "I'll see you later, Lyra!"
She watched them head out the front door together as she finished her breakfast. The school was out pretty far away. Apparently there was some kind of long yellow car that took most of the kids, called a "bus," but it didn't come out to the houses near theirs. That's why their dad always had to drive her to school.
It was weird how far away the schoolhouse was. Back in Ponyville - No. Lyra shook her head. She had to stop being reminded of that at every little thing. She hated to admit it, since she loved being human so much, but - was she getting a little homesick?
More footsteps coming down the stairs, and then her mother appeared in the front hallway. "Did they leave already?"
Lyra nodded. "They just walked out the door."
"Good. I'm going to head out to the store for a few things. Do you want me to pick anything up for you?"
"Some more of those..." Lyra tried to remember the weird name. "Pop Tarts."
"Anything else?"
"No, that's pretty much it. Oh, and maybe some apples, too."
"Okay. I'll be back soon." She grabbed her purse and car keys, and headed out the garage door. Lyra could hear the low rumble of the huge door opening by itself. A few minutes later, the car engine started and faded away.
Once she was alone, Lyra stretched herself out on the couch and wondered what she would do for the rest of today. The television was there, but she'd never really gotten into the habit of watching it. A couple times she had watched "movies" with her family, which were like entire human plays that took place in there. They used magic a few times, but her mom commented on it and called them "special effects." For the most part her own family wasn't as addicted to the glowing screen as Audrey's was. She messed with her phone a little bit. There was music on it now.
She considered rereading something. The last few books she had purchased had been devoured in the past couple of weeks. She was already filling up a shelf in her room with her collection, and it easily exceeded her old collection of human research that she had left back in Equestria.
That was it. She'd take a walk and go visit the bookstore again. It was still early morning on a weekday, so Monica would probably be working.
Lyra grabbed a pen and paper and wrote a quick note, just in case she was gone longer than she expected. Of course, her parents could always call her, but she could tell they got uneasy if she left for a long time and didn't say anything. It was understandable. Considering what they'd been through.
She found her jacket in the hall closet and slipped it on. The weather was already getting pretty chilly. She left the note on the kitchen table, checked that all the doors were safely locked, and stood in front of the front door.
One last thing...
Lyra held her phone in one hand, with the cord and the "ear buds" draped in the other. She poked and slid her fingers around on the screen to open up the music. Her dad had shown her this. The triangle meant "play." A quiet, crackly sound could be heard from the tiny speakers. Not sure what to expect, she slowly inserted one of them into her ear, finding the right place to lodge it in place. And - unexpectedly - the music was now coming through her ears as clear as if the band was right there in front of her.
Testing it, she took it out, pulling it away from herself. It was still barely audible, but once she put it up close, the sound was perfect. Even better than the stereo she'd used at Audrey's house.
She put the other ear bud in right away and it was like all the other sounds around her just vanished. This was wonderful. The song was a familiar one - "Highway to Hell," a song she had played with Randall's band. With the music playing inside her own head, as it seemed, she headed out the door.
Her usual route went through the woods around her house, through some other neighborhoods, and into the downtown area where the bookstore was. Lyra had been meaning to explore the town, check out some of the other locations around there. Maybe she would do that today.
A car drove past. She hardly heard it through the heavy beats of the music pumping directly into her ears. She watched it as it went past, checking to see if it was her dad coming back from the school, but it wasn't either of her parents' cars. After it went by, she was left alone again.
The music really did enhance what would otherwise be a boring, uneventful walk. There were rarely any other humans out here, either on foot or in vehicles.
She stared up. The woods were looking different this time of year. The leaves were starting to change colors, and there was a thin covering of them on the road. No doubt they had been shaken off by the cars driving through. She wondered if there would be a Running of the Leaves to make sure the others fell off before it was time for winter. She'd done that a few times in Ponyville, non-competitively, usually running alongside Bon-Bon at an easy but vigorous pace. It did kind of look like Whitetail Woods out here. If it weren't for the human road going through here, and that single car that had driven past a few minutes ago, Lyra would have thought she was back there.
She let those thoughts clear away for the time being. Lyra stared up at the oranges and browns above her, enjoying the music coming through her ears. It made her want to get out her guitar and learn some new songs. Maybe after she came back from visiting -
"Enjoying your walk, Heartstrings?"
The sudden voice - unexpected and perfectly clear - had made her stop. She spun around, expecting to see someone behind her, but oddly enough she was still alone. All she could hear was her music, anyway, the ear buds blocked out just about everything else.
"You're getting along quite well on just two legs, I see. Like any other human. You really are one of them, aren't you?"
Whoever he was, he'd called her Heartstrings. And...
The voice was coming through her headphones.
Lyra yanked them out of her ears. She was frozen in place, staring at her phone, but she knew it wasn't really coming from that. No, it had just been a trick. She knew this voice. Even if she didn't quite remember what had happened the last time he appeared, she knew enough.
"I just wanted to stop by and offer my most sincere gratitude. If it weren't for you, Heartstrings, I never would have found this place." His tone of voice became mocking, condescending, when he said her name. No, not her real name, just her old pony name. "And to imagine, you were right there in Ponyville the entire time! If I had known there were humans left, I wouldn't have wasted my time there. No, humans are far more fun."
The voice was coming from nowhere. At the same time, it was all around her. Everything was oddly still.
"I'm rather fond of humans myself," he said. "I suppose we have that much in common, you and me. All that technology, right? And their hands that they use it with?"
Now it sounded like he was behind her, but when she spun around to face him - nothing, just more empty road.
Lyra finally found her voice, though she couldn't help how shaky it sounded. "W-where are you?"
"Oh, I'm exactly where I want to be - here, in the human world. Can you imagine? A separate world, filled with millions of humans, and it's been right next door all along."
That was right - he was in the human world. That definitely wasn't good. But for some reason, all Lyra could think about was that bookstore downtown.
"You're really quite a lot of fun, you humans. And just look at how amazing this world is! Leave you alone for a couple thousand years and you accomplish all of this."
Her voice was a little stronger this time. "How did you get here?" she demanded. "How did you find me? What are you doing?"
She heard laughter. "I think you know exactly what I'm planning. You see, I've been terribly bored, like you couldn't even imagine. I've been in need of some good old-fashioned chaos. Or - my mistake - the humans here have all new ways to create chaos! I do look forward to this, I really mean that."
She gritted her teeth. The voice seemed to come from nowhere, but it was all around her. The movement through the trees - that was just the wind, wasn't it? A few scattered leaves fell down in front of her.
"There's more to humans than that. I've been studying them - us," Lyra said. "We're better than that."
"From the looks of things, you've all made quite enough chaos without my help. We'll see about that."
The voice sounded like he was right behind her now. But she was still alone - or was she? Was this really happening? It couldn't be...
"Well, I didn't plan to visit for long. Just long enough to drop in and leave you with something. You see, there's a whole world of humans out there waiting for me, and let's just say you'll be happier if you're not one of them."
She felt something brush the top of her head. Her hand shot up, but it had already passed her by. Her knees went weak. Things were going blurry.
"Do you realize that there are billions of you in this world? Not thousands, not even millions. I could find millions of you in just one city. And it's not too far from here, is it?"
The last thing she saw was Discord's grinning face in front of her.
"Like I said, Heartstrings - my sincerest thanks for your help."
Lyra woke up groggily, feeling a bit sick. There had been some really weird nightmares lately, but that one had been the worst dream of them all.
Her eyes snapped open.
This... wasn't her bed, though. She was still dressed in the same clothes, though they were feeling kind of loose and baggy. Her face was right against the hard black stone of the road, a few dry leaves scattered around. Memories of what had just happened came flooding back to her.
Discord.
Of all the crazy things that she'd woken up from, this was the one that had actually been real?
She tried to pick herself up off the ground - she'd fallen unconscious, she wasn't sure why. How long had she been out? It was still daylight, just... kind of cloudy... It was hard to tell. She stood shakily to her feet, her spine bending uncomfortably, but then she tripped over her own tail and landed hard on her back. She let out a groan. Her forelegs stuck straight up into the air, and the loose sleeves fell down over her hooves.
Lyra stared at them, frozen in horror.
"That jerk!" |
Anthropology | Truth Will Out | For a while, all Lyra could do was stand there. She looked at her tail. Down at her hooves. At the edge of her vision, she could see the tip of her horn.
But there wasn't any time to waste. She wasn't quite sure how long she had been unconscious. Lyra kicked off the shoes from her back hooves. They didn't fit anymore, they would only slow her down. She had tried to reorient herself, reminding herself which direction was home, and just started running - well, galloping would be more accurate.
Any minute now she would wake up. She had to. There wasn't any way that Discord was here, in Philadelphia.
Something fell into her eye, and she skidded to a halt, blinking it out.
A few more followed. Thick brown droplets... Pretty soon puddles of chocolate milk had started to form on the road. Of course. Just like he'd done in Ponyville. Lyra shook her head and started again.
Her shirt and pants were loose and baggy, and they were getting soggy in the rain. They'd probably start to smell from all this milk... No, why was she thinking of that now?
The lyre necklace, matching her cutie mark that had just reappeared on her hip (flank, she corrected herself), beat against her neck as she galloped along the side of the road towards home. She passed by a car that had stopped on the side of the road. She noticed that the tires were now square instead of round. Whoever had been driving it must have left it there and continued on foot.
Finally Lyra reached her house. No car in the driveway. Maybe she hadn't been out as long as she thought. Her mind went back to the abandoned vehicle with the square wheels. She hadn't even seen what things were like in town, but they must be bad. How were the humans reacting to whatever had happened? More importantly, how would her parents react when they came home and found her like this? There was no telling when exactly they would return. She'd deal with her parents... and Chloe... once they got here.
If they were okay.
For now, she put on a final burst of speed and dashed up to the front porch. The key was in her pocket. Her first instinct was just to reach a hand in and take it out, but obviously that wouldn't work. It took some effort to direct even a small amount of magical energy and lift the keyring out of her pocket, fit it into the door, and then actually try to open it. It seemed to take forever. There was a reason why doorknobs in Equestria didn't actually turn.
The door finally flung open and she practically fell inside, glad to get out of the rain. She stopped to take a breath. With one back leg, she kicked the door closed behind her.
Everything here looked so big.
She'd never been in a human home as a pony. She just remembered being in Canterlot Castle for a few moments, and how everything seemed smaller after she was on two legs. Nothing here was meant for ponies. Without hands, she was pretty much useless right now.
She lifted one foreleg and stared at the wet, matted green hair. It was an odd sensation, having this all over herself. How had she ever been used to it?
More importantly, what did she do now? Discord was out there. Her family would probably come back sooner or later. Based on the clock, she had been gone less than an hour. It was better than what she had thought. But whenever they got here, she'd have to come clean with them about all the lies she'd been telling. She really didn't want to think about that.
But first, she was dripping milk all over the floor. There was nothing she could do about Discord, but this was not the best impression to make.
Lyra headed for the stairs, tripped on the first step with a small cry, and continued slower than before. These stairs were too narrow. It hadn't been a problem before. When she was human.
There were two showers up here. One was vertical, the other had a bathtub. She knew she wouldn't fit into the upright one very comfortably, so she went for the other.
She shook her necklace off her head and let it fall onto the counter, then she twisted her body and pulled off her wet clothes with some difficulty. It was hard, but using magic was still too unwieldy. For some reason, she recalled Bon-Bon asking her if wearing clothes all the time got to be a hassle. Without hands, it did seem that way.
There wasn't any choice but to use her magic to turn the water on. She struggled with the faucet for a while until she got blasted with cold water, then managed to turn it to the other side. She let out a sigh of relief, and let the warm water clear her mind.
Too much was happening too fast. Discord had somehow escaped again. And she had brought him here, or at least opened the way for him. Humans were going to go extinct again. There was nothing she could do about that. There was nothing anybody could do without the Elements of Harmony.
Clearing her mind had been a bad idea.
She pushed the faucet back in with her hoof to shut off the water, and tried levitating a towel towards herself. The basics of magic were slowly coming back to her. Her coat would still take some time to dry completely, with all the wet fur, but at least she wasn't sticky anymore.
Lyra headed into her bedroom to find some clean clothes. Sure, ponies didn't always wear them, but she still wanted to act human. Besides, she had been dressing herself every day months before she became human. She found a clean white shirt - she was proud of herself when she managed to close the buttons with magic. The clothes were still too big, but she didn't care.
As she pulled the shirt down over her head, she caught a glimpse of her lyre on the dresser, and her guitar stand next to that. She would probably never get to play guitar again... Which made her wonder how her friends in Des Moines were dealing with Discord. It was hundreds of miles away. She wondered if the chaos had spread that far.
Now she was dressed, she was clean enough, and there was nothing to do but brace herself for the inevitable.
She noticed her necklace glinting on the bathroom counter, and tossed it back over her neck. It was something of a good-luck charm at this point.
Back in Canterlot Castle, when she'd said goodbye to her adopted family and assured them that everything would be safe in the human world...
She paced down the hallway into her real mother's painting studio. It wasn't that she was going anywhere, she just couldn't sit still. An unfinished painting was there - it would be a book cover for some other author. Beyond it was a window overlooking the front of the house. The long driveway leading to the road... where her dad was running up to the door, shielding his eyes from the chocolate milk rain.
Lyra panicked.
She shot out of the room, rounded the corner through the hallway, nearly tripped again going down the stairs. She had just enough time to see the door start to open. Without even thinking, her horn glowed and the door slammed closed. She slammed her entire weight against it and paused to catch her breath.
Her eyes widened. "What am I doing..." she muttered. Still, she didn't step away from the door.
"Lyra? If you're in there, open the door! What's going on?" It was her dad's voice. If he saw her...
She didn't say anything. What could she say?
"Who's in there? Lyra, say something! I'm not sure what's going on out here, but there's... something raining, the car broke down, I had to run here from - "
"Dad? Uh..." Her voice was weak. "Remember those stories I told Chloe? About Equestria?"
"Lyra? Good, you are home. Just open the door." He sounded relieved.
"It's really important. I need to tell you something. Now."
"We can talk inside. I know things are weird out here, but there's no reason to lock me out." She could tell from his tone that he was getting impatient.
She slowly moved away. "I'm... sorry," Lyra said. She stared at the floor.
Her father came inside. He glanced around for her. "Lyra? What's..." That was when he looked down. Whatever he had been about to say next, he couldn't manage to get it out after he saw a small green pony in place of his daughter.
Lyra, on the other hand, started blurting everything out all at once. "I'm sorry. I never told you anything. I just wanted to be normal. I've never wanted anything more than just a regular life as a human, and I thought you'd believe me if I said I forgot everything, and I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
He couldn't say anything. He just stared at her. Then, he managed to force out a single word. "Lyra?"
"It really is me." She looked up at him, feeling especially short now. She frowned. "You're not... mad at me, are you?"
"You're a... unicorn," he said dumbly.
"I really am a human! And I'm your daughter. But I came here from Equestria. It's all real, everything I told Chloe about. I was a unicorn for most of my life." She pawed at the floor with her hoof awkwardly. "I'm sorry. I lied to you. Are you mad?"
He knelt down in front of her. "Are you... Did you do those things..." He glanced outside, where it was still raining.
She shook her head. "No. My magic can't do that. I wouldn't do that. I just want to be human!"
"You can do magic?"
"Well, yes, but..." She let out an exhausted groan. "That's not important now. It's Discord." Everything came tumbling out again. "He followed me here to find all of the humans who are still around, that's why it's raining chocolate milk and why he turned me back into - "
Her father cut her off. "Who? You're not making any sense..." But something told her he'd barely heard a word she said. The way he was looking at her reminded her that unicorns were supposedly made up in this world.
Lyra stopped. "It's... going to take some explanation. Could you just... wait a minute, please?"
She turned and stumbled up the stairs again. She went straight to her bedroom and started digging through her drawers until she found her journal. It started to glow, and she headed back downstairs with it floating along by her side. She felt like it took more effort than it used to just to lift it, but at least it was in the air.
Her father had sat down in the living room, and had a hand up to his forehead. He looked up wearily when she came back.
"Here. These are the notes I was taking while I lived in Equestria. I read a lot of things in books, but I also - " Lyra noticed he was staring at the book floating in front of him. "Go on, take it."
"How are you doing that?"
"It's just basic-level magic... Oh." Her eyes lowered. "Um, I know what you write about, but magic really isn't anything too special. Most unicorns can't do much more than this." She nodded her head towards the book.
"It's floating in midair. How are you doing that?"
Lyra rolled her eyes. "I learned this when I was seven. I told you it's nothing special."
"You've been doing magic since you were Chloe's age? Lyra, how exactly did you turn into..." He gestured at her with one hand.
She took a deep breath. "All those years ago, when I disappeared? I still don't know how, but I was taken to Equestria. It's that other world that I've told Chloe about. I wasn't making any of those stories up. I really knew those ponies."
He nodded slowly.
"As for learning magic, most unicorns start a lot younger than that... I just caught on slowly." She shrugged. "Humans aren't even supposed to be able to do magic, so I guess that's why it was hard for me. I didn't know that until not too long ago."
He hesitantly reached out and touched the cover of the old journal as if he wasn't sure if it would be solid. Then he let his hand close around it and took it from her. With some relief, she let go of it and the aura faded. Maintaining that levitation spell had been hard work.
Lyra lifted her head. "Speaking of Chloe, where is she? And Mom?"
"I had already dropped Chloe off at school when it started. I... don't know what happened next. It was too confusing."
"Oh..."
It seemed as if her father was beginning to come back to his senses. That was good. "But, Lyra, the first thing I need to know is what's going on outside. The rain. All the flat tires. At times I was almost certain that I saw street signs and mailboxes moving on their own. You know something about this, don't you?"
"It's worse than I thought..." she muttered to herself.
"What is?"
"It's Discord. He's the spirit of Chaos, and he used to be in Equestria, but he followed me here, and now..." Lyra caught herself talking too fast again. She slowed down. "Back in Equestria, he caused humans to go extinct. It was a long time ago. I think he's trying to do that again. By turning them against each other."
"Extinct..." Her father repeated the word, taking in what it meant. "But... chocolate milk? Doesn't that seem like some kind of strange joke?"
"That's the worst part. It is a joke. To him."
"And... this Discord isn't human."
"Of course not. Humans couldn't do all of that. We can't use magic." She looked up at her horn. "Not normally, at least."
"So all those years, you didn't know that you were - "
She shook her head. "My other parents never told me that I was a human. No." She looked at the book. "I did research on humans, though. Deep down, I knew what I was. Those are my notes."
Lyra hopped up on the couch next to him and sat down. He looked at her in surprise.
"Is it normal for unicorns to sit like that?" he said.
"Oh. Um... I started doing this because I saw pictures of humans sitting this way." She looked down at herself. "It's not as comfortable as I remember."
He glanced down at the book again, then up at her. "It sounds like there's a lot you need to tell me."
"About sixteen years of it," Lyra said. "But... I guess I can't do anything else right now."
She told him about the Grand Galloping Gala, stopping frequently to explain what that was and what Canterlot was like. She included as many of the details about Discord as she could remember. Of course, at the time, everything about Discord had been overshadowed by finding out that she herself was a human. She couldn't really blame herself for wanting to block out everything about their extinction.
"Princess Celestia sent me back to this world just a few months ago. I've been human ever since. Until now, I mean," Lyra said.
Her father seemed a bit more calm now. He gave an odd, uneasy smile. "I never would have imagined that was what happened to you when you vanished. We thought you were dead. It seemed more likely than anything else."
"Yeah, I never found out how that happened. It just... did, I guess."
"Magic."
"Maybe."
"And right in our own home, too..." he muttered. "It's all a bit much to take. But you're here, and you're a unicorn." He sighed. "I don't have any choice but to believe it."
"The only human I ever told was Audrey, and she just thought I was crazy. I didn't have any proof then."
He looked down at the journal again and turned it over in his hands. The binding was old-fashioned, a hard cover and thick parchment pages. More like an Equestrian book than a human one - at this point, Lyra was familiar with the differences. He opened it up and started looking through it. Slowly, taking time to read the notes scribbled in margins in between drawings.
"These are all of the studies I did about humans. I found a few books in the library - my other dad was the head librarian there." Lyra watched over his shoulder. "These ones are from back when I was living in Ponyville with Bon-Bon."
He glanced up. "Who?"
"My roommate. She was an Earth pony. She didn't really like that I talked about humans all the time..." She watched him turn through a few more pages.
He stopped on a rough sketch of a city street. "This looks like downtown. How did you know about this?"
"Those are based on these dreams I had. Cities like Philadelphia were never in the books, since Equestrian humans never got that far, but I still knew about this world," she said. "I must have been remembering when I used to live here. It was such a long time ago, though."
"That's... definitely interesting." He looked through a few more drawings. Lyra noticed that the rain had stopped hitting the window. "You seem to have a real fixation on hands."
She looked down sadly. "Yeah. You probably wouldn't understand, since you've always had them... But that was the best part of becoming human! Getting fingers of my own. I could play my lyre like it was meant to be. It was invented by the Greeks, right? Our ancestors." She smiled. "I've always just wanted to be human. And I was, for a few months, anyway."
He was studying her notes closely. "Lyra... Equestria clearly isn't part of this world."
"No. Of course not." She tilted her head, giving him an odd look.
"You knew about Greece?"
"It's weird. A lot of the countries I read about were the same. I didn't realize it until I was here, so it was too late to ask Princess Celestia..." Her voice trailed off. "I don't understand it. It just happened."
He nodded, and looked back down at her journal. She noticed what page he was on. It was a highly detailed sketch of a pair of hands - one on each page of the spread.
"This is actually when I started taking notes by hand. See how my writing improved? And it was easier to get those details into the drawings. I found out I could actually manage a quill better with my fingers than with my magic." In an odd way, it was exciting getting to share this with a human. With her dad.
"This was when you became human," he said.
"Well, no, that was a little later..." She stared at the ceiling. "I... did a little experimenting with magic..."
He stared at her. "What do you mean?"
"I told you. Hands were a pretty exciting concept back then. They still are, really."
"What did you do?"
She avoided his eyes. "I'd rather not say."
He closed the journal and sat it to the side. For a moment he stared out the window into the backyard. "You know, it looks like it calmed down."
"What?" Lyra lifted her head. "That can't be right. Discord wouldn't just be gone."
"But you're still a unicorn."
She stood up and trotted over to the window and stared into the backyard. It was eerie how quiet it was. "I don't know why it would stop. I can't help but think that maybe..." She let out a gasp.
"What? What's wrong?"
"Discord said something about a larger city that he was heading for... Maybe he didn't mean Philadelphia. Are there any bigger cities around here?"
"Philadelphia really isn't that big of a city. He could be headed anywhere. New York, or Washington..." He sat there for a long time with his head in his hands. Lyra leaned forward, but didn't say anything. What was there to say?
"If Discord is as dangerous as you say..."
"He is," Lyra said. "I told you. He's already driven us to extinction once."
"Yes. But you've been to Equestria. You know more about him than anyone else." He thought a moment, then asked, "Didn't you say he broke free a year ago?"
"Yeah, but Twilight and her friends took care of that. They used the Elements of Harmony," Lyra explained. "Did Chloe ever tell you about Nightmare Moon?"
"The name rings a bell."
"It was the same thing that time."
He nodded thoughtfully. "How exactly do you use those Elements?"
"Me? No, I can't..." Lyra sighed. "The Elements of Harmony are the only thing that can stop him, and that was all Twilight and her friends. I never had anything to do with that. I was just an ordinary unicorn. Most of us never had to do anything like that."
"So those artifacts are the only power that can stop him..." He seemed thoughtful. "It... seems common enough, in stories. And only certain heroes can wield them."
"This isn't one of your books. This is real life," Lyra said. "Even if that is how it works," she admitted.
"That's what makes it difficult... I take it there's no other way to fight him."
"If you're talking about using human weapons, that's the worst thing that we could do! Humans can't just take all of those armies and bombs and just give them to him."
"And yet... That's probably what will happen before long."
"What do you mean?"
"He's a threat. What other way can we deal with him? You say that's a bad idea, but nobody else knows what you do."
Lyra sighed. "Yeah, but... What I know is that humans can't stop him. We're only making him more powerful."
There was nothing else to say. The worst part was that Lyra knew what Discord had said was true. Coming back to the human world was what had caused him to cross over here. It was really all her fault.
The television turned on. Her dad had picked up the remote and changed it to the news. A human reporter was standing in the middle of a street drenched with milk in front of what was left of a building. The walls had vanished and the rooms inside stood intact in the middle of the lot.
She glanced down at her necklace. All she could think about was that last day in Canterlot. Her horn glowed as she reached out for it, and her dad watched with interest. Magic interested him - that was understandable, he'd written about it for years and never seen any until today. That was when she felt something odd. She let out a small noise of surprise and the necklace dropped back down.
"What's wrong?" her father asked.
"I'm... not sure," she admitted. "That's never happened before." With one hoof, she gently prodded the necklace, but it seemed harmless now.
"You've always worn that... Where did it come from?" her father said. "The chain doesn't look like the right size for a... pony."
She shook her head. "It was a gift from the Princess, right after she made me human."
"Princess Celestia." He was catching on, but it was clear that up until now he'd never given Lyra's stories much serious consideration. "She's the most powerful unicorn in Equestria, as well as its ruler..."
Lyra tilted her head. "Well, not exactly a unicorn. She has wings, too. She's about as tall as you are. Not to mention she's thousands of years old..." Lyra had bent down to examine the necklace more closely. The sensation when she'd lifted it towards herself... It hadn't happened when she'd first taken it off, but -
"You really spoke to a unicorn who was over a thousand years old," he mused.
"Yeah. Human rulers don't live that long, do they?"
He gave that shaky, nervous laugh again. "Things are different here. But as I was saying... A piece of jewelry given to you by a powerful magical being... It doesn't seem like it would just be a simple gift."
"What are you saying?" Lyra looked up at him. "I guess I've never actually used magic with it before, but that's not how things in Equestria work. There aren't enchanted objects everywhere like in your books." Hesitantly, she started to lift it up and over her neck again for a better look. "Besides, I'm not even sure what it would - " |
Anthropology | Familiar Faces | " - do," Lyra finished, but her father wasn't there anymore.
Surprisingly, nobody was staring at her even though she had just appeared out of nowhere. But why would they? It wasn't anything out of the ordinary for a unicorn to teleport into the middle of Ponyville.
Lyra stood there for a moment dazed. First Discord, now this. She wasn't back in Ponyville. She couldn't be. Where was her dad?
The necklace. It must have been enchanted. So maybe her dad did know something about magic; he'd been right about this, at least. She tried to remember what she'd done - it had been nothing more than just touching the charm with some magic, and then it had reacted. Her horn glowed as she tried again.
"No, please... Don't tell me this dumb thing stopped working now!" She focused as much magic as she could onto the tiny lyre, held it up in front of her eyes, shook it violently. Nothing.
"Are you okay?" A stallion had stopped to stare at her, apparently concerned.
Lyra dropped the necklace. "I'm... fine. Completely fine." She gritted her teeth and trotted off in the other direction before he could say another word.
It was sort of familiar. The stalls set up along the road indicated it was a market day. No cars here to get in the way of everybody walking from one stand to the other. Lyra moved forward, one hoof in front of the other. The ground felt real enough. It wasn't some kind of illusion. At least, she didn't think so. Ever since Discord had showed up, nothing felt real.
"Hey, Lyra! Where've you been?" She recognized the voice. It was Daisy, a pink earth pony that she had occasionally bought flowers from. Lyra stared at her. It was weird talking to a pony. Daisy tilted her head. "You alright?"
"Uh, hey... Long time no see." She smiled uneasily, and hurried past.
She'd really gotten used to being around humans. These ponies, with all their different colors and horns and wings and four hooves and no hands... it was just weird.
The air here smelled so clean, and even with the usual bustle of a market day it was quieter than a typical day in Philadelphia. It was almost nice. But she didn't want to stay here. Her world - her family - was in danger, she had to do something...
"Lyra, you're back!" She turned at the sound of Apple Bloom's voice.
"Hey, Apple Bloom..." Lyra said. "Wait, are you running the stand all by yourself?"
"Yep! Applejack had to go out of town for a while, so she said I could handle it!" Apple Bloom said, beaming with pride. Lyra noticed she still didn't have a cutie mark.
"Out of town..." Lyra echoed. She considered it for a moment, then wandered off into the crowd again.
"Wait! Ain't you gonna buy some apples?" Apple Bloom called, but Lyra ignored her.
It would be a good idea to find Applejack. And Twilight. She didn't see any of the ponies she needed in the crowd. There were familiar faces here and there - ponies she recognized from her concerts, or parties she'd attended.
"Lyra?" That voice made her stop dead in her tracks. She'd recognize her anywhere. "Lyra, it really is you, isn't it? It's been so long!"
Lyra turned around slowly. "Hey, Bon-Bon..."
Bon-Bon trotted up behind her, then frowned when she noticed Lyra's shirt and pants. "Still dressing up, I see..." Lyra said nothing. She'd bought these clothes a place called Target, in Philadelphia - a store for humans. And they must look pretty goofy right now - too baggy, hanging off her small pony body. "But Lyra, it really is good to see you again. You simply must stop by to visit. I haven't rented it out yet, but I think I'll offer it to somepony. It gets rather quiet, living alone."
"Yeah, it probably does. Listen, I'd love to stop, but I'm in a hurry."
"Slow down. I want to hear all about where you ran off to. You didn't tell me a thing about where you were going. I even asked your parents where you'd gone, and they didn't - "
"My... parents?" Lyra said. Obviously Bon-Bon meant Dewey and Cirrus. "Right. They're probably worried, aren't they..."
"I was in Canterlot and happened to see them. I know you ran off from Ponyville without giving me any warning, but I thought you'd at least tell your own parents where you were going. The looks I got when I asked where you'd gone! They're worried sick about you."
"Listen, uh, Bon-Bon? This is going to sound weird, but... I am really here, aren't I? This is all actually happening?" Lyra prodded Bon-Bon in the shoulder with one hoof.
Bon-Bon drew back. "You're acting strange... More than usual, at any rate. What have you been doing?"
"It's hard to explain, and you wouldn't believe me anyway," Lyra said. She glanced around. "Right now I need to find Twilight. Is she at the library?"
"Twilight? I believe she was just called back to Canterlot with the others. What's the hurry? Just stop and visit for a while. I think you owe me an explanation after - "
"To Canterlot?" Lyra said. "Of course... Celestia must know that Discord's back."
"Discord?" Bon-Bon said, her eyes widening. "Wait, what do you - "
"This is perfect! No time to waste. I need to get back to Canterlot. The Princess can turn me back to normal." Lyra took a moment to remind herself where the train station was, then turned and galloped off.
Bon-Bon stared open-mouthed after her, then, with a groan of irritation, chased her through the crowd of ponies.
Lyra weaved through the crowded streets. None of the ponies seemed to be in any hurry. They must not have gotten the news yet. Princess Celestia only invited the bearers of the Elements to Canterlot. Did they even know that Discord had escaped?
She found the train station at the edge of town. Finding her way here had been easy. She remembered this town better than she realized. At the moment, the station was practically empty. No ponies were traveling today. A bored-looking stallion in a blue uniform was waiting at the counter, watching her.
"I need the next train to Canterlot. And fast," she told him. She pulled her wallet out of her pocket with magic, and removed a five to give to him.
He stared at the slip of paper in confusion. "Is this supposed to be worth something?"
She realized what she'd done, and pulled it back. "Oh, um..." The sign said tickets were five bits. Not five dollars. She slipped the money back into her pocket. Now what? she wondered.
"Lyra! You only just got here, and you're already trying to leave?" Bon-Bon came up behind her.
Lyra spun around, grinning madly. "Bon-Bon! Perfect! Listen, I need to borrow five bits. It's important. I probably won't pay you back."
"You... what?" Bon-Bon stared at her.
"It's urgent," Lyra pleaded.
Bon-Bon sighed and removed some coins from her saddlebag. "Here's ten. Make it two tickets." She turned back to Lyra and jabbed a hoof towards her. "But I expect an explanation."
They trotted over to the station platform to wait for the train. Lyra sat on a bench, pulled up one sleeve, and rubbed at her front leg with the other hoof. "How did I ever stand being covered in all this hair? It's so itchy..."
"We've got some time," Bon-Bon said. "Now let's talk. Where have you been, and what's this about Discord?"
Lyra sighed, and began rubbing at her other leg. "I don't know where to start..."
"The Gala would be fine."
"Right..." Lyra said. "That was the night when I spoke to Princess Celestia, and she told me - "
"You had an audience with the Princess?" Bon-Bon said. "Lyra, that's - "
"Let me finish," Lyra said. "I thought she was keeping an eye on me, and it turned out she was. She knew about the research I had been doing. She told me all about humans."
Bon-Bon let out a sigh. "Humans again? You ran off looking for humans? I thought you'd finally come to your senses. You're worse than ever, Lyra. No wonder your parents were worried about you."
"Dewey and Cirrus aren't my parents. They adopted me," Lyra explained, rubbing at her leg again. She could scratch it much easier if she just had her hands... "I'm not really a pony, Bon-Bon. I'm a human."
Bon-Bon's eyes widened. She shook her head. "You really are crazy."
"I've been living with the other humans ever since then. I can't really explain it, but there's this whole other world where we still exist." Lyra gave a weak smile. "You wouldn't believe the things I've seen there."
"You're right about that." Bon-Bon rolled her eyes. "I don't believe you."
A whistle could be heard down the tracks, and Lyra jumped up from the bench, steadying herself on her hooves. The train rolled in with a puff of smoke from the engine.
The conductor took their tickets. Lyra could hardly wait to get to Canterlot. If she got help from the Princess, and from the Elements of Harmony, maybe things would be okay. If not... She didn't want to think about that.
Bon-Bon hopped up onto the bench and settled down on it. "Maybe Discord is back. Maybe he made you completely lose your senses, and that's why you're raving about these ridiculous legends again." She waved her hoof as she spoke. "I've said it before, but I really mean it. You need help, Lyra."
Lyra was sitting upright, but it just wasn't as comfortable with this spine. "He is back, but he's not in Equestria. He's trying to... well, he made humans go extinct once, and now he wants to do it again."
The train started rolling out of the station. "Why did I even follow you..." Bon-Bon muttered, staring out the window.
Lyra groaned in exasperation, and her horn lit up as she tried to take her wallet out of her pocket. It hovered in front of her face as she pulled out some money. "I can prove it! Look at this."
"What is it?"
"This is a five-dollar bill. It's human money. Look, there's a human's face right on it!" It flew up right in front of Bon-Bon's face, and she flinched. "That's one of the presidents. And this here, where it says 'The United States of America.' That's the country I live in. We have lots of separate ones, but so far I've only been there."
Bon-Bon squinted at it. "I don't know where you got this, but..."
"I had to borrow bits from you because I don't have any Equestrian money left. I sent all I had left to you."
"Lyra, this is just paper. Nopony would ever think this was worth anything."
"Well, neither did I, at first." Lyra put her face into her hooves. "I don't know what I'm supposed to say... Audrey never believed me about unicorns, either."
"Who?"
"Audrey. She was my first human friend. At first I wasn't telling her anything about Equestria, but it just got to the point where I was hiding too much..." Lyra looked down sadly. "She called me crazy. At that point, I realized humans aren't too much different from ponies. There aren't any unicorns there, or even ponies like you. They don't believe in us. And I couldn't do any magic to prove that I..." Her voice trailed off.
"This is... quite a story, Lyra." Bon-Bon paused a moment. "But that's the problem. All these theories, and you've never had any proof. How can you expect anypony to believe you?"
"My dad believes me. He saw me after... after I changed, but..." Strangely, Lyra started to grin. "But I do have something else from home."
Her phone lifted itself out of her pocket. Bon-Bon stared at it. "What are you doing?"
The device floated down and she cradled it in her two front hooves. The screen was dark.
"It's..." Lyra realized that it wasn't going to turn on. Not if she couldn't use her fingers. She sighed. "Well... It's not going to work unless..."
It was a crazy idea. It probably wouldn't even work, considering how long she'd gone without using magic. A complicated spell like this could easily go wrong, but what other choice did she have?
"Bon-Bon, I know you didn't want me using this spell, and I'm sorry, but you have to see this." She gritted her teeth, and focused everything into her horn, and then into her hooves.
"Lyra, what are you - " Bon-Bon screamed when she saw what Lyra was doing to her hooves. "No, not again. Lyra, we're in public!"
Lyra winced in pain. She'd forgotten how much it hurt to transform herself, not to mention the additional mental strain from the magic.
Bon-Bon had glanced around and seen that they were, in fact, alone in the carriage, but she was still fuming. "Lyra, I mean it. This has to stop. Do you even realize how wrong that is?"
"You're right about that. These really aren't very correct, anatomically..." Lyra inspected them, flexing the fingers. She didn't even have nails on them. It wasn't just the fact that she hadn't done magic in months, and they didn't come out as well as before. They'd never really been close to human hands. But they would do for now.
"Just... just take the spell away right now, you're like some kind of monster or something!" Bon-Bon cringed, but she couldn't look away.
Lyra took her phone in her hands, and turned it on with the meaty fingers growing out of her forelegs. She poked one onto the screen, and sure enough, it responded. The screen lit up. It was hard to control it with much precision. Princess Celestia couldn't turn her back to normal soon enough. A message appeared, telling her there was no reception. She hadn't expected any, but that wasn't what she was using it for. She tapped it with her fingers and brought up the photo album.
"Look at this." She held it up to Bon-Bon.
"What? Lyra, I don't understand what you're doing."
"It's called a cell phone. Lots of humans have these. But see this photograph? That's me, and my sister. That's what I actually look like," Lyra said.
Bon-Bon was speechless. It was probably a combination of both Lyra's deformed hooves, or hands, or whatever they were, and the photograph on her phone. "I can't... You..."
After living with Lyra for years, Bon-Bon knew a human when she saw one. And that's exactly what was in this photograph. Two humans - one with brown hair, and a larger one with the same color of mint-green hair that Lyra had. Now, the color could have been a coincidence, but there was something undeniably familiar in that smile. Even on the face of a strange creature, it was unmistakable.
"That's..."
"It's me and my younger sister. Her name's Chloe," Lyra said. "She's really interested in unicorns. My whole family's kind of obsessed with magic, to be honest."
"Your family?"
"I told you. I was born a human." She took the phone back, and looked down at the picture. "I wonder what's happening to them now... Mom's never going to believe this. Chloe... well, I really have no idea what she'll think."
Bon-Bon took that in for a moment. The picture was honestly hard to deny, but believing Lyra right now required her to believe that for the past four years she had been living with an alien creature from another world. Maybe that would explain the lack of etiquette and occasionally of rational thought...
"Now, don't think this changes anything. Even if you're right, and you are a human, it doesn't make you any less insane," Bon-Bon muttered.
"You believe me?" Lyra grinned.
"I know I shouldn't..." Bon-Bon said. She stared at Lyra's hands again and cringed. "But... please just take that spell away."
Lyra turned off her phone, then with one last examination of her hands, changed them back. She bit her lip as they were sucked back in and reformed into a hoof. Not for much longer, she hoped.
"So..." Bon-Bon shuddered just watching Lyra. It wasn't just because of that unnatural spell she was using. As hard as it was to accept... "You... really are a human? I just don't see how that's possible."
"It's all really hard to explain. I just got done telling my dad that I've been a unicorn all these years. He wasn't sure how to take it." Lyra stared out the window. "And then I ended up here, and he's got no idea what happened to me..." She looked down at her necklace.
"Now arriving at Canterlot! Now arriving at Canterlot!" The conductor's voice called out the name of the station as they pulled in. Lyra was fidgeting restlessly in her seat.
The brakes squealed as the train slowed down and pulled into the station. "Finally. I can't believe how slow this thing is," Lyra said.
"Lyra, it's always taken this long to get to Canterlot. You've made the trip even more than I have."
"If we just had a car, we could have been here in less than half the time. I mean, it's so close you can even see the castle from Ponyville!" Lyra hopped up from her seat and headed out. Lyra didn't stop for a moment as she spoke. Bon-Bon tagged along behind - she didn't know what she'd gotten herself into, but there was nothing else to do except follow. "I'm pretty sure that Philadelphia alone is bigger than Ponyville, Canterlot, and everything in between."
Bon-Bon tilted her head. "I've been to Fillydelphia, it's really not that much larger than - "
"No, I said Philadelphia," Lyra corrected her. "That's the human city where I..." She groaned, and said, "We've wasted enough time already. We have to go."
"Lyra? Just hold up for a - " But she was already gone. "What did she mean by a 'car,' anyway?" Bon-Bon muttered.
Bon-Bon struggled to keep up with Lyra as she made a beeline through the crowded streets of Canterlot towards the castle. For somepony who claimed to have been walking on just two legs for the past few months, she sure was fast.
"Lyra, slow down!" she called, but it didn't seem to make any difference. Bon-Bon shook her head in annoyance and put forth a burst of speed.
Soon enough she lost sight of Lyra, but it was clear enough where she was going. Pausing for breath, Bon-Bon continued at a slower pace. A few ponies asked her about the unicorn who had just gone charging through, but she denied any connection.
As she had expected, Lyra had gone to the castle, but Bon-Bon was hesitant to go anywhere near her when she found her arguing with one of the Royal Guards. She had forgotten what a hassle Lyra could be when she was worked up about something.
"I told you, I need to get in there! The Princess will understand!" Lyra was saying. "Just let me through!"
"Our orders are not to let anypony in. That's final," the guard said. His stern expression hardly moved.
"But I know where Discord is! I need to hurry!"
Bon-Bon stepped forward. "Lyra, please, there's no need to bother them..." She flashed a very embarrassed smile at the two armored unicorns, then turned to Lyra. "Let's go." She put a hoof around her and started dragging her back.
"Bon-Bon, I told you. There isn't much time!" Lyra had started to follow Bon-Bon away anyway. She sighed in frustration. "I can't even get back home without the Princess's help."
Once they were out of earshot, Bon-Bon checked around, then said in a low voice, "The last thing we need is to get arrested. I'm still not sure what to make of you right now, but I know that much."
Lyra sighed. She looked back at the guards, who stood there almost motionless. "It's not like them to have such tight security at the castle. What's going on?"
"And I thought you didn't trust the government."
"I've felt differently ever since I found out what they were hiding."
They were back in the bustle of the Canterlot streets. A few ponies were seated outside a cafe, making pleasant conversation. Lyra had understood that things in Ponyville would be calmed down, but here in the capitol? Didn't anyone wonder about the guards, or notice that there was a statue missing from the gardens? And not just any statue, either - everybody knew Discord after last time.
"I still need to get the Princess's attention, no matter what. There has to be some other way into the castle..." Lyra said, rubbing her chin with one hoof. She stared up at the towers spiraling above the town.
"Nothing illegal. Please," Bon-Bon said.
"I know," Lyra grumbled. She began to wander off again.
It was hard to believe she'd been at home in Philadelphia just hours ago. That was already feeling normal to her. This... As much as she remembered Canterlot, it was beginning to seem like a fairy tale. Like it was to Chloe. And yet the faces here were familiar. It was like she'd never left.
"I have to admit, this has been something of an adventure, Lyra," Bon-Bon said. "But I don't see what more there is to do. I'm about to head back to Ponyville. Then I can start to forget any of this ever happened."
"We can't give up. This isn't just about humans now. I told you. My family's back there."
"Well, yes, but..."
"That's my home now. To be honest... I didn't really want to come back to Equestria."
"Is it really so wonderful being one of those... things? Don't you miss it here? What I wouldn't have given to grow up in a city like Canterlot."
"No, there's not really..." Lyra's voice trailed off. It wasn't exactly true. There were some things she missed here. "Wait, isn't that..."
She stared at the dark blue unicorn in the midst of the crowd. She had thought she'd never see him again.
"Lyra?" He adjusted his glasses, as if he couldn't be sure he was seeing things correctly.
She ran up to her adopted father as soon as she saw him. "Dad..." She slowed down. "I mean... Well..."
He stared at her. "How did you get here? The Princess told us you wouldn't return..."
"It's a long story," Lyra said. "It was my necklace. But I couldn't have done it as a human, it was only after Discord turned me back into a pony - "
"Discord? You mean..."
Bon-Bon stepped in. "Mr. Dewey Decimal, isn't it? Do you realize what your daughter's been up to? She went missing for months and suddenly comes back saying she was - "
"Human, yes." He nodded. "What did you mean, Discord? He's in that world now?"
"That's why I need to get to the castle. There might still be time to stop him," Lyra said.
Bon-Bon's mouth hung open. "You knew about this the whole time?"
"Of course," Dewey said. "Cirrus and I did consider telling you after Lyra left, but Princess Celestia suggested not to. We're really quite sorry, but Lyra's origins have been something of a royal secret."
"I knew she wasn't like other ponies, but I never thought that she wasn't... well, a pony!"
"Dad, you're still working at the Royal Archives, aren't you?" Lyra said.
"Of course. I'm not getting that old yet. There's still a couple years until I retire," he said. "Why?"
"Can you get me into the castle? Unless I can tell the Princess what happened, and get her to help me, I.. don't know what will happen to the other humans."
"Of course."
Lyra led the way again, trotting at a brisk pace. She glanced behind her to be sure the others were keeping up. Bon-Bon had hung behind, making a face, but she hurried to catch up and ran alongside Dewey.
"You and your wife were raising a human filly," Bon-Bon said.
Dewey stared at her. "Yes, we were."
"Bon-Bon, we don't actually call ourselves fil- " Lyra started.
"You seemed like such perfectly normal Canterlot ponies when I met you!" Bon-Bon said. "Why did you get yourselves mixed up in all this?"
"We weren't sure about her, at first. But Lyra turned out more or less like anypony else. The Princess still has her doubts, but personally I'm somewhat fascinated by the idea of humans." He turned to Lyra. "So what is it like, where you came from? What are the other humans like?"
"They're amazing!" Lyra said. "It took me a while to find my real family. Turns out the place I arrived was hundreds of miles away from home. But my friends in Des Moines helped me get back to Philadelphia - those are human cities, by the way - and it's really not that hard for humans to travel that far. I was in this thing called a plane..."
Dewey listened with interest to Lyra's story as they headed to the castle. Bon-Bon thought it all sounded even more outlandish than Lyra's old theories. A giant metal tube that could fly faster and higher than a pegasus? It all sounded so insane, and yet she'd seen that photograph on some kind of device that obviously wasn't from Equestria...
"I was hoping my family would know something about what happened to me when I disappeared, but they didn't know anything," Lyra was saying. "My dad's a famous human writer. His books are about magic. Completely inaccurate, but anyway... He never suspected that's what really happened to me, though."
"Cirrus will be happy to hear you're doing alright out there..." Dewey slowed down. They were nearly to the castle gates. "Of course, you don't have time to stop and chat, do you?"
Lyra shook her head sadly. "I hope I haven't lost too much time already."
They hurried the rest of the way to the gates.
"Mr. Decimal, sir!" The royal guards recognized him immediately. "Is there anything we can help you with?"
"My daughter has important information to relay to the Princess. It's imperative that you let her through."
"We were told not to - "
"The Princess will understand. Just let her through. I'll be taking full responsibility for this."
The guards looked at each other, then stepped aside to let Lyra go through. She ran for the entrance immediately, then stopped to turn back.
"Thanks."
"It's no problem, really," he said.
She hesitated. "I... might not be coming back. For real this time."
"I understand that, Lyra. But you said there wasn't much time."
Lyra bit her lip. "Well... Thanks. For everything." She turned and headed on alone into the castle.
"You only considered telling me," she heard Bon-Bon say. "You'd think that if somepony was going to be living with a - " Her voice faded as Lyra stepped inside.
Canterlot Castle. Passing through the entrance hall made Lyra remember the Gala. Today everything was eerily silent and still. As she headed up the stairs, she remembered after the party. Probably the most significant night of her life. She was easily able to remember where Princess Celestia had led her - that hall was likely where everybody was gathered now.
It was up the stairs, through several winding hallways. She was quickly running out of breath, but she saw the massive doors just ahead. Only a little bit further, and... With a burst of magic power, she flung them open and ran through.
Princess Celestia was there. In front of her were six ponies - the bearers of the Elements of Harmony. In total there were seven pairs of shocked eyes staring across the long hall at the pony who had just burst in.
Silence for a moment - no sounds except Lyra gasping for breath. She finally found her voice. "Discord's back. I saw him."
"Lyra?" Twilight was the first one to speak. Her voice echoed. "What are you doing here? And... you really saw Discord?"
"Great! You can lead us right to him!" Rainbow Dash said. "Where is he?"
"You're sure you saw him?" Pinkie tilted her head. "'Cause I haven't seen any chocolate or cotton candy lately and I thought it'd be everywhere!"
"Of course. He did all of that. It's just like last time." Lyra crossed the hall to join the others. An ornate chest was behind the Princess, and she could see the Elements inside. "And he turned me into a pony."
"You've always been a pony, sugarcube." Applejack lifted an eyebrow.
"Well, no, actually, I..." Lyra's voice trailed off. Now that she had stopped running, she realized how tired she was. "Uh..."
The Princess stepped forward. "It's as I feared... Seeing you here has confirmed that, Lyra."
Twilight spun around. "What? What do you mean? You... know her? What does Lyra have to do with this?"
Celestia paused. "Several months ago, I sent Lyra back to her homeland. It's a world entirely separate from our own," she said. "Lyra didn't know it herself, but she is actually a creature called a human."
"She's a... a what, now, exactly?" Rarity said, frowning.
"I've never heard of those before..." Fluttershy said.
"No, you gave me that research assignment on humans, and..." Twilight shook her head in protest. "They don't exist. Everything I read proved that! Besides, nopony has ever seen a live one."
"Until Lyra was found, I thought humans had gone extinct centuries ago. And now that Discord has found them... I'm not sure what can be done," Celestia said. "I was unsure if you'd be able to use it, Lyra, but I did send you with a way back. You will be safe here."
"Huh?" Lyra said. She shook her head. "No, that's not what I came here for. We need the Elements of Harmony. Discord hasn't been there for long. He's only just getting started. There must still be time to stop him if we just hurry."
"Discord has escaped from his prison again. That proves he's already stronger than we thought. And with the power he draws from humans, he will most likely be unstoppable."
Celestia's words hung in the air for a while. Lyra shook her head again. "No. We have to try."
"Lyra, um..." Twilight was struggling to find the words to say. "This... This is the Princess you're talking to! You can't just say 'no' to her!"
"Princess, you know better than anybody what happened last time Discord took control of humans," Lyra said. "And I've seen what humans are like now, and it will only be worse. If we don't do something now, Discord will get more powerful. And he'll head to Equestria next."
Twilight shook her head. "I don't see what you would know about - "
"Wait a minute, Twi." Rainbow Dash spoke up. "We've all known Lyra for a few years now. I don't know what she is, but don't you think we should try to help her?"
"But the Princess said it would be dangerous..." Twilight looked up at her mentor and waited for a response.
"Lyra." Celestia seemed thoughtful. "What do you know of the humans in your world?"
"They're... well..." Lyra hesitated.
"Are they peaceful?"
"Of course! Everybody I've met has been nice to me..." Lyra said. "But..." She sighed. "It's complicated. I've met a lot of good people, but... You were kind of right about humans. We do fight each other. I don't think we can just turn our backs, though, because humans are more than that! If we let Discord go, he'll just take over all of the bad parts, and we can't sit back and let that happen."
"Princess?" Twilight said, but Celestia was waiting for Lyra to go on.
"Discord was still unfamiliar with the humans in my world," Lyra said. "It seemed like he wasn't doing much more than just messing around when I left. I can't say what he's up to now."
"And that means he won't be expecting us. I say we go," Rainbow Dash said.
"Help humans?" Pinkie said. "Am I the only one who's heard of them? Come on! They'll eat us up!"
"I'm not going to eat anybody, Pinkie," Lyra said in a flat voice. Her stomach turned. Not again, at least.
"We're certainly not getting anywhere by standing around," Rarity said. "Lyra seems to be the only one who knows what she's doing, so I say we follow her and get it overwith."
Applejack shrugged. "Might as well, I s'pose."
Celestia hesitated. "It's extremely dangerous," she said at last. "If all of you are willing to take the chance - "
"We've taken care of Discord once already. It'll be no problem to do it again!" Rainbow Dash said.
"The last time Discord attacked humanity, Luna and I were powerless to stand against him. I cannot be sure what will happen if you try to oppose him now."
"But you're letting them try..." Lyra said. "Right?"
"He's going to be more powerful than he was a year ago, but how much, I cannot say. Whether you can defeat him or not, I need you all to return immediately. The enchantment on Lyra's necklace will still work." The Princess lowered her eyes. "If it comes to the worst, the best we can do is prepare to defend ourselves here."
"So, uh... I'm kinda lost here. Where are we goin'?" Applejack said.
"Just try to get us closer this time," Lyra said. "The human world is big. You were way off the mark when you sent me last time."
"I'll do what I can," Celestia said.
"Oh, and one more thing." Lyra held up a hoof. "Could you do something about these?" |
Anthropology | Chaos | It was too dark to see exactly where they had ended up.
"Twilight? Rarity? Could you guys maybe..." Lyra looked down at them expectantly.
Twilight did nothing for a moment, then shook herself. "Oh. Of course." Her horn lit up, casting a glow all around them. The light glinted off the jewels in the necklaces each of them wore. "You really can't do magic anymore, can you?"
Lyra shook her head. "But it's not that bad, honestly. I've gotten used - "
"What is that?" Rarity exclaimed.
She rushed over to something that had caught her eye. As she got closer, they could see from the light of her horn that it was a store display. All around them - shelves, racks, clothing everywhere.
"I'll admit I wasn't sure about you before, Lyra, but if this is the human world, I completely understand," Rarity said. "Now did you say that you humans wear clothing every day?"
"Of course," Lyra said. She looked around - it seemed to be a normal department store. Her eyes were beginning to adjust to the darkness, and everything seemed to be in order, other than the fact it was empty.
"Any of this look familiar?" Rainbow Dash said. "You are supposed to be our guide, y'know."
"There's stores like this all over the human world. We could be anywhere," Lyra said. "There were some like this in Philadelphia, where I live, but they also had them in Des Moines. And everywhere in between, probably."
"Um, that's great, but... Could we get out of the dark? I don't like it here..." Fluttershy said. She shrank down, backing up slowly. She hit something. She looked up to see a headless human figure. She squeaked and flew close to the group.
"It's just a display. Come on," Lyra said. "The layouts of these places are usually pretty similar. The exit should be this way."
Twilight's horn lit up even brighter to allow a circle of light around the seven of them. They moved slowly through the eerily silent store.
"You'll have to excuse me, Lyra, but you said that there are shops like this everywhere in the human world?" Rarity said. Her eyes moved all over the store, constantly finding something new to look at. "I suppose you would need plenty of clothing if you were to have an outfit for every single day, but... Oh, this is simply magnificent!"
"Let's hurry it up, y'all. I don't like how quiet it is," Applejack said. "Discord could be anywhere."
Pinkie Pie seemed to be the only one unfazed by their new surroundings. If anything, she was giving Lyra a suspicious glance - her hands, her stature - but she seemed excited more than anything else.
"You already saw him?" she asked. "What did he do? Did he do the chocolate rain thing again? What about the cotton candy? Giant apples? Those weird bunny things?"
"It was just like last time," Lyra said bitterly. "He was just getting started."
"Oh, come on. You have to admit he was a little bit funny, right?"
It got a little bit easier to see once they got closer to the windows, but not by much. It was night outside.
"I didn't think I was gone that long..." Lyra said.
She expected the front doors to be locked. Strangely enough, it opened easily. She held it open for the others. They stepped out of the dark building and into the open street.
Applejack stared up at everything around her. "Looks like Discord's already done a number on this place..."
Towering structures surrounded them. Looking up at the one they had come out of, it was a glassy reflective surface all the way up to the sky. Down the street were more buildings, boxy shapes with endless windows. A few billboards - advertising mobile phones, airlines, a few logos that Lyra recognized. A bike was locked on to a pole with a crossing sign. There were street names, but they were only numbers.
"No..." Lyra said, shaking her head. "No, it's always like this."
"Y-you mean this is normal for you?" Fluttershy said. "There's... no grass, or trees..." A car sped past - the only one moving on the street - and she shrank back. "I don't like it here."
"It's just a city like the one near where I live. Bigger, though..." Lyra looked around at the surroundings. Other cities she had seen would pale in comparison to this. There was more of everything. Larger buildings, tons of cars, even if most of them weren't moving. Definitely more advertising.
The only thing there wasn't much of were humans. At least not as many as Lyra would expect to see in a city of this size. They stared at her. Normally humans wouldn't give Lyra a second glance, but here it was like they didn't want to approach. One held up a phone, probably taking a picture.
Rarity scrunched up her nose. "It could do with some redecorating. These buildings seem a little drab..."
"Kinda reminds me of Manehattan," Applejack said. She watched another car go by. "And what in the heck are those? Are they supposed to be movin' like that?"
"There's way too much to explain," Lyra said. "First of all, we need to find out where we are. The Princess said she would try to drop us somewhere close to Discord. At least it's not the middle of nowhere like last time."
Twilight was quickly taking inventory of everything around her. She was currently focused on a stoplight glowing red. "That's supposed to be there, too?" She looked to Lyra for confirmation. "You said the human world wasn't exactly like what we've studied, but this isn't anything like what we studied. None of this makes any sense!"
"Please, Twilight, I really don't have time to explain everything." The first time Lyra arrived in this world, there had been a gradual transition into a city that wasn't even this overwhelming. She could only imagine what an overload it must be to ponies who had never been here before. "If you want, I guess I could find you some books to take back with you. But for now, there's no time."
"But these are the same creatures you studied..." Twilight said. She watched some of the humans across the street. "I think that much, at least, is the same. Isn't it?"
"You're sure none of them are going to eat us?" Pinkie raised an eyebrow.
"Humans don't eat ponies. Trust me, I've lived here for a while now," Lyra said. "Actually, we eat a lot of the same things you do." Which wasn't a lie. Just not the whole truth.
"Enough talking," Rainbow Dash said. "We came here to beat Discord again, so where is he?"
"Lyra, you did say that everything here is normal?" Twilight tilted her head. "I'll admit it doesn't look that way to me, but it doesn't seem like Discord's up to his usual tricks."
Lyra looked up at the sky. It was dark, completely starless. The ground was dimly illuminated by scattered lights in the windows, but the street lamps were dark. She wondered what time it was. Her phone was in her pocket. Now that her fingers were back to normal, it was easy to turn it on. It said the connection was back.
It also said it was just past five in the afternoon.
She scratched her head. "That's... I mean, it feels like that should be right, that's about how long I was in Equestria, but it shouldn't be this dark."
As if in response, the sky immediately brightened. The sunrise took only a split-second and then the sky was clear and blue. It was blinding for a moment until their eyes adjusted.
"Lyra, just one more question. Who controls the sun in this world?" Twilight asked. "Obviously it's not Princess Celestia... is it?"
Lyra shook her head. "It's supposed to just happen on its own. This isn't right."
"On its own? That's simply ridiculous," Rarity said.
"Look, I really don't have time to explain everything about this world. Just let it go. It's too complicated. You guys just need to get to work," Lyra said.
Lyra watched the crossing signal. It was flashing a red human hand - the symbol for "stop," as she'd come to learn. But then it was replaced with a six-pointed pink star. That flashed a few times, then changed to three red apples, a multicolored lightning bolt, a cluster of blue diamonds...
Her concentration on that was broken by a hollow thud. She jumped, and looked over to notice one of the store mannequins in the window had fallen over. She let out a sigh of relief until the one next to it stepped forward and started pounding against the glass.
"We'd better get out of here," she said.
"Hold on. We don't even know where Discord is yet," Twilight said. "We'll just get lost."
Lyra pointed at the crossing signal again, which had gone back to the pink star. "I think he's already found us."
Applejack watched the flashing lights, which had gone back to the three apples. "Now I'm pretty sure it's not supposed to do that."
"Just stay here, Lyra. We'll go take care of Discord. We'll find you when we're done," Twilight said. She looked at the charm hanging around Lyra's neck. "After all, you've got our only way to get back."
"Right. I should let my parents know I'm okay, too..." Lyra said.
Lyra watched them gallop off into a hazy, colorful blur in the distance. The sky went dark again and it was impossible to see them after that. She shuddered, and reached into her pocket for her phone.
It was somewhat comforting to use it with her normal fingers again. She really appreciated the slenderness and flexibility after using her crudely-formed hoof hands just hours ago. Here was the contact list, only a few names listed, and the one she wanted was...
Home.
Maybe it would still work. Discord wouldn't know how to ruin the phone system, would he? Even Lyra wasn't sure exactly how they worked.
It would be best not to wander too far, like Twilight said. She hoped they wouldn't get lost here. She hoped that she wouldn't get lost here. There were a few stores around with familiar names - Walgreens, or Office Max, but they weren't the same ones from Philadelphia. The same stores were all over the place in the human world. She could be anywhere. Maybe this was the capitol of America, it was definitely big enough.
She stared down at the phone in her hand, remembered its purpose, and dialed the number for home. It would be over soon, wouldn't it?
It rang a few times. She knew the sound. If it kept going, it meant that the human on the other end didn't pick up the phone in time. She frowned when it rang again, almost worried that nobody would answer...
Twilight's head was down, looking at the strange yellow stripes on the road. It was made out of some odd black stone. Were the stripes supposed to be there, or was that Discord? It was so difficult to tell.
There was a blaring noise and a screeching to her left. One of those wheeled machines had just come to a stop as they went past.
Rainbow Dash flew higher to dodge. "Watch where you're going!" she yelled at it.
"What do you reckon those things are?" Applejack said. She glanced back at it, but kept galloping along with the others.
"I don't know. There's no time to worry about that, though. Just stay close, everyone," Twilight said. "He might try to separate us again. We can't let that happen."
"Um, Twilight? Do you even know - " Fluttershy's voice faded out as she was distracted by more humans. "Do you know where we're going?"
"Well... no," she admitted. The road they were on kept leading them down farther, so she continued to follow it.
There was a rumble coming from behind them, some glass shattering. Another machine was driving along the side of a building, a couple stories above their heads. It kept going until it was around the corner onto the other side.
"I didn't know they could do that!" Pinkie Pie said. "It looks fun!"
"Do you think it's supposed to be able to do that?" Rainbow Dash said.
"I'm going to guess not," Twilight said.
They barely paused to watch it as they crossed another intersection under those red and green flashing lights. It was almost like that hedge maze - just an endless labyrinth of grey buildings. At least they hadn't been separated. Things were confusing enough as it was.
But they were together. Discord hadn't had time to play games with their minds, he didn't even expect them to show up, and the Elements would work.
Maybe.
"Hello?"
"Mom?" Lyra's face broke out into a relieved grin immediately. "Thank goodness. I'm back."
"Where are you? Your father..." Her mother hesitated for a moment. "He said you were..."
"Yeah. I'm human again. Everything's going to be alright."
There was a sigh of relief. "That's good to hear."
"Wait, you... You believe me?" Lyra said. She had just finished explaining everything to her dad, to Bon-Bon, to Twilight... The last thing she had expected was for her mother to not have any questions.
"He said something about a 'spirit of chaos,' something like that. We're fine here now, but a few hours ago I'm not sure what was happening. It's not that difficult to believe you turned into a unicorn." There was a pause. "And you left chocolate milk hoof prints on the stairs."
"Sorry."
"It's fine, Lyra, but where are you? You said you were back, but where?"
"From Equestria," Lyra said. She began to pace. "Look, I brought the Elements of Harmony with me. I think Discord is in this city. We'll have him taken care of in no time."
"The city? You're in New York?"
"I don't know," Lyra said. There was a metal cart with a green umbrella next to her. The umbrella began to spin, lifting it up into the air, eventually rising over the tops of the buildings. "Whoa! Uh... We just appeared in the middle of it all. I have no idea where we are."
"After things stopped happening here, there started to be stories that whatever it was had moved to New York City. It's been all over the news."
"Already? That seems fast," Lyra said. "I guess that's how human news travels, though, isn't it?"
"You really did grow up in a different world, didn't you?" her mother said. "Lyra, just tell us where you are. We can probably be there in a couple hours to bring you back home."
"No, don't come here yet! It's dangerous. We'll have Discord taken care of in no time, just... keep your distance until then. I'll call you later." She looked up to see where that cart had gone, but didn't see it.
"You're sure?"
"Trust me. He already did this to Ponyville... but they stopped him then, and they can stop him now."
There was a pause. "Just be careful, Lyra."
"I will," she said. "I'll talk to you soon... Bye." She ended the call, switched off her phone, and slid it back into her pocket. Now to wait for the others to put a stop to all this.
Someone bumped into her from behind. She turned around and saw it was a young human male with a large camera around his neck.
"Excuse me," she said softly.
He stopped for a moment, then spun around. "Hey, you see anything around here?"
"Huh?"
"A guy on 43rd Street said he saw a herd of unicorns go stampeding through. Right through traffic." He made a sweeping gesture with his hands. "You see anything like that?"
Lyra frowned. "They weren't all unicorns..." she muttered.
"You saw them? Which way'd they go?"
"I mean, uh..." She scratched the back of her head. "Unicorns? That's not possible."
"Look around you. There's crazy stuff all over the place. A buddy of mine said he saw the Statue of Liberty switch arms, like she just got tired of holding up the torch after all those years. You've at least seen the thing with the sun, right?"
"Oh." She looked up at the sky as if it was about to change right that moment. "It'll all be over soon."
He looked at her strangely. "I dunno about that, but I gotta see what's down there." He continued running down the street.
Lyra stood there dumbfounded. The human world was doomed to destruction, and yet they just wanted to watch.
She shook her head, and kept walking at a brisk pace. There was no telling what else might come alive. She crossed the street. A few people here were talking to each other, watching her as she went past. She passed a store with the windows broken. A car that had somehow turned itself upside down.
A sign overhead had a guitar, almost like the one she played. This one was red, probably a different model. A music store? Or a concert hall? On closer inspection, it actually said Hard Rock Cafe. Like it was a restaurant or something. Whatever it was, something about seeing that sign made her feel a little bit better. Things would be back to normal soon enough, she could go back to playing her music.
She took a closer look at the windows. Whatever this place was, it interested her.
"Lyra?" The voice behind her was familiar. "No way... I'd recognize you anywhere. What are you doing here?"
"Can we maybe slow down, please?" Fluttershy had stopped running and started flying, but even then she was beginning to lag behind.
"Perhaps we should. All this running and we haven't found anything," Rarity said. A trash can got up and ran away as they approached. "Other than... that, I suppose."
The grid of flat streets and cold stone and metal buildings seemed to come to a clearing. A few of those wheeled machines were sitting around. Two flagpoles with unfamiliar banners stuck up in the middle of the plaza. Giant human faces stared down from huge posters. A few panels were dark.
"Do you think this goes on forever?" Fluttershy said.
"'Course not. It can't," Applejack said. She glanced around. "I think."
They came to a stop. The roads split off and went in different directions. It really was just another maze. No wonder Discord would come here.
Suddenly everything went dark. The sun had set again, as quickly as it had risen. It took their eyes some time to adjust to the moonlight.
"Ah, the Elements of Harmony. I'm surprised to see you here, I really am."
Twilight's head jerked up. "Discord!"
He was in one of the posters, his claw curled around the shoulder of a female human. "So Celestia decided that the human world was worth saving and sent you here. That's certainly unexpected."
Rainbow Dash flew up right in front of his face. "Stop joking around and get out here!" She turned around and kicked him, but he quickly moved away and circled around to one of the dark panels on the other side.
"Let's not be too hasty, Rainbow Dash. Enjoy your visit. This is New York City, home to about eight million wonderful humans, give or take a few hundred thousand," he said. Then he gave a shrug. "Or at least it was. Just a light cola storm and some tricks with their giant statue and they all pack up and leave town. At least some of them. But looks like there will be more coming just to see the show. What can I say? Humans appreciate chaos just as much as I do!"
"That's enough," Twilight said. "We didn't come here to play your games. I may not be sure what this place is, but I know that we need to stop you."
Discord sighed, and then emerged out of the flat panel. His form became three-dimensional as he pulled himself away from it. He glided down to float before them.
"Alright, girls. Let's just get this overwith, shall we?" He folded his arms across his chest and waited for them to make a move.
Twilight stepped back for just a moment. Then she turned to the others. "Ready?"
"Let's finish up here so I can go home," Rarity said.
"Sounds good to me," Applejack said.
The pendants around each pony's neck began to glow. They could feel the familiar rush of power - although they had only used the Elements twice before, it was unmistakable. And slowly, their hooves lifted off the ground until they hovered in front of Discord.
Something changed in his bored expression - a look of realization.
There was hardly enough time for him to register the burst of color emerging from each pendant, forming into a vivid rainbow against the grey backdrop of the city. It surged through the air, swooping up high before dropping down and heading directly for the draconequus.
The rush of power seemed to last forever, though it couldn't have been more than a couple seconds. Slowly, the pendants darkened, returned to normal, and each of the ponies floated back down and placed their hooves back on solid ground.
The light cleared.
Discord idly inspected the talons of his left arm. "You know, for a second there, even I was sure it was going to work." |
Anthropology | Friendship | "Randall?"
He was probably the last person Lyra expected to see here. She had only a vague notion of where New York was, but if that's really where she had ended up, she would be hundreds of miles away from Des Moines.
"What are you doing out here, Lyra? You've heard about what's going on, right?"
"This... isn't Des Moines," she said.
"Uh, you okay?" Randall squinted at her. "I know people have been getting a little weird lately, but are you feeling alright?"
"Weird? Weird how?"
"Well, there was my cousin. I was staying with him, but..." Randall's voice trailed off. "You really don't look too good."
"It's fine. I guess you could say it's been a rough day. But it's fine. It'll all be over soon." She took a look around. "Is this New York?"
He nodded, still eyeing her strangely. "You didn't know that?"
"Well, no." Lyra looked around her. "What are you doing here?"
"Like I was saying, I've got a cousin out here. Said he knew some people out here, I might be able to take the band farther. Then he started getting weird, just earlier today. Started yelling at me, said that I was trying to take advantage of him. I was out for a walk to see if he'd cool off later, and that's when stuff started getting really weird." Randall shrugged. "Maybe I'm the one who's going crazy."
Lyra shook her head. "No, it's not that," she said. "But your cousin... He's not usually like that, is he?"
"No, he's usually pretty cool. Don't know what got into him."
"It's just like last time..." Lyra said. Discord really was trying to corrupt humans. She hadn't seen it yet, but this proved it.
"What time?"
"It'll be fine." Lyra looked up at the sky. A couple minutes ago it had gone to night again. It was hard to tell how long she'd actually been here.
"If you think so." He shrugged. "Some people are saying it's the end of the world. I dunno, I was thinking that would be more fire, and demons rising up out of the ground. Earlier I saw some street lamps that had turned into peppermint. Like, actual candy."
"That'll happen," Lyra said.
"You've seen it too, huh? Well, I guess everyone has."
"Yeah..."
"You know, it wasn't until after you had left town that it really hit me. You're Lyra Michelakos. I mean, you really must've hit it big when you got back home," Randall said. "And you came out to my house that one day practically begging for money."
"Yeah, it's been pretty good," Lyra said absently.
"We had another guitarist for a while, but he just wasn't as good. Didn't show up to practice, didn't seem serious about it. If you wanted to, Lyra - "
"Lyra!" She turned her head up at the voice, which had come from above her. "Finally. I've been looking all over for you," Rainbow Dash said, swooping down next to her. "All these humans look the same. Good thing your mane stands out so well, huh?"
"Dash? What's going on?" Lyra said. "Wait, did you..."
Rainbow Dash bit her lip. "See, that's the problem... The Elements weren't any good against him. He was too strong."
Lyra's jaw dropped open. "What?"
"Uh, Lyra..." Randall said. "There's a... flying horse... talking to you."
Rainbow Dash turned to him, then looked back at Lyra. "Do you know this human?"
"Yeah, we were in a band together back in Des Moines. But what were you saying about Discord? The Elements had to work. They had to."
"The others said I should go ahead and try to find you. We need to get back to Equestria, and fast."
"I've seen some pretty insane things before. But this probably takes it," Randall said. He pointed at Rainbow Dash. "Lyra, you realize that's not normal, right?"
"Yeah, I'd like to see what you humans consider 'normal,'" Rainbow Dash said, rolling her eyes. "I can't wait to get out of this place. There's just no room to fly with all these buildings everywhere."
"Randall, this... This is Rainbow Dash. She's a friend from... back home."
"I thought you were from Pennsylvania," Randall said.
"Well, yes, but..." She groaned. "I've already explained this enough times today," Lyra said. She turned back to Rainbow Dash. "I don't care what you do, but we need to stop Discord. There has to be some other way."
"The Elements were at full power. If they didn't stop him, I don't know what would."
"I don't know," Lyra admitted. "But we'll come up with something."
"Like what?" Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. "Look, Twilight just told me to find you so that we could go back and report to the Princess. I'm going to go find her, so don't go anywhere. Got that?"
Before Lyra could get another word in, Rainbow Dash had already flown off. She turned back to Randall, who was still wide-eyed in disbelief.
"So... what was that about?" he said.
"It's a long story, but all this chaos is being caused by someone called Discord. He's trying to... well, drive humans to extinction. Again. That's another long story. Rainbow Dash and the other ponies were supposed to stop him. I can't believe it didn't work..." Lyra crossed her arms and stared at her feet.
"You're friends with talking horses."
"I used to be one, kind of."
"It's the end of the world and talking horses are going to save us," Randall said. "I guess that's not the strangest thing I've heard today."
"Good. I don't feel like explaining it again," Lyra said.
That seemed to be the end of the matter for now. Randall just couldn't think of anything else to say. He ran his fingers through his scraggly hair. Lyra glanced around trying to see if Rainbow Dash or anyone else was coming back. Nothing, except for a bright yellow car walking past underneath the bunches of bananas that had probably once been stoplights.
The others were just going to give up on humans and let this happen. Lyra couldn't believe it. Of course, they didn't know any humans here... She just couldn't let this happen to her friends. Her family. Humans were good, or at least a lot of them were, and Lyra just couldn't let that go so easily.
It was a few minutes before the others showed up, Rainbow Dash leading the way.
"There's more of them," Randall said, looking up. His tone was flat.
"Lyra..." Twilight said. "I'm sorry. But we couldn't do anything."
"I heard everything," Lyra said, frowning.
"Lyra, I really am sorry. But you have to let us go back," Twilight said. "You have your necklace, right?"
Lyra's hand reached into her pocket for the necklace, then she stopped. "No. You need to find another way. There has to be something else we can do."
"The only other time the Elements didn't work was when we weren't... well, ourselves," Applejack said. "They should of worked here, but they didn't. I can't believe it myself, but we just weren't enough to stop him this time."
"You heard what Princess Celestia said before we came here. Discord draws too much power from humans. And here he is in a world with tons of them all giving him power..." Twilight looked up at Randall, as if she'd just noticed him standing there.
Something flashed across Lyra's mind. She glanced at the necklace Rainbow Dash wore. "That's just it, isn't it..." She rubbed her chin.
"What is?"
"I'm going to need to borrow your necklaces. And your crown," Lyra said, turning to Twilight.
Twilight's jaw dropped open. "What? Borrow them? What are you talking about?"
"The Elements of Harmony. I'm going to need them for a little bit," Lyra said.
Twilight shook her head frantically. "Lyra, do you even know what you're saying? You can't just borrow the Elements of Harmony!"
"In the time I've been human, I've made some friends who are just as good as any pony I ever met. If humans are giving Discord his power, then we can take it away," Lyra said.
"Um... What exactly is going on?" Randall said.
"You'll help me, right?" Lyra spun around to face him. "I mean, we can't do this unless we have everyone..." She counted out on her fingers, muttering something under her breath. "How quickly do you think Audrey could get here? Nathan, too."
"Those kids you were staying with back in Des Moines?" Randall scratched his head.
"Yeah."
"That'll be a while. They shut down the airport, at least the ones around New York." He glanced at the ponies again, then back at Lyra. "I still don't know what's going on here."
"They could still drive, right?"
"I... guess, but what do we need them for?" Randall said.
"We'll need... six of us. I think I can get this to work..." Lyra said. She nodded. "Yes. If we can just get everybody together. I've got some phone calls I need to make."
Twilight shook her head. "Not just anypony can pick up the Elements of Harmony. These are very powerful magical artifacts that - "
"You used them after you'd known each other for a day," Lyra pointed out.
"Well, yes, but... Still, you're a human. You can't even use basic magic!"
"Lyra, I understand why you wouldn't want to leave this place, but we don't have any choice, now do we?" Rarity said. "I recommend you come with us."
"And do what? Just wait for Discord to finish up here and follow us back to Equestria?" Lyra said. "We've got one more shot at this. We need to try."
Twilight exchanged a glance with the others.
"Uh, Twi, I think you understand how the Elements work better than any of us. I'm leavin' this one up to you," Applejack said.
With some effort, Twilight finally managed to speak. "Well... fine. But we have to stay here."
"Wh-what? I really don't want to stay here much longer..." Fluttershy said. She cringed. "Actually, I want to leave. Right now."
"Well, we can't just give the Elements to the humans and leave," Rainbow Dash said. "This better not take too long."
"We're staying here while Discord's got all of his kooky stuff going on?" Pinkie said. "This'll be fun!"
"Actually, when you put it that way..." Lyra thought for a moment. "Randall, do you have your car here? The big one we moved all of the band equipment in?"
"Well, yeah." Then he added, "If it hasn't sprouted wings and flown away." On any other day, that would have sounded like sarcasm.
"Great. We'll go back to Philadelphia for a while. I think it'd be dangerous to stay around here much longer. Paul and Monica are there anyway, and I think we'll need them..."
"And we're taking... your friends here?" He gestured at the ponies.
"Of course."
"They've usually got trailers for moving around horses. I don't have one of those."
"They aren't like horses from our world. It'll be fine." She looked over the group. "It might be a tight fit, though."
"What do you mean?" Twilight said. "Horses?"
"But... where are we going?" Fluttershy said.
Lyra was reminded of something that happened months ago. Strapping herself into the front seat of Nathan's car and nearly having a heart attack when they started rolling backwards into the street. This time they wouldn't even have the benefit of seat belts.
"This'll be your first time in a car... Just sit back and try not to panic too much."
Towards the end of the school day, a few mentions had been going around about weird stuff happening on the East Coast. Mostly New York, but some surrounding areas too. Audrey hadn't thought much of it at the time. It had sounded like a joke.
It was later in the evening now and she'd been in front of the computer looking at updates and photographs for a few hours. New posts seemed to keep on appearing as soon as she finished reading one. It was all over the place.
This particular photo was showing a section of the street that had turned into rolling hills, swooping up and down like a roller coaster. The pharmacy and the department store behind it seemed unaffected. She zoomed in, leaned close to the screen, squinted. It didn't seem edited, though she was no expert.
Her cell phone rang.
She picked it up and flipped it open. "Hello?"
"You've seen this, right?" It was Nathan's voice. "The stuff over in New York?"
"Yeah... Whatever it is," she said. She read what the photographer said about the image - that the formation in the street had just appeared suddenly, as solid as if it had always been like that. It was possible to drive over it, provided nothing had happened to your car. Some vehicles had been affected by whatever it was - anything from turning plaid to suddenly coming alive.
"I was thinking it was a hoax - some elaborate prank, but I don't know," he said. "It's coming up on CNN and stuff too. I don't think they'd be able to hack all the major news networks."
Audrey clicked a link to some other photos. A message board where people were raising a lot of the questions she herself was wondering.
"It's all kind of..." She looked for an adequate description. "Cartoony."
"I'm still not sure if I'm convinced, but you've gotta admit, it's starting to look like it's for real," he said.
"I hate to admit it... but yeah," she said.
One poster on this board was raising their doubts. Photoshop, mass fake accounts all run by a few people, and of course hacking. They weren't the only ones to think that way. But it was seeming more and more like a desperate attempt to deny what was right in front of them.
"And did you see those pictures of Times Square?" he asked.
"Which ones?" Audrey tried to remember. "The billboards that came to life, or the flying hot dog stands?"
"No, these are the new ones. The herd of unicorns. A bunch of people had pictures of them."
"Unicorns..." That stirred something in Audrey's memory. "No, I haven't seen that yet."
"Yeah. All different colors. A couple were flying," Nathan said. "People only started mentioning them about half an hour ago, but there's dozens of photos."
She typed the phrase "times square unicorn" into the search bar and looked at images. Sure enough, there were plenty of different photos. If it had been photoshopped, it probably would have taken someone a lot of time and effort.
"I'm just not sure what to make of it," Nathan continued. "I've heard some people are heading out there to see it for themselves. Photographers, mostly, but also just some sightseers."
"Wait a minute..." Audrey clicked one of the images. Zoomed in. The herd of whatever they were was in the distance, but there was a person standing it the midst of them.
"What?"
She stared at it for a few moments, then slowly raised a hand to her mouth. "She wasn't lying," she said softly.
"Huh?"
Audrey shook her head. "It's crazy. I told her she was crazy."
"What are you talking about?" Nathan said.
"Lyra. Back when we found her parents, I told her I needed to know where she came from. And... Well, she told me."
"What does Lyra have to do with any of this?" Nathan said. "I mean, she was pretty strange, but all of this is on a whole different level than that."
"Lyra insisted that she used to be a unicorn. I don't remember everything, but her story was pretty detailed. Something about turning into a human. But... she's in these pictures, and I think she has something to do with all of what's going on over there."
The other end of the phone was quiet, then, "Wow. I mean, really, wow. I wondered if this was some kind of bizarre alien invasion. That idea's been tossed around online a bit. And you made first contact, Audrey! Heck, you let her stay at your house!"
The home phone rang. It went a few times, then stopped. Someone else must have answered it.
"I wish I remembered what she told me..." Audrey said. "I mean, it sounded crazy. It still does."
"Coming from Lyra, I'm not too surprised. She always was kind of odd."
"Audrey, it's for you." She turned around to see her mother standing in the doorway, holding the phone out towards her. "It's Lyra."
"Huh?"
"She said it was important."
Audrey lifted her cell phone back to her ear. "Listen, Nathan, I'm going to have to call you back."
"Wait, what - " She closed it and put it on the desk. Then she stood up and took the phone from her mother. She lifted it to her ear slowly. It was the perfect opportunity to find out what was happening, but she had no idea what to say.
"Audrey!" Lyra's voice was familiar enough.
"Uh, hey, Lyra..."
"Good. I tried to reach your cell phone, but it didn't work," Lyra said. "Listen, I need you to come to my house. As soon as possible. It's really important." There was a faint voice that was hard to make out through the background noise, then Lyra said to whoever it was, "It's a phone. I'll explain later, alright?" Then, speaking to her again: "Sorry about that, Audrey."
Lyra's house? She meant in Philadelphia, probably... Unless it was the other place. Ponyland or whatever. Audrey finally found her voice. "What's this all about? Was that you in New York?"
"How did you know I was there?" Lyra sounded surprised.
"There were pictures of you on the Internet. With these unicorns. You weren't making that up when you told me, were you?"
"No. I wasn't. I tried to tell you," Lyra said. "But listen. It's really important that you get to Philadelphia right now."
"Right now? You realize how far that is, right?" Audrey said, rubbing her forehead. "And, on top of that, it's a school night, I can't just go halfway across the country - "
"I made it here in half a day last time," Lyra said. "What's the problem?"
"You flew. We booked it days in advance. I could try that, but even then it would be - "
"That'd take too long..." She heard Lyra sigh. "Look, the entire survival of the human species is at risk here. I need you and Nathan here, now."
Audrey was taken aback by that. Lyra sounded serious enough, though she did have a tendency to overreact to things... Then again, those photos. Audrey spun around in her chair to see it still up on the monitor. "The survival of the human race," she repeated.
"Yes," Lyra said.
"This has something to do with everything that's been going on in New York today, doesn't it?"
"That's just the beginning. But you'll come, right?"
Audrey sighed. "I'll see what I can do, but... You are halfway across the country."
"We'll deal with that. When do you think you can get here?"
She went through the options in her head. Flying on such short notice would be impossible. She didn't have her license, though even if she set out on the road now it would take - what? An entire day or two. Not to mention having to explain this to her parents. They'd seen what was happening on the news, but had just shrugged it off.
Audrey scratched the back of her head. It was odd, but she felt like Lyra really wasn't exaggerating the importance of this. "I don't suppose you or your friends have any magic that would help here, would you?"
"No, Twilight says it's way too far to teleport." Lyra sounded oddly casual, talking about teleportation like that.
"I don't know, then," Audrey said with a sigh. "Like, two days. That might even be generous."
"Seriously?" Lyra said.
"Look, I don't know how people get around where you're from, but this is a long trip," Audrey said.
She heard Lyra sigh. "You're right. Cars are a lot faster than Equestrian transportation. Just hurry, alright?"
"Sure, I'll see what - " The line went dead. Lyra must have hung up already. Audrey set down the phone, leaned back, and ran her fingers through her hair.
Audrey had always known that Lyra wasn't quite normal. The way that she'd acted that first day, for the entire duration of her stay afterwards. She wasn't exactly human, was she?
But as for what to do now...
It sounded important. For whatever reason, Lyra had chosen her to do... something. Maybe that's why she had come to this world. Even thinking about "this world" as if there really was some magical land beyond it sounded ridiculous. What exactly did Lyra expect Audrey to do here? And why couldn't she have found someone else closer?
Lyra had also mentioned Nathan. It might be good to call him. Figure out what to do. Audrey was about to pick up the phone again, but it rang before she even touched it.
"Hello?" She half expected it to be Lyra again.
"So I just got a call from Lyra. Interesting story," Nathan said.
"She just called me too," Audrey said. "Uh... What are you going to do?"
"Well, first of all, I thought the end of the world wasn't for a couple more months."
"Seriously, Nathan."
"Alright, alright. Well, I'm heading out to the car now. I'll swing by your place in a few minutes. Pack some snacks if you want them, there's a long drive ahead of us."
Audrey was shocked. "You're just leaving?"
"She said it was urgent."
"You know how long it's going to take to get out there, right?"
"I told you to pack something to eat. And are you okay with driving part of the way? It'll count towards getting your license. Your parents will be happy about that," Nathan said. "Besides, this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance. Something weird is going on out there, and we're involved! You've gotta admit, that's pretty cool."
"Sure," Audrey said, shrugging even though he couldn't see her. "Maybe it is."
"Alright. I'll see you in a few minutes."
Lyra sat in the front seat next to Randall, staring at the road in front of her. It was a "highway" - she'd never actually driven on one, though it seemed kind of like the first place she'd seen in the human world. They passed a sign that said "Philadelphia." They'd be home soon.
"Are you done talking to yourself yet, Lyra?" Pinkie asked.
"I told you. I was talking to my friends in Des Moines. That's what phones let humans do."
"So when can they get here?" Twilight said. She stared out the window, still getting used to how fast everything flew by. "It seems like human transportation is as fast as you promised. I'm amazed this is possible."
"The talking purple unicorn in the back seat is impressed that I can drive at sixty miles an hour. Because that's weird," Randall muttered.
"It is if you're from Equestria," Lyra told him. "Anyway, Audrey said... maybe two days."
"Two days?" Twilight said.
"Ugh. This morning I didn't even know what 'humans' were, and now I'm stuck here for the next two days?" Rainbow Dash said.
"Am I the only one who's ever heard of humans? Bon-Bon's always talking about them at Sugarcube Corner!" Pinkie said.
"She does?" Lyra turned around.
"Well, she talks about you always talking about them. But that means she's talking about humans. Kinda."
"Two days seems like a mighty long time to wait around..." Applejack said. "You sure you still wanna try this, Lyra?"
"Sure. We'll just... wait at my house for a while," she said. "At least my sister will be excited to meet all of you." |
Anthropology | Between Two Worlds | "Make a left here... We're that house. Right there." Lyra pointed at where the main road broke off into her driveway.
Randall pulled the van in, and parked in front of the house. It looked unchanged. The chaos had obviously left when Discord did.
She turned to the back seat. "Well, here we are. Home."
"With your human family," Twilight said.
Lyra hopped out of the front seat and slid open the side door. Pinkie practically bounced out immediately.
"That was fun! Except for the whole being packed into a small space for two hours, but let's do it again!"
"No thanks. I'm just glad to be back somewhere that looks halfway normal," Applejack said. "Still... that house does look mighty big."
"I will admit I'm impressed," Twilight said, looking back at the vehicle. "How did you say it worked again?"
"You use magic, and you can't figure out how a car runs on gas," Randall muttered. He turned to Lyra. "So, this is your place, huh? Looks pretty nice."
"We can stay here while we wait here for the others to arrive. In the meantime, I'll find Paul and Monica," Lyra said. "They probably saw what happened this morning." Had it really only been today? Lyra thought.
Right now it was getting late. As they'd gotten farther away from New York, the light had become normal. It was nine o'clock, dark, and would probably stay that way for as long as it was supposed to. However Discord had been playing with the sun and moon in the city, it was somehow only affecting a small area. For now.
Fluttershy seemed transfixed by the trees and the sounds of crickets around her. Only the sound of a passing car back on the main road snapped her out of it. "You... live here, Lyra?"
"It's my family's house," Lyra explained. She led them up to the front door as she spoke. "My dad - I mean, Dewey, back in Canterlot - he had a photograph of it that he found with me. That's how I found out who I really was."
"I was the one who recognized it," Randall said.
"Thanks for that," Lyra said. "My dad's actually a famous writer in the human world."
"Really? What about?" Twilight asked.
"Well... That's hard to explain..."
As if he knew they were talking about him, Lyra's father came out of the front door and headed over to them. He noticed Lyra immediately. He couldn't think of what to say. Then, he simply commented, "You're back to normal."
She nodded. "I hope it stays that way."
He looked behind her at the ponies, as if he had only just noticed them. "And these are..."
"Oh! Uh... You must be Lyra's father," Twilight said. She gave an uneasy smile. "She's... invited us to stay here for a few days."
"Y-yes..." He stared at them for a moment - mostly at Twilight, then he noticed Rainbow Dash hovering a few feet off the ground. "There's really all sorts of you..."
"These are some of my friends from Ponyville. They tried to stop Discord, but... it didn't work," Lyra said. "But I've got another plan."
"You're Thomas Michelakos, aren't you?" Randall said. He walked over and extended his hand. "It's an honor to meet you."
Lyra's father took his hand. It was almost as if seeing another human with them was the most surprising part. "And who are you?"
"Name's Randall. I'm one of Lyra's friends. I'm not sure what she's got in mind, but I've got something to do with it." He shrugged.
"Lyra, what exactly are you doing? I thought you said the Elements of Harmony would stop him," her father said.
"They still can," Lyra said. "At least, I'm pretty sure. We just need to adjust our plan."
Without another word, she ran ahead to the front door. She could hear a voice from inside, probably the television. Her mother was there waiting by the window, looking at the van. She turned when Lyra entered.
"Lyra, you're back? You never called us," she said. Then, squinting out the window at the ponies headed their way, "What on Earth..."
"They need to stay here for a little while. There's been a change of plans," Lyra said.
Chloe stepped out of the kitchen and into the hallway. She seemed sleepy - on most nights, she would be asleep by now. "Lyra's back? Is she..." A look of disappointment seemed to cross her face, but it instantly vanished the moment Twilight came in the front door. "That's...!"
"You live here, Lyra? It's... pretty big." Twilight's eyes moved all over the entry hall, taking in every detail. She paused for a moment on the painting of the dragon.
Lyra noticed that Chloe had gone speechless. She walked over and knelt down, putting a hand on her sister's shoulder. "Chloe, this is Twilight Sparkle. I know I told you I made those stories up, but..." She smiled. "I lied."
Chloe's mouth hung open as she stared across the hallway at the ponies. For a moment, she couldn't do anything, but then...
"Fluttershy?" Chloe ran up to the pegasus, who shrank back instinctively.
"Um... Who are you?" she managed to whisper.
"Fluttershy, this is my little sister. Chloe," Lyra said. "I've told her all about you and Ponyville."
"Huh?" Fluttershy seemed to calm down, but was still uncertain. When Chloe reached out to touch her nose, her eyes stayed fixed on the hand.
"It's okay," Lyra said. "I knew you'd be excited to meet them, Chloe."
"I-I'm so sorry," Fluttershy said. "It's just that... I'd never seen a human until today, and I..."
"It's fine, Fluttershy. There's nothing else we can do for now, so why don't you two spend some time together?" Lyra said. "I'm sure Chloe would love to get to know you."
"But why would - "
"You really can communicate with all kinds of animals?" Chloe said. "Tell me about the time you took care of Princess Celestia's bird! That one's my favorite."
"Huh? You... know about Philomena?" Fluttershy said. "I still feel terrible about making such a mistake... You really want to hear that?"
"I'm sure you can tell it better than I can," Lyra said.
"Follow me, Fluttershy!" Chloe said.
Chloe ran upstairs to her room. Fluttershy examined the narrow stairs before deciding to fly carefully over them instead of trying to climb them.
"So how long do we have to stay here? I'm sick of this place already," Rainbow Dash said. She slowly stretched out her wings, making a face. "If you need me, I'll be outside making sure these still work."
She turned and headed back out the door, taking a running start before she flew up into the air and out of sight.
"Don't mind her. She just didn't like the ride here. We've never been in one of those 'cars' before," Twilight said.
"Just excuse Rainbow Dash. I assure you we're not all so terribly rude," Rarity said. "May we come in?"
"Of course," Lyra said. "You don't mind, right, Mom?"
Before they entered the living room, Lyra's mother took her aside.
"They're staying here?"
"It'll be fine. I know that we have 'horses' in this world that are just animals, but... I was a pony like them for most of my life, and they're much closer to us that you realize," Lyra said.
"Your father told us about you. And we looked at the journal you left here."
"Just... don't mention that we have meat in the freezer."
"You are a vegetarian... That's why, isn't it?"
Lyra shifted uncomfortably. "Yeah. I still can't convince myself to eat that stuff."
"There it is. Coulda sworn I heard more voices..." Applejack glanced towards the living room as she left the hall. "But it looks empty."
The voice she was talking about came from the television in the other room. "Reports are still flooding in from those still in the city, along with shocking video and photo evidence of..."
Lyra's mother watched the ponies as they wandered into the house. "Ever since you went missing. You really were a..."
"Yeah. I would have told you, but you wouldn't have believed me," Lyra said.
Pinkie Pie hopped over to the screen. "Look! That's us! How'd we get in there?"
"It's television," Lyra said distractedly. Her eyes were fixed on the screen. This was the news, and yet they'd only left the city a few hours ago... How could they know so quickly? She was only slightly less confused by it than the other ponies were.
"How is the image appearing there?" Twilight stepped up to the screen until her nose was practically pressed up against it. She blinked a few times, and squinted. "It's some kind of illusion..." She turned around, wincing and putting one hoof to the side of her head. "Lyra, I thought you said humans weren't capable of magic, but..."
"I thought the same thing at first. But it's not," Lyra explained. "We just have... advanced technology. It makes up for not having magic."
"All the stations have been reporting on this nonstop today. We started seeing pictures of you not too long ago," Lyra's mother said. At the moment, the screen was showing blurry images of grey buildings shimmering and changing to all sorts of garish pastel colors. "What did you say was going on there? Nobody's been able to explain it."
"What Discord does makes no scientific or logical sense," Twilight said. She looked back at the screen. "Much like... a lot of things here."
As the report on the television went on, Lyra and the ponies explained what they knew. What Discord had done a year ago in Ponyville, and what they had seen in New York. And how the Elements of Harmony hadn't even left a scratch. Lyra stepped in every once in a while to clarify some aspect of either human or pony culture that the others didn't understand.
"Ponies were able to save Equestria, but you have no connection to this world. I think that's weakening you somehow," Lyra said. "We need humans to use the Elements instead."
"So I'm basically an honorary magical unicorn for the day, is what you're saying," Randall said.
"This morning, you told me there was nothing humans could do," Lyra's father said.
"I'll admit that the exact way the Elements work isn't completely understood, even by ponies," Twilight said. "They were originally used by Luna and Celestia, but now we're the current bearers. Still, humans have absolutely no magic power... I'm not sure you'll be able to use them."
"Twilight, I told you. We're not giving up," Lyra said.
"And I understand that. We just left a huge city, and traveled for two hours through a huge expanse and there were humans everywhere," Twilight said. "This world is a lot bigger than I imagined. And... It's just as important as Equestria, even if we aren't accustomed to it."
Suddenly there was a dull pounding against the front door. Everyone's head turned at the same time. Lyra's father was the first to stand up.
"I'll go check on it. You stay here."
He left for a moment and went to the entry hall. They heard the door unlatch and swing open.
"I don't get it!" It was Rainbow Dash's voice. She came into the room looking slightly more annoyed than earlier. "The doors don't even work here."
Lyra inspected her fingers idly. "Not for you, at least."
"Good. Looks like you finally decided to join us," Rarity said.
Rainbow Dash frowned. "So how long are we staying here for?"
"Until we've figured out how to stop Discord," Lyra said. "Nathan told me he'd come and bring Audrey with him as soon as he could. We'll just have to hold out until then."
"Great..." She rolled her eyes and hopped up onto a chair to settle down. "This better work, Lyra."
Lyra woke up the next morning, hardly aware that she had fallen asleep at all. The day before had been so hectic that she had hardly realized how tired she was. Going from being a human to a pony and back again hadn't exactly helped, either. She must have collapsed on the sofa in the living room and been out before she even realized.
"Mornin', Lyra," Applejack said. She was sitting in front of the television, still switched to the news, but wasn't paying any attention to it at the moment.
"Oh. Hey." Lyra rubbed her eyes. Her attention turned to the image on the screen - still New York, and it wasn't looking any better.
"I thought I'd let you get your rest. You goin' out to try and use the Elements of Harmony and all," Applejack said. "Looks like nothin' much has changed. Discord's still raising a ruckus out there, but everything's fine and dandy here."
"That's good." Lyra glanced out the window. She noticed Fluttershy and Chloe in the backyard, talking to each other. "So... What do you think? About humans using the Elements?"
Applejack tilted her head. "Well, I don't know exactly, it's more Twilight's cup of tea, but... However unicorn magic works, I don't think it's the same thing as the Elements. Those times that I've used the Elements, it's always just happened. Hard to explain. I guess you could say I can feel somethin' happening, not just with me, but with everypony. If your friends are really as good as you say, maybe it'll work."
Lyra thought about that for a moment, but she was interrupted. Twilight trotted in from the front hall, followed by Lyra's father.
"Lyra, you're awake," she said. "We were just having a discussion on magic. Your family seems shockingly uneducated on even the most basic principles." She turned back to Lyra's father. "No offense intended, of course."
He laughed. "Before yesterday, I wasn't even aware magic was real."
"So I've heard..." Twilight said. "Lyra, how did you ever manage getting by without it?"
Suddenly, Rainbow Dash stumbled through the front door. Her wings were outstretched and she panted for breath. Finally, she managed to say, "I think we've got a problem. Discord's messing with the clouds."
"You mean the cotton candy?" Lyra said. "That was here earlier. Is it back?"
"No. Something else," Rainbow Dash said. She stared out the window. "I was trying to get up to the cloud level, but... it's way too high up. I ran out of breath before I could even get there. I never run out of breath that fast."
"That's it?" Lyra said. She let out a sigh of relief.
"Why would he do that? I just don't get it..."
"The clouds are always like that," Lyra said.
"Huh?"
"I realized that when I was on the airplane. The clouds in this world are much higher up than in Equestria. And we don't have weather production up there." Lyra hesitated. "It all just happens on its own."
Rainbow Dash groaned. "Great. The entire world is one big Everfree Forest."
"I agree it sounds difficult, but it's a fascinating study," Twilight said. "Anyways, Lyra, so far we only have two humans to use the Elements of Harmony. You said you had others in mind."
Lyra nodded. "Audrey and Nathan are still going to be a while to arrive. What time is it?"
"The middle of the afternoon," Twilight said. "You've been sleeping for hours."
She hadn't even noticed it, but the clock on the wall said it was already past three. Lyra jumped off the couch and scrambled to her feet. "I need to get going."
The streets downtown were strangely empty. Normally this place felt familiar, but ever since Discord had shown up yesterday nothing was quite the same. Lyra couldn't put her finger on what it was.
The bell by the door jingled as Lyra pushed it open and entered the bookstore. She went straight to the front counter like always, but... Monica wasn't there. Instead, an different human was there, his face hidden behind a copy of the Philadelphia Inquirer. He set it down when he heard Lyra enter, but she had time to recognize a blurry, distant picture of Twilight Sparkle on the front page.
"Can I help you?" he asked.
"I'm looking for Monica. She works here," Lyra said. "Do you know where I could find her? It's really important."
"She works in the mornings. She's not here right now. Can I help you with something?"
Lyra shook her head. "It has to be her."
"Important, huh?"
"Very."
He searched the counter for a moment, then took out a scrap piece of paper and started writing something down. "You a friend of hers?"
"Yeah. A friend," Lyra said.
"Here's her address." He pushed the scrap across the counter and Lyra took it. "It's not far from here. You head down the street and turn on the third street down, take a right."
"Thanks."
"Haven't seen many people in here today. Still shook up from yesterday, I guess," he said. "What do you think of all that? And now they're saying New York has it even worse."
"Yeah. Weird." Lyra looked back at the address she'd been given. "Thanks for you help. I gotta go."
Without another word, she headed back out the door.
It took Lyra a while to find the right street, and then it was only a matter of finding the right house. It was a neighborhood kind of like Audrey's. The houses were close together, not quite as large as Lyra's. From what she had seen, this was typical for humans.
She was still searching for the house when the rain started.
Somehow all it took was a few drops for her to realize that it wasn't regular rainwater. The pink clouds spreading over the neighborhood told her the rest.
"No..." Lyra muttered, staring up at the sky. "Not now!"
She put a hand up to shield her eyes and ran down to find the right house number. She was getting closer now, it couldn't be more than a few houses down...
"Lyra? What are you doing out here?"
She lifted her head at the sound of Paul's voice. He was on the front porch of one of the houses, sitting on a bench and staring out at the weather.
"Paul? Great! I was looking for you!" She ran up to the cover of his porch. "Listen, we need to find Monica right away."
"You've seen this, right?" He gestured to the rain. "It happened earlier today, too. I'm sure it can't be natural."
"It's not. We need to stop it. Where's Monica?"
"Whoa, slow down. She lives right next door," Paul said. "But what's the matter with you? I mean, chocolate milk rain isn't exactly the end of the world."
"But it's coming. You said she was in that house?" Lyra glanced over at it. She gestured for him to follow. "Come on."
She practically sprinted across the yard and up to the front door of the next house. She rang the doorbell and stood there waiting. The rain was dripping from her clothing onto the welcome mat. As much as her soggy clothes were bothering her, she had to admit it was still better than being a pony covered in all that itchy, matted hair.
Paul came up behind her. "I didn't quite get what you said. You said the chocolate rain is the end of the world?"
Lyra nodded. "Yeah."
"Some stay dry and others feel the pain..."
"What?"
"Nothing."
The door finally opened. Monica seemed surprised to see them. She was dressed in a T-shirt and sweat pants. "Uh, hey Lyra..." She scratched the back of her head. "How did you find out where I live?"
"The guy at the bookstore told me. Listen, there's no time to explain right now. I need you to come over to my house."
Monica looked at Paul, who shrugged. "She's not telling me anything, either."
"Look, I'll explain on the way. You'll understand once you meet Twilight and the others," Lyra said. "But the future of the human species is depending on us right now."
"Uh..." Monica stared at her, then sighed. "At least let me get dressed first."
She let them into the house while she went upstairs to change. Lyra leaned against one wall, her arms folded. Soon. They had four of the six humans they needed... The other two might still be hours away, but there was nothing she could do to hurry them up. Hopefully this chaos wouldn't get in their way.
"You actually think you have a way to prevent the end of the world? I mean, I can't really deny that what's happening out there isn't normal, so I guess I trust you," Paul said. "I always could tell there was something different about you, Lyra."
"That's what the other ponies always said," she muttered.
It took a moment for that to register with him. "What do you mean, 'ponies?'"
The rain hadn't let up by the time they got back to Lyra's house.
"Let me get this straight, because I might not have heard you through this rain, but... You used to be a unicorn?" Monica said.
Lyra said nothing, but led them down the driveway and into the house. It seemed much quieter after the downpour outside.
"You always showed up asking about unicorns and American history," Paul said, wiping his shoes on the mat. "Guess that explains it."
"I just wanted to understand human culture better. I'd never even heard of America until I left Equestria," Lyra said.
"Lyra? That you?" Applejack's voice came from the living room. "I think you'd better come in and see this..."
"Who was that?" Monica said.
"Well... my friends from Equestria are here. They're going to help us set things back to normal."
Lyra headed to the living room, where nearly everyone was gathered around the television. Rainbow Dash was sitting by the window to the back porch, staring outside.
Monica's eyes were huge. "Of... course. Your friends from Equestria."
"Lyra, things aren't looking good. Discord's got Filly..." Twilight corrected herself. "Philadelphia under his control, but this says that it's still centered in New York."
"It's spreading..." Lyra said. "How far does it go?"
"We're not sure yet," Lyra's father said. "The local news is getting reports from all over the county."
Monica had hesitantly gone into the living room to look at the television with the others. "I've been hearing bits and pieces about this stuff in New York. So this whole thing... That's what we're up against?"
"What's out there isn't normal, but all of them, they're completely fine," Paul said. "I'm just making sure I've got this straight."
Randall stood up and walked over. He put an arm around Paul's shoulder. "You'll get used to it. Guess we'll be working together. Welcome to the honorary magical unicorn squad."
The remainder of the day was tense. Everyone had seemed to settle into an ease earlier, getting used to meeting residents of other worlds, but now the ponies and humans were all nervously taking glances out the window. The rain continued, the sun kept rising and setting every couple minutes.
Fluttershy and Chloe were practically inseparable. Lyra noticed them looking out the back windows at the trees. The forest itself was normal, but there was a squirrel trying to figure out how to climb now that its legs had turned into three-foot-tall stilts.
"Oh, I do hope the poor dears are alright..." Fluttershy said.
"Did this happen the last time?" Chloe said. "Lyra never told me about Discord."
"Well, yes, everything was fine eventually... But only because Twilight helped us to stop him. If she hadn't been there to remind us of our friendship, the Elements wouldn't have..."
"It's alright, Fluttershy. The Elements will work this time," Lyra said.
"Are you... sure?" Fluttershy said.
Lyra wasn't sure what to say. New York was pretty far away. The chaos already covered the entire area from here to there, and it was probably still expanding, yet all they could do for now was sit here and wait...
Aside from everything that could now be seen happening right outside, even just seeing her human friends and family with the ponies she'd left behind in Equestria was odd. Rarity was examining the paintings in Lyra's mother's studio, commenting on the accuracy of the dragons and other creatures. Paul, once he had gotten over the strangeness of the whole situation, seemed to get along well with Pinkie. And Lyra's father had convinced Twilight to demonstrate a variety of spells for him, often asking Lyra what she had been able to do.
In a way, Lyra felt like she was the only one aware of the huge responsibility looming over her. She and the other humans had to take the Elements, not even sure that they would work, and if they didn't... Well, humans would be a lost civilization again. She'd always assumed they had been. But to have been a part of this, to have lived here, and then possibly be responsible for letting it all fall apart - again - that would be too much.
So for the remainder of the day, she tried to distract herself like the others were. Her knowledge of both the human and pony worlds were making her a useful link. And the more Paul, Monica, and Randall understood about Equestria, and the Elements of Harmony, the better chance they'd have.
Lyra pulled out her cell phone to check the time. It was about ten at night, though it was almost impossible to tell by looking outside. She was in her bedroom, showing her small collection of books to Twilight.
Twilight lifted up one of the books. "This one, about 'American history.' You said that's the name of the country you live in?" She inspected it more closely, then compared it to the others. "None of these books have covers. What happened to them?"
"It's human publishing. We don't always have thick covers on our books," Lyra explained.
"Weird..." Twilight flipped it open. "This is an entire land not mentioned in any book I've ever read. I must admit I find it fascinating..."
"You can take those back with you," Lyra said. "I've read them already. And there's a lot more at Monica's store."
"Are you sure? I mean... Princess Celestia doesn't want anypony to know about this. If books about your world fell into the wrong hooves - "
"Um... Am I interrupting?" Fluttershy peeked her head through the doorway.
Lyra glanced up. "No. What's going on?"
Rarity stepped in front of her. "We just thought you should know that another one of those..." She tried to remember the right word. "Well, another one of those human carriages is outside. Do you think it's the other humans you told us about, Lyra?"
Lyra and Twilight exchanged a glance, then Lyra headed out and down the stairs. She opened the door and stepped out into the chilly air.
She recognized the old grey car immediately. It was the first one she'd ever ridden in - all those times going back and forth from band practice.
"Audrey! Nathan!"
Nathan looked up at the sound of his name. "Hey, Lyra." He stared at her. "You look... normal," he said.
"What do you mean?"
Audrey was leaned against the car on the passenger side, staring down. She yawned. "We've been on the road all day. Would you care to explain what's going on?"
"Back in Cleveland, we got held up by what the radio was calling 'adverse weather conditions.' Turns out they meant Coca-Cola thunderstorms," Nathan said. "And then the radio started playing everything backwards and we couldn't change the station."
"I know it's weird. But we're going to stop it," Lyra said. "I'll introduce you to the others, and then we need to get back on the road."
"Looks like we've got all six of the humans now," Twilight said. She trotted up from behind Lyra and examined the two standing by the car.
"Wait, that's..." Audrey suddenly seemed much more alert.
"It talks," Nathan said.
Twilight gave an irritated sigh. "Of course I do. Are we going to have to go through this again?"
"This is Twilight Sparkle. She's one of the original Elements of Harmony," Lyra said. "And... she's a friend of mine from back home."
"I heard you mention a place called 'Cleveland.' I'm not familiar with the geography around here, so that would be...?" Twilight looked at them expectantly.
The two of them said nothing for a moment, then Nathan said, "It's... Well..."
"I've been driving through Candyland for the past ten hours. All I want to know right now is what's going on and why you need us," Audrey said.
"Ten hours..." Twilight frowned. "With as fast as human transportation goes... I'm no expert on this, but that must be a very wide area."
"We got slowed down. There was a lot of traffic, because of all the confusion with the street signs getting up and walking away, and we passed through a farm field that was turning into popcorn, and..." Nathan's voice trailed off. "I'm explaining this all to a purple unicorn now."
"It might already be too late. We need to get on the road, now," Lyra said. "I'll go tell the others."
Audrey put a hand to her forehead. "At least we got out of the car for a few minutes..." She stretched out.
Nathan looked over at her. "Told you it'd be an adventure." |
Anthropology | Harmony | "How is it possible that this van has even less leg room than your cramped little Civic?" Audrey said.
"Better get comfortable. How far is it?" Nathan said. He leaned back, stretching as much as he could.
Lyra sat in the front seat of the van, where she had a good view of what Philadelphia had become. The sky had turned a sickly green color and was splotched with low-lying pink clouds. They drove through what had been a small neighborhood, though the line of driveways led to empty lots. At the end of the street was a tower made up of all those houses, now stacked haphazardly on top of one another. As they passed the main city, they could see entire blocks had floated up into the air and become islands.
Twilight was seated in the back between Paul and Monica. The other ponies were still at Lyra's house. The van was big, but only big enough for the six humans plus one pony. Twilight had volunteered to come along - after all, she had done the most reading. On the Elements, as well as on humans.
"It took us about two hours to make this trip in the other direction. How is it looking?" she said.
"Oh, no problem," Randall said. He slammed on the brakes as a swarm of levitating pies floated across the road ahead of them. He watched them go by with a completely expressionless face. After they had passed, he hit the gas again and they rumbled forward. "It's just a great day for driving back and forth across three states."
"You're being sarcastic, aren't you?"
It hadn't taken them more than fifteen minutes after Audrey and Nathan arrived to load up the van and hit the road. Lyra was glad to finally be on the way - she hadn't been able to see much of the corruption from home, and it was turning out worse than she had expected.
"So now I think it would be a good time for you to explain what exactly is going on," Audrey said. She inspected the necklace she was holding, the one that Lyra had thrust into her hands before practically ordering everyone into the car. "This is what you tried to tell me before, right? About the unicorns?"
"I still can't believe you didn't mention any of that to me..." Nathan muttered.
"Not all of us are unicorns. 'Ponies' is the more general term," Twilight said.
"I get that you didn't believe me before, since it really does sound crazy," Lyra said. She craned her neck to look at Monica in the very back. "And humans aren't very well informed on unicorns, either. That book you recommended was all wrong."
"Yeah, I see that now... I thought they would at least be the size of a regular horse," Monica said.
"And humans think that unicorns live out in the woods, too," Lyra said. "Like animals or something."
"Seriously?" Twilight said. She looked at Monica and tilted her head. "I mean, technically the library is built inside a tree... Ponyville's not a big town by any standards, but we at least have houses."
"What are you really, though?" Audrey said. "I'm still not clear on that part."
"A human. Just like you," Lyra said. "I came to Equestria when I was still very young. I'm not sure how. But I was adopted by the ponies who found me, and Princess Celestia turned me into a normal unicorn filly."
"Just a normal unicorn..." Audrey shook her head in disbelief.
Twilight spoke up. "Well, relatively speaking, from the Equestrian point of view you're all much stranger than - "
"So how is it that I found you wandering around in the middle of Iowa if you came from this magical land or whatever?"
"That's kind of a long story. The truth is, I always wanted to be a human. I think there was some part of me that remembered that I was born in this world," Lyra said. "I had these dreams... Not to mention all of the books that I found about humans. I studied you for years."
"No wonder you're such an avid reader," Monica said.
"The information we had was limited, though. The Princess removed most of what was left of humans after... well..." Lyra bit her lip. That was exactly what she wanted to avoid happening to this world.
"From my understanding, and this is all fairly new to me as well, humans did live in Equestria up until the point where Discord wiped them all out," Twilight said.
"Wiped them all out. And that's what we're up against now. Good, no pressure then," Paul said.
"Wait, so all of this that's happening now - that caused humans to go extinct in your world?" Audrey said. "I get that this is insane, but how does it end up doing that?"
They drove over a long, deserted bridge as they left the city behind them. On either side you could see the river flowing - a thick brown that was probably more chocolate milk. The surface was covered in tiny ripples as the rain hit it. The road changed to a checkerboard pattern about halfway over, and once they had finished crossing they were greeted by trees with red-and-white peppermint trunks. A green metal sign told them "Welcome to New Jersey."
Paul stared out the window at the bizarre landscape. "Thank goodness, it's completely unharmed," he said.
"I don't think it looked anything like this when we drove through the first time," Lyra said.
"No, what I meant was..." His voice trailed off. "Geez. You really did grow up in some other world, didn't you?"
"Getting back on subject, what Discord is doing goes far beyond just the chaos he's causing on your world itself. He also drives ponies - and humans - against each other," Twilight said. "He did that to me and my friends when we tried to stop him in Ponyville."
"And he's doing that to the humans here now. He wants to start conflicts between us, until we finish ourselves off," Lyra said.
"Which he'd already started doing in New York," Randall said, shaking his head. "Place was a madhouse."
"Good thing we're headed directly to the center of the whole thing," Paul said. "I mean, it wasn't nearly crazy enough out here already."
Looking out at the world they were driving through, it was hard to believe this was the same human world she'd come to. Lyra was actually used to the human world by now, or at least as used to a place like this as you could get. And there was still this sick feeling that if she'd never come here, Discord never would have found out that humans were still around, and none of this would have happened in the first place...
"I was never actually supposed to find out I was a human. I just kept having these dreams about this world, even though I didn't know what it was," Lyra said. "And the Princess found out about the studies I'd been doing - "
"You mean the research project she assigned me?" Twilight said. "So all that time that I was reporting back to her on our findings, she was actually just interested in you?"
Lyra nodded. "She realized that I knew more about humans than I was supposed to. That's why she gave me the choice to come back here, if I wanted. And of course I did."
"You would actually choose Earth over the place where you came from?" Monica said. "I talked to the other ponies, and they made it sound like a pretty nice place. Over there."
"I guess, but... Finding out I was human was the most exciting thing that ever happened to me," Lyra said. "You wouldn't really understand. Not until you've had to go your entire life with hooves..."
"How long had you been human before I met you?" Audrey said. "You were playing a harp. With fingers... How did you learn how to do that?"
"I'd only been a human for a few hours at that point," Lyra said. "Besides, the first time I ever - " She stopped. "Well, I mean, of course that was the first time I'd ever had hands... But it came naturally to me. I was meant to be human, after all." She didn't really want to go into detail about those early experiments. Not in front of humans, but especially not in front of Twilight.
"Freaky musical talent aside, you were pretty hopeless out in the human world," Nathan said. "I always knew there was something different about you."
"Well, yeah. Des Moines was so different from anything in Equestria."
"If Equestria is anything like this..." Paul watched another car go past - flying upside down along the road.
Twilight shook her head. "This is all Discord's work. Equestria is usually much more normal." She thought for a moment, then added, "I haven't seen much of what's considered 'normal' for you humans, though."
"But I'm really glad that I met you, Audrey," Lyra said. "Even if our first meeting could have gone better..."
"Oh. That. Right... Unicorns don't eat that kind of food, do they?" Audrey said. She gave an odd laugh. It sounded forced.
"You meet a visitor from another world, and you made possibly the worst first impression they could have gotten." Nathan shook his head. "You're lucky she even stayed around after that."
"Wait, what are you talking about? What happened?" Twilight looked at Nathan, then back to Audrey.
"It's nothing. Just... a cultural misunderstanding," Lyra said. "That's really all it was. But it's the thought that counts. The important thing is that, when you talked to me, I really started to feel like I belonged here. I realized humans could be just as friendly as ponies. And that's why now, I know that we can use the Elements to save our world."
"Yeah, let's just skip to what we're trying to do right now," Audrey said. "You still haven't explained what we have to do with any of this." She looked at the necklace again. The gemstone on it felt authentic, but it looked tacky. She had half expected it to be plastic when she first saw it.
"Discord can only be stopped by the power of Harmony," Lyra said. "And, as my closest human friends, I know that you'll be able to help me."
Monica reached up and put a hand on Audrey's shoulder. "We're new to all this too. But we were talking with the ponies at Lyra's house - you do get used to them, after a while - and it's really simple."
"So what happens after we do... whatever it is we're meant to do?" Audrey said. "I mean, all this doesn't just vanish, does it?"
"Actually..." Twilight said. "It does. Everything in Equestria was set back to normal by the power of the Elements. They use a very powerful type of magic, which is why they can rival even Discord's power."
"Oh, so that'll just fix everything. After we've been having chocolate milk rain and magic ponies all over the place... I wonder if anything will really be back to normal."
Lyra shifted her weight, folded her arms. "Well... yeah. It'll have to be," she said. "Look, we'll worry about that later."
"You're sure we'll be able to do this, Lyra?" Audrey said.
She hesitated a moment. "Of course. It'll work."
The trip back to New York didn't seem to last nearly as long as it did the first time. It was oddly empty out here on the roads - there were patches where the road start to twist and turn, running up and down in random directions, or it would be covered in a layer of soap. Audrey claimed it had been like this all the way back to Ohio - which she clarified was a couple hundred miles away.
When they passed a car, it was usually heading the same direction as they were. Deeper into the cloud of chaos covering the human world. When Discord had come to Ponyville, Bon-Bon - most ponies, actually - had wanted to get out of town. And Lyra had agreed. Why would anybody be going towards it?
"The bridge into the city is coming up," Randall said. "Get ready, everyone."
Lyra was snapped back to the present, and looked up. The roads around them were still empty of traffic, but they could see something up ahead. Given what they'd just driven through, it could be anything.
"What is that, anyway?" Lyra leaned forward.
They were coming up closer to whatever it was. Dull green shapes on the road ahead. They stood out more than they usually would, against the road and metal bridge frame that had turned into a garish mix of bright colors and patterns.
"Wait. We need to turn around," Nathan said suddenly. "There's other ways into the city, right?"
"What's the problem?" Lyra turned around.
Audrey had seen whatever it was now. "That's... Randall, turn it around, right now."
Randall squinted. "A blockade? You've got to be kidding..."
"You mean... the human military?" Lyra's eyes widened. Sure enough, the green shapes were trucks, humans in green uniforms. It was hard to tell, but it seemed like they were carrying weapons that she recognized from photographs in her recent studies.
Randall was beginning to slow down. "There's no way we're getting past this. Any bright ideas?"
"Speed up." Twilight said it like an order.
He turned around for stare at her. "What?"
"You have to get in there. Discord's probably using them to keep us out. Just keep going and don't slow down."
Lyra shook her head. "I've read about this. We can't do that, Twilight, if they have the kind of weapons that the books said - "
"Just do it!"
Randall, probably in spite of his better judgment, slammed on the gas. The human soldiers in front of them were motioning at them to stop. Then, when they got closer, raised the black objects they held.
"What are you - " Nathan started to say, but then they were all blinded by a momentary flash of white.
They were suddenly already partway across the bridge. There was a loud noise from behind them, some kind of rapid clattering noise on the pavement and even on the back of the van.
Randall spun around. "You crazy purple horse, what did you just do?"
"Whoa, eyes up front!" Audrey yelled.
The car swerved, but he steered it back on track. Randall glanced up at the rearview mirror and gave another burst of speed.
"Simple teleport magic." Twilight winced. "We're past the guards now. I knew it would be hard to transport something like this, but... ugh..." She rubbed her forehead with one hoof.
"They were shooting at us," Audrey said in disbelief. She looked back at the line of trucks, growing smaller as they sped away from it. "We could've been killed! We could still get killed!"
"I was worried that would happen. How did Discord manage to get the human military out here?" Lyra said. She could feel her heart racing.
"This happens all the time in movies. Weird stuff is happening in the city, the military gets called in to help," Paul said. "They were sent right to his door."
"Great. The last thing we need is for Discord to have humans already starting to fight each other," Lyra said. "Let's keep going. We need to find him."
The city was coming into view. Lyra had only been to New York once, and Discord had already been here at that point, but it wasn't hard to notice what had changed. Buildings were sticking out at odd, tilted angles. Most of them were still grey, while others had changed into whatever colors Discord had felt like - bright pink, green, blue, even a few with stripes or polka-dots.
Nathan watched a taxi go past, leaning sideways on two wheels and climbing up onto a wall. "So what's Discord look like? How will we know when we find him?"
"Head for the center of the city. That's where we found him last time," Twilight said.
"That was around Times Square, wasn't it?" Randall said. He looked around, but the street signs had changed to become unreadable squiggles and crude doodles. "Doesn't matter. I've got no clue where we are."
The bananas hanging above the road which may have been stoplights at one point were shaking slightly. A low rumble was coming closer. Eventually they could feel it shaking the van itself. Randall hit the brakes.
"That sounds big. Is it him?" he said.
"I don't think so," Lyra said. "Discord doesn't usually - "
A massive green foot came down in front of them, striding across the intersection. Lyra leaned forward for a better look. It was a massive figure in some kind of green cloak, the same dusty green as the foot had been.
Everyone gaped at it in disbelief. There was a long silence as it walked past, and the vibrations from the footsteps died down. Whatever it was, it was headed across town now.
"Was that..." Nathan started to say.
"I think so, yeah," Randall replied, nodding slowly.
"I really shouldn't be as surprised as I am, given the situation..." Monica said. "How about we go the other way? We'll avoid her."
"Sounds like a plan," Randall said. The van lurched to life again and turned the corner.
The pavement was cracked and the ride was getting bumpier as they went further into the city. There was no sign of that giant thing, whatever it had been. Every once in a while, they would have to drive around a piece of a building that had fallen off, or a car abandoned in the middle of the road.
"I don't think she was moving too fast. Should be easy to avoid her," Randall said. He sounded relieved.
"Why do you keep saying 'she?'" Twilight said. "What was that, any - "
A whistle blared from behind them, and a train sped down the road they had just passed.
Nathan leaned towards the window, watching it pass between the buildings. "How are we supposed to avoid something like that?"
"Just keep going," Lyra said. "And be careful. Discord could do anything."
Randall shrugged, and hit the gas again. He was checking carefully around each corner now. "And if you decide to do any of that teleportation stuff again, warn me first, alright?"
"Got it. Sorry," Twilight said.
The van skidded down the road, but the way ahead was suddenly closed off when a skyscraper burst through the road and stretched above them. Randall swerved just in time to miss it, and headed around the corner.
"He's blocking us off. Go that way!" Lyra pointed ahead.
"Where did that come from?" He glanced in the mirror, but another one smashed up through the street, then another one, blocking off all the exits. "Did I mention earlier that this is completely crazy? Because it's completely crazy."
"We're going where Discord wants us," Twilight said. "This is it. He was never like this last time..."
"I knew we were up against something big, but that?" Nathan said. "You still haven't really explained this. What do these necklaces do, anyway?"
"That's complicated," Lyra said.
The ground was shaking, and all around them the city was shifting, moving itself to block off all escapes. Now entire buildings were being pulled down into the ground, clearing off an area as others sealed the last of the exits. Randall slammed on the brakes.
He slumped back in the chair, his hands still gripping the wheel with white knuckles. "What now?"
"Discord knows you're here. If you're going to face him, this is the time to do it," Twilight said. She looked out the window, but everything was still now, and completely deserted. "Good luck."
Lyra was the first one to swing open the door. She reached up and straightened the crown on her head. It didn't feel like anything other than just dull metal. It was a wonder that it even fit a human. Just a non-magical human...
The side door slid open, and Audrey stepped out, followed one-by-one by the others. She stretched. "I'm still not clear on what's going on here, and now I'm getting a really bad feeling about this."
Lyra's legs were shaking from the crazy ride through the city. Or maybe it was just nerves, it was hard to tell. She glanced around the clearing they had stopped in, and couldn't help but feel like this place was eerily calm compared to the rest of New York. The buildings had stopped moving, but there was no way out. None of them had doors, just flat walls where they would have been.
"Lyra, is that you? I wondered if I'd be seeing you again." The voice started off coming from nowhere again. "And... Oh, what's this?" He sounded amused.
A bright flash right in front of them, and Discord was there, a snakelike body towering above the humans. He twisted around, reclining as he examined them. His eyes narrowed, then opened wide as a grin spread across his face.
"The Elements of - ?" He couldn't hold it in anymore - he started to laugh. "I wondered what you would do when I gave you back your magic, Lyra, and you came up with this? It's more than I ever expected! You manage to make yourself human again, and you get your little human hands on the Elements of Harmony? It's too rich, Lyra, simply too rich."
"What... What is that?" Audrey said. Despite everything they'd just driven through, now she looked genuinely shocked, as did the other humans.
"I apologize. Where are my manners? Allow me to introduce myself. Discord, spirit of chaos and disharmony, as well as this world's new ruler. You're probably already familiar with the changes I've made." He gestured around himself, though it was nothing more than a ruined city block.
"Lyra? Any bright ideas now?" Nathan muttered. Lyra turned her head slightly to see him, but his eyes hadn't moved away from Discord.
"I'm sure that your old friends must have told you what happened, Lyra. Those Elements didn't work for them, and they certainly won't work for you. Not even Luna and Celestia could help the humans once I had them."
Lyra still remembered what she had been told by the Princess. Humans were too chaotic already. Discord grew to incredible power by using them... What was she doing here? She'd just brought him more humans to play with...
Discord continued, obviously pleased with himself. "Ever since I've set up my new capital here, humans haven't failed to advertise it for me. They're coming in by the flock now. Surely you must know how fascinated humans are by the idea of the end of the world. They're just begging for it to come, Lyra. I'm only doing what humans have been looking forward to for years now."
Lyra had to say something, but what? She managed to force something out. "N-no. Humans aren't just chaotic. We're more than that." She wasn't sure where she was going, but she had to make something up. Stall until she could think of something better.
"Oh, I beg to differ. I've been through this all before. You've only just arrived, Lyra. You haven't even scratched the surface of what your species has to offer. Did you enjoy the welcoming committee?"
It was coming to her now. She looked around at her friends. Audrey's eyes met hers. The message was clear - what now? And then Lyra saw the necklace. The one she'd chosen to give to her.
"I'd only just gotten here when I met Audrey, and she was my first friend," Lyra said. "She let me stay with her. Without her kindness, I would have been lost in this world."
"What are you doing, Lyra?" Audrey whispered.
But Lyra kept going. "And then I met Nathan, and he gave me something - just a guitar, but it meant so much. I finally found what I was meant to do as a human. It's one of the most generous gifts I've ever gotten."
"You still owe me for that..." she heard him mutter.
Discord leaned back, and rested his head on the talons of his left claw. "This is all very fascinating. Do go on."
She turned around, looking for her other friends. "And Randall welcomed me into his band. I got to perform music with real humans. And he even helped me find my parents. Even now... He's always shown some real loyalty. Even if he thought I was crazy."
"You are crazy," he said. But there was a grin on his face.
"You're bringing me into this now, aren't you?" Paul said.
"Of course," Lyra said. Everything was just coming to her now. "Out of all the weird new things I experienced in the human world, that airplane was the strangest... But I wasn't afraid, because you shared your laughter with me."
"And now..." Monica's voice sounded expectant.
"You helped me overcome one of the hardest challenges of all, Monica. All this time I'd been lying to everyone. But you... You convinced me that I had to be honest. To my family. To all of you. To myself. And I'm so much happier now that everyone knows the truth about me."
Discord groaned. "How much longer is this going to go on? All this means nothing. Do you really think you humans can use the Elements of Harmony?"
"Of course we can. Magic has nothing to do with this... The important thing is that I realized that all these humans were the best friends I'd ever had, and that I belonged here in this world with them. I thought I'd never be a normal human, but thanks to them..." Lyra realized that she was probably feeling overconfident at this point, but might as well go all the way. "I know that we can accomplish anything."
What happened next felt too fast to comprehend, and yet everything seemed to have slowed down. Lyra felt some kind of power flowing from her - it was almost like when she'd used magic as a unicorn, but of course she had no horn anymore. It was going to the crown on her head, focusing on the gemstone. She could see a purple light flowing out of it. And that was joined by even more beams coming from behind her - from each of the humans.
All that she really needed to understand could be seen on Discord's face. His eyes had gone huge as soon as he realized what was happening. For a while there, Lyra had been thinking this was all a huge mistake, too, but now she knew better. She heard something that might have been him screaming, but it sounded very far away.
Lyra could still feel all that power rushing out of her. And, somehow, she could feel it coming from the others, too. The entire time she was very aware of their presence, that all of those powers had combined into one and was now rushing out, over the city, across the entire country, to places in this world she'd never seen.
At some point Lyra's feet touched back down onto the street. She'd never realized that she had ever been lifted above it. Her senses came rushing back to her. Her surroundings changed from blurred colors into more defined forms. A city square, with a very odd statue in the center. The familiar smells of the human world - those smoky fumes from their cars and the faint smell of fried food from a nearby restaurant. It was all so quiet, but then -
"Now, seriously... What the hell just happened?" Paul said. |
Anthropology | One Month Later | She hadn't thought it would be possible.
The very idea was just unimaginable...
But there was even more talk about humans spreading around in Ponyville now than Bon-Bon had ever heard, even when Lyra was still living with her.
About a month had gone by since Twilight Sparkle had returned from Princess Celestia's errand, and the news of what they had done spread quickly. Or, to be more accurate, once Pinkie Pie had spilled the truth to everypony in town, the others hadn't thought it was worth keeping it quiet anymore.
And as much as Bon-Bon wanted to distance herself from the entire thing, she was practically the center of attention. Everypony knew she had been Lyra's roommate for four years. Now that Lyra had turned out to be some kind of creature from another dimension, everyone wanted to know if she'd ever been different, or weird, or done any odd things.
Why, yes, Bon-Bon would tell them, now that you mention it, maybe Lyra had been a little strange from time to time.
The last time she had seen Lyra, she had gotten something of a rough explanation from her. Bits and pieces, at least, and all of it was completely insane. Her father - or adoptive caregiver, whatever he was - had explained the rest. Lyra was a real human. How that stallion and his wife had done it, Bon-Bon just couldn't comprehend.
Bon-Bon couldn't be sure what upset her more - the fact that Lyra had been right, and humans were real, or that Lyra was a human herself.
But really. A human and the Element of Magic? When you added that to the equation, it added up to say that nopony would ever hear the end of this.
The timer on the oven went off with a "ding." Bon-Bon carefully removed the tray of cupcakes and set them on the counter. No matter what strange gossip was spreading around Ponyville, business at Sugarcube Corner was going on as usual, and here in the kitchen it was nice and -
"Bon-Bon!" The peace and quiet was broken, again, by Pinkie Pie. She bounced into the kitchen from the front door.
Bon-Bon gritted her teeth, then forced a smile. "Pinkie, what are you doing?"
"Don't worry about it. I'll take over in here. You'd better go outside!"
"What..." Bon-Bon wrinkled her nose. "I've hardly gotten started. What are you talking about?"
"Just look!"
Bon-Bon sighed. Pinkie was a good baker, regardless of anything else. She didn't have to worry about the kitchen. She just had to worry about whatever it was that had her so excited. At this point, she truly believed that no news was good news.
She trotted out through the front room of the bakery, out from behind the counter. She headed for the front doors, which led right to the outdoor seating that she still occasionally ate at on her days off...
And froze.
"No..." she breathed.
"Bon-Bon! I can't believe it!" Lyra stood up from one of the tables and ran over. Except...
She was definitely recognizable - the voice, the hair, and the overly energetic behavior was unmistakably Lyra. But she wasn't a pony.
"Lyra, what - " Bon-Bon started to say, but Lyra wrapped her front legs - no, arms - around her neck and she froze. She could feel those fingers, clawlike, yet soft and dull, in her mane. She only let out a breath when Lyra took her arms away and knelt down to be at eye level with her.
"It's great to be back in Ponyville. It's like nothing ever changed," Lyra said, looking around. "It's weird. I've gotten so tired of talking about Equestria, since everybody's always asking me about it back home, but actually being here isn't so bad. And - "
"Lyra, what are you doing?" Bon-Bon hissed. Her eyes darted around. She noticed some ponies across the street who had slowed down to see. "Everypony's staring at you! How did you even come here in the first place?"
"Twilight came over and brought me here. I'm supposed to meet with Princess Celestia later today," Lyra said, looking innocent enough. "But she said I could stop by here for a while. Besides, we hardly had time to talk before."
Bon-Bon stared at her. "You're meeting with Princess Celestia?" she said, not believing what she heard.
"Yeah. She wanted me to come. But come on, Pinkie said she'd bring out some food for us. I can't tell you how much I've missed Sugarcube Corner."
Lyra stood up. Bon-Bon, painfully aware of all the eyes staring at them as ponies passed by, slowly followed her over to the table. The way she walked, it was just odd. How could something on just two legs be that tall and still support itself?
"So how have you been, Bon-Bon?" Lyra sat down on a chair in the same odd, slouching position she'd always used, folding her arms in front of her.
"I've been... fine," Bon-Bon said.
"That's good. How's business at Sugarcube Corner? Doesn't look too busy right now."
"It's been fine..."
"I didn't really get a chance to look around last time. I was in such a hurry."
"Yes..."
They sat there quietly. Bon-Bon tried not to stare at Lyra, or even look at her. She noticed an unfamiliar newspaper on the table. Definitely not one of the Ponyville papers.
Finally, she couldn't hold it back any longer. "Lyra, what were you thinking coming back here looking like that?"
Lyra frowned. "You could at least act happy to see me."
Bon-Bon sighed and shook her head. Honestly, she could think of quite a few choice words for Lyra right now, but she was choosing to be polite. "It's not that, it's just... well..."
"I had to come. Princess Celestia's really concerned about what's going on back home. Discord didn't exactly go by unnoticed." Lyra pushed the paper towards Bon-Bon's end of the table. "See? There's Rainbow Dash, right on the cover of USA Today. This one's from a few weeks ago, but all the talk still hasn't died down."
Bon-Bon stared at the cover of the human newspaper without really reading it. The picture was of Rainbow Dash, or at least a blue- and rainbow-colored blur in front of some kind of odd grey building.
"Humans had never really seen ponies until they showed up. Most of them think they were all part of the chaos Discord was causing," Lyra said. "Think about it. It just causes a lot of confusion when these weird creatures show up and humans haven't even seen plain old magic before."
Bon-Bon's eyes narrowed. "Oh, yes. It certainly does cause confusion when strange creatures show up."
Lyra didn't notice the remark and went on. "The Princess wants to decide how much contact Equestria will have with humans now. I mean, a lot of humans are pretty obsessed with figuring out what happened. My friends decided not to talk about it, not that they really understand it themselves." She shrugged.
"Oh, of course. You just gave the Elements of Harmony to a bunch of your human friends and they don't even know what they are!" Bon-Bon rolled her eyes.
"Well, no. It's really hard to explain how it works. Even I don't really get it," Lyra said. "The important part is that we stopped Discord, right?"
"You do have a point..." Bon-Bon said. "What happened to him, anyway?"
Lyra shrugged. "I dunno."
"What do you mean, you don't know?"
"He turned back into a statue, but... I'm not sure what happened to it. Twilight wanted to find out how to get him back to Equestria, but he just vanished. Paul thinks the government might've taken him to study. They were all over New York investigating after we stopped him. They still are, I think." Lyra looked down at the paper on the table. "And nothing's been on the news about him. Believe me, I've been paying attention."
"So you're just leaving Discord in your world?"
Lyra sighed. "This is all really complicated and I don't quite get it. My dad said it's normal for the government to be tight about 'national security issues.' I'm just going to tell Celestia what I know and she'll decide what to do next." She drummed her fingers on the table in an idle motion. "But I've had enough of all this serious stuff. How are you?"
"Well, I've been..." Bon-Bon realized what Lyra had just said. "Princess Celestia is considering more contact with humans? That's absolutely the last thing we - "
"Well, she's not really sure yet. That's what I'm here to talk about with her. For the moment, I'm the only human she wants in Equestria," Lyra said. She scratched the back of her head with those fingers of hers. "But I thought I'd ask about bringing my sister over for a visit sometime."
Pinkie Pie came out of the front door, carefully balancing a tray on her head. She trotted over to where they were sitting and let it slide down onto the table.
"Here you go!" she said.
Lyra stared at it as if she'd never seen food in her life. "Cake from Sugarcube Corner... I've missed this more than you could believe." She picked up the fork - not with magic, with one of those... hands - and started eating immediately.
Bon-Bon shook herself, forcing herself to stop staring, and said, "Your... sister?"
"I know I told you about her," Lyra spoke in between bites. "I've got a younger sister. Human. Well, I guess that's obvious. But Chloe hasn't stopped talking about Equestria ever since it happened, and when Twilight showed up today..." Lyra smiled. "Anyway, I thought that a trip to Canterlot would make a great Christmas present for her. If I'm allowed."
"What?" Bon-Bon gasped.
"Christmas. My family says we really do celebrate that, just like I read about. It's right around Hearth's - "
"No, you're saying you're bringing another human here? To Canterlot, on a huge holiday when thousands of ponies from all over Equestria will be there?"
"Yeah. Chloe would love that." Lyra took another bite of her cake and grinned contentedly.
"After all the commotion you're sure to cause coming here like that, you're going to bring another human - somepony who's never even been a pony - and just walk around Canterlot?" Bon-Bon said. "Don't you think you've already done enough to Equestria?"
Lyra twirled the fork around between her fingers. "I know, isn't it great? Just... if Chloe does get to come for a visit, you have to be nice to her." Lyra bit her lip. "I... may have given her some unrealistic expectations about Equestria."
"Oh, for the love of - "
She was interrupted by a voice from behind. "Come on, it's just Lyra."
"You go talk to her, then."
"Uh... I... Fine!" Scootaloo trotted up to the table, with Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom close behind. "Uh, we had a question."
"Sure! What is it?" Lyra said.
Scootaloo went quiet. Apple Bloom shot her a look, then said, "Well... We were wondering..."
"Is it true humans don't get cutie marks?" Sweetie Belle said.
"Yeah!" Apple Bloom nodded. "And... that you lost yours when you turned into one?"
"Sure did," Lyra nodded.
The fillies looked at her in shock. "But... You're okay with that? But it takes so much work to get a cutie mark!" Sweetie Belle said.
"Well, I still know that music is what I want to do," Lyra said. "I don't really need a cutie mark to know that. Actually, it's been clearer than ever since I became human."
Scootaloo turned around and walked off, with the other two fillies following. "No wonder Rainbow Dash said she didn't like it over there. It sounds weird."
"Rarity didn't seem to think it was that bad..."
Bon-Bon watched them leave, then turned back to Lyra. "I'd already heard enough about humans to last a lifetime... Now that you've shown up, it'll never stop. You really have no idea what you've done to Equestria, do you? I always worried that you'd go too far, and now look."
"Well... yeah," Lyra admitted. "I would have preferred if nobody found out. Like I said, things are getting complicated back home, too. All I really want is to have a normal human life."
"Have you ever been a normal anything?"
Lyra smiled. "Maybe not," she said. "I guess it's a little easier now that my family knows about all of this." She waved the fork around. "They think it's so fascinating that I used to be able to do magic. And they're happy to explain whatever I don't understand about the human world. I was already fitting in pretty well before."
"It's good that you fit in somewhere," Bon-Bon said.
"You'd understand if you ever got to see the human world. It really is better than I ever could have imagined." Lyra seemed to think for a minute, then her eyes lit up. "Hey! Do you want me to ask the Princess if you - "
"No."
"Your loss." Lyra shrugged. "Chloe's just thrilled, though. She thinks it's the coolest thing ever that I was a unicorn. She was obsessed with them before she even met me."
"She certainly is your sister..."
"What do you mean?" Lyra tilted her head.
"Well, you have so much in common," Bon-Bon said.
Lyra laughed. "Nah, we're like total opposites. I'm kind of jealous that she got to be a human her whole life. She doesn't realize how lucky she is."
"You haven't changed at all, have you?"
"Of course I have," Lyra said, flexing her fingers. "Just look at these."
Bon-Bon gave an exasperated sigh and shook her head, unable to find the words. Lyra looked down at her empty plate a bit sadly, and noticed the slice of cake still sitting untouched in front of Bon-Bon.
"Are you gonna eat that?" |
Mr. Disc | pre | _*_
By evening, I was given some good news and some bad news from Twilight. She told me that the good news was that she's headed towards the Crystal Empire place to work as fast as she can to get me home. The bad news, however, it may take me a few days give or take until I'm able to.
At sunset, the town is still avoiding me, but they don't really seem too scared of me. I suppose they're trying to give me space or something.
Twilight let me crash at her place in the center of town. A castle, treehouse thing that I think had the same architect as that crystal palace. And just looking at it, I think he should have been fired on the spot. It just seemed ugly to me, and coming from a surrealist, that says a lot!
Apparently, the shiny castle somehow stole a bit from Dr. Who and made the place bigger on the inside. Seriously, I think I spent a good hour trying to find my room in that place! And the worst part is that it was actually right next to the front door this whole time!
But anyway, I was trying to relax when I heard a knock on the front door, I went to answer it to find another surprise. In pony form, was Ms. Cherilee, but she looked like her health have been left by the wayside for a month.
"Oh! Discor-"
"Disc," I interrupted her. "Just Disc will do."
"Oh, sorry," she sniffed. "Is Princess Twilight around?"
"You just missed her, she's gone to that crystal place."
"Uh, shoot!" She was about to turn when I stopped her.
"Hold on, why are you here and are you alright?"
She looked at me, giving a funny look all the while, "You're concerned about me?"
"Well, where I'm from, you... well, the other you work in the same school as I do. She taught the younger kids there. And by the looks of it, you don't seem to look too good."
"I'm not. I was hoping that I could get Twilight to substitute for me."
This got my attention. "Substitute?"
"At least, until I get," she sniffed again, "better. Which I think I'll be out for a few days."
"Mind if I ask you something?"
"What?"
"Since I'm going to be stuck here for probably the next few days with nothing to do, would you mind if I take over?"
She seemed really surprised by this. "You! Substituting for my students!"
"Why not? I'm a teacher by profession myself. Besides, I still have my bottle of pills with me."
"By-the-way, what do those pills do?"
"They help me keep my delusions back. But the thing is, daily I purposely undertake what the doctor had prescribed to me."
She blinked. "Why?"
"I want to be sane enough to work, but just insane enough to create. Does that make sense?"
"Oddly yes, and the Discord I know never makes sense."
"So, would you mind if I teach your class, just so I have something to do?"
She put a hoof to her chin, after wiping her nose she said: "I'll give you one trial day. If you're any good at it and not cause any trouble, I'll let you sub for me. If you can't, I'll make sure you leave."
I wasn't certain if that was a threat or not, but I shrugged it off and said, "You got yourself a deal Ms. Cherilee." _*_
A schoolhouse? In a way, walking up to the place was like stepping back into the eighteen-hundreds or something. Cherilee told me that her class was made up of kids who are a great deal younger than the ones I'm used to teaching. But not to say that I haven't taught kids this young before. I used to sub a few times back at the school before my big psychotic episode.
As I near the school, I can hear the kids chatting away. Saying things like: "What's taking Ms. Cherilee so long?"
"She's never been this late."
"Do you think we might get a sub today?"
"Don't be so stupid blank flank, who is she going to get?"
"Yeah. Everypony knows that Princess Twilight is out of town."
At this point I opened the door, bending my body through the doorway, the classroom became dead quiet. I didn't look at them first, my attention was towards the chalkboard. Grabbing one of the pieces of chalk, I wrote on the board the assignments that Cherilee told me to give. After that, I turned around to face my new ponyfied class. A class whose students have a mixed bag of expressions from fear to curiosity.
"Good morning, Ms. Cherilee will be sick for the next few days. My name is Mr. Disc, or Mr. D if you may, I'll be your substitute teacher for today." |
Mr. Disc | 8: A Lesson in Gravity | A little bit of natural science, a little bit of history, some English, some group reading, some math, and finally a little bit of art. It sounds easy for a day's schedule with lunch/recess between English and reading to give everyone, including me, some mental breathing room; and considering all these weird powers that happen when I focus, this is going to be almost too easy.
Cherilee had given me in detail the lessons of what this class was studying. After looking through them from last night and this morning, it's all elementary stuff.
This is going to be a bit too easy but might as well give it a shot.
"Now for roll call," I announced to the class. "When I call your name, just say here." Picking up the clipboard with my tail and using a pencil, I started calling out their names.
"Dinky Do."
"Here."
"Snips."
"Here."
"Twist."
"Here."
"Scootaloo."
"Here."
"Snails."
"Here."
"Silver Spoon."
"Here."
"Applebloom."
"Over here."
"Button Mash... Button Mash?"
"H-He's sick Mr. D." The one I think called Scootaloo said. I wrote a note beside Button Mash's name.
"Rumble?"
"Here."
"Sweetie Belle."
"Here."
"Diamond Tiara."
"Here."
"So I assume that's everyone right?" The class was silent. Apparently, even here, that should mean yes.
"Alright. Now before we get started, I think I should let you all know a few rules when I'm teaching. First of all, I'll have you know that unless told so, you will not get any homework from me."
That for some reason the whole class seemed surprised.
"REALLY?!" They all asked at once.
"Unless you are told so. I view homework as a punishment or needed for something that you're struggling to grasp. But I digress, rule two, I think I should let you all know that I do tend to suffer from delusions, which means that from time to time I may see, or feel, or even hear things that aren't there. So don't be afraid to tell me that if I'm acting a little odd. And trust me, you will know when or if that happens.
"Rule three, since I'm now in a world where apparently I have superpowers, please don't be too alarmed when something odd happens. And since it's going to be me teaching, it's a guarantee that this school day will get interesting.
"And Rule four, do not, I repeat, do not ever, call me Discord. Alright? It's considered a bad name in my book. So do we all understand here?"
They all nodded like a bobblehead shop in an earthquake.
"Now then, this morning, we're going to discuss a little further on the idea of gravity. Now, who here can tell me about gravity? Anyone?"
The one I think is called Snips raised a hoof, "Is it something that makes things fall down."
"Eh... Getting warmer."
Another hoof shot up, it was from the nerdy stereotype that goes by the name of Twist. "It's a force, that what goes up must come down."
"A good answer. But does anybody know why?"
Silence. Well, here's a good place to start. I went over to open the door, "It all has to do with mass." I said, turning back towards the teacher's desk, opening a drawer, I found golf balls there. "Which means, that the bigger something is, the greater the gravity."
After taking a golf ball from the drawer, my bird's claw reached into a mug and pulled out a putter's club. "Here's a bit of an experiment," I said, I concentrated on what I would look like wearing one of those golfer clothes with the eyesore plaid pants. And sure enough, I was wearing it.
"Question, if I hit this ball out the door, what do you think will happen?" I asked, putting the ball on the ground and readying myself. Looking up, I saw Applebloom's hoof sticking out like she was caught on an invisible rope.
"Wouldn't the ball jus' fly for a while and then falls, hittin' the ground?"
I took a swing, the ball flew right out the door and it did fall somewhere in a garden.
"Ow!" A voice shouted in the distance.
"Very good uh, it's Applebloom right?"
She nodded. Putting my club down, I closed the door and then changed clothes to a bellhop. Complete with the red hat and all. I concentrated for a moment for a switch and a few buttons to appear. I pushed the one on the right and all the windows and the door had first, crisscross bars and then folding doors. Flipping the switch upwards, the room was flooded with elevator music. The Four Seasons in particular.
"Of course, that golf ball fell back to earth because the earth is big enough for it, you, me and everything else to stay on the ground. But what about someplace where there's no gravity what-so-ever?"
There was a "ding", and I pulled the switch to off. Pushing a button, I let the doors and windows open. The class gawked in awe like seeing the greatest movie for the first time. What I didn't expect is that everything in the room started to float.
"As all of you might have guessed it, we are now in space," I said, swimming back over to the disk. "Out here, there is absolutely no gravity at all." I opened up the drawer and grabbed the first ball that was nearby. Then swimming to get the club, I said. "Well, that's kinda not true."
"What does that mean?" I think this one was coming from Diamond Tiara, who, like all of them were trying to hold onto their desk for dear life.
"Everything, has a center of gravity," I said, to make this point, I let the golf ball orbit around me. "Even I have a center of gravity." Taking hold of the club, I asked, "Does anyone happen to have some chewing gum by chance?" I looked around, and floating by was a pack of bubble gum. Taking a stick out, I chewed a little but then took it out and put it on the floor, sticking the ball to it.
"Now since there's no gravity, can anyone guess what might happen if I hit the ball into open space?"
"Whoa! Uh, won't it just go on forever?" Scootaloo asked while being upside down.
"Correct!" I said, swinging at the ball, the class and I watched it disappear into nothing.
"Now how about a fun one," I said, pressing the button to close all the doors and windows once again, thus regaining gravity; which caused the entire class to come crashing down and everything with it. I gave them a moment to straighten it a bit before I pulled the switch upwards again.
"Now we all know what happens when a golf ball is hit on earth and in zero gravity. But what about on something that has gravity, but less?" There was a ding, turning the switch off and pressing the button to open to-
"Are we on the moon?!" Dinky voiced what the whole class was thinking.
"Indeed we are." Taking one of the balls off the floor, I told them: "And since we're on the moon, a place where although there is gravity, there's a little less of it." I put the ball on the ground and ready myself. "Now who can tell me what will happen when I hit this on the moon?"
All at once, as if being asked who wants the best chocolate cheesecake ever made, every single one of them raised their hooves high like some idiot who set all the fireworks go off at once on the fourth of July.
"Um... How about you?" I pointed towards the appropriately named Silver Spoon.
"Would the ball jus' land but very, very far away?"
"No, it wouldn't!" Rumble interjected. "It'll fly into space."
"If he hits it hard enough." Sweetie Belle pointed out.
"Ahem!" the class turned to me, taking a swing at the ball, we all watched it fly into space.
"See!" Rumble said.
I took a look at the clock on the wall. "Next lesson!" I announced. Pressing a button to close the doors and windows, switching downwards while the Four Seasons plays speedily backward. There was a "Thump!" and a "Ding." I opened the doors and windows to where we started.
"Now then, everyone opens up your history books to page four-hundred-and sixteen." |
Mr. Disc | 9: A Historical Interview | Let me be brutally honest here, I absolutely loathe the subject of history. I hated it in Elementary school, I hated it in both junior and high school, and I certainly hated it in college. I know history is supposed to be the story of all of us, but in the classes I took, I viewed them as badly written stories. Once you look past the bore of reading and looking at maps, all I found was that the places may be pretty to look at, but just plain boring when it goes into every single microscopic detail. The people they present are boring, pure evil or have no interest whatsoever. And the events are mostly a list upon never-ending lists of dates and places.
"Star Swirled the Bearded, born in 39 B.B.N.M. Disappeared in 21 A.B.N.M." Sweetie Belle read aloud in the usual monotone that is always present in any history class. "He was a unicorn who had invented over 200 spells in his lifetime. He was supposed to be an early mentor to both Princesses Celestia and Luna around the year 18 B.B.N.M. Star Swirl-"
"This is not going to work out," I spoke aloud.
She and the others looked up from their books, "Mr. Disc?"
"Class, I'm not gonna lie, out of all the lessons I was told to teach you, this is the one I wasn't looking forward to. I have always hated history with a passion. And you know," I put my copy of the same book down. "There has got to be a way to make this a wee bit interesting than this. Something that would answer the questions at the end of the chapter without reading it, something that..." I trailed off. All of a sudden, inspiration harpooned me in the head.
"Could I do that?" I asked myself. Snails raised his hoof, "Do what Mr. D?"
I took the piece of chalk from the board. "Give me a moment; I want to try something here."
With the piece of chalk, I drew an outline that bordered around the edges of the board. I confess, even with all the powers of random at my disposal, even I'm not too certain if this'll work.
But might as well give it a try and see what happens though.
I knock a few times on the board, and then, the green chalkboard fell away from me like a sideways door. And from the other side of that said door, was what looked like a room, stacked high with books, charts and who-knows-what-else. There was a stone fireplace, and besides that, was a pony. From the looks of it, he was male, gray with white hair and a tail, has a pointed horn on its head holding a cup.
When the door banged open, the guy jumped a good ten feet before asking. "Who are you?!"
"Who are you?" I asked.
"Star Swirl. And what are you doing in my tower?"
I turned back around to see every one of them has their eyes as well as their mouths wide open. "Please do close your mouths; it's a little rude you know," I told them, turning back to the gray fellow. "Sorry for the intrusion, I'm teaching a class here and we have some questions for you."
"I find that very odd." He said, approaching the open doorway, "A classroom that just appeared from a wall where there's nothing on the other side, with a... whatever you are teaching a classroom full of children at two o'clock in the morning wanting to ask some questions from me."
I turned back at the children; Applebloom was looking back and forth from the book to the guy behind the chalkboard. "You look nothing like the picture. You don't even have a beard."
Swirly raised an eyebrow, "Why should I? I'm only twenty-two after all." He stuck his head out from the open chalkboard. "Is it me or is it daytime in here?"
"Don't try thinking too much," I advised him. "It usually gives one a headache."
"Although I would like to know how this is done, I like to add this to my book."
"Eh, good luck on that part, I just kinda made it up."
Starry looked towards the teacher's desk at the open book. His horn glowed and the book was covered in blue light. It floated over to him, I guess to look at a future portrait of him.
"I look ridiculous. I mean the beard's one thing but that hat? What am I? A court jester? Who made this...? Wait-a-minute! That engraving... CLOVER!!!" He shouted.
"So aren't we gonna ask questions from him or what?" Diamond asked.
"Look, how about I make you a deal here?" I asked, getting his attention. "I'm sure that you have a lot of questions as much as us, so how about that every time you ask a question, we ask you a question as well. Agree?"
He sighed, "Alright, let me get my tea first."
For the next ten minutes, the students got answers to their questions in the book, and the Merlin wannabe got his questions answered. Or at least, as best as we could answer them.
"So you're saying that the classroom that all of you are in is the future?" he asked. "Now this is fascinating! Perhaps I should work on a spell that has to do with time. Oh! That would be quite amusing to do."
"Yeah, you work on that," I said reaching to close the chalkboard back up. "And by-the-way, you should probably try growing a beard. It'll make you look important." And with that, the chalkboard was whole once again.
Looking at the clock, we were still on time for the next subject.
"Alright kids, Ms. Cherliee said that your presentations are due today. So get out your essays and let's see how you do."
As the class went to get out Cherliee's homework, I rest back in the chair, I admit I was looking forward to telling the pony Ms. Cherliee a report of today's class. And besides, this morning is looking up as it is. |
Mr. Disc | 10: Diamond | I can get used to doing this every day. No matter the age group, this is the kind of teaching I would kill for back at home.
Munching on an apple, laid back, hoof and lizard leg on the desk, I let my mind wander about what to do for the next few subjects. I already took a sneak peek for what we're reading; it's a short story about a pianist and the sea. The writing was kinda dry if you asked me, but perhaps I can make this interesting. Math is having them practice multiplication, I wonder if I should multiply the students to help them out? And with art-
"Y'ALL TAKE THAT BACK!"
I think I hit my head on the ceiling when I heard the yelling. Wait, no, I impaled it with these horns. Now since I'm trying to get unstuck, I couldn't help but listen to what's going on.
"Why should I? It's true isn't it?" Hmm... Whose voice is that again?
"Scoot's doesn't need ta fly ya know!"
"Then what's the point of her being a pegasus when she could barely get off the ground?"
"She can't help it! She was born like that!"
"Hmm, you seemed to be very protective of her, as usual."
"And what does that suppose ta mean Diamond?"
Oh, Diamond Tiara. And judging from that accent, I'm guessing it might be that Applebloom. Or at least, this place's version of her.
"I think you know perfectly well what I mean."
"But she's ma friend. So why wouldn't Ah?"
At this point, I was able to pull away from the ceiling and back into the chair below.
"Oh really? So I guess it might not even matter then."
"What are ya talkin' about?"
"Oh nothing, I guess it may not make any difference to tell Scootaloo that you're a filly-fooler then, wouldn't it?"
Filly-fooler? What in the name of Salvador Dali's drug-induced nightmares is a filly-fooler? I looked at a nearby bookshelf and spotted a dictionary. I gestured it to come to me and the thing walked over. Opening the book up, I noticed that the conversation went quiet for a long time. But by the time I reached under "F", I heard Applebloom ask: "W-What?"
"You heard me, oh, I see, you mean you haven't told either of them?"
"A-Ah don't know what yer talkin' about."
"Liar."
Fe... Fi...Fic...
"I know all about it. Especially how you described Scootaloo in your diary."
"YOU READ MA DIARY!!"
Fif... Fil...
"You bet, and it's quite a read."
Then I found it. When I read the definition, I think my eyes busted into flames.
It read:
Filly-Fooler: (Fill-E-Fou-ler) (Noun) A "Filly-Fooler" is often used as a derogative or slur word to describe one who is attracted to a member of the same gender, in this case, a female attracted to a female.
I sat up, facing the window; Diamond had a smug look on her face while Applebloom's was filled with horror.
Little missy, you just picked the wrong day and teacher to mess with.
"DIAMOND TIARA!!!" I roared. "PLEASE COME IN HERE, NOW!!!"
After the echoes faded, I slumped in my chair and counted the seconds for that brat to show up.
The door opened, I saw her and Applebloom behind her. I got up from where I was sitting and went up to the door. Ms. Tiara went in but I turned my attention to Applebloom, "You wait here, I want to talk to you afterward."
Closing the door, I marched over to my chair.
"Mr. Dis-"
"Sit," I commanded her, conjuring up a chair in front of the desk.
She did so. Sitting down in my chair, I snapped my lion's paw for all the windows to slam shut. I don't want anyone to listen to this.
For a moment, I didn't say anything, I just stared at her. Of course, she was nervous about what is about to happen.
"Where, just where do I even begin? Hum?"
"Mr. Disc I-"
"Don't talk yet... Allow me to make this perfectly clear here. With the exception of Discord, your students can say whatever you like about me. You can say that I'm a bad teacher. Or that I'm crazy. Or that I'm a little too weird, but! But when it comes to my students bullying another student, for whatever reason, that, Ms. Tiara is something I will not tolerate."
I got up from my seat. "In fact, after spending some time in an asylum, I think I have a pretty good idea what this is really about."
"H-Huh?"
"Tell me something, what did that Applebloom does to you that was so bad, that you had to call her Filly-Fooler?"
She fidgeted. "Well...Y-You see... She... They..."
"I guess you don't have an answer then?"
She said nothing.
"I think I know what this really is," I told her. "I think what this is really about is just so that you can have someone, heck, anyone at all to have a crappier day and a crappier life, then you. And why?" I looked at her right in the eye.
"You had a bad day once, didn't you?"
"What?"
"No, I know I'm right, that's the real reason why you're bothering Applebloom and her friends no doubt. You had a bad day. Let me tell ya something, while I was put into an asylum for over a thousand days, I learned something from the patients around me. Do you know how all of them ended up being there?"
She shook her head.
"All it took to drive them as mad as I was just one really bad day. That's all. For even Luna told me herself that all it took to drive the sanest person alive to lunacy is just one bad day. So tell me, what made you what you are? Daddy wasn't around very much; a friend of yours snubbed you up on a playdate? Something like that I bet."
"Well... What happened to you then?" She asked.
I paused. "I... I'm not exactly sure, to be honest. I don't exactly remember how it happened. Sometimes I remember it this way, sometimes another. But hey, If I'm gonna have a past, might as well be multiple choice!" I chuckled at that little joke.
"The point here," I told her. "Is I went crazy, and when I saw how big of a joke of all existence was, I went as mad as a hatter. What I'm trying to say here is that it doesn't take much to drive anybody to go cuckoo. In fact, that's exactly what you're doing with Applebloom. You're giving her a bad day so that you can convince yourself that she has it worse than you." I shook my head.
"So what?" She asked. "What are you trying to prove? That I'm just as crazy as you are or something?"
"If that's one way of putting it then no. Unlike you, at least I do something creative to cope while you go out of your way to make someone's life miserable. Now, what do you have to say for yourself?" I changed into a judge's black robe and a powder white wig for the fun of it.
"Um..." She shifted in her seat, eyes looking everywhere except for me. "I'm sorry?"
"Diamond Tiara, after from what I've seen, I hereby sentence you twice the homework you usually get, and," I snap my fingers. "For the next twenty-four hours, you will have no façade to hide behind. So that the real you is out in the open for everyone to see." I took out a hammer from under the desk. "You're dismissed." I banged the cheap gavel on the desk.
Diamond showed herself out the door, where Applebloom was waiting. Getting out of the judge's outfit, I called out, "Applebloom, come in, we need to talk." |
Mr. Disc | (The Talk: According to Applebloom) | Ah stepped into the classroom where Discor- Mr. Disc singled me over to the chair in front of Ms. Cherliee's desk. Don't know where the chair came from come ta think of it, maybe he made it appear or somethin'.
"Before you say anything," he said. "The answer is 'no', you're not in trouble in the slightest. I just want to talk."
Ah hopped right onto the chair askin', "Um, about what?"
"Tell me something, is this the first time Diamond has ever called you that?"
Oh no, please don't tell me he heard it.
"Y-You mean ya heard all of that?"
"Not all, but just enough. So is this the first time she'd ever picked on you or... (what were those names?) Uh, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo right?"
"Well... not exactly. Her and Silver Spoon as well. She'd been pickin' on us for a good long while now. Mostly over because the three of us don't have our cutie marks yet."
"A what?"
Ah admit Ah was a little taken aback at first, but then Ah had ta remind myself that this isn't exactly the Discord we knew. "Well, a cutie mark tells ya what your special talent is, and what makes you stand out from everypony else. It always appears on our flanks when we'd get them."
He tilted his head to the side. Ah sighed, "On our rumps." Ah clarified.
"So why there?" he asked. "I don't really get it. Why there? Why not on your chest or on your sides or something but I should probably stop now I'm getting sidetracked aren't I?"
Ah nodded.
"So this is indeed the very first time that Diamond has ever called you... Filly-Fooler, right?"
Oh, sweet tap-dancin'-Luna-givin'-a-show-and-dinner-and-kissing-me-good-night, he heard!
Ah, think he saw that Ah was beginin' to sweat or somethin', because he said: "Applebloom, calm down, if you want, I'll make sure that this will stay only between us. I won't tell if you don't want me to."
Ah looked at him in the eye and asked, "Really?"
He nodded. "If you're anything like the Applebloom that I know, you would know that I won't ever betray your trust, or either of your friends for that matter."
"The Applebloom that you know?"
He sighed, "Yes. Where I'm from, there is another Applebloom, another Sweetie Belle and yes, another Scootaloo. With the exception of Fluttershy, I owe you, girls, a huge debt for what you've done for me."
Ah blinked, "Pardon?"
"Yeah. Fluttershy may have helped me get my job back as a teacher. But it was you three, or should I say, a version of you three, gave me a reason to continue my job."
"And why's that Mr. Disc?"
"When I first met you three, you were so eager to listen to me when the three of you were trying to figure out what you're good at. I remember that you three came to me because I can think up random ideas that none of you had ever tired. Even when some of them were questionably dangerous you took them nonetheless."
This does sound familiar.
"Although I do admit, it was pretty stressful trying to find something that you were all good at. From golf car racing to private detectives and everything in-between."
"Y'all know, this sounds just like what our Discord did for us. Ah remember that he tried helpin' us gettin' our cutie marks one time. He'd seemed to be gettin' upset each time we failed at somethin'. But in the end, we told him that we really do appreciate that he's workin' hard to help us. That havin' no cutie marks makes us feel like we're not like anyone else. Like-"
"Like no one can really understand us?" Ah looked up, I saw Mr. D had tears in his eyes.
"You alright?"
He nodded, whippin' away those tears from his eyes. "Yes. It's just that... On that day, for the first time since who-knows-when, I truly felt accepted somewhere. That you three looked at me beyond seeing me like a madman and saw that I just wanted to broaden your minds to ideas that have never been thought up before. You and your friends were willing to try new things, to discover new ideas that hardly anyone was interested in. Even when those ideas were coming from a weird little man like me."
Ah blinked, "Wow, never saw it like that befor'."
"The point here I'm trying to make here Applebloom is that I stood up for you because I know exactly what it's like being different from most, especially getting picked on because of that."
Ah smiled, "Thanks Mr. D, you really are a good friend."
We stood there in silence for a moment when a question popped in mah head. "Say, mind if I ask ya somethin'?"
"Go ahead."
"You said that you prefer to call yourself Mr. Disc right? Usually, that would mean that usin' mister would mean sayin' your last name right?" He nodded, "So what's your first name?"
"Oh..." He paused for a moment. Lookin' away, he added: "I don't know if I should say. I don't really go by my first name, to be honest. It doesn't really fit me very well."
"But doesn't that get confusin' sometimes? Especially when it comes to family-"
"What family?" Disc snapped back to me, "I'm... I'm so sorry about that."
"No. You don't have ta say you're sorry ta me. Truth be told, I lost some of mah family as well."
"Oh Applebloom, forgive me, I didn't mean-"
"Nah, your all fine. Ah was only a baby when mine Ma and Pa passed away. But Ah guess it's okay though, Ah still got ma Granny. As well as ma big brother and sister too... Mr. D, do you remember your family?"
Mr. Disc was awfully quiet for a good long while. But he'd responded eventually. "Just my mother Applebloom. To be honest, remembering her is like putting a jigsaw puzzle together when the pieces are missing. And the sad thing is, I don't know what happened to her. I don't even know where she is."
Ouch. Y'all know, in ma whole life, Ah was always taught that family was everythin'. Ah couldn't imagine life without Granny Smith, or Big Mac and even ma sister even. But not havin' a family at all... Ah wouldn't even wish that on anypony, even if it's Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. Ah got up from the chair and hopped on the desk so Ah could hug him. He'd seemed to be almost shocked by it, but he'd welcomed it. Ah know that because he'd hugged me back.
As Ah was steppin' out the door, plainin' to spend the rest of rescues with ma friends when Mr. Disc said, "Julius."
Ah turned around, "Wha?"
"You asked me what my first name was. Well, my official name is Julius Disc. Just so you know. And Applebloom, thanks for talking with me."
"No problem Mr. D." And with that, Ah stepped out of the door. |
Mr. Disc | 11: Asleep in Class | Why am I sleepy? I shouldn't be feeling this sleepy. I had a good night's rest, had a good breakfast from whatever's edible I could find. I got the class into space and talked to a historical figure, punished a brat, reinsured a friend, so why am I sleepy? Especially when the class is reading a story here?
No, stay awake, everyone knows it's not good for the teacher in another universe to fall asleep in front of his class.
Don't you dare close your eyes.
Don't you-
SLAM!
I jolted upright.
"Tisk tisk. Falling asleep during class, how rude." It was him. It was the other me. He was in a black graduate's gown complete with the hat. In his hands was a ruler and behind him was a chalkboard. I looked around me, I was no longer in the schoolhouse but I was confined to a tiny desk in the middle of Nowhere and Lostville.
"Where am I?" I asked.
"Weren't you paying attention? You are in Chaos 101. And we're learning the difference between sanity and the freedom of creativity."
Oh great, just what I need, a hallucination during class.
I need to get my pills.
The other me turned his back to face the chalkboard. "So," he said. "We've covered that the key to great creativity is a good dose of insanity." I tried wiggling out of the desk to get ahold of my meds with no luck.
"What do you want?"
"Please raise your hand when giving a question or a comment please." He said, of course, both of my wrists are caught in this tiny desk.
"You know I can't do that!" I protested. He turned around with a cross look on my face.
"Are you going to let me teach you or are do you want me to give you detention?"
"I'm Fifty-six!"
"And your point being?"
I took a deep breath, "Look, why am I here really?"
"Ah good," the other me said with a wicked grin. "You're finally asking the right questions. You see, dear other me from a magicless universe, I'm actually worried about you."
"Define 'worried'."
"Alright, it's all about those sanity pills your taking that's gotten me concerned about you."
"Why would you be concerned about me?"
"Even in a different universe, you sir, are still me." He snapped his claw hand and now we're reenacting the mad tea party scene from "Alice in Wonderland".
"Judging from yesterday," he said picking up a cup of tea. "There is a difference between us, I have given into the madness a very long time ago, but you, on the other hand, are still fighting it."
"And I have a good reason. Madness was the very thing that had gotten me into deep trouble the last time."
"Same with me, but you don't see me taking any of those pills. Besides, do you really take all those pills in a single day?"
"Well... no."
"Ah! Why?"
I reached into my pocket to grab out the bottle. "While it does help, if I take all of them, I'm not exactly me."
"And that's why I'm going to help you with that." He grinned, the other me snapped his lion's paw, but nothing seemed to happen.
"What did you do?"
"Look down."
I looked, but to my horror, all the pills in the bottle are gone!
"What did you do?!" I demanded.
"Don't go tying your tail into a square knot. Your pills are perfectly safe. But I want to talk to you about something."
"I need those pills!"
"Listen first, I have been keeping an eye on your teaching skills and I must say I'm quite impressed. But I think that without taking another of those pills, you could do so much better."
"What are ya talking about?"
"Think about it, that zero gravity thing and talking to old crusty was good, but imagine what ideas you'll be able to come up with if you withhold another few hours from sanity."
"But can I have them back?"
"How about I make a deal with you?" He put down his cup, "If you can go on for, say, twelve hours just fine, I'll give the pills back to you."
"Do I have any choice in the matter?"
"Of course not."
I sighed in defeat.
"Fine."
"Excellent! Now then, I believe you need to get back to class."
And just like that, I woke up.
"Huh?"
"Mr. D." I found that the voice was coming from Rumble. "You just fell asleep on us."
"Oh, sorry about that, didn't know what come over me." Even in my daze, I reached down in my pocket to grab the bottle. "Everything's fine, really." I took it out and give it a shake.
There was no sound.
"Just... fine." |
Mr. Disc | 12: The Hospital | Okay, just keep calm. Nothing bad has happened so far.
"So Twist, six times two."
"Twelve."
I came up with a fun little game with my students. I first asked each and every one of them what their favorite candy was, and since we're reviewing multiplication, I thought it would be fun for them that I made a game out of it.
The rules were simple. Everyone starts out with a single piece of candy. I would go around asking them a multiplication question using the amount of candy they have. If I asked them what eight times five was that if guessed right, they get that amount of candy, if wrong, I don't give them any.
With a snap of my figures, twelve pieces of spearmint truffles drop onto Twit's desk.
"Thanks, Mr. D."
By now, math was almost over, just another five minutes. Looking around, these kids are now more spoiled on candy then they might have had on Halloween. In a way, it makes me kinda jealous.
"Snails, four times si-"
"Julius."
I turned around to the voice in alarm. Huh, funny, for a moment there, I thought-
"Mr. Disc?" I turned back to Snails. "What was the question?"
"Four times six, what is it?"
"Uh... Is it twenty-"
"Julius Disc." The voice was a little louder this time. I quickly turned, once again, seeing nobody except the students.
"Mr. Disc, are you okay?"
I turned back, "What?"
"Are you okay Mr. Disc, I said the answer is twenty-three."
"No, it's twenty-four. But that was a close guess."
I moved onto the next student. Just be calm Disc. You're not really hearing anything, especially his voice. He's not here. It's not real. Just continue with the game.
"So Scootaloo, what's three-"
"Julius, who are you talking to?"
I looked up and gasped in shock. "D-Doctor Mindweave!"
"Yes Julius, it's me." No, that white-coated white witch-doctor can't be here! He's not even a pony like everyone else here! He's just like how I remembered.
"No. No, no no you're not here."
"Who's Doctor Mindweave?" Scootaloo asked.
"Mr. D? You alright?" Rumble chimed in.
Mindweave walked right through Scootaloo's desk. And none of them seemed to notice.
No, there's no way he's here.
"Mr. Disc," he said stepping forward towards me. "I believe you're having a delusion right now. You're still in the hospital. You've been here this whole time."
"No. Celestia got me out. I saw her sign the papers and everything, she already let me go."
"Disc, there's nopony there," Applebloom said.
"Please stay calm," Dr. Mindweave took another step forward. "I can assure that there is no place as Equestria. There are no talking ponies. And I can assure you that you're still in the hospital. Now please calm yourself."
"No, you're not real. I'm having a hallucination alright, and you are the one who isn't real here."
"Now Mr. Disc, how about we escort you to get your treatment?"
I felt my arms getting pulled around me, I looked down.
"No! No! No! NO!" The straightjacket! How did it get there?
"Mr. Disc, what's going on?" Dinky asked in fear. "And why are you wearing a straightjacket?"
"Mr. D, you're starting to scare us." Sweetie Belle squeaked.
No, this can't be happening! I can't be back at the hospital!
Wait. I'm in a world where I have superpowers. I can get out of this. I try focusing on that the straightjacket is made out of taffy and pulled it apart.
"Julius, I don't want to do this, but if you keep doing this, I will have to call security." The white witch-doctor warned. I heard banging coming from behind, I turned to find the back wall of the schoolhouse was gone, and there was the green recreation room with barred windows and wandering patients. The banging was coming from the other side of the room where a few of those security guys in white were charging in.
"NO!" I screamed. I charged for the door to get out of the classroom. I think I might have broken it, but I'm not sure. On the other side of the busted door, I saw that sickly green hallway of the hospital. I'm not supposed to be here! I need to get out! The first thing I did was run. I ran past the nurses and ran from the increased security following behind me.
But even in my fear, I did not forget that I can make things happen. Along the way, I turned the floor into soap. Create a barricade with all the spare wheelchairs. And even made a brick wall appear. But it seemed nothing I did could make them slow down! They just either didn't notice the things I set up or went right through them!
Then the hallways became more maze-like with all the rooms that I keep running into. To make things even more confusing, some of the rooms had those ponies in there. Each one I ran into seemed not to notice all the horrors that were being done to them. I saw two ponies were cutting open another pony from her back while the pony getting cut had nothing but bliss on her face. As if she was getting a massage or something. Without thinking, I spotted some potted plants and had them grow tentacles to grab them so that they would hurt the pony any further.
In another room, I saw a nurse with dark blue and pink hair force feeding one of those ponies into eating several pills at a time so I made a concrete wall appear between the two of them.
And in one room, I saw a pony that has cross eyes being blissfully unaware that she was being given by a doctor a muffin with nails in them, so I had that muffin fly into the doctor's face.
While being chased, these rooms got worse and worse and worse. I tried in my path to help them from any further pain I would like gluing a doctor's hands together or trapping a group of nurses behind bars of peppermint or saving a patient by turning them into a living diamond.
But at the end of the hospital, I ran into the last person I thought I would see.
Principal Celestia. "Julius! Stop!" She yelled.
At this point, I didn't care if this was a hallucination or not. I just wanted this nightmare to stop.
"Celestia? Celestia, is that you?" I went over to her. She seemed to be confused for some reason.
"Julius, stop right there!" Dr. Mindweave came running up to us.
"Celestia, please, take me away from here." I pleaded to here. "Please, I'll take my pills just please get me out of this nightmare."
"Disc, everything is gonna be alright." She says.
"Cel, I don't belong here. Please just take me away." By now, I had tears in my eyes. "Every day in this hospital has been a nightmare I can't wake up from. I don't wanna be here anymore! Please take me home, I didn't mean for things to get out of hand." By now, I was crying. "I just ran out of my meds that day. I thought you threaten me that if I and my students didn't paint the whole school, I would get fired. Please, Celestia. I'm sorry. I just can't control my hallucinations. I tried, really I did, but I can't. I just can't. Please take me away from here."
Celestia hugged me. "There there, everythin' will be fine. Ah promise. Ah ain't mad at ya. Just please, calm down Disc. Calm down."
I knelt to the ground and wept. |
Mr. Disc | (Overseeing the Damage: According to Princess Celestia) | I was flying into Ponyville with my Pegasi guards to give this other Discord the good news. That Twilight has indeed fixed the mirror, so he can now be able to go back home. But as we flew in, I couldn't help but notice a line of destruction that starts from the schoolhouse leading into town. There were roads of soap, boulders that blocked the road and even sharpen candy canes that lay in their way. We all suspected the worst.
As it turns out, the local spa was nearly overgrown with plant-like tentacles, a sweet shop that belongs to Bon-Bon had a solid gray wall that had trapped the owner of that said shop. All along the trail of mischief, I found that a pony's forehooves were glued together, a group of mares was trapped in a cage entirely made out of peppermint sticks, and I've run into a pony who seemed to be made out of diamond but thankfully was alive.
My guards and I followed the trail of chaos until we found who is at the end of the trail. It was Mr. Disc alright with the golden band still attached to his tail. But what none of us had expected was that he was crying his eyes out, and Applejack's little sister, Applebloom was there trying to comfort him.
I approached them, "Mr. Disc, are you quite alright?" I asked. He turned to me in surprise.
"Both of you are here!" he said in total surprise.
"Disc, what happened here? Why are you crying?"
"I think he's been seein' things that aren't there." Applebloom said, "He was just fine when he was teachin' us, and then suddenly this happened." She waves her hoof over towards the line of destruction. And wait, what did she mean by "teaching"?
"He took them," Disc whispered.
"Come again?" Applebloom asked.
"The other me, he thought that I would do better without my pills. He thought I would be able to control the delusions."
Discord, there was no question about it. (Oh how could you?) I lit up my horn to summon him here. And sure enough, he did.
"So, Princess, what will it-"
"How could you be so cruel?"
He blinked, "Come again?"
"I hope you had a good reason in taking your counterpart's medicine away."
"Oh that. You see I... What happened here?" He pointed to the destruction.
"This is what happened when you took his medicine away. He had a hallucination that he couldn't control, so this happened."
"But... I thought he would be able to..."
"Discord, did you even so much as given a second thought as to what might happen? Did you so much as planned it out?"
"Plan? Celestia, you know me, I don't really plan things, I just do 'em."
I think one of my eyes twitched. "Discord, that is probably one of the most foolish things that I've ever heard coming from you. Now would you please give your counterpart his medicine this instant?"
"Do I have to?"
"Discord, enough is enough, look at him."
He did, and Applebloom as well.
"Discord, please," she pleaded.
After a moment, he gave a defeated sigh, "Oh, alright." He snapped his figures, in which a small silk bag appeared.
After Disc had taken a few of those pills greedily, I turned back to Discord saying, "You do know that I need to give you a punishment?"
"What?! Why?! I gave him his medicine back didn't I?"
"Discord, your action was cruel, thoughtless and reeks of stupidity. You have broken your second self both psychology and emotionally. You have caused him to put himself and Ponyville in danger. Which is why that-"
"I forgive you," I was interrupted by Discord's counterpart. Discord, Applebloom and I turned to him in total surprise.
"I beg your pardon?" I asked.
"I said," he sat up, looking at Discord in the eye. "I forgive you. While I am mad at you, no, furious at you for doing this to me. Look, maybe between the two of us that I'm the one who's completely lost his head but, I still forgive you. Even though it may take me a while to accept this."
I took a deep breath, "As noble as that may be, you Discord still have to be punished for your stupidity. So, as a start," I pointed towards the trail of destruction. "You can clean up everything that your counterpart has left behind." He was about to snap his claw when I added: "Without using any magic."
"What?! Come on! That will take forever!" He whined.
"You're immortal, you always got time. I'll have you placed under guards' supervision. So if you so much as conjure up some for your convenience, I will be notified."
He grunted but started to make his way towards his work. I turned back to the other Discord. "I have come here to bring you some very good news."
"And what's that?"
"Twilight has fixed the mirror earlier than expected, which means, you can go back to your own world."
"So, he's gonna go back now?" Applebloom seemed deviated when she asked that.
"What is wrong, my little pony?"
"Well, since school still ain't out yet, can he still stay ta finish it?"
"School?"
"I'm substituting for Ms. Cherliee mam." Mr. Disc said, "I volunteered because it gave me something to do while Twilight was away."
I raised an eyebrow. "I don't know-"
"Please?" Applebloom asked, giving me her best puppy eyes that would give even the most stern of my personal bodyguards a heart attack.
"Fine, on the condition that I have a guard supervise to look over."
Applebloom leaped for joy. "Thank ya, your highness."
I smiled. "But after school, it's back to the Empire with him." |
Mr. Disc | 13: Back Through the Looking Glass | "Oh, and for art, I thought it would be nice if the students could interact with their drawings, at least, temporarily of course," I told the dumbstruck Cherliee about my report on today's class. I told the guard that before I go, I should go to her to fill her in on what has happened today in her schoolhouse; and the fact that I'll have to take my leave since I'll be going home.
"That's... that's quite a days' work right there." She said before she sniffed. "So how were the students?"
"Well, they were uncertain at first, but after they got to know me they were quite good to work with. They were interested in what I had to say, and these superpowers made learning quite entertaining to them."
"So did," she sniffed for a moment, "did you run into any trouble with my students? Other than you're um, (sniff) breakdown?"
"I have. I had to discipline Diamond after I caught her bullying Applebloom. Applebloom is alright now, but for Diamond, however, I gave her extra homework and a... let's say, a little spell on her so to make things fair."
"A spell? Is it serious?"
"No, it will wear off until tomorrow, as long as she doesn't speak to anyone during that time, she ought to be fine."
Even with a suspicious look and a sniff, she replied. "I'll just take your word for it for now. So you're really leaving?"
I nodded, "I am. And I'm sorry I have to leave on such short notice."
"No," she sniffed once more. "It's understandable. You are going home after all. And don't worry about me; I can still look for another substitute." She blew her nose in a wad of tissues. "But I do appreciate for taking your time in teaching my foals for the day."
"You're quite welcome, Ms. Cherliee." _*_
A few hours later with the sun beginning to set, I was back in the Crystal Palace with Celestia, Cadence, and Twilight. Back in the room where all of this had begun.
"Once again, I'm terribly sorry about what our Discord has done," Celestia said for the four-hundredth time. I know that's she's sorry for letting things getting completely out of hand, but I told her for the four-hundredth time that it's not her fault.
"Just out of curiosity," Cadence said getting my attention. "When you first came here, you said that I'm a 'Principle' in your world. May I ask a principle of what exactly?"
"Oh, with the Cadence I know, she's the principle of a new elementary school that's just reopened up. Uh, Crystal Elementary was it? Something like that. Anyway, I'm not exactly sure how good your other you is since I just try to pay attention to my job."
She nodded. Twilight motioned her head towards the mirror. "I've got the portal open again so you should pass through with no problem." I looked at the mirror, I didn't see anything different about it, to me, and it still looked like a mirror. That was until I put my lion's paw to the glass, and it looked like it just slipped right though!
"What the..." I craned my neck to the other side of the mirror, I put the claw through it but I didn't see it come out from the other side.
"Okay, I have to admit," I said, taking my bird claw out. "That is actually kinda cool." Lewis Carroll, maybe you were onto something after all!
"So," my royal boss said. "I believe this is goodbye on our part."
"Eh, I suppose so. Before I go, I want to say two- no, three things here. First, is the other me gonna follow me home?"
"I already made precautions to make sure that doesn't ever happen," Twilight said with a smug grin.
"Second, I want to thank you for taking care of me while I was in a place I wasn't quite familiar with. And three," I pointed to Twilight. "You know Applebloom's sister, do you? Apple..."
"Jack."
"Thank you. Can you do me a favor? Keep an eye on Applebloom, just check if she's okay now and then? Alright?"
Twilight nodded.
"Well, once again, thank you all." And before I stepped through the looking glass, I gave a chuckle before saying: "And, in case you don't see me again, good afternoon, good evening and goodnight."
And with that, I stepped through the mirror and fell back into the kaleidoscope. _*_
I came tumbling out of there like a bowling ball that missed all the pins. Once again, there was the dizziness that spins everything like I just got off a mad merry-go-round. But once things got into focus, I saw that I was back at the school. I looked down, "Hello, normal hands. Hello, normal legs. Hello, clothes..." I felt the rest of my head, "And hello, normal face."
Standing up, I took noticed what time it was, the sun was beginning to set and there are still a few cars around, my boss's car and a police call being among them.
I had a good idea where my boss might be, so I went up to her office, knocked and opened the door singing: "Celie, I'm home!"
There leaning against her desk with an officer nearby was Celestia, my human, boring haired boss. And the very first thing she did was to give me a good smack in the face.
"Ow."
"Julius Author Disc, where on this planet have you been?!"
"Ouch."
"You've been gone for days and there's a student in the Police Station, so where have you been this whole time?"
Let's see... One of my students had pushed me into a portal into an alternative universe where you are a horse with a horn and wings that you are the ruler over a kingdom of ponies, ran into myself, and had superpowers that turn all reality upside down.
"I had one of my episodes and I ended up in the countryside. Hitchhiked the way back and now I'm here."
Sure it was a lie but at least it was believable. My boss facepalmed, "Disc, did you take your medicine then?"
"I thought I had..."
"Just... You know what, never mind, just make sure you come back to work tomorrow."
"Yes, Ms. Boss." I saluted the officer, "Sorry about the search party."
"At least you're here, now we can call it off."
"Have a good evening." And with that, I made my way out of the office.
As I strolled down the hallways, I couldn't help but reflect on the last few days. Sure, now I have more ideas for paintings to last me a good few months now. And that I've learned something from my other self, that being that I can be so dense at times.
I spotted the room number 113, my classroom, I took out the key out of my pocket to see what happened to it. I opened it up and the room is disappointingly clean. Not another drop of paint on the floor since I've left.
As I sat down in my chair at my desk, my thoughts started to wonder, should I tell my students about my "hallucination" about being in a world of colorful ponies? What do I do now knowing Applebloom's secret? And what do I do now that I don't...
I looked down at my right hand, ready to snap.
"What if..." I muttered aloud. I looked around to check to see that I was alone. Perhaps there's only one way to find out. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes and thought, 'Well, here goes... something.'
Snap. |
Mr. Disc | 14: After Class Small Talk (A Bonus Chapter) | ".... And then I got slapped by your principal for disappearing on short notice. Any questions?" I told my last class of the day. Like the others, they couldn't really believe what they were hearing from me. But since there was some free time near the end of each class because the assignments were so short, I decided to tell them where I "disappeared" to for the past several days.
The reactions varied from class to class. Some found my story entertaining while others weren't that surprised since they already know my reputation. Yet out of all the students, the one I paid close attention was Fluttershy. It wasn't that she was surprised or weirded out or even fascinated by my story; rather, she didn't make a reaction at all.
One of the students raised her hand, "So... Principal Celestia was a horse thing and the rest of us were ponies?"
"Yep."
"Does that happen very often?"
I shook my head, "No, that's actually the very first time that's ever happened to me."
"Are you going to draw it all out?" another student asked.
"After what I've just seen, it's a guarantee." Right then, the school bell rang for the end of school. "Have a good day and be sure to think about what your next upcoming project is going to be," I told them as they all packed up and at a group at a time left the classroom. All that is, except for Fluttershy.
"Ms. Shy? Is everything alright?" I asked her.
"Is... Is it really true?" This caught me off guard. "I-I mean, you being in Equestria and all that."
"My dear, it was just a delusion."
"Um, not that I don't doubt your story, but this time... I think you just lied to me."
"Pardon? Ha, Fluttershy, it was just a-"
"No. No, it wasn't."
I think I blinked a few times. "I... What are you talking about? You can't say for a moment that you think that what just happened to me actually happened. Right?"
"Mr. Disc, it's okay, we both know it was real. Twilight told us."
"Come again?"
"Um... I-If you don't want to talk about it, I understand. Anyway, I'll see you next week Mr. Disc."
Stunned, I couldn't help but watch her take her bag and made her way out the door. She couldn't possibly have known, right?
A yip followed by a crash was heard coming from outside of my door. I turned to find that a couple of students have just tripped Fluttershy. "Opus, careful there, Klutzershy!" One of them said before walking away laughing.
I guess it was a flash of anger that made me snap my fingers. As soon as my right hand snapped, I heard those bullies yell and spontaneously fall over. I got up from my seat and leaned through the doorway, and sure enough, that part of the hallway's floor was covered in ice. Me and Shy watched them try to get up, slipping along the way.
Although I admit, I wish I could have played the blue Danube waltz as they fall repetitively on the floor. Fluttershy looked up in surprise; I smiled, putting a finger over my mouth.
"Just between us?" I asked.
"Um... Okay. Thank you."
"You're welcome, Fluttershy."
About a week later... |
Mr. Disc | (In case you haven't known about the other sequels...) | This is for those who aren't in the know:
This story has three other sequels that either you didn't know about or wonder if there were any more stories set in this universe.
This includes: The Curiosity of Mr. Disc; Interviewing Mr. Disc; and Dating Mr. Disc.
If you already have these in your libraries, then please ignore this, this is for the rest of us who aren't in the know. |
The Embassy | pre | IronBlade - Today at 10:27
I wasnt going 2 turn down MURICA
IronBlade - Today at 10:27
sides, i get a new rig out of it
Candy - Today at 10:29
Ur really doin this for a comp?
IronBlade - Today at 10:33
yeah
IronBlade - Today at 10:33
takin a hit to my man card for a rig
gonna be the best tho
Candy - Today at 10:36
Biggest??
IronBlade - Today at 10:37
u no it
Candy - Today at 10:38
Im comin over 2nite
gotta give my hero a farewell kiss
I knew what Candy meant by kiss. While I flicked between the tabs for the two graphics cards I was thinking about, I also thought about her.
IronBlade - Today at 10:42
can I kiss you back
Our relationship had only moved from lifelong-friends to horny-teen-friends-with-benifits two weeks ago--which was the afternoon when I'd found out I was going to my sister's dream. Two weeks it'd taken me to design my ultimate monster PC--two weeks riddled with times when Candy would "kiss" me. She'd never let me return the favor.
Candy - Today at 10:47
mmmm k
IronBlade - Today at 10:48
really?
Candy - Today at 10:48
long as u dont bite
and do wat i say
IronBlade - Today at 10:48
yes amma
*maam
Candy - Today at 10:49 ❤ ❤
IronBlade - Today at 10:50
c u then
Candy - Today at 10:51 xxx
I leaned back from the computer and thought about what Candy'd just said. Tonight was going to be fun, but first I had to make this choice. Finally, I just gave up and picked the more expensive option. Saving the parts list on the website, I made sure to include the extra bits to make my perfect rig--cables, ties, everything.
The final touch was easy enough. "Share with..." I typed in the email address Jeff had given me, and hit send. I had the afternoon ahead of me, and being a man in the prime of my life, I had just one option. My hand reached out to the box on the desk and grabbed a rubber from it.
Three knocks came on my door, which earned a quiet curse. "Fuck it, Dad." Lifting my voice, I tossed the condom back in the box and leaned back in my chair. "Come in, Dad!"
Gavin was always complaining about his parents. They didn't knock, they just walked in. When I'd told him how my dad and mom would knock and wait, he'd called me a lucky bitch. Yeah, right. Lucky. Right when I wanted to get off.
The door opened and my dad leaned in. "Saffron, we just got word that the,"--I could see Dad's face try to keep even--"magic portal transmogrifier is working. They are testing mice at the moment, but we are probably going to have to move within a week."
It was big news. This was the beginning of the end. Well, I wasn't going unless they got me my damn rig. I let out a sigh. "So that's it? If the mice don't explode, they send someone over. If the person doesn't explode, they send us?"
I noticed Dad's eyes flick to the screen where my chat was still up. A smile pulled at the corner of his mouth. "Yeah, Saf. We move when Mom says it's safe to." He nodded toward the screen. "Use a condom."
"I know, Dad," I said.
"Even just getting a blowjob."
"I know, Dad!"
"Do you want a dental dam?"
"I know, D--" I froze. "A what?" Too late I realized I'd asked for a birds-and-bees talk.
But Dad just smiled. All my life he'd been completely open about questions like this. It was fucking horrible! "Just a little rubber sheet to cover her while you go down. Keeps everything in your mouth from infecting her, and keeps everything in her--"
"I get it!" I said. I waited for him to leave or say something, but he just stood in the doorway with a raised eyebrow. "Alright! Get me a damn dam."
Dad left without another word.
I sat there on my chair and realized, not for the first time, that my dad was pretty cool about everything. At least I didn't need to worry about all that crap with stiff socks and stained sheets.
When he came back, Dad just tossed a pack that looked like big sheets of medical adhesive. "Just stretch it out over her, and do what you want. I'm sure she'll have tips."
I won't rise to it. I won't rise to it. I won't--
Dad pulled the door shut with no more comment.
"Now I'm not in the mood," I said, but my eyes drifted to the screen and the promise Candy'd made. "Well, maybe I am..."
Clair Ree
It had been a long day. Jeff's secretary had spent half the afternoon emailing me about how expensive Saffron's computer would be, then she'd nearly blown her top when Jeff'd told her we needed two of everything.
Add a press conference about the success of the spell (don't even go there, we already have enough letters piling up from religious groups either condemning or claiming responsibility for the ponies), then we had to organize the team of scientists who would be doing initial experiments with the--and I can't believe we let the press name it--transmogrifying portal.
Therefore, it was an utter relief to be home and sitting at the dinner table with a plastic plate and pizza.
"All the kitchen things got packed today," Philip said. "I'm sorry, Clair."
"It's all right, Philip. We knew this was coming, though it was a nice rut to be in." I picked up a slice of the pizza and nibbled at the end. At least it was a good pizza. "They're doing four rounds of mouse tests tomorrow. Twilight's people--ponies--are going to be charging the portal back up manually. Hopefully we get transmogrification and not discombobulation." Okay. I'll give whoever named those things credit, they were fun to say together like that.
Philip sat down beside me with his own slice of pizza. "And then?"
"Then we're sending a soldier. We only wanted volunteers, and we got a lot. Our advisers pointed us to one, he's--You're going to see all this on the news." I bit off a little more pizza, and we sat quietly for a few moments. "Jeff's approval is high enough after this that the next election is in the bag. Hardly a surprise."
"If it all goes according to plan? Your office said under a week."
"Six days at the most. They're going to recharge the portal for the first human test, but we need to wait the four days after that. Twilight doesn't want to risk a partial charge with so many of us on the platform." More pizza, more chewing. I was barely even tasting the food. "We raised our kids in this house."
Philip's strong arm was around me before my tears even had a chance to come. Everything had been planned. Even sale of the house was organized down to the letter. Despite all this expert choreography of events, I wasn't ready to leave.
I dropped my pizza and turned to Philip fully. His other arm pulled me closer and I hung onto him like a safety blanket. "The things I do for our country."
"You're not going to do it alone, Clair Ree. Never alone." Philip was a rock for me, but more, he was someone who'd matched his life to mine and always been there.
That was, of course, the best time for the front doorbell to ring. Despite my condition, I stood up to answer it.
Philip stood too. "I'll get it."
"No. If it's press I want the honor of telling them to,"--I quickly looked around for either of our children--"fuck off." I'd held off the waterworks, so my makeup wasn't smudged--or I would have had Philip answer the door regardless of who I got to tell to take a hike.
A quick look at the CCTV screen beside the door reassured me. "It's Candace!" I opened the door. "Hiya Candace. Come on in." Saffron's childhood friend was a regular--and had been more regular lately--of our house.
"Thanks Missus Ree. Saf's home?" It wasn't so much a question as a statement of intent.
I gestured to the kitchen table rather than the stairs. "Why don't we have a chat, Candace?" Turning my back meant I didn't get to see whatever expression hit Candace's face, but I heard her footsteps follow mine back into the dining room.
"S-Sure. Uh. What about?" Candace asked as she took a seat.
"You heard we're moving?" I asked and circled the table to sit beside Philip. "It's going to be for a while."
Candace looked like a field mouse staring at a pair of raptors. "Wait, we're not--"
"You aren't in a relationship?" Philip asked, following my lead.
When Candace shook her head, I breathed a sigh of relief. "Then go and have some fun. We just wanted to make sure this wouldn't lead to any heartbreak."
Blushing up a storm, Candace shook her head. "We're not--"
"Of course you're not," Philip said. "Go on up. Saffron's waiting."
If our Olympic team used this method for leaving the starting blocks, we'd win a lot more gold medals. As it was, Candace rushed for the stairs and was gone before either Philip or I could share a giggle. Though, we did--giggle that is. I plucked up my half-finished pizza slice and nibbled a bit more at it. "Oh to be that age again."
"No thanks. A little later than that, sure. We didn't meet until college, and I don't want to spend a moment without you," Philip said.
Philip's words earned him a cheese-and-tomato kiss on the cheek. "How's Riley doing?"
"With the news now out, she has been getting about ten texts an hour from different friends. She shot right to most-popular-girl-in-school and beyond. We'll need to get her settled in a new school quickly to adjust." Philip took his own bite of pizza and aimed a kiss at my cheek. When I turned my head quickly to take it on the lips he laughed into the touch. "Cheat."
"Diplomacy," I said. "The art of getting what you want." It was a misquote, but I didn't care.
We sat through the fourth round of footage. It was just like the previous three, but this time the cage was full of rats. The camera showed the whole test platform set on the teleport circle, then Princess Twilight's horn glowed in the background, and purple light filled the screen.
When the light faded, there were four rats still in the test cage, but now they looked--well--a little cartoony. Twilight herself had been easy to accept because there was just one of her, and after a day here she looked decidedly less cartoony than she had, but these rats were pristine, and when one crawled up to the camera-side of the cage, we got to see its fuzzy face and red eyes up close.
There was another flash of purple and the rats were just rats again. Then the video changed to the autopsy, and paused.
"As you can see, the test is a success," Princess Twilight Sparkle said. "We are ready to move on to the next test."
Everyone in the room--Twilight included--looked to Captain Frank Hollings. His rank had been reinstated for the duration of this mission, which meant he was in the uniform of a United States Navy officer.
Frank--he'd demanded I call him that the moment he'd found out I was the primary candidate for the role of Ambassador to Equestria--had a few years on me at 59, and was an ex-navy seal. To look at him, it was easy to tell he hadn't stopped his training when he retired. He was, without doubt, the best candidate we had for this.
"That's my cue, ma'am?" Frank asked.
Twilight nodded. "We're ready when you are. Your people have some equipment for you to take with you."
Frank didn't hold back his chuckle at the obvious understatement. "With respect, ma'am, I've seen what they want me to take. Estimated time until deployment?" As he asked, Frank's eyes twitched toward Jeff's.
"We have your mission as go on the hour, Captain," Jeff said.
"Thank you, Mister President. With your permission?"
"Dismissed, soldier," Jeff got and gave a firm salute.
With Frank out of the room, I turned my attention to Twilight. "It's working perfectly, then?"
Twilight's face pulled into a wider smile at my question. She nodded. "Clair, I wouldn't think of sending Mister Hollings unless I thought it was. I checked all the spells and calculations myself--the portal's transmogrification function works perfectly."
There was just something about Twilight that made me trust her. She was a magic, flying unicorn, and if you couldn't trust a magic, flying unicorn when it came to all things magical, then who could you trust?
My musings were interrupted by Caroline Rogers (Jeff's secretary). She burst into the room with a sheaf of papers in her hand. "Sir!"
Jeff had trained himself to know all the various levels of outrage Caroline could achieve--as had I--and he turned slowly to his secretary (this was a 3 out of 10). "What is it, Caroline?"
"This request is outrageous! Ms Ree's son sent these requirements, and it's going to cost eighteen-thousand-dollars!" Caroline Rogers said.
Lifting his thumb and forefinger to pinch the bridge of his nose, Jeff sighed. "Caroline, I will not break a promise. If we come out of this at nine-thousand a piece for Clair's children, so be--"
"That's each," Caroline Rogers said. "Thirty-six-thousand-dollars in total."
I snorted. I couldn't help it. Caroline was oh-so-careful about pronouncing the total--and I'll be honest, it was a ridiculous amount--but it was a tiny fraction of the not-bribes that happened every day to grease political wheels.
"I approved of this, Caroline. When I approve something, because of a promise I'd made to a young man who is stepping up to bat for America, I do not expect it to be questioned a second time." Jeff Miller, you honest bastard, I could almost kiss you for that. "That's not how I got elected, and it's not how I intend to be remembered."
It was speech-worthy. Caroline knew it just as I knew it. She looked to me imploringly, but I was not going to gainsay my boss.
"Alright sir." Caroline retreated from the room.
The moment the door was closed, Jeff let out a guffaw of laughter. "Eighteen grand? I'm happy to see your son taking after his mother and putting the screws on the president of the United States, but that is impressive."
"For that much, he won't be complaining about this move anymore." I checked over my notes, then checked the time. "If you'll excuse me, Jeff, I'd like to watch this one myself."
"Well, there's not much to see until they get back. We've tried a lot of things, but so far we haven't been able to establish any form of communication between realities. The other human world was a lot closer--transdimentionally speaking--than this Earth, but we haven't managed to send anything to there that wasn't through the mirrors," Twilight Sparkle said. "And even with those, unless something is a powerful magic artifact, it just can't make the trip. Seeing your equipment in Equestria is very exciting."
It wasn't so much a slip as a whole marina. My eyes twitched toward Jeff's, and he gave the slightest of nods back. "Well, I'm glad our world can be a little more of a trade partner in that respect."
"I look forward to seeing what you can offer us in return. Part of Clair's position will be the resolving of trade between our two nations, and securing friendship to last long into the future." Jeff Miller, everyone. Not only does he have a silver tongue when talking to any American, but the moment he sprung that last line, Twilight's eyes practically lit up. (Actually, they might have literally lit up. I wasn't paying enough attention to see if any magic was involved.)
I stood up, to stop Jeff from talking Twilight out of her tiara with promises of friendship, if nothing else, and made my way for the door. "I'll see you there, Twilight?"
"Oh! Right! I should go and prepare the portal for the next rushed teleport." Twilight stood up and walked with me to the door.
I turned back at the doorway, and stuck my tongue out at Jeff. He replied in kind with a huge smile. Confirmation that we were their first technologically advanced trade partner was literally the best possible thing we could have hoped for. "How long until we all go?"
"If Captain Hollings has a successful trip? I want the power crystals to charge fully, which will take four days here, then you and your family can go," Twilight Sparkle said.
"That's changed. The order of operations has left us with a security detail going with us. Four soldiers, then another four with each of the two staff teleports," I said. "Then we'll start moving gear."
"Oh. Definitely four days then. If we're sending eight people over, I want as much power in those crystals as they can get, and I'll use my own magic as a booster. That means at least four days between each of those following teleports." Juggling numbers and logistics just seemed to come to Twilight. "And I should probably warn you--"
"Warn me?" Ice hit my veins.
"About one of my friends back home. She's going to be pretty full-on wanting to throw you a party. Normally we'd let everyone experience Pinkie Pie for themselves, without warning, but I've seen the weapons your soldiers use--I am therefore warning you: the moment you enter Equestria a pink pony is going to rush up to you, then she'll have the biggest freak-out of all time, and leave. That's your party invitation," Twilight Sparkle said.
I wasn't surprised that Twilight was leading the way down the hallway. She knew the way to the annexed room where the teleport portal was located sufficiently well that I wasn't even completely sure of the last turn.
The portal room was a loading bay, and the portal itself was a large piece of slate around fifteen feet on a side. In the middle of it, a circle was inscribed. The whole thing was sitting on a foam padding directly on the concrete floor of the loading bay, and to one side was the strange stuff. Yup, the huge teleportation circle in the middle of the room might be the main attraction, but the banks of power crystals were what our scientists were most interested in.
Four huge chunks of crystal, supported by--nothing. The crystals hovered four inches from the base plates Twilight had put down. When they were active, there was a great show of lightning dancing between them--only it wasn't lighting. There's a lot of magic involved with how they work, which is why anyone who tries to explain them simply runs out of useful words--we just don't have them yet.
Right now, the big crystals were buzzing with energy, and I could tell (because I'd actually read the memos, and could see the color pattern in the crystals) they were almost twenty-percent full. I stood with the armed soldiers at the doorway into the room, and just to their side. "Can you believe this stuff?" I was probing. The soldiers at attention in the room were part of the team that would be our permanent defense force in Equestria.
"Ma'am. We believe what we're told to believe. But if you're asking directly, I would say yes, I definitely am told to believe," one burly soldier with C.Hendricks on his fatigues said.
I didn't need to ask the other steely-eyed soldier, P.Clark by his badge, the same question.
"You two are coming in the first group?" I asked, and got two nods. "I know the president has already thanked you, but as a mother, I want to repeat that. Thank you for keeping us safe."
"Permission to speak freely, Ma'am?" Clark asked.
I just nodded.
"Ma'am, this is our duty not only to America as a whole, but to you specifically. Where you go, we go. If you want to get out of or into somewhere, and you think a hail of bullets is the answer, that's your decision. I've heard that diplomacy is saying 'good dog' and holding a big stick behind your back? Fuck that, if you'll beg my pardon. Hold us in front."
The swearing was a bit of a shock, but I had given him permission. "I appreciate it. Can you pass on to your commander that I want a full report on all the soldiers who will be going, along with a time to meet all of you?"
"Ma'am!" Clark and Hendricks said together, and stomped a foot each.
I won't lie. Part of me wanted to ogle the buff, young soldiers, but that part was getting older and quieter each year. I turned around and watched as Twilight used actual magic to adjust the portal.
It wasn't like the psychic's hotline, or palm reading, or even shamanism. Twilight Sparkle's horn glowed purple, and little glowy bits of purple appeared here and there on the pad as she adjusted things I couldn't even see.
Walking up beside her, I stood and waited for her to be done. I didn't hold my voice because I knew distracting her at the wrong moment could cause a catastrophe, I bit back my words precisely because I didn't know. When the most powerful being on Earth nodded her head with a little satisfied grunt, and her horn stopped glowing, I figured it was fine to talk again. "Everything's alright?"
"I was just tuning some efficiency coefficients. Adjustments for larger cargo, as well as ensuring that the transmit from here is certainly bound to the destination pad that has the transmogrifier attached. I just made----" Princess Twilight Sparkle started describing things, aspects of magic and physics that I didn't understand.
After almost a minute of this, I lifted a hand placatingly. "Please, Twilight, I won't belittle you by asking you to explain all of that. I understand it's complicated, and very technical, but I just wanted a summary."
"Oh! Sorry. I guess I'm too used to having Starlight Glimmer around. The portal is working fine, and I made some tweaks to reduce energy usage." Twilight Sparkle managed to get a blush going among the soft fur of her ears. It was good to know some pony facial expressions considering I'd be spending a lot of time among them for the foreseeable future.
"Do we have any idea on what humans will look like in Equestria?" They were the same questions as asked before, but now I hoped there might be more of an answer.
"Mice became Equestrian mice, so if we're really lucky, humans might just become an overly colorful human. But we won't know for sure until Captain Hollings comes back," Twilight Sparkle said.
"My ears are burning." Captain Frank Hollings walked out of a side door. He was wearing his fatigues, and had a huge backpack on. There were wires coming from the pack to various points on his body, as well as a group of cameras both looking in toward him and out to the room around.
Behind me, Hendricks and Clark could be heard snapping to attention, and Clarks' voice rang out, "Officer on deck!"
"Ease back a bit, soldiers. This is just a routine scouting mission," Frank Hollings said.
I'd done enough research on our various armed forces to know that with Frank being navy, and the other two being marines, there was a bond of brotherhood, but no actual command structure between them. Hendricks and Clark were just showing respect, and Frank Hollings was being careful about not stomping on them.
I didn't understand all the macho posturing that some parts of the military upheld, or even some of their stranger traditions, but respect was important. I waited for Frank.
"Princess Twilight Sparkle, ma'am, are you ready to send me where no man has been before?" Frank Hollings said, flashing a white smile.
"Ready as ever. Please stand in the middle of the circle, and try not freak out if anything odd happens. This will work perfectly." The sheer confidence in Twilight Sparkle's demeanor was astounding. I'd worked with my fair share of scientists over the weeks since first contact had been made, and none of them would stand behind their findings as firmly as she just had.
Walking to the slate, Frank stepped up onto it and approached the circle. "Standing on these lines won't cause a problem?"
"No, Captain," Twilight Sparkle said.
Frank nodded to Twilight. "The brass said I need to keep up a monologue of everything I feel, so I guess now is as good a time as any to start. I can feel a slight tingling as I walk into the circle, like there is a curtain made of air--or one of those machines at supermarkets that blow air in a wall at the door. Now I'm past it and in the middle of the circle, and I can't feel it anymore.
"Princess Twilight Sparkle is looking at me like I'm crazy, but that's okay. Two shrinks told me I'm still sane, but I think anyone doing this must be a bit crazy. Her horn is starting to glow, and--"
Frank Hollings, Captain of the United States Navy and decorated former member of the navy seals, vanished.
The big crystals to the side were hovering much lower, barely an inch from the floor under them, and they crackled a lot less. My heart began to race as I counted the time. The mission was meant to take just thirty seconds.
I watched the big clock on the wall, the digital reading passing the thirty second mark after what felt like a year. There was no flash. Each second that ticked by felt like an eternity. Thirty-five. Forty. Forty-five. Fifty.
At fifty-three seconds there was a flash of light.
Frank Hollings looked like he'd seen a war zone. His clothes were ripped in places, and the pack he'd been carrying was now laying beside him. Nearly every wire that'd been connected to him was ripped free and hanging from the pack, and at some point the ring of cameras had gotten tossed--and was not in evidence.
I didn't wait for the marines to move, nor for medics. I rushed over to Frank and crouched down beside him. "Frank! Frank! Are you okay?"
"Yeah. Holy hell! That was fucking amazing! Tell me you got that on film? Did all the gear work? I had wings!" Frank jumped to his feet, only to reveal his pants had met with enough of a failure that they stayed around his ankles. "I was a pony, a pony with wings. I wanted to fly but--" Panting for breath, Frank shook his head.
Technicians and medics rushed out, but none got onto the slate to help Frank. I glared at them and walked with him to the edge.
"M-Ma'am. Can you pull the pack over?"
I glared at the technician who'd spoken, and as if he grew a backbone on the spot he rushed over, grabbed the straps, and pulled the pack off the side.
The medics made a grab for Frank, but he avoided their grip. "That was amazing! I felt so alive!" The medics stared at the big captain and stepped back from him. "I'm alright. I just need to come down from that rush."
Making heads or tails of the situation was almost impossible. I'd rushed forward to help Frank, but he was standing easily now, though he finally noticed his clothes.
"Frank! Why don't you get changed and we can debrief you?" I asked.
"Y-Yeah." Frank stepped out of his pants completely and strode off to the side door he'd first emerged from.
With the place calming down, I turned to look at a very surprised (in my estimation at least, I was still working on understanding all her expressions) Twilight. "So," I said. "Definitely turning into a pony. He seemed to take it well."
Twilight Sparkle stared at me, her mouth working silently.
"Well, it did work." I couldn't help myself, I guess if that was what it took to finally unbalance a pony, I was in for a tough job. |
The Embassy | Chapter 4 | Saffron Ree
I shouldn't be angry. In the lead-up to this day I'd gotten so much attention from Candy I almost had to put a sign around my dick saying it belonged to her, I'd gotten to build two dream computers (both of which would be coming across with us soon), and Mom had let me tell any press that showed up at our house so many swear words their attempt at an interview was useless.
The high-life came with downsides, though. I looked at the slate covered in strange patterns and gulped. I wasn't faced with an adulthood of dealing with girls, or getting my own car, or any of that. Nope. I was going to become a pony. There's nothing to it, Saf, even that awesome soldier-dude had said it was amazing.
The video, with all the different angles playing together, ran through my head. The grizzled war hero was standing proud one minute, and the next he was squealing in excitement--oh, and he was also a fucking pegasus! A man who had killed with his bare hands, who had fired enough guns to make an NRA member blush, had stood in front of us and told us that it didn't hurt, that it felt amazing, and that we would become cute little ponies.
"Do I have to?" I asked.
"You got your computer. That was your deal, Saf." Dad was not helping. In the past few days I'd even had to ask him for more of the rubber sheets, and all he had done was smile and get me some. What I wanted to know was, why did he even have them if that was what they were used for?
My brain recoiled the moment it came up with the question. I really didn't want to know. "I should have gotten something bigger. Is it too late to ask for a tank to drive around in?"
"It is, Saf. Come on, don't make the girls look braver than us," Dad said, and walked up to stand beside Mom.
We didn't even get to wear our own clothes. Outfits had been hand-made for us that had stitching in them that would tear easily. Yup, I could totally just rip my pants off like a stripper. I want to know who even came up with that idea? "I guess."
Walking up beside Dad, we stood beside Mom and Riley. Mom was in her element. There were cameras on her, and anyone else would say she had iron certainty and rock-solid demeanor--or some shit like that. I could see the way she stood was her scared shitless but not going to show it look. She had it when Riley was in intensive care just after she was born, and she had it the night Jeff won the election.
There were a small group of reporters probing her with questions. When one asked, "What do you think your chances of survival are?" I walked up and imposed myself between him and Mom.
"Hey, Mom, are we there yet?" I put a little teenage-whine into my voice--it wasn't hard--and got a huge laugh out of the reporters.
Mom looked me in the eyes and I could see what it meant to her. "If you don't stop asking that, Saf, I'm going to turn this teleporter around. See that I won't!"
More laughs from the idiot reporters, and the asshole had been forced to back away by someone else who wanted to ask a question. The way the new reporter seemed happy enough to shove the asshole back told me they might have had some heart left. "What do you think of the prospect of becoming a pony?"
"There's what, four types?" I asked and got a nod from the journalists. "Two in four chances of being the horniest teenager ever? Pretty fucking good."
As I spoke, I could see the dismay in all the reporters' eyes. It was the mother of all soundbites, and none of them could use it. I decided to have some mercy (but damned if I know why). "But I'll be fine no matter what. Princess Twilight Sparkle and Captain Frank Hollings reassured us it is perfectly safe," I said.
That was usable, and a good one for them. All the reporters (except the asshole), smiled. Brave teen faces the unknown with jokes, praises war hero. I could practically write the headline myself.
I waited until the next reporter opened their mouth, and played the same gag again--because why not? "Are we there yet?"
By the time the laughs subsided, a man in a suit stepped out between the press and the barricade. "You'll have to excuse Mrs. Ree and her son, they have a very busy schedule."
"Thank you, Saffron." Mom pulled me close and kissed my forehead. It would have been totally embarrassing if I couldn't feel her shaking just a little.
I put my arms around my mom and hugged her back. "Whatever. I just wanted to swear on live TV for once. Are we going soon? I don't think the ponies will be as bad as this lot."
"Come on, let's get this done." Mom, with one arm still around me, stepped up onto the slate.
Following, because you don't just pull away from your mom when she's having a rough day, I stepped up and stopped when she did. We were both standing in the middle of circles drawn onto the slate. The patterns glowed softly, and I'd been told there was no way to scuff them.
Looking around, Dad and Riley were stepping up too, and approached the circles closest to Mom and me. Around our four circles were eight more. Two pairs of two soldiers stepped up onto their own circles, and big cylinder-shaped boxes were put in the last four.
Each of the soldiers had guns, and each was a modified M4 carbine with no trigger guard. Hooves or fingers, they would be able to fire their weapons. I read their name badges as they turned around: C. Hendricks, P. Clark, D. Roberto, and C. Bell.
Bell looked to be the most alert of the four. His eyes were everywhere, looking around at each person present at least twice. The rest looked alert, but mostly they were looking at Bell.
"Princess Twilight Sparkle," Jeff said and when he did, the whole room went quiet. "It's an honor to be the first president--first of any national leader--to thank you as a representative of Equestria for agreeing to abide by the laws put forward in the Diplomatic Privileges Act of 1708, and the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961, as they pertain to interdimensional politics, and on behalf of America, I promise that we will abide by the same.
"Concerning these we send, I must thank you again for promising their safe passage, and for assuring they will be welcome as representatives of the United States of America, and humanity. I am assured by your own good will, and that of our representative, that relations between our nations and species will only improve."
"President Jeffrey Miller," Twilight Sparkle looked like she was about to explode with happiness. "Equestria welcomes all peaceful races, but in this union we are particularly excited to cement negotiations of trade and support. I pledge that as you have guaranteed my own freedom, Equestria will guarantee that of the Rees and their guards.
"Once they are safely across, the verification device will be sent back the moment my assistants are able, and your people will be shown every deference as due to them in the aforementioned diplomatic agreements."
Twilight turned to us. "Are you ready?"
"Sure. I guess," I said, in the most bored manner I could.
Locking eyes with me, Twilight Sparkle winked while everyone else in the room laughed. Yup, the last thing I say as a human for five years was a bored, noncommittal assent. It was fucking perfect.
"We're go, Your Highness," Bell said.
"Ready," Mom, then Dad and Riley said.
I watched as Twilight Sparkle's horn started to glow, and then everything stopped moving. Okay, it didn't stop, but it moved really slowly. I watched as the big storage crystal things started crackling, and I felt tingly.
Then it hit me--this is bullet time!
I held up one hand, slowly, and watched as it moved like the air was made of molasses. My fingers seemed to melt and stick together. I'm really changing into a pony, like really changing. I guess my hands would turn into hooves, and all the usual stuff that you see furries talking about online, but this was different.
My arms pulled back as I started to fall forward. The last bright flash of Twilight's horn caused the room around us to blink away. We were in a featureless void with no more slate and no one but the eight of us.
Odd crackling sounds met my ears, and I realized it was the sound of joints shifting and adjusting. My legs seemed to change too, and there I could actually feel them forming into pony back legs.
My arms kept pushing up and back, even while I fell forward. A prickling sensation started along one edge of my arm, and it got worse and spread all over the limbs. Turning my head a little, I watched as feathers popped free of what looked like chicken wings.
Ripping down its seams, my shirt quickly became so much useless cloth, and I got to watch two new limbs push out of my shoulders and down. Fully formed, these new limbs were pony legs in all senses. Thin, they ended in proper hooves--unlike Twilight's split hooves.
More prickling, but this time it started everywhere but my wings. I stretched the odd limbs out and waved them in surprise as something pushed out between my eyes. My new nose was white, but nothing like white skin--this was white-white. A lock of green hair flopped down over one eye, and I could see a dark pink highlight in it.
Thudding in my chest, my heart felt like it was swelling, but then I realized I was actually shrinking. The nearest carton of stuff was my best guide, and I watched it grow larger and larger. Pulling my head around, feeling like I was swimming through a vat of honey, I watched as Mom seemed to take on a stockier build than my own. She looked a little bigger than me, but she also was missing wings or a horn. Earth pony, Twilight had called it. Sounded like a nerf to me.
Mom was light gray, and she had hair the color of honey. It was actually really pretty, and that seemed a strange thing. Why would a pony look pretty?
Time seemed to slowly catch up, speeding, then I fell sideways and lost all control of all my limbs.
"Are you okay? Is anypony hurt?"
"Please, we're trying to help you! Wait, why did you bring so many foals with you?"
Philip Ree
Something was very wrong. Something apart from the fact I'd just turned into a little horse, that is. There was two ponies close to us, both unicorns, and both were shouting questions.
I had priorities. My head swung around to look for Clair--an easy task since she was now the most majestic damn pony I'd seen yet (at least I liked to think so). She was standing diagonally opposite me, and hadn't moved much.
God, she looked amazing.
To my left should be Saffron, but there was a little pegasus pony there instead. To my right would be Riley, but what I saw was a tiny foal hidden in the clothes my daughter had been wearing.
"Arffftggg?!" I said. Okay, horse-mouth is hard to use. Staring down and inward, I could see my brown furred nose crinkle up in annoyance.
Then I noticed something else--where our four soldiers should have been, four colts not much bigger than Saffron stared around at each other nervously.
The shouting from the two unicorns rose, but it was my daughter's cry that cut through it all. "SHUT UP!" Everyone--everypony--froze. "Loof, diff iff a mifftaff." My tongue kept getting in the way of the end of words. "Baff off, giff soff rooff!"
Standing taller than any of the soldiers, I walked around each. They looked frightened, honestly scared. Then one slammed their hoof down three times, and they seemed to banish all their fear. Four steely-eyed colts put themselves between the two new unicorns and us.
"Stop this, please. Everyone, put down your weapons. That's an order, Captain Bell." The voice didn't sound like a pony--it sounded like my wife.
I turned my head to see Clair's steely eyes staring out of the most adorable gray snout. While she glared around, the four marines (now colts) lowered the guns each held as best they could. "Excellent. Captain, please escort us off this platform."
"O-Over here," a unicorn with a pink coat and purple/aquamarine hair said. She directed us all off the platform and to a corner of the room. Then, with her horn glowing, she floated the four boxes after us. "Do you have the acknowledgment?"
Clair nosed around in what was left of her clothes and pushed a Rubik's Cube out of one pocket. Showing more daring than I was ready for, she sat down and lifted it up with her forehooves.
"What is she doing, Starlight?" the second unicorn, with a cream coat and three-tone red/purple/violet hair, asked.
The unicorn I now knew was Starlight lifted a foreleg to ward the other one back. "You remember what Twilight said, we let them settle down and they send one item back straight away."
Such a strange situation, but it gave me a chance to find my daughter and son and check on them.
Saffron was exploring himself. I'd ensured my son had grown up to buck the growing obesity trend, and it seemed he'd done so here, too. A spindly pegasus, Saffron's hooves were solid (unlike the split unicorn hooves), but the most impressive thing was his wings. Though, him being smaller than me was something a little confusing.
Riley was a different story. She was a stocky little earth pony (solid hooves, solid body), and had the most girly-pink fur imaginable, with straw-yellow-blonde hair cascading from her mane and tail.
Of the two, Saffron seemed to be alert and looking around, while Riley looked like she was ready to cry. Strange limbs be damned, I was going to comfort my daughter. Focusing on my tongue first, I tried for her name. "Riley?"
"Daaaa!"
Come on arms--legs, whatever--don't fail me now. Reaching out with one wobbly, left foreleg, I managed to get it around her belly and pull her closer and up. With my back propped against a wall, I managed to juggle my squirming filly so she was pinned to my chest and supported around her back.
"Something got messed up. But, Riley, you're a pony!" I said.
Riley's huge eyes looked up at me for a sec, and I could see the moment she recognized I was me and I was a pony. "Why are ooo so big?"
"Hey, Dad, what'd they screw up?" Saffron asked. "And how do I get these things to go down?"
"At a guess, age. Clair and I are adults, but even our escort seem to be--uh--foals." I watched Saffron trying to turn his wings this way and that. "Try relaxing the muscles, rather than tensing them."
"Why'd I get stuck with wings? I want to be a unicorn, like you!"
Like me? I looked down first, and noticed that I definitely had split hooves. Crossing my eyes, I tried to roll them as far back and up as I could, but I couldn't see a horn. I felt the ears atop my head perk forward to pick up the laughter of Saffron and Riley. "I'd like to see either of you see the horn on top of your heads."
"I have a horn?" Saffron and Riley said at the same time, and both did completely unsuccessful attempts at the maneuver I had tried.
"No, which makes it a lot easier for you both not to see one." I couldn't help the smug smile that tricking my children in such a silly way caused.
"Hey!" Saffron still hadn't gotten his wings squared away, and rather than waste the effort, he waved them to get Starlight or Unicorn-Number-Two's attention. "What's up with us being so young?"
All the soldiers seemed to stiffen at the question. Everyone, in fact, except Clair looked at Starlight.
"Uh. How old are you meant to be?" Starlight asked.
"Seventeen!"
"Twenty-nine."
"Thirty-three."
There were other voices, but those trailed off when the highest age was reached.
"That seems right. It's strange that they sent a bunch of foals to be your guards," Starlight said.
"Hold on," I said. "Just to get this right. What's the age a pony is when they reach adulthood?" I had to raise my voice a little to ensure I was heard.
"Around fifty. Why?" Starlight looked at me like what she'd said was the most normal thing ever.
"Fifty years old? So anyone under that--" I said.
Starlight cut in, her voice full of confusion. "Are children--foals. I don't understand, your previous guardspony was an adult."
Clair cleared her throat and made her way off the circle-patterns. "Captain Frank Hollings was a retiree. He was chosen for having spent most of his life serving his country. In America, a human is treated as an adult from age eighteen."
"Hold on. We're stuck like this?" one of the soldiers, I think it was C. Bell, asked.
"No. You're going back with the recognition pattern," Clair said.
"With all due respect, ma'am, that would be dereliction of duty, and there is no way we are leaving you here without guards." While it was hard to take what a cute, little unicorn said, I had to admire Bell right then. He spared one look at Clair before turning his attention back to the room.
"Captain, I--" Clair said.
"Ambassador Ree, you're out of order. Write them a note or something. Get 'em to send us Captain Hollings right away," Bell said.
"You're in charge of the guard detail, Captain." Clair pulled a notepad from her pocket, a pencil from another, and started writing by holding the pencil in her mouth.
The room was silent except for the scribbling. When she was done, Clair tore the page off and tucked it into the cube. When she stepped back, Clair looked up to Starlight.
"Okay, send it," Clair said.
There was barely a flicker. The slightest of blue lights and the cube and note were gone.
"We need secure lodgings," Clair said, and I could hear the lethargy in her voice. "Somewhere for my children and husband to rest, and where I can sit down and have a long discussion with you, Starlight."
"Moon Dancer, can you take them to the rooms Spike prepared?" Starlight asked. Bingo! I now had another name.
I looked at Saf, who was still getting his wings folded--he had one, and was trying to repeat the lucky break he had with that on the other--and Riley held against me by foreleg. "Sweetie?" I asked Riley. "Can you get on my back and hold on?"
"I'm scared, Daddy. Why's everything so big?" Riley's voice was compromised severely by her unfamiliar anatomy. I pieced together what she meant more by guess than by practice.
"Because it's not big, Riley, we're small." Saffron, his other wing now tucked at his side, stood up and shook. "Dad, put her on my back."
I stared at my son for a moment before I realized he was being serious. "Riley, I'm going to put you on your brother's back. You need to hold on tight, okay? And I'll be right beside you both."
"Are you ready to move?" Bell asked.
Lifting Riley up, I made sure she was pressed to Saf's shoulder before I boosted her fully to his back. "One second," I said. I was going to push her up, but that wasn't needed. Strong little hooves hauled her onto her brother's shoulders.
"I got her, Dad." Saf moved one foreleg, then the other, then moved his back ones as well. "You good, Riley?"
"Y-Yeah!" Riley had a shot of something in her voice that spoke of a strength rekindled. "L-Let's go."
"Carl, Dave--you two escort the family. I'll take Pete and keep on the quarterback. I don't care what you have to do, but work out how to carry your damn rifles. We need to look the part." Bell pointed with one hoof to indicate we were the family, and Clair was the quarterback.
The lighter colored unicorn, Moon Dancer, looked around at the three of us, and our two guards. "Can you follow me? I'll get you there in the shortest route. Spike thought it would be a good idea if you were in a room nearby the portal. Sometimes I wonder where Twilight'd be without him."
"Dave, you take point. Sir," the soldier I could identify as Carl looked at me, "I'll be right behind you. Ma'am?" Moon Dancer blinked in surprise at the address. "Please lead on."
Dave and Carl were the quickest to adapt to walking on four legs, but each of them somehow managed on three. Clutching their guns, the pair herded us along behind Moon Dancer.
After two long hallways of door-studded walls, Moon Dancer led us to a pair of double-doors that were open. "These are your rooms."
"Dave, sweep the place. Mister Ree, please wait by the door with me," Carl said.
We waited while Dave, the little earth pony with light gray fur and purple mane, searched around our rooms while clutching his M4 machine-gun. I found myself yawning, more than once, but it was Saf who eventually broke the silence.
"Stop moving, Riley. You're not the lightest filly, you know," Saf said.
"You're bigger than me! It should be easy!" Rily said right back.
"Riley," I said. "Climb onto my back. Saffron, you'll need to stand guard with Carl."
Saf's eyes widened, and as Riley pulled herself onto my back, I realized how seriously my son was taking the situation. He moved slowly around Riley and I, putting himself where I was standing, while pushing me to the more protected position.
"I can't see anything in there. And if there is a way in, I don't know it. They picked a windowless suite," Dave said as he walked out of the rooms.
"Okay. Move in and find somewhere comfortable. Can you all remember the turns we took to get here?" Carl asked.
Walking into the room, my mind raced to trace the hallway out. I nodded, and Saf nodded too. Riley was asleep on my back.
"Saf, pick a room and we're all sleeping in it," I said.
I could hear a sigh of relief from both soldiers as we walked toward the nearest room on the left. Reaching the door, I tried my hooves on the handle, but wound up having to use my mouth. I let Saf in, and closed the door behind us.
"Dad, what the heck's going on? Why didn't we just go back?" Saf asked.
Settling Riley down on the bed first, then I climbed up and scooted my daughter--my filly--against my belly. She curled into a tiny ball against me, and made soft, sleepy sounds. "We're here, Saf. This is what we signed up for."
"I'm tiny. You heard what that unicorn said. Fifty? I'm not even halfway to being an adult here!"
"Shh. Keep it down. I know it's confusing right now, but let's sleep on it and work things out tomorrow." As I spoke Saf looked up at me, almost like he expected me to laugh and tell him it was all a joke. "Please?"
"Okay, Dad." Saf climbed up on the bed and, despite his attempts at being the big, rebellious teen, shifted until he was laying curled up at my back.
Clair Ree
"This," I said, "is all messed up, but it's salvageable. How easy is it to send people and things back?"
Starlight Glimmer sat across from me at the table, and behind her were two of the biggest unicorns I'd seen. Big stallions, both white with blue hair, and each had glistening armor and a long spear. Behind me, however, was a pair of colts. Captain Corvinus Bell, a unicorn with light-brown fur and a shock of dark green for his mane and tail. Sergeant Peter Clark, a pegasus with soft, sky-blue fur and bright yellow hair for his mane and tail. Both my guards were naked, but had their M4s.
I know who I'd trust in a close and limited fight, though the unicorn's magic was an unknown. Not that I wanted anything to go that far. It was hard enough keeping my eyes open after the teleport, I have no idea how the soldiers are managing to do the same.
"I can send things almost every five minutes. The reason it takes so long to recharge on the other side is your ambient flux is so low," Starlight Glimmer said.
Starlight Glimmer was just about as unbelievable as Twilight had been. Pinkish coat with two tone hair that also had a highlight in it--light purple, dark purple, and aquamarine. Her hooves were, like Twilight's, split, and she had a leonine tail.
"I'd like to send another message then. As diplomatic communique, I expect you to send them as quickly as possible. Also, please excuse my curtness, this--" I struggled against the pull of sleep. I couldn't actually stop the yawn that exhaustion demanded of me.
"Teleportation takes from those using it, and it takes more the further you travel. This was all allowed for in the teleportation schedule. You can rest if you need it." Genuine concern, at least if Twilight's expressions had taught me anything, colored Starlight Glimmer's features.
She was right. But my request for Frank would kick all kinds of crazy into our schedule. Sitting, thinking, I realized my head was starting to dip. I pulled myself up straight.
"I think it would be better if I came back to it rested. But please send someone to wake me the moment anything comes through." I almost fell sideways at that point, but kept upright by force of will. "And could you please move our things to our rooms?"
"Of course. Right this way." Starlight slid from her chair and opened the door with her magic.
Back on Earth, Twilight had barely used her magic for anything, but here it seemed to be the default way for a unicorn to do everything. It gelled with the idea Starlight had said of Earth not having much magic, but here having a lot.
"Thank you." As I spoke, there was a rush of air pressure--almost like when a big storm was about to hit. A blur of pink told me that the moment Twilight had warned me of was coming. "Captain Bell, don't raise your weapons no matter what is about to--" I didn't get anymore out.
"Gaaaasssspppp!" the pinkest thing I'd ever seen said. She was a pony, of course, but she was entirely pink. Twilight had mentioned this, but it was still a sight to behold. All that pink pony seemed to frizz up at once, and was then gone again.
"Pinkie Pie?" I asked.
"That was Pinkie Pie. How did you know about her?" Starlight Glimmer asked.
"Princess Twilight warned me." I turned around to Bell and Clark, but the pair each had a rosy, pink kiss on the cheek, and they looked shell-shocked. "Captain Bell?"
"S-Sorry, ma'am. I don't know what came over me. It won't happen again," Corvinus Bell said.
"It's alright, Captain. We were warned about this, and it won't cost us anything at all to get a warm welcome out of it." I yawned again because it was impossible to stop.
"Right this way," Starlight Glimmer said.
I focused on my hooves, and found them to be unusually cooperative. I had no wings, no magic, so it stood to reason my four primary assets would serve me well. Bell and Clark were not doing so well. Halfway through the walk I'd demanded they give me their weapons, and even still they barely made it to the suite.
Captain Bell stepped up to the door on wobbling, split-hoofed feet, and tapped on it. "Thunder," he said.
The door opened. "Flash," what sounded like a dead-tired Hendricks said.
Roberto finished pulling the door open with his mouth, and even I could see the tired relief on his face. "Good to see you again, Captain."
I passed Roberto the two rifles, and turned to face Starlight Glimmer. "Please have your soldiers posted to guard our room. If anyone needs anything, we'll poke our heads out."
"We can stand guard, ma'am," Corvinus Bell said, only he yawned and nearly tripped over as he turned to finish saying it.
"Captain, sergeants, I am ordering all of you to sleep." My voice held no compromise and I could see grateful defeat in all four of the colts who were actually hardened soldiers. I was flying on empty, but someone needed to stand strong.
"Right away," Starlight Glimmer said. Her horn flickered, and the four big containers we'd brought with us made popping sounds as they appeared in the room with us. "You'll excuse me, I'll send your guards right away."
The door closed and four wobbly colts were already walking toward the first room on the left. When David Roberto opened the door, I could see my husband and children on the bed asleep already.
A magnet-like force pulled on every fiber of my being, dragging me toward the bed. I didn't want to walk over the soldiers, but they were slow enough I almost stumbled into Captain Bell.
The bed was just as soft and inviting as it looked, and I climbed up onto it, and fit myself against Philip.
The sound of four smaller bodies curling up on the floor was the last thing I heard before sleep pulled me closer to my family. |
The Embassy | Chapter 5 | Riley Ree
I knew I was having a nightmare. They wouldn't be nightmares if you didn't know it was happening and didn't remember them. So I knew it was a nightmare, and it was terrible because it was mostly true.
Princess Twilight Sparkle (still the best name I'd ever heard in my whole life), cast her magic and sent us to Equestria! It was just like when we'd come over, but this time I arrived as a little baby. Mom was there, Dad was there, Saffron was there (and wearing a pink bow, which lulled me into a false sense of security), and then I was there too.
Saffron bent over me and sneered. "Pfft, just a baby, and a human! I'm going to go and play with all my pony friends." He stood up, shook the bow out of his mane, and walked away.
"Come back, Saf! Help!" I said, but all that came out was baby noises. I was weak and useless and couldn't even use my phone to call for help!
All around me I saw the backs of ponies, their tails swishing. I wanted to run to them, hug them and laugh with them, but I couldn't move.
"Stop yelling, Riley."
Saffron's voice cut through the nightmare and my sleep. I felt my ears twitch and focus on his voice, and tried to pull myself closer to him. When that didn't work, I opened my eyes to mostly dark room. Mostly dark, because there was a light coming from somewhere behind me that revealed a fancy room, but it was the white pony in front of me that blocked me from getting to Saffron.
With white fur, bright green mane with a pink streak through it, they were laying down right in front of me and tried to hold on. "Want Saf!" I pulled up one of my own pony legs, braced it between me and the white pony, and kicked.
"Riley!"
The white pony, who I now realized was Saffron, flew across the bed and off it. My eyes widened, and struggling with the crazy limbs I had now I crawled over to the edge of the bed. "S-Saf? I didn't recognize you!"
"Crap, Riley, how'd you do that? You're like, half my size." Saffron seemed to be a mess of limbs. He got his hooves straightened out, but his wings looked like they were all over the place.
I couldn't stop a giggle from getting loose. The nightmare was banished with a wash of white fur and green-pink hair. "Where's Mom and Dad?"
"They're talking to everyone outside. Dad didn't want to wake you, so I promised to wait," Saffron said.
Blinking at him, barely believing what I heard, I reached down with both hooves and caught Saffron's shoulders. Pulling for all I was worth, I almost threw him into the air as I dragged him back onto the bed. I wrapped my arms--forelegs I guess--around him and hugged him tight (like a big teddy bear).
"R-Riley?" Saffron's voice sounded silly. "Riley?"
Silly, but worried. I let him go and looked at my brother. "What's the matter, Saf?"
"I couldn't breathe you idiot."
I knew he didn't really mean it, and he was just reacting to me squeezing him, but it still hurt. My view of Saffron got blurry as tears started to flow, and I sniffed loudly.
The softest thing in the world pulled around me and squeezed me to Saffron. Shoving my face against his chest, I couldn't stop crying and whining. "'S no' fair!"
"Tell me about it, Riley."
He used his tone that meant he didn't want me to tell him about it, but I decided to just ignore that and tell him anyway. "Stupid magic sposta make me a pretty p-pony princess." I squeezed Saffron again, but tried to avoid hugging him too tight. "M-M-Made me into a baby horse!"
"Baby horse that can kick her brother across the room with one hoof. Baby horse that can strangle me without even meaning to." Saffron kept holding me, only needing his wing and forelegs to do it.
"You've got wings," I said. It was stupid, he didn't have magic either, but it was important that I tell him he was better than me and that I was the one who had it worse.
"Riley, I don't have wings. I have arms I can't work out how to use, while I grew two new legs. This whole body feels wrong."
"Arms?"
"Yeah. It was fucked u--messed up. When we came here, did you have this slow-mo crap happen?" Saffron started rubbing my neck, which felt really nice. I nodded against him. "Okay. So when you started changing, what did your arms do?"
I wiggled my forelegs. "Duh. I got legs."
"Mine turned into wings. For a moment I was a two-legged horse."
It was impossible not to giggle. "From not enough to too many."
"That's the problem. If I try to do anything with my wings, my front legs move. If I do anything with my front legs, my wings move a lot. And just look at you, Riley. You might be small, but holy crap how strong are you?" Saffron's voice sounded genuinely impressed. "You could--like--suplex a car and shit."
I poked him, gently, in the chest. "That's two swear words. I'm gonna tell Dad."
"And I'll tell him you beat me up."
Saffron had never beaten on me, and he hadn't even roughed me up while being silly, but he was always bigger than me. Now I actually felt a little worry that he would tattle on me--mostly because it was true.
"One swear word?" I asked.
Shaking his head, Saffron booped my nose with one huge hoof. "How about I give you a ride outside, and we forget all the swear words, midget." It was about then I realized how adorable he looked as a pony. My big brother should wear a bow in his mane, just like--like the good part of the dream.
"No swear words, I get a pony ride, and you don't tattle on me... and I get to tie a pink bow in your mane," I said.
"No. Way."
"What about if I braid your mane?"
"Maybe."
"Pig-tails!"
"No, Riley."
I couldn't help it. I started giggling as I reached for his mane, only to realize how hard it was to actually braid with hooves. "This sucks. I can't braid your mane like this!"
"We'll get used to it, Riley." Saffron rolled off the bed himself this time and got a silly look as he slowly folded his wings down at his sides. "Get on."
My own trip across the bed was worse than Saffron's. My legs were fine when I focused on each one, but getting them working together was literally impossible. Eventually I made it across to him, and pulled myself up onto his back.
"Hold on tight--but not too tight," Saffron said.
Leaning forward, I wrapped my arms--forelegs--around Saffron's neck and tried my best not to choke him. When he took a step, I tightened my grip.
Saffron didn't ask if I was okay, he just kept walking. After a few steps, I relaxed my grip a little. The way he walked was a little odd, but I could handle it best by just flopping completely over his back.
"You look really pretty, Saf," I said.
"Hey, Riley?" Saffron asked.
"Yeah?"
"Shut up." He walked the rest of the way to the door, then tried to reach out to the handle with a wing.
Everything got messed up fast. When Saffron lifted his wing, he lifted his foreleg too, only he must have had his weight on it, because he started to fall over. Then, to stop from falling over, he reached out with a wing and his other leg buckled.
I had two options, either I could get crushed under my huge brother as he rolled to the ground, or I could jump! Kicking off from Saffron's back, I landed on the floor and rolled a few times.
"Uh! I hate this fucking body!" Saffron lay on his back and kicked his legs angrily. "No computer is worth putting up with this shit!"
Rolling over to my belly, I shoved downward with my legs until I was standing. With shaky steps I approached my brother, who was still saying lots of bad words. When I reached his side, I pushed one hoof against his foreleg and pushed.
Saffron was right, I was strong. He went quiet as I pushed him to his side, then adjusted myself and pushed him to his belly. "Come on, Saf. We said we'd come here, so let's do the best we can. Now, stand up!"
"It doesn't matter, Riley. I can't reach the door with my mouth. If I can't get it with my wing I won't be getting us out."
I rolled my eyes at him.
"Okay. Okay. Jeez." Saffron struggled to his hooves, and then spent an extra minute tucking his wings down. Personally, I thought he was getting better at it, but I wouldn't admit that to him. "Now what?"
I walked to the door and braced all four legs as best I could. "Get your butt over here, mister, and use my back as a step." I know I sounded just like Dad, I didn't care. When I didn't hear him moving, I turned my head to see him staring at me in shock. "What? Come on!"
"Shit, Riley." He finally started walking over and lifted one shaking hoof to my back. I could feel him putting weight on it, and finally stretching up higher, but it wasn't much at all--maybe I was really strong?
The sound of the door handle working made me smile. "You got it?"
"Y-Yeah. This was pretty clever, midget." Saffron stepped down off my back and moved back from the door.
Reaching out a hoof, I flung the door open and looked out into the brightly lit room. The light dazzled me for a moment, but I realized two other colts (a bit bigger than Saffron) were holding what looked like guns. "Uh. Hi?"
"Madam Ambassador?" one of the colts (a brown and green one) asked.
Mom--I don't know how I knew it's Mom, I just do--turned around and smiled. She looked so pretty! "There's my little girl. Excuse me a moment, Miss Glimmer."
I didn't wait for Mom to walk over. Since I'd mastered my legs, I decided to run over and hug my mommy. Memories of seeing horses run, majestic animals that glided over the ground, were all I needed. Taking off as fast as I could, I got halfway to Mom before I realized I really didn't know what I was doing.
One forehoof came down at the right time, but the second one came down and pushed me to the side. I wobbled, and suddenly the ground was coming up to say hello. Then it stopped. Actually, everything stopped.
The world had turned a shade of greeny-blue. I was glowing! I was flying! Wait, floating!
Mom rushed over to me and sat down so she could reach out and pluck me from the air. The light was gone, but I didn't care--I hugged my mommy tight.
"Thank you, Starlight," Mom said.
"Starlight?" I asked.
"Oh, it's no problem. Couldn't have your filly falling over and hurting herself." Starlight Glimmer (I remembered the name, and could work out who she was) smiled at me and waved a hoof. She was a real, live unicorn! She looked so pretty, with amazing hair and fur and a horn and tail and hooves and everything!
I squirmed in Mom's grip, trying to get down so I could go over and look at the unicorn some more. When she finally set me on the floor, I walked (avoiding the harder running stuff) around the room until I could see her.
Starlight Glimmer sat on the couch and looked back. She was basically a cuter pony than Saffron in every possible way. She had three colors in her mane, and she was pink! Like me! "Thank you!" I said.
"You're very welcome. You're Riley?" Starlight asked. I nodded back, of course. "Well, Riley, I think you need to work on your canter, but otherwise you did very well for your first time at running."
I jumped up with my front end to get on the couch, but considering the cushions started above my head, it was a losing battle--until more of the glowing magic lifted me right up beside Starlight. "That's so awesome!"
"You have children--foals--of your own, Starlight?" Mom sat down on the other couch, and faced Starlight across the coffee table.
Saffron Ree
I tried to ignore Mom and the unicorn--they'd be talking politics. Instead, I walked over to one of the other colts. I knew they weren't really colts, or young, but rather trained soldiers. "Hey," I said, keeping my tone relaxed. "This is kinda messed up, right?"
"Saffron Ree, isn't it?" the brown-furred unicorn marine asked, to which I nodded. "That depends if you are asking as the ambassador's son."
I shrugged. "I'm just asking."
"Then yeah, this is all kinds of SNAFU. Apparently we're too young to be guards here, but we can't leave without another guard group arriving, and now that we're here, we're the most knowledgeable and trained soldiers for this environment. Messed up is a good start, though, but hey, we're in this together. I'm Captain Bell, and this is Sergeant Clark."
"Worked out how to control those things yet?" Clark asked me.
"What, these?" I turned my head and nosed at my wings. "No way. Every time I take a step it feels like I'm going to snap them out again, and if I try to use 'em for anything, bam, I fall over."
Clark groaned. "Tell me about it. Still, they ain't takin' me home from this. I swore an oath to serve, no matter what, and I'll do it."
It was the strangest thing, they just spoke to me. Treated me like an adult. Everyone else I'd ever spoken to--except maybe Jeff--had always tried to talk down to me. Turns out I had to be turned into a pony to become a man.
Then an idea hit me.
"I saw a thing once, where looking at images of arms or legs helps amputees. Maybe the reason we can't get this worked out is because we can't see them?" I said.
Both soldiers' heads snapped around before returning to looking ahead. Sergeant Clark said, "That's a good suggestion, Saffron. Damn good."
"C-Can you just call me Saf?" I asked.
"Shit, Saf's fine. If you work out a way to get us moving better, I'll call you whatever the fuck you want." Sergeant Clark ignored his captain's glare to grin to me. "Sir, I know you don't want us swearin', but under the circumstances it--"
"Relax, Sergeant. Just try to keep the language on the down-low," Captain Bell said. "And, Saf, if you have any other ideas, let me know."
"Sure." It felt good to be useful, but I'd rather be useful and have my computer. I opened my mouth to ask if there was anything to do, when a knock came at the door.
Both soldiers turned and moved back from the door, and Captain Bell said, "Come in."
The door slowly opened, and a monster walked in. Standing upright, the creature was about twice as tall as I was, had a pair of bat-like wings, claws, teeth, and a smile. "Hey, everypony. I brought some drinks and some food."
"Thank you, Spike," the unicorn on the couch said. Her horn lit up, and I watched the tray in "Spike's" grip lift into the air.
My brain finally whirled the details enough to take a guess at what the big purple creature was. "Y-Y-You're a dragon?"
"What gave it away?" Spike asked.
I couldn't help staring up at him--he was huge. "Wings," I said.
Spike looked over his shoulder, seemingly noticing his wings for the first time. "Yeah, they really bring the whole dragon-thing together. Hey, you wanna hear how I got them?"
Turning, I looked at Mom--who smiled and nodded. I turned back to Spike. "Yeah!"
"Come on then. I was just restocking my hoard--books--in the library." And, with that, Spike turned around and walked out the guarded door.
Frozen in panic, I watched him move, all his muscled size, and realized how freakin' crazy this world was going to be. I shook my head, put one hoof out, and started walking after him. "How far away's the library?" I asked.
"It's on the second floor. So, what's your name?" Spike asked as we walked past the big Equestrian guards standing outside the rooms. Again I realized how big he was--Spike towered above even the stallions.
"S-S-Saffron, but you can call me Saf," I said.
"Like the spice? That stuff really brings a dish together. Your mom must really love food to name you after the some of the best." Spike seemed to slow down for me, giving me the incentive to fight my legs and walk faster.
"I guess. I hadn't thought of it like that before. Are there more dragons?" As we walked, I realized I could feel the faintest jolt to the floor each time Spike took a step. I half expected there to be holes in the floor behind us--dragon-foot shaped.
"Oh, there's tons. Some are tons bigger than me. You might even see Dragon Lord Ember if she visits you guys. She's the ruler of all the dragons." Spike marched right up to a huge staircase--a staircase I froze at. "What's wrong?"
"I'm still getting used to the whole walking-on-four-legs thing. Is there anywhere on the first floor we can talk?" I asked.
Spike raised an eyebrow and then looked up at the landing above us. "How much do you weigh, Saf?" Before I could think of a reply, Spike picked me up under one of his arms, spread his wings, and took off.
I stiffened for the first few flaps, but when I realized he was handling my weight fine, and had a good grip on me, I almost exploded. "You're flying!"
"Yeah," Spike said.
"And--And--" I was lost for words for the rest of the short flight to the second floor balcony. When Spike put me down, my legs almost folded up. "That was amazing!"
"What? You're a pegasus. You'll be flying soon as well." Spike started walking down the hallway nearest where we stood. "Come on, the library's this way."
"Uh. Actually...?" Now that my body was moving, I could feel things wanting to get out. "Is there a bathroom nearby?" Urgency entered my voice, and I could see Spike picked up on it by his nod.
Spike made an abrupt turn at the next hall, and thankfully my body seemed onboard with keeping my dignity intact. "Right down here. Second-last on the left."
I barely waited for him to finish talking. My hooves sped up, and as I reached the door I jumped to grab the handle with my mouth. I slipped, skidded on the floor, and barely managed to keep from making the worst mess of my life.
"I got you."
There was not a lot more embarrassing than not being able to work doors--particularly this door. I wasn't going to argue, and instead rushed inside.
The bathroom was a full one, surrounded with mirror-walls. There was a big white tub on one side, a shower on the other, and at the end was what looked like a little drain with a toilet flusher above it. Man up, Saf, time to poop like a horse.
There was only two possible ways to stand over the stall--at least for an adult pony. I picked the way that had me facing the flusher and stood there for a few seconds to get a feel for it. Okay, there was pressure at the back and pressure underneath. Back was obvious, as was underneath. What I had no clue about was what to do next.
It was about then that my body decided it'd had enough. Instinctively, my tail lifted and I felt my bowels let go and... it worked. Things just happened, with the loss of control behind, underneath followed. Everything seemed on automatic, and I managed to relax.
By the time behind and underneath both stopped, I felt both relieved and happy. I'd conquered part of this already, and I wasn't even a pony for twenty-four hours! Then I felt my tail start to lower--the thing was like automatic--and panic set in.
"Wait, wait, wait! I haven't cleaned up yet!" I tried to feel those muscles that relaxed, but just as I figured out at least what part of me was relaxing, I felt my tail touch my butt. Wincing, I struggled again and felt the muscle start to twitch. That had my tail muscle located, and with a force of awesome willpower, my tail slowly went up again.
Turning, I looked into a mirror on one side, caught the reflection of my butt on the other, and saw all the parts of me I didn't ever want to see. It looked odd, kinda puckered and sticking out, but it was clean. "Okay, and my tail is fine. Guess I just flush this thing."
There wasn't a chain, or a push button, but at last I saw the tile on the floor that looked different to the rest. Stepping on it caused a rush of water to cascade over the platform, and everything I'd been worrying about was suddenly gone. I'd never been so happy in my life as when I heard the familiar sound of water running down a drain.
Turning back for the door, I approached it and stopped. "Uh, Spike!"
The door opened slowly, though Spike didn't poke his head in. "You work everything out?"
I nodded, then realized he was purposefully not looking in. "Yeah. Things are sorted and--uh--do you know if I need to wash anything? Kinda new at this."
"Can I tell you a secret?" Spike asked.
Again I nodded. "Sure," I said.
"I have no idea! Dragons work different. Slow metabolism, lots of massive-carbon foods. I only need one good meal a month. Same deal with the bathroom," Spike said.
"Damn," I said. "Now I wish I was a dragon instead."
Reaching for the door with one foreleg, I shuffled awkwardly around the doorway until I got my head through the gap and shoved it open. I froze again and took in the scale of Spike the dragon. He was huge compared to me, but he certainly seemed awesome enough.
"How old are you, Saf?" he asked.
"Seventeen."
Spike held out his hand, showed off the claws on the end, then he lowered down until he was about half my height. "That'd make you a dragon about this big. I'm almost eighty, and dragon growth is even more complicated than this nuts conversion you've got going on.
"Dragons grow normally, but we have--well--a hoard. Once we reach about sixty, we can start growing just from our hoard. I had a bit of an accident--before I even got my wings--and turned huge. These days I have a hoard, but I understand the value of it, and what it means to me. So I'm still small, for now."
"So that's how it works? We have tons of movies and books about dragons back home, but none of them seem to focus on what life's like for dragons, and I don't think you're the same kind of dragon. So how big's your hoard?" I asked.
The hallways all seemed kinda the same, but Spike seemed to know the way. He pushed open a pair of double-doors, and I swear I heard a happy sigh rumble from him. "This," he said, gesturing into the room, "is my hoard."
I stepped inside the expansive room. It was huge, yet claustrophobic. "Where? I just see books."
"Don't ever let Twilight hear you say that." Spike laughed at a joke I didn't, apparently, get. "Anyway. This is my hoard. It was only one or two at first, and that helped me stay small, but then Twilight got busy, and I started looking after the place. Next thing I know I grow tall enough that my crest rubs against the ceiling of some rooms, and Smolder is asking me out on a date."
"You've got a girlfriend?" I asked.
Spike blushed--a fucking dragon just blushed--and nodded.
"Alright man! Put it there!" I held my hoof up, not realizing until it was too late that I didn't have the means to give a high-five--which is why I was surprised when Spike balled up a hand and bumped my hoof. I lowered my leg as if I had intended that all along.
Shaking off my surprise that guys were still guys here, I looked around the huge library. It wasn't that it seemed big to my smaller size, but that the place was massive. There were books everywhere, wall-to-wall, and stacked taller than Spike stood.
"Yeah. There's a lot of good books here," he said, somehow knowing I was so shocked by the size of the place.
"How many books do you have?"
"Uh..." Spike turned his head this way and that, narrowed his eyes, and then smiled. "Two hundred and fifteen thousand, six hundred and two."
"Exactly?" I asked.
"Yeah. I'm a dragon and this is my hoard. I know how many books are here, where each is, and even the ones ponies have borrowed." He walked over to the wall and lifted one book out. "This one was the first Twilight ever got. You should take it for your dad."
"What?" I was a bit confused. "Aren't dragons supposed to kill people for taking stuff from their hoard?"
"Kill people? This is a library. I like lending books out. I am a librarian after all." He walked down the row of books, hand out and casually brushing each book as he passed. Spike even hummed. "Anything you might be interested in? Maybe a history book?"
I scoffed. "History book? Man. And I thought you were cool."
"This one," Spike said, "Was written by a friend about a big fight that happened over thirty thousand years ago. She was there."
Despite myself I was interested--it wasn't like my computer'd be turning up for a week or so. "Hold on. How can you know her if it happened thousands of years ago, and you're not a hundred yet?"
To my horror, Spike reached for a second book. "Then you'll want this one, too. It wasn't written by Somnambula, but by Stygian--one of her friends. This one's signed, so please be careful with it."
"You're worse than my teachers and--uh..." I looked at the small stack of books he had, then turned and looked at myself. "Where do I put them?"
"I am a teacher, Saf. Twilight runs a school as well as her share of duties with Equestria. I've been helping out there, but Twilight said for me to come and make sure your Mom got everything she needed. So here I am keeping her son entertained." There was a load of sarcasm in his voice that was unmistakable.
"I bet he's pretty cool," I said.
"Who, her son? Nah, he's kinda lame and doesn't like books. Besides, he keeps complaining about how cool dragons are." Spike walked to one side and picked up what looked like a pair of old backpacks that were joined together.
I walked after Spike, curiosity getting the better of me. "Would he be less lame if he read books?" To my shock, Spike dropped the backpacks on my back. They hung evenly one both sides like they were made to be there. Duh. Of course they were made to be there.
"I don't know. Maybe if he said how awesome dragons are it might help his coolness." Lifting the books up, Spike put the smaller two into one side of the backpacks and the heavy one the other side to balance it.
"Alright. Hell. Dragons are cool," I said.
"Much cooler."
"And sarcastic."
"Also true. Wanna go back down now, or do some reading?" Spike really didn't seem fussed about either option.
Thinking for a few moments, I realized it was pretty cool to get away from my family, and he was right--dragons are cool and sarcastic. At least, all the dragons I'd met so far were. "I could hang out and read, I guess."
As I spoke, it became apparent which option Spike was actually happier to do, and I'd picked right. His smile grew, and without even looking he just reached out and selected a book off the shelf. "There's some comfortable couches and things down that way."
I walked in the direction Spike had pointed, getting more used to four legs by being careful not to trip with the books slung over my back. It wasn't far to the reading area, but by the time I reached it my legs were starting to wobble.
A clawed hand plucked the packs off my back and lifted them aside. "Which one do you want first?" he asked.
"The fight one. I'm not tired enough to sleep." I didn't manage to put dragon levels of sarcasm into my voice, but I managed to get a chuckle from Spike.
Spike waited for me to settle with my chosen book before he approached the big fireplace at the end of the room. He lifted a solid log of wood into it, then pursed his lips and blew. My book was forgotten as I witnessed a real live dragon breathing real (but not live) green fire. The log caught after just a second or two of breathing and started to crackle.
"Ho--ly shit," I said.
Looking way too smug for his own good, Spike curled up close to the fire and started reading his own book.
Opening the cover of the book, I read the title: The Pillars of Equestria vs The Terrible Sirens by Somnambula. I'd heard about sirens before, but my brain couldn't give me much more than them being sea monsters. I flicked past the opening pages until I found the story. |
The Embassy | Chapter 6 | Philip Ree
I raised my eyebrow at my son. "A book for children?" Never mind that I had no idea how to even pick it up, it was still confusing. "How will this help?"
"Dad, it's not just a book for children. It's a book for unicorn foals. It helps them learn to use magic," Saffron said.
How he was holding the book with what seemed to be just a hoof was the only remaining mystery, but now I was more curious about the book. "Okay. Where'd you get it then?"
We were sitting in one of the bedrooms of the suite we'd been assigned to. Clair was in the living room speaking to Starlight--still--and we were all just getting comfortable when Saf had brought back his load of books looking way too smug for the fact he was an almost-adult trapped in a child's body.
"A dragon gave it to me." He looked about a smug as any teen could. "He picked it out himself, and then we sat down and read some books while Mom was talking to Starlight. I kinda get the impression that Princess Twilight's kinda a big thing here."
"She has her own castle, her own staff, and runs a school. From what I understand, she was instrumental in securing the other human world's support, and has saved the world more times than you have limbs." As I worked up to the pun, and delivered it, I watched Saf's eyes roll in the tried and true teenager style.
"You haven't heard the half of it, Dad. I was reading about a bunch of ponies thousands of years ago who defeated and banished a group of sirens! Huge monsters that can control ponies with their minds. But the craziest thing? The ponies who did it are still alive. I haven't read how, yet, but Spike assured me it was true, and I have the book about that adventure." Saf was actually flushed by the time he got to the end of his explanation--I'd honestly never seen him so excited about something that wasn't a video game before. "Why're you looking at me like that for?"
"Like what?" I asked.
"Like--Ugh! All this pony stuff is getting to me. I'm going to practice using my wings." Saf turned and left the room.
I looked down at the book and rubbed my chin with one hoof. So far I'd tried to use magic just once, and after Moon Dancer had cleaned up the mess I'd made, I'd promised not to do it again. This was different, though.
Turning the first page, I looked through and realized this really was aimed at foals, but it was well written enough that I could see the exercises it got them to do. The first was easy. Feel my magic, breathe in and let it build, then just relax.
"This is just like Yoga. Focused breathing and concentration." I sat up, faced the wall, closed my eyes, and tried to focus on that strange energy I'd felt when I'd painted a room purple.
Inhale. Building my magic.
Exhale. Relax.
I tingled all over, but nowhere more so than my forehead. The place where my horn met my head practically buzzed, but not in a bad way. I felt raw potential build in me as I did the exercise again, then the exhale released it harmlessly.
Over and over, I built the magic up and slowly let it out. All my yogis and all their talk of vital energy were nothing like the real thing. I quickly lost count, relaxing into a slow rhythm of inhale and exhale that worked magic through me again and again.
"Philip? Dear, are you awake?" Clair's voice came from somewhere in the room.
I lifted my head, feeling more than a little spaced out, and nodded. Then I remembered words. "Y-Yeah. Wow. I tried some exercises for my magic, and it is really amazing." Even shaking my head didn't clear the serenity that I felt. I was calm, relaxed, practically sleep-walking, but fully awake.
"Do you want to come outside? The city is throwing a party for us."
"The city?" I asked.
"Well, the mare Twilight warned me about. She's been organizing this huge celebration that's supposed to encompass a party for us coming here, Twilight's success, and all of our birthdays rolled into one. If I had to guess, I'd say she snorts caffeine and sugar by the pound." Clair's voice got closer and closer until she nuzzled my cheek.
I turned my head so we could kiss, then we both giggled ourselves silly at the mechanics of kissing with snouts. "Well, we can't really skip out on over a hundred a forty years of birthday parties. Though, you are tempting me to."
"Philip Ree. We've been turned into ponies for just two days and you're already getting frisky?"
"Yes."
"Hold that thought until later. We'll go, have some cake and meet everyone, then come back and see what's different about tab A and slot B," Clair said.
That kind of language I couldn't ignore. Turning fully to face her, I could see Clair in the strong lines of her body, the way she held herself, but what sold me on the mare being my wife was her eyes. A shiver ran through me, and I climbed carefully off the bed. "Tab A?"
"Yes. Tab A. I'm sure you have one still, and unless something really strange happened since I last used the bathroom, I definitely have a Slot B. But that's not on the cards until after the party. Come on." She turned back for the door and opened it.
I took one glance back at the book about magic, and promised myself I'd come back to it. If there was even one more exercise half as relaxing as what I'd just done, it would be worth it. "Coming, dear."
Leaving the room, I saw Clair and Riley waiting by the front door. Clair gave me the look that said He's your son, and nodded her head toward a doorway.
Delivering my best smile, I headed for the room. I knocked.
"I said I'm not going!" Saf said from inside.
I knocked again. The problem with Saf being stubborn is he got it from both Clair and me. "I can knock all night, Saf."
The sound of hoofsteps preceded the door opening. "I'm not going, Dad. I don't have to go."
"You'll make a mare sad." As soon as I said it, I saw one distinct eyebrow on Saf's face rise. "Starlight explained about her. Pinkie Pie is persistent. She won't stop pushing if she thinks you need a party. Besides, there'll be girls there."
Saf snorted. "Pony girls. And I don't care what--"
"Saf, come on. I read the damn book and everything," I said.
"You really read it? How'd it go?" This was the better Saffron than the belligerent teen. Curious Saf was easier to persuade.
"I got as far as the first exercise and nearly freaked out at how relaxing and amazing it is. Real magic feels so--so real. Now get your ass out here, Saf. I'm not going through this alone." As I turned from the room, Saf let out a groan and followed.
Starlight Glimmer led us outside the rooms where our escort waited. Four colts--trained military men--looked particularly annoyed. They were missing their guns. Each of the four glared in any direction but that of the two Royal Guard that looked as stoic as our guards should have.
"Captain Bell, this is a social event. You are off duty tonight." Clair gave Bell a look that I'd long since learned to nod along to, though he seemed resistant. "Ms Glimmer has assured me that we will be safe."
"Sir. Starlight Glimmer explained the situation. The Royal Guard normally wouldn't attend upon such an event--particularly not here--but if we are needed, you just need to shout," one of the big Royal Guard said.
Bell looked unsure, but then he marched up to the Royal Guard and looked up at him as if height didn't matter at all. "If you were in a foreign land, and your princess asked you to put your weapons down and leave her without defense, would you do it?"
"Yes, Captain."
"Would you like it?"
"No, Captain." The Royal Guardspony had a lopsided smile now.
For a moment Bell looked like he might say something else, but in the end he grunted and turned to his squad. "We're going in a strictly observational capacity. No fraternization and no distractions. Got it?"
"Yes, sir!" three voices called.
And with that, it seemed, we were safe to move. I fell in beside Clair, who walked behind Starlight. Conversation was nonexistent until we got outside. The light of a bright moon in the sky lit up the world with a pale, pure light that proved brighter than the magic lighting that seemed to permeate the castle.
Waiting outside for us was an amazing pony. She stood bigger than even our guards, and her deep blue coat was perfectly uniform all over. She bore cloven hooves and a horn like a unicorn, but she also had the wings of a pegasus and a solid build I'd come to associate with an earth pony.
Her mane and tail were astounding, capturing the night sky in flowing waves that could only be magic. The mark on her flank--that everypony but us had--was a dark black splotch with a white moon on it.
"Princess Luna! It's great to see you!" Starlight Glimmer practically bounced over to the bigger mare, bubbly and excited. What had jolted my little world was what her prancing gait had revealed.
Freezing for a moment as I realized how exposed we were, my American sensibilities tried to scream at me, compelling me to think one, horrible word--naked.
Clair covered for me. She leaned across and kissed my cheek. "You saw that too, Philip?"
I could only nod a little.
"She arches her tail more than even Twilight did. I'm surprised it took you this long. Oh. Don't look now. I need to go play diplomat. I'll be back in a moment." Clair kissed me again and walked after Starlight. Clair held her tail down, I noticed.
I turned to our children. "Saf, did you--?"
"Yeah, Dad. I saw it," Saf said.
"Saw what?" Riley looked about as if there was something she missed, then realized she'd missed a whole princess.
I reached out a hoof to gently catch my daughter, and distract her from a visiting head of state, but she seemed to plow past me without my attempts to stop her hindering at all. "Riley Ree."
Riley froze and slowly turned to look at me.
"Wait for your mother to invite you over. We might be having a fun evening, but she's here to work." My admonishment might have worked had not pony hearing been sharper than human.
Riley was walking back to me when Princess Luna caught up with her. "This is your family, Clair Ree?" Her voice was very careful and sounded like a princess' should.
"Of course, Princess Luna. This is my husband, Philip Ree, this is our son, Saffron Ree, and this is our daughter Riley Ree. Our four escorts are our guards." Clair made gestures to introduce each of us, and as Luna's gaze swept past, I had the vaguest sense of eternity in her look.
"I am pleased to welcome you to Equestria. My sister would be here, but she had a particularly difficult situation to take care of." Princess Luna gazed to Riley after meeting the looks of everyone else. She looked at our excitable daughter for nearly a minute--quiet. "Canst I race thou to the square?"
"What?" The words had disarmed Riley for long enough that Princess Luna took off at a gallop.
"She wants to race you, doofus," Saf said.
Riley's hooves were a blur of motion, and she was suddenly galloping after Princess Luna as fast as she could. I turned to look at Clair. "This is a strange place."
Clair Ree
"You don't know the half of it. It's a party, let's just..." I trailed off, fishing for the words to explain my feel for the event. I was at the point of mentally surrendering and begging Starlight to carry me back inside with her magic.
When Philip's lips met my cheek, however, the weariness faded. I nuzzled him in return. "Better?" he asked.
I nodded. "Much better. I think we can trust Riley's safety to Princess Luna. In the meantime, let's get to this party."
The walk to town was much more sedate than Princess Luna or Riley's, but we made it all the same. As we walked, I turned to Starlight. "How is it everyone can understand us?" I asked.
"Well, Twilight used a universal translation spell on herself when she went to your world, but we decided it would be best if everyone who came through the portal and was trans--What was that word again?" Starlight asked.
"Transmogrified," I said.
"Right. Everyone who gets transmogrified into a pony will have the Ponish language bestowed upon them. We just figured that would be the easiest way, rather than making you all learn it from scratch." Starlight Glimmer waved a hoof in the air as if learning a language would still only be a minor inconvenience.
"Was there anything else done as part of that?" I wasn't exactly angry--it was a useful thing--but a lack of transparency at this point was not appreciated. My tone wasn't chilly, just a little flat.
Starlight seemed to slump a little. "That was my fault. I totally should have had Twilight tell you about that. It was really such a minor thing, and I was completely focused on getting the main part of the spell right, that I forgot about it."
I raised an eyebrow.
"What? Oh! No, that is the extent of things," Starlight Glimmer said.
"Thank you, Starlight. I'll make sure to report that we were duly notified of such." It was a bone--a favor--but trading favors with high-ranking officials was part of politics. "Let's forget about it for now and enjoy the evening."
I had to wonder how politically involved Starlight actually was. The look she gave me made me think she truly thought that would be the end of things. Well, even if she weren't aware of the undertones, she would remember I did something nice for her.
Was I corrupting ponies? Was this how the evil of politics spread? They mentioned previous contact with another human civilization, surely they have encountered this before--Starlight must just be out of the loop. Which meant I was wasting my time using it on her.
"Princess Luna seemed happy to be here," I said.
"Oh yes. This was where Twilight Sparkle freed Luna of the influence of Nightmare Moon." Starlight seemed nervous about that, like there was more to it. "And she has had some--from what I've heard--good times here."
Fascinating as it was, I honestly did want to just unwind. It had been two long days so far, and even without anything to show for it, I needed to relax.
Our slow walk took us all the way to the edge of the party, which is where the ambush happened.
It began so quickly that none of us were prepared.
"There you are! Have a cupcake! Have ten! I baked them all myself!" Pinkie Pie had, as she spoke, produced no less than three trays of the most amazing cupcakes. I could smell literally all the wonderful flavors that I could imagine, and every single one of them looked to have more sugar than was probably healthy.
But Pinkie Pie had offered them, and I couldn't say no. Which brought up the problem of me not knowing how to hold things with anything but my mouth. I looked longingly at the cupcakes.
"What's the matter?" Pinkie Pie asked.
It wasn't that I didn't know there was some way to hold things with a hoof--Pinkie was doing it right now--but I couldn't work it out. "I've only been here a day, I haven't worked out how to hold things yet."
"Aww, well that's no good!" Somehow, Pinkie Pie set one of the trays to balance on her head while she gave her chin a good tap. I was still uncomfortably aware that she was balancing on one hoof. "Oh! I know the way to fix this. We use the patent-pending Pinkie Pie food-gobbling-face-plant technique!"
As I watched, she held up a tray of cupcakes and literally smooshed her face down into them. It looked like a mess--cake everywhere--but when she lifted her head up, Pinkie had somehow gotten them all into her mouth, and gulped them down.
"Now you try!"
"How did--?" I asked.
"No, no, no! Don't ask, just do!" Pinkie made an expressive gesture with the hoof that no longer held the tray she'd cleaned off, indicating the tray before me.
I looked down at a tray of cakes, and could visualize how silly I'd look if--if whatever magic she used didn't work on me. Well, silliness was its own way of fitting in. Opening my mouth wide, I dove at the tray.
"You did it!" Pinkie Pie had procured a small artillery piece that deployed confetti from somewhere, and fired it into the air.
As I closed my mouth, a dozen delicious flavors hit me. The most amazing cakes, wonderful icing, frosting that left my legs wobbling. Pure. Perfect. Bliss. But I had to gulp it down, something else that seemed strangely easy. "Those are amazing, Pinkie."
"Thanks!" The compliment seemed to inflate Pinkie's mood to new heights. "But we have important birthdayarrivalversary stuff we have to do now!"
From the corner of my eye I saw Princess Luna striding through the crowd purposefully. She had a bright smile on her face, and my daughter on her back. I drew my attention back to Pinkie Pie, and felt the world brighten as I did so--I was distinctly glad I wasn't diabetic. "Lead on!"
With Pinkie Pie taking charge, I quickly looked and saw Philip being left behind--a smile on his face. Who cares? Let him have fun his way, I was going to embrace this cultural moment.
"Everypony!" Somehow Pinkie Pie was heard over everyone present, and the whole town went quiet to listen. "Welcome to the third birthdayarrivalversary I've ever held. Tonight's is in honor of Clairilee, her family, and friends!"
I tried to correct her, but like they sensed it being the right moment, everyone cheered and stomped their hooves. Every face in the crowd turned to me as the stomping and shouting stopped.
It was time for some charm. I quickly adjusted my headspace to accommodate a few new things. "Hello everypony! Thanks for welcoming me and my family, as well as my nation! I'm so happy to be here tonight to make a lot of new friends!"
As the crowd exploded, hooves going wild and cheering amassing like a storm, I felt a warm sensation spread through me. This wasn't what I'd signed on for, but the raw excitement and exuberance was impossible to deny--they loved meeting new people and making new friends.
I was cheating, of course. Twilight Sparkle being the princess of friendship was a dead give away. Slipping everypony and friend into my little speech was simple, but it paid off. Dammit, Jeff, you were right.
"Okay, this one is going to be even more tricky." Pinkie Pie had slid back up beside me with a large wooden mug of some liquid. "Have you ever caught food mid-air?"
My brain made the connection. "Like cheez-its?"
"Yes! Now, CATCH!" As Pinkie Pie shouted, she banged the bottom of the mug with her hoof.
I watched the liquid inside the mug exit the top as a single mass. My reflexes pushed me, and leaning forward I opened my mouth and sighted down my nose.
The drink hung in the air. I lunged forward and snapped my mouth closed around it. Wild stomping and cheering came from the ponies around me as a spicy apple drink hit my taste buds. I gulped the drink down and realized it was a dry, aged cider.
Gasping in delight, I actually felt so happy I bounced on my hooves in excitement. Whatever else I could say about ponies, their mood was catching. "That was delicious."
"Ah'd say this's the first time somepony from another universe liked my cider, but it ain't." An orange-furred mare with platinum mane, who happened to have the thickest country accent I'd ever heard, tipped her hat in my direction. "But it's good t' see it ain't lost its touch. M'name's Applejack."
"You made this? It's wonderful," I said. "Hold on, Twilight mentioned your name once, one of her closest friends?"
"Sure am," Applejack said with a widening smile.
"My name--" I said.
"Clairilee. Ah heard. Welcome to Ponyville, Clairilee--Equestria too, Ah guess."
If I was going to fight this, now was the time. "Well, it's actually--"
"Darlings! Who do we have here?" A new arrival, a unicorn mare who shared Saffron's white fur but bearing an exquisitely pampered mane and tail of pure violet, blinked her blue eyes at me.
"Howdy Rarity. This here's Clairilee. She's the new ambassador Twi sent over," Applejack said.
I was undone. Everyone--everypony--would know me as Clairilee before the night was over. My despair must have shown because Rarity (the name rang a bell, possibly another of Twilight's named friends) reached out a dainty, split hoof for my chin and tilted my jaw up.
"What has you so sad, dear? You really should smile more." Rarity looked into my eyes, concern radiating from her in a flood of empathy that no amount of social differences could deny. She succeeded. "There you go. Much better. Now what had you down, Clairilee?"
It was impossible. A tidal wave of ponies all knowing me as Clairilee seemed arrayed and ready to reinforce the name. I was stuck. "I'm sure it's nothing. I'm pleased to meet you, Rarity."
Her reaction encompassed delight and acceptance. "A sentiment I share, of course." Rarity seemed on the verge of saying something, teetering back and forth, but then she made her decision. "Oh. I simply have to ask. Do humans wear clothes where you're from?"
Left field, here's the fly-ball!
I blinked away my confusion. "Yes. All the time."
"Just like the other one, then. It must be so wonderful!" Rarity seemed to trail off into her own happy-land, only to snap back sharply. "Oh, but I'm rambling. The other humans who came here kept complaining about a lack of clothes, and when Twilight sent word that you were coming--well--I might have made a few things for you."
Rarity got my full attention. It had been bugging me, but it had felt normal to just walk around. "H-How did you know our sizes?"
"Well, I didn't. I made a range of clothes in all different and varied sizes. I'll be able to customize any of them to fit, of course, and there's a range of things for stallions or mares. I admit I wasn't prepared for you bringing foals, or so many, but I can make something for them too." The more Rarity spoke about making clothes, the more animated she became.
"Thank you so much. I believe I'll be coming to visit in the morning. Is there something I can pay you with?" I asked.
"Oh no, darling no, no, no! When it is a fashion emergency, I will not have it be said that I failed to heed the call." Rarity waved off the very idea with one hoof, then flicked her mane. "Of course, should there be something later I might like, perhaps you could help me with it?"
I'd walked right into it. A careless step while offguard and I was indebted to a pony already. After promising to come in the morning, I couldn't very well just not. She had won, and proved to me in a subtle way that ponies did play politics. Or, at least business (which is just selfish politics).
"Well, of course we can, assuming it's not a national safety issue. Business is one element I am here to promote, after all," I said.
"Perfect. I'll see you in the mor--" Rarity was interrupted by the sound of thunder overhead.
Heads craned up just in time to see a wash of rainbow colors streaming across the sky. I know I stared, eyes fixed on the patterns that seemed to rush out in a circular wave from one point. As I looked, I saw the source of the rainbow pattern--a single pegasus.
Wearing some kind of skintight costume of blue, gold, and white, they buzzed past the gathering at a low enough altitude that some hooves were raised high enough for the mystery pegasus to clop their own against. When they swung back around, the daredevil seemed to be coming right at me.
I started to panic, and was ready to jump aside when I realized no one (nopony?) else seemed the least bit worried. Standing my ground, the blue-clad pegasus slammed into the ground in front of me, executing a perfect (if amazing) landing. "Hi! I'm Rainbow Dash!"
Another name I remembered from Twilight's chats. I put on my almost real smile for her.
"This here's Clairilee," Applejack said.
Rainbow Dash made a pair of awkward chuckles. "It's good to meet you, Clair Ree." The way she said my name was distinctly separated. Her eyes seemed to twinkle in the bonfire light of the evening.
With an articulate groan, Rarity delivered a haughty look to Rainbow. "No no, Rainbow, it's Clairilee, not Clair Ree. Honestly..."
"Huh? My mistake. Twilight told me all about you in a letter. If you need something, just ask for me." Rainbow Dash struck a pose as she made the pronouncement.
"Well there is one thing," I said. Applejack looked the happiest at my words, while Rarity and Rainbow just looked interested. "I don't know if you heard, but my son and one of our guards have turned into pegasi. I don't know if you have had any experience training people--ponies--but if you could help them learn to fly that would be great."
"Huh." Rainbow Dash looked puzzled for almost a second before her face lit up. "Teach some newbies how to fly? Are you kidding? I was born to fly. This'll be a piece of cake!"
"Will tomorrow morning be too early?" I asked.
"Are you kidding? I didn't make top solo flier of the Wonderbolts by sleeping in half the day!"
Applejack snorted loudly in derision, and Rarity shook her head.
Since I'd already won my concession from her, I decided it was time to let her gloat a little. "What are the Wonderbolts?"
Apparently, talking about the Wonderbolts was even more exciting for Rainbow Dash than talking about herself.
Riley Ree
"And you have a castle of your own, too?" I had to crane my head to look up at Princess Luna. She was big--bigger than Mom--and I was so small I had to run to keep up with her walking. She'd carried me around for a while, but then she put me down and told me I needed to get used to walking.
Princess Luna looked down to me, then she craned her head to look up. "I don't have a castle, but I have the moon."
Confusion reigned. I looked up at the moon now and tilted my head to the side. "You have the--?" My left forehoof caught on something and I started to tumble. Life was unfair, but ponies were awesome. I didn't even hit the ground before pretty blue light flared around me. "Thanks!"
"You're welcome, Riley." Princess Luna floated me back to my hooves, but she stopped and kept looking up. "Yes. It is my moon. Would you like to see it up close?"
I nodded, unable to even think of doing anything but agreeing.
Her horn flaring even brighter blue than when she'd caught me, Princess Luna looked up at the moon.
I couldn't breath, think, or say anything. The moon moved closer, growing larger and larger until it took up nearly three times as much space in the sky. "Wow. That's amazing."
"I'm glad you like it, Riley. I had better put it back before my sister notices. She gets upset with me if I play with the sky too much," Princess Luna said.
"She's your big sister?" I asked.
"Yes, Riley. My big sister." Princess Luna sounded a little sad, but also proud.
I thought about my own sibling. "Saffron's my big brother. He can be a real meanie when he wants to be."
"I was mean to my sister. We said things neither of us meant. We got in an argument and I lost my temper." Leaning down, Princess Luna looked directly at me. "Disagreements are okay, Riley, but don't say things you don't mean to important ponies."
"Yeah." I looked up at Princess Luna and chewed on my lip a little. "Besides, he's my big brother. It's my job to remind him he isn't all that."
Princess Luna's face broke into a smile. "I wish I'd had a diligent little sister like you back then. It might have saved me learning a long lesson about egos."
"Well, tonight I can be your little sister!" I said.
Princess Big Sister Luna's eyes widened before she let loose a laugh. "Come, Riley! Would you like to fly?"
I tried to jump onto her back again, but my chances of making the jump were less than zero--without Big Sister Luna giving me a boost with her magic.
"Are you holding on?" Big Sister Luna asked.
About to ask how I would hold on with hooves, the breath was shoved from my throat by Big Sister Luna jumping into the air.
Saffron Ree
"Uh, Dad?" I asked. "Is that Riley riding around on the blue princess' back?"
"She was earlier. What's so--" Dad stopped talking and craned his head upwards in the same direction as mine. He focused on the same thing I did: Riley squealing and riding on Princess Luna's back high above our heads. "See? This is why I can't come to these things alone."
I watched as said princess did a loop-the-loop over our heads while all the ponies around us cheered her on. "Aren't we going to, I don't know, stop her?"
Dad had stopped looking up. "She's a princess, Saf. This is a Mom thing. None of our business."
Asking, But what if she falls? died in my throat. I remembered how Starlight had caught Riley earlier, and obviously Princess Luna was some kind of super unicorn or something as well as being a super pegasus and--
"Hi!" My train of thought was completely derailed by a blue pegasus pony. She looked at me expectantly.
I tried to think of what to reply with. She stood a bit taller than me, though not as tall as Dad, and she was wearing some kind of super tight outfit. "Uh, hi? I'm Saf."
"Saffron, right?" she asked. When I nodded, she started to walk around me. "Yeah, your Mom asked if I could help you learn to fly. I mean, I guess I can, but you do you want to fly, Saf?"
"Y-Yeah, but my wings--" I said.
"Your wings are fine. They're just a little twitchy is all. Can you spread 'em?" she asked.
"Every time I try to use them for anything, my legs mess up." I glared directly into the face of the mare's overconfident smile. "Alright. Alright. Hold on and be ready for my dirtnap." Bracing my legs as much as I could, I slowly started to unfold my wings. As soon as the joint I associated with being my elbow started to move, my legs wobbled.
"Stop. I think I got it. Fold 'em back up, Saf. You're kinda lucky, you know?" she asked.
From experience, I knew she was waiting for a sign from me to continue. "Why?"
"Because your mom got the best flier in all Equestria to help get you flying. Forget about your wings tonight, Saf, you'll be flying by the end of the week, or my name's not Rainbow Dash."
I snorted. "You're kidding, right? Best flier in Equestria? How can you even make a claim like that?"
"You see this uniform? They don't just hand these out to anypony. I'm the number one solo stunt flier for the Wonderbolts, which makes me the best flier--period. But hey, you've got some growing left to do. You might become second best one day, Saffron."
Ugh. She was worse than Gravy. I was about to open my mouth and say something stupid, but her look told me she wanted that. "I'll be a better flier than you one day, Rainbow Crash."
Her subsequent fall sideways to literally roll on the ground laughing caught me off-guard. I stared at her, completely disarmed until she managed to pull herself to her hooves again.
"S-Sorry, Saf, but you couldn't have picked a worse name to call me if you wanted to make me angry. Crash is my nickname. My first year in the Wonderbolts saw me crash into more stuff than anypony else in the history of the team. I'll see you in the morning, newbie." And with that, Rainbow Dash barely twitched her wings out and she shot into the air.
I craned my head to watch her rainbow tail zoom off into the night. She wasn't just fast. From what I saw, Rainbow Dash probably hadn't been lying.
"Dad, I--"
"I saw, Saf. I was right here. Looks like you're going to be busy tomorrow." Dad had a smile that I couldn't really get a read on--damn these pony faces.
To be perfectly honest, I did feel a bit wimpy just sitting around the castle. (Holy shit. How did that phrase become a thing?) Back on Earth I was used to going to the gym with Dad, Riley, and Mom twice a week. So far I had spent most of my time in Equestria sitting around reading, or trying to work out how to use my legs properly.
"Dad?" I asked. "You know what we really need?Like, a doctor for when people need to learn how to walk again. We need one of them."
"A physiotherapist? Not a bad idea. I'll ask Starlight about it tomorrow. You're actually doing pretty well here, Saf."
"Don't say that," I said.
"No. I mean it. You've made friends with a dragon who seems to have some of the best taste in books ever, you wind up with what I think is the pony equivalent of a gold medalist coaching you to fly, and you come up with good ideas for getting us all up to speed in these janky bodies." Dad sounded... proud.
"Dad. I'm like a little kid again. Look at me!" I stomped my hooves as I walked, showing off how lanky and uncoordinated I felt. "I have--like--twenty years before anyone will treat me like an adult!"
"Funny," Dad said. "That mare didn't treat you like a foal."
I wanted to growl, run to my room, turn some angry music up really loud and teach some noobs how to die in Battlefield. The best I could do like this, though, was grumble and stumble back to the castle so I could read a book and--and try not to cry. "I'm going over here, Dad."
Walking away from the crowd, I made my way to a big tree on the edge of town. Sitting down under it, I dropped my head into the shadows that the trunk offered from the light of the party.
And it was about then I realized there was someone--somepony--already here. I sat up and looked at the quiet pony. They seemed to be ignoring me. Instead of talking, introducing myself and striking up a conversation, I just lay back down and blew a snort out.
The night wore on, and my curiosity grew as to the identity of the big pony who lay in the shadows with me. From time to time I watched his eyes, green in the stray bits of moonlight they reflected, following somepony (crap, now I'm actually using it) around at the party.
It felt like hours passed, and maybe one or two had, but I couldn't stand it anymore. "Nice night out here."
"Eeyup," he said.
I almost asked if I was bugging him, but it was obvious I was. Without any idea what to say next, I just lay back down and waited.
"Y're quiet fer a pony," he said at last.
"I was angry. Normally I'd--I'd have other ways of calming down. Sitting down in a quiet place seemed pretty good." I didn't turn to look at him. We both just lay there and watched ponies breaking away from the party in ones, twos, and small groups. One pony started walking our way.
"Hey, Big Mac. Are you comin' home?" the mare asked. Standing the moonlight, I could see a light orange pelt, blonde mane and tail, and three apples on her flank.
"Eventually," my companion said.
I realized she hadn't even seen me in the dark. White fur I might have, but when there wasn't any light, white might as well be black.
"Well, y'all come home when you need to. 'K?"
"Eeyup."
The mare walked away, and I waited until my keen ears couldn't even hear her hoofsteps anymore before asking, "That your girlfriend?"
A bark of laughter erupted from the stallion. "Nnope. Sister."
"Maybe I should head back. I've got flying lessons in the morning."
"Eeyup."
As I pushed myself upward, my wings decided to shoot out to the sides, bending and flexing along with my forelegs' knees. Ignoring the errant limbs for a moment, I made sure to get my hooves down and legs stable first, then turned my attention to folding my wings.
Pulling my wings in a little at the time, I had to struggle to keep my legs from folding with them, but eventually I got my wings folded at my sides. Turning to face the (glowing) castle in the distance, I started putting one hoof before the other.
"If'n you ever want somewhere to relax without any noise, Sweet Apple Acres is pretty good."
I looked back in time to see the stallion stand up, and up, and up, and--Holy shit, he was huge. "S-Sure," I said and watched the monster of a pony walk away slowly in the opposite direction.
Looking back toward the castle, I started off again. |
The Embassy | Chapter 7 | Saffron Ree
I groaned as I stumbled out of my bedroom, looked around the main room of the suite, and almost did a double-take. Spike was serving plates of steaming hot pancakes onto the coffee table that my parents and sister were sitting at.
"Oh. Hey Saf. Hungry?" Spike asked.
Sparing not a thought for my wings being askew, or the fact I wasn't a unicorn, I practically magicked my way over to the couch and squeezed on beside Riley. Mom, Dad, and Riley all had their mouths full of pancake.
"Did you make this?" I asked.
Spike pushed a plate in front of me. There was a knife and fork, but I wasn't even sure how to begin at using those. "Uh, can I get some syrup on those?"
"Sure thing. What about some ice-cream?" Spike began applying syrup (I had no idea what kind).
"Ice-cream on pancakes? Sure!" I watched as he added a dollop of ice-cream on my pancake stack, and the heat melted it to dribble all down the side of them. It took just two seconds to work out how to attack the pancakes without knife and fork. I shoved my face down and took a big bite out of the stack.
Flavorsplosion was a word I could remember seeing in some kids breakfast cereal ad at some point, but until now I guess I didn't see the entirety of what it meant. Apparently flavorsplosion meant dragon-cooked Equestrian pancakes with mystery syrup and ice-cream on them.
"Saffron!" Mom said.
"Car taw, eafi," I said right back, my mouth full of pancake. When I looked over, I saw Mom taking her own bite, just as I had last. I wondered how she'd been eating them before that, but with the look of delight at my method working so well, she seemed to completely ignore any further complaints about my way of eating.
"You know," Spike said, "there's no better compliment to a cook than to silence his diners. Well, except for gemstones."
I chewed up and swallowed my mouthful and looked at him. "Gemstones? I thought your hoard was books?"
"It is. Gemstones aren't for hoarding, they're for eating." And with that, Spike pulled a ruby (it was red, I assumed it was a ruby) the size of my hoof out of nowhere, and he bit into it like an apple. He lifted it back from his teeth and I could clearly see the big bite mark.
"That was awesome. How hard are your teeth?" I asked.
Spike flashed me his best smile. Terror shouldn't have been my reaction, but this predator just showed me a huge array of teeth that could cut through a gemstone like it was an apple. I gulped.
"Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you. In some ways it's hard to get used to being a bigger dragon. I used to be about the same size as you when we first moved in here." Taking another bite of the gemstone, I could hear his teeth crunching away at it, reducing the ruby to--well--chewed up gem dust.
He just got the mouthful of gems down when he used his fist to bump his chest. Spike's eyes widened, and he quickly tilted his head away from looking at me just in time to let loose a broad green blast of flame.
A scroll dropped out of the fire of Spike's breath, and almost landed on my stack of pancakes. Spike caught the rolled up paper just in time. "Hey, this is from Twilight." He broke the seal and unrolled the scroll, then held it up. "I'm sending the next eight soldiers and Frank Hollings. On your advice, older soldiers were sent. They should be arriving within an hour."
I'd never seen Mom gulp down food so quickly before. She jumped to her hooves and looked around. "Can you send a message back?" she asked.
"Sure. I can even write it out for you," Spike said producing paper, an ink well, and a quill from somewhere. "Alright, go."
"Clair Ree, 28443194, you get that?" Mom waited for Spike to nod before continuing. "Please include a medic with physio therapy experience, specializing in amputation and prosthetic therapy."
"That's it?" Spike asked. When Mom nodded, Spike tossed the parchment into the air and blew on it. Green fire erupted from Spike's lips and incinerated the paper. The paper was gone completely. "All done."
"Thank you, Spike." Mom sat back down and took another big bite of the pancakes on her plate.
I got back to eating, and only just finished the last bite on my plate when there was a knock on the door. Passphrases were exchanged, and the doors opened.
"Hey. I'm here to teach some squirt how to fly?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Yeah. That's me," I said standing up. "We going now?"
"You just get done with a pile of Spike's pancakes?"
I nodded.
"Then come on. Daylight's wasting." She turned and trotted back out.
I looked to Mom and Dad. "Uh..."
"You'd better go. I spent a lot of effort talking her into this." Mom looked entirely too satisfied.
Keeping my wings tucked, I got up and turned to Spike. Carefully, I lifted a hoof and held it up to him. "Thanks for breakfast."
"Hey. No problems. Glad you enjoyed it." Spike stuck out his arm and closed his hand into a fist before it met my hoof. I don't know why, but it felt good to have a friend--even if he was like five times my age. "Don't crash too much."
I grinned like an idiot and and walked for the door. I didn't realize it at first, but when I passed the door way faster than what I intended, I realized I wasn't just walking--I was trotting. I'd seen ponies doing this, but now that my legs had found their rhythm, it just felt right.
"Hey. You're movin' pretty good there. What's got you're engine going all of a sudden?" Rainbow Dash slipped in beside me, her hooves easily matching mine.
"Just stuff that is better here. Back home I only kinda had two friends. One of them grew up to be an asshole, the other almost wound up being my girlfriend. Spike is--He's pretty awesome." I tried to shrug my shoulders, like it wasn't anything, but it broke the spell I had going. My forelegs lost time and I started to fall sideways.
A blue wing shot out faster than I could fall and grabbed my back. Rainbow didn't need much to brace against my mass, and she kept all four hooves on the floor. "Keep the gestures for when you aren't trotting. Or at least wait another twenty years before trying that again." It rolled off her tongue like she'd just said one year. It was an amount of time, but in the pony scheme of things it was nothing.
"Thanks." I got my hooves under me again and balanced on them. "How long until we start being able to balance on these?"
"You could be already if you didn't spend so much time reading books. Don't get me wrong, some books are totally awesome, but Spike has no idea what a good book is." Rainbow stepped up to the front door and pushed it open. "You're problem is you have new limbs now, I get that. I've even helped somepony else with hers.
"But your new limbs come with complications. Legs, wings--heck--even your tail is new, right?" Rainbow waited for me to nod. "So come on, lets get outside and move."
She didn't give me time to complain or say anything at all. Rainbow Dash took off at a trot and left me to catch up. I walked a few steps, and then trotting just clicked again. My wings kept wanting to spread out, but I kept them tight at my sides.
Rainbow Dash jumped into the air with ease and began flying backwards. "Spread your wings a bit. Don't try to open them, just stop holding them closed."
"I'll just fall over," I said.
"Maybe. And if you do, so what. Get back up and try again." Rainbow floated to my right side, her wings not just keeping her upright, but moving sideways at the same speed I was trotting. She used her forehooves to carefully tease my right wing away from me.
As soon as Rainbow got enough force on my wing to overcome my urge to keep it pinned down, both wings snapped out and began moving in time to my forelegs. "How is this better?" I asked.
"You can feel the air pushing back on your wings, right?"
"Yeah." It took a second for it to click what was happening. "Yeah, it is!"
"That should keep them a little out of sync with your legs, which should help train your brain to the difference between them." Rainbow Dash dropped back to her hooves and was immediately trotting at my side again. "Let's do two laps of town like this, okay?"
It was good to exercise, and better to have company while doing it. I nodded and tried to lengthen my trot a little as Rainbow Dash did.
After one lap of the town I barely felt like I'd been working, but by the time we swung back to the castle after the second one, my legs were starting to feel like they'd done work. Not to mention my weakly flapping wings.
We had a crowd of ponies watching us pull up after the second lap. And I mean crowd. I could see a pile of unicorns, earth ponies, and a few pegasi. One of the pegasi--a mare that everyone else made room for--stepped out front. "You're Rainbow Dash?" she asked.
"Yeah, gimme a sec to get Saf cooled down." Rainbow Dash pointed at the lake behind the castle. Beyond it was another big, crystalline building but I could tell she was pointing to the lake. "Get your butt in there and guzzle down as much water as you feel you need. Looks like the rest of my class is here.
"Now! Who's in charge of you lot?"
I ignored the milling mass--and Rainbow's loud voice--and did as I was told. My everything felt warm, and that water looked really good. I didn't stop as I reached the bank, just walked right in.
"H-Hello? You're one of the new people Twilight sent over, aren't you?" a female voice said barely above a whisper.
My ears had turned to track the voice, and I saw a yellow mare with pink hair doing her best to hide behind a bush. I stepped further into the water so that my wings were resting on the surface. "Yeah. My name's Saf."
"I-I'm Fluttershy. Rainbow asked me to come and teach you about wing care," she said, still not giving up the safety of her bush.
"Wing care?" I tried to lift a wing, and my foreleg on that side twitched. If I weren't in the water I would have fallen. "Like what?" I asked.
"Your feathers need to be preened, oiled, and checked. I-I can help you, but you need to learn how to do it on your own, too." Fluttershy advanced on me, apparently realizing that I was probably less capable of chasing her than she thought. "When you feel comfortable again, you can hop out of the water and I can show you what you need to do."
I moved slowly, not because I was trying not to startle her, but because the water combined with my tired legs forced the matter. As I climbed out of the water, I couldn't believe how much heavier I was. Water poured off me, but the weight of what was still in my fur was too much.
"Oh dear! You poor, poor thing." Fluttershy hadn't caught me in time from faceplanting on the ground. Soft hooves carefully rolled me to my side and probed my legs, chest, and face.
I had a flashback to Candy, and a little shiver ran through me as I relaxed. When she took her hooves away, I jerked to and opened my eyes. "I'll get used to these legs sooner or later."
"Well, nothing broken. Can I please take a look at your wing?" Fluttershy asked.
My brain had the consistency of a well-trained puppy at that point. I rolled over to my belly, secured my legs by dint of laying on them, and tried to stretch out my wing.
I could still feel my legs trying to move under me, but my weight (and the weight of the water in my fur) was plenty to keep them from dancing about. Not that I had much control over my wings. I could stretch them most of the way out, but flapping them didn't seem to do much.
"Look at the state of these feathers." Her tone had changed from concerned for safety to mother hen berating a chick. "The first thing you need to learn is proper preening. Lift your wing further forward, and turn your head toward it."
It was easier said than done. I tried to stretch the wing forward, like she asked, but when I turned toward it, my wing seemed to retreat from my face. "Ugh. This is impossible," I said.
Fluttershy giggled at my frustration and used her hoof to help push my wing forward. It would have been infuriating if she weren't so--so nice about it. "There. You'll get better at controlling them, but for now I can help. Look along your feathers until you find one a little bent--which seems to be all of them."
I stared in shock as she bit my wing. Okay, she didn't bite-bite it. Fluttershy closed her mouth around a group of feathers and I could feel her using her teeth and tongue to work at one.
The feeling was like nothing I'd ever experienced before. I hadn't noticed it before, but feathers were sensitive with a capital S. I only realized I was pulling a silly face when Fluttershy's giggles met my ears.
"Have a look at that, and try the next feather along," she said.
Shaking my head a little, I turned to look at my wing and it was painfully obvious which feather she'd straightened. The ones beside it had little kinks in the shafts, and I could tell now that she'd used her mouth and teeth to straighten it. "Alright. How do I know if I'm doing it wrong?"
"It's your feather, you will feel if it isn't right. Go ahead." Her every word was encouraging and soft at the same time. It was like she was the shyest cheerleader of all time.
Using my eyes, I guided my mouth down to the bunch of feathers and closed my lips around them. Too late, of course, I realized I was putting my mouth on the same feathers as Fluttershy had. It was practically a kiss.
Blushing, I felt around with my tongue and froze. Fluttershy's motions had been gentle, delicate. My own tongue felt like a wrecking ball.
"You should have seen Twilight when she first tried this. She pulled much sillier faces than you just did," Fluttershy said.
I pinched the base of the feather carefully between my teeth to hold it, and started working on straightening it. It took ten times as long as Fluttershy did, and I felt it start to feel wrong a few times, stopped, and tried again. Eventually, however, I released my teeth and lips and pulled back.
"There! You did it!" It was the softest cheer I'd heard from anyone--ever--but it wasn't for nothing.
I now had one perfectly straight feather, and one that was mostly straight and covered in saliva, but at least it looked better than the rest. "Let me try that one again."
"W-Wait. Don't do that. Move on to the next one. You'll get better, and when you do you can come back and do an even better job on these ones."
So soft and quiet. Fluttershy wouldn't have lasted five minutes in a high school on Earth. I nodded to her and bent back to my wing, spirits lifted on yellow wings and soft words.
Philip Ree
I looked at the next instruction in the book. "Sparks. Not in here, little book."
The meditation methods were, without a doubt, the best I'd ever experienced. I'd tried yoga, T'ai chi, and several others, but nothing compared to feeling real magic flow through you. The meditation had focused on control and building the flow. I liked it a lot.
But, despite how much the little book for foals reassured me that sparks were every unicorn's first step, and that it was safe, I wanted to go somewhere without flammable coverings everywhere. I slipped the book into a pair of saddlebags and slung them over my back.
I left the room I shared with Clair, and walked into the living room. There was eight new ponies that all stood in a line along one wall. Another new pony was speaking with my wife. The pegasus mare Clair was engaged with noticed me, her eyes drinking in every detail of me in the fraction of a heartbeat that she did so, then looked back to Clair.
"Oh, there's Philip now. Honey, this is Colonel Maria Richards. Colonel Richards is here to be the head of our security detail," Clair said.
"Pleased to meet you, Mister Ree. Captain Bell spoke well of your decisiveness when--pardon my language--everything went to shit." The Colonel was a little taller than Clair, and sported orange fur and gold-blonde hair for her mane and tail--she looked like an inferno. "You'll excuse us?"
I'd never actually been told in quite so firm manner to fuck off before. Even Jeff hadn't excluded me in that way. I looked to Clair and smiled. "Oh, don't worry. I'll get out of your hair. Don't get your tail in a twist about little me." It was petty of me, maybe. One of the pegasi against the wall pulled his mouth into a half smile at my words, then quickly schooled it back to neutral again.
Eight plus one brass meant that nine had come over. I was willing to bet anything that the smiling pegasus had been Frank Hollings. Lemon-yellow fur and a dark pink mane made him look softer than I knew him to be. Everyone knew of Frank's record back home--he was the first human to leave our universe--but the contents of the record was limited after his acceptance to a navy base in Little Creek.
Clair's eyes said it all--the Colonel was a bitch. She wore her politicians' smile, and wore it well.
I left the suite to find our four original guards standing at the outer door, and from the look of them they were mid-conversation with the two Royal Guard that were present. They were good soldiers, on both sides, and I barely even saw them lean back from where they'd been chatting.
I closed the doors behind me and watched six pony faces relax. "Your new commander's a bitch."
No one spoke, though there was four silent nods.
Headed for the entrance of the castle, I got to where I thought it should be and instead had what looked like a mile of hallway. I turned around, intending to backtrack, and nearly walked into a mare. "Woops! Sorry, Moon Dancer."
She wasn't a soldier, a politician, or even someone of note. Moon Dancer, I'd found out, was just a very clever unicorn. She looked up from the book she'd been reading and holding in her magic and blinked a few times behind her glasses. "I-It's okay! I should have been keeping an eye on where I was going. Uh, where are we?"
My heart sank at her question. "I don't know. I was trying to find the font door, so I could practice the next thing in this book." I pulled the book out of the pack using my teeth.
"R-Right. You're learning magic from scratch. What are you up to?" she asked.
I tried to speak around the book (as I'd seen other ponies do the previous day), but when I did it slipped from my mouth--fortunately, right into Moon's magic grip. "I'm up to making sparks. I wanted to go somewhere less flammable."
"Magical sparks don't make fire. The book should have said it was safe." Moon Dancer's head dipped down as she flicked through the book.
It was obvious that the mare didn't need much of an excuse to attack a book. I cleared my throat. "I saw that, I just don't want to be the silly pony who has to admit to Twilight that I burned her castle down."
Moon Dancer's eyes widened in surprise. "A sensible unicorn? Someone alert the media." Her droll tone set off the hyperbole beautifully. "But I think I can help you move a little quicker. Did you do any of these exercises?"
I looked at the page Moon showed me in the book and nodded. "Most of the morning. Why?"
"I've done some tutoring of foals, and those exercises are the first thing everypony skips," she said, casually leading the way back whence she'd come.
"Are you kidding? They were great! I felt more alive like that than any other meditation I've tried. Magic is--it is life!" I was like a school kid, begging for teacher's praise. I didn't care how I sounded, I really did enjoy those exercises.
"This one. Where you channeled magic into your horn and then let it drain back out?" When I nodded to her, Moon Dancer raised an eyebrow. "Prove it then," she said, "do it while we're walking."
Trying to block out the feel of my hooves walking, I centered myself and breathed in. Magic rushed into me, and through me into my horn.
Moon Dancer looked at me critically. "Now push again. Let the magic flow out through your--"
Bright silvery sparkles shot into the hall before me. They rained down in an arc that looked like it would ignite everything. I stared in shock as the fountain went on and on, and only realized it was time to stop when Moon Dancer started chuckling. "Sorry!"
"I asked you to do it. No sense in feeling sorry. That was some good sparks. Try it again."
By the time we found a corridor we recognized I have a little sweat going from all the magic. It was the strangest thing in the world (I knew I'd be saying that a lot lately, but not quite so quickly) to get so tired from something seemingly non-physical.
Moon Dancer led the way to the kitchen where we could hear someone inside cooking. "Spike? Are you in there?" Moon asked.
"Yeah. Just making some lunch for--Oh! Hi Philip!" Spike was a dragon of exceptional culinary talent, or so I'd found, and he seemed to be practicing such right now. "What's up?"
"Our latest unicorn wizard here needs a four-pack of magic fuel." The way Moon spoke, it was clear this was an in-joke between them.
Spike reached for something and then held out a tray of cupcakes. "Lucky. I just baked a batch. They should be cool enough to eat quickly, and sweet enough to power your afternoon."
I stared at the cakes for maybe a second before one floated up--held aloft in pink-gray magic--and aimed itself at my mouth. It felt like he had fashioned a cupcake out of one huge sugar crystal. The frosting melted, the cake itself so light it danced over my tongue, and the flavor rushed through me. The fatigue I'd felt seemed to melt away for a moment.
"That's one. How do you feel now?" Moon Dancer asked.
"Like half a day spent doing magic was a lot less work than I know it was. I have to ask--how fast does a pony body metabolize sugar into energy?" While I spoke, my eyes noticed another of the cakes float off the tray. I had to speak faster to get the last bit out before Moon fed me another.
While I ate, my body breaking down the cupcake into fuel in seconds, Moon Dancer explained further, "It's mostly the sugar. Of all the races in Equestria, unicorns break it down fastest, closely followed by pegasi and dragons. Earth ponies bring up the rear of the pack. At least, that's how it works for the majority--there are some earth ponies that rival or beat the average unicorn's sugar metabolism."
The second cupcake was just as much of a hit of sugar as the first. Even as the last of the treat faded, I was still salivating for more. "You know a lot about this. Are you a trained nutritionist?"
"Go on, Moon Dancer. Tell him your qualifications." Spike passed me the next cupcake himself, leaving a suddenly wary Moon to glare at him. "Well?"
"I have a degree in food and nutrition."
Spike smirked a little. "A masters degree. Among others."
Clearing my throat by dint of gulping the cake down, I looked at Moon Dancer. "'Others'?"
"Well, once you've done all the prerequisite classes to qualify for four or five degrees, you already qualify for final-year of basically all of them." Moon Dancer's ears had a red tint to their inside that I realized was her blushing. "I have fifteen degrees. Five of them are masters and two are doctorates."
Numbers chased themselves around my head until I forced them to sit still in the corner. "With the messed up time difference thing, how long does a degree take?"
"Five years for a bachelors degree, seven for masters, and around ten for a doctorate. I'll point out," Spike said, "that one of her bachelors degrees is in medicine."
"Doctor Moon Dancer?" I asked.
Moon nodded, more red appearing in the visible flesh of her ears.
I smiled a little--for someone in their nineties, Moon Dancer seemed a lot younger. "Perfect. Any more questions I have will be coming to you. But on a serious note, how would you like to be addressed? Am I breaking any social rules by not calling you doctor?"
"J-Just Moon Dancer is fine."
"Why not Princess of Knowledge?" Spike assumed a dramatic pose bowed to Moon.
"Spike..." Moon Dancer said.
"I bet your wings are just lost in the mail." Wearing the smile of someone who couldn't be taken seriously, Spike apparently couldn't leave the joke alone.
"Spike!"
Stuffing the last cupcake in my mouth, Spike turned around to his prep area again. "Just remember who makes your magic fuel, Moon Dancer." Before Moon could get another word in, Spike produced a fifth cupcake and tossed it to Moon Dancer.
Proving how deft she could be with her magic, Moon caught the treat and started eating it. Turning, she swallowed the first mouthful while I was working on the whole thing the dragon had stuffed in my mouth. "Thanks, Spike."
"Don't mention it, Moon Dancer," Spike said.
I chewed as fast as I could, working away at the last of the four cupcakes as quickly as I could. Truth be told, the first three had filled my reserves back up--the last one made me actually buzz with energy.
Outside in the hallway, Moon Dancer led the way to a different room. "This will be your new home away from home. She threw open a pair of double doors and gestured inside. "This is where we practice our biggest magic. The floor, walls, and ceiling are all warded against damage or magic overflow.
"Now, let's see some sparks."
Clair Ree
"No. That won't work." None of the ponies, not Starlight Glimmer, not Moon Dancer, and now not Princess Luna could understand the point I was getting across. "To be a secure and wholly American embassy, the purchase needs to be made entirely by us--without any interference."
Princess Luna looked at me with her huge eyes and expressive face, and I could start to see a hint of realization dawning. This was only the fifth time I'd had to remind her that we would not accept any gifts to pay for our Embassy or any staff to run it. "Then you will need to survey sites when you reach Canterlot. We thought selecting one for you would be sufficient--the other human ambassador agreed to such terms."
I smiled, smiling was about fifty-percent of my job. Listening to comments about what "the other human ambassador" said or did was almost entirely the rest of it right now. Whatever world these other humans were from, they apparently didn't have as strict laws there regarding international embassies.
Nodding, I used a hoof to flick through documents. "Ah. And you have quarters for us until then, good. Might I ask what markets would be best to trade goods on? We are waiting to send back a message for the last group, to find out what will be suitable to import."
"I believe the best thing to trade, right now, is some of those computers." Princess Luna was very careful about enunciating the word, it was rather new to them.
I knew what she wanted. Princess Luna had been tasked with buying computers from us. My job was to get the best price possible for as little as possible. It wasn't like we could teleport over an unlimited supply. "How many do you think would fetch us..." I looked down at my notes. "...fifty thousand bits?"
"Five hundred should be equivalent."
She'd said it so evenly and so calmly that I didn't manage to keep my calm face in place. I opened my mouth to reply when she continued.
"Given the market value of the machines, I'd say one million United States dollars would match up quite nicely with the cost of a medium-sized building." Princess Luna held my gaze still, and I could sense she was going to continue. "That said, you will be providing the first such examples, so a tenth of that would be sufficient."
She was bypassing any attempt at haggling by making an offer I shouldn't refuse. Fifty laptops for fifty thousand bits. That put our dollar roughly at one bit. I wanted to just admit defeat and tell her she had about a hundred-to-one advantage on me in years, but Jeff hadn't given me this job to give her all the concessions. "The platform won't fit that much. If you were willing to--"
Luna's face held very little of the carefree mare I'd met the previous night. "I have notified Princess Twilight. Without needing to send people she could make another, quick teleport before you are due to leave. You could always accept this as a gift--"
"If Twilight says she can manage another transfer, she can. Fifty laptops for fifty-thousand bits." I took pains to keep any hint of annoyance from my voice or face, but she knew she'd outplayed me, and had done it ensuring we both got what we wanted.
"Was there any further business you needed to attend to?" Luna asked.
"Not business as such." My answer caused Luna to raise an eyebrow. "Thank you for taking care of my daughter last night. It gave me some time to help acquaint myself with some of Twilight's friends. I already had to put off Miss Rarity's appointment until tomorrow."
"You are new to this role, correct?" Luna asked. When I nodded, she continued. "Then some adjustment is expected. I was told to offer you the bits as a gift of friendship, but it makes me glad that you will not take it as such.
"Despite my sister's pacifistic ways, I have always valued strong allies--equal allies. There will be plenty of time for gifts later."
"You mentioned someone told you to offer us gifts. Princess Celestia?" It was a reasonable guess considering Twilight had hinted Celestia was the most senior princess.
"My elder sister, yes. She has a few years on me, so far as running a nation and managing relations with others. I defer to her." There was the hint of something strained in Luna's voice.
When sisters didn't see eye-to-eye, it was usually accompanied by catty behavior and angry words thinly veiled. I had little concept of what thousands-of-years-old rulers would do to each other, but I could guess that it wasn't minor. "You'll forgive me for asking, Luna," I said, stressing her name without the title, "but is there something I should know about you and your sister?"
"Jealousy of my sisters power and position--as ruler of the day--ate me up inside and made way for evil. She was right to banish me, she probably should have done worse. I returned still full of anger and evil, but it was a new mare who wielded the magic of friendship, and with her friends they drove the evil from me. I don't--I don't enjoy looking back at that time, but with my sister and my new friends, I have forged myself stronger. There is no way for the evil to return." Luna spoke in a stream, unbreakable and impossible to interrupt.
"Twilight?" I asked.
"She is as much my sister now as Celestia. She could have sent me back to the moon--in exile for another thirty millennia, but she chose to make a friend that day." Luna's smile broke the veil of darker emotions she'd been wearing. "I will not let her down, you understand."
I nodded solemnly. "Were there any other notions your sister had about dealing with us?"
"Clairilee,"--as Luna said the nickname I'd managed to pick up the previous night, she smiled--"I am not going to hand you an advantage on a platter. I have given you what would be common knowledge to anypony in Equestria. I'm just saving time you might have to spend prizing it out of them."
Somehow, I think I liked Luna's forthright way with words and devotion to the protecting of her country more than Twilight's open friendship and nerdy ways. "I wonder how the Colonel is doing with her exercise?"
It was a complete change in topic, and I saw a smile grace Luna's mouth as she contemplated the question. "She was the noisy pegasus?"
The description fit Colonel Richards to a T. "That would be her."
"Come. We can watch them from the balcony of the second floor. Rainbow Dash had promised she wouldn't actually harm any of them." Luna led the way out of the room. We picked up the four younger marines at the door and made our way out and up some stairs. When we reached a balcony, Luna stepped out on it and immediately had to cover a giggle.
The five guards and myself did likewise--stepping out and giggling.
Rainbow Dash seemed to be trotting along in a distance-gobbling stride that seemed likely to go on forever. Behind her, struggling to keep up, was eight marines and a beaming captain of the navy.
"I think the Colonel has--" Sergeant Roberto started saying something, but was bopped on the back of the head by Captain Bell.
"Trap shut, marine," Bell said.
"Keep in mind that Rainbow Dash already ran your son until he was ready to give in. This,"--Luna gestured with a hoof--"is Rainbow showing off."
"She seemed a little prideful when I met her last night. Quite eager to train Saffron and our guards." I watched the group led by Rainbow Dash head around the side of the town. "She won't run them to collapse, I hope?"
"The only time Rainbow Dash would disregard safety is to either show off or if somepony she cared about was in danger. What she's doing is neither of those." Luna turned to look at the four guards who were beside us on the balcony. "I wouldn't laugh too much. She'll be coaching you tomorrow."
"Speaking honestly, Ma'am, without the drain of teleportation in the same day, I don't think we'll have a problem. Also, since Ambassador Ree's son gave us the idea, we've been training when not on duty. She'll probably still run us into the ground, but we'll fight it all the way," Captain Bell said.
I let out a sigh. "Speaking honestly? Captain Bell, I wish you were thirty years older and a rank higher."
Hendricks, Clark, and Roberto all barked a laugh before Bell stared them down. He turned back to look at me. "Ambassador, I'm not cut out for that. Colonel Richards may be a little rusty and tight, but she knows what she's doing. There's a reason why she's a colonel."
"Well, Captain, how are you at spelunking?" I asked. When he served me a confused expression, I continued. "If you can maybe get up her ass to yank the stick out, we'd all be doing a lot better."
While Captain Bell danced around actually insulting his commanding officer, I considered where the woman was coming from. Sure she arrived here feeling fatigue and trying to get used to a body she'd never had before, but that didn't mean she had to insult my husband.
I was working on another good analogy for what could be the Colonel's problem when a trumpet sounded and ended with a loud shriek, a thump, and the remaining three soldiers in my detail turning to see what had happened to their captain.
"Don't shoot!" Luna's voice felt like it had thousands of years of leadership behind it. I'd heard stories of drill sergeants able to order civilians around with the power of their voice, but what Princess Luna used was that dialed up to one hundred and eleven.
Everyone froze.
"S-Sorry!" A gray-pelted mare untangled herself from Captain Bell, ruffled her wings, and then offered the soldier a hoof to help him up. "I can fly really well, but landings are always tricky when I have this much weight."
What she was talking about, of course, was what looked like the same armor the Royal Guards wore right down to the physical size of it. So fitted to a mare maybe two-thirds their physical size was quite a feat of fasteners and hope. She shook her whole body and sounded like a church bell.
Luna surprised me by approaching the mare and checking her for harm. "Miss Hooves. Please try to be more careful."
"Thank you, Princess Luna." Clanking followed every movement the mare made, and it suddenly struck me how quiet she'd been in the air.
"Derpy, what did we tell you about how heroes are to address princesses?" Using her magic, Luna lifted Captain Bell up and set him back on his hooves.
Derpy Hooves, an apt name only if one didn't consider her flying ability too, blushed around her ears. "Th-That we don't have to call you princess, Princess." Hero, "we"... things came together as I watched the mare attempt to straighten her armor--Derpy Hooves had apparently done something very brave.
Luna dipped her head in what I'd come to realize was a show of respect, then she went further and crouched down on one leg. "Correct, Derpy."
"B-But I have a really important letter! They said I had to be the pony to carry it, and I had to have my best armor on!" Derpy reached to one side and pulled a scroll from one of the bags hanging under her armor.
Groaning, Luna looked like she'd bit into a sour apple. "This is my sister's idea of pomp. Having somepony hoof-delivering a letter rather than having Spike deliver it. Very well, Derpy, please continue."
Bowing her head low, Derpy passed the scroll to me, but when I didn't immediately take it, she looked confused. "W-What's wrong?"
"May I, Ambassador Ree?" Luna asked.
No sooner did I nod than Luna's cobalt blue magic plucked the scroll from Derpy's hoof and unrolled it so that I would be the first to see it. The letter was everything I'd primed myself for. Princess Celestia spent five paragraphs introducing herself, another four congratulating us on our safe arrival, and then twelve extending us a warm invitation to Canterlot under the terms and laws Princess Twilight had already agreed to.
It was a perfect example of diplomatically-couched language, and it filled me with terror at what kind of pony Princess Celestia would be. "What would be the best way of saying yes?" I asked.
"Ambassador, are you asking for my advice on how to handle this gloriously written invitation?" The smile on Luna's face spoke volumes about what she thought of official documents like her sister had sent. "If I were to get a letter like this, I would probably reply with Okay."
"She'll know you wrote it," I said.
"You have the perfect excuse. If you wish, we could even provide you with some ink to blot on your hoof and to the page." As she spoke, Luna used her magic to teleport the items required right to her. Magic, used so rampantly, was still somewhat shocking. It reminded me that--or so Twilight assured me--Luna was the mare who shifted the moon every night.
She used a quill to scribe the word on the back of the scroll, then offered me a blotter page soaked in black ink.
Pressing my hoof to the blotter, I transferred it to the scroll and left a dirty black hoofprint on it. And then I left a hoofprint on the balcony. "Oops. Uh..."
Luna was already wrapping the scroll back up. "Miss Hooves, it is with great urgency that you deliver this back to my sister."
Derpy gasped and quickly took the scroll. Without another word (though she did make a clanging salute) she spread her wings and was off.
I waited for her to be well out of what I hoped was pony earshot before asking, "Hero?"
"In a moment of great peril, when Equestria was on a tipping point of being invaded, she acted to take a hit directed at Princess Twilight. Without Derpy Hooves it is very likely Equestria would not be here today." As she spoke, Luna's eyes never left the departing speck of shiny-clad pegasus.
The news, and the way Luna acted, was sobering. Derpy Hooves might seem like just another pony with perhaps an extra dollop of silliness to her attitude, but she was a hero here.
"Anypony can be the force that tips the scales, Clair Ree. Here and now it is you who must fill that role." Luna stared after the departed pegasus a moment longer before she turned to me. A sense of hugeness, of someone old enough to have seen the first human pick up a rock and shape it into a spearhead, seemed behind her gaze. Then Luna was just Luna again. "Now, about the training. You're going to need to learn how to use your body too."
"I don't have time," I said. "Besides, no wings and no horn."
"You believe earth ponies aren't every bit as magical as unicorns? Clair, you don't want to mention such a thing anywhere a fellow earth pony can hear. Fortunately, I have just the pony to help teach you about the particulars of earth ponies. She'll be arriving shortly." Luna looked entirely too satisfied with herself.
"What about Riley?" It wasn't that I didn't want the training, I just didn't see any need for it. We were only going to be here for a few years--it was the soldiers who would be long-term residents.
"Of course your filly will get training too, but she will also get that at school. You will not," Luna said. She turned to Captain Bell and his men. "Have you seen enough of your commander having rings flown around her?"
"I could go another hour of it, ma'am," Hendricks said with a laugh a moment before Bell elbowed him.
Luna enjoyed a smile at the joke, apparently whatever magic let us speak their language also translating jokes. "You realize she'll be taking you four next? And I can promise you, Rainbow Dash won't be tired one bit. I've heard of her flying or running all day like this." |
The Embassy | Chapter 8 | Riley Ree
"Mom! Mom! There's a pony who's gonna teach us all about being earth ponies!" I used my high-gear. So far, I'd learned walking and something I was told was called galloping--low and high gear. Rounding another corner, I found a hallway that wasn't empty (like the last five). "Mom!"
I froze. Mom wasn't alone. Beside my mommy was the most amazing princess I'd seen. "Princess Luna!" High-gear engaged! I galloped toward her, and it was only when she grabbed me off my hooves with her magic that I slowed down.
"We were just talking about you, Riley Ree." It was hard to pay attention to what Princess Luna was saying with her mane being all swooshy. It was so amazing I could have stared at it for hours. I might have missed the rest of what she said because of it.
"Well, howdy y'all. Ah hear some ponies need some help learnin' to pony?" The words snapped my attention back to the orange mare who'd apparently followed me. Standing at her side was another mare who looked younger--she had yellow fur, a red mane and tail, and had a pink bow tying her mane back from her face. She was also wearing a pair of bulging saddlebags. "This here's Apple Bloom, and Ah'm Applejack."
"Hiya!" Apple Bloom said.
Mom turned to look at Princess Luna. "Our teachers?"
"Ah bet yer wonderin' what you need earth pony training for. Well, the proof of that is easy to demonstrate with yer little-un." Applejack looked right at me. "Would ya come over here a mite?"
Hesitation filled me. I looked to Mom and, with her nod, gulped. Approaching Applejack, I looked between her and Apple Bloom. Something about them seemed familiar. "A-Are you related?"
"She's my big sister." Apple Bloom's enthusiasm was catching.
"Eeyup. And we got a brother back home, too. McIntosh, though everypony calls him Big Mac on account of him bein' the biggest galoot ya ever seen. Enough about him, though. Apple Bloom?" Applejack asked.
Reaching back, Apple Bloom pulled a flowerpot from her bags. When she set it down in front of me, I could see a little green sprout in the middle of some dark soil. "There ya go."
I looked down at the plant. "Uh. Thanks." My words were uncertain because I had no idea what was going on.
"Tell ya what, sugarcube, reach out and touch the pot for a bit," Applejack said.
Setting my hoof against the cool stone. Something tingled. "It tickles." The longer I held my hoof there, the more of the tingling I got.
"She's just a little apple seedling, but she wants to grow up. Can you feel it?"
The moment Applejack said "grow" I did feel it. There was a need within the little plant that I could feel through the soil and pot. I nodded.
"Well, why don'tcha give 'er a little push. Don't use your hoof, though, focus on that tingle an' push with that."
It sounded silly, it had to be silly, but it seemed to feel right. Focusing my attention on that tingle, I pushed.
"R-Riley?!" Mom's voice surprised me.
I hadn't realized I'd closed my eyes, but when I opened them and turned, there was a mass of leaves between me and Mom. My attention was focused on the much noisier plant, now. It was still super into wanting to grow, but it was also excited. It wanted more.
"Hold on there. She's had enough for today--needs a bigger pot now." Applejack nudged my hoof away from the pot. "But Ah think it was enough of a demonstration that ya get the idea?"
"How did you do that? That's astounding!" Mom said. She walked over and examined the sapling, then paused. "And here I am getting surprised at magic again. You know, I reassured Twilight I wouldn't do this, but it really is amazing."
"Well, persuadin' a seedling into growin' ain't exactly the hardest thing. Fluttershy's got a friend who says she can talk to plants, and she says they ain't thinkin' about nothin' but growing 'till they are at least as tall as a pony. Ah'll have to admit, yer filly there has a bit more of a knack fer this than most ponies."
"Sorry, Applejack. It's just there's a difference between knowing magic can be done, and seeing my little girl doing it. It would be wonderful to have some lessons." Mom looked really excited, probably about as much as I felt.
"Well, ya'all should come out to our family farm, Sweet Apple Acres. We can try you out for all kinds of earth pony stuff there. Riley, do you want to see how many plants you can grow at once?" Apple Bloom asked.
She had my full attention. Excitement buzzed in my hooves and head as I nodded vigorously. "Yes please!"
Mom's hoof rubbed my hair a bit. It was an old gesture from when Mom was trying to teach me to say please and thank you--a reward for having done so. Only, when she rubbed her hoof over one of my ears, I couldn't help but lean into the rubbing as my world went a little crooked.
I missed some of what happened next mostly because it felt really nice to have my ears rubbed, but when Mom stopped, I shook my head and looked at her. "Why'd you stop?"
"Because we're going. Come on." Beckoning, Mom walked off after Applejack and Apple Bloom.
Their names seemed a little strange, considering they had the same first name. Maybe it was like family names? I vowed to find out. Then I remembered what they'd said about their brother. Makin--I totally couldn't remember his name, but it wasn't Apple.
Mom caught up with Applejack, and Apple Bloom dropped back to walk beside me.
"That was real impressive fer a first try. If you want, we can practice with some harder plants when we get home," Apple Bloom said.
"Harder?" I asked.
"Well, yeah. Apple seedlings--'specially those from our orchard--are just about the most excited little things ever. They grow as much as you just did in a few weeks. Now, getting something to grow years worth really takes it out of you."
Apple Bloom talked about various kinds of plants out the door of the castle, all the way across town, down a road, and into a farm called Sweet Apple Acres. My brain was almost ready to explode with knowledge about seeds and seedlings. Saffron got like this sometimes, usually when talking about his nerd stuff.
"Wait, what about your brother?" I asked.
"Big Mac?" Apple Bloom asked.
"Yeah. Your sister is named Apple Jack, your name is Apple Bloom--I thought he'd be named Apple Something too." By Apple Bloom's expression, I knew I'd said something funny. "What?"
"His full name is McIntosh Apple. We're all part of the Apple family, and we got kin all over Equestria who are named like apples too. Then there's the pear side of things, but when Mom and Dad got hitched, they drifted more to the Apple side of things on account of Grand Pear sayin' something really not nice."
I didn't really follow what she was talking about, but it seemed to make sense that they were all named for something to do with apples. "So why is your sister Apple Jack? Is a jack some kind of apple?"
Something I said was funny, apparently. Apple Bloom started laughing her head off.
A little overwhelmed, I trotted up to walk beside Mom. "I don't know what I said, but she started laughing a lot."
Mom turned to look from me to Apple Bloom. "What did you say, dear?"
"I asked her about Apple Jack's name. She said all their family's names were about apples, but I couldn't work out what a jack had to do with them," I said.
"Ah guess a filly wouldn't really know that word 'less she's workin' around here. Applejack is strong drink made from apple cider. Maybe in another thirty or so your ma'll let you have a drop." Applejack winked at me, but somehow I thought it was meant for Mom more.
"Thirty?" I asked.
"Years. Yer a mite young for the stuff yet."
"I'll say," Mom said. "Thirty years--When she gets back home, she'd be able to have alcohol in about nine years. If she's been good, of course."
Applejack wrinkled her nose at something, but didn't reply. A little further along she pointed at one of the big buildings. The farm had two really big, wooden buildings. One looked like a house, but built up more than out, and the other looked like a barn. Both were bright red. "C'mon inside. Big Mac was going to set you up a stand to kick against. Doin' it inside means less chance of hurting somepony."
I dropped back from Applejack and Mom to walk with Apple Bloom again--now that she'd stopped laughing so much she couldn't talk. The farm seemed just like what TV had led me to expect: cows, pigs, big wooden buildings, country folk, and all bright and exciting.
"Are we going in there too?" I asked Apple Bloom.
"Nah. We're gonna take turns. Besides, I think your mom's friends will want to split up too," Apple Bloom said.
Her words surprised me enough to turn around. Two of the soldiers--earth ponies like me and Mom--were walking along. They were bigger than me, like pretty much everyone here, and when I looked at them they just nodded and split up just like Apple Bloom had said.
"That way we can teach them, too." Apple Bloom led the way behind the big barn to a glass-covered building. It looked a little strange at first, but I recognized what it was. "This here's my glasshouse. I got a little more talent with growing plants than Applejack or Big Mac, so they let me take care of the little saplings. Please be careful, I have a lot of other plants in here too."
Apple Bloom turned to the soldier who was with us. "I don't mean to be rude, but what's your name?"
"David Roberto, Ma'am. Are you really going to show me how to grow stuff with my hoof?" I was surprised at how eager he sounded, and when I really looked at him, I could almost see excitement bubbling from him. I decided I liked Mr. Roberto.
"It alright if I call you David? I normally go by Bloom, myself," Apple Bloom said. When she got a nod from David, she smiled. "Great. Well, David, Riley, the most important thing to know when doing this is, it uses energy. Ya ain't--You're not going to get something for nothing. Ponies eat, make magic, and use magic.
"Since you already had a try, Riley, why not let David try now?"
I looked at David. He was bigger than me, but smaller than Apple Bloom. He had a really purple mane and tail that looked really pretty. His coat, when I could stop looking at his hair, was a soft gray color.
"So what do I do?" David asked.
Pushing a little flowerpot with a green sprout in it across to David, Apple Bloom gestured at it. "Touch it."
She went through the same description Applejack did with me. She made him feel out for the plant's feelings, and had him push into it. When the seedling shot up about a third as far as the one I'd done, Apple Bloom cheered. "Well done! That's really good for a first try."
"It wasn't as good as mine!" I said.
"A young foal tends to have bursts of magic and powers greater than a more developed colt or filly. In your case, you might have had a small surge. It has to do--Moon Dancer says--with the metabolism." Smiling at David, Bloom reached behind her--to her saddlebags again--and produce a pair of cupcakes. "Here you go. Eat this and tell me how it makes you feel."
I reached out and grabbed up my cupcake with a hoof, lifted it to my mouth and took a big bite. The taste was amazing: the cake part tasted like apples, and the icing was sweet and cinnamony. But when I swallowed, it got even better. A draining I didn't know I had seemed to stop, and a burst of energy filled me back out and made me want to run and bounce and jump and sing! "Wow!"
"What--the heck--did you put in that?" David asked. He seemed to stumble on some words that made me think he was going to swear, then didn't.
"Apple spongecake, some custard stuffing, and iced with sweet cinnamon icing. Everything a pony needs to replace energy spent--I dunno--makin' plants grow really fast." A tight, lop-sided smile graced Bloom's face. "There's a reason, or so Moon Dancer says, that most pony foods are really high in energy. We burn it up doin' the least little thing. But it's nothing another hit of sugar doesn't fix. Right?"
I was barely listening. I shoved the rest of the cupcake in my mouth and savored the flavor for long enough to chew it up and swallow it. Somehow, it was better than the first bit. "Mmm!"
"Yer having some trouble with that, David?" Bloom asked.
David nodded. "Can't work out how you hold things with your hooves."
"Ah. Nopony thought to teach you the trick of that. Okay, bonus lesson. Catch!" Bloom tossed another cupcake to David.
I watched his eyes widen, his foreleg instinctively reach out, and he caught the cake on his hoof just like I'd seen everyone--everypony--do. Then it hit me. It was what I'd done a few seconds ago when I ate the cupcake!
"The secret is there is no secret. Don't think about it. Everypony has a little bit of their magic work like this. Nopony knows how to teach it, but foals pick it up a mite too quickly. I figure all it takes is a surprise situation and something you don't want to drop." Bloom turned her attention back to me. "Now, Riley, let's try you on a row of seedlings."
Bloom led me to the row where I could barely see little green shoots. She gestured to the whole row with a wave of a hoof. "Give 'em a try."
Lifting my hoof to the soil, I tried to do what Applejack told me last time. I felt for the seedlings, felt a tingle of their hunger, and then I pushed!
Nothing happened.
I pushed again.
More nothing.
One last time, and this one I really shoved!
A little green seedling trembled a moment, then it popped out one leaf. "Oh, come on!"
"Hey. Calm down." David walked over to stand beside me. "Here. Let's give it a try together."
I looked up from where his hoof rested in the soil beside mine, and tried to detect any hint of humoring or him looking down on me. He wasn't so big that he could look down on me! But he wasn't. David was bigger than Saffron, but he gave me the same kind of vibe as my big booger of a brother. "O-Okay."
He stood beside me, close enough that our shoulders were together, and then I felt him do magic. It took me a few seconds to realize I was supposed to be doing it too, and when I pushed the magic started coming from me too!
All the little seedlings squirmed and writhed, then shot out leaves and jumped upward. I couldn't help but giggle--I could feel them growing! They were excited and super-happy to grow so fast and so big I giggled more.
"Holy sh--gosh!" David looked at me quickly. I knew he was going to say a swear word, but it wasn't like I hadn't heard that one before. "That's really somethin' ma'am. And I can feel them growing still. How big can one pony grow things here?"
"When we was gonna be short a few trees one year, after a big meanie set fire to half the town, Big Mac grew nearly twenty trees from just seeds to flowering." Bloom looked really proud. "He's so clever."
"It actually feels kinda good to do it, too. What about you?" David asked and looked down at me.
I thought about it, and how happy it made the plants, and nodded. "It's good to help people. I didn't know plants were people before, but I guess they count if they can feel so happy like that."
"Careful with that kinda talk. Next thing Ah know you'll be talkin' with Tree Hugger, and staging a Veganism is Murder rally. Mind you, she was the only pony that protested that," Bloom said.
"Wait." David narrowed his eyes at Bloom. "Veganism is murder? What did she want you to eat instead?"
Grinning, Bloom produced two more cupcakes. "Unfertilized chicken eggs, milk, fish, and basically anythin' else that comes from a critter. Got really vocal about it, too."
"What happened?" I asked.
"Well, turns out she was getting a little malnourished. Surprise-surprise, ponies need their greens. Anyway, she was doing real fine until she ate a bad egg. Applejack said she was practically rocket-powered all the way to the hospital." Grinning wider and wider, Bloom was laughing by the end of her story, and so was David and I.
"Hey Bloom! Applejack said--!" A monster had opened the door at the end of the glasshouse. It was huge, red, and sounded like a boy! "Ah, yer in here. Time to swap."
Turning to the monster, Bloom unleashed a smile to end all smiles. I doubted she could have looked happier. "Thanks, Big Mac!"
The giant red pony started to turn, but kicked off and ran after him. He was huge, but when I reached him and ran under his legs he stopped walking. "E-Excuse me?" I asked.
"Eeyup?"
"Is your name McIntosh?"
"Eeyup!"
I liked how relaxed he seemed, even if he was huuuuge. "And they're a kind of apple?"
"Eeyup!"
"Do you have any here?" I asked.
I didn't get another "Eeyup" before a giant hoof plucked me off the ground. McIntosh put me on his back. "Eeyup," he said finally.
I squealed in surprise and then excitement. When he started to walk, I had to grab on for all I was worth. I didn't realize until he was about ten feet away from the glasshouse that my hooves were actually grabbing on. It just worked just like Bloom said! I let out a whoop of excitement, and now that I was stable I started looking around.
In the distance I could see Mom and the other soldier pony kicking at a tree, and some apples fell out of it. "Are those McIntosh apples?"
"Nnope." McIntosh didn't approach Mom or the others, instead wandering to a different part of the orchard. These trees looked different to the ones Mom had been in, much more bushy and wide. McIntosh walked right up to one of the trees and lifted his hoof up to the trunk.
I wasn't quite sure what he was doing, but I could feel a tingle inside like when I'd made the sprouts grow. It seemed important to keep quiet, but when he lifted his hoof back and then tapped the tree, I gasped. My little burst of magic had felt like a hose running. David's had been like a fire-hose. What McIntosh did was like a--well, it was like a tidal wave! But only in one little bump.
Quick as a shot I grabbed at something that fell before my eyes. The apple in my hoof was almost as big as my leg, and I looked down to see McIntosh had one of the huge apples too. Red and green, it looked amazing.
When McIntosh bit into his, I bit into mine. Juice went everywhere. I groaned a little at how sweet and good it was. If apples back home were like this, no one would let kids eat them--it was like candy!
I didn't care that there was still juice dribbling down my chin, that it was making a mess of my fur, these apples were amazing.
"Ah think Ah'd say yer little 'un has found a friend. How's the apples today, Big Mac? Good?" Applejack asked.
I turned my head to see Applejack, Mom, Bloom, and both soldiers approaching. David and the other man were talking between themselves, quietly, but I could tell they were both excited about something.
"Eeyup!"
"We made a whole bunch of plants grow!" I said. "Mom! What did you do?"
"Well, we got to talk with some trees, and we asked them what they wanted." Mom looked both smug and excited.
Remembering the seedlings, I wondered what adult trees wanted. "What did they want?"
Mom walked up to me and reached up to lift me down. "You'll have to ask them, dear."
At first, I didn't want to, but it wasn't hard to realize that McIntosh had work to do--besides, I wanted to ask the trees! Reaching for Mom's hoof, I grabbed it with both my front hooves and swung away from McIntosh.
"You've learned some tricks. How're you holding on like that?" Mom asked.
"Magic. Bloom taught me." I swung back and forth, then realized I'd left my apple on McIntosh's back. Holding with just one hoof, I reached up and across and grabbed my prize.
Mom lowered me to the ground and turned to Bloom. "How do I do that?"
"It's just a knack. Ah can show you while we work on some seedlings," Bloom said.
Mom, the other soldier, and Bloom walked off together, which left me, David, and Applejack. Oh! And McIntosh.
I turned to look for the nice mountain-pony (I decided he was a mountain-pony because he was as big as one), but he was walking away... like ninja-quiet! "Thanks McIntosh!"
McIntosh stopped and looked back. He had a lop-sided smile that made me smile wider. He just nodded to me, turned, and kept walking. I guess he doesn't talk so much, which is kinda okay since he doesn't need to say much.
"Y'all ready to get to work?" Applejack asked.
Directing my attention to her, I nodded. When she started walking back to where she and Mom had been, I followed.
"How're you walking like that?" David surprised me--I'd completely forgotten about him. "I mean, you're holding that apple and walking, shouldn't you--uh--fall?"
"Haven't really thought about it. Should I?" I asked. To prove my point, I took a big bite from the apple. It tasted amazing still. If I had a choice between the best cupcake from back home and this apple, I'd pick this apple in a heartbeat.
David rolled his eyes. "Probably best if you don't. Excuse me, Miss Applejack--ma'am?" He trotted forward a few steps to catch up with Applejack. "Your sister said talking to plants was, uh..."
"Hey, look, just askin' a tree if it wants shit, water, or some bugs removed ain't no nevermind. It's when you have deep 'n meaningful conversations with 'em your head'll start to go a bit soft," Applejack said.
"Bloom mentioned a pony named Tree Hugger, said she--" David said.
"Tree's not all that bad. She just thinks sideways to everypony else. Really saved our bacon one time in Canterlot. She was a hoot when those eggs turned on her, though. Never seen her look so surprised--even Discord couldn't make that filly look shocked." Applejack led the way right up to the tree Mom had been at when I'd seen her doing whatever this was. Then she stopped. "Okay. Now this here apple tree is the oldest in the whole orchard. She speaks the clearest, so Ah guess it's best to start with 'er.
"Lift a hoof and press it to the bark. Try to find the youngest bark--she gets a lil muffled otherwise."
With another bite of my apple, I walked to the tree and looked up at it. The conundrum of how to do this and not put my apple down was solved when I realized I could just sit. Parking my butt, I held onto my apple with my right forehoof and pressed the other against the bark of the tree.
The world seemed to drain away. I couldn't hear Applejack or David, but I could hear the nice tree. "What do you want?" I asked it.
"Sunlight. Warm soil. A little water would be nice. Is that an apple you're eating?"
"Yup! McIntosh got it for me, though everyone calls him Big Mac--and I guess I see why after meeting him--anyway, he got it from another tree that he had to do something to. I think he was asking nicely, and giving the tree something to help it," I said. "Do you make apples?"
"The best. Would you like one?"
I nodded, but when I realized nodding didn't seem to work, said, "Yes please."
"Such a well-spoken filly. Of course you can have an apple if you give me a little magic."
It seemed like the easiest thing in the world. I pushed a little magic to the tree, just like I had for the seedlings.
"The apple is made, but you are going to have to free it yourself. Just give me a little filly-sized kick just to the right of where your hoof is, and get ready to catch it."
I grinned and nodded, then remembered that it couldn't see me nod. "Okay!"
The world seemed to rush back in around me. The sound of birds in the trees was the first to make my ears twitch, and then Applejack's voice explaining what we are supposed to do.
"... just against the wood, like Riley did," Applejack said.
But I wasn't going to do that--I'd already done that. I lifted a hoof to thump the tree where it told me, but it felt wrong. Turning around, I set my apple on the ground after one last bite and aimed my butt at the tree.
There was a lot of muscles back there that I normally didn't think about. Right now, however, I had to think about them. I leaned forward, shifting my weight onto my front hooves, then squeezed up my back legs, pointed myself at the spot, and kicked!
First my left, then right back legs connected with the tree. I didn't hear the voice of it again, but I felt approval sing through it. There was something I was forgetting, though. I pulled my legs back from the tree and heard the sound of whistling--something falling. The apple!
Diving to the side with all the grace of a kitten, I managed to grab the apple with one outstretched hoof.
"Good work!" Applejack said. "Yer got the knack for--Wait! Holy smokes! A zap-apple at this time o' year?!" Her voice got louder and louder the more she said. At last Applejack made an excited whooping noise and swung her hat around. "Hot dang, she made a zap-apple for ya!"
I looked at the apple I'd caught and stared in wonder. There was something really magical about it. For a start it was rainbow colored--starting with blue at the bottom, and turning red by the top. The apple also seemed a little shiny, and as I turned it a little, a shimmer of light seemed to pass over it. "Whoa..."
Applejack helped me up so I could stand, but when I offered to pass the apple to her, she waved it off. "Well, go on, eat it. The tree made it all fer ya."
I held the apple up and brought it to my mouth. It almost seemed wrong to bite into its perfection, but then my nose caught its scent. My eyes fluttered closed like one of Mom's books talked about (that I managed to read right up until it was about to get rude before Mom took it away). The apple smelled of a warm spring day, grass and fields, trees and soft ground. I don't even know all the ways I could describe it, but it smelled amazing.
The taste was even better. It was like if there was the best fruit in the world on Earth, and everyone wanted it, and it cost like a million billion dollars, this would be better than that. It was crisp, and full of juice, and I drowned in the flavor of it as everything just felt better.
Mom always said I had bad impulse control, like I'd try to do something before knowing what it meant. That was probably true, but I managed to pull my little snout away from the fruit before I devoured all of it. "Shit," I said.
"Would your mom want you talking like that?" David asked.
Without a word, I passed him my apple. "Take a bite--just one."
The sound of teeth working through apple, and a little groan after it, told me David had taken a bite. "Well?" I asked.
"Shit." David was staring at the apple in disbelief. "I want to eat it all." I didn't hold it against him, I wanted to eat it all too, but I definitely appreciated when he passed the apple back.
"Cussin' aside, that was a mighty nice thing ya did, Riley. I know a few ponies who would have devoured a zap-apple whole before they'd let somepony else take a bite o' it."
I looked up at Applejack, smiled, and took another bite of the apple. Each bite, it seemed, would be better than the previous. I wanted to take another, but Dad would have tanned my hide if I didn't offer. "Would you like a bite?" I asked, holding the apple up to Applejack.
It was totally worth losing a bite of the amazing apple to see a pony so happy. Applejack took a slow bite of the apple, and looked even happier still. She was just like a princess!
When she passed the apple back, though, I quickly took my second bite.
"That is the best food I've ever had. Bar none. Ever. Holy--" David looked down at the regular apple in his hoof, and I could see how he was comparing it to the special apple. A rustle, seemed to steal his attention, and he looked up into the tree beside us. "Yeah," he said, then started eating his own apple.
I got to eat the rest of the apple and it was better with every bite. Not that anyone--hee, anypony--said anything, not with apples to eat.
"I feel more revitalized by that than it took energy to make. Uh, the tree did take enough from me to make the apple, right?" David asked.
Applejack nodded to David. "The tree's not stupid. It took enough and then some. Trees're honest like that. They may want payment, but ya always know they'll take a lil extra."
"So if it gives back more than it takes--? I'm no egg-head or nothing, just a grunt, but I know that kinda thing can't work." As David spoke, he took a few moments to nibble around the core of his apple.
"Ya know ya can eat that, right? Sure the fancy folk in Canterlot might eat around a core, but us simple folk can just eat it all up." Applejack's eyes strayed from David to me. "An what yer not accountin' for is the tree preparin' for it. It only grows so many blossoms each year, and they take work. It would have been makin' an apple itself anyway, so gettin' you t' pay fer it works out as a boon. Plus a little extra. Gotta remember they like a bit extra."
"So we're just finishing the apple off?" I asked.
"Eeyup, as my brother'd say. Was a surprise to get a zap-apple off'a her. Old thing probably's gone a bit batty, gettin' airs or somethin'." Gesturing to an old stump in a cleared bit of the orchard, Applejack made sure she had our attention. "C'mon this way, we'll test out how good those bucks are."
"Bucks?" I asked, finishing off the very last of the apple by gobbling up the core.
"Yeah. When yer kicking with both back legs, that's a buck." Applejack demonstrated on empty air. "Don't go buckin' just any tree, mind, unless you need it gone. Apple family apple trees're grown just right to take a good buck or two each season. This-here old stump was the biggest apple tree we ever grew."
The stump, when we reached it, looked to be as big around as Applejack was long. I walked up to it and as one must, I jumped up onto it (after a lot of effort climbing the old bark). "Isn't there something special about rings in a tree?" I asked.
"Yeah," David said. "Each ring works out to be a growing seas--Holy shit."
I tucked my ears down at the swear word. "One, two, three, four, five... there's a lot of rings." I hadn't even gotten a hoof-width from the middle.
"Granny Smith planted this when she first moved to Ponyville. One of the first apple trees in the region. That was--goodness--a long time ago." Applejack watched David with a wry smile. "How long do you make it?"
"I just got to about three hundred. Do ponies really live this long?" David asked.
"Yeah. Granny won't tell us fer sure, but Ah heard one of her friends say she was around four-hundred and sixty. Part of me's worried, as that's a ripe old age for an Apple, but Ah just can't see her ever stoppin'."
Comparing the stump, and getting an idea how big around it was, I walked back to the big apple tree that had given me the special apple. It was almost as big as the stump. "Thank you for the apple. It was delicious."
The tree didn't respond because I didn't have my hoof on it, but I didn't need it to.
"So, you wanna learn how hard you can kick, don'tcha?"
I turned away from the tree and trotted (without even meaning to!) back to the stump.
Saffron Ree
Alright. I had to admit that getting all my feathers straightened, and actually scrubbing up and washing the wings felt good.
"Now try to stretch that wing out." Fluttershy had started talking a little more--I think it was because I was so pathetic at being a pony. She liked animals, I'd learned, which didn't include ponies--ponies are people here.
Laying down, with my forelegs folded under me, I focused on my wings and how they felt. They were my arms. I could feel the limbs bend a little differently, of course, but I had an elbow and a wrist, and if I closed my eyes I could feel fingers.
Stretching my wings out slowly, I could feel my legs try to move as well, but not as much as they had been.
"You're doing good, Saffron, just a little more."
Fluttershy was the strangest person I'd ever spoken to. When she spoke, her voice was always so soft that if there was any other sound nearby, it would drown her out. She literally couldn't talk over a buzzing fly. As a result--and because she actually had good advice--I kept my trap shut most of the time.
So I sat in relative silence, felt the air blowing slowly over my wings, and listened to the softest-spoken person I'd ever met. Her encouragement had to be magical. Dad had magic, my wings had magic, and some ponies had so much magic they could jump between worlds, but I could swear that Fluttershy's voice was magic.
"There you are. They're all the way out and your feathers are neat and proud. Well done!" Fluttershy said.
When she clopped her hooves together in applause, I almost died. It was obvious she shouted the last bit, but her shout was at a level barely above the sound of the wind.
The wind.
I closed my eyes and felt the air moving over my wings, and for the first time since I got here they didn't feel like arms. Each feather felt different, and each change of the wind made them move in different ways.
There was a stronger gust that took me by surprise. I opened my eyes and saw that Fluttershy had moved one of her own wings. "I felt that."
"Of course you did. Your feathers feel the air, and anything in the air that's upstream of them will leave a ripple. Another pegasus makes a lot of ripples." Fluttershy demonstrated by stretching her left wing and giving it a little flap.
The feel of air moving over my wings wasn't a surprise this time, but I did start to get little hints of things--direction, intensity, even the angle of Fluttershy's wing. When she began repeating the motion, and walking around, I started to get a better idea of how to read the wind.
Fluttershy's smiles were constant, at least when I started shutting up, and it seemed to add weight to the magic in her voice. "Why don't you try standing up?" She must have seen my worried look. "Slowly, and don't try doing anything with your wings."
Figuring I'd start with my forelegs, since there wouldn't be so far to fall that way, I carefully pulled one up, straightened it, and pushed down. The muscles in my right wing--the side that matched my extended leg--twitched and wanted to move, but I managed to keep my wing to only smaller jerks.
It wasn't a huge victory yet--I wasn't standing.
"Are you okay?" Fluttershy asked.
"Yeah." My voice sounded loud and booming compared to Fluttershy's. "Trying not to fall over and look like an ass."
"Oh. Um. Asses are nice people. If you looked like one, it wouldn't be bad at all, but then you wouldn't be a pegasus."
"Asses? What--?" My brain struggled to make the connection.
"A donkey. Though, we normally don't call them ass. What were you talking about?"
"I-I meant I don't want to look like an idiot by falling over. This is really hard." Bracing my other foreleg, I pushed it too, and both my wings dipped as a result. My wings started to wobble, and my knees too in sympathy, but then I felt more air blowing over my wings and it felt different enough to break the wobbles. When I lifted my head, I saw Fluttershy still flapping her wings at me.
"How'd you know?" I asked.
"Rainbow Dash is smart when it comes to training ponies, but I've taught hundreds of chicks how to fly." Fluttershy's smile should have been alien and strange, but I liked seeing it so much I didn't want to do anything that would jeopardize it. "You could say I've had some practice. Try standing all the way up."
No one could tell her no. Not when she sounded so supportive. Gritting my teeth, I shifted to one side and pushed one back leg down, then the other. Standing wasn't complicated, but operating a six-limbed body when I was used to four was, and then there was my tail (though I left that alone for now).
"Now take a step, Saffron."
Anyone--anypony--else, and I'd have snarked. I couldn't snark at Fluttershy. Instead of letting my emotions turn negative, I took a step. My right wing moved along with my right leg, then both wobbled, but when Fluttershy flapped her wings my brain had the sensation difference between wing and leg to work with, and the shaking stopped.
"Excellent! Another!"
Her voice was so soft, but more encouraging than a million PE teachers. I lifted my left leg, and with another little gust of wind from Fluttershy's wings, my left wing remained still!
"There! You've got it!"
Despite everything Fluttershy was doing, and my progress, I couldn't help myself. "All I need is for someone to walk around flapping their wings at me for the rest of my life."
"Maybe for a few days it would help, but after that you need to start adapting to not having it." It seemed like Fluttershy was immune to my sarcasm--it was devastating. "Now left-rear leg. Then right-rear leg. See, that part's easy."
"That's because they are my legs. My wings feel like my hands, and my forelegs are just completely fu--" I cut short my tirade and looked down at the ground.
A yellow hoof reached under my chin and tilted my head up until I was looking at Fluttershy's face. "You can swear if you like, but only if there is nopony else around to hear it and it helps you feel better."
This was worse than not swearing. "I-I'll be alright. Language is different here, though, isn't it?"
"Most ponies would be mortified if a foal your size used that word. They wouldn't understand that you were already an adult where you come from. Besides, it's no worse than what birds say in spring."
Curiosity might kill cats, but damned if I didn't want to know now. "What do they say in spring?"
"I c-can't say. It's too much," Fluttershy said while shaking her head.
I had to know. It would eat away at me. "Please? It's only us here. No one else will hear." My words obviously failed to convince her. "And I promise to never tell anyone else."
"Pinkie Promise?" Fluttershy asked.
I'd heard of pinky swearing from my parents, but without fingers I had no clue what she meant. "What's pinky promise?"
"It's a promise you can never, ever break. You do a little thing like this. Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." Fluttershy wound up with her hoof shove toward her eye at the end.
"I don't get why you'd say 'hope to fly'. Don't you fly every day?"
"Pinkie is an earth pony, she doesn't fly." Now Fluttershy looked as confused as I felt.
I took another few steps, slowly trying to get the hang of walking with wings and not falling, while getting my head around the concept.
"Pinkie Pie is a pony. She's an earth pony, and doesn't fly much," Fluttershy said.
"But she still flies?"
"Sometimes using a hot-air balloon, or even other silly machines. I never really thought about it before, I guess. Maybe I should ask her what it means?"
As distractions went, the conversation had done a great job of sidetracking me from my question about birds. I needed to fix that. "So if I Pinkie promise that I won't tell anyone, you will tell me what birds say in spring?"
Fluttershy's snout screwed up and got scrunchy for a moment. If she'd said no right then and there I would have dropped it. "Yes."
I cleared my throat and stopped walking. "Cross my," an odd tingling started to spread through me, like pins-and-needles, "heart and hope to fly." The strange feeling seemed to intensify without growing painful. "Stick a cupcake in. My. Eye!" Somehow, those words just needed to be spoken more firmly. It was like magic. I wobbled a little from having to balance on one foreleg.
Waiting a few moments, Fluttershy stepped close and lifted her snout so that it tickled the edge of my ear. "Fuck me," she said in the softest whisper yet.
It took my (formerly) teenage mind a few seconds to realize what she was saying was not an invitation. "They really say f--" I covered my mouth with a hoof, and giggled.
"It's spring, and for birds that's all they talk about then. All they want to do, too. I even had an eagle proposition me once and--" Her words devolved into a giggle that was super-contagious.
We laughed together for so long I forgot what we were even supposed to be doing in favor of just feeling happy. It was so messed up and short-circuited my teenage brain, but there it is--I enjoy being happy now.
"Oh!" Even her surprised exclamations were soft. "It's time to make lunch for my little friends. Would you like to help, Saffron?"
Of course not, most adorable and innocent person I have ever met. I realized I'd have to ditch the innocent part. Apparently Fluttershy knew a lot more about what birds and bees got up to than anyone on Earth did. "Sure!"
Walking to Fluttershy's house still wasn't easy. I managed about one step in ten myself, but needed Fluttershy's little flaps to keep my brain separating my legs from my wings--and she wouldn't let me fold my wings and walk normally.
Having someone so focused on helping me was just really weird. I mean, teachers and stuff said they wanted to help, but when the bell rang you had to leave class and they weren't going to stop you just because your grades weren't all that.
If Fluttershy thought you needed help, she did what was needed to help you, it seemed. I was pretty sure Mom wasn't paying her, or any of the ponies, yet they just wanted to help. It was both bizarre and awesome.
I froze as what was apparently Fluttershy's house came into sight. There was a host of really annoyed looking creatures ranging from a freakin' bear all the way down to a rabbit, and everything in between. I wasn't concerned about the bear--I was pretty sure I could outrun it--but what surprised me was that every single animal had a little food bowl. "Th-They're your friends? They don't all look little..."
"Harry, you mean? He's the biggest softy. There's a spot behind his left ear that puts him right to sleep. Come on." Fluttershy trotted forward in the best display of absolute serenity I'd ever seen.
I tucked my wings down and sped up to catch Fluttershy. Among the animals was a sense of them completely ignoring me--like I wasn't even there--and it was obvious why. I watched Fluttershy trot inside her house and call them all in.
It should have been a stampede. These looked like wild animals, but each was extremely polite--I even watched a fox bow to the rabbit and let them go first.
"Now now everyone, no pushing." Despite Fluttershy's words, there was no pushing going on. It was an orderly line.
I slipped in behind the last little family of animals (some mice I'd missed seeing earlier because they were so tiny) and walked around the queue. "Is it always like this?"
"Oh no!" Fluttershy filled a bowl with nuts for a squirrel. "They're normally much better behaved."
I saw more squirrels in the queue, and located the bag that Fluttershy had pulled the nuts from. "Do you need some help? I could do the squirrels."
There was some excited chittering (from the squirrels) that almost drowned out Fluttershy's reply. "Would you? No more than three nuts for Howard, he's on a diet, but the rest can have five."
"Which one's Howard?" I asked and looked at the excited squirrels now milling around me.
Four squirrels pointed to a fifth, while that fifth one pointed at one of the others. Howard, it was easy to tell, had been living the high-life, and it had given him a pudgy belly.
Then it hit me what had just happened. Among all this crazy, cutesy world, these animals had just understood a question I'd asked and responded to it in human ways. Either I was nuts or Fluttershy had some kind of magic about her. It was probably both.
"I'm pretty sure that Howard's going to start eating my hooves if I don't get you all something to eat, so why don't we do this the way that gets everyone something right away?" Focusing on keeping my legs steady, I reached out a wing to grab the bag of nuts Fluttershy had used to feed the squirrel earlier. "Bowls down."
All five squirrels put their bowls on the floor, Howard was the first. I put the bag down and measured out five nuts, and starting with Howard's bowl, dropped one into each.
"I never thought of doing it like that," Fluttershy said.
"This way they are all happily eating while--" I cut short because Howard had somehow torn his nut apart and eaten it before the others had even decided where to start biting. "If you keep eating that fast, you're going to get really disappointed by the time I get to the fourth round of nuts."
"You're really good with them. Can you understand them too?"
I shook my head. "Not hard to figure out what they want if you just pay attention to--" I stopped at Fluttershy's giggles. "What?"
"Nopony ever does that."
"Well, they should. All these critters can understand what I'm saying, or at least they can understand my tone or somethin'." I put the fourth lot of nuts out, but not for Howard.
The saddest expression I'd ever seen hit me right in the eyeballs. Howard's eyes were huge, and he wrung his little paws in supplication. What worked against him was he had bits of nut still stuck between his big teeth, had an obvious nut in one cheek, and his belly was just a little bigger than when we started.
"No, Howard."
His expression dropped to mere disappointment, and he kicked an imaginary stone and snapped the finger-like digits of his paw in a sign of surrender.
With the five squirrels all fed, I put the nuts back beside Fluttershy. "What next?"
I helped Fluttershy with more animals--preparing bowls of salad for most of the herbivores, some eggs and berries for the fox, and two big fish for Harry.
"How are your wings?" Fluttershy asked.
The question seemed innocent to me, and I started off with, "They're fine, wh--" But then it hit me. I'd been working with my wings while standing, and I hadn't had a single moment of almost-falling. "That was really sneaky!"
"You were a big help. That normally takes much longer. I'm so sorry for them being so rowdy." Putting the bags away in a closet, Fluttershy looked particularly capable with using her wings. I watched as she curled her feathers in ways that shouldn't be possible given what they were, but it was equally apparent that I'd done similar things when I'd fed the animals. I'd just thought of those feathers as fingers.
"All it takes is just wanting to do it, right? Don't think, just move?"
"If you were an adult who'd lived your whole life as a pony. But you're not. You need to build muscle memories." Fluttershy moved from putting the food away and into her kitchen. "Why don't I give you a test?"
Despite being with the nicest teacher I'd ever met in my whole life, just the word was enough to set my teeth on edge. I walked to the kitchen door and looked in. "Test?"
"We'll have some tea."
In short order I was holding a tray with teacups, teapot, sugar jar, a little cup of lemon wedges, and a plate of cookies on it. I took slow, careful steps while carrying the tray with my wings. For all I was a little jealous of Dad having magic, wings seemed a million times more useful for little things.
"It's easier," I said. "But I think it helps giving them all something to do. My wings can feel the weight of the tray, while my legs are moving just like they have been. They're not the same limbs."
I put the tray on the coffee table in the living room, and we both sat down on the couch facing it. A silence started to build, the kind that destroys lives and crushes conversations whole.
"You can pour," Fluttershy said. It took about two minutes of my staring at the tea set before she asked, "Do you know how to pour tea?"
I felt dumb, but at the same time indignant. We'd fought a war so we didn't have to pour tea, or some shit. I shook my head as anger boiled higher.
"Well, first you ask the other person how they take their tea. I think you're a sugar and pinch of lemon type." As she spoke, Fluttershy lifted the teapot with her wing and tipped it until one of the cups was about three quarters full of the dark liquid. Next she added a squeeze of a lemon wedge and used the little metal tongs to lift two cubes into the cup. A little spoon went in and stirred it all. "Now it's your turn. I take mine with only one sugar cube."
"L-Lemon?"
"Yes please!" Fluttershy smiled as if I'd just asked her to marry me. She smiled like the sun was returning after a year of being gone. When the absolute hell did I get so much into poetry?
I mimicked her actions. First tipping some tea into her cup. I managed to stop before getting too much in. My wings worked just like arms, only my fingers (feathers) were longer than normal--none of that mattered to my brain, these were arms and they had fingers! Positioning the lemon between two fingers and squeezing earned me a lemon-scented wing. I tried again, then swapped wings.
So it turns out you can be right or left winged, and I was a southpaw (southflap? Southfeather?) as a pony just like a human. I got enough lemon in her cup and then carefully used the tongs to add a sugar cube. By the time I came to stirring I was really getting the hang of it.
"Left-winged. You should have said earlier," Fluttershy said.
"I didn't think it'd matter." I looked at the seemingly tiny teacup and reached my left (that is, the non-lemon wing) out and carefully lifted it to my lips. The first sip of the hot drink made me instantly addicted to the stuff. The bitter taste of lemon combined with a ton of sweetness and something else (probably the tea) that really agreed with me. I sipped a little more.
"Your wings--you said--are like your arms. So if you were left-handed before of course you are left-winged now." She lifted her own teacup and sniffed it. Again the sunshine of Fluttershy's smile broke over me, and I watched her take a sip. "Left or right, you make wonderful tea."
Her praise mattered, it felt good. It was nuts (and not the kind I'd fed to the squirrels), but I really liked making her happy. The tea, when I tasted more, was as good as the first time, and if it weren't for being so hot I'd have gulped it all down. "This is really good."
Fluttershy fluffed her wings in what I assumed was a little embarrassment at my compliment. I couldn't blame her, I was embarrassed at giving it. "I'm glad you like it. Why don't we do more practice tomorrow?"
"Sure!" I replied way too fast for it to be anything but actual enthusiasm. We finished the tea and talked about animals. Fluttershy, I found out, could talk forever about animals. After pouring another cup of tea each, we kept talking about them.
By the time I was walking out of Fluttershy's house, I felt like I'd had a biology lesson. The insanity was I remembered it all. Fluttershy's way to speaking--that rolled you into her enthusiasm--was way too effective.
"Tomorrow we'll talk about flying, Saffron." Her words had my full attention. Flying was just about the best thing I could look forward to in all this. "I'll see you then!"
I stretched my wings out and started walking back. "Okay. Bye, Fluttershy." I struggled not to row with my wings as I walked, but without Fluttershy's careful use of little flickers of air I got messed up working out which limb was which. I was a moment from snarling something angry and folding them when I remembered Fluttershy's encouragement. |
The Embassy | Chapter 9 | Philip Ree
That whole day of learning to use magic was amazing. Magic is amazing. As much as Saffron practiced using his wings, and Riley practiced growing things, I threw myself into learning magic and helping Clair.
The arrival of Major Richards had been the start of actual politics within our camp. She made every little detail a hundred times worse, but I'll never forget when Captain Bell showed me Rainbow Dash running Richards and her soldiers into the ground.
Clair arranged for the embassy in Canterlot to be purchased and had wrung a concession from Richards to use some of the marines for staff duties until we could hire staff.
I looked out the window of the train. The landscape moved by slowly. Trees and pasture gave way to rocks and switchbacks, and the train began laboring to get up the mountain.
"Now there's a man who has thoughts on his mind."
Turning my head a moment after my ears had located the source of the words, I saw Frank Hollings. Frank was almost as big a thorn in Richards' side as I was, though from her point of view she didn't have to ensure Frank's safety.
Frank Hollings was navy, which meant he was outside Richards' chain of command and was directly under Clair's orders. The difference between Frank and Major Richards was that Frank had never moved up the ranks to a field command role. He'd retired with more medals than Richards was ever likely to give out, and he didn't wear one of them.
"You know how it is, Frank, always something to think about. How're the wings going?" I asked.
"Much better once I realized your son knew more about getting the hang of actually having them than Powell would. There's some things being a physiotherapist can't teach you, and walking and using your wings is one of them." To demonstrate, Frank stretched his wings out and took a few steps--his wings didn't waver. "See?"
"You're doing better at it than Richards and her crew."
"Clark was the smartest one, he got me onto speaking with Saf about it. Clark uses his wings better than any of us but Saf himself. Smart kid you got, Phil." Frank stood in the aisle between the seats--he was just the kind of person who didn't sit. "What are your plans?"
"To stand behind Clair as much as I can. With this," I gestured up at my horn, "I can already write and file papers as well as I could back home."
"I read the reports, Phil. You were a stay-at-home dad. What's going to happen with your kids?"
"School--"
"Saf is seventeen going-on-twenty. Do you think he'll want to go back to school for another twenty years?"
"What're you getting at, Frank?" I asked.
"Your wife needs two people to support her. She needs a secretary and a head of household. I was never good at sweeping."
I rolled my eyes at the suggestion. "We can get someone who can manage the place--"
"But not someone I trust."
"Which rules out anyone under Major Richards?" I asked, but got no reply. "So we're going to shove Richards firmly into only handling security. I like this plan. It already pains me that we're going to have to draft some of her lot from the get-go. Maybe I should get Saf in on this?"
"Why we're doing it? I think if he needs to know, you should tell him. But does he need to know why he has a job?"
"You just said he's not stupid. He might look like a foal, but Saf's still an adult by my mind. If I'm going to do this and bring him on board, I'm going to tell him everything." I stood up and walked past Frank. "If you'll excuse me, Frank, I'm going to go talk with my family."
I found myself clenching my teeth as I walked down the train car--Frank was a nice guy, but he wasn't even safe from politics.
Using my magic to push the doors open, I stepped between cars while the train slowly dragged itself ever upward. As I stepped into the car, two ponies with guns at their sides focused their attention on me. When they continued their focus, I let out a snort of derision. "Oh come on? Clair isn't doing any sensitive business on the train and--"
"Let my husband through!" Clair's voice nearly shook the train car. "Major Richards, I told you--"
Major Richards cleared her throat. "Following my orders, ma'am. Every visitor to the--"
"My husband is not a visitor. Stand your soldiers down this instant." If I knew Clair, and I like to think I did, she sounded about ready to strangle Maria Richards with her bare hands. Fortunately for the Major, Clair didn't have hands.
The two soldiers--facing away from their commanding officer--had apologetic looks on their faces. I felt sorry for them in that they had Richards for their CO. I didn't feel sorry for them in that they were between myself and my wife.
"Are you going to shoot me?" I asked. When both soldiers--minutely--shook their heads, I stepped forward and kept going.
"Major, you've seen what these ponies can do. One of our guests last week lifts the moon into the sky every night. If they wanted to do something to Clair, our guns wouldn't stop them. You're supposed to be ceremonial--for show." Clair got up from her seat as I neared and tilted her head just right to catch my incoming kiss.
A month ago I would have laughed (or seen a doctor) at the thought of my heart thumping like this, or my blood burning hot. We weren't humans edging into old age anymore--we were a pair of barely-adult ponies in love.
My worries and fears weren't forgotten, merely pushed to the side while I enjoyed my wife's presence. Just when it seemed like we were stuck and lost in a kiss forever, we broke apart slowly. I looked deep into Clair's eyes and struggled to remember there was even a world around us.
"You're going to make good on that look later, right?" Clair asked me.
"Only if it's alright with the Major." My answer was low enough that I was reasonably certain that pony ears wouldn't have been up to the task of hearing it. "But I think we need a family meeting."
Clair's eyes danced with excitement. "We haven't had one since the Major arrived. Is this important or are you just tweaking her tail?"
"Important. The tail tweaking is a wonderful bonus."
"Major," Clair said. "I need some alone time with my family. Please don't take this as a suggestion." The steel in my wife's voice made the fur on the back of my neck tingle.
Major Richards lifted her head to reveal a bored expression. "Ambassador Ree, under the circumstances, a little family meeting is hardly--"
"I'm going to the next car. If any of your soldiers follow me, I'll be getting off the train and walking back to Ponyville. From there, I will contact Washington and kindly ask Jeff if he wouldn't do me the favor of seeing to it you are never stationed on the same planet as I am. Meanwhile, you can explain to the two ponies who move the sun and the moon why I left." The whole time she spoke, Clair kept her voice calm and even. She turned and started walking for the door that led to the car where the kids were.
There was utter silence in the car apart from the sound of our hooves as we walked. The soldiers didn't say anything as we transferred to the next car, and the major kept her mouth closed.
In the middle of the car, Sergeant Peter Clark and Saffron were having a wing-wrestle. Gathered around was the rest of the Young Corps as they were known. Riley sat off on a seat on her own sulking.
Of all the soldiers, Captain Bell and his squad resonated the best with me--and I'm pretty sure with Clair too. I cleared my throat. "Family meeting."
Saffron and Riley's heads snapped around. Saffron quickly turned back to look at Peter Clark, the wing-wrestle still on. To everyone's surprise, Saffron just pushed down almost effortlessly on Peter's wing and turned to us. "What's up, Dad?"
There was something different about our son. He'd always had his interests, but now life itself seemed interesting to him. He was more active, and over the last few days I'd even seen him walking through town in the company of other ponies his size.
"Captain," when Clair used Corvinus Bell's rank, it meant business, "you are to take your men and report to Major Richards. If she asks why you didn't refuse my request, tell her I threatened to jump off the train."
A fellow unicorn, Captain Bell smiled despite the situation we were putting him in. "Ambassador Ree, you don't have to give me excuses, and you don't have to give me orders. When you came through the portal thing beside us, you got stuck with us, ma'am." He turned to look at the other three young stallions (not including our son). "Come on, let's go get another dressing down from the major."
Saffron waited until the door closed behind the four soldiers before opening his mouth. "What's up?"
No accusation for ruining his fun. Where was the short-tempered teenager? "It's mostly about Major Richards."
"She's a bitch. The guys--" Saffron said.
"The guys?" Clair asked.
Saffron puffed out his chest a little. "They're pretty cool when they're not jumping around for the old bird."
And they were all in the same situation, give or take, as Saffron. "He's right. She is a bitch." The biggest gasp my statement drew was from Riley. "And if we give her an inch, she'll take it and never give it back. I was talking with Frank Hollings, and he thinks it's a bad idea getting any help from her."
"So why the meeting?" Riley asked.
My little girl. She had been growing up big and strong--as strong as any twelve year old girl--but now she was trapped in a tiny body. A tiny body that could easily bench-press me, I had to remind myself. "Frank wants to take on the role of secretary until one is sent, which means I can take over the day to day running of the embassy itself. Cleaning, cooking, all that."
"So," Saffron said. "Basically what you did back home?"
"Yeah. But in a house about ten times the size. At least that's what I think you said, dear?"
Clair nodded. "Give or take. It's a small mansion. I don't know exactly how much room a pony expects to take in the capital, but we're going to have a lion's share each."
"Which means I need helpers," I said.
Neither of our kids were idiots, they both knew what I really meant. "You want us to help?" Saffron asked. "'Kay."
"Saffron!" Riley poked her brother with a hoof. "We want an allowance!"
"What do you say, dear. Can the United States Government afford to pay to have its embassy cleaned?" I asked Clair.
"I don't know. The work would have to be up to snuff." Clair lifted a hoof and tapped her chin in contemplation. "What's the going rate for child-labor?"
"We'll have to work it out, but I think five bits an hour for good work should cover it?" I looked to Clair while I had Saffron and Riley's attention--she nodded. "Unless you want to haggle?"
"Don't look at me, Dad. Riley's the capitalist here."
Riley poked her tongue out at her brother. "I remember the last deal you made. We still haven't even seen our computers here."
"I didn't know the power wouldn't be the same. Besides, it's not like we have any free time right now. Maybe when Mom gets some more people working and we don't have to learn all the basic stuff, we'll have some free time again," Saffron said.
When had my son gotten a work ethic? He was always ready to do chores before, but they were always chores to him. This new attitude was stunningly adult.
Riley nodded to Saffron. "Okay. Five, but any trips we want to make to Ponyville are paid for."
"What's in Ponyville?" I asked.
"Bloom," Riley said.
"Fluttershy," Saffron said.
I didn't want to say Moon Dancer, but damn she'd taught me so much about magic. It felt, sometimes, like she was a savant when it came to anything related to unicorn magic. "I'm sure that can be included."
"You were quick to cave," Clair said. "What's your angle?"
"Well, they'll need a chaperon, and taking the train to Ponyville every now and again seems like a great way to be out of the line of fire." I reached a foreleg out to Clair and wound up pulling myself closer to her. To cover for my miscalculation, I kissed her on the cheek.
Clair pouted. "Will you take me with you?"
"No, dear. You have to run everything. All we have to do is look good for photo ops and run away from responsibility." My words earned me a laugh from Saffron.
"Okay. So we got this?" Clair asked.
"I'm the maid of honor," I said.
"Does that make Saffron the maid of dishonor?" Riley asked.
I couldn't help it. Coughing to hid my laughter, I nonetheless clung to Clair's solid shoulder to keep myself upright as our daughter's inadvertent gag took its toll on the seriousness of the moment.
"Why--" I stopped to get my breath back. "Why don't we just go with you can both be the hired help?"
Clair, beside me, was not just better at keeping her composure, she was quite literally a professional. "We got this, don't we?"
We all nodded to her.
"Got your back, Mom."
"We won't let you down!"
I kissed her cheek again to show my support, but when she tilted her head at the last moment it landed on her lips instead.
"Ugh. Can't you two get a room? What is this, college?" Saffron got up while making a gagging sound.
I felt Clair's lips curl up a little more at the admonishment, but what I felt even more was a shift in weight--the train was slowing. So far, the train had strained against the weight of hauling the cars up the switchback, but this was the first time it actually pushed back to slow us down.
Clair broke our kiss with a reluctant sigh. "I guess we reached the top."
"No rest for the wicked?" I stretched my neck and shook my head. My marriage to Clair had been a wild ride. We'd started off so into each other that sex had become my biggest aerobic workout for the day--which when you considered I enjoyed running, that was saying something.
As we'd gotten older, particularly post fifty, things had slowed down a bit. Running was more and more the thing that got my heart pumping, but coming here changed it all. I wasn't the man I used to be. Moving into the tail-end of life? Not anymore.
I wanted my wife, and I didn't care if my expression reflected that.
Clair looked at me with an expression of shock that fed my ego. One of her eyebrows raised and I nodded to her.
"Tonight," Clair said.
I nodded and watched her shiver. When she glanced back at me, I saw a hungry expression on her face.
"Definitely tonight," Clair said again. She turned and walked toward the door of the car.
Damn it. This place had sunk its hooks into me firmly. I watched her swaying rear depart and all the stalliony hormones bubbled and fizzed. If I was going to last a month here, I was going to need to learn restraint.
Only when Clair left the car completely could I think properly again. I let out a sigh. It was like having a bucket of cold water dumped on me. "Okay, kids, let's go be the perfect family and support Clair."
"You mean the ambassador, Dad? That's all they'll see of Mom." Saffron shook out his wings and folded them neatly at his sides again. He was still small, but he had an air of self-sufficiency that made all the other pegasi in our group look clumsy--even Frank Hollings.
Saffron reached a wing out to Riley and guided her toward the door. I'd seen him use his wings like that more and more. How many years here before that becomes normal for him?
I used my magic to pick up Clair's attache case with her papers in it. As I did, I was aware that I was getting used to the way things are here, too, and we've been here less than a month.
Clair Ree
I'd gotten all the concessions out of Colonel Richards that I was likely to today. I had a pair of soldiers flanking me, and one stepped off the train first only to look around and signal it was safe for us to move.
There were the hooves of three American ponies on the platform before I was allowed off the train. I stepped through the doors and onto the marble platform and my jaw fell open.
The Arthurian tales of Camelot had nothing on Canterlot. It was a city herded against the peak of a mountain by a palace, and though the palace shimmered with gold and marble, the buildings within the city itself weren't that far down the scale of impressive.
It was obvious the railway station was placed here for this effect, but I'll be damned if it didn't work great.
Wrenching my eyes away from Canterlot city, I looked at the ponies assembled on the platform. Well, pony, though that one pony made up for plenty of others. I could recognize Princess Celestia by the descriptions I'd heard of her, and she was standing alone smiling.
"Colonel?" I asked, knowing she wouldn't be far away. "It seems the ruler of Equestria has arrived without escort to greet us. I'm sure you would rather avoid an interdimensional faux pa, perhaps even loss of face, and allow me to greet her without mobbing her with soldiers?"
The sound of teeth grinding together told me I was pushing things again. "Ambassador Ree, I can't guarantee your safety if you continue to--"
"Colonel, the whole point of this mission is diplomacy. If I walk over to her with an armed guard while she has none, we will be showing ourselves to be weak. I don't care about egos here, only that the United States of America has whatever deals we can wring from these ponies." I didn't turn around, I didn't face the Colonel. "While this is still a diplomatic mission, I am in charge."
"Soldiers, be on the alert, but cease your escort of the Ambassador."
And now for the hardest bit of being a politician. I was correct in my assessment of things, and I had the right to demand that Richards back down and do what I order, but that didn't mean I should make her ass sting for having done it. "Thank you, Colonel. I only want this to go smoothly. By me risking my butt out there, it shows we are not just friendly, but confident."
"Alright. But this is going down as your decision."
I just nodded and stepped away from the train, from my guards, and toward the huge mare. Somehow, I'd expected her to be about Princess Luna's size. Luna had stood taller than me, enough that my eye level came to her jaw, but I could have just about walked under Princess Celestia and not had to dip my head.
As I neared her, her height became more and more apparent until I was standing about a ponylength (a strange unit of measurement, but one I could at least judge easily) away. Humans were mostly the same height--give or take a foot or two--but this was something else.
"Princess Celestia?" I asked.
"Madam Ambassador Clair Ree?" Her voice was soft as velvet, but had the depth of a singer (or someone who was just big). I knew the game she was playing, and I appreciated it for what it was. Princess Celestia was trying to reassure me with a larger title.
"We both have each other's measure, it seems. On behalf of my country, my family, and my escort, thank you for inviting us to your nation." They were general platitudes. There was an official guide for US ambassadors, but it didn't cover establishing initial missions in completely alien societies.
"Shall I show you Canterlot, or would you prefer to retire to your villa?" Princess Celestia gestured to the stairs leading from the platform. Each step was perfectly smooth marble with edging done in gold. "Of course, you'll do me the honor of a meeting this afternoon?"
"I could stand to see more of your magnificent city, and of course I'll attend." That dusty little booklet had my back so far as invitations were concerned. Social rules were a large part of it, but I had to show her what rules I would expect and what I would not be tolerant of. A meeting on the first day would help me establish that.
A pair of pure white unicorns stood in the middle of the street but made no move to approach us. As we drew closer, they moved forward and kept a safe distance such that Celestia and I could converse without their seeming interference.
I stopped, and Princess Celestia stopped with me. "You'll excuse me a moment, Your Highness, but I'll need to arrange my own guard to trail behind us at an appropriate distance."
Walking back onto the platform, I saw the Colonel arranging for our things to be unloaded. "Colonel Richards?"
"What is it now, Madam Ambassador?"
"May I request an escort of two to accompany the Princess and myself on a tour of the city?" I was throwing a bone. I could have ignored the two guards and gone on our little tour none the wiser, but I could see the Colonel's features ease just a little.
"Rodriguez, Carlson!" The colonel waited for a unicorn mare and an earth pony stallion to present themselves. "You have escort duty. Do as the ambassador says and keep her safe."
"Sir!" Carlson and Rodriguez barked. Both turned to me.
"Follow us. Keep the same distance back as the princess' guards keep in front. Look good and don't start anything," I said and led them down the steps.
Salvador Carlson, an earth pony stallion in muted brown fur and darker brown mane, approached me and drew up beside me. "Ma'am. Excuse the Colonel, she's a hard-ass, but she's a good hard-ass."
"At least half of what you said was true. If she were a good hard-ass, why is she still an active colonel at sixty one?"
"Because she's a field officer, ma'am," Salma Rodriguez said. She was a unicorn with almost-white fur and a blue mane with a light blue stripe through it. "I was in her first command. She's hard as a rock, but I've heard she's harder than one now."
So that meant I was at loggerheads with a woman who was good at her job and apparently just as stubborn as I was. In my own head I could swear and laugh at the irony of it, but it was the real world that I had to deal with her. "She could be the most brilliant battlefield tactician ever, but that won't help if what I want is an honor guard.
"Okay, see where Princess Celestia is? This is your standard distance. Hold at this unless I yell for you, and enjoy the sights a little--this city is amazing."
Salvador Carlson smiled and shook his head. "If it's all the same, ma'am, Colonel Richards would have my nuts in a vice if I didn't keep my eyes glued to you."
I couldn't exactly tell them how to do their job--any more than I already had--so I just put on my politician's smile and walked back to Princess Celestia. Her size, while intimidating to a species that had very normalized sizes, wasn't too big of a problem. Ouch, Clair, no more puns.
"Sorry, Your Highness, but I have to keep up appearances and follow protocol," I said.
"Absolutely understandable, Ambassador Ree." The title rolled off her tongue smoothly, but I noticed a slight raising of her eyebrow. Of course, it was the only eyebrow visible thanks to her breezy mane, so I didn't know if it was a single eyebrow lift or a double, but I had to go with single.
I could take the hint, she wanted less formality. "Clair will do."
"As will Celestia. Please, Clair, come and let me show you my city." She used a foreleg to gesture forward and stepped as I did. "You met Luna?"
"I did. She helped me with some correspondence and related some recent history to help me get up to speed with the modern Equestrian political situation." The story of Derpy Hooves was still an astounding one, but I could see how powerful it could be to show the citizens of a monarchy that they matter.
"She and I built Canterlot together twenty-seven thousand years ago, give or take. I'll try to avoid using exact years, Luna said your lives and history are a little shorter?"
I was almost starting to get used to the huge numbers, but then I'd keep getting the reminder that she was talking thousands of years and I hadn't even experienced sixty yet. "Just a little. Eighty is considered old age for humans."
Celestia didn't miss a beat. "You must pack a lot of living into those eighty years. We ponies take our time with all things." Her words were as politic as you could get. I wished I could commend her on it without revealing that I'd have struggled to put it as neatly. "But if there were anypony who could adapt to such a situation, it's Twilight."
Mention of the third princess (the first I'd met, of course) surprised me. "Why do you say that?"
"She had planned to visit your world for ten years. She notified me that finishing the current president's term and long enough to introduce our own ambassador would be more suitable." Celestia gestured to a huge archway that transitioned the square design of the streets around the station to a more curved one. I assumed circular. "This was the original entrance of the city. Since the introduction of the railway, we had to make some allowances for not just the station but those who would prefer to live near it."
It made sense. In a city as old as Canterlot, plowing a public transport system within its boundary would be too much. I tried to think of old human cities and all I could think of was Damascus, and the tiny streets at the heart of that would never allow for the addition of something so space-hungry as a train track and station. "I can imagine it would have been hard to plan for. On Earth we have some old cities--certainly not as old as Canterlot--but I could never imagine trying to fit stations into those."
"Here we have the first city square. You'll note there are five in the main circle of the city--one at each cardinal point and one in the center. These are set aside for merchants to sell surplus goods or entertainers to show off their skills." As Celestia led the way into the square, however, all such trading and show(pony?)manship ceased. All attention was on Celestia.
"Princess! Would you like to try some of our pears?" a merchant said as they rushed over with a basket to offer.
I took the opportunity to glance back at our guards. Carlson and Rodriguez were walking beside the two Royal Guard, and I could see them talking together. I fervently hoped that they were explaining that ponies running toward us with baskets wasn't something to get worked up over.
"Forelle Pear, I would love to try one. Are these from your latest harvest?" Princess Celestia floated two pears from the basket--one to herself and one to me.
I caught the pear from Celestia's magic and took a bite into it. Equestrian fruit had a lot of everything that just made them better than their Earth counterparts. I didn't have time to savor my first mouthful, however, as I was on the clock. "That tastes wonderful, thank you."
"This is from your northern orchard?" Celestia asked, only to get an excited nodding of Forelle Pear's head. "And this is only their second year of production. Would you mind delivering a basket to the castle?"
"Right away, Your Highness!" Forelle Pear looked ecstatic. I didn't blame her with how much specific information Celestia knew about her farm.
Either this was staged to put me off balance (and I couldn't ignore the possibility it was), or Celestia not only had the most amazing cognitive capacity I'd ever heard of, but enjoyed taking an interest in everything.
Okay, Clair, just file that away and focus on surviving this without offending anyone. |
The Embassy | Chapter 10 (mature scene in second half) | Riley Ree
I watched Mom walk off with the biggest princess ever and started to feel bored. As awesome as it was being in a city again, I didn't know any of the soldiers like Saffron did, although the four who came with us at first were nice.
"Hey, midget, come on," Saffron said from beside me.
I turned my head to look at him, only to see him stepping back into the train. Curiosity bit me about as hard as it ever could, and I walked after him. "Saf?"
"Shh. A little trick I saw in a movie. Come on." He trotted down the aisle of the car away from me.
I had to really pound my hooves to catch up to him. Pegasi, I'd learned, liked to be first at everything--my big brother fit in just fine. When we reached the end of the car, he used his wing to open the doors and move to the next. "Where are we going?"
"We're going to spend some time without ten people watching our every move. I want to see the train."
I couldn't fault his logic. I followed along, swapping cars twice more, until we reached the front. But when Saffron turned left at the end instead of right, I was confused. "Huh? The platform's that--"
"There's a platform on this side, too." Saffron opened the door and slipped out with little fuss, but then he paused. "Okay, come on."
With the speed Saffron moved, I had to run to keep up. Keeping quiet, I waited until he stopped before asking, "Why'd we have to run and be quiet?"
"Duh. Because they would have seen us. Now we can explore a bit."
It made sense, but I was fairly sure Mom and Dad would be just a little upset. I bit my lip and followed Saffron. "You're still pissed off about not being able to learn to fly from Fluttershy." As soon as I said it his head snapped around. "What? I don't blame you. I wanted to learn how to grow things from Bloom."
Saffron stared at me for a few more moments and then smiled. "We both got kinda wrecked there, didn't we? It's just not fair. So, anyway, let's have some fun."
I grinned, nodded, and followed him out of the back side of the station. Slipping between buildings, we came out onto a curved street a few moments later. Canterlot was amazing. Bright ponies everywhere were talking and laughing and smiling! But I wasn't stupid, I stuck to Saffron's side like glue.
My legs worked like crazy to keep up with Saffron's longer steps, but I managed it without too much effort--being an earth pony was awesome! We got nearly half a block from where we started when a shadow loomed over us suddenly.
"Well look here, a couple of little foals out and about. What's your names?"
I craned my head up and up and up. A tall stallion that looked like he was in the Royal Guard stood in front of us. I was just about to open my mouth and reply when Saffron beat me to it.
"I'm Scootaloo and this is Apple Bloom," Saffron said.
My head almost snapped around to look at him. He was lying, but I figured he was trying to hide who we are, so we weren't dragged back to the station too early. "Yeah! Bloom!"
The guard looked between us. "And who's looking after you today?" He seemed to look up and cast a glance around the street as if trying to find our parents.
I looked at Saffron and he looked stricken, in a panic. My mind raced and all I could remember was one other pony who wouldn't be here. "Rarity!" The memory of her boutique (the word was as much fun to think as it was to say) and all the wonderful clothes there was a fond one.
"Well, the only Rarity I know is the owner of a shop my wife frequents. Maybe if I deliver you both there I can get a discount, and a little bit more of my pay--eh?" The guard's horn glowed bright gold and lifted both of us up and put us back down on his back as if we were little kids.
It hit me that, since we looked so small, we actually looked like little kids.
We sat in silence on the stallion's armored back as he led us through the city. It let us see a lot more of everything than we would have at our normal height--but it denied us all freedom to investigate.
"Who do you have there, Bright?"
The feminine voice seemed directed at us. My ears swiveled to track it first, but my head quickly followed. A mare a little shorter than the stallion we were riding on walked over. She had the same white fur as our ride, but she had soft pink hair for her mane and tail that had lighter streaks of white.
"A couple of little troublemakers. I had thought to take them back to the barracks so they could spend the day shining my armor up, but one of them mentioned Miss Rarity," Bright (?) said.
"Oh my goodness! Well, if she's in Canterlot today I might have to head to Canterlot Carousel then!"
"Dear, you don't have to--"
"I insist! Let me take them off your hooves." Now the mare's horn was glowing and lifted us off Bright's back and to the ground at her side. "I'm sure the little darlings will be much happier walking, and you can get back to work, darling."
Leaning down, Bright kissed the mare's cheek. "Thank you, Shim." They were so cute!
Saffron pulled my attention away from the ponies by tapping me with one of his wings. He made a gesture to follow him, so I slipped carefully under the mare's belly and tried to keep my hooves as quiet as I could.
"Oh, where are you two heading?" Magic wrapped around me again, and I could see the same silvery field around Saffron pick him up. "Just like my colt, always getting into trouble. You know what I do with him when he tries slipping away all the time?"
I looked at Saffron, but he just seemed annoyed, so I shook my head to the mare.
"He gets to fly!"
The ground shot away and we wound up nearly ten ponylengths (I don't even know how many feet anymore) in the air. I kicked my legs like crazy until it sank in that the mare still had a firm grip on us with her magic.
When I looked at Saffron, however, he didn't look scared at all. His wings were out and he wore the biggest smile I'd ever seen on his face (human or pony).
He stuck his wings out and glided, which meant I landed in the mare's magic first. I craned my head up to watch Saffron gliding back down.
"Again!" Saffron made no effort to hide his enthusiasm. It was just about the cutest I'd ever seen my brother.
"If you promise to be good and not run away."
Looking flushed, Saffron nodded at the mare and was launched skyward again. His laugh of excitement made me smile.
It took two more throws until we reached the mare's destination. "Here we are, dears. If Miss Rarity was looking after you, she'll likely either be in here, or Ms. Saddles will know how to find her. Come along now."
Sidling over to Saffron, I noticed he seemed completely distracted by the mare. "Saff?" When I got no reaction, I lifted a hoof and poked his shoulder. "Saff?"
"What?" Saffron glared at me like I'd interrupted him playing computer games.
"You remember that we lied about being here with Rarity, right?" I poked his shoulder a few more times to keep his attention.
"Well duh. What's that matter?" Saffron took nearly a full five seconds (the amount of time it took the mare who was accompanying us to open the door and lead us both into the shop) before he realized what kind of a problem we were in. "We gotta get"--the door closed behind us--"out..."
"Shimmering Silk! It's glorious to see you in Canterlot Carousel again! And who's this? Mrs. Silk, have you been keeping something secret? Who are these little darlings?" This mare was tall. Not as tall as a princess was tall, but she was huge compared to the mare we'd been escorted in with. She had the same blue fur all over her as Rainbow Dash had had, but instead of a rainbow mane she had two-tone orange hair. She also had a very long horn.
Shimmering Silk (apparently our escort's name) looked upset. "Oh drat. I'd hoped you might know about them. They said they were with Miss Rarity, but they must have become separated. I do hope there isn't another Rarity in town."
A pair of orange eyes turned on me and Saffron. One eyebrow raised. At my attempt to look pleading, both the tall mare's eyebrows raised, then she winked. "This must be them, then. Miss Rarity called--she finally got one of those new long-distance telephones, quite remarkable--and said to expect a pair of guests with her today. The little darlings must have evaded her somewhere in the market."
I thought Saffron was a smooth liar, but this tall mare had him beaten. At a moment's notice she'd just made up a huge lie to cover for us. I nodded my head as quickly as I could to confirm the details. "Can we wait for her over there?" I pointed off to one side of the cornerless shop.
"What are you doing?" Saffron asked when we reached the spot the tall mare had said was fine. "Now what are we meant to do?"
"Duh. Wait for her. She just saved our ass, Saff." I prodded at his shoulder with a hoof. "So, how was flying?"
There probably wasn't much I could have asked my big brother to make him smile, but I had a feeling that would do the trick--I wasn't disappointed.
"It was amazing! I mean, I didn't want to flap and ruin it, but even guys in wing suits don't just glide like that! And then..." He went on and on. Saffron was still talking about how amazing air flowing over his feathers felt when the tall mare walked over to us.
"Now, let's start with names. Your real names. I'm Sassy Saddles."
Saffron's mouth snapped shut. He turned to look at me before shrugging. "My name's Saffron Ree, and she's Riley Ree. We're not really here with Rarity."
"I gathered that already. Are you homeless, or just off on a little adventure?" Sassy's eyes turned to me.
"W-We slipped away while Dad was busy. We're new in the city, a--" I barely managed to stop myself letting slip the whole story.
"What's the names of your parents? I'll have to report this--they'll be worried about you." Sassy's horn began to glow a light yellow while she looked us over, then an old telephone floated over to her.
"C-Can't we have a little time before you call?" Saffron asked. "Mom and Dad wouldn't have even noticed us missing yet."
In answer, Sassy lifted the handset of the phone and pressed it to the side of her head. "Hello?" There was a pause. "I have a pair of young foals here, Saffron and Riley." Another pause as Sassy's face broke into a smile. "Ah! That sounds like them. Canterlot Carousel." More pause. "Oh no! No need to rush over. I have them settled. Yes, a half hour is fine. Thank you, Sergeant." She hung up the phone.
Sassy looked over both of us. She'd literally just done what Saffron had asked for. "Now then, you have half an hour. You can sulk in this corner or"--she let the word hang for a few seconds--"we could have some fun."
"Fun? Like what?" Saffron looked at Sassy like he wasn't going to like whatever she could suggest.
"Look at me. What do you see that's different to practically every other pony in Canterlot?" Sassy turned to the side and posed.
"You're tall!" I said.
Saffron took a few more seconds before he said, "You're wearing clothes."
I blinked a few times rapidly in surprise--it was true. Sassy wore an olive colored dress that looked a little spiky, but also had a trim silver saddle in the middle of her back. "You are!"
"Exactly. You don't think Rarity would let me run her Canterlot shop unless I not only loved fashion, but had talent for it, did you?" Sassy used her magic to lift the skirt she wore just enough to see a group of pins on her thigh. "I'm afraid I don't have anything in your size on the shelf, but I can assure you I can fix that."
Saffron took a step back and looked in a panic. "Wait! We're not going to--"
"Dress ups!" I bounced on my hooves in excitement.
"Now-now. Relax, Saffron, I'm not going to put you in a dress. We have some very fine stallion clothing here. Come over here and let's see what I can get you into."
What happened was amazing. Yellow magic lit up the store. Dresses and suits started dancing around. Sassy danced and sang, and Saffron and I sang too! I'd never heard Saffron sing before, but despite his gloomy entrance, he looked as excited as I felt!
The sound of the door opening interrupted our fun. I turned to look at who it was, only to freeze. Princess Celestia and Mom walked into the shop, and neither looked particularly happy.
"Saff?" I asked.
"We're in it now, Riley. Just back me up, okay?"
"'kay."
Saffron walked forward--beating even Sassy--and reached Mom first. "I'm sorry, Mom. I just needed to get away and talked Riley into coming too. Having all the soldiers around all the time it--it just got too much!"
My brain was struggling to keep up with my brother. Back him up? He'd just taken all the blame! I walked over with Sassy beside me. I looked up at the tall mare and she gave me a significant look in return.
Mom glared at Saffron for nearly ten seconds in absolute silence before she reached out and grabbed him with her forelegs. Saffron didn't stand a chance with an earth pony hugging him. "I'll sort out who's to blame later, but for now I'm just glad you're okay." Mom looked up from Saffron to Sassy. "Thank you so much for taking care of them, I don't--"
"No need to thank me, ma'am. It's always a pleasure to look after such well-behaved foals." Sassy's words made everyone stare at her in shock.
"There's a lot of things I'd like to call my children right now, but well-behaved is not among them." Mom took a deep breath. "But where's my manners. I'm Clair Ree--"
"Ambassador Clair Ree," Princess Celestia said.
I liked Princess Celestia, but of the three princesses I'd met, I liked Princess Twilight best, and then Princess Luna. Princess Twilight had the most princessy colors, and Princess Luna gave the best pony rides. I guess Princess Celestia might give better pony rides, but they'd have to be pretty good to put her ahead of Princess Twilight.
"Well, that explains a lot about their story and mannerisms. Welcome to Canterlot Carousel, Ambassador Clair Ree. Rarity left strict instructions to provide you with whatever you needed." Sassy gestured to Saffron and me. "I have two things right here you might be interested in. They both come with accessories."
Mom snorted, smiled, and let go of Saffron. "I'll take both, I suppose, but I can't take their 'accessories', I'm afraid I have no way to pay for--"
Sassy lifted her hoof. "Absolutely not. They were a joy to take care of, and I'd hate to see what Miss Rarity would say if she knew I let them leave unclothed. No-no. No payment needed."
"If I may point out, Clair, Rarity was chosen by the Element of Harmony known as Generosity. She literally embodies it with everything she does. You could sooner avoid attending a Pinkie Pie party than tell her to not help you." Princess Celestia gestured at the shop we were in. "Don't take Rarity's success to mean she wouldn't give everything to help those in need."
"I heard someone else mention these Elements of Harmony. What exactly--Saffron, Riley, you are both coming with us and if I notice you more than two ponylengths from me at any time, you're going back to Earth by catapult." Mom looked between Saffron and me. "I don't know if Celestia has a catapult big enough, but I'm sure we could get one made."
"Yes Mom!" I ran over to her as quick as I could and reared up for a hug. Mom's forelegs wrapped around and squeezed me tight. I returned her hug just as fiercely as I could. "I'm sorry. It wasn't all--" I whispered.
Mom cut in, equally as hushed. "Shh. I know. Your brother's a good boy, though." Mom gave me one more squeeze before letting go.
"Sorry, Mom. I just wanted to have some fun--" Saffron hung his head. "It's all messed up. I'm meant to be an adult, but this world just--it just doesn't have a spot for me."
"You seemed to have a good spot when you were flying," I said.
I could tell the words reminded him of what the mare had done because Saffron's face unscrewed from the anger that'd been there a moment ago and a little smile creased his lips. "It wasn't really flying, but yeah."
"With your leave, Sassy Saddles?" Princess Celestia asked.
"Oh! Oh, of course. Your Highness!" Sassy crouched one leg down and bowed to Princess Celestia. "It has been an honor and a pleasure to have your company."
"You know, there's a Gala coming up again, perhaps I'll have to come in to see about a dress."
I looked from Princess Celestia to Sassy giggled at how shocked Sassy was, but Mom was leaving the shop, and I remembered the rule she'd made. The white dress Sassy had given me swirled around my back legs but didn't touch the ground. I looked under Mom's legs to her other side to see Saffron at her other flank. "She was really nice, Mom."
"You realize what this does to your father and me, right? Richards won't take any of the blame for this. Looking after you two is our job. This means she gets to ask nosy questions and poke around more often." Mom sounded more resigned than actually upset. "But, there wasn't any rule about my son not being able to explore the city on his own. What I'll do is tell you off in front of her, Saffron, for not requesting an escort. You're going to take an ear-burning in public, and you won't be able to go anywhere without two of Richards' men with you."
"Mom," I said, "It wasn't all Saf's fault. I--"
"Riley, I know it wasn't all Saffron's fault, which is why you're going to be suffering the same fate as he is. Now, I want both of you with your most repentant faces on--that means puppy eyes and big frowns."
Trying to take the blame wasn't going to work if Mom had already assigned it to me. I hung my head and cast my eyes down to the ground as we walked outside.
Philip Ree
After the dressing down Clair gave our kids, I knew she'd need a hug. She hated disciplining them at the best of times, but being forced to use it in public would be worse than usual. Right now, however, she was still in public and there was nothing I could do but stand at her side and smile.
Clair made with all the fancy diplomacy and begged us some time to settle into our new home before the welcoming dinner tonight. Given my magic, I was definitely the most useful for carrying all our personal gear to the mansion that Clair had acquired.
Inside, the place was huge. There were dozens of rooms, a slew of which Clair claimed as our family quarters. I set down the two big packing boxes that held most of our stuff and turned to look at Clair--she was barely holding on.
"You look like you could use a massage," I said.
Saffron and Riley knew the meaning of that, and both focused their attention on the boxes of stuff which left me looking at Clair. Equestria had given me a new sense of wonder in that I'd learned to love my wife no matter what form she was in. Not that age had marred us terribly back home, but here we were both young ponies again.
We both held it together until we reached what seemed to be the master bedroom of the building before I grabbed Clair with both forelegs and pulled her against me.
Clair hugged me back and pressed her face to my neck. "I hated every second of that. I told them to look"--she sniffed hard--"I told them to look chastised, and they did it too well. Take me home. I quit."
"No you don't." I didn't dare give up the hug or she might just stomp off and make good on her words.
"I will! I--I fucking will!" Swear words were stage-2 of Clair-angry.
"Mmhmm." I started rubbing Clair's shoulders with my hooves. If one thing being a pony had taught me, it was how sensitive the equine (or maybe just pony) body was. "Can I get a growl?"
"I'm not that angry!" She kept quiet for several minutes, just letting me keep rub her shoulders. "Can we move to the bed?"
"Clair Ree!" I didn't so much loosen my grip as let her slide back just a little so we could be face to face. "Is this those burning pony urges I hear so much about?"
"I want a proper massage." Clair wiggled from my grip and pranced to the bed before flopping on it.
With a rear view, my pony side (something that I couldn't deny existed) took a great interest in my wife's assets. "No urges at all?" I climbed up on the bed, mimicking the stance an earth horse would take with a mare to a reasonable level of authenticity, and reached out to Clair's shoulders with my magic.
"Ooooh..." As her voice trailed off into an incomprehensible syllable, Clair slumped further onto the bed. "That feels amazing. Please don't stop."
Careful to position myself just right to avoid going too far with the mounting simile, I worked my magic "hands" down Clair's back, digging silver thumbs into the tightest muscles I found.
The massage was as close to sex as it was possible to get and not actually have sex, but that seemed to work for both of us. Clair sank further into the embrace of the bed while I worked my magic hands back up to her neck.
"Alright," Clair said after several minutes of my attention on her neck, "I'll stay."
I leaned forward--which resulted in my belly pressing firmly into her back--and kissed Clair between her shoulders, then a little further along, then a little further again.
My kisses were deep in her mane when Clair finally laughed and shifted under me. There was no greater example of how strong she was than the way she picked me up, rolled over, and set me back down on her belly. "There. Now we can talk face to face."
I took the opportunity to kiss Clair, and the return of the gesture revealed neither of us lacked the nervous excitement that had brought us together in the first place. It lingered long past the minute mark, I was sure, and was proof that we'd mastered (or at least become gifted amateurs at) kissing.
"You want to try for more?" Clair asked.
Oh boy did I? I kissed her lips with a quick peck. "Always."
"Well, we know doggy--pony--style works. What about missionary?"
"Missionary would be nice, but I was thinking more adventurous. Nirv--"
"Nirvana? Hey, that might work. This bed is way too soft for it, and I don't exactly want to make that kind of mess on it." Clair squirmed under me in a way that caused enough excitement that blood was already flowing to the places it needed to be.
I climbed off her, kissing a line down her body, before turning to the floor. "We're going to need a towel and a pile of pillows."
"I'll check the bathroom!"
While Clair investigated our en suite, I used my magic to carry a small nest of pillows from the huge bed to the floor and arranged them so that Clair should be able to lay on her back without discomfort. When Clair returned and tossed a huge towel over the pile, I turned to look at her.
My darling wife was excited for this--her tail flicked, her ears were alert and forward, and she pranced across the floor. "We could have done this on the bed, I guess, but I don't want to explain any mess."
I actually laughed at that. Memories rolled over me that were over thirty years old. "Remember when we got our first place together?"
Clair laughed. "And old Mrs. Nelson kept complaining that we were always using the washing machine and it was noisy?"
"Sooo many sheets." My nose twitched at a new smell in the air. We weren't exactly new to the bedroom as ponies, we'd just stuck to what was the traditional method for ponies so far. There was something more intense about sex as a pony--the smell, the sight, and the sound of Clair all had an effect on me.
Without any hesitation I walked up behind her and dipped my nose under her tail. The smell of her intensified a hundredfold. I shivered and felt my body building up for the moment even more. I took another breath before I licked along her fold.
"Whoa!" Clair jumped a little and did a little prancing dance, but when she settled she kept her rear to me and looked back over her shoulder. "Warn a girl when you're going to do that."
"I'm going to do that," I said, and did.
Several times.
"St-Stop!" A laugh bubbled through Clair's tone, which only goaded me to go one more time. "No! Dammit Phil, now I'm almost there."
"Remember when we were trying for Riley?" I asked while licking my lips.
"We don't have time for that." Clair walked around the cushions to inspect them. "Do we have time for that?"
"Nope. But maybe tomorrow night we will." I walked right into the middle of the cushions and sat down on one end of the towel with my back legs bunched under me.
Clair just stared at me, but it wasn't my eyes she was looking at. "I still can't get over how intimidatingly big it is--you are."
There was not a lot that could really stroke an aroused male's ego quite so much as a woman telling him he was big. "Well?"
"Yeah, gimme a second to work up to this. I know it fits and all, but wow, Phil." She walked toward me and turned around again. Despite every instinct screaming for me jump up and on her, I waited while Clair lay down and rolled to her back before me.
The advantage of being a unicorn over being a human was simple: magic. I reached for my power and adjusted Clair, shifting some cushions under one side of her, then lifting her rump a little to prepare to bring her toward me.
"Wait," Clair said. "You're not aiming at me."
I looked down in surprise. Sure enough, the mechanics of a pony dong meant it dropped down a little, but mostly ran parallel to my body. "Sh-Should it bend a little? How was it when you--"
"It seemed really rigid. You could try adjusting it."
I let Clair down to the cushions again and changed my grip to my penis. "Whoa!" I snuffed out my magic quickly as the shot of energy to such a sensitive spot felt like touching a live wire. "Okay, new rule, don't use magic on sensitive bits."
"Bad?"
"Enough that it doesn't feel good. Okay, let me use a hoof then." The up side, that freed up my magic to use to lift Clair up, while the down side was I needed to lean way forward to get my shaft anywhere near her.
With Clair's back legs braced just under my forelegs, however, and holding her up and myself down, I could get my large penis to the right spot (100% of wives agree).
"Philip Ree," Clair said as I pressed my tip to her entrance. "I love you so much."
I leaned forward a little more and used my magic to ease her toward me. The result was a spine-shivering sensation as her body pressed around me. My pony instincts wanted to lunge forward and start the roller coaster of sex, but I wasn't just a pony. "I love you too, Clair."
Pushing in--or pulling her back as it may be--I felt more of myself wrapped in her clutching muscles. I grunted and groaned almost as much as she did, until Clair lifted a hoof and tapped my chest. "What's wrong?"
"Lean down more," Clair said, and when I did so, she sighed. "Better. Keep going."
"Are you sure?" I asked.
"Fuck me, Philip Ree."
I lifted my rump with my back legs, which shoved me forwards. Clair's eyes--gazing into mine--widened and then fluttered. I pulled back and repeated the motion, which earned a happy sigh from Clair that was music to my ears.
"More! More!" Clair's cries were mixed with grunts and gasps from each thrust I delivered. Each time my groin shoved against Clair's body, she let loose another gasp.
My head was almost pressed to Clair's chest and neck, but when I tilted my head back and looked her in the eyes, our very souls connected.
I'd heard--not that I'd admit where--that horses were fast when it came to sex. Up, in, off, done. Ponies were not so cursed. The same haunches that carried me around all day, that set me into a gallop fast enough to almost keep pace with my wife, were more than capable of delivering the thrusts that pushed us both toward the most intense physical expression of love.
I saw the moment when it became too much for her. Satisfaction was as much mine as Clair's when she opened her eyes wide and managed to barely whisper my name through the tension her orgasm was putting on the muscles in her throat.
Clair wrapped both forelegs around my neck and pulled me against her.
There was no way I could break the death-grip she had on me, but with her only having hold of my neck, I could continue to pump my body against and into her.
I weathered Clair's howl of pleasure, even as I felt my own end nearing. Orgasms, I'd found, were different for stallions than men. For a man most of the show was focused in the groin, with pleasure radiating out from there. For a stallion it was focused--oddly--near the chest, and radiated down and into the groin. I felt that thrumming pressure in my chest--amplified since it was currently pressed to Clair's midsection.
Like a sexy missile the pleasure spread from my chest through my body and down to nestle above my balls. Every muscle in my body suddenly burned with the need to do something, and the raw fire of my pleasure shot from my prostate down my shaft.
Orgasm, as a stallion, was pretty good indeed.
The whole world--both worlds--faded away and there was just this circle of cushions, this towel, and us atop it. Nothing existed except for our bodies and the feelings we held for each other. My hips jerked of their own will while I stared upward at Clair's jaw. Her own whines were nothing compared to the aching grunts that bore forth from my throat.
It was incredible.
I wasn't ready for when Clair released her vice-like grip on me. Instead of standing back straight, I fell sideways on wobbly legs. My length pulled from her body thankfully without causing any undue stress since it was already flagging in hardness.
Clair laughed at me as I wound up on my back, and her laughter cranked up a notch when my body--intent on proving it was in every way superior to how it had been just a month ago--shot another jet of semen up and along my body, but off to one side.
I watched the graceful jet of my essence arc through the air in a gleeful parabola, aimed directly at the carpet. Not on my watch! I caught the fluid midair with my magic, wrapping it up like I'd cup water in my hands.
"Okay, that's just about the most silly and impressive thing I've ever seen you do," Clair said.
"Yeah?" I asked. "Now what do I do?"
"What do you mean?" Clair rolled to her belly, keeping her back end on the towel.
"How do I get up without smearing myself on the carpet or dropping this?"
My wonderful, darling wife spent the next ten minutes giggling her cute, fuzzy butt off while she got herself cleaned and got me another towel. |
The Embassy | Chapter 11 | Saffron Ree
Mom literally didn't care that everyone knew she and Dad were having sex. They weren't being loud about it, but it was so obvious that is what they'd gone to do I double anyone would think otherwise. It was at least ten kinds of horrible.
In protest, I decided to investigate the house we'd gotten. Approaching the marines carrying gear inside, I tried to get Frank Hollings' attention. Standing off to the side and trying to not be in the way wasn't working, so I decided the direct approach was needed. "Frank?"
Frank stopped and stepped out of the way of the others. "What's up, Saf?"
"Well, the whole needing an escort thing"--my words caused him to stiffen visibly--"does that apply to the embassy itself?"
"That's actually a good question, but it's for someone under Richards' chain of command. Bell!" Frank's shout would have startled me a week or two ago, but now it was just how soldiers would call to each other. When Corvinus Bell dropped out of his place carrying stuff, Frank gestured to me with a wing (and barely managed to not fall over). "Saf here needs an escort to explore the embassy building."
"Clark!" Bell's shout didn't surprise me either. "Clark, get your butt over here. You're on escort duty."
"Yes, sir." Clark followed me away from the soldiers carrying the stuff inside, and as soon as we were out of earshot of the work he smiled. "I'm not going to argue with the captain when I get out of hauling that crap. How you doing, Saf?"
"After today? Like shit"--the soldiers didn't seem to care if I swore or not, so I let it all out--"after we got chewed out. Figured I'd best get an escort to explore this place. You know, not rock the boat more."
Clark barked a laugh. "Honestly? You got our backs. Seeing Richards shouting at someone else for a change was a relief." We poked through a few rooms before he said more. "This place is huge, but everything's huge right now. Brass has no fucking clue what it's like getting this happen. They're all chill and happy because they're suddenly young. They don't have to deal with fucking puberty and--Sorry, Saf."
I held up a hoof to the soldier which he clopped with one of his own. "Preachin' to the choir, man. This is all kinds of"--I'd been waiting to use the acronym and this seemed the right moment--"fubar."
"You got that right. I can't wait to see how the next wave is going to take this. Probably another bunch of old bastards trying not to crow about how great it feels. The really messed up bit is what it's doing up here." Clark tapped the side of his head with a wingtip.
I had an idea what he was talking about, but wasn't certain. "Totally," I said.
"You get it too? Damn it, when I saw that pegasus guard that reported you two had been found--Her wings did it for me. I never thought I'd be into feathers on a girl, but when I saw the way her wings curled it was just--"
I remembered that feeling from back home. Candy had the most perfect ass I'd ever seen, and that she let me grab and squeeze it had done all kinds of things for my brain. I imagined millions of ways we could be together and I could do things with her.
Remembering Candy's butt now, though, did nothing.
What was up with me? Was this part of what he was talking about? My mind flicked through all the remembered images of my youth that had done so much for me. The dozens of pictures I had saved on my phone before we left--I couldn't for the life of me work out what I'd seen in them.
"I didn't realize--" I said.
"You're a bit younger still, aren't you?" Clark asked.
Standing beside him was enough to show that--I was about three quarters his size. I just nodded.
"Shit. If there's anything we can do to help, I'm sure the guys would do it. If we're going through hell starting at the start, it must be worse winding up before puberty." Hearing Clark state it out loud was akin to driving a hammer into the side of my head.
The worst bit was I didn't feel any loss. It just didn't matter at all to me. "Fuck."
Wandering in silence, we'd just found the second (and bigger) kitchen when Clark's radio crackled. "Clark, where you at?"
Reaching to where the radio was clipped to a strap around his upper foreleg, Clark bumped it with his hoof. "The kitchen. What's up, cap?"
That meant it was Bell who was calling. "Boss lady wants her boy. She said they need to get ready for a dinner party."
"We're on our way back. Thanks, cap." Clark removed his hoof from the radio. "Looks like we gotta turn around. Sorry, man, didn't mean to spring all this shit on you. You did me a solid with the wing exercises."
I shrugged my shoulders. "I know I should feel something about humans or ponies, but I just don't. Guess I have that to look forward to." We started walking back in the direction I hoped was right.
"Probably won't. You only have a few years. This extended life thing is pretty neat, but not from this end of it." Clark opened a door and I felt my ears twitch at the sound coming from down the end of a long hallway. "Not sure if I'm going to put in for a rotation back."
"Really?" I asked.
"Puberty sucked--still sucks--but this has the whole advantage of getting to do stuff all over again. Hell, I might put in for retirement and move here."
"Live out your days--centuries--as a cute pony?"
"Not so bad once I get to adulthood. Have you seen the wings?"
We both paused a moment then cracked up laughing. Our laughter, however, attracted the attention of someone at the other end of the hall.
Riley Ree
Mom had another argument with the soldier-lady. This time it hadn't been quiet words--they'd both been yelling for some time. Mom kept shouting that her guards could wait outside while the soldier-lady kept replying (equally as loud) that they would follow us everywhere.
Whatever happened, I got to wear my dress again. I looked away from Mom toward Dad, who was standing still with his ears tucked back. He was wearing a fancy black jacket that stopped about halfway down his back--it had been delivered along with the dress Mom was wearing a bit earlier.
"If that's the case"--Mom yelled--"then I want to send a message back to President Miller."
The request confused everyone. The soldier-lady looked really confused. "I'll have someone take it down. What do you want to send?"
"That I am being held under house arrest illegally, and to please send assistance." Mom's volume lowered and she turned around to face me, Dad, and Saf. "Back upstairs. We'll wait for relief from home and hope our captors will think to feed us."
"There's no need for these theatrics, Ambassador, we're not holding you against--"
"Then why aren't you letting me do my job?" Mom turned back and glared at the soldier-lady. "Care to take another letter?"
The soldier-lady's eyes narrowed.
"This one will be to Princess Celestia." Mom smiled. "Help. I'm being held captive. Please send--"
"You don't understand that if something happens to you, it'll be my ass in the fire over this. I don't--"
"Your ass? Your ass?! Colonel, you've exceeded your authority several times. If you aren't willing to take my messages to either be sent home or to Princess Celestia, I will have to consider your actions to be treasonous." Mom was winning the argument, I think, just based on how many times she cut in on the other lady.
"We are hardly at war with--" the soldier-lady said.
"You sure don't act like it. We aren't at war with the ponies. In fact, we're trying to negotiate treaties and trade deals. Your continued efforts to sabotage this diplomatic--diplomatic--mission are a threat to the future of our nation." Mom looked at the soldier-lady like she looked at shrimp. Mom really liked eating shrimp before, but I wondered if she still did.
"This will be reported as being against my recommendations." The way soldier-lady spoke made it obvious Mom had won.
"I can live with that. What I can't live with is armed guards following me everywhere at a state dinner. Assign whoever you want, but they will let me do my job." Mom turned to look at us, and I could see her face pull into a smile. "Honey, kids, come on."
Mom led us outside--along with four of the soldiers--where a pretty pony was waiting for us. She was pink, with pink mane and a pretty blue stripe through her mane. The best bit of all was she had the most amazing outfit on. She looked like a cross between a royal guard and a princess! There was armor, and a huge dress, and she looked so pretty.
"Princess Celestia cordially invites you to dinner and supper at the castle." And she spoke really prettily too!
Mom bowed to the other pony. "Thank you for the invitation. Will you be escorting us?"
"Of course, and please call me Flurry." Flurry was just about the most pretty pony I'd seen yet, and I'd seen a lot of ponies. She looked around at us, then to the four soldiers. "Your guards aren't required. I will assure your safety."
I could tell Mom liked her because Mom was wearing a real smile and not one of the fake ones she normally used. "Thank you, Flurry. My name is Clair, and our customs dictate I bring guards with me, unfortunately. They will wait outside while we dine. "
There was something odd. Normally Mom introduced herself to ponies with her full title, but she'd only used her first name. I tried to make sense of what was going on when Flurry turned and gestured forward. "Please, Ambassador Ree and your family, step right this way." She knew Mom's full name anyway! Now I was confused. "Would your little one like a lift? I've heard tell she enjoys a little altitude."
Sitting still was for suckers. I practically galloped up beside the pretty pony and was captured in a yellow magic aura. Lifted, I was set on Flurry's back. When she took a step, I felt her body and outfit move. There was more of the metal under her dress, and something else. "You're an alicorn!"
Mom, Dad, and Saf all looked at us with more curiosity--mom especially.
"Just Flurry?" Mom asked.
Flurry sighed. "I usually prefer to avoid it, since it gets all the wrong kinds of reactions, but my full name and title would be Princess Flurry Heart of the Crystal Empire." She sounded like saying her name was a chore--to be honest it kinda was with that much to it. "Please. For tonight I'm just another pony."
"Then I am just Clair. We can both be no one special tonight," Mom said.
Looking up at the castle, Flurry snorted. "I don't think there's much chance of that. Aunt Celestia has a banquet planned and has invited everypony who's anypony. You'll be stuck with your titles as much as I'm stuck with mine."
"Until we both have extra responsibilities, then." Mom walked beside us, keeping pace with Flurry. "What is the Crystal Empire in relation to Equestria, if you don't mind me asking?"
"It's fine. That's probably why Aunt Celestia sent me. When the Crystal Empire returned to Equestria, Princess Celestia sent Mom out to defend it from an old, evil sorcerer. Well, she did it, with some help, but everypony there saw her as their princess. Now she's kinda stuck, and between you and me she couldn't be happier. Dad too."
"The Crystal Empire is a city-state of sorts--I assume you want the more political version?" Flurry waited for Mom to nod. "It's a city-state, but also Equestria's closest ally. Mom toes the line on any mandates from Canterlot, and Canterlot does the same. What holds true as law in Equestria, holds true as law in the Crystal Empire.
"Economically, the Crystal Empire has two major things, tourism and crystals. Crystals can be enchanted to hold magic and perform spells on command--it's revolutionized Equestria's technology and has made Mom and Dad quite rich. Tourism is more a steady stream income. Anything else you needed to know?"
"Is there some way I could hire you?" I could tell Mom was only joking because she had her this is just a joke expression on, but at the same time I was sure she kinda meant it. Mom always had this look to her when she was memorizing every word said, and when Flurry had spoken she'd had that expression working overtime.
Flurry shrugged her shoulders as she walked. "You'd have to talk to Aunt Celestia. While I'm not part of the Royal Guard, she can order me to do something and I do it. She might be sharing leadership with Princess Luna, but the Guard are still pledged to Princess Celestia."
I used a hoof to feel Flurry's mane, and it was soft as a cloud! She and Mom kept talking all the way to the castle, but I kinda tuned it out because they never once talked about anything interesting. All the houses in the city looked really amazing. I mean, they all looked different to how we have them back home, complete with horses and love hearts decorating them, but combined they just made me feel like I was in a different world.
A really different world, I realized, when I looked at the castle. It. Was. HUGE! Also, I'm not a smarty-pants like my brother, but I'm pretty sure it shouldn't stand up. There were towers jutting out from places that overhung with nothing holding them in place. It was great!
"This," Flurry said, "Is Canterlot Castle. The seat of power of all Equestria. Please be welcome and come inside. If your guards are to remain outside, they can report to the guardhouse." She gestured to a large building to one side that--while it looked pretty--had nothing on the castle.
Mom turned to the four soldiers with us. "That was your cue. Princess Flurry has taken our safety upon herself. Try not to break anything."
"Yes ma'am. Just following orders, ma'am," one soldier said, but loud, then they all turned and marched off for that building.
"Now," Mom turned and looked between Saf and me. "Both of you will be on your best behavior. I don't want to hear about city-wide searches, wild adventures, or that you ate your own body weight in ice cream. I want you both to have fun, though."
"Mom, I'm pretty sure what you just said is mutually exclusive." Saffron, when I looked back at him, was rolling his eyes. "Besides, what can we possibly get up to at a dinner party?"
Mom actually groaned. "Saffron Ree, we both know you can get up to a remarkable--"
Flurry cut in. "Clair, if you'd like, I could find three mares who would be glad to keep an eye on them. They foalsat for me when I was younger."
That got my attention. Three ponies to keep an eye on us? Did we know them?
"That sounds wonderful, but only if it's not too much bother. Saffron and Riley have already made a reputation for themselves here, and I wouldn't hold it against anyone--anypony--to not want to stand in the same room as them." Mom winked at me while she spoke, and I couldn't keep from giggling.
"Come on, let's go ask them." Flurry quite literally just pushed forward, ignoring the guards standing outside (not that they tried to stop her).
I looked back to see Saf was following us, though he was looking around at the guards. By the time I looked forward again, I was shocked to see a face I knew. "Bloom!"
"Well hello there Riley. Come to the party Ah see?" Bloom walked forward and booped me on the nose. "Girls, this here is Riley Ree, ain't she just the cutest?"
I realized now that there was two other ponies with Bloom--a pegasus and a unicorn. The pegasus was wearing some kind of uniform that covered most of her body. Lightning seemed to be the main theme, and it was mostly blue. The unicorn was wearing the most fabulous dress I'd seen yet. It was huge, and she looked beautiful! With white fur and two-tone mane that was up in curls, she looked as pretty as--A sudden suspicion filled me.
"Are you Rarity's daughter?" I asked the unicorn.
"Sweetie Belle is Rarity's sister," the pegasus said. "I'm Sudden Turn, but if you wanna call me Scootaloo, that'd be fine too."
"I still can't believe you both went and changed your names!" Sweetie Belle looked at me. "Would you change your name?"
"Uh--" I said.
"I would. And I will when I'm legally allowed to." Saffron walked around Flurry and right up to Sudden Turn. "That's a cool outfit. Wonderbolts?"
I had no idea what a Wonderbolt was, but Sudden Turn posed with her wings slightly spread. "You better believe it! Best young flier, I might add, and in the reserves. Commander Spitfire said that if they need anypony, I get first call."
Saf fluffed his wings a little, and I could see him looking at Sudden Turn with a look that reminded me of the just a friend that kept visiting just before we left home. Now I had some ammunition to use later.
"Girls, I hate to ask, but is there any chance you could show Saffron and Riley around the party?" Flurry asked.
"Wait!" Saf took a step back. "I don't need a babysitter!"
"Pfft, hardly." Sudden gestured at a doorway. "But in there's a bunch of stuffy old has-beens that'd love to get you in trouble so they can use your behavior as a weapon against your mom." When her friends stared at her, Sudden shrugged. "Hey, when you're joining the Wonderbolts, you gotta learn about this kinda stuff."
"Gettin' all hoity-toity if you ask me," Bloom said.
"She's right, though. This has nothing to do with foalsitting and everything to do with keeping people from using a slip-up as a weapon against this whole thing." Flurry stretched out a wing and gave Sudden the wing equivalent of a thumbs-up. "So I need some clever ponies who know how to behave in these circles to protect you."
"Huh. Well, we gotcha covered," Bloom said. "C'mon, Riley, hop on!"
I didn't need any more encouragement than that. When the option was hang around with Mom during a snooty party, or hang around with Bloom and her friends, my answer was obvious. I jumped, soaring through the air like my brother couldn't, and landed on Bloom's back with a thud.
Saffron Ree
I waited for Flurry Heart to walk away before turning my full attention back on Sudden Turn. "Fluttershy told me her friend was in the Wonderbolts. I met Rainbow Dash once, but she wasn't wearing her uniform. What's it like?" The words tumbled from my mouth--nothing I could do (or wanted to do) would stop them.
"The uniform or the Wonderbolts?" Sudden asked.
I snorted. "Both. Wonderbolts first."
"Lots of work. There's two ways to join up--one is through military service in the E.U.P. Guard, the other is as a talented newbie. I went with the latter, but I'm starting to think I might sign up with the Guard anyway. Kinda backwards, but you can't get any higher than wingpony without it." Sudden walked beside me to the doors (behind her friends and Riley) and we walked into the biggest room I'd ever seen.
"Whoa." I couldn't get anything else out. This was like the time Mom took me to Uncle Jeff's celebration party--when he became president--only 10 times bigger.
"Pretty impressive, huh? Come on, let me take you to visit the rest of the Wonderbolts." Sudden turned to her friends. "Taking--Uh, Saffron, right?"
"Saf is fine," I said.
"'Kay. Taking Saf to hang out with some friends. You two have Riley covered?" Sudden waited long enough for her friends to nod, then started walking. "You coming, Saf?"
I didn't need to be asked twice. Sudden Turn was just about the most amazing pony I'd met yet. Fluttershy had been--well--impossibly nice, but when she admitted to being a hundred and fifty I almost freaked out. There was one thing I wasn't going to ask Sudden--her age.
Slipping through the crowd was easy with an adult pony leading the way, and doubly so for Sudden. Ponies didn't just shift aside for her, they made room. At some point she led me up to a V.I.P. rope, and someone unhitched it for her.
"He's with me," Sudden said when the big pony with the rope was going to turn me back.
I kept following, only to hear someone yell, "Hey! There's Strip! What's up? How were your friends?"
There was less crowd now, and Sudden Turn led me right up to a bunch of other ponies in uniforms similar to hers. "The usual. One's a genius at Celestia's school, the other's working on her dirt degree. I want you to meet somepony. Saf?"
"Hey! Saf is it? Planing to join the Wonderbolts when you grow up?" The mare talking to me had bright yellow fur and flame-colored hair. She sounded confident and looked it too.
"Saf here is the son of the new ambassador--you know, who this party is for?" Sudden spread her wing over my back and pushed me forward a bit. "In case you're wondering, Strip is my nickname."
"I-I'd need to learn to fly first." The words had tumbled out on their own. I don't know why I said them, just that once they were out a dozen of the coolest ponies ever looked at Sudden then at me. "I've only been a pegasus for about two weeks."
"You know, they say the commander here was flying as soon as she left her mom," A blue-furred pony said, elbowing the yellow one with a leg.
"I heard the commander wasn't born, she sprang forth fully grown and flying."
"Nah. Princess Celestia made her from spare pieces of the sun."
"Well I heard she--"
"Cut it out. Cut it out. Well, Saf, we can't have this. I promise you that by the end of the week, we'll have you flying," the captain said. "Look at Strip here. When I first met her she was older than you, and she couldn't fly. I yelled at her so hard she flew just to get away from me. Why don't you come out to the E.U.P. fields tomorrow, Strip'll show you where to go."
I had no idea how that had happened, but I was apparently going to be getting flying lessons. My brain tried to process the fact, but all that happened was I grinned like an idiot.
Sudden jerked me back to reality by giving me a little shake with her wing. "Think you broke him, commander. Hey! Saf! You want flying lessons from Commander Spitfire?"
Nodding was a good start. That's it, Saf, nod. Okay, now talk. "That'd be awesome!" Great, and I managed not to sound like an idiot.
"He's been talking to Crash too much, hasn't he?" Mr. Blue asked.
"Cut him some slack, Clipper. How'd you feel if you got turned into a different creature and dropped on another world?" Turning to me, Sudden Turn thumped me in the shoulder with a hoof. "I'll see you at dawn tomorrow, got it?"
"Y-Yeah!" I couldn't help feeling excited at this change. I was really going to learn to fly!
"Careful, Strip. Look at the gleam in his eyes. He'll be gunning for your spot in no time." Clipper (Mr. Blue) stretched a wing over my back. "You're going to want to have a light breakfast, so I'd suggest you eat well tonight. My recommendation is the pie à la Maud. I mean mode!"
"Soarin's got himself a new fillyfriend. Her last name is Pie, and he loves pies. It's a match made in--I don't even know. She's an earth pony with an extra helping of earth," Spitfire said.
"Soarin?" I asked.
"Clipper here's name is Soarin. Sorry, we use nicknames a lot." As one, the Wonderbolts fell in as Spitfire approached a table to one side. "He's totally right though, you gotta try the pie and ice cream."
Philip Ree
The stodgy sit-down dinner with old dignitaries I'd been expecting had yet to eventuate. Flurry led Clair around to meet older ponies, though she had words to say about each before introducing them. I was little more than an accessory.
"Hey, Philip, right?" a male voice asked from behind me.
I turned to see the most pristine and perfect example of a stallion. His fur was perfectly white, his mane nearly the same blue color the Royal Guards afforded, and he looked stuck in some kind of formal jacket thing.
"Uh, yeah," I said.
The stallion raised his voice and looked at Flurry. "Sweetie, I'm going to hijack Philip. I'm sure you'll get around to introducing us eventually, but take your time."
"Alright, Dad!" Flurry said.
Dad? Gears turned in my head. Flurry had said she was the daughter of the rulers of the Crystal Empire, that would make this... "Shining Armor?" I asked.
"Got it in one. Come on, all us spouses of leaders hide during this bit. You technically count." Shining led the way through the room--using his stature and importance to bulldoze a path--all the way to a pair of ponies who seemed to somehow be not involved with the party, yet still in the room. "Queen Prances, Lady Neighdine, this is Philip Ree, husband of the new ambassador and latest member of our club."
Queen Prances was big with a capital B, but perfectly proportioned for her height. She was a horse among ponies, and had a comparatively dull coloring of cream fur and brown mane/tail, though she was decorated from nose to tail in what would be called horse tack back home. The bridle and traces she wore bore little resemblance to the utilitarian items used to train horses, and looked entirely like jewelry.
Lady Neighdine was darkness personified (ponified?). Deep gray fur and a black mane that was styled into curls that hung halfway between her knees and her hooves. Just as immaculately presented, her tail was in a shower of curls and would have dragged on the floor if she didn't keep it arched high. She wore a torque around her neck that looked to be made of pure gold.
Both mares were akin to earth ponies (lacking horns and wings), though I wasn't sure if Queen Prances was some other species completely.
Going with the best behavior I could muster, I bowed my head first to Queen Prances (figuring a queen outranked a lady) and then Lady Neighdine. "The pleasure is all mine."
"You don't have to bow and scrape," Lady Neighdine had the thickest French accent I had ever heard--so much so it might even be a parody of one, "we're all equally just fashion accessories here."
"Quite so. Please, don't use our titles whatever you do--just Prances is fine between us." Queen Prances had a thicker accent, sounding Middle Eastern.
"Likewise; just Neighdine, please."
"Then I'm just Phil." Both mares smiled at my words. "So what are we supposed to do here?"
"Look pretty and not talk to anypony important about anything more interesting than the weather," Shining said. "But what we actually do here is gossip." He got a giggle from both the mares. "I heard you had things a little rough coming over here, Phil?"
"Oh dear, what happened?" Neighdine asked.
"Well, our world works a little different. We tried sending samples of animals first, and they didn't do well here." I couldn't foresee explaining the exploding mice as anything but a bad situation. "So Princess Twilight made something that would convert us when it transported us here. But that's not even the end of it. Our kind live to around eighty years old. My wife and I are in our middle to later years back home, but here we're just young adults."
"That certainly explains why somepony so young is in such a responsible role. Oh, but how are your little ones?" Prances looked genuinely concerned.
"Riley is handling it okay. She's barely beyond the point where a pony would be getting bottle-fed, and is surprising some ponies that she can talk at all, but it's my son--Saffron--who has it the hardest. He was on the verge of adulthood back home. Here, he's not yet into puberty." At my description of Saf's situation, all three of them winced.
"Was he the little colt I saw with the Wonderbolts?" Shining asked.
I quickly described Saf, and Shining confirmed it was him.
"He'll be fine with them. I might be biased toward the Royal Guard, but the Wonderbolts are probably the most tight-knit unit I've seen. If they've decided to help him, your son is going to have a bunch of big brothers and sisters who'll have his back."
Shining's vehemence reassured me that my children might be okay--at least for tonight. "So, what's the food like? All the events Clair took me to back home had tiny little plates with portions that wouldn't feed a rabbit."
"Princess Celestia wouldn't stand for that. If there's one thing that could make up for being dragged to these parties and paraded about, it's the food. Come on, I'll show you." Shining seemed so easy going I couldn't get my head around it. He was the husband of a princess who ruled an empire, how was he just so--well--normal?
I followed Shining, and realized Prances and Neighdine were both bringing up the rear. For the first time since being here I felt acutely aware that there was two pretty mares following me and both seemed to have their eyes glued ahead. It took almost a minute of such attention before my brain caught up and I realized I had found them pretty.
Of course you find them pretty, Philip, they're nice ponies and they are both dressed to the nines with expensive jewelry. Naked, Philip, don't forget they're both naked. My brain almost derailed as I realized everyone was naked. Everyone included me.
Stop. Don't go down that path or you'll wind up back home hiding under your bed. This is normal, these ponies are normal, and now you're normal. "So, Shining, what do you do with yourself when you're not stuck to your wife's side?"
"Captain Shining Armor--these medals aren't just for show. It's actually one thing that still binds the Crystal Empire and Equestria tightly. It means I have a lot of travel time between the cities, but it means I can be sure Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and my darling Cady are as safe as I can make them." As he spoke, Shining looked to inflate with confidence and pride. I couldn't blame him.
"And your daughter?" I asked.
Shining smiled wider than I would have thought possible. "Which one?" When I raised my eyebrow, he rolled his eyes. "Flurry you've met. She's doing well in the E.U.P. Guard--that is, the general armed forces. The Royal Guard is what I'm captain of, and while she'd love to join, there's a rather glaring restriction that she doesn't pass."
"Huh?" I asked.
With a dramatic sigh, Shining gestured toward a glut of ponies in the middle of the room. "Princess Celestia has a thing for white and gray/brown stallions. After the Cozy Glow incident, I managed to convince her to let me draw mares into her personal guard, but she still has a thing for aesthetic. Flurry is almost as pink as her mother and doesn't meet that standard."
"But she's doing well in the E.U.P.?" My question drew a nod from Shining as we reached a table laden with food. I looked at the array and was surprised. "I thought ponies were--well--that we didn't eat meat."
"It's cultural. It was mainly a pegasus thing, hence it being called pegatarianism, but there are a lot of mixed communities that add fish and other seafood to their diet. Officially, the combined Guard only cater to ovo-lacto vegetarians, but what ponies eat when not on duty is their own business." Shining used his magic to collect a plate and start loading it up with starchy foods. "Feel free to try some. If you come from a more--uh--varied diet, it might agree with you."
At one end of the table there was fish, prawns, and even several lobster. I watched as a pegasus nabbed one of the large crustaceans and ruffled their feathers in obvious glee. "You know, I think I might try a bit. Any other problems with it?"
"If you're not used to it, it'll give you the--ahem. I'm too used to the barracks, sorry." Shining added what looked like a Yorkshire pudding onto his plate. "You know about using your magic?"
It was nice of him to ask, but I proved my competency by picking up my own plate with magic. I picked up a plate with magic. The fact I could do that, the fact I could think and say it, was still amazing. "Yeah, I had a great teacher in Ponyville."
As I picked and chose some things (including a poached lobster tail), I watched Shining stack his plate higher and higher. By the time we turned away from the buffet table, he had almost twice as much food as I did. "High metabolism?"
"A little. I need a good amount of carbs to keep my muscle tone up. Takes a lot of work, but when armor weighs the same to me as clothes, it's worth it." Shining found a dining table off to the side of the party and settled down at a place. I sat opposite him, and both of us started eating.
"Work out a lot?" I asked.
"Like you wouldn't believe. You like to run?"
"You better believe it. I was running before even the earth ponies in our group." Normally, eating lobster was a messy affair at best, but with magic it was quite literally a piece of cake. Shining, to his credit, didn't bat an eyelid at me eating the fish. "Think we could slip away early and take a run around the city?"
"We'd have to dodge four alicorns, but I think we can manage it. It'll be a good to have somepony who can keep up." The smirk on Shining's face told me I was going to be in for a hard run if I wanted to keep up, but that had never put me off.
"Four alicorns?"
"Princess Celestia, Princess Luna (though she would probably let us go), Cady (she definitely won't let me go early), and Flurry. My darling daughter is many things, but she will tattle on us to our wives in a heartbeat unless we take her with us." Shining used his magic to deftly slice the pudding in half while he also poured gravy over it. "Best case is we get away without any of them noticing, but we don't have much hope of that."
"Are you trying to slip away?" Neighdine asked. "Perhaps we could be of assistance?"
"After dinner, though. Canterlot food is exquisite." Prances, with one of her big hooves, set down a plate stacked higher than Shining's had been.
"Of course after dinner. Also, if you want the best food a pony can be served, you must come to Prance." Neighdine closed her eyes and let out a little sigh. "We have our own chef, of course, but I love nothing better than slipping away and sampling the street food."
Prances nudged Shining with one elbow as she started the task of attacking her dinner. "The problem with Prench cuisine, Neighdine, is there is never enough of it on a plate to fill a mare, let alone a stallion."
"That's why I slip away." Neighdine gave an expressive and pained sigh. "Because you're absolutely right."
"After the dance, and when our partners introduce us, we all pretend we'd never met before. Each of us scatter in different directions and meet up over there." Shining pointed to a hallway door that looked unguarded. "I happen to know there's nopony guarding the kitchen hallway, and I've already bribed the head chef. We can sneak out into the garden from there."
His plan reassured me a lot more than his earlier words. All the usual requirements of hobnobbing would be complete by then, so it just meant we got out from under our partners feet--err, hooves, and could maybe chill a little. "Okay. Tell me when and what you want me to do."
"Just follow my lead. After we've all eaten, that's when our wives will ambush us," Shining said. |
The Embassy | Chapter 12 | Clair Ree
"... and then after the dance, and we introduce our partners to each other, Shiny will pretend he's sneaking them all away from the party so they don't get bored in here."
Princess Cadance had teamed up with her daughter to show me around, or show me off as the case may be. I know she was trying to be nice, but she was also a head of state who had her own motives and interests atop those she personally held.
I had discovered that her empire was the source of the strange crystals that our scientists back home had put very high up on the list of research goods they wished to acquire. Even if I didn't enjoy talking to Cadance, I would still be sticking close to her.
"Will anyone actually discuss business tonight?" Everyone around me seemed to be bigger than me to the point where I could sympathize with Saffron and Riley. Alicorns, it seemed, grew big, but I wasn't prepared to meet King Sable of Saddle Arabia. He was big on a similar scale to Princess Celestia, but lacked the obvious additions of horn or wings.
Cadance, who was much more my size than Celestia's (but still bigger than me), shook her head. "Nothing serious. Maybe a few appointments might be made, but no real business. Ah, here's Princess Luna. Have you two met?"
"Actually, Cadance, we have. Welcome to Canterlot, Clair. I hope my sister hasn't been too much trouble?" Luna's relaxed tone almost distracted me from the fact that she'd talked me into giving Equestria a pile of computers practically for free.
How was I going to get through this without looking like a laughing stock back home? But then I realized something. I wasn't in this to make such destructive deals as Equestria never wants to trade with us again. My mission was to make peaceful contact with a race who--at any time--could call off the deals and send us home and never make contact again. Jeff had sent me to make an ally of Equestria, not dominate them.
The night wound on just as Cadance said, with no talk of actual deals. We eventually found our partners and herded them to the dance floor for a slow dance, but I noticed Prince (or Emperor, I still hadn't sorted out titles properly) Shining Armor and Philip exchanging knowing looks.
Neither of us new the dance, but it was the kind of rocking slow dance that you didn't need to really know. "What's going on, darling?" We shifted around the room facing each other, keeping time with all the other dancers doing the same thing.
"Whatever do you mean?" Philip smiled the smile of a husband that knew he couldn't lie worth a damn and hoped I wouldn't ask the exact question that he'd have to answer.
I felt generous, after all, he'd come to another world to be with me. "With you. You seem so distracted. Is it this party?"
The relief on Philip's face threatened to make me giggle. It took every ounce of my stonefacedness to keep from telling him I knew his plans.
"Well, partly. I struggle to fit in here, but then I met someone who has had to deal with a lot of the same problems. We're going to do morning runs together." Philip's answer wasn't what I'd expected. I'd been rubbing elbows with political contacts while he'd made friends.
I had to stop and remind myself that this evening had been specifically work for me, but not for Philip. "Maybe we could all join you? I happen to remember a particular president who liked to have you along for a jog each day, and that definitely worked out well."
"Shining isn't Jeff. He seems--" Philip stopped and blinked. "How old is he? If Flurry is an adult, and Shining and Cadance had her--"
"Oh, sure. You can freak out all you like over a pony who's probably into his low hundreds, but I have entertain mares for whom a thousand years is a good amount of time to plan breakfast." I kissed my husband with the kind of silly abandon we did thirty years ago. "I know it's not easy, but we just have to do the best we can."
"You don't understand. If he beats me, it'll be terrible." Philip tried to make his case sound at least somewhat of a disaster, but it failed to garner him any sympathy from me. "I'm going to have to make sure I beat him, either way. I can't believe I forgot about the age thing. I just figured he'd be the same age as me."
I kissed his cheek this time and got an answering kiss back. "Well, do you think you can put up with this youthful life for a few years before we head back home?"
"Well, I happened to like our life. It was a good life. We're old, love, that's what happens when you raise and love a family." As he spoke, Philip leaned his head forward and down (which I mirrored) so we at last had our foreheads pressed together. "I'm okay with that."
"We were getting slower," I said.
The music slowly trailed off though we kept moving in the slow dance for a few more steps.
"That was nature's way of saying we'd had a good life. This? This is different, but not bad. I still look forward to going home and cuddling you properly."
Out of the corner of my eye I spotted Princess Cadance with her wing out holding ponies back from approaching us. I had no idea what her game was, but I appreciated it nonetheless. "Every cuddle from you is improper."
Philip made a little growl-groan in the back of his throat that I took for his normal animal noise of approval. "They're watching us."
"Yes, I know. Cadance seems to be keeping the wolves at bay." I kissed his cheek and leaned back. "But now we have to face them. This is the bit where I introduce you around to all the leaders of neighboring nations like my trophy."
"Shining explained it, and for the record I prefer prize stud to trophy."
Philip Ree
Just like Shining had predicted, Clair had been required by propriety to show me around to all the others, and just like he planned each of us--Shining, Neighdine, Prances, and myself--slipped off into the crowd with apologies to our partners.
I made my way to the hallway door he'd mentioned only to find I was the first there--of our group. "This is the way to the little colts' room?"
Princess Flurry Heart raised an eyebrow that spoke volumes as to how likely that phrase was to work on her. "What'd Dad put you up to? Are you the diversion or part of the group sneaking?"
"Flurry! Don't grill the newbie about my plans." Shining slipped out of the crowd behind me and up to my side. "We're being each other's distraction. Scatter and rendezvous tactic."
"Just the two of--Nevermind." Flurry backed through the door behind her and made way for Prances and Neighdine. "But you only get to skedaddle if I get to come too. I hate these parties."
None of us needed a second invitation. Shining led the way through the door, and I let the two mares pass before slipping into the hallway myself. "I don't think anyone saw us." I followed after the others at a slow trot. Shining turned right out of sight and as I rounded the same corner I was greeted by a pair of smiling Royal Guards and the night air.
Canterlot was a city over a thousand feet (or ponylengths, I still had no clue how their dimensions worked) above sea-level, so nights were a little chilly but having a fur coat helped a ton. But the air was crisp and suited me just fine.
The guards, I realized, were manning the door. What reminded me of the safety of the situation was that they both saluted Shining and snapped a little stiffer. Right, he had the rank of captain, so he was probably above rank and file guards.
"It's so good to be out of there!" Flurry shoved her wings out in a display that still surprised me. Having people who could just fly at a moment's notice was still an amazing thing, but then I could do magic just by thinking the right way.
"You've got that right." Shining didn't have wings, but he looked like he'd have them out if he did. Nose raised, gazing into the sky, he looked the picture of health. "Philip, you made my wife almost squeal with that stunt earlier." He turned and looked at me with a big grin.
"I, uh, what?" Confusion reigned. "What do you mean?"
"Non! Stop, Shining." Lady Neighdine held out a hoof to silence any interruption from Shining. She turned to me. "As somepony who knows what it means to be new at court here in Canterlot, I can explain this better. Alicorns all have a thing they're princess of. Princess Celestia is the princess of the sun, Princess Luna of the moon, Princess Twilight Sparkle is princess of friendship, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza--Shining's wife--is princess of love."
My look of confusion must have tipped her off that I needed more of an answer. "Princess M--Princess Cadance is not just princess of love in name, she embodies love. It's her special talent."
"Oh, right! You probably didn't get the full explanation of this stuff. A pony's special talent isn't just something they're good at," Flurry said, "It's something they're amazing at. Mom's the princess of love, which means she can see it in other ponies and she can coax it higher. When there was an invasion by love-sucking monsters, Mom made a blast of love so big it threw them out of the country."
Then it hit me what they were getting at. Princess Cadance wasn't looking at us with her goofy grin back at the party, she was looking at the love Clair and I shared. What it said about how crazy-in-love I was with Clair that the princess of love got all gooey eyed around us, I don't know, but I guess it was kinda a big compliment.
"I'm going to need to teach you all so much about all this, aren't I?" Flurry asked.
"Hey, you signed up for the job." Shining Armor thumped his daughter on the back with one big foreleg and she barely even twitched at the heavy impact of camaraderie.
Flurry turned on her father. "What do you mean, 'signed up'?"
"Yup! You were born with wings and a horn, cadet. Once an alicorn, always an alicorn." Jumping back, Shining only narrowly avoided Flurry's back legs as they lashed out at him. It looked practiced, something father and daughter had done a hundred times before. "Missed me."
"Please, don't let it bother you. Princess Cadance is--She just has a powerful special talent. She certainly didn't mean anything bad by it." Queen Prances (who had been rather quiet up until now) distracted me from the father-daughter wrestling match going on.
"Hold up!" Flurry looked between the two mares and her father. "I know where this is headed, and with all propriety I decline to participate. In regular speak, heck no. Not even listening." She turned around and carefully stomped her way back over to the two Royal Guard at the door we'd left through.
Shining had a silly grin--one I recognized as a father who had managed to ick-out one of his children (possibly one of the finest pastimes of fathers in both our worlds, apparently).
"It's okay. Different world, different culture." And heck was it different, but all the same. Creatures being parents, being children, being friends, being lovers--That some of them could fly, some could do magic, and all of them had double the normal amount of legs I was used to was beside the point.
Neighdine groaned. "You don't have to tell me that. When my husband found out that Equestria's stallion relief stories were true, he panicked and wanted to call off our first visit here. It should be a mare's role to ensure her husband is properly satisfied."
Caught on a different track, my brain froze in surprise at the statement. "St-Stallion relief?" I asked.
"Or a mare could invite a friend around. There is no shame in allowing a fellow mare--even your sisters--to help you so long as no foal comes of it. Although if it were a sibling, that would make adoption far easi--" Neighdine said.
"Hold on!" I said, cutting in. "What do you mean? Is this some kind of hazing gag?"
"It's not really done as much in the city," Shining Armor said, "But if a stallion is a little backed up, it's perfectly fine getting some help from another stallion."
I had no words for how to take this. My brain was too busy dealing with the logistics of it to realize that ponies here might not have any notion of gay and straight at all, or maybe they had too good a notion of them.
"Now you've broken the poor dear." Prances stepped up to put herself defensively between myself and the other two. She was huge, which meant she was extremely good at ensuring I had no view of them. "Clearly a more civilized approach is what he's used to. Stallions are not to be let to roam loose to frolic with each other. A group of mares will often seek the attention of the one they desire and work together to ensure he is given what he needs. I'm sure you do a similar thing where you're from?"
Okay. Brain, time to do what you're supposed to and get things in order. One nation has mares help each other in ensuring their stallion is satisfied, another entrusts a stallion's extra needs to his own stallion friends, and a third is run by--by harems.
"Clair is all that I've ever needed, and all I'll ever need."
The most expressive and heartfelt sigh I'd ever heard left Neighdine. She dodged around Prances and reached down to take one of my forehooves. "To hear that kind of devotion and love in a stallion--It's magnifique!"
"Not to say you are lying, or that you don't have the devotion, but stallions are--Stallions are nothing if not vigorous and hungry. Talk to your wife about this, Philip," Prances said.
"Ladies? Can't you give the guy some room?" Shining used his magic to gently lift both mares casually (and easily) to the side so that he could walk up to me. "I'm in the same club. You can do it, buddy." He held up a hoof in a manner I was familiar with.
Lifting my own forehoof (that had been freed of Neighdine's grip), I clopped it against Shining's. "Where I'm from, monogamy is normal. P-People get together and live together for--" I was a little caught up by not wanting to lie to their faces, "--well, they hope to live together for their entire lives."
"Of course," Prances said, "My wife-sisters and I would not dream of leaving Sable. He is our stallion."
"But you're queen?" I asked.
"I organized my wife-sisters, I am the highest born of us all--Of course the throne is mine, but our husband I share with my wife-sisters gratefully. No mare--with the exception of the wives of those present--has the time needed to devote themselves to satisfying a stallion. The princess of love is an easy exception to make, Shining, but I must admit that your Clair must be an amazing mare to keep you all to herself."
Great one, Philip, you just marked Clair as some kind of legendary super-powered pony among--I don't even want to try to classify how this worked. I'd have to talk to the guys back at the chancery about this, as well as Saf. Now there's a pair of conversations I really want to have.
My brain, however, couldn't let go of one particular thing Shining had said. "You said it's not really done in the city?"
"Well, you know how it can be. Cities are busy, sometimes a stallion doesn't know enough ponies to really get the relief he needs. There's places you can go to to get it. All stallions, no infidelity, but they know what they're doing and enjoy their work." He was actually blushing by the end of his rambling description.
"Well, I hear there's somewhat of a rite of passage," Neighdine said with a sultry smile (that I could identify a sultry pony smile meant I was probably going native), "Where a father takes his son to such places when they come of age. Has somepony make it a special time, teaches the young stallion how--"
I cleared my throat. "I don't need to know about any of that. Saf--No, I don't need to worry about this." Was I saying this in the hope that it was true? So far, Saf hadn't shown any interest in mares, and given his age I think he was still per-pubescent for a pony. We only had a few years here, six or so at most--unless Jeff's replacement left us here.
"Saffron's your son, right?" Shining asked.
"We're not going to be here long enough for it to matter, I don't think."
"I read the reports on the time changes. It's hard to get my head around, but he was practically an adult, right?" Shining seemed to be trying to nudge me away from the mares. "Has he--uh--sown any wild oats?"
I thought back to the girl that'd come around to wish Saf well before we left, and nodded.
"And now he's stuck without any urges at all? A few years of that, and then things are going to hit him." Shining walked off from the others (Neighdine and Prances had retreated to talk with the two Guards at the door) and stood by a huge hedge maze. "He's going to need an outlet, and I'm telling you that in Equestria we have an outlet. Dad--"
I waited for him to continue because right then Shining Armor looked like he needed to keep talking.
"I guess I was a bit awkward. The other guys--even the really nice ones--weren't doing it for me. Sometimes I couldn't even get off. But then I met Cadance. I haven't gone anywhere else but to her," Shining Armor said.
It'd cost him to tell me all that. I could imagine how much scrutiny got placed on him for his bizarre (to this world) tastes in matrimony. "Clair was graduating from her college. I was just a cleaner there. I liked to keep fit, and I met and talked to a lot of clever people, but I'm not so clever myself. She saw something in me, and I couldn't even think about another woman--or mare--since she'd kissed my cheek." My history had only remained a secret so far as Clair had been an advisor only, but when she'd been announced as an ambassador to Equestria, everyone had searched for what ivy-league school I'd attended.
"You're no idiot, Philip."
"Compared to Clair I am. She was everything to me, then we had two amazing children. I'm so glad they took after her. What I'm trying to get at is that I know--I think--where you're coming from. It's a gallant man who promises himself to one woman and stands by both promise and woman."
"Definitely no idiot. If you stay here longer, at least talk to Saffron about this. The urges of a stallion are no joke, and if he doesn't keep on top of it he may embarrass himse--" Shining Armor froze mid word.
I lifted my head to see Princess Cadance and Clair both storming across the lawn toward us. "Good luck."
"Same. Sometimes I wonder if I don't survive just by burning so much energy trying to keep up with Cadance. That might be both our secret." Shining stood straight and saluted his wife. "I was just showing--"
"Oh give it a break, Shiny. You all slipped away for a little time, and we had to put on a show of searching for you. Flurry told me where you were, so we searched here last." Cadance kissed Shining's cheek when she finished her explanation. "Too stuffy?"
"You put us in a room filled with nobles who wanted to see the strange new ponies and ogle them. It was everything I could do to have the few hidden guards in the crowd keep the nosy neighs away while I organized the breakout." Shining pointed at me. "Philip and the girls came along for the ride."
Clair pressed her cheek to mine. "I've been getting the strangest advice about you," she said, her voice low. "We'll talk about it later, but Cadance has been giving me advice. She seems--" Clair drew back and lifted her voice, "--I'll talk more when we get home. Shall we go inside and find where our foals are?"
We didn't get a chance to discuss matters before bed. Just reaching our bed had been a trial and once there other things than talking took all our focus. Maybe Neighdine and Prances were right and stallions had an overactive sex drive and needed to find other outlets, or maybe Shining had the right of it and a loving couple could keep things focused.
I stretched in our bed and rolled over to see sunlight streaming in through the window--these thoughts were too heavy for such a wonderful morning. I looked at Clair--at the woman I loved so much--and leaned in to nuzzle and nibble her neck.
Clair giggled her way awake and let out a happy laugh. "Cadance was right. Absolutely insatiable." The words had stopped me dead. "What's wrong?"
"I talked with Shining, Neighdine, and Prances. Insatiable is apparently right in all the wrong ways." I pressed my snout firmly against Clair's neck and inched my way up to her mane with my nibbles. I couldn't even keep myself from getting in the mood. "Every pony society has different ways of dealing with it."
"Sex drive?" Clair's voice still held a little hint of laughter. "I married one man, and he promised he'd stand by me, and I him. If you need more time with me--like that--you'll have it." With that said, Clair rolled in place so she was on her back.
It wasn't hard to slip over the top of her, but alignment still took more than casual effort. Hooking one leg over hers so I pushed her down firmly and had her legs pinned took a little more doing. Belly to belly, I pressed myself against Clair and entered her.
"I don't know if it's real or if it's just being so young again. It could literally be a fiction invented by stallions to get a little more than they're getting." As I reached the end of my statement, I pushed forward and my belly met Clair's.
"If it's real--" Clair's voice was light and breathy, "--then I think I'm okay with it."
It was impossible to hold back a laugh, or my libido--controlling the latter was another thing entirely. Sex was fun, there was no doubt about it, but for me it was only fun if Clair had fun too. Sharing these moments meant a lot, but it wasn't the center of our relationship.
Despite sex being something to just feel good and have fun, it was also a singularly intense moment when we could both be alone and completely focused on each other. Now was no different. Mares, I'd found, had a quick trigger, which was good because stallions had one too. It was almost like sex for ponies was hard-wired to use as little time as possible in complete opposition to their extended lifespans. In the moment of climax, I had the odd thought that there was probably a sociology paper in that.
"Why are you laughing so much?" Clair asked.
"Because this world is silly, and it's nice to laugh at politics rather than cry." The downside I'd learned to pony post-coitus snuggling was that a stallion's shaft being so far up their underside meant that unless he was much bigger than his mate, he wouldn't be kissing them when still inside them. I looked up at Clair's smile and knew I was smiling just as much. "What if we got a house somewhere in the city?"
Clair looked down at me with shock, then surprise, then her face split into a huge grin. "You're going to give the major apoplexy. She'll want to send guards with us, and will--We can just tell her no, can't we?"
"A wiser stallion than I said, 'Eeyup.'" I nuzzled into the fur of her barrel and kissed one of her hooves when it came close. "It would make our private life private again."
Laughing now, Clair tried to lean down to kiss me but our position and anatomy made it impossible. "Get out of me so I can kiss you!"
Saffron Ree
"Hey! Commander Spitfire! That colt you mentioned is here!"
The E.U.P. Guard headquarters was huge compared to even the castle. There were hundreds of ponies all over running, doing practice fights, and magic! It was as if a little girl suddenly wanted to be a tomboy and went hardcore.
The gate guard I'd asked had turned and shouted, and not a few moments later the mare I'd been speaking to last night came walking up. She was wearing a different uniform now--something closer to the fancy uniforms soldiers back home wore for ceremonies.
I had one of the marines with me--of course--and I could almost sense excitement from Sergeant Clark. This was his bread and butter, but it was also pretty cool. Of course he was just here to "guard" me, and not totally get points on how to fly.
"Hey there, recruit. Let's get you using those wings." Spitfire wasn't just confident, she was like you took twenty confident people, ground them up, and put them in an espresso machine and made a shot of distilled confidence. "Who's your friend?"
"Ma'am, I'm Sergeant Peter Clark, United States Marine Corps. Here under orders to keep Saffron Ree safe." Sergeant Clark looked the part of a protector almost as much as my sister did. He was still a foal himself.
"I've been briefed on your status, sergeant. I think of everypony you'll meet, we here at the E.U.P. Guard will sympathize with your situation the most. You've nothing to fear regarding Saf's life while he's under my supervision, but you're welcome to join us in practice." Spitfire gestured into the training grounds with a wing.
Sergeant Clark seemed to relax a bit. "Thanks, commander. This deployment has had its ups and downs, but I'm looking forward to flying--if I can figure my wings out."
"You're taking care of them? Give me a look--both of you." Spitfire's tone made me want to react quickly to her command. I'd seen this kind of thing in movies, but didn't think it'd work like this in real life. When we both held out our wings (mine were steadier than Clark's), Spitfire examined them. "You both need to work on your preening, but it isn't your wings that're keeping you stuck on the ground."
Spitfire turned her attention to our faces and reached up to the side of mine, then bopped me just below my ear. "It's what's in here. You were both born as creatures that can't fly, so neither of you have what it takes to just know how to fly. Even if your bodies are perfect and your muscles weren't weak, you'd still never get into the air." She stepped back from us. "... Without help.
"But that doesn't mean we can neglect your wings. You've never flown before, but have either of you tried gliding?"
I raised one wing, remembering how the unicorn mare had tossed me into the sky.
"How sore were your wings after it?" Spitfire asked.
That had been yesterday, and both wings twitched with the remembered soreness. "I could barely lift them for most of the rest of the day. Rainbo--"
"Yeah, Crash told me she basically ran you lot around until you passed out. Did she show you how to do wing-ups?"
I groaned, but Clark didn't.
"Yes, ma'am. I've been doing as many as I can each morning and night." Clark sounded pleased with himself--proud.
"I take by your groan you don't do any, Saf?" Spitfire's attention was entirely on me and I felt regret that I hadn't at least tried to do more with my wings. "That changes today. Morning and night--like the sergeant--you are going to get your wings up to strength, Saf, that's an order." And it sounded like one.
"Now, come over here and let's do a dozen."
My whole morning became wingups, running, a lecture about wing preening, and more wingups. We didn't even get to flap our wings once all day.
"That was pretty cool," Clark said as we walked away from the training grounds. "I didn't know birds spent this much time looking after their wings, but I hope it'll pay off. I wanna fly so fu--badly."
"Me too, but this is a ton of work." I kicked a stone with my hoof and it bounced along the stone road. "I just want to--you know--fly."
Nudging me with a wing, Clark made a disgusted sound. "Your dad said you worked out back home. Said you were into fitness."
"I liked to stay fit, but this is more like doing weights than just running. Can't I just fly and use that to get the exercise I need?"
"Saf, you gotta be able to fly to be able to get exercise from flying. The sooner you get your wings up to where the commander wants them, the sooner we can both get into the air." Clark stopped at a stall and used his hoof to fish some coins from a little satchel tied around his foreleg. "Two apples, thanks."
"She's really not going to teach us until we have this sorted, is she?" I grabbed an apple that Clark tossed to me out of the air with my wing, holding it carefully in my feathers despite how weak the limb felt. "The grooming too."
"Preening, and yeah. I need to spend even more time on that. We both have things we have to work on, so let's get this done. I kinda want to be flying before the colonel." He bit into his apple, taking the fruit in half.
"So let's help each other with it. When do you do your wingups?" I bit into my own apple, though my mouth wasn't big enough to get as much in as Clark did.
We walked together for a while, munching on our apples. Clark didn't say anything until he was finished--while I was still eating my last third. "I get up at dawn and do them then, then again at dusk. You with me?"
"Alright. We can both work on our wings after that." |
The Embassy | Chapter 13 | Riley Ree
Ponies shouldn't be boring, living with ponies shouldn't be boring, and I was pretty sure it was illegal that being a pony was boring, but it was all was! And for a whole week! I pushed the broom down the hallway again, turned, and did it again. Boooooooooriiiiiiiiiiiinng!
"Ugh, this stupid hallways always gets so dirty," I said as I got to the end again and turned around only to see Dad standing right behind me. "I can't sweep with you standing there, Dad."
He yanked the broom out of my grip with his magic and held it to the side. "You can't sweep without a broom!"
While I stood there staring at my idiot of a dad, he turned and galloped down the hall I'd been sweeping and around the corner.
"Dad!" I took off after him, and despite how silly he was acting and bored I felt, I was laughing. When I rounded the same corner he did, Mom was standing there too with another pony beside her. "Uh..."
"This must be Riley. Gosh but she's a little filly. Are you sure she's ready for school?" the strange pony, a mare, asked Mom.
"I believe you'll want to test her before finding her a class." Mom's tone sounded like she was annoyed at having to repeat herself.
The mare looked back at me, then to Mom. "But she's just a--"
"Apparently I'll need to find another school. If you cannot accommodate my daughter with some simple tests to find her aptitude, I'll find a school that will." Mom turned to me. "Sorry, Riley, I thought we had this sorted."
"Wait!" The mare looked between me and Mom as if she were trying to say something but was holding it back at the same time. "I can't believe I'm doing this. Okay, what's one plus one?"
I looked up at Mom, saw her pleading expression, and sighed. "One and one is two. Two and two is four. Four and four is eight. Eight and eight is--"
"Oh, so she knows basic math." The mare looked a little flustered now. She opened her mouth, but I'd had enough already.
"Two times two is four. Four cubed is sixty-four. Do you want me to do long division? Because if I need to do long division to get out of doing chores, I will!" I glared at the mare, then turned to look at Mom. "How many other schools are there in Canterlot?"
"Two plus one," Mom said with the deadest deadpan stare I'd ever seen.
"Can't you, like, get me a tutor to homeschool me? Then they can actually just work out what I need to learn to catch up, then I can keep going from there." I looked at the mare who was now gaping at me like I'd grown an extra head. "Homeschool. H O M E S C H O O L. In a sentence: I want to be homeschooled because you're the third teacher who can't get their head around me being stuck in this body!"
"That's not a bad idea, Clair," Dad said (because he's awesome). "We have special requirements, and she deserves the best teaching we can get her."
"I can take her at our school, but I--"
Mom actually stepped between the teacher and me. "That won't be necessary. I'm sorry, Miss Booksworth, but it appears my daughter is smarter than all of us combined. I don't suppose you could suggest a private tutor I could hire to teach her?"
Miss Booksworth was completely gone from view now. "W-Well, I could suggest one or two, but I said we'd take--"
"That was a clever idea, Riley. Come on, we're going to see a special pony to ask her if she can tutor you." Dad sounded sure of himself. "But we have to take the train again. Thankfully, Ponyville isn't far."
"Who's in Ponyville?" I asked.
"The smartest unicorn I know. Well, she tried to tell me Princess Twilight Sparkle was smarter, but between you and me, I think Moon Dancer might be a little better read than the princess." Using his magic, Dad picked me up and set me on his back.
I hadn't seen much of Moon Dancer. All I knew about her was that she'd taught Dad how to use his magic in a really short time. I guess if you go off stories of wizards, it takes aaaagggeeeessss for them to get good at magic, so she must be a good teacher. Also, if Dad thought she was good, I'd probably not go insane just being in the same room as her.
"'Kay," I said.
When Dad reached the front door of the embassy, the soldiers there shuffled around and tried to stop him from leaving without talking to someone else, but just kept walking and we left the impossibly-re-dirtied-every-hour floors of the embassy behind.
Sitting up on his back, I looked around at all the ponies doing normal things like shopping, chatting, and just walking around, and it felt like home. Not home-home, but this just felt nicer than home-home, and we'd been here for ages now.
"Is this who you were trying to find the other day?" When I turned to look where the voice came from, I spotted the mare who'd taken us to meet Rarity's friend. I tried to remember her name, but nothing came to mind.
Dad stopped and turned to the mare. "I take it you met my daughter when she was off having an adventure? Philip Ree," he said, "And this--if you didn't know already--is Riley Ree."
"Hi!" I said, mostly because I knew Dad would want me to say something.
"Shimmering Silk." She dipped her head with a little blush. "Her and her brother were up to something, but they mentioned Miss Rarity, and knowing her personally, I decided to take it upon myself to see they were delivered to her shop. I take it everything turned out well?"
"Absolutely, thanks to you. We're just heading out to find Riley a tutor. She may look like a tiny foal, but my little girl's actually quite a bit older--an accident with magic, you know--and none of the schools here proved they would overlook her little issue."
"I could suggest my sister. She's actually looking for a teaching position right now." Shimmering Silk had gotten Dad's (and my) full attention. "I--uh--do assume you have the bits to pay for a personal tutor?"
"My mom's the ambassador!" I said, wanting to make sure she knew who we were. I still liked the mare, she'd helped us find our parents again after all, and she seemed really nice.
Dad booped my nose with his magic and had me giggling. "That might not be a bad idea. I was going to find a friend and ask her first. What about if I drop by tomorrow?"
Shimmering Silk looked excited. Smiling wide, she almost bounced on her hooves. "Oh! I can definitely organize for a luncheon for tomorrow! Would Mrs. Ree be coming?"
"I can't promise that, but I'll see if she can make it. She's been run off her hooves with meetings this last week. That and trying to organize school for our foals has made her schedule rather a mess," Dad said.
"Of course, of course. Well, I'll make sure my sister makes it, but please, don't let her work for free."
It confused me. Back home Mom had had a person working for her that she'd said didn't want pay, but she'd insisted. I wondered if they were like that, or was it a pony thing.
"It's okay. I'll make sure she's paid for her time. I just want to talk with my friend before I commit to anything, you understand?" Dad, I had to admit, was almost as good as Mom when it came to saying something but trying not to. Maybe he'd just learned from Mom--she was really good at it.
It took dad nearly ten minutes to get out of the conversation. He hustled it and nearly ran all the way to the train station. The ride back to Ponyville was short, probably because it was almost all downhill. Or is that downmountain?
We got off the train, and though Dad offered to carry me, I wanted to walk. It'd been tiring to walk at first, but with a little of that magic Applejack had taught me, I was fine to go all day. So I trotted at Dad's side as we walked through town toward the castle in the distance.
"How's it really going?" Dad asked.
"Me?" When he nodded, I continued. "If I didn't learn the cool magic Bloom and Applejack taught me, I'd be pooped by the end of each day. Probably sooner. Haven't you noticed I keep stealing your cupcakes?"
"Duh." Dad looked as surprised to say it as I felt at hearing him say it. "Well, yeah I noticed, but I just figured you were doing other stuff with your magic. Race you to the castle?"
I didn't have a chance to say anything--Dad was already running. Feeling for my magic, I sent it to my legs and my hooves, leaned forward and charged off after him. Dad might have all that flashy unicorn magic, but I had my own magic that worked perfectly for me. It wasn't pretend, and it wasn't a kids game--it was real, and it made me run fast.
I pumped my legs as hard as I could, feeding magic into them to make sure I could catch my Dad--and I did. Running side-by-side, we were both laughing too much and almost plowed right into the front door of Princess Twilight Sparkle's (still the best pony name I've heard) castle.
Dad wasn't panting, but he did look like he'd had to properly run. He used his magic to lift me up and hold me close to the big front doors.
Still giggling, I knocked on the door with my hoof, remembering at the last second to stop forcing magic through it so I didn't kick a hole in the door.
When the door didn't open for aaaaages, Dad lifted me up to knock again. Another forever passed, and I was just about to knock with my magic, when I felt movement through the ground. I turned first, then Dad turned, but what would have terrified most people made me grin. "Spike!"
I rushed over and jumped as high as I could, only to have him catch me out of the air with one claw and put me on his back. "Spike! Spike! Spike!"
Spike's whole body rumbled, like a big purring kitty, before the words finally made it all the way from his belly to his mouth. "Riley. How's Canterlot?" He spread his wings out on each side of me so I could pretend I was riding him properly--which was amazing!
"It was terrible! I had to sweep the embassy every day! All because me and Saf went on a bit of an adventure when we got there. It sucks." I pronked in place a few times, which was usually how I let Spike know I wanted to fly, but he remained grounded.
"We came to find Moon Dancer. Have you seen her?" Dad asked.
"Nope. She went back to Canterlot a few days after you. I figured she might at least go and say hello, but this is Moon Dancer we're talking about." Spike didn't take off, but he did bounce around--which was almost as good. Dragons moved kinda like alligators, but twice as flexible and ten times as awesome. I'd even told Spike that when he first gave me a ride on his back.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"Until Twilight asked her to come here to research some things about the portal, Moon Dancer was happy to hide in her house or the Royal Library. Seriously, you didn't notice that about her here? How many times did you see her in Ponyville? She's worse than Twilight." As Spike spoke, he settled down from his bouncing to a more sedate walking. "You two want a lift back to Canterlot?"
I couldn't help myself, I started bouncing in excitement.
"You could lift both of us?" Dad asked.
"Unless you were eating a lot more cupcakes than even Pinkie, yeah." Spike spread his wings, which made me instinctively grab on tight. "C'mon. She'll either be at home or the library. I can take you to both."
"So how're you going to--" Dad cut off as Spike jumped forward and wrapped his forelegs around Dad's belly. "Hey, wh--"
One beat. Two beats. Spike was amazing! He didn't even seem to work hard as he shot into the sky, and underneath him Dad was shouting something, though I couldn't hear it over the wingbeats.
"Just relax! I've got you!" Spike shouted.
Spike had given me the serious talk the first time he'd taken me up. Flying on his back was serious, and I had to stay close to his shoulders and hold onto a back-fin, but at the same time it was so cool! I kinda envied Saf, even though he couldn't fly yet, because one day he'd be able to fly like Spike.
When we reached the top of the trail that led to Canterlot, Spike landed and set Dad down. "There you go. Bet that beats an hour or two of train ride all the way up!"
Dad didn't look so great. For a brown-furred pony, his face looked really green. He dropped to his belly on the grass beside the road and just lay very still.
"Is Dad okay?" I asked. "I don't think he's flown like that before."
"Ponies are pretty hardy. He'll get over it. Hold on--" Spike craned his neck around and managed to look at me with one eye, "--'Like that'?"
"Well, we've been on planes before. You know, jets?" I asked. When Spike shook his head, I tried to work out how to explain. "Big metal tubes with wings. Holds lots of people, a few hundred at least. Can fly from one side of the world to the other without stopping."
"Sounds pretty cool. Is that the kind of stuff your Mom's trying to sell to Princess Celestia?" Spike gently prodded Dad with one claw-tip, only earning a groan from him.
"Well, I only heard little bits, but it's mostly computers and stuff. Mom was saying how Princess Celestia wants education to be the most important thing." I slowly slid off Spike's back and dropped to the ground beside Dad. The moment my hooves touched down, I felt everything around me. Earth pony magic might not be flashy like unicorn magic, and I might not have wings like Spike or Saf, but I could feel everything like this, and it was amazing!
I could feel how tight Dad clutched at the ground, I could feel his belly gurgling, and I could feel each of Spike's heavy footsteps as he neared us.
"Sorry, Mr. Ree, but I figured you'd get over it quickly. Most ponies do."
"It's alright--" Dad made a sound that was somewhere between a gasp and a burp, "--Spike. I just don't fly all that great at the best of times."
That surprised me. "But--"
"Riley, every time you've seen me in a plane, I've been dosed up on travel sickness meds. Please, let me enjoy something that doesn't move for a few more minutes?" Dad didn't even lift his head.
I turned back to Spike. "Can we go for a circle around Canterlot while Dad gets better?"
Holding up his claw, Spike made the gesture I knew meant he was going to help me onto his back again. But when I ran at him, instead of lifting me onto his back, he held me against his chest. "This way you can look down."
Boy did I look down. As Spike beat his wings and jumped into the sky, the ground dropped out from under me and I gasped. Now I realized--maybe a little--how Dad felt.
Canterlot looked amazing! There were ponies everywhere, and pegasi kept flying beside and below us. I stretched my forelegs out and laughed as Spike took us through twists and spins that would have thrown me off his back.
It was so much fun I didn't realize what Spike was doing until he crashed us into the ground and set me back on my hooves. Up and down were still a bit mixed up, but after shaking my head to clear the confusion, I turned to look at dad. "Did you see us?!"
Dad looked a lot better now. He was standing up, and walked over to me. "I wasn't doing a great job of seeing anything, sweetie. Thanks for giving me a moment, Spike, but next time it'd be appreciated if you asked first."
"Sorry, sir. I'll definitely make sure to ask before I foalnap you again."
It took me a second to work out what he meant by "foalnap", but it turned out to be just another of those odd words that ponies use instead of normal ones. Foal being the pony word for a kid meant that foalnap meant kidnap.
"Where did you say Moon Dancer will be?" Dad asked.
"Well," Spike said, "It's daytime, so she's either at the library or she's asleep. Since I've been kinda forcing her to stick to regular hours, she probably hasn't gone completely off the rails yet."
Me and Dad started trotting along beside Spike. I only listened to them peripherally because with my hooves back on the ground, I could feel everything again. Each hoofstep Dad took, each time Spike's feet touched the ground, even my own movements were something I could feel.
"Is she really that bad? She seemed so normal back at the castle," Dad said.
They kept talking all the way across town. I watched ponies walking by--all of them making room for Spike and Dad. By the time Spike pointed at a big building, my legs were getting tired, but it was nothing a little kick of super-awesome-pony-magic wouldn't fix!
Sticking my tongue out one side of my mouth, I focused on the magic inside me and--instead of the little flow I'd wanted--I got a huge rush of magic. Giggling, I trotted along to what seemed to be a huge library.
Philip Ree
Turning to Riley, I was about to offer her a ride inside when the words died in my throat. There was a trail of green grass that'd followed Riley back as far as I could see into the crowd. Quickly lifting her up with my magic, I set my daughter on my back. "Having some trouble controlling your magic, sweetie?"
Riley shook her head.
"Look behind us," I said.
"M-Maybe a little..."
Spike's throat made what I'd learned was the slight rumble before he spoke. "It's alright. Foals messing up a little magic is common here. Some grass growing is not going to upset anypony."
Reassured, I walked up the steps of the library with Spike at my side. Any second I expected to have someone rush up to me and protest him entering the library. When Spike stepped inside--his long body brushing the doors I held open for him, there was a gasp of surprise at the front counter. Here it comes...
"Spike! It's been--Oops, I should try to keep it down. It's been too long since I last saw you. Did you read that treatise on breezies I sent?" The mare behind the counter had to be one of the librarians. She had her curly mane up in a bun and had a pair of reading glasses hanging low on her snout. A pegasus, she had a light pink coat and sky-blue mane that had a second, darker-blue stripe in it.
Rolling his eyes, Spike reached one foreleg up to lean on the counter. "Of course I did. I read every book you send me, Stamp Duty. Well, I actually read every book anyone sends me. That way I can recommend the right book to the right creature."
Stamp Duty (the mare's name apparently) blushed a little and leaned on the counter so that she had to look up at Spike. "What can I help you with?" She looked like she was flirting, but that couldn't be right--Spike's a dragon, not a pony.
"We were looking for Moon Dancer. Is she in?" Spike asked.
"She is." The way Stamp Duty said it made her sound disappointed. "Her usual spot. She got in a few hours ago, so at least you know she'll be awake."
Spike lifted his foreleg off the desk and extended one claw to boop Stamp Duty on the nose. "Thanks. I'll be back to talk books when all this is under control." My head spun--he had flirted back! What the hell was up with this world?!
"Is she Spike's girlfriend?" Riley whispered in my ear.
Great. Riley could whisper to me her questions, but if I tried to be the good dad and answer them out loud, I'd be making a scene. "I'll tell you later, sweetie. So--" I raised my voice a little, "--where's Moon Dancer?"
If pony looks could kill, the mare behind the counter would be facing stern questions about inter-dimensional diplomatic incidents. "In the research section. Third desk from the rear--the one with the thickest-padded seat."
I left Spike at the counter and went searching for Moon. As it turned out, she wasn't hard to find at all. The library was somewhat empty, and her mane stood out prominently enough that finding the research section was the hardest part. Walking up to the table, I used my magic to pull two more chairs up. "Moon Dancer?"
Her head actually shot up from the book and she stared at me for several seconds before she shook her head and smiled. "Philip, it's good to see you again. And you brought Riley too?"
"Riley's actually the reason we were looking for you." I lifted Riley to one of the chairs and sat on the other. "You see, we've been trying to find a school that will accept her and not try to put her into an age-appropriate class."
"Huh? That shouldn't be a problem, surely. I remember Twilight being accepted into Princess Celestia's school despite her being nearly a decade too young." Moon Dancer settled a bookmark into the heavy tome she'd been reading and closed it. "Though you can't go there--it's only for unicorns. How bad has it been?"
That Moon Dancer was addressing Riley instead of me made her even more perfect, and I could see Riley perk up at the focus on her.
"They were going to try to teach me how to read and write. I was almost out of middle school!" Riley blew a very equine snort and looked to the side. "They didn't even want to talk to me--treated me like a baby."
"It's hard for them. They look at you and see a filly most of them would still have in diapers. As far as they're concerned, you shouldn't even be in school yet." Moon looked to me then back to Riley. "You want me to mentor you?"
Riley looked shell-shocked. "How'd you--?"
"Riley, Moon Dancer was my first choice because she's smart." I looked at Moon Dancer and had remind myself that I was a unicorn talking to another unicorn about schooling for my little filly. Once I had the situation squared away again, I could continue. "So?"
"You have, according to Equestrian education standards, thirty more years of schooling for basic level, or another ten to twenty on top of that for advanced. Now keep in mind, when you go back home, a lot of what I'll teach you will be useless."
Spinning, Riley pinned me with a look that asked me what that meant exactly.
"We're only here because it's Clair's job, Riley, and Princess Celestia lets us stay here. Jeff isn't going to be in office forever--the new president might not want Clair here." The more I spoke, the more Riley's face dropped. That she knew this already didn't soften it. I'd just told my little girl I was going to take the magic away.
"So," Moon Dancer said, "Knowing all that, do you still want me to teach you?" She looked only at Riley.
Riley stood up on her seat and glared at me for a few seconds before turning to Moon Dancer. "Yes!"
Someone nearby made a hushing sound. |
The Embassy | Chapter 14 | Saffron Ree
A full two weeks since Commander Spitfire had started in on us. After the first four days, it no longer seemed odd to get up so early anymore. Clark was pretty awesome about it, even when I couldn't do a quarter of the amount of wing-ups he did.
Dad always told me it wasn't what the other guy was doing about fitness, but what you did about it. Well, I had to work twice as hard to reach the same level, Clark was, and he put up with getting ribbing from the other guys about constantly poking at his wings.
We were a team.
When we reported in--same as always--the sergeant at the gate waved us through.
All the exercise with my wings had done a great job of making them very distinct in my head from my forelegs. Not only could I keep them nicely tucked at my sides, but I could reach and use them without tripping or even twitching my legs.
The sound of droning reached us from overhead. When I looked up, I saw Commander Spitfire and two other Wonderbolts speed past us with the distinctive noise coming from their flight suits. Sudden Turn was one of the pegasi with Spitfire, while the other I didn't recognize. Like three missiles they aimed themselves and shot toward us.
Spitfire, Sudden, and the unknown pegasus practically crashed into the ground, but rather than looking harmed by the impact, all three were standing proud and looking at us.
"These're the two newbies you told me about? C'mon, Commander, give 'em another year and they might be worth looking at." The third pony was a mare with a bright yellow mane showing through her uniform and had pale fur. She shrugged and started to turn.
"Maybe for the Wonderbolts, Slowpoke, but these two have never flown at all before." Spitfire waited for her companion to turn back. "You're our best trainer for the Young Fliers, you've gotten foals I'd have given up on into the air and doing stunts. I want your honest opinion."
"I gave you my honest opinion." Slowpoke looked over us again, then walked up and used her wing to grab mine. I thought she was going to pull it or twist it, but she seemed to know exactly how a wing unfolds as she extended my limb to its full length. "Push down." When I didn't do it enough for her, she grunted. "Harder. Like you're doing wing-ups."
Okay, that much force I knew. Shoving down as hard as I could, I heard a soft, surprised sound come from her.
"Yeah. What about your friend?" Slowpoke let my wing go and walked over to Clark's other side to repeat the test with him. "Alright, you should be in the air already."
"Wait!" I glared at her. "So I don't get to fly? That sucks! I've been working my ass off every bit as much as--" I faltered in my anger at the snort of laughter Slowpoke made. "What?!"
"You'll be flying by the end of the day if all it took was guts. Come over to the edge and lets see how you do." Turning and walking, Slowpoke made her way (with all of us following) to the edge of the training ground--which was also the edge of the huge plate that Canterlot sat on. "Okay, Tough Guy, if you think you can fly, walk off the edge."
I turned to look at Spitfire and Sudden, but both offered nothing but neutral expressions. Clark was my last refuge, and he shrugged at me. "Just walk off?"
"You've got wings. You think you can fly." Slowpoke took a step off the edge and spread her wings as she did.
It looked so easy.
"This is crazy." Snapping my wings out, I stepped forward.
Okay, it was easy--falling was really easy. All I had to do was not think about what would happen when I hit the ground at the end.
"Open your wings! Catch the air!" Slowpoke shouted.
Sure. Just open my wings again. The pressure and weight of my fall hit my shoulder joints as I did what she said. Memories of that day when the mare tossed me into the air hit me, and with my wings spread wide and catching air--I flew.
"I'm flying!" Joy hit me harder than the air had hit my wings. There was a million things I was feeling through my feathers, all of it I had Fluttershy to thank for. I felt little breezes that tried to push me aside, lift me up, shove me down--I didn't know what to do with the information, but I knew it!
Slowpoke was coasting along at my side. "Flap!"
We'd gotten lessons in flapping. Flapping involved lifting the wing while twisting flight feathers, straightening the feathers out, and pumping your wings down hard. We'd practiced it, and I'd felt some lift, but this was kinda different. My wings--my feathers--were what stopped me falling to my death. Simply twisting my feathers would stop all the lift my wings gave me.
So I did it anyway, because I'm the kind of pony who steps off cliffs.
"FASTER!"
She sounded like Spitfire. My second flap was faster than the first, and I felt something boil up inside me at the feel of my wings pumping. Excitement, raw and wild, poured through my body and into my wings.
"Go! Go! Go! FLY!"
I didn't need Slowpoke's encouragement, but it was good to know she thought I was doing it right. Each pump of my wings shot me faster and higher. I closed my eyes and trusted my wings to feel the air around me, which is how I managed not to hit the underside of Canterlot.
The air around me twitched and moved with everything nearby that affected it. I wanted to do all kinds of stupid stuff, but the possibility of falling to my death was still strong enough in my--Fuck it!
Tipping forward, I drew my wings in a little and was in a dive. Faster and faster, I shot toward the ground below so quickly that the whole world seemed to slow down to watch what I'd do. Snapping my wings out fully, I angled my feathers to use that speed to send me into an arc upward.
Just as I was getting what I thought was enough speed to roll over and finish my first loop, I stopped. All my speed and all the air that had been guiding me was gone. My human instinct was to scream and fall--but I'd learned how useless that was.
Feathers tilted, wings up, feathers straight, flap.
"Ha! There you go. You learned the first important lessons of flying!" Hovering beside me, Slowpoke looked like she was barely even trying to fly. "Let's head back up so your friend can see if he needs his plot saved."
Looking up, I groaned at how far it was before actually laughing at myself. Dad said this day would come--when I would realized how stupid-lucky I was. Here I was able to fly, and I was already thinking about complaining at having to fly up.
"Race you!" I shouted, and began pumping my wings hard to give gravity the middle fing--feather. Slowpoke, despite her name, kicked my ass, but I was laughing at how awesome it felt to really fly.
Landing on the field beside Spitfire and Sudden, I folded my wings at my sides and only then realized how sore they were. Not really hurting, but like the time I'd gone from jogging each day to running. "Flying is amazing!"
Behind me, Slowpoke walked off the edge with Clark.
"How're your wings, newbie?" If Spitfire recognized personal space, she didn't show it. She walked up to me and used one of her wings to grab my left and unfold it. "As I thought. Keep them unfolded and hit the showers. Cold shower. "Strip, make sure he follows orders. Damn stallions thinking they're indestructible and----" Spitfire kept grumbling as she walked away.
That she'd called me a stallion, on top everything, made me want to strut beside Sudden Turn on the way to the showers. I couldn't help but catch glances at her--pony eyes were good for that, since they were kinda turned sideways a little.
The tight bodysuit clung to all the right parts, parts I wouldn't have considered could be right parts a few months back. She was lithe and slim, and each step Sudden took was like a dancer.
"You checking me out?" The words cut through my daydreaming like a knife. Sudden, however, had a smile rather than the angry expression I was expecting.
I'd dealt with this before. Puberty had been behind me and I was searching for the deeper meanings of life before I got sucked along on this ride. "Yeah. Hard to forget what it was like back home."
"Yeah, I heard about that. Look all you want--I'm not one of those prudish townies." She pranced with her steps, showing off for sure. "But you're a bit young for me, Saf. Nothing personal."
"I'm a bit young for me too. Don't sweat it, I don't even know if this tackle works yet. Being this young is so messed up." It might not be working yet, but if there was ever a time it might--in a pony my age--it would be now. "Do you have a guy--err, stallion. I mean, are you seeing somepony?" Their words were creeping into my head, but I suddenly didn't care so much.
"Nope. Too focused on being the best flier I can be to want to settle down with some stallion who probably wants to fill my belly so full I can't fly. I was born to fly, Saf, and I intend to keep doing it." Sudden Turn had led me to a building with just a single door. She flicked it open with a wing and--walking in first--gave me a view that would probably stick with me even when I was home. Human girls don't tend to let you see everything until you've been on at least a date.
Following her into the showers, I found the inside consisted of... showers. Nothing but showers. Nothing between the showers, either. "I gotta ask, though I swore to myself I wouldn't. How old are you?"
"I turn eighty-three this year."
The words weren't as much a hammer blow as they could be, mostly because Sudden was peeling off her flight suit. And here was I thinking that ponies being naked most of the time would make undressing completely uninteresting, but watching her strip the tight suit off was struggling against the lack of urges my body had.
"By your lack of words I figure either your brain futzed at the number or your attention is focused on something else." She turned--now naked--and looked at me. "Oh, the latter."
"When I found out how old Celestia is, I kinda got a little perspective. But yeah, eighty years is oooolllllllddddd for humans. We're normally adult at seventeen." I almost said twenty-one, but she said she knew all about me, so I figured I might as well toss in that at least I considered me adult.
"I heard eighteen, but that doesn't matter. You thought you're an adult up here--" Sudden walked up and tapped the side of my head, "--and that's all that matters to you, right?"
She was bigger than me. Taller, heavier muscled, and even longer-limbed. "Yeah. And you're totally out of my league. A foal my age would be what, playing at finding a girlfriend and kissing where adults can't see us?"
"I take it you've gone a little further than that? Back home, I mean."
I snorted and then yelped as the cold water hit me. Jumping from hoof to hoof, I was about to make a run for it when firm feathers grabbed each of my wings and stretched them out to the sides--Sudden only managed that because she was standing directly behind me and over me.
As the icy chill soaked through my feathers and into my muscles, it stole the soreness from my wings Sudden Turn's presence had made me forget I even had. "Oooohhh..."
"Out of all the pegasi you'll ever meet, Saf, I'm the only one who'll know that feeling." She held my wings out for me, though she didn't need to. Cold water didn't really have the same ache it would back on Earth, and the way it soothed my muscles would have left me standing with my wings out anyway. "I wasn't able to fly until I was almost forty-five."
The admission was startling enough that I turned to look at her out of one eye. "Forty-five? You were--"
"About seventeen in your years, Saf."
Damn. Now if that didn't put her friendship in a new light, nothing would--and it definitely did. I hadn't even known what I was missing, but Sudden would have seen all the other pegasi flying. "That would have fucking sucked."
Her snort wasn't forced. "Eloquent, Rarity would say as she looks down her nose at you. Ponies don't swear a lot, Saf."
"Yeah, I know that. I was just surprised."
"No one ever says that word, and only Crash says sucked." She let go of my wings and backed off to her own shower.
"Actually there's one pony I've heard say that word, but I can't tell you who." I wanted to tell her, I wanted to tell her so much, but I said I wouldn't, and I don't think ratting out Fluttershy'd be something I could live with. "But she heard it from a whole bunch of places."
"'She'?" Sudden broke into a laugh when I groaned. "Don't sweat it, Saf, her secret's safe with me--whoever she is."
What stung the most, I think, was how much I liked Sudden Turn without the sex appeal affecting me. She was a nice pony, and we'd somehow already shared something nopony and no one else ever would. "You really don't care if I stare, do you?"
"What? I wouldn't put on a tight flight suit and flash everypony my underbelly if I wasn't okay with being looked at, Saf." Sudden was enjoying her hot shower by the look of it, fluffing her wings out and preening her feathers under it.
My feathers were totally soaked, but that didn't mean I couldn't preen them. I nibbled at one that had gotten a crimp in it from something I'd done, before I replied, "That's not what I meant and you know it."
"Saf, I got a full briefing from Princess Celestia--along with Commander Spitfire. She told us both that you're only going to be here for a few years. A few years that you won't be mature by. The way I figure it, Saf, you're going to get to look at a lot of ponies, but you're only going to take home the image of one burned into your retina. Am I right?"
I blew out a long sigh after my mind chased through her logic. "Yeah. You are."
"And you'll remember flying."
"Fuck yeah." I didn't care about swearing taboos, flying was better than anything. "She had to yell at me a lot, but Slowpoke really knew what she was doing. I tried to do a loop."
"Did you make it?"
Starting to shiver, I decided I was done with the cool shower and stepped out from under it. "Nope. Thought I had it, but I stopped--"
"Stalled. When your forward speed doesn't overpower the drag of gravity and wind resistance, and you stop."
"Right. I stalled, panicked for a second, and then just flapped my wings." I stretched, arching my back and reaching far out to each side with my wings, and then I shook myself dry like a dog. It felt great.
The sound of both showers stopped. "Good instincts. Some pegasi'd do that, panic, and then need to be caught."
"When I was little, I was scared of heights. I don't think it really applies here, though. I mean, no matter how high up I am, all I need to do is spread my wings." An annoying feeling in my right wing made me lift it forward and turn it so I could get at the feather that wasn't sitting right. I used my teeth to straighten it and then flicked the wing to make sure it was sitting right.
"Right," Sudden said. "The higher you are, the safer you are. You'd get more injured falling off a ladder than falling off Canterlot. Nice work with that preening, by the way. You're getting the hang of this stuff quickly."
Okay, now I felt like preening more, but not because my feathers might be out of place. Sudden Turn's age seemed insane to even contemplate. I wasn't even twenty yet--she's over four times my age. Well, like she said, I've probably got a few more years here, and I wanted to make those years where I spend as much time in the air as I can. Right now, however, my wings were still a little sore.
"They're still a little tight," I said. "Guess flying really uses those muscles?"
"Yeah, but there's one other thing you need to work out." Sudden walked over to me and, when I didn't move, leaned in so she was touching me down our sides. Setting her wing over my back, she hugged me closer.
A little uncomfortable with it, I opened my mouth to ask what was going on when I felt the first rush of magic. "What the--?" Another pulse of it halted my words. The next wave made me push against it, and I felt magic of my own flow.
"Now push that into your wings."
"How?"
"Just imagine it. It's magic--it knows what you want it to do."
Okay, magic, go into my--
My thoughts derailed as my magic--my magic--rushed along to my wings. The soreness was washed away and I felt ready to fly again. "Fuck."
Sudden stepped away from me and left me to stand on my own. It was hard to focus on anything but--My wings were flapping. I looked down and realized I was hovering a few feet off the ground. "Figured this'd be the case. You're in the body of a little foal, but you have the magic of an adult pegasus. Chalk it up to magic being magic. How's it feel?"
I looked from one wing to the other. Neither felt strained, and flapping them was easier than ever. "Amazing! How am I doing this? It should be harder to fly than this."
"The easy answer is that it is harder to fly than what you're doing. Even the slightest trickle of magic to your wings makes everything easier, but it costs you your magic reserve," Sudden Turn said. "Go on, ask the next question I know you're dying to ask."
The way she'd said it implied that my next question should be a smart one. Right. Smart. I was fishing around for what to say when it hit me. "Why didn't you teach me this first?"
"Bingo! We have a flier that can think." Walking to the exit, Sudden beckoned me. "You see, we could have taught you to just burn magic to fly, but there's a great reason not to--it's a crutch. A while ago--twice actually--all the magic was getting sucked out of Equestria. Now, we got it all fixed, but could you imagine how nasty that would be if all you could do was use your magic to fly?"
"That'd only affect the ponies actually flying at the time, right?" I had a feeling I knew the answer to this. Flying was the defining thing about pegasi.
"You haven't been to Cloudsdale yet, have you?" When I shook my head, Sudden lifted her wing and pointed one of her primary feathers nearly straight up. A huge cloud bank was looming over Canterlot. "That's Cloudsdale. C'mon, I'll tell the commander we're going to take a look at Wonderbolt H.Q." She grabbed her uniform out and held it in one hoof.
"Isn't this where you practice?" I followed her until Sudden spread her wings and practically bounced into the air as if her being on the ground was the wrong part. Planes, helicopters, rockets--Everything I'd ever seen fly that people'd built looked like it struggled to get into the air. Not so for Sudden.
"Sometimes. But Wonderbolt's H.Q. is in Cloudsdale." She turned toward the figure of Spitfire--who was looking over the edge of Canterlot with a grin. "Commander! Permission to show the newbie Wonderbolt H.Q.!"
Spitfire turned to look at me, and one of her eyebrows raised. "Using flight magic already? Tell you what, kid, if you can make it to Cloudsdale proper today, I'll invite you to join the Young Fliers Program."
So much of my attention was on Spitfire I didn't notice that Sudden Turn was putting her flight suit back on. When I noticed her, she was pulling her wings through and had her back arched and--This was another etched in my mind moment. Thanks, Sudden, for making my eventual return to Earth and the first time I get off the most awkward moment of my life in advance.
"Well?" Spitfire asked. "What are you two waiting for, your nanny to fly back up here?!"
My brain took a few seconds to catch up with my wings. When Spitfire shouted something, you did it first and asked questions after--which was exactly when I realized that she'd literally just given me the chance to slip away from Clark and have the day to myself.
With my wings pumping hard, however, I couldn't very well fly back down to thank her. "Remind me I owe Commander Spitfire a big one."
"If I know the commander at all, she'll never call it in." Sudden didn't seem to be working half as hard as me, but she didn't make a show of it. "It's how she operates. Like you're going to disobey the orders of somepony you owe a big favor to. Or twenty.
"Over here, Saf. Stop pumping your wings and just cup the air... HERE!"
We reached the spot practically at the same time, and it was like a huge pair of hands grabbed my wings and shoved upward. A warm breeze caused all my feathers to twitch as it carried us upward faster than we could have flown.
"This is awesome!" The thought of curbing the enthusiasm I felt for flying, like I would have back home, came and went. How the fuck can I possibly not be excited to fly?! "Is this a thermal?"
"You got it. Warm air finds its way through the colder air like the opening of a balloon. You gotta be a bit careful, but most of them are fairly calm like this one. Swing out this way and I'll show you how to feel for them." Sudden led me out of the thermal in a slow arc, but she didn't set about flapping anymore. "Okay, so you can only feel the air temperature around you, right?"
"Yeah. So how do I feel the heat?"
"You don't. That's the trick. You literally can't feel the temperature of the thermal on our right, so what can you feel for instead?"
I closed my eyes, keeping the sensation of Sudden's movement through the air beside me, and focused on my feathers. The slight disruption of the air Sudden made barely registered, probably something to do with her fancy flight suit, but it was there. My feathers told me I was slowly going down, since there was air going up, but they also told me there was a constant flow along the edge of the thermal--almost like it was a pillar in the middle of the air.
Snapping my eyes open, I couldn't keep a grin off my face. "The cold air flows around the thermal like it's an object. I can feel it bulging and shifting."
"That bulging is the best warning you'll ever get about a whole bunch of things. If something big is moving really fast or if you want to learn to blind-fly, that's your go-to feeling to know when you're going somewhere bad. Since we can't see anything huge and there's no wall, that means it's a thermal." When Sudden finished, she dipped her right wing just a little and we slid back into the rush of warm air.
Letting out a shout, I watched the clouds above fall down to meet us and, when we were above them, I saw Cloudsdale. "Holy shitballs."
The city of Cloudsdale was insane. It was literally clouds with houses and buildings and factories built on it. If Canterlot was an insane place because it couldn't stand out as it did without magic, then Cloudsdale was that on steroids.
"Why isn't everything falling through the clouds?!"
Sudden snorted and aimed us toward a nearby cloud bank. "Fly over here and I'll show you." And that's when she did the next insane thing--Sudden Turn landed on the fluffy cloud and sat down. "Come over here and aim some of your magic to your hooves."
I did that, and lost the strength in my wings. Gliding I could still do, so I came down slowly onto the cloud with my magic buzzing around my hooves. Then I landed on the cloud. Opening my mouth only resulted in Sudden jamming her hoof in there.
"Lay off the swearing before we get into Cloudsdale, okay?" She asked.
Nodding, I waited for her to remove her hoof before simply saying, "Wow."
"Cloud walking. It's another things mostly unique to pegasi. Unicorns can do a spell that works a bit like it, but it only does half the work. You see, while our pegasus magic lets us stand on clouds, we can also buck 'em." Lifting her back hooves up, Sudden turned around on her forehooves while using her wings to balance, and then she kicked down.
The cloud snapped in half like a cheap bit of wood. One half went flying downward while our part just stayed level. I rushed over to the edge and watched the falling cloud disappear to sight. I was about to shout something, but remembered the hoof. "Cloud bucking?"
"Cloud bucking. Unlike cloud walking, you need to give a shove to your magic to get it working."
"So I don't need to keep using magic on my hooves?"
"Nah. A little zap to them every day or so is enough, but I'd suggest giving your hooves a little jolt every hour or so. Come on, let me show you Wonderbolt H.Q.!" |
The Embassy | Chapter 15 | Clair Ree
I was just finishing the last of the paperwork Flurry had gotten for me when the door to my office burst open. Setting the pen down and freeing up my mouth, I looked up to see Colonel Richards looking ready to start an interdimensional war (which is to say her normal appearance). "What can I help you with, col--"
"They've kidnapped your son!"
A slow breath was in order. I'd already sent word home that the colonel was to be replaced at their earliest convenience, and I'd gotten a hand-written note from Jeff telling me she'd have a transfer within a month. All I had to do was keep my cool and dissuade her from ruining our entire species' chance at peaceful relations with another sentient creature. "I know. Flying lessons. It was all Saffron could talk about today."
Richards looked about ready to blow a gasket. "You don't understand, Madam Ambassador. The marine assigned to watch over him just came back and reported that--"
"Colonel, remember the meeting I had with Commander Spitfire last week?" I waited for her to nod to my question before I continued. "The one where I gave her official permission to begin this new step of my son's flight training?" She didn't nod this time, I hadn't invited her or any of her soldiers into the meeting. "Well, I gave her that permission enthusiastically, and you know why?"
"Why?"
"Because she assured me that no matter what happens, one of her Wonderbolts will be with Saffron at all times. These are Equestria's most elite flying soldiers, I'll add, and if they want to teach my son to fly properly and not give him the chance to try it on his own and break his neck--" I'd built up a good bit of volume and momentum as I'd delivered my reasoning, "--then I not only welcome their assistance, but am very thankful for it."
Leaning my head back down, I picked up my pen with my lips and went back to writing the report for Jeff. It had been awkward at first to write with my mouth, but the dexterity of pony lips had surprised me, and thanks to plenty of practice I was actually quite neat with it now. Though painfully slow.
Something, or rather someone, was still intruding on my thoughts. Lifting my head back up, I rolled the pen to the corner of my mouth. "Yes, Colonel?" I let my pen drop to the desk again.
"You're having me transferred back."
"Yes. Not that the contents of diplomatic pouches are for your eyes. You don't fit this mission, colonel. You know that and I know that."
I waited for her to fire up and challenge me, but Colonel Richards just heaved out a sigh and seemed to slump a little. "There's regulations and requirements. I'm trying to enforce them, but it's not working. Do you know who they're sending?"
"No."
"Tell 'em to shove their choice. Captain Bryant is your man. Tell the brass to promote him and give him my job. You're not using half of my soldiers--might as well reduce the ranks a little. I'll forward you a letter for my replacement." She looked defeated. Utterly and completely undone.
"Colonel--Maria, wait. This was the wrong job for you from the start. Things were rushed, I know, but you shouldn't have been shoved into this." She'd accepted her fate, Clair, what are you doing? Duh, I'm doing what any good diplomat should. "There's no reason this needs to be the end of your career."
"My career was already over, Clair. You don't stay a bird colonel this long without getting to general before the end of your career. I'd hoped this would be the thing that got me there, and that playing it all by the book would do it." She let out the sigh of someone who didn't see a way out of their situation. "Truth be told, I don't know how to do things any other way."
"This was never going to be straightforward. Any other embassy--on Earth--and you would have had established patterns and rules to follow. This wasn't that kind of mission. It's not your fault, colonel, whoever tapped you for this fucked it up." I would normally never swear, but under the circumstances someone earning more money than both of us put together had screwed up her life.
Colonel Maria Richards wasn't a bad person, she was a patriot in the wrong place at the wrong time--though maybe this place would never have a right time for her. I resolved to add a little more to my letter to Jeff.
"For what it's worth, I think you're perfect for this job. I haven't had as much push-back from a civvie since I made first lieutenant." The colonel turned for the door and made her way outside.
Looking at the time, I realized I could expect my (new) weekly update from Moon Dancer and Riley at any minute. Plucking back up my pen, I finished the report and added a final paragraph regarding the colonel.
Whomever decided on Colonel Richards needs their ass kicked, Jeff. The only two things right about that woman for this job is that she's within the age bracket and of sufficient rank. She's a troop commander. Find her a job directing a few thousand marines and she'll be the happiest colonel you can find. Give her a promotion and she'll keep fighting for her country until the second she dies of old age.
Consider this a formal suggestion she be assigned to a general overseeing actual combat, and be evaluated for promotion. Give her the chance this post stole from her.
She suggested Captain Jason Bryant take her position. I don't know Bryant as well as I should. I'll give my evaluation of him in a week with the next goods shipment.
Things are moving slowly, Jeff. That's how ponies work. One thing's for sure, and that's that we've integrated into their capital and are making connections. Princess Flurry Heart is showing a greater and greater interest in computers, I'd like to make a formal gift to her of one with a solar setup to power it. Get Caroline to organize that (and make sure she doesn't cut corners).
Riley and Saffron are doing well, Jeff. Thank you for persuading me to do this. They're really taking off.
I barely got the chance to sign the bottom of the page when there was a gentle knock at the door. "Come in."
Moon Dancer opened the door with her magic, but it was Riley galloping in that had my attention. Jumping to my hooves, I barely got around the table in time for her to leap up and latch her forelegs around my neck in a hug.
"What's gotten into you?" Scooping one foreleg around Riley, I hopped back to my chair and sat down with her still attached.
"Remember how I had her do a series of standardized tests?" Moon Dancer asked as she took a seat at the table. "She passed everything but magic studies, history, and the compulsory languages. But that's not the point. You want her to continue her high school classes?"
Riley squirmed around my neck a little. "I only need to learn about ponies and magic and growling, right Mom?"
"Thank you, Moon, having her continue her high schooling would be wonderful. Is Equestria's education far behind Earth's?" I watched Moon Dancer as I asked my question, curious to find out how the two institutions stacked up.
"Yes and no. Here in Equestria, specialized training is often sought once schooling is finished. We have schools for training pegasi in flight or weather; earth ponies in rocks or horticulture; and unicorns in magic, as well as smaller institutions that will cross train ponies if their own specialization isn't found for their pony type. Pony schooling is taken slow, with an emphasis on everypony finding their special talent.
"That said, history and magic are our two biggest subjects because they are what we use to inspire ponies to find where their talents lie. Some of us do pursue subjects outside the strict focus of our special talent." Moon Dancer had a growing smile that showed she was likely talking about herself and her favorite topic. "And there are some for whom learning is their special talent, but I don't think that's where Riley's future lies."
"I wanna do magic!"
I barely managed to catch Riley before she climbed onto my desk. "Riley Ree, this isn't a holiday. You will finish out the 7th grade, and you will do everything Moon Dancer asks."
"But Moooooooom!"
"No buts young lady. You didn't like what the other schools were teaching, and Moon Dancer has agreed to offer her time so that you can learn. Learn you will." I looked up at Moon Dancer.
Lifting books from a saddlebag she wore, Moon Dancer set two on the table. "It's not the magic classes she's upset about. You were gracious enough to lend me some textbooks from your home, and I think she's allergic to them." The tomes were big, thick textbooks--how they fit in her saddlebags was probably literal magic. I'd learned not to question such things. "I don't think she should be in the 7th grade. Between the few human textbooks you've supplied and our Equestrian counterparts, I think I can push her up to 9th grade with some faster paced learning. She will be getting one-on-one schooling--why not take advantage of that?"
"What's so bad about that, Riley?" I asked.
Riley let out the most heartfelt sigh I'd ever heard from her. "It means I need to go to classes five days a week!"
I looked at my daughter with a single raised eyebrow.
She sighed again. "Mom!"
"You know how many days I'm working at the moment, don't you?" I kept my attention on Riley, but I could see Moon Dancer trying to square away a smile. "Well?"
"But Mooooooooom! I want to do stuff like Saf!"
"You don't have the wings for it, Riley Ree. And if you use that tone again I'll ground you for whatever days you aren't in school." It was a light threat so far as they went, but Riley would know I'd not hesitate to back it up if she pushed. She wanted to haggle. "Exactly what will be the syllabus for each day?" I asked Moon Dancer.
"Morning each day will be spent on history--a mix of Earth and Equestrian--or math. Early afternoon will be devoted to magic and language--English, Ponish, and another of her choice. Late afternoons are where social studies and science will be the main two subjects, with some touching on personal biology." She passed over a set of notes with her magic that detailed the course structure and what she was going to teach Riley. "This is ridiculously fast-paced learning for a pony, or even a human, but after a week talking to Riley I think she can complete it."
Honestly, I'd never really sat down with a teacher to discuss this kind of tailored learning. My children had gone to public schools to learn what they needed to in order to reach college--should they want it. "And how will this leave her for next year?"
"If we can keep this pace, Riley will complete her 10th grade level by about eight months. We can move right into her 11th grade. There's no reason to break things off exactly at mid year, so long as she can pass her tests," Moon Dancer said.
"Riley?" I looked at my daughter. "You wanted to be recognized for the smarts you have. Moon Dancer wants you to pass your Senior year before we head back home."
"Wait!" Riley froze and looked at Moon Dancer. "That'd mean I'd be... 15? And graduating?!"
Moon Dancer just nodded.
"That'd be pretty awesome, but I want to have fun while I'm here. I can't do that if I'm stuck in school every day." She folded her forelegs over each other and blew out a snort of pre-teen disapproval. Then she looked up at me hopefully.
"I think I can ask a question that will clear things up," I said. "How many hours a week will she be learning about magic and magic things?"
"Well, considering that's two different subjects, I think it's safe to bet at least ten hours."
Riley's eyes widened in surprise. She reached out a hoof and pulled the syllabus toward her and started reading through it. "That's way more than math. What kind of science will there be?"
"Human and Equestrian. Physics, chemistry, biology, and thaumology." As Moon Dancer recited the subjects, Riley's eyes began to narrow--but then she reached the last one. "Thaumology is magic science."
Bouncing in her seat, Riley grinned as she read through the paper. "Why do I need to learn English and Ponish? I mean, I know one already, and Princess Twilight Sparkle's zappy-thing gave me the other. Can't I use that time to learn more magic?"
"My spell doesn't work long-term. If you went back to Earth and didn't speak Ponish ever again, you'd lose the ability to speak it in a few months. Speaking it and using it keeps it in your mind, and should have it fully ingrained after a year or two of use, but you have to use it." Moon Dance tapped the sheet Riley had been looking at. "If the class is too easy for you, I'll push you ahead in that one."
Riley blinked in surprise at the last bit. "But then I'd be ahead on one subject. What happens if--" She cut herself short before Moon Dancer could stop her. "Oh. Right. It means I learn that faster and graduate that part sooner."
Moon Dancer held up a hoof and rocked it side to side. "Partly correct. It means you can devote the extra time to other subjects, but the result is the same."
Looking thoughtful, Riley tilted her head to the side a little. "I'll do it on one condition."
"Name it," I said.
"Cupcakes. Really yummy ones."
"Those will be after every magic and thaumology, perhaps if you've been good too," Moon Dancer said. "Magic burns calories. Cupcakes are a great source of quick energy to replace them."
"Deal!"
I breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe buying my daughter's affection with cupcakes would seem like a bad idea back on Earth, but if she's able to keep even roughly near Moon Dancer's pace, it'll be worth it. And I don't doubt Riley will be able to burn off the extra energy. "I'm glad negotiations worked well. Are you ready for tomorrow, Riley-dear?"
"For the move? Yup!"
"I'll leave you both to it. I've got yet another class to prepare for." Moon Dancer let out a sigh, but winked to Riley conspiratorially. "If you're moving tomorrow, I'll expect you for your first class the day after."
We both waited for Moon Dancer to walk out and close the door before Riley and I turned to each other. "Well," I said, "You're sure you can handle this? She's going to push you--"
"Mom, I said I'd do it. No need for all this. Moon is the coolest teacher ever, and if she's bringing cupcakes, I'll bring my brain." She sat up on the chair opposite me and barely managed to look over the edge of my desk. "Whatcha working on?"
This was an old game we'd played out hundreds of times. "Stuff," I said.
"Stuff?"
"And things. What's up?"
Riley examined one of her hooves, which kept her from being able to look me in the eyes. I'd seen through my daughter's tricks for long enough to know she was about to ask something she already knew the answer to. "Why doesn't Saf have to go to school?"
The ultimate answer to this wasn't mine to give. I just raised my left eyebrow.
"He's not an adult yet here, so why doesn't he have to study all the Equestrian stuff?" Riley asked.
Her question wasn't actually that bad, but the answer was ultimately an easy one. "He's seventeen, Riley. Eighteen in three weeks. I could force him to start studying, but he'd only walk out of it as soon as he's eighteen."
"But--"
"Riley, I have this under control." She didn't look convinced. There was probably some psychology-related detail here about children believing everything they want to believe and needing proof for everything else--Come to think of it, that's how adults were as well. "If you must know, Saffron is enrolling in a school right now."
"Whaaaaaat?!" Riley's hoof became significantly less interesting to her. She jumped forward with her forehooves braced on the desk. "Where? How'd you do that? What school would take him and not make him feel as poopy as I did?"
"What time do you get up in the morning, Riley?"
"What's that got to do with it?" When I raised my eyebrow again, she knew I wasn't moving on until I got an answer. "About eight. Why?"
"Saffron has been up at five every morning for the last week. He's exercising his wings, going for a run, and is back and goofing off by the time you wake up. He--" I leaned forward to boop my daughter on the nose with a hoof, "--hasn't just been sitting around doing nothing. Commander Spitfire had a chat with me, and wants to see somepony so dedicated to flying try out for her Junior Wonderbolts. He doesn't realize this, but school is involved."
It wasn't a risk. Riley could tell Saffron all she liked when he got back, but by then he'd either have agreed to the deal or turned it down. The way Spitfire had spoken led me to believe it would be the former.
Riley giggled. "So he doesn't know he's signing up for school?"
"He doesn't. Now come around and give me a hug, and let me get back to work." I waited for her to do so before picking her up and hugging her to me. It was different, not having hands, but every inch of a pony's body was just about as sensitive as hands were. "Do you have everything packed?"
Poking her head up, Riley looked at me with evidence on her face that I could have relied on in court. "I thought I'd finish in the mor--"
"No. We're moving first thing in the morning. You need to pack up now. Everything but your bed." I almost stumbled and told her to keep a change of clothes out. That part of the pony mindset had sunk in quickly, and I couldn't help but wonder if I'd slip when we get home again and just head up to the White House naked one morning.
Thanks, brain, now I know what nightmare from forty years ago I'll be having tonight.
Philip Ree
My morning run was always a time for introspection and self-reflection.
Shining Armor had told me he was having to head home again. It was a touch annoying--having him around for a week had shown me a side of Canterlot that probably would have been closed to me. While I didn't have a royal prince by my side as I explored Canterlot on my morning and evening runs, I did have the good will that came of all the ponies that'd seen me running with him.
I got waves and smiles, and never hesitated to wave back. What was better was it had become a routine enough that Colonel Tight-Pants hadn't realized I didn't still have Shining Armor with me on my runs.
The rush of a well-built body moving through the chill morning air was a joy for me--no matter if I was pony or human. What had seemed so strange when I first got here was now me with enough familiarity that I could walk, trot, canter, and gallop without even thinking about my limbs. My body shifted and stretched like it was my body.
It was my body.
Since arriving in Equestria I'd gained muscle mass and become a much fitter pony. Unlike earth ponies and pegasi, unicorns had a unique hoof with two toes. The rest of our legs were just as solid as any of the other tribes, barring a certain amount of leanness.
Apart from feeling physically younger and the great sex, it was nice to see women--mares--turn and look at me as I ran by (as well as a few stallions). I might feel older than I appear, but that doesn't stop me from enjoying the "complements".
The male attention was a little harder to square away. The advice and ribbing Shining, Neighdine, and Prances had given me all conflicted and made resolving things harder. That the stallions who checked me out were probably married made it worse, not better.
What was nice was knowing that Saffron was now too young to get into that trouble, and Riley was so young she hadn't even noticed anything was missing from her life.
Curving around, I had to come in from the edge of the city to run past the walls protecting the castle, and then turn inward to the chancery.
Clair was standing out front ordering a group of moving-ponies as they loaded up a huge cart with what items we'd come to call our own here. "They arrived early?" I asked.
Turning to look at me as I trotted toward her, Clair looked haggard. "Of course. Riley was only half packed, so she's rushing to get her things boxed up so we can move her room last. Saffron was all packed and ready--that's his stuff in the wagon. Do you think you coul--"
She stopped talking while I kissed her, something that took the better part of thirty seconds.
"--could help Riley? Your magic is so helpful for this kind of thing." She barely missed a beat.
"Of course I can. How's Colonel Tight-Pants taking all this?" I kissed her cheek again, unable to resist one more little peck before I headed toward the door.
Clair, when I looked back at her, seemed to have a great weight on her shoulders. "We have an understanding. She knows, Philip."
"I'll try to keep out of her way and not antagonize her, then." Heading inside, I passed the two armed guards at the door and nodded to each. There were still people living here, but the chancery no longer felt like our home.
"Riley?" I asked when I reached her bedroom door. "You want a hand with your things?"
At that moment Riley was sitting on the floor staring at a box as if she could fill it by will alone. "I can't go."
Smiling, I stepped into her room and used a leg to pick her up and hug my little girl close. All the time she was squirming. "Look, I know it can be hard to adjust when we keep shifting around like this, but this one will be--"
"You don't understand!"
I set Riley down in surprise at her vehemence. "You don't want to move?"
"I want to move!"
"Well, what's the problem?" I picked up the empty box with my magic just in time for a big spider to practically jump out at me. I squealed almost as loud as Riley did, and used my magic to grab the spider and drop it in the box again. Quickly, I sealed the box up.
"Now you understand?" Riley asked.
"Yeah." I stared at the box with all the intensity Riley had when I'd first come in. "What do we do with it now?"
"We can't squish it. You remember how Miss Fluttershy was when we swatted a fly? How would I be able to look her in the face if I squished a spider?" Riley stood up and walked over to where the other boxes were sitting--mostly packed--and picked up a sharpie in her mouth.
Saffron's stuff
I giggled. I giggled a lot. "That's my girl. Let's get the rest of this packed, okay?"
"Just thinkin' inside the box!" Her joke had be giggling more, and together we got her things packed just as the moving-ponies came up to the door.
One of the ponies knocked at the door and poked his horned head in. "Sorry to bother you, but we've got the rest of your things. This is the last--Oh! You're packed?"
"Just got done with it. It's perfect timing, I'd say--Be careful with that one marked Saffron's stuff, it's a little delicate." I looked at Riley, and she looked at me, and we nearly broke into laughter.
"Snake or spider? Or is it one of those little lizards that seem to be hanging around the city?" The delivery pony didn't miss a beat.
"Spider," Riley and I said together as we walked out of the room.
The change in my daughter since we'd moved to Canterlot and gotten her a teacher was astounding. She looked more confident, despite her diminutive size, and if she'd gotten tired doing something I certainly hadn't seen it. Though on the other hand--hoof--she was eating like two ponies. The days where she wanted to ride on someone's back were gone.
"You two all done? Did the movers find you?" Clair asked when we left through the front door.
"Yup!" Riley pranced down the steps and bumped her head against Clair's leg. "Dad's magic is really handy!"
I plucked up Riley and set her on Clair's back. Despite the indignity of being picked up with my magic, Riley lunged forward and wrapped her forelegs around Clair's neck. "You were pretty helpful yourself. I'd have never survived that first box without your help," I said.
This got Riley giggling again.
"Where's Saf?" I asked.
Clair lifted her hoof and pointed upward. "Somewhere up there. After his morning exercises, he took off for school. He'd packed all his room so I figured he deserved it. Did you know there's an entire other city up there?"
"I'd heard about Cloudsdale from Shining Armor. He didn't say it was here at the moment." At Clair's blank stare, I had to backpedal and try to work out what she didn't get, but couldn't find it.
"'Here'?"
"Oh!" Well, I guess that was confusing for me when Shining had first mentioned it. "It's mobile. Pegasus magic or something. They push it around mostly during the turning of the seasons. No clue why, they just do."
She looked at me like I'd sprouted--You know what, I think that saying doesn't work here.
"Maybe it's something you should talk to Flurry about?" I asked.
"That's a list I'll never reach the bottom of." Clair walked beside me as we meandered along the ring-road leading to the far side of Canterlot.
The looks I'd gotten only scant hours earlier were different now. Mares looked at me, but they didn't see the stallion out for his morning run--they saw a married couple with their daughter. The stallions, however, still looked at me.
For all Equestria had some odd things, I still liked the place.
"Are they looking at you again? It's a compliment, Philip." Clair's voice held an edge that threatened to break into actual laughter at any moment. When I glanced back to see where Riley was, Clair snorted. "You're daughter's not going to save you from this talk. She wanted to run ahead."
"It's just so different here. Am I too old to adapt, honey?" I didn't even know if I should try to slouch or look uncomfortable, or if that would only encourage them more because they'd think I wasn't happy with Clair.
Clair leaned over and kissed my cheek, something that always made my worries melt away. "Philip, more ponies will be staring at a couple as young as we are already having a foal of ten years--let alone if they knew Saffron was ours too--than will be looking at your well toned butt."
I couldn't help myself--I started to prance. "You think my butt looks good?"
"On this one topic I am probably the only expert in any of the worlds we've lived in. Your butt is toned, and tight, and--"
"Mooom!" Riley was running toward us as fast as her legs would carry her. "I found the nice mare who helped me and Saf!" |
The Embassy | Chapter 16 | Saffron Ree
I'd only started flying yesterday--this was insane.
"We don't normally accept anypony mid-season, but this here's something special. Everypony, I'd like to introduce Saf." Slowpoke, or Sergeant Surprise as was her normal name and title, was in charge of the (apparently new) Wonderbolts Young Fliers. "Saf, why don't you tell everypony your history, and how you came to be signed up?"
A little trickle of magic to my hooves reaffirmed my ability to stand on the cloud-like floor. "About a month ago I arrived in Equestria, and--"
"Where were you before then?" A filly at the front asked. Like all the other Young Fliers, she was bigger than me. Taller, wider, bigger wings, and older. Some of the ponies here were double my age.
"Boring place called Earth." Three of the ponies gasped at my mention of Earth. "So we came here and I had to learn how to walk all over again. Then two weeks ago, Commander Spitfire said she'd train me to fly."
"You've only been flying for two weeks?!"
"Class!" Slowpoke's voice easily bested the noise that'd started up after my story. "Saf, tell them how long you've really been flying."
She was totally going to dump me in the middle of this, but I said I'd do what she told me to while I was here. "I first flew yesterday."
I was as ready for Slowpoke's shout as anyone. "Silence! In your seats this second!" She waited for everyone to sit down. "Saf's parents asked if we'd consider him for training, but you know what? I'd have told Princess Celestia herself I'm not training a fool who can't fly, but--" Slowpoke walked over and stood in front of my desk, "--I've never seen a pony so young using their flight magic that well."
Slowpoke turned and looked around at the class. "He not only flew for the first time yesterday, but after exhausting himself, he used his magic well enough to be able to fly up here. And look at him today--he should be crushed by the work he did." She paused a moment and looked back at me with a half-smile. "Basically, I saw somepony with promise, and now I want to see what I can make of them."
Turning around, Slowpoke marched back to the front of the class. "Okay, everypony open your books to page seventy-three. We're all going to learn what Saf did with his magic."
By the end of the day I was more exhausted mentally than physically. Lunch had been brief and to the point with a sandwich each, then Slowpoke had us fly laps of the main airfield--after explicitly telling me not to use my magic--before we'd showered and gone back to the classroom again.
While picking up the magic stuff was a little hard, it was amazing to learn not just what I'd done, but how to do it better. I didn't even realize I was still sitting in the classroom at the end--reading a fucking textbook--until a wing poked my shoulder. Jerking my head up from the book, I spotted Sudden Turn drawing her wing back from me.
"You know, this is the one thing it's actually cool to be nerdy about, right?" Sudden Turn asked. "Well, this and Daring Do books, if you believe Rainbow Dash."
I blinked up at her and closed the book with a flick of my wing. "Is that class over for the day? Do I get to fly again now?"
"You still want to fly after all of today? Okay, but no magic. Come on." Sudden stepped to the side. Like yesterday she was wearing her flight suit, but she dropped something on my desk. "Put this on first. You're in the school, you should look the part."
"This isn't normal, is it?" I grabbed up the uniform and started pulling it on.
"What? A twenty-something foal getting into the Wonderbolt Young Fliers program, or you showing real talent at flying? First hasn't happened before, second happens every now and again. Commander has made part of her job finding ponies with real talent." Reaching a wing out, Sudden held my suit while I squirmed into it. The thing was tight, and hugged me like a second skin. "Okay, now just poke that little tab at your neck and it'll do itself up."
Looking down, I had to tilt my head to the side so I could see the part she was talking about. Bending my foreleg, I tapped at it with my hoof. "Gah!" The suit tightened, and the open seam down my belly melded together like a magic zipper. "That's kinda neat. How much of all this is because my mom's the ambassador?"
"Get your goggles on too."
I looked down at the pair of eyewear and slipped them over my head. With a little adjustment (using my wings) I had them comfortably in place. "Well?"
"Honestly speaking? Just the start of it. Commander Spitfire took me to see Princess Celestia, and she asked us to give you some flying practice and teach you enough so that you don't break your neck. Your mom had a meeting with us to ask pretty much the same thing. That deal ended yesterday." Sudden turned for the door and started walking, leaving me to play catch-up. "Everything that actually got you to today was all you."
"You said you were in the reserves. Why's Commander Spitfire--" the title and name just rolled together for me, it was probably for the best, "--hauling you around everywhere on what doesn't seem very reserves-like stuff?"
"Asking a lot of questions there, Saf. If you must know, the only other foal that got as much of a push through Wonderbolts' training--" Sudden Turn spread her wings and gave her first flap, shooting into the air, "--was me!"
I laughed and spread my own wings. No magic, I'd promised, so although I rose quickly into the air, it wasn't as easy as it could have been.
Being in the air made me hyper-aware of everything around me. It was like cheating in a game using a radar hack. I was constantly feeling the air, trying to feel for those thermals before I got too close to one.
"Come on, Saf! New class today." Sudden was gliding in a lazy circle above me that I had to pump my wings hard to reach. "That's it. How's the wings today?"
"It's harder flying up this high," I said.
"You've missed half a year of school, Saf. If you hadn't, you'd know that is because the higher we go, the thinner the air gets. Flying up here makes your body work harder to just keep you in the air."
"What happens if you use your magic and keep going?"
"You pass out and fall. Don't do that." Lifting her foreleg, Sudden gestured way down to the spires of Canterlot below. "We're going to dive. Can you see that little bit sticking out behind the palace?"
It took all my focus to pinpoint what she was talking about. "Yeah."
"I want you to dive to there, but aim about ten mareters away from it. Arc up when you pass it and dump all your speed. Got it?" Not waiting for an answer, Sudden tipped her snout down and tucked her wings in tight--all but the last few primary feathers. I studied them as she plummeted, and watched as she used them to change her angle.
"Well, looks like I'm crazy." Mimicking what I'd see Sudden do, I tipped forward and started flying down at first--slowly pulling my wings in closer and closer. It wasn't hard to realize what the goggles were for, now that I was diving so fast that the wind was screaming past my body.
At the bottom of her dive, Sudden Turn stretched more and more of her wings out. It wasn't a fast process, though. She came just level with the outcropping and then shot back up and into a loop.
My attention narrowed down to me, my wings, and that mark just ten yards from the outcrop. As I got closer I began to slowly extend my wings and then--at the moment I reached the target--I tried to angle my wings up for lift, but it didn't work. Panicking, I shoved magic into my wings and finally got the shove upward I wanted.
Movement below me was Sudden Turn--her speed and direction matched with mine as she zoomed along inches from my belly. "You got it?!"
"Had to use magic!"
"Figured you would! Dump that speed and meet me at the Guard Fields!"
With magic coursing through my wings, I easily pulled a set of quick loops that ate up my speed until I was practically gliding again. Relaxing off my magic, I felt out my wings. They felt great!
Spotting her again on the ground in the Guard Fields, I flapped my wings to get a bit more speed and landed beside her. "That was amazing! But I couldn't get out of that dive."
"That was the lesson, Saf. I'd have been amazed if you had gotten out of that without using magic. Your instincts were good. That's exactly the right time to use magic." Sudden buffeted me on the back with her wing. "You can go home from here if you want."
I had to pick my jaw up off the floor. "Wait, the lesson was to know when to cheat?"
"Yup."
"But you--I thought--How's that playing fair?"
She lifted a hoof and tapped the side of her head. "Saf, when your life's at stake, there is no playing fair. Nothing is worth losing your head over. How's the uniform feel?"
"Pulls a little around my legs. Feels like they're trying to pull up to my belly. Rest is just really tight." I shifted around a bit to verify my thoughts.
Sudden Turn nodded. "That's how it's supposed to feel. If you have to fly for twelve hours, that tightness around your legs will be your second best friend."
"Hey! Scootaloo!" a male voice called, "Got a new recruit? Taking them a bit young, aren't you?"
It took my mind a moment to dig up the name and remember that Sudden Turn said she'd changed hers from Scootaloo. The stallion, when I turned to face him, wore an ornate set of armor over his nondescript orange pegasus body. He was maybe a little more bulky than most pegasi, and his bright red tail really stood out.
"Hey, Flash Magnus, still training up the ground-pounders? Why don't you get on our level?" Sudden asked before both of them broke into laughter and clopped their forehooves together firmly. "Saf, meet Flash Magnus. Flash, this is Saf. He's the newest Wonderbolt Young Flier, and he--" she pointed her wing at Flash, "--is a thirty-thousand-year-old has-been that knows more about kicking butt than anypony else I've ever met."
The age stunned me a little. If this was back home, I'd know it was some kind of joke. Here, in Equestria, I had to wonder if she wasn't telling the truth. "Uh, hi."
Flash seemed way too upbeat to be normal, and for a pony that was saying something. He had a big smile, and was looking over Sudden Turn like he was checking her out. Then it hit me that he was checking her out. He turned back to me. "Hey there, little guy. Where you from?"
"Earth." I rolled my shoulders and shifted a little in place, still trying to get used to the suit tugging at my legs. "What about you? Really thirty-thousand?"
"Yeah, but I was frozen in time for most of it. Kinda boring if you ask me. Where you two off to now?" Flash's question was directed at Sudden.
"No clue. Saf said he wanted to take me for a fly and then a walk." Sudden stepped closer to me. "What about you, Flash? Got yourself a new mare to chase?" Mixed signals or what? The way Sudden spoke sounded like she was trying to let him know we were dating.
"Oh, uh. Y-Yeah. Kinda. It's complicated. Well, you two, uh, have fun." Flash's reply was so deflated and defeated I could barely process what had just happened.
I waited for Flash to start walking the other way before asking, "What was that all about?"
"Flash Magnus thinks he's Equestria's gift to mares. He dates a mare just long enough to ride her, then skips out and finds his next girl. I think it has less to do with what he doesn't like in a mare than what he doesn't understand about himself." Fluffing her wings, Sudden Turn started walking for the exit of the Guard Fields. "He's been trying to hint to me for a long time that he's interested. I may have just freaked him out a little, but he deserved it."
Wheels clicked in my head as I put it together. "So he thinks you're dating me?"
"Maybe? Who cares?! Like I said, I respect that you're an adult and kinda stuck like that, Saf, but it would be too weird for us to actually date."
I gave a sharp snort.
"What?" Sudden asked.
"You're too old for me anyway." I gave her a wink as I said it. Her face flashed first to humor, then indignation. I kinda knew what was coming, and started pounding the ground with my hooves as I broke into a gallop.
"Saf?" Sudden asked, her mouth practically beside my ear. "If you want to get away from a pegasus, you need to fly. If you want to get away from a Wonderbolt, you need to teleport." She was, of course, flying.
Instead of stopping or continuing my run, I instead spread my wings and jumped up to soar along at Sudden's height. "This is what I get for having a primitive monkey brain. Working on it, though."
"Well, where are we going? Lead on!" Slipping back a little, Sudden Turn shifted her position so that her nose was level with the leading edge of my wing. It reminded me of fighter jets flying in formation.
Since I'd been with Dad when he'd found the place, I remembered how to get their reasonably well, though with a little altitude it was going to be much faster than walking with him to reach it. Houses, yards, and streets flicked by under us. When we neared the house, and I gestured to it with an outstretched hoof, Sudden pumped her wings to come level with me again. "That's it!"
"Figured. Where do you want to land?"
I pointed to the front of the house as we circled around. "That will do. Was that formation flying?"
"Sure was. Tight formation, at that." Sudden broke off as she pulled herself up with her wings--and a bit neater than I did. "This place is pretty big."
"It's about the size of our place back on Earth. Come inside." I trotted up to the front door and opened it with a wing. "Mom! Dad! I'm home!"
It looked like they were mostly done unpacking stuff. There was two big sofas in the living room, a bookcase that took up nearly a whole wall, and a big rug on the floor. Four boxes of books sat by the shelves.
"There you are! How was sch--" Mom froze when she actually left the hallway and saw me. "What on earth are you wearing?"
Sudden Turn stepped forward and offered her hoof to Mom. "That, ma'am, is a Wonderbolts Junior Fliers flight suit. Not saying it's as cool as a full Wonderbolts uniform, but it comes pretty close, right Saf?" When she turned so that one of her eyes looked at me, she winked--at least I think it was a wink.
I literally couldn't avoid such a perfect setup. "It feels like I'm wearing nothing at all. Nothing at all. Nothing at all!"
Mom laughed, but Sudden just looked confused.
"It's a TV thing," I said as if that explained thirty-something seasons of the Simpsons and everything else ever on TV. "What do you think, Mom?"
"It looks a little silly, but who am I to judge?" Mom cleared her throat a little. "Saffron, could you introduce your friend?"
"We've met before, Ambassador Ree, but I was wearing a dress uniform at the time. Sudden Turn, ma'am!" Snapping her hoof on the floor, Sudden straightened up and saluted with a wing.
"Oh! That's right. The mare who was with Commander Spitfire. Well, it's lovely to meet you, I don't suppose you'd like dinner? We'll be eating early." Despite what she said, Mom showed no reaction at all that she actually had recognized Sudden for the second time. Then it hit me what was going on--this is Mom with her work face on.
"I was just giving Saf his last class for the day and figured I'd fly with him until he gets home--orders and all, you understand." Sudden backed up and started to turn. "I guess I'll see you at H.Q. tomorrow, Saf?"
"Hold up." I gave mom an annoyed glare and chased after Sudden. She'd gotten just out the front door before I reached her. "Mom's just trying to be careful."
Sudden blew out a sigh. "Yeah, I know. Just not keen on being told our uniforms look silly and get a look as if I'm not worth the dirt on her hooves, ya know?"
I stared at her for a moment. "It's not that at all."
"Well?"
"Mom's a politician, Sudden. She has to put on a neutral face when dealing with people who might be politically involved with those she has to deal with."
"She, uh, needs to work on 'neutral' then. That wasn't exactly neutral. Neutral, for a pony, is a smile. I'll see you tomorrow, Saf." Spreading her wings, Sudden poured magic into them and shot into the sky faster than a bullet.
Well fuck. I turned and walked inside, closing the door behind me.
Mom was standing inside, a small--apologetic--smile on her face. "Sorry, dear, but I have to be careful ar--"
"Mom, sometimes you can be too up yourself. I'll be in my room." It wasn't that I hated Mom, it was that I still loved her despite her making me look like an ass.
Riley Ree
I kinda expected classes would be hard, but I didn't expect this. In school back home, if I didn't understand something, I kept quiet and just guessed it on tests. I still got Bs. By the end of the first week of Moon Dancer teaching me, I felt like a wrung out sponge.
At the end of each day, Moon Dancer would ask me to explain back to her the main bits of what she'd taught me, and if I didn't know it, she made a note and we'd basically repeat the class again. After the first three times, I made sure to tell her in class when I didn't get something.
My easy B days were gone. When Moon Dancer taught me something, I had to pay attention and really learn it, and it wasn't the easy fractions and stuff I'd been doing back home--Moon Dancer knew I knew about them. She was teaching me way more algebra than we'd started to even look at, and all kinds of graph stuff. It was hard. But I was getting it.
And it didn't stop at just math. All my physics and stuff were harder, too. Moon Dancer had said we'd focus on catching up to grade 9 for the first two weeks, then start on Equestrian subjects too. So, one week down, one to go, then I get the fun stuff!
It was Friday afternoon, and Moon Dancer had just finished grilling me on what she'd gone over for the day. This was my second day of not missing anything.
"You're definitely catching up well, Riley. I can't believe they had you in 7th grade." Moon Dancer was putting her books back on the shelf where they lived using her magic. There was a lot of stuff that felt the same as being at home, but magical unicorns teaching me math wasn't one of them--not when they casually use that magic for everything.
I just shrugged my shoulders and closed my book--an English textbook. "I kinda didn't pay much attention in school. It was sooooper boring. Still got Bs."
Moon Dancer raised one eyebrow. "And what about this? This isn't too boring?"
"Well, yeah. But I kinda have to think and focus on this or you'll make me learn it all over again after we're done. Besides, I want to get this out of the way so I can learn about Equestria and magic!"
"You will! And I'm very happy with these results. I--" Moon Dancer cut short as Mom knocked and opened the door.
Mom had a tray balanced on her back, something I'd seen other earth ponies do to carry stuff while walking. She reached back and revealed it had several cupcakes on it. "Hope I'm not interrupting. Did either of you want a cupcake?" After a moment she chuckled. "Philip made them, not me."
"Then I'll have one!" I shouted and jumped down from my seat.
"How's my little scholar doing?" Mom asked a moment after I stuffed the better part of half a cupcake in my mouth.
"Catching up fast. For these first two weeks I'm pushing her through 7th and 8th grade. She knew nearly everything from 7th already, so I'm going to give her a test on Monday to finalize that." Moon Dancer used her magic to lift a cupcake off the tray and break a little piece off to chew on. So small, in fact, that she could keep talking around it! Talk about inefficient! "I'll have her doing the same for 8th grade in a week's time."
"Would you mind writing a report on this? I'd like to understand how your system works, and I'm sure some people back home would to. I can arrange payment for--"
"You're already paying me, Mrs. Ree. I don't need more."
"Exactly," Mom said. "I'm paying you to teach Riley. Let the government pay you for your research."
Moon Dancer chuckled and held up a hoof to waggle it back and forth. "Okay, but on one condition."
"Name it."
"I don't want to be paid in bits--I've got plenty already--I want a computer as well as copies of all your information you have stored on them." Moon Dancer sounded completely serious. When she saw Mom start to giggle, she even tilted her head to the side. "What did I say?"
"Well, last I heard, nearly a third of our world's energy went into storing data on computers, and size-wise, you'd need an area about triple the size of Canterlot. I can, however, get some very specific parts of it. Public data, of course, but I think it will be a good start." Mom seemed to have recovered from her giggles. "Would that be a good start? Information for information?"
"That sounds perfect. What sort of information will there be, and how long will it take me to get through it all?" Moon Dancer paused for a second and then shook her head. "This is another silly question."
Mom still sounded like she wanted to laugh. "Yeah. I don't know the specifics of it, but I was planning on getting you a thing called Wikipedia, if I can. I believe there's more general information there than you could read in your lifetime."
Moon Dancer looked kinda hungry, though she'd stopped eating her cupcake.
"Can I go?" I asked before either of them could say anything else.
"Sure, honey, you've earned it."
I wasted no time getting out of there. Mom and Moon Dancer could talk all they wanted, but I wanted to check on my tree. Knowing better than to clatter around the house, I kept my pace to a trot (hooves on wood floors are noisy!).
"Hey, squirt, what's up?" Saf asked. When I turned I saw him walking into the kitchen, Saf still had his flight suit still on.
I had to jerk myself free of the daydream seeing him wearing that cute outfit always put me in. Big brothers shouldn't look like cute and cool ponies! "Finished class for the day. You too?"
He smiled. Saf was doing that a lot more lately. I guess he liked being a pony as much as I did. "Yup. More classes."
"You're going to school more here than we did back home," I said.
He laughed. "You too, squirt. Where's that bored little sister who couldn't pull her nose away from her phone gone?"
My phone. I'd brought it with me, of course, and it had lost charge in about two days. I couldn't work out how to charge it or turn it on, anyway, with these hooves. "Phones are boring. Want to see my tree?"
"Sure." Saf followed me as I headed to the back door. "But then you have to listen to me talk about flying for a bit."
It wasn't the best trade, but with him looking so cute I couldn't resist it. "Sure."
Houses in Canterlot, even big ones like ours, didn't have much of a backyard, but what this one did have I was making use of. Walking over to the sapling, its whippy stem reaching up to the sky with hopeful and green leaves,
I walked right up to my tree and leaned my head against the branch and asked it what was wrong--nothing. Nothing was wrong. Giggling at the tree's answer, I leaned against it with my magic and felt it stir excitedly.
Everything seemed to slow down, which was odd because everything around us sped up. I heard Saf asking questions so fast I couldn't understand him, but what I understood was the tree. "Here." I pushed a little more and felt the tree start to sing in my head.
When the tree couldn't pull enough water in and ran out of stored food, I stopped. The world seemed to rush back in around me, and I could even feel Saf's wing resting on my back. I shook myself to break out of the funk that always came after talking to my tree.
"You looked a bit cold. I--uh--figured you could use some..." Saf said.
"Thanks, Saf. I wasn't cold exactly, I just tremble a little when I'm doing my thing with magic. Anypony'd think I wasn't meant to have all this magic while this small or somethin'."
He raised an eyebrow just like Mom would. "'Anypony'?"
"Yes! We're ponies, Saf, time to act like them--us--err." I guess I just proved Moon Dancer right about needing to learn more English or Ponish or whatever we're actually speaking. "Hey, Saf, can you speak English?"
"Duh. Of course I can, I--" He stopped and went cross-eyed looking at his snout. "What about--Is this--Maybe we should talk to your teacher."
"Moon Dancer would know!" I turned for the house and stumbled a little. My magic felt like a shallow pond instead of a deep lake, but a little trickle into my legs was more than enough to steady them.
"Get on, squirt." Saf didn't give me any further warning. He picked me up with one of his wings and dumped me on his back. His flight suit felt slick and smooth, but I kinda liked having the weight taken from my hooves. "Your tree is pretty awesome, you know?"
I could feel both my ears shoot forward to listen. "Really? Thanks!"
"Mom!" Saf walked back into the house with me on his back, and I was reminded how much taller I should have been. I felt, well, I felt my normal height on his back. He poked his head into the living room, then the kitchen, and finally found her in the hallway. "Mom, we can't speak English."
"What do you--You just--" Mom stopped speaking for a moment, closed her eyes, and looked focused on something. "Okay, this is--That got it. It's not easy," Mom said in English. The language sounded a little odd to me, but by the time she got to the end of the sentence it all made sense. "Moon Dancer? Before you go, can you explain something for us?"
Coming from my classroom (the bedroom Mom had designated my classroom), Moon Dancer was still tucking books into her saddlebags. "What do you need explained?"
"I'm having trouble remembering how to speak English, and Saffron and Riley can't at all."
"I can now--" Saf said in English, though he sounded funny doing it. "Talk more."
"Peter Piper picked a pack of pickled peppers. The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog." As she spoke in English, Mom seemed to get more confident with the words. I tried to focus on them as best I could.
"That's helping. Riley, you try," Saf said.
Screwing my eyes closed, I retied to focus on what I should sound like in English. "It's hard, but I--" I opened my eyes in surprise at having spoken English. "Hey, I got it!" But dropped back to Ponish. "Damn. I had it."
"I think you've got the key to it. Perhaps an hour each night where you only speak English to each other?" Moon Dancer asked.
Mom turned to her. "Were you aware this might happen?"
"No. At least, we've never seen this effect of the spell. It might have something to do with you being from a low-magic world. I'll write a report on it and pass it on, though I expect the four of you will have a better idea of what's going on once you get your heads around it," Moon Dancer said. "I best be going. Someone gave me a pile of homework to do."
Mom laughed. "Thank you, Moon Dancer. It's wonderful to have a pony I can come to for answers and get them. Refreshing even. You wouldn't believe how hard it is to get answers out of people back home."
"Where's Dad?" Saf asked.
"Afternoon run. He'll be back to start dinner soon. You could do some prep if you want to eat earlier."
Saf took a step back as if something dangerous had just appeared. "I'll take Riley for a fly first." I blinked in surprise, but didn't want to argue in case I got talked into doing extra chores. "You still want to right, squirt?"
"Yes!" Did I sound too eager? Better dial it back. "You promised."
With Saf turning around, I tried to look as excited as I could as he walked back through the house and out into the backyard. "Good thinking. Mom didn't suspect a thing."
I giggled. "Do I get to fly still?"
"Hold on." Saf spread his wings and I barely got a good grip around his neck before he jumped upward about twenty yards.
Gasping in surprise, I soon turned to squeals of excitement as he began to fly around. "This is amazing, Saf!" He wasn't doing any really crazy stuff, but just being able to fly had me in awe of him.
Not that I could tell my big brother how cool he was, but I wasn't hugging just to hold on. |
The Embassy | Chapter 17 | Philip Ree
Another evening turned into morning. We'd spent more than just an hour speaking together in English--describing our week to each other and talking about how strange our lives had become, yet normal at the same time.
Now, in the early morning, and after my run, I was walking beside my darling to the chancery when we saw Frank's equine face smiling at us from the front door. It wasn't unusual for Frank Hollings to be waiting for us, but it was to see him smiling.
"Good morning, Captain Hollings," Clair said. I always let her take the lead when it came to matters at her work--because that was her job.
"Madam Ambassador. News from home." Frank's smile seemed to widen. "You'll never guess what."
"Inside please, Frank."
"Have fun at work." At my words, Clair looked back at me as if I were insane. I stuck out my tongue at her and turned for home.
The air in Canterlot always had a crisp bite to it, no matter the time of day. Altitude, I was sure, played a part, but I had a theory it was all the magic concentrated in one spot. Compared to Ponyville, Canterlot was brimming with unicorns. If you looked at a group of ten ponies, odds are nine of them were unicorns.
That was my theory, anyway. I'm no scholar, nor a wizard (being able to say that--even in my head--makes me giggle), but I know what I feel.
Unlike my morning run, I took the time to wave to ponies I'd seen regularly. They all waved back, and I even found myself stepping over to a stall selling apples. Clair had arranged for half her pay to be in bits, which meant I could-- "I'll take three apples, please."
"Howdy there! Sure thing!" A gold-hued stallion with orange mane and tail (with gold highlights) and the most startlingly green eyes I'd ever seen. "Not many adults Ah see runnin' around without a cutie mark, stranger. Ah don't suppose yer one o' the out-of-towners muh cousin Applejack done talked about?"
I hadn't had much to do with the Apple family in Ponyville, but Clair had spoken about Applejack and her sister Apple Bloom.
"That'd be me. She spent some time with my wife and little filly." Lifting my forehoof, I offered it to the stallion to shake, only to have him dart around the display in his stall and hug me. It was brief enough that I didn't have time to actually react before he'd let go.
"Hey, where's my manners?! M'name's Braeburn, and any friend of my cuz is a friend o' mine!" Now he shoved his hoof out toward me.
Reaching out to clop his hoof in return, I was left wondering if he was offering something with the hug, or if I was being rude by not hugging back. Shining had been comfortable as heck to talk to for one big point--Shining Armor was monogamously married. "My name's Philip Ree."
He seemed to pause a moment to consider the word. It was--refreshing. Most people you could tell them your name and they'd continue as if you hadn't just told them the single most identifiable thing about you. Braeburn seemed like he was both committing it to memory and taking the time to think about how it sounds. "Well, Ah'm happy Ah met ya, Philip Ree. Tell ya what. Those apples're yours--no charge."
Was this flirting? Damn it, Shining, you didn't help at all! "Thanks, but I really shoul--" My attempt to rebuke the offer was cut short by Braeburn's hoof on my snout. I froze, staring down my nose at it.
"Nah, friend, Ah can't have ya turnin' down my hospitality. Take 'em."
I didn't know what else to do. I picked up the paper bag of apples with my magic and nodded to him in thanks.
"Y'all come back anytime if ya need anythin'!"
Would it be wrong to break into a gallop? Probably. But I stopped and turned back around to face Braeburn. It was time to sort this out. I carefully set down the apples. "I'll be honest--I really need some help." Who else did I have to ask? A perfect stranger this friendly and open would seem completely odd back home, but here he felt like a refuge.
"Well now. You just let Brae know what yer problem is an Ah'll see what Ah can do."
"It has to do with, well, being here. My wife and I are happily married, and monogamous, and--"
"Hol' up there. Ya been talkin' to one of the ponies from around these parts, right?" Braeburn asked. When I nodded, he continued. "Canterlot's got itself some odd things that happen. Ah think it comes from havin' too many unicorns in one place. A lot of the stallions here have a thing goin', and while Ah completely respect that, ya don't have t' be part of it."
I'd never heard words spoken in a country accent sound as sweet. The simple reassurance that this thing wasn't seen universally as true made me stand a little taller and the world smell a little sweeter. "Thanks, Braeburn. I'm not sure if your cousins told you, but we weren't ponies just a couple of months ago. It's taking some getting used to."
"Well, Philip Ree, if'n you need any more help, you just ask. Ah'll be here all week sellin' apples, though anymore're gonna cost ya."
"Thanks, Braeburn. Just call me Philip, or Phil."
"Yer welcome, Philip." He actually tipped his hat in a way that reminded me of every helpful southerner I'd ever met. "Anypony else wanna buy some apples?"
I took that as my cue and grabbed up my bag and trotted off for home. So now I had two datapoints, as Clair likes to call them, with which to work off. Technically three--myself included. Sex was just as good as a pony as it was as a human, I could confirm that, but was my desire for it any greater?
Reaching the curve in the street where I could see our house, I slowed a little to give myself a little more time before reentering the madhouse. Truth be told, I was a little more prone to catching Clair, and we had dived right into the pony way as it were. Was that an indication my libido was higher?
Well, at least I had my magic. If there was one thing I knew how to do as a functional adult male, it was how to get some relief if I needed it. Not that I would without talking to Clair first--she might be holding back without wanting to worry me.
Opening the front door, I stepped inside to find Saf laying on the couch reading a book. I had two options for how to deal with a son suddenly taking an interest in books--either I show him respect and encouragement or I crack a bad joke. The latter was the only option. "Hitting the books? Are they winning?"
"Oh--" it seemed like he hadn't even heard me come in, which meant his book must be an interesting one. "Yeah. Figured I'd get this homework out of the way now so I can relax tomorrow. Mom working today?"
"Mmhmm. The major headed back to Earth last night and new information was due today. You know Jeff, always wanting to let his people handle things, but wanting his own touch to be evident too." It was true. Jeff Miller was the best and worst kind of manager. He wanted to know everything and poke at everything, but he also knew exactly how much poking and how much information he needed. I guess that means he's more like the worst and best, to get the order right. "Want an apple?"
Saf lifted his head and one wing, into which I tossed one of the apples from the bag. "Thanks, Dad. Riley's sleeping in."
"From what she told us last night, she deserves it." And she did. It gave me great delight to find out both our children had gotten their mother's smarts. "Still haven't even touched your computer?"
One of Saf's ears twitched. He'd only just lowered his snout back to his book when I'd spoken. "I've kinda got too much to do with all this." Lifting a wing forward, he gestured at the book with a feather. "And getting my wings up to speed. Sudden says I still have a lot of work to do if I want to fly anywhere near as good as she does."
What was that noise in the back of my head? Oh, right, alarm bells. That Sudden Turn was older than me was beside the point--she was an eligible female figure prominent in Saf's life. "She flies well?"
"Dad! She's a Wonderbolt! She flies like the wind itself. She said in another thirty years I might be at her level." I wasn't sure if he was deadpanning or actually serious. Either way, Saf still had his nose in the book.
Almost. I was on the very verge of pointing out that we might not be here for even a tenth of that, when it hit me that despite his appearance here, Saffron Ree--my son--was an adult. Even by US law he was old enough to say if he wanted to live here or not. Whether the princesses would be amiable to him living here was another question. Okay, Philip, time to be the best dad you can be.
"You've looked into staying here?" I asked.
Saf's head shot up so fast I was surprised he didn't have whiplash. He stared at me as if I'd just said something groundbreaking that destroyed all his notions of how the world worked.
"Well?" I asked.
"I didn't even think about it. I mean, you guys said it was going to be a few years at most, and I was just trying to enjoy them as much as I could. How would I even do that?" He looked terrified and excited, a good combination given he was turning eighteen soon.
"First thing you need to do is think. I'd suggest talking to the American Ambassador for information. I'm sure she might know who to talk to about staying." Sometimes I loved being a dad. There was nothing else in life that allowed me the joy of using so many torturous jokes on children.
Looking back at his book, Saf jerked his head back up again. "Right. I'll need to talk to Mom--"
"No, Saf. You need to talk to the ambassador. Your mother is the wrong one to talk to." Serious answers with a core of silliness.
"R-Right. I need to talk to the ambassador, not Mom. This is way more confusing than it needs to be." He took a bite of the apple.
I walked over to the couch and sat on it beside him. Removing the second bright red apple from the bag, I took a bite of it. The flavor was spectacular--the juices threatening to leak into my fur and neck. Liberal use of my tongue saved me from most of the mess.
When Saf's wing curled around my back and he hugged me, I put a foreleg around his shoulders.
"Thanks, Dad. I was trying to cram so hard and didn't even think to look at a bigger picture. So if I could just stay here, I'd need money--bits--right?"
"Yup. Not sure how you'd go about finding them. Once you work out if it will be possible, then you can focus on the how. You've got a few years to get that sorted, after all." I pulled my leg back from him and he let go with his wing. Ponies--even humans who'd only been ponies for several weeks--were huggers it seemed. "Maybe you should make a list."
"Right. A list would be good, but after I get done with my homework. Slowpoke would chew me out for falling behind right off the bat." He lowered his nose back to his book. There wasn't a lot of times in my life I could consider myself more proud of Saf.
"I'll leave you to it." I got up off the couch and walked through to the kitchen. For a place that lacked the modern technology of Earth, Equestria sure had a great amount of modern technology. A fridge that kept things cold (though no freezer), a good gas oven, even electrical sockets, though the strange-looking sockets didn't look inviting to American household devices.
With another bite of my apple, I planned out what I wanted to cook for the whole weekend. I'd tried the seafood, like Shining had suggested, and didn't like it. It had been easier to live with a vegetarian diet than try explaining to Saf why I wouldn't cook him his own individual meals--because I bet he'd ask for fish just to be different.
Salad sandwiches were the order of the day, at least for lunch. Breakfast usually resulted in me making some oats up with milk. Dinner was the complicated one. Pasta had been easy, what with three of us burning up magic most of the day (and two of those being children to boot).
Well, with our own house, I could fix this problem even better. Today I made the decision to buy a cook book. I could just wander around the city aimlessly, but I had a plan. I'd called in a favor from Spike (after his flying incident), and he'd suggested I visit the library here first to look at said books before I went elsewhere to buy them.
Being a dragon over a hundred years old in charge of a hoard of books clearly gave you some perspective when it comes to literature. So I was off to the library. "I'll be back later, Saf. Keep an eye on your sister when she gets up."
"Got it, Dad."
I grabbed a saddlebag and slung it over my back and headed back into Canterlot's streets. Like always, the air was crisp and my hooves made a melodic clip-clopping on the ground as I trotted. The library was near the castle, but on the other side from where the chancery was.
It was easier to ignore any looks I got as being their problem, and not mine. There was something I had to thank Braeburn for.
The city streets of Canterlot were buzzing with color and life--that is to say ponies. Pastel colors, some brighter ones here and there too, but almost all of them unicorns. I waved to a few ponies I'd seen regularly--not that I'd spoken to any of them before.
Canterlot City Library was right where Spike had said it would be. The building was huge. The weight of the huge marble roof was borne by pillars that reminded me of Roman designs, but the beautiful glass-work letting sunlight through the otherwise open front cast it into a more modern feel. I had to wonder how old it really was.
Two huge unicorn statues stood out the front and bracketed the stairs leading up to the front door. The whole thing felt both impressive and reverent in the same moment. I'd visited the White House on several occasions, but this structure put even the fortitude of the Oval Office to shame.
I walked up to the front doors and followed the helpful marking that said Push. Perfectly temperate air met me as I walked inside. Ponies were scattered around the library. Some employees were wheeling carts of books around, some patrons were sitting at desks reading in the morning sunlight, but I had designs on the main desk.
"Hi there," I said. "I wanted to look at some recipe books if I could."
"Of course you do." The mare at the counter--an earth pony--could have put that in a way that made it sound contrite, but instead she spoke as if the target of my search was never in doubt. "Please follow me."
My jaw almost dropped. I'd expected her to give me directions or at least just point to the section where recipe books were. Instead she gestured to another library employee who rushed to the desk to man it while she walked off toward the bookshelves.
"Did you have a particular one in mind?" the librarian asked.
"Well, I'm a bit new to all this. I was actually looking for some books on simple home cooking for families."
"New to all this? There's a story here. A librarian knows when a story is nearby." Despite her words, she didn't actually ask me to explain. It was the softest request for gossip I'd ever heard. "What you'll want is in this section over here. Non-fiction, guides, cooking books."
"Thank you so much." The transaction was probably older than time itself. When two creatures--pony or human--sat around a fire and one wanted to know something, they had to give the other a good story. "You see, I'm from another world--Earth. My wife's the ambassador, and I haven't a clue what sort of meals would be good for pony digestive systems."
"Sweet Celestia! You're one of our visitors!"
A chorus of Shhhhs came from the desks nearby.
"Sorry," my guide said in the direction of the shusshers. "I'd heard so much about all these fancy new things ponies are investigating. Why, we had Princess Twilight Sparkle herself in here just a bit earlier. She's planning to start a whole new section of the library dedicated to literature from other worlds. It's so exciting!"
More Shhhhs came in quickly on the tail end of the librarian's words, leading to my guide rolling her eyes.
"Well, I'm glad she's back and is organizing that kind of thing, but what I really want is an Equestrian book on cooking."
"Right. Right. Of course. Well, we have this row here for baking--separated into pastries, cakes, and other--and this row on more general cooking." She was pointing to entire rows of the library when she spoke. Hundreds or thousands of books.
"Do you have any you'd personally recommend?" I asked, hoping to narrow things down just a little.
Walking down the aisle a little, the librarian gestured with her hoof at the bookshelf. "Well, if you want simple meals anypony can make, I'd suggest Gretchen's Basics, by Gretchen the Griffon. She's one of Princess Celestia's own chefs. It's right here. Now, she also has a more advanced guide--"
I let out a sigh that interrupted her. "I'll level with you, ma'am. I intend to buy some books, and figured I should come here to ask for advice on what ones to get. I'm not sure if I can even get a library card here."
"My name's Early Return, and I'm fairly sure Princess Celestia wouldn't mind me lending you books if you agreed to bring them back. As for what you want, I'd personally suggest her whole series of books. Gretchen's an excellent chef and is amazing at explaining her recipes. I could tell you some good bookstores in the city to visit?"
"Philip Ree, and thank you. Could you write those down?"
Her smile changed her from pretty to radiant. "Sure thing!"
"Shhh!"
It was almost midday by the time I got home. My saddlebags were full of fresh produce and cooking equipment, and I was set for several days of cooking--there was no way my family would eat another military ration!
"I'm home!" I stepped in the front door only to see Clair, Saf, and Princess Twilight Sparkle sitting in the living room talking. Now that I could see that she wasn't just pony sized, but taller than regular ponies, I could get a better idea just how out of scale humanity was to ponies. "Sorry to interrupt."
Saf looked, out of the three of them, the most excited. He turned a grinning face toward me. "Hey, Dad, Princess Twilight said I could stay!"
Twilight and Clair both turned to face me, they looked happy and curious in similar measures, though Twilight's was closer toward happy and Clair was closer toward curious.
"Saffron's been doing quite well, I hear," Twilight said. "And by all accounts all of you have. The adjustment in ages is a concern, however. I'm looking into fixing that."
"Excuse me, Twilight, Saffron." Clair stood up and gave me an intense stare that I read easily--she wanted to talk. There was nothing else I could do than smile to Princess Twilight and Saf and follow Clair into the kitchen. The moment the door closed I heard her taking a breath. "I'm torn, Philip."
Using my magic, I lifted my saddlebag off my back. "I know what you mean. Him staying here will mean we won't get to see our boy grow."
"But I can't believe how happy he looks. Philip, he was in a rut at high school, we both know that. The smile Saffron gets on his face whenever he is reminded about flying is--It just leaves me breathless. This was your idea?"
"He was reading a textbook on the couch--a textbook about flying. Clair, this was our son who took up home ec at school because he found out it was impossible to fail. You've seen him talking to Sudden Turn?"
"Her?" Clair's eyebrows rose together. "I heard she was his minder. What's she got to do with this?"
"If Saf was about twenty years older, a lot more than she does right now. He looks up to her--he wants to be like her. She's one of his instructors." I saw real surprise register on Clair's face. I might not be able to read other ponies all that well, but my wife I knew.
Clair's shoulders slumped and she let out a slow breath. "I've been distracted by work and haven't been paying enough attention to him. Is this really something he should be jumping into?"
"No. Absolutely not." My absolute statement drew curiosity into Clair's eyes. "But we have a few years before he has to make the final choice." Realization, revelation, and delight registered in my wife's very stance. I leaned forward and kissed her, then the kiss became more than the short peck I'd intended, and before I knew it I was pondering how hard it would be to brace a chair against the door and--
"Philip?" Clair asked after I jerked away. "What's wrong?"
"I spoke to a pony earlier about--the problem with stallions. He said it was mostly just Canterlot ponies being a little odd and having their own odd ways, but I don't know. I just felt like--" I bit down on my words. Saying them out loud would be degrading and would--
Clair's kiss broke my mental distraction. Her lips were warm and her tongue went exploring in a way that made all that energy rush to the fore again. When she broke the kiss, I was more than a little worked up.
"Give me five minutes to finish this with the princess and Saf, and I want you upstairs, my stud." Clair gave me a smoldering look, turned, and with a flick of her tail made everything worse (or better). She left the kitchen.
I gulped. For the first time in my life I was extremely unsure about my body and--Deep breaths, Philip. Put the groceries away and think of Clair. Both things came easily to me. I had my perishable purchases away and was flicking through the cookbooks when Clair opened the door again and poked just her head inside.
"C'mon. Princess Twilight's gone, Saffron's gone for a fly, and Riley is working on her homework in her room." Her eyes could have lit fires anywhere she looked, and given she was looking at me I could certainly confirm I was burning up. |
The Embassy | Chapter 18 | Philip Ree
We weren't experts in how ponies have sex, but we were learning as we went, and we went quite well indeed. The pony version of missionary--bellies together--was more enjoyable than regular pony style, but Clair had surprised me by insisting on trying more and more things.
I hadn't said no.
Was there truth to both Shining and Braeburn's words? Maybe out-of-town ponies just let things go a little more. Maybe Canterlot ponies were just way more into a little bit on the side. Maybe I had the most amazing woman--or mare--with me right now.
"Clair, darling, I love you so much." I didn't need to move far to kiss her, though there was no vital and impending need to it now--just satisfaction.
She moved with me, shifted her body to accommodate the angle of our kiss so we could last a little longer than muscles would otherwise allow. When things finally settled and we started to break apart, I felt her lips curl into a smile. "How'd you put everything in perspective so well?"
"Hrmm?"
"Saffron needed to hear that he had more options. I needed to hear that I could give him years to make up his mind." She giggled. "I also needed to hear how into me you were still. After all this--thirty four years together, my career, coming to another world--and you still looked at me like you could devour me. How do you do that?"
If I told her I was crazy, that I was driving by the seat of my pants, it would be only partly true. "I'm crazy--crazy in love with you. The life you've given me, Clair, inspires me to be the best I can be. I couldn't be who and what I am if it wasn't for you, for Saffron, and for Riley." I bumped my nose against hers and smiled just a little wider. "You inspire me to do everything."
"That's so sappy. You know that, right?"
"Yeah. Did it work?"
She just nodded to me and shifted to the side. Pleasure, sensitivity, and maybe a hint of excitement sparked as I drew from her. I clenched my teeth and fought the immediate desire to get back on her. "A little more gentle next time, please?"
Clair looked a little shaken herself. "Y-Yeah. Sorry. I forgot how much of you there is now."
"Does this mean I can make a hung like a stallion joke?" I waggled my eyebrows as best I could, and got a pillow thrown at me for my trouble.
Before Clair could grab something else to throw, she gasped and practically galloped to the bathroom. "How much did you--Philip!" There was no genuine panic in her voice, only an edge of laughter. "I'll get you back for this!"
"By doing what?" I used my magic to grab the cleanup towel we kept on the bedside table and made use of it to carefully pat myself down.
"By doing it again, silly."
My heart sped up at the way she spoke--deep and hungry. "Tonight." With my magic I tossed the towel into the hamper as I rolled onto my hooves. "Definitely tonight. How are you?" I poked my head into the bathroom to see my darling wife expelling quite a bit of--well, the proof of my love is perhaps the nicest thing to call it.
The sight was sexy beyond measure to some primal, beastly part of me. My wife so brimming with me that she--I had to cut the thought off before I made more such mess.
"I'll be okay in a moment." She bit her lower lip.
I couldn't stand it. I walked into the bathroom and kissed her. Hungrily kissed her. By the time I was done kissing, she was done with the mess I'd made.
"Philip Ree, how did you become so--" Clair stopped, her eyes widening. "We're young again. I mean, as far as ponies go, right?"
I nodded.
"Young ponies that are just like a pair of nineteen-year-olds. Right?" She grinned like she'd just solved world peace. "Philip, we're both idiots. Young--horny--idiots."
Relief and laughter bubbled through me. I joined Clair in laughing at the world, at ourselves, and at our situation. We laughed while she cleaned herself up in the bathroom, only dimming our mirth long enough to kiss or nuzzle, and headed out of the bedroom.
I walked down the hall with Clair at my side, and felt like the richest man--or stallion--in either world. "Time for lunch, I think?"
"Is that what you were out buying?" Clair nuzzled my cheek, which had the effect of making my knees feel weak.
"Yes, sort of. I acquired some cookbooks for ponies, written by a griffon funnily enough." I used my magic to open the kitchen door and head inside only to see Riley with a chair pulled up to the counter making herself a sandwich. "Oh no! Clair, we have an infestation!"
"Hey, kiddo. Hungry?" Clair asked as she walked around to kiss Riley on the cheek. Motherhood had always agreed with Clair, despite her repeated counter claims that she spent too time away from home.
"There's no peanut butter and jelly!" Riley looked down at her forlorn, buttered slices of bread. "Can we get some?"
It hadn't occurred to me to even look. "I'll do some more shopping tomorrow and see what I can find. What about a salad sandwich?"
I already had the fridge door open before her eager reply came, "Sure!"
"Okay then, you get the bread ready while I chop up the salad." I had no idea how Clair or our children managed without magic. I picked up a tomato and a lettuce and turned back to the bench to see Riley cutting the bread up into neat pieces with a big bread knife.
She looked precarious, balanced upright on the chair, but in my mind I had to remember that she was close enough to being a teenager that I should be thankful she was willing to help.
I used magic to flip out one of the books that focused more on nutrition than actual cooking, and hunted through for portion sizes while I cut up cucumber with a little more effort on my horn.
"How do you do that?" Riley asked.
I was a bit confused as to what she was asking. "Do what? Magic?"
"No. I kinda get you have your own special stuff for your magic, Dad, but how are you holding three things at once?"
Okay, that was a surprise. I looked at how I was holding the book. Then I looked down to where I was chopping the cucumber. "I didn't really notice. I guess I kinda just parked the book up here while I chopped. On the plus side I can't cut myself with the knife."
I showed off by cutting the cucumber up as fine as I could, and then brought the knife through my magic a few times. It tingled, and I could feel not just the movement of the blade but its sharpness as well. "See?"
"That's so cool! You could use a lightsaber and it wouldn't even hurt you!"
Rolling my eyes would be too much. Instead I leaned over and kissed Riley on the forehead. "Keep working on that bread, pumpkin. We'll be making our own soon enough."
Riley started back on the bread, slicing it a little thicker than I'd have liked, but I let her go all the same. "Like we did back home?"
"I used a breadmaker back home. Ponies don't seem to have gotten quite that far with gadgets, so I'll be making it the old fashioned way." With the cucumbers done, I swapped to a tomato. "What do you want on yours?"
"Everything!"
"Everything?"
She nodded.
"Okay," I said. "Everything." I started to put my book down on the first slice of bread.
"Dad! I meant everything you're making."
"Oh! Well, I guess the book might be a bit too much roughage, after all." Grabbing up a ripe avocado, I sliced it around neatly and then used my magic to neatly break it in half. "Is it like using my hands if I scoop it out with my magic?"
"Pfft. No, Dad, it's magic. We don't have hands now, remember?"
"I guess." Forming a scoop from my magic, I scooped out all the inside of the avocado and put it in a bowl. I lifted a pat of butter and a lime from my saddlebag and set them on the bench. "Just feels a little odd, since it's kinda like how my hands worked."
Mixing some butter in with the avocado, I splashed in some lime juice and gave it a hit of salt. There was a lot of things the books--that I'd flicked through in the library--didn't say. Nowhere in the city had I found a blender, and all a book ever said was blend ingredients. Well, let me see if I can get things moving myself.
Spreading some of my magic out thin over the top of the bowl, I tried to imagine the blades of a food processor inside it and started turning that around. I was slow at it, but the more I turned the blade the easier I found it and the faster I could do it. I never got anywhere near as fast as a food processor would have, but I got them blended up well enough to use.
"Dad! That--was--so--awesome! How'd you do that?" I hadn't noticed how intently Riley was watching me. Well, it was time to be a proper dad.
"Magic," I said.
The devastated look my daughter leveled at me was worth everything I'd ever been through in my life. "Dad?"
"Yes?"
"You're the worst, you know that right?"
"I'm your dad, that means it's my duty to make dad jokes, sweetie. We've discussed this before." I couldn't actually fathom the idea of using my magic to spread the avocado butter on the bread, so I picked up a knife and began spreading it. "I'm just taking the dad jokes to new and interesting places."
Getting a production line going was easy. Bread gets buttered, cucumber, tomato, lettuce, salt, pepper, top on. One. Two. Three. Four. Cutting each in turn, I always put a slight angle on the slice to give a smaller end to start at. "Go and tell your brother his lunch is ready."
I knew what was coming, and tucked my ears down as tight to my head as I could.
"SAF! LUNCH IS READY!"
Yup. That's my filly. "Thank you, sweetie." I kissed Riley on the forehead again while scooping each sandwich up on a plate and floating them over to the table.
"Lunch?" Saffron poked his head into the kitchen and looked at me funny. "Uh, Dad?"
I was just about on top of the world. Using magic had never energized me quite as much as it had now. Turning to face him, I shrugged. "Yeah. Made us all something healthy and nutritious. What's up?"
Saffron didn't stop staring at me. "When'd you get a cutie mark?"
"What?" I couldn't think what else to say. "Cutie mark?" Okay, maybe I could. Everything felt too good to have something odd be happening.
"Dad! Look!" Riley jumped off the chair she'd been using and ran to my flank. "You've got a cutie mark!"
Turning my head, I looked back at my hip and saw it. Sure enough, my brown fur was broken up by a pair of silver scales. Okay, Philip, nothing to worry about. If I wasn't feeling so good I might be able to panic. As it was, I was excited beyond belief. "Clair!"
"I can see, Philip. What happened?" Clair's voice held a hint of worry, though also curiosity. She walked past Saffron and over to me to inspect my rump. I only wished we were alone, so she could inspect it more thoroughly.
"We were making lunch. Riley was cutting the bread, and I was preparing the fillings. I'd just finished making them, slicing them, and had Riley call Saffron for lunch." Still feeling excited and on-edge, I felt like I wanted to dance and sing and--and just hug everyone! Memories of fooling around with illicit substances when I was younger came to and left my thoughts--this was so much better!
"You're smiling a lot." Clair narrowed her eyes. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"You mean apart from the life-defining pattern that just appeared on my hips?" I asked.
"Philip, I think we better call somepony who can double check on this sort of thing." Clair looked at the table and the four plates sitting there. "After lunch. Those sandwiches look good."
Despite her worry, despite finding out I had a very strange thing happen to me just now, I felt even better hearing that she liked my food. Using my magic, I pulled a chair out for Clair, Riley, and Saffron, and took a seat myself.
"What was it like?" Saffron asked as he reached out with his wing for a sandwich.
"I guess I wasn't even aware I was getting it, but every moment just feels better and better." I didn't take much convincing to talk about it, apparently. "Just--I feel great!" What hit even harder was hearing Riley's delight when she took a bite of her sandwich. "How is it?"
"Mff! Goo, Da!" She barely managed to get the words out around her mouthful.
When Clair started on her own, I got a different feeling. There wasn't something wrong as such, just something missing. More food--more protein and fats. The thought had come from nowhere, and I had no idea what it meant beyond Clair needing more food than she was getting.
I watched Saffron eating his sandwich, and again got a slight pull of feeling that he needed more carbohydrates. Of what was causing these feelings I had no idea, but I would be damned if I would ignore them. This whole world is magic, and this was magic.
Mentally, I tucked away the idea that I'd add some eggs to our meals--or at least Clair's meal--and maybe get an extra sandwich for Saffron. For myself... I took a bite of my sandwich and felt mostly content with it, though I'd had that apple earlier. Keeping my own sugar levels up would always be a constant fight, but with the power of delicious fruit and cupcakes, I think I was ready for the challenge.
I remembered, then, that I'd gotten fruit for both kids. I looked again at Riley, but didn't get any sense of her needing more. Well, I had a talent, or a gift, or something telling me what my family needed, I wasn't going to argue with it.
"Let me know if you want something more," I said. "Saffron, would you like another sandwich?"
He was finished first, of course, but the guilty look I got from him told me I'd hit the nail on the head. "Yeah, Dad. I was trying some flying magic out earlier, and I could really do with another."
"Not a problem, buddy." I didn't question how much more relaxed Saffron was these days--not looking gift-horses and all that. The angsty and sometimes angry seventeen-year-old I'd grown resigned into seeing become a man by sheer stubbornness had grown younger, or at least he seemed to act younger, but also mature.
Standing up, I turned to the bench and set the bread knife cutting two more slices while the kitchen knife sliced up more filling. "What about you, dear?" I asked Clair. "Fit another in?"
She looked at me with an unreadable expression that quickly turned to a frown. "Sorry. It's been an odd day. I feel like there's room for something, but I'm not sure what."
"Trust me," I said.
I assembled Saffron's second salad sandwich first, but plucked out some eggs from my saddlebags and cut up some more lettuce to go with it.
"What are you--Eggs?" The way Clair said the last word told me that this new intuition was absolutely and one-hundred-percent right. Okay, Philip, trust your instincts and your magic powers.
When put like that, I realized going home might result in me needing to spend some time with a psych. Forgetting that, though, I turned the stove on and put a pot over it. "Oh? Did I guess right?"
Clair moved fast. She jumped out of her chair and was beside me, kissing my cheek, before I could so much as blink.
"Hey, squirt, want to see what I was practicing earlier?" Saffron asked.
"What is it?" Riley asked.
"Come on and I'll show you."
My son was the biggest superhero I knew, sometimes. I would have thanked him, but that would have slowed Riley going out the back door with him and leaving Clair and myself alone.
The moment the door closed, Clair pressed her body against mine from shoulder to hip.
"Clair?" I asked. Part of me didn't want to question this, but I also didn't want to pressure my darling-love into something. "What's up?"
"You. Me. Libido. I thought you were meant to be the overly horny one?" As she nibbled my ear, I broke the eggs into the pot and added some butter. "Just--Seeing you so devoted, so--I don't even know what it all is."
"After you've eaten your sandwich, we can play again. We owe Saffron a big favor, though." Mixing the eggs, I nibbled my way up Clair's nearest ear until I reached the top of it. "Do you think he'll stay?"
The hungry little sounds Clair made almost broke my attention from stirring the eggs. I pulled them off the heat and fetched some chives from my saddlebags.
"If we don't push him to go home, he'll stay. Coming here was something he agreed to, but I didn't realize how well he'd take to being here. To be completely honest, I expected him to lock himself up in his bedroom for the duration and play computer games." The feel of her hoof rubbing down my chest almost sold me on giving up the eggs, pot, and everything. She knew the places that got my motor running, and she was teasing me with them.
"I'm honestly torn."
I turned my head, distracted almost completely from making the scrambled eggs. "Oh?"
"I'm still hungry, but I'm also hungry." She nipped at my neck with her teeth. "But I can wait for both." When she took a step away, I could start breathing again.
Doubling down, I focused on making her the sandwich. "What about us?"
"I have to go back. That's non-negotiable. I need to give my report and ask Jeff what he wants from me next--or ask whoever replaces Jeff if they want me back here." With each step Clair took back to the table I could think a little clearer. "You don't--"
"What did I tell you?" I asked as I cut the sandwich in half. "What did I vow?"
"You're too good, you know that? We'll take Riley with us, then, and I'll complete my report and, failing any further requirements... What then?" Clair practically fell upon the sandwich on her plate when I landed it before her.
I walked around and sat opposite her while Clair ate--using my magic to wash up at the sink (some parts of being a pony I was definitely okay with). Watching her eat, I was struck by how normal pony-Clair looked to me. I know I let out a contented sigh because she paused and lifted one eyebrow.
"Just you, Clair Ree. When I first saw us after coming over, I lamented not seeing my beautiful wife for years, but poniness seems good at seeping in and making you think that all this is natural," I said.
She just nodded, chewing on a sandwich she was holding with one hoof. When she gulped down her mouthful, she chuckled at me. "I agree, for what it's worth. I look at you, Philip, and I see you. It's not you in some strange body, or an alien replacement of you. I see the husband I married, and I want you."
It was getting harder and harder to, well, not get harder and harder. The gag, even in my own head, made me smile a little more. "Eat your damn sandwich."
Saffron Ree
My thoughts were still circling around the conversation with Princess Twilight Sparkle. I could stay, but I'd need to stay enrolled at Wonderbolts' school until I was legally and adult in Equestria, and I'd need to find somepony to act as my guardian.
The first was easy--I freakin' loved going to school there. The second bit, I hoped, would work out too. I'd ask Sharp Turn.
"Mom and Dad are going to have another kid at this rate," Riley said. "Aren't they?"
Well, there was something to yank me out of my thoughts. Remembering why we were outside, I laughed. "Probably. Man, that'll be odd."
"Why?"
I turned and looked at Riley, and it took me a heartbeat to remember that though she wasn't as young as she looked, she was still young enough not to think too far ahead. "A little brother or sister, here, would be a foal. When Mom and Dad head back to Earth, they might not turn human again. Like Princess Twilight Sparkle." Damn her name and title were a mouthful, but every time I'd mentioned her at Wonderbolts' H.Q., I'd gotten a glare and a reminder that she was ranked way above us. So much for every man created equal.
But there was something to be said for her having worked to become a princess. Even royalty here is a rank you can work at. Kinda awesome, when you think about it. Not that I wanted that job--I wasn't exactly qualified in the most important way.
"Huh. That'd be odd. What if we went back before Mom had them? Would they come out as a human or a pony?"
"Squirt, I have no idea. I leave the magic-magic stuff to unicorns. I'll stick to flying." It wasn't a bad ideal, when I thought about it. It made me look smart, and it was literally one of the most important things in Equestria.
Riley walked over to her tree, now tall enough it'd take me two beats of my wings to get to the top of its branches. She lifted a hoof toward it and touched it, but she didn't get that stiffening vibe she sometimes did when going all out drood mode. "He likes you, you know? When you flap your wings over his leaves, he smells other trees in the air currents you make."
Walking over to stand beside her, I reached my hoof up and gently set it against the tree's bark--and felt nothing magical there. "If you say so. Does it--he--want some now?"
"Yup. There's a poplar tree down the road that got all snooty at him for something. I think he just doesn't like non-fruit-trees."
It'd be so easy to dribble a little magic into my wings. I jumped from the ground and pumped what used to be my arms as hard as I could, twice, and then settled into a hovering stance. Hearing flight positioning being called stances was still a little confusing, but it was how the Wonderbolts called it, so that's what I had to learn.
It was harder work than I thought it would be, ensuring that I was blowing air forward as well as backward. It didn't take long for my wings to start to feel like they were doing real work. "How's this?"
"He really likes that! Can you circle around and flap from the other side? He wants to send a reply!"
Now I was literally the mail service for trees. Well, it kept Riley out of Mom and Dad's manes. I got halfway around to the other side of the tree before realizing I'd thought mane instead of hair. It was why I wound up giggling when I reached the spot and started hover-flapping again.
I felt the rush of air before I saw what made it. From one flap to the next I steadied my wingbeats and turned toward what my feathers told me was something big.
"Got the hang of your wings I see?" Spike's voice was deep, and it came from a dragon about the size of a pair of motorbikes end-to-end. He was freakin' awesome, despite me knowing a lot more about flying, and I couldn't stop myself from smiling.
"Kinda. Got a few more years before they'll stop calling me a newbie, but I think I got it covered. What's up?"
Below, a high-pitched voice squealed in excitement--Riley had spotted Spike. "Spiiiiiike!"
"We better land before she calls the Guard down." Spike adjusted his wings and swooped down to land beside Riley--me at his side. "Hey, Riley! How're you?"
Literally bouncing up and down in excitement, Riley looked like she was going to explode. "Soooo much better now. Saf was just helping my tree talk to other trees."
Spike turned his head to look at me. "A pegasus talking to trees? And I thought seeing one talk to animals was surprising!" He raised one eyebrow--well, eye-ridge--and a smile covered his long mouth.
"I can't talk to them. That's Riley's job," I said.
He turned to look at Riley again. "What did they have to say?"
"Well, the polar down the road is really snooty, and sheds its smell a lot. My tree doesn't like it one bit, so he asked me to ask Saf to use his wings to blow a lot of apple tree (that's what he is) smell at it. He's really happy about that." Riley had stopped bouncing to talk, but the moment she stopped, she started looking to climb up on Spike.
Spike lowered his belly to the grass to let Riley climb up. "Oh! Somepony wants to go for a fly? Doesn't your brother take you?"
"He does!" Riley climbed up just below one of Spike's back-ridges and got herself comfortable. "But it wears his wings out trying to do stuff with me there. I can tell."
I jerked as if hit. "I do not get tired!" But I do. It's hard enough practicing basic formation stuff with just my weight, let alone Riley too (and she weighs almost the same as I do).
"You do too! But you're an awesome flier, Saf." Riley managed to stop me in my tracks. How was I meant to argue with a compliment?
"I bet he is. I heard he's in the Wonderbolts already." Spike spread his wings and gave a tremendous pump of them while jumping into the air. It was more amazing to watch now that I could feel with my magic that he wasn't using anything to boost him up. It was all wing power.
Laughing at the craziness of a creature so big that could fly, I jumped into the air and hammered down to get the same altitude Spike seemed to effortlessly grab with each stroke of his huge wings.
He started off with some basic loops and spins, stuff that even I could manage after seeing once or twice, but then he began doing some pretty cool stall-dives that, when I tried them, I had to use magic to pull myself out before I messed up.
Circling around the middle of the city, he waited for me to catch up. "You fly pretty good, Saf." His voice seemed to carry in the air easily, like we weren't flying.
Pulling my shorter wingspan beside and just ahead of his, I laughed. "Not good enough yet. How'd you do that double-stall?"
"The trick is you need the right kind of wings." Spike jerked his head to the side toward his wings. "Dragon wings work different to pony wings. There're things you can do that I can't."
"Huh." I barely noticed he straightened out our flight until we were approaching the gates of the castle! One of the rules that'd been drummed into me was you do not fly over the castle, and you do not fly over the E.U.P. Guard fields without uniform on. "Spike!"
But, to my surprise, rather than bolts of magic or pegasi Royal Guards zooming up to intercept us, we got salutes. I was confused until we landed. Well, until we were about to land, and Princess Twilight Sparkle was waiting for us. Trust a princess to be allowed to okay her friends to fly wherever they want to.
"Twily!" Spike, like the fierce dragon he was, rushed up to Twilight and wrapped both forelegs around her and grabbed her with both his huge wings--there was literally no alicorn visible except for her tail. "When I heard you were back I rushed up here. Why didn't you come to the castle?"
As Spike leaned back and revealed Princess Twilight Sparkle (I'd drum her full name into my head if it was the last thing I did), she was hugging him back just as excitedly.
"I had to report in person to Princess Celestia, and then I got a message that Ambassador Clair Ree wanted to speak with me, and then..." She trailed off as she realized I was standing beside Spike, and Riley was on his back still. I guess a dragon as big as him tends to hide foals. "You brought friends?"
Normally, back home at least, I'd expect an adult to twist such a question into an annoyed sound--like asking You have a bag of rotting garbage? Twilight (Princess Twilight Sparkle, damn it!) sounded even more excited to know we were there. It was shocking in a new way that I hadn't expected. We looked like little foals, adults shouldn't be happy to see us!
"Saf, Riley, say hello," Spike said.
I rolled my eyes at Spike and stepped around his bulk and looked at Princess Twilight Sparkle. "Your Highness."
"Please, Saffron, don't call me that." I hadn't earlier, but I also had been so surprised at seeing her then I was almost freaking out. "Just call me Twilight, please?"
"C-Can you call me Saf?" I asked, my voice almost failing me.
"Sure!" Her smile was huge and caused her whole face to brighten up as a result. "Now, where's Riley?"
Riley, predictably, raced up Spike's back and leapt from his shoulder at Twilight. "Hi!"
Twilight was ready for Riley, it seemed. Her horn flared to life and she plucked my sis out of the air and pulled her in for a hug. "You sure are. I heard you're studying under Moon Dancer."
"Yup! She's a really good teacher, but really strict." Riley hung from Twilight's neck before dropping to the ground and shaking her head. One day my little sis would start an interdimensional war by doing something like this, and then probably stop it moments later by just being herself.
"That's not too surprising. She's way more into schooling than even I am--and I'm really into learning. But then, you're not the only one signing up for school." Twilight turned her head enough that I knew she was looking at me. "Your big brother wants to be a Wonderbolt."
Rily nodded and puffed her chest out. "Saf could totally be a Wonderbolt! He's the best at flying of anypony I know!"
"Hey," Spike said. "What does that make me?"
When my sis turned back to Spike with a stricken look on her face, I felt it was my duty to back her up. "The best at flying of anydragon we know."
"R-Right!" Riley looked back at me with the biggest grin ever.
"And what about me?" Twilight asked.
Without missing a beat now, Riley turned back and giggled. "The best flier of anyprincess we know."
"How would you both like to come and meet my teacher? I was just talking to her about you two." Gesturing with a wing, Twilight pointed back to the castle-thing she'd just left. It was a literal palace. I mean, I'd been to the White House, and that was kinda awesome in a historical way, but this was a freakin' castle!
"Really? I'd like that!" Riley started bouncing up and down in excitement.
I could take a hint. Her teacher, from what I'd heard, was Princess Celestia--one of the rulers of Equestria. Well, Twilight was too, but she was also kinda awesome in that she just wanted to be talked to. Like "uncle" Jeff. "Uncle" Jeff who was the president. I followed along beside Riley while she and Twilight chatted. Spike took up on Twilight's other side.
Dragons, it seemed, were kinda a mess on the ground. Spike in the air was this force of nature that could move with the slightest flick of his wings. Walking, he was more like a big lizard, and kinda waddled a bit. Not that I'd say that to his face--or out loud.
Twilight looked at me over Riley's back as we stepped into the huge entrance hall. Like outside, none of the guards so much as blinked at us being there. "Saf, you don't need to worry. Princess Celestia agreed with me."
Well, that was one worry gone. So what was this meeting about if not to beg her to let me stay? "So why are we meeting her?" I asked.
"You'll see." Twilight almost walked into a set of doors, only for two of the Royal Guard (I'd learned a pile about them in school) to use their magic to open them.
It looked like this was the throne room, what with the thrones being here. It was huge, and looked like it could hold an entire army (more if they were flying). At the other end was a series of raised platforms that had three thrones atop them. Only one was occupied right now, and by Princess Celestia.
"Princess Celestia," Twilight said and bowed. "I'd like to prese--"
"Twilight. How many more years do I have to keep telling you to just call me Celestia?" Apparently, sitting on a throne meant you got to interrupt people--even princesses. I remember uncle Jeff told me once he made a point not to interrupt people. I thought he was nuts, but then, I didn't win an election. Hey, neither did Celestia...
"And how many times am I going to tell you, Princess Celestia, that on the throne you are the princess in charge." Twilight glared upward at Celestia for a few seconds before she broke her stern expression with a grin. "How many more years are we going to do that for?"
"As many as you wish. I enjoy being told I'm doing something wrong." Celestia's voice came from much closer, and when I looked she was at the bottom of the platforms and walking closer. "Twilight, Spike, it's always wonderful to see you both."
As she got closer, I realized just how big Celestia was. She towered above Twilight, and Spike was only a little taller than her when he stood up straight. Both were moving forward to meet Celestia and hug.
Ponies were pretty big on hugging. It was a surprise to get hugs from ponies I barely knew, but it seemed to be almost as common as shaking hands or fist-bumping was back home. I was still trying to work out how good it really was. I mean, in another ten years or so I'm sure it will be both awesome and embarrassing (for the same reason), but right now it was just a reminder of how much smaller than the other students I am.
"This must be Saffron and Riley Ree." Celestia's voice snapped me out of my thinking about hugging. Huh, maybe I wasn't that far away from puberty after all? "It's wonderful to see you both. What brings you to me today?"
Okay, Saf, suck it up and be the big guy. Thank her using every ounce of pony you've gained an forget snarking. One. Two. Th--
"Hi, Princess Celestia! We were just messing around and Spike brought us up here, and then Twilight told us to come and say hello. So, hello!" Riley said.
Yeah. A war or everlasting peace.
But, Celestia's smiled only grew wider as she looked down at Riley beside me. "Ah, the little filly my sister has told me so much about. I believe there's a singular honor that I'm missing out on." Given the way Celestia's mane hung across half her face, it was impossible to tell if she was raising one eyebrow or both.
Riley looked up at me as if I had all the answers. When someone has been alive longer than all human history, I can't even make a guess.
"Don't ask me," I said.
When Riley looked back up at Celestia, a golden glow wrapped around her as Celestia's magic took hold of my little sister. Okay, this might be it. She could toss stars around, what was one little filly to--
Princess Celestia, practically a god here, lifted my little sister up and put the little munchkin on her back. "There. Now you have been on the back of every princess."
What even is this? How am I meant to take this serious anymore? I mean, flight school has a lot of silly stuff in it, but it also has a ton to teach me about how to fly, but this is supposed to be a how-many-thousand-year-old leader of Equestria playing pony-back rides with my little sister?
"Saf?" Twilight asked. "You look like Discord just did something behind my back, and he better not have."
"Would I do that? I mean, honestly, in front of the new foals that just so happened to arrive and not be introduced to moi?" The creature floating in the air was completely absurd. It'd appeared like a unicorn, but it surely wasn't using its horn(s) to do magic, and its tiny wings shouldn't let it fly. Mix-matched wings and a body like some kind of fuzzy snake, it had four mismatched limbs and the strangest expression--it looked crazy. "Pleased to meet you. Discord S. Chaos, at your service."
What was kind of reassuring was that neither princess nor Spike seemed ready to attack Discord, and he was offering me his hand. Paw. Whatever.
Reaching out with a wing, I took his paw and started to shake. "We kinda got railroaded, what with being too young to be out on our own and stuff. I'm Saf."
"Well look at this? Somepony with manners!" Discord shook my wing a few times. "But tell me, have you considered your options a little? I mean, I know the delightful guise of a pony is all but irresistible and all, but have you considered draconequus?"
The first I knew that something very odd had happened, Discord had snapped his fingers. Claws? Paws? Whatever. There was a sickening lurch and then I wasn't standing on all fours anymore. I was floating.
Looking down at myself, I saw I was long and thin like Discord, but while he had a mixture of talon and paw for hands, then hoof and some kind of scaled leg, I had a pony leg and a tentacle for arms, then what looked like a fox and a human back leg. My tail looked like a pony's, but I had a pony wing and some kind of fish fin on the other side.
Panic, fear, anger--I tried to squeeze down on my emotions and just deal with what'd happened, but it wasn't working. It didn't help that it started to rain chocolate milk.
"Oh dear. Got a case of the chocolates? Here, let me help." Slapping me on the back with his paw, Discord genuinely seemed trying to help. What actually happened was I coughed up a box of very expensive-looking chocolates. "Hrmm, wrong setting. I was trying for caramel."
I snorted at that. There was something not-serious about him, yet at the same time terrifying in what he could do. He'd just turned me into something like him, so I had to assume he could turn me back. "What about salted caramel?"
Discord's eyes widened and his smile stretched from ear to ear--almost literally. "What's this? A being of such perfection and majesty that he gets my jokes?" A popping sound accompanied a second Discord appearing. They both looked at each other and waggled their eyebrows at me.
"You're beside yourself?" I asked.
"Yes!" Fireworks shot into the air and Discord (just one of him now) twirled me in a circle. "Oh how many years I've dreamed of finding someequus that just gets me. Well, apart from Fluttershy."
"Discord!" Twilight Sparkle didn't sound happy. "Turn Saf back to his old self right--I mean, turn him to his pony self right now!"
Elbowing me in the side of my oddly noodle-like body, Discord rolled his eyes--all the way around, several times. "See what I have to put up with? You sure you want to go back? I could make an exception if you wanted to stay like this. Just this once, of course."
He was kind of a joke. A running gag. There was still an air of crazy around him, but it was a good kind of crazy. "Nah. I've got this Wonderbolt's school thing going, and awesome as the fin is, I don't think they'd let me hang around unless I had my wings back."
"Oh, alright. How about this?" Discord lifted his paw up and I watched his fingers (whatever, they look like fingers) snapped.
I spread my wings to catch me as whatever magic had me floating stopped. Landing on my hooves, I felt something a little different. "What'd you change?"
"Saf!" Riley sounded shocked. "Saf!"
I turned to my little sister. "What is it, squirt?"
"You're a princess!"
I reached up with my wing and felt at my forehead with my feathers. Sure enough, I had a horn. "Uh. Okay. This is a little different. Does this thing work?"
"I've got a big sister! I've got a big sister! I've got--"
Grabbing Riley with my wing, I managed to hold her snout shut for about half a second before she easily pulled free. "Riley, can it."
"Discord," Celestia said, "We've been through this. You can't go making random ponies into alicorns. It doesn't work like that."
Reaching out to my forehead, Discord flicked at what I could assume was the horn on my head. It made a twang-twang sound as if it were made of rubber. "You're only saying that so you can have the monopoly on them. What if I want to start my own nation? I'll fill it with draconequui and alicorns! But I think I should standardize color." He turned to me. "What do you think about red and black? I find them quite fetching."
A hoof slamming into the floor echoed around the throne room and silenced everyone. We all stared at Celestia, and glared at Discord. She didn't say a word.
"You're no fun anymore." Another snap of Discord's finger-things and I felt kinda back to normal.
I no longer had that slight weight on the top of my forehead, and stuff in general seemed normal again. Then it hit me. "Did you make me into a filly?" I looked at Discord more in shock than in actual panic--I was myself again, after all.
"Of course. I could hardly have made you a male alicorn, that just wouldn't work at all. Now, if you wanted to go dragon--" Discord froze as he glanced at Celestia again. "I suppose you want me to say I'm sorry and all that?"
Right. Sure. I just got turned into some kind of snake-dragon-horse, then into a filly princess, then back to myself again. Well, as myself as a flying pony is. "Is he always like this?"
"Thirty years ago he was much worse," Twilight said.
Riley turned to Discord. "Really? What'd you do?"
"Well,"--a puffing sound later and I was sitting on a huge couch chair with Riley beside me and Discord sitting across from us on another--"I was all turned to stone at the time, and when I broke free you have to understand I was terribly upset at having been stuck like that for so lo--"
"Discord!" The shout was softer than anything Celestia or Twilight had managed, but just the sound of it turned Discord's face ashen. I knew the source--Fluttershy. "Discord, what are you doing to these foals?"
"F-Fluttershy!" Discord made a popping sound and the couches disappeared. "What are you do--I mean, how are you doing? I was just welcoming these lovely creatures to Equestria, and was giving them a tour of the various creatures that are here."
"Hi, Fluttershy," I said.
Fluttershy's attention turned to me from Discord, and her face broke from the stern glare to a happy smile. Practically prancing, she trotted over to me and wrapped me up in a wing-hug. "It's so good to see you again, Saf. Rainbow was telling me all about your training at the Wonderbolts."
Discord slipped a few ponylengths to the side. "Maybe I'll just be going?"
"We'll discuss this later, Discord." Fluttershy's tone had flipped from warm and welcoming to cold as ice. She turned back to me and smiled.
"R-Right, yeah. Uh, we were just talking about that, right?" I turned to look at Celestia and Twilight--who both had smiles once more on their faces. "Right?"
"We were. Specifically your interest in remaining here to train your flying." Celestia sounded like all the cold fury aimed toward Discord was gone. I had to wonder how ponies could just let go of that kind of anger so easily. "I've come up with a solution--a promise."
Celestia cleared her throat. "Saffron Ree, the moment it is revealed you must leave Equestria, I extend to you full citizenship in Equestria. You have only to ask, at that point, and you will be allowed to stay."
I was surprised by how much emotion welled up inside me. Excitement and relief were foremost. "How can it be that simple? Don't you have to..." I only trailed off because both Celestia and Twilight were chuckling at me. "What?"
"Twilight and your own mother explained how your birth world is often mired in red tape. The advantage of our system of government is that when Luna, Twilight, Cadance, or myself say something, it is the letter of the law." Celestia's attention shifted from me to Riley. "The same goes for you, young filly, but on the contingent your parents agree to it or you're of legal age at the time."
"Don't forget their parents, Pr--Celestia," Twilight said.
"Of course. Saffron, please let your parents know that, should they wish to retire in Equestria, they are most welcome." Though she kept calling me by my full name, I kinda couldn't be angry at Celestia for it. After all, she had just made sure I could stay if I wanted.
"Why don't I take you back home?" Spike asked.
The moment Spike spoke, Riley looked conflicted. Her head snapped back and forth between Celestia and Spike so much I was worried she might actually hurt herself.
I reached my own hoof out to Riley. "C'mon, squirt. We've bothered Princess Celestia enough. Remember what Mom said about bugging Uncle Jeff?"
The conflict on my little sister's face was kinda cute, but she eventually let out a sigh and walked back to me. "Bye Princess Celestia, Princess Twilight!"
"Goodbye, Riley Ree, Saffron Ree," Princess Celestia said.
As Spike turned to walk out with us, I paused. "I can carry her home if you want to hang around here?"
Spike blew a double-barrel of smoke from his nostrils. "It's appreciated, Saf, but a dragon is nothing if he doesn't see things completed himself. Hop up, Riley."
Alright. As he stretched out his wing for Riley to scamper up, I had just a little wing-envy. Everything about Spike was built on a scale ponies just couldn't reach. He was huge. We walked past all the guards and ponies waiting to see Celestia, and as we reached the door that led outside Spike started to unfold his wings again. |
The Embassy | Chapter 19 | Clair Ree
Things calmed after the colonel returned to Earth. Captain Bryant received an immediate field promotion to major, and with that the military side of things changed. It was like night and day with him in charge. He still followed the book to the letter, but it was a book he and I both compromised to make.
Between meetings--nearly a month after Philip got his cutie mark--I was sitting down and running a hoof over my flat belly. Another child.
The stupidest thing in all this was how anxious Philip was. Philip. He'd been the man in my life for so long I couldn't contemplate looking at somepony else without--Did I just think somepony?
"Ambassador Clair?" The question from Sergeant Brenner through my intercom broke me from my introspection.
"Go ahead, sergeant," I said after depressing the little button.
"Princess Flurry Heart is here to see you, ma'am."
"Send her right in. Thank you, Sean." It never hurt to know the names and details of those working with you. As Flurry walked into the room, I put on my brightest smile. "Good afternoon, Flurry. I hope you've had a good day?"
"Ugh. Don't ask. I spent all morning with one of Mom's ponies. They're building an electrical grid in the Crystal Empire already, and they want to know what exchange rate you'll take for a telephone system." Flurry practically collapsed into one of the chairs opposite me. "You'd think that would take a few minutes for them to say?"
When she paused, I figured I'd have to make a guess. "Three hours?"
"Four! They kept talking while I was eating lunch. If I didn't have this appointment, I'd still be there." Reaching into a saddlebag that was partially hidden by her armor (that she always wore), Flurry lifted the paperwork out with her own hoof and passed it over to me.
Scanning the pages, it took me a few moments to get past the flowery greetings and reach the meat. "That's trading really cheap, but I'm prepared to go that low. Have them draft up a purchase order and I'll send it back home for bidding."
"What?!" Flurry looked at me with despair evident. "No, no, no! You have to deliberate for days."
"They can't be that bad. You take the paperwork to them and tell them it's accepted, then move on." I gestured at the papers I'd signed. "Then they'll leave you alone while--"
"Clair, you don't get it. They followed me all the way here. They are waiting outside to ask how long it will take--again. Can't I just hide in here until the equipment arrives?"
I waited. I counted to twenty while Princess Flurry Heart sat opposite me looking panicked. I'd heard about what she could do to a pony by overhearing the marines. Flurry Heart in a panic was not a common thing, apparently.
"Well, I guess you can seek asylum here. There'll be a lot of paperwork, and I'll have to notify Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Princess Twilight, Prince-Consort Shining Armor, and Empress Cadance. No doubt there'll be political ramifications since we'll be harboring a fugitive." Throughout, I managed to keep a straight face until Flurry's mouth dropped open in shock. "I'm joking, Flurry. You're welcome to spend the afternoon in at the embassy. As always, you're my guest here."
"You had me right up until contacting my dad. You don't know him that well if you think he wouldn't be down here, banging on the doors, demanding to see his little filly."
Mention of the word filly caused me to think back to the topic just before Flurry had come in.
Flurry sat up a bit straighter and reached out with her hoof to gather up the paperwork. It was odd that she tended to use her hooves so much when she had magic. "What's the matter? Did I say something wrong?"
"Everything weighing on my mind. You don't deserve to deal with it too."
"Clair, come on. I like to think we're good friends now, and what do friends do?" Damn but she sounded cheerful. When I blew out a snort, she laughed. "So, tell me."
I could almost hear the colonel's raised voice cautioning me on sharing information with the enemy. "I'm pregnant. We're pretty much ninety-nine percent sure. I'm eating more, I'm a little moody, and I had some really bad mornings for a few weeks--about the same stuff I went through with Riley and Saffron."
"See, now your news makes me want to throw you a party, but your everything else cautions against it. How does this complicate things?"
"How doesn't it?" I reached over and punched the button on the intercom with the edge of my hoof. "Sergeant Brenner, does the coffee pot have enough for a few mugs?"
"Ma'am, we are United States marines. The coffee pot will only run dry when we're all dead." That was the other thing that the colonel's departure had heralded--jokes.
Climbing out of my seat, I was far too self conscious of what my midsection felt like. There was no way I was feeling a foal yet, but--I just thought foal instead of baby. Pony really had a way of getting in your head. "We're only meant to be here for another eight months. Then we find out if Jeff was voted president again, and if so we may get another four years."
"A pregnancy takes eleven and a half months." Flurry walked with me to the door and used her magic to open it.
"Thanks. And that's the problem. I'll be almost at term when that first deadline looms. Would it be safe to go back like that?" I nodded to Sergeant Brenner as we walked past him. "We won't need an escort, sergeant."
"You beat me to asking, ma'am." He was, like most of the older marines with us, a very handsome stallion--but he wasn't Philip.
The nearest room to my office had been converted into a break room, and was now my target to find some of the delightfully horrid and bitter--My brain farted. "I forgot. I can't drink coffee while I'm pregnant."
"Would you like to go somewhere else? I can go a day without coffee," Flurry Heart said.
"No, no. No sense in us both depriving ourselves. Philip's been brewing me this herbal tea he found. He said it's good for me--which is definitely his thing now. It's phenomenal how he can just know what I'm craving before I even do." The break room had another marine present, currently drinking his coffee in the corner. I nodded to him (Chief Peter Powell).
Flurry cheated, of course, using her magic to quickly pour out her own cup of coffee while hunting around for something else. "That's the amazing thing about cutie marks. Using the magic of your special talent is not only extra effective at what it does, it makes you feel good doing it. Where's your tea?"
"It's in the top cupboard. It does make me wonder if anyone else will get one. It was quite the shock when he got his." It felt wrong to just watch her making the drinks, but she could do it a lot faster and easier than I could. I'd literally be getting in the way if I tried to help. "Is there anything I can help with?"
"No, but I think there's something I can help you with." Flurry poured one mug full of the black tar the Marines comically called coffee, and brewed another of tea before she began the process of preparing the coffee pot to be able to brew some more. "The other group of humans have been asking for access to you. When I told them they don't need my permission, they seemed to think that I was some kind of shortcut to getting to meet you."
"You are, but only because you're good at weeding out things that aren't as useful to us. While it would be wonderful to open full free trade, we still don't have the power back home to send more than a shipment every few days, and that's with a group of unicorns--or one alicorn--there helping to focus and charge it." I only spelled it out because I'd had to do so frequently lately. Truth be told, Flurry knew as much about the troubles of our method of transportation as I did.
"That's exactly what they want to talk about. Their portal is much more continuous, but requires constant power from both sides to keep operational. Aunt Twilight--" Flurry stopped herself and blushed. Silly, it wasn't like their family planned the nepotism that happened. "Princess Twilight powered both sides herself at first, but when she moved onto other things they were left trying to establish a power source of their own to support their side of the portal."
Taking my cup of tea from her, I sat down to listen more. The tea was well brewed, but not as well as Philip makes it.
"A young scientist there, ironically also named Twilight Sparkle, came up with a machine that could harvest magic from the air. Not a lot, but it was scalable, and they have done so to keep their portal open all the time." The more she described, the more interested I became. "So when they came to me seeking to talk to you, I thought you'd want to know about that."
"You were right. If they want something, trading that information for it would make them the highest priority for our trade. Even if it doesn't work, I'll try to include as much background knowledge that our scientists will be able to use it. Knowledge costs us almost nothing to ship." Despite the slightly different taste to Philip's brewing method, the tea did its job and soothed my nerves. "When would be a good time to see them?"
"How full is your afternoon?"
"Nothing that can't be moved around. Are you saying they'd come--"
Flurry shook her head. "No. You'd be best going to them. They'll think that establishes their seniority among the human races here, though in truth they've only had an established embassy for ten years."
"'Only'." I rolled my eyes a little, but smiled. "I know that's a short while for you, but it still takes a little work for me to get around. When I return home, I can expect about twenty or thirty more years of politics before I'll need to retire.
"Arrange it, if you could, or do you mean we could just go?" Ponies, I had to constantly remind myself, could and would just turn up unannounced. We'd had an apple merchant swing by the house every morning for several weeks. At first it had been a stallion who'd spend hours chatting with Philip, lately it had been a young mare whom I remembered from the first big dinner event, though I couldn't for the life of me remember why she was there.
Drinking down the coffee with every indication she was enjoying it, Flurry nodded. "They've been here long enough to know our ways. Pretend you're more pony than you feel, Claire, and they'll accept any crazy thing you do."
"I'll need an escort." I turned to look at Chief Powell.
"Ma'am. I'll get that arranged ASAP. Any preferences?" Powell lifted his own mug of coffee up and drained it.
"Ceremonial. Just one will be fine, Chief." If I failed to miss the smile he gave at me using his proper title, I wouldn't be half the politician I was. Powell was a reliable man, but proud too. "Flurry will be there in her capacity as a neutral observer."
The chief carried his mug to the sink and rinsed it out. His dexterity with just his hooves was excellent, as was his ability to walk on three--something that was still a little hard for me. "You hardly need a guard with Lieutenant Heart along, ma'am, but ceremony it is."
When Chief Powell was gone, I shot Flurry a grin and a raised eyebrow. "I've not heard them call you by rank before."
"They were nervous about me training them--they thought they would hurt me. A few barked commands and an explanation that a lieutenant in the E.U.P. Guard was hardly going to shatter like glass later, and they perked up. We started the hoof-to-hoof training on Monday." Flurry smiled like the memory was a good one. Soldiers, sometimes, completely confused me with their sense of camaraderie. "How long will they take to get somepony ready?"
"Not long. I admit I thought your rank was more ceremonial, that you were a diplomat first and foremost. Though I'm again reminded you're the same age as I am. Sorry, but this timescale continues to confuse me."
It was definitely one thing to know the facts, and another to square them away in my head so that I understood them on an instinctive level. The honest truth was that if I thought about it too much, Celestia, Luna, and to a lesser extent Twilight and Flurry were not only all older than me, but would live for more centuries than I could count on my fingers and toes--or hooves, as is currently the case.
Scale was dangerous to humans, I once read in a paper, we were bad at it. One, ten, hundred--all concepts that were easy to understand. Twenty-nine thousand days in the average lifetime. That was a number I could get my head around because I could use basic math to bring it to terms I understood. Ten million days? That was a tough number to break down. Thirty thousand years. That was nearly a hundred times older than the US. That wasn't a number I could really establish in my head and hope it would stick.
But I had to.
"You look like you just got hit in the head by a sack of worry. Is something wrong, Clair?"
Also, despite this immense weight of ages, ponies were the nicest politicians I'd ever met. Maybe that was their plan? They were trying to ruin my hopes of returning home and picking up where I'd left off. A few years here and I'd be a soft wad of meat in the American political shark-pool. "Trying to update a monkey brain to deal with pony-land. The usual problem, Flurry."
"Didn't I tell you that I wouldn't hold any of that against you? I'm having as much trouble coming to terms with your lifespans too. These humans we're visiting, they're closer to our age span, but they use your style of schooling--or so Twilight said.
"I'll be completely honest, I've had about as much to do with them as you have, and only know what I had to learn. We haven't been able to do much trade with them, mostly because their portal turns everything fancy they bring with them into equivalents from our world. They bring a computer, wind up with a filing cabinet. Less than ideal.
"Their magic works different to ours, but it's technically the same stuff. Much less pony and much more..."
"Ook-ook?" I asked.
"What's that mean?"
"It's the sound monkeys make on our world." It had seemed like a good joke at the time. "But, I can work with that. If there's a doubt as to it working at all, I can leverage that to get more knowledge from them that might work."
"Sounds good. I see Sergeant Brenner at the door in his fancy uniform, so that must mean your escort is ready." Flurry nodded her head toward the door before finishing her coffee in a swig.
The tea, despite not being made by Philip, still tasted too good to--I downed it anyway. I went to wash my cup, only for Flurry to pluck it from my hoof with magic and give me a smile as she cleaned it and her own. "Thank you."
"You're welcome, Clair."
I turned back to Sergeant Brenner and gave him a nod--getting one back. "Sergeant, if you wouldn't mind leading the way to..." I looked at Flurry.
"The chancery of the other human world. It's in the Mountain Quadrant, outer ring. They weren't as enchanted by sweeping views as you were." Flurry ruffled her wings as if to remind us that yes, Canterlot was technically floating by magic. The connection to the mountain was more of an anchor than a support.
"I think I've seen the place you're talking about. Has two ponies standing out the front at all times--kinda like us." Sergeant Brenner turned toward the hall that led to the front of the chancery, and I moved to follow him.
The chancery of the other human embassy was about as impressive as ours, but Flurry had told me on the way that they technically didn't own theirs. Score one point to me. I let Sergeant Brenner march right up to the guards out front before stepping up beside him.
"Excuse me, I believe your ambassador wanted a little chat?" I asked.
Both guards seemed to look bored until I heard Flurry stop beside me. With an alert stance, one of the guards addressed me, "Of course, ma'am. Who should I tell him is calling?"
"Ambassador Ree of the United States of America." Having learned my lesson with Saffron's friend, I tried to avoid using my fake smile--ponies could pick it as fake. Instead, I thought about how nice it would be to get home and have Philip make me a cup of tea and another of his wonderful meals. He'd blossomed since getting his cutie mark, and to see my sexy husband acting like he was a twenty-something was more than enough to put an actual smile on my face.
The guard seemed surprised, like he was expecting others to march up to their front door with an escort and a princess at their side. "Ambassador Ree. Please, come this way. The ambassador has left instructions that you're to be welcomed."
Flurry cleared her throat. "And if you don't mind, I'll be joining Ambassador Ree today. If that's acceptable?"
"Of course, Princess Flurry Heart. Right this way." The guard turned and headed inside, leaving us to follow.
With no other option, I directed Sergeant Brenner forward and followed him inside. Their chancery looked far better decorated than ours. Paintings of landscapes and clouds lined two of the walls while a huge tapestry covered the opposite wall from the front door. Our escort led us down a side hallway and to what had probably once been the sitting room of a suite.
A very officious-looking mare sat behind a secretarial desk in the middle of the room, and looked up as we entered. "Sergeant Brace, I thought--Princess Flurry Heart! Ambassador Deal will be happy to see you shortly. Who should I tell him you've brought with you?"
Flurry looked like she was having a great time--beaming with excitement and a touch of retribution. Stepping to the side, she gestured to me with a wing. "It's more the other way around. May I present, Clair Ree, Ambassador to Equestria for the United States of America." She'd messed up the formal address, but I had no issue with that. "I believe your ambassador had asked to see her when there was time in her busy schedule?"
The change in the mare behind the counter took nearly a full second, but was profound. All her attention was now on me, and she looked like she was worried she'd offended me in some way. "Sorry, Ambassador Ree, I'll see if Ambassador Bound is ready to see you."
She gave the kind of fake smile that someone who hadn't been dealing with a lot of local ponies would give and left through a side door.
"How long's she been here?" I asked.
"Two weeks. They seem to have a lot less trouble handling four legs, it's like their portal rewires their brain or something. She still tries to smile too much." Flurry shot me a look that told me everything I needed to know.
"Nailed it. Her smile is too fake," I said. "Took me a while, but I've learned that if you can't smile, don't force it."
Flurry nodded. It was a lesson she'd struggled to teach me. "Princess Celestia can fake it. I don't know how, but she can do it perfectly."
"Probably practi--" I cut short when I saw the door the secretary used open again.
The secretary came out first with her plastic smile firmly in place, and was followed by a unicorn stallion who had a much more real smile. "Ambassador Ree. It's good to finally meet you. We met briefly at various dinners, but I think you were a little rushed at the time."
Briefly recalling seeing him during the streams of introductions, I fell back to the name his secretary had dropped earlier. "It has been quite the experience, Ambassador Bound. I heard you wanted to talk about the possibility of trade?"
His smile changed from happy to excited. Maybe he'd spent too long as a pony, or maybe he'd just gone native in a short period of time, but the ambassador looked to have the worst poker face ever. Or he was bluffing. Or he was playing me.
"Of course! Right this way. Will Princess Flurry Heart be joining us?" I'll give him credit, it was a question both to myself and to Flurry, but it wasn't one we'd disagree on. Flurry's assistance had been invaluable so far, and I wasn't about to turn her away just because I wasn't actually dealing with ponies.
I turned and looked at Flurry, and she smiled and nodded. "I think," I said, "Her Royal Highness will be joining us."
"Please, ladies, follow me." Bound led the way back into his office, which was through two doors--one after the other--that were likely soundproofed. This was standard stuff, which was oddly comforting given the circumstances.
The best bit was that Sergeant Brenner raised an eyebrow at me.
"Thank you, Sergeant, you can wait outside," I said in response to his silent question.
"Yes, Ambassador Ree." This! This was the kind of subtlety Richards had lacked, and had left no room for. I must remember to check up on what happened to her. Neither of us deserved to be together here.
The ambassador's secretary closed the doors behind us and left the three of us to find our seats.
Bound gestured to a set of couches to the side, apparently eschewing his big desk. "Please, won't you join me over here? My desk is comfortable, but I'd swear whoever made that chair designed it with the express purpose of encouraging its user to seek other places to rest."
Flurry and I both chuckled at the appropriate time and found ourselves spots on the couches. Each had their own--a strategic placement, of course, to show we each were our own powers. It meant, however, that it would be much harder to hide body language.
"Power," Bound said. "Not political power, of course, but magical power. Our own portal took a princess to maintain for any length of time, and I'm sure as you know, that level of dedicated support, while appreciated..." He nodded to Flurry. "... is not something either of us can expect to be maintained.
"Our own world is not as rich in magic as Equestria, nor is it as poor as Earth, which is why we were perfectly placed to run experiments and develop the equipment needed to explore harvesting magic and processing it to maintain a gate's operation.
"Through speaking to Princess Twilight Sparkle, I've been informed you are having trouble powering your own."
It wasn't an offer yet--it was just a statement. These were his facts. Correction: these were the facts he was willing to share.
Flurry cleared her throat to get our attention. "The energy generation system they've designed will work with the power storage crystals established on Earth, however whether they are effective in the magic-scarce environment is another question. I believe there will be a multitude of technical issues involved, though thankfully none will be derived from transporting the equipment from here to Earth."
"That's a big if," I said. "The difference between our world and Equestria is great enough that it's physically dangerous to come here without taking precautions.
"But you don't want to hear about my concerns yet. What you want to hear is me asking--what can we do in exchange for this?"
Bound let another of his smiles "The computer technology of both our worlds--from what examples I've seen you furnish others--is roughly equivalent. I'm sure we could outfit a group of scientists with material for a hundred years of research papers about the differences and gain nothing for either side. A treaty to trade scientific information would be fine, but what we would dearly like in trade is physical units."
Gears clicked and I realized his problem. The reports on his world's portal said that it always translated matter to the local equivalents--Flurry had even reminded me before this meeting--which meant he hadn't been able to bring computers, printers, or any other modern equipment that can make an office work at hundreds of times faster than a pre-information-age office could.
"You and I both know that just giving you a pile of computer hardware, solar cells, and batteries won't be enough. You'll need replacements." This was utter truth and the bane of any such installation. "You'll need this to be an ongoing deal." I smiled, feeling more like a shark than ever. My smile was an actual happy one because I knew that I wasn't dealing from a weak position.
"That," Ambassador Bound said, "puts our cards on the table, then. We both understand the weaknesses of our deals and the strength of our offers, shall we begin discussing specifics?"
The deal struck wound up being quite effective for both sides. Their world--oddly called Pedestria--would supply fully manufactured equipment to begin harvesting more energy from Earth to fuel the storage crystals that let us send things here from Earth, and we would provide IT equipment for their embassy and their manufacturing center in Ponyville.
Both sides, too, would provide ongoing maintenance for any equipment provided (mostly because pony hooves were not gentle on any input equipment).
The situation would also make travel back and forth much easier, which had resulted in the first request from medical to come through--they wanted several specimens from the first transfer team to go through the reversal procedure to check on their health.
The four "young" marines all volunteered immediately as did Frank Hollings, but they wanted a civilian too. Philip had, of course, volunteered. Which was why I was taking a day off in Ponyville to see him off.
I tried again. "You didn't have to--"
"Clair, I would not have you going in your condition, and neither Saf nor Riley deserve to be pulled out of school for this." Philip kissed my cheek. Normally, in public and back on Earth, we wouldn't be nearly this open with affection. Equestria had gotten into our heads to some extent, but there was also the fact we'd be apart for almost a week while they ran tests on him. The kiss was too short. "It won't be long."
I let out a wicker, something I'd found myself doing when close to Philip like this. "I know, but I'll miss you."
"You'll miss dinner, you mean. Don't forget, you've got--"
I rolled my eyes and kissed him to shush his third recital. "I know. Saf and Riley promised to make sure I'm eating right, remember?"
He closed his mouth on whatever he was going to continue saying.
Starlight Glimmer cleared her throat from the doorway. She'd been standing there for several moments, trying to look anywhere but at us, but she'd obviously exceeded her tolerance for our delays. "Mr. Ree? We're ready to send you now." Yup, she sounded a little annoyed, which for a pony meant they were possibly nearing the end of their tether.
"I'm done with him for now. There's only so many ways you can tell a stallion you love him before he finally starts to get it." My attention never wavered from Philip--damn but I was going to miss him. "Go on, before I issue an order to keep you here."
Philip marched out of the room behind Starlight, and I couldn't help myself--I had to follow them. The hallways of the castle in Ponyville always seemed warm, the crystal glowing softly with the sun's rays. Today it felt cold. Ugh, why did I have to hate saying goodbye?
The portal room was now dedicated to its purpose. Moving it had proved impossible, so Starlight had done the best she could to incorporate it into the castle.
"Okay, Mr. Ree, could you stand on one of the circles? This will take a moment to build up enough power again to do another transmogrification teleport." Starlight moved to a spot to one side--a circle apart from the others that was obviously not part of the teleportation circle. "We also need to wait for the pad to clear at the other end. Standard procedure is a five minute interval."
"How long's it been since the last group?" I asked.
"About ten minutes. I was giving you a little extra time since the crystals hadn't recharged yet anyway." Starlight did something with her magic, a glowing pattern appearing before her face that looked like some kind of readout. "They should be good now. Are you ready?"
"Yeah." Philip was looking right at me. I wondered briefly how it would feel for him to be a human again after being so long as a pony. "I'm read--"
Starlight Glimmer did her thing and my husband was gone. |
The Embassy | Chapter 20 | Philip Ree
I'd been expecting the same debilitating transformation--in reverse--as what had brought me to Equestria. The slow-motion pulling and twisting, adjusting my body to fit another world's norms. Which is why it was so surprising when it didn't happen.
I blinked at the crowd of people standing around me. Humans standing around me. The odd thing was they were all taller than I was, and when my brain finally caught up with me, I realized I was still a pony.
"What happened?"
"Did a pony wander onto the platform?"
"Who is that?"
"Where's Philip Ree?"
Pony bodies crowded around me on the platform. I realized it would be the unicorns that operated the machine. They were guiding me--trying to move me off the platform. Right. Just like Starlight said. Five minutes.
"I'm Philip Ree. What happened?" I asked.
The whole room went quiet. The military people to one side--including a group of five soldiers who seemed to have shiny, silver blankets around their shoulders--stared at me incredulously, along with a team that looked like paramedics, and now even the ponies.
"What?" I shook my head this time to clear the last fuzziness of the teleport. "Why didn't it work? What happened?"
Of all those present, it was a pony (a unicorn) who walked over and put a hoof on my shoulder. "We'll get it worked out. You need to move off the pad in case Starlight Glimmer sends anything else." It wasn't just pragmatic, it was something I needed to hear--somepony telling me to do something.
Walking with her, I exited the side of the teleport platform in a bit of a daze. I could hear people talking all around. Most of them were just talking to each other, but two voices were speaking a lot more directly--one was talking into a dictaphone (the man looking to be a civilian in his sixties, the other was talking into a telephone.
While the older man was talking into his recorder, it was the other I was focused on. He wore a black suit and stood as tall as the soldiers in the room. There was a name for men like this--muscle. "Mr. President, we've had an incident. No fatalities, but Ambassador Ree's husband didn't change back. -- Yes sir, I'll escort him up now."
Secret Service didn't usually play the part of errand boys, but I guess under the circumstances I could be counted as a VIP. When the big man in black approached me, I nodded to him. "We're going to see Jeff?"
"Yeah. The doctors can come too, but the president wants to speak with you." He turned and scanned the room for possible problems, then started walking. His size meant that there was a convenient gap opening up in the throng of people in the room, so I quickly chased after him.
Most of the medical people were arguing or looking over the group of (once more) thirty-something-aged marines and Frank, only one noticed me exiting the room and gave chase.
"Mr. Ree! You can't leave before you're fully examined to ensure you aren't--Mr. Ree!" The woman chasing me held a clipboard and sounded insistent. "Mr. Ree!"
"Mr. Philip Ree has been instructed to follow me, ma'am. You are permitted to examine him when we reach our destination," Mr. Tall and Broad Shouldered said. He had a deep voice, but there was an air of gravel to it that made me wonder if he'd broken it in shouting at cadets in a training center somewhere.
"R-Right. Can I ask questions on the way there?"
"So long as it doesn't slow us down."
I was too used to only having ponies in power being taller than me--having just two humans standing over me already made me feel like they should be in charge. Come on, Philip, shake that off. "What can I help you with..."
"Dr. Peters."
I turned my head and looked up at Dr. Peters. She was a much younger woman--probably in her late 20s early 30s--with deep red hair and a skin tone somewhere around tan, she sported piercing brown eyes. If she were a doctor, that meant she wasn't an idiot. "Okay, Dr. Peters, what do you want to know?"
"I've been studying your reports." The blasted reports they had us send. Be honest, they said, Everything you write will be held in the strictest confidence. Dr. Peters continued, "Your comments on the sex drive of stallions outstripping mares intrigued me. I'd like, if you could, to sit down and discuss the various methods each society you mentioned uses to offset this physiological imbalance."
Of all the doctors to actually notice me leaving, and I get what's probably some psych looking to make a name for herself. "That's going to take a while, and besides, I've already put everything into my journal that I was told."
"The bars you mentioned. Do you have any details on them you didn't include? I-I'm sorry if it's a touchy subject, but this asymmetric sex drive is an important topic, and one I'd like to--" She cut off when Mr. Tall and Broad Shouldered turned sharply to the right into a corridor where two more of his brethren stood beside a door I knew.
"If you're asking me if my increased sex drive has gotten so bad as to make me seek extramarital assistance, you--like almost everyone who's met her--have underestimated my wife. What exactly are you a doctor of?" I walked toward the door of the Oval Office for the first time on four legs.
Dr. Peters was shoved in behind me before the door was closed.
Behind the Resolute Desk sat Jeff Miller, President of the United States of America. He was jotting down something before he looked up at me and smiled. "Philip. I heard there was a little mix-up with your trip. Wrong luggage or something?"
"Something like that, Jeff. You wanted a chat?" I walked to one of the couches and jumped up on it. Equestria had done no better than a comfortable couch for pony seating, and I had no compunction about possibly making a mess on the cushions of what was probably a hideously expensive piece of furniture with my hooves.
Jeff looked at Dr. Peters, then back to me. "Dr. Sandra Peters. When I asked for medical staff to be allowed to accompany Philip, I intended on having a physician who could assess his physical wellbeing." The disapproval in Jeff's voice surprised me. What was this Dr. Peters' story? "So, what do you think happened, Philip?"
"If you're asking could Starlight Glimmer have messed up and not transferred me properly, the answer's no. If there's anyone I've met who's anally retentive about doing everything just right, it's Starlight Glimmer." I thought about the other possibilities. "So other things it could be..."
When I didn't say anything, Jeff raised an eyebrow. "Glad to see I'm not missing anything."
"The only thing different between us is our ages." Without a second thought, I reached out with my magic to pluck up a glass on the table beside me and took a drink. It wasn't until Dr. Peters' stare practically bored a hole in my head that I realized magic might not be all that common here... yet.
"Your cutie mark." Dr. Peters said. That's when it hit me she wasn't staring at my head but my flank. "Could that have tied you more firmly to your--uh--current... form..." As soon as she realized she had both our attention, Dr. Peters lost all track of her thought. "Sorry."
"So far it's the only explanation I've heard that didn't start with 'maybe there was a problem with'," Jeff said. "But until someone with more letters after their name comes up with a better idea, that will have to be considered."
I turned to look at my flank and the cutie mark there. It had come to be something amazing--something I could rely on. It was, like everypony had said, very personal magic. And it also itched because I knew Saffron would be grabbing the nearest edible thing, Riley wouldn't eat anything until she was actually starving, and Clair would snack on the wrong things all--Stop it, Philip. Clair and Saffron are adults, technically. "If it is, then I'm a pony now."
Could I literally just say that? Just acknowledge that even when this was all over with, I'd be a pony for the rest of--of a very long life? This would need a very long talk with Clair and the kids to sort out. Saffron's plans I already knew, and I was fairly sure Riley would stay if we gave her a chance. Clair--Clair is pregnant with a foal.
My emotions were sloshing about like an ocean. So I was stuck as a pony forever. Well, it wasn't like I could change anything if that was the case.
"Philip?" Jeff's voice pulled me from my distracted thoughts and I looked up at him. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah." My voice sounded all odd--cracked and worn out. I took another sip of water. "Sorry, Jeff, some heavy thoughts there. What did you want to know?"
"Everything about your cutie mark. How you got it? What it does? What's the likelihood of others getting one? Are they removable?" Jeff Miller had a way of speaking when he was wearing his president hat. He was wearing his president hat right now.
"It comes when you find that one thing you're really good at--You've read the reports?" I asked.
"Pretend I haven't."
"It's almost seen as a ritual by some young ponies. They try to experience as many different things as they can in the hope of finding what they're good at. Their school system is practically built around this coming of age thing.
"So, when it happens..." Don't do it, Philip. Talking about getting your cutie mark is like offering a drink to an alcoholic. "It's kinda personal, but that talent becomes part of you as if it had always been. My talent is knowing what ponies--people too, probably--need. Jeff, you..." Even here on Earth my talent was able to do its thing. "You need some bananas. Potassium probably. High blood pressure?"
The look I got back from Jeff said all I needed to know about that.
"I didn't know, but when Clair started--" My eyes slid to Dr. Peters.
"Dr. Peters has been vetted, Philip. Doctor, I trust nothing you hear in this room will leave it?" Jeff asked.
Dr. Peters nodded, then shook her head. "Mr. President, I wouldn't--"
I didn't bother waiting for her to continue whatever she was going to say. "Clair's pregnant. The moment she started having cravings, I knew what they were. Probably before she knew she was having them. It's been the most surreal of all our pregnancies. Ponies' bodies carry offspring a lot easier than human ones."
"This position may outlast me, Philip. Clair's position, that is. If this,"--Jeff gestured at me--"is the normal outcome of too much times spent in Equestria, we can't just allow people to go there as they please. It will be considered a permanent assignment."
I thought about that. What it would mean, and how things could be if American ponies came back to live this side. So far ponies hadn't shown much interest in exploring Earth, which meant the number of ponies wandering around America was just a little less than one. How would a family react to their grandfather coming home as a young stallion?
"That's up to you--and your successor--to handle. Clair told you about the offer we got?" I used my magic to fill my glass back up from a pitcher of water and took a sip of it.
"Too honest by half, your wife, but that's why I asked her. You're referring to the offer by Princess Celestia that the moment your retire, you are granted dual citizenship? It's not common, and certainly not done here. I've kept that side of things quiet, you understand?" Jeff asked, looking at Dr. Peters.
"S-Sir, why am I still in the room?" Dr. Peters asked. "You keep hinting that I'm a liability being here, but you keep me here."
"Because so far you're the only person who's come up with a plausible answer for Philip's condition. It fits the situation nicely, and no one else has managed to jump to that conclusion yet." Jeff tapped the side of a screen on his desk. "I'm reading the reports from downstairs as they come in, no one has any clue."
Jeff, I had to remind myself, was not just a good talker, but he was also a very clever man. He was following our conversation in here and reading reports as they were being submitted, and I could bet he wasn't missing a trick in either. "It's good to have a new pair of eyes on something."
"That's--That's why I'd like to volunteer to go." Dr. Peters looked terrified, but at the same time she looked excited. "To Equestria. You said you want a new pair of eyes, I can--"
Jeff shook his head. "There's two problems with that, doctor. The first being that given you'd be working in your field, you'd probably get your cutie mark very soon. The other is that you're not thirty-five yet, which means you'd be a young pony. You saw the photos of our marines?"
She looked more distracted now than argumentative. I'd not dealt with a lot of science types, but Dr. Peters seemed to fit perfectly in the stereotype of scientist genius jumping around a conversation. I waited to hear what she had to say.
"Dr. Peters?" Jeff asked.
"Could it have to do with his age? The other marines were all much younger. Maybe there's something about the return process that doesn't work for older people?" Dr. Peters pulled a notepad out and started jotting something down.
I thought about it more, and I think she was missing something bigger. "What about mindset?"
"The spell could read your intentions?" The way Dr. Peters said spell had grave implications for what she thought about actual magic.
"Pony magic is..." I rolled my eyes a little and waved my almost-empty glass of water in the air with my telekinesis. "... magic. The only thing about it that you should ever take for granted is if Twilight Sparkle, Starlight Glimmer, or Moon Dancer ever tell you that magic does X, you better believe it does X."
Jeff cleared his throat. "They said it would turn people into ponies and then back into people again."
"Exactly," I said. "But what if the person winds up thinking so much like a pony, it can't tell they're human anymore?"
"You've gone native, Philip?"
"A little. I mean, you dunk someone into another culture and they're going to soak a bit up, Jeff." It was a slight admonishment, but he deserved it for that. Jeff in front of a camera was the smoothest of smooth--Jeff having a frank conversation was a deal less so.
"I deserved that. Okay, so what if that's the case? Spending time away from native ponies would help fix it, right?" Jeff looked at Dr. Peters.
Dr. Peters looked like a deer in headlights. Her eyes twitched a few times in what I hoped was her mentally rejoining the conversation. "Right. Being plunged back in human culture again could fix that. It's true that this might be the trigger--assuming the spell can read minds--since the soldiers haven't shown as quick an integration as Mr. and Mrs. Ree."
Nodding, Jeff gave me one of his best smiles. "It might be good publicity. Come back for a few days. We'll use the conversation again, and in the meantime you try to spend as much time as possible focusing on humans. Maybe some extra time with the troops over there."
I turned my head from Jeff to look at Dr. Peters. "Would that help?" If Jeff was going to keep her in as an authority, I was damn-well not going to give up my spare time for their little project without a fight if I could use her as a shield.
"Well, err, no. If you were trying to retain your existing ethnicity, it might help, but if this is the cause and you have already adapted, only full immersion back into your parent society would be of any benefit." I wasn't a politician, I couldn't stop my smile from getting wider at Dr. Peters' words--plus if this was all true and I had gone native to some extent, smiling was practically built-in now.
"Alright, alright. So bringing them all back here for a week would help test this?" Jeff asked.
My hackles raised. "Not Clair."
"Philip?"
"Sorry, Jeff, but even if you took personal responsibility for our unborn child, I would still fight you on this."
Fortunately for my opinion of Jeff Miller, President of the United States of America, he blanched. So he hadn't thought of that. "Sorry, you're right. So, you and the kids go through, with the transmogrifier, and Clair comes through without. Is that okay with you?"
"Fine with me, but there's a certain young man who is legally an adult now and doesn't have to listen to your orders. I'll ask him for you." The look of annoyance that flashed across Jeff's face was so fleeting but strangely legitimate. "You know, he hasn't even touched his computer?" It was rubbing his nose in it, but sometimes a dad likes to be proud of his son's achievements, and the way Saf had gotten under Jeff's skin--even without being here--was a treasure to me.
He heaved a sigh. "Ask him for me." The defeat Jeff showed was feigned, but I doubt it was by much. "Now then, with the future decided, we can get back to the present. Dr. Peters, I'm authorizing your travel to Equestria should you want to go. My secretary will be able to find you a stack of papers big enough to delay you for enough time for Philip to undergo a complete physical, at which point you will confirm to me before witnesses that you are aware this may be a one-way trip."
"But it's not, Mr. President." Gesturing toward me, Dr. Peters focused her attention on Jeff. "Even if I do get stuck, as it were, I can still do all my work once I return. Do we know if human-turned-pony live as long as native-born ponies?"
Jeff looked as surprised as I felt. "Very well, Dr. Peters. Please see yourself out, and do make sure not to breathe a word of this to anyone."
In the back of my head I made sure to take note to not feel any sympathy toward the woman when she winds up as a foal.
Standing up, Dr. Peters made her way out of the Oval Office and left Jeff and I alone.
"How's the gearing up for the election going, Jeff?"
All of Jeff's masks fell off and a tired-looking man in his sixties sat behind the Resolute Desk. "All the polls show it being a landslide. That medication Clair secured has completely turned around healthcare. A single pill that can kill viruses dead. From the flu to AIDS and more are quickly on the decline. At this point I could ask for a referendum to get a third term and I don't think even the other side would object--but I won't, and you didn't hear me say that."
I lifted my hoof to my mouth and made a zipping motion. "And all it costs you is a few computers. Why do you want us back?"
"All the reasons stated, Philip, and political. Clair Ree--your wife--is a hero. No ambassador in the history of the United States has gained so much recognition. The public want to see the woman--or the mare--who saved them from the pharmaceutical companies' clutches."
"And you'll be standing beside her, smiling and shaking her hoof."
Jeff just smiled at me, but it wasn't one of his fake smiles--this was a real one. "Philip, I won't lie to you about that. Even if the polls say I'm ahead at least 80% on whatever the other side will throw at me, I won't take chances."
"So we come for a week and parade around. Jeff, I'm glad you're not a bastard, because you're so good at this." I drained the last of my water. "I'm assuming that once word gets out that Dr. Peters has permission, you're going to be busy fending off similarly enthusiastic requests?"
"I've been fending them off constantly since your family safely arrived in Equestria. The smell never varies, Philip, only the depth. They'll all be stirred into a frenzy by your psych's permission, which is why I'll throw them a bone to keep them busy." The mask came back into place and Jeff gave me one of his very expensive campaign-smiles. Reaching for his intercom, he pressed a button on it. "Caroline? Please furnish Dr. Peters with every form you can think of to get her cleared to go to Equestria. Talk to the military if you need to. And also let the doctors know that Philip Ree will be at their disposal shortly."
"I'm not going to vote for you, Jeff."
Sampled, prodded, poked, sampled some more, and then asked to put blocks in holes. The stay-over on Earth was only for two days, but already I was sick of it. It was subtly harder to use my magic, or so I'd found, and I'd managed to get my lunch break off to go down and talk to the unicorns who run this side of the portal.
Getting away from the doctors was the hard bit, however. After Jeff had arranged me a special pass, the security guys let me go pretty much wherever I wanted so long as it wasn't somewhere actually secure. The room the portal was in was such a secure room, but the guards apparently knew that I was allowed in there--or they mistook me for one of the ponies working here.
Inside there was a lot of work going on. They looked to be unpacking the equipment the other group of humans had provided. Apparently it involved lots of crystals and framework, as well as a huge set of instructions the ponies were trying to decipher.
I walked over to them. "Hi, anything I can help with?"
A bunch of heads shot up, and it wasn't until all of them were staring at me before I realized I'd spoken in their language. "You're Ambassador Ree's husband, aren't you?" The speaker was a stallion sporting a small tuft of beard on his chin and white markings around his lower legs.
Then it hit me. He was the unicorn who'd helped me off the teleport pad. "Sure am. Thanks for the help getting off the pad. I was a little surprised at still being a pony after the process."
"I'm sure when you get back, Starlight will have a lot to discuss with you. We'd investigate it ourselves, but the arrival of all this has had us busy trying to make head and tail of the instructions." What struck me as odd about his speech was mentioning Starlight Glimmer by just her first name. Ponies, in general, used full names most of the time. "My name's Sunburst."
I walked closer and clopped my forehoof against his offered one. "Philip Ree. Maybe I could help you with it? I wasn't very good with electronics and stuff, but Ikea furniture? I can do that."
"I-I don't know what Ikea furniture is, but the biggest problem we're having is these instructions aren't in Ponish." Sunburst levitated the papers over and held them up before me. He was right, they weren't in Ponish--or English. "Can you read them?"
"Not a word, but that's okay. These diagrams are pretty self-explanatory." And they were. Maybe ponies were just more dependent on written instructions, but the diagrams almost seemed like they assumed people wouldn't be able to read the writing. "Okay, you have the two big pillars done, but that one's backwards."
Sunburst followed the line of my hoof to one of the assembled pillars they were trying to bolt to a frame. "That explains a lot, actually. How can you tell it's backwards?"
Holding out the instructions with my magic--now that he'd passed them off to me--I poked the pillar they were having trouble with. "See the screw-lines there? You had the screws on the inner edge. Okay, so get that turned around and bolt it to the support frame with the--the middle-sized screws."
"We used all those on this other pillar. What screws were we meant to use?"
"Shorter, but not quite shortest, ones," I said. "Hey, have you noticed it's harder to use magic here?"
"Of course it is. Not only is there less ambient magic here, but what we do manage to scrape up is being sucked at by the teleportation crystal batteries. I'm surprised you can't feel it," Sunburst said.
We both watched the other unicorns undo all the wrong screws that were used and replace them with shorter ones. When it came to the nitty-gritty of assembling things, however, unicorns didn't need the tools to do it.
"Won't this make it worse?" I asked.
"That's what's going to be great about it. It uses magic from a different wavelength, so it should make it easier for us because it won't be sucking so much regular magic." Sunburst watched, along with me, while the device was further assembled. Given the assistants we had, us stepping in would have just gotten in the way. "Okay, everypony, now we can assemble the array."
Assembling the pieces together was a lot easier. The kit that the other humans had sent had spare parts in it, but they were all labeled as spares, so when it got to the last few pieces we knew exactly what we were working with. As soon as we bolted the last pillar into the array, I felt a strange tickling sensation along my horn. It wasn't painful or intense, but something was happening.
The last item was a harness with a group of cables coming out of it. Sunburst levitated the harness over the main crystal for the teleportation pad while the others all plugged each of the cables into the sockets at the base of the towers in the array.
There was a building sensation as the cables started to glow in various colors, and the odd tickle built to an itching for a moment, then was gone. "Was this it?"
Sunburst nodded. "Let's see if it works. Philip, do you know the spell to examine something's basic magic properties?"
"Spells?" Shaking my head, I looked at the big crystal that powered the teleporter. "I haven't exactly learned any spells yet."
"Okay, I guess you haven't been in Equestria that long. Let me adjust this one to let you see it too..." Pausing and staring off into space, Sunburst seemed completely distracted for a few moments before he lowered his head and blasted a gold beam out at the huge magic battery.
A mass of what should have been arcane and mysterious runes started floating in the air around the battery crystal, but the odd thing was I recognized them as being pony words. The power capacity was rising quickly. "What's the maximum capacity?"
"Well, at this rate it should be charged fully in a short time. Wow that's going up fast." Turning to look at me with a big smile, Sunburst passed me the handbook. "Thanks for the help!"
"You're welcome. This will mean I get to go back and see Clair a little sooner, hopefully."
A pang of homesickness hit me. It wasn't for Equestria itself (though the place was pretty good to live in), but for my wife and kids. Clair sometimes had business trips--when we lived on Earth--that would take a week or more to complete, but me leaving her to come here was different.
And, just like that, I decided I'd ask Jeff if I could go home right now. A glance around revealed none of the ubiquitous men in the black suits that were the defacto uniform of the Secret Service. "Excuse me, Sunburst, but I need to go talk to someone."
"Hey, um, I'll be going back to Equestria soon. If you'd like, I could take some time to teach you a little more magic. Starlight said that Moon Dancer had taught you a little while you were at the Castle of Friendship before you moved away."
My brain tried to do some mental gymnastics. Was Sunburst something to Starlight, was he just being nice, or was he coming on to me? Ever since the Shining Armor/Braeburn thing, I've been struggling to get my signals straight. Learning magic should be to sort out.
"That'd be great, actually. What with all the getting settled in in Canterlot, I haven't exactly had much time to talk to anypony about learning more. I'll hopefully be back in a minute." I slipped through the door by touching my badge to the reader and waiting for the soldier to check me through.
Walking back through the hallways of the White House, I stopped at the first Secret Service officer. "Is the president free?"
The man's eyes narrowed for a second, but he eventually lifted his wrist to his mouth and spoke quietly into it. A human wouldn't have heard what he said, but pony ears were better than what I'd been born with. "Station A 3. VIP one requests meeting with boss." There was a slight pause as he obviously got a reply, but my ears weren't quite that good. "Thank you, over." He lowered his hand down. "He's in a meeting right now, but if you start down there now, you shouldn't have to wait more than ten minutes."
"Thank you." It was force of habit to thank people, even before I spent enough time in Equestria that I smiled when I said it. I found myself prancing as I walked through the hallways of the West Wing. The building might have been designed for business, but getting to the garage wasn't the highest priority when it came to floor plan.
Up to the first floor I went, and then through to Jeff's secretary's office. When I walked inside, Caroline Rogers was behind her desk. "I'd like to see Jeff if I could."
"He's very busy, Mr. Ree, but he left instructions that you were to be seen as soon as possible whenever you wished. I'll let him know you're here." I didn't see what she did, of course, but I could assume she knew her job and had settled in a little better since Saf had tried to get his computer.
"Thank you. I hope you're having a nice day?" I found the nearest seat in the room (a comfortable-looking couch meant for waiting, apparently) and climbed up.
"Err. I guess." Caroline Rogers looked like I'd just surprised her. She paused for a few moments before I watched a smile brighten her face. "Actually, I am. You probably wouldn't be surprised that this job can be a little boring, but..."
She reached down under her desk and lifted up a gift basket of chocolates. "... I was given this today."
She'd seemed so dour last time, but now--Was this something to do with me being a pony? I know the pony bug had bitten me hard, but could it latch its teeth onto someone so quickly? "They look delicious. An admirer?" Why not go all in?
Caroline bit her lower lip and nodded. "After high school, I was too busy getting by with secretarial work to find anyone. I threw myself into my work... It was a surprise to find someone at work."
Okay, so maybe not completely the pony effect, there might be a bit of young love at play here. "Congratulations! He's a lucky guy." Hoo boy did that do the trick.
She blushed, laughed, and then quickly put the basket behind her desk. "The president will see you now." Reaching to a device on her desk, Caroline tapped some buttons. "I'm sending him in now."
"Good luck, Caroline!" I jumped up from the couch and walked toward the door that led from her office to the Oval Office, only to have Jeff open it from the other side.
"Come on in, Philip." Once I was inside and I used my magic to close the door behind me, Jeff gave me a questioning look. "First, I don't think I've ever seen Caroline smiling so much, what did you do to her?"
I laughed and jumped up on one of the meticulously clean and expensive-looking couches. "Pony charm. Or something like that. Don't you ever just feel a little happier when there's a smiling pony talking to you?"
"Maybe sending one of our more talented psychs to Equestria is a bad idea, or maybe having you and Clair stand beside me, smiling, is the best idea ever." Jeff sat on the opposite couch rather than retreat to his desk. "What can I do for you, Philip?"
"I want to go back to Equestria so I can try to get this mad plan of yours happening. Also, I want to see my wife." I didn't make it vehement and I didn't lose my temper, but the fact was I didn't like being away from Clair, and it had nothing to do with my sex drive. Love makes a man, or a stallion, do crazy things.
"I'd love to grant that request, I really would, but the pad won't be ready to go again until tomorrow."
"About that. You know the system we brought over with us to test?" I waited for his nod. "It's up and working. The teleporter should be fully charged in an hour or two."
"You're kidding? That's great news. How long will it take from full-empty to recharge? What kind of turn-around can we expect in future?"
"You already know everything I know. Their chief down there, Sunburst, let me see a lot of numbers about the big crystal battery, but then I needed to get him to explain it to me. The long and the short of it is, Clair and these other humans back in Equestria might have just pulled a master stroke out of this. So, can I go back in an hour or so?"
"Now, I know it'll upset the research guys, but I can probably get away with it if I promise to let them have greater access to you later." Jeff didn't have to make any such promise, and we both knew it, but he'd make it look like he was under the thumb just to keep the science types happy. "Do we have a deal?"
What else could I say? "Deal." |
The Embassy | Chapter 21 | Saffron Ree
I knew it wasn't Dad or Mom's fault, but there wasn't anyone else to take this out on. "Why, though?"
Old habits that I'd kinda forgotten while learning to fly came bubbling up to the surface again as my routine was being smashed. I never in my life thought I'd say it (or think it), but I like going to school at the Wonderbolts'. So I'm the youngest in class, just means I have more time to learn everything before I become a Wonderbolt.
"Because doing the president a personal favor is a good way to get one back?" Okay, Dad had a point. It kinda sucked, but a week or so going back to Earth wouldn't be too bad.
"That goes for all of us, doesn't it? We give a little, we get a little." I let out a long sigh. "So us all going back together is a bigger thing, right?"
"Look on the bright side, we're famous. People are going to want autographs and pictures, and you get two weeks off school."
"Dad, I like school." There--I'd said it. Now I should just fly away and never come back. Time for a distraction. "Do I really have to go back as human?"
"That's the other part of the deal. One of the current theories about why I didn't turn back is that I've been around ponies too much. Something like getting used to being one mentally. So, if you two go back and turn into humans, that disproves that one."
"You think it's because of your cutie mark?" I figured that was right too, but it was harder to prove than disprove, or so Dad had said.
"I can promise you, Saf, when you get yours, it will all become clear. Everything. It's like--It's like you find your reason to be all over again."
"You sound like Sudden Turn. She's got some wild stories about the stuff she and her friends did when they were foals--all in the name of finding their cutie marks." I really liked those stories. She wasn't just describing some flying theory, she sounded so into them.
"Saf, is there anything going on between you two?"
Okay, so I might be pretty good at changing subjects, but Dad was apparently the king. How do I even begin to answer that? I mean, I like Sudden, but I just don't have those feelings toward her. Not that I have those feelings toward anybody. "Kinda. I mean, I'm too young to get into--"
"Not an easy topic. Sorry, Saf, I shouldn't have pushed."
I rolled my eyes. This was never going to be my favorite topic, but like heck I'd back away from it. "No. I get it's important to think about, but I'm just too young. Shit, it's kinda hard to explain, but I just don't get any urges."
"It's not always going to be like that, Saf." The worst thing was how calm and nice his tone was. This was Dad trying to give me The Talk without giving me The Talk.
"We've already had this conversation, Dad. Remember, like, ten years ago?"
"It's closer to eight, but the fact remains you're going to want to do stuff soon, and I'm not talking about fancy flying. Just--Saf, be ready for when you do, okay?" The worst bit was how understanding he sounded.
"Look, I already got the birds talk from Fluttershy, I don't need it from you, too. What I'm more worried about is when I go back, if I am human again, I'll be an adult. Like, that's going to hit me, I think." And I was worried about it. Damn worried. I'd gotten used to not having to worry about mares--women--and it was a little freaky that I would probably start worrying about them again.
"You've thought about it then."
I rolled my eyes again and looked over at Dad. "How can I not? It's kinda--a relief. I know I should be feeling all messed up about it, but it's like I don't actually have to care. I can just be me."
Dad put his leg around my shoulder and hugged me. Back on Earth--just months ago--I would had gotten embarrassed or angry at him for doing it, but as a pony here and now... I hugged him back.
"It mustn't be easy to admit that, or even think about it. I'm proud of you, Saf."
"Yeah, yeah. So when are we going?"
"You're okay with it, then?" He looked a little surprised. "You've kinda gotten the short end of the wedge with all this."
"Yeah, but that's the thing." I pulled back from our hug and flexed my wings. "I thought I knew better last time, but it's been getting more and more obvious now. It was my destiny to be here. To fly! Dad, I was an ignorant idiot to fight against what you and Mom wanted, but like Commander Spitfire says--you can unlearn ignorance.
"This is me now. If what they think--that getting used to the place locks our bodies in--then I don't think any of us will turn back to human when we go through."
"That'd be hilarious. It would imply we could be turned back if we just spent a lot of time around humans and human customs." Dad stood up and walked to my bedroom door. "Feel free to say no, still."
"What, and let Riley go through whatever media circus Uncle Miller has planned? Come on, Dad, she's annoying, but even being annoying isn't bad enough to warrant that."
"You're a good man, Saf. Don't let anyone tell you different."
Only when Dad had left did I let out a sigh and flop back on my bed. The truth was, I didn't want to go back at all, probably not even for Riley, but it felt like something I should do--like I hadn't properly said goodbye to Earth before I came here.
"You're uneasy?"
I hadn't exactly been expecting Princess Luna to swoop into my dream, but here I was, and I hadn't yet worked out how to nicely ask a princess to let me sleep. "A little. I'm mostly worried that if it does work, and I do turn human again, I'll be back to square one with my wings."
Looking upward, Luna used her magic to send a beam of silvery light into the blank sky above. Where the magic hit, the moon appeared, and it splashed out form there to create the entire Equestrian sky. I even recognized some of the constellations. "Saffron Ree, what will you do if that happens?"
Opening my mouth to spit out a complaint, I stopped and looked up at the sky instead. What would happen? I still had another thirty years before I could even join the Wonderbolts--I'd already gotten as good as I am now within a year, and that was without knowing all I know.
Patience. Damn but how was I ever going to learn that. That's a good question. "What're the chances I'm going to learn patience in the next thirty years or so?"
She laughed. Not just a little laugh, but Luna tipped her head up and laughed high into the night. When she managed to interrupt herself, Princess Luna tilted her head to look down at me. "That is a very adult question for one so young. The answer is yes, you will learn a little every year you live. But, no, you will never have as much as you'd like."
Having taken the basic history of Equestria at school, I knew that she'd spent tens of thousands of years in exile. A little patience a year and never having enough? Coming from her that was just a little scary. "I think I'll be fine. The worst that can happen is I have to train harder--and I'm ready for that."
"I have heard you enjoy flying. Would you like to fly with me?"
The change in topic felt right. Rather than answer her with words, I spread my wing and jumped into the night sky.
It didn't take Princess Luna long to catch up with me. Each of her wings looked to have more surface area than both my wings put together. The odd thing was she made no turbulence in the air--no wake. I should have been struggling to even keep myself upright, but it felt like I was flying solo on a cool night.
An entire night worth of flying dreams, and she helped me find some answers I needed to hear. No wonder Princess Luna was so popular among all the ponies. Yawning, I rolled from bed onto my hooves and shook away the last bit of my tiredness.
Like every morning (well, the ones following a night's sleep when I didn't have Princess Luna helping me relax), I barely touched the stairs as I made my way to the living room. "Heading out for a fly!"
"Saffron Ree!" Mom's voice sounded more than a little annoyed. "Get your flank in the kitchen now!"
Full name? Full name totally meant she was upset. Tucking my wings a little tighter at my sides, I walked into the kitchen. What was waiting for me was a cake and a very pink pony. I'd seen her before in Ponyville, but I don't think I ever really got to know her.
Without warning, the pink pony fired a cannon at me. "Happy I'm-sorry-I-missed-your-birthday-but-I-didn't-know-when-it-was Saffron!"
Coughing my way through the storm of confetti that seemed to launch itself from the cannon, I looked around at Mom, Dad, and Riley. "What the f--?"
Mom walked over and kissed my cheek. "We don't have to leave until midday, Saf. When I mentioned to Twilight last week that we hadn't had time to celebrate your eighteenth birthday, she told me to contact Pinkie Pie."
"Pinkie Pie?" Well, it was a fair name for a pony who's coloration was pink on pink. It was about then I realized there was the biggest cake on the table that I'd ever seen, and a small alligator was trying to take a bite out of it.
"That's me! Part of the number-one party-planning team! You'll have to excuse the other half of my team for not being here, Cheese had another party--in Manehatten--and..." She seemed to pause a moment and took a breath. "Happy birthday! Blow out your candles!"
Walking up to the cake, I realized that I'd never be able to blow out all the candles--I couldn't have even counted all the candles. But, there was more than one way to snuff out a flame.
Shimmying a little in place, I took a deep breath and snapped my wings out to give a gentle flap with a little pegasus magic behind it.
Every--single--candle--out!
We did the normal birthday stuff. Singing Happy Birthday and all that. Mom, Dad, and Riley all had presents for me, which I set aside while we ate cake and talked about anything but the fact we'd be leaving Equestria later that day.
Maybe even leaving our bodies.
Mom got me feather oil. Dad got me a human pack of cologne and deodorant--as well as some mane shampoo. Riley, though, was the standout present. Normally she'd have gotten Mom or Dad to give her money to buy me something, but she passed me a little wooden box with a big grin on her face.
"It's not wrapped?" I asked.
"Doesn't need to be. Open it up." My little sister sounded way to confident and sure of herself. "Come on!"
The box looked like it should be heavy, but it felt like it was empty. I used my wing to unclip the latch on one side and slowly opened it. The contents explained why I couldn't feel any weight in the box--it was full of feathers.
Prominent was a fiery orange one, then several blues, yellows, and a paler orange too. I recognized each by the color of their owners. "These are the Wonderbolts' feathers?"
"Every single one. When I told Miss Spitfire about what was happening and that I wanted to give you a special birthday present to remind you of home, we came up with this." Riley sounded so proud of herself, and damn it, I was too. "Do you like it?"
There was a small piece of string, or more like a braid of a few pieces, that held all the feathers together in a little line. What was really cool was I could see they were arranged in hierarchy, with each Wonderbolts squad in their own little line. "Sis, this is by far the coolest thing you have ever done. Thanks!"
Earth pony hugs were pretty intense. Even though Riley was smaller than me, she was much stronger than I was. When she decided she wanted to hug you properly, you had to stay out of reach or be hugged. Rather than evade her, I instead spread my wings out and forward--and braced for impact.
Despite her size, Riley was solid as a rock. She jumped up and hugged me tight, but thankfully not strangulation-tight. "You really mean that?"
"Heck yeah. I'll let Mom and Dad take the feathers over first so whatever the spell does, doesn't mess them up. It'll remind me of home." Was it odd I thought of Equestria and this house as my home? Probably to some. For me it was about the freedom living here gave me.
"It feels like home for me too." Her voice was soft enough that I doubt anyone else heard it.
And why couldn't she stay when Mom's work's over, too? It wasn't like I was going back--she could live here with me. I mean, it'd be a bit odd until I at least look like an adult, but it would suck if she had to go back to Earth and live until she was like fifty or something before she could come back and be an adult.
"Yeah," I said.
I squeezed her as tight as I could for as long as she needed. She was so tiny here that it seemed like she was still a baby, but the prospect of going back reminded me that she's almost a teenager. Maybe I'll never get used to how weird it is to go from being a foal to being an adult--and vice versa--it's just so strange to contemplate.
"Okay, let's have one more piece of cake, then we have to head to Ponyville," Dad said.
Mom and Dad had been gone for a few minutes. Starlight Glimmer had told me the protocol for how this worked--there was a five-minute window after each teleport (or whatever people were calling it) when nothing would be sent for safety, then ten-minutes after the last receive a note gets sent back to advise how things went.
Handshaking she'd called it. Well, our five minutes was coming up. "You ready?"
Riley nodded. "I really like being a pony, Saf. What if we can't come back?"
"You think I'll let them stop us?" I nudged her shoulder, not that she seemed to shift from the push--solid little tank she is. "Come on, we need to do this. Just remember, Mom and Dad will be waiting for us."
"Are you both ready?" Starlight Glimmer asked as she reentered the room with the teleport pads. "Now I don't need to tell you, but this will be a transmogrification teleport. That means you will both, hopefully, be human again on the other side. Please step onto the platform when you're ready."
Riley led the way with me right behind her. She looked up at Starlight, now appearing to have not a hint of worry. "Is this going to be like when we first came here? All that twisting out of shape and stuff was kinda bleh."
It was surprising how calm she was now--like she hadn't just ask for reassurance about ever coming back. That's when it hit me. She was acting like Mom does when she needs to be badass. The sight of a little filly strutting onto the platform as if nothing worried her was amazing.
"I'm guessing it probably will. It'll be such a chore only having two legs again," I said.
When a smile split Riley's cold look, I knew I'd hit a good gag. We turned together to look back at Starlight.
"We're ready," Riley said.
Well, she was. I was terrified of going back--not that I'd tell her. "Yeah."
"Here go--" Starlight's horn went from a soft glow to the kind of power that can punch holes through reality without too much effort. I didn't hear her finish talking, because she'd disappeared and I was stuck in that between place again.
At first I thought it was going to be better than I'd hoped--nothing changed--but then I felt something odd about my wings.
Odd turned quickly to freaking crazy. I could feel my wings reshaping and forming into arms. My feathers seemed to fall free to reveal a pair of growing human hands. Hands I didn't want.
Everything seemed to swell and push, and I hated the way it made me feel larger without making me feel stronger--and I certainly had no control of myself here. All my coat disappeared, and my face pulled inward like a dimple.
I wish I could scream while it was happening, but even as my body became completely human again, I couldn't even so much as breathe. Then, like a freight train of magic slamming into Earth, we appeared on the teleporter pad in the White House again.
"... they are! Saffron? Riley?" Mom's voice was welcoming.
What I wasn't prepared for was Riley's shriek. Turning my head, I saw my little sister trying to cover her human body. Then it hit me--we're both naked.
Taking the biggest, deepest breath I could, I hoped I could somehow get my voice to within an inch of Commander Spitfire's. "Turn around and give us some privacy here!" I was as shocked as most people looked. The soldiers all spun around on the spot, and most of the people in white coats did too. I turned to look at Riley, and she gave me the biggest smile I'd ever seen on a human's face.
Mom, barely having reacted to my shout, wrapped Riley up in some kind of blanket. Dad was coming toward me with another carried in his silvery magic. He wrapped the blanket thing around me enough to cover my waist on down.
"I guess the going native hypothesis is bunk. How're you feeling, Saf?" Dad asked.
"Is Riley okay?"
When Riley crashed into my side and wrapped her arms around me, I was struck (not just by her) by how weak she was. "Yeah, I'm okay now. You probably want to have some kind of warning or something when people are coming through like that."
She was small even as a human, I realized. How had I forgotten that? My legs felt all kinds of wrong, and I'm sure Riley was the same way, so I hugged her and kept one hand on her shoulder for support--and to support her. "Yeah. What's the deal there? Can't you put some kind of curtain around the teleporter?"
The soldiers who'd spun around at my shout were now sheepishly turning back. One big man in a black suit who hadn't turned around looked over our heads without a hint of cool. "If you'll follow me, ladies and gentlemen, President Miller wants to see you immediately."
"Can we get some clothes first?" I asked.
He seemed to wince a little.
"Didn't plan for this, huh? Whatever. I guess we go see the boss man like this. You cool, Riley?" There was something freeing about being back--I was an adult here. I was even taller than Mom and Dad.
Riley crossed her arms over her chest and glared up at the big guy. "I guess. But I want to go shopping after this."
I was about to make another smart quip when I remembered the box. "Dad, my box?"
Dad floated the box over in his magic, not looking uncomfortable in the least using real magic here on Earth. "I kept it safe, don't worry."
When he opened the box, I lifted out the string of feathers and held it up. They were smaller than they'd seemed in Equestria, but then humans were much bigger than ponies. I didn't need the strength their memories would give me yet, but I didn't want this far away when I did need it.
"Later on, Saf, I can braid it into a few strands of your hair, if you want?" Riley asked.
I thought about it for exactly half a second. "Sounds awesome. So where are we going now?"
"Follow me," the guy in the black suit said before walking to the door.
"Come on, kids, let's go see the man behind the curtain," Mom said. We followed him out into the hallway and through the White House. Walking had been hard to figure, but it came back to us pretty quickly.
Walking on four feet (and flying) just felt more stable because it didn't rely on almost falling to move. I guess that makes me more pony than human--and I'm cool with that. Our escort turned down another hallway and there was a woman waiting for us. She pointed further down the hallway I now recognized.
I almost bounced as I walked. "We're going into the Oval Office naked? This is awesome. Will there be cameras in there? Are we going to be on live TV?"
"Lead them in, Agent Franks. Jeff's waiting for them." I recognized the woman who'd been so annoyed with my computer order. There was an urge to tell her I hadn't even unpacked it, but I really wanted this all done with so we could get some clothes and get out of here.
Mom didn't seem willing to wait for Agent Franks. She trotted forward like she owned the place--or maybe like she was literally a tank that no one could shove around if she didn't want them to. There were advantages to being an earth pony.
"Go right in, ma'am," another black-suited guy at the door said. He probably didn't realize it, but stepping out of her way was the smartest thing the guy did all day.
The door opened and Mom, Dad, and then Riley and me walked in. I'd been in the Oval Office before, so it wasn't completely new to me. There was Jeff standing behind his crazy-old desk. He smiled when he saw us and gestured to a side door. "Head down there, first door on your left. I had some of your things brought up in case this had happened."
It was literally a I need to speak with your parents thing, but probably more likely a I need to speak to your mom, but your dad is fine to have in the room too. "Thanks." I turned for the door and had Riley rush past me and into the room Jeff had mentioned.
When I reached the room, it was decked out similar to the Oval Office, but there were bookshelves filled with books, a big desk, and what looked like a privacy screen down the middle.
"Look, Saf, he really did get some of our things. Did you want me to do that braiding now?" Riley was behind the privacy screen already, and I could hear her fumbling with things.
I closed the door behind me and walked around the partition to the side Riley wasn't. Sure enough, there was a suit laid out for me; shirt, pants, socks--even underwear. "Isn't it weird to look at so many clothes?"
"You wore a flight suit every day at your school."
"It's different," I said. "And, besides, I didn't have to wear it everywhere."
"I dare you to walk back in completely naked."
"Riley, you know that'd get me in so much trouble I'd be grounded for--"
"You're an adult now, Saf." The way she said it made it sound like being an adult was proof against everything.
It was a good argument, but I was sure I'd never hear the end of it if I did that. Reluctantly, I picked up the pair of boxers someone'd gone through my things to find, and (dropping my blanket) carefully stepped into them. "I'm also adult enough to know Mom'd destroy me. I'd never be allowed to do anything fun for the rest of my life."
"Yeah, but you'd have been on TV naked."
"You've gotten a lot more devious with your plans. When did you start getting like this?" Socks and pants went on, as well as I started to button up my shirt.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, when we first got to Canterlot, and we went out on our own, you were totally ready to turn us in." Trousers on next. The more clothing I wore, the odder it felt. My flight suit was all I ever needed, and I only wore that because it let me fly faster.
Riley poked her head around the edge of the screen. "Can you do up this zip for me?"
I got my pants buttoned up and stepped over to her. There was a zip up the back of her dress that I slowly pulled up, lifting her hair to make sure it didn't get in the way. "There you go."
"Okay." Riley pushed me back a little, and with memories of how strong she was in Equestria, I automatically stepped back for her. "Sit on the edge of the desk, there, and I'll do your hair."
I sat down where she said and she climbed up on the desk behind me. When she took two tiny strands of my hair, I was relieved that she wasn't going to do something silly with it. Then it hit me. "When did I get long hair?"
"You always had long hair as a pony."
"Yeah, but I didn't when I went to Equestria. Does that mean some pony stuff leaks over?" I tried to ignore the slight tugging, instead focusing on the problem. "Or maybe it's just because I'm older."
"Could be. I don't see any pink or green in your hair, so it's probably just being older. Hey, that would have been cool, if we'd come back with our actual manes as hair." Her fingers worked fast, tugging my hair this way and that. "Do you have anything to tie this on with? I could always just knot your hair at the end of it, but you'd need to cut it out each day when you shower."
"Well, are there any rubber bands on the desk?"
"Hold this. Pinch it between your fingers." When I reached my hand up to my shoulder, Riley put the braid she was making in it. "Let me see... Oh, a paperclip? That might work. Can't see any rubber bands. I can probably use this paperclip like a hair-tie though."
I felt her fingers grip the hair I was holding. "You want me to let go?"
"Not yet..." She tugged and pulled on the strand until she got it--apparently--where she wanted it. "Okay, now let go."
Releasing my grip on the strands, I felt the braid fall forward slightly and to one side. Carefully running my hand up that side of my face, I felt each of the vibrant feathers held tight in the braid where the after-feather met the true vanes. "You did a great job on this, Riley. Thanks."
"Yeah, well now it's your turn. I have soooo much hair. Anypony would think I haven't cut it for years!" Riley shoved at my shoulders, but lacking the ridiculous strength of an earth pony, she barely moved me at all.
Knowing I owed her plenty for her help, I got up and we swapped positions. "Okay, I have no idea what I'm doing, so tell me what to do."
"I just want it up and off my shoulders. It's way too long to keep it loose without giving it a good wash, anyway."
"How do I do that?" I had no idea where to start--there was a lot of hair.
The process was actually pretty easy once she'd described it. She had found a rubber band, but she'd saved it for her hair because she couldn't do what she wanted without it--which was fair. There wasn't a mirror in the room, but between us we managed to make the other presentable.
"Can we just walk in on them?" Riley asked.
I shrugged. "Maybe we should walk back down the hall to his secretary."
"Saf? Are you feeling okay?" Lifting her hand to her brow, Riley looked around the room and finally at me. "Excuse me, have you seen my brother? He leads innocent fillies astray and defies all parental requests."
To ignore the heavy sarcasm wouldn't do Riley's effort any justice. "Ha-ha. Okay, fair enough. I guess training at the Wonderbolt Academy might be getting to me." I squared up my shoulders and walked to the hallway we'd come in. The door at the end of it was closed still, and one of the most secure rooms in all the world sat on the other side of it. "C'mon, Riley."
Riley laughed and came after me. "So, what, we just walk in?"
"I don't see any guards here. Besides, they told us to go and get dressed. They had to assume we'd come back when we were." I reached a hand out to the door handle and tried to turn it. It turned just fine, but the door didn't open. "What gives?"
"Security lock on the door. Look, there's a panel where you have to tap your card." To demonstrate, Riley walked over to the side of the door and tapped the black plate with two little lights on it. "Hey, those feathers are pegasi feathers, right?"
"Yeah."
"And they belonged to some of the best pegasi in Equestria, right?"
"Drop the some of. They are the best."
Riley grabbed me by the shoulder and pulled me sideways. "So you have a ton of pegasus magic yourself, and you've got all these feathers from the greatest pegasi in Equestria, and electricity is a key pegasus thing. Make with the zap-zap and get us in."
Should I let her keep pushing me around? I was kinda used to it back in Equestria, and we'd be going back there soon enough. Probably better to just let her have her fun. As for her idea... "I have no idea if this will work. I'm not a pegasus now, in case you didn't notice, but here goe--" I got as far as reaching out my finger to the black box--and thinking about my magic--when a fat spark jumped from the tip of my finger to the box.
The lights in the hallway flickered and then went out. More lights--bright red--came on, and with them the loud piercing shriek of some kind of alarm. |
The Embassy | Chapter 22 | When Riley shrieked, I pushed her back against the wall and put myself in front of her. The noise was so loud it was starting to hurt my ears. Then a bunch of stuff seemed to happen at the same time.
The siren stopped.
A bunch of guys in black suits with guns drawn came down the hallway from where we'd been.
The door we'd been trying to get through opened up--pulled off its hinges by Dad.
"Sir! Stand back!" one of the guys in black shouted to Dad.
"They're my kids! Back off and point your guns somewhere else!" I'd never seen Dad look so--He wasn't angry, just intense. "Saf, Riley, what did you do?"
I opened my mouth, but Riley managed to squirm out from behind me. "We were trying to come back in, but the door handle didn't work, so I pointed at the security box thingy and when Saf touched it..."
It wasn't a lie. There was nothing actually incorrect about what she'd said, it just didn't have all the bits where we'd been trying to short-circuit the control box. Dad's eyes turned to me and he looked at me--briefly glancing at the feather-braid.
"Maybe it has something to do with my pegasus magic? It's not like I can even feel how much static I have built up without my feathers." Time to take a leaf out Riley's book. "I didn't mean to set off the alarm."
"Everyone calm down. They are guests of mine, and I'm sure they promise not to poke any more security equipment." Jeff was visible over Dad's head mostly because Dad was short, but the presence of the president had a calming effect on everyone. "We're done with the heavy bits of the conversation, why don't you and Riley come in so we can have a chat."
Riley stuck her tongue out at the security guys before she followed Jeff and Dad back into the Oval Office. As I walked to follow them, I realized Dad had really done a number on the door and ripped it clear off its hinges. When we were all back in the room, he just kinda pushed the door back into place.
That's when I realized there was a big camera being set up by a pair of guys who looked like they were fussing all over it.
"Saffron, I'm going to have to ask you not to touch anything else electrical--and particularly not their camera." Jeff pointed at the couches as he walked over to one himself. "Speaking of, how are you doing with it?" The last he asked of the two guys working on the camera.
There was also more of the black-clad goons in here. They had their guns away at least. I guess we did just set off the alarm in the White House. I wonder how often that happens?
I realized one of the camera guys was looking at me. Really intent, he seemed to forget to answer Jeff. It took me a few seconds to realize he was looking at the feathers, not me. To test my theory, I turned my head and made the braid flick the feathers around the side of my face. His eyes stayed glued to me.
"Almost ready, Mr. President. We weren't running on mains when it happened, and I think we'll keep running off the battery until everything's under control," the other camera guy said before elbowing his workmate.
"Those feathers aren't from birds," the focused guy said.
Okay, time to show off and have some fun. Standing up, I took a step toward the camera before Jeff cleared his throat and reminded me not to go near it. Rolling my eyes at Jeff, I looked back at the guy. "You're right, no birds. These are pegasi feathers. My friends' feathers, in fact. Riley helped get them to make me a birthday present that would help me chill a bit while here. I'm not allowed to come closer to your camera, but you can come over here and look at them if you want." I saw the light on the back of the camera flicker to life.
"S-Sir?" The guy looked to Jeff.
"If Saffron Ree said you can, you can. Go ahead and look at the feathers--but don't touch them," Jeff said, sounding a bit like Mom when she wants us to look but don't touch. I guess, considering my status as a possible lightning rod, it was a good idea to be careful. At least he didn't suspect I'd actually done it on purpose.
"I've never seen a bird big enough to grow feathers that big." The guy walked closer and seemed to put his hands behind his back--like he wouldn't trust himself not to touch them. "I-I'm Tom."
"How do you know so much about birds?" I asked.
Tom blushed. "I-I'm into birding--birdwatching. Are they really from a pegasus?"
"Each one is from a different one, actually. Spitfire, Rainbow Dash, Soarin, Sudden Turn, Surprise, Fleetfoot, Thunderlane..." I listed off each as I touched them. "They're the Wonderbolts of Equestria--the best fliers ever."
"Are you a pegasus too when--" Tom seemed to come to his senses. "Sorry, I need to get back to work."
"Yeah, I'm a pegasus when I get to Equestria. The age-change thing is a bit of a mess, but I can still fly pretty good, or so Slowpoke--that's Surprise's nickname--she keeps admitting when she thinks I can't hear." I realized how Tom had gone from ready-for-work back to fawning over the feathers. I remembered how Princess Twilight tended to get people to do the same. How strong was this effect?
"We're live in twenty seconds!" Tom's friend shouted.
The words seemed to shatter whatever magic had Tom enthralled. He practically ran around the camera and moved in to stand beside his co-worker.
"Wait, live?" I asked.
"Sit down, Saf," Mom said, "and try to act natural."
Not given much choice in where to sit, I fell back onto the couch and was closest to the camera. Another look at Jeff showed him smiling really wide in what I thought wasn't a politicians' smile--it was too happy.
Tom held up his hand with five fingers up, then four, three, two, one. When the last finger closed into his fist, the light on top of the camera turned from green to red.
"Good afternoon, America." Jeff was looking into the camera and was far into his warm-but-serious look he mostly used when on TV. Shit, that's what the light meant, wasn't it? The camera was live, but to where? What channel? Fuck. Probably all of them. "We have long had stories of alien spaceships and little green men visiting us, but I can assure you that the first and only alien race to meet humanity--at least that they tell me--are the ponies of Equestria.
"I don't need to extol the virtues and advantages our friendship and peace with Equestria is bringing us, you can see them everywhere yourselves. From new medication to new construction methods, our continued relations with Equestria are strengthening not just America, but the Earth itself.
"But today I'd like to introduce you to four of our heroes. And make no mistake, all four are heroes." Jeff gestured across to our couch, and the camera panned at his silent command. "First on the right here we have Saffron Ree, and by all accounts he's one of the best new fliers Equestria has seen for a while--when he's a pegasus at least. Beside him is Ambassador Clair Ree. You've all seen the reports on her past deeds, I'm sure, but she's been working hard to ensure our relationship with Equestria stays strong and broadens to new allies.
"Beside her is her husband, Philip Ree. There're few men I could say I respect more than Philip, and it seems like he's had a similar impact on the rulers of Equestria's neighboring nations. And lastly we have Riley Ree, who I have heard is more than just a model student, she's doing original research into ways we could improve our teaching system here in America.
I hadn't realized before how smart Riley was. Like, she's only in middle school, and she's doing college research? The hell is going on in her head?!
"Now, in case anyone is wondering why Clair and Philip have retained their pony shapes, I'm told it's some testing our medical teams are doing--all routine stuff. With the introductions over with, I'm told that everyone watching will now see a website they can go to and register questions to ask. The best ones will be coming up in a moment." Jeff picked up a tablet that had been sitting on the chair beside him and tapped the screen. "Firstly, why don't you all describe what it's like being back here?"
"Thanks, Jeff." Mom looked pleased with herself. She reached a hoof up to her chest. "I am excited to come home--we all are--but in particular I wanted to see what difference our work was making. Seeing reports and listening to recordings is far too dry--I want to know that this is making a difference for everyone. So I'm excited to meet as many of you as I can and to hear your stories."
Dad looked like a deer in headlights for a moment. I guess he must have realized a good chunk of America was tuned in and watching. "I won't lie--it's a bit disorientating. Ponies are smaller, as you can see, and I find myself having to look up a lot to see people's faces."
"I'm missing out on schoolwork," Riley said.
I couldn't help myself. Snorting, I reached over Mom's back and poked Riley in the shoulder. "It's only a few days. I'm sure you can find someone to teach you something here."
Mom turned her head just enough to look at me from the corner of her eye. Okay, so maybe a little fun wasn't fit for national TV.
"Sorry, Riley." The apology came so easily. Back in my human body, I could almost feel the same level of hostile indifference I did before we left, but being a pony had changed me.
"Despite being a universe away, kids will be kids," Mom said.
Jeff cleared his throat to get our attention. "We've gotten a few questions in, if you don't mind answering them for us. If they're uncomfortable, just let me know. The first is for Clair. Alise from California sends her thanks that you acquired the new anti-viral medication, and asks what new things are you trying to get?"
It was the kind of question Mom ate up. I realized they all would be, given that someone was vetting them, but this almost seemed like it was staged. "Well, Alise, the biggest problem we've had so far is managing the connection to Equestria from this side. I'm happy to announce that after recent negotiations with a third nation, America's link to Equestria and beyond is now usable with greater frequency. This opens up the possibility of more trade."
"The next one's for Riley. Michelle from Washington state asks, what do things taste like as a pony?"
"Oh! Everything that's sweet is ten-million times better. You wouldn't believe it! And then there's the fruit. One of my friends says that apples are best--and hers are super-good--but I love bananas." Riley looked about to say more, but stopped and shifted to sit back on the couch a little more.
Hell. This was going to be a ratings hit. Jeff could stand for president of the world and no one would say no. Little girls asking other little girls what kinds of fruit they like as a pony? Forget cats, the internet will eat this up.
"And one for Saffron." All my attention snapped to Jeff when he spoke those words. I dreaded what he'd ask, and what it would make me say to the entire world. "Frasier from Texas asks what it's like to fly? He's seen the videos you sent back, and wants to know how it feels to be able to let go and just... He actually wrote that trailing off."
I tilted my head down a little in thought, and in doing so the feathers swung around and into my sight. "Flying is the single most amazing thing ever. When I spread my wings and let the air itself lift me up into the sky, I become free in a way I never felt before. Every little movement of air on my wings is the wind talking to me--telling me what it's doing and what it plans to do. Flapping my wings tells the air what I want to do and it listens to me."
"Heck, Saf, that was pretty intense," Riley said.
Looking at my strand of hair with its feathers woven into it, I swore I could feel my magic just there. Then I remembered the thing with the alarm and the security goons. Taking a few steady breaths, I let my magic settle back down on its own. "Flying is intense."
"Well, I've got one more before we take a break. This one's from Sean in Nebraska, and he asks of any of you, what do manes feel like when you have one yourself?"
"I should probably take that, since I haven't had a go yet." Hearing Dad's voice annoyed me--I couldn't turn my ears to listen, and had to rotate my whole head. "The parts of Equestria we've seen are all cold for most of the year, and having a thick layer of fur as well as a mane and tail makes it comfortable. Add to that Canterlot is almost at the top of a mountain, and you have a much cooler place than Washington D.C., he was from Nebraska?"
Checking the tablet, Jeff nodded.
"Well, it's probably something like that. Coats are really soft, and manes are softer still," Dad said.
"I think we can pause there. We'll be back in a few moments." Jeff smiled at the camera with that real smile again. There was something almost more unnerving about seeing him so happy than his usual fake smile. The light on the camera went from red to green, and still his smile didn't quit. "Great work, all of you."
"You know they're going to have a lot more focused questions next time, right?" Riley asked. "I mean, now they've heard us answer and had time to think of more stuff."
Okay, I'll give her credit--she is smarter than me. That's not an easy thing for a big brother to think let alone say, but there it is. Still, she can't fly worth a damn. "So what's up now? We just keep doing this until we need to use the bathroom or something?"
"One more round and I'll do a more formal solo address. Today's a big day for America--some of its bravest heroes just came home." Jeff looked along the row of us, but focused on Mom. "Unless you want to sit in on that, Clair?"
Mom tilted her head a little to the side, then straightened up. "You know, Jeff, I think I might. It's good that people get more used to seeing ponies, and right now that means I can just stand to the side and look pretty while you do the talking."
"Beautiful," Dad said. "You look beautiful."
"So what are we going to do, then?" I asked.
"You're an adult, Saf. You can do whatever you'd like." As he spoke, Dad's eyes flicked to Jeff and he raised an eyebrow.
Yeah, right. Drag me away from my training and then tell me I can do whatever I want. "Honestly? That whole transmagrifier thing still takes it out of me. Maybe head home or something? Our old home, I mean."
"Your house is being leased. I have arranged for you all to have a room at a hotel in the city," Jeff said.
"Right. Let's go there, then. I want to get my balance back, and having more of your goons around isn't helping with that." I gestured with a hand toward the Secret Service guys who were standing like lamps to one side--unmoving and unobtrusive.
"You're back on in thirty seconds," one of the camera guys said.
"I want to go to a park. If Saf can do his pegasus thing, maybe I can talk to plants here?" Riley asked.
Jeff cleared his throat. "Sorry to let you down, Saffron, but you're going to have to put up with my goons a little longer. They'll be accompanying you to your hotel and elsewhere. They don't have to be in the room with you while you're in your suite."
I groaned and turned to look at the "lamps". They still looked like goons, and their faces were carefully blank. One stood a little taller than the other, and I could see a little wire going up and to an ear of each of them. "Yeah, whatever. Just so long as they don't try to shoot me again."
"Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five..." The guy kept counting with his hand, silently. When he got just past one, the green light turned red again.
"Welcome back, everyone, to our informal little chat with the Rees. You've all had a little time to ask more questions, and I can already see a few good ones coming, so in the spirit of AMA, let's keep going." Jeff was smooth as silk again, talking through his smile easily, like he was making a home movie and not broadcasting live to the world. "Saffron, there's been a lot of variations of this question, so bear with me. Do you have a girlfriend in Equestria, and if not, are you looking for one on Earth?"
Well that wasn't what I'd expected. How do I tell them I'm too young for a fillyfriend in Equestria, and here I haven't gotten my game on (and probably won't have time to). Should I try to hook up? Would that be wrong?
"We're allowed to talk about the age-thing, right?" I asked.
"You can talk about any aspect of your time in Equestria, Saffron," Jeff said.
"Right. So the thing is, when I'm in Equestria, I'm just a young foal. If I had to guess, compared to a human, I'd be about ten or twelve. So getting a fillyfriend is not really a thing yet. As for here, I don't know as I'll be looking for a girlfriend, but I'd like to make some friends."
Yeah. I'm an idiot, but I'm still a pony. A friend would be better than all the--Dammit. It would have been nice to hook up with Candy again.
Jeff seemed, for the first time, a little surprised. "Well, there you have it. Now, Philip, a few people have asked about your cutie mark. Would you like to explain it?"
Oh hell. Ask a pony--even Dad--about their cutie mark and special talent, and you'll be getting a life-story. "That's a big one," Dad said. "Near as we can tell, the scales mean literally balance. Just a glance and I can tell exactly what you need to get your body into a healthy balance. It all started with Clair. I'd been getting odd feelings about her for days, and it wasn't until I really pushed myself to work out what was wrong that it literally came to me.
"My cutie mark, that is--not wrong, just it all made sense. Which I know I'm not doing well right now, but that's just how magic can be sometimes. Cutie marks and special talents aren't anything to do with the kind of magic unicorns do--it's wild and does its own thing. Now--"
"I don't think everyone needs a magic lesson, dear." Mom cut in on Dad before he managed to ramble too much. "Do we have time for another one, Jeff?"
Dad just snorted, but Jeff seemed to find it a good joke.
"Maybe one more, but I'd like to get a little answer from everyone for it. What's it like without the internet?" Jeff asked.
"You know, I haven't even turned on my computer since moving to Equestria. The closest thing to the internet I have used is the phone you got me to record video on," I said.
"Same." Riley held up her fist to me, and of course I gave it a bump with my own. "Computers are boring. They can't even talk to you like trees do."
"I've been using a computer regularly, but not to access any networks. I'm writing a book," Dad said.
We all turned and looked at Dad. Out of all of us, he was the one using a computer in his spare time?
Mom was first to turn her attention back to the camera. "I only use mine for work. It's not particularly easy to type with hooves, but I'm working with some ponies on making a keyboard ponies can use."
Jeff looked to be puffing up for another big speech bit. "Well, that's all we have time for. I sure found the answers enlightening. Thanks to the new equipment Clair obtained and Philip helped install, we're ready to announce regular mail runs to and from Equestria, as well as opening up to phase two of negotiations."
That was a setup if ever I'd heard one. He'd have people clambering to find out what the equipment was and what "phase two" meant.
It was all boring stuff. I just wanted to get this over with so I could go back home and get back to my training. The light on the camera turned from red to green, and I could see the camera guys seem to relax. "That's it?"
"For today. There's a dinner tomorrow night I'd like you all to attend." Jeff stood up from the couch and I could practically hear his mind ticking over to see what I'd want. "You're all invited, of course, I could even--"
I wanted to have some fun, and that meant putting one of the smartest people I knew on the back foot. "Sounds good. Free food is always great. Will there be a vegetarian option?"
It took him two seconds to find where I'd taken the conversation and get back on a script. "Of course there will. I'd have thought you two would like something a bit more normal for this side?"
Dad spoke up before I could reply. "Depends on what it is. Saf has enjoyed some shellfish in his diet, but the rest of us have been fairly strict on the ovo-lacto side of things. What about you, Riley?"
"Eww. No meat. I can't believe Saf still eats fish."
Jeff walked over to his desk--the fancy-looking one--and touched a button on the intercom. "Caroline? Make sure at the dinner tomorrow night that there's vegetarian options for the Rees, three need to be ovo-lacto, one pescatarian." He looked at me for confirmation.
Alright, so he was actually going out of his way to make this work. I gave him a thumbs-up then jumped to my feet from the couch. I felt way too stationary. I wanted to fly, but the chances of that were basically nil, so I needed to do something else. "I need to get out of here and do something. Screw just sitting around."
"Why don't we go for a run?" Riley asked.
"Yeah, that'd be a good start. Alright, where can we go for that?" I looked at Mom and Dad, then at Jeff.
"Perhaps head down to Presidential Park? There's a nice big oval there I enjoy running on myself." Jeff looked at Dad. "You could head down there too, Philip, though we'd need more security."
"I'll be fine for a few days of inactivity. This is a working holiday for me."
Shopping was what we had to do first. Running in the suits Jeff's people had gotten us wouldn't be good at all, so we were bundled into a black car and two of his goons drove us to a mall of all things. We walked around with the goons right behind us, literally wearing the getup we'd had on for the TV broadcast. It took me some time to realize that people didn't recognize us because most probably hadn't seen the video yet.
So we got some clothes, the goons swiped a card whenever we needed to pay, got changed in a mall bathroom, and we got bundled back into the car.
There wasn't a lot of people walking around the park. I climbed out of the car first and was hit with the smell of trees and grass. It might not be the sharp scent of ozone from the cloud factory, but it was preferable to basically everything else I'd smelled since getting back. "I'd give anything to fly here."
Riley jumped out behind me. "Well, I'd give anything to be able to keep up my class here, but we both got boned on that one. I want to look at some of the trees, though. I wonder if I can get them to talk?"
"Let's try that after a lap. I hate sitting around all day."
Holding up her hand in a fist, Riley said, "Totally. Even learning isn't as bad. Ponies stand up all the time!"
I met her fist with my own and started off at a jog. It was good to stretch my legs, and at the pace I set Riley could keep up no problems.
The goons, however, weren't having anything to do with our running. They jumped back in the big car and started driving around just behind us. Moving was everything I expected it would be. Using my muscles and stretching was the best, but Riley quickly got distracted halfway around by a small tree with a fence around it.
"What's up with this?" Riley asked as she walked toward the fence.
One of the goons jumped out of the car and walked over. "What's the problem?"
Riley pointed at the tree. "Why's there a fence around this tree?"
"It's to stop anyone vandalizing the tree while it's growing." The guy looked bored as hell, though when Riley started climbing the fence he seemed more excited. "You shouldn't--Ah screw it. Just don't hurt the tree."
I helped Riley with a boost to get her over the fence, then vaulted it myself. I only realized after I'd done it that I'd just jumped over a six-foot fence without any effort at all. For a moment I was freaked out, but then I just realized getting over high things was what pegasi do. "So, what's the plan?"
"I don't know if it will work, but I'll try doing it solo first. If I can't get my magic to trigger, I'll get you to try touching me to give it a push." Riley walked right up to the tree and knelt down at the base of the little sapling.
The trunk was about as round as my thumb, but it needed to be closer to my leg. "'Kay."
She reached her hands out and pressed one to the ground at the base of the trunk and the other on the trunk itself--closing her fingers around it.
From experience, I knew this could take some time. Tree's were slow, though this one was probably young enough she could get it to reply quickly--"quickly" being a few minutes.
"Nothing. Okay, Saf, gimme a kick-start!"
I reached a hand out and put it on Riley's shoulder. "I don't know if this will work, or what might happen, but damn it feels good to use magic." With my free hand I reached up to my feather collection and ran my fingers over them.
The tickle I'd gotten inside came, and I felt that echo of magic course through me. "This would have been so much easier if we'd come over as ponies." I released the trickle of magic and sent it into Riley.
"Hey that--Oh!" Riley let out a giggle. "Okay, I think that did it. Right, here goes nothing."
Time seemed to slow down to a crawl. I could feel my heart beat then pause for ages before another thud happened. What was going on? That's when it hit me--Riley's magic was affecting me just like mine affected her.
I tried to pull my hand back from her shoulder, but whatever was going on made it impossible to move. Stuck like a statue, all I could do is think about what she might be talking to the tree about.
It seemed like forever before she stopped her magic and let time move properly again. I gasped and let go of her shoulder. "Warn me next time."
"Huh?" Riley asked.
"Everything was moving real slow and I couldn't move. Did the tree say anything?"
"A bit. It can feel the tree they removed before it. It didn't want to grow too fast, but I told it to speed things up a bit, and that people would protect it. I don't have the kinda magic I would back home, or I would have fed it, but I made it stop worrying."
"You realize this means our magic works here, like this, right? Can you do that again or would you need another kick-start?" I held out my finger to her in the classic joke style.
Riley just stared at me as if I was crazy. "Not on your life. But, anyway, I don't think I can do it without your help. Even now I don't have that spark. It's like all the magic is bottled up inside, but I can't get the top off."
"Guess these feathers are the key then, hey?" I held out my hands--fingers laced together--to give her a boost back over the fence.
"Is it just me, or do you feel lighter with that pegasus magic?" she asked as she used my hands to get a boost to the top of the fence.
Following her up and over reminded me of the first time. "Yeah, I think so. I can just jump over this without much help from the wire." Coming down on two legs was a bit more difficult than the four I was used to, but it wasn't like I'd forgotten how to use them.
"Look, Saf."
I turned and followed Riley's finger to see the tree was unrolling new leaves, though much slower than what her magic would do in Equestria. "It was really holding back, huh?"
"Yeah. That's not my magic, either, that's the tree just wanting to do something now. This is so cool!"
"We still have half a lap to run. Come on." As I turned to start jogging again, I saw the goon staring at the tree with his mouth open. It made me smile to see people freak out over what we were doing. Magic is what ponies do best, sucker!
Riley ignored the guy and ran to catch up to my side. "What was up with that guy?"
"He's probably never seen real magic before. Remember what this was like before Princess Twilight arrived?" My new habit of using titles was sinking in and taking root. Almost everypony in Equestria had some title to use, and they were as important as names.
"I guess. You'd think he saw it on TV, or even working at the White House."
"It's different seeing it in person. Remember what it was like when you first met Princess Twilight?"
"Huh. You're probably right. Hey, that person is waving at us." Riley nodded to the side, then lifted her arm and waved at the person.
And that's probably when I realized it--we were now celebrities. People we didn't know would recognize us and know our names. The woman Riley had waved to ran over and struggled to keep up with us. "You're the people from TV earlier, right? You went to the pony world?"
I looked around for Jeff's goons, but they were still catching up after the confusion over our magic. "Yeah. I'm Saf and this is Riley."
"Hi!" Riley said.
"Can I get a selfie with you two?" The girl looked about my age, maybe a little younger. She didn't look like she was dressed for running, but rather sight-seeing.
"Sure, I guess. Just don't touch me while you're holding your phone or it might go pop. Pony magic and all that." I grabbed Riley and the girl leaned in from the other side of Riley.
"This is so awesome!" She held her phone out and took the picture. "Will you be running here every day?"
The raw enthusiasm and excitement was something I just wasn't prepared for. How the fuck had meeting me become the high point of someone's day? "Yeah, I guess." I looked at Riley and thought of something. "But there'll be a rule--you only get a selfie if you run with us. At least a lap."
"First one was a freebie," Riley said.
"I'll tell my friends to come prepared. Thanks!" She didn't even tell us her name, but meeting her had been an experience to remember even after she ran off.
Riley turned to look at me for a moment before she let out a giggle. "We're famous, Saf."
"Yeah. Still kinda taking that in. What do you think this will mean?" I started back up with a jog, trusting Riley to keep up.
We managed another full lap before Riley said, "Well, that's enough for me. I don't have as much--"
I reached out a finger and poked her, jolting her with some pegasus magic while I did. The change was immediate and Riley let out a laugh. "Good for more now?" I asked.
"Yeah! You're the best, Saf!" With her earth pony magic burning, Riley would probably be able to outrun me without a problem.
This time, two laps later, I was lathered up in a sweat and was done with running--Riley still looked like she could run ten more laps. "Stop. Dang it, Riley. Turn off your juice."
"Spoilsport. Okay, but what do we do now? It's still... Oh! I'm hungry!" Riley stopped on a dime and turned to look for our goons.
I turned, feeling like I'd really been on a good run now, and looked back to see Riley walking up to the black SUV the goons drove. She walked up and spoke to them while I was still trying to catch my breath.
Staggering back to the car, I climbed in the back with Riley. "So, what now?" I asked.
"Lunch!" Riley bounced on her seat. "Where are we going for lunch?" The last she asked of our goons. As I sat beside her, however, her head spun to look at me. "Saf, you stink! Change of plan, guys, we need somewhere to clean up first."
"Your parents have a suite at the Lafayette. We can drive you there and escort you up." It was the most I'd heard either of the two say since meeting them.
The pony side of me came out and chided me for not being nicer and trying to make friends. "Thanks. And thanks for putting up with us, I know it's not as glamorous as protect--"
"We protect who the president tells us to protect. We don't see it as babysitting, I promise." The guy speaking was the one driving. He pulled out into traffic while he spoke. "You're under protection because you're important to the United States of America, and that's enough for us."
"Not me," the other goon said. "My mother was on dialysis and got an infection. Took just one pill--from the medical stuff your mother secured--and she pulled out of it in hours. Not all heroes wear capes."
I actually laughed at the final comment. "Nice quote." I was surprised when he offered his fist for a bump--one I gratefully returned. Okay, goons was probably a bad name for them. They were just guys with jobs to do, and Riley and me'd completely fucked with that. "Let us know if we're making this too much of a headache."
"Headache? You want to know what a headache is? It's raising my little sister." This was the driving goon again. "We lost our parents ten years ago, and it's not been easy keeping up with her."
"Little Katie?"
"'Little'? She just turned sixteen."
The two men seemed to be talking comfortable together now I'd broken the ice. "Wait," I said, "if she's sixteen, I think I get why she's being a headache."
"You're eighteen, right?" Driver asked.
"Yeah. And Riley's twelve almost thirteen. Anyway, what I mean to say is that before we went to Equestria, I was a pain in the neck to my parents. Alternating between not wanting to do what they say and doing everything to the letter, depending on if it was to my advantage. It's funny how getting a new perspective on things can realign all that."
"You think I should pack her off to another world?"
"Nah. I don't know what the docs are saying about all this anyway. We thought it was all safe before, but then Dad didn't turn back human. What I mean is she might want a change of pace. Well, she might not want it, I didn't, but it's what I needed. That's just how harmony and destiny work, though." It had been pure stream of consciousness. I hadn't even really thought that much on it myself, but everything I'd said was right. I really needed to get away.
There was silence in the car as we traveled past the White House, then Driver let out a thoughtful sound somewhere between a grunt and a hrmm. "You might be right. Maybe I'll put in for a transfer out of security detail, go to a quieter part of the country."
"You what?" Passenger (the other goon) asked. "Just like that?"
"Just like that I'll think on it, sure. All this time I've been asking my friends what they think I should do, when I should have asked someone Katie's age what I should do. Thanks, buddy." His eyes connected with mine in the rear-view mirror and he nodded to me.
If I was a pegasus right now, I'd probably flick my wings and preen a little. Getting a compliment from an adult felt good, plus he'd called me "buddy", which was more like a term for a peer, not a kid. "Saffron Ree, but just call me Saf."
"Trevor Lane, just call me Trev. We're going to be parking in a moment. I want you both to get out with Mike here, let him lead the way while I get the car squared away. We're not expecting any danger, but the boss-man doesn't want any chances taken." Trev flicked on his indicator and pulled us up to the front door of the most crazy-rich-looking hotel ever.
"Okay, after me. C'mon," Mike said as he climbed out.
I opened my door behind Mike and climbed out while reaching back to grab Riley's hand. "Come on, both out this door puts us right behind Mike and gets us inside quicker."
We bundled out of the car and followed Mike inside. The place was huge and everything was either shiny and chrome or shiny and gold. We wound up standing beside the lifts for Trev to come in too. He approached the front desk, spoke with them a moment, and got a key.
As he approached us, I realized he had a sports bag in one hand. "I've got a key to your parents suite. They promised to send someone up to refresh the toiletries once you are done."
"Sweet. Hey, does this place have somewhere to have lunch? Could save you finding us somewhere else, and might have less chance of causing a crowd," I said.
Trev looked at Mike and they both nodded silently. "That would work well. I've got your things in this bag, you can both get changed into your fancy stuff again after you clean up." When the doors of the lift opened, Mike stepped in first, we piled in after him, and Trev stepped in and tapped the keycard to the lift's sensor. It beeped and closed the doors.
"I'll be honest," Mike said. "I thought it was babysitting. That stuff you did with the tree kinda reminded me who you were, though. Now, if you help us out by not being pains in the neck... you get a definite upgrade there."
As soon as he finished, I realized he hadn't meant to say it. It was like the camera guy in the oval office. How often were people going to just open up like this around me. Or us. I looked aside at Riley.
"Is this your magic again?" Riley asked.
"Magic?" Mike asked.
"Back when we were doing the show things with Uncle Jeff, one of the camera guys got really freaky and talkative with Saf. It was kinda cute in a creepy way. Almost like Saf had asked him about his cutie mark--if you ever want to hear a pony talk for an hour, ask them about their cutie mark."
"Are you saying you just wizarded me to tell the truth?" Turning to look at me, Mike raised an eyebrow but had a smile on his face. I didn't even know goons could smile.
"Oh, yeah! Totally. Just like I wizarded you to remove the stick from your ass and smile."
All four of us were laughing when the doors opened. Mike walked out first and looked around before beckoning us down the hallway. All too soon we were at a door, inside, and I was in the shower.
The shampoo and body-wash was surprisingly good stuff, but then, given the look of this place it would be expected. I got out and dried myself off with a plush towel, then walked into the living room without a thought. That's when it hit me that I was naked. "Where's my clean clothes?"
"Naturalist?" Trev asked as he tossed the bag in my direction.
"Somethin' like that. Ponies don't wear much in the way of clothes most of the time, but nothing's all that visible." That's a lie and I know it. I'd seen more vaginas in my months in Equestria than all the porn I've ever seen, and given my life on the internet before going to Equestria, that was a startling fact even for me to digest. "Thanks."
As I walked back toward the bedroom I'd been using, Riley stepped out of a different one--though she had towels wrapped around her. "Is my stuff in that bag too?" she asked, and when I shrugged, she looked at the goons.
"I put everything you didn't wear running in there," Mike said.
She followed me into the room, and the moment the door closed she started giggling. "You forgot you weren't a pony."
"Yeah. I just don't think about clothes much, I guess. What do you need?" I dropped the bag on the bed, unzipped it, and then turned it upside down. I started picking through the things I'd need.
"Bra, underwear, socks, top, skirt..." She let out a sigh. "I wish I had some makeup."
"You should have grabbed some when you got that skirt." I grabbed out my selections and noticed there was yet more clothing that was brand new from the mall we visited. "I'll change in the bathroom."
"'Kay. So what are we going to have for lunch? I hope they have something good." I heard her pulling things on and making biting sounds. "Ugh, these damn tags." That explained the biting sounds.
"I might see if they have any seafood. I have no clue what this kind of place would serve. How will we pay for it?" I realized I'd have to do what Riley was doing for some of the things I'd grabbed, though the suit pants from earlier would be fine.
"Duh, Mike or Trev will sort that out. Maybe I could get something with apples in it--just to compare it to Bloom's apples."
That made sense--the first bit, at least. "You know they won't. Nothing tastes as good as food grown by an earth pony, and you know it." I was about halfway dressed.
"Yeah, I know. But it's still good to remind ourselves of that. I bet they do have good seafood, though."
"Are you turning a little pegasus?" I asked. "Maybe have some wings growing in? How would that be, if we went back through the teleport thingy and we both ended up as pegasi?"
"Eww! I don't like it as a pony!" She screwed her face up her face. "Can you toss me my socks?"
Everything I did, from breathing right up to running, reminded me that this was all strange now. I was missing two limbs and couldn't walk right and--I needed to calm down. Maybe I was a little hangry, too. "Well, why not have a steak?"
"What?!"
"I mean, you're human now, you can eat one and I bet it would taste good."
"Why don't you get one too then? We can both eat all the red meat." Riley glared at me in a way that told me she knew exactly why I wouldn't take her up on that. Well, time to call her on it.
"You know why." Just thinking of how much Fluttershy would look hurt by me admitting to eating red meat stung part of my soul.
Riley finished buttoning up her shirt and turned back to face me. "It's because of her, isn't it? She'd give you those big, sad eyes."
"Shut up, Riley."
"She wouldn't say a word, but I bet her bottom lip would tremble a bit and her ears would fold back."
"Alright. You win. I can't believe she's a whole universe away and I still can't look at meat without picturing her expression. Fish it is." I got my pants on and tucked my shirt into them. "It feels weird wearing all these clothes, too."
"Says the guy who was walking around naked five minutes ago."
I turned and stuck my tongue out at her. "Like you were much better."
"I kept my underwear on..." The way she trailed off made me think that hadn't been as certain as she'd have liked it to be.
"Let's face it, Riley, we're both ponies now. This"--I smacked my chest with my palm--"is strange now."
"Yup. Ponies through and through. So what can we do to be silly with it?" The look Riley gave me spoke of mischief on a large scale.
"We could order salad bowls and try to eat from them only using our faces."
"Ohh! And what about getting sippy straws for everything and just trying to never use our hands?"
Pulling our shoes on together, I shook my head. "You're not thinking far enough. We make it a contest. See how many times we have to resort to using our hands. Least amount wins."
"No. It counts 2 points if someone sees you, 5 if they comment, and only 1 if you get away without anyone noticing," Riley said.
Standing up, I flicked my braid to the side and watched the pattern of colored feathers swoosh across my vision. "You're the smart one in the family, and it shows. Okay, those points sound good, but how do we record them if we can't use our hands to write them down?"
"We'll work something out." |
The Embassy | Chapter 23 | We'd taken our challenge a step further and decided to order for each other--with the caveat that we wouldn't order any meat from a land critter. For Riley, I'd ordered a fish I hoped would be full of tiny bones she'd have to pick out, while she'd ordered a lobster for me.
The salad starters went down well, and we both enjoyed them despite the two goons' looks. They knew we weren't this useless, but the waiter looked mortified when we leaned down and started eating from the plates.
"What are you two doing?" Trev asked.
"Being idiots, mostly," I said while chewing on the last leaf of my salad. "You know, playing up being ponies turned into humans. I don't know how to use hands."
"That's ten points for explaining the game," Riley said.
I turned to look at her. "We never agreed on that rule."
We stared at each other for a good minute before we both cracked up laughing. There was something good about supporting each other though this. No matter what happened, we were both still ourselves. We were ponies pretending to be upright monkeys.
Our giggles continued until our main courses came out. They set down a block of wood on one side and a rice dish on the other. "Butter-poached lobster with a lobster risotto." They moved over to Riley and put down a plate with a salmon steak on the side of a plate with some kind of sauce, rice, and red vegetables too. "Crispy salmon filet with a potato and herb mash and roasted tomatoes with a light vinaigrette."
Okay, not rice. That potato must have been mashed really fine. Damn, now I wanted to try her salmon. "That looks delicious."
"We're going to ruin these meals if we try this, aren't we?" Riley asked.
"Yeah. Okay, game's over. We both won." I leaned over, my nose telling me how amazing that fish was. "Can I try a bit of that?"
"If I can have a piece of your lobster."
On the block of wood, the lobster meat was laid out perfectly, but it was missing all the enclosing shell. At the front of it, the head sat looking up at me. "You want the head?" I lifted it up and realized it was empty. "Oh, that's empty. Well, want a leg?"
"Sure, here you are." Riley used her hands to shovel a piece of the salmon onto my block of wood and speared one of the pincers to gather up some of the lobster for herself.
While we ate, the two goons got their own meals delivered. We chatted about this and that--mostly the food. Trev wanted to know more about what it was like to live on a different world and Mike seemed more interested in asking about what Dad was doing.
Our waitress, whenever she came to the table, wouldn't stop stealing looks at Riley or me. When we got to dessert, I caught her looking at me in a far different way than she was looking at Riley.
"Apple pie served à la Mode with a vanilla bean ice cream and drizzled with apple caramel, for all four." The waitress carefully placed each of our plates down, but mine I noticed something extra. There was a small piece of paper folded under one edge of my plate.
When she left, Trev snorted. "Look under your plate. I'll bet you just got her cell number."
"Yeah. She was looking at both of us, but she didn't seem to be able to get her eyes off me for long." It was exciting. How could it not be? As a pony I didn't even have the urges that were making me grin right now. I started eating my pie. "Do you think I should call her?"
"Eww. Saf, I'm probably only going to tell you this once. You could do better." Riley took a fork-load of the pie and started chewing it before she pointed it back at her plate. "This isn't half bad."
"I mean, she was kinda cute, for a human." I stopped in my tracks the moment I realized what I'd said. For a human implied that I thought a pony of equal beauty would be superior. Mentally, I put the waitress and Sudden on a platform together and looked at each. "Huh..."
"Did my big brother just realize he likes ponies more than girls?" Her tone implied that Riley wasn't going to let this go anytime soon. "Because that's what that sounded like."
"I... I guess I kinda do." I speared more pie and chewed on it thoughtfully for a moment, apparently joined by the rest since they didn't cut in. I thought about those two images--waitress and Sudden Turn--and it became quickly apparent what it was. "I think I'm into wings."
"Chicken wings?" Mike asked.
Riley and Trev both laughed.
I rolled my eyes at them all. "No. I mean I'm into pegasi. I tried to picture Miss Free-With-Her-Number and a friend from back home, and when I tried to look at them both and think what makes me look at one and not the other, it was her wings."
"Not her butt?" Mike asked. "Or her--her chest?"
Shaking my head, I let out a sigh and reviewed my mental image. "Definitely her wings. I could count every feather on them and tell you what every single one does. I can even tell you how soft they are."
"Good luck, Earth girls, this guy's got it for bits you don't even have." Trev speared some of his dessert with his fork. "They never even stood a chance."
I continued to eat my pie in silence, as did the others. When I finished it, and despite everything I'd said about wings, I drew the piece of paper out from under the plate and looked at it. It said, "Call me," and was followed by a phone number.
Folding it, I tucked it in my pocket. Would I call her? Maybe. I don't know. She looked in her 20s, maybe early in them, which made her older than me here, but even thinking of myself as the pegasus colt I felt like made me shudder a little.
How messed up was it that that was now working in reverse?
"I'll just take those away. Can I get you anything else?" She sounded like she was smiling and genuinely happy. I turned my head to look up at her and saw a young woman who looked very pretty--for a human.
"I, uh." Saf, get a hold of yourself and do this like an adult. "Do you know if the hotel has a bar, and what time it might open?" Smooth.
Her face lit up to a whole new level of happiness. It felt nice to have put that smile there. "Sure. There's one just out the door and to your left. I believe it starts to get interesting in about an hour."
"Thanks. I guess I'll see how interesting it gets." I couldn't help but smile back. There was something about just honestly talking to people that seemed to make them happy and excited.
My brain began to shift gears into human mode, and all of Dad's warnings rushed in. I needed condoms. If this was going to get interesting-interesting, well, I wanted to be ready for any kind of interesting.
"Could you bring the check?" Trev asked.
Hearing someone else speak snapped her out of her daydream. She turned to Trev and nodded. "Certainly sir."
While Trev and the woman organized payment, Mike turned away from us and spoke so softly I couldn't hear him. I turned my attention to Riley.
"I guess you don't need me to hang around while you're with a girl." If Riley had a crest, it'd be fallen. She looked down at the floor.
It took less than half a second to toss away my plans. "Hey, if it's that boring I'll ditch her and come up to our suite. There was a few games consoles hooked up, I figure we can find something to play."
Riley's head shot up to look at me. "What? You'd do that for me?"
"Of course. Remember, we're the only two ponies here except for Mom and Dad, and they don't count because they're adults. I'll be 10 minutes, tops."
If she'd been an earth pony still, Riley would have knocked me over and then some. As it was I was a lot more solid than she was here and caught her with one arm around her back to deliver the hug she was giving me. Was this crazy? Not according to how I felt. Riley was family, and family was important.
"W-Why don't you ask if she wants to play too? I-I know she wants to--to play adult games, but she'll probably be sad if you just turn her down."
I thought about it for a second. It would give me a chance to get a little more relaxed around girls here, and there'd be no pressure. Plus I could chase down some condoms later. "I'll ask her. I don't think she'll want to stick around to play CoD or whatever's popular now, but it won't hurt to ask."
"Hell if I can figure you out," Trevor said. "You get a girl who wants to--to have some fun with you, and you ditch her to play video games with your sister?" He stumbled only when he realized he would say something that Riley probably shouldn't hear.
I mean, I guess that was true. It'd be nice to get laid, but there were more important things. "A year ago you'd have been right. I was kinda girl-crazy when I wasn't trying to be cool and disinterested in everything. I'm different now."
"I'll say." Riley smirked at me. "You know the day before we had to leave he had a girl in his room? My brother's pretty awesome most of the time, but sometimes he's a bit stupid."
"Hey!"
"Just calling it like it is. You used to be all crazy whenever your friend Candy visited." She stuck her tongue out at me.
She was right, though. Candy was kinda fun to be with, but I did get kinda distracted by her. For a brief moment I wondered what she might be doing now, but the answer was obvious--she'd be on break and getting ready for college.
Did Wonderbolts training count as college? I knew there were jocks that went to college just to play sport, but Wonderbolts training was nothing like that. Was it?
Riley Ree
It was way too much fun ribbing Saf, but when I saw him actually look worried, I clinked my spoon on my plate. He looked up at me with those big--Okay, they weren't big, cute eyes. Ponies had big cute eyes, but Saf's right now looked like he was worried about something.
I wouldn't normally worry about what Saf's feeling so much, but right now us ponies had to stick together. "What's up?"
"I was thinking about what Candy would be doing, which made me think of college, and..." He reached up to his feathered braid. "You know how jocks go to college and do sport? Do you think Junior Wonderbolts Academy is like that?"
"You're only asking me 'cos I'm smart, aren't you?"
"More like you'll tell me the truth."
I giggled and reached out my hand to poke him in the ribs. "I can do even better than answer this for you."
He looked more curious than upset now. "What?"
"Okay, let me put it a better way. How does a pegasus fly in still air?" I knew the answer because I'd been studying everything lately. Anything with four legs at least. There was so much about ponies themselves to study.
"In still air? Most pegasi would tuck their primaries and use the lift gained by their secondary feathers. Glide to conserve energy then give a few flaps to regain altitude."
I stared at him in what I hoped was a good deadpan expression. He just kept looking back at me.
It seemed he needed more. "And how does pegasus magic affect clouds?"
"It interacts between our hooves and the moist air, creating an arc of travel for the magic to flow and--" Bam. He finally got it. He stared at me like I was a genius and he was maybe, kinda starting to get on my level.
Then his shock broke into a smile and he reached out and grabbed me. It might have been really odd to see brothers and sisters of our ages hug like this in public, but it made the pony I was in my heart happy to get a big hug and to hug him back. "See? You're not a jock, Saf. You're way too smart for that."
"Ponies forever, right?"
I laughed. "Absolutely. Hoof-bump." I pulled back from the hug and held up my fist. It wasn't exactly a hoof, but it was close enough.
"Right on." He bumped my fist with his own. "I'll go see if she's there yet. You want anything to drink?"
"Sure. Some of Sweet Apple Acres best light cider." I kinda regretted saying it. We'd only had it once, and that once had spoiled every other sweet drink ever.
"We gotta wait until we get back for that. I'll find something for us to take upstairs." He stood up and reached out to ruffle my hair, then walked off in the direction he'd been told. Mike stood up too and walked after him.
"I guess that's why they sent two of you?" I asked Trevor Lane.
"Yeah. We have to keep an eye out for anything bad happening to either of you. You know, I only knew one big brother myself, but I don't think he ever looked up to me or my sister."
"It's just how we are. You should see it when we're back home. He's bigger than me still, but he's a pegasus and I'm an earth pony, so I'm a lot stronger than he is even at my size. It was a little unnerving when we got back here to realize how much I relied on that strength." I reached out for a bread roll that was in a basket on the table and grabbed one of them.
"Really settled in there, huh?"
I looked up at him as if he was crazy, because he was. "Well, yeah. Firstly, you take the biggest wishes of every little girl--to be around ponies all the time and meet a real life princess. That happened on day one. Things got more awesome from there."
"You like it more than here?"
"Yeah. I mean, I have friends there, and we're going to be there for a bit. I know it's going to take forever for me to grow up there, but that just means more time to be a kid." When my answer made him look confused, I had to wonder how much people knew about it. "You know how aging works different there, right?"
"I heard something about it. What's so different?"
Thinking back, I couldn't remember when an adult human had spoken to me like this--as if I wasn't just a little kid but had something worth hearing. "Well, I'm almost thirteen, right?" I waited for him to nod. "That's how old a foal is who's just starting their second year of school. So rather than junior high, I'd be stuck learning to write my name and count to five."
"That bad? I thought it was just like a few years or something." He grabbed a bread roll as well and started picking at it. "So when would you have graduated?"
"Their idea of high school is really slow going. They learn all kinds of job things and get to go out and try working at jobs--all to get their cutie marks and find their special talent." Lifting up my own roll, I paused just before taking a bite to say, "Fifty. I'd have another 37 years of school."
"And you want to go back to that? How old do ponies get?"
I had to chew hard to get the mouthful of bread down and then needed a drink. Why do I have to wait to have a good cider? Grabbing a glass of water I got the impending hiccups to stop before they even started. "Yeah. I mean, I get to study a lot, and I kinda like that. Ponies get really old. 200 to 250 is pretty normal, although I know a pony, Granny Smith, who is almost 300."
"You're shitting me?" When I raised an eyebrow at him, Trevor Lane seemed to barely notice it. "What do they do with all that? Do they get bored of life?"
"You're asking someone at the wrong end of things. Also, watch your language around little fillies."
He actually blushed at that, though I don't think it was because of the first bit. We sat in silence for a few minutes before Saffron returned. He didn't have a drink with him, but Mike was walking along behind.
"Come on, Riley. Let's head up. The guy at the bar said he'd have room service send up some drinks. Kaylee said she'll meet us in the lift. I think it might be that fascination thing again, but she seemed interested in playing some video games with us."
I put the rest of my bread on my plate and stood up. "She, uh, knows I'll be there, right?"
"Yeah, I told her you'd be playing too. If it's a problem for her, it's a problem for me." Saf really said the best stuff sometimes. We walked to where all the lifts were--with Mike and Trevor following--and just before we started stepping into one the woman Saf had been talking to walked up and stepped in with us.
"Riley, this is Kaylee. Kaylee, Riley's my little sister."
"You're a pony too, right? Like from the video with the president?" Kaylee definitely seemed excited enough to count as fascinated, but I remembered how that other girl was with our running.
I needed and resolved to make a new friend. After all, that was the pony way. "Sure am! It's still odd getting used to walking like this again, but the running we did earlier helped."
"Ugh. I am so jealous. I hate working this job, but you know how it is trying to get work and--I wish I could be a pony too."
Funnily, it was Saf who broke first and replied. "You know ponies need to work too, right? They have waiters and restaurants and--"
"Yeah, but I'd be a pony! A pegasus or a unicorn! It'd be amazing!"
Okay, now she had to be put in her place. "What about earth ponies?"
"You mean the ones without wings or a horn? I--I guess I didn't really think about them. What can they do?" Kaylee at least didn't think earth ponies weren't amazing straight away. She wasn't a total loss.
"Earth ponies," Saffron said, "are the greatest. They're strong as ten pegasi, can lift twice whatever a unicorn can with their horn, and they have hearts the size of a house."
"I thought you were a pegasus?"
"I am, but earth ponies and unicorns are great. My dad's a unicorn, and Mum and Riley are earth ponies. Riley is stronger than I am in Equestria--and I'm like twice her size!"
This wasn't right, though. He was cheering on earth ponies and unicorns, but was neglecting pegasi. "Saffron is leaving out that pegasi are awesome. They're faster than the wind and help keep the weather in Equestria from going crazy all the time."
"Then there's the dragons. We're best buds with a dragon named Spike. He's a librarian," Saffron said.
"And alicorns," I said. "Alicorns are when a pony has all three races in them. There's a few alicorns, but only one that was born an alicorn. Princess Flurry Heart." She'd told me not to use her full title when talking to her, but this wasn't talking to her. Besides, she was a princess and everyone should know that.
"But wouldn't you only need to combine a pegasus and unicorn to get a pony that looks like all three?" The lift was riding up and was almost at our stop, and her questions were starting to bug me just a little.
"What? Of course not. You can have the creativity and magic of a unicorn and the speed and loyalty of a pegasus, but without the heart and strength of an earth pony you wouldn't be an alicorn. There's a ton of other little things each race can do that's special. Like, Riley can talk to trees." Saffron stepped out of the lift when it stopped and made room for us to follow.
"Talk to trees? How does that even work?"
I giggled as I stepped out. "Very slowly. What's more fun is that they listen, and you can ask them to do things. Usually it takes some magic to convince them, but the one we found today was too scared to grow properly, and I managed to convince it that it was safe."
"No way! What happened?"
"It used the stored energy to grow. The poor thing was terrified if it got too big, bad things would happen. It didn't realize there was a literal army of people trying to help it grow." Well, I hoped there was. It seemed like the gardens around there were important.
"You mean it's going to grow now, right?" She looked a little confused. "Not like, grow-grow right away."
Saf opened the door to our suite and led the way inside. "What? No, she means it literally grew right there. Gained a few feet, right?"
His reinforcing of my story made me want to puff out my chest and strut a little, though I think that'd look a little silly for a human to do. "Right. It had so much energy that I didn't need to use any magic on it. Plants can grow really quick when they want to."
"What's it like there though? The pony world, I mean. Ponies seem really awesome, but I don't know if I'd want to, like, go there." The change in topic annoyed me a little, but it was jumping from one of my favorite topics to another.
Settling down on the couch, Saf pulled out a remote bigger than my head and started looking over it. "Well, the first thing you gotta realize is that the most crazy part of being there is that you're a pony. Forget hands and feet, you're all leg and bright colors. It gets twice as confusing if you become a pegasus."
"Saf couldn't walk properly for weeks. He kept getting his wings mixed up with his forelegs," I said as I jumped up on the couch beside him. I figured he'd probably want a little bit of contact with Kaylee, so left room for her to sit between us.
"Oh, yeah. I was so confused. It was like... Okay, imagine if your arms turn into legs and you grow new arms. You kinda know how arms are meant to work, but these ones are wired up all wrong. So there you are, whenever you try to move an 'arm' you fall over." The TV finally came on and Saf started punching other buttons. "It took a lot of work to work it out, and it was partly a really clever trick."
Spotting the game controllers in a little rack beside the TV, I jumped up and grabbed three of them. "Here you go."
That's when I realized what might be wrong with having her sit between us. If she was getting hit with that pony-whammy effect, now she was getting a double dose. Well, that's what she was here for, right? I passed the controllers to Saf and her, then jumped back up on the couch as Saf sorted out the TV. |
The Embassy | Chapter 24 | Clair Ree
Jeff yawned. The only time I'd ever seen him yawn before was during his campaign. Long nights and early mornings hadn't agreed with him, but today had been a mostly ordinary day, though with the time difference it felt like mid evening for us--despite it being nearly two A.M.
"I think we should head to the hotel. Jeff..." I had to rear up and plant my hooves on the Resolute Desk. "Jeff!"
"Clair!" Jeff looked around as if a firecracker had gone off. "It's been a long day. I think I need to call it quits here." He stood up and stretched. Despite his tiredness and despite working at what previous presidents had called the hardest job in the world, he still looked spry.
Jumping down from the desk, I walked over to Philip and indulged in a kiss. "Come on. Let's go see how much of the city Saffron and Riley have destroyed."
"Maybe we could go to a different hotel? Tell the kids tomorrow that we got lost. We won't even need a bedroom for what I have planned." He stopped every few words to kiss me again, and despite our location, the time, and my current circumstances, part of me definitely liked his plan. "So?"
I tilted my head and leaned forward so our brows touched and his horn rested against the top of my head. "You know what that would mean for tomorrow, right?"
Philip's little chuckle made my belly clench. "You mean if we spent all night studying anato--?"
"I'm sorry to do this, Clair, Philip, but I'm leaving, and that means the office needs to be cleared," Jeff said, startling both of us out of the moment.
"Sorry, Jeff." Embarrassed? Yup. Going to let it bring down the night? Not a chance. "C'mon, sexy," I said to Philip, hopefully quiet enough that only he heard it, "let's make a move so you can make a move."
He jumped up from the couch and followed me to the door and outside, and he was like that all the way out to the car. Jeff had two of his Secret Service drive us to the hotel where Saffron and Riley were already stationed. While we got some odd looks in the lobby, no one actually said anything to us.
Philip seemed to be curtailing his advances, though I could still catch him looking at me as if I were an apple pie and he was hungry--a look I quite enjoyed. When the lift stopped and one of the big men stepped out to check the hallway, Philip leaned over and nipped my ear.
"Philip!" I trotted out of the lift with a prancing gait that I'm sure had been exactly what he wanted of me. "Where're our rooms?"
"Down here, ma'am."
I followed along, aware that Philip was right behind me, and had to struggle not to put on a show for him. What was wrong with me? When the man in front stopped at a door and whispered something I didn't hear, the door opened to reveal a room dimly lit with a TV playing something on the other side of it.
"Mom? Dad?" Riley's voice came a moment before she leaned over the back of a couch that was in a depressed section of the living room.
Oh no, Clair. You could have taken your husband's advice and been making out in another hotel by now. Never mind the kids would have been not just okay, but watched over by the Secret Service. Nope, you had to be the responsible adult and not spend all night with your sexy stallion. "Hey, kids. Not too bored I hope?"
"Nah. We were just playing games with Kaylee. She's nice."
That intrigued me, and I walked over to the couch and around it to see a young woman slumped against Saffron's side. The scene looked like she'd passed out on him. "Saffron?"
My son, of course, was still playing the game and ignoring the new ornament he'd gained. He seemed to jerk a little at my mention of his name, then turned his head while pausing his game. "Oh. Hi, Mom."
"She got pony-whammied." Riley sat up and stretched. "Saf was being nice, though I think the whammy helped a bit. She seemed really into him at the restaurant, but when we all got close on the couch and played games, it was like the whammy just mellowed her out."
"Riley thinks there's some kind of whammy that makes people really like ponies, and she thinks we're still causing it." Saffron gestured to the woman curled up beside him. "Like the cameraman back at the White House."
A nip at my ear stole all my attention away from the situation on the couch. Philip was walking past and making quite a show of moving. "Leave them to their game. They can afford to be tired tomorrow."
Damn him, but I knew the evening was not over yet--and I liked the idea. "Right. Bed. Gotta be up early tomorrow." Oh, you liar Clair Ree. I walked off after Philip and left our children to be as terrible as they wanted to be.
Truthfully, I trusted Saffron not to take advantage of her, especially if there was some kind of magical effect. Philip, on the other hoof, I was hoping would take advantage of me. "Coming."
Yawning, I wanted to ignore the sound of buzzing coming from the side of the bed. The rumpled bed that we were both spread across after a wonderful evening. "Mmm. I'm coming..." Lifting my head from the pillow, I saw it was a bedside phone that was ringing.
"So you said last night," Philip said as he rolled toward me. "Let it ring."
I giggled as he tried to distract me--almost successfully. However, without using his magic he had no chance of keeping me from answering the phone. "Hello?" It was a little awkward to hold to my head. The handset was just a little shorter than a pony head needed.
"You have a waiting message from a Mr. Jeff Miller. He's asked you to be woken at 8 A.M., and told to be ready at 9." The man's voice sounded confused, and it took me a few moments to realize he didn't recognize Jeff's name. It's true that it was a little more "normal" than previous presidents', but I would have hoped all the work we put in would make it one to be remembered long after he leaves office.
"Thank you. If President Miller calls back, please put him through to me immediately." I could almost hear the silent shock on the other end of the line. I didn't expect an acknowledgment, so hung the phone back up before letting out a little gasp.
Philip looked up from my belly, his mouth curled into a wide grin. "A wake-up call?" At my nod, he nuzzled my belly again and ran his tongue into my bellybutton. "How long do we have?"
"An hour, but--" I didn't get any further with the words or thought as Philip made sure I wasn't going to be focusing on anything that wasn't him for nearly twenty minutes. Though they were a quite enjoyable twenty minutes, now I had to rush a little.
A shower and drying off my coat should have taken the better part of an hour on its own, but Philip helped with his magic and--by the time we were done--we opened the bedroom door and walked to the living room in time to see the clock hit 8:56 A.M.
"We still have four minutes, Clair," Philip said from behind me--close enough that I could feel his breath on my coat.
"Dad..." Saffron's tone actually made me giggle. I looked around to locate him, and found him in the kitchen area making a bowl of cereal. "Some of us are trying to eat here."
"You say that, Saf, and yet I wasn't the only one with a girl over last night." Philip practically strutted past me and into the small kitchen area, and was using his magic to make two more bowls of the cereal.
Saffron poured milk into his bowl and picked up a spoon to start eating. "Kaylee left earlier. She had work today. Also, we weren't banging so loud that the whole hotel heard."
"But you were banging?" Philip asked him.
I couldn't keep back a snort that broke loose. Saffron looked at me accusingly and let out a sigh. "Something wrong?" I asked.
"We didn't do anything at all. It just didn't feel right, you know? I guess if you spend a few months as a pre-pubescent pony you kinda don't have much game when you are dumped back in hormone-ville again." He began shoveling his breakfast with more determination than I think he showed when flying. Maybe.
"Sorry, Saf. How about a truce on that, then?" Philip asked as he floated two bowls over to the coffee table.
I'd grown used enough to eating directly from bowls--it didn't seem so much an animalistic thing as just practical. Philip might have his fancy magic to hold knives and spoons and forks and such, but while I could manage with my hooves, it was a slow and annoying process. I followed my bowl to the low table and started drinking the moment we both reached it.
Saffron sighed loud enough to make me grin into my breakfast. "Sure. Okay. Just try to keep it down a bit. Or close your door or something. Whatever works." That surprised me. Had we left the door open in our rush to have fun last night?
Philip just looked smug. Okay, I knew I was a little vocal last night, but he'd been too. I guess they don't make hotel walls like they used to. Did Philip like hearing me make a lot of noise? Well, I know the answer to that already--he does. I didn't realize he liked the idea of others hearing me.
"Our door was closed, but we'll try to keep it down, Saf." Philip forsook a spoon and ate his cereal like I did. It wasn't a huge deal for me, but I appreciated him making me feel more at ease about eating. "Got any plans for today?"
"Heck yeah!" Saffron seemed to animate, but I could hear an edge to his voice that told me he was about to pull a teenager moment. "I'm going to head out and stretch my wings, then I'm going to fly up to Cloudsdale and do some Wonderbolt training." Yeah, he was getting much better with sarcasm. "Oh, wait, I can't."
"It's only a week." Riley walked out of her room on the other side of the living room and was using a towel on her hair. She walked over to the table wearing only a second towel, and sat down. "What's for breakfast?"
A knock came at the door, startling us all. Saf, who was already standing, walked over and touched the intercom. "Oh." He opened the door to reveal Jeff Miller, President of the United States of America. "Hey."
"How are we all today? Riley! What you did in the park yesterday has my press secretary buzzing. Showing off Equestrian magic? Everyone loves it. We're going to have to make your run today an event, though. Turns out that young miss you ran with tweeted it out and there's going to be a lot joining you, if the replies are anything to go off." Jeff wasn't just smiling, he was beaming. I couldn't blame him, everything was coming up roses and it was just because of our kids being themselves.
"Maybe I'll just run in the gym, here, then." Saffron closed the door and walked over to the couch. "It was fun to run with a few people, but I don't think I want to be a celebrity."
"Maybe Keylee will be there?" Riley asked, lifting her spoon as a bowl of cereal floated over before her.
Jeff made his way over to the kitchen table. "Mind if I sit down, and who's Keylee?"
"Keylee, unless I miss my guess," I said, "is a girl Saffron met late yesterday. I think her intention was to have a quick party with him, but there's something we noticed. Remember your camera guy getting fixated on Saffron's feathers yesterday?" I waited until Jeff was nodding along. "Well, that seems to be a side effect of pony magic. A minor fixation."
Looking a little worried, Jeff looked between Philip and myself. "It didn't seem harmful."
"Jeff," Philip said, "do you know anything ponies do to be harmful? Basically cute little fuzzy magic critters who want to break into song every now and again."
I nodded to that. "Right. Let's just call it a bedazzling. So I figure when Riley and Saffron tell her they want to play games, she's too enthusiastic about being bedazzled to steer back to what she wanted. Who was she?"
"Waitress from the restaurant downstairs," Saffron said.
"I'm not going to tell you how to live your life, Saf. You're an adult now." Philip's statement got an incredulous look from Saffron.
"Dad! Ugh. The worst bit is I want to get annoyed at you for making me go to Equestria in the first place but I like it too much there. You're the worst and best, you know that?"
"I love you too, Saf," Philip said.
"Err, okay." Jeff seemed a little flustered, but his face quickly settled back into his normally focused expression. "Well, I have a full day planned. There's two news interviews, a press conference, and I had scheduled a meet and greet at one of DC's hospitals so you can see the difference the medication and expertise from Equestria is bringing."
Saffron, Riley, and Philip all let out the most expansive groans I'd heard from them in a while. It was enough to make me chuckle at the way they harmonized. "Sounds great, Jeff. I assume you had Caroline write up itineraries for each of us?"
"Waiting in the car. Whenever you're all ready?" Jeff seemed to just now notice Riley wasn't wearing anything but a towel.
Riley, of course, stuck her tongue out at him and returned to eating her breakfast.
Well, time to be a parent. "Riley, finish your breakfast and go get dressed."
"Yes, Mom," Riley said.
"Saffron, are you nearly ready?"
"Yes, Mom," Saffron said.
I felt it best not to point out that if they were ponies, they wouldn't need clothes. That's when something hit me. "Oh no."
"What's wrong?" Philip asked.
"We're ponies."
"Right."
"What do you see?" I looked to Jeff.
"You're a pony... Where are you going with this, Clair?" Jeff asked.
Stepping off my seat and onto the floor, I turned to look away from Philip, then looked back over my shoulder at him. "See?"
Philip looked distracted for a moment, then blushed and nodded.
"What's the matter?" Jeff asked again.
"Clair needs a skirt." Philip tried to keep his tone neutral, but I could hear a little bit of a comical undertone. Drat him, I was trying to be serious. "There's a thing among ponies that you don't do, and that's stare at what's under a tail. Ask Saf how he handled the first few weeks of being a pony."
"Don't ask Saf," Saffron said.
The pair of them laughed, but it was Riley who jumped up from the table and rushed to her room. I was about to ask what had happened when she came back out holding a shopping bag. "This will be perfect on you, Mom!"
What she lifted from her bag was a light brown, knee-length skirt. She marched up to me while everyone was speechless, and squinted. "Okay, going to need some safety pins. Anypony know where we can get them?" And just like that my little filly had taken control of the situation.
Jeff jumped to his feet, walked over to the telephone, and picked it up. After a moment he introduced himself and asked for them to send a sewing kit and safety pins. "As many as you can bring. -- That will be fine. As soon as possible."
"You're right. I will need a sewing kit. I need to split the back seam of this, then a safety pin at the fastener to hold it on around your tail. Then some more to help keep it cinched tight." As she spoke, Riley lifted my back legs one at a time to get the skirt around them, then pulled it up in such a way that it sat under my tail, but the front fastening was at the back and fit around my dock. It was ingenious!
"How'd you figure that out?" I asked.
"Mom, Riley's a genius, remember? She takes after you while I take after Dad." Saffron stood up from the couch and carried his bowl to the kitchen.
It took me aback. I knew my little filly was smart--Moon Dancer had said as much on several occasions--but Saffron's words stirred up myriad of times when she'd known things far beyond what her years would normally allow. This latest was a demonstration of logic and planning that I'd not seen her perform before.
Do I tell her that? Her brother seems to be doing a good job of reinforcing and encouraging her already, maybe I should just lend a gentle hoof. "Well, it's very clever of you, sweetie." I reached out a hoof and pulled her closer--something that was surprisingly easy given I was an earth pony--and into a hug.
I gave her a good hug and got a slightly awkward one back--though it was obvious the problem she had was being bigger than me. No matter, she knew I loved and appreciated her despite the situation we were in.
The day, once I had suitable attire, was a series of fluffy interviews that didn't go into any depth on either Equestria or my mission there. I knew this would be the setup, but it still disappointed me to have another vacuous talk-show host ask me "why the long face?" for the umpteenth time.
Lunch was spent munching on whatever Philip could find that he approved of while a woman measured me up for more dresses. I was assured that I would have two more dresses that fit as well as Riley's by the end of the day.
Which left an afternoon briefing with the Senate. I had my notes together as well as a folder of the questions the Left were going to ask me--how nice of the party to warn me--and a bunch of questions they were sure the Right would ask.
So, forewarned, I had a halfway easy task ahead of me with about half the questions being mundane and open ended--giving me a chance to deliver my own information to the locked-door sitting.
"You'll forgive us if we're a little confused by your current state, ambassador Ree, but why exactly have you chosen to forsake your humanity so quickly?" It wasn't on my good list precisely because it was at the top of my bad list. Truth be told, the Republican senator for Kentucky was expected to be a little blunt even on a good day.
"You'll forgive me then, I hope. While our chief doctors and physicists could barely give me any word on what the portal does to a mature human, none of them suggested my using the transmogrification setting while pregnant. I'm sure with more use and more experimentation, we'll have all the answers, but not even its creator could be sure it would be safe for me to use." My answer, I knew, was relatively straight to the point for a Senate deposition.
"You got pregnant while--?"
"With my husband. Not that the intricacies of such are a matter for the Senate of the United States of America." I tried to be firm in stating that, but these old bastards could ask anything they wished, and they knew it. It was still, very slightly, a Republican Senate. "Is this really what you'll be spending your five minutes on?"
A round of chuckles circled anyone who had a D beside their name and even a few with an R.
"I only meant to clarify the--" The senator for Kentucky stopped rambling quickly enough. "I'd like to bring up the expense report you filed wherein you requisitioned $200,000 of computer hardware and ancillary equipment. Our estimates show that your department doesn't have the manpower to use a fraction of that."
I smiled, disarmingly I hope, and leaned up to the mic. "Could you rephrase that as a question?"
"What exactly are you using all this computer equipment for?"
"As is explained on page two-thirty-five of my report, approximately ten percent of the equipment was for the consulate, the rest was used as trade goods with the ponies, and more are already pending approval to secure further supplies of medical equipment."
"What medical equipment is being obtained?"
The questions went on and on, and I wished I could say that they were all intelligent and on-point, but they were deliberately trying to trip me up. They were seeking a reason to embarrass Jeff, and I was a conduit to him. What they seemed to have forgotten was that despite looking like a little horse, I was far from an innocent little filly in a shark tank--I'd helped run this shark tank.
By the time we were done it was five PM and I felt like screaming--not that my expression had changed from serene and helpful pony. Smiling, really smiling, was something it had taken Equestria time to teach me, but I'd learned the trick to it was remembering who I was and what that meant to me.
Clair Ree, mother, wife, diplomat, and a thousand other little things that all served to keep me smiling throughout the most brain dead report I'd ever given that I had to stay focused on.
"Your a wizard, Clair," Jeff said as we got out of the room. "How did you keep smiling that much at them? I think you unnerved a few into squandering their time."
"Aww, that's easy, Jeff, I'm a cute little pony and I knew everything would be alright in the end." I'd tried to pitch my voice at around Pinkie Pie, though I doubt I could ever come close to her levels of poniness combined with mild sarcasm.
"I'm glad you're on my side." Jeff led the way out to his limo and we kept quiet as we passed the few members of the press waiting to get a soundbite or two. Once we were seated inside and the doors closed, he let out a sigh. "Do you want to face some more comical sharks? Your children's afternoon run is about to start."
"You know, I could do with stretching my legs as well. What about you?"
"Clair, I'm wearing a suit--I can't run around the park."
Chuckling as the car pulled out, I jabbed my hoof in Jeff's direction. "You say that, but I've seen you move pretty quick in formal wear."
"Only when there's coffee on offer and I have a press secretary chasing me."
We kept up the light chatter as we drove to the park. Thanks to the nature of our vehicle, room was made for us on the busy streets of D.C.. As we passed the White House, I turned to see the circus that was going on in the park.
There was several news vans set up and a bunch of about twenty people in a cordoned off area that seemed to include the whole park. I couldn't see Riley and Saffron, but I had to assume they were both in that group.
"You had someone organize this so they didn't get mobbed?" I asked.
"I wasn't going to let the mob rule when it came to your kids, Clair. Now come on out and let's take the heat off them."
We got out of the limo with security already standing around us. Jeff really did plan everything just right.
"Mr. President! Can we have an interview?"
And so it began again. This time, however, it was a far less relaxed situation than our earlier interviews, and we would have to be just as cautious of what we said as with the Senate. That's when I realized I had an out. "I'll go check on my kids. Excuse me, Mr. President."
The look of resignation he shot me was almost pathetic, but wasn't enough to get me to stay by his side.
Two members of the security detail split off and walked with me to the cordon and then stepped over it while I ducked under.
"Mom!" Saffron's voice drew my attention into the crowd. He made his way to the edge and I felt my smile grow a little more. "We were trying to get this run started, but everyone seems to not understand run."
I hadn't worked on earth pony magic as much as Riley had, but I could still do a few little tricks with it--the first and foremost being that I could run forever and a day, but the one cool thing I had learned was how to share that gift. "Itchy hooves?"
"Yeah! Itchy as heck!" He didn't even seem to notice his attempt at swearing had been self-muted. Maybe it was proximity to a pony? Well, let's have some fun.
The others hadn't noticed me yet. I was too small and they all seemed crowded around something I couldn't see. Time to change that. I drew on the innate magic every pony possessed and was answered immediately and with a little timidity. My magic didn't seem to like it here as much as Equestria, but when I coaxed it further it poured out.
"Run."
My own hooves responded, my feet feeling ready to run a marathon, but Saffron let loose a whoop of excitement and took off at a sprint.
The crowd acted immediately. It was like something had spooked them and they needed to get away from it, but this was almost the exact opposite. Feet pounded and the whole group took off after Saffron.
Boiling with pony magic, I started running after them and quickly caught up with Riley.
"Mom! Saf found you? You used your magic and mine is going too!" She kept up with my gallop as we ran through the pack of people to find Saffron at the front. "Saf! You found Mom!"
"Yeah! Isn't this great! Got everyone moving, at least." Saffron, like Riley, was able to keep up with my gallop thanks to his longer gait. All three of us (and probably the people following) settled in for our run.
Only when the light started to fade did I slow from my gallop to a canter, then to a trot. The magic had flowed reluctantly, but it had flowed well enough that none of us felt winded or tired, and our muscles moved just as easily now as when we'd started. Slowing to a walk as we neared what had turned into a pavilion of press and security, I became aware of all the other people with us who were laughing and talking excitedly. I guess they had every right to feel excited--they'd just experienced pony magic first-hand.
"I almost wanted to run with you. That was magic, wasn't it?" Jeff asked when I approached him, Riley and Saffron in tow.
"Yeah. Saffron was having trouble getting everyone moving because they milled around Riley, and they were only doing that because of the fascination thing. Did I manage to get any reporters?" The thought of making the press go for a run filled me with glee.
Jeff shook his head. "Sadly not. Though, that is a good example for people that the magic doesn't force them. I felt it, the press felt it, and security felt it, but none of them ran off jogging." He looked proud of it, and he had every right to be. Magic could be a major problem, but seeing it halted by people merely not wanting to go along with it was reassuring.
"Every cloud, right?"
It almost startled me when I felt Saffron's hand on my head. He gave the ear nearest him a little rub, then he jerked and let go. "Sorry, Mom."
Tilting my head up to look at his mortified expression, I couldn't help a giggle. "Pony magic even affects ponies, Saffron. How about we head to the hotel and have something for dinner?"
When we reached the restaurant in the hotel, after picking up Philip, we found Kaylee again. She looked shocked to see us at first, but quickly pushed it away under her professional waitress face. "Would you like a table for four?"
"Yes please," Philip said. "I hope you're not too busy?"
Saffron was looking at her and blushing. It was so cute I almost wanted to sing--but that would have ruined the moment for him. Seated, we were all given a menu to read while the waitress left to fetch our drinks.
"How serious is this, Saf?" Philip asked.
When Saffron didn't seem to reply, Riley giggled at him. "I'd say he's pretty distracted by her. She's pretty good at games, too."
"It's not--We were just having some fun. I know she was probably looking for, uh, more fun, but she was pretty cool with just playing games and chatting." That's when it occurred to me. Saffron, in Equestria, misses out on a lot of these hormones. He's pre-puberty there, but suddenly post-puberty here. My mirth at his situation disappeared completely and I wanted to give him a hug.
All through dinner he seemed a bit off. Worry for him and keen mom instincts meant I couldn't ignore the itch that his situation presented. The restaurant had a good selection of vegetarian meals, though I could swear that food just tasted better in Equestria.
"Well, that was delicious." Philip put down his spoon after finishing off his dessert. "You'll excuse me for a minute."
I watched him stand up and walk out of the dining room. When he got to the door, one of the Secret Service guys split off and walked with him.
"Dad's up to something." Riley stared after Philip. "Mom, what's Dad doing?"
I had an inkling that he was trying to do something for Saffron, but I had no idea what and I didn't want Riley getting in his way. "I have no clue, but I'm sure--"
"I'm going to go find out!" Riley was off her chair and running for the same exit Philip took moments ago.
As we sat there in silence, I realized why the young woman wasn't bringing the check (and providing another chance to chat with Saffron--our bill was covered already. "Excuse me? Could I have another drink, please?"
Kaylee approached the table while looking at me, though she was clearly trying to get time to chat with Saffron. "Same again?"
"Oh, no. I'd like to see your list of ciders, please?" Once Kaylee had rushed off to fetch whatever list they had, I jumped off my seat. "Saffron, let Kaylee know I have got to use the little filly's room. I'm sure you'll both have something to talk about while you wait for me to return in about... ten minutes?"
"Mom, you don't have to--"
He stopped talking mostly because I didn't listen and just walked out. My son, the one that had spent months living as a pony, would take a little pushing it seemed. True to my word, however, I made my way to the women's bathroom and pushed on inside.
Human bathrooms were, for the most part, fairly disappointing compared to pony ones. Equestria had mastered the art of bathroom cleaning long ago, and even older establishments contained everything an earth pony needed to take care of business. My time in Equestria had been a delight and I'd learned to appreciate and even take such facilities for granted.
I'd eaten light the previous day, and had become a little bound up as a result, but today I'd eaten regularly (under Philip's strict guidance). I had just one chance to not make a complete disaster of this. Reaching to the saddlebags I wore, I pulled out a mobile phone I'd been issued and managed to hit the autodial for Philip's phone.
After a moment he appeared on the screen with a big grin on his face. "How's Saf doing?"
"I arranged so that he and Kaylee would have some time together to talk, but I set myself up for an ambush. I'm stuck in the women's bathroom, and I need help," I said.
"Huh?" Philip blinked a few times, then his face turned to shock as comprehension sank in. "Oh dear. I'm on my way. Is the bathroom empty?"
"It is. First one on the left as you enter--leave the dining room."
"On my way, darling."
The connection ended, and it wasn't the first time I was envious of unicorn magic. Philip had obviously used his magic to operate the phone while mine was covered in slobber as I used my tongue to lock the screen and my lips to put it back in my saddlebag.
When the door of the bathroom opened, my heart jumped into my throat. "Mom?" Riley called.
"In here. Could you send your father in? There's no one else in here." When Philip poked his head in I breathed a sigh of relief. "Riley's standing guard?"
"Yeah. She won't leave her post until we're done. What's the status?" Philip was a hero. I'd have to ensure he knew that later tonight.
In the end, everything went well. Philip used his magic to help me with what was necessary, and we both left the bathroom feeling relieved that it had been such a simple matter.
"Why'd you run off?" I asked him.
"To arrange a second suite for Saf. If he has any chance of finding himself a filly this week, he's going to need a place of his own. They're arranging it now and the Secret Service guys will let us know when it's ready."
Riley was, true to her word, standing guard at the door outside. "You okay?" she asked.
"Yes, thank you for keeping watch. How's Saffron doing?" I asked. Being a pony, I could barely see over the tables, and thanks to the layout of the room it required more height again to see over some intervening partitions.
"He's talking with Kaylee. They seem to be talking a lot, though she hasn't sat down." Riley's eyes were fixed on something above--at ceiling level. It took me a moment to track where she was looking to see a light fixture that was reflective. Drat but she was clever.
"She won't be able to sit down. She's meant to be working. I asked her for a list of ciders then, when she went to get it, ran off to the bathroom so that she had an alibi for why she's standing around waiting. I guess we should make our return." I stepped out, leading the charge back to the table. "Sorry I took so long. For some reason your bathroom isn't built to accommodate ponies."
Kaylee grinned at that. "I'll let management know. They--noticed me sneaking off to your suite last night. I got chewed out for not saying anything, but they want me to officially be your guide to the Sofitel Washington." As she spoke, her tone became more and more without life, but when she spoke the hotel name it was practically monotone.
Saffron, however, cracked up laughing. "You do that so well. Mom, Kaylee was just saying how she's going to be our concierge while we're here."
"Really? Well, we should probably exchange numbers then." It was the least subtle thing I'd done all day, but it was also right. If she was going to be our go-between with the hotel, we needed to be able to contact her.
Kaylee used that bright smile again to good effect. "Saf already has my number."
Did he now? Well, that was... Okay, it was good he was showing an interest. "In that case it'll be easiest if he just sends it to all of us. Now, let me see that cider list." I was thirsty now, and a good non-alcoholic cider would be just the thing to take upstairs.
Seemingly jolted out of the moment, Kaylee looked at the folder in her hands and passed it to me. Fortunately, Philip was paying attention and gently took it from her grip with his magic. She just stared at the glow for a moment before shaking her head. "S-Sorry. Still getting used to all this."
Philip set the list down before me and held his magic out to Kaylee. "You're adapting well. A lot of people tend to fall into a daze around ponies. Touch it if you want, it's not harmful."
The list of ciders was surprisingly full, and each was marked if it was hard cider or not. I quickly found an apple cider and passed her the folder back. "Thank you, I'll have this one."
Distracted by Philip's magic, Kaylee took the list back and barely noticed what I was pointing to. She'd been shaking hands with his telekinetic grip. "O-Okay, I'll be right back with some. Does anyone else want a drink?"
"Why don't you just bring us a selection of ciders and we'll take them upstairs to try out?" Philip asked.
Kaylee brightened at that and nodded. "I'll have room service take them up for you. Would you still like the one to take with you, Mrs. Ree?"
"Just send it up with the sampler. Thank you, Kaylee," I said.
As we headed upstairs, one of the Secret Service agents passed a card to Saffron. "Sir, this is your new room key. Mr. Ree arranged for you to have your own."
"Dad? I was mostly joking about the noise. You didn't have to--"
"Saf, you are an adult and need your own room. All they had were more suites on our floor, but I'm sure the government will be happy to pay for it." Philip wore the cutest smile ever on his face. They both knew the exact reason why he was getting his own room, but neither were going to say it out loud.
"Thanks, Dad. It'll be nice to have somewhere to--Uh, just checking though. I'll still be allowed to come and say hi in your suite, right?"
"Of course you can, Saf."
Kaylee made herself indispensable for a million little things. She got us some more appropriate shampoos, she arranged for us to have the cider we agreed was the best stocked into our room's refrigerator, but what I could have kissed the girl for was how she let Saffron take his time getting used to his body again.
By the time the first week was winding up, so too was the whirlwind of news and talk show events Jeff had planned. I collapsed on the couch after a Saturday spent actually shaking hooves with public officials. "I want a massage!"
"You always want a massage," Philip said. "The difference is now you're willing to sit still for one."
The moment I felt his hooves touch my back, I let out a little nicker of appreciation. He could have used his magic to do this, but I know he preferred to touch me with his hooves, and I certainly had opinions on physical contact. "I love you so much..."
"Yeah, I bet you do. How did things go?" Philip pressed his lips down to my withers and nuzzled them just firmly enough that I knew he was there.
Even explaining everything seemed too much work. "Why don't you put on Colbert and see for yourself?"
His magic picked up the remote and started cycling through channels. "This could take a while. Why don't you give me the cliff-notes?"
"Usual stuff. Bad jokes--all pre-approved, of course--some earnest questions regarding personalities in Equestria, though he did ask some interesting questions regarding the exchange of currencies. At least they were interesting to me." As his hooves worked lower, I got softer and softer with my words.
"Sounds like you enjoyed it. What's coming up next week?"
"Meetings with various departments. They want me to get concessions from Equestria for things they don't even know will work. I get to let them all down gently except where I can confirm that they can actually get their doo-dad."
His hooves met my croup and I began melting onto the couch. The chance that we would take this little fun to the bedroom had just hit a hundred percent.
"You think there will be many of the latter?"
Words were getting harder as his hooves massaged my rump. I shook my head in answer.
"What's your thoughts on snuggling?" His hooves stopped.
Turning my head to look back at him, I practically purred the words, "One-hundred percent." |
The Embassy | Chapter 25 | Riley Ree
I'd finally worked out the trick to using my magic here. I was an earth pony, so of course I needed some earth! A little bag hung around my neck--it had originally held some pendant or something, but now it held about a half handful of the dirt from around my tree.
"When can we go?" I asked.
Trevor was the best and he'd been assigned to me to help me out doing anything I wanted. In turn, and because I didn't want him to get in trouble, I tried to not do too much or blow up any more security systems. "They're bringing a car around for us."
"Ugh!" I looked at him as if that was the stupidest thing ever. "That's the stupidest thing ever. We can just run down there!"
"You remember what happened yesterday? I'm under orders not to let you run down the street." He sounded like he was struggling not to laugh. Then he stopped struggling and laughed. "Did you see that film crew?"
I jutted out my chin and shook my head. "Nope! They couldn't catch up to us."
"No chance. Their cameraman could run, but he needed to keep their reporter up front. What worries my boss is that the reporter might not be wearing heels today." Trevor reached up to his earpiece and touched it, a sign to me he was listening to someone. He was really good at following two conversations at once, but I didn't want to stress him out, so I waited. "Okay. We can head down."
"Woo! You'll see. I've been saving up magic for today. The tree didn't want it yesterday, but I convinced it that I would help more." I grabbed my backpack and slid off the couch. "Do you wanna run down again?"
"Sure." That's what I really liked about Trevor. He said yes a lot.
We walked out of our rooms into the hallway, but rather than the elevators we turned to the stairwell. "You ready for it?"
He pulled up his wrist and tapped his watch a few times. "Hit i--"
I didn't let him finish. It wasn't a big kick of earth pony magic, but it was enough to make my feet itch like they were hooves and we had miles of road ahead of us.
"--t!" He tapped his screen again and we started running down the stairs. The first time we'd done it, he'd panicked and asked what happened if we'd fall. I'd shown him at the time; I'd faked a trip, bounced down a flight and got my feet back under me again. Earth pony magic made you almost indestructible when you had it boiling through you.
Neither of us had fallen while racing down the stairs, not without meaning to, but that wasn't for lack of trying. We vaulted the rails and raced as quick as we could all the way to the lobby and stopped only when going further would take us to the basement.
We weren't even puffing. Trevor tapped his watch and laughed. "We beat yesterday's time!"
I did a victory dance, which involved me bouncing around a lot. "How much faster?"
"Four seconds. I wonder if we could beat the elevator?" Trevor opened the door that led into the lobby and looked around. "Come on."
It was only him doing his job, and I kinda liked him too much to make him get in trouble. Besides, he did cool stuff with me like running and racing down the stairs. It'd take me days to train another guy, and I don't think I'll be here that long. "Agent Lane, I'm moving in!"
Trevor held his wrist up to his neck and spoke into it. "Acknowledged, Agent Ree. Proceed."
Not caring how silly we looked, I ran out and stood still behind a column in the foyer. "Area is clear. Proceed with formation A. I repeat, proceed with formation A." I watched him walk casually out of the doorway and not show a sign that he was really a Secret Service agent until he jumped behind the pillar beside me. "How did it look?"
"The car's waiting for us. We should probably go before they get bored."
Giggling, I nodded and followed him out and into the car. The ride to the park was short, but I held in my complaint that we could have run there faster. They let us out and Trevor told them to head back. We were on our own, but Trevor knew about my tricks. He knew that if I turned on the pony charm, everyone would just want to stop and watch, and he knew that if I balled up all my magic nothing could hurt me (though he hadn't been interested in testing bullets).
No sooner was I out of the car and walking toward the tree than I slipped my shoes off and pulled my socks free. As my toes touched the grass, I pushed my magic down into the ground. There were so many growing things around me that I started to giggle and twirl around.
"Are you going to do this every time?" Trevor's voice made me look back at him, but he just pointed down at the ground.
Every step I'd taken since removing my socks was sprouting flowers in the pattern of my footsteps. I shrugged. "Maybe. Is it a problem?"
He shrugged. "Just don't let people focus on it too much. Is it okay if I stomp them a little to make it less of a footprint?"
So what he meant to say was Yes, Riley, it's a problem. "Do the ones I've already made if you think it's a good idea. I guess I'll try to stop it." Easing back, I stopped spraying my magic into the ground. Besides, I could save it all for the tree that way.
Still able to feel the connection with the ground, I felt so excited to just skip and twirl my way across the huge park until I was standing in front of the fence. I wasn't looking at the tree, yet, but the flowers woven into the fence itself. Hundreds of pretty flowers all woven into the wire, but they weren't growing. "People left all this?"
"You didn't watch the news yesterday? Yeah, people have been getting a bit silly. Lots of the hippies are doing it and the Wiccans. A bit crazy if you ask me. It's just magic--not like you're doing anything amazing." He looked at me, and I think he realized what he'd said. "I'm an idiot sometimes. In just over a week I've gotten this used to seeing you and your brother doing magic. Now it seems... normal."
"It is normal. It's as normal as the grass and trees and sunlight!" Without shoes on my toes were perfect to help me climb the fence. The only thing I worried about was my dress. Living as a pony--where clothes were a special-event kind of thing--I guess I didn't want to ruin them. That left one option.
"What are you--? Riley, don't do..."
"What?" I was hanging off the wire at about Trevor's head height, using one hand to tuck my skirt into my underwear. "If you think I'm going to snag my dress on this fence, you've got another thing coming, mister!"
I got the dress tucked in and jumped over the top of the wire. When the ground rushed up to meet me, I landed firmly with a little magic to remind it that I didn't want to be hurt. It listened. "Okay, Mr. Tree, are you ready today?"
As soon as my hand made contact with the tree, I knew how it felt. Worry, fear, excitement, and curiosity all warred within the firm trunk. My breathing slowed and I felt my world narrow down to the tree, its roots, and what it could feel of the world around it.
"You see those other trees over there? I know you can. You need to grow as big as them."
It seemed a little confused.
"You trust me?"
A hint of acceptance.
"Then trust I'm right. Let me help properly."
A lot of fear flooded it, so much I had to know what the source was. A little wordless question and it told me. It could feel the shadows of huge trees early in the morning and late at night.
It took me a while to figure out what it was talking about. It wasn't trees.
"Those are buildings. Like special hills. You won't get as much morning and night sun because of them, but they're not overhead."
The tree wasn't convinced.
"I promise those aren't trees. Have I done anything wrong to you yet?"
It was nervous, but not saying yes.
"So trust me now."
Slowly, even for a tree, it opened up to me. I felt the connection deepen and I opened myself up to it, too. An apologetic rush of empathy hit me like a wave.
"It's okay. You're fine. Not like many people have talked with you before. Now, do you want to do some growing?"
The tree wasn't any smarter for our bond, but it knew a lot more things than the average tree knew about its place in the world. For one thing, it knew there was a small army ready to protect and care for it, that people came just to lay under its branches and enjoy their time with it. But it now knew me.
Building up what magic I could, I shoved it into the tree. It was hungry, and hadn't known true magic before--but the magic knew how to help. Under my fingers the tree started to surge. Its trunk thickened and roots shoved deep underground to find water and nitrogen. New leaves and branches sprouted and grew. The tree shot upward to nearly three times its height and stretched its branches out wide to soak up the sun.
"That's it. Perfect!"
The tree was excited and proud. It had done so much with just a little sip of magic.
"I'll ask if it's okay to give you more. Okay?"
More excitement. The tree didn't know exactly what I needed to do to get permission, but it knew I was trying to do more for it.
"I have to go now. You'll be safe. After all, you're big and strong now. Look!"
I opened my eyes slowly, not remembering when I closed them, but the tree trunk was HUGE now. I was still moving so slowly, but the tree could see through me as I'd seen through it, and it was excited.
Slowly, I pulled my hand back from the tree and felt like I was plunged into time again. The breeze against my hair and skin, the soft grass under my knees, and--There wasn't any sun beating down on me. I looked up and giggled.
"Oh, you're back with us?"
Trevor's voice made me turn around to look at him. Only it wasn't just him. A crowd of people was watching in silence. Some of them looked to be a little strange, while others just wore big grins on their faces. "Uh, hi?"
"How'd you do that?" one woman asked.
"Well, magic. You know who I am, right?" I walked up to the wire and started to climb. "Can you catch me, Agent Lane?"
"Damn straight, Agent Ree." Trevor's reply made me smile a little more. That he actually caught me was good, because I didn't exactly want to land on anyone who wasn't ready for it. He put me down to the ground and passed me my shoes and socks. "Let's go grab some lunch."
"Yeah yeah. That took a bit out of me. Poor thing was scared and really hungry." Without a skirt-snagging-fence to climb, I pulled my dress out of my pants and let it hang down my legs again. The harder bit was balancing on one leg to put my sock and shoe on the other one. "Ugh. There's a reason ponies have four legs."
Laughing, Trevor looked around us rather than watching me, which was kinda his job, so I couldn't complain about not looking at me while talking. "Ponies wear socks and shoes much?"
"Never. They feel odd on hooves." I had to swap legs to get the other on. "Well, almost never. There's some that are really into fashion. They tend to wear clothes a lot more than the rest of us."
We slipped away since most of the crowd seemed more focused on the tree than me. I guess they were looking for what pony had done it, not realizing it was the kid in a rumpled dress. "What time is it?" I asked.
"Time you got a watch."
"Ha. Ha. Really?"
"It's time we had some lunch. There's a sandwich shop across the street over there. If you can keep from using magic a bit, we might be able to get something there rather than calling the cavalry to take us somewhere." He pointed across the park, seemingly at some shop across the road.
"If they only do meat sandwiches, I'll be cross." Despite my warning, I followed along at Trevor's side and crossed the street with him. Cars were something different to normal life in Equestria. I mean, sure there were pegasi getting around fast and ponies with carts, as well as trains, but I'd never seen an actual car there.
"Ah! Mr. Trevor! How are you doing today?" a female voice called as we walked into the little sandwich shop. "And who is this young lady?"
The woman looked oooold and huge, but she was smiling from ear to ear and looking at me. Her gray hair was in a tight net on top of her head and her hands were in some kind of rubber gloves.
"Mamma Rosie, this is Riley. I'm looking after her for my boss, and she's been doing her absolute best to get me into trouble." Trevor turned his attention to me. "So, Riley, what type of sandwich do you want?"
Him calling the woman "mamma" didn't make sense, they looked nothing alike, so that meant it was just something she was called. I walked up close to the glass counter that the woman was standing behind. "Uh, can I have some egg and lettuce?"
"Egg and--" Looking up at Trevor with a scowl, Rosie opened her mouth to start yelling at him.
"Hold on, Mamma Rosie. I know what you're about to say, but there's a reason she doesn't want any meat." He looked to be avoiding any glances toward Rosie. "Tell her, Riley."
I stared at the crushed up hard boiled eggs in a tray and put on my deepest voice. "I'm an alien! I wish to devour only the unborn!"
"Riley!" Trevor's laughter rang out, and a moment later Rosie's did too.
"Mr. Trevor, where on Earth did you find this girl?" Rosie asked.
Tossing both arms in the air, Trevor got his laughter under control and shook his head. "Well, it isn't classified, so the trick there is I didn't find her on Earth. I should have been a bit clearer, Mamma Rosie. This is Riley Ree, daughter of Ambassador Ree from Equestria."
The big woman stared at me in shock for a few moments. "As I live and breathe. You're one of those pony-people?"
"She was actually a perfectly normal human before she spent half a year or so there. She went native, it seems."
Glaring up at Trevor, I crossed my arms over my chest. "I didn't go native!"
"Mamma, you heard of the tree in the park over there?"
"The one that--" Rosie's eyes widened a little. "As I live and breathe. You're that girl?"
Blushing now, there was something that had started to boil my bacon about all this. I stomped my foot. "Is that all anypony remembers? My mom has been doing so much, and my brother's so awesome I almost can't believe what he does sometimes, and you think making one tree grow a little faster is so amazing?!" I was panting by the end of my rant. "Aggg!"
"Riley?" Trevor asked.
"What?!"
"Calm down, okay? We're just trying to say how cool it is what you do."
"Yeah, but my brother is amazing, my dad can do real magic all the time, and Mom is..." I grumbled under my breath. "It's just not fair to them."
"You're upset because you're hogging the limelight?" Rosie asked. "Well, why don't I just make you a normal sandwich to eat on a normal day so you can go home to your amazing family?" She was smiling for some reason I couldn't figure out.
I was about to answer, but my stomach picked then to grumble loudly. Apparently spending all morning and most of lunchtime doing magic made me hungry.
"I know that song. One egg and lettuce sandwich coming up." Rosie pulled out a long sub and started making up my sandwich. "And the usual, Trevor?"
"Thanks, Rosie." Trevor was grinning too, and it annoyed me that they were both doing it now. "Mamma Rosie," he said after a few moments of Rosie staring at him. "That's important, Riley. This is Mamma Rosie, not Rosie, not miss, and certainly not young lady."
"You better believe it!" Rosie said with another laugh before passing me my sandwich over the top of the counter. "What do you say?"
Okay, this I knew. "Thank you Mamma Rosie."
"There's a good'un. Now for yours, Mr. Trevor."
I focused my attention on the sandwich and unwrapped some of the paper covering the end. The first bite seemed to go down without me swallowing it, so I followed it up and was halfway through before I realized how hungry I'd been. Opening my mouth to apologize for being such a hog, I instead burped.
"I'll take that as a compliment," Rosie said.
My brain caught up with the food I was tasting and I realized how good it was. "This is really yummy!"
It was relaxing to eat while Trevor and Rosie chatted about things. I didn't really focus on what they were saying, instead devoting my attention to my sandwich and my own thoughts. What sucked the most about being here for a week or so was missing my classes. Moon's teaching was so different from what I'd had before, and had me constantly working to keep up with her.
The schooling was working, though, and I could see that. It was easier to work out what adults were talking about when I focused on why they would want things, and I knew a little bit about everything now, so I could kinda follow along.
Stuff seemed to be going so fast back home, but here it was boring. Maybe I could convince Trevor to go back to the tree? Maybe I could check out other trees?
The sandwich was really good. I was almost finished when I realized Trevor was looking at me. "Huh?"
"Car's here. Your mom said she needs you back at the White House right away." Trevor had a slightly distracted look like he was listening to something on his earpiece--which meant he was definitely listening to something on his earpiece.
I hadn't even realized I'd sat down in a booth seat, but stood up and started for the door. "Thanks, Mamma Rosie!"
"Riley! Wait!" Trevor rushed past me and opened the door first.
That's when I realized I'd almost screwed up badly. He was meant to look and go everywhere first, and I'd just stood up and was heading to the door. "Sorry."
"It's okay, just wait a moment before coming out." Trevor nodded to the people in the black car that was parked on the curb and looked left and right up the sidewalk. When he gestured to me, I followed him out and to the car.
We climbed in, but no one said anything until the door closed. That's when I realized the car had all our stuff in the back of it too. "What's going on?"
"You're heading back today. Uh, kinda nowish. Something happened and your mom needs to get her tail back to--Wait, is that racist to say?" Trevor looked at me and I tried to give him a deadpan stare back, but I broke into giggles. "I guess it's not racist. Okay, well, they said she needs to scoot back to Equestria for some reason, so the rest of the week's canceled."
Excitement bubbled up and I bounced in my chair. "Woo!"
Everyone looked at me like I was crazy, but Trevor held out his hand--into which the other two guys in the back of the car put money. "I knew exactly how you'd respond to news like that. Who's the best pony?"
I raised my fist and connected it with his as soon as he lifted it. "I am, of course. So this is all our stuff? Are we allowed to take it with us?"
"You remember what my job is, right?" Trevor rolled his eyes at me.
Right. He's only a "grunt" as he put it. He does heavy lifting, sitting, and the occasional shooting, but no thinking. I remembered his words. "Yeah, yeah. Okay, so I guess I find out when we get there. Where's Saf?"
One of the other guys said, "Another car. He was... saying goodbye." The way he said the last bit made me think Saf was caught doing more than saying goodbye.
Well, good luck to him. When we go back he wouldn't be, uh, saying goodbye for a while. Ugh. I don't need to be thinking about this right now. I sat in silence for the loop around to the entrance to the White House's parking area. Trevor climbed out first and led the way inside while the other guys carried our stuff in.
Saffron was inside and waiting for us. He didn't look happy. "Hey, Riley, you know what's going on?"
"We're going back early is all they told me. They brought our stuff." Walking closer to him, I felt a gentle hum in the air. It was our magic and it made me smile despite how upset Saf looked. "You okay?"
"Yeah. No. Kinda. I feel better now..." He looked at me and raised an eyebrow. "You use magic today?"
"Mmhmm. Got that tree all grown up. You should see it, Saf! It's huge now!" That's when it hit me--I wouldn't be coming back anytime soon to help the tree again.
Saffron reached out and used his hand to tilt my chin up. "You just looked like you bit into a lemon. What's up?"
"I didn't get to say goodbye to the tree. Who knows when we'll be coming back again." I leaned sideways and thumped into Saf's side. This was so stupid, just when I get to go home I want to stay so I can say goodbye? Life sucks.
"Saf, Riley. Are you two ready to go?" Dad asked from somewhere down the hall.
I lifted my head and realized I was crying. Reaching a hand up, I scrubbed at each of my eyes to clear the tears away. "This is stupid. I want to say goodbye to my tree!"
Saf put his arm around my shoulder and squeezed. Turning my head, I pressed my face into his shirt--only to realize it wasn't his shirt. Something seemed odd, and I leaned back to look at Saf a little closer.
His shirt was white and looked a little tight around him. "Whose shirt is that?"
Blushing, Saf frowned a little. "It's Kaylee's. I had to get dressed in a hurry."
"You got to say goodbye?" What the heck?! Why was I asking him this? Ewwww.
"That's none of your business, squirt. Come on. At least we'll be ponies again soon." He put his arm back around my shoulders, and we walked toward dad together. "Let's go home."
He was hurting too. This sucked for both of us, and I'd just made it a little worse for him. That meant I had to make it up to him somehow. "You still have your feathers?"
"The braid came undone when I--They're in the box." Saf jerked a thumb of his free hand toward his backpack on his back. "What about you? Need anything in particular?"
I thought about it. It wasn't like I could take my tree with me any more than Saf could take Kaylee--probably less so. "Nah. Everything I want is either back home or about to be back home."
He looked down at me as if I'd said something surprising, then hugged me a bit tighter. "Yeah, me too. C'mon, let's find out what crazy emergency happened."
The explanation was a shock. Mom had been getting daily checkups from a pony doctor who had told her to go back to Equestria immediately. No one was telling us more than that. Not that I was complaining about going home right now, but I wanted to know what was up.
Mom and Dad were first onto the platform. With the new power array crystals, it was far less of a problem for it to send even people without the transmogrithingy doing it's job.
We'd been standing around for almost an hour waiting for it to recharge when there was a commotion behind us. I looked back to see Trevor looking out of breath and--
"Kaylee?" Saf said the name just as I was thinking it.
"They told me you had to rush back. I'm sorry if things didn't go as planned, but I brought you both something." Kaylee walked closer to us, and the first thing she did was hold out a single leaf. "Riley?"
With the tingle in the air from the magic crystals doing their work, I felt a little more boosted with magic than I'd been for most of the time I was here, and that's how I could tell which tree that leaf was from. I rushed closer and took it from her hand.
The moment my fingers made contact, I felt a rush of feeling. Sorrow, joy, excitement, and a little more sorrow of a different kind. "H-How'd it know I was--"
"Your friend. He got all the people there to shout really slow and focus on you having to leave. I don't know if it was magic in the air or the tree, but it dropped a single leaf. That leaf. Mr. Lane said it would work if we took the leaf to you. It did?"
I didn't know where to look. Trevor Lane or Kaylee. They both had big, hopeful smiles on their faces. "It might not be flashy magic like unicorns, but that was--this is--magical. Thanks!"
"And this is your thing to remember Earth by." Kaylee turned to Saf and grabbed his shoulders to pull him down into a kiss.
Staring at them for a moment, I realized they might be a while and grinned--then turned my attention back to my leaf. "Thanks, Trevor."
"We're ready to send you whenever you're ready to go. It was--It was your mom that needed to get back ASAP." When I turned my head to look at who spoke, I saw an orange and white unicorn with a red mane. He looked like a bit of a dork, but also kinda cute. "She said she'll tell you when you get back."
"Can you put this in something, so I don't break it when I change?" I asked.
"I got it, Riley. Here." Saf surprised me by reaching for the leaf. I thought he'd still be kissing Kaylee. He pulled his backpack off and reached inside. When he drew out the box his feathers were in, I couldn't help but giggle. "Gotcha covered."
Jumping forward once he had the box closed and safe, I jumped into him and hugged him. "I owe you one, Saf."
"Pay me back by not kicking me when we get there, okay?"
"Okay!"
We walked together to the platform. Saf put his bag down on the middle circle and we took up circles as far from each other as we could. This wasn't a hard thing to work out--we didn't want to flail into each other.
"I bet you can't wait to get your own feathers back," I said.
"About as much as you want to be able to push me over with one hoof," Saf said.
"Are you both ready?"
I nodded, and I think Saf nodded too, because they activated the transwhatvertheycallit and time slowed to a crawl.
"This is the best bit!" My shout was dragged out into a slow and low-pitched scream, but I didn't care--I was used to talking with trees. My hands were the first part to go. I stared at my fingers as they melded together and my fingertips fused into a hoof.
My coat started to sprout around my fetlocks, and I clopped my hooves together in glee. This time there was no feeling of nausea, instead it seemed like I was becoming what I should be. The hair growing on my arms became bright pink, and in that instant I knew I was going to be the same pony again.
Turning my head slowly, I caught sight of Saf out of the corner of my eye and saw his arms pulling back and ripping his shirt as they turned into wings. That's when I realized we'd gone in fully clothed.
In slow motion I jumped toward Saf. He was already fumbling at his clothes with his growing forelegs, but they weren't long enough to reach his pants or the belt securing them. As I landed at his side, I wrapped my forelegs around his pants and pulled down with all my might.
If his body hadn't been shrinking at the time, I might have messed it up. As it was, the weight of my body yanked his jeans down just as his tail poked free in a fountain of white hair.
My dress was less of a problem, but I did start to shrink down inside it. I tried to roll back away from Saf, but our clothes were now doing a great job of keeping us tangled up.
My snout pushed forward into my vision just as we both started laughing like idiots. Then time returned to normal.
"What happened?!" the voice I recognized as Starlight Glimmer's asked.
Saf, flailing all six limbs, tried to crawl out of his clothes. "We forgot to"--he giggled some more--"forgot to get undressed. Riley, that was just in time!"
I was kinda stuck on my back with my dress weighing me down. Or I was until I remembered what I was. Magic poured into me as I breathed Equestrian air again, and I channeled it to my body. Fabric ripped and tore, and I quickly shredded my dress, panties, shirt, but my bra had been annoyingly persistent. "Little help?"
"I got it." Saf's wings were free of his shirt mostly because they'd ripped their way out. He reached over to me and pushed me onto my belly first, then undid the bra strap. "If you make a single joke about this..."
"After you saved my leaf? Nah. This will be between us, Saf." That's when it hit me. "Where's Mom and Dad?"
"You'd better follow me. They're all fine." Starlight turned from the platform and started off down the hall.
The words she'd used chilled me in a way I think I've never felt chilled before. "W-What did she mean by 'all'?"
"I don't know, but we're going to find out. You wanna ride there?" Saf reached a wing down to me, and it was right then I realized how small I was again. Saf wasn't a full size pony himself, and I was much smaller than him.
"No. I'm sick of not walking on four legs. Come on." It wasn't so much a flow of magic as a surge. I sent a flood of my power into Saf and myself, and I felt his magic flare as a result. Speed and power--yeah!
We didn't so much start moving as start galloping at full speed. Running after Starlight, we found her in the corridor about to turn into a nearby room. Passing her like she was barely moving, we stopped just inside the door and stared. Mom was laying on a bed while a doctor was showing her a picture that looked like an x-ray.
"What's going on?" Saf asked.
"Yeah!" I said.
"Good news, thankfully." Mom waved us forward and we made our way over to the bed. "My doctor back on Earth had found that our foal wasn't doing so great in a low-magic environment. It took time to figure it out from the scans, but she wasn't growing."
"Not exactly the case, but close." The doctor held out the scan to show us, and Saf reached his wing up to take it. "Everypony has a field of magic around them. In low magic areas it reduces, but our own nature keeps it sustained. A foal this young, however, lacks enough of their own magic to sustain that field."
It made perfect sense. I nodded along to everything he said. "So that's why Mom had to come back?" I leaned forward and urged Saf to lower the scan so I could see it. It wasn't exactly like the diagrams of magic fields Moon Dancer had showed me in class, but I could figure things out reasonably well. "That's about a tenth of the field of a healthy foal."
The doctor looked at me for a second, blinked a few times, then reached for the scan with his magic. Holding it up, he nodded. "Closer to an eleventh. You must have been studying an old book--pony magic fields have grown slightly in the past five-hundred years."
Saf snorted and poked me in the ribs. "You got an answer wrong. You're still the smartest pony I know."
I was about to thump him back, but remembered what he'd done--and by then he'd complimented me too. Instead I sighed. "I'll ask Moon Dancer if I can get a more recent book. Is there one you'd recommend?"
"Oh! Uh..." The doctor tapped his chin. "I believe Dr. Bright Meadow's revised edition of her book Metamorphic Magic Fields and Their Effects. It's... advanced reading for a filly."
"She gets that a lot. Sorry to keep you any longer, Dr. Horse, but I think we should probably head back to the chancery." Mom sounded tired. She looked up at Dad, and seemed to say something with just her gaze.
"Uh, Mom?" I asked as I climbed up on the bed.
She turned her attention to me. "What's the matter, Riley?" She sounded concerned.
"Mom, you feel really tired and bent out of shape, right?"
Her concern turned into a big smile. "Of course, honey. We just--"
Mom was smart about a lot of things, but she'd spent way too long on Earth dealing with humans. I leaned forward and pressed my snout to her back hoof--and pushed with my magic.
"What was that?" The orange-haired doctor spun to look at me. "What did you do?"
"Duh. Mom's an earth pony like me. After Saf and me arrived, I felt like poop. He felt like poop too, I bet. So I jolted us both with earth pony magic." It was perfectly logical. I looked at Mom, but without any of the doctor's fancy equipment, I couldn't see if my magic made any difference. "Do you feel better?"
"You never cease to amaze me." Mom sat up and used her forelegs to grab and lift me up.
When she kissed my cheeks repeatedly, I blushed and tried to squirm out of her grip. "Mooom!"
"That was exactly what I needed, dear. Why don't you go and wake your father up too?" She set me back on the bed--aimed toward Dad. "I'll see my doctor in Canterlot tomorrow and arrange further tests with her," she said to the doctor.
Stomping my way to the edge of the bed, I realized Dad looked almost asleep on his hooves. But, being close enough to the bed to boop, I had only one choice with how to give him a jolt. Lifting my hoof up, I pressed it to his nose. "Boop."
The jolt of magic shot Dad's eyes open and his horn flickered a few times with magic. He went cross-eyed looking down his snout at my hoof.
"Feeling better?" I asked.
"Yeah!" Dad used his magic to pick me up and put me on his back. "Doc, requesting permission to take my family home?"
"Just don't rely on whatever it was your daughter just did." He sounded confused about it. I don't know why it was confusing. Maybe he just didn't understand the power of boops.
Reaching out my hoof, I tried to get close enough to the doctor without falling off Dad. I couldn't reach him. "Um, I can show you what I did."
He looked at me skeptically. "Why don't I schedule an appointment where you can come and show me that trick while some ponies who will be really interested in it can watch? If that's alright with your parents?"
Dad tapped his chin for a few moments. "I think we can arrange that. After all, we were meant to have the rest of the week off. When would you like us in?" What I'd also noticed was Dad was looking at Mom a lot. He didn't seem to be worried about her, though. That's when it hit me and I wanted to just nope out of the room.
"Would tomorrow afternoon be alright?"
"Sure." |
The Embassy | Chapter 26 | Saffron Ree
The moment we got home, I ran upstairs to my room and lifted out the case from my backpack. There was the feathers that had been all that had stood between me and a week of absolute boredom, Riley's leaf, and a little slip of paper.
Carefully, I lifted the piece of paper out first.
I had a great time, Saf. If you're ever back on my planet, gimme a call.
Okay, it might just be the corniest thing I've ever seen, and it was totally something Kaylee would say. On the back of the paper was a phone number. With a sigh I tucked the paper to the bottom of the box. "Riley!"
When Riley ran, it was like a stampede of horses, or a horse race. The clattering of hooves as she galloped up the hallway and then pushed my door all the way open shouldn't sound like that many ponies, but it does. "Your leaf."
Damn but she looked so happy. Riley might be a terror sometimes, who likes to push me around, but she had me wrapped around her hoof. "Can you keep it safe?"
"On one condition." As soon as I said it, her face registered complete surprise. She opened her mouth to ask what, but I couldn't keep her waiting. "You show me how to braid these feathers into my mane."
She actually jumped up onto her rear legs and clopped her forehooves together in excitement. If I wasn't a sugar-burning factory in pony shape, I could swear I just got diabetes from that. "Of course I can! Okay, so how do you want to do it?"
"Like I'd know. This is your thing. Show me what looks best."
I got a lesson all right. Apparently there was five different ways my mane could be braided to hold the feathers, and Riley needed to try each before she was satisfied. That she made sure to teach them all to me too was a given.
In the end, though, it was mid-afternoon by the time we were done, and I followed her back down the stairs (after we put the precious box of mementos in a safe place).
"Wait!" Riley looked shocked. "I haven't checked on my tree! Come on, Saf!" She reached a hoof out to me, and I knew I was defeated as I felt her deceptively iron-like grip on my foreleg.
Knowing my sister's tendencies, I gave my wings a little flap to get me up to speed so she didn't end up ripping my leg off or something. She rushed us into the back yard and right up to her tree.
"It's okay, I'm back." She let go of me and reached a single hoof out against the tree.
The sounds of Canterlot might waft to us on a breeze now and again, but that didn't stop Riley from ignoring it and me from stretching out my wings and just feeling the air again.
Gusts came and went, and though I longed to follow them to wherever they wanted to take me, I had Riley here, and fun as flying is, big brothers don't fly off and leave their little sisters.
Riley's gasp drew my attention. She stretched and leaned back from the tree. "I kinda forgot how it was here. Our trees are much faster than Earth trees. They also have a lot more magic."
"Mmhmm." I walked closer and dug my snout down and under her bely, then tossed my head in the air. Riley flew about three ponylengths into the sky, squaling, which was perfect for me to shove myself free of the ground and catch her on my back as my the second pump of my wings lifted me up to meet her.
"Saaaaaaaaf!" Her shout might have worked better to dissuade me if she weren't giggling while she did it.
I kept pumping my wings and headed off the edge of Canterlot. This was where real flying happened. Other pegasi that were out enjoying an afternoon fly whirred around us, but I headed a little further. "Are you ready?"
Riley had dug her hooves into my mane and was holding on tight. Perfect. "Ready for what?"
I rolled over midair until we were both upside down. Riley shrieked with laughter. Continuing the roll, I reached upright again and then started a canopy roll, which took us upside down again, and then led out into a steep stall until I lost forward speed, tipped over my wings and went into a dive.
Despite having had some really fun moments back on Earth, I'd missed this with every part of me. The freedom of the sky was something I couldn't give up now. Go and live back on Earth until I was old? Heck no!
Repeated and excited shouts from my back--as I worked through a set routine--didn't dissuade me in the slightest. "Saf! This is great!"
At the end of the stunts, I glided into a thermal and started my slow assent back to Canterlot. "Sorry, but I really needed to fly."
"Pfft! It was fun, Saf. Besides, you hung around with me by my tree, and I bet that was a lot more boring than getting my own personal roller coaster!" With the thermal around us, I didn't even need to flap anymore, and the only wind was going up.
"Well, you sounded like you had fun, but I probably still should have asked first."
"Saf, I had fun! Don't be a stick in the mud after just a week on Earth. You're a pegasus! FLY!"
Her shout caught me up and before I knew it I'd poured magic into my wings and started to pump them, shooting up through the thermal like a missile in flight. By the time the hot air finally fountained out and stopped, I was already moving fast enough to punch my way up through the clouds.
Riley was squealing with excitement again, which only encouraged me to start another routine of stunts--this one meant for much more advanced fliers, and probably those without an earth pony on their back. Spirals, loops, even more rolls. When one particular roll put a lot of g-forces on us, I felt Riley jolt me with her earth pony strength. The warnings signs of impending G-loc were completely dispelled and I pushed harder.
The final stunt I pulled had us rocketing toward the ground--a plaza on Canterlot itself. Pouring my magic into my wings, I snapped them out at the last moment and planted my hooves down to the pavement cleanly.
"Woo! Again!" Actually bouncing up and down on my back, Riley seemed focused on completely destroying all the bones in my shoulders.
"Hey." I shook my back, which only seemed to make staying on more of a game for Riley. "Get off. You can walk now." The ponies around us were staring a little and looking among themselves. Obviously, trying to find our parents so they could tsk at them for letting their foals run rampant. Well, Mom and Dad are back home having some alone time after nearly two weeks of being stuck on a boring world.
"Spoilsport!" With her own magic flowing, it wasn't like Riley needed held down. She just jumped from my back and landed on all fours. Unlike a cat, however, she kinda just dropped straight down with all four legs straight.
"That was pretty cool, kid. Maybe one day you'll become a Wonderbolt!"
My head snapped around at the familiar, female voice. I spotted Sudden Turn and barely managed to resist the urge to run over to her. "I don't know. I hear their junior trainers can be really tough."
"I heard that too, but somepony told me they look good in their flight suits." Sudden strode toward me and held out her hoof for me to clop against. "How you doing, Saf? I thought you weren't going to be back for a few more days? Hey, Riley!"
Riley bounced up to Sudden and clopped her hoof too. "Hi! Did you see what Saf did?"
"Sure did. Got no idea how he pulled a turn like that without blacking out. I was actually getting ready to fly up and catch you both." Now, with Sudden being an adult (but obviously not our parents), everypony seemed content to let the situation go.
"That was because of me! I gave Saf a jolt of my magic--earth pony magic!" Strutting a little, Riley walked back to me and leaned against one of my legs (a sign I knew meant she had probably overdone it).
"What, really? Earth ponies and pegasi aren't supposed to be able to do that." Turning her attention to Riley, Sudden held out a hoof, then drew it back. "I was gonna ask for you to hit me with a little, but you don't look so good. Want a lift home?"
Looking from me to Sudden, Riley shook her head. "I think Saf can still carry me. Right, Saf?"
"Of course I can, but no more using your magic. How much did you give your tree earlier?" I used a wing to grab her and flip her into the air. A little jump was all it took to catch her neatly without any jolting.
Riley settled onto my back and I felt her grab my mane again. "You're the best, Saf. Thanks."
"After letting me pull off those stunts? You deserve all the rides Riley. You wanna fly, or should we walk?"
Wiggling a little, Riley seemed to get herself comfortable on my back after a few moments. "Walk. I wanna feel the ground through you."
"You know, Sweetie Belle was telling me about a really old sorcerer who was an earth pony. Apparently nopony alive today, not even Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, or any of the Pillars know how she could--Oh! Clover the Clever! That's him. You should ask your teacher about him." Sudden fell in beside me as we walked. "I wouldn't be surprised if you got some kind of magic cutie mark, though you're still a bit young for one of those."
"Am not!"
Sudden stopped and looked at Riley for a second. "Ha! That's the spirit. Who knows, maybe you're not? From what I've seen your brother do, you're both pretty amazing for your ages."
"Yeah," I said, "but you know there's going to be more of us, right? I mean, come on, a human your age is in their final years, Sudden. Even if they have to become ponies--probably even because they'd become ponies--the portal is going to get a lot of tourists."
"That's for other ponies to worry about. I just have a crazy pegasus pulling dangerous stunts to worry about."
Riley had been slumped against my back and neck, but now she straightened up a little. "It wasn't dangerous! Not with me there!"
"Yeah, but tomorrow, when I make him try those stunts again without you, he'll find out how stupid it was. But, he already knows that, don't you, Saf?" Her tone was so sweet and soft. I knew she wasn't joking about making me try to recreate those stunts, and I knew I'd likely pass out trying and she'd have to save my ass.
"Yes, ma'am!" I barked the command out, lifting a wing to salute.
"I'll make you pay for that, too." Sudden walked with me as we made our way home. About halfway I heard a little snore come from Riley on my back. She really had given everything to let me do my stunt. "She's asleep. I know the right place where she'll get the best rest."
"Huh? What do you mean?" Sudden asked.
Sudden was a pegasus who hadn't had siblings, so I could cut her a bit of slack. "Your friend, Bloom. If she gets really tired and worn out, where does she go to relax?"
"Well, she'd always go for a walk in the orchard. Why?"
"Riley has a tree she's been helping take over the neighborhood. She's an earth pony, so if she needs a recharge, I bet that tree knows how to help her."
Raising one eyebrow, Sudden nodded her head. "Yeah, alright, I can see that. So we go and let her sleep under her tree for a bit?"
"I'll keep an eye on her. I can't exactly boost her the way she can me, but with her touching me, I can kinda push my magic out a little too. It doesn't work otherwise." I totally didn't want to tell her how I knew that. White coats were the worst--everypony could see you blush.
"Hrmm. What aren't you telling me, Saf?"
Everypony. Can. See. You. Blush. Fuck...
"What do you mean?" I asked, trying to not think of Kaylee.
It shouldn't have been embarrassing, and I don't know why I was blushing so much, but I couldn't stop.
"Saf, you're now a shade of pink approaching Flurry Heart, and if you keep going you'll wind up like her mom. What happened?"
I groaned. I did not want to be having this conversation with Sudden Turn. "I met a girl on Earth."
Sudden's face lit up. "Was she cute?"
"You're the worst, you know that?"
"Answer the question."
"She was cute, and I had a lot of fun playing games with her and Riley, and we even got to spend some time together." The words tumbled out, and as they did I found myself looking down at my short legs. It reminded me of how old I looked. "Is that what you wanted to know?"
Sudden draped her wing over my back. Her wings weren't huge to begin with, but me being so small it wasn't hard for her to cover me from the shoulders back. "Saf, I'm glad you had fun. Fun, though, doesn't make a young stallion blush like that."
"Young stallion?" I asked.
"Best term for you. You were a stallion while there, right? There's not some kind of extra stuff I should know about?"
"Yeah, yeah. I was an adult male while there, and yes, we did get up to things adults do. It was fun, and I really wanted to give her some magic while we were doing it, but without Riley touching me, I can't do it." I lifted my head up from the metaphorical (and almost physical) hole I'd let it sink into and looked back to see Sudden's wing covering Riley. "She's amazing, Sudden."
"You gotta be like Underdog--err, Vapor Trail. She's got all these cool tricks that helps other pegasi fly better. Your sister's going to need help if she's that smart, Saf."
That sounded stupid given what had happened so far. "She's normally the one helping me!"
"Shh. You got a passenger, remember?" Sudden rubbed my back a little with her wing, probably to remind me of Riley. "But, it looks like you're already helping her."
"That's only because she helped me too much."
"I grew up with Princess Twilight running around town--heck, with Rainbow Dash and all her friends helping her. If your sister's anything like Princess Twilight, and I'm getting a vibe she is, she's going to need all the help she can get."
The chatter had gotten us to the same black our house was in. We walked the last bit in silence, though the city did continue being noisy around us.
It took a little jolt of pegasus magic and I got over the fence and down to the ground again without jolting my sleepy cargo. I walked over to the tree and--with my wings--carefully slid Riley off my back and down my left wing to the ground.
You'd have to be completely stone-deaf to magic not to feel whatever it was that made the hair on the back of my neck rise. Laying down behind Riley, I spread one wing out and over her while guiding one of her hooves to touch the tree.
Serene and relaxed peace coiled around me. It was like a huge, warm blanket wrapped both of us up. "I think it's working. The tree is helping."
"How can you even tell that? I mean, I know you're good with your magic but--" Apparently she wasn't as magic-dense as she thought, because Sudden stopped then and just stared at Riley. "Wow."
"Yeah. She puts a lot into this tree, that's why I thought bringing her here when she's low might mean it would share some back." My sister was actually glowing softly, her pink coat seemingly getting a green tint. After a few silent minutes the glow softened and then faded. "I think that means I should take her inside now."
"How do you just get what needs to be done?"
"She's my sister, Sudden. I've been hanging out with her, watching her talk to trees and stuff, for weeks now. I guess I kinda just picked up on how this stuff works. At least a little." Really carefully, I tried to scoop Riley up with my wing.
But Riley wasn't so deep asleep as I could just pick her up. "Saf?"
"Hey, sleepy-head." I picked her up and held her under my wing--wrapped tight. "You were pretty out of it."
"Wha' happen'?" She yawned and seemed to pull her head down into the tunnel made by my wing.
"You used up a lot of magic letting me do stupid shit. I brought you to your tree to get a pick-me-up, now it's time for some real sleep."
"Saf?"
"Yeah?"
Riley yawned and closed her eyes. I could guess she wanted to say thanks, but it seemed her body decided sleep was a better idea.
"I kinda deserve any punishment you give me tomorrow. I gotta be more careful around her." I carried Riley in the back door and turned for the stairs leading to our bedrooms.
Putting Riley to bed, I couldn't help but smile as she burrowed under the covers and immediately started snoring again. I turned and saw Mom standing in the doorway with a raised eyebrow.
Stepping out of Riley's room, I closed the door with a wing. "We went flying and I might have tried some stupid stunts. She had to use her magic to keep me from blacking out. She slept on the walk home and I gave her some time with her tree."
Mom let out a sigh. "So long as she's okay."
"But I was being--" Mom's hoof against my mouth silenced me.
"Saffron, I bet that you had a little filly on your back telling you to do more. Yes, be careful, but I know you both well enough to know this wasn't either of your fault. You're my little darlings." That's when I noticed the big, silly grin on Mom's face.
"You look just like you did with Riley."
She froze and looked at me in surprise. "You can remember that?"
"Yeah I can. You walked around in a daze for months. I remember googling it and thinking you were on drugs or something. It's a pregnancy thing, right?"
"Probably that and a touch of being young again. Everything feels so fresh and new." Mom started toward the stairs down in front of me. "Oh. Hello, Sudden Turn. Visiting Saffron?"
Sudden let out a short and sharp snort. "More like making sure him and Riley made it back without trying another crazy stunt. Are you okay, ma'am?"
"Just getting over my time spent back on Earth. I heard about him and Riley doing something silly."
I followed Mom down the stairs and watched her head into the kitchen. That's when I realized something, and it had been something I'd slipped back into so easily my brain hadn't even told me what was going on. I snapped my eyes closed and tried to banish the image of seeing my mom walking away from me--with limited success.
"Something wrong, Saf?" Sudden asked.
"Yeah. I just lost The Game." How long, this time, was I going to have to go before I could mentally tune that out again? For that matter, why was Mom holding her tail up so high? Oh, great, more questions I don't want answers to.
Sudden tilted her head to the side. "What game?"
"It's..." How the heck do I explain The Game? "So, think of something that you don't like thinking about."
"How do I do that?"
"Well, it's not easy to explain. How about something you're embarrassed by?" Wham! It was like the purple after-image you get in your head after a bright flash goes off in your face.
"Oh. Oh! Now I get it. And once you start thinking about it, you can't stop?"
"Yeah, now you're getting it. So back on Earth, reminding someone about something like means you can tell them 'You just lost The Game.' Just now, thanks to my imagination, I did it to myself."
"So you lost twice then. Once for remembering, and a second time because it was you that reminded yourself of it. How do you win The Game?"
I laughed--short and sharp. "You don't. Even if you try to win, you lose more. The Game can never be won. At best, you can maybe lose a little less than everypony else."
"Ah. I think I've got it now. How're your wings?" Sudden lived up to her name by changing the topic and pointing to the door leading outside.
I started toward the door. "They feel really good. I burned a little magic into them earlier, but I wouldn't mind--"
"No. No flying until tomorrow. Consider that an order. Your sister passed out, twice, because she was drained of her magic and exhausted. I asked around and found out Earth is really low magic." She followed me outside.
"So why are we going out?" I asked.
"Duh, so your mom doesn't hear me grilling you about this other girl. You'd never tell me anything with her hovering around."
When I looked back, Sudden had the sneakiest grin I'd ever seen on her. "Why are you so interested in her?"
"Saf, I don't think you've quite worked out how grilling somepony for answers works. You see, when I'm grilling you, you don't get to ask the questions. How did you meet?" She followed me all the way over to the tree. Riley's tree.
I sat down and then drew one of my wings out and around to begin preening. "We were having something to eat in the restaurant at our hotel. She was the waitress."
"Ah, now you've figured it out." Sudden sat down beside me and started doing the same thing as I was--with her own wing of course. Gah, now I'd lost The Game again. "So you two hit it off right away? I take it she looked good? What about you?"
"You've seen the pictures of humans from our world?" I asked.
"What'd I tell you about grilling? Yeah, I have."
"Well, I'm about average height for a male, but you have to picture someone boring-looking like that with a braid down one side of their face filled with pegasus feathers. I didn't mean to be, but apparently that was pretty unique." After the stunts I'd pulled with Riley, my feathers were a mess. Several had to be straightened, and one I think I'd need to keep an eye on. And, this was just one wing.
"And her?"
My mind wandered for a moment and I fell back into the same thought pattern as I'd had on Earth. "At first I couldn't work out why I was attracted. The first day was just 200% confusion. We sat up late playing video games with Riley." I found a feather that might need splinting, and made a mental note to get my preening kit out later to take care of it. "Second night I figured out what it was. She was cute. She had curves in all the right places, and when she walked I started to have trouble breathing."
"Sounds like a typical stallion. Well, a stallion noticing mares. How're you feeling on this side of things?"
Why was it so easy to talk to her? "I mean, I like looking at some ponies--mares--but it wasn't as intense as what I felt back on Earth. Here it's more--intellectual. I like the way mares move, I like the way they look--particularly pegasi--but there's no..."
"Need a word? Need, imperative, desire, ache--"
"Imperative is good. I'm pretty sure Riley would like me using that. Dammit, and now I'm thinking about how much better than I am she is at all this stuff. She also doesn't have this problem to contend with."
I found a bunch of feathers that needed a lot of straightening and got to work. Sudden seemed to get that too because she went quiet.
We kept up the quiet preening for a while, until she piped up again. "You like pegasi?"
Having been wrestling with the broken feather that apparently wasn't quite broken enough to remove, I had to let it go to reply. "Well duh. Earth ponies are too--too big. Unicorns have a way of walking that just makes me think they have a stick up their butts. Pegasi move like--"
After a moment of my silence, Sudden replied, "Yeah, I know what you mean."
I went back to work on the problem feather for a bit, finally judging it salvaged. "It's all your fault."
"Huh?" Sudden lifted her snout out of her wing and looked at me over it. "What is?"
"You forgot already? I distinctly remember you flirting with me."
"Saf, that wasn't flirting. I was trying to get you to relax a bit. It worked, too. If you were just thirty years older, I'd hit you like a buckball. I like you. You have a quick mind and you speak from your heart, but you're still only twenty." What sucked the most about what she was saying was that it was true. "But that means we have years of hanging out and having fun before we maybe get to that stuff."
"Hold up. Thirty years is a long time, even in Equestria. That's like over a tenth of your life."
"We click."
I narrowed my eyes and stuck my snout back into my wing to start on the next feather--thankfully less bent than the previous one. After getting that sorted, I shook my head. "I still don't get it. Does clicking mean that much?"
"I've never clicked with another pony before, except my best friends. Either your a best friend or you're going to be something more. We can do the first bit right now, and are doing it pretty well, but the other bit... I can wait." It was almost infuriating. The more she said it, the more I wanted to ask but why? "Your dad given you the talk yet?"
"Yeah, seven years ago." I started on another feather.
"This is what I'm talking about, Saf. If I asked any other guy that, he'd try to posture and make a show of being cool. You actually tell me." When I peeked over my wing at her, she'd gone back to preening herself.
Dammit. She was right. I wouldn't speak like this to anyone. I spent a moment watching her preening and realized that right here was the perfect example of my type. "This is so unfair." I stuck my snout back into my feathers to preen the last of the damaged ones.
"I saw you."
"Huh?"
"Looking at my butt." She sounded smug. Smugger than any smug I'd ever heard in my life.
The most annoying thing was she was right. "This is so awkward."
"I bet nopony in your world ever says that about puberty."
It was utterly impossible to not laugh at that. I folded both my wings (now properly preened) and let go with a big case of the giggles. "Right? Just like nopony does here."
"I know. But look on the bright side, Saf." She stood up and turned, giving me plenty of opportunity to look not just at her, but up at her. "When you finally get through it, we'll see about trying out more than friends." Spreading her wings, Sudden winked back at me and practically danced her way into the sky.
"Maybe it is starting," I said. |
The Embassy | Chapter 27 | Philip Ree
I looked from Riley over to Moon Dancer. Attractive, smart, young (by pony standards), and completely off the table, Philip. I took a steadying breath and waited with my little filly at my side--between myself and Moon--while she did complex calculus.
"Riley Ree?" The voice made us all jerk our heads up. "The doctors can see you now." She was a white-coated mare with a stunning red mane and tail. She beckoned us with one wing toward a hallway. "Just down here, third door on the right."
Me, being the only genius present, was apparently the one to lead--at least I could count to three. Dr. Horse was inside, as were two other ponies. "Hi," I said.
"Philip Ree, thank you for agreeing to this." Dr. Horse wasn't the one speaking, it was one of the others--a mare. "I'm Dr. Bright Meadow, this is Dr. Dembones, and you already know Dr. Horse."
"Thanks, but you'll have to excuse one thing--it was Riley who agreed. She's old enough to make her own decisions." I stepped to the side to let Riley walk in with Moon just behind her.
"You must be Clair Ree, Riley's mother?" Dr. Bright Meadow asked, looking at Moon Dancer.
"No." Riley's voice was vehement. "Moon Dancer is my teacher. Mom is too busy working to be able to come, and since I couldn't study today, I asked Moon to come instead."
Moon just bobbed her head. We'd agreed to leave her medical qualifications unstated. She wasn't a medical doctor, but she'd studied enough to get halfway there.
"I should introduce everypony properly." Dr. Horse gestured to himself. "My specialty, as you know, is obstetrics; Dr. Bright Meadow is the foremost specialist in metamorphic field theory, and has literally written the book on it; and Dr. Dembones is a specialist in medical ethics. Given your daughter's age, Dr. Bright Meadow asked for him to ensure that nopony got too excited and pushed Riley beyond what she is able to."
"It's more nuanced than that, but I will endeavor to prevent any accidental harm befalling young Miss Ree--even if I have to get physical with my younger colleagues." Dr. Dembones seemed like a nice old stallion, a grandfather as it were. Though, he did give both the others stern looks. "Also, Dr. Moon Dancer, it's good to see one of my former students."
"You recognized me?" Moon Dancer's surprise was evident. She looked at the old stallion with something approaching fondness.
"After all the work I went through to drum into your head that ponies are more than just a test subject, a walking biological factory, or a unique magic signature? Yes I do. You're teaching Miss Ree?"
Moon nodded and looked a little uncertain. "Hers is a complicated case, and when Mr. Ree asked me, I couldn't say no. All the local schools were going to put her into preschool so she could learn her letters and numbers."
"I take it she's a little above that?"
"A little. She's studying at an equivalent to a thirty-five-year-old, and she's speeding up. By the time she's eighteen, she will have at least one degree if I'm not mistaken." Moon Dancer sounded excited, like she was showing off to her old teacher.
Dr. Dembones leaned down and looked at Riley with a lot more interest now. "What do you think about that, miss?"
"I like learning new stuff. It's something I'm good at, but I want to learn how to use my magic better. That's why we're here, right?" Riley looked up at Dr. Dembones. "Dr. Horse thought it was strange how I can push my magic into others, but it's not strange--I do it all the time."
"They want to learn how you're doing what you're doing. That will probably mean a lot of things happen. For one, if you can do this, there hasn't been another pony capable of it for a very long time. For another, if they can work out how and why you can, it will mean they get famous, you get famous, and hopefully somepony can work out a way to teach you how to do it better," Dr. Dembones said. "Are you alright with all that?"
Riley spent a few moments with her hoof on her chin. I realized, now, how odd this must be for them to be dealing with a foal so young, but I liked how quickly the old stallion just ran with it. He treated Riley as an adult, and I knew she responded well to that. "Okay!"
Straightening, Dr. Dembones turned to his two stunned colleagues. "I believe the young lady understands exactly what the outcomes of this are. You may proceed, doctors."
Dr. Bright Meadow looked relieved. It hit me then that she probably would have backed down if Dembones had told her to back off. Ethics seemed to be a highly respected field of medicine in Equestria. "Wonderful. Now, we have a thaumgauge capable of reading down to nanothaums, and first I'd like you to push your magic through the field as hard as you can."
"Uh, I can't." Riley's reply surprised the doctor. "I need to push into somepony."
"Of course, I'll just have your father--"
"No." Riley cut the doctor off. "You don't understand at all. Here's a little bit." She walked up to Dr. Bright Meadow and, before the doctor could react, reached her hoof out.
"Oh! Oh, I see!" Dr. Bright Meadow lifted her hoof to her snout and giggled. "Perhaps we should find some volunteers?"
"I gather there is a reaction of earth pony magic in your system?" Dr. Dembones asked.
"Any more, and I would have taken off running. It's quite something."
"I'll do it. I've had her give me her kicks before," I said. "Where do you need me to stand?"
Dr. Bright Meadow directed me to a large device on one side of the room. I stood before it, apparently withing the detection range, while Riley walked over. She held out her hoof to me.
"Dad, I'm going to give you a lot, okay?" she asked.
That actually made me a little worried. I tried to think of a way to compare it. "How much is a lot compared to what you gave me when we got back from Earth?"
She tapped her chin again, a motion I'd started to realize was very much her. "About ten times that, I think. Do you have cupcakes handy? I'm going to need a snack after this."
Dr. Dembones cleared his throat in what both Dr. Bright Meadow and Dr. Horse reacted to as if it were a hand-grenade with the pin taken out. "Hold on then. Dr. Horse, please ensure we have ample sugary snacks."
Five minutes later and, with a large tray of bakery treats that Dr. Horse had acquired, Riley and Dr. Dembones were both satisfied that all bases were covered. I waited for her to touch me. She lifted her hoof up and held it out, so I reciprocated.
There wasn't an obvious spark of energy jumping between us, but I felt what she did in every fiber of my body. I wanted to run, gallop all over Equestria non-stop. I wanted to find Clair and show her how much she meant to me. I wanted to-- "Wow." My hooves were itchy to do all the things.
Analyzing a spew of paper that left her machine, Dr. Bright Meadow raised both eyebrows. "Wow indeed. These numbers are significant, but I don't think the machine captured the full range of the energy output. We're going to have to adjust this."
"W-What does that mean?" I asked.
"It means we move on to tests that don't involve the machine, though they're probably going to want you back to do that test again--assuming you're okay with it, Riley?" Dr. Dembones asked.
Riley just giggled at that. "Of course it is. I just need--"
But I could see what none of the doctors could, and what my daughter was lying about. "No more tests for now." Using my horn, I picked Riley up with my magic and set her on my back. "Despite how advanced my daughter is, she sometimes forgets her body is still physically very young. She needs a lot of sugar in her right now."
Dr. Dembones looked at me with a raised eyebrow.
"Daddy's special talent is knowing what ponies need." Riley stretched herself out on my back and wiggled a little to get comfortable. "And yeah, I'm a bit hungry."
"A bit?" I asked.
She just let out a sigh. "Okay, a lot."
I floated the first of many cupcakes to her and held it long enough for Riley to get a grip on it and start to eat. It was strange. Having spent so many years teaching both my kids to eat healthy and moderately, stuffing hyper-sugared cupcakes into my daughter's mouth seemed a travesty. "Let me know when--"
"Another, please."
Yup. Here I am earning a fatherhood of the year award in Equestria while every nutritionist on Earth slaps their forehead in consternation. Deal with it, this is how pony anatomy works. "Here you go, sweetie."
"Thanks, Dammf--" Her words devolved quickly with another cake in her mouth.
Moon Dancer, I realized, seemed deep in thought, but she noticed my look. "I think I'll need to discuss this with Princess Celestia." She gave a little nod. "I have a theory I'd rather not talk about, but the princess will best be able to confirm or deny it." It didn't surprise me at all when she vanished with a pop.
"She hadn't learned that trick back when she was my student," Dr. Dembones said.
Riley squirmed a little on my back. "Dad, can I have another?"
I looked back over my shoulder to her. She felt like she had far more energy than before, but she could use more. "What's the magic word?"
She snorted and rolled her eyes. "Dad, can I please have another?" When I floated one up to her, she let out a string of little giggles. "Thanks, Dad!"
"You're welcome, sweetie."
The rest of their tests involved various amounts of Riley doing things a young earth pony probably couldn't, and me doing things an adult unicorn couldn't (after she'd jolted me with her power again). By the time we were finished there and walking home--Riley still munching on a cupcake that they'd been generous with--we were both feeling well-worn from it all.
"Do I really have to go back to do that test again? They didn't seem to help me learn anything at all. I knew I could do all that stuff already." The words came out between bites of cupcake. Was I still irked that cupcakes and frosting was the ultimate energy food for ponies? A little.
"We'll go back to give them that test, but I won't be compromising your classes any further than that. I know how much you enjoy school." My words earned me a tight hug and, I suspected, a liberal dusting of crumbs in my mane.
I walked up to the front door of our house and opened it, only to see Moon Dancer and Flurry Heart inside. Ah, yes, the perfect day to have a messy mane--with royalty visiting. "Good mor--afternoon, Your Highness, Moon Dancer." Smooth, Philip, really smooth.
"Here they are now." Saf was sitting on the couch, apparently having been talking with Flurry and Moon. "Hey, Dad, Riley. We got visitors."
"Yeah, Saf, I noticed." Sometimes he was sharp as a tack, other times my son could be--well--a typical young adult with his own distractions and problems. One day I'll have all the answers to parenting--until then I'll get by on bluffing and dad jokes.
Flurry put on her best smile, which was pretty impressive, and gestured to Riley. "Please, don't stand on ceremony, I'm only here to pass on a message from Princess Celestia. She inv--What?"
"'Don't stand on ceremony' and 'message from Princess Celestia' makes that an oxymoron," Riley said in her best obnoxious-12-year-old voice.
I turned my head. "Riley, you know what she meant."
"Sorry," Riley said.
"We've been examining advanced language techniques as well as constructing and countering arguments," Moon Dancer said with a sigh. "She's getting good at it."
"I noticed. Sorry, Riley, I'll try to be more concise. Princess Celestia has asked if you wouldn't mind spending the afternoon with her." Flurry looked a little embarrassed by the rebuke from Riley for what was just normal apologetic banter. I'd have to have a talk with her later about when it's appropriate to use these new skills Moon had taught her.
"Does she actually know anything that can help me? The doctors were supposed to, but all they did was tests." I realized what the problem was with my little filly--she was hungry and annoyed at being poked at all morning with nothing to show for it.
"She does." The words from Moon Dancer surprised me, and relieved Flurry Heart. "When I was thinking about you affecting ponies with earth pony magic, it reminded me of somepony. I wasn't absolutely sure, but there's only a handful of ponies alive today who remember another mare capable of things similar to what you're doing, Riley." Moon looked smug. "Princess Celestia is one of them."
"I don't know why she sent me. You explained that well enough." Flurry rolled her eyes at me. "It's almost like she treats me as her own, personal messanger--like I'm just a soldier or something." Alright, I had to pay that. Given she was wearing her light armor, it was a pretty solid joke.
"Excuse us a second," I said, and walked through to the next room and quickly cast a Shhh spell (something I'd looked up my first night back from Earth--for other reasons than discussing things with my daughter). Floating said daughter onto the bed of our bedroom, I took a slow breath to put my words in order. "Riley, I know you're upset about the doctors, but you shouldn't treat conversations like they're a--a debate. You don't win, you only make ponies uncomfortable."
"I was--But she--It was a--" She sighed. "Sorry."
I mussed up her mane with my hoof. "It's alright, Riley. Everyone feels a bit snappy when they go through a whole morning of non-stop hard work. It took me a bit to figure that out, too. You need to speak up and tell me when you are feeling wrung out."
"But I thought you could tell?"
"No, sweetie, all I can see is that you need something to eat." I kissed her nose. "Now, do you want to try this? From what I heard from Moon, she was taught by Celestia, and I think if anypony would know about this thing you can do, it'd be her."
"Yeah... Yeah! Can I have some time to talk with my tree? That usually helps get me perked back up."
I reached a hoof up and rubbed my chin, an activity that was common for an older guy, but not so much a young stallion barely into adulthood. Ignoring the odd mental clash of having been so recently back in human culture, I nodded. "Sure can. Let's head out there while your brother is stuck talking to Moon and Flurry."
She reared up and held out her forelegs, a reminder to me of how much she'd gone through in all this. When I put one foreleg around her, she latched onto my neck like a limpet. "You're the best, Dad."
The grip around my neck was, luckily for my continued survival, incomplete. Despite me being younger physically than my human self, Riley couldn't get her forelegs around my neck. "You know it. Come on."
I dismantled the spell with a little swish of magic and opened the door again. The room beyond, which had been lively with discussion, was suddenly quiet. "Riley needs a little chill time before she'll be up to anything else. A bit of time with her tree will fix that up. We should be fine to go in..." I looked to Saffron--he had the most experience with Riley's communing moments.
Saf raised an eyebrow, then realized I was asking him something. "Half hour if she's quick. An hour if its normal. Five hours if she gets distracted and argues with the trees down the road."
Still carrying Riley, I waved and said, "Thanks, Saf," then walked through to the back yard. The moment we were walking on grass and soil, I felt something strange. "Riley?"
"That feels funny. I can feel the ground through you. Hold up, Dad." The moment I stopped she let go and dropped to the ground. The tingling feeling was gone, but I could see a huge difference in Riley already. She walked with confidence over to the tree and then around it. "Dad, it wants to say hi to you. Come over and touch the bark while I do."
Without any reason to refuse, I walked closer and reached out to the tree just as I saw her do the same. My hoof touched the tree first, and I felt nothing, but then Riley's touched it and I felt the world melt away.
Warm sunlight welled up inside me and I felt happy-excited sensations coming from--from the tree! Riley's emotions were there too, and though her happiness was also apparent, so was the amount of power burning inside her.
My daughter stood as an inferno--a pillar of energy in this strange, wooden world. I didn't feel constrained exactly, but the tree was a conduit through which I needed to look to see Riley.
"It's okay, Dad, I only need a little bit with them." I was barely aware that we were back to normal and that Riley was drawing her hoof back after having touched me. "Maybe I should try to prepare you a little more next time?"
"That'd be a good idea. I--" I shook my head to try to clear the feeling of a breeze through branches and sunlight on leaves. "That was really intense."
"I feel a lot better now. Can we go and find out what Princess Celestia thinks she can do?"
"Meditate." Princess Celestia floated out the same book (not exactly, just another one) that I'd been given to learn magic. "The secret to understanding your magic and establishing a perfect balance with it, is meditation."
Riley took the book when it floated close and I could see the tiniest skeptic in Equestria furrow her brow.
"Before she explodes," I said, "how does a book written for unicorns help?"
"Open the book up, Riley Ree. Go to the third page in and read it for me." Now, from what Moon Dancer had told me of foal development, reading wasn't usually high on the list of things a 12-year-old would be doing, but Celestia surely knew Riley was special.
"Magic Exercises for Beginners, by Clover," Riley read aloud. "Then it lists--"
"The title and author again?" Celestia asked.
"Magic Exercises for Beginners, by Clover. I don't get it?"
"There's two important things to realize about both the title and the author, I'll give you a few more minutes to figure that out." Turning to look at me, Celestia winked. At least, I think she winked. With her mane always flopping over one eye or the other, it was impossible to tell if she was winking or blinking.
"Magic Exercises... for Beginners... Clover..."
As Riley read and reread the words, spacing them out in various ways, I suddenly realized what Celestia had meant--at least regarding the title and why it was relevant to Riley. My smile must have split my face, because Celestia smiled a little wider too.
"I just don't get what this has to do with me? Is there a way for earth ponies to get a horn? Is it some kind of riddle? Why does it--"
"Riley." I couldn't help myself. I was her father, and I didn't like seeing her flop about mentally. "What doesn't it say?"
She looked up at me, then down at the book, then up at me again and I watched her eyes widen. "Unicorn. It doesn't say the book is for unicorns. Is it"--she turned to look at Celestia--"written by an earth pony?"
"Moon Dancer's description of what you were doing didn't make sense at first, but then I remembered this book and Clover. You can ignore the section about horn magic at the end, Star Swirl added that when he got frustrated there were no guides specifically for unicorns."
Her words surprised me. "How long has your world had books?"
"Since Star Swirl invented a spell that prevents them from decaying. This was originally written on a sheaf of papers that Clover used repair spells on every few years. When Star created the spell, this was the first book ever protected in that way, and thus the oldest book in my possession." Celestia let out a gentle sigh. "That was my first textbook."
It hit me like a ton of bricks. This book was older than human civilization. It was older than every book on Earth by orders of magnitude. It was, even, the oldest book in Equestria. "Riley, you understand what that means?"
"I need to be careful with it." She turned another page carefully. "Hey, somepony wrote all over the edges!"
Seeing an ancient and immortal ruler blush was probably unique, but I can say now that I have seen such. Celestia gestured to the writing with her hoof. "This is my own hoof-writing. These parts here are Star's. I look forward to seeing what you add."
"But--" Riley looked between Celestia and me.
"It's her book. If she says it's alright to write in the margins, then it's alright." I lifted a hoof to ruffle Riley's mane a little. "I wish I understood all this more, but I might have to borrow that book after you to read through it. The one Moon gave me was a little newer."
"I think--I think I'll save my notes for the end of each section, then I'll write what I think about it there." As she spoke, Riley flicked through to the end of the first chapter. The deeper she got, the less and less room there was in the margins.
Celestia chuckled at the sight. "That was how Star and I did it. Space becomes a premium for those pages. The amount of earth ponies that can do what you and Clover can could be counted on one hoof." She held up said hoof and wiggled the two hard nails of it. "When you understand all the techniques in there, I'd like to meet up with you again and we can discuss a more expansive teaching of your gift."
It felt like a dismissal, but had that promise at the end. How much of her statement was just encouraging a filly and how much was real I don't know. I liked to think Riley was just as smart as Saf kept saying, but he was far from being an unbiased source. "Thank you, Princess Celestia."
Riley, rather than replying, was already reading her new book. For a moment I was going to say something, but Celestia shook her head.
"My best students have always had this problem. Your best bet is bribing her to put the book down. For Twilight that was fast food."
"Dad doesn't let us eat fast food. He makes us eat apples and fruit if we need a snack," Riley said, her eyes not leaving the book.
Using my magic, I picked her up and set her down on my back. The odds of getting her to put the book down were minimal, so I might as well let her keep reading it where I could carry her. "Come on, Riley. We have to let Princess Celestia get back to her work."
"Bye."
At Riley's single-word-farewell, I shot Celestia an apologetic smile, only to see her grinning. Apparently she really was familiar with awkward fillies.
Leaving the castle, I made my way back into the city and to the market. By now I knew everypony who came to the market to sell, and a lot of the ponies that came to buy. Walking around, I made sure to say hello to everypony I passed--it might make things take longer, but I'll be damned if it wasn't fun to share so many smiles.
"Yellow onions so cheap? I'll take a bag, please."
"Carrots? Absolutely!"
I kept buying, letting Riley read away on my back while I organized the next few days' meals. The basics for a good meal were common, thankfully, though finding some fish to add into Saf's meals was sometimes hard. Not today, though.
"Gabriel! It's great to see you!" I rushed up to the griffon's cart and started looking over the ice-covered supplies.
"An actual customer, or are you another squeamish unicorn who doesn't--Oh! Mr. Philip! Forgive me, but unicorns are a little hard to tell apart. How's your son doing? Still enjoying his flake fillets?" I couldn't take offense at him having trouble recognizing unicorns, he was after all another species entirely, but he was also the best source of water-based protein.
"You know how they are, the easiest way to tell if they're doing okay is by how long they spend in the air." As soon as I said it, Gabriel lifted his foreleg with his talon clenched. I gave a firm bop with my hoof. "He loved the shark, by the way. How about your chicks?"
"Gerard is doing well, he's zooming about still. Gerty will get the hang of her wings any day now, then I don't know if any tail in Griffonstone will be safe. I can recommend the squid--caught a few in perfect condition." He gestured to a brace of squid hanging from their tails. "I also got some crayfish. Not cheap, but fresh as you can get."
"You have them here?" I asked, already mentally working out what else I'd need to go with the squid. The great thing about my talent was it made this easier. I could look at the calamari and immediately picture an arugula salad to go with it. Right, now I needed to grab some arugula.
"There isn't exactly a ban on showing live seafood, but the Guard would probably get enough complaints that they'd ask me nicely to move. They're back here and still feisty." Gabriel made room for me to get to the side of his display and I could see the crayfish.
"Kinda small ones. I'll need four of those. Make it five squid too."
"They are a little undersized. I'll do them a little cheaper for you--since you're such a good customer. Anything else? More flake?" Gabriel was already wrapping the squid in paper.
"Dad, what are we getting?" Riley had, apparently, surfaced from her book. Probably a chapter break.
"Getting some fish for Saf and some treats for the rest of us. Don't think I don't remember what you ordered back on Earth." I glanced back at Riley before turning back to Gabriel. "Yeah, ten fillets of flake should do. I need enough for his sandwiches for a few weeks--unless you'll be visiting more regularly?"
"With regular customers I can." Gabriel began bagging up the shark fillets too. "How do you want those crays? You can have the bucket if you bring it back with you next time."
"When's next time?"
He passed me the bucket. "Let's say I try for two weeks instead of three?"
I was about to nod when I noticed something. Narrowing my eyes, I knew what it was a moment later. "Okay, but promise me you'll eat this." I floated an orange out of my pannier and over to Gabriel.
"Huh? What about it?" Nonetheless, he bit into the orange with his beak and I saw a surprised look pass over his face. "W-What is that?"
"You had a vitamin C deficiency. Eat an orange ever few days. Maybe get some for your chicks, too?" Lifting the bucket with my magic, I made sure to fashion a lid with my telekinesis to keep our dinner inside. "Thanks again."
Gabriel was too busy trying to stuff the second half of the orange into his mouth to get anything intelligible out.
"Dad, are we having lobster for dinner?" Riley asked me from my back--just as I was walking past a group of mares who had suddenly gone quiet.
Six heads spun around to look at me and Riley, and I could hear them murmuring to each other. Yup, now I was the worst dad in Equestria. A bad reputation in the market could ruin my chances of getting good produce when I came down here.
"Good afternoon, ladies. I trust you're having a wonderful day?" When in doubt, put on a smile and bluff.
Two of them lifted their snouts and started to turn, most of the others followed suit to some extent, except one. She was an earth pony mare who looked about the same age as I was. She had a basket of fruit on her back and panniers full of groceries. "I am, thank you. Did I hear correctly that you'll be eating those poor things?"
"Absolutely. My son's a pegasus, and he needs plenty of the kinds of protein that a diet of fish or seafood actively provides. Then there's the omega-3 fatty acid, which is beneficial to everypony to aid in--" I paused when her eyes had glazed over. Had she expected an easy argument? "There's a lot of good stuff in them, even if ponies don't include them as a normal part of their diet."
She stood there staring even after I'd stopped talking.
"You broke her, Dad." Riley jumped off my back (leaving her book there) and walked up to the mare. "Hello? Are you okay?"
"Whe--Where am I? Where did my friends go?" She looked around for a moment and then spun and started to gallop off in an unladylike way.
Staring at the retreating mare, Riley turned back to look at me. "Can I have an apple?"
"Sure, Riley." I looked around for an apple merchant, but needn't have bothered because Riley was trotting for the Apple merchant. Following her, I found the mountain of a stallion who was standing behind a cart loaded with what I knew were the best apples in two worlds. "Hi there, Big Mac. Can I get a bag of your best apples?"
He was quick to move, despite having the biggest hooves I'd ever seen, and had me a bag of gorgeous apples. "Eeyup." He then tossed an apple to Riley, who caught it easily enough. "Ten bits, thank ya."
I happily paid the price. "Thanks."
"Yer welcome." He was always so light with his words--count, not volume.
Holding the bag of apples and the bucket of lobsters, I let Riley trot along beside me on the way home--both of us eating an apple each.
"I got it, Dad." Riley rushed to the front door and opened it to let me inside.
"Thanks." I made my way for the kitchen, unsurprised that Saf wasn't home yet. "So, how'd the book go?"
When I got no response, I knew what had happened. I put the perishables away in the magic don't-go-bad-box (I should remember to tell Clair to see about getting the tech for these back on Earth) and made my way into the living room. I expected to see Riley with her nose in the book, instead she was sitting peacefully on the floor.
She wasn't reading and she wasn't eating her apple, but I recognized what she was doing. It was similar to the meditation I tried from the book Moon had given me. All Riley was doing was breathing steadily, but I bet she was channeling her magic.
Well, best to let her practice. I went back into the kitchen and started getting things ready for the lobster dinners.
Butter-poached was the only way to go when you had something this rich and sumptuous. A nice salad to go with it and--right, the calamari and arugula! This would be a great meal, even if a little heavy on seafood. It was nice to show Saf how much we all love and value him by making something special for him.
It didn't take me all afternoon to cook dinner--far from it--but I had some good soup-making vegetables and figured I'd make a nice stock up to use over the week. I'd just gotten it simmering away on the stove when I heard some loud sniffing.
"That smells really good. What is it?" Riley asked.
"This is just vegetable stock--at least it will be in an hour or two. The rest is going to be butter-poached lobster with a calamari and arugula salad." I picked her up in my magic--or tried to. She felt heavier than anything I'd tried to lift before. "What the--?"
Riley giggled like a fiend. "New trick I learned. Centering myself and planting my hooves. Nopony stands still like an earth pony who doesn't want to move!"
It was utterly shocking just how strong she was with her magic. I tried to lift her again, throwing everything I had into the lift without trying to hurt myself, but she wouldn't even so much as twitch. "So you don't want to come up here and smell this?"
My magic lifted her quickly when her expression changed from smug to panic. I kissed her on the nose--which earned me a giggle--and brought her over to the stock pot.
"This smells really good! Are there any leftover carrots?"
"You can have two, just don't spoil your dinner." I mean, with a house full of ponies, how could I not have a large quantity of carrots put aside for snacks? Apples too. I opened the fridge and fetched four, splitting them with Riley.
"Thanks, Dad!"
I watched as she ate the carrot. There was a slight sense of balance returning. She'd been hungry, and needed more than just energy. My special talent was really something. "No problems, sweetie. Just remember, meditation like this will actually use energy, so don't feel bad about taking a break for a snack. It's just like doing a lot of exercise--you are burning energy, so you need energy."
"I know, Dad, but I just kinda forget that when focused. Lucky I have the best dad in Equestria to keep an eye on me." She giggled when I squeezed her into a hug, and she then scrambled onto my back. "None of the book talks about transferring energy to others, though."
"I don't think this one book is going to solve all your troubles. Work your way through it, then present yourself to Princess Celestia again." I didn't mind her sitting there. After all, it wasn't like she was in the way like if she were around my hooves.
I returned to cooking, getting the seafood trimmed and ready. After some time Riley jumped back down from my back, and it occurred to me that she could do that from what was about three times her height without any problem at all.
Foals, I thought, the exclamation making me smile like a fool (or a happy pony) as I kept making dinner. |
The Embassy | Chapter 28 | Riley Ree
Even though I'd spent every last minute of my spare time on it, and some of the time Moon had spared, it had still taken me another month to get through all the exercises in the book--well, the ones before all the unicorn stuff.
Which is why I was at the castle on a weekend, waiting in line with much bigger ponies to see Princess Celestia.
They kept looking at me strange, as if somepony would suddenly come rushing in asking if their foal was here. Well, too bad! As each pony was seen, and everypony else shuffled forward, I moved forward too.
When I finally got to the front of the line, the pony behind me let out a sigh. "Honestly. Who's playing a joke here? Why is such a young filly out without her parents? Are you really going to entertain this charade?" He was talking over my head at the two Royal Guards standing on each side of the door, or possibly to the stallion standing behind a lectern.
"Ahem." The stallion behind the lectern leaned forward and looked down at me--then he winked. "Her ladyship, Riley Ree, daughter of Ambassador for the United States of America Clair Ree, was invited to attend upon Her Royal Highness' time today."
Okay, I really liked him! Turning my head to look back and up to the annoying pony, I stuck my tongue out with all the dignity that Princess Flurry had managed to convey when I'd seen her using it.
"Well, I never!"
The doors opened and the previous ponies came out, staring into each other's eyes as if bespelled--which they might have been. What if Princess Celestia had been replaced by Queen Chrysalis? What if--? I cut my maniacal thoughts off as I realized somepony had said my name.
"Riley, you can come in now," Celestia said. She'd apparently been waiting for me and was standing by the doors waiting for me to notice.
How long had I been daydreaming? Oh, well. "Coming, Princess Celestia." I trotted forward, the old book balanced on my back. "I finished the book--well, all the bits up to the horn parts. I decided to leave notations on what I thought each new chapter was teaching and why it was teaching it. That spread my notes out in little bits throughout each chapter."
"May I?" Celestia's horn started glowing and I noticed a half-smile on her snout.
Who was I to tell her no? Wait! Was this a test? Oh ho! I see what she's doing! Finding my center, I moved it down into the stone under my hooves and let the power of the ancient rocks flow up into my body. With all four hooves planted, I had summoned the ineffable power of the stone to prevent any foreign magic from affecting me! "Sure!"
At first it was just a little touch. Princess Celestia's magic felt no stronger than Dad's when he tried to pick me up. Then it started to get stronger, and stronger, and then I heard four cracking sounds.
My link with the rock under me shattered, the book jumped off my back. "W-What happened?" I asked.
"Look down, Riley Ree."
Of the huge, square marble stones that made up the floor, the one I was standing on had four huge cracks in it. I just kept staring at the broken rock in panic. "I-I-I didn't mean t-to!"
Walking toward me, Princess Celestia practically loomed huge over my tiny (compared to nearly any pony, really, but especially her) form. That's when I felt a rush of earth pony magic and looked down at my hooves. The stone was, once more, whole. "The truth of an alicorn is that we carry all three tribes' magic. The truth of what just happened was you only reinforced yourself, not the stone under your hooves."
"Oh. Uh, how do I do that?" Tapping my hoof on the stone revealed it to sound just the same as it did before I'd cracked it.
"There's exactly three ponies in history who have managed that feat. Clover, Luna, and myself. Of course, most earth ponies can be trained to grip to rock and to use it how you did, but to go further will be your test." Princess Celestia didn't walk toward her throne, instead heading for a side door. "Please let Bright Quill know I will be busy for the rest of the afternoon."
I followed her, ignoring the big Royal Guardpony who headed to the doors behind us. What I quickly realized was that given my size and given her size, I was never going to be able to keep up. "Uh, princess?"
When Princess Celestia turned to look back at me, she paused. "Oh. I keep forgetting how young you are here. Please, allow me." Her horn got brighter and brighter, then flashed really bright gold so I couldn't see anything else. Next thing I know, we're inside a building.
"Princess Celestia! We weren't expecting you today!"
Ignoring the mare behind the counter (since she was talking to the princess), I focused more and realized it was like the entrance to--Oh, there was a sign. Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. Well, why am I here?"
"I have a new filly to enroll. She will only be here for one day a week, but I think a proper school environment is the correct place to teach such a gifted filly." Princess Celestia ignored the mare's confused look and looked all the way down to me. "You'll need to talk to Moon Dancer and apologize to her for me that I'll be stealing you on Thursdays."
"You mean to enroll this filly?" The mare behind the counter, with silvery hair and a pink coat, gestured at me with a pencil she was holding in one wing.
"Yes," Princess Celestia said.
"I'll need to contact the--I mean I--" Closing her mouth and eyes, the mare took a deep breath. "Yes, Your Highness. Now, miss, we'll need to have your parents fill out these forms and your current teacher fill out these."
"Thank you, Fluffy Clouds." Princess Celestia levitated the papers into the air and set them on my back. "There's one more place we need to visit."
She didn't give me another opportunity to get ready. The golden flash of her magic grabbed me again and we were soon standing on the steps of a huge library. It was easy to tell it was a library because it had Canterlot Royal Library written in letters about four times my size above the door. "Library?" I asked.
"If you think Clover stopped at just one book, you'd be sorely mistaken. Her notes continued, which is how Luna and I learned some of what she was capable of." Taking two steps toward the doors, Princess Celestia used her magic to open it--which left me having to gallop to catch up.
I swear, when I get longer legs, I'm going to spend all day--every day--challenging ponies to races. If it wasn't for being an earth pony, I would be running out of oomph all the time. I didn't need to use much, but a little trickle had my rushed gallop turn into an easy one--and because I was focused on that I ran right into Princess Celestia's back leg. "S-Sorry!"
"It was my fault, Riley." She was standing before a blank bit of wall. "The book we're after is in a private section." Her horn glowed a little, then the wall opened to reveal a staircase going down.
We walked down quietly, apart from the click-clack of our hooves, anyway. At the bottom was a door that opened into--another huge room full of books. "How many books do you have? Why are these ones kept away from ponies?"
"A lot, and they're not. There are copies of all these kept in the library above. This is where I keep the first editions and manuscripts of books that are important to me." Walking to a display, Princess Celestia opened the glass case and lifted out a long scroll. "This is one story of Clover. He chased an evil unicorn into another world to stop her from using the Memory Stone from erasing others' memories."
"Erasing others'..." I thought on that, remembering the word game Princess Celestia had given me with the book title. Then it hit me. "She erased his memories?"
"This was the last thing we know of Clover. He wrote down everything he knew of the sorceress, used his magic to strengthen the portal she'd created, and chased her into the other Earth world--the one your mother is trading with so successfully." There were tears in Princess Celestia's eyes.
I reached out my right foreleg and got it all the way around her left one with the best hug I could manage. "H-He stopped her, right?"
"I didn't know until recently. One of my former students--living in that world--had an encounter with a young lady who possessed the Memory Stone. The situation was resolved, but the young lady definitely wasn't the sorceress. The stone, thankfully, is destroyed now."
A horrible realization came to me and I found myself squeezing Princess Celestia's leg a bit tighter. "So he was lost in this other world with no memory of how to get home?"
"That is exactly what happened. I like to think that young woman my former student rescued from using the stone is his descendant, but that is likely just wishful thinking. This is probably your best guide for learning to use your specific power." Celestia's golden glow levitated a book down from the shelf and toward me. "This is his personal journal."
Letting go of her leg, I sat down and held out my forelegs for the journal. Opening it carefully, there was some very roughly written words inside the cover.
The Journal of Clover, 10 summers old.
I was startled. "Ten? But foals aren't--"
"There's a reason why I'm trusting this to you, Riley Ree. You and Clover share far more than just a talent. Clover the Clever was a genius, though he was only able to express it with his own learning." I hated the word she used. Yeah, it might mean something to crow about, but people expected so much of you the moment you let them pin it on you.
Thinking about the book and the way most ponies had treated my use of magic. "There isn't a copy of this upstairs." It wasn't a question. She wouldn't be giving me this one, after all, if I could get a copy from upstairs.
"What is your reasoning for that?"
"If you had a copy of this, you'd be lending me that. Even if you wanted to see my notes, I could scrawl them in the border of a fresh book--unless the purpose was to read the notes of those before me. This is a journal, though, not a text book. All such notes would do is prod at the person Clover, rather than their learning. So that means that it's a personal document, and you don't publish those for all to see unless they have historical importance." Taking a breath, I raised an eyebrow at Celestia.
"This journal contains keys to unlocking your magic and personal information both. What I'd like you to do is follow through it and write only the former, as you see use for it. That way I will have something to publish upstairs." She held my gaze, just looking at me as if expecting me to realize something.
And, it wasn't hard to work out what. "You want me to publish a book?"
"I'd like that. This is a rare talent, but as you've shown it is by no means completely absent. Having a book for foals to follow--written by somepony learning the talents themselves--would be a good addition to my library here, and the one above."
So I was right. I couldn't write a book on using earth pony magic with just one source. "I need to borrow his meditation book again and I'll also need a lot of paper."
"I'm sure Moon Dancer can help you plan this out and maybe even do the editing for you. She has you well ahead of the standard level of education for your age--on Earth--so I think a little time to work on a thesis is fine." I could see a lot of laughter hiding behind Celestia's smile.
I was thankful for my earth pony-ness when I had a stack of books to carry home. It would have crushed Saf, but with just a trickle of magic they sat proud on my back. I also had a little token from Celestia that made it known I was a student at her school.
By the time I got home it was getting late, but I didn't care. It was a weekend, and thus I was allowed to have some--
"Riley! What did the princess say?" Moon Dancer sounded a little worried. She looked at me like I was going to turn into a dragon or something. That'd be totally cool. I wonder if earth pony magic could turn me into a d-- "Is that a pass for Princess Celestia's school?!"
Oh, right, daydreaming. "Yup! She said she'll be having me at the school on Thursdays, and that you'd understand why that..." Moon Dancer had gone glassy eyed. "Uh, are you alright?"
"Thursday? Really?" Moon sounded like she was about to explode. "Thursdays are when she'd give her personal student tutoring. Did I do something wrong? What--"
"I don't think she's doing that, but Moon, she also wants you to help me with a special project. Apparently she wants me to write a book on how to train earth pony magic as an external force." As I spoke, I noticed Moon calming a little. When it came to telling her the topic, she started bouncing in place.
"The first book about an entirely unknown way of using magic? This is going to be the best!"
"Well, actually not the first book, just the first anypony will know about. You see, there's this journal Princess Celestia gave me. It's fragile, since it didn't get the book-preservation spell until late in its life, but this is Clover's journal."
Moon looked up and down the stack on my back. "So what are all these other books?"
"Well, I could hardly write a book using just a single source. I have the special copy of Clover's guide to meditation, two history books on Clover--because they are secondary sources, I wanted twice as many--and the last is an empty notebook for me to write down all my own experiences with magic so far. That way I'll have three primary sources and two secondary." I had to tilt my head up at Moon to look her in the eyes.
Giggling, Moon used her magic to lift the books from my back. "That's my student. Did Princess Celestia say anything when you started demanding extra sources?"
I giggled too, at first unable to reply but eventually getting a hold of my laughter enough to speak. "She tried not to, but she groaned. You'd think I was asking to take the whole library."
Moon laughed a bit more as we carried the books inside. When we got to the study she used as my classroom, she gestured to my seat and started looking at the books herself. "The first decision is what kind of book will this be? It could be a scientific paper, a practical guide, a training book, or even--" She only stopped because I raised my hoof. "Yes?"
"Practical guide. I don't think I know enough about it to be a training book, and any other framing device might just make it harder for others to follow." I gave a little nod of approval. "I want this to help ponies learn this talent."
"A good idea. Okay, so that logbook will be very useful, since it's going to be your notes on how you learned to do something so you can work backwards from having learned it to teach others." She floated the journal over to me. "This will be invaluable. You can skip a lot of your guesswork with this and see about building abilities without so much trial and error."
It turned out the first logbook wasn't going to be for my own writing. I went through the start of Clover's journal and wrote it out--word for word--excluding anything personal that didn't affect their earth pony skills.
Taking the time to write it all out also meant I read it over carefully several times to say nothing of making sure I didn't accidentally ruin the irreplaceable journal.
Okay, so the first things he noticed about earth pony magic was when he could reach out to trees without touching them. Normally it should take an earth pony touching the plant to say anything to them. Time to turn theory into practice.
Sitting back from the tree far enough that I wouldn't accidentally touch its roots, I tried to reach for it like Clover said they could--through the ground. "Come on, we're both friends. I can reach out to you through some dirt--I'm an earth pony, after all."
Nothing I tried worked, though. Pushing at the ground only made it mound up, pushing my thoughts into the ground only made the grass around me grow faster, and pushing my hoof into the ground only made a hole.
I went back inside and read Clover's journal, but the wording was exactly the same as my copying of it. Back outside again, I sat just away from the tree and slowly slid myself into the meditative state that Clover's other book had taught me.
It was so easy to slide into this frame of mind now, but also a trap. I could meditate all day from dawn to dusk and not notice I had. So, keeping track of the sun, I tried to feel just the ground I was directly sitting on.
The dirt was comfortable and the grass happy to see me--even if my butt was pressing it down. I'd like to reach further. Do you promise not to grow too much if I reach through you?
The grass, of course, didn't respond. Grass wasn't really that smart.
Blade by blade, I reached forward through the dirt. The ones I was touching came easy, but then a little plant I wasn't touching welcomed me with excited photosynthesis. Calm and in control of my power, I welcomed the grass and kept moving forward. The grass, though, wasn't what I was reaching through, it was just a measurement of how far I'd gotten.
What this did seem to take, though, was focus. When I touched a plant, it was like there was a big tunnel opened up for me. I could easily push my magic through the tunnel, but as I worked my way further from my body I realized my power was spraying in all directions.
That's what the problem was!
The meditation made it easier to focus on a single line, but it was still pouring out from the tip. This meant I had to get better at meditating, and now that I had a measure of how good my meditation and focus was, I could do that.
Giving the grass a little boost of energy, I stood up and let my meditative state fade.
"There you are. Was wondering when you'd come out of that. Mom and Dad are at a fancy dinner that they can't take us to, so Dad told me to take you out somewhere you wanted to go." Saf was standing behind me, apparently. When I spun around and tried to come up with something good to yell at him, he smirked at me. "C'mon."
The only reason I didn't actually get annoyed at him was because for however long he'd been there, he'd waited until I actually moved and shrugged off my meditation before he even made a noise. "Just let me write this down before I forget it." Picking up both notebooks, I tossed the one that was copied from Clover's journal on my back and carried the one with my notes in my mouth.
Saf groaned and twitched his wings. "Okay, but you better not get busy doing any massive amounts of writing--I'm hungry."
Putting both books on the table in the kitchen, I flipped mine open and started writing what my next step was.
Magic sprays out more the less I'm focused. I need to meditate better to tighten my flow of magic up and learn how to meditate while walking and moving. Also, I need to thump my brother for reading over my shoulder.
"Hey! Not my fault!" Managing to get out of reach of me, Saf was laughing. "Come on, keep fighting to the door. If I have to lead this horse to--"
"Don't you dare finish that." I pointed a hoof at him. "You're not Dad."
"... dinner and make her eat, I will." He stuck his tongue out at me.
I started galloping after him, and Saf laughed and ran out the front door. "Come back you, you bad-joke-teller!"
"It wasn't a joke!" The annoying thing about Saf was how much faster than me he was. I mean, sure if we had to keep chasing forever I'd beat him, but he could practically dance around and still outrun me. "It was a pun!"
The tree was a full ponylength (an adult pony, not a little runt like me) away. I looked up at Saf, then turned to look at Moon. "It's taken so much practice, and all those lessons on meditation with Princess Celestia, but I can finally do this."
Raising my hoof in the tree's direction, I brought it down to the ground and focused my will on it. This was an order of magnitude more focus than I used to manage. As each little trembling fork happened in my magic, I narrowed my mind on it and snapped off the lossy branch.
When my magic reached the first root of the tree, and the connection was made, everything came together. Hi!
The tree was surprised at my touch, excited, and welcoming.
I gotta go. Sorry I can't chat more now. Despite how short our little meeting was, I knew the tree was always happy to feel me. Heck, I was happy to feel it too.
"So it worked?" Saf asked.
I spun around to glare at him and stick my tongue out too. "Yes! Didn't you--" Of course he didn't, he's a pegasus. "It worked. I reached out to the tree through the ground. As soon as I made contact with it, everything became easier and I didn't need to focus anymore. It was like when lightning sends out leaders and, when they touch ones from the ground, the full power flows really easily."
Pointing at the tree with his wing, Saf tilted his head to the side a little. "Why don't you just send it through the air? I mean, I know you're an earth pony, but it's not like you're a normal, every day earth pony."
"Because..." I tried to think of a reason that wasn't just because I'm an earth pony, but nothing came up. "Huh. Okay, let me try."
Focusing again, I brought my mind back to my magic and my hoof, pointed directly at the tree, and started sending out my magic. After getting it a few inches, I stopped. "This is really tricky. With the ground it's like--like I only have to focus it in one plane. Now it wants to zoop all over the place. Let me try again."
It took so much focus to extend my magic to the tree that although Saf and Moon talked, I couldn't follow their words. This was sooo much harder. When the sun went down, and I was only halfway there, I whined and let go. "That is way harder."
Saf ruffled my mane with his wing. "Something for you to work on, then. How far did you get?"
Ducking out from under his wing, I walked to the point I'd managed to spool out my magic to. "Here. What were you talking about?"
"Saffron asked me if this was anything like how a unicorn uses their magic," Moon Dancer said. "I told him this was more like a unicorn using their magic to affect something on the other side of the world." Ouch. Why did everypony keep calling him Saffron when he preferred Saf?
"Dinner time. Moon, would you like to stay for dinner?" Dad asked from the house. "I have an extra plate ready for you."
"Th-Thanks, Philip, but I think I'll have to pass." Moon sounded shifty, but with a lack of light I couldn't tell her expression. I knew why she was passing--she really didn't like fish. "Maybe another time we could all go out to a restaurant? Maybe celebrate Riley or Saffron's graduations?"
Yup. That would bypass having to be around ponies eating meat perfectly, since most restaurants didn't serve fish. We all walked inside and Moon started gathering up her things.
"It's the fish, isn't it?" Dad asked.
"Well, duh," I said. "Dad, hardly any unicorns eat fish."
Moon and Dad both blushed, and Saf thwapped me lightly on the head with his wing.
"What was that for? It's true!"
Saf snorted and shrugged his wings. "Yeah, but like--the whole world works because we all let everypony keep little lies that everypony knows aren't true. Moon Dancer was being polite and giving Dad a valid reason why she couldn't eat with us."
"I know that, but it's still stupid. Why doesn't everyone just tell the truth?" I looked at Dad for answers, but he smiled at me. "Wel--?"
"You've been working all afternoon, haven't you?" Dad picked me up with his magic, surprising me so much that I didn't try to stay on the ground. When I nodded, he booped me on the nose with his magic and then put me on his back. "You get grumpy when you're tired."
"I didn't even use much magic! It's all the concentration that was annoying. Saf was right, though, I need to learn how to do it the proper way, and that takes way more work." It took me a moment to realize I'd just argued against myself. I sighed. "You're both right."
Moon Dancer left and Saf sat at the table while Dad started bringing out dinner. The front door opened and closed, and I heard Mom's hoofsteps coming loser. When she came up to Dad and they started kissing before saying a single word to each other, I focused on Mom herself and realized how big her belly was now.
"Mom," I said, "you're huge."
"Anypony would think I have a whole new pony growing inside me." Mom stepped past Dad's head and kissed me on the cheek. "How did your demonstration go?"
"Terrible! I mean, I managed to push my magic through the ground and into the tree, but then Saf said I should try it in the air and it was soooo much harder."
"That's because you were thinking too much like an earth pony. You need to think wider. You've got this cool talent and you weren't really flexing it." Saf Picked up a knife and fork with his wings and started digging into his dinner.
Jumping down from Dad's back, I used the downward energy to spring back up again and land on a chair at the table. "Yeah, that's the most annoying bit. You're right."
I scooped my first mouthful of food and watched as Saf lowered his rounded dinner knife to his plate and ran it along the surface, twitching it left and right. He looked into my eyes and winked.
Gulping down my mouthful, I asked, "What?"
He lifted the knife up and wiggled it in the air. "I just figured something out. Can you guess what?" When I just stared at him for several seconds, he lowered the knife back to the plate. "Can only move in a flat plane." He lifted it back up and wiggled it every which way. "Moves in all directions."
"What are you talking about?" I shoved more food in my mouth.
"Your magic doesn't go through the dirt, it travels along the edge where the dirt met the air. That was the plane you felt. In the air, though, your magic can travel in any of three dimensions."
I froze. He was absolutely right and he saw it before I'd even worked it out. "H-How?"
"Earth ponies work in planes, pegasi use all three dimensions. It just came to me like a few seconds ago."
It was obvious, but not really. Okay, it would be obvious to a pegasus. He was pushing me, but also helping me. "Thanks, Saf."
"Don't mention it. Remember, I'm gonna be relying on my little sister to get all the smarts because all I'm good at is flying." Every time he said something like that, I would have to remember this moment. Heck, every time I started thinking like that I'd have to remember how he'd solved this problem first.
"Pfft. Yeah, right. I would have been tripping over a way to describe this for weeks. You just nailed it after a few minutes. Sometimes it takes a pony who thinks a different way see the obvious." I speared a piece of cauliflower in cheese sauce and started munching on it.
Saf shrugged his shoulders and started loading his fork up. "So what do you do with this now?"
"Not much. It all goes into my notes for the book, though." Something got my attention by not being present. Turning my head, I looked at Mom and Dad. "You're quiet tonight."
"Sorry, Riley, just a lot to think about. I'm due in two weeks." Mom's smile looked strained.
"Mom gets a little down before she pops out a new kid. I remember her with you--" Saf said.
Turning to look at Saf, Mom raised an eyebrow at him. "You were only 6 then, how could you remember that?"
"Some things you remember no matter what. When your mom starts moping and complaining about--about things, that sticks with you."
"What were you going to say, Saffron Ree?" Mom used that tone. It was the one that chilled your blood because if she spoke your full name with it, you were dead.
"Fifth Amendment, Mom." Saf grinned and leaned back on his chair with his forelegs crossed behind his neck and his wings steadying him. "You, being a public official, cannot coerce me into giving evidence that would incriminate me once I have invoked my Fifth Amendment rights."
"We aren't in America right now. I could ask Princess Cadance to request extradition--she's a mother too, she'd help me." Mom's features had slid from serious to obviously-joking in barely a second. "I know I'm going to be a little harder to live with for the next few weeks, but just remember that I love all of you."
"We know, Mom," Saf said.
"Yeah," I said. "We know that, Mom. Besides, there's going to be somepony else to love soon!"
Mom got a huge grin and she nodded. "We will! Anyone got any ideas on what we'll name them?"
I nodded my head eagerly. "Princess. Princess Ree."
Saf rolled his eyes and speared the last of his cauliflower with a fork. "I don't think that's how it works. Well, except for Princess Flurry."
"Miracle?" Dad asked. "Well, they will be."
"How do ponies normally pick names?" Mom looked to me as if I'd have the answer. When I shrugged back, she blew out a wicker. "Well, maybe I'll just get the doctors to drug me up and make up something on the spot?"
"No!" The exclamation from Saf made us all jump a little. "I've been putting up with that for 18 years, I won't have a sibling dealing with it. You'll name them Table Lamp or Wittle Myth Moth or something bizarre. I'll ask around how to do this."
"I'll ask too!" I glared across at Saf and saw his determined look. It. Was. On. |
The Embassy | Chapter 29 | Saffron Ree
Formation flying was tough. You had to know exactly where you and your wingmates were at all times. The hard part was matching all our flying together. Some of us had bigger wings, some of us had different types of wings, but I was the smallest and that meant everypony should be pulling their flying down to my speed.
At least, that's how it would normally work. The difference was I used my magic in precision flying to keep pace with the next better flier than me so that the whole team could work faster. We were jumping into a Sweeping Advance maneuver when sergeant Slowpoke cruised up alongside me with her wings barely moving. She could out-fly me without trying, I knew, but right now she had fallen-in beside me just like our formation had an extra pony on one end.
Slowpoke gestured down with a hoof and then wiggled her pinon-feather nearest me. This was one of the standard gestures which was a command to fall-in with that pegasus.
Tilting my wings as she did, we turned into a dive that brought us down to Wonderbolts H.Q.'s landing strip and to a screeching halt together. "Canterlot General Hospital. Your mother just had her foal."
Whatever I'd been focused on just evaporated. How could I think about flying when Mom needed me? "Sir, permissi--"
"Go, Saf. Heck." Slowpoke rolled her eyes.
"R-Right. Thanks." Turning toward the edge of the clouds, I pumped my wings and zoomed across and over the edge.
The air barely touched me I was moving so fast. With my wings tucked in at my sides, I shot toward Canterlot and sped up all the while. I knew where Mom would be, since I'd been with her and Dad one time when they went to the hospital, so adjusted my dive so I'd be pulling out of it right at the front door.
Hitting the ground a little harder than normal, I ran inside and looked around the entrance. Hospitals were always kinda freaky to me. Everypony seemed to be rushing from place to place, and all of them seemed to know exactly where they were going.
"Well, look at you in your Wonderbolts outfit. What can I help you with, sweetie?" When I spotted the mare who spoke, I realized she was exactly who I needed to talk to--a nurse.
"My mom, uh Clair Ree, is having her baby." I looked up at the mare who towered over me, and tried to look lost. Whether it worked or not, she reached a hoof out and ruffled my mane. Not that I cared about her messing up my hair right now.
"Let's find her then, shall we? She'll be in maternity... Follow me, please."
I trotted after her as she led the way deep into the building. Eventually she stopped at a desk and asked after Mom.
"The ambassador?" The nurse behind the counter leaned forward and looked down at me. "Saffron, is it?" At my nod she smiled. "Room 7. She only just came in."
More trotting, and I got to count down the room numbers until we reached 7. The nurse used a wing to open the door and I shot through the gap as quick as I could. "Mom?"
"Over here, Saf," Dad said. "Remember how long your mom took with Riley? Well, apparently ponies don't spend anywhere near that amount of time having their foal."
"What do you--No way?" I'd missed it? How had I missed it? They said she just came in! I only had to flick my wings a little and I was into the air and hovering beside the bed. Mom was laying on her side with a little wrapped bundle against her belly--her back leg was stretched a bit further back than normal. It took me a few seconds to realize that's where her boobs were and a few more to remember that they were meant for babies, after all. "Heck."
"Meet your new little sister, Saffron." Mom didn't sound drugged out, like when she had Riley. When I looked up at her, she didn't look drugged out either, just a little tired. "No epi this time, so I guess I have to come up with a name the old-fashioned way."
My attention snapped back to the tiny filly pressed to Mom's belly. Hovering forward, I set myself down on the bed and lay down on my belly beside my new sister. "Hey there." When her tiny ears twitched, I couldn't help but grin. "Welcome to the family. Things might be a little crazy every now and again, but I bet you're gonna fit-in just fine."
She squirmed and pulled her snout out from under Mom's leg, then let out the biggest burp I'd ever heard--well, from something as small as her. She looked up at me with huge eyes and smiled. She also had a tiny horn above her snout.
It was enough to make me giggle. "One of each. Your big sister's an earth pony, I'm a pegasus, and you're a unicorn. I'm sure there's probably somepony somewhere who will find symbolism in that. Not me, though, I'm just a dumb jock fly-boy." I booped her nose--carefully--with my hoof.
Her eyes widened and she fumbled with her forelegs but couldn't get them to cover her nose. When I reached down and brushed her snout with one wing-feather, all her attention swapped to my wing.
"Are all foals this active just after birth?" Mom asked.
When I looked around, the nurse who'd come with me was gone and a new one was fussing with pillows and charts beside Mom. My attention snapped back to my sister, who had one of my feathers in her mouth now. "Well I guess I needed a good preening anyway."
Mom tapped my shoulder with a hoof to get my attention. "You can pick her up if you want, Saffron. By the sound of that burp, she's had a good feed."
Sitting up, I scooped my free wing under her and lifted her into my feathers while she kept sucking on my other wing's primary. "She's so small."
"Mom! Dad!" Riley's voice from the door wasn't that much of a surprise. I imagined she got the same message I did, though she might have been harder to break from meditation. "When are you going to have the foal?"
Dad's eyes flicked to me. "What foal, Riley?"
My little sister's--Guess I can't use that anymore. Riley's mouth had dropped open and she stared between Mom and Dad. She hadn't even looked at me or what I was holding in my wings. "Dad!"
"Riley, get your butt over here," I said, making room on the bed for her.
Dad lifted Riley up onto the bed with his magic and I turned my wing just enough for her to see-- "Have you picked a name yet, Mom?"
"She's so tiny. She's smaller than me!" Riley crawled across the bed to me and looked at our new sister. "How is she smaller than me?"
Holding our new sister in my wings, I reached a hoof up and booped Riley on the nose. "Because you're twelve years older than her, silly."
"Yeah, but..." All Riley's attention was on the little filly, and she trailed off when my feather was surrendered in favor of reaching out toward Riley instead.
"I think, given her yellow coat, Golden would make a good first name," Mom said.
Dad tapped his chin with one cloven hoof. "What's the normal naming system here? Should she have Ree as her last name, or do we pick that as well?"
Turning to stick her tongue out, Riley put a foreleg around me. "She's a Ree, Dad. There're some families in Equestria that have consistent themes or last names. There's no reason we can't too."
"Okay then, Golden Ree it is." Mom let out a sigh that sounded very content and happy. She was looking at Golden, so I carefully walked up the bed toward her with the filly in my wing. "Thank you, Saffron."
Passing Golden to Mom, I sighed. She'd never stop calling me by my full name--and I could never tell her to stop. "So. What now?"
"Well, as near as we can tell," the nurse said, "both mother and daughter are doing well. You can head home once you're discharged." She tapped her hoof on the chart. "The doctor left notes that once your little one was fed, you're fine."
Remembering when Mom was in with Riley, she'd been in hospital for a few days after having her. "Really? Aren't there tests and stuff?"
Raising an eyebrow, the nurse turned the chart around. "They've all checked out."
"Saf, they use magic to run tests here. The bed probably does all the tests for them," Riley said.
Getting Mom checked out of the hospital wasn't hard, but there was a lot of paperwork to fill out. Dad took care of that while I held Golden. Wings really were the best, and I can't understand why anypony would want to be anything but a pegasus--though Riley and Dad do pretty well.
I thought back to the filly I was carrying. "A unicorn. Didn't I hear there are all kinds of problems raising a unicorn foal? Like, magic bursts or whatever?"
"I've already got a list of helpful spells for that. One of Starlight's friends helped raise Flurry when she was just a tiny foal. If they work on an alicorn, they should be fine for a unicorn." Dad sounded so confident, which was more than a little worrying.
It was worrying because this was all strange. Sure, Golden was their third kid, but she's their first unicorn. A cute one too, particularly since she was asleep in my wing right now.
I didn't need to be told to take her upstairs when we got home. I headed for Mom and Dad's room, with Mom following me. "How weird is this?" I asked.
"Super weird. I expected to spend a few days, high on drugs, half a day pushing and fighting my own body... Instead I got in there, the doctor told me to give a good heave, then he told me to stand up! I stood up and felt Golden just--just slide out. And don't get me started on nursing her all the way back there." Mom climbed up on the bed and looked over at me expectantly. When I reached out and passed Golden to her, the tiny filly woke up and grabbed onto my wing.
"Uh... What do I--?" She wasn't strong. I could have pulled away easily, but I wouldn't. Using my free wing, I reached to my secondary feathers (some were a little loose anyway) and plucked a few free. They were still longer than Golden's foreleg, and when I tickled her nose with one, she giggled and let go of my wing.
"You're going to spoil her, Saffron." Mom cuddled Golden and reached down to tuck the filly against her belly. "Thank you."
Knowing what she was about, I turned and let Mom have some privacy. "Us Rees have to stick together. There's five of us now, and Golden needs a cool big brother."
"She's got one," Mom said as I was walking out of the room.
What do I say to that? Ugh. I walked down the hall and down the stairs, unsure what to do with myself. Should I go back to Wonderbolts' HQ? I only had a moment of thinking about it when I was crash-tackled by Riley.
When Riley tackled you, you knew about it. "What's up?" I asked, putting a foreleg around her.
"You're the best big brother ever."
"As if that was in doubt." I didn't feel as confident as I sounded saying that, but what else could I say? "I guess we get the rest of the day off school?"
"Yeah. Princess Celestia told me to take the day off. She said it's super important to let our new sister know how special she is." Letting go of me, Riley walked over to the couch and jumped up on it.
Seeing the obvious invitation, I followed her and climbed up too. "Mom's feeding her again. If she's anything like you, all she'll do for weeks is eat, sleep, and make the most disgusting messes you've ever smelled. And, I bet those smells will be worse because we're ponies." I tapped my snout with my right wing's largest primary feather--the one Golden had mangled.
Barking a laugh, Riley closed her eyes and seemed to go a little distant. "Saf, if all we have to deal with is a bit of diaper stink, that won't be much. There's so much we have to teach her. She might not look it, or feel it, but she's still at least a little bit human. We have to make sure she can find out about that stuff if she wants to."
"Even if she does," I said, "we have years and years to help her figure that out. Remember, I'm still a foal for another twenty years, and you are for another thirty. Golden will be for forty years. There's just so much more here in Equestria."
"Yeah, I guess. Princess Celestia has me doing more meditation stuff. The book does too, but Princess Celestia wants me to have it perfect before I move on with the next step. It's going to take me years to learn all this, and even if I have years to burn, I want to do it faster!"
Rolling my eyes, I bopped Riley on the nose. "It's pegasi that are known for wanting to do things faster."
"And unicorns that are known for their magic. I don't care about all that. I want to do all this and I want to do it now." She looked around the room. "Ugh. It's too boring here. I need to go out and do something."
When she jumped down, I followed after her. "What are you going to do?"
"I don't know that, Saf. If I knew that, I would have said, 'I need to go out and do that thing.'"
That was a lot of sass for Riley--she must have been really worked up over this. "Dad? Heading outside for a bit."
"Take your sister--your older sister--with you, Saf." Dad's reply made me chuckle a bit.
"Will do, Dad." I looked back at Riley and spotted the smile on her face too. "Okay, that's gotten us the afternoon. Let's go do something."
When we were outside, I let my wings open just a little--enough to feel the breeze. "I think the weather ponies are putting a storm together."
"You can feel that?"
"Yeah. Like..." I thought hard on what I was feeling. "It's like the air is getting more and more wet--humid--and I can almost taste the static of lightning. We haven't done much about weather design yet, just examining what pegasi can do to clouds. You wanna fly up and take a look?"
Riley's answer was to pronk her way onto my back and hold onto my neck.
Spreading my wings, I had to give a few good pumps of them to get us off the ground. There were no thermals nearby, and given the moisture in the air I doubted if they even existed at all right now. Circling higher and higher, I pumped my wings without using magic, and soon we found ourselves in the middle of a group of weather ponies. "Uh, hi!"
"Whoa! Canterlot's a no-high-fly zone right now. What are you--both of you--doing up here?" The pegasus stopped, and with her about half a dozen others that were doing something to a cloud.
Right. Weather report. I'd forgotten to check my flying information for the afternoon. Lying wouldn't be the right thing here. "Sorry, I'll just--"
"Wait. Chief, look at what he's wearing," another of the pegasi said. "Hey, kid, you're a junior Wonderbolt, aintcha?"
Wearing my flight suit was second nature now--probably first. I nodded. "Yeah. Though things kinda got messed up today on account of Slowpoke interrupting my class to tell me our mom was having her foal."
The first pegasus blinked in surprise. "No sh--Really?" When Riley nodded on my back, the mare let out a laugh. "Well, I can't exactly chew you out. I bet you're just giving your parents some space by taking your--sister out for a fly, right? Just bolted right out the door?"
"Something like that. Mom look worn out, and Dad looked like he wanted to crawl into a hole and hide for a year. That doesn't excuse me not checking out the weather warnings."
"No harm done. Hey, you wanna give us a wing, hot-shot?" The mare raised an eyebrow and nodded toward the huge thunderhead beside her. "We're trying to push this big-un over the mountain to kick the lightning out of it, then we're going to pack it down for the snow Princess Celestia asked for tomorrow."
"Go on, Saf. You'll never get another shot like this," Riley said from my back.
"Just hold on tight and don't use your magic. Last thing we want is a cloud growing trees or something." I winked over my shoulder at Riley, then turned back to the weather ponies. "Ma'am, what do you need me to do?"
"Get on the side opposite to Thumper there and try to heave that thing as much as you can. It's a big and lazy cloud--it just wants to dump everything it has right here." The mare gestured to where she wanted me and then to where we were pushing it. "What's your name? Never mind, you'll be Hot-Shot. My name is Sunny Day, but you can call me Chief."
Racking my brain, I managed to remember that E.U.P. Guard chiefs were the lowest level of field command. They knew everything about everypony under them and knew how to get things done. "Yes Chief!"
"Hey, Hot-Shot, give your hooves a bit of a kick of magic to start with. I hope you have some pushing power," Thumper said.
I didn't have the wings Thumper had, but I bet I had as much magic as him. Maybe more. "Hey, Riley, forget what I said. Can you give me a jolt?"
Her answer was a giggle and the jolt I'd asked for. It was like a rushing hurricane of magic that started off foreign and weird, but the longer it was in me the more like pegasi magic it became. When I figured it was as converted as it was going to get, I pushed a little into my forehooves and a bunch more into my wings and pushed.
"Whoa! Hot-Shot! Move to the center and swap with Howling." Sunny Day's command had another pegasus rushing to my position and, instinctively, I moved to theirs. "That's it. Now give it another push. I shoulda expected you Wonderbolts had some secret cloud-moving techniques."
This time, when I pushed, my shove was directly through the cloud's center of mass. I gave the bulk of the push while the pegasi around me assisted and guided it. With Riley's magic boiling through me, I wasn't even getting tired.
"Okay, on my mark you're going to stop pushing aaaaand..." Sunny drew out the word, but I knew not to stop pushing until she told me. "Stop!"
Now I stopped and back-winged a little from the huge cloud. Every wing-beat I'd felt how much that thunderhead wanted to go in any direction but the one I'd been pushing it--but all the other weather ponies were always there to keep it on track.
"Hey, Hot-Shot, if you ever get bored of the Wonderbolts, come and check out the weather ponies. We could use some heavy-lifters." It took me a moment to realize she was misjudging my age. I knew there were smaller than average ponies, but it felt great to be recognized as a near-adult despite my size and age.
"I kinda cheated. The little filly on my back? One of Princess Celestia's newest students. She can give you a jolt of magic that lets you do a lot more with your own power than you could on your own."
The pegasi all looked between themselves before Sunny fronted up. "Any chance of a jolt for one or two of us, then? It'd make all this a lot easier."
I looked over my shoulder at Riley. "How're you feeling? Up for a few more?" I could see in her eyes that this kind of situation was what she'd been wanting when she'd said "do something".
She stood up, ignoring that she was just casually standing on my back so far above the ground that we couldn't recognize ponies below. "Just hover close. I don't really need to touch you."
Thumper was first to approach. He winged so that he wasn't far from me and, when Riley gestured to him, his eyes widened and I could see him buzzing with that raw, physical power that she could donate. "Sweet Celestia! That's--That's amazing!"
Once Riley had dished out her jolt to each of the weather ponies, she slumped onto her belly on my back. "It takes a lot of focus to do that without touching them. This is what I wanted, though." She raised her voice. "Will that help?"
"You're kidding, right? I feel like I could shove that cloud around on my own!" Thumper looked at Sunny. "Hey, Chief, we don't need to report them for violating flight rules, right?"
"Report who? Only ponies around here are weather ponies and two deputies. You should probably both head home now. I bet your mom is a bit more relaxed. Maybe you should give her a jolt?" Ruffling my mane with her forehoof, Sunny gestured back down toward Canterlot.
It was kinda an order, and I didn't really want to argue with them since they'd been nice in not reporting me. Giving a salute, I tweaked my feathers to let air rush through them and, with Riley letting out an excited squeal from my back, we plunged back down into low-altitude Canterlot airspace.
It was hard to tell how long we spent with the weather pegasi as we descended toward home.
Watching Riley finding her place was amazing, and it seemed like her magic (like Dad's and mine) was like a muscle--the more she used it, the stronger it got. Every morning before her classes with Moon, she'd trot down to the weather ponies, and after that to the E.U.P. Guard H.Q. It was obvious she'd realized her power was getting stronger with use, but I was pretty sure she genuinely enjoyed helping all those ponies.
Golden was still so tiny, but she'd started both walking and firing blasts from her horn at every opportunity. Dad was quick to solve the latter with those spells he'd learned. Things almost seemed calm and safe. That's why I knew something crazy was coming.
"Narrating in your head? Who do you think is listening?" I knew the voice even before I turned around and saw Discord floating in the air behind me. "Fluttershy told me I should apologize again for our last meeting--I was feeling a bit noodly, you see, and when that happens I just start flipping things upside down."
"Yeah, I noticed. Besides, you turned me back to normal. No harm, no foul. Just ask before you change me into something else... and make sure it has wings." I realized my error the moment after I finished talking. "Ask before you change me at all."
"You're both fun and not at the same time. Your little sister is causing quite the stir. Going around and booping ponies. You know there are rumors starting." Discord leaned back and stretched out on a lawn chair that wasn't there seconds ago. He lifted a mirror up and positioned it under his neck. "If you don't relax, I'll make you relax."
With just a snap of his fingers, or paw, Discord made a second chair appear, lifted me onto it, and positioned a second mirror under my chin.
I just sighed and stretched out a little, trying to enjoy the warmth of the sunlight. "Rumors?"
"Glad you asked. Let's see, there's the one about Celestia losing it and taking an earth pony as her new personal student. Another about a young mare that spends far too much time around a colt. Finally, we have the one about one mare who can tame the desires of a stallion alone.
"That last one has all kinds of salacious postulations about how. Some even combine it with the young mare and the colt one, saying the mare is the second female for the stallion." A pineapple appeared in Discord's talons and he took a sip from it--managing not to impale himself on an uncountable number of tiny umbrellas. "None of the rumormongers suspect for a second that all three are true."
"She doesn't spend too much time with me. For a start, I don't even have those feelings as a colt."
"So you do know something of this?" Discord removed a pair of sunglasses I swore he wasn't wearing a moment earlier. "Then what, knowledgeable colt, is the answer? How about this--I'll give you a single wish if you unravel all of these for me."
Excitement built for all of four seconds, then I remembered who I was chatting with. "Like I'd do that."
"Oh dear. Have ponies been talking about little ol' moi?" The attempt at an innocent expression Discord made was a good one, but he was already behind the eight-ball.
"No. We have stories on Earth about genies that offered wishes that always had ironic consequences."
He huffed. "I wouldn't make any consequences ironic."
"Right. You'd make them silly. Like, I'd wish to be older, and you'd make me one day older. Or I'd wish to be the same age as Sudden Turn, and you'd make her my age." When I looked over, I saw Discord writing something down. "Taking notes?"
"Goodness yes. These are great ideas!"
"Okay, I'll answer your questions. Are you sure you want these ones answered? You seem to know them already." I completely ignored whatever visual gag he was likely to perpetrate and closed my eyes to relax a little more.
"You're too kind, Saffron Ree, did you know that? Questions, questions, questions. Goodness there are a lot of things on my mind lately. What's your favorite color?"
"Light blue. It's relaxing without seeming to try. What next?"
"What do you want to do with your life?" I could still hear him scribbling something, but wasn't sure what he was writing down.
"Easy enough. I wanna fly. I don't think I'll ever get bored of it." As I waved a wing in the air, I felt a round weight settle into it. Lifting what was obviously a coconut to my lips, I tasted it. Apple cider, and it didn't taste alcoholic. "Thanks."
"That's something I like about you. You take things at face value. The way some ponies around here act, you'd think I was some kind of ancient, mad chaos god seeking out playthings to torment--well, until recently I might have been, but I changed!" Discord sounded like he might have been trying to convince himself more than me. "Last question, what's the capital of Abyssinia?"
It came right out of left field, which I had to assume was normal for Discord. With a sigh I opened my eyes and looked over at him--took in his shit-eating grin--and made sure to sip down the rest of my drink before replying. "You know I don't know that."
"Well, yes. I like to cheat a lot, and this was the best I could really manage. Of course you wouldn't know--"
"Panthera," Riley said. "Saf doesn't study geography, but I do."
I looked back at her and smiled at my little sister. "Hey, thanks for the assist." Turning back to Discord, I could see there was still mirth on his face. "Kookamunga."
For a second Discord just stared at me, then he laughed aloud and actually fell off his sunbathing couch.
Staring at me in shock, Riley stomped both front hooves at me. "Saf! Why'd you screw it up for?!"
"I wanted to see what he'd do." I leaned back and pulled the sun-reflector up under my chin again--while Discord kept laughing. When I checked my drink, I found it full again. I took a sip.
It took Discord another minute to get over his laughter and climb up on the lounge. "And that's why I like you so much. Are you sure you don't want to be a princess? You could be princess of chaos, and we'd have so much fun."
"It's tempting, if only for a day." I shook my head. "But fun as it would be, it wouldn't be me. This is who I am."
"And this is only you because you got used to it." Discord's voice was really close. So close that I could feel him on my shoulder--dressed as a tiny demon. "He's right. You should try it for a day."
I figured it was an angel on the other side, but when I turned to look it was another devil-Discord. Of course it was. "So long as I turn back to my normal, pegasus self after one day--sure."
"Saf! You can't--"
Riley's words were lost to me. I felt Discord's magic wrap around me and pour into me. There was that snapping sound of his paw's fingers coming together, and then it was done. I could feel different. I was bigger, since I guess I didn't tell him what age I was okay with, but I still had my wings so it wasn't a complete loss.
I used one wing to adjust the mirror under my chin and the other to hold out my coconut. "Can I get a refill?"
"I'm going to go tell Mom on you, Saf!" Riley turned on her hooves and marched back toward the house.
"And just like that I know I'll get in trouble for this." My voice, I realized, was a little higher than normal. I didn't want to think about what else was different, and didn't really care either. If I hadn't said yes, I'd probably be wondering about it for the rest of my life.
"Just blame me. Everypony else does," Discord said.
"Saffron Ree!" Mom's voice made my ears tuck down at the volume and tone. It was my full name, so this could be me getting grounded for the next thirty years. "If what Riley told me is true, you're in big--Oh." She stopped when she realized Discord was still here. "Is this--?"
Time to test this chaos thing out. "Pull up a seat, Mom. This is Discord. He's the spirit of chaos, and--"
"A spirit of chaos. There are others, but they don't tend to hang around here very much." Discord tilted his head and looked up at Mom. "I don't believe we've been fully introduced."
Mom froze as Discord took her hoof and gently kissed it. "Well, I--You turned my son into a princess?" She looked over at me.
"It was a bet, Mom, and it only lasts a day."
Reaching down to his feet, Discord pulled on a pair of miss-matched running shoes. "You'll excuse me, but I plan to be at minimum safe distance before any of the others find out about this." He took off at a run when another Discord fired a starter's gun.
"Why did you say yes?" Mom asked, sitting on the second sun couch.
"Because why not? This is a magical world, and despite that we've been avoiding all the magic. Also, like it matters what I have for one day, I'm still me. Also, I'd be kicking myself if I didn't try it." Focusing my mind, I made another of the coconuts appear beside Mom. "This is good cider."
"So it's really just a day?" Mom asked as she sipped her cider. "Hey, this is good."
"Just a day. I kinda felt sorry for him, too. He goes out of his way to do funny stuff, but ponies seem so wary of him that he hardly gets any fun and"--I gestured to myself with a wingtip--"this is fun for him. He'll be watching, somehow, while everypony freaks out about it."
"Riley was freaking out. You probably want to reassure her you're still you, Saffron." Slumping a little onto the couch, she drank more from the coconut. "And for the love of little green apples, Saffron, you better learn how to make this without magic."
I rolled over and started to stand up, only to find there was a lot more of me to stand and a lot more leg to stand on. I wasn't just an adult, I was a tall adult--an alicorn. "My mane isn't swooshing like Celestia's, right?"
"I'm a little surprised he didn't go that far. Your father is sleeping upstairs with Golden, try not to wake them or cause Riley to wake them."
That was a golden rule with a little baby--don't wake the baby. Waking the baby meant someone was going to lose what little sleep they were already getting. It felt good to have some height again. I know it's only temporary, but I couldn't wait until I was this tall again all the time. "Riley?" I poked my head in the door and looked around.
"I'm not talking to you, Saf!"
"Hey, keep it down, we don't want to wake up Dad or Golden." Her voice had come from the living room, so I headed through to it. Riley was on the couch with her face buried in the cushions.
I walked over to the couch and sat down on it. Everything was a little different with this much leg involved. I had to fold my limbs a lot more. "I'll let you braid my mane."
Riley pulled her head out of the gap between cushions and looked back at me. She looked annoyed, but braiding was an offer she would never skip. "You're huge."
Turning, I laid down on the couch and stretched my neck out so Riley could get at my hair. "Yeah, it's kinda awesome to get a taste of being an adult here." As her hooves started to work, I thought about that. I was going to get treated as an adult by everypony!
"Yeah, but you're going to get treated as more than that. Saf, you have a horn and wings. If you go outside, everypony will freak out." I could feel her hooves working in my mane, but there was a worrying thing--there wasn't much tugging. When Riley braids, and your hair is short, she has to tug a lot to get enough hair to work with. "You've got so much mane here. I'm gonna be busy for hours on all this."
That only confirmed it. Well, at least we'd get some time to talk. "I guess princesses get lots of mane and tail to go with their size."
"You haven't looked in a mirror yet, have you?" Riley was giggling. "You have more mane than Princess Celestia."
"What?!"
"Shh. Baby, remember."
Ugh. I can't believe she got to use that back on me so quickly. "How much is there?"
"I'm going to be busy for a while. You really think I'd have given up my grouchiness for only a little plaiting?" She snorted and climbed up on my back so she could get a better angle of attack--or something. "I'm tempted to ask him if he can leave your hair this long even when you turn back."
"You need to be really careful when talking to him. Remember the thing about genies and how they twist your wish around to mean something different? If you asked him to leave my hair like this all the time, he'd probably reason that as 'to have alicorn hair, he needs to be an alicorn' and bam, I'm stuck like this." That had me wondering about my wings. Were they different as an alicorn? Trying to remember, all I could picture was Celestia's wings spread wide--they weren't pegasus wings.
"Really? Is that why you were so careful about saying how long this would last and you returning back to yourself and stuff?"
"Pretty much. He's a nice guy, but he seems to have his own rules to follow, even if he thinks he's all about chaos. I probably shouldn't bad-mouth him, like everyone else he's just doing the best he can with what hand he got dealt."
Neither of us spoke for some time. Riley was busy plaiting my mane and I was pondering all the differences in my body. I felt more solid, but there was other stuff. Unicorn magic and earth pony magic were a thing I could poke at, but I had a feeling if I messed with those, something bad would happen.
Come to think of it, something bad happening is probably exactly what Discord wanted. I wouldn't want to disappoint him, but going out of my way to cause a problem wasn't going to happen. I'd let fate and harmony work it out for me.
"Hey, Riley?"
"Yeah, Saf?"
"Try not to tug too much, but go as wild as you want. I think I might take a nap." Yawning, I relaxed more and sank a little into the couch. Despite Riley's insane giggles, her weight on my back, and slight tugging at my mane--I managed to drift off to sleep.
It probably took a while for me to reach the point where dreams could start, but when I did it was surreal. I was floating in space with stars around me--and then there was other ponies there too. Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Princess Cadance, Lieutenant Flurry Heart, and Princess Twilight. All of them looked a little surprised, but each and every one had a huge smile on their faces.
"Welcome!" Princess Celestia said. "It's not every day we have a new alicorn ascend, and rarer still one we don't recognize." She looked aside to Cadance for a moment before back at me. "May we have your name?"
All of them looked eager to find out my name except Princess Luna--she was staring at me as if she'd seen a ghost. Right, dream magic was her thing, of course she'd know who I was. I smiled at her and winked. "My name," I said, enjoying the moment, "is Saffron Ree."
Now they were a matching set. Each shared Princess Luna's terror, but none seemed capable of talking.
"I guess you want an explanation?" I asked.
Princess Celestia was the first to recover. She closed her eyes and in a soft voice said, "Discord."
"Yeah. We got to talking, and he asked if I'd like to be princess of chaos for a day. I figured why not? Like I'll ever get the chance to do it again, and it's not like I'm stuck. He said it will wear off after a day." The sound of five hooves connecting with five foreheads was strangely musical. "What?"
"Discord will lie if he thinks that's what you want to hear," Princess Celestia said.
"Well, he doesn't lie all the time," Princess Twilight said, "and that's part of why dealing with him can be such a headache sometimes. He can lie, tell half-truths, and give you the honest truth in the same breath."
Crud. Well, now what do I do? Should I even try to find him before the time is up?
"Discord!" Princess Luna's voice shook the stars around us. It was the level of voice you hear at rock concerts--and only after lots of expensive amplification. "DISCORD!"
I folded my ears back and closed my eyes. Even if I'd just been a foal that would have been loud.
There was a popping sound, and I heard Discord make a hrmm sound. "You didn't have to yell. Look, poor Saffron is positively startled. Why, I don't--"
"Discord." Princess Twilight walked up to him and used a wing to prod him in the chest. "Turn Saffron back to normal right this second!"
Turning to me, Discord flashed a smile before looking back to Twilight. "You didn't say the magic word."
Huffing, Twilight stared at Discord with the most deadpan and dry look I'd ever seen, then asked, "Please turn Saffron back to his old self."
With a rub of his chin, Discord shook his head. "If I did that, he'd explode. You remember the mice, don't you?" To demonstrate, Discord turned himself into a rather small mouse that promptly exploded.
I couldn't help myself, I giggled.
"See! He likes it!" Discord was suddenly beside me again, his cat-arm around my neck. "Besides, I can't turn him back even to his horsey-self. You see, there was an agreement. When you make an agreement with chaos, you are bound to it--and chaos is bound to you."
Princess Twilight furrowed her brow for a moment before a look of excitement made her perk right up. "What you're saying is that the time delay is built into the magimorphic field you built?"
Rolling his eyes, Discord nudged me with his elbow. "Here I am bending the very forces of reality, and she tries to sum it all up in one sentence."
"Is she right?" I asked.
"Well, yes, but she could have gone to a little more effort to make it seem amazing." Turning back to the princesses, Discord gestured to me. "As you see, it will last exactly a day from when I changed him--no more, no less. Honestly, this was just a little fun. I wasn't going to punish him for letting me have fun, now, was I?"
Princess Twilight sighed and closed her eyes. "I'm sorry, Discord, but we did ask you to leave visiting dignitaries alone, didn't we?"
"Technically his mother is the visiting dignitary. Saf here is just another citizen of Equestria--even if he might hold dual citizenship with a little country on another world." As he spoke, Discord produced birth certificates and the royal warrant that proclaimed me a citizen of Equestria. I think he even had a copy of my 3rd grade homework I'd claimed a dog had eaten (it was covered in peanut butter). "He is certainly the most adventurous of my recent acquaintances. Why, we even sunbathed together. Do you know how hard it is to find a pony that calm in my presence?"
"They told me you were probably lying," I said.
A whole studio audience of Discords gasped--they were apparently just off to the side.
"You told Saf that I would have lied to him about something as important as this?" Discord looked around the assembled princesses. "For shame!"
"Yeah! You tell 'em!" somediscord in the audience shouted.
Princess Twilight scoffed at this. "Discord, you lie all the time. You told me yesterday that Fluttershy had exploded and wouldn't be coming to tea."
"Yes, well, she may not technically have exploded, but she wasn't altogether emotionally." He held up a talon to hide our conversation--then spoke normally. "She didn't manage to stop her latest animal friend, a very large snake from the Amarezon, from finding the little field mice she'd been rehabilitating. Tragic little story, but far easier to explain that she'd exploded than she was in pieces emotionally."
A collective awww came from the crowd now, followed by applause. It was everything I could do to keep from cracking up laughing at Discord's antics.
"So you see, I might lie from time to time, but never about important things. Not anymore. And I absolutely, positively, wouldn't lie to Saf about his week as an alicorn princess." It took me several seconds to realize what he'd said. When I spun around to glare at him, Discord held up a paw and a talon placatingly. "A day! A day! Come on! I was joking!"
Lifting my hoof, I bopped Discord in the side. "You better be."
"See? SEE!" Discord pointed at me. "He gets me!"
"Not that I'm ungrateful for worrying about me and everything, but I'd like to get back to my normal dreams about now." I looked to Princess Luna, pleading with my eyes to end this silliness.
"You're right, Saffron Ree." Princess Luna's horn started to glow blue and the brighter it got, the more alone we became. Each of the other princesses (and Discord) popped out of my dream one by one until only Luna remained there with me. "When you wake, please come and see me."
I was about to reply when she too vanished and the dream returned to my regularly scheduled flying fantasy.
The best thing about flying dreams is that they don't have to end. I woke up, still feeling a weight on my back. When I looked, I saw Riley was there snoozing. It was night time--or at least it was dark outside--so I stood and carefully walked upstairs and to Riley's room.
Crouching low beside her bed, I tipped to the side a little and used my wings to make it more of a slide than a roll.
"Huh? Wha?" Riley half-woke and looked up at me.
Now I could actually reach her with my wings, I pulled the covers over Riley and tucked her into bed. "Just getting you in bed. Go back to sleep."
Her answer was to roll over and start making little snoring sounds.
Princess Luna, I knew, slept through the day and was up at night, meaning that now was the best time to go see her. Also, being night time, less ponies would be out and about. Feeling confident, I went back downstairs and out into the cool night air.
Despite what I'd hoped, there were ponies around, but none seemed to notice me. Well, the best way to not be noticed was to be invisible and soar above them. Stretching out my wings, I realized they were different to my pegasus wings. Nothing else for it I guess. Spreading them into full readiness, I launched myself upward like a missile.
Never before had it been so easy to fly. I could feel the extra mass my body possessed, but it seemed more than balanced by the stretch of these wings. Was this what it would be like to fly as an adult pegasus or was this more specifically an alicorn thing? I had so many questions, and some of them led to places I really shouldn't be poking around.
Would the Wonderbolts allow an alicorn to join?
Yeah, like that one.
Forget it, you idiot, this is just one day and no more. A bit of fun.
Angling my wings for a glide, I turned toward the castle and started to descend. This. This was why my dreams never ended. I dreamed about flying, but when I wake up I get to fly.
As I got closer and closer to the castle, I realized there was a lot of guards and they were all very awake. Remembering the warnings I'd gotten about not flying over the castle, I landed at the front gate. "Uh, hi. Princess Luna asked me in my dream to meet her."
It was idiotic to believe that the guards would just wave me through and not point their big, dangerous spears at me, so of course they smiled and waved me in. "She left word that an alicorn would be coming. Go right in."
What else should I do than walk in. Trotting up to the front entrance of the castle, I became aware of my hooves, or more specifically that they were split now. I looked down at them and saw the two-part hooves of my forelegs take my weight with each step.
Also strange was, when I looked back over myself, that my tail was long, thin, and furred with a puffball of hair at the end. My mane was braided into an elaborate fountain of loops and waves of hair, but that was Riley's doing.
"You only picked now to investigate what Discord did?" Princess Luna's voice made me snap my head around. "Relax, Saf, it is not you I have issue with but that capricious noodle."
"Noodle?" I asked, following Luna as she turned back toward the castle. How she'd known to find me outside I don't know. Maybe it's like the thing with dragons in stories how they could always know when people were around their hoard.
"Discord and I were once friends. It's a pet name for him." As we entered the castle, I was aware that the guards were all looking at me strangely. Like they were anticipating something. "Please ignore them. They are likely anticipating another coronation."
Had she really just--? "Huh?"
"The Guards. Things got exciting the last time we had a new alicorn come to visit--Twilight Sparkle--and if I remember correctly there was a book running on what she'd be princess of the moment they found out about her." Luna looked to one Guardpony who had a lot of decorations on his armor. "Stiff Peaks, this is a temporary condition."
Stiff Peaks didn't straighten or even twitch--he was already standing tall and proud. "Your Highness, that is accommodated in the book and makes no difference."
Princess Luna snorted and her horn started to glow. "A thousand bits on this being over by tomorrow evening." In a pulse of her blue magic, a bag of coins appeared--and then disappeared as Stiff Peaks tucked them away.
I continued to follow Princess Luna all the way through the castle. Twists, turns, staircases, and even a hidden tunnel were all passed without her saying so much as a word, but then a spiraling staircase led a winding path all the way to what I assumed was the top of a tower. There was no door at the top, and when we exited the top of the stairs we were standing on the tallest tower in Canterlot.
Turning slowly, I looked out upon Canterlot and then Equestria itself. The view was amazing, but what was most amazing was there was magic here. I couldn't just see a far way, I could see other cities, other towns. I could see all the way to a huge desert in the south and an icy city under a dome of magic in the north. "All of Equestria?"
"And a little beyond." Luna sounded smug. "There're few ponies who know of this place and fewer still that have stood where you are."
"So why show me?" The question jumped out of my mouth before I realized it. "I'm only going to be like this for a day."
"Because you are a princess, if just for a day. That and you have shown a lot of trust and support for Equestria, as well as tolerance for our little foibles. Discord's little antics aside, you handle yourself better than some ponies I know." Lifting one hoof, Luna pointed into the distance. As if reacting to her focus (and it probably was) the magic narrowed our vision in on a little town at the edge of Equestria's far north. "No ponies there remember the legends, but that's where my sister and I were born and raised."
The town she was pointing at had maybe a few hundred ponies, or so I guessed. With the magic we could watch them walking around and talking--though we couldn't hear them. After a few minutes of watching, I let out a sigh. "Has this caused any problems?"
"No, actually. If it lasted longer than a day it might, but we can keep you safe here for such a short period."
"Safe?" I asked.
"Saffron--Saf--you are an alicorn without any knowledge or experience in using your power. There are many who would like to acquire you if only to ransom back to us--if not with more dire intents. We have been invaded in the past by one who wanted to take our power." Her voice seemed to harden as she spoke. "It was once that this was the only lookout of its kind. Now the E.U.P. Guard have several that are manned at all times--and theirs are more powerful."
She sounded a little jealous. "Want the full truth?" When she just raised an eyebrow at me, I continued, "I just wanted to be an adult again. Just for a little bit. It's tiring being small."
Princess Luna's wing settled over my back for a moment, then she let out a laugh. "But you can fly. Come, let us visit that village!" She pushed me with her wing, and though I could have resisted and remained standing on the ledge--I didn't.
Feeling wind rushing past my face, I only extended the tips of my wings and used them to guide my fall into a dive. Princess Luna's laugh above me came a moment before she caught up. Together we pulled out of the dive at huge speed and sped north.
Flying was always fun--full stop. Flying with a full-sized body with somepony else made it even more fun. Trees, streams, even railway tracks zoomed past under us as we sped toward the town. Though it started getting colder and colder, my coat of extra-fluffy fur was more than enough to keep the chill off.
Tipping her wings, Princess Luna arced into a spiral. As I followed, I realized she was dumping speed while she tightened it, so I followed suit.
When she pulled up and let herself drop, I mimicked the maneuver too and we each planted four hooves on the ground. And, in doing so, I was reminded that my hooves were split, like Dad's, rather than proper horse hooves. There were a lot of little changes like that.
"Princess Luna!" The shout went up all around us and ponies rushed over to get as close as they could to her. "Princess! Princess! Why have you come here?"
"I was showing my friend here around Equestria." Easily cutting through the crowd, Princess Luna put a wing over my back. "May I present to you Princess Saffron."
The heck? Oh, that's not fair. The worst part was my wings jutted out in shock--and I know it made me look exactly like the classic alicorn pose. "Uh?"
"Go on, Saffron, say a few words." She was smiling, damn it. This was a setup.
A cheer rose and then quickly subsided as they were all waiting for me to speak. Clearing my throat, I tried to strike a similar pose to what Princess Luna had used. "Greetings everypony! Princess Luna was giving me a tour of all Equestria to show me why a princess must stand tall--and she said she had to start here with the most amazing and friendly ponies she knows!"
A huge cheer went up, and I managed to catch a wink from Princess Luna.
We spent the morning walking around the town, letting the ponies there show us their pride and joy--each and every one of them had something that made them unique and amazing, and I found myself enjoying every second of it from one mare's unique cake recipe to a colt's first balloon animal (that was actually alive and danced around).
"You have to stay for lunch!" somepony shouted, and was then lost in the crowd of agreement.
It was crazy to think they just put on a feast out of nowhere to celebrate having Princess Luna and me visit. I mean, Luna maybe, but I was a nobody. They didn't even know my name before today, and they likely wouldn't remember it once Princess Saffron never appeared again.
"That meal was magnificent!" Princess Luna declared when we'd eaten as much as we could of the mountain of food. "And now, before we leave, I believe we need to show our appreciation for your hospitality."
"Oh no. Your majesties don't need to--"
I recognized the slip in address, but it was Princess Luna who cut in. "It's only a little thing. Something small to show our appreciation." She led the way out of town to the first field just bordering the village. Everypony was silent as they followed her--well, they followed both of us, but I was mostly just keeping pace with her.
Bracing her hooves in the dirt, Princess Luna began to channel magic. Her horn was glowing, but after spending so long with Riley, I knew earth pony magic when I felt it. "Saffron, follow along."
Rather than try to mirror her channeling, I instead tried to pass my power on to her to use. It kinda worked, though I think I was wasting a lot by doing it. But that was where things were crazy--I had so much magic!
Well, Princess Luna was just building it up and up, and then she channeled it down through her legs. I felt it rush through the soil and out in all directions.
"What did you do?" I asked.
"What we did was supercharge their crops for about the next hundred or so years. Where did you learn to channel that much power?"
"Uh, watching Riley. If you wanted to move a bunch of power, you should have brought her." That's about when I noticed the plants--I have no idea what they are, maybe some kind of corn--were growing while we watched them. "How long did you say this would last?"
"Maybe we overdid it," Princess Luna said, then cleared her throat. "Ponies! We have used our magic to enhance your fields! Look how fast your crops are growing!"
The ponies started cheering in excitement, and we all watched as heads of corn grew. Wait, heads? Ears? Noses? Bushels? Ugh, I have no clue about this stuff. "Are we leaving now?"
"We probably should. If anything comes of this, I'll blame it on you and let 'Tia fix it." Looking back at the townponies, Princess Luna spread her wings into a position more specialized for flight than showing off--I mimicked her. "And now we must return to Canterlot. There are so many towns we need to visit next!"
Everypony cheered as we took off. I kept at Princess Luna's wing-second position as we flapped and brought ourselves altitude with muscle-power. She directed me into the first thermal and we shot almost straight upward.
It was odd. Princess Luna started flying through a normal stunt-training routine. I matched her, of course, knowing the gestures and patterns as well as having the wing-power to keep up.
Loops and twists, acrobatic stunts that I couldn't believe I got to fly with a princess all made my heart pound in excitement. It took us nearly three times longer to fly back to Canterlot than it took to reach the village.
We had to work our wings to get above the lip of Canterlot, and more work still to get to the same level as the castle, but we got there and Princess Luna brought us in for a landing right in front of the castle. I was always nervous about flying around the castle's airspace, but with a princess guiding the way, I had nothing to fear.
"Half a day and still like that?" Stiff Peaks seemed to appear from nowhere. "How long until twenty-four hours is reached?"
I just rolled my eyes and walked beside Princess Luna into the castle. When he was out of earshot, I sighed. "You know what, I can't wait to be my normal self again."
"Oh?"
"Yeah. Just nobody special, a colt who can walk around and look at whatever he wants without being crowded with attention." Okay, so it was only partly true. I loved the huge wings, and flying with Princess Luna had been amazing.
"You don't enjoy being an alicorn at all?" Her voice was unreadable except for the mild curiosity it carried.
"Well," I said, "I'm not going to lie. Flying with you was just about the most fun I've ever had while stunt flying. Where'd you learn to fly?"
"When I was young I loved to fly with the Cloudsdale Royal Legion. Those formations weren't just stunts, those were attack patterns for a pair of pegasi to take on a vastly larger number of foes. You should ask Flash Magnus to give you some pointers sometime."
I'd heard that name before. It took me a few seconds of silence to remember where. The guy Sudden had used me to avoid. "Wait, I know him. How old is he?"
"Would you believe there was an accident involving a mysterious realm called Limbo and a huge misunderstanding about a nice young stallion that caused them to miss out on thousands of years of time?" At my stare she just grinned. "It's true. I've also heard he's a bit of a mare's stallion, if you know what I mean? Perhaps you could ask him to commit to some training lessons before you change back?"
"Take advantage of his nature?" The idea both intrigued me and filled me with dread. How much flirting would it take for him to show interest? Could I even handle that?
"Trust me, Saf, he deserves it. But the most important thing is he will honor his word. How much time do you have?"
"It was just on sundown when I was chatting with Discord. We've probably got an hour or two left." I didn't have to look at the position of the sun to know the time. There was a sense that pegasi had that let them know exactly when they were. "You'll back me up?"
"You wingmared for me. It wouldn't be fair if I didn't return the favor." Princess Luna really smiled as she said it, and for some reason that made me feel proud to have been her wingmare.
As it turned out, finding Flash wasn't hard. He was drilling a bunch of Guardponies around in circles and yelling at the top of his lungs. When we landed nearby, his eyes practically locked onto us.
"At ease everypony. Take a ten minute break and meet back here in a half hour." Flash's voice was smooth and supple, and I'd heard a hundred pickup artists who were far worse at sounding a tenth as warm and inviting.
Wait, warm and inviting?! Where the buck did that come from?
"Evening, Your Highness, who's your fr--" Flash froze a moment and I saw his eyes now tracing up to the top of my head. "A new princess?"
"More or less," I said, trying to calm myself down. "We were just looking for you."
His eyes widened a little and I watched as he struck a pose that was right off the Wonderbolts' posters (though maybe it was the other way around). "Let's see, there's usually three reasons a princess comes looking for me." Ugh, he sounded so sure of himself. "The first is that there's a disaster and they need all the Pillars. The second is they want a handsome stallion to take on a date. The third"--he looked directly at Princess Luna--"is they want flying lessons, though it can be related to the second."
I turned my head and looked at Princess Luna and saw a blush on her cheeks. That's when it hit me--they'd been an item! "Uh, I was after some flying lessons." The thing was, this would be the best trick to play on him ever--and get some great training from somepony who really knew their stuff.
"Oh ho?" Flash walked closer and then dodged to one side and started walking around me. "Let's see those wings. Some alicorns are built for gliding--I could never teach Princess Celestia anything--but some have that edge of a pegasus who revels in speed and control."
When I lifted up the wing nearest to him, he took hold of it with his own and started inspecting my feathers. "You've been flying hard today, but I can teach you to fly harder." For a moment I thought he was going to preen my wing, but just before his snout made contact he let go. "Want to start right now?"
"How about tomorrow?" I fluffed my wings a little and turned. Yeah, it was a cheap shot, but I had a feeling Flash Magnus deserved everything he got.
His eyes were tracing my back and I realized how into wings he was. Ha! It was going to be fun to reveal my true self to him tomorrow. "I'll be looking forward to it. Anything in particular you'd like me to show you?"
Trying to skip past how crazy this situation was, I said, "Princess Luna was showing me some evasive air-combat maneuvers. I think it'd be a good start toward not being a huge target in the air."
"Sorry, Flash, but we really must be going." Princess Luna sounded genuinely sad, though I'd heard she was a bit of a prankster from Flurry, so she might just be that good at carrying out a gag. "You know how it is--it's not like when I was a young mare and nopony relied on me."
It was a not-so-subtle reminder that it was getting late and--if Discord really did keep his word--I'd be returned to normal soon. We took to the air to get away quickly, and sure enough halfway back to the castle I heard a popping sound, kinda like a balloon going off, and I was tiny again.
I had to pour a bit of magic into my wings to keep up with Princess Luna. "Well, looks like that's over."
Princess Luna looked over to me and raised an eyebrow. "I'll admit I forgot how small you still are. You should probably go and reassure your family that everything's back to normal. Come and see me tomorrow, and we'll go see Flash together."
"You just want to see his reaction."
"Indeed."
I kept pace with her all the way to the castle itself before I pumped my wings, gained altitude quickly and did a perfect barrel-roll-attack maneuver and shot back in the direction we'd come from.
Luna (she'd started insisting I not call her princess, so in my head I focused on not using it) was giggling up a storm. She'd just introduced me to Flash Magnus for a second time, and had sworn to him that I was the princess he'd promised flight lessons to.
He seemed like he would continue arguing, then just shook his head. "I agreed, and I should have known better than to let a pretty set of wings distract me from your usual pranks, Lulu." For the second time in two days he marched around me. "You're small, but that's an advantage when you're flying evasively. You won't have any striking power, but that's okay. I promised, but you were both being a bit deceitful, so I will only do this on one condition."
"And that is?" I asked.
Turning to look at Luna, Flash gave her the same smile that had almost derailed my thoughts yesterday. "A kiss?"
From Luna's smile, I think I just worked out exactly what angle she was playing all along. Well, so long as I got my lessons I don't think it matters what she and Flash do--they're both adults after all. |
The Embassy | Chapter 30 | Clair Ree
It shouldn't have been surprising that Jeff won in a landslide. I ran through the headlines and read what news pieces had been shunted over. We had more computer hardware here now and even had one of the soldiers designated as IT expert (though his experience wasn't with the high-end server hardware we'd received, he had guides that got him through everything).
"Eighty-five percent margin. It's almost unbelievable." And it was. Given the recent history of politics in the United States, having such a majority of the country come together behind one leader seemed impossible--but Jeff had done it.
Securing so many literal magic cures for everything from the common cold to MRSA, was it any wonder? But enough musing on such things--I had a job to do. Reaching a hoof out, I tapped the intercom. "Send them in now please."
I could have seen them early, but that's not how business is done. My guests might have arrived early, but that was no excuse to bypass due process. The two ponies walked awkwardly into my office and took a seat opposite me. "Good morning, I trust your trip wasn't too much of a shock?"
One was an earth pony while the other was a pegasus who had the characteristic wing-droop of someone completely unused to having a third set of limbs. The earth pony nodded. "Just a little. I trust everything on your end is going well?"
"Absolutely. The teleportation array is charged and you're expected at the other end." I tried to make it seem as routine as possible, but the truth was this was the first time someone had been translated not just from Equestria to Earth, but from another Earth, through Equestria, and to our own world. "I hope you have a good trip, Ambassador."
"Before we head off"--I knew this was coming--"I understand your nation has just had an election? Could I inquire as to how that went?"
Trying my best to ignore the queasy look on the pegasus' face, I turned the screen I'd had up around (after hitting the keystroke that locked the terminal to non-sensitive data only). "As you can see, President Miller won by a large margin--the largest we've seen for many years. Popular opinion holds that it's because of the trade agreements being made with Equestria."
"My own party back home has enjoyed similar success, though we have things a little easier due to how our portal works." The way he spoke made it feel like he was trying to dig for sympathy. "I don't suppose you'd be willing to provide some information on what kind of welcome we'll receive?"
They wanted something for nothing. Too bad I was way too deep in being a pony to fight it. Normally even just this information would cost them, but Jeff had also told me to play nice. "The president said he'd welcome you himself shortly after you arrive. I believe he has a press conference scheduled and, in accordance with the inter-dimensional treaties act that was passed recently, a building of your own will be leased to your country with no expectation of repayment unless you actually wish to pay for it.
"Let me see, you'll also have some television spots reserved with friendly networks--don't worry, you won't get hit with any blindsiding questions--and we're trying to arrange to have your own teleportation array built and made available."
The pegasus tried to reach a hoof up to what should have been a coat pocket--if he wasn't a pony and was actually wearing a coat--but his wing moved too and when he tried to correct it, he fell over.
Wincing in sympathy (I could still remember the trouble Saffron had at first), I coughed to distract from the awkward fall. "We are going to enable the transmogrification system on the teleport in the hope it returns you to your bipedal form." Both of them looked relieved at that. "But you may encounter a problem involving clothing at the other end. Please have no fear that people are standing by for that eventuality."
"I feel at a loss, Ambassador Ree. You seem to be going far out of your way to accommodate us," the earth pony said. Dammit, I really needed to sort out their names, but I had my suspicion that the earth pony was Ambassador Jerry Mander, given the way he seemed to do all the talking. That made the pegasus Glib (oddly with no last name), the ambassador's assistant.
"Of course we are. We already have established good will between our nations thanks to the amplification array you sent--which is enabling far greater flow back and forth with our world. There's no reason not to support your mission as much as possible." Ass-kissing I could do. It was part of my job description. That said, I was glad we wouldn't have to entertain these two any longer than absolutely necessary. If they were going to remain ponies, they would need time to adapt to their new forms--which would mean I'd have to assign babysitters.
My intercom flicked red for a moment, leading to me reaching across to it and tapping the accept button. "Ambassador Ree, Ambassador Mander and his assistant's ride to Earth is ready. We have their equipment and luggage on the pad and ready to go when they are." The voice of my secretary, Helen Maxwell, was no longer strained or worried (as it had been when she'd first arrived.
Helen was the first of a test group of four. A sixty-three year old ex staff sergeant in the marines who'd been given five months to live. She wasn't meant to be working, of course, but she had insisted that she could take on light duties--which now included running the day-to-day civilian side of our Mission.
"Thank you, Helen. Please let them know I'll escort the ambassador and his assistant down very shortly." I lifted my hoof off the button the moment Helen replied in the affirmative. Lifting my head to look at the two across from me, I put on my best smile. "Well, gentlemen, are you ready?"
"One last thing before we go," Mander said, "do you really get used to this?" He held up one hoof.
"You do. If the transmogrifier doesn't work for you, I can assure you that it isn't insurmountable. My son is a pegasus and has learned the joy of flying, in fact." Standing up from my seat, I walked around the desk. "You even get used to typing, though wings give you a huge advantage there. Your feathers are prehensile, once you learn the trick to it, and can type as fast as any typist with some practice."
Helen opened the door just as we reached it and gave her best smile. She smiled a lot given she'd been told she was cancer free. The downside was, of course, she could never go back to her human life. So far only one of the four patients had considered that a downside.
I returned her smile with a genuine one. It had taken me months to ditch the last shreds of my fake smiles. "Thank you, Helen. How's your leg?"
"All four are doing great, Madam Ambassador." Helen was brutally formal whenever anyone impressionable was around. As soon as we had the other Earth's people off the premises, I would just be Clair again. "I've called up an escort."
Sure enough, Sean Brenner and Salvador Carlson were waiting for us, both standing at attention by the door. I gave them a nod. "We'll be heading down then. Ambassador Mander, are you and your staff ready?"
"I doubt we'll ever be ready for all of this, but we are prepared. Please, show us the way to this portal and we'll get this over with." Mander sounded weary now, or was it afraid? Dratted ambassadors were always senior politicians first--which meant they could not only lie to your face but make you believe it too. If I didn't know better, I'd say all politicians studied as actors first.
Brenner and Carlson led the way down the hall and to the basement where the teleporter pad was that targeted our Earth. In there, Salma Rodriguez, former Staff Sergeant of the USMC, stood with her eyes closed and her horn glowing. It had been a surprise to find her so attuned to learning magic, but she'd qualified to operate the equipment and oversee it.
"Staff Sergeant?" Carlson asked.
"All ready. All who are heading back please step on the platform within one of the teleportation rings. This is a full transmogrification teleport, so you'll need to remove any garments or items. Just place them to the side and I'll send them within an hour." Rodriguez's voice was calm and firm. I could feel the magic power radiating off her and the teleportation pad.
Sensing magic had come with spending more and more time around Riley. Even Princess Twilight hadn't been able to evaluate how much magic my little filly had in her. We'd all grown sensitive to knowing when she started using it. "I'll leave this in your capable hands--or hooves--Staff Sergeant."
This wasn't Rodriguez's first dance, and given their skills it wouldn't be their last. The two transferring diplomats stood on the pad and then were gone. I let out a sigh of relief.
"Rough one, Clair?" Rodriguez asked.
"It just bugs me when Jeff constrains me like that, but I understand he wanted them in the US ASAP so he could deal with them. Thanks for the work, Salma." With the visitors gone, we were back to a more comfortable atmosphere. "You heard the news from Flurry?"
Rodriguez nodded and blew out a tired breath. "That Celestia wants us to take over managing this nexus? Yeah. I might need to get someone else here who can drive all this while I study up on the other gateway systems. Perhaps Corvinus would be a good choice?"
I raised an eyebrow at her and then turned to Brenner. "Can I promote people in the field?"
"I don't think so, ma'am. I could pass on a request to the major if you'd like?" Brenner's smirk told me he knew what was up.
"Good thought. Okay, I have a request of Major Bryant to assign Staff Sergeant Rodriguez enough seniority to have her in charge of the magical goings-on here without a need to ask me for my say-so." I delivered the request with as much calm as I could. I needed my Mission to function without my micromanaging.
Heading out of the teleportation room, I made my way back to my office without an escort--though I did hear a laugh from the room after I left it. This was the kind of thing that was easily planned for in any diplomatic Mission but mine, and it was why Jeff gave me so much leeway.
"Your husband is in your office." Helen's voice startled me from a moment of reverie. When I blinked at her in surprise, her face softened. "And a cup of tea. That coffee isn't doing you any favors."
"But I like coffee. I couldn't drink it when I had--" And that's when I spotted my littlest filly bouncing around in my office. "Golden." Stress and worry fled in the face of maternal instincts. I knew that's what was doing it, but trying to stop myself from feeling amazing was an exercise in not just futility but stupidity too.
"Thought you might need a little something to pick you up. How's your day been?" Philip, curse his wonderful idea, was sitting in a seat at my desk while watching me rush into the room.
I didn't answer at first, walking up to where Golden was rolling and bouncing around on the floor before dropping to my belly with her. Pressing my nose to hers, I felt a little jolt of connection between us. Okay, it might have been wind, but my little filly's face lit up and she rubbed her snout against mine.
When I wuffed out a breath at her, she screwed her face up and then giggled--which had me giggling too. Is it so wrong I could sit here and giggle with her for hours? Okay, maybe I did have work to do, but I knew Helen would guard my door better than the whole Royal Guard legion.
"There's a myriad of little things that people have to keep asking for my attention on. The latest was--It doesn't matter. How has the milk been today? She's not too fussy?" Fussy was a kind way of putting what my little terror did with formula. It was lucky I'd kept using the pump, because Golden would have nothing but what I made.
"It's the fat content. Your milk is just a little less fatty than the formula. I spoke to Dr. Bright Meadow, and she said that all pony milk is higher in fat than human milk. Seems our little girl has a preference for humanity." Philip spoke with the absolute certainty I'd learned to trust. If he said my milk was less fatty, it was less fatty. If he said she preferred that because of the fat content, it meant it was true. Where would I be without him? Probably not pregnant, but definitely not with a content little filly.
Tilting my head to the side, I pressed my snout to her belly and blew out a perfect raspberry. Golden squealed with a torrent of laughter, so I did it again. After doing it enough times that a blush was coming through her yellow coat, I kissed her on the nose and stood up.
Philip was quick with his magic, as I'd come to expect, and used it to pick Golden up and set her between my shoulders. That earned him a kiss too.
"Anything new happen? Is our home on fire? Is Saf finally entering an emo phase? Has Riley taken control of the throne?" I asked each question between little pecks on the lips, finishing up with a longer kiss before walking behind my desk and sitting down. Golden slid down my back and to one side, as I planned, and I caught her and brought her around to my belly with practiced ease.
"Only the first one. The reason I was talking to the doctor was she needed help with a patient. Turned out they had a thyroid problem. They were not making enough vitamin D. It was--Well, she had all the knowledge and just needed nudging onto the right track, but it was nice to help somepony." As he spoke, I noticed my dear husband was looking a little brighter than usual.
Did he need me to tell him? He probably did. Philip was nothing if not true to his word, and he had promised to always take care of our children. "You enjoyed helping?"
"Yeah. I did. I don't--" He went silent again. I was going to have to push him all the way to do what he wanted. Damn him, but I loved him enough to do it too.
"Maybe you should ask about training as a nurse?" I asked.
"I could never do that. The kids--"
"Are both at school most of the day. Also, Saf can take care of himself and Riley--I trust Riley on her own for a few hours each evening." He was staring at me with what I thought was a mix of hope and shock. "What did you think I was going to say?"
"You. Are. The. Most. Amazing. Woman." Slumping back in the chair that I knew was exceptionally comfortable for ponies to sit in, he closed his eyes and shook his head. "Clair, this will be a huge shake-up of our family. I've been--twenty years. I told you I'd do this for the rest of my life, and it's just been twenty years."
"We both have new lives here. Things change." I watched him squirm for a little bit, then he stopped and jerked upright in the chair again. "Revelation?" I asked.
"I'll go to the school tomorrow and ask about doing a part-time course. I said it before: time! Time we have. If it takes me ten years to do a nursing course, so what? I have plenty more years ahead of me." Philip looked across the table at me with a big, goofy smile. "Plenty of time to charge off and learn a new occupation, but I only get one chance to watch our kids grow up."
We both let out a sigh at the reminder of our situation. "When my job here is done, I'll take over being the good housewife and you get to have twenty years of a career." It felt odd to say, even though we could expect to have at least a hundred and fifty more years. Planning that far ahead was almost too much.
"We'll work something out, darling." His eyes were locked on mine, but as Golden's suckling got a little louder, he looked down. "She's such a precious little thing."
"She has two amazing siblings to help her grow. We're not going to try for more just yet, are we?" I asked.
His eyes jerked back up to me and I could see a searching look in them. Did he want more? Was he trying to work out if I would say yes or was he trying to work out if I wanted more?
"Let's try this another way." I reached to my desk and tore two pieces of paper from my small notepad and passed one to him with a pen. "Turn around and write on there."
"Do we really have to do it like this?" he asked.
"Philip, if you tell me honestly, right now, we can skip the secret poll." I delivered him a raised eyebrow, but the effect was ruined a little as I pulled a face when Golden swapped sides.
He let out a sigh and closed his eyes. "I think we have enough to deal with right now. Maybe in another thirty years?"
Riley and Saffron would both be adults by then, at least in my eyes. "I think that would be a good idea. Let's try to keep to one young foal at a time." That's when I realized the next important thing to ask was, "Do ponies have a long-term contraceptive?"
We both looked at each other sheepishly before a case of the giggles took us. I fought back mine before Philip did. "Okay, we need to talk to a doctor about this."
"I'll organize an appointment and let Helen know." Philip rolled out of the seat and stood up. Glancing across my desk, he watched Golden still suckling. "Is she almost done?"
"Almost. Is this why you brought her here?" As luck would have it, Golden leaned back a little, looked up at me, and burped loudly. The smell of her milk-burp was overshadowed by a stronger smell. "Aaannd she's ready for a change."
Philip used his magic to pick her up and float her over to his back. "I'll take her home and deal with that. You have a wonderful day."
I had to walk around my desk to catch him before he left, and the quick kiss I'd planned for turned into a longer one--not that either of us was complaining. "I love you, Philip."
"Mmm." He looked at me like I looked at chocolate-covered noodles when I was pregnant. "I love you too, Clair. I'll organize that appointment for us."
A princess. It was hard to remember that Flurry was a princess sometimes, but she had the wings and horn and all the royal breeding to back them up--and she was our foalsitter. "Are you sure you're fine with it?"
It was sometimes hard to remember I only had a few years on her. Flurry Heart was an adult by pony standard, and while most other mares her age only barely seemed adult mentally, she had a mind like a steel trap.
"Hey, it's no problem. I mean, Saf doesn't need any supervision, Riley too for that matter, and the only one left is the most adorable foal in all Equestria." And I'll give her another thing, she has a silver tongue when she wants to use it. Flurry leaned in and used her wing to obscure our conversation. "You should go before I change my mind."
"It'll just be the afternoon. We'll be back in time for dinner." I grabbed up my saddlebags (a handbag was a long-surrendered item now) and turned for the door.
Flurry cleared her throat. "You don't have to be. You have milk for Golden in the fridge and I can whip up something for the others. Have a night out."
Okay, so her mother was the embodiment of romantic love among ponies, but did that carry over to her? Her cutie mark was a heart emblazoned on a shield--literally a merging of her parents' cutie marks--what did that... Stop it, Clair. You are literally looking a gift horse in the mouth. "You know what, I think we will."
With my bags stocked with the most important of things--a notebook and a bunch of pens--I walked out to find Philip waiting for me. "Come on, lover boy, Flurry just offered to sit for the night, too."
Philip's eyes flashed with excitement. "Thanks, Flurry!" Before I knew it he had the door open and was leading me outside. Just past midday, the city was bustling with ponies of all kinds doing business or just on their way somewhere else, like we were.
I'd almost forgotten the looks Philip got when he walked through the city. He was handsome--no, he was hot. He was also mine, though it did satisfy a jealous little part of me to know that it was me he trotted beside--not all the mares (and a few stallions) who ogled him.
We had to loop halfway around the central ring of the city and then take the joining street to the outer ring and the medical district. There was a hospital here with a college attached, as well as piles of other medical specialists in little offices.
Our destination was the outpatients section of the hospital. We checked in at the desk and were asked to wait. Not five minutes had passed before Dr. Horse came out with a big smile on his face. "How are my favorite aliens today?" It was a joke we'd all gotten used to, but it was still a little eye-roll worthy.
"Doing well, thank you doctor," I said, following him back to the office he led us to. "We'd like to chat about long-term options for birth control."
"I'm not sure about the long-term, but you would do well to use some or little Golden will have more siblings than you know how to handle." He sat down behind his desk and looked at us expectantly.
"Doc." Philip glanced at me before looking back at the doctor. "The thing is, no one has told us anything about any birth control."
That's another reason I loved my wonderful husband, he knew when to run interference before I stomped someone. Dr. Horse looked shocked.
"Y-You mean you've been here for a year or so now and none of you have had a talk about--" He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry that it's taken this long. This kind of thing is normally taught to foals the moment they start showing an interest in each other.
"In Equestria we have three forms of birth control, though the one I recommend is a charm necklace. You just have to wear it for an hour and it will protect you for a week. The shorter duration one is a pill you can take that lasts a day. The final is a spell that will work on stallions or mares for a year." As he explained, the doctor looked at Philip when he mentioned the last one.
But it wasn't Philip who answered him. My brain kicked into high gear as something big became more apparent. "These charms and pills, are they expensive?"
"Uh, if price is an issue, your husband can learn the spell," Dr. Horse said, looking to Philip--probably the saner looking of the pair of us right now.
"No, it's not an issue for us, but--" I bit my tongue. This wasn't something to waste my doctor's time with. "If you would, I'd like to get one of the charms for myself and a spare."
"And I'd like information on the spell. That would be--more than helpful." Philip shot me a grin and a wink. "You just never know when things might come up."
I couldn't help myself. Between how active our bedroom was and his innuendo, I was giggling like crazy despite the breakthrough idea I had. Scientists back home were in a constant battle to make a contraceptive that was both effective and reversible. Something you only needed to slip on for an hour a week? If they were cheap, this would be a huge turn around and freedom for women everywhere.
How the pro-lifers would take it would definitely be a problem for Jeff.
"Okay, well, I think I'll have to refer you to a pediatrics nurse for the charms. They're not often broken, but you should probably get some literature on how to use them. As for the spell, I can have a copy of that mailed to you." Dr. Horse was scribbling notes down while he spoke. "Please take this to the receptionist and she can arrange the next step."
Philip took the note and we both stood up. "Thank you, doctor."
I nodded too. "Absolutely. Thank you for understanding."
"All in a day's work. Where's little Golden today?" Dr. Horse had an easy smile, and sounded more relaxed now we were out of serious talk territory.
"We arranged a sitter so we could get all this done and have a night out together." Tell him that a princess is foalsitting for us? No way, too many questions that way. "Thanks again!"
So we took the note to the receptionist, who raised an eyebrow at both of us but ushered us through to see a mare just a few years (decades, maybe) older than us by the name of Nursery Rhyme.
"What can I help you with?" Nursery asked, looking a little perplexed.
Since Philip had saved the day last time, it was my turn to info dump. "I'm the ambassador from the United States on Earth, and our doctor has sent us to acquire a contraceptive charm and information on using it. He said you'd be the best at giving us the information we need."
"Oh!" She looked at least ten times more understanding than Dr. Horse had, but then that was the job of nurses, right? "I can get one for both of you. I'd probably recommend a spare, too."
"Wait," I said. "Both of us?"
Nursery rolled her eyes. "Dr. Horse probably doesn't keep up with this stuff, being at the other end of things, but there are charms for stallions too now. Would you like one each and a spare each?"
"Yes please." Okay, this was someone I should be talking to about this. "Do these work on other species?"
She looked a little confused for a moment before the light bulb lit. "Err. Oh, right, you aren't actually ponies, are you?"
"Well, we are, but I've been investigating items that would be useful to our world that we can trade with Equestria for. These--if they work for humans--would be very suitable." Time to go all-in on this. If I'm going to make this work, I need an expert. Nursery Rhyme was the closest I had here. "So...?"
"They work on griffons, hippogriffs, kirin, and even yaks. They don't work on crystal ponies--something relating to their mixture of crystal and living flesh. If you'd like, I'll investigate the limits of them for you? Uh, I don't really have a permanent station in here, but if you ask at the front counter they'll be able to contact me for you." There was one thing I could say about every pony we'd met--they were all helpful in their own way. Nursery Rhyme was proving to be more so than most.
She got up and walked to a cupboard in the corner of the little consulting room and pulled out four little boxes and some pamphlets. "Okay, these are marked for male and female. You'll know they've worked when the gem on them goes out. If the gem stays lit all the time, or never lights up after an hour since use, it's worn out and you need to get a new one."
It never ceased to amaze me how ponies managed to make such ergonomically perfect items. It gave feedback when it worked and when it was broken. Somewhere there was a bunch of magic-engineers who could make seven-figures if they went to Earth and worked for Apple.
"Thanks. Are these for information on the charms?" Philip asked, using his magic to float the little pamphlets over to himself.
"That top one has the spell notes that should let you be able to cast the long-term protection spell. You'll note that both the spell and the charm works off the same effect, so if you put the charm on while the spell is working, its gem should never wink out." As Nursery described it, I was further surprised at how perfectly integrated the whole thing was. "You can use the charm to test any pills, too."
"The spell and pills are universal, but the charms require versions for males and females?" he asked.
"Oh! No! The spell is universal, the pills aren't. There's something about how the charms draw power that requires different versions of them. The pills might work on stallions, but they're not recommended. The spell always works." She passed me some of the pamphlets and the charms.
Opening up one of the boxes, I lifted out what looked like a fairly normal necklace with a pink, glowing gem on it. "Is there any kind of social stigma in being seen wearing one?"
A twinge of red appeared on Nursery's cheeks. "No. It's seen as responsible, but--Okay, there might be one. A mare wearing one would be seen as responsible and taking charge of her body and household. A stallion is seen more as--Uh, there's a word that's not all that polite to use: studding."
Philip cleared his throat and leaned over to peck my cheek. "There's only one mare for me."
A shiver ran through me at the kiss, but the words made my whole body and mind hum with delight. Of course, I'd noticed his increased libido, but the extra excitement in the bedroom had only brought out my own. "And just one stallion for this mare."
He used his magic to open up his own case and lift out the charm and put it over his head, then did the same for me with mine. "I've been learning subtle ways to distract mares for over a year, it's only the stallions that I have trouble with--and I don't think this charm will mean a thing to them."
I leaned over and kissed his cheek to distract myself from the case of the giggles I'd suddenly acquired. "Well, you just leave those to me. I'll protect you from the deprivations of amorous stallions."
"With all this I think we're set. Do we need anything else?" Philip asked Nursery.
"Let's see, you are both adults, so I don't need to give the usual talks--Err, you have worked out how everything works, right?" Nursery sounded a little anxious at that.
Philip saved the day. "I think we have that side of things well under control."
Wrapping things up at the hospital, I think we both felt much more secure in our adulthood given we didn't have to worry about my womb being on a hair trigger. It was late afternoon and, despite having the evening to ourselves, I felt like we had nothing to do. "So, uh..."
"Why don't we organize to have dinner somewhere flashy? Then we can find a hotel and make sure these are working right." Hungry and excited was the look Philip gave me. The thing with stallions having a high sex drive seemed utterly proven, though that didn't mean I couldn't match him.
"I think," I said, "that sounds like a wonderful idea."
We wound up walking aimlessly through Canterlot. Every other time I'd been on the street I'd always had purpose. Philip might have spent some time in the market just wandering around, but it felt good to just share some time with him.
"Now there's a pair of faces I didn't expect to see." The female voice had an edge of familiarity about it. When I turned to look, I thought I was looking at a mirage. Her body--from her angles to how she stood--screamed Twilight Sparkle to me, only her colors were all wrong and she was definitely not an alicorn. "Where are my manners. We were introduced at one of the balls at the castle--I'm Twilight Velvet and this is my husband, Night Light."
The names broke free the information I had suspected--Twilight Sparkle and Shining Armor's parents. It was quite the pedigree. "Clair and Philip Ree," I said. "It's a lovely night to enjoy the city, isn't it?" No politics, my acumen told me, they were just another couple out for a night of enjoyment--plus they held no direct power themselves.
"We were just heading out for a walk ourselves with a thought toward having dinner." Night's voice was like literal honey--rich and deep.
Twilight's face broke into a big and open smile. "You should join us. There's this little place that does the most amazing fruit compote."
Kissing Twilight's cheek, Night looked just as besotted with her as Philip did when he looked at me. "That's my darling, always focused on dessert."
Philip looked askance at me--now this was my decision. It would take a lot of the stress out of finding somewhere, and the parents of current royalty were at least not going to cause an interdimensional incident. "You know, dear, that would mean we could avoid a faux pas by being seen at the wrong kind of place." I turned back to the couple. "Lead on then."
"Flurry tells us you had a new filly?" Waiting for me to nod, Twilight seemed to glow with excitement. "I've been trying to convince Night we should have another. With Shiny and Twily out of the house for a while now, I think it's a good time to have another one or two."
With a sigh, Night reached out and kissed Twilight on the cheek. "Does this mean I have to give up my observatory?"
"Of course not. We'll have an extra room added to the house. Something on the ground floor." Twilight's horn suddenly blazed to life and built a wireframe of a two-story home. "See, we can add an extra room here, and it means we can also increase the size of our walk-in, as well as stretch our room a little too."
Night's horn caught fire too and he modified the structure where it floated, stretching a room on the ground floor into what had been that new bedroom, and adding an extra room among the other bedrooms. "This would work much better."
Narrowing her eyes at the design, Twilight shook her head. "Or we could just use your observ--"
All of the changes Night had made evaporated and Twilight's version of the extension was back into place. "I believe your way might be better, dear."
"An observatory?" Philip asked. "You're an astronomer?"
"Amateur, yes. It's one way to pass the time now the foals are all moved out. Though I suspect that is about to change." Pinning his grinning wife with a knowing expression, Night eventually smiled along with her. "Ah, the life of a stallion who devoted his days to domesticity."
Holding up his hoof, Philip got a clunk from Night's. "I hear that. I made a promise to Clair many years ago that if she wished to pursue her own career, I'd support her."
"And he has," I said, unable to keep an appreciative purr out of my voice.
Night nodded. "My better half has a head for business that I just can't begin to contemplate. Sometimes I wonder why such a clever mare chased me down to put a ring on my horn."
"It was the opposite for me." Philip's stride broke into a trot-at-walking-speed sort of prance. "Once I saw this wonderful woman and experienced a moment in her presence, I had to chase her down or my life wouldn't have been complete."
"He runs fast, too," I said, getting a laugh from Twilight and Night.
"Here we are." Banishing her little house design, Twilight nodded toward a little building half a block ahead that had a sign of a steaming plate above the door. "You're going to love it here."
Here turned out to be a restaurant that, as we got closer, had ponies waiting just inside the door to get a seat. Faces turned to us as we shimmied in at the back, but the maitre'd strode around the small crowd. "Madam Twilight, Monsieur Night, please come this way."
"Pome, Clair and Philip here are our guests tonight." Twilight turned to look at us. "Follow us."
"We'll take our usual table, Pome," Night Light said.
Something was odd here. They weren't just known to the maitre'd, he was taking orders from them. What else could we do, though, than follow along as he led us through the dining room of ponies enjoying food that smelled and looked amazing, then opened a pair of doors and led us into the huge kitchen to a table just off to the side.
Now, I'd been to a lot of fancy dinners--they came with the job--but I'd only ever heard of a chef's table on celebrity dining shows. This wasn't just good treatment from the maitre'd, he was treating us like literal royalty.
Taking our seats, I tried to give Philip a questioning look and only got a slight shrug from him. "Thank you." What else was there to say?
"Pome-dear, this is ambassador Ree and her husband. If they need a table on any night--and we're not here already, I'm sure you can find them one." Twilight's voice held no subterfuge at all, but it brought together a bunch of little facts.
"Nice place you've got here," Philip said.
"It's Twilight's. I don't remember how long ago it was, but she decided we needed somewhere nice to be able to eat out. Buying the business was her idea. Everything's her idea." The way he said it, this was an old mainstay of conversation between them. Philip and I had our own, of course. "Feel free to come down whenever you'd like."
How should I respond to this? They barely knew us--Wait, no. They probably knew us quite well. Philip had struck up a good friendship with their son, I saw their granddaughter on a daily basis, and it was their own daughter who was peripherally in charge of relations with the USA.
Right, so they probably new about as much about Philip and myself as your average intelligence agent. "Thank you. But you really didn't need to." Standard thanks but are you sure type response. I felt like I was on my toes again, or at least on tippy-hooves. Was tippy-hooves a thing? Regardless, were they playing a game or just being friendly?
"Nonsense. You're both friends of our family, plus it's nice to have another couple to chat to about--Oh, your charms have taken effect." Twilight gestured to my neck with a hoof.
Looking down I saw that, sure enough, the gem had just winked out of my charm necklace. Reaching up to it with my hoof, I lifted it free of my neck and carefully set it in my bags. "We just got them. After having our latest little one, we both pondered the sanity of not having any contraceptives."
"Oh sweet Celestia yes. Your world--Err, your species isn't as fertile as ponies?" Twilight asked.
A unicorn mare dressed in the local equivalent of a chef's uniform approached us with a set of floating menus beside her. She stood there and looked at us expectantly without interrupting. She was plain so far as what colors I could see, brown coat and black mane, but there was an energy about her that made me wonder if she was actually about to break into song.
Night cleared his throat and smiled at the chef. "Please, Magnifique, do explain what creations you have for us this evening."
"My pleasure, there is a wonderful potato and leek soup to warm your palates, a rich and vibrant ratatouille, then a fine dollop of ice-cream on a plate for dessert." Magnifique spent exactly half a second with a straight face before her smile broke through. "Do not fear, it will be your favorite."
"Magnifique, you know me too well." Twilight turned to Philip and myself. "Her predecessor here used the same, bland menu as every other restaurant in Canterlot. When he absolutely refused to change--or take orders from a mare--I installed her as my head chef. This is her restaurant, I just make sure the bills are paid."
"I best get back to cooking. Excuse me." Magnifique bowed to our table and then returned to the cooking area.
I'd been to plenty of dinners with a fixed menu, but never to a restaurant with one. Was this an Equestrian thing or just some kind of exclusive restaurant thing? How rich were these ponies?
"Where were we? Oh, fertility." The topic seemed so far ago that I was almost lost, but Twilight seemed determined to continue it. "Earth ponies tend toward being fertile again within weeks of giving birth--Sorry. I believe I was getting carried away there."
"Humans don't tend to get pregnant so much unless they're..." Philip trailed off before we all started laughing.
Night was first to recover from the giggles that seemed unlikely to stop among the rest of us. "This topic might have legs, but I think we should shift to something less awkward."
"We were thinking about holidaying on Earth. Would you suggest it?" Twilight asked.
Business. I could handle this. "Being a pony in America is feasible. The only negative effects we have noticed is a reduced amount of magic. It is not suggested to spend any length of time there if you're pregnant." I shrugged my shoulders. "But, barring that, all you'd need to do is apply to Princess Celestia for the right paperwork on this end and the current ambassador to Equestria for the paperwork you'll need when you arrive there."
"So you're saying I'd need to wine and dine the ambassador and ask my daughter's teacher for some paperwork?" Twilight had a way with her smile that threatened to make me giggle again. "I'll have to plan for this."
"The issue you'll face is calling it a holiday." Okay, so this information wasn't strictly by the books, but Twilight had the clout here as a business owner--she could pull this off. "If you called it a working holiday, then things could be arranged." I hoped this wouldn't come back to bite me.
"See, now that's what I like to hear. So your country would be open to investment? How does America's economy op--" Twilight froze. She tilted her head down and chuckled. "This is the wrong time to discuss hard business, sorry."
"Why don't you drop 'round tomorrow and we'll have lunch somewhere? I'd need to check if I have any room for you on my calendar, but my lunches are my own." There was the oddest sensation of having put my foot in something, but I couldn't figure out what. The most important thing I had to do was document everything and keep my own finances out of anything to do with Mrs. Velvet.
Our food started coming out, and conversation about anything but the food was dropped by the wayside. I'd been to a lot of fancy restaurants in Washington, big gala events, even several celebrations for a particular US president that's a good friend, but nothing I'd eaten before could compare to the meal at this restaurant.
After each course was consumed, and with a little time allowed to talk about it, Magnifique would come over and ask how much we enjoyed her cooking. Her cooking. She was the head chef here, apparently, but with a chef's table, she ensured she did every little bit herself. It was impossible to not gush.
When we got to the dessert, though, four different plates of ice cream came out--each a different flavor. Magnifique herself set them down before each of us. "I trust this will be the perfect capstone for a meal." She bowed and withdrew.
"Go on. Try it." Twilight was staring at me with so much excitement in her stare I had to wonder what was going on. The meal so far had been amazing, but with the infused nature of the ice cream, I couldn't tell what the actual flavor was.
Using my hoof to bring a spoon of the silky-smooth ice cream to my lips, I barely got it in my mouth when the world fell away. No drug illicit or legal would ever recreate this moment. The mango-chocolate ice cream reminded me of every ice cream I'd ever eaten in my whole life. All those moments, stacked end to end, barely reached halfway to how good this was.
My body was on autopilot. The moment the flavor left my tongue, I had another spoonful ready to replace it. When my spoon scraped the empty plate it'd been served on, it was the worst moment of my food-associated life. I almost wept for its loss.
"That," I said to break the spell of loss, "was the best meal I have had in my life."
Night was only halfway through his ice cream, somehow displaying superhuman (superpony?) levels of restraint. "We told you, Magnifique does amazing work, don't you dear?"
"Cooking and knowing the perfect flavor profile for each and every customer is my special talent. I am grateful that Mrs. Velvet and Mr. Light allow me to practice my craft freely." Magnifique bowed her head in my direction, gently levitating my bowl from before me.
I leaned against Philip's side and kissed his jaw. My mind spun with all the things I'd do with him after such an amazing day. After all, what's an amazing day without an amazing night? "If you get me home sooner rather than later, it gives us more time to test these amulets," I whispered to Philip.
I felt him respond by leaning against me, then his teeth pressed down on my ear and squeezed just how he knew I liked it. When he released, it was like a haze lifted from me for just a second. I saw Twilight and Night, opposite us, doing the same sort of thing we were--both whispering back and forth.
Did I want to know what two ponies in love were saying? Not really. After all, I heard them from Philip and my own throat. "Perhaps we should be leaving?"
"Should I ask them?" Twilight asked. The only reason I heard was she'd sounded eager about something and raised her voice a little much. Night's slight shake of his head caused her to then bite her lower lip.
What exactly was going on? I couldn't seem to get a read on their motives here--which was odd for me. "It's really been lovely. We'll have to do this again sometime." What resulted wasn't so much an evacuation as a calm wishing well as we all made our way from the restaurant. We got halfway home before I realized we hadn't paid a cent.
It wasn't that their "should I ask them" line had been eating away at me all night (Philip had taken care of that), but as the clock drew closer to noon I felt trepidation grow. Not only didn't I know what she wanted to ask about, but I didn't know if she would today.
My morning work done, I awaited the call from Helen to tell me I had a visitor. Was I worried? Would she compromise my position with the government?
I was no idiot. Plenty of political figures took what amounted to bribes--kickbacks, they called them--but the idiot that I am had a conscience. And, sunk in that mood, I almost missed Helen's intercom beep softly for my attention. Reaching a hoof out, I tapped the acknowledge button.
"A Miss Twilight Velvet is here to see you."
"Mrs. that is Helen. Send her in." I released the button and waited. A moment later Twilight opened the door with her magic and entered. All the stress and worry I'd had drained--at least superficially. "Good... afternoon. Sorry, sometimes things get hard to track when you work indoors all the time."
Twilight Velvet almost pranced in. She looked so full of energy that I wondered for a moment what had happened. Then I remembered what Philip and I'd been up to the previous night, and figured she and Night Light might have done the same.
"Afternoon it is. Come on, let's get out of this place before we start discussing portfolios and international trade ourselves until we calcify with boredom." Twilight kept up her prance and came around behind the desk and used a hoof to guide me out of my chair.
I'll be damned if her perkiness wasn't contagious. As soon as I was out and had my hooves on the floor, I felt excitement. "I think I needed that. Thank you. Where are we going if not here?"
"You know, there's a nice quiet bar nearby I happen to know the owner of." The twinkle in her eye as she said it reminded me that this mare was connected--even discounting her political contacts. "You know, I spoke to my little Twily earlier about my proposition for visiting Earth--she explained to me that I may have put you in a difficult situation."
Following her out into the lobby, I nodded to Helen. "What time is my first afternoon appointment?"
"You're walking beside her. For some reason everypony I had booked for the rest of the day sent their apologies." Helen looked at Twilight Velvet with a raised eyebrow.
Waving away the inference, Twilight giggled. "I'm sure they all found things they needed to do."
My brain tried to connect with what just happened. I was sure I had at least three meetings scheduled, two of which were with Equestrian business... Connected. Definitely connected. She pulled some strings and everypony I was supposed to be meeting jumped to heel. "If I'm not back by five, send out a rescue squad." I laughed to make it a joke, though I was still getting an odd vibe from Twilight.
Walking over to the counter, Twilight slouched a little. "I'll try to have her back by then."
Helen lasted nearly four seconds before she lost her stern face and broke into a laugh. "Just--Just see that you do. Don't make me call your husbands."
I couldn't help it, I laughed too. "No, mom."
Twilight's energy kept me going--talking about completely boring things like the weather--all the way to the little tavern at the end of the street. As she angled us toward the front door, I had to ask, "How many businesses do you own?"
"In Canterlot?" Twilight asked.
The dancing shimmer in her eyes worried me again. "Forget I asked. Can I just assume you own at least one business on every arc of the city's circles?"
"Yes. That's a conservative view of things." She stepped inside and I heard a gasp from someone.
"Mrs. Velvet! Are you here checking up on little old me?" The stallion behind the bar was unique. All the ponies I'd seen had been ranging for a soft brown to every pastel color in the best coloring sets. This pony was almost completely black, had what looked like folded black bat-wings, and his smile showed a set of sharp teeth that would have looked more at home in a vampire movie.
"Oh, relax, Spicy. We're just here to chat and have a drink or two. What's cooking for lunch?" Twilight made her way over to the bar and climbed up on a stool--leaving me to follow suit.
"The lunch menu, as you well know, is bat food. Literally. Why would you--?" The bat pony, Spicy, looked at me with an admiring gaze that traced my snout to my tail and back again. "A fruit platter it is."
"Uh." I waited for Spicy to leave before continuing. "Fruit platter? Bat food? What is this place?"
"Well, it's one of my bars that serve double usage. At night it's a bar where ponies can find a little relief with a stranger or professional, during the day it's a refuge for those who don't appreciate bright things. Bat ponies have wide dietary requirements. Most stick to fruit, some partake of insects when they're feeling a little savage, and for special occasions they get a touch bitey." Twilight kept explaining even as Spicy brought out the platter. "Though I am apparently the only pony with sense enough to give them a little slice of Canterlot to call their home."
"She's lying. You wouldn't believe the work this task-mistress put me through before she'd bankroll Tender Screech." Spicy set the platter of fruit before us. "Can I get you lovely ladies something to drink?"
I almost asked for something hard when I remembered that I still had some lactating to do before I could let my hair down like that. "A tea, please."
"Actually, a tea does sound good, but I'll have mine on ice, Spicy." Twilight seemed intent on leaning close and giving the bat pony an almost-kiss before laughing when he jerked back. "You're terrible at this."
"I'll get you one day." With a slightly-screechy laugh, Spicy walked away from our spot to give us privacy.
Twilight used her magic to pluck a toothpick from one of the little bowls and start spearing fruit. "While I was at your embassy, I put in an application for a business trip to your country. I'll need to convert some local goods to your currency, of course, but then I'm going to hire someone to introduce me to your local businesses." She popped a piece of mango and a grape in her mouth and chewed them like she hadn't just casually mentioned what could be considered financial invasion.
It also took the heat off me completely. She was no longer somepony I was doing a favor for. "I'll need state department clearance on all that. It should be processed within a week. Please note, there are some goods that are proscribed from trade until established costs can be established." I located some mango pieces for myself and started chewing on them.
"Such as?" Twilight's eyes gleamed. How much she already knew and how much I was going to give her was debatable, but I was betting the former far outweighed the latter.
"We've examined the size and purity of Equestrian gemstones, they must not be transferred to Earth until we can come to some agreement on how to save our gemstone market. Magical medications and treatments are restricted to the few that our scientists have vetted. Animals and non-pony individuals are restricted until further notice." As I ticked off the big three, Twilight maintained her smile. What angle she had was of concern to me--if she destroyed a sector of the US economy, it would be my fault. Even if Jeff could spin it as free enterprise.
"I was thinking more along the lines of metals. It's my belief that gold is quite valuable on Earth, but we have it in plentiful supply here. I will be investing in various markets on Earth--with the permission of your government, of course--but what I'd like to do is build a currency exchange." There probably wasn't much else she could have said that would have worried me nearly so much as that.
So far the government had been the sole manager of exchange values. Initially this had been seen as a requirement to prevent destabilizing each other's economies. "I'll have to speak to the president about this. Right now we're holding the conversion of funds in a strict grip, but it may be time to release the reins. You already know most of that."
Twilight just nodded. "Would it help if I had a royal writ backing me for such a role?"
"It's out of my hooves, regardless. The scope is beyond anything I can agree to in my role." I didn't say that it also made me feel uncomfortable morally. Already despising the back-room-deals that were so common in politics meant this situation was even more of a hot potato for me. "I'll write this up and have it sent home as soon as I can arrange it."
"Well, with it all out of your hands, you're free to relax a little, right? That's how your politics works?" Twilight raised an eyebrow at me and lifted her drink up. "You and your husband are still the talk of the town, you know. The president of Prance's wife along with the First Queen of Saddle Arabia spend time with your husband on his debut night in society, and he is the perfect gentlecolt." She shook her head with a knowing smile. "You have quite the catch there."
Of everything I expected to come out of this mare's mouth, that wasn't it. Damn the milk--I wish I could have something alcoholic to drink so I could blame it for not keeping track of Twilight's reasoning. "We've been together a long time. I won't say coming to Equestria wasn't an adjustment--we were both approaching late life and all its problems--but while our bedroom has seen a rise in activity, it was absolutely mutual." There. Take that, Equestria! I lifted my own drink with a hoof and took a sip.
The tea was good, not that I knew my brands of tea apart. I was American and not British. But still, it was hot and tasted vaguely of spice and lemon.
"You are amazing, then. I couldn't keep up with Night. Randy bastard that he is. I took a chance and invested in a few places, helped them shine, then moved on. The reason I started with these bars, in fact, was because he'd complained about the care and comfort that was on offer." Twilight gestured to the establishment around them with a hoof.
She took another sip and continued before I could even work out what exactly she was talking about. "This wasn't the first, but by the time I made Spicy an offer I was on a roll. All my bars were doing significantly better than the competition. It mostly came down to me establishing a consistent experience."
It was on the very edge of making sense to me, but there was something that just didn't click. Well, I could either tease it out of her with a series of questions or I could change the topic and save face. "And then you branched out into restaurants?"
"No, that really was a case of we both wanted somewhere we could go to always have a nice meal and not be bothered." Well, she'd accepted the change of topic. "Perhaps you would like to come over one night? With our little ones all grown up, we're a little starved for company."
I could try to lie and say I couldn't find a sitter, but my sitter was Twilight's granddaughter. It would just take a careful question from Twilight to Flurry and my plot would be revealed. The real question was; why would I try to avoid it? Like Twilight, Philip and myself were hardly swimming in friends.
"I'll have to talk to my wonderful foalsitter to see if she's free, but I'm sure we could always have Saffron take care of things." Sometimes it was a struggle to remember he's an adult, but the longer I spend in Equestria, the more his stature reminds me of a foal.
"Let's not beat about the bush. I'll chat with Flurry. If she can't cover for you, I'm sure she knows a friend who'd be more than happy to. Pick any night but Saturday and I'll have Magnifique send her sous chef over to prepare some snacks."
I'm sure now that I don't dislike Twilight. She's nice, has a great sense of style, and is sharp as a knife. Talking to her is a challenge, though. She knows a lot more than she tells and makes it a game to figure out what is happening. Okay, compared to politicians--even pony politicians--she is a breath of fresh air. "Why don't we make it the day after tomorrow?"
"Perfect! I'll see about getting us some games to play." There was playfulness in her voice that I couldn't pick up the source of--I guess she really likes board games.
I finished my tea and we chatted about less heavy topics, then said our goodbyes.
It was Thursday night and our sitter had just arrived. "Are you sure you're--?"
Sudden Turn Raised an eyebrow. "You're joking, right? I'm only here to hang with Saf. Riley is probably more responsible than all of us put together, and Saf is an adult." Dammit, she could remember that better than I could. Even if they never did get together, like I was pretty sure they would, Sudden would be the best friend Saffron ever has.
"You know what I mean though. If something happens and someone needs to speak to an adult, they will completely ignore Saffron." It was stupid to try to rationalize why I felt better having another adult here. I might as well add a sit down and talk to Saffron about my problem with his size session to my schedule. "Sometimes it's hard for me to remember that."
Reaching her wing up to my shoulder, Sudden nodded. "But you're trying, and I bet Saf knows it."
Damn, but if Saffron didn't snatch her up the moment he was comfortable with it, I would be upset. Sudden, as far as I could tell, was probably the single biggest force keeping Saffron sane through all this. I nodded, smiled, and turned to look for Philip.
He was standing right behind me with a patient expression that told me he'd been there a while. "You're ready?" He smiled as he raised an eyebrow.
"Of course I am, I'm just stressing about things I can't change." Closing the distance between us, I kissed him until he closed his eyes. We spent a few moments like that, connecting silently and intimately, before breaking apart again.
His smile was warmer now. "I wouldn't have you any other way."
"Come on, stud, before we get distracted and spend the night in." I led him out the front door and into the street. As with all evenings in Canterlot, the high altitude caused a slight chill that all but lifetime residents felt. We didn't talk as we walked across the city, just made sure we were close enough to rub shoulder and thigh with each step.
We followed the directions Twilight had given me, and soon enough we were out the front of the house she'd described. I looked at Philip with a smirk. "I saw all those longing gazes."
"They meant nothing to me."
I felt playful. "Not even mine?"
"Well," Philip kissed my cheek, "maybe those ones."
"Good answer. Well, let's knock." We both walked up the path of the small garden and I knocked on the door.
A few moments later the door opened and Night Light's smile grew wider as he recognized us. "Clair! Philip! Please, come in!" He stepped back and made room for us.
Warmth, both figurative and literal, filled the room we walked into. There was a fireplace crackling at one end of the living room while Twilight sat on the couch looking, well, a little nervous. "Thank you for having us. It has been a bit--well, awkward of late. Nopony here really treats us as equals except your own family. Flurry has become a social rock we're both clinging to, and one of Saffron's friends. Anypony would think we were hermits living in the most fantastic city in the world."
"The old-money aristocracy are terrified of my investing, and our new-money contemporaries don't know how to take us having royalty in the family. We couldn't have removed ourselves from society any easier short of never leaving the house." Twilight Velvet was reclining on the couch and watching the pair of us with a strange sort of intensity I'd not seen in her before.
We sat down together on a second couch at a ninety-degree angle to the one Twilight was on. Night curled up beside Twilight and another mare walked into the room.
The newcomer was a pegasus, her coat was white and she had a blonde mane and tail. Her wings each held a tray covered in canapes. Giving a nod to us all, she set the trays down on the coffee table and then fled the room again.
Night's eyes had followed the mare throughout everything she'd done and now his smile looked a little wistful. "Don't mind Pesto, a talented mare in a kitchen, but she doesn't adjust to new situations or new ponies well. She'll be leaving shortly to assist Magnifique in her kitchen."
"So," Philip looked from me to Night and Twilight, "you mentioned games?"
Twilight's face lit up with a big grin. "Honestly, I was worried we might have been coming on a little too fast, but it's wonderful to see two other adventurous ponies."
Finally, finally my brain started to make some sense of the odder things Twilight and Night had spoken of. I was just starting to put the pieces together when Night started to speak.
"Yeah. I mean, I don't mind using the bars, but swinging with ponies I like socially is way more fun than picking up another stallion or mare for the night." All the gears and cogs in my head ground to a stop at his words. Philip had told me some hearsay about the bars of Canterlot, but I hadn't put that together with Twilight saying she purchased a bunch of them.
The bars were more than just somewhere to have a few drinks--they were for stallions and mares intent on relief to get it in reasonable safety. Twilight Velvet owned the city's brothels. She had invited us around for a night of swinging.
As I turned to look at Philip, I could see the same dawning realization on his face. What did we say? How did we explain we didn't know? We couldn't go through with this, that wouldn't be right to either them or us.
"Night, I think we've made a mistake." Twilight's voice sounded more than a little defeated, though genuine concern shined through her tone. When I looked back at her, she looked crestfallen. "I think we may have assumed some things we shouldn't have."
"We might have too," Philip said. "We didn't exactly connect the dots, as it were."
It broke the moment, thankfully. We all started laughing at our own stupidity and the folly of assumptions. If we weren't careful, though, the laughter would die off into silence and we'd all be left thinking different things. "I'm sorry, really I am, but we're happily--"
"... paired." Philip finished for me. He turned to look at me and smiled. "I can't imagine being with anypony but Clair." His eyes were deep and still pools that I could just happily drown in.
"I imagine you'd rather take your leave before the rumor mill starts connecting us?" Resignation and frustration slipped through Twilight's careful tone.
Philip quirked his eyes and lifted one eyebrow. When I repeated the gesture back to him, he nodded. "Perhaps we could just play some games instead? It's not--We're not going to--Just getting out of the house is nice."
It was awkward at first, but we started a game of charades that made all of us look silly, and we laughed enough to erase the faux pas of the initial moments of the night. I don't think I'd ever been so embarrassed and delighted in the same night. |
The Embassy | Chapter 31 | Saffron Ree
It didn't seem like forever anymore. Two years slipped by and I had my twentieth birthday without much fanfare. I kept studying all the extra stuff besides flying and spent all the rest of my time in the sky.
Well, when I wasn't at home. Goldy was a bit of a wingful, so I tried to give Dad a break whenever I could. "We'll be fine, Dad." Goldy was balanced on her hooves, on my hooves, while I was laying on my back.
"Riley--"
"Riley will be fine too. I have Sudden coming over later and we're going to be talking all about my exam. I promised Riley she could listen too if she's quiet." While Goldy wobbled and walked on my hooves, I moved with her so that she just wobbled around in place. She was adorable as heck. "If you make me tell you to go again, I won't. Then you'll have to stay here looking after Riley and Goldy instead of having a fun night out."
He looked at me like he'd argue, then Dad snapped his mouth closed and sighed. "Thanks, Saf."
As Dad turned for the door, I saw Goldy was charging her horn while looking at him. "None of that now." I reached a wing up and booped her nose--startling her so that her concentration broke and she stared at me in surprise. "Yeah, I booped ya. What're you going to do about it?"
What she was going to do about it was laugh and jump at my head. I didn't catch her in time, but it wasn't like I had a sharp horn or anything. What I did notice was a smell. "Of course you would just after Dad left."
Picking her up from my face with one wing, I tucked her against my side. "You got a stinky, don'tcha?" Her answer to this was to giggle. Carrying her to the nursery (the downstairs bedroom), I changed her quickly and got everything smelly stuffed away. "I didn't have to do any of this with Riley. I was just too small then and didn't really know what was going on anyway."
When she looked up at me, her big eyes gleaming with love and intelligence, I felt my heart melt. "Dinner's in another hour. Even your best look isn't going to make me break Mom's rules. Sorry." Her horn started to glow again, and before whatever she planned could happen, I lashed out with another boop. Only this time I missed.
With a loud pomf sound Goldy disappeared. I wasn't too worried, given I felt a 2-year-old-foal-sized weight settle on my back. "Huh. I wonder where she went?"
The giggling on my back, as I ignored Goldy and made a point of looking around the room, made me smile way more than it should have. "Is she under the basket here?"
I must have picked up everything in the room and looked under it before I heard the front door open and close. "Oh! That must be her now!" Goldy was laughing hysterically by the time I got to the door and looked out into the living room. Riley was looking at me like I'd gone crazy. "Have you seen Goldy? I was changing her and she got a spell off before I could boop her."
Since Riley was staring at my back, it was a bit of a giveaway that Goldy was there. She wore her most droll expression when she said, "Saf, she's on your back."
"Is she?" I turned around in a circle like a dog chasing their tail. When I was facing Riley again, I shrugged my wings. "She wasn't there."
Riley managed to look at me for nearly three seconds before her stern expression melted and she began giggling.
"What? I just said I couldn't find our sister! Where is she--?" I cut off short because I felt Goldy climbing up my mane and onto the top of my head. Rolling my eyes upward, I stared down her nose. "Oh, there you are!"
"You're crazy, Saf," Riley said once her giggles died down. "Mom and Dad out again tonight?"
"Yeah. Sudden will be over soon. She's going to be drilling me on formations again." Lowering myself to my belly on the floor, I let Goldy wobble and stumble her way off my head to stand beside me. When she started to march toward the toybox, I crawled over there too and spread my wings out to relax while she built a block tower around me.
A knock at the door some time later heralded Riley shouting, "I got it!" Which was good. If I'd moved my head, I might have made Goldy cry.
I could hear Riley's hooves stomp up to the door followed by her opening it. "Saf, it's Sudden. Come in. He's the pair of wings underneath the one-half scale model of Canterlot."
"Thanks, Riley. So, Goldy, do you have a pegasus under there?" Sudden's voice made me smirk, but I still wasn't going to destroy Goldy's tower. "Do you think you could move all the blocks so I can get him out?"
"Buh!" Goldy's reply was vehement, but then I noticed some light filtering down through the spire above me. It was Goldy's pale whitish aura lifting away blocks.
I was in no hurry. Goldy slowly unstacked blocks until I could see the light in the room through my closed eyelids. Then a tiny hoof poked me on the nose.
"Boo!" Goldy, her horn still alight, drew her hoof back from my face.
Sitting up, I watched as she started stacking all the blocks back with her horn, and when that failed a moment later, started using her hooves.
Sudden pranced her way over the couch and sat down on it. "She's only two and your parents are already letting her use her magic?"
"That's Moon Dancer's doing. Mom and Dad asked her about raising a unicorn, as well as the normal sources, and they liked Moon Dancer's way better. We don't try to hold back her magic unless we're doing something important--like changing her." I nodded toward her where she was trying to use her magic to move blocks but it was sputtering. "Moon Dancer already said she's a full year ahead of any other unicorn foal."
"Your parents trust her a lot? Moon Dancer that is."
I watched Riley run back upstairs and turned my attention back to Sudden. "Oh, yeah. I mean, she taught Dad how to do magic, and now she's teaching Riley. Hey, have you eaten?"
"Yeah. I picked up something before coming over. I didn't want to impose or anything. I know how cool your dad is at getting fish and stuff." She elbowed me with her wing. "So, get your food, get your little sister fed, and let's start getting this stuff squared away for your big day tomorrow."
The big day. Yeah, when the Young Fliers compete with other young foals in the Cloudsdale Young Fliers Contest. I'd have to be competing with foals years older, but I'd talked Surprise into letting me enter it. "Yeah." Standing up, I walked over to where Goldy was. "You hungry?"
Her head turned quickly to look up at me to reveal excitement in her eyes. "Ah! Ah!" She raised her hooves at me for a pick-up.
Reaching down with a wing, I scooped Goldy up and set her on my back. "Well, come on. I'll warm up a bottle for you and make a sandwich."
As I walked into the kitchen, I noticed Sudden looking at me strange. I was about to ask her what she was thinking when Riley came running down the stairs. "Yeah, yeah. You hungry too?"
"Yup! What're we having?" Riley reared up at the bench and tried to peek over the counter.
Riley had gone through a bit of a growth spurt. She no longer looked like a tiny foal, but more like a miniature version of Mom but with legs that still looked way too big for her body.
"I was thinking of some toasted sandwiches. What do you want on yours?" I opened the breadbox and started pulling out the loaf Dad had baked earlier in the day. I wound up making cheese, spinach, and egg for myself and some cheese and spinach for Riley. Goldy's bottle needed a little time in a pot of hot water to bring up to temp.
Busy as I was, I didn't miss Sudden peek around the door. When my eyes drifted toward her, she pulled back again. Okay, so whatever she was up to, I'm sure I'd find out soon enough. I got Riley and Goldy their meals and then sat down to eat mine.
There was always something energizing about eating protein-rich foods. Eggs and fish were my main two sources, but sometimes Dad got other things. The spinach was good, though a little less crunchy than I normally liked, but the cheese was hot and gooey--which was all that mattered.
"Uh! Uh!" Goldy's cry had my attention. I reached a wing out and tipped her bottle up a little higher. Her legs were strong, but she couldn't quite get enough lift (sitting in her high-chair) to get the last third of the bottle.
She was going to be better than me at multitasking, eventually. Having two hooves and two wings to grab and move things was great, but she'd be able to do it with just her mind.
Picking up the last of my sandwich with my free wing, I munched on it slowly, pondering how awesome ponies were and how cool it was to be one. It kinda hit me as funny that I thought that now, when I thought back to the start of all this.
I'd hated the idea of this. Of becoming a cute little pony like the toys my sister would brush endlessly. Ponies are people. We're not toys. We.
Yeah, I'm a pony.
"Saf? You've been staring at that last crust for like five minutes, and Goldy finished her dinner ages ago." Riley wasn't just talking to me, she was poking me in the side with her hoof.
"Yeah." I stuffed the last bite of my cold sandwich in my mouth, chewed, and swallowed it. "Just thinking about how annoyed I was coming here. It was so stupid."
Riley snorted and carried her plate to the sink. "Yup. You were such an idiot about it. You should have just gone with it."
"Goin' a little far there, but you're right. When I started flying, though, it was like a switch. Flying is what I've wanted to do my whole life, I just didn't know it until I could do it." I gave Riley's mane a good rub with my wing--which got an annoyed squeal from her--then I turned to Goldy and lifted her out of her highchair. "And you, all that work with your horn wore you out, huh?" She was asleep and dreaming whatever dreams tiny fillies have.
I carried her through to the nursery and set her down in her cot. She woke briefly as I put her down, looked up at me and smiled before closing her eyes again. Okay, so she had me wrapped around her tiny little hooves, but I could live with that.
Turning on the baby monitor, I slipped the alert bracelet around my cannon and left her to sleep. When I left the room, I noticed Sudden looking at me intently for a moment before her expression changed to curiosity. "What's up?"
"Nothing." Sudden sat up a little straighter. "So, let's go over formations again."
I hadn't really had much trouble at all with the written exam--the first part of the 3-part test. My head was full of the patterns I wanted to do for the solo flying section, however, because I wanted to be the Best Young Flier, and that meant showing off.
All the Wonderbolts had a signature move, each one tailored to the pony who flew it. It was the one bit of solo flair that they really engaged in. Nearly half of the nine judges were Wonderbolts--and I knew for sure they'd recognize their own stunts.
In front of me was some forty year old filly who stood way taller than me. She walked forward to the edge of the cloud and started her performance. The stadium had some clouds to buck and some hanging rings--all things for foals to show off their prowess with either basic cloud manipulation or pure flight skills.
She was, I had to admit, an amazing flier. She zoomed through an imagined race course like it was nothing, even arced up to buck the clouds away, but it wasn't until just near the end that I realized what she'd done--she hadn't used an ounce of pegasi magic.
Then, when she was gaining altitude, I could feel the pull of her magic. It wasn't just for show, but part of it was her making sure we all felt that she was now going to use her magic. A crash-dive seemed the order of the day. With her magic humming around her, she crashed through every cloud on her way back to the stadium--steering only with the tips of her wings and magic.
When the ground (well, the cloud that formed the ground of the stadium) rushed up to meet her, she snapped out her wings and stopped on a dime--and the ground. Okay, I needed to completely forget what she did so I could do my own thing perfectly.
"Up next we have a real young colt from the Young Fliers Program looking to make a name for himself! Fillies and gentlecolts, put your hooves together for Saffron Ree!"
I wasn't as strong a straight-line flier as the filly had been, but I was probably half her weight and had the same wingspan. There was a particular stunt that I knew sergeant Surprise loved--and was her signature move. If I were as old as the filly before me, I'd need magic to pull it off. But, with my wing-to-mass ratio...
With barely more than a casual flap of my wings I shot into the sky. It was such a rush to go up so fast and so suddenly that it almost felt like gravity reversed. For the next bit I needed just the right kind of cloud--which wasn't present. Tilting forward and on an angle, I started a high-speed spin that my wings kept adding more and more speed to. A hurricane of air was spinning about the one cool spot I'd noticed on my assent.
Cold, low pressure point plus spinning air got me a tornado that would sustain itself for a few seconds while I worked its energy into the right cloud. When I had it worked up enough, I shot out the top and bucked a cloud down into the spout.
The effect was immediate. The energy of the twister siphoned electrons from the cloud and into the cloud-floor of the arena. The tornado fell apart just as the cloud hit its critical point and I flew between that cloud and the ground at just the right moment as the blast of lightning shot down--and right through me.
With the crowd screaming in my ears, I let the green burn of plasma and coronal discharge from my primaries. Corporal Thunderlane's favorite stunt.
One by one I worked through each of the stunts. They weren't easy on the best of days, but stacked one after another left me fighting to hold onto each shred of my magic. A second use of the small thunderhead I'd created was used--at just the right angle--to make it look like I breathed lightning out of my mouth.
Last of all I had just one Wonderbolt left. She was sitting in the judge's box and I could see the eagerness on her face. She wanted me to try, and she wanted me to succeed. But there was no hope in hell that I'd make a Sonic Rainboom.
I had a plan, though, and I hoped it would fool her right up until the moment she realized what I was doing. All the previous stunts that'd used lightning had degraded my little thunderhead, but now it was time to give it a final kick.
Flying up high, making it look like I was going to try the impossible, I tipped forward into a dive. Speed was key. I needed to sluice through all the remaining clouds one by one and gather their moisture in my wake.
The clouds behind me were intact for now, but even they were moisture and, more, rushing through them like I had collected plenty of electrons on my wings. As I approached the thunderhead--with its intense positive charge--I could feel the electricity dancing all over me. I wasn't just a human anymore, I was a pegasus, and electricity was just another tool to me.
I never actually touched the thunderhead. Several ponylengths from it I could see the tracers leading toward me, and I could see my own stretching to meet them. I couldn't make a Sonic Rainboom, but--
The lightning tracers made connection and millions of amps of current poured into me. I wrapped it all with my magic and shoved it down my tail and behind--into the trail of water I'd scattered behind.
I couldn't see what my arc did, but I heard the echo of the loudest thundercrack yet as it slammed back toward me. Screaming with excitement, I smashed away the thunderhead and plowed down to the ground to drop to all fours--facing the judging stand.
Even now--standing on what should have been an electrically neutral cloud-floor--I could feel the coronal discharge dancing along the edges of my feathers. It didn't hurt, none of the electricity hurt.
And, still giddy and charged with enough electricity to run a house, I felt darkness creep in around me while a little voice shouted, "Out of the way! I'll help him better than you can!"
As the darkness tucked around like a blanket, I realized it was Riley's voice.
"Hey there. Glad you're waking up, the squad-flying bit is coming up, and we'd hate to not get a chance to fly with you."
The voice was familiar, but it felt like my head was full of cotton. I shook my head to clear the fuzz and realized I was sitting beside Rainbow Dash. Right, yes, Rainbow Dash of the Wonderbolts. I straightened up and looked at her, realizing I was sitting beside the judges box. "Uh, I passed out?"
"I mean, you did try to do every single Wonderbolts' best trick end to end and invented something so freakin' amazing I'm still getting chills about it. It was like a Sonic Rainboom made of electricity. Okay, it wasn't magic--like mine--but it was still pretty cool." She seemed pretty proud of something, and it took me way too long to figure out that it was I couldn't pull off her signature. "You know how this works, right?"
I nodded. Of course I did. Two Wonderbolts would each choose a foal to be their wingpony. They would perform a series of established flying maneuvers and judge the foal based on how well they nail it as a wingpony.
Pretty sure I aced the test, and by the sound of it I did super-well on the solo section, but this would be the hardest bit for me. "So, who do I get?"
"We're going to draw names from a hat. It's the only way to make it completely fair." Rainbow held a hat out toward me and gave it a jiggle. "Go ahead, might as well pick now."
I reached into the hat with my wing and pulled out a slip of paper. Holding it up, I saw Spitfire's name on it. This was not going to be easy, and when I passed the slip to Rainbow, she laughed.
"Hey, commander, you're up with Saffron."
"Who else you got, newbie?" Spitfire's tone was an equal measure of curiosity and scorn, or so I thought. I hadn't had enough time with her to know when she was only joking and when she was deadly serious.
Reaching into the hat again, I pulled out a second slip of paper. "Misty Flame." I passed it to Rainbow.
"Dizzy, you got second spot with the newbie." Rainbow put both slips of paper back in the hat and stood up. "I gotta go get the others to draw. I'd get your wings warmed up if I were you--you went and picked the two most skilled fliers in the 'Bolts."
"Yeah," I said as I stood up to start stretching, "but that means they'll make me show off more."
"Huh, good way of thinking about it. When'd you get your cutie mark?" While Rainbow spoke, I was too busy stretching to think too much about it, but a fraction of a second after she was done my brain picked up on something she said.
"My what?" I asked, turning to look at my flank.
It was a single wing with a thunderbolt behind it (the bolt was laying on its side. Looking at it, thinking about it, and even just knowing that it was there made me tingle from the bottoms of my hooves to the tops of my ears. I couldn't hear whatever Rainbow said next--nothing else in the world seemed to matter.
I had my cutie mark.
I really had my cutie mark.
My cutie mark was all about flying and lightning and flying and lightning! It was about flying!
"I've got my cutie mark." It sounded even better out loud than in my head, so I said it again. "I just got my cutie mark."
"That true?" A new voice. I barely registered who it was but a brief glance revealed a Wonderbolts uniform over yellow coat and wings with a two-tone blue mane. My brain didn't need far to go to recognize Misty Fly.
"Y-Yeah! I must have gotten it when I did that lightning finisher." I tried to bring more attention to her, but it was just so exciting to have my cutie mark. Quickly, I swung around to look at the other side. I had two!
"Do you need a minute, newbie, or are you ready to fly?" Spitfire asked.
My head snapped up and forward and I had to wrench my thoughts away from my cutie mark. I was about to fly with the two best fliers in Equestria, one of which would have the say-so about me joining the full Wonderbolts. "Yes, ma'am!"
"Well, come on. We'll slowly fly one lap, then when we pass this box again, we start going for real. Keep your wingtip just behind mine, keep up, and don't throw--Dizzy'll have your other wing. Come on." And, just like that, she launched into the air.
Dizzy, Misty Flame, was looking at me. "This is the point where you take off and take your spot in the formation, then I trail from you."
It was standard stuff, but even as my brain processed it I realized I should be in the air. Not using any magic would be key to lasting as long as I could, and even with whatever kick Riley had given me, I couldn't afford to just black out mid-flight.
Spreading my wings, I brought them down hard and sent myself shooting skyward. Something, though, was way different. I shouldn't have been moving as fast as I was, but it seemed light the air just wanted to make me fly faster and faster and faster!
"Slow down! Ponyfeathers. That cutie mark must have really juiced you up. I can feel magic dripping off your wings. You're not doing that, are you?" Misty Flame asked.
I managed to slow down a bit, but it took a lot of focus to get to a speed that wouldn't see me shoot past Spitfire like she was standing still. "I'm not doing anything with my magic! Is this--Is this how it'll be from now on?!" Pulling in at Spitfire's wing, I felt Misty drew in at mine by the air-currents she disturbed. We were flying even and steady.
"Yeah! Welcome to the flying cutie mark club!" Spitfire didn't even turn her head to look and see I was there. "Those stunts you pulled off earlier, with all your magic, those were pretty impressive--but we do that kinda stuff without using magic, and with a bit of work you can too! Keep it tight, fly steady, and let's put on a show!"
That's when it hit me. This whole thing wasn't about being the Best Young Flier. Spitfire didn't care about that at all. She just wanted to put on a good display of flying. It made more sense now that she was the leader of the best flying group in Equestria.
So we flew through an actual Wonderbolts routine. I screwed up a pile of times, but the important bit was getting back into position and not losing Misty when I did. It wasn't so much the flying that was hard, but keeping my focus on all the cues Spitfire would give when making her turns.
"Alright, we've tortured you enough! Let's wind this up and glide back to the ground!" A moment after saying it, Spitfire pulled into a deep bank that required me to actually gain a little altitude while speeding up just to keep our wings aligned. Beside and behind me, Misty had to work twice as hard to do the same, but we all eventually evened out as the ground approached.
Performing my flare just as Spitfire did, I drew up into a landing still in position at the edge of her wing.
Spitfire slowly folded her wings and rolled her shoulders before turning to look at me. "Now that was some good flying. Have you done many formation drills?"
"Yeah. Nothing like that, though," I said.
"Naturally," Misty Fly said, "since what we just did is an actual flight plan for our next show. You were flying in my spot, you know?"
"Maybe he wants to fly in your spot, Dizzy?" Spitfire poked Misty's shoulder, a big grin on her face. "Anyway, we've seen all we need to from you, Saf. Head to the showers and cool off your wings slowly. You don't want to get a cramp."
I knew all that, but it was still good advice. Snapping my wing up to my forehead, I held the pose until Spitfire returned my salute. "Thank you, ma'am." I turned and ran to the shower block and rushed inside.
"Ahhhh!" I couldn't hold it in. My cutie mark, completely nailing all my stunts, and I got to fly with Commander Spitfire! Cranking on the shower, I couldn't stop from dancing all the way through it.
It was hard to focus on getting clean, but the habits I'd built up made me check my coat, my mane, my tail, and finally go over my wings to ensure there was no damaged feathers.
Punching the cooldown on the shower, I felt the water slowly change from blood-heat down to the same temp as the air. It was the best way to avoid getting sudden cramps, and I loved the showers here for having it.
Turning off and stepping out of the shower area. There was a standard issue air-drier that I stepped up to and turned on.
"Hey, you were the colt after me, right? Saffron Ree?" a female voice asked.
Snapping out of my daze, I looked around to see the filly who'd done her stunts before me. "Yeah, you can call me Saf. That was some cool flying you did."
"Thanks, Saf. You were pretty amazing yourself. I was trying to go with the whole showing off my non-magic flight thing, but you just doubled-down on the magic with yours--and without a cutie mark." She walked over to sit in the middle of the long room of lockers. "I'm Skyclipper."
I switched the machine off and turned around to face her. Her eyes widened while I was halfway around, and I realized what she was staring at. "Yeah. Turns out doing a crazy flying stunt can earn you a cutie mark."
She spread out her wings and turned slightly to show her hip--Skyclipper had a cutie mark of two feathers crossed. "Lucky. Mine's related to flying, but my skill is in looking after feathers. I just thought--"
I don't know why, but it upset me that she was selling herself short. "Really? Not related to flying? A ton of flying is in preparation and keeping your feathers in good shape. You know I wasn't even born a pony? It took me ages to learn how to fly, and a ton of that was just taking care of my wings."
"You weren't born a--Wait! You're that ambassador's son, right? The one who--who entered the young flier program. Okay, now I feel a bit foolish, but look at you! You got a flying cutie mark!"
"And so did you." I gestured with my wing to her flank. "Heck, yours is even better that mine. I can do all kinds of crazy stunts, but it's all solo. Yours is like the ultimate team flier cutie mark."
She stared at me for a moment--that is, she had to stare down a little at me. Tilting her head to the side, she opened her mouth to say something but was interrupted by a hoof clopping against the floor at the entrance to the locker room.
"Couldn't have put that better myself. Skyclipper, Saf, you probably want to come out and listen to who won." Surprise was standing there with a tight grin on her face. When we looked in her direction, she turned and walked out.
"I hope you win, Saf. You're pretty cool." Skyclipper turned and walked to the door while I just stared at her. "Well, come on. You heard Sergeant Surprise."
Trotting to catch up, I caught up with her just outside and we followed the loud voices making a speech. Spreading our wings together, we circled up a bit and spotted where the other competitors were.
"Now we're all assembled, I can stop making up things to talk about and pass you over to Commander Spitfire!" Soarin sounded relieved, and wiped his brow with a foreleg--which got a laugh from everypony.
Stepping up, Spitfire looked around all of us. "I look around the competition this year and it scares me--a pile of you are going to be coming for my job soon enough, and I don't know if I'll be able to stop you from taking it. First, everypony, let me hear it for every competitor today!"
All the Wonderbolts lifted their wings in salute, but everypony else (including us) stomped our hooves and cheered. I noticed, now that we were all in one place, that there was some bigger ponies in our group. I hadn't seen any of them fly, but they were probably closer to Mom and Dad's age.
As the Wonderbolts snapped their wings down, a hushed silence fell over the crowd. "The first award, for Best Young Flier, goes to--Cloud Seed!"
One of the older mares jumped to her hooves and did an excited dance in place before she rushed up to the front. "Ma'am!"
"You'll be joining the Wonderbolts as its newest trainee, Cloud. Stand beside me while I announce the other awards." A gasp went up at Spitfire's pronouncement. From what I knew, there hadn't been more than one award before. "We have three extra awards today. The first is Best Technical Display, and it goes to Skyclipper."
Her gasp beside me made me look at Skyclipper. She looked stunned. "Go on, get up there!" I nudged her with a wing.
Trotting to the front, Skyclipper didn't seem to know where to stand. In the end, she stood before Spitfire.
"The dedication to your solo routine, the excellence of your perfect angles and magic-less maneuvers, was almost enough to have you standing where Cloud Seed is. Your team event was where you really shone, however. You fit my right wing like you were born there, and that's why you deserve the Best Technical Display award!"
Somepony had passed Cloud Seed a trophy, and she passed it on to Skyclipper.
"Stand beside Cloud." Spitfire looked back at our group. "The second award is for Best Magic Display, and I don't think anypony here can deny that what Saf Ree did at the end of his solo performance, let alone the rest of that display, was well worth that."
"Wait, me?!" Others around me pushed me forward and shoved me to the front so that I stumbled all the way up to Spitfire. "Me?"
"Yes, Saf, you. You made our job hard. We were all set to give you the third award, Best Blank-Flank, but then you went and got your cutie mark during the event. So here you are for using some of the finest pegasi magic manipulations we've seen while mimicking everything up to a sonic rainboom. Congratulations, Saf."
Cloud reached out with a trophy for me, that I took from her without being able to think straight. I mean, on some level I knew I wouldn't win Best Young Flier, but getting an award for competing with pegasi up to thirty years older than me? Woo! "Thanks!"
"You deserve it. That was amazing." Cloud sounded excited, but then she had won all this. She was going to get to train with the Wonderbolts--I'd be excited too.
I couldn't help but blush and shuffled down to the end of the row beside Skyclipper.
"And that leads to our final award for Best Blank-Flank. Stormrider, congratulations!" Spitfire's shout prompted a foal a little smaller than me to come running out of the crowd. She looked around like she had no clue what was going on. When she spotted Spitfire, however, she whinnied in excitement and pronked over. "Not sure if I've ever seen so much energy in somepony so small. Congratulations, Stormrider, I can see big things coming for you!"
The giggle that left Stormrider made me smile to a ridiculous degree. She stood on the end with her trophy and literally didn't seem able to stop bouncing in place. Spitfire was right about the energy--she'd just flown two big events and was practically buzzing for more.
"That's all we have planned for today. Congratulations to everypony who competed--I hope you and your parents will join us for the presentation next week in Canterlot, where I'll personally be showing off these amazing four ponies to Princess Celestia herself!" Saluting again, Spitfire stood straight as a die. "Dismissed!"
It might have been meant to inspire everypony to scatter, but all that seemed to happen was all the competitors just bundled together and started talking loudly. By the way Stormrider was turning to me, her mouth opening, I figured we weren't going to be any different.
"Ohmygosh! You were amazing out there! When you did that lightning channel at the end, I couldn't believe how perfectly you arranged those arcs! It must have been a bajillion amps running through you!" What didn't surprise me was that I couldn't see Stormrider actually inhaling between sentences--like the words just poured out without stopping.
"Okay, hold up on the chatter you four. We need to arrange for you to attend that presentation. I promised the princess a big event, and she's going to get one." Spitfire passed out envelopes to each of us. "These contain your invitation and an Equestria-wide ticket to bring you and your families to Canterlot for the event. I have arranged for Cloudsdale to be moved there--so if you live here, that should make things easy. Any questions?"
I raised my right wing, and when Spitfire pointed at me I asked, "Are we putting on any stunts for this?"
The reaction in Spitfire's eyes reminded me of seeing explosions in movies. She grinned about as wide as I've ever seen her and nodded. "If you four want to put something together, in a week, I'll make room for it."
"Hey, why don't we give these to our parents now and go for a fly together?" Cloud Seeder asked.
I looked around and spotted Riley and Dad standing off to the side. "Where will we meet up?"
Stormrider giggled and pointed up with one wing. "Just look up. We can circle around until we're all back. The thermals here are amazing!"
Skyclipper shoved her right wing forward. "We should form a group. The Best Young Fliers. Cloud, of course, is our squad leader."
"That'd be kinda cool. Since you're not exactly in competition with us anymore, it means you can lead us." It was kinda silly, but also awesome. All four of us were good fliers, though all for different reasons. I shoved my wing out and on top of Sky's.
"Hey, bring those wings down here!" Stormrider was jumping to try to get his wing on top of mine. When I lowered my wing, he finally got it there. "How old are you, anyway?"
"20. Almost 21. Don't sweat the height, man, you'll grow into those wings." I looked up at Cloud Seeder. "What about it, squad leader?"
She was bigger than all of us--even bigger than Sudden Turn. Shoving out her wing, Cloud held it on top of Storm's. "Alright. I don't know if we're starting something new or what, but I think it'd be cool if we did. Like, if they're going to give out a bunch of awards each five years, I think we should help the best of the best get better, and maybe offer to help the others, too. So, here's to the Best Young Fliers."
It was an infectious speech and it had all of our blood pumping again. Jerking our wings up with Cloud's, we all shouted, "Yeah!"
Breaking apart, I turned in the direction I'd seen Dad and Riley and trotted over. It was strange to think I was literally walking on cloud vapor, but the weirdness of it faded over the last two years. Stopping at the front of the stands, I held out the letter Spitfire had given me. "Hey."
"You were amazing, Saf! When you did all that lightning stuff, you should have heard how everypony gasped!" Riley jumped at me--her growing size adding more weight than I would have been able to deal with if not for the jolt of earth pony magic she'd revived me with earlier. When I caught her with one wing, I felt a new buzz of vitality.
I squeezed her before tossing Riley up and onto my back. "You don't need to keep juicing me up, but thanks."
Dad took the letter and read it. "Well, we don't need these tickets, but you better believe we'll be there." Using his magic, he tucked the letter away. "But tonight we need a celebration. Why don't we all go out for dinner?"
"That sounds great, Dad. Hey, Riley?"
"Yeah, Saf?"
"You up for eating at a pegasus-catered place?"
She bopped me gently (for an earth pony) on the back of the head. "Silly, they all have non-pegasi dishes on the menu."
Shaking my back a little, I wasn't trying to toss her off--not that she'd fall off even in a negative G turn. "Still, I like to make sure you're cool with it. Mom and Dad can--"
"The restaurant I have in mind, Saf, doesn't exactly do menus, but if we send them a request, I think they'll get something special for your big day." Dad used his magic to pick up Riley and carry her over to him. "Are you ready to head back down?"
"I need to hang with some new friends first. I'll be down as soon as we're done." I tilted my head to look up and behind, and spotted Cloud already circling. That's when it hit me that she was and adult if her size was any indicator. "Bye!"
Barely hearing Dad and Riley shout goodbye to me, I almost freaked out at how fast my wings lifted me up. What took a bunch of magic or flapping, now only took one little flick of my wings to launch me.
In no time I moved into wing-second position at Cloud Seeder's side and slowed just enough to continue the lazy turn with her. "Hey! So, uh, if you don't mind me asking, how old are you?"
Her laugh surprised me. "Fifty seven, Saf. Aren't you a bit young to looking at mares yet?"
And once again I can be thankful to pony fur and chill air at high altitude that hides blushes so well. "Just curious. Besides, maybe I am old enough to start looking, but I've already looked enough, sorry." It startled me to say. Had I really said that? Turned down a mare just because I had a thing with Sudden? I guess I did.
"Huh. Not the answer I was expecting, but good for you. I'm not really in the market, anyway, not with wanting to put my all into being a Wonderbolt."
It was odd that I felt like I had time to be in the market, even if I wasn't in the market. But then, being with Sudden was a constant learning experience. She was a Wonderbolt already, so when we talked half the time it was Wonderbolts stuff and flying. "I can do two things at once."
She turned her head to look at me a bit funny, but then burst into laughter. "Saf, you're a pretty clever kid. Maybe I should try doing two things at once."
Stormrider and Skyclipper flew up, the former taking Cloud's other wingtip and the latter coming in on mine.
"So," I asked, "what are we doing?"
"Flying!" Cloud Seeder tipped her right wing, which made me tip as well and Sky follow my lead. On her other side, Storm arced higher and then came down with her wing into the banked dive.
Our formation wasn't perfect, but we held together well enough that we could just enjoy ourselves and put on a bit of a show. I could see ponies below, when our angle was just right, staring up at us and waving, but I guess that was all part of doing two things at once--my main attention was on Cloud and how she was flying.
We kept at it until the sun had moved a noticeable amount across the sky. It had gone from afternoon to late afternoon, and even with Riley's last boost I felt beat. When Cloud banked and brought us down to the clouds, I let out a happy sigh.
"Okay, you just proved why you all got your awards. Meet back here tomorrow at midday, so we can talk about what we're gonna do for our stunts next week." Cloud Seeder saluted us and shot back into the sky.
"That was a lot of fun to just fly. You're pretty amazing, Saf." Skyclipper beamed at me. "I didn't have to watch Cloud at all--you were on her wing like glue."
"Ugh!" Throwing her wings up, Stormrider shook her head. "I kept falling out. I just can't keep up like that without using magic. You all have flying cutie marks, and here I am--"
"Hey"--I tossed a wing over her back--"I didn't even have mine at the start of the day. You'll get yours soon, and with how well you fly--you bet it'll have something to do with flying."
She looked up at me with a wide grin, spread her wings, and zoomed off.
"Wow, Saf, that was pretty amazing." Skyclipper used her wing to ruffle my mane. "I'll catch you around tomorrow, 'kay?" Before I could respond, she spread her wings and zoomed off too.
Alone now, I tried to think of everything that had happened. I couldn't help but turn my head and look back at my cutie mark. "This is the best day ever."
We'd spent every day planning and testing out stunts. The effort of flying fast and hard didn't bother me in the slightest, though. It was like my wings were always charged with limitless amounts of magic--even when they weren't.
It was the night before presentation, and I was buzzing like crazy as I read through the flight-training book we'd put together. Each stunt of the routine was in the book, and I was not going to be the pony who screwed up.
"I don't think I've ever seen you studying a book so much." I had no idea when Sudden Turn arrived, but she walked over and jumped up onto the couch beside me. "What is it?"
Slipping a bookmark I'd made from one of my own feathers in to save my spot, I turned the book over so she could see the cover.
"'Best Young Fliers Flight Manual'?"
"Yeah. Cloud Seeder, Skyclipper, Stormrider, and me made a kinda club. Our first mission is to put on a cool show for everyone tomorrow." Leaning back on the couch, I flipped the book open again with my left wing while I stretched the right one out and around Sudden's shoulders.
"Hey, uh, Saf?" Sudden's voice sounded more serious than amused at our little group or curious about what we were doing.
"Yeah?" When I turned my head back to the book, I felt her lips press to my cheek. My left wing twitched and I dropped the book. My right wing, though, was still around Sudden's shoulders.
"Forgetting the thing tomorrow, how are you feeling?"
"Weird. Like, I noticed Cloud the other day. She brushed off my comment about asking how old she was as if she didn't have the time to date--and implying I was too young. Thing is, I think it might have started." I looked to my right, but not at Sudden. My wing seemed to have a mind of its own and, right now, that mind was set on Sudden.
That's when it hit me. "Puberty."
"Bingo. Welcome to not understanding what's happening for the next ten years or so. Although, you kinda do." She sounded too cheerful--way too bucking cheerful. "And you have a partner in crime."
With my book lost and a mare talking craziness at my side, I only had one option. I slumped against her and let out the longest groan ever. It was perfect, even somewhat musical in the middle. "This sucks."
She moved, unfolded her own wing, and wrapped it around me to hold me there. "Saf, it may seem unbearable, but I'm told that hugs help."
Sudden had a point. Cuddled against her, even if I couldn't stop thinking of wanting to do more than just hug, helped. "Alright, but is this really going to last for ten years?"
"Well, what was it like for you? How long did it last? Did it change as you went?"
I groaned, my mind wandering back. "Yeah, it did change. Lasted from about when I was thirteen to about seventeen. Some weeks it was unbearable not having someone to--"
"Fuck?"
Narrowing my eyes, I nodded. "But it's not that bad. I just--I really want to hug."
"And what are we doing now?"
"Hugging, and it's great, but--" I was about to go on when she turned chest-forward to me and her other wing latched around my back. Then her forelegs closed around my neck and pulled me against her. My heart raced and my brain just completely shut down.
"How's this?"
"This is something I'll be dreaming about tonight, I just know it." Despite how cynical I forced myself to sound, I found my traitorous wings closing around her back and one foreleg slipping free of her wing to hold her too. Holding her helped me even more--probably damned me just as much. "Thanks, Sudden."
"Saf! Goldie needs her diaper changed!" Riley's shrill shout got closer and louder.
I jerked back from Sudden and tried to ignore her giggles. Picking up my book, I noticed Riley come in from the kitchen--probably from the back yard--with Goldie on her back. "She stinks."
"Well, yeah. But to her, you stink." I put the book back down and picked up Goldie instead. Riley was 200% right.
Riley groaned in a way that satisfied me that my joke had gotten through to her. "Ugh. Saf, you're worse than Dad sometimes."
I walked to the changing room and set Goldie on the table. "Hold your noses, because someone's dropped a bomb." Booping Goldie on the nose got a wave of giggles--and then I opened the diaper.
"Sweet Celestia, Saf, is that normal?!" Sudden's shout made me roll my eyes.
It wasn't exactly hard, but keeping my feathers clean made changing her a bit harder than it would have been as a human, but I'd gotten enough practice at it. It could have been worse--Mom could have been stuck with the job.
Cleaning Goldie wasn't too much work, not with the magic cleaner Dad had gotten. In all, I had her wrapped up in a clean diaper and the stinky one in the bin in no time. "There you go, Goldie. How's that?" I tickled her chin until she giggled, then lifted her onto my back.
Turning, I saw Sudden with a horrified look on her face, covering her snout with one wing and Riley's with the other. "Give her a break, she can't help it."
"That doesn't change the fact, Saf, that your little sister is the stinkiest stink bomb in Equestria," Sudden said.
"I wouldn't say she's that bad. I mean, Riley might be a bit pungent at times, but--" I had to duck a cushion Riley threw my way. I needn't have bothered. A brilliant gold aura of magic caught the cushion mid-air.
Turning my head, I reached a wing up to boop Goldie and distract her from her magic. "Got your mojo going, have you?"
One of my loose feathers floated around Goldie's snout. When it touched her nose, her eyes widened and she sneezed. The pillow fell out of her now non-existent magic grip and Goldie started to cry.
Sudden and Riley both seemed shocked at the turn of events. Climbing up onto the couch, I hooked Goldie into the curve of my wing and sat down with her cradled against me. "You don't need to cry, Goldie, it's alright."
"Buh?" Her huge eyes looked up at me with surprise, and then she broke into the biggest grin I've ever seen.
She was so adorable I had to tickle her tummy with my free wing, which made her giggle a bunch.
What surprised me was when Sudden put her wing around my shoulders. She was bigger than me, and had a greater wingspan, which is why it was probably a lot more comfortable than when I'd done the same earlier. "So, what's up with this club, Saf?" She passed me the book with her free wing.
"We're just trying to help each other get better at flying, though we also want to help others get better too. We all want to be Wonderbolts, and that means working together." In my wing, Goldie closed her eyes and curled a little tighter against me.
"Dammit, Saf, you're going to be an amazing Wonderbolt."
"Ugh. You two are getting way too sappy. C'mon, Goldie, you need to sleep and I need to go throw up," Riley said, walking over and shimmying beside me.
I put Goldie on her sister's back. "Thanks, Riley."
"Just don't make me regret it." Walking slowly, Riley made her way to the stairs and then started heading up.
"Watching the two of you together never gets old." Sudden reached out to the book I'd been reading and pulled it over before us. "Until I became a Cutie Mark Crusader, I didn't really get what siblings were. Then, when I joined the Wonderbolts, it was like I had dozens of brothers and sisters."
My brain was filling with questions, but when I opened my mouth only one fell out. "I'm not, uh, a brother?"
The whole world stopped as Sudden turned and looked at me. "Saf, you know the answer to that, but--I've found guys tend to need a bit of a push to actually tell themselves what they already know." I couldn't move, I couldn't think, all I could do was watch as her face came closer and then her lips touched mine. It was soft, brief, and the most affirming thing in my life to date. "Does that help?"
I leaned against her side and stretched my own wing around her back--just under hers. "Yeah. Now, I need to study a bit more to get these stunts just right for tomorrow."
"Okay, let's see what you're doing." Opening the book, Sudden started going through the routine.
The Wonderbolts were putting on their show. There was smoke clouds and thunderous shock waves caused by their stunts, and I almost managed to forget absolutely everything about our own act as I watched them. Gold, rainbow, another gold, two-tone blue, and purple--the mane/tail colors of the pegasi performing the end stunt as they soared down toward us and then arced up. Only, of the five, Rainbow Dash seemed to gain even more speed from the stunt, and then she skipped like a stone.
A huge shock wave of rainbow light spread out from her skip--a sonic rainboom.
Seeing the effect up close, my own imitation of it hadn't been anywhere near as impressive. I started trying to work out how best to tighten up my stunt to better show off my lightning handling, when Cloud Seeder buffeted me with her wing.
I looked up at her. "Huh?"
"You ready?" Cloud asked.
Right. I needed to make the wind we were going to use. It would need to be careful--we didn't want everypony to know our tricks. Sudden had taught me this one last night, so I hoped it would work. With my wings still folded at my side, I called the breeze down on us from above and directed it up again at a forty-five degree angle.
The moment the air touched us, all four of us spread our wings and shot into the sky as a tight V formation. Cloud was dragging all three of us along with her extra wingpower. We took sharp banks left, right, then in a huge loop. It was easy to keep part of myself focused on her while I prepared our next bit of magic.
A halo of sparks started dancing through my feathers as I dried the air out and forced the charge to build. When I had a good amount, I sent an arc of electricity over to Cloud, then from Cloud to Skyclipper, and then I pulled it from my other wing to Stormrider.
With the hum in my ears growing more and more intense, I focused on a point ahead and on the ground. There was nopony within a safe circle around it thanks to a few Wonderbolts who were standing casually nearby.
Stormrider's own charge started to flow over to me, merging with mine and spreading out over our group. We had coronal discharge trailing over our feathers and tails now in a huge purple arc behind us. Fresh ozone poured from our wings until we were directly over the huge grounding pole. We dumped speed into altitude, arcing up into a stall before tipping down as a group.
We didn't need to pump our wings. We were like four stooped falcons with our wings barely out. As we got closer to the ground--each of us adjusting our rate of descent with just the tips of our wings--I could hear the humming growing louder and louder.
The moment I felt a streamer start to stretch out from me toward the ground, I had to push my will through it. Cursive writing was never my strongest method of writing (I preferred texting when I still had thumbs), but this pattern was an important one. Directing the streamer around in twists and turns took almost a hundredth of a second.
Then I pushed the streamer down to earth.
The crack of lightning echoed across Canterlot and shook the ground itself. We hovered there, above the crackling remains of the word Wonderbolts, with our wings spread and burning still more magic to just hover.
I hadn't noticed, but the five Wonderbolts from earlier circled around and flew just under us with their smoke generators running.
Cloud nodded and pointed a hoof toward where the Wonderbolts had landed. "Okay, let's glide down through their wake. You can see the smoke is calm, so it should be safe."
We did, still keeping close in on Cloud's wings. Our glide brought us to the ground slowly, but we still beat the Wonderbolt squad--or maybe they just timed things just right. As soon as we touched down, they swooped in to land behind us.
The crowd of ponies here for the event went wild and cheered. It felt so good to be part of this that I almost fell over when I tried to walk. "Wow!"
"You can say that again! I've never built up that much charge before." Stormrider pranced along at my side. "How'd you get so much buildup?"
"Dry air," I said. "The drier the better. We were literally ionizing the air itself to gain charge. I've been studying some physics stuff from Earth, and it seems to work well enough here."
Cloud nodded from my side. "You said you could build up a lightning bolt without a cloud, so I figured you could. I still want to know how you drew a sign in the sky with lightning. I bet Commander Spitfire will want to know that one, too."
"Yeah, Commander Spitfire does want to know that one." Walking over to us, Spitfire pulled back her hood to reveal her face. "Great show."
Getting praise from Spitfire was something to be really proud of. I'd heard stories from Sudden about how dedicated the Wonderbolts' commander was to perfection in her command. That made me realize that it was Cloud Seeder that was the real target of it. "Thanks," I said, "maybe I could show you how I did it while we chat about my pre-acceptance to the Wonderbolts?"
Spitfire barked a laugh and shook her head. "We'll see, Saf. For now, relax and let's mingle a little. I want to show off the best young fliers in Equestria."
"I didn't think you'd be able to do that writing." Sudden Turn practically thudded against me. "And I think I annoyed the commander by not telling her what you guys were planning."
Cloud stopped on my other side and looked between us. "You know Sudden Turn? Wait, is she who was helping you tighten up your bit?"
One day I would be tall enough to stretch a wing up and over Sudden's back while we were both standing--and make it look casual. Today wasn't that day. "Yeah. I figured if I was going to get a little help with things, why not get it from the best?"
"Just how many Wonderbolts do you know, Saf?" Cloud asked.
"After today, he'll know one more." Sudden looked at Cloud with a smirk.
The way Cloud beamed in happiness was damn near the cutest thing I'd seen all day. She looked ready to prance, but then looked back. "Hey, Storm, Sky, you two coming with us?"
"I think I might go make sure my parents aren't making a scene," Stormrider said.
"Yeah, I might go find my parents too." Skyclipper looked around a bit before waving to us with a wing. She managed to slip into the crowd of ponies gathering to talk to the Wonderbolts. There was another kind of pony here, though. They were kinda standoffish compared to everypony else.
What I completely missed was a princess blindsiding us--mostly because she slipped up beside Sudden. "Ugh, I hate that all these nobles are here," Flurry said.
"Flurry, you are a noble," Sudden said.
"Well, kinda, but not like them." Though she didn't point with her wing and didn't nod toward them, I knew exactly who she was talking about.
There was about a dozen ponies that all wore suit jackets, had ties, or (for the mares) dresses that even I could tell were out of style. "Couldn't you just ignore they're here?"
"See, that would work for you, but Flurry is a princess of eligible age. That means that any stallion who fancies himself a prince would walk over hot coals to get in her favor." As Sudden spoke, Flurry looked more and more annoyed by the facts being laid out.
"I should just get a fillyfriend and be done with all of them." Flurry turned side-on to the nobles, who were now looking our way. "You think that would work?"
"Uh, wouldn't that just mean it would be the mares chasing your tail?" I asked.
"Yup," Sudden said, "and there's more of them. They're also a little more persistent than the stallions."
The way she said it tipped me off to something that I couldn't help but poke at. "Wait, you deal with this too? But you're not a princess."
"Saf, Sudden is one of the best up-and-comers in the Wonderbolts. She's old enough that a noble trying to pick her up isn't seen as cradle robbing, so young and old, she has eyes on her." Flurry spread a wing over Sudden's back. "Though, Mom said there is somepony who a certain pegasus has a thing for."
When her head turned to me, I knew that gig was well and truly up. I opened my mouth to reply, but Sudden beat me to it.
"Can you blame me? You saw the magic he was doing. He's not just smart and a good flier, he has talent too." Spreading her wing over my back, I felt Sudden's feathers grip me and pull me against her side.
"Yeah, I know, but what I'm trying to get across is that people outside of your family and friends are starting to notice that and those people are backing off from you." Sounding a little annoyed, Flurry let out an expansive sigh. "I need to find a stallion."
"Have you looked at some of the studs that have come from Earth?" Sudden asked.
It was hard not to preen myself at hearing that, if not because Sudden was hugging me in public. Was having actual romantic feelings now such a big thing? Well, okay, it probably was. I'd gotten a bit distracted with my thoughts because I realized that both Flurry and Sudden were looking at me like a teacher who'd spotted a sleeping student. "Uh, sorry. I get a little distracted when my fillyfriend hugs me."
Flurry snorted and shook her head. "You'd make my uncle Thorax drunk with that kind of talk, though it is pretty cute."
"Oh, I haven't seen him since I joined the Wonderbolts. How is he?"
"Trying to run a nation on Equestria's border, make friends with everycreature, and survive his own instincts. The usual." Flurry looked a little lost in thought for a moment. "Wait, I don't even know if he's come to Canterlot in the last few years. He should really be introduced to Clair."
"Work stuff, right?" I asked.
"Yeah. Can't help it, brain always focused on this now. Don't you know, I'm probably, maybe, possibly going to wind up ruling something in a few thousand years if Mom gets bored."
Yeah. That's one way to put the world in perspective. I was annoyed because I was a too young to be considered a full adult by anyone in this world (except Sudden), and here was Flurry who was going to have all these great negotiating and politics skills that she can't use for longer than humanity has had its current civilization.
Hell, I might live longer than the USA has even been around. Life was complicated.
Ruffling my wings, I looked around for the food table and spotted one that was covered in seafood. "I might go grab something to eat, all that magic use takes its toll." |
The Embassy | Chapter 32 | Clair Ree
It was the last engagement before we were due to head back to Earth. With Jeff 's second term almost at an end, big political rumblings were happening. But, before I could spare thoughts for that, I had to deal with royalty first.
The meeting had been a surprise, but it was one Flurry had arranged for me, so I wasn't going to turn it down. I wondered how it would go if she became my opposite number on Earth. Would I come back to find all of the US wearing clip-on pony ears?
"Clair, King Thorax is here to see you." Helen's voice was firm but respectful. This was a king we were dealing with, after all.
A king. We had a few self-styled kings back on Earth, and even a few that actually had history backing up their claim, but this was probably the only king I'd ever meet that--if everything Flurry said was true--had taken his crown by conquest and consensus.
I stood as he walked in, inclining my head a little to show respect, only to have a hoof shoved out to me. I stared a moment before I took his hoof and shook it. "Your Maje--"
"Please, just call me Thorax. Even after all these years I can't get used to all the rigmarole." Thorax's voice was deep, but now I looked at him I could see how different he was from a pony. Somehow, a changeling was even more colorful than any pony I'd met and at the same time was more insectile. His wings looked like those of a dragonfly and he had the horns of a stag beetle.
One thing I'd learned after dealing with a lot of people with a higher station than my own, was that if they asked to be called something familiar, you do it. You also offer them your own name in at least an equal show of humility. "Thank you, Thorax, and please just call me Clair."
His smile at hearing me follow his lead with names was something to behold. Some might consider it weird, but I could tell he was very happy about something. "My niece invited me to visit, then said I had to meet you. She said a lot of good things about your country."
Whereas I knew next to nothing about his. "I wish I could say the same. Not that I'm not grateful for the chance to greet another head of state and broaden our diplomatic ties." He looked to relax. Was he worried I'd make demands?
"That's"--he seemed a little nervous about telling me something, and looked to the side--"one thing I wanted to talk about. I spoke to Princess Celestia earlier, and she said I could extend our services to America.
"There're two abilities changelings possess that are very useful, diplomatically. Curiosity, wariness, love for your family, confusion, lots more confusion, astonishment, and I think you have figured it out."
I stared at him, my mind racing. It was my emotions he'd been reading, and he could pick up on the changes as quickly as they happened. I definitely hadn't felt anything. "You read emotions." He nodded to me. "Okay, that is useful. Very useful, actually. What's the other ability?"
A flash of green fire startled me. Jumping to my hooves, I was reaching to the intercom when the fire stopped and left Princess Flurry Heart, complete in her armor, sitting across from me.
"That's our other ability." He even sounded like Flurry. Every detail was perfect to the point that I was stunned by his use of magic.
"What--How does that work?" I asked.
Another rush of green fire and he was back to his normal self. "We only need to study something for a short while, but it can be literally anything. Non-living shapes take more love to maintain, though." He looked a little embarrassed about something.
"'Love'?"
"Changelings used to be different. We had to feed off love to live, and drinking it from ponies deprived them of it. Now we can--The best term for it is ambient feeding, and we can feed off each other. But, the best thing is that it doesn't drain the love out of somepony." He looked really embarrassed, and I was sure this was the crux of the issue.
"Okay, so you feed on love, and you need it to be able to do your magic?" I asked, and got a nod from him. "From your asking Princess Celestia first, I can only assume that you already offer this reading service to her--no, I don't need you to tell me. Do you have someone in mind to work for us, and do you have any idea what you'd like in return?"
He looked like he was about to ask for something I wouldn't agree to. The funny thing was I wasn't adept at reading his face, but all his emotions were plane to see. That thought carried me to a new one--he could read all my emotions no matter how good I am at hiding them. Was he telegraphing his emotions to help make this an even negotiation?
"Weapons. From what Flurry told me, and what I've seen here, you have compact weapons that don't require any form of energy to use. We're on the edge of Equestria, which means that we guard their border for them." He looked at me with a firm expression that gave me no doubts that he'd seen fighting.
"Normally, and with even Equestria, weapons are not on the table. Our relationship, however, would be different. We'd both be providing security for each other. I'll be seeing Jeff tomorrow and can put this to him." It was the best I could offer him. A security agreement was mutually strengthening. "Do you have someone who could accompany us?"
He now looked a little panicked. "My brother is in Canterlot with me. He is--He is not who would be my first choice as a diplomat." That's when he brightened. "Oh! I know the best way to do this. I will accompany you, assuming I have your word I will be safe?"
Everything just became infinitely more complicated. I tried to think if this could get any worse but, short of him being hostile, things were about already as confusing as I could imagine. "You have my word you will be safe. I will have to contact my people and have extra arrangements made, but I believe we can manage a short-notice state visit."
"Perfect! I'll let Pharynx know. When do you need us here?" His worry had seemed to evaporate and now he wore a big smile. Just how open and free was he with his emotions? Also, what kind of political cesspit was I going to take him to?
"Tomorrow morning we will be doing final preparations. I will contact Princess Twilight Sparkle to ensure that this won't harm you. You'll excuse me, Thorax, but you've given me a lot more work to take care of."
He actually looked apologetic. "If it's a problem I could--?" Was he really this bereft of guile?
"No, sorry. While this is more work, it is work I am trained at. Taking care of these things is my job." It surely had to be bad I wanted to give him a hug and tell him it was all okay. Now that I realized he wasn't bargaining for nuclear secrets or plotting assassination, he really seemed like the nicest bug-pony changeling. "Please, leave everything up to me."
There was something about seeing Thorax smile and prance out of the room that warmed me to my core. He was, apparently, a very nice and open ruler, but also one in a hard situation. I wanted to hug him and growl at anything that might threaten to remove that carefree smile.
The only thing that really worried me was that it might be my own actions that made him frown again.
It had been a rushed communique to let Jeff know what was coming. All I'd sent him was that I had a ruler who wanted to visit to discuss potential military and espionage alliances. I didn't expect and nor did I get a reply. Replies from Earth cost a significant amount of energy.
"You didn't have to come," I said.
"I have two reasons to go back." Saffron stood beside me at the platform and watched as Moon Dancer fiddled with the settings on the control panel. "There's someone on Earth I have to tell, reluctantly, that I can't be her longest-distance-relationship-ever. Dr. Peters' stuff is relevant too."
"So for all you've gone a hundred percent native, you still have a bit of duty to the ol' red, white, and blue?"
We were just waiting for our guests to arrive and then we had already gained clearance to teleport.
"Hey, it's only when they start demanding things that it annoys me. Freedom and all that. In Equestria, I get asked if I want to do stuff. Wearing your dress again?"
It was a jab back about the gone native comment. Saffron was a smart kid--smart guy--and didn't enjoy even joking put-downs. It was still hard to see him as an adult, but by Celestia's decree he was. "The press would have a field day if they could get a shot of me without one on. You've got your cloak, I see."
"Yeah, but what about your friends? Are you really going to show off two male royalty without any clothes?" I could swear he was grinning based off the sound of his voice, but when I looked Saffron was just looking at the platform.
What he described, of course, was a disaster. How would I tell a king and a prince they had to dress up so that humans wouldn't point and laugh at them?
"Clair! I found them!" Flurry's unmistakable voice, in a shout and from right behind me, almost made me jump. "Uncle Thorax, I told you I'd find her."
Wait. Was there a single pony--or non-pony--on this planet she wasn't tangentially related to?! I turned to see Thorax and another, darker colored changeling walking into the room beside Flurry Heart. The real surprise was seeing both the king and prince wearing cloaks and vests. I looked at Flurry with a raised eyebrow.
"I read your reports, you know." Flurry shot me back the same look, but threw in a wink.
"Flurry explained that your world doesn't handle nudity well. I-I can understand that, and while I thought we could just shapechange those bits away, this is easier and less prone to suddenly showing everything if we get startled." Trotting in place a few times, Thorax actually looked excited to be wearing clothes.
Beside Thorax was the changeling I assumed was his brother. By most Earth rules of etiquette, he'd be a prince. Dipping my head a little, I asked him, "You must be Pharynx, you're traveling too?"
He looked a little surprised to be talked to, though he didn't wear his emotions on his sleeve like Thorax. "I do all I can to keep my little brother from getting into huge messes. Your world, from what I've heard, is a huge mess. There's one thing I've learned to trust, though, when it comes to these matters." He turned and looked at Flurry.
"Aunt Celestia gave me permission." Flurry looked like she'd just organized a major political event in her favor. I guess she had.
I turned toward the platform to see Moon Dancer looking at me with a little confusion. "Moon, looks like we have an extra guest. Now, where's Riley?"
"I'm here, Mom!" Well, with Riley pushing her way through from the doorway, that meant we were all here.
Life, it seemed, continued to get more complicated the longer you lived it. I was fifty-six now, and that was something that I'd been told I would need to deal with for another two-hundred years. "This will be a two part transportation. First myself, Flurry, King Thorax, and Prince Pharynx will travel, then Saffron and Riley will come over using the transmogrification setting."
"Mom, I want to be a pony! I can't help my tree as much if I'm not a pony!" I knew this had been coming. Saffron had warned me it would be coming.
"Alright, Riley, you come with us and leave your brother to be the only one going through transmogrification. Let's find a place on the platform." I tried to lead the way, but Riley and Flurry raced forward and spun around to face me as if they'd both just won a race.
I walked forward and took my place on the platform, while the two changelings moved up last. Nodding to Moon, I looked at Saf. "We'll be off the platform in ten minutes. You can come over then."
"Yeah, yeah. I know the drill. Leaving pegasi to wait should be against the law." Despite his theatrics, Saffron stood to the side without any sign of annoyance.
My focus on my son was interrupted when I was shoved out of one reality and into another. I might not have seen as much travel time as some of the soldiers, but I didn't stumble on the other side--mostly because four legs made it hard to stumble if you just braced them.
Earth always seemed a little duller, even with big lights around the teleportation platform. I took my bearings as quickly as I could and stepped past Flurry and Riley to dismount the pads. One man stepped forward--dressed in a black suit and with an earpiece in one ear. "Agent Lane. We appear to have an extra escort. Our guests are, my daughter, Riley Ree, Lieutenant Flurry Heart of the Equestrian E.U.P. Guard and Princess of the Crystal Empire, His Royal Majesty King Thorax of the Changeling nation, His Royal Highness Prince Pharynx of the Changeling nation."
Riley poked my foreleg with her own and looked up at me. "I'll wait here, Mom. When Saf gets here, he'll feel really drained if he does turn back to human."
"Ambassador, please follow me. The President is waiting, and he told me to tell you he promises you don't need to give a press conference right away." Trevor Lane gestured to the door. The room looked different compared to the last time I was here, and with good reason. A new building had been erected and the border as it were had been moved to that. When Trevor walked over to the door and opened it, it was a garden path he stepped out on.
Following Trevor, I had Flurry right behind me and then the two brothers behind her. As we all got out into the gardens that were immaculately kept (and didn't look like a new building had been dropped in their midst), I heard Thorax exclaim and start talking about flowers.
We approached the door that led into the oval office directly, and I saw Jeff standing beside it. He didn't raise an eyebrow or even make the slightest twitch at the sight of our extra guests. "Welcome to America. You'll forgive my lack on knowing what titles to accord you all," Jeff said. "My own is president, but y'all can call me Jeff."
I stepped aside to allow the big-wigs to talk it out.
"My title is annoyingly long," Flurry said. "It has princess this and lieutenant that. You can call me Flurry, Jeff."
"Hi! I'm Thorax!" Sure enough, Thorax walked forward and raised his right foreleg and held his hoof out to Jeff--who shook it.
Pharynx stepped up beside his brother. "Thorax, you're supposed to tell him you're the king of the changelings." Looking up at Jeff, Pharynx seemed to study him. "I'm Prince Pharynx, but hold off on the prince bit, okay?"
"I think I can manage that, Pharynx. Please, come into my office and get comfortable. Clair, please, won't you join us?" Jeff's question was an order, plain as day. It was too easy to slide back into Earth politics-speak.
Jeff led the way, followed by Flurry, Thorax, Pharynx, and then I took up the rear. Trevor closed the door behind us from the outside and then walked back toward the portal room. I let him go back and deal with the kids while I took my seat on the couch, climbing up to take a seat beside Jeff. "Sorry for the short notice, but I thought this would be a good time to get everyone together without causing a fuss."
"It's not like I had anything else to get caught up in. You know how the election cycle is now, Clair. The party is looking for someone new to put behind the desk over there." Jeff looked cagey. He looked like he was about to say something and I was going to regret it. "Did you try using the transmogrifier?"
"No. I thought it best if I came through with our guests. Besides, I'm more used to being like this now." He looked even worse now. What was he up to?
"Shame. I'd like you to try using it to see if you could come back here for... about eight years?"
My blood turned to ice. "You can't mean what I think you mean."
"What does he mean?" Thorax asked.
Clearing her throat, Flurry gestured to Jeff with a wing. "Human leaders--at least American leaders--are elected every four years, and can rule for no more than eight. What I believe President Jeff Miller is saying is--he thinks Ambassador Ree could stand to be the next president."
"No. He wouldn't do that because I don't have the charisma or the desire to do that. He knows this." I might have been answering Flurry, but I was definitely speaking to Jeff.
"Would that make Clair a princess?" Thorax asked.
"Jeff," I said, turning to fix a good glare on his smiling, likable face, "this is a topic for later, but my decision won't change."
Jeff leaned back in the couch and smiled in that completely genuine way he somehow managed even when he was lying to your face. What annoyed me was he probably wasn't going to lie and hadn't been lying so far. "I talked her into going to another world. Clair would do anything for this country."
"Fun as it is ribbing Clair, we should probably move to our reason for coming here." Flurry's voice had returned to the kind of seriousness she used when discussing potentially dangerous topics. This was a mare in her 50s who knew combat and diplomacy, and she was applying one to the other. "The Changeling Empire is a strong ally of Equestria not just because they hold one of our flanks against monsters and marauders, but also because they aid in--strained diplomatic situations."
I could see the glint in Thorax's eye that said he was about to give a demonstration. "Jeff, call your secret service guys, tell them there's about to be magic and a light show in here."
"Thanks for the warning. Uh, I don't suppose your kids are here as ponies?" Jeff pulled a phone from his pocket (one of the presidential ones that had more security than sense) and started tapping away on it--but his eyes were fixed on the window.
It was impossible to resist. I turned my head to the window and saw Saffron--still as a pegasus--flying through the sky over the rose garden, and of course he had Riley on his back. "We were testing to see if the key to not transmogrifying was cutie marks. Saffron was the only one of us using the transmogrifier setting."
"And it failed, proving that it is cutie marks that cause the pony form to lock in, as it were." Jeff sounded like he had discovered the secret to immortality. "Clair, I can't help but wonder--is there a cutie mark under that dress?"
The complete and utter bastard. He had me over a barrel and I'd lost one possible defense against his plan. "That's personal." When he opened his mouth, his focus still on me, I jumped in. "And it's probably not what our visitors want to hear."
What exactly was up with Jeff confused me. I'd never seen him acting like this. Climbing down from the couch, I tried to give Flurry as focused a look as I could before I said, "You'll excuse me then. I'll be outside trying to rein in my foals."
I walked to the door that led back into the rose garden, opened it, and stepped out into the crisp Washington air.
"Mom! I can fly here just fine!" Saffron whooshed past me wearing a huge grin.
Looking over to Riley, she seemed far more interested in the gardens. "Sweetie, you're leaking magic all over the place." It wasn't exactly hard to see that--the grass was flaring up several inches behind her each time she took a step, and the roses were growing fresh leaves and buds.
"I know, Mom. I'm trying to just get it on the roses, but there's so little magic here that every drop seems to just explode and go everywhere. I don't know how Dad handled it." A few feet along now, the roses behind her were puffing out and into bloom. "And don't worry. I'm giving them enough magic to last them all through winter."
Trevor Lane was standing not far away. He looked pretty happy with himself about something. When I walked over to him, he nodded to me.
"I organized a seamstress for Riley. They'll be waiting at whatever hotel you wish, though you might want to consider The Velvet. All pony visitors tend to stay there since it is owned by a pony." His words reminded me exactly who would be that owner and how big Twilight Velvet was growing here.
"Thank you. You know, I think we might want to organize things over there, but I might wait for Flurry and King Thorax to be done with Jeff." Curiosity got the best of me on one topic, though. "Jeff seems to be--"
"I can't tell you anything about him professionally, but the president's been more than a little odd lately. He's been looking forward to today." Trevor didn't look anywhere but out across the lawn.
"I got that. He kept talking about trying to have me run for the primary. Could I have a meeting with the VP, do you think?" When Trevor nodded his head to the far side of the rose garden, I realized that Vice President Howards was standing there doing his best to not look my way--and failing frequently. "I see."
A short walk across the rose garden--leaving Trevor behind to keep an eye on the kids--and I walked slowly up to Peter Howards. "Peter."
"Jeff's spoken to you?" Peter sounded worried, and I knew full well why.
"What happened to him? I brought him a foreign leader and the next in line to another leader, and he starts ranting about the next election with some idiocy about putting me forward." When I got to the last bit, Peter seemed to relax slightly. "I take it this isn't news to you?"
"He thinks it's some kind of reward or dynasty. I planned to stand for the primary myself, and I was hoping to have Jeff's support." It was fishing on Peter's part. If Jeff pushed, he probably could have gotten me through the primary just on advertising alone, but I wasn't the right person or pony for that.
"You'll have mine. You've announced?" When he shook his head, I asked, "But you planned to soon?"
"I'd hoped you could talk some sense into Jeff before I did. Making the announcement would be best with his backing right there and then."
It might be a political play on Peter's behalf, but it was a sound one. We had a history of pushing good VPs into the top job in our party. "I'll speak to him tonight. Keep yourself free so I can pull you in at the right time."
Peter, in that moment, looked ten years younger. "It can be hard to accept--sometimes--that you're the amazing woman who pushed the both of us over the line, but when you talk like that, Clair, it's obvious you're every bit as sharp as you were. Loyal to a fault, too."
I couldn't help but laugh at that. "Don't be too quick with that last bit. I have my retirement planned out when my duty is done."
"Won't stop me from sending you Christmas cards."
"What do you think your chances are, Peter?"
"If I get the endorsements from Jeff and yourself? I like to think I have a good chance. Your kids seem to be enjoying the pony life. Never thought I'd see the likes of this, but a sharp mind moves with the changes." Turning, Peter started to walk away--heading back toward the white house.
What kind of mess had this place become, and all because Jeff has... what? Is he narcissistic? Megalomania? Ego-inflated?
I would need to handle this carefully.
Flurry led the way out of the oval office. She looked bored out of her brain, which meant she'd finally fully grasped the way Earth politics work. Behind her came a happy-looking Thorax and an even happier Pharynx.
"I hope you got more sense out of Jeff than I did," I said.
"It went pretty good. He was quick to realize that sensing the emotions of those around him could enhance the security of any detail. Uncle Pharynx was--and still is--smiling." Flurry turned her head back to look at him and stuck her tongue out.
"It's good to see a leader who immediately sees the potential of changelings. We are strong allies, and are useful in many ways, but we need weapons of our own." Pharynx spoke with the conviction and pride of any patriot. I had to remind myself it wasn't my country he was patriotic about. "Your president acknowledged this and will provide weapons and training in how to use them."
It didn't really surprise me that he would. The US had done more for less return in the past for allies. "I had Trevor call and book us suites at a nearby hotel. Would you like to go there with me now?"
Thorax, with a big smile that seemed genuine, looked around. "Could we maybe go on a tour? I'd like to see how human hives are built." If his excitement was planned to make me feel happier, well, he was good at planning. It was a little odd to accept that aliens might just want to see how our society worked, but it was also a little flattering.
"I'm sure the hotel gets that a lot. We should ask them about how to organize a tour." I turned my attention to Saffron (still flying around) and raised my voice. "Saffron! We're going to the hotel!"
In practically a second he was right beside us--Riley too--and the pair looked as happy as Thorax. "What's up, Mom?" Saffron asked.
"We're going to visit the hotel and then go on a tour of DC. Did you and Riley want to come too?" I asked them.
Saffron looked toward Riley and shook his head. "We kinda need to do some shopping, you know? That and I need to call someone." He finally surrendered to gravity and touched down on the ground. It's strange how seeing him walking always reminds me he's a foal, but when he flies, Saffron seemed much more adult somehow.
"Oh!" Riley bounced along beside Saffron as we all followed Trevor. "Is that Kaylee? What's she doing now?"
"I don't know yet. That's why I want to call her. It's been a while..."
"Oh, right. We should invite her over to watch movies!"
I dragged my attention away from Riley and Saffron to the adults present. Flurry was looking around curiously, but it was Thorax and his head snapping around to look at buildings and gardens and people. It was a shock to see him so thoroughly invested in exploring our culture.
Saffron Ree
Mom seemed upset over something, but I kinda figured she would be with an election coming up. I could still remember the last one she'd been here for--we'd barely seen her for months. "Hey, Riley, do you think Mom will be staying here to help with the election?"
"Nah. She'll make a few appearances on TV in support of whoever uncle Jeff thinks is good, but she won't stay here for months." What she said reminded me of the whole eight years thing. Damn she was smart.
"You didn't see it, but Mom was pretty angry earlier--when she left the oval office. She is getting better at dealing with that kinda anger, but I'm pretty sure months here helping someone campaign would make her way less pony." I looked over at Mom, but she was busy chatting with Thorax and Pharynx. "Hey, Flurry?"
Flurry stepped closer to us. She was taller than I was, but I was kinda used to that. What I couldn't get used to was her wings. I swear, if I wasn't spoken for, her wings would have me chasing her like a lost puppy. "What's up, Saf?" Also, her using my shortened name made me smile.
"You think Mom is going to get stuck here with all this election stuff coming up?" I asked.
"I hope not. At least, I don't plan to stay--and it would get boring back in Equestria without her shaking up the political landscape. You could come back with me if you want?" There was something just awe-inspiring about the way she was always thinking of others.
Riley seemed distracted by the plants we were walking past, so I managed to ask, "Well, I think we'll worry about that when we get there. Hey, do you want to meet this nice human I found last time I was here?"
Mike was ahead of us with a big, black van. It was almost hard to recognize him because he had small gray flecks in his hair. "Hey, that must be our ride. I guess they are used to having ponies need transportation."
"Saf should have to fly!" Riley trotted up to Mike. "Make Saf fly so we have more space!"
"Saf? Riley? Holy sh--ivers. You're ponies now!" He crouched down, but was unable to get low enough to be on the same height as us. "Damn, and you're adorable. Is this your pony girlfriend, Saf?"
I turned to look at Flurry, and she did the same back to me. Did I dare do it just to play a gag on Mike? That was never in doubt. I winked at Flurry and her smile widened a little.
"They're--" Riley began, but I had to get in before she gave the game away.
"Yeah! You got me. But hey, a guy's gotta just stick to his guns and chase the dream--and there's no greater dream than Flurry. She's just so amazing." I sidled across a little so I was pressed against her side. "And her wings..." That bit didn't even need acting.
"Wha--" Riley stared at us.
"And who could resist the best flier in all Equestria here. You should have seen him. He broke every academy record. The Wonderbolts literally couldn't help but invite him to join!" Flurry tilted her head sideways and pressed her cheek to mine.
Mike looked like he'd fallen for it completely. He backed up to the van and opened the side door for us.
"Of course," Flurry said, "that'd be how it was if we weren't both full of horse apples. Saf has a mare back home, but she's not a princess." And, with that, she climbed into the van.
The look on Mike's face, mostly shock, had me giggling. "Besides," I said, "she's way out of my league. She's a princess, heir to the Crystal Empire."
Riley jumped in behind Flurry. "You shouldn't pick on Mike like that."
"He asked for it." I climbed into the van and made room for Mom. It got pretty cozy with Mom, Thorax, and Pharynx in the back of the van. The ride was cramped, but complaining wouldn't help. Besides, I just stood near Riley and Flurry stood near both of us to keep from getting too squashed.
Arriving at the building, at least I hoped it was the right one since I couldn't actually see out of the back of the van, we repeated the process of packing the can with sardines only in reverse. That's when I saw a pony standing at the front door of the hotel with a big smile on her face.
"Twilight Velvet. Why doesn't it surprise me to find you here--at your own hotel?" Mom started walking toward the mare, but Flurry moved way faster.
Rushing up, Flurry tackle-hugged Twilight Velvet. "Gran! What are you doing here?"
"Gran?" I looked at Riley, but it was Mom who turned toward me.
"Twilight Velvet is Shining Armor and Twilight Sparkle's mother. She owns a lot of businesses in Canterlot, and it seems she is branching out." Mom gestured to the doors. "You kids head inside, I guess I will be having a talk with our host."
Shrugging, I trotted past everyone talking and opened the door for Riley. Mike followed me in too, and then came Thorax and Pharynx. Inside, the place was like the other big hotel except there were a few little differences--a pony and a human standing behind the front desk, lots more plants around, and there was a general sense of more magic in the air. Literally in the air. "You feel that?"
"Yeah," Riley said, tapping her hooves a few times as she walked. "It's like there's just magic here. Like, Equestria magic."
Testing it a little, I held out one wing and built potential between two feathers until they let out a little snap as energy flashed between them. "Plenty of magic. This is pretty cool. Oh!" I looked around and spotted Mike. "Hey, Mike! Can you call this number?"
"Saf, this better not be a booty call. Wait a sec, how young are you like this? You look tiny compared to the other two, and even the--the princess is bigger than you." Mike reached down and took the note with Kaylee's number on it.
"Yeah, still 20, but in ponies 20s like early teens. Most ponies won't even think of me as adult until I'm in my 50s." I took the phone from him when he passed it down. It was ringing, and when I heard a female voice on the other end asking who this was, I replied, "It's me, Saf. Uh, the pony guy."
"Saf?! You're back? Uh, hold on, where are you?" Her voice sounded incredulous.
"Uh, I'm in the... Ah hell, it's probably just called the pony hotel or something. The one near the white house." Phones were annoying to hold and use as a pony, I realized. There was just so much to them and my feathers had trouble holding on.
She laughed. Literally laughed. "Hold on, Saf, I'll be right down." And with that, she hung up.
I passed the phone back to Mike. "She said she'll be down... Does that mean she's staying here?"
Slipping his phone back into his jacket pocket, Mike shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe, though she didn't seem like the type to have the money to stay in one of these places. Maybe she--"
The lift nearest us dinged and its doors opened slowly. Sure enough, Kaylee stood there wearing the same uniform I'd seen on the guy behind the front desk. "Saf?" She looked around, and when I waved, approached us. "I can totally hang, but I gotta let my boss know first."
She walked over to where Mom was talking to with Flurry's grandmother and waited for Twilight Velvet to notice her. Words were whispered back and forth, and Kaylee walked back over. "Okay, I got the day off. With Mrs. Velvet here in person, it's not like I have that much to do but report to her."
I felt confused as all hell. "Wait, what do you do here?"
"Well, Mrs. Velvet advertised for people with any experience with ponies. When I told her I knew you, and we were kinda friends, she wanted me running this place. It's not--I mean I didn't just start there, you know, she had Mr. Hot come over and train me in management, but it wasn't like I didn't know how hotels ran. Anyway, look at you! Sticking the pony life thing now? Hey, you got a cutie mark!"
There was something I'd learned about ponies: if you asked them about their cutie mark, you got an hour-long conversation. I was no exception. "Oh heck yes. You know I got it while trying out for the Wonderbolts? It was so amazing! I was doing this really fancy flying routine and it involved me using a lot of lightning at the end. Well, it turned out my cutie mark is in flight-magic, which includes lightning, so when I did all that it just told me what I already knew--flying is my thing.
"So anyway, there I was, finishing this whole big routine that I was desperately trying not to electrocute myself in, and I land, and it all worked. That's when Commander Spitfire comes down and is all, 'Hey, nice routine, also, congrats on your cutie mark.'
"I was blown away! It was so amazing I ran in like three circles before I realized what I was doing just to look at it. I'm rambling, aren't I?"
"I mean, I did ask about your cutie mark and all. Come on up, I'll show you to your rooms and we can work out what's up next from there." Kaylee had a big grin on her face. She led the way over to the counter.
"You always go on and on about your cutie mark," Riley said.
"Everypony does. Trust me, when you get yours, you won't be able to shut up about it either." I almost--almost--started to talk about my cutie mark again. If it wasn't for the fact I'd told Riley about it so many times already, I would have.
"Princess Celestia said it would be five years at the earliest before I get mine. You're pretty young to have gotten yours--she said." She did the thing she always did to let me know she was a bit upset--she leaned against me. When an earth pony leans on you, you get leaned-on.
Rather than put up with having a little mountain pushing against me, I grabbed her with my wing and, with a jolt of magic, tossed her up and on my back. "Trust me, it'll be worth the wait. Imagine all the amazing stuff that will lead up to you getting your mark?"
She jumped up onto her hooves, still balanced on my back, and did that cute four-hoof-stomp thing ponies do when really excited. It was like having four little bulldozers bouncing on my spine. "I can't wait, Saf!"
Kaylee got the key-cards and led the way to the lift. "You get one of these each, and your mom will get another." She stared at something behind us as we got into the lift. "Mr. Security guy, they'll be safe with me."
"Yeah, but it's my job. Trev, you got the whole party here? I'm escorting Saf and Riley up to their room." Mike stood in the doorway before nodding to something we couldn't hear. "Thanks. I'll let you know what's going on when we reach there."
We rode the lift up, found our rooms (a whole suite), and piled in and onto the couch. There were big planters by the windows with little tiny apple trees and small shrubs and all kinds of plants. Riley seemed drawn to them.
Kaylee, too, noticed Riley's interest. "Please be careful with those, we have a gardener who is very clever with his magic and keeps them just the right height. Says he persuades them to remain small."
"Oh, well, I guess I'll go and talk to my tree then. I wonder how big he got?"
"The one in the park?" Kaylee asked. "It's huge. They made it a monument."
Riley started bouncing up and down in excitement--thankfully not on my back now. "It is? Can you see it from here?" She somehow teleported to the window again. "Aww, we're facing the wrong way."
"So this is the real you now, Saf?"
Kaylee surprised me, since all my attention had been on Riley. "Huh? Oh, yeah. This kinda cinches things now. Once you get a cutie mark, you're a pony forever."
"Can I just..." She sighed. "All the guests here are off-limits, but I'm not on the clock, technically, so..."
"Kaylee, just ask."
"Can I pick you up and hug you?" Her excitement bubbled up and surprised me. "Just for a moment. I've been working with ponies and we have pony guests moving through often enough, but I can never just..."
"Pick me up if it--" I didn't get any further. She grabbed me, startling me a little so that my wings shot out, but I calmed down and just sat there on her lap. "Satisfied?"
"I'll look for a brush!" Riley said.
"In the bathrooms. It's the third drawer on the right. There's a regular hairbrush and a curry comb." Hugging me to her chest, Kaylee let out an excited giggle. "How are you so soft?"
"You think my coat's soft?" Stretching out a wing, I flopped it onto her hand. "Try that out. I preened all those just before ripping my way through interdimensional space to be here."
Kaylee's fingers worked carefully over my feathers. I heard and felt her breath catch in her throat. "Wow. I mean I've seen a few pegasi coming through, and we have one who works as bellhop, but I'd never ask one of them to let me touch their wings."
"Probably for the best. They're kinda sensitive." At least she didn't have it in her brain to try preening them. Of course, thinking about preening reminded me of Sudden.
"I found the brushes!" Riley ran into the room and jumped up on the couch with both items balanced on her back.
The curry comb on my coat felt nice, but I quickly tucked my wing in in case she thought using it on my feathers would be a good idea. "So, what's your title here? Manager?"
"Executive manager. Mrs. Velvet is paying me stupid amounts of money to basically do what I used to, but with about 10 times the amount of people." As she spoke, she sounded like she was relaxing. "To be completely honest, Saf, you and Riley were the best thing to happen to me. Just knowing you two opened a door to something I didn't even know I would enjoy."
I couldn't help it, I gave a laugh. "Sounds like ponies made both our lives better."
"Mine too!" Riley said.
The only answer I had for my sister was to wrap a wing around her shoulders and give her a hug. "You got that right." When Riley giggled, I couldn't help joining in.
Kaylee might have been relaxing just having ponies around, but I found the brushing calming, and Riley's giggles were infectious enough that soon all three of us were giggling. We all froze, though, when Mom opened the door.
"Twilight is taking our guests on a tour of the city. If you want to go with them, you better do it now, otherwise you can do whatever--but Trevor will be going with you," Mom said.
With the magic in the air in the hotel, I literally jumped up above Kaylee's head and flapped my wings lazily. "I think Riley wants to go see her tree, then we might catch a movie." I looked down to see what the others thought of that. Riley's eyes widened hugely and Kaylee seemed to be doing the same.
"Okay. Do some shopping, too. Trevor has an expense card to get you both phones. Love you two." Mom closed the door before we could even reply.
Clair Ree
That was one thing sorted, now I only have to go save a good friend from his own ego and, in the process, save a political party from shooting itself in the foot, leg, and possibly its head as well.
"Trevor, I'll need an escort back to the white house." I waited for him to repeat the words into the concealed throat-mic he wore before I nodded at the room. "Thanks for looking after them."
"No thanks needed, ma'am." He had a half grin on his face that told me he actually enjoyed his job. We are truly living in strange times.
The ride back to the white house was thankfully short. I made my way through to see Jeff's secretary. "Caroline, right?" I asked.
"Hello? Is someone there?"
"Down here. Further down... There we are." There were downsides to being a pony, with an emphasis on down. "I'd like to book an appointment with Jeff, I want you to tell him it will only be me there, but could you contact Peter's secretary and arrange for him to attend as well?"
The look on Jeff's secretary surprised me. She'd been working for him for over a term now and was no longer the twenty-something who'd been struggling to understand her job. "Clair? Clair Ree? I'll get on it right away. He's been--Jeff's been a little odd this last few months." Her hands started racing on her keyboard.
"I know, and it ends today. All I can say is thank our forebears for the twenty-second." There is a saying that I'd only use on Jeff if he stepped way out of line--I hope he doesn't go that far.
"Two terms is plenty, yeah. Okay, you have an appointment in five, Peter will be here for it too. All Jeff knows is you asked for an emergency meeting, and that's what you're getting." Caroline sounded like relief personified. Okay, if his secretary was this strung-out, he's probably been all over the place on this.
It shouldn't have been a surprise that she knew her constitution off the top of her head. "Thank you, Caroline." I didn't have to wait more than a minute to see Peter approaching from the hall leading to the VP (his) office. "Peter. It's time we took things in hand."
He looked stiff. Okay, so he probably wasn't completely appreciative of having to get someone else to intercede for him, but I hoped my position meant I was--politically at least--outside of the sphere of the current situation. At least, I would be if Jeff wasn't trying to implement a dynasty. "Clair. I agree. This has gone on too long."
"You can go in now," Caroline said.
As we walked into the oval office, Jeff looked up from the resolute desk and raised an eyebrow. "Clair, Peter, what's going on?" He sounded surprised, more surprised than he was letting on with his expression.
Peter closed the door and walked with me to the couch. "Jeff..."
I looked at him, but Peter seemed at a loss. "Jeff, this has to stop. I already have a job, and it has nothing to do with running the country."
Jeff deployed one of his best smiles. I didn't dare look at Peter to see if he could pierce this BS, but I sure as hell could. "But Clair, we could--"
"No, Jeff. You already have a far better candidate than me. He's a public figure already, he has been a big part of two presidential campaigns already, and he's sitting in this room." When I finished, Jeff's head turned to look at Peter. "Yes, Jeff, your VP. Peter's had eight years of preparing for this. He has roots down in the country and he holds to the same policies that got you elected.
"He's also the only candidate I will support." I leaned back on the couch and finally looked up at Peter. He looked surprised at something.
But Jeff still looked determined. "Jeff, if the next thing out of your mouth isn't in support of Peter as the new candidate, I am walking out of here, grabbing my kids, going back, and renouncing my citizenship." I had his attention now. Did it really take a threat like that to convince him? "So help me I will. Just try it."
For a moment--one terrifying moment--I thought he was going to push again. He looked at me, closed his eyes, and let out a sigh. It was, in fact, the only defeated sigh I'd ever heard him utter. Jeff leaned back in his chair and just stared at the desk. None of us spoke a word for nearly ten minutes--I know it was that long because I counted the seconds.
"You're right." The words looked like they cost him an arm and a leg to say. He lifted his eyes and looked at Peter first. "I'll back you all the way."
Standing and walking forward, Peter held out his hand to Jeff. "Jeff, I can't say I understand how it feels to sit in that seat, but with your help I might."
That's when it hit me--the pony-effect. I was contributing to their renewed bond. Okay, so I wasn't going to say anything about it, but it was interesting to see. Jeff, for his part, seemed to have his fire completely re-lit. He stood up and walked around the desk to shake hands with Peter.
"What do they say about power and corrupting?" Jeff asked.
"Nonsense. This wasn't power corrupting, you were just trying to do what you thought was best for America. Let's do that together." Peter's little speech, I was sure, was something I'd be asked to repeat. Being a fly on the wall in the oval office would probably get me in trouble unless I reminded these two guys that there was still work to be done.
"Jeff, sometimes you make it hard to be around. If you're both done, I'm going to go watch my kids do some magic in the park. Organize a press conference and I'll attend." Jumping down from the couch, I headed for the door. "And don't make me have to come back in eight years and kick both your butts."
By the time I got to the door, both of them were laughing. That was probably a good sign. Walking past Caroline's desk, I spotted her lean over to look down to me. "It's under control. All I had to do was get them in the same room and make them talk."
"Ugh. Men," she said.
I couldn't agree more, and nodded.
The Secret Service guard who followed me wasn't at all shocked by the tree, but I was. Riley's Tree had a plaque set on a stone at its base and its trunk was thick enough around that it took five people linking arms to get around it. The plaque read: Growing as Mighty as the Bonds Between Worlds
"Is this how big it was before yesterday, or has she been doing more for it?" I asked my escort.
"This is how it's been for over a year now. When she left last time, it shot up into this. Can't say I've ever believed that much in magic, but this is a pretty solid example and hard to ignore."
I paused, looking up at the guy. "Clair. Clair Ree." I held up a hoof toward him.
He crouched down and shook my hoof. "Agent--Sorry, force of habit. Just Simon Cowl is fine. Simon, I mean."
"Stick to Clair, Simon, and we can get along fine. Do you see my children?" There was a crowd around the tree, apparently being warned to hold back by Trevor.
"It looks like your daughter is resting her head against the tree and her brother is spreading his wings and--Wow."
I could see why he'd say that. There might be some pegasi wishing to come to Earth to explore, but Saffron didn't just fly to get from A to B--he flew to show off. "I wonder if he'll put on a show?"
"He does--?" A crack of lightning interrupted Simon. Saffron was in fine form with his wings glowing purple with electricity dancing along his feathers. He flew a huge array of complex patterns I recognized from his performance for the Wonderbolts.
The crowd was completely spellbound by his flying and use of magic, and I almost felt like crying for joy at seeing him doing what he loved. For a moment I wondered where he got enough magic to put on this kind of show, but then I remembered he'd been with Riley.
"Just wait for the ending. He's doing a routine that attempts to mimic the signature moves of the current lineup of Wonderbolts. He can get most of them perfect, but there's always one he can't do--so he goes one better and does it his way." Proud parent--of course I was. How could I not be proud seeing Saffron find that one thing he's not just good at, but amazing at.
Then came his big finale. The blast of lightning on an otherwise clear day was astounding. Everyone stared for a moment, wondering if he was okay probably, before they exploded into cheers. He cut a quick loop before he whooshed over and landed on his hooves in front of me. "Were you watching?"
"Of course I was. You looked to be having fun." I reached out to put a foreleg around his shoulders and hug him, and got a mild jolt for my trouble. "You're still a bit zappy. Might want to avoid touching a human for a little while."
"How'd things go with uncle Jeff?" Saffron asked.
"Better. I think the pony effect helped calm things down. I'm sure there'll be some big news soon." Letting him shrug out of the hug, I gestured toward where the tree was. "What's your sister up to?"
"Talking to the trees again. I told her not to give it any more energy, but do you think she'll listen?" Saffron fell in beside Simon and myself.
The crowd parted for us, though I could see some people would have crowded close if it wasn't for some nice strangers who spread their arms and made a path for us. "Thank you," I said.
Just thanking people put big smiles on their faces. The pony effect again, or just nice people? Or both. Walking up to my daughter, I spared a nod for Trevor before reaching out and touching Riley. The moment I did I was dragged into her conversation.
"Mom! Tree, this is my mom. Mom, this is my tree. Say hi!" I knew the world I'd wound up in was going so slowly compared to the normal world, but I couldn't help but find my daughter just as amazing as my son.
"Hello Tree," I said, barely managing to get that out. This wasn't exactly my specialty.
The rush of warmth that wrapped around me like a cozy blanket was astounding. Tree was huge and strong, but gentle. I leaned into the mind-hug and let my magic flow--the trickle that it was.
"Tree really likes magic, but I promised not to give it too much. Too much magic and Tree would start ripping up the subway. Well, that's what Trevor said. I don't think what you gave it will do too much." Riley seemed like a wild spirit in this slow-moving world. "Tree, we have to go now. I'll talk to you again before we leave, okay?"
The tree seemed okay with that, and only when Riley had extracted me from Tree's warmth did she let her magic fall away completely and dump us back out in the real world.
"Wow," I said.
"See? I told you it would just take a bit." Saffron sounded sure of himself. I could appreciate that he knew how Riley's tree magic worked enough to warn people not to try doing anything silly. "Though Mom doesn't usually dive-in like that."
"No," I said. "I don't. Is that what it's like each time?"
My little girl just leaned sideways against me and nodded.
"I think I'm going to have to stay here a little longer." Reaching my leg over Riley's back, I slowly rubbed her shoulder. "You can go back anytime you want."
"Mom, will it help if I hang around? If we hang around?" Saffron asked me.
Given the amount of pony activity from Twilight's hotel, I couldn't see having a few more around as being a significant thing. Ponies are on people's radars already, and thanks to the widespread improvements to medication, everyone looks positively upon them. "Yes and no. It would be nice to see you once in a while, but I don't think you need to spend months here while we reel-in this election."
"So you're the big guns, Mom?" Saffron asked.
I chuckled, pondered denying it, but it had certainly seemed that way. "On the plus side, if we win, it means I get to keep working for America." Another four to eight years of being ambassador? I kicked the idea around in my head and realized I was okay with that. I didn't have any other plans, after all, and what I was doing helped more than just the two nations.
I needed a backup plan, though. What would I do if/when I was no longer ambassador? Spend ten years learning a new trade? Join Equestrian politics? Public service? Celestia offered me citizenship, so there would be nothing blocking me from doing whatever I wanted.
My promise to Philip wouldn't stop me completely, after all. I could spend some time learning a new career while taking care of her, and be ready to face life anew.
"Mom? You look like you're a million miles away," Saffron said.
I looked at him for just long enough to realize I wanted to grab him and rough-up his mane--so did that. "Just thinking of what I want to do with my life."
Not really struggling, Saffron slumped against me much like Riley was. "So not freaking out about elections and marketing?"
"Of course not. I have almost a whole year to freak out about those." |
The Embassy | Chapter 33 | Philip Ree
I could just stare at Saf for a few moments. This wasn't his fault--probably wasn't even Clair's--but it's what was happening. "Did she say anything else?" It was probably too much to ask that she'd be coming back on weekends. Campaigning, I know, was a 24/7 job.
"She's having to delegate her work here to Mrs. Maxwell. She sounded weary, Dad. I don't think she wanted to do this one." He looked and sounded sincere. "I kinda liked visiting, but everything that's important to me is here now. I mean, everything that isn't Mom or Riley."
Before coming to Equestria, he wouldn't have admitted that if I'd paid him. "I'm with you there, Saf. So, what do you think we should do with ourselves? I've been working on learning more magic from Moon, she--" The look he shot me made me think I'd gone too far. "Too far?"
He just laughed and shook his head. "No, Dad. It's just you've always been there, you know? Well, here. Home. If someone had asked me five years ago if my dad would be learning magic, I'd have laughed at them. Ugh, I'm messing up this big motivational speech. Dad, I know you can do anything. You raised me and Riley, and we turned out pretty good."
"Thanks, Saf. You want to know my inspiration for it?"
"This better not be something sap--"
I bopped him in the shoulder with a hoof. "You, Saf. You've changed so much here, grown so much despite people seeing you as being younger, and it makes me proud and inspired. I'm a victim of my own successful parenting."
"Ugh. Dad!" Saf jumped up and walked to the kitchen. "I'm going to get a drink and go for a fly. Earth air is a little harder to fly in, for some reason, and I had to use magic to do some basic stuff."
"So, maybe treat it like high-altitude training? Working harder physically to do the same work as normal means you tend to build up all the right muscles for doing that task." In the back of my mind I weighed and measured everything I could hear him using to make a sandwich. The bread, the spread of mayo on each slice, the cheese, and even the fish he put on it. All perfectly within a young adult's dietary needs, particularly for a pegasus.
It was something I couldn't switch off. Planning meals and helping to maintain their health was literally my special talent.
"I guess so, but I could always just fly to high altitude and get the same effect here. More height is always safer, too."
That was something I still didn't get my head around. I could see why it would be, sure, but watching him fly higher and higher just made me feel more anxious. But, in the end, I had to trust that his instructors knew what they were doing. "That still doesn't feel right, but I trust you to know."
"See? That's what makes you the best dad." Saf walked back into the living room with his sandwich held in the feathers of one wing. "Even the parts of me you don't get, you accept."
I felt blessed that he understood that. All those years working to raise a teenager for the time he would eventually realize that life isn't a game but a struggle, and he had to become younger to figure it out. Or older. I still couldn't make heads or tails of how that was working.
Two weeks had passed since Clair sent word she was going to be on the campaign trail again. Two long weeks for me. I had been fooling myself--stallion sex drive is definitely a thing and it was definitely becoming a problem.
I'd tried long, cold showers, running around until I was exhausted, and even taking care of things myself (the last one teaching me another lesson in why you don't use magic on sensitive places), but nothing had worked. Cold showers still required time to blow-dry, running was putting extra muscle on my frame, and the last one had almost caused what I found out was called magic burns.
"Saf, can you spot me a day?" This was unbearable. Just the thought of visiting Earth was making me aroused. I'd have to wear some kind of cloak to keep myself presentable.
"Sure, Dad." He looked up at me with a bit of confusion on his face. "Is there a problem?"
"I need to go and talk to Clair. Just--" I closed my eyes and tried to think about anything else. "Sorry, it's something I should have sorted out with her a week ago."
Grabbing a cloak and leaving the house, I had to try not to gallop to the chancery. They had started seeing more traffic of late, now that Twilight Velvet had set up a place for ponies to stay comfortably in D.C., and given my position I was allowed a trip to Earth to talk to Clair.
"You know, now that the process of teleporting to and from Equestria and the transmogrification is understood, they're opening up tourism from Earth." Helen Maxwell was giving me the full VIP treatment, leading me to the teleportation platform herself. "If you could find out when Clair will be back, I'd appreciate it."
I bit my lip to keep from saying, You and me both. "I'll try to. When's the next transmit window?"
"F-Five minutes." Her tone was off. I casually looked at Helen and saw her nostrils twitching. Fuck.
This was getting to the point of embarrassment. At least on the other side human noses would be less able to pick that scent up. I waited, feeling uncomfortable not just because I smelled like a stallion in rut, but because Helen was female--dammit.
By the time I could use the pad, I was trying to stand as far away from Helen as possible. I took up my place on the far edge of the pad from the controls, and gave her a strained smile before she hit the button.
The rush of magic around me, now that I understood what it was doing, was amazing. For the first time since Clair had been away, I could feel myself distracted from my needs--and it ended all too soon. Appearing on the pad in D.C., I looked around at the people and ponies present. "I need to see my wife."
Arriving, I looked around to see if I recognized anyone. I spotted a young man with a clipboard. That meant he was either in charge of something or he had information. I advanced on him and asked, "Where's my wife, Clair Ree? I need to speak to her urgently."
"S-Sir, she's at a rally in Phoenix. If it's urgent, we can get you on the next plane there, but by the time you arrive she'll be halfway to L.A." He looked left and right for help. "I could arrange a video call?"
"Yes!" So close and so far, I wondered for a moment how much effort it would be to teleport to Arizona. Way--too--much. "Please, it'd mean a lot to me."
Everything was going by in a blur. They escorted me to a private room in the building that'd been erected for the portal, and soon I was being patched through on a little teleconferencing machine. Eventually, finally, and with great relief I saw Clair's face appear. "Clair!"
"Phil? You look as bad as I feel. What's wrong?" Her voice, despite obvious strain, sounded happy to see me. Or was that just my damn libido thinking for me?
"Promise you won't laugh?"
She looked concerned now. "Philip?"
"I--I need you. I need you so much I--" Squeezing my eyes closed, I tried to breathe evenly--and completely sucked at it. "Clair, they were right, and I never realized how amazing you were at taking care of me."
I unloaded. I told her all the thing I wanted and needed, I told her how amazing she was, how sexy she was, and finally whined at length about how much I needed her with me. By the time I was done I slumped against the desk and stared at her in longing.
"We talked about this, Philip. We might have just been joking at the time, but do you think you could--"
I could hear the strain in her voice trying to tell me what I should do. "No. No I won't do that. I--Doesn't Twilight Velvet have a hotel here in D.C.?"
"Yeah. She might have ponies there who--"
"No, not what I mean. Surely I'm not the only stallion who doesn't want to cheat on his wife? I'll go there, ask her what I can do. She--She of all ponies would know." I hated that I was here--so far away from Clair--and had to go and ask someone how ponies masturbate.
"But if you need to, if you can't find any other way, have Twilight Velvet find you somepony."
Clair's sigh was drowned in my gasp. "No, Clair, that's not what I want. How long until you're back in D.C.?"
"This tour goes north to Flagstaff, then to Holbrook, down to Tucson, and then we're flying back. It will be a week."
"What if I meet you in Holbrook--if I can't get help?" I clung to the idea that maybe I could take the edge off with something, then meet up with her.
"Saffron's holding down things at home, I take it?"
I waved a hoof in the air. "I asked him to, but I--I should go home." It all seemed wrong. What I'd done, where I was, this whole situation. "I'm an idiot."
"No you're not. You just had to deal with something intrinsic to your body for the first time ever. Philip, this would be easier if I wasn't surviving on five hours sleep a day, but this wasn't your fault." Her voice. I just wanted her more and more as she spoke, and it was starting to smell in here. "Go home, find Night Light, and ask him for help."
"For--For help? You mean I should--?"
"Ask him for tips on how to get relief when his wife is away."
Her words made more sense than what I was thinking. I shoved what I was thinking aside and focused on this new task. "S-So I'll just go back, I guess."
"Talk to Helen. We'll sort out when we'll be back in D.C. and you can come and visit me then, okay?"
Just the thought of that made me ache a little more. "Y-You realize I'll ravish you, right?"
"Philip, I wouldn't have you any other way."
My head fell forward against the screen at hearing that. The smell in the room was horrid, but I wanted to spend as much time talking to Clair as I could. "I love you."
"When this is over, I'm coming home and we'll get a sitter for a week and find a hotel somewhere." She let out a wistful sigh. "And I love you too."
We ended the call there before I actually made a mess and smell in the small room. Making my exit, I looked around the hallway before I spotted my escort from earlier. "I need to go back to Equestria." It sounded lame, but the guy actually smiled.
"I don't know how you do it. My wife works, sure, but she's home every night. I don't know if I could stand being away from her for weeks or months." He took a step to lead the way. "We've been expanding the magic capture system and have been able to increase the rate of teleports each day. Since you don't need transmogrification, that makes it much easier to squeeze you in on a return."
It was nice to hear words of support, but that didn't help my situation any. "Thanks."
My hoof shook from knocking a second time. I had no idea what to do if he didn't answer. I was stuck and now it was another half a day since talking to Clair and things weren't better--the exact opposite.
When he opened the door, I was halfway turned around to leave. "Philip? What've you done to--Come inside, please." I couldn't help but notice his nostrils twitch.
As soon as the door closed behind me I noticed the smell start to grow more concentrated again. "Sorry to come here, but I didn't know where else to go. Clair is out of town, and will be for a few months still, and I--I don't know what to do."
"And you don't want to try one of the bars." The way he said it, I knew it wasn't a question. He seemed to be working through is thoughts to come up with a solution. "My son was the same way. Can you believe he saved himself for Cadance? It shocked her, but I think they both fit so well it's impossible to say he did anything wrong."
"Night, I need help. I can't go to anypony for help with this, I need--I just need a way to get relief."
"Relax, I know exactly what you need. They're not cheap, but we got one for Shining when he came of age and it served him well enough." He walked past me toward the door. "You can come too, if you'd like, but I'd recommend you wait here. A stallion smelling as you do invites--the curious and excitable."
"W-Would it be better if you bring it to my house?"
Night paused, his magic grasping the door handle. "Philip, do you really want to go home like this? I'll set it up in the basement, you can try it out to take the edge off, and then clean up and take it home."
I almost slumped in place. Stinking like a rutting stallion and already a little rubbery down below, I was definitely not fit to see my kids right now. "Thank you, Night. I don't know what I'd do without--"
"Put the kettle on. There's a special tea in the back of the rack. It has a black label. Brew it up, but only sip it when you see me return with a large package." Night winked at me and left the house.
What was this special tea? Did I really want to trust him on that? Walking into the kitchen, I tried to ignore my own smell as I started looking for where the tea was located.
After three cupboards, I located possibly the largest and most varied stash of the stuff outside England. Just looking at and smelling the tea leaves made my cutie mark itch as I could visualize what each was good for. Most looked to simply be tasty teas, but some were specific--the black packaged one at the back made the hairs stand up from my withers to my croup.
Sex. It was an aphrodisiac. This tea would spice up a bedroom, and if my talent was worth a pinch of salt, it would do it a lot. Why he would encourage me to make a cup of it confused me. Was he trying to butter me up for something?
Why I tried to puzzle it out, I filled the kettle with water and set it on the stove to heat up. I was still trying to figure out why when he returned. I put the bag in a cup and it started to steep--just the smell of it made me want to cross my legs.
"Drink that tea, I'll get this set up in the basement so you have some privacy." One moment Night was standing in the living room with a box almost as large as him, the next both were gone in a puff of dark blue magic.
I turned back to the brewing cup on the bench and, rather than trust my horn, picked it up with a hoof. My special talent increased in potency this close to the wretched drink. Humans were nigh-impossible to affect like this--there just weren't many chemicals that would cause a human to get more excited, but this tea seemed custom made for stallions.
Trusting Night, I squeezed my eyes closed and gulped the cup of tea down in four big gulps. It started off as physical heat. I could feel the steeped water pour down my throat and into my belly. From there, however, the heat became something else. "This had better work."
A door leading downstairs opened in the kitchen. "Come down here and meet your new mare. She's nothing like Clair, but she'll inspire no hangups about cheating, either."
Walking down the stairs, I tried to ignore how hard I felt or how crazy it was making me feel--then I saw what he was talking about. It looked like nothing so much as a round, padded barrel propped up on a stand. I could see how it worked--it was impossible not to. It had a fleshy-looking hole in the end. If it wasn't for the tea I'd just drunk, I might have laughed.
As I advanced on it, Night winked at me and disappeared with a puff of blue magic. The door at the top of the stairs I'd just come down closed, and I was all alone with the thing.
Advancing on it, I leaned down to examine that hole. It smelled of cherries. Pressing my snout closer, I dared to lick it. Definitely cherry, but also slick. "Lube."
The heat of the tea that spread through me seemed to all flow and pool into my groin. Snorting and blowing out a grunt, my mind was made up and I lunged forward. Forward and up.
"Drink this."
My brain wasn't working so great. I was aware of being awake and having done--something--but apart from that all I could think of was drinking. I guzzled down the water from the cup, then a second when that was emptied.
"There you go. That tea must have worn off. How do you feel?"
It was Night Light. My brain could start piecing things together working backward from now. I was on top of and--and inside--what seemed like a stallion masturbatory device. I looked down at it and realized I wanted nothing to do with it now. "Like shit. I'm getting down."
"I'm getting a cleaning spell ready. You'll need a shower for your personal needs, but you don't leave these things like this."
Dropping down from the fake mare, I shivered as a chill ran through my wet undersides. Blue light wrapped around the thing, then it flared far brighter and I was in a different room--a bathroom, alone.
I owed Night Light. My body felt normal again, even if completely wiped out. I climbed into the shower and got cleaned up. The water alone wasn't enough to clean me off, so I employed some of the coat soap they had and made sure of it.
Climbing out, I wobbled a little on my hooves as I looked around for the drier--then remembered this was an all-unicorn household. Focusing, I cast a drying spell and felt it ripple over me with a million heated fingers. That's when something hit me. "I don't smell like sex anymore."
It felt good to be normal again. I left the bathroom and found myself in a hallway. There were stairs at one end, so I approached them and started taking them down. There was still light coming in from outside, but apart from that I had no idea what time it was. "Uh, Night?"
"There you are. How do you feel?" He stepped out of the kitchen, ushering an amazing smell into the living room.
My senses could tell me there was a rich tomato, potato, carrots, celery--It was soup and my special talent told me it would be perfect to put in my belly. But I couldn't just look after me. "I need to go home and check on the kids. They could--"
"No you don't. Flurry's there taking care of Riley. Saf and Sudden are out having dinner together. Come through and I'll get you a bowl of this." He was pushy, but in that way that you sometimes needed. If I didn't know any better, I'd wonder if he had the same special skill as me. But, no, this was all concern and care.
I let him lead me to the table and serve me a bowl of soup and another tall glass of water. I downed the water first and then started on the stew. It was delicious, but I couldn't honestly remember eating much of it. One moment I was scooping the first spoonful into my mouth, the next the bowl was empty.
"Another." Night used his magic to grab my bowl, ladle more into it, then set it back before me.
I ate a few mouthfuls and was able to appreciate the stew far better. "Thanks. For all of this. I didn't realize how much Clair was doing for me and then--then without her here it just swamped me."
"It'll do that. You shouldn't let it get that bad, though. If you need some of the tea, I can part with some, but you're going to need to get your own long-term. The mare in a box worked, I gather, where a visit to a bar wouldn't?" He sat down opposite me with his own bowl.
His talking gave me time to eat some of the soup and think a bit clearer. "I couldn't do that to Clair. Not without a long talk where neither of us intoxicated by our body-chemistry. When she's back, and we've both become acquainted again, I'll bring it up."
"You don't sound like you want that, let alone her. I get it, you're perfect for each other, but if she's going to spend time away like this, you're either going to have to learn to enjoy our wooden friend in the basement or seek professional help."
"A prostitute?"
"That word sounds odd to my ear," Night said. "The way you say it, it sounds like something negative. Professionals--in this field--are quite well-respected. Things aren't that way on Earth?"
Wow. Where to even begin? "That's a huge one. Easiest answer is no. They're derided for--" What? What was the underlying reason prostitution was considered shameful? "Our societies treat them very differently."
"Us."
My head must have jerked up, because Night smirked. "Oh," I said.
"I can hardly hold you responsible for your societal views on my previous profession."
"It's considered the lowest rung on the ladder. A last-ditch way of making enough money to survive. Add to that abuses and--It only gets uglier the further you look at it." Despite how ugly the idea seemed to me, I wanted to hear the other side. "Describe how it is here. I mean, if you don't mind."
"Not at all. It's--a calling. When I was a much younger stallion, I found myself enjoying bringing happiness so much that I slid into the profession gently. One day I was just another patron at a bar catering to relief, next thing I'm getting requests by other patrons and I'm on the payroll." He sipped some tea (not the special one) and smiled as if he was describing finding his special talent. And why not? It held none of the stigma as back on Earth. "I worked a few years there, making connections and more--then I encountered her."
"Your wife?"
"No, she came later. Princess Celestia, at the time, was using magic to hide her full stature and distinctiveness. She was too much for this stallion. I'd thought, up until that point, that my libido could take on any mare or stallion. What I'm trying to say here is, some mares are more than just your equal. The last time she spent an evening with me, she told me she was sending somepony important to visit.
"That's when my wife arrived, asking for me by name. If I didn't know better, I'd say Princess Celestia set us up. Maybe she did, but it was our own hearts that made the connection. For a while I'd keep working whenever she was out of town, but then she started buying all the places I worked at. It got awkward being the boss and an employee, so I just worked without pay."
It was a lot to process. I took a cup of tea from him (my talent telling me it would sooth me), and took a long sip. "That's quite a history. You still work?"
"When Twilight is away on business. I was planning to head out tonight, but I'm not feeling desperate and you needed some help. How's that tea?"
"Soothing. Thank you, again. This is more than I could have hoped for." I had some more of the soup and felt its warmth spread out inside me and restore me further. "How will I go about getting the--you called it a wooden mare?--home?"
"Well, definitely not with an animate-object spell. I think we can safely pack it back in its crate and you can carry it. Or I can, if you'd rather not."
I shook my head. "No. I've got my emotions under control enough to use my magic now."
Night just smiled and drank the last of his tea. "I've heard that you're quite handy with your magic now. Have you considered schooling?"
"I've been getting some teaching from Moon Dancer. She's--"
"... boasting about how well you're coming along. Which is why I want you to give me a demonstration--if you're keen to go further."
"What do you mean?" I took a moment to gulp down more of the soup, and Night seemed content to let me finish while he mulled over his words.
Finally, he seemed satisfied to speak. "I want to suggest you to Princess Celestia as a candidate for her school. Moon is already considering it, but with both of us voicing our support, you'd be a horseshoe-in."
"Go back to school?" I'd brought it up with Clair, and we'd thought about it to the point where she was supportive. If they won the election again, though, it would be another four years of her working as ambassador. "I've actually thought about it. I didn't realize Princess Celestia's school took adults."
"She'll accept anypony who shows talent and a desire to learn."
Three days and I was feeling tense again. I'd gotten some of the tea Night had given me, and returned the small supply he'd sent. Now I was staring at the little paper-wrapped satchel and trying to think about anything else.
Yup, definitely not thinking about drugging myself into a sexually-perverse state and then fucking a rubber hole for a few hours. And, right on cue, my memories flood in of how good it felt to lose myself in that pleasure.
Tearing the top off the satchel, I poured the contents into a tea infuser and added boiling water. My talent analyzed the scent of that tea and told me it was not a great thing to put in my body right now. My body loved the smell and I found myself standing over the steeping cup and inhaling deeply.
"Hey, uh, Dad?" Saf asked.
His voice was enough to snap me out of tea's spell. "You're heading out now, right?" I had a sudden horror thought that he might have canceled and would see his father drink this horrid stuff.
"Yeah. I talked to Night Light and he told me what's up. House is all yours until morning, and if you need help then, just ask." Damn him, he was such a good kid, but he hadn't had to deal with this yet, and I wouldn't put him through it if I could help it. Hell, if he was lucky, he'd be fully native by the time anything like this happens and he'll be able to just deal with it like a local.
"Thanks, Saf."
"No sweat, Dad." His retreating hoofsteps ended at the front door, which I heard open and close.
Well, this was it. I turned around and looked at the tea. The horrid tea. Removing the infuser I washed it before drinking the tea--my mental faculties focused on the task so I wouldn't think about what would come.
With that clean, and trying to work out if there was anything else to do, my eyes drifted back to the cup. I was putting it off. "Procrastination won't get me anywhere. I need to get this over with." Picking up the cup with my magic, I lifted it to my lips and gulped it down.
The taste was terrible, but it was definitely laced with the same chemicals that Night's had been. I rinsed the cup in the sink as I felt the heat of the tea start to spread out in my body.
Each breath caused my mind to fuzz over a little more. I turned for the stairs down to the basement and closed the door behind me. In the darker room, with a confined atmosphere, I spotted it.
It looked like a padded barrel with four legs. At the end of it was a padded, soft, tube. As the heat of the tea rushed to my belly, I lunged at it.
The worst part of the whole thing was I remembered it. The tea dulled every thinking part of my brain and let me just act, but though it stopped me thinking at the time, every thrust and wet sound was etched in my memory.
Climbing off the device, I tried in vain to ignore the smell of stallion and sex in the air. I set a spell in action to clean the room and made my way upstairs to the bathroom. As soon as I got fresh air from the house, it felt like the last vestiges of the tea left me. I could think clearly now, and got into a shower and started washing myself down.
I tried as hard as I could, but there was little shame to feel. This was just how pony stallions did masturbation. So I spent several hours rutting like an animal--this was as normal as it got.
Cleaned up (both the basement and myself), I sat in the kitchen and sipped normal tea. This helped, it was sure, but could I do better? "What if I just use it every day? Would that mean I don't need that damn tea?"
A yawn cut off my next thought from reaching my mouth, and so I decided to sleep on it.
It didn't really take a good night's sleep to realize I should try other ideas. I was eating breakfast when Flurry arrived. She knocked, as always, and I let her in. "You don't have to knock here. You're practically part of the family as it is."
On her back was Goldie, who let out an excited squeal when she saw me. Just like Riley and Saf, she stole my heart the first moment I'd seen her.
"If it's all the same with you, Philip, I think I'll keep knocking for now. Gramps told me you're having problems, and I don't want to make them worse by stumbling in at the wrong time." She set Goldie down on the couch with some toys.
Night telling her wasn't the worst of all this, it was her being so damned understanding. She accepted that I had a problem and there was only one way to solve it. "I've been working at making it easier to deal with."
"That's cool. You might want to talk to my dad about it. He's exclusive with Mom, and he's usually fine when she's gone for something." She unloaded Goldies' diaper bag. "I gotta go today, but I can be back any night after tomorrow's."
Safe topic, wooo! "Got a big date?"
"Small date that I'm trying to keep under the radar of court intrigue, but yes." She seemed to positively glow just talking about it. "She's--I'll bring her around tomorrow before our date."
It was an odd situation to be good friends with a mare our own age and her grandparents. The pony world was a little strange sometimes, but it was generally a good strange. She was nice and she got on with me and Clair and--No. It wasn't a conscious thought, but something my libido inflicted upon me. No, no, no. "I'll see you then. Thanks, Flurry."
"Bye, Philip!" She turned and made her way out of the house, and I can't believe I watched her rump the whole way.
Goldie's call of "pa pa pa" broke me from the daze I'd been in (thinking inappropriate things about Flurry) and dragged me back to the real world. "How's my girl?"
Saf was still staying with Sudden and Riley was spending the week at Princess Celestia's school. I was settling down to an afternoon of quiet contemplation while Goldie had a nap. I closed my eyes for just a moment and she was there. That soft pink butt beneath heavy armor plating, only when I followed her lines up to her shoulders, gray fur was visible instead. Clair.
Shifting my hips, I put the book down and when I blinked, Clair was back. She looked amazing in Flurry's armor. She lacked a horn and wings, but her solidity let her carry it off well. In my mind's eye I walked over to her and nibbled at one of her ears.
My own whine drew me back to reality. I was laying on the couch, rock hard, and felt like humping the damn thing--when it hit me. There's no reason I have to wait until I absolutely need to blow off steam.
Standing up, I started walking toward the basement, but first checked to make sure Goldie was sleeping. It was as good a time as any and I had not a single excuse anymore. Heading downstairs, I could smell a slight musky scent still--I needed to clean better.
Hard I might be, with dreams of my wife in armor swimming through my head, but I wasn't crazy. Lubing the hole up, I mounted it and let my fantasy run away with me.
The experience was far less draining. When I was done I used my cleanup spell three times and wondered about getting an air sanitizer. Maybe there was a spell for it.
The difference, satisfaction wise, was good. I hadn't been overwhelmed and was in control of myself most of the time. The best bit was I felt like I could do this long-term. Looking at the device Night had gotten me, I had to admit that it was effective.
Saffron Ree
"Dad's getting better. He--uh--seems to be using his basement more," I said. It was a tough topic, but it was Night Light asking, and I knew he'd been the one to help Dad get over his problem in the first place. "Is all this really that bad for everypony?"
"For stallions it is. Have you talked to your dad about it?" Night asked me.
We were sitting pretty comfortably in the house that Sudden arranged for me to give Dad some slack. There was a couch, some furnishings upstairs for Goldie, and a handful of kitchen things to make it livable.
"Dad was really open about sexuality back on Earth--before we came here--but I think this has thrown him for a loop." It was the absolute truth. I'd tried to ask Dad about it, but he just got this panicked look and had something else he needed to work on.
"I'd had Twilight--my wife--pick up some books from your world. It seems far simpler when both sexes have similar reproductive drives. I also greatly appreciate that masturbation thrives in your world, despite it being demonized by some." He sipped his tea and made a happy sound. "And I'd rather forget everything I know about sex workers on Earth. This tea is really quite nice."
"Flurry told me what brands to get for doing what things. I'd rather have coffee, but that's not good to have with a young body." It was weird to say because it was mostly repeating what Dad'd said. I agreed with him, after trying coffee a few times, but it was still strange to agree with my Dad so much when he wasn't around.
"Good advice. Have you thought about your future?"
"Y-You mean with Sudden? W-With us--?" I couldn't finish it, but Night nodded to me regardless. I closed my eyes for a bit to work out how to answer that. When the quiet in the room got too deep, I opened my mouth to make a joke but the right words came out. "Mom and Dad always said they fell in love and knew they were meant to be together. I'm not even an adu--"
"Yes you are. For over three quarters of your life you considered eighteen to be when you're an adult. Being here for a few extra doesn't change that."
"I know that, but I also know some of the gossip about Sudden. She doesn't seem to care about it, either."
"Gossip is part of my life, Saf. You wouldn't believe some of the rumors about me that have been around. Some were true, a lot weren't. Didn't matter--I never rose to any of them because the moment you do, everypony will pick up every other rumor about you and reexamine it in a new light."
"Hold on, why would they gossip about you?"
He held my look for several seconds without saying a word, then, "In my younger years, Saf, I worked making ponies very happy. That isn't gossip worthy in and of itself, but one particular client made it worth gossiping about. She never swore me to secrecy, but all the same I don't tell a lot of ponies that Princess Celestia was one of my regulars."
I wasn't a complete idiot. "Making ponies very happy" was an easily solved euphemism and was a surprise in itself, but hearing that Princess Celestia had been his customer--a regular--was a little more than I could deal with at a moment's notice. "I don't think that really matters to anypony except you and the princess."
Night's grin got wider and he sipped some tea. Before he started talking I realized where he was going to go with it. "That's right, Saf. That's why the rumors about you and Sudden are only the business of you and Sudden. The ponies looking down their noses at her need more excitement in their lives so try to correct that with the excitement of others' lives. I don't know if you are doing anything together yet, and it's none of my business unless you ask me."
"We cuddle and kiss a bunch. I'm starting to want to hold her and be close with her, but not much more than that still. I worry that it's not enough for her, though. This thing with Dad reminds me of that every time I see him." Words! Stop saying them. But I needed to say them. I needed help here.
He didn't look freaked out or anything. He looked like he was thinking on it! "Anything you do needs to be talked about with Sudden. She's an adult too. That said, Saf, have you considered talking to her about her visiting a professional in case she feels needy?"
"A professional." I knew what he meant. "It feels like--like I'd be failing her if she had to do that."
"It's not a failure, though. You just can't do that for her. But, if you do follow her into the Wonderbolts, you're likely to have times where you both can't come together. Have you considered that?"
I hadn't. "Maybe we should try this again with Sudden here?"
After filling Sudden in, with me trying to not blush, we got to the part about professional help. Sudden reached her nearest wing out and pulled me close. "Firstly, you get a smooch for thinking about all this at all. Most stallions wouldn't, but then I kinda figured you weren't most stallions already.
"The truth is, the Wonderbolts have kinda sorted this problem out already. You have seen how few stallions we have in the 'Bolts, right?"
I wasn't sure what she was getting at, but I could nod to that without it being a lie.
"Right now it's Soarin and Thunderlane. There are currently five unattached mares in the 'Bolts. The math, there, means that there's fine balance. But! I point out I don't count myself as an unattached mare." She squeezed me a bit tighter with her wing. "For obvious reasons."
Night looked surprised. "And they work together to keep the two stallions satisfied?"
"It's more the other way around. Five mares is a lot for a pair of stallions to keep happy, but they all manage."
"Are there any other couples with both in the Wonderbolts? You have me curious now," Night said.
"All the others are mares, and we're all attached to somepony. Before either of you ask"--she booped me on the nose with a hoof--"they're not my kind of fun."
"So we just wait and see?" I asked.
Sudden smirked and nodded. "Yeah. But let's make a plan in case something does happen. I don't want to leave you feeling trapped like your dad was."
"What? Like--?"
She looked at me as if it was obvious. "If we can't be together, and you're getting overwhelmed, go to one of the bars."
I looked at her and couldn't believe how this was working, but it seemed to make sense. "And if you need something, and I'm not around to provide it, don't be afraid of looking for it."
It would have shocked old-me. A cuck move, beta male, gayyyyyy--my friends in high school would have called me all that and more. And worse still I'd have believed them and agreed with them.
And, for that matter, she was giving me permission to--to find another mare if I really needed it. This was crazy, but I loved her more for this being something we could agree to.
So here I am, looking at things as an adult, and nodding my head as I realized we need to be flexible in this.
Reaching my wing out I got it around Sudden's shoulders and hugged her back. "Make sure to tell me if I'm doing something stupid."
"Saf, I think we're about as far from doing stupid things as we can be," she said, and then she kissed me.
With my littlest sister balanced on my back, I opened the front door and walked inside. Gone was any hint of the musk smell Dad had a problem with for a while, it now smelled like a neat, clean house again. "You home?" I called.
"In the kitchen, Saf! Have you had breakfast yet?" Dad's voice sounded relaxed and calm, which was good to hear.
"I haven't, but Goldy has. How are you doing, Dad?" I poked my head in the kitchen and spotted Dad with toast on a plate. "Ohh man, that smells good."
"Elderberry jelly. I have some in the toaster for you." Dad used his magic to float the butter and jelly back to the table while I climbed up on a chair and kept Goldie on my lap. "Saf, I owe you a bunch for helping these last months. I think I have a lid on all--all this now."
"Yeah, I know, Dad. I've been talking to Night. He's a smart pony." I reached out my wing and hooked a little bit of crust from Dad's toast and gave it to Goldie to suck on. "Me and Sudden sat down and talked about stuff with him, he helped us figure out how we could avoid--well, what happened with you."
He looked surprised at that. I figured we had some time, since I didn't have morning practice today, so gave him the time he needed.
The toaster was our savior. When the toast was cooked, Dad plucked it out with his magic and carried it over to the table. "Sorry I couldn't help you with this one, Saf. It's just too close right now."
"It's a tough one, yeah." I picked up the knife and started buttering my toast. "We figured out something to do that is right for us. When's Mom coming home?"
"Two more months. They're pretty sure they have the win locked-in, but you know how politics are back home." Using his magic, Dad picked up Goldie and lifted her over to his own lap. "How's my girl doing?"
"Da da da!" Goldie said, only it had way more spluttering thanks to the crust in her mouth.
"I can take care of her a bit long--"
Dad's smile was what stopped me talking the most. He shook his head and blew a raspberry on Goldie's head, earning him a pile of laughs from her. "I think, Saf, I have this worked out in a way that will let me function again. I'm sorry I had to lean on you so much."
I rolled my eyes at that, proving some of the human teen was still in me. "Dad, you don't have to apologize for it. I mean, I'm too young to understand how serious it gets on this side, but I remember what it was like as a guy on Earth. To have that, not be able to get any relief, and then crank it all up to eleven would be torture. So, I get it."
He looked at me for a few minutes before smiling and giving me a nod. "So you have your own home now, I hear?"
"It's only temporary. I was trying to give you some space..." There was more, and I could swear somepony was making chicken noises nearby as I tried to argue myself into saying it. Finally, though, I had to just go for it. "But I was thinking about getting a place in Cloudsdale. It'd be closer to the Wonderbolts."
He didn't say anything, and that left me fumbling. Had I said it wrong? How was I meant to tell my dad I wanted to move out?
"Saf, you've grown up in ways I wouldn't have imagined, and I can't help but feel amazed at the choices you've made in life. Do you need a hand--or horn--moving things?"
There's only one way I could respond to that. I got up and walked over to give my dad a hug. "It won't be anytime soon. I want to make sure Mom's home first, but I have been looking and Sudden was interested in sharing a place with me."
He pulled back from our hug and, from his mischievous expression, I knew he was up to something. "Have you thought about getting her a ring? Hold on, do ponies even do the whole engagement thing? Rings?"
Okay, so he was joking, but I kinda felt that I should do something like that. "Maybe something small. I'll talk to--to Flurry."
"Flurry? Why not ask--" Dad blinked in surprise and then shrugged. "I guess she's probably the best to ask, given her mother and, uh, all that." |
The Embassy | Chapter 34 | Saffron Ree
Crouched low, I held a single feather to Goldie's lips in the silence of the living room. She was doing so great I couldn't believe it, but if Dad didn't--
The sound of the front door opening cut my train of thought short. Four hooves then eight walked into the room. Then Dad made a double tap with one of his forehooves. Three. Two. One. "Surprise!"
We all jumped out from where we'd been hiding, Goldie let out a her own squeal of excitement, but it was Riley who rushed forward to hug Mom first. I had to remind myself that though she seemed way smarter than anypony else, she was still just fifteen.
What was I going to do if Goldie was that smart too? Probably hide in Cloudsdale and do pegasus things. "Welcome home, Mom!" It was my turn to hug her. She looked like she'd lost weight and was almost as thin as a pegasus.
"It's so good to be home." Mom still had a foreleg around Riley, but now she hooked me with her left one and pulled me in for a hug. She might be as thin as a pegasus, but she still had more strength than any other creature alive when it came to hugs.
"I'm glad you're home. How did everything go?" I asked, spreading a wing around her.
"We won. The other guys had no leg to stand on to dispute it, but tried anyway. That's all Peter's problem now." She squeezed us both a little tighter for a moment before letting go--her gaze turning to Dad.
"Ma!" Goldie's shout from my back broke Mom's focus. I turned so the squirming unicorn tap-dancing on my spine could get to Mom.
"There's my girl!" Mom picked her up off my back and cuddled Goldie. "I've got some news for all of you, but especially this little angel." She had all our attention now. "I have tendered my resignation. There will be a three-month period while I train my replacement, but I need to spend more time with my family than I have been, and I can't do that in my role as ambassador. Besides, I made a promise."
"Clair, you don't need to--"
"Yes, Philip, I do. This is the best opportunity to do that. Peter is over the moon about his victory. He's in a great mood and is setting up his staff. Resigning gives him another position to fill, but it's just one among many. If I'd let him rely on me being here, and quit later, it would have reflected upon him as a blemish." Mom deflated a little in the explanation, rocking Goldie in her foreleg. "But doing it now I can leave as a diplomat who has served their purpose. Equestria and beyond are moving to a more stable state. The mission is established and I can leave it in new hooves."
"So what now?" Dad asked, walking up to Mom and kissing her cheek.
"Now I beg Saffron to take care of Golden for the night and take my husband out on a date."
With Mom looking at me, I made finger-guns using my wings.
"Are you sure you don't want a night to relax, love?" Dad asked.
"Philip Ree, I haven't been able to see you for months. I'd be a terrible earth pony if I couldn't pull enough stamina to show you how much you mean to me."
I reached out and plucked Goldie from Mom and held her in my wings, keeping her attention on me so Mom and Dad could work things out and go. And they did. Mom practically dragged him out, but once he reached the door Dad seemed to perk up and left under his own locomotion.
For ten seconds we had peace and calm again.
"Ma?" Goldie climbed up my shoulder, neck, and sat on my head to look around. "Ma?"
"Ma and Da are going to be back later." I rolled my eyes up as Goldie looked down into my face from above. "Which means we get to hang out more." The way she looked into my eyes told me she'd rather spend time with Mom. "Do you want to go for a fly?"
"I swear, Saf, she has more pegasus in her than unicorn," Sudden said. "Riley, want to go for a fly?"
Riley knew to hold on and not mess with our wings, but I didn't want to take risks with Goldie. I gave Sudden a kiss on the cheek as I walked past, and walked to the door where Goldie's little harness was. It was simple enough to put on. It hooked around each of my forelegs and secured to my back, then it had set of straps to hold her in place so she could ride my back safely.
Goldie enjoyed flying so much that getting her to put on the harness was both simple and impossible. She jumped into the right place and started making excited squeaks, but then wiggled too much for me to easily get the straps on.
"I got her." Sudden reached up to my back and, with a better angle, used her wings to fasten Goldie in. "There you go, Saf. Riley, you ready?"
"Always!"
Sudden led the way to our yard and launched herself skyward with no apparent effort. It was a trick everypony in the Wonderbolts was taught, though a fair number of civilians knew it too. One, two, plant hoof, pour magic into feathers, lift wings slowly, three, four, slight flap down--
It was like pulling back a slingshot aimed straight up. The magic being just in my feathers meant it caught the air like I had wings ten times larger flapping ten times harder. Canterlot dwindled away below me and I drew my magic back in while I heard excited squeals coming from my back.
Both my sisters enjoyed flying as much as I did. It was such a shame they weren't pegasi too, but at least that gave me one thing I could actually be better than them at. We started off with just a close glide, spiraling around one another--almost nose to tail. If Riley felt like it, she probably could have walked down Sudden's wing and then up mine.
"Hey, Goldie, what are we doing first?" I asked.
"Ro! Ro!!" She was practically bouncing in the harness, though the straps kept her attached and just forward of my wings. "Rooooool!"
A roll--the kind she liked--didn't take a lot of work to do. Turning out of the spiral we'd been gliding in, I pumped my wings and then started tipping my head up and back. When I reached vertical, I twisted around and rolled so that I finished the loop-back to be facing the way we'd come. "One barrel roll. What next?"
"Pin!" She shouted it a few more times, but her voice was quickly lost as--with a little flick of magic and my primary feathers--I entered a tight, repeated roll that ensured that the G-force kept her pinned to my spine. Her shouts of excitement had me grinning wider and, soon, laughing along with her.
"Ive!"
For this I just had to do the simplest thing of all--I tucked my wings in and pointed my snout down to the ground far below Canterlot. Ponies, even pegasi, are not all that aerodynamic, so I flicked out just the tips of my wings to keep us facing downward.
I didn't let us get anywhere near the dangerous point near the ground, but instead snapped my wings out and turned the dive into an arc that shot me (with a little tickle of magic to my wings) higher than we were before.
Her laughter was so infectious. I laughed along with Goldie and started going through a series of twists, loops, and rolls that all utterly failed to stop her joy. There was literally nothing I could do to stop her giggles, and that made me entirely happy.
We kept flying. Zooming around Canterlot, twirling around the smokestack of a train that pulled into the station, and finally did a lazy glide back home--landing about twenty minutes after we started. With ground under my hooves, I looked back over my shoulder and saw a tiny unicorn performing a huge yawn.
"Sleep?" I asked.
She didn't reply except to slump down against my back and neck.
Walking inside, I had a much easier job of getting the straps off her and setting her down in her cot to sleep. I don't think she so much as blinked in the journey from my back to the soft bedding. Running a feather up and over her head, I smiled and made my way back out to the living room.
I barely got the door closed than heard Riley was bouncing around the room. "Hey, careful, your sister is sleeping."
"Oops!" She contained her excitement to just the couch, where she kept bouncing. "That's so cool how you guys can fly like that. I wish I could fly."
"You could get a plane. Or a glider." I sat down on the couch next to Riley, and had Sudden sit down beside me. When she spread her wing out, I didn't hesitate than to lean into her hug. "A glider would probably be easier to build at least. Maybe you could talk to Mom and Dad about it?"
Sudden asked, "A glider? Like the human ones?"
"Well, yeah and no. There's a bunch of gliding aircraft humans have come up with. One you lay in and use your arms to steer, that could probably work fine. Then there's the plane-like thing with huge wings and stuff, but no motor." I hadn't actually studied them much, but I guess I could help Riley out by doing that. We probably had some info on them on the computer network here.
"I could make that my research topic!"
"Volume, kiddo."
"Moon said for me to find something that really interests me and to research it. Find out how to make it happen. Would building my own glider be like that?"
Sudden snorted. "Riley, that's exactly the kind of thing that I'm sure would count. I don't know Moon Dancer as well as you do, but you have so much energy and desire to fly that I think this would fit that description." She rubbed a little circle on my back that made me want to close my eyes.
"I'm going upstairs to make a start on this." Jumping off the couch, Riley left the room with a clatter of hooves I hoped wouldn't wake Goldie.
When the room was quiet for ten seconds, I let out a sigh.
"She's hard to keep up with, isn't she?" Sudden asked.
I turned and leaned against her, pushing her off balance and causing her to flop to her back on the couch. Getting comfortable laying on her belly and chest, I nodded. "She sure is. Part of me expects her to have a fully working glider by morning."
"Assuming your other sister doesn't just start flying around with magic first."
Pressing my snout into the soft fur of her neck, I let out a sigh. "Riley's already way smarter than me, and I have this feeling that Goldie is going to be too. My best bet, I think, is to be the cool big brother who does stupid things to entertain them."
But Sudden shook her head a few times. "I'd see that more as a big brother who does amazing things to inspire them." When I tilted my head up to look at her, Sudden laughed. "Saf, you have an earth pony wanting to build a machine so she can fly like a pegasus, and a unicorn filly who can't even talk yet already using aerobatic slang. Definitely inspiration."
I slumped back down and inhaled her scent. It relaxed me more than it excited me--I guess that's something else that will come later. "That makes it even harder to keep up with. I'm doomed!"
She reached her wings up and around me, hugging me to her belly. It was cozy and I relaxed completely, not wanting to have to move or think or be that inspirational big brother. Then I heard a little wheeze come from Sudden. Tilting my head to the side a little, I could see her eyes closed--she was asleep.
Well, why not? Letting my wings droop down to her sides, I too closed my eyes and was--
It didn't take a lot of effort to get one sent from Earth. When Mom heard about Riley wanting it, it became something that would happen.
It hadn't been easy, given how hard I'd started training, but I found a few days off to spend with her to put it together and go flying. Gliding down to Canterlot from Cloudsdale, I did a few lazy circles of home before alighting in the street out front.
Shaking my wings a little, I folded them at my side and stepped up to the door--only to have it open right in front of me with an excited Riley standing on the other side. "I have the rest of today and all of tomorrow off."
"So we can build it today?" Riley's eyes were huge, and I was sure that if I said anything other than yes I might actually get attacked for breaking a filly's heart. When I nodded, though, she bounced around in a circle on all fours.
"I mean, I could, but..."
She froze and stared at me. "But what?"
Raising one wingtip to my forehead, I turned to face the side dramatically. "But there's an excited filly in the way and I can't get inside."
Looking at me, Riley's little frown turned back into a huge grin. "Where? I'll have words with her!"
I walked in and reached out with my wing to ruffle her mane. "Is the bag in the back yard?"
"Mom wouldn't let me keep it in my bedroom."
"It's five times longer than you are," I said and walked through to the back yard with her. The hang glider was sitting on a little stand made of wood. "So, you have the bit you go in too?"
"The flight bag? Yup! Can we really put it together now?" Riley, of course, rushed to the long bag and started to unzip it.
"Not right now. We need to take it to the edge before we can put it all together." Walking over, I grabbed one end and looked back at Riley--who was bracing the other end on her back and tossing the flight bag on too. It was just another reminder that a filly about two-thirds my size could probably carry me and half the Wonderbolts on her back. "Let's go, then."
We weren't far from the edge, but I had a particular edge in mind. Right beside the Guardpony training fields was a small grassed ledge where anypony could go and just chill at the edge of the city. Today it was going to be Riley's takeoff field. "Here's perfect."
Riley had apparently not just read the instructions, but memorized them. She was folding out the metal arm, slipping the wheels on it, and then extending the frame out into the two wings before I could even figure out which end was which.
"Hey, hold up. Do you need me to do anything?" I asked.
Pausing only long enough to look up at me and shake her head, Riley turned back to the glider. "I read the descriptions every day for the last week." The only bit she had trouble with was getting the long strut things put into the wing. "Can you help me with this?"
The old me--the snarky human teen--would have come back with some kind of biting comment. That me was long gone. "Sure can. Here"--reaching up with my wings, I threaded the struts into the wing--"we go. Are there more of these?"
"Yup!" She passed me each one of the struts and I fitted them one at a time.
We were just done with those and a few more wires when I felt the presence of someone else. Turning my head, I looked back to see an earth pony in armor standing off to one side. She had a perplexed expression.
Then she noticed I was looking at her. "Sorry! I don't mean to interrupt. I was just curious what you're building."
Riley was busy adjusting something, so I figured I'd explain. "Well--Uh..."
"Broad Strokes," she said.
"My name's Saf and this little pegasus wanna-be is Riley. We're putting together her glider so she can fly on her own rather than me carrying her around."
Broad looked between me and Riley then back again. "Isn't she too young for this kind of thing?"
I snorted. "Hey, Riley, you want to have some fun before we fly?"
Trotting over from where she'd been working on the glider, Riley looked up at me. "What do you mean?"
"Why don't you stand there and let Broad here try to push you backward?"
Broad held up a forehoof to wave me off. "Hold up. That's not fair. She's just a little--"
"Sure!" Turning to face Broad, Riley held up her right forehoof. "Try pushing."
I felt the rush of magic almost like a wind around me. So much power was pouring through Riley that it was like a tornado and she was the middle--sucking it in.
"This is crazy." Broad pressed her big hoof to Riley's little one and started to obviously lean on it. Her bewildered expression quickly turned to shock, and even when I could feel more magic now flowing into her, Riley didn't move--nor did her foreleg so much as flex. "How are you doing that?"
"She's actually an ancient spirit of mystic power that has been stuck in the form of a little filly for ten-thousand years," I said.
Riley giggled and stuck her tongue out at me. "I'm just really good with earth pony magic."
"Really good nothing. There's only a few ponies in the Guard who could stop me like that." Walking over to the glider with Riley, Broad slowly walked around it. "So these bits are like the wings of a pegasus, but how do you make them flap?"
"She doesn't need to flap them. This is a glider, it works by managing your speed and any thermals you can find--or a helpful pegasus." I held out my hoof to Riley, who deftly clopped it back. "We got it from America."
"That portal world? How'd you get something like this from there? I'd heard that there were some ponies traveling back and forth, but--" Clamping her mouth closed, Broad looked like she was desperately trying to take back the words she'd just said.
"Relax. Our mom used to be the ambassador from America to Equestria. We used to be humans." Riley had the thing together now, and I watched her turn her attention to the flight bag, unrolling it and revealing there was a helmet with it. "I found a pony helmet. Check it out, Saf!"
Broad just sort of blinked at us, shrugged, and walked away. I wonder if they'd been briefed on humans or not. Either way, she was out of the picture and I should be paying more attention to Riley. I mean, I had to check out all her equipment. I'd promised Mom and Dad I wouldn't let her fly without going over everything and being with her. I cinched the chin-strap up a little more and nodded to Riley. "I think you're ready. So you know how to fly this thing?"
She gave me that sassy look she used whenever I questioned something she'd spent days or weeks studying. The difference was this time flying is my thing. "What do you think?"
"I think you need to get your fluffy butt into that and we'll see how good you are at flying. Most important rules: if something seems to be going wrong, aim your glider out into open air and hold it level--and if something seems to be going very wrong, get your butt out of that thing and I'll grab you." I booped her nose for good measure. "Got it?"
"Try to level out and fly away from the mountain, if that doesn't work out, get out of my favorite new toy in the whole of two worlds and let it crash. Got it." How did she manage to still use sarcasm but I just can't? Oh well, time to get this going.
When she was in the sleeping bag thing, and it was secured and she had a good grip on the control bar, I lifted a hoof to touch the tail of the glider. "You ready for this, Riley?"
"Yes! Goooo!"
Bracing, I started pushing and kept moving after the glider even as it left the edge of Canterlot--I just spread my wings. Keeping a little behind her, I watched as Riley worked at the control, tilting things and flexing the wing just a little at a time. "Left, Riley! Away from the mountain!"
"Okay!" She flexed the wing way too much and I watched it go into a dive--but at least it did so away from the mountain. "I got it!"
And she did. She pulled the nose up a little and turned the dive into a proper turn. Following her, I inverted and flew under her. "Get ready to go back up."
"Saf?"
"Are you ready?" It didn't take much work to keep myself in the air upside down, just a little trickle of magic to my wings and I had all the lift I could ever need to glide.
"Okay! Go!"
I flapped my wings and brought them up with magic pouring into them--tossing a huge amount of air under the glider and sending Riley shooting up into the sky like she'd hit a thermal. I lost some altitude, of course, but all I had to do was roll around and give a few quick flaps and I was back with her--no soaring above Canterlot city's height, but well away from the city itself.
"Saf! This is amazing! I'm really flying!" Riley dipped the nose of her glider forward, gained some speed, and then did a quick spin in the air. It cost her altitude, but that didn't matter--we had thousands of ponylengths of height to play with and I could always use my magic to push her back up again.
I kept up with her, mirrored her stunts with my own, and it almost felt like dancing in the sky. I don't know if what she was doing was meant to be possible with a glider, but in Equestria it definitely was. Equestria loved flying things--and Riley was now one of them.
"Hey, wanna see the house I gonna move into?!" I asked.
"Yeah!"
I didn't need to invert this time. I led Riley right into one of the major thermals coming off Canterlot city and we both shot into the sky as it caught both of us up.
Higher and higher, we soon got level with Cloudsdale and finally a little above it. Aiming us at the auxiliary filed at Wonderbolts' HQ--the one reserved for visitors--I led Riley into a landing that she bounced her way through, but didn't do any damage to her glider.
"Saffron Ree, and who is this you have with you in some kind of flying contraption?" I knew the voice of Commander Spitfire--as did anypony that had anything to do with the Wonderbolts.
I knew well enough to snap a salute with my wing. "This is my sister, Riley Ree. She just got her wings." I said it, of course, just as Riley slipped out of her bag thing and revealed she lacked wings.
Spitfire looked a little dumbfounded for a minute, then let out a laugh. "Figures that any sibling of yours would want to fly--wings or no. Where'd you get this thing?"
"It's called a hang-glider. They're--well, not common, but at least not hard to get--from Earth. This was one made specially for younger fliers." Reaching over to her, I ruffled Riley's mane up a good bit.
"And you landed here because it's the only part of Cloudsdale that has a large, non-cloud spot that you won't fall through. Good thinking." Spitfire reached her wing up and flexed the wing of the glider. "Most of these kinds of machines use rigid wings--this is way different."
"It lets me control how much air I'm holding and where. With my strength I can bend it as much as it'll go." Riley sounded so proud and excited. She was literally showing off her favorite new toy to an adult who was impressed with it. I'm pretty sure I'd be prancing around a bit too under the same circumstances.
"Well, I'm impressed with the design of it, now impress me with your flying, newbie." Gesturing off the end of the runway, Spitfire reached up and adjusted her sunglasses. "Well?"
Not waiting for an invite, Riley climbed back into her glider and looked back to me. "Can you give me a push?"
"I got this one, cadet." Spitfire walked up beside the glider and spread her wings. "Hold on, newbie, you're about to get airborne." She only gave a single flap, but every exposed feather on my body felt the rush of air get sucked toward Spitfire and shove under Riley's glider. "On my wing, Saf!"
I had to jump forward, bounce my four hooves on the ground, then spread my wings to take off just after Spitfire. Wings spread, my second bounce shot me into the sky beside and just behind her as we flew after Riley.
With all the practice I'd been getting with The Best Young Fliers, my formation flying was really on-point. I kept in Spitfire's pocket and used her own airflow to keep track of her.
Riley, unlike me and Spitfire, was breaking out all her moves. She twirled and twisted, doing stalls, spins, and rolls--now I realized how much she'd been watching me, she literally did all the moves from the last show The Best Young Fliers put on. Admittedly, she was doing it about ten times slower than we did, but the moves were pretty good.
"Has your sister been practicing long, Saf?" Spitfire asked, only she had to shout a bit because of the strong wind up here.
"This is her first time flying in this thing--second if you count the flying up here!"
Spitfire turned her head toward me and flipped her sunglasses up. "You taught her all this?"
Relying on my feel for Spitfire's airflow to keep me locked into formation, I watched Riley do an aileron roll. "Yes ma'am!"
I felt the power Spitfire sent to her wings a moment before it started taking effect. Juicing my own up to match, we both turned hard and shot up toward where Riley was riding a thermal and then inverted to fly under her--facing her.
"Nice moves, newbie. Why don't you bring it down to the airstrip again?" When Riley nodded, Spitfire rolled off to the side with me tight in formation. Screaming down through the air, we both hit the airstrip moments before Riley landed behind us. Turning, Spitfire waited for Riley to slip out of her sack thing. "That was some pretty trick flying up there, newbie, but I want you to promise me one thing."
Riley straightened, looking up at Spitfire. "Sure?"
"Don't you ever--ever--land on the Wonderbolts' airstrip without Saf, or unless there's an emergency, got it? Until you pass the airstrip rules and regs test, got it?" Spitfire turned to me. "Since she's flying now, it's your job to get her ready for that test and also make sure she knows what parts of Canterlot she can't fly over."
"Castle, castle ground, E.U.P. Guard fields, and within twenty ponylengths of the castle's edge of the city," Riley said.
Spitfire turned her head and looked at me from the corner of her eye, then turned back to Riley. "Just study up and pass that test. Anypony who can pick up flying that quick deserves some flight time around Cloudsdale."
Riley snapped to attention, something she'd seen me do plenty enough to mimic it.
"And, Saf, see that she learns all that. Bring her back when you know she's ready to pass." Spitfire saluted us both, which forced me to snap-to, then she released her salute. "Now get back to flying."
"Ma'am!" I turned back to Riley while Spitfire turned away. When I was sure Spitfire was far enough gone to not overhear us, I let out a relieved sigh. "That could have gone worse."
"Shouldn't we have landed here?" Riley asked.
"No, here is fine so long as you had me with you. She just likes to drill that in." I nodded toward her glider. "It's just something new you've given her to think about." Rolling my shoulders and letting my wings rotate in their joints, I felt like flying more. "Race you back home?"
She was climbing back into the glider just as I reached the edge of the strip and started opening my wings. It was the first time I'd left her to her own devices to take off, but just after I flapped my wings and got airborne, she was in the sky and after me--I didn't have to look to see that she'd caught my own displaced air to fly, I could feel her there.
I stooped into a dive, but Riley raced past me with the nose of her glider down. Laughing, I took off after her, having to bend a little magic around me to cut through the air better and barely catch up with her on the edge of the field. We both had to slam back in hard stalls to kill our speed, but Riley seemed to have that figured out pretty well.
She jumped out of her glider and was laughing like crazy. "I almost beat you!"
"You're going to need to practice a lot more to beat me, Riley." I helped her take the glider apart and put it back into the bag. We walked home with it on my shoulders and Riley bounced around me recounting everything again and again.
"What do you need to teach me? Is there a book? Do I get to read another book?" Yeah, that's my sister. Read anything you put in front of her and become a genius at anything she puts her mind to--even flying.
We got to the front door of the house before I interrupted Riley. "Riley?"
Her head shot up to look me intently in the eyes. "Saf?"
"Don't--just don't--tell Mom or Dad what I let you do. Just tell them we had a nice, relaxed flight for your first time. Okay?" I looked at her confused expression and sighed. "Mom and Dad aren't pegasi. They wouldn't get how much you enjoy flying or how safe it is to fly once you get way up in the sky."
"Huh? Why not?" She looked so dang innocent. Not for the first time I had to remind myself that smart as she was, she didn't always have that foresight to know when to stop talking and save herself from a bunch of problems.
"Because they'd freak out. I was meant to keep you safe and stop you doing crazy--that is, fun--things. They probably expected us to do slow circles and then come home again. Just don't tell them."
She groaned. "But Saf!"
"You trust me, right?"
After a moment of glaring at me, Riley nodded.
"So trust me. I'll take this stuff around the back, you head inside." I left her to enter the house while I carried the glider stuff around to the back of the house and set it down on its rack. Looking at it, remembering how Riley was able to fly in it, I was lost in an idea of opening a glider training school and selling earth ponies and unicorns gliders.
Then I heard Mom. "Saffron Ree!" It was my whole name, and worse, at high volume.
She'd definitely told Mom what we'd done. Marching in the back door, I froze in the middle of the living room at the sight of Mom and Riley both smiling. "Uh, what did you need?"
"I needed to thank you for helping Riley. This wasn't something your father or I could do for her, and it reinforced how reliable you are, Saf." Mom's words surprised me, but it was the last one that was a real shock. All my life she'd called me Saffron--I think this was the first time she'd shortened it.
Covering my surprise with a snort, I shook my head. "Mom, Riley and Goldie will always be a weakness for me. She wanted to fly, she got a glider--there was no way I could stop myself from helping her." I looked at Riley. "Please don't take advantage of this superpower."
Jumping down from the couch, Riley walked up to me and reared up to catch me in a big hug that I returned. "Saf, you are the coolest big brother ever."
Did that mean I was doing it right? |
The Embassy | Chapter 35 | Clair Ree
The difference between Saf when we'd first come here and Golden now she was twenty-one was remarkable. Saf had been all but an adult when we'd left Earth, and had carried on acting like an adult for the past two decades. Golden still needed prodding some days to get out of bed.
Like today.
"Sweetie? Golden? You need to get up." I knocked on her door and, when she didn't call out, I opened it. "Golden?"
"Five more minutes." Her voice was so soft and sleepy I wasn't sure if she was even awake yet or if that had become an automatic reaction. When I reached over to the bed and pulled her covers off, she let out a whine. "Moooooooom!"
"Golden Ree, you made a promise to Princess Celestia that you wouldn't be late on your first day at her school, or did you forget?" I wasn't stern, but I could see the effect that mentioning Celestia had on her.
Climbing off the bed, Golden reached out for her hairbrush with her magic. "Alright, alright. What time is it?"
"Time enough you can have a shower to wake up." I left her to get ready, folding up the covers and setting them on my back as I walked downstairs and to the laundry. Putting the load of bedding on top of the machine, I headed back to the kitchen.
Breakfast was always important, or so Philip had drilled into me. I put on toast, got some of the apple butter that we got from the market fresh, and set out glasses and milk on the table. I didn't need to worry about lunches, they were provided by the school, so I hovered around the toaster to make sure breakfast flowed smoothly.
Riley came clattering down the stairs and pranced into the kitchen. "Morning!"
"Good morning, dear. Sleep well?" I kissed the top of her head as she walked past me to the table. The first batch of toast popped.
When I slipped two slices of toast onto her plate, Riley picked up a knife and started adding the apple butter. "As well as ever. How's Golden taking waking up earlier?"
I snorted. "She wanted to sleep-in. I was having none of it." The other two slices wound up on my own plate and, after adding two more slices to the toaster, I sat down to eat. "Took the covers off her bed and reminded her who was going to be seeing her today."
"Yeah, that'd wake me up too." She let out a sigh that told me she wanted to change the topic to something heavier. "Do you think I'm spending too much time at school?"
Looking into her eyes, I attempted to give her my driest, drollest look I could summon. When she pulled a face back at me, I couldn't help but laugh. "You can spend as long as you want studying. If you want to follow Moon Dancer's lead, go for it. You have so many years ahead of you, sweetie, that you shouldn't let doubt constrain you."
"Ten points for motivation, minus one for pulling faces, Mom." She crunched down on her toast and I saw the rush of a smile at tasting the apple butter. It was sweet and--Okay, it was sweet. Pony tastebuds were like magnets for sugar. I could have dumped a bag of brown sugar in a bowl and poured milk in and any pony would be able to drink it. Apple butter from Sweet Apple Acres, though, was another world of flavor for ponies.
Was I supposed to like my daughter as a friend? She'd been awkward at first, in all the opposite ways to how Saffron had been, but the older she got the more I found that she had this bright personality and sharp mind that belied her shorter stance and made her presence fill a room. "Well, at least I'm getting some points."
"That's the spirit. Still, I have this feeling like I want to study more, but everypony says that once I get my cutie mark, that will be where I'll want to focus."
"Ugh." I slumped back in my chair and waved a hoof at some non-existent pony on the ceiling. "You're preaching to the converted, Riley, remember?"
"Yeah, but you're the only other pony I can commiserate with. Saf has his mark--Dad too. Just us girls rocking the plain-Jane look." She drank some of her milk and let out a happy sigh.
"Well, we can try to fix that." I took a sip of milk myself to cool my throat. "I happen to have heard about a legend of three fillies who sought their cutie marks. They went through a lot of stuff to get them."
"Mom, you're not going to--"
"Well, we'd have to go find one of them to ask, but I don't think any of them would be upset if we borrowed their name." I took another bite of toast and savored the apple flavor.
"Professor Sweetie Belle is one of the teachers at my school. We could go and ask her."
"Sounds like a good idea," I said. We both finished breakfast just as Golden rushed into the kitchen.
Golden grabbed a glass and half-filled it with milk. She grabbed the packed lunch as she levitated the glass up to her mouth, and snatched two apples from the fruit basket. The moment the glass was empty it hit the table and she shouted, "Thanks, Mom. Bye!" and was out the front door before I realized what was going on.
"Cyclone Golden has left the building," Riley said, earning herself a snort from me.
We cleaned up, grabbed our saddlebags, and headed out into Canterlot for some exploration.
The colleges I remembered back on Earth were all labyrinthine halls and lecture theaters that had never seen a second of natural light since the roof was fitted. Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns was airy and brightly lit. The hallways had arches of glass to let plenty of sunlight in--And that's when it dawned on me why. Princess Celestia raises the sun. She has a huge sun cutie mark.
Riley had asked at the front desk if we could visit Sweetie Belle, and they told us to go to the teachers' lounge and wait for classes to finish. When Riley led the way into the room in question I found myself freezing. Princess Celestia herself was standing just in front of us, looking right at me.
There was a brief moment when my brain wound back to high school and I wondered if I had gotten all my homework in on time. She was always so imposing. "P-Princess Celestia," I said, giving the court-accepted bow to her.
"Mom, you don't do that here. Here she's just Professor Celestia," Riley said, elbowing my foreleg.
"It's alright, Riley." Celestia's rich voice, accompanied by a bright smile, even had me relaxing. "She's correct, Clair. I am not a ruler here, just another mare wishing to pass-on my skills. Is there something I can do for you today?"
Such a normal phrase for my daughters' teacher to say--if she weren't the leader and supreme authority of a nation. Okay, Clair, you've spoken to world leaders before, even the one before you, get a grip. "I was actually here to see Professor Sweetie Belle."
"Oh. Well, don't let me stop you. I would ask that you drop-in at the castle for a little chat. No rush, some time within a week would be perfectly fine. Excuse me, I must get back there myself now I've given the new students their welcome speech." Celestia winked and stepped to the side to get around us, I quickly moved to give her more room. "Thank you."
We walked in and found a lounge it sit on and wait. "I wonder why she asked for you to visit?" Riley asked.
"I can think of a few things. She did mention she'd have a job for me if I ever wished it. Ten to twenty years seems like a normal amount of time to wait before pushing for an answer--at least here." That gave me an idea, and to switch topics I asked, "Have you thought about teaching?"
"Mom, I'm not even fifty yet. Teaching, at my age--"
I wasn't prepared to let her get into that kind of moping. "Age will come to you. You have twenty years to plan. Perhaps you could come with me and ask the princess if she might need somepony to do some intern work at the school?"
"It can't be that easy. Besides, I'm an earth pony. They'd need unicorn teachers here." She looked at me with eyes that already registered their defeat. After a minute of silence, she let out a groan. "Okay."
We didn't have long to wait before a mare that looked just a little older than myself walked in. Her white coat and two-tone mane matched the description I had for Sweetie Belle, but Riley would know her better than me, so I let her lead.
"Professor Sweetie Belle? We just wanted to ask you a quick question."
Turning, Sweetie gave Riley a big smile--one she shared with me too. "If it isn't my favorite non-unicorn student, and her mother. What's the problem?" She sounded so sure of herself that just hearing her asking for us to unload our issue on her was inspiring.
Riley turned sideways, and I took that as my cue to follow suit. "It's a problem that you are renowned for being an expert in," Riley said.
She glanced past Riley to myself, which resulted in one of her eyebrows raising. "Have you been trying new things? Seeking out new experiences? Riley I can understand as a late bloomer, but Mrs. Ree, you should have your cutie mark by now."
"Raising two daughters, guiding my eldest into adulthood, and supporting my husband in studying medicine." As I unloaded, Sweetie's face softened. "When I learned that Sudden Turn, Bloom, and yourself had experience in this, I thought I'd come and find the easiest of you to contact."
"Isn't your son dating Sudden?"
"He is, but they have a house in Cloudsdale and are both involved with the Wonderbolts more and more." It was true, I barely saw him once a week now. "Can you suggest anything?"
"For Riley here, I believe that she just needs more time. For you, Clair, I think you would be best off getting out and doing things. Don't be discouraged if it doesn't happen right away--you've only been here for twenty years." Sitting on the couch beside me, Sweetie gestured before us with a sweep of her foreleg. "There's a whole world of special talents and cutie marks out there. When waiting around for one to drop in your lap doesn't work, you need to mount an expedition!"
I should have seen this coming. I knew it was true, but at the same time I was comfortable in the little rut I'd established.
"So, let's build a plan." Sweetie Belle used her horn to pull a whiteboard over and pick-up a marker. "I've heard this concept of a bucket list, let's start with that. What do you want to do that you don't think you'll get the opportunity to?"
Should I have wondered where she'd heard bucket list from? No, it wasn't the time to dwell on things I probably wouldn't get the answer to. "Flying. Not in planes or hot air balloons. I guess I'm where Riley and Golden got it from, but I want to try flying."
"You can borrow my hang-glider any time you want, Mom. I can even give you lessons on how to fly it."
I shook my head. "No. I've heard of spells to grant a pony wings temporarily. I'd like to try that."
"Well, that's easy enough. Do you have any more?" Just like that Sweetie wrote down "fly with magic" on the whiteboard.
"Mom, you have literally always wanted to go on a normal holiday. One where you don't have to do anything." Riley poked my ribs with a hoof.
It was true, and I nodded, but the problem with that sort of thing is, well... "But then I don't do anything to warrant a cutie mark."
"Nonsense. Just getting away from your normal, everyday life can lead to discovering your special talent. Besides, you can do other things while on a holiday." Sweetie went ahead and added "take a holiday" to the growing list. "Come on. Either you start adding things, or I will."
"Learn to skateboard!" Riley said. When I stared at her in confusion, she stuck her tongue out at me. Sweetie just added it to the board.
"Drive a train." It was silly. It was something ten-year-old me had wanted--I remember wishing for it while blowing out my cake candles at my birthday. "Run a marathon. Grow a bonsai tree. Learn to cook fancy meals."
The ideas came thick and fast. Once Riley had put skateboarding up, it was like the flood gates were open and every silly little thing I'd ever thought more than ten seconds about came pouring out. "Learn to make gourmet coffee. Take up dancing." More and more came tumbling out, and when I finally managed to stop I felt a warm sense of accomplishment along with a drained sensation.
"That's a great start!" Sweetie Belle said, summoning a scroll and a quill. "Let me get those down for you."
It was, without doubt, a bucket list. I read over the items and they all--even skateboarding--carried some measure of excitement. "W-What now?"
"Now you have to do them. These are amazing, you know. When I was a filly, and it was Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, and myself, we tried--well, we didn't really have the patience for some of these--but we did a lot of them." She finished copying the list and floated the scroll to me. "Now it's your duty to see that all these get done."
"What if I do them all and I still don't have my cutie mark?" I asked.
Sweetie's eyes danced and she smirked. "Well, then I get the gang back together and we come up with a bigger list."
Her enthusiasm was contagious, though, and will a weird kind of excitement mixed with a deluge of new energy, I thanked her. "This has been so helpful. It's hard to figure out sometimes, when your life gets in a rut, that you need to turn on a tangent and run free."
I basked in the warmth her smile radiated, and I couldn't help but remember that Riley had told me she'd had her 100th birthday at the end of the last school year. I was still young in this world. "You have years and years yet. You don't have to rush through life as a pony."
That brought me up short. "You heard how short human lives are, then?"
"Mmhmm. It must be hard to find your purpose in the ten years or so from the start of your high school to the end of your college time. It's so short a term that it is almost impossible to contemplate. But, you don't have to worry about that here. You and your foals." Her smile was too much, overwhelming my attempts to analyze what she was saying, so I put it off for later.
"It is a bit overwhelming at times. I've been here for years now and I still sometimes think in terms of human lifetimes." Reality checks of this sort were becoming less and less common, though. Perhaps I was becoming more pony after all. "Okay. Well, are we going to do these in order?" I asked Riley.
"What, now?" She looked at me with wide eyes. "But I--" Shaking her head, Riley let out a laugh. "I have no reason to do anything else. Come on, let's go flying!"
"Wait." Sweetie Belle's voice held command enough that we both stopped from racing out the door. "You'll need this. They'll wear off in twenty-four hours."
Magic poured from her horn and slathered us both. It found root at the top of my shoulders and I could feel it harden and extend outwards as two huge butterfly wings erupted from my back. My eyes widened and I turned back to look at Sweetie Belle. "Thanks!" I was sounding twenty years younger--fifty the way humans count it.
"Thank you, Professor Sweetie Belle!" Riley said, giving a little bow before spinning on her hooves and racing out the door.
It was freeing in a way I'd never really felt before. Riley and myself had gotten through almost a quarter of The List, but now I had to pause things--Princess Celestia shouldn't be kept waiting.
"I'm heading to the castle. Would you like to come?" I asked Riley (Golden was at school).
"What are--Oh! The meeting with Princess Celestia? It'll be boring, won't it?" She looked skeptical for a moment, but before I could tell her it probably was going to be, she nodded. "Can't leave you getting bored on your own."
Somehow I'd raised an angel. "Grab what you need and we'll head off. Four days is probably enough time to show I acknowledged her giving me a week but not wanting to use it all." I tossed some saddlebags on my back, put a notepad and some pens in, as well as some bits, and made it to the door just as Riley had gotten her own gear--including The List.
The walk to the castle, as with every one of the last four days, had involved carefully rereading The List and discussing what to do next. "You already have those little trees started, and they totally love the idea of getting everything awesome about being trees done while being tiny."
"Riley, you know that took a lot of the trouble out of it, right? Most people can't just ask a cutting to become a small tree."
"Most humans can't. Actually, no humans can. Huh, and most ponies couldn't either. I guess you were right."
For being my clever little filly, sometimes Riley overthought simple things. "Most people not being you, I, or a fair number of other earth ponies." We reached the stairs leading up to the castle and started trotting up them together.
"Clair Ree and Riley Ree? You're expected. Please notify the guards in the entry hall." I hadn't actually spent the time to get to know the Royal Guards, but they were all fiercely loyal to the princesses and, in turn, seemed to have their full trust.
I smiled at the stallion and thanked him. We headed inside, gave our names, and were led along to a side room; away from the petitioners in the hall.
The room was exquisitely decorated. Furniture that was edged in gilt, ancient wood and upholstered in silks were the order of the day. I didn't dare sit on a seat or the nearby couch for fear I'd ruin items worth more than I made in a lifetime.
A different door opened a few minutes later and a mare bowed to us. "Princess Celestia, Empress Cadance, and Princess Flurry Heart will see you now." She turned, clearly expecting us to follow--given the names dropped I wasn't going to leave anypony waiting.
"I present the distinguished guests of the crown of Equestria, the former ambassador from the United States of America, Clair Ree, and her daughter and graduate of Princess Celestia's School for Promising Unicorns, Magess Riley Ree!" It was bizarre to hear titles on our names, let alone the announcement of our highest accolades and status within Equestria spoken aloud like that.
Looking up to where Celestia would normally be sitting, I instead found her halfway up the stairs, apparently deep in conversation with Cadance and Flurry at the same level as her. As we walked in, Celestia was the first to turn her attention to us--then the other two.
"Clair! Please, come in." Celestia started to walk down the dais toward the ground, bringing Cadance and Flurry with her. "And Riley too. How is your crusading going?"
I knew the reference. Sudden had told me about her days crusading with her friends--it had been why I'd gone to ask one. "Unsuccessful, but enjoyable. I never knew I could skateboard so well." I gave as good a smile as learning that knowledge had given me.
"It's all about balance, Mom, and that's something earth ponies excel at." Everypony looked at Riley with an air of indulgence. "What did you need Mom for?"
I would panic, but Celestia had basically brought this on herself. Or maybe that was her plan? Whatever, they would all have to deal with young mares who think of Celestia as just a pony and not Princess Celestia.
Cadance was the first to break her composure and laugh. "Auntie, she's got your number. You never invite somepony over just to have a tea and cake."
Snorting, Celestia tapped her chin with a forehoof. "Perhaps I should? I would get to eat more cake that way."
"Auntie Luna will have words about that," Cadance said. "I saw her writing up an exercise routine for you."
The look of terror on Celestia's face almost made up for the strange situation I'd been dropped in. I looked around for help, finally settling on Flurry as the most likely source. I begged her with my eyes for a way out.
"Auntie, Mom, perhaps we should focus a skosh more?" Flurry asked.
Celestia and Cadance paused, turned to look at me, and then both burst out laughing. "Sorry, Clair," Celestia said, "I tend to get carried away when I have family visit."
"Auntie!"
With a huge sigh, the most canny politician I'd ever met rolled her eyes. "Alright. Clair, as you can no doubt see, we have a problem here."
"A big and pink one," Cadance said. "Though, not as big and pink as myself."
All eyes turned to Flurry.
"While it's all well and good to have immortal alicorns on the thrones of each major nation, we have Twilight acting as Equestria's explorer and bringer of good will, but her travels are mostly to planes we haven't visited before. I need an ambassador willing to travel to existing planes and offer support and speak with authority--before you ask, I wasn't asking you to be that ambassador. I would very much, though, like you to continue training her." Celestia nodded toward Flurry. "And if you'd like to, she could use an assistant. You understand why it needs to be her that is in charge, of course?"
Because it needed to be a royal tied to the throne to have the most voice in any such group. Plus, while I was a citizen, I wasn't that closely tied to Equestria. Possibly also because I was only expected to live another hundred and eighty or so years, which might be considered too short for Celestia's tastes in somepony speaking long term.
"Of course. So you want me to train her in what would be required?" It was an interesting idea, and one I guess I was qualified to do. I had gone to another world, as another species, and I had cemented relations between two very different races of people.
Cadance cleared her throat as if to stop Celestia from butting in. "It would be appreciated if you would accompany Flurry on at least one diplomatic mission. Of course, there will be more training before then, and plenty of time for you to find your special talent and get your cutie mark."
I looked at Flurry and saw a pleading expression. "Alright," I said. Flurry's face went from pleading to encouraging grin. "I'd like a vacation after it, with pay. And, while I like the idea of making you tell my husband he has to do without me for some time, I think he would be in too much shock if you did that."
"What makes you think you can't take him with you?" Cadance asked.
Freezing mid-thought, I had to step back from the problem and realize that they were doing this because they knew I was the best for the job. I'd spent eight years tying two nations together with diplomacy and commerce. I honestly couldn't blame her for wanting a little from me.
"Right, well, we have a lot to go over. You have a good rounding of what my job entailed, though we never delved into why I did some of the things I did. We can start at the start." I looked from Flurry to Celestia and Cadance, both were smiling but it was the former that gestured to Flurry and myself with a wing.
"Please, don't let us keep you," Celestia said.
It was dismissal. I looked at Flurry, and almost did a double-take. She normally wore clothes over the top of her armor, but the dress she was wearing revealed that she had none of the normal plates or straps of her gear. "I guess we'll go and get started now. Perhaps we can grab something to eat?"
The first lesson was a little odder than I would have thought. There was two ponies present I didn't know as well as Flurry. When all three walked in, I looked between them with a little bit of nerves. Bodyguards? Perhaps they were aides who would be accompanying us?
"Sorry, Clair, but we have two infiltrators who'll be sitting in. This is my Uncle Blue, and this is Aunt Lyra. When Mom and Aunt Celestia were talking about what you were going to be teaching, they begged to attend." As always, I made a point to pay attention when Flurry referred to somepony with uncle or aunt as a title--it usually meant they were significant in and of themselves.
"Lyra Heartstrings," the mare said. "I've only ever been to one other reality, and that wasn't a diplomatic mission--but I'd really like to see what I could pick up from this."
Rolling his eyes at Flurry, "Uncle Blue" had to be just about the most perfect example of hunky stallion I'd ever seen. "And, typically, my niece wouldn't introduce me as Prince Blue Blood. Please, though, just call me Blue."
"R-Right. Do I even what to know what you two do?" I asked.
"Unannounced diplomat," Blue said.
"I run a clandestine information service for the military," Lyra said.
Turning, I looked at Flurry. "What have you gotten me into?"
"They're making it sound much worse than it is. Lyra works in the E.U.P. Guard in information management and to acquire dangerous artifacts. She's almost worked herself out of a job. Blue is a diplomat. He might not always be the one expected, but it's not like he can hide being a pony when he arrives." Flurry stuck her tongue out at Lyra and Blue. "But I think you get the gist of their positions. They're trusted by Aunt Celestia, just like you."
Exhaling, I closed my eyes to focus on the problems this presented. "So long as they're at least as knowledgeable on this topic as you are," I said, looking at Flurry, "it shouldn't be a problem."
It wasn't. I jumped into things; explaining about trading favors with political entities that weren't always of the same level. It was the stuff that had made me so effective in trading between Equestria and the United States.
If either Lyra or Blue were being left behind or found the topic boring, they didn't show it. Both took notes diligently and asked questions about the topic. The time explaining it was energizing me, each question they asked for clarification had me snapping-to and reexplaining until they understood the concept.
At the end of the training session, all three looked excited about the subject.
"This won't just be useful in dealings with foreign political entities, but also--I'm sure Blue would agree--with furthering Equestria's goals within." She smirked at Blue and raised an eyebrow. "I can think of a few courtiers who will be easier to deal with now."
"Absolutely. I might suggest a few ponies for a repeat of this course--if you wish to continue once done with us?" Blue looked at me like I was going to revolutionize his career.
Was I? This was mostly how to deal with people 101, but they were eating it up. "I'll consider it. This was only initially meant to be a quick crash-course for Flurry's first big mission."
"You made a very information-dense lecture flow well and presented the subject in a way that made it easy to absorb," Blue said. "When is the next day?"
"Make it tomorrow, same time and place. Princess Celestia mentioned there was a time limit on this." I looked at Flurry and got a nod from her. The others left, saying their goodbyes. I turned to look at Flurry. "This--I'm going to have words with Her Royal Highness about this."
Flurry giggled at that. "Can I watch? Would it be okay if I bring popcorn?"
"If you do, you have to bring enough for the whole class--and the teacher--to share." Toward the end I started getting some giggles too. "At the very least, she god two ponies who didn't cause any problems. I've only dealt with interns before, teaching them the basics of our party and administration--they were vastly different."
"Lyra is..." Gesturing with a hoof, Flurry gave up and just waved her limb away. "She's a force of nature. When she is set a task, or takes one up herself, it gets done. There is no if, but, or maybe. It doesn't care how many lives need shaking up or what impossible deed needs to be done--she will ensure the shaking and the deed happen.
"As for Blue, he's exactly the same, but infinitely more subtle than Lyra. Where Lyra is a force of nature, Blue is a fine instrument. He's usually sent in as assistance to our allies, but there have been cases in the past where neutral nations had needed help--but couldn't ask for it."
That he had joked about that and was actually a legitimate diplomat relaxed me. Lyra's description, coming from an alicorn, was almost terrifying. "Lyra's a big deal then?"
"Not everypony notices what she does, or notices that events can be led back to her, but I can promise she is a force for good. Aunt Celestia has even commented that she has a finer affinity for harmony than anypony she knows."
Harmony. I'd heard the term used as if it were the weather or destiny. Even Riley had talked about it after her time spent studying at Celestia's school. I was fully prepared to hear Golden using the term soon as well.
Did that mean an affinity for harmony meant Lyra could literally twist destiny to her favor? "What does that mean: affinity for harmony?"
"That's a whole talk on its own. How about saying it like this--when harmony needs ponies to act in a certain way or do certain things, it creates a path of causality that leads to things working out for the best. Normally it would create subtle adjustments to make this work without too much upheaval.
"Sometimes, however, harmony needs to work fast and do a lot. It could scream and shout at ponies to do what is needed, or it could find somepony like Lyra. Somepony who isn't just used to listening to harmony and understanding what it wants, but can also navigate a path toward that given the tools available."
That was both less terrifying and more terrifying than what I'd thought of. She didn't twist destiny to her own favor, she listened to destiny and worked plans that ensured it would come about as required. "Destiny terrifies me sometimes."
"Destiny?"
"Oh, sorry, harmony. How does it know what's best for everypony?"
"You're probably going to want to spend some time asking Lyra about that. Or, if you can get her in the mood, Aunt Celestia." Flurry shrugged her wings. "I would say this is all theoretical, and for most ponies having to worry about harmony is theoretical. But, for some ponies, that's their lot in life."
For the rest of the week I worked through the material I'd planned. Lyra and Blue kept coming back, but I never got a chance to ask her about harmony until the last day before the weekend.
I'd just explained the various forms of both public and private posturing and finished up. Lyra was about to leave but Flurry stopped her. "Uh, sorry to bother you, Lyra, but Clair wanted to ask about harmony."
Lyra turned and looked at me, one eyebrow raised. "You want the short version or the long version?"
"How many years is there between them?" I asked, and got a laugh. "Just the short for now. I might have more questions about it that will need the long version, but that can be later."
"Alright. Short version. Shortest version is that harmony is the collective best future for every single pony. It is everypony living their best life, finding their cutie marks and special talents, and being able to express those. There is so much weight to this collective pressure that it becomes a force unto itself. Even right now you are working toward the goal of harmony. You might think teaching three ponies how to get their way isn't a huge thing, but harmony is made up of tiny things.
"The other side of harmony is... Imagine every single pony that lives is in a band"--Lyra's horn glowed bright and a guitar appeared in her golden grip--"they're all playing as best they can, and while sometimes things can be difficult, they're all belting out a great tune. That tune is harmony. If there is one or two ponies who aren't connecting notes properly, well, they don't change harmony too much in the short term and they'll probably learn better as they go.
"The analogy works even when vast numbers of ponies fall out of tune. Maybe they break strings or their reeds need replacing, or any number of problems. They keep playing, because playing is life, but there is such a cacophony that harmony itself is degraded."
When she paused, I realized she was waiting for me to add my own words to show understanding. What did she want me to say? No, that's wrong. What did I personally get out of this? Well, that harmony wasn't a bogeyman. But what was the unasked question?
What was Lyra Heartstrings within this analogy? What was she to harmony itself?
"You're a tuner. You fix instruments," I said.
"Sharp. Really sharp. I fix instruments, but sometimes the distortion itself is too large. When that happens--" Lyra stopped and raised her eyebrow anew.
"When that happens," I said, "you teach ponies to tune their own instruments."
She was a healer of destiny, the real destiny--the good destiny. It made me feel infinitely better about helping her with all the manipulative tricks I could teach.
"The perfect world, the world I'd love to leave to the next generation, is one where everypony feels harmony and can tune their own instruments." Shrugging her shoulders like it was nothing, Lyra strummed the guitar. "Until then I can provide tuning guides, spare strings, and the occasional help selecting an instrument." She made her guitar vanish again and started walking to the door. "If you need any more help figuring this out, just ask."
If I needed help. Help like "selecting an instrument"? Harmony was ponies finding their special talents and cutie marks. She was offering to help me without even a guess as to what it might be. Or could she tell? What did being a tuner actually give her in all this?
Wait, her cutie mark was a musical instrument. If I could face-palm with a hoof without almost knocking myself out, I would have done it right then. "She's exceptionally good at that."
"That's why I said to ask her," Flurry said, her own magic zipping around to pick up all the bits and pieces of paperwork I'd used in the room.
Unicorn magic, let alone alicorn magic, was always a sight to behold. It would have been superbly easy for them to overuse it and make everypony else feel less because of it, but selflessly cleaning up a room with it goes a long way toward reducing that. They don't just use it for themselves--they use it for everypony around them. "Thanks, Flurry."
"Your butt's glowing."
Given the topics we'd been discussing, political and theoretical, the words didn't click. I looked at her for about five seconds before my brain registered a context shift and what the new topic was. I turned my head to look back.
On my formerly blank flank was an open book with glowing light rays around it. "W-What?"
"Looks to me like a book. Sunlight radiating. Suns are pretty popular, you know, but I have to wonder if it's not exactly sunlight. What have you been doing recently that would inspire a cutie mark?" Though Flurry was talking, it was hard to focus.
Everything just seemed easier to face. Harmony? Politics? My thoughts filtered topics so much easier and I found myself building a whole month of classes for Flurry, Lyra, and Blue. "Teaching," I said.
"Yeah, I figured. Books are knowledge, rays are radiating it. Fits you well." Flurry walked over and gave me a hug that only seemed to make me feel better and better. "I bet you're on a bit of a high right now?"
"A bit?" I laughed and almost broke into song. "A bit?! I feel like I could teach everything!"
I was, literally, bursting with ideas. Study plans bubbled up inside, teaching methods I'd never thought to use before ached to be put to use, and--and--and--and-- Shaking my head, I laughed. "This is really what it feels like?" I asked. "What it feels like to have a cutie mark?"
"Cutie marks are pretty good, but what you're feeling is your talent. Talents are not always tied to cutie marks closely. Ponies typically discover their talent first, then get their cutie mark when they give it a good workout." Flurry set all my material in a neat pile for me to grab. "So, Clair, what now?"
"I'm going to go home, right now, and--" I shook my head. "No, Philip won't be home until later. Would you like to go out and get coffee?"
"I wouldn't say no. Anywhere in particular?"
Picking up the papers, I slipped them into my saddlebag. "Honestly? Anywhere would be great."
It was hard to focus on anything else. I know I was talking a lot, but Flurry seemed fine to listen and even egged me on. The coffee probably didn't help either, but I was feeling on top of the world--and couldn't stop saying it.
"You're more talkative than normal, Clair. Really feeling that new cutie mark?" Flurry asked, using her magic to slice a delicate cake in half with her fork.
"I have so--much--energy!" My own cake lasted nearly ten seconds. "There are so many ideas rushing around in my head. I have a whole human lifetime of experience with which to teach, and a pony lifetime to spend teaching it."
"Don't sell yourself short, Clair, you still have plenty of time to learn new things as a pony."
I wanted to scoff, but she was absolutely correct. I had no idea what the next hundred years would hold for me. One. Hundred. Years. That those words could fit so easily together was a sign I was maybe a little more pony now than human, but there are moments when I still think of myself in my mid-seventies and think that's old.
The chat with Flurry helped to burn off a little of my manic energy. The walk home had me prancing and bouncing along. I guess now I fully got what Philip and Saffron were talking about when they described their own cutie marks.
The most important question--the one right in the fore of my mind--was would anyone walking past want to know that I just got my cutie mark. It was such an ego trip that I struggled to pull back from the urge to shout out how happy I was.
I didn't, of course, but I did laugh and giggle every step of the way. I was almost to the front door when two pegasi landed--flanking me. I looked to see Saffron on one side and Sudden on the other. "Guess what?!" The urge overwhelmed all attempts at me to stop it and had, apparently, taken over my mouth, my emotions, and was doing a good job of making me not care one bit. "I got my cutie mark!"
Both of them flapped their wings in excitement, each backing off a bit to look at--well, they were looking at my hips.
"A book?" Saffron asked.
"Light coming from it. Teaching?" Sudden asked. When I nodded, she pumped a wing in glee. "Yes! You know, with all the crusading I did, I got to explore a lot of cutie marks and what they meant. I'm not as big a scholar about them as Twilight, but I think I'm a bit of an authority."
"We saw you dancing along all the way from the last street. Figured there had to be some good news." Now Saffron jumped back toward me and hugged me with both wings. "Has Riley gotten hers yet?"
A new urge took me. I found an irresistible need to tell them both how I got it, but I couldn't just give an abridged version--I had to tell them everything. "Well, it was actually one of your friends, Sudden, that helped Riley and myself in trying to get our cutie marks--Sweetie Belle."
Sudden's eyes widened and she bounced on both her forelegs at the same time. "You have to tell her. She will be so excited she got to help."
"So, we made this list of things for me and Riley to try to get our cutie marks. We've been doing them well, though I still think asking trees to remain small and be bonsai is cheating, but it turned out mine wasn't even on the list!"
"Just like with us--the crusaders I mean." Sudden was grinning so wide I thought her face would split in too. "We tried so many things to get our cutie marks, even helped a lot of ponies get theirs, but our own ended up being something far more amazing."
I looked at her flank, though she was wearing a flight uniform that hid it. I racked my brain but couldn't remember what it was. She noticed and reached back, unzipping her flight suit to show me the shield with a wing on it. The shield, specifically, reminded me of Bloom and Sweetie's cutie marks. "You got similar marks?"
"Yup! We all got them at the same time, too. Mine has a wing, Sweetie's has a star and note on it, and Bloom's has an apple. You can kinda figure out why." She zipped her suit back up, the zip trailing up her spine to end under her mane.
Though I was still excited to talk about my cutie mark, I had to wonder if Philip would want to see me in one of those outfits. "Well, yours and Blooms I can figure out, and from what I heard a star was usually a sign of magic, but why does Professor Sweetie have a note on hers?"
"Well, it's mostly just that she likes to sing. The star could be her magic or it could be something else. Maybe she'll become a superstar musician in fifty years?" Shrugging and now more capable of movement, Sudden and Saffron escorted me the last few steps to the front door of my house.
Opening the door, I expected to enter and tell whomever was within the good news. Instead of that, I was hit in the breast by Riley crash-tackling me with a hug.
"Mom! Guess what? I got my cutie mark!" Riley's voice got higher and louder with each word until she was practically shrieking.
It took me two seconds to figure out what she meant and pick her up in a huge hug too. "What'd you get, kiddo?"
She had to work to squirm out of my hug, but when she did she turned to the side and showed off her cutie mark--which was quite the surprise. "I had a lot of fun with the skateboarding we did, so I wanted to do some more. Turns out I was really good at it when--" She blushed.
I ruffled her mane. "... when your mom wasn't holding you back?"
"You were doing good when you were trying it out," Riley said. Her efforts to defend my skateboarding were adorable but absolutely in vain. "When I got back on the board and just started trying things I remember seeing back on Earth, it just clicked and I--Well, I got a skateboard for a cutie mark."
"And I got a teaching cutie mark," I told her.
Riley froze in place and I swear she took the same few seconds as I did to process what'd been said before she started bouncing in place. "What?! Show it! Show it! Show it!" She timed her shouts with each bounce.
Her excitement was contagious, though it wasn't like I wasn't already excited to show it off. Turning, I smiled even wider as I showed her. "I was teaching Flurry about diplomacy, and when we did the last training session of the week, I got it."
That's when it sank-in. Apart from Golden, who was born here, all of us in the family that came from Earth now have cutie marks. Our old lives as humans are forever locked away from us. It sobered me for a few moments--long enough to realize this was an important moment in our lives. "We need to go out and celebrate this." Turning to Sudden and Saffron, I asked, "Would you like to join us?"
"We weren't planning on spend--" Saffron said, but Sudden elbowed him. "What?"
"Saf, this is a moment right here. All four of you that came from Earth just got your cutie marks." Sudden turned from my son with a grin. "We'll be there, but I need to go and get the Guard to send a message to let the commander know where I am."
Looking around as Sudden flew off, Saffron let out a sigh as he stepped into the house past Riley and myself. "I guess she's right. This is a big deal."
"So, where are we going?" Riley asked, prancing her way to the couch to sit down beside her brother. |
The Embassy | Epilogue | Clair Ree
Reporting-in to Princess Celestia on the state of Flurry's training, and conspicuously not wanting to mention anything about the other two. "Your Highness, I would like to report I have managed several of the tasks you set me. Princess Flurry Heart is as prepared for her first mission as I can make her."
"You used plural there, Clair. I assume you are counting your cutie mark as another of the tasks?" The princess, even with half her face hidden by her mane, had an expressive smile.
"Yes. I--I realize now what was missing and what I needed in my life. It seemed like something so silly couldn't have such an effect on my life, but now I can't help but think how every experience or bit of knowledge could be crafted into a teachable lesson. It would be terrifying if I didn't walk into this myself." That's when I realized all the Royal Guards in the room had nostalgic looks on their faces and even Celestia looked--well, she looked joyous. "Ma'am, I don't mean to pry, but how did you get your cutie mark?"
The room went silent, but if Celestia noticed, she didn't say anything about it. "It's a matter of history at this point. Books have been written about it, been copied, been copied again, and over and over. The original book--my journal--was written by a young mare who barely knew what the world was about.
"Things were different back then. The sun and moon--the real ones--had been shattered by something. All anypony knows of that is that it wasn't anything we did here." Celestia seemed to have settled into the story, her eyes not seeing me, the guardponies, or even the palace around us. "Star Swirl called together all the unicorns, all the pegasi, all the earth ponies--but especially Clover. Nopony understood the problem better, then or now.
"Clover and Clover alone came up with the plan to create a sun and moon, to direct them with magic, and to rescue the world from the growing darkness as she called it. There was a huge device that would control them, and that way it wouldn't require immense magic to be expended ever again. That was the hope.
"The machine exploded. Nopony was sure exactly what caused it, but we suspect that it was some kind of foul-play. A pony, we believe, rigged the machine to explode, stole an artifact, and then fled through the first portal. Clover headed after them.
"Bereft of the machine to control the moon and sun, Star Swirl and the unicorns organized a shift. Each quartet of unicorns, with Star Swirl to lead them, could move the sun and moon for no more than a week without burning out their magic, and it took a year and a day to recover.
"There wasn't enough unicorns. By the time fresh adults ran out, others volunteered to keep the sun and moon moving if only because it kept the world alive. They didn't perish from it, but there was a great depletion. The weakened unicorns would all return for another day, some managed a second, few a third, and I know of none that managed to assist for a fourth day with their magic intact afterward.
"Horns splintered, shattered, or just lost their spark. Still the unicorns worked to buy time for Clover to return and repair or build another machine.
"Luna, my sister, was in tears. Soon there would be no more unicorns in the world. The pegasi were terrified, knowing their clouds would freeze solid along with the rest of the air as the sun hides--or evaporate off and cook the nation with the sun present.
"But two earth ponies, young and strong, stood up and demanded to be allowed to try. One reached out, their will the only tool they had, to grasp the sun while the second did the same with the moon.
"I studied painting once, worked on it with all my spare time, just to be able to paint a portrait that captured Star Swirl's face when these two little earth pony fillies grew wings and horns and moved the great chariots across the sky."
My heart was beating like a drum to the cadence of her story. "The unicorns?"
"Having the first two alicorns earn their status at the same time created a wave of raw magic. It was the first time new magic had been created in history. As harmony radiated out from Luna and I, the unicorns found their horns repaired and their magic restored. Two little fillies from an earth pony village demanded the world not end--and it still hasn't." |
Dissonance | pre | As the sunset cast warm light through the room, Dewdrop broke out of his trancelike listening. We had burned through a good fifty pages in the afternoon, and the words echoed around my head, striking chords and tri-tones where his ideas touched my own. Dewdrop's stomach rumbled, and he suddenly exclaimed, "Oh, wow! We read straight through dinner time!"
He threw a small slip of parchment between the pages we had landed on, and slammed the book shut, setting it down on his pillow. "We'll just have to see what we can find. Most of the restaurants that offer leftovers for free should be closed by now."
Feeling his anxiousness radiating all about, I stepped off the bed, freeing him up to do the same. He gave a short "Come on!" and leapt out the window. I followed, and watched as some lights in a couple of buildings flickered out even as we flew by. He was flying low, looking about for opportunity, but as we passed plaza after plaza, his face grew more and more disappointed. Though the scents of food still drifted from the restaurants, the seats and tables were deserted, and the lights dimmed. Dewdrop would spare them a glance, but he did not slow down. He began to call back, "You see, this is why we stick to a schedule."
I was unsure whether he was berating me or himself. Regardless, I am certain the message was well-heard by both of us. His words were punctuated by the dimming of more lights all around us. He was beginning to slow down now, resignedly. The red of the sky was slowly being replaced by deep blue, with bright white light. He flew lower and lower, until he finally landed with a gust against the cold stone under his hooves. I followed suit, and he began to look between the darkened buildings with a look of concern. It could hardly help that my own stomach was beginning to turn over.
Dewdrop was at a slow canter now, and we began simply meandering through the streets. "What a bother," he said, "It's been a while since this has happened."
"What did you do last time?" I asked.
"Skipped dinner, but we already skipped lunch today for that book."
"Oh."
We passed an alleyway, where I spotted the warm light of a fire, next to which two stallions sat. Dewdrop did not even turn his eyes to look at them. "Why not ask them?" I asked.
"I don't really talk to the other homeless ponies, especially at night," He said matter-of-factly, "They keep to themselves, and I keep to myself,"
"What good does that do?" I asked.
"Weren't you ever told not to talk to strangers? I'm not a big pony, Mellownote, and I'm not a fan of flying away for my health."
He had a point. "Why did you talk to me, then?"
"You're different."
He did not bother to elaborate, and a silence pervaded the air. I wondered just what made me different, that he would find me worth making friends with. Maybe it was simply that I was new.
A second rumbling of my stomach broke my reflection, and I began to look around for some sort of option. Rising above many of the archways and colonnades lining streets was what I recognized as the granary. I pointed and asked, "What about there?"
"What?" Dewdrop stammered, "Oh, the granary. We don't have any money. Besides, I don't even know if anyone mans it at night."
He was so innocent, I felt guilty to have even suggested the place. Still I persisted, "I know, Dewdrop. We can just take a bit of wheat to last us through the night."
Dewdrop turned to face me, "You mean steal a bit of wheat."
"Well, yes."
He stopped for a moment, sweeping his head around for a panoramic of the city, and then lowered his head, "Fine. We'll check it out."
We wound around the wide streets without another word. As we passed by an alleyway, I saw another group of homeless ponies around a small fire. One offered me a smile, and I shot a nervous smile of my own back at him, but kept on with Dewdrop. The moon was frowning down upon us, glaring all over Canterlot with its pale light. I wondered if the mare in the moon was able to tell anyone of the things she saw late in the night, the two young ponies setting off under her light.
It was justified, was it not? The granary was meant to provide food for Canterlot's citizens, after all. After what I had gone through, did not fate owe me something, even just this slightest retribution?
We came upon the granary, and there wasn't a pony in sight. Dewdrop looked about nervously. He tested the handle on the door, which was expectedly stiff. "Well, there goes that idea."
"Wait," I asked, "didn't you have a lock-picking book in your little collection?"
Dewdrop flinched, "Yes."
"You've read it, right?"
"Fine, fine. You win."
He reached into a small bag he had slung around his neck, and fished out his picks. Fumbling around with them in his mouth, he pushed them into the lock and began shifting them ever-so-slightly. I kept looking on back and forth, but nothing presented itself to bother us on the cold night. With an audible "click," Dewdrop pushed the door open. It swung freely and silently, to my relief, and we walked in. The pale light filtered in through the doorway, and I picked out the bushels of wheat. Dewdrop followed behind and asked dolefully, "Couldn't we have just asked somepony?"
"Who, Dewdrop? Nopony is around."
A firm voice penetrated the air from behind us, and made my hair stand on edge and my wings buckle, "I beg to differ."
The two of us turned around in unison. In the doorway behind us, moonlight glinted off of golden armor, and lit up a deep red coat and short black mane. In one of his hooves was a long spear, with a black feather tied to the tip.
He looked between the two of us, eyes narrowed. Dewdrop was frozen in place, eyes wide and legs stiff. The guard eventually let his gaze settle on me. "We are at war, boys. The last thing this city needs are thieves."
The guard hefted his spear over his shoulder to point it at me, and I was forced to look into his eyes past its shaft. "You, how old are you?"
I was paralyzed, and it took me a moment to move my mouth to make words, "Eigh- Eighteen, sir."
"Any family?"
My ear twitched. "No."
The soldier smiled, "Good, you'll make a great addition to the army, then."
I stared incredulously at him for a moment, then shouted, "What?!"
His stone face showed ho sympathy, and I began to wish for even just a morsel of feeling in him. "We guards are cut thin already; we can't watch over some thieves. There will be plenty of men to watch you in the army."
Dewdrop shouted, "You can't do that!"
The guard turned to Dewdrop. "And why not?"
He stuttered for a few moments, then cast his head back down in defeat.
Noting the dejected look on Dewdrop's face almost victoriously, the guard turned back to me, "Your friend, how old is he?"
I was about to answer, but Dewdrop answered, "I'm eighteen."
The guard fired a piercing glance at him. "I did not ask you."
Dewdrop looked at me, his eyes casting his emphatic request at me through the light of the moon. I knew what he was trying to do. Even though we had only just met, though we were an odd fit, he did not want to leave me. There was something in me he saw, I knew now, something he thought was special. It was something he could not bear the world without, now that he had felt it.
He wanted to join me, and I understood that I wanted the same.
Narrowed eyes stared into mine now. "Well?" the guard persisted.
"Yes, he is eighteen," I finally said.
"He doesn't look it," the guard insisted.
"He's a runt," I said just as harshly, "What do you care?"
I could tell the soldier knew that I was lying. His eyes were stained with stiff skepticism, but he only said, "Very well. You will go together. Hooves. Now."
Dewdrop and I both offered our front left hooves, and he placed a clamp on each, attaching the other ends to his own back legs.
"Wings," he droned, pulling a short rope from one of his bags. The two of us flexed our wings, and he tied my wings to Dewdrop's. The whole time, I refused to take my accusing glare off of his eyes. He, in turn, refused to acknowledge it.
With the two of us effectively restrained, he started out of the door. We were forced to follow, as the chains pulled us forward. As we came out into the street once more, he commanded, "Shut the door."
Dewdrop turned sharply, grasping the handle with his mouth, and slammed it shut. The thud rang from the building, piercing the silence of night. The guard shot a derisive glance at Dewdrop, whose own eyes only showed defiance.
"Save it for the dragons, kid," the armored stallion said, and then yanked his right-back hoof forward, tugging the vexed colt out of his stance.
We began another long walk through the streets of Upper Canterlot. Its imposing, bright-colored buildings now felt to me like some sort of mockery, casting shadows over me even in the night. I glanced at Dewdrop, who had already lost his fervor, and now wore a look of pained resignation as he trod along with us. He noticed my scrutiny, and offered me a short smile. I returned my own, hoping it would reassure him. He lowered his head back down and looked at his front hooves.
I turned my gaze back to the stallion in front of us. Never before had I truly hated somepony, but this one had no feeling, no compassion. Was it only because he had caught us that I hated him? No, I thought, there was something that made me hate him in particular, that made my blood boil when he spoke, and made me itch to bind him in his own chains. It was his disposition. He could hardly care less about what would happen to Dewdrop and me. He just wanted us gone. He was a guard that did not stand for justice. I wondered just what good purpose he could serve in anypony's life with that sort of attitude.
Still, he was my captor. Why? Whose side was fate on? After all, I could hardly believe any of this to be coincidence. My life had fallen apart so perfectly and quickly. I thought about the teal colt next to me. Even with wings tied and a hoof in a chain, he would not recant his decision to join me. Why did fate tie us together?
The pale moon continued to shine above, watching as these two souls were led onto a new path, unlit by its rays. |
Dissonance | How to Destroy | Another new day. I was getting tired of them. They were going by faster than I could take them in, and so many new sights passed me by. The days were all slipping away, right out from under my hooves. There was simply no defense against time. I suppose it was only after I woke up on these new days that I realized that I had lived almost the exact same day for the entirety of my young life.
The sunrise was early; we were far enough off the ground for the sun to warm over our feathers and sleek coats without protest from the mountains around. By then, the stark silhouette of Canterlot's towers had long since disappeared behind us.
I craned my neck to look at the other pegasi that were flying with me. They carried on their faces solemn but determined looks, some paired with piercing eyes that cut into my own as I swept over them. On my right wing was Dewdrop, whose expression was indecipherable - his eyes set forward, and his face blank. Over his back was slung a small bag. I knew it to contain the book by Mighty Quill, and a tattered blanket. I had brought nothing with me, for the plain reason that I had nothing to bring.
The others around us, about sixteen pegasi, were late-coming volunteers. As far as I knew, they thought Dewdrop and me to be of the same nature as them: joining in the name of Celestia, hoping to defend their families and land.
And why wouldn't they? With the recent events, I thought I would more than happily kill dragons. I'm sure I looked the part of a soldier: scraggly, with an air of grim silence. However, I could hardly claim to be fighting for anything. I fought for what was no longer there, for something that fighting could not bring back.
As I think back, I believe I understood the inconsequence of my will for revenge, somewhere in my heart of hearts. Still, I entertained it, fed it. It was something to drive me forward, or in some direction. Anything was better than sitting still.
So I thought.
As the sun began to rise over the peaks, its light was cast over the verdant fields of the Foal Mountain Valley. Through a thin fog, I could see the camp we were moving towards. Small tents pockmarked the grass in reddish-tan rows. Plumes of smoke rose from inlets all around, turning the fog a darker grey. I shifted my ears about to catch the sound and hear a faint metallic clamor past the staggered wingbeats around. As we neared it, I tasted the foul air. The soldier leading us shouted back, "I would advise you all to get used to the smell of smoke."
We began our descent, and the grey mixture trailed at the edges of my wings where it was not already split by the soon-to-be soldiers in front of me. As we neared the camp, its activity came into focus. At what I figured to be the southeast edge, I could see a row of targets set up. Opposite to them, a line of unicorns stood with hooves planted widely and firmly into the earth, their horns aglow. Bright beams shot out from a few of them, scorching - and in one case disintegrating - their wooden targets. Other unicorns in the line looked far more strained, with beads of sweat trailing down their faces; their blasts were far more erratic, sometimes leaving the target unchanged, other times setting it aflame, and still other times blowing the entire targets apart, sending their charred fragments across the fields.
I shuddered.
We alighted down into a dugout area, where a single golden-clad pegasus stood in wait. After folding my wings, I lifted my head to look at him. His face was mostly obscured by his helmet: an old-fashioned full helm, complete with ornate silver trimming. Only his grey eyes were visible under the extravagant helmet. The shadows it cast made them seem miles deep. He surveyed the group before him, and then slowly, his gaze settled on Dewdrop, and narrowed. A voice echoed out from his helmet, unexpectedly smooth, given his broad build and countenance.
"Gentlemen."
The group snapped upright to attention, some of its members only just noticing the figure. Still the golden-clad stallion kept his gaze firmly on Dewdrop. The colt met his gaze, though I could see his distress in the contact. His eyes were wide, and he was in a tense stance, his back legs locked.
The masked stallion then looked at me. With the glance he told me that he knew Dewdrop was with me. He knew Dewdrop was not old enough to be a soldier. And in those harsh, accusing eyes . . .
I saw pain.
He broke the gaze and spoke once more to the group, "I am Bastion, your captain and instructor. I expect you to refer to me as 'Sir' or 'Captain.' No, I have not fought dragons before. However, I assure you all, I've fought many a battle more than you, and there is a simple rule to fighting. Can anypony here guess?"
He swept his eyes over the silent crowd, then answered himself, "If something can be known, it can be destroyed."
A pegasus behind me shifted his feathers uncomfortably. Bastion spared a glance at him, then turned around. "Follow me, men," he said, in a low tone that made my spine shiver. He walked slowly, feigning a relaxed gait. "Now," he said matter-of-factly, not bothering to turn to address his audience as we tromped behind him, "We have not been issued much time to train you all. Expect long days. Once you know the fundamentals, it'll all be practice."
* * *
I became what was called a stinger: a soldier whose job it was to take fate into hoof, and like a small child carelessly roll it around and play with it, bouncing it, testing it to its breaking point. My role was simple: fly in, and with sharp attachments on my front hooves, hurl myself at a dragon so quickly that it cannot respond, and punch holes in its armor-like scales through sheer momentum.
The pegasi as a race were typically regarded as direct-conflict soldiers against the dragons. After all, we could meet dragons in their own field. Unicorns could use magic to fight from the ground, and earth ponies could operate war machines, but we were essentially the front-line expendables. It was the card fate had dealt to us. There was nopony to blame for our lot. After all, we hadn't picked the fight. We were just pulled along for the ride, holding on for dear life, all the more dearly forfeit.
As for Dewdrop, his size was - quite thankfully and duly - minded. He was a barb shooter. He would have launcher contraptions attached to his sides - just under his wings - and it would be his job to be able hit a dragon with small, barbed bolts, even when both his squad as well as the dragon were all swooping through the air at once. It was a high-pressure, low-personal-risk sort of post, about as far out of harm's way as a pegasus could be. Of that, I was incredibly thankful.
I had quickly grown used to the smoke, as I had been advised. It came partly from the campfires, but mostly from earth pony forges, which always droned on the sounds of bellows, the hiss of freshly-made steam, and the harsh pang of metal against metal. The unforgiving grey vapor drifted over to me even now.
I scooped up three small clay discs - two blue, one red - into the folds of my feathers and wound up, spinning in a practiced dance, pivoting as quickly and broadly as I could while keeping balance. I gave a final push, and let the momentum shoot away the small quarries straight up into the air. They flew fairly close to each other; it'd be a tricky shot. A metallic whir came from above, followed by a sharp whistle that zipped by far overhead. I heard a solid "thud," and could see a bright gleam attach itself to a blue disc. As the discs fell back to the ground, I heard an exasperated sigh from above.
"Don't worry, Dewdrop. They make it trickier than the real thing so it'll seem easier when we're out on the field."
"Yeah, it'll be real easy once I've got a dragon trying to cook me," the teal-maned pegasus snorted in reply. He swooped down into my view, over to the discs. He looked woefully at the dart, then pinned its victim to the ground as he extracted it. He tossed the discs one-by-one to me with his mouth, and I wedged them back into my left wing. He loaded the dart back into his left launcher - the left was the one he most needed practice with - and swept himself back into the air in a gust that blew my mane back.
I readied my stance once more, but gave a slight twitch as I heard a jeer just ahead of me, from another pair training their barb shooting. "Bah, you got me!" a pegasus laughed, having seen his companion's bolt hit one of the blue discs.
I knew Dewdrop was watching them at the moment; I could feel it, and I seethed at the pair for making such a joke of the symbolism. I waited a moment, knowing it would take a bit for Dewdrop to regain focus on the task at hoof. A good two seconds passed, and I went through the same rehearsed movement, flinging the disks into the air. They flew in a wide spread; it was an easy shot to take.
But no shot was taken. The disks fell back down to the ground, gracious for a respite. I turned my eyes up, but there was only the blue sky to see. I swiveled around until I could see the muted-blue pegasus plodding back into the camp, head hung low.
I ran, scooping up the discs into my bag, and chasing after my friend, calling after, "Hey! Wait up!" As I caught up, I could see more clearly his watery eyes. "Dewdrop, let me help you!"
He stopped, and heaved a heavy, shaky sigh. "Mellownote," he said, barely audible, "I had a nightmare. A terrible nightmare."
Nightmare? We had only been at the camp for three days. He was almost sixteen years old; a bit old for nightmares to be bothering him, I thought. I nearly made a remark about it, but caught myself.
It was not only fear on Dewdrop's face. There was shame, the shame of not maturing fast enough to suit me. I halted myself, and instead asked, "What happened?"
"You don't want to hear it."
"If you tell it to somepony, it'll seem less real," I proposed.
"Not for my good, Mellownote," he said bitterly, "For yours." The last words, however whispered, rang through my head, dislodged my misconceptions, and made my heart skip two beats. As I looked at this poor colt, I found myself speechless.
"Do you still want to hear it?" he asked faintly.
I thought for a moment. I was more worried about putting Dewdrop at ease than soothing my own uncertainties. Still, the way he chose to preface it made me worry. How was he protecting me? I stopped myself before I could fully ponder that and answered, "Yes, I want to hear it."
Dewdrop began walking the perimeter of the camp, with me beside him.
"First, there was a blank white field."
I shivered to myself.
"It went on for an eternity. I was lost in it, but I saw you. You were coughing, sputtering something out. I tried to come and help you, but then the ground disappeared. We were falling, and my wings didn't work, and you had your eyes closed.
"We fell like that for so long, but it was still horrible all of the way down. When we finally hit the ground, there was a little candle between us. I tried to go over and wake you up, but the candle fell over on its own. When the flame hit the ground, fire appeared all around you. I- I watched you burn. I watched you . . . die."
He turned to me, his face the image of distress. He needed some sort of affirmation, but I could only think of my own dream of the empty field, how quickly his had dissolved. I frowned deeply, trying to discern the meaning of such a dream. I puzzled over the details: the empty space, the falling, the candle. It certainly was no comfort to hear that I was consumed by flames, either. Whether it was literal or figurative representation, I could not see it as anything but a dark and foreboding.
"Mellownote?"
I woke up out of my reverie. My hooves were planted firmly on the ground; I had stopped. Dewdrop had halted just ahead, his eyes still watery with longing for resolution. I recovered my slow trot and said, "The important thing is that it's just a dream. We're both still here for each other, right?"
He followed in stride and said, "Well, yeah, but I've never had any nightmare like that. Just the little childish ones with the monster chasing me, or something like that. This was different. It felt real, like it's still happening now. Have you had something like that? Where you woke up from a dream, but you feel like it's still happening?"
My step faltered a moment. It would only worry him more if I told him about my own dream. I had to skip over that bit. "Yes," I said slowly, "I have, but it was a long time ago. I don't remember what the dream was about anymore."
Dewdrop sighed, then asked gloomily, "It's not going to get better, is it?"
"What?"
"We're not even in battle yet. We're just training and I'm already losing it!"
"You are not losing it, Dewdrop," I affirmed, "You're just worried. It's alright to be worried. Everypony is worried around here."
"Are you?"
"I'm especially worried."
From the center of the camp came an incessant ringing from a small bell, coupled with a hearty shout, "Dinner's ready!"
Dewdrop's ears perked up, "Dinner sounds pretty nice."
I nodded. The very thought of food made hunger creep its way into my mind, rudely pressing its way past my concerns about Dewdrop. He seemed satisfied with my answer, at least for the time being, though, giving me a short smile that barely traced the edges of his lips. We started back towards a row of tents into the camp. From either side of us, soldiers-in-training began to file onto the path, many spotted with dirt and grime.
We were quickly at a standstill, halted a good distance away from the cooks' stand. Already, the salty, robust scent drifted over to me - vegetable stew. Although the cooking in the camp was typical, I was always hungry enough for it to be a fine cuisine.
Not that I had ever eaten fine cuisine.
The line sped along, and I was soon met by Colt Slaw, our illustrious single-order chef. I noticed that while his apron had done a fair job of protecting his body, his tan-haired face and light-brown mane were blotchy with the contents of the enormous pot - or cauldron, as I would call it - giving me a humorous preview of my meal: carrots, onions, green beans, corn, and potatoes in an exciting brown broth.
"Ho there, whatshisname and runt!"
I rolled my eyes. "At least Dewdrop doesn't still go by the name of 'Colt.'"
The chef feigned an appalled gasp, then chuckled. "So, what'll you be having, then?"
Dewdrop threw himself into the fray, "I'll have some apple pie with lemon tartlets!"
"Close enough!" shouted Colt Slaw, shoving two brim-full bowls towards us, which served to smear another coat of the stew on his booth. "You may have to use your imaginations a bit, but I'm sure I put what you're looking for in there somewhere! Next!"
The two of us trotted away from the stand and - out of an unspoken assent - set out towards the outskirts of the camp, our speech hindered by the bowls in our mouths. The forges had stopped their incessant noises for the short time it took for their workers to inhale their dinner, and the clangs, twangs, swooshes, and jeers of warriors in training had died out, if only for a moment. Mealtimes had become my favorite times of day, just for the luxury of silence.
The tents receded behind us in favor of the valley's rolling fields, pockmarked with wildflowers and holes from misfired barbs. We sat down, and Dewdrop seized the first word, "He calls me a runt."
"For stallions like Slaw, it's a term of endearment." I explained, "He's not looking to hurt you."
Dewdrop frowned. "Why would you use an insult as a name for somepony?"
"Well," I hesitated, trying to think, "I suppose it's just a way to joke around, among good friends."
"Colt Slaw isn't my friend," Dewdrop replied abruptly, "I haven't even known him three days."
"It only took one day for me," I prodded.
He rolled his eyes, "Come on, Mellownote. You're not the same."
"How ever not?" I scoffed in between slurps of my soup.
"For one," Dewdrop began, a sardonic bite creeping into his voice, "you're not some soup-spattered stallion sloshing gruel at me."
I snickered, "And here you are, moping about him calling you a runt!"
Dewdrop's smile morphed into an amusing mixture of shock, confusion, and realization. His mouth was left agape, and his ears flopped down. I watched amusedly as he stammered, trying to find justification for his mockery of the chef. Eventually, he adopted an indignant frown and spat out, "Well he started it!"
I let it go for the sake of Dewdrop's dignity. He had learned from his mistake already. He drained his bowl, perhaps to excuse his silence.
What the librarian had said was beginning to make sense to me. Dewdrop did not attract friendships, simply because he did not look very far for them. Instead, he let others come to him, prove themselves worthy of his companionship. With Dewdrop, first impressions were everything. How sleeping on cold cement marked me as worthy was beyond me.
Dewdrop gave a long sigh, having finished his stew. His eyes took on the same downcast look as before dinner. "You said you were worried," he began, "what are you worried about?"
I kept my eyes locked on his. "I worry about us. I worry about you. War isn't something young stallions like us should get into, even if we're dragged." I glanced over at a forge as it began to bellow smoke and resound with its metallic clamor. "I'm afraid it'll destroy us, Dewdrop."
"What about the others?"
I shook my head, "We can't worry for everyone, Dewdrop. It'll only break our hearts in the end. We watch out for each other, because we're all we have. All those others, they have something to come back to when it's over."
"We've got my place." Dewdrop piped up, "And when we get back, we'll have you singing on the streets until the princess herself hears you!"
I smiled. "Thanks, but I don't think that's what I'm meant to do."
"Then what do you think you're meant to do?" he asked, "I mean, you're a singer, aren't you? Shouldn't it be your dream to sing yourself up into those fancy Canterlot towers?"
Other forges began churning out their plague-like vapor, reinvigorating the swirling haze above the camp. I answered, "If every singer had that dream, we'd just be a big royal choir. Where'd the fun be in being a singer if, in the end, we all would be singing the same songs?"
I glanced down at Dewdrop's flank, but it was bare. I hadn't paid much attention to it, nor bothered him about it. He was very old not to have his mark, but I figured he already knew it. Reminding him might just frustrate him.
"I know," the teal-maned youth said, "you want to keep the conversation going, ask me what I dream about. Well, I don't know. I haven't really found a dream good enough to chase yet." He glanced down at his flank. "Then again, I'm sure you already guessed that."
I smiled, "Is that why you read all those books?"
Dewdrop nodded, allowing a trace of a grin to flicker on the edge of his mouth, "Yes. I think whatever my adventure's going to be, it'll be in a book somewhere. I just have to find the right book."
* * *
I had become used to the weight on my forehooves now. They gave me more momentum, so long as I could work up the force behind them. I was fast with them. Not the fastest, but more than fast enough to have a chance.
A unicorn below shouted something, though he was too far away for me to pick the exact wording up. Soon after, a cloud of red-glowing vapor zipped past me. This I was familiar with. I took off at an odd angle, losing sight of it for a moment: you could not put puncture force behind a pursuit. I needed a heavier impact. I cut a hard left as it veered right. I pulled about, and could see the cloud just entering my vision. I whipped back my wings and threw myself into a corkscrew, pointing my hooves - my weapons - straight for my target. It was mine, disintegrating about me as I flew straight through it. Even as I pierced my target, another glowing cloud zipped behind me. Heaving a gasp from the effort, I spun around in place and launched myself at it. The air tasted foul as I darted through my quarry. A third target zipped by, then a fourth, and fifth. I flew left, down, right, left, up, down, and around. With each breath, I wondered how such filthy air could keep me flying, could give me the strength for my next dash.
I gave a frustrated shout as I punched through another cloud. My ears twitched about, and my eyes scanned wildly for my next victim. However, I heard only a short murmur from below, and saw only the swirling mass of haze I had disturbed in my frantic flight.
I glided down, and saw that the two unicorns controlling the clouds were just as exhausted as I, with the same sweat dripping down their faces and the same bloodshot eyes aching for respite. Bastion, helmet and all, was also awaiting me on the ground, his emotion hidden behind the cold mask. His voice echoed out, "Nice work. I'd say you're just about ready for the real thing."
I shivered as I landed. The eyes that were shadowed behind the helmet scrutinized me. "Don't be so squeamish, son. You're fit as can be. I've made heroes out of far lesser talent than yours. Just trust me, and I'll make sure you and your friend get home without a scratch."
I gave him a questioning glance, and he indulged it, "Yes, I know your backgrounds. Doesn't matter much to me. You're both good in my book, so long as you follow my orders to the point." He paused a moment, glancing at the two unicorns, who were readying to train another stinger. "Another thing," he added, "I want you to watch over your friend. I've watched plenty of young stallions go down, and it'd hardly help me to watch another."
"I watch him well enough, sir," I replied, to which he gave a grunt and turned around to watch his next trainee.
I plodded off through the rows of black-stained reddish-tan tents towards mine. As I reached it, I drew one of its "door" flaps to the side to see Dewdrop sleeping on one of the small bed mats on the floor. I walked in and fell onto my own mat, to which my legs gave a thankful groan. The sun was just beginning to set, and fatigue was wearing away at my eyelids.
Indeed, the days were long, but I had a friend to weather them with. |
Dissonance | A Fiery Stormfront | A horn blared a bold note for morning. I started awake, groggy as usual. I looked over beside me to see Dewdrop turn his head up from his book, check the page number, and then close it. How he could manage mornings was beyond me. Even as I stood, I felt a few bones give an audible "pop," which warranted a smirk from the blue colt.
"Rise and shine, Mellownote," he chuckled.
"Right, that's happening," I scoffed.
Dewdrop flashed a smile at me and then turned around to pick up his barb shooter harness. I found my own stinger assemblies and put my forehooves in, craning my neck down to tighten the straps with my mouth. In-between my tasting of the rough leather straps, I glanced over at Dewdrop. In a fluid movement, he pulled his harness over himself, and began tightening his own straps in a rehearsed fashion.
I frowned for a moment, then returned to the fitting of my own armament. I unlocked the forward part of the mechanism, so I could walk with the beastly contraptions on. I took a couple of test steps in place, and the spikes swung around freely as I lifted them up. It was quite a bother to walk with them. If I was not careful, the spikes would swing under my hooves as I put them down, impale the ground, and almost inevitably cause me to trip.
Dewdrop threw on his bag, filled to the brim with his barbs, and we trotted out of the tent. I took off first into the air, and my companion followed behind. From above, we could see the other drowsy trainees filtering into the central area, wherein lay the glimmer of Bastion's helmet, along with the form of two other ponies beside it: the unicorn and Earth pony captains. Dewdrop and I lazily glided into the clearing, landed, and sat down in the pegasus section. While Bastion's expression was - as always - hidden behind his helm, the other two generals had adopted a graver expression than their usual stone faces. Their brows were deep-set, and the edges of their mouths turned down. I wondered whether Bastion wore the same emotion on his face under the mask, or if what lay behind was just as mask-like as his shimmering surface.
I was left in that wonder while the others in the camp crowded around. After a few days of watching the crowds during gathering times, I had estimated the camp to hold about one hundred and twenty to one hundred and fifty trainees, along with its trainers and chefs. The entire colorful assembly now crowded Dewdrop and me shoulder-to-shoulder, with hardly enough room to shift my hooves without jabbing either Dewdrop or the mare to my left. I sighed impatiently, warranting an annoyed look from the pony in front of me, whose neck I had just sent my fetid morning breath onto. I nearly apologized, but held my tongue to keep from sending my breath straight into the irritable pony's nose. After a second or two, he turned back around, and I heard a faint snort from Dewdrop.
After the entire crowd had settled, Bastion shouted, his voice bearing a metallic echo, "I am afraid that the training is over, soldiers. We have received word from Fillydelphia that we are needed to reinforce the regiment already stationed there. You all will pack up your tents and whatever belongings you have, and we will set off by noon. Pegasi will fly straight for Fillydelphia. Earth ponies and unicorns will follow behind through the Foal Mountain pass."
He paused for a moment, and a few murmurs drifted up from the crowd. The mare next to me shifted her wings around uncomfortably, prodding my ribs. The unicorn captain spoke up in a rough voice, "Take only what you need. Anything else slows us down. The pegasi are expected to arrive this evening, and the others tomorrow morning. We expect each of you to do your parts to reach that goal. Understood?"
A resounding "Yes sirs!" came in reply, and the gathering began to disband. Dewdrop and I waited a bit before we actually had enough room to take off, in which time I was unwittingly kicked in my forehooves, whipped with a tail, and slapped by three pairs of wings. Once I had enough space, I leapt up, and Dewdrop took the immediate freedom of space to leap after me. He did not falter anymore in flight. He was entirely accustomed to the launchers under his wings.
I frowned again at the thought. Was it good that he was adjusting so well? Should I want him to learn war? I wanted him to know what he needed to pull through with me, but to what point? At what cost? Dewdrop was all I had anymore. I had to keep him safe, not just in flesh, but in spirit as well. If I let the war mar him, I could never forgive myself.
But could I possibly keep him innocent? Such an effort, even then, seemed laughably futile. I suppose his innocence was something he was willing to lay down for me, this strange and gloomy pony. What did I sacrifice in return?
We landed by our tent, and I turned to Dewdrop, who was already starting to tug at the tent stakes with his teeth. "Dewdrop?" I prompted, and he paused his gnawing and looked up curiously, "Yeah?"
"Can I talk to you in the tent for a bit, before we take it down?"
"Oh, I guess so"
He ducked into the tent, and I followed behind, dropping down onto my bed mat and letting out an involuntary sigh. I noticed that even with his wings folded at his sides, the small launchers poked out from under them, glinting in the sunbeams that leaked through the tent's door flaps.
"Um," I began, silently berating myself for not thinking the talk all the way through, "I don't want this to be easy for you, you know."
Dewdrop tilted his head, "What? Barb shooting? But you helped me-"
"No," I interrupted, "not that in particular. Just war. I don't want you to get used to it."
I paused. Outside we could hear the bustle of the camp packing up. Dewdrop looked at his hooves, and I at mine for a moment before continuing, "Soon enough, we'll be out there, fending for each other. I. . ." I stuttered, "I just don't want you to lose yourself in it."
Dewdrop avoided my gaze for a few moments, leaving me tense and unsure, wondering if I had used the right words. He then lifted his head and spoke, "Only if you promise to do the same."
I smiled, and put my right hoof over my heart, "I promise." Dewdrop mimicked the motion, "Then I do too."
From outside, we heard a rough billowing of cascading cloth as a tent went down. Dewdrop's ears perked up, and he smiled, "Now can we take this tent down?"
I chuckled in reply then started to roll up my bed mat and blanket. Dewdrop did the same, and then stuffed the book and his blanket into his bag.
"You were reading the book alone this morning," I remarked.
"Oh, yeah," Dewdrop hesitated, "it's starting to make more sense to me, but I still want to keep reading it with you."
"All right."
He learned quickly, that much was certain. We took everything out of the tent, and pulled out the stakes, causing the thing to fall into a reddish-tan heap. Dewdrop gathered the support sticks while I folded the cloth, and soon enough, we were left with two bags for our beds, and one for the tent. I took up the tent and my bed onto my back, and Dewdrop handled his bed and bag of barbs, a book, and a blanket. All that was left of our little home was a spot of dirt slightly less trampled than the path that ran along it. I kicked a bit at the dust, and watched it float away on the wind.
"So that's it, then," I said, turning to Dewdrop, who had also taken to staring at the empty spot.
"Yep," he affirmed dully, "that's it."
Many others had already finished packing as well, and had headed towards the edge of the rapidly-dissolving camp. The two of us followed suit, trotting towards the congregation of pegasi, most of which were taking the time to secure their belongings for flight. I took two lengths of rope from a pile lying in the middle of the group and began tying up Dewdrop's bags under him. I looped the knots over his back, around, through, and-
"What do you think it'll look like?"
"What?"
Dewdrop persevered through my stalling, "Whenever you think about what our first battle will be, what do you picture in your head?"
He had a strange way of asking questions I could not prepare myself for. The question halted my hooves in midair, and I flapped my wings for balance a couple times before returning to the task at hand.
"I suppose I see the two of us together, watching out for each other. The rest is a swirling, fiery blur. Every once in a while, a dragon would emerge, and I would sting it, or you would hit it just in the right spot with a barb."
I had one knot firmly tied, and I went on to tie a second around his neck. He returned, "Isn't that a bit too perfect a vision?"
If I truly had a creator, he gave me no help in answering this poor colt. I stammered for a bit, then ended up firing back, "Should we look at reality instead?"
"You told me the other day to look towards the future, Mellownote. Now you seem just attached to the present as I was."
And just like that, Dewdrop's words became a hazy mirror, showing me a strange part of me I had not thought was visible. I could only gape at the colt's keen perception. He saw me, straight down to my core, and the question rose back up in my mind. This time, I posed it to him, "Dewdrop?"
"Yeah?"
"Why am I your first real friend?"
A ghost of a smile drifted across Dewdrop's face, followed by a frown of regret. "You aren't," he said, with a frail and wavering timbre creeping into his voice.
"But the librarian-"
"She didn't know me before I left the orphanage."
I felt a bitter mixture of emotion rise up. I felt glad that I was not the only friend Dewdrop ever had, but also guilty that I had brought it up so arrogantly, as if I were the only one worth his friendship.
He continued without my reply, starting to smile again now, "Her name was Felicity. She actually named herself that when she heard of the word. She just loved the sound of it. She was a unicorn, just a bit older than me, with a grey coat and blonde mane. She'd been with me before I could even remember."
I finished tying the knot, and began tying my own bags up to myself. Dewdrop kept on talking, occasionally holding down a knot while I pulled. "The others liked to pick on her, too. Her talent was simply being cheery, and they just chewed it up and spat it out. I can't quite blame them. Being abandoned by or deprived of the ones who are supposed to love you most . . . it's a bitter taste."
My ear twitched as I pulled the first knot over my back taut, and he added, ". . . but you already knew that."
I nodded, "Go on."
"She loved talking to me, though. She knew I felt the same as she; they picked on me because I didn't know my talent yet. I was the only one she could be happy around, and she was the only one who seemed to like me. She named me too, you know. They had called me Frailfeather, but she called me Dewdrop instead. She told me that I sparkled like how the grass sparkles in the morning."
"What happened to her?" I asked.
"The same thing that happens to any filly in an orphanage with the brightest smile. She was adopted one day, and I never saw her again. She was so excited. I was excited too, until the door closed behind her. Just like that, she was gone. I stayed for a couple of months afterward, but there wasn't anything left there for me. Felicity was gone, and I was left with a bunch of other ponies just as bitter as I was."
Dewdrop paused to pull the other knot taut around my shoulders and then continued, "At the time I found you, I had some happiness of my own to share, and you looked like you needed it. It didn't matter much that you were older, or more critical than most ponies I've met. You needed somepony."
He gave another pause, sizing me up, "Then you surprised me. You flew out and sat with me. I was confused at first. I wondered if you had somehow snuck a peek at me when I left the apple. You didn't say anything about that, though. You just sat there and watched with me, trying to find your other friend in the crowd. I found out you weren't all that different from me, although maybe a bit farther down your path than I was down mine. You had let all your guard down, left your mind exposed. It wasn't about pride or modesty with you. You're just as curious about who you are as I am. That's why you're my friend, Mellownote; you let me learn about you, and you want to learn about me."
The knots were tied, and we stood still for a moment. I was fixated on his clear green eyes, which reflected back the other side: a brilliant land, where we could make up our own destinies, free from fate's demanding grasp. Perhaps they were verdant plains or lush forestry, perhaps a pond viewed closely or the heart of a deep fire. There was indeed a vivid, hearth-like glow to them, made up of the young stallion's fantasy, the ideal.
A far-off call, laden with a metallic timbre, reached us, "To the skies!"
The two of us with the army of our company leapt up, and we were soon en route to the next battlefield.
* * *
The skyline of Phillydelphia was low, consisting mostly of its factories' smokestacks. I was hardly joyful to be reunited once again with their billowing product, greying once again what I had only known to be clear. The color black was painted over the ground surrounding the city, and in haphazard strokes through its center. It was a city of black and grey, despite the color of its inhabitants. Industry was at its heart, and the rest of the city, the housing surrounding the factories, and the ponies that filled them, seemed like an afterthought.
A beleaguered camp stretched around the beleaguered city. The reddish-tan tents were well-stained with the city's flying colors, and the same commotion that we had grown used to in the Foal Mountain valley - the sound of metal striking metal, the crackling of magic and weapon-fire, and the grinding of war machinery - welcomed us as we flew in. We were received warmly by a few other pegasi who were on their breaks, but otherwise, our arrival was simply a change of scenery. The dirt was still just as trampled, and the skies as grey.
When we landed, Bastion immediately walked over into a larger tent - most likely that of the other captains - leaving the rest of us to sit around for a while. Dewdrop and I were silent throughout, as we had been for the flight, both content with what we had already discovered of each other, mulling it over in our minds. We took short glances at our surroundings, although there was little of interest. I noted that the tents were in clusters, rather than our previous neat rows. A few more greetings were exchanged with passer-by soldiers, but our wait was mainly silent and still.
Finally, Bastion emerged with another older-looking stallion, and a scroll. His rough voice boomed, "You have all been assigned your squadrons. Those of you who are not filling vacancies in the squadrons already here will form your own. Find your partners and set up your tents with theirs."
The captain nailed his list to a wooden post next to the large tent, and we gathered around to read it. The crowd surged, then slowly thinned as new soldiers learned their assignments, until finally Dewdrop managed to weave in close enough to read the list, with me just a few feet behind in the thick crowd. When he found our names, he squirmed a bit in the middle of the crowd, then agitatedly shot up above them to escape. I followed suit and joined him.
"So?"
"We're together in 19th squadron," he said bluntly.
"Alright, good. How are we supposed to find them?" I wondered aloud.
Dewdrop looked around, then replied, "There don't seem to be any markers. We can just ask around."
I nodded, and started towards a nearby cluster of tents, where a tan-coated pegasus was building a fire pit. "Hey, a little help?" I called. The stallion glanced up at us, then asked, "What do you need?"
"Where's the camp for 19th squadron?" Dewdrop asked.
"Well, if I remember correctly, it's right under your hooves," he answered, snickering. "You two must be our new stinger and barb shooter. I'm Tinker."
"Oh. I'm Mellownote, and this is Dewdrop," I said, tilting my head towards my friend.
"Nice to meet you. You two both seem rather young to be out here," Tinker said, offering a hoof. I shook it, and answered, "As young as it gets, I suppose."
"The others are out right now, but you can set up your tent already. We'll all introduce ourselves at dinner."
I nodded and started tugging at my knots. The bags fell to the ground, and I unpacked the tent, laying it out to complete the circle of tents around the fire pit, in which Tinker was starting to burn some dry leaves to get a fire going. Dewdrop and I stomped the stakes into the ground, and then pushed up the middle supports. Within a few minutes, we had our tent set up with the sleeping bags inside it, ready for use. It stood out from the other tents in the circle, being yet unstained by the grey that loomed over the camp.
I looked up from our completed home to see that the sun was edging its way towards the horizon, streaking the grey clouds with golden-red linings. A bell rang far off, and Tinker departed saying, "I'll get dinner. You two make sure the fire keeps going."
We both sat and warmed ourselves at the fire. "What do you think?" I asked.
Dewdrop shrugged, "There's not much to go on right now. He seems nice enough."
I nodded, "We'll see at dinner, I guess."
We sat in silence a short while before a pair of voices began to rise above the bustle of the camp, approaching our cluster.
". . . and what I don't get is why we don't just up and strike back!" rang a feminine voice.
"We just don't have enough momentum yet. I'm sure that once we have enough power to drive forward, we'll make a push," said a stallion in reply.
Dewdrop's ears swiveled to catch the sound, and we both turned to face its source: a white mare with a bright red mane and tail, and a proud gait; and a leaf-green stallion with a bright yellow mane and tail, and kind eyes. They stopped as they came between the tents, and the stallion paid us notice, "Hey, look, the new guys are here."
The mare turned and looked us up and down, an intense, cutting scrutiny that made me squirm. A sudden silence pervaded the air as her pale grey eyes sent a deadly gaze at my own green eyes. I met the gaze reluctantly, trying my best to appear calm. As soon as her assault started, it ended, and she continued to walk forward with the stallion as she had been before, giving an expected remark, "You two look a bit young to be here."
I was becoming tired of the shallow observation, but the stallion butted in before I could respond, "So am I, but I turned out well enough, don't you think?"
The mare smiled, "Right, Sweetsprout. You're already a cold, merciless killer. You can't fool us with that cutie mark." She gave a playful slug to his shoulder, and he winced a bit before smiling.
I gave a cursory glance to the subject of interest: a pair of tulips just about to bloom on his grass-colored flank. The stallion, Sweetsprout, turned to us with a warm smile and said, "Pardon our belated introduction. I'm Sweetsprout, and this is Red Wake," he said, gesturing to the fiery mare, "What are your names?"
Dewdrop took the opportunity to speak up, "I'm Dewdrop, and this is Mellownote."
"Pleased to meet you," said Sweetsprout, as the two sat down around the fire. "Have you met Tinker yet?"
I answered this time, "Just a short greeting before he left to get dinner. He said we'd all chat later."
"Since Tinker already knows who we are, we can just introduce ourselves now," Sweetsprout said, "Do you want to start, Red?"
"No, no, Sprout. You're a lot better at first impressions. I'd just scare them off if I started," she said in reply, adopting a smile and rolling her eyes.
"Fine, then. I'm 19 years old, raised right here in Fillydelphia, where I run a flower shop. After a couple of dragons sent streaks of fire through the city, I thought it'd be better that I go than others who have families to watch over. So, I enlisted and met Tinker and Red. I'm a barb shooter, and I'm still waiting for my first battle."
Red Wake smiled, "He's A-okay in my book. Don't let those kind eyes fool you. He's quite a crack-shot. I'd let him try to shoot an apple off of my head, but that'd be a waste of an apple."
"What she means to say is she thinks she's got a pretty good apple working behind those sharp eyes," Sweetsprout shot back. Red Wake gave a snort in return.
"Always the humble one."
The soft thud of footsteps sounded behind us, and Tinker knelt down next to us, placing a metal pot of vegetable stew onto the fire. "Did I miss anything?" he asked.
"Just Sweetsprout's introduction," Red Wake replied, with a hasty tone, "I guess it's my turn. I'm from Canterlot, ex-royal guard, 24 years old. I'm good at fighting for others. The only reason I quit the guard was because they didn't want to trust me. Didn't like my personality, I guess. The moment I heard of the war, I saw a chance to go do something with myself, rather than just standing at doors, weapon over my shoulder. I could actually put my talents to use. So, I signed up. Your turn, Tinker."
Tinker smiled, "You were just itching to just be done with it, weren't you?"
Red Wake nodded in mock solemnity, "First impressions just aren't easy when your specialty is fighting. At least you and Sprout did something before enlisting. I just have one less thing to talk about, when talking about myself is hard enough."
The tan pony kept his knowing smile as he began, "I'm a blast-spearman on the lines, but outside of this mess, I'm an inventor. I grew up in Baltimare, where I have my home, along with all my little whatsits and doodads. Don't ask me about masterpieces, though. I haven't made anything extraordinary yet. Anyway, I chose to be here; I figured the more pegasi we have on the field, the less soldiers we'll be likely to lose. Just know that I'm trying to keep you all in mind."
I glanced at Dewdrop, who seemed to be relaxed enough. A faint smile touched his lips as he began his own introduction. "My name is Dewdrop. I'm a barb shooter, and I've been an orphan since before I remember, and I still don't know what I'm meant to do."
Red Wake cocked her head, "Really? Eighteen's quite the age to be looking for your talent." Dewdrop looked as if he were about to respond when she added, "Just promise me not to discover your talent is combat. You're too cute for it." Dewdrop paused for a moment, giving Red Wake a strange look, to which she turned an apathetic shrug. He made an effort to regain himself.
"It'll take me a bit to get used to you all. I'm not the most talkative pony out there. I'm always ready to help, though." Dewdrop finished with a warm, convincing smile, then nudged me.
"Oh," I fumbled. I had not been preparing my own words in anticipation, although it seemed like the others had not either. I started, trying to mimic a voice at ease, "My name is Mellownote. I'm from lower Canterlot."
Tinker's ears perked up, "Did you say lower Canterlot?"
"Er- yes"
"I thought lower Canterlot was wiped out," Red Wake added.
"Yes, it was," I managed to say firmly. I had acquired a somewhat defiant look in my eyes, I imagined. I was tired of letting the thought hurt me.
Meanwhile Sweetsprout wore a look of concern and pity - oh, pity - and asked solemnly, "Are you the only survivor?"
"Yes."
The leafy-coated stallion stared at the ground for a moment, then smiled a special smile. It was a warm, hopeful smile that managed to lift my head a couple of inches, and my spirit a couple of miles. The pity was gone. Sweetsprout looked straight into my eyes and uplifted me, "You're here, though, and I'm willing to bet your friends and family live on in you. So long as you're with us, they'll never be lost."
"I couldn't have said that nearly as well," Tinker added, "He's right; you've got us with you now."
I managed to smile, "Anyway, after that I wandered around upper Canterlot until I met Dewdrop here. We've been inseparable since. That's about it."
Red Wake tilted her head, "What brings you two to the battlefield, then? You both seem a bit tame."
I fumbled. If I told them the truth, we would lose their trust, which would put all of us in danger on the battlefield. I thought as quickly as I could, but Dewdrop answered first.
"Neither of us had anything to lose."
I held my tongue. There was a lot of truth in the statement for me, but he had a quaint life: one of simplicity. Did he not value his little home, which he had so proudly introduced me to? I wondered to myself whether he believed his own words.
"Well whatever the case, you have us now," said Tinker with bright, sparkling eyes, "We're all a family."
"In a cute, dysfunctional way," added Red Wake with a smirk.
I looked between them and asked, "Is there a head to this family?"
Sweetsprout nodded jovially, "Yes. As of right now, we have five."
"We seem to work better as a team," Red explained, "We're all important to each other's survival. There's not a single captain I've met that can make up a plan before a battle to take down a dragon. We take the battle as it comes, and we all watch out for each other."
"That reminds me," Tinker said, perking up, "If we're going into battle, we have to learn how to-"
A barbaric roar soared across the night sky and shattered Tinker's thought. The three exchanged glances with each other, then ran into their tents for their equipment. Dewdrop grabbed his bag of barbs and loaded his cannons. I rose into the air and flicked down the latches on my stingers, locking them firmly in place, ready for christening. The roar evolved into gouts of incredible, blinding light which threatened to bring back the ferocity of the sun, advancing in haphazard clouds, taunting our hopeful little hearths, "I will always shine brighter." |
Dissonance | Skies of Pitch | At times, I wondered whence the value of innocence was founded. When was it valuable to be oblivious, naive, blind? What makes a young mind purer? I have wondered without avail. I simply assumed it was fact. Dewdrop was innocent before, because he could never understand - through practice - the weight of his barbs. Little red discs did not stare back, did not bellow in pain, did not bleed. He was trained to shoot, not to kill. It was I who would be his mentor in the latter.
The rest of the squadron leapt up to join me, Tinker sporting a spear with a cannon-like attachment at its end, Sweetsprout a set of barb shooters, and Red Wake a rifle. Tinker sped ahead of the group and shouted back, "We're short on ground forces! Let's make up for it!"
With that, we sped off to the source of the gouts of flame, a strange notion that seemed to defy all forms of sense. There was an odd thundering sound that rolled over the plains. I looked for clouds, but saw none but the ever-present clouds of smoke over the city. I shook the thought out of my head, and focused on my flying.
We were on course to meet the dragons halfway, keeping them at hoof-length away from the city. The fiery streaks ceased for a moment, shrouding our attackers in shadow. Red Wake called back, "When we get in there, we stay together. We're only useful as a team! When in doubt, follow whoever you can, and never hover in place!" She craned her neck back around, just as the light from a far-off errant flame played across her mane, and lit up her fierce smile.
The dragons loomed closer and closer. There was hardly a half-mile between us now. The thundering grew louder, and as the moon cast its gaze over the battlefield, I made a frightening discovery. The light shimmered in the dragons' wings, and as we neared the front of the pack, I could see myriad shimmerings behind, which alone seemed to outnumber the stars, a brilliant and horrible shine that threatened to lure me into its strange beauty. It was not thunder that grew and assaulted my ears.
A bright green streak from an unseen source arced into the glinting mass, and another roar, keening and mournful pierced the night, and a much brighter arc of flame shot as furious rebuttal from the dragons. Tinker aimed his spear towards the mass and flicked a hammer on its end. A similar bright green arc flew out from the barrel on the end of the spear, obscuring the night in its emerald brilliance, for a moment outshining the moon and the dragons' brilliant scales. I saw a short glimmer where it struck, and knew it was a solid hit, but still no shadow had yet fallen from the glimmering mass. Tinker reached into one of his saddlebags and pulled out a small glowing orb, and loaded it into the end of his tool of reckoning. He shouted to nopony in particular, "No harm in trying!"
We were a mere 100 meters from them now, and Sweetsprout took the lead for a moment, banking so that we did not meet our armored foes head-on. Deafening roars and grave shouts saturated the night air, as our colorful amalgam met the shimmering, thundering shadow. As we entered the fray, the moon's light was blocked out, and I was found trusting only the flitting, hazy forms of my new comrades, soaring between massive forms that I could only get a glimpse , a shallow reflection from. We banked hard up and down to keep from getting caught in the mad blitz, though why we had thrown ourselves straight in was still a mystery to me.
Suddenly, a bright yellow arc leapt out from one of my teammates, illuminating on one side a pure white coat and a blood red mane, and the other an enormous eye, which was rent open unforgivingly by the savage beam. Sweetsprout and Tinker broke the dodging streak to assist the target that Red Wake had so cruelly marked. Dewdrop followed suit, and I started to circle the frightening form. From this piece of shadow emanated a somber cry, followed by a stream of purifying fire, aimed for Sweetsprout. The youth's vigor overcame the half-blind dragon, however, and Sweetsprout twisted and darted about, unsinged.
I was just watching, watching the others do their part to cut away at the dragon's defenses. Tinker was able to cut an oozing red streak down one of the dragon's wings. Sweetsprout sent a barb straight into the bridge of the dragon's shout. Dewdrop, like myself, seemed to be circling, like a rat too afraid to secure its meal. A harsh, feminine shout somehow reached my ears, "Whenever you two are ready!"
I gave a short glance at Dewdrop's face, as light from energy blasts and fire played across his wide eyes and his wide-open mouth. Better me than him. I did a corkscrew, arcing over the dragon's massive head, then threw myself forward in a practiced deadly grace, hooves forward, just a bit slack, ready for impact. I felt my first strike connect.
I first felt the force of death drain itself from my hooves, my stingers pulling from me the grim momentum. Death then left my knees, then my shoulders, leaving a heavy, burning ghost behind. It drained itself from my neck and my hips next, leaving them rigid in absolute shock, stiff in absolute terror. It continued on up to my jaws, the base of my wings, and my hind legs, which all twitched from the sudden absence of its driving force. Finally, death left my eyes, my wings, and my tail. My wings became those of a freed soul, my tail a black flame which had just flickered itself out. My eyes were what directed death to its latest arriver, as I stared helplessly on into the incredible profusion of red streaking out of the skin under the strange iridescent scales. My ears heard death's heralding call, a chorus of cracks under my hooves.
I closed my eyes, hoping that death was finished with me, and kicked myself up off of the dragon, extracting my stingers. I had struck it straight at the base of its skull. I reared and spun around for a second strike, but the dragon's wings had already stretched out limply. Our first shadow descended, leaving streaks of red water behind it. An alien voice echoed across the new void between us, "Nice hit! We have to keep moving!"
I shook my head, and whipped myself back into our little formation, with Red Wake in lead position. There was no longer a battlefront. There were only groups of pegasi engaged in the destruction of their own shadowy foe. Red Wake fired off another bright gold bolt, striking a dragon - which was already occupied with its own diminutive strike force - at the base of one of its wings. A cheer came from the formerly-occupied squadron as the crippled dragon could not help but spiral down to its inevitable demise. Red Wake gave the victorious cry of a hunter in reply.
"That's two, team!" shouted Sweetsprout.
We continued to dart between scenes of fire bathing small flitting shadows and bright beams sending light into the dimly-lit night. The constant flashing of battle had become my moonlight, my navigator, and I hoped to myself that perhaps the fire was but a clever illusion, casting the very shadows it seemed to burn. I would have liked to think that. I shut out the screams and yelps of the higher timbre, calling them whistlings of the wind through a multitude of desperate wings. Sweetsprout marked our target this time, firing a barb at an even larger dragon than we had faced before, its head alone approximating five times my body size. The diminutive dart found its way into the shadow's wing, but did little to affect the massive thing's path.
The group split off into every direction around the dragon, beginning our morbid loops of death. I turned myself downwards, soaring under the dragon's underbelly. I saw the flashes of a few of Red Wake's rifle shots and one of Tinker's green blasts, but not where they had struck the beast. I flew under him, and then behind, where I took my opportunity with the dragon's back turned towards me, and propelled myself forward with a vindictive flap of my wings. I embedded my great metal enders into the dragon's lower spine, and saw that its scales were brilliantly white. It bellowed in pain, but death still did not pay the fiend its dues. I extracted myself as the dragon craned its neck over, twisting the rest of its body in turn to see his bold opponent. I avoided meeting its gaze, for fear it may be the last thing I ever saw, but flew straight for its head, hoping to give an additional strike to its lower jaw.
The dragon's head did not waver as it observed me, a small little speck advancing up its back. A desperate call echoed against its scales, "Watch out, Mellownote!"
I turned my eyes up into the dragon's abyssal mouth to see a short flickering. My eyes widened, taking in the foreboding beginnings of a flame that could drown the world in a cruel, scorching light. I tried to flick myself aside, using my experience with swift turns, but the dragon was fast for its size, angling around and craning his neck to keep me in his own deadly gaze. Seeing my efforts in vain, I decided there would be only one solution. I returned to my original course, looking the beast in the eyes this time. They presented to me nothing but an incredible depth, reaching down beyond the depths of the ocean, beyond the depth of space, deep into the unfathomable depth of the mind. Into those twin abysses I cast to him a promise, pointing my hooves forward.
I saw the embers begin to ignite into full glow, but a steel grey glint flew through the fray of our oaths, and into the dragon's maw, where it coated itself in embers, and continued on through the roof of the bright cavern. The incredible depths of the dragon's eyes grew hazy, and the flame that would be the world's reckoning flickered out. The last ember faded, and the great white shimmering beast became strangely limp. The wings ceased their additions to the thunder, and the diamond mass fell helplessly to the earth. I turned around to see the flickering light of battle play across the face of young Dewdrop. His eyes were wide, and his mouth slightly open, as if about to let out a terrible scream. His head slowly tilted down, following the dreadful form as it met the ground, and cloaked itself in a cloud of dust and dirt.
He had done it. Just as I had hardly a moment before, he had taken his chance. I had taught him. I had shown him, and he had learned.
Never before had I been more ashamed a teacher, as the day my student took my example.
A cheer from Tinker broke our trances, "Beautiful shot, Dewdrop!"
So it was beautiful.
Dewdrop shook his head, throwing out a stormy haze that I could see building in his eyes. He pulled another barb out of his bag, and loaded it into the empty launcher under his right wing. Without a word, he chased after the rest of the squadron, and I after him.
However, as I tried to focus on that flitting blue form, an incredible and omnipresent voice broke through all of the battle's uproar, "Fore!" I watched in a sense of confusion and awe as all around, pegasus vanguards dove down, away from their quarries. It did not register to me in that moment to do the same. I could only stare in a naive, pensive stupor.
A thunderclap and a lightning flash came to accommodate the thundering of the dragons' wings. Just as the flash dissipated in the night, a new deadly light, a new breed of fire took form no more than fifty metres away from me. The fire seemed eager to flee itself, cruelly illuminating its canvas: an impressively-bright set of mint-green scales. I watched the cruel consumer reach out further and further, until I saw it reflect off of two faint sparkles - through which I could see no indignation, no determination, only an incredible fear - which the fire then expunged, painting over it with its char black.
Just as the explosion had fully consumed the dragon, I felt a wave of heat, and an even stronger pulse of raw force knock me away from the cruel scene, kindly turning my head away. I flailed for a bit, tail over wing before I was able to stable myself once more.
But that blue blur was gone. My wings nearly locked, and my eyes grew wide, darting about desperately to catch sight of Dewdrop, but I could only see the other squadrons returning to their opponents. Then, just as the heat of the blast nearly died, it seemed to rekindle around me. For a split second, I felt it grow, until I realized it was gathering from behind me.
I had hovered still.
A primitive fear took over my body, and my wings finally did lock. I fell helplessly, tumbling down to see a glittering of shadow that even the flickering fires could not illuminate, save two burning yellow gems. They were cruel eyes, not like those of the dragon that had been consumed in the earth ponies' own deadly flames. I could not look away from these, either; only stare into them, as they began stealing something from me, which I could not put a name to. I could feel my heart rate slow, and my eyes fade slowly until I closed them.
I felt the wind tousle my mane and tail, and pull my wings up. I tumbled over to face the wind that was rushing past, trying to make way. Behind me, another wave of heat gathered, preparing to extinguish me.
I smelled a mixture of fire powder and smoke, though the rushing air did its best to dilute it with its traces of purity.
I heard behind me a rumbling, growling tumult from the dragon's maw through the whistling of the wind around my ears and feathers, and the firing of countless bolts and beams, and cries of fear; I opened my mouth to join them, but could hear only a dry whimper.
I opened my eyes once more to see rolling plains, dimly lit by stray beams of moonlight. I wished to close them once more, as I grew closer and closer, but I could not. The wind rushed into my eyes, and tears streaked the fur around my eyes.
But there was something left; that night, I saw a different, happier ending. However distant, impossible it seemed, it was something neither the ground nor the fire behind me could offer. It was not release I sought any more. It was redemption.
I fought against my locked wings, slowly pulling them out against the rushing wind, causing me to wobble and tumble even more. The ground rushed closer, but I continued to rally against my own innate fears. I gave them a flap, two, and the ground began rushing under me, rather than towards me. A bright light and a wave of heat surged from behind, and I immediately swerved upwards, and dared not pause to look at the flames that devoured the air below, for they rose with me, hoping to snatch me up, illuminate me, then leave me extinguished. I darted left and right, and although the cruel light was able to singe the end of my tail before the eddies of wind carried it off, I eluded its cruel grip.
The gout of flame stopped, and I climbed desperately up, rushing to the fray, which had thinned considerably. The golden eyes behind were just as determined, though; I could still hear a vindictive whooshing of air just beyond my own desperate wingbeats. My wings and lungs began to ache, which only made me double my efforts, hoping to lose my fatigue in the deathly race. I broke into the fiery fray, darting helplessly between the battles. Yet still, the shadow wove its way through to pursue me. Another set of embers built up in its maw, and I had everywhere to run, but nowhere to hide. I craned my neck to look back and saw the purifying light build up in its throat, and it began to surge forward. I could only stare into the dazzling light.
It ignited, but not of the shadow's accord. Instead, a venom-green beam struck the embers, calling forth an incredible and brutal show of light, of which some flew from the mouth, most made jets from the nostrils, and the rest scorched the dragon's insides. The yellow eyes flickered for a moment, and another shadow - one of the blackest I had seen without its illuminating eyes - fell to the earth.
I spun around to see a familiar tan-coated and soot-smeared stallion, blast spear level with his eyes. A wisp of smoke trailed from the small cannon, and he loaded another green orb into the end. Tinker broke a smile as he jeered, "Making new friends?"
I heaved a sigh, "I think I have enough."
He gave me a short wink, then turned around and pushed off. I flew after him, dodging the trace bits of fire and stray beams that escaped the surrounding battles. The flashes and smoke made my eyes water, but I could not lose focus again. Soon enough, I could see white, blue, and green blurs circling a bright red dragon, which seemed just large and slow enough for them to continually evade. Without a thought, I pointed my hooves forward and threw a savage gust behind me. The dragon had not noticed me yet, but kept turning to try to face the swift red and white streak that was Red Wake. Before I knew it, I was careening towards the dragon's back, rather than its underbelly. I closed my eyes, and prepared for impact.
The impact came, but rather than feeling the familiar jarring against my shoulders, I felt a small bit of resistance, and then a loose dragging across the rest of my body. I felt strange, wet, and confused. Was I inside the dragon? Curiosity opened my eyes to see a clear night sky. I turned around to see and hear the great red beast roaring in pain, and Tinker staring at me, a baffled expression on his face. Sweetsprout stopped circling as the dragon held still, and fired a barb, which embedded itself into the base of the dragon's skull. The roar ceased, and the dragon began its long fall. As it drifted and tumbled, I could see a stallion-sized hole in the leathery membrane of one of its wings.
A wave of nausea overcame me, and my vision blurred. I gagged, but held it down, and tried to don a weak smile as I glided back to the group. As Dewdrop caught sight of me, he gave a radiant smile, which was shortly replaced by a grimace.
"Err. . . Are you all right, Mellownote?" Sweetsprout asked, his voice breaking a bit.
One last thunderclap tore through the night, and illuminated a dazzling green dragon, sending it reeling back, then helplessly tumbling down. A few cheers rose up from the pegasus soldiers. We had won.
"I'll be fine," I returned, hoping it was not a lie.
Red Wake gave me a friendly shove. "You'd better get cleaned up. You've got more red in your mane than I do."
I did not laugh. |
Dissonance | Laurels | "You just had to go through its wing," rang a young, irritated voice. An icy bucketful of water splashed unforgivingly over my back.
"Well, it's a lot more daunting to hit moving targets when you're the projectile, Dewdrop. I closed my eyes."
We were a few miles from the camp, out on the sandy shores of the Silver Sea, which lined all of eastern Equestria with rolling tides and pleasant foam and, as was made painfully clear to me, very cold water. Dewdrop glanced over at a distant glow that stretched around the sleeping Fillydelphia. "We could be having a good time with Tink and Red right now. Instead we're having the grossest little beach party even I could imagine."
I rolled my eyes. "Dewdrop, both of us have been in Canterlot our whole lives. You've never even seen a beach party."
Sweetsprout returned from the shoreline with another full pail and called out, "Don't worry about it, Dewdrop. It's an older crowd over there. We'd be out of place, probably blushing at all the stuff being said."
"It beats trying to rinse dragon's blood," Dewdrop retorted.
"Good point," Sweetsprout conceded, "Remind me again why you can't just take a swim in the ocean, Mellownote."
"I can hardly imagine the sea wants this blood any more than I do."
"Ugh, that stench!" Dewdrop groaned, "I wouldn't blame the sea. You're just lucky I'm your friend, Mellownote."
"I sure am," I scoffed with a mischievous smile, then rubbed his nose with one of my dripping red forehooves, to which Dewdrop reeled back a bit, his eyes crossed in complete horror and disgust at the red spot on his nose, then snatched the pail away from Sweetsprout, and threw out its frigid contents into my face. He then scrambled with his hooves to try to wipe off the stain.
"Now see," I said, after spitting out a few streams of salt water, "that didn't help get it off. You would have been better off dunking water on your own head!"
"Gah! Now I'll never get this smell out of my nose!" called out a distressed Dewdrop. He seemed a bit too preoccupied, scrambling to splash more water on his nose, to have even heard me. I decided it would be a lesson for a later time.
"Anyway," I continued back to the prior discussion, "Sprout's right. All those soldiers will be drinking in either merriment or sorrow. I'd much rather be out here, where the only things we have to worry about are a stain and a stench."
"Hay, I'm just glad we all got out without a scratch," Sweetsprout proclaimed as he took another pail into his mouth, "Well, a few singed hairs for Mellownote, but otherwise . . ."
"Dragon's blood and singed hair?" Dewdrop exclaimed, "I think those dragons are just out to make you the worst-smelling stallion alive, Mellow."
Sweetsprout threw another bucketful of water on my back, and the red washed out to reveal a pure dark grey. "There, all gone. Take a swim, Mellownote, or you'll never get that stench out. I'll go back and cook dinner the rest of the way." He paused, then turned and asked Dewdrop, "Do you want to come with me, or stay with Mellownote?"
"I'll stick with Mellownote. We'll meet you in camp."
Sweetsprout nodded with a smile, then took off towards the hearth-like glow of the camp.
I plodded to the shore, hooves, knees, shoulders in the water. I heard other hoofsteps break the calm eddies behind me. I took a deep breath, then plunged my head into the starry black sea, for a moment listening, feeling my heartbeat - along with a fainter pulse behind me - feeling the currents tug at my mane, my tail, and that ever-present sound the sea makes, as if everything is rushing endlessly, tirelessly, to make the waves and tides, to mimic and distort the starry skies into something strange and unrecognizable, to cleanse the stench of blood in exchange for nought but a bitter taste.
To soothe the shock of battle, break down the strange pretense that was so boldly, willingly played, to whittle away at the black tinge collected in our coats, to carry traces of the moon's diligent yet inactive watch, to roll the coarse sand back and forth around our hooves, to wash away blood after blood after blood, the ocean did rush.
I rose out, gasping at first, but my ears kept on listening as before and, faintly, heard soft sobbing behind. I turned around to see Dewdrop, head bowed low, eyes watching the cold water flow around, though his stare went far beyond the sea. He lifted his head to look at me, and the moonlight revealed the twin streams below his eyes.
"It was all over you, Mellownote."
"Better me than you."
Dewdrop almost seemed to smile, before he was overcome, sobbing hopelessly. I trudged over to him, and helped him to the shore, my wing over his back. "Let it out."
We sat down in the wet sand, where the waves would occasionally tug at our hooves. Dewdrop's grief could hardly relent, and as he wept over my shoulder, I simply remained silent. I could not be weak anymore; I had to be strong for him, and yet every time I tried to form the beginning of some word, it was lost a moment later. Instead, Dewdrop spoke first, "I looked it in the eyes. Right as I shot it, I was looking into its eyes, and it didn't hate you or me; it was only afraid, in that last moment."
I remembered those deep black pits, but nothing of the fear he talked about. I had been looking into its maw for its final moments. Had it truly been afraid? I asked, "If he was afraid, why did he attack with them? Why didn't he leave?"
"Maybe . . ." Dewdrop began, in a near-whisper, "They all made him go with them." He paused for a moment, then asked, "Why don't we leave?"
"We'd be deserters, condemned to death."
There was a long silence, save for the rolling waters. Dewdrop did not cry any more, but I imagine that it was only because he had no tears left. Dewdrop spoke once again, "We've only started, and I'm wondering when it'll be over."
"It'll be over soon, Dewdrop. Just let the days go by, and we'll be out of this soon."
Dewdrop gazed at the moon, searching for something in the depiction of that dark mare. "Why us?"
"I was asking the same question right before I met you, and now you're getting pulled along with me. With the others, that makes five of us, all getting dragged, squirming into light or darkness; I can't tell."
"What do you think of them?" Dewdrop asked, hoping to distract the two of us from the thunder that still rolled through our minds.
"I don't know. They care for us, I think, but I don't know what to think of them yet."
"They're kind enough, but I don't think they're like us."
"And just what are we like?" I asked curiously.
"The two of us see something. I don't know what it is, what it does, but it's there, pushing us, leading us somewhere."
"Fate?" I suggested.
"I don't think She likes that name."
"She?"
"I think it's a She," Dewdrop explained, "and whoever She is, I think She's very sad."
"Why?"
"I'll tell you some other time, Mellownote. I think we're keeping Sweetsprout waiting."
With that, he stood up, and turned towards the soft glow of the camp. He spoke as he stretched his wings, "One day, we'll have to tell each other what we see, Mellownote. I'm still trying to figure it out."
I thought on his sentiment for a bit, then returned, "I'm still just opening my eyes."
* * *
Sweetsprout's ears perked up a bit in anticipation of our arrival, though his back was turned to us. Over the crackling fire before him rested a bubbling pot of stew. We alighted down into the ring of ruddy, sooty tents, and silently sat beside him.
"Good news, Mellow," Sweetsprout began, his eyes fixed on the fire, "I couldn't smell you coming."
I gave a soft chuckle. "That is some good news," I said, tapping the stew pot with the tip of my hoof, "And it looks like you've got another snippet of good news to come."
Sweetsprout smiled, "Yes, the stew's been done for a while now. Fetch a couple of bowls and we'll have at it."
Sweeping a few of the small wooden bowls into an upturned wing, I took the ladel in my mouth and poured out three bowls, although my wing shuddered at the stress, and a few drops found their way into my feathers. I winced for a moment, then slid my wing out from under the bowls before shaking it out at my side. The others took their meals silently, and I sat down once more, and ate.
It was delicious, of course, though I knew not if it were my taste buds or my stomach that told me so. The dinner was silent, so I assumed the Dewdrop and Sweetsprout agreed.
Although I cannot well describe how sustenance feels after a battle, I have a very close feeling that is far more understandable. Imagine being trapped in a mire for days. You finally find the edge, at which borders a beautiful field of the brightest wildflowers you've ever seen. The colors, the smells, the fresh air: all changes at once.
So it was all right to be silent. We all deserved a bit of silence, after all. There are moments when silence, perhaps apart from the sound of a crackling fire, is all that keeps your thoughts at bay, as if even the mind is afraid to raise its riots in fear of being heard.
The silence was not to last, though. It was never meant to. Soft hoofbeats and two shadowy forms approached from beyond the fire. Soon, a tired and worn voice reached us, "You all feeling right?"
I nodded slowly, as did Sweetsprout; Dewdrop merely stared on at them, though Tinker seemed not to notice. He and Red Wake sat down across from us, Tinker staring on into the fire, and Red Wake squinting a bit, trying to make out our expressions despite the leaping shadows.
"How was the party?" Dewdrop asked innocently.
Red Wake spoke this time, "Not that much of a party, really. Nopony could seem to get their minds off of the battle, whether they were spinning tales about how a dragon's flame missed them by just this much . . ." at which Red Wake gave a mocking impression, putting her forehooves up and slowly closing them together, ". . . or just staring off into the distance. Shellshocked."
Tinker had poured their meals meanwhile, and began to slurp his. After Red finished, he chose to change the subject, "So how was the beach?"
"Smelly," I answered, "But the water felt great."
He smiled at the reply, "I'll have to go there sometime. I could use a nice cool swim. Hell, I'd even like it cold."
"We could all go together, sometime when we're off-duty," Sweetsprout suggested.
"I'm up for a swim anytime!" Dewdrop chimed in.
"I'm in," Red Wake added inbetween gulps of stew, "How about you, Mellownote?"
"Of course," I said, "It's not like anypony has plans anyway."
Sweetsprout nodded, "It'll be good just to relax a bit."
He may have had more to say, but a new set of heavy, metallic hoofbeats approached from my left. A steel voice called out, "How fared 19th squadron?"
"5 soldiers, 10 wings, and 20 hooves, sir," rattled Tinker.
"That's the best report I've heard so far," Bastion remarked. I may have imagined a small glimmer in the grey eyes recessed within his helm, but I did not pay it notice. Already, the metal-coated captain had departed to continue his census.
The following silence was an abomination, slowly working through our minds the implications of Bastion's simple statement. We had flown in and out of the fray with but singed hairs. Like foals, we would dance and jump around a pit of fire, hoping, even expecting not to burn.
And why should we not burn? We kill as well as dragons do; we fought to the very last drop of ashen blood. We have brought our fires, our thunder, our scales, and our claws to battle. We were dragons in everything but size, which we made up in numbers.
"So," Tinker began, halting the tumult with a jarringly-soft word, "Is everypony . . . okay?"
I stared blankly into the fire. Not okay, but strong enough, maybe.
"Yes," I answered.
Sweetsprout nodded slowly. "I'll be fine in the morning."
"I'm fine," Red Wake muttered.
Some time passed before Dewdrop answered, "I don't think I'm okay, but I can figure it out."
"Well," Tinker said, a hint of sympathy in his visage, "we're all a team, and we're here for each other whether we're in the fire or around it."
A smirk grew on Red Wake's face. "Well, I'm glad we have somepony here that's good with words. I care about all of you too, but I'm just not an expert at showing it."
Sweetsprout nodded in mock solemnity. "We noticed."
I was the first to laugh, and the others immediately joined in. It felt real enough; perhaps I was fine after all. I wondered if it looked as real as it felt. The laughter subsided before I could wonder any further, though, and Red Wake gave a joyful sigh.
"I needed a laugh. Too many sad soldiers, serious soldiers," she paused for a moment, "drunk soldiers."
"Not everypony gets to be lucky," Dewdrop said.
"I know, I know," Red Wake answered, "I just wish we could forget that, just for one second; just between battles be happy and then be sad once it's all over with."
"Easier said than done," I returned.
"Yeah, well, at least I can. I guess it's just me," she murmured, almost to herself. She looked up to the sky for a moment, then spoke again, "It's late. We should all get some rest."
The decision was evidently unanimous. We all rose, Sweetsprout doused the fire, and we were all soon in the confines of our ruddy tents. I let myself fall onto my bedroll, and immediately felt soothing sleep wash over the uproar of troubled thoughts.
* * *
The morning was unforgiving. My body ached. My head ached. Even my eyes ached from the firelit night. My muscles screamed in protest as I moved my hooves to push myself up out of bed. As I stood, I could not help but release an audible groan. I dared not stretch my wings, bearing in mind the swift banks and dashes throughout the battle. I looked over to see Dewdrop's bed mat empty. I rubbed my eyes, then walked outside.
The sun struck me first, and mercilessly. The assault of midmorning light stopped me in my tracks, forcing me to lift a hoof against the dazzling beams. While I adjusted to the light, I breathed in what I recognized to be the scent of fresh fruit. I lowered my hoof to see Red Wake sitting next to the fire pit, eating an apple.
"Good morning," she said plainly, "breakfast is served if you want some." Not waiting for any confirmation, she opened a bag at her side, removed an apple, and tossed it to me. I wearily caught it, as she added, "Honeycrisp, too, if you'll believe it. I thought the generals already ate all the good stuff."
"Thanks," I mumbled, before biting into the apple. It was certainly as delicious as she made it up to be. I ate it in a few bites, and sat down quietly with Red Wake.
"Where are the others?" I asked.
"Dew and Sprout are out around camp, and I think Tinker's still asleep."
I cocked my head. "What are Dew and Sprout doing?"
"Not sure," she replied. "They were gone when I woke up, but I assume they're together. Dewdrop doesn't seem like the kind to go off on his own."
"You'd be surprised."
"You're kidding! The only other time I've seen you two apart was last night."
I opened my mouth to speak, but realized I did not have any sort of reply.
"He looks at you like you're a hero, Mellow. I've been saving lives for years, and nopony's ever looked at me like that. What did you do?"
"I'll tell you when I find out," I replied, a smile forming at the edge of my lips.
"Well, how did you two meet?"
"Believe it or not, Red, he took me in."
"I sure don't believe it. You're both kids!"
And yet as I told her more of our past week, and thus our entire history, her gaping mouth and wide eyes turned to a soft smile. The more I talked, the more unreal the story seemed to me, but I merely kept telling, and she seemed to listen well, occasionally nodding, or smiling at the few parts of Dewdrop's antics I had described.
"Well," she said after I finished, "I wouldn't believe you if I'd never seen the two of you together. I can't say I've ever had a friend like that."
If she was sad at her realization, she did not let it show. She just kept her smile, and stared at the ground for a while.
"So what's your story, then?" I asked.
"Hm?"
"Well, you said you were an ex-royal-guard."
"Oh, that story," she said, rolling her eyes. "I suppose I owe you a story, but this one's not nearly as charming."
"You see, when I joined the guard, I already had the cutie mark and everything, and I was ready to protect people. Royal guard should have been the perfect job for that, yeah? Well, instead of actually doing things, I was posted at venues to stand still and look tough. Here I was, chomping at the bit to make something of my skills, and yet whenever something important came up, nobody wanted me on the team!
"And you want to know what they trumped up when I asked about it? They said I had no self control! I don't know what sitting still means to them, but to me it means just looking tough, not actually helping somepony. So, since they just wanted to waste my skills standing at doors with a spear, I left. Protected a few important ponies around Canterlot for a while. Not glamorous, but at least everypony trusted me to do my job."
She opened her mouth several times, but seemed to imagine my replies to her unsaid statements, and shut her mouth before the words could escape. I was able to gather enough.
"So this war is the best thing to ever happen to you," I prompted.
She lowered her head for a moment, donning a self-deprecating smile. "Well, it's a place where I have simple orders, and nopony telling me to slow down, or sit still and pretty for the crowd. I'm actually doing something for once, and I feel like maybe by the end of this, people will look at me like I'm a hero. I'll have actually fought for something and someone. Just with you guys, I've helped out more than I ever did with the guard. So, yes. The instant I heard a whisper of war, I asked 'where,' not 'why.' I fit in here better than anywhere else I've tried."
Her face took on a reddish hue and her voice a harsh timbre as she spoke, and as she finished, she turned her icy gaze at the ground. I cautiously put an assuring hoof on her shoulder. "I, for one, am glad you're here."
It was one of the most sincere things I had ever managed to say.
Red Wake lifted her head up and smiled, "Thanks, Mellow." She sighed, took another bite of her apple, and her face returned to a calmer complexion, her voice to a mellower melody. "It'll take a bit more than a single other voice, or even a battalion, to convince m- them that I'm right."
"What, then?" I asked.
Silence.
"Maybe an army. I don't know," she admitted finally.
A long, exaggerated yawn escaped Tinker's tent, and a baggy-eyed, wild-maned stallion emerged. "Yeesh!" exclaimed Red, "You look like death, Tinker."
"A good-morning would suffice," Tinker grumbled, rubbing his eyes with a clumsy hoof.
"Good morning!" she teased.
"Ughhh." Tinker dropped down with a thud next to Red Wake, and she rolled an apple his way. He took a moment to stare at the apple blankly, then bit into it absentmindedly. His eyes were glazed over, and he stared off into the sky behind me. I shifted uncomfortably, but his gaze did not falter.
"Don't worry. Tink's just not a morning pony."
Tinker rallied a confirming "Mmmph" through the bits of a bite nearly too big for him to chew. When he was finished, he lay face-in-hooves for a while and asked, "So, how is everyone feeling?"
"Feeling fine," I replied. Aches and conversation so far had subdued any recollection of the night before, and I was just fine with that.
"Well-enough," Red Wake answered, "but I'll be bored soon, I think. You can only relax for so long and be happy about it."
"Speak for yourself, Red," Tinker returned jokingly, "I could relax all day. When I'm tired of relaxing, I'll take some time off and relax my relaxing a bit, then I'll get right back to relaxing again."
"I'm not sure whether to be jealous, or concerned." Red Wake smiled, and prodded Tinker with her forehoof, which made his baggy eyes widen for a moment, though besides looking confusedly at his side, he gave little reaction. "Just a bit more interactive than a rock," Red Wake concluded with an expectant gaze. Tinker merely grunted, and a wide grin spread across Red's face.
"Where are the others?" Tinker asked groggily.
"No idea," I answered, "I'm surprised Dew didn't wake me up."
"They're probably just roaming around the camp," Tinker said dismissively, "not that there's a whole lot to see."
I frowned. "I guess I'll go out and see what they're up to."
"By all means" was his reply.
So, I leapt up and - upon being reminded of my aches - let out an abrupt groan. I heard Red Wake's keen voice echo from behind, ". . . and don't hurt yourself!"
What a novel idea.
Despite my muscles' protest, I kept rising in hopes of a full view of the camp. The smoke from the forges, however, obscured the armada of coal-stained tents, forcing me to fly lower. As I lazily glided along, I was greeted with fleeting glimpses of familiar faces from the training camp, though marred with gashes from massive claws, or patterned red by gouts of flame. I had the wonderful relief of moving too fast to focus on any one for long, letting each face leave my mind as quickly as it entered my sight. They were not forgotten, only . . .
Ignored, I supposed. I ignored them. What were they to me, after all, than faces I could recall? I did not know them, nor did I notice how many of those familiar faces I did not see. They may as well have been an empty space. I felt a tinge of sympathy, perhaps, when I saw a burnt face or a mangled wing, but I knew, and they knew, my sympathy did not matter.
And I did not deserve to feel sorry for them. I could not feel their agony. In fact, if anything, I would only be a reminder to them of their own disfigurement. There I was, spotless, flitting lazily over the crippled, the mangled, and the bereaved. And yet on I flew, letting myself ignore them, letting them mingle into blurs. I even stopped letting my eyes focus on them, instead just searching for splotches of teal and green across my eyes' smudged canvas, my mind kept busy with a low, but wistful tune. By the time I caught sight of my companions, I found myself humming the chorus.
Dewdrop was bent over, kicking at the ground with a forehoof, while Sweetsprout was fishing something out of a saddlebag. I landed lightly, and asked, "What are you two up to?"
"Phhlantnn fhhlwrrs," was Sweetsprout's reply, through a mouthful of seeds. I shot Dewdrop an inquiring glance.
"We're planting flowers around the camp," Dewdrop clarified, while Sweetsprout began spitting individual seeds into the divots Dewdrop had made.
"Why?"
"It's something to do," he answered, "It's a bit more satisfying than sitting in a tent or shooting targets."
Having finished planting the seeds, Sweetsprout joined in. "It'll brighten the place up a bit, too, help freshen the air."
I took a deep breath, and immediately realized his point. The air stank of sweat and smoke, which had hitherto snuck just under my notice. I coughed a bit of the foul air out before commenting, "You know, that's not a bad idea."
Dewdrop smiled as he finished covering the seeds and said, "Help us out, then. There's plenty more to go."
So, I followed them to their next little stop, and dug alongside Dewdrop, and continued to do so for the rest of the day - Dewdrop was not kidding when he said there was more work to do - until we all had sore backs and dirt-coated hooves. Whenever I looked up at Dewdrop, a smile seemed to be edging its way onto his face.
And I found myself starting to smile with him. |
Dissonance | Back in the Saddle | We never did see those flowers bloom. I would miss those colors, that little hope for a single clean breath. Time goes on, however, and our foe does not wait for flowers to bloom.
The stinger blades dangled loosely from my forehooves, and light contrails followed my wings. That hazy blot slowly melded into the night's dark blanket behind us. A happy riddance, I thought.
I made an effort to adjust the metal plates over my back by shifting my shoulders, but the armor did not budge. I sighed in mild frustration - the plating would pinch my neck if I raised it, but my neck was slowly getting sore from keeping it pointed straight ahead. Although I did like the idea of armor, especially after going once into battle without it, the heavy, shifting plates were a tool of torment outside the battlefield.
I began to ponder just what the armor would do to help me. It would only cook me more evenly if I were drenched in fire. It might save me from a little claw-scrape, but not from a solid strike. Even steel cannot stop the vindictive force of a dragon's swipe. That just left me protection from friendly fire. It happens fairly quick. You go around to try and flank a dragon, and your squad-mate gets the guts to take a shot. Soon enough, you have a barb in your chest, or your face is half-melted by a blast bolt. As much as we would all have loved to worry about just the dragons, we had to watch our mates just as carefully. That is particularly where the 19th squadron excelled. No friendly fire. No casualties. Just a set of singed hairs.
And so, when Manehattan sent word of a battle going sour, the best squadrons were re-deployed. Gleaming new armor and some polish on our weapons, and we were in the sky. They even told us that we could leave our tents, that there would be tents already set up and waiting for our arrival. We just had to get there in a hurry. Even Bastion was redeployed, leaving the rest of his men under the generals' command.
Red Wake, just ahead, allowed a short gust to push her back, and I pushed forward to take our squadron's lead position. Ten gleaming 'V's there were, glinting in the moonlight. The wind was not in our favor, and it was evident from Red Wake's rhythmic panting that I would not be envied for the next thirty minutes of flight.
It might have been a beautiful night. Below were flowing, lazy hills, and to our right was the Silver Sea, over which hung dreary clouds that would block soft moonbeams from catching on our armor. The wind might have felt refreshing from the ground. Not a sound disturbed the night besides the clinking of our mail and plates, the buffeting of wind against our wings.
A quiet "What was that?" found its way to my ears in the soft timbre of Sweetsprout's voice. I turned my eyes away from the scenery to look straight ahead, but I only saw the dark sheets of a thin night's fog. I squinted a bit, but nothing offered itself up to my eyes. Blank. I called back, "What?"
"Nothing!" Sweetsprout shouted against the wind, though I do not think he believed it himself.
I kept my vigil of the sky ahead, but it remained blank. There were several things I could wish he had seen out there. I had almost begun to count them when the disturbance made itself known. For hardly a second, a dull orange leaked through the fog, and then disappeared. Some short murmurs sounded from the other squadrons. I set the locks into position on my stingers. Behind me, I heard a few soft clicks of barbs set snug in their launchers, and clips loaded into rifles.
The rest of the flight was a crucible of anxiety. The flares of orange became more frequent; those we had seen before were merely the brightest. Harsh shouts were exchanged between squadrons. A few made short jokes, but whether they were lost in the wind or in the ears of the soldiers, nopony laughed. Slowly, the silhouettes of Manehattan's iconic skyscrapers came into view, a few of them grimly backlit.
Bastion, who had taken the foremost position, craned his head to shout back.
"Soldiers, Manehattan is in the eye of a storm. You're with me right now because you are storm breakers! You are the soldiers chosen by Celestia herself to save our brothers and sisters. We will shatter that storm until it rains naught but dragons' blood! We will put an end to the fire and smoke. Tonight men, we raise the sun on our backs!"
For a moment, the moon's pure shine found its way through the seaward clouds, and shone off of his ghastly helmet, even giving a faint glow from behind the dark eye slits. He was fearsome. He was inspiring. He was a soldier.
By then, we had passed the last hill, and the landscape opened into wide and sparse plains. The battle quickly came into full detail. There were only ten or eleven dragons left, but I saw very few pegasus soldiers in the swarm. On the ground, only a handful of heavy batteries were still firing, and the few bursts of magic that arced up from the ground seemed futile against the dragons' onslaught. Many dragons had broken out of the swarm and begun to attack the city.
Guns were double-checked, barbs adjusted, stingers poised. The final stretch could never have passed us by slowly enough. I fantasized in those few last seconds that Bastion would call us back, let us live a while longer. Let our duty fade; the city was doomed anyway. Such a call never came, though.
Once more into the fray.
We broke formation, the front squadrons engaging the first dragons they could catch. The others followed behind me in a streamlike pattern, and I heard Tinker shout, "Pick us a good one!"
Like thread through the eye of a needle, and a needle through cloth, I weaved in and out of the swarm, looking for a suitable foe to mark, stingers forward. Dragon after dragon we passed in the writhing mass, only occasionally glimpsing a fellow soldier. Inbetween gusts from wingbeats and wanton claw swipes we flitted. Soon enough, the foe came. A brilliant purple-scaled dragon soared upward into my path, and I kept my course true.
I had held my breath, but it escaped me through sheer inertia. My legs came next, swinging forward into the spray of blood and striking the iridescent scales, even knocking a few loose. With the kick, I dislodged my blades, and gave a vicious wingbeat back, catching a few droplets of red in my feathers, and throwing me away from the fresh wound. It was a solid hit, straight in the belly, but not a single cry did the dragon utter. I gasped as I finally registered the shock that had travelled up my legs. So passed the first half-second of battle.
A vibrant red hue across my wings, bright like the orange curls I once knew. Once more into the fray, once more for her, once more for him, and once more again to avenge myself. White ribbons like the glow of the moon, up and down they bobbed, and once more into the purge. Attack and retreat, if only we could be destroyed.
What little my strikes did went unnoticed by the beast. There was a fury in its eyes, and our attack only gave it the appearance of righteousness in its rage. Bolts stung its scales, barbs stuck between the gaps, and yet the dragon showed no hint of pain; rather, a pure and bitter hatred flowed out amongst the brimstone of its maw. A deft swipe nearly destroyed the blood-red, snow-white blur, but she darted between its claws, and another yellow arc leapt into its belly, but not a flinch. Only a hot cleansing erupted from its jaws, and threatened to swallow Red Wake whole. It was my turn.
I swept in from the blind spot near its underbelly, and launched myself upward into the origin of the great blaze. My haste left me out of breath as I struck the pit of its lower jaw, and as I brought my back legs forward - or upward - to dislodge myself, I felt the awful fatigue ache over my body. I was still attached to the dragon. A searing pain shot up from the stinger spikes.
An impossible light, brighter than Celestia's own sun. Flames all across my vision, eyes open or shut, smoke made them bloodshot. The poor village below, doomed, with my precious Melody within. I am nothing. I am ash. Green eyes met fire, and turned a sickly, cracked black. Fire in my feathers, I am light. I am the sun. I am ash over ash over ash.
The metal on my hooves held a horrible orange glow, and finally burned away at enough of the glittering armor to finally loosen. I fell limply, looking back at my work to see two eyes of flame dripping deep red through the bottom of the dragon's jaws. The monstrous flame ended, and the eyes went dark, though a feral roar continued to stream out of the monster's mouth. I began to scream with it, for on my hooves hung two pieces of near-molten steel. I flew faster, hoping to cool them off, but I could only wait in anguish for the orange gleam to fade. A dragon has many ways to burn.
My eyes were wide in horror. I wished to release the mechanisms, but that would mean biting hot metal. I looked doubtfully at the stingers even as the fire took to my nerves and set my brain alight. A cry sounded from a teal-blue blur behind. Once more. Blood was colder than fire. Adrenaline and anguish powered the heavy strokes of my wings, and nought but the single thought resounded on the inside of my skull. Blood is colder than fire. The stingers found the front of the beast's shoulder, and alongside the anguish of crushing hot metal against my hooves came a hateful hiss and a reddish vapor. Even the blood of a dragon may boil. I kicked myself out, and was delighted to find that the glow was dying down. More bright streaks of yellow and green flew across my vision.
Rent from bliss. Rent from hope. So I will rend. Through my agony I avenge my agony, and through my hatred I cleanse. I am the dagger, send me true to the cold heart, and let the fire burst out over me. Let me burn, so I may burn. Better me than him. Better me than her. Better that I rend, and better that I hate, for I am the dagger, forged to kill.
Once more, and a strike to the spine, but only a chip of bone. I let out a scream. The metal was cool now, colder like the night. My roar was childish against the storm, and the blood streaked across my face. I bucked and flew out, but the dragon had hardly noticed my passion. Crimson streamed from the grim marks I had placed on him, and marring his opalescent purple scales were scores of black charred spots. The dragon continued its storm unabated, and fire still streamed from its jaws, pursuing a tan blur.
I shortly gasped for breath, but I had to keep up the assault. Otherwise, I was on the defensive, and the defensive was for all intents and purposes a sentence to unwillingly scattered ashes. "Once more," I urged my failing frame. A weak burst and hardly an inch into its side. Once more, and a glancing blow off its neck as it turned to see me. Once more and I missed entirely, swept aside by unforgiving thermals. The flames tailed me, now, and as I darted side to side, I realized that my body had lost the will to protest. I was numb, and more worrying than the ache of my joints and the burning of my forehooves was the absence thereof. My storm was abating, yet the dragon's was still in full swell. The deep flame held highlights of blue and green, and threatened to begin its poisonous bite on my tail. I felt my armor begin to heat up through the soft padding under the plates, and although I no longer had pain to gauge my limits, I kept on my serpentine course, and pushed on, awaiting the assistance of my squad mates.
The help came, in the form of a fleeting metallic glint and a teal-blue blur. The barb flew just over my shoulders from ahead of me, and I dove down to avoid whatever aftermath could follow. A roar shattered my focus and warred against my mind, and I felt like at any moment, my mind would lose hope, and break free of the doomed confines of my head. I felt the ache again, deep within my skull an unstable, unforgiving pain screamed with the serpent, and as I dumbly turned to face the beast, to see what could possibly have prompted its awful chorus, I felt like my wings could betray me, my eyes might close shut for my own good. If I could simply close my ears. At first, I saw no new mark, no special gleam besides the dragon's own scales. The fires stopped now, and the great winged serpent was in a morbid fury. It began to swing wildly its claws and massive tail, and the blurs of my mates above were having no easy time avoiding the onslaught. As the beast turned its own hurricane, I began to understand. A small red dot was forming in the center of one of its eyes, and the pair seemed no longer to work in tandem. Without a sense of depth, the only option left was its wild frenzy, in hope of gaining just a bit of momentum in the battle.
I doubted I could help at all against the frenzied movements that the dragon had adopted. It was likely I would miss, glance off, or get caught in its desperate strikes. Still, I had to try, if only to ease the pressure off the others. Once more into the fray, but the fray threatened to unwind me. I could just resist the treacherous eddies of wind that carried on behind the flailing limbs, and I found myself hopelessly joining the dragon's dance of death, endlessly waiting for my opportunity to strike. I felt profoundly alone in that storm. There was only one blur left: the hulking purple mass that threatened to break my bones in unison.
Guide blade, then strike. A dagger without momentum is merely sharp. There must be force behind to be deadly. A winding path it takes to make its new wound, through many hands shared blood. The moon's soft light is icy and sinister on the polished steel, and come what may, what man would blame the dagger for the crime? Come death, place thy warrant.
Muffled shouts, and the beast paused. I took my short chance and swept forward, the bolt of my own storm. I shot straight for the back of its neck, hoping that my efforts would not be repaid in a poor strike, not considering the lull. I connected, and with a vicious scream I trumpeted victory. My strike used up the entire length of my stinger blades, and I felt the wonderful ache of momentum leaving my bones upon a successful strike. I paused. Over the neck I could see the dragon give out one more savage strike, aimed for a familiar teal-blue. I noticed there were two deep red dots now, one in either eye. The massive claws made a bright moonlit streak through the air. A soft green streak swept down from above and gave a valiant push against my beloved teal blue, and the streaks connected.
Silver and green make red. Red deeper than the harvest moon and the rings of an eclipse, a red more bitter than a thorned rose. This was red's essence. This was not the red-and-orange of fire or the red-and-yellow-and-green of a field of wildflowers. This was life's red gleam, lit by the selfsame moonlight of the silver, and delivered in gaps behind. This was death's red ransom, carrying eulogy and legacy. The green-red comet arced down from its place among the silvery stars to meet the half-verdant plains below, and a blur of tan streaked after in pursuit.
Once more into the fray, against these obscene scales. I kicked off, and darted back in, and once more, as the dragon flailed miserably, blinded and lost. Once more, and once more, and once more, avenging blades for all, and no mercy for the murderer. The serpent was helpless now. It was mine to send to Tartarus. I screamed a shriek of victory and victory again, until I could feel the weight of its blood on my wings. It raised its head to give its last mournful keen, but I would give this beast no such honor. A sweep behind, and into the base of its skull I stabbed, accompanied by a barbaric howl. The bones snapped under the sting, and the embers of the roar flickered out. I kicked myself out, and the dragon began to fall lusterless to the Earth. The last of its violet stars twinkled out, and the air was freed of its storm.
I took five deep breaths, and blinked twice. The others began to soar down, towards a small tan, green, red dot down on the ground. I followed, and the ache began to register in full.
Ash, all ash, all charred and hopeless.
Tinker held and leaned over a poor mangled mess. Sweetsprout's body was contorted, its spine bent awry, and its back split open by massive trenches. The wings were cut off halfway, and their remnants shattered and frayed. A tan hoof reached out, and slowly closed the eyes, which had been open in utter terror, and the mouth, formerly agape in a silent shout. Tinker's coat and the grass around had been dyed red, though the bleeding, now, had stopped. The dented, rent-open set of armor rested uselessly on the ground beside.
"He was killed instantly," he said.
There was a chilling silence among us, and only the storm above - beginning to dwindle, now - leaked through. I could only stare at the young body, the kind eyes drawn shut. Dewdrop, meanwhile, became fixated on the ground just before the body. Tinker slowly placed Sweetsprout down. The green met the Earth, and I thought I would be lost.
No tears came. I had lost a friend, and yet I no longer felt my heart skip when I looked upon the awful mess. he was absolutely gone, and yet my eyes ran dry. I could only stare at it. I wanted to cry, if only to prove that I could, but I simply had no tears left.
"He told me before we left," Tinker almost whispered, "that he wanted to be buried with a seed near Fillydelphia, should this happen."
There was an awful pause, as we looked at our stricken friend. I felt a somber lament form in my heart before I could shape the words, "I will carry him."
Tinker nodded. "I too. Red, Dew, go on to camp."
Though they were reluctant to leave, the two seemed too defeated to protest, and - after we gave them our armor plates - left in silence. Tinker and I carefully wrapped the fallen Sweetsprout in his blankets, and began our trek back to his home. Though I might have liked to walk, to be more gentle, a soldier has not the time to waste. So, Tinker and I traded off flying with the shell of the young caregiver. It was no simple load, and I counted the simple blessing that I was not carrying my armor along with him.
As we travelled, a bitter sunrise came from the east. We remained in silence, a reverent flight that we simply could not put words to. When we reached the plains, and could see Fillydelphia's smoggy skyline in the distance, we landed. Our destination was met.
So he had anticipated it. I frowned bitterly, and began clawing at the ground with the stingers, leaving more streaks of blood in the soil. Tinker joined me, using his hooves to kick and push the dirt out of the pit I had started. Four hooves we dug, scoop by scoop, until there was enough room. Then, we gently lowered him in, pushed a bit of dirt over to cover him, placed an acorn in the center, and then filled the pit the rest of the way.
After we returned to camp, it occurred to me that Tinker seemed to be the only one who could find tears that night. Red Wake was distraught, but she shed no tears. Dewdrop seemed to be in shock, and I was found absolutely numb. The battle was over, and the 19th squadron had a casualty.
In burying Sweetsprout, we had ripped up the grass all around us, and red still stained that which remained.
The ribbons were lost now, caked in ash. Where once the sunny curls had bounced were scars and gashes, and so much ash. Ash like a light snow that was not cold. There was a notch, now, in the blade, where it had lost its gleam and edge, and was rendered less.
Though no tears came, mistake me not. It took everything I had to turn away from the mound that dreadful morn. Clouds of smoke billowed up from the sundered city of Manehattan, but it would survive. We were such victors, carrying stolid expressions in our city of ash. I had gathered his belongings, and carried his bags to camp. When we returned, Tinker and Red Wake engaged in their own quiet conversation. I turned to Dewdrop in our tent, who still kept his eyes on the ground.
"Do you want to talk, Dew?"
"I don't think I can right now."
"I'm ready when you think you can, all right?"
He nodded, "Thanks, Mellow. I. . ." he paused, "I just need to think for a long while. I can't feel anything right now. I know it'll come later."
"Just when you're ready. Don't rush anything."
And then we were both silent. The fires of morning slowly dissipated into a clear blue, though the clouds added their greys.
I could only imagine what had taken Dewdrop's mind. Sweetsprout paid a life for his, with only a few days' acquaintance. I wondered where the caring heart rested now, if it truly rested just below a seed, or if it had taken root itself, and made a greater tree.
I finally understood the heart of dawn. Dawn was for those who knew the night; the night is always blackest before dawn, just as the moon forsakes its land. I hoped they had dawn where Sweetsprout had gone. I hated this dawn.
Perhaps the most awful part of this world is that it goes on. We do not have time to take in our successes or losses, for a new day follows, and there is more to be done. The sun rises without regard for us, and the moon shines on whatever it will, with no conception of what is sacred. Time gives no solace to those truly in need. Time may heal, but it is a slow heal that stems merely from a grim acceptance, not a greater hope, or satisfying closure. Time heals our wounds by ignoring them. - Mighty Quill
When we reached camp, there were plenty of free tents ready for us. |
You Only Live Twice | pre | "Pretending I'm a puppy dog?" I cocked my head in my most puppy-esque manner.
"I-is that all?"
"Yes?" My head tilted a bit more so that the wall was now the floor.
"G-good" She still looked a bit flustered but calmed down significantly.
"Well?" I tapped a foot
"Well what?" It was her turn to cock her head.
"Will you teach me magic? I'll be your apprentice and junk." Twilight's eyes lit up at the prospect of having an apprentice. Her ears perked up and she started breathing quickly.
"YES!" Twilight almost said it before I finished.
"Great! What are you doing this evening?"
Author's Note: This stopped being about a self insert once I realized that I am too non-confrontational and boring. So this story is now about Ed as himself. Still has all my stuff though. I am going to focus on a slower world developing thing that will lead into an exploration into what sets ponies and humans apart (and it is not violence for once). Sorry for a late update. I'm super busy and life kinda crashed on me hard. In any case: comment and argue with me! |
You Only Live Twice | Of Men and Magic | Twilight took a while to set up the various magical paraphernalia to assess the extent of my magical ability. "Now I'm sure you have already done this in 'A-mare-i-ca' but I want to see the extent of your Mana reserves."
"Hold the phone! Mana? That is so awesome! Please tell me there are Mana potions!"
"You seriously don't know anything about magic do you?"
"Narp." Twilight facehoofed. "OK! Lets do this from the top!"
"I guess we have to" Twilight took a long breath. "Each unicorn has a specific amount of Mana within them. This reservoir replenishes over time, but the power of a single spell cannot surpass the amount of Mana inside the unicorn. as such, the more Mana a unicorn has, the more gifted they are in various schools of magic. Unicorns all have basic levitation as a spell, but tend to lean towards spells that directly effect their special talent. Speaking of which, what does your Cutie Mark represent?"
This was a lot to take in, but I think I understood it. However I had no clue what a Cutie thingie is.
I cocked my head in confusion. "Whats a Cutie-mabob?"
Twilight gave me a frustrated and confused look. "You know, your Cutie Mark. The oar on your flank."
"Thats what that is? I was really confused as to why that was there." I looked at my butt and lone behold there was the image of an oar. Why an oar? the last time I came in contact with an oar was..."Charon." I barley whispered his name. I swear I could hear him laughing somewhere on the Styx.
Twilight didn't quite catch what I said. "What did you say?"
"O-oh I was a ferryman before coming here." Twilight gave me a perturbed look.
"You keep saying this 'man' word instead of pony. Why?"
"Just a colloquialism. The Northwest is a strange place. But we should get back to the matter at hand." Twilight's eyes narrowed at the word 'hand'. "How do we see how much Mana I got?"
Twilight snapped out of her mulling. "Oh! Right! All you need to do is put your horn into this hole and the rest should take care of itself! And stop snickering!"
"But thats what she said!"
In any case I put my horn into what appeared to be a bowling ball crossed with a magic 8 ball. To my understanding, the amount of Mana I had would be displayed on the flat section. Oh gods I am excited.
With only a little more adieu, I stuck my horn in the bowling ball section and awaited Twilight's analysis.
Her smile turned from shocked to puzzled, to worried, and finally to sadness. "Ed.....I'm so sorry."
My stomach seemed to drop. "What is it?"
Twilight looked at the ground morosely before quietly saying, "I've never seen a unicorn with as little Mana as you do. I don't think you will ever do any magic more complex than telekinesis."
Well this sucks. Looks like magic ain't my gig. this is mostly dissappointing due to the fact that I wanted to become the most powerful Jedi unicorn ever. However there is a single silver thread in this. "I still have magic!"
Twilight was taken aback by this. She gave me a confused look with watery eyes. "but you can only cast telekinesis..."
"Tell me Twilight," I said, draping an arm-leg around her,"Does telekinesis require magic?" she nodded. "And as such, would that cause telekinesis to be a spell?" She nodded again, obviously not seeing where this was going. "Therefore," Pause for effect, "I can cast a spell and therefore have magic!"
Twilight gave me a warm smile. "I don't understand you, Ed. Most unicorns would be devastated."
"I am obviously not most unicorns."
She gave me a look that was a cross between being glad and... hunger?
"Shouldn't you be teaching me magic?"
"Oh! Right! Magic! Well," She cleared her throat, "Magic is Mana given form. The more form you give a spell, the less Mana is required to fuel it. think of it like spreading butter on toast. If you have a lot of butter, you can spread the butter around and cover everything and if you-"
"Have a thin slice of butter in the shape of your toast, there is less butter required." Twilight got a glimmer in her eye.
"Very good! now, lets focus on tapping into your Mana pool."
"Ok, as long as I don't have to tap my lands for it." She cocked her head. "I'll tell you later."
"In any case, magic is most easily influenced by our emotions. What I want you to do, and I am serious, is to think of something that makes you happy. And I mean really happy. You should feel something in your chest, and it should feel like it is moving." (Authors Note: This is real stuff. Like seriously, minus the magic part. Try it. It's crazy)
At first I thought she was going to give me a pair of green tights so that I could learn how to fly. This just seems so...fruity. Magic is about fireballs and magic missiles, not happy thoughts and friendship. Oh lawdy what a world it would be if friendship was magic. I suppose I should humor her and do it anyways. So I began to think of barbershop music.
And to my surprise I did feel something. It felt like discovering a new game is coming out and obsessing over every facet. It was the fanboy in all of us and I could feel it moving.
"Do you feel it?" I nodded. "Good, now take your hoof and trace where it is moving."
I pointed at my chest and followed a clockwise pattern the feeling was spinning in.
"Excellent. Now speed up your hoof." I did and was surprised that the feeling intensified as it sped up with my hand. I felt a bit jittery and out of place, but it certainly felt good. "You are doing great. Now slow back down and widen the circle."
To my surprise the feeling followed my hand-hoof. I started to trace the feeling up and down myself (I'm sure it looked a bit strange).
"I was about to tell you to do that! Outstanding! Now I want you to reverse directions."
The moment I went the other direction, the feeling turned sour. It felt somehow perverted, like going to a class that you forgot the assignment for. I didn't like it.
"Does it feel bad?" I nodded. "Good. That tells me we are working with your Mana and not your emotions. Spin it back around correctly and move the Mana to your horn."
To my surprise it worked. I mean really really worked! my horn was glowing an earthy forest green. This got me excited. The feeling in my chest was swelling again. And this is when I got an idea. I took my hand-hoof and brought that feeling to my horn as well. I must be getting the hang of this because my horn became quite bright. It is a good thing that it is in my blind spot or braille may become important to me.
Twilight seemed to become much more worried about my magic because she dove behind a couch. The feeling in my horn, while pleasant, seemed to want out. It was funneling to the tip of my horn in what felt like an amorphous blob I tried to keep it from escaping, but it felt like trying to keep a Newtonian fluid in my hands.
There was one more thing to note: releasing magic into the air is... inadvisable. The light off my horn expanded in all directions forming all sorts of waves. There were electromagnetic waves, sound waves,and shock waves.
I was thrown against the wall with a lot of force, knocking the wind out of me. the entire bookshelf seemed to dump and endless supply of books on top of me.
"Why did you do that!?" Sparkle angry. "You could have hurt yourself!" A purple aura snatched all of the books off of me and set them aside.
At this point I stopped listening to her. My head hurt like the dickens. I just curled into a ball and held my head. Twilight seemed concerned, but I couldn't really tell up from down. My headache lessened when Twilight did magic on my horn.
"Next time don't put all of your magic into a spell! Mana Burn is a serious condition!"
"W-w-whats Mana b-burn?" I said as I slowly shifted onto my four legs.
"It is where you expend all of your Mana in your Mana Pool and start absorbing it from the ambient Mana."
"Are you sure you haven't played MTG?" I was met with a confused look. "In any case I think I am going to turn in for the evening. The sun is going down and it feels like I've got a hangover."
As I approached my door, I noticed it was ajar. The issue was that I had closed it beforehand due to paranoia. When I got inside, I saw spike holding a large book. As I approached, I saw that it was, in fact, my old yearbook from my highschool days. Spike was looking at the page of seniors in the "A" section.
This would normally not have been an issue if my name hadn't been printed below a rather non-equine photo of pre-Styx Edward.
Spike stood frozen. When he heard my hoof-falls, he slowly looked up at me with fear in his eyes.
"Ά-Ά-Άνθρωπος!" (pronounced anthropos) He spoke as if speaking louder would awaken a sleeping beast.
"Say what?" Spike flinched at the sound of my voice.
"Anthropos! You are an anthropos!" He said, pointing at my old picture. The word rang a bell deep within me. This word kind of sounded like...
"Does that word have anything to do with anthropology?"
The study of humans.
Authors Notes:
This chapter was a blast to write. I LOVE to go into the details about a world. I have other plans for how Ed will use magic in creative ways. I also put a bit of drama into the story. Thought that it will make my story have some tension. I'll try to bring the rest of the characters in soon. I think he should at least know magic first.
In any case, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I certainly know I did. |
You Only Live Twice | Final Comments from the Author | It is with a heavy heart that I am cancelling this story. As I write, I realize that there is nothing to move the story forward. There is so much that I want to do to this story that simply cannot be done given what has been written. I have taken a lot of time to read many other HiE fics and have come to the discovery that, while actively trying to avoid "Gary Stu", that was exactly where this story was headed. I have re read the story over and over again and have concluded that it plays directly into "OC meets deity, moves in with Twilight, everybody wins, ???, profit."
There is a ray of sunshine in this cloudy day: I am replacing this story with another one that I am entitling "Equinetropy". I plan on it being a much darker (as in not sunshine and rainbows coming out the ears) and interesting writing style. I am planning on it being not from the point of view of the main character, but from several other characters who come in contact with the main guy. My inspiration is To Befriend the Night. I want to make this an unreliable narrator. It has always been a fascination of mine.
Therefore, I wish all of my readers the best in getting their HiE fix until I can get my next story up. Thank you for reading!
P.S. The results of the pendulum is as follows: one side of Equestria is denser than the other. The princesses rotate the planet, not move the stars. This is due to some mumbo-jumbo about it being harder to do things over distance squared. So both Ed and Twi were wrong.
P.P.S. I thought I was clever so thats why I wanted to post the results. |
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