Shiny Beam grimaced at the earth pony in front of him. Their eyes were battling, each pony attempting to find some weakness in the other’s gaze. The other pony's face was as sharp as a blade, a characteristic with which the pegasus was all too familiar.
The office they stood in was a mess. Shiny's boss had never been one to bother with strict organization; she preferred an organized chaos. Papers in thick stacks littered her desk; discarded story drafts filled the several trash bins scattered about the area. Shiny squinted, the light from the evening sun hitting his eyes through the large window behind his opponent. His boss took it as a sign of weakness and attacked.
"Another round of mediocre, self-serving crud you've turned in this week, Shiny." she said with disgust.
"Please don't insult my writing, Sky."
Sky stifled a laugh. "You've got to get some guts, kid! I've seen parasprites with more spunk than you!"
"Why don't you hire some then?" he replied, his voice thick with sarcasm.
Her gaze darkened further. "I wouldn't try so hard to put yourself out of a job, Shiny. You've done enough damage already."
"My story we ran last week squashed all the rumors about Quills and Sofas’ price gouging! There was a clear shortage of imported materials, and Davenport had to raise prices to cover costs!"
"True, but boring. I should not have expected so much from you. That story was a gold mine and you could have sucked it dry! But no, all we get is some droll explanation of supply and demand. Ponies don't read the paper to be informed, Mister Beam. They read to be entertained! They read for gossip!"
Shiny was beyond sick of Sky Seeker's ramblings on the subject. She had always directed her publication, The Ponyville Daily, with the idea that hearsay trumped truth. When he had first started working for her, it had been nothing short of a dream. He'd been passionate about writing for years, and this had been his first real opportunity to make something of it. That's the ideal with which he had begun his writing; each story was an adventure to him, a delving into the depths of society. His curiosity and ambition led him on exhaustive quests for facts... only facts. He would tell the true, complete story, good or bad; boring or exciting.
His practices had caused the friction between him and Sky. At first, she was very subtle:
"Oh, you should really add some of your conjecture in here; the readers won't be able to follow without it."
"My my, what do you suppose that means?"
"Hmm, I wonder who would have benefited most from this slip up?"
Shiny had thought little of it. He supposed they had different styles, nothing more. After the hints, however, she had begun dropping his stories without explanation. His articles would be replaced in favor of lower priority stories. Newer writers or guest columns would sometimes be included in his stead. Shiny had taken this as a comment on his ability to write, so he worked harder, spending more time editing and reviewing. The extra effort had paid off; his colleagues often complimented his progress and skill. His hard work had helped, for a while, until Sky had called him into her office. That was the day they had their first argument. It was the day Shiny had lost respect for her—respect, and a little hope as well. If she's been running the paper like this the entire time...
That was also what led Shiny Beam to her office... again.
"I'm not... I won't attack ponies on a whim!"
"A whim? Shiny, this world is far from perfect. I just want you to reveal that! Sure, Davenport may not have been price gouging for profits last week, but who knows what he's done in the past! Or what he'll do next week! You don't get to be owner of a respectable business without stepping on a few hooves!"
Shiny put his head down. He felt his face redden as a raging frustration burned inside. "And how well do you really know this town if you've gone around publishing stories about who you think these ponies are instead of whom they have shown themselves to be?"
"Your rusty idealism won't get you anywhere in this business, kid! You've only been doing this for two years and you talk like you already know everything!"
"Isn't that that point, Sky? I don't know everything."
She slammed a hoof on her desk. "It's like talking to a fluffing wall! I've had enough of your self-pity for today! Get out of my office!"
Shiny turned around and muddled out, slamming the door behind him.
"And you'd better have a bucking good story on my desk by next week or you're fired!"
Shiny lowered his head. Why can't she just let me write? My coworkers think my stories are good. Isn’t the point of a newspaper to report the news? That’s exactly what I’ve been doing!
He began to shuffle out of the office, listening to the sounds of activity around him. Some ponies were writing furiously, others running stacks of paper to and from the printers. Shiny even heard laughter as coworkers shared stories. I wonder how much longer I’ll be here. His mouth waned into a frown. He couldn’t afford to get fired over one little story. For whatever reason, however, Shiny wouldn’t let himself give in to Sky on this. I’m so stubborn! Stupidly stubborn! Is this really worth my job?
His job certainly in peril at this point, Shiny went over his options. The rent on his apartment was far too much to live off of savings. Shiny didn't have it in himself to ask his friends for a place to crash.
So many problems could be solved if I just let go of this ego.
He briefly considered moving back in with his parents. They’d looked after him so many years, and he’d shown he could live on his own… at least for a little while. They would be proud of him for that much, wouldn’t they? Perhaps they would let him stay until he could get back on his feet again. But would they understand?
Shiny noticed the noises had died down a bit. A group of ponies that were once laughing between themselves had stopped and most were facing Shiny. They must have heard the shouting, and wanted to see what sorry pony was on the receiving end. Shiny gazed back at them for a moment then turned away and quickened his pace. I wonder what’s going through their heads. Is it pity, or arrogance?
Shiny could hear Sky’s voice in his head: ‘Just like you to run away, kid! The whole lot of them are better at this than you! Best just to skip town and never show your face again!’
He trotted out the front doors, feeling tears well up as he faced the reality of the situation. There was no clear path ahead of him any more. The one thing he had been so sure about, so absolutely clear on, felt hollow now. His writing wasn’t helping anypony, least of all himself. Why can’t things just stay the same? Why can’t I just keep being the journalist I have? I don’t want to have to wonder where my future is heading!
Shiny felt like galloping away. He wanted to sprint through the streets until his legs gave out, to be as far away from Sky as possible. Instead, he picked his head up, picked a direction, and followed it. I won’t give her that satisfaction.
He wandered for several hours, trying everything to get the events from Sky’s office out of his head. He kept trotting, trying to keep his mind on his leg movement, his pace, his breathing and heart rate. The façade held until Shiny could trot no longer. Wheezing, he realized the excursion had taken quite a bit out of him. I can't keep going like this.
After a short break, Shiny decided to get his bearings and took a quick look around. It was dark now and at first glance, he had no idea where he had ended up.
There were several buildings close together around him. Metallic trash cans were scattered around, each filled with a black trash bag. Dark grey walls rose to either side of him. The alleyway even smelled dark. Shiny guessed he was somewhere near the marketplace; businesses usually put their trash in alleyways. A suspicion crept into his head and he looked upward. Huh... interesting that I ended up here, right below where—Suddenly, a sizzle interrupted his thoughts.
Shiny immediately turned around. It wasn't a hiss like soda, but electricity. It had sounded powerful. What was that? Is somepony casting magic back there? Did a circuit short out? His breath quickened as his eyes darted back and forth. He heard it again, louder this time. Could somepony be hurt? Somepony could have been electrocuted, or something could catch fire. I’ve got to find out what’s happening back there. He began to walk into the depth of the alley, scanning right and left. His heart began to beat faster. Shiny started to wonder if he should even be here. If it was something dangerous, he could be putting himself in harm’s way as well. It could also be nothing, just a trash bag whistling in the wind, or some toy that had been tossed out. Shiny smirked. Walking away from a curiosity like this was never the way he dealt with the unknown, and he definitely wasn’t going to start now.
He reached an intersection in the alleyways. The sizzle echoed throughout the alley again, making Shiny jump as his eyes snapped to the source of the sound. Shiny's eyes widened as he beheld a faint light coming from behind a stack of cardboard boxes. Possibilities raced through his mind. He'd never seen an anomaly give this kind of light and sound. The light hissed yet again. He grinned and took a step forward. A slight hesitation struck; somewhere, something in his mind was whispering that this might not be so prudent, but Shiny never listened to that voice. He continued toward the spectacle.
He passed the cardboard boxes and was finally able to look directly at the oddity. Shiny stared into the light, in awe. What in Equestria can this possibly be? Questions raced through his mind. How did it get here? Did somepony create it on purpose or is it natural? Has anypony else seen it? What does it do? He would certainly have to talk to the librarian about this. He heard she was an expert on magic, and this thing could be nothing but magical.
For once, the world outside the moment was lost to Shiny’s thoughts. Although he wasn’t paying attention to it at the time, a fire had ignited inside of him. One that had gone out a while ago, back when Sky first called him into her office. This strange thing, this improbable coincidence, had given it life again.
Lost in his musings, Shiny did not notice the light begin to change. It slowly became brighter; soon it hurt Shiny's eyes to keep looking at it. He squinted and halfway covered his eyes, determined to keep his attention on it. I wonder if it’s dangerous. Should I really be so close? He took a step back, and the anomaly began to give off heat. Shiny thought about what kinds of experiments he could run on it, or whether this light was merely a symptom of a larger event. The heat soon became unbearable, snapping him out of his thoughts. Wait...what is going on? Something is—
The light ignited into a great flame and quickly died out, taking Shiny with it. The alleyway was lonely once more.
*~~~*
Shiny Beam jumped backwards, but the light was no longer there. Neither were the boxes next to it. He looked around. Everything had disappeared. There was not a building in sight. All he could see were dark hills and plains, running back and forth along the horizon. Not even grass disturbed the smooth line of soil. Shiny squinted; he could see fairly far despite the dim light. He lowered his head to the ground and stared at it intently. The soil was not kind vegetation; it was a bit rocky and reflected the world around it. Shiny took a whiff of it... nothing. There was nothing to smell in the ground. He recoiled his head in confusion. Nothing at all? He took another look at the horizon. Where has everything gone? Where am I? And where is the— He looked up into the sky.
It was almost completely dark. He counted the stars; no more than a couple dozen. He looked for the sun, but what he saw was harrowing.
There were two large spheres hanging in the sky. One was the moon, plain as it had always been, though a bit fainter. But the sun... There's no way. That can't be the sun. The second sphere was smaller than the moon and burned a pure white. He looked straight at it. He soon realized his eyes weren’t straining like they typically would and Shiny immediately turned away from the appalling sight. What is going on?
He spread his wings to fly, but changed his mind. I want no part in that sky. That's not the sky; that's not my sky. And... oh Celestia, where are the clouds? He couldn't fly, so he ran. He galloped towards nothing, ignoring the protests his body gave. The rocky dirt was harsh on his hooves. The air was stale. The hills went on forever, but Shiny just kept going.
I'm running again...
A rock tripped him up, and he went sprawling down a hill. Rocks scraped up against his sides as he rolled. Dirt flew about, some of it sticking to and darkening Shiny’s coat. Pangs of pain struck his back and legs. After tumbling for several seconds, he came to the rest on his back. He stared up at the sky once again: the terrible, terrible sky. He was breathing harder than he ever had in his life. Am I going to starve to death? Die of thirst? Get swallowed by the ground? He slumped over to his side and lay there, trying to clear his head. He waited until his breath normalized and lay down properly on his belly. Shiny closed his eyes. I don't have much going for me here. I don't know where I am, where anypony else is, or what has happened to the sky. She was right about me. I’m hopeless. He opened his eyes. His mind began to wander, and just as it always did, it landed on a question: What happened? If I'm going to get anywhere, I need to find out what the hay is going on.
He stood up. His body was still aching from the burst of sprinting he put himself through. Before moving again, Shiny stretched his legs and wings. Wounds still fresh from the fall sent aches through his body. He looked back at his wings. It would be much quicker to fly, and I would get a better view. His eyes reluctantly went to the foreign sky. The moon and sun returned the glare, indifferent to his dilemma. Shiny grimaced, but took off all the same. Just keep your eyes on the ground.
The pegasus climbed quickly, looking toward the hills as much as possible. He could feel the air rushing past his face, but flying didn’t give him the relief it often did. It seemed awfully easy to ascend. Shiny stopped for a moment, then licked his hoof and stuck it out. The experiment confirmed his suspicions: there was no wind. How could he have missed that? There were no thermals to lift him up and no drafts to tear him off course. He missed it sorely.
After gaining significant height, Shiny ventured to inspect the horizon in earnest. All he saw were more plains, more dirt, more nothing. His wings almost stopped flapping right there. How? He could see miles and miles of desolation. Is this really what this entire world looks like? Is there truly no life? He exhaled sharply. I won't find out hovering here. Shiny sped forward. He had no idea what direction he was going, but directions didn't seem to matter anymore. There was just forward and backward, and he had no interest in the latter.
*~~~*
Shiny Beam had been flying over the desolate landscape for a minute before he spotted something. He froze. From where he was hovering, it looked like the light that had brought him to this world in the first place. He grinned with ecstasy and sped toward the light. Yes! I'll be back home in no time!
He soon realized it was not what it seemed; it flickered differently than the light he remembered and was much larger. He slowed his approach and cocked his head, peering at it with interest. Once he got fairly close to the light, he saw something else near it. This thing cast a long shadow, created by the light he now flew toward. He squinted. Is that... a pony?
Shiny decided to land a short ways from the light to get a good look at the figure near it. He couldn't tell for sure, but it certainly looked like a pony lying down. Keeping a cautious eye on the figure, he trotted forward toward the bonfire. It looked just like a great bonfire, only it was pure white, much like this world's sun. It also had no tinder to burn. I guess that makes sense; there are no trees around here.
"Have I finally lost it? Am I hallucinating? Do I see another member of ponykind approaching?"
Shiny started; the fire had distracted him. His attention moved to the figure. Shiny could make out four legs, a ratty mane and, adorning the other’s forehead, a horn.
"You move like pegasi I remember, but I suppose my mind wouldn't create a poor imitation."
His voice was surprisingly powerful, seemingly unaffected by age. There was a touch of smugness, or perhaps intellect, in it as well. Shiny couldn't tell if the unicorn was mocking him, or earnest in his own curiosity. The speaker continued to gaze at Shiny, content to lie where he was.
"Not much of a talker, huh? I don't expect you need to be though, I have plenty to say. Why don't you take a seat by my fire? I promise it won't burn and it is quite pleasant to look at, don't you think?"
Shiny took a spot several feet from the talker, not quite within leg's reach.
"Ah, a very sensible spot to sit! Not close enough for the crazy pony to possibly lash out, but nearby to the point you can read my expressions. You talk with strangers often then?"
Shiny's face went blank. He stared at the distance between them. I suppose that makes sense... I didn't even realize I did that.
The talker smiled. "Still staying quiet? Well, you can't blame a pony for trying to bring you into the conversation; It isn't much of one with only a single speaker." He leaned toward Shiny like he was sharing a secret. "I admit, I do have some practice with these."
He threw his head back and laughed, “I’m sure I sound a mite odd at the moment, but truly, mister pegasus, I am glad to have company. It has been long, far too long. My time here was not spent without its... regrets.”
Shiny just continued to stare at the unicorn. The speaker's coat was solid grey: not light, not dark. His mane, however... I have never seen a mane develop such age. It was dark in streaks, but mostly light grey. All of the hair tips were pure white several inches in. His horn was long and sharp, very similar to that of Princess Celestia. Shiny could make out two colors on the pony's flank, but he couldn't tell exactly what the cutie mark was. The pegasus unconsciously shifted his flank.
"It seems I'm undergoing a serious inspection now. Tell me, did I pass? No, no need to answer. It's odd how when there is no other pony to look at, the fine details of one's appearance become so important, isn't it? Ironic, really, since there are no ponies beyond the one to adore it!"
Shiny remained silent, giving only a raised eyebrow in reply.
"Finally, an actual reply! I'd say we could have ourselves a real back-and-forth in another few years! Say, since you've inspected me already, why don't I do the same? I hope you don't mind, I'm going to do mine aloud." The pony creaked his head back and forth. "Hmm, a pure white coat and yellow mane… a fairly short one at that. Perhaps you don't enjoy having to take care of it? I don't blame you, maintaining mine would be a nightmare if I bothered! Height: a little shorter than average, but your wings are large for your body size. I imagine you had a difficult time learning to fly with such disproportional appendages." He rested his head on a hoof briefly. "Your legs seem quite sturdy. Do you run often? I wouldn't expect a pegasus to exercise the legs much when you can just fly everywhere!"
Shiny scowled. 'Sturdy' legs, huh? 'Do you run often?'
"Ooh, it seems I've hit a touchy subject. I apologize for that. Now for the tail: slightly longer than average, yellow like the mane, and a bit frazzled. I was right about taking care of your hair, huh? Or have you just been tussling about recently? And that cutie mark." The speaker frowned. "I'm afraid I can't quite make it out from here. Care to put it to the light? I'm quite intrigued now."
Shiny rolled his eyes but obliged.
The speaker's eyes widened in awe for just a moment, but they quickly went back to a squint. "A light shining behind a blank parchment. A bit cryptic, don't you think? But then again, how does one put 'knowledge' in a picture? I imagine your talent has something to do with learning. Quite the lucky talent to have! I bet it helped you with learning to fly."
Shiny adjusted himself back to the position he first laid in. He was now much more intrigued by the unicorn. He's made so many judgments just by observing my physical appearance and reactions... and every one of them has been true. At least, mostly true. How many ponies has this one met? And how long has he been out here? His eyes dropped and he picked at the dirt in front of him. If he's been out here that long, then he hasn't found a way out.
"Something got under your skin? Don't worry about it. Here, there's nothing to worry about! The sun and moon will always be there, and the ground will not crumble beneath your feet. I do feel I need to take a break from all this talking, however. I've been silent for so long even a short conversation seems to have drained me a bit." The stallion lowered his head between his front hooves and closed his eyes.
Shiny Beam turned to the fire. I wonder what his special talent is. Analyzing other ponies, perhaps? Living a long time? He sneered. The ability to talk to himself?
He couldn't seem to decide what to make of the situation. The world he was now in was drear and lonely, but the unicorn at the fire with him seemed to be doing all right. The stallion was eccentric and talkative, certainly, but still had his wits about him. That's what worried him; the unicorn spoke as if Shiny would be here a while. Shiny had been looking for a way to learn more about this world, though, and this unicorn seemed like the only source of information for the foreseeable future. He let the silence linger a while longer before speaking up.
"What happened here?"
The unicorn perked up and smiled. "Finally got something to say, do you? I'm glad. As far as your question goes, well, I'm afraid it's not one you would enjoy hearing. Do you still wish for me to tell you what happened to Equestria?"
"Wait...do you mean to tell me that where we are now is what used to be Equestria? This isn't some neighboring world? I haven't been sent to some other dimension?"
He nodded. "The very same Equestria, once ruled by the alicorn sisters Celestia and Luna, residence of the Elements of Harmony... but home to ponies no more. It’s not exactly a cheery story.” He paused. “At least, for me, it is not.”
"The pain of a sad story is always worth it."
"A brave answer... but I never said the story was sad." The unicorn sat up on his rear and planted his front hooves. "The story, now." He cleared his throat. "Many years ago—"
"How many years ago?"
"Ah, I'm afraid I've lost count. It's been so long, the years seemed to have all come together. I remember my past as my past, but I couldn't give you an exact number. The sky was filled with stars, and the sun and moon didn't occupy the sky together. Back when ponies still controlled night and day, before they could travel the stars, when Canterlot was the seat of royality; that’s when my story begins. Life started for me in the Canterlot castle. I was born to Celestia's successor several years before the Sun Princess' own death. I was an oddity in that princesses rarely give birth to earth ponies. Sure, a princess would fall in love and have offspring, but I was the first in a long time to be born without wings or a horn. My mother was still a bit young for an alicorn, and fretted quite a bit when I was born. Celestia, as old as she was, was able to offer council, but was never physically capable of taking care of me. In retrospect, I suppose that was part of the reason my mother would panic so much. You have a teacher your whole life, and to know you're losing her when somepony like me is dropped on your lap?" He chuckled. "I can picture her running back and forth across the room, Celestia lying down in the background, trying to calm my mother as best as she could."
Beam looked intently at the speaking pony. Celestia's death? I didn't think the princess could ever die. Do alicorns really age? What else could have killed her? Born to a princess, but still within the lifetime of one I am familiar with: this story seems terribly improbable. He sighed. How does this even relate to the story of this world? I guess I'll have to be patient. He did say he was going somewhere with this.
"I had a fairly privileged upbringing, as you've probably discerned from my speech. I learned every subject I could fit into my head. I had a particularly strong interest in magic, even though I had no horn to cast with. My mother was a strong believer in education through reading. The teachers entrusted with my education knew this, and spent as much time as they could giving me hooves-on education. In the end, I was lucky enough to have a fairly balanced academic career.
"My biology confused the princess and her doctors a bit. They ran several tests on me when I was young; trying to figure out what exactly caused me to be born as I was. It could have been pure chance, for all they knew. Maybe I was just an unlucky foal to be born without a horn or wings. My mother would always tell me I was special, and my future was a mystery I could draw however I wanted. Secretly though, I think she too was worried something was wrong with me, like I had a genetic disease of some sort. She was ever the worrier."
Shiny laid his head down. I wish I had had a fleet of teachers working for me as a child. To be taught by a princess as well! This pony must have had an incredible capacity for learning. He looked at his own cutie mark. Makes my talent seem insignificant.
"The first significant event in my life was when I got my cutie mark. I got it quite late compared to other ponies. It was around the time my official schooling ended. I decided to celebrate my achievement with a trip to the more crowded areas of the royal city. I had rarely been outside the palace, and my mother had not let me venture far without an escort before. That night I was on my own. I happened to trot by a mare who was staring at a storefront. She was just sitting outside the window, looking intently inside. I was curious, and asked her what she saw; she didn't answer. I got closer to where I was sure she could see me and asked again. She remained silent.
"I was going to persist when I was tapped on the shoulder. I turned around and greeted the pony that got my attention. He told me I shouldn't pester the mute mare. When I asked why, the newcomer explained to me that the mare was sick, and could not acknowledge the world outside. I inquired about the sickness and whether a good doctor could help, but the other simply shook his head. He said it was incurable, and the mare would live a short, unremarkable life. Not even magic could help her. I turned back to the mare, and looked, really looked, into her eyes.
He leaned in. "Let me tell you, young pegasus, I have stared up at this sky many times. There are points in time when you cannot see the few stars that remain. At those times, when I stare into that black void, that chasm of reality: I see more there than was in that mare's gaze." The pony sat back up and his attention returned to the fire. "That was the first truly unjust moment I witnessed in my life with the understanding to comprehend it. Right there, I decided I would not let such an... imbalance... exist in Equestria. That's when my horn and this appeared."
He stood up and brought his flank toward the flame. Shiny Beam took a good look at the other's cutie mark. It was a picture of two circles of flame, one white and one black, each chasing the tail of the other. The colors were not normal though. The black was darker than any black Shiny had seen before. The shadow flame was an abyss; it seemed to absorb the world around it. The white, on the other hand, was impossibly clear. It hurt Shiny's eyes to look directly at it. The color seemed to emit a pure light of its own.
"So... what is your talent then? Did you become a policepony?"
The other shook his head. "No, my line of thought was never quite like that. I was thinking much bigger, much grander. You could say, in a way, it explains why I was born to a princess but never had a horn or wings. My special talent is to help other ponies. Vague, I know, but it's really the best way to describe it. My cutie mark represents the struggle between two opposing forces to defeat each other; perhaps they are good and evil, perhaps happiness and suffering. The actions I take seek to destroy pain and unhappiness. I am, symbolically, the white flame on my flank."
"Uh, what exactly makes it your talent? What makes it different from just another pony being kind to others?"
"Take the disease I encountered when I first got my cutie mark. No pony created it, it is not sentient, and it doesn't serve any other purpose but to create pain. My talent would allow me to aid research in the eradication of the disease and help diagnose those with it. I also may be able to take steps to prevent it from manifesting.
"Another example would be the damage caused by a natural thunderstorm, such as those created over the Everfree Forest. Again, it isn't sentient, is not created by ponies, and could directly cause sorrow. I could predict when such a storm is coming and help ponies evacuate the area or reinforce buildings to damage. In some cases, I would be able to alert the weather ponies and avert the storm altogether."
Shiny put a hoof to his chin in thought. An interesting talent, to say the least. It goes beyond a simple specialization in a certain area. This pony could effectively predict the future in some cases. Forget Mare-Do-Well, he could be a real superhero. He talks like he can only help certain ponies though...
"Are there conditions to your talent?"
The unicorn smiled. "Right to the heart of the matter. You're pretty sharp. Indeed, there are conditions on when my talent can help ponies."
"Wait, what do you mean by ‘the heart of the matter?'"
"When I first discovered my talent, I was ecstatic. I spend almost all of my time helping ponies in whatever way my talent would allow me to. It felt great to be a true force of good in a capacity not even the princesses could. My mother and Princess Luna were a bit shocked at first, but soon were quite happy with the development. However, I soon realized the limits to what my talent could do. It... frustrated me."
Something tells me that is an understatement.
"My talent cannot help me ease pain caused, whether directly or indirectly, by other ponies. I would see disaster or cruelty befall ponies I had seen the day before, and I couldn't understand why I wasn't allowed to help them as well. I also realized that no matter how much I did in my home city, there were innumerable other events of pain and sadness happening to ponies around Equestria. I could only be in one place at a time. That line of thought led me down a dark path for centuries. It was the origin of this... regret."
That's terrible. It's like the world was taunting him, giving him an incredible gift, then putting arbitrary conditions on it. Shiny studied the unicorn closely. His face was not contorted, his eyes were not angry, his breath was even. Whatever “dark path” he had been led down, he had since made peace with it.
"What took you off of that 'dark path?’"
"It took somepony to show me that my talent wasn't everything. That I had more to offer the world than that."
I think he likes being vague.
“You say you’ve left the darkness behind you, but you speak of the regret as if it still haunted you.”
There was a short hiccup in the other’s speech before he continued, “Did I? I must have misspoken.”
Shiny narrowed his eyes. The unicorn had been talking quite a bit, and never once had trouble finding an answer for Shiny’s questions... until that one. He may be old and clever, but there are still cracks in that mask of his. Shiny didn’t want to start an argument, however, and kept his thoughts to himself.
"Once my mother found out what happened to me, doctors investigated the full extent of the... side effect of my talent." The unicorn gestured to his horn. "A pony gaining a horn seemingly out of nowhere; that certainly sent them for a spin. That wasn't all, either. I stopped aging. It was a little different than the far-extended lifespan of alicorns. Let me explain:
"The princesses are linked with an aspect of nature. My mother was linked with fire. Luna, as you are already aware, was linked to the moon. The connection is made in a fashion similar to how I got my cutie mark; by showing a deep understanding of the workings of the world and a desire to help it, one can become an alicorn. Few are ever able to develop this understanding, and it is almost always aided by a princess. I simply consider myself lucky. The link gives alicorns incredibly long lives, as their physical bodies are invigorated by these powerful aspects of Equestria. The moon, however, is not truly eternal. It is still based on a physical object of the universe. The moon can be destroyed or dismantled. Fire requires fuel to burn, whether it be chemicals—" He gestured to the fire amongst them, "—or magic. Eventually, that fuel will disappear. My link, however, was to something beyond the physical. I was linked to the conflict between joy and sadness, cruelty and kindness. This conflict will likely last as long as life itself. Such is my lifespan."
Shiny stared at the pony in awe. I can't even imagine what this pony has seen in his life, or how long it has lasted. The princesses' lifespan was difficult enough to wrap my head around, but this... I don't know if I would even want this. What kind of burdens does this pony carry? Shiny shook his head. Even more than this story is incredible; it's improbable. I feel like even though this tale sounds crazy, I want to believe him. Like he has some familiar kind of integrity.
Shiny raised an eyebrow. "If this fire weren't burning right in front of me, and the world looking as bleak as it is, I would say your tale is pretty unbelievable so far."
The unicorn nodded his head a few times in agreement. "Of course! Son of a princess, eternal life, growing a horn... what about this story is believable? I understand your skepticism, but trust me: I tell every word truthfully."
Shiny gazed into the fire again. If I am truly at the end of Equestria, it would only make sense for an immortal, or at least time-travelling, pony to be here. For a pony to even be alive so far in the future implies he would be special in some way.
"I'm sorry, I think I stalled your story a bit there with all my questions," Beam said with a smile, "can you please continue?"
He returned the smile. "Certainly!" He looked up with thought for a moment before resuming his tale.
"The second major event in my life was Celestia's death. The alicorn had lived a few thousand years and was worn by the duty she had been carrying all her life. One day, she called Princess Luna and my mother to her chambers. They were alone in there for almost the entire day; I imagine they talked of things only princesses speak of and said their goodbyes. I remember: the sun set and my mother emerged from the room. She had learned much about composure during her years as princess, but the sight of me broke her. She teleported to her room and spent the night in mourning. I wondered what was going through her head when she saw me. What took her over the edge?
"Still the princess, still one to remember her duty, she carried on the next day without letting that mask slip for a moment. Even when she and Luna announced Celestia's passing, she stayed resolute. I hid most of the day, fearing I would cause my mother to change back to the crying, broken alicorn I had seen the night before. She was able to face me that night, though. She told me she would always love me, and I shouldn't be worried for her. When I asked why she had cried when she saw me, she said, 'Because I know, one day, I will leave you... and you will have to cry for me.'"
Shiny Beam lost himself in the fire. I wonder if that's what my mother worries about. Does she worry I won't be a good writer? That my stories won't get me anywhere? Or is she sad because she can't be there for me when she leaves? I should visit her when—if—I get back. He looked up. Who comforts alicorns, anyways? They've lived so much longer than any pony could comprehend; how can a simple pony hope to understand their troubles? The princesses either get by with only the comfort they give each other, or they are very good at hiding their pain. Perhaps they are so adept at it, they even hide it from each other.
A stray thought popped into Shiny’s head: I wonder if Sky is a mother... or what her parents saw in her. Shiny’s head rose instantly and his eyes widened. Where did that come from? Sky has nothing to do with this! She’s just... well... I don’t know what she is, other than my boss. Do I feel... sorry for her? He shook his head and turned to look at the unicorn.
He noticed the other pony hadn't spoken up in a while. He was staring into the fire, his eyes empty of the life Shiny had seen earlier. Maybe his mother could hide pain, but he is as transparent as glass.
"I am sorry. I have so much in my past that bringing up specific events can have a significant effect on me. I had, in a way, forgotten about that particular event until the story brought me to it."
Shiny cocked his head. "Why would you apologize for showing emotion? There's nothing to be sorry for. In fact, I would be quite glad if I were you; I don't know how long you've been here by yourself, but you have borne your time well to not let it harden you."
The pony looked back at Shiny. He spoke again, this time slowly and deliberately. "Ah... to see this again. It's been such a long time. Let me savor this." He closed his eyes. "You don't know the gift you've just given me. All these years, I've missed this the most. I missed—" he choked up, "I could see it in your face as you talked. Empathy."
The two stopped talking for a short while, both gazing into the white flame. Shiny's thoughts were still on the unicorn. All these years, and the thing he missed the most was empathy. Is this something I've overlooked? Taken for granted? If it is truly so valuable, all the empathy I've had my entire life isn't enough. Maybe he's telling me everything so he can remind himself why he is here.
"I just realized we don't know each other's names." said Shiny.
"How about that! It hadn't even occurred to me to introduce myself. My mother named me Blind Force. Though I have gone by many other names in my life, that is the one I still prefer."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Blind Force. I'm Shiny Beam, Ponyville Daily."
"Ah, Ponyville! I remember that place when it was still young. My mother was very familiar with the town as well. Around what time was it there before you were whisked away to this place?"
"Hmm... It was a year after Nightmare Moon was defeated and Princess Luna resumed her duty as keeper of the night."
"That was when the Elements of Harmony were first used by ponies other than the Princesses, if I remember correctly."
Shiny nodded. "I can't remember all of their names, but I do know one is named Twilight Sparkle."
"Of course. The Element of Magic. You know, she and Celestia were the first to make a breakthrough in the technology that eventually sent ponies to space. They both loved to study the stars, and one of their experiments allowed them to harness the abilities of crystals to hold incredible amounts of energy.” He smirked to himself. “How about you, though? All I know about you is your name and your occupation. Care to share your cutie mark story?"
"It's nothing compared to the story you gave. I'm afraid it would bore you."
Blind threw his head back in laughter. "Bore me? Shiny, I haven't heard a peep from another pony in eons. I'd love to hear any story you had for me!"
Really? What’s so significant about me? He seems to have already figured out my talent already; what does he have to gain for listening to my stories? If I can’t give Sky a compelling enough story about other ponies, there’s no way I can give Blind a halfway decent story about my cutie mark.
Shiny opened his mouth to protest further, but stopped himself. Maybe… maybe he won’t judge the story. Maybe he’ll just listen. It couldn’t hurt, could it? There are no ulterior motives here: just me, Blind and endless plains.
Shiny sighed. "Here goes, then. I was outside one day, flying to school, when I was hit with a particularly strong gust. It threw me off course and I spun a few times, but I was able to recover fairly quickly. I looked around to see what could have possibly caused it, but there were no signs of disruption. It was a clear day, no other ponies nearby, and no storms scheduled for quite a while. When I realized I couldn't explain the gust, it immediately became my mission to find out why there had been such a gust.
"I asked my teacher about it in school, but she said she wasn't an expert on weather, and I should ask a weather pony. After school I went and did just that, but the weather pony said she just controlled the weather, and there were things she still didn't understand about it. She tried to explain how wind was created in general, but she couldn't offer to me as to why I was hit with that particular gust. I felt somewhat defeated after that conversation, but I wasn't going to give up yet. I asked my parents, but they didn't know either. I asked friends of mine with no avail. I finally decided to ask a university professor, but the closest university was in Canterlot. I begged my parents to take me there. They were suspicious of my motives and reluctant at first, but after a couple weeks I had worn them down.
"After we arrived in Canterlot, I was immediately overwhelmed by the scenery. I had never seen such a large city before, never so much imagined a place like it. I wanted to learn everything about the city, but my mind was still anchored by my original mission. I went straight to the university and found the resident weather expert. He was able to explain what probably happened that day I was hit by the gust. I can't remember exactly what he said; it was something about areas of pressure. What I do still remember clearly is the feeling I had afterward. It was absolute clarity. I was so proud of myself for tracking down a difficult answer, one that took work to find. That's when my cutie mark appeared. I suppose you could say my special talent is curiosity."
"That's certainly an inquisitive mind you have there! I think I would go as far as to call it 'refined curiosity'. I bet you make quite the journalist!"
Shiny looked down. "Yeah, I suppose so. I just wish it was that simple."
Hard to be 'quite the journalist' when you can't figure out how to write a decent article.
Blind stood up, approached Shiny and put a hoof on his shoulder. The pegasus looked up at the touch.
"It's never that simple. Nothing is. But that, however, is what makes the world such an interesting place. That's what makes it worth writing about! Believe me Shiny, there is always another path. Even if you can't find one, you can always make one."
Shiny could see a fierceness in Blind's eyes, a fire that backed his words. "Th-thank you."
Advice from the oldest pony in Equestria must be worth something.
"Give it some thought, Shiny. I bet you'll find your way past whatever haunts you. Not everything needs to be solved today."
Easy for you to say.
Blind turned to return to his spot, but paused to look up at the sun. “Some things... take a lot longer than a day.”
Shiny felt a bit awkward; Blind had clearly meant something by that, but Shiny was completely lost to it. He shifted uncomfortably in his sitting position. I suppose he’s talking about his past, but what part of it? He clearly regrets some of the actions of his past, is he talking about those?
"So," Shiny said, eager to break the mood, "why don't you continue with your story?"
Blind walked back to his original position and sat down. "I should, but the next logical step in my story would be... my mother's death."
Shiny cringed. I'm not so sure I want to hear this part.
Blind readied himself, putting a hoof to his throat and coughing. "My mother lived well over four thousand years, much longer than Celestia or Luna. There were two other princesses at the time of her death. One, her student, was Princess Ruby Gaze. The other, Luna's former student, was Princess Bastion.
"I was a transient presence in my mother's life. In retrospect, I regret that greatly. I thought she would be around forever. I was often consumed with anger at my inability to use my talent as I wanted. This led me to occasionally depart the royal city for many years, attempting to overcome my frustration in whatever way I felt I could. I should have stayed and asked my mother and the other princesses for advice, but I had become quite arrogant and rarely listened when I should have.
"One day, while I was on one of my travels, my mother spoke with me telepathically. She simply said: 'I have only one year left. Please come home.' I raced back to her as fast as my legs and teleportation would carry me. When I got there, I asked her how she knew, why she didn't tell me earlier, if anything could be done, how I could help, and so many other things. She just smiled and said all I should do, all I could do, was to be with her. For a short while I was angry she hadn't let me know earlier, but I was also angry with myself for not seeing this coming and doing everything possible to prevent it. My fury couldn't last long, though. Not when there was so much to talk about.
"It's amazing how quickly a year will pass by when you want it to last forever. I spent every day talking with my mother. I tried to convince her not to give up, to look for a way to persevere, but I could tell my pleas were only hurting her. I was a fool; all I was doing was reminding her how little time she had left with me. We reminisced in nostalgia, looked back on lessons learned, on ponies we missed... but most of all, we talked of the future. Of what I would—or wouldn't—do after my mother left. She tried so hard to show me what the future could be. She wanted me to see my potential, what I could make of the world without her.
Blind paused for several seconds and cleared his throat before beginning again. “I, of course, wouldn't have any of that. I just thought she was trying to be the overbearing mother; she was concerned about me when I felt there was no such reason to be. We were relatively the same age, but she had matured so much more than I. I wish... I wish I had done so many things differently in that year. I kept trying to bring our talks back to the present, back to the pain, back to what I could see with my eyes and feel with my hooves. I never would have admitted it, but I was terrified. My mother knew that, and did what she could to assuage my emotions." Blind gave a quick chuckle. "Funny, isn't it? My mother was the one dying; she should have been the scared one. She was the one who had worried all her life about me and her country. But Time... Time didn't wait for us. Time kept moving forward.
"One night, she invited me into her chambers alone. My memories immediately rushed back to the last time I saw this: when Celestia passed. My hooves were heavy, so heavy, when I walked through those doors." Blind quivered and bit his lower lip, sniffing as a single tear fell slipped down his cheek. He shook with sorrow, doing all he could to maintain what little composure he had left. "As I entered the room she nodded and said, ‘It’s time. I can feel the last of the flames leaving me. My strength will only last till dawn.’ I didn't know what to say to her. I felt like I had a million things to still talk about, but at the same time I felt like they had already been discussed. My mind was both full and blank. Neither one of us could find words, so all we did was lie next to each other, staring at the stars. When the moon was nearing the horizon, I finally found something to say:
'Now I know why you cried for me that night, mom.'
'You shouldn't be so sad, Blind. Things will always change. You should preparing, not dreading.’ she had replied.
'But why can't I keep you? Why can't I be selfish about this one thing? I've spent so much of my life for others...'
'And I am very proud of you for that. Change isn't just necessary, son. It's something to cherish. When I am gone, you will learn things about yourself you never thought possible. You heart will open up so big you'll be able to fit the world in it. When you talk to other ponies about the princess, the mother, the alicorn I was, you'll have the best stories to tell and the best lessons to teach.'
'I can do those things without losing you!'
'Son, you are very intelligent, but there is still much you have to learn: about other ponies, about the world—’ she put a hoof over mine, ‘—about yourself. I know one day you will be sitting with another pony, telling him or her this story about me, and you will understand—really understand—why the universe changes.'
'And why does it have to hurt this much?'
'Blind, don’t think that way. It never needs to hurt. You just need to face it with your chin up, your legs sturdy, and your eyes open. Face it with understanding and a smile.'
With that, she stood up and began to burn. I gasped and looked out the window: the sun was peeking out from its slumber. The fire that fell over her body was gentle and gradual. Soon she was encompassed in a soft white flame. By that point I was crying in earnest. She walked to the window and looked back at me.
'Understanding, and a smile,’ she repeated, her face beaming.
I gave her the best smile I could through the tears. Her body, now one with the fire, drifted off into the horizon, to meet with the sun. I think—" he sniffed, "—I think she joined Celestia there."
Blind put his face to the ground, trying as hard as he could to stem the flow of tears; they came regardless of his efforts. Shiny walked over to Blind and put a hoof on his shoulder, just like the unicorn had done for him. Droplets fell from Blind’s face and pattered the dry soil, leaving dark spots where they lay. Shiny had no words for him; there were none that would have fit. He simply waited and looked up at the sky. The moon and sun seemed oddly comforting now. The minutes passed by slowly as Blind sobbed, releasing the emotion that had been pent-up inside of him for so many millennia.
After a while, Blind stopped; he had no more tears to give. With a sharp exhale he recomposed himself and touched a hoof to Shiny's in thanks. Shiny nodded and sat back down, this time much closer to Blind.
Shiny Beam supposed he had a decent relationship with his mother, but certainly not a seven-thousand-year relationship. I should really talk with her when I get back. Our last conversation seemed so typical. How long ago was that, anyways...?
~
Shiny picked at the floor with his hoof and grinned at his mom sheepishly.
She had an enormous grin on. “A job? At The Ponyville Daily? That amazing, Shiny!”
“It’s just a page 10 column, mom. It’s not much.”
“Not much? It’s your first job!”
“No pony actually reads past the first couple pages. I’m just there to add fluff.”
“Now don’t sell yourself short, Shiny. We both know you’re a very capable writer. I’m very proud of you.”
Shiny blushed. “Really, mom...”
“Just wait until your father hears about this! I’m sure he’ll be ecstatic to hear there’s another artist in the family.”
Shiny rolled his eyes. “I’m just an amateur writer, mom. I don’t make art like dad.”
“Oh, Shiny. It is art, I hope you understand that. You don’t need to be a prodigy to move ponies with words.”
“You need to be good enough, though.”
Shiny’s mom looked at him, pity stricken on her face. “Shiny...”
“I’ve got other reasons to write, mom. Did you forget about this?” he said, gesturing to his cutie mark.
“No, hun, I haven’t forgotten. You just have so much more to offer than that.”
He sighed. “I... well, I don’t ‘know’. But maybe I will, someday.”
His mom gave him a hug. “Of course you will.”
~
Shaking his head, Shiny put a hoof to his face. He was so dense. He had always thought his mom was just pestering to put more effort into his work, but that wasn’t it; she was trying to give him confidence. I can’t even discern what my parents try to tell me, so what made me a passable columnist in the first place? No wonder Sky’s had enough of me.
After drifting into thought for a while, Shiny decided it was best to get on with the story. He turned back to Blind, realizing the typically-talkative unicorn had ceased speaking. Shiny leaned in to get a closer look at Blind Force. He no longer saw sorrow on his face. He was smiling. Shiny was shocked. What on Equestria is going through that pony's head right now?
"Do you understand now, then? Your mother said you would understand why the universe changes when you told the story,” Shiny asked.
Blind looked straight into Shiny's eyes. "Yes, in a way I suppose I do understand. You're not the first pony I've told this story to, but I think, perhaps, you're the most significant for me."
Shiny looked back in confusion. "How am I more significant than anypony else?"
"For two reasons: first, your talent. You asked me the story of this place not just out of self-interest, but simple curiosity. You are a pony that seeks knowledge to better himself, not to confirm some narrow-minded belief. Second, your situation. You know nothing of where you are or how you got here and my story is all you have to go on. So it's more significant for you, and by proxy myself, for me to share with you."
Shiny eyed Blind with slight suspicion. Something tells me there's another reason which he isn't sharing.
"Why don't you tell me more about yourself? I think it's your turn anyways."
"We're taking turns now?"
"Why not? I'm just as interested in you as you are in me."
That sent Shiny for a spin. Why is he so interested in me? I'm hardly an adult; there's nothing I've seen that he hasn't. I'm just an unsuccessful writer.
"Well, okay. How about my parents?"
"Excellent!"
"My mother is a firepony; there aren't a lot of crises in Ponyville, though. It's pretty mundane most of the time. Of course, there was the one incident with parasprites; she was cleaning up after that for weeks. I always thought it was a sad job. All she did was wait for a disaster to happen and then clean up after it. She was only needed when something went wrong."
"Did she feel the same way?"
"No, she was always happy with her job. I guess I never understood why."
"Didn't you ask her?"
"Of course! All she would say is that the good always outweighed the bad. I suppose she enjoyed being depended on."
Blind let out a hearty laugh. "I hardly doubt that was her mentality. Fireponies and policeponies are among the most selfless ponies I've met!"
Shiny glared at the unicorn. "What's your explanation then? Why do you think my mother enjoys it so much?"
"I think that's something you need to find out on your own. It is your special talent after all, is it not?"
That's what makes it so frustrating. Shiny was about to voice his irritation when he stopped himself. Could she share something with Blind? He was immensely grateful to have another pony show empathy. Is that what my mother treasures as well? Does she enjoy giving it to others?
"What about your father?" Blind said.
"He's a carpenter. Works mostly for local businesses doing specialty pieces. His work is often used in commercial displays. Our basement—that's where he worked—was always covered in sawdust. He cleaned it up every now and then, but he liked leaving it messy. Drove my mom crazy. He said the sawdust was like memories. It helped him remember what he was feeling while he worked on earlier pieces which made it easier for him to focus on his current one. He had an odd sort of sentimentality toward carpentry. I think, though... I think I understand it now."
Blind perked up. "Oh? How so?"
"Well, he said the sawdust was like memories, right? I never got that until I started listening to your story. You yourself don't remember the emotions running through your head back when these events of your life happened unless you talk to somepony about it. Then everything comes out, and you can relate. I think my father used the sawdust like that. His emotions were very important in the act of carving. Seeing the sawdust lying around triggered the emotions he had when he finished something he was truly proud of or a time when he was especially focused on his work. To everypony else it was just scrap, and I think that made it all the more important."
Blind smiled. "I say, that sounds like a very interesting theory. Why don't you tell him when you get the chance?"
Shiny returned the smile. "Yeah, when I—"
The gravity of his current situation returned. If I ever get the chance.
Blind Force stood up. "Don't worry about it, Shiny. I think I may be able to help. How did you get here, anyhow?"
Shiny perked up a bit. "Um, I was wandering through an alley. I saw a bright light that made a sizzling sound. It was a lot like electricity. My curiosity got the better of me and I haphazardly approached the light. When I got close, it intensified and after a flash, I was here."
Blind nodded. "Hmm, let’s see if there’s any magic residue nearby.” His horn began to glow as his gaze searched the horizon. After a short search, he shook his head.
“No such luck. Why don’t you pick a direction and we’ll head that way?”
Shiny gave Blind a confused look. “Uh, won’t we just get lost?”
“Nope, I have complete confidence in your ability to pick a random direction.”
“Well, okay then.” Shiny looked back and forth a few times before sticking his hoof out. “That way.”
"Excellent choice! Off we go!"
Shiny stood up. "You truly think wandering around can get me back?”
Blind put a hoof on Shiny's back. "Of course! I've learned a thing or two about magic and anomalies of Time in my life."
Shiny gave a half-hearted grin. He hasn’t led me astray yet...
"All right! Let's get going!"
The two started out, walking within a couple feet of each other. He paused. Blind stopped and turned around to face Shiny.
"You haven't mentioned your father yet, Blind. Was he a part of your life too? How long did he live?"
Blind gave a smile, but Shiny could see pain in his eyes. "No, he was not part of my life. You see, the gestation period for alicorns is significantly longer than that of the average pony, especially when the alicorn finds her link during the gestation. I was in my mother's womb for many, many years. I heard my father lived a long, fulfilling life alongside my mother. I never got the chance to meet him and my mother didn't talk of him much, either. At first, I thought it was just painful for her to mention him. I eventually discovered she had other reasons to keep his life a secret from me... and I am glad she did so. I do not wish to talk of the subject further."
Shiny nodded and the two continued on. The rough dirt crunched under their hooves as they walked. A silence fell upon the two for a while, the first real bump in their conversation jarring Shiny a bit. Blind may have asked not to talk about his father, but that didn't stop Shiny from wondering who it could be. Shiny stole a glance of Blind's face. He seemed much more focused on the journey after the talk about his father. Shiny supposed it was just as painful for Blind as it had been for Blind's mother. Speaking of...
"What's your mother's name?"
"She took the name Star Spark after she became Princess."
That was a curt reply for him. Is he hiding something again?
There was a silence again fell upon the two before Shiny spoke up again. "You've given me a lot of background about yourself, but you still haven't said how you ended up here or what happened to this place."
"That is the next part of my story. It was... hmm... three thousand years after my mother's death when ponies decided to depart Equestria forever. They had long since ventured to other planets, but that was to be when they left their home behind. You’d be amazed how quickly science, magic, and technology grew. The spark was started with Twilight and Celestia’s research, and different ponies of the ages took that and ran with it. Next were simple rockets, then pony-piloted shuttles, then sub-light travel, then... well, they just kept going. I wonder what it’s like now.
“The world had been drained of all of its natural resources, and scientists predicted the sun would soon burn out. I never looked too far into the life cycle of stars, but it seems each one has an element of magic to it that makes it easier for life to flourish, but also burns away at the life of the star very rapidly. Ruby Gaze was the one who found that out." Blind smiled. "You should have seen her that day. She was just as ecstatic as she was the day my mother chose to mentor her.
"Anyways, the last residents of Equestria all left. Most of them chose simply to move to the nearest colony, others sought to establish the colony 'New Equestria;’ they already had a planet very similar to Equestria picked out. The princesses waited until the last ponies were to leave. The two had chosen to be leaders of 'New Equestria', keeping with the tradition of a ruling princess or princesses.
"I elected to say behind."
Shiny gaped at the unicorn. "Wh-why?"
Blind looked deeply into Shiny's eyes. "When you live seven thousand years on a planet, you get attached. All my memories were here, and I wanted to stay with them."
"But this place is barren! What memories are there to have?"
"Yes, there isn't much left here, but my memories are not sustained by buildings or statues, only my mind."
"Then why not leave?"
"I... I didn't really know why I wanted to stay so badly. I just did. Maybe I felt I would be turning my back on something if I left. I'm not sure."
This must be one of the most sentimental ponies I've ever met. I wonder if that was one of the decisions he regrets.
"The princesses tried very hard to convince me to leave with them; they didn't want me to be lonely. My mind was made up, though. Before—”
Shiny stuck a hoof out in front of the unicorn and stopped walking. “All right, Blind, I need to know something.”
Surprised by Shiny’s forward gesture, Blind jerked his head back and looked at the pegasus with curiosity. “Okay, go ahead.”
Shiny spoke before he lost momentum, “You said why you stayed here, but you didn’t explain why you didn’t leave with them. I understand you’re sentimental and you stuck around for that, but what reasons did you have to not live with them? You’re a smart pony, I can tell, and there’s no proper life on this lifeless rock. There must be more to it.”
The two stood in place, staring at each other for several moments. Shiny was doing his best to keep a stern face, but it was incredibly difficult. It wasn’t like him to be so direct and assertive, but he felt the question needed to be asked, and not just for curiosity’s sake. Shiny thought Blind need to answer the question; He had bring forward the reasons for that decision and hear them himself. This was important to both of them.
Blind’s face was still filled with confusion and shock, but Shiny could see in his eyes the thoughts racing through his head. The passing silence began to make Shiny feel tense; he was concerned with the effect his forwardness had on Blind and also what the answer would be.
Blind turned away and mumbled quietly to himself, “She always said he could always tell...”
Shiny turned his ear to Blind. “What was that?”
“Me, Shiny. I was the reason. I’ve lived for so long, seen so many things, so many ponies come and go. No pony could relate to me any more. I surrounded myself with ponies who considered me a friend, but I was never really there because there was no pony who could truly be there with me. To me, there is no difference between leaving with them, and spending the rest of my time here.”
Shiny put his hoof down. “Is that really how you see it?”
“Yes.” His voice remained stalwart.
For all his knowledge, he sure is stupid. Like somepony I know.
“I trust that answers your question?”
Shiny didn’t know whether to shout at him or just nod and continue walking.
“It wasn’t my question, really. But you did answer it,” he said stoically, turning away to resume the trek.
Blind scratched the back of his head. “Shiny, I don’t enjoy this solitude at all. But there are consequences that come with this kind of age! I’ve lived so long—too long, really—that I’ve become fundamentally disconnected. I always try to do good by others, but in the end, things always end with me being alone and, if I can help it, everypony else happy.”
Did you ever consider that things end that way by your own actions? Shiny had lost his spark though, and couldn’t bring himself to push the subject any further.
Blind quickly turned to look at a spot in the distance and smirked. “Looks like you’re good at picking directions.” He pointed. “Take a look.”
Shiny followed Blind’s hoof and squinted. In the distance he could make out a small light, occasionally flickering and giving off sparks. It was the same light that brought him to this world. His mouth dropped open in shock.
“Is that what I think it is?”
“Absolutely. Let’s go over there and I’ll see if I can’t get you home.”
Shiny jumped in delight and started toward the light at a quick pace. I'm coming back, mom and dad! I'm coming back for you, too, Sky! You won’t be rid of me yet!
“I say there’s just enough time for me to finish my story.”
Shiny nodded. “Please continue.”
“Let’s see... I stopped at—oh yes! Before departing, the princesses left me a gift: the sky. They kept the moon and the sun close by and visible at all times. A reminder that ponies who care for me are still out there. They even left a transmitter I could use at any time if I changed my mind. I think it broke a long time ago. I don't know where it is any more.
"Time passed. A lot of time. Back when the ponies left, the sun was still yellow, even. I seem to remember it turning red as well before settling on the white you see now.” Blind stifled a laugh, “Celestia once told my mother ‘the Sun is not truly Eternal’, but there is it, doing its best to defy her. There were a lot of other stars out there, but they haven’t fared quite so well.
“I didn't do much while I was here. I was just thinking and remembering. At first, I would recall the time I spent with Ruby Gaze and Bastion. Then my thoughts would turn to the friends I made." Blind gave a chuckle. "Never stopped trying to make friends. It made the time pass quicker back then. Probably still would. After that I thought about Celestia and Luna. Luna was one of my best friends; we both had similar minds about many things. We both loved astronomy, politics, pranks, and most of all: being critical of Celestia. I'd say she received her fair share of lectures from us. I used to think I was so smart around Luna. It was mostly arrogance, though.
"More than anything, however, I thought of my mother. Star Spark, the wisest pony I ever knew. The best mother, too. I used to never really know whether I should feel regret, sadness, or pride when I thought of her. I was sad she was gone, I regretted not spending more time with her, but part of me always admired the pony she was. That part never had much of a voice... until I saw your cutie mark."
"Bwuah?" was all Shiny could get out. What in the world do I have to do with feelings he had about his mom?
Blind had to pause to laugh. It was a deep, hearty laugh that lasted several seconds. "There isn't much I should say about it, but I'm pleased I was able to be here to help you. You could say it shows my mother raised me right."
"I'm still confused."
Blind sighed, "I'm sorry I can't tell you more. Just know it's something you should be happy to hear."
"You’ve told me your entire life’s story, but a couple things you just won’t budge on. You didn’t want to talk about your father and you won’t give me a straight answer as to why I seem to be so significant to you. Why do you insist on hiding these things from me?"
Blind considered the question for a moment. "I'm from the future. If I tell you something I shouldn't, it could change Equestria's timeline."
A weak answer, but Shiny decided to let it go. Blind was clearly not going to give up any ground on it.
"So that's the whole story then? You were born to a princess, gained immortality and the ability to ease pain, watched Celestia, your mother and Luna die, made some friends, and then kept to yourself for an unknown number of years until I showed up?"
"That's a bit of a shallow view, but yes: that's my story and I'm sticking to it."
"If you don't age, why do you look so old?"
"The mane's a dead giveaway, huh? The truth is, Shiny, I'm dying."
Shiny looked at the unicorn with genuine concern. "D-dying? But I thought you were immortal!"
Blind nodded. "I thought that way myself for a while. I realized that, just like the sun and moon, the conflict my life is tied too will also end one day. I imagine out in the distant pony colonies the fight still wages on... but I have been too far removed from it. What gave me life has now left me. It was slow at first; I noticed signs of age starting to appear over several decades. My muscles couldn't carry me quite like they used to, my mane started to grey, and creases began to form on my face. Now I age just like any other pony. One could say you came just in time."
Overcome with sympathy, Shiny stepped in front of the unicorn. Blind stopped was about to ask what Shiny what he was doing when he embraced Blind in a hug. "I can tell you're the kind of pony I would have liked to know. I'm sorry I only met you this late."
Blind froze. "Thank you for your kind words, Shiny. They mean more than you could imagine." He waited for the hug to end and looked at Shiny. "There's no reason to be sorry, Shiny. I'm actually happy, now. I have an excuse to smile." He prodded Shiny's chest. "So do you."
Shiny simply gave Blind a blank stare.
"It's Time, Shiny. Change. It's happening right now," he said, accentuating by pointing down with each word. "All we should do is face it with—"
"—understanding and a smile."
A tear crept down Blind's face. "Exactly. You catch on fast."
Shiny smiled. "A good friend taught me that."
Blind laughed through the tears.
"All change isn't good though, is it?"
Blind shook his head. "Sometimes change brings pain. Sometimes time steals our happiness. But it is always progressive. When the pain is gone, something will come and fill you back up. It could be knowledge or understanding; it could be a relationship, a friend or mate. It could be a hunger. It could be something no pony has ever seen before. It could even be more pain. However, it is not the nature of ponies, I've found, to seek pain. Suffering will never persist. Ponies always choose hope instead."
"What if it isn't our choice?"
"Dash that thought right now, Shiny. It is never not your choice. You decide how to face Time, and everything it brings with it. Change will drive you at times, but you can drive change as well! Don't forget that."
"How can you always face change with a smile, though? It's hard sometimes."
"I don't doubt it. But when you seek to understand the change, why it happens, and what you can gain from it, you will see why it is not only necessary, but wonderful."
"I don't see anything wonderful about death."
Blind's face tried mightily to give Shiny a smile. "I know." Blind looked forward. "Speaking of... we're here."
Shiny stopped and followed Blind's gaze. A few feet in front of them the burning line ended and a faint light hovered a few feet off the ground. It certainly looks a lot like the light that brought me here... but weaker. Then something in Blind's speech caught Shiny's attention.
"What do you mean, 'speaking of?’ Could this kill me?"
"No. But it will almost certainly kill me."
Shiny's eyes widened. "No!” he shouted, “You're not going to die alone here! You're coming with me!"
Pain lanced across Blind’s face. “Shiny—"
"I don't want you to give up the time you have left for me!"
"It's my time to give. And there's nothing for me to do here any more. You still have an entire life to experience. I should not keep you from it."
"My life isn't worth that! You're so much smarter and wiser than me! You've taught me so much! You should just find that transmitter and help the ponies that live in the colonies!"
Blind silenced Shiny with a hoof. "You truly are..." His voice trailed off.
"What?"
Emotions clashed across Blind's face. His eyes squinted and he frowned, but the corners of his mouth fought to curl upward and his eyes attempted to soften. Pain and joy wrestled for control. “…worth saving."
His mind is so completely made up. It's almost like he's been thinking about it for a long time. He has it all planned out, I can’t hope to win against that. Shiny collapsed onto his rear and sat in silence. Blind watched the horizon as Shiny came to terms with Blind's choice.
“Why?”
Blind cocked an eyebrow at Shiny. “Why do I want to save you?”
“Why are you willing to give up your life to save me? What do you see in me?”
Blind put a hoof to his chin and looked upward.
“Because...” His mouth hung open awkwardly for a while. “Huh.”
Shiny was confused by Blind’s hesitation. He had seemed so sure of himself a second before. Blind had an answer to every question that Shiny had thrown at him. This one was the one that stumped him? Shiny had all but given up the argument and asked purely out of curiosity. Doubt struck Shiny’s mind. What if he isn’t answering because he can’t see anything commendable in me?
“You are worth it, Shiny. I see a catalyst. I see in you a pony that causes change for the better. I see a pony that won’t let fear get the better of him any more.”
Shiny clammed up. No. Not any more.
He reflected upon Blind’s story. If he was unable to prevent this form of change, at least he could make something of it. Whenever there was change in his life, he talked about the future. He talked about filling himself up, about taking the change and making himself better. That's the best way I have to respect him, Shiny decided there. Even if the world stood up against him, he would to embrace the change. He was going to go back and talk with his parents; tell them everything he had learned and do his best to understand, really understand, who they were. Then he was going to walk straight up to Sky and show her the truth, not just tell it. If she couldn't respect that, she wasn't worth working for. Most of all, though, he was going to never stop learning. I'll go wherever my talent takes me from now on—without fear, without hesitation.
Blind turned to Shiny. That stupid smile was still on his face. "Are you decided, then?"
"More than ever." Shiny nodded. It was difficult to say anything further, though he felt like he should speak up. Maybe his protests weren’t strong enough; maybe he could still reach Blind and convince him not to do this. It occurred to Shiny that he could be missing out on asking some very important questions, things only somepony of Blind’s age and experience would know. To ask those questions now, though... to keep arguing... it seemed so wrong. It felt like he wasn’t here for that.
"Okay, I'm going to open the way back to your world. The light will start to get bright. Wait until it starts giving off heat to approach it."
Shiny nodded again.
Blind stood back from the faint light and closed his eyes. His horn began to glow incredibly bright. A white flame burned at each hoof. He opened his eyes, now a pure white, and glared at the light with determination. He raised his front left hoof and the flame on it began to grow in size and intensity. Shiny shielded his eyes. When he thought the flame could not get any brighter, Blind slammed his hoof to the ground and the flames shot from it to the light. The light slowly grew brighter and brighter. Shiny waited, still not feeling any heat. The light began to expand, soon it was larger than him. It began to emit a faint warmth and Shiny slowly walked toward it. He looked closely; he could see the alleyway he left so long ago through the light.
"Just like your namesake, huh?" said Blind.
Shiny looked back at the unicorn. "My name doesn't mean 'bright light'. It's 'gleaming smile'!"
Blind paused, his face temporarily going blank. "How about that..."
Shiny glanced at the light. He could now make out his Equestria easily. "I won't forget you! Ever!"
Blind's smile came back. "I know!"
Shiny gave Blind Force the biggest grin he could muster and jumped through the light.
*~~~*
Blind watched the light die out, which took Shiny with it. He relaxed his concentration on his magic, letting the white flames slowly disappear. He took a moment to stare at the spot where Shiny disappeared and frowned. Something felt off. He had only a moment of thought before a great pain struck his forehead. The unicorn collapsed, falling on his side with his front hooves holding his horn. He knew this was coming; he didn't have the power to open such a portal without serious repercussions. He braced himself and another wave of pain lashed his head. He wished he could see Ruby and Bastion one last time, to say goodbye properly.
~
Ruby Gaze looked down at Blind, regret plainly written on her face.
"Please, Blind, reconsider. There's nothing left here. You don't even know he'll be here! Even if he does show up, no pony knows when! We can alternate watches, or leave a scanner here. It wouldn't take but a week for you to return if something showed up."
Blind shook his head. "No, this is my burden, and mine alone. I know he'll be here, Ruby. I have faith in him, in my mother, in myself. I must stay, as long as it takes."
Bastion spoke up, "Blind, you can let your friends carry this burden too! You've never been alone, no matter what you think. The only thing that separates you from everypony else is age. I'm sure we could find a fleet of volunteers to watch this place in shifts. It's no burden to us, truly."
"I am moved by the offer and your friendship, both of you. I know it would be little trouble to other ponies; I know many would like to help me. I simply ask I be left to this. I..." He struggled for what to say next.
"What is it, Blind? Is there something more to this?" Ruby asked.
"Y-yes. I think this is where I will die."
Ruby and Bastion immediately began to protest but Blind silenced them with a hoof.
"No arguing. I've lived long enough. Longer than any pony should. I feel it should end with my meeting him."
Ruby Gaze stomped a hoof. "Must you always insist on being the martyr?"
Blind laughed, "My mother told me I got that from him."
Her face softened. She seemed to understand now. "All right, Blind. I won't push it any further."
Bastion nodded. "Just don't forget the transmitter, okay? We'll keep the receiver on all the time."
"I'll keep it close."
The three ponies, the last on Equestria, stood looking at each other in silence for a while. Ruby turned to the setting sun.
"I'm going to miss this place something fierce."
"The true home of ponies, where all of our stories began." Bastion added.
"And where one story still needs to end." Blind said.
"You know, you're kind of melodramatic, Blind." Ruby said.
"Really? I guess I don't see it that way. I think I'm just fine with Time now."
"'Understanding and a smile?'"
"Huh, well, I’ve at least got the smile."
~
Blind felt bad for lying to Shiny. He knew he couldn't reveal anything about Shiny's future or the true purpose he had been here, but deceiving Shiny like that was the hardest thing Blind had ever done. All he had wanted to do was rush the pegasus and hug Shiny until he couldn't breathe. He wanted to ask him all about every thought he had, how each of his days had gone. Blind wanted to know who he looked up to, if he had met anypony special yet, if he liked any books in particular. There wasn't time for that, though. Blind also knew he might give away who he really was if he asked too much.
Suddenly, Blind knew what he had felt was wrong. Or, precisely, what he hadn’t felt: regret. Every time he had left his mother, he felt he had left something behind he shouldn’t have. When Ruby Gaze and Bastion left, something of himself had been lost with them. Now he knew why. Each time he sacrificed friends for solitude, some part of him had protested… but when he’d sent Shiny back, the decision had been absolutely clear; that familiar pang of regret was absent. Blind chuckled through the pain. And it took me that long to figure it out.
He noticed the headaches had disappeared as suddenly as they had started. He looked up to his horn; it was pure black. Horn rot had cut straight through it and his magic had left him for good. He exhaled to relax. The landscape was completely silent. No wind whispered in Blind's ears, no ponies announced their presence with a hoofstep, no rain pattering on the ground, just him and his thoughts. He didn't have anything to think about, really. He was just tired. His body ached for sleep. His mission was complete. Shiny had found his way back, and Blind finally had the chance to meet the one pony he had wanted to see. He'd earned some rest. Blind Force closed his eyes.
You've never been alone, no matter what you think.
I know.
*~~~*
Light bloomed around Shiny, dazing him for several moments. When he came to, he found himself back in the alleyway. His smile quickly faded and he hung his head. I won’t forget you Blind, I swear. A battle raged across Shiny’s face as he fought to keep from crying. It’s not what he would want. I won’t disrespect him like that. Thuds racketed throughout the alleyways; Shiny was stomping his hooves in an attempt to psyche himself up. He shook his head and stood up straight. What I can do is keep the promise I made back there. I can be a catalyst. Proud and composed, Shiny spun around and trotted out of the alley.
Before, Shiny had felt every path ending and his future obscured from him. Now, however, there were a hundred things to do. I need to talk with my parents. I have so much to ask them now! So much to tell! His thoughts went back to the first time he went to Canterlot. Although an abundance of possibilities were laid out in his head, there was still an anchor: one paramount mission in front of him, and he set out to do it.
The fire was back. It had been ignited when Shiny got his cutie mark, but Sky had since put it out. When he had first returned to this alley, right below where the gust had caught him on that day so long ago, the spark had come back.
Now it had been fanned into a great flame.
Shiny trotted toward the rising sun. Other ponies enjoying the morning light noticed his stature, but Shiny’s thoughts were far too focused to register their attentions. I will talk to Sky too! He stopped for a moment. Hmm, I’ll certainly talk with her, but I wonder if a different approach would work as well? I think I’ll write her something. That’s more her language. Shiny cheerily continued on.
Buildings passed by quickly; Book stores, produce markets, apple stalls, furniture marts all came and went but Shiny was indifferent. He even passed by his workplace without so much as glancing at it. He added a bounce to his step as well. Shiny passed by the neighborhood his parents lived in and shortly after he spotted his destination. He would stop by his parents’ place soon enough, but right now there was something much more important on his mind.
He was following his instincts, going where his curiosity would take him…
He bounded up to his journey’s end, a burning candle painted on the door.
…and right now…
He knocked on the door. Hoofsteps approached from inside.
…it was asking the most important question…
A purple unicorn answered the door with a smile.
Why?
