Another Casting of the Cards

I flopped onto the guest bed, staring at the ceiling. Now came the part of every day that I invariably hated. I didn’t mind before bed- eating dinner, helping Spike do the dishes. No, I relished that-- work helps the mind ease its burdens. In my case, it kept my demons at bay.

I knew my previous body could survive on a four to five hours of sleep daily, but I wasn’t sure if I should try that here. Two reasons I slept so little were that one, I felt like it was a waste of time, time otherwise used for useful purposes, like finding out where an enemy was hiding, or reading a book, or writing poetry. The second reason was that I had consistently had nightmares, in some form or another, since that scene with Princess Celestia, Twilight, and me in Thomas’s room. It wasn’t scary in and of itself, it just... initiated some evil fears. And more, and varied.

Finally accepting that there was nothing I could do, I closed my eyes, and curled up into a tighter ball.

o.O.o

I awoke to find myself standing on the balcony of a mountain chalet, overlooking a valley, and a small town, as well as a dirt road running parallel to said balcony. I knew what was going to happen, but I also was hoping for a special visitor. As I watched, a small procession proceeded to appear at a three o’clock in my vision, and moved slowly towards the town, a ten o’clock in my vision. The people looked a a third of an inch tall, and one in particular seemed to be holding something of great importance in his hands. I knew by now that it was a hat.

I felt a presence in the room beside me, and I spoke, not bothering to turn, “Greetings, I am known as Sam Phoenix. To whom doth I have the honor of addressing?”

I felt a twitch from beside me, and then I heard chuckling, a sort of melodious laughter. I knew it, and I realized it sounded like Princess Celestia. But this obviously wasn’t the princess.

“Well met, Sam Phoenix. Are we true in believing that you are the stranger in Ponyville, the stranger with a strange story?” I nodded, and exhaled, wondering what she would be doing here.

“Just to be sure, I’m addressing Princess Luna, correct? Wouldn’t want to be talking to myself again.” I had to ask, seeing as the answer was almost certainly positive. Nevertheless, it’s an awful feeling to discover you’ve managed to make yourself think there’s someone standing next to you. And holding a conversation with you. And arguing with you. And winning. And then to find not a soul? I wasn’t going to let me do this again.

I heard the swish of air that indicated a nod, and I turned to look at the princess in question. I hadn’t known she could appear in dreams, but I guess that’s just another aspect of the night? I suddenly had conflicted feelings a this whole thing.

“So what can I do for you, Luna? I’m assuming you want to talk a me, likely find out if I’m a threat?” I was normally dead-on, but I wasn’t sure this time.

I was surprised, however, when she chuckled, seemingly in affirmation.

“Tis few who can predict our whims, Phoenix. We come here, now to deliver a warning, and to deliver a message, and a request.”

“Speak loud, old friend, and be heard, for thy voice be heard through the halls of the heavens and the gates of hell, and the souls of mortals doth stir in time to the beat of the drums. So it goes,” I responded, getting a little carried away in the sudden attack of poetic license. I heard a giggle from the princess, and I softly asked, “Luna, I don’t mean to be rude, but two things. One, can we please drop the archaic speech, and two, take a look into that town.” I heard another chuckle, seemingly in affirmation.

“Sure, Sam. I still have to deliver the message, warning, and request before I leave, but what is it in this town that I should be looking at?” I was a bit surprised at how quickly she gave in, but it was a question set for another day. I responded, a bit sadly, and told her what was happening in the valley.

“Down below there are humans, my former race. That hat there is a symbol of the royal duke of the Habsburgs. Do you see how the people are bowing down to it?” As I narrated, things began to fall into place. Everyone in the town was bowing, as soon as they saw the hat. There were fairly narrow streets, but lots of people, even in the early twelve hundreds as it was. Not everyone was going to be bowing at the same time. I continued.

“So, these people are what, in a little less than a thousand years, are going to be known as the Swiss. Do you see that guy, over in the back? Big guy, with a crossbow in his hand?” Luna nodded, obviously not understanding, or knowing, where this was going. “His name is Wilhelm Tell. Watch, because he doesn’t bow to the hat. In this day and age, this is basically high treason. And see how he is still refusing to bow? That was his last chance... Now they’re going to take him into the field right, a, now and they have his son. The bailiff or sheriff is going to put an apple-- yes, I understand that Applejack is an apple farmer, no need to remind me-- on William’s son’s head. The sheriff is going to force Tell to step back, like so, and have him shoot the apfel off his son’s head.” I could feel her understanding flood through her, and she gasped, sounding shocked.

“I-- or Celestia-- would never make anypony bow to a hat! And if a pony didn’t bow to us, they wouldn’t be forced to shoot an apple off their son’s head!” she breathlessly thundered, clearly outraged.

I muttered, “I’ll explain later. For now, just watch.” The sheriff and Tell had been arguing while we talked, but it was resolved, and Tell backed up a a hundred and twenty yards and raised his crossbow. I continued narrating, “With tears in his eyes, Wilhelm desperately searches for a way out. He knows that he can make the shot, but will he accept this insult? It’s one thing to make a public scene a not bowing to a hat, but quite another to force you to shoot an apple off his son’s head. He decides that, for now, he will simply make the shot, and deal with the sheriff later. He raises his crossbow, aims, and fires. It thuds into the apple, and his terrified son flinches, but is unharmed, much to the cheers of the townsfolk, and to the annoyance of the sheriff. A few seconds later, another crossbow bolt thuds into the sheriff’s head. This is the simple action that sparked the Swiss war with the Habsburgs. It ended, several bloody decades of fighting later, in the liberation of Switzerland -- or, as it is called in its charter, the Confederatio Helvetica-- from German rule.” As I fell silent, I saw fighting break out between the retinue of the sheriff, and the townsfolk. The townspeople won. I looked at Luna, and she had an unabashedly horrified expression on her face.

“I’m sorry you had to see this, princess, I truly am. It is my belief you never really meant anyone harm,” I apologized meekly. I led her inside the mountain chalet, and was only a little surprised to find tea brewed. I personally preferred coffee, but royalty loves tea, and hates coffee. I thought that was a universal constant. I poured some into a cup, and gave it to the night-black mare. I was a little surprised to find that she was crying. I took a deep breath, wondering how to explain it. I chose the path I felt best- straight up truth. seemed to work reasonably well with these ponies.

“I’m not like that, Princess. I would rather die than let harm come to my pony friends. That out there, is why I hate this place. These people. This culture. Well, personally, I think the Swiss were pretty good a the whole thing, I mean...” I trailed off, not sure how to say it. I decided to just sit next to her. If she wanted someone to talk to a what she just saw, I would be there. If not, whatever.

“Well, I would like to deliver a warning, though after that declaration, it might seem a tad futile.” I resisted quoting the infamous Borg catchphrase, instead gesturing for her to go on. “I was going to say that if you purposely bring harm to them, I can-- and will-- make you regret it. The message is from Tia, sister of mine. She didn’t want to wake up Spike in the middle of the night. She says that there has been a... disturbance, of sorts, over in the ruins. She said Twilight will know what to do.” I nodded, and thought for a bit.

“I’m assuming Celestia wants us to investigate? It shouldn't be a difficult leap of logic. Though I do have a question for you, Princess, if you don’t mind?” I hazarded. She looked up, a little suprised at my sudden topic change. She nodded nevertheless.

“How did you... deal with it, Luna? I mean, I’ve enjoyed isolation before, but never a thousand years of it. At least, not yet,” I inquired cautiously. Luna looked over sharply at the last two words, but she made no comment. it was a while before she said anything, much of the time spent with her staring at her forehooves.

“Sam, to be honest, I’m not sure how I coped, but coped I did. But I do think I changed, when I was there. But, I wasn’t angry, I mean, I understand why she did it, it’s just I was so sad, because we both thought that she had banished me for life. But she didn’t. Though I’m not sure what it’s worth being back down here,” at this point, I was surprised by the sheer amount of venom in her voice, but she was on a roll, no stopping her, nope, none at all, so she continued, unabated, “I mean, everypony is nice, but I think-- no, I know!-- that they are afraid of me. They don’t like me. They hate me.” This was always the tricky part --weren’t they always the tricky parts?-- of socializing. In this case, I suppose I just had to tell the truth. Seemed to be working out nicely.

“I know how you feel, Luna. But it’s ok, not everypony hates you. There are more than a few who appreciate you just as much as your sister.” She stopped in her self-pity to look at me, an indecipherable expression adorning her regal features. It was my turn to go on a roll, though. “Did you know that when I was a human I would look up at the sky and think of all the things out there? I... I saw a multitude, a sea of light, in our incomble ocean. Said I to my friends, ‘out there, out there is our destiny.’ I never did go into the stars, but I still think they’re pretty awesome.” I hesitated, then smiled and patted her withers, if not a little awkwardly. “I know how you feel, Princess. I was a loner too, and I hated it. I thought that everyone hated me, and that... I know how you feel. But you are wrong. Aye, there are ponies out there who are afraid of you, indeed. But nopony hates you. Your little ponies are too gentle for that.”

She looked a little surprised by my speech, but then she smiled. Suddenly realizing something, I quietly asked her, “and Luna? Can you do me a favor?”

I saw her raise her eyebrows, clearly wondering what I was up to. Luna finally nodded, saying, “if it is reasonable, I see no reason not to. What is your wish?”

“Luna, could you please... do this more often?” I tried to explain. Sensing her incomprehension, I pressed forward, feeling more and more like I had lost the battle before I started talking, but why not try, right? “Could you... visit me in my dreams more? This is the first time-- in a long time-- that battle hasn’t bothered me when I watched it. And, it’s kind of nice to just, be able to talk to someone. Even if that someone is an all-powerful ruler of the pony nation that I’m currently living in,” I ended on a grin. But there was more to it, wasn’t there? The voices in my head, the demons. They wanted information. They always do. But at least they could let me feed them, instead of being whiny and demanding and manipulative a it.

“I will say, the story of that Wilhelm Tell was quite moving,” She complimented slowly. I really wasn’t sure if Luna was complimenting my storytelling, or the story itself. I didn’t have the heart to tell her that the story of Wilhelm Tell was almost certainly false. Though the actual story is quite interesting, and makes for a bit of ironic twist. But I digress.

“Thank you, Princess Luna. Though I am afraid we must part, we leave on friendly terms.”

Luna responded in kind, and I jerked awake. from the moonlight streaming in, I estimated it to be around two in the morning. See, I told myself, only a four or five hours a day. I wondered how long I had to wait before the rest of the household was awake. Deciding against wasting time, I decided to go out for a walk.