If A Fire Burns Twice
There it was—a fire—burning in my soul; I dreamt away the flames of youth, but it brought me back to the door. A current carried me through the abyss and placed me where I least expected to be.
There it was—a fire—burning in the woods; not so discreetly had I been placed with my back at the door again. To view exactly what I’d been shown; it truly was sublime.
***
It was impossible to determine as to how much time had passed since I last found a conscious mind, but it mattered little, for I was no longer at a place that I could claim as familiar to me. This was a new setting, a new realm, and I was a rejuvenated entity. Yet, indolence also possessed my body on this one precarious evening.
As my conscious mind returned so too did the senses, except, they could not be recognized as my own. They functioned but did not take a familiar form. The ground beneath me was rough and grimy to the touch in addition to the heat that could be discerned from multiple sides. Then there was the sound of crackling, blistering wood that could be heard as well as the smell of smoke to fill my nostrils. Both smell and hearing, despite some stagnation, were more acute than what I had known. These were more capable receivers for sure, but they did not appear to meet full potential. These three senses were communicating to me one clear message: I was in danger of being roasted. Quite the fortunate scenario. But were I to perish before the opportunity to rise again met me I would not despair, for I had already experienced death before and to lose my life again would not be so impertinent of life itself. Life is given to all and taken away from all, such as it has always been. There are exceptions to the rule, or at least with some illusion, as I have known firsthand, but this was known to be the general case.
There were no functional muscles available; no means of transporting my body. It was rather baffling. I couldn’t even be certain that there was any breathing taking place, especially since the atmosphere had been tainted with smoke. It crossed my mind that perhaps this body might not operate with a set of lungs at all, but I was not inclined to this reverently. A body that rejects a foreign entity is instinctive, but this case was different from any parasite, since the foreign entity entering the body was a new mind; an involuntary hostile takeover of the brain.
So even as the notion of an alien mind unifying with an anonymous body provides reasonable suspicion in practicality, I had set it upon myself that should I assume full control of this body I would want to delve into the mysteries of my precarious situation. Yet no stirred emotion occurs without the literal stir in action. A limbo state; instinctive fear with no stimulus was less than desirable. Mockworthy I found this to be: a shift from one limbo state into another, except in this case I also get the added pleasure of being tossed into a fire. Until a stimulant was to grace me a motionless half-corpse I was to remain.
~~
It is lost on me as to how much time passed from when I first detected, with my three available senses, the fire, and when the stimulant came, but to the motions of fate a courteous bow I give.
The stimulant came as a shock, an event quite alarming and momentarily disheartening, for it was surge of information that overwhelmed my senses excessively so. A sharp pain shot into the forefront of my new cranium, which caused all my receptors and muscles to expand with significant intensity. My eyes witnessed a night sky tinted with orange due to the blaze nearby, yet the profuse intake of light that occurred initially made my retinas feel as though they had been scorched. I knew, however, that the damage done by the sudden intake of light was exaggerated by my instinctive fear. My ears flickered when my scope of sound expanded to include what I assumed to be panicked critters amid the flames. There was already reason to believe that my locale was a forest in distress. My nostrils filled with so much smoke in my first major breath that it was no wonder my body objected to the idea of expanding. I had surmised there was some adolescence to this body, for when the muscles expanded and contracted they not only communicated to me that they were operational, they allowed me to determine the length of my limbs. They felt short and strangely jagged, like that on something less matured might be. The entire experience was new in its own way and with it occurring so rapidly I knew I would be required to perform a more thorough self-inspection. I was grateful though that I detected four limbs. It was a seemingly sufficient amount to possess. With all this simultaneous input rushing forth within a single second, I still had room to speculate as to what I might do first concerning the fire and the misplaced mind of this body’s owner.
The brief moment which felt near eternal passed and I took another moment to breathe steadily as I appreciated being alive once more, even though there wasn’t much besides smoke I was inhaling. This moment too was short lived-- unfortunately--as my senses now communicated to me something rather strange; the shrill cry of a winged creature. Upon tilting my head back, perpendicular to the sky, I spotted a shadowy figure which possessed two sets of eyes that lurked adjacent to some shrubbery untouched by flame. It stood erect and attentive as it starred back at me. I was observing it as much as it was observing me. One set of eyes belonged to a winged creature mounted on the shoulder of the mysterious larger beast. The smaller winged one sounded off a second shrill cry as my curious gaze held it. The larger portion of this duo was bipedal and it poised itself atop a small flat rock. It made subtle movements as it attempted to conceal some tube shaped device without my notice. This creature likely had some skill in the handling of its own body; an intelligent life form for sure if it could fashion tools. My expectation was that these two creatures were to attempt to make physical contact with me, but they spared me of such an event. The larger one stroked the side of the winged one and it emitted a fiery glow. They then took off, leaving me where I lay on the forest floor. Due to the suspicious nature of this duo, I surmised that there might be some connection with the origin of the fire and their presence in the forest.
I wished to give chase to this pair, but as I attempted to rise, writhing about, I clumsily fell on my face. My legs were wobbly and my head was in a daze from the experience I had just gone through. “W-What is this?” I tried to speak, but the words came out as jumbled nonsense. The sound of my own voice was cracked and weak. The fire crackled as a tree collapsed nearby. I turned to my instincts to carry me to safety, but to no avail. The body was out of synch with the mind. These limbs fumbled and contorted upon my command. I would have to learn how to walk and talk all over again. My body was prepubescent, there was no room for denial on this.
~~
I abandoned my escape of the spreading wildfire. No hope could be found in the synchronization of body and mind in such a timely manner. The motions of fate granted me a faulty gift, but just as it was before there would be no disparity on me.
The fire had drawn so close to my position that it made my demise imminent. The contact would singe me at first then it would begin the process of melting skin with horrible pain, provided that some other event did not take place first. The smoke had evolved into a thick mass that steady breathing impossible. If I was lucky I would pass out first. It was plausible that the smoke would claim me before the fire did even reached me, and I would prefer that to be the case. A flurry of thoughts raced in my mind. Was I truly meant to undergo a rebirth simply to perish again? The end result would probably mean a return to the void from which I came, but is it not cruel to have some desirable, whether abstract or concrete, flaunted before the subject to which it has been desired? Wouldn’t the subject in query be better off not having been gamed at all? Or was there some significance behind such actions? And even then, to what would it amount? The reverence held for the motions of fate had been premature, I realized, as I prepared my spirit to endure yet another metamorphosis. In this, I discovered humor. I laughed at myself, for I knew it was foolish of me to expect something so undeserving for such a creature, and I apologized to the unfortunate owner of this body; I felt placid.
The fire reached me, but it was in a more abrupt manner than I had anticipated, for it was a burning branch from a tree above that had collapsed. It fell on top of my lower half, cudgeling me. I bellowed, continuously, for as long as I could, until the motions of fate proved to be most fickle with me; a creature of intelligence had taken notice of my peril. Beyond the fervent plants of the forest there were voices: three or four speaking a language I understood. They appeared genuinely concerned about the nature of my predicament.
“Wait… No, I definitely heard it! It came from over here. It sounded like a filly or a colt.”
This statement, which originated from a creature elevated to some extent, struck me as odd; I was baffled. Was I honestly an adolescent horse? The proposal held logic and it met me with skepticism, so I was willing to accept the passing of my own indifference over this concept. It also might have appeared more alarming a notion due to the abhorrent amounts of smoke I was inhaling. I became light-headed and slumped into mental disarray.
“I was right! Quick, Fleetfoot, come help me move this branch! Hurry!”
“Hey! Just because I’m new doesn’t mean I’m slow. Leave me alone will you?”
“Fleetfoot, honestly, shut up and help me out here.”
The searing flesh was lost on me, for I had witnessed a marvelous sight: a pair of winged horses, uniformed, speaking, and swift, albeit not clearly since there was some visual obstruction. They hovered over the burning branch, making an effort to extinguish the flames with wafts on the wings. A successful effort it was. I was astonished by these adroit creatures, particularly by the finesse of their wings when applied to the branch. They were unlike any horse I had ever seen before. I considered that perhaps my mental state had deteriorated so much that I was misapprehending the situation due to the smoke.
I had been inhaling so much smoke that a lost consciousness seemed inevitable, but I was fortunate, yet again, that help had come for me. Talking horses with wings was something I could not have predicted, but this wasn’t the most unusual circumstance I had found myself in. My old life provided me with enough experience in regards to the sublime and grotesque that I had inured, which would make whatever oddity that occurred next quite the entertaining event. “Should be interesting” was a phrase I attempted to mutter prior to my drift into the whimsically fancies of my slumber.
***
I returned to the waking world—the living, breathing world—in a much more pleasant setting. The smell of burning wood and smoke had been replaced with the smell of freshly cut flowers in bloom. The hard, grimy ground I was resting upon had been swapped out with a mattress and pillow. As I returned, before my eyes had opened, the chatter and gossip of others filled my ears, so I paid special mind to the nature of the language, curious as to what discrepancies would exist between what I’ve known and what they knew.
“Well, is he going to be alright?”
“I certainly hope so, I mean, we need to know why he was there, right… right?”
“Right… And we still don’t know if his parents are fine, or even where they are. I wouldn’t want to, but if we can’t find them, we may have to consider getting this little guy a new home.”
“Oh dear, well, I’m sure he’ll be able to tell us all we need to know in order to help him out.”
“That is, assuming he can make a full recovery. Maybe this pony lives in the Everfree forest with everything else. We can just toss him back in there once he is better.”
“And how would you consider that to be a good thing? A large portion of the forest is gone now. The others were only able to extinguish the rest of the fire this morning.”
“Not to mention it seems downright cruel to do such a thing.”
“Oh nurse! When do you think the colt will be able to speak with us?”
“Well, it all depends on when he wakes up, obviously.”
This vexing chatter went on only for as long as I could tolerate it. I was compelled to hasten my arrival to this discussion in order to halt the egregious burning sensation I had in my ears despite how the forest had provided me with enough of that sensation already. My head was splitting with enough pain as it was, so I forced my eyes open and it stifled the noise.
“Oh look, he’s waking up.”
“Well, welcome to the waking world little buddy. How are you feeling? You’ve been through quite the ordeal.” The nurse talked to me as though I were a child. “You’ve suffered some burns on your flank, but those should heal up in no time. The doctor even said your coat might even go back to looking as it did before the fire in just a few days. Do you have a name little guy?”
My intent was to make a sarcastic remark to the nature in which I was being spoken to, but my speech came out as a jumbled mess once again.
“Harbuld joo swenksan droomp. Kelfilsan septune schlorp.”
They stared at me with a perplexing countenance. We both understood the same language, but no sense could be made of what I was speaking.
“Uh… nurse? Did you catch any of that?” One of the winged equines from before was stationed at my side. I had not even noticed them until that moment. It seemed odd that they managed to escape my peripheral vision, but it wasn’t unwelcoming. As I shifted my eyes to look at her I noticed that one of my eyes had lagged in movement.
“Nurse, what’s happening with his eyes?” This equine had a much lower pitch in his voice compared to the rest of the group. It was a rough and masculine voice that was rather pleasant to hear amongst the chatter of higher pitched females. What was his relationship with the other equines like? Did he serve beside them or above them? He was equipped with a set of wings and liveried just like the other winged equines present, but there was some superiority about him.
“Hmm... that could be a reaction to something in the forest. I’m not too familiar with this sort of symptom.” The rest of the group gave the nurse an inquisitive stare. “Honestly, I’ve never seen something like this before. Hold on—I’ll get the doctor.”
The mare sitting adjacent to me, the one which had been referred to as Fleetfoot, had placed her hoof atop my shoulder and spoke with the affection of a mother to a child, although, it did not appear to be directed to me. “Hey Barebash, I don’t suppose we should bring the Princess in on this situation, do you?”
The large stallion rubbed his chin as he pondered his response to the suggestion. “I suppose we could, although I’d like to hear what the doctor has to say first.” This stallion definitely held the largest presence in the room, both in size and speech. His low-pitched voice served him well in granting much authority; very commanding indeed. “She'll probably find out about this anyhow, so sending for her now would be best. It would be better for us to inconvenience her with this issue immediately, rather than allow this to deteriorate into something problematic.” He turned to face the equine standing next to him. “High Winds, do you think bring the Princess to the medical wing? Tell her I sent you if she needs a reason.”
“Sure thing chief,” the mare gave a proper salute before trotting off. “I’ll be back in a moment.”
“I’d like to know what was going on before the incident if possible. We can't dismiss the thought that he might have been involved with it somehow. But then again, he might not even be able to understand me if his brain is broken.” He said as he hovered over me.
I was beginning to like this big guy. He didn’t seem like he would fear anything that came at him. I’d wager that he was capable enough to mount a creature twice his size and neutralize it with ease. If he were in fact the leader of this group I wouldn’t put such a feat past him. I actually would have preferred it if he were the one that rescued me. I couldn't help but wonder why I didn't see him battling the flames before I passed out.
“Barebash, what will we do if the doctor can’t find a remedy?”
“Orlitcal mureophish vilosorp lamberply.” Still being unable to speak articulately was quite bothersome.
“It doesn’t seem like the sort of thing that would go away on its own."
“Was there anything out of the ordinary when he was found?" The large one was fidgiting. "Was he like this when you rescued him? Did you by chance see any odd flowers when you spotted him.”
“No actually, he passed out shortly after we got there. And I don't recall seeing any special flowers. Sorry.”
“Well, we can let the doctor take a look.”
It didn’t take long for the doctor to arrive, but I held a feeling in the pit of my gut that I wasn’t going to be prone to liking this one as much as I did the stallion Barebash. Nevertheless, I wished to give him a study, for he possessed something the other equines did not: a horn placed atop his forehead. “Dwadto swelar moopalsh noeinal begedge... coflegash” I attempted to inform them of that sensation I felt when I was reinvigorated back in the forest, but by attempts were futile and I knew them to be so. I had no choice; I would have to submit myself to whatever was in store for me.
As the doctor inspected my eyes, ears, nostrils, and all the intimates about my head he uttered not a word, generating a silent intensity amid his aura which I found to be somewhat amiable. I could respect this doctor for taking his occupation seriously, but I couldn’t shake this urge I had to thrust my hooves into his face repeatedly. My patience was wearing thin. His complacency I had found infuriating, but I did not act upon this feeling, for I knew I couldn’t due to my lack of dexterity and because it would likely make my situation unnecessarily unpleasant. Not to mention it would have been disrespectful to my saviors. The desire remained but I was managing to control my actions from being expressed. The doctor was cold and calculative, but his smug nature appeared out of place. His obvious inferiority to the winged equines was producing an unstable chemical stirrup in my brain. Also, I found his mane to be in poor taste.
The doctor finished his examination and was prepared to give his diagnosis.
“Well, the problem is definitely internal and this is a legitimate medical condition, although, the likes of which hasn’t happened in centuries. This is an illness from centuries long ago and I’ve only heard of something like this from medical books. Still unknown as to what causes it.”
“But can you fix it doctor?” said Fleetfoot. “Will he be alright?”
“Well, the burns should be healed up within the week and—
“I was talking about his head” Fleetfoot had lashed back with some irritation.
“And I was just about to get to that to get to that. Fortunately, there is hope for him, but something like this—this is beyond my capabilities as a doctor.”
I knew there was another reason for me to dislike this one. Such incompetence.
“You might get some help from the Princess though. You should put in a request to speak with her Barebash.”
“I’ve already done so doc, so don’t worry about it. Give it some time and Celestia will be here soon to sort things out. High Winds will be back with her momentarily.”
There was no denying that I had become intrigued as to whom this Celestia character was. My initial impression of Barebash was already in high standing, so for him to refer to this Celestia in a high regard and with such confidence in what she was capable of it became a topic in which I craved to hear more of. Fortunately, I was expected to make an audience with her thanks to Barebash’s command. There was no urgency to remove myself from this bed, so when she was to arrive I would still be available. Fleetfoot’s hoof had been caressing my left side for all the while since I took notice of her. It was quite nurturing and affectionate of her. It was as if she was my own mother and I was her child; I was inviolable. Was this affectionate act genuine, or was I misinformed? Had something happened between to two of us after I lost consciousness? Was I in peril yet again after my initial rescue? I wanted to ask her about it once I was capable of speech again, but I already had so many things to discuss with these equines.
~~
What followed next shifted my perspective on everything I had encountered so far.
“Barebash, I hope there is good reason for why you have summoned me. I was in the middle of giving Twilight Sparkle her lessons.”
“I assure you, your majesty, when I sent for you there had been a decent reason that this matter would require your attention, but after what the doctor said we now know for certain that your presence is required.”
What I beheld shattered my expectations. This equine was unlike the other equines, even more distinctive than Barebash, and I discerned this immediately as she approached with all her elegance. Her mane flowed as if it was composed of the cosmos itself and her height surpassed us all. I felt bad for Barebash, who when compared to this Celestia was outmatched based on appearances alone, though his body size came close to hers. Not only did she possess a set of wings like the majority of the equines in the room, but she also possessed a single horn atop her head like what the doctor had, only larger. I was curious as to what other variations of equines could be found. Unlike the others, Celestia was clad in what I assumed to be jewelry, but not much else. I also made note of the little purple filly trailing behind her, but my focus was on the tall white one, even though my eyes lacked some depth perception.
“Princess Celestia, this patient of mine has been subjected to something unusual from the Everfree forest. I can’t determine if it happened before or during the fire, or even what it was that caused it, but I do know that something like this has happened before in centuries past. Thanks to my vast medical knowledge I was able to conclude this.” This doctor needed a swift kick in his rear, but I knew that wasn’t going to happen, so I allowed him to finish. “Since we all know you’ve been around much longer than any of us, we were thinking that maybe you possessed some archaic magic that could remedy the situation.”
Celestia took careful study of me while she presided over Fleetfoot. As she did I gave my best efforts to continue studying her as well. Although her omniscient aura made me quiver I did not break away my eye contact from her. She let out a soft hum before her voice was heard.
“Speak for me child.”
“Harlpubdupic uraleck sumply bren dusselficks humpletubs.” I humored myself at my unheard comment.
“Now blink three times.”
I did as she asked, though my eyelids pattered at separate intervals.
“I want you to raise your right hoof, followed by your left one.”
This gave me a bit of concern since I wasn’t sure how my body would react, but I attempted to follow through with her order. As a result my right limb spastically shot up into my face which was followed by a single smack of Fleetfoot’s snout. An apology needed to be issued later on.
“Well, it seems you were right doctor. I haven’t seen something like this in centuries. I had actually completely forgotten such a thing existed. The body is out of synch with the mind.”
“But can you help him Princess?” Fleetfoot had asked with concern in her voice as she rubbed her snout.
“I should be able to, but only if this little one will provide us with some answers once I do so. I’d like to know what he was doing out there in the Everfree forest.” Celestia’s tone of voice shifted from a cold nature to a more uplifted part of her spectrum, then back down to a somber one. “Matters, I feel, are a bit more complicated if something like this has happened again after so long.”
The horn atop Celestia’s head glowed brightly as she slowly lowered it onto the same point where I felt that pinprick back in the forest. The clever mare was attacking the problem head on. I slipped out of my body yet again, but only briefly, as my brain recalibrated my system of neurons. The horn tickled my senses a bit, but this was a much better alternative to the stress placed on me before when the stimulant came. In fact, this sensation relinquished me of the languor that was instilled in me. With my lassitude converted into vitality I would be able to make a more significant impact on the world around me. No longer was I of passive nature.
They all watched with anticipation as Celestia drew her horn back; they waited for me to show them that their Princess and her efforts had not been in vain. I could have spoken to them immediately, but I wanted to evaluate the face of every equine in the room first and chose my first words carefully. “Perhaps I could make things entertaining for a while,” I thought to myself, “and this would be my chance to do so.” My gaze shifted from Fleetfoot, to Celestia, and lastly to Barebash. I opened my mouth, took a large inhale and sighed deeply. What was I to say first? What would make me give the optimal first impression to these equines that had, for the most part, been treating me so well up to this point? How could I manipulate the situation to suit my favor? Which course of action was I to take? I had to consider what happened in the forest with the creature I saw and the remarks Barebash had made. I was curious as to what form of relationship existed between Fleetfoot and the other equines. She had stirred feelings in me that I hadn’t felt since before my own mother passed in my first life. What was I to make of this? No harm should befall her and I wanted to make sure of that. Then there was the Princess, whom intrigued me the most since she not only restored my mind-body connection, but also appeared to hold the highest authority in this social structure. A much more experienced and well lived creature, yet unbeknownst to her, I too have had a lengthy life, far surpassing what was to be expected of me. Was I to divulge this information to her? Should I use it as a bargaining device of sorts? There were inquiries upon inquiries that I held for myself. It was likely that the amount outmatched the sum of all the other equine queries at present. But something had stirred within me. It was a more pressing issue that I felt needed to be addressed before the other matters could be attended to. So I cleared my throat and made my proclamation.
“I don’t suppose one of you could fetch me something to nibble on; I appear to be quite famished.”
The tension broke in the room as I provided them all with what I had hoped was an adorable little smile following my first words, but Celestia did not appear amused.
“Don’t worry,” Fleetfoot laughed, “I’ll see what I can get you.” She departed with a causal trot. She had a strange effect on me, this equine, but I wasn’t about to let my mind be overpowered by emotion. I hadn’t been this way since I was still under the care of my mother, and this equine was not my mother, no matter how much my emotions tell me otherwise, so I put the notion out of my head and moved on to the other issues. I waited until Fleetfoot fully exited the room before I continued to speak.
“Now then, what would you equines like to know first?”
“Equines?” Barebash appeared to find my question misplaced. “A bit impolite... Where are your parents?”
I ignored Barebash’s question and allowed him to marvel at my left check as I turned my head away. It was an appropriate question for him to ask, but I didn’t feel the timing was right in providing an answer. True, I would have to enlighten all of them on the nature of my situation, but it had to be well timed. The release of sensitive information might be blinding and I wouldn’t want to fluster any of them, at least not yet.
“Well, I suppose I should give thanks for saving me. You equines really—
I turned my head back to face the group, but something most grotesque and annoying had found its way atop my bed. It glared at me with a smile I found to be foul and disgusting. It was utterly detestable, this creature. Why did it have to look at me with such filth upon its face? Why should such a creature even be allowed to exist in my presence? And to further spoil the scene this annoying creature had opened its mouth to speak.
“Hi, my name’s Twilight Sparkle. What’s yours?”
My face tightened with fury and I yanked the bed sheets up, which flung the little pest across the room.
“Such insolence,” I muttered.
***
A change of scenery was certainly needed for the emotional state I was in. The drama I had just created had tossed everything I was considering out the window. I had grown so furious that I wasn’t sure if I would be able to think properly anymore. I commanded Barebash and Celestia to follow me with no predetermined destination in mind, and I insisted that it only be the three of us until I could think rationally again. That is, if I was even capable of thinking rationally again.
“This is so absurd! I’m beginning to remember why I killed myself in the first place. I’m just so sick and tired of everything. Can we get this over with so I can go back to being dead?” These were words that crossed my mind, but I dared not utter them.
I was confident that the two of them were itching for answers to their questions, but I needed a better environment in which to explain myself. I wouldn’t be surprised if one of those questions was concerning my emotional state. I knew the answer I would give to that already: a horrible split-personality disorder. But was I honestly going to submit this information to them? I had to be cautious with what I said, or perhaps it didn’t matter at all. Diffidence kept me from piercing their social edifice. It made matters more complicated to be like one individual and then assume the role of another between moments. It made me want to get away from it all. I was in such a hurry to get to anywhere that was nowhere. I thought carefully about what I said next.
“Celestia, do you have any place, any place at all in this big honking castle of yours that might be suitable for a mildly pleasant conversation, on which I may apprise you of concerns that you might want handled with some discretion?”
She suggested the garden and quickened her pace to pass me in the hall we were currently in. My legs were so short compared to both Barebash and Celestia’s legs, so it required much effort to match their pace. When we arrived at the garden we found a decent place of privacy where we could have our discussion. It was amid various statues of creatures adjacent to a hedge maze. The Princess and what she found to be aesthetically pleasing was beyond my comprehension. It generated a question which I cared little in receiving an answer for. When we found a place to be seated I wasted no time in revealing as much truth as I could, even if it were to blind them in my doing so.
“Barebash, Princess Celestia, I am not the equine you may think I am. I am a creature from another time and place in another realm, this much I know to be true. I did not start that fire in the forest. When I came to it had already been burning for quite some time and I had been incapable of ensuring my own, or rather, this body’s safety. I do not know who owned this body prior to my presence in it, so I cannot tell you how or why this little equine body was stranded there. There is much to your world I have yet to understand, but there was something I spotted in that forest that might help you in your search for the origin of that fire. There were two creatures of one figure that I saw prior to my rescue: a firebird and a bipedal beast. They seemed to be a compatible pair, so if you can find them you are more likely to get answers concerning the fire than you will from me. Perhaps the incident in that forest and my arrival here are somehow correlated, but I don’t know enough about this world to determine such a claim. That is something you will have to figure out, not me.”
Barebash seemed more stunned than Celestia, who glanced off casually at the statues, as though she were only half listening. Although, she was more than allowed to admire what could be found in her own backyard; it was all so picturesque to her I’m sure.
“That’s a lot to take in.” Barebash said rubbing his head with his hoof.
“And it raises so many more questions and concerns. I appreciate you bringing this to my attention little one in a much more private setting.” Celestia had spoken with an unwavering focus on the garden art. She was agitated, yet strangely calm. “Barebash, this was certainly a matter worth bringing to my attention. I fear for the worst and I’ll need to devise a spell to locate anomalies such as this in the future. Should an event such as this occur again in the forest I’ll have knowledge of it before anything else. But before that, we will need to catch this perpetrator of the forest fire and bring them to justice. That is what we will have to do for now. That creature’s capture is critical. I’ll leave that task to you Barebash. Nopony should know about this outside the three of us, and I trust this colt will be able to keep silent on this as well. If the truth of this matter ever became public then the sanctity of order might be compromised. Can I trust you not to speak a word of this to others?”
My response on Celestia’s admonition was delayed. She wanted this esoteric matter between the three of us to remain as such, but I held no qualms. There was a malicious intent to run things amuck as a means of entertainment before, but that aspiration had died earlier in the afternoon when I recalled how unstable I could be. I looked up at the sculpture that Celestia had focused in on and I wondered what was so special about it. It appeared to be a creature composed of various other creature parts and it preached joyously where it stood. In my peripheral view I noticed that Barebash had leaned in towards me with anticipation as to what I was about to say. Barebash was certainly one of the more likable equines I had encountered, but he seemed as guilty as the rest when it came to letting one’s curiosity get the better of them. I gazed up towards the colorful palace from which we came, pondering my actions that would come next.
“Princess, I should inform you that I am not the most stable individual you may find, but I can at least assure you that I will not tarnish any systems which you have set up here. In fact, so long as I can find a sanctuary of sorts, you have my word that this will be the last you hear of this from me, unless of course you wish to discuss matters further.” I spoke to Celestia with sincerity, but I wanted to extend that sincerity to Barebash as well. “Since you have the task of tracking down the source of that forest fire, I suggest you do so posthaste since there is reason to believe that the creatures might strike again. Why would you allow the forest to burn twice if that were the case?”
Barebash stood at attention. “Princess, with your permission I will take my leave.”
With a wave of her hoof Celestia dismissed Barebash, and I couldn’t help but wonder if I would see him again. Celestia had remained in an eerie silence afterwards, still fixated on the statue, but eventually she broke the tranquil moment.
“Can you take a guess as to who this is?”
“I haven’t the faintest, my dear Princess.”
“This here used to be Discord, the spirit of chaos and disharmony. He was imprisoned in stone because he posed a threat to the integrity of Equestria.” She broke her line of sight to shift focus on to me. “It would be a shame if a little colt had to meet the same fate because they too posed a threat to the peace we have.”
“My, my, Princess you flatter me, does it look like I pose a physical threat? What could I possibly do to your wonderful Equestria? Why, I’m just a little colt.” My coy nature did not amuse her. Nothing seemed to amuse this Princess, but I suppose it possible she had a facade just for me.
“I’m more concerned with your mouth. I don’t know anything about the place in which you come from, and I doubt you would tell me the truth if I simply asked it of you. I’m seeking to protect Equestria from the unknown and I certainly don’t know enough about you.” Celestia had started a slow trot towards the palace and I pursued. “I didn’t appreciate you mistreating my student like that.”
“But Princess, she was being rather impudent, wouldn’t you agree? It was simply me reacting upon my own indignation.”
“No, I do not agree!” She glared back at me for a moment before resuming her slow trot. “I’ll make this perfectly clear little one. I am capable of extracting the truth from you, so you could tell me the truth now and if it matches up with what I find out later then there shouldn’t be any problems. Do I make myself clear?”
“Well of course Princess! In fact, you yourself improved my hearing with that flashy horn placed upon your noggin.” My speech was gradually showing its artifice, but part of me had already grown tired of doing so. However, the Princess and her threat of extracting the truth did concern me. That was an event I wanted to avoid at all costs, but I dare not allow this fear to become exoteric. Celestia would have to remain in the dark on my past, by whatever means necessary. However, I had to curse my defective personality, still vexed by inconsistencies. Celestia couldn’t trust me: this was something we both had in common.
“One other thing little one… We have yet to learn your name, would you care to share that with us, or would we have to pry that out of you as well?”
“Celestia! You’re such a coquette!” I turned my check and grinned.
“Do you find me amusing little colt?”
“Perhaps… I suppose you’ll have to find out for yourself.” As we ascended a stairwell I was realizing it was getting more and more difficult to hide my anxiety. I had to excuse myself, but I had the feeling that Celestia was not going to let me escape her presence. I had to come up with a plan. When we reached our destination, which I had discovered was an observatory, I decided to take action.
“Oh shoot, I must have forgotten.”
“Hm?”
“Poor Fleetfloot went to fetch me a meal, yet I was not there to receive it. I suppose I should go fetch it from her now.” I turned to head back, but the Princess halted me.
“No you will not. You’re going to wait here and I’ll bring you your meal. There’s only one way out of the observatory and you won’t be able to slip past me. So stay put and I’ll return momentarily.”
As soon as I was sure Celestia was gone I opened the window to take a good look at the land of Equestria. “Sure is a long way down,” I said to myself as I took a moment to reflect on my unique, albeit brief, experience had here so far. Most notable was the equine known as Fleetfoot, who had done something to me I hadn’t thought possible: produce a sense of compassion for another living creature. There was no denying that this Fleetfoot had reminded me so much of my own mother from long ago. The experience I had in my limbo state before was tranquil, but there was no interaction with my mother’s spirit, or any spirit for that matter. It was just me and the void. I had been wondering as to why that was. The other equines weren’t provided with a name to my identity, but I preferred it this way since my own identity had been lost on me for as long as I’ve known of my faulty personality. It would be best if they didn’t encounter me again. That was the conclusion I had arrived at. The equines should be left to their own devices, their own problems, absent of an old mischief maker such as me. They didn’t need me around to make their issues more complicated. Celestia would not be allowed access to the privacy of my mind. If a case such as this one were to occur again—that is, an event in which a soul is swapped into an equine’s body, then let it become their problem. I wish to be absent of any such affairs.
I stepped out onto the ledge of the observatory. The wind howled and my burn marks had started to wear on me, which made keeping balance rather difficult. I glanced down, over the edge, and contemplated, unsure if I was to take that leap to end my life once again. I winced. My voice crackled, like the burning logs of the forest, as I let out a shout cursing the motions of fate yet again.
“Good luck extracting the truth from a corpse, Celestia. The dead tell no stories.”
