Stargate SG1: Equestrian Arc

Stargate SG1: Equestrian Arc

Chapter 7

Fruition

Jack stood next to the hollowed out tree not knowing what to think as he watched the ponies under the canopy that covered the glen of the forest. He wasn’t sure who started it but suspected it was Twilight and Fluttershy. They were devastated; they had every right to be. And just like many of the races they had encountered across the galaxies’, they each dealt with the sorrow and misery each their ways. How long had it been? Just how many trips had they taken through the Stargate and how many cultures had they run across over the past couple of years? Jack couldn’t remember but in all that time, he had never known any of them to deal with it in a song.

Twilight’s melody was soft, humble, and spoke of lost friends or loved ones. But what was stranger still was that soon all were all singing with her, as if they had all practiced this long ago each giving their recant of the day’s events. It was like watching a horse version of ‘Cats.’ It was almost… moving.

Almost.

“Well that was minutes wasted,” Jack thought to himself.

“What’s the matter Jack?” Daniel said clasping a hand onto his shoulder, “Never felt the urge to just ‘let it out’ before.”

“Only when I’m in the shower,” Jack sneered.

“You know, there are those who say that music and song are two of the most universal languages.”

“I thought that was ‘Death and Taxes.” Jack replied with an overt but subtle bemused look.

Daniel just shook his head and walked away.

“Ya know; you could have jumped in on that song at any time; I don’t think they would have minded.”

Twilight gave Fluttershy one last hug and started to walk away when the pink one shakily got back onto her hooves. “I’m going too.”

“No Pinky,” Twilight said walking over to her friend “You’re in no condition for this, please stay here and rest.”

“I’ll be all right Twilight, really,” Pinky Pie said through a half-witted smile.

Pinky Pie took a step forward, then another but the third became difficult and her mind began to spin. Then sudden dizziness enveloped her causing her to loose balance and would have fallen over had she not been caught by Twilights embrace.

“See Pinky, it would be too hard on you, please go back, and lay down.”

“But Twilight, I wanna help out! It’s hard to know that every pony is out there doing their parts, but I can’t do anything.”

“Pinky Pie, I understand that you want to help out, but you can help out best by staying here and regaining your strength. I’m not even sure on how much help I can be without my magic.”

“Maybe you should try changing your batteries,” Jack muttered just above his breath followed by a moment of awaked silence, Daniel put his palm over his eyes while Teal’c merely raised an eyebrow. But it was Sam who spoke first, “Wait a minute,” realizing for a moment, the un-realized truth of what was said. “Batteries… Colonel, do you still have those gems Maybourne had?”

Jack looked at her puzzled then reached into a pocket and pulled them out.

“Bear with me for a minute, remember what Maybourne said about them? He compared them to preloaded Naquadah batteries, and just maybe he unknowingly was right about that.”

Twilight walked over looking at the gems that Sam now held. “Those definitely come from Equestria. They are extremely common, and you can find them just about everywhere. Rarity can hone in on them easily with her gem-finding spell. And Spike eats them faster than Pinky Pie with a cupcake. What does this have to do with my magic?”

Sam presented the gems up close to Twilight, “I theorize that the energies that you control are not just from within you, but are within your world around you. I suspect that whatever device the Goa’uld are using, is nothing more than a jammer of sorts that is interrupting the frequencies and your too far away from the source of the flows of energy to tap into them. But, if we bring those power sources closer to you…” Sam finished by handing Twilight one of the smaller gems.

Twilight, following Sam’s theory, sat on her haunches holding the gem close to her unicorn horn and concentrated on a simple levitation spell. It took a few moments, and it blinked in and out but Twilight could feel it once again. Then the purple aura brightened around her horn; the gem levitated in front of her and Twilight let out a tear of joy realizing that the loss was not permanent.

But the joy was short lived as the energies of the gemstone quickly drained and the spell failed once more dropping the gem to the ground.

“Well, at least we know it works. But knowing that,” Twilight said turning her attention back to Pinky Pie, “I still want you to stay and get more rest.”

“I understand,” Pinky Pie said saddened and sullen as she turned and walked away. She gave a hardened sigh then lay back down and closed her eyes.

Twilight hated herself for doing that to her and in truth; Pinky Pie did need the rest, but it wasn’t the whole truth. Twilight knew that deep down inside that both Rarity and Applejack had been captured, and that it was all her fault. Also, Rainbow Dash was missing, was she captured too? She couldn’t answer that for sure. The only thing Twilight was sure about was that she wasn’t going to let another one of her friends fall into their grasp because she wasn’t strong enough to stop it.

Twilight closed her eyes and took a deep breath. With her resolve resolved, she walked over to Jack, Teal’c, and Spike, who stood to help her with her saddle bags now stuffed with some larger gems, “I’m Ready.”

….

Rainbow Dash flew low across the ridgelines, stopping only long enough to catch her breath and surveying the terrain ahead of her among the outcrops of boulders on the peaks. Whatever it was that was sapping her strength wasn’t natural, that much she knew. “And it also didn’t seem to have any effect on Fleetfoot,” she said to herself. Thinking of Fleetfoot, Dash, blew on her hoof and rubbed her chest with a slight grin across her face, “Aww yea, even burdened down I can out fly them with one wing tied behind my back!”

Bringing her attention back the matter at hoof, she looked around. Following Spitfires last known direction, she had flown past the mountain’s ranges far to the south of Ponyville almost to the edge of Equestria. To her west lay, the deserts with Appaloosa but to the east lay more mountains and high range forests. She wondered for a moment if had they ever been explored? “No pony ever comes here; there are no trains or even villages that she knew of in these parts of Equestria, not even the Pegasi weather ponies work out here.” It’s like the Everfree forest; it just does what it does on its own... only larger.” Knowing her tail trail had gone cold, she pondered her situation “Why would Spitfire, and Soarin fly way out here? And which way would they have gone?”

Dash put a hoof to her head; all this thinking was making it hurt. “All right, they had to come this way for a reason and I doubt it was to say hello to the Appaloosians. So, find the reason, and you’ll find Spitfire. And that means going east.”

….

As the day wore on, Fluttershy sat by Trixie’s side with a worried look across her face trying to hold back the flood of emotions that she knew would explode from her in a torrent of tears at any moment. Trixie was still unconscious from whatever it was that Jack did to her. Samantha did explain to her that the weapon was only to stun, and she assured her that Trixie would be all right with no ill side effects once it wore off. But she also admitted that the effects should have worn off long ago. And although Fluttershy trusted her, she felt deeply that there was more to the story, but was relieved to watch the rise and fall of Trixie’s chest.

Another concern was Pinky Pie, who had curled herself up in a ball on the straw mat at the base of Zecora’s hut. She had never seen Pinky Pie this down before. Even when she was sick with the flu, she never stopped smiling and laughing. But this, this was nothing like she had ever seen. “It could be the same thing that was stopping Twilight from using her magic,” Fluttershy thought. “Pinky Pie always did have a way of being able to do things that could only be explained with magic.”

Fluttershy looked down at the dirt and gently pawed at the ground with her hoof, her mind lost in thought “If Twilight and Pinky Pie were affected, Why do I not feel… changed? I can still fly, and I’m not sick like Pinky Pie. Why did it affect them and not me?”

Trixie twitched a little in her sleep; a grimace across her face and Fluttershy knew it was still quite warm out, but the evening shouldn’t be too much longer, and the cool night air would soon be here, so she got up, and walked over to the wagon with some supplies in it.

The wagon had come from Sweet Apple Acres hauled in by Big Macintosh shortly after Twilight left with Colonel O-Neill and Teal’c. Inside was an assortment of food, fruits, and vegetables, but mostly apples. Blankets among other things and topping it off with one ornery Granny Smith, who was fussing about not leaving her home to be chewed to bits by Timberwolves or such nonsense. His compassion was one of the things she liked about Big Mackintosh; he was always looking out for other ponies. He cared about them, much the same way she cared about her animals. Big Mackintosh was a good friend to every pony.

Fluttershy’s mind drifted bit, and she had begun to hum a little tune as rummaged through the wagon and brought forth two of the heavier blankets in her teeth. With Princess Luna’s night was coming on, she didn’t want either of them to get cold. Although, it sure seemed like it took a long time to her for Princesses to bring about the end of the day, but Fluttershy suspected it was because of the creatures that had come to Equestria.

Princess Celestia and Princess Luna have been raising the sun and moon for as long as she could remember. Even when Princess Luna was banished to the moon, and Princess Celestia took over both duties, there has never been a day or night missed, and they would not let this intrusion intervene in those duties now.

Suddenly, Fluttershy’s eyes when wide, and she gasped in a breath, dropping the blankets as she turned and stared face to face with Trixie, who had snuck up behind her, a brief flash of light shown in Trixie’s eyes.

….

Rainbow Dash flew just above tree top level, then landed on rocky cliff outcropping overlooking the valley, she took in a deep breath then wiped the sweat off her brow with her hoof. She felt as if she had just had the biggest work out in her entire life. The sun was beating down on her, and she was extremely thirsty. She looked up at the sun, shielding her eyes a bit so as not be blinded by its light, “Is it me, or is it taking longer than normal for night to fall?”

Looking down across the valley, she spotted the river as it meandered through the trees. Her thirst getting the better of her, she walked off the cliff, fell for a few feet then quickly spread her wings and caught the updraft and gently glided towards the river’s edge coming to a stop on the rocky bank. Dash leaned in to take a drink when the caught sight of something else that snapped her attention away from the river. “Whoa!”

Hidden beneath the canopy of trees was outcrop of old stone buildings. Picking her way through the trees, she flapped her way around until she spied what looked to be larger temple of sorts with a small rusted portico gate. Dash grinned from ear to ear This place looks just like one of the places she had read in one of her Daring Doo books only, this was real. Ever since Twilight introduced her to the Daring Doo books, Dash had come to idolize the character and her adventures “Times like this, I wished she was real.”

And that was when she saw the fresh hoof tracks in the sand that lead into the doorway beyond the rusty gate. There were three sets of tracks, two of which she guessed as Spitfire and Soarin, but who was the third?

Dash looked beyond the gate; inside was a wooden door that was cracked in half and lay open in the entryway, the tracks continuing inside. She could make out some sort of symbol on the door, but it was nothing she had ever seen before and paid it no further attention. “So what would Daring Doo do in a situation like this...? Investigate.” And with that, Dash steadied herself and walked inside.

….

Twilight had led them into some mountainous terrain, but she had assured them that it was the best route to the caverns where they had ‘exited’ from the underground Stargate. The rush of water had scoured the land for miles leaving a mass of debris of downed trees, jagged rocks, and tons of mud everywhere. Jack placed his fingers inside a cut edge hauling himself up over the ledge. Once over the lip he turned and sat on the edge looking around at all the devastation, Jack was amazed that they were still alive. The place looked like a Naquadah bomb had gone off. Thankfully, the gate shut itself down or else they would be under an entire planets worth of ocean water by now. The only good part according to Twilight was that the valley’s river where most of earths water drained into, led straight into the Equestrian Ocean. The rest harbored in shallow pools now rimmed with salt stains as it evaporated by the heat of the blazing sun.

Jack checked his watch; Twilight had said they might make it there by dark, and he knew things would be slower having to crawl over all this rubble, but even then, by this time yesterday it was almost dark. Was the sun even moving? Jack took a sip from his canteen; he could also swear that it was getting hotter.

Teal’c had gone on ahead to scout around and Twilight came and sat beside him, a grim worried expression across her face. Jack thought to himself… no matter how far they went traveling across the galaxies and all the beings that they met along the way, it was still amazing just how ‘human’ we all were. “They’ll be all right Twilight. We’ll find them.”

“I know they will,” Twilight said with a painted smile “But I still cannot help but feel that I am responsible. They are my friends, and I told them to go and find Pinky Pie, and now…” she paused, not wanting to say the horrible thoughts that were running through her head.

Jack didn’t even look at her. “Friend? Ya, that’s what you are to them, but you know what else you are?”

Twilight looked over at him slightly confused.

“You are also their leader and as a leader you made a decision, and they followed you’re decision. Why? Because you’re their friend? Yes… but it is also because you are their leader, and they trust in your leadership and the decisions you make. Now all you need is to trust in your friends.”

Twilight paused for a moment taking in what Jack had said. She had never really thought of herself as a leader before. “But did I make the right decision?”

“Right or wrong no longer matters, what’s done is done. If Daniel were here, he’d spew on about something with paved roads and intentions. But I’ve trained a lot a people over the years and one of the biggest things that always seems to slip through their minds, is that we never leave anyone behind. You made that decision when you chose to go find your friend. The real question is where do we go from here and then deal with things as they come along. Regret is something you can’t afford to hold on to.”

Twilight forced and actual smile, she wasn’t quite sure if that made her feel better or not, but for the moment she believed him and that would have to do. “Up ahead is the location where Rainbow Dash and her Wonderbolt team found you. And from there it shouldn’t be too much longer until we reach the mouth of the caves.”

….

Trixie reared back onto her hind legs; no thought nor emotion came across her face, her target; her enemy lay in front of her cowering in abject fear. She would be the first to feel the wrath of the Goa’uld, those who will not submit will be punished accordingly, the gods demanded it.

Trixie leaned all her weight into the assault, hooves poised to strike at the pony’s head when a flash of something red came to her and suddenly she felt her body losing its stance and falling to the side with a heavy weight behind it. she didn’t know what it was only that she had been sent flying to the side from where she stood over her prey and into the base of a large tree where she lay moments before.

As she got back on to her hooves, she looked around and saw a rather large red and angry stallion standing in front of the cowering yellow Pegasus. “Noope!”

Trixie looked around; with the commotion, her surprise attack was lost. The others were gathering trying to figure out what has transpired, but it mattered not. She would take them all on for the glory of the gods, not even this big behemoth will stand in Trixie’s way. They will all bow before… Trixie paused as a small sharp pain hit her in the neck. It felt as if a bug had bitten her. Trixie tilted her head slightly; she was getting dizzy she couldn’t see… and then she lost her footing and fell to the ground.

Daniel and Sam waded through the crowd of ponies who had gathered around the fallen body of Trixie, Zats at the ready but quickly concluded that they were no longer needed when a new pony had waded out from behind some thickets holding on to what looked like a rather large straw or pipe of sorts.

“No, not a pony,” Daniel said to himself adjusting his glasses, “A zebra”

“Never a day I thought I’d see, when there were these many ponies in Everfree.”