Hope and Helplessness

by Banjo64

Rating: teen
Tags: Sad, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Alternate Universe, Shining Armor, Human
Length: 7376

Equestria's magic is gone, and a new ape-like race has arrived. Ponies must learn how to depend on their new 'owners,' while the humans must learn how to take care of these new creatures.

Equestria's magic is gone.

Without magic, equine society collapses.

Without magic, nothing grows.

Without magic, ponies can't even stand up on their own.

Equestria's only hope for survival lies in the mysterious ape-like creatures that arrived when the magic left.

Unable to communicate or take care of itself, the pony population finds itself reduced to livestock to a race that knows nothing about them.

As humankind tries to find out where these creatures come from and why they are here, one pony is just trying to come to terms with his new status, while his 'owners' learn how to take care of him.

edited by bobdat

picture by Cradeelcin

Published 2014-04-20 00:00:04 UTC
Last updated 2014-06-04 16:43:28 UTC

Prologue: Arrival

Shining Armor felt waves of nostalgia as he made his way down the bustling streets of Canterlot. He’d only been living in the crystal empire for a few months now, but the familiar sights and sounds of his childhood home brought back memories dear to his heart.

At least, that was his excuse for taking the long way to the castle.

It’s not like he was deliberately procrastinating so he could skip waiting in line with all the blue-blooded nobles (and one actual BlueBlood) who were demanding an audience with the Princess. No, he was just feeling strangely nostalgic for no particular reason.

He wasn’t expected for another hour anyway, so there was no reason to hurry. True, the Princess would probably give him priority and let him cut in line, but he didn’t feel like making the nobles dislike him further. Being the husband of true royalty tended to make the high-collars jealous.

Besides, he had every confidence that the royal guard was still under suitable command after he left for the empire. The princess herself had appointed his replacement, so this meeting was really more of a formality that anything.

True, some small part of him still regretting having to leave his position of Captain, but it was a small price to pay for being able to spend his days in the Crystal Empire with his loving wife. And it’s not like he’d retired. The empire’s forces needed a leader to teach them how combat had changed during their thousand year imprisonment.

Not that anything was expected to threaten the empire. Between the powers of the crystal heart, its location in the arctic north, and its connections with the rest of Equestria, the need for a royal guard seemed almost non-existent.

Then again, there hadn’t exactly been an apparent need for a royal guard anywhere in Equestria when Nightmare Moon returned, or when Discord broke free, or when the Changelings invaded…

Shining shivered despite the warm summer air. He still hadn’t gotten over the incident. Not the brainwashing or the crashed wedding (though those were far from pleasant), but because of how helpless he had been.

He was the Captain of the Guard! When trouble dared to show its face, he should be the one leading the forces to stop it! But when he had been released of the mind control, he’d been unable to do anything. He’d only been able to cast the shield spell because Cadence had given him so much power she had to sleep though the first two days of their honeymoon.

And again, when Sombra had begun his assault on the Crystal Empire, his wife had taken up his responsibility to maintain the shield, while all he got to do was sit around with a useless horn.

Ok, so he threw his wife at the bad guy. That had been kind of helpful, except Cadence had NOT let him forget about that. He just hoped she had been joking about adding a “husband toss” event to the Equestrian Games.

But the fact remained: Every time some new threat to Equestria emerged, he was either disposed or useless. Hay, he hadn’t even known about the Tree of Harmony incident until his sister mentioned it in passing the last time she’d paid a visit.

Just once, he’d like to do something worthy of his title as Captain of the Royal Guard, or the Crystal Prince. Just once he’d like to be more than a helpless third wheel. Just once…

PING!!

Shining Armor stopped in his tracks and looked around. That hadn’t been a sound. It had been a deep and powerful feeling. A quick glance confirmed his fears. Everypony is the street had felt it too, and had stopped to look around as well.

Something had just gone through the magic plane. Something so massive that even the occasional pegasus and earth pony in the street had felt it. But what in Equestria could do something like this? Even Discord couldn’t affect the magic plane this strongly…

PING!!

There it was again! Shining was getting worried now. He broke into a gallop toward the castle. If something was affecting the magic plane, then the princesses must have surely felt it as well. They would know what was going on, and what should be done about it.

PING!!

Shining stumbled. Whatever was happening, it was getting worst, and it was starting to affect him. His horn was beginning to burn, and that was not a good sign.

PING!!

Shining’s eyes were starting to water. The air around him seemed to be getting brighter…

Wait.

What?

He ground to halt. Yes, the air around him was starting to glow…

KNOCK! KNOCK!

Shining Armor awoke with a start, glanced around, and winced in pain.

He was in some kind of wooden cell, and his body was incredibly sore.

KNOCK!

Shining slowly turned his head toward the noise. The knocking was from some kind of strange clothed monkey. It was leaning over the wooden door to his cell. Seeing him awake, the monkey gave Shining a nod, turned, and left.

As Shining Armor calmed down, he sighed and laid his head on the ground. Everything was coming back to him. The monkey wasn’t a monkey. This wasn’t a cell. And he wasn’t in Cantorlot. In fact, he wasn’t even in Equestria anymore.

Where was he? He had no idea. Why was he here? Because he had no choice. Why was his body sore? Because he had no magic.

A pony’s entire body, not just their horns or wings, was dependent on magic to properly function. Without magic, everything from a pony’s muscles to vital organs would stop working.

So, yes, there was a small amount of magic available to him, but that was it. Just enough to keep him alive. There wasn’t enough magic in the air for him to even move properly, let alone cast spells.

At least one thing hasn’t changed. I’m still completely useless, he thought bitterly.

A shuffling sound informed Shining that several of the clothed monkeys were coming. He slowly and painfully lifted his head back up to see three of them entering through the door to his pen, each wearing identical clothing.

One spoke some gibberish to the other two. They were clearly talking, but Shining didn’t recognize the language.

They then moved to his sides, and bent down next to him.

Knowing what was coming, Shining slowly moved his legs into the proper position and braced himself. The two monkeys reached under him with their minotaur like limbs. With grunts from everyone, they helped Shining climb to his hooves.

The simple act of standing up was too much for Shining to do on his own. His ‘magic deprived’ body was too weak.

The third monkey (Shining really needed to come up with something better to call them) made a beckoning gesture with its limb. With the assistance of the other two monkeys, Shining slowly made his way out the cell, and followed the leader outside.

The walk gave Shining time to regain his bearings. His pen was located inside what appeared to be a barn designed for equines. What’s more, his pen was but one of many. Through cracks in the wood he saw that several of them had ponies in them as well.

Shining felt a mix of frustration and despair at the sight of it. Pony kind, reduced to little more than livestock.

It was humiliating.

It was unfair.

And worst of all, it was necessary. These creatures were ponykind’s only hope, if they had any left.

Here he was, being moved around by creatures that now owned his life, and he was not only incapable of resisting, but had no incentive to do so. Shining had no idea where they were leading him. He’d watched several ponies being led away before he’d taken his rest, but he never saw any come back.

He just hoped it wasn’t to some kind of slaughterhouse like he heard the griffons used on their livestock. Sure, these monkeys had sharper teeth, which suggested they ate meat, but that didn’t mean ponies were on the menu.

Right?

John Marsh was not a man to be pushed around. To everyone who knew him, be it at his workplace, the local pub, or even the grocery store, he was an iron wall of an individual who took no crap from no one.

Except for his wife, Diane. She knew him as a cute little puppy that bowed to her beck and call.

His wife wanted to move out of the city and live in a more rural environment? “Well, the kids could use more fresh air in their lives…” His wife wanted to buy a few horses for her and the kids to enjoy? “Well, only if I don’t have to take care of them…”

Yes, John had little resistance to his wife’s demands. She just knew him so well. She knew how to push his buttons, when exactly to push them, and when a request was a lost cause. And though he loathed to admit it, this was not one of those times.

“Honey, do we really have to do this?” he whispered to her.

The two of them were part of a large crowd gathered at an improvised auction house, participating in what was quite possibly the strangest auction he’d ever seen. If it could even be called an auction. There weren’t any bids, just volunteers to take responsibility for the creatures being offered.

“Yes, sweetie, we do,” Diane whispered back. “We came all this way to get a pony, and we’re not leaving without one. Besides, you don’t have to do anything. Me and the girls will take care of everything it will need.”

“Then why am I here?” he asked. “I don’t even want one!”

“Because I figured you’d want some say as to which one we take home,” said Diane. “Aside from Sarah hoping for a pink one, the three of us agreed that we really don’t care which one we get. And considering how you would complain if we came home with one you didn’t approve of, I feel you should be the one who ultimately decides.”

John rolled his eyes.

“Oh come now,” Diane said with a mischievous smile. “This isn’t going to require anything from you. We don’t have to even to pay for anything! The government’s agreed to cover all expenses while they try to figure out what’s going on, and what exactly they are.”

“That’s the thing,” John said. “How do we know they’re not just trying to look helpless and cute?”

“Well, if they really are alien invaders,” said Diane, “having one in our home will give you a chance to study how to properly defend yourself from one. Besides, it’s not like we’re the only ones in the neighborhood who are planning to bring one home. If we walked out right now, we’re still be just a small fence away from the neighbors’ ‘evil alien pony.’”

John shook his head and said, “I still think this is some kind of set up. I mean, a whole continent appears out of thin air and it’s populated with rainbow-colored unicorns? Sounds like something a little girl would fantasize about.”

Diane gave a soft giggle. “Either way, one little girl is going to think you’re the greatest father in the world when we bring one home for her. Now, how about you stop making excuses and pick one?”

With a sigh, John turned back toward the platform. Currently there were three of the ‘evil alien ponies’ (ok, he had to admit that sounded stupid) up for grabs. One just had to raise their hand, and declare that they were willing to take responsibility for it.

It was a first come, first serve kind of deal, but the folks who really wanted a pony had already gone through an hour ago. By now the gathering was more for clearing out the few ponies left.

All three of the ponies were lying down, too weak to stand on their own power.

The first was sea green with a blue mane, and had a pair of small wings on its side. Like the rest, it had a pair of strange brands on its flanks, in this case a pair of clouds. Its large eyes were looking around the gathered crowd. It was very apparent it was terrified out of its wits.

The second was dark red with a yellow mane, and had a horn squarely in its forehead. It’s slightly sharper muzzle and hooves suggested this one was a male, though John wasn’t sure. Its brand depicted a small fire. It was also looking around at the surrounding crowd, but this one had a challenging look in its eyes. As if daring someone to claim it.

The third had neither wings nor a horn, but its bright blue coat and bubblegum pink mane gave it an especially soft and cute look. Not that John would admit it. Its brand was that of some kind of flower, though John couldn’t recognize it. Unlike the other two, this one was closely eyeing the ground, trying to ignore all the eyes that were looking at it.

At least that was what it looked like. John had been watching the news and he had heard that there were signs that suggested that these ponies might actually be somewhat intelligent, but they were still just ponies. Brightly colored with wings or horns, but still ponies.

A loud call broke John out of his musings, as someone else in the crowd had laid claim to the pegasus. The auctioneer acknowledged the claim, and the ‘bidder’ stepped up to fill out the paperwork. The winged pony, meanwhile, was gently raised off the stand and led away.

John sighed again. He really didn’t want to pick at all, but the two remaining really didn’t appeal to him. The unicorn looked like it’d be trouble, and there was no force on earth that would convince him to pick a pony with anything pink on it. He decided to wait for a better option.

As the pegasus was led away, a new unicorn was brought in. This one was a solid white with a dark blue mane. This one’s brand looked like a shield, or a crest. As it was lead onto the stand it eyed the crowd with... resolve?

The good news was, it wasn’t a butcher building. The bad news was, it seemed to be some kind of improvised auction house. Which meant that one of the monkeys in the crowd was about to claim him as its property. Shining wasn’t entirely sure how to feel about that.

Well, no point in pretending this wasn’t going to happen sooner or later... He thought.

The auction platform (which had a few other ponies on it) was really just a slightly raised piece of plywood. Next to the platform were a few other monkeys that were wearing the same clothing as the ones that were helping him move, and another that was standing behind a podium.

As he was led onto the platform, he looked out at the crowd. He’d be lying to himself if he said he could read the faces looking at him, but he was able to relax a bit as he saw that no one seemed to be looking at him like a meal.

The fact that he couldn’t smell any blood in the air probably helped too.

The two monkeys gently set him down next to the other ponies. Shining didn’t recognize either of them, but a quick glance made it clear that neither were interested in talking over the muttering going on in the crowd. The unicorn was looking at the monkeys with barely controlled rage, and the earth pony didn’t even seen to notice Shining was there.

It was kind of a shame. This was most likely the last time any of them would see another member of equine civilization. A part of Shining really wanted to just try and start some small talk with the last two individuals he would ever be able to hold a conversation with.

But then again, what was there to talk about?

‘Hello! I hope you become the property of a monkey that actually feeds you!’

‘Hey, I know we’re about to be reduced to pets or worse, but have you seen any good theater lately?’

‘I understand you’ll never see them again, but how’s your family?’

Yeah, that would make anypony in this situation feel better.

Turning away from his fellow ponies, Shining looked back out to the crowd, trying to familiarize himself with the monkeys...

…

Ok, that’s it, I seriously need to think of something else to call them. He thought.

Let’s see... clothed monkeys... clokeys? No, that sounds stupid even in my head... maybe a different primate? Chimps... Apes... clapes? Better, but still-

A voice broke through the dim. Shining turned to see a... clape... raising one of its limbs (what did the minotaurs call them again?) While Shining was no animal expert, he could assume from the creature’s large... ahem... parts that it was a female.

Two of the worker clapes (still sounded better than monkeys) came over to the earth pony, lifted her up, and led her away. She still kept her eyes firmly on the ground.

Shining tried to watch where they were taking her, but quickly lost sight as they turned the corner. The clape female, meanwhile, came up to the platform and began speaking with the clape behind the podium.

That’s odd... there wasn’t any bidding. Guess this isn’t a traditional auction... Shining thought.

Then again, how do I know this is even an auction? I don’t know anything about these things! How do I know this isn’t some kind of ‘reserve your meal’ meeting?

Shining shook his head.

Ok, now I’m just being paranoid. Calm down Shining Armor. You’re not the Crystal Prince to these creatures.

A yellow pegasus with a tornado cutie mark was brought onto the platform in place of the earth pony. Shining didn’t recognize him. The pegasus took one look his fellow ponies before turning away. He didn’t seem interested in talking either.

Shining looked back toward the crowd.

One of them is going to take control of my life, one way or another. I should stop speculating and try to make a good impression.

Shining had only a moment to look before there was another cry from the crowd. Shining turned to see a male (he presumed) clape had a raised limb this time.

And it was looking directly at him.

A moment later, two worker clapes came over to Shining Armor, and he knew all too well what that meant.

Guess this is it... my fate has been sealed... he thought.

As he was lifted up, Shining tried to get a better look at the clape that just claimed him. His new ‘owner.’

Perhaps he was a bit biased as the one being auctioned off, but Shining was not comforted by its less than cheerful expression.

Author's Note

Here's my first attempt at writing something somber.

Let's see if I can make this idea work.

Any suggestions to help me work with this setting are welcome.

Chapter 1: Welcome Wagon

Shining Armor slowly awoke, his body aching. Never in his life had he felt so tired. Groaning in pain, he opened his eyes to see that he was still in Canterlot, lying on his side in the middle of the road. What had happened?

With a grunt, he tried to pull himself up. To his horror, he found that he couldn’t. His legs simply refused to move. He tried to just roll over into a position where he could take proper stock of the situation, but he couldn’t.

Was something wrong with him? Was he badly injured? In a moment of panic he tried to summon up a spell, but found he couldn’t do that either. He was completely helpless.

It was not a particularly calming realization.

Still, he hadn’t become captain of the guard with impulsive thinking. After taking a minute to calm his nerves, he tried to take account of his condition as best he could while lying on his side.

First, his body was sore, but not in pain, so he wasn’t injured. Also, his magic was completely gone. Not just weakened or restrained like he had experienced before, but flat out gone. He couldn’t even summon up an aura around his horn.

On the bright side, this explained why he couldn’t move: magic exhaustion. When a pony’s body ran dangerously low on magic, it would begin shutting down less important muscles and systems to conserve whatever magic remained.

Since if he was completely drained he’d be dead, a little weakness or temporary loss of bladder control was the price to pay for one’s magic to be so thoroughly spent. And the fact that he couldn’t smell urine was a good sign that he wasn’t in THAT much trouble.

He tried to move again, this time just slowly moving his hoof. It sapped his strength, but he could move it. With a sigh, he resigned himself to his fate.

For whatever reason, his magic had been drained to the point he could barely move. Until he regained enough, he was stuck here. He just hoped that the princesses were better off and were trying to address whatever had caused this while he laid here.

Useless.

Again.

Dr. Blake took a deep breath as she made her way up to the podium. Not that she was nervous, mind you. She was just coming to terms with how monumental an occasion this was.

It was quite possibly the largest gathering of the scientific community in human history. Biologists, Chemists, Cytologists; you name it, there were dozens of experts for the field gathered for this event.

And Dr. Blake was the one chosen to be at the head of it all.

The opening ceremonies were nearly complete, all that was left to do was give her final two cents and the word for the research to begin.

Thanking the last speaker as she was handed the microphone, she arranged her papers, took one last deep breath, and began her speech.

“Good afternoon, everyone. My name is Rebecca Blake, and I will be serving as the head of the project,” she began.

“I am aware that not all of you have been properly briefed as to what it is we have been gathered here for, given the sudden nature of this event,” she said, looking toward the crowd. “So, before we begin our research proper, I feel it prudent to bring you all up to speed.”

“Approximately 84 hours ago, an enormous flash of light was reported to have been seen in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, one thousand kilometers away from the nearest inhabited island. Seconds later, the light vanished entirely, eliminating the possibility that it was due to nuclear weaponry. Global satellites, however, soon revealed that a large landmass had appeared where the light had been,” she said.

This got many in the crowd to begin muttering among themselves. Dr. Blake heard a few in front row mention something along the lines of ‘inconceivable.’ She raised her hand for silence, and continued.

“What’s more, this island seems to have had no impact on the surrounding sea, as its sudden appearance did not result in a massive tsunami, an earthquake, or some other natural result of a landmass appearing in the middle of the ocean,” she said.

More muttering began, this time much more noticeable. Dr. Blake raised her hand again and waited for the crowd to quiet down once more.

“Naturally, this caught the attention of various government bodies. Nearby military vessels were sent to investigate,” she said, glancing toward the various gathered politicians eyeing her.

“The island they discovered was inhabited, or at least at one point was. Numerous cities and towns were discovered across the island’s length. No sign of human activity was discovered, but photographic evidence thus far suggests that the various buildings had not been abandoned for more than a few days,” she said.

“Far more interesting, however, was the discovery of life forms seemingly out of ancient mythology. Though it may sound ludicrous, it was confirmed that the island was inhabited by…”(Dr. Blake paused, bracing herself,) “unicorns.”

Surprisingly, the crowd remained silent. Either due disbelief, or waiting for her to start laughing, she wasn’t sure.

“This proved to only be the tip of the iceberg. There were later reports of pegasi, gryphons…“ Dr. Blake’s voice was drowned out as the crowd suddenly exploded into noise.

The ride back home was a silent one.

For about ten seconds.

“So… what exactly are you planning on doing with it?” asked John.

“Well, we have an open pen in the stables, so we’ll put him there till we can do better,” said Diane.

“Better?” asked John.

“Come on now, Sweetie. Even if he’s not intelligent, he clearly deserves something better than an old barn,” answered Diane.

“A barn I built myself a few years ago…” John grumbled.

“Oh, hush!” said Diane with a wave of her hand, “You know very well that’s not true! And don’t act like you don’t know what I mean.”

“And you know we’re not building anything just because you want to give the unicorn special treatment,” said John.

“I never said that,” said Diane, “I just figured we should see if we can give him a little more than just moldy hay and dirt for a bed. A little more than just his coat to keep him warm when it gets cold. Let him have something better than hay and oats to eat.”

“If you say so honey. Just don’t ask me to get out my hammer and nails again,” said John.

“Even I were going to plan such a thing, I’d just hire a carpenter again. We do have a budget for taking care of him,” said Diane.

“How does that even work?” asked John, “‘Oh, hey! So you volunteered to take care of this weird unicorn thing! Here, take this money, and we’ll let you decide what’s best for it!’ Really, what’s stopping us from just taking the money and…“

John’s voice faltered as Diane glared at him.

“You’re not actually considering-”

“I’m not. I’m just saying how this ‘plan’ seems a bit too slapped together and much too trusting of the average citizen.” John explained.

Diane sighed.

“I agree,” she said, “But you need to realize, John, that no one knows what we’re supposed to do in this situation. From what I heard, there’s an entire nation of seemingly abandoned cities where these ponies come from. We don’t even know whether these ponies are some crippled population or abandoned pets.”

“All the more reason why this seems like a poor decision,” John said.

“I’m not a politician John. I can’t pretend to know how those people think. And don’t forget that there are several million of these ponies that need taken care of. A bit much for the government to ‘take charge of’,” said Diane.

“I just want to know WHY we have to take care of them in the first place,” said John.

Diane glared at him again.

“John…” she started.

“I’m not saying we should just let them die-” John said.

“Yes you are!” snapped Diane, “You SAW how they can’t even stand up on their own. Word has it that the land they came from is full of nothing but dead grass and trees. Face it John, either we somehow take responsibility for several million aliens we know nothing about, or we leave them to die.”

John sighed.

“The point I’m trying to make that we don’t know HOW to take care of them. How do we know what they’re supposed to eat? How do we know how long they typically live? Are we supposed to just find out through trial and error?” he asked.

“If you think you can figure out how to talk to one and ask, then no,” Diane said with a knowing grin.

John didn’t have a response to that.

“Exactly,” said Diane with a nod, “Besides, we’re not on our own here. They gave us an address to a private website set up to help us, and the rest of the world, figure out what works and what doesn’t. And I for one am convinced that they are, in fact, intelligent beings. Mark my words, our unicorn friend is going to be making every effort to help us as well.”

“What gives you that idea?” John asked.

“Have you looked into his eyes, John?” asked Diane, “He showed so much more going on in his head than food…”

What I wouldn’t do for a hay burger right now…

It wasn’t that Shining was starving. He’d been provided enough hay to keep his stomach happy, but it was incredibly dull, even for raw unprepared hay. Less than a day of the stuff left him longing for something tastier.

Celestia, please do not let this be the only thing I get to eat for the rest of my life… he prayed.

The carriage he was in hit a small bump in the road. At least, he figured it was some kind of carriage. It was really a small metal box on wheels connected to some kind of machine.

From the noise it made and the burning smell, Shining figured said machine was some kind of mini-train. It was certainly an effective contraption, as the countryside zoomed past as speeds he’d never imagined possible for a self-moving vehicle so small.

Then again, this wasn’t the first mind-blowing clape machine he had ridden in. That flying one that had taken him out of Equestria had shocked him that the huge thing not only actually flew, but flew at speeds that were probably greater than the average pegasus royal guard.

And the clapes built it without a shred of magic.

In some ways, it was a bit of a relief. Their new ‘masters’ were not only intelligent, but resourceful. At least they had become the pets of a race that could do such mind-blowing things as opposed to, say, diamond dogs.

But then again, it was also frightening. Hay, they might have been able to conquer Equestria if this was what was available to their general populace. Shining didn’t want to think about what would have happened if the clapes had come as an invading force.

Or hadn’t they?

Shining shook his head again.

Come on Shining, get over it. You’re not going to be able to sleep if you’re constantly worrying that your new caretakers are planning to eat you. Think about something else…

The first thing that came to his mind was Cadance. It was not a particularly cheerful thought.

Oh, Cadance… Are you OK? Is the crystal heart still protecting you? Are you slowly dying as the freezing wind and snow blows over the empire? Have the clapes even discovered the empire hidden in the arctic north? Are you in a similar mess as I am?
I miss you already Cadance…

…

Oh, and Twili too. Almost forgot about her again…

…

And our parents…

…

Celestia, I’m a horrible pony…

It took ten minutes to quiet the gathered scientists down. It took another ten to convince the more skeptical that this wasn’t some kind of hoax. Finally the crowd was silent, and Dr. Blake continued her speech.

“As I was saying, we have discovered numerous creatures out of ancient mythology. The truly bizarre thing, however, was that all life on the island, including that of its more ‘natural’ wildlife, was completely immobile. Nothing found on the island seems to be capable of holding its own weight. This is even more curious, as the various creatures were found not only in the wilds, but in the cities in such numbers that it almost seems as if these multicolored equines could be the founders of this mysterious society.”

The crowd remained silent. Not by choice, as they had called in a few armed soldiers to ensure that no one would waste time pointing out how impossible this all was. Still, Dr. Blake was certain she heard a snort from somewhere.

“Whether this is true or not, the society in question appears to think very highly of these equine life forms, as many statues, stained glass windows, and much more have been found built in their images. As such, the first contact group gathered up as many of the weakened equines as they could and provided food and supplies as best they could with their limited resources.”

“However, eight hours after the event began, matters became even more impossible. All flora on the island began to die. The trees, the grass, everything. In a matter of two hours, the entire island had become completely devoid of plant life,” she said.

“For the time being, the various world leaders have agreed to have the various life forms of the island exported into their counties to provide them with food and shelter until the cause for this phenomenon has been identified,” she said.

What Dr. Blake did not say was the debate over which creatures went where. Apparently, it still wasn’t settled yet, even though hundreds of thousands of them had already been flown to the US and Australia.

“Which brings me to why we are all here,” she said. “To be quite blunt, no one has any idea what on earth is going on. How did this island appear out of nowhere? What happened to its ecosystem? What was this civilization? All these questions, as well as countless others, need to be answered.”

“And we have been gathered here to find those answers. We need this society researched and its tomes translated. We need the zoology analyzed and properly categorized. We need to know how this island, which has already been a source of countless seeming impossible phenomenon, came about and what this all implies for the future. The entire world is depending on us to get results.”

“This is beyond a doubt the greatest challenge many of us will face in our lifetimes. I wish you all the best of luck. Everyone, welcome to Project Genesis.”

With those oh so encouraging words, the crowd began to break apart, as the various scholars made their way to their designated departments. They all had a lot of work to do.

Finally, the car pulled up to their humble home.

When Diane had first asked to move out to the country, John had made every effort to choose the perfect home that was large enough for a family of four, but small enough to be affordable. Far enough from the city to get some fresh air, but close enough that John didn’t have to drive for two hours to get to work every morning.

Naturally, John never found the perfect house.

The one he DID choose was a bit further from the city than he liked, but not painfully so. Otherwise, he probably couldn’t have done better. His wife and kids were happy, and he wasn’t miserable.

And then he was talked into building a stable.

Ok, admittedly he really just called an expert and helped the guy hammer in a few nails, but no one needed to know that. He had a reputation to keep up, after all.

Then again, how much of that reputation would he keep when word got out he brought home a unicorn?

Maybe he could just-

“John,” said Diane, “I’d hate to interrupt your deep and important internal argument, but could you give me a hand here?”

With a cough, he turned back toward his wife to see that she was opening the trailer that held their newest acquisition.
The smell that greeted them inside wasn’t helping things.

“Err… right. Sorry dear,” he said.

As the side of Shining’s transport was opened, he got a good look what he presumed to be his new home. And what he saw came as a bit of a surprise.

It’s… just a normal house.

If Shining didn’t know better, he would have said that he’d been led into the middle of Ponyville. Considering that these clapes had small personal trains, he’d been expecting something a little more…. flashy.

But no, here he was, looking at what seemed to be a straightforward two-story home, complete with dull yellow paint. It was so comfortably familiar it was almost creepy.

Shining shook his head. He had more important things to worry about right now. As he watched, his new owner and a female clape made their way into the metal chariot, and knelt down next to him.

Shining still wasn’t entirely sure how he felt about the male clape that had ‘purchased’ him. On one hoof, it seemed to always be eyeing him with suspicion and disdain. On the other hoof, it seemed to be taking extra care as it reached under him to help him up.

Maybe it was just as uncertain about this situation as he was? Maybe it was just trying show a tough face for the crowd? Or maybe it just wanted its meat to be-

Ok, seriously, stop that Shining. Just be patient. You’ll figure this… guy… out in time.

The clape female, however, seemed much easier to read. It had a cheerful look in its eye that suggested it was struggling not to hug him. Not that Shining was against hugs, but there was a time and place for such things, and this was not it.

And it was degrading to be reminded he had been reduced to a pet.

With grunts all around, the three of them rose up, and made their way out of the vehicle. As he walked, Shining noted that they were definitely out in the country. There was nothing but green fields wherever he looked, broken only by the occasional building or fence.
One of which he noticed was some kind of barn near his new home. Or, he realized, what would be his new home next to the clapes’ house, as they seemed to be leading him to it.

Guess sleeping in a bed was too much to hope for…

That’s when he noticed two smaller clapes making their way over to the three of them.

“YAY! WE GOT A UNICORN!” Sarah yelled with joy as she ran out to meet her parents.

Katherine followed behind her younger sister. She was much more in control, but was also bearing a huge smile on her face.

“Easy girls, let’s get him into the barn and cleaned up before you start hugging him,” said John as they made their way across the front yard.

“You mean it’s a boy unicorn?” asked Sarah.

“Looks like it, Sarah,” said Katherine as she tried to get a good look the equine. “And not a shred of pink on it.”

“Aw…” moaned Sarah, not bothering to hide her disappointment.

“Sarah…” said Diane, “Remember what we talked about earlier today?”

“If we want to get a magical pony at all, we have to let dad… Oh! Right!” said Sarah.

John chose to ignore the clear sign that his family had conspired behind his back. Again.

After a few minutes, they managed to guide the unicorn into the barn, and laid him on the floor outside the pens.

“Whew, he’s not as heavy as he looks, but that was still tiring,” said Diane.

“So, now what?” Asked John.

“First thing first, Katherine and Sarah are going to give him a bath,” said Diane, “If his smell is any indication, he’ll need a proper scrubbing. In the meantime, I’m going to sign into that pony care website and see if anyone’s discovered anything useful yet. John, you can go inside and watch some football.”

John just raised an eyebrow. There wasn’t a game on tonight, let alone right this minute.

“I did say you didn’t have to do anything. If you’d rather help us set a pen up for him…” said Diane.

“No thanks. I’ll go… watch some football…” said John as he headed out of the barn.

He wished his wife would stop playing these games with him. They could get really annoying at times.

Diane turned to address her children.

“Ok girls, I’ll leave him into your capable hands. Remember, we don’t know much about him, so don’t push him if he starts showing discomfort. I’ll be back in few minutes,” said Diane before she left as well.

With her parents out of the way, Sarah decided that this was the perfect time to start squealing with joy.

“EEEEEEE!!!!! We have a unicorn! We’re going to brush its mane, give it sugar cubes, ride it- EEEE!!! I’m going to ride a magical unicorn!”

Katherine just rolled her eyes at her younger sister’s excitement. This was part of something that would likely go down in human history, and all Sarah cared about was a pony ride.

“Maybe later, Sarah. We have to give him a bath first,” said Katherine.

“Oh yeah,” said Sarah.

The eight-year old and the seventeen year old took one look at each other, and proceeded to perform one of their family’s most ancient and sacred rituals for deciding who got to work the hose.

“Rock, Paper, Scissors, Shoot!”

“Darn,” said Katherine.

Giggling with delight, Sarah set off to turn on the water, while Katherine got out the soap, sponges, and brushes. With no one blocking her view or squealing with glee, she finally got to get a good look at the unicorn, who seemed to be observing his surroundings.

He really did seem to be right out a fairy tale. Clear white coat, dark blue mane with lighter stripes, and a spiral horn coming out of its forehead. He wasn’t a particularly large equine, just an inch or two smaller than a regular full grown pony stallion. This was probably why the creatures were referred to as ponies in general rather than horses.

Not to mention his smaller muzzle, thicker legs, and overall body structure suggested he had more in common with the smaller breed of equines than the larger.

There were two things about the unicorn, however, that stood out to Katherine. The first was his eyes, which were not only massive, but seemed to shine with understanding. Katherine had followed the news about these ponies more closely than her mother, and she had to agree; the creature in front of her was much more intelligent than the two horses currently grazing in their yard.

The other thing was the brand on its flanks: A blue shield with a purple star, with three smaller stars above it. Upon closer inspection, however, Katherine notice that it wasn’t a brand. The hair itself was a different color than the rest of his coat.

“So… why does he have a tattoo on his butt?”

Katherine turned to see her sister was back with the hose.

“It’s not a tattoo Sarah. The hair is just colored differently,” said Katherine.

“Oh. Why is it colored differently?” asked Sarah.

Katherine just looked at her sister.

“Oh, right. Magic unicorn,” said Sarah.

“I wouldn’t say magic, Sarah. Other than the horn and colors, he seems like a normal pony stallion to me,” said Katherine.

“Wait… how do we even know he’s a boy?” asked Sarah

Katherine glanced under the unicorn’s body. “Yep, definitely a guy. Though I guess it’s kind of hard to notice since….”

Katherine stopped as she noticed the unicorn was looking at her.

Katherine looked back, a bit surprised, before he turned away.

He had been blushing.

Author's Note

Ok, so apparently my serious world-building story is no where near as popular as my silly one-shot story.

Eh, whatever. I'm still writing what my crazy mind thinks up.

Also, I totally called what losing magic does to ponies before the season 4 finale aired. (maybe a little more drastic, but still...)