My Little Heartbreak: Heartbrokenby Jet_Black1980ChaptersLoose ChangeCrash and BurnShattered GlassDespite All My RageAre You a Secret Spy?Gilded CageWhat Dreams May ComeThe Rainbow BridgeLearning to WalkTrouble with MuffinsSet in StoneFor the Good Of All of UsThe Race is OnThe Student Becomes the TeacherHorsing AroundEye of the StormSister, SisterBlack Hole SunDon't Buck With my HeartLoose ChangeChapter One Loose Change. The past year had been a rather unpleasant one. Change is always unpleasant. I had finally moved out of the house I was staying in and into an apartment. Paying rent and being alone weren't the things that were causing my heart to pain me though. No, the thought of abandoning the ones I had grown to love was. I didn't really abandon them however. My girlfriend had finally told me that she had enough and that she couldn't take it any more. The stress, the trash, the kids, everything was getting to her. She finally broke down and checked herself in for a month into a hospital. We said we would see each other after she got better. But in that time, Dave, her husband, had decided that enough was enough. He told me that I had a week to find an apartment, or legal action would be pressured. The first night of that week I was gravely ill from all the stress. The second night, I started looking. The third night was like the Sword of Damocles over my head; Dave glared at me while I was on the computer desperately looking for anything I could get my hands on. The only benefit here was that my fingers fluttered faster over the keyboard. The fourth night I found a place and signed a lease. When I told him, he told me that all my stuff was to be out at the end of the week. Or else. I wanted to tell her about the new apartment, but he told me that if I contacted her while she was in the hospital, his actions would be swift, harsh, and devastating. The fifth day, I gathered most of my stuff. The important things. The sixth day, another load. The less important items and any clothing. The seventh day, I went back to gather anything I missed. There was a smoldering pile in the front yard near where the trash cans would normally be placed. I recognized the charred remains of a few of my possessions. Nothing important, just stuff that I had left. I could see him out of the corner of my eye, gazing out the window, watching my every move, his cold, unblinking eyes staring out of the darkness. Hand ready on the phone, making it clear what would happen next if I even touched a blade of grass on the lawn. I pretended not to see him and walked forward, acting as if I were some stranger who had gotten lost in the wrong neighborhood. As I turned, I could see him setting down the phone and nodding as if to say "That's right, keep walking..." That night in my new apartment I tried to feel numb about everything that had happened. I tried to deny the feelings. But in the last hour, I just broke down crying. The pain was too much, it was too heavy. I think I was still crying as I fell into a dreamless sleep... The month passed and she came out of the hospital better from it. Or so I heard. Then she contacted me and we agreed to meet in the food court of the mall. A nice public area. We talked and then she asked me why I hadn't visited her or anything and why I was living on my own now. I tried being as honest as I could be about the situation. And I was about to be. That’s when I spotted him in the crowd standing near the elevator on the opposite side of the court. He was staring at me with eyes...strange eyes that seemed deeper into their sockets than normal. He was sipping on a drink in a methodical manner... "I-I just found a place. I thought it would be good to give Dave and the kids some space." I lied. She told me that that was a funny way to do so, but if I felt that way, then that was the way I felt. After a still more awkward meal I turned to leave, telling her that I had work tonight and this meeting was cutting into my sleep time. She grabbed my cuff and pulled me into a hug. "You didn't think you were just going to leave without a hug and a kiss did you?" She tightened her hug and gave me a passionate kiss. It was like running under a waterfall after traveling through the desert. It was like pure bliss. It was magic. I opened my eyes and smiled a goofy grin. I was about to say something but then noticed him standing in the crowd. His cup looked like it had the life wrung out of it. His eyes were smoldering coals of searing hate. I put on my best face and pretended not to see anything. "I'll see you soon m'dear." I said. She nodded and let me on my way. That was a week ago. The clock on my wall ticks overshadowing most of the other noises in this small apartment. The only other sound I can hear is the sound of my breathing as I lay on my back. I am trying to comprehend everything that has happened. I give up and turn to my side. I wait for my mind to settle, however it doesn't. It continues to bubble with possibilities of what could or should have happened. What might have been done to make things better. But even there it all ends the same. I sniff hard. "Why does everything I do end in heartbreak?" I ask out loud, trying to helping to break the silence around me. I don't expect an answer. "When it involves you... That it does..." said a thin reedy voice from behind me. I quickly sit up in my bed only to find a clammy hand with a tissue covering my face. There is a strong horrible chemical smell and my hand goes up to remove the obstruction in front of my face. But within a few moments of struggle and a few breaths, I feel a darkness overpower me. I attempt to fight but it's no use. The world goes black and then ceases to exist. ======================================================================= I am awoken by bright light and sound. It is the booming sound of an old TV being turned on, the faint almost not-quite-there humming that one hears when walking into the room. This is then followed by the flickering of florescent lights. “Ugh..." I groan attempting to lift my hand in an effort to shield my eyes from their harshness, but quickly find out that I'm strapped down. Looking down, my eyes adjust to the light. I am in a tube of sorts, long white metal rings surround me and there is a slow strobe. My eyes are straining by looking down. But I can make out a circle of darkness at the end of this tube. "He's awake," says a female voice. A young rough female British voice speaks. "Good, I have been dying to tell him off." "I don't see why you all wouldn't just let me gut him. Get it over with." My eyes are having trouble identifying anything outside that circle of darkness, but two reflected circles of greenish light suddenly can be made out from whomever is now speaking. So many voices. Why do I feel like I know them? "This way is better," replies a male voice. A shape drifts past the portal to the outside of this chamber or pod. I can make out a female shape, but it sparkles and luminescences in a way that just isn't natural... "Yes...This way is...Better..." She says as a head of some kind pops up in front of the dark circle below me. She puts her hand on the top of the head as if petting it...the light of the pod is just enough that I can make out details. It looks almost like a...puppy dog’s face? "This way is more...beneficial to all parties here." She continues. "More Merciful." "Why the hell should we show him any mercy, Tatiania?" hisses a southern sounding voice. There is a pause from a drama I can't see being played out. But whose presence is so strong that I could swear it filled the very air... "Queen Tatiania. My Apologies Queen Tatiania." She says. "Because, we have all loved him. And we all know that we can't outright end his life," she says. "Says you," comes a growl. "Wisp'o'Willow, Your temper is great, and your people are known for it. However, look into your heart. Could you outright kill him?" Her voice is like nothing I have ever heard...and yet...hearing all of these voices. I recognize them and it’s grating at me that I can't place them. Where do I know them from?! There is a low growl...and then a sigh. "Maybe not outright..." she replies. "Exactly, and you're not the only one who has had feelings for this one. Every Party here wishes for something to be done about him. Banishment is a far better solution than mere death." Banishment? What is going on out there in the dark? Who are these people, what is going on? I try to speak but I find myself unable to. The dog’s face pops right over my feet. Even with my eyes straining, I can see it isn't actually a dog. There is a mop of shoulder-length hair flopped on this...girls'? On her head. From which protrude a pair of floppy doggy ears. She has bright somewhat big shining brown eyes. And while she doesn't look like she has a muzzle, she has an almost blackened dog nose. A dog tongue lolls out of her mouth drooping to the side. Yet despite all these traits, there is something I can't put my finger on. Like I know her. Her smile definitely tells me that she knows me... "Hear that, Mr. Lonely Hearts-Smashing-Club-guy?!" her voice is loud and brash. Yet the moment she speaks I know her voice. Kylie. That's Kylie's voice. That's the voice of my girlfrien-...ex-girlfriend’s daughter. "Baaaanishment. You're going to love it!" Her eyes go wide and she's yanked back her little hands grasp on the collar around her neck. "Stay out of there." Hisses a quiet almost inaudible voice. The same voice I heard just before the world blacked out. Now with a bit of context, I recognize it. Dave. That was Dave's voice, if he was whispering, that is. I blink. And then a cold shiver threatens to overtake me. I realize I do know the other voices. They're all people whom I have been in relationships with. My exes. I try talking again. This time a faint squeak comes out, but nothing more. "Huh." Says the soft male voice. Douglas. That’s Doug..."He looks like he's trying to talk." A small camera eye dislodges itself from a ring in front of me and snakes its way towards my face. I hear Doug's voice over the speaker. "An Experiment." He says. "You remember that right? That's what you called our relationship. I didn't forget that, Anthony. Well then. Now it is my turn to have an Experiment. I hope you like it." "If the name-breaker can berate him than so can I, Your Highness!" Sandy. Her name was Sandy...I don't remember her being called Wisp'o'Willow... I hear angry stomping and then Sandy's face protrudes into the chamber at my feet. Her face is...all wrong though...Her features are exaggerated and her hair is longer, but her teeth...oh my what big sharp teeth she has..."All that time on-line! You! Teasing me! Flirting with me! Leading me On! And then we meet! It could have been Perfect! And what do you do?! You say that I look old!" She snaps at me. The small confines, combined with the ringing in my head make for the perfect combination of drilling pain. There is a fear response starting to overwhelm me. I want to scream in fright, I want to run and hide. But I can't. "Wisp'o'Willow. Remove your head from there. He has all hurt us in ways that are different." She pauses. "And yet are the same." A neutral voice speaks. "I don't know why you all need me then. I barely knew him. Our paths only crossed but once. And after a brief span, diverged." She speaks in a way that doesn't stand out. Perhaps that's why it stands out among all these different voices. My mind reaches for the name. Sara. The call center. The way she wanted me and then I turned her down. Told her that I was celibate. Shortly afterwards I was fired from the call center. It didn't deal with her, but still... "Yet you bare the sting of his style of romance Wind-Runner. Your stories are marked with sorrow and sadness to this day. You need Closure in this matter." Tatiania replies, her voice transitions over to the speakers. "And closure we shall all have, Anthony." She say and I realize who she is. The one I had crossed half the country for. She had met me at a bus station wearing horns and dancing. She was the one I first really confessed undying love to. "Rho-..." I managed to gasp out, only to be cut short. I felt two cold steel needles at my throat. “I...” The needles pick into my neck slightly. "You. Dare?" She asked, her voice pained. There was a quiet pause. Something told me if I spoke any more that I wouldn't speak again...now or ever. "You. Anthony. Paul. Troglia. Smith. have committed crimes against Noble and Commoner, against Seelie and Unseelie. You have broken your oaths of love three fold three. You have attacked our allies and we will stand for it no longer. Such actions would normally warrant death...However I, Tatiania High Queen of the Fae, House Gydian, Holder of the Circlet, Current Servant to Excalibur and one of your former lovers...Have chosen a path of Mercy. Upon this day, the day before the Samhain Celebration, We, The Counsel of Nine have tried you for crimes against the Heart. Your sentence is Banishment from this World." I didn't know what to make of this. It sounded like something from a storybook. It sounded long winded and overly wordy. Yet serious as sin. "So shall it be." She finished. "So shall it be." Joined Doug. "So Shall it be." Whispered Dave. Another voice joined in. Then another, and another until finally came the last cheerful and all together too happy voice of Kylie. "So Shall It Be." And that's when my world falls apart. Chapter Two As the World Falls Down. It's funny to think that one's world can fall apart with the mere utterance of a voice. A few choice words. A phrase. A look, a glance or a gesture. There are people who wouldn't think that it could happen that way. People who think like that have never been in love. The four petty words of "We need to talk" can and do send grown men quaking and crying. "It's not you, it's me." Can bring whole lives crashing down. "You need to leave", "I just don't love you anymore", "We've grown apart." Horrible earth shattering phrases that we humans inflict upon each other. Yet, the world keeps turning, reality is still there when we stop crying and our eyes open. Right now, that's not what is happening. Moments ago, the High Queen of the Fae just handed me an eviction notice from the world. That didn't make any sense at all. None what-so-ever. My mind just didn't comprehend it. And then it was made crystal clear. The door at my feet closed shut and the lights in the chamber started to strobe faster and faster. I feel a sound coming from my throat, a scream, but it’s almost snuffed out like a candle in a the wind. The chamber melted away around me. White light was replaced by black in a way that was not unlike melting wax...I still couldn't move. And suddenly there was a jarring and the feeling of acceleration. Around me there was what looked like the outer reaches of space. But it couldn't be. How was I breathing? And yet there it was. The stars were streaks of near ultra-violet light ahead of me, and crimson light behind me. I was going faster and faster, leaving a cluster of stars, and then the very galaxy. Before long, I could see rapidly growing arms of filament collecting behind me. This transitioned into a fog of sorts. Looking back ahead I was greeted by a fuzzy, hot and painful haze. The pain grew, and grew and grew until I couldn't feel it anymore. My mind refused to process it. That's when I got logical. "You're passing through the echo of the Big Bang." It said. "That's not possible." I replied. "And yet, Here you are. Look, we are approaching the Wall." It said. "The Wall? What is the Wall?" I asked. "I don't know. A barrier? A brane? The thing that separates universes? How would I know.? I'm You." It replied. The wall seemed to become whiter and whiter and whiter as I zoomed towards it. "We're not slowing down." I told my mind. There was no response. "We're. Not. Slowing. Down." I shouted at my mind. Still nothing. "WE'RE NOT SLOWING DOWN!" Was the last thing I thought before plunging into the sea of pure white. I expected pain. I expected suffering. I expected...something. I got none of these. Instead I was greeted by a Void. By a Nothing. Or at least that is what my mind would call it. The human mind isn't equipped to understand nothing. To us, there is always Something. Even the concept of Zero isn't a nothing, Zero is a place holder for something. A number, a concept, it is by definition Something. Perhaps that's the problem with nothing. We've defined it. By defining it, we've made it into something. And in doing so we've destroyed the nothing. But even looking at this...this expanse of emptiness of...well nothing...I couldn't understand it. I felt my confines melting away... I could move again. Moving my hand in front of me, I realized that I could see a negative image of myself. It was like everything was inverted almost...As I accelerated, the Void gave way to...something. At first it was a small pin of a light. It was joined by more, and more and more. They didn't appear to be at any judge-able distance, like if someone had draped a cloth over my face. Then there was a burst of light right in my face and a voice. "First...we take your clothes." It said. My clothing ripped away from my body. Falling into the nothing. Falling into the void. "Now your face." It said. "Wha..." But before I could really respond I could feel a burning on my nose. And then my cheeks and then my whole face felt on fire. All I could see was light drifting off it and then...nothing. I couldn't see anything. "Now your voice." It toned. I tried to grasp at my throat as if I could hold onto what they were claiming they were taking. But even in my blind state, the hums from my throat died and silence was left behind. "Now your Form." It chimed. The burning returned and suddenly I couldn't feel...myself. I could feel me, but I couldn't feel anything that was me. It was like sensation was there, and yet it didn't have a defined extension to what was 'me'. "And now...we take your Identity..." It sang. A cold prickle ran through me. There were many ways one could have their identity stolen. Was this one of them? I couldn't even tell. "You are now ready." I could feel heat coming towards me. I didn't know precisely where it was, or what it was but it was getting closer, and closer and closer... Slowly as I approached this heat source, I could feel things again. I could hear things again. My eyes...reformed...I couldn’t see things yet but I could tell the boundaries of what was ‘me’ were again at least... But everything felt wrong. My eyes actually opened and I saw a shimmering in front of me, the shimmering formed a pool of sorts, it rippled with all the colours of the rainbow, it had a soft glow to it. And I was fast approaching it. A voice cried out, and I tried futilely to stop myself from crashing into it. I tried to grasp something below me but there wasn't anything to grasp. The last thing I remember was wondering if crashing into this pond thing would hurt any... I found out really quickly that it did. ======================================================================= What is it like to actually crash into a rainbow? The rational part of my mind knows that rainbows aren't physical objects, they are projections of light bent through a transparent medium. I know that's a rather dull explanation. But when you have been ejected from reality as you know it, your mind tries to latch onto the first thing that seems reasonable. Rainbows shouldn't hurt. They're nothing but generally light and mist. I think that the source of my pain is the fact that a splattering of colour is saturating everyone of my senses. My eyes, skin, nose, tongue and even ears are burning and screaming in nothing but pain. I am smelling purple, tasting indigo, feeling blue, hearing orange and of course seeing pure white. And before I can even process these things, it's done and over with. The burning is replaced with a cooling feeling, the screaming of orange is replaced with the splashing of a...liquid? I cough and gag on something that is foul tasting. My vision clears and I see that I am being ejected out of some kind of vat and towards the floor. "Well." I think to myself, judging the distance from floor to where I was spat out. "This could possibly hurt." Fear grips me when it turns out that the floor isn't solid. There is a foop sound as I hit it and fear turns to panic as I fall right through the floor. "Clouds?" But that doesn't make any sense. What is holding up the vat? That question becomes very, very unimportant as I see what the floor gives way to. The world down below me, a world that is Very high up. In the night sky the moon looming big and bright, I can see the small houses from below. Some of their lights lit. For some reason this place triggers a memory of a place I know...But I can't put a finger on where I know this place. My panic stricken mind no longer cares about those things as I grasp the realization of how high I am, how fast I am going and at what angle I am going. "This could hurt a lot more." I squeak out. Right before me there is a circular window that seems rather far in the distance. That changes within the span of time it takes to process how far it is. The pain of glass, wood and sound splinter my vision. You're going to die. Right, final thought. Make it a good one. "I like turtles." Fuck. Crash and BurnChapter Three Crash And Burn Rainbow Dash sat rather bored in front of blipping screens. As leader of the Weather Team and general all around awesome pony, this was not her idea of a good time. "Security detail. Bucking Security detail." She unwrapped a stick of chewing gum and popped it in her mouth. At least she could bring a book. The whole job bugged her on a very uncool level. The maintenance pony explained what all the buttons, knobs and other deals did. The only thing that she had understood in all that was she was to mark down any unidentified bogies flying too close to Cloudsdale, and what colours they would be. All incoming targets would start at the edge of the screen and a line would track their movement. Green lights were other pegasi that had authorization. Blue lights were passer-by who were friendly. Yellow lights meant caution and Red lights were hostile bogies. With everything that followed, she had given him a blank and rather unhappy look. He rolled his eyes in return and said that if the big red button was flashing to give him a call. Then he'd come and look at the problem. That was three and a half hours ago. She chewed on the peppermint gum. "Right Dash. It's just for a week, four days are down, three more to go, it's extra bits, and you Want that Daring Do collectible." She said looking at her well worn copy of “Daring Do And the Infernal Machine”. She had read this book four times over, more times than any book she had ever read. "Who am I kidding? If this wasn't mandatory I wouldn't be here..." She opened the book. It was still an awesome book, the characters were still grabbing her attention. But this job was just so boring! "Gaaaaah!" She shouted five minutes into reading. She pushed the book away. "I'm sorry Daring. It's not you, it's me. Nothing happens on this shift!" She looked frustrated at the blipping screen. "I got plenty of blue and green dots already! Would it hurt to have some red or even a yellow dot appear?!" She said glaring in an almost joking quasi-serious manner. She grumped and turned slightly rolling her eyes. "Like I expected anything to.." The screen blipped brightly with a Yellow light that just suddenly appeared in the upper right beta quadrant. "Gremlin didn't say anything about that..." She slowly picked up the phone next to her and tapped one of the buttons. "Uhm, Hello!" Came the rather spazzed voice on the other end. "Gremlin. This is RD, I know what all the colours mean, and that they are sposta travel in lines right?" She looked at the screen. Already the yellow dot was diminishing in brightness. "Yeah.." Gremlin replied snorting. "What does it mean when a Yellow dot just suddenly appears without a...path behind it?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Um.. Well. Either the machine is malfunctioning, somepony got past Cloudsdale Security, or that somehow, some unicorn got it up into their heads to teleport all the way up here. Seeing that the last two are -ehm- near Impoooosible, It looks like I am going to actually go down there and take a look at your security system." He replied in a rather eggheaded manner. Dash grumped. The yellow dot was now traveling in a straight line downward if she was reading this thing right. "What if it was one of the other two Gremlin?" She asked in a slightly worried tone. "Um...well...Erf!" Gremlin replied with the sounds of tools being lugged in the background. "In the Extremely Uuuunlikely event that it Was indeed one of those two...I would guess...That if they didn't have anything to hold them on the clouds that they would be in some really Big trouble. I mean Cloudsdale is pretty high up -ehm-..." "Then it would be worth my time to dash down there and check it out right?" Rainbow said in an abrupt and quick manner. "I could just send down a security detail, RD.." Gremlin replied. There was a pause as he waited for her response. "Um RD? Hello? I'm coming down there now...RD?" However he was only greeted with the squeaking sound of a swiveling chair. Rainbow Dash had left ten seconds before he could even ask his question. ======================================================================= The shadowed rainbow contrail was the only thing that most of the security ponies saw as Rainbow sped by them. Part of her was in it for the speed, part of her was in it to see if Gremlin was wrong, part of her was in it for the thought of playing hero and saving some feather brained unicorn who had the nerve to pop up to Cloudsdale without any protection. But really she just wanted to get away from those blipping screens. It didn't take long to get to where she needed to be. The door was clearly marked as Beta-41A. "Wait a tick," She said coming to a sudden halt. "This is the Rainbow Room...Of all places, they had to pop up here?!" That set up a whole new set of problems. While she wasn't sure about the inner workings of that machine back there, rainbows were her thing. Some of the things that were in rainbows were kinda painful if they got into the wrong places. She chuckled a bit remembering the time Pinkie Pie tried tasting one. She shook a giggle off and put on her serious face. No time for reminiscing, the situation needs to addressed. She nearly charged through the door. And nothing...On first glance the room looked completely untouched. "Ah horse feathers.." She grumped assessing that nothing had happened. "Great, now I am sure Gremlin is going to get all upset with Me-eeeee!" Her left front hoof stepped on a place where there should have been floor. Instead she caught herself about to fall through a pony sized hole in the clouds. "Whoa...Um that's not good..." There wasn't any detail in the hole to make out anything about the pony of course. However there was a splatter of liquid rainbow that lead back to one of the bigger tanks. The door opened again. "Halt! Who Goes There?" Asked a commanding voice. Rainbow Dash put her hoof up to cover her eyes from the bright light that was now blinding her. "Whoa! Hold it!" She picked up her security badge. "I am just checking out what happened here. Something showed up on the security screens!" "So that's where you ran off too." The security pony said. "Gremlin thought he told you that a security detail was coming this way. However when he arrived-" "And it's a good thing that you got here too!" Rainbow interrupted pointing at the pony sized hole in the floor."It looks like some pony just teleported here, jumped out of the rainbow tank there, and fell through the floor over here!" The security pony looked at her blinking. "Right.. So what you are saying is that there was a breach of security.. " He looked at her. "...On your watch." Rainbow looked panicked. "What?! No! I am just the one that was watching the screen back in Central Monitoring." "Funny, this tag says that you are also part of Security." He blinked. ”And I would love to investigate this more, but my shift is almost up.” "Huh?" Rainbow Dash asked confused like. "See, the Security Pony who gets to the scene of what has happened first, takes care of the investigation into any Breeches." He smirked. "Along with any paperwork that comes with it..." Rainbow now was totally confused. "And until the paperwork is done, Cloudsdale Security Detail can't clock out." He explained. "Can't Clock Out?" She asked worriedly. "Nope. What's worse is that it eats into your work time." He started to walk back to the door. "You better get to investigating who, how and why this breech happened. Or all that work might be for nothing." He said. Dash slapped her face and rolled her eyes before diving into the hole in the floor. The security pony chuckled and rolled his eyes. "That's one less thing I have to do. New Foals. They are so easy to mess with..." Shattered GlassChapter Four Shattered Glass Right now I am remembering things. Memories of rainbows, of clouds, of sleepy little houses below me, and finally of glass windows. Particularly the glass window. The memories of it shattering run through me, along with the sound of it breaking are standing out. And then, landing in something soft. I moan and put my hand to my head. Or my knuckles...I can't tell, my head is pounding and the world is still kinda spinning.. Despite that all I try to look around. There is something...soft under me. I tap it. It's cloth or pillow like. I can't really tell. It's dark in here. That's when I hear the sound of footsteps coming up some stairs. "What in the name of Celestia was that?!" Says a female voice. Panic strikes me as I hear a door from behind me open. "Hello? Anypony in there?" she asks. I am not sure how to answer and try to move forward. "Ah!" Comes from my throat as I realize that there is a cold sensation trickling down my arm, and a sharp stabbing from the glass embedded within. I hear her enter the room. "There is somepony here! Oh my gosh! When I heard the crash I was worried!" I desperately want to run. I hear her getting really close to me and turn rather quickly. Apparently I am not good at judging distances, because our heads smack right into one another with a rather unpleasant cracking sound. There is a crackling sound that accompanies this collision. Like an electrical crackle.. "Ooooow..." I say in a low tone. But something is wrong with my voice. Even in a low tone it shouldn't sound so.. high. "Ugh..Oh Geeze! Ouch, that hurt. Are you ok?" She asks. "I...don't..." I try to clear my throat. There must have been something in that liquid that I was pushed through. I attempt to clear any liquid from my throat. "I'm -ehm- I'm -eeeeehm!- Alive?" "That's always good, right?" She asks. Her voice. I know her voice. Where do I know her voice from? The shadow of someone...? lurks amongst the doorway. I hear a voice come from them. "Hey, Twi', whatever hit us knocked out some of the power, I flipped the breaker..." He says, just before he flips a switch. The light goes on and now I am shocked at what I am looking at. There is a dusty purple-ish unicorn. She has a dark blue mane and tail that has a few streaks of pink and purple. "So then. Oh my you're.." She starts out. "AAAAAHHHHH!!!” Comes a terrified scream from my throat. She jumps back and looks at me questioningly. "Are you sure you're alright...?" She asks. "Y-y-you're Talking." I reply. "Yes. Um...maybe we should start this over." She clears her throat. "My name is-" "Twilight Sparkle." I interrupt in an abrupt manner. I can now see the being that is standing in the doorway. It is a purple dragon with green frills and rather large green eyes. He looks at me and then at Twilight. "You know this pony, Twilight?" He asks. "Uhm, no I don't." She begins. "Oh, Hi!" He says in an almost casual and pleasant manner. "Were you the pony who crashed into our window? My name is-" "SPIKE." I interject once again. Twilight looks at the little green dragon. "Um...You know her?" She asks. "Twilight, if you don't know her, most likely I don't know her. So, no. I haven't seen her before in my life." He explains. Twilight turns her attention back to me. She blinks as if she just remembered something and her face twists up again. "Right. You're bleeding. Spike get me a bit of cloth to wrap this injury." She looks at me and her horn starts glowing. “Alright...this is going to most likely hurt. I've never had a chance test my medical skills...Spike be ready with that cloth wrap." He salutes her and has the cloth ready. Within moments, I feel something free itself from my arm. Then there is a pressure as the wrapping goes on. "There! Easy as pie." She exclaims. The shock of a talking unicorn and dragon is wearing off. I lift a hand to feel the wrapping. "Um, thank yoooou-AAAH!" "You shouldn't touch a fresh wound!" Twilight exclaims. The scream isn't from touching the wound. I don't even get to do that. It's from the fact that I have just looked down at myself. I don't see hands, I see hooves. I don't see an arm but a leg. A horse's leg. "Oh god, oh god, oh god, oh god..." I start jibbering. "What's wrong?" She asks. My mind blinks for a moment at the question. "Mirror! I need a mirror!" I exclaim in that annoying high girly voice. "Um...Ok...But really, despite a couple of scrapes and the glass, you look fine. I'd say that you're a very lucky pony.." She says her horn glowing and pulling a standing mirror from a bookshelf out in front of me. I feel ill as I see an image staring back at me that shouldn't be there. A pony. A pony with a curly dark brown mane, a tannish coat and striking ice blue eyes. "Oh, no, no, no, no, no,no,no!" I say. It suddenly strikes me as to why my voice is all high and wrong. "That's not right, that's...Not...Right..." The reflection in the mirror rears back, trying to stand on its back legs, only to be forced back down. As...she...is forced to do so, I can hear the clattering of hooves on the floor below me and the sensation of vibrations going through my ..legs.. "That's not my voice! Oh geeeze what did they do!? Fff.." I try to spit out what is a well known swear to me, but for some reason my mouth isn't forming the word. "Ffff! Ffff! Fe-e-e-etlocks!" I finally exclaim. Twilight looks in the mirror at me confused. "What's wrong? For how you fell through my window, you look like you took minimal damage.." She says as if to calm my nerves. "No! Everything is wrong!" I exclaim. I look down to my hooves. "These are wrong! This face is wrong! This Voice is Wrong!" "How?" Twilight asks."You sound perfectly normal for a mare to me." My brain glitches over that statement "perfectly normal for a mare". "Uh...Twilight. You think she hit her head a bit too hard?" Spike asked. "This is too much, too much, tooo much...." I can hear the clattering of my hooves on the ground as I try to comprehend what is going on. It's too fantastic, too weird, too much like a dream. Wait. Too much like a dream. "That's it!" A rather large smile flashes on my face. "What's it?" Twilight asks in a concerned manner. "I'm dreaming! Ha! That makes sense! They kidnapped me and drugged me up! That! Explains! Everything! Yes!" I reply. It does after all make sense. Being in a world that was based off a tv show that had a good five years running that I watched on an almost constant basis? Of course! "But why just kidnap me and drug me...?" I ask myself. "Unless that was part of the drugging as well!" The two of them look at each other questioningly. "Twilight...you think we should get her to a hospital?" Spike asks. "Maybe...we sh-" Twilight begins. A sudden gust of wind is felt coming from the broken window. "Ah-Ha! I knew if I followed that rainbow trail long enough I'd find the culprit!" There in the window is a sky blue winged horse with a rainbow mane and tale. Her brilliant wine coloured eyes glare at me with a determination that I recognize all too well. "HA! Oh Wow! Best Dream slash Hallucination Ever!" I exclaim stepping forward. "Rainbow Dash!" ======================================================================= The three of them are now looking at me in a rather strange manner. "Um, Rainbow Dash...Do you know her?" Twilight asks. "Um. No..." She gives me a strange and perturbed look. "Wait a second...You're not a unicorn..." For some reason, it's the funniest thing I have ever heard. "Pffft-Ha! Darn it. Why couldn't I ever have these kind of dreams years ago?" I ask out loud. I stomp my hoof down. "Oh! What would make this even better is if Pinkie Pie just showed up out of nowhere!" "Twilight...Who is this pony and how does she know our names?" Rainbow Dash asks. "That's...what I'm trying to figure out." She said looking at me in the face. Just then there was a knocking at the front door of the library. "Twilight! Twilight!" Shouted rather sophisticated female voice. "Are you alright up there?! I heard a crash and some shouting!" I rolled my eyes. "I was hoping for Pinkie Pie..." Damn, seemed that I don't have much control over what happens in this dream. That's most likely for the best. The sound of hooves clip-clops up the stairs and a white unicorn with a purple mane pokes her head around the door. "Twilight, what is going on up here?" She asks in a concerned manner, her sparkly blue eyes looking concerned and slightly horrified at the mess. "I guess Rarity will do..." Sure there were lots of fans of Rarity, but she was always so serious, and work obsessed. She blinks at me. "Twilight, who is that?" She asks me. "And what exactly will I do for?" "Um Twilight...This is getting kinda creepy..."Spike comments. "I mean ponies falling from the sky is one thing. Ponies falling from the sky that know your names and the names of your friends?" Twilight sighs while I giggle at this whole situation. If they only knew that they were nothing but products of my drug-addled mind. I bet it would blow their socks off...if they were wearing any that is... "I haven't a clue who she is Rarity, just that she crashed into my window, then freaked out over something that I'm not sure about and Rainbow Dash has been looking for her.." She explained pointing at an ever growing impatient Rainbow Dash. "Yeah, because I won't be able to clock out until I find out why in Equestria or even how she teleported into one of the rainbow vats up in Cloudsdale!" She says clopping a hoof. "My word!" She looks at me in a concerned manner. "Is she alright?" "Aside from a shard of broken glass, scrapes, bruises and various cuts? Yes." Twilight looks thoughtful. "Which is exceptionally lucky for a pony falling from Cloudsdale." Rarity shudders a bit. "I would say it is." "You would have first ha-haa-hoooph!" I try to force the word out of my mouth. It comes out all warped instead. My lips smack together. It must be part of the dream.. Why else wouldn’t I be able to say ‘hand’? "Experience with that, right ,Rarity?" She blinks and looks at Twilight questioningly. I blink and look at the two of them. "Oh come on!" My eyes roll and I use my hooves to express the best exaggerated expression I can. "Don't you remember? It was the day that Rainbow Dash took you guys up to Cloudsdale for the best flyer competition. Rarity got herself a pair of butterfly wings and a b-b-buu-pfffflank load of attention causing Rainbow Dash to spazz out and nearly lose it. All while she was trying to do her job too." I rub a hoof on my head trying to remember what else happened.." Oh Right, So then the competition starts up. Rarity is in the back putting her face on, while Rainbow Dash is getting worse and more spazzy by the minute. So much so that she just starts trading numbers with other ponies just to avoid her spot in line. After all the tension, the fear of failing in front of every b-b-bpppf...One is just too great, too racking, too much. All of you are starting to wonder where she and Rarity are. Cause it's getting close to the end of this whole thing. And Rarity comes out. I swear it looked like she had at least half a pound of makeup on. Everything was over done Over the top, bigger and fancier than anything she had done before." I pause for a breath. "Then the both of you are told that you have to go out together cause well there just isn't any time! So Rarity goes out all confident and starts flapping up really high. Rainbow Dash starts to do her routine and is kinda messing up here and there. Rarity gets up as high as she can and lets the light from the sun shine through her wings. She feels wonderful and beautiful and well...um loved...Until the moment that her wings combust and she starts falling. By this time Rainbow Dash is in her last leg of her routine and about to attempt a Sonic Rainboom!" The four of them are just staring at me. Heh, telling stories like this is kinda fun.. "That's when she hears the screaming from down below! The Wonderbolts then go diving after Rarity, but in her panic she knocks each of them out! Dash looks down and doesn't think. She's Rainbow Dash! She reacts! She dives down as hard and as fast as she can, Nopony can watch what will happen! Will she make it? The ground is pretty far down and nopony wants to think what will happen if she fails now! Tears streaming in her eyes Dash pushes through where she failed once before and through sheer willpower and absolute hope the air starts to crackle around her hooves! All ponies who looked away now are looking in wonder and hope! Will she do it?" I pause again.. The room is rather quiet. "And then BOooOM! A Circle of Light and Colour and Sound Shatters the silence and she catches the three Wonderbolts and Rarity just in time before they even hit the ground! Whoooosh! A contrail rainbow trails behind her as she arcs back up to Cloudsdale, just happy in the moment that she had saved not only her heroes but her friend! That's when the roar of the crowd and cheering can be heard! Even normally quiet Fluttershy is cheering at the top of her lungs! And to top it all off she wins her crown and a day with the Wonderbolts!" The four of them are blinking at my antics and stunned into silence. I look at them, suddenly I am filled with a feeling of dread. "Um...that's.. how.. it.. happened right? I know I kinda skipped over some things..." Twilight shakes her head as if a spell had been cast on her. "No.. in fact that was very, very accurate..." She finally replies. "A little too accurate if you ask me..."Rarity comments. "I thought it was pretty awesome..." Rainbow's face looks like one of mixed emotions. "But...How.. Do.. you know all that?" I can't help but laugh. "Why wouldn't I know it? I mean this is my dream, and in dreams anything is possible. Particularly seeing that I watched the whole thing." I chuckle. "I'm glad to see that I got most of the details right. I thought I would leave the part out were Rarity was being a clutz in the weather factory and distracting all the workers." I snirk. "Particularly the Male workers. She did after all have the -snirk- biggest...wingspan?" I give Rarity a wink-wink and a nudge-nudge. Rarity blinks at me and looks a little offended. "And what do you mean by that?" She asks. "I just mean that you were a bit...Showy with those wings.." I try to explain. "Showy?" She quips. "Well yeah. I mean wings must be an attractive feature for pegasi right? The filly or colt with the biggest wings Must have an advantage over the rest.." Rarity glares at me "And you think that I was flaunting them about in a manner suited to your average street pony?!" "I didn't say tha-" I begin. "You didn't have to say it!" She exclaims. I find myself fighting a laugh, but it starts out as a snirk, then a chuckle and finally it can't be contained anymore. Rarity's face is burning with a bit of a blush. "You think this is funny?" She says getting up and close to my face. I calm down my laughter. "Um..." I start looking around. "Actually...yes?" I chuckle nervously. "I mean, I've never been berated by a marshmallow before." Rarity's eyes go blank for a moment. As if she doesn't know how to process this information. And then I can nearly pinpoint the moment that I can see something snap in her eyes. "MarSHMallow?" She mouths. I almost nervously nod, but haven't the time as she glowers over me. "MARSHMALLOW?! Miss...Who-ever-you are- You listen here! I have been woken up in the middle of the night to find my friend Twilights library window smashed to bits..." I back away from Rarity only to find that she keeps hovering above in a threatening manner. Her hoof points up at my chin. If she had fingers she would have been using her pointer finger at me. "Woken up from my beauty sleep mind you! I have been filling orders All Week, And I will be sooner thrown into a garbage heap, than be berated by some strange pony calling me a ...Marshmallow!" And as to drive the point home, she jabs her hoof right into my right shoulder. The shoulder that had apparently taken the brunt of my fall. The sore aching-ness of a mere bruise turns into a screaming puddle of pain which forces me down to the ground. "AAAAGH!" I involuntarily grasp at the sore spot. "Rarity!" Twilight says racing to if I am alright. "What? I barely touched her..." She says frowning. "Yes and she just survived a skydive from Cloudsdale, through a glass window and into a rather unpleasant crash with what is most likely a wall!" She exclaims. "But she..." Rarity begins. "Yes she called you a marshmallow. And she's also not in her right mind. She might not know what she's saying." Twilight explains. I am twitching in pain. It does fade, however a strong realization hits me and with it a chill runs through my body. "That...hurt..." I say quietly. Rarity smirks but then is greeted by Twilights' disapproving look. She rolls her eyes. "I am sorry, but you provoked me." She cranes her neck down. "Are you going to be alright...?" I can feel a bit of sweat hitting my brow as the panic starts to kick in again. This time the calming idea that this is a hallucination or dream isn't doing the trick... "No! That. Hurt!" I exclaim. "Look I said I was sorry ..I don't see what more I can do." She says. "No! Don't you see?!" I push myself up. "Uh no, Darling...I just told you.." "I know what you told me! Oh No, no, no, no, no,no,no,no.." My hooves are rubbing against my face again. I look at them horrified. They really are a part of me. "Twilight.." Rarity says looking at her rolling her eyes, she sighs. "Then what's wrong...?" Twilight asks. I blink, I am almost hesitant to tell them. Telling them would only confirm my fears. "You don't feel pain like that in dreams..." I explain cold sweat starting to drip on my forehead.. I'm starting to pace.. "If it hurt like that...Then I'm not dreaming...and.. this..this.. oh, no, no,no,no....” I cough and nearly choke on my words.”This. Is. Real." Author's Note New Chapter Art for _old_ chapter Right Here. Despite All My RageChapter Five Despite All My Rage. I am trying my best to hold on, but now my sanity is slipping away. I can hear the ponies around me talking but their words are coming out as gibberish at this point. I think Spike wants to take me to the hospital and Rarity is kinda siding with him about this. Rainbow Dash is saying something about needing to take me back to Cloudsdale so she can fill out her paper work and be done with all this. While Twilight is looking more and more unnerved at me. I am just looking at the ground trying to comprehend all this. How could they do it? That question poses not one but two riddles in my mind. One is the means by which I was transported here, and the other is...how could they do it? The first question is boggling my mind. I know that Rhonda claimed herself to be High Queen of the Fae...but I don’t know even enough about the mythology of such creatures to think about whether or not they could fling someone across a universe! The next version of this same question is stabbing at my heart. I did hurt them. Our relationships ended horribly, with me being too neglectful, too emotionally unavailable. All except the last one. I gave a great deal of myself to her. However, she was already married.. This was a sort of strange open ended relationship, but Dave never really liked me. Never approved of me. That was made all together too clear... I feel something drip onto the floor next to my hoof. I realize that I am crying. That’s not abnormal, what is however is how easily it is coming. The flood of memories and emotions dealing with these matters is too much. Normally there would be a dulled sense to all these things. Like a dam that holds them in check, a wall of separation between emotions and logic. But it isn’t there. Or if it is, it is failing dramatically. I don’t know what to do now. My head goes down and cross my front legs over my face. I need to block … this...world out. “By Celestia! Everypony Stop Talking!” Twilight shouts. The room goes quiet. “Right then.” She begins. “Clearly there is something wrong here. I want to find out what it is. Rainbow Dash wants to find out what it is.” She turns looking at Spike and Rarity. “Taking her to the hospital on the surface seems like a good idea. She has been through a great deal of trauma from falling that high. However, there is something else...” She pauses.. “Something I can’t place my hoof on.. However right now in her current state. I don’t think we should take her there.” I blink, that’s not the Twilight Sparkle I know from the shows. Then again.. what do I know? “But Twilight...” Spike begins. “No Spike. There is something else going on. You said it yourself. It’s one thing to have strange ponies falling out of the sky. It’s another to have them fall out of the sky and know your name, let alone your friends names,” She looks back at me. “And a rather detailed recollection of an event in our lives...” She walks up to me. I am shaking, I am feeling all sorts of things and they are all happening at once. Control yourself damn it. Stop shuddering. What is wrong with you?! Man up! “Right then. Who ever you are, I know you’re confused. You’re kinda lost and it’s apparent to everypony here that you’re afraid.” She says quietly. “But we are all going to need an explanation and you’re the only pony that can help with that...can you do that for us?” I shake my head in a no response. “No...?” She looks confused as if she had prepared a speech in her head, one that was perfect only to find that it failed at it’s intended purpose. “Why not?” I am fighting to find the words. Damn it, what the hell is wrong with me? “I-I...Don’t Belong here...” I begin. “Well...We all agree on that.” Twilight states in a matter-of-fact sort of way. It kinda strikes a nerve the way she says it. “No. I mean I don’t belong here.” I say using my hooves to point down at the ground. “Um...in the library?” Rainbow Dash asks. I push myself up off the floor. Ugh. I am not making myself clear enough. “No. Here!” I say waving my front legs around. “Ponyville?” Spike asks. “No! I mean Here!” Now this is starting to annoy me. More so than it should actually.. “In Equestria?” Rarity asks. “No! Here Here!” I exclaim. I don’t know what’s annoying me more, they aren’t getting it or that I am letting them not getting it get to me. The four of them are just giving me a blank look. “I don’t belong in this World.” I explain. “I don’t belong in this Universe!” They are still looking at me strange as if I have lost my mind. I push a hoof up into my mane...I look at the hoof. It’s unsettling. It’s not right...I try to wiggle my fingers, but my fingers aren’t there. My head drops. “I just want to go home...” I finally squeak out hugging myself. There is a lull of silence that comes over the room. “I think we should still take her to the hospital.” Spike says. “Spike!” Twilight replies glaring at him. “What? I’m just saying...” He kicks his feet on the ground. Twilight rolls her eyes. “Rainbow Dash. What do you think?” Dash sighs a bit. “Why do I have to say anything?” “Cause right now you are the closest thing to an authority we got here. You’re Cloudsdale security.” Twilight explains. Dash opens her mouth and then looks at me. She takes a serious stance. “Right. The way I see it, Somehow our mystery pony got through security. However, she’s not a unicorn. So she couldn’t have done it by herself...” She replies tapping her chin with her hoof. “So. Even if she is all confused, it wouldn’t be her fault that she landed up in Cloudsdale. After all, Somepony else had to have sent her there.” Twilight smiles. “Right. Somepony with rather powerful magic.” She looks at me. “And such magic will lead a trail behind. A trail that we can follow back to its source.” “And how do you propose that we find this source, Twilight darling?” Rarity asks. “Um.. That’s rather easy enough Rarity. I’m the one who is the expert in magic here, I’ll go back to Cloudsdale with Rainbow Dash, explain the situation.. and investigate the actual cause of all this.” She says in a matter of fact sort of way. “Which will save me the trouble of filling out paperwork.. And I won’t lose any time on my time card! Score! Daring Do figure number 25 here I come!” She exclaimed. “Um... I mean..." she looked around and rubbed the back of her head. "I got nothing.” “And…what do we do about her?” Rarity asked, shooting a glare at me. “You two can watch her back here, right?” Twilight asks. “Oh...no,no,no..” Rarity replied. “I need my beauty sleep, I have several more orders to fill tomorrow...” Spike almost right away protests before Twilight can say anything. “Leave me here alone with little miss fruit loops over there? Not happening, Twilight..” A voice comes yelling from downstairs. “Hey Twilight! Rarity! Rainbow Dash! Are you having a party up there without me?!” Twilight looks at Spike. “Huh? Really? Do you think that is a good idea Twilight?” He asks already seeing what she is plotting. “We have no other choice here, Spike. Not unless Rainbow Dash wants to go fetch Fluttershy.” She responds. “I could do that...” Dash says in an absent minded manner. “Actually that might be a good idea, Rainbow Dash. It’ll give me time to prepare the spell.” She looks at me. “You’ve been awful quiet in all this...are you alright?” I blink at the question. “Yes.. no.. maybe...I don’t know...Ugh!” I stomp my hoof on the ground. “How could they have done this!?” Twilight backs away. “Spike, I am going to trust you to keep an eye on her, alright?” Her horn glows and she picks up a quill and paper. “I have an important task for you, I need you to find and read this book while I’m gone ok?” She says letting the paper float down to him. “Um Twilight this book is about-” Twilight covers his mouth. “Something very important.” Just then a pink tuft of mane bounces into the door frame. “Who’s Ready To Party?!” She Exclaims before blowing on a party favor. “Whoa! Twilight! What happened in here? Why is there broken glass everywhere? We can’t have a party where there is broken glass, somepony could get...” She pauses for a moment. “Hurt.. Whoa...” That’s when she notices me and zips past the others before they can even talk. “Oh Wow! You look like you got hurt pretty badly! Are you ok? My name is-” “Pinkie Pie.” I say without much emotion in my voice. “Uh.. Yeah! Do you know me? Cause I don’t know you, and I know everypony in Ponyville! And that’s cause they’re all my friends! Course the first step in becoming another ponies friend is learning their name! And seeing that you already know my name, I’m half way to having a new friend!” She claps her hooves together. The sound grates on my eardrums in a harsh manner. “So! What’s your name?!” She asks me. I blink and stare at the floor. “I...I don’t know anymore...” I reply in a detached manner. “What? That’s silly, everypony knows their own name.” Pinkie replies. I glare at her angrily. Rarity intercedes before anything can happen. “You know what? Those orders can kind of wait a bit...I’ll stay here with Pinkie, Spike and…her. Just to make sure that nothing terrible happens..Just at least until Fluttershy arrives.” Twilight smiles. “Excellent.” She says trotting off. Rainbow Dash is already gone. I look up and see a flash of smiling pink at me again. “Darn it, Pinkie...” I begin. “Why couldn’t you have shown up when I thought this was some sort of amazingly strange dream?” She blinks. “Uuuuuuh...Huh...Don’t know!” She says trying to lean against me. I move away in an irritated manner. Are You a Secret Spy?Chapter Six Are You a Secret Spy? Right now, this whole situation made sense only in the light that the High Queen of the Fae sent me here. Fairy tales to most people are light hearted sugary things, with the fae being these lovely sugary-hearted creatures that can’t do any wrong, have tiny wings, perfect bodies and are the protectors of nature. They’ll sing songs, live off morning dew and fart rainbows. I grind my hoof down irritatedly. Everyone seems to focus on those happy things and not the fact that they are the protectors of nature part. They talk about the happy stories about how happy the Fae Queen and her Prince Charming are, not about how the prince is actually only married to her because she has his real princess locked away in a crystal close to her heart. They tell you about the enchanted forests filled with so many wonders. But they neglect to mention that there have been people who have walked there and never came back. When people think fairy, they think Tinker Belle, not Red Cap, Troll, or Slaugh. They think little cottages out in the middle of the German country side. Not the modern dark corners of their own homes. This kind of punishment is exactly something that the fae would come up with. Here I am. In a universe that if you asked me if I wanted to visit a year ago, I would have snapped it up in a second. In a form that not too long ago I might have taken just for the hell of it. With a pony that on more than one occasion, brightened up my day with her smiles, songs and over all cheer. But like fruit on a tree I can't reach, I feel helpless. In fact I am seconds away from seething in rage over what has happened to me. I should like this. This should be a dream come true. But it’s not. It’s like many a time, where, based on the circumstances of a situation, I had to leave a place of residence. I would have left if I had found another place, gotten a better job, done a little more. If it was up to me, if it was based on my terms. But instead of leaving on my own terms or even terms that were agreed to, I was forced out. Threatened and told that it was up to me to find a place right then and there. There is still a bubble of bright pink right in front of my face. I looked out of the shattered window into the night sky. Twilight and Rainbow Dash had already left, and apparently Fluttershy was making her way here. “Sooooo! She-who-shall-not-be-named!” Pinkie said “You want to have a party?!” I blinked and gave her a look of sorts. Like I said. A year ago I would have jumped at a chance to party with Pinkie Pie. “Like...right now?” I asked. “Yeah!” She says grinning at me. Ack, I think my eyes are burning from the light off her smile and I’ve contracted a diabetic condition from her happiness. “No, Pinkie Pie. I am not in the mood to party.” I reply. Her face is classic Pinkie Pie. “Not in the mood to party!? How can you not be in the mood to party!? I’m always in the mood to party!” She exclaims. “Yes, I know you are...” I say about to turn away from her. However, not even before I can take half a step in the other direction, there she is in front of me again. “You seem to know a lot about us! At least that’s what Twilight told me before she left. How much do you know about us? I mean you seemed to know our names even before we told you them! Not even I could do that! And I know everypony in Ponyville! That would be a really neat trick to learn, can you teach me it? I mean if I could know a pony’s name before I met them I could totally find out more about them and then I could throw them a super secret special surprise party for them!” She is now up in my face about this and I am not sure what to do or tell her. “Um.. You mind Backing Up Please, Pinkie?” I ask with as much self restraint as I can. She blinks and walks back just a little bit. I take a deep breath. “Now will you tell me how you do that super-nifty neat trick of knowing Ponies names before you’ve even met them?” She asks. A wave of annoyance rolls over me. Gods I knew she was like this from the show but … “Seriously, Pinkie...I think I just want to be alone right now.. If all goes well, Twilight and Rainbow Dash will find a way for me to get home...” I say gritting my teeth. “But you just got here and we haven’t had a party yet!” She looks thoughtful. “And you haven’t told me how you know all our names! Oh! Is it that you can’t tell me about this super special talent?!” “Pinkie...” I begin. “Oh! Oh! Is it one of those talents that if you could tell me about but then you would have to silence me...For-Ever?” She once again gets up in my face. “Pink-ie...” I say half worried and half growling. “Ooo! Ooo! Are you a super secret secret spy pony!? The kind that works for the Princesses under cover doing jobs that other ponies won’t do, living a life of danger, and using your wits, smarts and ...Charms to get the upper hoof on evil Ponies that want to take over Equestria for One Billion Bits?!” She says without taking a single breath. “Oh no! I’ve blown your cover haven’t I? Don’t worry, I won’t tell any other pony ever! Pinkie Promise!” “PINKIE.” I shout at the top of my lungs. “Um...Yes?” She asks looking at me intently. “Would You Please Stop Talking And Leave Me Alone!” I finally spit out. “Look. I don’t know what to think or what’s happening or anything like that. But. I do know that once this is all over and done with, that I am not going to feel like partying. I might not ever feel like Partying, OK?” She looks at me kinda hurt. “I was just asking a few questions...Geeze no reason to be a little-miss-she-who-shall-not-be-named-cranky pants...” She says bitterly. “Oooooh Piiiiinkie...” Rarity’s musical voice sings. “Could you come here darling I need you for something....” Pinkie looks at me sadly, but this is quickly squished by a face of determination. She crosses her heart, flaps both her hooves and covers an eye. She turns to meet up with Rarity, but before going, she shoots me a look of sorts. Had it been an Internet meme I swear it would be “Challenge Accepted.” Out of habit my hoof hits my head for a face palm. In a way that was harder than I expected. “Ouch!” I shout. Pinkie is about to turn and ask me a question, but Rarity is at the door giving her the 'Come Here Now Pinkie' head jerk. She bounds away with a look of determination on her face... I roll my eyes and look at the floor. “Well..buck.” I give into the explicate substitute. I haven’t a clue why a mere word would trip me up so badly. “Now four of the mane six and Spike must think I am a spazoid.” I slam my hoof on the ground, sighing irritatedly. I can hear Rarity and Pinkie talking just outside the door. I don’t know what they are talking about, but knowing that they could be talking about me is making me burn. “Damn It. Keep yourself together. Flying off the handle is what they Want you to do, totally isolating yourself is what they Want you to do. Just keep calm.” My hoof clops down on the ground again and again after each word. “Just. Keep. Calm.” That’s when I hear gentle hoofs walking on the floor behind me. Crap. “Um .. Hello...” Says a voice from behind me. “Um.. Rainbow Dash sent me here help watch over you while her and Twilight go to Cloudsdale...Rarity wanted me to come in here to see if you were alright...My name is-” I turn my head at her. I am sure there is a rather unpleasant expression on my face because of how startled she is. “Fluttershy.” I say ending her sentence. “Yes. Great. Leave it to Rarity to send in the Big Guns!” “I-” She begins. “No, Please don’t start. I am not in a good mood. If you start, bad things will happen.” Right now I am fighting off whatever feeling is rearing its head from deep inside of me. “But-” “No! Just turn around and join Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Spike. That is the Right thing to do.” I say gritting my teeth. She looks at me almost about ready to squeak. I turn my face away from her. “If you keep standing there, I am going to say or do ..Something that I will very much regret, Alright!?” I almost shout. “Because-” I turn my head and she has already flown out of the room. “B-because.. I don’t...” My head droops. “I don’t want to make you cry...” I mutter. The door closes behind me. “Great. Just Great!” I hit the wall. “Now all but one of them thinks I am the pony equivalent of Gilda! Just. Bucking Great!” I hit the wall again and again. It does loosen some of the tension in my being. But not by much. “AAAARGH! Well I hope you are all happy!” I shout at the air. “If this is your idea of a punishment, Kudos! Congrats! It’s One Swell Punishment all right!” I turn my back to the wall and in true pony fashion kick with my hind legs, shouting all the while. The lights flicker and then abruptly cut out. There is a hum. The faint high pitched sound like a cathode tube enters my ears. A group of squares suddenly appear floating in mid-air. They are very much like old tv screens. There are nine of them arranged in a three by three grid. For a moment there is nothing but static on them. And then set of faces blinks on each of them. “Well...We aim to please.” One of them says. Gilded CageChapter 7 Gilded Cage I am really getting sick of being startled and confused. I should be expecting these things by now. Shouldn’t I? The faces of my exes fill each one the squares before me. There is a moment of silence where I just can’t think of what to say. “How are you enjoying your new cage Anthony?” Tatiania finally asks. “Are you comfortable? We hope that the trip there wasn’t terribly...unpleasant. But by the looks of it, you are lucky to have survived..” She looks over her folded hands. I can see her clearly now, she is dressed in delicate finery that is decorated with polished metals. Most likely silver, bronze, and gold. Iron is poison to the fae.. Kylie speaks up. “Awww! She looks so adorable! I just want to take her out of the box and play with her.” Her eyes light up. “Oh wait! I can!” She ducks off screen and pulls out a pony figurine that looks all too creepily like myself right now. A few others on the screen haven’t said anything but they are barely holding back their laughter. I can’t take it any more. “Y-YOU!” I shout at all of them. “That’s all you can say then?” Doug asks. “I send you clear across inter-dimensional voids bending the very fabric of the universe and all you can say is “Y-YOU”? I would be insulted if not for the fact that you’re an anthropomorphic miniature horse.” A girl with bright red hair and a sharp toothed grin speaks. I recognize her sweet southern accent as that of Amber’s. A girl who I proposed to...the one who actually took my virginity. In her spiked black leather biker jacket, I don’t even recognize her.. But her voice... “A Filly at that Warp-Warp. How’s that treating ya sweetie? Looks like ya’ve been through a tenderizer.” She licks her lips. “If it weren’t for the fact that ya’re a universe away, ah could go for some horse meat right about now...” I feel sickened as her eyes roam over me. I back away and turn only to find that the screens follow me. “Awww what’s the matter? Ah’d just take a nibble. Ya used to love it when ah did that..” The screen zipped up close to me and Amber licked the other side. “Ah know Ah loved it when ya did it to Me...” “Gah! Get away from me!” I shout turning again, only to be met by another glowing square. The figure on this one is truly terrifying. A horrifying red wolf beast whose teeth look as if they are going to come out and strike me down. The screen nearly flies at me and then stops just before reaching the end of my muzzle. “Boo!” She says in a playful teasing manner. I jump back and fall on my butt while screaming. I sound like a little girl. A gaggle of the screens burst into laughter. I can’t take this any more. I charge the nearest screen. “You think this is Funny!?” I shout at them only to find that the screens just can zip out of my reach. “You Find This Funny?!” I kick, I punch, I scream, I shout, and finally I cry out exhausted. They start to hover around me. “How...” I begin. “How what?” Tatiania asks. “How could you do this to me?” I ask looking up at the...eight screens? Then I spot number nine off in the corner away from the rest. “As easy as it was for you to lose interest in us.” She replies smiling a large smile. She then looks miffed for a moment. Her screen turns to the corner where the lone screen hides. “Spiderfly! Thy Queen Commands that you join us for what is to come. The Final Preparations are still to be Had.” The screen floats slowly but surely to join the others. Her face is so sad, her long black hair. Then I see the goggles. This does nothing to soften the blow of who this is. “Yes my Queen.” She replies. “S-Sabrina?” I quiver. My mind is light headed. We were best friends through out high school. She hung around me all the time, I never knew why until graduation. Then she told me that she had a strange crush on me. My only words that I could think to say was “Why me?” The weight of all this hurts. “Now the time has come!” Tatiania commands. “Now we bring the Final Resolution to a close.” I snap back to attention. I am feeling so many mixed emotions. I glare angrily at all of them. “What more...” I begin. “What more do you want?! I’m already a Universe away, that-that Voice in the nothing stripped me of everything! What more could you possibly take!?” I realize only too late the stupidity of my statement. I’m dealing with the Fae. The Fair Folk, the people from under the hills. There is always more that they can take. They are all silent. And then Dave speaks. “While it is true that the void stripped you of a many great things. It could not take one thing...Your way back.” He said. My heart jumped into my throat, there is a way back. “There’s a way back?” I ask. “Right now there is.. But that will change.. You see, I rather like you out of the picture. The Void took your Identity, and with it everything of you that was in this world. And I mean," His screen flies up at me. "Everything. My wife is now my own again. And she remembers you Not. It is as if you were long held in death's embrace, or at the very least, never were to begin with...not only to her, but to the world...” “Come on...” I begin. “Dave...just let me come back. I’ll leave you and your family alone, I’ll move cross country! I’ll go to Canada!” He glowers at me. “If I did that then the memories of you and the feelings that she feels for you would return. Never. Again. My wife might prefer having more than one partner, but I find you repugnant, repulsive and deserving of the fate that you have garnered for yourself!” He holds up what looks like a black razor and holds it against his wrist. “And As such, I cut the cord that binds us. I cast you out!” I can’t tell if the blade cuts him or not, but there is a squelching noise and then his screen blips out. As it does so, I feel a cold shiver cross my spine. Wisp’O’Willow dives at me next. She looks human again, her blood red finger nails still seem almost claw like. “You wasted my time! Played with my Emotions. My Feelings, My passions! I cut friendships because of you! Missed Opportunities because of you! And then you called me Old.” Her screen moves in close upon me. I can almost feel her heated breath. “My Rage still burns from that Anthony...If Ever I see you again, You will not even live to hear another call you ‘old’...” She grows claws and slashes across her wrist. And her screen too blips away. Sara...WindRunner...revolves around me. “I neither felt too much loss or remorse when you left, when you were fired, I was disappointed to be sure. How I wanted you. The fact that you were so shy only made me want you the more. But then when you rejected me, I was hurt and pained. In time I moved on, or so I thought. I started gathering tales. And when I came across your name again and again the hurt came back.” She sighs. “I hold no ill will to you now, However my fellow court members are right. Let this be a lesson to you and the fragile nature of hearts..” Before I could say anything, as quick as the wind she has brandished a curved blade from her orange sash and already made the cut across her wrist. Seconds later her screen flickers off. Titania screen expands and she dwarfs the other five screens. With every slice of the wrist, I can feel something growing colder inside of me. Like something is actually growing distant. “What’s the matter?” She asks. “Winter chill in your bones? You feel the sharp tang of fear encroaching upon you?” I look at her frightened. The glint of her crown, the yellow silk in her dress which is offset by black so black you’d swear that it was plucked from the night. Two small two-inch horns curl in her hair. For a being of great beauty, everything about her is now menacing.. “Don’t even try to bargain with me as you did Neckros. I am the Queen of the Fae. I know every trick in the book because I wrote nearly all of them.” She smirks. “You crossed half a country for me...You spoke of undying love and of many wondrous things. You promised the moon and stars, and then when the time came to give them, you gave me nothing.” Her eyes flicker in the direction of Doug’s screen. “He told you about my little plot, my little coup to get you to leave our game that you attended didn’t he? I tried to warn him of the dangers that you posed and what you could do to him. But he did not heed my warnings. Now look at you. A pathetic little mewling pony from a cartoon show meant for little girls.” She smiled a cruel smile in that. It hurt. Not because of the words she had said, but how she had said them. She lifted up a dagger. “May we not ever meet again as you are now. Or Else.” The dagger came down quickly and swift. Her screen dissipated away and my eyes adjusted back to the darkness. Dougs’ screen replaced Titania's’...He wasn’t the nice, quiet boy that I had casually flirted with, or the one that I had a passionately made out with. He looked like a cross between a mad scientist and some insane wizard. His eyes were covered by small black goggles. He is wearing a leather lab coat that has a green trim. His hair frazzles in random directions. “Experiment number 8472 successful. Test subject has been mostly transported cross dimensionally, all that needed is to sever the connecting cosmic filaments that keep “her” entangled with the Council of Nine.” He said. His words were cold and methodical. “What...what happened to you Doug?” I asked. Part of me was genuinely concerned, the other part of me was trying to delay whatever it was they were doing. “Test Subject appears to be attempting-” “Please Doug! I didn’t mean what I said.” Gods. That sounded like a horrible line from some terrible teen drama. So overly emotional. Then again it might be from the fact that I sound like a twenty something college girl. “I...” The words are there why the hell can’t I bring myself to say them? “I wasn’t thinking clearly.” His brow furrows and I swear his hair crackles. “You Weren’t Thinking Clearly?” He begins, his hand is shaking, he too apparently is having trouble saying what is really on his mind. He takes a deep breath. And then the look on his face regains composure. “Test Subject is attempting to distract me, experimentation would continue but it appears that conditioning is no longer having any affect. Termination of the Experiment is in order.” He says as his hand picks up a scalpel. “This Will be rather messy. But it must be done.” The scalpel cuts into his wrist and there is a splattering of blood before the screen turns off. The girl with the red hair and sharp teeth replaces it. She smiles a sharp sharp toothed smile. “Feeling a bit down there ..ma precious?” She says looking at me with glittering yellowish eyes. Her southern accent is thicker and kinda reminds me of horror stories that are passed around the Appalachians. “Ah would be if ah where were ya are. Ponies are herbivores.. and ah,” She picks something out of her teeth. “Ah likes ma meat. Ah hope ya can go without...” She looks at me in a faux display of sympathy. “Don’t let those others get ya down ma Precious...Ah’m sure that our love story wasn’t that tragic. Ah’m sure it was for the best.” She looks at her sharp claw like fingernails. “It’s not like ya left me for some married Tart.” “A-a-mber..” I start out. I get the idea of where this is going. They are going to ditch me here. They are going to leave me here. Why am I analyzing this so? Why am I thinking about these things in such a cold detached manner? Am I really that horrible of a person? The sight of each of these people once brought a bubble of different emotions, now I am feeling horrified at the thought of just being abandoned here and am resorting to bargaining. “I just...I just want to go home...” I say pressing a hoof against the wall. Looking at it once again just reminds me. It’s always reminding me that I am no longer human and it’s putting me on the verge of tears, so again I look away. “Awwww, Shhhh, don’t cry Ma Precious...See...Unlike all those others, Ah could take ya home. Just like that.” She snaps her fingers and then holds up her hand to show me a small thin blue cord tethered to her wrist. “See this? All Ah have to do is yank on this, and ya wake up from Oz, Dorothy. Then Ah can take ya home, hide ya away and no..pony would be, ta wizer.” I blink, is she messing with me? The horrible face on the screen looks like it would be the kind of being that would do that. But she looks rather serious. “Y-you would do that?” I ask half hoping. “Ya bet yar sweet little pony ass ah would Ma Precious.” She says smiling sweetly. She really would, this isn’t some fae nightmare I am talking to. It’s Amber. Amber loved me, Amber.. still loves me.. I wait a little with bated breath. “Ah Would, But Ah’m not guna. Ya done and gone and hurt me Ma Precious. An we ain’t gunna have any of that.” She says, her expression does not change a hair as she quickly bites down on her wrist. The last thing I see before my hopes are shattered is blood and the thin blue cord being severed. The screen goes blank. My face twitches involuntarily. She dangled the hope of being back home right in front of my eyes and bit its face off. But now I know how I could possibly get back home. There are three screens left. I still have a chance. Right, Ignore that feeling of just to bursting into tears and running off crying into a dark corner. Steel yourself Anthony. You can do this.. But then I see her face. She is as beautiful as I remember her in high school, even if she looks different. Perhaps this reflection adds a bit more beauty to her seeming. Her hair is raven black and a bit long, her face is pale and white like a flower, with rosy cheeks, there are little black streams of mascara marring her face and she seems to be dressed in some vintage Victorian dress that looks dark blue. Wait.. maybe not blue but another colour like blue...not quite purple.. indigo. Indigo velvet. But it’s her eyes that are hurting me the most. I can see the pain in them. Did I hurt her that badly that she would push vengeance on a high school grudge after this long? “S-s-Sabrina...” I choke out. “Please...Y-y-you don’t have to do this!” There is a moment of silence before she speaks. Like Dave, I can hardly hear her. “Yes I do. I am oath bound to my queen. I have no choice.” She holds up what appears to be an envelope opener. She apparently just wants to get it out of the way. “B-But you! You of all p-p-p-poooonii! I-I mean…but...you?” Damn it! What the hell? I am not stuttering because of my crying. I am stuttering because I am trying to use a word and something isn’t letting me. Why can’t I say something as simple as ‘people’?! “I thought you said that you put it behind you. We were just teenagers and I was emotionally immature!” I sigh and rub my face. She pauses. She doesn’t look at me but for the moment she isn’t going to cut the cord. “They needed nine for their council. I am connected to you but I am bound by My Queen as I have taken an oath to her. If I do not follow through it will mean my death and her wrath Anthony.” She finally looks at me. “However. You are clever. If there is a way to adapt to this world you are in now, a place where you can belong, or even away back to this world. You will find it. You can over come the challenges you will face with ingenuity and compassion. You are after all, an inkwell of creativity.” After abusive jabs being thrown my way, I am left speechless at her words of encouragement. “Good bye Anthony.” She says, her gaze and letter opener coming down. “SABRINA!” I pound on the wall.. Two screens remain. “For a Slaugh, she was quite the talker wasn’t she my sweet.” Chimes a musical voice. A thin face takes her turn on the screen. I don’t recognize her thin face, her deep hazel eyes that lay behind wire frame glasses, her golden hair from which two pointed elfin ears peek out from. But her voice. I remember that voice trickling into my ears for months. I bought phone card after phone card just to talk with her. She looks at me casually. “Hello Love.” She says. “You know, if you had just been able to get your arse over the pond, you wouldn’t be in this mess.” I am looking down. I don’t know what to say. After Sabrina cut me off, I feel numb. Not that I could say anything to Bethany. “What? No pleasant chat? No promises to see me ‘one of these days’? No trying to pull at my heart strings?” I don’t reply. I know what is coming. I can’t stop her from doing anything, she’s over there and I am over here. “Fine Then.” She picks up a knife. “I thought we could have a fling or at least a nice conversation one last time. But that’s not happening. Just like everything else you promised.” “Bethany wa-” But everything is cut short as her screen turns black. There is one screen left. On it is a twelve year old puppy dog girl. And right now I haven’t been more frightened of young girls or puppies. She is playing with that little pony figure still. She looks up and smiles at me. “Oh hi! Sooooo how are you doing?” She asks. “How do you think I’m doing Kylie?” I ask bitterly. “I don’t know, let’s ask and see.” She has the little figure walk to the middle of the screen. “So A-N-T-H-O-N-Y, how are you doing?” “Oh I’m just terrible Kylie! I can’t have any stable relationships, my love Life is ka-put, I got transported to an alternate universe where I am now not only a pony but a girl pony!” says the toy pony. “And I might be stuck here forever too! But what’s this!?” Kylie has the pony pick up a silvery white cord that is attached to her wrist. “Oh Kylie! All you have to do is pull it and I can go home! Will you do that even if I am an undeserving wretch of a human being?” “Kylie...Please stop that...” I ask her trying to assert myself. “Hmmm No, I will not stop that A-N-T-H-O-N.” She says. “Come on K-Y-L-I-E, it’s not very nice to throw salt in pon-...in others wounds...” I say sadly. “Kinda how it’s not nice to tell others what to do A-N-T-H-O?” She asks. “I was an adult Kylie. I might not have been your father, but I was trying to help you out...really I was..” I try to explain, It doesn’t sound too genuine due to the fact that I am still sniffling. “An Adult...and you solved your problems in an adult manner too, A-N-T-H, I should follow your example and run away from things.” She says a wide smile on her face. She proceeds to take out a candle and sets it upright. “I didn’t run from your mother! I tried to help her!” “Yes, our couch needed a lot of laying on. And our dishes needed a lot of not doing, and I think that my dad’s social anxiety skills and my mom’s stressing skills had room for improvement too, A-N-T..” She then takes out what looks like a metal stamp of some kind. I blink..something is wrong but I can’t place what it is. “Kylie, didn’t we have fun?” I ask, the desperation apparent in my voice. “I taught you things! Fun things! What the planets were, what the stars were, even some math! I bought you lots of different snacks and even a computer!” The puppy dog girl looks up twiddling the little metal stamp in her hands. “Oh yes, we did have fun. A-N, like when you would push me around..” “I never Pushed you around!” I protest. “Or when you told me what to do...” “It was for your own good! You had to do your homework and things like eat! How was it my fault you wouldn’t wake up when I got food for all of us?!” I shouted slamming my hooves on the ground in frustration. “Or how you nearly destroyed my family. My mom going to the hospital, that was really helping, A?” She asks me. I feel a wash of panic hit me. I’m not sure why but now I am more scared than I was a few seconds ago. “P-p-please. Kylie...Just pull the string and send me home. I promise never to bother you, or push you around. I’ll do like I told your father Dave. I’ll go to Canada! You’ll never see me again.” I beg. She looks up at me while lighting the candle. “Tell you what...” She starts. “I’ll pull you back...If...” “If?” I look at her hopefully. She sticks the metal stamp in the candle flame. “If you can tell me your name.” She says. I look at her taken aghast. “That’s all?” I ask. “I tell you my name and I can go home?” She smiles a large puppy dog smile, smoke curls above the candle flame. “Yup Yup!” She replies. “I mean come on, is this the face of a pooka that would lie to you?” I take a deep breath. All will be well, I’ll go back home, and in a few moments I’ll have my hands and my gender back. Yes. All I have to do is tell her my name. “Right.” I take a deep breath. “My name is …” I blink. I’m drawing a blank. “Um...My name is...” She looks at me holding the red hot stamp. “Yes....?” "That was j-j-just a practice..." I push myself and close my eyes. "My name is... "What? Who?" Kylie says in a bemused manner. “MY. NAME. IS....” What the hell...I should know my own name It wasn’t told to me but a few moments ago! Something is wrong! “I’m waaaaaiting...” She says. Then it hits me like a ton of bricks. “...Why were you dropping letters in my name?” I ask. She puts the stamp under the flame again. “Oh, that little thing? You are just catching on to that little thing? Oh that was nothing, it’s not like I was stealing your name or anything...” I feel a hard panic grip me. “Y-you stole my name?” I squeak. “You Stole My Name?!” “Oh you wouldn’t have missed it any way...” She says pondering the candle flame. I charge at the screen, but it only zips away from me. “ You Stole My Name! Give it back!” My name was the only thing left they could really take from me. Plus there is what a fae being could do with ones’ name. Legends tell that if you have a fairies name, you could command it to do three favors, but if the fairy has your name...You’re screwed. They could warp you to their will. They could enslave you for fifty years, dance like a puppet or even worse.. “Give what back?” She asks innocently, the screen retreating against a wall. “The Name! MY Name!” I shout lividly. “Pffffffft. You’re a pony without a name?” She giggles at my frustration. “Give Me The Name!” I scream, pounding my hooves on the wall. She looks amused..That is never a good sign. I cover my mouth. That is the worst possible thing ever. I said something wrong in that. Something that she can use. She picks up the little pony figurine. “We can’t have a pony walking around the great land of Equestria without a name. Even the background ponies have names...” She starts. “Wait...what are you...” I start to ask putting my hoof up in a failing attempt to stop whatever she is about to do. “We better give you a name then..” She picks up the red hot metal stamp. “That’s really hot, Kylie...somep-p-ony could hurt themselves...” “And I got just the one too. Describes you perfectly, I’ll spell it out for you so that you will never forget it. H-E-A-R-T-B-R-E-A-K. Heartbreak. And don’t worry...Heart-Break. I’m not going to feel a thing..” And with that she presses it to the flank of the little pony. I dive at the wall and at the screen. I don’t know what she is doing but quickly I find out. As the little bit of pony shaped plastic burns, I can feel a searing pain forming in the same place on my flank. “AAAAAAAH!” Looking back I see twin curls of smoke rising off either side of my butt. And on the near center of my flank a symbol is forming. It starts as a darkened patch of fur, but quickly grows into a stylized heart shape with a large menacing crack down the middle. “Please! Stop! It burns!” I plead. She plucks the brand away from the little figurine. “All done Heartbreak.” She says giggling. I am breathing heavily, I feel like I have cried so much that I can’t cry any more, instead a steady stream of hiccups follows. “M-my n-n-name isn’t H-h-heartbreak!” I say insistently. “Of course your name isn’t H-h-heartbreak.” She picks up what looks like a bone white makeshift knife. “It’s Heartbreak.” “My Name Isn’t Heartbreak.” I say quietly. She runs the knife along the silvery white thread. “What’s that?” I push myself up, my anger is starting to rekindle itself. “M-my. Name. I-it Isn’t Heartbreak.” I say trying to reaffirm what I said. “I’m sorry Heartbreak. But dad says it’s time to put away my toys. Toys like my little ponies named Heartbreak.” She lifts the thread up with the knife and then has it follow back down the path to where it ties to her wrist. “So, I’m sorry Heartbreak, but it looks like I won’t be able to play with you anymore.” I pound my hoofs at the screen only to find that they pass harmlessly through it. “MY Name Isn’t Heartbreak!” I scream as my vision clouds red. “Bye Heartbreak. Have a nice life...” She grins widely and then flicks her knife against her wrist, cutting it and the white cord. “Heartbreak.” “NO! My Name Isn’t Heartbreak!” I keep pounding on the wall. “MY Name Isn’t Heartbreak!” But the screen has dissipated away. “No! My Name isn’t Heartbreak!” The lights flicker back on and suddenly the door behind me bursts open. A quartet of ponies are standing there. “Ah hope that Twi’ can forgive me for wrecking her door...” Says an orange pony with blonde hair and green eyes. Rarity enters the room. “So, Heartbreak is it? Well now that we have a name,we’ll have no more of this fuss Heartbreak!” Every mention of that name just stokes my anger, my frustration, the burning pain of the brand on my ass. “AAAAARGH!” I bellow out rearing up, my nostrils flaring. “MY NAME ISN’T HEARTBREAK!” I charge at Rarity. “Eeek!” She reacts and using her magic grabs a thin blanket. Quicker than I can react, she wraps me up in said blanket. I struggle and kick trying to free myself. She regains her composure. “Right then Heartbreak. Please do calm down. I’ve promised Twilight that I wouldn’t take you to the hospital. Please don’t make me regret or break that promise.” She walks up to me. “Do you understand Heartbreak?” I am infuriated. And she is close enough for me to headbutt. So I take a chance and do so. There is a light pain that happens when our heads make contact. But that’s alright, it’s enough to knock her off her concentration. “MY. NAME. IS. NOT. HEARTBREAK!” I shout ripping and breaking out of the loosened confines. I rear up, I am seeing nothing but red right now.. They are about to come down on Rarity when I feel them bound back together. “WhaaaAAA!?” There is a lasso binding my two front hooves together. I can’t break free, and before I can even try, I feel tugged down to my right side. I scream as bumps and bruises are re-awoken. There is a flash of orange and then I find myself fully hogtied. I can’t do anything now, well anything but scream. “AAAAH! AHHHHHH!” “Well Golly! She can raise quite the fuss there then now, can’t she?” Applejack looks back at Rarity. “Rarity hun are you alright?” “Yes...thank you for taking care of that...Brute Heartbreak for me..” She replies. “AAAH! My Name Isn’t Heartbreak!” I insist. AJ looks back at Rarity. “What?” She asks. “If ya can’t tell, Ah don’t think she likes to be called that sugarcube.” Applejack explains while I struggle and scream. She walks over to me. “Now, if you’re a good little filly, ah just might untie ya and we can git this whole mess sorted out, alright?” She asks me. I try to bellow out once more, but all that comes out is a low groan. Then something happens. I realize that I am incredibly tired. Did I hit my head so hard on Rarity’s that I gave myself a concussion? No...there isn’t ...pain.. but I feel just...so sleepy. “Apple...jack...” I start out. “My...n-n-name.. isn’t…isn’t...Heartbreak...” Darkness sweeps over me and I pass out. Applejack looked at the strange pony that she had just tied down. “Oh my, Applejack did you knock her out?” Fluttershy asked. “She isn’t...”Rarity saw the rise and fall of Heartbreaks’ rib cage. “Oh good. I was afraid that she was dead.” “No...She just passed out like that. Doesn’t that beat all..” She looked at her friends adjusting her hat.. “So Applejack, do you know her? Cause if you do I can start planning the party for her arrival in Ponyville!” Pinkie said bouncing. “What? Ah haven’t seen this pony in ma life.” She replied. “Then how did she know your name?” Fluttershy asked. “Ah figured that one of ya’ll made mention of me.” Applejack said. The three others shook their heads. “However, you’re not the only pony whom she has recognized as soon as they walked into the door. Apparently she knew all our names, and even recalled the time Rainbow Dash won the Best Flyer competition. In startling Detail.” Rarity explained. “Weird. And then she gone an passed out faster Rainbow Dash in Cider Season.” She said. “So … All our names?” “Yeah! Even mine!” Spike said coming in from out of the hall. “That there’s spooky..” Applejack said inspecting Heartbreaks head. “She don’t look like she got any bruises on her head. My guess is that she was just plum tired.” “Hopefully when she wakes up she’ll be out of the Anger stage and into Bargaining.” Spike commented looking over the book Twilight had given him. “Say what?” Applejack asked. “Twilight believes that some traumatic event happened to our little .. Heartbreak here.” Rarity explained. “And now she has to go through the five states of grief.” Fluttershy said. Applejack looked confused. “Five stages?” “Pleeeease, there are Six stages of grief!” Pinkie Pie beamed. “First there’s Denial, ‘This can’t possibly be happening!’ .” She raised a hoof, “Then Anger, ‘Grrrr! I am Really Mad that This is happening!” She raised another hoof. “Then Bargaining, ‘Somepony please stop this from happening!’” Another hoof went up. “Then Depression, ‘I’m sad that this happening....’” Another hoof went up. “And finally Acceptance! ‘Well...I guess I’m ok with this happening..’ But if you ask me they are forgetting the very last stage!” Rarity rolled her eyes. “Right, and what would that be Pinkie Darling?” Pinkie put all her hooves down. “Why a Party of Course!” She said throwing some colourful confetti and blowing on a party favor. “Pinkie..” Fluttershy started. “Maybe we should be a bit quieter. If Heartbreak is angry, she might be even angrier if she’s woken up by a loud noise..” Applejack sighed. She had chores to do, but when Fluttershy had zipped over to Sweet Apple Acres needing help busting down a door, she had no idea about all of this... “Right.. So we know what her name Possibly is..” Applejack started. “No, We know what her name is. Heartbreak.” Rarity corrected. “Now Sugar, we don’t know that for sure. After all she did raise a fuss and fight when you started calling her that.” Applejack said glowering at Rarity. “Hmph, I told you that was hearing voices from the other side of the door before you kicked it in Applejack. One of them clearly said that her name was Heartbreak.” Rarity insisted. Applejack sided. “Right, ok, still, Her name for what we know now is Heartbreak. But no pony here knows her, where’s she’s from or anything about her?” The others shook their heads. “The only thing that Twilight and I know is that she crashed through our window after falling from Cloudsdale.” Spike said looking up from the book. “Now how in tarnation did she get all the way up there? Better yet, how in the name of Celestia did she even survive that fall?” Applejack asked. Spike shrugged. “That’s what Twilight and Rainbow Dash are trying to find out right now...” What Dreams May ComeChapter Eight What Dreams May Come. Twilight Sparkle looked out over the sleeping Equestria from her balloon. The stars glittered like diamonds and the moon was starting to swing low in the sky. She sighed as the balloon accented to the altitude that Cloudsdale was at. The city made of clouds and rainbows glittered and glowed in the distance. The past five hours had been..eventful to say the least. Like Spike had said: “It’s one thing to have strange ponies falling out of the sky. It’s another to have them fall out of the sky and know your name, let alone your friends names.” Rainbow Dash had fallen through her window on more than one occasion, leading Twilight to become a regular customer to one of the locals that made windows for Ponyville. There was so much about the pony that currently was set about on breaking the library windows that had Twilight confused. What was her name? How did she survive a fall from Cloudsdale? How did she get up there in the first place? And how did she know so much about Twilight and her friends? Wait... Did she even have a cutie mark? She tapped her chin and then her head in frustration. It didn’t help matters that the mystery pony wasn’t willing to give up too much information. What had ever happened to her had her must have been particularly traumatic, she seemed to be completely disoriented. She didn’t know where she was, who she was, or even the fact that she was a pony! “And yet she could clearly recall details of an event that she wasn’t even at. Makes me wonder what else she knows...Ugh. None of this makes any sense.” She said out loud and leaning over the edge of the balloons’ basket. “I just hope Spike is having more luck with her than I did.” Rainbow Dash zoomed up next to the balloon. “Alright, Fluttershy should be arriving at the Library shortly.” She looked at Twilight whiles slowing down. Hot air balloons weren’t the most expedient form of travel, but without wings they’d do. “You want that I go ahead and let security know that you’re coming?” “Actually I would rather you get me to Cloudsdale as quickly as you can.” She tossed Rainbow Dash a rope that was tied off to the basket of the balloon. “Magic this strong might leave a trail, but it’s still magic never the less and can be rather fickle. A trail can grow cold making tracking it back to its source almost impossible.” Rainbow Dash grabbed the rope rolling her eyes. From position of authority to pulling balloons. “How the mighty have fallen.” She thought looping the rope around her middle. “So.” She said starting to slowly tug on the balloon. “Got any ideas about the mystery pony?” “I was about to ask you the same thing.” Twilight responded. “I mean you were there when she arrived.” “Technically I was in the Cloudsdale Monitoring Room. By the time she got to you, I was discovering the hole she left in the floor.” Dash said picking up some speed. “Great, that means that you weren’t there when she teleported into the room. Which means that you can’t tell me too much about what happened.” She sighed. It was a shame that none of this could wait till morning. The shock of all this had finally given rise to the fact that she had been woken up in the middle of the night. “Well...I could tell you one or two things.” She grunted pulling on the balloon. The thing wasn’t exactly aerodynamic and had a hard drag on it. But if Fluttershy could pull this thing, so could she. “But I think that we should wait till we get to Cloudsdale.” “Alright, You don’t mind if I take a nap do you Dash?” Twilight asked in a half pleading and tired manner. Rainbow Dash sighed. Over these four days on security detail she had kinda forgotten that the rest of Equestria was passed out at this time. “Go right ahead. I’ll wake you when we get there.” Rainbow Dash replied. Twilight didn’t respond. She was already softly snoring a bit. Rainbow Dash smiled and chuckled. “I missed you too.” Said a voice to Twilights’ right. Twilight blinked her eyes. She found herself laying on her back on something warm and soft. She was in a bedroom of sorts. And she was laying on a bed. “Where am I?” She thought. The room smelled like burnt vanilla and some other fragrance she couldn’t place. “Huh?” She asked looking to her right. She was met face to face with a most curious creature. They lacked any fur save for eyebrows and a mane that grew all over the top of their heads. Their ears were barely noticeable and their eyes were set forward in their face. They were clothed from shoulder down. They reached forward with an almost graceful looking multidigited limb and touched Twilights’ face. Whatever this creature was, it seemed to mean no ill will and looked almost mare-like. With shadowy eyes, delicate lips and high musical voice, she was clearly female. It felt nice that she was touching her face. It felt right. But there there was an underlying sadness to this all. As if something beautiful was dying. Twilight closed her eyes and suddenly felt things shift. “And using this method you can clearly improve your gaming experience.” A colt’s voice said. She opened her eyes, she wasn’t in the warm and safe bedroom anymore. Now she was seated at a table in what looked like an office room. In front of her there were many more of those same creatures. There was a strange sameness about them. Each had a mane that only seemed to be atop their heads. She could make out more details of their faces, they didn’t have muzzles but a beaky thing with two nostrils protruded from their otherwise flat faces. Various forms of strange clothing adorned them. “Are there any questions?” A voice from behind her asked. One or two of them raise a limb. With appendages like these they almost looked like a monkey of some kind. Opposable thumbs were a clearly primate trait. Her hoof moved and a small metallic ringing sound was heard. She looked down to find that there was a bit sized medallion of some kind hanging on a rather braided necklace. Holding it up she could see that it was a shining silver of some kind. On one side there was stamped a strange face of some kind, one that looked like it was made of leaves. With its unblinking eyes, it was rather creepy. She couldn’t make out the other side. That’s when the girl she had just been laying in bed walked up to her across the table.She was looking at the medallion with intent eyes. Like it belonged to her. There was a feeling of apprehension, shame and fear. She slid it to her across the table. “Here you go.” Twilight said. Her voice sounded detached and void of the emotion that was invoked just moments before.The girl squeed and thanked her in an all together too happy manner. Then she left... A wave of sadness crept over Twilight. Though she didn’t have any idea why.. “Twilight...Twilight...TWILIGHT!” “Bwah!” She gasped and woke up breathing heavily. Her heart was pounding and the world blurred back into focus. “Whoa. You must have been really tired.” Rainbow Dash said. “Heh. Sorry, but we’re here.” Twilight and Rainbow Dash trotted down the halls of Cloudsdale’s various factory rooms. “It was the strangest dream I’ve ever had Rainbow Dash. Well one of the strangest.” Twilight said. A dusty brown security pony looked at the two of them. “Cloudsdale Security.” Rainbow Dash said holding up her ID. “Right, Strange monkeys with no fur and one of them had a crush on you. Cloudsdale Security.” “But that’s the thing, While I was me, it was like I wasn’t me. It was just really...Weird.” She said in a rather detached manner. “Dreams are like that Twilight. Cloudsdale Security.” “I guess so...I just wonder if it had to do with our mystery pony..” Twilight turned the corner only to find herself in a head-on collision with some pony who had his head buried in a book. “Ah!” They both screamed as they were both knocked down. “Twilight?!” Rainbow Dash rushed over and helped her friend up. “Geeeze are you alright?” “Um yeah...I guess I took a wrong turn there...” Twilight responded. Rainbow Dash looked up, her face twisted in a furrowed snarl. “Cloudsdale Security! Hey Clut-” She suddenly stopped mid sentence as she recognized who Twilight just crashed into. “Gremlin?” The lime green pegasus eyes bobbled behind his thick taped glasses. He shook his head to clear out the dizziness of the collision. “Whoa.. Ouch” He said in a rather nerdy and nasally voice. “Oh hey RD! You came back, I was worried with Security Pony Dan was messing with you.” Rainbow looked up at Gremlin. “Messing with me?” She asked. “Oh yeah, he plays this joke on the new workers, sometime when they are just starting, he’ll tell them that if they don’t finish some bit of paper work or find some non-existent tool, they can’t clock out, and if they go over the time that they are to clock out, it starts to eat at their time.” He snorts. “Then they get into a flying frenzy about things without knowing that they if they don’t clock out in like fifteen minutes, the front desk clocks them out and puts a mark on their performance sheet. You then have like two days to contest the mark, most of the time it is easily removed, but most newbies don’t know anything about the system...” He explains. “Wait...You mean I did all that worrying cause some jerkface security guard enjoys playing pranks on the newbies?” Rainbow Dash asked. Gremlin sighs. “Yup. Sounds like he got you too...Horse Feathers. Looks like I owe Dust Storm twenty bits...” “You sound like you know all this from experience.” Twilight said with a puzzled look on her face. A number of books had been spilt on the floor. “Here let me help you with those...” “Oh thank you. Um yes. When I first started I spent an entire month looking for “Bulkhead Remover”.” Gremlin said with a slight blush on his face. “I kept asking other pegasi about it but they only laughed and brushed me off, finally somepony was kind enough to explain it to me...Boy did I ever have egg on my face, M-haaven!” Rainbow Dash lifted her hoof and opened her mouth. Moments later her hoof dropped and her mouth closed. Her mouth finally reopened. “I don’t know whether to be angry or impressed that a pony other than Pinkie Pie out pranked me. Then again, that was a pretty mean prank.” She finally said. “I’ll say..” Twilight responded lifting the books with her magic. A few titles caught her interest. “Unweaving the Rainbow, Advanced Quantum Chromodynamics, Daring Do and the Winds of Change, Instruction Manual for the TI-9000 Weather Monitoring system.” “Wow, some of these are pretty heavy reading for a pony as young as yourself...Gremlin was it?” Twilight asked. “Weeeeell...When you don’t have much to do because not much in your skill field breaks down and then you have ooodles of time on your hooves...You have to fill it with something...” He looked at Twilight. “Um Rainbow, She’s not the unicorn that teleported up here is she?” Rainbow snickered. “What? No, Twilight is smarter than that.” Twilight smiled and offered him a hoof and introduced herself. “Thank you Rainbow Dash. Twilight. Twilight Sparkle.” “Gremlin.” He responded shaking her hoof. “Then what happened?” “Um, well that’s kinda complicated.” Rainbow asked as she nudged Twilight to start following her. “Oh Do tell! Cause really I am very interested to know.” He said. “Well.. When I finally found who dove out of the Rainbow Vat, It turned out to be an earth pony! She apparently doesn’t know how she got there.either” Rainbow explained. “Ooo ! A Mystery on top of a Mystery!” Gremlin exclaimed. “What do you mean?” Twilight asked. “Well you see -mmheem- When I went to check RD’s machine, it turned out that there wasn’t a thing wrong with it. Every diagnostic checked out right. No problems whatsoever!” He replied. “That fits with what we think happened. Somehow, somepony with very strong magic Teleported our mystery pony into one of the rainbow vats. From there without any protection she fell from Cloudsdale and crashed into my window..” Twilight explained as they walked. “Oh Look!” Rainbow Dash interjected, “We’re here! At the Rainbow Room! Soo Gremlin...” “Well that is a valid theory to be sure but there is one flaw in it all...” He said. Twilight looked a bit worried. “Really?” “Well yeah.” He opened up the door to the Rainbow room. “Here let me show you.” Rainbow Dash smacked her face. “Ugh! More Egghead talk! They are going to be at it for hours on end!” The three ponies entered the room. “MmmmAaaas you can see,” Gremlin started out. “Oh wait. I need my thinking cap...” Using his wing he lifted the flap to his side saddle bag, Rainbow Dash almost rolled her eyes until Gremlin pulled out a brown Stetson fedora. She zipped past Twilight and admired the cap now fitted atop Gremlins’ ginger mane. “Is That...” She began. “Yup! Collectors’ edition one of a kind Stetson!” He adjusted it and pushed up his glasses. “There, Just like Daring Do and the Mystery-” “Of the Sky Blues!” Rainbow Dash said squeeing like a little school filly. Twilight rolled her eyes. “So Gremlin, you were saying?” “Right!” he trotted over to a discolored patch of floor. “You see, after RD’s shift ended, the next shift took over, seeing that the hole that was left from our mystery pony falling through is a -eeehm- Haazard, they filled it in. I asked them if they would be kind enough to use a bit of newer cloud cover.” “That way you could tell the difference between the old floor and where the hole was originally?” Twilight asked. “Precisely!” He swept a hoof forward. “Now as you can see we have Rainbow Vat C-3. This is as far as I can tell the point of origin that our assailant was dropped into. This seems all nice neat and tidy right?” He asked. Twilight put her hoof up and was about to speak. “Wrong!” He said standing on his hind hoofs and pointing upward. “For you see, there is a good fifty paces from the tank! If we are assuming that she was -mwaaa- teleported above about the middle of the tank, or anywhere in the tank, stumbled over the side, the most she could could even hope to get would be four to five paces, six if somehow she was able to push herself forward!” Twilight looked thoughtfully.. “Yes. But she made it all the way to fifty paces. That would have to mean that she was being propelled out of the tank...” “Exactly! But this causes another conundrum of sorts -Mhaven!-” He started to flap his wings and flew rather clumsily up the side of the tank. “You see...Oh wait.. Um you can’t fly...Hummm. Oh!” He pointed to a ladder on the side of the tank. “If you can um climb up here I’ll show you...” Twilight groaned. It took awhile but eventually she had made it up and to the lip of the tank. “Whew! These things are big.” She said holding on to the lip and looking at the surface of the rainbow liquid. “Right, As I was saying.” He pushed his glasses up. “Pure rainbow fluid needs to be kept at a constant temperature and not jostled around too much, there are some very volatile magical components to this stuff. Too much agitation can cause it to swirl together and if it is too hot, well again big melted mess.” He pointed at the surface of the liquid. “Now, if your mystery pony had fallen in here, it would have made a particular pattern on the surface here. A Splash pattern colours would be everywhere, then she would have to maintain her buoyancy. Not too easy seeing that this stuff has a variable density.” Rainbow Dash sighed. Sure Gremlin was wearing the hat, but really, under it all, this was still Gremlin. Gremlin was more of an egghead than Twilight, she was amazed that he was a pegasus. “But isn’t that a splash pattern there?” Twilight asked. “Well, yes and No.” He pointed at the middle of pool. “See, it’s like the difference between a cannon ball and a swan dive. But in this case it is neither. According to what I have been researching, This particular splash pattern would be made if our particular pony was a dolphin! She would be breaching the surface of the liquid here.” He pointed out an arc following back to where the filled hole was. “And was propelled all the way over there.” “Where she fell through the clouds and into my window. Interesting. That would mean the vat itself was the point of origin?” Twilight asked. Gremlin nodded his head smiling. “How is that even possible?” Twilight asked. “Haven’t a clue. It’s just like gravity. I can explain how gravity works, just not were it comes from. I know all things have it, but I don’t know what if anything makes it.” Gremlin said. Twilight mulled all this over in her head. Nothing about any of this made any sense. “Wait. Are any of the components of liquid rainbow highly magical in nature?” She asked. Gremlin nodded his head and was about to speak when Rainbow Dash flew up to the top of the vat and looked down on him. “Um. Yes.” He cowered at Rainbow Dashes glower. “But most of them are Highly Classified. Even I am not allowed to know every single ingredient that goes into making the rainbows.” Twilight looked at Rainbow Dash. “I’m sorry Twi’ but like Gremlin said. Highly classified.” She took out a pair of shades and put them on. “I just wanted to know if they are highly magical Dash. I don’t need to know anything more. Eeesh.” Twilight blinked. “But If they are highly magical in nature, that might give a bit of weight to an idea I have...” Dash peered over her glasses. “Oh?” “Yes.” She looked thoughtful. “It’s a long stretch but what hasn’t been in this situation? However as Fetlock Homes said ‘If you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, Must be be the truth.”” Rainbow Dash and Gremlin looked at Twilight in a rather strange manner. “Who?” Rainbow Dash asked. “What? Nopony here other than me knows who Fetlock Homes is!?” She asked. “Oh I know who Fetlock Homes is, but that reference is so last season!” He said. Twilight grumped. “Right, So my thought in all this, our mystery pony here might have been muttering a lot of non-sense when we got to her, but one thing stands out. She claims not to be of this universe.” The Rainbow BridgeChapter Nine The Rainbow Bridge Rainbow Dash looked at Twilight questioningly. “Don’t tell me you buy into that spazzoid’s story about being from another Universe!” She exclaimed. “Another Uni-verse? Um excuse me, but that sounds hiiighly Im-” Gremlin began. “Improbable. Yes. I know, but hear me out.” Twilight began. “I don’t know what all goes into a rainbow, however, I do know that in order to make a rainbow arch like pegasi do, you have to connect to particular points almost simultaneously, I know this cause I have seen rainbows being put together.” Rainbow Dash eyed Twilight. “Right and that has to do with any of this how?” “There is an idea in the field of quantum magical physics known as a Rainbow Bridge. Basically it is like instantaneous travel between two points using a rainbow.” She explained. Rainbow Dash looked at her blankly. “Ugh...”She sighed “Right, Let’s say that you have a Rainbow that’s set up. With enough speed you propel yourself at the starting point of the rainbow. If you were going at the right speed, you would hit the rainbows beginning and then be instantly transported to the rainbows’ end. In a way you would be traveling ‘in’ the light.” Rainbow Dash looked thoughtful. “Wait wait.. What were to happen if I were say performing a sonic rainboom at the beginning of the rainbow?” She asked. “Um...hard to say...but if it were as instantaneous as predicted, you would ‘rainboom’ at one side, come out the other end ‘rainbooming’ and continue on your way?” Twilight said in a guessing manner. Some of that sounded like nothing but sciencey egghead mumbo- jumbo...But the idea of going fast enough to make a sonic rainboom whiles hitting one end of a rainbow and then coming out the other end making another sonic rainboom? That sounded doubly awesome. “Is that even possible Gremlin?” She asked. “Theoretically that’s possible..”Gremlin replied. “But the amount of energy just to produce such an event would nearly shatter the rainbow upon either exit, if you were lucky, or worse upon entry! And there’s no telling what would happen to you if you didn’t come out the other end!” “And that’s bad...” Rainbow Dash said her ears drooping in a worried way. “And that’s just the energy it would take using it here!” Gremlin continued mulling it over in his head. “The energy it would take just to transverse to another universe?! That would be almost the same as what was unleashed in the Big Boom!” “Aaaalright, and now I am kinda lost.” Rainbow Dash said as she rubbed her temples. “Gremlin is just saying that it would take even more energy than even a hundred Rainbow Dash clones could muster.” Twilight said. “However that doesn’t make it impossible, it just makes it highly unlikely and extremely difficult. But if that much magical energy was used in such an event, it might still leave a magical imprinting on the vat itself.” She looked at Rainbow Dash and Gremlin. “Would it be possible for me to scan the liquid rainbow here without setting it off using my magic?” “I’m not too sure that’s a good idea..” Gremlin began. “I think she could do it.” Rainbow Dash interjected. “But RD, there’s a lot of things that could go wrong...” Gremlin said worried like. “Yeah, and if Twilight is right and something like that happened, it would contaminate this entire batch of rainbow liquid wouldn’t it? Some pony would try to use it and the rainbows would come out distorted, or runny or even might explode. And as cool as all those things sound, the Cloudsdale Security Chain of Command would really frown upon it. It’s better that we find out an entire tank has to be tanked than later on find out that because of our negligence somepony else got hurt.” Rainbow Dash explained. Twilight blinked. “Wow...I have never heard you sound so responsible before Rainbow Dash...” “Well...Yeah...They drilled that into us for the first two days of training. Besides.” She looked over the still surface of the rainbow pond. “I kiiiinda want to see what will happen.” She elbowed Gremlin. “And I’m sure you want to see this mystery solved don’t you Daring Doo-ling?” She put up her hoof. Gremlin thought about it. He had never been part of an actual mystery, let alone one that sounded so...Exciting.. Rules were part and parcel to his life.. He gulped and clapped hooves back with Rainbow Dash. “I might regret this...but I think I might regret not knowing how this all ended even more...” He looked up. “Do it...” Twilight nodded, she looked over the liquid before her and paused. She then lowered her horn and concentrated on a most simple of spells.. Detect Magic. As her horn glowed, the surface of the pool started to move a bit...tiny bubbles started to form and froth...She pushed harder but more bubbles kept forming. Gremlin looked nervous. “RD...” “I know Gremlin. But Twilight is a talented unicorn. She knows what she is doing.” Rainbow Dash replied. Still she couldn’t help but back away a bit. “Nnnnnngh!” Twilight groaned trying to feel for any magical energies. Were they just not there? The harder she toiled, the more the liquid looked like it was about to boil over! And that meant more trouble than this spell was worth. She pushed on just a little more, the rainbow froth now starting to rise up the sides of the vat. “Ugh! There has to be something here!” She grunted. By this time the froth was now near the lip of the vat. “Ugh!” She sighed and lowered her head. “It’s no use...I just can’t find what I’m looking for.. If there was magic here it’s long gone..” Rainbow Dash sighed. Something about this was all together unsatisfying. “I’m sorry Twi’..” She started to climb down the ladder. Her horn tapped against one of the bubbles; it popped, and in a hiss all the bubbles popped en masse. “It’s alright Rainbow Dash, I just thought...” Twilight began. Gremlin looked at the surface of the vat. “Whoa...” Twilight looked confused. “What Gremlin?” She asked. “Um Whoa is right...Twilight you better come up here and see for yourself...” Rainbow Dash said motioning her with a hoof. “Alright...” She climbed back up half expecting them to just prank her over this event. After all that was all bubble and no show. However a strange thing met her gaze when she looked over the surface of the tank now. The rainbow liquid was calm and no longer frothy. But it looked like some sort of strange abstract art piece. Psychedelic colours swirled and created sharp thin needles that turned and twisted in different places. Between them were thin, thin stretches of black. A black that looked to be blacker than any black ink.. As if nothing really was there. The swirling lit-up colours perhaps were what was making what was in the middle of the pond stand out the most. There in the off-centre of the pond, where the points of colour were converging was a negative space. A place that was only defined by the points surrounding it. A vague, pony shaped black spot. Rainbow Dash flew over the vat carefully. “Oh Wow...This is...Just wow...” “What is it?” Twilight asked. “It’s...Hard to describe. There is well...you can kinda see it from there, but there is this pony shape.” She pointed at a few things. “There’s the head, the front hooves...the back hooves and the tail. Though you can’t see these weird points of light surrounding it.” Rainbow Dash looked around. “I need some place high enough for Twilight to see this...” She thought to herself. She spotted a railing and then Zipped over behind Twilight. “Alright. Really, you got to see this.” She said lifting her up the best she could. “Damn Twilight...No offense but Whew!” Rainbow said laying down on the catwalk. Twilight rolled her eyes. “I am not that heavy Rainbow Dash. Eeesh. Now what am I...Oh my...” Around the pony shaped hole there were small circles of light. It looked like there were eight of them surrounding the negative space. A red and violet dot were at what you could call its ‘eyes’, an orange and strange blue-ish-purplish colour pin pointed the ‘ears’, her front hooves had dots of yellow and blue, while her back hooves had green on them. Lastly on her tail there was a white dot. Wait no, Nine. There was a small circle of black at what would be the nose of the ‘pony’. “That is exceptionally beautiful...That’s it. Who ever did this must have had some form of powerful magic.. Magic that I haven’t even seen before...” Twilight said almost mesmerized. Gremlin had landed back on the floor and looked to be taking the long route here as he climbed up the ladder leading to the railing. Rainbow Dash looked up. “Magic that you haven’t seen before? That’s kinda worrisome there Twilight. I mean you are the pony any pony goes to when it comes to anything magic.” “I know, but this isn’t unicorn magic.” She said. “Zebra magic?” Dash asked “Zebras don’t have real magic, what they have is a rather profound understanding of nature and magical things. I mean if we used Zecora as an example for all her people...No..” Twilight couldn’t put her hoof on the magic being presented here. Gremlin finally got up to the cat walk. “Uff...Whoa...Dizzy...Need to lay...Whoa...” He pulled himself up on the railing and blinked. “That’s.amazing.. You think this is what Daring Doo felt when she discovered the Wheel of Time?” He asked. “Maybe..” Rainbow Dash said. “Maybe...So...Twilight...Think that this is our mystery pony’s way back home?” “It very well could be but there’s no telling how long it’ll be...open..” Twilight said. That’s when the surface of the tank rippled. “Whoa, did you see that?” Twilight asked. “Yeah, what do you think it means?” Rainbow Dash asked. “I don’t...” Twilight began, but then the black dot at the tip of the negative pony’s nose disappeared and so did the colour in front of it. Then the red dot followed by the orange one. As they did so, more of the black swallowed up the swirling colours. The yellow and green dots popped away, almost like soap bubbles. The blue, almost indigo and finally violet snapped away. Now the empty blackness that was once just pony shaped had taken over the whole of the surface of the vat. All that was left now was a single white dot that lingered. “What the hay?!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “You saw that right?” “Yes...I don’t know what is going on. But it isn’t good...” Twilight replied. That’s when the white dot was snuffed out of the inky black liquid in the vat. A liquid that was once bright and colourful was now black and sludgy, there was a slight burnt smell to it all.. and within seconds cracks started to form on the surface of the vat. “Oh Gaaawds!” Gremlin said gasping and gagging. “I know that smell. Whatever the magic that was in that tank was doing, it’s now totally cooked the liquid rainbow in it. Ugh! Smells just like when Cumulus wasn’t paying attention to vat A2. Great...we’re going to have to scrap the whole vat there...” Twilight looked down at Gremlin as she turned around. “I am sorry about that Gremlin.” “Bah, wasn’t your fault Miss Sparkle. I mean if you didn’t do what you did, like Rainbow Dash said, we’d be shipping out faulty product. Still...as much as I don’t look forward to having to do the paperwork for all this.. That was an interesting adventure!” He pushed himself up and waggled his hoof. “That it was. Thank Gremlin you were a great deal of help.” Twilight said giving the awkward pony a hug. Quietly in the background Gremlin was really quiet. “Oh Wow...A Mare Actually -Touched- Me!” He thought when it finally sank it. Twilight made her way down back to the floor, and walked out of the rainbow room, with Dash in tow. “Twilight, I know you don’t quite know what that all was about, hey, I don’t know what that was about, But.. I’m just guessing. If that was her way back, It’s now a dead end right?” Rainbow Dash asked in a concerned manner. Twilight nodded. There was a strange sad almost trapped feeling running through her. “Yes Rainbow Dash, I am sure that was her way back.” She looks thoughtful. “If others sent her here, they seem to have abandoned her here too.” “Really? Wow.. um...that really sucks for her...” Rainbow Dash said rubbing the back of her head. She didn’t know what to say about this. Whoever that pony was, she didn’t know her too well, other than she had an awesome recollection of one of the best days of her life ever. But she couldn’t imagine anypony just being abandoned by anypony else...it just was something that you didn’t do... “So what are we going to do now?” She asked. Just then a burst of green flame appeared near Twilight and a scroll dropped out. Twilight unrolled it. “Update from Spike, our mystery pony seems to now have a name and is passed out on the library floor.” Twilight said looking over the letter. “Really? What is it?” Rainbow Dash asked wanting to get her mind off of that sinking feeling she felt after watching one of the most awesome things ever wither and die. “Heartbreak.” She looked at Rainbow Dash as they walked down the hall back to the balloon. “And we’re going to do the one thing that we can do. Well one thing I can think of that we can do.” “And that is?” “There is only one pony in all of Equestria who knows more about magic than I do and who may be the only one powerful enough to help.” She rolled up the scroll and levitated it to the balloons’ basket. “We’re going to have to take this ‘Heartbreak’ to Princess Celestia.” Learning to WalkChapter 11 Learning to Walk Twilight slid the door to the train door closed behind her. The girls were chatting away ever since this morning about what happened. “I still think that we should have dropped her off at the local mental hospital.” Rarity commented sipping on some tea. “And miss the chance to party like I have never partied before?” Pinkie Pie interjected. “If she is a Spy Pony then we could totally have a Double Hoof Seven theme! And if she’s from another Universe...” “Ah don’t get this ‘from another universe’ thing.” Applejack said. “Ah mean if she’s from another world, why’s she look like a pony?” “Maybe um.. she’s from another world that’s all ponies?” Fluttershy asked. “But then it would be a universe that was exactly like ours Fluttershy!” Pinkie said. “If she was from an other universe, she could totally show me new and unexpected ways to throw parties! Alien parties!” Rainbow Dash groaned and rolled over in her bunk. She had spend at least an hour and a half doing paperwork after Twilight left and just wanted to sleep. Who cared if this Heartbreak was from another universe or from the other side of the world? She was a pony. And that at least entitled her to some rights. “You know what I think? I think that we should have at least untied her after she passed out. Maybe woke her up when we just decided to just kidnap her and drag her tail to Canterlot.” Rainbow Dash said in an annoyed manner before turning back over and putting her head under a pillow. “But hey, that’s just me.” Fluttershy nodded. Rarity looked at Twilight. “I heard screaming and yelling, can we safely assume that ..she’s awake?” Twilight rolled her eyes a bit. “Awake and a little irritated in more than one way. I can’t tell if she is still in the anger stage or if there is a stage called ‘snarky’ that the book didn’t go over. However it is clear that she is far from Ok.” Rarity sipped her tea again. “Well if it is a magical problem, we can just leave her with Celestia and she can handle it right?” “What?” Rainbow Dash turned back over in her bunk. “Just leave her there?” She jumped down from from the bed. “Well, we’re not equipped to deal with ponies who have been driven insane by strange magics.” Rarity responded. Twilight sighed a bit as she walked to Applejack. “Rarity, we aren’t going to just abandon her with the Princess. I promised that I would help her get home if I can. And that’s what I intend on doing.” Twilight turned to Applejack. “It would seem that our strange visitor is experiencing some very normal morning needs. You mind untying her?” “Well um sure Twilight,” AJ replied. “But couldn’t ya just have unfastened her by yerself?” “Well.. Your knots are just so good...”She said gesturing AppleJack to the side. “And I kinda want an honest ponies thoughts on her.” In a rather hushed manner as she opened the door back to the other train cart. “Hey Twi’ I think I’m going to join you. The other cart might have a crazy pony who thinks she’s from an alternate universe, but it’s sure to be quieter.” Rainbow Dash sorta glared at Rarity. Rarity simply drank her tea as the three left. The sensations of being hungry, thirsty and needing to go to the bathroom all at the same time is starting to get to me. As is the fact that I can almost make out the conversation in the other train cart. Sure it sounds like muffled chatting, but something inside of me keeps pushing that they are saying something regarding me. The door slides open. “But I’m sure it’s quieter!” Rainbow Dash says. Twilight and AppleJack enter the room. “Heartbreak, you remember AppleJack right?” Twilight asks me. I fight the urge to automatically snarl at Twilight as she uses that accursed name. “Ah’m sure that she remembers me Twilight.” AppleJack says a rather worried expression flashes on her face. Obviously I failed in my attempts at hiding my emotions. “Right. Calm yourself. Just Calm yourself.” I think. “Yes.. I remember AppleJack. She’s the one who did an excellent job of restraining me when I kinda lost my temper.” I do my best to cover the glower at her, right you can do this. “Thank you for doing a good job of tying me up so that other p-p-ponies didn’t get hurt.” “Crap that sounded like a snide comment rather than an apology.” I think to myself. And it shows. Applejack and Twilight are looking at me like they don’t know what to make of what I just said. “Right, Either of you two mind if I just pass out over here?” Rainbow Dash says, not even waiting for them to answer. “I can’t think of a reason why not.” Twilight replies. Applejack shrugs. “So then, Twilight tells me that yer a might bit hungry and thirsty, Ah don’t know if you know but ah run-” “Sweet Apple Acres.” I say interrupting her. “Where you sell everything that is remotely apple related...” I take a deep breath to calm myself. “I hate to be a bother but did Twilight also tell you about my more immediate needs? Like how I would really, really, really like to know where the bathroom is after you untie me?” Applejack is taken back and looks a little freaked out. I sigh again, the pressure from downstairs is starting to get painful. “Look. My bladder feels like it is going to burst and everything else is crying out for some kind of attention. I admit that my behavior last night.. It wasn’t a good start..” I say trying my best to cross my legs in an attempt to try and avert some kind of accident. “But if I untie ya’d greatly appreciate it?” Applejack says interrupting me. She is smiling sweetly and trying her best to give off an air of understanding. “Very much so, please.” I say. By now I am sure the pressure in my bladder is showing on my face. “Ah’d be happy to obliged.” She says tugging the knot she made around my ankles loose. The pressure removed from that location feels much better. I idly rub the spot where the rope was with one of my hooves. The two of them look at me tensely, I get it now, they’re testing me. Part of me is wanting to get angry with this. To push it, to ask them if this is what they are doing. But this is a very very small part of me. Right now I have more pressing needs. I pull myself over to the ledge of the bed and ducking, I attempt to get out of the bed as I am normally used to. Feet first whiles pushing myself up with my hands. However I momentarily forgot that I don’t have hands, let alone actual feet anymore. “Ah! Whoa...Whoa!” I cry out before I am forced nearly face flat on the ground in a rather painful.. and compromising position. Twilight and Applejack groan as I take my tumble. There is a moment of silence and then the pain clears. “Ooouch...” I push myself up in a rather wobbly manner. “Are you-”Twilight begins. “Bathroom. Where’s..” I say in a low growling manner. Twilight points to the left in the direction of the bathrooms. “There are bathrooms in the adjoining cart, um.. are you going to be alright?” “Yes. I’ll be.. fine...Thank You.” I say before attempting to walk. It isn’t as easy as they made it look on the show... Twilight looked at AppleJack as Heartbreak unsteadily made it to the door leading to the bathroom. She then tried to open the door but was having difficulty. She put her hoof up to it and attempted to slide it open only to find it wasn’t quite working. “Darn it!” She attempted again with only minimal success. “Do you need any help?” Twilight asked her horn aglow. “No. But. Thank You Twilight.” Heartbreak responded, she pushed herself up standing on her back hooves again. She pushed the door open with one of her front hooves and then quickly jammed the other one into the small crack wedging it open, all the while grunting and making frustrated noises. With the door finally open, she turned and looked back. “See? No. Problem.” She finally walked through and into the other cart. Twilight looked at AppleJack. “Well?” She asked making sure Heartbreak wasn’t with in hearing distance. AppleJack bit her lip a little. “Ya want me to be honest?” She asked. “That’s what you are known for. Honesty. Honest Applejack.” Twilight said nervously smiling. Applejack took a deep breath. “Right then. Honestly, If ya are going for what I think ya’re going for there Twilight.” She looked over her shoulder. “That pony is most likely a few apples short a barrel and that barrel might be stuffed with dynamite. However it’s a bit too early to tell. Right now, she seems really angry. She’s wrestling with some kinda harsh demon there Twilight. If Celestia can’t do anything to help her get her back to where she belongs...” Applejack nickered. “However there is a good pony in there...somewhere.” “I am sure Princess Celestia can do something to help.” Twilight said. “At least I hope she can.” Trouble with MuffinsChapter 12 Trouble with Muffins Getting the door to the bathroom car was such a pain. How any species can do everything with hooves, let alone anything with them is beyond me. But this is the magical land of Equestria where equines talk, fly and have magical powers. I had to really push the door to get it to slide, then standing on both of my.. back hooves.. I had to wedge the other hoof into the crack just to slide the damn thing open. And don’t get me started on walking. Humans start out as crawling creatures. It is the natural default for all of us as babies. Slowly we grow out of our crawling stage and switch to bipedal motion. A process that proved advantageous for our ancestors as it freed up our hands for doing other things. One that had some trade offs like difficulty on the spine and much more difficult birth. Turns out the best bipedal form happens to have narrow hips. Go figure. Most other species stuck to walking on all fours. Had I been another species that was slightly carnivorous mammalian I could possibly relate more. Cats, dogs, bears, even raccoons walk in a manner that humans can emulate. Flat hands in front and ‘tip-toe’ in back. But not equines and other hoofed animals. No, see the actual ‘hoof’ part of a horses ‘foot’ is actually it’s fingernails. If a human were to be walking like a horse or pony, they would literally have to walk like a ballerina all the time. Plus there is the timing that happens between front and back legs... And right now, that’s exactly why the length of this train car seems like a near impossible. I am forced to walk incredibly slow despite my desperation in needing to use the restroom. The two doors on either side of me are my reward. “Fiiinally!” I say. This whole endeavor took me at least five minutes I’m sure. But when you got to go, five minutes might as well be five hours. That’s when I look at the two doors. Seems that humanity isn’t the only species plagued with the unmarked bathroom doors. In stead of something like “Colt” or “Filly” there are circles with pictures of blacked in horse like figures in them. Both looking vaguely the same. There are only minor differences, but nothing that to my eye would show me which one is for males and which is females. And really, I don’t want to wait around to see if a pony comes along to choose which is which. I whimper and start to dance a little, looking back and forth between the two signs. “You know what? To he-he-hay with it!” And I pick the door closest to me. “Um excuse me miss...” Says a rather olde timy voice from behind me. I quickly turn around with a look of desperation on my face. It appears to be the train conductor. “Um.. I think you want the Other door.” He says. “Oh. Right. Of course. Other door.” I say in a hurried manner turning and pressing on the door. “How Silly of me...” I push on the door but find that it won’t budge. “Um.. Is there some-p-p-pony in there?” The conductor looks at me with an odd look. He reaches his hoof up and presses a small square that seems to have a hoof indentation in the middle of it. I blink wondering how the hell I could miss that. “Oh.. Yes.. Um.. Excuse me.” I say as politely as I can. “Think nothing of it miss.” He says. I roll my eyes at the use of the word ‘miss’ but I could care less right now, I turn around, close the door and set my butt on the toilet, all at the same time not trying to think about what I am doing. I will say this. It’s different and yet kinda the same. Exiting the bathroom I felt much better, behind me was a familiar flushing sound and the walk back to the train car that I had left Twilight in was much shorter. I looked at the train door again. How the hell could I have missed that? Just like the bathrooms there were small squares with a generic hoof print on them. I stomp my hoof down feeling stupid for missing such a minor yet almost blindingly obvious detail. Lifting my hoof I put it into the indentation and push, there was a click and I felt the door move more freely than when I tried for force it. Twilight and AJ were still in the room talking whiles Rainbow Dash had finally dozed off. The two of them stopped mid-conversation and then tried to beam their best smiles at me. I paused and involuntarily twitched. A small paranoid part of me felt that they were up to something, but it just hadn’t hit me what that something was. “Well welcome back, feeling better Ah take it?” Applejack asked. “Much. Yes. Thank you.” I replied with my head lowered down. I walked slowly and methodically back near the bunk. Then it hit me that I didn’t really know how to get back up onto it. I attempt trying by turning around and then backing up. “Well, good ta’ hear, seeing whiles you were gone for a while Twi’ and me took the time ta get a food cart down here.” She says as I continue to try to back up into it. However this isn’t going well. While pony spines on the show could flex and bend a bit more than they should, I am finding myself in a very uncomfortable position. Hunched far over with my legs dangling at either side of me, and a bed above me pushing me down. Almost if on cue there is a knock on the door and a waitress pony with a large poofy brown mane comes in pushing a car. “Food service!” She says in the most smiling and cheery manner she can possible as she rolls the cart in front of us. The wafting aroma of food enters my nose and I can almost feel my stomach gnawing at me. She then sees me in my less than comfortable pose. “Oy Vey! You’re going to wreck your figure sitting like that, Isn’t it uncomfortable?” She asks me. I fight off a twitch. If nothing in that sentence should be or can be offensive, then why do I feel the need to tell her that I could care less about my figure? I take a deep breath to take in the wafting smell of the food before me and that nagging feeling quietly goes away only to be replaced by the all consuming need to feed. “Not, at All..” I grunt waggling my hooves out in front of me. “Perfectly comfortable. I love it.” While I am merely wanting food, she takes my random hoof waggling as a sign that I want out. She grabs my front hooves in the same way I would grab another persons’ hand, and then tugs me out. “Wa!” I shout taking another trip to painful tumble land. Location: The Floor. “Oh, I’m Saaaaary!” She says dusting me off with her hooves. Her voice is high and nasally. “Here, let me help you up!” “Oh No, please don’t. You’ve done so much already.” I reply holding back a few choice words and emotions. She bursts out into hysterics and lightly smacks my shoulder almost throwing me off balance as I try to get myself up. “Ahahahahahaha! Oh you’re a funny one! Anyway, I’ve got plenty of breakfast items here, for you hungry pooooonies! Oh hey!” Fran Drescher. That’s who she sounds like. Ugh that was bugging me. She turns and looks at Twilight. “I know you! Ummmm Twilight right?” Twilight nods as the waitress pulls out and sets up three dinner tables. “With how often you commune to Canterlot...you might as well get a card for stamping, ride ten times get a ride for free. You would have at least five or six free rides!” She laughs in a single long drawn out ‘Haaaaaaaaa!’. “Oh! Is that one unicorn with you? Rarity? She’s such a doll! Oh but look at me yammer away, right, breakfast items are on the top, snacks are here and drinks are dispensed out of here.” She says making her way to the adjoining cart. “Raaaarity!” She says almost as soon as she enters. I sigh in an annoyed manner. “Great. Now my life has become one big pony themed sitcom with guest stars from the shows I watched as a kid.” I walk slowly over to the cart and look at the items at hand. There’s toast, cereal, eggs, hash browns, orange slices, waffles and pancakes and then a platter of hay. But no bacon. I am disappointed but not surprised. On the lower shelf are things like muffins, cupcakes, cookies, bananas. I look at the plate with eggs and hash browns on it, and that muffin is looking pretty good. But cereal could be nice.. My stomach once again growls at me. I reach up to take the plate. And with the clattering of my hoof on the plate I remember that I can’t. I look at the hoof in front of me. My head drops slightly on the edge of the cart and my hoof stomps on the ground. “I really. Really. Really Miss Fingers.” I mutter bitterly out loud. I cover my mouth with my front ankle when I realize that Applejack and Twilight are still watching me. This seems to trigger an anxiety about the situation. There are looks of confusion, worry and concern on their faces. “I mean! I’m Really Hungry!” I shout. Stay calm and take the muffin. It’s alright.. I try to take it by hooking my hoof around it, I’ve see thing grabbed like that on the show thousands of times. Then again on the show they were able to use their hooves in anyway they could imagine. How the hell are hooves sposta hold on to marshmallow skewers? It works. For a little bit, but not long enough for me to pull the muffin out. Without a thumb it slides out of my ‘grasp’. Annoyed I try again. And again it slides out of my grasp. “Ugh!” I try again. And again it slides away from me. I slam a hoof down. “Um...Do you need any-” Twilight begins. “No! I’m fine!” I respond determined not to let a muffin get the better of me. I decide to try something else. Curling my hoof, I pull it to the edge of the dining cart. Carefully I remove my hoof as not to bump the muffin onto the floor, then I squeeze it between my front ankles. Aaaalright. Now to push myself up. It kinda hurts as the carts’ corner kinda digs into the front of my legs. “Are you sure suga-” Applejack says watching me struggle. “Yes! I. Almost. Have. It!” I say finally pushing myself up and standing bipedal. There is a moment of victory over the muffin. And then I realize I don’t know how to walk this way either. What’s more, my spine is now in protest. It is wanting to force me down back to all fours. But I am not going to let it win. On wobbly hooves I lift my right hoof and attempt to move forward. It slams down on ground. But it has moved forward a few inches. I slide my left hoof up to meet it. There is another moment of wobbling. And... repeat.. Right hoof, lift and stomp, left hoof slide. “Really... It’s no trouble at all if you’re..” Twilight begins. “I’m doing just f-whoa.. Whoa! Whoa!” My spine is apparently saying that enough is enough and deciding that I am going to fall one way or another. ‘Either backward or forward’ it tells me. I go with the way that looks like it will the least painful. A face plant to the floor with extra embarrassment please. The quick face plant forward isn’t as painful as I thought it would be. There is still a tumbling and a crash, but it isn’t as painful. And with the warm soft spongy feel of crushed muffin under my face, it isn’t hard to figure out why. I sit up. The muffin falls unceremoniously off my face and chin. Looking down at it, I just want to cry. Again. “Dang Twilight, this is getting to painful to watch. I’m gona go see how the others are doing an make sure that they know there ain’t nothing ta worry about.” She smirks “That’s if they’re still alive.” She looks at me whiles I stare frustrated at the crushed muffin before me. “Good luck with ..that Twi’..” As she leaves I can hear her mutter under her breath “Yer guna need it..” Set in StoneChapter 13 Set In Stone. I lift a hoof in front of me and inspect it. What a useless appendage. It can’t grasp, nothing sticks to it, nothing that could even remotely be called a thumb. I can’t even pick up something as simple as a muffin. As my head hangs down a bit of my mane gets in my eyes. I brush it aside and then stomp my hoof. In front of me is almost a metaphor for my life. A crushed muffin. I don’t know what I want to do. Get angry, cry or just give up and accept what has happened to me. Then my stomach growls at me. “Get over yourself and feed me. You’ll feel better.” It seems to be trying to say. After a moment of burning thought, I cave to bending my neck down to eat the stupid muffin. “If you need some help, you can just ask.” Twilight says, she is levitating the plate of hash browns and eggs over to the dinner cart. I chew on what has to be the most delicious muffin I have ever tasted. Particularly for a banana-nut-bran muffin. But even after swallowing there is still that gnawing knot in my stomach. I walk over to the eggs and hash browns. Twilight is pouring me a glass of what might be apple juice. It floats in a sparkling cloud to the dinner tray. No forks, or spoons or knifes. Not that I could use them anyhow. Leaning over I use my lips to pick and eat the breakfast items. It feels good to have something in my belly. My mouth reminds me that I am thirsty and I look at the glass of apple juice. Alright, time to attempt the wrist grabbing action again. Placing both ‘wrists’ on either side of the cup, I squeeze it between them. Then I lift it. So far so good. Bring it to my mouth and gingerly lift. The liquid feels good running down my throat. I lift it a little more only to realize little to late that doing this would allow the juice access to my nostrils. Gagging, I snort out apple juice from my mouth and nose. Then I proceed to have a coughing fit. The glass tumbles down spilling the remaining juice across my chest and some of my belly. “Gah!” Twilight yelps. “Don’t Choke!” I look down at the juice that is now dripping off my thin coat. “AAAARGH!” I scream. “This. Shouldn’t. Be. This. Hard!” My head droops down again. “I look like a klutz!” I fumble my words. “Yes, yes you do.” Rainbow Dash says tiredly as she turns over in her bed. “Rainbow Dash!” Twilight exclaims scolding her. “What?” Rainbow Dash said rolling her eyes. “She kinda does.” “Rainbow-” Twillight begins. “No Twilight. She’s right.” I run my hooves through my mane in a frustrated manner before looking at them angrily again. “AARGH! Perfect Punishment. How the h-h-h-hay am I sposta adapt when I can’t figure out how to use hooves for anything!” “Use your lips?” Rainbow Dash says in a simple manner. Such an answer elicits a near deathly glare to Dashs’ direction. She looks a bit surprised and then frowns. “Hey! Calm down, I’m just trying to help here!” “I am not going to use my lips!” I shout. “If I do that then I am giving up and giving into their punishment! And Like H-h-hay am I going to let them have that satisfaction! Not with all that’s happened! Not with all they’ve taken enough from me as it is!” Rainbow Dash turns over and puts a pillow of her head. “Fine. Don’t use your lips, however, whatever you decide to do.. Could you please do it a little quieter? Cause of you, I spent hours that I could have been sleeping doing paperwork.” I want to scream, I want to shout but before I can Twilight interrupts me. “Who are ‘they’?” She asks getting in between Rainbow Dash and me. “What have they done to you and why are you being punished?” I sit there on the floor shaking my hooves in frustration. “Please.” Twilight says. “If I am going to help you get home, I need to know things. And right now you are the only pony that can tell me.” I look at her. It dawns on me that I am not angry at any of these ponies, but I must sound like it. I am most likely hurting myself or any chance I could get to get home by misdirecting my anger at others who haven’t wronged me. I attempt to calm myself down. “That.” I say through a great deal of bitterness. “Is going to be hard to explain.” “Why?” Twilight asks. “Because I barely understand what happened.” I tell her. “Just tell us what you know then, and start from the beginning.” She says. I take a deep breath. “I remember telling you that I am not from this universe.” I begin. “Where I am from.. it’s different. Least on the surface it is.” I try pacing. At least it is better than walking. “There isn’t any ‘magic’ like you know it. Ffffff...” I grimace as my vocabulary is restricted. “Ugh! As far as I knew before I crashed into your window, magic didn’t exist at all, let alone the creatures that could preform magic..” That food must have done me some good. I am sounding a bit more rational. I lead my pacing back to the food cart. I eye the waffles and then decide to take a bite. Twilight blinks. “A world without magic?” The thought alone makes her look at me questioningly. “How would that even work?” “With lots of machines.” I reply curtly and through a mouth full of waffle. I then swallow. “If there is ‘magic’ in the world I am from, the beings who have it don’t want to be found. Least that is what makes sense. Who they are is difficult to understand, because as far as I knew they were my exes.” “Exes?” Twilight asks. I frown. “Really? There aren’t any relationships in Equestria that sour or fizzle out?” “Oh you mean bitter ends..” She explains. “Sure, whatever, I am not especially in the mood to care about what they are called here in the ever so magical world of Equestria, just that I had quite a few of them. And it turns out that all of them were creatures that possessed such powers.” I nab a bit more waffle and chew it quickly. “The last relationship I was in must have been the straw that broke their backs. So they decided that a fitting punishment would be to send me here.” “Why here?” Twilight asks. I pause. Something inside of me feels like it is tugging on my ear and telling me that I can’t be fully honest with her. “I-I don’t know. The Fae are like that.” I say. “The Fae?” Twilight asks. “Geeez for being book smart Twilight, you ask a lot of questions.” I finish off the last bit of waffle and nab an orange slice. “The Fae on my ...on the world I am from where... are nature spirits of great and terrible power. They were used as ways of keeping any... out of places they shouldn’t be. Places that were dangerous to go wondering around mostly. They would trick ‘mortals’ and steal things from them. Particularly names.” “Why names?” Twilight says cocking her head questioningly. “I don’t know the full mythology behind it all! I told you, magic is practically non-existent in the world I am from! However names are very important to the Fae. Getting a Fae name means that you can get three favors from them. Least that’s what it said in one book I read..” I pace over the food cart. I lean down to the snack section and see a tray of cookies. “Om! But if one of the Fae gets your name... well.. I guess things like being booted out of the universe happen to you.” I sigh and claim another cookie, I chew on it thoughtfully. “And?” Twilight asks. “And what?” I ask through some cookie. “You said that you were being punished and I get the impression that they did more to you than just take your name.” Twilight says. “If I am going to help you then I am going to need any detail I can get, no matter how small. What else did they do to you?” I roll my eyes and sit down. “I really don’t feel comfortable explaining all the details of my relationships Twilight. Just that they ended sourly and with broken hearts.” I look up sighing. “Hence the name that’s been flung around here.” “Heartbreak?” Dash asks. I glower at her. “Yes. That. Name.” Sighing I go back to the food cart’s snack tray, I spy a brownie. “What else they did is...turn me into …” point to myself. “Into this!” A look of confusion hangs on Twilights’ face before she gets something. “You’re not meant to be a pony?” She asks me. “No.” I reply sticking my head into the cart and nabbing the brownie in one bite. “Then … what are you meant to be?” She asks me. I pull my head out of the cart. Chew brownie and swallow. “I am again not comfortable telling you that Twilight.” I reply. “But if I-” She begins. “Twilight Sparkle. Please understand that I am not sure how much I am sposta tell you about anything. I have told you most likely enough about where I am from. And if you continue to ask it will lead to a dark pit of insanity from which there is no return. I know you really want to know, but the short end of it all is that I am not telling you that. Ok?” I hope that works. I don’t want to tell Twilight and her friends that they are nothing but the figments of the imaginations of humans. Anytime that happens, bad things are sure to follow. I am thirsty again, but don’t want to ask Twilight to give me another glass of juice. I suck down any of the orange slices I see. “Alright... Then...” She replies. “We’ll just have to figure out the rest when we get to Canterlot.” I blink and suddenly realize that we are on a train. A moving train, I do my best to rush over to a window. Outside that window are the snowy peaks of a mountain range I have seen a few times. My eye twitches. “Right... Twilight... I have been answering your questions to the best of my ability.. Now answer some of mine..” I say in a worried but detached manner. “Alright..” She says. “Why are we on a train?” I ask. “Well, like I said, we are going to Canterlot. And the only real way to get to there is by train.” She explains. “Right..Of course, silly me. Why are we going to Canterlot?” I ask. “Well, when Rainbow Dash and I discovered the source of where you were ejected into our world. I did a scan of the magic that was used, it was like no other magic I have encountered before. But before I could really get good look or understand it better it cut out on us and caused the rainbow tank to fry.” She continues. “And the information you are looking for is in the the Canterlot archives. Of course.” I sigh a bit in relief. “Well, that I am not sure of, however I am sure the Princess will know when we take you to her.” Twilight says this in a smiling happy manner. I turn my head slowly towards her. “What?” “I said that-” I put a hoof in front of her mouth. “I know what you said..” Comes my nervous voice. “Part of which is that I am being taken to the Princess. And By Princess, I think you mean Celestia.” I am hoping that she doesn’t mean Celestia. I really hope that isn’t the case. Twilight smashes my hopes by smiling and nodding her head. “Yup!” I feel panic start to rear its’ ugly little head again, my hooves start to prance a little. “And by Princess Celestia, you mean the Ruler of All of Equestria?” She nods her head smiling. “The one who raises the sun every morning?” She nods her head again not noticing that I am starting to pace. “The All powerful Alicorn of Royal linage?” She continues to nod her head like a little bobble-head. “Who lives high in Canterlot and has a near god-like eye watching everything that goes on!?” “Yup!” She says still smiling away. Rainbow Dash isn’t so oblivious it would appear. “Uh Twi-” She tries to interject. “She’s white with a sun as her cutie mark, has a flowing mane, big wings and really big horn Princess Celestia?!” I squeak out. “Well there isn’t any other Princess Celestia that I know of..” Twilight responds. “Hey! Twilight!” Rainbow Dash shouts pointing at me. “What Rai-” I continue to pace back and forth. It feels like there is something sickly and sinking in my veins. “Um are you alright there?” “Oh Yes! Fine! Dandy! All from my world pace around when we’re just thrilled.” I say my words dripping with sarcasm. “Why wouldn’t I be?!” “Well... you don’t seem fine..” She stops me from pacing by placing her hooves on my shoulders. “Princess Celestia is the most powerful being in all of Equestria, if anypony has the magic to help send you home then it would be her. Isn’t that what you wanted?” “Yeah!” Rainbow Dash asks looking like she is giving up on getting any sleep. “Isn’t that a good thing?” I back out of Twilight touching my shoulders. “What?! No! No, no, no, no, no!” My hooves wobble and waggle nervously on the floor. “That’s not a good thing, that’s a bad thing, that’s so far away from a good thing that it’s in another zip code! That’s a bad, bad, bad thing!” Rainbow Dash looks at me aghast. “I give up Twi’ You’re on your own here. This feather head just doesn’t make any sense whatsoever.” And with that she turns back over. “How could that possibly be a bad thing?” Twilight asks me. I stop my movement and give her a look. “Are you Serious? How could that be a bad thing?” I twitch. “Wait. Does she even know we’re coming?!” “Well yes... I sent her a letter just before we left explaining the details of the situation.” Twilight explains. I can feel my left eye twitching so hard that it hurts. The blood feels as if it is draining from my face. The lights start to flicker on the train. We’re going through a tunnel.. “Is... is this the tunnel right before we get to Canterlot?” I ask, the lights almost strobing. “Uh yeah. Goes right through the mountain. I hate this part of getting to Canterlot, but please continue with your panicking.” Rainbow Dash comments. “Some pony needs to out panic Fluttershy...” “I still don’t understand how this is a-” Twilight begins. “Twilight. This is going to be hard for you to hear.” This time it is my turn to put my hooves on Twilights’ shoulders. “Cause you have a bit of what we call back home ‘Hero-Worship’ for Celestia. But I want you to listen very carefully.” I say as the lights flicker on and off. “Alright..” She responds. “Princess Celestia is the most powerful being in all of Equestria, Her job is to rule over this magical land, protecting all ponies and most manner of creatures that call it home. She is well over a thousand years old, commands a great deal of magical power and Her Word is Law. You following me thus far?” I ask her. She nods her head looking at me concerned. Apparently I don’t have a love-able face when I am freaking out. “That means that if there is a threat to Equestria, be it in or out of its borders, most of the time I am going to assume the former, she is going to deal with it. Right?” I pull away as I think I might be hurting Twilights’ shoulders. Her rubbing them confirms this. “Right...so?” She replies. “So?! Soo!?” I zip up into Twilights’ face. “So, I am a random element in your happy magical land! I have been cast out of my universe by the Queen of the Fae. The Queen!” “You didn’t say that the Fae Queen was involved...” Twilight says putting a hoof to her chin. “That doesn’t matter! By definition I could be a fugitive!” I blink and a non-sequitur thought pops into my head. “Or my interjection into your universe could cause it to have way too much matter and eventually cause it to collapse in on itself...” “Huh?” She asks. The flashing light of this tunnel is starting to get to me. It makes everything seem disjointed and rather off putting. “Nothing. The important thing is that something Bad will happen to me if you bring me to Princess Celestia!” I shout seeming to blink in and out of darkness as I walk. “I’m still not following you Heart-” I put a hoof on her mouth. “One Don’t call me that. Please. With me as unstable and agitated as I am now, hearing that name could set me off.” I take my hoof off her face. “And Two. Celestia might seem like the perfect, wonderful, benevolent leader that you all love, but she has a rather hard flaw, and that’s how she deals with problems that threaten her territory and the ponies with in it.” I can’t tell if Twilight is blinking or not but she looks confused. “And how is that?” She asks. “With Extreme Measures.” Comes my worried Drenched Words. For the Good Of All of UsChapter 14 For the Good Of All of Us. Twilight Sparkle looked concerned at the panicking pony in front of her. She had learned many things about her, but there was still many more things that were left open-ended. The tan pony kept walking back and forth in a weird way, like she didn’t know exactly how to walk. “And seeing that she wasn’t even a pony before all this.. That might explain quite a few things. But what was she, why doesn’t she want to tell us, and why is she so worried about seeing the Princess?!?” Twilight thought. “Right, when has Princess Celestia ever acted with extreme measures?” The cold icy blue eyes looked right at Twilight. She sits down and holds up a hoof. “Are you kidding me? Do you want your list in chronological order, scale of over-reaction, or alphabetically?” Heartbreak then looks at the hoof again and a momentary face of disappointment and sadness flickers in the flashing light and dark. “I.. Alright.” Twilight glares at the pony. “If there are so many, give me one example, Heartbreak.” The pony twitches and glares at Twilight, there is a seething rage behind those eyes. She snorts. “I see what you are doing. Trying to put me off. Mental games. Fine. Seeing that you are going for the hot buttons, if that’s the way you want play, alright then.” Her eyes narrow. “Nightmare Moon.” “She knows about Nightmare Moon? How could a ...being from another world even know about that?” Twilight shook her head. “Yeah what about her?” “Doesn’t it seem really odd that you, and your friends. Two pegasi, Two unicorns and two earth ponies were able to use the Elements of Harmony in defeating the dreaded Nightmare Moon? And yet Princess Celestia, an Alicorn of great magic and power had to banish her into the moon?!” Twilight blinks. Most of that information about that night they defeated Nightmare Moon was kept between Twilight, her friends and Celestia. “How could she possibly know? No pony else was there!” “Hey! Nightmare Moon had to be dealt with!” Rainbow Dash protests. “She wasn’t going to lower the moon and night would be forever in Equestria!” “Oh yes, of course, that made Nightmare Moon completely evil, a force to be dealt with.” Her voice is dripping with something unpleasant as she mocks a thoughtful look. “I mean it’s not like Celestia had to put her own feelings aside for the good of all Equestria and banish her own Sister into the moon. Wait. Yes. Yes she did!” Twilight shook her head. “Right, so you know this whole story, How exactly was that over reacting?” “You’re not getting it are you Twilight? If you and your friends could purge Nightmare Moon of her dark powers with the Elements of Harmony, why couldn’t Celestia?! She was there the moment that Nightmare Moon kinda came into being!” She exclaimed. “You see now why I am worried about this? If there is a Threat to Equestria, Celestia will Eliminate that threat!” “You don’t look like much of a threat to me..” Rainbow Dash said rolling her eyes. “Big things start out small Rainbow Dash! I might not be a threat to you, but Celestia might see things differently, she might see things about me that you don’t!” Heartbreak was rubbing her face frantically with her hooves in a wide eyed manner. Twilight took a deep breath. “Alright Twilight, do what Celestia would do. Calm her down and just explain to her that this is the only way.” The flashing light and dark came to a stop and the train exited the tunnel. “Look. What you said just can’t be true. Princess Celestia is the kindest, wisest, most loved and benevolent leader of all Equestria. With her help I am sure that we can send you back ...home.” Twilight said trying to cover any disdain she felt as this strange pony was insisting that for some reason Celestia could be evil... There was a tense look on her face and she crumbled. Heartbreak seemed to be living up to the name that she was given, so emotional, so unstable, almost bipolar. “You might be sure of that Twilight, but what will happen if she can’t?” Heartbreak asked. The possibility of Celestia failing hadn’t even crossed Twilights’ mind. “I’m sure that-” Twilight began. Heartbreak cut her off, a look of worried sadness worn on her face. “You might be sure, So ...so.. G-g-g-gosh Darn! Ugh! Sure, about that, but what if she can’t!?” She asked stumbling on her words and stomping her hoof on the ground in a frustrated and angry manner. “I know this isn’t the right time to think about it, but I wonder if she has a speech impediment of some kind...” Twilight thought. “What do you mean?” Twilight asked. If this pony knew as much as she did about Equestria and its’ inhabitants, she should know that when all of them were determined to do something, wouldn’t rest until something was done about it. Heartbreak looked up at Twilight, she sniffed hard and ran a hoof over her eyes. “What I mean is.. what if there isn’t a way back? What if the way back was … severed?” She asked looking at the ground. Twilight showed a wavering of a slight concern but brushed it aside. “Then we’ll make a new one.” She replied. “What if it doesn’t work like that Twilight? What if I was cut off completely?” She asks hinting at something much... darker. “What...What do you mean?” Twilight asked. “They took …everything... Twilight. I don’t know how they did it.. Or how they could even do it... But everything...” Heartbreak throws her hooves in the air and then drops them slowly. “As far as I know, on the world I come from.. I don’t even exist anymore.” “Um. Yeah, cause you were banished here.” Rainbow Dash says almost chuckling. Heartbreak on the other hoof, is far from amused. “No! You don’t get it! It’s not because I have been banished here! It’s because no-p-p-p...AARGH! None there Remember me! All traces of my life, of my actions maybe, of my very Existence have been wiped from the face of the planet! Papers, identification of any form, my interactions with others...even the very memories of those who I held intimate bonds with...” Her hooves drop and she just crumbles to the floor as if the weight of her own words are sinking in. She opens her mouth on a thought.. pausing as if she can’t comprehend something. “I-I.. I don’t even know if my own mother would remember having me as a child...” She sniffs hard. Twilight looks at Rainbow Dash. The both of them are in shock over this statement. Beings so powerful they could rip the bonds of friendship and even steal the memories of loved ones? “I mean... we never got along, her and I.. but she is my mother..” Heartbreak said. Twilight takes a deep breath. Wow. This is one mess of a pony. “When we get to Canterlot, we’ll talk to Princess Cele-” Heartbreak snaps her gaze quickly at Twilight. “I thought we talked about this Twilight.” She leans down on her left hoof in an odd manner and waggles her right at Twilight. “Those solar propaganda films must really pay off for her.” She leans forward with a condescending faux smile on her face. “Tell me again how wonderful, great, kind, wise, and loving Celestia is. I need write a little letter to all the beings that she’s locked away in stony imprisonments.” The shear cutting remark is enough to slash through Twilights’ resolve. “Hey! I am trying to help you here, HeartBreak. But if you keep this up, I just might do what Rarity suggested we do and just leave you with the Princess and have Her deal with you!” Twilight says not holding back any of the anger she feels. Heartbreaks’ facade breaks almost on contact and she looks panicked again. As if she was thrown off guard by that near threat. Rainbow Dash zips down. “Whoa! Whoa! Twilight... back down on the flame-o-meter here.” She eases Twilight away from Heartbreak. “Right, I know this is really odd coming from me, but I haven’t had any sleep in the past … I don’t know how many hours, so everything is kinda fuzzy. But. Just hear me out. Right. You remember last night? Cause I barely remember it. However I remember her calling Rarity a Marshmallow. Which, Despite not being nice was kinda funny.” Twilight looks as if she wants to speak. “Hey, hey, don’t interrupt me, I need to get this train of thought rolling and out.” She rolls her eyes. “Geeze I sound like Pinkie pie. Right. Remember what you told her? Heartbreak isn’t in her right mind. She might not mean what she is saying. Remember that?” Twilight glares at Heartbreak. “Fine. But we Are going to see Princess Celestia. And she will help handle this.” Heartbreak throws her hooves up. “AARGH! What part of “That is not a good idea” aren’t you getting Twilight?! I swear if you suffered from any more hero-worship you’d-” Rainbow Dash zipped up to Heartbreak and stuck her hoof in the pony’s mouth. “Right, see my hoof here?” Rainbow asked. “It is connected to a very tired pegasis. It’s giving you the chance to rethink the words that are about to come out of your mouth. And I know that’s strange coming from me, but I am really...Reeallly tired. I just might not know what’s coming out of My mouth.” Heartbreaks expression changes and she looks away from Rainbow Dash in a rather shamed manner. Rainbow removes her hoof. “Right. I’m sure my work here is done.” She says through a large yawn. She proceeds to jump back on a bed. Heartbreak sighs and then grimaces. “Bleh.. Yuck.. Fine. The point I am trying to to make is that I trust Celestia as far as I can throw her. I would trust Luna more. At least she knows the sting of her sisters’ wrath...” “That might be. However we are going to see Celestia.” Twilight said in an authoritative voice. Heartbreak looks like she finally doesn’t care. “Fine. Whatever..” She replies before staring off into space. The door to the train car slides open and Spike is standing there. Seeing her assistant Twilights’ mood only slightly softens. “Heh, Yeah, see you later Dusk Shine!” He says waving to some random pony. The dragon looks over the room. “Whoa. Talk about change of mood. Twilight..” “Yes Spike?” She asks her eyes nearly affixed to Heartbreak. He walks up to the snack cart and grabs a banana. “Om, Mmm Um you told me to tell you when we were about to get to Canterlot?” “Oh, yeah I did...” There is a screeching sound and the hiss of steam as the train comes to a stop. Everypony, Spike included is jarred forward before regaining their balance. “We’re here!” Spike says gobbling down the rest of the banana. Heartbreaks eyes go wide as the train doors leading to Canterlot slide open. Twilight shows a knowing smile. “You’ll see Heartbreak, Celestia will fix everything and everything will be fine. After all as I said, Celestia is-” “Uh Twilight..” Spike interrupts a breeze blowing past his spines. “Not now Spike, I am trying to help Heartbreak get to the “acceptance” stage of her grief. That’s what comes after anger right?” She asks looking up. “No, that’s bargaining and I think Heartbreak just made a break for it.” He says pointing out the blank space where Heartbreak once was... The Race is OnChapter 15 The Race is On. Twilight zipped out the door of the train leading to Canterlot. “She just bolted out of the door?!” Twilight said in a panicked manner. “And you didn’t stop her?!” “Hey, I didn’t think she would run either Twi’.” Spike replied. “I only caught like a small tidbit of the conversation through the door. She said something about not wanting to see the Princess right?” “Right! But there isn’t time to.. There she is!” Twilight shouted pointing out a quickly bumbling Heartbreak as she quickly ran through the crowds and down the street. “Rainbow Dash! I need you to catch her!” “Uuuuugh! Really Twilight?” Rainbow Dash asked her eyes showing complete fatigue. “Yes! I told the Princess that we were coming and that it was Urgent! When I...” Twilight started to explain. “Twi’ I’m running on fumes right now. It’s bad enough that I didn’t get enough sleep on this train ride, but I have work really late tonight. And I-” Rainbow yawned. Twilight zipped over to the food cart. “Coffee... Coffee. Coffee!” She quickly took a cup and poured a steaming cup and then poured in a large amount of sugar. Using her magic she hovered it over to the exhausted Rainbow Dash. “Here! Drink this! Quickly!” She commanded. Rainbow took the cup. “Twi’ this is really hot!” “Ugh! Um..” She focused on the cup and cooled it down. “There! Now Drink it!” Dash took a sip. “Bleh! Cold Coffee! Yuck!” “Drink It!” Twilight shouted looking near frazzled. “Fine!” Dash said quickly gulping down the near icy coffee. “UGH! Ice headache!” Twilight zipped back to the door. “Dash! She’s about to turn a corner! We can’t loose her!” Dash felt the energy coming back to her limbs, she cracked her neck and zipped out of the door. “Right, I see her!” She said flying out. Twilight exited the train just as her friends did. “Twilight?” Rarity asked. “What’s going on? Where is Rainbow Dash going and...” She looked in the cart. “Where’s Heartbreak?” “Heartbreak is on the run!” Twilight said making for a full gallop. “Rainbow Dash is going after her, but there’s no telling what tricks she could have on her hooves!” “Why did she run Twilight? What happened?” Fluttershy asked. “We’re going on a chase!?” Pinkie Pie shouted. “I knew it! She is a secret pony agent! That whole alternate universe thing is just a cover story!” “Darn it, Ah knew Ah shouldn’t have left her alone with you Twi!” AppleJack shouts catching up with the group. “It isn’t your fault Applejack. Heartbreak has it in her mind that if she goes to see Princess Celestia, that the Princess is going to do something horrible to her!” Twilight explained. “See?! That proves it! She is a secret pony agent!” Pinkie Exclaims. “Pinkie that doesn’t even make any sense!” Twilight shouts over the crowds. “She is just really scared of the Princess for some reason.” Fluttershy flies next to Twilight. “Why is she afraid of Princess Celestia?” “I don’t know Fluttershy! Well she sorta explained it being that she thinks that the Princess solves her problems by encasing them in stone.” Twilight explained. “Pffffft! That’s just part of her cover story Twilight!” Pinkie said. “Really what’s happening is that she was caught and now has to get back to H.Q. undetected! She just doesn’t want to let the Princess know that her cover was blown!” The five ponies turned down a street corner. Rarity caught up with Twilight. “You see Twilight? This only shows that this Heartbreak is more trouble than she’s worth.” She snorts. “I could have used this time to shop, but now we’re going to have to run through the streets after her.” Twilight rolled her eyes. Rarity was being Rarity, but she did have one point. In the long run, Heartbreak might not be worth it. Rainbow Dash sped off over the crowds and after Heartbreak. The coffee did her some good but fatigue ebbed at every one of her senses. “Ugh, Had I known that she’d be this much trouble, I’d have just left her with the Cloudsdale authorities!” She said building up some speed. Heartbreak wasn’t fast, but today just wasn’t Rainbows’ day. She went through a list in her head. “Up for more than twelve hours with out my naps? Check. Had a cup of cold coffee? Check having to dodge Canterlot crowds? Check.” She rolled her eyes. “Geeze, Now I’m sounding like Twilight!” Rainbow Dash was already catching up to Heartbreak despite all the things tugging her down. “Alright you!” She shouted flying almost next to her. “Let’s not make this any harder than it already is Heartbreak.” The mare snorted and looked focused. “My. Name. Isn’t. Heartbreak!” She shouted before chucking herself into Rainbow Dashs’ side. “Ah!” Rainbow would have normally recovered from that hit, but with her current state of mind, some unsuspecting bystandards, and a magazine rack, she was sent into a crash. After a few moments of the world spinning, she picked herself up and shook the papers off herself. “Oh! It. Is. On!” She cringed and took off flying. “Rarity.” I look behind me momentarily seeing Rainbow Dash crashing into something, I cringe and keep running. I am not happy about that. I didn’t have a favorite pony really, I like them all for various reasons. I like Twilight because she and I share a lot of personality traits, Pinkie Pie because she is random crazy, Rainbow Dash because she is well... Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy is adorable. AppleJack and Rarity have their moments but I never thought of them too much. The good news is that running is becoming a lot easier. Sorta. The bad news is that Rainbow Dash is going to be on my tail faster than I can figure out how to gallop properly. I would be absolutely enamored with the streets of Canterlot if it weren’t for the fact that I am trying to outrun and avoid the mane six trying to take me to Celestia. They are as beautiful, if not more so, now that I can see them for myself. Currently shops litter the streets and are selling all sorts of wares. Hats, coats, ugh dresses, perfumes and jewelry. The wonderful glamour and glitz of all this is shattered by remembering that I am still being chased by Rainbow Dash. Speaking of which.. “Hey!” I hear her voice right behind me. “Nopony makes me crash and gets away with it!” I try to gallop faster, but know that it is a loosing battle. If there was just some... That could work.. As I am coming towards a coffee shoppe I spy a familiar mode of transportation. One that served me very well over the years due to the fact that I never had a car. A Bicycle. The pony who owns said bike has his back turned and is ordering. I calculate what I need to do rather quickly and take a flying leap a few feet from the bike. “Oh please, please, please please!” I land on the bike seat best I can. It is a rather uncomfortable and painful experience. Whoever says that a girl can’t be kicked in the jewels... Rainbow Dash has nearly caught up with me. “Ah-Ha!” She shouts grabbing a hoof at me. “Now I got you-Huh?!” I might not be able to walk or run properly, but ride a bike? Now that’s something easy for me. The simple up and down motion of ones legs is a lot easier, Sure a little wobbly at first, but then it’s just like well.. riding a bike. “Hey!” Shouts the owner of this bike. “I’m Just borrowing it! Don’t worry! And Thanks!” I shout back at him “Ha.. Haha!” I laugh.. Well almost laugh. After getting my back hooves into the proper places, I speed away from Rainbow Dash. Now all I have to worry about are any ponies in front of me. “Out of the Way!” I shout as I zip past blurs of ponies. I can already see a small rainbow coloured blob in the corner of my eye and the oddest feeling of exhilaration takes me. Somewhere deep inside my fear stricken mind there is a little fan boy or girl screaming something like this: “OhMyGosh!OhMyGosh!OhMyGosh!OhMyGosh!OhMyGosh! I... am... Racing Rainbow Dash!” However that same voice knows something very important. Despite her being very tired, despite me being on a bike, or any other factor: I’m racing with Rainbow Dash and I’m going to Lose. You know that warning label of “Objects in the mirror are closer than they appear” on most convex mirrors they put on cars and bikes? Right now that warning is rather useless as she speeds up next to me. “HA! Nothing can slow me down! And a bike!? You think you can out race me on a bike?!” She shouts angrily as she comes head to head with me. I look forward very worried. I can’t out race Rainbow Dash. She’s Equestrias’ top flyer, she’s faster than fast, she’s done more sonic rainbooms than anypony. But I see something up ahead of me. Oh, if she was angry with me for the magazine rack.. She’s going to be Furious with me for this.. But I need to delay her. “Ha! Out race you? THE Rainbow Dash? Come on! Give me more Credit than that! You’re the one who has pulled off the Sonic Rainboom, saved the Wonderbolts, Kicked a Dragon in the face and has had a h-h-hoof! in saving Equestria more than once!” I shout. Dash blinks and looks a little proud. Good I have appealed to her sense of pride. But she quickly shakes it off. “Yeah, I admit that I’m pretty awesome, Which is why I’m going to catch you!” She says about to grab at me. I counter by ducking and weaving. Not an easy feat and she comes pretty close to actually grabbing me. “Oh yeah! And I admit that you can catch me and I won’t be able to out run you or out bike you!” Almost there. Just a little more... “But there’s something I can do at these speeds that you can’t Dashie!” She looks miffed, I can’t tell if it is over me calling her “Dashie” or that I have claimed to be able to do something that she can’t. “Oh Yeah!? And What’s that!?” She shouts at me nearly getting up in my face. “Stop!” I shout pulling on the brakes of the bike the best I can. “What?!” Dash says as she keeps speeding forward. She then crashes into a fruit and pie stand. As I am coming to a full stop, I ponder this situation for a moment. Ask me about this a month ago and I would have found the image of Rainbow Dash with melons on her shoulders and a pie for a face rather amusing. But as what looks to be a cherry pie falls off her face, I see a very angry Dash. There is a tense moment between the two of us and then I can hear the rest of the mane six’s voices behind me. My front hoof acidentally brushes the bike’s horn. “Beep-Beep!” Rainbow clenches her teeth and nearly growls. My legs seem to act on their own accord and start pedaling the bike. I still don’t have a clue where I am going. All I know is that I want to be away from everypony. Rainbow Dash was steaming. “How in all Equestria could I have fallen for that!? And she has the nerve to honk that horn?!” “Rainbow Dash!” Twilight shouts. “What happened! You almost had her!” “Yeah, I did almost have her! But she distracted me!” Rainbow slams her hooves down into two melons. “Ugh!” “Wow! She’s a good spy if she can distract even you Dash. Usually the only way that spies distract others in movies is by using their charms! She didn’t use her wiles on you did she Dash?” Pinkie asked waggling her eye brows. “What?! No! Gross!” Rainbow Dash protested. “Pinkie! We have no time for that, Right. I think we need a plan. Cause it looks like we’re going to have to corner and capture her.” Twilight paces. “Can you catch up with her Dash?” “Easily.” Rainbow replies. “I want you to catch up with her but stay out of sight.” She put her hoof to her chin thoughtfully. “Alright, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy. The way she was acting to you two yesterday...There is something up with that. And you two will be providing a distraction, as such you’re going to be with Rainbow Dash. Catch up with her any way you can and try to lead her near the closest alley possible.” “Um Twilight...” Fluttershy raised a hoof. “Yes Fluttershy?” Twilight asked. “We aren’t going to um hurt her are we?” “No, at least not intentionally.” Twilight looked at Fluttershy, her kindness was a mixed blessing of sorts. Particularly in situations like this. “Look Fluttershy, right now she is a confused, mixed up, scared pony. That makes her unpredictable and possibly dangerous. She needs help, but to do that we might have to drag her to the princess. Possibly kicking and screaming.” “Um... Can’t we ...reason with her?” Fluttershy asked. “Just you know... talk to her?” “Actually that’s what I want you to do. We don’t need you two to attack or do anything physical, just talk to her. Once she’s distracted Rarity and I will spring a trap. Then Rainbow Dash...” Fluttershy looked nervously at Pinkie Pie. “I really hope we don’t have to hurt her..” She told the pink puff of a pony whiles Twilight started talking about the details of her plan. “Hurt her? She’s a pony spy! She can take care of herself! She most likely has all sorts of gadgets and gizmos! We need to worry about her hurting us! She most likely has over a thousand ways of killing a pony with her ears! That bike she was riding must turn into something really cool!” Pinkie replied. “Well... what if she isn’t a spy and she’s really really scared? I mean I don’t understand why she is afraid of Princess Celestia, but every pony has their fears...” Fluttershy responded. “Ha! Fears? Fluttershy, Spy ponies are Fearless! They scoff at things like fear and laugh at death!” Pinkie Pie said. “And Twilight wants us to catch her, must be to turn her into the Princess herself... You don’t think Twilight is a secret pony spy too do you?” “Um no but Pinkie...” Fluttershy tries to get her attention. “Well.. if we are going to have to catch this spy then we are going to have to think like spies!” “Everypony got what they need to do?” Twilight asked. “Totally!” Pinkie shouts. “Um Twilight...” Fluttershy began. Twilight looked at Fluttershy. “We aren’t going to hurt her Fluttershy. I promise.” The Student Becomes the TeacherChapter 16 The Student Becomes The Teacher I don’t know how long I have been biking or even where I am biking to. However it seems that Twilight and her friends have stopped chasing me. For the moment. Looking around I realize I have no idea where I am in Canterlot. It wasn’t like they had maps of the city on the show, all they ever showed was cut aways of streets, shops, gardens and a castle in the mountain. I bop my head on the handle bars of the bike. I notice that this is one of the more quiet streets. The Castle and sun are behind me, symbols of Celestia looming over me. Watching me. They fill me with a dread that I have never felt before. “What the H-h-hay! Was I thinking?!” I bop my head against the handle bars of the bike again. “Ouch... Ugh. Why did I just run off like that? Seriously! Brain, why you no figure out that was a bad idea?!” I sigh. As if facing Celestia was a better option. I knew Twilight wanted answers on how I knew most of what I do, but those are things that I just couldn’t share. Besides the thought had already passed through my mind. “How do you tell another that they are only a character in someone elses’ story?” I thought to myself. At least my thoughts aren't being edited for content. I pedal a little slower. “Why the hell did I run?” Honestly, I wasn’t sure why I ran. I remember the door opening, Twilight praising Celestia.. and then this moment of terror. I mean yes, I was freaked out over the fact that Twilight was taking me to Celestia, but it wasn’t like that. It was a harsher fear. The type of fear that one gets whiles standing on a ledge over looking a deep chasm. The almost precognitive fear that you get in the back of your head as your eyes roam over the deep jet black gash in the earth, imagining what it would be to fall. Course they say it isn’t the fall that kills you, it’s the sudden stop at the bottom. And whiles that is true, the fear of falling can be far worse than the actual fall. That’s what I was feeling in that moment. It could be that I am so used to just doing my own thing, that if someone else is telling me what to do, I grow resistant. Passively aggressively putting off what I have been told to do. Getting told to do it over and over until I am numb to what they are telling me. I can’t do that here. Celestia is the ultimate authority, no pony questions her because she has all the power. And she will do with it what she needs to do to protect Equestria. If I were a threat to Equestria, she could do any number of things. Banish me to either another world or outside of the borders, turn me to stone, or something worse that I just can’t put a...hoof on. I sigh. “Hi Secret Spy!” Shouts an all together happy voice which causes my heart to nearly stop. “Look at my new outfit! It’s just like a real spy, I even have a belt with gizmos and gadgets and a decoder ring for secret spy messages!” It’s Pinkie Pie in a black body suit wearing roller blades. I don’t even get a chance to think about what to do here, not that I know what to think.. But my legs just start pedaling again. “Wait! We need to exchange decoder rings!” She shouts at me zipping after me. I have a feeling of what is going to happen. It’s what always happens on the show. They are going to work together and somehow it will all turn out for the best. At least for them. In the show they never showed what happened to those ponies and creatures that once defeated rode off into the sunset. Nobody knew what happened to Gilda, or Trixie, The Diamond Dogs, the crazy Flim-Flam brothers or even Iron Will. We are left assuming that all went well and that somewhere out there they still exist. Maybe I feel like them. Maybe I feel like a one trick pony who is just part of their adventure and then the Princess will do something, and I’ll never be seen again. Lost in the moment of these thoughts I can’t help but hear some labored flighty breathing to my left. “UM!.... *gasp* Do... You... Mind... If.. It Wouldn’t be so.. Much Trouble to slow down?” Fluttershy asks me. Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy? Twilight was most likely the one to come up with the plan. She always comes up with these things. Crap. She really is smarter than she looks. I am so screwed. I push forward. “Yes! I would very much mind it!” I reply making a sharp right down a narrow one way street. Not even half way down the second block and I hear a zip line being pulled. Pinkie some how has strung a line between two buildings and is falling down on a wire. “Come on! Look! I can totally be one of the Princesses Spies!” She says dangling upside down. I have to make a left here because she’s fallen near exactly in my path. The next street I turn on is a two lane and a bit busier, I find myself weaving and ducking past ponies. “Out of the Way! Move Please!” I shout. I hear wing beats again. Damn it. “Please, could we just talk a little?” Fluttershy asks catching up with me. “Uhmmm Let me think about that...MmmmmNope!” I reply bumping the bike into a higher gear. I start to move ahead of her at a frantic pace. Least on a bike I can almost ‘stand up’ without my spine screaming at me. Her wing beats are heard again and I see her struggling to keep up. “Ah! Hooo! Ah! hoooo!” She is gasping hard. “Could.. we.. try... to.. be... friends?” A sharp pang goes through my heart. I know that something is up and that these two are a part of it. But the combination of her struggling, her cuteness and her question are too adorable. Looking to my right I see a break in the traffic. “Stay away from me Fluttershy! I don’t want to hurt you!” I shout. Geeze taken out of context that sounds like I want to hurt her. I make it across the street with ponies shouting at me, but continue to pedal as hard as I can. I see an on coming downward slope, I can use that... The sound of inline skates hitting sidewalk is almost enough to make me jump off the bike. I look to my left. There is Pinkie Pie wearing the biggest smile, she’s skating backwards and waving at me. “So, I was thinking if I become a Spy, do I have to have a name like yours? Cause really it is a really Sad name and I wouldn’t want a sad name!” Ugh! Need. To. Pedal. Faster. “Why... *huff gasp* Would... You... Hurt... Me?” Comes Fluttershy from my right. “I wouldn’t!” I shout. “Then why did you say...” Fluttershy starts looking at me intently. “Oh Fluttershy, Spies are always hurting the ponies around them. Mostly the ones they love!” Pinkie says, then her ears droop and she looks thoughtful, all the while rolling skating backwards and easily avoiding ponies left and right. “Huh, Maybe I don’t want to be a Pony Spy now. I couldn’t hurt the ones I love! I love everypony!” “Is... That...why? You... wouldn’t... really... hurt.. anypony?” Fluttershy asks. “Yes! … No! Aaaargh! I Just don’t want to see you cry! OK?” I shout, I nearly hit an obstruction that would send me crashing. “Ugh! Why are you two being so distracting!?” I ask as we finally are reaching the bottom of the slope. With that question I get a moment of startling clarity. That’s part of Twilights’ plan. They’re the distraction, but distraction for what? I look at Pinkie and notice something I didn’t before. Her tail.. I had thought that it had been just flapping in the wind. That’s not wind. “Twitchy Tail...” I say as we are almost near the bottom of slope. Pinkie looks at me. “What?” “TWITCHY TAIL!” I shout. Pinkie’s tail is twitching! Something is going to fall! I need to veer off the path I’m on! Twilight Sparkle pops out of one of the bushes lining this street. “She knows! Rainbow! Change of Plans! Now before she can react!” She shouts her horn glowing. With Pinkie and Fluttershy on either side of me, I can’t make any turns, I attempt to pedal faster only to find my front wheel frozen. Equestria might be ruled by Magic, but it seems that Newtons Laws of Motion are still in effect. My body is still in motion and it wants to stay that way. And how is it doing this? By getting flung over the handle bars and into an arc in the air. I feel another trip to the all together magical land of pain coming on when I see the side walk coming at me. This trip is interrupted by a rainbow coloured force that knocks the wind out of me by jarring me to a near right angle and into an alley way. I am still flying backward... well backwards for me, when she lets me go. Momentarily I feel like a billiard ball. Then I feel myself hitting something soft and stretchy. It doesn’t take me too long to figure out what it is as Raritys’ magic, once again, wraps me up with a long cloth into something resembling a straight jacket. I feel something lasso around my waist and pull me down before I hit against the wall behind me. “Aaaaagh! Let Me Go!” I shout struggling. The six ponies walk towards me. “Enough is enough Heartbreak.” Twilight says stomping her hoof down. “We are going to see Princess Celestia. She will help us with this problem. And nothing bad is going to happen!” I snort and manage some way of standing on my hind legs. “I. Told. You. My Name-” “Isn’t Heartbreak!” Twilight says angry finishing my sentence. I see Fluttershy moving slightly behind Twilight. It’s the break I need. I force myself up and try sprinting. Closing my eyes I try not to focus on how goofy this must look but rather getting past these six. “AAARGH!” I roar as I nearly charge Twilight. “Oh No You Don’t!” Twilight says her horn glowing with a furious light. I feel myself frozen and then jarred to my right. And with an audible cracking sound into smooth brick-style wall. I cry out. At least I am making good friends with some pony here. And her name is Pain. Pain Hurtzalot. “Eeek! Heartbreak!” Fluttershy’s voice shouts as she rushes over to me. “Ouch...” I want to get mad at Fluttershy but I can’t be bothered. Something got knocked loose in that meet’n’greet with the wall. I try to move my leg. “Ah-Ah-Ah!” Feels like a bad sprain. Fluttershy looks at Twilight. I can’t tell from this angle but I don’t think she’s too happy. “You said that she wouldn’t get hurt!” Twilight takes a step back. “Fluttershy, it only looks like a sprain!” Rarity protests. “That doesn’t matter! She has been getting hurt from the moment she got here! Is it a wonder she is scared to see Princess Celestia!?” Is... is Fluttershy getting angry? I attempt to scoot away. I don’t want to see Flutter-rage.. However I quickly remember that I am in pain. “Aaaah!” Geeze I must sound like an over sensitive drama queen! “Fluttershy she-” Twilight begins. “You. Promised!” Fluttershy interrupts. “You promised that we wouldn’t hurt her!” “Fluttershy... We need to take her the Princess and she was about to attack me.” Twilight replies. “How do you know she was?” Fluttershy asks. “I-I... Had to react! She would have gotten away!” Twilight protests. “Look Fluttershy, this is for her own good!” I feel something lifting me up, the light blue almost lilac glow of Rarity’s magic sets me down across ways over Applejacks’ back. Fluttershy looks like she wants to protest more, but instead she flies off crying. I can’t help but feel streaks of anger spike through me. “Well congratulations Twilight. Not only did you make Fluttershy cry, but the student has surpassed the teacher.” I say uncomfortably atop of Applejack. Twilight looks at me Angrily. I don’t blame her. A day ago her world was perfect, she and her friends would play and have adventures. They’d talk and sing and learn. Then I came along crashing through her window. “And What do you mean by that, Heartbreak?” She asks. I can almost see the shadow of Celestia in her stance and poise. Snorting, I roll my eyes. “'This is for her own good'. I bet those were Celestia’s last thoughts, if not her last words to her sister before she banished her to the moon.” “Alright, Little Miss. That’s enough out of you. Rarity would ya ever be so kind?” AJ asks. “In quieting Miss Heartbreak? Delighted.” She replies plucking a bridle from her bag. It doesn’t take her long to slip it over my face and muzzle.. I drop my head in humiliation as they start to take me to the castle. Twilight felt the sting of Heartbreaks words lingering as the others started walking back to the castle. This didn’t make any sense. She always wanted to be like Celestia and was always seeking her approval. Why wouldn’t she want to surpass her teacher? “She’s only trying manipulate you Twilight..” She said to herself trying to rationalize it. But it wasn’t helping. “If that’s the case.. then why do I feel like the bad pony here?” She sat down whiles the others carried Heartbreak off. “Yo. Twilight, You coming?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Uh Yeah, Just give me a second! I’ll meet up with you at the castle.” She said faking a smile. “After I figure out how to fix this..” she muttered under her breath. The whole mythology of what happened in Equestria that night when Nightmare Moon was banished by Celestia was always a fuzzy thing. All knew of the story of what happened and how Princess Luna felt neglected her works unappreciated by her subjects. How jealousy drove her insane with rage. But they never told of what happened in between. If it was a slow or sudden transformation. If Celestia could have done something or was powerless. She now felt like she was about to do something terrible by bringing just this one pony to her life long mentor, teacher, and ruler. Spike came running down the hill huffing and puffing. “There you all are!” He said. The others didn’t look to be in the mood to respond. “Whoa.. Cold crowd. Twilight, I see your plan went off perfectly.” He said. “Yeah...” Twilight replied sadly. “Oh geeze... What’s wrong?” He asked. Twilight was always pleased when one of her plans went off. “It’s just... What if she’s right about the Princess Spike?” Twilight asked. “What if bringing her to Princess Celestia is only going to make things worse than they already are? Ugh! How do I make this right?!” Spike looked at Heartbreak. She seemed to have really hit the depression stage of her grief pretty hard. What’s more, they put a bridle on her. “Ouch, that’s harsh.” He thought. “Well... I don’t know Twi’. I do know that I wouldn’t want to be in her shoes. I mean if every thing she says is true about being from another Universe, then really... she’s got nothing. No home, no family, no friends, and even if she seems like she knows everypony here, nopony here knows her. She doesn’t have anypony she can even trust.” Spike said. Twilight blinked and a spark went off in her brain. “That’s it. That’s how I fix this.” Twilight said in the middle of her thought. “Spike, I need you to take an urgent letter to the Princess.” Spike looked at her confused like, but took out a quill and some parchment anyhow.. With how Heartbreak was running from trying to get to Celestia, he didn’t see how writing a letter to her was going to help fix the problem they currently faced... Horsing AroundChapter 17 Horsing Around. The walk to Canterlot Castle felt almost like a death march. I don't think I’ve disliked the sound of hooves on hard cobblestone anymore than I do now. I’m recapping what had happened in the past.., what? Twenty four hours. About this time last night, I had ridden my bike back from work. I opened the door to my apartment and removed my work uniform to prepare for a shower. A few hours later and that's where all this mess started from. First there was Dave's clammy hand over my face. Then there was discovering that all my exes were strange creatures with the ability to send me to an alternate reality. This was followed by a strange disembodied voice stripping me down to my bare essentials. Then I fell from the sky and into Twilight Sparkle’s window. One by one her friends showed up to figure out what they could do about this situation. Somewhere in the middle of that the Council of Nine dealt their final blow. Any attempts to find a way back from the path I came were severed. If I wasn't in such a state of despair right now, I would make a joke about them being emo. Then I passed out, had a dream that didn't seem like my own. What was up with that? Was it a really a dream, or like my inability to swear and use all my old pronouns, Equestria's way of reinforcing the fact that I am now a pony? I woke up on a train, learned how to walk, mostly. Got something to eat and drink, depressed the hell out of myself, and when the train arrived here in Canterlot, led Twilight and her friends on a wild goose chase that only ended in tears-Fluttershy's tears. "That's not the fun adventure that I wanted," I think still looking at the ground. I chew uncomfortably on the bit of the bridle that Rarity used to silence me. Most likely for the best seeing that everything I say sounds sarcastic, cutting or just plain wrong. I look up from a rather awkward position. I can see a dot of yellow and pink flying away in the sky.. back down on the street, Twilight is at the entrance of the alleyway. Spike is with her and it looks like she is having him take a letter. He finishes it and there is a burst of oddly coloured fire as he sends it off to the castle. "Most likely to tell Celestia of how well her plan went or some sort of lesson that she learned from all this..." I know that she isn't writing a lesson about this. That's just the bitterness of the situation talking. "I wonder what lesson I learned from this? I can see it now: 'Dear Princess Celestia. Today I learned that all my exes were strange magical fae creatures, a wizard and a werewolf. This is scarcely odd due to the fact that magic, as I knew it twenty-four hours ago, didn't exist in my world. Boy was I ever sorry to be wrong! I then learned the wonders not of friendship, but pain! And how pain can be there for you no matter what! Whether you are flying into a rainbow, a window or your friendly neighborhood Canterlot brick wall! Pain can be there for everypony! Signed ...." I try to think of the name that I would sign this as. The letter sounded kinda funny in a dark sorta perky-goth way. Now it sounds unfinished. I sigh realizing that there is a name there-one that was stuck there. And like my old name, when someone asks what your name is, it pops right up. Only this name isn't welcome. It is like an unwanted stranger. But it's the only one that comes up. "Signed.. the pony named ...Heartbreak." "Ugh.." Rainbow Dash sighed. "Something ta' matter there Rainbow?" Applejack asked. "Um No... Well... Not really.. Well.." She paused. Ugh she was starting to sound like Fluttershy. "Right, Normally it wouldn't be a big deal. But seriously, I am wiped. Seriously exhausted." "Really? I wouldn't think that anything could tucker you out there Sugarcube." Applejack replied. "Well it has. I've been up for like over twelve hours with little to no naps and the coffee that Twilight had me guzzle down, Which was cold, is starting to lose its power." Rainbow Dash said landing on the sidewalk. Her hooves dragged on the pavement. "And what do you want Us to do about it Darling?" Rarity asked. Rainbow Dash spied a pony drawn carriage. It looked like it might seat four ponies. "Want to split a carriage?" Dash asked in an almost desperate tired manner. "Dash, ah didn't plan on a trip ta Canterlot in the last day." Applejack Replied. Rarity looked at the carriage thoughtfully. "Well, we are in Canterlot. Even with... baggage, if we are going to travel to the castle, we might as well do it in style. I'm in." "Baggage?" Pinkie asked. "We don't have any baggage!" "She means Heartbreak, Pinkie." Applejack said. Pinkie looked at the bound and gagged pony resting uncomfortably on Applejack's back. Heartbreak was practically shooting daggers out of her eyes at Rarity. "Agent HB isn't baggage! She's not even cargo! She could only pass for cargo if she was sneaking around in a box!" Pinkie protested. Rarity only glared back. Heartbreak’s composure broke and her expression turned sad. "Don't give me that look Miss Heartbreak. There is a matching set of blinders to go with that bridle you know. Would you like to try them on also?" Rarity said in an almost musical manner. Heartbreak averted her gaze and returned to looking at the ground. "That's what I thought." Pinkie grimaced. Even if Heartbreak was a spy with a cutting tongue and way too much knowledge of everypony here, that was way too much sad to cover a face. Even spy ponies needed to be loved and smile once in awhile. "I'm in for the carriage!" Pinkie said racing to Applejack's side. "Hey AJ, She's looking a little uncomfortable on your back." "Ah'm sure she's fi-" Pinkie lifted Heartbreak with a sudden swiftness while flipping her around. Applejack gacked while Heartbreak made a whinnying sound. Pinkie zipped over to the side that heartbreak was now facing. "Much better right?" She looked around and bent down to whisper. "Don't Worry Agent HB, if things turn sour at the castle, you signal me by flopping your ears around." Heartbreak didn’t respond much, save the rolling of her eyes. “Don’t worry about it AJ, with the extra cash that I have had on hoof, covering two extra ponies isn’t going to be any trouble at all.” Rainbow said walking over to the two well dressed carriage ponies. “Two extra?” Rarity asked. “Uh Yeah. I don’t think these guys will see Heartbreak as luggage Rarity. Or cargo for that matter.” Rainbow Dash replied. “Well, thank ya kindly girls. When we get back ta Ponyville there’s going ta be some of Granny Smith’ special cider for ya’ll on me.” Applejack replied. “So Gentlecolts, how much for a ride to Canterlot Castle?” Rarity asked the two stallions. One of them tipped his hat and looked at the group. “Well... Our evening fare price is five bits a head, that would be thirty bits right Slim?” “That’s before tip there Jim.” The other replied. Their accents denoted that they were not from Canterlot in the slightest. “But there’s a problem Slim.” Jim said. “Oh yeah Jim, This is a four pony carriage. Either one of you girls is going to have to lay on the floor. Or you’ll all have to find a bigger carriage.” Slim replied. “Oh, that’s alright, we have a little... luggage that can lay on the floor.” Rarity replied. Rainbow Dash looked at Rarity and then waved her hoof. “Uh Guys, could you give us a moment?” She then took Rarity aside. “Seriously?” “Whaat?” Rarity asked. “Rarity, I know you two got off on the wrong hoof, Her calling you a marshmallow and all, but give it a rest. If anything about where she came from is true.. Not that I am saying that I really buy into the ‘alternate world’ story. Though, it is more more plausible right now than Pinkie Pies ‘Secret Spy’ idea for some reason..” She shook her head. Now she was rambling like Pinkie, again. “Besides. If anypony is going to lay on the floor, It’s going to be me. Got it?” “Rainbow Dash...” Rarity began. “No! My Mind is settled on the matter.” She tossed ten bits into the payment box located next to the door. Rarity gave confused look to Rainbow Dash. It wasn’t too long ago that because of this pony, Rainbow had been covered in pie and fruit. Now she was just willing to give her seat up to lay on the floor? “Fine. But I am not sitting next to her.” Rarity replied putting her bits in. “Uh Rarity?” Applejack said hinting at Heartbreak. Rarity rolled her eyes. Heartbreak soon found herself lifted aloft and seated in the nice comfortable carriage. Pinkie tossed her bits into the box. “If you’re not going to sit next to Agent HB Rarity, then I’m going to!” Applejack followed her friends into the carriage. “Don’t ya’ll worry. We’ll be at the castle in no time and soon enough Princess Celestia will fix up what needs fixing.” Heartbreak didn’t look reassured by those words. Eye of the StormChapter 18 Eye of the Storm. I stare blankly out the window of the carriage. Daylight is quickly receding from Equestria and a brilliant sunset is beginning. I can’t help but wonder if some pony out there is responsible for it. Most likely the pegisi. But then again the Equestrian world is round so it is possible that the sun and moon are distant celestial objects here like they are back on my earth. Other people speculated that Equestria was in a dyson sphere. I wasn’t much of a fan of that due to the fact that there were also comets and other celestial bodies. I don’t feel terribly sad right now. I am not sure why. Is it the way that lights are being lit by pegisi in the streets? Is it the evening dusk splashing its colours over Equestia? Or maybe it is the fact that we are so close to the castle that trying to run would be pointless seeing that Celestia could just come out on high and gank me. Feeling sad wouldn’t help matters... A voice breaks into my thoughts and disrupts my concentration. “Do all of the Princesses Spies sit like that?” Pinkies overly sugar fueled voice asks. I slowly look at her. “Cause if that’s the case, I know another spy living right in ponyville!” Looking down, I see what she means. Whiles all the others are sitting in the most comfortable positions for any equine, I seem to have taken the ‘Lyra’ stance of sitting. Applejack chuckles at something that Rarity said and then turns and looks at me. “Uh... isn’t that uncomfortable?” She asks me. I sigh. I am not sure if I should respond or not, I have put all of them through so many rounds. So I shrug. “Well.. Whatever makes ya feel most comfortable there Heartbreak.” She says in a way that is meant to convey sympathy. But hearing that name only reminds me of the burning sensation on my flanks. As I turn my head grimacing, I can hear a lady like ‘Hmph!’ from Rarity. Twilight Sparkle stood at the steps of the castle. A bright and shining beacon to all those who lived under Celestia’s rule. “I hope writing to the Princess was the right thing to do here.” She said quietly. Twilight felt a gust of wind gently go through her mane. Fluttershys’ hooves landed gently on the ground. Twilight blinked. “Fluttershy, you came?” Fluttershy looked at Twilight. “Of course I did Twilight. I might be upset with you, But we are still friends.” Twilight smiled. “With that said Twilight, I have had time to think about it all and what happened there was still wrong.” She said. Twilights’ smile ebbed and she looked away. “However, it wasn’t just you that was responsible, it was all of us. Myself included.” Fluttershy said meekly hanging her head. “Huh? How are you responsible for what happened back there?” Twilight asked. “I was the one that came up with the plan and forcing-” Fluttershy held up a hoof. “You never corner a frightened animal like that. They are likely to try and fight you or try to find a way to flee. And there is no telling what Heartbreak was before she was a pony. I should have said something. I’m sorry.” Twilight hung her head. “You’re sorry? I should have listened when you were suggesting we just talk to her. Maybe we could have avoided an unnecessary chase.” Fluttershy smiled and gave Twilight a light hug. “We shouldn’t focus on the things that we could or would have done Twilight. But what we can do. That’s why I am here.” A carriage came rolling up to the stairs of the castle. “While I don’t know who she is, I feel that whatever happens Twilight, whether she is right about Princess Celestia or not, we need to be there.” Fluttershy watched as her friends walked out of the carriage. “And if she is right about Celestia, despite Celestia being more powerful, older, and well... The Princess of Equestria, we should stand up for for Heartbreak and see if there is anything we can do for her.” Fluttershy walked down the stairs. Heartbreak was the last one to exit the carriage in a rather awkward manner. With her front legs tied up, she attempted to balance herself on her hind legs. However, she could not retain her balance for long, and was sent sprawling down the stairs, landing at the bottom on her face. She looked rather distraught about this. “Um Rarity, why is she still tied up like this?” Fluttershy asked giving her a concerned and rather displeased look. “Well, we couldn’t very well risk her escaping or take the chance that she would go on another tirade inside the carriage Fluttershy sweetie...” Rarity explained in a rather makeshift sort of way. “We were planning on untying her once we got to the castle...” “Well then you won’t mind if I-” Fluttershy responded about to clip Heartbreak’s bindings with her mouth. Applejack halted her. “Fluttershy, are ya sure that’s such a good idea? There’s no telling what she’ll do once free...” “Applejack. I’m surprised at you!” Fluttershy stated stomping her hoof. “How is she to trust us if we don’t trust her? Besides, I don’t think she is going to run this time.” She looked at Heartbreak. “Are you?” Heartbreak looked Fluttershy as if she was thinking for a moment. She then looked down at the ground and shook her head “no”. Fluttershy smiled and bit down on the knot that was holding Heartbreak captive. The fabric slipped off and Heartbreak stretched out her forelimbs. There was a moment of tenseness to see whether or not she would make another break for it. Much to everypony’s relief she did not. “Ooooooh I see what’s going on Rarity!” Pinkie Pie coo’d. Rarity looked at Pinkie to finish her thought. “Fluttershy is a secret spy too!” Pinkie looked at Fluttershy thoughtfully. “A really good spy!” “Twilight Sparkle?” Said a voice from behind Twilight. It was one of the Royal Guard. “Yes?” Twilight asked. “The Princess will now see all of you.” He said opening the door. Twilight looked at Heartbreak one her friends had joined her at the top of the stairs. Heartbreak, despite being free to walk was still wearing the bridle. “Rarity. please remove that bridle. If Heartbreak needs to defend herself, which I doubt...She is going to need to be able to talk.” Twilight explained. Rarity rolled her eyes and used her magic to remove the bridle. “I guess you’re right... Besides without the blinders it just didn’t look right...” I smack my lips together, the taste of fabric and metal is still on my tongue as we walk through the door. I feel the eyes of the guard follow me in. It is an uncomfortable feeling. Sorta like the first time I re-entered a church after concluding that I was indeed an atheist. I half expect to burst into flame the moment my back hoof passes through the threshhold. The seven of us walk down a small ornately decorated hallway. Equestrian flags and suits of pony armor are on either side of me. I would think that the red carpet under my hooves is soft. It looks soft. But I can’t feel anything through my hooves. Looking behind me, the entrance is getting farther and farther away. The hallway ends in a pair of double doors. The Equestria coat of arms hangs gracefully above it. I once again look at where we came from. Any hope of running now is like a distant memory. My heart and mind start to race again. I try to avoid the question that is fighting to get out of my mind like a caged animal. I cringe as the beast breaks loose from its confines. “What could Celestia do anyhow?” If watching any tv particularly Star Trek Voyager has taught me anything, it is that you should never ask that question out loud, let alone think it. There are millions of things she could do to you, trapped in stone is just one of them. There are unnamed lands outside of Equestria. She might send you there. But this is Celestia we’re talking about. If I am a true threat to Equestria in any shape or form, only the worst types of punishment would be had. Imprisoned in a celestial body, shunted to some other realm and let it be some other universes’ problem, or forever chained to a place where she can watch over me until I meet my eventuality? There’s a thought. How long will my natural life span be? Ponies on the show seemed to live from a natural life span to well over a thousand years with Alicorns like Celestia. Fan Speculation was that Celestia and her sister were as old as they were because they were saturated with the magic of the elements of Harmony. And from what I understand, I was just saturated with the very life blood of universes. Well maybe not that, but something akin to powerful magic. Would I live longer than I was meant to? I mean when I was human, that sounded swell. All that knowledge gathered over countless lifetimes. Now? Like the hells of the religions of the Earth I left behind, it sounds like torment in which I would be begging for an end. That is if I am a threat to Equestria and Celestia imprisons me. If I am not a threat at all... Then what? I hadn’t even thought about that. Perhaps I have been poisoning my own well about Celestia. She might be the ruler, but isn’t she sposta be a fair and just one? Doesn’t she show sympathy and kindness to her subjects? Behind me are Twilight and her friends, seeing them makes me slightly hopeful. I know them all too well, maybe better than they know themselves really. I know it was just a cartoon show targeted to little girls and their parents. But I watched it anyway. With its fun characters.. these ponies, bright songs and crazy antics, it brought me a joy and helped me express some emotions that I had trouble expressing before. I look at the heavy white doors in front of me. I want to run knowing what is behind that door. But seeing Twilight and her friends? I take a deep breath and look at the ground. A small smile finds its way onto my face. Whatever happens, they’ll be there. They’ll help me if I need it. I prepare myself for the storm I am sure will happen.. Into the eye, hope for the best, prepare for the worst. Alright...HeartBreak. There’s no turning back now. Sister, SisterChapter 19 Sister, Sister. The grand ornately carved doors open and for a moment I am blinded. The Princesses’ Throne room expands out before me. Stained glass windows portray inspiring murals of the Equestrian world floating among clouds, faded tapestries adorn the walls. The red carpet leads to the sparkling golden throne. In the background there is the gentle sounds of a water fountain. It is everything I imagined this seat of power to be and much more. And in the center of this all, the most regal, most enchanting and purest white creature I have ever seen. With a spire of a white horn and large expansive wings she sits at her throne. Her constantly flowing multicoloured mane adorned with the royal crown hides part of her face. I look upon her... and despair. The others have approached the throne with their heads bowed in reverence, and kneeling before their ruler. I am left in stunned silence nearly frozen not even six feet from where I walked in. She looks down at her subjects smiling a soft and compassionate smile, however once her gaze turns to me, that smile dissipates quicker than morning dew on a summer day. Her pale almost pink eyes feel like they are looking right through me. They know that I am not really a pony, she knows that I am interloper in her territory. I lift my hoof and back up slightly. The doors slam hard behind me while she looks down her muzzle at me. I am so screwed. “Thank you for seeing us Princess Celestia.” Twilight says “I have reported to you as much as Heartbreak and I know about the situation as it stands.” The way that Twilight explains this is very formal, very exact, very Twilight Sparkle. “And there have not been any other developments in Heartbreak’s situation?” The Princess asked. “Um...” Twilight seemed confused at the question. “None that I know of.. The rainbow portal that appeared in Cloudsdale turned completely black and burned the tank of liquid rainbow with in. I can assume that it could have been used to send her back to her home world.” Celestia’s gaze has gone unchanged. The others are now looking at me from nearly the other side of the room. Twilight uses her head to signal that she wants me to join the group. Hesitant at first, I slowly walk over to the others. “Calm yourself. Panicking isn’t going to help matters here. Show her that you don’t mean any harm, that you just want to go home. That’s what you want right? Right.” I tell myself. Twilight coughs out a slight nervous laugh. “I see.” The Princess replies, her face is stiff and almost unreadable, however after watching the show for as long as I have, I know Celestia’s tells. When she is worried, angry, sad, joyful and concerned. Her expression comes off a mix of things. There’s anger to be sure, but it is mingled with other things. Determination, sadness and even desperation. But with that gaze nearly burning a hole in me, I turn away. I don’t think I want to stare at the sun for too long. Twilight Sparkle begins to speak but pauses. “Princess Celestia. With all your knowledge, power and wisdom, as I have told you in my letter, that it is my hope that we can send her back to where she belongs. That we can restore her to her friends, her family and to her world. Princess Celestia, is there anyway, using our magic that we can recreate the event that sent her here?” Celestia’s composure breaks for a moment as she looks down. “No there is not.” She replies. I don’t feel my heart drop in this. I expected that once I crossed that rainbow coloured bridge and fell from the sky, the Council of Nine would burn it behind me. I would have to build a new life here.. Starting from scratch. It isn’t a pleasing prospect.. However, I still have talents. If I try working on my skills that I had back home, my ability to draw, to write, maybe to learn and teach, I could build a life here. Maybe. The others are much more disappointed. “There isn’t even a way that we could establish a connection back to her world?” Twilight asks a little desperately. “Isn’t there anything you can do to help her?” Celestia shakes her head sadly. “Even with all the magic in Equestria currently, we could not do what the Council of Nine have done. The bridge they built was based on ancient rituals, a nearly limitless supply of raw power and the emotional tethers that kept your Heartbreak connected to the council. The Council through shear force of will cut their connections of passion and desire, their fears and hopes, their compassion and love to this one. They even went as far as to cut her from their universes cycles of life and death. Once this was done, they took her Name and replaced it with another.” The way that she explains it makes so much sense. I still don’t understand how they propelled me across the void however. “Without these connections, without these bonds of friendship. Heartbreak has no hope in returning back to the world she came from.” Celestia finished. Something occurs to me. “Ehem.” I cough raising a hoof. The group looks at me, I almost shy away but instead take a deep breath. “As much as I love being talked about like I am not here..I was just wondering.” I look at Twilight. “When did you mention that they changed my name Twilight?” Twilight blinks. “Well... Hum... Come to think about it, I didn’t mention that.” “Not even in the letter you sent when you captured me?” I ask very worried. Twilight shakes her head no. “Then.. Um please.. Explain to me Celestia..” Celestia gives me a look that would send grown men into cowering curled up balls. “P-p-princess Celestia! Princess, if nob-b-b-” Start stammering on a word. “Please Heartbreak. Do not fight the changes in your speech.” Celestia says. A cold sweat forms on my forehead. She knows about the changes in my speech. The good news is that it helps to confirm the fears that my next question poses. The bad news is ..well.. wait. That is the bad news. “You know.” I say in a hushed whisper. Twilight and the others look confused. “Know what Heartbreak?” Twilight asks. “I was going to ask how ...Princess..” I pause on the word. Fear is gripping me hard and I am starting to back away. “Celestia.. How she knew that the Counsel had stolen my name, but the only way that she could have known that was..” “If I was aware of your arrival in the first place.” Celestia says. “Yes. This shouldn’t surprise you Heartbreak. I am Princess Celestia, Ruler of Equestria. There is little that goes on in my realm that I do not know about. I was aware of your arrival to Equestria. That you had fallen near or in Ponyville. And that those who had sent you here had taken your name.” Her wings fluff and ruffle. “I also helped soften your fall from Cloudsdale. However once you landed, I found it difficult to pinpoint your location. It was as if you were in two places at once.” I really want to run to the door right now, I want to smash through it and run. I push and push my hooves to produce a running action. But to no avail. It is as if fear has glued them to the ground. “Which is why I was pleased that my Faithful Student Twilight Sparkle was able to find you and bring you to me.” Celestia looks at me and suddenly I feel a slight force pressing my body. I see why I can’t move now. A golden glow covers my hooves and is creeping up my legs. “While we can not send Heartbreak back home Twilight Sparkle, we can indeed help her.” Twilight looks fearful now. She has a question on her mind. They all have the same question on their minds. “H-h-how Princess Celestia?” She asks. Celestia picks me up with as much effort and ease as someone would pick up a rag doll. “By giving her a completely fresh start.” Celestia replies. Her eyes are nearly drilling holes in my skull with how hard she is focusing. “We must erase her memories.” I struggle and fight upon hearing what Celestia is going to do. “What?! No! Put me down!” I scream, I want to tell Twilight that I told her so in this moment, but I have more pressing concerns “Let me go!” I see Twilight Sparkle out of the corner of my eye. She looks horrified. They all look horrified, even Rarity.. I look face to face with Princess Celestia. “Alright, This is how we are going to die. I would ask for last thoughts brain, but that last one was a dud. Goodbye Me, it was really nice knowing you...” Twilight Sparkle couldn’t believe the words that came out her mentor and life long teacher’s mouth. Heartbreak was right. Something horrible was about to happen in this moment. It wasn’t like being locked way in stone, in some ways it was far worse. “What?! Princess, Why?!” Twilight exclaims. “How would that help her?!” Princess Celestia pauses what she is doing and lowers Heartbreak without letting her go. “Twilight Sparkle. You are a wonderful student, but the magics that sent Heartbreak here are strong, powerful and chaotic things. They have taken what would be a normally gentle soul and corrupted it. Twisted it.” She looks at Heartbreak, fear is washed on her face and still futilely trying to struggle free. “Because she does not have any bindings of friendship, she is now in a state of disharmony. You must have seen this on your trip to Canterlot. She is violent, full of fear and lashes out based on these poor experiences.” “But .. Princess..” Twilight begins. “No Twilight Sparkle. I am sure that you have noticed that her words are at times cruel and deceptive. That she wants for only one thing, while spreading fear and pain. And the moment that those who are reaching out to her turn their backs... She runs.” Celestia explains. “This isn’t a coincidence my little ponies. For Heartbreak is so out of harmony with not only Equestria but herself, She runs the risk of becoming the next Discord.” There is a frightened and shocked gasp that echoes through the six. “Begg’n your pardon Princess Celestia, but is that even possible?” Applejack asks worriedly. “I assure it you it most certainly is.” Celestia responded. “But-But I haven’t even had a chance to give her a welcoming party! I don’t know whether or not to give her a super secret spy party or an out of this world alien party!” Pinkie exclaimed. “So you’re removing her memories!?” Fluttershy gasped. “T-t-that’s Horrible!” “Yeah! Will she even be the same pony?” Rainbow Dash shouted. If Heartbreak wasn’t Heartbreak anymore.. how was she to get back at her for tricking her into crashing at the bottom of that hill? “She will not be. In order to ensure that she does not bring about the destruction of all Equestria, I will have to remove her entire life prior to this night.” Celestia responded. “Princess Celestia, Please reconsider!” Rarity shouted in protest. “I might not like Heartbreak and thus far she has been nothing but trouble, but she has had so much taken from her already! Why.. her memories are all she has left!” “I am sorry my little ponies.” Celestia responded turning her face away. “This must be done for the good of all of Equestria.” Twilight looked desperate. Those exact words were what Heartbreak had warned her of. She glanced to the door. Right now there was only one hope. One hope that she had hoped that it wouldn’t come down to. “Please Princess Celestia! There has to be another way!” “I am sorry my dear Twilight Sparkle.” Celestia said fighting back her own emotions in the matter. Heartbreak had fought so hard and struggled, but it was looking to be all in vain. She appeared to be preparing herself for the end as Celestia’s horn was coming down upon her. “Why... Why not just... Kill me?” She asked. “That would unleash all the chaotic magic within your being on to Equestria. There is no other way.” She replied. The quiet was broken by the splintering of wooden doors and the shattering of glass. They clattered to the floor. The night spills into the room with lightning and thunder. Princess Luna stands in the door frame. “Sister! Cease what you are doing this instant!” Black Hole SunChapter 20 Black Hole Sun. When I was a little kid my mother told me not to stare at the sun. And like all kids I listened to her. But then curiosity got the better of me. I didn’t stare at the sun for long mind you-it was bright and it hurt to do so. Later on I would find out why this was. The lenses in your eyes act the same as those in a magnifying glass. And seeing as you’re trying to focus on the light that is coming into your eyes like with ants on a side walk, your retinas are burning inside your eyeballs. Right now I am about to have more than just my retinas burned away. Screw what they said about the abyss. Right now I am staring at the sun, and the sun is staring right back at me. The Princess of Equestria has just told me that I am too unstable to exist. With all things considered, that might be the pot calling the kettle black. However, I’m not the one with magical unicorn powers. I was grateful to know that Twilight and her friends would stand up for me. However against the all powerful ruler of Equestria, their cries of protest are falling on deaf ears. Moments ago however someone or.. some pony with enough gall or power has come to act as champion for me. I am unable to turn my head as Celestia binds me tightly with her golden glow. But I don’t have to look to know that voice, it is as powerful as a thunderstorm, commanding and as mysterious as the night. “Princess Luna,” Celestia’s focus and gaze are broken for a few precious moments. “What are you doing here?” “We demand to know the meaning of this, Celestia!” Luna’s voice boomed through the room. I don’t know if I should be grateful or worried over her arrival. All I know is that has spared me a magical lobotomy for a few minutes. “This is not of your concern. The matters we are conducting matters that require more experience. The...being...you see here has the possibility of becoming the new Discord. She has been saturated with -” Celestia tries to explain. However, her sister is in no mood to be talked down to. “Not. My. Concern?” Luna shouts. “Luna. You have not ruled for as long as I have. You have not seen the suffering that creatures like Heartbreak can bring,” Celestia responds trying to cow her sister into submission with a face that is stern and uncompromising “I will not tolerate your outbursts in this court.” “We are more aware of this situation than you think Princess Celestia,” Luna’s smoldering voice interrupts with thunder and lightning accompanying it. Rarely if anytime did I ever see her get angry. “This Heartbreak is from a world different from our own, transported here against her will and forced into a form not of her choosing by powerful chaotic magics. “ “How-” Celestia begins. Twilight speaks. There is a sad conviction in her voice. “I am sorry Princess Celestia. But I informed your sister of the situation with Heartbreak. There were many things, things that she shouldn’t or couldn’t have known. I felt that while I couldn’t fully believe what she was telling me was true. I had to do something to quell her fears. I now see that Heartbreaks’ fears had some sort of justification behind them.” Celestia's face dropped, she gritted her teeth and her eyes literally became a flame. Her magical grip weakens on me but I can feel her seething rage nearly burning my coat. “My own faithful student. Committing acts of Treason against her Ruler, against her teacher!” “It is not Twilight Sparkle that has committed any act of Treason, Dear Sister! It is you!” Luna replies. Celestia’s horn begins to make its descent back towards my head. I squeak in fear and try to look away. And then her face changes. Mingled in the anger that she is feeling is shock over something. I Suddenly feel something wrapping around me. A cold chill that counters the burning golden magic that is holding me down. It is refreshing and light. My vision goes black and I feel myself out of one binding and in another being pulled away to the direction I heard Luna’s voice come from. When the sudden acceleration stops, I am back on the floor and far away from Celestia. My vision returns to me but my eyes are still closed, opening them I half expect to see that horn firmly pressed against my noggin. Waiting to drill itself into my frontal lobes. I can feel myself shaking,. I was moments away from the scorching hot abyss that threatened to take anything and everything I had left. I swallow hard as I feel like I am about to either throw up or piss myself. I jump slightly as a cool velvet softness envelopes me, a touch that gently warms and is meaning to reassure me that all is well. Looking to my right I see Princess Luna standing next to me, her wing gently folded down. In front of me on the throne however I see a very angry Celestia that is nearing the height of what could be called a supernova. Her very being flares and lights the room as with a great wing beats she rises into the air. “You may feel the need to jeopardize the safety of our land, neigh our world for this...creature... Luna,” She retorts. “But I shall not! Never Again!” With those words she flies down from her loft, her horn once again pointed directly at me. Even with Luna at my side I can’t help but cringe. I am frozen in fear. “Princess Stop!” Twilight Sparkle commands. I feel the ground under me shudder and I open my eyes to see Celestia at a full stop rearing up before Twilight. Her eyes have filled with tears and determination. “This is not you! This isn’t something that you would do!” Celestia’s angry eyes look down at her faithful student, for a moment I almost think that her hooves are about to come down and crush her. “It must be done for the good of all!” Celestia says her eyes refocusing on me. “Ya keep saying that Princess,” Applejack says stepping forward. “But with what Princess Luna has been say’ng and how ya been reacting, I’m not too sure that yer’ being honest about that..” Fluttershy walks in a meek manner next to Twilight. “Princess please.. Can’t you give her a chance? She hasn’t even been here a day..” I can see her flinch slightly. Pinkie Pie joins the mix striking a dramatic pose. “Yeah! And I haven’t even gotten to party with her!” She says. “And when I first met her, I Pinkie Promised Myself That I Would. And No pony breaks a Pinkie Promise! Not even me!” “Fluttershy is right. Heartbreak might not have any manners in matters, But you are the Princess of Equestria!” Rarity says shooting Celestia a scathing gaze. “And This Is Not How Princesses Behave. Please, If I can see fit to give her a chance than surely you could?” “Right!” Rainbow Dash says zipping into the group. “If she had some friends to stick by her side, she could get to that stage of um...what was it called again? Acceptance?” Rainbow asks looking at Pinkie Pie. Pinkie momentarily bobbles her head in a nod. “Right! Acceptance! And who knows what she could do after that?” The Princess is taken aback. Hell, I’m taken aback. No pony questions Princess Celestia. She has absolute power, she has complete control, her word is law..She- Celestia’s hooves come down and the composure on her face crumpled slightly. She turns away from the wall of ponies begging her not to destroy me. She is definitely not used to this. I know what she expected. She expected the six here to see the wisdom in her actions, that she was doing this for the good of all Equestria. I know I saw that. However my survival instinct was rather strong in this matter. Luna walks away from my side and places a wing on Twilight’s shoulder. “Please my loyal subjects. Stand down..” She says. “But Princess-” Twilight begins. Luna looks at me and then back at Twilight as if to share a secret message. The pony wall parts and Luna walks through. “Sister... Do you not remember the first thing you said when I was restored to you?” Luna looks over her sister's shoulder. “You told me that we are meant to rule Equestria together.” “Luna this matter is different.. there is no other way..” Celestia responds. “Celestia.. You remember the night that Nightmare Moon was banished to the moon? I remember your words to her were exactly the same.” Luna approaches Celestia. “That night you lost me for a thousand years. Please Celestia.. If you go through with this, it will not be you who loses me, but I who loses you. Do not let all those many years of regret blind you.. We can bring this Heartbreak back into harmony in a way that will not jeopardize our world and will be of her own will.” Luna raises a hoof and places it on Celestia’s shoulder. “Heartbreak may know much about us, our lands, and our lives, but with what she has been through dear sister, she barely knows herself anymore. Please, give her time to learn who she is, that she may help bring herself back into harmony.” There is a moment of silence. “Very well.” Celestia replies, the rolling anger in her voice still palpable. “If you think that Equestria can withstand the danger that Heartbreak brings, then we shall do this your way sister.” The group relaxes almost instantly as compromise is met. Twilight gives me a sad smile of reassurance. However, I am saving my judgements until the moment we can pass through the broken doors behind us. I jump in surprise as I feel a tugging on my leg and the dried blood-soaked cloth is removed from my leg. Glass and wood on the floor clatters and begins to float with Celestia’s golden glow. She focuses her power and brings all of these things together. There is the sound of magic at work, the almost glittery sparkling sound of magic being used that builds upon itself before fashioning itself into a form. “A Year and a Day.” Celestia states as we look upon her creation. It is an hour glass whose top is filled with small red marbles. “That is how long all of you have to bring Heartbreak back into harmony with Equestria and more importantly herself.” She walks past the mane six, hourglass aloft, I jump back a little as she stops in front of me. The look in her eyes reminding me of how she still views me. I am an interloper. A disruption, a threat, and only a pony in form. “All of us?” Rarity asks a bit confused. Celestia turns her head in response. “You six believe that Heartbreak is worthy of redemption, and as such you shall be her Teachers. You shall help her adjust to her new life and teach her the ways of Harmony.” Her attention snaps back at me. “This however isn’t a one way endeavor. You are to report to me with a letter explaining what you have learned about the Elements of Harmony or something profound that you have learned about yourself.” She comes face to face with me. “For every letter you send that meets these conditions, one of these pearls will fall white. Failure to do so and a red one will fall. For every red pearl that falls, that taints, that contaminates the rest, I will remove a part of you at the end of this time period. Understood?” “Fond of letters much?” I meekly ask. Her eyes narrow and her nostrils flare. “Uh! I mean Y-y-y-yes P-p-princess Celestia! A Letter once a month!” I reply cowering back. “Please don’t hurt me...” comes a small whisper. She turns away from me and walks back towards her throne. I nearly feel myself melt. “Princess..” Twilight begins. “This is my decree, Twilight Sparkle.” With a shaky voice her head turns back and I can see her fighting back tears. I am not sure if they are from the fact that her sister and her subjects had to stand up to her, that she was told that she was wrong, or something else entirely. At this moment I am just happy to still be me. “Now Leave. Leave before I reconsider this tenuous position.” “As...as you wish Princess...” Twilight says dismayed. The six of them bow to their ruler. They escort me out the doors and back down the hallway from which we came. Looking behind me for a moment, I see Celestia talking sadly with Luna, Luna puts a wing over her sister and comforts her. I nearly stumble as I am not focusing on my walking. Twilight and Fluttershy glance in my direction momentarily, however I am able to catch myself. The doors open and the cool night air runs through my mane. It is only after the doors close behind us that I feel safe and I breath a sigh of relief. The rest of the group is understandably quiet. Like me, they have had their whole world shaken under their hooves. As we approach the bottom of the stairs Rainbow Dash breaks the silence. “Sooooo, Yeah... I think we should go back home. I’m not sure after all that... that the Princess is going to want us sticking around. Besides, I need to let Cloudsdale Security know why I am about to miss a day of work...” “Normally I would disagree with you Rainbow Dash...” Rarity looks back at the castle. “But with all things considered I suppose you’re right..” “So when’s the next train back to Ponyville due to arrive?” Applejack asks. “Assuming that they haven’t changed the schedules on me, about fifteen minutes.” Twilight replies. “We can make it there just in time. Good thing I bought round trip tickets!” Pinkie Pie is still bouncing and dressed up in her spy outfit. She then walks up next to me. “Sooooo, I am just taking a stab at this... but You aren’t a super secret spy?” She asks me. “No Pinkie... I’m not.” I reply. “That’s ok! Now I can have the out of this world alien party!” She says smiling. I shake my head. “I’m still not in the mood to party Pinkie.” “I didn’t hear you say that you would never ever, Ever, Ever, EVER be in the mood to party, “ She says bouncing a bit. “So when you Are finally in the mood to party...” She puts on a pair of dark shades. “I’ll be prepared..” I sigh. That’s Pinkie Pie for you. Fluttershy isn’t saying anything but gives me a weak smile. I look at the ground and then smile weakly back at her. The sound of the moving train fills my ears once again. Out the passenger's side window there is Canterlot. The Shining City upon the mountains in which all Equestria was founded. A single spire is darkened tonight. Sitting at a booth in the main dinning cart is much better than in one of the sleeping carts. Getting into the booth was a pain in the tail, both figuratively and literally. Applejack attempted to help with that. Rainbow nearly collapsed the moment she found a bunk and the others wanted to sit and talk with me, but I asked for some space. I am slightly numb, but still feeling so much. Worry, shame, guilt, anger and fear all mingle together. Somewhere in there there is a glimmer of hope. I lean my head against my ankle. Seeing that I can’t really lean it against my hoof or even my non-existent hand. Celestia’s ‘gift’ sits before me, the blood red marbles’ shine reminding me of how much time I have and what I have to do. “Eleven.” I think to myself. “Eleven months. How kind of you Celestia. Either you forgot a month, aren’t counting this month, or the equestrian calendar only has eleven months...” I sigh. I don’t care about those trivial bits of knowledge that are running through my head, but they are keeping me from thinking about what has happened. The hour glass glows with magic and is moved slightly away from me. “You might not want to break that.” Twilights’ voice says. “We don’t need one more thing for Celestia to be upset about.” “Oh but why not Twilight? I’m sooo good at being the cause of so many other broken things...” I pull my hoof away from the hourglass and frump my face down on the table. Great. I am sounding rather sarcastic again. Twilight gives me a rather stern look. I put my hooves atop my head in a slight triangle shape. Ugh and I thought hooves and everything else was weird. I didn’t realize that my ears were in the wrong places until now. It is something of a sensation freak out here. Twilight closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. She then looks at me. “Right, now see here. I have just been appointed your teacher. This is something new to me, but if you know our lives as well as you seem to...” She gives me a questioning look. “Then I know a pony that was exactly once in your position.” I drop my hooves from atop my head. “Really? Cause unless I missed something, I don’t recall a pony who crashed into your world, caused you more trouble than... she.. was worth, and nearly caused Celestia to become Solar Flare.” “No Heartbreak.” She says lifting the hourglass and nudging me to remove myself from the booth. With much difficulty I begrudgingly get out of the booth. She starts walking to the sliding door that leads to the adjoining sleeping cart. “Then what?” I quip, regaining my balance and finding my footing. “Being the New Pony.” Twilight responds. “I know what it is like to not be sure of where you stand with the others. The need to find your place and even to find yourself. When I first came to ponyville...” She says hushing her voice as we walk into the darkened cart. “I know the story Twilight...” I say in quieted tone. “Please don’t start singing.” Twilight looks confused and then gives me a stern look. “I’m your new teacher Heartbreak. Don’t interrupt me when I am telling a story.” She says. I look away in an apologetic manner. “Right. When I first came to ponyville I didn’t know where I belonged. But with the help of good friends, I found where I fit in.” She looked at me as we approached an empty bunk. “Granted I wasn’t being forced to do this under pain of being removed from existence.... But now it is your turn to learn that. And it is my turn to be the teacher.” She moves the blanket off the bunk and then pats the bed. “And as your new teacher, my first assignments to you are as follows.” She looks at me to see if I am paying attention. “One. Smile, you are not allowed to be this sad.” I roll my eyes and then she gives me a “I’m Serious” Look. I force out a rather terrible looking smile. It doesn’t take long to fall away from my face. “That’s a start.” She says. “Two. Get some sleep. I am sure you need it after what you have been through.” Sighing I push my front half onto the bed and wiggle my lower half up to follow it. Like with everything, it’s a little easier this time but not by much. “Good.” She says placing the hourglass somewhere safe. She then trots to the door. “Now my student. Rest well and good night.” I feel the blanket tucking me in. Geeze unicorn magic is weird. I gaze up at the bunk above me. “Twilight...” I begin. “Yes?” She asks. “I...” I feel the need to say something, but the words aren’t coming I sigh. “Never mind. Good night Twilight.” “Good night HeartBreak.” She replies. “Um Twilight?” Damn it. Just let her go and get some sleep this can wait till morning. “Yes?” She asks patiently. “Could you call me H.B. Instead? I think I like that better.” I request. “Alright.. Good night. H.B.” She says the door closing behind her. The train is quiet after she leaves. Despite Twilight telling me to get some sleep, I am not terribly tired. My job required that I was a night owl. The moonlight spills through the window casting shadows on the wall. I lift my hooves up and look at the shapes they cast. I cross them, move these ... clumsy things around. But unlike my hands these things don’t make too many shapes. I almost tear up, but then I give myself a hug and push myself not to think about this. Just get some sleep. After all tomorrow might be worth it. THE END. Author's Note Here is a link to the Next Story as it was suggested to me. http://www.fimfiction.net/story/20657/my-little-heartbreak-creativitea Don't Buck With my HeartChapter 10 Don't Buck With my Heart A school bell rings in my ears briefly. I can’t believe what I am seeing. I’m in what looks like an elementary school classroom. “I’m...I’m at school?” I ask out loud putting my hands on my desk. “H-h-hands...” A flood of relief washes over me. ”It was all just a dream...but why...am I at school? And...Why am I talking to myself out loud?” I had graduated almost twenty years ago and elementary school was like a dusty fossil of my childhood. And what a rather unpleasant example of a fossil. The sharp teeth of memories from a time long past drudged themselves out of the beds that they had been laid in. Had anyone seen me as a child, they would most likely think several things. “That kid is going to blow something up someday.”, “How can they carry all those books and papers?”, “Why is he always running?” or “Ugh, he smells like he needs a shower, does he even use deodorant?”. As a kid I was the star of my very own “after school special” as it would be. I was a geeky kid with an understanding of way too many things that just weren’t my grade level. That might have been what made it so hard to fit in. And when that happened I would start to grow frustrated and worried. This would normally be followed by some sort of temper tantrum and the inability to fully express why I was so flustered. I would spend hours on end on the floor of the library in either the science, comics, young adult, or fantasy sections. There I would be in my own little world, exploring various topics. Science, physics, the paranormal, biology, comic books, books that contained political cartoons and ‘How to Draw’ books. These were my friends growing up. When I was failing to adapt to normal school classes as other kids were meant to, my mother decided that I should be in special education. I didn’t care when it was happening, but later in life, I felt that it was unnecessary. When I hit middle school and felt that I didn’t need these classes, I confronted the teachers and my mother about it. They gave me nothing but the excuses that I had been given the entire time I had been in elementary school. Each one was kinda different from the rest, but I noticed a downward trend in the quality of excuses they used on me. Three main excuses to be exact. “Special Ed isn’t for just the handicapped, it is also for kids who might be more intelligent than others in their classes. For ‘special’ kids.” “You have A.D.D.” And finally “You have an attitude problem.” High school I decided that I had enough of it. I told my teachers and mom that I didn’t want this anymore. I didn’t belong in these classes. I was smarter than this. Secretly I always felt that I was smarter than this and my mother only had put me in the classes because she couldn’t understand me. Looking back as an adult, I still think it was something like that, but there might be a few flaws in my logic. However I still didn’t think that the classes helped me any. After all, when I got out of high school, I was ill prepared for the world in any way shape, or form. Getting a job was difficult, I found that interacting with people was hard, so I was SOL when it came most any form of social interaction. I had to learn things that I was meant to learn in elementary school shortly after graduation. I think that was what drew me to My Little Ponies: Friendship is Magic as an adult. Even years later, I could relate to Twilight Sparkle in a way that just struck a cord. She was a lone recluse who just didn’t fit in and was always studying. Always with her head in the books and always trying to learn something new. While the show was on, I found community with other bronies. I didn’t feel that I had to hide anything. When the show came to a close, I was a little more disappointed and devastated than I let on. I.. guess I let my depression hurt my girlfriend more than I thought... But now it seems, somehow, I am back in elementary school. I am sat in this mellow yellow desk, atop which there is a number 2 pencil and a bright shining apple for the teacher. In what looks like a standard classroom, I can’t help but feel a might bit unnerved. “There’s something odd about this that I can’t quite place.” I say out loud. Instead of a standard frame around the chalkboard, there is almost a whimsical gold frame with three diamond shapes over the top. The walls are a dusty wine colour and are decorated with odd banners, paper stars, moons, and crude little drawings. The sound of chattering comes from the other side of the classroom door. As it opens a womanly teacher’s voice sings out. “Alright students, in an orderly manner, single file, no pushing please!” I felt the need to hide behind the desk I was seated at. After all it seemed I was here before anyone else was. That’s when a single file line of little unicorns came walking in. I stared at them with open eyed wonder and confusion. Had it been a dream? What was this? I looked back down at my hands.. Yes they were still hands...I let out a sigh of relief. A relief that was short lived however. A pale pink unicorn with a glittering white mane stopped talking with her friends. “Oh Look who’s early for class...Yet again!” She said laughing and flipping her mane. Two other unicorns, one a sky blue and the other an almost lemon yellow with a blue mane giggled. I couldn’t help but feel a bit of shame and embarrassment over this.. I hadn’t a clue why. I was too early? “Oh, don’t give them too hard of a time Pearly White.” Said the sky blue unicorn. “They just really like to study is all!” “Pfffft, If that’s what they like...” She rolled her eyes and followed the class in suit as they all sat down. What was going on? Right, don’t fret about it. It’s not important. You’re in school. School work is important. “Alright my little ponies..” The teacher began. “Settle down and Please pass your homework up to the front of the class.” There was the familiar shuffling of papers from the back rows going to the front. I reach my hand back to grab the papers only to find that they hover and land on my desk in a neat manner. Pearly White and her friends giggle at me. The teacher walks past the rows of desks picking up the stacks of homework with her magic. She then idly flips through them. Then she comes to my row. Flipping through them, she looks confused. She looks at me. “It appears that I am missing your homework...” She blinks. “And that is very odd because I am never missing your homework..” I look around, all the unicorns are looking at me, I notice that some of them are whispering. Pearly is next to me, idly drawing something. “Um...Homework. Right..” I turn to my right to look for a backpack, only to find that there is none. I pat myself down as if I had placed it somewhere on my person. The teacher looks at me with rather kind eyes. “Did you leave it in your desk maybe?” She asks. “Oh! Yes, my desk.. How um silly of me..” I respond. Without thinking I open up the desk. There’s my homework, but I also hear the clattering of a pencil dropping and then something heavy. Laughter from the rest of the class is invoked almost immediately. I take out my homework and slump. “Please stop that all of you.” The teacher says. “I am sure this apple was for me anyway” She picks it up with her magic and sets it on her desk. “Alright class today we are going to work with more advanced levitation techniques.” She began turning her back to the class and writing on the board. That’s when I felt something land in my hair. Picking it out I found it was a little paper airplane. Pearly White looked at me and gave me the look of “Pass it along”, whiles the other unicorn on the other side of me was giving me the “Give it here” gestures. I found myself very confused, couldn’t they just pass it using magic? I shook my head and put it on my desk. I looked at the airplane intently...The two of them smirked and kept giving me the signals to pass the message.. whatever that was along. “No way I am going to give these two the satisfaction of me getting caught with their message.” I thought to myself. I looked intently at the airplane and found my curiosity poking me. I carefully opened it while the teacher still had her back to the class.. I gasp and look a bit shocked at what I saw drawn on the paper. It was a childish drawing of the teacher with a huge teeth and an even bigger butt. Wavy lines were above her. A speech bubble read “It’s Alright!”That’s when I noticed the teacher nearly hovering over me. Her face was red and not very happy. “You think this is funny young lady?” She asked me. Young lady? “Um yes...I mean No! No It isn’t funny, but I-I Didn’t draw it!” I stammered. “Oh Teacher, Yes she did, I saaaw her!” Pearly White said in a whiny innocent sounding voice. “Her?” I said out loud. “And I did not-” But the teacher cut me off. “I can not have little ponies in my class acting like this and disrespectful manner to her teachers.” She said with an air of authority. “P-ponies?” I began, I looked at where my hands were, now there weren’t hands. Now there were tan coloured hooves on my desk. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a reflection of myself in the classroom window. “Her?!” The reflection I saw was that of a little filly with dark brown hair, a tan coat and blue eyes. “I want to see You after class” She said. “After Class?! NO!” I shouted. “NO! NOT AFTER CLASS!” My eyes snapped open and my heart was racing. “AH!” Came another scream. The world came into focus, but cold sweat was running down my face. It didn’t help matters that I didn’t have any idea of where I was. The teacher’s words were still ringing in my ears and I was breathing heavily. The world finally came into focus and I found myself laying on something soft. “Only a dream.. Only a dre-” I cut off as I realized what my voice sounded like again. Looking down I tried to assess where I was. It didn’t look like the library. I was laying on what appeared to be a bed of some kind, across from me there were what appeared to be bunk beds. But between them there was a window, out of which was some rather fast moving scenery. I lifted my head and found that there was a sound that I knew. The “Chunka-chunka-chunka!” of a train. Then I recognized the gentle rocking of a train car. “Great. Waking up in strange places again.” I think to myself sighing. I attempt to move only to find a tight squeezing on my ankles. I lift my head and look down my muzzle. My hooves are still hogtied together apparently. “Yup. Still a ...pony..” I say resisting my urge to swear. I can feel my ears drooping. The way that my neck is stretching isn’t how necks should stretch. They shouldn’t be this long and they shouldn’t have this much flexibility. A purple face and hair pop down from the top bunk. “Oh good! You’re finally awake!” An upside-down Twilight Sparkle said. “GAH!” I yelp in shock and quickly raise my head. I quickly find that this is a bad idea as my head conks into an over hanging object. “Oh Son of a...” I want to curse out a storm but instead what happens is a pained squeak. The world refocuses and a concerned Twilight is back in my face. “Ouch! Are you alright?” She asks me. “Oh yes Twilight. I am just hunky dory peachy keen!” I say shaking my head of the dizzy feeling. Twilight blinks and comes down from the upper bunk. “Does that mean you ...are ok or not?” She asks me. I try my best not to glare annoyed at her. I’m finding it really hard not to. Whiles the feeling of rage has been softened by sleep, it hasn’t gone back to whatever dark corner it crawled out from. I lay my head back down. “No Twilight. I am not Ok.” I growl. “I have been evicted out of my reality, had my life stolen, been smashed through a glass window, freaked out, Had A Mental Break Down, Had My Name Stolen, Was Branded, Was Hog Tied, And I keep Waking Up In Strange Places!” She backs away a little bit. “Great, I am sure now all the mane six think that I am a complete mental case and most likely need to be put down. How could things get any more awkward?” I wonder. My body decides to answer that question in the most unpleasant of manners. First my stomach gurgles and my mouth feels parched. Then I can feel something stretch and squeeze in my intestines and a pressure on my bladder. “Uuuugh...And to top it all off. I’m hungry, thirsty and really need to go to the bathroom.” I explain. Twilight looks at me questioningly, had it not been for the fact that everything in my body just cried out in desperation, I don’t think she would even consider untying me. I haven’t exactly done anything friendly or even show I am in the slightest trustworthy. “I’ll get AppleJack.” Twilight says in a nervous manner. I hear the sound of sliding doors as Twilight goes to the next cart.
Loose ChangeChapter One Loose Change. The past year had been a rather unpleasant one. Change is always unpleasant. I had finally moved out of the house I was staying in and into an apartment. Paying rent and being alone weren't the things that were causing my heart to pain me though. No, the thought of abandoning the ones I had grown to love was. I didn't really abandon them however. My girlfriend had finally told me that she had enough and that she couldn't take it any more. The stress, the trash, the kids, everything was getting to her. She finally broke down and checked herself in for a month into a hospital. We said we would see each other after she got better. But in that time, Dave, her husband, had decided that enough was enough. He told me that I had a week to find an apartment, or legal action would be pressured. The first night of that week I was gravely ill from all the stress. The second night, I started looking. The third night was like the Sword of Damocles over my head; Dave glared at me while I was on the computer desperately looking for anything I could get my hands on. The only benefit here was that my fingers fluttered faster over the keyboard. The fourth night I found a place and signed a lease. When I told him, he told me that all my stuff was to be out at the end of the week. Or else. I wanted to tell her about the new apartment, but he told me that if I contacted her while she was in the hospital, his actions would be swift, harsh, and devastating. The fifth day, I gathered most of my stuff. The important things. The sixth day, another load. The less important items and any clothing. The seventh day, I went back to gather anything I missed. There was a smoldering pile in the front yard near where the trash cans would normally be placed. I recognized the charred remains of a few of my possessions. Nothing important, just stuff that I had left. I could see him out of the corner of my eye, gazing out the window, watching my every move, his cold, unblinking eyes staring out of the darkness. Hand ready on the phone, making it clear what would happen next if I even touched a blade of grass on the lawn. I pretended not to see him and walked forward, acting as if I were some stranger who had gotten lost in the wrong neighborhood. As I turned, I could see him setting down the phone and nodding as if to say "That's right, keep walking..." That night in my new apartment I tried to feel numb about everything that had happened. I tried to deny the feelings. But in the last hour, I just broke down crying. The pain was too much, it was too heavy. I think I was still crying as I fell into a dreamless sleep... The month passed and she came out of the hospital better from it. Or so I heard. Then she contacted me and we agreed to meet in the food court of the mall. A nice public area. We talked and then she asked me why I hadn't visited her or anything and why I was living on my own now. I tried being as honest as I could be about the situation. And I was about to be. That’s when I spotted him in the crowd standing near the elevator on the opposite side of the court. He was staring at me with eyes...strange eyes that seemed deeper into their sockets than normal. He was sipping on a drink in a methodical manner... "I-I just found a place. I thought it would be good to give Dave and the kids some space." I lied. She told me that that was a funny way to do so, but if I felt that way, then that was the way I felt. After a still more awkward meal I turned to leave, telling her that I had work tonight and this meeting was cutting into my sleep time. She grabbed my cuff and pulled me into a hug. "You didn't think you were just going to leave without a hug and a kiss did you?" She tightened her hug and gave me a passionate kiss. It was like running under a waterfall after traveling through the desert. It was like pure bliss. It was magic. I opened my eyes and smiled a goofy grin. I was about to say something but then noticed him standing in the crowd. His cup looked like it had the life wrung out of it. His eyes were smoldering coals of searing hate. I put on my best face and pretended not to see anything. "I'll see you soon m'dear." I said. She nodded and let me on my way. That was a week ago. The clock on my wall ticks overshadowing most of the other noises in this small apartment. The only other sound I can hear is the sound of my breathing as I lay on my back. I am trying to comprehend everything that has happened. I give up and turn to my side. I wait for my mind to settle, however it doesn't. It continues to bubble with possibilities of what could or should have happened. What might have been done to make things better. But even there it all ends the same. I sniff hard. "Why does everything I do end in heartbreak?" I ask out loud, trying to helping to break the silence around me. I don't expect an answer. "When it involves you... That it does..." said a thin reedy voice from behind me. I quickly sit up in my bed only to find a clammy hand with a tissue covering my face. There is a strong horrible chemical smell and my hand goes up to remove the obstruction in front of my face. But within a few moments of struggle and a few breaths, I feel a darkness overpower me. I attempt to fight but it's no use. The world goes black and then ceases to exist. ======================================================================= I am awoken by bright light and sound. It is the booming sound of an old TV being turned on, the faint almost not-quite-there humming that one hears when walking into the room. This is then followed by the flickering of florescent lights. “Ugh..." I groan attempting to lift my hand in an effort to shield my eyes from their harshness, but quickly find out that I'm strapped down. Looking down, my eyes adjust to the light. I am in a tube of sorts, long white metal rings surround me and there is a slow strobe. My eyes are straining by looking down. But I can make out a circle of darkness at the end of this tube. "He's awake," says a female voice. A young rough female British voice speaks. "Good, I have been dying to tell him off." "I don't see why you all wouldn't just let me gut him. Get it over with." My eyes are having trouble identifying anything outside that circle of darkness, but two reflected circles of greenish light suddenly can be made out from whomever is now speaking. So many voices. Why do I feel like I know them? "This way is better," replies a male voice. A shape drifts past the portal to the outside of this chamber or pod. I can make out a female shape, but it sparkles and luminescences in a way that just isn't natural... "Yes...This way is...Better..." She says as a head of some kind pops up in front of the dark circle below me. She puts her hand on the top of the head as if petting it...the light of the pod is just enough that I can make out details. It looks almost like a...puppy dog’s face? "This way is more...beneficial to all parties here." She continues. "More Merciful." "Why the hell should we show him any mercy, Tatiania?" hisses a southern sounding voice. There is a pause from a drama I can't see being played out. But whose presence is so strong that I could swear it filled the very air... "Queen Tatiania. My Apologies Queen Tatiania." She says. "Because, we have all loved him. And we all know that we can't outright end his life," she says. "Says you," comes a growl. "Wisp'o'Willow, Your temper is great, and your people are known for it. However, look into your heart. Could you outright kill him?" Her voice is like nothing I have ever heard...and yet...hearing all of these voices. I recognize them and it’s grating at me that I can't place them. Where do I know them from?! There is a low growl...and then a sigh. "Maybe not outright..." she replies. "Exactly, and you're not the only one who has had feelings for this one. Every Party here wishes for something to be done about him. Banishment is a far better solution than mere death." Banishment? What is going on out there in the dark? Who are these people, what is going on? I try to speak but I find myself unable to. The dog’s face pops right over my feet. Even with my eyes straining, I can see it isn't actually a dog. There is a mop of shoulder-length hair flopped on this...girls'? On her head. From which protrude a pair of floppy doggy ears. She has bright somewhat big shining brown eyes. And while she doesn't look like she has a muzzle, she has an almost blackened dog nose. A dog tongue lolls out of her mouth drooping to the side. Yet despite all these traits, there is something I can't put my finger on. Like I know her. Her smile definitely tells me that she knows me... "Hear that, Mr. Lonely Hearts-Smashing-Club-guy?!" her voice is loud and brash. Yet the moment she speaks I know her voice. Kylie. That's Kylie's voice. That's the voice of my girlfrien-...ex-girlfriend’s daughter. "Baaaanishment. You're going to love it!" Her eyes go wide and she's yanked back her little hands grasp on the collar around her neck. "Stay out of there." Hisses a quiet almost inaudible voice. The same voice I heard just before the world blacked out. Now with a bit of context, I recognize it. Dave. That was Dave's voice, if he was whispering, that is. I blink. And then a cold shiver threatens to overtake me. I realize I do know the other voices. They're all people whom I have been in relationships with. My exes. I try talking again. This time a faint squeak comes out, but nothing more. "Huh." Says the soft male voice. Douglas. That’s Doug..."He looks like he's trying to talk." A small camera eye dislodges itself from a ring in front of me and snakes its way towards my face. I hear Doug's voice over the speaker. "An Experiment." He says. "You remember that right? That's what you called our relationship. I didn't forget that, Anthony. Well then. Now it is my turn to have an Experiment. I hope you like it." "If the name-breaker can berate him than so can I, Your Highness!" Sandy. Her name was Sandy...I don't remember her being called Wisp'o'Willow... I hear angry stomping and then Sandy's face protrudes into the chamber at my feet. Her face is...all wrong though...Her features are exaggerated and her hair is longer, but her teeth...oh my what big sharp teeth she has..."All that time on-line! You! Teasing me! Flirting with me! Leading me On! And then we meet! It could have been Perfect! And what do you do?! You say that I look old!" She snaps at me. The small confines, combined with the ringing in my head make for the perfect combination of drilling pain. There is a fear response starting to overwhelm me. I want to scream in fright, I want to run and hide. But I can't. "Wisp'o'Willow. Remove your head from there. He has all hurt us in ways that are different." She pauses. "And yet are the same." A neutral voice speaks. "I don't know why you all need me then. I barely knew him. Our paths only crossed but once. And after a brief span, diverged." She speaks in a way that doesn't stand out. Perhaps that's why it stands out among all these different voices. My mind reaches for the name. Sara. The call center. The way she wanted me and then I turned her down. Told her that I was celibate. Shortly afterwards I was fired from the call center. It didn't deal with her, but still... "Yet you bare the sting of his style of romance Wind-Runner. Your stories are marked with sorrow and sadness to this day. You need Closure in this matter." Tatiania replies, her voice transitions over to the speakers. "And closure we shall all have, Anthony." She say and I realize who she is. The one I had crossed half the country for. She had met me at a bus station wearing horns and dancing. She was the one I first really confessed undying love to. "Rho-..." I managed to gasp out, only to be cut short. I felt two cold steel needles at my throat. “I...” The needles pick into my neck slightly. "You. Dare?" She asked, her voice pained. There was a quiet pause. Something told me if I spoke any more that I wouldn't speak again...now or ever. "You. Anthony. Paul. Troglia. Smith. have committed crimes against Noble and Commoner, against Seelie and Unseelie. You have broken your oaths of love three fold three. You have attacked our allies and we will stand for it no longer. Such actions would normally warrant death...However I, Tatiania High Queen of the Fae, House Gydian, Holder of the Circlet, Current Servant to Excalibur and one of your former lovers...Have chosen a path of Mercy. Upon this day, the day before the Samhain Celebration, We, The Counsel of Nine have tried you for crimes against the Heart. Your sentence is Banishment from this World." I didn't know what to make of this. It sounded like something from a storybook. It sounded long winded and overly wordy. Yet serious as sin. "So shall it be." She finished. "So shall it be." Joined Doug. "So Shall it be." Whispered Dave. Another voice joined in. Then another, and another until finally came the last cheerful and all together too happy voice of Kylie. "So Shall It Be." And that's when my world falls apart. Chapter Two As the World Falls Down. It's funny to think that one's world can fall apart with the mere utterance of a voice. A few choice words. A phrase. A look, a glance or a gesture. There are people who wouldn't think that it could happen that way. People who think like that have never been in love. The four petty words of "We need to talk" can and do send grown men quaking and crying. "It's not you, it's me." Can bring whole lives crashing down. "You need to leave", "I just don't love you anymore", "We've grown apart." Horrible earth shattering phrases that we humans inflict upon each other. Yet, the world keeps turning, reality is still there when we stop crying and our eyes open. Right now, that's not what is happening. Moments ago, the High Queen of the Fae just handed me an eviction notice from the world. That didn't make any sense at all. None what-so-ever. My mind just didn't comprehend it. And then it was made crystal clear. The door at my feet closed shut and the lights in the chamber started to strobe faster and faster. I feel a sound coming from my throat, a scream, but it’s almost snuffed out like a candle in a the wind. The chamber melted away around me. White light was replaced by black in a way that was not unlike melting wax...I still couldn't move. And suddenly there was a jarring and the feeling of acceleration. Around me there was what looked like the outer reaches of space. But it couldn't be. How was I breathing? And yet there it was. The stars were streaks of near ultra-violet light ahead of me, and crimson light behind me. I was going faster and faster, leaving a cluster of stars, and then the very galaxy. Before long, I could see rapidly growing arms of filament collecting behind me. This transitioned into a fog of sorts. Looking back ahead I was greeted by a fuzzy, hot and painful haze. The pain grew, and grew and grew until I couldn't feel it anymore. My mind refused to process it. That's when I got logical. "You're passing through the echo of the Big Bang." It said. "That's not possible." I replied. "And yet, Here you are. Look, we are approaching the Wall." It said. "The Wall? What is the Wall?" I asked. "I don't know. A barrier? A brane? The thing that separates universes? How would I know.? I'm You." It replied. The wall seemed to become whiter and whiter and whiter as I zoomed towards it. "We're not slowing down." I told my mind. There was no response. "We're. Not. Slowing. Down." I shouted at my mind. Still nothing. "WE'RE NOT SLOWING DOWN!" Was the last thing I thought before plunging into the sea of pure white. I expected pain. I expected suffering. I expected...something. I got none of these. Instead I was greeted by a Void. By a Nothing. Or at least that is what my mind would call it. The human mind isn't equipped to understand nothing. To us, there is always Something. Even the concept of Zero isn't a nothing, Zero is a place holder for something. A number, a concept, it is by definition Something. Perhaps that's the problem with nothing. We've defined it. By defining it, we've made it into something. And in doing so we've destroyed the nothing. But even looking at this...this expanse of emptiness of...well nothing...I couldn't understand it. I felt my confines melting away... I could move again. Moving my hand in front of me, I realized that I could see a negative image of myself. It was like everything was inverted almost...As I accelerated, the Void gave way to...something. At first it was a small pin of a light. It was joined by more, and more and more. They didn't appear to be at any judge-able distance, like if someone had draped a cloth over my face. Then there was a burst of light right in my face and a voice. "First...we take your clothes." It said. My clothing ripped away from my body. Falling into the nothing. Falling into the void. "Now your face." It said. "Wha..." But before I could really respond I could feel a burning on my nose. And then my cheeks and then my whole face felt on fire. All I could see was light drifting off it and then...nothing. I couldn't see anything. "Now your voice." It toned. I tried to grasp at my throat as if I could hold onto what they were claiming they were taking. But even in my blind state, the hums from my throat died and silence was left behind. "Now your Form." It chimed. The burning returned and suddenly I couldn't feel...myself. I could feel me, but I couldn't feel anything that was me. It was like sensation was there, and yet it didn't have a defined extension to what was 'me'. "And now...we take your Identity..." It sang. A cold prickle ran through me. There were many ways one could have their identity stolen. Was this one of them? I couldn't even tell. "You are now ready." I could feel heat coming towards me. I didn't know precisely where it was, or what it was but it was getting closer, and closer and closer... Slowly as I approached this heat source, I could feel things again. I could hear things again. My eyes...reformed...I couldn’t see things yet but I could tell the boundaries of what was ‘me’ were again at least... But everything felt wrong. My eyes actually opened and I saw a shimmering in front of me, the shimmering formed a pool of sorts, it rippled with all the colours of the rainbow, it had a soft glow to it. And I was fast approaching it. A voice cried out, and I tried futilely to stop myself from crashing into it. I tried to grasp something below me but there wasn't anything to grasp. The last thing I remember was wondering if crashing into this pond thing would hurt any... I found out really quickly that it did. ======================================================================= What is it like to actually crash into a rainbow? The rational part of my mind knows that rainbows aren't physical objects, they are projections of light bent through a transparent medium. I know that's a rather dull explanation. But when you have been ejected from reality as you know it, your mind tries to latch onto the first thing that seems reasonable. Rainbows shouldn't hurt. They're nothing but generally light and mist. I think that the source of my pain is the fact that a splattering of colour is saturating everyone of my senses. My eyes, skin, nose, tongue and even ears are burning and screaming in nothing but pain. I am smelling purple, tasting indigo, feeling blue, hearing orange and of course seeing pure white. And before I can even process these things, it's done and over with. The burning is replaced with a cooling feeling, the screaming of orange is replaced with the splashing of a...liquid? I cough and gag on something that is foul tasting. My vision clears and I see that I am being ejected out of some kind of vat and towards the floor. "Well." I think to myself, judging the distance from floor to where I was spat out. "This could possibly hurt." Fear grips me when it turns out that the floor isn't solid. There is a foop sound as I hit it and fear turns to panic as I fall right through the floor. "Clouds?" But that doesn't make any sense. What is holding up the vat? That question becomes very, very unimportant as I see what the floor gives way to. The world down below me, a world that is Very high up. In the night sky the moon looming big and bright, I can see the small houses from below. Some of their lights lit. For some reason this place triggers a memory of a place I know...But I can't put a finger on where I know this place. My panic stricken mind no longer cares about those things as I grasp the realization of how high I am, how fast I am going and at what angle I am going. "This could hurt a lot more." I squeak out. Right before me there is a circular window that seems rather far in the distance. That changes within the span of time it takes to process how far it is. The pain of glass, wood and sound splinter my vision. You're going to die. Right, final thought. Make it a good one. "I like turtles." Fuck.
Crash and BurnChapter Three Crash And Burn Rainbow Dash sat rather bored in front of blipping screens. As leader of the Weather Team and general all around awesome pony, this was not her idea of a good time. "Security detail. Bucking Security detail." She unwrapped a stick of chewing gum and popped it in her mouth. At least she could bring a book. The whole job bugged her on a very uncool level. The maintenance pony explained what all the buttons, knobs and other deals did. The only thing that she had understood in all that was she was to mark down any unidentified bogies flying too close to Cloudsdale, and what colours they would be. All incoming targets would start at the edge of the screen and a line would track their movement. Green lights were other pegasi that had authorization. Blue lights were passer-by who were friendly. Yellow lights meant caution and Red lights were hostile bogies. With everything that followed, she had given him a blank and rather unhappy look. He rolled his eyes in return and said that if the big red button was flashing to give him a call. Then he'd come and look at the problem. That was three and a half hours ago. She chewed on the peppermint gum. "Right Dash. It's just for a week, four days are down, three more to go, it's extra bits, and you Want that Daring Do collectible." She said looking at her well worn copy of “Daring Do And the Infernal Machine”. She had read this book four times over, more times than any book she had ever read. "Who am I kidding? If this wasn't mandatory I wouldn't be here..." She opened the book. It was still an awesome book, the characters were still grabbing her attention. But this job was just so boring! "Gaaaaah!" She shouted five minutes into reading. She pushed the book away. "I'm sorry Daring. It's not you, it's me. Nothing happens on this shift!" She looked frustrated at the blipping screen. "I got plenty of blue and green dots already! Would it hurt to have some red or even a yellow dot appear?!" She said glaring in an almost joking quasi-serious manner. She grumped and turned slightly rolling her eyes. "Like I expected anything to.." The screen blipped brightly with a Yellow light that just suddenly appeared in the upper right beta quadrant. "Gremlin didn't say anything about that..." She slowly picked up the phone next to her and tapped one of the buttons. "Uhm, Hello!" Came the rather spazzed voice on the other end. "Gremlin. This is RD, I know what all the colours mean, and that they are sposta travel in lines right?" She looked at the screen. Already the yellow dot was diminishing in brightness. "Yeah.." Gremlin replied snorting. "What does it mean when a Yellow dot just suddenly appears without a...path behind it?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Um.. Well. Either the machine is malfunctioning, somepony got past Cloudsdale Security, or that somehow, some unicorn got it up into their heads to teleport all the way up here. Seeing that the last two are -ehm- near Impoooosible, It looks like I am going to actually go down there and take a look at your security system." He replied in a rather eggheaded manner. Dash grumped. The yellow dot was now traveling in a straight line downward if she was reading this thing right. "What if it was one of the other two Gremlin?" She asked in a slightly worried tone. "Um...well...Erf!" Gremlin replied with the sounds of tools being lugged in the background. "In the Extremely Uuuunlikely event that it Was indeed one of those two...I would guess...That if they didn't have anything to hold them on the clouds that they would be in some really Big trouble. I mean Cloudsdale is pretty high up -ehm-..." "Then it would be worth my time to dash down there and check it out right?" Rainbow said in an abrupt and quick manner. "I could just send down a security detail, RD.." Gremlin replied. There was a pause as he waited for her response. "Um RD? Hello? I'm coming down there now...RD?" However he was only greeted with the squeaking sound of a swiveling chair. Rainbow Dash had left ten seconds before he could even ask his question. ======================================================================= The shadowed rainbow contrail was the only thing that most of the security ponies saw as Rainbow sped by them. Part of her was in it for the speed, part of her was in it to see if Gremlin was wrong, part of her was in it for the thought of playing hero and saving some feather brained unicorn who had the nerve to pop up to Cloudsdale without any protection. But really she just wanted to get away from those blipping screens. It didn't take long to get to where she needed to be. The door was clearly marked as Beta-41A. "Wait a tick," She said coming to a sudden halt. "This is the Rainbow Room...Of all places, they had to pop up here?!" That set up a whole new set of problems. While she wasn't sure about the inner workings of that machine back there, rainbows were her thing. Some of the things that were in rainbows were kinda painful if they got into the wrong places. She chuckled a bit remembering the time Pinkie Pie tried tasting one. She shook a giggle off and put on her serious face. No time for reminiscing, the situation needs to addressed. She nearly charged through the door. And nothing...On first glance the room looked completely untouched. "Ah horse feathers.." She grumped assessing that nothing had happened. "Great, now I am sure Gremlin is going to get all upset with Me-eeeee!" Her left front hoof stepped on a place where there should have been floor. Instead she caught herself about to fall through a pony sized hole in the clouds. "Whoa...Um that's not good..." There wasn't any detail in the hole to make out anything about the pony of course. However there was a splatter of liquid rainbow that lead back to one of the bigger tanks. The door opened again. "Halt! Who Goes There?" Asked a commanding voice. Rainbow Dash put her hoof up to cover her eyes from the bright light that was now blinding her. "Whoa! Hold it!" She picked up her security badge. "I am just checking out what happened here. Something showed up on the security screens!" "So that's where you ran off too." The security pony said. "Gremlin thought he told you that a security detail was coming this way. However when he arrived-" "And it's a good thing that you got here too!" Rainbow interrupted pointing at the pony sized hole in the floor."It looks like some pony just teleported here, jumped out of the rainbow tank there, and fell through the floor over here!" The security pony looked at her blinking. "Right.. So what you are saying is that there was a breach of security.. " He looked at her. "...On your watch." Rainbow looked panicked. "What?! No! I am just the one that was watching the screen back in Central Monitoring." "Funny, this tag says that you are also part of Security." He blinked. ”And I would love to investigate this more, but my shift is almost up.” "Huh?" Rainbow Dash asked confused like. "See, the Security Pony who gets to the scene of what has happened first, takes care of the investigation into any Breeches." He smirked. "Along with any paperwork that comes with it..." Rainbow now was totally confused. "And until the paperwork is done, Cloudsdale Security Detail can't clock out." He explained. "Can't Clock Out?" She asked worriedly. "Nope. What's worse is that it eats into your work time." He started to walk back to the door. "You better get to investigating who, how and why this breech happened. Or all that work might be for nothing." He said. Dash slapped her face and rolled her eyes before diving into the hole in the floor. The security pony chuckled and rolled his eyes. "That's one less thing I have to do. New Foals. They are so easy to mess with..."
Shattered GlassChapter Four Shattered Glass Right now I am remembering things. Memories of rainbows, of clouds, of sleepy little houses below me, and finally of glass windows. Particularly the glass window. The memories of it shattering run through me, along with the sound of it breaking are standing out. And then, landing in something soft. I moan and put my hand to my head. Or my knuckles...I can't tell, my head is pounding and the world is still kinda spinning.. Despite that all I try to look around. There is something...soft under me. I tap it. It's cloth or pillow like. I can't really tell. It's dark in here. That's when I hear the sound of footsteps coming up some stairs. "What in the name of Celestia was that?!" Says a female voice. Panic strikes me as I hear a door from behind me open. "Hello? Anypony in there?" she asks. I am not sure how to answer and try to move forward. "Ah!" Comes from my throat as I realize that there is a cold sensation trickling down my arm, and a sharp stabbing from the glass embedded within. I hear her enter the room. "There is somepony here! Oh my gosh! When I heard the crash I was worried!" I desperately want to run. I hear her getting really close to me and turn rather quickly. Apparently I am not good at judging distances, because our heads smack right into one another with a rather unpleasant cracking sound. There is a crackling sound that accompanies this collision. Like an electrical crackle.. "Ooooow..." I say in a low tone. But something is wrong with my voice. Even in a low tone it shouldn't sound so.. high. "Ugh..Oh Geeze! Ouch, that hurt. Are you ok?" She asks. "I...don't..." I try to clear my throat. There must have been something in that liquid that I was pushed through. I attempt to clear any liquid from my throat. "I'm -ehm- I'm -eeeeehm!- Alive?" "That's always good, right?" She asks. Her voice. I know her voice. Where do I know her voice from? The shadow of someone...? lurks amongst the doorway. I hear a voice come from them. "Hey, Twi', whatever hit us knocked out some of the power, I flipped the breaker..." He says, just before he flips a switch. The light goes on and now I am shocked at what I am looking at. There is a dusty purple-ish unicorn. She has a dark blue mane and tail that has a few streaks of pink and purple. "So then. Oh my you're.." She starts out. "AAAAAHHHHH!!!” Comes a terrified scream from my throat. She jumps back and looks at me questioningly. "Are you sure you're alright...?" She asks. "Y-y-you're Talking." I reply. "Yes. Um...maybe we should start this over." She clears her throat. "My name is-" "Twilight Sparkle." I interrupt in an abrupt manner. I can now see the being that is standing in the doorway. It is a purple dragon with green frills and rather large green eyes. He looks at me and then at Twilight. "You know this pony, Twilight?" He asks. "Uhm, no I don't." She begins. "Oh, Hi!" He says in an almost casual and pleasant manner. "Were you the pony who crashed into our window? My name is-" "SPIKE." I interject once again. Twilight looks at the little green dragon. "Um...You know her?" She asks. "Twilight, if you don't know her, most likely I don't know her. So, no. I haven't seen her before in my life." He explains. Twilight turns her attention back to me. She blinks as if she just remembered something and her face twists up again. "Right. You're bleeding. Spike get me a bit of cloth to wrap this injury." She looks at me and her horn starts glowing. “Alright...this is going to most likely hurt. I've never had a chance test my medical skills...Spike be ready with that cloth wrap." He salutes her and has the cloth ready. Within moments, I feel something free itself from my arm. Then there is a pressure as the wrapping goes on. "There! Easy as pie." She exclaims. The shock of a talking unicorn and dragon is wearing off. I lift a hand to feel the wrapping. "Um, thank yoooou-AAAH!" "You shouldn't touch a fresh wound!" Twilight exclaims. The scream isn't from touching the wound. I don't even get to do that. It's from the fact that I have just looked down at myself. I don't see hands, I see hooves. I don't see an arm but a leg. A horse's leg. "Oh god, oh god, oh god, oh god..." I start jibbering. "What's wrong?" She asks. My mind blinks for a moment at the question. "Mirror! I need a mirror!" I exclaim in that annoying high girly voice. "Um...Ok...But really, despite a couple of scrapes and the glass, you look fine. I'd say that you're a very lucky pony.." She says her horn glowing and pulling a standing mirror from a bookshelf out in front of me. I feel ill as I see an image staring back at me that shouldn't be there. A pony. A pony with a curly dark brown mane, a tannish coat and striking ice blue eyes. "Oh, no, no, no, no, no,no,no!" I say. It suddenly strikes me as to why my voice is all high and wrong. "That's not right, that's...Not...Right..." The reflection in the mirror rears back, trying to stand on its back legs, only to be forced back down. As...she...is forced to do so, I can hear the clattering of hooves on the floor below me and the sensation of vibrations going through my ..legs.. "That's not my voice! Oh geeeze what did they do!? Fff.." I try to spit out what is a well known swear to me, but for some reason my mouth isn't forming the word. "Ffff! Ffff! Fe-e-e-etlocks!" I finally exclaim. Twilight looks in the mirror at me confused. "What's wrong? For how you fell through my window, you look like you took minimal damage.." She says as if to calm my nerves. "No! Everything is wrong!" I exclaim. I look down to my hooves. "These are wrong! This face is wrong! This Voice is Wrong!" "How?" Twilight asks."You sound perfectly normal for a mare to me." My brain glitches over that statement "perfectly normal for a mare". "Uh...Twilight. You think she hit her head a bit too hard?" Spike asked. "This is too much, too much, tooo much...." I can hear the clattering of my hooves on the ground as I try to comprehend what is going on. It's too fantastic, too weird, too much like a dream. Wait. Too much like a dream. "That's it!" A rather large smile flashes on my face. "What's it?" Twilight asks in a concerned manner. "I'm dreaming! Ha! That makes sense! They kidnapped me and drugged me up! That! Explains! Everything! Yes!" I reply. It does after all make sense. Being in a world that was based off a tv show that had a good five years running that I watched on an almost constant basis? Of course! "But why just kidnap me and drug me...?" I ask myself. "Unless that was part of the drugging as well!" The two of them look at each other questioningly. "Twilight...you think we should get her to a hospital?" Spike asks. "Maybe...we sh-" Twilight begins. A sudden gust of wind is felt coming from the broken window. "Ah-Ha! I knew if I followed that rainbow trail long enough I'd find the culprit!" There in the window is a sky blue winged horse with a rainbow mane and tale. Her brilliant wine coloured eyes glare at me with a determination that I recognize all too well. "HA! Oh Wow! Best Dream slash Hallucination Ever!" I exclaim stepping forward. "Rainbow Dash!" ======================================================================= The three of them are now looking at me in a rather strange manner. "Um, Rainbow Dash...Do you know her?" Twilight asks. "Um. No..." She gives me a strange and perturbed look. "Wait a second...You're not a unicorn..." For some reason, it's the funniest thing I have ever heard. "Pffft-Ha! Darn it. Why couldn't I ever have these kind of dreams years ago?" I ask out loud. I stomp my hoof down. "Oh! What would make this even better is if Pinkie Pie just showed up out of nowhere!" "Twilight...Who is this pony and how does she know our names?" Rainbow Dash asks. "That's...what I'm trying to figure out." She said looking at me in the face. Just then there was a knocking at the front door of the library. "Twilight! Twilight!" Shouted rather sophisticated female voice. "Are you alright up there?! I heard a crash and some shouting!" I rolled my eyes. "I was hoping for Pinkie Pie..." Damn, seemed that I don't have much control over what happens in this dream. That's most likely for the best. The sound of hooves clip-clops up the stairs and a white unicorn with a purple mane pokes her head around the door. "Twilight, what is going on up here?" She asks in a concerned manner, her sparkly blue eyes looking concerned and slightly horrified at the mess. "I guess Rarity will do..." Sure there were lots of fans of Rarity, but she was always so serious, and work obsessed. She blinks at me. "Twilight, who is that?" She asks me. "And what exactly will I do for?" "Um Twilight...This is getting kinda creepy..."Spike comments. "I mean ponies falling from the sky is one thing. Ponies falling from the sky that know your names and the names of your friends?" Twilight sighs while I giggle at this whole situation. If they only knew that they were nothing but products of my drug-addled mind. I bet it would blow their socks off...if they were wearing any that is... "I haven't a clue who she is Rarity, just that she crashed into my window, then freaked out over something that I'm not sure about and Rainbow Dash has been looking for her.." She explained pointing at an ever growing impatient Rainbow Dash. "Yeah, because I won't be able to clock out until I find out why in Equestria or even how she teleported into one of the rainbow vats up in Cloudsdale!" She says clopping a hoof. "My word!" She looks at me in a concerned manner. "Is she alright?" "Aside from a shard of broken glass, scrapes, bruises and various cuts? Yes." Twilight looks thoughtful. "Which is exceptionally lucky for a pony falling from Cloudsdale." Rarity shudders a bit. "I would say it is." "You would have first ha-haa-hoooph!" I try to force the word out of my mouth. It comes out all warped instead. My lips smack together. It must be part of the dream.. Why else wouldn’t I be able to say ‘hand’? "Experience with that, right ,Rarity?" She blinks and looks at Twilight questioningly. I blink and look at the two of them. "Oh come on!" My eyes roll and I use my hooves to express the best exaggerated expression I can. "Don't you remember? It was the day that Rainbow Dash took you guys up to Cloudsdale for the best flyer competition. Rarity got herself a pair of butterfly wings and a b-b-buu-pfffflank load of attention causing Rainbow Dash to spazz out and nearly lose it. All while she was trying to do her job too." I rub a hoof on my head trying to remember what else happened.." Oh Right, So then the competition starts up. Rarity is in the back putting her face on, while Rainbow Dash is getting worse and more spazzy by the minute. So much so that she just starts trading numbers with other ponies just to avoid her spot in line. After all the tension, the fear of failing in front of every b-b-bpppf...One is just too great, too racking, too much. All of you are starting to wonder where she and Rarity are. Cause it's getting close to the end of this whole thing. And Rarity comes out. I swear it looked like she had at least half a pound of makeup on. Everything was over done Over the top, bigger and fancier than anything she had done before." I pause for a breath. "Then the both of you are told that you have to go out together cause well there just isn't any time! So Rarity goes out all confident and starts flapping up really high. Rainbow Dash starts to do her routine and is kinda messing up here and there. Rarity gets up as high as she can and lets the light from the sun shine through her wings. She feels wonderful and beautiful and well...um loved...Until the moment that her wings combust and she starts falling. By this time Rainbow Dash is in her last leg of her routine and about to attempt a Sonic Rainboom!" The four of them are just staring at me. Heh, telling stories like this is kinda fun.. "That's when she hears the screaming from down below! The Wonderbolts then go diving after Rarity, but in her panic she knocks each of them out! Dash looks down and doesn't think. She's Rainbow Dash! She reacts! She dives down as hard and as fast as she can, Nopony can watch what will happen! Will she make it? The ground is pretty far down and nopony wants to think what will happen if she fails now! Tears streaming in her eyes Dash pushes through where she failed once before and through sheer willpower and absolute hope the air starts to crackle around her hooves! All ponies who looked away now are looking in wonder and hope! Will she do it?" I pause again.. The room is rather quiet. "And then BOooOM! A Circle of Light and Colour and Sound Shatters the silence and she catches the three Wonderbolts and Rarity just in time before they even hit the ground! Whoooosh! A contrail rainbow trails behind her as she arcs back up to Cloudsdale, just happy in the moment that she had saved not only her heroes but her friend! That's when the roar of the crowd and cheering can be heard! Even normally quiet Fluttershy is cheering at the top of her lungs! And to top it all off she wins her crown and a day with the Wonderbolts!" The four of them are blinking at my antics and stunned into silence. I look at them, suddenly I am filled with a feeling of dread. "Um...that's.. how.. it.. happened right? I know I kinda skipped over some things..." Twilight shakes her head as if a spell had been cast on her. "No.. in fact that was very, very accurate..." She finally replies. "A little too accurate if you ask me..."Rarity comments. "I thought it was pretty awesome..." Rainbow's face looks like one of mixed emotions. "But...How.. Do.. you know all that?" I can't help but laugh. "Why wouldn't I know it? I mean this is my dream, and in dreams anything is possible. Particularly seeing that I watched the whole thing." I chuckle. "I'm glad to see that I got most of the details right. I thought I would leave the part out were Rarity was being a clutz in the weather factory and distracting all the workers." I snirk. "Particularly the Male workers. She did after all have the -snirk- biggest...wingspan?" I give Rarity a wink-wink and a nudge-nudge. Rarity blinks at me and looks a little offended. "And what do you mean by that?" She asks. "I just mean that you were a bit...Showy with those wings.." I try to explain. "Showy?" She quips. "Well yeah. I mean wings must be an attractive feature for pegasi right? The filly or colt with the biggest wings Must have an advantage over the rest.." Rarity glares at me "And you think that I was flaunting them about in a manner suited to your average street pony?!" "I didn't say tha-" I begin. "You didn't have to say it!" She exclaims. I find myself fighting a laugh, but it starts out as a snirk, then a chuckle and finally it can't be contained anymore. Rarity's face is burning with a bit of a blush. "You think this is funny?" She says getting up and close to my face. I calm down my laughter. "Um..." I start looking around. "Actually...yes?" I chuckle nervously. "I mean, I've never been berated by a marshmallow before." Rarity's eyes go blank for a moment. As if she doesn't know how to process this information. And then I can nearly pinpoint the moment that I can see something snap in her eyes. "MarSHMallow?" She mouths. I almost nervously nod, but haven't the time as she glowers over me. "MARSHMALLOW?! Miss...Who-ever-you are- You listen here! I have been woken up in the middle of the night to find my friend Twilights library window smashed to bits..." I back away from Rarity only to find that she keeps hovering above in a threatening manner. Her hoof points up at my chin. If she had fingers she would have been using her pointer finger at me. "Woken up from my beauty sleep mind you! I have been filling orders All Week, And I will be sooner thrown into a garbage heap, than be berated by some strange pony calling me a ...Marshmallow!" And as to drive the point home, she jabs her hoof right into my right shoulder. The shoulder that had apparently taken the brunt of my fall. The sore aching-ness of a mere bruise turns into a screaming puddle of pain which forces me down to the ground. "AAAAGH!" I involuntarily grasp at the sore spot. "Rarity!" Twilight says racing to if I am alright. "What? I barely touched her..." She says frowning. "Yes and she just survived a skydive from Cloudsdale, through a glass window and into a rather unpleasant crash with what is most likely a wall!" She exclaims. "But she..." Rarity begins. "Yes she called you a marshmallow. And she's also not in her right mind. She might not know what she's saying." Twilight explains. I am twitching in pain. It does fade, however a strong realization hits me and with it a chill runs through my body. "That...hurt..." I say quietly. Rarity smirks but then is greeted by Twilights' disapproving look. She rolls her eyes. "I am sorry, but you provoked me." She cranes her neck down. "Are you going to be alright...?" I can feel a bit of sweat hitting my brow as the panic starts to kick in again. This time the calming idea that this is a hallucination or dream isn't doing the trick... "No! That. Hurt!" I exclaim. "Look I said I was sorry ..I don't see what more I can do." She says. "No! Don't you see?!" I push myself up. "Uh no, Darling...I just told you.." "I know what you told me! Oh No, no, no, no, no,no,no,no.." My hooves are rubbing against my face again. I look at them horrified. They really are a part of me. "Twilight.." Rarity says looking at her rolling her eyes, she sighs. "Then what's wrong...?" Twilight asks. I blink, I am almost hesitant to tell them. Telling them would only confirm my fears. "You don't feel pain like that in dreams..." I explain cold sweat starting to drip on my forehead.. I'm starting to pace.. "If it hurt like that...Then I'm not dreaming...and.. this..this.. oh, no, no,no,no....” I cough and nearly choke on my words.”This. Is. Real." Author's Note New Chapter Art for _old_ chapter Right Here.
Despite All My RageChapter Five Despite All My Rage. I am trying my best to hold on, but now my sanity is slipping away. I can hear the ponies around me talking but their words are coming out as gibberish at this point. I think Spike wants to take me to the hospital and Rarity is kinda siding with him about this. Rainbow Dash is saying something about needing to take me back to Cloudsdale so she can fill out her paper work and be done with all this. While Twilight is looking more and more unnerved at me. I am just looking at the ground trying to comprehend all this. How could they do it? That question poses not one but two riddles in my mind. One is the means by which I was transported here, and the other is...how could they do it? The first question is boggling my mind. I know that Rhonda claimed herself to be High Queen of the Fae...but I don’t know even enough about the mythology of such creatures to think about whether or not they could fling someone across a universe! The next version of this same question is stabbing at my heart. I did hurt them. Our relationships ended horribly, with me being too neglectful, too emotionally unavailable. All except the last one. I gave a great deal of myself to her. However, she was already married.. This was a sort of strange open ended relationship, but Dave never really liked me. Never approved of me. That was made all together too clear... I feel something drip onto the floor next to my hoof. I realize that I am crying. That’s not abnormal, what is however is how easily it is coming. The flood of memories and emotions dealing with these matters is too much. Normally there would be a dulled sense to all these things. Like a dam that holds them in check, a wall of separation between emotions and logic. But it isn’t there. Or if it is, it is failing dramatically. I don’t know what to do now. My head goes down and cross my front legs over my face. I need to block … this...world out. “By Celestia! Everypony Stop Talking!” Twilight shouts. The room goes quiet. “Right then.” She begins. “Clearly there is something wrong here. I want to find out what it is. Rainbow Dash wants to find out what it is.” She turns looking at Spike and Rarity. “Taking her to the hospital on the surface seems like a good idea. She has been through a great deal of trauma from falling that high. However, there is something else...” She pauses.. “Something I can’t place my hoof on.. However right now in her current state. I don’t think we should take her there.” I blink, that’s not the Twilight Sparkle I know from the shows. Then again.. what do I know? “But Twilight...” Spike begins. “No Spike. There is something else going on. You said it yourself. It’s one thing to have strange ponies falling out of the sky. It’s another to have them fall out of the sky and know your name, let alone your friends names,” She looks back at me. “And a rather detailed recollection of an event in our lives...” She walks up to me. I am shaking, I am feeling all sorts of things and they are all happening at once. Control yourself damn it. Stop shuddering. What is wrong with you?! Man up! “Right then. Who ever you are, I know you’re confused. You’re kinda lost and it’s apparent to everypony here that you’re afraid.” She says quietly. “But we are all going to need an explanation and you’re the only pony that can help with that...can you do that for us?” I shake my head in a no response. “No...?” She looks confused as if she had prepared a speech in her head, one that was perfect only to find that it failed at it’s intended purpose. “Why not?” I am fighting to find the words. Damn it, what the hell is wrong with me? “I-I...Don’t Belong here...” I begin. “Well...We all agree on that.” Twilight states in a matter-of-fact sort of way. It kinda strikes a nerve the way she says it. “No. I mean I don’t belong here.” I say using my hooves to point down at the ground. “Um...in the library?” Rainbow Dash asks. I push myself up off the floor. Ugh. I am not making myself clear enough. “No. Here!” I say waving my front legs around. “Ponyville?” Spike asks. “No! I mean Here!” Now this is starting to annoy me. More so than it should actually.. “In Equestria?” Rarity asks. “No! Here Here!” I exclaim. I don’t know what’s annoying me more, they aren’t getting it or that I am letting them not getting it get to me. The four of them are just giving me a blank look. “I don’t belong in this World.” I explain. “I don’t belong in this Universe!” They are still looking at me strange as if I have lost my mind. I push a hoof up into my mane...I look at the hoof. It’s unsettling. It’s not right...I try to wiggle my fingers, but my fingers aren’t there. My head drops. “I just want to go home...” I finally squeak out hugging myself. There is a lull of silence that comes over the room. “I think we should still take her to the hospital.” Spike says. “Spike!” Twilight replies glaring at him. “What? I’m just saying...” He kicks his feet on the ground. Twilight rolls her eyes. “Rainbow Dash. What do you think?” Dash sighs a bit. “Why do I have to say anything?” “Cause right now you are the closest thing to an authority we got here. You’re Cloudsdale security.” Twilight explains. Dash opens her mouth and then looks at me. She takes a serious stance. “Right. The way I see it, Somehow our mystery pony got through security. However, she’s not a unicorn. So she couldn’t have done it by herself...” She replies tapping her chin with her hoof. “So. Even if she is all confused, it wouldn’t be her fault that she landed up in Cloudsdale. After all, Somepony else had to have sent her there.” Twilight smiles. “Right. Somepony with rather powerful magic.” She looks at me. “And such magic will lead a trail behind. A trail that we can follow back to its source.” “And how do you propose that we find this source, Twilight darling?” Rarity asks. “Um.. That’s rather easy enough Rarity. I’m the one who is the expert in magic here, I’ll go back to Cloudsdale with Rainbow Dash, explain the situation.. and investigate the actual cause of all this.” She says in a matter of fact sort of way. “Which will save me the trouble of filling out paperwork.. And I won’t lose any time on my time card! Score! Daring Do figure number 25 here I come!” She exclaimed. “Um... I mean..." she looked around and rubbed the back of her head. "I got nothing.” “And…what do we do about her?” Rarity asked, shooting a glare at me. “You two can watch her back here, right?” Twilight asks. “Oh...no,no,no..” Rarity replied. “I need my beauty sleep, I have several more orders to fill tomorrow...” Spike almost right away protests before Twilight can say anything. “Leave me here alone with little miss fruit loops over there? Not happening, Twilight..” A voice comes yelling from downstairs. “Hey Twilight! Rarity! Rainbow Dash! Are you having a party up there without me?!” Twilight looks at Spike. “Huh? Really? Do you think that is a good idea Twilight?” He asks already seeing what she is plotting. “We have no other choice here, Spike. Not unless Rainbow Dash wants to go fetch Fluttershy.” She responds. “I could do that...” Dash says in an absent minded manner. “Actually that might be a good idea, Rainbow Dash. It’ll give me time to prepare the spell.” She looks at me. “You’ve been awful quiet in all this...are you alright?” I blink at the question. “Yes.. no.. maybe...I don’t know...Ugh!” I stomp my hoof on the ground. “How could they have done this!?” Twilight backs away. “Spike, I am going to trust you to keep an eye on her, alright?” Her horn glows and she picks up a quill and paper. “I have an important task for you, I need you to find and read this book while I’m gone ok?” She says letting the paper float down to him. “Um Twilight this book is about-” Twilight covers his mouth. “Something very important.” Just then a pink tuft of mane bounces into the door frame. “Who’s Ready To Party?!” She Exclaims before blowing on a party favor. “Whoa! Twilight! What happened in here? Why is there broken glass everywhere? We can’t have a party where there is broken glass, somepony could get...” She pauses for a moment. “Hurt.. Whoa...” That’s when she notices me and zips past the others before they can even talk. “Oh Wow! You look like you got hurt pretty badly! Are you ok? My name is-” “Pinkie Pie.” I say without much emotion in my voice. “Uh.. Yeah! Do you know me? Cause I don’t know you, and I know everypony in Ponyville! And that’s cause they’re all my friends! Course the first step in becoming another ponies friend is learning their name! And seeing that you already know my name, I’m half way to having a new friend!” She claps her hooves together. The sound grates on my eardrums in a harsh manner. “So! What’s your name?!” She asks me. I blink and stare at the floor. “I...I don’t know anymore...” I reply in a detached manner. “What? That’s silly, everypony knows their own name.” Pinkie replies. I glare at her angrily. Rarity intercedes before anything can happen. “You know what? Those orders can kind of wait a bit...I’ll stay here with Pinkie, Spike and…her. Just to make sure that nothing terrible happens..Just at least until Fluttershy arrives.” Twilight smiles. “Excellent.” She says trotting off. Rainbow Dash is already gone. I look up and see a flash of smiling pink at me again. “Darn it, Pinkie...” I begin. “Why couldn’t you have shown up when I thought this was some sort of amazingly strange dream?” She blinks. “Uuuuuuh...Huh...Don’t know!” She says trying to lean against me. I move away in an irritated manner.
Are You a Secret Spy?Chapter Six Are You a Secret Spy? Right now, this whole situation made sense only in the light that the High Queen of the Fae sent me here. Fairy tales to most people are light hearted sugary things, with the fae being these lovely sugary-hearted creatures that can’t do any wrong, have tiny wings, perfect bodies and are the protectors of nature. They’ll sing songs, live off morning dew and fart rainbows. I grind my hoof down irritatedly. Everyone seems to focus on those happy things and not the fact that they are the protectors of nature part. They talk about the happy stories about how happy the Fae Queen and her Prince Charming are, not about how the prince is actually only married to her because she has his real princess locked away in a crystal close to her heart. They tell you about the enchanted forests filled with so many wonders. But they neglect to mention that there have been people who have walked there and never came back. When people think fairy, they think Tinker Belle, not Red Cap, Troll, or Slaugh. They think little cottages out in the middle of the German country side. Not the modern dark corners of their own homes. This kind of punishment is exactly something that the fae would come up with. Here I am. In a universe that if you asked me if I wanted to visit a year ago, I would have snapped it up in a second. In a form that not too long ago I might have taken just for the hell of it. With a pony that on more than one occasion, brightened up my day with her smiles, songs and over all cheer. But like fruit on a tree I can't reach, I feel helpless. In fact I am seconds away from seething in rage over what has happened to me. I should like this. This should be a dream come true. But it’s not. It’s like many a time, where, based on the circumstances of a situation, I had to leave a place of residence. I would have left if I had found another place, gotten a better job, done a little more. If it was up to me, if it was based on my terms. But instead of leaving on my own terms or even terms that were agreed to, I was forced out. Threatened and told that it was up to me to find a place right then and there. There is still a bubble of bright pink right in front of my face. I looked out of the shattered window into the night sky. Twilight and Rainbow Dash had already left, and apparently Fluttershy was making her way here. “Sooooo! She-who-shall-not-be-named!” Pinkie said “You want to have a party?!” I blinked and gave her a look of sorts. Like I said. A year ago I would have jumped at a chance to party with Pinkie Pie. “Like...right now?” I asked. “Yeah!” She says grinning at me. Ack, I think my eyes are burning from the light off her smile and I’ve contracted a diabetic condition from her happiness. “No, Pinkie Pie. I am not in the mood to party.” I reply. Her face is classic Pinkie Pie. “Not in the mood to party!? How can you not be in the mood to party!? I’m always in the mood to party!” She exclaims. “Yes, I know you are...” I say about to turn away from her. However, not even before I can take half a step in the other direction, there she is in front of me again. “You seem to know a lot about us! At least that’s what Twilight told me before she left. How much do you know about us? I mean you seemed to know our names even before we told you them! Not even I could do that! And I know everypony in Ponyville! That would be a really neat trick to learn, can you teach me it? I mean if I could know a pony’s name before I met them I could totally find out more about them and then I could throw them a super secret special surprise party for them!” She is now up in my face about this and I am not sure what to do or tell her. “Um.. You mind Backing Up Please, Pinkie?” I ask with as much self restraint as I can. She blinks and walks back just a little bit. I take a deep breath. “Now will you tell me how you do that super-nifty neat trick of knowing Ponies names before you’ve even met them?” She asks. A wave of annoyance rolls over me. Gods I knew she was like this from the show but … “Seriously, Pinkie...I think I just want to be alone right now.. If all goes well, Twilight and Rainbow Dash will find a way for me to get home...” I say gritting my teeth. “But you just got here and we haven’t had a party yet!” She looks thoughtful. “And you haven’t told me how you know all our names! Oh! Is it that you can’t tell me about this super special talent?!” “Pinkie...” I begin. “Oh! Oh! Is it one of those talents that if you could tell me about but then you would have to silence me...For-Ever?” She once again gets up in my face. “Pink-ie...” I say half worried and half growling. “Ooo! Ooo! Are you a super secret secret spy pony!? The kind that works for the Princesses under cover doing jobs that other ponies won’t do, living a life of danger, and using your wits, smarts and ...Charms to get the upper hoof on evil Ponies that want to take over Equestria for One Billion Bits?!” She says without taking a single breath. “Oh no! I’ve blown your cover haven’t I? Don’t worry, I won’t tell any other pony ever! Pinkie Promise!” “PINKIE.” I shout at the top of my lungs. “Um...Yes?” She asks looking at me intently. “Would You Please Stop Talking And Leave Me Alone!” I finally spit out. “Look. I don’t know what to think or what’s happening or anything like that. But. I do know that once this is all over and done with, that I am not going to feel like partying. I might not ever feel like Partying, OK?” She looks at me kinda hurt. “I was just asking a few questions...Geeze no reason to be a little-miss-she-who-shall-not-be-named-cranky pants...” She says bitterly. “Oooooh Piiiiinkie...” Rarity’s musical voice sings. “Could you come here darling I need you for something....” Pinkie looks at me sadly, but this is quickly squished by a face of determination. She crosses her heart, flaps both her hooves and covers an eye. She turns to meet up with Rarity, but before going, she shoots me a look of sorts. Had it been an Internet meme I swear it would be “Challenge Accepted.” Out of habit my hoof hits my head for a face palm. In a way that was harder than I expected. “Ouch!” I shout. Pinkie is about to turn and ask me a question, but Rarity is at the door giving her the 'Come Here Now Pinkie' head jerk. She bounds away with a look of determination on her face... I roll my eyes and look at the floor. “Well..buck.” I give into the explicate substitute. I haven’t a clue why a mere word would trip me up so badly. “Now four of the mane six and Spike must think I am a spazoid.” I slam my hoof on the ground, sighing irritatedly. I can hear Rarity and Pinkie talking just outside the door. I don’t know what they are talking about, but knowing that they could be talking about me is making me burn. “Damn It. Keep yourself together. Flying off the handle is what they Want you to do, totally isolating yourself is what they Want you to do. Just keep calm.” My hoof clops down on the ground again and again after each word. “Just. Keep. Calm.” That’s when I hear gentle hoofs walking on the floor behind me. Crap. “Um .. Hello...” Says a voice from behind me. “Um.. Rainbow Dash sent me here help watch over you while her and Twilight go to Cloudsdale...Rarity wanted me to come in here to see if you were alright...My name is-” I turn my head at her. I am sure there is a rather unpleasant expression on my face because of how startled she is. “Fluttershy.” I say ending her sentence. “Yes. Great. Leave it to Rarity to send in the Big Guns!” “I-” She begins. “No, Please don’t start. I am not in a good mood. If you start, bad things will happen.” Right now I am fighting off whatever feeling is rearing its head from deep inside of me. “But-” “No! Just turn around and join Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Spike. That is the Right thing to do.” I say gritting my teeth. She looks at me almost about ready to squeak. I turn my face away from her. “If you keep standing there, I am going to say or do ..Something that I will very much regret, Alright!?” I almost shout. “Because-” I turn my head and she has already flown out of the room. “B-because.. I don’t...” My head droops. “I don’t want to make you cry...” I mutter. The door closes behind me. “Great. Just Great!” I hit the wall. “Now all but one of them thinks I am the pony equivalent of Gilda! Just. Bucking Great!” I hit the wall again and again. It does loosen some of the tension in my being. But not by much. “AAAARGH! Well I hope you are all happy!” I shout at the air. “If this is your idea of a punishment, Kudos! Congrats! It’s One Swell Punishment all right!” I turn my back to the wall and in true pony fashion kick with my hind legs, shouting all the while. The lights flicker and then abruptly cut out. There is a hum. The faint high pitched sound like a cathode tube enters my ears. A group of squares suddenly appear floating in mid-air. They are very much like old tv screens. There are nine of them arranged in a three by three grid. For a moment there is nothing but static on them. And then set of faces blinks on each of them. “Well...We aim to please.” One of them says.
Gilded CageChapter 7 Gilded Cage I am really getting sick of being startled and confused. I should be expecting these things by now. Shouldn’t I? The faces of my exes fill each one the squares before me. There is a moment of silence where I just can’t think of what to say. “How are you enjoying your new cage Anthony?” Tatiania finally asks. “Are you comfortable? We hope that the trip there wasn’t terribly...unpleasant. But by the looks of it, you are lucky to have survived..” She looks over her folded hands. I can see her clearly now, she is dressed in delicate finery that is decorated with polished metals. Most likely silver, bronze, and gold. Iron is poison to the fae.. Kylie speaks up. “Awww! She looks so adorable! I just want to take her out of the box and play with her.” Her eyes light up. “Oh wait! I can!” She ducks off screen and pulls out a pony figurine that looks all too creepily like myself right now. A few others on the screen haven’t said anything but they are barely holding back their laughter. I can’t take it any more. “Y-YOU!” I shout at all of them. “That’s all you can say then?” Doug asks. “I send you clear across inter-dimensional voids bending the very fabric of the universe and all you can say is “Y-YOU”? I would be insulted if not for the fact that you’re an anthropomorphic miniature horse.” A girl with bright red hair and a sharp toothed grin speaks. I recognize her sweet southern accent as that of Amber’s. A girl who I proposed to...the one who actually took my virginity. In her spiked black leather biker jacket, I don’t even recognize her.. But her voice... “A Filly at that Warp-Warp. How’s that treating ya sweetie? Looks like ya’ve been through a tenderizer.” She licks her lips. “If it weren’t for the fact that ya’re a universe away, ah could go for some horse meat right about now...” I feel sickened as her eyes roam over me. I back away and turn only to find that the screens follow me. “Awww what’s the matter? Ah’d just take a nibble. Ya used to love it when ah did that..” The screen zipped up close to me and Amber licked the other side. “Ah know Ah loved it when ya did it to Me...” “Gah! Get away from me!” I shout turning again, only to be met by another glowing square. The figure on this one is truly terrifying. A horrifying red wolf beast whose teeth look as if they are going to come out and strike me down. The screen nearly flies at me and then stops just before reaching the end of my muzzle. “Boo!” She says in a playful teasing manner. I jump back and fall on my butt while screaming. I sound like a little girl. A gaggle of the screens burst into laughter. I can’t take this any more. I charge the nearest screen. “You think this is Funny!?” I shout at them only to find that the screens just can zip out of my reach. “You Find This Funny?!” I kick, I punch, I scream, I shout, and finally I cry out exhausted. They start to hover around me. “How...” I begin. “How what?” Tatiania asks. “How could you do this to me?” I ask looking up at the...eight screens? Then I spot number nine off in the corner away from the rest. “As easy as it was for you to lose interest in us.” She replies smiling a large smile. She then looks miffed for a moment. Her screen turns to the corner where the lone screen hides. “Spiderfly! Thy Queen Commands that you join us for what is to come. The Final Preparations are still to be Had.” The screen floats slowly but surely to join the others. Her face is so sad, her long black hair. Then I see the goggles. This does nothing to soften the blow of who this is. “Yes my Queen.” She replies. “S-Sabrina?” I quiver. My mind is light headed. We were best friends through out high school. She hung around me all the time, I never knew why until graduation. Then she told me that she had a strange crush on me. My only words that I could think to say was “Why me?” The weight of all this hurts. “Now the time has come!” Tatiania commands. “Now we bring the Final Resolution to a close.” I snap back to attention. I am feeling so many mixed emotions. I glare angrily at all of them. “What more...” I begin. “What more do you want?! I’m already a Universe away, that-that Voice in the nothing stripped me of everything! What more could you possibly take!?” I realize only too late the stupidity of my statement. I’m dealing with the Fae. The Fair Folk, the people from under the hills. There is always more that they can take. They are all silent. And then Dave speaks. “While it is true that the void stripped you of a many great things. It could not take one thing...Your way back.” He said. My heart jumped into my throat, there is a way back. “There’s a way back?” I ask. “Right now there is.. But that will change.. You see, I rather like you out of the picture. The Void took your Identity, and with it everything of you that was in this world. And I mean," His screen flies up at me. "Everything. My wife is now my own again. And she remembers you Not. It is as if you were long held in death's embrace, or at the very least, never were to begin with...not only to her, but to the world...” “Come on...” I begin. “Dave...just let me come back. I’ll leave you and your family alone, I’ll move cross country! I’ll go to Canada!” He glowers at me. “If I did that then the memories of you and the feelings that she feels for you would return. Never. Again. My wife might prefer having more than one partner, but I find you repugnant, repulsive and deserving of the fate that you have garnered for yourself!” He holds up what looks like a black razor and holds it against his wrist. “And As such, I cut the cord that binds us. I cast you out!” I can’t tell if the blade cuts him or not, but there is a squelching noise and then his screen blips out. As it does so, I feel a cold shiver cross my spine. Wisp’O’Willow dives at me next. She looks human again, her blood red finger nails still seem almost claw like. “You wasted my time! Played with my Emotions. My Feelings, My passions! I cut friendships because of you! Missed Opportunities because of you! And then you called me Old.” Her screen moves in close upon me. I can almost feel her heated breath. “My Rage still burns from that Anthony...If Ever I see you again, You will not even live to hear another call you ‘old’...” She grows claws and slashes across her wrist. And her screen too blips away. Sara...WindRunner...revolves around me. “I neither felt too much loss or remorse when you left, when you were fired, I was disappointed to be sure. How I wanted you. The fact that you were so shy only made me want you the more. But then when you rejected me, I was hurt and pained. In time I moved on, or so I thought. I started gathering tales. And when I came across your name again and again the hurt came back.” She sighs. “I hold no ill will to you now, However my fellow court members are right. Let this be a lesson to you and the fragile nature of hearts..” Before I could say anything, as quick as the wind she has brandished a curved blade from her orange sash and already made the cut across her wrist. Seconds later her screen flickers off. Titania screen expands and she dwarfs the other five screens. With every slice of the wrist, I can feel something growing colder inside of me. Like something is actually growing distant. “What’s the matter?” She asks. “Winter chill in your bones? You feel the sharp tang of fear encroaching upon you?” I look at her frightened. The glint of her crown, the yellow silk in her dress which is offset by black so black you’d swear that it was plucked from the night. Two small two-inch horns curl in her hair. For a being of great beauty, everything about her is now menacing.. “Don’t even try to bargain with me as you did Neckros. I am the Queen of the Fae. I know every trick in the book because I wrote nearly all of them.” She smirks. “You crossed half a country for me...You spoke of undying love and of many wondrous things. You promised the moon and stars, and then when the time came to give them, you gave me nothing.” Her eyes flicker in the direction of Doug’s screen. “He told you about my little plot, my little coup to get you to leave our game that you attended didn’t he? I tried to warn him of the dangers that you posed and what you could do to him. But he did not heed my warnings. Now look at you. A pathetic little mewling pony from a cartoon show meant for little girls.” She smiled a cruel smile in that. It hurt. Not because of the words she had said, but how she had said them. She lifted up a dagger. “May we not ever meet again as you are now. Or Else.” The dagger came down quickly and swift. Her screen dissipated away and my eyes adjusted back to the darkness. Dougs’ screen replaced Titania's’...He wasn’t the nice, quiet boy that I had casually flirted with, or the one that I had a passionately made out with. He looked like a cross between a mad scientist and some insane wizard. His eyes were covered by small black goggles. He is wearing a leather lab coat that has a green trim. His hair frazzles in random directions. “Experiment number 8472 successful. Test subject has been mostly transported cross dimensionally, all that needed is to sever the connecting cosmic filaments that keep “her” entangled with the Council of Nine.” He said. His words were cold and methodical. “What...what happened to you Doug?” I asked. Part of me was genuinely concerned, the other part of me was trying to delay whatever it was they were doing. “Test Subject appears to be attempting-” “Please Doug! I didn’t mean what I said.” Gods. That sounded like a horrible line from some terrible teen drama. So overly emotional. Then again it might be from the fact that I sound like a twenty something college girl. “I...” The words are there why the hell can’t I bring myself to say them? “I wasn’t thinking clearly.” His brow furrows and I swear his hair crackles. “You Weren’t Thinking Clearly?” He begins, his hand is shaking, he too apparently is having trouble saying what is really on his mind. He takes a deep breath. And then the look on his face regains composure. “Test Subject is attempting to distract me, experimentation would continue but it appears that conditioning is no longer having any affect. Termination of the Experiment is in order.” He says as his hand picks up a scalpel. “This Will be rather messy. But it must be done.” The scalpel cuts into his wrist and there is a splattering of blood before the screen turns off. The girl with the red hair and sharp teeth replaces it. She smiles a sharp sharp toothed smile. “Feeling a bit down there ..ma precious?” She says looking at me with glittering yellowish eyes. Her southern accent is thicker and kinda reminds me of horror stories that are passed around the Appalachians. “Ah would be if ah where were ya are. Ponies are herbivores.. and ah,” She picks something out of her teeth. “Ah likes ma meat. Ah hope ya can go without...” She looks at me in a faux display of sympathy. “Don’t let those others get ya down ma Precious...Ah’m sure that our love story wasn’t that tragic. Ah’m sure it was for the best.” She looks at her sharp claw like fingernails. “It’s not like ya left me for some married Tart.” “A-a-mber..” I start out. I get the idea of where this is going. They are going to ditch me here. They are going to leave me here. Why am I analyzing this so? Why am I thinking about these things in such a cold detached manner? Am I really that horrible of a person? The sight of each of these people once brought a bubble of different emotions, now I am feeling horrified at the thought of just being abandoned here and am resorting to bargaining. “I just...I just want to go home...” I say pressing a hoof against the wall. Looking at it once again just reminds me. It’s always reminding me that I am no longer human and it’s putting me on the verge of tears, so again I look away. “Awwww, Shhhh, don’t cry Ma Precious...See...Unlike all those others, Ah could take ya home. Just like that.” She snaps her fingers and then holds up her hand to show me a small thin blue cord tethered to her wrist. “See this? All Ah have to do is yank on this, and ya wake up from Oz, Dorothy. Then Ah can take ya home, hide ya away and no..pony would be, ta wizer.” I blink, is she messing with me? The horrible face on the screen looks like it would be the kind of being that would do that. But she looks rather serious. “Y-you would do that?” I ask half hoping. “Ya bet yar sweet little pony ass ah would Ma Precious.” She says smiling sweetly. She really would, this isn’t some fae nightmare I am talking to. It’s Amber. Amber loved me, Amber.. still loves me.. I wait a little with bated breath. “Ah Would, But Ah’m not guna. Ya done and gone and hurt me Ma Precious. An we ain’t gunna have any of that.” She says, her expression does not change a hair as she quickly bites down on her wrist. The last thing I see before my hopes are shattered is blood and the thin blue cord being severed. The screen goes blank. My face twitches involuntarily. She dangled the hope of being back home right in front of my eyes and bit its face off. But now I know how I could possibly get back home. There are three screens left. I still have a chance. Right, Ignore that feeling of just to bursting into tears and running off crying into a dark corner. Steel yourself Anthony. You can do this.. But then I see her face. She is as beautiful as I remember her in high school, even if she looks different. Perhaps this reflection adds a bit more beauty to her seeming. Her hair is raven black and a bit long, her face is pale and white like a flower, with rosy cheeks, there are little black streams of mascara marring her face and she seems to be dressed in some vintage Victorian dress that looks dark blue. Wait.. maybe not blue but another colour like blue...not quite purple.. indigo. Indigo velvet. But it’s her eyes that are hurting me the most. I can see the pain in them. Did I hurt her that badly that she would push vengeance on a high school grudge after this long? “S-s-Sabrina...” I choke out. “Please...Y-y-you don’t have to do this!” There is a moment of silence before she speaks. Like Dave, I can hardly hear her. “Yes I do. I am oath bound to my queen. I have no choice.” She holds up what appears to be an envelope opener. She apparently just wants to get it out of the way. “B-But you! You of all p-p-p-poooonii! I-I mean…but...you?” Damn it! What the hell? I am not stuttering because of my crying. I am stuttering because I am trying to use a word and something isn’t letting me. Why can’t I say something as simple as ‘people’?! “I thought you said that you put it behind you. We were just teenagers and I was emotionally immature!” I sigh and rub my face. She pauses. She doesn’t look at me but for the moment she isn’t going to cut the cord. “They needed nine for their council. I am connected to you but I am bound by My Queen as I have taken an oath to her. If I do not follow through it will mean my death and her wrath Anthony.” She finally looks at me. “However. You are clever. If there is a way to adapt to this world you are in now, a place where you can belong, or even away back to this world. You will find it. You can over come the challenges you will face with ingenuity and compassion. You are after all, an inkwell of creativity.” After abusive jabs being thrown my way, I am left speechless at her words of encouragement. “Good bye Anthony.” She says, her gaze and letter opener coming down. “SABRINA!” I pound on the wall.. Two screens remain. “For a Slaugh, she was quite the talker wasn’t she my sweet.” Chimes a musical voice. A thin face takes her turn on the screen. I don’t recognize her thin face, her deep hazel eyes that lay behind wire frame glasses, her golden hair from which two pointed elfin ears peek out from. But her voice. I remember that voice trickling into my ears for months. I bought phone card after phone card just to talk with her. She looks at me casually. “Hello Love.” She says. “You know, if you had just been able to get your arse over the pond, you wouldn’t be in this mess.” I am looking down. I don’t know what to say. After Sabrina cut me off, I feel numb. Not that I could say anything to Bethany. “What? No pleasant chat? No promises to see me ‘one of these days’? No trying to pull at my heart strings?” I don’t reply. I know what is coming. I can’t stop her from doing anything, she’s over there and I am over here. “Fine Then.” She picks up a knife. “I thought we could have a fling or at least a nice conversation one last time. But that’s not happening. Just like everything else you promised.” “Bethany wa-” But everything is cut short as her screen turns black. There is one screen left. On it is a twelve year old puppy dog girl. And right now I haven’t been more frightened of young girls or puppies. She is playing with that little pony figure still. She looks up and smiles at me. “Oh hi! Sooooo how are you doing?” She asks. “How do you think I’m doing Kylie?” I ask bitterly. “I don’t know, let’s ask and see.” She has the little figure walk to the middle of the screen. “So A-N-T-H-O-N-Y, how are you doing?” “Oh I’m just terrible Kylie! I can’t have any stable relationships, my love Life is ka-put, I got transported to an alternate universe where I am now not only a pony but a girl pony!” says the toy pony. “And I might be stuck here forever too! But what’s this!?” Kylie has the pony pick up a silvery white cord that is attached to her wrist. “Oh Kylie! All you have to do is pull it and I can go home! Will you do that even if I am an undeserving wretch of a human being?” “Kylie...Please stop that...” I ask her trying to assert myself. “Hmmm No, I will not stop that A-N-T-H-O-N.” She says. “Come on K-Y-L-I-E, it’s not very nice to throw salt in pon-...in others wounds...” I say sadly. “Kinda how it’s not nice to tell others what to do A-N-T-H-O?” She asks. “I was an adult Kylie. I might not have been your father, but I was trying to help you out...really I was..” I try to explain, It doesn’t sound too genuine due to the fact that I am still sniffling. “An Adult...and you solved your problems in an adult manner too, A-N-T-H, I should follow your example and run away from things.” She says a wide smile on her face. She proceeds to take out a candle and sets it upright. “I didn’t run from your mother! I tried to help her!” “Yes, our couch needed a lot of laying on. And our dishes needed a lot of not doing, and I think that my dad’s social anxiety skills and my mom’s stressing skills had room for improvement too, A-N-T..” She then takes out what looks like a metal stamp of some kind. I blink..something is wrong but I can’t place what it is. “Kylie, didn’t we have fun?” I ask, the desperation apparent in my voice. “I taught you things! Fun things! What the planets were, what the stars were, even some math! I bought you lots of different snacks and even a computer!” The puppy dog girl looks up twiddling the little metal stamp in her hands. “Oh yes, we did have fun. A-N, like when you would push me around..” “I never Pushed you around!” I protest. “Or when you told me what to do...” “It was for your own good! You had to do your homework and things like eat! How was it my fault you wouldn’t wake up when I got food for all of us?!” I shouted slamming my hooves on the ground in frustration. “Or how you nearly destroyed my family. My mom going to the hospital, that was really helping, A?” She asks me. I feel a wash of panic hit me. I’m not sure why but now I am more scared than I was a few seconds ago. “P-p-please. Kylie...Just pull the string and send me home. I promise never to bother you, or push you around. I’ll do like I told your father Dave. I’ll go to Canada! You’ll never see me again.” I beg. She looks up at me while lighting the candle. “Tell you what...” She starts. “I’ll pull you back...If...” “If?” I look at her hopefully. She sticks the metal stamp in the candle flame. “If you can tell me your name.” She says. I look at her taken aghast. “That’s all?” I ask. “I tell you my name and I can go home?” She smiles a large puppy dog smile, smoke curls above the candle flame. “Yup Yup!” She replies. “I mean come on, is this the face of a pooka that would lie to you?” I take a deep breath. All will be well, I’ll go back home, and in a few moments I’ll have my hands and my gender back. Yes. All I have to do is tell her my name. “Right.” I take a deep breath. “My name is …” I blink. I’m drawing a blank. “Um...My name is...” She looks at me holding the red hot stamp. “Yes....?” "That was j-j-just a practice..." I push myself and close my eyes. "My name is... "What? Who?" Kylie says in a bemused manner. “MY. NAME. IS....” What the hell...I should know my own name It wasn’t told to me but a few moments ago! Something is wrong! “I’m waaaaaiting...” She says. Then it hits me like a ton of bricks. “...Why were you dropping letters in my name?” I ask. She puts the stamp under the flame again. “Oh, that little thing? You are just catching on to that little thing? Oh that was nothing, it’s not like I was stealing your name or anything...” I feel a hard panic grip me. “Y-you stole my name?” I squeak. “You Stole My Name?!” “Oh you wouldn’t have missed it any way...” She says pondering the candle flame. I charge at the screen, but it only zips away from me. “ You Stole My Name! Give it back!” My name was the only thing left they could really take from me. Plus there is what a fae being could do with ones’ name. Legends tell that if you have a fairies name, you could command it to do three favors, but if the fairy has your name...You’re screwed. They could warp you to their will. They could enslave you for fifty years, dance like a puppet or even worse.. “Give what back?” She asks innocently, the screen retreating against a wall. “The Name! MY Name!” I shout lividly. “Pffffffft. You’re a pony without a name?” She giggles at my frustration. “Give Me The Name!” I scream, pounding my hooves on the wall. She looks amused..That is never a good sign. I cover my mouth. That is the worst possible thing ever. I said something wrong in that. Something that she can use. She picks up the little pony figurine. “We can’t have a pony walking around the great land of Equestria without a name. Even the background ponies have names...” She starts. “Wait...what are you...” I start to ask putting my hoof up in a failing attempt to stop whatever she is about to do. “We better give you a name then..” She picks up the red hot metal stamp. “That’s really hot, Kylie...somep-p-ony could hurt themselves...” “And I got just the one too. Describes you perfectly, I’ll spell it out for you so that you will never forget it. H-E-A-R-T-B-R-E-A-K. Heartbreak. And don’t worry...Heart-Break. I’m not going to feel a thing..” And with that she presses it to the flank of the little pony. I dive at the wall and at the screen. I don’t know what she is doing but quickly I find out. As the little bit of pony shaped plastic burns, I can feel a searing pain forming in the same place on my flank. “AAAAAAAH!” Looking back I see twin curls of smoke rising off either side of my butt. And on the near center of my flank a symbol is forming. It starts as a darkened patch of fur, but quickly grows into a stylized heart shape with a large menacing crack down the middle. “Please! Stop! It burns!” I plead. She plucks the brand away from the little figurine. “All done Heartbreak.” She says giggling. I am breathing heavily, I feel like I have cried so much that I can’t cry any more, instead a steady stream of hiccups follows. “M-my n-n-name isn’t H-h-heartbreak!” I say insistently. “Of course your name isn’t H-h-heartbreak.” She picks up what looks like a bone white makeshift knife. “It’s Heartbreak.” “My Name Isn’t Heartbreak.” I say quietly. She runs the knife along the silvery white thread. “What’s that?” I push myself up, my anger is starting to rekindle itself. “M-my. Name. I-it Isn’t Heartbreak.” I say trying to reaffirm what I said. “I’m sorry Heartbreak. But dad says it’s time to put away my toys. Toys like my little ponies named Heartbreak.” She lifts the thread up with the knife and then has it follow back down the path to where it ties to her wrist. “So, I’m sorry Heartbreak, but it looks like I won’t be able to play with you anymore.” I pound my hoofs at the screen only to find that they pass harmlessly through it. “MY Name Isn’t Heartbreak!” I scream as my vision clouds red. “Bye Heartbreak. Have a nice life...” She grins widely and then flicks her knife against her wrist, cutting it and the white cord. “Heartbreak.” “NO! My Name Isn’t Heartbreak!” I keep pounding on the wall. “MY Name Isn’t Heartbreak!” But the screen has dissipated away. “No! My Name isn’t Heartbreak!” The lights flicker back on and suddenly the door behind me bursts open. A quartet of ponies are standing there. “Ah hope that Twi’ can forgive me for wrecking her door...” Says an orange pony with blonde hair and green eyes. Rarity enters the room. “So, Heartbreak is it? Well now that we have a name,we’ll have no more of this fuss Heartbreak!” Every mention of that name just stokes my anger, my frustration, the burning pain of the brand on my ass. “AAAAARGH!” I bellow out rearing up, my nostrils flaring. “MY NAME ISN’T HEARTBREAK!” I charge at Rarity. “Eeek!” She reacts and using her magic grabs a thin blanket. Quicker than I can react, she wraps me up in said blanket. I struggle and kick trying to free myself. She regains her composure. “Right then Heartbreak. Please do calm down. I’ve promised Twilight that I wouldn’t take you to the hospital. Please don’t make me regret or break that promise.” She walks up to me. “Do you understand Heartbreak?” I am infuriated. And she is close enough for me to headbutt. So I take a chance and do so. There is a light pain that happens when our heads make contact. But that’s alright, it’s enough to knock her off her concentration. “MY. NAME. IS. NOT. HEARTBREAK!” I shout ripping and breaking out of the loosened confines. I rear up, I am seeing nothing but red right now.. They are about to come down on Rarity when I feel them bound back together. “WhaaaAAA!?” There is a lasso binding my two front hooves together. I can’t break free, and before I can even try, I feel tugged down to my right side. I scream as bumps and bruises are re-awoken. There is a flash of orange and then I find myself fully hogtied. I can’t do anything now, well anything but scream. “AAAAH! AHHHHHH!” “Well Golly! She can raise quite the fuss there then now, can’t she?” Applejack looks back at Rarity. “Rarity hun are you alright?” “Yes...thank you for taking care of that...Brute Heartbreak for me..” She replies. “AAAH! My Name Isn’t Heartbreak!” I insist. AJ looks back at Rarity. “What?” She asks. “If ya can’t tell, Ah don’t think she likes to be called that sugarcube.” Applejack explains while I struggle and scream. She walks over to me. “Now, if you’re a good little filly, ah just might untie ya and we can git this whole mess sorted out, alright?” She asks me. I try to bellow out once more, but all that comes out is a low groan. Then something happens. I realize that I am incredibly tired. Did I hit my head so hard on Rarity’s that I gave myself a concussion? No...there isn’t ...pain.. but I feel just...so sleepy. “Apple...jack...” I start out. “My...n-n-name.. isn’t…isn’t...Heartbreak...” Darkness sweeps over me and I pass out. Applejack looked at the strange pony that she had just tied down. “Oh my, Applejack did you knock her out?” Fluttershy asked. “She isn’t...”Rarity saw the rise and fall of Heartbreaks’ rib cage. “Oh good. I was afraid that she was dead.” “No...She just passed out like that. Doesn’t that beat all..” She looked at her friends adjusting her hat.. “So Applejack, do you know her? Cause if you do I can start planning the party for her arrival in Ponyville!” Pinkie said bouncing. “What? Ah haven’t seen this pony in ma life.” She replied. “Then how did she know your name?” Fluttershy asked. “Ah figured that one of ya’ll made mention of me.” Applejack said. The three others shook their heads. “However, you’re not the only pony whom she has recognized as soon as they walked into the door. Apparently she knew all our names, and even recalled the time Rainbow Dash won the Best Flyer competition. In startling Detail.” Rarity explained. “Weird. And then she gone an passed out faster Rainbow Dash in Cider Season.” She said. “So … All our names?” “Yeah! Even mine!” Spike said coming in from out of the hall. “That there’s spooky..” Applejack said inspecting Heartbreaks head. “She don’t look like she got any bruises on her head. My guess is that she was just plum tired.” “Hopefully when she wakes up she’ll be out of the Anger stage and into Bargaining.” Spike commented looking over the book Twilight had given him. “Say what?” Applejack asked. “Twilight believes that some traumatic event happened to our little .. Heartbreak here.” Rarity explained. “And now she has to go through the five states of grief.” Fluttershy said. Applejack looked confused. “Five stages?” “Pleeeease, there are Six stages of grief!” Pinkie Pie beamed. “First there’s Denial, ‘This can’t possibly be happening!’ .” She raised a hoof, “Then Anger, ‘Grrrr! I am Really Mad that This is happening!” She raised another hoof. “Then Bargaining, ‘Somepony please stop this from happening!’” Another hoof went up. “Then Depression, ‘I’m sad that this happening....’” Another hoof went up. “And finally Acceptance! ‘Well...I guess I’m ok with this happening..’ But if you ask me they are forgetting the very last stage!” Rarity rolled her eyes. “Right, and what would that be Pinkie Darling?” Pinkie put all her hooves down. “Why a Party of Course!” She said throwing some colourful confetti and blowing on a party favor. “Pinkie..” Fluttershy started. “Maybe we should be a bit quieter. If Heartbreak is angry, she might be even angrier if she’s woken up by a loud noise..” Applejack sighed. She had chores to do, but when Fluttershy had zipped over to Sweet Apple Acres needing help busting down a door, she had no idea about all of this... “Right.. So we know what her name Possibly is..” Applejack started. “No, We know what her name is. Heartbreak.” Rarity corrected. “Now Sugar, we don’t know that for sure. After all she did raise a fuss and fight when you started calling her that.” Applejack said glowering at Rarity. “Hmph, I told you that was hearing voices from the other side of the door before you kicked it in Applejack. One of them clearly said that her name was Heartbreak.” Rarity insisted. Applejack sided. “Right, ok, still, Her name for what we know now is Heartbreak. But no pony here knows her, where’s she’s from or anything about her?” The others shook their heads. “The only thing that Twilight and I know is that she crashed through our window after falling from Cloudsdale.” Spike said looking up from the book. “Now how in tarnation did she get all the way up there? Better yet, how in the name of Celestia did she even survive that fall?” Applejack asked. Spike shrugged. “That’s what Twilight and Rainbow Dash are trying to find out right now...”
What Dreams May ComeChapter Eight What Dreams May Come. Twilight Sparkle looked out over the sleeping Equestria from her balloon. The stars glittered like diamonds and the moon was starting to swing low in the sky. She sighed as the balloon accented to the altitude that Cloudsdale was at. The city made of clouds and rainbows glittered and glowed in the distance. The past five hours had been..eventful to say the least. Like Spike had said: “It’s one thing to have strange ponies falling out of the sky. It’s another to have them fall out of the sky and know your name, let alone your friends names.” Rainbow Dash had fallen through her window on more than one occasion, leading Twilight to become a regular customer to one of the locals that made windows for Ponyville. There was so much about the pony that currently was set about on breaking the library windows that had Twilight confused. What was her name? How did she survive a fall from Cloudsdale? How did she get up there in the first place? And how did she know so much about Twilight and her friends? Wait... Did she even have a cutie mark? She tapped her chin and then her head in frustration. It didn’t help matters that the mystery pony wasn’t willing to give up too much information. What had ever happened to her had her must have been particularly traumatic, she seemed to be completely disoriented. She didn’t know where she was, who she was, or even the fact that she was a pony! “And yet she could clearly recall details of an event that she wasn’t even at. Makes me wonder what else she knows...Ugh. None of this makes any sense.” She said out loud and leaning over the edge of the balloons’ basket. “I just hope Spike is having more luck with her than I did.” Rainbow Dash zoomed up next to the balloon. “Alright, Fluttershy should be arriving at the Library shortly.” She looked at Twilight whiles slowing down. Hot air balloons weren’t the most expedient form of travel, but without wings they’d do. “You want that I go ahead and let security know that you’re coming?” “Actually I would rather you get me to Cloudsdale as quickly as you can.” She tossed Rainbow Dash a rope that was tied off to the basket of the balloon. “Magic this strong might leave a trail, but it’s still magic never the less and can be rather fickle. A trail can grow cold making tracking it back to its source almost impossible.” Rainbow Dash grabbed the rope rolling her eyes. From position of authority to pulling balloons. “How the mighty have fallen.” She thought looping the rope around her middle. “So.” She said starting to slowly tug on the balloon. “Got any ideas about the mystery pony?” “I was about to ask you the same thing.” Twilight responded. “I mean you were there when she arrived.” “Technically I was in the Cloudsdale Monitoring Room. By the time she got to you, I was discovering the hole she left in the floor.” Dash said picking up some speed. “Great, that means that you weren’t there when she teleported into the room. Which means that you can’t tell me too much about what happened.” She sighed. It was a shame that none of this could wait till morning. The shock of all this had finally given rise to the fact that she had been woken up in the middle of the night. “Well...I could tell you one or two things.” She grunted pulling on the balloon. The thing wasn’t exactly aerodynamic and had a hard drag on it. But if Fluttershy could pull this thing, so could she. “But I think that we should wait till we get to Cloudsdale.” “Alright, You don’t mind if I take a nap do you Dash?” Twilight asked in a half pleading and tired manner. Rainbow Dash sighed. Over these four days on security detail she had kinda forgotten that the rest of Equestria was passed out at this time. “Go right ahead. I’ll wake you when we get there.” Rainbow Dash replied. Twilight didn’t respond. She was already softly snoring a bit. Rainbow Dash smiled and chuckled. “I missed you too.” Said a voice to Twilights’ right. Twilight blinked her eyes. She found herself laying on her back on something warm and soft. She was in a bedroom of sorts. And she was laying on a bed. “Where am I?” She thought. The room smelled like burnt vanilla and some other fragrance she couldn’t place. “Huh?” She asked looking to her right. She was met face to face with a most curious creature. They lacked any fur save for eyebrows and a mane that grew all over the top of their heads. Their ears were barely noticeable and their eyes were set forward in their face. They were clothed from shoulder down. They reached forward with an almost graceful looking multidigited limb and touched Twilights’ face. Whatever this creature was, it seemed to mean no ill will and looked almost mare-like. With shadowy eyes, delicate lips and high musical voice, she was clearly female. It felt nice that she was touching her face. It felt right. But there there was an underlying sadness to this all. As if something beautiful was dying. Twilight closed her eyes and suddenly felt things shift. “And using this method you can clearly improve your gaming experience.” A colt’s voice said. She opened her eyes, she wasn’t in the warm and safe bedroom anymore. Now she was seated at a table in what looked like an office room. In front of her there were many more of those same creatures. There was a strange sameness about them. Each had a mane that only seemed to be atop their heads. She could make out more details of their faces, they didn’t have muzzles but a beaky thing with two nostrils protruded from their otherwise flat faces. Various forms of strange clothing adorned them. “Are there any questions?” A voice from behind her asked. One or two of them raise a limb. With appendages like these they almost looked like a monkey of some kind. Opposable thumbs were a clearly primate trait. Her hoof moved and a small metallic ringing sound was heard. She looked down to find that there was a bit sized medallion of some kind hanging on a rather braided necklace. Holding it up she could see that it was a shining silver of some kind. On one side there was stamped a strange face of some kind, one that looked like it was made of leaves. With its unblinking eyes, it was rather creepy. She couldn’t make out the other side. That’s when the girl she had just been laying in bed walked up to her across the table.She was looking at the medallion with intent eyes. Like it belonged to her. There was a feeling of apprehension, shame and fear. She slid it to her across the table. “Here you go.” Twilight said. Her voice sounded detached and void of the emotion that was invoked just moments before.The girl squeed and thanked her in an all together too happy manner. Then she left... A wave of sadness crept over Twilight. Though she didn’t have any idea why.. “Twilight...Twilight...TWILIGHT!” “Bwah!” She gasped and woke up breathing heavily. Her heart was pounding and the world blurred back into focus. “Whoa. You must have been really tired.” Rainbow Dash said. “Heh. Sorry, but we’re here.” Twilight and Rainbow Dash trotted down the halls of Cloudsdale’s various factory rooms. “It was the strangest dream I’ve ever had Rainbow Dash. Well one of the strangest.” Twilight said. A dusty brown security pony looked at the two of them. “Cloudsdale Security.” Rainbow Dash said holding up her ID. “Right, Strange monkeys with no fur and one of them had a crush on you. Cloudsdale Security.” “But that’s the thing, While I was me, it was like I wasn’t me. It was just really...Weird.” She said in a rather detached manner. “Dreams are like that Twilight. Cloudsdale Security.” “I guess so...I just wonder if it had to do with our mystery pony..” Twilight turned the corner only to find herself in a head-on collision with some pony who had his head buried in a book. “Ah!” They both screamed as they were both knocked down. “Twilight?!” Rainbow Dash rushed over and helped her friend up. “Geeeze are you alright?” “Um yeah...I guess I took a wrong turn there...” Twilight responded. Rainbow Dash looked up, her face twisted in a furrowed snarl. “Cloudsdale Security! Hey Clut-” She suddenly stopped mid sentence as she recognized who Twilight just crashed into. “Gremlin?” The lime green pegasus eyes bobbled behind his thick taped glasses. He shook his head to clear out the dizziness of the collision. “Whoa.. Ouch” He said in a rather nerdy and nasally voice. “Oh hey RD! You came back, I was worried with Security Pony Dan was messing with you.” Rainbow looked up at Gremlin. “Messing with me?” She asked. “Oh yeah, he plays this joke on the new workers, sometime when they are just starting, he’ll tell them that if they don’t finish some bit of paper work or find some non-existent tool, they can’t clock out, and if they go over the time that they are to clock out, it starts to eat at their time.” He snorts. “Then they get into a flying frenzy about things without knowing that they if they don’t clock out in like fifteen minutes, the front desk clocks them out and puts a mark on their performance sheet. You then have like two days to contest the mark, most of the time it is easily removed, but most newbies don’t know anything about the system...” He explains. “Wait...You mean I did all that worrying cause some jerkface security guard enjoys playing pranks on the newbies?” Rainbow Dash asked. Gremlin sighs. “Yup. Sounds like he got you too...Horse Feathers. Looks like I owe Dust Storm twenty bits...” “You sound like you know all this from experience.” Twilight said with a puzzled look on her face. A number of books had been spilt on the floor. “Here let me help you with those...” “Oh thank you. Um yes. When I first started I spent an entire month looking for “Bulkhead Remover”.” Gremlin said with a slight blush on his face. “I kept asking other pegasi about it but they only laughed and brushed me off, finally somepony was kind enough to explain it to me...Boy did I ever have egg on my face, M-haaven!” Rainbow Dash lifted her hoof and opened her mouth. Moments later her hoof dropped and her mouth closed. Her mouth finally reopened. “I don’t know whether to be angry or impressed that a pony other than Pinkie Pie out pranked me. Then again, that was a pretty mean prank.” She finally said. “I’ll say..” Twilight responded lifting the books with her magic. A few titles caught her interest. “Unweaving the Rainbow, Advanced Quantum Chromodynamics, Daring Do and the Winds of Change, Instruction Manual for the TI-9000 Weather Monitoring system.” “Wow, some of these are pretty heavy reading for a pony as young as yourself...Gremlin was it?” Twilight asked. “Weeeeell...When you don’t have much to do because not much in your skill field breaks down and then you have ooodles of time on your hooves...You have to fill it with something...” He looked at Twilight. “Um Rainbow, She’s not the unicorn that teleported up here is she?” Rainbow snickered. “What? No, Twilight is smarter than that.” Twilight smiled and offered him a hoof and introduced herself. “Thank you Rainbow Dash. Twilight. Twilight Sparkle.” “Gremlin.” He responded shaking her hoof. “Then what happened?” “Um, well that’s kinda complicated.” Rainbow asked as she nudged Twilight to start following her. “Oh Do tell! Cause really I am very interested to know.” He said. “Well.. When I finally found who dove out of the Rainbow Vat, It turned out to be an earth pony! She apparently doesn’t know how she got there.either” Rainbow explained. “Ooo ! A Mystery on top of a Mystery!” Gremlin exclaimed. “What do you mean?” Twilight asked. “Well you see -mmheem- When I went to check RD’s machine, it turned out that there wasn’t a thing wrong with it. Every diagnostic checked out right. No problems whatsoever!” He replied. “That fits with what we think happened. Somehow, somepony with very strong magic Teleported our mystery pony into one of the rainbow vats. From there without any protection she fell from Cloudsdale and crashed into my window..” Twilight explained as they walked. “Oh Look!” Rainbow Dash interjected, “We’re here! At the Rainbow Room! Soo Gremlin...” “Well that is a valid theory to be sure but there is one flaw in it all...” He said. Twilight looked a bit worried. “Really?” “Well yeah.” He opened up the door to the Rainbow room. “Here let me show you.” Rainbow Dash smacked her face. “Ugh! More Egghead talk! They are going to be at it for hours on end!” The three ponies entered the room. “MmmmAaaas you can see,” Gremlin started out. “Oh wait. I need my thinking cap...” Using his wing he lifted the flap to his side saddle bag, Rainbow Dash almost rolled her eyes until Gremlin pulled out a brown Stetson fedora. She zipped past Twilight and admired the cap now fitted atop Gremlins’ ginger mane. “Is That...” She began. “Yup! Collectors’ edition one of a kind Stetson!” He adjusted it and pushed up his glasses. “There, Just like Daring Do and the Mystery-” “Of the Sky Blues!” Rainbow Dash said squeeing like a little school filly. Twilight rolled her eyes. “So Gremlin, you were saying?” “Right!” he trotted over to a discolored patch of floor. “You see, after RD’s shift ended, the next shift took over, seeing that the hole that was left from our mystery pony falling through is a -eeehm- Haazard, they filled it in. I asked them if they would be kind enough to use a bit of newer cloud cover.” “That way you could tell the difference between the old floor and where the hole was originally?” Twilight asked. “Precisely!” He swept a hoof forward. “Now as you can see we have Rainbow Vat C-3. This is as far as I can tell the point of origin that our assailant was dropped into. This seems all nice neat and tidy right?” He asked. Twilight put her hoof up and was about to speak. “Wrong!” He said standing on his hind hoofs and pointing upward. “For you see, there is a good fifty paces from the tank! If we are assuming that she was -mwaaa- teleported above about the middle of the tank, or anywhere in the tank, stumbled over the side, the most she could could even hope to get would be four to five paces, six if somehow she was able to push herself forward!” Twilight looked thoughtfully.. “Yes. But she made it all the way to fifty paces. That would have to mean that she was being propelled out of the tank...” “Exactly! But this causes another conundrum of sorts -Mhaven!-” He started to flap his wings and flew rather clumsily up the side of the tank. “You see...Oh wait.. Um you can’t fly...Hummm. Oh!” He pointed to a ladder on the side of the tank. “If you can um climb up here I’ll show you...” Twilight groaned. It took awhile but eventually she had made it up and to the lip of the tank. “Whew! These things are big.” She said holding on to the lip and looking at the surface of the rainbow liquid. “Right, As I was saying.” He pushed his glasses up. “Pure rainbow fluid needs to be kept at a constant temperature and not jostled around too much, there are some very volatile magical components to this stuff. Too much agitation can cause it to swirl together and if it is too hot, well again big melted mess.” He pointed at the surface of the liquid. “Now, if your mystery pony had fallen in here, it would have made a particular pattern on the surface here. A Splash pattern colours would be everywhere, then she would have to maintain her buoyancy. Not too easy seeing that this stuff has a variable density.” Rainbow Dash sighed. Sure Gremlin was wearing the hat, but really, under it all, this was still Gremlin. Gremlin was more of an egghead than Twilight, she was amazed that he was a pegasus. “But isn’t that a splash pattern there?” Twilight asked. “Well, yes and No.” He pointed at the middle of pool. “See, it’s like the difference between a cannon ball and a swan dive. But in this case it is neither. According to what I have been researching, This particular splash pattern would be made if our particular pony was a dolphin! She would be breaching the surface of the liquid here.” He pointed out an arc following back to where the filled hole was. “And was propelled all the way over there.” “Where she fell through the clouds and into my window. Interesting. That would mean the vat itself was the point of origin?” Twilight asked. Gremlin nodded his head smiling. “How is that even possible?” Twilight asked. “Haven’t a clue. It’s just like gravity. I can explain how gravity works, just not were it comes from. I know all things have it, but I don’t know what if anything makes it.” Gremlin said. Twilight mulled all this over in her head. Nothing about any of this made any sense. “Wait. Are any of the components of liquid rainbow highly magical in nature?” She asked. Gremlin nodded his head and was about to speak when Rainbow Dash flew up to the top of the vat and looked down on him. “Um. Yes.” He cowered at Rainbow Dashes glower. “But most of them are Highly Classified. Even I am not allowed to know every single ingredient that goes into making the rainbows.” Twilight looked at Rainbow Dash. “I’m sorry Twi’ but like Gremlin said. Highly classified.” She took out a pair of shades and put them on. “I just wanted to know if they are highly magical Dash. I don’t need to know anything more. Eeesh.” Twilight blinked. “But If they are highly magical in nature, that might give a bit of weight to an idea I have...” Dash peered over her glasses. “Oh?” “Yes.” She looked thoughtful. “It’s a long stretch but what hasn’t been in this situation? However as Fetlock Homes said ‘If you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, Must be be the truth.”” Rainbow Dash and Gremlin looked at Twilight in a rather strange manner. “Who?” Rainbow Dash asked. “What? Nopony here other than me knows who Fetlock Homes is!?” She asked. “Oh I know who Fetlock Homes is, but that reference is so last season!” He said. Twilight grumped. “Right, So my thought in all this, our mystery pony here might have been muttering a lot of non-sense when we got to her, but one thing stands out. She claims not to be of this universe.”
The Rainbow BridgeChapter Nine The Rainbow Bridge Rainbow Dash looked at Twilight questioningly. “Don’t tell me you buy into that spazzoid’s story about being from another Universe!” She exclaimed. “Another Uni-verse? Um excuse me, but that sounds hiiighly Im-” Gremlin began. “Improbable. Yes. I know, but hear me out.” Twilight began. “I don’t know what all goes into a rainbow, however, I do know that in order to make a rainbow arch like pegasi do, you have to connect to particular points almost simultaneously, I know this cause I have seen rainbows being put together.” Rainbow Dash eyed Twilight. “Right and that has to do with any of this how?” “There is an idea in the field of quantum magical physics known as a Rainbow Bridge. Basically it is like instantaneous travel between two points using a rainbow.” She explained. Rainbow Dash looked at her blankly. “Ugh...”She sighed “Right, Let’s say that you have a Rainbow that’s set up. With enough speed you propel yourself at the starting point of the rainbow. If you were going at the right speed, you would hit the rainbows beginning and then be instantly transported to the rainbows’ end. In a way you would be traveling ‘in’ the light.” Rainbow Dash looked thoughtful. “Wait wait.. What were to happen if I were say performing a sonic rainboom at the beginning of the rainbow?” She asked. “Um...hard to say...but if it were as instantaneous as predicted, you would ‘rainboom’ at one side, come out the other end ‘rainbooming’ and continue on your way?” Twilight said in a guessing manner. Some of that sounded like nothing but sciencey egghead mumbo- jumbo...But the idea of going fast enough to make a sonic rainboom whiles hitting one end of a rainbow and then coming out the other end making another sonic rainboom? That sounded doubly awesome. “Is that even possible Gremlin?” She asked. “Theoretically that’s possible..”Gremlin replied. “But the amount of energy just to produce such an event would nearly shatter the rainbow upon either exit, if you were lucky, or worse upon entry! And there’s no telling what would happen to you if you didn’t come out the other end!” “And that’s bad...” Rainbow Dash said her ears drooping in a worried way. “And that’s just the energy it would take using it here!” Gremlin continued mulling it over in his head. “The energy it would take just to transverse to another universe?! That would be almost the same as what was unleashed in the Big Boom!” “Aaaalright, and now I am kinda lost.” Rainbow Dash said as she rubbed her temples. “Gremlin is just saying that it would take even more energy than even a hundred Rainbow Dash clones could muster.” Twilight said. “However that doesn’t make it impossible, it just makes it highly unlikely and extremely difficult. But if that much magical energy was used in such an event, it might still leave a magical imprinting on the vat itself.” She looked at Rainbow Dash and Gremlin. “Would it be possible for me to scan the liquid rainbow here without setting it off using my magic?” “I’m not too sure that’s a good idea..” Gremlin began. “I think she could do it.” Rainbow Dash interjected. “But RD, there’s a lot of things that could go wrong...” Gremlin said worried like. “Yeah, and if Twilight is right and something like that happened, it would contaminate this entire batch of rainbow liquid wouldn’t it? Some pony would try to use it and the rainbows would come out distorted, or runny or even might explode. And as cool as all those things sound, the Cloudsdale Security Chain of Command would really frown upon it. It’s better that we find out an entire tank has to be tanked than later on find out that because of our negligence somepony else got hurt.” Rainbow Dash explained. Twilight blinked. “Wow...I have never heard you sound so responsible before Rainbow Dash...” “Well...Yeah...They drilled that into us for the first two days of training. Besides.” She looked over the still surface of the rainbow pond. “I kiiiinda want to see what will happen.” She elbowed Gremlin. “And I’m sure you want to see this mystery solved don’t you Daring Doo-ling?” She put up her hoof. Gremlin thought about it. He had never been part of an actual mystery, let alone one that sounded so...Exciting.. Rules were part and parcel to his life.. He gulped and clapped hooves back with Rainbow Dash. “I might regret this...but I think I might regret not knowing how this all ended even more...” He looked up. “Do it...” Twilight nodded, she looked over the liquid before her and paused. She then lowered her horn and concentrated on a most simple of spells.. Detect Magic. As her horn glowed, the surface of the pool started to move a bit...tiny bubbles started to form and froth...She pushed harder but more bubbles kept forming. Gremlin looked nervous. “RD...” “I know Gremlin. But Twilight is a talented unicorn. She knows what she is doing.” Rainbow Dash replied. Still she couldn’t help but back away a bit. “Nnnnnngh!” Twilight groaned trying to feel for any magical energies. Were they just not there? The harder she toiled, the more the liquid looked like it was about to boil over! And that meant more trouble than this spell was worth. She pushed on just a little more, the rainbow froth now starting to rise up the sides of the vat. “Ugh! There has to be something here!” She grunted. By this time the froth was now near the lip of the vat. “Ugh!” She sighed and lowered her head. “It’s no use...I just can’t find what I’m looking for.. If there was magic here it’s long gone..” Rainbow Dash sighed. Something about this was all together unsatisfying. “I’m sorry Twi’..” She started to climb down the ladder. Her horn tapped against one of the bubbles; it popped, and in a hiss all the bubbles popped en masse. “It’s alright Rainbow Dash, I just thought...” Twilight began. Gremlin looked at the surface of the vat. “Whoa...” Twilight looked confused. “What Gremlin?” She asked. “Um Whoa is right...Twilight you better come up here and see for yourself...” Rainbow Dash said motioning her with a hoof. “Alright...” She climbed back up half expecting them to just prank her over this event. After all that was all bubble and no show. However a strange thing met her gaze when she looked over the surface of the tank now. The rainbow liquid was calm and no longer frothy. But it looked like some sort of strange abstract art piece. Psychedelic colours swirled and created sharp thin needles that turned and twisted in different places. Between them were thin, thin stretches of black. A black that looked to be blacker than any black ink.. As if nothing really was there. The swirling lit-up colours perhaps were what was making what was in the middle of the pond stand out the most. There in the off-centre of the pond, where the points of colour were converging was a negative space. A place that was only defined by the points surrounding it. A vague, pony shaped black spot. Rainbow Dash flew over the vat carefully. “Oh Wow...This is...Just wow...” “What is it?” Twilight asked. “It’s...Hard to describe. There is well...you can kinda see it from there, but there is this pony shape.” She pointed at a few things. “There’s the head, the front hooves...the back hooves and the tail. Though you can’t see these weird points of light surrounding it.” Rainbow Dash looked around. “I need some place high enough for Twilight to see this...” She thought to herself. She spotted a railing and then Zipped over behind Twilight. “Alright. Really, you got to see this.” She said lifting her up the best she could. “Damn Twilight...No offense but Whew!” Rainbow said laying down on the catwalk. Twilight rolled her eyes. “I am not that heavy Rainbow Dash. Eeesh. Now what am I...Oh my...” Around the pony shaped hole there were small circles of light. It looked like there were eight of them surrounding the negative space. A red and violet dot were at what you could call its ‘eyes’, an orange and strange blue-ish-purplish colour pin pointed the ‘ears’, her front hooves had dots of yellow and blue, while her back hooves had green on them. Lastly on her tail there was a white dot. Wait no, Nine. There was a small circle of black at what would be the nose of the ‘pony’. “That is exceptionally beautiful...That’s it. Who ever did this must have had some form of powerful magic.. Magic that I haven’t even seen before...” Twilight said almost mesmerized. Gremlin had landed back on the floor and looked to be taking the long route here as he climbed up the ladder leading to the railing. Rainbow Dash looked up. “Magic that you haven’t seen before? That’s kinda worrisome there Twilight. I mean you are the pony any pony goes to when it comes to anything magic.” “I know, but this isn’t unicorn magic.” She said. “Zebra magic?” Dash asked “Zebras don’t have real magic, what they have is a rather profound understanding of nature and magical things. I mean if we used Zecora as an example for all her people...No..” Twilight couldn’t put her hoof on the magic being presented here. Gremlin finally got up to the cat walk. “Uff...Whoa...Dizzy...Need to lay...Whoa...” He pulled himself up on the railing and blinked. “That’s.amazing.. You think this is what Daring Doo felt when she discovered the Wheel of Time?” He asked. “Maybe..” Rainbow Dash said. “Maybe...So...Twilight...Think that this is our mystery pony’s way back home?” “It very well could be but there’s no telling how long it’ll be...open..” Twilight said. That’s when the surface of the tank rippled. “Whoa, did you see that?” Twilight asked. “Yeah, what do you think it means?” Rainbow Dash asked. “I don’t...” Twilight began, but then the black dot at the tip of the negative pony’s nose disappeared and so did the colour in front of it. Then the red dot followed by the orange one. As they did so, more of the black swallowed up the swirling colours. The yellow and green dots popped away, almost like soap bubbles. The blue, almost indigo and finally violet snapped away. Now the empty blackness that was once just pony shaped had taken over the whole of the surface of the vat. All that was left now was a single white dot that lingered. “What the hay?!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “You saw that right?” “Yes...I don’t know what is going on. But it isn’t good...” Twilight replied. That’s when the white dot was snuffed out of the inky black liquid in the vat. A liquid that was once bright and colourful was now black and sludgy, there was a slight burnt smell to it all.. and within seconds cracks started to form on the surface of the vat. “Oh Gaaawds!” Gremlin said gasping and gagging. “I know that smell. Whatever the magic that was in that tank was doing, it’s now totally cooked the liquid rainbow in it. Ugh! Smells just like when Cumulus wasn’t paying attention to vat A2. Great...we’re going to have to scrap the whole vat there...” Twilight looked down at Gremlin as she turned around. “I am sorry about that Gremlin.” “Bah, wasn’t your fault Miss Sparkle. I mean if you didn’t do what you did, like Rainbow Dash said, we’d be shipping out faulty product. Still...as much as I don’t look forward to having to do the paperwork for all this.. That was an interesting adventure!” He pushed himself up and waggled his hoof. “That it was. Thank Gremlin you were a great deal of help.” Twilight said giving the awkward pony a hug. Quietly in the background Gremlin was really quiet. “Oh Wow...A Mare Actually -Touched- Me!” He thought when it finally sank it. Twilight made her way down back to the floor, and walked out of the rainbow room, with Dash in tow. “Twilight, I know you don’t quite know what that all was about, hey, I don’t know what that was about, But.. I’m just guessing. If that was her way back, It’s now a dead end right?” Rainbow Dash asked in a concerned manner. Twilight nodded. There was a strange sad almost trapped feeling running through her. “Yes Rainbow Dash, I am sure that was her way back.” She looks thoughtful. “If others sent her here, they seem to have abandoned her here too.” “Really? Wow.. um...that really sucks for her...” Rainbow Dash said rubbing the back of her head. She didn’t know what to say about this. Whoever that pony was, she didn’t know her too well, other than she had an awesome recollection of one of the best days of her life ever. But she couldn’t imagine anypony just being abandoned by anypony else...it just was something that you didn’t do... “So what are we going to do now?” She asked. Just then a burst of green flame appeared near Twilight and a scroll dropped out. Twilight unrolled it. “Update from Spike, our mystery pony seems to now have a name and is passed out on the library floor.” Twilight said looking over the letter. “Really? What is it?” Rainbow Dash asked wanting to get her mind off of that sinking feeling she felt after watching one of the most awesome things ever wither and die. “Heartbreak.” She looked at Rainbow Dash as they walked down the hall back to the balloon. “And we’re going to do the one thing that we can do. Well one thing I can think of that we can do.” “And that is?” “There is only one pony in all of Equestria who knows more about magic than I do and who may be the only one powerful enough to help.” She rolled up the scroll and levitated it to the balloons’ basket. “We’re going to have to take this ‘Heartbreak’ to Princess Celestia.”
Learning to WalkChapter 11 Learning to Walk Twilight slid the door to the train door closed behind her. The girls were chatting away ever since this morning about what happened. “I still think that we should have dropped her off at the local mental hospital.” Rarity commented sipping on some tea. “And miss the chance to party like I have never partied before?” Pinkie Pie interjected. “If she is a Spy Pony then we could totally have a Double Hoof Seven theme! And if she’s from another Universe...” “Ah don’t get this ‘from another universe’ thing.” Applejack said. “Ah mean if she’s from another world, why’s she look like a pony?” “Maybe um.. she’s from another world that’s all ponies?” Fluttershy asked. “But then it would be a universe that was exactly like ours Fluttershy!” Pinkie said. “If she was from an other universe, she could totally show me new and unexpected ways to throw parties! Alien parties!” Rainbow Dash groaned and rolled over in her bunk. She had spend at least an hour and a half doing paperwork after Twilight left and just wanted to sleep. Who cared if this Heartbreak was from another universe or from the other side of the world? She was a pony. And that at least entitled her to some rights. “You know what I think? I think that we should have at least untied her after she passed out. Maybe woke her up when we just decided to just kidnap her and drag her tail to Canterlot.” Rainbow Dash said in an annoyed manner before turning back over and putting her head under a pillow. “But hey, that’s just me.” Fluttershy nodded. Rarity looked at Twilight. “I heard screaming and yelling, can we safely assume that ..she’s awake?” Twilight rolled her eyes a bit. “Awake and a little irritated in more than one way. I can’t tell if she is still in the anger stage or if there is a stage called ‘snarky’ that the book didn’t go over. However it is clear that she is far from Ok.” Rarity sipped her tea again. “Well if it is a magical problem, we can just leave her with Celestia and she can handle it right?” “What?” Rainbow Dash turned back over in her bunk. “Just leave her there?” She jumped down from from the bed. “Well, we’re not equipped to deal with ponies who have been driven insane by strange magics.” Rarity responded. Twilight sighed a bit as she walked to Applejack. “Rarity, we aren’t going to just abandon her with the Princess. I promised that I would help her get home if I can. And that’s what I intend on doing.” Twilight turned to Applejack. “It would seem that our strange visitor is experiencing some very normal morning needs. You mind untying her?” “Well um sure Twilight,” AJ replied. “But couldn’t ya just have unfastened her by yerself?” “Well.. Your knots are just so good...”She said gesturing AppleJack to the side. “And I kinda want an honest ponies thoughts on her.” In a rather hushed manner as she opened the door back to the other train cart. “Hey Twi’ I think I’m going to join you. The other cart might have a crazy pony who thinks she’s from an alternate universe, but it’s sure to be quieter.” Rainbow Dash sorta glared at Rarity. Rarity simply drank her tea as the three left. The sensations of being hungry, thirsty and needing to go to the bathroom all at the same time is starting to get to me. As is the fact that I can almost make out the conversation in the other train cart. Sure it sounds like muffled chatting, but something inside of me keeps pushing that they are saying something regarding me. The door slides open. “But I’m sure it’s quieter!” Rainbow Dash says. Twilight and AppleJack enter the room. “Heartbreak, you remember AppleJack right?” Twilight asks me. I fight the urge to automatically snarl at Twilight as she uses that accursed name. “Ah’m sure that she remembers me Twilight.” AppleJack says a rather worried expression flashes on her face. Obviously I failed in my attempts at hiding my emotions. “Right. Calm yourself. Just Calm yourself.” I think. “Yes.. I remember AppleJack. She’s the one who did an excellent job of restraining me when I kinda lost my temper.” I do my best to cover the glower at her, right you can do this. “Thank you for doing a good job of tying me up so that other p-p-ponies didn’t get hurt.” “Crap that sounded like a snide comment rather than an apology.” I think to myself. And it shows. Applejack and Twilight are looking at me like they don’t know what to make of what I just said. “Right, Either of you two mind if I just pass out over here?” Rainbow Dash says, not even waiting for them to answer. “I can’t think of a reason why not.” Twilight replies. Applejack shrugs. “So then, Twilight tells me that yer a might bit hungry and thirsty, Ah don’t know if you know but ah run-” “Sweet Apple Acres.” I say interrupting her. “Where you sell everything that is remotely apple related...” I take a deep breath to calm myself. “I hate to be a bother but did Twilight also tell you about my more immediate needs? Like how I would really, really, really like to know where the bathroom is after you untie me?” Applejack is taken back and looks a little freaked out. I sigh again, the pressure from downstairs is starting to get painful. “Look. My bladder feels like it is going to burst and everything else is crying out for some kind of attention. I admit that my behavior last night.. It wasn’t a good start..” I say trying my best to cross my legs in an attempt to try and avert some kind of accident. “But if I untie ya’d greatly appreciate it?” Applejack says interrupting me. She is smiling sweetly and trying her best to give off an air of understanding. “Very much so, please.” I say. By now I am sure the pressure in my bladder is showing on my face. “Ah’d be happy to obliged.” She says tugging the knot she made around my ankles loose. The pressure removed from that location feels much better. I idly rub the spot where the rope was with one of my hooves. The two of them look at me tensely, I get it now, they’re testing me. Part of me is wanting to get angry with this. To push it, to ask them if this is what they are doing. But this is a very very small part of me. Right now I have more pressing needs. I pull myself over to the ledge of the bed and ducking, I attempt to get out of the bed as I am normally used to. Feet first whiles pushing myself up with my hands. However I momentarily forgot that I don’t have hands, let alone actual feet anymore. “Ah! Whoa...Whoa!” I cry out before I am forced nearly face flat on the ground in a rather painful.. and compromising position. Twilight and Applejack groan as I take my tumble. There is a moment of silence and then the pain clears. “Ooouch...” I push myself up in a rather wobbly manner. “Are you-”Twilight begins. “Bathroom. Where’s..” I say in a low growling manner. Twilight points to the left in the direction of the bathrooms. “There are bathrooms in the adjoining cart, um.. are you going to be alright?” “Yes. I’ll be.. fine...Thank You.” I say before attempting to walk. It isn’t as easy as they made it look on the show... Twilight looked at AppleJack as Heartbreak unsteadily made it to the door leading to the bathroom. She then tried to open the door but was having difficulty. She put her hoof up to it and attempted to slide it open only to find it wasn’t quite working. “Darn it!” She attempted again with only minimal success. “Do you need any help?” Twilight asked her horn aglow. “No. But. Thank You Twilight.” Heartbreak responded, she pushed herself up standing on her back hooves again. She pushed the door open with one of her front hooves and then quickly jammed the other one into the small crack wedging it open, all the while grunting and making frustrated noises. With the door finally open, she turned and looked back. “See? No. Problem.” She finally walked through and into the other cart. Twilight looked at AppleJack. “Well?” She asked making sure Heartbreak wasn’t with in hearing distance. AppleJack bit her lip a little. “Ya want me to be honest?” She asked. “That’s what you are known for. Honesty. Honest Applejack.” Twilight said nervously smiling. Applejack took a deep breath. “Right then. Honestly, If ya are going for what I think ya’re going for there Twilight.” She looked over her shoulder. “That pony is most likely a few apples short a barrel and that barrel might be stuffed with dynamite. However it’s a bit too early to tell. Right now, she seems really angry. She’s wrestling with some kinda harsh demon there Twilight. If Celestia can’t do anything to help her get her back to where she belongs...” Applejack nickered. “However there is a good pony in there...somewhere.” “I am sure Princess Celestia can do something to help.” Twilight said. “At least I hope she can.”
Trouble with MuffinsChapter 12 Trouble with Muffins Getting the door to the bathroom car was such a pain. How any species can do everything with hooves, let alone anything with them is beyond me. But this is the magical land of Equestria where equines talk, fly and have magical powers. I had to really push the door to get it to slide, then standing on both of my.. back hooves.. I had to wedge the other hoof into the crack just to slide the damn thing open. And don’t get me started on walking. Humans start out as crawling creatures. It is the natural default for all of us as babies. Slowly we grow out of our crawling stage and switch to bipedal motion. A process that proved advantageous for our ancestors as it freed up our hands for doing other things. One that had some trade offs like difficulty on the spine and much more difficult birth. Turns out the best bipedal form happens to have narrow hips. Go figure. Most other species stuck to walking on all fours. Had I been another species that was slightly carnivorous mammalian I could possibly relate more. Cats, dogs, bears, even raccoons walk in a manner that humans can emulate. Flat hands in front and ‘tip-toe’ in back. But not equines and other hoofed animals. No, see the actual ‘hoof’ part of a horses ‘foot’ is actually it’s fingernails. If a human were to be walking like a horse or pony, they would literally have to walk like a ballerina all the time. Plus there is the timing that happens between front and back legs... And right now, that’s exactly why the length of this train car seems like a near impossible. I am forced to walk incredibly slow despite my desperation in needing to use the restroom. The two doors on either side of me are my reward. “Fiiinally!” I say. This whole endeavor took me at least five minutes I’m sure. But when you got to go, five minutes might as well be five hours. That’s when I look at the two doors. Seems that humanity isn’t the only species plagued with the unmarked bathroom doors. In stead of something like “Colt” or “Filly” there are circles with pictures of blacked in horse like figures in them. Both looking vaguely the same. There are only minor differences, but nothing that to my eye would show me which one is for males and which is females. And really, I don’t want to wait around to see if a pony comes along to choose which is which. I whimper and start to dance a little, looking back and forth between the two signs. “You know what? To he-he-hay with it!” And I pick the door closest to me. “Um excuse me miss...” Says a rather olde timy voice from behind me. I quickly turn around with a look of desperation on my face. It appears to be the train conductor. “Um.. I think you want the Other door.” He says. “Oh. Right. Of course. Other door.” I say in a hurried manner turning and pressing on the door. “How Silly of me...” I push on the door but find that it won’t budge. “Um.. Is there some-p-p-pony in there?” The conductor looks at me with an odd look. He reaches his hoof up and presses a small square that seems to have a hoof indentation in the middle of it. I blink wondering how the hell I could miss that. “Oh.. Yes.. Um.. Excuse me.” I say as politely as I can. “Think nothing of it miss.” He says. I roll my eyes at the use of the word ‘miss’ but I could care less right now, I turn around, close the door and set my butt on the toilet, all at the same time not trying to think about what I am doing. I will say this. It’s different and yet kinda the same. Exiting the bathroom I felt much better, behind me was a familiar flushing sound and the walk back to the train car that I had left Twilight in was much shorter. I looked at the train door again. How the hell could I have missed that? Just like the bathrooms there were small squares with a generic hoof print on them. I stomp my hoof down feeling stupid for missing such a minor yet almost blindingly obvious detail. Lifting my hoof I put it into the indentation and push, there was a click and I felt the door move more freely than when I tried for force it. Twilight and AJ were still in the room talking whiles Rainbow Dash had finally dozed off. The two of them stopped mid-conversation and then tried to beam their best smiles at me. I paused and involuntarily twitched. A small paranoid part of me felt that they were up to something, but it just hadn’t hit me what that something was. “Well welcome back, feeling better Ah take it?” Applejack asked. “Much. Yes. Thank you.” I replied with my head lowered down. I walked slowly and methodically back near the bunk. Then it hit me that I didn’t really know how to get back up onto it. I attempt trying by turning around and then backing up. “Well, good ta’ hear, seeing whiles you were gone for a while Twi’ and me took the time ta get a food cart down here.” She says as I continue to try to back up into it. However this isn’t going well. While pony spines on the show could flex and bend a bit more than they should, I am finding myself in a very uncomfortable position. Hunched far over with my legs dangling at either side of me, and a bed above me pushing me down. Almost if on cue there is a knock on the door and a waitress pony with a large poofy brown mane comes in pushing a car. “Food service!” She says in the most smiling and cheery manner she can possible as she rolls the cart in front of us. The wafting aroma of food enters my nose and I can almost feel my stomach gnawing at me. She then sees me in my less than comfortable pose. “Oy Vey! You’re going to wreck your figure sitting like that, Isn’t it uncomfortable?” She asks me. I fight off a twitch. If nothing in that sentence should be or can be offensive, then why do I feel the need to tell her that I could care less about my figure? I take a deep breath to take in the wafting smell of the food before me and that nagging feeling quietly goes away only to be replaced by the all consuming need to feed. “Not, at All..” I grunt waggling my hooves out in front of me. “Perfectly comfortable. I love it.” While I am merely wanting food, she takes my random hoof waggling as a sign that I want out. She grabs my front hooves in the same way I would grab another persons’ hand, and then tugs me out. “Wa!” I shout taking another trip to painful tumble land. Location: The Floor. “Oh, I’m Saaaaary!” She says dusting me off with her hooves. Her voice is high and nasally. “Here, let me help you up!” “Oh No, please don’t. You’ve done so much already.” I reply holding back a few choice words and emotions. She bursts out into hysterics and lightly smacks my shoulder almost throwing me off balance as I try to get myself up. “Ahahahahahaha! Oh you’re a funny one! Anyway, I’ve got plenty of breakfast items here, for you hungry pooooonies! Oh hey!” Fran Drescher. That’s who she sounds like. Ugh that was bugging me. She turns and looks at Twilight. “I know you! Ummmm Twilight right?” Twilight nods as the waitress pulls out and sets up three dinner tables. “With how often you commune to Canterlot...you might as well get a card for stamping, ride ten times get a ride for free. You would have at least five or six free rides!” She laughs in a single long drawn out ‘Haaaaaaaaa!’. “Oh! Is that one unicorn with you? Rarity? She’s such a doll! Oh but look at me yammer away, right, breakfast items are on the top, snacks are here and drinks are dispensed out of here.” She says making her way to the adjoining cart. “Raaaarity!” She says almost as soon as she enters. I sigh in an annoyed manner. “Great. Now my life has become one big pony themed sitcom with guest stars from the shows I watched as a kid.” I walk slowly over to the cart and look at the items at hand. There’s toast, cereal, eggs, hash browns, orange slices, waffles and pancakes and then a platter of hay. But no bacon. I am disappointed but not surprised. On the lower shelf are things like muffins, cupcakes, cookies, bananas. I look at the plate with eggs and hash browns on it, and that muffin is looking pretty good. But cereal could be nice.. My stomach once again growls at me. I reach up to take the plate. And with the clattering of my hoof on the plate I remember that I can’t. I look at the hoof in front of me. My head drops slightly on the edge of the cart and my hoof stomps on the ground. “I really. Really. Really Miss Fingers.” I mutter bitterly out loud. I cover my mouth with my front ankle when I realize that Applejack and Twilight are still watching me. This seems to trigger an anxiety about the situation. There are looks of confusion, worry and concern on their faces. “I mean! I’m Really Hungry!” I shout. Stay calm and take the muffin. It’s alright.. I try to take it by hooking my hoof around it, I’ve see thing grabbed like that on the show thousands of times. Then again on the show they were able to use their hooves in anyway they could imagine. How the hell are hooves sposta hold on to marshmallow skewers? It works. For a little bit, but not long enough for me to pull the muffin out. Without a thumb it slides out of my ‘grasp’. Annoyed I try again. And again it slides out of my grasp. “Ugh!” I try again. And again it slides away from me. I slam a hoof down. “Um...Do you need any-” Twilight begins. “No! I’m fine!” I respond determined not to let a muffin get the better of me. I decide to try something else. Curling my hoof, I pull it to the edge of the dining cart. Carefully I remove my hoof as not to bump the muffin onto the floor, then I squeeze it between my front ankles. Aaaalright. Now to push myself up. It kinda hurts as the carts’ corner kinda digs into the front of my legs. “Are you sure suga-” Applejack says watching me struggle. “Yes! I. Almost. Have. It!” I say finally pushing myself up and standing bipedal. There is a moment of victory over the muffin. And then I realize I don’t know how to walk this way either. What’s more, my spine is now in protest. It is wanting to force me down back to all fours. But I am not going to let it win. On wobbly hooves I lift my right hoof and attempt to move forward. It slams down on ground. But it has moved forward a few inches. I slide my left hoof up to meet it. There is another moment of wobbling. And... repeat.. Right hoof, lift and stomp, left hoof slide. “Really... It’s no trouble at all if you’re..” Twilight begins. “I’m doing just f-whoa.. Whoa! Whoa!” My spine is apparently saying that enough is enough and deciding that I am going to fall one way or another. ‘Either backward or forward’ it tells me. I go with the way that looks like it will the least painful. A face plant to the floor with extra embarrassment please. The quick face plant forward isn’t as painful as I thought it would be. There is still a tumbling and a crash, but it isn’t as painful. And with the warm soft spongy feel of crushed muffin under my face, it isn’t hard to figure out why. I sit up. The muffin falls unceremoniously off my face and chin. Looking down at it, I just want to cry. Again. “Dang Twilight, this is getting to painful to watch. I’m gona go see how the others are doing an make sure that they know there ain’t nothing ta worry about.” She smirks “That’s if they’re still alive.” She looks at me whiles I stare frustrated at the crushed muffin before me. “Good luck with ..that Twi’..” As she leaves I can hear her mutter under her breath “Yer guna need it..”
Set in StoneChapter 13 Set In Stone. I lift a hoof in front of me and inspect it. What a useless appendage. It can’t grasp, nothing sticks to it, nothing that could even remotely be called a thumb. I can’t even pick up something as simple as a muffin. As my head hangs down a bit of my mane gets in my eyes. I brush it aside and then stomp my hoof. In front of me is almost a metaphor for my life. A crushed muffin. I don’t know what I want to do. Get angry, cry or just give up and accept what has happened to me. Then my stomach growls at me. “Get over yourself and feed me. You’ll feel better.” It seems to be trying to say. After a moment of burning thought, I cave to bending my neck down to eat the stupid muffin. “If you need some help, you can just ask.” Twilight says, she is levitating the plate of hash browns and eggs over to the dinner cart. I chew on what has to be the most delicious muffin I have ever tasted. Particularly for a banana-nut-bran muffin. But even after swallowing there is still that gnawing knot in my stomach. I walk over to the eggs and hash browns. Twilight is pouring me a glass of what might be apple juice. It floats in a sparkling cloud to the dinner tray. No forks, or spoons or knifes. Not that I could use them anyhow. Leaning over I use my lips to pick and eat the breakfast items. It feels good to have something in my belly. My mouth reminds me that I am thirsty and I look at the glass of apple juice. Alright, time to attempt the wrist grabbing action again. Placing both ‘wrists’ on either side of the cup, I squeeze it between them. Then I lift it. So far so good. Bring it to my mouth and gingerly lift. The liquid feels good running down my throat. I lift it a little more only to realize little to late that doing this would allow the juice access to my nostrils. Gagging, I snort out apple juice from my mouth and nose. Then I proceed to have a coughing fit. The glass tumbles down spilling the remaining juice across my chest and some of my belly. “Gah!” Twilight yelps. “Don’t Choke!” I look down at the juice that is now dripping off my thin coat. “AAAARGH!” I scream. “This. Shouldn’t. Be. This. Hard!” My head droops down again. “I look like a klutz!” I fumble my words. “Yes, yes you do.” Rainbow Dash says tiredly as she turns over in her bed. “Rainbow Dash!” Twilight exclaims scolding her. “What?” Rainbow Dash said rolling her eyes. “She kinda does.” “Rainbow-” Twillight begins. “No Twilight. She’s right.” I run my hooves through my mane in a frustrated manner before looking at them angrily again. “AARGH! Perfect Punishment. How the h-h-h-hay am I sposta adapt when I can’t figure out how to use hooves for anything!” “Use your lips?” Rainbow Dash says in a simple manner. Such an answer elicits a near deathly glare to Dashs’ direction. She looks a bit surprised and then frowns. “Hey! Calm down, I’m just trying to help here!” “I am not going to use my lips!” I shout. “If I do that then I am giving up and giving into their punishment! And Like H-h-hay am I going to let them have that satisfaction! Not with all that’s happened! Not with all they’ve taken enough from me as it is!” Rainbow Dash turns over and puts a pillow of her head. “Fine. Don’t use your lips, however, whatever you decide to do.. Could you please do it a little quieter? Cause of you, I spent hours that I could have been sleeping doing paperwork.” I want to scream, I want to shout but before I can Twilight interrupts me. “Who are ‘they’?” She asks getting in between Rainbow Dash and me. “What have they done to you and why are you being punished?” I sit there on the floor shaking my hooves in frustration. “Please.” Twilight says. “If I am going to help you get home, I need to know things. And right now you are the only pony that can tell me.” I look at her. It dawns on me that I am not angry at any of these ponies, but I must sound like it. I am most likely hurting myself or any chance I could get to get home by misdirecting my anger at others who haven’t wronged me. I attempt to calm myself down. “That.” I say through a great deal of bitterness. “Is going to be hard to explain.” “Why?” Twilight asks. “Because I barely understand what happened.” I tell her. “Just tell us what you know then, and start from the beginning.” She says. I take a deep breath. “I remember telling you that I am not from this universe.” I begin. “Where I am from.. it’s different. Least on the surface it is.” I try pacing. At least it is better than walking. “There isn’t any ‘magic’ like you know it. Ffffff...” I grimace as my vocabulary is restricted. “Ugh! As far as I knew before I crashed into your window, magic didn’t exist at all, let alone the creatures that could preform magic..” That food must have done me some good. I am sounding a bit more rational. I lead my pacing back to the food cart. I eye the waffles and then decide to take a bite. Twilight blinks. “A world without magic?” The thought alone makes her look at me questioningly. “How would that even work?” “With lots of machines.” I reply curtly and through a mouth full of waffle. I then swallow. “If there is ‘magic’ in the world I am from, the beings who have it don’t want to be found. Least that is what makes sense. Who they are is difficult to understand, because as far as I knew they were my exes.” “Exes?” Twilight asks. I frown. “Really? There aren’t any relationships in Equestria that sour or fizzle out?” “Oh you mean bitter ends..” She explains. “Sure, whatever, I am not especially in the mood to care about what they are called here in the ever so magical world of Equestria, just that I had quite a few of them. And it turns out that all of them were creatures that possessed such powers.” I nab a bit more waffle and chew it quickly. “The last relationship I was in must have been the straw that broke their backs. So they decided that a fitting punishment would be to send me here.” “Why here?” Twilight asks. I pause. Something inside of me feels like it is tugging on my ear and telling me that I can’t be fully honest with her. “I-I don’t know. The Fae are like that.” I say. “The Fae?” Twilight asks. “Geeez for being book smart Twilight, you ask a lot of questions.” I finish off the last bit of waffle and nab an orange slice. “The Fae on my ...on the world I am from where... are nature spirits of great and terrible power. They were used as ways of keeping any... out of places they shouldn’t be. Places that were dangerous to go wondering around mostly. They would trick ‘mortals’ and steal things from them. Particularly names.” “Why names?” Twilight says cocking her head questioningly. “I don’t know the full mythology behind it all! I told you, magic is practically non-existent in the world I am from! However names are very important to the Fae. Getting a Fae name means that you can get three favors from them. Least that’s what it said in one book I read..” I pace over the food cart. I lean down to the snack section and see a tray of cookies. “Om! But if one of the Fae gets your name... well.. I guess things like being booted out of the universe happen to you.” I sigh and claim another cookie, I chew on it thoughtfully. “And?” Twilight asks. “And what?” I ask through some cookie. “You said that you were being punished and I get the impression that they did more to you than just take your name.” Twilight says. “If I am going to help you then I am going to need any detail I can get, no matter how small. What else did they do to you?” I roll my eyes and sit down. “I really don’t feel comfortable explaining all the details of my relationships Twilight. Just that they ended sourly and with broken hearts.” I look up sighing. “Hence the name that’s been flung around here.” “Heartbreak?” Dash asks. I glower at her. “Yes. That. Name.” Sighing I go back to the food cart’s snack tray, I spy a brownie. “What else they did is...turn me into …” point to myself. “Into this!” A look of confusion hangs on Twilights’ face before she gets something. “You’re not meant to be a pony?” She asks me. “No.” I reply sticking my head into the cart and nabbing the brownie in one bite. “Then … what are you meant to be?” She asks me. I pull my head out of the cart. Chew brownie and swallow. “I am again not comfortable telling you that Twilight.” I reply. “But if I-” She begins. “Twilight Sparkle. Please understand that I am not sure how much I am sposta tell you about anything. I have told you most likely enough about where I am from. And if you continue to ask it will lead to a dark pit of insanity from which there is no return. I know you really want to know, but the short end of it all is that I am not telling you that. Ok?” I hope that works. I don’t want to tell Twilight and her friends that they are nothing but the figments of the imaginations of humans. Anytime that happens, bad things are sure to follow. I am thirsty again, but don’t want to ask Twilight to give me another glass of juice. I suck down any of the orange slices I see. “Alright... Then...” She replies. “We’ll just have to figure out the rest when we get to Canterlot.” I blink and suddenly realize that we are on a train. A moving train, I do my best to rush over to a window. Outside that window are the snowy peaks of a mountain range I have seen a few times. My eye twitches. “Right... Twilight... I have been answering your questions to the best of my ability.. Now answer some of mine..” I say in a worried but detached manner. “Alright..” She says. “Why are we on a train?” I ask. “Well, like I said, we are going to Canterlot. And the only real way to get to there is by train.” She explains. “Right..Of course, silly me. Why are we going to Canterlot?” I ask. “Well, when Rainbow Dash and I discovered the source of where you were ejected into our world. I did a scan of the magic that was used, it was like no other magic I have encountered before. But before I could really get good look or understand it better it cut out on us and caused the rainbow tank to fry.” She continues. “And the information you are looking for is in the the Canterlot archives. Of course.” I sigh a bit in relief. “Well, that I am not sure of, however I am sure the Princess will know when we take you to her.” Twilight says this in a smiling happy manner. I turn my head slowly towards her. “What?” “I said that-” I put a hoof in front of her mouth. “I know what you said..” Comes my nervous voice. “Part of which is that I am being taken to the Princess. And By Princess, I think you mean Celestia.” I am hoping that she doesn’t mean Celestia. I really hope that isn’t the case. Twilight smashes my hopes by smiling and nodding her head. “Yup!” I feel panic start to rear its’ ugly little head again, my hooves start to prance a little. “And by Princess Celestia, you mean the Ruler of All of Equestria?” She nods her head smiling. “The one who raises the sun every morning?” She nods her head again not noticing that I am starting to pace. “The All powerful Alicorn of Royal linage?” She continues to nod her head like a little bobble-head. “Who lives high in Canterlot and has a near god-like eye watching everything that goes on!?” “Yup!” She says still smiling away. Rainbow Dash isn’t so oblivious it would appear. “Uh Twi-” She tries to interject. “She’s white with a sun as her cutie mark, has a flowing mane, big wings and really big horn Princess Celestia?!” I squeak out. “Well there isn’t any other Princess Celestia that I know of..” Twilight responds. “Hey! Twilight!” Rainbow Dash shouts pointing at me. “What Rai-” I continue to pace back and forth. It feels like there is something sickly and sinking in my veins. “Um are you alright there?” “Oh Yes! Fine! Dandy! All from my world pace around when we’re just thrilled.” I say my words dripping with sarcasm. “Why wouldn’t I be?!” “Well... you don’t seem fine..” She stops me from pacing by placing her hooves on my shoulders. “Princess Celestia is the most powerful being in all of Equestria, if anypony has the magic to help send you home then it would be her. Isn’t that what you wanted?” “Yeah!” Rainbow Dash asks looking like she is giving up on getting any sleep. “Isn’t that a good thing?” I back out of Twilight touching my shoulders. “What?! No! No, no, no, no, no!” My hooves wobble and waggle nervously on the floor. “That’s not a good thing, that’s a bad thing, that’s so far away from a good thing that it’s in another zip code! That’s a bad, bad, bad thing!” Rainbow Dash looks at me aghast. “I give up Twi’ You’re on your own here. This feather head just doesn’t make any sense whatsoever.” And with that she turns back over. “How could that possibly be a bad thing?” Twilight asks me. I stop my movement and give her a look. “Are you Serious? How could that be a bad thing?” I twitch. “Wait. Does she even know we’re coming?!” “Well yes... I sent her a letter just before we left explaining the details of the situation.” Twilight explains. I can feel my left eye twitching so hard that it hurts. The blood feels as if it is draining from my face. The lights start to flicker on the train. We’re going through a tunnel.. “Is... is this the tunnel right before we get to Canterlot?” I ask, the lights almost strobing. “Uh yeah. Goes right through the mountain. I hate this part of getting to Canterlot, but please continue with your panicking.” Rainbow Dash comments. “Some pony needs to out panic Fluttershy...” “I still don’t understand how this is a-” Twilight begins. “Twilight. This is going to be hard for you to hear.” This time it is my turn to put my hooves on Twilights’ shoulders. “Cause you have a bit of what we call back home ‘Hero-Worship’ for Celestia. But I want you to listen very carefully.” I say as the lights flicker on and off. “Alright..” She responds. “Princess Celestia is the most powerful being in all of Equestria, Her job is to rule over this magical land, protecting all ponies and most manner of creatures that call it home. She is well over a thousand years old, commands a great deal of magical power and Her Word is Law. You following me thus far?” I ask her. She nods her head looking at me concerned. Apparently I don’t have a love-able face when I am freaking out. “That means that if there is a threat to Equestria, be it in or out of its borders, most of the time I am going to assume the former, she is going to deal with it. Right?” I pull away as I think I might be hurting Twilights’ shoulders. Her rubbing them confirms this. “Right...so?” She replies. “So?! Soo!?” I zip up into Twilights’ face. “So, I am a random element in your happy magical land! I have been cast out of my universe by the Queen of the Fae. The Queen!” “You didn’t say that the Fae Queen was involved...” Twilight says putting a hoof to her chin. “That doesn’t matter! By definition I could be a fugitive!” I blink and a non-sequitur thought pops into my head. “Or my interjection into your universe could cause it to have way too much matter and eventually cause it to collapse in on itself...” “Huh?” She asks. The flashing light of this tunnel is starting to get to me. It makes everything seem disjointed and rather off putting. “Nothing. The important thing is that something Bad will happen to me if you bring me to Princess Celestia!” I shout seeming to blink in and out of darkness as I walk. “I’m still not following you Heart-” I put a hoof on her mouth. “One Don’t call me that. Please. With me as unstable and agitated as I am now, hearing that name could set me off.” I take my hoof off her face. “And Two. Celestia might seem like the perfect, wonderful, benevolent leader that you all love, but she has a rather hard flaw, and that’s how she deals with problems that threaten her territory and the ponies with in it.” I can’t tell if Twilight is blinking or not but she looks confused. “And how is that?” She asks. “With Extreme Measures.” Comes my worried Drenched Words.
For the Good Of All of UsChapter 14 For the Good Of All of Us. Twilight Sparkle looked concerned at the panicking pony in front of her. She had learned many things about her, but there was still many more things that were left open-ended. The tan pony kept walking back and forth in a weird way, like she didn’t know exactly how to walk. “And seeing that she wasn’t even a pony before all this.. That might explain quite a few things. But what was she, why doesn’t she want to tell us, and why is she so worried about seeing the Princess?!?” Twilight thought. “Right, when has Princess Celestia ever acted with extreme measures?” The cold icy blue eyes looked right at Twilight. She sits down and holds up a hoof. “Are you kidding me? Do you want your list in chronological order, scale of over-reaction, or alphabetically?” Heartbreak then looks at the hoof again and a momentary face of disappointment and sadness flickers in the flashing light and dark. “I.. Alright.” Twilight glares at the pony. “If there are so many, give me one example, Heartbreak.” The pony twitches and glares at Twilight, there is a seething rage behind those eyes. She snorts. “I see what you are doing. Trying to put me off. Mental games. Fine. Seeing that you are going for the hot buttons, if that’s the way you want play, alright then.” Her eyes narrow. “Nightmare Moon.” “She knows about Nightmare Moon? How could a ...being from another world even know about that?” Twilight shook her head. “Yeah what about her?” “Doesn’t it seem really odd that you, and your friends. Two pegasi, Two unicorns and two earth ponies were able to use the Elements of Harmony in defeating the dreaded Nightmare Moon? And yet Princess Celestia, an Alicorn of great magic and power had to banish her into the moon?!” Twilight blinks. Most of that information about that night they defeated Nightmare Moon was kept between Twilight, her friends and Celestia. “How could she possibly know? No pony else was there!” “Hey! Nightmare Moon had to be dealt with!” Rainbow Dash protests. “She wasn’t going to lower the moon and night would be forever in Equestria!” “Oh yes, of course, that made Nightmare Moon completely evil, a force to be dealt with.” Her voice is dripping with something unpleasant as she mocks a thoughtful look. “I mean it’s not like Celestia had to put her own feelings aside for the good of all Equestria and banish her own Sister into the moon. Wait. Yes. Yes she did!” Twilight shook her head. “Right, so you know this whole story, How exactly was that over reacting?” “You’re not getting it are you Twilight? If you and your friends could purge Nightmare Moon of her dark powers with the Elements of Harmony, why couldn’t Celestia?! She was there the moment that Nightmare Moon kinda came into being!” She exclaimed. “You see now why I am worried about this? If there is a Threat to Equestria, Celestia will Eliminate that threat!” “You don’t look like much of a threat to me..” Rainbow Dash said rolling her eyes. “Big things start out small Rainbow Dash! I might not be a threat to you, but Celestia might see things differently, she might see things about me that you don’t!” Heartbreak was rubbing her face frantically with her hooves in a wide eyed manner. Twilight took a deep breath. “Alright Twilight, do what Celestia would do. Calm her down and just explain to her that this is the only way.” The flashing light and dark came to a stop and the train exited the tunnel. “Look. What you said just can’t be true. Princess Celestia is the kindest, wisest, most loved and benevolent leader of all Equestria. With her help I am sure that we can send you back ...home.” Twilight said trying to cover any disdain she felt as this strange pony was insisting that for some reason Celestia could be evil... There was a tense look on her face and she crumbled. Heartbreak seemed to be living up to the name that she was given, so emotional, so unstable, almost bipolar. “You might be sure of that Twilight, but what will happen if she can’t?” Heartbreak asked. The possibility of Celestia failing hadn’t even crossed Twilights’ mind. “I’m sure that-” Twilight began. Heartbreak cut her off, a look of worried sadness worn on her face. “You might be sure, So ...so.. G-g-g-gosh Darn! Ugh! Sure, about that, but what if she can’t!?” She asked stumbling on her words and stomping her hoof on the ground in a frustrated and angry manner. “I know this isn’t the right time to think about it, but I wonder if she has a speech impediment of some kind...” Twilight thought. “What do you mean?” Twilight asked. If this pony knew as much as she did about Equestria and its’ inhabitants, she should know that when all of them were determined to do something, wouldn’t rest until something was done about it. Heartbreak looked up at Twilight, she sniffed hard and ran a hoof over her eyes. “What I mean is.. what if there isn’t a way back? What if the way back was … severed?” She asked looking at the ground. Twilight showed a wavering of a slight concern but brushed it aside. “Then we’ll make a new one.” She replied. “What if it doesn’t work like that Twilight? What if I was cut off completely?” She asks hinting at something much... darker. “What...What do you mean?” Twilight asked. “They took …everything... Twilight. I don’t know how they did it.. Or how they could even do it... But everything...” Heartbreak throws her hooves in the air and then drops them slowly. “As far as I know, on the world I come from.. I don’t even exist anymore.” “Um. Yeah, cause you were banished here.” Rainbow Dash says almost chuckling. Heartbreak on the other hoof, is far from amused. “No! You don’t get it! It’s not because I have been banished here! It’s because no-p-p-p...AARGH! None there Remember me! All traces of my life, of my actions maybe, of my very Existence have been wiped from the face of the planet! Papers, identification of any form, my interactions with others...even the very memories of those who I held intimate bonds with...” Her hooves drop and she just crumbles to the floor as if the weight of her own words are sinking in. She opens her mouth on a thought.. pausing as if she can’t comprehend something. “I-I.. I don’t even know if my own mother would remember having me as a child...” She sniffs hard. Twilight looks at Rainbow Dash. The both of them are in shock over this statement. Beings so powerful they could rip the bonds of friendship and even steal the memories of loved ones? “I mean... we never got along, her and I.. but she is my mother..” Heartbreak said. Twilight takes a deep breath. Wow. This is one mess of a pony. “When we get to Canterlot, we’ll talk to Princess Cele-” Heartbreak snaps her gaze quickly at Twilight. “I thought we talked about this Twilight.” She leans down on her left hoof in an odd manner and waggles her right at Twilight. “Those solar propaganda films must really pay off for her.” She leans forward with a condescending faux smile on her face. “Tell me again how wonderful, great, kind, wise, and loving Celestia is. I need write a little letter to all the beings that she’s locked away in stony imprisonments.” The shear cutting remark is enough to slash through Twilights’ resolve. “Hey! I am trying to help you here, HeartBreak. But if you keep this up, I just might do what Rarity suggested we do and just leave you with the Princess and have Her deal with you!” Twilight says not holding back any of the anger she feels. Heartbreaks’ facade breaks almost on contact and she looks panicked again. As if she was thrown off guard by that near threat. Rainbow Dash zips down. “Whoa! Whoa! Twilight... back down on the flame-o-meter here.” She eases Twilight away from Heartbreak. “Right, I know this is really odd coming from me, but I haven’t had any sleep in the past … I don’t know how many hours, so everything is kinda fuzzy. But. Just hear me out. Right. You remember last night? Cause I barely remember it. However I remember her calling Rarity a Marshmallow. Which, Despite not being nice was kinda funny.” Twilight looks as if she wants to speak. “Hey, hey, don’t interrupt me, I need to get this train of thought rolling and out.” She rolls her eyes. “Geeze I sound like Pinkie pie. Right. Remember what you told her? Heartbreak isn’t in her right mind. She might not mean what she is saying. Remember that?” Twilight glares at Heartbreak. “Fine. But we Are going to see Princess Celestia. And she will help handle this.” Heartbreak throws her hooves up. “AARGH! What part of “That is not a good idea” aren’t you getting Twilight?! I swear if you suffered from any more hero-worship you’d-” Rainbow Dash zipped up to Heartbreak and stuck her hoof in the pony’s mouth. “Right, see my hoof here?” Rainbow asked. “It is connected to a very tired pegasis. It’s giving you the chance to rethink the words that are about to come out of your mouth. And I know that’s strange coming from me, but I am really...Reeallly tired. I just might not know what’s coming out of My mouth.” Heartbreaks expression changes and she looks away from Rainbow Dash in a rather shamed manner. Rainbow removes her hoof. “Right. I’m sure my work here is done.” She says through a large yawn. She proceeds to jump back on a bed. Heartbreak sighs and then grimaces. “Bleh.. Yuck.. Fine. The point I am trying to to make is that I trust Celestia as far as I can throw her. I would trust Luna more. At least she knows the sting of her sisters’ wrath...” “That might be. However we are going to see Celestia.” Twilight said in an authoritative voice. Heartbreak looks like she finally doesn’t care. “Fine. Whatever..” She replies before staring off into space. The door to the train car slides open and Spike is standing there. Seeing her assistant Twilights’ mood only slightly softens. “Heh, Yeah, see you later Dusk Shine!” He says waving to some random pony. The dragon looks over the room. “Whoa. Talk about change of mood. Twilight..” “Yes Spike?” She asks her eyes nearly affixed to Heartbreak. He walks up to the snack cart and grabs a banana. “Om, Mmm Um you told me to tell you when we were about to get to Canterlot?” “Oh, yeah I did...” There is a screeching sound and the hiss of steam as the train comes to a stop. Everypony, Spike included is jarred forward before regaining their balance. “We’re here!” Spike says gobbling down the rest of the banana. Heartbreaks eyes go wide as the train doors leading to Canterlot slide open. Twilight shows a knowing smile. “You’ll see Heartbreak, Celestia will fix everything and everything will be fine. After all as I said, Celestia is-” “Uh Twilight..” Spike interrupts a breeze blowing past his spines. “Not now Spike, I am trying to help Heartbreak get to the “acceptance” stage of her grief. That’s what comes after anger right?” She asks looking up. “No, that’s bargaining and I think Heartbreak just made a break for it.” He says pointing out the blank space where Heartbreak once was...
The Race is OnChapter 15 The Race is On. Twilight zipped out the door of the train leading to Canterlot. “She just bolted out of the door?!” Twilight said in a panicked manner. “And you didn’t stop her?!” “Hey, I didn’t think she would run either Twi’.” Spike replied. “I only caught like a small tidbit of the conversation through the door. She said something about not wanting to see the Princess right?” “Right! But there isn’t time to.. There she is!” Twilight shouted pointing out a quickly bumbling Heartbreak as she quickly ran through the crowds and down the street. “Rainbow Dash! I need you to catch her!” “Uuuuugh! Really Twilight?” Rainbow Dash asked her eyes showing complete fatigue. “Yes! I told the Princess that we were coming and that it was Urgent! When I...” Twilight started to explain. “Twi’ I’m running on fumes right now. It’s bad enough that I didn’t get enough sleep on this train ride, but I have work really late tonight. And I-” Rainbow yawned. Twilight zipped over to the food cart. “Coffee... Coffee. Coffee!” She quickly took a cup and poured a steaming cup and then poured in a large amount of sugar. Using her magic she hovered it over to the exhausted Rainbow Dash. “Here! Drink this! Quickly!” She commanded. Rainbow took the cup. “Twi’ this is really hot!” “Ugh! Um..” She focused on the cup and cooled it down. “There! Now Drink it!” Dash took a sip. “Bleh! Cold Coffee! Yuck!” “Drink It!” Twilight shouted looking near frazzled. “Fine!” Dash said quickly gulping down the near icy coffee. “UGH! Ice headache!” Twilight zipped back to the door. “Dash! She’s about to turn a corner! We can’t loose her!” Dash felt the energy coming back to her limbs, she cracked her neck and zipped out of the door. “Right, I see her!” She said flying out. Twilight exited the train just as her friends did. “Twilight?” Rarity asked. “What’s going on? Where is Rainbow Dash going and...” She looked in the cart. “Where’s Heartbreak?” “Heartbreak is on the run!” Twilight said making for a full gallop. “Rainbow Dash is going after her, but there’s no telling what tricks she could have on her hooves!” “Why did she run Twilight? What happened?” Fluttershy asked. “We’re going on a chase!?” Pinkie Pie shouted. “I knew it! She is a secret pony agent! That whole alternate universe thing is just a cover story!” “Darn it, Ah knew Ah shouldn’t have left her alone with you Twi!” AppleJack shouts catching up with the group. “It isn’t your fault Applejack. Heartbreak has it in her mind that if she goes to see Princess Celestia, that the Princess is going to do something horrible to her!” Twilight explained. “See?! That proves it! She is a secret pony agent!” Pinkie Exclaims. “Pinkie that doesn’t even make any sense!” Twilight shouts over the crowds. “She is just really scared of the Princess for some reason.” Fluttershy flies next to Twilight. “Why is she afraid of Princess Celestia?” “I don’t know Fluttershy! Well she sorta explained it being that she thinks that the Princess solves her problems by encasing them in stone.” Twilight explained. “Pffffft! That’s just part of her cover story Twilight!” Pinkie said. “Really what’s happening is that she was caught and now has to get back to H.Q. undetected! She just doesn’t want to let the Princess know that her cover was blown!” The five ponies turned down a street corner. Rarity caught up with Twilight. “You see Twilight? This only shows that this Heartbreak is more trouble than she’s worth.” She snorts. “I could have used this time to shop, but now we’re going to have to run through the streets after her.” Twilight rolled her eyes. Rarity was being Rarity, but she did have one point. In the long run, Heartbreak might not be worth it. Rainbow Dash sped off over the crowds and after Heartbreak. The coffee did her some good but fatigue ebbed at every one of her senses. “Ugh, Had I known that she’d be this much trouble, I’d have just left her with the Cloudsdale authorities!” She said building up some speed. Heartbreak wasn’t fast, but today just wasn’t Rainbows’ day. She went through a list in her head. “Up for more than twelve hours with out my naps? Check. Had a cup of cold coffee? Check having to dodge Canterlot crowds? Check.” She rolled her eyes. “Geeze, Now I’m sounding like Twilight!” Rainbow Dash was already catching up to Heartbreak despite all the things tugging her down. “Alright you!” She shouted flying almost next to her. “Let’s not make this any harder than it already is Heartbreak.” The mare snorted and looked focused. “My. Name. Isn’t. Heartbreak!” She shouted before chucking herself into Rainbow Dashs’ side. “Ah!” Rainbow would have normally recovered from that hit, but with her current state of mind, some unsuspecting bystandards, and a magazine rack, she was sent into a crash. After a few moments of the world spinning, she picked herself up and shook the papers off herself. “Oh! It. Is. On!” She cringed and took off flying. “Rarity.” I look behind me momentarily seeing Rainbow Dash crashing into something, I cringe and keep running. I am not happy about that. I didn’t have a favorite pony really, I like them all for various reasons. I like Twilight because she and I share a lot of personality traits, Pinkie Pie because she is random crazy, Rainbow Dash because she is well... Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy is adorable. AppleJack and Rarity have their moments but I never thought of them too much. The good news is that running is becoming a lot easier. Sorta. The bad news is that Rainbow Dash is going to be on my tail faster than I can figure out how to gallop properly. I would be absolutely enamored with the streets of Canterlot if it weren’t for the fact that I am trying to outrun and avoid the mane six trying to take me to Celestia. They are as beautiful, if not more so, now that I can see them for myself. Currently shops litter the streets and are selling all sorts of wares. Hats, coats, ugh dresses, perfumes and jewelry. The wonderful glamour and glitz of all this is shattered by remembering that I am still being chased by Rainbow Dash. Speaking of which.. “Hey!” I hear her voice right behind me. “Nopony makes me crash and gets away with it!” I try to gallop faster, but know that it is a loosing battle. If there was just some... That could work.. As I am coming towards a coffee shoppe I spy a familiar mode of transportation. One that served me very well over the years due to the fact that I never had a car. A Bicycle. The pony who owns said bike has his back turned and is ordering. I calculate what I need to do rather quickly and take a flying leap a few feet from the bike. “Oh please, please, please please!” I land on the bike seat best I can. It is a rather uncomfortable and painful experience. Whoever says that a girl can’t be kicked in the jewels... Rainbow Dash has nearly caught up with me. “Ah-Ha!” She shouts grabbing a hoof at me. “Now I got you-Huh?!” I might not be able to walk or run properly, but ride a bike? Now that’s something easy for me. The simple up and down motion of ones legs is a lot easier, Sure a little wobbly at first, but then it’s just like well.. riding a bike. “Hey!” Shouts the owner of this bike. “I’m Just borrowing it! Don’t worry! And Thanks!” I shout back at him “Ha.. Haha!” I laugh.. Well almost laugh. After getting my back hooves into the proper places, I speed away from Rainbow Dash. Now all I have to worry about are any ponies in front of me. “Out of the Way!” I shout as I zip past blurs of ponies. I can already see a small rainbow coloured blob in the corner of my eye and the oddest feeling of exhilaration takes me. Somewhere deep inside my fear stricken mind there is a little fan boy or girl screaming something like this: “OhMyGosh!OhMyGosh!OhMyGosh!OhMyGosh!OhMyGosh! I... am... Racing Rainbow Dash!” However that same voice knows something very important. Despite her being very tired, despite me being on a bike, or any other factor: I’m racing with Rainbow Dash and I’m going to Lose. You know that warning label of “Objects in the mirror are closer than they appear” on most convex mirrors they put on cars and bikes? Right now that warning is rather useless as she speeds up next to me. “HA! Nothing can slow me down! And a bike!? You think you can out race me on a bike?!” She shouts angrily as she comes head to head with me. I look forward very worried. I can’t out race Rainbow Dash. She’s Equestrias’ top flyer, she’s faster than fast, she’s done more sonic rainbooms than anypony. But I see something up ahead of me. Oh, if she was angry with me for the magazine rack.. She’s going to be Furious with me for this.. But I need to delay her. “Ha! Out race you? THE Rainbow Dash? Come on! Give me more Credit than that! You’re the one who has pulled off the Sonic Rainboom, saved the Wonderbolts, Kicked a Dragon in the face and has had a h-h-hoof! in saving Equestria more than once!” I shout. Dash blinks and looks a little proud. Good I have appealed to her sense of pride. But she quickly shakes it off. “Yeah, I admit that I’m pretty awesome, Which is why I’m going to catch you!” She says about to grab at me. I counter by ducking and weaving. Not an easy feat and she comes pretty close to actually grabbing me. “Oh yeah! And I admit that you can catch me and I won’t be able to out run you or out bike you!” Almost there. Just a little more... “But there’s something I can do at these speeds that you can’t Dashie!” She looks miffed, I can’t tell if it is over me calling her “Dashie” or that I have claimed to be able to do something that she can’t. “Oh Yeah!? And What’s that!?” She shouts at me nearly getting up in my face. “Stop!” I shout pulling on the brakes of the bike the best I can. “What?!” Dash says as she keeps speeding forward. She then crashes into a fruit and pie stand. As I am coming to a full stop, I ponder this situation for a moment. Ask me about this a month ago and I would have found the image of Rainbow Dash with melons on her shoulders and a pie for a face rather amusing. But as what looks to be a cherry pie falls off her face, I see a very angry Dash. There is a tense moment between the two of us and then I can hear the rest of the mane six’s voices behind me. My front hoof acidentally brushes the bike’s horn. “Beep-Beep!” Rainbow clenches her teeth and nearly growls. My legs seem to act on their own accord and start pedaling the bike. I still don’t have a clue where I am going. All I know is that I want to be away from everypony. Rainbow Dash was steaming. “How in all Equestria could I have fallen for that!? And she has the nerve to honk that horn?!” “Rainbow Dash!” Twilight shouts. “What happened! You almost had her!” “Yeah, I did almost have her! But she distracted me!” Rainbow slams her hooves down into two melons. “Ugh!” “Wow! She’s a good spy if she can distract even you Dash. Usually the only way that spies distract others in movies is by using their charms! She didn’t use her wiles on you did she Dash?” Pinkie asked waggling her eye brows. “What?! No! Gross!” Rainbow Dash protested. “Pinkie! We have no time for that, Right. I think we need a plan. Cause it looks like we’re going to have to corner and capture her.” Twilight paces. “Can you catch up with her Dash?” “Easily.” Rainbow replies. “I want you to catch up with her but stay out of sight.” She put her hoof to her chin thoughtfully. “Alright, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy. The way she was acting to you two yesterday...There is something up with that. And you two will be providing a distraction, as such you’re going to be with Rainbow Dash. Catch up with her any way you can and try to lead her near the closest alley possible.” “Um Twilight...” Fluttershy raised a hoof. “Yes Fluttershy?” Twilight asked. “We aren’t going to um hurt her are we?” “No, at least not intentionally.” Twilight looked at Fluttershy, her kindness was a mixed blessing of sorts. Particularly in situations like this. “Look Fluttershy, right now she is a confused, mixed up, scared pony. That makes her unpredictable and possibly dangerous. She needs help, but to do that we might have to drag her to the princess. Possibly kicking and screaming.” “Um... Can’t we ...reason with her?” Fluttershy asked. “Just you know... talk to her?” “Actually that’s what I want you to do. We don’t need you two to attack or do anything physical, just talk to her. Once she’s distracted Rarity and I will spring a trap. Then Rainbow Dash...” Fluttershy looked nervously at Pinkie Pie. “I really hope we don’t have to hurt her..” She told the pink puff of a pony whiles Twilight started talking about the details of her plan. “Hurt her? She’s a pony spy! She can take care of herself! She most likely has all sorts of gadgets and gizmos! We need to worry about her hurting us! She most likely has over a thousand ways of killing a pony with her ears! That bike she was riding must turn into something really cool!” Pinkie replied. “Well... what if she isn’t a spy and she’s really really scared? I mean I don’t understand why she is afraid of Princess Celestia, but every pony has their fears...” Fluttershy responded. “Ha! Fears? Fluttershy, Spy ponies are Fearless! They scoff at things like fear and laugh at death!” Pinkie Pie said. “And Twilight wants us to catch her, must be to turn her into the Princess herself... You don’t think Twilight is a secret pony spy too do you?” “Um no but Pinkie...” Fluttershy tries to get her attention. “Well.. if we are going to have to catch this spy then we are going to have to think like spies!” “Everypony got what they need to do?” Twilight asked. “Totally!” Pinkie shouts. “Um Twilight...” Fluttershy began. Twilight looked at Fluttershy. “We aren’t going to hurt her Fluttershy. I promise.”
The Student Becomes the TeacherChapter 16 The Student Becomes The Teacher I don’t know how long I have been biking or even where I am biking to. However it seems that Twilight and her friends have stopped chasing me. For the moment. Looking around I realize I have no idea where I am in Canterlot. It wasn’t like they had maps of the city on the show, all they ever showed was cut aways of streets, shops, gardens and a castle in the mountain. I bop my head on the handle bars of the bike. I notice that this is one of the more quiet streets. The Castle and sun are behind me, symbols of Celestia looming over me. Watching me. They fill me with a dread that I have never felt before. “What the H-h-hay! Was I thinking?!” I bop my head against the handle bars of the bike again. “Ouch... Ugh. Why did I just run off like that? Seriously! Brain, why you no figure out that was a bad idea?!” I sigh. As if facing Celestia was a better option. I knew Twilight wanted answers on how I knew most of what I do, but those are things that I just couldn’t share. Besides the thought had already passed through my mind. “How do you tell another that they are only a character in someone elses’ story?” I thought to myself. At least my thoughts aren't being edited for content. I pedal a little slower. “Why the hell did I run?” Honestly, I wasn’t sure why I ran. I remember the door opening, Twilight praising Celestia.. and then this moment of terror. I mean yes, I was freaked out over the fact that Twilight was taking me to Celestia, but it wasn’t like that. It was a harsher fear. The type of fear that one gets whiles standing on a ledge over looking a deep chasm. The almost precognitive fear that you get in the back of your head as your eyes roam over the deep jet black gash in the earth, imagining what it would be to fall. Course they say it isn’t the fall that kills you, it’s the sudden stop at the bottom. And whiles that is true, the fear of falling can be far worse than the actual fall. That’s what I was feeling in that moment. It could be that I am so used to just doing my own thing, that if someone else is telling me what to do, I grow resistant. Passively aggressively putting off what I have been told to do. Getting told to do it over and over until I am numb to what they are telling me. I can’t do that here. Celestia is the ultimate authority, no pony questions her because she has all the power. And she will do with it what she needs to do to protect Equestria. If I were a threat to Equestria, she could do any number of things. Banish me to either another world or outside of the borders, turn me to stone, or something worse that I just can’t put a...hoof on. I sigh. “Hi Secret Spy!” Shouts an all together happy voice which causes my heart to nearly stop. “Look at my new outfit! It’s just like a real spy, I even have a belt with gizmos and gadgets and a decoder ring for secret spy messages!” It’s Pinkie Pie in a black body suit wearing roller blades. I don’t even get a chance to think about what to do here, not that I know what to think.. But my legs just start pedaling again. “Wait! We need to exchange decoder rings!” She shouts at me zipping after me. I have a feeling of what is going to happen. It’s what always happens on the show. They are going to work together and somehow it will all turn out for the best. At least for them. In the show they never showed what happened to those ponies and creatures that once defeated rode off into the sunset. Nobody knew what happened to Gilda, or Trixie, The Diamond Dogs, the crazy Flim-Flam brothers or even Iron Will. We are left assuming that all went well and that somewhere out there they still exist. Maybe I feel like them. Maybe I feel like a one trick pony who is just part of their adventure and then the Princess will do something, and I’ll never be seen again. Lost in the moment of these thoughts I can’t help but hear some labored flighty breathing to my left. “UM!.... *gasp* Do... You... Mind... If.. It Wouldn’t be so.. Much Trouble to slow down?” Fluttershy asks me. Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy? Twilight was most likely the one to come up with the plan. She always comes up with these things. Crap. She really is smarter than she looks. I am so screwed. I push forward. “Yes! I would very much mind it!” I reply making a sharp right down a narrow one way street. Not even half way down the second block and I hear a zip line being pulled. Pinkie some how has strung a line between two buildings and is falling down on a wire. “Come on! Look! I can totally be one of the Princesses Spies!” She says dangling upside down. I have to make a left here because she’s fallen near exactly in my path. The next street I turn on is a two lane and a bit busier, I find myself weaving and ducking past ponies. “Out of the Way! Move Please!” I shout. I hear wing beats again. Damn it. “Please, could we just talk a little?” Fluttershy asks catching up with me. “Uhmmm Let me think about that...MmmmmNope!” I reply bumping the bike into a higher gear. I start to move ahead of her at a frantic pace. Least on a bike I can almost ‘stand up’ without my spine screaming at me. Her wing beats are heard again and I see her struggling to keep up. “Ah! Hooo! Ah! hoooo!” She is gasping hard. “Could.. we.. try... to.. be... friends?” A sharp pang goes through my heart. I know that something is up and that these two are a part of it. But the combination of her struggling, her cuteness and her question are too adorable. Looking to my right I see a break in the traffic. “Stay away from me Fluttershy! I don’t want to hurt you!” I shout. Geeze taken out of context that sounds like I want to hurt her. I make it across the street with ponies shouting at me, but continue to pedal as hard as I can. I see an on coming downward slope, I can use that... The sound of inline skates hitting sidewalk is almost enough to make me jump off the bike. I look to my left. There is Pinkie Pie wearing the biggest smile, she’s skating backwards and waving at me. “So, I was thinking if I become a Spy, do I have to have a name like yours? Cause really it is a really Sad name and I wouldn’t want a sad name!” Ugh! Need. To. Pedal. Faster. “Why... *huff gasp* Would... You... Hurt... Me?” Comes Fluttershy from my right. “I wouldn’t!” I shout. “Then why did you say...” Fluttershy starts looking at me intently. “Oh Fluttershy, Spies are always hurting the ponies around them. Mostly the ones they love!” Pinkie says, then her ears droop and she looks thoughtful, all the while rolling skating backwards and easily avoiding ponies left and right. “Huh, Maybe I don’t want to be a Pony Spy now. I couldn’t hurt the ones I love! I love everypony!” “Is... That...why? You... wouldn’t... really... hurt.. anypony?” Fluttershy asks. “Yes! … No! Aaaargh! I Just don’t want to see you cry! OK?” I shout, I nearly hit an obstruction that would send me crashing. “Ugh! Why are you two being so distracting!?” I ask as we finally are reaching the bottom of the slope. With that question I get a moment of startling clarity. That’s part of Twilights’ plan. They’re the distraction, but distraction for what? I look at Pinkie and notice something I didn’t before. Her tail.. I had thought that it had been just flapping in the wind. That’s not wind. “Twitchy Tail...” I say as we are almost near the bottom of slope. Pinkie looks at me. “What?” “TWITCHY TAIL!” I shout. Pinkie’s tail is twitching! Something is going to fall! I need to veer off the path I’m on! Twilight Sparkle pops out of one of the bushes lining this street. “She knows! Rainbow! Change of Plans! Now before she can react!” She shouts her horn glowing. With Pinkie and Fluttershy on either side of me, I can’t make any turns, I attempt to pedal faster only to find my front wheel frozen. Equestria might be ruled by Magic, but it seems that Newtons Laws of Motion are still in effect. My body is still in motion and it wants to stay that way. And how is it doing this? By getting flung over the handle bars and into an arc in the air. I feel another trip to the all together magical land of pain coming on when I see the side walk coming at me. This trip is interrupted by a rainbow coloured force that knocks the wind out of me by jarring me to a near right angle and into an alley way. I am still flying backward... well backwards for me, when she lets me go. Momentarily I feel like a billiard ball. Then I feel myself hitting something soft and stretchy. It doesn’t take me too long to figure out what it is as Raritys’ magic, once again, wraps me up with a long cloth into something resembling a straight jacket. I feel something lasso around my waist and pull me down before I hit against the wall behind me. “Aaaaagh! Let Me Go!” I shout struggling. The six ponies walk towards me. “Enough is enough Heartbreak.” Twilight says stomping her hoof down. “We are going to see Princess Celestia. She will help us with this problem. And nothing bad is going to happen!” I snort and manage some way of standing on my hind legs. “I. Told. You. My Name-” “Isn’t Heartbreak!” Twilight says angry finishing my sentence. I see Fluttershy moving slightly behind Twilight. It’s the break I need. I force myself up and try sprinting. Closing my eyes I try not to focus on how goofy this must look but rather getting past these six. “AAARGH!” I roar as I nearly charge Twilight. “Oh No You Don’t!” Twilight says her horn glowing with a furious light. I feel myself frozen and then jarred to my right. And with an audible cracking sound into smooth brick-style wall. I cry out. At least I am making good friends with some pony here. And her name is Pain. Pain Hurtzalot. “Eeek! Heartbreak!” Fluttershy’s voice shouts as she rushes over to me. “Ouch...” I want to get mad at Fluttershy but I can’t be bothered. Something got knocked loose in that meet’n’greet with the wall. I try to move my leg. “Ah-Ah-Ah!” Feels like a bad sprain. Fluttershy looks at Twilight. I can’t tell from this angle but I don’t think she’s too happy. “You said that she wouldn’t get hurt!” Twilight takes a step back. “Fluttershy, it only looks like a sprain!” Rarity protests. “That doesn’t matter! She has been getting hurt from the moment she got here! Is it a wonder she is scared to see Princess Celestia!?” Is... is Fluttershy getting angry? I attempt to scoot away. I don’t want to see Flutter-rage.. However I quickly remember that I am in pain. “Aaaah!” Geeze I must sound like an over sensitive drama queen! “Fluttershy she-” Twilight begins. “You. Promised!” Fluttershy interrupts. “You promised that we wouldn’t hurt her!” “Fluttershy... We need to take her the Princess and she was about to attack me.” Twilight replies. “How do you know she was?” Fluttershy asks. “I-I... Had to react! She would have gotten away!” Twilight protests. “Look Fluttershy, this is for her own good!” I feel something lifting me up, the light blue almost lilac glow of Rarity’s magic sets me down across ways over Applejacks’ back. Fluttershy looks like she wants to protest more, but instead she flies off crying. I can’t help but feel streaks of anger spike through me. “Well congratulations Twilight. Not only did you make Fluttershy cry, but the student has surpassed the teacher.” I say uncomfortably atop of Applejack. Twilight looks at me Angrily. I don’t blame her. A day ago her world was perfect, she and her friends would play and have adventures. They’d talk and sing and learn. Then I came along crashing through her window. “And What do you mean by that, Heartbreak?” She asks. I can almost see the shadow of Celestia in her stance and poise. Snorting, I roll my eyes. “'This is for her own good'. I bet those were Celestia’s last thoughts, if not her last words to her sister before she banished her to the moon.” “Alright, Little Miss. That’s enough out of you. Rarity would ya ever be so kind?” AJ asks. “In quieting Miss Heartbreak? Delighted.” She replies plucking a bridle from her bag. It doesn’t take her long to slip it over my face and muzzle.. I drop my head in humiliation as they start to take me to the castle. Twilight felt the sting of Heartbreaks words lingering as the others started walking back to the castle. This didn’t make any sense. She always wanted to be like Celestia and was always seeking her approval. Why wouldn’t she want to surpass her teacher? “She’s only trying manipulate you Twilight..” She said to herself trying to rationalize it. But it wasn’t helping. “If that’s the case.. then why do I feel like the bad pony here?” She sat down whiles the others carried Heartbreak off. “Yo. Twilight, You coming?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Uh Yeah, Just give me a second! I’ll meet up with you at the castle.” She said faking a smile. “After I figure out how to fix this..” she muttered under her breath. The whole mythology of what happened in Equestria that night when Nightmare Moon was banished by Celestia was always a fuzzy thing. All knew of the story of what happened and how Princess Luna felt neglected her works unappreciated by her subjects. How jealousy drove her insane with rage. But they never told of what happened in between. If it was a slow or sudden transformation. If Celestia could have done something or was powerless. She now felt like she was about to do something terrible by bringing just this one pony to her life long mentor, teacher, and ruler. Spike came running down the hill huffing and puffing. “There you all are!” He said. The others didn’t look to be in the mood to respond. “Whoa.. Cold crowd. Twilight, I see your plan went off perfectly.” He said. “Yeah...” Twilight replied sadly. “Oh geeze... What’s wrong?” He asked. Twilight was always pleased when one of her plans went off. “It’s just... What if she’s right about the Princess Spike?” Twilight asked. “What if bringing her to Princess Celestia is only going to make things worse than they already are? Ugh! How do I make this right?!” Spike looked at Heartbreak. She seemed to have really hit the depression stage of her grief pretty hard. What’s more, they put a bridle on her. “Ouch, that’s harsh.” He thought. “Well... I don’t know Twi’. I do know that I wouldn’t want to be in her shoes. I mean if every thing she says is true about being from another Universe, then really... she’s got nothing. No home, no family, no friends, and even if she seems like she knows everypony here, nopony here knows her. She doesn’t have anypony she can even trust.” Spike said. Twilight blinked and a spark went off in her brain. “That’s it. That’s how I fix this.” Twilight said in the middle of her thought. “Spike, I need you to take an urgent letter to the Princess.” Spike looked at her confused like, but took out a quill and some parchment anyhow.. With how Heartbreak was running from trying to get to Celestia, he didn’t see how writing a letter to her was going to help fix the problem they currently faced...
Horsing AroundChapter 17 Horsing Around. The walk to Canterlot Castle felt almost like a death march. I don't think I’ve disliked the sound of hooves on hard cobblestone anymore than I do now. I’m recapping what had happened in the past.., what? Twenty four hours. About this time last night, I had ridden my bike back from work. I opened the door to my apartment and removed my work uniform to prepare for a shower. A few hours later and that's where all this mess started from. First there was Dave's clammy hand over my face. Then there was discovering that all my exes were strange creatures with the ability to send me to an alternate reality. This was followed by a strange disembodied voice stripping me down to my bare essentials. Then I fell from the sky and into Twilight Sparkle’s window. One by one her friends showed up to figure out what they could do about this situation. Somewhere in the middle of that the Council of Nine dealt their final blow. Any attempts to find a way back from the path I came were severed. If I wasn't in such a state of despair right now, I would make a joke about them being emo. Then I passed out, had a dream that didn't seem like my own. What was up with that? Was it a really a dream, or like my inability to swear and use all my old pronouns, Equestria's way of reinforcing the fact that I am now a pony? I woke up on a train, learned how to walk, mostly. Got something to eat and drink, depressed the hell out of myself, and when the train arrived here in Canterlot, led Twilight and her friends on a wild goose chase that only ended in tears-Fluttershy's tears. "That's not the fun adventure that I wanted," I think still looking at the ground. I chew uncomfortably on the bit of the bridle that Rarity used to silence me. Most likely for the best seeing that everything I say sounds sarcastic, cutting or just plain wrong. I look up from a rather awkward position. I can see a dot of yellow and pink flying away in the sky.. back down on the street, Twilight is at the entrance of the alleyway. Spike is with her and it looks like she is having him take a letter. He finishes it and there is a burst of oddly coloured fire as he sends it off to the castle. "Most likely to tell Celestia of how well her plan went or some sort of lesson that she learned from all this..." I know that she isn't writing a lesson about this. That's just the bitterness of the situation talking. "I wonder what lesson I learned from this? I can see it now: 'Dear Princess Celestia. Today I learned that all my exes were strange magical fae creatures, a wizard and a werewolf. This is scarcely odd due to the fact that magic, as I knew it twenty-four hours ago, didn't exist in my world. Boy was I ever sorry to be wrong! I then learned the wonders not of friendship, but pain! And how pain can be there for you no matter what! Whether you are flying into a rainbow, a window or your friendly neighborhood Canterlot brick wall! Pain can be there for everypony! Signed ...." I try to think of the name that I would sign this as. The letter sounded kinda funny in a dark sorta perky-goth way. Now it sounds unfinished. I sigh realizing that there is a name there-one that was stuck there. And like my old name, when someone asks what your name is, it pops right up. Only this name isn't welcome. It is like an unwanted stranger. But it's the only one that comes up. "Signed.. the pony named ...Heartbreak." "Ugh.." Rainbow Dash sighed. "Something ta' matter there Rainbow?" Applejack asked. "Um No... Well... Not really.. Well.." She paused. Ugh she was starting to sound like Fluttershy. "Right, Normally it wouldn't be a big deal. But seriously, I am wiped. Seriously exhausted." "Really? I wouldn't think that anything could tucker you out there Sugarcube." Applejack replied. "Well it has. I've been up for like over twelve hours with little to no naps and the coffee that Twilight had me guzzle down, Which was cold, is starting to lose its power." Rainbow Dash said landing on the sidewalk. Her hooves dragged on the pavement. "And what do you want Us to do about it Darling?" Rarity asked. Rainbow Dash spied a pony drawn carriage. It looked like it might seat four ponies. "Want to split a carriage?" Dash asked in an almost desperate tired manner. "Dash, ah didn't plan on a trip ta Canterlot in the last day." Applejack Replied. Rarity looked at the carriage thoughtfully. "Well, we are in Canterlot. Even with... baggage, if we are going to travel to the castle, we might as well do it in style. I'm in." "Baggage?" Pinkie asked. "We don't have any baggage!" "She means Heartbreak, Pinkie." Applejack said. Pinkie looked at the bound and gagged pony resting uncomfortably on Applejack's back. Heartbreak was practically shooting daggers out of her eyes at Rarity. "Agent HB isn't baggage! She's not even cargo! She could only pass for cargo if she was sneaking around in a box!" Pinkie protested. Rarity only glared back. Heartbreak’s composure broke and her expression turned sad. "Don't give me that look Miss Heartbreak. There is a matching set of blinders to go with that bridle you know. Would you like to try them on also?" Rarity said in an almost musical manner. Heartbreak averted her gaze and returned to looking at the ground. "That's what I thought." Pinkie grimaced. Even if Heartbreak was a spy with a cutting tongue and way too much knowledge of everypony here, that was way too much sad to cover a face. Even spy ponies needed to be loved and smile once in awhile. "I'm in for the carriage!" Pinkie said racing to Applejack's side. "Hey AJ, She's looking a little uncomfortable on your back." "Ah'm sure she's fi-" Pinkie lifted Heartbreak with a sudden swiftness while flipping her around. Applejack gacked while Heartbreak made a whinnying sound. Pinkie zipped over to the side that heartbreak was now facing. "Much better right?" She looked around and bent down to whisper. "Don't Worry Agent HB, if things turn sour at the castle, you signal me by flopping your ears around." Heartbreak didn’t respond much, save the rolling of her eyes. “Don’t worry about it AJ, with the extra cash that I have had on hoof, covering two extra ponies isn’t going to be any trouble at all.” Rainbow said walking over to the two well dressed carriage ponies. “Two extra?” Rarity asked. “Uh Yeah. I don’t think these guys will see Heartbreak as luggage Rarity. Or cargo for that matter.” Rainbow Dash replied. “Well, thank ya kindly girls. When we get back ta Ponyville there’s going ta be some of Granny Smith’ special cider for ya’ll on me.” Applejack replied. “So Gentlecolts, how much for a ride to Canterlot Castle?” Rarity asked the two stallions. One of them tipped his hat and looked at the group. “Well... Our evening fare price is five bits a head, that would be thirty bits right Slim?” “That’s before tip there Jim.” The other replied. Their accents denoted that they were not from Canterlot in the slightest. “But there’s a problem Slim.” Jim said. “Oh yeah Jim, This is a four pony carriage. Either one of you girls is going to have to lay on the floor. Or you’ll all have to find a bigger carriage.” Slim replied. “Oh, that’s alright, we have a little... luggage that can lay on the floor.” Rarity replied. Rainbow Dash looked at Rarity and then waved her hoof. “Uh Guys, could you give us a moment?” She then took Rarity aside. “Seriously?” “Whaat?” Rarity asked. “Rarity, I know you two got off on the wrong hoof, Her calling you a marshmallow and all, but give it a rest. If anything about where she came from is true.. Not that I am saying that I really buy into the ‘alternate world’ story. Though, it is more more plausible right now than Pinkie Pies ‘Secret Spy’ idea for some reason..” She shook her head. Now she was rambling like Pinkie, again. “Besides. If anypony is going to lay on the floor, It’s going to be me. Got it?” “Rainbow Dash...” Rarity began. “No! My Mind is settled on the matter.” She tossed ten bits into the payment box located next to the door. Rarity gave confused look to Rainbow Dash. It wasn’t too long ago that because of this pony, Rainbow had been covered in pie and fruit. Now she was just willing to give her seat up to lay on the floor? “Fine. But I am not sitting next to her.” Rarity replied putting her bits in. “Uh Rarity?” Applejack said hinting at Heartbreak. Rarity rolled her eyes. Heartbreak soon found herself lifted aloft and seated in the nice comfortable carriage. Pinkie tossed her bits into the box. “If you’re not going to sit next to Agent HB Rarity, then I’m going to!” Applejack followed her friends into the carriage. “Don’t ya’ll worry. We’ll be at the castle in no time and soon enough Princess Celestia will fix up what needs fixing.” Heartbreak didn’t look reassured by those words.
Eye of the StormChapter 18 Eye of the Storm. I stare blankly out the window of the carriage. Daylight is quickly receding from Equestria and a brilliant sunset is beginning. I can’t help but wonder if some pony out there is responsible for it. Most likely the pegisi. But then again the Equestrian world is round so it is possible that the sun and moon are distant celestial objects here like they are back on my earth. Other people speculated that Equestria was in a dyson sphere. I wasn’t much of a fan of that due to the fact that there were also comets and other celestial bodies. I don’t feel terribly sad right now. I am not sure why. Is it the way that lights are being lit by pegisi in the streets? Is it the evening dusk splashing its colours over Equestia? Or maybe it is the fact that we are so close to the castle that trying to run would be pointless seeing that Celestia could just come out on high and gank me. Feeling sad wouldn’t help matters... A voice breaks into my thoughts and disrupts my concentration. “Do all of the Princesses Spies sit like that?” Pinkies overly sugar fueled voice asks. I slowly look at her. “Cause if that’s the case, I know another spy living right in ponyville!” Looking down, I see what she means. Whiles all the others are sitting in the most comfortable positions for any equine, I seem to have taken the ‘Lyra’ stance of sitting. Applejack chuckles at something that Rarity said and then turns and looks at me. “Uh... isn’t that uncomfortable?” She asks me. I sigh. I am not sure if I should respond or not, I have put all of them through so many rounds. So I shrug. “Well.. Whatever makes ya feel most comfortable there Heartbreak.” She says in a way that is meant to convey sympathy. But hearing that name only reminds me of the burning sensation on my flanks. As I turn my head grimacing, I can hear a lady like ‘Hmph!’ from Rarity. Twilight Sparkle stood at the steps of the castle. A bright and shining beacon to all those who lived under Celestia’s rule. “I hope writing to the Princess was the right thing to do here.” She said quietly. Twilight felt a gust of wind gently go through her mane. Fluttershys’ hooves landed gently on the ground. Twilight blinked. “Fluttershy, you came?” Fluttershy looked at Twilight. “Of course I did Twilight. I might be upset with you, But we are still friends.” Twilight smiled. “With that said Twilight, I have had time to think about it all and what happened there was still wrong.” She said. Twilights’ smile ebbed and she looked away. “However, it wasn’t just you that was responsible, it was all of us. Myself included.” Fluttershy said meekly hanging her head. “Huh? How are you responsible for what happened back there?” Twilight asked. “I was the one that came up with the plan and forcing-” Fluttershy held up a hoof. “You never corner a frightened animal like that. They are likely to try and fight you or try to find a way to flee. And there is no telling what Heartbreak was before she was a pony. I should have said something. I’m sorry.” Twilight hung her head. “You’re sorry? I should have listened when you were suggesting we just talk to her. Maybe we could have avoided an unnecessary chase.” Fluttershy smiled and gave Twilight a light hug. “We shouldn’t focus on the things that we could or would have done Twilight. But what we can do. That’s why I am here.” A carriage came rolling up to the stairs of the castle. “While I don’t know who she is, I feel that whatever happens Twilight, whether she is right about Princess Celestia or not, we need to be there.” Fluttershy watched as her friends walked out of the carriage. “And if she is right about Celestia, despite Celestia being more powerful, older, and well... The Princess of Equestria, we should stand up for for Heartbreak and see if there is anything we can do for her.” Fluttershy walked down the stairs. Heartbreak was the last one to exit the carriage in a rather awkward manner. With her front legs tied up, she attempted to balance herself on her hind legs. However, she could not retain her balance for long, and was sent sprawling down the stairs, landing at the bottom on her face. She looked rather distraught about this. “Um Rarity, why is she still tied up like this?” Fluttershy asked giving her a concerned and rather displeased look. “Well, we couldn’t very well risk her escaping or take the chance that she would go on another tirade inside the carriage Fluttershy sweetie...” Rarity explained in a rather makeshift sort of way. “We were planning on untying her once we got to the castle...” “Well then you won’t mind if I-” Fluttershy responded about to clip Heartbreak’s bindings with her mouth. Applejack halted her. “Fluttershy, are ya sure that’s such a good idea? There’s no telling what she’ll do once free...” “Applejack. I’m surprised at you!” Fluttershy stated stomping her hoof. “How is she to trust us if we don’t trust her? Besides, I don’t think she is going to run this time.” She looked at Heartbreak. “Are you?” Heartbreak looked Fluttershy as if she was thinking for a moment. She then looked down at the ground and shook her head “no”. Fluttershy smiled and bit down on the knot that was holding Heartbreak captive. The fabric slipped off and Heartbreak stretched out her forelimbs. There was a moment of tenseness to see whether or not she would make another break for it. Much to everypony’s relief she did not. “Ooooooh I see what’s going on Rarity!” Pinkie Pie coo’d. Rarity looked at Pinkie to finish her thought. “Fluttershy is a secret spy too!” Pinkie looked at Fluttershy thoughtfully. “A really good spy!” “Twilight Sparkle?” Said a voice from behind Twilight. It was one of the Royal Guard. “Yes?” Twilight asked. “The Princess will now see all of you.” He said opening the door. Twilight looked at Heartbreak one her friends had joined her at the top of the stairs. Heartbreak, despite being free to walk was still wearing the bridle. “Rarity. please remove that bridle. If Heartbreak needs to defend herself, which I doubt...She is going to need to be able to talk.” Twilight explained. Rarity rolled her eyes and used her magic to remove the bridle. “I guess you’re right... Besides without the blinders it just didn’t look right...” I smack my lips together, the taste of fabric and metal is still on my tongue as we walk through the door. I feel the eyes of the guard follow me in. It is an uncomfortable feeling. Sorta like the first time I re-entered a church after concluding that I was indeed an atheist. I half expect to burst into flame the moment my back hoof passes through the threshhold. The seven of us walk down a small ornately decorated hallway. Equestrian flags and suits of pony armor are on either side of me. I would think that the red carpet under my hooves is soft. It looks soft. But I can’t feel anything through my hooves. Looking behind me, the entrance is getting farther and farther away. The hallway ends in a pair of double doors. The Equestria coat of arms hangs gracefully above it. I once again look at where we came from. Any hope of running now is like a distant memory. My heart and mind start to race again. I try to avoid the question that is fighting to get out of my mind like a caged animal. I cringe as the beast breaks loose from its confines. “What could Celestia do anyhow?” If watching any tv particularly Star Trek Voyager has taught me anything, it is that you should never ask that question out loud, let alone think it. There are millions of things she could do to you, trapped in stone is just one of them. There are unnamed lands outside of Equestria. She might send you there. But this is Celestia we’re talking about. If I am a true threat to Equestria in any shape or form, only the worst types of punishment would be had. Imprisoned in a celestial body, shunted to some other realm and let it be some other universes’ problem, or forever chained to a place where she can watch over me until I meet my eventuality? There’s a thought. How long will my natural life span be? Ponies on the show seemed to live from a natural life span to well over a thousand years with Alicorns like Celestia. Fan Speculation was that Celestia and her sister were as old as they were because they were saturated with the magic of the elements of Harmony. And from what I understand, I was just saturated with the very life blood of universes. Well maybe not that, but something akin to powerful magic. Would I live longer than I was meant to? I mean when I was human, that sounded swell. All that knowledge gathered over countless lifetimes. Now? Like the hells of the religions of the Earth I left behind, it sounds like torment in which I would be begging for an end. That is if I am a threat to Equestria and Celestia imprisons me. If I am not a threat at all... Then what? I hadn’t even thought about that. Perhaps I have been poisoning my own well about Celestia. She might be the ruler, but isn’t she sposta be a fair and just one? Doesn’t she show sympathy and kindness to her subjects? Behind me are Twilight and her friends, seeing them makes me slightly hopeful. I know them all too well, maybe better than they know themselves really. I know it was just a cartoon show targeted to little girls and their parents. But I watched it anyway. With its fun characters.. these ponies, bright songs and crazy antics, it brought me a joy and helped me express some emotions that I had trouble expressing before. I look at the heavy white doors in front of me. I want to run knowing what is behind that door. But seeing Twilight and her friends? I take a deep breath and look at the ground. A small smile finds its way onto my face. Whatever happens, they’ll be there. They’ll help me if I need it. I prepare myself for the storm I am sure will happen.. Into the eye, hope for the best, prepare for the worst. Alright...HeartBreak. There’s no turning back now.
Sister, SisterChapter 19 Sister, Sister. The grand ornately carved doors open and for a moment I am blinded. The Princesses’ Throne room expands out before me. Stained glass windows portray inspiring murals of the Equestrian world floating among clouds, faded tapestries adorn the walls. The red carpet leads to the sparkling golden throne. In the background there is the gentle sounds of a water fountain. It is everything I imagined this seat of power to be and much more. And in the center of this all, the most regal, most enchanting and purest white creature I have ever seen. With a spire of a white horn and large expansive wings she sits at her throne. Her constantly flowing multicoloured mane adorned with the royal crown hides part of her face. I look upon her... and despair. The others have approached the throne with their heads bowed in reverence, and kneeling before their ruler. I am left in stunned silence nearly frozen not even six feet from where I walked in. She looks down at her subjects smiling a soft and compassionate smile, however once her gaze turns to me, that smile dissipates quicker than morning dew on a summer day. Her pale almost pink eyes feel like they are looking right through me. They know that I am not really a pony, she knows that I am interloper in her territory. I lift my hoof and back up slightly. The doors slam hard behind me while she looks down her muzzle at me. I am so screwed. “Thank you for seeing us Princess Celestia.” Twilight says “I have reported to you as much as Heartbreak and I know about the situation as it stands.” The way that Twilight explains this is very formal, very exact, very Twilight Sparkle. “And there have not been any other developments in Heartbreak’s situation?” The Princess asked. “Um...” Twilight seemed confused at the question. “None that I know of.. The rainbow portal that appeared in Cloudsdale turned completely black and burned the tank of liquid rainbow with in. I can assume that it could have been used to send her back to her home world.” Celestia’s gaze has gone unchanged. The others are now looking at me from nearly the other side of the room. Twilight uses her head to signal that she wants me to join the group. Hesitant at first, I slowly walk over to the others. “Calm yourself. Panicking isn’t going to help matters here. Show her that you don’t mean any harm, that you just want to go home. That’s what you want right? Right.” I tell myself. Twilight coughs out a slight nervous laugh. “I see.” The Princess replies, her face is stiff and almost unreadable, however after watching the show for as long as I have, I know Celestia’s tells. When she is worried, angry, sad, joyful and concerned. Her expression comes off a mix of things. There’s anger to be sure, but it is mingled with other things. Determination, sadness and even desperation. But with that gaze nearly burning a hole in me, I turn away. I don’t think I want to stare at the sun for too long. Twilight Sparkle begins to speak but pauses. “Princess Celestia. With all your knowledge, power and wisdom, as I have told you in my letter, that it is my hope that we can send her back to where she belongs. That we can restore her to her friends, her family and to her world. Princess Celestia, is there anyway, using our magic that we can recreate the event that sent her here?” Celestia’s composure breaks for a moment as she looks down. “No there is not.” She replies. I don’t feel my heart drop in this. I expected that once I crossed that rainbow coloured bridge and fell from the sky, the Council of Nine would burn it behind me. I would have to build a new life here.. Starting from scratch. It isn’t a pleasing prospect.. However, I still have talents. If I try working on my skills that I had back home, my ability to draw, to write, maybe to learn and teach, I could build a life here. Maybe. The others are much more disappointed. “There isn’t even a way that we could establish a connection back to her world?” Twilight asks a little desperately. “Isn’t there anything you can do to help her?” Celestia shakes her head sadly. “Even with all the magic in Equestria currently, we could not do what the Council of Nine have done. The bridge they built was based on ancient rituals, a nearly limitless supply of raw power and the emotional tethers that kept your Heartbreak connected to the council. The Council through shear force of will cut their connections of passion and desire, their fears and hopes, their compassion and love to this one. They even went as far as to cut her from their universes cycles of life and death. Once this was done, they took her Name and replaced it with another.” The way that she explains it makes so much sense. I still don’t understand how they propelled me across the void however. “Without these connections, without these bonds of friendship. Heartbreak has no hope in returning back to the world she came from.” Celestia finished. Something occurs to me. “Ehem.” I cough raising a hoof. The group looks at me, I almost shy away but instead take a deep breath. “As much as I love being talked about like I am not here..I was just wondering.” I look at Twilight. “When did you mention that they changed my name Twilight?” Twilight blinks. “Well... Hum... Come to think about it, I didn’t mention that.” “Not even in the letter you sent when you captured me?” I ask very worried. Twilight shakes her head no. “Then.. Um please.. Explain to me Celestia..” Celestia gives me a look that would send grown men into cowering curled up balls. “P-p-princess Celestia! Princess, if nob-b-b-” Start stammering on a word. “Please Heartbreak. Do not fight the changes in your speech.” Celestia says. A cold sweat forms on my forehead. She knows about the changes in my speech. The good news is that it helps to confirm the fears that my next question poses. The bad news is ..well.. wait. That is the bad news. “You know.” I say in a hushed whisper. Twilight and the others look confused. “Know what Heartbreak?” Twilight asks. “I was going to ask how ...Princess..” I pause on the word. Fear is gripping me hard and I am starting to back away. “Celestia.. How she knew that the Counsel had stolen my name, but the only way that she could have known that was..” “If I was aware of your arrival in the first place.” Celestia says. “Yes. This shouldn’t surprise you Heartbreak. I am Princess Celestia, Ruler of Equestria. There is little that goes on in my realm that I do not know about. I was aware of your arrival to Equestria. That you had fallen near or in Ponyville. And that those who had sent you here had taken your name.” Her wings fluff and ruffle. “I also helped soften your fall from Cloudsdale. However once you landed, I found it difficult to pinpoint your location. It was as if you were in two places at once.” I really want to run to the door right now, I want to smash through it and run. I push and push my hooves to produce a running action. But to no avail. It is as if fear has glued them to the ground. “Which is why I was pleased that my Faithful Student Twilight Sparkle was able to find you and bring you to me.” Celestia looks at me and suddenly I feel a slight force pressing my body. I see why I can’t move now. A golden glow covers my hooves and is creeping up my legs. “While we can not send Heartbreak back home Twilight Sparkle, we can indeed help her.” Twilight looks fearful now. She has a question on her mind. They all have the same question on their minds. “H-h-how Princess Celestia?” She asks. Celestia picks me up with as much effort and ease as someone would pick up a rag doll. “By giving her a completely fresh start.” Celestia replies. Her eyes are nearly drilling holes in my skull with how hard she is focusing. “We must erase her memories.” I struggle and fight upon hearing what Celestia is going to do. “What?! No! Put me down!” I scream, I want to tell Twilight that I told her so in this moment, but I have more pressing concerns “Let me go!” I see Twilight Sparkle out of the corner of my eye. She looks horrified. They all look horrified, even Rarity.. I look face to face with Princess Celestia. “Alright, This is how we are going to die. I would ask for last thoughts brain, but that last one was a dud. Goodbye Me, it was really nice knowing you...” Twilight Sparkle couldn’t believe the words that came out her mentor and life long teacher’s mouth. Heartbreak was right. Something horrible was about to happen in this moment. It wasn’t like being locked way in stone, in some ways it was far worse. “What?! Princess, Why?!” Twilight exclaims. “How would that help her?!” Princess Celestia pauses what she is doing and lowers Heartbreak without letting her go. “Twilight Sparkle. You are a wonderful student, but the magics that sent Heartbreak here are strong, powerful and chaotic things. They have taken what would be a normally gentle soul and corrupted it. Twisted it.” She looks at Heartbreak, fear is washed on her face and still futilely trying to struggle free. “Because she does not have any bindings of friendship, she is now in a state of disharmony. You must have seen this on your trip to Canterlot. She is violent, full of fear and lashes out based on these poor experiences.” “But .. Princess..” Twilight begins. “No Twilight Sparkle. I am sure that you have noticed that her words are at times cruel and deceptive. That she wants for only one thing, while spreading fear and pain. And the moment that those who are reaching out to her turn their backs... She runs.” Celestia explains. “This isn’t a coincidence my little ponies. For Heartbreak is so out of harmony with not only Equestria but herself, She runs the risk of becoming the next Discord.” There is a frightened and shocked gasp that echoes through the six. “Begg’n your pardon Princess Celestia, but is that even possible?” Applejack asks worriedly. “I assure it you it most certainly is.” Celestia responded. “But-But I haven’t even had a chance to give her a welcoming party! I don’t know whether or not to give her a super secret spy party or an out of this world alien party!” Pinkie exclaimed. “So you’re removing her memories!?” Fluttershy gasped. “T-t-that’s Horrible!” “Yeah! Will she even be the same pony?” Rainbow Dash shouted. If Heartbreak wasn’t Heartbreak anymore.. how was she to get back at her for tricking her into crashing at the bottom of that hill? “She will not be. In order to ensure that she does not bring about the destruction of all Equestria, I will have to remove her entire life prior to this night.” Celestia responded. “Princess Celestia, Please reconsider!” Rarity shouted in protest. “I might not like Heartbreak and thus far she has been nothing but trouble, but she has had so much taken from her already! Why.. her memories are all she has left!” “I am sorry my little ponies.” Celestia responded turning her face away. “This must be done for the good of all of Equestria.” Twilight looked desperate. Those exact words were what Heartbreak had warned her of. She glanced to the door. Right now there was only one hope. One hope that she had hoped that it wouldn’t come down to. “Please Princess Celestia! There has to be another way!” “I am sorry my dear Twilight Sparkle.” Celestia said fighting back her own emotions in the matter. Heartbreak had fought so hard and struggled, but it was looking to be all in vain. She appeared to be preparing herself for the end as Celestia’s horn was coming down upon her. “Why... Why not just... Kill me?” She asked. “That would unleash all the chaotic magic within your being on to Equestria. There is no other way.” She replied. The quiet was broken by the splintering of wooden doors and the shattering of glass. They clattered to the floor. The night spills into the room with lightning and thunder. Princess Luna stands in the door frame. “Sister! Cease what you are doing this instant!”
Black Hole SunChapter 20 Black Hole Sun. When I was a little kid my mother told me not to stare at the sun. And like all kids I listened to her. But then curiosity got the better of me. I didn’t stare at the sun for long mind you-it was bright and it hurt to do so. Later on I would find out why this was. The lenses in your eyes act the same as those in a magnifying glass. And seeing as you’re trying to focus on the light that is coming into your eyes like with ants on a side walk, your retinas are burning inside your eyeballs. Right now I am about to have more than just my retinas burned away. Screw what they said about the abyss. Right now I am staring at the sun, and the sun is staring right back at me. The Princess of Equestria has just told me that I am too unstable to exist. With all things considered, that might be the pot calling the kettle black. However, I’m not the one with magical unicorn powers. I was grateful to know that Twilight and her friends would stand up for me. However against the all powerful ruler of Equestria, their cries of protest are falling on deaf ears. Moments ago however someone or.. some pony with enough gall or power has come to act as champion for me. I am unable to turn my head as Celestia binds me tightly with her golden glow. But I don’t have to look to know that voice, it is as powerful as a thunderstorm, commanding and as mysterious as the night. “Princess Luna,” Celestia’s focus and gaze are broken for a few precious moments. “What are you doing here?” “We demand to know the meaning of this, Celestia!” Luna’s voice boomed through the room. I don’t know if I should be grateful or worried over her arrival. All I know is that has spared me a magical lobotomy for a few minutes. “This is not of your concern. The matters we are conducting matters that require more experience. The...being...you see here has the possibility of becoming the new Discord. She has been saturated with -” Celestia tries to explain. However, her sister is in no mood to be talked down to. “Not. My. Concern?” Luna shouts. “Luna. You have not ruled for as long as I have. You have not seen the suffering that creatures like Heartbreak can bring,” Celestia responds trying to cow her sister into submission with a face that is stern and uncompromising “I will not tolerate your outbursts in this court.” “We are more aware of this situation than you think Princess Celestia,” Luna’s smoldering voice interrupts with thunder and lightning accompanying it. Rarely if anytime did I ever see her get angry. “This Heartbreak is from a world different from our own, transported here against her will and forced into a form not of her choosing by powerful chaotic magics. “ “How-” Celestia begins. Twilight speaks. There is a sad conviction in her voice. “I am sorry Princess Celestia. But I informed your sister of the situation with Heartbreak. There were many things, things that she shouldn’t or couldn’t have known. I felt that while I couldn’t fully believe what she was telling me was true. I had to do something to quell her fears. I now see that Heartbreaks’ fears had some sort of justification behind them.” Celestia's face dropped, she gritted her teeth and her eyes literally became a flame. Her magical grip weakens on me but I can feel her seething rage nearly burning my coat. “My own faithful student. Committing acts of Treason against her Ruler, against her teacher!” “It is not Twilight Sparkle that has committed any act of Treason, Dear Sister! It is you!” Luna replies. Celestia’s horn begins to make its descent back towards my head. I squeak in fear and try to look away. And then her face changes. Mingled in the anger that she is feeling is shock over something. I Suddenly feel something wrapping around me. A cold chill that counters the burning golden magic that is holding me down. It is refreshing and light. My vision goes black and I feel myself out of one binding and in another being pulled away to the direction I heard Luna’s voice come from. When the sudden acceleration stops, I am back on the floor and far away from Celestia. My vision returns to me but my eyes are still closed, opening them I half expect to see that horn firmly pressed against my noggin. Waiting to drill itself into my frontal lobes. I can feel myself shaking,. I was moments away from the scorching hot abyss that threatened to take anything and everything I had left. I swallow hard as I feel like I am about to either throw up or piss myself. I jump slightly as a cool velvet softness envelopes me, a touch that gently warms and is meaning to reassure me that all is well. Looking to my right I see Princess Luna standing next to me, her wing gently folded down. In front of me on the throne however I see a very angry Celestia that is nearing the height of what could be called a supernova. Her very being flares and lights the room as with a great wing beats she rises into the air. “You may feel the need to jeopardize the safety of our land, neigh our world for this...creature... Luna,” She retorts. “But I shall not! Never Again!” With those words she flies down from her loft, her horn once again pointed directly at me. Even with Luna at my side I can’t help but cringe. I am frozen in fear. “Princess Stop!” Twilight Sparkle commands. I feel the ground under me shudder and I open my eyes to see Celestia at a full stop rearing up before Twilight. Her eyes have filled with tears and determination. “This is not you! This isn’t something that you would do!” Celestia’s angry eyes look down at her faithful student, for a moment I almost think that her hooves are about to come down and crush her. “It must be done for the good of all!” Celestia says her eyes refocusing on me. “Ya keep saying that Princess,” Applejack says stepping forward. “But with what Princess Luna has been say’ng and how ya been reacting, I’m not too sure that yer’ being honest about that..” Fluttershy walks in a meek manner next to Twilight. “Princess please.. Can’t you give her a chance? She hasn’t even been here a day..” I can see her flinch slightly. Pinkie Pie joins the mix striking a dramatic pose. “Yeah! And I haven’t even gotten to party with her!” She says. “And when I first met her, I Pinkie Promised Myself That I Would. And No pony breaks a Pinkie Promise! Not even me!” “Fluttershy is right. Heartbreak might not have any manners in matters, But you are the Princess of Equestria!” Rarity says shooting Celestia a scathing gaze. “And This Is Not How Princesses Behave. Please, If I can see fit to give her a chance than surely you could?” “Right!” Rainbow Dash says zipping into the group. “If she had some friends to stick by her side, she could get to that stage of um...what was it called again? Acceptance?” Rainbow asks looking at Pinkie Pie. Pinkie momentarily bobbles her head in a nod. “Right! Acceptance! And who knows what she could do after that?” The Princess is taken aback. Hell, I’m taken aback. No pony questions Princess Celestia. She has absolute power, she has complete control, her word is law..She- Celestia’s hooves come down and the composure on her face crumpled slightly. She turns away from the wall of ponies begging her not to destroy me. She is definitely not used to this. I know what she expected. She expected the six here to see the wisdom in her actions, that she was doing this for the good of all Equestria. I know I saw that. However my survival instinct was rather strong in this matter. Luna walks away from my side and places a wing on Twilight’s shoulder. “Please my loyal subjects. Stand down..” She says. “But Princess-” Twilight begins. Luna looks at me and then back at Twilight as if to share a secret message. The pony wall parts and Luna walks through. “Sister... Do you not remember the first thing you said when I was restored to you?” Luna looks over her sister's shoulder. “You told me that we are meant to rule Equestria together.” “Luna this matter is different.. there is no other way..” Celestia responds. “Celestia.. You remember the night that Nightmare Moon was banished to the moon? I remember your words to her were exactly the same.” Luna approaches Celestia. “That night you lost me for a thousand years. Please Celestia.. If you go through with this, it will not be you who loses me, but I who loses you. Do not let all those many years of regret blind you.. We can bring this Heartbreak back into harmony in a way that will not jeopardize our world and will be of her own will.” Luna raises a hoof and places it on Celestia’s shoulder. “Heartbreak may know much about us, our lands, and our lives, but with what she has been through dear sister, she barely knows herself anymore. Please, give her time to learn who she is, that she may help bring herself back into harmony.” There is a moment of silence. “Very well.” Celestia replies, the rolling anger in her voice still palpable. “If you think that Equestria can withstand the danger that Heartbreak brings, then we shall do this your way sister.” The group relaxes almost instantly as compromise is met. Twilight gives me a sad smile of reassurance. However, I am saving my judgements until the moment we can pass through the broken doors behind us. I jump in surprise as I feel a tugging on my leg and the dried blood-soaked cloth is removed from my leg. Glass and wood on the floor clatters and begins to float with Celestia’s golden glow. She focuses her power and brings all of these things together. There is the sound of magic at work, the almost glittery sparkling sound of magic being used that builds upon itself before fashioning itself into a form. “A Year and a Day.” Celestia states as we look upon her creation. It is an hour glass whose top is filled with small red marbles. “That is how long all of you have to bring Heartbreak back into harmony with Equestria and more importantly herself.” She walks past the mane six, hourglass aloft, I jump back a little as she stops in front of me. The look in her eyes reminding me of how she still views me. I am an interloper. A disruption, a threat, and only a pony in form. “All of us?” Rarity asks a bit confused. Celestia turns her head in response. “You six believe that Heartbreak is worthy of redemption, and as such you shall be her Teachers. You shall help her adjust to her new life and teach her the ways of Harmony.” Her attention snaps back at me. “This however isn’t a one way endeavor. You are to report to me with a letter explaining what you have learned about the Elements of Harmony or something profound that you have learned about yourself.” She comes face to face with me. “For every letter you send that meets these conditions, one of these pearls will fall white. Failure to do so and a red one will fall. For every red pearl that falls, that taints, that contaminates the rest, I will remove a part of you at the end of this time period. Understood?” “Fond of letters much?” I meekly ask. Her eyes narrow and her nostrils flare. “Uh! I mean Y-y-y-yes P-p-princess Celestia! A Letter once a month!” I reply cowering back. “Please don’t hurt me...” comes a small whisper. She turns away from me and walks back towards her throne. I nearly feel myself melt. “Princess..” Twilight begins. “This is my decree, Twilight Sparkle.” With a shaky voice her head turns back and I can see her fighting back tears. I am not sure if they are from the fact that her sister and her subjects had to stand up to her, that she was told that she was wrong, or something else entirely. At this moment I am just happy to still be me. “Now Leave. Leave before I reconsider this tenuous position.” “As...as you wish Princess...” Twilight says dismayed. The six of them bow to their ruler. They escort me out the doors and back down the hallway from which we came. Looking behind me for a moment, I see Celestia talking sadly with Luna, Luna puts a wing over her sister and comforts her. I nearly stumble as I am not focusing on my walking. Twilight and Fluttershy glance in my direction momentarily, however I am able to catch myself. The doors open and the cool night air runs through my mane. It is only after the doors close behind us that I feel safe and I breath a sigh of relief. The rest of the group is understandably quiet. Like me, they have had their whole world shaken under their hooves. As we approach the bottom of the stairs Rainbow Dash breaks the silence. “Sooooo, Yeah... I think we should go back home. I’m not sure after all that... that the Princess is going to want us sticking around. Besides, I need to let Cloudsdale Security know why I am about to miss a day of work...” “Normally I would disagree with you Rainbow Dash...” Rarity looks back at the castle. “But with all things considered I suppose you’re right..” “So when’s the next train back to Ponyville due to arrive?” Applejack asks. “Assuming that they haven’t changed the schedules on me, about fifteen minutes.” Twilight replies. “We can make it there just in time. Good thing I bought round trip tickets!” Pinkie Pie is still bouncing and dressed up in her spy outfit. She then walks up next to me. “Sooooo, I am just taking a stab at this... but You aren’t a super secret spy?” She asks me. “No Pinkie... I’m not.” I reply. “That’s ok! Now I can have the out of this world alien party!” She says smiling. I shake my head. “I’m still not in the mood to party Pinkie.” “I didn’t hear you say that you would never ever, Ever, Ever, EVER be in the mood to party, “ She says bouncing a bit. “So when you Are finally in the mood to party...” She puts on a pair of dark shades. “I’ll be prepared..” I sigh. That’s Pinkie Pie for you. Fluttershy isn’t saying anything but gives me a weak smile. I look at the ground and then smile weakly back at her. The sound of the moving train fills my ears once again. Out the passenger's side window there is Canterlot. The Shining City upon the mountains in which all Equestria was founded. A single spire is darkened tonight. Sitting at a booth in the main dinning cart is much better than in one of the sleeping carts. Getting into the booth was a pain in the tail, both figuratively and literally. Applejack attempted to help with that. Rainbow nearly collapsed the moment she found a bunk and the others wanted to sit and talk with me, but I asked for some space. I am slightly numb, but still feeling so much. Worry, shame, guilt, anger and fear all mingle together. Somewhere in there there is a glimmer of hope. I lean my head against my ankle. Seeing that I can’t really lean it against my hoof or even my non-existent hand. Celestia’s ‘gift’ sits before me, the blood red marbles’ shine reminding me of how much time I have and what I have to do. “Eleven.” I think to myself. “Eleven months. How kind of you Celestia. Either you forgot a month, aren’t counting this month, or the equestrian calendar only has eleven months...” I sigh. I don’t care about those trivial bits of knowledge that are running through my head, but they are keeping me from thinking about what has happened. The hour glass glows with magic and is moved slightly away from me. “You might not want to break that.” Twilights’ voice says. “We don’t need one more thing for Celestia to be upset about.” “Oh but why not Twilight? I’m sooo good at being the cause of so many other broken things...” I pull my hoof away from the hourglass and frump my face down on the table. Great. I am sounding rather sarcastic again. Twilight gives me a rather stern look. I put my hooves atop my head in a slight triangle shape. Ugh and I thought hooves and everything else was weird. I didn’t realize that my ears were in the wrong places until now. It is something of a sensation freak out here. Twilight closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. She then looks at me. “Right, now see here. I have just been appointed your teacher. This is something new to me, but if you know our lives as well as you seem to...” She gives me a questioning look. “Then I know a pony that was exactly once in your position.” I drop my hooves from atop my head. “Really? Cause unless I missed something, I don’t recall a pony who crashed into your world, caused you more trouble than... she.. was worth, and nearly caused Celestia to become Solar Flare.” “No Heartbreak.” She says lifting the hourglass and nudging me to remove myself from the booth. With much difficulty I begrudgingly get out of the booth. She starts walking to the sliding door that leads to the adjoining sleeping cart. “Then what?” I quip, regaining my balance and finding my footing. “Being the New Pony.” Twilight responds. “I know what it is like to not be sure of where you stand with the others. The need to find your place and even to find yourself. When I first came to ponyville...” She says hushing her voice as we walk into the darkened cart. “I know the story Twilight...” I say in quieted tone. “Please don’t start singing.” Twilight looks confused and then gives me a stern look. “I’m your new teacher Heartbreak. Don’t interrupt me when I am telling a story.” She says. I look away in an apologetic manner. “Right. When I first came to ponyville I didn’t know where I belonged. But with the help of good friends, I found where I fit in.” She looked at me as we approached an empty bunk. “Granted I wasn’t being forced to do this under pain of being removed from existence.... But now it is your turn to learn that. And it is my turn to be the teacher.” She moves the blanket off the bunk and then pats the bed. “And as your new teacher, my first assignments to you are as follows.” She looks at me to see if I am paying attention. “One. Smile, you are not allowed to be this sad.” I roll my eyes and then she gives me a “I’m Serious” Look. I force out a rather terrible looking smile. It doesn’t take long to fall away from my face. “That’s a start.” She says. “Two. Get some sleep. I am sure you need it after what you have been through.” Sighing I push my front half onto the bed and wiggle my lower half up to follow it. Like with everything, it’s a little easier this time but not by much. “Good.” She says placing the hourglass somewhere safe. She then trots to the door. “Now my student. Rest well and good night.” I feel the blanket tucking me in. Geeze unicorn magic is weird. I gaze up at the bunk above me. “Twilight...” I begin. “Yes?” She asks. “I...” I feel the need to say something, but the words aren’t coming I sigh. “Never mind. Good night Twilight.” “Good night HeartBreak.” She replies. “Um Twilight?” Damn it. Just let her go and get some sleep this can wait till morning. “Yes?” She asks patiently. “Could you call me H.B. Instead? I think I like that better.” I request. “Alright.. Good night. H.B.” She says the door closing behind her. The train is quiet after she leaves. Despite Twilight telling me to get some sleep, I am not terribly tired. My job required that I was a night owl. The moonlight spills through the window casting shadows on the wall. I lift my hooves up and look at the shapes they cast. I cross them, move these ... clumsy things around. But unlike my hands these things don’t make too many shapes. I almost tear up, but then I give myself a hug and push myself not to think about this. Just get some sleep. After all tomorrow might be worth it. THE END. Author's Note Here is a link to the Next Story as it was suggested to me. http://www.fimfiction.net/story/20657/my-little-heartbreak-creativitea
Don't Buck With my HeartChapter 10 Don't Buck With my Heart A school bell rings in my ears briefly. I can’t believe what I am seeing. I’m in what looks like an elementary school classroom. “I’m...I’m at school?” I ask out loud putting my hands on my desk. “H-h-hands...” A flood of relief washes over me. ”It was all just a dream...but why...am I at school? And...Why am I talking to myself out loud?” I had graduated almost twenty years ago and elementary school was like a dusty fossil of my childhood. And what a rather unpleasant example of a fossil. The sharp teeth of memories from a time long past drudged themselves out of the beds that they had been laid in. Had anyone seen me as a child, they would most likely think several things. “That kid is going to blow something up someday.”, “How can they carry all those books and papers?”, “Why is he always running?” or “Ugh, he smells like he needs a shower, does he even use deodorant?”. As a kid I was the star of my very own “after school special” as it would be. I was a geeky kid with an understanding of way too many things that just weren’t my grade level. That might have been what made it so hard to fit in. And when that happened I would start to grow frustrated and worried. This would normally be followed by some sort of temper tantrum and the inability to fully express why I was so flustered. I would spend hours on end on the floor of the library in either the science, comics, young adult, or fantasy sections. There I would be in my own little world, exploring various topics. Science, physics, the paranormal, biology, comic books, books that contained political cartoons and ‘How to Draw’ books. These were my friends growing up. When I was failing to adapt to normal school classes as other kids were meant to, my mother decided that I should be in special education. I didn’t care when it was happening, but later in life, I felt that it was unnecessary. When I hit middle school and felt that I didn’t need these classes, I confronted the teachers and my mother about it. They gave me nothing but the excuses that I had been given the entire time I had been in elementary school. Each one was kinda different from the rest, but I noticed a downward trend in the quality of excuses they used on me. Three main excuses to be exact. “Special Ed isn’t for just the handicapped, it is also for kids who might be more intelligent than others in their classes. For ‘special’ kids.” “You have A.D.D.” And finally “You have an attitude problem.” High school I decided that I had enough of it. I told my teachers and mom that I didn’t want this anymore. I didn’t belong in these classes. I was smarter than this. Secretly I always felt that I was smarter than this and my mother only had put me in the classes because she couldn’t understand me. Looking back as an adult, I still think it was something like that, but there might be a few flaws in my logic. However I still didn’t think that the classes helped me any. After all, when I got out of high school, I was ill prepared for the world in any way shape, or form. Getting a job was difficult, I found that interacting with people was hard, so I was SOL when it came most any form of social interaction. I had to learn things that I was meant to learn in elementary school shortly after graduation. I think that was what drew me to My Little Ponies: Friendship is Magic as an adult. Even years later, I could relate to Twilight Sparkle in a way that just struck a cord. She was a lone recluse who just didn’t fit in and was always studying. Always with her head in the books and always trying to learn something new. While the show was on, I found community with other bronies. I didn’t feel that I had to hide anything. When the show came to a close, I was a little more disappointed and devastated than I let on. I.. guess I let my depression hurt my girlfriend more than I thought... But now it seems, somehow, I am back in elementary school. I am sat in this mellow yellow desk, atop which there is a number 2 pencil and a bright shining apple for the teacher. In what looks like a standard classroom, I can’t help but feel a might bit unnerved. “There’s something odd about this that I can’t quite place.” I say out loud. Instead of a standard frame around the chalkboard, there is almost a whimsical gold frame with three diamond shapes over the top. The walls are a dusty wine colour and are decorated with odd banners, paper stars, moons, and crude little drawings. The sound of chattering comes from the other side of the classroom door. As it opens a womanly teacher’s voice sings out. “Alright students, in an orderly manner, single file, no pushing please!” I felt the need to hide behind the desk I was seated at. After all it seemed I was here before anyone else was. That’s when a single file line of little unicorns came walking in. I stared at them with open eyed wonder and confusion. Had it been a dream? What was this? I looked back down at my hands.. Yes they were still hands...I let out a sigh of relief. A relief that was short lived however. A pale pink unicorn with a glittering white mane stopped talking with her friends. “Oh Look who’s early for class...Yet again!” She said laughing and flipping her mane. Two other unicorns, one a sky blue and the other an almost lemon yellow with a blue mane giggled. I couldn’t help but feel a bit of shame and embarrassment over this.. I hadn’t a clue why. I was too early? “Oh, don’t give them too hard of a time Pearly White.” Said the sky blue unicorn. “They just really like to study is all!” “Pfffft, If that’s what they like...” She rolled her eyes and followed the class in suit as they all sat down. What was going on? Right, don’t fret about it. It’s not important. You’re in school. School work is important. “Alright my little ponies..” The teacher began. “Settle down and Please pass your homework up to the front of the class.” There was the familiar shuffling of papers from the back rows going to the front. I reach my hand back to grab the papers only to find that they hover and land on my desk in a neat manner. Pearly White and her friends giggle at me. The teacher walks past the rows of desks picking up the stacks of homework with her magic. She then idly flips through them. Then she comes to my row. Flipping through them, she looks confused. She looks at me. “It appears that I am missing your homework...” She blinks. “And that is very odd because I am never missing your homework..” I look around, all the unicorns are looking at me, I notice that some of them are whispering. Pearly is next to me, idly drawing something. “Um...Homework. Right..” I turn to my right to look for a backpack, only to find that there is none. I pat myself down as if I had placed it somewhere on my person. The teacher looks at me with rather kind eyes. “Did you leave it in your desk maybe?” She asks. “Oh! Yes, my desk.. How um silly of me..” I respond. Without thinking I open up the desk. There’s my homework, but I also hear the clattering of a pencil dropping and then something heavy. Laughter from the rest of the class is invoked almost immediately. I take out my homework and slump. “Please stop that all of you.” The teacher says. “I am sure this apple was for me anyway” She picks it up with her magic and sets it on her desk. “Alright class today we are going to work with more advanced levitation techniques.” She began turning her back to the class and writing on the board. That’s when I felt something land in my hair. Picking it out I found it was a little paper airplane. Pearly White looked at me and gave me the look of “Pass it along”, whiles the other unicorn on the other side of me was giving me the “Give it here” gestures. I found myself very confused, couldn’t they just pass it using magic? I shook my head and put it on my desk. I looked at the airplane intently...The two of them smirked and kept giving me the signals to pass the message.. whatever that was along. “No way I am going to give these two the satisfaction of me getting caught with their message.” I thought to myself. I looked intently at the airplane and found my curiosity poking me. I carefully opened it while the teacher still had her back to the class.. I gasp and look a bit shocked at what I saw drawn on the paper. It was a childish drawing of the teacher with a huge teeth and an even bigger butt. Wavy lines were above her. A speech bubble read “It’s Alright!”That’s when I noticed the teacher nearly hovering over me. Her face was red and not very happy. “You think this is funny young lady?” She asked me. Young lady? “Um yes...I mean No! No It isn’t funny, but I-I Didn’t draw it!” I stammered. “Oh Teacher, Yes she did, I saaaw her!” Pearly White said in a whiny innocent sounding voice. “Her?” I said out loud. “And I did not-” But the teacher cut me off. “I can not have little ponies in my class acting like this and disrespectful manner to her teachers.” She said with an air of authority. “P-ponies?” I began, I looked at where my hands were, now there weren’t hands. Now there were tan coloured hooves on my desk. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a reflection of myself in the classroom window. “Her?!” The reflection I saw was that of a little filly with dark brown hair, a tan coat and blue eyes. “I want to see You after class” She said. “After Class?! NO!” I shouted. “NO! NOT AFTER CLASS!” My eyes snapped open and my heart was racing. “AH!” Came another scream. The world came into focus, but cold sweat was running down my face. It didn’t help matters that I didn’t have any idea of where I was. The teacher’s words were still ringing in my ears and I was breathing heavily. The world finally came into focus and I found myself laying on something soft. “Only a dream.. Only a dre-” I cut off as I realized what my voice sounded like again. Looking down I tried to assess where I was. It didn’t look like the library. I was laying on what appeared to be a bed of some kind, across from me there were what appeared to be bunk beds. But between them there was a window, out of which was some rather fast moving scenery. I lifted my head and found that there was a sound that I knew. The “Chunka-chunka-chunka!” of a train. Then I recognized the gentle rocking of a train car. “Great. Waking up in strange places again.” I think to myself sighing. I attempt to move only to find a tight squeezing on my ankles. I lift my head and look down my muzzle. My hooves are still hogtied together apparently. “Yup. Still a ...pony..” I say resisting my urge to swear. I can feel my ears drooping. The way that my neck is stretching isn’t how necks should stretch. They shouldn’t be this long and they shouldn’t have this much flexibility. A purple face and hair pop down from the top bunk. “Oh good! You’re finally awake!” An upside-down Twilight Sparkle said. “GAH!” I yelp in shock and quickly raise my head. I quickly find that this is a bad idea as my head conks into an over hanging object. “Oh Son of a...” I want to curse out a storm but instead what happens is a pained squeak. The world refocuses and a concerned Twilight is back in my face. “Ouch! Are you alright?” She asks me. “Oh yes Twilight. I am just hunky dory peachy keen!” I say shaking my head of the dizzy feeling. Twilight blinks and comes down from the upper bunk. “Does that mean you ...are ok or not?” She asks me. I try my best not to glare annoyed at her. I’m finding it really hard not to. Whiles the feeling of rage has been softened by sleep, it hasn’t gone back to whatever dark corner it crawled out from. I lay my head back down. “No Twilight. I am not Ok.” I growl. “I have been evicted out of my reality, had my life stolen, been smashed through a glass window, freaked out, Had A Mental Break Down, Had My Name Stolen, Was Branded, Was Hog Tied, And I keep Waking Up In Strange Places!” She backs away a little bit. “Great, I am sure now all the mane six think that I am a complete mental case and most likely need to be put down. How could things get any more awkward?” I wonder. My body decides to answer that question in the most unpleasant of manners. First my stomach gurgles and my mouth feels parched. Then I can feel something stretch and squeeze in my intestines and a pressure on my bladder. “Uuuugh...And to top it all off. I’m hungry, thirsty and really need to go to the bathroom.” I explain. Twilight looks at me questioningly, had it not been for the fact that everything in my body just cried out in desperation, I don’t think she would even consider untying me. I haven’t exactly done anything friendly or even show I am in the slightest trustworthy. “I’ll get AppleJack.” Twilight says in a nervous manner. I hear the sound of sliding doors as Twilight goes to the next cart.
