Chapters Chapter 2
After going through the miscellaneous legal crap and keeping my eyes tightly squeezed shut for six to seven hours on the plane, I finally arrived and disembarked from the plane with a sigh of relief. The other passengers looked at me with smiles of sympathy as they passed me by on the way to the luggage belt. I had packed a single suitcase consisting of clothing, shower supplies, and the magician's cape. The horn I hid on my person using some of its magic with the constant mental picture of “There's nothing in my pocket. There's nothing in my pocket.” The machine, to my relief, saw and detected nothing. Then again, it was made out of ivory. Do these things even detect ivory? Not worth the risk. I nodded slightly and then pretended to read the journal while I made my way to my flight.
But now that's over with and I can get back to- what, exactly? How am I going to get to the Stone Arch Gateway if I have no idea where to even start looking? I suppose the horn itself could lead me to it, but if I walk around holding a horn in my hand and start pointing it around like a dousing rod, people are going to think I'm some kind of nut! I ran a finger along the shaft of the horn, feeling the grooves created by the twisting spiral. The warm feeling ran up my finger. Maybe I won't have to take it out of my pocket at all. I closed my eyes formed an image of a map of the island I stood upon in my mind and then pictured question marks popping up all over it with another image next to the map depicting the passage in the journal referring to the 'Stone Arch Gateway' and started walking out of the airport. Nothing seemed to happen, so I walked through the lobby and picked up a free local map out of a wire rack, used the restroom, and then stepped outside into the cold, cloud-overcast world. Everywhere I looked there were people, relatively new buildings, and black mini taxis driving to the nearby curb and minutes or even seconds later leaving again with a passenger or two. I then thought of a different tactic: I pictured in my mind a graveyard. A graveyard that may have held my family in it in large numbers. I then felt a strange feeling to open the map I'd picked up and look at it. A blue dot on the map began to grow in what was now a park. I smiled. This might not have been what I wanted, but it was a start.
Several hours of walking and one taxicab ride later with a driver in his late sixties I arrived at the smallest park on the entire island.
“Here you go, buddy. Prince Park. Though why you'd want to come here when there are far nicer and quieter places, I don't know.”
“....” I stared. This 'park' was a little bigger than my bedroom and sat in the middle of the road. It had three trees and a single bench from where you could watch traffic or stare at a few houses if you felt like it. Here? My ancestor's graveyard is in the middle of a road? “Thanks. Think you could wait a minute or two? I won't be long.” The driver shrugged.
“I suppose. But I can't just sit here in this spot. I'll have to park over there by that house.” He pointed up the road. “If you're gone longer than eight minutes you're on your own. Time is money, and gas isn't cheap.”
“I understand. I'll be with you shortly.” He nodded and waited for me to get out. I did so and walked over to the bench and sat down while he drove away. After a minute of staring at the ground I leaned over and placed a hand on the browning grass.
“Hey there, Mink. You don't know me, and I guess I don't really know you, but we're related by blood, you and I.” I felt a little silly for talking to a relative that was over a thousand years dead, but at the same time it was comforting to know that I now stood on the same ground they once did. “I know from the journal that your grandpa never came back from his journey all those years ago, and now I too aim to follow in his footsteps and see what he might have seen. Who knows? I might even come back alive. Thanks for keeping his journal and the horn safe, or the stories that my own grandpa told me might never have existed.” I stood up and brushed my hand off. “Wish me luck.” I pulled the map out of my pocket again and read the various names of towns and streets and landmarks. None of them had anything named 'Equine Forest'. Or equine anything (other than a few race tracks and pubs), for that matter. I knew that Equine was a word for 'horse', but that was not particularly helpful. There were no forests with 'horse' in their name, although after reading through the 'Fun Fact' section I found out there was a tree called Horse Chestnut whose leaves, ironically, were toxic to horses. Fun fact, but useless to me. In the end I decided to ask the cab driver if he'd ever heard of the Equine Forest. After a short walk and nearly being run over I reached the place where he parked and tapped his window.
“You change your mind?” I shook my head and asked him if he'd ever heard of a place called Equine Forest. Either from a passenger or from any old local legends. He scratched his chin while he thought about it. A minute passed by. Then another. Finally he nodded slowly. “Yeah...yeah I think I do recall the name. Why do you ask?” I told him that an old family legend had been passed down from generation to generation about a natural archway of stone that, according to legend allowed one to step into another world. I shrugged, rolling my eyes and smiled like I didn't believe my own words. Which, of course, I didn't.
“It was probably just a passage into a clearing in the forest where a herd of horses passed through from time to time. I just wanted to see if there was any truth to the legend at all or if it was all a hoax like Big Foot.” The old man frowned and wagged a finger in my face.
“Big Foot is real, sonny! I've seen one!” He objected loudly. “As for that forest of yours, it caught fire during a lightning storm about eight hundred year ago and burnt completely to the ground. Nothing has grown there since. I have heard from a few young people on a dare that came running back to my cab that the place is haunted, but only thing really left there now is a pile of large stones near a dried riverbed. If the stones ever formed an arch in the past a burning tree probably fell on it and destroyed it. But if you still want to see it for yourself I can take you there. Won't be cheap, though.”
“How much?” I asked, getting the feeling I wasn't going to like the answer.
“Sixty two point eight pounds.” I blinked. Point eight? Like...eighty cents??
“Pounds? I'm sorry, but I'm from America. Could you tell me what that would be in dollars?”
“Sure. Let me think...” He tapped his fingers on his chin a few times. “One hundred dollars.”
“Ouch!” I winced.
“Yes. Ouch. But my cab is faster and more comfortable than walking. What do you want to do?” I was reluctant to practically throw away a whole hundred dollars for a faster trip. Unfortunately this man knew where to go and I did not. I reached into my back pocket and withdrew my wallet.
“I get the feeling I'm going to regret this later, but here.” I handed him one of the few hundreds I had to him. The cab driver inserted it into his fare box and thumbed the backseat. He then turned his key and started his cab.
“It will be getting dark soon. Once it does it will be freezing out where we're going. I hope that jacket you brought will be enough.” As I slid into the back seat again and buckled up I hoped so too.
While I'm sure the drive was scenic and wonderful, I fell asleep not long after we started moving again. Being in a near state of panic during an entire international flight had a tendency to wear one's self out. It wasn't until we'd stopped and the driver shook me himself that I woke up again. “We are here.” he said simply. He turned back around to face the windshield and pointed into the early night. “There is a path you can follow that will take you to the dry riverbed. From there you are on your own. What little I know about this place I have heard from other people and have never explored it for myself.”
I yawned and stretched and then got out of the cab, taking my belongings with me. The cab driver rolled down his window. “I will wait here for you for two hours. That is when my shift ends and I will need to return the car to my company. If you are not back by then you are on your own.” I thanked him for his generosity but he shook his head. “There is nothing generous about it. I have made more money from you today in the last four hours than I have in two days previous, and I will be charging you for the ride back as well. Trust me, sitting here waiting for two hours is a small price for me to pay in return.”
I left the cab driver and his car with my bag on my back and the horn held in my right hand, still in my pocket. that place gave me an eerie feeling. That same feeling you get from walking through the memorial graveyards for fallen World War two soldiers.
I found the path the driver mentioned with no problem due to the brightness of the full moon, and with a little added speed from jogging (which also helped me keep warm) I arrived at the dried riverbed. Only, it wasn't as dry as the word 'dry' suggests. A small trickle of water flowed along the center of it, creating a gurgling sound that reminded me of the creek back home. I smiled, but was reminded by a sudden cold wind that I could not stay long if I didn't want to freeze. I drew the horn out of my pocket and looked down at it.
“Alright spiral spike. Show me the way.” I held it out at my arm's full length and at eye level with the tip pointing away from me. I was expecting a beam of light to shoot out from the tip or for something in one direction or another to start glowing but neither of these things happened. Instead the hand holding the horn felt a slight tug to my left. I turned two steps. Another tug. I turned another step and felt it pull me forward. “I guess that works.” I thought aloud as I followed the reverse-flow of the river and the tugging of the horn.
At one point I tripped over what I assumed was a a rock and threw my hands out in front of me to catch myself but forgot I was holding the horn. I almost caught myself, but the hard horn pressed against the palm of my hand was not good for my wrist and pain lanced up my arm and I fell anyway.
“Oof! Ahock!” I gripped my right wrist with my other hand as every pulse of my blood through my wrist reminded me that I had hurt myself. I laid on the ground for a few minutes waiting for the pain to fade, and it eventually did. Unfortunately, whatever I had done to myself was not going to let me flex my hand without it hurting immensely, as I found out the hard way from just bending my fingers a little. “Wonderful.” I muttered through clenched teeth. “Just flippin' wonderful!” I picked the horn up again with my other hand and was about to pocket it and head back when an idea that would probably have come to a child faster (which annoyed the crap out of me) occurred to me. I gently touched my injured hand with my left, and focused on my hand healing itself. Within a mere ten seconds I could move my hand with no pain, and with another five the stiffness that usually accompanied freshly-healed muscles was gone as well. Convenient. A little too convenient. Especially since I have no medical training and might have done harm to myself rather than any good. I stood up, suddenly feeling tired even though I'd only just recently woken up from a nap. So it takes energy from me too. Perhaps it only takes energy from me when its use affects me directly. Or perhaps moving stuff with my mind takes almost no effort at all. I frowned. I wish my ancestors had thought to add instructions on using the horn. I might not find out its limits or my own until it's too late. My frown faded as I looked back to see if what I really had tripped over was a rock. It was not. What I had tripped over was someone's abandoned canteen. Wow. People still use those? I picked it up and shook it. Something was in it. Probably water, considering the stream is right here. I uncapped it and sniffed. Then I grimaced and dumped out the contents out on the ground in disgust. It was beer. I hated beer. The first time I'd tasted it, I gotten sick.
Because I had not thought to bring a drink with me, I rinsed the canteen out in the stream several times and then filled it with the ice-cold water that flowed and drank some. The water was colder than my hands had told me and I choked on my first mouthful. I dropped the canteen while coughing and most of the contents flowed out onto the ground. After I could breathe normally again I refilled the canteen and took only sips until my thirst was sated. Then I refilled it one last time and clipped it to my pants by the clamp on the back of the canteen and started walking again. While I walked I wondered what could have caused the canteen's previous owner to simply abandon it out here in the middle of nowhere. Maybe he saw a ghost! I smirked. Yeah right.
I whirled around when I heard a twig snap. Which made no sense given that there hadn't been a forest here in centuries. What I saw almost made me drop the canteen if I had still been holding it in hand. With the exception of the nearly dried riverbed next to me, I was completely surrounded by trees. Well, more like the glowing, transparent images of trees.
“What the-” They were tall, they were wide, they were beautiful. I'd never seen trees like these before. Their trunks, while the standard brown were smooth. The leaves appeared to be made of silver, though that could have been from them glowing. And each of them sported thousands of white petaled flowers with yellow centers like the flowers you'd see in a grassy meadow. Oh yeah, and most of them were on fire.
I could feel the heat, smell the smoke, and the almost-pain of my skin tightening from the exposure to it. I looked up and lightning began to fall all around me, striking one tree after another, which I knew from science class to be impossible. Lightning rarely, if ever struck within the same area more than twice, and these bolts, without fail, struck each and every tree that stood around me. The following thunder boomed as if the lightning were fired from a machine gun. It never seemed as if it were going to end. Suddenly terrified (and with good reason) I ran through the only opening in the phantom fiery forest and kept running until I was out of the burning areas. Though that did not last. The storm almost seemed to chase me. Directly along the path I ran along more and more bolts struck the trees as I passed them, ignited the sap in them, and spread the fire even more. I kept running. If I can smell the smoke, feel the heat, and hear the thunder, I'd rather not risk letting one of them fall on me!
The smoke, though not real was still making my lungs ache. Twice I had to leap through flames the reached from one tree to another as if searching out more fuel and when I looked briefly at my jacket I saw if had been singed. This increased my fear, and I put more speed into my legs. This can't be happening!!! This can't be happening!!! I kept screaming in my head. Why am I here? Why in the world had I come here?! Was it to find out about my ancestors? Was it to gain more insight on how they lived? Was it for power? It didn't matter now, I just had to keep moving or else I'd burn along with the phantom forest. Of this my frightened mind was certain. But in spite of this I slid and fell to a stop at a even stranger sight. In the small clearing before me there was another phantom in front of me now. No wait, there were two. One was an old man, and the other was a...horse? No, it has a horn. That must be a Unicorn. What are they doing? I picked myself up and walked closer to see them standing next to a pile of broken stones and a phantom doorway that had at first been blocked by their bodies. The old man had a long beard that reached down to his waistline. He was nearly bald with but a few wisps of hair still remaining. He wore a filthy long blue robe. The Unicorn was orange and stood, at highest point, maybe half a foot taller than the man. They seemed to be speaking to one another. I kept walking until I was practically right next to them, but they payed no attention to me. The old man's expression was grim, and the Unicorn looked sad.
“Are you sure you want to do this, Mace?” The Unicorn said. Unicorns could talk?! “This is the only known way from our world to yours. Once you've destroyed it we will no longer be able to come to your world.” Mace nodded.
“I believe it is for the best. While your people were welcomed when you first came to us, our race's leaders have become greedy. The people would seek to protect you, but those in power would seek only to exploit and destroy you. It would only lead to bloodshed on all sides.” He shook his head. “No, this is the best way. Perhaps the only way.”
“Yes.” The Unicorn nodded slowly. “There was a time long before our coming here that our two races shared one world, but your people have almost forgotten those times. Only a few of you that were gifted with our fallen's horns during the Great War still remain, and most of those horns have decayed too greatly to open the way now. Only yours remains.”
“And I shall be leaving it behind to my family when I go with you.”
“How shall your family find this horn when you've gone and this forest is naught but ash?”
“My nephew is waiting outside the forest with instruction where to find it after the forest is gone. He will pass on the horn and our family's story to future generations.” The Unicorn nodded.
“Then let us finish our task.” Mace nodded and raised his arms, holding in one hand what I held now. The Unicorn lifted its head and unfurled its wings-
“Wings?! I exclaimed aloud. “That's not a Unicorn! That's a-” I paused. “what was it called...” I scratched my head, but could not find the word. Not that it really mattered, I supposed.
Both horns began to glow as bright as a floodlight and the lightning that was fallen tripled in intensity. There was not a second where the sky was not lit up by falling bolts. I suddenly got the strong feeling that if I were going to do something I would have to do it now. But what was I supposed to do? I looked around. Already more trees were catching fire or exploding as the sap in their 'veins' ignited. My eyes returned to the phantoms. Mace was sweating and swaying on his feet. The- not-Unicorn looked much the same, though to a lesser degree. Behind them the phantom doorway stood open and showed a world that was daylight even though it was night here. I walked closer, stepping onto the rubble that must have been the Stone Arch Gateway in modern times. I reached out a hand and touched it, but nothing happened. My hand passed right through it.
The heat and smoke was getting worse. I coughed and wiped tears from my eyes. Then Mace began to speak again.
“That...should do it.” He said, dropping his arms and breathing heavily.
“Yes. Let us go.” The horned and winged horse replied. Leaning on the equine for support, Both Mace and his companion approached the gateway. The Equine started into it, but Mace stopped him.
“What is it?” It asked.
“I am going to leave a mark for my descendants so that they can follow in my footsteps and go to your world if they so desire. It will also show them what we have wrought when they step into the limits of the forest. Give me a moment.” The Equine stopped and Mace crouched down to one of the base stones of the phantom archway and inscribed a symbol I'd only seen in one place into it using the glowing horn's tip. If you took the typical elliptical eye-shape and then disconnected the points on either end and slid each two separate directions about halfway then connected the two with a bent line and placed a tiny circle next to the curved line's bend, that was what you'd get. My Grandpa had that symbol tattooed on his shoulder. He'd said it was our family's coat of arms during the middle ages and that I shouldn't ever forget it.
“That symbol...why that one?” The equine asked.
“That is my family's symbol. If anyone will recognize it, it will be my family's descendants.”
“Ah. Are you ready?” Mace nodded and, leaning even more heavily on the equine for support, crossed the arch's threshold and vanished. Then the archway disappeared. And the storm. And the entire forest, leaving me standing in the middle of nowhere in the freezing cold again. I shivered and looked around in shock, my mind trying to process all that I had just witnessed.
Somewhere back the way I had started I heard a car's horn blare for three seconds and was silent for four, and then it blared again. The cab driver must be telling me to hurry it up. If I'm going to do something, it needs to be now. I approached the pile of stones and with what little light the moon provided I began searching for our symbol. Alas, it was too dark. It looks like I'm relying on magic yet again. I should have brought a flashlight. I pointed the horn at the pile of stones like the horn itself was a flashlight and willed a ray of light to emit from the tip. It didn't work. I suppose it was because I didn't really want it to, as I thought it was a bit of a waste. Fortunately I picked up a box of matches someone left in the bathroom back at the airport. I placed the horn on one of the rocks and brought out the box. It had only four matches in it. No wonder they left it behind. I swiped one against the starter trip and it burned to life. My eyes darted from one stone to another, seeing nothing. I frowned and tossed the first match aside before it could reach my fingers, and then walked to the other side of the pile and struck another match. After fifteen seconds of more searching there was still nothing and I began pulling some of the lighter stones off the tumbled pile. When I'd moved as much as I could I lit another match. I thought I caught sight of it for an instant, but then the wind blew and the flame went out. I took the last match out and waited for the wind to die. When it did I saw it again and placed the empty box of matches on it and went to retrieve the horn from the other side of the pile.
“Alright, Mace, I found your mark.” I touched the horn's tip to the symbol. “Now show me what to do next.”
The mark glowed and an image projected out from it like something out of a science fiction movie. The figure of Mace himself appeared, smiling. I stood up from my crouch so I could look at him almost eye to eye.
“So my family did indeed find this place! To whomever you are, here you find our family's legacy. Here, in this forest's graveyard, you find a remnant of an age long forgotten by the world at large, and I suspect, even more-so forgotten in your time. Perhaps you yourself are the only person left who knows what our ancestors wrought in the time when this Stone Archway was first wrought. Or perhaps even you don't know. But all that aside, I am assuming that you wish to see what is on the other side of this Archway, yes?” He stopped speaking and waited. After a minute of him saying nothing else I spoke.
“Yes, I would.” His smile faded.
“Yes, I suspected as much. Well, to that, I have some good news and some bad news. The good news is that I can tell you how to open the path to our ancestral home. The bad news is, the only key that can open the way is the horn that you've brought with you, and due to it no longer being attached to its original owner it shall be greatly weakened from being used as such. So weakened in fact, that you may not be able to use it to return. If this is not to your liking then remove the horn from the symbol and return to your home.”
This must be why grandpa didn't go through the gateway! He didn't want to be cut off from his family! But can I bring myself to do otherwise? I loved my parents and what friends I had. Could I really take not being able to see any of them again? Well, if that did happen, at least I'd finally have moved out of my parents' house. I smiled in mild humor, but it was not really something to laugh about.
“Are there more horns in that other place?” I asked the image of Mace. He didn't answer. Or show any sign that he'd heard. Obviously he had not thought to add that information. There probably would be.
The cab driver beeped his horn again and I looked back in the general direction of the sound again. If I turned and ran back now, I just might make it before he left. But if I did that I would probably never return here again. “Mom, Dad, I'm sorry.” I looked back at Mace. “How do I move forward?”
Mace's image nodded and gestured to the pile of stones.
“Point the horn's tip at the largest stones in this place, and command 'Rebuild!' the image of what once stood here shall appear. It shall appear to be a doorway filled with stone with a single hole in its center. Push the horn into the hole while twisting it and it shall go in almost to the end. Then pull it back out without twisting it. You will know what to do from there.” The image of Mace disappeared, and I thought I could hear the sound of a motor starting up and fading away. As one door opens, another closes. No turning back now. I picked the horn up and did as my ancestor instructed. As before with the phantom forest, the image of a door appeared, but I was facing it from the wrong direction and had to take a few steps to the right. There was the hole, and with only a moment's hesitation I inserted the horn and screwed it in. When it would not go in any farther I pulled it back out again and a straight line appeared straight down the middle as the door swung open to reveal the same daylight scene I'd seen in the vision left by Mace. I licked my lips. Once I went forward, I risked being trapped. But since when has Humanity ever gained something without a risk being taken? I entered it at a run and was nearly blinded by then broad daylight sun on the other side beating down into my face.
I was in a clearing not unlike the one where the Stone Arch Gateway stood in my world before the forest burned down. Huge trees stood all around me, though these ones had no flowers and seemed menacing, somehow. Then my eyes adjusted and I saw they had angry faces on their trunks. Angry as if they were sentient and hated my being there. I had the sudden urge to turn around and go back, so I did turn, but found that the gateway had shut. Unlike the gateway in my world, however, this one was made from stone. I lifted up the Unicorn horn again and then stopped as I noticed something different about it out of the corner of my eye. I brought it closer to my face and saw that it had cracks running all through it and its color had faded from a shade of creamy vanilla to the color of a Human skull that had been sitting in a desert sun for ten years. The horn still held together at the moment, but it looked like it could fall apart the next time I used it.
“Nope, you're not getting me home. I guess I'll have to find another horn.” I looked around at the forest again, which, though silent when I arrived, was now starting to become noisy as the local creatures decided I was no threat. There were no paths, no gaps in the forest, and little light outside of the wall of trees surrounding me. I shrugged “I guess I'll just pick a direction and start walking.” So that's what I did.
Chapter 3
I had been walking for for what I guess-timated was about an hour when I suddenly heard the sound of something very big and very angry roaring. I had never heard anything like it before. The closest thing to it sounded like a mix of a lion and the t-rex from that dinosaur movie that had made a park for prehistoric creatures. Curious (and perhaps stupid), I headed in the direction of the roaring and came near to the edge of the forest. That was when I heard the screaming and ran the rest of the way and out into open light again. And of course, I was blinded by it again and blinked furiously to adjust. When I did, what I saw made my mouth drop. If It had not been attached to my jaw, it would have fallen to the ground. It was a huge, blue green and yellow, four stories tall, and, oh yeah: a frikking Dragon! Fire breathing and all! I froze in place, staring at the monstrosity a few hundred feet away as it chased three small forms. Every few seconds it spewed fire at the figures and they would just barely escape being roasted alive. It was from these three figures that the screaming came from. They sound like people! Maybe they're the locals. I wonder what they did to tick it off? That's when I noticed something rather important: they were heading directly for me.
“Oh Shoo-hoo-hoo-hoot!” I exclaimed loudly and and began running along the treeline away from them. “I should never have left!” Unfortunately, whoever it was that was being chased was, they saw or heard me, and changed their course and made a beeline for me. “NO! Don't follow me! Go the other way!!!” I yelled at the top of my lungs. “I don't want to be roasted!”
“Neither do we!” Yelled one of the figures when it became close enough that I could hear their- hoof-steps? I turned my head around and saw that the three figures were very young horses. Well, maybe horses. I suppose that they could have been ponies or that I could have been hallucinating.
The dragon, seeing another figure (me) jetted out another gout of flame. This time I felt the heat and couldn’t help myself and screamed like a little girl. When I finished the pony-things had caught up and ran alongside me. One had a strawberry-colored mane and tail and its body was yellowish like butter. The second was orange, had wings, and a hot pink mane and tail. The third had a white body, a light purple mane and tail, and also had a horn on her head. A Unicorn! I guess I made it and I'm not crazy after all!
The three looked me up and down with curiosity and fear written on their faces.
“What are you?” The yellow-bodied one asked bluntly.
“I'm...a Human.” I answered in between breaths. The three looked at one another.
“Where did you come from?” The orange one asked.
“Another...world!”
“How-” the white one began before I interrupted.
“Can we just...focus on getting away...right now?!” I yelled before lunging back into the forest. The three followed and then outpaced me as the dragon belched up more fire. They quickly disappeared into the forest ahead of me and I was left behind. Hoping the dragon would keep following them I changed my direction at a ninety degree angle and ran to the right Unfortunately the dragon did not realize that I was not who it had been originally chasing and kept following me. “SONAVA!!” I gasped. My legs were tiring again, my lungs felt like they could never be filled, and I was tired already from healing myself back on Earth. What I wouldn't give for a dirt bike! I thought as I hopped a large stone. I briefly considered ditching my pack and water to lighten myself, but decided against it. If I dropped my things I'd probably never find them again.
I was temporarily distracted by the sound of thunder. I looked up, and through a brief gap in the trees I saw thunderclouds moving across the sky. Suddenly having a wild idea, I changed direction at the first sign of the edge of the forest again and headed out into the open. The Dragon dipped its head down to get a better look at me, realized I wasn't what it was chasing, and decided to eat me instead of roast me. It opened its mouth and darted its head forward. I dove to the ground and it missed me by inches. I scrambled out from under its head and got to my feet as it darted its hot wet and barbed tongue at me. I managed to break into a sprint (though where I got the energy to do so I'll never know) and headed for the thunderclouds. Again, thunder boomed, and this time lightning stabbed towards the ground. The dragon hesitated, and that gave me the edge I needed.
“Heed my call! Lightning! FALL!” I shouted at the cloud and spun to face the Dragon, open hand raised to the sky, and the hand holding the horn aimed at the Dragon. The horn's cracks glowed and light shone from them like a flash-bang grenade exploding in slow motion. When the bolt of lightning that lanced down from the cloud struck my outstretched arm I felt as if I had licked a car battery. I smelled something burning (probably me) and spots filled my vision. My body felt as if it were going to explode and my body began to convulse. Somehow I still managed to keep the image of the lightning bolt jumping from me to the Dragon, and like a huge Tesla bolt the lightning slammed into it. The Dragon roared in shock, anger and pain. The monster convulsed, its eyes charred and turned black, steam poured out of every opening in its head and both its tail and lower legs tore great rents in the ground around and beneath it. Boiling saliva foamed at the corners of its mouth while it roared and then screamed.
The bolt of lightning spent, as well as the last of my own strength, I didn't see whether or not I successfully slew the dragon. Mind numbed, I turned a dulled gaze on the horn. More cracks formed on and in it and the glow faded. Then it just fell apart like an old cobweb. As the dust fell from my hand, I could have sworn I saw the figure of a Unicorn take shape for half a second, but that could just have been my imagination. My vision shifted. Or rather dropped lower as I collapsed to the ground. My vision blurred, and then darkened to black. My horn is gone, my strength is gone, and I have no idea where I am. Mom, Dad, I'm sorry.
__ __ __ __ __
Not far from where Jacob fell after killing the dragon, A rainbow maned and tailed Pegasus and her two helpers that were assisting with the moving of the thunderstorm away from their home stared at the scene before them.
They had been minding their own business when they first saw the dragon chasing something on the ground through the Everfree Forest, but there was no way to know what it was until it ran out of the trees and headed right for them. Not that they knew what it was even after it was visible. Nearly everything they'd encountered in their world possessed four legs unless some injury caused the loss of a limb.
“Rainbow Dash, do you think we should help whatever that two-legged thing is escape?” One of the flying ponies asked the rainbow maned and tailed Pegasus. Rainbow Dash never had the chance to answer. From the ground, they heard one of the two figures yell:
“Heed my call! Lightning! FALL!”
Their thundercloud, without warning discharged a bolt of lightning at the smaller creature. The creature caught it and hurled it at the Dragon pursuing it. The dragon roared twice in pain, then fell over backwards. A few seconds later, the smaller creature also collapsed.
“Do you think they're both dead?” the same Pegasus asked.
“Only one way to find out!” Rainbow Dash declared before flying down to the two fallen figures.
She landed with a thud on the grass and approached first the Dragon to ensure that it was in fact dead. It smelled...well, like a dragon which had been struck by lightning. It did not seem to be breathing, so she trotted over to the two legged creature. He looked strange. It had almost no hair and was a little over six feet long from head to- whatever its walking parts were called. Its skin was almost white, and wore several articles of clothing that were torn in places (Probably from it running through the forest. ) as well as a bag of some kind on its back and footwear that said very plainly that this thing did not have hooves. What hair it did possess on its head of brown. It also had another set of limbs close to its head with appendages on the ends that looked like like they'd be good for picking objects up.
Rainbow Dash lowered her head down to the creature's chest and listened for a heartbeat. She found one, but it was odd. It would beat rapidly for a few seconds, then slow to almost nothing for the next few, then stop and start up again. Rainbow Dash raised her head up from the creature and flew up to her companions.
“The Dragon is dead, but the other thing is still alive. For now, anyway, his heartbeat isn't normal. I think we should get him to an infirmary as quickly as possible!” The other Pegasi looked at each other and then back at Rainbow Dash.
“But what about the storm cloud?”
“We should have pushed it out far enough that it won't be a problem now. Come on, I don't know how heavy it is. I might need help!” The two hesitated for another few seconds, but then nodded and followed Rainbow Dash back to the ground.
Elsewhere the three ponies that Jacob met directly had made their way back to their town safely.
“Well girls, I guess we aren't treasure hunters!” the yellow one stated.
“Nope.” The orange one agreed “And we aren't Dragon tamers either!”
“Maybe we're discoverers of new life?” The white one suggested. The three of them looked back at their flanks and sighed. Still blank.
“Oh my gosh!” the orange one exclaimed, remembering the two-leg. “I hope that Hu-hu-”
“Human.” The white one finished.
“Thanks. I hope that Human got away! He did lead it away from us, after all!”
“Maybe our cutie marks are related to us getting into trouble and others taking the heat for it.” The yellow one said quietly, her eyes downcast. “It seems like every time we get into a mess someone else needs to come to our rescue. Maybe...maybe this time it carried too far.” The other two stared at her, horror written on their faces as their imaginations painted several grizzly fates for the two-leg.
^ ^ ^ ^ ^
The first of my senses to return to me since I passed out was feeling. I felt...warm. Warm, and the most relaxed that I had ever felt in my life. It was very nice. Save one problem: I had to use the bathroom. The next sense to return was hearing. I could hear wind blowing through the room from somewhere. Probably a window . I opened my eyes to- nothing. Wherever I was (if I wasn't blind) the room was pitch-black. I flexed my fingers. They were stiff. I then began trying each of my limbs. Right arm. Left arm. Left leg. Right leg. Toes. They all worked, but they were all also stiff. But that was fine.
I felt the surface beneath me. Soft. Smooth. The surface was constant and felt artificial. Cloth? But I was lying on grass before, wasn't I? I felt next to my head. What I touched gave way with some pressure, and then rose again when I relaxed pressure. I explored a bit more and found it to be a pillow. Not just the 'stuff something under your head' type pillow. A full blown, feather-stuffed pillow. (I knew it had feathers stuffing it because I pulled one that was poking through a little out of the pillowcase.) So I'm on a bed. Maybe that was all just a weird dream. It wouldn't be the first time I could swear a dream was actually happening. Still, if it's a dream, why do I feel stiff everywhere? Either way, I need to pee. I sat up, turned my body so that my legs would hand over the edge of the bed, and found that they reached the floor. And that floor was freaking cold!
“Yeek!” I lifted my feet back up even though I was only prolonging the inevitable if I wanted to stand up again. Slowly, I lowered my feet again and once again suffered a chill to my feet. Though without 'yeek' ing.
Unfortunately I was apparently louder than I thought I was, and a light from the next room switched on. I looked around, hoping for someplace to hide. I saw nothing close by, so instead I did the only thing I could think of and I got back on the bed and laid still. Rather than footsteps I head what sounded like an equine entering the room. Sure enough, a few seconds later a white pony with the red cross symbol tattooed or maybe dyed on her flank came into view and approached the bed. I said nothing and pretended to be asleep.
“Nightmares again, sleeper?” the voice of a woman asked. “What could you have seen, I wonder, before that dragon chased you that could make you cry out in your sleep four times in one night?” The pony shook her head, then backed out of the room and shut the door and turned the light out. I waited a few minutes, then sat up again and got out of the bed. I lost my balance for a bit and nearly fell, but grabbed the side of the bed and managed not to fall. I lowered myself to the floor so I would not fall again, and began to explore.
When the pony-lady had turned on the light I had seen a pile of clothing and a backpack. I assumed it had to be mine and decided to recover it as the only thing I was wearing were my black boxers and some bandages that wrapped around both of my arms and part of my chest and I had no intention of going outside when it was still cold out. With little difficulty I gathered my belongings and got dressed. Now I just needed find the window. If there really was one. There was always the door the pony had come in through, but the risk of being caught was too much. Most equines were stronger than Humans. If I had to fight my way free after having been struck by lightning, it would probably be a very short fight, and I'd only succeed in hurting myself.
For some reason it suddenly became a little brighter in the room. Then I saw the reason: moonlight. A cloud must have been covering it for the time that it was dark, but now being able seeing where to go was a different story.
There were several windows but most of them had beds or various pieces of equipment blocking access to them. There was one, however, on the other side of the room. Moving as quietly as possible, I crossed the room to the window and stuck my arm through it. As I expected there was a insect screen, but that would probably not be a problem. What would be were the bars on the other side. Apparently they'd had issues with patients escaping before.
“Well, crap.” I muttered and backed away from the window. This window being barred probably meant the others were too. Which left only the door unless I wanted to announce that I was awake. Which might do that anyway. But what other choice is there? I don't know if I can trust the locals. Those young ones didn't know what I was, but that does not mean that someone else won't. If someone does know about Humans, they might also know why the connection between our world was severed and won't be so friendly. The door it is. But first I need to pee. Feeling embarrassed I urinated out of the window, then turned back to the door. The door had been shut, but it was not locked. This was not very surprising given that there was no doorknob. There was a simple metal latch like on a fence's gate, but both it and the hinges were well oiled and did not squeak at all when I opened them.
The floor outside of the- whatever-it-was-called room that I had been placed in was (thankfully) much warmer. The air wasn't much better, though. As for the lighting, it was still dim, but at least I could still see enough that I'd not crash into anything. Not that there was much to crash into. There was one couch, a desk that I assumed was for a receptionist, a small round table with a potted plant on top of it, a sign hanging from the ceiling (that was probably high for the locals, but I'd slap my face into it if I didn't duck or hold it up with a hand) and lastly, a staircase that went both up and down, which at the moment did not interest me. The walls were white- Typical hospital-place. Always the ever-present and boring white. and the floor was tiled robin egg blue. The windows here were not barred, but there was no need for windows when door was practically right in front of me.
I approached the door and tried to open it. Click.
“Locked. Of course its locked. It's night time here now. Which explains why I'm wide awake. Our times of day must be opposite here.” Which left me with three options: I could go back to bed, or go upstairs, or downstairs. I chose to go downstairs.
It grew very cool very quickly as I descended into the basement. There were six long steps down, then a turn-around, and then six more long steps. At the landing there were four slippers. For whoever that was upstairs. Burr! It's freezing down here! Why? Are they storing dead bodies down- Indeed they were. On all the walls were the familiar (from TV shows, that is) metal doors with the simple latch with paper tags stating names, age, and race. Most of these has no tag and were probably empty. A handful did have tags, and curious, I approached the 'meat lockers' and read the information on them. The first was labeled: Earth Pony. Male. Kite Bolt. Thirteen.
The second read: Earth Pony. Female. Umbra Oldblood. Twenty nine.
The third read: Pegasus. Female. Name Unknown. Fifteen.
The last read: Unicorn. Male. Name Unknown. Seventeen.
There was a side note paper clipped to the tag. It read that he had died as a result of being burned alive. Probably from a Dragon given that no fires had been reported over the last five months from current date. The only odd thing noted was that his horn had been broken off his skull. This had happened in several other Dragon-killed ponies in the past.
His horn was broken off... I had to wonder if it was someone who used magic like I could or if it was done as a hate-killing. There had been a gang that I'd heard of back home that was in New York City that cut the right hand off of everyone they thought was of Irish descent whether they actually were or not and then left them to bleed.
“Oh! You're awake!” I looked up from the paper and turned my head to see who'd spoken. It was the pony from before. She looked surprised and a little edgy as if I made her nervous. Maybe I did. I was a bit bigger than she was, and certainly looked very different.
“May I assume that you are the one who bandaged my arms and chest and kept an eye on me while I slept?” I asked, letting the paper fall to rest against the locker again. She nodded. I smiled, and said “Thank you. I feel a lot better.” My smile seemed to relax her and she stepped into the slippers and walked to where I stood.
“You shouldn't be out of bed, you know. You just survived being struck by lightning a few days ago.”
“A few days ?!” I looked at myself. Other than the bandages on my arms which probably were covering burns I looked and felt fine. Then it hit me: the horn. It must have shielded me from most of the shock.
The pony nodded.
“You're extremely lucky. Most of your injuries were superficial. The only thing that worried me were your irregular heartbeats. Fortunately it returned to normal after our resident librarian paid us a visit. She is very good with magic.”
“A Unicorn?”
“Of course.” I was quiet for a moment.
“Doctor, may I-”
“Nurse.”
“Nurse?” She nodded.
“Nurse Heart Blood.” She raised a front hoof. “And please, no jokes. I've heard them all already.” She extended the hoof towards me. I extended my right arm and took it.
“Jacob P. Lighthand. The Ninth.” She gave me a strange look.
“Light-hand?” she repeated as she lowered her leg. I raised an eyebrow.
“Yeah. Why, something wrong?” she shook her head.
“No. Not wrong, just strange.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Oh, it's probably just coincidence. Never mind.” There was a brief awkward silence as we tried to think of another subject. Then Nurse Heart blood broke the silence with a question. “If you don't mind me asking, Jacob, what are you?” I laughed.
“You know, you're the second person to ask me that. I'm a Human. In answer to your next question, I'm from another world. That's why you've never seen me before.”
“What brought you here?”
“Magic.”
“No, no. I mean, why did you come here?”
“That's a bit of a story. You sure you want to hear it all?”
“I can't get to sleep and clearly you can't either. Why not?” I nodded, and began to relate to her all that had happened and led up to this point while taking care to leave out that I got my power from a Unicorn's horn. When I finished she was speechless.
“And so, here I am now with you.”
“So then...when you were reading that paper-” she indicated the report on the dead Unicorn. “what were you thinking?”
“I was thinking it reminded me of a hate crime. Most stories of good Dragons that I've heard or read of state that they don't waste food and kill only at need. I don't see something that's not even a fourth its size being a threat to something like a Dragon even with magical abilities.”
“What about you? You slew a Dragon with magic.” I shook my head.
“I'm not a factor in this equation. How many dead ponies have you received that were burnt or abused like this?”
“Recently, or over my entire career?”
Recently.”
“Only this one. But our population here is only a few hundred. We're one of the smaller towns, really.”
“I see. Well then, nurse Heart Blood, when do you think I'll be healthy enough to leave?”
“What? Oh.” the sudden change of subject threw her off. “Being as I've never treated one of your people before, I have no idea. You seem ready to leave now, but I'd like to check your injuries first to make sure the skin is fully healed. You may feel fine, but experience has taught me that looks can be deceiving.”
“Well, you're the expert. I'll trust your judgment.”
Nurse Heart Blood guided me back to the bed that I had been sitting on before and had me removed all the clothing on my upper body. She carefully unwrapped all of the bandaging that she'd put on my arms earlier and had me hold my arms out so she could examine them. After a few minutes she nodded.
“You should be fine now. Your kind heals remarkably fast!” I shook my head.
“No, just my family. We've always recovered from mild illnesses and injuries quickly, and you did say that I was healed earlier. Maybe she was just really thorough.” lowered my arms and began putting my clothes back on again.
“So what will you do now?” she asked when I finished.
“I don't know. To be honest I really didn't have much of a plan when I came through the gateway. I guess I'll visit that library you mentioned and see if I can dig up any information on my ancestors. According to the journal and to the illusion left behind by Mace at least two of them came here at one time. Maybe there was a record of them.”
“For events that happened that long ago you would probably need to go to the royal library. Most of the books we have here were printed on within the last two hundred years. At least, according to Twilight Sparkle.”
“Is she the librarian?” Nurse Heart Blood nodded.
“Yes. But I'm afraid that you'll probably have to wait until morning. She studies her books late, but not usually this late.”
“What time is it?”
“Nearly three o'clock in the morning. You can try if you like, but nearly everypony else is asleep right now.”
“I think I will try anyway. But thanks for the advice.”
“I will leave the door unlocked until I go to bed for the night. If she is asleep then you may sleep here tonight.”
“Thanks.” I smiled again, and stood up and walked out of the- patient room. (Yeah. Let's call it that.) Nurse Heart Blood followed me to the door and opened it. Before I left, I had to ask her one last question.
“Ms. Heart Blood, what season is it right now?”
“It is late spring. It has been cold due to frequent rain storms, but they should stop soon. Why do you ask?”
“Because our world is setting into late autumn in my country. But then, the Gateway was almost halfway across the planet. Thanks again!” I waved and started down the street to the building in town which Nurse Heart Blood said was their library. It looks like a giant tree, huh? Well, then it should be easy to spot. This area is pretty open.
__ __ __ __ __
Up in the sky, Princess Luna was observing her sleeping Kingdom. Though it was mildly depressing that precious few ponies spent any of that time being out and about to appreciate the quiet and beauty of the nighttime sky, it still needed to be done, and it was better than the alternative of sitting around at home with nothing to do other than paperwork. She had nearly completed her flight over Ponyville when something out of the ordinary caught her eye. Down on the ground somepony was still awake! Luna deviated from her course to greet her subject, but ceased to get closer when she saw that what was walking was not a pony at all.
“It cannot be! Be-ist that a Human?!” she whispered. Humans had not been seen in Equestria for nearly a thousand years. While she hovered in midair, beating wings making barely a sound the Human looked from one side to another as if looking for something. Or perhaps it was trying to avoid being seen. Either way this was important news. But should I greet him myself, or should I go inform my sister first? The Human abruptly stopped in the middle of the street and looked around again. This time he did it slower as if he thought he was being followed. My sister told me about this once. Humans can sense when they're being watched. I wonder if- The Human spun around and looked directly at her. He was tall. Perhaps taller than she was and his hair was brown. He was also strangely attired. One of his eyebrows was raised and he turned his face to the side a little, looking at her intently.
“What do you want? Why are you watching me?” he asked, his tone not hostile, but wary.
“We are merely observing you. It has been quite some time even in our reckoning since one of you walked this kingdom. Tell me Human, what is your purpose here?”
“Why should I tell you? I don't even know your name.”
“Nor do I know yours. Nor were you invited here by myself or mine sister. Yet here you are nonetheless. If you would remain, then we would know your name and reason for being here and how you came to be here.”
“I came to your world by using an ancient magical portal. I came here mostly to learn about my ancestors. My name is Jacob P. Lighthand the ninth.”
“Lighthand?! Luna gasped. She knew that name, and knew it well. If not for the Lighthand family, there was a very good chance that her and her sister would never have been born, and Equestria would have been named Draconia instead.
“Yeah. Lighthand. What, is that significant?” He asked, sounding annoyed.
“Very much so. I must go. We may send for you in the future.” With that Luna turned and launched herself into the air and headed back home with all possible speed. Every time a Lighthand has appeared something dire happened shortly after. I must inform Celestia immediately!
^ ^ ^ ^ ^
I watched her go, confused as heck. She didn't even tell me what her name was. How rude. Oh well. I briefly looked around again and then caught sight of the giant tree and started walking towards it again. When I arrived at the door, I saw a light in several window but it was not like the light given off by a light bulb. The light dimmed and brightened continuously like the light given off by a candle. I guess someone is awake in there. I reached a hand up, knuckled a fist, and knocked. I heard someone- correction, somepony coming, and then the door opened inward to reveal a young purple Unicorn with an equally purple horn. A candle floated near her with a strange glowing purple light surrounding it.
An owl fluttered through the door and landed on a low branch. It studied me then said:
“Who?”
“No, Owlicious, I think the better question is 'what?'”
“To answer both your questions, though I'm getting tired of telling everyone my name over and over, I'm Jacob P. Lighthand the ninth, and I am a Human. Nurse Heartblood said that this was the local library. Is this true? Are you Twilight Sparkle?”
“Uh...yeah.”
“Alright. Listen uh,” I shuffled my feet a bit. “I know it's more than a bit late, but would you mind if I used your library for some research? Your day is my night in terms of when I sleep, so I'd probably be working all night. If that's a problem then I could come back in a few hours.”
“No. I mean no, that's fine. Come on in.” She sounded flustered. Not that I'd hold it against her. I obviously wasn't something you saw everyday. She backed up a ways and I bent over to followed her in. It was nice. The roof was a bit low for me at first, but nice. The entire house was made up of the tree that it looked like and seemed, in fact, to be. The walls and floor was sanded smooth and polished enough that that one single candle, when placed in the right place had the potential to light up the entire main room. Not well, mind you, but enough that you'd not trip over something at this time of night. Most of the room's walls were lined with shelves that held many, many books.
“Are they alphabetized?” I asked. She had been staring at me, and my question took a minute to sink in. When it did she nodded.
“Mostly. Occasionally the local ponies borrow a few books and then just put them back on the shelves. It's a little bothersome but at least they get returned.”
Alright. Are there sections for each topic such as fiction and non-fiction? Or is it all one big mix?”
“Follow me. Which would you like?” Twilight Sparkle said as she trotted forward.
“Non-fiction. I need to do some historical research.”
“How far back?”
“Well, since I don't know how many days are in your years-”
“Three hundred and sixty five.”
“The same as mine. Okay, good. That makes it much simpler. Then let's say about...eight hundred years ago.” Starting off with Mace's permanent departure from Earth seemed as good a starting point as any.
Twilight Sparkle gave me a funny look.
“Eight hundred years ago? Why then?”
“One of my ancestors came to your world sometime near then. I don't know much about him and would like the chance to learn more. Why, did something happen?”
“Eight hundred years ago the magic in the Everfree forest suddenly became chaotic and twisted everything inside it. Some creatures were fused together while others mutated into dangerous bloodthirsty monsters, including the ponies that lived inside. Even the trees became unfriendly. Here, it's all in this book!” Twilight Sparkle looked up at a book on the third shelf from the top. The book was black with red bindings. The title read: Equestria's Past Disaster Masters. Equestria. That must be the name of this world. Or at least this nation. How fitting. It was only a single inch thick, but the pages were made of fine paper. On the cover was the image of a cliff breaking apart and a tree falling past it. The same aura that had surrounded the candle now covered the book as it lowered down to Twilight Sparkle's eye level. The front cover opened and multiple pages flapped by until she found the spot she was searching for. “Page one hundred and three! There! 'Everfree forest darkens!'” The book had a date but unfortunately the year in Equestria was much different from the year back on Earth by roughly one thousand and two hundred years. Twilight Sparkle brought the candle closer to the book and began to read it to me.
“The Everfree forest. Once the crown jewel of forest lands in our world, though sadly no more. On the two hundredth anniversary of Princess Luna's banishment an event that resembled an illusory conjured lightning storm swept through the Everfree forest and changed both its appearance and denizens forever. During this event the 'Hydra' and the 'Manticor' were created, and for a time the various creatures wreaked havoc on all surrounding areas.
"Just when our nation seemed doomed our benevolent ruler's uncle and a two-legged companion that claimed to be from another world-" Twilight Sparkle stopped reading and stared at me again. "How did you come to be in our world?"
"In my own world there was pile of stones on the grounds of a forest that one of my ancestors with the help of an orange Unicorn with wings destroyed along with the physical frame of the doorway I walked through. When I passed through the doorway I found myself in a creepy forest. Probably that Everfree forest this book is talking about."
"An orange Alicorn...why did they destroy the forest?"
"I'm not certain, but probably to keep your people safe from us. There have been multiple persecutions throughout our history against people and animals that were thought to have either used magic, or were magical in nature."
"Can you use magic?" she then shook her head a few times. "What am I saying? Of course you can. You used it to kill the Dragon."
"About that...who was it that brought me here? The only living things I ran into besides plants when I first got here were three little ponies and the Dragon that was chasing them, and later chased me." Twililght Sparkle face-palmed. Or rather, since she didn't have a palm, face-hooved .
"Were those three ponies orange, white, and butter-yellow?" I nodded.
"You know them? Are they alright?"
"Yes I know them, and they're fine. They call themselves the 'Cutie Mark Crusaders' and are always getting themselves into one scrape after another. Their names are Applebloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Bell. Good fillies, but a handful. As for who brought you in, it was a friend of mine named Rainbow Dash and two other Pegasi. They witnessed you calling down a lightning bolt from a cloud they were moving to one of your-" she pointed at my hands. "and then using the other to launch it at the Dragon. What are those body parts called, anyway?"
"Hands. We use them for picking things up, swimming, climbing, playing musical instruments, and alot of other things."
"Useful." Twilight Sparkle yawned suddenly. "I'm sorry Jacob. I've been busy all day and I've got alot of things to do tomorrow too. I don't mind if you keep doing research for awhile, but put back the book or books when you're done and lock the door when you leave."
"Thank you, Twilight Sparkle. Good night."
"Just 'Twilight' is fine." She yawned again and started walking away. "Good night."
When she left the room I walked to the desk she'd set the book and candle on and picked up where she left off.
"-claimed to be from another world appeared from forest itself and cast a mighty enchantment that drew all the creatures back to the forest. When the two-legged being collapsed from exhaustion Thanatos placed his companion on his back and ran back into the forest, leading behind him all the forcefully returned creatures whom were shrieking in rage." I tapped page with a finger. Mace was too worn out from destroying the forest on Earth to handle another big spell so soon. Wait...he left his horn behind on Earth...how did he use magic when he no longer had a horn to use? Is it possible that he gripped Thanatos' horn directly while it was still attached to him? Could I do that too? I'd rather not have to kill someone just for a little power that I did well enough without before having it. I kept reading. There was not much more. "As soon as the last of the creatures entered the forest a bright wall of light surrounded the forest for ten seconds, and then disappeared as suddenly as it came. Though the magic of Everfree forest has never returned to its normal state, the monsters contained within can no longer leave to wreak havoc as they once did. Sadly, neither Thanatos nor his companion ever returned from the forest either, and it is anypony's guess what happened to them in the end."
So that was it. Mace and Thanatos made it seem that the Stone Arch Gateway on the Earthen side had been destroyed so no Humans would discover and butcher this world, and then they died. But where had the 'chaos cloud' (or illusion-storm) come from? Unless...Unless maybe our two worlds are not so much other worlds as mirror images of one another. If some great cataclysm were to happen on one side, something similar would happen here too, which would explain what happened to Everfree. When the spell of destruction was cast on Earth, it was direct destruction. The flip-side to that would be indirect, which would kill nothing directly. Or maybe it's much simpler and some sort of magical backlash came through the gate when they left it open during the conjured lightning storm. I frowned. Either way, it would seem that the two of them didn't know the effect that their efforts on Earth would have here until it was too late, and they paid for it with their lives. I will need to be cautious and more experienced before I try anything like that lightning attack again. A conjured snowstorm here might bring about an ice age on Earth! But in order to perform any magic at all I would need a new Unicorn horn, and I wasn't going to take it from the living. Then I remembered the dead Unicorn in the basement of the infirmary. His horn had been broken off...No. I would not steal from the dead unless absolutely necessary, and right now not it was not. For now I would continue looking through this book to see if there was anything else of interest.
Chapter 4
I was awoken the following day to someone poking me with something. The poking stopped when I grunted, so I tried to go back to sleep, but whomever it was began to poke me again. Now annoyed I growled and pushed up from the book I had fallen asleep on with a scowl on my face.
"Dad, if this is another one of your ideas of a joke, I-" I stopped speaking when I beheld before me a small purple figure that vaguely resembled a baby dragon that I'd seen in a video game back home. Though this one, if it was in fact a baby dragon, was much smaller. Then I remembered where I was.
"Sorry to wake you, big guy, but Twilight had some errands to run and wanted me to wake you and ask if you're hungry." He pointed a scaled thumb over his shoulder at the desk that I'd been using before I decided I'd be more comfortable on the floor where I dozed off around the same time the sun started coming up. On the desk was a bowl of, from where I lay, smelled like apple cinnamon oatmeal. My stomach rumbled and I yawned.
"What time is it?" The baby dragon looked out a window.
"I'd say about one in the afternoon. You sure are a hard sleeper! I almost dropped a stack of books on you earlier and you didn't even stir! So, do you want the oatmeal?" I yawned again and nodded.
"Sure. Thank you...?"
"Spike. I'm a baby dragon. What are you?"
"A Human. So far that I've seen, I'm the only one. Say, you wouldn't have happened to hear what I did to one of your kin yesterday-"
"Yeah I heard. You threw a bolt of lightning at him and fried him." He didn't sound upset at all, which surprised me. Apparently my surprise was obvious. "We dragons are about as different from one another as seawater is to snow. Most of the dragons I've met were bullies, and from what I've been told he was trying to eat you. I might have done the same thing in your place." He looked at the book I'd been using as a pillow. "So, find anything interesting? Twilight told me you were doing some research."
"Some, but not nearly as much as I was hoping for. Most of the information seemed to be just an overview of events when I was looking for details. It was better than nothing, but not by much."
"I know the feeling. Or at least Twilight does. I'm just her assistant so she usually does most of the work when it comes time to hit the books."
I sat up and closed the book I'd been reading. I'd already skimmed through it twice and found little of note other than the Everfree incident, so there was no need to keep it any longer. I rose to my feet to put it away and then laughed when I saw Spike's face. If his eyes could become any larger they would have been the size of baseballs. "Wow! You really are a big guy! I feel like a midget!"
"Don't worry," I said as I walked to the bookshelf and placed the book back in its slot. "After sixty years or so you'll probably be taller than everyone in town including myself. After another hundred you'll be bigger than a house!" Spike laughed.
"You're right!" he agreed as I walked back to the desk and picked the bowl up. There was no spoon, so I used my index and middle finger to scoop it into my mouth.
"Wow, this is really good!" I said, delighted at the flavor. Nothing back home could ever hope to match this.
"All the ingredients were grown right here in Ponyville. The ponies here take pride in their work."
"Well, they certainly do a good job! You could beat every other brand of oatmeal back home with this stuff!" I eagerly shoveled more in my mouth.
"You know, you could have asked for a spoon." I stopped scooping.
"Why would ponies need spoons?"
"For cooking and serving food, of course. Did you think they stirred with sticks?" He rolled his eyes. I suddenly felt stupid. They had houses, candles, books, beds, doors, bowls, and they could speak Why wouldn't they have spoons too? I looked at the remaining contents of my bowl. Nearly empty. Not worth getting a spoon.
"Oh. Well, my bowl is almost empty, so no thanks." I swept the rest out on a single finger and cleaned it off. "Though if you'll point me in the direction of where you wash your dishes I'll clean it off."
"Nah, I'll get it later. Just give it to me." I shrugged and extended my arm down to him.
"Suit yourself." Spike took the bowl and carried it out of sight. When he came back he brought along a small plate whose contents made me stare speechless in shock and mild greed: gemstones. Flawless, perfectly-cut gemstones that caught the light coming in through the windows and threw it around the room like a multicolored disco ball.
"And now for my lunch!" Spike reached onto the plate and picked a sapphire up. To my greed's horror he popped it into his mouth like a potato chip and crunched it up in his jaws a few times before swallowing. "What?" he said as if this were the most normal thing in the world.
"You. Just. Ate. A. Saphire!"
"Yeah. So? Don't dragons do the same thing in your world?"
"We don't have any Dragons. Or talking ponies. Or flying ponies. Or Unicorns." This time he was the one surprised. "I can't believe you just ate a gemstone!" He smiled.
"Believe it. They're very good. To us Dragons, anyway." Spike reached down to his plate again and tossed a ruby in his mouth and crunched it too. I winced.
"So you don't have Dragons, Pegasi or Unicorns. What-" Spike suddenly burped and green flames came from his mouth. Spike dropped his 'food' in surprise and I jumped back a step. Out of nowhere a rolled parchment with a wax seal dropped onto the floor. "Ugh, excuse me!" Spike picked up the parchment and unrolled it. He scanned the contents a moment, then walked over to the desk and tossed the parchment onto it. At my questioning gaze he explained that it was a magical way to send a letter. In this case, it was a letter for Twilight from one of their two princesses that ruled Equestria.
"Would I be being nosy if I asked what it was about?"
"Yeah you would, but I'll tell you anyway. It has to do with you." He tossed another sapphire in his mouth.
"Me? What does she want with me? And how did she find out about me when I've been here less than two days?"
"Beats me. All it says is to make sure you stay in town the rest of the day."
"Well, that shouldn't be too hard." I said as I looked out one of the windows. There were dozens of various ponies walking around. Most of them seemed to be female. "I'd stick out like a butterfly in a beehive if I went outside." Spike started laughing and I turned away from the window and looked at him. "What?"
"Oh, nothing really. What you just said reminds me of one of Twilight's friends. She'd use a silly phrase like that. But on the note of going outside I bet I could disguise you to look like another young dragon if you want." He poured the rest of the gems that remained into his mouth and walked over to a step ladder positioned next to one of the bookshelves that had ot been there last night where he set the plate down.
"You do see how tall I am, right?" I asked, sweeping my hands down my body from the top of my head down to my waistline. "Even if you could whip up a costume for me, I'd still draw a huge amount of attention.
"Trust me, I've got you covered!" Spike declared, sounding so (over)confident that I suddenly had the feeling that this was going to end badly...
"Here ya go!" Spike said half an hour later, excited as he handed me a rolled up outfit. I unrolled it and felt my heart sink. Yes, this had the potential to end badly, alright.
"This is a Yoshi."
"A what?" Spike asked, puzzled. I made a waving motion with a hand to indicate that it wasn't really important.
"A fictional creature my people made up for a game series back home. It was good try Spike, but I don't think anybody or anypony are going to mistake this for anything but a costume." Spike looked a little down, so I tried to cheer him up. "Don't get me wrong, it's great as a costume in general, but-" Suddenly the door burst open and a bright pink pony with big happy blue eyes and a bigger smile bounced inside.
"Did someone say costume?!" She froze for a few seconds when she saw me, then zipped right tup next to me faster than I could blink. First she was directly in front of me, her face only centimeters away from mine, then she was behind and to the left of me, then my immidiate right holding up my arm with one hoof and pressing another against my middle, then below me, then in front of me again, and then somehow above me, and then behind me again. "Ohmygosh! Ohmygosh! Ohmygosh! That is the BEST costume I had EVER SEEN! Where did you get it or did you make it it feels so real how did you make it?!"
"Uhhh....."
"Me and Twilight helped him, Pinkie Pie. Convincing, isn't it?" Spike answered, saving me the trouble of making something up.
"It's so AMAZING!" Pinkie Pie was now back in front of me again about eight feet away and was jumping up and down like a kid that had ADHD that had been given a big bag full of candy ten minutes previously. "Hey! I know! Why don't we have a party where everypony in town makes a costume and at the end we have everypony vote on a winner? It'll be so cool! You guys are invited!" And with that she shot out of the house in the form of a pink blur. The door slammed shut behind her with a loud bang and I looked at Spike.
"Who the heck was the pink tornado and what was she on?"
"That was Pinkie Pie. She's the party pony of Ponyville. It looks like you just got a lucky break! Nopony will want to turn down an invite ot one of Pinkie Pie's parties, and since it's going to be a costume party you should be able ot get away with just walking around as is!"
"That's great! Are you going to go out too?" Spike shook his head.
"Normally I would but I've got some things I need to do around here first. Go ahead and have a look around if you want. Pinkie's party probably won't be ready for a few more hours, so I'll meet up with you later."
"You sure you don't want any help doing those things?"
"Yeah, I'm sure. I know where everything is or is supposed to go. No offense but you'd probably just get in my way."
"You're probably right. I'll see you later then, Spike." I waved farewell and headed for the door but stopped at the door when I remembered I was still wearing my backpack. "Hey Spike, one last thing." Spike turned his head. He had retrieved his plate from the step ladder and had been heading for wherever the dishes went. "Would you mind if I left my backpack here?"
"Go for it. Just leave it by the door where it'll be out of anyone's way."
"Thanks." I did so and was about to leave again when I remembered something else: the red magician's cape. "What the heck." I shrugged and removed it. Though old, its color was still bright and the cloth flexible and undecayed. The metal rings (there were two and looked to be an inch and a half wide) at the 'collar' of the cape were tarnished, but I didn't mind. What I did mind was that there was nothing to tie the two rings Or perhaps small hoops, given their size. together to keep it on my shoulders. A small gold chain would look perfect for it. Too bad I don't have one. I stood up from the bag and shook the cape out. When I did something fell to the floor and made a 'clack' sound. I looked down at a small bundle with interest and crouched to pick it up. It was a small bag. Inside it was: A gold- or maybe brass- chain! I wonder if it came with it to begin with or if great-grandpa thought it would look better with a gold chain too? Thanks, great-grandpa! . Grinning like a child at Christmas I fastened the chain to both hoops Yeah, hoops is more fitting. and then tried to flourish the cape like a performing magician. All I succeeded in doing was to tangle my arm in it. I laughed at myself for the attempt and then stepped outside into my night and their daylight.
A flash of colors flew by my face followed by a crash and splintering sound.
"The heck?!" I yelled, drawing the eyes of several locals first to myself, and then to the crash site and then back to me again. Ignoring the crowd I approached the crash site and a pair of hooved legs kicking in the air. A rainbow-colored tail also waved about, but the rest of the body was buried in the remains of an abandoned fruit stand.
"Hold still! I'll pull you out!" I said in a raised voice to whomever was trapped in the pile. The legs stopped moving and I grabbed them and pulled. Nothing. I pulled harder and she shifted a bit but stayed buried. "Okay, new plan. Stay still and I'll dig you out." I threw several boards to one side, half a smashed wooden crate, and a cloth covering that was probably used to keep flies off the merchandise and then was greeted by the dirtied face and spinning eyes of a blue pony with wings and a rainbow mane. She shook her head and her eyes realigned.
"Ugh! Thanks, whoever you-" it started in a girl's voice. She stopped speaking for a moment and recognition filled her widened eyes. "Oh! It's you!"
"Have we met?" I asked as she stood up and stepped away from the debris. I didn't recall seeing this one before.
"Not really, but I know you. I'm one of the ponies that carried you here yesterday. The name's Ranbow Dash! Plesaed to meet'cha!" She smiled and extended a leg. I leaned over and took it and we shook.
"Jacob. Thank you for saving my life." Her smile grew.
"Where ya from? I'm from Cloudsdale, a city in the sky."
"I'm from a place called Iowa. We live on the ground." Rainbow Dash scratched the back of her head and looked like she was thinking.
"Iowa, huh? Never heard of it."
"That's not really surprising. I-"
"Rainbow Dash! Are you okay?!" interrupted a voice that sounded familiar. A orange winged pony ran into sight from behind a Twilight Sparkle's library. She slid to a stop when she saw us. Dust swirled around her briefly and then settled.
"You! You're alive!"
"As are you." I replied. "Glad to see it. Where are your friends?"
"Applebloom is at home helping her sister, and Sweetie Bell is out shopping for party supplies with Pinkie Pie. She's arranging a costume party for tonight."
"I know. She invited me already."
"She probably thought that your body was a costume!" Rainbow Dash laughed.
"Yeah she did." It was then I head the murmurs of the growing crowd of ponies all around us. A young one pointed at me and asked her mother if I was already wearing my costume.
"Indeed I am, young miss." I said in a raised voice. Both her and her mother started, surprised that I heard. "Good luck making a better one! And feel free to use magic!" I smiled and winked and the little one smiled.
"I will make a better one! You just wait and see!" The filly started running and the mother hurriedly gave pursuit. Seeing that they had 'real competition', most of the crowd started leaving and returning to their daily business so they could prepare for the night's upcoming festivities.
"So I'm betting you don't know your way around here very well, do ya?" Rainbow Dash asked. She stretched her legs and flapped her wings a few times. "Would you like a tour?"
"Sure!"
A little under two hours and four miles later I yawned. Six or seven hours might be enough for some people, but not for me. I normally slept for nine or more because of all the physical activity I got at my job. Scootaloo looked at me, finding my low energy level odd.
"You're tired already? It's only a little after three!"
"My sleep hours are probably a bit different from yours. It may be daytime here, but back home it's probably still night. I didn't fall asleep after I woke up in the infirmary until a few minutes after the sun started coming up. Spike woke me up later for breakfast at one. Besides, look at you, and then look at me. Your people were built for physical activity. You were built to run ."
"Or fly!" Rainbow Dash added, performing a somersault in midair ahead of us. "So what are your people good at, Jacob?" I considered her question for a few minutes. Unfortunately only two things as an overall came to mind.
"We're good at two things overall, I think. The first, we're adaptable to almost any environment, and the second is that we're good at making weapons."
"What's a weapon?" Scootaloo asked.
"A weapon is a tool you use for defending yourself against danger, Scoots." Rainbow Dash answered.
"Not always. Especially where my race is concerned. Sometimes they're used for hunting, and sometimes they're used for war." This time it was Rainbow Dash that asked a question, but though she still looked content she sounded uncomfortable when she asked it.
"Hunting...you mean for criminals...right?" I looked her in the eye, thinking of all the meat I'd eaten over the years. I had known that it had come from animals, but since I myself had never killed any, it normally didn't bother me. But here an now, having a conversation with a talking animal that only ate plants, it sure did. It made me feel guilty. Not wanting to frighten Scootaloo, I answered Dash's question with another question, my face reflecting how I was feeling.
"Rainbow Dash, do you know what an Omnivore is?" Rainbow Dash gulped. She knew. I broke eye contact with her and she landed and waited for me and Scootaloo to catch up with her.
"Our kind?" She asked. I knew what she meant. I pointed at myself and shook my head and she sighed in relief.
"But others have." A sweat droplet ran down the side of her face. Scootaloo looked back and forth several times from me to Rainbow Dash and back.
"Did I miss something?" She asked. I put on a false smile and hoped she wouldn't see through it.
"Nothing that you need to worry about, Scootaloo." Seeking to change the subject I looked around for anything that looked interesting. Nothing except a bird. Grand. Wait, that's it! "What's it like to fly? I've seen others of your kind do it, and we have machines that allow us to fly, but I've never done it myself."
"Flying machines? Ha!" Rainbow Dash scoffed. "Nothing can compare with flying with your own two wings! It is the most free and alive feeling that there is. If I lost a leg I could live with it, but I'd rather go blind than lose my wings." I suddenly wondered if I could use magic to grow my own wings. It might hurt, but wouldn't the gains outweigh that? Providing they were functional, of course. Decorational wings wouldn't be of any help at all. "Say, would you two like to watch me practice for next year's upcoming flier competition? It's going to be hard outdo the impression I left last time, and I could use some constructive criticism."
"Yes! Of course!" Scootaloo answered enthusiastically. I also agreed. Seeing a Pegasus was one thing. Seeing one perform like a stunt pilot was quite another, and I might not get another chance later.
"Lead on, and I'll follow."
Rainbow Dash's face lit up like an explosion lights up a moonless night and jumped back into the air.
"This way, I know an open area nearby!" She took off down the dirt path we'd been following like a bullet from a gun and I followed to the best of my ability. Once again Scootaloo outran me and left me in the dust kicked up by her hooves. If not for the clearing being close by I'd have probably lost them again.
The open area was a grassy field with a few scattered trees and small bushes and a few stones. When I finally caught up to them I was out of breath and Dash was telling what she intended to do to Scootaloo.
"-around in a circle while also spinning my own body, then at the top of the third circle I'm going to dive straight down to pick up speed until I'm nearly to the ground. I'll pull up at the last second and flip my body around so that I'm flying back up tail-first. When I slow down to nearly a stop I'm going to shoot forward and spiral those-" she pointed up at three clouds hanging in the sky. "three clouds like I usually do, but once I've got them all spinning I'm going to try to draw all three of them together into one big cloud by using wind force alone. Then, if I've done all of that successfully then I'll try another Sonic Rainboom as the finale."
"What's a Sonic Rainboom?" I asked. I knew what a sonic boom was, but what the heck was a 'rainboom'?
Scootaloo grinned like a fangirl standing in front of her favorite singer and told me that it was what happened when Dash broke the sound barrier.
"She's the only flier to ever get it just right! I think she's the coolest pony ever, and I want to be just like her someday!" I looked at Rainbow Dash and could see she loved the attention.
"I've only done it twice, and both times involved me wanting to protect a friend. I need to be able to do it at will if I'm ever going to be good enough to join the Wonderbolts, and I have every intention of making that happen!"
"Wonderbolts? Who are they?" This time it was Dash's turn to look like a fangirl. Her eyes looked like they were staring through me.
"They're only the best flying team of sky-performers in all of Equestria- no, the world! It's been my dream since before I was Scootaloo's age to be one of them, and I'll never give up trying to get recruited by them!"
"Well then, if you're that set on becoming the best of the best, then we'd better get busy like that competition is tomorrow!" I sat down on the ground and Scootaloo did the same. Rainbow Dash ran a few paces forward then leaped into the air.
She was spectacular. Nearly everything she tried turned out exactly the way she intended, save for two things: She was unable to combine the three clouds like she'd wanted to and was also unable to create her Sonic Rainboom, which, after she landed proved to be very frustrating to her.
"I couldn't build up enough speed for either one! If I had more time then I could fly up really high and then dive and do it, but I've also got those other stunts along with a few other things that I'm going to work in with my performance later."
"Aw, don't worry, Rainbow Dash!" Scootaloo said, trying to reassure her. "You'll get it!" Scootaloo looked at me. I was staring thoughtfully at the clouds that she'd tried to spiral with one arm across my chest and the other with the elbow rest on the first arm and a finger scratching my chin like I usually did when in thought. While they had moved a bit closer together, Rainbow Dash was right: she just didn't have the speed she needed to work the wind into a small tornado after swirling around the three clouds. "Don't you have anything to say?" Scootaloo sounded annoyed. I jumped and looked at Scootaloo. She just looked at me. I looked back up at the clouds again, and then the beginnings of a possible solution began to form.
"Hey Dash?" She looked up from the grass she'd been glaring at in her frustration. "How long do your Rainboom's last?"
"Does it matter if I can't make it happen?" Her tone was brisk like she was trying to keep her anger in check.
"It might."
"I've been told that they last about ten or twelve seconds. It differs from pony to pony when I ask, but those two are usually the answers I get."
"So then let's assume it's ten to be safe. Do you think you could still perform those whirl-spins of yours going as fast as you do when performing the Sonic Rainboom?" Realization dawned and her anger disappeared. Intrigue replaced it.
"I don't know, but I'm going to try it!" She jumped into the air again. This time she skipped the first part of her act and went straight into gaining altitude. She climbed so high that I couldn't tell her from the rest of the blue skies. A few seconds later I could see her again and she was falling faster than an asteroid into Jupiter's gravity. A few more seconds and I could swear that I saw saw flames. I felt a toothy grin spreading across my face, though I had no idea why. Then the air itself screamed and color enveloped her as she dove. Quickly she changed course and headed for the three clouds again leaving a trail of color and a rainbow-colored shock wave that widened across the entire sky in her wake. Moving as to the eye at a distance as Pinkie Pie had in front of me, she spiraled the three clouds in two seconds and then swirled the three together and left one big swirled cone of cloud in her wake. She then continued on to perform the rest of her act all the while maintaining for trail of colors. The start of the trail had begun fading six seconds after it started and drained away along the path like a stream whose source had been cut off, but it was impressive none the less for it.
"WOO-HOOO!" I whooped at the top of my lungs as I jumped from the ground to my feet. "That was incredible! I've never seen anything like it!" Scootaloo's reaction was much the same as mine, but with less coherent speech and more fan-girl screaming.
Rainbow Dash slowed as she approached us and performed one last loop before landing with a trembling body and relieved expression.
"Oh my gosh that was scary! I thought my wings were going to tear off for a while there!" A grin spread across her face as she looked up and saw her handiwork. Her eyes shown with pride, and then she sat down on the grass. "But what a rush! Now I just need to get the rest of my act worked in!"
"And I'm sure you'll have no problem with it." I complimented. No jet pilot could ever hope compare with what I had just witnessed. "How do you feel?"
"Worn out. Flying is fun, but flying as fast as you can for even a short period of time can be tiring if you're not used to it, and I usually walk when I'm not practicing or working."
"Maybe you should change that and fly everywhere." I suggested. "If nothing else it'll build up your stamina if you need to fly like that for longer periods of time."
"Maybe in the future, but not today. Or tomorrow, I think. I'm worn out!" She stuck the tip of her tongue out and slid the rest of the way to the grass and laid her head down too.
"Well if you're tired there's no point in resting out here on the ground. Do you have a house in the vicinity? After a performance like that I'd be willing to try carrying you back into town."
"Yeah, but you couldn't get to it. I live in a house on a big cloud above town."
"I could get a really tall ladder."
"It still wouldn't do you any good. Only a Pegasus can walk on clouds without the help of a magic spell." I had nothing to say to that. "But I would appreciate the lift, if you can carry me."
"You never know until you try." I positioned myself in front of Rainbow Dash and knelt on the ground with my arms behind me, palms up. Rainbow Dash stood up and put her front hooves on my shoulders and hobbled forward and put her knees in my hands. I then tried to stand up. It took some effort, but she was alot lighter than I had expected and I was indeed able to stand with a pony on my back. "A question, Rainbow Dash." I felt her shift a little.
"Yes?"
"Do Pegasi have hollow bones like birds?"
"No, why do you ask?"
"Because you're alot lighter than I thought you'd be. I thought I was going to fall flat on my face when you climbed on my back."
"Then why did you offer to carry me?" I had no idea. Habit? Maybe I was too nice a guy?
"Not sure, but now that we're up, I'm gonna walk."
It was slower going in comparison to my normal walking speed, but when we made it back to town I quickly forgot my sore feet and stared at the transformation the town square had undergone in our absence. Pink banners with smiling paper masks glued or sewn onto their middles stretched over-top of streets from one house balcony to another, balloons were tied to guardrails, a few tables had been set up in clusters and were laden with various sweets and a few plates of sandwiches. There were also two punch bowls that were being filled with juice and ice by ponies that already had made outfits and were wearing them. There were small clusters of ponies who also were wearing outfits of their own, or at least masks.
"Wow." Was all I could think of to say.
"You can put me down now if you want." Rainbow Dash said from over my shoulders. I knelt to the ground again and she slid down my back.
"I want a ride next time!" Scootaloo declared from my left. I smiled at her and said that I'd be happy to oblige her. I was about to check out one of the sweets tables when an all-too-familiar voice called out to our group and Pinkie Pie appeared in front of us.
"Hey Dashie! Hey Scootaloo! Hey-" She paused for a second on me and then kept on greeting. "guy-who's-name-I-don't-know!"
"Call me Jacob."
"Hi Jacob! You guys are early, but that's great because we still need help setting up!"
"Actually Pinkie," rainbow Dash objected. "I'm kinda tired from-"
"Tired? No problem!" Pinkie Pie interrupted. She pulled a cupcake practically drowned in pink frosting from...heck if I know and stuffed it in Rainbow Dash's mouth. "Don't worry, this'll give you all the energy you need! I brought this along for just such an occasion!" Rainbow Dash looked like she was going to be sick. Not that I held it against her. Just looking at that cupcake made me feel like a Diabetes demon was laughing somewhere. I fought the urge to run away when Pinkie Pie turned and looked at me with her innocent smile. She probably thought she was being helpful, but in reality she was being scary. "How about you? I've got two more!" I held my hands out and waved them while shaking me head.
"N-no thanks! I'm fine! I'd be happy to help!" Pinkie jumped in the air.
"Great! Follow me!" She bounced away and I turned to Rainbow Dash to make sure she was going to be okay. She looked revolted. Seeing my look of sympathy she tried to smile. Her teeth were so covered in pink frosting she looked like she had been eating vanilla ice cream while her gums were bleeding.
"Are you going to be okay?" She hiccuped.
"I have no idea." She hiccuped again. "The last time she did this when I said I was tired I couldn't get to sleep for twelve hours. Then I crashed and slept for an entire twenty four hours." She hiccuped twice.
"And the hiccuping?"
"Pinkie says that's my body waking up. Twilight Sparkle says what's really happening is my brain is overloading from the sugar content and shutting down my the parts of my body that let me know that I should take a rest. Once the hiccuping stops-" she hiccuped again and her pupils dilated.
"Uh...Rainbow? Your eyes-"
"That's part of it too. Don't worry about it-" she hiccuped again. "right now. If we don't-" and again. "start helping her she might come back and-" Two more. "feed another to both of us! Trust me, one is bad enough!"
"Hey, you stopped-" Her entire body started to vibrate. "Wow. Okay, going to help Pinkie Pie." I ran to where Pinkie Pie was staring at us with her head cocked to one side. Rainbow Dash leaned forward and started bouncing forward, her pupils half-filling her eye's surface.
Another two hours later we finished setting up the town center to Pinkie's satisfaction. I was then given the final task of lighting several outdoor torches.
Guests had been arriving in large numbers for the past forty five minutes or so and the town center was packed. Not everypony wore a costume or even altered their appearance with magic, but those that did for the most part seemed to be wearing Halloween costumes, though there were some others too. There were a few birds, a few types of food, and in one case, somepony came as a letter envelope complete with a giant stamp and an address for delivery. There was also band made up of local volunteers playing a song that reminded me of Weird Al's version of 'Let's get it started in here' but without any lyrics. To top it all off, with so many bodies present it was warm enough for me to take my jacket off, so I walked back to Twilight's house and did so. I tried the door and it was unlocked, so I cracked it open and dropped my jacket onto my bag. I was about to shut the door again when I heard voices inside. One was Twilight Sparkle, but the other I didn't know. It was another female, of that I was sure, but it was deeper and made me think of someone who had been alive for a long time. How can a voice sound old? I opened the door a little wider and stepped in as quietly as I could. I stopped moving in further when I saw Twilight's flank. She was looking into the larger part of the library room at someone, but other than the tip of a shadow there was no way to see whom.
"He's tall and looks strange but seems friendly enough. If not for what Rainbow Dash told me after she dropped him off with nurse Heartblood I'd have thought he was harmless."
"As you well know, my faithful student, appearances can often be deceiving. Has he shown any signs of hostility to anypony?"
"Not that I've heard. Most of the ponies in town think that he's a foreigner that used magic to transform himself for the costume party that Pinkie Pie is holding in the town square right now. They're calling him a cheater for it, but they don't know that it's his true form they're seeing. It helps that he had a cape with him to enhance the belief that he used magic to transform since the last show-off magic-user also had a cape."
"That is good news. What of the other matter I wrote to you about?"
"You were right. The body is gone. I don't know who could have taken it, but it's gone."
"That is not so good news. Where is the Human now?"
"He's probably at Pinkie's party still. I saw him helping to set things up on my way back through town earlier. Shall I go get him?"
I started backing up to the door. If whoever that was on the other side of the conversation said yes, I'd be busted for eavesdropping in three seconds.
"No, let him enjoy himself for now. I will go to the party myself and speak with him in person. For the sake of the transformation ruse I shall commend him on his skill with illusions and then ask to speak with him in private." Twilight Sparkle's shadow nodded.
"Princess Celestia, if I may ask, where does he come from? He said that he came from another world, but none of my books save for one mention his race at all, and even that one doesn't have any information it."
"His people long, long ago once interacted and traded with ours on a daily basis. Unfortunately the Dragon population had grown into nearly a thousand at one point and their king became arrogant and greedy. He attacked our races with the intention of enslaving us all and there was a great war. Towards the end most of the Dragon king's army converged on the Human's capital city and my family in tandem with Unicorns and a small group of Humans with access to magic cast a spell that transported almost their entire race and the dragons that were within their lands into what was known as an Echo Dimension. After that the remaining Humans, again with the help my family forged a passageway between our two worlds just large enough for an Alicorn to walk through but too small for an adult dragon. They ran through it into the Echo-world followed by a few hundred volunteers from our people to help fight the Dragons and try to save our allies and friends from extinction.
"After the gateway shut behind them we didn't hear anything from their world for over five hundred years. Then one day, when I was still a young filly and my mother and father still ruled, one of their kind stumbled over the Stone Arch Gateway on their side and came to our world looking for Unicorns. Or, more specifically, their horns."
"Our horns? What for?" Oh no. I was hoping to avoid this. I didn't want them to be afraid of me, but I was learning exactly what I wanted to be by remaining silent. I decided to hold my tongue.
"Magic. If a Human holds a Unicorn's horn in their hand then they can use magic until it decays too badly and crumbles. The Human that came through back then killed several Unicorns and took their horns before he was caught. When he was finally caught he fought ferociously and he slew several royal guards and my own father before he was finally too tired to stay awake. And passed out on the ground." Twilight was horrified and gasped. I very nearly did too. My ancestor killed innocents for the sake of power? What kind of blood was I carrying?
"Oh princess! I'm so sorry!"
"Do not be upset, Twillight Sparkle. It was a sad event, but it was also a long time ago. I have learned to live with it."
"What did you- I mean your mother do with with him?"
"My mother did nothing but mourn. It was my uncle, Thanatos, that dealt with him. Thanatos turned him into a living statue and placed him in the Canterlot Sculpture garden."
"The same place Discord was in? Why there?"
"So that he could watch as generation after generation of Unicorns passed him by and their power would always be just beyond his reach."
"But Discord escaped once. Could that Human do the same thing?"
"In theory, but for that he would need outside help, and no pony in their right mind that knows who he is will do that."
"Did Discord know?"
"I think he may have suspected, but Discord was only interested in causing chaos for his own entertainment. He never took pleasure in killing even when it would have been to his benefit, as was the case with you and your friends. I do not think he would have freed him or arranged for it." Who or what is Discord? "Do not worry yourself over him. He's not going anywhere." I should go. I've heard enough.
I backed up to the door and went back outside the door, shutting it as quietly as I could behind me and headed back to the party. I'd heard all I needed to, and more than I wanted.
Twenty minutes after returning to the party and discovering the hard way that the sandwiches' fillings were dandelions Twilight Sparkle arrived on scene, and another two minutes later an Alicorn that I assumed was the princess Celestia also arrived. She was as big as a horse with a white body and a sort of rainbow mane (but with different colors than Rainbow Dash) that undulated like a field of tall grass looked at from a distance when wind blew through it. Like the ponies at the party she too wore a costume. Hers made her look like a racing horse with wings.
At first nopony seemed to pay any attention to her, but then somewhere in the throng Spike yelled that princess Celestia was here and the noise level sunk from baseball stadium to dead-quiet. Then suddenly everypony was trying to find space to kneel. I did the same, holding up the ruse.
"Greetings, everypony! I am glad to be here and hope you are all having fun." she said in a warm and pleasant voice. There were murmurings of agreement from the crowd.. "I am seeing some interesting costumes here tonight, but tell me, how many of you used magic for them?" About two dozen hooves out of a crowd of hundreds were raised. I also raised my hand. Of those that had used magic, some have given themselves several variations of wings, others had a third eye or stripes, and one had apparently tried to turn himself into a cow with limited success. She scanned those that had raised a limb. "Wonderful jobs!" She stopped her gaze on me and lifted her eyebrows. "You there! In the red cape!" I acted startled and stood up.
"M-me, milady?" All eyes in the crowd were suddenly turned on me, so it wasn't difficult to look nervous. I was nervous now. She nodded.
"That one is certainly original, and I see nothing else like it here.What is your name and where did you get the idea for that form?" I opened my mouth to tell the story that I'd come up with while waiting for her arrival which involved me as a colt having gone to the Canterlot Sculpture garden and seeing it there, but suddenly the impulsive part of me felt annoyed at once again having to give an introduction on myself and before I could think better of it I spat out the truth instead.
"My name Is Jacob, Princess Celestia. As for where I got the idea, I-" an earsplitting roar shook the town center and I covered my ears to block out the noise. Ponies both male and female screamed, neighed, and whinnied before there was a a second roar followed by a large black and red Dragon landing on what I had learned was the town hall. It collapsed to splinted beneath its weight and the Dragon roared again. But intermixed with the roar was a loud word.
"SILENCE!!!" The screaming and noise stopped except for some whimpering in terror. The Dragon's eye line swept the crowd from one side to another. It stopped on Celestia.
"Princess! Fancy meeting you here!" The Dragon chuckled in a deep gravelly voice. I failed to see anything funny. So did the princess.
"Drahngov. Just what do you think that you are doing here?" Celestia asked, calm but stern. "Does your father know that you are here?" Drahngov hissed like an angry snake and spat a burning globule of saliva on the ground. The ponies nearby screamed and scrambled away from it. Drahngov pretended to ignore them.
"That weak fool is dead! He died of a" Drahngov made a heart shape with his claws and then bent the two apart to make it look broken and spoke in a mocking version of a sad voice. "broken heart when he heard that his younger son-" his eyes flashed and his claws clenched angrily. His mocking voice became enraged. "my brother was killed yesterday, and killed with magic!" He stepped off the ruins of the town hall and stomped closer to Celestia. Two guards inj gold armor that I had not noticed before rain out in front of her and tried their best to look fierce. Facing a Dragon as a possible enemy however, made their attempt at protection look more like a joke in poor taste. Drahngov stopped a few feet away from them, his snout giving off unpleasantly warm heat even with his mouth closed. If he wanted to, he could bathe all three of them, and those around and behind them in flames. "And as you know, Dragons can't use magic, which only leaves your people. In fact, after searching the area nearby thoroughly, my people discovered seven different scents that were present, which implies that your people," he extended a claw to point at Celestia. "were out looking for trouble! Actually," he straightened up and took a deep breath. "I am smelling most of those scents right here in this town square. An odd coincidence, isn't it? Especially since there seems to be a party going on and you even came here yourself to be a part of it."
"How dare you?!" one of the guards yelled. "Our peoples have been at peace for centuries, and all that time our nation has been ruled by Celestia. I will not stand by and let you insult her with accusations of conspiracy!"
"Basen, enough.! Celestia said to the guard sharply.
"But, your highness, are you really just-" Celestia narrowed her eyes.
"I said, enough! If you are unable to hold your tongue in a stressful situation, then perhaps yu would prefer to go back to being a farmer." The guard fell silent. Drahngov chuckled again.
"Well at least one of your subjects has some backbone." He turned his head to look at the crowd of petrified pony party goers. Some at the edges had begun to sneak away. Drahngoc growled and the sneaks turned into full-out running. He rolled his reptilian green eyes and studied those that had remained. Which is when his gaze his gaze fell on Rainbow Dash, still bouncing in place from the sugar rush. He raised an eye-ridge and extended his next over to her and took a deep sniff. He waited a moment, then growled at her. To her credit she did not cower, but she did back away from him until she bumped into a snack table. "You...you are one of those who was at the kill site!" He bared his teeth at Rainbow Dash. Liquid flames began to leak through the few gapes and chips in his very big, very sharp-looking teeth. Ponies that had been around her scattered like a herd of deer away from a downed herd-member when pounced on by a wildcat. I wanted to help, but I was frozen in place. Besides, what could I do without a horn? I could stand by a friend even if it's only to die with her. MOVE LEGS, MOVE! My legs trembled, but wouldn't. Not until Twilight, Pinkie Pie, and three ponies I didn't recognize all ran to stand between them.The three strangers were a white Unicorn with a bluish purple mane and tail, an orange Earth pony with a blond mane and tail, and a yellow Pegasus with a pink mane and tail.
"Back off!" Twilight yelled, horn glowing.
"You're not gonna hurt mah freend!" the orange one said, legs shaking but eyes defiant.
"Be off with you, you brute!" the white one said in a snooty tone. Her horn was glowing too.
"Pick on somepony your own size, ya big meanie!" Pinkie yelled.
"J-just please go away!" the Pegasus whispered.
"I have no quarrel with any of you. If you get out of my way now I'll only take the ones in this town that slew my kin with me when I leave."
"Drahngov, You're not taking any of my subjects with you. If they did kill your brother, it would be out of self-defense!" Celestia objected loudly. Drahngov didn't even turn his head to look at her.
"Celestia, you know the treaty between our peoples as well as I. After all, your mother helped to create it. By the treaty's agreement, if one of our kin are slain by magic outside of your nation's borders, whether they are within ours or not, then I, as a blood relative of the slain, have the right to retrieve and execute those responsible at my leisure. Of course, if you are willing to annul the treaty," Now he turned and looked at her, but with the hungry smile of a predator. "then I have no objections." Celestia said nothing and looked away from him. Unless she wanted another war, she could do nothing. And, as much as she hated to have the thought running through her head, the loss of six ponies was a small price to pay in comparison to the thousands that could die if they went to war. Drahngov's smile widened and he turned back to the girls.
"I won't ask again. Either get out of my way, or die with her where you stand." A forked tongue ran along his teet. "I don't mind either way."
"Guys, get out of his way!" Rainbow Dash demanded. She was visibly crying, but her voice didn't crack. "Don't throw your lives away for me!"
"What are you talking about Dashie?" Pinkie asked.
"We're your friends, sugar cube!" the orange pony declared. "We're not going to abandon you in your darkest hour!"
"Especially not to some smelly dragon!" the white Unicorn made a sound of disgust.
"Friends..." the yellow Pegasus's voice cracked. "to the end." She covered her eyes.
"It's not throwing our lives away if it's for someone we care about!" Twilight stated proudly, horn still glowing.
"How cutesy." Drahngov snorted and smoke exited his nostrils. "Have it your way, then. I hope you like your meat well done!" Drahngov began inhaling and Twilight formed a purple shield of light in front of her and her friends. Any remaining ponies in the town center with the exception of Celestia and her guards fled screaming.
As Drahngov's head arched back and he began to dip his mouth down to launch a stream of fire at the group I found that I was running towards them. Are you crazy?! Stop you fool! Run away from here, not towards the source of the fiery death! my instinct for survival screamed at me. I chose to ignore it. One of those ponies had saved my life, and another had let me into her home when I was a complete stranger. People like that were a rare thing in my world, and we had billions of our people everywhere on our planet. More importantly than that, though, this Dragon reminded me of a criminal that memorized the law specifically so he could find the loopholes and take advantage of them. I hated people like that, and this circumstance was personal!
"Sorry white Unicorn, but I need to borrow your horn for a minute!" I apologized to her as I reached them and ducked behind the shield.
"What? What are you-" Without a second thought I wrapped the fingers of my right hand around the horn on her head. The familiar warmth flowed into me and I tightened my grip. It was a good thing I did, too, because she tossed her head in an attempt to shake me off.
"What do you think you're doing?! Unhand me you-" Drahngov's fire hurled from his throat and slammed into Twilight's shield. Twilight cried out and sank to her knees, but she did not lower her head and faced the fire. Her shield buckled and cracks filled it, but she still held it together. From the other side, Drahngov had begun to laugh as more and more fire poured from his gullet and Twilight's shield started to fade away. I reached out and gripped Twilight's horn with my other hand as well. The familiar warmth turned hot like a shower rather than a sweater and as her shield shattered and fire rained down I pictured a wall in front of our little group that would redirect both the fire and the heat off to either side of us. Expecting to die, my hope spiked when the fire obeyed me. Seeing this, the white Unicorn stopped struggling and stared.
"What?" Was all she could say.
"Jacob?" Rainbow Dash said, staring at me. All of them were staring at me. Me and the invisible shield keeping death at bay. Suddenly the flow cut off and I dropped the shield. Drahngov was staring at us, utterly shocked that we were unharmed and breathing heavily.
"It's not possible!!"
"Time to knock some manners into this ugly snake!" I said between gritted teeth. I pictured a big fist striking Drahngov in the face and knocking him over backwards. Though nothing actually formed there was the definite sound of something hard slamming into flesh. Drahngov roared in pain and shock as he stumbled backwards. When he recovered he glared death at me. I let go of the horns and as the warmth flowed out of me so to did my energy. I felt like I needed a good long nap.I suppressed the urge to yawn and stepped toward the angry Dragon.
"You want to know who killed your brother, worm?" I yelled at him. I pointed at my chest "It was me! I hit him with a bolt of lightning that I called from a storm cloud!" my pointed finger became a fist. "If you think that you can fight me with any more success than your weakling sibling, I'd be more than happy to send you to join him in Hell!!!" It was all a bluff, of course. I had no idea if I could call a bolt of lightning out of a clear sky, and there was a good chance that if he attacked me I'd die or the girls would very quickly once he realized that it was the horns that gave me power and not any innate abilities that I possessed.
Drahngov snarled at me, his eyes narrowed to slits. He lowered his head so he could look at me from my own eye level. He sniffed me twice.
"I am not so foolish as to fight an enemy when I am not sure that I can win. I shall leave. This time. Tell me one thing before I go, however." I nodded.
"What are you? I have never smelled nor seen your kind before, and I have hunted all living things in this world.
"I am a Human." His narrowed eyes became as wide as they would go.
"But your kind are extinct!"
"In your world, yes. In my world, it is your kind that is extinct. Make an enemy of us and we'll wipe you out here, too." Drahngov huffed and straightened up. He looked at Celestia for a moment, then spread his wings and flew away into the now-dark skies.
I sighed in relief and sat down on the cobblestone ground. Six other sighs of relief echoed mine.
Chapter 5
"So then that incredabul power you wuz usin' wans't really yer power at all?" Applejack asked when we arrived outside Twilight's home.
After the incident in the town center with the party-crashing Dragon, Celestia recommended that I get out of sight and quickly before any possible witnesses to the confrontation plucked up their courage and started asking uncomfortable questions. Twilight offered to let me use her house again for the night, and I thanked her. Before leaving the square however, she introduced her friends to me, and me to them.
"I'm not sure. All I know is that when I'm in physical contact with a Unicorn's horn I feel warm all over and I suddenly have magical abilities. But the second I let go the warmth fades away and I feel weaker than I was before I used magic."
"And ya can't use it when yer not touchin' a horn?" I nodded. "Huh. Well, either way I'm mighty grateful fer yer help back there."
"As are we all, Jacob." Rarity agreed. "If you should ever find yourself in need of some new clothes, I'd be happy to give you a free set."
"You're all very welcome." I yawned as Twilight unlocked the door and pushed it open. "I'm sorry ladies, but I'm beat. I'll see you all tomorrow, okay?" They nodded and said various farewells. "Good night." I entered the tree as they left and took my shoes off at the door along with my cape which I rolled up and placed beside the bag for now. I then took out a fresh shirt and a pair of pants and socks. As I carried my bundle into the library the issue of clean clothing ran through my mind. I need to find someplace to get my clothes washed soon. I'd rather not walk around in stinky clothes for the rest of my life!
Twilight clopped into the room with Spike on her back who slid off to the floor and set to lighting several candles around the room.
"Going to change?" she asked.
"Tomorrow, yes. I just figured I'd set them out ahead of time." I stopped one of the walls and piled them on the floor, pants on the bottom, then shirt, then finally socks.
"Are you alright? I didn't mention it to the others, but I saw the sweat running down your arms and neck when you released mine and Rarity's horns and confronted Drahngov. Did holding both of them at once hurt you?" I shook my head and then stood up from the pile and turned around so I could look at her while spoke.
"It didn't hurt, but do you remember me saying that holding a horn filled me with warmth?" she nodded. "When I held both yours and hers I didn't feel warm. I felt hot . Hot like standing in a smithy while the blacksmith is forging something with the door to the outside is shut." I turned my palms upward and looked down at them as if I thought I would see the lines of burn marks. I dropped my hands and looked back up at her. "I think that if I had been touching one more horn that I would have felt like my blood was boiling in my veins." Twilight Sparkle grimaced at the thought.
Spike finished lighting the candles and hopped down from the step ladder he'd been using.
"Then I guess we'll have to make sure you don't come into contact with three Unicorns at once, then! Should be easy enough. Though now that the party is over it's going to be harder to explain why you're not 'returning' to your 'true form'." I hadn't thought about that.
There was a tapping on the door and Twilight raised an eyebrow. "Who could that be?" She looked out one of her windows and jumped and ran to the door to open it. "Princess Luna! What brings you here?"
"We- I wished to commend the Human for his bravery this night. Where ist he?" Princess Luna? She must be Celestia's sister. But why come all the way out here just to thank me? Why not just send a letter? These thoughts ran through my mind before I informed her that I was inside the house. Without waiting for permission, the same dark blue Alicorn that I'd seen the previous night trotted inside and stopped before me. "Greetings, Human. Well done tonight. On behalf of mine now-resting sister I wish to extend to thee a personal invitation to the royal palace."
My eyebrows rose as far as they would go. So did Twilight's.
"I do not mean to sound ungrateful, princess Luna, but why?"
"Mine sister was put into a rather difficult situation with Drahngov. Had thee not stepped in and put him off guard enough that he retreated he would have slain the living embodiments of the Elements of Harmony, and burned down a good portion of Ponyville in the process. She and I wish to show our gratitude by inviting thee to stay with us as long as thee pleases." She stepped closer until we were less than a foot apart and then leaned her head closer. She dropped her volume and whispered "There is more to it, but mine sister wisheth to discuss it with thee in private." She leaned back again.
"How could I say no? I would be honored."
"Excellent!" She declared loudly. "Then she and I shall await thine arrival." Luna turned around and trotted back to Twilight Sparkle. "To thee, Twilight Sparkle, we extend the same invitation so long as thee agree to useth thine magic to transport him and thine self to the palace gates directly." Twilight bowed deeply.
"It would be an honor, princess Luna." Luna nodded and exited the house.
"Until thine arrival, then. Farewell!" Luna flapped her large wings twice and then launched herself into the sky. Twilight shut the door and then turned back to me.
"I guess we should get packing!"
"I'm already packed, but I wouldn't mind lending you a hand, if you like."
"No thanks, I can handle it. Would you like a real pillow instead of a book to lay your head on tonight?" I laughed, recalling last night, then yawned again.
"Sure. Thanks a bundle."
The next morning I once again woke up after Twilight, who, according to Spike, was out telling her friends that she was going to the royal palace for a few days but would return later.
"Want some breakfast?" he offered. "We have bread, apples, strawberries, more oatmeal, pears, bananas, carrots, potatoes, tomatoes..." he listed a few other things. To be honest, I was in the mood for scrambled eggs with cheese, some bacon, and a tall glass of strawberry milk, but I doubted very highly that they had bacon. But they might have the rest.
"Actually Spike, I'd like to try making my own breakfast today, if that's alright." Spike nodded.
"Okay. What do you need?"
"Do your people have cheese?" Spike nodded.
"It might not be the kind you're used to having, but yeah."
"Any chance you have any?" Spike nodded and disappeared into one of the rooms of Twilight's house. He came back with a cylinder of it eight inches wide. There was a wedge cut out of it that took away about an eighth of it, but I didn't need very much anyway. "How about chicken eggs?" He shook his head.
"Ponies don't normally eat eggs by themselves. They're used as ingredients for other foods like bread or cakes. You might be able to find some at the Sugarcube Corner, though, if you don't mind going outside."
"I don't. Just let me change into some clean clothing first."
"I'm in no rush. I've already eaten."
It took me a minute to get ready, and then I realized something very important: I had not used the bathroom once since the day before. Oh lord, why did I have to remember that! I feel like I'm going to explode!
"Is something wrong?" Spike asked when he saw my face.
"Uh, you wouldn't happen to have a toilet in this house, would you?" Spike blinked, and then laughed.
"So that's why you look like that! Yeah. Through that doorway-" He pointed and I started walking briskly across the room. "And to your left. I gotta warn you though, it wasn't designed with people who walk like us in mind."
"It'll do!" My walk turned into a run. Spike was right. It looked more like a shower stall with a trap door in the back rather than the toilet design I was used to. There was another problem too: no toilet paper. "Uh, Spike?"
"Yeah?"
"This is going to sound weird, but if there any chance that I could have a few pieces of blank paper?"
"What for? I thought you were going to use the toilet, not write a book."
"Well, that's the thing. You see, my anatomy is a bit inconvenient when it comes to getting rid of solid wastes and-"
"Okay!!" he quickly interrupted. "I do not need any details! Hold on a second." The sound of a drawer opening in the next room and the crackle of hastily-grabbed paper came from the other room, and then Spike walked in carrying two sheets of yellow loose-leaf paper. "Will this do? Twilight won't be happy if she finds out, but what she doesn't know won't hurt her in this case, and I really don't want to hear the conversation she'll try to have with you if she decides she wants to study you."
"Me either. Thanks, Spike." Spike left and I went about 'my business'.
After washing my hands in a sink that was fed by a hand pump faucet (which would not have made sense to me if I didn't know Twilight could move things with magic) I told Spike I'd be stepping out to get some eggs but would be back. Instead of staying behind however, he retrieved the round of cheese and followed me to the door.
"There's no sense in you walking all the way there just to walk back again. I'll just give the owners a gemstone to let you use their kitchen and food.
"Are you sure? A gem is an awful lot to just give away."
"Maybe back in Iowa, but not here. Sure, we have to go look for them if we want some, but they're actually pretty common in some places."
"Common gemstones..." I thought about how my race would react if they found a way here and knew that getting rich was as easy as digging a hole in the ground. This must have been part of the reason that Mace destroyed the gateway's physical form. Our people would tear this beautiful little world apart! My stomach rumbled and i felt hunger gnawing at my gut. "Welp, I'm not getting breakfast made by standing here. Do you want to walk, or shall I carry you?"
"I'll walk. The Sugarcube Corner isn't more than a few minutes from here."
Spike was right. Seven minutes of walking and we arrived. I knocked on the door. It was opened by a smiling blue earth pony with hair as pink as Pinkie Pie's. Her smile changed to wonder when she saw me standing at (and standing taller than) her door.
"Can I help you?" she asked.
"I do hope so." I replied. "I was wondering if you might be willing to allow me to use your kitchen." She blinked a few times and hesitated.
"Um, I don't know..."
"He's okay, Mrs Cake. He's with me." Spike spoke up from the ground. Mrs. Cake looked down and smiled.
"Okay then." She looked back up at me. "If Spike trusts you then I will too. Come on in. Just mind your head. I think our ceiling might be a bit lower than you're used to." I smiled back and ducked under the door frame and stepped inside. She was right. Her ceiling was only a few inches above my head. What furniture there was looked like it had been built for a kid. "If you don't mind my asking, why do you want to use our kitchen?"
"To make my breakfast."
"You do know what time it is, right? This would be lunch time."
"I usually sleep late." I explained. "It's probably a bad habit, but I can't help it."
"Well, our kitchen is over this way," Mrs. Cake led me into another room on the other side of their shop. Everything shined like it was brand new, although there were marks on their wooden counted that stated otherwise. Clearly she loved her job and took very good care of it. "The cupboard is over there," she pointed at a row of cabinets that were positioned below what seemed to be a cooling counter for baked goods. "And the way to the cellar is over there." she then pointed at a trap door in the floor at the end of the cooling counter. "The cooking pans, bowls, and other miscellaneous are in the three cabinets and the drawers above them closest to us. Sugar and other powdered ingredients are in there," she pointed several spice racks and shelves against another wall that a stove and oven were near. "and lastly and most importantly, when you're finished cooking, before you eat it, place all the dirty utensils you used in that big sink and wipe any crumbs or such up. The waste bins are by your leg." I looked down. Sure enough, there were two small garbage cans by me. One had a big organic mess sitting in it, and the other had common trash. I gave her a thumb pointing up.
"No problem!" She didn't seem too sure about that, but still left me and Spike to our own devices after a moment. "Alrighty, then!" I clapped my hands together and moved to retrieve a frying pan and a spatula, a small bowl, and a serrated knife. These I placed on a counter next to the stove (it was below a spice rack) and then headed for the cellar. From there I retrieved two eggs, a string of big mushrooms hanging from the ceiling, one onion, one potato, and a small butter jar. These I also put on the counter. Finally I looked through the spice rack and took down some common powdered black pepper.
I scooped a little butter from the jar and plopped it in the pan, and smeared it around the bottom with the spatula. I then set it on a burner on the stove, which seemed to be a gas stove. Which of course, I had no idea how to start. I turned to Spike and asked if he knew how. He shook his head.
"Normally other ponies make my meals for me, or I'm eating gems. I never needed to know how to use a stove!"
"Did someone say stove? Is someone cooking in here?" I turned to see a familiar pink face. "Oh, hello again! What'cha doin'?"
"Trying to make my breakfast, but I don't know how to turn a gas stove on. Do you?"
"Of course I do. I work here, after all!" She walked over next to me and turned a dial and then pushed a button. Small flames sparked to life.
"Thank you, Pinkie Pie." I reached over to the potato and carried it, along with the onion and two mushrooms to the sink and washed them off.
"What are you going to make with those? I've not seen anyone use such an odd mix of ingredients before."
"All I'm going to do is cook them in the butter for awhile, then crack the eggs and drop them into the mix and sprinkle some pepper on it. It doesn't look tasty when it's done, but I'm not cooking for looks. I'm going for flavor." Pinkie looked doubtful.
I cut up the potato first and tossed it into the now-liquefied butter. It hissed on contact and the moisture in the potatoes sizzled and popped. While that was cooking I cut up the mushrooms and set them to one side and cut the onion in half and sliced one half into small pieces. The other half I placed out of the way in case I decided I wanted more later. On and off while doing this I would stir and flip the potato chunks so they wouldn't burn to the pan. I wasn't as successful with this as I would have liked, but it could have gone worse. Once the onion half was out of the way I scooped up the cut mushrooms and added them to the pan as well.
I picked up the small bowl and cracked the eggs into it. I stirred them to blend the whites with the yolks and added a bit of pepper to it followed by a pinch of salt that I decided to add to it as well. When this was done I stirred the mushroom-potato mix and added the onions, followed by the eggs. I waited for ten seconds, then started mixing it all together. The smell in the room was making my stomach ache again and my mouth water. Spike was also sniffing the air with a smile. Pinkie Pie, though interested and watching my every move, was not affected to the same degree.
Two minutes later it was done to my satisfaction and I moved it off the burner and turned it off. I then began to clean up my mess. This took about ten minutes, and then I was looking for a fork. I didn't find one, but I did find several spoons, and used one of those to eat the food directly from the pan.
"Do you want a plate for that?" Pinkie asked. My mouth being full, I shook my head. After swallowing I explained why.
"I like cooking, but I hate washing dishes, and I doubt anypony else is going to want to eat this." I filled my mouth again and chewed.
"What is that smell?" came a voice from the next room.
"Jacob just made breakfast, Mr. Cake! He's eating it now."
"Jacob? The pony who transformed himself for the party last night?"
"Well he's not actually a pony, but yeah." A pony I assumed was Mr. Cake trotted into the kitchen.
"I had a feeling that you weren't really one of us. You walked too easily on two legs for that." He looked at the food in his pan and made a face. "What is that supposed to be?"
"Oh, it's a potato, some mushrooms and butter, half an onion, and some eggs and spices. He says he likes it, but I don't think it looks good."
"I'm sorry, sonny, but I agree. That looks absolutely revolting."
"Well you didn't have any soy or teriyaki sauce or baby corn and green beans, so I couldn't make stir-fry, and you guys don't eat meat, so I-" I stopped up short, realizing what I just said. What I had been trying to not bring up since I got here. Half a second later, so did Mr. Cake and Pinkie and Spike too. Their reaction was not what I had expected, though.
"Your kind are predators? You certainly don't look it." Spike said with doubt written on his face.
"My kind can eat both plants and meats, but we can live off plants alone if we need to. We're omnivores, not carnivores."
"Well, as long as you don't try to eat me or anypony I know, I won't have a problem with you." Mr. Cake stated. "Just make sure you clean up after you're done and pay for what you've used." Spike tapped his leg.
"Here you go, sir." Spike handed him the gem he'd brought along. Mr. Cake took it and left the kitchen to put it away.
A few minutes later I finished my meal, patted my stomach with a smile of contentment and washed the pan and spoon in the sink.
"Well you guys, thanks for having me at your village, but I need to get ready to go with Twilight to the royal palace."
"You'll come back afterward, right?" Pinke asked. "We only just met yesterday, and I'd like to hear more about your world." I smiled.
"If I have the opportunity, I will most certainly return. Oh, and by the way, with the exception of the Dragon crashing it last night, great party." Pinkie's face lit up. "I'll see you later, Pinkie." I patted her side and let the store. Spike followed.
"So are we going straight back home, then? Or do you want to stop somewhere else first?" I thought about this for a moment and decided that there was two more people that I needed see before I left.
"I need to stop somewhere else first. You can go on back if you like, but I need to thank nurse Heartblood for taking care of me. I'll be back later." He shrugged. "Okay. I'll see you later, then." Spike waved and continued to walk straight ahead. I changed course and eventually found myself at the infirmary. I opened the door and walked in to see nurse Heartblood sitting behind the receptionist desk herself. She looked up and stared at me with awe in her face, which confused me.
"Hello nurse Heartblood. I just came by to say thanks again for taking care of me while I was injured, and to also say goodbye."
"You're quite welcome, Jacob. Yes, I'd heard of the invitation that you and Twilight Sparkle recieved from the princesses. Good for you!" She tapped a hoof on the desk and looked like she was trying to remember something. "Oh right! Before I forget, I have something for you! Wait right here." She got up and took the stairs leading up to her room. I waited for no longer than a minute before she came back down holding a box that was a foot long. "Here, this is for you." I opened it and to my shock I saw a Unicorn's horn in it. The base looked as if it had been smoothed with a power sander. I looked up at her, amazed.
"Where did you get this?"
"I was one of the ponies that crept away when the Dragon attacked, but I regained my senses and returned when I realized that there might be someone hurt that only I could help. I got back just in time to see you run to the girls and grip Rarity's horn and then Twilight's when that dragon blew fire at you. I thought you were all going to die, but then the flames bent to either side of you. It was then I realized that your name being Lighthand was no coincidence and I knew that the dead Unicorn in my morgue had died for a reason. Take it, and use it well." I lifted it out of the box with one hand and felt the familiar warmth once more. Dropping the box I stepped forward and embraced her.
"I will. Thank you." I released her and stepped back.
"Oh, and one more thing before you go." She walked to the desk and pulled out a drawer. She then handed me the canteen I thought I'd lost. "You left this here earlier."
"I thought I'd lost that! Thanks again." She nodded.
"You ready to go, Jacob?" Twilight asked when I got back.
"Yeah, I guess. Is there anything that I need to do?" Twilight shook her head.
"Nope. Just grab your things, stand by me and stand still for a minute." Still being by the door I picked up my bag and did as she said. Not knowing what to expect, I asked her if it would hurt. She shook her head. "It kind of tickles, actually. Now please let me concentrate" Twilight closed her eyes and furrowed her brow. Her horn glowed a radiant purple and began spitting away a few sparks in a way that reminded me of a purple version of the Sparklers fireworks. The light spread from her horn to her entire body, and a few seconds late rI too was bathed in purple light. Like she said, it tickled, but it fortunately was not as bad as having a swan feather dragged gently over your skin. Twilight gritted her teeth and bobbed her head once.
There was a bright flash of white that filled my entire vision. When it cleared our surroundings were entirely different. The ground beneath our feet was white marble with light gray veins running through it, the sky was open and clear and there were no walls. I saw a few trees, but they seemed to be decorational. It all seemed pretty bland to me until I looked at the lands around us. Then I realized the reason the place we stood was dull to be a contrast to the area surrounding us.
"Whew! It's been awhile since I've done that!" Twilight stated. "We're here." Beside us at the top of some (also marble) steps stood a great gate that seemed to be made of gold. To either side of it stood two Pegasi in gold or brass armor staring straight ahead as if we weren't even here. Not a good idea, using either of those metals because they aren't very durable. For their sake, I hope they're only gold-plated if a real enemy should ever attack this place. Twilight approached the steps first, not even looking at the guards. I followed her example and she tapped the gates three times with one hoof. Now the guards looked at us. The right-side guard asked Twilight if we were here to visit, to file a complaint, or if we were here for a tour of the palace. Twilight explained that princess Luna had invited us to stay at the palace and the guard passed through the gate and trotted across a long walkway Or maybe it's a bridge. I can't really tell from here. and took another set of steps that led to the entrance of the palace. The guard disappeared inside and we waited patiently for his return. Nine minutes later he came back out of the palace and eventually stopped at the gate and opened it for us.
"You came earlier than they expected, but you are welcome to enter now if you wish." We did, and followed the guard across the walkway (which, it turns out, was indeed a bridge) and into the palace. A palace it was, for it was not built for defense as a castle would be, but rather for splendor. Though the door looked rather mediocre, the inside was much closer to what I had expected, though there was less furniture. Not that equines would need it since they do not sit down like we Humans do. The first room was nothing special. Two more guards waited inside and asked to search our belongings. We gave our bags to them and they spent several minutes rifling through them. The one that searched my bag found the horn that Nurse Heartblood gave me and gave me a suspicious look and pulled me to the side.
"Princess Celestia told us ahead of time that you might have one of these" he showed me the horn. "in your possession. What do you have to say about it?"
"Only that I have done nopony any harm to obtain it, nor do I intend anypony any harm. It was given to me by nurse Heartblood of Ponyville."
"Where did she get it?"
"From a Unicorn that had died from burn injuries. Whatever killed him had also broken his horn off."
"Until your story can be verified, I'm going to confiscate this. If you have any objections, take it up with the princesses."
"I understand your suspicion and I have none. Take all the time you need." The guard nodded and placed the horn in a saddlebag. I highly doubted that there would be any danger for me to protect myself from here, so I really did have no objections.
Twilight had not been carrying anything that concerned the guards and had been led ahead of me to the throne room to await the arrival of Celestia. On my own way there I saw several hanging tapestries that depicted ponies of various types doing various things that ranged from dancing- ponies can dance? to building what looked like the base for this palace, to what looked like the cloth version of a family portrait of several Alicorns. One of which I recognized as princess Luna, and another as Thanatos from the picture in Twilight's book. The windows on either side of the first room- more like an audience chamber than a 'wait for an audience' room, but I would think that the audience chamber would be further in. were so tall they were huge. They reached from two and a half feet to the floor almost to the ceiling. The guard leading me ignored several doors, some ornate and some plain and continued to walk forward until we arrived at two large oaken doors that an elephant could fit through without feeling claustrophobic. Wow, talk about excessive. Do they really need to be that big, or is it just for appearances? When we did arrive the guard stopped and gave me a few lessons on being polite to royalty.
"I do not know how you address royalty where you come from, but here it is common courtesy to bow or kneel to them when you are introduced, and to speak only when spoken to first unless it is of great importance. Also, because she is royalty it is quite often that she will receive notices concerning her duty and may be forced to adjourn your meeting prematurely. Try not to take offense to this as she only has so much time in one day to accomplish things." I nodded.
"I understand. Thank you for the information." He nodded and knocked twice on the door with one hoof. The door opened outward towards us, presumably with magic as there was no one pushing from the other side. At the other side of the room stood princess Celestia, but Luna was nowhere to be seen. Twilight was standing on a red carpet that only took up a tiny portion of the room that ran from the width of the doors and the distance from the doors to the thrones against the wall on the opposite side. Lining the walls were several marble columns that supported the vaulted ceiling and stained glass windows on that ceiling that shone multicolored light on everything below them on either side of the red carpeting. There were more regular windows as well in between the columns to provide normal lighting in places the colored light could not reach. On the columns themselves were several candle scones with virgin candles waiting to be lit later after the sun had retired for the evening and the moon had risen.
My guard made a motion with his head that indicated that I was to enter, so I did so walking at a slow and steady pace. The carpet was so thick that my footfalls made no sound and gave me the impression that I was a ghost in the world of the living. The air in this room felt dead but at least was warm. Whether it was warmed by a fireplace somewhere beneath us or by magic I did not know, but was grateful for it. Unlike the flat lands where Ponyville had been founded it was quite cool outside where we had warped and I had not looked forward to sleeping in it after the sun had gone down and the palace became cooler still.
I stopped when I reached Twilight who gave me a reassuring smile before turning to the elder princess again. Though I had not been announced or addressed, when Celestia turned her gaze on me I bowed as best I could to her without falling over.
"I appreciate the gesture, but you have no need to bow to me, Jacob Lighthand. Rise." I straightened. "I am a little surprised that you two came this quickly, but it is a welcome surprise. What do you think of our capital?"
"Well, so far all that I've seen is the palace itself. We teleported directly to the gates outside, so I did not get a chance to see the city."
"A pity. Perhaps we shall have time for that later. In the meantime, how much do you know concerning your family's history?"
"For certain? Only what is written in my ancestor's journal, you highness."
"May I see this journal?" I nodded and took off my pack. I unzipped it and removed the journal. I then stood straight again and carried it to her. Using her magic, she levitated the book from my hands and opened it to reveal the same gibberish that I had seen the first time I opened it. She stared at the writing a few seconds, then turned the page to the same gibberish. She turned another, and another one after the other. All of them were illegible. She turned her head and looked at me. "Can you read this?" I shook my head.
"Not as it is. When I read it I had been holding the ancient horn that my ancestors passed down. When I touched the book while holding it the letters transformed into English."
"I have a horn on my head , Jacob."
"Yes, but you're not touching the book. At least not directly. Try touching a hoof to it." She did so with no result, and lowered her leg again. "Weird." I looked at Twilight. "Hey Twilight, come here a second." She walked forward. "Would you mind if I held your horn again?"
"Go ahead." I touched a finger to it, and then touched the book. Just like last time the gibberish changed into something I could read, but this time it was different. I recalled this page from before as being Robin Hood's first journal entry from the dark stain in the middle of the page. Instead of him bragging about the village they'd ransacked, there were the same two sentences over and over and a picture of a faceless figure standing on a pedestal with two burning eyes and balled fists in a position of defiance:
The creatures of this world have imprisoned me and I need help. As my descendant, you must free me!!
Over and over and over it said this until the letters ran off the page. I turned the next page and this time it said something else that repeated, but this time showed a picture of the same figure from behind standing alone against a group of armored Pegasi and one Alicorn. In one hand he held a Unicorn horn that was dripping what I assumed was blood, and in the other he held a ball of fire that he was in the process of throwing.
I fought them with all I had, but they were too many, and much smarter than their horse counterparts in our world. You whom bear our legacy, be wary of them.
Princess Celestia looked shaken at the image, and when Twilight stepped around to see what had disturbed her she gasped. I turned the page again and this time the Pegasi were dead on the ground with various injuries and the Alicorn, looking fierce and ferocious stood directly in front of the man. The Alicorn was standing on his hind legs and was trying to strike the man with its hooves, who was in the process of bringing a wall of dirt up from the ground. This time there were no words written on the page, so I turned to the next and instantly regretted it.
"No!" Celestia suddenly cried out, and threw the book across the room with her magic. It bounced several times, rolled, and then slid to a stop on its back, still open. "Put that thing away, Jacob. I do not wish to see it again."
I only saw the page for only a second, but wished I had not. The image showed the man- my ancestor- trying to break the Alicorn's horn from its head by stomping on it like one might do to try breaking a thick tree branch. The body had been rather badly damaged to the point where its internal organs were visible through a large bloody hole in its belly, and there were places on the Alicorn's body where it seemed that blood had simply fountained from the skin on its own. It was not a pretty sight and I found myself feeling sick. Behind my ancestor had stood another Alicorn about to bash him over the head, which was the one good thing about it.
"Dear God!" I whispered with my eyes bulging in horror while running a hand through my hair. "I carry this man's blood?!" Twilight looked from me to Celestia and to the book and shuddered.
"Princess Celestia, will you be alright?" Twilight asked, concern in her voice. Celestia did not answer for a moment, and Twilight's concern grew. After a bit she took a deep breath and regained most of her composure.
"I will be. Those images...drudged up some bad memories for me." Celestia turned from Twilight to look at me. She looked grim. "Did you know about that?" She asked quietly I shook my head several times quickly.
"It only showed simple journal entries when I read through it back home, I swear!" Celestia locked eyes with me and I got the feeling she was peering into me and not just at me. It was an unpleasant sensation. When she did not break eye contact after several seconds I tried to come up with a reason for it. "I haven't so much as looked through it since I left my world. Perhaps my ancestor left some kind of spell behind that would react with the journal if it ever came to be here." That was a long-shot at best and I think we all knew it. Still, it was the only one I could come up with other than one I did not wish to think about. If he's still alive and aware in that statue form he's locked in, it's possible that he can reach out with his mind to the journal if he enchanted it to be linked with him. I know I'd have done that for convenience's sake in case I ran out of ink or my pen broke.
"That is possible." was all she said before turning away. I could have been imagining it, but it looked for a second as if she had looked behind me at something first. Curious, I looked behind me as well and saw a splendid view of the sky and a mountain top from a window, but nothing special. This made me wonder what else could be visible from that window, but Celestia has begun speaking again. "I have had rooms prepared for the two of you, as well as given your descriptions to the guards. Feel free to make yourselves at home and explore at your leisure. I would like to talk with the two of you longer, but I am afraid that I must see an important representative from another nation soon, and I need to ready myself for it." Both me and Twilight bowed to the princess again and headed back along the carpet towards the door.
She means she needs to get those images out of her mind so that she can concentrate. I just wish I could do the same thing! I though with a shudder as I approached first my pack, and then my journal to put it away. As we came within six feet of it Twilight stopped and looked away from it. It being my journal, I swallowed and kept coming closer. When I knelt to pick it up I was surprised not to see the gibberish, nor a horrible image of death, but rather what seemed to be a map of a maze of some kind. In the top-right corner of the maze was an 'X' mark. Having a suspicion that I already knew what it was I closed the book and stuffed it into the pack and zipped it up again. Twilight still hadn't moved, so I turned my head and smiled at her and showed her the closed pack. She let out a sigh of relief and together we left
__ __ __ __ __
It was dark. It was always dark here. Except when the horned ones came. Then, for a few brief minutes he could see again. He could see the equines with horns, and those without. He could hear them too. They would speak of art, and of symbolism. They would speak of history, and of harmony. And sometimes of discord and war. But these things concerned his little, if at all. All that concerned him was the endless torment of the power that was just beyond his reach. The power of magic. Once, he walked as they did, and lived as they did. But no more. He became greedy when he should have been thankful, and it had cost him. Now he was trapped in a living Hell. Every year they came, every year they spoke, every year they left. But this year was different. This year, after they had come there was another line of vision that had lasted only for several minutes. He saw a room of marble, and he saw an Alicorn and a man. Then he saw a purple Unicorn as well. The man was touching the Unicorn's horn. At long last one of my descendants have come searching for me! I must contact him! Recalling his clever trick of mentally linking himself with his journal all those years ago, he took memories of the events that occurred before his capture and placed them one after the other on the pages that they stared at. To his delight both the Alicorn and the Unicorn were horrified by the images and messages of text he added, but was distressed when the Human also had a look of horror and disgust. Why does he cringe? Mankind was meant to rule the lesser creatures! Could it be he has been mentally seduced by them? They were clever before, perhaps they have become crafty as well! Still, perhaps he shall seek me out from curiosity...I shall add a map as well on the next page.
"No!" he heard the Alicorn cry out in distress before his vision whirled as if he had somersaulted. He bounced and whirled, his vision going black and then being revealed again as the journal bounced along and finally came to a stop facing the ceiling. There his line of vision stayed for a few minutes before the man came into view again. The horror was gone, replaced with nervousness, and then apprehension. In the man's eyes, however, he saw exactly what he was hoping to see: curiosity.
The man then closed the book which through him in darkness once more, but he had seen enough. If not for his petrification, Jacob's ancestor would have smiled. Compared to the length of his imprisonment, his wait would not be much longer. Whether or not his relative came with the intent to free him, or destroy his body, he would come, and he would need a horn to do it. As soon as he was free, he would use the small horn he'd sewn into the inside of his undergarments to pull it from his descendant and reclaim the power that was rightfully mankind's- rightfully his.
^ ^ ^ ^ ^
After wandering around the palace for a few hours I was shown to my quarters. Once I was alone in my room I once more took out the journal and looked at the cover. I came to this world to find out about my ancestors and to see if I could find more horns or the animals they came from. I had no idea that the real animals were people that I shared blood with! I glared at the cover and threw it in my fireplace. I then looked through my pack for the cigarette lighter I'd packed. I didn't smoke, but several of my friends did and were all the time asking me for a light. Eventually I bought one to carry around.
My fingers found it and I pulled it out and flicked the starter. An eager flame ignited and satisfied, I clicked the lid shut and walked over to the fireplace. It was empty except for the book. Now I know why parts of it were burned out. Mace must have gotten the same message long ago and he tried to destroy them. But it wasn't enough. I'll be more thorough. I felt a little guilty about destroying the leavings of those that had not been like the original author of this book, but I also knew that if they were anything like Mace that they'd have done the same thing in my place. I reached over to the book and tore a page out of it. Within a few seconds it was burning and I began tearing out page after page and burning them. After a little while something strange started to happen to the pages before I ripped them out. The illegible symbols began to form a face. I hesitated for a brief second and letters (still unreadable) began to form underneath it. Assuming it was some sort of attempt to get me to stop, I pulled a pen out of a jacket pocket and wrote: 'Screw you, you murderous prick!' More lettering formed underneath it, but I tore it out and burned it too.
I felt as if I had been at it for thirty minutes when there was a knock on my door.
"Not now, I'm busy!" I said to the door in a raised voice.
"Doing what?" Twilight's familiar voice asked.
"I'm burning that damned journal!"
"Burning it?!" She burst through the door and trotted to my side. As she did so I tore out another three pages and tossed them on the blaze. I was nearly out of pages, and the sketched face was becoming more and more furious with each page. Twilight stared at the face, and to both of our surprise, the eyes turned to look at her. More letters formed under the face, this time we could read them.
YOU WILL PAY FOR TAINTING HIM, YOU ANIMAL! I WILL BREAK YOU PERSONALLY!
Twilight took a step back. I promptly wrote back: 'Not if I break you first. This journal is only the first step! I will find your body next, and I will break it to pieces!' The eyes turned back to me and his rage became a scary smile.
THEN COME FOR ME, IF YOU DARE!
I yelled at the remains of the book and shredded the remaining pages with my hands before tossing the unburned remains into the flames. Fists clenched, I rose from the fireplace and headed for the door. Twilight ran in front of me, blocking my exit.
"Not now, Twilight, I have some loose ends to tie up."
"I can tell from your face and from what you wrote what you're planning to do, but he's a statue and can wait. The princess wants to see us again. She said it's about Drahngov."
(Author's Note: For Some reason my spell-check will not work properly once I get to a certain point in my document. It functions fine about a quarter of the way down, but from then on it doesn't pick up on any errors. I have no idea why this is, but I do recall at one point right-clicking and then left clicking something that came up on the list by accident when I tried to click out of it again. For some reason it only affects that one document. If I past it into a blank sheet it does the same thing, but if I open a blank page and type something wrong it picks up on it. Fortunately it still functions fine online. Spell-check does not seem to be turned off, however. If anyone can tell me how to fix it, I would appreciate it. Another odd thing I've noticed: according to Spell-check 'Teleported' isn't a word. Kind of odd since sooner or later every super-hero story uses it.)
Chapter 6
Right up until we stood before Celestia once more the only thoughts running through my mind were how I was going to dispose of my ancestor. It would be wonderfully poetic if that which he sought were to be his downfall. But I'll need to wait for the guard to return the horn to me first for that. I also considered using a sledge hammer but had no idea where I would be able to get one.
"Thank you for bringing him here, Twilight, but I am afraid that I must speak to him alone now. Would you please leave us for the moment?" Twilight nodded and left. I watched her go for a moment, but looked back to Celestia when she cleared her throat. "Are your quarters satisfactory?"
"More than satisfactory, your highness. The room you prepared is larger than my bedroom back home and more luxurious than any room I've seen.
"I am glad of that. I suppose you are wondering why I summoned you here, correct?"
"A bit, yes."
"In part, it is simply because of your name and mixed heritage, but that is the smaller part. The rest of it concerns Drahngov, and the threat he thinks that you represent. When you threatened to kill him and destroy his race, that effectively was a declaration of war. That you protected my people does not escape me, but if he should come in force and demand your release to them, I cannot protect you due to the treaty and your own admission to killing his kin. If I tried to then our truce would be dissolved and Equestria would once more be at war with the Draconic race and subspecies. The Dragons are largely a proud and independent race, but in times of need in the past they have united under one leader to destroy an enemy or help a family group to defend their territory against a few of their kind gone rogue." I nodded.
"My people are the same way. They can spend decades arguing and feuding with one another, but as soon as a common enemy comes along they put aside their differences and fight this new threat until it's taken care of."
"And then what happens?"
"Usually the morons go right back to fighting each other again, but sometimes they make a deal for peace."
"That is where your people and the Dragons are different. Always after the threat has been destroyed they go back to living individually unless a call is issued."
"Which would be how my people were able to destroy so many."
"So many?" She didn't know that I'd eavesdropped, and I hurried to cover my spill.
"My people have dozens of different stories of Dragons and Dragon-slayings. At the time when the stories were made, our weapons probably would not have dealt a Dragon much harm unless they hit the eyes or mouth or used a siege weapon such as a ballista or catapult. Most stories of Dragon hunts involved eight to fifteen hunters. If the Dragons had fought us all at once they probably would have mopped the floor with us, but if they went off to live by themselves their strength would have been greatly lessoned."
"Do you know how Dragons came to be in your world?"
"I'd assumed that they had always been there. Like us."
"Neither your kind, nor the Dragons were in your world to begin with." She then went on to explain to me the history that she'd told Twillight Sparkle at Twilight's house. I listened to it all with a thoughtful expression, hoping that would mask that I already knew this. Celestia wasn't fooled and stopped her dialog halfway through. "You've already heard this before." It wasn't a question. Seeing no point in lying when she already guessed the truth, I admitted it.
"Yes. I eavesdropped on you and Twilight Sparkle back in Ponyville before you and her joined the party."
"Does this knowledge change your opinion of us? We essentially trapped both your kind and a dangerous enemy in another world with little hope of survival."
"But you also said that Humans helped your people to do it."
"Yes, but without permission from the majority population."
"What they did helped both of our races survive. Without a leader the Dragons in my world stopped fighting us and left to make new dens for themselves and in time we destroyed them on our own. Without his armies the Dragon king was forced to retreat from your kingdom, bringing relative peace to both worlds. I bear your race no ill-will." Celestia smiled and I found myself smiling too.
"This gladdens my heart. Unfortunately, there are still the Dragons in the here and now that are a problem, and the moral implications aside, attempting a mass-transportation now will probably be impossible."
"Why is that?"
"At the time when the spell was cast my mother, uncle, and one other Alicorn whose name I no longer remember were present along with twenty Unicorns and fifteen Humans, all of which were strong in magic. Unfortunately most of those same Unicorns and the Alicorn whose name I don't recall went with the Humans through the gateway to help your people fight the Dragons. My mother eventually died in her grieving after my father was murdered, and my uncle Thanatos disappeared into the Everfree Forest eight hundred years ago with Mace Lighthand. All those who were strong enough to perform that spell either had no descendants here, or are missing or dead. Both myself and my sister are strong in magic compared to the average Unicorn, but niether I nor Luna are as strong as Thanatos, who was the best magic-user in our family. While we could eventually summon enough Unicorns to match the power they put out last time, we would still need your people to regulate the flow of all that raw power, and then something to lure Drahngov and those that follow him to one spot and keep them there long enough for the spell to be completed."
"And of course if I tried to regulate the flow by myself, even if I had the experience I would probably tear myself apart because it would be too much for one person." Celestia nodded. "Well then, since we can't use the old method, what would you suggest?"
"That you return to your world and not step through it again which would leave Drahngov thinking that you were a coward and would satisfy his pride."
"And what about those others that were at the site of his brother's demise? I've seen people like Drahgov in my world and he won't just be content with me leaving. He'll look to take out his anger on someone else, which means he'll go after the others who've defied him, and he already knows that they lack the strength to resist him for long. If they won't be safe, then I can't leave."
"The alternative to leaving them behind would be for them to go with you, and from what Mace and Thanatos did in your world I would say that doing so would be no better."
"So either way I get to live and they either live in Hell or die. I can't accept that." Celestia sighed and looked at a stained glass window on the ceiling that depicted a dark Alicorn facing off against Celestia herself. The dark Alicorn was being enveloped in a beautiful light. Both of them looked like they were in pain. Above them both was a full moon. Quietly, Celestia said
"There are times when, for the greater good, we must do things we do not want to." She closed her eyes and lowered her gaze and head until she would have been looking at the floor. She looked...almost ashamed.
"But there has to be another way!" I said, tone edging on begging. I wasn't afraid to die. What I was afraid of was the feeling that I was certain I would get if I left Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash behind to bear the vengeance of a Dragon while I got to live in safety.
Grasping at straws, I suggested me going to Everfree forest to look for Thanatos myself. "Maybe if I can find him we could use a smaller version of the Mass Teleport spell to take away a handful of Drahngov's supporters. It might scare his underlings enough that he'll lose support as a leader."
"And what about your world? Have you lost care enough for them that you would drop seven or eight frightened dragons into it?"
"I haven't lost my care for my world, but my people are constantly at war with one another and our weapons grow more and more dangerous with each passing year. A few Dragons wouldn't really be a problem for them. Besides that if we drop them off in the right places it might stop a few wars for a few more years."
"Like cutting down part of a diseased forest to save the rest. Even if I were to agree to such a plan there would still be the problem of finding Thanatos. Also, what if you found him and he was dead or changed by the forest? If he has become one of the changed ponies that inhabit the forest then he would surely kill you, and if he were dead then you would have risked yourself for nothing." I disagreed.
"Not nothing. If he's changed, then I can put him out of his misery. If he's dead, I can bury his remains and bring his horn back for the spell. Perhaps the difference in breed will also affect the amount of magic I can withstand."
"If we are going to do this, we cannot run on 'maybes' and 'perhapses'. Step forward, Jacob. Take my horn in your hand and try to use magic." I was surprised and hesitated. The ruler of Equestria had just told me to use her power. Can I really do that? If something goes wrong and we're killed, what then? "Well?" I stepped within reach and extended my arm until my hand touched her horn. I felt no warmth. On the contrary, I felt cold, almost freezing!
"Brr! You're cold!" I exclaimed.
"Can you use my power?" She asked.
"Hold on." I reached into a pocket and pulled out my lighter. I flicked the starter and pictured the little flame to erupt like I'd sprayed gasoline on it and shoot across the room towards the doors so that niether of us would be burned. I expected a thin shaft of flame that would resemble the stuff shot from a flamethrower like in the world war movies. Instead the fire did better (or worse, dpending on your perspective) than that and filled almost the entire room with blue (rather than orange-red) fire. It scorched the columns and burned the paintings on the walls. That was bad enough on its own but it got worse when I realized that I couldn't entirely control it. The heat was so intense the carpet caught fire and the sudden expansion of the air molecules made my ears pop and blew out the windows. I yelped and pulled my hand away from Celestia's horn and threw myself to the floor as a wave of flame washed over my head. Celestia did not duck but erected a shield around herself. The fire I called quickly vanished, but the various objects that had been set aflame continued to burn.
The guards burst through the door and demanded to know what had just happened.
"An experiment with magic that went wrong." Was all Celestia would say about it in spite of the guard's continued prodding for more information. Finally she ordered them to put out the resulted fires and to commission new windows to replace the destroyed ones. While the guard put out the fires and removed the damaged or destroyed paintings I stood from the floor and was silent. That was a serious difference in power output. With a Unicorn's horn I had to concentrate on what I wanted to do, but with her horn it seemed to happen almost on automatic! If I'm going to harness that power I'm going to need to practice with it, but after this incident I don't think she's even going to let me go to Everfree. I'll be lucky if she doesn't put me into manual labor to pay for the damages!
When the guards left the room again Celestia looked at me and sighed.
"I'd be lying if I said that this was not the reaction I expected. I did not expect you to even guess the huge gap between an Alicorn's natural talents and a Unicorn's. But now I think you understand better what you were unwittingly volunteering for when you said that you would go looking for Thanatos. He had far more potential for magic than both I and Luna combined. If you cannot control my power, then you most certainly have no hope of controlling his." I said nothing in reply. What could I say? "Which is why as of this moment I am going to place you under Luna as her student until you can at least control hers." I looked up in surprise and disbelief. I almost set her palace on fire and she wants me to try it again? "Once you can control her abilities I shall once again allow you to try manipulating my power. If you can do it successfully three times in tests of my choosing then I shall allow you to go looking for Thanatos. If you cannot, then you will leave Equestria and return to your world when you leave this palace. Do you accept my terms?" I nodded. "Good. Luna is sleeping at the moment, so I shall send a servant to deliver the message to her for when she awakens. In the meantime go to the guards outside the door and retrieve the horn that they took from you earlier." I nodded again and turned to leave. "Oh, and one last thing." I turned my head. "Dinner will be soon. If you should become hungry pull the bellcord next to your bedroom door and a servant will come. Tell them that you wish to go to the dining room and they will show you the way."
"Thank you, Princess Celestia." I looked once again at the damage I had caused. "Um, about the fire damage, I'm sorry for torching your throne room and hope that I'll be able to pay you back for the damaged goods." Celestia looked around the room as well and looked at me again and burst out laughing. I must have looked confused because she told me that if I wanted to pay for the damages I'd just inflicted I would probably be working for the next thirty or so years even if I had a good-paying job.
"So then...you're not going to make me pay for them?"
"It was my idea for you to try using my magic in the first place. No, I'm not going to force you to pay for it. Just one thing."
"Yes?" Her face became serious again.
"Don't fail."
The next week consisted of me nearly freezing my fingers while holding Luna's horn and struggling to control the flow of power directly from the source. It was exhausting, and more often than not I burnt to a crisp that which I was trying to avoid.
Right from the start Luna came up with the idea of constructing an obstacle course for me to stand above and try to move objects through without touching the walls. I usually failed this because regulating the flow while at the same time minding the object was mentally tiring and one often distracted from the other. Every four attempts Luna would declare that it was time for a break and then give me ten minutes to reorder my mind. During one of these breaks Twilight Sparkle happened to be walking by and came down to watch.
This is so frustrating! How can there be this big a gap between a Unicorn and an Alicorn?! I have almost no trouble at all using a Unicorn's power, so why is this giving me so much trouble?
"I take it the lessons are not going well?" Twilight asked from behind me. I looked over my shoulder.
"No, not really. I'm doing much better than when I set Celestia's throne room on fire, but that's probably just because Luna has less magical potential." Luna overheard me and frowned in my direction. "No offense intended, princess."
"Hve you practiced with the Unicorn horn that nurse Heartblood gave you lately?" I shook my head.
"I haven't had much time for that. I'm awake at night trying to control Luna's power, and then I sleep away most of the daylight hours. Most of my time awake in between those times is spent trying to figure out what I'm doing wrong."
"Have you considered that what you're doing wrong is forgetting history?" I turned my body around so I could see Twilight without having to turn my neck as much and she continued. "Celestia told me about the conversation you had about using the teleportation spell. She also told me that at the time the Humans involved all used Unicorn horns and didn't touch any of the Alicorns. Perhaps where you're making your mistake is that you're not doing the same thing."
"But how can I access Luna's power if I'm not in contact with her?" Luna walked over to us and joined the conversation.
"I can channel energy directly into thee, but if thou art unable to control it then the same thing shall occur as when thee art touching me. If thou art unable to speak and thee beginst to lose control again then I shalt not know to stop and the results could be unpleasant."
"No more unpleasant than me wasting a week failing. Drahngov could come for me any day now. If I'm not ready by then I'll either have to flee or die fighting him, which could end badly for everyone either way." I looked at Twilight. "If it should become obvious that I can't control the flow, knock me out. I don't want to send an object through someone's skull." Twilight nodded and I headed to my room to retrieve the horn. When I returned I took a deep breath and once more cleared my mind. "I think I'm ready." Luna nodded and her horn began to glow. Strangely, the warmth that normally came from holding the horn faded and my body grew cool, but not as cool as when I held Luna's horn directly. Could the two be balancing out, somehow? There will be time to ponder that later. For now I need to focus on this.
As I had over a dozen times I felt the river of power rushing through me and I struggled against the 'current' and lifted an apple from the row of six that still remained for this purpose. I had already 'mastered' that with Luna, which had proven difficult in terms of not throwing it a hundred feet in the air with the simple thought 'up'. I then began trying to maneuvern it through the maze. It still rocketed along, but reaction from mental command to action was alot smoother. Many times before when I had tried to change direction from straight to a ninety degree right turn the apple reacted so quickly that it torn itself in half and splattered on the wall. Next came a turn to the left, then I skipped a a turn and had to go back, then another left, then an immediate right and an odd spiral and then straight, and then finally the apple was through and had only scraped two walls.
"Much better." Luna stated, a little surprised. "Now try again, and this time take it slower."
"Yes, princess Luna." I dropped the apple that I had been using and picked up another.
"And next time set it down, do not simply drop it. Thou might be carrying an object of value or a pony the next time thou needst to carry something with magic outside of thine lessons." I nodded and ran the maze again. And again. And again. For the last round that I carried the last two apples at the same time. This I struggled with all over again because Luna made me 'hold' them seperately. I dropped them multiple times on the way through and each time she had me remove them and start over again. This continued for almost an hour before I finally made it through without dropping either apple. The poor fruits were badly brusied after all the times that they had been dropped or bounced off a wall, but they were still intact.
I looked behind me at Twilight and grinned.
"Twilight, you're a genius." Twilight blushed a little at the compliment and smiled back.
__ __ __ __ __
Back on Earth, Jacob's mother was growing frantic. Jacob hadn't called her or responded to any of her or her hsuband's calls for nearly two weeks. This simply wasn't like him. Maybe something happened to him? No! Don't think that way! Maybe he just doesn't get any cell phone service in Britain. Yeah, that's gotta be it! but she knew she was only trying to fool herself. Jacob would have used a local phone to call them if he'd been able to.
She pulled out her phone and called his workplace to get hold of his best friend. After talking to the customer service people she got through to his friend Travis. Her news wasn't good.
"I'm sorry, Mrs Lighthand, but I haven't heard from him either. He hasn't even sent me a text message telling me what town he's in. I was just starting to wonder about him myself when you called. The last time I'd heard from him was when he filed for that month of saved-up time off he had. It kind of surprised me since every time I told him to take a day off he always said he was saving it for a 'just in case' scenario. I'll let you know if I hear from him, though."
"Thank you, Travis."
"No problem, Mrs L. Give me a call if you hear from him, will you?"
"Of course. Goodbye."
"Bye!"
"Has Travis heard from him?" her husband asked.
"No he hasn't. I'm telling you, honey, something is wrong . I can feel it!"
"We know he was going to the UK to check out Dad's old stories to see if any of it was true. I know for sure that we at least originated from there, but most of the rest is probably nonsense."
"Nonsense or not, I can't shake the feeling that he needs me or will soon." Her husband turned away and looked out the window.
Ever since he started at his job he had been ignored, annoyed, and given most of the work that no one else wanted to do. He had done it with few to no complaints because a job was something to take pride in. Eventually management changed and saw that he was one of the few that actually worked for the entire eight hours a day that he was being paid for and decided that he should be commended for his efforts. That felt good, and he wanted to stay and enjoy the reward he'd been given, but like his wife he also shared a foreboding feeling and his son was more important to him than a reward or his job.
"Do you want to use the return-tickets to go look for him?" He asked, turning back to her. She nodded.
"Yes, I really think we should." I love this woman. He smiled.
"Then let's pack our things. We're going to the UK too."
__ __ __ __ __
Drahngov impatiently awaited the return of the messengers he'd sent to gather the rest of his kin. If the Humans really were returning to join once more with Equestria and they joined their magical talents with the Ponies then there was a good chance that they could make a formidable foe. Perhaps even enough to do as that one threatened and wipe us out. It was well known that the Humans multiplied faster than both Dragons and Ponies did, and lived longer than most of the pony-kin. In the time that had passed since the Great War their numbers could have exploded with no real threats to them existing in the Echo Dimension.
The Dragon-kin had not found out about the Echo Dimension until one hundred years after the Great War. Not that the information did them any good as their king could not retrieve their banished brethren. Our numbers are not as high now as they were back then, but the number of Unicorns and Alicorns has also decreased and Celestia will not break the treaty so long as she thinks that it will keep her precious people safe. If I move quickly enough I can do what my grandfather could not and claim all of Equestria as my domain. Of course I'll need to make a few examples of the locals to instill fear in those that would resist me, but I can use the Human for that. He's the only magic-user to kill one of us in over a thousand years. His demise would go a long way in instilling obedience. If he resists I need only attack him from a distance. Even if he can deflect my fire I doubt he could stop a mountain's worth of stones. He chuckled at the image of several Dragons under his command tossing boulders at him standing alone. His face would fill with terror and he'd try to stop them. He might even turn aside a few, but in the end he'd be crushed below half a ton of stone. Then he'd come for Celestia or perhaps her sister first. Yes! He ran his tongue over his teeth. Oh, how he'd make her scream before finally eating her alive in front of her sister. But he would not kill Celestia, oh no. He'd do what he did to that one Unicorn he'd burned alive a month previous and break her horn off so she'd be unable to use her magic to fight back, and then make her watch as his kind turned her once-beautiful kingdom into a feeding ground.
"As it always should have been. The predators feeding upon the prey." He said aloud. But first he would have to wait. Which, with thoughts of domination on his mind he no longer found irritating After all, the best things in life were worth waiting for.
^ ^ ^ ^ ^
After my practice session with Luna reached its conclusion I decided to go for a walk. Twilight had gone to bed awhile ago because she was not used to staying up so late and she had studies of her own to attend to in the morning.
It was a beautiful night. A bit chilly, but nothing my jacket couldn't handle. The sky was clear, the stars sparkled like so many diamonds, and there was not a sound to break the tranquility other than my footsteps. At the end of the wrap-around balcony I stopped and leaned against the guardrail and stared at the sky to see if I could pick out any familiar constellations (though some of them were made up by my family).
"Ursa Major...Orion's Belt...Row of Three...Wolf's Head...UFO- wait, what?" I tried to get a better look at the object flying across the sky, but it was too dark. The most that I could make out was a rectangular outline and it was flying like it was being driven by a pilot that was either drunk, or dying. Suddenly it vanished. It didn't go behind anything and the moon wasn't covered. It simply vanished into thin air. "What the heck? Maybe I imagined it...I am tired from using magic."
Putting the probable hallucination out of mind, I took out the horn and turned it over in my hands. As soon as Luna had stopped channeling energy into me my body warmed back up again. Perhaps because Unicorns have to work hard at learning magic their horns act like a buffer against the much more powerful Alicorn magic. I thought about the cold of Luna's and Celestia's horns vs the heat of the Unicorns. It was as if when separate both were unbalanced like hot and cold water on the same table. But when I used them both the cold became less. I wonder if there's some way to balance it out. When I hold a Unicorn's horn I become the power source, which was evident by how quickly I tired out when I used magic. but when I hold an Alicorn's horn my body seems to act like a container that overflows. which would explain the rush of energy-feeling I got when in contact with Luna and Celestia followed by the almost-completely uncontrollable boost of magical power. Cold became cool with one horn. I bet that if I had another the two would balance out with the Ali-horn and I'd have the same amount of control as with Uni-horns. I would need Luna's and Twilight's or maybe Rarity's help to see if that was really the case. Unfortunately Rarity was back in Ponyville, and Twilight had work of her own to accomplish while she was here which left only one person I could ask for information. One person that I really did not want to talk to.
I pocketed the horn and headed back to my room. Earlier when I had gone to my room to retrieve the Uni-horn I foudn something rather disturbing: the cover for the journal had not burned and showed no sign whatsoever of having been in a fire. What was even more disturbing was that the pages that I'd burned no longer were burned and had returned to the state they were in before I had torn them out.Really, I should have figured that something like that would happen given that someone else tried to destroy part of it before. I wonder if magic had been their method of destruction for that one section of pages?
When I arrived at my room I lit a second candle (a servant had come by earlier and lit a fat one that was now burning low) and then picked the journal up from the floor I'd tossed it on after discovering that it had not been destroyed as I had hoped. Getting the feeling I was going to regret this I carried the journal to the table the newly-let candle sat upon and took my pen out of my pocket. I opened the back cover and flipped through the blank pages until I reached the latest entry. I then clicked my pen and began writing in it.
I do not know the year in this world, and I don't even know the month. But back home on Earth it's the year 2011 and the month is October. Many things have happened since I received this journal from the postal service...
I wrote about everything that I had seen and done, my impressions of those whom I'd met, and of my puzzlement over the hot vs cold of the equine horns. After a page and a half of writing I then signed it with my name and beneath is wrote:
P.S.
I know you can see what I'm writing, ancestor. I also get the feeling that you know more about Pony-Human magic than I do. Is there a way to fuse two Uni-horns together to make a wand or a staff or something?
At first there was no response and I began to wonder if the connection between his mind and the book had been severed. Part of me wished for that to be the case, but the part of me seeking knowledge wanted an answer. I got an answer, but not a particularly helpful one.
AND WHY SHOULD I TELL YOU? YOU WHOM THREATENED TO DESTROY ME? YOU WHOM HAS SIDED WITH THE ANIMALS?
Because I may be the only person who could release you. Once I'm dead there won't be any others of our bloodline that will have any idea you ever existed, and the ponies will certainly not free you. If I can't find a way to get rid of Drahngov and his minions then I will die. I have no delusions of invincibility.
NO, I SUPPOSE YOU DO NOT. HOW DO I KNOW YOU WON'T SIMPLY LEAVE ME TO ROT ONCE YOU HAVE WHAT YOU WANT FROM ME?
What choice do you have?
I COULD SIMPLY CHOOSE NOT TO HELP YOU. I HAVE SPENT MANY CENTURIES LIKE THIS. WHAT ARE A FEW MORE? SOONER OR LATER SOMEONE WILL FIND MY JOURNAL AGAIN AND I WILL BE ABLE TO LEAD THEM ON WITH PROMISES OF POWER IF THEY BUT FREE ME. THEY DO NOT REALLY NEED TO BE HUMANS. I BUT NEED THEM TO TOUCH MY FOREHEAD WITH AN ALICORN'S HORN, AND I SHALL BE FREE ONCE MORE.
I glared at the book. He was right. If the Dragons came and I was killed and the sister princesses enslaved all it would take is a single jealous underling or pony freedom-fighting to read the journal and he could be loosed on the world once more. horn to the head...what if he didn't havea head?
And what, pray tell, would happen to you if I were to break off your head and toss it in a lake somewhere? I got no response to that and I smiled smugly at the pages, hoping he could see me as well as my writing right now. Gotcha! Help me, or tomorrow morning I shall do exactly that. As with before when I was tearing the pages out the letters that I had just written formed a face. It was cold, and serious.
YOU ARE PLAYING A DANGEROUS GAME, BOY. I wrote my reply in the journal, no longer smiling, but also serious.
A game that you have no good cards for. What is your answer? The face snarled at me, and then disappeared.
SO BE IT. IF YOU MAKE AN ERROR THEN IT COULD KILL YOU, BUT THIS IS WHAT YOU MUST DO...
Chapter 7
I awoke the next afternoon around one in the afternoon with the list of items in mind that I would need to gather before I could try to make a Uni-horn wand. First, I would need pure silver. Then I would need a smelter and someone with the know-how to perform the melting and pouring of the silver. I would also need another Uni-horn (or two if I couldn't find a magic-user willing to help me), a pint of my own fresh blood, and twenty-four hours of stand-by time once I had followed the crafting steps.
For the silver I asked Celestia for permission to go down into the city. She of course asked why, and I told her the truth. I was going to attempt to craft a Unihorn wand and there were several things I needed to acquire first before I could. She called for a servant and had her bring me a small pouch of coins.
"In there is enough bits for you to purchase a modest house. Use the funds as you need them but do not waste them. Return the rest when you have what you need." I nodded, thanked her, and bowed. As a safety precaution Celestia sent two guards along with me to make sure that no one tried to rob me or start an incident that could end in violence. I thanked her again and then headed out of the palace.
It was a long walk, but the temperature had improved overall during my stay here and it was almost warm out now. Recalling the pony-people's mental reaction to my cape in Ponyville and them mistaking my form as an illusion or transformation spell I decided to wear it here as well in hopes of leaving the same impression on anypony the happened to take an interest in me, which, it turned out, was every pony. From foals to adults, once I walked into their line of vision they stopped and stared. Some muttered or whispered to their neighbors (no pun intended) while others studied me with interest as if considering imitating me.
Many of the buildings I passed were tall, made of white or light blue stone or marble and looked very...decorative. Any grass they had was neatly trimmed. If they had any bushes or trees they too were neatly trimmed. Great. I'm in rich-people/pony land. It's just as well none of them are speaking to me directly. If they follow the same stereotypical rich-person/pony profile as my people do most of them are probably snobs.
I passed several ornate shops that advertised jewelry, but upon entering and (and often bumping my head against the ceiling) I found out without fail that though they sold 'the highest quality jewelry in all Equestria!' that none of them made the jewelry themselves. Nearly every shop got their goods from the middle-class to the poor-class part of the city, although there was one exception that imported it from Phillydelphia. Hearing the name resemblance to a certain state back home made me feel a little homesick, but I shook it off and asked for directions to the middle-class region. After arguing for several minutes with the one shopkeeper that had told me the name of the forger for more precise directions I finally lost patience and tossed him one of the smaller coins in the bag. It must have been worth alot because his eyes looked like they were going to pop out of his skull when he picked it up and examined it.
"Now where does he live?"
"She, actually." the shopkeeper corrected. "Most mares have more deft hooves for creating jewelry than stallions."
"Whatever!" I said loudly, exasperated. "Where can I find her?!"
"Here, I'll draw you a map." The stallion behind the counter took out a piece of parchment and quickly drew a poor map starting from where his shop was and leading past several land marks to another point on the sheet where he drew a circle. "Right here. Ask for Melinda Jones. She's a little odd , but nopony makes higher quality silver necklaces than her." I nodded to show that I'd understood and then took the map and started back out of the shop. "A question, stranger?"
"Yeah?"
"Are you perhaps one of the contestants to the magic show going on in the middle-class district right now?" I looked back and shook my head no. "Huh. Well, that's a shame. You look like you know your stuff, and your outfit is exotic without being flashy." He shrugged. "Thanks for the tip, stranger!" I turned and continued out of the shop where my two guards waited.
"Any luck?" one of them asked. He was the younger-looking of the two and had a look of innocence about him that the other guard lacked.
"Some, though I must say I was about to strangle that pony. Until I tossed him a coin he was tighter-lipped than a mummy that was sucking on a lemon."
"A what?"
"A mummy. Mummification is an ancient way my people have for preserving the bodies of the dead."
"No, no, not the mummy. What's a lemon?" I blinked. Not what I had expected.
"A lemon is a small, yellow, sour fruit that typically grows in our tropic regions."
"Does it taste good?"
"Not on its own. Usually it is used for making drinks. If I see one I'll buy you one."
"You tossed him a coin?" the other guard asked. "Which kind?" I dug through the money bag until I found another like it and showed it to him. The guard sighed and face-hoofed. "You have no idea how our currency works, do you?" I shook my head. "The larger a coin is, the less value it has. The smaller the coin, the more value. You just gave him about fifty bits." The guard didn't look angry. He looked more like one of those people that frequently said: 'why me???'
"I take it that it's alot?" I asked tentatively.
"Yes. Fifty bits is a little more than what we guards make in three days." I felt like an empty well that someone had dropped a rock in. I could even swear I felt it thump when it hit the bottom.
"Ooooh...I see. Well, on the bright side I got the information I wanted." The older guard's expression didn't change. The younger guard looked like he was trying to hide a smile. "If it makes you feel any better, I promise I won't spend another bit without you being present to tell me how much I'm really handing over."
"That is small comfort with how much you've already given away."
"Oh, lighten up, Dominic." The younger stallion said, nudging Dominic with his shoulder. "Sure, it was with money, but he just made a mistake, and he probably hadn't even seen our currency before today." he looked from Dominic to me. "Am I right?" I nodded, looking and feeling sheepish. He looked back at Dominic, who was looking back. "He's already said that he won't spend anything else without your guidance, what more do you want from him?"
"Fine." he looked back at me. "Lead on, then."
We walked for half an hour in an almost straight line following the road until we came to a wall.
"What's with the mile-long wall?" I asked Dominic.
"That is the wall that separates the rich district from the middle and poor class districts." I frowned at the wall. Yep. Stereotypical stuck-up rich people.
"How do we get through it?"
"There are four gates that you can pass through on this side of Canterlot. We are near one now, but it will not be open for another several hours. Most of the wealthy in this this district sleep late."
"Are any of them open?"
"The earliest-open gate is on the other side of the city." I sighed.
"Well you know, Dominic," The younger stallion said, looking up the wall thoughtfully. "I bet we could fly him over the wall, it isn't very high." Dominic shot him a look that told him to shut up. "Dominic, I doubt it very highly that anyone in this district will be around that recognizes you. Stop being a stick-in-the-mud. If it makes you feel any better, the sooner he gets what he needs, the sooner you can be rid of him." Dominic grumbled under his breath for a minute, but nodded and stepped towards me.
"Um, not to be faithless or anything, but how are you guys going to hold me? I mean, you have hooves."
"Trust me, it won't be a problem. Just don't squirm or we might drop you."
The two guards stood on their hind legs and put their forelegs on my arms and beat their wings hard and fast. To my amazement I lifted off the ground as if I had jumped and together we sailed up over the one side of the wall and down the other. When we touched down they danced back a few steps and then returned to being on all fours.
"You're heavy, did you know that?"
"Well I am rather large compared to you."
"Can we get on with this?" Grumpy-nic asked, and I nodded and checked the map. I had to alter our path due to the shortcut but it was easily compensated for and we made it.
The buildings here were obviously different from the rich district houses. Where marble and stone had stood in abundance, only a few houses had it, and the marble was of more colors than boring white with black veins. Some were green, some were blue, and some were plain stone that had been painted. The majority of the houses were built from wood, but had been built with skill to hold up to whatever nature could throw at it short of a hurricane. Some needed shingles or windows replaced or their grass cut, but otherwise looked fine.
But one house stood out amongst these others. Not for looking fancy or for being rundown, but rather that where there should have been a small patch of grass there were black rocks and the windows at the front of the house were barred. It also had a door of iron. Wow. Fortress much?
"Charming place." The younger stallion said with a little sarcasm in his voice. "Well, this is your show, Jacob. Why don't you knock?" Seeing no reason not to I crunched over the rocks outside the door and knocked on the door. My knuckles barely made a sound, so I pounded on the door next. The door 'bonged' a few times, and then there was silence. I saw motion behind one of the windows for a moment, and then I heard a scrape of metal-on-metal. A small spot in the door opened and a pair of red eyes stared out at me. They weren't angry, but I still found them a little unnerving.
"What do you want, Human?" I was taken aback. Someone besides the royalty actually knew what I was!
"I- I'm looking for Melinda Jones."
"Well you found her. Again, what do you want?"
"I need pure silver, and an expert in smelting and pouring it."
"What for?"
"A personal project."
"Two-leg, if I don't know what you need me to do, then I can't very well tell you if I can help you, now can I?"
"I need liquid silver poured into the spiral groove of two Unicorn's horns." Her eyes narrowed. "Can you do that?"
"Making a wand, are we? How did you come by your horns?" I was stunned.
"How did you know-"
"Answer the question, Human!" she said fiercely.
"One was given to me. The second I haven't gotten yet, and I have no idea where I'm going to get it." Her gaze shifted to the guards behind me, studying each one for a few seconds before switching back to me again.
"Two hundred bits." Dominic spluttered.
"Two hundred?!" he object incredulously. "That's insane! He's only asking you to pour a little silver!" Melinda un-narrowed her eyes.
"Per horn. And the expenses that cover use of the silver." Dominic trotted in front of me, his face outraged.
"You're insane! We could hire six silversmiths for that price!"
"But none of them with my expertise, I'd wager. I have already done this once before." Now it was Dominic's eyes that narrowed.
"When?"
"Don't you know that it's rude to ask a mare her age?"
"Spare me. The last Human to come to our world came over four hundred years ago. No earth pony or Unicorn lives that long without a powerful enchantment cast on them." It was then that realization dawned on me.
"You're her!" Both Dominic and Melinda stopped staring at one another and looked at me. "You're the Alicorn that went into the Echo Dimension to help the Humans fight the Dragons!"
The eyes disappeared from the slot and I heard several locks being unlatched and what sounded like a heavy deadbolt. The iron door then swung outward and an Alicorn with a red and orange mane and tail with a blue body stepped out into the sun light. She wore what looked like a saddle but instead of a seat it had pockets all over it filled with assorted odds and ends.
The guards gasped and knelt before her, but Melinda shook her head in annoyance.
"Get up! I'm not royalty. I'm not even from your world."
"Not from their world? Are you from mine, then?" again she shook her head.
"I'm a Maker's Mercenary that failed her mission. As a result I've been trapped here as a punishment."
"A Maker's Mercenary?" I'd never heard of them before.
"Long unpleasant story that I don't want to talk about. Now, you've all heard my price. Are you going to pay me, or not?"
"Do I have a choice? You're the only pony to have done this before."
"You always have a choice. Well?" I looked at Dominic who was still stunned at the Alicorn standing in front of him. The younger stallion kept wiping at his eyes to make sure he wasn't hallucinating.
"Fine, but you're only getting half the fee until the task is complete."
"Whatever. Where are we doing this?"
"The royal palace." She blinked in surprise. "Why did you think I had royal guards escorting me around?"
"Your making a wand is being allowed by Celestia? I find that hard to believe."
"It's true!" The younger stallion confirmed. "Here, give this to the guards at the bridge and they'll let you through." he pulled a token from what I assumed was a pocket with his teeth and tossed it to Melinda who caught it with her magic. She then placed it in one of her clothing-pockets.
"So when am I helping you do this?"
"Come by tomorrow afternoon around four. I still have a few other things I need to collect first." Melinda nodded and with Dominic's help I counted out the first two hundred bits and gave them to her. Melinda pocketed the money and went back into her house but didn't shut the door.
"I'll bring a pound of silver with me tomorrow. Have the rest of your money ready by then." I nodded and the door swung shut. The sound of various locks being latched and the deadbolt being moved back into place clicked and clanged through the door.
"Well gentlestals, that's one part of the list checked off. Now I need to find another Uni-horn and a supporting spell-caster that is good with magic."
"Why not ask Twilight Sparkle?" the younger stallion asked. "She seems to like you." I shook my head.
"Twilight has things of her own to do and my ancestor's journal warned me that if I mess this up it could kill me but it did not give any specifics as to how. If the wand explodes I don't want her near the blast."
"Explodes?! And you want to make it in the royal palace?! Are you out of your mind?!" Dominic nearly-shouted.
"I said if it explodes. It could be something as simple as me not bandaging my arm properly after I drain a pint of blood out of my body that could kill me."
"Blood? Why would you need blood?"
"My blood. It's needed for the melding process in which I would fuse the two horns together. The blood is supposed to create the illusion that they have been reattached to a living creature and then the magic-user I would have helping me is supposed to use healing magic to give 'life' to the horns and they try to heal themselves and stop the 'bleeding.' Because the only thing they are touching is one another they bind together into one horn, and because they are lying in my blood when they fuse they become attuned to me. Another Human could probably use it, but it wouldn't work as well for them."
"That sounds akin to using Necromancy." Dominic said suspiciously.
"I suppose, in a way it is."
"Necromancy is illegal."
"The princess gave me permission to conduct this experiment, Dominic. If you don't like it, then take it up with her." I suppose I sounded a little arrogant saying it like that, but I was getting tired of Dominic's attitude.
"Oh believe me, I will."
"Goodie. Now that that's out of the way, I still need to find an assistant. That magic show the jewelry vendor spoke about sounds like as good a place as any to look."
After asking several locals for directions and getting varied results we eventually found it around two-thirty. I was sorely disappointed in what I saw, though. When they said 'magic show' that was exactly what they meant. Most of the 'tricks' the Unicorns performed were sleight of hand or tricks with chemistry that changed something's color. But there were two that came on stage that I took an interest in. One was a brown colt that had a mark on his flank that looked like a silk top hat with a rabbit sticking out of it, and the other a blue filly with a light blue moon and white star on her flank. The colt wore nothing, but was very good at making objects appear out of nowhere and then changing them into other objects. The blue filly wore a blue wizard's hat and a blue cape with stars and moons all over it. She was very good with telekinetic power and frequently used fireworks.
Curious, I maneuvered through the crowd of ponies and eventually walking in an open path when the crowd realized there was a giant standing among them.
"Hello, everybody." I said. No one replied and I suddenly felt awkward.
"What?! Who dare to ignore that performance of the Great and Powerful Trixie?!" The blue filly complained from the stage. The brown was already staring at me open-mouthed.
"Hello, contestants." I said in greeting with a smile. "I was wondering, are either of you any good at healing magics?"
"The Great and Powerful Trixie is good at all things magical!" is she talking about herself in third-person? I suddenly felt mildly annoyed. I once had a friend in middle school that referred to herself in third person all the time. At the time I thought it was funny, but even after we started going to high school she continued doing it and it became annoying.
"Really?"
"Indeed!" She sat like a dog and smiled, full of pride. I decided to have a little fun with her.
"Any chance you could tell me where to find her?" Her competitor snickered and her smiled dropped from her face and she gave me a look that said she'd met other people who'd asked that question and that she saw where it was going.
"The Great and Powerful Trixie does not find your attempt at humor amusing!"
"Well then, the next time you see her do tell her for me that when we meet that I shall do my best to find something thatdoes amuse her." One of Trixie's eyebrows twitched a few times.
"The Great and Powerful-"
"Trixie, if you keep talking to him in third-person he's just going to keep poking fun at you." Her opponent said correctly. Glared at me with one eyebrow raised, face asking if I really intended to do that. I smirked and nodded. She growled and, standing on her hind legs hopped down from the stage and marched up to me. Perhaps she had been hoping to intimidate me with her increased height, but all it succeeded in doing was making her head almost reach my shoulder.
"Hey there, Short and Powerful Trixie!" I greeted again in cheerful tone. "How are you today?" I stuck out a hand and she slapped it aside.
"Who are you to mock the Great and Powerful Trixie?!"
"I am a traveler and inventor in search of a magic-user that is talented in healing. I require one for one of my experiments. Tell me, can you reattach a severed limb?" For half a second Trixie looked queasy, but then it was replaced by bold confidence.
"As Trixie said before, the Great and Powerful Trixie is good at all things magical!"
"Being good at all things magical means that you're a master of none." I said, my tone and face becoming serious. I had no doubt that she was at least decent at what she did, but decent would not be enough for what I was going to attempt. "Can you reattach a limb, or can't you?"
"You doubt the Great-" Alright, enough.
"Yes. Or. No!" I interrupted loudly. "Leave out your boasting," Trixie made a face at 'boasting'. "and answer my question! If you can't do it, then I need to find somepony else who can." Rather than answer my question, she tried to deflect it.
"You're very rude, did you know that? First you make fun of Trixie, and now you're yelling at Trixie. Before I answer any questions, the Great and Powerful Trixie demands an apology!"
"Alright then. I admit it. It was rude. But you know something, sweetheart? You are one irritating filly, and I suspect, mostly a fraud." The muttering crowd of ponies around us suddenly grew quiet.
"A fraud?! How dare you?!" Now she was yelling.
"No true Great and Powerful anything flaunts their talents for attention, and most of what I've seen you do are parlor tricks and shooting off fireworks. Sure, you're good at moving things with your mind and putting on a show, but any Unicorn with a bit of imagination can do that! If you truly are 'Great and powerful' as you say, prove it! Do something that no other pony can do!"
"Like shape-shift into a creature of myth like you have? Fine!" Uh oh...
Ignoring me, Trixe gritted her teeth and closed her eyes. Her horn began to glow like a star. Veins on her face began to show and magical energy swirled around her. And then she began to change.
First her body hair appeared to shave away from her skin like fire blackens paper until she had no hair at all save on her mane and tail. He skin, like her hair was a shade of blue, but lighter. If I had to compare her to something, I'd say her skin was the same color as a robin's egg. Her hooves on her forelegs split into five parts and became soft and rounded and spaced until they became fingers and hands. Her back legs straightened and her hooves flattened and elongated and at the ends also developed five splits that became toes. Her belly narrowed and slimmed, her hair became finer than violin threads, but still remained the same color it had been before. Her neck shrank downward and her head changed while it did so. Now only a few inches above her shoulders her head very nearly resembled a Human's. Her eyes moved closer together and shrank. Her nose shrank as well and became triangular. Her teeth became thinner and sharper and her tongue also became shorter. Her ears had already migrated down the side of her head and became rounded. She also became shorter than she had been before. Now her head only reached up to my chest, and just barely. Lastly, the horn melted into her head and disappeared. Also, aside from her still having a tail she had correct Human female anatomy. I felt heat in my face while I stared at the cute almost-naked Human female in front of me. Contrary to the popular belief, not everyone over the age of twelve knew what a naked girl looked like. Unfortunately, what this looked like was an eight-year old.
"Ha! What say you now-" she began, arms stretched out to display her success. Then she saw my face. "wha?"
I made a noise in my throat almost like a squeak and averted my eyes, and after almost losing her balance she followed my stare to what I had been staring at. She looked down at herself. As with before, the only thing she was wearing was her wizard's hat and her night-sky cape. "Ack! We're different!" I don't think she understands the reason for my reaction. That's probably for the best.
"Yeeaahh...there's a good reason for that." I said, embarrassed. "You see, I'm male, and you aren't. That's how Human females of that age look in comparison to Human males of mine. Well, minus being blue." Trixie wobbled again.
"How in the world do you make standing with this body look so easy?!" I leaned closer to her and whispered in her ear.
"It helps when you were born this way and have had twenty three years of practice." her eyes widened and she opened her mouth to respond. I quickly covered it. Raising my voice more than necessary, I spoke again. "Well, miss Trixie, you've certainly impressed me with your transformation skills, but you still haven't answered my question: "Can you reattach a severed limb?" Trixie looked around at the crowd that now stared at her. Some with adoration, others with curiosity. In their eyes she had just proven that she did indeed live up to her self-given title. This time it was her who leaned close (and nearly fell on me) to me.
"No I can't. In fact for some reason I can't feel my magic at all now." My eyes flicked up to her forehead and I realized why. I lowered my voice again.
"When you transformed you also took away your horn. Without it, you Unicorns can't use magic." Trixie's face became horrified. She had just ruined her own life without meaning to. Her eyes started to tear. She looked miserable. "It's probably reverseable though. We just need to find another magic-user who is good at undoing spells. I think I know just the pony to ask, but let's get you some clothes first. It's not particularly cold out right now, but it will be once the sun goes down." I turned to the crowd and smiled. "Fillies and gentlecolts, the Great and Powerful Trixie!" I took one of her hands and raised it up into the air. The crowd cheered for her and she put on a weak smile.
"Well, that could have gone better!" Dominic said, watching Trixie constantly waving her arms about to keep her balance while we walked. I had given her my cape as well so that she wouldn't be cold (and I wouldn't feel as weird). "So what are you planning to do now?"
"I guess I'll have to take her back to the palace with me until I can find someone whose talent is in spell-reversal."
"And if it can't be reversed?" Trixie was watching me out of the corner of her eye. "And why are you taking responsibility for her bad choice?"
"I don't know. I guess I feel sorry for her. As to the possibility of it not being fixable...we'll cross that bridge if we come to it."
"What bridge?"
"Sorry, that was a figure of speech. It means 'we'll worry about it if it becomes an issue'."
The younger stallion (who's name I still didn't know) kept circling Trixie and poking at the two capes (mostly) covering her.
"Stop it!" Trixie demanded. "It's hard enough to walk like this without you distracting me!" I told him to leave her be. He gave me a look of annoyance but did so.
"Hey, not that I'm complaining, I find it rather nice actually, but why aren't you speaking in third-person anymore, miss Trixie?"
"I only speak like that when I'm performing." Trixie tripped over my cape and fell on her front. "Drat this form! I walked over to her and helped her to her feet, then decided it would be best if I just carried her instead.
"I would say: 'You get used to it', but hopefully we'll be able to return you to your original form and you won't have to."
"Hopefully? "
"Yes. Hopefully. I don't like being called a liar, so I'm not going to promise something that I'm not sure I can keep."
I continued carrying Trixie until we came into the palace, at which point I set her down and asked her not to go anywhere.
"I'm going to get you a long shirt from my things. It won't be as good as an actual outfit, but it should keep you from freezing your tail off later tonight." Fortunately she did as I asked and I can back with a black shirt with the image of a sky-diver diving out of a plane on the front of it. The sleeves were way too long for her arms, so I folded them back several times until it did. The bottom of the shirt reached only a few inches lower than her waistline, which was still an awkward problem. Finally I decided to ask Twilight for help. I didn't want to bother her, but what little magic I'd performed was done on instinct and will. I knew no actual spells, and had not even an inkling as to how to make objects appear out of nothing. Plus it was either bother her, or bother one of the princesses, and it struck me that this wasn't really worth either of their time. Once again I picked Trixie up and carried her along with me, stopping once in awhile to ask a servant if they had seen Twilight anywhere. Always first they stared at me, then at Trixie, but then they'd answer when I asked them again. Sometimes I received conflicting information, but after twenty five minutes we finally managed to track her down in her quarters.
"Twilight Sparkle?! That's who you had in mind to help me?!" Trixie asked, disbelief on her face. Her tone suggested that they'd encountered one another before and that it had not ended well.
"What happened between you two?" I asked.
"Nothing that I wish to discuss." Was all she would say.
When we arrived I knocked on the door and Twilight asked who was there. I answered and she told me to come on in, so I did, but I asked Trixie to wait outside for a moment.
Twilight was lying on a long cushion on the floor when I came in. She asked how my search had gone and I responded that it had not gone as well as I had hoped but still some of what I needed. She then asked what I still was missing. I answered that I still needed a second horn, and a magic-user good with healing magic.
"Well why didn't you ask me? I'd be happy to help you, you know." She sounded like I hurt her feelings for not having gone to her first. Perhaps I did.
"Well, I knew that you also had studies that you were undergoing while you were here. I didn't want to distract you."
"Silly fill- ...hard-headed Human!" she said, tone teasing. "This is more important than that. In the future, don't hesitate to ask me for help." Alright, this is as good a time as any...here goes...
I'm glad you feel that way, Twilight. Um, speaking of which I sorta have a bit of a problem right now."
"Really? What's wrong?"
"Well, when I was out earlier looking for things I ran across a magic show mixed with a contest in the middle-class district. I thought that it was as good a place as any to start looking for a capable Unicorn, and I had a disagreement with one of the contestants. I made fun of her a little bit, and then to prove to me and her spectators that she was in fact a powerful magic-user she shape-shifted into a female form very similar to those of my species. Unfortunately when she did so she also shifted away her horn and now he's trapped in semi-Human form." Twilight stared, blinking occasionally. "I was kinda hoping that you might know a way to change her back?"
"She shape-shifted into a Human."
"Nearly. There were a few things wrong with it, but she came very close. She looks adorable. By my standards, anyway."
"Where is she?"
"Outside your door. I gave her one of my shirts to wear for the moment because the cape and wizard's hat she had weren't doing the job of keeping her covered."
"Out of curiosity, why do you wear so much clothing all the time? Do you really get cold so easily?"
"No, it's just considered to be the norm. Typically, if a Human is unclothed they are either bathing, changing into another set of clothing, perhaps going to sleep in their bed, or are preparing to...mate with another Human."
"Ah, I see. To her problem, I don't know if I can change her back. I've never tried something like that before. I would say to ask princess Celestia, but I don't know how she'd react. Have you tried using your horn to change her back?"
"No I haven't. I was afraid I'd screw up and make it worse."
"Well, bring her in. I'll examined her at the least, but I don't know if I'll really be of any help or not." I nodded and thanked her for her help.
"Don't thank me yet. I haven't tried yet." I opened the door again and bid Trixie to enter. She did so with a grumpy expression on her face.
"So we meet again, Twilight Sparkle!" Twilight gave her a puzzled look.
"Do I know you?"
"If I had my old body you wouldn't wonder!" She glared at me.
"Hey, Trixie, I tried to warn you not to do that, but you-" Twilight's jaw dropped and she looked Trixie up and down multiple times.
"Trixie?! As in the Trixie that came to Ponyville a few months ago?!" Trixie stopped glaring at me and turned to Twilight again and looked embarrassed. "I'll take that as a yes. I see you haven't learned your lesson."
"Not true!" Trixie objected. "I've improved my techniques and learned a few new spells! I'd show you them but I don't seem to be able to use magic while I'm in this form!" Twilight looked up at me. I shrugged and made a motion with a hand towards Trixie.
"Well, in any case, let's see what I can do." Twilight rose from her cushion and stepped forward until she and Trixie were only a few inches apart. Twilight's horn began to glow faintly, though other than it glowing nothing else seemed to be happening. I watched and waited, as did a growing-impatient Trixie. After six minutes of nothing happening Twilight frowned and stepped back. "I'm not sure what you did to yourself, Trixie, but my body-scan spell is telling me that you're perfectly healthy and nothing is wrong." She looked at me. "The only ways that could be are that she either cast two spells and one of them block magical scans, or she used a perfect Poly-morph spell. The latter is a rare occurrence in pony history." Trixie beamed with pride. "Unfortunately, Poly-morph spells can only be undone by the pony that originally cast them." Trixie's proud expression suddenly vanished as she realized what that meant: Trixie had cast the spell, meaning the only pony that could undo it was Trixie herself. This meant that, with her horn gone, she could not use magic anymore, which meant she was trapped in two-leg form. Permanently. Trixie stopped breathing and stared straight ahead, unfocused on anything in particular that I could see. She seemed to be in shock. "I'm sorry, Trixie." Twilight said, looking at her with pity. "I really am." Trixie's knees buckled and she let herself fall to her hands and knees on the floor.
"I'll never be a pony again...I'll never use magic again..." a few drops of water fell from her face to the floor. She's crying! I realized. This must be some of what Rainbow Dash felt when it came to flying. Magic was Trixie's reason for living, and now it's gone. Looking at Trixie, more wet spots forming on the floor I felt the deepest pity towards her. I wished that there was something I could say, but what could I say? I put my hands on my face and rubbed, as I'd seen my father do when he felt stressed about something. What would you do in my place, father? He'd probably use his imagination a little, and then work at the first idea that came to him no matter how crazy it- That's it!
"Hey Twilight, keep an eye on her for me a moment, would you? I've got an idea!"
"What?"
"She can't use magic because he horn is missing. What if she had another? Do you think she could use it to change back?" Trixie turned her head and looked at us, tears running down her face.
"What are you two talking about?" she asked in a voice that frequently cracked.
"Maybe! Hey Trixie, touch my horn and try to use magic!" Trixie gave her a confused look.
"Touch your horn? How would that-" I interrupted her and explained.
"I can use magic when I touch a Unicorn or Alicorn's horn, Trixie. Maybe you've made yourself into something just close enough to my kind that you could do that too!" Hope dawned in Trixie's eyes and she eagerly grabbed Twilight's horn without a second's hesitation.
"Hey! Not so hard! Twilight objected, agitated. Trixie made a face like she was concentrating, but nothing happened. She gritted her teeth and screwed up her face more. Still no results. Finally Trixie let go.
"I could sense the magic again, but I couldn't touch it! It was like it was mocking me." She said while looking at me. "I guess I'm just not close enough to being your kind." She began to sob again.
I looked at Twilight with my eyes.
"Is there really no other way for her to change back?"
"Not to my knowledge, but I'm still learning. The only person who might know more would be Celestia." I nodded. Then that is who I'll ask. But what to do with Trixie in the meantime? A wind blew in through a window and ruffled the shirt on Trixie. Clothes. Definitely clothes.
With Twilight's help we made a make-shift dress for Trixie that would reach a little past her knees for modesty's sake and still be practical for walking. We also made her a pair Why is it called a pair when there's only one item??? of underwear and a few ties for Trixie's long hair so that she could keep it out of her face if a breeze should occur again. The dress was purple like her cape (the cape which was now way too long for her, as was the hat.) As for her tail, Trixie would not let us so much as touch it.
Later Trixie and I went before Celestia and explained what had happened to Trixie. I also gave her the pouch of coins back. Celestia looked at Trixie with pity but said that there was nothing that she could do either.
"While there is a way to reverse it, I do not have the skill for it."
"But you know how to, right?" Trixie asked, sounding desperate. Celestia nodded.
"From a book only, though. I have never attempted the spell myself, and I would be hesitant to try it on a living being without having had previous experience."
"Would you happen to know anypony that has previous experience with it?"
"Perhaps. In the old times poly-morphing others or one's self was common for defense against dangers." She looked me in the eye while she said this and I got the feeling I knew whom she was talking about.
"Thanatos. He would know." Her face changed a little and confirmed my suspicion. Maybe Melinda would as well. Maybe. I'll have to ask her tomorrow.
"Now Jacob, my guards have given me a report of your activities today, but I want to hear it from you as well." I nodded and related all of the day's occurrences to Celestia, including the discovery of the previously-unknown Alicorn from her memory. She listened first to everything I said, and then asked what I intended to do now since I had not found a second magic-user for the horn-fusion and lacked the second horn. I replied that Twilight Sparkle had volunteered to help with the fusion, but I had small idea of where I would be getting the second horn.
"I suppose that I could rob a grave, but I don't like the idea of stealing from the dead."
"And where then would you prefer to get it from? I doubt that any living Unicorn will simply give you their horn, and judging by the expression of disgust on your face you would not take it from the living either even if they offered." While she said the last sentence I recalled the image of my ancestor from the journal holding the bloodied Unicorn horn and tried to block it out a second later. No, definitely not. "The current horn you have was given to you, but do not expect that to simply happen again. The chances of you finding one just lying around are slim to none." When she finished none of us said anything for a moment bit. Where was I supposed to find a second horn? I highly doubted that I could just walk into a store and buy one (though the conjured mental image of a shopkeeper-pony talking to me like a car salesman was a little funny). My thoughts were interrupted when Celestia continued. "Speaking of which, Luna has told me that while you wield a Unicorn's horn you have much better control over her power. Step forward and show me."
"Are you sure? Your windows only recently got replaced, your highness." I said, giving the windows a regretful glance.
"Yes, I am sure." she said with a small smile. "Come." I stepped forward and approached until I was in front of Celestia again. "This time when you use my power, I want you to pull the curtains across the windows. A fairly simple task compared to levitating a pair of apples through Luna's maze, don't you think?" I agreed.
"There's just one problem, princess Celestia."
"Yes?"
"I left my horn in my chambers before I went down into the city. I didn't want to take the risk of dropping it where everyone could see and starting a panic."
"Probably a wise decision." Celestia pulled a bell cord with her magic and a servant entered the room. She told him what she wanted and then looked to Trixie. "Until we can find somepony to change you back, you will remain in the care of Jacob." Both myself and Trixie were about to protest, but Celestia continued before either of us could voice an objection. "As he is the only Human in all of Equestria he is best suited for caring for you." She looked at me. "I shall have a second bed sent to your chambers later. In the meantime, miss Trixie," she said, looking back at Trixie. "follow the servant." Trixie did not look particularly happy about it, but did as she was told.
__ __ __ __ __
Trixie looked around the room she had been placed in with the Human named Jacob. It was very richly filled with furniture and had soft carpets. The bed was round and big enough for two adult ponies and potentially two foals if they arranged themselves correctly. Heh! I wonder if I can guilt-trip him into letting me use that bed!
The servant that had led her to the room trotted over to a bag on the floor next to a writing desk and dug around in it for a few seconds before pulling a white stick out of it- Wait a minute! That's not a stick! So that's what Celestia was talking about! She meant a literal Unicorn's horn! But why is it that he can touch one and use magic and I can't? She looked at her hybrid body. Am I really so different from him? The servant started to leave and asked Trixie if she would be returning. Trixie shook her head and the servant bowed and left.
Wobbling unsteadily Trixie explored the rest of the room and then finally, she went through Jacob's things. Most of them were bits of clothing that she set to one side of bag the in a pile. She also found a small (by pony standards) toothbrush, some soap, a liquid in a bottle that smelled good (the little bottle read 'shampoo') a smooth green bar that smelled like pine trees and tasted just as bad (what she tasted was deodorant) some toothpaste, and a large towel. This is probably for drying off after a bath. Thinking of which, I think we both could use one. I wonder if he'd mind if I used his soap?
Finally, at the bottom of the bag, she found an old blue book with no title, and no description. Curious, she held it in her fingers and stood so she could carry it to the window for better lighting. She practically dropped the book on the sill and opened the cover. The first page contained nothing, it was just blank. The second page contained a language that she had never seen before. So did the next eighty or so pages that she flipped through with increasing annoyance. Then, towards the last fourth of the book she found words that she could read. Words that had been written by Jacob. Curious as to the Human's background she eagerly read through his writings, becoming more and more amazed the further she went. When she reached the second page, however, her curiosity was mixed with confusion. Most of the last page that he'd written alternated from his handwriting to someone else's, and was all in capital letters. This reads like a conversation between two enemies... Then she came to instructions for the Uni-horn wand and she realized that it was a conversation.
Trixie searched the room for something to write with, and found a feather pen and ink well. She uncapped the well, dipped the pen, and flipped through seven blank pages in hopes of concealing her attempts to speak to whomever was on the other side of the book from Jacob should he ever look in the book again.
Hello? Is anyone there?
At first there was no response and Trixie began to feel foolish. But then several words, looking like ink soaking through from a page underneath appeared.
TO WHOM AM I SPEAKING? YOU ARE NOT MY DESCENDANT.
Trixie felt a thrill run through her and asked how whoever this was knew that.
BECAUSE I CAN SEE YOU THROUGH THE BOOK. YOU LOOK SIMILAR TO A HUMAN, BUT NOT THE SAME. HAS MY DESCENT SCREWED UP A SPELL AND TURNED ONE OF THE PONIES INTO WHAT YOU ARE?
No, I did this to myself by accident. I was trying to show him that I was a powerful spell-caster, but I neglected to remember that I need my horn to use magic, and now I'm stuck like this unless Jacob can find somepony named 'Thanatos'.
THANATOS? I KNOW OF THIS PONY. HE IS THE ONE THAT UNJUSTLY IMPRISONED ME.
Imprisoned you? What did he think you did?
WHEN I CAME TO YOUR WORLD MANY, MANY YEARS AGO I FOUND ANOTHER OF MY KIND SLAUGHTERING UNICORNS FOR THEIR HORNS. I STEPPED IN AND TRIED TO STOP HIM, BUT WHEN OTHERS OF YOUR KIND BEGAN ARRIVING ON SCENE HE FLED AND I WAS BLAMED. THANATOS IMPRISONED ME IN A STATUE IN A HEDGE MAZE AS PUNISHMENT.
Trixie paused from writing and dipped the quill again.
There is a hedge maze outside the royal palace in Canterlot.
THAT MAY BE WHERE I WAS PLACED. NOT THAT THIS KNOWLEDGE WOULD DO EITHER OF US ANY GOOD AS I'M TRAPPED IN STONE, AND EVEN IF YOU WERE TO FIND ME THANATOS TOLD ME THAT ONLY AN ALICORN'S HORN TOUCHED TO MY HEAD COULD FREE ME AGAIN.
Trixie tapped the feather end of the pen against the stone sill. Then an idea occurred to her.
Are you any good at reversing poly-morph spells?
WHY DO YOU ASK? DO YOU WANT TO BE CHANGED BACK INTO A PONY?
Yes. Walking around on two legs is bothersome, and I want to have my magic back.
I SHOULD BE ABLE TO. IT HAS BEEN MANY A CENTURY SINCE I HAVE USED MAGIC SO I MAY HAVE FORGOTTEN, BUT FOR ME TO EVEN BE ABLE TO TRY I WOULD NEED A HORN OF MY OWN TO USE.
I might be able to arrange that, but if I do I want you to promise that you will change me back.
I HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE BY MAKING THAT PROMISE, AND EVERYTHING TO GAIN. I SWEAR ON MY BLOOD THAT I WILL RETURN YOU TO YOUR TRUE FORM IF YOU RETURN ME TO MINE.
Alright, then. If I can get my hands on an Alicorn's horn and a Unicorn's as well, I will come to the hedge maze and find and release you.
OH THANK YOU! I SHALL BE ETERNALLY GRATEFUL TO YOU FOR THIS!
Trixie smiled at the book and then closed it. A Unicorn's horn shouldn't be too hard. All I need to do is rob a grave and not get caught. Getting an Alicorn's horn is going to be almost impossible, though, unless I can break into the royal crypt, which will probably be impossible. Even with these obstacles Trixie felt a thrill of hope run through her. I can become normal again!!!
__ __ __ __ __
In the hedge maze, Jacob's ancestor was laughing.
Chapter 8
"Well done, Lighthand!" Celestia praised. "This is most certainly an improvement!"
At first I closed one curtain, then two, then three, then I opened them all again, and shut them all again, and reopened them. All without causing them any damage, to my relief. "Only two more tests to go, and then you may go on your quest. Would you like to attempt the next test?"
"Yes, princess Celestia."
"I thought you might. Alright. Follow me outside." Celestia led me out of the throne room, down a long flight of stairs, and outside to a practice yard where a few dozen guards were training or sparring with one another. "Attention, guards!" Celestia called in a loud voice that I did not think she possessed. The guards dropped what they were doing and turned to face their princess. "I would like to test the Human's skill in magic, and I need a few volunteers." As if they were all of one mind, each of them took one step forward. "Excellent! Would all of you please choose a random weapon?" I looked at Celestia, feeling uneasy. Why would they need weapons? Am I going to fight them? When they had, Celestia looked at me. "In a moment I'm going to order them to attack you." She placed a hoof over my mouth when I opened it to object. "I'm going to channel my energy into you. Use it however you will, but remember, your goal is to run from this end of the practice yard to the other. You may disarm them, but you may not kill, and may not injure them. If you injure three of the twenty five that are here, you fail.
"There may be times in the future where you may be backed into a corner politically, yet cannot afford to let yourself be captured. Good luck." she lowered her hoof and flapped her wings backwards. They carried her several feet away from me, and then she set down and raised her voice again. "Guards, your objective is to prevent him from reaching the other side of the practice yard! You may use any means to do so, but try not to kill him! Begin!" Celestia's horn began to glow and I felt the rush of magical energy again.
The guards sprang forward. Some of them were earth ponies, and others Pegasi, but all of them were wearing armor, and all of them were armed. And here I am with only two legs and no armor whatsoever. Brilliant! I ran forward and to the right, attempting to circle around the first few earth ponies. A foolish attempt being that they were much faster than I was even with the additional weight of armor.
"By Luna's mane, you Humans are slow!" the closest earth pony taunted as he reached me. Tied into his tail was an iron ball. He stopped in front of me and swung his tail at one of my legs. I jumped and just barely dodged it. He pranced to one side and changed the direction that it swung so that he would not hit himself, and ended up tying it around his back legs instead. "Crab apples!" he said as he fell to the ground.
"I may be slow physically, but you're slow mentally, and I can improve my body!" I returned while ducking a thrown speak from a flying Pegasus. That same Pegasus then swooped down at me. I tucked my head down and rolled across the ground. He missed me by inches, but I managed to roll over a sharp stone sticking up out of the dirt and I scratched one of my arms. Note to self, pay more attention to my surroundings!
Two more earth ponies came at me from ahead and behind, and I scrambled to my feet. Recalling that I had Celestia's power and not thinking clearly through a panicked mind I focused the power into my leg muscles, crouched down, and then sprang into fifteen feet into the air. The two pones slid to a stop a foot from crashing into each other and stared up at me. Two Pegasi were closing fast and more earth ponies were coming my way. Can't hurt them...what do I do?! I was falling back down again and the two ponies were hurriedly backing up to get out of my path.
Recalling the unpleasant yet still impressive image from the journal of the wall of earth he raised, I tried the same thing. I didn't get a wall, but I at least got a chunk of packed dirt. Just enough for one foot to stand on. I flailed my arms about in an attempt to balance on my little floating islet. I need to learn to focus under pressure! Maybe this is why she had so many attack me. One of the Pegasi kicked me and I fell over backwards and after two seconds hit the ground. The wind was knocked out of me and several weapons were pointed at various parts of my body.
"Enough!" Came Celestia's voice. The guards back away from me and Celestia passed through them. "You've failed. Would you like to try again?" I nodded, still unable to breathe properly. "When you are ready, return to your starting point." Celestia looked around at her guards. "All of you return to your starting points as well. When I say to begin again, do so." Some of them saluted, others nodded or did nothing at all, and all returned to where they had been before or retrieved their weapons, save for the one still trying to untie his legs. Another guard had to help him with it, and he was quick to put it away and replace it with a net instead.
As soon as I was able to breathe again I rose from the ground and tried again. This they set a trap for me. They let me get about halfway (and I say let because they barely tried to stop me) and then ringed me with spears, pikes, and other pole weapons. I surrendered and we restarted.
The third time one of the younger guards thought it would be funny to moon me and I used his rump as a stepping stool to try launching myself over his head. He was pushed to the ground and I fell with him. He was surprised but unhurt and rolled over one of my legs to pin me to the ground.
The fourth time two Pegasi swooped down in tandem from behind and picked me up after I dove between one of the taller guards' legs and slid in the dirt to get by. By this time the guards had stopped taking me seriously and had turned it into a game to see how many different ways they could make me start over.
The fifth time I tried using magic again to create a wall of dirt to stop certain ponies as they came at me, but I failed to take into account once again that Pegasi fly. When I pinned their wings to their sides (I pictured a rope holding them in place) I injured two of them when they hit the ground, and the third hurt himself trying to fight free and I failed.
The sixth time (after the three Pegasi went to the infirmary and several more joined the 'fun') I tried summoning a small tornado to pick me up and carry me across the field. Needless to say, it did not end well and I ended up in a tree half a mile away after the tornado finally dissipated.
The seventh time I tried to make myself invisible. Instead I made everyone else and their weapons invisible and we had to stop simply because they kept crashing into one another when they tried to get me and to continue risked serious harm to all involved. Celestia herself had to undo the spell as I had no idea how I'd done it in the first place.
The eighth time I made a hole in the ground and packed the dirt ahead of me outward to make a path under the ground and ran along that. I nearly made it when I ran into something made of stone. I found out it was a drinking fountain when I tried to go underneath it and water filled the passage. I would have drowned if some of the water had not seeped up around the base of the fountain and the guards dug me out. Some of the guards were trying hard not to laugh at me after I started breathing normally again, while others rolled their eyes. Now sopping wet, I returned to the starting point after thanking them for saving my life. Celestia had me restore the ground to its normal state before I made the tunnel This created a muddy mess along the tunnel's line, but it was filled in again, at least.
The ninth time was cut short for a lunch break and a shirt change. Most of the guards that had been pitted against me left and were replaced with new ones. Only, this time there were thirty instead of twenty five.
The tenth time I thought about putting them to sleep, but really had no idea how to go about doing so as equine anatomy wasn't my strong point. Instead I played with wind and earth again and filled the sparring ground with dust. Some of them figured out what I was doing and held their breath, but were still blinded when dust and dirt got into their eyes. The Pegasi fared no better.
Smiling at a plan that was finally working I squinted my eyes almost shut and covered my mouth with my shirt and raced by them. My shirt didn't stop all of the dust unfortunately, and soon enough I was coughing on it too. But, I made it to the other side and I let the whirlwind of dust settle.
"Well done, Lighthand!" Celestia called form the other side of the field. "Now make it back across to this side using a different tactic and your second test shall be complete." Oh crap! Some of the guards were still coughing, but most of them had stopped and were looking quite annoyed (and dirty).
I looked at Celestia who watched calmly from where she stood watching. Others that had heard about this little contest had started to gather around the sparring area. There were servants, Nobles, and more guards that were currently off duty. Most of them said nothing and only watched to see what would happen next, but others were making bets or pointing at one guard or another and whispering to one another.
A tactic that would allow me to pass through unharmed and not harm any of the guards... I looked at Celestia again. Their job is to protect her. With their lives if need be. Celestia raised an eyebrow at my study of her. An idea was forming, but if the guards took it too seriously they might kill me. I looked at the weapon rack to see a few practice swords and spears, and number of club types, and even a bow (though how they would use it I didn't know since none of the guards were Unicorns). I reached out for a spear. It flew to my hand and with a thought I snapped off the balled end where a sharp top normally would have been placed. Looking once more at Celestia I threw it right at her. It arched up through the air and came to a stop four inches above her left eye.
"Nopony move! Not if you want to keep your ruler breathing!!" The crowd gasped and the guards looked back and forth from me to their ruler, shock and anger filling their faces. "Let me pass, and she lives. Don't and...well, then Luna will be leading you instead." Celestia stared at the jagged pole's end and then looked at me, shock also filling her face. Clearly, this was not a tactic she had expected either. "All of you to the right side and throw down your weapons. You Pegasi! Land and do the same!" Reluctantly, they did. I started walking back across the field, keeping my eyes on the formerly-armed guards while occasionally flicking them to the spectators to ensure none of them got bold either. One minute later I was standing in front of Celestia and I tossed the spear to one side and knelt down before her. "Have I passed your test, you highness?" I half expected her to kick me in the head, but to my surprise she didn't. Instead she ordered the thirty guards that were quickly closing the empty ground separating them from me to stop.
"Princess, this two-leg has threatened you life! How can you simply forgive him?!"
"There is nothing to forgive. I told him to use any means necessary, and not to injure any of you in the process. He has done so." She backed two steps and looked down at me. "Though I must admit I had not expected something so...drastic. They might have killed you for that, Jacob." I looked her in the face.
"I know. But sometimes you're backed in a corner and you can't harm your enemies and you can't allow yourself to be captured either." Celestia rolled her eyes.
"That wasn't quite what I had in mind."
"My apologies, princess Celestia but I'm not yet experienced enough in magic to be able to improvise without running the risk of screwing up a spell and harming someone. I had wanted to try putting them to sleep, but I don't know enough of how your bodies work. Slowing their heart's rate might have killed them rather than knocking them out."
"I understand. I suppose then, we shall need to include education in our physiology as well as in magic for your studies. Rise, I suppose you must be hungry now too?" I nodded. I hadn't eaten much for breakfast. If not for a piece of toast and some strawberry jam I drowned it in, I would have skipped it entirely. Addressing the wary guards and spectators, she informed them that I helped her prove that even the best-trained guard must be ready for the unexpected and she ordered them to devise plans for just in case a real case of royal-hostage taking should occur and report them to her by the end of the day. She then whispered for me to rise, turn, and bow to my opponents. I did so. None of them relaxed any of their tense muscles, but saluted their princess. Then she left and I followed her. I felt the guards staring daggers at my back and I suppressed the urge to shiver. They'll never trust me again. Or at the very least they'll never underestimate me if another of these little competitions is arranged. I hope that the last test doesn't involve me needing to face off against them again! I got the feeling that they wouldn't be so gentle with me for this if there was ever a 'next time'. I never would have actually hurt Celestia, but that did not change the fact that I had threatened her life. I wonder how Luna is going to react when she hears about this...
"Ow!" I exclaimed when Luna whacked me over the head with a hoof.
"Art thee a fool!? If mine sister had not made it seem as if that test were a training exercise thou would likely be in a dungeon being beaten within an inch of thine life right now!"
"I knew that when I decided to try it, Lun- princess Luna. I also knew that I didn't have enough know-how with magic to get through them peacefully."
"So thee chose a method that could have gotten both mine sister and you killed."
"No! I never had any intention of harming Celestia!" I objected fiercely. "If the guards made a move I would have drawn the spear back as if preparing to stab. If they still kept coming I would have dropped it and surrendered."
"And they would have trampled thee to death unless mine sister told them to stop, and even then they might have still done so!"
"Are you going to teach me anything tonight, or just keep berating me an calling me a fool?" I asked, trying to change the subject.
"Do not tempt me." Luna snorted. "Celestia told me that thee wished to know ways to put our people to sleep in case thou needed to escape and did not wish to inflict harm. Come with me."
Luna led me through the palace, down a long flat spiral that I assumed was a kind of staircase. When we reached a stone arch that had no door an unpleasant smell hit me in the face like Hulk Hogan's fist and I gagged.
"Ugh! What is that stink?!" I asked, still choking.
"Our dungeon. Only the worst of our criminals are put in the palace dungeons because our guards are trained to be the absolute best." The moment Luna passed through the arch whistles, whoops and comments of hate filled the room and the ramp.
"Hey there, Nightmare Moon! Why don't you come over to my cell and I'll show you a real nightmare?!" A big black stallion that looked like he could wrestle a bear said, leering at her flank. Luna tensed for a moment and then spit at him. He laughed. "Have it your way!" Similar jeers and comments echoed off the stone walls for several minutes, then Luna used her magic to create a bubble in the middle of the room and motioned for me to join her. Inside the bubble it was silent except for Luna's breathing. She looked at the miscellaneous prisoners around the room. Some of them were reached through the bars at us, while others made faces or gestures at themselves and then at her which I took to be sexual harassment. "The fastest way to learn influence-magic is to try it on living subjects. Most of these ponies are set for execution within the next several weeks, so if anything goes wrong no one will pity them. I asked Celestia if we could use them as test subjects and she gave permission." I was astounded that Celestia of all ponies would authorize this. She didn't strike me as being ruthless.
I looked around the room. Not all of those in here were adults. Some looked like they were barely out of childhood.
"What are their crimes?"
"Why ask? They are the scum of our society. Do thee not have the death penalty in your culture?"
"We do, but we don't conduct testing on them." Though it might save some money on lethal injection chemicals and provide satisfaction to the families of those murdered if some untested medication had negative reactions on them "What are their crimes?" I asked again.
"The one that called me Nightmare Moon is a murderer. He killed thirteen ponies of various types and ages, but tortured them first. It was a...gruesome case." She pointed at a mint-green female Pegasus behind me whose wings had been clipped. The Pegasus looked at me for a minute and began salivating. "She is a cannibal. She ate her younger sister and her sister's best friend, and several of the ponies of the town she lived in, all of them foals." I stared at Luna, not wanting to believe it. Luna pointed at her neighbor. The earth pony in that cell wasn't looking at us at all, but staring at the back wall. "He tried to assassinate mine sister when I returned from mine banishment and very nearly succeeded." I stared at Luna once again in disbelief.
"You were banished? For what?" Luna looked away from me, looking ashamed.
"I allowed jealousy and an outside corruption force to control me and I rebelled against mine sister for control of Equestria. If not for the Elements of Harmony, I would have succeeded and Equestria would have been plunged into eternal night."
"What are the Elements of Harmony?"
"Strong magic that returns balance to our world when it descends into chaos. When it was first used it was mine sister was the one that used them. After I returned it was six young fillies that used them against me. You've already met them, if I recall correctly. Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash." My eyebrows rose and my eyes went wide. I would not have expected something so dramatic from them, though given that they'd stood up to a Dragon, I suppose that I should have.
"So then why, if you no longer are corrupted is he in prison?"
"He was offered a full pardon, but he refused, saying that 'One day our true queen shall return, and when she does I shall be waiting to serve her!'. He hates mine sister, and when he does look at me, it is with sadness in his eyes. Celestia has left the decision of whether or not to execute him in my hands, and I just can't bring myself to kill him." I pointed at a Zebra with a broken Unicorn horn on his head and had his front hooves shackled together and his mouth covered. He glared out from between the bars of his cell.
"Him?"
"We don't know where he came from, but he uses a form of twisted magic called Voodoo. Originally we only broke his horn, but somehow he was still able to use magic and he forced nightmares into the dreams of three jailers that drove them mad before we figured out it was him. Ever since then we've had his legs shackled together and his mouth gagged. Several of the new jailers still complain about bad dreams, though."
"We have people in our world that use Voodoo." I said. "Usually it involves hair from their victims and dolls and bones and mystical words. I think you should have his cell searched. If Voodoo here is the same as it in on Earth, then he may have some of those things." Luna looked surprised, and nodded.
"We shall do that. Do you have any objections now?" I looked around the prison once more and my eyes landed on a male earth pony foal sitting in a corner wearing a blindfold.
"What about that one?"
"That one..." Luna hesitated. "he's not a criminal. He is in here for his own protection."
"What do you mean?"
"That one can see the future. He once lived with an abusive father. His mother died while giving birth to him, which was bad enough, but when he began predicting bad things that happened one after the other his father thought that the things that happened were caused because his son was saying them. So he began beating him. One day he burned out his eyes. It was his screaming that made a pair of patrolling guards break down the door. They threw the father aside and carried him out and brought him to a hospital, but during his physical rehabilitation he began predicting when and how the patients would die and rather than try to avert the incidents he predicted the owners of the hospital threw him out. Eventually he found his way to our gates screaming that he-" Luna pointed at the assassin. "was going to try to kill mine sister. The guards didn't believe him but decided to check anyway." Luna smiled. "It was because of that young foal that my sister still lives."
"Then why is he locked up?" Luna sighed.
"Because whenever he sees something bad he tries to change it. He almost dove off of a balcony trying to catch a falling mail Pegasus that had sprained a wing in a bit of turbulence. One of the servants saw him running for it and tackled him to the ground. He kept screaming that 'he had to catch her or she would break her neck when she crashed'. A Pegasus guard heard him screaming and then looked out over the balcony for anything and he saw a gray Pegasus with a blond mane and tail and yellow mis-aligned eyes tumbling down towards the ground. He flew to her rescue, but when it became clear that Veedar- that's the foal's name, by the way- would not simply sit idle even with his blindness, Celestia ordered him to be locked down here for his own safety."
"Why not put him in a more comfortable place?" I knew there were better rooms. I was staying in one.
"Most of the bedrooms in the palace have windows. Those that don't have secret ways out. Ways that only myself and mine sister know. If his ability told him how to get out, only myself or Celestia would be able to stop him, and we won't always be available for that.
"Now, what will thee do? Wilt thou learn by using them for test subjects?" I looked around the room. Most of those here were monsters in the form of ponies, and my head was telling me that anything that I might do to them would be small potatoes compared to anything that they'd done. Not to mention that most of them would probably be dead within the year anyway. But still...No justice system is perfect. Everyone here probably is guilty, but if there was even just one that wasn't and I killed him, what would that make me?
"No. I won't do it." Luna gave me a funny look.
"Why not?"
"As a wise man, or maybe woman from my world once said: 'Two wrongs do not make a right'. Whatever these ponies have done, or might have done, I'd be no better than they are if I spent their lives like bits on candy trying to further my own power." More importantly, I'd be just like him. I thought, thinking of the face from the journal that glared hatred at Twilight Sparkle.
Luna looked very pleased.
"Congratulations, Jacob P. Lighthand the ninth. Thee hath just passed mine sister's last test." I stared in surprise. "To quote Celestia, 'Power at the expense others is sweet only to the greedy, and torture to a good soul'. So what art thee going to do now?"
"Now, I think I-" Suddenly Luna dropped the barrier and pointed at Veedar's cell, worry written on her face. The noise from the prisoners crashed back in and made me ears ring. "What?" I turned to see him throwing himself at the bars and heard him calling Luna.
"Luna! Stop him! Stop him!! Don't let him go! They'll eat him alive!!!" He was crying while he screamed. Luna galloped to him and reached her legs through to embrace the foal. He stopped throwing himself against the bars and held onto her, his legs around her neck in a hug.
"Who will?" Luna whispered to him. "And who will be eaten?"
"The Twisted Ones of Everfree! The Twisted Ones! A two-legged being will go into Everfree forest and the Twisted Ones will find him after midnight! He'll fight them, but there's too many! So much- ! So much blood!!" He whimpered. The other prisoners had quieted down except for the torturer. He was cackling.
Luna looked over her shoulder at me, her face afraid. She looked back at Veedar and stroked his mane.
"It hasn't happened yet, Veedar. Don't worry, I'll make sure it never comes to pass." Luna slowly removed herself from Veedar and looked at me. She made a motion that indicated that it was time for us to leave.
Celestia looked at me for a long time after Luna related what had happened in the dungeon to her. Then she walked to one of her new windows and looked out of it. I assumed she was thinking of ordering me not to go, but she surprised me.
"I will not forbid you from going after Thanatos, but I want you to finish your wand first, and take two others with you. I won't force you to do either, but you've heard Veedar's warning, and I must tell you, he's never been wrong before."
"If I'm going to complete my wand I still need another Uni-horn."
"I knew you would, and I assure you that this will no longer be a problem for you." Celestia walked to her throne and stuck her head behind it and ducked down to the floor. When she came out from behind it again she held in her mouth a long green horn. Both Luna and myself stared.
"Sister?"
"Where did you get that?" She walked forward until she stood in front of me and waited. I extended a hand and took hold of it. When I did she let it go. Luna also walked forward and studied the horn. After a minute her eyes widened and she looked at Celestia and addressed her again.
"Isn't that our old nanny's horn?" Celestia looked at her and nodded.
"Nanny ? You mean the person- er, pony who helped raise you?! You can't give me this!"
"Sister, I must agree with him on this. This seems disrespectful to have her remains used to make a tool."
"Why?" Celestia asked. "Shila was kind to strangers, helped those in need, and always guided us with a gentle hoof. If I give him her horn, then even in death she can do what she always loved doing." Luna thought about this a few minutes, occasionally smiling with her eyes looking as if she were watching something from afar. She's walking down memory lane. I realized. Still, it didn't feel right to me. Even in the worst of situations I don't think I'd dig up my dead grandmother to use one of her bones as a club.
"But Celestia, I-" Celestia put a hoof over my mouth and smiled.
"If Shila were still around and she heard that you intended to go face certain death because you lacked an ingredient to enhance your magic she just might have offered it to you herself. That's just the kind of generous and caring Unicorn she was. Do not let your conscience be troubled, young one. Accept her remains with gratitude to its original owner, and be an honor to her by using it to help others."
My conscience did still bother me, but both Celestia and Luna were waiting now, and Luna no longer seemed bothered.
"I'll do my best, princesses." I bowed and lowered my arms to my sides and my stomach growled. I blushed as it was quite loud. Luna chuckled, as did Celestia.
"Go to the kitchens, Jacob. They'll make sure you get something." I thanked them and asked if that was permission to leave and they replied that it was, so I bade them good night and left to put the new (or maybe ancient would be the better word) in my room with the first.
Down at the kitchen (it was freaking huge compared to any other kitchen I'd ever been in. It was about the size of an Olympic swimming pool) I asked if I could get something to tide me over until breakfast tomorrow. There were only three cooks on staff at the moment, and all three of them were too busy preparing food for the night shift to be bothered with me. The food inventory manager heard me and answered that at the moment if I wanted anything to eat that I was welcome to prepare it myself as long as I cleaned up after I was done. Hmm. This is sounding familiar. I thought while walking through the door the inventory manager opened for me. When I stepped in I looked around the kitchen with interest. There was alot of various equipment that I could use, but I wasn't really in the mood for the normal egg and veggie blend that I normally made, and I could tell from looking around that there was no way they had pop-tarts. Time for some other food to take the stage then, I guess. I asked the inventory manager where they stored their food and then went to it to grab a few things: Hot peppers (I had to ask which these were since none of the peppers stored inside the pantry looked familiar), cheese that tasted like mozzarella, some butter, and one other thing that I needed to ask for.
"Why would you want stale bread when we have some that was made fresh an hour ago?" the inventory manager asked.
"Because I need bread crumbs for what I'm going to make and stale bread would be perfect for getting some." I explained.
"For the record, I think you're nuts for wanting old bread, but this" he pointed at a white bin. "is usually where we toss the loaves that are a day or older. Every three days they get dumped on the roof of the palace for the birds to pick at. Take what you want." I took three partial loaves and set them on an empty counter and set to work breaking them down. When I had a nice pile of crumbs I asked where bowls were kept and retrieved one. I carried it to the counter and swept the crumbs into it and set it to one side. I then placed the butter I'd taken in another small bowl and set it to the side as well. after that I washed and cut the tops off the peppers and cleaned out the seeds. Then I cut pieces of cheese small enough to fit in the peppers and set to stuffing them inside. When I had placed one piece of cheese in each I smeared butter along the outside of the peppers (and a little inside over the cheese piece) and gently dropped it in the bread crumbs. I rolled it over until it was thoroughly covered, then removed it to a plate and did the same with the other six peppers. I then took a pot and half-filled it with cooking oil and turned on the burner and turned up the heat and waited three minutes. After that I dipped a spoon into a barrel of water and carried it to the pot and dripped a single drop into it. The water hissed and popped and was gone in a single second. perhaps a little too hot. I shrugged. Too late now. I asked where I could find a pair of tongs and then placed three of the soon-to-be poppers into the oil and jumped back. The oil turned into a roiling sputtering cacophony that instantly drew the attention of all three cooks who demanded to know what the heck I thought I was doing.
"I'm cooking!" I answered cheerfully. "Don't worry, I'll clean up the mess afterward." The three cooks did not look like they believed me to be in my right mind, but needed to watch their own food and turned back to it. I looked away from them and four minutes later when the hissing started dying down plucked up the courage to step closer to the pot and examine my food. It looked done so I picked up the tongs, removed them from the pot and then stuck the last four in and once again leaped back. This time the oil erupted like a miniature geyser and splattered all over most of the stove top. I sighed at the mess I would need to clean up later and began gathering what I thought I'd need.
When I came back I found that one of my finished poppers was missing, as was one of the cooks. When I asked the other two about it one shrugged and the other said that she has run out of the kitchen screaming something about needing more water.
"She walked over to examine whatever it is that you're making, and then the next time I turned to look she was gulping down swallow after swallow of water from that barrel next to the cutting table. What did you make?"
"I made something my father once showed me how to make. Unfortunately you didn't have the same hot peppers he used, but-"
"Hot peppers?! the cook exclaimed. "You made something with an entire hot pepper?!" He gaped at me in disbelief.
"Well, that was the way he showed me to do it, so...yeah."
"You are crazy! First you take the princess hostage to win a contest, then you cook and eat entire hot peppers!"
"Hey, to be fair, she did say I could use any means I felt were necessary as long as I didn't harm the guards." I objected in my defense. "As to the peppers, I'm used to eating hot foods."
"What color was the pepper you used?"
"Blue."
"Oh. Never mind, I forgot how much of a wuss she was with spicy foods. You're not crazy. Well, maybe."
I ate one of the finished hot pepper poppers, and felt the wonderful burn of the pepper juices soaking into my tongue and inner cheeks. Yes, some people might call me crazy for loving the not-quite-painful burning sensation, but most of my family loved spicy foods, and I was no exception.
When I thought they'd be finished I removed the other poppers from the oil and disposed of the oil while they cooled. Once that was done I set to cleaning up my mess before heading out to the eating area. Due to ponies not needing to sit I was also forced to stand, but due to my height I stood on my knees instead and began devouring my food.
A drink-server laughed at me for it, but I smiled back and finished my meal. Once finished I disposed of the dirtied dish and returned to my room. Recalling that Celestia had assigned Trixie to my care I knocked first before entering. Trixie was nowhere to be found. Maybe she's out practicing walking. Or maybe she doesn't want to be anywhere near me and is crashing in an empty room elsewhere. I gathered my showering supplies and went into the adjoined bathroom. It had been awhile since I had last bathed and I did not want to smell.
When I finished I stepped back into my room with my towel around my head. I was rubbing my hair with it to dry it out when Trixie apparently walked in.
"I still don't see why you insist on wearing clothing. You don't have anything that none of us haven't seen on our own males, after all. Sure, the proportions are different, but-"
"Aaagh! Why didn't you knock first!?" I quickly pulled the towel from my head and covered my lower regions. Trixie still wore the outfit Twilight made for her earlier. She rolled her eyes at me and then hopped backwards onto the round bed that I'd been using. She laid flat on it but turned her head so she could still see me.
"Why would I knock when this is my room too?"
"To be polite? What if I-" I stopped. I had been naked, and it did not seem to bother her. Probably because clothing here is only used for certain occasions.
"What if you what?"
"Never mind. So anyway, how are you feeling?"
"Well gee, let's see! I've been trapped in what looks like a child-version of your kind's body, I can't use magic, and the only way to change me back to normal is to go into Everfree forest to try finding an old Alicorn that might not even be alive anymore." She stopped for a few seconds, rolled over, and then asked "How would you feel?" I didn't answer and dropped my gaze. "By the way, it looks like Celestia forgot to have a second bed sent here, so either we're sharing this bed, or one of us is sleeping on the floor, and that someone isn't going to be me."
"I don't mind. This carpet is probably softer than my own bed." I walked over to the bed and grabbed a pillow and dropped it on the carpeting in the middle of the room. I then got out my pajamas and a clean pair of underwear from my backpack and slid them on. I did this in the bathroom more for my benefit because Trixie didn't seem to care one way or the other.
Shortly after I laid down on the carpeting I heard soft snoring coming from the plush bed and laughed under my breath. Who'd have thought that the Great and Powerful Trixie snored when she slept?
The following day was the day that I would attempt to make the wand. So, with some help from the doctor of the palace I inserted a needle into one of my veins and began draining a pint of my blood into a jar.
"If I may ask," the doctor said as my blood dripped into the jar. "why are you doing that?"
"I need this blood for something besides my body."
"Obviously, but what?" The doc looked like a pony version of a dalmatian dog. His eyes were gray.
"If it succeeds, you just might find out. If it fails...well, then what's left of my body you can have for study."
With the jar full of still-warm blood and sealed with a metal lid I carried it to what was used as a magic-training classroom. I'd already pushed most of the tables to one side of the room shortly after I woke up and put the rest into the center as a workspace. The two horns were sitting by themselves at one end of the five desks I'd lined up waiting to be placed in the three-inch deep tray next to them. I set the jar down beside the tray and sat on one of the displaced desks to await the arrival of Twilight Sparkle and Melinda. Twilight arrived first followed by Spike, who had journeyed from Ponyville to be present for the wand's forging.
"Spike! What are you doing here?" I asked.
"This is an event that has never been recorded previously in pony-history! Twilight is going to be busy helping you, so someone else needed to be here to record the proceedings!"
"Well if you're going to be chronicling this then you'll need a good place to stand so you can see every detail." I pushed a number of the unwanted desks around the room. Spike climbed up onto them and looked at the views he'd be getting and nodded.
"This will do, thanks." I nodded and turned to Twilight.
"Are you ready?"
"I guess we'll find out soon enough. What are we supposed to do first?"
"The first part is all me. I pour my blood into that tray and set the two horns into it. I then roll them over in it several times until they're thoroughly coated with it. Then we'll wait a minute and I'll roll them in it again. Then you saturate both the horns and the blood with healing magic. The horns should connect to one another and line up the spirals on their own. From there we wait another two minutes for them to settle. Meanwhile Melinda, who should be arriving soon, will liquefy the silver and pour it into the spiral groove. She'll then smooth out the silver and get rid of any extra that may have fallen outside the spiral and smooth both the horns and the silver vein. According to the journal the two colors of the horns should blend together once she finishes by capping the ends with half an inch of more silver. From there you can stop using magic and your role in the making of the Uni-horn wand will end and you can rest."
"And then what?"
"Then we plunge the whole wand into that barrel of water by the podium where the instructor normally would stand and wait twenty four hours. If it was done correctly then after that the wand should be complete and functional."
"And if it isn't?" A touch of worry infiltrated her voice.
"Then..." I licked my lips. "I hope that you, Spike, and Melinda are far enough away from me when it shatters upon hitting the water and the magical backlash tears me to bloodied pieces." Twilight stared first at me, then at the walls, horrified at the probable image of me splattered all over the room.
"So when you said that this could kill you, you were serious?! I can't let you do this!"
"Did you hear about what the seer-colt said about me? If I go to Everfree without this wand, I'm going to die anyway, and it'll be a much more painful death than being ripped apart all at once by twisted healing magic. I have to take the risk." Twilight looked like she wanted to say more, but Melinda walked in carrying her equipment.
"Are you two going to stand there talking all day, or are going to do this?" She said, sounding grumpy.
"I was just explaining the procedure to her. Let's begin." Melinda nodded and began setting up her tools. Meanwhile I opened the jar and poured the blood. Melinda at one point called Spike over to help her set fire to the coals she' brought along to heat and melt the silver. He grumbled about not being able to take notes this way, but acquiesced. I performed the steps with the horns and when they were ready I called Twilight over. She looked at my blood with a sort of off fascination.
"It's red too. We share the same colored blood!"
"Many of the creatures on Earth share that color. Some have blue or no color at all, but that's a rare thing."
Twilight focused on the tray. First her horn began to glow, followed by the two in the tray, and then the blood itself. Before our eyes the horns seemed to soak up my blood and then the two points extended towards one another like a stalagmite and stalactite in a cave. Then they touched and merged. It was amazing to observe. Reading about it was one thing, but seeing it quite another. To my worry the spiral groove vanished for a moment, but then reappeared. When they had first touched the spirals had been running in opposite directions, but now they followed one path and already their colors of white and green began to blend together.
"I am ready, you two. Step aside." Melinda said, and used her own magic to levitate both the combined horns and her smelter. Using the utmost care she began to spin the wand-to-be like a drill and poured a thin rivulet of molten silver into it. Not once did she miss her target. The mark of a professional! I thought when she reached the halfway point without making a single error. Now holding the silver in the groove with her mind she opened the top of the container and dipped the two ivory ends into it.
"Alright, Twilight, you should be able to stop now." I told her.
"No she can't." Melinda objected. "I don't know where you got your information, kid, but she can't stop until this ivory stick touches the bottom of the cooling barrel." I frowned inwardly. I should have known better than to trust that old power-hungry man. Fortunately Melinda knew better. "Now, this is going to burn your skin, but you need to carry it to the barrel yourself. I can make sure the silver doesn't run, but this is your wand. You've added your blood, now it needs to know your flesh as well." I braced myself for pain, and held out my hands. Melinda unceremoniously dropped it and I rushed to catch it.
PAIN!
Pain was what every nerve in my hands screamed at my brain, and my nose told me that I was cooking my own hands. I screamed but managed to keep my mouth shut and contain most of the noise. Steam rose from my burning skin and I now I not only felt, but smelled the ruination of my palms and fingers. "Don't just stand there, ya goof!" Melinda scolded. "Go put it in the barrel!" I hurried to obey her advice and plunged both my hands and the wand into the water. There was a brief hiss, but that was all. The ivory was hot, but not even close to being as hot as a sword or other forged-metal item would have been. I released the horn and loved every second of the cool relief.
Relief written on my face, Melinda looked at Twilight and nodded. Twilight's horn stopped glowing, as did Melinda's.
"Feel better?" Melinda asked.
"Immensely. I replied before pulling my hands out to see the damage. Where the silver spiral had touched my skin there were red or blackened lines on both my palms and my fingers, and even half a line on my thumbs. I flexed my hands and pain flared up in them again. Twilight walked closer and offered to heal me when she saw the marks, but Melinda forbade it.
"This is kind of hard to explain, but to put it simply the horn and he are of one body now. Neither of them may be touched by magic for an entire day or the bond between them will be broken."
"Can I use a balm or ointment on my hands?" Melinda thought about this for a moment.
"As long as it did not involve magic, you should be able to, but if any magic was involved in its making then your bond will still be negated."
"Then I shall wait, use simple aloe gel from an aloe-plant and bandage my hands and wait." Melinda nodded.
"That would probably be for the best. Now, if you'll excuse me I'm off to collect my fee. Whatever you do with that wand, I hope it serves you well." Melinda stayed only long enough to gather up her things, and then left us alone in the room. Silence with the exception of Spike's quill scratching away at the parchment he held reigned.
"Are you okay?" Twilight asked. I looked at my hands again.
"Other than my hands hurting, yeah. But they'll heal, and this little bit of pain is worth the gain."
"Done!" Spike said as he rolled up the scroll and pushed it into a wooden tube. "I'm going to make a copy of this for our own library later, okay Twilight?" Twilight nodded. "I'll see you guys later." He gave a little wave and then left the room.
"So what are you going to do now?" Twilight asked.
"Now...I'm going back to the infirmary to get my hands coated with aloe-plant gel, and get them bandaged."
__ __ __ __ __
Applejack was busy as she almost always was. But today was not a day for apple-bucking because there were not yet even blossoms on the trees. Today she was chasing animals off her land that had seemingly come from nowhere overnight.
"Dern critters! Ya'll get away from mah planted crops!" Big Mackintosh and Applebloom were also trying to shoo them away but were having about the same results as her. "Applebloom! You go an' get Fluttershy! She's good with animals, so she'd prolly be better at gettin' these pests to leave!"
"Eeyup." Big Mac agreed. Applebloom nodded and galloped as quickly as her small legs would allow to the road that led to town and soon disappeared from sight. Applejack looked away from her little sister when she heard a snap and then galloped to chase away three rabbits that were chewing through several cornstalks.
"Geeht!" She yelled. "Ya'll gonna be sorry if ah catch ya!" she said angrily. The rabbits took one look at the charging angry orange equine and took off like- well, like frightened rabbits.
Appljack had once heard from a traveler that small animals could sense when a natural disaster was about to occur and would flee the area. But where could all these critters 'av come from? And what were they running from?
Suddenly a huge shadow passed over Applejack and she looked up to see an pale orange dragon with a few random spots of black soaring overhead. Seconds after it passed by a rush of wind swept through Apple Acres and their trees and crops swayed. Both Applejack and Big Mac had frozen in place, but the small animals had not and had stopped eating their crops and were once more fleeing. One minute there were animals all over the place, and suddenly, it was devoid of them again.
"What in the werld?"
"It seems that we now know what those little critters were runnin' from." Big mac stated as he joined Applejack in waitching the Dragon fly away. Suddenly it changed direction and flew back towards them. "Uh oh." 'Uh oh' was right. They had no hope of outrunning an almost full-grown dragon, and if it decided to burn their holding down to the ground and eat them, there was little they could do to stop it.
To their supprise the Dragon did none of these things when it landed. Instead, it lowered its head down to their level and asked for directions. His voice was very deep. He kinda reminds me of the Flutterguy incident
"Urm, 'scuse me, ponies, but how do I get to Ponyville? I haven't been there in over a hundred years, and my memory is a bit foggy."
"Why would yeeu want to be gettin' to Ponyville? Ye ain't gonna be eatin' nopony, are yeh?" Applejack asked. The Dragon looked offended.
"I am going there for no such thing! One hundred and sixty eight years ago I was raised there! Even though the ponies that raised me are long dead and had no foals I still feel obligated to warn them . Drahngov has nearly gathered all willing and capable Dragons to him and will break the truce very soon! He intends to come here first to make an example of the ponies that defied him a few weeks ago, and then he'll burn the village to the ground. This place was once my home and I have many fond memories of it from when I was still a baby. If I can prevent its destruction, I gladly will do whatever is required."
"I was one of them ponies that defied him, and I welcome your help." She pointed at the dirt road that Applebloom had taken. "Follow that there road and it will lead yeh to Ponyville. Ye might not be welcome there, though. Drahngov attacked us once before already, and destroyed our town hall."
"Maybe you should go with him then, sis." Big Mac suggested. "I can take care of things here 'til you get back." Applejack nodded, seeing the sense in it. If the Dragon went alone, the citizens of Ponyville would only hide from him and not listen. If one of the people they trusted and respected vouched for the Draconic messenger though, they might be more willing to listen.
"Alright. Mr Dragon, follow me!" Applejack ran for the road at a much faster rate than Appleblood had, and the Dragon took wing again in pursuit. After very little time Applejack saw Applebloom again and explained the new situation to her and then told her to go home with Big Mac. Applebloom moaned and tried to convince her big sis to let her come too, but Applejack was adamant and eventually Applebloom headed home again. That part was easy. Applejack thought as they came to the Ponyville town limits. Convincing them to trust a Dragon is going to be the hard part!
__ __ __ __ __
"And in today's news, for some reason carnivorous lizards seem to be gathering together in Florida. And not just lizards or just in Florida, actually. All carnivorous scaled cold-blooded animals seem to be forming groups all over the world. This has never happened before in recorded history. Animal experts speculate-" Jacob's mother turned the set off in the hotel they were staying in. They'd arrived in Britain last night and were staying in a two-star hotel to save funds. Things were alot more expensive in Britain than they had predicted, and they only had so much money to work with. Watching the TV wouldn't cost them anything, but on almost every news channel it was the same thing over and over except for yet another casualty report from a drunk driver.
Something was wrong with the world, and it wasn't just her parental instinct making her edgy. When she and her husband were outside and birds flew by or a squirrel scampered by they did so with absolutely no fear of any Humans that might have been near. In fact, (and this had been in the news as well) the wildlife population in Human towns and cities had tripled in the last few days. It was almost as if the animals were running to Humanity looking for protection from something. Two hours before she had entered the hotel to go to bed she could have sworn that a family of foxes had been following her. But every time she turned to look at them they would dive behind something, but as soon as she would turn away and keep walking they'd creep out again. It made her nervous.
Her husband did not seem to be bothered by it, but she knew him well enough to recognize from the twitches of his eyebrows and set of his jawline that it did. Right now he was out speaking to a taxi company to see if he could find out if anyone had seen their son. There were only two cab companies that were permitted to do business at the airport that he'd landed at, which had narrowed the possibilities down considerably. Unfortunately this still meant hours of record-searching, but it was a start.
Two days later they finally found some new and useful information and her heart soared. Right up until the old man at the cab company building that had driven him said that Jacob had never returned to the car.
"I would have stayed longer to wait, but I could have gotten fired. My shift boss is very strict. You Americans think your economy is bad? Take a look at our gas prices! If I could find another job it probably would not pay for my mortgage."
The Lighthands knew that their son's disappearance was not this man's fault, but it didn't stop them from wanting to blame him. Seeing the mother about to cry he continued.
"Look, he seemed like a nice enough guy, so I hope you find him safe and sound. Here's where he got off." The old man took a map out of his pocket and circled the area with a red pen. "There on that road is where I last saw him. He headed onto the grounds of an old forest that burned down some eight hundred years ago or so. Good luck." The old man shook hands with Mr. Lighthand and then went off to continue his job.
"Hey wait a minute!" The old man stopped and looked back. "Do you think you could drive us out there?"
"Of course, but my boss won't let me drive you for free. You'd have to pay to." Jacob's father nodded.
"Done."
"Okay then. Grab your things and let's go."
"Our things are fine back at our hotel. Let's go now."
__ __ __ __ __
Drahngov snorted and smoke came from his nostrils. Some of his kind had been raced by the Equestrians, and so refused to join him, and some of them had even said that they'd fight him if he attacked the place where they'd been raised. Fools! If they wish to die along with their beloved ponies, they shall. I shall not show traitors any mercy!
They were nearly ready. Just a few more days and they would begin dispersing to their assigned locations. Drahngov would not make the same mistake his grandfather had of sending the majority of his forces to one location. No, he would start from the outside in a loose ring and work his way personally to Celestia's capital in Canterlot while most of his forces decimated the surrounding countryside. This would force the survivors inward closer and closer where they would be easier to capture and later breed like cattle for food.
Nearly time! Just a little longer! Drahngov gloated. He would take Equestria, destroy those few Dragons loyal to them, and in time, take the world.
To those of you that recall the secret ending from Super Filly Adventure and got freaked, this may drudge up some bad memories for you. For those of you that didn't...
Chapter 9
Bandages still around my hands I reached into the water barrel and lifted my wand from it. I had followed Melinda's intrusion of waiting twenty four hours, and now here was my finished product. Water ran down the slender ivory shaft as well as my bandaged hands and dripped back into the barrel.
"Art!" I said, pleased with the outcome. The entire thing (with the exception of the silver, of course) was a creamy green color. Reminds me of mint ice cream. I frowned. Darn it! Now I want ice cream! But sadly, that was something I'd likely not get until I returned to Earth. If I ever do. Today was the day I'd also be setting out for Everfree. Rumors had been coming in that the Dragons were on the move from all over and it was making ponies (and myself) edgy. I could not afford to put off this trip any longer. I dried the wand on my shirt and headed back to my room to pack.
"You're leaving?" Trixie asked. She was still lazing on the big round bed.
"Yep. I made the wand and I passed Celestia's tests, now I need to go find Thanatos."
"What if he's dead? Or if he doesn't want to help?" I sighed.
"If he's dead, then I'll give him a Human funeral and bury his remains. If he's alive and doesn't want to help..." I didn't have an answer to that question. I was placing my hope on that he would want to help and together with Celestia and Luna's help we'd banish the Dragons into a war zone of Earth where they'd be wiped out. Or, at least I hoped that was where they'd end up.
"Then what?" Trixie prodded.
"Then I don't know. I guess I'll come back and deal with Drahngov as best I can."
"Not that I really care much outside of being changed back by Thanatos, but don't do anything stupid." I laughed.
"Are you kidding? Doing something stupid seems to be what I do best around here: I killed a Dragon and in the process almost killed myself, leaped in front of another trying to roast alive a group of ponies, I threatened said Dragon, and then took your older princess hostage to succeed in a test. Yesterday I ran the risk of being killed to make this-" I twirled the wand between my fingers. "and now I'm going to go into a forest that has the reputation of being the most dangerous place in all of Equestria!" I gave her a crazed grin.
"That's my point: sooner or later your luck is going to run out. When it does you're probably going to meet a rather gruesome fate." I could not disagree. Especially after hearing what Veedar had said. But if it was my fate to die horribly, I wasn't going to risk any of the friends I'd made by taking them along. This wand should be enough. The hot feeling is unpleasant, but the boost, I think, is well worth it.
"Thanks for your concern, Trixie. If I should not come back, take care of yourself."
"I always have."
I gathered my things up and headed first to the kitchen to gather a bit of food from it, and then to the throne room to bid Celestia and Luna farewell. Luna would be sleeping right now, but I could still leave the note that I'd written before going ot bed last night for her. I suppose that I probably should still be sleeping too, but I had been too excited to sleep properly last night, so I finally gave up and got up.
When I arrived at the throne room doors the two guards watched my every move suspiciously. Their expressions never changed, but there was a fierceness behind their eyes that had not been there a few days ago. I pretended to ignore it and asked if I could enter. One of them briskly replied that she was busy with an important guest. I nodded, understanding. Really, with all the rumors flying around I wasn't surprised. It was for this possibility that I had written a second letter to Celestia telling her that I appreciated her hospitality and generosity and that I would, if I was able, return with all the haste that my people possessed regardless of the outcome of my journey to Everfree and give a full account of it myself. I asked the guards if they would be willing to deliver the two letters to the princess when she became available. Still staring at me with that unpleasant look, the one on the right accepted them. I thanked them and then went to Twilight's room to ask her for a favor before I left. I needed to get to Everfree with all possible haste, which meant teleportation. I didn't want to risk her life by taking her with me when Equestria would likely need the help of all its Unicorns soon enough if Drahngov really did decide to attack. But more importantly than that, she was my friend, and I didn't want her to die with me if to die really was my fate.
Of course, Twilight saw right through me.
"I've been in Everfree forest before on several occasions, and I've got a friend that lives there too who might be able to help. There's no way I'm letting you go in there alone." I didn't bother trying to argue with her. I'd tried arguing with girls that had their mind set on something before, and it rarely, if ever worked. Instead I grinned like an idiot.
"I should have known better than to try leaving you behind. Alright then, when can you be ready?"
"Within this minute." Twilight gathered up her things with her magic, levitated them into a bag, and then levitated the bag onto her back like Melinda had carried her own things. "Could you fasten the straps for me?" I nodded and crouched down. At first I couldn't see them and had to feel around a bit. Twilight started giggling. "Watch it, I'm ticklish!"
"Oops! Sorry, about that." After much more giggling I finally found both straps and pulled them together. "There we go! Tight enough?" She rolled her shoulders and cantered in place.
"Yeah, this should be fine."
"I left two notes for the princesses telling them thanks because Celestia was busy, but if you want to say goodbye I don't mind waiting a little longer." Twilight shook her head.
"I thought you might try to leave today even with your hands still hurting, so I said my farewells earlier while you were still sleeping. We can go now if you like."
"If it's really okay with you, I'm ready." She nodded and closed her eyes. Recalling the white flash last time we teleported, I did the same and waited.
When I opened them again we were back in Twilight's library. It was a mess.
"What the!?" I said, seeing piles of books stacked haphazardly. Spike was nowhere to be seen, though I could here some noise coming from one of the other rooms and from outside as well.
"SpiiiIIIKE!!" Twilight yelled. She looked rather peeved. The noise inside stopped and Spike ran into the room dragging a large burlap bag.
"Oh! Twilight! Good, you're both back! Listen, I could really use your help in packing! An adult Dragon came here earlier this morning and-"
"What in the HECK do you think you're doing with my books?!" Twilight interrupted, legs quivering.
"Oh, this?" he made a motion with his arms that encompassed the library. "I'm preparing to evacuate them to Applejack's storm cellar, of course! I didn't think you wanted them to be burnt to ashes when Drahngov's flock gets here!" Me and Twilight shared a look, then nodded. We had to find Thanatos now.
"Keep it up, Spike!" Twilight said before she made a run for her door. I followed.
"Hey wait! I could use a little he-" The door shut behind us and we kept running. All around us ponies were running from one place to another. Some seemed to be packing up belongings, but most just seemed to be panicking.
"Are you sure you don't want to pack up your things first? You're faster than I am on foot. You could probably finish up before I made my way to Everfree."
"You're not ditching me that easily, Jacob. Besides, I'm not heading for Everfree first. We're going to Fluttershy's place. She has a way with animals that I haven't seen any other pony imitate. If we get into a bind she might be able to convince them to leave us alone."
"Sounds good. Lead the way!"
I followed her as best I could, but in the end all I did was slow her down. Drat these two legs! I have a longer stride, but when these ponies run, they really run! Half an hour later we arrived at a small house surrounded by animals of all kinds from the small and timid bunny rabbit to the huge and intimidating grizzly bear.
"Woah!" I slid to a stop when I saw the bear. The bear looked up from the bowl of berries it was munching on and looked at me for a few seconds, then turned back to its food.
"If you do not try to take his food then he will not bother you." The yellow cream Pegasus said from her house's porch. She too was surrounded by animals.
"Fluttershy, we need your help! Jacob and I are going to look for an Alicorn in the Everfree forest but neither of us are particularly good with animals. Could you come along with us?" Flutter shy looked at the numerous small creatures around her.
"Oh no, I just couldn't! These poor things have been chased out of their homes by hunting Dragons from all over! I couldn't just leave them here by themselves!"
"But Fluttershy, if we can get this Alicorn to help us then we can drive the Dragons away and the animals can return."
"Besides that, Miss Fluttershy," I added. "The Dragons are going to attack here soon. If we don't find him then not only will these animals be displaced, but so will the citizens of Ponyville, and you as well, provided the Dragons don't kill or eat everybody." Fluttershy looked at her animals again, then looked at us.
"I- I-" she took a breath. "Okay. I'll go with you." Twilight and I smiled and thanked her. Fluttershy said goodbye to all of her animal friends (which took about an hour) and then together we followed the treeline to a path that led into the woods.
"If we follow this path then we should eventually come to Zecora's place."
"Who's Zecora?" I asked Twilight.
"Zecora is a medicine Zebra from another country. She's a bit different, and she speaks in rhyme, but she also knows these woods really well. If anyone might know if Thanatos is still alive or where to find his remains, it'd be her."
We walked for what felt like forever, always staying on the path. While we walked I got a prickly feeling on the back of my neck. It was the same feeling I got when Luna had been watching me that one night, only this one, rather than the simple 'you're being watched' feeling, it was...I don't know, malevolent. I looked over my shoulder every time I got this feeling, but always there was nothing but a wall of trees and various smaller plants. The sixth time I did it Twilight noticed and stopped.
"What is it?" I scanned the plants.
"I'm not sure, but I think we're being watched and followed. Whoever it is either doesn't want us here, or intends us harm." Fluttershy gulped and stepped closer to us, her gaze darting from one place to another. Twilight looked around too, but saw no more than I did.
"It's probably just your imagination, Jacob. Almost nothing ever steps onto this path except for us because Zecora splashes a potion onto it once a week to repel animals."
"Yeah, maybe." I allowed. Maybe, but I still felt a burning gaze on my back as soon as we faced forward again and started walking. While we walked I brought my backpack around to my front and took my wand out of it, then replaced the bag on my back again.
This time before I looked back I waited a good four minutes before I spun around with my wand upraised and my empty hand ready. There beside a large tree was a pair of red eyes gazing at me from a gaunt face. I gasped and whoever or whatever it was gave me a toothy grin before pulling its head back behind the tree again. This time Twilight and Fluttershy heard the foliage shift after my gasp and whirled too.
"What was it?" Twilgiht asked quietly while Flutterly quivered. My eyes narrowed.
"I'm not sure, but its eyes were red, and it grinned at me the same way that Drahngov grinned at Celestia that night at the party. Whoever, or whatever that thing was, it's a predator." We said nothing after that for a short while. During all this time our eyes scanned the forest around us. But whoever the red eyes belonged to never came back, and neither did the 'being watched' feeling. "I think it's gone." I said softly.
"Are you sure?" Fluttershy asked, still looking around.
"Yeah. I don't feel anything watching me anymore." Twilight gave me a funny look.
"Feel anything watching you?"
"Some of us Humans have a sort of sixth-sense that allow us to know when someone is watching us. Not every Human does, but a good portion of our population has it."
"Fascinating!" Twilight said, the look of an eager scholar covering her face. "Hey, when all this is over, do you think I could study you for awhile?" I laughed and all the sounds in the forest because dead quiet, as if my laughter was something alien. Perhaps it was.
"Sure, Twilight, but for now let's go ask Zecora if she's seen any Alicorns out here."
Oddly enough, though I never felt the eyes on my back again the forest did not become noisy again. If anything, it became even more quiet as the sun began to go down. A fog swirled around our feet that flowed out from the trees. This did not bother me, as I had gone camping with some of my school friends back when I was still a kid. The places we normally went camping were near a creek for easy access to fresh water, so it became foggy every night that we camped. What did bother me was that the fog seemed to remain clear in front of us, but slowing filled in behind us like a wall of white. This is a place of magic, so it's probably nothing to worry about. Sure, the magic is chaotic, but the fog filling in behind us could simply be a result of the breeze we're creating pulling it along. Though logical, this reasoning did little to put my mind at ease. I just keep picturing those eyes watching me! The image of the creature flashed through my mind again and I shivered. They weren't just red, they glowed! I must wonder if that thing was one of those 'Twisted Ones' that Veedar mentioned.
"Well, here we are!" Twilight said happily. "It's been awhile since I've visited her, I wonder how she's doing?"
"Let's find out. Shall I knock, or will you?"
"I'll knock. You just stand there and keep Fluttershy company. " I nodded and turned to ask Fluttershy how she was doing. She jumped when I spoke her name, then laughed nervously and looked embarrassed.
"Sorry, I'm not used to being in here."
"But don't most of your animal-friends live in here?" She shook her head.
"Most of them live in the meadows nearby. It's only the larger creatures like the bear you saw that are from the forests."
"What other kinds of creatures are there in here that come visit you?"
"Oh, I've seen a bobcat, several types of squirrels, a few chipmunks, a Jackalope, a few bats and birds, and one time a Manticore."
I stared at her. She said 'Manticore' with such a calm voice you'd have thought she was talking about a new pet dog. She tiled her head to one side, wondering at my reaction. Then I recalled that she'd also said 'Jackalope', which I had thought to be a fake creature.
"What's a Jackalope look like?"
"It looks like a wild hare, but it has a small version of a deer's antlers on its head between its ears." She tapped herself on the top of her head for visual effect.
"Ah. Just making sure."
"Do you have Jackalopes in your world too?" I shook my head.
"We have stories of them, but there aren't any actual pictures of them except what were made on a- machine." I almost said 'computer', but knew that she'd have no idea what I was talking about.
"What about Manticores? Do you have those too?"
"Only in fictional books. But then again, alot of what I've seen in your world I would have called fiction two months ago, so I suppose they could have existed at one time."
"That's strange..." Twilight said.I looked away from Fluttershy.
"What's strange?"
"There's a light burning in her house, and I can see movement, but she's not answering the door."
"Maybe she doesn't want any company?" Fluttershy suggested.
"Maybe, but normally even when she's busy she at least looks out the window- aack!" As she spoke a striped face popped up behind the window. This face also had red colored eyes. What should have been the whites were blacker than pitch.
"What the-?!" I exclaimed. Fluttershy gasped.
"Twilight Sparkle, it is you. And others I see, numbering two. You should leave here now, while you still may, before all gone is the light of day." She blinked.
"Zecora!" Twilight exclaimed. "What's happened to you?! Your eyes-"
"Twilight! Her eyes look exactly like the ones I saw back on the path! Whatever that thing was, she's one of them too!" I said, my face becoming suspicious and wary. I quickly looked around the clearing that Zecora's hut stood in. We still were alone, but I was becoming anxious as the light grew dimmer. It would not be completely night for a few more hours, but it would be dark in the forest long before then. Twilight, though unnerved by Zecora, still managed to keep her voice steady.
"Zecora, what's wrong? Are you sick? You look..." Twilight searched for a polite word, but I got the feeling that there wouldn't be one and finished her sentence for her.
"Scary. You look scary." Then I wished I hadn't spoken as Zecora turned her red and black gaze on me.
"No pony are you, which is curious. Are my eyes really so mysterious?" She smiled at me. Thankfully, her teeth were flat like every other pony that I had met, or I might have freaked. The feeling of being watched had returned, though I couldn't see anything when I looked around. Her smile was not cruel like the other creature's had been, but it did little to relieve my tension. "You should all go, before you are trapped. For when the night falls, my wards shall be snapped!"
"Zecora, we will leave, but tell us first, have you ever seen an Alicorn during your stay here?" Zecora raised an eyebrow.
"An Alicorn here, in forest of Everfree? Why, dear Twilight, do you ask this of me?"
"Because my two-legged friend needs to speak to him. We need his help to fight the Dragons."
"Dragons are strong, yes this is true, but they are far away. More danger awaits you here however, if you should choose to stay." Zecora keeps trying to get us to leave. What is it that's out here? Besides the un-described Twisted Ones, anyway. Two ways to find that out, and the one method I'd prefer not to use.
"Zecora." I said, walking closer to the hut's door where she stood behind her door. "Who or what are the Twisted Ones?" Zecora flinched and made a sound in her throat and backed away from the door. Twilight gave both Zecora and me a puzzled look. My face was very serious, but Zecora looked both afraid and angry.
"Why do you name those beings here?! Are you trying to draw them near?" Her eyes narrowed at me.
"Who are they?" I repeated. "I was told by an eyeless seer that they would kill me if I went into this forest. What are they?" Zecora came back to the door and looked at Twilight.
"Twilight, this being is a fool for tempting fate, lead him out, before his life abates." Her rhyming was getting on what little nerves I had left. The feeling of being watched had grown stronger. Controlling myself and my voice, I asked her to answer with a simple yes or no if she had seen an Alicorn or not. Her answer in short was a yes, but in total was confusing. "An Alicorn he once was, but is no more, too much pain and time alone he has had to endure."
"Where can I find him? I need to speak to him." Zecora laughed. There was no humor in it.
"That is something you cannot do, for remain too long, and he shall come for you. "
"So all I need to do is wait and he'll show up. Fine. Then I shall wait." I turned away from Zecora and walked a few paces away from her hut. I pointed my empty hand at a few dead branches still attached to trees and willed them to break and come to rest in a pile at my feet. Once this was done I arranged them like a teepee and took my lighter out of my pocket. Gathering a few fistfuls of leaves from the ground I built a fire and sat down in front of it, keeping watch on the forest ahead of me. I placed my wand in my lap, laced my fingers together and rested my head on top. Fluttershy came over by the fire and also sat down near it. Zecora was not done trying to convince us to leave, however. She continued talking to Twilight Sparkle, whom continued trying to find out why Zecora's eyes had gone strange. Eventually she got an answer and I began listening again.
"Ancient blood runs strong in me, just as sap does in these old trees. Long ago this forest was changed, and ancestors of mine became deranged. Attacked their neighbors and their kin, without mercy they committed much of this sin. Wild magic stained their souls, and in their minds created holes. They fought for blood, and for fun, it overjoyed them to watch their prey run! But then two came from lands unknown, and salvation to us all was shown. They led them back inside these woods, and trapped them in ancient neighborhoods. Now their homes are all long gone, ever living though, they go on. They hunt the foolish, those whom come on this night, and they overwhelm, no matter how they fight." Twilight later told me that when she said that last line that she looked at me. I wasn't surprised. "Though rarely known of by that name, their title still fits the same: They are the Bloody Hooves, and murder is their game." The vegetation shuffled around in several places, and for half a moment I could have sworn I saw a single red eye peeking out from behind some thick ferns.
"But what about the Alicorn?" Twilight pressed. "How has he stayed alive all this time with these crazed ponies running around?"
"She never said that he did, Twilight." Twilight looked at me as I turned my head around to once more look at Zecora. "He's one of them now, isn't he? That's why he'd come for us. He's seeking prey too." Zecora nodded and Twilight gasped. "Is there any chance of him coming back to his senses?" Zecora slowly shook her head.
"Know this, I do not. It is only their blood that I've got."
"Bloody Hooves? Does that mean that they're ponies?"
"One they were, but no more. Now they lust for blood and gore."
"So until the sun sets they'll leave us alone?" I asked. Zecora nodded. An idea had begun to form in my mind. Veedar said that they'd kill me if I entered the forest. But if I could draw them through the Stone Arch Gateway and into my world, and then close it, their numbers, however many of them there were in these woods would be limited and I could re-enter when, or if I could make Thanatos remember who he was after the sun rose here again. If I couldn't wake him up, then at the very least I'd be able to put him out of his misery. Or try to. I had two horns in my wand, which would probably balance out the hot vs cold of Luna's horn. But will that be enough for me to take Thanatos head-on? Probably not. But it won't matter if the lesser Twisted Ones swarm us first. I stood up from the fire. Fluttershy watched me as I approached the wall of trees and raised my wand. Which way to the gate? I felt the familiar tug. Straight ahead.
"Twilight." I asked, looking up at the sky. "How long do you think it will be before it's dark enough in here to imitate nightfall?" Twilight stopped speaking to Zecora and looked up and then around us.
"I'd estimate maybe...forty minutes. Outside the woods maybe an hour. If we're going to leave, we should do so now." I looked to where I thought I had seen the red eye. No movement, no staring eye.
"My survival instinct is insisting that we should leave, but if Zecora meant that they hunt specifically on 'this night' we might not get a chance to look for Thanatos again until this day next year. And we can't afford to wait that long. I have an idea that might work as far as us surviving goes, but I need to know if you and Fluttershy are willing to stay with me after nightfall. If you aren't, then I won't hold it against you for being smart, but I'm staying either way."
"Another dumb idea?"
"Another risky idea. If this doesn't pan out we could all die."
"What did you have in mind?"
A few minutes later we were running through the woods towards the Stone Arch Gateway. This deep in the woods my longer legs gave me the advantage because I could easily jump over the higher roots whereas Twililght and Fluttershy had to go around them. Now the 'being watched' feeling was constant and from time to time several pairs of red eyes ran along with us in the trees. Once the same pony that I'd seen back on the path leaped across our beeline and flashed me the grin again. I bared my teeth at him (her?) and kept running.
"Was that one of the Bl-Bl-" Fluttershy either couldn't get the words out, or didn't want to.
"Yeah, I think it was, Fluttershy. They're following us." Fluttershy looked behind us, eeped, and then looked around us and eeped again and increased her pace. I tripped over a low-hanging vine and nearly fell. Twilight caught me with her magic and steadied me. I thanked her, and then returned to my former running rate.
It was almost too dark to see when we reached the clearing and what I saw before the sealed doors shocked and frightened me so much I forgot about my companions and they crashed into me. Together we fell to the grass in a pile. There, standing taller than myself stood a black-hide Alicorn with burning red eyes. His hooves were cloven like two claws. He was very muscular. So much so that he looked like a war horse from the ancient (Earth) world. The hair on his hide was short and looked spiny rather than like fuzz. His mane and tail were short and measured only five inches and was ill-tended as if it has been clipped by teeth or by a Human child the first time they cut their hair. His mouth was slightly open and revealed fangs rather than teeth.
But even with the noise we made he ignored us. He was too busy staring at the stone door as if expecting someone to come through it.
"What's he doing?" Fluttershy whispered.
"I don't know, Fluttershy." Twilight replied.
"He looks sad!" Fluttershy said.
"Maybe he does, but his friends don't!" I said as the Bloody Hooves that had been following us joined us in the clearing. All of them were grinning now as they formed a circle around us. Some of them were missing teeth, and one was missing an eye, which was probably the one that watched us at Zecora's home. We all stood to our feet, and prepared to defend ourselves. My plan might still work, but we'd have to get rid of the six that had followed is first before we could have any hope of dealing with Thanatos. I just prayed that he wouldn't decide to join in the 'fun'. I pulled my lighter out of my pocket while catching my breath.
"We smell the yellow one's fear! So sweet!" One of them said in a scratchy voice.
"Never seen a two-leg before! He's a big one!" Another said.
"Maybe taller, but not as much meat." This one stuck out a tongue.
"But food comes later, first comes fun!!" This one's voice sounded like it had been created in G-Major.
Two of the six ran at us first. They were fast. Really fast. As in Rainbow-Dash-diving-at-the-ground fast! Where once they had stood twenty feet away they now stood in front of us in less than two seconds. Twilight brought up a barrier around us, which stopped one, but the second leaped over it and tackled me mouth first. I instinctively raised an arm to block its assault and its fangs sank into my flesh.
"AAAgghh!" I screamed as it began to wrench its head back and forth. Blood poured from my new injury. Unfortunately when it bit me I dropped the lighter, so I used the wand as a bludgeoning weapon to no visible effect. Then two more ran at us from outside the barrier. These two both made it over and attacked, but I didn't pay them any mind at first. I gripped the wand tightly in my free arm and stabbed it into my aggressor's right eye. It made no sound of pain, but the grip it had on my arm loosened. Seizing its moment of weakness I stabbed my now-dirty wand into its other eye and willed a spike of earth to skewer my enemy. It did not skewer him, but it did knock it up into the air and break a few ribs. My arm was pulled upward along with my enemy's mouth, which made it hurt even more. Tears leaked from the corners of my eyes which shook my concentration but I still managed just enough to free my arm. My blood now flowed freely and dripped very frequently from my fingertips. I turned to see how Twilight and Fluttershy were fairing. Twilight was struggling, but surprisingly it was Fluttershy that was holding her own against her enemy, and even beating it back. Like a kung-foo pony she punched, kicked, and even performed an over-the-shoulder throw. I stared, mouth agape. You have got to be kidding. Fluttershy of all ponies is a living weapon?! My moment of shock was quickly over when the remaining three came at us. Or rather, at me. I turned to face them as they joined us inside the barrier. One of them was bigger than the others and attacked me head-on. The other two circled around from either side. I pointed my wand at the big one out front and thought about tree roots whipping up from the ground and wrapping around his legs. One did and he fell to the ground. The BH of my left bit into my leg right above the knee, and the other one jumped and threw itself into my chest and knocked me to the ground. The one on my leg tore loose, taking a chunk of my leg with its mouth and made a beeline for my throat. I punched it in the face with my hurt arm and nearly screamed again. It didn't stop it but it missed and slammed into the dirt instead. The one on the right was suddenly crashed into by the BH that had been trying to kill Twilight Sparkle. Fluttershy had snapped its neck and Twilight threw it into him with her magic. Seeing the barrier was pointless now, she dropped it. In the meantime the BH that had crashed into the now-dispelled barrier stood up and jumped onto Fluttershy's back and bit at her neck. Twilight hurried to assist her while I still wrestled with mine. I punched it again, this time with my other arm. It laughed.
"This is the most fun we've had in ages! Even if you defeat us, our brothers and sisters will come for our bodies and in time we shall walk again! You cannot kill us!"
"No? I take it you've never had your head blown apart." I stabbed my wand into its mouth and focused on the mental image of the blood in its head boiling. Within seconds its head did indeed explode. Blood, bone fragments and other gore splattered all over me and I wretched a few times before finally turning on my side and vomiting.
The BH attacking Fluttershy managed to get in a bite, but it apparently wasn't bad because Fluttershy was still on her feet. Twilight was hitting the creature repeatedly anywhere that she could, and the BH began clawing Fluttershy in retaliation. Unable to get loose, Fluttershy ran across the open area and threw both herself and the BH into a tree trunk. There was an audible snap and the BH let go and slumped to the ground. Broken neck. Good riddance! I thought as Fluttershy walked back over to Twilight, not saying a word. Fluttershy was shaking all over. She slowly turned her head to look at Twilight, and began to cry. I didn't hold it against her. Fluttershy was a gentle soul, and killing a being that resembled her own kind must have been hard. I myself had no problem with it other than the gory mess I'd made, but that was because I saw them as monsters and not people/ponies.
"Thank you for saving me, Fluttershy." I said, pain pulsing through my left leg and left arm. It was not a good night for the left side of my body. " My body had also started to quiver and I began to feel weak. Blood loss is starting to get to me. I'd better heal up my leg at the very least. With effort I managed to sit up and placed my injured arm over the bleeding hole where the meat was torn away and tried to concentrate.
Thankfully, Thanatos was still ignoring us and after a fifteen seconds my leg stopped bleeding and began to heal. It was slow and tiring work, and this was made worse by my already feeling weak. I felt about ready to fall over when Twilight came to me and offered her help. I gratefully accepted and rested while she finished my leg. When we were done I tried to stand and found that I could not, so I laid back down.
"Do you want me to heal your arm as well?" Twilight asked. I rocked my head from one side to the other. I rocked my head.
"Save your energy, Twilight. We may have need of it again soon."
"Are you okay?" I nodded.
"Just tired. If I could sleep for a few hours I'd be right as rain."
"But we probably don't have that long!"
"I know, I know. I'm sorry for dragging you two into this." I rubbed my face with my wand-hand. My wand I left on the ground. Now I can't even stand to open the way."
"You can't, but I can." Twilight said, turning towards the gateway.
"Twilight, no. He might attack you."
"And if I don't, more Bloody Hooves are going to attack us. There's no other way."
"Why not just teleport us out?"
"I considered that when the Bloody Hooves first attacked us. I couldn't do it. The magic here is too wild. I could still try, but we might end up fused together, and that would not be pleasant. Trust me, we're stuck here unless we can get to your world."
"Just...be careful. At the first sign he tries anything, I want you and Fluttershy to run. Don't worry about me, and don't-" Both girls raised a hoof to object. "don't argue with me. I'd only slow you down and get you killed." Fluttershy smiled and Twilight rolled her eyes.
"We're not going to leave you, Jacob Lighthand. You risked your life for us, now we are going to return the favor."
"You're the bravest beings I know, girls, but you already did just by following me out here in the first place when Zecora warned us over and over to leave."
"Jacob...Lighthand...?" A deep hollow voice asked. We turned to look at the voice. It was Thanatos. "Light...hand..." Slowly, he turned away from the gateway. "Light...hand?" his eyes were bad enough when they were looking away, but to have him look me in the eye made me want to either snuggle under a blanket or lay a hand on his shoulder. He gave off this feeling of emptiness and sorrow and hate. But his hate was not aimed at us. "Lighthand..." A single tear dripped from one eye. Thanatos blinked and took one step toward us. Twilight and Flutterhsy both turned their bodies to face him and bent their knees and lowered their heads as if expecting an attack.
"Yes, I am Jacob Lighthand." I said from the ground.
"Be quiet, Jacob! Don't encourage it!" Thanatos took another step and sniffed the air.
"Blood?" He said slowly.
"We were attacked."
"Jacob!" I struggled, and eventually sat up.
"Thanatos, the Dragons are massing again and could attack us any day now. Equestria needs you."
"Passage was shut..." Thanatos turned his head towards the gateway.
"Shut, but not locked. Mace left a way for me to cross over."
"Mace...Oh, MACE!!!" Thanatos fell forward onto his front knees and gored the ground with his horn. Fluttershy leaned close to my ear.
"I think he's insane, Jacob." Fluttershy whispered. Her voice was pitying. I looked at her and nodded. I agreed. Thanatos turned away from us for a moment. When he turned back again I suddenly felt afraid of him all over again. He was baring his teeth at us, and not in a smile.
"You not harm him..."
"Ladies, I think we should open that gateway now." I said. Looking nervously at the ancient Alicorn, Twilight trotted around Thanatos, giving him a wide berth. Thanatos ignored her, his eyes focused on where myself and Fluttershy were.
"How do I open it?"
"Screw your horn into the hole, then withdraw without turning back." Thanatos snorted, his eyes glowing brighter. He hoofed the ground like a bull.
"You not harm him!" He said again, and his wings extended. The feathers were dirty and some were missing, but they still looked functional.
The Gateway opened and Twilight ran back over to me. With Fluttershy's help, they grabbed my arms and dragged me towards the daylight waiting on the other side.
"I will not fail again!!!" Thanatos gave chase.
__ __ __ __ __
"And this is the place?" Jacob's father asked asked the cab driver as his cab rolled to a stop.
"Yes, this is it. Not much to look at, is it?"
"Would you mind waiting here for us? We're going out there to have a look around." The driver nodded.
"Take all the time you need."
Mr. And Mrs. Lighthand got out of the cab and began walking along a dirt path until they reached an almost-dry riverbed. There in the soft earth they found some footprints, but they could have been anyone's. Still, it gave them a sense of hope, and they followed the river to the left. Jacob's father didn't know why he chose that way over going to the right, but it just felt like he should. After twenty minutes of finding no other sign of life except a few birds and small animals, Mr. Lighthand began to wonder if they shouldn't have gone the other way after all. He stopped looked around. In the distance he could see the taxicab still waiting for them by the side of the road, and the road itself, but there wasn't much else here at all. No buildings, no trees, nothing except a few bushes, and a pile of stones further along.
"Honey, let's try the other way. There's nothing here." He said, sighing.
"Let's at least go to those stones first, dear. Maybe he left something for us there." He doubted it, but Mr. Lighthand supposed it was possible.
"Alright." So they walked to the pile of stones and examined it. Rocks, rocks, and more- hey wait a minute, what's this? Mr. Lighthand reached down and ran his finger of a mark carved into one of the stones. I know this mark! This is a tattoo my father had. But what's it doing here? It can't be... It occurred to him for the first time in years that there might have been some truth to the old stories his father used to tell him before bed. Of course the magic part was still probably rubbish, but this at least meant that his family had been here before.
"What'd you find, honey?" his wife asked.
"It's-" Suddenly the stones began to glow and both of them stumbled back away a few steps from it.
"What the hell?!" Jacob's father exclaimed. Before his eyes the stones lifted off the ground and placed themselves together in a way that made them look like a doorway. Then a picture of light formed in the middle that looked like a door.
Jacob's father reached out a hand and tried to touch it, but his hand passed through. Suddenly the doors swung outward as if someone had slammed into them with a battering ram and two odd colored ponies dragging a Human between them.
"Home sweet home!" The Human said sarcastically. I know that voice!
"Jacob! It's you!" His father exclaimed, overjoyed.
"Jacob?!" His mother echoed. Both parents ran to their child and took them from the pony-things.
"Mom? Dad?!" Jacbo turned his head "What are you doing- Oh no! You've got to run! Run away, he's still coming!!!"
"Who's coming, Jacob?" His mother asked.
"Thanatos! He's right behind-"
Suddenly a creature that made them think of a Demon also followed their son through the stone archway. It stopped and snorted and reared when it sighted the two new figures.
"DIE!" It shouted, waving its hoofed legs about while Mrs. Lighthand screamed.
__ __ __ __ __
Trixie carefully edged along the marble wall, taking care to be as quiet as possible. Stealing the Unicorn horn from the city crypt had been easy enough as no one had been guarding it. After all, what did the deceased have worth stealing? It had taken her a hacksaw and twenty minutes of sawing to get it off the skull it had been attached to, but in the end it was hers. Sneaking it past the guards and stowing it away in Jacob's room was decidedly more difficult. The gate guards had been asleep, so it had not been hard to get by them, but there never seemed to be a shortage of servants about. She had nearly gotten caught a few times, but made the excuse that Jacob had left it behind and she was making sure it did not get lost. That seemed to be enough and using that excuse she eventually arrived back at her room. She hid the horn underneath her matress and then made began to explore the palace more earnestly. She knew from her foal days in school that the royal family had their family crypt below the palace, but where it was she couldn't remember.
On the first floor she found nothing particularly helpful except a set of stairs leading down onto the library level. The guards would not let her into the library itself, so she ignored the library and searched the rest of the floor. Next to a closet she found another set of stairs and followed those down as well. At the bottom of the steps was a large door with the sun symbol that was Celestia's crest as well as Luna's. This could be it! Luna pushed on the door, and indeed it was the royal crypt, two inch layer of dust on everything and all. There was just one problem and it was that the dead were in coffins with stone lids that were too heavy for Trixie's child-body to move.
"Grrr!" Trixie growled. "Curse this weak body!" On the off chance that one of the coffins were lighter than the other she tried to push the lids off them as well. There were only four coffins, and all of them were too heavy for her to move, though one of them looked as if it had been moved recently. "If only I had my magic, this would not be a problem!" But she did not, and so it was. This did not stop her from wasting several more hours trying to so much as budge one of the lids an inch, however.
Author's Note: I think this is not one of my better chapters, but it needed to be done.
Chapter 10
"What the heck is that?!" Mr. Lighthand exclaimed, helping me to my feet.
"Long story, but there's no time for that right now! You two have to run! We'll hold him as long as we can!"
"And leave you behind? Never!" My mother said, throwing glances at the frightening creature every other second.
"If you don't, he might kill you! I could never live with myself if I got my own parents killed!"
"These Humans are your parents, Jacob?" Twilight Sparkle asked. I nodded and she looked first at my mother, then at my father. "Yes, I can see the similarities between you." Addressing them, she said that I was right. "We're the only ones that can challenge him, but neither of us even working together have any hope of beating him." My parents stared at her.
"That horse just talked." My father said.
"Actually they're ponies, but yeah she did. But seriously, you need-"
Thanatos stopped waving his legs about and began running straight at us. Again, he was much faster than I had expected, and had bowled through our little group in less than five seconds. But strangely enough he veered away from me and my parents and attacked Fluttershy first. Fluttershy jumped backward, using her wings for an extra boost. Thanatos jabbed with his horn like a fencer does with his/her weapon again and again, forcing Fluttershy to dodge and twist her body so quickly that she looked as if she were performing an odd dance. Fluttershy looked terrified, and Twilight aimed her horn at Thanatos, the familiar purple glow turning into a bright shining light. There was a sickening crack sound and Thanatos suddenly fell to one side. His left front leg was bent at an odd angle, which meant that Twilight had broken it. At first I was relieved, but my reaction was proven foolish as Thanatos' horn also began to glow a bright orange. His leg snapped again, but this time when it snapped it realigned and he quickly stood to his feet and glared at Twilight, his horn still glowing.
"What just happened, Jacob?" My mother asked. "What are we witnessing?"
"The purple pony, Twilight Sparkle, my friend, just used magic to break Thanatos' leg. Thanatos used his own magic to heal himself and is now very angry."
"Magic?! " My father exclaimed. "Magic is real?! "
"See for yourself." I lifted my wand up and pointed it at Thanatos. I then reached for the lighter that I had forgotten I'd dropped in Everfree forest. "Crud! My lighter's gone!" Twilight rocketed backwards and upwards in an arch. Fluttershy, seeing this flew after her with the intent of catching her. Thanatos' eyes flicked up to Fluttershy and her wings clapped to her sides and she fell to the ground with a surprised yelp. Thanatos ran at her with his head lowered and horn no longer glowing. I changed my tactics from attack to defense and willed Fluttershy to be pulled to me instead. Thanatos' horn rammed into the earth and growled in frustration before wrenching free and searching for another target. My parents stared at me as I now levitated Fluttershy to her feet.
"Get Twilight. I'll hold him back." Fluttershy nodded and once more took wing. Thanatos looked at her again. "Hey!" I yelled at him.
"What are you doing? Are you trying to get killed?" My mother asked.
"Mom, if you're not going to run, then don't distract me. Using magic is tiring, and I'm already worn out from an earlier battle." I said as politely as I could while I tried to think of a way to stall him. We'd probably have to kill him to stop him, but as long as he could use magic doing any permanent damage to him was going to be impossible. Which means I need to either kill him in one blow, or else remove his horn from his head. But can I really do that? I doubted that. I was tired, and without my parents holding me up I'd still be on the ground. My parents! That's it! "Dad, I know that you don't believe in magic, but I need you to believe, if only for today. I'm tired. Very tired, and if I fight him I'll pass out before I can do anything useful. I need you to take my wand and kill him." My father stared first at me, then at Thanatos, and then at my wand.
"I can't use magic!"
"Hold my wand in your hand, and you can. It was made in part with my blood, and my blood is yours and mom's blood. Trust me, and help me. Just will something to happen, concentrate, and it will." My father hesitated, and then slowly reached for the wand. My mother, however, took better initiative and snatched it out of my hand first. I looked at her, confused. My mother of all people? She didn't believe in anything unless- Unless she saw it as proof, which she has.
"This thing attacked you. That makes me angry." She said simply. "Roger, hold him." My dad nodded and used his other arm to support my body as well. She strode towards it and stopped a few feet away, glaring at Thanatos. Mom glanced at the collapsed stones of the Stone Arch Gateway and raised her empty hand palm up to eye level. As if she'd been doing this for much longer than I had several stones rose from the pile and with a sweeping motion of her arm the stones slammed into Thanatos' backside and knocked him over. Mom wasn't done with the stones after that, though. She raised them again and slammed them down onto Thanatos' back several times like hammer for tenderizing meat. Thanatos shrieked in pain but did not die. Each time that my mother raised the stones he rapid-healed himself and the damage was undone. "I feel hot from doing this!" Mom stated, sweat becoming visible on her skin. "Why?"
"It's the wand." I explained while she kept pummeling him. "That wand is made mostly from two Unicorn horns. Holding one in your hand makes you feel warm, but two makes you feel hot."
"What happens if I hold three or more?" She asked.
"I don't know. I haven't tried."
Suddenly Thanatos changed tactics. Rather than healing himself he created a rush of wind that knocked my mother off her feet, breaking her concentration and giving him time to heal himself again and launch another attack. Thanatos took the stones she'd been using and threw them at her.
"MOM!"
"AGATHA!" My father and I yelled at the same time. One of the smaller stones clipped her wand-arm and she screamed as her arm bent the wrong way. The others, to my relief and gratitude were blocked by a glowing purple shield. Fluttershy had indeed managed to catch up to Twilight before she hit the ground and had made sure she reached the ground safely, then they ran back to join us.
"Dad, for the last time, get mom and run! We're not going to win-" The sound of car's engine interrupted my thoughts. I turned to see where it was coming from and to my surprise it was a taxi cab. I was even more surprised to see the same driver from before driving it. Twilight and Fluttershy and even Thanatos all turned and stared at this new creature.
A few feet away from us he stomped on his brakes and came to an abrupt stop. The driver reached for his glove compartment and then opened his door. When he got up he raised a six-shot revolver and asked who he was supposed to shoot.
"The black one! The black one!" My father yelled. The driver nodded and fired four shots at Thanatos. Two hit his neck, one missed, and one his hit jaw. Thanatos shrieked again, horn still glowing. He again healed the injuries in seconds and reared. When his hooves came back down a wave of earth ripped up from the flat ground and rolled like an oceanic wave at him. The driver dove back into his car and his door was torn off when the dirt went by. He gaped at the damage, and then reached for his glove compartment again. Probably for more bullets. I thought while dad carried me along with him to mom's side. He moved one of his arms from me to her and pulled us both up, heading for the cab.
"Dad! My wand!"
"Forget the wand! Your lives are more important to me!" The cab driver began shooting at Thanatos again while Twilight and Fluttershy covered their ears.
"No! I will not leave it here!" I shoved at him, but to no avail. My after opened the rear passenger door and put me in first, followed by mom. I opened the other door and tried to crawl back to it, but dad caught me again.
"Don't make me knock you out, Jacob P. Lighthand!" He said angrily. "We're leaving, and right now!"
"The hell we are! I'm not leaving my friends here to die!" My father ignored me and told the driver to start the car.
"We're getting out of here!" The driver nodded and tossed the gun into the front passenger seat and got back in.
"Twilight! Fluttershy! Get over here! Hurry!" I yelled as my after once more put me in the car. "We're leaving!"
"But what about Thanatos? We can't just let him run around free!"
"I don't have any say in the matter!" I replied. "Just get over here! We'll go after him later!" Flutter shy and Twilight looked back at Thanatos, who was lifting the stones again, then ran. They made it to the car and jumped in the back with me and mom. My dad ran to the front passenger seat and the driver put the cab in reverse, flooring it. Dirt was kicked up by the tires and we sped backwards away from Thanatos, who once more hurled the stones at us. The driver spun the wheel to the right and dodged, then shifted again so he'd be going forward and once more floored it. We sped away from the deranged Alicorn, who attempted to give chase. The Driver shifted again, and then again as we picked up speed, and in the end we left Thanatos in the dust.
At every jolt my mother tried not to scream, but still made a sharp intake of breath and then cried after.
"Where to?" the cab driver asked when we reached the pavement again, sounding frantic.
"A hospital! I don't care which as long as its close!" My father answered. The cab driver nodded and we sped down the road.
When we arrived at the hospital everyone outside stared at the damaged car. My father told him to stop outside the doors, and once there he hopped out of his seat, grabbed my mother and then ran into the hospital hollering that he needed help. The rest of us stayed in the cab. I still couldn't muster the strength to do more than sit up, and with Twilight on my lap I wouldn't have been able to stand anyway.
"Aren't we going to go after him?" Fluttershy asked. "Your mother looked like she was in alot of pain."
"She is, but I don't think that would be a good idea."
"Why not?" Twilight asked.
"Look around you, girls. What do you see?" They looked out the windows for a minute or so.
"I see more of these strange vehicles, tall buildings, lots of your kind, and alot of small animals being chased out by more of your kind."
"Do you see any ponies or horses anywhere?"
"No...wait! I see one there!" Twilight pointed at a horse being ridden by a police lady.
"Yes. One. And that horse can't talk like you can."
"It can't? Why not?"
"I don't know. But equines don't talk on Earth. None of them. Unicorns don't exist here except in legends, and the same goes for your people, Fluttershy. And especially not in your coloration." The driver looked in the back seat and gaped when he heard 'Unicorn'.
"By the queen! Little talking horses!"
"Ponies, actually." I corrected, my tone as if this were the most normal thing in the world.
"They are talking!" He repeated.
"Yes they are. And one is a Unicorn and the other a Pegasus." The driver looked back and forth between them a bit, then looked at me.
"If that's what these two are, was that big thing a combination of the two?"
"Maybe, but I doubt it. He was an Alicorn. Thanks for coming to our rescue, by the way." He looked at his door and frowned.
"When I heard your mother scream I looked across the field and saw several tiny figures. I started my car and drove out there thinking that a few hikers decided to rob you."
"And the gun?" His frown became a smug smile.
"Occasionally I get people that think they can ride without paying or try to steal my car. A pistol muzzle pointed at their face usually changes their mind."
"I thought you said your people didn't have magic, Jacob."
"We don't, little miss. This weapon uses gunpowder to propel its bullets."
"Gunpowder?" She asked.
"Gunpowder is the successor to Black Powder, which is what is used to make some types of firecrackers." I explained. Wow! History class can be useful!
"So your people turned fireworks into a weapon?" Fluttershy asked, sad that something that was made for beauty and entertainment was being used to kill.
"You would be surprised what we've made into weapons, little miss." The cabby said. "And what we've made based on weapon designs." He looked at me. "What do you want me to do now?" I considered this. While I did an ambulance screamed into the parking lot next to us and the driver and his assistant got out of the vehicle and raced to the back to unlock the door. They pulled out a man with a large chest injury and a big scratch across his forehead whom was screaming that he couldn't see and wanted to know where his wife was.
"The drugs aren't working!" One of them yelled over the injured man's screams.
"Open the door." Twilight said. I gave her a look that said that I knew what she was thinking and that it was a bad idea.
"I didn't leave you in pain, don't ask me to do the opposite for someone else!" She said fiercely to me, looking angry. Feeling ashamed, I nodded and opened the door. She leaped out and ran to the wheeled stretcher. "Move!" she said. The two medical men were too shocked at her appearance to do anything and she stood on her hind legs and placed her fore on the stretcher. "Stay still! I can help you!" Her horn began to glow.
I quickly got out of the car as well and, wobbling on my weak legs, joined her at the stretcher and told the medical guys to bugger off and
"Let the lady work!" Two minutes later he had stopped screaming and was looking at us in shock.
"Am I hallucinating?" he asked.
"No." Twilight answered, breathing heavily. "You're not."
"Thank you." he said, looking relieved. "Thank you so much!" He looked at the two men that had driven him here. "Now where's my wife?"
"Sir, you should relax-"
"I don't want to relax!" he shouted, sitting up and grabbing him by the neck of hist shirt. "You tell me where my wife is!" The medical man licked his lips and told him that his wife had not survived the accident. The man on the stretcher blinked, and a muscle under one eye twitched. He let the medical man go and fell back onto the stretcher and cried.
"Come on, Twilight." I said, leading her away. We're drawing a crowd. We don't want to be here any longer than we need to."
"Please! Help me! Someone help me!" A woman from the parking lot cried out. "My son was just hit by a car! He's in my backseat! Please! Anyone?!" Twilight looked up at me. I knew there'd be no stopping her. I smiled and nodded.
"But let me carry you there. I get the feeling this is going to be a long day."
Several minutes later I carried Twilight back to the cab and gave him directions to my hotel. A crowd had indeed been drawn and multiple people were taking pictures with cell phones, cameras, and others kept asking for help. Finally I yelled that Twilight wasn't a vending machine and that she was tired. "Drive." I said to our driver. He nodded and left the parking lot.
When we arrived at a the motel our driver suggested I once more carried Twilight, this time into my rented room. I set her down on the bed and then pulled my wallet out of my backpack and gave him all the money I had left. "I doubt this will be even close enough to replacing your door, but it's all I've got."
"Oh, don't worry about it." he said, handing most of it back." (He kept the fee for the ride.) "After I get back I am probably going to be interviewed by several news crews. All that attention for my company should keep me from loosing my job at the very least, and if I am lucky my boss might even give me a new car. You three should probably lay low for awhile if you don't want a crowd of miracle-seekers and paparazzi following you around, though. I'm guessing that after this you'll just want to be left alone?" I nodded. "Well good luck with that. Give me a call if you need another ride anywhere. Just let me know if there's going to be any evil mythical creatures involved next time." He waved and then left. Following his advice I retreated indoors and shut and locked my door.
I called my father's cell phone from the motel since my own phone battery had long-since died. He answered that even though the break was bad it had been set and would heal up after several months. He asked how we were doing and I told him everything that had happened.
"You didn't tell me she had healing powers! We could have healed your mother without having to go to the hospital at all!"
"I had alot on my mind at the time, dad, and I still do. Besides, as soon as we got to the hospital you practically flew inside carrying mom. It was a bit late to go after you."
"Where are you now?"
"I'm staying a motel that the driver recommended. I borrowed the cab driver's cell phone and reserved it before we arrived."
"Well that was nice of him. What's the address?" I told him. "Alright. Is your cell phone charged?"
"No, but I'll get it charging when we're done talking."
"Well don't go anywhere. As soon as the doctor gives permission we'll come to you, okay?"
"Alright. I'll talk to you later, dad."
"I love you son."
"I love you too, dad. Tell mom I said I love her too and thanks for helping us back in the field."
"I will. Bye."
"Bye." I hung the phone up. Fluttershy was poking at the small box TV on the dresser in front of the bed that Twilight was sleeping on. I picked up the television remote on the nightstand next to a lamp and the wired telepone and pressed the power button. Fluttershy jumped back as an image appeared on the screen that displayed a man and woman in the late eighteen hundreds dancing on a polished wooden floor to violin music.
"What- what is that?!" She said, looking at me a little frightened and curious like a child.
"That's a television. Our people use it for several things, but mostly for entertainment."
"How do you get those pon- er, Humans inside it?"
"We don't. It's only an image projected on the glass. Think of it like an illusion spell placed on a mirror." Fluttershy tilted her head to one side as the woman on the TV whirled around and her dress spread out like a blooming flower. She then whirled again back to the man's arms and they resumed moving about the floor on in-tandem a step at a time. Their faces said they were focused more on one another than the actual dancing.
"Are they dancing?" I nodded.
"Yes."
"I've never seen dancing like that before!"
"That makes sense being as as we have only two legs whereas you have four. Our styles are bound to be different."
A few minutes of watching later they ceased dancing and the man lifted one of her hands and kissed it.
"Thank you for the dance, Diana. I hope that you'll honor me with another later tonight?" She nodded and they shared a smile before parting. Then the movie (or TV show) faded to black and a commercial came on.
"What happened? Is it over?"
"I don't think so. This bit is a commercial. Or to put it another way, a video version of an advertisement. What was on before should return in a bit." I set the TV remote down on top of the television and crossed the room to use the bathroom. When I came back Fluttershy was trying to stand on her hind legs like she'd seen on TV. She extended her wings to help with balance, but she still found it to be challenging. I said nothing and watched from the bathroom door. When she fell a third time I walked over and asked her if she wanted help. She blushed and asked how long I had been watching.
"Not long. Want help?" She looked at Twilight, who was still asleep, then nodded. I approached her and got onto my knees. "Stand on your hind legs again and place your front hooves on my shoulders." She did so.
After an hour of her using me as a living walker her legs got tired and she hopped down again.
"How do you manage to make it look so easy?" She asked, rubbing her sore legs. I shrugged.
"I guess it's just the way we're built."
"Um...would you mind if I took a nap on the bed too? If...it it's not too much trouble, I mean..."
"No trouble at all, Fluttershy. Make yourself at home." I yawned. "Come to think of it, I could use a nap too. I've gotten too used to your world's hours and those fights earlier have taken their toll."
I closed the curtains on the window and then laid myself down on Twilight's right. Fluttershy laid down on her left. I covered my head with one of the pillows on the bed to block out even more of the light, and slowly dozed.
__ __ __ __ __
Thanatos howled at the empty wilderness around him. The two creature-ponies that had cornered the Lighthand Human had proven worthy adversaries. The yellow one was fast. Almost as fast as his forest brethren were. No...not my brethren...no they are...no... He didn't know anymore. Who was friend and who was foe? That Human female certainly had not been a friend as she had attacked him, and the older male had not been either. The male held the Lighthand descendant while the two female creature-ponies and Human female also fought against him. Then another Human in a metal beast had arrived and stolen the Lighthand away and left him behind, lost and alone. But I am not defeated, and I will not give up. I failed Mace, but I will not fail to protect his kin!
Thanatos had not always been like this, he remembered. Once, he had been of orange hide. Now only his horn was still orange, and his old memories were fragmented. He no longer recalled the details to how Mace had died, only that they had been surrounded by enemies and Mace had been too tired after the binding spell to defend himself properly. He and Thanatos had been separated and in the end both had fallen to them. Thanatos did not know how he was alive now, nor how much time had passed since he had fallen, nor where he was now, but this did not bother him. Only one clear thought flowed through his mind: find and protect, and woe to whomever got in his way. Thanatos closed his burning, blood-red eyes and focused his magic to home in on the image of the young man whom now carried Mace's blood. He felt a tug and started galloping where the tugs led him.
"I'm coming!" He shouted..
__ __ __ __ __
Trixie walked by the two library guards carrying a wooden crate. The two guards looked at one another, wondering what she was doing, but had to remain at their post as per their orders
The crate that Trixie carried was full of fireworks. When it became clear that she would be unable to open even a single casket by herself she wracked her brain for possible solutions and recalled a bottle rocket of hers that had once mis-launched and detonated inside a tool shed. It had been rather devastating. If she could estimate just the right amount she would be able to blast a coffin open.
Of course, this would make a lot of noise, but she had already prepared for that and had set a large portion of her fireworks to go off on the other side of the palace. She took care to place it in an area where no one would actually get hurt from the blast, but also where the sound would echo the most through the halls. It had not been easy to find a location such as this, but she'd done it, and given it an extremely long fuse so that she would have time to get to her destination and set up. Hopefully the first explosion would draw the guards away from from the library door and leave her free to detonate the second explosive pack here.
Trixie took the stairs down to the crypt doors and set the crate down to push the door open again. Once it was open she picked the crate up again and carried it inside. Trixie sorted through her crate and pulled out a single bottle rocket she called a Snapper-pop. She called it that because after it launched it would make a snapping sound four times as it flew and then finally explode. Hopefully it would be powerful enough to crack or destroy the lid without also destroying the body inside. Trixie tied it to the coffin and then moved her crate outside the crypt to prevent any risk of it also detonating. Then she sat down and waited. Three minutes later the floor vibrated and she heard a muffled 'bang' sound. Dust fell from the ceiling and a paintings on one wall shifted. Trixie crept up the stairs and peeked at the guards up the hall. The two of them looked at one another, and then galloped up the hall to the steps and went up them. Trixie smiled smugly and waited another minute for them to get farther from the crypt and then ran back down the stairs to her second explosive package. Trixie did not have what we normally would use to make a fire, but she had taken a coal from the fireplace in her room and packed it in a jar of sand. Trixie dumped the jar out on the floor and with the same pair of tongs she'd used to take the coal from the fire (she had stashed the tongs in the crate) she picked it up and carried it to the Snapper-pop and placed it on top of the fuse. When the fuse started hissing she dropped the tongs and ran for the doors and pushed them closed. Eight seconds later another loud 'bang' and the door were almost pushed open by the shock wave. Trixie opened the dor again and a combination of smoke, dust, and sulfur-smell gushed out. Trixie gagged and waited for the smoke to clear, then ran in as soon as she could see again. Success! The coffin she'd tried to blast open had not been destroyed, and the lid was in pieces. She pushed and pulled at these pieces until the way was clear and then examined the body. Time had not been kind to the male Alicorn body contained within. The flesh (what little there still was. Most of it was dust now) looked like poorly-made paper. The eyes were blackened from decay and it smelled. The horn was still intact, though, and that was what she'd come for.
"Yuck!" she said waving the air in front of her around with a hand. "No offense, sir." The dead Alicorn said nothing in reply, not that she expected him to. Trixie jogged to her crate and pulled the same hacksaw she'd used on the Unicorn horn to now saw at the Alicorn's horn. Unlike the Unicorn's horn, however, this horn was thicker and took longer than twenty minutes to saw through. Trixie grew more nervous with each passing minute. She expected the two guards from before to come in at any moment and arrest her and throw her in the dungeon, but no one came. Finally, to her relief there was a snap sound and the horn came loose. Trixie stuffed it in her crate along with the two tools, burried them under her fireworks and quickly pulled the crypt doors shut and picked her things up. She was almost to the stairs when the two guards came back. Thinking fast she asked what the shaking and the noise had been about.
"We don't know. We arrived at the supposed site of the blast, but who or what caused it is yet to be determined." The guards looked at her crate suspiciously. "Are those fireworks? What are you doing with those down here?"
"I was trying to make more of them." She lied. "I use these in my magic performances, but since I can't use magic anymore I figured I'd experiment with my firework-making skills." The guards looked at one another, not buying it. Trixie saw their disbelief and spoke to them like they were stupid. "Well I couldn't very well do it where ponies might get hurt, now could I? Making fireworks it dangerous work! If one of them should suddenly go off while I'm working on them, somepony could have gotten hurt! Now, if you'll excuse me I need to put these somewhere cool and out of the way so they will be less volatile and there'll be less chance of somepony setting one off!" The guards grunted and moved aside to let her pass. Trixie stomped by them to show her 'annoyance' and headed up to the next floor. Once there she smirked and headed back to her bedroom to drop off her fireworks and retrieve the Unicorn horn. Everywhere servants and guards and nobles (that had been allowed inside the palace) alike were chatting about the unexplained explosion. Some thought it was an attempt at a new spell and it had gone horribly wrong and obliterated the caster, some thought it was an attack, and some others thought it might have been a freak lightning strike.
Trixie smirked again inwardly but kept her face blank. It seemed her plan had worked better than she had hoped. Now she just needed to sneak out during the night when most of the palace's inhabitants were asleep, and she coudl head out into the hedge maze. Not long now... She thought, yearning for the feeling of magical energy surging through her again. Now I just need to keep from being caught!
^ ^ ^ ^ ^
I awoke once more to someone shaking me. Or rather, somepony
"Ungh?" I 'said'. When my eyes focused I saw it had been Twilight.
"Um, sorry to wake you, but where's your rest room and how do I use it?" I blinked a few times and then sat up and yawned and followed that up with a big stretch. I sat in place for a moment and stared at the wall waiting for my brain to reboot. "Jacob?"
"I'm alright." I yawned again and looked outside. It was still daytime. "Bathroom. Right. Okay, follow me." I turned to the side and put my feet on the floor and rose to standing. I led her to the tiny bathroom that came with the sleeping quarters and showed her the bathroom and the toilet.
"That's it? That's...tiny!"
"Well, it was made for our kind, not yours. As long as you sit on it like we do, you should be fine. Also, when you're done," I pointed at the flush handle. "Push down on that until you hear water flowing." I pointed at the toilet paper dispenser on the wall next to the toilet. "If you need to wipe yourself off, use that." I might have been less blunt if I was more awake. As I was Twillight frowned at mine being so direct. I started back to the bed but she grabbed (don't ask me how, I don't know) my shirt with a hoof.
"I can't stay balanced like that."
"What, do you want me to prop you up?" Twillight's purple cheeks took on a reddish tinge and her eyes looked everywhere except for me. "You do, don't you?" Well this has got to be the third-most awkward moment of my life.
"I would be eternally grateful!" She stated followed by a nervous grin.
"You owe me big time for this. Alright, hold on..." I shut the door.
"Ahhhh!" Twilight exclaimed as she exited the restroom. "Much better!" I followed I had stared at the ceiling during the...process...but still felt more awkward than left-handed pair of scissors on a right hand. Fluttershy was still asleep. Aww! She looks so adorable when she's sleeping! Not that she doesn't look adorable period. My stomach suddenly gurgled and I recalled that I hadn't eaten anything since before we set out from the royal palace. I also recalled that if I didn't include the egg-and-vegie mix that I'd made at the Sugarcube Corner I hadn't had any meat for more than a week. My stomach pinched me at the thought of stuffing my face with either a Meat-Lover's pizza or a Cheese Steak sandwich. Of course I'd need to get something for the girls too, but Fluttershy was still asleep for the moment.
"Hey Twilight, are you hungry?"
"Yup. How about you?"
"Starving. I already have something in mind for me to eat, but what would you like?"
"I think I'd like to try something from your world. Just give me some of whatever you're getting." I don't think she'll be so eager if I told her what I'm craving. I'll just get two different pizzas, then.
Alrighty. I'll have it delivered right here, then."
"Delivered?"
"There are stores in our world that make meals for you and will even bring them to you even if you're on the other side of town. They charge a little more for it, but it is not as if we have anything to cook with here."
"Pre-prepared meals delivered to your doorstep...I'm starting to like your world!"
Thirty minutes after I placed the call a car pulled to a stop in the parking lot of the motel and the delivery girl stepped out. I had been waiting outside by a small tree for our food's arrival for almost ten minutes and had begun to debate on whether or not I'd tip the driver when or if they ever arrived. One whiff of that pizza and I began to salivate and forgot my impatience.
"I take it that you're the guy I'm supposed to deliver this to?" She asked.
"I certainly hope so, otherwise I'm going to be making a rather unpleasant complaint call to Samstall's Pizza Shack."
"Oh, good! I was afraid I'd gone to the wrong place again!" I paid her what she was owed, but gave her only nickel. She frowned. "Are you kidding me?" I grinned.
"Yes." I handed her two dollars (because of gas cost pity) "Thanks for the food." She pocketed the extra money and put the rest in an envelope when she got back into her car. I watched her go, then carried the food back to my- correction, our room.
"What's that smell?" Twilight asked when I closed the door behind me.
"Melted mozzarella cheese, tomato sauce, a few spices, some exotic fruit, and freshly-baked bread. For yours and Fluttershy's food, anyway. Mine is a bit different from yours." I moved the things on the nightstand to the floor and dragged it into the middle of the open space and set their pineapple pizza onto it. Mine, I placed on top of the television and took a deep sniff, savoring the scent. I then opened it and removed a slice.
"Jacob, what are these yellow things?" Twilight asked, pointing at the pizza in her box.
"Pieces of a pineapple. It's a type of sweet fruit."
"I've never heard of pineapple before! What's it taste like?"
"Sweet, if it's ripe." Twilight levitated a piece (of fruit, not the pizza) away from the slice it sat upon and placed it in her mouth. She chewed on it a moment, then her face it up.
"Delicious!" She picked up another piece of fruit. I laughed.
"Try it with the pizza, Twi." I suggested. Twilight ate the fruit she'd picked up and then tried a slice of pizza next.
"Is this food healthy?"
"Probably not overall, but you're getting calcium from the cheese, and vitamin C from the tomato sauce and fruit at least." she nodded thoughtfully.
"I didn't think so." She took another mouthful of her slice.
"How do you think its tastes?"
"It's not bad. I don't think it's the best thing in the world I've ever had." She shrugged. "Personally I'd have to say the fruit on it is better." To each their own, I guess. I thought as I ate a bit of my own pizza. Twilight sniffed the smell coming from my food. "What's that spicy smell? And what's all that stuff on yours?" She waited while I chewed. After I swallowed I answered.
"Nothing that I thought you'd want to try, Twilight." She raised one eyebrow and lowered the other. "Several types of meat." Her eyes became very wide. Oh right. I never told her about that. Whoops! "Um..."
"Rainbow Dash told me about that before we left for Celestia and Luna's palace, but to hear it and to see it..."
"Two different things?" She nodded. "Would it make you feel more comfortable if I stopped eating it and got something else?" She broke eye contact with me. "Really, it's not a problem." I tired to assure her. I returned to the box and scraped as much of the meat off the slice as I could. Inside I sighed at the loss of the toppings, but if me eating meat made Twilight uncomfortable, how would Fluttershy react when she loved animals?
I finished the stripped slice of pizza and then ate another. I then closed my box and put it into the mini-cooler next to the dresser. It had not been plugged in, so I did so. When I shut the mini-cooler door Fluttershy came awake and sniffed the air.
"Do I smell cheese?"
"And other things, yes." I replied in place of Twilight, whose mouth was full. She nodded and pointed a hoof at the open pizza box. "Help yourself if you want any. Twilght tells me the pineapple, that is, the yellow pieces of fruit on it are very good." I'll have to get more, I suppose. I thought as Twilight ate another chunk of pineapple. She's taking to that like my mother does to chocolate!
Fluttershy also agreed that the pineapple was the better part of the meal, but ate her fill of the pizza as well and when they finished I put the remains in the cooler as well.
"So what do we do now?" Fluttershy asked. "We should probably return to Celestia and tell her that her uncle isn't dead."
"No, he isn't dead. He's undead like those Twisted Ones," I said, face becoming grim. "and now he's loose in my world. A world that has no idea what he's capable of. Even with our weaponry it might take quite a bit of effort to destroy him for good unless we use some of our more dangerous weapons. I thought, recalling the driver's efforts to kill Thanatos. The next time he encountered our people he'd likely put up some kind of barrier if they pointed anything at him, and being undead he'd never tire, which meant he could hold the barrier up indefinitely. Well, indefinitely if the undead really were as inexhaustible as Zombie movies and video games made them seem to be, anyway. Hopefully this was not the case. If it was...
Images of Thanatos making fire hydrants explode and then using the torrents of water as weapons and then drawing electricity from power lines to kill any soaked survivors filled my head followed by him forcing helicopters to the ground and then crushing them and their pilots with telekinesis and bullets pinging off an invisible barrier or worse, bouncing back and killing the people who fired them in the first place. It might have been being a little dramatic, but then, Celestia had said that he was the most powerful of her family. "We have to find him, but I need to go get my wand first or I'll only get in the way." I stated, and went to check my cell phone's battery. It was full, so I unplugged it and pocketed it. "You two stay here for now. I'll be back soon." Both Twilight and Fluttershy hopped up to protest.
"You can't go out there by yourself! If you run into him before you find your wand you'll be helpless!" Twilight objected loudly.
"He could really hurt you, Jacob!" Fluttershy added. "Besides, I don't think your mother or father would be very happy with you."
"No they wouldn't, and yes I would, but I'm still going."
"Oh, no you aren't!" Twilight's horn started to glow and I suddenly felt as if a huge weight had been placed on my shoulders. I fell to the floor where I was pinned by some unseen force. Twilight's horn stopped glowing, but I was still pinned. Twilight slid off the bed and walked to stand next to me. "Now you are going to listen to me. Your sense of duty is admirable, but it's making you foolish. You can't help anyone if you're dead, Jacob P. Lighthand, and make no mistake, that is exactly what will happen if he catches you alone! He tried to kill both Fluttershy and me, and your mother, and the driver of that metal box we rode in earlier."
"It's called a car." I corrected.
"Don't think you can change the subject that easily!" She bopped me on the forehead with a hoof. "Why do you insist on trying to do everything first on your own? Is this a Human tendency, or just your own pride?" I didn't answer. "No one is perfect at everything, Jacob. Even the Celestia and Luna have their limits, and they've had over a thousand years to hone their skills!" I looked at Fluttershy, who nodded and also hopped down off the bed to stand next to Twilight.
"It's not out of pride, but fear that I try to do everything alone, Twilight. I don't want those I care about getting hurt because I wasn't strong enough or skilled enough or cunning enough to get the job done. I'm afraid that if I tell my parents that they, like you, will want to either stop me or go along. I was the one who let Thanatos into my world, I was the one that slew Drahngov's brother, I was the one that decided to poke fun at Trixie. This is my mess, and I want to clean it up without putting anyone else at risk." This time it was Fluttershy that spoke.
"Do you understand what a friend is really for, Jacob?" I gave her a confused look and opened my mouth to respond. Of course I knew what a friend was for!
She put a hoof over my mouth. "I don't think you do. If you did, then you wouldn't be trying to leave us behind. A friend is someone who helps you bear your troubles, whether they are big or small. A friend is a person that you can count on when no one else will help, and if necessary, would brave all the dangers of the world with you." Fluttershy rubbed her front hooves together and looked down at them. "I'm not the bravest pony in the world, nor the strongest, nor the smartest, but if you want me to be your friend," she looked back at me again. "I will be." I suddenly felt a mix of embarrassment and shame. Indeed, I had forgotten what it meant to be a friend, and I had indeed been foolish.
"Can you forgive me?" I asked them both.
"As long as you promise never to try to leave us behind again and you keep your promise, yes." Twilight said.
"I swear it on our name of Lighthand." My family had been around for longer than any other that I had ever read or heard about. The only oath more binding in my mind would be to swear on my Maker's name, but I doubted Twilight or Fluttershy had any idea who he was. Fluttershy smiled and Twilight's horn glowed once more. Almost instantly the weight lifted off of me and I slowly sat up.
"Alright. now we can go get your wand." Twilght said. "My two-legged friend." Twilight's horn began to glow again and a few seconds later we were back out in the barren field.
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Deleted Scenes and Rejected ideas 1'st addition
As I've written this there were several times that I've removed parts that didn't feel right or I just didn't like. Here I will place some of those scenes for your viewing enjoyment. There are some spoilers at the end for the next chapter, however because they were deleted I do not believe that it will really ruin anything. This also contains the reasons as to why I removed it. So, without further ado,
Rejected Portions of MLP: Last Mage
Rejected scene 3:
As I finished one of the guards off duty totted over to me.
"Hey. You." He poked me with a hoof. He didn't sound happy.
"Not now, please." I just finished a tasty meal and I'd rather not have the nice feeling of a no-longer-grumbling-stomach ruined by a guard looking for something to prove. I reached for the mug of water a server that had been walking about getting drinks for the diners had offered. The guard knocked it off the table. The water inside splashed onto the bench on the other side and the floor. The mug bounced a bit, then came to a stop against another bench.
"Oops." he said sarcastically. Not looking at the guard, I stood up and walked around to the other side of the table and retrieved the mug. A little water was still in it, so I drank it and carried both it and my plate back to the kitchen where I placed it in a dish sink. The guard followed me and put his hooves up on the serving counter below a window that allowed the cooks to refill and trays of food that were placed on the counter during any mealtime rush. He looked at the two remaining cooks in the kitchen, then looked back at me. "You know, judging by the one of them that ran out of here screaming for water earlier, it looks like your food left the same taste in her mouth that you left in mine out in the training yard earlier."
"Oh, you mean I burned you up?" I finally replied. "I guess that's not too hard to imagine when you left the princess completely unguarded and open to attack. I'd hate to imagine what would have happened if a real assassin had decided to strike then and there." His confident-jerk face became angry. "Now, if you'll excuse me I need to prepare for tomorrow's agenda. Good night." I left the kitchen and was on my way across the eating area when two more guards that i remembered from the group of spectators stepped in my way. "Please move. I have no quarrel with you or the pony attempting to bore holes in the back of my head with his eyes."
"Well we have a quarrel with you , Two-leg." One of them said, sounding outright hostile. I did not want to fight them for two reasons: One, I had left both horns in my room and had only been in two serious fights back in high school and both of those times I had help, and two, I doubted it would win me any influence points with the other guards. "I don't care what Celestia says, I saw the look in your eyes when you held that spear above her eye, and I am not just going to allow you a second shot at it later."
"If I wanted Celestia dead, she would be dead. Just as if I had wanted all of you dead back on that field, you would be dead, and we would not be having this conversation. My loyalty is first to my friends, and I count princess Celestia and princess Luna among my friends."
"Hey fellas!" The pony from before called from behind me said. "Want to know what one of the servants told me about where his power comes from?" The other two looked around me with interest.
"From Unicorn horns. This Two-leg steals his power from Unicorns." The two in front of the door narrowed their eyes and looked at me again.
"I did not steal any of the horns that I've used. They were all given to me."
"Oh really ? By whom?"
"The first was passed down through many of my people's generations. The second was given to me by a nurse in Ponyville. You can even ask her if you like. Her last name is Heartblood. The third was given to me by Celestia herself."
"Third?! Again, it was the pony behind me that spoke. "One wasn't enough for you?! You had to have two more?!"
"The first was ancient and crumbled to dust not long after I came to your world. The second and third are being used for a project that your rulers have given me permission to pursue."
The second I pasted that section here and removed it from the fic the 'Wrongess' feeling went away like when you take something that doesn't belong to you and then return it. I find it a little disconcerting. I mean, it's only a story, right? what's the big deal? Maybe I'm just going crazy...
Rejected scene 4
I gathered my things up and began asking the servants that I passed where the bedrooms without windows were. Most of them gave me funny looks and asked me what I wanted with a room without windows, but I told them it was royal business and that seemed to be enough. Eventually one of them knew and led me to one. Ironically enough, it was directly across from my own bedroom. I thanked the servant and then went inside. Using the wand to create a light, I began searchign the room for one of the secret passages that Luna had mentioned. I kept searching for more than ten minutes when there suddenly was a knock at the door. It was Dominic.
"I know you're in there, Human, the servants told me." I quickly pointed the wand at the door and locked it. Dominic heard the lock click too and pounded on the door. "I know what you're planning to do, and both the princesses suspected long before this hour. They've forbidden you to leave without an escort into the forest. Now come out of there. The passage you're looking for is too well hidden for you to hope to locate anyway." Is that a challenge? I thought in response, and redoubled my efforts. Eventually I found it in the bathroom in a towel closet. The middle shelf was loose, and when I tried to pull it out the back wall behind it popped out as well. I grinned and climbed in, shutting the door and pulling the wall back in behind me. Dominic banged on the door again, and I started walking. The passage was dark, damp, covered with cobwebs, and cold. Using the wand I made the webs burst into a shower of dust (bad idea) and sent myself into a coughing fit. I ran forward, trying to get out of the dust cloud I'd created and turned a corner to a split. I stopped and looked both ways. One way led down, and another led up. Wanting to work my way to ground level I went down. The passage I took split off several more times and then I finally reached
And that was as far as I got before I changed my mind.
Rejected scene 5
"-It's a predator, and its stalking us. How much farther is Zecora's place?"
"We're almost there," Twilight assured me. "It should be right around the bend."
"Let's pick up the pace." The two ponies heartily agreed and we jogged and cantered the rest of the way there. I didn't feel the gaze again, but that didn't stop me from feeling nervous at every sound the wildlife made.
When we arrived at the door Twilight knocked several times before Zecora answered. When she did all three of us gasped. Where her eyes should have been white, they were black, and where there should have been color, they were red like the eyes I saw earlier.
"Everybody back!!!" I yelled and yanked a lighter out of my pocket. "She's one of them!"
"Come to this place, you should have not, For Bloody Hooves, want what you've got."
"Wait, Jacob!" She wrapped her limbs around my wand arm and pulled it away from Zecora.
"Bl- Bl- Bloody Hooves?!" Fluttershy stuttered. "They're real?!" Zecora looked at Fluttershy.
"Yes indeed, sweet Fluttershy. If you don't leave, then you shall die! For tonight they hunt, they hunt for prey. Be here after dark, and forever you shall stay." Zecora turned her gaze on me. "One is here whom walks on two legs! They'll kill you too, even if you begs!" Changing the subject, I asked her if she had ever seen an Alicorn in these woods. She stared at me until I broke eye contact. "An Alicorn in here there be, but this being, pray you never see. For he has become a God to them, and no other creature does he call friend." Fluttershy was pulling on me now too.
"Ja-Ja- Jacob?" I looked away from Zecora.
"What is it Fluttershy?" She pointed at the trees surrounding the clearing. I looked where she was pointing and suddenly felt the staring feeling again, but worse than it had been before. Much worse. All around us pairs of red eyes gazed out from the foliage.
"Leave now you must while daylight still shines, lest the path lose its power, and on you they dine!" Zecora warned.
"You two get out of here." I said. "I'm not leaving without Thanatos' help, or his horn."
"Are you crazy?!" Twilight said loudly to me, her gaze darting form me to the still-gathering crowd. "There's far too many of them to fight!"
"I'm not going to fight them. They're going to lead me to Thanatos." Twililght and Fluttershy gave me a look that I had just proven I was insane. I looked at Zecora. "You said that Thanatos had become as a God to them. That means he's still alive. How do I find him?"
"If death is your desire, then light his worshipers on fire. To him they shall cry out, and it is him that shall soon be about. But death is not kept away by the path, so do not think to escape his wrath!"
"Can you keep these two safe in your house?" I pointed at Twilight and Fluttershy. Zecora shook her head.
"Though harm me they shall not, my house is no sacred spot. Break down my door they shall, and feast on these two as well."
"Twilight, how much time left until night falls?" Twilight looked up at the sky.
"It's hard to tell in here.
rejected scene idea 6
===
We stood like that motionless for awhile. "Alright. I'm going to start moving backwards. Follow me." We did so until I reached the back wall. By the time we reached it her back legs were quivering. "This was only a few steps, Fluttershy. If your back legs are going to support your full body weight you're going to need to use them more often that your front. And of course, find a way to balance yourself." She nodded. "We have a tool that our elderly use to help them walk. I suppose you might be able to use that for this. Alas, I don't have one of those in my possession, but I
===
Behind him four more four-legged figures came through the passage. They had watched from the other side the confrontation between Thanatos and his potential prey, but now that it was over, they advanced. They looked about, blinking multiple times in the bright sunlight, and then caught sight of Thanatos galloping away. They followed him. These were followed by more that had also come through the gate, and then still more until they numbered fifty. Most of them followed Thanatos, but some chose instead to go in another direction towards a ranch that they saw in the distance. Finally, with no one standing directly in front of the passageway between the worlds, the gateway closed.
===
Thanatos stopped in mid stride. His horn was suddenly telling him to about-face and go back the way he'd just come., which made perfect sense. The purple one must have used a spell to make me think that I'm going the wrong way. I'll not fall for- what's that? Another of the metal beasts that had been avoiding him ever since he entered the Human dwelling place slowed to a stop in front of him.
There had at one time been Humans walking on either side of the road he's been running on but when they saw him they'd screamed and run away or had pointed strange objects at him and tried to blind him. He'd then defended himself and either trampled them or used magic to dispose of them and their magic tokens. The once-hot blood that had run down his horn had no cooled and was in the process of solidifying when this metal creature stopped in front of him. It's eyes glowed as his did and it was wide and constantly growled. Is it defending its territory or is it challenging me? No matter. I don't have time to waste with it. Two Humans got out of its sides and one of them pointed a long silver tube attached to a- he didn't know what at him, but it vaguely resembled the smaller object that other male Human had pointed at him. Thanatos remembered the pain it had caused and the noise that had filled his head after the Human had attacked him and his rage and survival will boiled up. Thanatos whinnied and threw himself at the armed Human, who shouted an explicative at how fast Thanatos moved seconds before Thanatos jumped over the door and bucked the Human into the car's door and broke it off. The Human screamed in pain and then Thanatos turned his attention on the second Human that had gotten out of the car. It looked younger than the first. Younger and terrified. Good! Thanatos thought in triumph as he spread his wings and used them to propel himself over the vehicle and come down in front of the fleeing Human.
"What in the Maker's name?!" He said in a panicked voice before Thanatos stood on his hind legs and shoved it backward head over heels. It landed on its back and gripped its chest. Thanatos had broken several ribs with his kick and had disabled this one as well, but he wasn't finished yet. Thanatos lifted the younger Human from the ground with Telekinesis and then brought him up into a standing position. Thanatos stared at the Human a moment, and then broke his neck by spinning his head all the way around once. Thanatos savored the sickening snap and crackle of his neck bones as they broke and dragged on one another before unceremoniously dropping him on the black road. Delightful! No wait...horrible! Why did I do that?! For fun...Yes, that's it! Thanatos leaned from feeling pleased with himself to feeling guilty and then back to pleased again, but still something didn't feel quite right.
===
Feeling desperate, the second Human pulled a walkie talkie from his belt and reported that the horse they'd been sent to remove had attacked them and that they needed help and lots of it. Thanatos lifted the walkie from the Human's hand and tossed it to one side.
"Foolish." Thanatos said to him, and then turned and continued along the route he had been following before his homing magic told him to turn around. He came across more Humans that pointed at him and flashed more blinding lights at him, and he tore the flashing objects away from them and slammed them either onto the pavement or against a wall or else tossed it over their heads. Stopping to kill each and every one would slow him down so he only performed the bare minimum to continue on his way.
The second time when a metal creature stopped in front of him two more stopped behind the first. There were more Humans that got out of them and they had more of those tube-weapons. Thanatos snorted and used Telekinetic magic to take it from them, pulled it back towards himself a short way, then spun them around and threw it back at them. Most of them were hit, but some dodged and then stared at him in disbelief. Clearly they had never fought against somepony with magic before. Thanatos grinned at this, finding it amusing. His grin seemed to terrify some of the Humans and they dove back into their metal beasts- carriages, perhaps? and grabbed a different colored weapon. A few managed to make more thunder-sounds
Chapter 11
We found the wand with no problem, but when we did we discovered another problem: The stones that had been part of the collapsed gateway were now scattered across the plain and some of them had chipped or broken. Twilight cautioned me that from what little she knew of gateways (though the ones she knew were meant for speeding travel from one part of Equestria to another) that if the stones were not all in one place that they would not function for their original purpose. So we searched the area gathering up the miscellaneous stones and chips of rock that looked recently broken all in one place. Most of the stones were light enough for me to carry without the use of magic, but Twilight insisted that I do so anyway if only for me to stay in practice with levitation. When we'd found as many stones as we could (even if they didn't look as if they went with the original pile) I approached it and began to sort through them, looking for the stone that bore my family symbol on it. I set it on top of the pile and then stepped back.
"Rebuild!" I commanded with more confidence in my tone and stance than I had when first I came to this place. As with before a phantom doorway appeared, but there was something wrong with it. One moment it would be solid, then the next a shiver would run through it and the door would blink a few times and then become solid again. It seemed that whatever it was that linked our two worlds together directly had been damaged. The path was still there, but it was none too stable. "Not good."
"What's wrong with it?" Fluttershy asked.
"The old enchantment must have been linked to the stones themselves. When his mother and Thanatos tossed them around and they became chipped, cracked, or broken it must have also affected the enchantment." Fluttershy became worried.
"Does this mean that we won't be able to go home?!" Tears started to form in her eyes.
"The path is still here, Fluttershy." I said. "It should still transport us provided that we go through when it isn't flickering."
"What if it is flickering and we go through it?" Fluttershy asked. I looked at Twilight. She looked at the ground.
"Then we could be trapped in between the worlds or the passage might collapse. Or it could just be that it won't let us pass through at all."
"We need to find a way to fix it somehow." I said. I had no idea how to go about doing so, though.
"I don't know enough about gateways to even attempt something like this, Jacob. Our tampering with it might just make it worse than it already is."
"Yeah you're right. Well, we did get what we came for and have done more besides. So now that we're out here, is there anything you two want to do? There's nobody around so it's not as if anyone is going to harass us."
"I'd like to wander about and see if there are any familiar animals around here."
"I think I'm going to give you a lesson in actual spells. I'm guessing that most of what you've done so far was done on instinct and will, right?" I nodded. "I thought so. That's only going to get you so far. If you should ever need to face a master head-on, raw power isn't going to help you very much, especially if you're burning more energy to use your attacks or defenses than you need to. I'm far from being a master of magics, but I'll show you what I do know. Let's start with what you seem to be worst at: healing."
Twilight had me make several cuts on my body with a sharp rock in the same general area, and then told me to sit down on the ground and do nothing. "Healing magic is like cooking. The best way to find out what ingredients would best go together for flavoring is to sample a little of each ingredient first. Or, at least that's what the book I read had to say about it. Let your mind dwell on the pain caused by the cuts, and how it lessens as your blood dries and your body begins to repair the damage. Keep your mind focused only on that." I closed my eyes and did as she instructed. My arm didn't hurt so much as itch as blood trickled through the cuts and ran over and down my skin where it eventually dripped onto the ground. But the itch was far more distracting than any pain I'd been in since I sprained my ankle at age thirteen after trying to do a trick on rollarblades. At least it's not as bad as a mosquito bite. I hate mosquitoes. No! Focus! I hastily cleared my mind again. Eventually the tickling sensation stopped and the itch faded. It did not go away but was much less than it had been at the start. Eventually that too faded and I opened my eyes again. Twilight nodded and told me to make several more cuts on my other arm. "As before, do not use magic, but this time simply let nature take its course. This time focus your mind specifically on the pain fading away and the your blood ceasing to shed needlessly. Focus your mind on healing and watch it happen."
I had heard of something like what she was talking about before on television. Temple monks had used meditation when they became ill to get better faster. At the time I had thought it ridiculous and had dismissed it. In all honesty I still felt ridiculous trying to heal my body with my mind, but did as I was instructed. To my surprise it did indeed stop itching faster than it had before, and I lost less blood than I had before. Seeing the look of surprise on my face Twilight smiled. "Now, one last time make cuts. This time when you finish take your wand and focus magic into the injured area and focus on healing."
"Out of curiosity, how is this different from when I healed myself before?" I asked. Focusing on getting better was what I had done every other time I'd healed myself with magic.
"Healing injuries based on only what you see on the surface is risky, which is why I only had you do surface damage to yourself. Fortunately for you all of the injuries that you've had so far were fairly minor. If you had broken or cracked a bone then I would not have been able to help you. You need to have a good understanding of anatomy in order to heal something more severe than a cut or a gash, and I know nothing about how you look beneath the surface."
"But you healed my leg after that Bloody Hoof took a chunk out of me." I pointed out.
"You healed most of it yourself first, and if you weren't familiar with your body's build then you're lucky that you didn't mess up your muscle structure in the process." Twilight gave me a funny look. "You know, luck is something you seem to have a large store of. Why is that?" I shrugged. "Well, I guess it isn't important right now. For now, heal your cuts." I did so. "Good! Now let's work on shifting earth. There are several ways you can do this, the simplest of which if you already have good concentration is to use Telekinetic force. This is not the same as manipulating dirt or stones however, and if you want to shape it like clay in your hands then it takes too much effort using only Telekinesis. This is not to say that you couldn't, but you'd probably give yourself a headache long before you finished. Another way is to soak it with water and then manipulate the water, but if you don't have water then that's out too, and more often than not you'd just pull the water out of the dirt which accomplishes nothing."
"So then...magic is merely understanding your surroundings and coming up with the best method of controlling those surroundings?"
"It's a little more complicated than that, but yes."
"Then what is it that allow us to control it? If it were simply will then my people would still be waging wars with sorcery and everyone on my world would be using it to one degree or another with or without a horn. I find it a little hard to believe that it's just a matter of bone shape." I waved my wand in a lazy circle.
"That, I don't think anyone knows." Twilight said. "Or, if anyone does, they haven't seen fit to write it down."
From there our conversation for the most part stopped and we went through several other lessons, one of which being short-range teleportation. By short range, I mean very short. Whereas Twilight could warp across miles and miles, I could only transport myself or something else a few meters. Not very helpful.
"Aw, don't get mad!" Twilight said as she saw my growing frustration. Nearly everything she had tried to teach me I had either failed or had only succeeded by the skin of my teeth. Who came up with that phrase, anyway? Teeth don't have skin! "I've been practicing and using magic for years, and you've had less than a month. For you to be as good at it as you are is a blessing." I knew she was right, but that didn't stop me from being annoyed at my lack of progress. "What do you say we take a break and go check on Fluttershy?"
We looked around for her and saw a small yellow and pink figure in the distance. Apparently Fluttershy had indeed found something because there was a taller brown figure in front of her. It looked like a horse. Me and Twilight traded a look and then walked over to her. This took several minutes but the two of them still stood there when we arrived. A few stones crunched under my shoes and both Flutterhhy and the horse looked at us. The horse said nothing, but Fluttershy welcomed us and introduced us to 'Running Wind'.
"His language is very, very primitive compared to what we're speaking now, but it's still simple enough to understand." She explained. Running Wind snorted at me and also made a brief grunting sound. "He says that he doesn't like being near you, but won't run as long as you don't try to come any closer."
"Well I have no intention of upsetting someone that could split my head open like a rotten melon." Fluttershy made a face that said that she was grossed out. Twilight kicked me in the side and I grunted. "I mean, no worries, Running Wind. I'll keep my distance." Fluttershy made some typical-horse sounds at Running Wind and he nodded and visibly relaxed. "So horses actually talk, then?"
"Of course they do!" She said in an enthusiastic voice. "So do birds, and squirrels, and turtles, and-" Fluttershy listed off several others animals before she noticed the look on our faces and stopped and blushed. "Sorry! I guess I got a little carried away." Me and Twilight laughed.
"So what do horses talk about?" I asked, genuinely curious.
"Well this horse mostly has complaints about you Humans taking up all the lands that their previous generations used to run through, how he misses the warmer weather, and his surprise over how small I am compared to him." Running Wing nickered. "He also wonders why I'm not afraid of you."
"Afraid of me? Do I really look so scary?" She shook her head.
"No, but he's seen your people hunt before. He thinks your wand is a weapon."
"I suppose in a way it is, but my wand looks nothing like a gun." Fluttershy shrugged and looked at the horse again. He pawed at the ground with a hoof but 'said' nothing else. Fluttershy returned the 'gesture'. He then turned away and left. Fluttershy turned her full body to face us and said that she missed her home. "This world is a nice place to visit, I think, but I wouldn't want to live here."
"This place is only a tiny part of our world. We're actually on a large island. Some other parts of Earth are very beautiful this time of year."
"All the same, I want to go home." Twilight agreed, and so did I. But I needed to make sure that Thanatos wouldn't cause any trouble first.
I raised my wand and focused on the mental image of Thanatos and homed in on him. After turning several times the wand pointed me back towards town.
"Oh no."
__ __ __ __ __
It's a cold, but beautiful day! A woman thought as she walked down the sidewalk. She had just gotten off work for her meal-time break and was on her way to her favorite diner for lunch. While she walked a television shop with several different TVs in the display window caught her eye and she stopped to look at them. She already had a TV at hope but it at times would make the people on it turn funny colors. I guess it's about time to retire that old machine and get a new one. Oh! I like that news lady! The news lady was currently standing in front of a coffee shop and was talking about the sudden rush of animals that had invaded and taken up residence in the last few days. Yeah, there have been an awful lot of them lately. I wonder why?
A man wearing a blue cap stepped onscreen and leaned close to the woman's ear and whispered something. She nodded and he pulled a folded paper out of a pocket and handed it to her before stepping out of view of the camera again.
"I've just received a notice that a previously unknown animal has been spotted entering town. It vaguely resembles a horse, but has both wings and a horn on the top of its head and-" she stopped and made a face. "Is this for real?" She said to someone standing to the side who wasn't visible. "Seriously? This isn't a joke that Johnny is playing on me again? Huh." She looked back at the camera. "It would seem, ladies and gentlemen, that the creature in question is a mix of a Pegasus and a Unicorn." She scoffed and rolled her eyes. "And according to my boss it's heading this way, so we should be seeing-" A car smashed into the coffee shop behind the news lady, narrowly missing her. She had screamed when it did and started yelling at the camera man to turn around. The image shown on the television spun to reveal a black creature of the description given flying towards him. He fell over backwards and the camera showed the sky and the horse-whatever flying over top of him. The camera then fell to one side on the pavement and multiple screams could be heard. Several pairs of legs ran across the screen but it was not picked up again.
"What in the world?" The woman watching television wondered as the screen blanked and an image stating that the news crew was having technical difficulties popped up with the annoying humming-ring sound. Maybe this is an advertisement for another American Hollywood movie. Bleh! She had once been fond of them, but they had long-since run out of any original stories, and they just got more and more stale with each remake. Why do they seem to think that more profanity equals better story? Give me the originals any day!
Suddenly a scream and a car's 'AROOGA' horn sounded nearby and the woman looked up to see the same creature that had been on the TV flying above the street with a police car chasing it. She rubbed her eyes and looked again with the same result.
"Am I going crazy?"
Suddenly the flying horse-thing spun around in midair and its horn glowed. The police car came to a sudden stop as it crashed into- nothing? Yes, nothing! One moment the police car had been moving forward at forty mph, and the next it had crashed into an invisible wall and stopped. The driver of the car had been knocked out, and after checking his partner the other person in the car got out and stared at the front of the car in bewilderment. He walked forward and found no wall in place for the car to hit, and the horse-thing hovering in mid-air ahead of them as if waiting.
"I just don't get it! What did we hit?" He threw a look at the horse-thing. "And what the heck are you supposed to be, anyway?" It blinked and then turned and left the officer standing and staring at it.
Two more patrol cars drove by the smashed car and continued to pursue the horse-thing. Just before they vanished from sight the woman saw one officer pull a tranquilizer gun out of the car and saw the officer lean out of the window to shoot it. Half a second later that same car came bouncing backward along the road like a child's toy to smash down on top of the first car.
The woman ran then. She didn't know what the heck was going on, but she wasn't sticking around to find out.
__ __ __ __ __
"For the last time, get out of my face and leave me be! I don't know where you got your information, but you're nuts!" Roger Lighthand said, trying to get rid of yet another reporter that had come into the hospital hoping to talk to either him or his wife. Apparently the purple pony-thing was a popular subject for just about every news station in the country and every other frequent internet user as well. What he wanted to was punch the next reporter that walked in, but he knew from his own country that if he did that not only would they threaten to sue but then he'd be on television himself for more than the time it took to tell the reporter to get lost. Just fill out the paperwork, pay the fee, and go to your son's motel, and convince him to go home with you. Then your life can start getting back to normal again. He was just about calm again when some footsteps that came from behind him stopped close by. They sounded like high-heeled shoes.
"Mr. Lighthand? Could I ask you a few-"
"NO YOU CAN'T! BUZZ OFF!" He yelled in the pretty, young dirty-blond-haired woman's face. She squeaked and turned and walked briskly away. A few of the people that had been sitting on benches waiting for family to finish an appointment laughed. Most of the people that had been sitting there had seen him already brush off three other reporters and had remained polite and at least calm on the outside for each, but everyone had their limit and they had the feeling that he'd been pestered even before he'd been ready to leave.
The elevator dinged once again and to Roger's relief Agatha stepped out with her arm in a cast and sleeve.
"How are you feeling, honey?" He asked. She looked at her arm and then looked back at him with a wry smile. "Right, dumb question. Ready to leave?"
"More than you know. I think if one more reporter asks me where to find a certain purple Unicorn I'm going to strangle them!" Roger laughed and told her that those were his thoughts exactly.
Unfortunately as soon as they exited the building they were surrounded by news crews jabbing microphones into their faces and shouting a dozen different questions a second. Roger looked at Agatha and Agatha looked at him.
"You know, I think I preferred fighting the evil horse-thing to this." Agatha whispered as best she could to him over the din.
"Agreed!" He said back.
Suddenly almost all of the news-people became silent all at once and put a hand to an earpiece (those that didn't have them took cell phones out of their pockets. Twenty seconds later all of them were saying something about getting back to them later and then made a run for their vehicles and in some cases literally jumped into vans or cars and then pealed out of the hospital parking lot and nearly caused a car accident several times. Roger and Agatha looked at one another again, this time puzzled.
"I don't know what just happened, but thank the Maker!" They said at the same time, and left the hospital.
^ ^ ^ ^ ^
We reappeared inside my motel room and I quickly moved to the door and unlocked it. I then gathered up my things and put my backpack on my bed. If Thanatos was here in town then we'd probably need to make a quick getaway once he was dealt with- if we could deal with him. Once my things were packed I clicked on the television hoping for a more precise hint as to where to find Thanatos. I flipped through a few channels and then stopped it on the first news station I found. Currently they were talking about a car accident somewhere. While the news crew droned on I used the bathroom and grabbed a slice of pizza out of the fridge without cleaning off the toppings first. There was no time to be delicate. I needed food, and and I needed to eat it quickly. While I stuffed my face Fluttershy explained the television to Twilight.
"Interesting, but why turn it on when we're trying to stop Thanatos? Just use magic and home in on him." I shook my head.
"No. My ancestor warned me that all that combining the horns into a wand accomplished was extending their expiration date a bit, making it easier to carry and isolating their true power to those that carry my family's blood. Which means that one day this wand will turn to dust as well. I want to put that off as much as possible. If there is an alternative to magic use then I want to use it as long as it's still practical." I turned my attention to the television when one of the news-people mentioned 'a horse-monster is attacking law enforcement'.
"It has also somehow managed to toss patrol cars as if they were toys, seems to be unaffected by bullets, and it can fly. It sounds preposterous, but let's see if Charlene can shed some light on this. Charlene, you're on." There was no response. The announcer looked at his two co-hosts and repeated that Charlene was could link up and be live. There was still no response. "Well, then let's go to Marcus Carnfield in our chopper. Marcus?"
"Hello, Dan. Yeah, Charlene's van got by a large chunk of concrete. This scene is absolutely insane, Dan. If I wasn't here watching it I'd never have believed it!"
"Marcus, could you turn the camera so we can get a look at this thing? All we can see is a few buildings on our end."
"I'd rather not, to be honest. Pointing a camera at that flying horse-thing is what made it throw the concrete at Charlene."
"What?"
"Well there are police shooting at it so maybe it thought the camera was some kind of gun too."
"No, no, not that. How did a horse throw concrete?"
"If I had to hazard a guess, I'd say it used The Force. It wasn't even touching the ground at all when the chunk ripped itself up from the ground and then hurled at the van. An odd thing, though. The horn on its head? It's glowing bright orange and the air around it seem to...sparkle!"
"That's Thanatos, alright." I said. "Where the heck are they?!"
"Maybe it's using magic!" One of the news-people sitting behind the wooden desk laughed.
"At this point I wouldn't rule- Aaah! It's coming right at us! PILOT!" There was a blur of feathers and fur and then the camera stopped working.
"Oh my Maker, Marcus! Talk to us! Are you alright?!" Dan yelled into his mic. Marcus didn't respond. "Whatever is going on down there, I ask for your prayers for the people and patrolmen and women trying to stop this creature on Shopstreet lane." I clicked the television off and went to my backpack to find the map I'd gotten from the airport. My eyes skimmed over it a few times before I found it. When I did I realized that it was quite close to here. It was only three roads away. We could get there easily on foot.
"Alright, I know where he is. Are you two ready?" I looked at Twilight and Fluttershy. Fluttershy looked how I felt: nervous. She still nodded, though. Twilight did the same. "Then let's put an end to this and get you two home."
We arrived on scene to witness several men and woman in like uniforms shooting several types of firearms at Thanatos, who did not seem to be touched by any of it. The light around his horn blazed like a fire and at one point he tore up a decorational tree and hurled it at them. The people with the guns ducked or dove for the pavement when the tree struck the vehicles they had been using for cover. Several windows broke and car frames were a little dented but only one person actually got hurt, and it was only a scratch inflicted by one of the sharper branches across the face.
Nearby a helicopter was on the ground and burning. Inside two people were calling out for someone to help them before their fuselage fully ignited.
"Jacob! Them first!" I agreed and we ran to it.
"How do we get you out?" I yelled.
"The window is probably the best way, but it's safety glass!" I looked at the cracked windshield and raised my empty hand.
"Close your eyes!" I said. They did. My wand glowed and I clenched my fist. The middle of the window crunched in on itself into a ball. "Come on!" A guy wearing a helmet was still strapped it and seemed to be stuck, but the other man climbed out. I aimed my wand at the straps and pictured them being cut. With a snap the pilot came free and also climbed out.
"How did you do that?" The newsman asked in awe.
"Magic!" I said simply, flashing him a cocky grin before running towards Thanatos. Twilight and Fluttershy followed and the newsman and pilot stared. "Thanatos seems to be shielding himself with magic. As long as we stay behind him we shouldn't get hit by stray bullets."
"But what are we going to do about him?" Fluttershy asked as Thanatos brought a live telephone down on top of another vehicle. One of the power cables snapped and miniature lightning bolts arched and zapped anything that got too close to it. After a few bolts the car it had landed on ignited and burned. The driver and partner ran from it as well as their neighbors. A few seconds later the flame retraced from the fuel line to the gas tank and exploded. The local law enforcement was running now, all of them. What ones still had functioning cars got into them and drove, while others simply hoofed it, as it were. Thanatos gave chase to those on foot and impaled them on his horn.
"Oh no!" Fluttershy gasped as one such unlucky person screamed and fought to get loose. Thanatos chomped into his leg and then bit a huge piece out of it, not unlike the Bloody Hoof had done to me in Everfree forest.
"This has gone on long enough, Jacob!" Twilight declared. "We have to help them!"
"Yeah. Let's barbecue this chicken!" I ran closer and drew fire from the burning car, drew it into a rough ball shape and then hurled it at Thanatos' flank. I suppose he hadn't expected an attack from behind because he shrieked in pain as the flames engulfed him. He whirled and stared at me, (the body still leaning against his head) then seemed to hesitate a moment.
"Young Lighthand, forgive me, but you are too far gone!" Thanatos said in an oddly sad voice. Thanatos's horn glowed even brighter than before and lifted all six patrol cars into the air.
"Uh oh." I said before he hurled them at us. The glow of his magic around them did not fade however, and when we tried to dodge they followed us. If we can't run, and we can't defend, then that only leaves attack! I gathered my will and threw my mind back to the downed helicopter. I heard a creak and an exclamation from the two people we'd pulled out of the chopped and brought it forward above our heads.
"Twilight! Flutterhsy! I'll clear a path for you. Twilight, use that lightning wire and try to entangle Thanatos in it. Fluttershy, see if you can find some of my people's weapons where the cars used to be. I'll buy you some time to do that!" I hurled the chopped forward and plowed two of the cars out of the way and sent it straight for Thanatos, who spread his wings and leaped into the air to dodge it. His concentration never broke, unfortunately, and I was very nearly crushed by the oncoming vehicles. If not for my size in comparison to his own, I probably would have been. As I was one of them still brushed through my hair. "Is that all you got?! I thought you were the most powerful Alicorn with magic! Show me what you're really made of!" I foolishly taunted. Thanatos frowned and dropped the cars and lifted me instead. "Wha?!" He threw me across the street and through a display window. I crashed through two flimsy tables and slammed into a stack of cardboard boxes. Apparently this place was still in set up stages which was probably what saved my life as the boxes were full of packaging peanuts, but it still hurt like rolling down a rocky hill. I slowly got back to my feet, amazed that I wasn't more hurt than I was (I had a number of cuts from the glass where it touched my exposed skin as I went through the window and a few places where I could swear that bruises were already forming from hitting the legs of the tables) and then headed back outside again, taking several of the broken table legs with me to use as javelins. Thanatos had not turned his attention from me but instead waited for me to come back out. "That's seriously the best you've got? Throwing me through a window? You helped destroy a forest with a conjured lightning storm and then sealed all those creatures inside Everfree forest! Maybe you've grown weak in your old age!"
"Never...NEVER CALL ME WEAK!!!" Thanatos raged and came at me directly. I tossed the table legs into the air and launched them at him. Thanatos didn't even try to dodge and instead blocked them with magic. As he came up to me I suddenly appeared next to Twilight. Blinking in confusion I looked at her.
"Well I couldn't very well entangle him if you led him to the other side of the street, now could I?" I laughed and apologized. "Apologize later, just get him over here!" I nodded and performed a wolf whistle.
"Hey, you old horse! Why don't you try looking over here!" I waved my arms and then gathered up more flames and sent them his way. Thanatos turned into time to redirect the flames back at me. I tried to catch them and tried to re-re-direct them but his power was still in it and the flames barely deviated at all, so did what I could to dodge and grabbed Twilight and teleported a few meters to one side. The flames missed but we still felt the heat. A single gunshot sounded off to our right and Thanatos winced and turned his head to see Fluttershy awkwardly holding a 9mm pistol between her front hooves. (How she pulled the trigger with no fingers or other slender appendages I'll never know, but at the moment I didn't care about that.) Seizing the moment of him being distracted I told Twilight to be ready and then rapid-teleported myself from where I stood to standing right next to Thanatos. I wrapped my arms around his neck and then rapid-teleported back almost to the same location. "I'm sorry Thanatos. You stood by Mace faithfully and helped him in both of yours final hours, but you've changed and need to be put down before you hurt anyone else." I turned to Twilight. "Twilight! Now!" I let Thanatos go and pushed away from him with my hands before using a blast of wind to propel me even further back.
Twilight caught on and used her power to wrap the sparking power cable around Thanatos' neck. Thanatos went into convulsions as countless watts of energy filled his body. He shrieked again and again as the lightning lit him up inside and out. For a moment I could have sworn that I saw his skeleton like in the old cartoons and then it suddenly stopped and Thanatos fell over onto the cracked pavement. No more electricity crackled which made me think that either we'd fried the power grid or someone had shut off the power running through this line. Cautiously we approached Thanatos. His limbs twitched frequently and he was muttering something. I removed the power cable from Thanatos' neck and leaned closer. His eyes were no longer burning, or even red at all. They were the pale white of those either blind or dead. From his dialog he seemed to be reliving a moment of his life. A rather unpleasant one, because he started crying. Finally he stopped twitching and weakly tried to lift his head.
"Thank you..." He whispered. "I go now...to apologize....to a friend......." Thanatos' head dropped back down to the pavement and he said nothing more.
"So...now what?" Twilight asked me. Fluttershy lowered the gun to the ground and joined us at Thanatos' side. Before our eyes he rapid-decayed. His hide seemed to dry out and turn to dust as if he were a mummy. His mane fell away from his head and neck and his tail seemed to wither and simply vanish like a string of burning plastic. His eyes sunk into his skull and also turned to dust and in time his remains fell away from his bones and blew away in the wind. His skeleton looked horrible. Cracks spider-webbed all over almost the entire frame and they too began to fall to the ground in small chunks. Eventually these too turned to dust but for one thing: Thanatos' orange horn.
"Why didn't his horn decay too?" I asked Twilight. She shook her head.
"Even Unicorns that study magic for years don't fully understand it. It could just be that he wanted you to have it." I reached for it and brushed it with a finger. A chill ran into my hand but barely got further than that (as far as being chilled went) with my wand still in my hand. This did not stop me from feeling cooler in general, however.
"I'll take it back to Celestia and Luna. They can decide what to do with their uncle's remains." I picked it up and then asked Fluttershy if she was alright. She said the gunshot made he rears hurt but other than that she was fine and asked about me when she saw all the cuts on my clothing. I told her it was nothing that I couldn't deal with.
I heard the sound of helicopter blades drawing closer from somewhere out of sight and looked around. Several people were starting to drift back in now that things had quieted down again and were pointing at Twilight and Fluttershy and myself.
"What's that sound?" Fluttershy asked.
"One of our flying machines. We should leave. Given the damage that Thanatos did I don't think that you two would be welcomed here with open arms. My people tend to act very rashly towards something that they're unsure or afraid of."
"So are we going back to the gateway then?" Twilight asked. I shook my head.
"I'd like to get my things and leave a note for my folks before we go so they know that I'm alright first. Is that okay with you two?" Twilight and Fluttershy nodded.
"Hey! Hey magic-man!" I looked at who called out to me to see it was Marcus from the helicopter. He was running towards us with a clipboard and pen in hand.
"Sorry, Marcus, but we've got work to do still. But don't worry, you'll not be troubled by a crazed Alicorn again."
"But who are you? And who and what are they?" Marcus came to a stop next to us and pointed at Twilight and Fluttershy.
"My first name doesn't matter. Just call me Lighthand. As for my two friends, The purple one is Twilight Sparkle," Twilight curtsied, which looked kind of funny on four legs. "and she's a a Unicorn. The yellow one is named Fluttershy" Fluttershy waved. "and she's a Pegasus. And now," Twilight's horn started to glow. "we need to be going." We warped.
We stood outside of the damaged Stone Arch Gateway, watching the blinking pattern and waiting for a calm period to open the door.
I had left a note on my room's door telling dad and mom not to look for me as they wouldn't find me unless I came back on my own. I wrote that I loved them and would do my best to come back safely as long as I was able.
I made a mess in my friends' world and I need to clean it up. I won't tell you that it will be easy or promise that I'll come back because there's a very good chance that I won't even if I do manage to survive the events that lie ahead because our fight with Thanatos in the field damaged the gateway. If I can repair it then I will come home, but in case I don't, know that I'll always love you and I'll miss you both. Tell my best friend back home that I wish him all the best and that he was right about Amelia. He'll know what I'm talking about.
-Your son, Jacob Pharaoh Lighthand.
"Now!" Twilight exclaimed and inserted her horn into the phantom gateway and unlocked it. The door swung open and started flickering again. "I'll go first!" When the passage stopped flickering she ran through. Fluttershy hesitated, so I offered to go next. She nodded. I waited for the calm bit, and then I too ran through. It was still nighttime in Equestria, but for now the area was clear of any Twisted Ones. Twilight looked me over and I nodded at her. She turned to the gateway and made a motion at Fluttershy that it was okay and safe. As we did, Fluttershy waited for a calm bit and then came through, but as she exited it started flickering again and she lost the last few inches of her tail.
"Ack!"
"Yikes!"
"What?" Fluttershy asked. Both me and Twilight pointed at her tail. She looked and then she too 'eeped'. I did not want to consider what could have happened if her main body had still been inside. "I- I almost died!" She shivered.
"Yeah, but you didn't, and we're very happy about that. What say we get back to Ponyville now? I don't want to stay in these woods any longer than necessary. Especially if the- you-know-whos are still hunting." Twilight agreed.
"Let's go as quietly as we can. Maybe if they don't hear us they won't find us. There's no wind so it shouldn't be easy for them to smell us either."
We set out across the forest, walking straight away from the front of the gateway, whose stone doors closed and locked. Nothing pestered us on our way out of the woods but there were times that I thought I saw a few pairs of red eyes watching us as we passed them by. Each time I made eye contact and held it until we were by them before breaking it and looking ahead again. A few times Twilight gave me a funny look but I replied that I was merely making sure to mark landmarks in my memory in case I needed to come this way again in the future. I think she knew I was lying but she didn't press the matter. None of the watchers in the woods made a sound so perhaps it was simply my imagination but I could have sworn that one of them blinked. But nevertheless we made it out with no incident to the place where I had first encountered the Cutie Mark Crusaders. "I know where we are now!" Fluttershy said happily, and from there she led us back to her home where we parted ways. "Good night, you two. " We said goodnight and goodbye as well and then Fluttershy shut her door and went to bed. We heard her speaking to someone or something inside in a happy voice before we left so I assumed it was a pet.
"So now what?" I asked as we walked towards Ponyville proper. "Are you going home too?" Twilight nodded.
"It's been a long night- day-" She fumbled. It was nighttime here but still daytime on earth.
"It's night. You're from Equestria and it was night when we left, and it's still night now. It's night."
"Hmm. Looking where the sun usually rises from I can see some light already so it's probably going to be dawn soon. From where we're standing Ponyville is over that way too."
"Light?" I turned to look where she was. "Wait...that's not sunlight, it's too smoky...smoky?" Our gazes shot to one another.
"FIRE!" We broke into a run towards Ponyville and once more Twilight outpaced me.
When we arrived we found that Ponyville was deserted except for a few badly-burnt bodies of ponies and one huge dead dragon that had been torn limb from limb. What buildings that were not already a smoldering wreck were still blazing away.
"No!! My home!" Twilight cried out loudly. Tears began to form in her eyes. Twilight's tree had been put to the torch as well and it no longer was a tree so much as a charred stump. Ashes drifted around us like snow as she kicked open what was left of the door and waded through the remains of her library. "SPIKE!" She shouted. "SPIKE, WHERE ARE YOU?!" I followed her in and used my magic to push all the ashes out the door to make it easier to walk and search. "Spike?" Twilight's tears were falling now and I placed a hand on her shoulder.
"We'll find him, Twilight. Spike is a smart guy. He'd have evacuated with the other ponies earlier before we left." I coughed on the smoke and toxic fumes that filled the air. "We just have to find where the others evacuated to. In the meantime let's see if there are any survivors in town after the attack ended." Twilight nodded and we split up. She would search her house first and I would go to the other side of town. We'd work our way to the middle and from there we'd go to Sweet Apple Acres. Unfortunately most of the town had been burnt almost to the ground and there were very few buildings that weren't still burning that I could actually go into. One of these buildings almost collapsed on me when I tried to cross the smoky room and I had to teleport out. I am suddenly very grateful that I can use this spell at all! Thank you so much, Twilight! I wiped a bit of nervous sweat from my forehead and headed for the next house. This one's door was still standing, but ironically none of the rest of the house was. Feeling stupid I knocked on it and asked if anyone was home. No response, not that I had really expected one. Eventually my efforts led me to what used to be the Sugarcube Corner. Once it had been build in the shape of a gingerbread house. Apparently a Dragon had thought so as well because it looked as if someone big had taken a bite out of it before trying to burn it. Fortunately for the owners it was one of the more intact buildings in town. Unfortunately it looked as if it would still need heavy and expensive repairs.
I knocked the already-broken glass out of a window with my wand and climbed inside. Moonlight shown in through the hole in the roof but other than the hole, a few busted windows and some scorched walls and floors it looked to mostly be intact.
"Hello! Mr. and Mrs. Cake? Are you in here?" I got no answer, but thought I heard a crash coming from the kitchen. I walked into the kitchen but saw no one, so I approached the cellar and tried to lift the door. It wouldn't budge. Someone is in there. It's locked. "Hello? Who's down there? It's alright, the Dragons are gone now. It's me, Jacob Lighthand!" I heard several voices and then a metallic sound that sounded like a deadbolt being drawn back. The door came open and revealed a familiar pink face. Her hair was hanging loosely rather than being puffy though. I kind of liked that hairstyle more.
"Heya Jacob! So you survived the trip into Everfree! That's great! We survived too! Where's Twilight? We should celebrate that with a party!" Her happy voice sounded hollow like it was forced.
"Twilight is on the other side of town looking for more survivors. What made you stay, Pinkie?"
"Well I was just helping a few ponies pack up some last-minute things when fifteen Dragons swooped in and set fire to half the town in one fly-by! That big mean one from before was with them and he said that if Ponyville surrendered me and the others that defied him almost a month ago that he's spare everyone else. Well, since you, Twilight and Fluttershy weren't here they couldn't very well do that and the big meanie ordered the entire town to be burned. There were only three dozen or so ponies left in town by then which is good, but he burned or crushed or ate about half of them. The rest of them got away or hid with me in the cellar." Pinkie turned her head back and said that it was safe for the others to come out. Mr Cake, Scootaloo, Sweetie Bell, and several other ponies that I had not been introduced to also exited the cellar and headed for the door. I warned them that what awaited them wasn't a pretty sight. Mr. Cake looked out the window I'd come in through and gasped. The others crowded around and moaned or burst into tears or stood in stunned silence. Mr. Cake then went to the door and unlocked it. One by one the others filed outside to see if any of their homes had survived. Most of them had not and they held one another and wept. I felt extreme pity for them, but there really was not much that I could offer for comfort.
"Pinkie Pie, where did the others go to?"
"Jacob! Have you seen Rainbow Dash anywhere?!" Scootaloo asked, looking worried.
"No I haven't. Why?"
"When the Dragons came she taunted them and flew in circles around them. One of the Dragons turned away from destroying the town and started chasing her, then Pinkie grabbed me and took me into the cellar. You haven't seen her at all?" Now she too started to cry. I knelt down to the ground and put a hand on her head. She looked at me and for her benefit I smiled, though I didn't want to smile. What I wanted to do was find anyone else who might have survived and then go after Drahngov.
"Scoots, if there's anything that I've learned about Pegusi in my short time of being in your beautiful world, it's that they don't give up even in the worst of situations. Rainbow Dash is fast, strong, and smart. I'm sure that a Dragon, no matter how big and scary it might seem is no match for her. We'll find her." Scootaloo sniffed and tried to put on a brave face. "But first let's see if there are any ponies here in town that still need our help. Take your friend Sweetie Bell and go find Twilight. I'm sure she'd be glad to see you." Scootaloo nodded and spoke to Sweetie Bell. The two ran towards the other side of town and I let my smile fade. What Scootaloo had said about Rainbow Dash had me worried now, too. She was indeed very fast, but ponies weren't fireproof. All it would take is one lucky gush of flame and she'd have been charbroiled alive. I re-entered the Sugarcube Corner and asked Pinkie if she knew where Rarity or Applejack was.
"Rarity left with the others when the town evacuated. Applejack went home to get her sister and her brother when the Dragons arrived. OHMYGOSH! You don't think they-"
"I hope not. Me and Twilight were going to look once we met up in the middle of town. Would you like to come along?" Pinkie nodded, her hair still deflated and we walked to the town square to wait. Twilight had not yet arrived, but several other ponies had, including the mayor.
"Oh, it's you again. Still transformed?"
"Well actually-"
"Good, because we could use a set of hands. Most of the Unicorns left with the evacuation group and we're not really built for grabbing and lifting things. There's a family of five trapped in the basement of their house and it could fall at any moment. We'll get them out, but we need a support beam that fell across it moved first, and bucking it only seems to make the house more unstable. You lift it out of the way, and we'll get them out." I nodded and followed her to the house of subject. The rescue went off without a hitch and we all got out with no injuries. Five minutes later the house next to it collapsed from fire damage which made theirs fall as well. When we made our way back to the town square this time Twilight was there and looked much better than she had been when we parted earlier. Losing her home and the town it was in had been devastating, but seeing that most of her friends and neighbors had survived really helped speed her heart's healing.
"Ready to go, Jacob?" She asked. I nodded and with Pinkie Pie walking beside us we followed the road to Sweet Apple Acres. It was worse there than at the town if only because nearly all the trees that had once made up this place were either broken or burnt to a twig. Only one or two still stood, but seemed to have been left there as a mockery or an insult. The barn had also been destroyed along with their house and the chicken coop and even the tool shed.
"I am suddenly very glad that Fluttershy stayed at home rather than coming into town with us." I whispered under my breath.
"APPLEJACK! BIG MAC! APPLEBLOOM! GRANNY SMITH!" Twilight screamed, and ran to what was once their house. Pinkie followed, looking just as worried and scared as Twilight Sparkle. My face was sad, and my emotion despair. For the families that had survived in Ponyville, the homes had at least been mostly intact. There was nothing left here.
Twilight and Pinkie began to dig through the rubble of the house searching for any sign of their friends while I went to the barn. It was while I moved some of the heavier boards with my magic that the other two CMC's also joined us at the farm and hurried to help. Sweetie bell joined Twilight and Pinkie, while Scootaloo helped me.
"Hello again." I said. "How are things back in town?"
"We found two more survivors, but one of them died shortly after." Scootaloo stopped digging through the ash for a moment. "I've never seen someone die before." She looked up at me. "Have you?" I nodded.
"Several of my relatives died with me present. For two it was just old age finally catching up with them. For another he had gotten hit by a car and his internal organs had been damaged."
"What's a car?"
"A mechanical vehicle that my people use to get around quickly. The driver hadn't been paying attention to the flow of traffic, and when my cousin tried to cross the street-" I stopped when I realized I was gripping the wand like I wanted to choke something. "Well, he died." I looked at the mess before me. No more deaths here. Not One! I raised both my arms and lifted all the rubble that had fallen, keeping in mind to only lift the wood. I regretted it shortly after when the drain of energy slapped me in the face, but for the moment I was doing my part and didn't care. I moved it all to one side four meters to the right and then lowered it. A lot of the ash went with it, but some did not. That ash was probably not made from wood burning. Both me and Scootaloo waded into the remaining wreckage and found nothing at first. It wasn't until we reached the back of the barn's founding that we found a trapdoor that led into a dug-out area beneath it. How we found it was when it collapsed under our weight. If it had been Scootaloo alone we probably would have opened it like normal people/ponies after her hooves knocked on something that sounded hollow, but since I weighed considerably more...
"Aah!" We both yelled as we fell through the weakened wooden door. When we came to a stop a large hoof was placed against my head.
"Who are you?" A southern-accented voice asked.
"Applebloom! Applejack!" Scootaloo said in joy and ran around the big red pony (or maybe it was a horse. That guy was pretty tall for a pony!) to the side of a familiar yellow and red pony and an orange and blond one. I looked up at the big guy.
"Please don't crush my skull? I kinda need that."
"He's okay, Big Mac. I know him. He's the Two-leg I told you about." Applejack said from behind him. Big Mac removed his hoof and examined me.
"Eeyup. Sahry 'bout that, but with whats been goin' on one can't be too careful."
"No problem." I stood up from the ground and brushed myself off. "I'll go and tell the others that you're-" I paused. There were three ponies here, and not one of them looked elderly. "Where's Granny Smith?" I had never had the opportunity to meet her, but given that these three had the names and coloration of what apple-related things there should have been a green pony here as well, and there wasn't. Big Mac, Applejack, and Applebloom all looked at the dirt flooring.
"Granny Smith was in the house when the Dragons came." Applejack said quietly. "We were outside already and ran for the barn cellar. I yelled to her to get into the basement, but I don't know if she heard me." Remembering that Twilight and Pinkie were digging through the remains of the house I informed the others of this. We filed out of the cellar one after the other with Big Mac in the lead. When the Apple family saw the damage they gasped. Applebloom and Applejack started crying while Big Mac could only stare at the devastation in wide-eyed silence.
"Why would they do this?" Applebloom asked her older sister while pressing up against her. "We didn't do anything to them!"
"I don't know, sugar cube. I just don't know." While we stood there Pinkie Pie looked over her shoulder to check on me and Scoots' progress and noticed the majority of the Apple family with us and told Twilight. The two of them raced over to us and another reunion took place. Applejack asked if they had found Granny Smith but neither of them had and as a whole group we went over to the house and renewed the search. We never found her in the house's remains though we dug on after the sun had risen. Once we were certain she was not in the house anywhere we searched the rest of the property. All we found was a broken cane and a large smear of blood on the ground. Fortunately none of the foals were present for that. It was Big Mac that found it.
"Dear Maker...I whispered, feeling sick.
"Ee-" He couldn't finish.
"They didn't..." Applejack said, not wanting to believe.
"No!" Twilight exclaimed. Pinkie had been told to lead the foals elsewhere when Big Mac first found it.
I turned away from it, and walked away holding my stomach. Killing an animal to eat was one thing. The idea of killing a sentient for food made me sick. Sick and angry. Twilight comforted her friends while I walked farther and farther from their group. I did this. This is my fault. I had not been the one that chose to eat another sentient, but I had been the one to effectively declare war on the Dragon race. Now all of Eqestria was going to pay for it. I had been staring at the ground while I contemplated this, but now I raised my head and walked back to them. I hated to interrupt Twilight while she and her friends mourned, but I needed to speak to the princesses, and my skills in teleportation magic were decidedly lacking. They needed to be told to sound the alarm.
"Twilight, I'm sorry to interrupt, but I have a favor to ask of you. Your nation needs to be warned of the Dragon threat while there is still time to do counter them, if they can be countered. We have to go back to Canterlot, and the sooner the better." Twilight lifted her still-weeping head from the lowered position it had been in and looked at me. She wiped away her tears and nodded.
"Yes. We can't let something like this happen so somepony else. Just give me a minute to say goodbye." I nodded.
"What de ya mean, 'goodbye'? I'm coming with you, sugar cube!" Applejack declared, overhearing our conversation. "Someone needs to teach these...monsters a lesson!" She finished with loathing in her tone. Her eyes were angry now.
"I'm coming too!" Pinkie added, trying to smile. "Somepony's got to find a way to make you all smile again!"
"No, Pinkie." Twilight said. "I need you to go find Rarity and Spike and also tell Fluttershy what happened. I get the feeling we're all going to be needed before this war is over." Pinkie looked disappointed, but nodded.
"Big Mac," Applejack said to the big pony. He lifted his head, also crying. "I need you to look after the girls while we're gone, alright?" He nodded. "Take them to the refugee site. We'll be back after this is over." If we come back from it. If I trusted my people to take action in time I'd try asking them for help, but knowing our politicians we'd be dead long before they made a decision! I still didn't really want my world getting involved more than necessary given the damage that I myself had done, but wasn't I already intending to do that with the plan to send the Dragons into my world? That plan is in the toilet now, though. Thanatos is dead, and with him the skill needed to both change Trixie back and to ensure that the trans-dimensional warp could succeed. I supposed I could ask Melinda Jones for help again, but given her reaction to me last time, she'd probably want the land mass value of Everfree forest in currency. Though for the safety of the nation she lives in she might be willing to give me a discount if I ask really nicely.
"Hey Jacob, are you ready to go, or are you just going to stare blankly into nothing all day?" Twilight asked me. I jumped and replied in a brief stutter that I was ready when she was. Twilight nodded and in a few seconds we had once more arrived at the gate of the palace.
Chapter 12
Despite what we knew had happened in Ponyville, Canterlot was still deceptively peaceful. Everything was as it should be and there were no sign of any Dragons anywhere. Which means we got here in time. Good! I ran up to the gates and greeted the guards and informed them we had dire news for Celestia and Luna.
"Which would be?" The guard asked, sounding bored but looking edgy. "Celestia is a bit busy right now."
"The Dragons have attacked and destroyed Ponyville!" Twilight answered. The guards jumped and then looked us over. They nodded at one another and one opened the gate while the other galloped through and over the bridge to the palace.
"Go on through. I think that she will definitely want to hear about this. Go, and hurry." We thanked him and ran after the first guard.
Given the news that the Pegasus guard that went before us the guards that had searched us before when I first came here let us through with no objections. They stood aside and let us run right by.
Unfortunately we weren't the first group to bring news of Draconic destruction to the royalty. When we arrived at the doors there were three more ponies, all of the Pegasi that looked worn out enough to drop. One of them had scorched feathers and another had a bandaged broken leg. They stared at us (or maybe just me) as we came to a stop next to them.
"Let me guess." The one in the best shape began. "Dragons attacked your homes?"
"Yeah, how'd you know?" Applejack asked.
"We just came from Cloudsdale. Or rather what's left of it. The Dragons bathed it in fire and our clouds burned away like fog under the sun. All of our buildings and nearly everypony died in the process. There's maybe a few hundred of us left out of nearly four thousand. What of us that died that weren't burnt to death by the flames or crushed when the buildings fell and eventually smashed into the ground were eaten in midair. The Dragons that attacked us made a sport of it. They laughed while our blood ran down their chins and dripped like rain to the lands below. Seventy of them came for us, but most of them didn't do anything until we started trying to escape. What few of us were left tried to flee in all directions but the other Dragons began to fly and breath their firy breath like they were trying to herd us inward. To coral us or something. So we fled the only direction we could and came here. That was three days ago, and apparently we weren't here first either. There was a line when we first arrived."
"Who else came under attack?" Twilight asked them.
"Phillydelphia for one, a new farming settlement at the outer edge of our nations near the Zebra lands, and the Zebras as well. It would appear that the Dragons aren't discriminating on who they attack as long as they're equines. Who knows who else has been hit, or who may be getting hit as we speak."
Five separate attacks. How many ponies have been killed versus how many Dragons? Probably only one or two Dragons. These ponies aren't like my people, they're not equipped for this! I brought my backpack to my front and unzipped it. I pulled out Thanato's horn but put my wand away (in reverse order). After only a few seconds my hands felt like they were going numb from cold. I traced the spiral groove from tip to base and reflected once again on my encounter with Drahngov. It had taken two horns to deflect his fire and I had been worn out after just that. Granted I had been practicing with magic a lot since then and I had a better idea of what I was doing now, but there was no way I could hope to match just four Dragons in a fight, let alone seventy or more. Obviously if it came to confronting them I would not be standing alone and I would have to be a fool to try, but would we really be strong enough to counter them all if they converged on us? Unless we can come up with a plan and implement it, I guess we'll just have to find out. This being the capital of Equestria, it would also be the hardest to destroy. But from what I'd seen the closest thing they had to weaponry here was magic (and it certainly could be formidable), the training weapons of the sparring field, and a toy catapult I'd seen in a shop window when I'd gone through Canterlot city looking for a magic-user. This of course did not mean that they didn't have any weapons at all anywhere. This age seemed to be once of peace, which meant there really had been no need to carry them out in the open, but as things appeared to be now, it looked bad.
Abruptly the doors to the throne room opened and two Zebras wearing alot of gold jewelry exited the throne room. I hastily dropped Thanato's horn back into the bag and zipped it up. They froze when they saw me and stared while the Pegusi entered, the injured one limping. Then the doors closed again and our group continued to wait.
One of the Zebras came right up to me and stared up into my face.
"Tall you be, foreigner. Have you come to request help for your people as well?"
"You're not rhyming!" Twilight observed, surprised. The Zebra gave her a funny look.
"Why would I be rhyming?"
"I have a Zebra friend named Zecora who always speaks in rhyme."
"Ah, Zecora. I know of her. She's a medicine Zebra, yes?" Twilight and the rest of our group nodded. "That's why. Those of our people that study medicine are taught to make rhymes out of the ingredient list and process for mixing them if they are able . It makes it simpler to remember them that way. This teaching method tends to affect their regular speech as well."
"I suppose that makes sense." It nodded and looked back at me again.
"I have seen earth ponies and Unicorns and the Winged Ones before in this place, but not your kind. You are very tall."
"I am a Human. It's not really surprising that you've never seen my kind before. I'm not from your world."
"I never said that I had not seen your kind before, merely not in this place, and that you were tall." This time I stared.
"You've seen another Human?! Where?! When?!"
"In my own country, about a week before my tribe was attacked. She was traveling and only remained with us for one day before moving on again."
"Did you notice anything odd about her?"
"Aside from walking on two legs instead of four and lacking noticeable hair anywhere but her head much like you? She carried an instrument with her. I believe it was called a violin."
"Do you have any idea where she might be now?" The Zebra shook his head.
"No. Though we asked for conversation, all she said was 'wherever my feet take me' and would give no other answer."
I was about to inquire further but the door opened again and the three Pegasi came back out again and it was our turn.
"Safe journeys homeward, Winged Ones." The Zebras said to the Pegasi.
"Heh. If only we still had a home to go back to." One of them replied. "But thank you."
The door shut behind us and as a group we walked across the room on the new red carpet. I looked down at it and saw that its color was a bit darker than the first had been. The older one was probably sun bleached lighter over the years.
"Why's the carpet look different?" Applejack whispered to Twilight.
"Because Jacob set it on fire by accident the last time we were here and it needed to be replaced." Applejack blinked a few times and then looked at me. I gave her an embarrassed smile in response. Our trio said nothing more until we arrived in front of Celestia, at which time Twilight related the events that had occurred to us while we were gone. Celestia asked several questions along the way, and looked surprised at the description of how my world was on the other side.
"It seems that your race has done well enough for itself without magic but is ill-prepared for one skilled in it. Give me Thanatos' horn, Jacob Lighthand." I brought it out again and held it out on open palms for her to examine. "Yes, this is certainly his. It still carries his scent." Celestia looked up at the ceiling and closed her eyes. "Rest in peace, Uncle." She sighed and lowered her head again. "I really had hoped to see him again, but it seems that it was not meant to be." Celestia took the horn with her magic and set it behind her throne. She was silent for a long time. Ten minutes, at least. Finally she spoke again. "As to Ponyville coming under attack, multiple settlements, towns, and areas have also sent reports and given accounts of assaults. I had hoped that Drahngov might have been willing to seek alternative methods to war, but he is of the same mind as his grandfather was and is not content with being the leader of his own people alone."
"Tell us what to do, Celestia!" Twilight said, sounding full of courage. "We're ready!"
"I don't think any of us are ready for war, Twilight Sparkle. War is a terrible thing that I'd hoped none of you would have to experience in your lifetime. I wouldn't wish the experience on any being. But whether I would wish it or not, it has come. For the moment, I will give the three of you rooms to rest in as I have done with the other messengers. Tonight I shall hold a council with mine sister and several advisers. It is then that we shall come to a decision."
Celestia dismissed us and we bowed and left. Celestia doesn't know what to do! I realized as we left the throne room. This is too much too fast, one set of bad news after the other. Applejack noticed the look on my face and asked what was on my mind.
"Despair is on my mind. This is looking really bad, Applejack. I don't think Drahngov would be stupid enough to come here alone, and the only way we can get the Dragons to call off the attack would be to kill Drahngov or make his followers lose faith in him as a leader, which may amount to the same thing. Thanatos is dead, so we can't teleport Drahngov or his people into my world, and to top it all off, the Dragons seem to be forcing everyone in your nation inward towards the center of it. They aim to finish us in one go."
"You're giving up? That doesn't sound like the Lighthand that I've heard of."
"Who said anything about giving up? If it comes to it I'll fight against them with my teeth and fingernails. I just think we're not going to win."
"You know, this is normally when you come up with a crazy idea that nearly gets you killed but still works." Twilight commented. "So, any ideas?" I stopped talking and started thinking. They were right, this would be the time for a crazy plan, but I had nothing.
"I'll let you know."
We parted ways at our rooms, and I entered my old guest room and dropped my stuff on the window sill. Trixie was on the bed looking at something. She stuffed it under a pillow when she heard the door shut. It made me curious, but decided it was none of my business.
"Good day, Trixie." I said. She turned her head and asked me if we'd found Thanatos. I explained what had happened and she sighed.
"That was about what I had expected, but don't worry, I'm not bothered. I'm starting to get used to this form."
"You are?" That kind of surprised me. Trixie had been rather testy with me from the start (not that I held it against her).
"Yeah. I mean, taking a look at myself now versus how I looked in my original body I look a lot younger than I was. How old do you Humans normally live to be?"
"It differs from Human to Human, but my family normally lives to be in their late eighties to early nineties." Her mouth dropped.
"Your family lives three times longer than any pony I've ever heard of!" I hadn't thought about that. "You said back when we met that you were twenty three. That would be a little under two thirds of how long we live. I think I can find find something to do with myself within that time period." To hear her making the best of it made me feel a bit better.
"You're welcome, then."
Having gotten very little sleep back in my own world I changed my outfit and laid down on the carpet and fell sleep almost immediately.
When I awoke later Trixie was gone. I yawned, got up and used the bathroom, and then went to my bag to get my toothbrush and toothpaste out. I wasn't going to use it until later, but wanted to have it out for when I did need them. I reached into the bag and pulled them out, then got halfway to the bathroom before I realized that my bag had been zipped shut when I set it down, which meant that someone had gone through it while I slept. My wand?! I dropped my toothbrush and toothpaste and ran back to the bag and emptied it out on the sill. I tossed my clothing to one side and was relieved to hear my wand clatter on the floor. I picked it up and set it on the sill and then began to sort through the rest of my things, wondering what might have been taken. Everything seemed to still be here. The only off thing was that the journal was on the bottom of the dumped pile, which meant it had been on the top when I dumped it out. Before it had been at the bottom of my things, which should have put it at the top of the pile. Someone has been messing with my journal. But who? It only translates when a Human is holding a Unicorn horn and the journal at the same time so it wouldn't do anybody else and good. Unless of course, my ancestor had chosen to write in basic. I opened it and paged through it. Hopefully I could find what I was looking for before my ancestor got rid of it. If there was ever an 'it' to find, of course. I skipped over the first hundred or so pages and then jumped past the conversation we had. I found several blank pages and then found something new.
"Oh no." I kept reading through Trixie's conversation and came to another bit of it.
I have them! I'll be bringing them to you shortly. Jacob's come back though and there are more ponies running around the palace than there have been since I first came here. I might not make it for a bit. But I am coming today.
TAKE YOUR TIME, GIRL. I'VE WAITED FOR CENTURIES. A FEW MORE HOURS IS NOTHING.
A bit later in hasty handwriting there was more saying that she was on her way out. "Oh NO!" I was about to leave the journal and run after Trixie when more lettering popped up.
HELLO AGAIN, JACOB. IF ONLY YOU HAD BEEN THE ONE TO HELP ME I COULD HAVE TAUGHT YOU SO MUCH. IT HAS BEEN ABOUT FORTY MINUTES, I THINK, SINCE THAT GIRL LEFT. EVEN IF YOU LEAVE NOW IT IS UNLIKELY THAT YOU WILL CATCH HER. FAREWELL.
A smug face appeared on the next page, winked, and then disappeared. I bolted from my room, forgetting my wand and having to come back for it before once more bolting from my room. Servants jumped out of my way as did several nobles, though the nobles yelled curses after me. I also passed a few guards that watched me with curiosity or suspicion. At one point I passed Applejack who asked what was wrong.
"Can't talk now! Trouble!" I said in between breaths. Applejack spun and followed me. I slid to a stop outside the throne room and turned to the left to go outside. I stopped briefly to ask a 'search-you-before-entering' guard the fastest way to the hedge maze. He looked at the maze from a window near where he stood and looked back and told me to grow wings and fly there. If the situation had been different I might have taken the time to say something back, but it wasn't. Instead I ran outside and looked at it from the stone bridge.
"Gosh darn it, Jacob!" Applejack said. "What's this about?"
"Do you know how Celestia's father died?" I asked her.
"Nope. Ah didn't even know she had a father."
"One of my genetic predecessors killed him."
"Huh? How about you stop using fancy words and talk like a normal person?"
"A member of my family that was born a long time ago slew him."
"What?!"
"Yeah. But rather than have him executed, her uncle had him turned to stone. Unfortunately Trixie found out a way to return him to flesh and is probably on her way to him now."
"Trixie? As in 'the Great and Powerful' Trixie?"
"That's her. It's a long story, but the short of it is that she's been tricked and will release him unless we can stop her."
"Well where is she?"
"I don't know. I was asleep when she left. I only found out after I woke up."
"Well then we need to go tell Celestia, then!" I shook my head.
"It's too late for me to do that, though I'd appreciate it if you would for me. I need to get there first and prevent her from freeing him."
"And just how are you gonna to do that?"
"A crazy idea." I gripped my wand tighter and ran for the edge of the bridge.
I didn't know if my abilities with telekinesis were skilled enough for me to levitate myself there in mock-flight so that meant I'd have to use another method: I'd teleport in short jumps the whole (what looked like) two miles.
"What are you-" she saw where I was headed and the look on my face. "No! Stop, you'll kill your-" I jumped over the guard rail and soared into open air for all of about three seconds before I started falling. Okay, here goes everything! I focused my mind on one clear goal like Twilight had instructed: move forward. Forward, and forward, and forward.
I teleported three meters (or nine feet) forward and then reappeared and started falling again. I blinked myself forward again and kept doing that. Every two seconds I'd disappear and then reappear and then start falling and then blink forward again. In this manner I got about a third of the way before I started feeling tired. Maybe you're right Applejack. Maybe I am going to kill myself this time!
I didn't make it to the hedge maze before I reached the ground, but I nearly did. Unfortunately I was rather tired by the time I reached the ground. I felt as if I had just gotten off work during Christmas shopping week after working a twelve hour shift, but I could still jog, and jog I did. But I didn't enter the maze. Instead I jogged along the outside of it and followed it to the outer edge and turned the corner and followed it again. If Trixie had not yet arrived then I had a head start, and if she had then I could hope that she had not also had the same idea and was now going through the maze the hard way.
My jog slowed to a brisk walk over time not due to my being tired but rather to the increasingly rocky terrain. There was still grass and shrubbery, and even the occasional tree, but the ground was uneven and bits of shale stuck out of it from it from time to time. I am suddenly very grateful for my shoes. I'd already stepped on and broken off several bits of it, and from what I'd been told of shale it could slice flesh like a knife if the edge were narrow enough.
I yawned and was suddenly choking on a bug that had flown into my mouth. I was forced into a coughing fit that pushed me to my knees for a few minutes before I finally coughed it back up. The dang thing was still alive and buzzing about too.
"I hate flies. I cross the boundary between realities and I'm STILL being plagued by flies." I swung a hand at it and knocked it away.
After the fly incident I walked another ten minutes before I hit a dead end. It would seem that mine plan of walking around to the back was flawed in that the hedge maze was not a perfect rectangle. Well, crap. I reached into my pocket for my lighter. Fortunately I'd remembered to pick it up again before we left the gateway clearing in Everfree. Twilight had tried to teach me to make fire without needing a ready source, but it had proven too much extra to cram into my head along with everything else at the same time.
I pushed back the metal lid and flicked the starter with the same thumb. If I couldn't find my way there and just push my way in, I'd take a shortcut and apologize to Celestia for it later.
FWOOMPH!
I burned my way through the green wall that towered over my head and the one after it (by accident). When the flames died and heat faded I stepped into the maze and looked left and right. Left was a dead end, and right was clear until it bent to the left. I stepped forward again through the second hole and looked around. There was a path ahead of me and one to me left. If I had the time I'd do this maze properly, but sadly I do not. Alright wand, be my compass! I lifted my wand and will it to show me to the nearest statue. I felt a tug and followed it. Twice it took me to dead ends within three minutes, so I burned my way through and kept on walking. I saw no one, heard nothing except the occasional bird chirping as it flew overhead and the rustle of the green leaves of the bushes and my own footfalls.
After wandering for what felt like forever I was led into the center of the maze, and then the tugging stopped. The only reason I knew it was the center was because there was a sign telling me that I'd reached the center. There was also a bench that one could rest on for a moment if they so desired. In the center of the center there stood the oddest statue I'd ever seen. It vaguely resembled a serpentine Chinese Dragon, but it had several differently shaped limbs and two different horns on its head. It also looked as if it were surprised and was trying to push something away or perhaps block it.
"What the heck are you supposed to be? There's not way in heck that you're my ancestor!" I said, looking it in the face. So then why hadn't I been led to him instead of here? Could this maze enchanted against homing magic to keep those that enter it from cheating to find the exit? If that was the case then my wand had probably been leading me to the center and not to a statue at all. I willed my wand to take me back where I had started from and it did not respond at all. I pointed a hand at the bench and tried to lift it. It rose with almost no effort on my part at all. I set it back down in front of me and sat on it to think.
I looked up when a familiar child walked into the center as well. She wasn't paying any attention to me, which was good as I had started to sneak up behind her.
"Stupid maze, and stupid person that grew it and- aah!" I tackled her to the ground and wrestled with her briefly. She scratched my face with her fingernails and I grunted, but ignored the pain. In her right hand (the hand that scratched me) was a Unicorn's horn, and in her left was- An Alicorn's horn?! Where the heck did she get it!? I didn't have long to ponder the question. Trixie stabbed me in the side with the Alicorn's horn. This felt much worse than a simple scratch and I loosened my grip on Trixie. She fought free and kicked me where she had stabbed me. I cried out and on reflex covered the hole in my side with my hands. Blood flowed between my fingers and over my wand, soaking my shirt.
"I hope you don't die, Jacob. You don't seem like a bad person, but I can't stay this way."
"He's..." I gasped as my body sent more messages of 'you're hurt' to my brain. "He's tricking you, Trixie! You can't trust him!"
"He's the only one who can change me back now! You told me Thanatos was dead, and Celestia told me before she didn't have the skill to change me back! That leaves only him." Trixie looked at me with pity. "Listen, after he's changed me back I'll come back and carry you to the palace with my magic. I'm no good at healing, so you'll have to stop the bleeding yourself." Trixie wiped the bloodied horn off on the grass and then, throwing one last glance of regret at me, continued into the maze.
__ __ __ __ __
I hope that doesn't kill him. Trixie thought as she walked deeper into the maze, following the instructions that the journal's original owner had given her. At one point she passed a wall that looked like it had been set on fire and she stopped to stare at it. Jacob must have done this when he came in. He probably read the journal after he woke up and found our conversations. But how did he get here ahead of me? Not that it really mattered. She had directions that would take her directly to him as long as the hedge maze had not been changed since he'd been placed there. She suspected that it had been. Only an idiot would have left the maze as it was if they knew he could still see through his eyes. Hopefully they didn't know or were stupid.
Trixie turned several times, and then finally arrived in front of Jacob's petrified ancestor. He certainly did not look friendly. In fact he looked angry. But I would be too if I had been wrongly imprisoned. Trixie set the Unicorn horn down on the ground and carried the Alicorn horn closer. She hesitated at the base of the statue. It stood more than twice her height due to the pedestal he stood upon, but climbing it would be easy. That was not what held her back. Jacob said that he was trying to trick me. What if I really am being tricked? Jacob gains magic with a Unicorn's horn, but I've never seen what happens when he gets hold of an Alicorn horn. I could be about to make a very large mistake here.
__ __ __ __ __
Come on, you blasted hybrid! You're right in front of me! Release me! Release me and I can take the horns you've brought me as well as your own when I change you back!
__ __ __ __ __
Trixie licked her lips and looked at the face of Jacob's ancestor, then looked back the way she had come. Guilt and selfishness were at war with one another inside her. If she turned back now she could start dragging Jacob back the way she'd come and he could get help faster. She'd never killed anyone before, and she didn't want to start today. Trixie looked up at the statue again, and then looked at herself. This body wasn't really as bad as she made it seem when she stopped to think about it, and the extended lifespan was a definite bonus. If she could find someone to complete the transformation she could use magic again without having to free this man without knowing if he truly was a killer or not, and better yet, she might even have a teacher (as long as he forgave her). That was something that she'd lacked as a pony, which was part of the reason her magic was so limited in comparison to others.
Trixie clenched a fist, retrieved the Unicorn horn, and walked away.
__ __ __ __ __
Jacob's ancestor howled in frustration.
^ ^ ^ ^ ^
My vision was growing dark and I felt cold. I didn't know how much blood I'd lost, or how successful I'd been in healing myself. Obviously it hadn't been enough because I could still feel it trickling between my fingers and pooling beneath me. When Trixie had stabbed me, she must have hit something vital, because rather than the simple 'OMG ts hurts!' feeling something felt...wrong. Wrong like the feeling you get when you know you're about to get sick. Twilight was right, I didn't know enough about anatomy to be a particularly useful healer, but I did know that blood was important and was probably why I was feeling cold.
"I wonder if I'm dying?" I thought aloud. "If I am, it's not so bad, really." The pain was already fading. Right along with my vision. "I do wish I could still see, though."
"Jacob?" Came a young voice. It sounded familiar. "Jacob!" I heard muffled footfalls coming closer to me and and turned my eyes towards the sound. It was Trixie. I smiled. It took much more effort than I expected.
"Heh-hey there Trix. How are y- you?"
"Oh holy Celestia, what have I done?!" Trixie touched my still-bleeding injury
"He didn't change you back? What a wanker. The next time you see him, give him a kick to the balls for me, will you?" I closed my eyes but opened them again when she slapped me in the face. "Hey, what's- what's your problem?"
"Here, take this!" I felt something warm slide into my empty hand. A sudden chill rushed through me and I suddenly felt much more awake and coherent. "I don't know what it will do, but I know you can use it somehow!" I tried to raise my head to look and could not. I tried next to raise my arm and still could not.
"What did you give me?"
"The Alicorn's horn. You've got to try and heal yourself!"
"I don't have the energy anymore. I cannot even lllliffft my h-head anymore."
"Then- then take mine!"
"That's very gen-erous of you, Trixie, but I don't know how to do...energy transference. Twilight... never showed me...how." The awareness was fading fast. I needed a hospital, that much I knew. But I also knew that I wasn't going to get one. I coughed weakly and felt a liquid leaking from the corner of my mouth. It was probably more blood.
"I'll- I'll get help! Don't you go to sleep until I get back!" Trixie rose, stepped over me, and ran out of my line of vision. As my mind drifted, my thoughts also drifted to many things: where I'd grown up, the friends I'd had as a kid, my first car, my first car crash , the smiling faces of my parents, the angry glower of my ancestor from the journal, a cartoon I'd once watched at age fifteen, my first dog, my favorite foods, that stupid trick I'd tried on my rollarblades...the list went on.
I don't know how much time passed until I heard footsteps again. They were heavier than Trixie's, and there were several of them. I turned my eyes one last time to see a blue-body and red-orange maned Alicorn arrive. Melinda?
"I can't ever just have a nice peaceful walk all to myself, can I?" She said, looking at the sky. Thunder rumbled where there were no clouds for lightning. She sighed and lowered her head to touch my middle.
I lost consciousness.
When I awoke again I was in a white room on a soft bed. I looked around the room with my eyes and saw that I was not alone. Trixie was asleep on a bench by the door, and the doctor that had helped me drain blood into a jar for my wand was reading some notes on a clip board. I tried to move and instantly felt sore all over. Ugh. This feels like the worst hangover in the history of the world! I shouldn't have had that thought, because the second I did my head also started to hurt. I moaned and the doc turned towards me.
"Ah! You're awake! Are you hungry? Thirsty?"
"Parched. I feel like I could drink a river." The doc nodded and walked over to a pitcher on a metal platter. He picked it up with his teeth and carried it over to the bed and set it down. I tried to sit up and was met with more soreness. I only got two inches off the bed before needing to lie back down again.
"The sore feeling will go away with time provided we get some fluids in you. You lost a lot of blood. Quite frankly I'm surprised you're still alive."
"Someone found me in the maze before I passed out. I think she may have healed me."
"Well someone had to have done so. There was barely a mark on you where she-" he pointed a hoof and Trixie. "said you were stabbed."
"How long have I been sleeping here?"
"About two days."
"What?!" I once more tried to sit up and got a little farther than before, but not by much. "Have I missed anything?"
"More reports of towns attacked, and a blue Pegasus with a rainbow tail and mane arrived yesterday evening. Her hide and feathers were singed, but that's about it. Oh yes, and Celestia and Luna have made a decision regarding the Dragon threat."
"Which is?"
"They told me not to tell you until you could walk again. Judging by your efforts thus far, I don't think that it's going to be any time today." The doc walked across the room again and picked up a metal cup and carried it over to me as well. He set it down on the tray and poured some water into it. After setting the pitcher down again he lifted the cup and held it to my mouth. "Here you go. Take it slow, now." I drank gratefully from the cup and politely asked for more when it was gone. He nodded and I drank again after he refilled it. I sighed the content sigh of a thirst-quenched individual.
On the other side of the room Trixie stirred and yawned. She then stretched and opened her eyes and blinked a few times. When she saw the doc by my bed she hopped up to her feet and walked over.
"You're awake!"
"Yes I am." I looked at the doctor and asked if he'd give us a few moments alone. He nodded and exited the room, closing the door behind him. As soon as the door's latch clicked shut Trixie gave me a look of remorse and looked at the place where she'd stabbed me.
"Um, I'm really, really sorry for stabbing you, Jacob."
"I forgive you, Trixie." I didn't smile when I said it, or after I said it. Why would I? She had nearly killed me. Forgiving someone doesn't mean that you had to be happy about it. "So how did you explain my having an Alicorn's horn to everyone, and more importantly, where did it and the other horn come from?" Trixie turned her eyes away from me and put a hand behind her back and pulled her tail around to her front. She played with it for a bit before answering.
"I stole the Alicorn horn from the royal crypt. The Unicorn horn I also stole, but from the Canterlot graveyard. As for what happened to both, I hid the Unicorn horn in the folds of my dress, and the Alicorn horn was gone when we arrived and found you lying in your blood. I don't know where it is now. The Unicorn horn is hidden under the first mattress of the bed now."
"I see. What about my being stabbed? What did you tell them about that?"
"The truth. Celestia already knew about what I had intended to do regarding your ancestor, but because I chose not to free him in the end she decided not to have me executed or even thrown in her dungeon. I am, however, now under house arrest."
"So you got off easy, then."
"Not so much. I'm also supposed to be guarded night and day now. I thank whatever Maker that crafted our world that she didn't know about me looting the royal crypt, otherwise Luna might have had me executed or at least banished to the Everfree forest." Which would have been pretty much the same thing in the end.
"What changed your mind about freeing him?"
"Guilt, mostly. After I stabbed you, the possibility of you dying ate at me. I've cheated, I've lied, and I've stolen things without remorse, but I've never killed anyone nor had the desire to. Plus when you told me I was being tricked I stopped to consider what might happen if I really had freed him."
"Nothing good, that's for sure." It was then I noticed Trixie's outfit had changed. This was a good thing, because her first was becoming quite dirty. This one was dark blue with small white dots like stars on them. "New outfit?"
"Yes. Twilight helped me make it. I tried sewing it on my own, but only succeeded in hurting my fingers."
"At least you managed to do some of it yourself. I've never tried sewing at all, and I doubt I'd be any good at it." A knock came at the door and it opened to reveal Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash. "Hey!" I said, greeting them with a delighted smile. "You're okay!" Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes.
"Pfft! As if a Dragon could hope to catch me when I'm in the air! I flew in circles around that lizard and then left him in a cloud of his own smoke!"
"Where did you end up, when you stopped?" Her cocky expression became sad in the blink of an eye.
"The remains of Cloudsdale." I recalled what the Pegasi from earlier said and felt a pang of sympathy for her.
"Sorry I asked." She nodded. I looked at Twilight and asked if she'd heard anything from Pinkie Pie about Rarity. She shook her head but said that it was too early to expect a response anyway.
"Jacob, I have a question."
"Sure."
"How did you manage to heal yourself in your state? Trixie said that you were close to dying when she left you."
"I didn't. Someone else came along while I was lying there. I think it was Melinda." Twilight raised an eyebrow.
"As in Melinda Jones? The Alicorn that helped you forge the wand?"
"Yeah. I guess I could have imagined it, but I'm fairly certain that it-" I stopped speaking as I recalled that Trixie had said the Alicorn horn that she had taken was missing when she and the others had arrived on-scene. Melinda must have taken it! But why? It's not as if she could use it, and besides that she has her own already.
"What's wrong?" I yawned to cover my hesitation.
"Nothing. I'm pretty sure it was her." My stomach gurgled and I looked at it as best I could. "Eh, heh! Would someone mind getting a servant to bring me breakfast?"
"It's lunch time now, actually." The doctor said as he reentered the room carrying a bottle of pills in an upturned hoof. He uncapped it and poured two small pills into the cup I'd drank out of and then poured in more water. "But before we get you any food you should take these vitamins. There's lots of iron in them." I recalled from health class in middle school that iron was needed to make blood, but I also recalled that if you had too much of any element in your body it could be very bad for you. Given that I had just recovered (somewhat) from blood loss though, I doubted that a lot of iron intake was going to be an issue. I nodded weakly and the doctor helped me drink it down. "Got both of them?" He asked. I looked into the cup. One had gotten stuck on a wall of the cup.
"No. One got stuck on a wall."
"Well then the next time you take a drink you can have the other. In the meantime, you need re-" A sudden, ear-splitting roar echoed through the hall to where we stood. I knew that sound, and I knew that voice.
"He's here! He actually came here! " I said in disbelief.
"Celestia! I know you're in there, come out and face me if you so dare!" Drahngov's voice challenged from somewhere outside. "Or shall I burn your precious kingdom down around you first?"
__ __ __ __ __
Drahngov gloated from the Canterlot side of the bridge. There was no way the bridge would support his weight and breaking through the roof wasn't practical. If he simply rushed into tight spaces even the ponies would be able to bring one as mighty as he down eventually, and besides that he didn't actually know Celestia's prowess with magic. Alicorns were, according to legend, more than ten times more powerful than a Unicorn, but until he knew the truth he would not place all his chips on the table, though he was content to place someone else's. Even while he waited several of his followers were scaling the mountain that the palace had been situated on the peak of. Two of the seven he'd set to this task had a mission. The others were await one of two signals. One would be for them to attack anyone that came out of the palace, and the other was to break away and leave. As for the two on a mission, they were to infiltrate the palace once Celestia and her guards came out to face their leader. None of these Dragons were fully grown. Instead they were juveniles that had a personal grudge against Celestia for giving their siblings away to her people. That their parents had volunteered their offspring didn't matter. In their eyes Celestia must have used some trick or threats to entice the taking of their siblings.
Spike's own older sister was among them. She had joined Drahngov not out of hate however, but out of love. She wanted to protect her little brother, and though she didn't know what he looked like she did know that he almost always accompanied a purple Unicorn that was Celestia's favorite and most gifted student. She had seen what Drahngov had done with 'the traitors' that had joined with the ponies and tried to protect them and did not want this end for her sibling. Once she found him (if he was here) she would grab him and fly away back home again. But if he was not, then she would complete the mission assigned to her and her team mate: subdue and capture princess Luna.
Flanked by over a dozen guards the older princess walked out of her palace as if she were simply going out for a walk, but a tightness around her eyes said that she was tense. Celestia had no doubt that if it came to blows that she would win, but the destruction of the countryside in the process could be very bad if Drahngov was fast enough. It had been a very long time since Celestia had needed her magic for combat, and her skills were rusty. If it did come to blows she might be a tad sloppy. Not that this is a bad thing. I'd much rather be sloppy at fighting than an expert. Expertise in warfare means that it is a constant.
"Why have you attacked my kingdom without provocation, Drahngov?" She said icily. "It is almost as if you want your people to die needlessly."
"None of them die needlessly if it means that we have the land and food we need to continue to survive. You might not have noticed, Celestia, but my people's numbers have skyrocketed again in the last two hundred years. Our numbers have regrown from a bit over three hundred to nearly eight hundred over those two hundred years, and while gems continue to be plentiful, you know as well as I that not all of my people can eat gems alone. Some of us require meat, and while there are plenty of fish in the sea to feed on, fishing has never been our strong point. Unfortunately the land that my people live in has become barren over the centuries and we require other lands to forage for our meals. Last I checked you kingdom has an abundance of creatures we can consume." He allowed a smile to creep over his face.
"Yes, word had reached me that you had attacked several of our holdings. No doubt that which you feasted on were my citizens!" Celestia said this with loathing, but Drahngov merely shrugged.
"Is it my fault your people are prey? Really I don't see why you're so upset. Most of them will be going into hibernation for one hundred years soon, which will give your people plenty of time to rebuild their numbers again. You always did breed so quickly compared to us." Drahgov's smile became insulting. "Oh wait, I meant that they bred quickly. Remind me again, when was the last time that you had a foal? Oh yes, I remember now! When it died as a stillborn. How can you live with yourself knowing that you're a walking gravesite?" He laughed and Celestia felt a mix of rage and sorrow enter her mind. It was all she could do to keep her face straight. His name was to be Sol. Oh, my poor little Sol... Two tears, one for each eye, trickled down her face.
While carrying Sol something had happened to the sun that she rose and set every day and she had to stay awake for five days under intense concentration and endured the physical taxation of using powerful magics the entire time to fix it. If she had not done so the sun might have exploded, but sadly her unborn offspring was not yet strong enough to endure as she had and it perished shortly after. For twenty years she was in a state of mourning, but kept her face smiling for her subjects and continued her duty of raising and setting the sun and moon while her sister still banished. Now the pain rushed back anew and she silently wept.
Controlling her voice with effort, Celestia responded with a question of her own.
"What happened with my foal was an unfortunate accident, but was a necessary sacrifice for my people. How can you live with having killed so many innocents?" Drahngov made a face that said this answer should have been obvious.
"Simple. I accept that I am a carnivore, and that in order for me to live, something else must die. Does it really matter whether it is a rabbit, a deer, or a pony? Now, pleasantries aside,"
Hardly pleasantries. Celestia thought.
"I suggest you surrender to me and mine. If you do I promise we'll only take what we need of your people to survive, and that will be all. If you don't then I have no problem destroying your civilization entirely and treating the survivors like cattle, but I'll leave that choice to you."
"I have a better idea." Celestia said, pushing through her guards despite their objections and began crossing the bridge on hoof. "You go back to your territory, you never return, and I don't kill you." Drahngov laughed. The ground vibrated while he did so, which made some of the newer guards eye their surroundings nervously as if expecting it to come down around them like in an earthquake.
"My dear Celestia, do you seriously think that you are a match for me?"
"I know it, and so did your father, which is why we lived at peace from his birth to his death. Would you like to test me?" Sounds of a struggle came from behind Celestia's guards at the palace entrance and she turned to see what the commotion was. To her dismay she saw two juvenile Dragons had taken Twilight Sparkle captive and were plowing through her guards as they tried to stop them. Celestia whipped her head back to Drahngov, who looked displeased.
"We couldn't find Luna, my lord, but we did find her prized student, at least!" The female of the pair declared in an uncertain voice.
"Luna?" Celestia said, looking at Drahngov with renewed dislike. "What are you playing at, Drahngov?"
"Just doing what your ancient allies once did, dear Alicorn: I'm fighting with my head. I know how attached you are to your subjects and your younger sibling. I admit that it had been my intent to take your sister captive, but I suppose the infamous Twilight Sparkle will have to do. Now let them pass, Celestia," he ordered as the pair of abductors reached her. "unless of course, you want her throat ripped out." Celestia was debating on what to do when both Applejack and Rainbow Dash also came running (and flying) out of the palace and threw themselves at the two Dragons. Applejack jumped onto the back of the male and began slamming her back legs into the connecting joint of one of its still-developing wings, and Rainbow Dash crashed into the surprised face of the other and poked it in the eyes.
"Let her go!!!" Rainbow Dash yelled when the Dragoness began to shake her head in an attempt to throw the Pegusys pony off. Twilight chose that moment to bit the scaled hand that held her against her abductor's breast. She received a punch for her trouble before the Dragoness began swiping at Rainbow Dash. While this happened the guards that had been knocked down or stunned were picking themselves up and were once more assaulting the young (for their kind) Dragons.
"Barsh'newgart!" Drahgov barked in the Dragon's native language. Suddenly more roars echoed up along the mountain face and seven more flew and in one case slithered up. One of them breathed fire at the charging guards but Celestia placed a barrier above them and the flames parted. Where they struck the marble of the palace melted and ran like butter. Inside the palace screams came out from unfortunate ponies that had the misfortune of being nearby.
Applejack succeeded in effectively preventing the male Dragon from being able to fly anywhere by popping his wing out of joint, but unfortunately for her the Dragon manged to get a claw around one of her legs and yanked her off his back and tossed her of the bridge.
"Dominic! Save her!" Celestia ordered. Dominic nodded and, ignoring the other Dragons that were now filling the sky leaped over the side after her. Applejack was easy to pick out due to her coloration, and her yelling as she fell certainly helped too. Dominic tucked his legs close to his sides and beat his wings faster.
One Dragon dove after him, diving with its jaws open as if it intended to swallow him whole. Dominic ignored him and pushed himself harder. I'm getting too old for this! he thought as he finally caught up to Applejack and changed the angle of his descent to avoid splattering his body against the ground.
"I'm going to land. You run away while I distract him. There's a cave near the base of the mountain behind a sticker-bush. Go in there and don't stop running until you find and ascend some stairs."
"But whut about you?" Dominic shrugged as he came in low to the ground and set her down.
"I guess we'll find out."
Back up on the bridge the Pegasys guards had managed to subdue the one Dragon and had chained it's limbs together and muzzled it. It glared at them and never stopped struggling against its bonds.
The female Dragon finally managed to get Rainbow Dash off her head (Rainbow Dash was now unconscious on the floor) and had made a run for the other end of the bridge, but Celestia stood in her way with her eyes narrowed.
"If you value your life, you will release her!"
"And if you value yours, you'll pay more attention to my king!" The female said triumphantly in response. Celestia put up a second barrier behind herself in time to stop a statue from smashing into her. The statue broke into several fragments and bounced along the marble bridge. Seeing Celestia completely unfazed, the Dragoness tried another tactic and jumped over the guardrail and took to the sky. This time Celestia was torn. She could follow after her student and leave her guards to fend for themselves (which though they were good at what they did none of them had never actually fought for their lives before. Some of them weren't faring very well even with the fire barrier) or she could let her student go and give her guards a better chance for survival. While she debated more of them were pouring out of the palace or flying up from the training yard with various types of weaponry.
Several of them converged on a Dragon that had gotten too far from the rest of its group and threw their spear at it. Most of them were turned aside by its thick scaly hide but one got lucky and hit an eyeball. The Dragon roared in pain and clawed at his head trying to pull the spear out. Seeing that their enemy had a very serious weakness the Pegasi retrieved their thrown weapons before they could hit the ground and began trying to hit the other eye as well. The Dragon tried to protect its last source of vision, but this left it open to attack in other regions. Remembering what Applejack had done to the Juvenile Dragon they began attacking its wings. Twenty seconds later the Dragon fell screaming towards the ground. It landed on its head and its neck snapped. The Pegasi sent up a cheer at their success and then turned their attention to their remaining enemies. The most pressing of which being a brown serpentine dragon that was attacking the earth pony guards. Rather than fire this one breathed scalding-hot steam. Several of their comrades had already been cooked alive inside their armor and lay dead on the bridge, their fur soaked and their eyes bulging out of their sockets.
As with the flying Dragon they attacked its eyes first. This time however it did not work because this Dragon had two eyelids on each eye because it was a saltwater Dragon. The first eyelid kept out the saltwater so it could see, and the second was for blinking and sleeping. This second eyelid did not stop it from hurting a lot, though. While the serpentine Dragon writhed like a snake with legs one of the earth ponies came up with the idea of pulling it off the mountain (and palace, now) and dropping it like a rotted banana into the open air.
It took a lot of effort and a lot of distraction directed towards the remaining flying Dragons, but they managed it and another Dragon was killed. Before Celestia could decide to leave them to their own devices however the remaining Dragons converged on the palace itself and began drenching it in liquid fire. As the wall had done the palace began to melt as if it were built of white chocolate rather than stone. More screams came from the increasingly drooping palace and Celestia, with regret at abandoning her student and friend spread her wings and took to the skies to get a better view of her palace so as to make a more complete shield over it.
Meanwhile Drahngov gave the order for the young female to retreat back to their territory.
"We may yet need her alive, so do not kill her. If she tries to use magic, break off her horn." The young Dragoness nodded and flew away from Canterlot back to the Dragon borders.
When she was safely away Drahngov gave the order for the remaining Dragons to cease their barrage against the palace and to fall back to his position. They did so and Celestia dropped the barrier, not looking winded in the slightest. It did indeed seem that the legends were true.
"Celestia!" Drahngov said about racket another of his underlings made as the Pegasi brought it down and slew it. "I have Twilight Sparkle, and soon I shall have your entire kingdom under my clawed thumbs. My offer for your surrender still stands. Fighting my people here today you have lost nearly two dozen, whereas I've lost only four," as he said 'four' he looked at the captured Dragon that was still struggling to free himself. "and you don't seem to have the stomach to kill the last of those four. If and when we strike you at full force your nation will die. I might lost one hundred of my kind, perhaps even one hundred and fifty, but you will lose far more than that in the process. I will await your answer for one week at my father's old lair. When that time comes, if you have not responded I shall renew our attacks in earnest, and take your kingdom before another two nights have ended." Drahngov spread his wings and with one mighty flap joined his people in the air and flew back the way he'd come with his underlings in tow, including the one that had been chasing Dominic (whom he never manged to catch).
Celestia watched them go before turning to save those of her guards that needed healing to survive. Later she would also go throughout her nearly-ruined palace and do the same thing for the ponies that had visited, or worked there, and when she finally got some time to herself she would spend it trying to come up with a solution to this ultimatum.
__ __ __ __ __
"He's gone again." Roger Lighthand said to his wife after reading the note left on his room's door. He sighed. His son was too much like his grandfather: whenever he made a mess or thought he had, he never stopped trying to clean it up until the job was done no matter how long it took. Not really a bad quality, if you thought about it, but in this situation Roger wished that his son were like his mother's father and that he would have been easy to give a guilt trip into coming home. My son's a Lighthand, alright. Once we get our minds set to something we're more stubborn than a mule!
"Did he say when he'd be coming back?" Agatha asked, sounding like the typical worrying mother. Roger hesitated. How could he tell her that their son thought there was a good chance that he might not come back at all? Both of them had seen on every news channel the events that took place on Shopstreet that had been captured by some fool who thought it was a good idea to hide nearby and record it on a cell phone. The quality was terrible, but there was no mistaking their son or his two pony-friends using magic to fight it. First the video had been sold to a news station, and then it hit the internet and went world-wide inside an hour. Most of the world thought it was some new movie with incredible special effects or a hoax, but a news reporter that had been on a crashed news chopper and the pilot that had flown it both swore that it was true and it had happened before their eyes. He told the world how someone that said his name was 'Lighthand' had used a magic wand to tear off the chopper's windshield and then cut the pilot free before he turned to fight the evil Alicorn. It's only a matter of time before they find out that we're related to him and reporters start hounding us. I just hope that's all that comes of it because I don't feel like being questioned by Britain's national security forces. There won't be much that we could tell them and I doubt they'll believe that what little we know is really all that we know.
"He said as soon as he finishes what he started that he'll be back." An honest answer. I just hope that he really can in the end.
"Then we'll just have to trust him. In the meantime, I think I need to call my job and see if I can get them to give me some recommendations so I can get a job here in the meantime. You should call your work too. I know that they work internationally, I'm sure they could get you a job here too."
"Get a job here? What for?"
"To wait for him to come back, of course! I'm not going to just go home when my son is trying to save the world! Even if it's not ours, he still deserves a Hero's welcome when he comes back, and I want to have a place that he can lay his head down besides a hotel pillow!" Roger smiled. She was trying to put on a brave face and she made a good argument in the process.
"I'll grab my cell phone."
Chapter 13
The room had become ungodly-hot to the point that I felt like I was lying in a steam room, but even though there were windows I couldn't move to get to and open them. The doc could though, and did.
"Whew!" He exclaimed, fanning himself with several sheets of paper. "I wonder where all this heat is coming fro-" a part of the ceiling fell like a globule of whipped cream from the ceiling and splatted on the ground and he jumped backward and bumped into some on-the-wall cabinets. His head jerked upwards and he gaped open-mouthed into the room above our heads. The stone that made up the ceiling was melting and dribbling down into the room that we now were in.
"Uh, Doc? Could you uh, maybe get us out of here?" The doc had frozen in place, stunned at the sight. He wasn't going to be much help. I turned instead to Trixie, who was still in the room near my bed. "Trixie! The doc's frozen. Do me a favor and snap him out of it for me, would you?" Trixie nodded and eying the roof as it started to sag in other areas jumped over the molten rock that had fallen on the floor and poked the doc hard in the side.
"Ouch! What do you think you-"
"No time for that, doc! Help me get him out of here!" She pointed at me and then grabbed my legs and started pulling.
"Not his legs, grab the frame of the bed! It has wheels!" The doc informed her and trotted over to help her move me. They pushed my bed (or whatever it was actually called) around the spreading goop and out through the door. Trixie's two guards were gone, and the hall outside looked to be in worse condition than the room that we had just come from. Not only were parts of the roof melting and dripping down to the floor, but still-solid parts of it were falling down as well to shatter on the floor or crush anypony standing under them. Through one of the holes in the ceiling we could see outside. There was fire covering the sky.
"What the heck is going on out there?!" The doctor asked as a cracking noise came from behind us. The two of them turned their heads and then pushed me forward at a run.
"What just happened?" I asked.
"You don't want to know!" Trixie said. "Just look straight ahead." Like I could do much of anything else. I wasn't sure I wanted to, though. Off to our right the oils in several paintings had begun bubbling as it grew still hotter in here.
A chunk of ceiling dropped from the roof above us and fell and landed not two feet behind us. They pushed faster and I directed my gaze at the roof and saw why Trixie said I didn't want to know. What of the ceiling that had not melted was cracking and steadily falling behind us and spreading ahead of us. If we didn't find somewhere else to go soon we'd be in even more trouble than we were right now.
"Left!" The doc yelled and the wheeled bed swung to the left and rolled out onto the wrap-around balcony that I'd seen the box-like UFO on. Once outside there was a distinct change in temperature. It was much cooler, to all our relief. Still looking up, I saw that a pink light was blocking the barrage of fire now, which had to be what had been causing the building to melt.
"You know, if it weren't for us just escaping a very unpleasant death, watching the fire spreading over this shield but not getting through would be very cool." Both Trixie and the doc gave me a look that said they thought I was nuts. By now I was getting used to that look.
We later had the events that had just transpired while we made our escape related to us by Applejack. Rainbow Dash was still unconscious, and Twilight had been abducted. Of course when I heard that I tried to sit up again and again I failed. I hated being stuck in bed, but there was nothing that I could do about that but focus on getting well, but with so much going through my mind I could barely focus on anything for a prolonged period of time. I could move my fingers and toes with almost no problem now, but I was still bed-bound. I growled out of frustration which earned me a pair of curious glances from Trixie's guards. I want out of this bed! I need to help somehow! But of course I couldn't. At one point after Applejack left Luna came to visit me and offer verbal comforting, but pity didn't interest me at the moment.
"Luna, back in the hedge maze Trixie said that I could use her energy to heal myself, and both you and your sister have channeled your energy into me when you gave me lessons in magic use."
"Yes, energy can be given or taken from a source other than the spell caster if either party knoweth how. Why doth thee ask?"
"I have a favor to ask of you. Could you channel your energy into me now to speed my recovery rate? I can't just sit here." Luna gave me a sad smile.
"Thine heart is in the right place, but there be-ith nothing that thee or any of us can do, Jacob. They took Twilight back to their territory. With all the Dragons that have flocked to Drahngov's call, to go in for a rescue attempt would be suicide. I could channel energy into thee, but mine answer is no. Soon enough we shalt need thine skills here to help defend our capital. Even as we speak refugees are entering the city from all over Equestria. The battle that took place outside of the palace earlier was witnessed by the people down below in the city, and when Drahngov and his brood left the ponies believed that we had forced them into retreat which has only encouraged still more to come here seeking safety."
"Luna, I saw and felt the damage those Dragons did when they bathed the palace in fire. If they come at us in a well-prepared formation they could roast us all with hardly any effort. We might be able to defend against ten, or twenty, or even a hundred, but he claimed that they had over seven hundred dragons. If they come at us from all sides with the current forces that you've got here, we're doomed!" Luna sighed.
"Thee might be right, but what choice doth we have?" I had no answer for that, and Luna slowly nodded. "I shalt come back later once things hath settled a bit. In the meantime get some rest if thee can."
I couldn't, and instead brooded for over an hour before my mind's looping mental state once more recalled that Melinda had healed me and had taken the horn that Trixie had stolen. Not for the first time I wondered why she had taken it, but then for the first time it occurred to me that no one had mentioned the whereabouts of my wand. I turned my head and asked Trixie. She said that the wand was gone too when they arrived. I didn't know what to say to that. Why would Melinda take them both when she already had magic of her own and couldn't use the wand in the first place? Had she perhaps decided that I didn't deserve them?
"Trixie, could you do me a favor?"
"As long as it doesn't involve her leaving the palace, she may." Said one of her guards. I recognized him as the younger guard from the other day.
"I didn't ask you." I said back to him in an annoyed voice. I turned back to Trixie. "Would you be willing to get Applejack for me? Since they won't let you leave I need someone that can."
"What do you want me to ask her?"
"I need her to visit Melinda Jones the Alicorn and ask her if she has my wand. She makes silver necklaces in the middle class district. Please?" Trixie nodded, but hesitated. I raised an eyebrow. "You look like you want to ask me something. What's on your mind?"
"Do you think she might be willing to complete my transformation into a full Human?"
"Why would you want to be a Human? I thought that you wanted to be a Unicorn again."
"Because as a Human I can use magic and have a longer lifespan to perfect it. Besides that, these-" she wiggled her fingers. "make it easier to carry things and make fireworks. I'm not as strong as I was and I get colder faster outside, but I still think I'm better off now."
"Well, if that's how you really feel then you'll need to ask her that." Trixie nodded and left, her guards close behind her.
A short while later both Trixie (and her guards) and Applejack came back again. Applejack looked worn out.
"You worried about Twilight?" I asked.
"Of course I am! Aren't you!?"
"Why wouldn't I be? She's my friend too, you know! So will you see if she has my wand for me?"
"Will it help us find Twilight?"
"I could use it for that once I've recovered a bit."
"Then I'l do it."
"I owe you, Applejack!" I called after her.
"No you don't!" She called back. "We're both helping each other!"
__ __ __ __ __
Applejack had to stop several times to ask for directions, but she eventually found the house with the iron door. Why in the world does she need a door like this? Applejack banged on it with a hoof. Her hoof seemed to barely make a sound, so she banged harder.
After a few minutes of no response Applejack began to wonder if this 'Melinda' was home. She banged on the door again and waited some more. Just when she was about to turn around and leave a curtain over a barred window moved a bit and she heard the sound of metal sliding on metal. A small rectangle of space opened and she saw two eyes.
"Yeah? Whaddya want?" the pony behind the door asked.
"Are you Melinda Jones?"
"Who's asking?" Whoever it was sounded bored.
"Mah name's Applejack. I was sent hair by a previous customer of yours named Jacob Lighthand."
"Jacob, eh? What does he want?" She now sounded distracted as if she needed to be doing something and looked behind her a moment.
"He wants to know if you've got his Unicorn-horn wand."
"Yes I do."
"He wants it back."
"Really? Tell him to come back in a few days. I'm doing some work on it right now."
"'Some work on it'?" Applejack raised one eyebrow and lowered another. "He said it was done."
"For what he was using it for, yes. But like most things in this world, it can be improved. Go back to Jacob and tell him that this one's on the house. That should help him to be more patient."
"How long will you take?"
"Probably another two days. I've never done this before, so it might take longer."
"But-"
"Good day, miss Applejack." Melinda interrupted. The slot shut and the eyes disappeared.
Well isn't she a rude one! Applejack thought, frowning at the door. What did she mean about her improving it? Did she get another Unicorn horn or something? Applejack shook her head and walked back to the remains of the palace.
__ __ __ __ __
Inside her house Melinda Jones returned to her work table. It had been cleared of most of her tools in favor of a long metal tray that contained a mixture of her blood and some that she's taken from what had pooled beneath Jacob back in the hedge maze, her portable smelter, and two other objects that she'd also taken from Jacob: his wand, and an Alicorn's horn. She didn't know where he had gotten the horn, nor was it particularly important to her. For the first time in centuries her old employer had spoken to her again and offered her a second chance. The last time she had held back and it had cost the life of the being she was supposed to protect. This time she was not to protect anyone, but rather to ensure another's demise.
Melinda placed the Alicorn's horn into the blood with the point aiming away from where she would place the wand. As for the wand itself she heated one end of it and melted the silver caps from it as well as the rest of it in the groove and cleaned it off with her magic before placing it in the tray. She moved the two objects almost close enough to touch, then hesitated and moved them away from each other by two inches. Then she focused her healing magic on the horn and wand as Twilight had done before. As with before the blood was absorbed by the wand and the horn and then extended towards one another and meshed. This continued until all the blood was gone. Melinda levitated the horn out and then also lifted her smelter and carefully poured. This time it was not silver that poured, but platinum.
Her employer had given her specific instructions. Silver was enough of a binder for a simple wand, but a rarer (and unfortunately more expensive) metal was required for this. She only hoped it was pure enough. Her equipment was only so good as far as purification went (usually when she got metals from her employers they were already purified).
Well Human, I hope you're better at controlling magic than the Alicorn this belonged to!
__ __ __ __ __
Rarity tried to make sense of what Pinkie was trying to get across. As usual when she became excited she made about as much sense as wearing a winter outfit in the middle of summer, and excited aplenty she was.
"Alright dear, I understand that Ponyville has been destroyed and that you and Sweetie Bell are fine, but what's this about someone with glowing hooves making food at night and waking up the world?"
"Like I said," Pinkie Pie began again. "Twilight and Jacob and Applejack are on their way to Canterlot to warn Celestia that the Dragons are attacking us!" She said it as if she were explaining something to a child.
"That's not what you said at all!" Rarity objected in an annoyed voice. "You said that 'Glowhoof heated an apple pie before night fell and then ran to wake the world'!"
"I was speaking in code, silly filly! The Dragons might have spies among us!" Rarity stared at her. "Glowhoof is Lighthand, apple pies are related to Applejack, and the time before night falls is Twilight!" Rarity still stared, but with exasperation.
"Pinkie, you're my friend, but sometimes you confuse the hay out of me."
"It's not really that hard to understand, Rare. Fluttershy gets it, don't you Fluttershy?" Fluttershy wasn't looking at Pinkie or Rarity. Instead she was staring out across the field they'd travelled across to the evacuation point. Back towards what had once been Ponyville. Her house still stood, but she still felt as if she'd lost her home. She jumped when Pinkie stuck her head out in front of her own, blocking her view. "Hellooo! Equestria to Fluttershy!"
"Eep!"
"What'cha doing?"
"Oh, I was just thinking of home."
"Well we can't go back just yet, silly filly! We need to go to Canterlot and meet up with Twilight and the others first!"
"But why?" Rarity asked. "Wouldn't the Princesses be able to handle this better than us?"
"Because I said I'd meet them there, of course!" Pinkyie's normally bubbly expression suddenly became sour. "Are you trying to turn me into a liar?" She asked slowly. Her face scared Rarity a little, and she hurried to say that Rarity was trying to do no such thing and that she'd be happy to come along with her and Fluttershy. Almost as if she'd flipped a light switch Pinkie went from scary to happy again and caught both her and Fluttershy up in a hug. "Yippee! Let's grab something to eat real quick and get going, then!"
Even though Rarity wanted to object being as most of her things were here in the refugee camp and she'd just been told that most of Ponyville (and her house/shop along with it) had been devastated by fire she also knew that resisting Pinie Pie often ended in failure or in having a too-sweet baked good stuffed into your mouth ( or usually both). So with a heavy sigh she asked the other refugees to keep an eye on her things while she was gone and then packed several objects or items she thought she might need into either side of her saddle satchels and then ate an apple before following Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy out across the field towards Canterlot. If they kept a good pace, they could be there in three days.
^ ^ ^ ^ ^
My reaction to Melinda's response to mine and Applejack's inquiries was mixed. On one hand I was relieved that it was in fact her that had taken my wand and the horn, and given that I was still unable to stand to retrieve it her saying to come back in a few days to get it was fine. What I did not like was when Applejack told me that Melinda said that she was doing something to my wand, or 'upgrading it'. The only thing that came to mind was that she was going to attach the Alicorn horn to it, but that came with its own set of problems, the primary being that the Alicorn horn belonged to Celestia's father.
Trixie hadn't known who's it was, but when I asked a gossiping servant that had been walking by with another servant about the crypt break-in she had been more than happy to divulge the information with me, as well as the latest topics of gossip (some of which I really could have lived and died happily without knowing the details of), how tedious and boring, yet strangely satisfying the job of a servant could be, and her curiosity as to what I looked for in a female. I responded that I hadn't actually thought about it in-depth enough to write up a list (because I didn't really have time for dating back home) and she gave me a creepy smile in return. If I had the ability to stand, I think I would have tried running away. Fortunately that was the time that Applejack had come back and the servant left. When I thanked Applejack for her excellent timing she said 'Huh?' and then divulged Melinda's response.
"Well, then I guess the only thing I can do is wait. Not that I can get out of bed yet anyway."
"So how are we going to go about rescuin' Twilight? I don't even know where they took 'er."
"I suppose we'll have to ask Celestia, though given Luna's response I don't think that she will be willing to help us either."
"Luna's response? To what?" I told Applejack about the conversation that myself and Luna had earlier.
"They're going to need all the help they can get, but at this point 'all the help they can get' won't be enough."
"You'd be surprised what we ponies can do when we're backed into a corner! We'll show you, just wait!" Applejack said with utmost confidence. Her faith (or maybe naivety) made me smile.
"You know, that's a popular saying in my world, too. I guess we really do echo you."
"Twilight told me that your people had weapons and vehicles that she'd never seen before. Is ther any chance you might know how to make them?" I shook my head.
"No, not me. I might be able to help you with something more primitive like a ballista, maybe but to make a handgun is a bit beyond my reach. I mean, I suppose we could try to make a home-made cannon if you took a long narrow bell, packed some black powder into the rounded closed end and then rolled a ball of iron or perhaps slid a few metal spear-weapons into it for a cluster shot, but-" Trixe suddenly started running away through a ruined hallway and the guards gave chase. I watched her go and then looked back at Applejack. "What did I say?"
A few minutes later Trixie came back at a slower rate carrying a wooden crate full of fireworks. One of her guards was also carrying another crate by its handle in his teeth holding several small jars of- black powder? I felt a grin spreading across my face. Of course! Trixie uses and makes fireworks, so it makes sense for her to have some!
"Will these do? I've got nine jars of common black powder, some bottle rockets, a few Snapper-pops, ten flares, and material to make a few more of each." I looked at Applejack.
"I think we've got some good news to bring to Celestia!"
"So you want my permission to start testing use of fireworks as weapons?" Celestia said, looking at the stuff we'd (the others put the stuff on my bed and wheeled me to what was left of the throne room) carried in with us.
"Yes, your majesty. It may not be as effective at killing Dragons as say, a tree trunk launched by magic, but at the very least the noise and lights will distract and disorient them, and the best part would be that any pony could them, not just those with magic or wings. Your ground soldiers could still help do more than kill a downed Dragon that can no longer fly, and they could also be used for slaying the serpentine Dragons as well." Celestia looked at all of us standing before her. She sighed.
"I hate killing, and I also dislike that you're all so excited about discovering that something that is used for enjoyment can be used to kill. However, I admit that we are going to need every advantage that we can get if we are to survive. You have my permission." Those of us that could bow did so, and then I was wheeled back out of the throne room.
"So now what?" Trixie said. "We're going to need somewhere open to safely experiment with my fireworks, but I'm not allowed to leave."
"Yes you are. The princess just gave us permission to experiment with using your fireworks as weapons. If we aren't going to blow ourselves up by accident then we're going to need your expertise." The guards behind us overhead what I said and frowned, but due to that loophole there was nothing they could say against it.
Thirty minutes later we were outside in the open space between the mountain the palace was situated on and the hedge maze, and again, I was still on the wheely-bed.
"So, whut do we do now?" Applejack asked while Trixie lined her various fireworks out on the ground.
"Now we take notes. Trixie, how long do your fireworks fly before exploding?"
"It depends on the length of the shaft, but these Snapper-pops here," She pointed at some fireworks as thick the narrowest part of her arm. "They fly for about six seconds and then explode in a dazzling cloud of lights that slowly drift down to the ground. Usually the separate lights go out before touching the ground."
"So it's long range. Would you launch one for us, please?" Trixie blinked and suddenly looked embarrassed.
"I, uh...heh heh heh...don't have anything to light it with..." Applejack rolled her eyes, as did I. Looks like its my lighter to the rescue again. A good investment of my money.
"Trixie, in my left pocket you'll find a small metal object. Pull it out." Trixie walked from her fireworks and did as I instructed. "See the rounded top? Push the end your thumb is next to." The cap popped up and she stared at it, curious. "If you spin the small round wheel there a single flame will ignite on the center. You can use that. Blow on the flame when you want to put it out." Trixie did it to experiment and gasped when it did exactly as I said. She blew the flame out and turned it over in her hands.
"What is this thing?"
"We call them cigarette lighters. I don't smoke cigarettes, but several of my friends back home do. That one is one of the more reliable versions." She looked at me, giving me the 'puppy eyes'.
"Can I have it?" I chuckled.
"You can borrow it." She looked disappointed, but it passed and she walked back to her explosives. She picked up and carried a Snapper-pop a few feet away from the others and then flicked the started again and raised the flame to the fuse. When it lit she counted to three and then tossed it into the air. A shaft of fire erupted from the bottom end and to soared off like a missile from a jet. While it flew it made several snapping sounds, That's probably where it got the name. and then finally exploded. As Trixie had said a cloud of lights burst outward like a small supernova, and like its name implied, a very loud popping sound that was almost a bang sounded as well. The air itself seemed to vibrate from the shock wave it caused. Inside I felt a boyish glee. I had always liked fireworks, and to be here setting them off was fun, even if it was during the day. But remembering our purpose here I squashed it.
"Alright, good. We can work with that." I pointed at the flares on the ground. They were all different colors. "What about those flares? Do they do anything besides light up the sky?" Trixie shook her head.
"No. I used them to make my magical aura appear to change colors. But we could use them to light up the night sky and make it easier to see."
"How about them there fire cracker ball-things?" Applejack asked. "Ah could kick them up in the air, or we could throw them at those snake-Dragons." Trixie shook her head.
"They make a lot of noise, but these ones don't actually explode like my bottle rockets do. That kind I left back in my room.
"Normally I just make tube versions of these that shoot out colored smoke. Sometimes the Wonderbolts use something similar for their performances."
"Did someone say Wonderbolts?!" An excited voice asked from behind us. Rainbow Dash trotted ove rto our group and stopped next to my bed. "Who's idea was it to shoot off fireworks in the middle of the day?"
"Mine and his." Trixie said, pointing first at herself, then at me. "We're trying to come up with a way to use my fireworks as weapons to fight the Dragons."
"Oh, okay. So what's this about the Wonderbolts again?"
"Sky-smokers." Trixie replied, pointing at one of her paper-wrapped balls. "This is a round version of one of the tools the Wonderbolts use in their performances. Once the fuse ignites the powder inside it leaves a trail of thick colored smoke behind it. Typically I tie a rope around one and hang it above my stage before lighting it, which I would later do using magic."
"So if I had one of these things I could write my name in the sky with it as long as there was little to no wind?" Rainbow Dash trotted closer, looking at the orbs with new interest.
"Yes, as long as you could hold onto it. Just don't stay in the smoke for too long. If you do the smoke will make your eyes water." Trixie warned.
"How badly?" One of the guards asked, becoming interested. "Enough to blind you?"
"Not that badly, no, but it will blur your vision and make your eyes itch."
"Could we use that against the Dragons? If they can't see us, they won't have as easy a time killing us." Applejack shook her head.
"I highly doubt that smoke would make a Dragon's eyes water given that those sky critters breathe fire. It just wouldn't make sense."
"No, but we could still make it harder for them to see what we're doing."
"Why not just make a wall of clouds or have fog encircle the city?" I asked.
"Clouds and fog can be burned away by heat, which they will be giving off a lot of. Smoke doesn't burn away."
"No, but what good would a wall of smoke do us when they start blowing it around with their wings? They'd only be blind until they flew through it, but then all of us would have itching eyes and blurred vision once it got blown our way."
"Oooh..." Major flaw in the plan there, buddy. "How about something that explodes that we could drop on them ourselves if we lose our weapons? I don't think that our hooves will be of very much use when our enemies could simply roll over and sweep us off with their wings or an ally of theirs could roast us. Are Dragons fire-proof?" The guard looked around at us. None of us had any idea.
"Celestia or Luna might know." The other guard suggested.
"Well both of them are back at the palace. I'd prefer to keep experimenting with what we've got for now. As for making bombs, we probably-"
"Bombs? What's a bomb?" Trixie asked.
"It's my people's term for weaponized explosives that are either left in one place until they explode, or are dropped and explode on impact with another object. Weapons that shoot through the air like the Snapper-pops we call 'missiles' or 'rockets', small throw-able explosives that can be carried in a pocket we call 'grenades', and pressure-sensitive explosives that we bury underneath dirt or hide under leaves we call 'landmines' that explode when something of a certain weight steps on them. We also have oceanic explosives that are anchored to the sea floor that-" I stopped when I realized they were all staring at me. The guards looked at me with apprehension, Applejack gave me that ever-so-familiar 'you're nuts' look again, Rainbow Dash looked bored, and Trixie looked like she was taking mental notes.
"Now I know why you and Twilight get along so well." Rainbow Dash said. "You're the biggest nerds I've ever met!"
"Also potentially the more dangerous of the two." The elder guard said. "From what you've said so far plus the idea of using fireworks to kill in the first place, one might think your people like war." Sometimes it seems that way if you skim through our world's history. I thought but didn't say. I'd be lying if I said that I didn't like 'shooter' video games, but actual war?
"While some of my people might, I am not one of them. This does not stop me from learning bits and pieces about our wide variety of weaponry. As a wise writer from my world put in one of his books: 'those without swords can still die upon them'. Think of me and my kind what you will, but I'm trying to help you."
We tested out several other things that Trixie had brought along, but few of them were of interest save for something she called 'Distraction Attraction'. It didn't look very special. What it looked like was a baby food jar full of apple juice. She handled it with extreme delicacy as if she were carrying Nitro-Glycerin. I hope that's not what it is. That stuff would be unrealistic for defense purposes. When Applejack asked what was so special about a small jar of apple juice Trixie gingerly set it in one of the palms of her hands and threw it as hard as she could away from us. It bounced once on the ground, twice, and then struck a rock and turned into a black ball of something that rapidly expanded outward almost back to where we stood and then shrunk back down again. To my confusion which I was sure was shared by everyone else here except for Trixie, all of us were pulled forward as if we were all shoved hard when the ball of black shrank again. With the exception of myself, who rolled roughly forward on the bed, everyone was pulled to the ground and dragged forward until the ball shrank to a pinprick and vanished. When my eyes readjusted to the regular light I saw that the rock the jar had struck was gone, and there was also a hole in the ground as deep and big around as the orb had expanded with a small almost-black perfectly round rock at the bottom of it.
"What in the worlds just happened?!" I asked, coasting to a stop at the lip of the hole. My two front wheels stuck out over the edge but fortunately my momentum had not been quite enough to carry me in.
"I've got no idea, to be honest. I don't even know if there's a real name for this stuff." Trixie replied, walking over to me with the intention to pull me back. "The first time I saw that liquid was a few months ago. I had fallen asleep while making more colored-flame firework-wheels and when I woke up the mortar and pestal I had been using to grind and mix the ingredients was on the other side of the room on the floor and the jar I had been drinking out of had two inches of that liquid in it. I also found directions in my recipe book to make more of it."
"A few munths ago?" Applejack asked. "Had anythin' strange happened that day?" Trixie closed her eyes and thought a moment. She nodded and opened her eyes.
"Yeah there was, now that you mention it. I might have been dreaming when I saw this, but when woke up I could have sworn that the clouds outside were pink and mud was falling from them."
"Chocolate." Applejack corrected, and sighed. "It was chocolate rain." Rainbow Dash nodded.
"What's up, Applejack?" I asked.
"Ah few months ago Discord, the living embodiment of Chaos broke out of his prison and turned Ponyville literally upside-down, reversed pony's personalities, and reality as we know it was closer to something out of a pipe dream." She explained. "What was in that jar of yers when ya went to sleep?"
"Just plain water."
"Do ya walk in yer sleep?" Trixie shrugged. "If'n ya do, You might'a mixed it up in a dream thinking it wuz real."
"Trixie," I began. "What did you test it on the first time you used it?"
"I didn't. Not on purpose, anyway. I carried it down to a stream that I'd parked my show wagon next to and was rinsing it out. When the first of it must have gone over the small waterfall and struck the ground. Suddenly I was yanked off my feet face-first into the stream and the jar flew out of my hooves and was sucked into a black ball of nothing like the one that formed from that jar. Water was sucked into it too, which I though was kind of strange, but it quickly disappeared so I figured it was no big deal until I found a ball of glass and stone and mud at the new bottom of the pool. Everything had been fused together as one item. It was also extremely heavy even though it was only as big as the rock in the bottom of that hole." She pointed at the hole that I'd nearly fallen into. "I could barely get it off the ground."
"I don't think I want something like that anywhere near me if it needed to be used as a weapon!" Rainbow Dash said adamantly after both of the guards and Applejack also tried and struggled to lift the round rock at the bottom of the crater. "I was on the ground and I felt like I was being sucked into a tornado! I don't want to have a dozen of these things going off all around me when I'm trying to dodge Dragon-fire and teeth!"
"I agree." The younger guard said. "Something like that should never be used unless at greatest need, and even then I'm not sure we should."
That was like a miniature inverted nuclear bomb! Instead of blasting outward it was pulling inward! I agree with Rainbow Dash and that guard. As did everyone else, including Trixie herself. She also admitted that even if we did want her to make more of it she had left the recipe book back in her show wagon in the middle district and she didn't have the strength to pull it herself anymore, and certainly not up several sets of steps to the area before the bridge to the palace.
After the test with Attraction Distraction Trixie showed us how to shorten or lengthen the fuses to make for longer or shorter delays between light-and-launch, and then we began discussing ways to mount and launch them from whoever chose to carry them. The main issue turned out not to be the possibility of scorching feathers and hide, but rather how we were going to light the fuses while a Pegasus was flying. We came up with several methods, but none of them were very efficient and most of them required the need to stop in midair for a minimum of three seconds (which we found out with the help of Rainbow Dash) to take in hoof what they were going to use, and then to stick the fuse into a jar strapped to one side through a small hole cut into its lid. Originally we tried having her do so while in flight, but it proved rather distracting and she kept missing, and one she time dropped what she had been trying to light and had to dive to catch it, which might not be allowed for in actual combat.
"With a bit of practice I could get it, but what about how long it takes to go off? I'd need a second and a half to aim it and then I'd get hit with the launch-fire when it shoots off.
"So we'll only have earth ponies use the rockets, then." I said. "We could still use bombs for the fliers."
"But we'd still have the same problem." Applejack pointed out. "Unless we all had a lighter like the one you've got and didn't drop it in the chaos that's sure to follow."
"Maybe we could use another delivery system, then." I turned to the guards. "Do you know what a ballista or a catapult is?" They nodded.
"A catapult is a form of siege weapon. It throws rocks or other objects through the air."
"Do you have any functional catapults?" Th elder of the two shook his head.
"The last time I saw a full-sized model I was in a museum, and don't think it was in good enough condition for that."
"Do you think we might be able to build new ones?" He shrugged.
"Perhaps, but that would take time, and horsepower that we guards cannot afford to divide right now."
"Why not? I doubt that Celestia is going to surrender when it means that Dragons can come into your homes and feed on whomever they wish whenever they wish. From what I've seen none of you guards are Unicorns, which means we need to find mechanical means of fighting."
"Why not just go back into your world and bring some of your people's weapons here directly? Heck, why not bring some of your people here? We could use the extra help." I hesitated. What he said made sense, but I had no influence in Britain, let alone in my own country, and I had no idea where to buy a gun or a bomb, and I probably did not have the money for it even if I did know where to get them. But gemstones are very common here and I was just on the news. We might be able to hire people to fight for us even if my world's governments won't commit any soldiers to us...
"We'd have to pay them for their services if any would come at all, and if you wanted more in-depth help you'd need to send someone of importance to speak on your behalf. I'm just an average Joe, or a commoner, back home. I have no political influence."
"Given the circumstances I think the princesses would be willing to send an ambassador on our behalf." the same guard replied. "I'll inform her immediately."
That just about concluded our testing as the others began asking me if I thought my people would send help and in what form. I responded that I didn't know. I knew that there would be people that wanted to cross over just to see this world, to walk its green pastures and see the locals, and of course there would be anti-Zombie enthusiasts that would try to wipe out the Bloody Hooves and hikers that would love a chance to climb new mountains, divers to explore new oceans, and cult-folk that would love the chance to get magical abilities, but I didn't know if anyone would come just for the sake of actually helping. Our races may have been allies in times long-since forgotten, but we had changed quite a bit since then. Could we stand once more as neighbors and friends with a common cause? I certainly hope so. I also hope that my people won't rape this world of its natural resources as corporations are doing now with our own.
It was later in the evening after we'd returned to the palace that I was summoned by royalty. I could sit up now but still couldn't stand and once more needed to be wheeled away. This time I was not taken to the throne room, however, but rather Luna's private chambers. I wondered at this but concluded that the throne room had become damaged by the Dragon-fire.
The servant that had pushed me knocked on the door, waited for permission to enter, and then left me in Luna's room. It had a large dark-covered bed and the roof was painted to look like the night sky. The walls were painted with what seemed to be family history, but in pictures rather than words. Several candles were positioned on the walls around the room for light, and there was an adjoining room that I assumed led to her bathing chamber. Standing in the center was Luna.
"I have been informed that thee wisheth to attempt to recruit some of your people or at least obtain some of their weaponry to aid us in our upcoming fight at the end of the week?" I nodded.
"I don't know if any of them would actually come and I don't know if any weapons they bring would be effective, but at this point I'm willing to put aside my own feelings about involving the rest of my race and appeal to their better nature."
"Which would be?"
"The desire to fight against an evil villain and defend those that can't defend themselves. If that fails we could try hiring mercenaries."
"What is a mercenary?"
"A mercenary is a person that will fight and kill for money. We'd probably have to supply them with weapons, but it'd be a start, and from what I've been told gemstones are very common here, so money will not be a problem. There's just two issues we'd have to deal with first."
"And these are?"
"One, the gateway from my world to yours is unstable and needs to be repaired. Two, I can't stand yet. Considering that I, Twilight, and Fluttershy were the ones that beat-" I stopped and broke eye contact with Luna. "put Thanatos out of his misery, if I come back looking weakened it could have an affect how everyone else considers aiding you. If the ruler of Britain thinks that its too risky a decision, which she probably will anyway, then she'll say no and possibly forbid anyone else from going through as well. While this won't stop civilian volunteers from coming through (unless the queen puts it under guard) anyway, it might lessen the amount of those as well."
"Say thine people decide to help us. How long would it take them to ready themselves for battle?"
"I have no idea. I'm just a commoner in my world."
"A commoner that is the first Human to come into contact with Unicorns and more in over eight hundred years. I don't think thine people shalt ever look at thee that way again. Very well. If you will go to thine people on behalf of mine own I shalt restore your strength."
"I shall."
"Excellent! I shalt arrange for one pony of each breed to accompany you, and I shall go along as well as the co-ruler of me and mine sister's kingdom." I sat up and did my best to bow to her. As I was, I imagine I must have looked rather silly. Luna's horn glowed softly and within mere moments I felt strong again. I rotated my arms and flexed and stretched my muscles, and then turned my body to one side and hopped out of them bed- and fell to the floor. Luna shook her head and told me that I needed to learn patience.
"I would have told thee when I had finished." I laid there tapping my fingers on the plush carpet until Luna gave the okay, then I stood. My legs felt a little weak, but it was enough that I could stand and walk again. "Preparations shalt be complete by tomorrow morning. You may leave then."
"No good. When it's daytime here, it's night time there. While the entire world won't be covered in night, the country that we're going to will be. Less people awake means less people hear us in a shorter period of time, and we still need to get to the gateway and fix it first."
"Thou can leave the repair of the gateway to mine self, but we need to contact those whom are trained in diplomacy first. It would not be good to accidentally insult the same people we are trying to ally with."
"Good luck with that." I said sarcastically. "There is a culture of people on my world that get upset if you don't belch loudly and obnoxiously after a meal." Luna stared, dumbfounded.
"What?"
"I doubt we'll run into many of them. Be very careful of the overly-zealous religious groups, though. Some of them will try to kill us because we use magic. In some religious sects, practicing magic is strictly forbidden and any who do use it are considered enemies."
"But- that's-"
"Insane? Perhaps. But you've got to take into account that we have over six billion people on our world, so differences in opinions large and small are sure to occur."
"Over six billion!?! " Luna's pupils shrank to dots and her mouth hung open. One leg reached up halfway to her chin but stopped there.
"With no major enemies on our world besides one another we were free to multiply as much as we wanted. And multiply we did." A muscle under Luna's left eye twitched a few times. She made a few 'uck uck uck' sounds as her brain tried to find words to use. "I'm sure that there will at least be a few hundred that want to help even if they can't get to the gateway if for no other reason than the chance to slay a Dragon and take part of it home to show everyone."
"Over. Six. Billion !" Her eyes had a far-off look as if picturing all of us standing on a field as far and wide as the eye can see with Humanoid figures standing side by side on it, row after row also taking up the field as far and wide as the eyes could see.
"I take it this world's equine population isn't even close to that?" Luna dumbly shook her head, her expression unchanging. "How many?"
"Perhaps one billion at the most, including the Zebras!"
"A lot less than I'd expected, considering that your people mature physically a lot faster than ours do. We can't breed typically until we reach between ages eleven and thirteen, and normally don't actually breed until several years later unless our young decide to be stupid."
"Your kind live a lot longer than ours people do with exception to me and mine sister, correct?"
"Unless we die early, yes. As our medical studies got better we began living longer and longer. Most of my family live close to one hundred years, but in general our females become unable to breed around the age of forty."
"Which is around the age that our people die of old age." An odd coincidence. I thought. Perhaps that is another effect of our world being an Echo Dimension to this one? I wonder what would happen if my people moved to a primary world?
"Either way, regardless of how long my people live, we're burning time that we don't have to waste. I'll go and pack. Let me know when you're ready."
The summons did not come that evening as Luna had said, so I decided I'd go to sleep for the night here and wake up and be ready to go in the morning. So I did.
The following morning Trixie informed me that she was going along and I told her otherwise.
"They're going to need your expertise here for making more rockets. If you came along with us and nothing came of it then we'd have wasted valuable preparation time."
"And if it does work you're going to need another set of hands to help you carry stuff back. Besides that, what if your people demand a demonstration of magic from you?" She held up the Unicorn horn she'd stolen and waved it back and forth. "Melinda still has your wand, which means that you'll be needing this. If you don't take me along, you don't get it." She smiled smugly.
"If my people want a demonstration of magic use they can consult Luna. I'm only going along because I defeated Thanatos and because my involvement was part of Luna's condition for me being fully healed. In truth I'd rather be going after Twilight Sparkle, but Melinda still has my wand. I wouldn't be of very much help in the search without the magic it grants me." Then it occurred to me that I could use that horn Trixie had to search for Twilight! I didn't need the wand at all!
"Fine, you're in." Trixie stuffed the horn into a bag that she had packed for herself.
"You'll get it if you need it." She explained, smile still smug. "When do we leave?"
"When Luna sends for us." We didn't have to wait long. The same servant that gave me the creepy smile showed up carrying it in her mouth. When I reached and took it she licked my hand and gave me the smile again. I took a step back and said thanks for the letter, trying to keep a straight and not disgusted face.
"It's a servant's job to...serve." She turned around and winked over her shoulder as she left. I quickly shut the door.
"I think you have a fan." Trixie said, trying not to laugh.
"I never thought that there'd be animal-people with a fur-less fetish! I guess that runs both ways." I opened the letter and ran my eyes over it. I nodded and told Trixie that we had time to grab breakfast and then we had to go. She said she'd already eaten, so it was just me that went to grab a salad. What a healthy meal. I sighed. I miss bacon and scrambled eggs and a tall cold glass of milk! But I was going back to Earth today, so that was indeed something I'd be able to consume later. My taste buds could hardly wait. Just thinking of it made me salivate more than normal and I drooled on the table I sat at. I looked around to see if anypony had noticed and quickly wiped it up with a sleeve.
"Good salad?" I looked behind me and saw Applejack.
"You just saw that, didn't you?"
"See you wiping something off the table when you aren't using salad dressing and have nothing to drink? Yeup. So do you think you're people will help?"
"That depends on what you mean by 'help'. I have no doubt that some Humans will come, but I don't know if they'll actually help us fight. Sometimes news-people will go into a war zone so that they can get during-the-event interviews with those involved. Just finding out that there's an entirely new world out there waiting to be explored without having to leave the atmosphere will be big news on its own. Once they find out that we might be facing genocide we'll have journalists all over the place talking to anyone they can find. As to soldiers...who knows? That'll be up to the world's leaders."
"If they don't help that just means we'll have ta fight 'em all the harder! Don't be so glum, Jake!" I didn't share her confidence, but pretended that I did.
"You're right. We've got Celestia, Luna, and you and your friends on our side. How can we possibly lose?"
Me and Trixie met Luna, and several ponies outside what was left of the palace. Rainbow Dash was one of them. Luna frowned at me.
"Why art thou taking her along with thee?"
"Why art- er, are you taking Rainbow Dash along?"
"Rainbow Dash is one of those that helped to save me and mine sister's kingdom from my Nightmare state, and is also one of the faster Pegasi in all of Equestria. She is going along so as to deliver the results of our request to thine people back to mine sister faster. Why art thee bringing her along?" She asked, pointing a hoof at her. "She tried to kill thee!"
"If I recall correctly princess, you tried to overthrow your own sister at one point, and Celestia forgave you. How could I do anything less for her?"
"I-" Luna stopped. My using that as a comparison might have been a little underhanded, but it worked and Luna didn't press me to leave Trixie behind. Luna didn't know that Trixie had broken into the family crypt. If I told her that Trixie had a stolen Unicorn horn in her possession she might put two and two together and decide to take Trixie along and then leave her on Earth permanently. "Is everypony- and Human- ready?" A series of nods responded to Luna's question and Luna's horn began to glow.
"Over the hills and far away." I muttered before we teleported from Canterlot to Everfree's borders near Fluttershy's house
"I hath not been inside this forest since it was pure and beautiful. Thee shalt have to lead, Lighthand." I nodded and took the lead through the woods, looking for several landmarks I'd noted when me, Twilight, and Fluttershy were on our way out. I did not see any red eyes this time around, to my relief and in time we found our way to the Equestrian Stone Arch Gateway.
"So the rumors were true..." I overheard a Unicorn say from behind me. I ignored him and walked right up in front of the gate. I pointed at the keyhole in the door and informed them that we'd need a Unicorn's help to open it. Everypony looked at the Unicorn that had spoken earlier. He looked around at each individual as if begging them to not make him do it. "I'd do it, but I don't have my wand right now, and it isn't the right shape anymore anyway. We need an actual horn for this."
"There is no need for him to do it, Jacob Lighthand." Luna said, stepping forward. "I shalt open it, and I still need to fix the passage first anyway." She looked at those that had come with us and said that we should make ourselves comfortable as it could take awhile. I lied down on the grass and stared at the sky while the others meandered about busy with a conversation or observing the creepy forest as if expecting something to jump out at them which was not entirely out of the question given where we were.
"How can you be so at ease in here?" Trixie asked, sitting down and leaning against my side as a backboard. "I've heard a lot of things about this forest, and almost none of them were good."
"Because I've seen some of the bad things in these woods and I saw none of those when our group entered. If we were going to be attacked they would have already done so. Besides, Zecora said that what attacked Fluttershy, Twilight and me only come out to hunt once a year and only attack at night. That day and night have passed, and more than that Luna is with us, so I doubt anything would be stupid enough to attack us."
"Anything that knows who she is. I doubt a Manticor or a a giant spider or something like that would know who she is."
"Even if they don't Luna could probably handle anything this forest could throw at her." Luna had a hoof pressed against the arch and had her eyes closed. Her horn glowed softly and she whispered something from time to time.
Finally, after an hour she said 'Gotcha!' and inserted her own horn into it, turned her head, and removed it. The doors swung open, no longer flickering, and she trotted through. The others, noticing this scrambled to follow and I rose from the ground and waited. Once they had all gone through I walked towards the night-time world waiting on the other side. I stepped in, Trixie close behind. Once on the other side I looked up at the unfamiliar constellations of Britain, looked at the equine faces around me and smiled. "Stallions and Mares, welcome to Earth."
(Author's Note: I have never been to Britain, I have never seen the queen except on TV and in pictures, and I have never seen where she lives, and I have no idea if she is anything AT ALL like she'll be in this fic. Because of this, if I am COMPLETELY off the mark, then we can say it's an alternate Earth.)
Chapter 14
"Where are thine people? This location is rather empty." Luna asked, looking around.
"This location has the reputation of being haunted." I explained. "Those that don't believe it probably don't think this location has any value, so it just stays empty."
"Haunted? Ha!" Rainbow Dash scoffed, but her a tightness around her eyes said that she at the very least believed in the possibility of that being true.
"It isn't haunted, but it was once the source of the magical backlash that twisted Everfree forest into what it is today."
"You know this how?" The Unicorn in our group asked.
"There was a message along with a visual memory that Mace Lighthand left for our family in one of the stones on that pile there." I pointed at the still-ruined Stone Arch Gateway. "If you touch your horn to our family symbol, You can ask Mace about it yourself." Curious, the Unicorn asked what the symbol looked like and I drew it in the dirt for him. He looked at it for a moment, then nodded and began to look through the pile after conjuring up a light above himself. "While he does that, I'll see if I can arrange some transportation for us." I took my bag off my back and dug around in it for my cell phone. I turned it on and checked the battery. I had about three quarters of juice left. More than enough.
I scrolled through my contacts list until I came to the number the Taxi driver had given me. I dialed him up and waited. One ring. Two rings. Three Rings. On the fourth someone answered.
"This had better be important, pal. Do you have any idea what time it is?!" A grumpy voice answered.
"Not really, no." I replied in a cheerful voice.
"It's close to eleven P.M. You've got fifteen seconds to say who you are and what you want before I hang up, starting now."
"I'm Jacob. The guy with the talking ponies?" I heard on the speaker what sounded like a spit-take. Apparently the driver had a drink next to his bed. I did the same thing back home.
"Is it really you?! I saw you on the news the other day! You and those friends of yours! Good job on killing that monster!"
"Glad I could help. Listen, you wouldn't happen to own a flat-bed truck or a large van or a bus, would you?"
"No I don't, but my neighbor has a large van. Why do you ask?"
"Because I need a ride to the nearest news station, and I've brought more ponies and a non-crazed Alicorn with me this time around. Ya think you could help us out?"
"I did say that it was eleven at night, didn't I? Can't you come back sometime tomorrow?
"It may be eleven here, but it's morning in the pony's world. If I wait until tomorrow then it'll be night time for them and they will have trouble staying awake. Besides that we're kind of on a time table here and can't stay long. I wouldn't ask you to do it if it wasn't important. I like sleeping too." The driver sighed and didn't respond for a moment. Just when I was starting to think he'd hang up he said that he'd help as long as I payed him the normal rate.
"Where are you? Out in that field again?"
"Yeah. We'll meet you at the road."
"Alright. I'll be awhile, but I'll get there."
"We'll be waiting." I shut my phone and slid it into a pocket (not the one with the lighter). I turned to the rest of our group who had been watching me with interest.
"What sort of magical device was that?" The earth pony asked. Another male.
"Not magic at all. Science. Our world has no magic on its own except a warped version of it called Voodoo, which mostly deals with hexes. Using this device I can speak to another Human on the other side of the planet so long as they have the same type of device and it is functioning as it should be."
"How convenient!" The earth pony said. "I wish I had one of those! It would make for a lot less time spent writing letters and waiting for replies!"
"That was the general intention when our race first invented them."
"How much did you pay for it?"
"I paid thirty dollars for it, but my currency is different from this country's. But having these wouldn't do you much good without the signal towers that pick up and send what is said. You'd be better off buying several walkie talkies and conveying your messages from one to another instead. Of course, then you'd need something to recharge them with, but you might be able to find a magical substitute for electricity."
"What's a walkie talkie? And what's electricity?"
"A walkie talkie is an older version of a cellular telephone. That is, an older version of the device I just used. Electricity is a tiny, controlled version of a lightning bolt."
Suddenly we were surrounded by the same phantom trees that I had seen when I had first come here. Everypony ignored me at that point and stared at the wonder around them. What I had seen before now repeated down to the most minute detail, including Thanatos and Mace walking form the gateway, which I had missed the first time around.
"Uncle Thanatos!" Luna exclaimed, reaching out a hoof to him. Her hoof passed through him and Thanatos showed no sign of having seen, heard, or felt her.
"It's an illusion, princess Luna." I explained. "I'm sorry." Luna drew her leg back and said nothing. "This is what I saw on the night, or day, that I first came to your world. This is when Mace and Thanatos burned down this forest and then returned to Everfree to later seal the monsters inside it."
The illusion ran its course, the figures speaking, the trees smoking and burning, the lightning raining down all around us, and then it was gone again as if it never had been.
"They were incredible! Such power and skill!" The Unicorn said, sounding like a fan witnessing his favorite football team win the Superbowl. "How in the worlds could they have possibly lost to the Everfree mutants?"
"Mace left the horn he'd inherited behind, and was already exhausted when they went back into Everfree. What happened after they sealed Everfree off is anyone's guess other than Thanatos being turned into a Bloody Hoof." There was a sharp intake of breath from all those that stood there except me and Rainbow Dash.
"Do not say that name!" The earth pony said, looking about nervously.
"Thanatos? A bl- one of the Twisted Ones?" The Unicorn looked aghast. I nodded.
"He followed us into my world and tried to kill my parents and the two ponies that came with me here. We fought him here, and later in town and eventually put him down."
"What's a Bloody-"
"Silence!" Luna commanded, looking a little spooked herself. Rainbow Dash shut her mouth with a click of her teeth coming together
"Ask me again some other time and I'll tell you, Rainbow." I said. "In the meantime we need to get to the road. If you'll all follow me?" I started walking away from the ruined gateway. The others followed.
"Hey, Human?" It was the Unicorn again.
"Yes?"
"I was told that you could use magic. Is this true?"
"When certain conditions are met, yes."
"'Certain conditions'? Like what?"
"Not to be rude, but why do you care?" I asked.
"Because I am a historian that was chosen to be an ambassador for my breed, and my area of expertise is on the subject of Humans. I'm taking notes."
"Am I allowed to tell him, your highness?" I asked Luna. She was surprised that I asked. "Given the source and his job, should he be told?" Luna looked at the Unicorn a moment and then shook her head.
"No. Perhaps in the future after we have returned to Canterlot, but not today." The Unicorn was disappointed but did not complain.
Trixie increased her speed and tapped me on the shoulder. I leaned over a bit and she whispered a question in my ear asking why I didn't tell him.
"Because my people's journalists are very nosy and sometimes pushy when it comes to finding out information, and because I don't trust my race with that information. Right now we are in the process of hunting elephants and Rhinoceros to extinction because their horns are worth a fortune to every nation even though hunting them is illegal. If those same poachers that hunted those animals found out that magic for Humans to use was as easy to get as killing a Unicorn or drugging it and sawing off their horns, they'd do it in a heartbeat and sell it to the highest bidder." Trixie gave me a horrified look. "Not everyone is like that, mind you, but just enough of them are that I'd prefer to keep that information to as small a group as possible."
"Your people like nothing from the legends!"
"A lot can change in just twenty years, Trixie. It has been hundreds since my people were sent to this one from yours." A cold breeze blew through our group and both me and Trixie shivered. The ponies seemed unaffected by it (much to our envy) and I asked Trixie if she was still sure that she did not want to be changed back into one. She replied that after that wind she was reconsidering, but her tone didn't say that she was being honest about that.
Eventually we came to the road and stopped to wait. Thirty minutes later our ride arrived and the driver from before stepped out and stared at each one of the figures before him. We traded introductions with one another and then crammed ourselves into the van. I let Trixie sit up front in the passenger seat buckled her in. She asked what the belt was for and I explained that it was meant to act as a safety precaution in case we got into an accident. Later at the end of our ride she told me that she had never traveled that fast before and was looking forward to the next opportunity.
Even at this late hour people were still out and about running errands or just out enjoying the crisp evening air. A few of them glanced at the van parked by the side of the road, and a few others looked at me twice and told me I looked familiar. I replied that I got that reaction often but said that I did not recognize any of them.
The building we parked next to was near the center of town and towered above every other building on the street, though it wasn't much wider than your average suburban house. From the roof there were numerous satellite dishes pointed in several different directions and bright red and blue lights that shaped into their name: NEWZ FOR YOUZ. That sounds more like a radio show than a news business!
"Are you sure this is the place?" I asked the driver (he said his name was Benzel) doubtfully while the others stepped or jumped out of the van.
"You asked for the nearest one, and this is it. If you don't mind my asking, why did you come back and why are there more of you? Are there more monsters loose here that I should be worried about?" I shook my head.
"No, we came for an entirely different reason. Just watch TV tomorrow and you'll see."
"If you say so." Benzel yawned and covered his mouth. I walked over to his window and handed his what money was left in my wallet. I was officially broke now and wondered how I'd get home now if I survived the trials ahead. I guess I could always use magic. The mental image of me literally riding waves and running across the water past boats and swimmers while they stopped and stared open-mouthed made me smile, but a nudge from Trixie brought me back to the real world and I walked up the three steps to the door and let us in. I held it open while the ponies clopped through and stopped on the other side in front of a desk that was currently unoccupied. It looked like your typical pressed wood with a brown plastic coating meant to make it appear to be real wood at a distance. The room was blessedly heated and I removed my jacket and stuffed it into my pack. A single lamp sat on one side of the desk and a dead potted plant on the other. The whole desk was about six or seven feet long and rose in height just below my chest. There was a small silver bell sitting on the upper edge of the desk in front of us so I pressed the little button on the top. A clear 'jing!' sound came from it and a few moments later a woman a little older than myself came out from a doorway. She wore tacky red-rimmed eye glasses, her hair was brown and curled but frizzy, and she looked like Tommy's mother from Rug Rats. She was carrying a steaming mug of coffee.
"Good eveni- nuh?!" She dropped the coffee mug and it shattered on the floor, the coffee pooling amongst the shards. Her eyes darted first to Luna, then to Me, then to Trixie who stood next to me, then to the Unicorn, then to the earth pony, and then swept over us from left to right. She rubbed her eyes and looked at us again, and then began to speak in gibberish.
"Be-ist something wrong with her?" Luna asked me. I looked at Luna and then looked at the woman, and back at Luna and laughed. My laughing seemed to break the woman's state of stupification.
"It's you! And them! You're- you're-"
"They have names. The tall, dark, and lovely one with wings and the horn is princess Luna of Equestria. The girl next to me is named Trixie. The Unicorn and earth pony are called-" I stopped, realizing I didn't know their names. "Actually, I don't know their names." I turned to them. "Would you mind introducing yourself, gents?" The earth pony said his name was Thorn Brightmane. A rather unfitting last name with his mane being a very dark gray. His body was also gray, but a lighter shade. The Unicorn called himself Reginald the book keeper. He had no last name. "I'm assuming you already know who I am, so let's cut to the chase: I'd like to schedule an interview for us. When is your next available window?" The woman squeaked and turned and ran out of the room. A few more moments later the sound of someone running up wooden steps reached our ears, and then a few moments after that the sound came again, this time above our heads.
"Yes, I must conclude that something is indeed wrong with that Human." Luna said.
__ __ __ __ __
Inside Drahgov's father's old lair Twilight Sparkle had been placed in a small cage that had been stolen in in a time long passed. Had it been made from iron it surely could have corroded to the point of uselessness even being in the cave and out of the wetter weather that sometimes came through this part of the world, but it was made of copper, and copper wore away slower than iron did. The cage's age could not be fully known by any except he who had stolen it, but he had died. As it was Twilight guessed that it was older than she was because it was completely covered in green. Not that this knowledge would help her escape, unfortunately. Twilight was under guard ever since she had been tossed into the cage and the lock was turned. At first it was the female Dragon from earlier, who glared at her with resentment, but Twilight didn't know what for. Later that evening a smaller bright orange male was watching over her. Having nothing to do as the cage was barely large enough to fit her inside it, Twilight laid down and began thinking of possibilities of escape, and imagining how her friends would come to her rescue. She knew that any attempt they made would likely be doomed to failure and hoped they wouldn't try, but she also knew them well enough to know that they would regardless of what she wished.
When they arrived Drahngov had pointed a claw at her and warned her a second time that if she tried to use her magic for anything at all her horn would be broken off. He even went so far as to bend the bars outward a little, pull her head through, and then bend them back so her head would be stuck outside the cage and her horn would be within ready reach if need be. It was not a very comfortable position, but Twilight reasoned that it could have been worse. Such as them eating me!
The following morning it seemed to be the female Dragon's turn to guard her again, and as soon as the room was empty she crept closer and examined Twilight as if looking for something specific. Twilight was even sniffed.
"I cannot imagine what made my parents so affectionate of you short-lived creatures that they would give away my unhatched brother to your ruler." She snorted and two puffs of white smoke came from her nostrils making Twilight cough. "You're tiny, you're weak, and you don't even live long enough for our kind to leave our childhood stage. What makes you so special?" Twilight didn't respond. "Perhaps they thought you might make a good meal for him once he learned to hunt. I cannot see any reason else they'd just hand him over."
"What are you talking about?" Twilight finally asked. The Dragoness' eyes glinted.
"Do not tell me that you don't recognize my coloration! Both my father and mother were purple and green as I am, which means that my little brother also must be! I smell him on you, which means that you're the Unicorn that has been taking care of him the last few years. Where is he?" She demanded. She's talking about Spike! Now that she mentions it, she does have the same coloration as him. Why didn't I see it before?
"You won't find him in Canterlot. He evacuated with the other citizens of Ponyville." It wasn't until after she said it that Twilight realized that blurting that out might not have been the wisest of things to do given that their two races were at war. The Dragoness' eyes narrowed.
"Where is this place at?" Twilight shut her mouth and refused to say anything else. She had already just put the lives of the Ponyville ponies in danger but saying that little bit, she was not going to doom them. The Dragoness snarled and bared her teeth. "Drahngov said to keep you alive, but he said nothing about keeping you healthy or intact." The Dragoness extended a clawed hand. Their points shone in what little light there was. They looked lethal. They were lethal. Twilight began to sweat, but still didn't say anything. "Tell me where to find my brother and I won't hurt you, or your precious villagers. I only want him to be safe, and if he stays with your kind, he won't be. Every Dragon that has sided with your kind has been put to death, or will be soon. I will not let him die for you."
"And what would you do if you had him? He won't join you in helping to kill us." The Dragoness looked around the room to make sure that they were alone still.
"I would take him far away from here back to his clutch nest. Drahngov is old and strong, but he doesn't know where all of his race dwell. I can hide him away and keep him safe. Now," The Dragoness traced a claw under Twilight's chin. "Will you tell me, or not?" Twilight thought long and hard about it, and eventually concluded that some gambles were worth taking. I want Spike to be safe too, and I know now that the farther he is from me, the better off he'll be. Tears dripped from her eyes at the thought of either seeing him dead or him being forced to watch her die protecting him. Twilight nodded and said to look near the bases of several mountains near Ponyville.
"I don't know where it is exactly, but if he is still with the refugees then he'll be near one of them."
"You are too vague." The Dragoness grumbled.
"I myself have never been to the evacuation point. When a new mayor is elected the previous tells the successor where to go and should a crisis occur that mayor tells the others where to go. I was out of town when they were attacked, so I don't know where they went." The Dragoness turned away from Twilight and headed for an opening in the wall. As she spread her wings Twilight called after her. The Dragoness turned her head back on a sinewy neck. "Please, if you find him, don't tell him that I'm here. He'd try to come after me." The Dragoness nodded and leaped from the cliff, soaring away into the distance.
A few hours later the male Dragon that had watched her the previous shift came in and looked about the cave in confusion. Twilight was still in the cage, but the she-Dragon that was supposed to be guarding her was nowhere to be seen. At first he suspected that the Unicorn had used magic, but the air lacked the smell that normally indicated magical use. That scent was unmistakeable, which meant that the guard had to have left on her own accord, which bothered him. Could she have perhaps been a spy for the ponies? That didn't strike him as something that she'd do, but other rebel Dragons had surprised him with their choice of loyalty. He needed to report this, but now he was faced with another issue. If she had just left a little early and he reported her for being a traitor and it was proved otherwise then he himself might be suspected of being a traitor trying to cause in-fighting. In the end he decided to let it go and plopped himself down in front of the trapped Unicorn and daydreamed about the upcoming day he'd been given permission to eat her.
__ __ __ __ __
Sometime near three A.M. Queen Elizabeth received a gentle shake awake by one of her servants. (The term of servant was not really accurate anymore, but many of her relatives still insisted they be called this and so it stuck.)
"I am sorry to disturb you, your majesty, but there is something you should see on the television. It regards the Alicorn sighting the other day." Elizabeth was suddenly not tired at all and sat up in her over-sized bed. She yawned and made a motion for him to leave the room. When he did she got dressed and followed him out into a large room whose centerpiece was a ping pong table. There were also a few plush chairs and a couch and a low wooden table in front of the couch, but what drew her attention at the moment in the large empty room was the sixty five inch flat screen HDTV on the wall. The servant picked up the television's remote and turned the tv on, setting it to channel fifteen. The queen gaped at the sight of another Alicorn (this one blue) and the other creatures behind it. A pony, a Unicorn, a Pegasus, a strange blue-skinned child with a pony's tail in her hands, and a Human. The sight of this alone was a shock, but when the Alicorn began to speak the queen's mouth dropped. Apparently it was taking part in an interview being given by the 'Newz for Youz' news building.
The Alicorn introduced herself as a co-ruler of her kingdom and said her name, as well as the names of those that were standing with her. When she was asked what it meant to be a co-ruler she explained her duties as a princess including the ludicrous duty of raising the moon every night after the sun had been set by her older sister. Several questions were asked concerning what things were like in a world without mankind, and once Luna had given a description the queen suddenly wanted to go on a vacation there. This urge melted when Luna got to the main reason that the young man called Lighthand returned with them to Earth.
"Our nation is currently at war with a race that thine people might know from your legends as Dragons. Long ago in ages forgotten by thine people our two races stood together against them and fought them off. Our magics are powerful, but there are only so many of us and our weaponry has not advanced much in the last two thousand years. Young Jacob tells me that thine race drove them to extinction here centuries ago. We have come to ask for thine assistance once again. If thee dost not help us, we shall lose, and our nation shall be destroyed."
"You must realize that asking a nation currently at peace to suddenly leap into another world and join in a fight that isn't ours and really would not affect us if you lost is a little absurd, don't you? Especially considering that one of your people attacked us a few days ago?" This time Jacob stepped forward and answered.
"Thanatos was insane. Do you blame those related to a mentally unstable person if he or she decides to attack others?"
"I personally don't, no. But what about asking us for help when you offer nothing in return?"
"We didst not come with nothing." Luna objected, and turned her head to a saddlebag that hung from her back. She lifted it with magic and moved it out in front of the two men interviewing them, whom stared at the floating bag in amazement. "Take it. I am told by Jacob that you Humans value the stones inside." Curious, the two men opened the bags and upended their contents on a table. The two of them gasped in astonishment as over two pounds of finely-cut, flawless, precious gemstones clattered across the table and spilled off onto the floor. There were rubies, emeralds, topaz, amethysts, diamonds, and a number of others as well, and each were at the least half the size of a fist.
The queen also gasped. Such a display of wealth was something she'd only seen in movies, or more usually, cartoons. Of course, if she had wanted to she could have that many gems, but it would probably cost her her half of Buckingham Palace if she wanted the same quality and craftsmanship on top of them being the size that they were.
The two men picked one up and then another, examining them, knocking them against one another and against other surfaces as if trying to see if they were real or not. Not that you can find out doing something as mundane as that unless they're made of glass. The queen thought, looking at them like she thought they were morons. Which, at the moment, she did. This was certainly worth waking up about. The queen did not need the wealth that princess Luna had offered, but this would almost certainly draw the attention of every ruffian within a thousand miles.
"Bring me a telephone at once!" The queen said. "Dial the closest police station to that building where the broadcast is taking place." The servant bowed and began walking away. "Don't walk, run! This is important!" The servant ran.
When he came back she informed the man in charge that she was in fact the queen and that his services were required.
"Drive over to the Newz for Youz building in the town that had the winged creature attack it and station several cars outside and around the building. I think that this place may be raided tonight by several local gangs within in the hour."
__ __ __ __ __
"Dear God, are these real?!" Asked the shorter of the two, his hands full of several gems.
"I see what Jacob claimed was true." Luna smirked. Gemstones were almost as common in Equestria as fish in the ocean. Greed could, almost as often as a sense of justice, draw volunteers to a cause. Celestia would not approve of this method, but Celestia was not here. In this both she and Jacob shared the same opinion and were grateful. Luna had not told him of this plan, but it seemed to have the effect that she intended, and if Jacob's people really were witnessing this in their homes like he said they would be then she would likely return to Equestria with over a thousand recruits from several different nations. Jacob doesn't trust the majority of his people very much, though, so I shall need to be wary of them as well. Luna used her magic to gather up the various stones of color and shape and type and once more placed them into the saddlebags and sat the bags on her back. "They are indeed real. We are willing to pay anyone that shalt come, but bear in mind that the danger is very real as well. There will be a chance that those that join us will not be coming back afterwards."
"I think a person would jump out of a plane without a parachute for a chance at getting just one of those gems!" The taller man declared. Luna did not know what a plane or a parachute was, but took that to mean that it would most certainly bring help. Unfortunately, it also brought something else: Trouble.
Downstairs several windows were busted in and figures climbed in through them. The receptionist was knocked out and then more came in through the main entrance. These ones had guns of varied types, but most were handguns. One of them lifted a record book out from under the unconscious woman. He read trough it and then smiled and looked at the others.
"Second floor from the top, guys. Says it right here." He showed them the book and tapped the most recent entry.
"Alright. Get in, get the gems, and get out. We'd have to be fools to think that we're the only ones that have seen what that horse was carrying." The others nodded, and began to search for steps. Once they had been found all fifteen of them stampeded for it and headed up. They had left five outside to give warning is trouble showed up so they'd be ready to run or fight.
Three sets of steps a and a few aching legs later the gang burst in through the correct door (they had gotten the wrong one four times in a row previously) with those armed first. The door slammed against the wall and the pointed their weapons at the group ahead of them.
"Hands up! Give us your loot or die!"
Luna looked at them and then looked at the two men who were conducting the interview.
"Is this part supposed to happen as well?" They shook their heads frantically, looking terrified and their hands reaching up for the ceiling. Luna looked at the intruders and told them to come back later.
"Are you stupid or something?" One of them asked, sounding angry. "Don't you have any idea who we are?!"
"No." She replied, and turned to look at Jacob, who had also raised his arms but had been whispering something to Trixie. "Do you know who they are?"
"If I had to guess, princess Luna, I'd say that they're robbers. I'd also say that you should put up a barrier that can stop physical attacks."
"Why? They are on the other side of the roo-"
"Hey! We're talking to you, stupid bitch! Give us your gems or we'll kill you!" Luna was confused at being called a bitch being as a bitch was the term for a female dog and she was not a dog or even canine in nature, but she did not appreciate being called stupid or being threatened with death. Luna glared at them and did as Jacob advised.
"Clearly thou dost not know whom I be either, otherwise you wouldst mind thine tongue! Apologize or be punished for thine insolence!"
"I've had enough, Johnny." Declared one of their group. "Show me the color of a horse's blood."
"Actually," Reginald began. "we're ponies, not-" The room filled with the sound of gunfire which drowned out whatever else Reginald had meant to say. Both Trixie and Jacob covered their ears as did the two men, who chose to dive behind the couch they had been sitting at. Bullet holes peppered the place where they had been sitting less than a second later. The camera was miraculously left untouched by the cloud of bullets that flew across the room but for a single glancing hit on one of the camera stand's legs. Meanwhile bullets of every type that the thugs were carrying pinged off of Luna's shield and ricocheted off the shield and struck everything all around them. Windows shattered, as did picture frames, coffee cups, and anything else fragile. The thugs kept shooting until they ran out of ammunition, but not a single bullet got through.
They stared dumbfounded. Their guns had never failed to kill anything they had shot at before unless they had missed, and the sparks from the bullets' impacts against the shield were proof enough that they had indeed hit something. But they could not see what.
"Hmm. Perhaps it was foolish of me to believe that science could best magic in terms of effectiveness after all. Come, Jacob. We've wasted enough time here."
"With all due respect, princess Luna, you're being overly critical. Our weapons are made to kill non-magical creatures, and the kind they are using are mediocre at best. Military-grade weapons are by far more effective, though I still doubt that any of them could break through your shields. Thank you for making it cover all of us, by the way." The ponies and Trixie nodded and said similar things. Luna's horn glowed brighter and all the thugs suddenly collapsed snoring to the floor. Luna's horn stopped glowing and the two men that had dived behind the now-ruined couch (events not related) crawled out again and stared stunned first at the sleeping would-be robbers, and then at their undamaged camera, which was still broadcasting live.
"Either way, it is clear that we are not welcome here and so we shall leave. Perhaps there is some method we can use that will at least allow us to not all be destroyed." Luna sighed. She really had hoped that the history in this regard could repeat and mankind would stand proudly with them once more, but it would seem that it was not meant to be. The only thing an offer of wealth as incentive had brought was the worst they had to offer.
A loud jingling sound was made from an object on a wall nearby. It had been to the right of the gunmen, and so had escaped the bullet barrage. One of the men conducting the interview looked at the other and then stood up and went to answer it.
"Hello? Yes, this is Newz for Youz. What?!" He looked at princess Luna and motioned for her to come forward. He placed a hand on the speaker and said in a voice not unlike that from a nervous Fluttershy: "Queen Elizabeth wants to speak to you!"
^ ^ ^ ^ ^
After the local cops arrested the guys (and one woman) that had broken into the TV station and stopped staring in disbelief at the live mythical creatures in the studio they informed us that we would be transported to a secure location where we could better be protected from more incidents like this.
"Considering how ineffective the first attack was, I doth not think another shall be a problem."
"You might have no problem protecting yourself as long as they stand near you, but what if you become separated? Not all of our criminals are morons like this lot were, and some might even have sniper-type weapons and could kill them or you before you knew they were there." Luna looked at me for confirmation, and I nodded. "Allowing them to dump those gems out like that was a very foolish decision, if you'll forgive my directness, your highness." Luna sighed.
"Clearly even though there is still much to learn in my own world there is even more in this one. Whom may I speak to to learn at least the basics?"
"Learning the basics of Human interaction between cultures takes years, your highness." I cautioned her. "This is due not only to how they live their lives, but to difference in languages as well. It just happened to be coincidence that both myself and the people of this country have English as their native language and that you understand it as well. If I had been born in France or China, or Portugal, I suspect you would not be understanding a word I'm saying nor would I understand you." Luna sighed.
"Is this another reason you were hesitant to come back here for help?"
"Actually I had not thought of this issue until after we were on television. I have no doubt that there is someone who will be translating what was on TV within the hour, though. The whole world will be aware of this within a day or so."
"All the more reason for us to get you moving sooner rather than later." The policeman declared. "If you'll come with us?" He pointed at a van that was arriving. This one was larger than the one we'd come in.
"Where are we going?"
"First we're going to an airport where A transport helicopter will be picking us up, then we're going to land down in London."
"England's capital?" I asked. "Why there?" Luna explained for me.
"When I spoke to their queen on the-" She stopped.
"Telephone?" I offered.
"Yes, that. When I spoke to her on the Tel-le-phone she said that she very much wished to speak with me concerning our needs. I agreed to speak with her, and she said that transportation would be provided."
"Woah! The actual Queen of England?!" This has got to be the coolest day on Earth I've ever had! I'm actually going to get to see the queen in person! I suppose another person might think that stepping into another dimension full of talking ponies that could do magic would be the coolest day ever, but given that the talking ponies weren't on Earth, and my first day involved being chased by a Dragon, I did not agree.
Our ride in the van was uneventful, but convincing Rainbow Dash and Reginald to board the helicopter afterwards was a pain.
"If we Unicorns were meant to fly we'd have been born as Alicorns!" Reginald objected stubbornly, and sat down on the ground much like a dog refusing a bath.
"I am perfectly capable of flying there myself and I can probably go there and back eight times before you can!"
"But you don't know where we're going, Dash." I pointed out. "Besides that, if people saw a blue streak zipping back and forth above their heads it could cause a panic."
"A panic? Are your people really that skittish?" Rainbow Dash frowned.
"Not all of them, but some people have a tendency to overreact to just about everything, and panic has a habit of being catching." With an exaggerated sigh Rainbow Dash agreed and plodded reluctantly up the ramp and picked a spot on the floor. Now for book-boy.
"You might have convinced her, but I'm not-"
"Reginald! Cease to waste time and board this thing!" Luna commanded, sounding annoyed. "Every minute you waste is another minute that I could be spending readying our homeland!" Reginald blanched and did as he was told. Huh. I guess being royalty has its perks. I followed suit and sat myself down on a rather uncomfortable seat bolted to the floor and wall and buckled myself in. I had never ridden in a helicopter before, or flown in or on anything at all, so this was kind exciting for me. My opinion soon changed as the propeller blades spun up to top speed and the noise drowned out everything else,nearly including hearing myself think. I used to think that was just a stupid way of a parent telling their child to be quiet, but now I knew better. The next time I have to ride in one of these things and I know it I'm going to buy a pair of earplugs first! Provided I had money first, of course. Right now I was broke.
A good hour later we arrived outside of the Queen's home and landed near the entrance. When we disembarked Rainbow Dash yelled over the noise the helicopter blades were making to say that she hoped never to ride in one of those again. I heartily agreed. I would not have minded the chance to fly one, but that was a different story.
As we approached the doors there stood the two almost cliche guards dressed in red and black and staring blankly straight ahead. I had the sudden urge to do the also cliche action of making faces at them to see if they'd even raise an eyebrow, but Rainbow Dash beat me to it, hovering at eye level with them while she did so. True to their reputation they didn't seem to react at all, though it made me wonder if these guys were actually robots in disguise given that others had at least stared at them and checked to see if they were hallucinating.
"Ugh, you have guys like this here too?! Maybe this London-place is your version of Canterlot!" I had seen the Pegasus version of these guards, but unlike ours, that just stood there even in nasty weather, the Equestrian guards looked intimidating.
Luna and Thorn had already gone indoors and left myself, Rainbow Dash and Reginald outside. Reginald had stayed to see if these guards were indeed the Equestrian equivalent, and he was not disappointed. He jotted down a few notes, included a quick sketch of their clothing, and then also followed Luna. I took a step closer to the guard and tapped Rainbow's shoulder and asked her to leave the guy alone.
"He probably has to put up with enough tourists each day without seeing a real live Pegasus too. What do you say about giving him a break?" Rainbow Dash flew closer to the guard until their faces almost touched. Her eyes narrowed.
"This isn't over, buddy! Round two starts later!" Then she backed off and flew through the still-open doors. I chuckled and followed.
Inside it was cool, but with how large the building was I was not surprised. Keeping this entire building well-heated for just one month must have cost a fortune. Inside we found that once more Luna and the others had gone on without us with the exception of Reginald who trotted from one part of the room we stood into another, stopping to look at architecture, paintings, plants, and other assortments. He looked like an archeologist that just discovered an intact and undisturbed mummy's tomb. His quill scribbled furiously and he frequently dipped it in an ink well for more.
"Wow! It's really big in here! I can fly around with ease!" She bumped into a chandelier and quickly grabbed it to stop its swinging.
"Sure you can, as long as you watch where you're going." I said with mild sarcasm. "Just remember that anything you might break here is probably over fifty years old and likely very expensive."
"Me break things? I'd be more concerned about Reggie." She pointed a hoof at him as he began messing with a suit of armor that I wasn't sure was purely decorational.
"You there, Lighthand!" He called to me. I looked at him. "Come here a moment." I looked at Rainbow Dash and shrugged, then joined him by the armor. "What is the purpose of this odd clothing?" He tapped a hoof against the metal and it clanged hollowly. He seriously doesn't know this? Canterlot's guards wear armor.
"That's our version of armor. We used it for protection in times of war during the middle ages."
"Ah. Just making certain. You don't use it anymore, though?" I shook my head.
"Why not? I would think that something like this would still provide excellent protection."
"Only against the weapons of that time period or something similar. Most of the things we use for weaponry these days make armor pointless." Reginald scribbled more notes down and then moved on to another area. "You know, you could just go to a library and read up on history if you want an overview of what's been going in this country over the centuries." He stopped.
"Ancient historical records are available to the public here?"
"Well I don't know about here here, that is, where we're standing, but every library I've ever been to has books on history in them. We even have audio recordings of certain events and-" I stopped. "You know what? I'll just introduce you to a computer later. Then you can look up whatever you want." Reginald raised an eyebrow but then went back to studying his surroundings.
Rainbow Dash was still hovering form one part of the room to another, her wings making surprisingly little breeze.
"What did he want?"
"Details on Human armor." I looked around. There were several doors made of wood, but other than the area that Reginald was studying I had no idea where to go and there was no one around to ask. There was a camera in one corner of the room but not much else of interest. "Any idea where we're supposed to go?" Dash shook her head.
"Nope. I got in the same time you did, remember?"
"I guess we'll just wait here, then?" Rainbow Dash snorted.
"You can if you want. I'm going to explore this big place!" Rainbow Dash flew to one of the doors and tried to open it, but a doorknob proved to be impossible for her to grip with her hooves.
"Need a hand , Rainbow Dash?" I asked, walking to where she fussed over the knob. I reached down and gave it a twist and a push. It opened for me with no problem. She frowned at me.
"Ha ha ha." She said before flying through. I grinned and followed her. Overall it was an interesting place, if a bit elaborate. Where Celestia's palace had been mostly practice with minor decorations, it seemed that everywhere I looked there was a huge painting or a stained glass window or a tapestry, and it wasn't just the walls that were decorated. The floor itself could be a work of art. Don't mistake me, I thought it was very beautiful, but it just seemed to be a bit much at times. We passed several dozen bedrooms, but most of them were locked. The ones that weren't looked like they were either something out of a time capsule, or had been adapted to the modern era. The more modern ones probably actually have people that stay in them from time to time. We also passed a photo booth to which Rainbow Dash asked to get her picture taken once I explained what it was. To my surprise photos were free from this booth and so we had a photo-moment. We altered the backgrounds several times and once altered it so that I had a copy of Rainbow Dash's wings sticking from my back and her mane covering my hair as well. I looked so ridiculous that both of use laughed at the image for a full minute before we finally had our fill of jollies and printed the lot. I was the only one that had pockets, so I was the one who carried them, but Rainbow said she wanted a set for herself as well, so I pushed the button for 'reprint' and pocketed the second strip of photos as well.
Eventually our wanderings led us to something interesting. It was a mural that depicted a scene from the legend of King Arthur with his mythical adviser Merlin. The yellow-haired and bearded King was leaning over a four-legged wooden table that had a grey ink well with a quill sticking out of it and there was also what I presumed to be a map that Arthur pointed at, looking grim. Merlin looked less concerned than Arthur did. In fact, he almost seemed to be smiling like a grandfather watching his grandson puzzling through a difficult mental obstacle. He was bald on the top of his head, but the rest had curly gray hair. He also had a beard that reached down past his waist. In his one hand he held a scroll, and in his other was the typical Wizard's Staff from stories. The lower third and upper third were made of wood and was intricately carved with many runes and other such symbols. The lower wooden part reached just above his knee, and then the staff became a lighter shade of brown and ceased having symbols, but had several diagonally-carved lines in it right up until it reached the upper third of wood where the symbols resumed. Had King Arthur been standing Merlin would have been two inches taller than him, but Arthur's frame by far made him more intimidating if an enemy were to face them. The rest of the mural depicted a mostly-bland room but for the green curtains on either side of a window.
"Who're these guys?" Rainbow Dash asked, looking at them.
"The man in the armor and red shirt is King Arthur. The old man is his adviser, Merlin, whom supposedly was a wizard. They're figures out of one of this nation's most popular legends, but no one knows for certain if they ever really existed." Except for my ancestor. He made mention of both Arthur and his father in his journal.
"Hmm." Rainbow Dash rubbed a hoof against her chin and narrowed her eyes, her gaze directed at Merlin's staff. "Those lines look familiar..." She hovered off the ground (she had gotten bored with flying in such an enclosed area and for a time had walked) until she was level with the second section of Merlin's staff. Without touching the painting she traced the marks with a hoof. Myself, I was more interested in Arthur's face. He was serious, but there was no anger in his expression. He looked as if he were preparing a strategy for war or perhaps a quest for his knights. I would have loved the chance to meet him! So many stories have been told of this man and his knights and Merlin, it would be an absolute honor to meet them just once! I knew that it could never happen, even with the aid of magic. Knowing my luck I'd screw up the timeline and I'd never be born or maybe Christopher Columbus would not have been and if I had been born then I'd be vastly different than I was today. It was just better not to try it.
"I've got it!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed loudly. I jumped and then asked her what it was that she had 'got'. "I know why the lines look familiar now! That part is a Unicorn horn!" I blinked, not believing, and then examined it closer myself. Now that I knew what I was to be looking for, realization slammed into my mind like ton of bricks. So Merlin was a wizard! But Uther had taken the horns from anyone who had them, so where did he get his from? Perhaps Arthur gave them to him as a gift? The only place I could think of that might have such records would be the royal library (if there was one). King Arthur was supposed to have ruled from this continent (or island, depending on how you looked at it), so if he ever truly existed it stands to reason that either royalty or perhaps a museum, if anyone, would have documents or copies of them left over from that era. It was a long-shot at best, and I highly doubted that under any circumstances would I be allowed to look through them. Not that it really matters anyway. I've got all that I need already.
Before we could enter the next room a man dressed like a butler entered through another door other than the one we'd come in through and asked us to follow him.
"Both rulers wish to speak with you." Rainbow Dash landed and we followed the man on foot and hoof.
We passed through several rooms and corridors, and one more painting of Arthur and Merlin, this time depicting them standing before a Manticor, Arthur's face a snarl, his shield up, deflecting the scorpion tail while Merlin's staff glowed with blue light. Merlin looked about ready to hurl whatever he had prepared from his staff. In the background peasants and soldiers alike fled while their king and the old wizard fought for them. Bloody cowards! I thought resentfully. That is their King and they're leaving him to fight alone?! Before we passed it by I read the plaque underneath it it: Arthur buys time for his people . Then I realized that he had probably commanded them to run and felt somewhat less bitter. But I still would not have left him.
Eventually we entered a room where Luna, Trixie, Thorn, and England's queen stood. The queen was asking a question of Luna, but stopped when we arrived. First her eyes went to Rainbow Dash, and her eyebrows raised.
"Now I see why you called her 'Rainbow Dash', Princess Luna." Luna nodded, a small smile on her face. Then her eyes went to me. "Ah, so you are the young man from the other day's news." I nodded and began to bow, but she waved a hand at me and frowned. "No, no, don't bow. Or kneel, or kiss my hand, or any of that political nonsense. I've gone through enough of that in earlier years and we have more important things to do right now. First question is for miss Rainbow Dash: young lady, you've outrun a Dragon. How fast would you say you had to fly in order to do that?" Rainbow Dash shrugged.
"Well, if I had to guess I'd say I was going about seventy miles an hour. The Dragon was going a lot slower when I left him behind, but I had to make sure that he'd follow me a ways from Ponyville first."
"How fast did the Dragon fly?"
"At top speed I'd say about fifty miles per hour. It was a clear day, so weather and wind wasn't an issue."
"I see. Did it attempt to breathe fire while pursuing you?" Rainbow Dash nodded, a cocky smile spreading across her face.
"Oh yeah! Every time I stayed stayed in place for more than five seconds it tried to roast me, but I'd swoop up into the air, loop around that slow beast and then I'd swoop underneath him and be right back where I started, save that he'd be as mad as a hornet with a kicked next and would try putting on even more speed!" Rainbow Dash brushed her forelegs with one another like she was dusting herself off. "Of course, it was never enough to catch me!"
"Fifty miles per hour." The queen repeated. She glanced at Luna for confirmation.
"That is indeed the average speed recorded for Dragons. There are breeds of Dragons that fly much faster than that, but they are rare nowadays, and are much smaller in comparison. They also do not breathe fire, but instead spit highly effective acid."
"How much smaller?"
"About his height." Luna said, pointing at me. "But from what mine sister tells me we have very good relations with them and they should not be a problem."
"Could they be convinced to join you?" Luna looked uncertain.
"I do not believe that they would. They are not our enemies, but they are still Dragons. It would be like trying to kill one of your own family." The queen nodded.
"I feel it fair to tell you this, princess Luna, though I am queen in title, it is more of a traditional role than a role that grants me any true power. This is not to say that I do not have any at all, but I cannot command armies as my family could a few hundred years ago. I could provide your people with food supplies, but if you want military might, you will have to convince the Prime Minister, who runs most of what happens politically in this country now."
"What is a Prime Minister, and where might I find yours?" Luna asked.
"I will have all the information you need brought to you by my good servant here." The butler-looking man that had led me and Rainbow Dash to the others sipped his head and left the room. "In the meantime make yourselves comfortable. I feel I must apologize for how you were treated by those men that attacked you earlier. There are both good and bad people in every country, and while sometimes just saying a rival's name can make them aggressive, you are lucky that you were not set upon by every criminal in town when you poured those gemstones out for the whole world to see."
"I shall refrain from doing so again in the near future, I assure you." Luna stated. The queen nodded and then asked where the Unicorn of our group was. I answered.
"He's examining everything from suits of armor to paintings and probably any other Humans he's come across. Reginald is a historian for Equestria and his specialization was Humans and their culture. This is like Christmas day to him."
"Then I suppose I can let him enjoy himself a little while longer. In the meantime, young man, what are your thoughts on the situation in Equestria?"
I ran through my mind all of the guards that had fought against and died fighting the Dragons that had attacked Celestia's palace. I thought of all the towns that had been destroyed, and the fact that the only thing they really had going for them was magic, and now using fireworks as explosive ballistics. As I had before, I came to the same conclusion: we either didn't stand a chance, or had very little of one.
"As princess Luna said earlier on TV, if we don't get help, and lots of it, we will lose. Whether or not Earth offers to help I will still go back and fight because I love that world and those in it, but we could really use, if nothing else, a weapons upgrade. They're still using Middle-Ages weaponry over there, your highness. It's effective in its own right, but what we really need for this is armor-piercing bullets, anti-air rockets, and the people trained to use them. If we don't get at least one of those weapon types, and people that know how to operate them we're toast. Burnt toast."
"What about this powerful magic that I've seen you and that purple Unicorn and the Alicorn that you put down use? It seemed rather dangerous."
"Only in one-on-one battles in our case. I'm not trained to fight multiple opponents at once and lack the blunt power to even attempt it, and the first and last time I killed a Dragon I nearly killed myself in the process." The queen's eyes became wide.
"You slew a Dragon by yourself? How?"
"I used a bolt of lightning and shocked it to death. According to the leader of the Dragons attacking us he was one of the weaker Dragons. And was his younger brother."
"His younger brother?" She was surprised, and a bit of realization of a very real possibility entered her face. "So it was you that started this war, then?" The queen asked. Luna stepped in.
"No, this war was a long time coming. Drahngov merely used young Jacob as an excuse to initiate. All Jacob did was defend himself."
"If you do not mind, I would like a demonstration of you both using magic." Her face was calm, but there was a faint eagerness to her voice. Given that the only place she'd seen magic in action was a pooryl recorded cell phone video, I was not surprised. The chance to see real magic must feel to her like it had felt for me to be using it and knowing it for what it was.
"I cannot use magic unless certain conditions are met, your highness. I apologize."
"I fail to see what this will accomplish," Luna said. "but what would you like to see?"
"In all honesty I would have liked to see you two duel. I have heard many stories of magic, but have never seen it performed in person."
"In a duel between us two I would have no chance of victory, your highness." I said. "Luna is over one thousand years old, and has been one of those that have been teaching me to use magic. Having us contest one another would be like having a pro-wrestler fight against a rookie."
"Hmm, I see. But what did you mean that you can only use it under certain circumstances?" I hesitated and looked at Luna first again. My gut told my that I could trust her, but...
"You may tell her." Luna allowed. I nodded and explained the reason behind it.
"So then, if I were to walk up to Luna, place my hand on her horn and concentrate, I could use magic?"
"Well yes, but I would not recommend starting with Luna. There is a huge difference in power-pressure from a Unicorn to an Alicorn. For a mental picture, a Unicorn would be a kitchen sink's tap water, and an Alicorn would be a fire hydrant."
"May I request then that we bring Reginald here?"
"You would like to try your hand at magic, your majesty?" I asked. She smiled.
"Of course. If our roles were reversed, wouldn't you?" I nodded. To be told magic was real would make one scoff. To see it performed might lessen that a bit, but to actually perform it yourself , that would take away all doubt and be a treat.
Luna closed her eyes for a few moments and then opened them again.
"He shall be with us shortly. I just sent him a mental summons."
Sure enough Reginald trotted in with papers bulging out of his pockets and breathing rapidly. He also had discarded his feather pen for a common ink pen that someone must have given him.
"You summoned me, princess Luna?" He said, breathing slowing.
"Yes. Approach the Human woman and allow her to touch your horn." He seemed puzzled at this command and a little uncomfortable but did as he was told. Elizabeth tentatively reached a hand for it and then jumped.
"He zapped me!" She exclaimed. Luna began to give a displeased look Reginald's way, but I quickly explained that the same thing had happened to me the first time I touched a horn.
"I don't know why it happened, but it did." That seemed to satisfy Luna and the queen reached again. This time she did not jump and held onto him.
"Is this warm feeling normal?" She asked me. I nodded. Queen Elizabeth held up one empty hand and we waited. Nothing happened. She made face and then looked about the room. Her eyes stopped on a cup of tea on a silver tray and she reached her empty hand for it.
"Remember to picture it slow-" I tried to caution her, but I was too slow and the queen of the U.K. was splashed with warm tea. I winced. The cup had indeed gone to her hand, but it had flown too fast and slapped into it, causing the splash.
"Oh my, that is good tea! What kind is it?" He asked, suddenly in a good mood.
"Green tea." The queen answered absently, picking at her wet outfit with the hand that had held his horn. "Not my favorite, but not bad." She let her outfit be and relaxed her arms.
"I've not had this kind before. Could I perhaps trade you something for a few of the plants?"
"Trade..." Queen Elizabeth snapped her fingers. "Now that could be something that might be incentive for our involvement. Depending on what it is that you offer, that is. Gemstones will only have so much value for so long before my citizens catch on that a rock is a rock no matter its color."
At that point the conversation became Luna's, Reginald's, and occasionally Thorn's as well. I had no reason to remain present, so with Trixie in tow I left to let them converse. Once out of the room I decided to call my Mom and Dad and tell them I was back. I got their voice mail (not surprising given the hour), but not them. I left them a simple message and then put my phone away, but then remembered that I had not spoken to Travis in forever. At the very least he'd want to know if I was still alive. Knowing him (and that the times of day differed on the other side of the world) he'd be awake playing online video games on his computer as long as he wasn't working.
A few minutes later he picked up. (A few minutes because I had to call him a few times. Like usual.)
"Oh. My. Gosh! Dude! Is it really you?!" He practically shouted into the phone. "Where the heck have you been?! No wait, don't answer that, I know where you've been. The whole world knows where you've been! Have you seen yourself on the internet yet?! People are making music videos of it and-" I interrupted him. Travis was a bit on an internet nerd, and if I hadn't, he'd have gone on all night giving me every little detail.
"Dude, as cool as this fame must seem to you, I haven't had the chance to savor it as I've been too busy. Have you seen the news yet?"
"News? What news?"
"Turn on your TV, Travis." He was silent on his end for a minute or two, and then he started rambling on about my latest appearance on TV. Most of it were questions he could answer on his own if he had stopped talking to listen to most of it. I told him this and his stream of questions stopped for a few minutes. When the video looped I could hear him gasp and figured it had gotten to the part with the gemstones.
"Oh man, this time the image quality is so clear there's no way anyone that knows you could mistake you for anyone else!" I heard muffled gunfire in the background and he said 'woah!' before more silence on his end. "DUDE! Are you still in the U.K.?"
"For the moment. In two days I'm going back to where I've been for about a month."
"Which is where, dude? That Equestria place?"
"Yup. And I'll be fighting for my life as well as the lives of thousands of pony-people."
"If I hadn't seen that video of you and the two horse-things and now this bit on the news I'd think you were high or something."
'Even though I've never been high?"
"Hey, you never know, someone could have spiked your drink!"
"Yeah. Anyway, how go things back at the store?"
"Well, ever since I posted on headbook that you were working at my store and we were best friends we've been getting reporters and wizard-wannabes looking for you coming in. Some of those magic-wannabe people were creepy, Jake! There was this one fat lady that kept tossing powdered sugar around, and this biker-looking guy that carried in a dead body and he got arrested for murder by the security guard, and-" He rambled off several other incidents, wach one weirder than the last.
"So then business as usual, then?" Travis slurped on something and then belched. It was probably some kind of energy drink. Travis was a caffeine junky.
"Yeah, pretty much."
We would get some weird people in our store every week. That we now had an infestation of people who thought they were magic-users wasn't really surprising. In one instance that neared a Halloween night an entire cult wearing ninja costumes came in wanting to buy rubber chickens. When told by several associates that we did not sell rubber chickens, they fell to their knees on the floor and started crying out to their deity asking her why they were unable to find their ceremony icons and from there were forced to leave by a local police guy that patrolled our store once in awhile because they were causing a disturbance. "So how's the queen reacting?"
"Better than I expected, but according to her it's the Prime Minister that we have to convince to send help."
"Yeah man, didn't you know that already? Official the queen has more power than he does, but she has less maneuvering room than him. You should have come here, man! Do you have any idea how many of the rednecks in my development would jump at the chance to mount a Dragon's head on their wall?!"
"Probably plenty, but the gateway is here in Welsh lands, Travis, and I don't know if it can be moved or how to open another one. More importantly I don't think a shotgun is going to amount for much for long-range combat, and only an idiot would want to fight a Dragon up close."
"Shotguns ? That's only the stereotype. My one neighbor? He owns an M16, and made his own version of a mortar canon." What?!
"How the heck do you know that?"
"Because someone tried to break into his house last week. When the cops finally showed up the guy had twenty bullet holes in him. I later found out that owning that kind of gun in this state is illegal, but due to both a judge and a gun shop owner being a friend of his they let him have them anyway. Come to think of it, I haven't seen Rick in a few days. Maybe he's on his way to you!" Travis laughed. "If you do see him, tell him that his ex wife was looking for him, will you? Oh yeah, and how have you been?" Asking how I've been as an afterthought. I rolled my eyes. He always did have a habit of forgetting common courtesy in a conversation until the last minute.
"Well I'm stressed from a situation of one of my friends in their world has been abducted by Dragons, I've nearly died twice, I've found out magic is real and that I can use it, and my sleeping schedule is out the window due to it being day there when it's night here."
"But you're still sane, right?" he said in a look-at-the-bright-side voice.
"Yeah, there is that at least. So, are you recording this conversation?"
"You know it." That was another thing that he did. He recorded every conversation that he'd ever had since five years ago just in case he needed one for legal reasons.
"You're going to put this on Headbook, aren't you?"
"You know it! It's my way of sticking it to The Man! Free distribution of media!"
"Even though you could probably sell it to a news station for a few hundred dollars?" He was silent for a moment.
"Well, maybe I'll give The Man a break tomorrow." I laughed and then he did too. "But on a serious note, if it really does look like you don't stand a chance, don't go back, man. It's not your world, and it's not your fight."
"Travis, I haven't told anybody else this because I didn't think they'd believe it. I doubt you will either, but we've been friends for a long time, so I hope you'll take my word for truth." I told him what Celestia had told me concerning Earth being an Echo Dimension and also explained the repercussions of the Dragons wiping their way of life out.
"That's why I have to go back no matter the risk. I'm not fighting just for another world, I'm also fighting for ours. And to everybody listening to our conversation out there, you should be, too. We don't need money, we need actual grab-a-gun help."
"Nice sales pitch." He said dryly. "Now we just need a sad-looking puppy staring at the listeners while that's going."
"You can do that if you like, it might even help."
I was suddenly tapped on the shoulder by Trixie. She asked if she could say something on it. I asked Travis how he felt about talking to the blue girl from the news clip. He was ecstatic and said that would get him the most views for the week. I rolled my eyes again and handed it to her. I explained which end picked up sound and showed her how to hold it and then gave it to her. She then asked several questions such as where he was, what was the weather like over there, what was his favorite color, etc. She mostly seemed excited about Using the Human's version of magic. I grinned at it, remembering my own incredulity when I'd been first told about cell phones and how they worked. In my own mind it had seemed like magic at the time.
After a dozen questions or so she handed it back to me and said Travis wanted to speak to me again.
"It's like communicating mind-to-mind, but you're speaking instead of thinking! Are you sure that you Humans don't use magic, but just in a different way?" The way she worded it made me think. Perhaps what we did was a form of magic! We studied nature, we copied it, and then manipulated it in a way that got results that we wanted. True, we used our minds and bodies to utilize it rather than minds and will, but it still accomplished much of the same thing. With smoke and mirrors we could create visual illusions to fool the eye. With metal tubes, pressure, a spark and a flammable liquid we could create a stream of fire. With cranes we could lift an object that weighed tons. Using flying machines we could lift ourselves off the ground and soar higher than birds. What would happen if we took modern technology and traveled back a few hundred years? They would call it sorcery. After all, how else could a mere Human do these wonders otherwise?
The thought made me grin.
"You could be right, Trixie, and we're just too blinded by legends to see what's right in front of our faces." I turned my phone over in my hands. "Magic is right here, and we use it every day of our lives without realizing it! We are the Sorcerers of Science!"
"What was that?" Travis asked in a nearly muted voice. I raised the phone to my ear again.
"Just a realization about our society. So what do you think of Trixie?"
"She reminds my of my youngest niece. Questions, questions, and more questions! Still, I guess every world has its children."
"Trixie is actually a teen in her true form. She messed up a spell and went from being a Unicorn to being an almost-Human. Because ponies differ from us in terms of physical maturing and she's eight years old in her true form she turned into a kid."
"How does she feel about that?"
"She hated it at first and kept trying to find a way to change back, but she's gotten used to it and likes the idea of living longer than forty years or so."
"They live only forty years? Why?"
"Why not? That's how long ponies live in our world."
"It is?" Finally, something he didn't know that I did!
"Yeah."
"That's kind of sad, man! You said you have made friends with some of the locals, right? You're probably going to outlive most of them!" That was very true, and it was depressing. But did the sorrow of losing them later? Only time would tell for sure, but for the moment I was glad to call them my friends, short life or no.
"Well if we die fighting then I guess that won't be an issue, will it?"
"I mean it man, don't go into that if you can't win!" He sounded worried now. "You know that my uncle died when he signed up for the war. I don't want to lose my best friends to it too!"
"I'll call you again before I leave, Trav." I didn't want to have a guilt-trip conversation with Travis. Almost every time I did he won out, and this wasn't something I could just walk away from. "Bye." I ended the call and turned my phone off. I felt a bit like a jerk for just ending it there, but I knew he'd call me back if I didn't turn it off.
"Conversation didn't end well?" Trixie asked. I shook my head. I had hoped to just talk normal and maybe bring up my morale a bit, but instead it had gone almost the opposite way. It was good that the business was doing okay, and it was good to hear Travis' voice again, but he was right about Twilight and the others. Even if we did win as long as I lived a normal healthy life they'd die a long time before I would. I had put that from my mind before, but now it was on the surface again and the thought of watching them grow old and die so much faster than myself made my heart ache. Is this how Luna and Celestia feel watching the subjects that they befriend age and die? How can they stand it?
Yeah...lost track of how long this was going. Sorry that this chapter's kind of bland but I work better in a world where anything can happen as opposed to our limited Mundania (Xanth series reference). I promise I'll get everybody back to Equestria by the end of the next chapter...unless someone wants to stay, that is.
Funny spoilers alert!
Trixie plays video games in the next chapter!
Chapter 15
I was up most of the rest of the night trying to teach Trixie how to play chess. Eventually she got frustrated and said she was hungry, so we followed several signs to the eating area and found it empty, and all the doors to the kitchen (if there was more than one neither of us knew) were locked. Not like that would stop us. Me and Trixie traded a smile and she passed me the horn without either of us saying a word. A few seconds of focus on the lock and I knew the correct teeth to push up and down, and then with a thought I turned the lock and the door handle unlocked. I handed the horn back to her and she slid it into her left sleeve into what I assumed was a hidden pocket. We then entered the kitchen and were met wit the scents of the previous day's meals. First we tried the refrigerators. There were several different raw ingredients in them, but nothing that was a completed item such as a sandwich. I was disappointed because I really did not feel like cooking right now. Fortunately there was a bag of pepperoni on one shelf and some cheese on another, so I grabbed them and set them outside the kitchen on one of the dining tables and then went back into the kitchen to look for some crackers or something similar. Nothing in any of the cabinets, so I went to the pantry. It was a very big pantry and I must have spent a good twenty minutes looking through them before finding an industrial-size box of them that according to the label on the front of it weighed ten pounds. I removed one bag from it and carried it out into the eating room as well to find Trixie happily devouring both the pepperoni and the cheese.
"This stuff is delicious!" She declared, holding up a slice of pepperoni. "What is it?" She asked before tossing it into her mouth and chewing it up. To be honest I wasn't sure. I had eaten several types of pepperoni before, some of them had meat in them, and some did not. I walked over to the table and turned the bag over to see the ingredients list.
"Let's see here..several different spices, salt as a preservative, red wine, pork, and beef."
"What are those last two?" She asked, eating another slice and then added a cracker and some cheese. I hesitated.
"I don't think you want to know." Trixie stopped chewing.and gave me a suspicious look.
"Are they something gross?"
"I don't think so, but it depends on your perspective."
"Just tell me what they are already!" She said loudly, annoyed. I sighed.
"Alright, you asked for it. Pork is what we call meat taken from a pig. Beef is meat from a cow or bull." Trixie dropped the second cracker she'd picked up. It fell to the floor and bounced but didn't break. Trixie looked at her stomach, then looked at me, and then looked at the bag of pepperoni in my hands.
"Meat?" I nodded. "I just ate the flesh of animals?" I nodded again. "Did you know that those were part of what was in it?" I shook my head.
"I knew that it was a possibility, but I did not know for certain." Trixie was quiet for a moment, but then shrugged and asked for more. While I passed the bag to her I raised an eyebrow and asked why she was okay with eating meat when she used to eat only plants.
"I said it tasted good, didn't I? I may have the body of a child, but I don't have the mind of one. I can't cook worth very much, so as long as my stomach doesn't complain I have no problem eating this." She tossed another in her mouth and got another cracker. From there we ate in silence until we each had our fill, and then I put the leftovers away and relocked the door. We hadn't needed to turn on any lights because they'd been left on, so I turned them off for whomever had been here last.
__ __ __ __ __
The suggestion from Trixie and Jacob to use fireworks for weaponry was met with mixed reactions. The guards that had fought the Dragons during the attack on the palace approved it mere moments after hearing it, appreciating any plausible tactic that could involve them avoiding the need of getting close to an enemy that could bite them in half and began planning ways to employ them both on the ground and in the air. In this they divided their efforts: the earth ponies focused on refining the explosive power and range of the rockets while the Pegasi placed flying targets in the air that hung on balloons and set their minds to figuring out how to launch them from their armor without burning themselves and shortening the time it took to launch so they could divert their course from whatever they were flying towards. At one point a mis-fire nearly hit another flying Pegasus and an argument broke out until Dominic flew up and knocked both their heads together. Celestia had sent him to oversee the efforts in that area, and so far he was disappointing. Most of the newer guards seemed to be less concerned about accuracy of aim and more concerned about how big a blast it made. It wasn't until one of them came up with the idea of putting broken bits of metal into the explosive mix that the random blasts starting having more of an effect than popping the balloons of the targets. One lucky shot shredded the entire target and damaged another (they had been using makeshift scarecrows for targets).
Unfortunately there were others that objected fiercely to the idea, mainly those that produced the fireworks. Every other round of tests they received yet another commission for some hair-brained idea that always seemed to take too much time for the guards to be satisfied with the resulting product. The only thing that seemed to please them were the Shredder-Bombs that involved the addition of bits of metal into the powder that created the explosion. To cut back on weight they had been forced to remove the chemical that created the multicolor sparks as well as some of the housing. This was irritating enough, but now they wanted them to find a way to trigger ignition without fuses for the Pegasi.
Finally, one of them had lost patience and threw the paper wrapping into the air above her head. The papers floated about, drifting like large leaves to the ground. She waited for the next guard to come, and then stomped forward and met him halfway.
"No!" she yelled at him. He froze, his stern face becoming one of surprise. "Make your own blasted weaponry! I'm done!" She shoved him back and trotted away from the other three fireworks makers still working away at the large table that had been set up for them a quarter mile away from the testing site. The other three looked up when they heard their compatriot yell and their heads turned to watch her leave. They then looked at the still-stunned guard.
"I...I was just coming to congratulate you on a job well done and pay you for what you've done so far." He lifted a bag of coins from a saddlebag. An instant later the angry fireworks maker zipped back with a big apologetic smile on her face and said that she'd be getting back to work immediately.
Up in the ruins of her palace Celestia was worried about multiple things, the main concerns of them being that there were still more refugees making their way into Canterlot and space was becoming short in supply, as well as food distribution becoming difficult. The nobles were constantly filing complaints about trespassers and a few fights had broken out at the supply distribution centers that had been set up as relief for those that had been forced to flee and leave everything behind. She knew that things could only get worse as time drew on and she could already feel a headache coming on. She rubbed her head with a hoof as yet another written complaint came in and was read off to her. She had been forced to endure the petty complaints of the 'nobles' before, and unless they met their demise in the upcoming fight she suspected that she would be forced to endure them again in the future. It was usually nothing more than a few petty complaints that any other pony from another village would be capable of settling if they stopped complaining long enough to use their heads. In ages long past the term noble garnered respect from everypony, but now being a noble was often treated as a station that you were born into rather than a position that you earned and those born into it often looked down on everypony not born into it. There had been several times in the past that she had considered dissolving that title specifically because it was dividing her people rather than having them set an example as they once had, but always it seemed that something more important would arise and it would be pushed to the back of her mind until a later date. Such is life. Celestia sighed inwardly. I need a vacation. But a vacation was not something that she was likely to get anytime soon.
Celestia was relieved when the next pony to ask for her attention was Applejack. Applejack walked along the carpet and stopped fifteen feet away and bowed. Celestia dipped her head, acknowledging her.
"Yer highness, I know that yer' busy something awful, but I would like to ask yer permission to go on a mission." Celestia's good mood was saddened. She knew what Applejack was going to ask for, and also knew that to say yes would be to sentence her to death. Still, she let Applejack speak her request. "I want tah go afta Twilight." Celestia allowed sadness to show on her face this time and she shook her head slowly.
"I cannot allow you to do that, Applejack. I want to go after her just as much as you do, but both of us are more needed here. Besides, if we really were able to get into the lair where she is being held I fear that Drahngov might kill her rather than let us get her back." Applejack looked at the floor. What Celestia said made sense. Originally she had intended to go whether the princess gave permission or not, but getting both herself and Twilight killed would accomplish nothing.
Seeing Applejack's depression Celestia attempted to make her feel better by assigning her to help distribute supplies in the city so at least she would be doing something rather than simply being present for others to see, but it was plain to see that it had not really helped. Still, Applejack bowed courteously before leaving and did not complain. When the doors shut again Celestia left the diaz she had stood upon and went to one of the windows to look into the distance. Celestia wished that there was something that she could do. Anything at all help the situation they were all in now. Perhaps with enough time they could come up with a plan to, if nothing else, rescue Twilight Sparkle, but with only six days and nights remaining and with problems mounting atop one another already there did not seem to be much hope of that unless there was a way to slow time, but even she did not dare to mess with the flow of time. Although... An idea began to form in her mind and she smiled.
Though Celestia could not alter time itself, she could lengthen how long a day and night lasted by simply increasing the amount of time that it would take for the sun and moon to arch across the sky. If she did so carefully she could add another day an a half's worth of time to the deadline! Celestia chuckled at her cleverness and closed her eyes to concentrate on altering the path of the moon and sun to accomplish exactly that. Hopefully her ploy would succeed and she could come up with a plan to rescue Twilight and during that time also give her sister more time to find help.
__ __ __ __ __
It was now close to midday and Mr. and Mrs. Lighthand had gotten their son's phone call and had seen on the news (several times as it was all they were showing) the events that had transpired the previous evening. It hadn't taken long after they had filed for transfers to the country they were in for their potential employers give their information to the nearest news group and once again they were being plagued by reporters and journalists. This time time they were ready for such an event and told them to decide on two questions each to ask. They would answer those two questions of the individual companies, and no more. This kept the media out of their hair for more than an hour before another rap came to their door. By the time this had happened, however, both Roger and Agatha had snuck out the bathroom window and were making their way the rental car that they'd parked on the other side of the hotel they'd been staying in.
They packed their clothes, some sandwiches, and an ice pack to keep them cool for awhile.
"So what now, Roger?" Agatha asked as he started the car and pulled out of the parking lot.
"We're going to meet him halfway in this. We're going to the gateway directly to wait for him. Luna said they'd only being staying two days, which means we'll be waiting out there for one day at the most. He's not leaving us behind this time." An idea suddenly occurred to Agatha and she told him to stop the car. He pulled into a shoulder lane and gave her a questioning look.
"He said he needs help, but just us two aren't going to be enough, and those that do want to help don't know where to go. We do, honey. Let's go back to the hotel and answer the media's questions. We can tell them, and everyone else where to go to wait."
"Are you sure?" She nodded and he turned them around and headed back.
As he had expected, the media mostly asked either useless questions, or questions that they did not have the answers to, but eventually it came around to their encounter with Thanatos and their own involvement in the fight. They explained what they had seen and gave directions to the stones in the field and even went so far as to offer to lead them to it. This was met with eagerness and they once more got into their assorted vehicles and followed them out to the Stone Arch Gateway. At first they were disbelieving, but a cell phone call from a certain someone set the record straight and an hour later the media people were setting up tents to wait right along with the Lighthand family.
Over the next twenty four hours others of all ages began arriving too. Some were common people looking to see a show, others came carrying various weapons ranging from handguns to hunting rifles with scopes and even military grade stuff. There was even what appeared to be a D&D club dressed up like wannabe knights complete with crossbows and swords. This group received mostly laughs and rolled eyes, but that didn't discourage them. Clothing types ranged from casual to camouflage (and of course medieval in the case of the D&D club), though few of them looked as if they were ready for a long walk.
At one point a few trucks pulling BBQ grills on wheels arrived and began selling food to those that had come to wait (they made a killing, too).
The older men who brought higher-tech weapons (they probably were retired ex-military looking for one last hurray) brought their own food and waited patiently on small folded stools they;d carried on their backs along with the rest of their gear and either played a game on a cell phone or read a book. Overall, they were the least impatient, and the most polite. The rude ones were the tourists that had also come from the USA and were just looking for a great photo to take home and show off to their neighbors. Granted, not all of them were like that, but the vast majority were, and kept harassing Roger and Agatha trying to get a more precise time as to when their song and the 'talking horses' would be coming back. Eventually Roger handed a fifty dollar bill to one of the military men and asked him to keep them away. The old man, who said his name was William, ground a nearly-spent cigarette under his boot and unshouldered his weapon and stood between the two. A sharp look from him and anyone that tried to get near froze mid-step and quickly turned away.
"Thanks." Roger said. William grunted and lit another cigarette. Neither Roger nor Agatha smoked or particularly liked the fact that he was smoking near them, but given that Roger had already payed him fifty bucks neither of them complained.
Later that day after the sun began to set helicopter carriers began arriving and groups of soldiers numbering total about three hundred and fifty disembarked and the choppers flew away again. The elder soldiers greeted them and a number shook hands before the one that appeared to be in charge sought out the Lighthands. He looked them over and then extended a hand to Roger first, and Agatha second.
"Good afternoon, sir, ma'am. We're the volunteers from the army of this nation that have come to help. The princess and queen couldn't convince the Prime minister to commit the entire army, but he announced that anyone that wanted to volunteer could go. We're just the closest ones, though. More should be arriving later."
"That's- good!" Roger said.
"In truth I'm not sure I believe any of this, but if it is true it should make for an interesting experience and a great Dragon barbecue once the dust settles."
"Oh, it's true, alright. You'll see." The soldier nodded and walked back to his men, most of which were forming their own groups amongst the still-growing crowd. They numbered close to eight hundred now, but of them were made up of unarmed civilians. If all the military-types were counted as one number they were numbered close to four hundred, and if the rest of the armed people were included then there were four hundred and sixty. All of them had packed extra ammo in bags or backpacks, but only the actual soldiers and retired veterans looked ready for war.
As more choppers came into sight in the distance, these ones armed, Roger felt a smile creeping over his face. Legends painted Dragons as being big, fierce, fast, and strong. But let's see how well they hold up to rockets that can blow up a tank!
^ ^ ^ ^ ^
I was lounging on a couch waiting for Luna to say that it was time to go. For some reason this day felt longer than normal and I was bored out of my mind from waiting. For a time I wandered the palace with Trixie until we came across a room full of arcade games that had been rigged to play for free, and Trixie took to them like a dog takes to a dropped bowl of pretzels and I left her to it after she began screaming at a blue ghost for killing her character again. I smiled as she started over once again and for a bit I tried my hand at a game I had once seen a movie version of, but it turned out that I was not better at it than Trixie was at her game and eventually left it when I felt my own frustration growing. When I told her that I was going to check out some more of the palace she grunted and otherwise ignored me.
After wandering around through several rooms I found myself back in a bedroom section and went into one. This room was also empty and looked to be one of the more modern ones. I took my shoes off, and left them by the door before walking over to the bed and lying myself down on it. I had only intended to sleep for a few hours so that I'd be able to stay awake in the event that something important happened, but I slipped into a deep resting state and stayed that way until it had become nearly dark outside again. What had awoken me was the cooler temperature in the room from the lack of sunlight coming in through the window on the ceiling. I shivered and sat up. A yawn made its way up my throat and I covered my mouth out of habit even though there was no one nearby to see. It was also very dark now and I had to make my way across the room by feel. Twice I reached a wall or a piece of furniture instead of the door and eventually decided to trace the next wall that I found like finding your way through a maze like my mother once taught me in elementary school. Ironically, the next wall I came into contact with turned out to be the door that I was looking for. I opened it a crack and with the artificial light that spilled in I retrieved my shoes and put them on again. The hall outside was dead-quiet other than the sound of the ventilation. It's kinda creepy! If I had been in Equestria still I'd be worried about ghosts or something, but this was Earth, and for the most part I didn't believe in ghosts anyway. Some small inner child part of me did, but my logical mind argued against it.
After becoming thoroughly lost and finding no helpful signs anywhere I decided to trust to luck and began choosing doors and halls turns at random. Sure enough, Lady Luck winked at me and I found myself in the room where I had met the queen. No one was there, but the large television was on so I figured that someone would be back eventually. I sat myself down on the couch and marveled at how comfy it was. If I had not just been asleep I could have slept on this couch. It's good to know that some rich folk are practical, at least. I'll never understand why someone would purposely buy something uncomfortable!
I stared blankly at the television, not really paying attention to what was on as it right up until I heard a name that no one outside of my immediate family and those that had come here with me from Equestria should have known: 'Stone Arch Gateway'. I focused on the TV and found out that while I had been asleep big things were taking place and already there was a small army camped out by the pile of stones waiting for something to happen. I saw soldiers, ordinary people, a few morons dressed up like they were at a Renaissance fair that were talking like they lived in the dark ages, a bunch of media people, and more common folk than any of the others combined. There were also people selling food and portapoties being delivered. You have got to be kidding me! What is this, a carnival?
I watched the spectacle for a minute or so longer and then Thorn stepped in.
"Ah! There you are!" He said loudly. I looked up. "We've been looking for you! You and Trixie both, actually. Do you have any idea where she might be?" I nodded and told him to follow me. I led him to the arcade collection and sure enough, Trixie was still playing video games. She was playing something different now, though. This game had a single white spaceship that was shooting at a bunch of bugs that flew across the screen to form a formation at the top, and then would fly down and try to shoot her or crash into her ship. Trixie whooped in triumph as she dodged a big green beetle and then blew it up.
"I am a GODDESS! Cower before the Great and Powerful Trixie, foolish insects!" She laughed like a super-villain and entered a bonus round. I hated to end her fun, (especially since it was entertaining to watch) but we apparently were needed and I tapped her on the shoulder. The sudden break in her concentration got her ship blown up and she punched me in the chest for it.
"I was this close " she made a small gap with her index finger and thumb. "to breaking the high score! You are going to pay for that!" She poked my chest with the same hand.
"Trixie, I promise you, if we survive this I'll buy you your own video game system and any three games you find interesting, but this is more important." I looked at Thorn. "It is more important, isn't it?" Thorn nodded.
"While the Prime minister has refused to order soldiers into battle, he has allowed that any who wish to volunteer may go. Other nations are doing the same, but several politicians wish to speak with you, including someone calling himself a vice-president from your country." I grimaced. I had hoped that Luna would be the center of attention here, not me, but it seemed that there was always someone looking to further their position by using a familiar face in the eyes of the public to further their own reputation.
"Has this vice-president said that he will refuse to send aid if I decline to see him?" Thorn shook his head.
"But why would you-"
"I am not here to further the image of one man or one woman. I am here to tip a one-sided fight to the other side. Tell him that I am busy."
"He will not be happy." Thorn warned.
"He'll get over it. It's not like he's going to cross over with my nation's soldiers and help us fight, am I correct?" Thorn shrugged. "Is there anything else that we're needed for?" Thorn nodded and explained that we'd be leaving soon, but one of our group would need to stay behind and continue to open the gateway for newcomers."
"Reginald?" Thorn nodded again. "I'm sure he's having a field day."
"A what?"
"He's enjoying himself."
"Oh. Yes, he is excited."
"Well then, let's not put this off any longer."
When we had gathered our things up again Luna met us at the door outside. As did hundreds of onlookers. Some of them pointed, some of them took pictures, all of them made noise. I swept my gaze over them once, and then put them from my mind and focused on Luna.
"Do you think those that have come and are still coming will be enough?"
"I hope so. Your people are also sending several types of equipment to the gateway to go through it, but I fear that most of it will be far too large."
"Is there any way for us to enlarge the passage?" I knew that most of our more dangerous weaponry was far bigger than Luna was. If we couldn't get it through in one piece it could take days to disassemble, transport, and reassemble on the other side. Luna shook her head.
"Not with whom we have with us. We'd need several skilled magic-users on both sides working together to enlarge it."
"Then may I suggest that the first order of business that we get to when we return to Canterlot is to get several Unicorns busy on doing just that? Our guns are dangerous in their own right, but if we want to win with as few casualties as possible then we're going to need the bigger stuff as well."
"I shalt see if it can beist arranged, but if not then we shalt have to make due." I nodded and followed her onto the helicopter that was once more our transportation. Reginald, Rainbow Dash, Thorn, and Trixie had all already seated themselves to the best of their ability and we did the same. As I buckled my seat belt I was surprised to also see the Queen in there with us and disgusted to see the vice-president as well.
"Hey there, sonny!" He said in a fake-pleased voice. He extended a hand. I looked at him, but did not take it. I kept my face blank, and my tone neutral, but I suspect I came off as rude nonetheless.
"I'm not here for you, I'm not here for my country. In all honesty, if I had my own way, Mr. vice-president, I would not have come back to Earth at all if our need wasn't as great as it is. Oh, and I didn't vote for you either because I didn't like what you said you'd try to stand for or the fact that you cheated on your wife and then tried to brush it off as no big deal. Don't look for any positive comments on your job from me." He smile vanished and he pulled back his hand. Now he looked as if he was trying to suppress a glare.
The queen raised an eyebrow, and looked at me, but didn't say anything. Luna looked aghast at me. Clearly my speaking in such a way to one of my country's leaders astounded her. It was likely that if I spoke in such a way to her or her sister I would likely be punished. But I never would. Unlike the vice-president, I respected Luna, and if it came to it I believed that I'd fight for her and her sister the same way one of their guards would: to the death. The others stared at me and the VP as well, but the only one to speak was Luna.
"How canst thee speak to one of your leaders like that?! Dost thee not fear repercussion?"
"The laws of our country give us Freedom of Speech to it's absolute maximum. I could call him the worst of insults and by law, he cannot do anything about it except complain. If he had me killed he'd go to prison if he were caught, and the same if he tried to have me beaten. If he tried to have me jailed for it then he could lose his job for infringing on my rights as an American citizen." Luna looked at the politician and he reluctantly nodded.
For a time we rode in silence, the VP staring hard at me and me ignoring him. As we arrived and began to set down Luna asked me what I meant when I said that he had cheated on his wife and I explained. Now she was once more surprised, and this time angry.
"Expect no kind word from me either." She said to him, and when the chopper touched down and the door opened she was the first to exit. Thorn and Reginald followed while I unbuckled myself and offered a hand up to the queen. She accepted and I allowed her to leave the chopper first before exiting myself. Trixie had left with Thorn and eventually at slightly different times we arrived before the collapsed stone gateway. Luna looked around at those that had come and amplified her voice with magic so that all could hear. For all those that had come to help she thanked them, and to those that had come merely to watch she said that she wished one day they might come to Equestria in a time of peace and see its beauty for themselves. The crowd cheered and the soldiers stood and prepared to move out.
Luna approached the gateway and studied the pile for a few moments. She then turned her head and beckoned me forward.
"Where is the stone with your family symbol on it?" I looked through the pile briefly and then with a brief struggle picked it up and slowly carried it to her. Luna looked at the stone and then smiled. "Hold it until I tell thee to release your grip." I nodded, strain plain on my face. Luna's horn began to glow and its light reached out from her horn and touched the pile of stones, covering over them like maple syrup that defied gravity. Once the entire pile was covered she lifted them and began to reshape it into its original form. Then also the stone I held began to glow and she told me to let go. I did so and it floated over to a gap in the top of the arch and slid into place. In the places where the stones were missing a corner, a chip, or were worn so that the places where the edges no longer met due to water-wear pebbles and sand lifted from the ground and slid into them, forming a perfect copy of the frame on the other side in Everfree forest. I felt a smile fill my face at the multiple gasps from the crowd. Her task complete Luna allowed the magic of her horn to fade and stepped to the keyhole and inserted her horn into it. She twisted her head and withdrew, the edges of the door parting and opening to Equestria once more. She looked at me and the others of her group and we all came to stand next to her, turning our backs to the open gateway.
"Brave men and women of Earth, welcome to Equestria."
As Luna had suspected, the heavier equipment would have to be left behind for now, so instead we focused on getting all the volunteers through the gateway with what equipment could be brought. Within ten minutes a combination of soldiers and armed civilians were clearing a path through the forest with a combination of machetes and large knives. The racket we made must have been immense because other than us not a sound could be heard other than the occasional bird flying overhead. Obviously they could not take down trees, but all of the vines, brush, and thorns were hacked down and cleared in short order. It was not a perfect path due to all the trees in the way, but it made journeying from the gateway to the outer limits of the forest much easier. Within the hour a small base was being erected outside the forest and more and more people were still coming and going carrying one object or another ranging from ammunition to RPGs and their launchers, to food rations. One person brought a stereo and a small collection of CDs which gained many odd looks or laughs from the soldiers, and another brought a large suitcase that was labeled in bold letters: 'Candy'. There were a few other oddities including a dirt bike and extra gas for it, but for the most part everything was ammo, guns, and other miscellaneous military or hunting equipment.
"Luna, they're going to be busy moving personnel and equipment into your world for awhile. We should return to Canterlot in the meantime and inform your sister that we have indeed brought reinforcements. I'm sure she would appreciate the good news." I suggested as a few people walked by carrying what looked like parts to a jeep that had been taken apart.
"Indeed. I shall send you and Trixie ahead of me with a letter while I remain here to oversee things." I bowed and waited patiently while Luna did that and looked around. Trixie was sitting on the grass by the gate watching Human after Human step through, confidence radiating from the uniformed ones. Whatever life they had before, to watch them stride forward with a weapon in their hands was like looking Death in the face: Trixie hoped never to have any of them for enemies.
"Trix, you ready to return to Canterlot? Luna's sending us on a delivery trip."
"I don't really feel like going anywhere right now, to be honest." She said, stretching out and leaning back with her arms behind her propping her up on her elbows. I looked about the clearing and noticed a lack of a certain blue Pegasus. Thorn and Reginald had stayed on Earth to make sure that the gateway stayed open and to answer questions that anyone had for them, but I didn't remember seeing her after she'd gotten off the helicopter.
"Any idea what happened to Rainbow Dash? I didn't see her come through."
"That's because she didn't. She's showing off in your world, flying and doing tricks for their adoration."
"That sounds like Rainbow Dash." I said, recalling the incredible show that she'd put on for me and Scootaloo. "I know that they'll love the Sonic Rainboom." As if in response to my statement loud cheering suddenly came in through the passage and a the ground shook. Soldiers on our end stopped in mid-step and hefted their weapons, scanning the forest treeline for any sign of danger. "Relax, people." I said. "It's only a Sonic Rainboom. Though I must say that you've definitely missed out on a heck of a show."
"A what?" One of them asked.
"Just wait for the blue Pegasus to come through and then ask her. I'm sure she'll be more than happy to demonstrate it for you. Trust me, you'd have to see it to believe it." It was then that Luna called and said that the letter was done. I told Trixie that I'd be fine delivering it alone and she laid back against the ground completely. I went to Luna and said that Trixie was feeling tired and wanted to rest and that I'd be more than happy to handle it myself. Luna nodded and levitated the parchment into my open hand. As soon as I had it my surroundings flashed white and revealed several startled ponies that jumped back from me. I looked around and saw that I was in the throne room, but Celestia was not in it.
"Oh, um..." I said, looking at the recovering ponies. "I beg your pardon. Uh, where is princess Celestia?"
"She is currently outside giving a speech to the other refugees that have come to Canterlot seeking protection." An elderly brown stallion with black spots said. "I take it you are the Human magician?"
"Yeah, that's me." Murmurs came from the other ponies in the room. "Where specifically is she? I have a message from princess Luna." An earth pony foal that had been in the room trotted to my feet and hopped onto his hind legs, leaning against my left. I looked down at him.
"Then," he said, sounding hopeful. "your people are coming to help us?!" The sparkle in his eyes showed me that i wasn't the only one that had thought this fight was nearly hopeless. I smiled and replied that indeed they were, and there were a lot more of them than I had originally believed would be willing. The foal hopped back form me cheering and began racing from one pony to another telling them what they had already just heard in an excited voice, and then he turned and ran down the carpet towards the door, which was already open. Two others followed him, also cheering.
"Truly?!" The brown elder asked, his voice also hopeful. "You're not just saying that for his benefit?" I nodded and he clopped his front hooves together. "Wonderful! When will they arrive?"
"That, I don't know, I'm afraid. We had a lot of things to carry in, and we're on foot. I suspect that this is also part of what is in the message."
"Well then don't let an old timer like myself keep you from your duty!" he shooed my with a hoof much like an old woman I knew as a child. "She's standing on the other side of the bridge at the top of the stairs that lead down into Canterlot. Go on, lad! Make haste!"
I saluted to him and spun on a heel and ran down the carpeting as well, headed for the doors. Servants and nobles raised a cheer as I ran by with the letter. Apparently good news spread faster in grim times than a cold in an enclosed room.
I rushed by the search station and tore past the guards and then grabbed the side of a guard rail to help me turn and skipped the steps and ran across the bridge, slowing as I reached the other side. Celestia was still speaking to her people, so I stopped to catch my breath and once breathing normally again I approached her guards and said to them in a low voice that I had news from Luna. Good news. Celestia apparently still heard me because she stopped speaking for a moment and then informed her people that Luna had returned and had sent a letter ahead of her. I held out the letter on my hand, palm open and Celestia levitated it away from me and unrolled it before her.
My dear sister, I come bearing tidings of both good and unfortunate news. First, the good news: several Human leaders hath agreed to help us and several hundred off their best soldiers fully equipped from each nation that have agreed to help are now on their way.
A roaring cheer from the Canterlot citizens below muted what Celestia had been reading off and she had to stop and wait for them to quiet down before she could continue.
There are also civilians that own weapons that hath also chosen to come, which should increase our chances of victory even more though their weapons be not of the same quality. Most of the Humans have also brought their own food and medical items, so our own supplies shalt be less affected from their coming.
This brought another cheer, and this time when it quieted Celestia requested that they remain silent until she was finished reading.
Now for the unfortunate news: though nearly all the Humans have brought weapons that can be easily transported, they also brought modes of transportation for their larger weaponry and the soldiers themselves that cannot fit through the passage between our worlds. Because of this the queen of the nation that the gateway rests in hath cautioned me that their effectiveness overall will be lessened. Whilst some of the Humans are dismantling some of their smaller transportation machines and are rebuilding them on our side of the passage, this is very time consuming and, as I am sure you are aware, time is not a luxury that we possess much of. Therefore I request every available Unicorn skilled in magic to be teleported to the gateway so that we may enlarge the passageway for their larger machines to pass through.
-Your loving sister, princess Luna
Celestia re-rolled the letter and handed it to a guard.
"My ponies, though few of you recall the old myths in this day and age, our ancient allies have come to stand with us once more, but in order to help us to the best of their abilities they need our help first. I know these recent weeks have been difficult for you, but I ask that all Unicorns whom are willing and able to join me at the gates of the bridge to my palace. From there we shall go into Everfree forest and use our powers to speed the coming of the Humans." From there Celestia ceased her speech and the faint glow around her horn faded completely. She turned around and greeted me with a smile. "Good news is always welcome news, and this is the best news I've heard all month ! I had not expected your return for another day. For your people to have responded so quickly that you could return in less time than that is very reassuring."
"We'll do our best, princess Celestia. I just feel I should apologize for the mess there will be when all's said and done. Both physical and emotional." I imagined that seeing dead Dragons, Humans, and ponies lying in the streets and even more Dragon corpses lying about the surrounding countryside would not be pleasant. Nor would be the disposing of the corpses before they had a chance to rot! Yuck!
"As will I be." Celestia said, looking a bit less happy now. "But sometimes we are left with nothing but a choice that our conscience will not let us make, and I will not offer my citizens as meals for that greedy-" she stopped, looking angry.
"Monster?" I offered. She nodded. "Well, our world's military should be able to prevent that, your highness. But until then I have a request of you." Celestia raised an eyebrow.
"A request? What would you ask of me?"
"I would have your permission to go after Twilight Sparkle. I met Luna's condition for being healed, I can stand on my own now, and even without my wand I can still use some of my people's weaponry to defend myself." Celestia laughed and I looked at her, confused.
"Applejack asked that of me the same day that you left. I told her no at that time because I thought that her presence would be comforting as she was one of the living embodiments of the Elements of Harmony and because I knew that it would be a suicide mission. Now here you are, also asking me for permission to go and try to rescue my student." Celestia smiled again, and I felt myself also wanting to smile. "Go and find Applejack, and then return to me. I will send you to Luna with a reply letter. While you are there retrieve Rainbow Dash and some of your people's weapons. When you return here again I shall teleport you one day's walk from here towards Dragon lands." Celestia stepped closer to me as my face became a smile and she whispered a warning that once we were in Dragon territory that we'd be on our own and would likely be killed by Dragon-kin if we did not find Twilight and have her teleport us back. I thanked her for the warning and then bowed and left to find Applejack.
Applejack had been delighted that Celestia had given us permission to pursue Twilight and had also been pleased to hear that my race had joined the fight.
"See! Ah told yeh that we'd be winning this war easy!" She said triumphantly, nudging me in the side with a hoof.
"That you did, Applejack, and I'm sorry for ever doubting your words of wisdom." I said in an upbeat tone while I sifted through the growing stock of weaponry that the military people had carried through the woods. Applejack had taken two bandoliers with seven grenades on them each and had asked for help tightening them around her body. One of the soldiers, with a smile on her face assisted.
"I always wanted a little pony to dress up when I was a little girl!" One of her fellow soldiers laughed and asked if she had a belt of grenades in mind for part of the outfit too and he received a frown as an answer. He laughed and returned to organizing the gear.
"Excuse me," I asked him. He looked away from the clip board he was carrying.
"You wouldn't happen to have anything armor-piercing that is silenced, would you?"
"Seriously?" He asked. I nodded. "I doubt it, but let me check..." He skimmed through a few pages of what they had in stock and he shook his head. "Nope. We've got guns with armor-piercing rounds and guns that are silenced, but not one of both. Why?"
"Because I'm planning a rescue mission and if the need calls for it I want to be able to take a Dragon out quietly."
"Then maybe you should consider cancelling the mission." He suggested. "Most of what we've got here makes a lot of noise because we never planned on needing to be quiet for something like this. If you want a silenced pistol I can give you one of those, but pistol ammo was made for ripping through flesh, not armor. As for breaking through armor try one of these." He leaned over and picked up a gun with a very long barrel. I recognized it from one of the video games I used to play: a sniper-rifle. "It has a slow rate of fire and reloading it takes a bit, but it should punch through anything except a heavily-armored tank." I asked how much ammo I could take with me and he said he'd give me one extra magazine of each. "Any more than that and we'd probably be wasting it. If you're going into Dragon lands then you're more likely to need this army to fight your way out than a sniper-rifle and a handgun." I thanked him and stuffed the pistol and the extra ammunition into my backpack and hung the rifle by its strap over my left shoulder, then went to find Trixie and Rainbow Dash.
Trixie was where I had left her, only she was sleeping now. Rainbow Dash had also come through the passage but she looked tired. Probably from exerting herself for attention. I think my world and her are going to be getting along just fine. She likes to show off, and we like a good show! Applejack filled her in on the plan (what little there was so far) while I delivered Celestia's letter to Luna. While she read through the letter I went back to Trixie and searched her sleeve for the stolen horn. I got a few funny looks from passing soldiers carrying things, but I ignored them and with a smile pulled out the horn and also put it in my backpack.
"A deal's a deal." I said, standing back up again. I'd only use it if I absolutely had to due to me not being supposed to have one in my possession at the moment. "Thanks, Trix." I then turned and rejoined Applejack and Rainbow Dash who were already waiting by Luna. Luna wished us good luck and then sent us back to Celestia, who sent us on our way. Coincidentally, 'our way' dropped us right in front of Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie, who collided with us.
"Oof!" We all said at once. My landing was harder than everypony else given that I was taller, but at least Fluttershy, whom had crashed into me, was unharmed.
"Oh my!" She gasped. I'm so terribly sorry! Are you alright?" Her voice was louder than normal and yet somehow still remained soft like freshly-fallen snow.
"Just what in the world do you think you are doing randomly popping in out of nowhere like that?!" Rarity objected in an offended voice as Rainbow Dash, with rotating eyes, untangled their legs and stood up.
"Woah! Sorry, sugar cube! Wasn't tryin' to just appear in front of ya like that!" Applejack said to Pinkie Pie, who was lying on her back with her tongue sticking out of one corner. Pinkie had stars in her eyes and an odd single squiggly line that I had only seen in cartoons spinning above her head. Applejack had ended up on top of her from the collision and now set to climbing off her and getting her mental state rebooted. While she did that Rainbow Dash explained what we were up to. The other two (or three, if you count the unconscious Pinkie Pie) instantly said that they too wanted to join us when they heard what we were up to, and there was no persuading them to do otherwise.
"We may not have weapons like you and Jacob do, but we're far from helpless, my dear." Rarity said. Fluttershy mumbled something squeaky and incoherent and Rarity assured her that if it came to a fight that we'd protect her. I had to fight to keep from guffawing at this, having seen Fluttershy in action. Fortunately all that had made it through was a smile and Rarity took that to mean that I agreed with her.
We walked for two of our remaining days with Rarity lending me her power to use for the homing spell. At times Dragons flew overhead but ignored us completely. Perhaps they simply think we're not worth bothering with? Or perhaps they don't eat insane prey for fear of becoming insane themselves? Whatever the reason, even though we cringed each time one went by we were able to continue on unmolested right up until we came to Drahngov's father's lair. From there it became a matter of stealth and we waited for night to fall to formulate a strategy.
Night came slowly, and sine I had neglected to pack any food (like an idiot) I would have gone hungry if Applejack hadn't thought to prepare for just such a possibility. In her brilliance she had grabbed a few packs of military rations and put them in a saddlebag that she'd brought along from the palace before leaving the military camp that had been set up. It tasted like clay, but it was very filling and I once more thanked Applejack for having the brains that I lacked.
"Aw, think nothing of it! I saw yeh had a lot on yer mind, and figured yeh'd ferget something important such as food. We've done it before going to stop a Dragon problem of our own in the past."
"Such an unpleasant-smelling creature! I must admit that it had quite the hoard, though!" Rarity sighed dreamily. "I could have made so many outfits from it! Alas, it was content to keep them all to himself!" I chuckled at this. From her tone I had thought it was greed that had drawn her to it, but it seemed that it had rather been her need to create that had driven her.
I re-sealed the ration and tried to hand it back to Applejack, but she shook her head.
"I've got a few more, and those things are nasty besides! Keep it." I shrugged and stuffed it into my nearly-full backpack It's amazing how much I can stuff in this thing! Definitely worth the the thirty bucks it took to buy it!
"So what's the plan? I mean, what's the plan besides going in after dark?"
"To be honest dear, we were hoping that maybe you or Applejack had a plan. Normally on these little adventures it's Twilight that does the planning, and then we help fill in the details."
"Yeah, but normally her plans don't go the way she plans them!" Pinkie said, and giggled. "Usually they go incredibly wrong! Like that time with the Parasprites, and when we tried to get the Dragon to sleep somewhere else, and with that doll of hers, and-"
"Yes, Pinkie darling, we understand." Rarity said quickly to make her stop. "But hopefully this won't be the same way because Twilight isn't making the plan." She looked at the rest of us. "So...any ideas?" We had none. Or at least, none good. Rainbow Dash thought she could take Applejack's grenades and make some noise ot attract the Dragons and have them chase her out, but once we pointed out that there were probably a few dozen Dragons nearby and they'd be sure to take notice of us as well, so that was out. Pinkie wanted to throw the Dragons a party and spike the punch to put them all to sleep, but we burst her bubble by telling her the nearest town was three days away and none of us were carrying the things needed for such a plan. I doubt they'd be dumb enough to fall for something like that anyway, but even if they were it would probably take a lot of punch to get the job done.
"Yeh could tie some of us up and carry us with ya to the cave and tell them that you've decided to join the 'winning side' instead. Yeh could say that we were a gift to Drahngov as an apology fer yer initial defiance." Applejack suggested, looking at me.
"That could work," Rainbow Dash said uncertainly. "But what if they decide to eat us right there or to say no and roast us?"
"They won't kill me." I said, shaking my head. "I'm far too valuable for that. I've been inside the palace and the city, I've seen the defenses your people have, and I can do something they can't, which is use magic. Even if Drahngov throws me in a dungeon or a jail cell, or something of the like he'll want any information he can get from me first before he kills me. He might not care about losing more than a few Dragons in the assault, but if he makes it look like he doesn't care at all he'll lose the trust of his followers. He can't afford that if he wants to finish what he started."
"So are we going to try it, then? Just walk up to their door and knock, as it were?" Rarity asked. She looked uncomfortable with that plan, as did we all, but there were no objections. Rarity sighed. "Alright. So, who's going to be 'the offering'?" No one spoke up, understandably. After a few moments the one pony we never expected raised a shaking hoof. It was Fluttershy.
"I- I- I'll do it!" She squeaked out. Flutterhsy was trembling in fear, but unlike the others she had been the first to volunteer. My heart hurt. The idea putting Fluttershy through something like that made me feel like a jerk.
"Wha- what?!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, shocked. "You , Fluttershy?! Why?!"
"W- well, if it's- if it's the only way, then what else- what else can I do?" She lowered her hoof back to the ground.
It was then I realized that those who mistook timidness for cowardice were fools. I knelt down next to Flutterhsy and gave her a big hug. She still looked scared, but her trembling stopped.
"You once asked me if I wanted you to be my friend, Fluttershy. I think somepony or person would have to be an idiot not to say yes. Can I be your friend, Fluttershy?" Her look of fright lessened and she smiled and nodded. "I promise I'll do everything I can to keep you safe and get Twilight out in the same condition." She nodded and laid down on the ground. I opened my bag and dug out a shirt that I had never worn and tore it into strips. Rarity gasped in horror at what I'd done to perfectly good clothing, but it was necessary for what we were going to attempt. I tied Fluttershy's front legs together and her back legs to one another as well, and then tide all four together and made a muzzle for her mouth. "Sorry, Fluttershy, but I'm trying to be thorough." Lastly, with Applejack's help I tore a pair of jeans apart and bound Fluttershy's wings. "Try get loose." I said. Fluttershy struggled and the bindings around her legs loosened, but did not give. "I'm not sure if that's a good thing, or a bad thing." I said when she stopped. "If we need to make a run for it, I have nothing to cut you free with, but at the same time it's more believable now." I said, crouching to pick Fluttershy up. I slung her over one shoulder as if I were a hunter carrying a small deer. She mumbled something through the gag and I apologized if it was uncomfortable and started walking towards the cave-pockmarked hill. There was only one that had smoke coming out of it, so that had to be it. As we neared the mouth of the cave Fluttershy started trembling again. I patted her side and entered the cave.
__ __ __ __ __
The she-Dragon swooped around the destroyed pony town again sniffing for her brother's scent. At times she thought she caught a whiff of it and tried to follow it, but then the smell of smoke or ash would sweep over it again and she'd have to renew her search again. Eventually though, she found the source of it and landed in a burnt-out tree that looked like someone had tried to carve a house out of before it had been torched. In here his scent was all over the place and strongest in a small reed basket that was also slightly charred. So he lived here. That purple Unicorn's scent is here as well. This proves that it was she that was raising him. But where did he go?! She followed the scent trail outside of the tree and down a street, passed several burnt-out buildings, and eventually came to the remains of the town center where his scent became jumbled with dozens of other scents that all left the town in one direction that for the most part traveled straight towards a lonesome mountain. Narrowing her eyes the Dragoness jumped into the air and flew towards it with her wings, but when she reached it found no trace of their scents anywhere. A travel-trick! Clever ponies! She was not angered by this but rather intrigued. She had not been on a true hunt since she was little, and even though she was not hunting for food it was a delight nonetheless. She doubled-back and periodically landed to sniff the ground for any trace scents and eventually rediscovered the trail again. It looped and doubled back on itself several times, and then finally swung around the side of the destroyed town and headed in the opposite direction that they'd started traveling in the first place. This led to another mountain that was farther away and had a small forest of trees surrounding the base. A dormant volcano! No wonder that they would choose here to hide. The smell of sulfur clogs our noses! She sniffed hard, already feeling the effects of the sulfur.
Following the scent was harder now, but not impossible. She would need to go slower now so that she would not lose them, so she landed and followed the trail at a walk. Her method of hunting now required her to find open places in the trees so that she could get through. Though not full sized, an adolescent Dragons was still larger than a pony by far and the small places that they were able to squeeze through were an impossibility for her. The places where wagons had gone through were a tight squeeze, and she had already passed several abandoned wagons in the woods. They had been emptied of whatever had been in them, so it stood to reason that the refugees were close by.
Sure enough, they were. The Dragoness came to a cave that was at ground level, but also picked up a trace of scent coming from higher above her. She chose the higher approach and used both her legs and wings to hop up onto the two-story high ledge. A trio of small ponies whinnied and scampered away from her, but she caught one in her clawed fingers and lifted it up to her eye level. It kicked and squirmed and constantly told her to release it.
"I am not here to harm your kind, I have come searching for a baby Dragon matching my colors." The Dragoness explained. "Orange one, have you seen him?"
"Baby Dragon? Why do you want Spike? Are you planning to do something mean to him?! Oops!" The orange foal covered her mouth with her hooves.
"So then he is here!" She was delighted. Her search had taken longer than she had hoped, but it had been a success. "Spike!" She called into the upper cave that the other two ponies had retreated to. "I have come for you! Let us leave this place and return home!"
A small purple and green Dragon walked out of the cave cautiously and looked up and up at her.
"Do I know you?" He asked both nervously and curiously. "You look familiar, but..."
"I am your elder sister. I have come to take you away from danger and return you to our family."
"Away from danger? The only thing dangerous here is you! Put her down!" He demanded. The Dragoness set the orange pony down and she scampered away to stand behind Spike. Spike asked if she was alright and she replied that she was.
"Spike, please. I am only here to protect you. I don't know why our mother and father gave your egg to the pony race, but I am here to correct that decision."
"I'm happy living with the ponies!" Spike said loudly, angry. "Or at least I was until the rest of you decided to attack my home! I'm not going anywhere with you!" The Dragoness' eyes became sad. Had her brother's Draconic pride been destroyed by this race? Regardless, she had found him, and she was not leaving him here. She supposed that she could simply pluck him off the ground with her claws and bear him away regardless of his objections, but she knew that as soon as she set him down again he'd run off to try and return here.
"So be it, then. If you will not come with me, then I shall stay here with you." Spike blinked, surprised.
"Huh?"
"You don't know me because you were still an egg when you were given away, and I cannot change that or your mind if I simply take you away. Since you're being stubborn I must remain here. If you do not like that, tough luck." Spike walked closer to his now-sitting sibling. He poked her with a claw.
"Alright, but no eating the locals!"
"I already ate before I came here. This will not be a problem for several days."
Her presence did not sit well with the survivors from Ponyville, but because she had made no effort to harm them she was tolerated. However, due to the young Dragoness revealing that their location could still easily be discovered the mayor decided that they would be going to stay in Everfree forest instead and the ponies began to pack up and leave again.
A day's worth of traveling later they ran into the Human military camp where several jeeps had been reassembled and a better path was being cleared for larger vehicles to move from the now-enlarged gateway. At the sight of a Dragon traveling with them someone nearly started shooting, but at shout to hold fire from their commanding officer weapons were lowered.
Luna herself greeted the refugees and offered transportation to Canterlot provided that Spike's sibling be kept under close watch.
"My only reason for being here is that my stubborn sibling will not return home with me unless I force him, and that will gain me nothing but his wrath. You have nothing to fear from me."
"We shalt see." Luna said in reply, and insisted to the current woman in charge that her people be driven to the capital immediately. Several volunteers saw to this, and the ponies watched in awe as the two-legged beings packed their belongings into horseless carriages along with themselves and moved without anything to pull them.
The humans driving often found their questions amusing and did their best to explain how their machines worked, but ultimately decided just to say 'science' much like a parlor-tricks magician will say 'magic' instead of going through the specifics.
Seeing more of their people brought in Human machinery brought many onlookers to the city limits to watch them approach. The machines were noisy, but they were fast and did not seem to tire, which appealed to many merchants and furniture haulers whom had to haul all their belongings along with them to market or from one house to another each day.
But refugees and their belongings were not the only things they brought. The Humans also brought large heavy crates that they left sitting on the edge of town. Crates that, when asked about them, the Human watching them said contained the weapons that they'd be using.
Later in the day larger vehicles began rolling up to the city and Human soldiers began hopping out of the back of them carrying medical supplies and the food that they'd brought before driving away again. Some of it they set down next to their weapon supplies, others they gave to those that needed them. Some were dressed like doctors and began to treat some that had been injured, while others began to move the weapons crates to various locations around the city. Everywhere they went they drew at least a small crowd and eventually several ponies volunteered to assist with distribution. Their offer to help was accepted and things began moving faster than they had before.
Celestia looked down at the two races working together with a mix of joy and sorrow. It felt good to see their two races working together again, but had not wanted it to be for this kind of occasion. After the coming battle, nothing would ever be the same again, for better or worse. Hopefully it will be for the better.
Chapter 16
Jacob's parents were among the first non-military Human to speak to princess Luna, but they spoke to her in regards to the location of their son. Luna was finding his mother to be...a hoof-full.
"What do you MEAN he's no longer here?!" She practically shouted at Luna. Luna tried to explain that their son was very capable of taking care of himself, but made the mistake of mentioning that he'd nearly died several times since he first came to their world. "Now you listen here, miss princess! If he's so dang good at taking care of himself then why has he come close to dying, huh? I'll tell you why! It's because you pony-people can't take care of yourselves and he feels it to be his job to do it for you!" Roger tried to intervene, but Agatha would have nothing of it.
"Honey, don't you think that you're taking this a bit too harsh? Jacob is a grown man now, and she said almost died."
"And that's supposed to make me feel better, Roger?!" She whirled on him. "She has no idea where he is in a country full of mythical creatures that is about to be attacked by more mythical creatures!"
"Honey, you're still injured from the fight with that thing from earlier. If you don't take it easy you're just going to make it worse." Agatha stopped briefly to consider her broken arm and then took a deep breath in an attempt to calm down. Roger smirked inwardly. Topic-change tactic almost always works with her! "Fine then. So you don't know where he is now. Where was he when you did know?"
"I sent him back to Canterlot along with several others. For any more information you would likely need to speak with mine sister, whom is very busy at the moment."
"I'm sure she can find a way to make time." Agatha's eyes were burning again and Luna, who had rarely, if ever felt afraid, took a step back. "Send us there." Luna nodded quickly nodded a few times and teleported them into the palace throne room where several startled ponies jumped back from them when they saw the frightful look on Agatha's face. Agatha stormed down the red carpet, her uninjured arm and hand in a fist as she stomped up to a surprised Celestia. Two guards stepped in between them but Agatha, much like her son and husband (and every other full-grown Human) had over a foot's worth of height on them and ignored them.
"You! Horse-lady!" Ponies around the room gasped at her boldness while Roger face-palmed. Celestia's eyes were wide with surprise as she found an angry Human female pointing a finger at her from two feet away. "Where's my son? Your dark-haired sister said you'd know where he was if anyone would."
"You are Jacob Lighthand's mother?" Celestia looked at the man a short distance behind her looking embarrassed. "And his father?"
"Yeah we are." The man said apologetically. "Please excuse my wife, she's a little over-protective sometimes."
"I am afraid that I cannot tell you where he is. I do not know. He asked me for permission to go on a rescue mission for one of my students and a friend of his that had been captured by the Dragons, and I gave him my permission. He took with him some of your people's weapons, as well as two other friends and then the three of them left. This was two days ago." Agatha whirled on Roger.
"I told you that we should have waited by the gateway! Now he's gone off on another dangerous adventure and we can't help him!"
"If I know Jacob well enough, Mrs. Lighthand, he would not have wanted either of you in harm's way. Do not worry so much, if anyone can succeed in this mission, it will be the ponies that went with him and himself." Celestia was only trying to prevent the two of them from running off after him. In truth she had no idea whether he and the girls that had gone with him would be okay or not, but the fewer beings that went after them the greater their chances of success would be. "If you like you may stay in his room until he returns. Some of his things were left behind in it when he went to your world." Jacob's father nodded and said that her generosity was appreciated. Agatha looked as if she wanted to say something else or maybe ask for something else, but could not find the words.
A servant (the same creepy one that Jacob spoke to earlier twice) showed them to his room and gave them a brief tour of it. On her way out she turned her head and eyed Roger from behind for a moment before leaving. That's his father, alright! she thought as she left. Neither of them noticed and began going through his things. Finding nothing of interest they sat down on the bed next to each other and settled in to wait.
^ ^ ^ ^ ^
I took several steps into the dry cave, the wind feeling hot and strange against my skin. For a few moments it would be blowing out, and then the flow of wind would reverse and flow inward. That's not wind. That's breathing! I looked around and saw that though the roof was rough the floor was worn smooth and and in some places was scratched as if something with sharp claws had slid across it in the past. Given that this was formerly a Dragon's lair, this made perfect sense. I was about to take several more steps forward into the deeper shadowed part of the cave when two glowing orbs with one darker patch on each appeared before me. Eyes. I cleared my throat and introduced myself and stated my (false) purpose for being here. The eyes blinked lazily and a scraping and scratching noise came from the direction of the eyes. A few moments later a large Dragon was standing above me and looking down almost from the ceiling at the trembling and whimpering bundle I had on my shoulder. I fought the urge to lay a hand on her side and asked to see Drahngov. The Dragon snorted and two puffs of smoke exited its nostrils before it turned away from me and stomped back into the darkest parts of the cave. We waited, my arm growing tired and Fluttershy no doubt uncomfortable both physically and mentally. Again I fought the urge to comfort her and stood silently.
Five minutes later a equally large black Dragon arrived. This one was smaller than I remembered Drahngoc being, and his voice proved him not to be whom he claimed he was.
"I am Drahngov. Why have you come here, foolish one?" He asked in a voice less deep and smoother than Drahngov's.
"You call me a fool and yet you claim that you are him whom I contested with in this Pegasus' village?" I laughed. "Now who's the fool?" The Dragon that was not Drahngov growled at me. "Spare me your hurt feelings, lizard. If you've come here claiming to be him then obviously Drahgov is not here and you are wasting my time. I had come to swear my loyalty to him since there is no gain from joining the losing side and to offer him this fresh Pegasus" I shook Fluttershy a little. "as an apology, but if I am to be insulted by his underlings then perhaps he does not need what else I came to offer." I turned my back on him to show that I did not consider him a threat and then started walking out of the cave.
"Wait!" The imposter called as I reached the mouth of the cave. I stopped but did not look behind me. "What else did you bring?"
"Information." I said slowly so that there would be no misunderstanding it. Information often times had more worth than gold if it was given to the right person.
"On what?" He could not hide a hint of eagerness from his voice. It would seem that someone is hoping to further their standing in Drahngov's eyes!
"It doesn't matter. Drahngov isn't here and I owe you nothing. However," I turned slightly. Not enough so that he could see my face or I could see his, but enough to show that I might be persuaded if the right offering were made. "My arm grows rather tired and I wish to rid myself of this burden without simply giving it away. Might you know where I can leave it? I might be willing to divulge a small portion of what I know in exchange for a place to rest and perhaps something to quench my thirst."
"That could be arranged. Come closer, my little friend, and we shall discuss this in detail."
"Again you mistake me for a fool. You lead the way and I shall follow you. I will not be stepping any closer to your claws and teeth than is necessary." The Dragon kept his face free of any further expression and lead the way back further into the cave. At times I thought I could hear water dripping or another large creature stepping by, but it was too dark for me to tell in most instances. Once in awhile a crack that reached down from the surface above would allow a shaft of light to enter the area, but it never seemed to be quite enough to give me a proper look at my rocky surroundings.
Finally we came to a stop in a better-lit area where another Dragon laid before a cage that held Twilight Sparkle. I was surprised at my good fortune and nearly smiled but quickly wiped it off my face. When Fluttershy also saw Twilight she began to squirm but I poked her in the side and she stilled. Twilight did not notice me and Fluttershy at first, but instead looked at the Dragon leading us. He opened the cage and made a motion with one hand that indicated that this was our destination. I nodded and strode forward, and that was when Twilight saw us.
"Jacob What are you- Fluttershy?" Twilight saw that Fluttershy was tied up and she jumped to her hooves, teeth gritted and face hurt and angry. "You- You traitor! How could you do this?! I thought we were friends!" I sneered as I approached the cage.
"As my people say: 'don't believe everything you hear'." I took Fluttershy off my shoulder and was about to set her down in front of Twilight when to my surprise I found myself shoved into the cage right along with Fluttershy. The door clanged shut and the Dragon that had been leading us roared with laughter.
"Tell me, Two-leg," He said, lowering his head so that we were eye to eye. "how well do you think Drahngov will reward me when he hears that I have captured not just one, but two of the beings that defied him?" I rolled over and ran at the locked door, my hands gripping the bars and my face angry. I had not expected this, and I now I truly did feel like a fool for it. "I will leave you with your little friend until you feel willing to reveal your information to me. Once you do so I shall see to it that you are given a separate cage. Until then, enjoy your stay!" He walked out of the cave laughing again. I banged a hand against one of the bars and then sat down on the metal floor of the cage we had just been thrown in. Instantly Twilight kicked me and began hitting me as best she could with her back hooves.
"You'll pay for this! You'll-" I shoved Twilight away from me and pinned her body to the flooring. When she tried to roll over I used my arms to hold her legs down and I explained the real reason I was here. She didn't look like she entirely believed me, so after checking the 'warden' and seeing that he wasn't actually awake I, with some work and a request to not have my skull kicked in, removed Fluttershy's bindings. The moment she was free Fluttershy leaped on Twilight as best she could and hugged her and confirmed what I'm already said.
"Well you found me, but now we're all stuck in here, and even if I use my magic to get you two out our guard will wake up and kill you two!"
"Let's focus on getting your head out of those bars first. Can you use your magic to teleport yourself out?"
"I could, but our sleeping guard told me that Dragons can smell magical energy. If I try to use it then he'll wake up and-" she stopped and gulped.
"He'll what, Twilight?" In a shaky voice Twilight related Drahngov's orders if she were caught using magic. "And they haven't been feeding me, so it's already hard to concentrate."
"If I can kill the guard," I began, removing the sniper-rifle from my back. "Will that be enough time for you to free yourself?"
"Kill the guard? How? He's a Dragon! " I set the gun on the small stand it had come with, laid down behind it and lined up the sight with one of the sleeping Dragon's eyes.
"Can you, or can't you?" I asked again. Twilight nodded. "Then let's hope the noise this gun makes doesn't draw every Dragon within five miles to us." I squeezed the trigger, felt the kickback, and went almost deaf.
The spent shell popped from the gun and I suspect clanged against one of the bars, but I couldn't hear it. I was stunned for a moment, as was Twilight and Fluttershy, but Twilight shook her head and focused on freeing herself from the cage. The floor began to tremble from what I suspected might be unwanted company, so I stood, aimed the gun at the metal bar that extended from cage's lock that held the door shut, and fired again. I wasn't holding the gun properly and my arms regretted it immensely, but the lock was blown out and I kicked the door open and Fluttershy ran out. Twilight teleported from where she stood to being next to Fluttershy. I looked at the gun I held. Unfortunately I had no idea how much ammunition it held in each magazine because in every shooter I'd played except for one you could expand your ammo capacity for one weapon type or another if you had enough points collected from previously-won matches. I just hope its enough to get us out of here! The soldier had given me a quick tutorial as to how to remove a spent magazine and insert a new one, but I hadn't actually tried it myself yet and got the feeling that now was not the time to stop and learn.
Twilight shouted something that I didn't understand and started running towards the end of the cave we were in behind the now-dead Dragon. I followed but gave a brief glance at my handiwork. The bullet had made a goopy crater of the Dragon's eye and had plowed through his brain and punched a hole through the back of its skull as well. Blood and something that I assumed to be its brains were oozing out from both holes. I felt my bile rising and looked away. At least armor-piercing does in fact, work against them! I joined Twilight at the end of the cave and she pointed straight down and shouted something else that I still couldn't understand over the ringing in my ears.
The vibrating ground became a shake and three more Dragons entered the room. One looked at the damaged cage while the other two looked at the expired Dragon, and then finally all three looked at us.
"How did you get out and how did you use magic to kill him without him smelling it and waking up?!" Their muffled voices asked, sounding nervous and angry. My hearing was getting better, but right now that did not matter very much. Cornered animals. I thought and raised the gun again, aiming for another head as the three began inhaling a large amount of air into their lungs. If me and my friends were going to die, so would at least one of them! Suddenly a blur of color zipped past us and a large blast erupted on one of the Dragons. It roared in pain and clutched at a gaping hole in its belly for a moment before it fell forward dead. What?
"Rainbow Dash!" Twilight cried out in joy as Rainbow Dash threw the other bandolier minus its pins at the two remaining Dragons.
"The one and only!" Rainbow Dash replied proudly as she came to a landing in front of us.
Expecting a second attack one of them ran back into the passage they'd come through and the second took cover behind the Dragon I'd killed. The grenades slid along the floor and stopped against a wall next to the passage before exploding. The blast did not affect the room we stood in, but it did cause the collapse of the passageway, leaving us trapped in a room with a Dragon and no way out save for the opening in the wall that we stood next to. A Dragon that was growing bold again and was peeking over the body of the deceased adolescent.
"If you don't want to die too, you'll stay right where you are, lizard!" I shouted at it, pointing my gun at him. It froze.
"Is everyone here?" Twilight asked, tears of gratitude and happiness forming in her eyes.
"Well of course we all came! We couldn't just leave you to die!" Rainbow Dash declared, making a face. "What kind of friends would we be if we did?!"
"We may all die anyway if we can't get down from here." I pointed out. "Twilight is tired from lack of food and I can't fly."
"No problem! Me and Fluttershy can get you two to the ground in ten seconds flat!"
"So can me jumping off this ledge." I said dryly, pointing at the ground far below with one hand. "I'd prefer to survive the trip down, if you don't mind."
"......it's just a figure of speech."
"Oh. In that case take Twilight first. I can wait." Rainbow Dash nodded at Fluttershy and together they carried Twilight down to the ground.
"You can't escape, you know." The Dragon told me as I waited for the girls to finish. "Even if you make it back to Canterlot we will come for you."
"We will make it back to Canterlot, but before we leave I offer one last warning to Drahngov and your kind, and it's the same warning I gave him last time: make an enemy of the Human race and we'll wipe you out. We're already setting up our defenses around the city. If you come against us, expect to die." I looked over the edge and saw that Dash and Fluttershy were on their way back up. "We have no quarrel with your race as a whole any more than you do with mine. Just leave his army and you will live." They took hold of my arms and I stepped back off the edge.
"Do not think that we are alone in our views of the pony-races, Human!" The Dragon called after me as we sank below the lip of the cave. Does that mean that they have allies too? I wondered. What the Dragon said didn't actually worry me per say because I had absolute confidence in our weaponry vs their bodies, but sometimes even a force armed with better weapons could be overwhelmed through numbers and strategy. More bad news for Celestia. Lovely.
We spent the next several hours jogging (or rather I jogged. Everypony else trotted) away from the hill and any remaining Dragons that might decide to be bold after all.
When we reunited as a group there was much excitement and hugging that took place for Twilight, and then we offered her some of the nasty military rations that Applejack had brought. To our surprise she gobbled down the contents of her package like they were candy. She must really have been hungry! Pinkie must have thought the same thing about them tasting like candy because she imitated halfway through one pack, then stuck her tongue out and tossed it over her shoulder.
"Give me grass any day!" She said, brushing her tongue off and making grossed-out noises.
"Well Pinkie, those are meant more for nutritional value than for flavor. They're not supposed to taste good!" I pointed out, recalling the bland flavor myself.
"Um, don't ya'll think we should be gettin' away from this here place?" Applejack suggested, looking at the Dragon den nervously. None of us disagreed and promptly left.
"So why aren't we using magic to get back to Canterlot? It's a long way and this running is murder on my peticure!" Rarity asked.
"You're welcome to do so if you like, Rarity, but I'm still weak. If I feel better later I'll let you know." Rarity considered this and decided not to say anything. Her own area of expertise magically was not with teleportation, so the idea of trying made her nervous. Rarity had no desire to send them all to an early, unmarked grave by accidentally making them reappear underground. From what she had been told it was impossible for that to occur unless you did it on purpose, but she did not want to test that theory.
"Hey girls?" I said suddenly. What the Dragon said was still lingering in my mind from earlier. "How many other meat-eaters are there in this world? Intelligent ones, I mean, ones that can speak and plan."
"Why do ya ask?" Applejack said.
"Just something the Dragon said before we left."
"Well let's see..." Applejack closed one eye and looked slightly up with the other like I'd seen several of my own people do when they searched their brains. "There's the Dragons, of course, then there's Griffons, and ah've been told that Diamond Dogs eat meat but I don't know fer sher, and then there's the occasional smart Manticor, though they mostly live in Everfree forest and don't come out often..." Applejack listed several other types of creatures including a five-headed Hydra, but commented that most of them were about as smart as the average house pet.
"We have legends of Griffons back home, but what's a Diamond Dog?" Rarity made a sound like she was spitting.
"Those revolting creatures resemble dogs, but they walk like you do and have use their paws like you do. They are obsessed with gemstones and have absolutely no idea how to treat a lady! Hmph!" Clearly Rarity had past experience with them.
"Are they dangerous?"
"Not really." Twilight said.
"Their breath is! I nearly choked to death on it!" Rarity objected. Twilight rolled her eyes while the others giggled. Rarity glared at them.
"Diamond Dogs are more concerned with finding and hoarding gems than they are anything else. I have no idea what they use them for, but for the most part Diamond Dogs keep to themselves except for the occasional abduction of a pony for manual labor." So they would have a reason to side with Dragons: free slave labor. But would they actually do it? Probably only if there was a very good chance of victory. Even so...
"How good are they at digging?" If there was a way for them to pop up out of the ground while our attention was turned on the Dragons they had the potential to do a lot of damage before being taken out, and during that time the Dragons could fly close enough to set us on fire. Canterlot's streets were paved with cobblestones, but I didn't know how deep they went.
"Well hon, they are big dogs." Applejack said, rolling her eyes.
"Right. Stupid question. What about the Griffons?"
"Griffons!" Rainbow Dash said angrily. "One of my former best friends was a Griffon. They are a proud race with sharp claws and a sharper beak, and they make the biggest jerks!" Twilight leaned close and whispered an explanation in my ear.
"Most of us had a bad experience with Gilda, her former friend when she came to visit her about a year ago. Rainbow Dash doesn't show it, but Gilda breaking ties with her hurt. They were friends for a long time." I nodded and decided to drop it for now.
We walked until the sun rose again, stopping occasionally for a short break. One of these breaks turned into a sleeping session and when we awoke again the sun was high overhead. I was shaken awake by Applejack who had also busied herself shaking the others awake.
"Get up! Get up!! We fell asleep and now we're burning daylight! We've got to get going, come on!" I groggily sat up and rubbed the side of my face. I was surprised to find a bit of facial hair and rubbed it again to make sure that I was not imagining it. I was not. It took me forever to grow any facial hair thanks to having more genes from my mother's side of the family in that regard, not that it really bothered me. I hadn't scraped a razor across my face in about a week and it was beginning to show. "Stop sittin' around! We've only got two days to get to Canterlot before the Dragons attack us again! Get yer flank movin'!" Applejack shouted at me, and I was on my feet an instant later. Two days?! Are we even halfway back yet?! I had no idea. The days seemed longer, but that was probably just a combination of my imagination and stress. I don't think we're going to make it on foot. We need something faster! But there was nothing around us except a few trees.
"Twilight, is there any chance you feel up to warping us back today?" I asked, stress entering my voice. Twilight lacked confidence.
"I might be able to get us back halfway, but I don't know."
"What about Fluttershy's house? Can you get us there instead?" Rainbow Dash asked. Fluttershy's house? Why would we want to go there?
"I guess, but why would you want to go there?" Twilight asked, confused.
"Because then we can follow the treeline to where the other Humans are and borrow one of their traveling machines off them!"
"And yeh can replace those explosive-thingies yeh took from me earlier, Rainbow Dash!"
"Hey, it worked, didn't it?" Rainbow Dash said defensively.
A few minutes later we appeared underneath a large tree outside of Fluttershy's house. I hadn't seen it in the daylight before and it really was a cute little place. I would have loved to see more of it, but we have more pressing matters to attend to. Rainbow Dash volunteered to fly ahead of us and see if she could find something for us to use and was gone half a second later.
"Ten seconds flat, eh?" I said after she was gone from sight.
"Eeyep." Applejack nodded.
We decided to wait for her to come back underneath that tree and while we sis a small white bunny hopped out from behind some bushes and hopped right up next to Fluttershy and nuzzled her leg.
"Angel!" Fluttershy exclaimed happily and picked him up and hugged the critter.
"Awww!" I said. The others looked at me. "What? That was adorable."
"No, not that!" Pinkie pie said cheerfully. "There's a big spider on your shoulder!" I blanched and looked at my right shoulder. It was empty. With dread forming in my stomach I slowly turned my head to the left. Sure enough, there was a large, blue-bodied spider with black legs and five green eyes sitting (or maybe standing) on me. I bent my fingers at the knuckles, made a squeak in my throat not unlike Fluttershy had done in the past and fought the urge to scream. Normally spiders did not bother me, but this thing was as big as a tarantula, and was close to being a Wolf Spider in appearance. Aside from the blue body and green eyes, that is. Fluttershy looked over at the spider and exclaimed in excitement again and walked up to my shoulder to get a better look at it.
"Oh my! This is a rare Blue Bee-Bite spider!" The spider crawled down from my shoulder onto my chest and I squeezed my eyes shut until it stopped moving.
"Um, Fluttershy, I'm going to go out of a limb here, but I'm guessing that he doesn't like spiders." Twilight said while stars shone in Fluttershy's eyes.
"Oh, don't worry!" She said soothingly. "It only bites if it feels threatened."
"Just. Get. It. Off. Me!" I begged. Fluttershy lowered a hoof to it and the spider looked up at her. She smiled at it and it climbed onto her instead. I sighed in relief and Fluttershy began cooing to the spider. I shivered and looked up to make sure there were no more spiders of any size. There weren't. I smiled briefly and looked back down to see that the spider had crawled on top of her head and Fluttershy was perfectly fine with it.
A few minutes later Rainbow Dash came back and reported that there were still Humans coming in, though their clothing was a bit different from the first few hundred that had come through, and large machines were being moved in as well.
"They look kind of like that thing we rode in back in your world, but there's weird stuff attached to them."
"Probably attack choppers." I said. "How many were there?" Rainbow Dash shrugged.
"I only saw three, but I wasn't really looking for them. I found a guy that said he's going to be headin' out as soon as his truck's loaded. He offered to give us a ride if we made it before he had to leave."
"Rainbow Dash, you're amazing." I said as I stood up. Rainbow Dash glowed.
"Don't I know it!"
"And oh so humble..." Twilight and Rarity both mumbled, and then looked at one another and laughed. Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow.
"Inside joke." I said.
__ __ __ __ __
Gilda the Griffon pushed her wings as hard as she dared, soaring towards the Canterlot palace over the Everfree forest. Though she and Rainbow Dash were no longer technically friends she still felt obligated to warn her of what was coming for them. She had heard that there were legendary beings called Humans that were joining the fight against the Dragons, as had her nation's ruler, who saw an opportunity to earn the Dragon race's gratitude and perhaps also expand their own hunting grounds by aligning them with their fellow predators. It was her queen's intention that, while the Dragons attacked from one side and drew all the defenders to one place her kind would swoop in from behind and take them by surprise. Though not as large as Dragons, Gilda, being a griffon herself, knew exactly how lethal a Griffon could be in a fight, and her ruler had agreed to send more than twice the number that Drahgnov would be sending.
A lion's roar from behind her warned her that she was being pursued and she tried to urge more speed from her body, to no avail. Gilda looked behind herself and saw that whomever it was that was following her was wearing armor, which meant that they worked directly for the queen. Only her private soldiers wore armor. If this comes down to a fight, I'm going the way of the Dodo! She thought as a bit of sweat formed under her head feathers and ran down her neck to soak into her lion's fur.
The trees below her were a blue of green and brown, the wind a constant sound in what passed for her ears, and her wing muscles burned in a way that they had not since flight school, and still her pursuer gained.
Gilda's hope spiked for a moment when she saw a line of tall beings crossing through the forest, but her hopes of safety were dashed when the Griffon chasing her raked her back with a clawed paw once and then grabbed her back legs and stopped flapping his or her own wings and let gravity drag them down into the trees below. With an eagle's shriek Gilda fell to the forest lands below and crashed through several branches. The two rolled across the ground with the armored enemy landing a few feet away from her. Gilda painfully climbed up onto her paws and was running this time, running towards the line of Humans. If I can just get close enough- She was tackled into another tree and her sides were ripped by extended claws. Gilda pecked at her attacker's face and scored an eyeball. She- it was another she- roared and slashed at Gilda again. Gilda gripped the tree with her forelegs and kicked with both her hind, sending her attacker back a few feet and threw her off balance. Gilda put all her legs on the tree trunk and tackled her enemy back, crashing into her armored chest. Gilda felt pain in the back of her neck, but the other Griffon was knocked to the ground. Gilda swiped at her unprotected face and then once more made a run for it. Normally her pride would not have allowed for such a cowardly tactic, but this was not a fight she had much chance of winning. It was hard to kill an enemy when most of their vitals were protected.
"Hey! Heeey!" She yelled. "Is anybody out there?!" She heard her pursuer crashing through the brush behind her again and burst through the treeline in front of a bunch of startled two-legged beings just in time for her pursuer to pounce on her back and sink her claws into Gilda's throat. Gilda screamed again and threw her body into a roll in an attempt to get free again. It did not work and the claws tore long bleeding lines in her neck. Feeling strangely numb Gilda tried to fight back again when the sound of thunder and metal on metal where there were no clouds reached her 'ears' and her enemy slumped against her and rolled off.
Gilda lay against the ground, breathing heavily.
"Who are- what are you?" One of the two-legs asked.
"I could ask you the same thing!" She replied before passing out from pain.
__ __ __ __ __
"So then we have an agreement?" Drahngov asked the large furry canine before him. Even though Drahngov's height made the Diamond Dog look like the pet dogs that the ponies kept he displayed no fear. Perhaps he is simply too stupid to feel fear. Drahngov thought as the large canine nodded.
"We dig the buildings out underneath their foundations so they sink into the ground during your attack and in return we are allowed to dig wherever we want and get to keep whatever we find." Drahngov nodded his head once. "Simple enough." It belched. "Sorry."
"Excellent. Begin work imminently. We move out in two days, but I want the job already under way in the meantime. But!" Drahgnov held up a single clawed finger. "Be very careful not to cause them to sink until after we have begun our attack. If they catch on to what we intend early, then that could make things...difficult for everyone." He narrowed his eyes at the creature before him. The Diamond Dog nodded and left to gather his pack and the others that come for the deal the Dragons had offered.
^ ^ ^ ^ ^
When we arrived at the camp (it looked more like a base now) was even more so active than it had been the last time we were here. A number of them pointed at our multicolored group but for the most part we received no more than a casual glance. The girls had another look around while I returned the sniper rifle and its ammo, but when I tried to return the handgun they insisted that I keep it, saying that an extra weapon was always a good thing to have in times like these. I shrugged and put the pistol back in my bag, but when the guy I'd given the rifle to saw that he pulled me over to their equipment pile and gave me a leg holster for it. I thanked him and then left to look for the truck that was we were supposed to be hitching a ride with. It didn't take long as most of the trucks were parked by the side of the munitions pile. I began asking those that were loading them if any of them had spoken to a rainbow-maned and tailed Pegasus and eventually I got a yes. He patted the side of his truck.
"Be back in about five minutes and my truck should be about full by then." I nodded and went to find the girls. Applejack was sampling fruits that someone had brought from our world and commenting on them, Rarity was having a 'girl-talk' discussion with a journalist that had come through, Fluttershy was looking at pictures of animals that some kid- They brought a child with them?! I almost walked over to the adoring parents and called them idiots for bringing their kid here, but Rainbow Dash grabbed my arm and started pulling me away from them and back towards the truck.
"What's gotten into you, Rainbow Dash? You look worried."
"We need to get back to Canterlot as soon as possible! Luna just told me that my former friend Gilda came here and had been attacked and passed out from pain. After Luna healed her and she woke up again she told her that the Griffon nation has joined sides with the Dragons and will be joining them in attacking us!" I froze. Then what that Dragon told me was true! Things just got more difficult. Dragons were tough, but made for huge targets.
"How big are Griffons?" I asked her.
"I've never seen a male Griffon, but the females are as tall as most of your males that I've seen here. They're twice as wide at their widest point and if the two of you laid down side by side they'd be bigger." So still a decent target, but a lot smaller than a Dragon.
"Any idea how many of them?" Rainbow Dash shook her head. "Does Celestia know yet?" Rainbow Dash nodded.
"Your people told her." That was good, at least. What had seemed to be a near-simple task just might have gotten more difficult.
"Can Griffons use magic?" Rainbow Dash shrugged.
"Gilda didn't, but that doesn't mean that others can't."
"You're right. We need to get back right now. Help me round up the others and let's get moving."
An hour later we arrived outside Canterlot and we piled out of the truck. Unicorns ran forward to help unload the truck we'd come in as well as the others that had come along as well, but we ignored them and headed for the palace. I stopped halfway there and ran back towards the middle class district. The girls called after me and I told them to go on without me.
"I'll join you later!"
I slid to a stop out of breath outside Melinda Jones' house and picked up a large rock and banged it against her door a few times. The eye slot slid open and Melinda looked out at me.
"Oh, on your feet are you?" A rhetorical question. "Come for your wand, I expect?" I nodded, still gasping for breath. She blinked once and then disappeared for a few minutes. When she came back she cautioned me that the output of my wand would be quite a bit more now than it had been and then opened her door and handed (or hoofed) me a pole that was wrapped in somewhat dirty white cloth. I undid the knotted cords that held the cloth in place and wondered at the increased length. It had gone from a wand to nearly being a staff. It was much longer, but now also more slender; only about as thick as my thumb. I feel like I'm going to break this thing!
"I know what you're thinking, and don't worry about fragility. That near-staff will be very difficult to break." I wasn't sure I believed her.
"And you know this how?"
"If you recall, I'm the one that made your wand in the first place. If you can't take my word for it, whose can you take?" A deflection, but she made a good point. My ancestor had already proven that he could not be trusted, so I sure couldn't ask him.
"Thanks." I turned to leave but then stopped. "Hey Melinda, can I ask you for one last favor?" Melina tilted her head to one side slightly. I took that for interest, if nothing else and asked her if she'd be willing to finish Trixie's transformation into a Human. I explained her situation and the reasons Trixie had given.
"That depends on whether or not you're paying me for this 'favor'. Like I told that orange earth pony, my making your wand more powerful was on the house, but this isn't."
"How much do you want?" She shook her head.
"I don't want money. What I want is your help with something. Step inside my house for a moment." I did so, suddenly feeling nervous. What could she possibly need my help for? Melinda closed the door behind me with her magic, and her locks latched and slid into place. My nervousness increased.
"This is going to sound very strange, but I need you to take off my horn. Use whatever method you see fit." I blinked a few times and gaped at her.
"What?! Why would you want me to do that?!"
"Because my being in this form was a curse inflicted on me by my employer for failing at my first task. Originally I took this form to help me complete my task, but after my failure she trapped me in it. I cannot destroy my horn myself because that was part of the curse, but another powerful magic-user can. Once my horn and me are separate I should revert back to my true form."
"Won't that kill you? You're hundreds of years old!" Melinda smirked.
"No it won't. My mother is a Dimra and my father is a Human. Both of them were from another Universe not linked to this one at all, which means different rules of reality. When my father entered my mother's world his aging rate slowed, and my mother was already from a long-lived race. When I revert I might age in appearance by thirty, maybe even forty years, but I'll still have plenty of life left in me." The idea that there might be another Universe or more out there with billions of their own peoples living their lives without knowing about us or perhaps not caring made me feel really small.
"I know that look and that feeling. It will pass. So, do we have a deal?" I saw no other option if I was going to keep my promise to help Trixie. I nodded. "Excellent. Then let's get this over with."
Trixie wasn't hard to find. She was hanging out by a helicopter talking with one of the pilots trying to learn how they worked. She was siting in a pilot's seat while the real pilot pointed out various controls and buttons. I waited for a break in the pilot's speech and then asked Trixie if she had a moment. She nodded and hopped out of the chopper. I asked her one last time if she was sure that she wanted to be a Human and not a Unicorn and again she gave me the same answer. Once she finished I nodded asked her to follow me. She did and I led her to Melinda. Trixie gasped as the sight of her and stared for a moment before walking closer. She looked Melinda over and then looked at me.
"I take it that today is the day?" I nodded. So did she and she turned back to Melinda. "I'm ready." Melinda also nodded and her horn blazed with white light. The light enveloped Trixie and she continued to change. Her hair and eyes stayed the same color, but her tail disappeared and her skin became tan rather than blue. Finally for a brief moment the light that enveloped her seemed to swirl rather than cloud and Trixie yelled that she could feel and touch 'it' again in an overjoyed voice. Magic! She can use magic again! I was happy for her, and for myself as well as I felt a weight of guilt lift off my shoulders.
When the light faded Melinda looked directly at me and waited. I nodded and was about to follow her when I remembered the Unicorn's horn that I still had in my bag. I brought the bag around to my front again- I really need to get some cargo pants with deep pockets or something! - and brought the horn out and gave it back to her. She gripped it like the precious object is was, though she jumped when she first touched it as it zapped her. When she looked at me for an explanation I shrugged. I had no idea why the horn zapped Humans the first time they touched a Unicorn's horn. Though this was not her first time using magic, it was her first time as a Human.
Meanwhile the people and ponies stared at us, though mostly at Melinda this time. It seemed that even though she had lived here for Maker-knows-how-long, she hadn't gone out often enough for the locals to know what she was. Or rather, what she lived as.
"I've done my part of the bargain, Lighthand. Now do yours. Follow me back to my home, if you would." I groaned inwardly. Wording it like that would likely start a bunch of disgusting rumors amongst the other Humans of how 'the wizard did an Alicorn' and it would not take long to be twisted, exaggerated, and then spread to the ponies as well. That creepy servant will be thrilled, but now she'll never leave me alone! But i had made a promise, and I aimed to keep it.
She locked and bolted the door behind us (which would probably only serve to 'confirm' the rumor once it started, if it had not already) and she came to stand directly in front of me. Using her magic she brought a saw that she had out from a tool box and set it on the table. She also had a hammer and a slim punch (the tool, not the drink).
"You may use these if you wish, but I have no preference. But any tool you use you will need to imbue with magic. Also, do not touch my horn until you have removed it, otherwise my magic may fight you." I nodded and declined the use of tools. Using a saw took awhile to cut through anything, and I had the feeling that removing a horn from a living subject would hurt a bunch.
I took a breath and changed my grip on the near-staff. I'm going to need to add some length to this thing so I can actually call it a staff. Maybe some wood like with what Merlin did would work... I shook my head a bit and then asked Melinda if she had any fine-cut diamonds. She said that she did and then asked me why.
"One of the technologies my people have involve using light and diamonds to cut through objects. I'm going to try that here."
"Light? Light and diamonds?" She snorted, not believing me.
"Yes. I think I also need a lens of glass, but since I'm using magic I might be able to get away with it still." Melinda gave me a small diamond (small compared to what Luna had. This diamond was only about a quarter inch wide at its widest point) and I made a light appear. Unfortunately I had no idea as to how to focus it into one point so that it would enter the gem-
That was probably what the lens is meant to do. -
and I eventually gave up and set the gem down. Melinda said nothing, but she didn't need to. In the end I picked up the saw and recalled a surgical saw from a hospital show I'd once watched. It had been used to cut flesh and not bone, but it would probably still be faster than the normal method provided the teeth didn't wear out before the cutting was complete. I pulled the pins securing the blade in place and removed it, setting the handle to one side. Melinda watched me, but said nothing for or against me. I raised the saw up close to my eyes and studied it for a moment. When I was sure I'd memorized the size and spacing of the teeth (they were very close together and only about four milometers in height) I set it down and asked if she had any saws that were larger. She nodded and lifted a tree branch saw out from behind her tool box.
"I normally don't use it for anything, but occasionally someone will want a wooden jewelry box with silver inlay. Carpentry is not my profession, but I've had years of practice." I removed the screws holding the handle on the blade and also removed the handle.
"Do you mind if I ruin it?" I asked.
"As long as it gets rid of this horn, I don't care. I'm leaving this world once I tie up all my loose ends anyway." With her indifference I used my magic to trace out a disc of metal about six inches across and began taking off little triangles along the edge to imitate the teeth of the smaller saw. When I was finished I double-checked to make sure there were no mistakes (there were a few and I had to fix it) and then I sharpened the teeth and carried it carefully back to Melinda.
"This is probably going to really hurt. Do you have any pain medicine you can take in advance?" She shook her head.
"I almost never get sick, and I've always been able to heal any injuries with my magic, so I never saw a need to buy any medicines."
"Brace yourself then." I warned, and lifted the saw with my mind and got it spinning and touched it against Melinda's horn. At first she did not react, but as I cut deeper she flinched and clamped her jaw and shut and squeezed her eyes shut tightly. I felt a twinge of guilt but suppressed it and kept cutting. At the halfway point blood coated the saw and my face was splattered with it. I blinked and wiped it away. Melinda on the other hand, started whimpering. Wanting to end her suffering as quickly as I could I increased the speed and continued cutting. Another twenty five seconds and I was through and her horn dropped from her head and clattered on the floor. What of a stump that remained oozed blood that dripped from the stump and flowed down her head. Tears also ran from Melinda's eyes. And soaked her hide where they ran.
Suddenly the room seemed to be filled with fog and I as I looked around everything that I could still make out looked ghostly. I heard footsteps and a voice that I did not recognize, but saw no one. Not even a faint outline.
"So you actually went through with it. I had a feeling that you would, miss Jones." It was a woman's voice. She sounded old. Her voice was scratchy, yet had a playful sound to it. It seems that you also enlisted another to aid you. Why him, I wonder?"
"Because I sensed your Interference-Presence about him the moment I saw him. I didn't know if I could trust him until recently." I looked in front of me again and realized that I could no longer see Melinda either. The other female cackled.
"He trusts me, you know. He doesn't know me, but he's trusted me with his life many times of late. Do you perchance think he would make a good successor for you once you've gone?"
"That would depend on whether he can survive without your help in the coming battle." Who's help? And what does this stranger mean that I trust her? I don't even know who's talking!
"Yes, I suppose that would be a good final test for him! If he succeeds I shall grant him a reward along with your job, and if he fails...well he'll be dead then, won't he?" She hummed a laugh this time. "Either way, you shall receive your payment once you complete the your last task, and then you shall be returned to your home. Your brothers and sisters have been missing you quite a bit over the years."
"Being stuck in another dimension is an occupational hazard for those in our family's line of work. They'll understand."
"So true. Well then, true form for you, and my influence removed from him!" I heard someone snap their fingers. I suddenly felt a shiver run up my spine and had the distinct feeling that I was missing something. Not necessarily something important, but something was gone.
I looked myself over, twisting my body and raising my arms. Nothing physical seemed to be different, and everything that I'd carried in with me I still had...what had changed? Perhaps it was that 'Interference-Presence' that Melinda spoke of. But who was that other woman?
As suddenly as the fog had come, the fog vanished and left the room as it had been before, save that Melinda's Alicorn form had been replaced by a tall pale-blue and pitch-black pattern-skinned biped woman that seemed to be about sixty years old. Her eyes were purple and her hair bright orange-red. She was slender, well-filled but not over-sized in the chest region, and her hands on both the palms and outside were calloused. Thankfully she was already wearing clothing, but it was odd. It was thin like a light cotton shirt, but it had a shiny surface as if it were made of nylon and the loose bits trailed after her when she walked as if it weighed almost nothing. The cloth was brown and (judging by the stitch) seemed to have been hand-made rather than store-bought. Her forehead was still bleeding a little, but there was no sign of the horn that had once been there, nor did any other equine features remain. Melinda looked at herself and sighed in a glad way.
"It's good to have two legs again! Thank you for holding up your end of the bargain, Jacob Lighthand." She stooped and picked up what had once been her horn. "I will now take my leave of this city, and later this world. I pray that what skills you have will be enough for you to survive the coming fight." Melinda turned to leave.
"Wait!" I said as she opened the door. "Can't you stay and help us fight? I just found out that it won't be the Dragons alone that are going to attack us! The Griffons will be coming too!" Melinda shook her head, her long hair swayed from the movement.
"No. What part I was meant to play in this world is nearly complete and I only came in the first place because I accepted a job. If you should live long enough you will come to realize that one Universe at a time is enough to worry about. Farewell, young magician." Melinda left me standing in her house and also left her door open.
__ __ __ __ __
Melinda strode confidently through the Canterlot hedge maze. It felt good to walk on feet sensitive enough to feel the individual bits of dirt and the occasional patch of grass underfoot. Her sense of smell was not as good in this form, and she was nowhere near as fast and could not fly, and unlike her Alicorn body eventually she would die of old age if her life's occupation didn't kill her, but she had regained her night-vision, her ability to hide in any shadow no matter how small or thin, her digestive track had changed back to omnivorous, and best of all she no longer needed a horn to use magic.
Melinda stopped briefly to stare at the odd Draconequus statue in the center of the maze, noting that there were a few cracks at its feet and then dismissed it from her mind and continued on. She knew what it really was, and guessed that the cracks at its feet probably occurred when Trixie and Jacob fought in the maze by it a few days back. Celestia is lucky that their fight did not last long, otherwise there might have been a repeat of him getting free. She thought as she left the center behind.
Melinda continued onward without error until she at last arrived before the Human statue in the back corner of the maze. It stood alone by itself, grass reaching up from the base to conceal the first two inches of it in green. Melinda ran a hand over the smooth cold stone from one side to another, savoring the sensation, and then climbed it until her eyes were level with the statue's. Melinda raised what was once her horn and held it before its face.
"Zandar! Awaken from your slumber!" She slammed the horn's rough base against his forehead and cracks raced up from the Human's feet, spreading across his entire body in seconds. Light emitted from the cracks and then like dried mud fell from his body and created a cloud of stone dust. Melinda hopped backwards off the pedestal and waited while Zandar coughed on the dust for a short time. When the dust cleared he looked down at her, his mind befuddled.
"What are you?" He asked bluntly.
"I am of the race of the Dimra. I am the first of my kind that your Universe has seen, and probably the last as well. I came for a job, and now that job is finished and I will leave it to whatever fate awaits it." Melinda extended the hand holding the Alicorn's horn out to him. "Here. Use this however you see fit. I no longer have any need for it." Zandar took it and felt cold fill his body, completely burying the warmth that small horn he had sewn into his undergarments had caused. He slowly grinned, recalling what his descendant Jacob had written in his journal. Incredible, nearly-uncontrollable power had just literally been given to him. He watched the Dimra woman turn and walk away for a moment, and then as an afterthought called 'Thank you!' after her. She did not respond, but this did not bother him. After all, he was free.
"Free at last!"
Chapter 17
The girls had gone ahead of me already, and judging by the worried look of many of those I passed by in the palace the bad news had already been delivered. Why can't good news ever be just that without it being buried by bad news shortly after? I frowned as I stopped at my guest room and then opened the door to a welcome surprise.
"Mom! Dad!" My face lit up as they looked up from my (or maybe Trixie's depending on how you looked at it) bed and jumped to their feet with open arms as I ran to embrace them. We stood in each other's arms for a few moments and then the bad side to them being here sunk in.
"Not that I'm not happy to see you, but you being here is bad! We're going to be attacked in less than two days. You two should leave while you-" My mother placed a hand over my mouth.
"You left us behind twice and ran into danger when it's a parent's duty to protect their son." Mom said. "We know what's coming and we're not going to let you face it alone, so you better get used to the idea." My dad saw the gun on my leg and asked where I had gotten it from.
"One of the soldiers back at Everfree gave it to me when I left to rescue my friend. He also gave me a sniper's rifle, but I returned that when we came back."
"Why'd you keep the pistol?" My mother asked.
"The army-people refused to take it back."
"Is that your wand?" My father asked. "It looks different."
"It is different. The same Alicorn that helped me make the wand altered it while I was on Earth and rescuing Twilight. She added a dead Alicorn's horn to it. She said that would make it more powerful."
"Does it?" I nodded.
"Much. I don't know by how much, though. I haven't tested it yet."
"Then you should while you still have time, young magician." came Celestia's voice from the door. I turned and was surprised by what I saw. She was still majestic as always, but there were lines under her eyes and dirt on her hide. Her mane and tail that had always seemed to flow in wind that was not present was nearly stilled.
"Celestia!" I gasped. "Are you feeling okay?" She shook her head.
"I very desperately need some rest. Physically I'm fine, but all this stress is taking its toll on me. The girls from Ponyville have told me both the good and the bad news, and though I am grateful that you've returned my student to me, news of the Griffons joining the Dragons is spreading and is lowering morale amongst all those here. Even some of your people are starting to look anxious. On the bright side, the rescue of Twilight Sparkle from the Dragons' territory is also spreading hope where there was none. My ponies are inspired by the actions of our people in the face of insurmountable odds, and your people are speaking about you as if you were invincible." I laughed.
"I am far from invincible. My various injuries since coming here are evidence of that."
"I know that, as do you, but with each of these incidents you have 'bounced back' as your people say, and come back stronger from it. This knowledge is far from secret, and with each re-telling it becomes a bit more exaggerated. By the end of next week, assuming we're still here, our two races may see you and the girls as living legends." Living legends? That's a lot to live up to. But we're going to need to be legendary heroes for this confrontation to end well. "A question though, Jacob." I nodded. "Where did miss Jones get the Alicorn horn for your staff? And where did the horn that you gave to Trixie come from?" I groaned. I knew this was coming, but had hoped it would wait until after the fight.
"The horn that I gave to Trixie was given to me by one of your subjects." Not a lie. Not the complete truth, but not a lie. "The Alicorn's horn..." I did not want to answer, but Celestia would not break eye contact with me, and I felt as if I could not look away. "The Alicorn's horn belonged to your father." Celestia's face became a mixture of angry and sorrowful.
"It was you ?! You broke into my family's crypt and stole- wait..." I saw the gears turning in her head."You weren't here when the crypt was broken into. You were in Everfree forest with Twilight and Fluttershy!" Her eyes narrowed. "Who are you protecting?"
"I am protecting no one. You asked where the horn came from, and I told you."
"But who did you get it from?"
"Melinda Jones." Another incomplete truth, but still not a lie.
"And where did she get it from?"
"You'd have to ask her. If you can find her, that is. When she changed Trixie into a full Human and gave me my staff she said something about her job being done and then left me standing in her house alone."
"What were you doing in her house?" Crap! Slip-up!
"I-" I couldn't tell her what I had really done. She'd never understand unless Melinda explained it to her herself, and only the Maker knew where she was now. "I was...holding up my end of the bargain." I thought of something from my past that had embarrassed me so I'd blush and then tried to break eye-contact again. Celestia also turned a little pink and coughed in the awkward silence that followed.
"I...see! Well..." She cleared her throat. "let's hope that's one rumor that does not start!" She coughed again.
"Amen." I felt eyes on my back and turned to look at my parents who now stared at me with WTF expressions. Apparently my blush had also reached the back of my neck and ears.
"As I said before though, you should be practicing with your wand...staff...I suppose its not quite long enough to be a staff, is it?"
"Not quite. Right now if I had to guess I think it's close to or is forty two inches long. I'd like to add some more length to it if only to make it into a staff like in our old legends, but I don't know how I'd attach wood to it and make it stay."
"Ask one of our gardeners. I am sure they would be willing to help you. They use magic to alter flowers and shape bushes every other month, so this should be no challenge for them."
I thanked Celestia for her suggestion and shortly afterwards she left. As soon as the door shut I turned back to my parents and explained to them what really had happened between me and Melinda in her house. I wasn't sure that they completely believed me, but I did not want them thinking that I'd 'done it' with an equine. They were both visibly relieved about the real information, and just as mystified as I about the identity of the stranger.
"A person you don't know that you trusted with your life?" My father asked, the question rhetorical.
"It sounds like a riddle, to me." Mom said. "Did her voice sound familiar at all?" I shook my head. "And when the fog was gone she was too. Did Melinda give any hints?" Again I shook my head no. There had been nothing at all that could have clued me in as to who was in the room with us for that brief time. But that puzzle would have to wait until later. Right now it seemed to me to be a good idea for me to do as Celestia suggested. I invited mom and dad to come along too and though my mother agreed my father said that he'd go and join the military guys in setting up for tomorrow.
I chose to go to the garden first, and as Celestia had said there was indeed a Unicorn that was willing ot help me turn my not-quite-a-wand into a staff. The Unicorn took from a pile of discarded dead branches he'd clipped from a few trees and then asked how much more length I'd wanted.
"Forty seven inches." He nodded and using magic that I'd only seen Druids from cartoons perform he fused three of the straighter branches together to form one longer and thicker branch. Unlike the original bark of the original branches this new branch was smooth like the bark of the Beech tree.
"Raise your pole." The gardener instructed. I did so and he placed one end of the branch against the silver cap- Actually, that shines a bit brighter than silver. I wonder if she changed the binder? - His horn glowed again and to my amazement the branch seemed to grow over the end like a tree will grow over and cover a metal fence by the side of a road. When he finished I had a staff that reminded me a bit of Merlin's from the painting in Buckingham Palace except that mine was more of bone than his had been and his staff had almost the same color to it going all the way up it. Mine did not.
I thanked the gardener, but he looked dissatisfied with the result. Rarity would have been too because the colors clashed a bit.
"When all this mess is over, come back and we'll find you something that matches it better."
"This will be fine. I only need it to be functional."
"Suit yourself." He shrugged and returned to work on the poor wilted plants and as we left my mother also commented that it did not look the best. I shrugged.
I had intended on using the fireworks testing place to practice with my staff, but it was buzzing with activity of both ponies and Humans, but mostly ponies. When they saw us we were cautioned to keep away from the testing area beyond the rope-fence they'd set up for the sake of public safety.
"What's going on?" My mother asked.
"We're helping the locals improve their explosives." One Human man that did not look military explained. "Unfortunately, because most of the military equipment here from Earth was donated we only have so much that we have available for use. If we can improve on what's already here this may not be as much of an issue." Another Human, this one younger than the first and female, carrying a small video camera joined us.
"Ah! I know who you two are! You're members of the Lighthand family! Could I perchance-"
"If you're going to ask for an interview, the answer is no." I said, interrupting. "I've had my fill of being on TV."
"But I'm not from a TV studio!" She objected. "I'm from your fan club!" I blinked.
"My...what?"
"Your fan club!" She repeated. "Your buddy Travis helped set us up on Headbook!" It's been less than a day and I already have a fan club on Headbook. Internet, does your power have no bounds? "As soon as I heard where you were on the news I hopped on a plane and flew to the U.K. and took a cab to the gateway! This world and its people are amazing! I can see why you wanted us to save it!" She moved some of her hair out of her face and repositioned her camera.
"No, I don't think you do." Her face showed confusion. "I don't want to save it because it's 'new and cool'. I want to save it for the same reason a person who joins the fire department kicks down the door of a burning building to get at those trapped inside: I want to save them because they're in trouble and need help."
"Oh my gosh, that sounds so heroic!" She did an excited little hop. "That will make a perfect addition to my documentary!"
"Documentary?? "
"Oh yeah! I've been going around interviewing the locals on you! You would not believe what- oh wait, I guess maybe you would. Is it true that you slew a Dragon using a bolt of lightning?!" I facepalmed. Of all the things I could have expected of my world, I had hoped this would not be one of them. I just hope she doesn't start going through my my clothing...
"Dear, why don't you let me talk to her?" My mother volunteered. She turned to the fangirl. "I'm his mother, miss. If you have any questions about him growing up I can probably tell you all you need to know, and besides, Jacob is awfully busy right now." If it were possible, Fangirl's face lit up even more and she said she'd get back to me later. My mother winked at me and told me to, above all things, be careful. I replied that I would and then mom turned to the fan and asked where she wanted to start.
I left and once again began to seek out an empty area to practice in. It would take me most of the day.
__ __ __ __ __
Pinkie Pie was more busy than she had ever been before in her entire life! As soon as she found out that there were ponies going hungry in Canterlot due to food distribution not being efficient enough she volunteered to help and began going from one location to another with almost light-quickness. Within only three hours of work she began to feel worn out like she never had before and fed herself one of her super-sugary cupcakes. The feeling of being tired disappeared almost immediately and she began to hop about at nearly triple her normal speed. Now she had absolutely no problem keeping pace with the hungry mouths that came her way and she grinned with pink-stained teeth at all who came.
When the tide finally slowed later in the evening Twilight came by to visit and see if she needed any help. Talking in an overly-fast manner Pinkie said that she was doing fine but appreciated the offer.
"What about the others? Where are they?" In continued turbo-speak Pinkie said that Rainbow Dash along with several other Pegasi were doing scouting-duty for the Humans so that if the Dragons decided to come early they'd have a better warning. Twilight could understand why when so far that she'd seen none of the Human's flying machines could move as quickly as a Pegasus in a hurry.
Applejack was keeping an eye the children whose parents had allowed them to still play outside the city along with Fluttershy. Rarity was in the palace, but Pinkie didn't know what she was doing. Trixie was still staying in the general vicinity of the other Humans in charge of looking after the machinery, but now she was wearing a different set of clothing that had been given to her by a family of Humans that had decided to visit and see the capital before the fight. Now she was wearing a red shirt and a blue 'pair of jeans'.
"Whatever those are!" Pinkie said cheerfully as she handed out another bowl of glazed hay.
"Have you seen Princess Luna at all today?" Twilight asked. Pinkie shook her head. "Well I hope she gets here again soon, or else it may be too late to come back."
"Dont'cha worry about the royal sisters, Twilight! I'm sure there's a good reason why Luna's not back yet!"
"I hope you're right, Pinkie.
__ __ __ __ __
Pinkie Pie was in fact, correct. Luna and her sister had a plan in mind to hopefully throw off the coming force' confidence by waiting until the city was under full assault, and then she would transport both herself and a two dozen of the Human's flying war machines known as 'attack choppers' behind them whilst still in the air and would unleash their fury upon them. Luna could not help but feel satisfaction at the image of those trying to destroy her home being destroyed instead. An echo of the Nightmare whispered to her.
"With this power...all of this world could be yours! "
"But at a terrible price of blood and family. I will not let ambition and bitterness rule me again." The echo became silent and Luna smiled. No. Never again. Tia, I await your signal.
__ __ __ __ __
Travis sighed. As he had thought, Jacob never had called him back before leaving, but he was not angry with him. Rather, he was angry at himself for not going to the UK himself. What was the point of being someone's best friend when in their darkest hour you sat on your butt and did nothing to help? Sure, he had spread the word on Headbook and several hundred people had posted that they'd try to help in one way or another, but this did not satisfy him. Travis toyed with the idea of getting up form his couch and going now, but even if he did go, of what use would he be? I'm not big, I'm not strong, I've never fired a gun, and I sure as heck can't use magic. I'm just the manager of a clothing store! Travis threw his empty soda can across the room. It smacked into a wall and bounced off, splashing the last few drops out of it onto his carpet, staining it. He didn't care.
A knock came to his door and he yelled for them to go away. But they did not. Another knock, more insistent, came against his door and he went to see who it was through the glass peep hole. It was his neighbor. He was holding an open laptop computer.
"Let me in! I think you'll want to see this!" Sighing, Travis let him and his computer in.
"What is it, Frank? Can't this wait?" Frank pushed past Travis and set the laptop down on the table in the kitchen and plugged the power cord into the wall. A moment later he maximized a window and spoke at his computer. A face popped up in the window and said that 'he could hear him just fine'.
"Okay Travis, come here!" Frank insisted. Travis did so and waved at the laptop.
"Sup?"
"This is a live video feed from that other world! One of the soldiers that went over from our world is sending this over."
"Say what?!" Travis pushed Frank out of the way and stared at the face on the other side. "How?!"
"We set up a portable communications machine here and it's transmitting through the open gateway. Care to see some video footage we've taken of Canterlot and the surrounding area?" The soldier was grinning. "It's like a paradise for us mortals to walk through. It's a shame what's going to start tomorrow." His grin faded.
"Heck yeah! Email them it me!"
Thirty minutes later the footage went viral.
__ __ __ __ __
The queen of the Griffons flew ahead of her battle flock. She would not be taking part in the fight herself unless absolutely necessary, and she doubted that it would be. First the Dragons would come from one side and draw most of the attention to them. Then the Diamond Dogs would begin to sink the cit's buildings and then once confusion had run through both the city and its defenders her and hers would swoop in and begin tearing them all apart from behind. Drahgov had insisted that some of each breed be kept alive, but with the buildings to be sunk along with their inhabitants she figured that the Diamond Dogs would do that well enough on their own, leaving her people to butcher at will.
Most of those that been ordered to come were soldiers, but a number of those that flew out front behind her were made up of those of her nation that were poorest or were dying from an incurable disease. Also, most of those had volunteered for the task of being front-lines fodder. It made her part in this fight that much easier if the weak and dying thought themselves as heroes for a cause rather than simply being ordered to go.
But unknown to Drahgov she intended to wait until the Dragons were in the thick of it before she arrived and became involved. If she played her cards right her people could, once the Equestrians were dealt with also finish off the majority of the Dragon race and claim their lands and wealth as well, thereby improving her people's opinion of her, and getting rid of an ambitions enemy.
^ ^ ^ ^ ^
I set the small island's worth of dirt back down into the crater I'd pulled it up from and wiped sweat from my forehead. I'd lifted it with Telekinetic power rather than trying to manipulate earth because I knew Telekinises better than earth manipulation and found that there was indeed a significant difference between what I could do before and what I could do now in terms of raw power. When I'd uprooted the dirt island I had been standing on top of it. I tried it purely for the sake of seeing if I could do it, and felt a bit of boyish glee as it and I rose from the ground and left the surface behind. I carried it all the way up past the remains of the palace towers and waved at a few servants that had stopped to gawk at my antics, and then made one full circuit around it. Halfway through I began to pant lightly and later began to sweat when I'd returned to my original starting point.
Once on the ground again I found five Humans dressed in black suits waiting for me. I tried to greet them but they did not respond, so I decided to ignore them and continue practicing, once more deciding to try imbuing my body with strength like I had in my contest with the guards. I waited until I felt the tingle of energy all over, and then crouched to prepare for a sprint, then I stopped and removed my socks and shoes first. It would suck if I destroyed my shoes. I set them to one side. I resumed my stance and then broke into a run. From my first step I was throwing myself forward as if from a air canon. Each footstep packed the earth beneath me more than an inch into the ground and I found myself whooping with joy...right up until I swallowed a bug for having my mouth open, then I lost focus and tripped over a rock and fell into a tumble that bounced me unpleasantly along until I remembered that I could use magic and I lifted myself by my clothes up into the air. It had been the first thing to come to mind, and I was pleasantly surprised when it worked. Woah, I can do this?! This had not halted my momentum however, and I still flew forward until I stopped myself. I instantly wished I had not, because when I had stopped I felt as if I'd crashed into something. Forgot about the sudden stop statement! The sudden stop statement being 'it's not the fall that kills you, it's the sudden stop.' I'll have to remember that too. Now I understand why wizards had spell-books. They weren't to help keep track of spells, they were notes to self about what not to do and why! I strongly considered doing the same as I righted myself and set down on the ground to walk back.
I had taken six steps and then decided to fly back for the fun of it instead. I did not go fast, and I did not lift off high, only a few inches so that I'd not be on the ground. It felt weird, and my underpants were giving me a wedgie, but at least I now knew that I could get away from the ground if need be. So long as my clothes didn't rip, that was. I need to get some jeans and something more sturdy than a cotton shirt if I'm going to be doing this often, though. If what I wore were to suddenly tear up in midair I'd be screwed!
The people in black suits still stood silently and watched when I got back to where I had started, but one of them was now walking towards me. I waited for him or perhaps her to reach me, and then once again said hello. This time I got a reply, but it was not what I had been expecting. The person turned out to be a woman in her fifties. She flashed a wallet with an identification card at me briefly, but I did not have a chance to read what it said.
"National security. Britain. Those others are from several other countries as well. We'd like to ask you a few questions."
"I'm sure you would, but as you can see I'm busy-"
"And there might not come a time that we can do this later. Especially if you get yourself killed tomorrow." The other four joined the first woman. Some of them were men, and others, like the first, were women. "We don't have time to dance words, so for everyone's benefit I'll speak plainly and to the point."
Half an hour of questioning from her later the agent from the USA began to ask me questions as well. He started by saying that most of his had already been answered by the first woman and that he only had five for me. Two of them were questions that I had refused to answer from the British woman for one reason or another. I asked him why he thought I would answer them for him if I had not answered them for her.
The questions that I refused to answer were what the source of my magic was, and where my ancestor's journal was. The journal's location was in my room in my backpack. Given what had almost happened the last time someone had found and read it I had no intention of simply telling them where to find it.
The agent frowned.
"Son, I don't think you understand the effect that this information could have if it fell into the wrong hands."
"I understand perfectly well, agent, perhaps better even, than you do. That is precisely why I have no intention of sharing this information with you. It seems every other time I check the news that some important information has been leaked from somewhere. The safest way to keep a secret is not to share it with anyone. I don't care who asks or from what country, I'm not telling." I turned away and started walking away from them and the lot of them frowned this time. Perhaps I should bury my staff when this war is over. It won't stop someone form finding out about it eventually on their own, but it might delay it awhile. On that note, I should probably go find Trixie again and tell her not to tell them either. She's probably smart enough to know better, but if she starts using with the horn in hand as it is she won't have to say a word. The agents might have thought I was just being selfish, but I could live with that so long as it kept that locals safe from those that were like my ancestor and would kill the innocent for power.
It was night now. If we weren't ready by now, we probably never would be. A number of tanks were positioned outside the city, three choppers were patrolling the city from the air, and soldiers of both worlds were positioned all along the perimeter of the city.
Trixie had indeed proved to be clever and had tied the horn to one of her arms beneath a jacket that someone else had given her. She could still use magic because it was in contact with her bare skin, and the source was hidden. I complimented her on it and she smiled, looking proud of herself. I yawned and a second later she did too. I had been up for longer than I probably should have been and now I needed sleep if I was going to be of any help tomorrow. I wished her a good night and headed back for the palace. Trixie came along too. As with before, when we arrived at my room I gathered my pajamas before lying down, but then decided to have a bath first. I entered the room and stripped, looking for my soap after I tossed my dirty clothes onto a towel wardrobe. I found it where I had left it before and nodded and pulled a lever next to the metal tub in the center of the room. Indoor plumbing. Gotta love it. The water was cold, but after retrieving my staff from the actual bed room, I heated it with magic by drawing heat from the fireplace. A servant had started a fire in it earlier while we were still out on in the town. Trixie watched me, but I ignored her this time around. She's already seen me naked once, and her people normally go around without clothes anyway, so like she said before, who cares? Once the water was at the temperature that I wanted I set the staff down on the floor by the towel closet and walked up the steps and stepped into my bath, letting out a sigh of pleasure as I sat down. The water only came up to my chest even while sitting, but that was fine.
Long and boring story made short I sat in the water for longer than was needed and then as it began to cool off I washed myself, pulled out the plug to drain the water, and then got out. Feeling cleaner and much better I headed for the towel wardrobe to get a towel, dried myself and the floor where I stepped, and then tossed it into a opening in the wall that was labeled as 'laundry chute'. I took another and was still toweling off my hair when Trixie randomly walked in and filled the tub for herself. She used the same method I had for heating it (using my staff too as she'd left her horn in the other room) and then started stripping before I'd left. Not wanting to see anything I grabbed my things (minus the soap) and left her alone in the room. Unfortunately someone else was in our room now.
“Well, well, well! I had wondered how long it would take for me to see you like that!” I froze with my towel still on my head and covering most of my face. I knew that voice. Oh horse manure! It's her again. I tugged the towel off my head to see her again, grinning ear to ear at me. I wrapped the towel around my midsection, and she laughed.
“All the Humans here now that you could pursue, and you're still coming after me, why?” It was the creepy servant again. Her main body was reddish-brown, her mane and tail a golden color, and her cutie mark was- A saddle? I don't think I want to know. I knew that a cutie mark represented that which they were best at, and though I tried to not analyze this, for a brief moment the thought of the fact that her mark was a saddle of all things could have either meant that either she was good at making saddles, or else- Please mind, don't go there! - that she was good at being ridden, which could also have a double meaning. A double meaning that I really did not feel like picturing and struggled to avert by thinking about the bed frame, which did not help in the slightest as that only shifted the location for the pictured reason. Oh dear lord, I did not need that image! I had to admit that she was cute, but cute and attractive were two different things, and I was only attracted to my own species.
“Well let's see,” She said, making a mock-thoughtful expression. “You're tall, you're strong, you're a figure of influence,” She began a slow walk towards me with a mischievous smile on her face. “you can use magic, you're inventive, hardy...” she passed me and walked behind me, eying me for a moment from behind before coming around the other side of me. “you're from another world, and to top it off you smell good whether you're clean or not. That's why.” I sighed and face-palmed as she came to a stop directly in front of me and looked up. Hoping to change the topic of discussion I asked why she was here.
“To ensure that your fire has plenty of fuel. Although...” Her smile widened and her eyes closed halfway. “I know another method of staying warm on cold nights.” she rubbed one of my still-damp legs with one of hers. I'll bet you do. I thought, rolling my eyes. “The fire is fine, and I don't think that your...assistance...will be necessary.”
“Hey Jacob!” Trixie called from the bathroom. “My arms are too short to reach all of my back! Come in here and help me!” I face-palmed. One awkward situation after another. Somebody out there hates me. At least my parents aren't here to see this! For a few seconds I dreaded them actually showing up, but they did not. I removed my hand and looked down at the servant.
“Would you mind helping her? I um...” I shuffled nervously. “it isn't proper for me to enter the bathroom while a female is bathing.” My face reddened a bit.
“Aww, how cute! You're shy! Don't worry, I've got you covered.” She winked and went into the bathroom. I shivered and hurriedly finished toweling myself off and began pulling on my clothes. To my relief I finished before she came back in. She looked a little disappointed, but didn't say anything in regards to it. “Well, the girl is content now, and if you're sure that everything is satisfactory then I suppose I should be going.” She toned it like a question.
“You've been most helpful. Good night miss...?”
“Rosa. Golden Rosa. Sleep well, handsome!” She winked again and left, walking slowly and swaying her flank a bit. I suppose that another pony would have found her provocative, but I was not a pony. I shut the door when she was through it and yawned. As with before I laid down on the carpeting and went to sleep.
__ __ __ __ __
Celestia leaned away from the door once Jacob had stopped explaining the true story to his parents and nodded. She was not quite satisfied, but at least not creeped out anymore. He had not revealed where the Melinda had gotten the horn, from, but really if it was going to be taken better that is be in his hands than another's. Celestia lightly walked away from his room so that he would not realize that she had stayed and then made her way back to her own room. On the way she was passed by several of her own people, who bowed as she passed, and several armed Human, who did not bow but instead performed salutes as they passed, not stopping to do so.
Celestia retired to her chamber for the first time in a week and spent the remaining hours sleeping. She had informed a personal servant earlier to light one of the tall and fat candles upon her arrival, and to reawaken her once it had burned all the way down. Sweet oblivion at last, if only for a few hours...
Ugh, filler Chapter. but at least it passes the time in between now and the finished chapter. Actually, I have a confession to make: I already have the next chapter done! :)
And now for a rather fitting captioned picture for the next chapter (link):
http://memegenerator.net/instance/11949972
Chapter 18
Dawn came with no sign of any hostiles. As did mid-day, and late afternoon as well. This being the last day everyone and everypony was high-strung and on edge. The slightest sound would make them jump or point a weapon (with the safety on, of course) at it, followed by a sigh of relief when they discovered the actual source. Though the candle had already burned down in Celestia's room, the servant continued to let her sleep with a smile on her face, and instead it was Luna that set the moon and later lifted the sun, which she had no problem with as she suspected that her sister might need rest.
Children were not permitted to play today and were kept inside the city limits, much to their displeasure. They had made many friends with the children of fellow refugees and they very much wanted to spend time with them again today as well, but their relatives were adamant about it.
The Pegasi that were on scouting duty reported back that there was still no sign of any Draconic nor Griffon threat within sight every fifteen minutes, and still tension mounted. When would they come? From where? Would they really wait for the last day to pass without gathering outside the city to assault it? That and many other questions, including the debate on where they could run to now that they had been effectively trapped in this one place should the confrontation go awry. The answer was simple: nowhere except to Earth, and that would only be a temporary victory as weather patterns and the rising and setting of the sun and moon slowed and fell into chaos without the ponies to maintain it. In time weather on Earth would become chaotic as well, and then they would be forced to return or die along with the Human race.
Evening came and went, and night as well with no sign of their enemies. And then, at the stroke of three o'clock in the morning one Pegasus dressed in a blue outfit with yellow lightning bolts on it reported that the enemy had been spotted...
^ ^ ^ ^ ^
I was jolted awake to the sound of a siren alarm that had been set up both in Canterlot proper and outside the palace's remains screaming. Trixie let out a scream herself at the sudden racket and covered her ears. Knowing what this meant I quickly changed into daytime clothing and grabbed my staff from where I had left it and the pistol. On a whim I also decided to add my cape to my outfit and then dashed out of the room with Trixie close behind. While we ran I strapped the gun to my leg and joined a rush of guards that were making their way to their posts. I looked out of the first window I came to but saw nothing. If not for the alarm I would have thought that all was well. Not that I could have seen much anyway as it was still dark out even with a full moon shining bright. I could hear, though. There were multiple shouts echoing up from the city and engines of vehicles and a few generators were being starting. Eight flood lights that had been brought in were switched on and began searching the sky for the first close-sighting of our enemies. I turned away from the window.
“Are they here?” Trixie asked. I shook my head.
“Not yet. Trixie, I think you should stay here.” Trixie frowned.
“I told you before, I may look like a kid, but I'm not! I have a lot more experience than you do with magic, so if anyone is going to stay here it should be you! She pointed up at me.
“I'm not going to win this one, am I?” She shook her head, still frowning.
“I didn't think so. Let's go teach them a lesson then, shall we?” I turned away from her and followed the guards assigned to protecting the bridge.
I did not stay with the bridge guards, but crossed the bridge and headed for the city were most of my people were stationed, as did Trixie. Amongst the guards were several Unicorns whom I assumed would be lending support in the manner of creating shields to block the fire and healing injuries. One of them glanced at me for a moment and then returned to scanning the night-covered lands ahead. Still nothing to be seen.
Once across the bridge we made for the steps and followed them down to the city. We had just reached the wall separating the rich district from the middle class and poor when several flares were fired into the air outside the city limits. The alarms were suddenly turned off and yells and screams from various voices echoed through the city.
“They're coming!” One voice amongst the others warned from the roof of a building above me. I looked up and saw a man with the same model of sniper-rifle that I'd used holding an odd pair of binoculars that I assumed had night-vision. From where I stood there were too many tall buildings in the way for me to see much of anything- Which is probably why he got up on top of that building. – so I called up to him asking how far away they were. “Still too far away to shoot with hopes of hitting. Hey, you're that guy that killed two Dragons already, right?”
“Yeah, why?”
“How did you do it? What's their weak points?”
“The first Dragon I shocked with a bolt of lightning, and the second I shot through the eye while it was asleep.”
“....That's not very helpful.”
“Well excuse me for not being Sir Lancelot, I was just trying to survive! If you want something more useful then try aiming at their wings if they have any, or the head. Shooting something in the head usually kills it.”
Our conversation ended when a collective roar filled the air and shook the ground. Windows rattled, civilians screamed and ran to get off the streets, and adrenaline surged through me as my own instincts screamed at me to run for the hills. My knuckles turned white as I froze in place, shivering in fear. What am I doing here?! RUN RUN RUN! But I didn't. I []couldn't I was petrified. I was woken back to reality by a slap to the face from Trixie.
“Hey! We're all scared, but you can't show that to the ponies and people around you! You're supposed to be a Hero, remember? Heroes don't get scared!” Only a fool or the dead never get scared! But she's right. I can't show it. I took a shuddered breath and then straightened and with effort wiped the fear from my face to be replaced with grim determination. With a deep breath and Trixie watching me I took a step forward, then another, and another. The walk turned into a jog, and form a jog to a run. I ran through the rest of the rich district and entered the middle class and then headed through alleyways and across tiny yards until I reached the outside of the city. I dodged through some panicked ponies and jumped over others with Trixie close behind run up until we reached the edge of town, where there was no one save for a few soldiers on the rooftops. The roar ended ended just a few moments before we arrived and now a single Dragon was winging its way towards the city. The soldiers leveled their weapons at it, but it was not flying in our direction. It flew towards the palace and Celestia. It roared again and the city became silent.
“Celestia, I gave you a week to surrender your nation to us but you have decided to wage war instead. I offer you one last chance now to give up. If you do so then I shall spare your foolish allies' and allow them to leave with their lives. If you do not, I will-” A single gunshot rang out in the otherwise silent city and the Dragon that I now knew to be Drahngov suddenly screech-roared and began to lose altitude. A single voice yelled through a speaker that had been set up somewhere in the town as well as blared over any walkie talkies that were currently on. I assumed it was on the same pole that the siren speakers had been mounted on.
“Or, how about you shut the hell up and fly back home before we decide to toss your scaly ass on a barbeque grill?! You might have been the biggest and baddest predators before we got here, but there's a new race at the top of the food chain now, and we aren't just going to let you take this city without a fight!” Now a roar came from Canterlot: the collective roar of the city's guards and over a thousand Humans.
“Fools!” He bellowed back. “You shall beg for mercy before this is over!” Drahgov turned and flew as best he could back to his gathered Dragons and commanded them to begin the assault. I gripped my staff and waited, preparing to shield the defenders from the fire that would eventually begin raining down on us.
This rain of fire did not actually come for quite some time. First came a rain of injured Dragons as the longer-ranged weaponry damaged their wings or even occasionally slew them in midair (though them dying only happened about twenty times before the mid-ranged weaponry and pony-rockets began being launched). A few of the faster ones began breaking from their version of a formation and flew higher above the rest so that they could still remain out of range while drawing closer. The rest halved their altitude and spread out so that if (and for a lot of them, when) they lost their ability to fly they would not be hurt as much from a forced landing and could keep coming. As soon as they came within range what few tanks there were began firing at will. Flares were launched and the ground and everything on and above was bathed in red light. For a spectator it might seem that already the world as they knew it had already been bathed in blood.
As soon as they were within range artificial thunder and muffled shouted challenges blocked out all other sounds. Dozens of Dragons dropped from the air and still onward they came, teeth and claws glinting in the artificial light. It might have been seconds, minutes, or perhaps hours before the first of them were able to attain the range to successfully engage the first of the defenders. Humans and ponies alike dove for cover as the fire fell among them.
I raised my arms and redirected the flames from the six Dragons that closed on us and the men and women shooting around us so that they'd go back at their source but other than keeping us alive my efforts had no effect. Other areas were not so lucky and screams of agony occasionally broke through the sound of gunfire.
Pegasi leaped into the air with their weapons of choice ready and began to attack the few flying Dragons that had made it to the city once they stopped breathing fire. Most of them (the Dragons) had broken off from the main group and instead flew to attack the palace while the rest of their brethren assaulted us, which was less defended by weaponry. Their efforts failed when their flames and bodies were stopped by a barrier that Celestia herself erected. The Dragons raged at this and continued trying to break through it over there, but in the meantime the Dragons that had been forced to the ground had arrived and had ripped apart what tanks there had been.
The helicopters fared much better and shredded anything that came near them.
As I observed the carnage and deflected more fire I frowned. I had thought that this would be a complete slaughter! It seemed that Dragon hide had grown much thicker since the Dark Ages, and that was a problem for us. Another thing that concerned me what that I had yet to see any of the snake-like Dragons like the one that had come when Twilight had been kidnapped. Are they really so rare that only one of existed and we killed it? I find that hard to belie- The ground suddenly shook beneath us and I, along with Trixie and a soldier that looked like a medic looked at the cobblestones beneath our feet. After a few seconds it stopped.
“What was that?” Trixie asked. The ground had been vibrating ever since the gunfire had started, but this was different. This felt...deeper, somehow. Then it came again, harder this time. A cracking sound came from behind us and after making sure that nothing was coming our way directly I turned to see something that made no sense to me: The three houses that we stood behind were sinking into the ground like a rock through into quicksand. They kept sinking until they were more than a foot beneath regular ground level, and then they stopped.
“What the hell?!” The medic yelled, finally drawing the attention of the soldiers around us. They too, stared at the buildings that had once stood behind us.
What could have caused this? Surely that little rumble wasn't caused by an earthquake, and even if it had been, why would the buildings alone sink and not the streets?
__ __ __ __ __
All across Canterlot various buildings varying from houses to businesses began to sink into the earth below them. Those inside often were torn between going outside into the hell that awaited them in the streets and the terrifying prospect of being buried alive, normally too long for them to actually escape their houses. The various beings using them as higher ground were shocked to find that their 'higher ground' was now under the ground , and with no idea as to how this could be.
This sudden and unexpected turn of events caused a mixture of panic and confusion, which given the circumstances (though really when is panic and confusion ever a good thing?) was very bad. Ponies began to panic and ran to and fro, though there was really nowhere for them to go. People and ponies alike were trampled trying to find a place of safety where there was none to be found.
__ __ __ __ __
Celestia saw the chaos that her city was falling into and signaled her sister to come using the method that she'd described in her letter to Luna the previous day: She raised both the sun and the moon to sit high in the sky at the same time, both of them shining as if it were their own individual times in the sky. This occasionally happened on Earth, but never with the moon actually shining with its own light, because in Earth's world, the moon had no light of its own. Here this was not the case, and it was unmistakeable, for it had never happened before. For a brief moment the Dragons faltered, suspecting some new trick, and they were not wrong. Luna appeared behind them, the Human's flying weapons already unleashing their fury on them. Their targets first at those that were on the ground, felling them like a lawn mower cuts weeds, though with a lot more roars of pain and brief fountains of blood before they died.
Luna suppressed a shudder of revulsion at one of the grins of pleasure she saw on the face of one of the pilots and informed them that she'd be going on ahead of them to deal with the Dragons that were above and within the city itself. She received a 'thumbs up' and Luna took that to be a unspoken sign that she was understood. Using her power, she warped into the city and began pursuing one of the smaller (and younger) Dragons that was setting fire to the streets. It did not notice her and using telekinetic concentration pulled its wings out of joint. The Dragon youth yelped and dropped like a rock towards the streets below. His head smashed into the streets below, which caved from the impact and revealed a few startled Diamond Dogs underneath. Luna stared at them, and they ran down a tunnel and disappeared form view.
“Diamond Dogs? Why are they-” It was then that Luna took better notice of the city that she was flying over and saw that many of the structures that had once stood were no longer in sight and others closer to the palace were also starting to sink below the ground. “They're sinking our city!” Luna dove for the ground where a fifteen of Earth ponies were busy reloading a rocket silos and firing them at the grounded Dragons that had not yet been killed by the choppers. In another ten twenty seconds they would be deciding on whether to fight them directly or to run away. Luna made that decision for them and levitated the remaining six rockets they had into the air and lit them herself. The Earth ponies turned in confusion and then bowed to her when they realized whom it was. “Gather thine weapons and follow me! The Diamond Dogs art sinking our city! We must stop them! Gather up any others that thee can find within three minutes, and then follow me!” Luna waited where she stood for three minutes. When thirty Earth ponies, two Pegasi and four Humans came back she led them to the hole where the Dragon had crashed into the dug out tunnels below and led then inside in pursuit.
When the tunnel she led them down split several times her forces divided as evenly as possible and kept on running. Luna and two Earth ponies continued to go straight, always straight. As the groups went along they would find sunken building after building. In some were frightened ponies and sometimes a few Humans as well, most of them armed with hunting weapons if they were armed at all. The farther along they went their numbers swelled. Most left back the way their 'rescuers' had come with the intent to climb out again, but most of the poor and middle class ponies were very irate at having their homes buried and came along with for a moderate amount of revenge. They found very few of the rich class until they came to the stone wall that separated the rich districts from the poor, and then the various groups ran into one another again. They ran up and down the walls searching for a way in and did indeed find several, but all of them went down underneath the wall. Some of the pursuers threw themselves into the holes and crawled under and then climbed up onto the other side. Luna found this method to be rather inefficient and used her magic to cut a new door through it into which the others poured through as if there were a fire behind them. Here the ground was mostly solid rock, but the Dogs had dug down underneath it looking for weaknesses in the stone. It was here that they were caught red-pawed with various digging tools for where their own paws would not suffice for the job and a few even had a few sticks of dynamite that were being shoved into cracks they'd made in the bedrock that had proven too sturdy for their tools to break as well.
“Hey! Bad Dogs!! Sit!” One of the children yelled at them from the front of their group. The adults looked at the child and some started laughing at the absurdity of it. The Diamond Dogs on the other hand, a little less than three hundred, turned from their task and reacted in different ways. Some of them growled threateningly, others whimpered at being called 'bad' and sat down as they'd been told, and the more burly ones hefted their tools as weapons and readied to defend themselves. Those that came with Luna did the same (with the exception of those unarmed. Those ones retreated behind the others.) But the number of Diamond Dogs that looked ready to fight was a much smaller number than the others, and Luna gave them a chance to surrender. The Dogs looked at one another first, and then looked at a much smaller group of Diamond Dogs that stood near the rear. They looked nervous.
“I promise that thee shalt not be harmed if thee surrender so long as thee promise to restore our city once this war hath ended.” The group looked at one another and discussed this briefly, and then they stopped and looked at Luna and nodded. “Lower thine weapons, Ponies and People. There shalt not be Dog blood spilled in this place today. Bind their paws and let us return to the surface and rejoin the fight.” Those with her nodded, but halfway back to the way they had come in froze when a loud hiss drew their attention to a rather large hole that led to the west and away (according to Luna) from the city. One of the Humans that had come down with her from the start and one of the earth ponies crept towards it and took a few steps inward, the Human shining a light-creating device into it. At first they were not sure what it was they saw. What it appeared to be was fog, but fog in an underground tunnel recently dug made no sense. The hiss came again, louder this time, and then the two of them were cooked alive in a jet of steam and their remains crushed as the a serpentine Dragon (also known as a Sea-Serpent) slithered over top of them, followed by several others.
__ __ __ __ __
The Griffon Queen observed the spectacle of the mixed-massacre. On one hand much of the city was either on fire or was now underground with various charred bodies littering the ground, and on the other the Dragons that were grounded and had reached the city were beginning to pile up in a loose line outside the city. It seemed the closer they got to it, the more effective this thundering weaponry that the pony's allies used became.
When the battle had first begun it seemed that the Dragons would be butchered as they fell from the sky to the ground, but apparently most the weapons that were being used had not been intended for killing something such as the Dragon race. For a time the odd fireworks that they used had dealt quite a bit of damage, but once the Dragons spread out the blasts became less effective and would only kill the creature that it struck. Still an impressive feat in itself, but sometimes their shots missed as well and were wasted.
Most of the Dragons that were still in flight were above and around the city fighting the Pegasi and trying to stop the noisy flying machines that had appeared seemingly out of nowhere to assault those that had been forced to the ground. A number of the flying machines had ceased making the buzzing sound a few minutes or so ago and had flown away from the fight, leaving cutting their numbers from twenty four down to eleven. Even as she made this observation another turned and flew away. Why are they leaving, I wonder? Perhaps this weaponry they bring has a limit to how long it can be used? That would prove to be a very large weakness indeed! She had sent a few of her number to follow these flying machines that had left. One of them had come back saying that they had landed next to a large dark-colored wagon parked by an abandoned farmhouse a few miles away where the two-legged race were carrying something from the wagon over to the flying machines. Perhaps that is their source of ammunition for the buzzing weapon they're using? The queen had no intention of letting an opportunity to cripple what seemed to be the most effective weapon they'd brought that was still functioning and sent forty of her battle flock to kill those at the resupply site and dispose of or hide whatever had been inside the wagon. Once the flying machines have run out of ammunition for the last time I will begin my own assault. She scanned the fight again and briefly wondered what had become of Drahngov. She could not see him anywhere even with the better light given off by both the sun and the moon.
^ ^ ^ ^ ^
I lifted an abandoned spear that was lying on the ground and launched it with magic at an adolescent Dragon that dove at us. It rolled to one side and kept coming, a smirk on its face and fire leaking around the gaps in its teeth.
We had begun to retreat when the grounded Dragons had arrived at the city's outer limits. We had nearly halved their numbers, but still onward they came, and it had not helped that we had more of them swooping above our heads. With Trixie's help I had managed to keep the soldiers that had stayed with us alive, but we were far from invincible and things were getting hotter with each passing minute both literally and figuratively speaking. If not for most of the buildings no longer being above ground it probably would have been quite a bit hotter.
One of the soldiers tossed me a grenade and told me to feed the it something spicy. I guessed at her meaning and pulled the pin on the grenade and sent it into the Dragon's mouth when it opened it to try roasting us. The Dragon chocked on it for a few seconds, and then its neck exploded, showering the area below it with blood and bits of flesh and bone. The body hit the ground a few seconds later.
“Great idea!” I yelled to her. She nodded and we kept heading towards the rich district followed or sometimes passed by civilians, the defending ponies and soldiers alike. It had taken much more ammunition to kill the larger Dragons than any of us had imagined and now with the largest of the ammo depots burned and many of the caches that had been stored in buildings now buried we now had a significant deficit of bullets and other projectiles. This was not to say that we had nothing to fight back with, but the second-largest ammo-storage site was inside the palace and we'd have to get there or else have someone teleport it to us before we could restock, and right now everyone that could do that was busy with something or someone else.
“Jacob! On your right!” Trixie yelled from the back of one of the soldiers. (She had been slowing us down so one of the other soldiers volunteered to carry her. Nice guy. Knew a bunch of funny jokes.) I looked to my right and saw a Unicorn being picked up from behind. He screamed for help but none of those around him had any weapons except for us. I broke away from our group and ran for him, pointing a finger at the Dragon's neck. There was a sickening crack and the Dragon's claws as well as its body went limp. I held the Dragon long enough for the Unicorn to get out from under it, and then flung the body on top of a sunken building where it would be out of the way and then joined his group rather than rejoining mine.
“Lighthand!” He gasped (for breath, not at seeing me). I did not recognize him, but nodded. “Thank you! I thought I was going to die!”
“We may still!” I replied. “Keep running!” He nodded and focused on the ground ahead of him.
Eventually we reached one of the gates that led into the Rich district, but they were locked from the other side, and barricaded. Apparently the rich living in that area had sealed off the city under the foolish belief that the their walls would stop keep the Dragons on the ground out. All they were doing was assuring that we would die first.
“What the hell!?” I shouted, my voice drowned out amongst the other voices begging or yelling angrily to be let in. I looked behind us to see more people and ponies fleeing the onslaught filing in behind them, and then turned and looked at the gates again. “EVERYPONY MOVE!!!” I yelled, using magic to amplify my voice. Heads turned and seeing me standing behind them with my staff glowing (it did not glow on its own when I used it, but for the sake of adding incentive to move I made it glow) Ponies and people alike backed up as best they could and I gathered my focus and pictured the gate blasting inward with the force of a wrecking ball. The gates were ripped from their hinges and the pile of stuff they had piled up behind it splintered and broke apart, the gates themselves a twisted and bent wreck when they landed. “GO!” I yelled again. The surge of bodies began anew and I ran for the next gate. One gate open alone would mean that some would live, but most would die.
Unfortunately I only had time to demolish a second gate before the ground-bound Dragons came within breathing-range and they stopped all in a line like Civil War soldiers and began inhaling. “Dear Maker- !” I raised my arms and drew on as much magic as my staff would allow me, forming yet another barrier and praying that the amount of energy this would probably cost me would not knock me out afterward: I was going to try and cover half a mile and save as many as I could while they made their escape.
__ __ __ __ __
“Now is our hour of glory, my people!” The queen yelled in a triumphant voice. “The ponies and their allies are trapped, the Dragons close upon them, no longer looking behind themselves, and what few Dragons, Pegasi, and two-leg machinery that yet remain airborne will soon be cut down by us! This day we rid ourselves of the only predators on this world that could ever pose a threat to us! This night, we claim two kingdoms in one assault and add them to our own!” A chorus of cheers, squawks, and other bird-sounds met her in reply. “Deal with the lizards first, for they are the greater threat, and then let us feast upon the weaker prey!” Another round of the same. “Strike!” The battle flock swept towards, and then by her, and finally she pursued them from the real with her personal guard hovering around her.
The first thing they struck were the Dragons that still flew in the sky. Their first-contact was silent and their new foes never knew what hit them, but once the Dragons began fighting back the sky was filled with lion-roars and eagle-shrieks intermixed with Dragon battle roars. The Pegasi, seeing yet more enemies, and these enemies were attacking both themselves and the Dragons, they decided that it was time to them to retreat as well and left the Dragons alone to fend for themselves. The Pegasi were pursued though, and they had not gone far before they were pulled back into combat again.
Rainbow Dash, seeing this from the ground picked up a weapon that had fallen with a slain Pegasi guard and flew up to join the fray, and she was quickly lost from view to any on the ground as she became just another form fighting in the skies above.
More of the Griffons dove down into the remains of the city and began attacking the Dragons and scattered groups of soldiers and Unicorns that had not had the chance to retreat towards the rich district and the palace, and still more flew down to the ground first to pick up small boulders and began carrying them towards the choppers from above with the intent of smashing them. A good portion of these birds were shot down by the choppers, but eventually some of them came within throwing distance and performed a flip and flung the small boulders at them, damaging the blades or outright smashing them until there were only three left, and those three turned and fled back towards Everfree forest. The Griffons that remained turned back to the city and joined their brothers and sisters.
^ ^ ^ ^ ^
I braced for the oncoming flames and then blinked in surprise when a large group of creatures that had both feathers and fur smashed into the Dragons from behind and above and the fire never came. The line of Dragons in front of me (and behind everyone or everypony else) lashed out at their attackers with both their claws and teeth, some having more success with it than others. In minutes they and the road they stood upon were covered with bloody feathers and dismembered limbs, and still more of the bird-things- (Those must be the Griffons! ) came at them. I looked behind me to see how the retreat was going. I was standing on the street outside the wall by myself. Yeah. Definitely time to leave! I spun around one hundred and eighty degrees, and fled through the remains of the gate. On the other side it was still fairly empty in the immediate area. Most of the ponies seemed to have had retreated indoors or were heading with the soldiers up to the palace steps. From what little I could see from here there as a huge crowd pushing their way up the steps, and most of them were Humans and armored ponies. Very few others seemed to want to head towards where a fight was still going on. Celestia was still maintaining her shield, and at least fifty if not more Dragons were assaulting her barrier with various methods. Every once in awhile one of them would fall to the ground and not get back up again and I assumed it had either been shot or impaled with something.
The noise on the other side of the wall had intensified, and against my better judgment I levitated myself into the air so that I could see over the top of the wall. The mutilated bodies of Griffons were all over the place and the Dragons that previously had intended to roast us were now burning the Griffons as they dove into the fray from above or attacked from behind. Several Dragons lay dead or dying here and there, their blood staining the ground and mingling with that of those that they themselves had killed, creating one slow river that pooled in the low spots and flowed down the incline that had been naturally created by the mountain's base. It was a gruesome sight that made me want to puke, but I had more pressing matter to concern myself with as three Griffons that had initially been heading for the Dragons changed course and careened towards me instead. I pictured a wall in front of them and all three of them were brought to a stop and fell to the ground, knocked silly. Others saw me and what I had done and also came after me. Why couldn't I have just minded my own business?! I groaned and prepared to defend myself once again. I reached into my pocket and pulled out my trusty lighter and flicked the starter.
__ __ __ __ __
Luna hurled sharp stones at the Serpent, but it did not even seem to faze the creature. If anything, it just made it mad, and that was not the worst of it; more were coming through other large tunnels. Everyone that had come along with her that were not guards (including the Humans) panicked and ran every which way trying to escape. Some ran into the sunken buildings, others ran towards the way they'd come in. Very few stood with the princess and awaited her command with discipline.
Luna had never fought these creatures before, but suspected that they, like every other creature, would be unable to breathe dirt, and she collapsed the ground above them down on top of the first one they'd encountered, trapping it on the other side, and due to the way they moved, effectively trapped it. Luna did the same for the second, but dropped a building that had not sunken like it should have down on its head, crushing its skull. A third was killed when one of the Humans that had fled into a building discovered one of the weapon caches and fired a RPG down its throat as it inhaled to steam-cook those that had run into the building. It's body burst like snake that had swallowed a large firecracker. Quickly the soldier grabbed a reload and used his radio to inform the others that this was an effective method of getting rid of them. The soldier crammed two more into his jacket, reloaded his main weapon, stuffed more ammo for it into his jacket's pockets, and then ran back out of the house again.
Slowly they were forced to retreat back towards the newer tunnels because the Diamond Dogs had not yet dug any large tunnels in that area and it would be easier to defend. When Luna and some others were once more in the room where they had caught the Diamond Dogs and Luna was sure that no one else would be coming other than the Steam-breathers she resealed the stone wall. It might not stop the Dragons, but it might fool them into believing that they were not there. Speaking quietly she asked a Diamond Dog if there was any other way out of the room. He replied in a squeaky voice that they had been working on another when they had been caught. Luna asked where and he pointed at a mound of explosives that had been somehow attached to the ceiling. “Just light fuse, and when it goes boom we get out!” He said proudly. “My pack are best stone-breakers in all world!” he boasted a little too loudly. A growl near the base of the stone wall made them all freeze, but it was too late: they had been found.
“Everyone come close to me.” Luna said quietly. “I'm shalt light it and then teleport us to the surface. Once there, run away!” Luna waited for the wall to crack under an assault and then made a flame on the end of the fuse. Once the fuse started hissing she transported them to the surface and like she had commanded everyone scattered and ran. Thirty seconds later the ground erupted upward and a shower of stones and dirt and dust came flew in all directions. Beneath the ground, the first Serpent that stuck its head into the room was killed from the concussive force. “Now rally!” She called to those that had scattered. “Rally to me!” They returned to her side and steeled themselves as another Steam Serpent pushed through the rubble and slithered out of the hole after them.
__ __ __ __ __
Fluttershy stepped out of the large room in the palace that the city's children were being watched over and went for a brief walk along with Applejack. Rarity was being an assistant to a medical team that were treating injured of both the Pony and Human races.
“How do you think that Rainbow Dash is doing?” Fluttershy asked Applejack. Applejack laughed.
“Knowing that filly, Ah'd say she's flyin' in circles round those big lizards and is makin' 'em regret ever havin' come here!”
“And Twilight?” Neither of them had seen Twilight since the day before, and the same went for Pinkie Pie.
“Don't you worry bout Twi, sugar cube! You saw what she did with that Ursa Minor back home when Trixie was in town. If anypony can handle themselves, it'd be our friends!”
The shrieks of eagles intermixed with the roars of lions broke their train of thought and together they ran out onto a balcony to see where it was coming from, then their mouths dropped as a swarm of Griffons began tearing into the numerous Dragons that had been attacking the palace.
“Wut in the werld?” Applejack wondered, shocked as the creatures that she had thought previously to be allies began slaughtering one another instead. Fluttershy whimpered and took a few steps back as four of the Griffons broke away from the main group and flew straight at them. Like common sparrows crashing into a glass door the Griffons splatted against the barrier and fell over backward. “Come on, Shy. Let's get back inside.” Fluttershy nodded and followed Applejack off the balcony.
__ __ __ __ __
Twilight ducked behind an abandoned overturned Human vehicle and prayed that she had not been spotted. She was still down in the city even after everyone else had pretty much left already for one reason or another. She had been helping the Earth ponies with one of their anti-flying-Dragon weapons when the buildings had started to sink and a potted plant vibrated off a second-story window sill and cracked her on the head and she'd been knocked out. When she came to again she was alone and most of the city's buildings had disappeared. She looked up to see the the three-way free-for-all that was going on between the Griffons, Dragons, and Pegasi, and even occasionally thought she saw a flash of the colors that marked one of the Pegasi as Rainbow Dash, but she did not dare call out to her and risk breaking her concentration. What the hay happened while I was out? Where'd all the buildings go? Where are all the soldiers that came to help us? And why are the Griffons fighting us and the Dragons? Twilight jumped at the sound of footsteps behind her. She turned in time to see a dark-skinned Human (although he could have just been burnt really badly) collapse behind her. She spun and took a the few steps that separated him from her.
“Um, are you alive?” Twilight asked, gently nudging him. He did not respond. Twilight gazed at him with pity. “I guess not.” Twilight looked him over, looking for any sign that she might be wrong. She rolled him over and then placed her ear next to his mouth. He's still breathing! But what should I do? I don't know enough about Humans to heal him! Twilight looked at Celestia's palace. She knew that there were Human doctors there, and decided that the best way to get him some help would be to take him there.
Twilight warped him and herself closer, but because her head hurt from the injury earlier she could not fully concentrate and they reappeared instead on the bridge just outside the barrier that Celestia had put up. Panicking at being suddenly very visible and very vulnerable to attack Twilight grabbed his shirt in her teeth and yanked him backward. His shirt, already weakened from fire, tore off in her mouth. She spit it out and tried again, this time grabbing at his collar. This tore as well, and now she'd been spotted, purple on white being a very visible distinction. A Griffon dove for her, talons out and beak open. Twilight readied a spell and launched it, but missed.
Seconds before it could crash into her Pinkie Pie came out of nowhere and tackled her to the ground. The Griffon passed over them, the talons closing on nothing. While it turned around Pinkie rolled off of Twilight and hauled her to her hooves and then assisted her in dragging the large man across the last few feet between the barrier and them. With one last hard tug they pulled the ends of his feet through and then fell back on their backs. The Griffon however, landed on the bridge and lashed out at the barrier to no avail.
“Thanks, Pinkie! I owe you!” Twilight said, gratitude written on her face.
“No problem, Twilight! I was looking for you anyways!” Twilight raised an eyebrow.
“Looking for me? Why?”
“Because princess Celestia is looking for us! She said she had an idea for stopping this war!” Twilight's face lit up.
“That's great! What's the plan?”Pinkie shrugged.
“No idea! But now I just need to go find Rainbow Dash! You haven't seen her by any chance, have you?” Twilight's eyes became wide and her gaze darted back to the sky-battle taking place.
“Oh no.”
^ ^ ^ ^ ^
“Is there no end to you things?!” I yelled as I lashed fire around like a whip at one Griffon after another. There were still some Dragons fighting, but most of the grounded ones were dead now, as were over two hundred Griffons lying around them. I myself had slain twenty seven of them and injured a few others that had decided to take their chances elsewhere after I'd singed a wing or a leg or some other body part, but a teaspoon from a five gallon bucket isn't very much taken. I had landed not long after my third kill to conserve energy, and with my output upped by the Alicorn horn my energy seemed slow to drain, but I could feel it starting to creep in.
Two of them came at me from opposite sides. I let them get close, and then teleported a short distance away so they'd crash into each other, which they did. I then roasted them and began at last to retreat for the steps up to Celstia's palace. I had to stop once in awhile to fight, but eventually I came across a sight that made me stop in wonder: Luna in battle. Like Thanatos her horn blazed like a star and her mane, which had glittered like stars against a night sky was still in constant motion as her sister's was, but the dimly twinkling stars that seemed to be in it glowed bright like they were all going super-nova at the same time. She and several ponies and one Human were fighting against the Serpent-Dragons like the one that had attacked the palace before. Luna held two of them suspended in midair, and tore one in half and threw the two parts aside. The creature writhed in agony as it died, and the second Luna hurled back the way that I'd come towards the bloodthirsty Griffons. The others were busy dealing with just one, and Luna turned to it and also hurled it away with magic.
“Luna!” I called from where I stood, and then jogged over to her. “I'm glad to see you're okay. Things really aren't going too well.”
“Not going too well?” Said the Human that had been trying to help the ponies. He looked like he was in his fifties. “That's the understatement of the century! This is going to Hell in a hand-basket REAL fast!” The man was dressed like a soldier, but the uniform was very worn as if he'd had it for a long time. He was also smoking a cigarette and had a white beard. “If those damned Dragons hadn't set fire to our ammo we'd have mopped the floor with 'em!” He pointed at the sky. “Then those giant flying chickens had to show up too!”
“We shouldst head for mine and mine sister's palace.” Luna advised, looking around. Most of the Dragons that were still alive were fleeing and leaving us to our fate with the Griffons. “And we shouldst do it soon before we art overwhelmed. We shalt do no one any good if we die here.”
__ __ __ __ __
Rainbow Dash was tired, scared, and hurting. She had leaped into battle without really considering that there might be a reason why she had been told to stay out of the fighting. Sure, she was fast and she was definitely a good flier, but she had not been trained in combat like the guards had been and she had not been outfitted with the rockets like they had been either. Granted, all of their rockets had been spent not too long after the Dragons had begun doing their burning runs, but they had been effective while they had lasted.
Fighting the Dragons had been tough enough, but now with the smaller and faster and far more numerous Griffons having arrived and everyone on the ground having had to retreat just staying alive and in one piece was nearly impossible. Eventually even she had been forced to admit that she was way out of her league here and as soon as the order to retreat was given she tried to do so, but had found herself surrounded again. So she flew up. Up and up and up, trying to outrun her attackers. This she accomplished with hardly any effort, but the rest of her 'comrades' were still trapped and were one by one being picked off. Having an idea, Rainbow Dash climbed still higher and then turned over and dived, trying to pull off a Sonic Rainboom inside the group of angry bird-lions. Faster and faster she dove, the wind whistling, then screaming around her.
“Come on!” She yelled, trying to coax more speed from her tired wings. And then it happened, and she shot forward with multicolored light flowing along behind her. The midair shock wave sent pony and Griffon alike tumbling out of control and with her speed boost Rainbow Dash caught the few surviving Pegasi guards and zoomed towards the last safe-haven in the city.
When she arrived she'd found it already packed to the brim from the basement to what was left of the attic with ponies looking for safety and Humans looking for ammunition for their guns (which most of them now had. Those that did not were still trying to push through the crowds to get to the ammunition cache). The palace had not been built with housing a good percentage of Equestria's population within it in mind, and it was a miracle that they had fit as many inside as they had.
Is this it? Rainbow Dash wondered as she flew over the endless crowd looking for her friends. Is this where my life and all of Equestria is going to end?
* * * * *
It seemed to him that some sort of conflict had taken place here, as he had suspected when he exited that maze and saw Dragons assaulting it and heard thunder in a place where there were no clouds, and saw the strange flying contraptions that were somehow killing the Dragons that were assaulting the city. Truly either alchemy or magic must have advanced since I was imprisoned. I must wonder which of these it was in the case of the flying contraptions. Zandar ended another batch of overly-bold Griffons and then made himself invisible to avoid further unwanted confrontation and kept walking until he reached the wall where not far away, a huge pile of the dead and demolished lay. The cobblestones had been running red long before he reached this point and he stepped lightly so that he would not fall into it. Zandar stopped at the ruined gate arch in front of him and examined it. It had taken an enormous strength to rip the gates off their hinges. He supposed that a Dragon could have accomplished this, but there was no blood where he stood now, which implied that it had happened beforehand. It might hath been done by a Dragon, I suppose, but then why art there no corpses here? Zandar looked up from the ruined gate and looked up at the palace on top of the mountain. He recalled that mountain from the last time he'd been mortal and his lips twisted into a sneer. It had been from that palace that the horned Pegasi had come. He'd slain the first, but the second one caught him off guard. He would not make that mistake again. The locals had proven that they were far more intelligent than their Earth counterparts, and it had been hundreds of years since his imprisonment, which had given them ample opportunity to become even more clever than they had been before. Perhaps they hath even formed a society. A society that, in their time of need I could exploit... Zandar was very skilled with magic, both for attack and defensive spells, and now he had something better than just a Unicorn's horn.
“Yes...” He said aloud. I shalt offer mine services to their ruler in return for more horns and the materials I require to make a wand, and then I shalt see if my descendant's theory in regards to combining it to it as well!
Chapter 19
I elbowed my way through the crowd of ponies for a bit, then saw the futility it and lifted myself into the air and hovered over them instead. Even though I was taller and had longer legs than they did, all that meant was that I had a better chance of stepping on one of them. A few (few being a relative term when there were probably thousands if not more ponies crowding the halls) of them watched me enviously while others either watched in awe or did not notice me and were too preoccupied with what was on their mind or whom they were speaking to. I headed first for my room, intending to see if Trixie was alright and had made it to it. My room was indeed occupied when I arrived there, but not by anypony I knew. I apologized for intruding, grabbed my things, and then left the room again, this time dividing my attention half for levitating myself, and half for homing in on Trixie. I followed the tugs and eventually found myself outside the room that other Humans had stored ammunition in here in the palace. It was mostly Humans that surrounded that area, but once a certain distance from it was reached the crowd turned into a sea of various ponies again.
“Trixie!” I called, but my voice was lost in the racket of thousands of voices all trying to talk at once and be heard by their neighbors. I hovered in closer much to the surprise of my fellow race. “I'm looking for a girl with blue hair!” I yelled at the top of my lungs when I stopped in front of one of them. “Have you seen her?”
“Human or pony?” He yelled back. It sounded to me as if he had whispered it rather than yelled, but I supposed I must have sounded the same way.
“Human!” He nodded and pointed a thumb at the door behind them. “Thanks!”
“Good luck getting in, though. You're going to be waiting a long time!” I smiled secretively and then teleported from in front of him to inside the room, still in midair. It was somewhat quieter inside, but still very noisy, and my sudden appearance out of nowhere rewarded me with about twenty guns pointed at me. I quickly raised my hands, face nervous. When they saw I was neither feathery nor scaly they lowered their guns and resumed doing what they were doing before, which mostly seemed to be cleaning their guns. I looked around the room and spotted Trixie sitting on top of several crates that had several bits of paper taped to them that read 'empty'. She waved when she saw me and I floated over.
“Glad to see you made it! When we separated and you didn't come back I was worried that you might have been killed!”
“Aw!” I said, smiling. “You were worried about me! How sweet!” Now she frowned and punched me.
“Still making fun of me? I told you to stop that!”
“I'm only teasing, you Trix. No need to get mad. In truth I was worried about you too.”
She told me the various things that had happened since we parted, and I related my experiences when she finished. “I confess, I hadn't expected it to go so badly. I thought we were going to butcher them!” A soldier looked up from a folding table near us and commented that this is what normally happened when you went into combat without getting good intelligence on your enemy first.
“Our bigger weaponry was the most effective on our enemy, but that was something that we did not have a lot of, and once they were taken out or were used up the fight got harder, and then of course they torched or buried our extra ammo too. If not for that we'd probably still be fighting on the streets and those big bird-things would be dropping out of the sky like rain.”
“Instead we're stuck in here behind a magical force field packed like sardines in a can.” I sighed and rubbed my forehead. It had all gone so wrong. Granted, now that the soldiers had more ammunition again we very well could still win, but with so little space to maneuver or even to just stand setting up defenses again would be difficult.
“I'm going to go see if I can find my folks. I'll catch up again with you later, Trixie.”
“Uh no.” She said, latching a hand on one of my shoulders as I turned to leave. “The last time we separated I got stuck in here with a bunch of smelly Humans that wouldn't stop calling me 'kid'.”
“Um, Trixie? You're Human too, now, and you look like a kid.”
“But I'm not one! That's the point!” She said loudly, exasperated. “Look, just take me with you.” I shrugged and finished turning and backed up so she could hop on my back. When she did I was choking.
“Not so...tight on my...neck, Trixie!” I gasped out. She repositioned her arms so she'd be holding onto my shoulders instead and wrapped her legs around my middle. “That's better!” I approached the wall that I'd telelported through a few minutes ago and then did it again, this time with a passenger. Trixie's grip briefly tightened on me, but I did not comment on it and instead began homing in first on my mother.
I found her later outside on the wrap-around balcony staring out at the Griffons that had ceased attacking the barrier and now rested on the ground at the base of the mountain. I looked down at them for a moment, and then addressed her.
“Hey mom. Have you seen dad anywhere?” He was not with her. She whirled around and stared at me hovering slightly above her with Trixie on my shoulders first in shock, then in overjoyed relief.
“Oh thank heaven! You're alright! Come down here so I can give you a hug!” I descended to the floor and embraced my mother, Trixie leaning back to avoid the embrace. She stuck her tongue out and looked away with a 'bleh!' expression. When we released one another she asked who the little girl on my back was. I heard Trixie take a deep breath and got the feeling she was about to start raging, so I held her mouth shut with magic and quickly explained Trixie to her. Trixie bopped me on the head with a fist for 'muting' her shortly after I relented my magical gag.
“If you do that again I'm going to make your hair fall out!” She threatened, sounding cross.
“I think the young lady means business, Jake.” My mother said, looking serious, but sounding as if she were trying to hold back a laugh. “Can she really do that?”
“No idea.” I replied. “She has been using magic longer than me, so it's always possible.” I did not like that idea of walking around completely bald, to be honest, so I promised Trixie that I would not, then repeated my first question to mom. She nodded.
“He's here in the palace. I don't know where exactly, but he's here somewhere.” I thanked her and said I'd go look for him. She wished me good luck and asked me to call her when I found him, and then she rolled her eyes and said that she'd just remembered that Cell phones didn't work here. I chuckled and said then homed in on him.
I found my father in the kitchens, which were packed to the brim with ponies and people. He wasn't cooking like I'd expected to find him doing, though. Instead he was washing dishes and grumbling about it (which I had expected)
“I have hands instead of hooves and what do they have me doing? I'm washing dishes! ” I heard him say as me and Trixie floated horizontally to him (the roof in the actual kitchen itself as opposed to the mess hall had been too low for us to float upright). It was likely that he had been muttering that line over and over for the past several hours. Both he and I had a tendency to do that when we were agitated about something. Fortunately there was more space around my father to stand than there had been around my mother and I landed next to him and Trixie got down as well.
“Care for an extra set of hands?” I asked. There were a crap-load of dirty dishes and utensils piled up next to the sink, and every other minute another few were added to the stack. It was so bad that a few of them were even being piled up on the floor next to the dish sink and rinse sink, which stood alone from the rest of the kitchen.
“Yeah.” He said. “Grab a towel and start drying. The towels are-” When he turned to point them out he saw me and dropped the bowl he'd been hiding back into the soapy murky water and stared for two seconds before his face became the same as my mothers' (though to a lesser degree because he was usually less emotional) and he embraced me as well, wet arms and all. My shirt soaked up the dishwater, but at the moment I didn't care and hugged back. Trixie picked up a towel, considered the mound of clean dishes, then shook her head and tossed the towel back on the pile she'd taken it from. “You're okay! I knew it!”
“As Trixie can tell you, dad, I'm very hard to kill. I'm glad you're okay too.”
“How goes it out there? I haven't heard any gunfire in awhile.” When my expression became solemn and his glad mood lessened too. I explained how at first it was going great, and then when things got bad, and then went to worse. When I finished he slowly shook his head.
“That's not fair.”
“No it isn't.” I agreed. “Now we're all stuck in here, or maybe under the ground somewhere. Of course, we've got ammo again, so if the Griffons ever get through we probably can take them out until they are forced to retreat, but it still won't be pretty.”
“I suppose that's what we get.” He said. I raised an eyebrow, and he explained. “It seems that every time Humanity becomes full of pride something happens to humble us. The Titanic was a prime example. When it was built its architects boasted that not even God himself could sink it, and we know how that ended. Then there's several wars in our history where the military boasted that with their strategies and tech we'd be done in a few months, if that, and then the wars would drag on for more than a year. Then came space exploration.” I nodded, recalling a few bad events. When I was still in middle school outer space was my favorite subject. “We became confident our in rocket-building skill to the point where we thought almost nothing could go wrong, and then the Challenger space shuttle exploded mid-flight. Now we're here, and thought that our superior weaponry was an assured victory.”
“It might have been, had we gotten more than just volunteers and had jets instead of helicopters!” A soldier grumbled while delivering more dishes to the sink to be washed. “Nothing in this world has any hope of catching even an outdated jet!”
“I know a certain cyan Pegasus who would argue against that statement, and prove you wrong, but I have to agree that if we'd have had more than what we'd been given that this would have been a cinch.” I said.
“Not that we can't still win,” The soldier continued. “but we'd have lost less people.”
I spoke with my father and the soldier a few minutes longer, but eventually decided to go back and tell mom where he was. When I did she insisted that I take her to him, so now with carrying a kid on my back and levitating myself and my mother I returned to the kitchen. Once they were together again I set to looking for the Twilight, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie, but Rainbow Dash found me first. I did not see her first because I had been searching for Twilight first.
“Hey! You never told me you could fly!” Her surprised voice came from behind us and stopped and turned. “We should have a race sometime!” I held out my hands in a warding-off way (as best I could while holding a staff) and shook my head.
“No, no, no! I just found out I could do this two days ago, and it's not very comfortable because I'm being held up by my clothing. I'm kind of afraid to do it by lifting my body because I might break a bone or two by accident.”
“Well if you ever master it, let me know! I'll be ready! In the meantime though, Princess Luna and Celestia sent me to look for you. They've got a plan to end all of this, but she wants all of us to be present when she explains it.”
“If she thinks it can end this, why tell us about it? Why not just do it?” Rainbow Dash shrugged and replied that she didn't know, so I went ahead and followed her through the halls until we finally reached Celestia's personal bedroom. A guard in front of the door opened it for us and we entered and touched down on the floor. Both Celestia and Luna were there, along with Applejack, Twilight, Pinkie, Rarity, and Fluttershy.
“Excellent. Now that you are all here, I shall enlighten you as to what can be done. In ancient times, after the first Dragon War, all remaining nations made a handful of laws that each other nation would have abide by. These laws were written in stone, and then enchanted to bind each ruler and their successors upon pain of death to obey them. One of these laws is that, should one or more of them declare war on another, the ruler of the invaded nation has the right to challenge the ruler of the invading nation to a one-on-one duel to the death. If the challenge is accepted the ruler challenged may choose one or several champions to fight in his or her stead. The loser of the duel must cease hostilities at the conclusion of the fight.” The girls, with the exception of Luna (whom really was closer to being a 'lady' than a 'girl') gasped and there were several objections as well as several who volunteered to be her champions. I had a feeling that she wasn't finished yet and said nothing. Celestia told them to be silent, and the girls hushed. “However, if the challenge is declined then we have one other option: The Elements of Harmony. We can attempt to use them. Though they have never been used on so many targets before. They might not work at all if their power is spread too thinly.” There was a moment of silence, and then I spoke.
“I can understand why you sent for them, your majesty, but why include me in this?” I asked. “I am not a bearer of an Element.” Celestia looked at Luna, who nodded.
“From what my sister tells me your world does not have one leader. Because of this as well as your people not being present at the Law-make, your race are not bound in any way to obey the laws that were made. Regardless of what the outcome may be, I suspect your people will continue to fight our invaders until they leave, and may even try to pursue them out of revenge for those that have been killed. I will speak to the commanders that remain and try to get them to stand down, but if your people should start to kill the Griffons again I want you to use your power to shield them. If I should survive I may be too weak to shield them myself.”
“If you survive?” Twilight Sparkle asked, sounding and looking confused. “But Celestia, you're so powerful! How could you lose?” Celestia smiled at her student's overconfidence in her.
“Another of those laws stated that magic could not be involved in any way during the duel unless both parties involved were using it, and in that circumstance it could only be used on those that had magic unless both parties agreed to the contrary. Given that queen Salda has no magic, it is unlikely that she will allow magic for the duel, and physically, she is the stronger of the two of us.” And she has claws, and a sharp beak. I thought but did not say. Celestia turned her gaze back to me. “So Jacob, do I have your word that you'll protect them from your race?”
I didn't like the idea. Not at all. Given that they'd betrayed their own allies I doubted that losing the fight was something that this 'queen Salda' was afraid of, and if she chose a Champion fight instead of a one-on-one duel, and I was one of those that were picked, what would happen to my parents if we lost?
“If I say yes I want your word on something.” Celestia did not respond positively or negatively, so I continued. “If she calls for a Champion fight and you select me as one of them, and I die, I want you to promise me that you'll make sure that my parents get back to my world safely, and that that you won't tell them what's happened until they're on the other side.” Celestia nodded.
“I do not believe that she will choose a Champion fight, because she has the advantage and she knows it, but you have my word.”
“Then I promise.” I replied.
* * * * *
Zandar listened to the conversation with interest. He had been about to reveal himself to the two horned Pegusai- Those are probably Alicorns... - when his most recent descendant came in carrying a staff along with a flying Cyan Pegasus. The Pegasus he could have cared less about, but the staff drew his attention instantly. Silently he came closer for a better look and examined it, fingers almost touching it. A silvery spiral ran up part of its length and he instantly recognized it for what it was. Or rather, what it had been; it was far too long to be a wand now even if you ignored the absurd length of wood he'd attached to it. He hath done it! He found a way to attach an Alicorn's horn to the wand! He felt jealous that this amateur in magic had discovered something so groundbreaking in the field of Human-magics as this, though in a small way proud that it had been his bloodline that had done it. His fingers twitched mere centimeters away from the ivory and wooden shaft, eager to feel the increased energy surging through him, but he forced himself back to wait. Right now there were too many here that could possibly stop him if he tried, and even an amateur could be dangerous under the right circumstances. Instead he listened to the conversation taking place and a plan began to form in his mind. If he were to join them now they might lose if this Salda decided to fight the Alicorn princess directly, but if he were to go to the queen and convince her to let him fight as her champion, then there was a good possibility that the white Alicorn might choose young Jacob to battle him, and then Zandar could claim the Horn-staff without having to make one of his own, which would mean that after his would expire he'd already have a spare horn to forge another. Also, if he got in good with the victorious side then he could acquire as many horns as he wanted from the losers as he needed them. He almost chuckled, but recalled that he was in a room with possibly-already and soon-to-be enemies and he swallowed the chuckle and retreated a few steps and watched and waited for them to conclude and leave.
Eventually they did, and he filed out of the door behind the six ponies and Jacob. Just before leaving though Jacob spun around and scanned the area where Zandar stood with intense scrutiny. Zandar held his breath while Jacob's eyes swept over him. So that trait was passed down too! It is a good thing that I am invisible!
“What is it, Jacob?” The dark one asked.
“I could have sworn someone was staring at me a second ago.” He said.
“We were watching you go. It might hath been one of us.” Jacob frowned.
“No. No, I don't think it was either of you. I trust you two.” Jacob shook his head a little bit, then turned and continued out of the door.
Zandar imitated his young descendant in hovering above the heads of the beings in the halls and eventually floated out over the edge of a balcony towards the shield. There were no Griffons trying to attack it now, though some still circled it looking for any openings. Now to find their queen. I suppose the swiftest way to do so would be to ask. Zandar waited for a Griffon to circle around into his line of sight, and then made himself visible again, much to the astonishment of the ponies watching from several windows and the surprise of the Griffon. Its surprise did not last long, and it increased its speed towards him, talons outstretched and aiming for his head. Zandar made no move to dodge, but instead suddenly grabbed the Griffon out of the air in an unseen fist created by magic. It squawked in surprise and struggled to free itself, but the grip of the fist never lessened.
Zandar hovered closer to it and stopped when they were eye to eye. The Griffon snapped its beak at him in an attempt to stab his face with its beak, and for a moment Zandar clenched the fist. The snapping of bones came from the creature and he tiled his head to one side like a curious child while it shrieked in agony. He lessened the grip a bit and the creature took another breath to shriek again. Zandar added a gag to its beak.
“I am looking for your queen. I hath a proposition for her that couldst deliver this kingdom to her on a silver platter. You can either tell me where to find her, or I can make your agony worse. It makest no difference to me as I can simply find another Griffon to tell me. There doth seem to be many of you here this day.” He released its beak and the creature whimpered that their queen was at the base of the mountain waiting for Celestia to make a move. “Where?” She was near an old landslide. “You hath been most helpful.” Zandar broke the poor creature's neck and let its corpse fall from the sky to the ground.
Zandar found her where the Griffon said she'd be. Again he'd made himself invisible so that he could get closer to her and waited for a lull in the argument she was having with whom he assumed was a commander of some kind. When one came up he dispelled the magic and waited to be noticed. When he was there was much shrieking of 'assassin!' even though he made no moves of a hostile nature. Several armored Griffons tried to assault him, but he made short work of them. Some he killed, others he maimed horribly, but after each was dealt with he stood motionless again and waited.
Eventually, after he'd killed twelve of the armored ones while committing no other actions against them the queen ordered them to stand down and demanded to know who he was and what he was doing here.
“I am Zandar Lighthand. Perhaps you hath heard of my descendant, Jacob Lighthand?” The queen had heard that there were Two-legs that used magic and that Celestia had made one her pet, but the names meant nothing to her.
“That does not explain why you are here. Given the ease that you slew my guards and yet do nothing more than defend yourself, I suspect that you are not here to kill me as my adviser had shrieked.” Zandar inclined his head.
“I am here to offer you my services. In a short time the Alicorn called Celestia is going to challenge you to a duel. When she does I offer to stand in as your champion.” Salda laughed and asked what possible reason could she have to choose a champion when she could kill Celestia easily enough on her own. “Because I know mine people well enough to know that they shalt not abide by the laws that your world hath set down, and because we were not present at the making of these rules we have no obligation to obey them. They shalt fight you, and from what I hath seen of the carnage in this city, your kind will suffer many casualties if you art not wiped out entirely.” A partial lie. He had no idea if Humanity would abide by the laws or not, but he did believe that the Griffons would suffer heavy losses if they chose to fight back.
“What is it that you will gain out of this, should I agree to it? I find it hard to believe that you would betray your own kind out of some sense of fair play.”
“I want you to swear on the ancient laws that you will allow me to harvest from the pony race whenever I want.”
“We shall be doing the same thing once we win, and oh what a feast!” Salda laughed. “Very well, I swear on the ancient laws that should I choose you as a champion, that you may take from the pony race whenever you wish.” Zandar bowed to her and awaited Celestia's choice.
__ __ __ __ __
“Tia, art thee sure such a course of action is wise?” Luna asked. “Now that the Humans have refilled their weaponry we could defeat the Griffons, and the Griffon have already defeated the Dragons for us, why risk thine life for this?”
“There has been enough blood spilled here today, Luna. No, too much blood has been spilled here. I fear that our streets will be forever stained red from this day on. I would prefer to end this with as little more of it as possible.”
“But, Tia! What if thee should lose?! I- I-...” Luna ran forward and embraced her surprised sister. “I would be all alone, then!” Celestia hugged her sister back. “I doth not wish to loose thee forever! We hath only recently been reunited!” Celestia gently released her sister and removed Luna from her embrace. Luna was crying as her sister looked her in the eyes. Using a hoof and a handkerchief brought to her by her magic Celestia wiped them from her face.
“You will never be alone, Luna. So long as you carry me in your heart, I shall never truly be gone.”
“But that is not the same!” Luna objected. Celestia shook her head.
“No, it is not, but there is no sense in mourning me when I still stand here before you now. If I am meant to succeed in this, then I shall, but if I should not,” Celestia placed the hoof holding the Handkerchief under Luna' chin. “you must promise me that you will lead our people in my stead.”
Luna was silent. She did not want to say that she would it gave her a feeling of dread. The dread that, if she did say yes, that her sister would lose for certain. “Luna?” Celestia's voice was stern now. Luna squeezed her eyes shut, fresh tears leaking from them.
“I promise.”
Celestia and Luna walked side by side through the crowd that had packed itself even more in an attempt to make way for their rulers. It was a tight fit, but the two of them were able to pass through. Celestia had just finished speaking to those in charge of the Human military presence in Equestria, and most of them had agreed to stand down no matter the outcome. A few gave her dubious answers, but promised nothing. She suspected that if her side won that they would probably do nothing to the other side, but if she lost it might be another story. In a way it was comforting to know that if the Griffons continued to slaughter her people that they would not be undefended, but it also made her edgy. If I die then Luna becomes the next ruler of our nation. The Humans are our allies and so we do not lead them, but we did help coordinate their forces. If the Humans attack the Griffons and we've lost, will that mean that Luna will also die for indirectly breaking the ancient law? It was not a thought she enjoyed, but she kept her face confident for the sake of her watching subjects, whom stared at them, looking desperate. Behind them followed her student and her friends, and Luna's student, whom Trixie trailed along behind.
Celestia and Luna stopped at the edge of a balcony and Celestia looked up at the sky. As if they had been sent by a divine entity, dark and thick storm clouds were on their way to the palace grounds, and would be over them soon. Already she could see forks of lightning stabbing down from them and others reaching up from the lands below as they passed over. Had the weather Pegasi been available she would have had them move it to another location, but most of them were had either fled, were dead, or were holed up inside the palace. Dealing with the storm would have to wait for now.
Celestia lowered the barrier and called out in the Royal Voice down to the Griffons below that were starting to jump into the sky again. She informed the queen that she was issuing a challenge to her and then she waited.
Sure enough, within a few minutes Salda came up to the balcony along with a figure that she had not seen alive since she was a child.
“You-!” She gasped, her eyes wide. The Human yawned and looked unimpressed. “You can't be here! You're supposed to be a statue in the hedge maze!” Luna looked at the Human that stood (or rather hovered) next to Salda, and then looked at her sister. Luna did not recognize this man.
“Celestia, who is that?” Celestia's eye narrowed.
“That man- that man killed our father , Luna!” Celestia's voice was barely restrained; her voice hinted at extreme anger, perhaps even hate. Luna's jaw dropped, her eyes widened as Celestia's had and she kept looking back and forth from Zandar to her sister.
“Did you, now?!” Salda exclaimed, looking at her ally in surprise. “I see I did not accept your offer for assistance without merit!”
“Did you release him, Salda?” Celestia asked, her tone dangerously quiet. Salda shook her head.
“He came to me. Now, you said you were going to challenge me? Very well, I accept. I will fight, as will he. You may use magic if you like, I know he certainly will. Now choose who will be fighting for you.”
Celestia turned her head around and looked at Jacob, who nodded and strode forward to stand next to her.
“I will stand as her companion.” He declared.
“And I-” Celestia began, but Luna interrupted her sister and nudged her aside a few steps, to the surprise of everyone and everypony watching.
“And I shalt be fighting in mine sister's stead!” Luna said loudly also in Royal Voice. Thunder rumbled as if to emphasize this choice.
“Luna, no!” Celestia said, worried.
“Sister, I love thee, and always will, but thee and I art not taken from the same mold. I hath more muscle than thou, and where thou hast always searched for a peaceful solution, I was willing to stand up when challenged. This be a fight to the death, and I know that thee shalt show thine opponent mercy should you find advantage, and mercy will only get thee killed in this. I hath always admired thee for thine patient and merciful nature save for when I allowed the Nightmare to corrupt me, and I make up for that now!”
“Besides that, your highness, you've been keeping up a protective barrier for most of the day that has come under attack multiple times whereas Luna has not.” Jacob added. “I mean no insult, but it would not be wise for you to enter into battle tired.” Luna nodded, agreeing with him.
“Enough already! Either fight us or surrender!” Salda demanded, annoyed.
“Agreed.” Zandar added.
Luna looked at her subjects, her sister, and now her student. Jacob levitated himself off the balcony floor.
“I am ready when you are, Teacher.” He said, and yawned. At his yawn the pink pony ran up to him and tossed him a small yellow-iced cupcake. He blinked at it a few times, shrugged, then said thank you to her and ate it.
Luna nodded and looked at Salda, who, along with Zandar, began flying away from the castle. Luna galloped to the edge of the balcony, pumped her wings, and jumped over it into the air.
^ ^ ^ ^ ^
I kept pace with Luna, trying to not look down at the ground below us, which looked like a colored map from our height. I'd had no problem looking at it before from the balcony, but on the balcony I had something solid beneath my feet. My body felt twitchy, though I suspected that it was due less from nervousness or anticipation and more from Pinkie Pie's super-sugary mini-cupcake that I'd just eaten. If that thing doesn't give me diabetes, nothing will! As Rainbow Dash had warned it was sickly-sweet form how much icing had been put in it, but of what little cake there was to it, it was quite tasty.
The sky grew ever-darker as the storm clouds we saw from the balcony edged overhead. In the back of my mind I could hear that nagging little voice calling me a fool, that I shouldn’t be here, that I was way out of my league trying to take on a wizard from the Dark Ages who probably had decades more experience than I did. I saw from his confident face and stance with his arms behind his back as they stopped ahead of us that the voice was probably right and I was a fool.
“So then, now that they are too far away to interfere, shall we begin?” Salda asked, sporting the same confident expression that my ancestor did. His face became a maniacal grin and he moved his hands out in front where I could see that he held in his hand Melinda's horn. It was Melinda that set him free?! Why?!
“Don't let thine guard down, whelp!” He yelled in a sing-song way and rushed forward, jabbing it at me like a dagger. I pulled myself backward and down and he gave chase. I spared a glance at Luna while diving feet-first through the sky with him close above. Luna kicked at Salda while Salda swiped a paw with claws extended. “Pay attention to thine enemy first, boy!” He darted in faster and I made a barrier. The horn pierced right through it and gave me a cut across my face that very nearly became me losing an eye. What?! Horns break through- of course it would, the horn is the our source of the magic to start with. But why does he have such good control of it? He stabbed again and I teleported a short distance away and I knocked him away with a blast of air. As he whirled through the air I curved my course so I'd be able to go back up again without sending my guts into my feet. Now heading up again I looked down and saw that he was surprised and pleased. Pleased? About what?
* * * * *
Zandar had never learned how to teleport. He had heard of other wizards doing, and even witnessed it happening once, but had never done it himself. To now be combating someone that did know how to was a treat all to itself. He could, of course, have simply killed Jacob by breaking his neck, or crushing his ribs into his vital organs, or perhaps tearing off an arm or leg, but regardless of circumstance and like it or not, Jacob Lighthand carried his blood, and Zandar's wife had made him promise never to kill kin for any reason. Because of this promise he would not kill Jacob unless left with no other choice, which gave his opponent an advantage over him. Perhaps it was the only real advantage that he had! Zandar thought with a smile.
For the sake of his personal enjoyment and curiosity at how far Jacob had gotten with magic in the short time he'd been in this world he'd play with him for a few minutes, but when he grew tired of it he'd take the staff and be done. Jacob would be no threat without his magical abilities, and with the staff in hand he could finish off the Alicorn that was currently battling the Griffon. What the Griffon chose to do with Jacob was her business.
^ ^ ^ ^ ^
I threw wind at my opponent again, but this time he re-directed it and I was 'hit' bit it instead. I should have gone to the ground! I thought I squinted my eyes against the wind.
“Interesting.” My enemy stated. “Why were thee not blown around as I were?”
“Like I'm going to tell you!” I shot back, and once more took out my trusty lighter and flicked the switch. There was just one problem: it did not light. What?! Oh no, not now! I flicked the started a few more times with the same result, and then shook it next to my ear while he watched with an amused expression. It was out of fuel.
“'Twould seem thine object be not functioning as thee had expected!” He chortled. “Mayhap thee should have been more prepared for such an event?”
“Are you here to fight, or to talk?”
“Neither, to beith honest with thee. I came for but one purpose, but that can wait. For now, amuse me!” Amuse him? Is he just playing with me? So far other than that stab at my face he hadn't actually done anything serious. Just how far out of my league am I with this guy?
Thunder crackled above my head and I looked up at the clouds. There were a few flashes in the clouds themselves, but no bolts reached down. I looked down at the ground- “You're dropping your guard, again, boy! Eyes up!” He barked as he came at me again, this time snapping his fingers. To my surprise fire danced across his hand as he drew it back as if to punch me. I dove down, but it did not matter. His fist came forward from his hand a column of fire raced down and engulfed first my legs, then the rest of me. Recalling that if you ignore the fuel fire is only heat and light, I used my own magic to disperse the heat around my body as I dove. It worked and the flames went out. In this manner I was able to keep his flames from touching me again by spreading the heat around. If I had not been moving then it probably would not have worked, but the air that I passed into was always cooler than the air I left behind. I looked at him again, once more pursuing me, still throwing fire ahead of him, but now also reaching down. I looked down and saw chunks of earth coming up from the ground. Right now they were not a problem because of how far they were, but that would change in about ten seconds. Rather than flying up I dove down towards them.
* * * * *
What is he planning to do? My control over this power is a bit of a struggle, but he should know better to be trying to dodge them by going in between- Zandar's eyes widened as he felt his manipulation of the earth ripped away and then let the fire go so he could focus entirely of dodging the incoming dirt.
^ ^ ^ ^ ^
Yeah, do that. Do exactly that! As each bit of earth missed him I changed their shape to one thing bar that reached down towards the ground. The storm was directly above us, and lightning always reached up from the highest point. I pulled up more and added it to the extending bar, but did not let it touch the ground yet. If a bolt of lightning can fry a Dragon, what will it do to him, I wonder?
* * * * *
What is he doing? Does he think to make a giant lance? No matter, I am already bored of this. Zandar began to fly closer to his great, great, etc, grandson. Once Zandar had taken his magic away he would fall to his death unless Zandar prevented it.
^ ^ ^ ^ ^
Nearly complete...just a few more seconds...there! I slid the last bit into place and then set a foot on top of the pole. My enemy came towards me and I waited. My skin began to tingle, my hair began to stand up. I reached one hand to the sky and felt the tingle turn into an itch. I extended my other arm out to him, half of my staff pointed at him. He hesitated a moment and stopped. He hesitated a moment too long and I smiled.
Lightning jumped from both the cloud and the ground and raced through the dirt and my body. Though it was not necessary to speak I felt it was fitting
“Heed my call! Lightning, FALL!” The bolt from the sky connected with upraised hand and ran along to my staff. The wood burst into flames and the lightning lanced towards a very surprised old wizard.
* * * * *
“By the night! How did-” Zandar exclaimed before getting hold of himself and erecting a barrier. He was only partially successful and still got struck by a fraction of the bolt's full charge. His hair stood on end, his clothing smoked, and his body went into spasms. As he did so Zandar lost his concentration and plummeted down through the air. He still kept a grip on the horn, however.
^ ^ ^ ^ ^
“Ha HA! Bet you didn't expect that , did ya?!” I yelled triumphantly at him as he fell. I gave the pole I'd made a kick and it also fell. I might have performed a victory dance too if not for the roar that drew my attention to the sky above me. I looked up to see that Luna was still fighting Salda, and Salda was not having as easy a time of it as she'd thought. Both Luna and she were sporting several injuries, and one of Salda's eyes were swollen shut. I wonder if Luna would want me to help her, or if she'd- I heard a snap and a sudden and intense pain shot through my left leg and I screamed and looked down at it. Below the knee and midway to my foot my leg was bent where it should have been straight.
“I hath told you this twice before, and thou still hath not listened!” Came the familiar voice of my ancestor. He sounded angry. But then I'd be angry too if I just got struck by lightning! “Do not let thine guard down!” I heard a second snap and my right arm, my staff arm broke. My scream intensified and I felt myself falling as the staff slipped out of my hand. I fell eight seconds and then I suddenly stopped again. But the pain did not stop. With each pulse of blood a fresh wave of pain assailed my brain. Tears leaking from my eyes I turned my head looking for who could have caught me. It was my ancestor, and he was now holding my staff. “This is what I came for.” He tapped it with the Alicorn horn. “But do not worry, I hath no intention of killing thee.” He looked at the dirt-pole that I'd knocked over when he fell. “That bolt of lightning was a nasty trick. If I had possessed a regular Unicorn's horn thee would hath done me in. I suppose I am just fortunate.” He lowered me to the ground and then straightened my limbs out. I bit my lower lip to keep from crying out again but could not stop a whimper. He looked at my face with pity. “I must apologize, but healing was never mine strong point. You shalt have to wait until this contest hath reached its conclusion to gain assistance.” He turned and began to walk back to the 'battlefield', leaving me lying on the ground. He looked up where the two rulers where fighting and began to lift off again.
“Wait!” I called to him. He stopped a moment and looked back at me. “What's your name?”
“Zandar. Zandar Lighthand.” He looked away again and continued floating up.
“Well then, Zandar Lighthand, I have something to tell you.” I reached my left hand towards my unbroken leg.
“Yes? And what might that be?” He asked, still floating upward. This time he did not turn to look at me. I pulled the pistol the soldier gave me from its holster and pressed the safety setting off and pointed the muzzle at his back.
“You let your guard down!!!” I pulled the trigger five times.
Chapter 20
Luna bucked Salda in the face, cracking her enemy's beak and stunning her. Luna then lowered her head, spun around, and threw her body weight into a charge that plunged her horn into her foe's chest, just barely missing her heart. Luna placed her front hooves against Salda's body and pushed off, pulling her bloodied horn free. Salda shrieked in pain and mauled Luna's neck, tearing four bloodied lines into one side of her neck and nicking an ear. Luna whinnied and shied away, leaving herself vulnerable to attack. Salda leaped at this chance and then found that her prey was no longer where she'd expected. Luna had created an image of herself and made her real self invisible, and while Salda attacked the image Luna swept underneath her and bucked her again, this time in the underbelly. A sound cracking came from the places that Luna kicked and before Salda had a chance to curl up shield herself or try to escape Luna kicked her again. This time there was no crack, but a squelching sound as something important was crushed from the impact. Salda made a gurlging sound and coughed up blood. Her wing beats slowed and she began to drift, and eventually fall towards the ground.
Breathing heavily, Luna watched her plummet down and land with a faint thud. Turning away from the dead queen, Luna looked up to the palace and using her Royal Voice declared that Salda, queen of the Griffons, was dead. A cheer drifted down from the palace and Luna enjoyed it a moment while catching her breath before looking for her student. He was no where in the immediate area, so she began looking above her. No, he is not there either. She focused hr magic into a homing spell, and released the spell. It pointed her down, and to her right until she was looking near the base of the mountain. There she saw two figures lying on the ground and she flew over to them frantically, wondering if either of them still lived. The first body she checked turned out to be dead with several holes in his back and was lying face down on top of an Alicorn horn, and Jacob's staff. The second was alive, and held one of the small Human weapons in his hand. His eyes were closed and his face as white as a her sister's hide, but he was awake, and he was Jacob.
“Did we win?” He asked in a small voice. Luna grinned.
“We did indeed! Our kingdom is safe once more!” He nodded and also smiled right up until a large black Dragon landed with a crash behind Luna. Luna spun and stared open-mouthed at a very bloody, very injured Drahngov.
“Not safe yet, I think, little prey!” With one great clawed hand he smacked Luna's body into the sheer rock wall behind her and she fell to the ground unconscious.
__ __ __ __ __
Up in the palace Trixie was, for the first time in her life, begging the last pony she thought she'd ever ask for help. All who had watched the fight had seen Drahgov coming and only a few of them had been in any position to be able to fly down and attempt to help, but none of them were close enough.
“Twilight, you have to get me down there! We can save them!”
“Us? Trixie, I don't know about you, but the last time I tried to block just his breath I failed. If not for Jacob's help, I'd be dead right now.”
“So you're just going to let him die now?!”
Celestia had jumped from the balcony the moment she had seen Drahgov approaching, and was even now winging her way down to where her sister and Jacob lay helpless on the ground, but there was no way she could get there in time short of teleporting, and her mind was too distracted for that.
“I never thought I'd find myself saying this, Twilight, but Trixie is right!” Rarity said. “If there is any chance that we can be of help, then we must at least try!” The others voiced similar opinions
Twilight sighed, knowing they were right but getting the feeling that they were all going to regret this she prepared the spell and they warped down near to where Luna now lay on the ground motionless.
“Oh no!” Fluttershy gasped, and without thinking flew to her side to see if she was alive.
“Ah, I see that more prey have come! Good, I could use some desert once I finish with these two.” Drahgov said, his shadow now covering both Fluttershy and Luna. Fluttershy looked up at his enormous size and cringed against Luna.
Rainbow Dash flew around his head, trying to distract him. “Away from me, little insect!” He swatted at her too, but unlike Luna, whom had not expected an attack, Rainbow Dash dodged every attack and even poked him in the eyes a few times. He growled in annoyance and tried to catch her between his jaws, again to no avail. Rainbow Dash blew a raspberry at him and then zipped out of reach again.
Rarity lifted Luna's body with her magic and Applejack and Fluttershy pushed her away from the 'fight'. Twilight, Pinkie Pie, and Trixie ran to Jacob, who had once more with a shaky hand lifted the pistol, (even though it was almost completely useless in this situation) and began shooting Drahgov with it. He aimed at the head when Rainbow Dash was not in the way and tried to hit an open eye, but missed each time. When it clicked twice he dropped it and set his one good arm on his chest.
“Jacob, are you okay? Why are you just lying there?” Twilight asked. Jacob turned his head.
“My left leg is broken and so is my right arm. Every time I twitch either limb they hurt. I'm not going anywhere anytime soon unless you can levitate or teleport me out of here.”
“Here!” Trixie said, pulling at the horn strapped to her arm. “Heal yourself!”
“Healing magic isn't that easy, Trixie. He can't heal himself when it comes to broken bones.” Trixie looked at Twilight and raised an eyebrow and motioned with her head to Jacob. “I can't help him with that either.”
“Then we'll just have to take this guy down first!” Trixie said determinedly and turned to face Drahgov. Nervous, Twilight did the same.
Celestia reached Luna, Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy first and sent them all back to the palace infirmary when she was sure that her sister could live without a healing first and hurried on hoof to where the others were still annoying Drahgov.
Trixie was hurling a few broken rocks that had been lying at the base of the rock wall at him, to little effect, Twilight kept zapping him with magic, and Rainbow Dash kept zipping around his head to then zip to and kick a joint on his wings.
Drahgov, having had enough of this annoying little game unfolded his wings, dug his claws into the ground and flapped as hard as he could four times, blasting the wind created by them forward. Rainbow Dash was blown tumbling head over hooves through the air and eventually crashed. Both Twilight and Trixie were knocked over and pushed against the rock wall, and Pinkie Pie had gripped a rock protruding from the ground and hung on like her life depended on it. When he folded his wings again Pinkie stood up, looked at her tumbled friends and glared the Dragon and reached a hoof into her mane and pulled a long, tube-shaped Human weapon out of it that was longer than she was and aimed it at him. It was an RPG launcher.
“Ever wonder what fire and smoke taste like!?” She asked him in her Scary-Pie voice. Drahgov blinked and raised an eye-ridge at the odd question.
“You do realize that you're asking a Dragon if he wonders what fire and smoke taste like, do you not?” This time it was Pinkie Pie that blinked.
“Oh. Well have you ever wondered what metal tastes like?”
“No I have not, though I do have to wonder if you taste like cotton candy.” He reached a clawed hand out and Pinkie Pie launched the RPG in the end at him. It collided with his arm and exploded, taking the lower half of it off. Her weapon now useless, Pinkie tossed the launcher aside and ran to Twilight and Trixie, trying to shake them awake. Trixie was already awake and pushed Pinkie away before getting back to her feet.
By this time Celestia thought they had done enough and intervened by trapping the stunned Drahgov in a inverted barrier spell: others could enter if they wanted, but no one inside would be able to leave it unless she willed it.
His arm still gushing blood Drahgov stared at the part of his arm that was no lnger attached in horror. He was trembling, as if seeing his own blood and severed limbs were more horrifying than all the lives he'd thrown away of both his own people and others.
For someone such as him, perhaps it is. But maybe now he sees and understands what war can bring. He'll know it even more when he returns to his nation a failure, and all the angry mothers, fathers, and mates that did not go with him turn on him. That perhaps is more fitting a punishment than any I could inflict on hm: his own race hating him. If he is only shunned he will be getting off lucky. Likely they'll tear him apart a piece at a time while he still lives. Celestia had these thoughts in a cold, detached way. She felt no pity for the creature to her left now trying to stop the bleeding as his mind returned to him.
Celestia approached her subjects that were still in the process of recovering. Rainbow Dash was the last to join them, walking unsteadily with her eyes rotating in their sockets.
“Ugh, is is finally over?” Rainbow Dash asked when her eyes straightened out. Celestia nodded.
“Yes, my brave little ponies. This time, it really is.” They all let out a sigh of relief and sat down on the ground.
Epilogue
The Griffons were not happy about hearing that they'd lost after so many of them had died fighting both the Dragons and a few pockets of Human and Pony resistance in the city, but their next queen in line to rule, whom turned out to be Gilda (who was not sad to hear of her aunt's demise), told them that considering how many Dragons had been killed by the Human weapons that if they had continued to wage war it would only have cost even more of their lives. They returned home with no further incident.
What few Dragon 'soldiers' that had survived the invasion returned home telling horror stories of what they'd faced, and cautioned the rest of their race not to bring the Pony race to anger, which had made powerful and dangerous allies.
Drahgov went down in Draconic history as the worst leader in their history, though to be fair if the Griffon queen had not betrayed him things would have turned out vastly different. But they had not, and Drahgov was exiled from the Dragon lands. He eventually found a good-sized island in the middle of the planet's equator and made his home there, surviving off of fish and other oceanic denizens. There he would live long after every short-lived creature that had stood against him and their children and grandchildren had grown old and died, including the Humans, who often lived two and a half times that of the Ponykind, and would continue to live there until an earthquake would cause a Tsunami and bury the island and himself while he slept more than five hundred years after his defeat.
Despite the hostilities shown for many years to most of Dragonkind, Spike was welcomed back with open arms as was his sister, whom had at one point helped a group of ponies that had become trapped in the under-city tunnels dug by the Diamond Dogs escape back to the surface world, and then joined others in searching for more survivors. Both of their names were added to the list of Dragon-Heroes that had stood (and in most cases fell) in the defense of the Pony towns during the 'Two-leg Turn-point War' as it eventually would come to be called.
Spike did for a time go back with his sister to meet his parents, and they were very happy to know that their son and daughter had survived and that Spike was happy living amongst Ponykind.
Melinda Jones was never seen in Equestria again, nor ever on Earth (or at least, not Jacob's version of Earth). She returned home to her family for a brief time who were amazed to see that she was in fact, alive. In time she again took to the family trade of Maker's Mercenaries, but this time did not go it alone. Her youngest sibling went with her and together they helped ignite a war between two religious factions that would end with the annihilation of a third that would, two hundred years after their task was complete, try to make peace between the two.
“But, I thought we were the good guys, sis!” Melinda sighed and shook her head sadly. Innocence was not a thing lost without sorrow, and she wished it could have been put of fa little longer for her little brother.
“Not always, Reed. That's why we're Mercenaries and not Heroes.” Melinda added another Deity Mark to the collection around her neck and wondered briefly if Jacob had indeed decided to take her old job. “Not every God, Goddess, or Maker is a good being. Some of them are complete jerks.”
“Then why do our family work for them?”
“Because...” She stopped. Her father had become Maker's Mercenary because he'd given up on life at one point and they offered him a new one before he met their mother, and he felt grateful to the three Goddess sisters, but why did she make contracts with beings she didn't like? “Well, I guess we all have different reasons. Some of us do it for power, others do it for fun. As for me, I don't remember anymore!” She clapped a hand on his shoulder. “Tell you what, you pick the next one we work for. If he or she turns out to be a jerk, we'll tell them to find someone else to do their dirty work!” Reed's face lit up and he nodded.
After the Humans were sure that the war was over some of them volunteered to stay and help rebuild the city, but most of them went back to their world bringing stories both good and bad of what they'd seen. Other Humans came to help rebuild Canterlot and to see this magnificent world that they had heard so much about. No one that went returned to Earth without reluctance and promised themselves that they'd come back some day even if they never actually did.
Several trading arrangements were made with direct involvement of the Queen of the UK at the insistence of princess Luna, who made frequent visits to Earth every other month for the next several years.
Reginald had the time of his life studying Human cultures until the day he died with a computer mouse made especially for hooves under one leg and a ink pen in the other. Because of Reginald's devotion to the study of Human cultures both current and extinct they were able to determine that the Greek myths of many strange creatures could in fact be found in many of the wilder locations of the world nicknamed by Humankind at large as 'Mythica' for all its mythical creatures. In time Mythica became the official name for the Primary World.
A new school founded on the grounds near the Stone Arch Gateway was named after him, and both Humans, Ponies, and even the Draconic race studied there as the years marched on.
Rainbow Dash became a member of the Wonderbolts (of course!) and later on so would Scootaloo. Both of them would perform on their team in both worlds on multiple occasions constantly outdoing Human flight tech and encouraging engineers to make better and better machinery. It would not be until after Rainbow Dash had died of old age and Scootaloo had retired that they would finally succeed. Rainbow Dash would have two daughters and one son, and Scootaloo would only have one daughter before her mate would die in an accident.
Fluttershy only returned to the Human world once, and this was to acquire several books on animal anatomy so that she could better care for the animals of her world. She did eventually learn to dance on two legs, and once in a competition displayed her talents, and Lyra, who also attempted this lost, and was jealous. Fluttershy would have no children, but she often said that caring for her animals was enough for her.
Pinkie Pie would spend most of the rest of her life on Earth, sampling sweets the world over in competitions held specifically so that she would be the one sampling them. Pinkie Pie would eventually have three children, all of them sons. The father would try his best to teach them to not eat sweets every day, and would fail miserably thanks to his mate not helping and encouraging the opposite.
Rarity became one of the most popular ponies as far as the clothing industry on Earth was concerned, and she eventually started her own company, which made millions in multiple currencies on Earth every other month, and as for bits in Equestria...at the time that she did it they had not yet figured out an exchange rate. Rarity would not have any children, because her busy work schedule would make it impossible for her to form a lasting relationship with anypony.
Applejack's ruined orchard would in time be replanted, but it took her a long time to do so even with help from her friends and several business partners.
Big Macintosh would spend the rest of his life working on the Apple farm, and not once regreted it. Applebloom eventually did indeed get her Cutie Mark, as did her friends, but each of them several months apart.
Granny Smith...with no body to bury they buried her cane instead under one of the Apple trees that had not been burnt or destroyed by the Dragon raid. It was a sad occasion, and all of Ponyville came to it to offer condolences. Applejack would have one son that would die of an illness that not even magic or the best Human vets could heal, and sh would also have two more daughters, who would grow up healthy and strong. Big Macintosh would have one son, and Applebloom would grow up and have several children as well.
Twilight Sparkle, with no house to go back to in Ponyville stayed in the royal palace to complete her studies in magic. Once a week she would go to Ponyville to visit her friends (if they were in town) and they'd hang out for a day, and then she'd return to Canterlot to resume her studies. Twilight would have one boy and one girl, and her mate would be one of the younger guards that had survived the defense of the city.
Trixie would stay and learn under princess Luna alongside Jacob Lighthand for twelve years. Jacob only stayed for eight, and then he moved away from everyone and everypony and fell out of modern history for a decade. Trixie eventually would forge a staff of her own using Melinda's horn and a second horn given to her by princess Luna from one of the executed prisoners. When Luna finally said that Trixie was ready to graduate she once more took the title 'Great and Powerful' and toured Mythica competing against ponies the world-over. She was bested by a few of them, but normally she would win out. When she was done two more years would have passed and then she would get a notice from princess Celestia requesting that she go looking for her old friend Jacob. She would gather her things and do so immediately. She would search for six more years before finding him again.
Roger and Agatha Lighthand would move back to Earth and stay there periodically getting visits from their son until he disappeared. After two years of not hearing from him they would intercept Luna on her way back home and ask what had happened to him and then ask her for the favor of sending someone to look for him. Both he and she would die in a mysterious car accident four year later.
Veedar (at Jacob's insistence) would one day be allowed out of the dungeon and would be escorted at all times in the event that he should have a vision so that it could be averted. He would also see Jacob's mother and father die and try to save them. He made it into Earth, said where it would happen, and then mere seconds before arrival would begin weeping, saying that they were too slow.
Veedar would eventually become depressed from all the failed attempts to save those that he predicted would die and would later hang himself after his guards had left him for the night.
Golden Rosa, aka The Creepy Servant, would never stop trying to convince Jacob to...ride her saddle until the day he left, and after he vanished she would later find a Human that did say yes, and together they made several little centaurs, thus proving that yet another Greek myth was, in fact, true.
The alien pilot of the box-shaped UFO would crash in Everfree forest and encounter Ditzy Doo, aka Derpy Hooves, and then go on many incredible time-and-space adventures together, including almost being eaten by the Serpents after they came in through the Diamond Dog tunnels. They would also be part of the reason that Jacob went missing for a decade.
^ ^ ^ ^ ^
“As for me myself, well, I guess you'll just have to read my next journal, won't you?” I slapped the journal that had once belonged to my ancestor, and now belonged to me, shut. At long last it had finally run out of pages. I carried it over to the now-adolescent Spike and asked him to send it to Princess Luna.
“Are you sure that you don't want to give it to her yourself?” Spike asked me, fidgeting.
“Yes, Spike. Quite sure. How is everyone, by the way?”
“They miss you. A lot. You really should go visit them, Jake. Twilight and Rainbow Dash especially. They think you're dead.” I sighed.
“Perhaps that's for the best. It was the Doc that told me how all this will end, and almost none of it involved me. I get the feeling that I'm not meant to be part of this world's history anymore. At least, not the current history.”
“I take it that you want me to keep it a secret that I've heard from you, then?” Spike looked very guilty about something. When he saw that I suspected this he began to sweat like Applejack did. Applejack was a terrible liar.
“Spi-i-i-ike? ” I said, my volume slowly increasing as I stretched out his name. “What are you hiding?”
“SURPRISE!!!” I found myself covered in confetti and five ponies. The sixth stood behind a confetti canon.
“Now wut wer ya sayin' about not being part of our history?” Applejack asked, giving me a noogie with a hoof.
“You're not leaving just yet, Magic-man! You still owe me a race!” Rainbow Dash declared, dressed in her Wonderbolt outfit.
“Dear heavens! Just what have you been doing that your pants and shirt look so...ratty?!” Rarity gasped, looking appalled. “I made those for you before you left the first time, and they looked nothing like that! ”
“I know you don't really much care for cake, so I made donuts instead! Jelly filled!” The ever-cheerful Pinkie Pie, holding a box of Donuts that had her face of the box.
“It seems you've forgotten what a friend is again!” Twilight said, frowning at me. “You've made Fluttershy cry!” I looked at Fluttershy, who sniffed and looked sad. Once again, I felt like a jerk.
“I'm sorry for not being honest with you girls, I thought that if everyone thought I was dead that it would be easier-”
“The Great and Powerful Trixie finds the also-powerful Jacob to be a moron when it comes to predicting emotional reaction!” Said a rather lovely young woman as she walked into the cave that was now Spike's winter home in the warmer climate of Equestria. In one hand she carried staff not unlike my own.
“Oh. My. Maker! Trixie?! ” I gasped, not believing. Whereas Trixie had been cute the last time I saw her, she was hot now.
“The one and only!” She said, grinning, and twirled. She was wearing my old cape that I'd left behind at the palace and spread her arms out. “Now as I said before, you're being a moro-” She stopped and stared at me. “You can't have aged more than two years since I last saw you! How is this possible?!”
“I can explain that!” A yellow-eyed Pegasus that I'd come to know very well over the past two years said as she trotted into the cave. A second Pegsasus, this one brown and male with an hourglass for a Cutie Mark trotted in a little faster and clapped a hoof over her mouth.
“Nope! No she can't, ladies!” He began pulling her back outside when he was suddenly surrounded and he chuckled nervously. He leaned closer to his Pegasus companion and whispered that she'd really might have done it this time. “Uh...here! Anyone want a muffin? It's banana-nut!” He held one up and grinned nervously.
Trixie pointed her staff at him and picked him up and set him down on a stone table that Spike used.
“Talk.” She said, giving him a stare that much resembled the one that Fluttershy used. The Pegasus pony that I had come to know as Doc, or as he preferred to be called, The Doctor, sighed.
“I guess there's no way out of it this time. What would you like to know?”
“EVERYTHING!” They all yelled at him in unison. Doc looked at me as if begging for help. I said nothing, but shrugged.
“Well, everything would take longer than the rest of your lives to tell, but I should be able to at least clear up his being missing long before then. Shall I?” The Doctor cleared his throat and clapped his front hooves together. “RIGHT! Now, to start with, just as a warning to you, I was not there for all of it, but Jake here can tell you the rest!”
Cue this music for the Author's Note, if you care to: Dying To Live (Poets of The Fall) http://youtu.be/OOsTw4-9mHw
And that's it for this one. I n all honesty I had intended to do a completely different ending (two, actually). In one Salda would be killed by Luna first, and then she'd try to help Jacob with his broken arm and leg beat Zandar, but he'd blast her away and then begin heading for her to take her horn as well. Trixie, watching form above would call down to him and toss him her Unicorn horn. It would stab into the ground an, under excruciating pain Jacob would crawl to it, take it, and then teleport himself to Zandar's feet, and then, focusing on the ground beneath them, teleport them both three meters underground, suffocating them both but ensuring victory for Equestria. Needless to say, the main six would be upset about this turn of events, as would be his parents, and even Trixie. (This one may or may not have had a alternate for it as well in which Lady Luck, the Deity that had been ensuring his survival throughout the story would save him and have a conversation with him, and offer him Melinda's old job under her as a Maker's Mercenary. Equestria and Earth would think him dead and she'd drop him off two hundred years in the future, and Discord would be on the loose again but without anyone to wield the Elements of Harmony against him, which would be where the next story picked up.) If I had decided against the Lady Luck ending, he would have been dead, and that would have been the end of Jacob.
The second ending would take us a chapter farther back, and the Humans would utterly annihilate the Dragons with almost no casualties for either them or the Ponies. The Griffon queen would metaphorically pee herself and turn feathered tail and run back to her kingdom and rush to renew the truce between her people and the Equestrian nation. Peace would be restored, and life would go back to a semblance of normal for Jacob P. Lighthand. Unfortunately, he would outlive his friends and eventually it would jump to a scene of him standing in the stained-glass hall looking at images of the main six. Spike would be there with him, and they'd have a conversation about their longevity in comparison with the pony race. At one point Spike would hand him box that contained two horns in it. A white horn, and a purple one.
“They told me to give these to you after they were gone.” He would say, and Jacob would only stare at them for a moment, then he'd look at the stained glass images and run a hand over the cold, and lifeless likenesses. He'd sink to his knees and start crying, saying in between sobs that he did not want their horns, he wanted them . He wanted them to be standing here with him to see the prosperity that the uniting of their races had brought both worlds!
“What is the point of having magic when you can't even preserve the lives of those you care about?!” He would yell, and then fling his staff away from him. It would bounce on the tiling and eventually roll to a stop against Luna's hooves. Luna would join him and place a wing over him.
“Everything has their time, Jacob Lighthand. One day, even I and my sister shall pass beyond this world. It will not be for many milenia, but our time will eventually come as well. We have to accept this as a part of life, otherwise we shall go mad. To try and fight it only goes against nature.”
“It would not be the first time my people have done such a thing.” Jacob would say, and he would slowly rise and retrieve his staff. Spike would place the lid back on the box and wordlessly, Jacob would accept it and hug it closely. He would then use his magic to teleport himself into the now-nearly-safe Everfree forest. Back to where it all had begun. He would make his way to Zecora's old house, which though abandoned, still stood.
Recalling an old legend amongst the Zebras that she had once told him during his continued lessons with Luna, he would set out for the twisted heart of the Everfree forest, looking for The Necro Walk. The Paths of the Dead. There he would try to find the main six again to speak with them, but he would not find his friends as he knew them. Instead, he would find warped and twisted versions of them as he stepped out of The Necro Walk and into a Flipside Dimension. In it Humans were Predators rather than Omnivores, and sported fangs instead of what we had. Dragons feared them, and Griffons were used as mounts, and the Pony race were treated as cattle. Humans still lived in the Echo Dimension, but it was because they were banished there rather than performing a heroic sacrifice. All Unicorns would have their horns removed when they attempted to use magic, and periodically they would be shaved down. Twilight Sparkle would be among them. Jacob would be confused upon his arrival, and to the shock of the local pony populous he would heal this Twilight and use the horn from the Twilight he knew to replace the once that had been stolen from her.
In this world Humans lived to be about fifty, whereas Ponies could live (if they were not eaten) to be nearly eighty, and when he stepped out of The Necro Walk it for some reason that I had not yet come up with yet reverted him to the time in which he first stepped into Equestria when he was younger, his age reverting along with it, but none of his knowledge.
And other than him encountering a predatory female version of himself and them having an argument and later a fight, I had not thought that much farther.
So you tell me, which ending do you like better? The one that opens the opportunity for him to Travel with The Doctor and Ditzy (The one that I've attached to this story, which will involve Equestria coming to Earth's rescue), the one where he dies (or gets saved by Lady Luck and goes into the future to fight Discord), or The Necro Walk?
The one with the highest likes within...let's say a week I will use as the basis to write a sequel. I had wanted to go with the one chosen, but you've been a great audience, and I've never attempted a fic with Doctor Who(oves) before, and I'll cater to your whims. It'll prolly be fun either way.
NOTE: THE VOTING IS FINISHED, AND THE NEXT 'CHAPTER' OF THIS STORY WILL LINK YOU TO THE TWO SEQUELS.
Author's Note
By the way, it occurred to me today (02/10/2017) that while most people probably don't care one way or the other, you might not know who 'The Last Mage' actually is. It's NOT Jacob, but his ancestor. If it had been Jacob, then the title would have been different. Being a mage requires a LOT of magical experience, and Jacob, despite being assisted and trained by those who had LOADS of experience with magic had been using it for less than a year. He has a lot of power to throw around, but that hardly made him an expert in it.
http://www.fimfiction.net/story/5481/MLP%3A-A-Favor-Returned
Eeyup. Here it is. The fun has begun, now to find a spot to make the Doc run!
Also, for the alternate sequel,
http://www.fimfiction.net/story/5793/The-Necro-Walk
Unlike the description given at the end of this story, The Necro Walk will be following a different route: Mythica is in the process of being conquered than already having been, but as stated before he'll need to win the trust of the ponykind once again. Another thing different is that his age will NOT revert.
Whichever storyline you choose to pursue (if not both), enjoy! : )
Earth has many legends concerning Dragons, Unicorns, bold knights, and mighty wizards that raised young men up to be kings that forever left their mark on history. Or perhaps there were not many stories at all. Perhaps there were only two, and then dozens of versions were made up of them.
Strangely enough those stories stopped cropping up not long after Dragons and Unicorns, if they ever existed at all, were hunted to extinction. Now magic is believed to be nothing more than ignorant Humans' excuses for that which could not be explained. Oddly enough, the Bible itself makes brief mention of Unicorns, and several countries have multiple legends of dragons, though they differ in form and ability: Chinese Dragons were serpentine, possessing either four or two legs, and were very wise. English Dragons could be either wise and admired, or cruel and hated. They usually sat like a dog would. That is, they sat on their haunches. They also usually had smaller front legs, or perhaps even arms. They hoarded gold and gems and devoured young maidens and fought against those bold, or stupid enough to challenge them.
However, even though there was a valid reason for Dragons becoming extinct (greed), the extinction of Unicorns never was made clear. That is, until I received a box of my great-grandfather's things that had been lost in the mail for over thirty years...
MLP: THE LAST MAGE
Chapter 1
I don't recall much of my grandfather. He died before I turned six years old. I have but three memories of him and all of them were of him talking about our family heritage. Usually they involved him relating how his own grandfather told him stories from the days when mighty wizards supposedly roamed the world and shaped the world as we know it today. At the time I believed every word simply because I was a child and thought he was the coolest man in the world next to my own father. As I grew older I ceased believing that any of my ancestors used magic and concluded that they had used what was at the time called Alchemy and in modern times called Chemistry. But I had no way of knowing that for certain. I still don't, to be honest. I mean, how many people claim that they can see the future and are proven frauds in one way or another? Some of my relatives probably were frauds, I have no doubt about that, but after I got that package I knew for certain that Jacob P. Lighthand the sixth, my great-grandfather, was no fraud.
It started out like any other day: Wake up, have breakfast, brush teeth, say hi to my folks and head out the door to work. Yeah, that's right: I lived with my parents even up to the age of twenty three. I know some of you are laughing at me for that, but things aren't as easy for a guy to move out when the only job you can get involves helping people about as smart as a thumbtack and just as charming find something to wear that 'won't make them look fat' even when a Left 4 Dead fan would yell “BOOMER!” as they walked by. In short, I was not poor, but I was pretty dang close. If not for the generosity (or maybe pity) of my mother and father I would have had to crash at my best friend's place, which would have made me feel guilty as heck, even though he's told me several times that I could if I needed to.
So anyway, after work I was minding my own business when the old postman that had been working for the postal service for as far back as anyone in town could remember saw me and pulled over into the wrong lane (fortunately for him there was no one coming) and hailed me.
“Yo! Jacob!” He called. Like my great-grandfather, and my grandpa, and my father, I also was named Jacob P. Lighthand. The ninth, of course. “Jacob! I got a package for you! It looks really old, too!” I looked up from the sidewalk that I had been blindly gazing at with yet more thoughts of annoyance at stupid people running through my mind.
“Yeah, Thomas? How old?”
“Well, judging by the faded labels, roughly about 32 years.” I stared at him in disbelief, giving him a 'Oh, really? What do you take me for' expression. “No, really! It looks weird, too. It looks like one of those clothing chests you'd see at those Knightly Fairs that roll through here from time to time.”
“Well just drop it off at our place. I'll haul it inside when I get home.” I shrugged, it was probably just some old rotten box that nobody in our family wanted and kept mailing to someone else. I'd probably do the same thing after I looked through it. My folks wouldn't really care about it. My father thought my grandfather was crazy, and my mother- well, she wasn't Atheist, but she didn't believe in anything she couldn't witness. How does that make her NOT Atheist, you ask? Because she believes in Aliens. She doesn't go nuts over them like some people do, though (thank God).
The weather was mild, though it would quickly grow colder. It was late autumn now, and the leaves and cold breezes proved it. Once the sun had fully set I was sure to freeze if I stayed outside. But fortunately that was not going to be a problem. Or so I thought.
Sure enough, Thomas had put the box next to our mailbox and sure enough, the thing looks positively ancient . I went indoors to drop my stuff off and change into more comfortable clothing (sweat pants and a sweat shirt) and then headed back outside to get the box and bring it inside. To my dismay, it would not fit through the door and I had to put it in our single-car garage (which we only used for storage) instead. After getting the key to its lock I lifted the shutter door and dragged it inside before shutting it again. The box, whatever was inside, was locked. I rolled my eyes and began looking for a crowbar. Or maybe a hammer. There was probably nothing of any real value in it anyway. Of course, I found nothing useful. I frowned.
“No wonder you've been bounced around so much! You don't open!” Suddenly realizing the ridiculousness of mine yelling at a box, I laughed. And then stopped when I heard the click of a heavy lock. “No way.” Curiosity piqued, I knelt down in front of it and gripped the lid with my hands and lifted it open. And got a face-full of old dust. I hacked and coughed and wiped at my eyes until it floated out to one side or another and was finally able to breathe again. When I could I had to turn on the single light bulb hanging from the ceiling because too little light was coming in through the two windows on either side of the garage. I looked down into the box to see almost nothing. Just three items. There was an old book that looked like it had been made by hand rather than produced in a factory. The cover felt like leather, and just running a hand over it made me feel as if I had stepped into another time. The other two were a red cape with what looked like tarnished copper rings, and an ivory horn that had a spiral cut all along its shaft up to the point. Ignoring the cape, I picked up the horn and felt a static charge zap my hand. I jumped, but the pain quickly faded and was replaced with a warmth like placing cold fingers on a cup of hot cocoa. The feeling spread from my fingers to the rest of my hands and then my arms. Little by little, it spread throughout my entire body.
“What-” I quickly put the ivory horn down and the feeling faded the same way that it came. Now as curious as a child looking at his gifts on Christmas morning I picked the book up and opened it. The words were complete gibberish. “Lovely.” Without closing it again I set it down and picked the horn back up. The same warmth spread through my body once more. My mind puzzled over it for six minutes and then I realized I had to use the bathroom. Still holding the horn, I went indoors and started through the kitchen when the phone rang. It was out of my reach, yet I still turned and reached out a hand. I felt a tingly sensation in my open hand and to my shock the phone lifted off its base and began to fly towards me.
“What the heck?!” I yelled. The phone dropped and swung (our kitchen phone has a cord) back and slammed the cabinet that it sat upon. The loud jolt surprised me and temporarily forgetting what I just saw I ran to the phone and picked it up. “Hello?”
“Jacob P. Lighthand! Did you just drop the telephone?!” I sighed.
“Yeah mom, sorry about that. I lost my grip on it.” Not that I had a grip on it in the first place! My mother proceeded to berate me for possibly damaging our telephone and of course threatened to make me pay for a new one if I had broken it. I told her that I knew that and would replace it if I had to.
I asked her if she needed anything.
“Oh, no. I was just making sure that you got home safely.” I smiled. I was 23, but she still treated me like I was nine.
“I'm fine, mom. When are you going to be home?”
“I'm afraid I'm not going to be, sweetie. Your father just received an award for being the best employee of the year and won a trip to Hawaii with all expenses paid and he's taking me with him!” My eyes widened with shock and pleasure. My father was the hardest-working man I knew and it was about dang time he got recognized for it. “Would you like to come with us? He only won two tickets, but we'd buy you one if you like.” And they would too, if I said yes. I loved my parents, and I did want to go to Hawaii someday, but there was just one problem: I was terrified of heights, and there was no way I was getting onboard an airplane while conscious. Besides that, I had to work.
“Nah. You two go ahead without me. I have to work anyway.”
“Are you sure? It's only for a month. You have that much vacation saved up, you know.”
“I know, but I'm saving that for an emergency. I'll be okay, you two go ahead and have fun without me.”
“Well, if that's how you feel, then we'll see you in a month, Jake. We love you.”
“I love you and dad too, mom.” I made a kissing sound. “Goodbye.”
“Bye! We''ll send you a postcard.” She hung up, and so did I. I then put the phone back on its base and looked out the window at the setting sun. It was then I remembered I had to pee and ran to the bathroom.
When I came back down I looked at the phone again, recalling my earlier magic trick. I reached out my free hand again and thought about the phone lifting off the base and floating into my hand. Nothing happened and I lowered my arm. I supposed that I had been imagining it for a moment, but then remembered my conversation with my mother and reached out again, this time with a different mindset: the telephone will come to me. My eyebrows shot to the top of my skull as the phone practically leaped from the base and flew to my hand. A thrill ran through my body. I set the horn down and willed a half emptied cup of water to my hand. It slid across the table, but stopped when the warm feeling left my fingertips. My eyes narrowed a little at the realization that, whatever that horn was from, it was what was granting me this telekinetic ability. I picked it up again and set the phone back on its base and willed the cup to come to me again. I got splashed with water, but the cup came to me. So then. Belief is what makes this...power...work. If only I could read that book, maybe- then it occurred to me that if the horn was next to the book, that probably held some significance.
I raced out the door and down the front steps...then raced back ad shut the door because I'd left it open. Ugh! I then, feeling like an idiot, walked back into the garage and picked up the book again and looked at the symbols. Before my eyes they changed shape until they formed the only language I could read: the one you're reading now. That on its own was enough to enthrall me, but when I saw the date, I spoke it aloud. “Five hundred thirty four? But...How could this book still be intact after all this time?” Only two explanations came to me, and one of them, given the era, was impossible. Vacuum sealing, and magic. But magic isn't real. I looked at the horn in my hand. Or is it? I looked back to the ancient pages in my hand, and began reading. Most of it was of little to no interest. It spoke of day to day activities, and idiocy of peasants obsessed with their looks. So not much has changed since then. I skipped a few pages and started reading again. Here it was on page seven that I found something interesting...
Today I have finally found a new Unicorn's horn for my personal use. It has taken me literally months of tracking and much money and some white hairs. But I'd do it again. Sadly, when King Uther decided to crack down on magic-users, he also began hunting down Unicorns and Dragons. While the demise of Dragons is of lesser concern to me, the loss of the Unicorn species is a dire problem. Without any more horns to be found soon all magic users shall become little more than common people and our way of life will be no more. I can only hope that his son, Arthur will be less ruthless. It is a good thing that I saw this coming and have stored away five more horns. I suspect I shall need them in the coming years...
So this horn is what is giving me this power! But I must wonder how much is left in it if he needed to stock up on them. I turned the page as the rest of it was blank. The next entry was written a year later.
Calamity! My horns, save for the one that I hid in the family graveyard have all been seized by that cursed wretch Uther and his knights! It seems he knew more about magic's workings than any of us feared and is now making it his personal mission in life to make all of ours miserable! I shall have to stop using magic from now on I suppose if I am going to keep our legacy alive for future generations. Though where they are going to get their horns from is anyone's guess. Perhaps if I went to the Equine forest I could find my way into their fabled place of origin. I shall entrust this journal to my grandson. His father is a knight and so cannot be trusted, but young Mink can be. If I should never return, to whom it may concern, use you inheritance wisely. For there shall not be another source of it unless I succeed and return.
My ancestor, whatever his name had been, had not made another entry which probably meant that he had either made it where he was headed and had been unable to return, or he died on the way to his destination. Either way, At least I now knew what I held in my hand: A Unicorn's horn. Unless this was some sort of elaborate joke. I looked to the next entry, which seemed to have been written by Mink.
I've been waiting for Granddad to return for over twenty years now. I am beginning to think that he may never come back. I miss him terribly now that father is dead and so is mother. But I will keep my promise no matter what happens. And I will make sure that my children know that their great-grandfather was a mighty wizard that taught me the few tricks that I know. I will also keep his horn safe and, if need be, pass it on to my second-born due to my firstborn hating magic-users from what the knights that used to serve Uther have told him. Even though Uther is dead now, all too many people fear magic and are still hunting dragons. It's sad.
Mink never wrote in the diary again, but his second-born, Bunt, had. What he wrote was poorly spelled and seemed to be about him having girl-problems and wishing his brother had not gone witch-hunting with some friends of his. A later entry had him being at the rare age (at that time) of eighty nine. The hand writing was better, but his spelling was not. He was giving advice on life to his eldest daughter, and wishing her all the happiness in the world. From him came his daughter Savina, and her eldest son Richard, and then over a dozen more inheritors and last-name changes. From time to time the last name of Lighthand popped up again. Sooner or later, just when it seemed that his family name would disappear someone would marry one of them again. Apparently even Robin Hood himself briefly possessed the book after stealing it from one of my ancestors, though he was not even close to the hero judging by his entries that legends made him out to be. He wrote in the book six times within two years, and then it was passed on to... the bearer of his children. She herself never wrote in it, nor did her children or grandchildren. But the ones after wrote in it, and apparently even used the horn a few times themselves. Then for over six hundred years the journal was not written in at all and I began to wonder what had happened to it. A few pages seemed to have been torn or smudged out or even burned as if someone had tried to destroy the book.
Then someone named Shageesh had apparently mistaken the journal for a cookbook and added a recipe for roast goose that made my mouth water. He also added one for fried pig intestines, which made me want to vomit. I paged through his other works and skimmed other uninteresting entries until my eyes caught sight of something I remembered from history class: The Salem Witch Hunts.
My brother, mother, father, and uncle have all been accused of witchcraft and were hung last week. How ironic it is that it was I myself that was using magic and not my family. I suppose I'm just that good at leaving false evidence. Or perhaps those overzealous people that call themselves Christians are simply too eager to believe themselves on the righteous path. So much for 'Never allowing a sorceress to live.' all those girls that claimed to have performed magic that were allowed to live while those that swore innocence died. Fools, all. I, fortunately, was out of town and staying with other relatives at the time of the trials, so I was able to escape. Some of the girls that earlier declared themselves practitioners of magic have been stoned or shot by others who, like me, believed the trial's form of punishment to be reversed. I shall have to put the horn away for now lest suspicion fall upon me.
I stopped reading, feeling sick. One of my ancestors made it look like her family was performing magic so that she herself could escape? To my grim satisfaction, she later died of cholera and both the horn, and the journal passed on to someone else. Someone who apparently couldn't read. Instead he or she drew pictures on several blank pages. Pictures of plants, people, styles of clothing, weapons, and the horn itself. A short explanation from a school teacher explained who and what each drawing was, and the name of the person who drew them. Another Lighthand. Wow. We've been around for a long time! I thought, amazed.
Finally, after flipping through more pages than logic allowed for how slim the journal was, I came to my great-grandfather.
September 9'th, 1979
I've done it! I've finally found the old forest that original writer in this journal spoke about! Equine Forest is located in what is now known as-
I cursed. Loudly. Whatever had once been the next word had been smudged up. I tried touching the horn to it in hopes that it had only been altered, but no. I read on, hoping for a clue.
I do not dare leave the actual location written here though, in fear that someone with a cruel heart might extort the locals on the other side of the Stone Arch Gate. I will journey there to the Welsh lands myself as my ancient ancestor did and put the journal, the horn, and a little gift of my own, a red silk magician's cape for the next bearer of the horn and journal into my father's clothing chest. To whom it may concern, I wish you good luck, and pray that you are as gentle and kind hearted as my dear, departed wife. I shall tell my son about our heritage, as most of our ancestors have in hopes that the truth of the past not be forgotten. To my son, I pray this journal finds its way into your hands, but if not, then the power of the horn shall keep it safe as it always has.
P.S. That cape was once worn by myself when I saw the Magician Houdini perform in person. I'm not sure for certain on this point, but I believe that he too once bore a Unicorn's horn of his own carved into pieces small enough to swallow but large enough that they would not go through his digestive tract, enabling him to escape from anything. I suspect the day he died was the day his horn finally failed as one day ours too will.
Welsh lands...that's in the U.K., isn't it? An idea suddenly occurred to me. It was a bit risky, but I thought it worth checking out, if only to see the land where our family originated. I stuffed the journal into the cape, rolled it up, and stuck the horn awkwardly into a pocket. I shut the crate and left and locked up the garage. It was fully night now, and nearing eleven o'clock at night. And, of course, it was freaking cold!! Shivering, I went into my house and called my mother back. Fortunately she and dad weren't going to be able to leave the US until tomorrow when the soonest flight arrived. I waited briefly. Mom had a favorite show that came on every night at ten, and then she'd watch the news until roughly about eleven twenty. Then she'd turn the TV off and go to sleep.
“Hello Jacob. Why are you calling so late? You change your mind?” she asked, yawning.
“In a way. I just remembered something Granddad used to tell me when I was a kid. Would you mind if I took a trip to visit the land of my ancestors?”
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Deleted Scenes and Rejected ideas 2'nd addition
Last Mage deleted scenes 2
Rejected idea 1
===
Deleted Scene 1
"Who was that, and what is this?"
"Another communication device. That one is meant to make announcements in buildings.
Deleted scene 2
"Whatever. I keep half-expecting the Boogie Man to step out of the woods with all this mythical stuff turning out to be real!" He chuckled nervously and then leaned closer. "You've been here longer than any of us, right? You haven't seen a Boogie Man, have you?"
"Nope. I did get attacked by some evil zombie-ponies running around in those woods a few days ago, though." I said, pointing at Everfree. "Though from what a local to those woods told me they only go out hunting once a year." The soldier gave me a look that said he was wondering if I was joking or not. "Anyway, where is this Griffon?"
"In a medical tent. When it showed up it was being attacked by another of its kind. We shot the heck out of it until it died, but the Griffon-thing was pretty beat up."
===
I walked away from them and kept walking until I was behind the palace and away from nearly everyone. I say nearly because the military groups had done an excellent job setting up a loose perimeter around all of Canterlot. I made sure to face away from them and then held my staff in both hands out in front of me and took a deep breath. Let's try earth-walls first. That had been something I'd struggled with from my first attempt at it against the guards in the sparring area. Unlike every other time I'd used my wand, the staff glowed like a living horn had and almost instantly the ground responded. A mound of earth erupted up in front of me creating a small hill and a cloud of dirt. I stared at it in amazement. It was not a wall, which in my mind meant that I had failed, but I was astounded at the ease at which it happened. A mere thought and up it came. I barely had to focus at all. I was reminded of the first time I had used Celestia's magic. But always as it had been before I needed to work on my concentration. For just a fraction of a second I had pictured a hill rising out of the ground if I had made a mental error and up the hill came instead of just a wall. Let's try something that I'm good at: Telekinetic power. I focused on a stone that I saw sitting by itself on the ground nearby and willed it into the air. It rose to the height I wanted it to, again with barely a thought. I brought it around me and to my front as easily as counting to three and then made it spin around in place. I then pictured it splitting in half and pulling apart a tug-o-war match with a cookie. It came apart, still spinning. Small bits of it that had not stayed as part of the whole dropped and fell to the ground. These I picked up as well while still spinning the two rock pieces. The smaller bits I did not spin, but focused on keeping them still while still maintaining the speed of the others. This strained my mind but I continued anyway until my head started to hurt, then I dropped the smaller pieces and launched the two larger out into the distance. They flew so far so quickly that soon I lost sight of them. Output would be up, she said. Well then I have to wonder how far those are going to go before they hit the ground again. This was a decent warm-up but I'd need to try something much more difficult in order to truly test the staff out. Tossing a few rocks (or technically one rock) wasn't really much, and other than the strain from dividing my attention on several things at once (which only tested my mental abilities) I had not really done anything yet.
One of the guards on duty walked over to me while I was deciding what to do and looked at the mound of dirt I'd created.
"What were you trying to do?" He asked.
"I was trying to create a wall of dirt." He looked at the mound again.
"I don't mean to be a smart ass when I say this, but it looks like you need more practice."
"Yeah, no kidding." I replied. "Moving dirt in specific shapes has never been my strong point. Except for that one time when I made a tunnel underground, and I nearly drowned myself doing that."
"Can you fly?" He asked randomly. I shrugged. "How about making a barrier?"
"Only once, and it wasn't really a barrier so much as a redirection." The soldier looked around and then picked up a few of the small stones that I had not thrown. Without warning he threw one at me and hit my shoulder. "Ow! What'd you do that for?!" He threw another and I caught it in a hand and threw it back. And missed. Horribly. He looked at the result of my throw.
"
Deleted scene 4
"So you do use magic." She said simply.
"Yes. Obviously. Can I help you with something?"
"Yes. Teach us how to use your magic as well." I raised an eyebrow.
"Teach you?" She nodded. The others that had come with her now also approached me until they stood side by side with her. All of them save for one were also in their fifties. The other was still older than me, but seemed to be about thirty rather than fifty. There were five of them total.
"We are all that remains from three families of magic-users from Earth. There was a time when we numbered in the hundreds, but during the persecutions of the Dark Ages and then later during the Salem Witch hunts we were nearly destroyed. But the times are different in the world now, and those that have special abilities are welcomed rather than shunned. You've become a beacon of hope for those like us or those that wish to be like us. Teach us your magic, and we will share ours with you." Other Humans that use magic? Is this an elaborate joke, or do they use Voodoo? Either way, the magic I use cannot really be taught. Either you have a horn, or you do not.
"And what magic is it that you use? Voodoo?" The woman laughed scornfully.
"Voodo. Voodoo is a joke. No. What we use is Necromancy. We raise and control the dead to do our bidding." I took a few steps back from them. I wanted nothing to do with that. "You need not feel intimidated by us. We are not your enemies. On the contrary, we could be valuable allies."
"The magic that I possess cannot be taught. Either you have it or you don't."
"I find that hard to believe given that the rumors state that there is a girl in Canterlot proper that supposedly did not possess magical abilities until she met you." She smirked.
"Yes, a rumor . Supposedly Chuck Norris can hear you scream in space. Do you believe that too?" She frowned.
"Do not mock me! You may have more raw talent than we do, but I have more experience than you, and there are three of us to your one."
"Are you threatening me?" I gripped my staff tighter. "Wait, three? But there's-" The other two pulled their sunglasses and hats off. I stared. They had no eyes, and their heads were of bone.
===
--=
Deleted scene 5
Rainbow Dash would not be taking part in direct conflict, rather she would be flying from one location to another delivering messages where there had not been enough walkie talkies to go around. She was not happy about this, but saw the need for it and only grumbled rather than voicing any actual complaints. If the Dragons broke through the perimeter that had been set up then she had permission from Celestia to engage them, but only then.
Applejack assisted by standing next to one of the silos that had been set up on the palace balcony.
Deleted scene 6
Instead she began trying to imitate what she had seen the Humans do many times over the last two days: start a car. Using her magic she opened one of the doors and hopped up onto the Driver's seat and then crouched down to look at the pedals on the floor. The one on the right made it go forward...and they inserted a silvery thing into the side of this wheely-thing.... she looked at the side of the steering column and was relieved to see that a key was already inserted into it. She turned it, again using her magic- and then stopped. She remembered that there had been something else that needed to be done in order to make it move, but she couldn't remember what.
Rejected idea 3
--=
Deleted scene 7
“It is probably too late for them, Jacob. If they could have retreated, they would have done so much sooner.”
“It isn't right.” I said.
“None of this is. Come.” I was about to turn away when a loud booming sound came from the same direction and a multicolored ring burst outward from the cloud of figures still in the sky and swept over of us.
“Rainbow Dash is up there!!!” I yelled, and started back the way I'd come. I did not need to however, as a streak of rainbow color came our direction and flew past us, heading right for the palace. I turned again and ran to follow it, and then found myself standing in a room and running for a wall. I slid to a stop and looked around. I was in the palace again. I looked at Luna who rolled her eyes.
“I can teleport, remember? I saw no point in running the whole way when we could get there so much faster.” I felt stupid for a moment and then thanked her, as did the others, who were tired.
===
“And now for Jacob himself!” The maker said, sighing in sadness at what he had wrought. So many good things had occurred in the end (most of them not written), and yet so many lives had been lost to get the worlds where it were now. ”Alternate Universe or not, my perception of Reality or not, what right do I have to do these things? And where will Jacob's feet take him now? 