Chapters Voices of Unity: Song of Iron
A light breeze rustling the leaves. Chirps and warbles of nearby songbirds. A nearby waterfall, and even some squirrels chattering. Yes, this was the kind of sound he liked. The kind of background that lent him the desire to sing, and sing out as loud as his lungs would let him!
Davis took in a deep breath, savoring the scents of nature as he sat on the rocking chair. It was the only sitting place in front of the small cottage, after all, but it was comfortable at least, and didn't even squeak whenever he decided to sway it back and forth. The breeze played through his auburn hair and fluttered the loose parts of his Hawaiian style shirt. It lacked the usual colorations, but the comfortable materials was all he really cared about.
There was no one else around, after all, to see him. He'd made certain that, finally, he could get the complete and utter solitude he had been craving for years. So what if he had a golden voice? That didn't mean everyone and their grandmother had to chase him down for it! Even his own friends and family had been pushing him to enter into the big leagues of singers, making the big bucks and bringing fame to the family.
But it had been too much for the young man. Barely 23, even with only having taken some few live concerts, thanks to his lack of spending habits, he was already well to do. Here, out in this little cabin, he was pretty certain he could live off of the interest for the rest of his life. Back in his hometown of Austin, Texas, the culture had nearly drained him of his mental stamina as producer after talent seeker tried to make him sign with their company or get him to perform again and again. It was a miracle he had a voice left after some of them.
Now out here, though, he was free of that, and he'd made certain no one would come after him either. Nobody but an underground...acquaintance knew where he was, and even that man hadn't really known who he was. It was the perfect vanishing act for him. To top it all off, he'd told practically the world over that he wasn't going to come back for at least a year, and not to come looking for him.
It'd already been a couple months as the singer sighed in relaxation, taking in another breath of the refreshing air that surrounded his little cabin. Picking up a glass from the floor next to him, he took a swallow of iced tea, smiling at the taste, as he took in the sights around him once again. Having wet his throat, he broke out into a chuckle that could have charmed the kings of old. Taking a deep breath, he sang out. A wordless 'ah' of notes to let nature know he was there, and happy!
Another chuckle escaped him as he heard the confused chirps of the birds from his melody. Taking another drought of the tea, he leaned forward and rocked himself to his feet, strolling out onto the hiking path that sat by the cabin, leading to the falls he could always hear nearby. Some minutes later, he pushed aside the brush to view his favorite place to relax. The creek fed into a small pool of water at the base of a small set of falls that likely only measured a dozen feet in height. But it was still noisy, and he liked their sounds. Jutting out over the pool was a stone that, by appearance, had been shot out of the earth. It was there that he liked to lay down, under the shade of a nearby tree while he listened to the pitter patter of the falls.
As always, he stood at the tip of the cliff, looking down into the deep pool below. He'd once wondered where the water went, seeing as there was no apparent exit for all the water that fell into the pool, but he assumed there was an underground river flowing from it. He'd never bothered to dive into it, afraid that he might get sick, and being as far as he was, he didn't feel up to dealing with even a simple cold. Shaking his head at his silly thoughts, he went to lay on his back, promptly falling asleep to the lullaby of falling water.
He awoke with a shiver, the sun fading on the horizon as he sat up to view his surroundings. Scratching his head in amusement, Davis realized he'd slept a little longer than usual. Sighing and stretching to work the cramps out of his body, a look of confusion slowly took him over. Something wasn't sitting right with him. Where were the bird songs? The breeze earlier was gone as well. But strangest of all...he couldn't hear the murmur of the waterfall anymore.
Standing and stepping over to the edge of his rock, he frowned as he saw that there was no water flowing anymore. The creek was dry, and so was the pond! As he looked the bed of the pond over, he realized that it still appeared to be wet, or rather, muddy. And deep where the light barely reached, he could see it. A small but dark patch where there seemed to be nothing but blackness, as if the sun couldn't penetrate into the depths of what Davis figured was the entrance to the underground river he'd guessed as the outlet of the water from the falls.
Looking up the creek itself, he wondered what had stopped the water. But as far as he could see along the mostly straight waterway, he saw nothing to be concerned about. Without a drop of hesitation, he started to make his way down to the edge of the pond to get a better look, thinking he might as well take advantage of the situation to see what was under his rock in the pool, maybe even get a closer look at the dark hole while there was still enough sunlight to do so.
That was not to be, however, for as he reached the edge of the empty pool, his every trusty sandals caught on an exposed tree root, and with a light yelp, Davis was thrown by his own momentum into the muddy bowl, landing on his back with a heavy thud, and a 'whoof' as the air from his lungs was forced out from the landing. His head had thankfully met with nothing but squelchy mud, but as he opened his eyes, he noticed that the pond was much deeper than he'd originally thought...and he didn't see a way back up!
Breathing quickly as panic began to take hold, he scrambled to his feet and made for one of the bowl's walls, seeking purchase to pull himself out...but not one was found. The pond bed was a perfect sheer face on all sides, and the mud was too slick to grab. He was trapped. Taking deep breaths to try and calm down, he looked around some more, hoping for something to come to him for escape. Wait...the hole, the one to the underground river!
Reaching into his shorts pocket, he pulled out the small LED flashlight he kept on him...or rather, kept on his keys, and walked over to where he'd seen the dark space from above. Upon reaching it, he shone the light into the darkness...and got nothing in return. His natural light fading fast, Davis leaned over the hole, trying to shine his light upon anything that might clue him in on if it was a good chance, or if he would be spending a night in a muddy hole.
Panic returned, as he realized...he might die here. If the water came back, he might get sucked into this hole and drown. If it didn't, but the mud didn't dry fast enough, he would starve! And no one was around to hear him scream for help either. No...he was alone, and he was in danger.
Starting to breath heavy again, he picked up a chunk of mud and threw it into the hole, and it simply...vanished! He knew that he should have seen it for a short time with his light shining on it, but as soon as it touched the edges of the hole, it was...absorbed! Gone! His panic and hopes pushed by curiosity, he reached forward and pressed a finger into the inky blackness...
Davis sat up with a gasp, his eyes flying open as he pat himself over. He could feel he was all there, intact, unharmed...but what he could see was nothing but an inky blackness, tiny pinpricks of light spread around him in random spots. There were so few, but they were there. He could hear his own breathing, and he could smell something akin to rainwater. The surface under him was strangely soft, almost pillow like, and warm to the touch.
He reached for his little flashlight, but found neither it or...anything in his pockets. For that matter, he couldn't find anything on him but his own skin! He was utterly naked in his plight. New panic set in, and he clutched his head, trying to remember what had happened. He'd touched the inky spot on the bottom of the pond, and then...this. Was he dreaming?
"Oh, I'm afraid you're not dreaming, boy. Of course, I doubt you'd be capable of dreaming up something like me."
The voice came from behind him, and with a jump and a yelp, Davis bound forwards to put some distance between him and the sudden new entity. For when he turned to look, that was the best description he could have possible thought of.
Standing before him was a creature like none he'd ever imagined, made of what seemed to be several creatures all jumbled together. Even its eyes were mismatched, the grin on its face marred by a single fang jutting from its upper lip.
"Oh come now, would you like a spot of tea and potatoes? After all, it might just be your last meal, or maybe your first. I'm not sure how this whole inter dimensional stuff works really. Only reason I'm the doorman is because I loooove just how chaotic it can be. Oh, and where ARE my manners."
The creature pulled a wooden box out of thin air, opening it and pulling out a glob of orange goo.
"Oh, here they are. I'm always misplacing the silly thing."
Davis gulped as he simply stared at the monstrosity before him, his mind feebly grabbing at an explanation for what he was seeing. While he broken thoughts tried to piece themselves together, the orange glob was tossed away.
"Oh, who needs manners anyways. I'm the lord of Entropy after all! Bedlam needs no introduction...though I suppose that was an introduction itself. Now, how about you tell me about yourself, little lost child of humanity. Having to be the Gatekeeper is soooo boring after all, and I can't cause disorder here unless I send you somewhere fitting to cause it!"
Davis shook his head again, deciding this just HAD to be a dream! And if it was a dream...then he'd just play along. After all, he'd just forget it all upon waking anyways. Deep breath...calm and collected...well, calm anyways, and he looked upon the creature again, his mind grasping on the fact it had a lion's head.
"So, you're saying your name is Bedlam?"
"Oh, so you CAN speak. And here I thought I was going to have to pull it out of your head directly. Yes, I am Bedlam, sibling to Discord, Turmoil, and Clutter! Clutter's a bit of an idiot, by the way, just don't tell him that I said that. He's the strongest of us, but not a cell of intelligence. I should know since I took them from him."
"Well, I'm Davis Winter."
He held out his hand in greeting, which the creature took in a wolf's paw and shook vigorously.
"Nice to meet you Davis! I say that sincerely by the way. As I may have mentioned, gets very VERY boring here in the Gates. I'm delighted to say you may not think it was nice of us to meet, and think that very soon...or maybe you WILL. Oh, this is so deLIGHTful. I finally get to sew some disorder in the universe after so long. Now, tell me Davis, what kind of talents do you have?"
"Talents? Oh...well, I can sing?"
"Of course you can, ANYpony can sing, you silly human. The question is can you sing well? Or sing horribly, it really doesn't matter to me."
Davis took a deep breath and sang a single verse from one of the songs he'd covered not too long ago, and the creature's mismatched goat and cat ears perked up, his face breaking into a smile that felt rather warming to Davis.
"As you can hear, I can sing fairly well."
"Oh, indeed you can! I do say, that is quite a fetching voice you have."
His smile seemed to become more...devious as he looked Davis over, who promptly remembered he was naked, and covered himself out of modesty. The creature seemed unfazed as it circled Davis, who had it of mind to wonder where the light that had been upon the creature was coming from, but didn't look away from the now predatory grin. He could hear the clacking of Bedlams footsteps upon the nonexistant ground, alternating between that of the goat leg and that of the crab leg...or, he assumed it was a crab leg.
"Oh, yes, I think I know where to put you, and oh, won't Discord be happy to see my little gift in his playground. Not that I can see how he's doing. Gatekeeper doesn't mean world viewer, after all. But tidbits do make it through on occasion. Like when he made cotton candy clouds that rained chocolate milk! Ooooh...I miss chocolate milk. But I digress. You, my silly simpleton, I am sending to his world. I'm supposed to send you back to your own world, but that would actually kill you seeing as it's now underwater and you'd drown in moments. So, I'll make you a deal. I'll send you to my sibling's world and spare your life, on the condition that you send me some chocolate milk once you're settled in. Deal?"
The other 'hand' was held out this time...a bat claw and wing.
"Well, it's only a dream anyways so, what have I got to lose?"
"That's the spirit m'boy!"
They shook, and the face of Bedlam put itself right in Davis', whom had just realized that the body was that of a leopard.
"Although, I'm sorry to say boy, but this is no dream. Enjoy your new life, my...little...pony."
As the creature released his hand, he felt himself falling...falling away from the monster as it waved with a horrific evil chuckle, the specks of light around him becoming more numerous as they flashed by. He could see himself now, and as he held his hands in front of him, he could feel the pins and needles sensation usually associated with a limb going to sleep cover him over, and to his horror...he began to change.
His hands were first, becoming forced into a fist, and then shaping themselves as grey fur sprouted along his arms, the knuckles hardening like his nails...he screamed then, as between his forming hooves, he saw a planet coming up to meet him, and it was doing so fast! Just before he lost consciousness from the overwhelming situation, one thing managed to break through the strangness, and that was his curiousity...That sun is so small, and so close....
"Waaaait wait wait a minute!"
Davis found himself suddenly stopped, oddly to the sound of a braking car, time around him having been given the middle...claw by Bedlam as he appeared next to the mid transformation Davis, who felt like he should have already passed out, but was being kept awake somehow. No, wait...this wasn't Bedlam! This ones parts were completely different...or maybe it was him?
"Oh, ponies are so...common! Bedlam, why'd you start him as a pony! For landsakes, at least be a little more chaotic when you send me a plaything! Oh...never mind, you misplaced your manners again I'm betting." He was talking back towards the direction Davis had been coming from, and he sounded rather similar to Bedlam, but had a more interesting voice at the same time.
"Now now...let's see, oh yes, I think THIS will do nicely." It tapped Davis' head with a lion's claw, and with the sound of an old record regaining speed, Davis found himself passing out once again, his changing hands now looking more like bird claws...
Voices of Unity: Song of Iron
Mamma said I'd be a star someday....
"Spike? Spiiiike. Come on, Spike, we're going to miss Luna raising the full moon tonight!"
Princess Twilight was scouring her library home for her number one assistant, who had unexpectedly vanished earlier while she had been reading a most fascinating book on the applications of Earth Pony Magic. Time had gone by quickly, and when the lavender alicorn had looked up, Spike had been nowhere to be seen or heard.
"Oooh, there's only an hour before the moon rise, and we haven't even gone through the checklist!"
She sighed, tapping a hoof to her chin as she took a few moments to think of how she could find said dragon, when her ears flicked up upon hearing the kitchen door open. Galloping through into the kitchen without hesitation, she sighed in relief as the purple and green youngster kicked the door closed, gently, as his claws were too full of grocery bags and a large cake box, which teetered dangerously upon the purchases.
"There you are Spike! I was worried something had happened to you. Oh...now I remember, I sent you to get tonight's supplies!"
Spike set the bag down, neatly catching the cake box as it tried to meet the ground, which he set upon the kitchen table with a smirk. He responded in his slightly gruff but noticeably young voice.
"You were pretty deep into that book when I went off. Surprised you even noticed I left."
"Oh...I finished it already."
She laughed with a blush as she rubbed the back of her head with a hoof, unable to hide her embarrassment at her, as usual, avid reading habits.
"I got the bread and the cake from Bon Bon since Sugarcube Corner was closed for the night, and some grape jelly from the general store. That's three things off your list Twilight."
She nodded and trot back into the main room, gesturing with her head for Spike to follow.
"Now, I know you're probably still tired from the Equestria Games, but Luna promised it would be a night to remember, and I don't want you to miss out on it."
Spike sighed, giving her an annoyed look as he started up the stairs to the bedroom, to pick up the picnic cloth they would be sitting on to watch the moonrise.
"It's been a week already Twi, I don't need any more extra naps."
With the cloth folded neatly, he tossed it over the railing, watching the familiar lavender glow that indicated Twilight had it in her magical grip flow over the bundle, which sank out of sight while he continued around the railing to the observation balcony where the telescope sat on its tripod. Gently pulling the scope off, he rose his voice to alert his best friend to the incoming package, which was neatly caught in the glow as he jogged to the stairs with the tripod.
"Alright, so we have everything, we're running ahead of schedule, and best of all..."
The alicorn produced a checklist out of seemingly nowhere, though Spike was certain it had been hidden under one of her wings.
"All that's left on the checklist is to arrive on the tall knoll on the east side of town, and set up there. I hope everyone makes it."
Spike just shook his head and rolled his eyes, packing Twilight's bags with the food before hoisting the telescope and tripod onto his shoulders with practiced ease. With a happy smile, and a quick nuzzle to the dragon, Twilight lifted the bags onto her back and trot out the door with Spike right behind, the door shutting from a telekinetic nudge.
"I'm telling you, there's no way what Luna is doing will be as awesome as me, but I bet it's ALMOST as awesome! I mean, it is Luna after all."
"Now, Dash, ah'm tellin' you to pipe down and just watch that there moonrise. I'm sure anypony can judge for themselves just how awesome it is."
Rainbow Dash, famed pegasus, bearer of the Element of Loyalty, self proclaimed most awesome pony in the world, and one and only performer of the Sonic Rainboom, was having a staring contest with one of his best friends and fellow Element of Harmony. Applejack stared right back, the Element of Honesty not backing down an inch, for the farm pony, who happened to be part of a just as famous orchard, Sweet Apple Acres, was well known for her strength of both body and character.
"And I'm telling you that there isn't a thing that can top my awesomeness!"
The farm pony grinned, tapping Dash upon her chest. "Not even a barrel of mah finest cider?"
Dash opened her mouth to respond, but stopped short, having to think for a moment. "As close of a call as that would be, I'm still on the top."
Applejack chuckled as she shook her head at her friend, promptly pulling her into a bone cracking hug. "Don't ever change Dash, ya hear me? It'd be too hard to tease yah if'n you ever got humble."
As the two continued to converse about awesomeness and cider, to their right, another pair simply sat and watched the horizon, waiting for the moonrise they'd come to see. Fluttershy, the yellow and pink Element of Kindness, town renown veterinarian, master of 'The Stare', and all around the most gentle pony one could meet, was shoulder to shoulder with Rarity, her white and indigo friend. Element of Generosity, owner of the Carousel Boutique, master dress maker, and quite possibly one of the best stylists in Equestria, her well kept mane and proper posture stated much, but nothing compared to her deeds with her fellow Elements. And while the two did not yet speak, a wing from Fluttershy offering a hug to her friend said more than enough as the fashionista accepted.
Twilight, Element of Magic, recently having risen to the status of Princess, student of Celestia herself, and all around magic geek, was helping Spike to set up the telescope and tripod upon their picnic cloth.
"Now, for optimal viewing, we need it at this angle, and at...this level of magnification, it should be perfect!"
The dragon followed her instruction in adjusting the view as she looked into the lense and made calculations on her notepad. And while she worked, a pink blur bounced around the entirety of the group, speaking so fast that...well, nopony could tell what she was saying. After all, the Element of Laughter was the most hyper creature in the known kingdom, possibly even the world.
"Alright everypony! It's time!"
Twilight sat back and watched the horizon with the rest, even Pinkie coming to a stop and flopping next to Fluttershy, who promptly pulled the pink menace into her other wing as behind them, the bright sun that Celestia brought them each and every day vanished into the dark. Before them, on the other hand, rose the moon that Luna gave them every night, the stars twinkling in the sky as they waited with held breaths for the surprise from the Princess of the Moon.
And what a surprise it was, for upon the full moon's surface sat their cutie marks, Twilight's in the center, with the other five spaced evenly around them. While they lacked any color...anypony who knew of the bearers would know the marks. All but one pony started to tear up at the sight, the last, Rainbow Dash, turning away and coughing as she tried to hold it in.
"That's...oh, I hope it's not permanent. That's just too much!"
Fluttershy voiced what was likely a concern among them all, for to mark the moon like that for them would be too great a gift for any to accept. But poor Fluttershy soon found herself hiding behind Rarity when a voice behind them spooked her, a quick 'eep' following her vanishing act.
"And we are not allowed to do what we want with the moon, permanent or no?"
Luna herself stood with them, her smile gentle and amused at the second surprise she'd just given to them by actually being there, her etherial mane, flowing with the appearance of the start studded night sky itself, as did her tail. She had disdained her usual royal attire for the occasion, instead having donned a simple scarf that Rarity had made her. One that matched her mane and tail in both color and jewels representing stars, though the designer had yet to manage to make any material flow without wind as the manes of Celestia and Luna did.
Twilight shook off her stunned expression, gulping as she spoke to the master of the night.
"I'm sure I speak for all of us when I say that it is an amazing honor, but...it wouldn't be right for it to be permanent. We may be the elements of Harmony, but there are many other ponies out there who do such amazing things for everypony. We've even gotten to meet one in Daring Do! But..I know I wouldn't feel right to take such an honor without being able to honor all the others."
Her five friends voiced their agreements, Luna looking impressed at the concerns.
"Very well then. We shall only have it as such one night a year. Pray tell, what day dost thou believe would be best suited for this display in your honor?"
"Why not the night after the Summer Sun Celebration, since Celestia wants it to represent your return from the Nightmare and it was the elements that made it possible?"
Spike's outburst brought an even bigger smile to Luna's face, while Twilight turned to give him a nod in approval of the thought.
"We...ahem...I shall make it so. Now, I have dreams to attend to, so you must pardon me if I cut this visit with you short. Please, come see me sometime. It is...difficult to find time to go out and socialize with my subjects, and it would not go amiss to have company come to me instead. Fair thee well!"
And with a flap of her wings, she soared into the night, to the goodbyes of the Elements and a baby dragon.
"Sooo...I'm still the most awesome thing in this world, since that's on the moon and doesn't count."
Fluttershy and Twilight were the last on the hill, enjoying some extra time stargazing. Spike had gone home to get some shuteye, having taken the telescope and tripod with him. The food had all been eaten, leaving Twi with only the cloth to take back herself. Fluttershy's animals had all been taken care of before she'd set off, but the others all had early mornings to attend to, leaving the studious with the kindest.
"Well, I suppose we should finally head home Fluttershy. Want me to walk you home?"
"Oh...if it's not too much trouble. I mean...I don't want to impose...."
"It's perfectly fine, and I could use the walk before heading to bed."
The two stood up, Twilight's magic folding the cloth, perfectly of course, and setting it in her saddlebags, when Fluttershy gasped and pointed into the sky.
"Look Twilight, a shooting star!"
"Huh, but Luna's schedule didn't say anything about shooting stars tonight. She always tells ponies ahead of time for anything like that."
They watched as the star streaked across the sky, although it seemed to be going slower than the usual spectacles that Luna made in the night sky. And...it seemed to be getting bigger. For that matter, the tail had vanished. Almost as if...
"It's coming this way! Fluttershy, hold on to me!"
Twilight grabbed the easily frightened pony, and with a burst of her magic...teleported them off of the hill and closer to town. As they watched, the star fell with a shriek, smashing into the very spot they had been sitting upon not a moment before, dirt and dust flying into the air as they felt the thud of the impact.
"Luna's stars never fall. We need to send a letter right away! Fluttershy, go get Spike, and tell him to send letter C54 to Captain Crescent Star. Between the two of us, you should be able to wake him without startling him. I'm going to go make sure that whatever that is isn't a danger to the town. Hurry!"
Fluttershy gulped at the prospect of having to go through town, alone, in the dark, to wake a sleeping dragon, baby or not, in the middle of the night. But Twilight trusted her to do it, so with a nod and whimper, she galloped off towards the library, as Twilight took shaky steps towards the impact site.
"Oh, please don't be something dangerous or chaotic."
She eventually gained more confidence, each step closer bringing no scary monsters or evil villains to her eyes, so with a curious but still prepared demeaner, she edged her view over the lip of the crater, and gasped at its occupant.
"Is that...a pony, or a griffin?"
Twilight reacted instantly, teleporting herself next to the iron grey creature, leaning over and nudging it with a hoof.
"Are you ok? Hello?"
It didn't respond, probably out cold. Being awake after such a fall would have been a miracle, aside from the fact that it was alive anyways. She could hardly comprehend that, despite the knowledge that all three pony tribes were capable of amazing feats, it had survived that velocity. Not even one of the Pegasi could have survived such a crash. A unicorn spell might have cushioned the blow, but that was assuming they knew such a spell, or could even cast it. And an Earth Pony might be tough enough to live, but they would not be unscathed as this one was.
She continued to take stock of the it, the egghead in her gauging that it looked like a griffin pony...what was it she'd read in a book of rare creatures? Ah yes, a relative of the ancient hippogryphs, the Roavi. Something exciting had practically fell into her hooves for study!
"Let's get you to a hospital. I don't know how you survived that, but we're going to find out...as soon as you're awake and able to anyways...then I can study you and ask you questions!"
She concentrated on her magic, encircling him in her lavender glow, carefully lifting him and putting him right next to her, and with a flash, they were gone from the crater. Moments later, a mismatched pair of eyes leaned over the side of the crater, opposite of where Twilight had peered over herself.
"Oooh, this will be so much FUN! After all, it's not everyday a neigh indestructible creature lands on the doorstep of Ponyville...no, wait, that actually happens quite often. Oh well, that just means I get to mix things up even more...so long as I don't destroy anything. Yes, no destruction. I'll be a good draconequus and just make Celestia blush and Luna faint. Or maybe the other way around. Oh, who am I kidding, destruction can be so chaotic when done right!"
And with a mischievous laugh that rang into the night air, the Lord of Chaos, Discord himself, vanished to wherever it was he liked to vanish to.
Author's Note
Comments/Critiques/Suggestions more than welcome.
Voices of Unity: Song of Iron
Hearts, Hooves, and Cookies
Davis awoke to the sound of thunder and the patter of rain, sitting up with a massive gasp, panting in panic as he remembered the strange events of the dream he'd been in. The room was dark, and the bed was far softer than the one in his cabin. Had he been rescued after all?
He shook his head, his head feeling strange as he does so, his ears feeling like they flapped around with his shake, and that only further confused him. Thinking he must have hit his head pretty hard, he decided it might be better not to do that again. It hadn't been painful, but rattling a hit head probably wasn't the best idea.
He looked at the window, a flash of lightning giving him a short view of the room, but something just below his eyes blocked a part of his vision. Reaching up to check his face, he realized his fingers felt strange, and his arm bent in a very strange fashion. Another flash, and he saw it. Not his hand...but a claw!
He gulped, feeling his mouth and teeth, only to find something hard and sticking out, the strangeness only continuing as his body did its mental checklist of what all was there, and coming up with nothing familiar. He tried to breath slower, not wanting to panic again. A dream, this HAD to be a dream! But...the one constant in his dreams is he never woke up into the dream. He always just...was suddenly there. No waking moment. But this...there was just no way it was real, right?
He eventually got his breathing under control, only to be startled once again as a flash of lightning was followed by a very loud rumble, meaning it had been awful close by. But the shock wasn't what made him nearly panic again, but the feeling of something on his back suddenly spread apart! Trying to look behind himself, his face was met with a bundle of feathers, and he felt them, not just on his face, but he felt his face from the feathers, and...they felt like they were all over his upper torso too!
He did the only thing left to him...and screamed, or...at least he tried to. He felt the air rush from his lungs, his throat strain, but his vocal chords simply did nothing. He knew their feel, knew their control, for all the training he'd did to make his great voice even greater through exercise, just for the sake of making wonderful music with it. But he couldn't even moan or grunt very well now, though he did try rather desperately.
He sniffled, even that simple motion feeling so strange with the new structure of his face. He could feel himself shudder with the onset of tears starting to flow over the feathers. He moved his talons around himself, checking over his body as he tried to make sense of it all. He couldn't even put together the pieces in his mind as to what he was now. Only that he didn't want to move, for fear of feeling something even more strange than all that was already piercing his limit of sanity.
He gulped, trying to stabilize any thought that would keep him from losing himself in the madness. He took more deep breaths, his right talon sliding off his leg, and tapping something metallic. A guard rail! Maybe if he made some noise, someone would come check on him! They could tell him what was going on! Maybe he was only hallucinating what he felt. He'd heard of such things, but wasn't sure. But first, someone to help!
He rapped on the guard rail, the metallic clinking loud as he struck it with his tough talons. Moments later, the door opened onto a dark hallway, a short figure trotting in...yes, trotting. The sound of hooves on tile could not be ignored. He took a shuddering breath, trying his utmost to keep some sort of calm as the figure said something that escaped him for a moment. He tried to speak out, but again, all he got was a puff of air. Something about light?
So said, so happened, as a lamp to his right flickered dimly to life, his visitor gently coming into focus, a white coated equine peering up at him with the cutest eyes he'd ever seen on anything. A lilac mane lay across its neck to the right, and with similar coloration in its eyes staring up at him. A hat with a red cross rested between her attentive ears, as he stared right back.
"I'm assuming you wanted someone's attention with all that bangi...sir?"
He'd jumped when she spoke, his body automatically responding to his desire to get some space between him and the talking equine, though he only managed to crowd himself up against the headboard.
"Sir? What's wrong?"
She looked around as if expecting someone else in the room to have spooked him. But he pointed with a talon at her, confusion written upon his face...then he looked down, and saw that the feathers he'd discovered on himself only went halfway down. The other half of him, his lower half...looked furry, and his feet were no longer feet, but hooves. He gulped, looking back at her, his pleading eyes trying to say 'what AM I?'
"I'm sorry sir, I didn't mean to startle you! Please calm down and lay back in the bed. You've checked out fine so far, but we need to make absolutely certain nothing is wrong. It'd be a miracle if such were true, if what Twilight told us was accurate. Now, first and foremost, I'd like to get your name? I'm Nurse Cloudheart."
She held out a hoof towards Davis, who shakingly held his claws out to her. She bumped it gently with a smile, which faded a little when he didn't speak.
"Sir? Your name?"
He shook his head, and put a talon to his throat, making a huff as he tried to speak, his face sorrowful as he tried to reach her with his lacking voice.
"You can't speak?"
He nodded quickly, coughing for a moment as he'd caught his claws against his throat when he did. His wings flared open when the Nurse hopped her front legs onto the bed, before putting one against his throat, the hoof turned away while her fetlock gently braced against his adams apple.
"Try again for me?"
He tried to say his name, the movements of his beak, for that was no doubt what it had to be, and tongue feeling odd, but somehow right for his name in this new body, but nothing once again. She sighed and frowned, putting the same hoof she'd tested him with against her chin in thought.
"No vibrations at all. We'll have to have that checked by Dr. Syringe, but that won't be until the morning. Meanwhile, you'll be staying here, ok?"
He nodded to her, then after a moment's thought, put his talons in front of him as if he were a child, and acted as if he were lifting something to his face, making drinking motions.
"Hmm? Oh! Some water? I'll get that for you then."
She trot off to a corner of the room that was unlit by the lantern, and after a sound of running water and some clinking, she came back with a glass held in her front right hoof, walking on only three legs with practiced ease, and she set it next to him without spilling a drop. He reached for it...and with some careful motions, managed to pick it up. It seemed fine, but it felt strange as he brought it to his beak, and attempted to tilt it in...only to spill it all over his chest feathers, sputtering as some tried to go down his throat before he was ready.
"Oh dear. There might be a concussion after all if you're having trouble with the glass. Hold on, I'll bring you another and help."
She promptly vanished into the darkness once again, returning with a fresh glass and propping herself up on the bed again, holding the cup out to him.
"In case the damage is to your muscle memory, here, place your lips on the glass, I'll tilt, you drink, ok?"
He nodded once again, and did as she asked, slowly sipping the water down, knowing that gulping it greedily might make him choke.
"That's a good patient. If you need anything else, just tap again. I'll be here all night, after all. Just stay in bed and rest. Nurse Redheart will be here for the day shift."
He sighed at having quenched his thirst, the lack of sound coming with it still concerning him. He looked at the nurse, tilted his head, and tried to at least make the facial motions of saying 'thank you', his body telling him he got it right somehow, but the oddity of it still making him unsure. The bright smile on Nurse Cloudheart's muzzle said it'd made it through.
"It's no problem sweetie. It's what I'm here for. Sleep well.."
She trot out of the room, leaving behind a very confused Davis. He shrugged, his wings flipping out as he did, making him shudder once again at the involuntary reaction of his new appendages. Waiting for them to settle of their own accord, he wriggled his way back down into the sheets of the bed, laying his head back upon the pillow a little higher than earlier.
Sighing to himself and trying to think of what was going on, he decided to see if he could get a look at himself, and sat back up, looking around for a reflection, which he got when he looked out the window thanks to a flash of lightning once again. The reflection gave him all he needed to know.
He looked away quickly, wriggling further down into the bed and looking at the ceiling intently, avoiding the glass at all costs. The steel grey feathers, the wings, the half bird, half equine body that looked like it belonged in a cartoon, no...none of that was what had really made him look away. Not even the large eyes or iron grey feathers and fur he was covered in. No, what had made him look away was what had been in his eyes.
He'd always been proud of his sky blue eyes. His homely appearance had been what had made it easy to stay out of the serious limelight, but his eyes had been the one thing 'pretty' about him. But in that reflection, they were no more.
They were now steel grey, and he looked, at least from the distorted glass, like a creature with a hardened heart. Completely opposite the mark he'd seen on Cloudheart's flank, which had matched her name by being what appeared to be a heart shaped cloud. With tear filled eyes, he tried to sleep.
With a large yawn and a bone cracking stretch, Davis sat up in his bed, blinking the sleep away from his eyes as he looked at the now fairly lit room, thanks to the sunlight streaming through the window. It was sparse, for certain, the only things in the room besides his hospital standard bed and the nightstand, with the lamp which had been turned off sometime during the night, probably thanks to Cloudheart, was a sink with a pair of drinking glasses laying upside down on it, and a door to what he assumed was the bathroom.
Before he could even rap upon the bed rails, the door opened to let in another white equine, this one with pink hair and tail. He saw she too had a mark upon her flank, this one of a familiar looking red cross, though the hearts in the corners of the cross seemed to make it even more meaningful in his eyes. Her nurse's hat had the same hearts upon it, whereas he remembered Cloudheart's having been just the cross.
"Good morning dear. I'm here to check up on you and ask if you've had any aches, pains, or headaches before the doctor comes to finish up and possibly discharge you."
Her professional demeaner was only complimented by the smile on her face and the charm in her voice. He nodded gently in confirmation.
"First, Cloudheart said you couldn't speak? Is this still true?"
He opened his mouth to try and say something, but all he got was the same rush of air leaving his lungs. With a puff of a sigh, he shook his head.
"That's unfortunate, but hopefully when the Doc checks, he'll know what to do. Any pains or headaches?"
He shook his head again.
"That's a good sign at least."
She reached a hoof forward from the bedside, popping a thermometer into his muzzle and held it there, until she was sure the red liquid had stabilized.
"Hmm...99 degrees, so no fever. I'll be back later after your chat with the Doc, and help you get discharged. In the meantime, I brought you something to snack on so that you don't get too hungry."
She lay a small box on his lap, his mind wondering where exactly she'd hid it this whole time, as she trot out of the room. Shrugging, and once again shivering at the strange feeling of his wings, he decided to open the box. Inside were what had to be the most aromatic cookies he'd ever smelled, and the tasted like they smelled...heavenly. He normally didn't care much for oatmeal cookies, but these were an exception to that rule it would seem. He'd just finished the third and last when the door opened once again. This time, the one that entered was covered in black fur with a bright orange mane, and...was that a beard? On a horse? With a mustache?
Davis' eye twitched a couple times, but thankfully, with a deep breath, he simply put it to the side. HE was an equine, bird...thingie at the moment himself...one walking in with a mustache and beard weren't that weird in comparison, as far as he was concerned. Perhaps what he should be more concerned about was the horn on this one's head. It looked dangerous to him, and he didn't care to have it anywhere near him...but if this was the doctor, he'd have to bear with it...like bearing with a doctor that was giving you a shot.
"So, Redheart says you check out fine with everything but your voice. Is this correct?"
Davis nodded, suddenly realizing just how much not being able to talk was starting to bother him. Only so much could be said with body language after all...and he wasn't even in his normal body to begin with.
"Alright. Well, the physical scans have been inspected, and nothing seems to be wrong with your body in any way, shape, or form. Mental scans indicate nothing wrong there either. Finally, the magic scans indicate some residual chaos energy, but that should wear off in a matter of days. If you would allow me to check your throat? I'm making a guess that said energy is fixated there, which would explain your lack of a voice."
Davis had raised an eyebrow at the mention of magic, but...again...here he was, a...hippogryph, yes, that was the proper word for a bird-horse hybrid if he remembered right. He was a hybrid monster from legends. Magic? Sure, of course there had to be magic. No way was someone going to explain THIS situation with science! With a nod, his permission was given to the stallion. His orange horn began to glow, and he felt a strange tingle on his throat, probably the Doc's magic.
"Well I think I just proved my theory. There is indeed a large amount of the chaos energy centered on your vocal chords. I give it nine days and you'll be able to at least whisper. A good seventeen before you have your full voice back. Sadly there's no immediate remedy to chaos energy, but it always goes away over time. Well, my patient, you are free to go from this hospital. If you'll follow me?"
The Doctor indicated the door, and Davis paled. He had yet to set hoof out of the bed, and gulped visibly at the prospect.
"Something the matter sir?"
Davis sighed and nodded, but leaned to roll out of bed, aiming to set his hindhooves down first...only to lose balance and fall flat on his face. He mentally kicked himself. Quadruped creature, four legs, ALL on the ground. Not just his hindhooves.
He gauged himself for a moment, trying to think what to do, and decided to try doing a pushup with his talons, and...felt something take over for a mere moment, and there he stood, on all fours, and he was steady. He recognized the feeling too. Reflexes. Instincts. That natural process that let you do things without much thought, but...where had he gotten reflexes like that? No...he had to stop thinking too much about these things, or he might never move forward.
Forward...yes, that's what he had to do. Move forwards, literally. The door and Doctor were right ahead.
Taking a deep breath and putting a talon in front, he walked through the held door and into the hall...into the claws of turmoil.
Author's Note
Well, that's three chapters in, and so far I feel alright about it. I'll admit I'm a little scared. Both of this being a failure, and also fear of success. I just hope that if y'all like it, that I can keep it up and not fail any of you.
And as before, Comments/Critiques/Suggestions are more than welcome.
Voices of Unity: Song of Iron
Or hooves of turmoil, as the case may be, for when Davis left the room, he suddenly realized that all he could see was pink...and while he could feel what had to be an immense pressure on his chest, he could still breath just fine.
"Ohmygoodness somepony new to meet and greet and give a party!"
The pressure left him as the pinkness moved away to reveal another pony, this one with a smile he could only describe as infectious, for he felt himself smiling as well...or at least what probably counted as a smile from a beak. Did he feel teeth in his beak?
"You like parties right cause I'm going to be throwing you a party for coming to Ponyville because I gotta throw a party for anyone new here and mrrrff urph mmphmmmmm...."
"Pinkie, what have I told you about my patients and your hugs? Now, go to the waiting room with the others and be patient...this time, Pinkie Promise!"
Davis watched as the pink pony made a rather odd sounding promise to Syringe around the hoof in her mouth before...bouncing her way through a pair of doors, the doctor signalling for him to follow.
"I'm sorry sir, but she can be...overwhelming for out of town patients. Pinkie greets every new creature to set foot in this town, and usually does her best to give them a party. You won't escape it, just to let you know ahead of time. Trust me, many have tried. But they're nice parties, and the cake is more than worth dealing with Pinkie. Don't get me wrong, she's a good pony and a wonderful friend."
Davis shrugged his answer, following the colt into an office where he sat down behind a desk, pointing a hoof to a chair that Davis took.
"Now, I don't suppose you could write your name for us?"
He tapped a piece of paper that sat upon the desk, an ink well and quill sitting next to it. It took a few moments before Davis shook out the minor shock of seeing something so archaic being offered for regular writing. He lifted a talon in front of his face, clenching it once or twice, making a huff of a sigh as he reached for the quill, slowly and gently, and tried to grasp it.
Success! It was almost natural feeling as he picked it up, and placed it against the parchment, writing his name in blocky english letters, thinking that was the easiest to read.
Smiling and turning it to the doctor, he slowly lost that smile as the pony turned it this way and that, before looking at Davis with a curious stare.
"This is like no language I have seen. Do you know common Equestrian?"
He scribbled on the parchment himself and presented it to Davis, who looked at it with a curious glance of his own, the script before him made in the markings of...
Wait, those were hoofmarks all over the page! Looking at his own hindhooves, he wondered at this...but shook his head again, looking at the doctor with an uncertain gaze.
He huffed another sigh, shaking his head as an answer, followed by a cringe as in his slight depression, his wings had drooped. That sensation was going to drive him insane!
"How unfortunate. Is what you wrote the only one you know?"
Davis nodded, looking at his talons once more, before looking down at the hooves for his feet. Everything felt so alien, yet at the same time...natural. Just what was going on?
"Well, fortunately for you, one of the most studious ponies in the kingdom resides in this town, and is a Princess to boot. She should get you righted in no time, and likely knows what written language you're using. She's the one that found you, by the way. I still don't believe her story of you falling out of the sky though, and nary a scratch. Now, hold here while I go get her. I think she'll want to speak with you privately first. I'll show her your...script here while on the way back. At least you understand our speech, otherwise this would be rather difficult."
The doctor left the office, leaving the once human to think to himself as his eyes wandered the office.
That strange creature, the hole in reality itself, and now this. And what was his name again...why couldn't he remember? Something about siblings and chaos, but...was that an ant on the wall?
Davis was watching a small ant on the wall now, crawling its way hither and yon in search of food, Davis shaking his head and taking a second look, realizing he'd felt like he'd been looking at it much closer than he was now. His imagination probably.
"Hello?"
Davis shot out of his chair, the voice having come from right behind him without warning. Landing right back where he had launched from, he looked around the chair to spy a purple pony with wings and a horn, as well as what appeared to be a crown?
"Sorry to startle you. My name is Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Equestria and Element of Magic. I officially welcome you to Equestria, and extend the hospitality of the nation to you."
He fumbled out of the chair, trying to get into a bow. He didn't know this land, and if she were royalty, he probably had to bow. He hoped it wouldn't be grovelling...he wasn't sure he could take that at this time.
"No no, please, stand. I'm not one for bowing. I'm just a princess in title after all."
She smiled and chuckled a little, helping the Roavi to his claws and hooves as he'd managed to plant his beak into the floor.
"Now, I know you probably have lots of questions, though not nearly as many as I have. Such as how you got here, how you survived such a long fall and even getting ignited on the way down! And oh, where are the other Roavi? How many are there? Is there a hidden nation..."
Davis cocked his head in curiousity...and far further than he though he could, unsure of what this pony was talking about, while he grimaced and got his head straight. THAT was going to take some getting used to. Was she still blathering about questions?
"And how many feathers do you have, your bird species and pony species and...."
She stared at the claw that was now clamping her maw shut, the eyes of the creature before her pleading before letting go.
"Eh...hehe. Sorry, I get carried away when there's something new to study. After all, there hasn't been a Roavi sighting in thousands of years after the war of songs! But I'm getting ahead of myself. Please, follow me. I didn't recognize your script, but I know a librarian in Canterlot that knows every single form of writing in all of Equus!"
Davis began to head for the door when she held up a hoof. "No, silly. We're going to teleport there! Once we know your script, we'll be able to translate it easily."
Davis looked at her with a bemused expression. Teleport, yeah right....
If he could have screamed at that moment, he would have as he felt his entire world flip inside out. It was as if he'd been flushed down a giant toiled while also going through a wringer that was cold as all hell, and gravity was playing ping pong with his stomach.
It was over as soon as it began, but he clutched his stomach nonetheless, panting like he'd run a marathon.
"I'm sorry, I'm guessing you've never had a teleport spell used on you?"
He glared at the princess. Royalty or no, that wasn't nice, and he hoped she got the message in his face.
"That's a no, and a 'warn me next time' I take it?"
He nodded, glad she understood.
"Well, we're here nonetheless. Welcome to Canterlot Library!"
He took the moment to look all around him, spying the books...sooo many books! He was in heaven! There HAD to be a wonderful fiction section in this place, not that he needed it what with practically living one now! But regardless, it wouldn't hurt to sit and read to take his mind of the situation at some point. After all, what better way to escape reality than a good read? Oh right...actually escaping reality!
"Now, follow me please. We're going to see Ms. Scrawl, master of the script."
Davis huffed again, doing as she said. He hoped this would fix this communication issue, because being unable to voice how frustrated he was at the moment was starting to get old rather quickly. Traveling through the aisles and aisles of books was a nice change, though, from the hospital. Much more relaxing, and it gave him a moment to collect himself. Thankfully his wings were being cooperative and just staying put.
"Here we are. Linguistics department." She pressed through a door with the Roavi in tow, into a single small room with one simple looking desk, behind which was a very old looking pegasus, who looked rather bored.
"Ah, Ms. Sparkle. To what do I owe this...interruption to my studies? And what is this quill supply depot doing here?"
Davis: First impression...not so good.
"Now now Ms. Scrawl, we need your help because this gentlegryph is currently unable to speak, and writes in a language neither I nor his Doctor recognized. We were hoping you would know." He watched as the paper he had written on earlier floated over to the pegasus, who gave a sniff before holding it with her feathered wings...somehow...and proceeded to look it over. Slowly at first, then with several rereads before her face broke into shock.
"Im...impossible! This writing hasn't been used since before the founding of Equestria! Why, this is ancient script used by the southern Earth Pony Tribes before the wars themselves! I'm afraid most of the information regarding its meaning has been lost, however, I can assure you, Twilight, that though the writing is ancient, the words for them are still used to this day. In all technicality, we are speaking that language right now. It was common practice even before the wars for each tribe to speak the same language, but develop a different written language for the sake of keeping their written knowledge secret. Now, if we are done here, simply cast a spell that translates the written word to speech, and you shall have your answers. Begone, I have work to do!"
Throughout her speech, she'd calmed down to the point of looking bored once again, at which point she pointed at the door, Twilight nodding and taking her cue to leave with the mute.
"Well, I guess that should make things easier...I think. It's going to be difficult to keep quill and ink on hoof at all times."
Davis, meanwhile, was shaking like a leaf. That abrupt exit had made him flare his wings once again, and this time it was absolutely nerve racking! The sensations were driving him over the edge, to the point he fell on the ground holding his head, trying to scream out at how...no, this wasn't pain...it was something else entirely, but it might as well have been pain with how unbearable it was.
"Are...are you hurt? What's wrong? Mr...oh, Roavi, are you alright?"
She was giving him worried looks, but he couldn't see...couldn't hear. He was in pain that wasn't pain! It was so WRONG what he was feeling. Wings...tail...hooves...fur...feathers...nothing made sense! And why did it feel like his spine was on fire!?!
"Oh...oh my gosh! We're getting you to a doctor, now!"
That was the last he heard as he faded into the bliss of nothing that only existed in being unconscious.
Author's Note
Questions? Comments? Suggestions?
Hit me with what'cha got!
It's been a while coming, but I hope I can keep going this time. I want to continue this story very much.
Voices of Unity: Song of Iron
"So what's wrong with him Doctor Stern?"
Davis would have panicked if he'd had the mind too...heck, he would have probably mentally screamed in fear if he actually cared. But for the moment...all he felt was giddy and numb. He couldn't move, he couldn't see...all he could do was think, and there wasn't much there. Just a little glee and relaxation. At least he recognized Twilight's voice.
"We're not sure yet, but based on some of the information from the Ponyville Hospital and your own notes, his nervous system is having a communication breakdown."
This voice matched the name that he assumed went with it. Stern, but also caring. At least, that's what he got through his current state of mind. And a female doctor too at that. He hoped she was pretty. He needed something pretty...maybe? Who cares...even ugly would make him happy right now.
"We've put him in a stasis spell for the time being that will keep his mind from harm from the sensations he's getting. Scans so far indicate that the majority of the disruption is coming from his wings and tail, while minor amounts are being produced from his feathers, fur, hooves, beak, and ears. Talons produce no interference, nor does his internals."
That voice sounded less interesting, but still made him want to smile. It was a male for certain, rather deep, but with an almost musical tone to it.
"But what would cause such feedback? Even a transformation spell wouldn't cause this much issue. There are too many failsafes built into them all."
The stern one again. She sounded confidant.
"It would if the spell failed mid-casting, or if the subject of the spell did not fully understand the biology of the species. Especially if the subject did not have the limbs of what they were becoming. Now I know why he can't talk. He botched the spell. *sigh* And here I thought I'd found a member of a long lost species. Instead, he's just some idiot spellcaster that botched his spell. At least I'll get to learn a new language, which he WILL teach me since I'm going to be working on a cure."
Twilight...she sounded upset. And a cure? He'd be human again? He'd teach her for that!
"If that were only possible Princess. I'm afraid that whatever he may have been prior, there is no possible way to know unless he tells us himself. There isn't a trace of his original species, as most transformation spells leave behind. No spell matrix, no aura fragments, not even a single origin hair. Whatever spell was used was thorough. He is entirely Roavi, from the core of his bones to his aura, which, I must say, is rather interesting to look at. But I digress. It is irreversible without something to clue in the spell to his original form."
The male again. He seemed pretty certain of himself. Now if only they'd leave him in this stasis thingy...he felt too good to worry about that last bit, even if he did think about it more than he probably should have in this state...hmm...cookie would be nice right about now.
"Nurse Briar, did his eye just twitch?"
"He's awake. Why didn't the field inform me? Better release him. I'll keep his body numb, but otherwise he'll be mobile again. We'll have to take it slow and allow him to slowly adjust to each part of himself that is causing the feedback."
And with a feeling similar to that of when one steps out of the pool after a long period, where gravity reminds you how heavy you actually are, Davis returned to his more normal state of mind...albeit he couldn't feel much aside from how thirsty he was!
He blinked, looking around at all the white. It was almost blinding, but the lights were soft enough that he didn't have to blink too much to adjust.
"Welcome back...can you move any?"
Twilight was just barely in his vision to his right, and he turned his head enough to see her. She looked like she was having a mix of worry and anger fighting for dominance as she looked at him. He nodded, lifting a talon he could hardly feel and making a writing motion.
"Oh! Hold on a moment."
She walked out of his view a moment, returning with a pad and quill, an ink well floating next to them both. He took the quill gently and dipped in the well, trying to write something out, but without the ability to feel the pressure well enough, he poked through a couple pages. Cringing, Twilight flipped a few pages, then nodded to him.
"Try again. My magic can keep your pressure from causing any more damage...and keep you from hurting yourself."
He nodded again and started to write, hoping that what the old pony in the library had said was true...he needed to tell them what was going on! Finished, he nodded to Twilight, hoping to all existence that this would work.
"Alright, now to see if she was right about the script to speech spell working on this."
She closed her eyes a moment, concentrating, then released a flash of magic at the paper. Davis still couldn't see the two others in the room, but was pretty sure they were watching too. Then he heard it...a rather monotone version of his own voice, though is sounded a little higher than usual.
"My name is Davis. I do not know how I arrived here, but I can be certain that I am no longer on my own world. Before waking in the first hospital, I remember two creatures made of many creatures. One of which called himself Bedlam."
Twilight was staring at the paper before turning to look at Davis with shock. "Did...did you say made of many creatures?"
He nodded his answer.
"Discord! Why that no good chaotic piece of..aaaaugh!"
Davis tilted his head, waving at the paper which she handed to him.
"No, he called himself Bedlam, though I remember him saying he had a sibling named Discord, as well as two others. I can't remember their names at the moment though."
Twilight paled, a shudder running through her as she listened to the script being translated.
"Discord has...siblings?"
"Why of ~course~ I do Twilight, though you'll never get to see them. After all, it could be far too destructive if we were together in one dimension. I like causing chaos, not cause a planet to vanish in a flash of party favors."
Davis had gone cross eyed, looking at the tiny form of Discord that was perched on a beach chair with a tiny umbrella and martini that had suddenly appeared on his beak. He wore sunglasses and a cap that looked like a baseball had been forced into the shape of a screw.
"So you've established communication faster than I expected, though I shouldn't have underestimated Princess Blinky Buns over here."
Twilight's stars on her flank suddenly got Christmas Lights on their outlines, which blinked several times before poofing into purple clouds.
"Discord! What are you up to this time! You promised not to cause any harm to anypony with your pranks!"
"Oh, party pooper. I didn't harm anypony at all! After all, this one isn't a pony anyways, and his being here was not my fault! My brother thought he'd send me a chaotic gift through the Gates, but didn't know I'm undergoing reform, so there!"
"The...Gates? What are you talking about Discord! I'm not going to play your stupid games!"
The tiny amalgamation of creatures pulled his sunglasses down enough to give Twilight a glare.
He grinned as Twilight started to sputter in frustration, her mane starting to spark a bit and smoke, while Davis merely blinked a few times, trying to process the situation.
Discord on the other hand started to laugh, and he snapped his lions paw, a game of some sort appearing in front of Twilight, a face appearing on the front of the box with a goofy look, which ended up stating 'duhuuuuuur' to her face.
"Of course, I can make a pretty stupid game if I want to...aaahahahahaa!"
Twilight only groaned, giving Discord glare that made Davis want to wilt as with the chaotic thing on his beak, it made him part of the target zone.
"Oh, don't be so droll Twilight. At least I made sure he'd have a more interesting body than just some lame pony. With the Roavi extinct, I thought it would be fun to see if he could bring them back with some...repopulation methods."
He waggled his eyebrows, one of them floating off and eventually vanishing into the roof.
Davis creased his own brows in anger. This thing wanted him to do WHAT!
There was a poof, and next to Twilight appeared another like Davis, only showing feminine features with the mismatched colors of Discord. "I mean, the Roavi look gooorgeous when they want to, and the females...mmm, I'd hit that."
He winked at Davis, who bared his beak full of teeth at the montrosity that had done this to him.
"Oh please, you couldn't even scare Fluttershy with that nonsense. Besides, you're stuck here, and with an extended lifespan too! You might as well get comfy with the locales. Hahahahahaa!"
He appeared back on Davis' beak, staring him right in the eyes. "Now, you get yourself all rehabilitated and play nice with the little ponies. I'm going to go have a teaparty with my best friend!"
He poofed, Twilight looking around trying to make sure he was actually gone.
"Why did we girls have to get saddled with that maniac? At least he didn't drown Ponyville in chocolate milk again."
Davis waved for the pad once more.
"Please tell me this rehabilitation won't take too long...I don't want to be stuck in a bed if he comes around again. He gives me the creeps."
Twilight smiled knowingly. "Admittedly, he IS trying to be better, thanks to Fluttershy mostly. He's just...new to the whole friendship thing. But, after all, Friendship is Magic, and being the Princess of Friendship, I should know."
A large pitcher of chocolate milk appeared in the air, promptly dousing Twilight in her moment of pride.
"Unfortunately, he's also been hanging around Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash...our local pranksters."
If he hadn't been mute, Davis would have been scaring the nearby patients with excessively loud laughter. Maybe this Discord wasn't so bad after all.
Voices of Unity: Song of Iron
Equestria, the most peaceful country on the continent of Cheroa, which in turn was the safest place on Equus...despite the many dangers that had a habit of manifesting within its borders, and the rare scuffles that occurred among its many denizens.
The grand oceans too were peaceful, the aquatic fauna keeping mostly to themselves, leaving the surface dwellers to their world, even the sea faring travelers rarely heard of those under the waves, usually giving over to tales of fancy and drunken rumors.
Nether Cheroa nor the oceans were alone, however, for there was another continent upon the Equus. The Continent of Ferraes, land of the Dark Coalition...or at least it was now. Rivaling Cheroa in size, it held a history of turmoil and danger the likes of which a pair of Alicorns made sure never encroached upon their lands, though a hiccup now and then had appeared. One such hiccup had been known as Tirek, who they banished to Tartarus long ago, another being Discord, who, now free, was at least behaving...sort of.
"Oh come now Grogar! A Necromancer such as yourself should be more cheerful! Don't let the dead drag you down...or undead, as the case may be."
Following the merry voice, a much darker and deeper tone followed, flowing from the entrance of a cave deep in the heartlands of Ferraes, surrounded for miles by nothing but a deep blue landscape of sands and bones.
"Discord, I will NOT be disturbed during a soul calling! Begone pest! I will not allow that...beast who calls himself a warlord try to even THINK of taking MY magics! Not that he could, but I still don't care to be bothered by such a fool as such that thinks escaping the pits of hell means even a fragment of respect from the likes of me."
Deep in the confines of the cave, the draconequus lazed on bed of nails, looking perturbed, save a smirk upon his maw.
"Oh you hypocrite. It's not you've ever escaped Tartarus. Not that I'm saying you haven't done worse. After all, I hear the Blasted Keep isn't any easier on the complexion."
A bottle of suntan lotion suddenly splurt over Discords current victim of chaos. The glare of red pupil-less eyes focused squarly upon discord, who tried to look entirely inoccent, as with a simple shake, the dark blue furred ram rid himself of the lotion, his fangs grinning despite himself.
"You amuse me somewhat Discord...now what is it you want? You've never bothered me unless you needed something, now spill it before I spill you into one of my rituals...literally."
"Oh, you wound me Grogar. Cannot an old friend drop by to annoy an old coot? After all, it's been a thousand years."
The trickster vanished and reappeared next to a cauldron set deep into the ground so that the lips of the metal were level with the floor.
"And you haven't even invited me to try your newest brew! What is it this time? Aged algreu stew? Dark soul wine? Oooh...or maybe massacre moonshine? That always had one interesting kick."
The goat chuckled and plodded over, looking down into the cauldron, yet hardly changing his stance that seemed to radiate power and demanded respect.
"Nothing like that. No, not this time at least. I'm going to revive my army so that I can keep to myself. I will not be recruited into some moronic invasion when our own lands provide plenty. I am not suicidal...regardless of being nigh immortal. If that idiot wants to take on the Diarchy AND the new Elements of Harmony, he can do it without my aid. The only reason he even stands a chance is because the Voices have yet to arise anew."
Discords face went from jovial to serious in but a moment, something that even Grogar was caught off guard about.
"What is this about Voices, Grogar? That sounds like something I should know."
"Of COURSE you should know it, if you bothered to know all the things that could curse something as powerful as yourself! Bah, why should I tell you about something like this. You know of the Elements, figure it out. Now go away, I'm busy!"
Discord snapped his fingers, a dandelion appearing above the cauldron, hovering dangerously close.
"Now now Grogar, as the spirit of Chaos, it IS my duty to cause mischief. I may not be allowed to cause a major problem in Equestria, but nothing prevents me from causing something...serious over here. Now, spill it you old coot."
Grogar smiled again, snorting at the mishmashed monster before him.
"Keep this up, I just might take the time to find your Soul Anchor...and relocate it to Tarturus, you meddling figment of frustration!"
"Just tell me about the Voices, and I'll leave you be."
"GrrrRRR...Discord! I am no longer amused! Fine...the Voices of Unity are the Ferraes companion to the Elements of Harmony! For being born in these lands, you know so little of your heritage! Especially when that heritage encompasses several species! You don't even practice the Necromancy that is from my blood in your veins!"
"Oh, I'm sorry uncle Grogar, but it's not like I was given a choice of who I was made from."
The dandelion vanished, Grogar releasing a breath he didn't even know he'd taken. Undead needs no air after all. Discord on the other hoof backstroked midair with a massive smile.
"But I'm SO glad I didn't get your personality! I mean, after all...a spirit of Chaos shouldn't be so...stale."
"Just get out of my horns so I can finished my project. The warlord is almost upon me! Begone!"
The thunder of a deep voice entered the cave, Grogar narrowing his eyes as he heard the booming bass.
"Grogaaaar!"
"Great...see what you did Discord? You delayed me too long. Discord?"
Grogar spun around, confusion slowly turning to anger upon his visage as he realized the actual intent of the trickster.
"Oh, I will pay you ten fold for this Discord, mark my words!"
"I already have. See, it's in my notes."
Discord waved the notepad with Grogar's very sentence upon it, the spirit standing on the ceiling with his trademarked sneer.
"Good luck with Tirek, Uncle. I'm sure you two can work something out. After all...it's not like he can kill you anyways. Ta ta!"
Grogar growled at the puff of smoke that was left behind, his magic telling him that this time he'd left completely.
"Uuugh...I swear, the next time someone suggests we band together to create a powerful being for ANY reason, I am staying out of it! Not that the four failures didn't suggest that enough."
"Grogaaaar! Get your sorry horns out here and prepare to go to war! As Warlord of Ferraes, you are beholden to me!"
The ram shook his nowhere near sorry horns and tread out of the cave, the massive beast that was Tirek staring down at the cave mouth, and its even smaller occupant, his red and black fur actually contrasting to the dark blue that was Grogar.
"What is it Tirek? Can't you see I'm busy? I have no time for some idiotic invasion. Go do it yourself and begone from my sands!"
"Oh, the necromancer doesn't want new bodies to play with? After all...this is no friendly invasion."
Grogar stopped since he had turned to re-enter the cave, ears perking up at the offer.
"Go on Tirek...you have my attention."
Tirek sneered, holding out a band with a bell upon its center, Grogars eyes widening in surprise.
"You're not the only one to escape his prison with a prize."
Far above, lounging on a cloud with popcorn and 3d glasses, Discord smiled.
"Oh, this will be fun. It's not every day I get to sew a seed of chaos in one of my creators. Not that Grogar really needed such a thing, but I'm sure he'll enjoy the respite from having to use alchemy for all his spells now that he has his bell back. So much chaos to be had...and all I have to do, is make sure it stays here! Oh, this will be lovely. Getting the Elements to travel so far from home, creating harmony in a chaotic land...that in itself is a form of chaos! Oh, it'll taste SO sweet...and then when they leave, I can just toy with this land again until it's ALL chaos once more! But...these Voices he spoke of, I must learn more. Ah, I see uncle took the bell after all. I knew delaying him would work. Oh...time to help feed the chimera with Fluttershy."
A slight poof marked his return to the other side of the world, Tirek leaving the site with a smirk, having pulled a powerful ally to his side. Grogar, meanwhile, stared up at a lonely cloud in the sky, smiling to himself and snorting as he walked back into his cave, tapping the bell in front of his chest as he called forth his ancient powers.
"So many years separated from you my darling. Let's make some noise, shall we? I believe my nephew is asking for a bit of a disturbance...and few things are as disturbing as the undead."
____________________________
Across the world, Twilight was helping Davis with the rehabilitation to his new body, the going had been slow for the first few days, but as time went on, he felt like he was getting the hang of it. Currently in a bed in the castle, thanks to the hospitality of a pair of Princesses, Davis stared out at the stars from his balcony, wondering which one was his.
He sighed silently, wishing he could cry...wishing he could voice his sorrow to the heavens. He knew he couldn't go back...Bedlam had made that clear, even if he hadn't really meant to. Only death awaited him if he tried to return...he understood it. He turned back to his bed, his talons and hooves clacking upon the floor, making him wince slightly from the sound. Turning back, looking through the gently billowing curtains, he saw a single star shining brightest among the rest.
Please...don't forget me.
Voices of Unity: Song of Iron
One Dreamer, a Million Dreams
" It has been over a week, dear sister. How can somepony have nary a single dream?"
The dark form of Luna stood upon the balcony of her tower room, gazing at the night sky that she put her heart and soul into for her subjects. Her voice seemed to carry upon the wind, a moment later her ears perking up and her face shifting as if listening to someone.
"Yes yes, we understand he has been put under much stress, but even so, even when under the harshest of strain, a pony can dream...and under my night, all should dream! 'Tis part of the magic of our night sky!"
Slipping back and forth somewhat in her archaic speech, she shook her mane as she heard something she didn't like.
"Even so, just because he is from another world does not mean he is not of this one now. Thy reasoning is discredited sister!"
He ears flipped back, a sigh escaping her lips, before she lifted her left ear back up, contemplating something.
"Perhaps he is on another plane of dreaming? After all, not all creatures dream upon the same dreamscape. Perhaps the Roavi had their own plane? I shall delve once again sister, now go to bed already. You know what happens when you stay up too late."
She brought both ears up, then chuckled gently into a raised hoof.
"I see I am already too late. Your attempt to hide the sound of a midnight snack has failed, Tia. But I thank you for your counsel nonetheless. Fear not, I shall keep our little ponies dreams safe still. I can handle many tasks at once perfectly fine."
She stepped away from her balcony, the passage into her room blocking the sound of her sisters loving laughter. It did not take much magic to whisk away the sound of ones voice and carry it such a short distance without worry of being overheard. After all, they were a pair of the most powerful magic users in the world. Something such as this was trivial.
The Alicorn of the Night stretched out upon her bed, which she never really needed really. Unlike her sister, Luna never needed to sleep. It was a nice thing to enjoy now and then, however. But as a creature empowered by the night itself, she drew her rejuvenation from the light of her own moon. This did come at a price, unfortunately. Much like that very glow that gave her such power, it was a gentle magic. Where Celestia was a hammer, Luna was a dancer with her magic.
She chuckled to herself, remembering that their magic was the polar opposite of their physical combat prowess. Celestia was fast and fluid when she used her hooves to fight, while Luna...well...she rather enjoyed being able to land a physical blow that could cause an actual minor quake felt for miles. Not that she ever had done so...that her sister knew of anyways.
"Let us see if we can find thee, Davis, among the land of the dreamers. Thou will not escape us in the sleepers realm forever."
He was falling...falling forever. That world before him, his hands turning into claws.
It was the same as always. Every night, he dreamt of his fall to Equestria...or Equus, as Twilight had informed him in one of her many lectures. She'd taken him under her wing, sometimes literally, to teach him about where he'd landed.
Celestia and Luna had recommended he stay in the much quieter town of Ponyville once he'd finished rehabilitation, which was going much faster than any of them had anticipated. Davis had at least one thing to be happy about with his origin. Humans were always boasting about their ability to adapt, especially on a mental level. He seemed to be proving that quite right, though even he felt it was going too fast.
Oh yeah...falling to the planet. It always cut off about the same place he remembered passing out, right after Discord had decided to play with his body even more than Bedlam had. Same dream...same thing...several times a night. He remembered each time too. He'd never remembered his dreams before, but now, he could remember every keen detail, down to the small scales that grew upon his soon to be talons as he passed out.
The only major difference he could see, though, was that sometimes, he wouldn't see the Cheroa continent that held Equestria, but the other one. Ferraes. According to Twilight, it was considered throughout Equestria to be an untouchable land. One that they could not visit for various reasons, chief among them being that the magic over there was wild and difficult to tap into. Its few denizens were usually once renowned explorers or their descendants, and power hungry creatures that wanted to take the wild magic for themselves. The results from either were usually dark and destructive beings, hardly even ghosts of their former selves.
This time he was seeing that continent, and he had to admit, it did look pretty dark. Purples, dark blues, reds...he didn't see a speck of the landmass that had the green of vegetation or the light blue of clean waters. Not even the white of snow seemed to show.
The dream ended...right where he knew it would. He was back in the void now. That strange space that Bedlam had met him, and as it had been each previous time, no one but Davis was there.
He'd fall again eventually, so he just waited for it. Looking at his hands, he clenched them gently, his memory of their feel still so vivid. He curled his toes inside his shoes while he still had them, flexed several muscles, saddened at the memory, as nothing felt the same when he awoke. He was so...alien now.
He pressed a hand to his face, wishing he at least had a chance to look in a mirror in this dream. But it was not to be.
He stood up, taking a deep breath as he prepared for the fall. He couldn't even speak in his dream. No scream, no yell, just a silent fall. Even in his mind, his voice had been taken from him.
Anger...sorrow...hate...that's all he felt now, as he looked down towards the blue ball in space that would soon be where he fell towards.
He remembered looking around quite a bit while talking to Bedlam and never seeing the planet...but it was always there in his dream. Taunting him with what was about to happen, over and over. A reminder of what he'd lost...and what it gave him in return.
Something was not right...why wasn't he falling? He looked at his hands...no, his talons! When had he gotten back on all fours? When did his body change again? This wasn't the right order!
A pressure...a presence. Something was behind him! He whirled around...nothing. No one was there. Looking down, Equus was gone. All that was left was the star filled void all around. But it wasn't right...no, the stars even seemed strange. There were far more of them than before. Even as he looked all around, they seemed to be fading into existence right before his eyes, until turning around, he saw her.
"Hello Davis. I see I have finally found your dreams."
Standing before him was Luna herself, her ever waving mane and tail vibrant with the stars that filled that ethereal hair. She seemed...bigger, and far more intimidating. But he also felt a cool and gentle kindness, reminding him of the feeling he got when looking at the moon on clear nights the rare times he went stargazing.
"I had hoped to meet you in the dreamscape to hear your voice and learn more about you. And rest assured, we will remember all that occurs."
He had remembered Twilight's insistence that Luna could dreamwalk, but he was still uncertain. However, he did know one issue.
"I can't even talk in my...own...dreams...I can talk! I can talk!" He started laughing and whooping and hollering, rolling around as he enjoyed the sound of his own voice.
"Luna, I can taaaaaalk! Yeeeeaaaaahooo!!!"
He nearly slammed into the princess with a massive hug, squeezing tightly, enough that even in her dream state she felt like she might get crushed!
"Ahem...Davis, you do realize you're trying to crush royalty? Even in a dream I do ask for a modicum of decorum."
Davis scooted away like he'd been hugging an ant pile, and bowed deeply.
"I...I apologize your majesty! Please forgive me! I meant no disrespect!"
She gave a gentle chuckle behind a hoof before meandering over and around him, setting herself beside him before pulling him under a wing in a soft hug.
"It is fine, Davis. I do not mind being hugged. Just try to hold back from turning my barrel into paste. Besides, it is refreshing to be treated somewhat normally now and then."
He looked up at her, his eyes watering somewhat.
"Are you alright Davis? You're not feeling pain in the dream are you?"
"Only the good kind. It is a heartache that stems from the joy of being able to speak again. If this were real, I'd be afraid of my chest exploding from the joy!"
Luna smiled and tapped his beak gently with a hoof, eliciting a sound not unlike a pen tapping on a desk.
"We are glad thou has thy voice back...ahem. I mean, I am glad you have your voice back, at least here. And do not fear, for your dreams are under my protection from here on after."
Davis smiled back, his eyes and ears displaying his joy since his beak only had so much motion.
"Thank you Princess Luna. I only hope my voice stays the same in the waking world. After all, I will not be able to sing my thanks very well if I have to learn a new voice."
She raised an eyebrow at the Roavi, tilting her head slightly as she did so. Davis wanted to laugh at the way it made her look, but held back on account of her likely being the reason he could even speak in this realm...that, and she was a Princess and also someone he felt safe around.
"You can sing, dear Davis? What dost thou...ahem...what is it that you sing of? Perhaps of epic battles? Love? Tragedy?"
Davis shook his head, raising a talon to point around them.
"My songs were about experiences from all the senses, and the emotions that often went along with them."
"Do sing something for me Davis!" She took a more regal stance, placing a hoof over her chest for a moment. "Your Princess demands her nightly entertainment!"
She smirked while looking down at Davis without tilting her head, her eyes full of mirth despite her well held posture.
He smirked and stepped away a little, taking a bow to her.
"I appear to be at royal command! Even so, I would not say no to such a beautiful l...mare."
Luna blushed a little, but held her posture, hoof though back on the ground.
"I believe I know just the song for this moment. I'm afraid it is not one of my own writing, but it is befitting this moment...that, and I know this will have all been real...if you remember any of the lyrics when we meet again."
After a nod from Luna, he took a deep breath, preparing to sing the first lyrics, when he heard the piano playing the opening for him. Remembering stranger things happened in dreams, he took his breath to meet the song with his voice.
Though she didn't understand all that was sung, the chorus alone stirred her heart, for it was as if someone understood exactly how she felt when she cleared somepony of their nightmares each night. Davis himself was smiling with tears in his eyes. It was one of his most favored songs to cover when he could, or even sing to himself in private. It always cheered him up, and seeing her face, he knew...if this was real, there was no way she would forget it...especially now that he found himself on the opposite end of a bone crushing hug, the Princess having wrapped him in her embrace as she cried into his feathery shoulder.
"We thank thou for such a gift of a song! We promise thou...we will watch for you every night like all our subjects. Ne'er shall a nightmare touch thee again! This we swear."
She released him, looking into his shocked eyes as she gave a little sniffle, her hooves still holding his shoulders.
"We...I am afraid you must awaken Davis. You have a class to keep with Twilight. But hearken to me, for we ask you to visit us in our tower tonight before thy head meets thy pillows. I wish to show you something then that I hope inspires you as you did me tonight. Fare thee well!"
Waking gently to the sound of a chirping songbird somewhere outside his window, Davis looked around at his guest bedroom in the Lunar wing, the star themed roof giving making him sigh at the sight. When he turned to look out the open balcony, the night having been comfortably cool, he dropped his jaw to his chest as he saw Luna standing there, her cheeks showing the stain of tears as she nodded to him before flying off from his balcony.
Choking back tears of his own, Davis vowed to himself that he would write a song just for her, and would sing it for the world to hear. After saving him from what could have been an eternity of that falling nightmare...she deserved it.
Voices of Unity: Song of Iron
The clattering of steel wheels upon steel tracks was muffled in the surrounding forest, as the Wonder Whirlwind made it's journey across Equestria towards the capitol, Canterlot. Where the Friendship Express was the all around train, the Wonder Whirlwind was the speed demon of the two. While it was certainly capable of hauling far more, it was also much louder and ate through its wood with far less efficiency, making it less used by civilians, and more often for military and royal needs. In this case, it was a combination of the two, as in the only car attached at this time was one that was considered both a prisoner and an ambassador, for he held in his hooves a missive that, should it be accepted, could save his race...or doom it should it be denied.
He sighed, surrounded on all sides by Celestia's Royal Guard, with Luna's Night Guard currently sleeping in beds set into the sides of the car's rafters. The Royal Guard to his left snorted, tapping his spear to remind him that, while he was on an official duty, he was not trusted one iota...after all, thanks to his Queen, Changelings like Azure Ghost weren't exactly considered on friendly terms with the nation of Equestria, or any other nation for that matter.
He shook his head, holding up the scroll in his right hoof, remembering what was written upon it...and what it meant to all of his family. What it meant to...her. He wanted to cry...cry like the ponies he could disguise as, but unlike them, he had no tear ducts to shed them with. At least...not without wasting what precious energy he had been given to make it to Canterlot. To the Princesses. No...his only proof of sorrow was his expression and eyes, which were a darker blue than usual, not that the ponies would know about that.
The holes in his body were very large, especially in his wings, his horn almost nothing more than a thin stick on his head. Love starvation...his family had never experienced it to this degree, not before the invasion. He prayed that everyone would stay alive in their hibernation while he was away. It was their last chance at survival, and he would not fail to deliver the missive to the Princesses. The fact that they'd put him on this train with all haste said much. His request for urgency been heard...he just wished he knew why they were being so quick for someone that was part what they had to see as monsters by now. Based on the reactions he'd gotten when he had entered Appleloosa undisguised, he was certain that they were viewed as such. He had been lucky one of the locals, what had his name been...Braeburn?..had been brave enough to simply ask him why he was there.
The changeling gulped, noting that the mountain was drawing near through one of the barred windows. He had to be brave...he had to be strong. He had mother's magic to help him, after all.
The constant chugging of the engine was loud, the car not designed to muffle any exterior noises, while the snoring of the thestrals above him added to the cacophony of clanks and the rattles of the prison car. He hadn't been cuffed, tied down, or in any way put into an arrest. But with eight guards, all armed with disguise dispelling equipment, he might as well have been. But mother had said...no lies, no deception, no disguises. To bear himself not as an infiltrator, but as himself, with this hope in his hooves. It was not their way...but it was the pony way, and had to be for this message to mean anything.
"Five minutes to Canterlot station."
Four Royal Guards busied themselves with waking the eight thestrals, preparing to unboard from the Whirlwind. Few used the engine's entire name, much to the chagrin of its engineer. The conductor was walking back through the door he'd just entered to make the announcement, a golden pocketwatch vanishing into his dusty vest, which covered his soot colored coat. Few remembered he had been all white once, even his mane. But now, he was as grey as ashes. Rumor had it he preferred to stay with the engineer by the controls when he wasn't busy checking the cars on the train.
Azure shook in both fear and nervousness, the light fading as they went through the mountain's tunnel that would take them to the station. Soon...soon he might be able to save his family. Oh, Chrysalis...let your sacrifice not be in vain.
"Look, I'm sorry Davis, I can't give you a lesson today. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna both have asked me to be there to speak with this ambassador. Neither would tell me much more, but I could tell it's important. I know you were looking forward to this today, but this is urgent."
The Roavi nodded, writing on a parchment with his recently acquired pencil, turning it for Twilight to see 'I'll be fine. Think I can come along though? It might be a learning experience for me?'
Twilight tapped a hoof on her chin, seeming to debate with herself before smiling with a shrug.
"I don't see why not. So long as you promise to be on your best behavior. And besides, the meeting is at the train station, which is where we were needing to go later on anyways. I hear the Whirlwind will be available, so we can take that back to Ponyville! Oh, I've always wanted to ride the Whirlwind! I really really hope the engineer will let me see the controls! Eeeee!"
She was clapping her hooves together as Davis quirked his head to the side...something he was finding to be surprisingly comfortable when he wanted to make a gesture of curiousity.
"Oh, I'm sorry Davis. It's just as many times as I've been on the Friendship Express, the Wonder Whirlwind, fastest engine in the Equestrian Railway Fleet, is something of a legend as it rarely gets to be used by civilians. But since I'm a Princess now, and it happens to be available here in Canterlot since it's bringing the ambassador, I get to take it back home! And you get to ride it too!"
She was practically dancing in excitement, starting to ramble about writing a report on everything she could document on the engine while it was in her grasp, before Davis used a talon to prod her in the flank, something he'd learned yesterday easily got her to stop her tendency to go on long speeches about her research.
"Yeow! Just because you figured out you still have a small amount of feline in you doesn't mean you should unsheathe your talons to poke me!"
She rubbed a hoof over her flank as he wrote 'I thought you were in a hurry?'
"Right right...let's go Davis. And sorry I started to ramble again."
He held up a talon as they walked, the sharp claw unsheathing with a 'shink' as he wiggled his eyebrows. His body was starting to respond to him very well now, thankfully, but he still fell flat on his face now and then. That urge to walk on his hind hooves like he was bipedal still just...didn't seem to want to fully fade away. They reached a relatively large circular area that interrupted the curving hallway, reminding Davis they were in a large castle still with towers interspersed here and there.
"Alright, ready to teleport?"
Davis widened his eyes and shook his head, waving his claws at her. The last time she'd teleported with him, from his bedroom to the classroom, he'd ended up dry heaving for several minutes.
"Oh, don't be such a foal...or would it be chick for you? Regardless, the first teleport always does that. You'll be fine this time, I promise!"
He gave her a skeptical look, tapping his lower beak before sighing a little, sidling up to her and making sure his wing was against hers. After all, she'd said contact made the teleport much easier on her magic last time.
"Alright, and here...we....go."
A light hum, and short magic buildup and---*thworp*---he was staring face to face with Princess Luna, and promptly gravity took hold, dropping him unceremoniously onto his posterior as he'd ended up a few inches higher in the air than he suspected Twilight had intended.
Luna simply quirked an eyebrow, seemingly unphased by the sudden appearance of a sharp beak right in her face.
"Ah, Twilight, glad you could make it. I see you brought Davis with you? Might I inquire as to his presence?"
Twilight managed to stop herself mid bow, remembering both Princesses disdain for her bowing to them now.
"I thought it might give him some more insight to how we do things if he saw us greeting an ambassador."
Davis had bowed to Luna, who gave him a warm smile, and when he turned, he found himself once again face to face with royalty, only this time it was in the shadow of Celestia, who spoke only one word, which made him fall flat on his back from lack of balance and thanks to the surprise. "Boo."
It was times like this he was glad he didn't have a voice. Screaming with a high pitch would have been embarrassing.
"Sister, please do not tease poor Davis. I'm certain your regal bearing frightens him enough already. Especially with that cake infested posterior."
Celestia simply gave Luna a deadpan expression, before breaking into a smile with her trademark light chuckle.
"At least my love of cake has less impact on me than your love of chocolate has on you."
Luna blushed, looking at herself for a moment before shaking her head at Celestia.
"Truce?"
"Truce."
The two giggled like fillies while Twilight looked between the two before uttering the same thing Davis was thinking.
"Huh?"
Celestia pulled Twilight beside her, nodding to the station. "Come, our guest is soon to arrive. Let us make sure the station is clear of civilians while Luna chats with Davis." She winked at Luna as the two departed, Twilight confused for the moment at the antics of the royal sisters. She knew they did this, but it still had a habit of throwing her off when they did.
Davis meanwhile was ruffling his feathers, giving himself a shake to settle them into place after the pair of falls had unaligned some of them. He might be getting used to how they felt now, but even one feather out of place managed to bother him like an itch that you just could not find to scratch.
"Davis? How does your voice feel today? I recall Twilight stating that you should be regaining your voice sometime soon. Perhaps even today? Have you felt anything?"
Davis shook his head, opening his beak and only getting a huff of air as he tried to make any kind of sound.
"I see. Well, do you remember the dream?"
He nodded and took the same stance he had that night when he had sang to her in his dream, the smile lighting up her own face showing she understood.
"I am glad. However, it occurred to me you do not know your way around the castle, so I have informed the Night Guards that they should guide you to my room upon twilight, so that you may be with me when I raise the moon tonight. For such a song, I feel you have earned a private showing, wouldn't you say?"
All Davis could do was blush and scratch his head. Getting to see her raise the moon, privately, in her bedroom? He quickly pulled out his notepad and pencil, having learned to stash them in his breast feathers. How they stayed there, he wasn't completely certain about...but it worked, and he wasn't going to question it, just like he was maintaining his stance on not questioning magic. He could pursue such curiosity when he wasn't busy with learning his own body. Especially not until he learned to fly. According to Twilight, she knew the perfect flight trainer.
'So you want a commoner to come to your bedroom late at night on the words of a private showing? I hope that's not how you worded it to your guard.'
Luna's blush after translating the writing told him all he needed to know.
'I will gladly watch you raise the moon, but perhaps somewhere less likely to cause the rumors to fly? I heard there was an observatory?'
"Yes yes! That would be prefect. The observatory it shall be then. Thank you for your concern Davis. You are right, it would not do to have such rumors and flights of fancy go around. I have enough trouble with beliefs and rumors as it is about me, despite Celestia attempts to quell the issues over the time I've returned, as well as my own appearances to assuage the masses."
'I understand Princess, but do you not have an ambassador to greet?'
"Oh! We have dawdled too long! Come at once!" She turned and rushed into the train station, with Davis hot on her hooves. His ears swiveled as they caught the sound of a train approaching, the chugging impressively loud as it slowed to a halt in the station, the sudden release of excess steam clouding the area for a few moments. Celestia and Twilight we standing a few feet from the train's only car, Luna sidling up to Celestia's right side, with Twilight having left the space open between herself and her mentor for just this reason. Davis hung back. Close enough to observe, far enough to not interfere.
The ash grey conductor left the engine and quickly trot to the car door, Davis looking over the engine as he did. If he recalled how engines were described properly, he was looking at a 4-4-0 steam engine. And considering what was in the tender immediately behind it, it was wood fired. He'd always had a fascination with the old steam locomotives, but never really put much study into them as his music career had taken most of his time.
The car itself appeared to be made for function only, the entirely being unpainted iron and steel, the door taking the middle third of the side, which slid open slowly due to its weight, after the conductor knocked on it a few times. Perhaps to let them know the steam had died down. The first out was a pair of what Davis had learned were the Royal Guard, Celestia's finest according to Twilight. Four more followed, these being Luna's Night Guard. While the truth was, much like how the Day Guard all looked the same, the Night Guard, while appearing to be entirely of Thestrals, was actually under an illusion enchantment from their armor.
Following them was something Davis had NOT been told about. It looked like a pony, but it had bug wings, was almost purely black, with deep navy blue eyes. He could see a lighter portion of the eyes that moved about...perhaps that was its pupil? He couldn't be certain. What WAS certain though was that even from this view, he could tell it did not have fur. If its wings were any indication, he had to assume it was like a bug. Chitin, wasn't it called?
He looked towards the Princesses, and noticed that Celestia looked stern. Her usual warmth was gone, and he felt frightened. He looked to Luna instead, and noticed she instead looked uncaring entirely. Gulping, he then focused on Twilight. The other two had given him the chills. She about gave him a heart attack. He'd never seen Twilight angry before, and here she was gritting her teeth, her tail twitching in agitation. Her eyes...if looks could harm, that thing would have been on fire.
"Ambassador Azure Ghost, welcome to Canterlot, though I have a feeling you've been here before."
Celestia's tone was flat, showing no signs of her feelings in any direction. Luna simply snorted, while Twilight stiffened, but said nothing. Celestia's eyes glanced quickly to Twilight, and Davis saw a glimmer of relief before she continued, the glimmer already vanished behind a well maintained poker face.
"You stated to the border guard that you wished to deliver a missive to us from your Queen?"
The bug pony thing was shaking, his eyes having turned orange as he stood before the three most powerful creatures in the land, and two of them looked very obviously unhappy. He only thanked his chitin that Celestia herself hadn't torched him on the spot.
"I-I-I...I do, your majesty."
He held out his hoof, the scroll still sealed with a small dot of changeling resin. It was floated out of his grasp by the golden aura of the Sun Princess, who opened it by melting the resin off with a spark of flame. Azure jumped at that, frightened it would catch fire...but relaxed seeing it had not. Then he noticed that he had no less than 16 spears nearly touching his breast. He hadn't even heard them move!
"eeep.."
"Stand down guards. He was only worried this would catch fire. I have more control than that, little changeling, so relax. This will not be burned until after I have read it all."
She cleared her throat, unrolling the parchment, then placing it in view of all three Princesses as she read it aloud.
First and foremost, Princesses of Equestria, I do not apologize for my actions. As Queen of the Changelings, it is my duty to feed my children, and with such a ready source of love to take, I acted. My only regret is that my actions have placed my children in jeopardy, for with each day that has passed since the invasion, our kind has starved to near extinction. Standing before you is my last General, my oldest child alive, and the only one brave enough to volunteer to travel to your lands to request help. My children number in the dozens only now, and many more may pass before this even reaches you. Hibernation can only do so much to stave off starvation. At the end of this missive will be a map to our hive. Do with my children as you wish. Save them, or destroy them. I only ask you end their suffering.
I serve my own punishment to myself now. The last of my love goes to my General, so that he may make the trip safely. I would use all of my energy before even reaching your border, and I only hope he will make it.
Chrysalis Mother of the Changelings
Azure watched the faces of the three change as they read. Celestia's into shock, Luna's into sorrow...and Twilight's into almost horror. "We...we've been starving them?"
Davis wasn't watching them, instead, he was watching the bug pony, no, he'd heard Celestia say changeling. The things eyes were drooping, his breathing ragged...and his ears caught the bare whisper as he collapsed.
"Mother...I'm coming mother."
Davis leapt forward, as did Celestia. Her golden glow enveloped him whlie Davis skid to a stop. What could he possibly do anyways? He had no magic. He couldn't heal. Celestia looked around quickly, knowing full well what the little changeling needed...but she knew she couldn't love the changeling. Her heart was still torn by the invasion, and no matter how much she wanted to...she would need time to even attempt to find love in her heart for the creatures that had nearly taken her home from her little ponies. But this one was dying in her grip. What was she to do?!
Davis watched as Celestia's tears fell and she sat down, cradling the changeling in her arms as Luna and Twilight laid their wings against the trembling Princess.
The missive sat upon the ground, with Davis looking upon it, then the changeling. A child...that changeling was nothing more than a child still...a child that needed love to live. As he stared at the changeling in her hooves, something shifted in his mind. He might not be able to love him as his own child, but when did that ever stop a human from loving another creature's children? He wrote on the back of the parchment quickly, walking over to Celestia, where he laid it upon his stomach for Celestia to easily see.
'I adopt him. Now hoof over my son!'
Author's Note
I debated many ways to finish this part with Azure Ghost, but I can't for the life of me choose wether to let him live, or die in Celestia's hooves.
So...I ask the readers. Does Davis find the love in himself to save Azure? Or does the changeling meet his mother in the afterlife?
I await your thoughts. Now...excuse me while I get tissues.
Voices of Unity: Song of Iron
Davis let out another of what were quickly becoming his signature voiceless sighs. Sitting before him was a panting Twilight, who had just gone off her rocker on him about how much paperwork he had just put her through. Of course, it had all begun with a simple phrase from the Princess.
"Are you CRAZY?"
Davis had honestly started to ponder that as he had done his best to tune out Twilight's lecture. Was he crazy? Here he was in a land filled with magical ponies ruled by princesses with the power to move the sun and moon, turned into a supposedly extinct creature without his voice by a monstrosity that had power over chaos itself...and he had just adopted a bug. Sure, Azure was a cute pony bug as far as Davis was concerned. He didn't see why the others found him to not be. The holes were a little weird, but he could get over that easily.
He remembered that moment at the train station now...poor Celestia had been so heart broken that she hadn't even noticed the note, let alone when Luna had started speaking to her. It had taken Luna's powerful magic to place the changeling in Davis' talons out of Celestia's. When she'd held Azure, he'd looked tiny and childlike...in Davis' talons, the childlike quality seemed to fade away for Davis. He then started to wonder how he'd seen a child in it...
He had been so cold. His breathing so shallow. He leaned his head down to the changeling's chest, listening. There...he'd heard it. A light thump. The beat of a heart.
All his life he'd found that sound soothing. His grandfather had always held him when he was a child up against his chest whenever he had felt bad about something. It was a sound he acquainted with familial love. A sound that calmed him always. A sound that...he wanted to share.
He lifted his head away and placed the changeling's head against his own feathered chest, hoping there was enough left in Azure's consciousness to hear it. His heartbeat. The steady rhythm that was the flow of his life, the implicit trust of family, the comfort of home. It was his turn to share that feeling with someone else, and he just knew, somewhere in that beating heart of his, that this cute monster was the right one to do so for.
Everything after that moment had been a practical blur. Celestia scooping him up in her embrace with smiling tears, Twilight looking confused, while Luna looked satisfied. The guards joined Twilight in confusion when Celestia vanished with him and the bug in tow. Something about her taking him directly to his room in the important visitors wing...the Ambassador's Clover, he thought it was called.
Back in the present, Davis felt his beak tapped on, and noticed Twilight was glowering at him. Caught red handed.
"Did you hear any of what I said?"
Davis hoped the face he made was sheepish enough as he shook his no of an answer.
"Uuuugh. I just went through the general procedures of adoption in Equestria, and not only are neither you nor the changeling registered in the system, aside from the fact that neither species has ever adopted or BEEN adopted, we're going to have to add you both into the registry AND the species list before it can be official! We have to follow the rules, Davis. I understand why you did it, but Azure's not your son officially until all the seals and signatures are in place."
Davis sighed once again, nodding in acceptance. He'd heard of the difficulties of adoption back home...this sounded about as nasty, just with the added bonus of it including other sapient species and their ability to properly care for the one adopted not only by house and monetary support, but also awareness of their adopted ones dietary and grooming needs compared to their own.
"Now Davis, we know very little about changelings, so when it comes down to it...we're all going to be playing this by ear with Azure. We're not even certain of his age, for that matter. Once he wakes up, we're going to have to establish many things. You might not even be able to adopt him if he's too old, and that's only after we determine what changeling's age groups are! And...oh, this is the exciting part. We actually get to study a changeling! I hope he let's me take measurements and..."
Davis tuned her out again. She had done this three times before, going on a rant about all the new things she was going to learn from Azure. Davis hoped he could convince Luna or Celestia to put some guards around his room to prevent unwelcome visitors...including Twilight unless invited. Azure deserved rest, after all.
Not soon enough, Davis managed to get himself out from under Twilight's lectures and questions. Thank the stars that she had at least put her study of himself on hiatus with the new development. He actually dreaded getting his voice back now, because she might just talk him hoarse once again!
His trip to his room was uneventful, thankfully. Looking out the windows as he clacked and clopped along the hallways back to his room, he realized that the sun was starting to set. Azure was predicted to be out for quite a while yet. Something about a 'love bomb' and limited capacity. Celestia had been rather vague.
He shook his head, and asked the nearest guard for directions to the observatory wing, which he'd learned was Luna's personal section of the castle. Supposedly Luna had a larger castle section than Celestia for the housing of what Twilight described as 'the greatest telescope on all of Equus'. He'd wandered the castle many times since being brought here, but had yet to see any dome big enough to house something like that. But with the way Twilight's eyes had practically glowed when talking about it, he was certain it was a sight to see...if he ever got to find it.
Eventually he did indeed find the corridor that led to Luna's Star Hall, the entrance being a far too large set of doors emblazoned with solar shapes on a pitch black field. There was a pair of Night Guards posted there, of course, and one of them opened the right door.
"She's expecting you."
He gulped...the way that guard had said that sounded like it was right out of a horror flick.
Stepping in regardless, he found himself in a long hallway with a roof that looked like the star studded sky at night. There were only three doors. One on each side, and one at the very end, which he figured was at least 30 feet away. The two doors to the side were within 3 feet of the main doors, and all three were of the same height and design as the main. However, their decorations were what really set them apart. To his left was what looked like a galaxy whirl with only four arms, one of the arms showing a cloudy flow that went off of the door and onto the wall, where what he assumed was a black hole seemed to be vacuuming in the stardust. To his right, the door featured a solar system, with a planet right in the middle, and the sun and moon equidistant from it, fading trails indicating their motion around Equus. On the wall were what appeared to be three more planets. One red, one blue, and one a grey and yellow swirl.
Finally, the door across the hall from him. It had the simplest decoration. That of a crescent moon on a purple ink splotch...Luna's mark. He figured that was his heading, and made the short trek to knock upon the door, only for it to open up before his talon could touch the artwork, an indigo glow covering the doors. Luna stepped out, the doors gently shutting behind her as she smiled down upon the Roavi.
"Welcome to my halls Davis. Please, follow me."
She trot to the galaxy door, opening it with her magic as Davis followed, unfortunately landing on his beak once again as he'd been concentrating a bit too much on Luna. With a light chuckle, she lifted him with her magic and set him right, before trotting through the door with Davis following.
What Davis saw next made him nearly fall again. Before him was a massive orb of a room, filled with a myriad of mirrors and magnifying glasses, ranging from being larger than two of Celestia, down to a few that were about as small as a filly. They hung upon several groups of crescent arms that matched the curvature of the orb. In the upper half of the orb, he could see a single glass disc that had the remnants of twilight entering through.
"Welcome to my personal observatory, the Cosmos Mirador."
Davis gawked at it all as he walked to the center with Luna. As he did, the walkway retracted behind him into the disk that sat at the center of it all.
"Only a unicorn or alicorn can operate it, but the observatory is open for use so long as I am informed. It is also set inside the mountain, with three primary viewing ports. Most ponies only ever see the side of the mountain with the castle. The northern half of this sphere is visible outside, however. Now...allow me to show you what I brought you here for. It is nearly time."
Her horn glowed once again as she faced away from the entrance of the observatory, which began to open wide as the sphere split in half before him, revealing the slowly darkening sky. He realized something off, however. He remembered that even at this time, some stars at least would start to shine through in the inky dark, but here...now...there was nothing.
"Be witness to the creation of my night sky, Davis."
She lowered her head until her horn nearly touched the floor, the normally indigo glow of her magic now a pale white. She began to sing gently, her wordless notes rising and falling in an almost haunting rhythm as he saw the moon beginning to rise to his right, following the tilt of her head as she too rose her horn. He noticed her eyes were closed as she continued to sing, and turning back to watch the sky, he noticed stars beginning to twinkle into existence, each one appearing as if beckoned by her almost sad voice to comfort her. Standing her beside her, he felt at peace. It wasn't a song of sorrow, of pain, or of any real emotion he could place. It wasn't really even unhappy. This sound was simple...wanting. It was calling out for company, and the stars were answering her with their gentle light.
The moon was nearly at its apex already, her head held high as her song swelled with vigor. Her magic changed color once more, switching from the pale white to a matching dark purple with sparkles to her mane and tail. She swished her head, and stars followed her lead, shifting and flowing as she practically danced upon the disc they were upon. Constellations formed slowly from this dance of the stars, until she finally landed upon all fours at the same time as a single held note...and then all was silent as she opened her eyes, looking into the night sky she had just arranged for the enjoyment of her citizens.
Davis was awestruck. Even if he'd had a voice, he would have been incapable of forming words for this moment. And she'd shared it with him.
Smiling, the tall mare walked over to the stupefied Davis, peering into his eyes for a moment before giving a light chuckle.
"I am glad to see somepony enjoying my night sky. Please, let us go back inside. We believe thou has a son to take care of."
Davis turned away and walked out upon the walkway that now extended once again into the castle, the sphere behind him closing as Luna followed. His tears fell upon his feathers, thankfully not leaving a trail for Luna to notice. This was twice she'd given him something beautiful. He knew that he wasn't the only one she'd shared this with, and he was certain he wasn't the only one whose dreams she protected...but he couldn't help but feel happy about this.
He gathered himself as best he could before he turned to watch Luna exit the galaxy doors, closing them behind her before she gestured to the main doors.
"I am afraid I must go to Night Court now to listen to the few nobles who wish to regale me with their tales of woe of their losing money over taxes that they feel are improper for their bloodline. You, on the other hand, should go check on your little changeling. Fair tides to you, Davis." They had gone through the wing entrance already, and she waved a hoof at him before cantering away, with Davis waving back, unseen.
One of the guards gave a light snort of a chuckle.
"I had the same look on my face when she showed me that dance. I truly wish she'd give a more public performance like her sister does in the summer."
The other guard nodded, giving Davis a pat on the back as he slowly recovered from the moment, before he set off for his room. He mentally sighed once more as he wondered just what was with his life now. Things were moving so fast and strangely, and now he was in love with Luna? No. Probably just a simple crush. She moved the moon and stars for goodness sake, was a princess, and looked pretty to boot! Of course he had a crush!
He stopped short of his own door as he mulled over the fact that he found a pony to be attractive. He entered the room, the changeling still out cold upon his bed. He watched the steady breathing of the creature for a few moments before heading into the bathroom, closing the door and, with a somewhat loud set of strikes against a hardy tile made for this purpose, his rear hooves provided a snappy 'clack' that activated a spell to turn on the magic candles high above.
He looked into the mirror at himself, his eyes showing sorrow and pain. As he did almost every night, Davis looked himself over, touching himself upon the beak, the ears, his hooves...his tail...all him.
He leaned forward, placing his forehead and beak against the mirror, staring deeply into his own eyes, as he repeated the phrase within his own mind.
I am human. I can adapt. I am human. I can adapt. I am human...and humans adapt.
He closed his eyes as he took a deep breath.
I am Davis.