Just a day in Equestria

Chapters

2 - The welcoming party
3 - The missing Angel
4 - The dress of confusion
5 - The old friend
6 - The diary of humanity
7 - Hearth's warming eve
8 - The demon pony
9 - The dark side of Pinkie Pie
10 - The rescues
11 - The visit to Appleoosa
12 - The professionals
13 - The cutie mark crusades
14 - The heart and the hoof
15 - The discovery
16 - Training day
17 - The little orange filly, with two lives
18 - An evening celebration
19 - Growing up again
20 - The Authors, Part 1
21 - The return
22 - Harvest
23 - Eternal sunset
24 - The gathering
25 - The Authors, Part 2
26 - Clearing out the bugs
27 - The calm after the storm
28 - The dreamings of a wild mind
29 - This is Ponyville
30 - Where love was lost, Part 1
31 - Where love was lost, Part 2
32 - Where love was lost, Part 3
33 - Where love was lost (and found), Part 4
34 - Parallel lines
35 - Lover, not a fighter
36 - The absence of family
37 - Going nowhere in a hurry
38 - Fight and flight
39 - Past differences
40 - More than a pretty face
41 - A new relationship
42 - In the army now
43 - Bug Company
44 - It's a date
45 - A fallen Princess
46 - First Date
48 - Equestria's rout
49 - Armed with death
50 - Final solace
1 - A new home
47 - Different roads, different ambitions

2 - The welcoming party

As I was saying my goodbyes to Applejack and company, I noticed the moon being raised by Princess Luna herself, and the sudden darkness washing over me and the rest of the town. I walked down the straight path, which conveniently branched over to my home. I sighed to myself, looking at the unmoved furniture blocking the doorway. I heaved against all the drawers and wardrobes as they slid inside, and then I pushed them individually to their rightful places.

"Today was a day of fun, that I haven't experienced in quite a while" I mumbled happily to myself. I poured myself a small glass of apple juice, compliments of the Apple family, drank it, and then crawled into the most comfortable bed in Equestria.

"There is nothing..."

I awoke just in time to witness the raising of the sun. All the dew drops seen through the window lit up with the reflections of the brilliant ball of fire. I remember having a strange dream last night, of nothing but a faint voice, except I cannot remember what was said, as it was too quiet to make out or register to be important in my mind.
I made myself some coffee, putting three sugar cubes in as well, as I have a very sweet tooth. After drinking some and feeling refreshed, I ventured outside. Not long after, I was violently knocked over by an extremely hyperactive pink pony.

"Oh no, I did it again, five times already this morning I've knocked ponies over! I'm sorry; I was just so excited about the party tonight welcoming the new pony in town! Say, who are you anyway? I've never seen you here before..."

This particular pony was talking so fast it was almost impossible to make out what she was saying. She did mention she was excited about a party, and she did ask me who I am, so I answered.

"My name is Electric blue; it's nice to meet a very bouncy pony such as you. What is your name, may I ask?"

"Hi I'm Pinkie pie, and I'm-- Wait, you're the new filly here aren't you? Oh I'm so happy to see you!"

She shook my hoof so fast it almost fell off, and then she danced around me, singing to herself.

"Ooh ooh! Since this party is for you, there's no need to give you an invite, since you must go!"

"Well, alright, I'll go to this party, it'll give me a chance to meet the other residents in Ponyville. I'll accept!"

"We'll all be meeting tonight at sugar cube corner, just so you know! There'll be cakes and sweets and ice cream and punch and, and... everypony! Even The princesses! They must see you as well!"

"That sounds really fun! And it'll be nice to meet royalty as well, especially for me, a pony who has never seen anypony here before, and you all look so friendly and characterful!"

"We all can't wait to see you! I'm gonna go tell the rest of the town now, so see you later!"

"I'll be looking forward to it!"

Before I could finish my last sentence, she was bounding into the distance, looking so happy that she is welcoming a new pony into the town.

"It's so nice to see how good Ponyville's going to be for me" I sang to myself while contently trotting around town, seeing all the sights and everyponies' smiling faces.

Later that day...

"Welcome one and all to the next celebration of the latest pony in town!" Pinkie pie almost screamed. "And here she is, the one and only, Electric blue! Say hi to her everypony!"

Everyone stomped their hooves repeatedly and shouted their greetings to me. I felt so warm inside. "Why thank you for your welcomes, and thank you for having me in this lovely town. I'm very grateful of how everypony is around me, and to each other as well."

"And now it's time to party!" Pinkie almost screamed again.

I walked to the table displaying all the delightful foodstuffs and drinks, and poured myself a glass of punch. I sipped a little bit. It was probably one of the sweetest things I've ever tasted; it tasted like every type of berry combined.

"Pinkie always knows how to pull off a great party don't she?" Applejack said to me, and when I saw her it brought an even bigger smile to my face. But wait, there were four other colourful ponies behind her, are those her friends?

"Ah'd like you t' meet the rest of the gang, as you've already seen me an' Pinkie. Gals, our friend is called Electric blue, she's a very nice pony t' be around. This here's Fluttershy, she's very pleased to meet you, even though she's terribly shy. Say hello now, Shy!"

"Um...hi"Fluttershy meekly said, looking away with nervousness.

I could just about make out that greeting over the loud music. "Hi Fluttershy, pleased to meet you. It's cute that you're shy, I mean I used to be like that as well, well I still am really"

Fluttershy raised her head a little and gave a small, encouraged smile towards me.

"Come 'ere Rainbow, come and meet the new pony on the block! This here's Rainbow dash, she's very... competitive" Applejack beckoned Rainbow dash to come over.

"Hi blue, I hope you don't steal my limelight! Oh wait, you don't have wings! Haha, I'm just kidding, it's good to meet somepony like you." Rainbow dash said with an inviting tone.

"It's... nice to see you too" I acknowledged this pegasus' attitude, as she seemed quite feisty.

"This is rarity; she's well spoken, 'bit like you!" Applejack called rarity over through sign language.

"Good evening, fellow Ponyville pony, as you should now be called; I hope you've enjoyed your stay thoroughly so far." Rarity said. She didn't take too much notice of me, but she knew that I would be a good friend.

"Indeed I have, rarity, all the ponies here are so welcoming it's unbelievable!"

"Last but not least, Twilight sparkle, she used to be the newest pony here, all the way from Canterlot she came and stayed with us. An' she sure knows a lot about magic ah can tell ya that!" Said Applejack, bringing over the last pony behind her.

"Hi, I'm twilight; it's nice to meet another pony that's moved from somewhere else. Say, where are you from anyway, blue?"

She used my nickname quickly as well. "I... honestly don't remember, which is strange in many ways. The first memory I have is waking up in a carriage coming here. I can't go past that."

"That is strange; I hope you do get your memory back though, memory is always important, especially for me, a very organised pony must remember where everything's been put and where everything's kept."

"Well now we've all met each other, let's go mingle, why don't we?" Applejack heartily grinned while saying the words that cause ponies to go and party.

After a while of dancing with the other ponies, I remembered that the princesses were here as well. I casually walked up to them, and bowed my head in grace of their royalty.

"Good evening, Electric blue. We've noticed you've taken a very big liking to Ponyville and it's residents. We've also noticed that our special group of friends have taken a liking to you, and the other way around. Is this correct?" Celestia said to me, with a tone that knew how well this is turning out for me.

"Yes, thank you, it is correct; I like everything here so much. I can't thank you enough for being here as well!"

"You see, as the group of friends reports on friendship every so often, and since you're happy enough to be with them, how about you report to me on your findings of friendship as well? It might be a little bit early to ask, but I'm sure this will benefit you as well as them."

"I'd be fine with doing that, I like writing anyway!" At this point I'm feeling as I'm a part of this group already, as they like me enough to have welcomed me in now, especially after Applejack making all her friends say hello to me.

"Now, go and enjoy the rest of the night, and have some delicious cake!" Celestia said, raising a small slice of fruit cake to mouth level with her hypnotic magical powers. I've never seen something like that before, so it came as a shock to me as I turned back into the crowd.

After a joyful night of partying, music, dancing, games, and meeting everyone, it was time to call it a night, and everypony left, except for the friendship group, because they wanted to talk more to Electric blue.

"I hope you had fun t'night Blue, 'cause ah sure did, and so did everypony else by the looks of things!" Applejack said to me, with a huge grin on her face.

"I really did, it's a night to remember for me. Thank you Pinkie pie, for hosting such a great party. Thank you everyone for accepting me into your group; I hope we'll all be best friends 'til the end."

We all said our good byes and good nights, and then trotted off home. Of course Applejack came with me, as we live almost next to each other.

"Ah sure had fun t'night, and ah really had fun meetin' ya Blue. Ah think we're already good friends, don't you? Ah think yer' a great pony blue, yer' so polite and nice and stuff; yer' a good member to our group."

"Aw, thank you Applejack, you're a great pony as well. I can't believe how quickly we've all become friends, it's amazing!"

As we came to my house, I said my goodbyes to the fellow earth pony. She waved a solemn goodbye and slowly walked to her farm. I chuckled to myself silently as I walked back inside, contemplating how everything's gone so fast. I arrived here, and I immediately made friends. How lucky I must be to have such great friends like these. I poured myself another small glass of apple juice, drank it slowly while uncontrollably giggling because of the euphoria, and slid into the cosiest bed of them all.

3 - The missing Angel

*Sidenote: This chapter contains shipping, so be advised if you don't like it or something like that. Oh and I originally had this chapter planned as something more focused on the special rock, but I made this when I was tired, and my mind had a really good idea, so I just poured it all into my writing. Enjoy.

"Do not speak…darkness…"

I awoke from another heavy sleep and another strange dream, containing the same voice, quiet, but seemingly important. I just can't remember what was said, no matter how hard I try. I had my morning ritual coffee. I heard a knock at the door immediately after, so I went to open it, as any polite pony would do. Standing in front of me was a grey, googly-eyed pegasus, with a mailbag hanging from her back. She smiled contently while shoving a single letter into my hooves, and prepared to fly to her next destination. "Wait, I didn't catch your name! And it's only polite for me to ask…" I cried.

"Oh, ha ha, my name's Ditzy, Ditzy doo, nice to meet you, Electric blue!"

She must have known my name either from just being the mail-mare, or seeing me at the party. "Why, what a… cute name! But, may I ask, what is--"

"Yes, I know my…condition, and I don't mind what people say about it, they understand fully anyway"

"Oh I see, well, it was nice to meet you, and you must be busy, so I'll let you go now."
Ditzy was set free to fly low across the road. I backtracked a little inside my house, and carefully opened the letter. It showed slightly small, slightly curly handwriting.

"Dear Electric blue,

Would it be alright if you could help me out with something? I mean, it's ok if you don't want to, I'll understand, but it's just that Angel, my pet bunny has gone missing, and I can't find him anywhere. I know you're new here, and I wouldn't want to bother you at a bad time, but I think that you're a very nice pony that could help me out with this, so would you?

Kind regards,

Fluttershy"

A small smile grew on my face as I put the letter on the kitchen surface, and quickly trotted out, cautiously shutting the door behind me. I casually walked up to the door of Fluttershy's cottage, and gave a knocking hard enough for her sensitive ears to cope with. She poked her head out of the slowly opening door, saw it was me, and then opened it fully and gave me a hug, which was sort of unlike her.

"Um… sorry about that, I hope I didn't startle you, but I just knew you'd come and help, I'm really grateful for it."

"You don't have to say sorry to me, I like hugs, and of course I'd help, you're a friend aren't you?"

She gestured an invitation inside, and got me to sit down on a very comfortable sofa. She had prepared a tray of tea for me and her; it looked like green tea, her favourite. I don't mind tea, but it's not what I regularly drink, but I did so anyway, as it's the polite thing to do. "So Fluttershy, where was Angel last seen? Do you remember?"

"Um…I knew he was just next to this sofa from the last time I saw him, and as I was tired from last night's party, I, um… took a small nap for a while, and when I awoke, he was…
gone..."

Fluttershy's lip had a tiny trembling flowing. "Don't worry about this; we'll get to the bottom of his disappearance. Would he usually go anywhere outside?"

"Um... sometimes he goes to the... Everfree forest, but he's usually where I can see him."

"I might have an idea of where he'd be, I have this strange feeling that I'm anticipating his location."

My mind was acting funny on me, and showing a still image of Angel's whereabouts. I cantered back outside, with Fluttershy in pursuit, to the Everfree forest. There was a narrow path leading up to a small clearing, with an almost perfectly square boulder in the middle.

"What could this be?" Fluttershy noticed, drifting over to the rock. "So many different patterns and symbols written all over it…"

I took a closer look at the rock, examined the top, and saw Angel sleeping on it. "There he is Fluttershy! Safe and sound."

"Oh thank you, Electric blue, you're such a great help to me, I really thank you!" She dropped her wings and softly landed almost on top of me, and gave me another out-of-character hugs.

"Wait a second, before we go, well before I go, I want to look at this rock a little bit more. Are you able to fetch me some paper so I can write some notes?" I asked Fluttershy, hoping she would accept my question.

"Oh, well I um… carry a notepad with me to write down some items in this forest and places, I wouldn't mind letting you um… borrow it for a while…"

"Thank you so much Fluttershy, I just seem to have this strange feeling about the boulder."

I noticed a list of ingredients on the first page, so I flipped through until there was a free page. I noticed some intricate drawings and highly artistic sketches in between the notes. "Wow, I never knew you were such a good artist, Shy"

"You used my nickname! Um… not many people call me that, but you're one of the first ones to, and, um… I'm not that good a drawer, really…"

"I think you are, these are some amazing sketches of animals you have in this notepad, it's a true talent of yours."

"Why… um, thank you…"

By telling by her tiny whispers, and her huge blush, she wasn't used to being complimented, or she was extremely modest.

I studied the rock's patterns. All of them had a meaning that somehow seemed familiar, even though I've never been here before. There were repeating words saying 'Destiny is life, you make life.' It seemed cryptic. The other strange writings on the rock had been worn away from time, but some still could be seen, some saying 'friendship' 'love' 'life' 'good and evil', and others. There were some sorts of crudely drawn patterns, of ponies, and ancient artwork style images, and……something looing like a strange being standing upright. My heart felt like it was being gripped, while my brain felt heavy, and as I kept looking at that strange figure, the pain got worse until it was too hard to bear. I don't know what that was, but it must have a very high importance if it caused me this strange, tight feeling.

I glanced up and saw a strange square-looking object partially hanging from a tree in the distance, but as it was suddenly getting dark, we had to go back home.

"Um... I think it's too dark out for you to find your house, Electric blue, so as a gift from me for your help today, would you mind... um... staying at mine for... tonight?" Fluttershy hesitantly asked.

"I... accept that offer Shy, thank you for the invitation." I really thought that Fluttershy was acting so out of character today; it was strange to see her... so confident for her nature. Is it because of me? Does she feel safe around me? Secure? Surely not, she's only just met me… but it was nice for her to offer me a stay at her place for the night.

As we got to her house, she politely let me go through first, then Angel followed behind me, and Fluttershy very slowly closed the door behind us all.

"Um…I hope you feel comfortable here, Electric blue, I try to make it as comfortable as I can for myself and my animals, as well as my visitors…"

"You don't have to keep calling me by my full name; no one's stopping you Shy"

"Oh… ok, Blue… would you like…something to eat? I'm sure I have something…"

"Uh… ok then, most places have vegetables, so could we have some vegetable burgers?"

"Oh… of course, anything for you, blue..."

"Stop being so hesitant to say things around me Shy, I'm your friend, and I know your shy and all, but I know you feel more confident around me."

Fluttershy's face seemed to turn redder from all the blushing she'd been doing. "Well, I suppose I do feel safer around you… but I think I'm too used to talking like this…"

"That's fine by me, but I'm just saying that you should speak more… flowingly."

After eating such a delicious, refreshing meal, we decided to get to know each other more by telling each other about our pasts, not that I could say much about it…

"Well, I used to live up in Cloudsdale, but I wasn't a strong flyer, so I didn't last long up there… although, Rainbow dash did stick up for me a few times when I needed help, and she even challenged the local bullies to a race, but something amazing happened there. As the racers rushed past me, I was knocked, and I fell down from the air to here, where I met so many animals who were the most amazing sights I've ever seen. After that, Rainbow dash caused a massive rainbow explosion in the air, called a sonic rainboom, and it was so…awesome…to see, except it scared all the animals away. Luckily I managed to reassure all of them, and that's how I got my cutie mark. How did you get yours?"

"I…honestly don't remember, or know what it is anymore, but I feel like my brain is trying to remember something that isn't available to see. I don't remember anything of my past either; the first memory I have right now was waking up in a carriage taking me to Ponyville. Sorry to disappoint you, but I just don't have anything to say."

"Well, I know what to say about you, I can see you have such a radiant personality, you look like you're shining all the time with your kindness and happiness and sympathy, it's nice to see such a positive pony that sticks to it all the time. I think you inspire all of us to be like you, blue, even if we have just met you." She edged closer to me a little.

"Well, I thank you for the compliments, I really do."

"Oh, and you also have eyes like a hawk, you see things that others don't, and you seem so knowledgeable, and smart, and you know so many words, like rarity. You do look serious most of the time, but when we're with you, we're always having fun, and you always smile when you're with us."

Fluttershy was very close to me now. She suddenly nuzzled my neck in appreciation for my appearance to the group; it made me blush, while she was blushing much more than me, yet she still carried on, like she wasn't worried about what I'd do, and I wouldn't do anything either, because it felt so comforting and relaxing.

"I… don't know what came over me; I just love your company, that's all… really…"

"Do you… want to tell me something, Fluttershy? You can tell me anything you want, you know…" I talked slower than usual because I was in a state of relaxation that I haven't felt before.

"Um… not really… I mean… well… it's just… oh don't worry…"

"But, I do worry Fluttershy, quite a lot in fact, even if you may not notice it. What is it?"

"Well... to tell the truth... I... have... a certain liking... for you…"

I could tell what Fluttershy was implying, I don't know why she would though, for me, when we've only recently become friends, and I've helped her out once and that's it. But, I did notice she was very, very quietly giggling to herself at last night's party, and looking at me, a lot, and glancing upwards every once in a while, but I didn't know her, of all ponies... would be like that for me…

"Really, Fluttershy? You… are like that for me? I would have never known…"

There was a long pause, and she finally came out with, "...Yes..."

I was very awestruck by this, and blushing a lot. I had a lot of mixed emotions; I didn't know what to feel. "Wow, but we've only just met, how did you find me to be a match so quickly?"

"I…don't know…I just thought you were the right one for me, I guess…"

"Well, I just don't know how to feel at the moment, Shy, I'm very taken back by all this…"

"Well, maybe this will help…"

She gave me a small peck on the cheek. So very small. But I could feel the waves of heat radiating off of her, as her face was covered in the red paint of blushing. My hooves were trembling. Her whole body was violently shaking. I didn't know this would happen to me, but it's been so fast that it's unbelievable. I felt that the nice thing to do was to peck her back, as she seemed to like it.

"I……love you…blue…"

"I…know…Shy…I…guess...I...love…you too…"

She looked like she was going to explode from all the shaking and blushing, but suddenly, it happened. Her lips trailed to mine. My lips closed on hers. We stayed in this position in what seemed like forever, and she didn't want to let go, even though she's the shy one. The heat from both of our faces melted the room, and the images we created were of passion, and love, and everything else. The swirls all around us turned into stars in the night sky, we felt like we were floating in space, together, forever. I opened one eye to see Fluttershy's eyes fully closed tightly. Her lips were so warm and tender; this was from her personality, it made her so soft and nice to feel. I raised a hoof to her face, and held on tight, while she did the same, in the throes of passion. I've never felt this way before, and I didn't think my supposed first kiss would be shared with a mare, and Fluttershy knew this was right for her, as she just didn't want to let go. Neither did I. Her aura shined a brilliant Orange, the exact same colour as my body. I noticed mine shined pastel yellow, the colour of her body. This aura only seemed to show up when we're in deep passion for each other.
After at least years of such amazing, passionate, tender kissing between us, Fluttershy offered for me to sleep in her bed with her for tonight.

"I hope you're comfortable with me, blue..."

"I sure am, if I had the best experience ever just now."

"I hope you sleep well, blue."

"I hope you sleep well too, Shy, good night."

It took us a while to fall asleep as we were both still panting violently from the best event ever to happen to us. The bed was equal of comfort to mine. I gave Fluttershy a small kiss on the cheek for the last time tonight before dropping off to sleep. I kept repeating the moment in my head so much that it still excited me each time it looped. I just couldn't get it out of my head. Well, it was my first kiss after all. And with Fluttershy. The most unsuspecting pony of finding love for me. I just couldn't believe it. I just couldn't believe it. I just couldn't believe…

4 - The dress of confusion

"You must leave this place. You've caused enough trouble. I hate you..."

I awoke from a refreshing sleep next to my love; she is surprisingly warm for such a skinny pony. I could smell the fragrances emanating from her pastel-pink hair, there were hints of berries and other sweet fruits. She must really look after herself, as well as her animals. Fluttershy turned slowly around as she awoke herself, and our lips met briefly again. That felt so nice, and it made it even better when she had a big smile and blushes.

"Would you like some breakfast?" asked Fluttershy, only slightly stuttering.

"Of course, but you won't have to make it, I will, I meant, you were the one to give me love last night, I should repay you."

"Oh no, I insist, I promise it'll be good..."

"Well, alright then, but hurry back, please"

She trotted downstairs, leading with a subtle sense of flirtatiousness. I lay there, trying to slow all my thoughts down, as I could only still see things sped up. Coming here, meeting everypony, suddenly falling in love... wait, what's this? I feel heavy, my vision's starting to blur and darken. What's going on?

*Flashback

What? I'm suddenly somewhere else... I can't control my body, yet I'm running. All I could see around me is a strange mix of fire and ice scattered across the horizon. The sky is an eerie orange. I can't look around, not even down. But it feels familiar, and it feels like my body. But wait, I'm running on two legs? This doesn't even make sense! I can hear a voice. "Come back here! You shouldn't be alive anymore!"
My body looks down, finally, and I see a strange figure of myself, with longer legs, and partly ripped clothes. I try and figure this all out while watching the nightmarish scene, but I just can't piece all this together. Oh no, this vision is fading, and I seem to be coming back to reality.

I can almost taste the waves of flavours coming from downstairs, so I try and free myself from the bed's grasp, as my hunger is too much for me. Yet, I am trapped beneath the comfort and the warmth.
I can now see Fluttershy's beautiful, content face again, as she brings up a large tray of different food from all sorts of cultures at breakfast time. "I hope I made enough for us..." she quietly said, but I nodded as if to imply that there's more than enough there.
There were all sorts of pastries, and toast, and fruit, it all looked so appetising and delicious.

There was a faint knock at the door. Fluttershy, finishing her last bites, went down to get it. A small "thank you" was exchanged between both ponies. Fluttershy squeaked a little when she saw that one of the letters from the mail was intended for me, as I wasn't at my own home. She gave the letter to me, and I read it in silence, as I read most things. The hoofwriting on this letter is so immaculate and fancy.

"Dear Electric blue,

I am delighted to inform you of a new materials supply being shipped to my boutique later today. I wish to see you soon, as I would like to make you a dress to wear for special occasions.

Kind regards,
Rarity"

"Fluttershy, you don't mind if I go to see Rarity later on, do you?" I asked Fluttershy, hoping I can be excused.

"Oh no, I don't mind at all, she said she wanted to make you a dress, and she made us all one before, so you should have one made too." Fluttershy replied, knowing that I would be back soon to her hope.

A little later on...

"Well, okay then, I'll see you soon!"
I gave Fluttershy a big kiss and headed for Rarity's. She blushed quite a lot as I walked off, as she probably didn't want the other ponies to see our relationship just yet.

"There you are darling! Come inside, I have a dress to make for you!" Rarity called to me.

I cautiously stepped into her shop, and saw an array of different coloured fabrics with spectacular patterns and designs lay on shelves. Dresses for all to wear lined the shop by them all being on display. It felt so magical; how Rarity does it will forever be a mystery to me.

"Come, come to my study, I would like you to approve of the design I've drawn up." Rarity said invitingly.

I followed just behind her, and noticed all the materials lying around on the floor of her private room, but something about the mess made it feel homely, inspiring; a beautiful range of colours. As we walked up to a draft board, I noticed a large piece of paper, with elegant strokes of lines, made up into intricate details of a dress, made just for me; I felt so privileged.

"Well, what do you think? Do you like it? Love it?"

I broke free from my mesmerising dress draft, and spoke up. "I... really love it, I really think it's an amazing dress! I've never seen something so attractive in fashion like this before!"

"Well, I suppose it's time to turn my design into reality. I don't mind if you leave me for a while, as the process is long, but you're welcome to stay and chat if you'd like."

I decided to stay, and see how such a fabulous artist of dress making can pull off such talented, admirable work. She hummed unknown songs to herself while she stitched together the work of the amazing. Every second that passed seemingly made the dress look better and better. "I really want to know how you do all this fantastic work, Rarity. The dress is looking astonishing so far."

"Oh, well, you need a lot of ambition and experience in this practice; you need to have a competitive edge about you as you work, and that little touch of magic." She pointed to her horn. She obviously did have a lot of experience of this, otherwise she wouldn't be running such a high quality shop.
I felt the need to get up and have a closer look at the dress, so I did. A slight frown appeared on Rarity's face, meaning that she doesn't like a crowd when she works, so I stepped back a little.

"So what drove you to becoming a fashion designer, Rarity?"

"Well, I always liked making clothes, as it first started when I was the costume designer for a school play. My creations went horribly wrong. But, some sort of miracle happened, and I was dragged by my horn to a huge boulder in the middle of nowhere. Suddenly, a sonic rainboom created by Rainbow dash caused the boulder to split in half and reveal lots of precious gems. I used them for my costumes, and they were a success. From then I always aspired to make good clothes for people, as I knew from my spirit that the path to take was by making clothes, and getting better every time."

"I see, that's why there are huge baskets of diamonds and rubies and sapphires all around the room. And your work does get better each time, somehow, even though it's reached the point of perfection way before. Oh, I forgot to say, I'm really grateful for your kind offer to make me a wonderful dress, I really appreciate it."

"Why, you're quite welcome, Electric blue, if I may call you by that name, it's my pleasure to give my friends all that I can give."

After the hypnotising hooves created the work of a fashion epic, Rarity insisted that I try on the dress. I quickly slipped into it, trying not to stumble, for fear of embarrassment. It fit like a glove. A warm, comfortable glove. I walked around the room, shaking a little bit as I was carrying a different weight on me, but it was made to perfection, so I had no worries of it falling off.

Wait. Oh no. My visions's going black and blurring again. I collapsed as I started to have another flashback. This time, it was in third person. I could see the scene was a party. Lots of high society guests were there. But they weren't ponies. They were... humans, which was strangely remembered in my mind. But why is this a flashback if I've never met a human in my life? Well, the life that I can remember, which isn't much. I see a girl walking into the crowd, dancing as she went. She's wearing... the same dress as I am! How can this be? I noticed her hair. It was blonde, with... blue streaks, and slightly spiky, slightly straight. She had... green eyes. She wore a necklace, with a glowing, orange, topaz gem hanging from a pale orange string. How is she almost completely the same to me, yet so different in form? Her dancing was so graceful, so elegant, so powerful. It was like there was a spotlight shining on her only. She was the belle of the ball, as everyone watched her dance alone. Oh no. Everything started slowing down, and the flashback faded into reality. I awoke to Rarity's terrified face shouting right at me.

"Are you alright? Did you fall over? What happened? Please be okay!"

"I'm fine Rarity, I just kind of blacked out. That's all. Don't worry about me." I staggered as I got up, as I felt pain all over my body, even though I was only lying there. The sky was now dark.

"Oh good, good..." Rarity still panted heavily as she was so shocked from the event of me falling 'unconscious'.

"Calm down Rarity, it's okay, nothing bad happened to me."

"Are you sure? I didn't want anything bad happening to you, as you're so new here, and... and..."

"Rarity, I'm alright, really. You mustn't panic over something so small, especially about me. But thank you for your concern."

"Well, alright then. But please, never do that again, I don't want another shock like that."

"Here, let me make you some tea, I need to repay you for your generosity."

"Oh, there's no need to repay me, you're a friend after all, but the tea idea sounds good."

Before I did so, I felt the need to fix Rarity's hair, even though I was rather clumsy at doing that, but it looked better than the messy, flustered state that it was, because if she saw her hair how it was, she wouldn't be able to cope with two heart attacks.

"Oh, uh... thank you Electric blue..." A mix of blushing and slight agitation appeared in her emotions.

After the tea was drunk, I hugged Rarity goodbye, and told her to keep calm as nothing bad is going to happen to me.
As I got home, I saw Applejack and Fluttershy sitting on the step in front of the door, talking to each other quietly, as it was late. They must have been waiting for my return, as they were at my house.

"Good evening girls, I hope you two are well. But it's cold, so please, come inside."
I opened the door and they quickly hurried inside, shivering a little bit as they walked.
"So, what were you two doing outside my door, at this time of night?"

"Fluttershy was jus' tellin' me a little bit about ya, 'cause she somehow knows more than me about ya." Said applejack, with a hint of a grin on her face.

I tried to hide a blush, and I could feel sweat from the reaction of Applejack's words. "Um... what... what did she say?" I couldn't help but stutter.

"Oh, she told me 'bout yer personality, she managed ta see who ya are very quick."

"Oh... um, well, yeah... she is quick to see people's natures isn't she?" I chuckled nervously. Very nervously. I felt myself shaking, and yet when I saw Fluttershy, she was standing comfortably, as if she had forgotten what went on last night.

"Also, she told me 'bout what went on last night between you too."

The nervousness got to a point of me feeling like exploding, by all the shaking I felt. "W-What did she say?"

"She said how nice ya tasted"

I left the room immediately. I found a corner and sat in it. I started crying uncontrollably, as silent as I could be. "Oh dear Celestia" I kept thinking to myself over and over, rocking myself as I wept. Why would Fluttershy just go and say that, especially when she wanted to keep it secret?

Applejack and Fluttershy crept into the room and both hugged me.

"Ah didn't mean ta make ya cry, Blue. Ah'm sorry, ah really am. Ah understand that Fluttershy is in love with you, that's why she told me, 'cause she knew that ya were the right one for her. And ah admire that Fluttershy found love, as she always seemed a little lonely before ya came here. Ah also thank you fer makin' Fluttershy that more confident, 'specially in front of you, the least known pony here."

I turned around to see both their smiling faces watching me, trying to be sympathetic while doing it.

Fluttershy wiped my tears away and reassured me by placing a hoof on my cheek. "I'm sorry that it came as a shock to you when Applejack said it, she didn't mean anything bad by it, and she respects us as a couple."

I tried to make some words out of my crying state. "But.. what... about... the others? How are they going to react?" I couldn't help but cry a bit more.

"Don't you worry none. They'll understand just like ah did, Blue!" Said Applejack confidently.

"I... hope... you're... right Applejack. Thank you for understanding."

"Yer' welcome, Blue. Oh, sorry 'bout that sugarcube, we didn't compliment yer' dress yet. It looks amazin'!"

"It does look very stunning Blue, it fits you well, and shows off your figure." Fluttershy complimented me, causing us both to blush, and Applejack to giggle in acknowledgement.

"Mah word, Shy, ah didn't know ya'd say somethin' like that ever!" Applejack carried on giggling.

"Well, it's thanks to Blue that I've opened up more. I have her with me now, and she's definitely given me a confidence boost."

I wiped my drying tears away, and gave a smile to both of them. "Since it's so late now, you two better stay here for the night. I mean, I haven't finished unpacking just yet, but there is a bed big enough for at least four of us."

Both ponies kindly accepted, and got ready to go to bed. So did I, trying to hold back an excited laugh.

"Ah hope ya don't mind sleeping with you gals, do ya?" Applejack questioned.

"Of course not!" Me and Fluttershy both said in unison, which was kind of creepy, but it made us all laugh.

"I just need to write this letter to the Princess quickly, and then I'll get to bed." I announced, and started to write my first letter to Celestia.

"Dear Princess Celestia,

I am finding my stay in Ponyville to be wonderful so far. The lesson about friendship I learned today is that friends are always there to care for you, to feel sympathy, to pick you up when you're down. I feel impolite writing these words, but I found love here, so soon in fact. Fluttershy found love in me first, actually. Another lesson is that friends can turn out to love you in their own ways, for example: wanting a relationship, which can be completely unexpected from the shyest of ponies.

Yours faithfully,

Electric blue"

I put the letter into a sending machine, so the letter could go to a location, such as where the princess is. I slowly slid out of my dress, and crept into bed, between both ponies, kissed fluttershy ever so quietly so that Applejack wouldn't notice, as it's rude to engage in romance while you're with the company of others. But, it didn't matter that much since both were already asleep. I smiled to myself as I reflected upon today's events. But the smile flipped as I remembered the flashbacks. So... I used to be... human? How could this be? Why do I not remember it? When was I such a talented ballroom dancer? None of this is able to come clear to me until I have more flashbacks. And dreams, as I'm still being haunted by words that are too quiet to be understood.

5 - The old friend

Finally, I can see these frequent dreams in colour. I can see a forest. Burning. There is a tree house being razed to the ground by fire. Two small fillies were running as fast as they could away from the forest. Why the heck am I having such a terrible dream? I notice one filly has the same outline as mine, with the same colours as well. I was part of this event? Why can't I remember this? Who was the other filly I was with? I couldn't see the other one that well, but she had a familiar shape, but I can't think of who she was. Suddenly, everything was dark. I could only hear "you must never forget me, as you keep me alive. Even if we part ways for our safety, we will always be best friends. Remember that; keep it close to your heart."

"Good mornin' gals!" Applejack said with a yawn.

"Good morning." me and Fluttershy said in unison, again.

"Ah hope you don't mind me sayin', but I gotta leave now, ah got some apple buckin' to do!" Applejack announced, slowly walking to the door.

"Wait a minute, don't you want some breakfast or anything?" I asked, concerned about Applejack's sudden leaving.

"Ah'll be alright Blue, don'tcha worry about little ol' me"

"Are you sure? Wait, I insist that you stay and have something to eat, I'll be making pancakes." I tried to figure out why I said pancakes, as I've never made food as far as I remember, so I'd probably be bad at it. But who knows, maybe I have some talents that I haven't discovered yet.

"Well, alright then, ah sure can't turn down a friend's offer!"

I began to pour a spare packet of pancake mix into a measuring cup, and then put some of the mixture on a pan, making perfect circles as I went. It felt like I had no control of my actions; all this was being done by somepony else in my conscience. Somehow I managed to make the greatest looking pancakes. Maybe I do have a talent for making food, among other things. I must experiment later.
We all started eating a stack of pancakes each, drizzled with apple syrup to make them even nicer.

"You sure know how to cook, Blue..." Whispered Fluttershy, taking tiny bites from a pancake.

"Yeah, ah've never tasted such an amazin' breakfast like this before!" Applejack continued.

"I never knew I'd be this good, I mean I've never made food before, well as far as I can remember." I smiled to myself as I thought that anything could be possible with me.

"I noticed you had a disturbed sleep, Blue. What was wrong? Did you have a bad dream?" Fluttershy asked.

"Oh, well yes, I did have a terrible dream, but I don't think I should say it."

"Please, tell us. We would like to know, and maybe we could help you."

"Well, I remember a forest, and it was on fire. I was a little filly, and I was running out of a destroyed tree house. But I was with another filly, which I recognised, but I don't know why as I've never seen her before. It faded to black and somepony said "never forget me, keep me close to your heart." I just don't get this dream, because I should be able to remember it happening, but I don't remember anything for some reason."

"Could you describe this other filly to us?"

"Well, she had a white coat, with red and black streaked hair. She also had wings. That's all. I don't remember her face, as there was too much smoke from the fire to see properly."

"I'm really sorry Blue, but I can't help you with this as I don't remember anypony looking like that, or that event happening. Do you know anything about this, Applejack?"

"Nope, don't know anypony that looked like that either, and ah don't remember any fires."

"Oh well, thanks for the help anyway." I said to the two.

After finishing breakfast, Applejack soon left our company.

"So, Shy, it's just us two again. What do you want to do today?" I asked.

"Hmm, how about we-"

Fluttershy's words were interrupted by some mail coming through the door. I went to pick up the letter and package. The package read "do not open until the time is right." I was puzzled, so I put it into a small cupboard near the door. I opened the letter. It read:

"I know who you are. I know where you are. You haven't escaped me yet. You shouldn't still be existing. I am coming for you. Your heart is broken. It cannot be fixed. I will destroy it, because you destroyed mine. Good luck with your life, make the most of it."

I froze with shock. I was uncomfortably cold, and my body ached.

"Blue? Are you okay? Blue?" Questioned Fluttershy, with great fear for me.

A tear ran down my cheek. Why am I crying? I don't know the person that sent the letter, as it had no names on it. It must've been someone from the past, who must have a large hatred for me. The bottom of the letter was burnt, and words were crossed out. All I could make out was the first two letters, spaced apart, saying: "I" and "l". I just don't understand any of this. Fluttershy luckily snapped me out of my painful, crying trance by giving me a hard kiss.

"I'm sorry about that Shy, this letter just got to me for some reason. You'd better not read it, I don't want you crying too."
I put the letter into the cupboard with the package.

"I remember you saying that the filly you saw in your dream had wings. Rainbow dash knows almost every pegasus, so maybe she can help you." Fluttershy said, with a small smile.

"Yes, I shall take a visit to Rainbow dash. Where would she be?"

"Up in Cloudsdale, but you can only get there by flying, and you don't have wings. I could take you, but I don't think I'd be able to carry you, and I'm a very weak flyer as well. I'm so sorry about that."

"Don't worry about it Shy, I'll think of something."

Almost immediately after saying that, I frantically walked out the back door and into the garden. Just next to the door was a pile of metal and different components and electronics. I suddenly started to assemble something out of this pile. I could only think how this is all being done, as I'm not controlling any of my actions. After a few minutes of building, I created some sort of jet pack. I was in awe of my creation; it was something unexpected of me. It must be another one of my talents.

"I think I have a solution, Fluttershy." I kissed her cheek in success, and strapped the jet pack to my back.

"Well, since you'll be going now, I think I should get back to looking after my animals." Fluttershy gave me quite a long lasting kiss. "Good luck."

As she hovered back to her cottage, I readied myself for a trip to the clouds. As if by magic, I was up in the air. I never felt so high up before, and everything in Ponyville came into view. I quickly arrived at Cloudsdale, where Rainbow dash was conveniently standing where I had stopped. "Hi Rainbow dash, I haven't seen you in a while."

"Oh hey Blue, how's it going?"
She turned around and realised that I was up here with her.
"How the heck did you get up here?"

"Oh, well I made this strange machine that took me up here. I never knew I'd be able to make things, but I discovered that I can."

"Well would you look at that, you're flying! That thing on your back looks very complicated, but it got you up here. I'm so amazed that you, an earth pony, are flying!"

"I came here to ask you something, as we think you'd know the answer. Fluttershy told me that you know most of the pegasus' round here, so can you tell me if you know this one?"

"Who is it?"

"Well, she is a pony with a white coat, and has spiky hair, a bit like yours, with black and red streaks. Ring any bells?"

"Hmm, she does sound familiar. But seeing as you've got that thing on your back, and that I don't give out information easily, how about a race? I'll go easy on you, promise."

"Okay, I should test this thing out anyway."

We found a suitable spot to race, and prepared ourselves.

"On your marks... Get set... GO!" Rainbow dash shouted as she sped off.

I followed close behind her. I underestimated that this machine could go so fast, as she was almost approaching light speed. And she said she'd go easy on me. Even if winning wasn't going to happen, it felt so exhilarating to be high up, and flying so fast. I never thought I'd be doing something like this. Wait... my vision is fading. It can't do this, not at too important a time. I tried shaking it off, but nothing happened.

There I am in human form again. But, I was in some sort of huge flying machine, with so many other people. I was sitting next to a man, who was talking to me. He was dressed sharply, but he was quite pale, and had piercing blue eyes, with faint black rings around them. He had brown hair with a blue tint, slightly messy and spiky. I want to know who this person is, talking to me. My vision got closer to me and the man, but suddenly, the flying machine started to go out of control and headed downwards. I watched helplessly, as I saw my other despairing face through the small window, as the machine came crashing towards the sea. The vision faded back to reality, and I found myself falling downwards as well. My jet pack had become broken, and a trail of smoke followed my hurtling body. Just then, I abruptly stopped, as I was rescued by Rainbow dash herself. She saved me just in time.

"Thank you, Rainbow dash. I thought I wasn't going to make it..."

"You're welcome, Blue. It was lucky I saw the smoke and you falling otherwise I wouldn't have been able to get you in time. And I couldn't have left a friend to... you know..."

I felt slightly embarrassed, but my fear showed more, so I clung to Rainbow dash tightly. When we were back on the ground, I collapsed with fright. Everything that happened to me in these past few days started to slow down in my mind, and things started making more sense.

"I suppose I should give you that information now, if you're alright to hear it..." said Rainbow dash, worried for my state.

"Yes, I think I'll be able to get it in my head" I said, trying not to stutter with the cowardice that I felt for flying, and falling soon after.

"Well, there was this one pegasus that I saw while we were all staying at Appleoosa for a while, that sounded the same to what you said. She was very quiet, but she was close to Braeburn, a colt living there. We're gonna visit there again in a few days time; you can come with us if you want."

"Of course I do, I want to tie up a loose end, and figure out what happened to my past, if she can help."

I was about to say my farewells to Rainbow dash, when I said "I'm sorry for wasting your time today; I thought I was going to race you and get that information fairly, but I just came crashing down instead."

"Hey, it's no big deal, don't worry about it, I had fun, and you were a good racer. I want a rematch, and next time, don't fall asleep while you're flying!" Rainbow dash winked at me, and then flew off back to where she came from.

I staggered a little, and then slowly trotted home. At least my mind isn't in so much pain anymore, as my thoughts slowed down, and made sense of them. Now that I think about it, I made friends, I made love, I had flashbacks, I got a dress made for me, I found out talents. All this summed up is still so quick, but my mind knows how to figure it all out. Just... not yet. When I meet this long lost pegasus, I will find out the truth, or whatever she knows.

Before settling in bed, I wrote a short letter to the princess.

"Dear Princess Celestia,

Today, I learned that you can discover things about yourself that you never would have known. In my case, I found out that I'm good at making food, and I can build technology and use it. I also learned that your friends can always catch you when you're falling, as they will always be there for you, even if they aren't with you in the moment in time.

Yours faithfully,

Electric blue."

6 - The diary of humanity

"When I rule the world, you can either rule it with me or without me. I don't care if you do or don't, because you mean nothing to me anymore. I used to think you were a nice person, but then I peeled back the layers and I find the worst person to even want to love. What was I thinking? Nobody loves you. Not even your parents. They're gone now, but those deaths weren't my responsibility, so you have to thank me that I didn't kill them myself."

The man I saw in my flashback was talking to me, in such a horrible manner, which was sickening to watch. His features have changed from the last sighting of him. He was much paler, and his eyes were a deep, burning red instead of blue. He had scars, and pulsating veins showing at the sides of his head. He looked so... evil. So corrupted. But why? My human form started talking.

"I hate you so much right now, I always did. You're lucky you've even got a mouth, as I would have ripped it out of your putrid skull ages ago. People love me more than they love you. Look what you've become! You look so evil and disgusting! I never loved you; you just didn't want to see the truth! Because of the amount of deaths you've caused alone, there's no choice for me now but to end your reign of terror!"

I suddenly lashed at him with a sword, carved so elegantly, and yet it was disturbing how I was wielding such a weapon. He fought back, with his own sword, it releasing fire from the edge of the blade. It looked like he was too powerful for me, as my efforts to fight back only ended up with me faltering, scalded and agonised. But I just kept getting back up. So I used to be a valiant warrior. I could also use magic, as I heard myself reciting different words which I couldn't understand, but it caused balls of energy forming and being thrown into my enemy. He staggered, but only very slightly. He looked to powerful to face, but still, I kept on going. If only there was something I could do to save myself. This dream began to fade.

I awoke to a cheerful hum coming from a particular pink pony.

"Oh, good morning Pinkie pie, I haven't seen you in a while. Why are you here? How did you get in?"

"You always leave your door open Blue! You also haven't seen me much because I had a lot of work making double the amount of cakes for everyone as I had kind of a need for more sweet things than usual so I apologised to Mr and Mrs Cake but I just kept on eating and I don't know why!"

"Ok, well I understand that, I always want sweets as well. But what I don't understand still is how you just said all that without breathing, or why you're here. Could you please tell me?"

"Well I guess I just have big lungs or something but I don't understand myself sometimes and I came here to tell you that Twilight needs your help to clean up her library because Spike's away somewhere"

"Oh alright then, I'll go and visit her soon. And who's Spike?"

"Spike is Twilight's assistant and he's a dragon and you'll come to like him don't worry!"

I slowly raised my body out of the bed, where I noticed a complimentary cake sitting on a table. "Did you make this for me Pinkie?"

"Of course I did! I didn't want to seem selfish so I made all of my friends cakes as I haven't really seen anypony lately and I wanted to repay them for me not being there!"

"Oh I see, well this is definitely a generous offer. I thank you Pinkie pie."

"You're welcome but there's no time to dawdle, I gotta get you to Twilight's!"

I quickly took a small piece of cake and shoved into my mouth before getting dragged suddenly to Twilight's house. She was waiting outside her door, happy to see that I came, even if it was through Pinkie pie's pulling me there.

"I'm so glad you could help me out, Electric blue!" She shook my hoof formally. "I hope you're okay with cleaning!"

"I'll see you later girls!" Pinkie said as she bounded away.

"I don't see much of her lately" I said to Twilight.

"Neither do I... I wonder what she's really up to..." Twilight replied. "Anyway, come in, I have some organisation to do, and I need your help."

I stepped into the messy library, and quietly gasped.

"I'm sorry if I leave an impression on you, but it's not what you think, this messiness gives me more comfort to study. But seeing as I'm done with that for now, it's time to tidy up."

"Well, I'll clean up the right side, while you clean the left. Deal?"

"Okay, it's a deal. I really thank you for helping me out with this, just Spike's away and I can't work in this environment anymore."

I stacked books, up to five as that was the most I could carry, and put them neatly into the shelves. I turned to watch Twilight move everything around with her horn, so I tried to hide my jealousy. Wait, I used to know magic without needing a horn, so why won't it work now? All I have to do is remember the words...
"S... su... Subvolo." The books, to my amazement, lifted. but only for a few seconds.

"H....how did you do that?! When you aren't a unicorn?!" Twilight cried.

"I used to... I mean I read something about magic, and I practised it every night, and here's where I am now."

"That's just amazing! And what language was that?"

"I... don't remember, but that word meant levitate."

"That's fascinating! Please, demonstrate more!"

"I don't know if I can remember any more..."

"Oh, please try!"

"Hmm... I know! Vi pulsus."

A book jolted across the room. We both looked at each other, shocked.

"This is wonderful! We must tell the others!" Shouted twilight in amazement.

"Wait, let's keep cleaning up first."

"Alright, and then I want to see more magic from you!"

"How about this... Locum purum."

The room started to move itself around, putting books back into place, polishing the surfaces, and everything else in between. I must have a lot of magical potential to be able to do something as big as this. Just then a book landed on my head and fell to the floor. I looked at the cover, and it had a picture of a strange planet. The title was: "The memoirs of humanity" by Anne Ultrice. The name sounded so familiar, and the book felt like it was a part of me. I flicked through the pages to see you many diary extracts, diagrams and drawings. I felt like keeping it.
"Twilight, would it be okay for me to have this book?"

"Well I don't know, that book is a really interesting read..."

"Please Twilight; it seems to mean a lot to me, like I wrote it or something..."

"Why do you feel that way about it?"

"Well, you're the first one for me to reveal this to... I shouldn't say it."

"Go ahead and say it, what have you got to lose?"

"Well, I got a lot of flashbacks in the past few days, and all of them showed me, but in a different form."

"Go on..."

"I used to be... a human. I just don't know how I became a pony though..."

"You... used to be... human? How is this possible?"

"I'm not entirely sure yet, but all I remember is that I used to be a human, and on a different world. I also keep having dreams, which are usually just voices, but it's the same person every time. This person is apparently my enemy, and he wants me to love him, but I never loved him. The only one that I love is Fl-- oops..."

"Fl... fl who?"

"Fluttershy..."

Twilight stepped back in shock. "Fluttershy? In love? With you? So soon? How?"

"I don't know why she loves me, there's just something about me that makes her love me for some reason..."

"I never expected Fluttershy to fall in love... wow..."

"I've definitely changed this place haven't I?"

"Yes, but for the better! You've helped the whole group, you've made Fluttershy more confident, you've made her love you, and everything you've done has happened in just a couple of days! That's an extraordinary feat you pulled off there Blue!"

"Well, thank you for that. I just want to know how I became a pony though... we're going to Appleoosa soon aren't we? There's a long lost pony I knew there, and I can unlock my memory through her."

"We must go and tell the others about you, if you're okay with that."

"That's fine, we must meet together anyway."

After we all were united again, I told everyone everything that I knew so far about myself and my past, I demonstrated some magic. Everyone was shocked at first, but they all became supportive, as they are friends after all. I told them how I and Fluttershy are in a relationship, they giggled with Fluttershy, but had nice intentions as they thought it was unexpected, but it was wonderful how I've made her much more confident around me, and brought her to feel love for me.

"So, in a few days time we're going to Appleoosa, aren't we?" I questioned to the others.

"We sure are Blue, we're gonna see mah cousin Braeburn again. Yer gonna like it there!" Replied Applejack.

"And you can meet your long lost friend while we do our own thing if you want" Rainbow dash added.

"Yeah, I just hope she has the answers I need, otherwise I don't know what I'd do next..."

I took another look at the book in front of everyone. The name really meant something. Anne Ultrice. I looked inside to see a message on the first page. It read: "If these book falls into different hands, always be on the look out for Glais Pectus. Never give this book to him."

Who's Glais? Who's Anne? Why is this book so important to me? So many mysteries to be solved... Wait, the first page of text says this:

"There was once a time of peace, and love. Real love, not the horrible, televised love, or the love that never works out properly, as the lovers can be polar opposites. I was once friends with a man that used to be a good person, but he changed into something bad one day, all because I refused his love. He began to hate me; he began to destroy people's lives. Especially mine. Earth used to be a great place to live, but now as he's overthrown the whole government, and the royal family and everything else; with his dark magic, there is nothing but chaos and a wasteland that people can barely survive on. This is my first diary entry, and this might just be a random stew of words and emotions, but all I feel is anger right now. This person should stop existing, and one day, I'm going to make that happen; I'm going to make the world good again."

I realised. I dropped the book. Anne is me. Or was me. Glais is my enemy. A tear rolled down my cheek. As the group rushed to comfort me, I collapsed into a state of uncomfortable relaxation. I just didn't know what to say, I didn't know how to feel.
The girls carried me home, tucked me into bed and took the liberty of staying with me all night, while I lay there, restless and haunted. I didn't have the strength to write the nightly letter to the Princess. I cast a spell to force me to fall asleep, but even then I just couldn't fall. I didn't feel good. I felt unclean, hurt, angered, depressed, and everything else in between. I decided to read the second page of the diary.

"I don't know why I cut out one of the last pages of the diary and put it at the front. Probably just a warning to those that need to be warned, and you know who you are. But anyway, now for the real entry.
I feel good today. I had a beautiful dress made by one of my best friends. She could be one of the best fashion designers on earth! I tried it on, and it fit perfectly! There's a party going on today, and she made my dress just in time for it.

I don't think I've ever been to a party better than that! Well, when I say party, I mean, a ball. Either way, I danced the night away with my friends; we all had great fun. I could never ask for friends any better than who I have, because they are the best for me. They are so kind, and giving, and caring, and funny... I don't have enough words to describe this day, so I drew a big smiley face instead!"

I noticed a crude drawing of a cartoon style face, with a huge smile covering the circle head. I must have had a great life, just like I do now. So, I'm guessing I used to be on a different planet, called Earth. That must be what the cover's for. I looked through the pages without spoiling it for myself, trying to find some more spells. I read the note attached to a whole sub-book of spells.

"The magic I learned came from latin, the only working language of magic to humans. Basic spells such as the levitate spell (Subvolo) are obviously easier to learn than advanced spells, but sometimes that isn't always true. There must always be a balance between each spell, so practise magic regularly, varying from basic to advanced when you can."

Judging by my magic I tried earlier, the embodiment of my skill for magic must have stayed with me, so Anne must have been very powerful. I hope Anne listed her talents here and there, so I can pick them up as I go along with reading through. After reading this, I felt much calmer, so I was able to drift off into a deep sleep, still pondering as I went.

7 - Hearth's warming eve

I woke up slowly, and contemplated the thought of not being haunted by my dreams, as I slept normally for the first time being here. After having a last glass of the leftover apple juice, I went to check the mail. There was one letter, so I took it and opened it. It read:

"Dear Electric Blue,

It would be great for you to make an appearance in the audience for our Hearth's warming eve play. This performance describes the events which made Equestria a united land, and how friendship came to be in our land. We all really hope that you show, and you will enjoy it. The location is in Canterlot castle, in the memorial hall.

Yours sincerely,

Mayor Mare"

I probably should go there, it seems like something I'd want to know about. And it's also from the Mayor, personally written to me, so It's probably of utmost importance that I go.

It must have snowed over night, as there is suddenly a raging blizzard outside. I took out a long, slightly tattered wartime-style coat from my wardrobe and wrapped myself up in it. It must have been a coat I wore when I was human. All of these clothes I have with me are definitely my human clothes, just magically shrunk and shaped to match the body I have now.

I picked up my diary and placed it into one of the many pockets of the coat, and set off outside. I was almost frozen solid because I wasn't prepared for drastic weather like this. I could barely walk through the cold suffering, when I remembered a certain spell. "Recalfacio". I strained while saying that, as my jaw was almost locked, but suddenly I felt much warmer.

Even though I was walking on the main path, I felt a chilling feeling of loneliness as no-one was to be seen. The feeling was gripping my heart, as my only thoughts were of Glais, my apparent lover-turned-arch rival. I frowned on the thought, as my love was with someone else, someone much less... malevolent. But why did he want my love so badly? How did we even know each other? I want to take a look at the diary, but not yet, as the pages will fly away with the violent winds.

I think the girls are performing, as they didn't visit me this morning. I wonder what it's all about? I think it will be how all the ponies managed to become friends with each other, as maybe the earth ponies, the unicorns and the pegasi all had a mutual dislike for each species.

It never occurred to me that I had a cutie mark of such difference to all the other ponies. I never noticed it until now. And I have no clue of what it is. But it looks futuristic in a way. Hopefully my long lost friend has the answers, if any. I want to remember who she is, but nothing comes to mind. It only happens on its own, at random points in time, where I have no control over.

Strange. Most flashbacks when I was doing an activity related to the same sort of thing I did when I was a human. It's just that there wasn't much of an order to make sense out of them. Strangely, the things I've seen in this world are like the connections to my past life. It confused me that Twilight had owned my diary. Maybe Anne knew that I would forget everything, so she placed items of memory around Equestria, so that I can continue her life. But my life is now split off from hers, and it might take some time to become Anne again. But, I am happy with my life now, it's much safer, more friendly, and I'm with a group of six wonderful ponies that all love me as friends, apart from Fluttershy, who has much more love for me than the others. I just wonder what Anne's mission was, and why she transformed herself into this form, and got herself onto another planet.

After at least an hour long trudge through the snow and harsh conditions, I arrived at the mighty Canterlot. Luckily that warmth spell lasted me the way here, so I only felt footsore, and that was it. I felt honoured as I walked through the gates, into an enormous, highly decorated garden, with a frozen fountain straight in the middle of the stone path. Princess Celestia herself was there to greet me, me of all ponies.

"Good afternoon, my student." She calmly said. "Please, come this way."

"Of course, your highness."

"By the style of writing from your letters, I can tell that you are disturbed by something."

A cold sweat broke out as I realised that she had amazing powers of observation.

"Why, yes I am, and this might come as a shock to you, so I don't know whether to say it or not."

"You can tell me anything, Electric Blue, I will try to keep myself composed."

"Well, once before this life, I used to be a human. I had a lot of danger on the last world I was on, so I transported myself here, to seek refuge, and I found this place to be much better than the last."

"I see, that is something I've never heard from anypony before; being a human. I've studied humans before, and they seem to be separated into three groups. One good, one bad, and one neutral."

So the humans must have led themselves to destroying their equality and dividing themselves up.

The Princess continued, "The same kind of theme is used is today's play, as we have the history of equestria to perform, with the divided groups, the earth ponies, the pegasi, and the unicorns. I do hope you enjoy it, and it could relate to you, in a way."

"Maybe so." As I was being escorted through the large corridors, I noticed the stained glass windows, depicting events of the past, and important ponies. The winter sun shone the rays of coloured light at me. We finally arrived at a pair of doors, leading into a great hall, filled with the local ponies.

"Quickly, the girls saved you a front row space, now go in there before it starts."

"Thank you for taking me here, Princess."

"My pleasure. Now quickly, go."

I walked quietly down to my place, and looked up at the stage, waiting patiently for the performance. I took out my diary to find a page relating to this play. I found a bookmark resting on a page titled: "How humans divided"

I was intrigued to read on, but the curtains started pulling back.
A small, purple dragon started talking. That must be Spike. He talked about the divide between the species', and how they relied on the earth ponies to provide food for everypony. However, the earth ponies didn't like this as they weren't benefiting from it, so all it did was increase their hate for each other. I glanced at the first few paragraphs of the diary entry, and it seemed that this cycle went backwards in the human world.
"It used to be a good place on earth, but people didn't like the same views, so they split up. Of course, the good people of earth were savaged by the bad, and the neutral took their share of everyone's resources."

I witnessed the almost real arguments made by Pinkie pie, Rainbow dash and Rarity, or should I say, Chancellor Puddinghead, Commander Hurricane, and Princess Platinum. It all seemed so believable. They were all such great actors, even Fluttershy, I mean, Private Pansy. I could never act as well as they could, let alone talk in front of an audience. My anxiety causes my whole body to heat up and shake uncontrollably. So acting is definitely out of the question for me. It's strange how they didn't ask me to do this play with them, but of course, I have no idea of the history of Equestria. I must greet the cast after; it'd probably be nice for me to see them today, even if they have smiled at me a few times while on stage, and in turn, I smile back.

I never knew that through so much bitterness towards others could cause a blizzard, and cold to represent the iciness in ponies' hearts could form a creature such as a 'Wendigo', a ghostly horse type figure that spreads aggressive snowstorms to wherever there is mass hatred towards each other. All that happened on Earth, according to the diary, was a more aggressive form of destruction and criminal acts by the most evil of people. Substituting for the snow was death, rivers of blood, and fire. In the end there were only wastelands, destroyed by mankind itself. Equestria was much more of a different environment to Earth, judging by the differences in natures that both beings possessed.
There was a small, partially burnt note sticking loosely to the bottom of the page. It said:

"If life was a dream world, there would be no more hate, and death, and evil desires. Everything would be much nicer for us all, as reality comes as something too harsh on our fragile minds and bodies. Dreaming is a form of escapism, and expressing emotions through art or writing can prove as a useful outlet. If only the dream could be real. Then I'd have a much better life. I'm someday going to find a way to make that happen, otherwise, I'm doomed."

Anne must have found Equestria for a solution, as it's such a happy, friendly place, where nothing as bad as what happens in the human world goes on. Maybe that's why she wanted to be here. She probably wiped my memory as well, so I didn't have to remember the pain that she went through, as she describes.

The acting skills coming from the girls still amazed me, as everything looked and sounded so real with them. I wonder how long this took to rehearse all this, as it was choreographed to perfection. I'm enjoying myself while learning about something other than myself for a change.

After the play was over, I headed backstage to meet with the girls, who were gladly delighted to see me. "That performance went spectacularly! I couldn't believe how real it felt! Well done all of you!"

"Why thank you Blue we couldn't have done it so well if you weren't there as you gave us the motivation that we needed!" Pinkie pie shouted.
The group all came to me for a group hug. "Let's just hope those arguments weren't actual ones though!" I said, directing the comment at Rarity, Rainbow and Pinkie.

"Oh don't worry, it's all just acting dear, we have nothing against each other. Well, not at this time anyway, ha ha." Rarity said with a chuckle.

"From my intuition, I know that you like history, so did you learn about the history of Equestria well enough?" Twilight asked.

"I really did, and you all did amazing jobs at showing how everything might have happened back then" I answered.

"Thank you!" They all said in chorus.

"Sorry we couldn't come see you this morning Blue, as we got transport to Canterlot, unfortunately there was room enough for only six of us..." Fluttershy said, head down in shame.

I pushed her head up and said "hey, don't worry about it, I had magic to keep me warm anyway, and I needed some time to think things over."

"So, we gotta go see mah cousin Braeburn soon, ya'll excited?" Applejack questioned.

"Of course I am, I really want to find out everything, as it'll make life much simpler, since I'll have more of an idea of where I should be going and I've been" I replied.

"Oh girls, before you go, I want to give you these" Rarity presented the group and me with matching coats, lined with fur and other warming materials. We each took one, but I put it away as I was already wearing my own coat.

"Are you sure you don't want to wear my coat, Electric blue? It's cosy!"

"Well yeah, I do, but I'm wearing my own one as well..."

"I see, well, let me know if it fits you, when you decide to wear it."

"I will wear it next time I go out, and your clothes are made so that they always fit anypony, so why worry?"

Rarity blushed a little, and we all laughed with each other. After that, it was inevitably time to go back to Ponyville. A carriage was waiting outside for the group, this time with room for seven. I said farewell to each pony, without forgetting to kiss Fluttershy goodbye, as I didn't want to forget the feeling of her mouth on mine, and how sweet is was; her taste and scent.

As I was second to last to get off, I gave my last hug of the day to Applejack, and I went back home. Satisfied with today and its happenings, I drifted off into the most comfortable sleep I've had here.

8 - The demon pony

I awoke from a refreshing sleep, chilled by the night's temperatures. I saw that the terrible blizzard had disappeared, leaving a leg's height of snow to cover the land. I can only think that this snow will last for a long time, and supplies will run scarce because of it. It makes me wonder how Applejack's family cope in these conditions, such a big family as they are. It must cause a lot of stress for everypony through this type of weather.

I decided to venture outside, beforehand putting my Rarity made coat on, and a handy scarf that I found hidden away in my bag. Luckily I didn't have to use my magic to warm myself up, since this coat had so much faux fur on, and this scarf added to the steadfast warmth. Today, as it was the last day in Ponyville before we go to Appleoosa, I decided to go and explore the Everfree forest, as there seemed to be a lot of interesting things scattered around there.

When I arrived at my destination, I felt a sudden reluctant feeling wash over me, as if something bad is in the forest. Knowing the darkness fills the forest so easily might be a reason why I hesitated, but after regaining my movement, I walked into the vast desert of trees. I looked around, and there was nopony to be seen. I couldn't help but feel the overbearing loneliness. Why do I become lonely so easily? It isn't the fault of Anne, as we aren't entirely connected yet, and she always had friends around her. Still, I kept going deeper into the darkness. I was amazed how little light is contained in the forest, but the sky was totally grey from the snowy weather, so that didn't help.

I came across a body of a stray pony, lying in the middle of a clearing. Something was different from the ponies I've seen though. She had two strange horns, and wings of a fully grown dragon. I moved closer to see if she was alright, and she let out a violent cry.

"Don't touch me! Stay back!"

"Sorry... I was just checking if you were okay..." I whispered, stuttering with intimidation.

"Oh. It's somepony I haven't met before. Sorry if I startled you, just most ponies don't like me, so I stay in the darkness of the forest, where I belong." This pony said, with a sad look in her eyes.

"Hey, why don't the other ponies like you? There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with you, well except the introduction..."

"Just that... I was never a very nice pony to start with, being left here alone since I was a baby, and fighting for myself left me... cold, so I don't really take a liking to other ponies, and the other way round. And also, I'm different from the others, as I'm half demon, so everypony's scared of that too."

"I see, well you must be cold out here, please, come with me and warm up at my home."

"I can't go back out there, I'll be shunned and forced to hide away again. I don't want that!"

"Come on, please? I can see you shivering. Quickly, follow me."

She tried to hide her coldness, but she couldn't stop shivering, no matter how hard she tried. I turned and started walking away when,

"Stop! Wait, I'll come with you. I don't want to stay lonely anymore, and you seem to be the only pony to understand."

I could see that she had a heart under that tough exterior, so she opted to come with me after all. I just hope that she won't get too much flak for being where she apparently shouldn't. When we got out of the forest, I noticed Applejack walking past to go back to her farm, so I called out a greeting to her, and I was met with,

"Oh no! Please, not again! It's the demon pony! Everypony run for yer lives!"

I saw that each pony had panicked and ran for cover, while behind me, the 'demon pony' had her head low, in shame. We got to my house, and she dashed inside before she got anymore insults.

"What was all that for?" I asked.

"Well, as I said, I wasn't a very nice pony, so I stayed in the forest to protect myself from any harm from the other ponies."

"Well, I know you have the potential to be good, I can see it." But how could I see it? How can I see this faint aura coming from her, like every other pony, I've seen a faint coloured outline, representing they're personality. This pony's aura was mostly black, but it had some hints of green overlapping.

"I'll never be good. Or at least, nobody will accept me, even if I try." She said, in lament.

"I'm sure it won't be that bad. Here, I'll go and talk to ponies, while you make yourself at home here for a while."

"Thank you. Oh wait, what's you're name first? Mine's Midnight sunset."

"Electric blue. Pleased to meet you. Now, it's time for me to help you become accepted."

I walked out the door, and headed to Applejack's place, as she saw Midnight first. When I confronted her about it, she only had bad things to say.

"Ah don't wanna know about her, she's a curse I tell ya!"

"She isn't that bad, surely?"

"She is, ya don't even know how much trouble she caused us all, it was horrible ah tell ya!"

"Wait, what has she actually done?"

"She... she... well, she's done nothin'. She was jus' never a great pony to be around, but she didn't do anything really bad."

"So basically, she's still kind of nasty, but she's misunderstood as well. Am I right?"

"Yeah, uh, somethin' like that."

"Well knowing this, we better go get the girls and tell them that Midnight Sunset is just misunderstood."

"Fine, but ah don't think it'll be easy ta get everypony ta understand her."

We left for each of the girls' places, and convinced them to come with us, as I needed to get something straight. It was also fun to see that everyone was still wearing Rarity's coats, and how we were all walking in unison, with the same fashion of clothing. When we all got to my house, everybody filed in through the door. We all saw Midnight resting on a sofa, strangely with blankets she found from my wardrobe covering her. She must have been very cold from staying in the snow filled forest for a long time.

"See girls, don't you think that's something a normal pony would do? Even if it is impolite, she still needs warmth, as we all do."

"But she... but she..." Rarity said, trying to deny my words.

"No Rarity, she needs comfort. She's misunderstood, that's all. And yes she might not have the best of moods, but she isn't destructive is she? Look at her."

Midnight opened one eye, and showed a faint smile.

"Come on, she's no different from us, is she? Yes she may have dragon wings and demon horns, yes she may be half demon, but that doesn't mean she's pure evil. Just like you've done with me, show her compassion as well." I almost felt like a leader at that moment. Could this be Anne? Was she a great leader back then? Maybe. Rainbow dash interrupted my thoughts.

"I wonder if she can race with those wings?" She competitively asked.

"Maybe I can, heh heh." Midnight said, leaping up, preparing for action.

"Well that's the spirit, a race wouldn't hurt, would it Midnight?" I asked.

"Nope, I could do with the exercise too; I'm still cold you know."

We all watched as Midnight and Rainbow got into place. I shouted out "three...two...one...GO!" and they both raced off into the distance with blinding speed.

"Wow, those two sure are fast!" Applejack shouted as they lapped the town and passed us.

"Wait, who's counting the laps?"

"Who cares, the thrill of it is simply exciting!" Rarity shouted. She must obviously love watching races, as she seemed the most happy to see such an exhilarating race like this.

After they finally got tired enough to stop flying, they both fell in the snow, and laughed with each other. Midnight laughed. That definitely ensured that Midnight has a heart. The group laughed with them too. Of course, as it was nearing the evening, we parted ways and said our farewells as we always do. Midnight came with me however. I asked her:

"How about you stay and look after my house while I'm away in Appleoosa? I have food enough to last, and a bed as comfy as anything, so there's no need to worry. So how about it?"

"Well, alright, I'll look after your home for a while."

"Thank you so much. I appreciate it."

"There is just one thing though..."

"Yes, everypony in our group accepts you now, and hopefully the word will spread. They all know you're a friend of mine, and they're a friend of yours as well. While I'm away, how about you try getting you're own house here, instead of living in the forest? It'll be much better, don't you think?"

"Okay, I'll try and get my own house here. I'll finally be able to stay warm when the nights get so freezing, especially in winter, which we're in now."

When we got in, Midnight decided to go straight to bed, while I began to write a letter to Princess Celestia.

"Dear Princess Celestia,

I made a new friend today. She was a lonesome pony with a tough exterior, but what really shone through was her heart over the wall she had made for herself. Her name is Midnight sunset, and I spotted her while I was exploring the Everfree forest. She is a half demon pony, and everypony had misunderstood her, so I tried to convince everypony that she was different, and I succeeded. So what I learned today was that even through the coldest of hearts can be even the slightest bit of good in them all.

Yours faithfully,

Electic blue."

9 - The dark side of Pinkie Pie

*Side note: This chapter will contain some violence/gore, so be warned if you're going to read it and you don't like that sort of stuff.

Another grey day in Equestria. Strangely, Midnight sunset had vanished without a trace. I just hope she's alright, wherever she went. Hopefully not back to the forest though, unless it was to take her stuff somewhere else. When I got out of bed, I looked out of the window, and saw that the snow had risen higher than ever. It was Hearth's warming today, but it didn't look like anypony would be spending time together. I don't think we'd be going to Appleoosa any time soon either.

I made some breakfast out of anything that was left, ate, and went to the living room. I lit the fireplace carefully with my magic, and curled up on the rug, as there was nothing else for me to do. Just as I was drifting off, there was a knock at the door. I went to open it, and saw that it was none other than Pinkie pie herself.

"Come in, please. You must be cold." I politely said, while lifting a hoof, implying for her to come inside.

"Thank you Blue, I saw how much snow there was and you're the closest to me so I dug my way here because I want to celebrate Hearth's warming with somepony at least and you were the first pony to pop into my head." She put her shovel down next to the door, and I took her coat. When I shut the door, a mountain of snow fell from the roof and blocked us from getting out.

"Well, thank you for the thought, and it's nice to see you, as I rarely get to see you. Any news on the visit?"

"Applejack said to me last night that if there's more snow then we can't go anywhere until it's gone so we're stuck here for a while."

"I see, well, it gives me some time to settle at home, as I'm usually out. When I'm at home I only have time to eat or sleep."

"Well now that I'm here we can have a party and celebrate Hearth's warming together! Does that sound fun?"

"Oh yeah, it does, but... what do we actually do on this day? I've never been here before to experience Hearth's warming."

"Well we remember how everypony learned friendship and how to get along with each other no matter what our species are and we give each other gifts to keep the tradition of love and generosity going. Here, I made you something Blue!"

She pushed a small, wrapped up box into my hoof. "Go on open it!" She said.
I unwrapped the wrapping of the box, opened the top, and saw that it held a cupcake. This cupcake had rainbow swirled decorations, and chocolate and vanilla sprinkles were scattered all over the top. It looked so delicious.

"Eat it go on! I made it especially for you!" She encouraged.
I took a bite out of the cake. And another. And another. In a moment, it was all gone. I've never had anything so sweet and tasty in my life before.

"Wow, that cupcake was amazing Pinkie! I don't know how you do it! Thank you so much for that!"

"You're welcome Blue!"

"Oh, now I have to give you something in return. Wait there, I'll see what I can find."

I panicked a little, as I don't really have anything of value. I looked in all the drawers, wardrobes, cupboards and closets, but couldn't find anything of particular interest. But then I remembered my bag, containing all of my possessions. I went to look inside it, and took out everything that was in there. I pulled out clothes, photos of Anne and her friends, stationary, a digital camera, and a "mobile phone" which was what ponies used to call ponies sometimes. At the very bottom, I noticed that there were six coloured, glowing orbs. I took them out as well, and showed them to Pinkie pie. "Here, take your pick, you can choose one of these strange orbs, as I have nothing else that would mean something to you."

"Ooh, shiny! And they glow too! I'll take the pink one, because it matches my coat!"

"Wait a minute... take a look at the colours of al the orbs."

I noticed that each of them had colours of the group's coats as well. One was orange, one was yellow, one was pink, one was blue, one was white, and the last one was purple. All of them matched the groups orbs, as I and Pinkie had observed. But why would I own these things?

"I must examine these much more later, but you can take yours, Pinkie."

"You sounded just like twilight then Blue! You both are really intelligent!"

"Nah, I'm not as intelligent as her, I'm just an average pony..."

"You're more than that Blue! You're magic without being a unicorn, you used to be pony, you know all these things and you do so many things! You're a wonderful filly Blue!"

"Well, thank you for that Pinkie. I appreciate it." I blushed and gave her a tight hug.

"You're welcome Blue! Anything to cheer up a friend!" She hugged me tightly back, almost crushing me with her strong grip.

"So, what else do you do on this day?"

"Well why don't we party! We can make food and eat food and dance and sing and play games and everything! What do you say? It'll be fun!"

"Oh yeah, why not? Let's have a party!"

I almost had the same skills of baking as Pinkie pie, as we both tasted our cakes, and both kinds were delectable, but obviously, Pinkie pie had more experience. We danced the day away, playing music as loud as we could, and even if it was so loud, even the nearest neighbour couldn't hear us because of all the snow. Thanks to Anne, I had all these special talents to rival Pinkie pie. I could even sing as well as her. I felt so alive with her. Since Pinkie couldn't escape the comfort of my home because of the snow, and it was also getting dark, the only decision was to let her stay. As I wasn't fully unpacked yet, I asked her to help me.

"Do you mind getting my house filled with stuff from the boxes? I just want to get more settled."

"Sure Blue, anything for you!" Pinkie gave her trademark smiles to me, ran to the pile of boxes filled with clothes and household items, and started to take things out and put them into place. I was amazed that she knew where everything could go, and how fast she could go to do this. I could only manage to get one box unpacked because of her quickness. And then I saw something, right at the bottom of this box. It was half of a peculiar fruit of some sort, with a tiny bite taken out of it. What was this? As soon as I picked the thing up, I grew heavy, and my legs gave way. My vision blackened. It was another long awaited flashback.

I was in a forest. The same forest of where the same tree house was. Luckily this time, it wasn't all on fire, it was peaceful. I had control of my body, strangely. I noticed that I was much smaller, like a little filly. I began to walk up to the tree house. I climbed up the ramp. There was the other filly that I had remembered. She started talking to me, but I didn't hear a voice. I didn't hear anything at all. Just a strange, static type whisper. I glanced at the large table beside her. There were two items on the table, one that looked like the complete star shaped fruit, which resembled the one I found in the box, and the other was something that resembled my cutie mark. It was strange that these two things were just placed in somewhere as deserted as this. I looked around the walls of the tree house. Writing, symbols and pictures were scrawled all over, and bits of paper hung from pins on the walls, high enough for me to reach at them. Most of the papers had drawings of me and the other filly, while others had very informative notes of the environment, the inhabitants, and the animals. One caught my eye aggressively, so much that it actually gave me physical pain to look at. There was a big title saying "Dreams" on it, and unidentifiable lists were written below it. Was this related to me? But then I saw the name of Anne and Glais in tiny scribbles on the piece of paper. All this made my head hurt, and my body in the flashback stumbled. Every second I stayed in this strange flashback, the other filly turned angrier, and the static got louder and louder until it was transformed into an ear-piercing screech which obscured my vision. Wind howled in the background, and I felt like I was being swept away. Suddenly, I was torn from my position, and dragged out of the tree house, and down the ramp. I was being pulled backwards, and this caused an immense pain, like I was being ripped apart by sharp claws. A trail of blood came from under me as I was being pulled, and the sky turned a burning red. I tried screaming, but it only made the static screeching and the pain worse. I couldn't take much more of this, as I felt so drained of blood and energy, yet this flashback kept going on, and the forest I was being dragged through got darker and more intensely red. I felt like I was on fire. Finally, the pain stopped, the noises stopped, and everything was black. I heard a last voice call out,
"Live or die, it's your choice. You have freedom, but some don't like giving others freedom. Like me, your arch rival. You didn't want me in your life. I want you dead because you chose that."

And then I regained consciousness. My heart felt weak, and yet it was beating so fast. I could feel sweat and tears. When I staggered to get up, I saw Pinkie pie standing in the doorway. But something was different about her. She had a frown. Her coat was a darker shade of pink. Her hair was down and straightened out. She was holding a knife. She sprinted at me with tremendous speed, and I dodged out of the way with the little strength that I had. She crashed into the bed. I struggled to run out of the room, shouting, "What's happened Pinkie pie? Have you gone crazy?!"

"Oh no, I'm only doing what's necessary. Ha ha ha!" Her voice was slowed down to a normal pace, but it sounded much more dark and angry.

"Please, stop it! I don't want to be hurt!"

She swung her knife at me, cutting some of my skin of my flank. It burned and bled. I felt weaker and slower, but I had to keep avoiding her. Though no matter how I tried, she kept slicing at me, causing more blood to be spilled from my almost torn up body. I fell helplessly in front of her. I could do nothing but cry. She slashed at my flesh, pulled my hair and tore some out, laughing as she went. I couldn't even feel anything anymore. At least the aching and fire couldn't be felt anymore, but I was at the mercy of her menace and her blade. My final thought was that this was going to be the end for me. I let out a last, whimpering yelp, and fell unconscious.

"You must be strong; you must never give up the fight. You keep me alive. You saved humanity, and you can keep it going, if you ever go back there. Take life for all it's got, even if the ones you know and love aren't with you. Please, try."

Suddenly, I regained my consciousness. I was in the same place still, with Pinkie still chopping me up. But then I felt a huge increase in strength, and grabbed her arm. I twisted it, almost breaking her bones, and threw her out of my way. I stood up immediately. She ran at me with the knife again, but I stopped her in her tracks by giving her a hoof to the face, causing an instant black eye to appear on her mad face. She stumbled, but raced towards me again. I saw the blood rushing from my wounds, but I just felt invincible. I quickly turned around and bucked Pinkie pie into the wall, shattering her ribcage and leaving a large pile of bricks to fall from the wall and bury her. I then lost all strength and dropped to the floor. I wept loudly, and pulled myself towards the wreckage. I removed the bricks from Pinkie pie's mangled body, and tried with all of my might to shake her out of paralysis. Nothing helped. I lay down on her body and cried even more. "Please Pinkie, wake up. I'm sorry for hurting you; that wasn't me fighting you. Please wake up!" I collapsed again, helplessly wailing and bawling uncontrollably. I never wanted either of us to come to harm, and I really didn't want to fight my friend, no matter what state she was in.

I was there for hours, trying to wake her. I didn't want to give up, even if I was bleeding to death. I even gave her a kiss on the cheek out of desperation, but there was still nothing from her. A while passed, and I saw her eyes slowly flicker open. I sighed with relief as I knew she was still alive. "Pinkie pie? Are you okay? Please say you're going to be okay!"

"I... I... I'm sorry... I'm... so sorry... please forgive me..." Pinkie struggled to say, drifting in and out of consciousness.

"I forgive you, I forgive you. Please, it should be me asking for your forgiveness, as I hurt you more."

"But... you... have so many... cuts..."

"I'll... be fine. I think I broke your bones though... please let me help you."

"Okay... you can help me... but please... take me out of these bricks..."

"Of course, give me your hooves."

Pinkie pie grabbed on to my hooves, and I pulled her out of the rubble. I could only help but cry more as the event rushed through my head, but she wiped my tears away. I rested her on my bed, and ran a bath for her. When it was full up, I helped her in, and she let out a sigh which was soothing for the both of us. After that, I tried to remember the spell to fix broken bones.

"Lorem ossibus..." I called out to her.

"Ooh... that tickles... but I feel much better now. Could you get in here with me? It's warm, and it will help with your wounds."

I blushed, and slowly and painfully got in the big bath with Pinkie. She was right; it did help to ease the pain. I then said to myself, "signa vulnerum" and my wounds closed up; I felt much better.

"I'm really sorry for my violent outburst Pinkie pie; I should never have done that to a friend."

"It's okay, I'm sorry for ever showing my bad side to you."

"I didn't know you had a bad side to you..."

"It only comes out in extreme conditions, and since you were unconscious, and we're snowed in, I panicked and went crazy as I have claustrophobia, and without anypony's help I just turn... crazy."

"I see, well thanks to me and my flashbacks, that's happened to you, so it's my fault that I made you that way. I'm really sorry."

"It's not your fault, it's mine. I have some bad personality problems sometimes, which I can't show anypony, so you're the first one to see who I really am."

"But you're not really that Pinkie; you're a wonderful, happy pony that brings laughter to everypony. I must remember to never leave you alone when we're together, so you can stay on top. We're two fillies that have to stick together when we're together, and nothing will change that."

"Thank you Electric blue, that really means a lot to me. I hope I will never have to show that side again, as it only causes pain. I hope we can stick together forever too, as we all need each other in some way or another."

We blushed, smiled, and gave each other tight hugs again, never letting go.

"I'm always going to help you Pinkie pie, no matter what. I'm going to help everypony here. Especially you and the rest of the group."

After our make up session, we got out of the bath, drained the water, and prepared for bed. Seeing as there was no way the mail could get anywhere, I didn't write a letter to Princess Celestia, but I kept what I had experienced today close to my mane thoughts. I accompanied Pinkie to bed, gave her a small kiss on the forehead, which made us both smile and blush, and we were both falling asleep at the same time.

"Good night Pinkie pie, and happy Hearth's warming."

10 - The rescues

*Side note: This chapter contains some violence/gore, so be advised when reading.

It had been a long time since I've seen the light of day. There was only white to be seen out of the windows. Food had run out a few days a go, and the boiler had frozen through the cold. I could only walk around if I was covered thick with blankets, otherwise the chill would freeze me, and oh how cold it is. Even worse, I felt starved, as I had forgotten to stock up on supplies when I could. Pinkie pie looks terrible. She is much paler, and sick, as all the food she's eaten has caught up with her, and now she's paying for it. If only there was something I could do for this poor mare. Through my isolated thoughts, I had half concluded that I was insane, through my endless doubting of petty things and countless note taking, of which I could not make out the writing, even though it was my own. I had written these 'notes' perhaps subconsciously, perhaps while sleeping, as I do not remember writing or drawing anything while awake. I had studied the orbs and the fruit as much as I could, but to no avail. All I could get out of the orbs is that they glowed slightly brighter when they were near to the matching pony, as I observed with Pinkie pie, but I couldn't see anything other than that. All I found with the fruit is that it may have been cut in half and shared with somepony.

Wait. I think I'm starting to see sense now! The fruit resembled the one on the table from the flashback, and the other filly I was with showed a liking to it. Seeing as it was next to the thing from my cutie mark… maybe the fruit was the other filly's cutie mark in the future! That's it! I understand now! This pony I'm going to meet in Appleoosa definitely is my long lost friend! And this fruit… this fruit! I have to bring it with me, just in case, as this is one half of the whole, which she owns too! I laughed uncontrollably to myself, as I had discovered an end which I can finally tie up in my messed up mind. I kept laughing and coughing as I went back to bed, as I couldn't stand the cold anymore, even if I had loads of blankets on me.

"Pinkie, are you okay?" I asked the sickly pony.

"I'm… ooh… I feel dizzy and nauseous…" I felt Pinkie's head, and her temperature was wildly going from cold to hot.

"Rest as much as you can Pinkie… I wish I could help you, but no matter how much I recite my magic, no spells work… I'm sorry…"

"It's… not your fault… Blue…"

"Please, hush now, save your energy, how much you have left."

We could only sleep through the harsh conditions, as there was nothing else we could do. I couldn't help but think that we won't be able to make it. Especially when it came to Pinkie pie, as she didn't look like she had much hope of surviving either. I was drained of my magic somehow, maybe because the extreme cold took its toll, I can't focus anymore because of it. I wrapped my arms around Pinkie pie to keep her warm as well as me.

I awoke to sounds of hammering, and digging. Faint as they were, I knew that they were coming from the door. I got out of bed, still with all the blankets on, and crept towards the door. I noticed that a big red stallion was clearing a path from my door by digging until it was safe to go outside. When he was done, he went to knock on the door, but I opened it before he could.

"Hi uh… miss, we knew that you were snowed in, so ah just had to help ya out. Everypony's been snowed in, and since you were closest to us, ah offered to help ya'll out." Big macintosh said, panting as he spoke.

"Well, thank you Big macintosh, I appreciate the help." I replied.

"Ya don't seem too well, ya look kinda pale."

"Oh yeah, our heating has broken down, and we have no food left."

"We could help ya out if ya want, come stay at ours until the snow melts, what do ya say?"

"Well, that would be a good choice for us, thank you for allowing us to stay with you."

"No problem, now go get yer' things, and come quick, cause the cold's even freezin' me!"

"Okay, wait there for a moment."

I took the orange orb with me, and woke Pinkie pie up. "Come on now, we're going to Applejack's place." I said to her, and then picked her up with half of my remaining strength. I walked on my hind legs to the door, nodded at Big mac, and followed him to the farm. I looked around the walls of the snow alley. The snow is so high now that it must have been three times my height. How could it have gotten so high, in just a matter of days?

When we got to Sweet apple acres, Applejack was standing by the gate to greet us.

"Welcome home! How's everypony doin'?" She asked with whimsy.

"Cold, starved, and isolated to be frank Applejack…" I said distantly.

"Well, you better git yerselves inside, we got a roarin' fire goin', and we'll make ya some food and drinks!"

All of us were pulled inside, and sat next to the fireplace. I and Pinkie were shivering like crazy, so I tried warming her up a bit by rubbing her arms and hooves, while soaking in the warmth of the fire. Applejack came back to us, and placed a platter of pies and hot drinks in front of us. We gulped it all down as fast as we could, and we started feeling better after. Pinkie luckily regained her colour, and she seemed as right as rain, much to my delight. Later that night, we were both provided with spare beds to sleep in, and we all tried resting as best as we could, even though the cold was running through the house too.

Strangely, I was awoken in the middle of the night by Midnight sunset, as she had found her way to me. "Come quickly, we're in trouble!" She whispered to me, as I could only see her silhouette next to me, but I knew it was her.

We ran outside, and I saw another demon pony. I was stunned as she was larger than a normal mare, and she had burning orange eyes, a red-orange coat, and a scarlet and yellow tail. I also noticed a red aura around her, symbolising danger for me.

"It's… Firewing…" Midnight said with a frightened pausing.

This Firewing had done something I had never seen before, which was breathing fire. The heat from it was intense, even from afar. After that, she produced massive balls of dark energy from out of nowhere, and launched them directly at me, which knocked me down before I could evade. That energy pierced my mind, and showed me horrible thoughts of darkness and morbidity. I suddenly realised the chilling cold of the snow covering me, as I watched Midnight and Firewing battle it out, with other demon ponies appearing from the skies, taking their own sides and opposing each other in the fight. Even Princess Luna is fighting beside Midnight, but it looks as though Firewing is having her way with the battlefield. Hope was slipping as Firewing herself and her demon army had swarmed the good side, and taken over the place, fighting off the local ponies' valiant struggles as they went. Midnight and Firewing flew into the air and waged their own private war, with lashing hooves, fire and allsorts. Midnight did appear to have more experience in flying, so she outmanoeuvred Firewing, and threw a snowball at her head to try and get away in the time that she had. But the moment Midnight thought she was safe, Firewing sped back down and stabbed Midnight in the leg with her great demon horns. Midnight had become weak, so she had partially collapsed, but she stubbornly carried on moving. Firewing had picked up Drutt, one of Midnight's friends, and bashed him against the nearby tree.

Midnight shouted, "No! Stop that right now! Leave him alone!" in a husky tone.

Firewing laughed to herself in pity. "Ha, why would I do that? I need to kill somepony here, and if I can't kill you that easily, I'll kill the others until I can get to you!"

Midnight had risen back up to a normal pose, and something changed in her, which I couldn't put my mind over. She charged at Firewing, temporarily knocking her down, and flew as fast as she could away, beyond my seeing distance, holding Drutt. I tried crawling away from my resting place, but Firewing had trampled me under hoof again, while looking for Midnight. When she came back, Firewing immediately tore down Midnight's standing form. She then went for Berk, another one of Midnight's demon friends; Berk tried to counter by hitting Firewing with a stray piece of wood, but Firewing had bucked Berk straight to the weak point of his head, knocking him out cold completely.

Midnight's slight change had suddenly transformed her into something different. Her coat faded to a jet black, everything else on her had faded in colour into a tint of grey on their original hues, and her eyes had changed into an orange gradient, with menacing pupils, that of a slit. I could see a dark aura around her, black sparks flying off of it. Firewing had stepped backwards in intimidation, but she tried to stand her ground firmly.

Midnight shouted, "No! No more! You never hurt my friends! The only pony that shall die here will be you!" her voice was distorted and lower.

"W-who… who are you?" Firewing said, trembling under her fear.

"The sister you took from your parents and abandoned."

Midnight walked closer to Firewing, and she started to decay and dissolve by the power of Midnight's dark, overly strong aura. Even I couldn't help but shudder in fright of this force that could just make a pony disappear. The bad demons had already fled for their own safety.

Midnight slowly returned to her normal state, but fell in the snow, drained of all her energy. I crawled with all my might towards her, but I didn't get far. Princess Luna had helped me get there though, so I thanked her. The rest of the remaining ponies had gone to check on Midnight too.

"Princess Luna." Drutt said, "Midnight's gonna get up isn't she?" he asked.

The Princess sighed. "We shall see." she replied.

They went to see if Berk and the others were okay, but I stayed with midnight for a while. I looked over her body, and saw the flesh wound of Firewing's horns in her leg. I healed that with the same spell I used to fix my cuts from before, as that was the best I could do for now. Soon enough, I had regained my strength, and so I carried her to Fluttershy's cottage, as we were just outside. Fluttershy was luckily standing outside the door, so when I appeared with Midnight in my arms, she immediately pushed me inside, and I placed Midnight on an armchair.

"She's much drained of her energy Fluttershy, after transforming into… perhaps a full demon, so she really needs some help. Since you know more about health than me, I don't suppose you could help me could you?" I asked with the utmost pleading.

"Of course Blue, anything for a friend." She grabbed a large supply of medical equipment from the storage room next to us, and set to work doing what she could to fix up Midnight. Berk had entered the room hastily, to see if Midnight is still alive.

"Don't worry; I can hear her still breathing." I reassured him.
A long time passed, about two weeks to be precise, and so we travelled to Berk's place, as Midnight would feel more at home there, according to Berk.

Finally, she came to. "What… happened?" she asked.

"Well, when we were on the brink of being defeated, you transformed into what I think was your full demon form, and the dark aura that you possessed completely destroyed Firewing until she was gone." I replied.

"How long have I been out?"

"About two weeks…" Fluttershy answered with a small sigh, sounding of concern and relief.

"You don't mind if we leave now do you? Our work is done here I think." I said to Midnight and Berk.

"Of course, you can go; we need dome time together anyway." Berk said, looking at Midnight as he talked.
As I and Fluttershy had walked outside into the rising sun and the melting snow, Twlight had passed us.

"Hello girls, how are you on this fine day?"

"We're fine thank you! Where are you going?" I said.

"Oh, I'm just going to see Midnight, I have something important to tell her."

"Oh I see, well send her my luck!"
As we walked back to Fluttershy's cottage we caught up with each other's news.

"How did you manage to get through the snow Fluttershy?" I asked, hoping that she survived better than me and Pinkie did.

"Well, luckily I trained my animals to protect me before they went into hibernation, so they dug a small path out of my house so I could go outside every once in a while, and since I don't eat that much, food was good for me." She replied.

"That's good; you got by much better than me then."

"How did you do?"

"Well, Pinkie visited me a while ago, and unfortunately we got snowed in, so both of us went kind of crazy…"

"Ooh, that sounds bad… and your cuts! How did you get those?!" Fluttershy asked with grave unease as she saw my slightly showing cuts.

"Oh them… they were from Pinkie. When she went crazy, she started chopping me up… but soon enough I made her stop, well I didn't, something else from me did, and after that, I tried healing us both as much as I could after that… sorry if I had to make you hear all that, knowing you're sensitive and all…"

Fluttershy gave me a painfully hard kiss to show her extreme sympathy. "I hope you're okay! Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine now, thanks to my magic. Those cuts only stick out as my magic isn't fully accurate yet, but it worked out."

She kissed me yet again. It felt good to kiss her again, as we haven't for such a long time. Her lips are still as soft as ever, which gives me a warm, comforting, detoxifying feeling with it.

I didn't want to travel too far, so I asked to stay the night at Fluttershy's, and she quickly agreed, seeing as we are in love and everything. And now for my long awaited report to Princess Celestia.

"Dear princess Celestia,

It is time to give you a statement, which has been long overdue. Over these few weeks, I have learned that you can't always get away being happy all the time, you're going to face hardship from hard to time, sometimes involving physical harm if it comes to it. I have also learned that no matter how strong you think you may be, in some cases you will be weaker than you thought, sometimes much stronger, which I'm sure Princess Luna will explain to you, as she was amidst the battle of the demon ponies. And lastly, I have learned that friendship will always burn strong, and that lesson will carry on forever, as friends will last forever.

Yours faithfully,

Electric Blue."

11 - The visit to Appleoosa

Finally, after all the snow was cleared in the winter wrap up, which was beautifully co-ordinated by Twilight sparkle and her amazing powers of organisation, I could see the whole of Ponyville again. Applejack told us that we're going to Appleoosa today, and staying there for a while, so I can meet my long lost companion, and the puzzle will become whole. I can't wait to meet my friend, I will never be alone after that, I can find out my origins and everything else that I want to know, and I can become a complete pony again. Maybe I'll find out how I used to be a human too. It's strange to think that I used to be totally different, and called Anne too. Nevertheless, it's time to pack a few things. I said my temporary goodbyes to the apple family, and trotted home. And then I bumped into a magenta mare, with three fillies behind her.

"Whoops, didn't look where I was going, sorry about that!" I said, guilty of not looking where I was going.

"Oh no, it's my fault really…" This pony replied politely.

"No, it was my fault; I was looking at the ground and not concentrating, sorry about that…"

"Well it's okay, but I'd be part of the blame too, as I was busy talking to my students here."

The three small fillies behind the mare were colours of yellow and red, orange and purple, and white and pink and purple.

"Oh, I see. They must look up to you as a teacher!" I said happily.

"Oh yes, they are probably the best students I have! But I noticed with you Electric Blue, that you seem to be a good teacher yourself! How would you three like to go and learn with Electric Blue sometime?" She said, making me feel slightly confused as I haven't really taught anything.

"Um… I'm not really a teacher… did you see something in me which made you think that I am?"

"Yeah I did, well it's a long story really… I remember way back in the eighties, when I met you, and we were pretty good friends back then! All the parties we had and everything! You also taught me a lot, and that's why I became a teacher myself, because I was inspired by you! Don't you remember yourself?"

I was stunned almost into silence. How could I have met her way back then? I just remember arriving here… and nothing else. "I'm… not sure I do remember that, sorry… I have a very bad case of amnesia at the moment…"

"Not to worry, but I remember that you were the best of ponies!"

"I see, well I'd love to have recalled that, but unfortunately I can't at the moment… but anyway, enough about me for the moment, I'd love to have these three little fillies accompany me for a while! What are your names, may I ask?"

"I am Cheerilee--"

"I'm Applebloom, she's Scootaloo, and she's Sweetie belle! We're the cutie mark crusaders!" Applebloom interrupted, in excitement to introduce the tiny group.

"Well, it's nice to meet you all, and I'm sure we'll have a great time together, cutie mark crusaders." I said, anticipating that something good was going to happen with the energetic fillies.

I gave my warm goodbyes to the group, and continued home. When I arrived, I went inside and immediately flopped on the couch. I remembered that I had to pack for Appleoosa, so I got up, and placed necessary items into my bag. It carried some stationary equipment, a notepad, the mysterious orbs, and my favourite coat just in case. I didn't need much, as I hadn't had much in the first place. I patiently waited until the girls were ready, and soon enough there was a humble knock at the door. I opened it, and there they all were, ushering me out of the house and to the train station. I couldn't keep my excitement contained, so I let out a few embarrassing giggles, but they didn't seem to mind, as they were doing the same. We found our seats on the train, and it prepared to leave. Fluttershy was intently sitting next to me, of course. I asked her, "So what's it like in Appleoosa?"

"Oh, it's kind of like a western place with settler ponies and buffalo, if that helps." Fluttershy replied.

"I understand, so it's full of cowponies. I wonder why my old friend had chosen that place. Still, there are so many questions to ask!" I returned with a joyful sigh.

"I hope you find out much more about yourself, Blue."

"I hope so too. I hope I won't change though."

"Me neither, I mean you're so sweet and kind and giving, and observant and cheerful and everything!"

I looked straight at Fluttershy and grinned. "Ha, thank you, but I'm not really that much…"

Rainbow Dash, who was behind me, kicked the back of my seat and said, "You mean a lot to us you know! You don't have to be modest about it, you have all these things that anypony would look up to!"

I chuckled and sighed in submission. "Heh, well I suppose you're right I guess."

I looked out of the window and saw that the passing environment had slowly changed from a grassy, inhabited place to a desert land, with a small, wooden town in the distance. I could only think of the best when it was the time to get off the train, as we had arrived very quickly. One by one, we hopped out of the carriage and on to the platform, and began our way into the settler ponies' town.

I looked around, and saw that everything was traditional to the cowpony time. Soon enough we were greeted by a single stallion, bearing a minor resemblance to Applejack.

"Hiya folks! Ah couldn't wait to see ya'll again! And boy we sure do have somethin' planned later on!" The tan pony said with whimsy.

"Hay Braeburn! How's it been since we left?" Applejack asked.

"It's been swell! Ah even made a new filly friend! And what d'ya know? You got a new friend yourselves ain't ya? What's your name miss?"
He looked at me when he asked the question, seeing as I was the odd one out from the crowd. "My name is Electric Blue, and it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." I spoke with a familiar friendly tone.

"Well howdy Electric Blue! The name's Braeburn. Now, you best enjoy your stay here, and we ain't got much, but ah think that it's the best place in the land! Also gals, we got a party goin' on later, and you're all invited to come!"
We looked at each other and nodded in mutual agreement. After making the introduction, we were sent to our shared house to settle in. Seven mattresses were laid out in a way so that they would all fit inside the house, and we unpacked out stuff. I remembered about the orbs, and decided to speak up about them.

"Girls, I want you to see something."
They all turned around in obedient attention.

"Now, I have these strange orbs, all matching your colours, and I want you to take yours each."

The group came forward and selected their fitting spheres, studied them for quite some time, and questioned me on what they were.

"I'm not entirely sure what they are yet, or what they could be, but seeing as I strangely had them, they could be of some importance." I announced.

"The might be something to do with the elements of harmony…" Twilight spoke up.

"The elements of harmony?" I questioned.

"Yes, each of us represents an element, so we all got necklaces and I received a tiara." Twilight showed me a picture of what she meant, and I took in that each accessory bared some sort of gem that was each of their cutie marks.

"Interesting…" I added.

"When they are together, and we use their power, we can relinquish any sort of disharmony and evil."

I registered the information, and went back to thinking internally.
Later on, Braeburn had come to get us for his party. We arrived at the saloon, and the interior looked cleaner and more decorated than before. Ponies from all over town were already inside, and so we eventually joined them happily. I was greeted by this light blue stallion, who was as bouncy as Pinkie pie. Incidentally, when they met each other, their eyes locked and they had an opposing aura towards each other.

"So, you think you can beat my parties can you?" Pinkie denounced.

"Yeah, I make the best parties around don't you know?" The blue pony snapped back.

"What's you're name hey?"

"I'm Cyan crumble, yours?"

"I'm Pinkie pie. Pleased to make your acquaintance." She snarled. "I have an idea. Meet me at Ponyville at noon, Sunday. I'll show you who makes the best parties around here."

I removed myself from the tension between the two, as I had other things on my mind. This celebration was comparable to my first party way back when I was the new pony in Ponyville. I found it to be enjoyable, as everypony else was too. Although, some were becoming tipsy because of the amount of apple cider they had to drink. I stayed away from the stuff, as I found it bitter and I wanted to remember every bit of this night.
And then I saw her. The pony from my dreams and flashbacks. This time I was able to see her coat and hair in full view and colour. This was just amazing. I could finally get to see her for real, and get this mystery solved. My predictions were true, as her cutie mark was the same as the fruit that I had stored in that box, now with me just in case it's needed. It was time to approach her. When I was close to her, I felt uneasy and reluctant, but I finally plucked up the courage to speak.

"Hello there…" I said weakly.

"Oh hi! I didn't see you there. May I ask who you are?" She replied.

"I'm… a lost friend let's say."

"Oh… wait… wait! I know you! You were the one from my visions! How could you be here?!"

"You are the same pony from my flashbacks too. Come, let's go outside and talk, I need a fresh atmosphere."
I led her outside, and we greeted each other properly.

"I'm Electric Blue, what's your name?" I started.

"I'm Destiny Bond; it's nice to meet you too! So many things for us to catch up on!" She stated in excitement.

"Judging from my visualizations, we both shared a fruit together. Do you have the other half?"

"Oh yeah, I remember having this piece of fruit that looked like my cutie mark."

We both took our halves out, and looked at each other.

"Put them together, and see what happens." I said with curiosity.

We fitted our shares together, and I felt so light headed. Suddenly, billions of images and memories flooded my mind, crushing me with its force. The puzzle was complete, and I regained my full consciousness. Everything made entire sense to me now. I felt more embodied. My personality had been fulfilled, and Destiny's had too. A tear flowed from our eyes, and we hugged each other as tightly as we could. But oh, how this vast collection of knowledge for the criteria of technology and computers had come to mind, and gave me my purpose back. Also, Anne was much more than just glimpses; she almost was part of me. I felt much more power, and our fragile states of mind were fixed. I have my whole life cycle in my head now, from a tiny filly to the mare I am now. The tree house was a prominent part of my life, as I and Destiny had visited the same place every day to have yet another adventure of ours, but soon we parted ways, for reasons unknown. Its strange how that can't be remembered, like it was repressed or something. That didn't matter right now, but what did matter were the thoughts that I had longed for, the memories of my old partner recalled again.

"Are we still going to be partners, Blue?" Destiny said out of her weeping.

"Of course we are, until the end. It's me and you Destiny, until the end, adventuring forever." I replied, adjusting to my refreshed body and mind.

"I can't wait for our next one. We have to go back to our tree house first thing tomorrow." Destiny Bond exclaimed.

"Of course, I'd love to do that."

And after that, the party was inevitably over. To hopefully keep our connection stronger, we ate our halves of the fruit, called the paopu fruit. We went our separate ways back to our living quarters, and I was still contemplating the new found knowledge of technology that I had gained.

Before I was about to go to bed, Twilight asked me something.

"So, do you have your old self back?"

"Yes, I'm back to normal, though I haven't changed much in personality, but I have much more knowledge now." I replied.

"That's good, that's very good. And now you're complete again, how is it going to work out for you?"

"Well I'm still going to be in the group if you'll still allow me, and I will be adventuring more with my old partner, Destiny Bond. Maybe you could let her join our group too?"

"Of course, the more the merrier!"

"Thank you, I will tell her the news tomorrow. And seeing as I have a big enough house, she'll be living with me too. But I'm not sure what she's going to do with Braeburn."

"We discussed it with him, and he said he doesn't mind, just as long as they are constantly writing to each other, and visit every so often."

"That's fine with me; I don't mind her coming back here to see her love interest sometimes."

"Well, we better hit the hay now, good night Blue."

"Good night Twilight."

The next morning, I sent myself straight over to Destiny Bond's house, and I proposed that she come and stay at my house in Ponyville. She quickly agreed after I explained the Braeburn situation, and we and the group made our way back to the train station for our ride home.

We parted ways back at Ponyville, and I showed Destiny around my house. She seemed to like it quite a lot, and luckily there was a spare room for her to occupy.

"I really can't wait to go and see our old tree house. I hope it's just like we remembered, with all our drawings, and your computer, and everything else that we had." Destiny said heartily.

"Neither can I, but this time we will be in the company of three other fillies, because I'm an apparent teacher, and I offered to look after them for a while." I answered with a hint of glee.

"Ooh, I can help too can't I? And we can even go back to when we were fillies ourselves, show them how it's done!" Destiny cried.

"Sure, it will be fun to show them how the old pros did it." A juvenile giggle slipped out of my mouth, of which I couldn't help because of my giddy excitement, although I am quite a composed pony, I managed to keep my cool.

12 - The professionals

"Are you ready to begin the day, Blue?" Destiny bond woke me with a smile, raring to go.

"Sure, I can't wait for us to catch up with each other!" I replied excitedly. "How was your time in Appleoosa?"

"It was great! Braeburn nursed me back to health, and showed me around town, I got to meet the locals, I had a snowball fight, and I even found love!"

"That's excellent to hear! At least your experience wasn't as rough though…"

"Why do you say that, Blue?"

"Well, I did get to see all of Ponyville, I made friends with the group I was with, I'm Princess Celestia's student, and I found love too. Those were most of the good things. The bad things were that I was cut up, I went insane, I was involved in a war, and I was also starved for days. But the most interesting thing was that I used to be human! Strange how I don't remember more, even after reuniting with you."

"Oh yeah, we both had trouble figuring that out when we were growing up. And I really do feel sorry for you about those bad things, but at least you're okay now."
I swiftly changed the subject. "Ah, remember when we were fillies? Those were some good times that we had."

"Yeah, all those amazing adventures… exploring places, fighting monsters, finding our cutie marks…" Destiny said with a laugh.

We both stared at the ceiling to reminisce. Those really were the good times, when we were growing up. If only we had the chance to relive those memories. We used to visit this tree house every day, as that was our adventure headquarters. Now those drawings from the flashback make sense to me, they were all the notes from our expeditions. How detailed I used to draw on them and write about them, while Destiny repeated the whole thing through word of mouth. She was the ideas maker, the visionary, whereas I was the realist, the brave leader. We made an impressive team, and every other foal looked up to us both. The "Professional adventurers" we used to call ourselves.

Destiny interrupted. "Hey, how about we do it all again? How about we become the questing team once again?!"

"Sure! I'd love that! We'd become the greatest adventurers once more!" I shouted with delight of the thought.

We then ventured outside to start on our first new journey. Suddenly the cutie mark crusaders bumped into me, just like they did before.

"Hey girls, what are you doing on this fine day?" I asked cheerily.

"We were gonna see you, remember?" Scootaloo asked. "Oh? Who's this pony you're with?"

"Destiny, I'd like you to meet Scootaloo, Applebloom, and Sweetie belle, the cutie mark crusaders!"

"Hey there! How's it going?" Destiny cried out.

"Now, I was going to tell you, these fillies are going to join us today, do you mind?"

"Oh no I don't mind, the more the merrier! Heh, we could show them who the real crusaders are!" Destiny sounded more cocky than usual.

"Is that a challenge?" Applebloom asked cautiously.

"Well, we just reformed our team, as we used to be explorers ourselves, so maybe we could have a joint adventure?" I announced.

"Yeah! We could do that for sure!" Everypony yelled.

"Right, well where shall we start?" I asked.

"Uh, how about we go to our old tree house?" Destiny asked back.

"Wait, you have a tree house too?" Sweetie belle got a word in.

"Sure we do, ever since I and Blue became best friends forever, we built our own tree house or headquarters if you want to call it that."

"Of course, I remember now! Let's go there! To the Everfree forest!" I called out, and led the way. It was good to be the leader again. It's good to be with Destiny bond again. She's grown up well since I've last seen her. She's even learned to fly now, as she's hovering above us. I laugh to myself as all the other memories come flooding back. Even… parents? Wait, I feel a sudden wave of remorse flow over me. Destiny's real parents were lost weren't they? I try and hold back the impending frown. We shared non-biological parents after that, who adopted both of us when we were just foals, even tinier then our younger forms. But wait, why didn't I have parents either? No, I understand, going back to my human form… something in my brain makes the connection. I wasn't born as a pony was I? I was formed from some sort of transformation spell! But why? I must have been hiding from something. I get it now, that person who hated me… I was running from him. Judging by that, his name must be Glais! It makes much more sense to me now. Anne's arch rival was Glais, and Glais was this man who descended into feelings of hatred towards Anne, all because Anne didn't love him.

We arrived at the old tree house. It looked worse for wear. I approached it slowly. I inspected it more closely, and saw that it had been burned. Just… like my flashback! And Destiny was the one running with me! But just why was it burned? Surely I'd be able to remember this…

"So… I'll go and take a quick look inside then…" Destiny said, slightly troubled.
When she exited the tree house, her troubled look had been amplified. "Don't… look… in there…" She looked like she was about to faint.

I couldn't leave it unnoticed, so I had to take a look. I walked vigilantly up the ramp, and entered the doorway. I saw a strange, rabbit type creature, with a bigger tail, wings resembling leaves, and the worst part, the skeletal face, with a broken heart symbol stuck on the forehead. It didn't seem of too much of a threat, even if the face partly looked like a skull. As soon as I was done studying its features, it opened its mouth, and produced a silent sound, which made me hallucinate and see every single bad thing that happened across the universe. I shouted "stop!" repeatedly, breaking down into tears. But those visions kept showing themselves, causing me physical harm. I was being forced to tempt myself to end my life there and then, so by being controlled by madness, I picked up a stray, sharp piece of wood, and I prepared to drive it straight through my heart. Just then, Destiny rushed in and knocked me out of my horrific trance. The rabbit-like creature stood up from its sitting position, and grew into something even more disturbing than the last form. The words escape me of how I could describe it, but it felt like my soul was being burned just from the sight of its appearance.

I tried fleeing the tree house, but I wasn't able to move, so Destiny dragged me outside and onto the ground. The thing followed us out, smashing up the tree house as it went. The remains were barely standing. The cutie mark crusaders cowered behind some far trees, while I did nothing but sit there, waiting for my imminent death at the hands of this creature.

"Blue, wake up! Come on, we've faced worse! We can beat this thing easy!" Destiny brought me back to my senses.

"Yes, I know we can beat it, but how? As soon as you look at it, you just want to die…" I replied with uncertainty.

"I have a plan for this! You remember your magic don't you? Can you create a reflection spell?"

"Uh, maybe, I'll see what I can do."

I looked at a nearby rock, and casted the spell. "Cogitationem faciunt!" I shouted, and I suddenly saw my face in the rock. "Quickly Destiny, before it wears off, lift the rock and show it to this strange creature!"

Destiny picked up the rock, showed it to the abomination, and it looked at its own face. Something happened which caused it to just shrink and dissolve into the atmosphere.

"We did it… we did it!" Destiny shouted, and we both put our hooves in the air for victory.

"Yes, but I've now witnessed everything bad that ever happened." After I said that, all those visions were erased. I won't go crazy after all.

"Forget what I said, where did that thing come from I wonder? Anyway, the important thing is that we defeated it. Come out girls, there's nothing here anymore."

The three fillies came out of hiding, reassured a little bit by my voice. We all huddled together and walked back into the tree house. Funnily enough, most of our papers and notes were still intact, for this long that we've been away. I collected most of them up, and placed them on the table where our cutie mark founding items used to be. There was a drawer under the table, which I pulled open, and inside were two scarves, one yellow and one blue.

"These must be our old scarves we wore when we were adventuring. Let's put them on! Hah, they still fit!" It was good to be a team again, with the blue scarf to prove it. I wonder how this is intact as well. Destiny put on the yellow scarf too, feeling proud of it.

"These are what we wore when we used to go exploring." I explained to the crusaders. "They were symbols of how we were a team, and that we were recognised as adventurers back in those days. And here we are again, adventuring, all together again."

"Wow, ah think we all look up to you Blue, and you Destiny, ah mean you just defeated that big old monster like it was nothin'!" Applebloom cut in.

"Yeah, Rainbow dash is cool, but you two are much cooler!" Scootaloo added.

"Aw, we're not that great… really…" I replied.

"We think you'd be able to take on the whole of Equestria's monsters at once ah bet!" Applebloom countered.

"Well, that did seem a little too easy, don't you think Blue?" Destiny asked me.

"Yes, it did seem that way…" I said, suspiciously. "Well that's no problem anyway; we have an obstacle out of the way."

My paranoia set in just then, and made me realise that Sweetie belle was shying away. "Sweetie belle, is there something wrong? You haven't been talking much you know…" I said to her, as I was the only one noticing her.

"Um… well… do you mind if we talk in private?" She asked me.

"Yeah… sure." I turned to the rest of the group. "Wait here for a while girls; I need to have a chat with Sweetie belle quickly."

They nodded their heads and went back to talking amongst themselves, and Sweetie belle led me slightly away from them.

"So, what's up Sweetie belle? I know we don't know much of each other, but I'm here to help." I consoled her with my calming voice.

"Well, I… something's wrong…" She replied.

"Alright, please tell me, I am here to be talked to about problems."

"Uh… ha… well, whenever I'm alone, I start humming to myself. It gives me a warm feeling, and I begin to sing which makes the feeling more warm and happy."

"I see. Please, continue."

"When I sing louder and louder, I see that my flank lights up, if you get what I'm talking about. Do you understand, Electric blue?"

"Call me Blue, I prefer my informal name. And yes, I understand what you're talking about, I think."

"Well, I want to ask you a question. What does growing up feel like?"

I smiled to her and nodded with a chuckle. "I'd say it's one of the best experiences that you'll ever get. You will feel a never ending sense of accomplishment, and you will know where your fate lies. You'll know that you've matured, and you're ready to face the rest of the planet's obstacles because you know who you really are. I see that singing is your destiny, as your flank 'lighting up' symbolises the establishment of a cutie mark. That's right; you'll be the first one to get your cutie mark out of your group!"

"But… what will the others think of me?"

"I'm sure they'll be supportive of you, even if a little jealous, which will come naturally. Hey, how about you sing to me? That'll prove if I'm right or not."

"Uh, well, I have a song I'm working on right now… so here goes." Sweetie belle cleared her throat gently, and let out the words of song.

"Three lost foals out to find their souls
making themselves known doing whatever they can
One day their cutie marks
will come to them and ignite like sparks
And tomorrow will bring the next day
that we will receive our pay
Of the fates we have to come."

I was perpetually amazed by her voice and how harmonious it is. She definitely had a natural talent for singing. For some reason, I recognised that tune, even though I've never heard it before. But what struck me even more is that her flank glowed once more, and an outline of a cutie mark followed that.

"Well how about that sweetie belle, you have your cutie mark! I wonder what it could be, even if it is obvious!" I called out to her in excitement.
And there it was; a symbol of a bell with a musical note embedded in it. Sweetie belle made her fate known, before the other crusaders.

"Wow! I'm grown up now aren't I?" Sweetie belle exclaimed.

"Well, not just yet, it will take a little bit of time before you have a growth spurt, please, come see me tomorrow, and show me how you've grown. For now, shall we go see the others?" I told her.

"Um, yes, let's."

We walked back to the rest of the group, and they noticed Sweetie belle's new mark.

"How is that even possible? Why did Sweetie belle get her cutie mark first?" Scootaloo said with a hint of envy and impatience.

"Now now, don't worry about it Scootaloo, you will get yours too, as well as yours Applebloom, I promise it, as I and Destiny bond are going to guide you. Do you mind, Destiny?" I calmly announced.

"Sure, I'd love to! I can't wait to help others!" Destiny replied.

"Tomorrow, we shall make a quest to find your cutie marks, for the final time. And trust us, we will find your marks." I declared. "But now, we have to get you all home. It's getting dark."

I led the way, and the group tailed. We sent them to their individual homes, and went back home ourselves.

"A pretty eventful day, wasn't it Destiny?" I asked.

"Yeah, it was a great start to our renewed friendship. I was glad to take you out of that trance before you… um—I guess we should take it easier next time though, we almost bit off more than we could chew." Destiny answered with concern.

"Hmm, I guess you're right, we weren't quite prepared for that event, so we should pace ourselves before running into something as dangerous as that."

"Well, I'm pretty tired now, so we should hit the hay now."

"Okay, let me just write this letter to the Princess first, and then I'll go to sleep."

"Dear Princess Celestia,

Today I went on my first adventure with my long lost friend Destiny bond, and we kind of got ourselves in a life threatening situation while doing that. We shall give ourselves an easier way around next time. We were with the Cutie mark crusaders, and Sweetie belle earned hers first as she sang like an angel. We will help the others earn their marks the next time we see them.

What I've learned today is that hot water can scald you if you aren't careful, but if you know the way to go about it, the water will be fine to take a dip in.
What I also learned today is that not everypony will find their destinies as fast as others, so they often seek help from others to try and find it better.

Yours faithfully,

Electric blue and Destiny bond."

13 - The cutie mark crusades

Another fine day in Equestria has just begun. I got out of bed and stumbled down the hall to witness Destiny bond sleeping silently, sprawled on the sofa. I chuckled and made some coffee for the both of us. The machine's sounds woke Destiny from her light slumber, and I took a mug over to her before she could get up.

"Ready to help Scootaloo earn her cutie mark, Destiny?" I asked Destiny excitedly.

"Sure I am! Wait, Scootaloo?" Destiny replied confused to why she had the role of helping Scootaloo.

"Since Scootaloo's a pegasus, you might as well pair up with her as you're the same species, while I go and help Applebloom, who is an earth filly. Sound fair?"

"Yeah sure it does, maybe I could teach her how to fly too!" Destiny jumped off the sofa, raring to go.

"Alright, let's go find them then!" I answered with the same behaviour.
And there they were, standing outside the door just as I opened it to rush out.

"Well, that saves us some time, hi girls! Are you ready to get your cutie marks?" I exclaimed.

"Of course we're ready, why wouldn't we be? We need to be as good as Sweetie belle!" Applebloom said competitively.

"Alright, well let's pair up. Applebloom, you go with me, and Scootaloo, you go with destiny over her, alright?"

We joined our allocated foals and went our separate ways.

"Wait a sec," Scootaloo said, "I bet I could get my cutie mark before you Applebloom!"

"Ah bet ah could get mine first!" Applebloom countered.

"Last one back here with their cutie marks is a rotten apple!"

"Now now, this isn't a competition you know, we are helping you because --" My sentence came to an abrupt end as the fillies raced off without us. "Uh, remind you of us back then, Destiny? See you later!" I dashed off to catch up with Applebloom.

Well, getting somepony else's cutie mark should be simple enough. Well, I argue with that, it should be your own destiny, not somepony else's, but I'm willing to bend that rule, and Applebloom looks determined enough to find her cutie mark. We seemed to be going around in circles, searching for who knows what, so I stopped. Applebloom almost knocked me over after crashing into me from racing laps around the place.

"Applebloom, let's stop for a minute. Do you know what we're looking for?" I asked.

"Uh course ah know what we're lookin' for Electric Blue! My cutie mark, remember?" Applebloom returned in slight confusion.

"That wasn't what I meant. Applebloom, what do you see about yourself that makes you special?"

"Well, ah'm not sure really, what am ah good at?"

"Apart from running in circles, what are you good at…" A long pause prolonged our conversation, when I finally came up with an example. "Oh I know! I remember Applejack telling me how you refurbished her old tree house so your group could use it!"

"Uh…yeah! Yeah that's it! But how come ah didn't get my cutie mark back then?"

"Because you weren't seeing the truth. I have a plan. How about we both go and fix up mine and Destiny's tree house and see how it goes?"

"Yeah sure, ah saw what happened to it the other day, so we might as well rebuild that place together, right?"

And back we went to my old tree house. The steady winds driving through the Everfree forest had blown over the last remaining supports, and all it was now was just a flat bundle of wood.

"This looks like a lost cause now…" I sighed as I walked up to the ruins regretfully.

"Of course it's not! We can make it good again, can't we Electric Blue?" Applebloom followed up with a moment of hope.

"Please, call me Blue; my full name seems too formal. And I didn't think the tree house would be in this sort of state…it looks impossible to rebuild on our own."

"Don't say that Blue, we got ourselves a challenge here, and we ain't gonna just let it go! Ah wanna find my cutie mark, and ah know that this is the way it's gotta be!"

I sighed again, underestimating the filly's hopefulness.

"I hope you're right Applebloom…so many memories destroyed…"

We set to work putting up the main beams that made the structure rigid, and secured the planks over the supports. Luckily I remembered the tool box behind the tree, so I fetched it and took out a hammer and nailss. I blindly passed them to Applebloom while looking at the planted photograph in the toolbox. The photo showed me and Destiny when we were fillies, in front of our tree house. Strangely, there were two other ponies standing beside us. They looked like…like parents of some sort. I pulled the photo closer and turned it around to reveal some writing scrawled on the back. "Happy family" It read, with names listed. Of course there were mine and Destiny's names, but the two others on there were Zap Flower and Thunder Hum. I'll have to show Destiny this when I see her next.

"Uh, Blue? You ok?" Applebloom took me back into reality.

"Sorry Applebloom, I got distracted there, let's carry on shall we?" I couldn't break my gaze from that photograph.

Applebloom nudged my shoulder with her hoof a little, and I finally tore my eyes away from that picture.

"Really sorry Applebloom, I'll get back to work now." I took out another hammer and nails from the toolbox and started securing the wooden planks.

The tree house was finally rebuilt, and all that was left was to repaint it in array of different colours to make it stand out, like an orange tree in an apple orchard. My hoof was shaky as I applied the paint, but Applebloom looked steadier on her side.

"See, you have to be gifted with this sort of thing Applebloom, look at my side compared to yours, yours is much more accurately lined."

"Aw shucks Blue, but ah don't think it's that good…" Applebloom returned.

"Come now Applebloom, you don't have to be modest about this, I can clearly see that you are skilled with this sort of thing, handiwork. Already I've seen you build back up this tree house, mostly without my help, and you painted this place with the finest brush strokes. Now tell me it's not good!"

"Ha, well thank you Blue, that means a lot to me. Hey, ah feel kinda hungry, shall we go back to the farm?"

"Sure, we're just about done here anyway, so lead the way Applebloom!"

We trotted to sweet apple acres, and Applebloom told me to sit comfortably while she went to find some leftover zap apples. I saw her crush and churn the apples until they were a thick jelly substance, which of course turned out to be zap apple jam. She served a bowl to me, and I tasted some. And then some more and more until it was all gone. Applebloom mimicked me, but she was slightly faster eating the jam than me.

"Well, that was some really good zap apple jam you made Applebloom! You definitely have a natural talent for making this sort of stuff! And would you look at that, your flank is glowing!" I pointed to the location of Applebloom's upcoming cutie mark in joy.

"Aw thank you Blue, but ah—wait what?!" Applebloom's nature suddenly changed from meek to surprised. She looked at her flank and started to turn around constantly in amazement.
And then there it was. Applebloom's cutie mark was right there, clear as crystal. It was a paint palette in the shape of an apple, with all the colours of a zap apple in blobs.

"Wow, ah finally have my cutie mark! Ah can't believe I have it now! Thank you Blue for lettn' me fix up your tree house, ah mean it gave me this!"

"You're quite welcome Applebloom, I'm glad that you were willing to rebuild my tree house with me. The zap apple jam helped find your cutie mark too. How do you feel now?" I tried to contain my excitement.

"Ah feel… special! Ah feel more mature! Thank you again Blue, you've been a real help!"

"Oh yes, and so have you been a help Applebloom, I must thank you too."

Suddenly Applejack walked into the room casually, and quickly noticed Applebloom's new mark.

"Look Applejack, look what ah have!" Applebloom showed off her cutie mark.

"Oh wow! Ya have a cutie mark! Blue! Did ya help with this?" Applejack seemed as thrilled as ever.

"Yeah of course I helped out Applebloom; it's what I'm here for!" I replied.

"Thank ya ever so much fer this Blue! How could we repay ya for yer kindness?"

"Oh it's fine, your friendship and hospitality is payment enough!"

*Destiny Bond's point of view*

It was a coincidence to me that Scootaloo's name almost matched the word 'scooter', which she was riding on at the time.

Scootaloo turned to me and said, "Hey, how come you can fly and I can't, Destiny Bond?"

"Well, learning to fly takes years of practice, especially for weak flyers like I used to be. Now I can pretty much fly anywhere and as far as I like!" I replied, showing off a loop the loop in the air.

"Aww…all I got are these tiny things…" Scootaloo's constantly fluttering wings couldn't lift her off of the ground, no matter how fast they flapped.

"Don't worry; I think I might have a plan. I could teach you how to fly! Just like Blue taught me."

"Wait, but Electric Blue is an earth pony! How did she teach you to fly?"

"Well, Blue always had this fancy magic with her, so she casted a spell to make wings for herself. From there she coached me, usually by jumping off cliffs and believing in will and strength. She was a very determined pony, and still is."

"She sounds like a mare to look up to."

"Every foal in the village of Ponyville back then looked up to her, as she taught us all lessons that we never would have learned by ourselves. She always had a lot of knowledge, even when she was just a tiny filly, so she gave advice to me and everypony else. Her magic fascinated everypony too; there was no unicorn that could match her mystic words back then."

"Wow, she sounds cooler than anypony I've ever met! Apart from Rainbow Dash of course, but there'll be some stiff competition there I bet!"

Blue always was the best pony out there, always happy, always kind, always intelligent, determined and strong. Her attitude changed a little bit in the great Everfree fire, as our tree house was burned down back then, but we rebuilt it soon after. Sometimes I found her sitting alone, facing away from everything in the corner of the tree house. Who knows what she was doing, but usually she was slowly rocking herself, sometimes crying softly, and sometimes singing morbid songs. It got worse and worse until we parted ways for a while, and when we were reunited just recently, we both regained our memories. It was good that her condition didn't come back with it though. I'd rather keep that part of her a secret though, even from Blue herself.

We arrived at a cliff face, overlooking all of Ponyville, with the snow topped mountains behind us. I readied myself for a flight lesson just for Scootaloo, and I mustered all my hope to make sure this went alright.

"Are you prepared for this Scootaloo?" I asked with optimism.

"Sure I am! But what are we doing exactly?" Scootaloo answered with another question.

"Well, seeing as you're very fast on that scooter of yours, and that cliff edge looks like a ramp, you could try and jump off it and attempt to fly. Sounds risky I know, but trust me, I know this will work!"

"Well, I guess it could work, and you would save me if I fall, won't you? And what about my scooter?"

"Well, I would have to save both of you and the scooter of course; hopefully I can do that if I put my mind to it."

"Alright, let's do this then!"

I closed my eyes and inhaled, held my breath and opened my eyes to watch Scootaloo get a head start. She picked up momentum rapidly, and at the last moment when she passed over the cliff's edge, she propelled herself into the air. She looked hopeful, but then she started to fall. I picked myself up and flew to her aid, catching her falling body, and then grabbing the heavier scooter. I pulled myself back up and landed safely on the ridge.

"Well, you had a great beginning their Scootaloo…keep at it, I can see you flying!" I panted.

"I hope you're right Destiny, I really do. I don't want to go without a cutie mark!" Scootaloo said with diligence.

I regained my strength and waited for Scootaloo to try flight again. Nevertheless, she fell again, and I went to save her. This kept happening until the sun started setting.

"Scootaloo, you're missing something. You have to believe in yourself, you have to know that you can fly. Here, I'll show you." I put Scootaloo down so she could watch me take a run up. I closed my eyes and spread my wings. When I sensed I was close to the edge of the cliff, and launched myself upwards. And there I was, flying like I did when I was younger. I haven't flown for quite a while, since I didn't really need to, I didn't travel a lot. But it felt so good to exercise my wings again. When I cam back down to land, I confronted Scootaloo.

"Also, you need to spread your wings out, and think that you're going to get caught in the wind. Do you understand?"

"Uh, I guess so Destiny. I'll try my best now, I promise you!"

Scootaloo primed herself for another try, making sure that she was going to do everything right this time. She had that look in her eyes to show that she really wanted this cutie mark, and she really wanted to fly too. She pushed herself backwards on her scooter, and quickly forced her back leg into the ground, pushing herself vigorously onward. This time she bent herself slightly forward, lowered her head, put her tiny wings out straight, and rode as fast as she could on her scooter.

"You're…look at that Scootaloo! You're flying! You're flying!" I jumped for joy after unblocking my eyes and seeing Scootaloo in the air.

"I'm doing it Destiny! This does feel great! I don't want to stop flapping my wings! I want to just fly away!" Scootaloo was as happy as I was, if not more.

"Scootaloo look! Your flank, it's glowing. You're getting your cutie mark!"

A scooter wheel with wings appeared on Scootaloo's flank, showing that she's discovered her talent. Not to mention the skill of flying too, she's beyond beginner flight already! I went to get her fallen scooter, and then joined her to fly back to Blue's house. When we got there, Applebloom, Blue and Sweetie Belle were already there, celebrating their new found cutie marks. Scootaloo re-joined their group, and Blue had a private conversation with me.

"So Blue, how was today for you?" I asked.

"Well, Applebloom rebuilt our old tree house with me, and painted it too, and then we went back to Sweet apple acres to make some zap apple jam, which of course made her find her cutie mark. How did your day go?" Blue replied casually.

"Oh, well Scootaloo had some trial runs on trying to fly, until finally when the sun was setting, she managed to do it, and she got her cutie mark then."

"That sounds just like when I was training you, the days we spent getting you to fly."

"Oh yeah, it was definitely hard work for both of us back then. Hey, let's take the fillies back to their homes shall we?"

"Of course Destiny, let's do that."

I frolicked ahead of everypony because that's just me, and we returned the retired cutie mark crusaders back to their homes. It sure was fun teaching a friend to fly, it showed me how hard it was (or easy) for Blue to teach me. When we got back to Blue's house again, Blue said her good night and went straight to bed. I couldn't blame her since she had black rings around her eyes, and so did I, but I really wanted to write this letter to Braeburn, as I'm going to meet him tomorrow.

"Dear Braeburn,

I miss you so much already! My time in Ponyville has been great for these past few days, and Blue's been such a good friend as always! I helped Scootaloo (one of Applebloom's friends) get her cutie mark, which was brilliant fun! I taught her to fly too, just like Blue taught me! Oh I can't wait to see you tomorrow, we can be together again! Happy early Hearts and hooves day Braeburn!

Love from

Destiny bond."

14 - The heart and the hoof

"Blue! Blue wake up! I want to confess something!" Destiny Bond shook me awake.

"Uh…what is it Destiny?" I replied back in a sleepy slur.

"I…think I love you Blue…"

My eyes opened wide and I shot up into a sitting position in my bed. "Uh...but you…I…"

"Just kidding Blue, I don't swing that way!"

"…That's a cruel joke Destiny…" I huffed and slumped back into bed.

"I'm sorry Blue, but I really wanted you to get up so we could go to Appleoosa!"

"Huh…I don't care too much now; you insulted me because my love style is different." My voice was more serious than I've ever heard it.

"I'm…really sorry Blue…I shouldn't have said that I know…"

I sighed, regretting the aggressive tone. "It's alright Destiny, I just don't appreciate the insult first thing in the morning, but it is true that you want to go to Appleoosa."

"Yes, and I want you to come too, with Fluttershy as well."

"Wait what? Why?"

"I thought it would be nice to hang out together, with our own lovers too, don't you think that sounds good?"

"Uh...whatever."

"What's up Blue? Did you dream of something bad?"

"Well, apart from the rude awakening, yes I did dream of something bad. I saw Anne reach out to me and tell me something. She said that all of this isn't real, and I'm not real." I strangely laughed to myself uncontrollably.

"Blue, you're slipping again! Snap out of it!" Destiny grabbed my head and shook it to try and knock me back into reality. But I was slipping still, just like all those years ago. Back then, I sat in the corner of our tree house, trying to figure out which world was the real world, and it gave me a form of insanity. Luckily I had been able to repress it, as well as forgetting everything, but now it's all coming back.

"You can let go now Destiny, I think I know where my place is." My eye twitched violently, and a spark of remembrance gave me the urge to show Destiny the photo I found.

"Where…where did you find that Blue?"

"It was in a tool box behind the tree of our old headquarters. Do you remember those two older ponies?"

"They…they were our parents. Why don't you remember that Blue?"

"They were? But, they don't look anything like us--" Destiny took the photograph from me and studied it.

"They were surrogate parents." Destiny said bluntly, eyes fixated on the photograph in her hoof. "We were both adopted by them, because…"

"Because what Destiny?"

"Well, my parents…no, let's start with you. You didn't have parents, or siblings, or anyone. You were just found in the forest, when I was exploring."

I was just…found? Surely there must be more to this, but I think I can add it up already. Of course Anne wanted to transport herself to another world, so she picked Equestria. And I guess…I was just reborn as a pony. "What about your parents, Destiny?"

"They…my parents were…lost in a flying accident, and I was the last descendant of my family to live to this day. So Zap Flower and Thunder Hum just kind of…took me into their hooves to care for me. Soon after of course, they found you. And that's how we became best friends!"

"I see, well I guess that fixes my memory loss problem."

"Ooh I almost forgot! We have to get ready to go to Appleoosa! Come on Blue, let's go!"

As Destiny walked away, I realised that her sudden change in attitude told me that she was hiding something. But what might it be? Hopefully I can find out later on, but right now we had to be catching the train. I raced over to Fluttershy's cottage, barged trough the door, grabbed Fluttershy by the hoof, and dashed to the train station in the nick of time.

"Okay Fluttershy, I must explain. We're going to Appleoosa, for Destiny to meet up with Braeburn, and she thought it would be a good idea to bring us as well." I told Fluttershy with quickness.

"Um…alright then…that sounds…alright…" Fluttershy squeaked.

"Come on come on! On the train now!" Destiny pushed us into the carriage, and the train began to move. Destiny definitely had something about her, like some sort of over-exaggerated lovesickness.

I looked out of the window, and the train passed an abandoned rock quarry. It looked so faded, grey and dull, but something caught my eye. Pinkie Pie was there. I looked closer, and saw that she was standing next to two gravestones. She was definitely mourning over them, but why? Was she somehow related to this quarry? She was standing with two other ponies, possibly sisters. It felt so ironic to me that they were grieving over two deaths on hearts and hooves day.

The scenes changed from light to dark environments rapidly on our long train journey. Destiny Bond was fidgeting in her seat, sliding her hoof down the window, and asking the other ponies on the train when we arrive in Appleoosa, or if they knew Braeburn. She really did miss him, and she's only been apart from him for less than a week.

We finally departed from Appleoosa's station when we got there, and Destiny raced ahead of us in frenzy. Braeburn luckily wasn't far, he was standing square in the middle of the town, just so Destiny could jump into him without hurting anypony else.

"Heya Destiny! Oh and ya brought friends! How are y'all?!" Braeburn called with his usual enthusiastic tone.

"Hey Braeburn! I'm so pleased to see you! I missed you! Did you get my letter? Oh come here you!" Destiny was definitely crazy for Braeburn. She gave him yet another tight squeeze out of pure joy. I and Fluttershy giggled to each other in amusement. It was good that I laughed, because I was starting to become reserved.

"You know Fluttershy; I feel that I've neglected you by not coming to see you that often." I spoke to Fluttershy in private, while Braeburn and Destiny walked off to the saloon.

"Um…it's okay, really, I mean I don't need company all the time…" Fluttershy replied, trying to reassure me, but it didn't work.

"No it isn't okay. I've been selfish and haven't seen you enough, I literally just forgot about you, and I hate myself for it."

"Don't say that Blue, you aren't selfish, and you shouldn't hate yourself, it's bad and it causes stress…"

"You…you don't know me Fluttershy, and I don't know you that well. You should have never found love in me, I'm nopony." I turned and walked away from Fluttershy, feeling like I was deteriorating emotionally and mentally.

"Blue, wait a second! Um…what's gotten into you?" Fluttershy stopped me by gently getting hold of my back leg. My sudden turn in personality forced me to buck Fluttershy away. She was sent quite a distance away. That really looked like it hurt. I wanted to fight back against my 'broken' body, but I just kept on walking in an aimless direction. I was being possessed, but by who? Just then, I blanked out. I re-awoke in a pitch black room. And there he was. It was Glais, in the flesh.

"Ha ha, you've been manipulated by me Just now, Anne, and that just made your lover go flying. I told you I would find you; don't you remember the letter I sent?" Glais talked to me in a tone that chilled my very bones.

"Why the heck did you do something so mean?! You're a terrible…man, and you know that we both hate you!" At least I had control of my speech again.

"I'm going to tell you something, Anne." Glais got closer to me, and grabbed my face violently. "You're the cold hearted one around here, and you know it. You tried destroying the earth by taking it over, but luckily I stopped you."

I couldn't do anything to retaliate, so I just took a smack to the face. "No I'm not Glais, you are! That's not true at all! I stopped your reign of terror to save the good people left on earth! Now get away from me!"

"Fine, I shall keep my distance. But just know that I will be poisoning your mind, slowly, and you will go insane again, just like those few years ago. Now, you better go and apologise to your fractured second life low rate 'lover'."

Before I could actually attack him, I regained consciousness, and I saw Fluttershy's body laying there, slouched in some broken crates. I quickly pulled Fluttershy out of the wreckage, dusted her off and kissed her forehead.

"Please Fluttershy, say you're okay…I'm so sorry about my behaviour, but it wasn't me, I swear. I was being controlled by that human that everypony should hate. Oh Celestia please be okay…"

Fluttershy slowly half opened an eye, saw my face and fainted.

"Please Fluttershy, please forgive me! I honestly am telling the truth when I say that it wasn't me! I would never do that to the one I love! I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry!" I bellowed and broke down into tears, gaining an increasing lamentation. I got up, and started running into the nearby wall until I drew blood, because I wanted to punish myself for my actions. I kept hitting myself across the face with my own hoof until the tears and blood mixed into a puddle on the ground. Fluttershy suddenly stopped me by firmly grabbing my hoof, and staring into my eyes.

"I know it wasn't your fault, so stop hitting yourself! Back then, your eyes were an icy blue, different from your deep green eyes. You were right, you were being controlled. Now let's go and clean you up." Fluttershy tried smiling while wincing at my beaten up state.

I submerged my head in the trough outside the saloon, and kept it under the water until my face started turning blue. Fluttershy of course pulled it out, and frowned at me because of my disorder. I put on an apologetic expression, and wiped my face of the water. Since I saw the other couple in the bar, I went in groggily, and Fluttershy followed closely. Destiny and Braeburn were sitting in the corner, drinking cider and looking cutesy.

"Uh, hi gals, come on over an' have a seat!" Braeburn called us over.

"What was all that noise outside, Blue?" Destiny asked me with concern.

"Oh, it was…nothing to do with me; I'd rather not talk about it." I wanted to keep the event hidden for now; it was not me at all. "Oh hey, you bought us drinks!"
I and Fluttershy had been given a simple apple juice each, seeing as both of us don't drink.

"Fluttershy, shall we go now?" Destiny questioned.

"Um…sure, let's go…" Fluttershy answered back.

"Go where?" I asked, with confusion that Destiny had already planned something with the help of Fluttershy.

"You'll see, you'll see." Destiny said while picking up Braeburn, and Fluttershy picked me up too.

"What-what in tarnation?!" Braeburn shouted as he was lifted off of the ground.

We were flying away from the small town of Appleoosa, and up to the clouds we were going. I've never been this high in the sky before, so I smiled in delight, but I did feel fear at the same time. Soon, we reached a city sitting on a huge cloud. This city is styled after the Greeks, just like some of the pictures I found in Anne's diary. Rainbow falls cascaded downwards out of certain buildings, and the sun made this place shine like polished crystals.

"This place is mighty fine! But how the hay did it get up here?" Braeburn questioned.

"This is Cloudsdale, home of the pegasi. It feels good to be back, it's been such a long time." Destiny said with a hint of reminiscing.

"Well, can ya set us down? Ah'm already afraid uh heights!"

We were put down on the edge of the cloud, but somehow we didn't fall through. "How does this work? I'm an earth pony; I should be falling right now…"

"I slipped you and Braeburn a potion in your drinks so you could stay up here!" Destiny replied with a giggle.

"Surely you could have just told us, this is the second time you've played a joke on me today."

"I'm sorry Blue, but I can't help my joker's attitude!"

We all witnessed three costumed pegasi race past us, since we were near a relay track.

"The Wonderbolts! They're here today?!" Destiny exclaimed.

"The wonder-who? How do you know this group Destiny?" I was attacked by three menacing stares.

"Surely you should know! I talked about them all the time when we were growing up! Look, I even have a pair of goggles from them that they gave to me when I was in flight school! Thunder Hum used to take us to each of their shows, remember?"

"I…oh yes, I remember now! Those were the days weren't they?" I said this, but I couldn't recall any memories of our surrogate parents.

"Well that's handy then, 'cause ah got us all tickets to their next show later today!" Braeburn exclaimed.

"Are you all in on this or what?" I asked, because I knew there was some kind of conspiracy going on.

Destiny rushed to Braeburn, hugged him once again with ecstasy, and took a very close look at the tickets that Braeburn held. "The show goes on in ten minutes! Let's go and find some seats quick!"

We all found a place in the arena, and prepared to watch the spectacle of the Wonderbolts. Soon enough, they appeared above us, blazing across the view, displaying weaves and loop the loops, colouring the sky with their trails of lightning, and showing off everything they had to offer in flight. I turned to look at Destiny, and her dilated pupils were glued to watching every passing moment of the Wonderbolts, muttering in about how she was going to be one of them someday. The end of the event erupted in a huge wave of sparkling lightning bolts raining down on us all, fortunately being harmless.

"Destiny, it's over now, you can look away." I waved a hoof in front of her fixated eyes.

"I will be a Wonderbolt one day! Just you wait; I will be one of the best fliers in Equestria soon!" Destiny aspiringly said.

"Ha! I doubt that." Another pegasus remarked, sitting cross legged just a few seats away from us.

"You don't doubt me! I will be one of them, mark my words!" Destiny and Rainbow Dash bumped heads in competition.

"That's not true, 'cause I'm going to be part of the team first!" Rainbow dash smugly said.

"Um, maybe it would be alright if you both joined…" Fluttershy piped up.

Destiny and Rainbow turned to look at Fluttershy, heads still together, and both said, "It's one or the other! No exceptions!"

They looked back at each other, and Destiny wanted a challenge from Rainbow Dash. "I have an idea. How about we have a race to see who's worthy enough?"

"Sure! Let's make it Sweet apple acres, at twelve o'clock sharp, one week from today!" Rainbow added.

"You're on! I'll see you there!"

They both sure do have a hot head on them when it comes to competitions, especially races. Destiny and Rainbow finally separated, and we all followed Destiny.

"That mare is gonna grind my gears I'm sure of it!" Destiny commented loudly, while leading us through the streets of Cloudsdale. The ancient style buildings towered over us, but the architecture was a brilliant sight to see. Destiny paused for a moment, and then she turned to us. "Do you mind waiting here a while? I just need to quickly go and see something." The tone of her voice was uneasy, and before she flew out of sight, she told Fluttershy to show me and Braeburn around more.

"Somethin' was really eatin' her, don't y'all think?" Braeburn mentioned.

"Yes, her emotions were scattered today, especially now." I knew that she was hiding something from us, but what?

After walking around for a while, we came to see Destiny again, standing over a plaque. We approached her, and read the plaque. "In loving memory of Storm Heart, Wind Soul, and Spirit Shine."

"Uh, who are these ponies, Destiny?" I asked gently.

Destiny jumped a little and turned around, a tear rolling down her face. "They aren't just ponies, they were…my family." More tears flooded out. Braeburn quickly went to comfort her, as well as the rest of us.

"I'm so sorry Destiny, I didn't know…"

"It's not your fault, I didn't tell you about what happened until recently. I'll say it again…my family were lost in a flying accident while on their patrol duties, and were never seen again. And now I'm the only surviving descendent left in my heritage."

"Come on, let's take you home Destiny."

"No, I want to go back to the ridge in Appleoosa; Braeburn will know what I'm talking about."

Once we got to this aforementioned ridge, we all lay down on the grass and stared up at the night sky, watching the moon being raised by Princess Luna as well. We lay there for what seemed like hours, but that didn't matter since we were all enjoying the company of each other. I looked over to see Destiny, and she had a smile on her face, which was good to see from her again. She leant over to Braeburn and kissed him on the cheek while whispering "Happy hearts and hooves day". Of course, I did the same thing with Fluttershy as it was only right.

When we were coming away from the ridge when it got too cold, our tails entwined with the ones of our partners, Destiny passed over the keys to her home here, as she was going to stay at Braeburn's tonight.

"You girls enjoy yourselves at my place, I sure I will with Braeburn." Destiny said with a wink, as we parted ways for the final time this night.

15 - The discovery

We were on the train back to Ponyville, Destiny Bond, Braeburn, Fluttershy and I. What's strange is that I couldn't remember the end of last night. I know I didn't drink anything, as I don't drink. My mane felt greasy as I put a hoof through it. I haven't washed myself for a while.

The usual chatter of everypony in the carriage surrounded the atmosphere, and I overheard Destiny ranting to Braeburn about how she's going to train to be even faster than Rainbow Dash.

"I am going to be the latest edition to the Wonderbolts, not her! I'm going to make my wings so powerful that nopony else will beat me in a race ever again!" Destiny shouted confidently.

"Uh, sure ya are Destiny, I believe in ya!" Braeburn encouraged assuringly.

A conductor came over to Destiny and told her to keep the noise down, and she retaliated with a "Hey I'm gonna be the best here, I can't be quiet!" and the conductor countered with an aggressive stare to make Destiny withdraw temporarily.

"Destiny, ah think we better jus' tone it down a little..." Braeburn suggested.

"Mhmm..." Destiny mumbled and sat back down from her high standing position. She started to look through her bag, and brought out half of her Paopu fruit to show to Braeburn after the conductor went off to continue his routine.

"This is the thing that made me and Blue friends for life." Destiny turned and smiled at me.

Braeburn looked fascinated at the fruit, and changed his view to Destiny's cutie mark. "So that's the thing on yer flank. Well whaddya know!"

"I got my cutie mark by...I'll explain at a later date. We don't have enough time on the train for me to explain the whole story. Besides, I got so much training to do!" Destiny exclaimed while fidgeting in her seat, but lowered her head when the conductor turned to glare at her.

I looked out of the window, and out of my partially blurred vision, I saw the sunrise flaring out of the deserted plains. In the distance, something caught my eye. Two ponies. Those ponies were…the ones from that photograph! I couldn't believe it as I gasped, attracting the rest of the passengers' attention. They looked in the direction that I was looking at, but nothing was there anymore, just unclaimed land.

I slumped in my seat until my chin touched my belly almost.

"What's…uh the deal Blue? You look awfully pale…" Fluttershy said with great concern for my scattered condition.

"Oh, well if you look at this photograph here…" I showed Fluttershy the evidence of my distress, "These two ponies next to us, I just saw them out on the horizon."

"I…I wonder what they were doing out there…wait, who are these two ponies Blue?"

"This pair is my and Destiny's substitute parents basically, and we haven't seen them since we were small."

"That is…strange, why in Equestria would they be out there?"

"I have no clue myself Fluttershy; possibly they were searching? Maybe they were trying to unite us with them again…"

I returned to a composed position in my seat, and stared at the top of the carriage for a while. I needed some fresh air, so I got up and went to the open area at the back of the train, and I leant on the railing. I shoved my face into my crossed front legs in sorrow. I need to manage myself better, as my thoughts and emotions have been all over the place lately. Well, they always have. And to think I was once a 'teacher' when I couldn't even teach myself the basics of pony behaviour. I can't cope sometimes, there's always the thought hanging in the back of my mind. Why can't all this be over? I just want to finish this whole thing, so I can live free, instead of being split into two forms. But when it is over, which form would I choose? Equestria is a nicer place, and I have currently living friends, and love, and the right place to be. On the other hand, on Earth I'm a leader of the "good" people, and we want to take over what now is a wasteland, destroyed by the decay of thousands of nuclear weapons flying everywhere. The apocalypse happened on that side, and Anne is on the verge of death. I concentrated my thoughts into a weak communication with my human mind. I saw Anne; she was in a coma. She was tied to a chair too, watching some sort of television screen. What she was watching was…this world? This form of me moreover? How can this be? I don't see any hidden cameras around my area or in the air as the TV was showing me on the train from a bird's eye view. The connection of minds was lost, and I returned to my current reality.

"Are…are you Electric Blue?" an unknown, but familiar voice said from behind me.
I turned around, and saw that it was Glais. Glais?! How…? I was more puzzled than angered at that moment. How the heck is a human in this world? And standing in front of me?!

"Before you get mad, I want to apologise. I want to repent after all these years of fighting. I want to get you to understand." Glais was solemn, very solemn.

"How…why? You're my worst enemy! I can't just forgive you; you were responsible for destroying most of the Earth's population!" I wanted to be as harsh as I could to Glais, even if he did look sorry for himself.

"That's not true. It wasn't me, even though everyone thought it was."

"What are you saying?! You're a murderer, you can't lie! We all saw the tape; we all witnessed you pressing those buttons to detonate those nukes!" I crouched slightly and prepared to charge at Glais.

"I want to tell you something. It will change your mind."

"T-tell me what? What kind of lie do you have for me this time?"

"I'm…not Glais. Glais was just an experiment."

"You…you're not Glais? Experiment? What's going on?"

"It was near the end of the natural world, which I hope you'll remember. I opted for this fancy programme to make you biologically superior, because I was reckless and tired of being the guy at the bottom of the pile at the time. Little did I know, this was a twisted social experiment involving the effects of certain chemicals with test subjects, including me. Every day, our group got an injection of stimulants each to "make you grow". What wasn't told to us was that it would change your personality and attitudes too. That turned me into something I wasn't, an evil man, corrupted by thoughts of world domination and collapse. When the research was over, we were all set free, and all of us caused chaos throughout the land."

"This…this is new…please continue…" I found it hard to believe what I was hearing.

"A manifestation of my old self still existed inside my brain, and since we had access to cloning machines, thanks to your contributions to technology, I cloned myself, and the 'bad' me was the product, taking that side away and leaving me to be the 'good' version. I labelled my clone by the name Glais, a rough translation of Latin for ice, because the bad me was literally made of ice."

"So…a clone of you destroyed Earth?"

"Unfortunately yes…Glais was too powerful to contain, seeing as he was raw evil. I'm so sorry that he put the world through all of what he did, and it's my entire fault because I was a stupid kid at the time."

"Hey…come on…I understand…I forgive you." I wanted to take back what I just said, but this real form of Glais looked genuine.

"Thank you…now, I should probably tell you my real name, and who I really am. My name is Caerula, and I'm your twin brother."

I stepped backwards until my flank pressed against the railings, and I struggled for breath.

"I…mastered a spell when I was in hiding on Earth, and now I can transform into a pony, just like you did." Right before my very eyes, a flash of light burst out of Caerula's mouth after muttering a few words, and shortly after the light had gone; I was looking at a male reflection of me.

"This…this is all so sudden…I can't hold on to this…" I started to faint, and I slipped to the floor.

"Wake up…wake up Blue!" I opened my eyes to see that I was in my own house, laid on my bed. Fluttershy, Destiny, Braeburn and Caerula were standing around me with worried looks on their faces. I looked at Caerula for a while, and closed my eyes again.

"Since you called yourself Electric Blue, I called myself Azure Spark, seeing as I'm your twin brother and all." Caerula sounded proud of himself for some reason.

"I…I don't know what to say…are…you're the only other blood relative I have here, and yet you destroyed a planet. No…Glais did. Not you…"

"Yes, you understand! Everypony here was told about my story too, and hopefully that should spread around."

"We made you a bath, if you want to try it out…we thought it would be good for you, as you need to relax and get yourself together…" Fluttershy put a hoof on my shoulder, and I got up to walk to the bathroom.

"Thank you everypony for your care towards me, it's good that I have friends like you." I announced before I shut the bathroom door.

I lifted myself into the bath, and felt the warm, bubble topped, lavender fragrant water capturing my body. I slid down until my head was just above the water, and I closed my eyes to soak in the soothing water. I could detach from my fragmented mind for a while so it can repair itself, and just…relax. For once, I felt at peace with the world. I could gather my thoughts about Azure Spark now, to comprehend what just happened. I have a twin brother now, one that I had falsely accused of being a master criminal of war. But his real self is just a duplicate of me in a way, with similar personalities to boot. The same cutie marks as well were interesting.

After an hour of recovery, I got out of the bath and towelled myself off. I felt my mane, and it was back to its soft state again. I opened the door of the bathroom and trotted slowly to my bed, where Azure Spark was still standing.

"Spark, what will happen to Glais?" I asked, still in a relaxed state.

"Well, now that we are united, we will take him down together." Spark seemed to be looking into the future.

"When might that be? Would you know?"

"Glais will tell us by bringing us back to Earth. That will happen in about a year or less."

"A year? Why a year, Spark?"

"Glais when I last saw him was weakened. I put all my power into making him fall unconscious or at least tried to, so now his magic is disabled temporarily. When he gets it back, he has to locate us again, and then drag us back there to kill us both. By then we would be able to retaliate and defeat him, just the two of us."

"Sounds risky, but I can trust you I guess, you are my brother and all…"

"Good. Your friends will probably try to help at that time, but don't let them, no matter what. We don't want any losses on our side."

"Alright, I got it. I just hope whatever plan you have will work…"

"Trust me; my plan will work when it's made. I'm your older brother too, and older siblings always know best."

"You have to control your pride Spark; it'll get the best of you…"

"I'm only joking Blue, if it's anypony who knows best, it's you."

"Ha ha, I can't say I'm not intelligent I guess…"

I sat on the side of the bed, and looked at Spark and the room for a while. "Say, what are you going to do now, since you're here?"

"Heh, that's a thought. I guess I will explore Equestria, learn its cultures and inhabitants, and then come to join you on your adventures sometimes." Spark sounded confident in his ideas.

"That sounds alright, I'd like you to come with me and Destiny sometime, and maybe we can learn a thing or two from you, because we might have missed a few things in our days of being fillies here."

"Wait, you were a filly? You grew up here? How can that be, Blue? It's only been a month since I last saw you!"

"I…I have no idea myself, maybe it was some sort of 'rebirth' process, maybe a time warp, who knows for sure."

"Hmm. We'll figure it all out along the way, but right now, we have to get on with whatever we have to do."

Our conversation broke away when there was a knock at the door. I went to answer it, and an unknown pony stood right in front of me.

"Another introduction today? Well, who might you be then?" I asked the maroon pony with her long, messy auburn mane, knowing that the house is getting crowded.

"My…my name is Twisha. I was wondering if you had a place to stay, since the other ponies in town had told me to go to you." This pony asked where to stay, and they said to find me? This is intriguing, because I don't have much space to offer.

"I'm sorry, let me invite you in. My name is Electric Blue just to let you know."

"Well, thank you Electric Blue." She gave a nervous laugh as I led her inside.

"Meet everypony else, this is Destiny Bond, Braeburn, Fluttershy, and Azure Spark. Everypony, meet Twisha, the next resident in my home."

They all exchanged their greetings with Twisha, and made her feel at home almost immediately.

"So, what brings you here Twisha?" I asked, since I might as well find out her reasoning behind coming here.

"Well, I came from Trottingham, in search of new prospects. You see, I had kind of a nasty family, so I didn't want to live there anymore. I heard about Ponyville, the friendliest place in Equestria, so I made my way here." She replied, with the same insecure manner that she had about her.

"I see, well at least you found a better place to stay, and hopefully my partners here and I will lend a hoof in helping you find your way."

"Thank you for taking me in Electric Blue, most ponies I saw on my travels only had bad news for me."

"I wonder why? It doesn't seem that you have a bad reputation…"

"Well…no, I never did anything to make anypony repulse me…" She definitely was hiding something from the way she was talking, but I will leave finding out what for later.

"It seems to be getting dark, so we might as well all hit the hay. Blue, do you have enough sleeping arrangements for everypony?" Spark asked me, unsure about my home.

"Of course, a bed for me and Fluttershy, a spare room for Destiny and Braeburn, and the sofas for you and Twisha. Don't worry; they are just as comfy as the beds I assure you." I replied, confident about my statement.

"Well alright. Good night folks!" Spark said before retiring to his allocated sofa. We all did the same for our own sleeping quarters.

"Good night Fluttershy, sleep well." I said while kissing her on the forehead before drifting off.

*Azure spark's point of view*

"Twisha, are you still awake?" I whispered to the pony across from me. No answer. I checked her cutie mark for a moment, and saw that it resembled a love heart with a curl at the bottom. Hmm, I wonder how she got that. A hopeless romantic maybe? I chuckled to myself quietly, and shifted myself into a comfortable position to sleep.

"Yes…yes I'm still awake, Azure Spark." Twisha very quietly replied.

"Oh, um…I was just checking if where you're sleeping is alright for you."

"Oh yes, it is very cosy, thank you for asking."

"You don't look so cosy, so let me find you a blanket." I got up wearily, and found a thick blanket in a nearby storage cupboard. I walked to Twisha, and neatly laid it over her. She smiled, and wrapped herself up in it. I laugh happily, and return to my sofa to sleep.

"Thank you Azure Spark, for the blanket. Good night to you."

"Ha, you're welcome Twisha, good night."

16 - Training day

Chapter 16 - Training day

*CRASH*

Fluttershy and I awoke to a worrying clatter of pots and pans; we raced down the stairs and headed towards the kitchen to see a certain white pegasus buried under the pile of cooking equipment. I couldn't help myself but giggle at the site while Braeburn rushed to help the dazed pony.

"Are ya okay?! What happened to ya destiny?!" he said with an anxious tone.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I was just gonna make so breakfast so I can start training for the race against rainbow dash…" destiny said still a little disorientated.

"At 4am?!" Azure said with shock as he and Twisha entered the kitchen rubbing their eyes with their hooves.

Twisha gave a silent smirk at the bewildered pony being pulled out from under the debris of cooking equipment, destiny retuned with a chilling glare that could strike fear into the hearts of even the most powerful of ponies.

An awkward silence filled the room.

Destiny brushed herself off and began to clear the mess she had made. She turned to us with a smile and said, "So... who wants some breakfast? My treat!"

"Why would we want to eat so early? I say we go back to bed and get some more sleep" Twisha said stepping forward to face us all.

"It couldn't hurt to get an early start on the day!" destiny snapped back.

The looks that were exchanged could have killed any pony caught in the crossfire. Destiny looked at me.

"What do you think we should do blue?" she asked, trying to contain her frustration.

"Uh...well...I think we should try and get some more sleep, it's way to early for this nonsense."

"See? Somepony can see sense here." Twisha remarked, undermining Destiny.

She looked at me as if I had betrayed her; the anger she felt made her body shake until she spread her wings abruptly and flew out of the door, muttering harsh words and grunts. Braeburn shortly followed her apologizing for her behavior and that she's never acted is way before.

I had never seen her like this before, why is she acting this way? And why is it that it's mainly towards Twisha? They've only just met! Haven't they? Hmm...

I began to be enveloped by pacing thoughts until they were halted by a yawn and invitation to go back to be from Fluttershy who was about ready to drop. I gave a nod, said good morning to Twisha and azure before heading back to bed where my mind wandered all over the place until I finally managed to settle in the wings of Fluttershy.

*Destiny's POV*

"How could she pick her over me?! She is meant to be more my friend!" I shouted loudly, looking over to Braeburn, as he cowered from my glare.

"Well, ah'm sure Blue didn't mean it like that--"

Braeburn was suddenly interrupted by "it isn't fair! This new pony shouldn't be so smug!"

Braeburn tried his best to keep his focus on me, no matter how scary I was getting. I sighed, "I'm sorry Brae; let's just say I'm not good with new ponies..."

"But, but what about Spark?"

"Oh, well he's different as he's Blue's brother. He hasn't really said anything to me yet."

"Yeah, ah guess yer right about that..."

I sighed again, "Alright, let's get on with this training, I guess. Not that I'll really need it to beat that rainbow dash."

"Heh, just as cocky as her... don't get too carried away though, ya know what happens then."

We managed to find a clearing big enough to make laps around, so I set to work with my training. Braeburn traced out a starting point in the dirt, and I got into a starting position. I stiffened my wings, and at the end of Brae's countdown, I sped off the ground, leaving a cloud of dust behind me. The line of trees formed an oval shape, perfect to maneuver around, allowing my body to shift itself around the bends. I could feel myself getting faster with every lap, because I was determined to beat that multi-color mane pegasus. I haven't flown this fast for a long time, so I knew I was still in top form. Braeburn almost couldn't keep up with my speed, as his eyes turned into blurs, along with everything else around me. The anger I felt helped my racing spirit, but soon enough, it proved to be for the worse. Some of the trees were catching fire from how fast I was going around them.

Braeburn started shouting "slow down missy! Yer causin' a wildfire! Ya better stop that right now!"

I tried turning my head to face Braeburn's screams, but all I could see was black after that.

"Destiny!" I heard Brae faintly, "ya went straight into that tree! I told ya to slow down, and what did ya'll do?"

My eyes slowly flickered open, realizing the shooting pain in my right wing.

"Ya caught yer wing pretty badly ya know..." Braeburn gently touched my wing, but I yelped in deafening agony. "Whoops, sorry about that Destiny. But ya know, it was fer yer own good, ya couldn't control the fire in yer eyes, so it spread to the trees!"
I struggled to look at the damage I had caused, and there was a charred circle of trees for me to regret upon. "I'm sorry Brae, I couldn't help myself, and I got carried away like you said I would..."

"It's alright Destiny, you just gotta keep yer cool, is all."
It was time for us to go back home, to try and fix my wing, and as we left the clearing, I heard a faint, sly chuckle from above. Was it...? Probably.

*Blue's POV*

Ah, the sweet aroma of pancakes in the morning. Apple flavored, to be specific. Fluttershy wasn't in the bed anymore, so our resident chef was at work. I lifted the covers off of me, and promptly trotted down to the kitchen. The table had already seated Twisha and Azure, so I joined them. It was much more quiet than usual, so I tried to talk to Fluttershy.

"Hey, you don't have to do this for us all the time, you know."

"Aw, it's my pleasure really." Fluttershy replied, and then silence again.
Soon enough, we had pancakes in front of us, and I especially dived in to eating the mouth watering food. "Every time you make food, it's brilliant! How do you do it, Shy?" I asked, swallowing an almost whole pancake.

"I don't know really...I guess it was just practice...ha ha...." Fluttershy's face turned rosy with the compliment.

"Say, where's the rest of the gang anyway? Shouldn't they be back by now?" I enquired, even though nopony would know the answer. Twisha smirked a little. "Hey, what's with the look on your face, Twisha?"

Her small grin disappeared as soon as I asked that question. "Oh, nothing, it was nothing. You ate fast!" She quickly changed the subject, possibly to avoid some sort of confrontation from me.

"Hmm, these pancakes were so delectable; I had to just eat them all up!" I couldn't help but express my love for Shy's cooking. "Come here Shy!" I squeezed Fluttershy, and pecked her on the cheek, making her still pink shade worse.

"Um, Blue? Those are not proper manners, are they?" Azure grumbled, and I chuckled in embarrassment. Even if I had forgotten him, Azure would always be remembered as a joking authority figure to me.

Finally, Destiny and Braeburn came through the door, with Destiny groaning in pain.

"What's the matter Destiny? What's the matter?" I was truly shocked when I saw a disfigured wing on Destiny's back.

"I...clipped my wing on a tree; I was flying too fast. But I'm fine, really..." Destiny said huskily, but when Twisha got up to touch Destiny's wing, she screamed.

"That's clearly not fine, Destiny. We better get you patched up!" For once I didn't use my magic, because I knew it was fading out anyway. I tried lifting a small object before I went to sleep with a levitation spell, and I struggled to do just that.
In a moment's time, we were in a local hospital, standing around a bed-ridden Destiny.

"Hello there, I am nurse Mendheart, and I'm going to take care of your patient for you." A voice came from behind us, so we turned around to see a Red maned pony with a gentle white coat.

"Oh, we do hope Destiny recovers soon." I said, worried about the outcome of this hospital visit.

"Yeah, I need to get better soon; I got a race to race!" Destiny called out from her bed.

"We aren't sure if your recovery will be fast, so you might not be able to make that race." The nurse said, with a tone that was remembering another certain racing pegasus. "I'll leave you to it now. I'll check up on you in a few minutes, okay Destiny?"

When nurse Mendheart left the room, we gathered around Destiny again.

"Hey, maybe I could take your place for the Wonderbolts, if you'd like." Twisha remarked.

"Hold on Twisha, she still has a chance, ah know she does!" Braeburn replied in defense.

Twisha still had a grin on her face, as she thought that she could be much better than Destiny. "I wouldn't catch my wing on anything, either..."

"Alright, that's enough Twisha." Azure stepped in, "Destiny really wants this chance to be worth the Wonderbolts' time, so you need to leave her to it." Azure's tone was strong, scaring at least all of us a little bit. "What's wrong with Destiny anyway? You've only just met."

"Oh, well I'm sorry, but I think Destiny and I are just opposites." Twisha replied, looking Azure in the eyes in an attempt to back him off.

"You two are both pegasi! You should have at least something in common." Azure was too tough for his defense to break. "And besides, we should all be friends here, so why are you acting like the enemy?"

"She never liked me, I never liked her. Simple as that."

"So...you met before?! How was--" Azure was interrupted by nurse Mendheart's presence.

"Hello again, I'm just going to go through a few tests with Destiny, to diagnose her wing better and to find the correct cure. I'm going to have to ask you all to stand back, please."

Of course, we obeyed her question, and stood away from Destiny, so that the nurse could do her thing. Quite a lot of time passed as we heard the occasional yelp from Destiny, and witnessed Twisha and Azure's never ending staring contest. I stood close to Fluttershy, worried for everypony in this room, as everypony was troubled in some way of their own. I could even feel Destiny's pain slightly, thanks to that special bond we made. Thanks to that fateful day we took a half of that strange fruit for ourselves, we'd always be connected in a particular way.

"I'm very sorry, but visiting time is over I'm afraid." Mendheart said, breaking the tension floating around us all. We didn't want to move, but we'd rather leave the nurse to continue her tests, than to loiter around for any longer.

"Alright, let's go, gang." I coaxed everypony away from Destiny, saying our goodbyes as we exited the room. Azure had to pull an anxious Braeburn away though, since he didn't want to leave Destiny so soon. Well, none of us did really. We made our way home through the already low sunset, curious to how the time went so fast. I looked back at Azure, and he had a puzzled look in his eyes. He wanted to know more about Destiny and Twisha's past encounters.

We made our way inside my house, and rested ourselves in the living room.

"Do ya think she's gonna be alright everypony? Is she?" Braeburn asked restlessly.

"Of course she'll be alright Braeburn; she can pull through pretty well, even without our support." I consoled Braeburn, as I knew she was a strong willed filly.

"Electric Blue?" Twisha piped up suddenly.

"Uh...yes Twisha? And please, just call me Blue."

"Alright, I'm sorry for earlier. I was just worried for Destiny too really; my mind was just acting weirdly."

"I can't exactly trust you, but by the look in your eyes, you aren't lying." I knew that Twisha had some care for Destiny, but I wasn't too sure about her mind 'acting weirdly'."

"Blue? Are you sure you should be assuming her truth so quickly?" Azure gave me a different viewpoint, but I was going to stand my ground.

"Twisha is a friend, and friends should be trusted, so we have to give her a chance."

"Humph. Well, we'd better be going to sleep now, don't you think?"

"Alright, we shall. Come on Fluttershy, let's go to bed." I got up, and tiredly walked into my room, and slipped under the covers. Fluttershy followed shortly after.

"Whatever you think, Blue, she's going to be alright. We all will be alright, if we stick together and be positive." Fluttershy whispered before giving me a good night kiss on the forehead.

17 - The little orange filly, with two lives

Chapter 17 – The little orange filly, with two lives

This evening, I find myself relaxing in a small hot spring with Fluttershy. She found this place just behind her cottage, and so she wanted me to accompany her here. I don’t have any plans today, and neither does anypony else, so why not unwind even more? The chirping of the songbirds in the morning soothed my mind while the cool breeze flicked my mane ever so slightly. This is the calmest environment I’ve ever been in.

“Say, Blue, I was just wondering why you and Glais don’t like each other. Why is that?” Fluttershy muttered with a whimper at the end of her sentence.

“Ah, that guy… he tried to rule my other home world and enslave anyone who opposed him. He was bent on world domination, and as usual for our world, the good people of Earth rebelled against him. Some of us succeeded oppressing him, but the rest of us had perished under his iron fists. Somehow, I became the leader of the main band of freedom fighters. It turns out that this main group had been wiped out, and I was the last one on the run directly from Glais. Remembering my spells, I transported myself to the safest world, and so I landed in Equestria.” I gloated about my escapade, and sunk a little lower in the water.

“He sounds horrible…your world doesn’t sound too nice…”

“Hmm, it used to be, Fluttershy, it used to be. There were green trees that towered over everyone, huge open meadows with tall grass and beautiful flowers, awe inspiring buildings that were so precise and accurately designed. As well as people, they were all wonderful to each other. But one day, it all turned into…ash, and…and a burning red sky.” I quickly dunked my head under to soak my mane in the warm goodness of the water, and raised myself back up before Fluttershy could reply.

“Oh my…” Fluttershy murmured under the shock of my fallen planet’s ruins.

“Before that happened, extremely explosive bombs raged across the skies. When they landed, everything was set to be wasted by the blasts. My…parents didn’t make it out of the explosion’s range. They let me go out of our house first, but a quake trapped them inside. I looked back while running away as fast as I could, and just saw the cloud brush over the house as if it was paper. I have since forgotten what happened after that, but that particular memory is burned into my mind. I…saw their faces…they…” My bottom lip was trembling so badly I wasn’t able to speak anymore.

“Please, don’t say anymore Blue, it’s hard enough for you to explain all this to me.” Fluttershy swam over to comfort me some more.

“I’m…sorry I had to…tell you all that…” the repressed tears fell from my eyes, so I closed them to stop the tears from flowing so heavily.

“Please stop crying Blue, I don’t want to break down too…” Fluttershy’s voice quivered as she had never seen me cry this severely before.

“I’m…so sorry Fluttershy…I didn’t think that memory would come back…” I started breathing irregularly and coughed a little.

“It’s okay, it’s okay Blue, you’re safe with me now; I’m here to console you.” Fluttershy hugged me tighter than ever before, as she knew too well of my pain. She dried my face so I was able to open my eyes again.

“Th-thank you Shy…I owe you a lot. Please…would it be alright…to take a little walk alone?”

“Of-of course Blue, I’ll wait here for you. You just need some cool air, that’s all.”

I slowly dragged myself out of the water filled crater, and strolled away, still dripping. I wanted to revisit my old tree house again, and so I went in the general direction. It was just as it was before Applebloom’s cutie mark, good as new. I trailed up the ramp, and entered the small shelter. The desk was still there, so I opened the draw under its surface, and took out the diary that I had secretly placed there while redecorating. Flicking through the pages, I came across the certain memory again, written in full. Hopefully there would be the events after that occurrence written down, on the next page I presumed.

Dear diary,

Don’t have much energy to write down what I found, but I managed to find a small camp of runaways. Nice people; gave me food and water. I’ll be staying with them for a while I guess, since I have nowhere to go. My parents just died, so I won’t be sleeping tonight. Excuse the wet paper.

My life was utterly ruined. Well, the life I used to own anyway. I felt intrigued, so I kept reading. I turned the page carefully as the page was thinned from the dried up tears. I saw an intricately drawn picture on this side. It was a handgun I think, with a caption below it. The caption read: “The best thing mankind ever made, and also the worst.” I didn’t much understand what I was relating to, but it must have been significant if this gun was drawn that well.

Just then, I heard a rustle from behind me. I immediately shut the book, and turned to face the noise. The little rabbit creature with the skull head was standing in front of me. Didn’t we get rid of this pest? I wanted to bolt out of the doorway and escape before I came to harm again, but I seemed to be paralysed. My brain started hurting, and I fell to the floor, suddenly weaker than usual. Fortunately, the rabbit-thing disappeared soon after I collapsed. My throat felt dry, and I tried to stand up. Although, my efforts were futile, as all that did was make me drop on my side. Again, I was helpless and paralysed. The sky was turning black, and I felt sleepy, so all I could do was fall asleep for now.

“Blue? Blue! Wake up! We have to get you home! You shouldn’t be here!” A familiar voice called to me, and I was very gently dragged out of the tree house.

“What…Fluttershy? How did you find me?” I replied sleepily. I knew I had regained my function, so I stood up hastily.

“You were gone for a while, so I looked around the forest. I never knew you owned a tree house!” Fluttershy returned, with some surprise as I never told her about what I had here until now.

“Oh yeah, heh, this place is old, but it was mine and Destiny’s when we were little fillies. Yeah, that was my past here, if you still wanted to know.”

Fluttershy had offered for me to stay at her place once again, and so I accepted, seeing as I was still slightly stunned by that…thing. I refused any food, and went straight to sleep regrettably.

I groggily awoke to the sound of birdsong surrounding me, and Fluttershy’s warmth relaxed my nerves. I had Destiny in my mind though. She’ll be alright, I just know it.

“I’m sorry Bluey, but I have to go somewhere right now…” Fluttershy had gotten out of bed to go for the door, in a small rush.

“Wait, where do you have to go, Shy? Please tell me…” I replied, obviously wanting to know where she is about to head off to.

“Oh, well, I have to go and meet the girls for a picnic, and…”

“I understand. You go on; I’ll lock up for you.”

“Thank you Bluey, I’ll see you later.”

I stretched my legs as I shifted out from under the covers, said good bye to the animals that were awake, and shut the door to Fluttershy’s cottage. Wait; there’s no lock on this door. Why did I even say that? I shrugged off the thought and headed home. I didn’t know what else to do, as I had nothing planned. Maybe I’ll pick up some supplies from the market…

“That’ll be twenty bits please.” Ordered the grocery seller.

“Here you go sir.” I handed over what I had in my bag.

“Wait, what do you call this?”

I examined what I gave to the colt. Were these…dollar bills? I took them back, and gave the right currency.

“Thank you, please watch what you’re giving out next time, miss.” The colt’s advice struck me.

“Sorry about that, won’t happen again.” I turned with my new grocery bag and thought about those dollars. Why would I still have them? Did they…have blood on them? I got back to my house, opened the door to see only Twisha sitting on the sofa, and put my bags on the nearest surface.

“Hey, how come you’re the only one here?” I asked the lone mare.

“They left the house for a colt’s day out, apparently.” Twisha answered to me, hinting some envy.

“I suppose we all should get to know each other better, so that might be why they went to do whatever they were going to do.”

“I guess we should find out more about each other too, hey?”

“Alright, that’s fine with me. Let’s start with you, Twisha. What’s it like in Trottingham?”

“Well, they have tall, tightly packed houses all neatly together in a row, overlooking a huge market square, and you can always here the commotion of ponies running around, working and shopping. My family had one of those houses, which was very stylish and full of expensive stuff. I didn’t really have friends, and my family didn’t like me being round them much. So I was sat outside my door most days, watching all kinds of mares and stallions shout and buy stuff and talk to me…”

“You definitely have a lot of social experience then. But how come you acted pretty mean to us?”

“I don’t know…I’m sorry, maybe it was just how I took my personality from everypony else.”

“I see, and perhaps your personality changes from time to time?”

“Something like that. I wish I didn’t have different sides to me…”

“I think all of us have different sides of ourselves.”

A silent moment of thought passed.

“Say, how do you know Destiny already?” I asked her, bringing back up that subject before the silence became awkward.

“Well, we used to be the best of friends, and we went to see each other every day on our own personal cloud, that stayed where it was. But she stopped coming to that cloud one day. I became lonely again after that, which also made me bitter.” Twisha replied, visually showing her true emotions.

“Well, I’m sure you aren’t that bitter…” I came closer to Twisha for her comfort.

“I am, I disliked everypony that went near me after that, and it’s too late to change my opinion on anypony else.”

“It’s never too late to warm up to us all. You never know, it could help you out a lot, like it did for me.”

“Wait, you used to be bitter too?”

“Yeah, I was pretty evil in my human life. I killed a lot of people, and I was on the run from everyone basically. So that’s why I came to Equestria, to forget about my past sins and become better than I used to be.”
I couldn’t believe what I had just blurted out. Was that my real intention? Was I evil as a human? Why did I even say that? In a blind panic, I rushed out the door, to the tree house, picked up the diary, galloped as fast as I could back, and started reading thoroughly. Here we go, “How I am hunted” was the entry title.

“That gun proved to be better than I expected. So many dead people. I wanted my revenge on the world to be sweet, and so I got what I asked for. I’m laughing so heavily right now, I can’t stop myself. Another one bites the dust! I never want to end this chain of murder; I love it so!”

I didn’t want to read any more. Was this really me? I looked at the back of the diary, and found a slightly singed page titled: “Apology number twenty five.” I read on, hopefully to see something better about Anne.

“I can either destroy myself, or make a new life. I want to forget it all. My family are long gone, I’ve killed so many, I’m the only friend I know, everyone wants me dead, and I just can’t take it anymore. That’s it; I’m going to use my abused magic one last time to transport me away from this place. I’ll start again; I’ll have a total change of heart. I’m sorry world; I’ve done too much to hurt you even further.”

And that’s how I got here, I presume. So I shouldn’t be alive right now. I want to end it all, knowing that I did something as unspeakable as that. I had visions of everything burning, as well as blood spattered everywhere. I was in that burning forest again; the one from my nightmare. Glais was there, with a gun in his hand, aiming for me. There was a knife at my foot, covered in blood too. I was back to my human self, and everything seemed more real than ever before. This wasn’t a dream any longer, this was real life. Without hesitation, I picked up the knife and charged at Glais.

*Azure Spark’s POV*

A ringing tone pained my ears for a second.

“Are ya alright Azure?” Braeburn held me before I stumbled any further.

“There’s something deeply wrong. Quick Braeburn, we have to get back to Blue’s house!” I replied, composing myself and dashing back to where I came from. Braeburn tried to finish the rest of his cider as he followed me out of the bar.

Running as fast as I could, I reached the house and burst through the door. Only Twisha was standing there, dazed.

“She-she disappeared…” Twisha whispered in shock.

“No…no! She couldn’t have! Not already! This can’t be happening!” I was more afraid than ever before.

“What can’t be happenin’?” Braeburn enquired, trying to catch his breath.

“She came back…she woke up!”

“She seemed pretty awake to me…” Twisha replied.

“No, not like that. Something must have triggered her to wake up as a human again.”

“What!? How is that even possible!?” Twisha and Braeburn looked at each other in total confusion.

I sighed sadly. “I suppose I’ll have to explain it to you. Blue was in a coma. In this coma, she created a world. This world, to be exact. As long as she was in the coma, this world would exist only. And now she’s woken up…”

“But, how are we still here?” Twisha questioned.

“I’m not sure. I made a machine that could tap into machines, and knowing that Blue was out of consciousness; I managed to connect to the coma. If I’m still here, then this world still stands. Unfortunately, the world we’re in will start deteriorating soon.”

“So…what can we do then?” Braeburn couldn’t help but look around in fear.

“There’s nothing we can do. We all just disappear…”

“But what about you? Ya weren’t born here!”

“True, but I can’t be in two places at once, so I can’t escape from this if Blue isn’t here.”

None of us had any hope in mind. We were all doomed, and time was wasting away.

“Can we at least go and see Destiny?” Braeburn requested.

“Of course, we should be together for this.” I dropped my head, and walked out of Blue’s home, the rest of us following me. I looked up, and noticed the environment becoming distorted. Trees started flying away, houses started crumbling, and the sky turned red, just like back on earth. We hurried ourselves to the hospital before the path in front of us vanished. There was Destiny, in the same position as before.

“I hope ya feel better now Destiny.” Braeburn said deeply as he moved close to Destiny.

“Hey, what’s gotten into you all? Don’t look so glum! I’m getting out today!” Destiny replied with her usual happiness.

“You see, there won’t be a today for much longer.” I came out with it, and explained the whole situation.

Destiny looked out the window and said, “Is this what it’s come to? I’ve only lived for fifteen years, and this is it…”

“And nopony can do anything about it. Blue is gone, and so will we be soon.”

18 - An evening celebration

Chapter 18 – An evening celebration

*Anne's flashback*

It was one year ago. I was invited to a formal party, along with all of my friends. We parted ways when we were in the ballroom, as their boyfriends were there. I was left alone, but that didn't bother me. I noticed Caerula playing double bass at the front of the hall with the rest of the orchestra, so I shuffled through the crowd to hear the melody better. Caerula was the musician of our family, and had the most talents out of all of us. I always followed in his footsteps, but I usually failed at the skills only he could have. The most fruitful thing I could do was use technology, but that's only one thing.

"Care to dance, young lady?" an unknown, but familiar voice asked from behind me. I span around, and in front of me was someone who looked almost exactly like Caerula.

"Oh, okay sir, I will dance with you." I took his outstretched hand, and we began to sway left and right, copying the rest of the couples in the ballroom.

"Sorry, I didn't get your name." the man encouraged me to inform him by giving me an inviting smile.

"My name is Anne Ultrice. And yours?"

"That's a beautiful name for a beautiful face. I am called Glais Pectus."

"I…see. You look very much like my brother, which is strange, don't you think?"

Glais stopped still for a moment. "Oh, yes, that is a strange coincidence." He changed the subject almost immediately and resumed the waltz, "so, how come you were the single one when you're the best looking?"

"Oh, well I never really get social, so I blame myself for not being with anyone yet. I stay indoors playing with computers…"

"Hmm, interesting. I gather you're good with technology?"

"Heh, it's my passion really. I mean, I even have a job in the military to do with computers!"

"You do? You must be very successful then. Say, I'm in the military too, what a coincidence!"

"I wonder why we haven't seen each other before eh?" I chuckled, and escorted Glais to get some punch from the buffet table.

"Here you go, Anne. Try some!" Glais gave me a glass, and I drank fast, being as thirsty as I was.

Soon enough, we returned to our slow dance together. I don't know why I stayed with Glais through the night, I just felt secure with him. This night was an escape from everything, and I'm glad that the mayor of the town arranged it. I felt free again, as I could just dance. Something I haven't done in a long time. I looked into Glais' pale sapphire eyes, and saw the wonder inside, feeling passion and enjoyment with me here.

The place suddenly became hotter, so I asked Glais if we could go outside. The stars were shining as brightly as they could, even if most of them were dying out. The refreshing chill of the night comforted me. Glais came to me, and started to give me a hug. I didn't mind it; I just let him touch me, as I knew that this was already the start of a good relationship. I turned and put my arms around his frame too, embracing his subtle warmth. His smile invited me to join him, and so I smiled back, with pure radiance.

"Hey Anne, how about we get some coffee?" Glais asked sincerely.

"Isn't a bit late for that?" I responded with another question, but changed my mind after that. "Forget it, let's go. I wonder if they'd still be selling their secret recipe donuts…"

The café just across from the town hall had its lights on still, but no-one was inside. I opened the door, and the hanging bell chimed. We sat together in a corner, and both slouched in relaxation.

The waiter came over, and ask what we would like, commenting on the ridiculous time we were here.

"Uh, just the usual please, sir, and the same for the gentleman beside me, please. Oh and if you have any donuts left, we'll take them all." I ordered as I normally would when I come here.

"Coming up right away, Anne!" The pleasant waiter answered.

"All the donuts? Can we afford that, Anne?" Glais asked me with concern.

"Ah it's fine, I come here all the time, so I get pretty good discounts." I replied, and took out the exact amount of money I always pay.

The waiter came back in the quickest time recorded by me. Well, we are the only people in this café, so I wouldn't be surprised.

"Here you go! That'll be nine dollars and ninety-six cents."

"Thank you very much Richie!" I gave him my money, and dug in to the donuts.

"You…sure do eat fast, Anne." Glais said, holding his first donut from the tray, while I was on my third already.

"Oh yeah, this is the reason why I come here all the time!"
Full from the banquet, I threw myself backwards, hands resting behind my head. "Done! How do you like them apples!?"

"Well, they're donuts, not apples, Anne. And I would have liked them if you didn't take them all." Glais replied, giggling at the best joke made tonight.

"Aww, I'm sorry, I'll get double the amount next time, to make it slightly fairer." We both laughed about the situation of my eating habits, as they were totally beyond my control.

We left a tip as we left the coffee shop, and took ourselves home. My home, moreover. I unlocked the front door, and pushed it open. I turned the lights on, and jumped onto the sofa.

"So, here's my place, Glais. Like it?" I asked with a joking manner.

"Oh yeah, it's pretty stylish!" Glais replied.

"So, I'll go get some covers, and you can sleep here, if that's alright with you?"

"Oh yes, that's perfect. Thank you Anne. You're so generous."

"Aww, I'm just doing my job, which is keeping people happy." I fetched pillows and a suitable duvet for Glais, and hurled them onto him.

"Good night Glais, sweet dreams." I sighed happily as I exited the room, and went back to my bedroom. As soon as I landed on the bed, I fell straight asleep.

When I awoke, I found myself under the covers, somehow in only my underclothes. I must have taken off my dress subconsciously, as that's already happened a few times before. I put on my dressing gown that was hanging on the door, and walked to the kitchen for breakfast. A simple bowl of cereal with a glass of OJ felt good enough for me. Glais was still asleep on the sofa, so I avoided disturbing him. In the bathroom, I ran a shower and got in it, which relaxed me beyond belief when the water hit my back. My long hair covered almost half of my body when I got out of the shower, until I dried it and wrapped it in a towel. The next towel covered my body, for decency of course, as I went to get dressed into my average clothes. Strawberry milkshake striped leggings, lavender skirt, orange tee shirt, and grey hoodie. That combination is my favourite style of clothing I have. I wanted to try something new today, so I tied my hair back with some colourful hairbands. The sun was shining brightly through the windows as I looked out of them, seeing the locals of Michigan walk by.

"Good morning Anne…" Glais mumbled in a sleepy daze.

"Hey there Glais. Take a shower, will you please?" I ordered him to the bathroom, as he did have a slight odour coming from his unwashed body.

I switched on the television and sat on the sofa Glais where slept. It showed up as the news channel.

"This just in: an armed invasion of homes in Kalamazoo, Michigan. To any home owner in that area, lock your doors immediately and seek cover. Small terrorist groups have dispersed and are in the process of being detained by police."

I rolled my eyes after I heard that, but I felt paranoid. A knock at the door sounded. Just to be safe, I ran into my bedroom and hid under the bed, forgetting about everything, including Glais. I squealed with terror as soon as I heard an explosion come from the front door. I crawled further to the edge of the bed to see who was out there, and noticed the heavy weapons they were carrying. I didn't want to be a hero, not after the last time I pulled that stunt. Why couldn't this be a dream?

The terrorists became enraged that no-one was home, so the bullets started flying around. They smashed up everything they could see, shot out the TV and kicked it repeatedly. Glais suddenly came out of the bathroom, disarmed the closest assailant to him, grabbed his assault rifle and aimed it at the two other stunned group members. Glais hit the disarmed terrorist with the butt of his gun, ducked and tackled the next one into some cupboards to knock him out, but before Glais could get to the last attacker, he was shot in the leg. In a panic, I rolled out from under the bed, ran towards the shooter and punched him as hard as I could. The pistol spiralled into my hands, which automatically pointed at the downed man. I wanted to shoot so badly. Blood suddenly spilled from the terrorist's head, and I dropped the smoking firearm.

"No, no, not again…" I muttered as I ran to the corner of the room and crouched down, head in my hands.

"Anne, why did you do that!?" Glais shouted at me, but withdrew from his aggressive tone because of the agony in his leg.

"I'm sorry Glais, I'm so sorry; I promised not to do it again…"

"Do…do what again, Anne?"

"…kill…I did it too many times…I didn't want to again…"

"What are you talking about Anne? You don't come across as someone who would kill people…"

"I have! It's the horrible truth about me! Go away now! Or shoot me first, I don't care anymore..." I sobbed loud and hard. I just couldn't take my repressed past haunting me for any longer.

"Come now. Anne, you're talking nonsense. Here, let me give you my comfort." Glais came over to hug me, but I swatted him away. He didn't give up though, as he really wanted to hug the wretch that I was.

"I just want to be killed for my crimes. Take me away! Please!"

"No, I'm not letting that happen. Anne, your view of yourself is strange. You've done nothing!"

"But I shot the guy, point blank in the face! I've done that to too many people now."

"Honestly, what are you talking about? The only thing you've done just now is hit me in the face, for some strange reason."

"Wait, what? Did…I just imagine all that?" I immediately stopped crying.

"You started messing up your own home too. What's gotten into you?" Glais looked around, but his eyes widened when he saw something behind me.

"What…what is it Glais?"

"Don't turn around. Just don-" Glais was abruptly stopped by a large tendril stabbing his forehead, and draining him of colour. I disobeyed Glais, turned around to see where this tentacle came from, and saw the thing. I haven't seen this creature since I was thirteen. I ran for the door, leaving everything behind in panic. I made the mistake of separating from Glais when he needed to be freed, but it was too late now. The creature had already taken over another body. I kept running, because I didn't want anything else done to me. I had already been possessed before; not again.

As if by magic, the creature caught up to me, and took control again. I lost all function in my body, in order for this disgusting thing to take me away easily. I blinked for a second, unexpectedly finding myself in a dark room, strapped to a table, with Glais in the same position next to me. A masked person surrounded by lots more of these little creatures came over to me, chuckled maniacally, and pressed a large button on the strange machine next to my table. After that, everything faded to black as if I was being put into a deep, long sleep.

When I awoke, I was in an odd, purple carriage. Looking out from the carriage I could see a totally new landscape to me. The road looked different, so did the trees, and the grass, the sky…and there were ponies. Everywhere. I collapsed back down, and closed my weary eyes again, unable to cope with the whole situation.

19 - Growing up again

And there I was, in a new place, resting under the shade of a tree, where I awoke this time. I didn't know where I was, or who I was anymore. I stood up like I normally would, but I fell onto all fours. This was something I would obviously have to get used to, as I lifted my head up to copy what actual ponies look like. It's questionable to why the only animals I saw were ponies. No humans were around. I struggled to walk with my new forelegs, as this was all new to me, but I seemed to get the hang of it after some simple synchronisation. I was much smaller than the rest for some reason, but I felt pretty agile. I trotted into a built up town just past the line of trees I had started from, which was a drastic contrast. Shops were scattered around the area, usually stocking clothes and fashion and such, some sold fine pastries and sweets. The…ponies there were dressed up in the fanciest clothing, and all looked quite snobbish. I wasn't exactly noticed there, as I was too small to be seen, and I probably didn't stand out either.

I returned to the forest and rested under the same tree, as I was too aimless and lost to actually find my way around the place. I just noticed now that these equines were talking to each other in a language that I understood. They seemed much more sophisticated than the ones we had back on Earth. A whole area, world perhaps, devoted to ponies. So where do I start here? I guess a quick rest would be in order. But soon enough, a little white filly with her messy black and red hair, was poking me as I awoke to see her.

I sat there for what seemed like ages until she talked, and I wondered what she would say.

"And who are you?" The filly asked.

The only thing I could do was tilt my head slightly, as I was still adjusting to the whole voice thing.

"Where are my family? Are they alright!? Hello?" The filly nervously kept questioning me, but I had no idea how to answer.

"Do you…do you even speak? Do you have a name?" This foal started to show signs of impatience.

I could finally let out some sound from my mouth. "Uh, hi…?"

"Well, at least that's something…" She replied back.

"I'm kind of new here…I don't know how I got here." I said.

"Oh, well you're on the outskirts of Canterlot. Do you have a name?" She asked.

"Well, no, no I don't have a name. Like I said, I'm new here; this is my first time on this ground." I said, hoping she would understand.

"Your first time here? Weren't you born here or something?" She kept asking so many questions.

I didn't want to confuse her, so I had to lie a little. "No, I came from a far off land. I just happened to appear here recently."

"And, why don't you have a name?" She said.

I had to tell another lie. "I…never got to meet my parents, or they never actually named me, I don't remember."

"That's a shame to hear. Well, my name is Destiny Bond, and I really want to know where my family went, but you obviously wouldn't know…" She replied.

"I could help you find them if you'd like me to." I offered.

"Alright, you seem pretty smart." She complimented.

"Heh, thank you. I guess we should continue in the way that you were going." I said gratefully.

"Okay…you lead the way. You know what you're doing." She replied, and walked behind me, as if to push me onwards.

A narrow path dividing two blocks of trees wound through, so I kept walking on, Destiny close at hoof. Strangely, I'm beginning to become native with the pony culture already. It was then that I noticed a huge, brilliantly crafted city in the sky, with a rainbow waterfall straying off the edge into transparency. I wondered how that city got so high up there…

"You see that?" A voice came from behind me. "That place is Cloudsdale, where I came from."

"Cloudsdale, I see. Do you know how it can just float up there like that?" I replied with a question.

"Nope, I don't like history that much, that's why I skip it in school. Did you go to school where you came from?" She countered with another question.

"Yes, I went to a normal school, and I learned a few things I suppose. Since we're on that topic, my favourite subjects were creative writing and art, as well as IT. How about you?" I slipped up by talking about computer technology, which I hoped that it would get by without being noticed.

"Since where I study is a flight school, I like flying lessons the best. It's a shame I can't use my wings though…" She sighed.

"Yeah, that is a shame. Wait a second, you're not a pony; you have wings!" I was careless to not see those appendages.

"You must be very new! I am a pegasus, compared to you, because you're an earth pony." She explained.

"Earth…pony?" I asked.

"Yeah, earth pony, what you are. It's because you're stuck to the ground, you silly filly!" She giggled in amazement at the lack of knowledge I have for this place.

Eventually, we came to a tree in the middle of a fork in the path. I noticed there was a small fire coming from behind it, so I decided to check it out, but made sure Destiny kept her distance. It horrified me. Under the fire and the debris contained two grown up ponies, and one colt. They weren't alive. What was even more distressing was the fact that they both looked very similar to Destiny. No, they couldn't be…I didn't want to break the news to the innocent foal, so I pushed her quickly down the left fork on the path.

She set herself free from my hold. "Say, what was that about, hey?"

"Oh, it was nothing. Don't pay attention to it. It was probably some hooligans lighting fires or something." I had a lot of lying ahead of me with this filly.

"Oh, well that seems understandable in a way. Let's keep going." She said cheerfully.

"Hmm. It's quite a nice day today, don't you think?" I changed the subject as best as I could.

"Yes it is, isn't it? Not a cloud in the sky so far, apart from Cloudsdale. Say, how about we give you a name? I'll call you Blue, because it's the colour of the sky." She changed the subject again.

"Blue. Interesting, but it needs more to it." I said coolly.

"Ooh, you seem mysterious, like the sky, which could hold thunder somewhere! Your first name can be Electric, and your last name could be Blue! How about it?" She requested.

"Yeah, sounds good, I'll take it. Thanks for giving me a name, Destiny." I replied with a small smile.

The path seemed to go on forever, as I couldn't see anything put the lines of trees in the distance. A rumble came from my stomach, as well as Destiny's. We had to rest for a while, and find some food.

"I'm getting hungry. Blue, do you want an apple?" Destiny offered.

"Sure, I wouldn't mind an apple right now." I said with confidence.

"All you have to do is get it. We're both too small to reach the tree branches above us, so how will we do it?" Destiny examined.

"Hmm, would it be possible for you to climb on my back?" I asked.

"Yes, I can do that, and if I get on your back, I'll be able to reach those delicious apples!" Destiny exclaimed.

I shifted myself just under the apple tree we were close to, and Destiny hopped on top of me. She was pretty light, but you probably had to be if you were a pegasus. Two ripe, juicy apples dropped right in front of me, and Destiny skipped off my back to collect them up.

"Here you go, my friend Blue!" She placed one apple on my hoof, and dug in to her own one.

I took a bite out of my apple, and tasted a most wonderful thing. "I haven't had a flavour as nice as that for a while now!" I shouted with contentment. At least this moment could remove the scarring image from just before. I gulped down the tasty fruit, and waited for Destiny to finish hers.

"Thank you for the good finds Destiny. And do you really think of me as your friend, even though we've just met?" I continued.

"Of course! You're helping me find my parents, and you're a nice pony to be around, so how could you not be my friend?" She said.

"Well, I'm glad that you're my friend Destiny, and I hope I can call you one too." I replied with a slightly bigger smile than before.

The sky began to darken in its slow, usual manner. The sun in front of us lowered, and waved its goodbyes until tomorrow morning came. The blackness of night swallowed us, and everything around us. I could hardly see anything. If only I had a torch right now, but they probably don't belong in this world, to an extent. The ambient noises coming from the trees filled my head with a subtle glee as I walked along the same direction I followed, hoping I wouldn't bump into anything. Destiny still followed close, almost touching me as she didn't want to get lost herself. Ironically, a huge wall appeared in front of us, which

I knocked myself into. I felt around the wall to see if there was a way, but it was just plain, with no holes or gaps.

"Destiny, what do you think this wall is here for?" I asked.

"What wall, Blue?" Destiny asked back, passing through the thing that only I could see or touch.

When I tried walking through it, time seemed to slow down, as Destiny's pace became too steady. Suddenly it sped up again, but it sent me straight to a point in time ages after this event. I witnessed a slightly older Destiny, weeping as I held her.

"Why did my family have to go out like that!?" Destiny cried.

"I don't know Destiny, I really don't know…" I said, holding back the sympathetic tears I had.

I sat there and cradled my only friend for the longest time. How did I suddenly get into this situation though? The sudden jump from walking to an unknown location to here will probably never be explained to me, but that wall had something to do with it. Two larger ponies came up to us, and hugged us tightly.

"It's going to be alright, Destiny. You're safe with us all now." The pair said in unison.

"Yes, you're with us now, and we're going to support you every step of the way." I said, in character.

At that moment I was transported to another later time. I and Destiny were stood on an open plane, overlooking a forest past the cliff edge. Destiny spread her wings as if to start flying, and dashed off the cliff. She fell, but my magic kept her from going any further. My magic wasn't real though, so how could I have suddenly gained that power?

"That was pretty close this time, hey Blue? Lucky you have that spell of yours, or I would have been a goner long ago!" Destiny chuckled.

"Yes, yes it was." I said. "Keep going though, I'm sure you can do it. I believe you can fly, and so should you!"

"Alright, here I go again…" Destiny prepared herself for another inevitable fall, and charged over the cliff. The outcome was negative again. The time seemed to be in fast forward, as I watched Destiny repeat herself over and over again, until night fell. We returned to our home and got into our own beds to sleep. Destiny got up as I was about to drift off though, and went back to train more. The window in our room looked out to the cliff edge, so I watched her attempt to fly. She trudged back up to the same place after her failed efforts, carrying more and more leaves with her. The determination in her was astounding, yet the danger she brought on herself was rising slowly.
Destiny kept shouting "I'll do it for Blue! I'll do it for my family! I don't want to let anypony down!" at the top of her voice before spreading her wings to fly again, or at least try to. I couldn't stay awake for any longer, so I rolled back under the covers to rest.

The next morning, a bruised, dirty, messy Destiny stood over me smiling. I jumped a little bit, but I soon came to recognise her. She pushed her face into mine and whispered, "come see what I've done, quickly now!"

I followed her out onto the cliff. Destiny crouched, and spread her magnificent, but ruffled wings. She reared up, and charged to the edge. Her legs retracted, and then pushed out like a spring, launching her into the air. And there she went, flying, actually flying because of her willpower, and pure need to please who she was closest to.

The next shift in time brought me to a more familiar place, outside the tree house. Destiny and I were scribbling on the rock we came to every day we could, and then we moved up in to the tree house that we built ourselves. This was where we spent most of our childhood days with our surrogate parents, as we had control of the most perfect place in Ponyville. In the tree house contained a computer that I made, and a box of items from friends and family, all for Destiny to keep safe and look at. The walls were covered in pictures that we both drew together, of anything that came to our minds. Destiny's box came with a large, star shaped, yellow fruit, a couple of cute family photographs, some personal drawings, and a note that reads,

"Destiny,

No matter where we are or how far, we'll always be in your hearts. We adored you ever since you were born, and we want the best from you, so that's why we gave you life. You will meet many friends, you will be successful in whatever you do, you will find love, and you'll have good and bad times. But no matter what, we'll love you the most, always and forever.

From Storm Heart, Wind Soul, and Spirit Shine."

Hopefully this was the last shift in time, as I was now waiting outside a carriage, with Destiny.

"So, I guess this is our last goodbye for now, hey Blue?" Destiny said, with great sorrow.

"Yes. I don't want to leave you, but it's for the best. Our family have gone, and you're on the run. You can stay in Appleoosa, as they won't suspect a thing. I'll be back in Ponyville, so send me a telegram or something if you want." I returned, also with sorrow.

"Thank you for all the memories Blue. Thank you for being there for me, when others could not. Thank you for being my best friend, and thank you for being a sister to me." Destiny turned to travel the road to Appleoosa. "And one more thing, I love you the most, okay?"

"Okay Destiny, I love you too. Thank you for everything too, you've made my life so enjoyable, and you've filled so many empty spaces. I'll see you later now." I tried to be as vague as I could, but I couldn't hide my tears for any longer.

"Here, before I go, I want to share this long kept fruit with you. Apparently when a pair take half each of one paopu fruit and eat it, their souls become connected forever. I want to share that opportunity with you, Blue." Destiny said, while passing half of that yellow star shaped fruit to me.

"Alright, thank you. We'll both take a bite on the count of three." I returned.

One, two, three. When we bit into our halves of this little paopu fruit, I felt a totally new feeling race around my body. Destiny had a glowing effect around her, as if she was going to react to this fruit. Just then, her flank shone the brightest, and a long awaited cutie mark started to appear. It was the same fruit we had shared together. This was Destiny's destiny.

We said our tearful goodbyes, and Destiny strolled off into the distance. I got into the carriage waiting for me, and I was soon heading back to Ponyville, so I took a well deserved rest.

I couldn't believe that I forgot my whole past here, but now it's all back in its right place. So, my life flashed before my eyes, in the most important stages to remember. I came back to the present now, in Anne's body. Glais had me tied down to a chair, in what looked like a bunker. Weapons were strewn everywhere, as well as torture devices.

"Right, and now you're awake, let's begin." Glais' cold hearted voice rang out again.

"How…how did I survive the gunshot?" I asked.

"Strangely enough, you didn't. I figured out that you were already dead, as well as I am. You stabbed me with the knife, and I shot you. I apparently bled to death, and you flew to the ground. Five minutes later, we were awake again, so I carried you over here. Someone did both of our jobs for us." Glais explained.

"But how could we have just come back alive again?" I said.

"I don't know…we just did. We also healed while resting, so basically our killings had no effect. Meaning possibly that we're just emergency copies of ourselves." Glais replied.

"Copies!? You're saying we're just temporary images of ourselves?" I enquired.

"That's correct, I'm guessing. But what purpose do we server if we're only temporary?" Glais questioned himself.

"Well whatever we're doing here, I just want to get back to my new world." I said anxiously.

"Ugh, I don't want to be here either, I have a world of my own too." Glais replied. "Here, I'll help you out of those ropes. I suppose we'll have to team up for a while, but don't expect me to warm up to you, I know what you're like."

"Hmm, alright, we can't do any harm to each other anyway. Where shall we start?" I sighed.

"I've heard rumours of the mysterious group called 'The authors', having the answers to any question. When I ruled this world, I had tabs on everything and everyone, so I know exactly where they would be. Shall we?" Glais said.

"Alright, let's go then, Glais." I huffed, and Glais opened the bunker door to expose the red sunlight.

20 - The Authors, Part 1

Chapter 20 – The Authors, Part 1

Glais seemed a lot less hostile as I walked beside him. Maybe he found peace in his own world, as he mentioned earlier. Or maybe he just didn’t care about me; he wanted to get this trip over with as fast as possible.

“Glais?” I asked.

“Yes, what is it?” He replied.

“Well, why aren’t you attacking me?” I posed another question.

“I’ve already explained, we’re only temporary forms, we’re already dead. Didn’t you listen?” His old tone was still there.

“Ah, I’m sorry about that…” I felt intimidated again, but I had to keep my strength, even if he couldn’t hurt me.

“You should learn to listen better, but I’m glad you’ve given out some respect,” Glais remarked.

“Glais, I was wondering-”

“I don’t want to hear what you have to say,” Glais interrupted. “Just follow me and stay quiet.”

I obeyed his words, as his malevolence had gotten the best of me. I watched his swift figure walk ahead in front of me; his long dark cloak flapping in the light breeze. I looked to the left of me, witnessing a crumbling metropolis over the horizon. To the right was more arid land, scattered with burnt out vehicles across a sand covered road. There was literally nothing left after I had vanished from this earth, and it’s impossibly less now that I’m back. I wanted to get back to Equestria, my safe haven, but all I could do was tail Glais for now. Until we find those ‘Authors’ or whatever that group is called. What a strange name, how are a bunch of writers going to help us travel worlds?

The heat had risen significantly since my last visit, so I was forced to take off my grey, tattered hoodie and tie it around my waist.

“Glais?” I requested him again, hoping he would allow me to speak.

“Shut up,” He countered hatefully.

“Please let me ask you something, it’s only small…” I said.

“Ugh. Fine, but don’t expect me to answer you. I don’t answer to the enemy,” Glais replied, colder than ever.

“Well, how did we become enemies anyway?” I questioned.

There was silence. We kept walking until we came to a withered and charred tree, then Glais spoke again.

“I don’t want to waste my time on you,” He said, ever so slightly unnerved, “but since you’re bad at remembering, I’ll tell you anyway. I feel…generous today.”

“Please do, I have so many mysteries to solve, and you seem to know more than I do.” I replied.

“Alright, listen up. You probably have a lost of holes in your memory, just like I did when I was transported to my own world. I don’t know myself how that was caused, but I dug deep and all of it is restored.” Glais continued.

“How can I get my memory back?” I requested.

“No more questions,” Glais argued. “From the beginning, we met up at a formal ball. We…had fun that night. Ugh. I don’t want to say the next part.”

“Carry on Glais, please?” I begged.

“Don’t vomit when you hear this,” Glais sighed. “We…I can’t bear to say it, but we…made love.”

“What the…oh no…so that’s why I woke up in my underclothes…” I replied, sore with shock.

“Wait, you remember that night?” Glais asked.

“Well, only parts of it. That’s pretty much the only part of my human form I can remember. Although it seemed all messed up,” I answered, trying to find the creeping feeling of awkwardness and tension.

“Right. I’ll continue now. The next morning, we were attacked by terrorist looking guys, but we managed to fight back. And then that nightmarish rabbit creature took my soul away. I turned evil after that. You were possessed and dragged away, never to be seen for about a year. I was bent on world domination, and you were the leader of a rebel army. With both our positions made, we were mindlessly killing millions of innocent people on earth, beyond our control as we were being possessed. Ultimately we were both corrupted, even if you were on the ‘good’ side. When the creature was done with us, we were taken to a dungeon to be transported to another world; almost like we were being saved by someone,” Glais finished his speech.

“Wow, I didn’t know…but it all makes sense to me now. We were responsible for destroying this world,” A tear formed in my eye, but it stung.

“I hope that helps. Let’s continue shall we?” Glais walked ahead and returned his fast pace again.

We came to an abandoned house on the edge of the road, which surprisingly still stood amidst the ruins of the past village. Glais entered the house without fear, and I followed slowly behind him. It seemed too clean and organised, but how could this be?

“Ah. This must have been one of those experimental lead lined houses, built in some small settlements across America,” Glais explained, examining the metal sheets behind some fallen bricks.

I found some bottles of water in the fridge, and offered one to Glais. The impatient man didn’t want it though, as he pushed past me to grab the alcohol stowed. In turn, he offered me some of the stuff I’ve never had before, and I refused as I usually would.

“It’s a shame really, you’re missing out on a lot,” Glais said.

“I can get by without drinking alcohol you know. I’ve gotten his far at least,” I spoke proudly.

My cunning enemy came back at me with blackmail. “I’m not moving from this house until you take a swig.”

“That’s unfair. I just want to get back to my new home, and surely you must too?” I argued.

“It’s late at night now anyway, and I really don’t want to be finding some potentially dead people right now. I want to drink myself silly, and you should too. It’s better than feeling sorry for you anyway.” Glais went from sips to gulps of his pure vodka, hardly stopping for breath.

“Ugh…fine, I’ll have some.” I took a small glass tumbler filled with the liquid from the tipsy man in front of me, and lifted it to my mouth.

I let a tiny amount slide onto my tongue, and swallowed. It burned, but tasted slightly bitter. But the aftertaste was nice. I drank the remaining vodka from the glass, and smacked my lips. I had never realised how good this alcohol was, so I demanded more. Glais tried pouring drink, but he was shaking under his drunkenness. I took the bottle and drank straight from it. The man took it back from me to have another mouthful. I had started to feel light headed, and I couldn’t help but stumble every so often. I laughed much more, and Glais seemed to be warmer.

“I can’t believe it Glais, I actually feel happy for once!” I shouted in my drunken manner.

“What are you talking about, Anne…” Glais said with his slurred tone.

“I…I don’t f-feel miserable now, haha! I couldn’t care less about anyone a-anymore, It’s all about m-me!” I staggered with my back to a wall, and slumped down while giggling.

“Anne, pleashe shtop sh-shouting, I want quiet,” Glais said as he got out of his chair and sat next to me. “Anne, where did it all go wrong?”

“Nothing went wrong, everything w-went wrong, it’s all the s-same really, haha. I don’t even know what I’m s-saying anymore!” I kept laughing as I took my ragged grey hoodie off and threw it into a corner.

“Hey Anne, I’m shorry for everything, it wasn’t my fault you know, I’m just a lonely guy who didn’t realishe that you weren’t into males,” Glais sighed as he hurled the empty bottle of vodka at the wall, which smashed into tiny pieces that scattered everywhere.

“Aww, d-don’t worry about it d-dude, you’re a good f-friend after all.” I leaned over to give Glais a hug with my limp arms, and he returned it, tightly.

“Anne, let’sh go and find these Authorsh right now, I bet we can find them,” Glais said as he stood up and tottered to the front door.

“G-Glais, I don’t think either of us c-can go anywhere. You almost f-fell you silly p-person,” I chuckled as I got up and pulled him up the stairs, but I fell myself.

“Anne, shtop trying, we’ll just shleep on the shofa, head to toe alright?” Glais asked as he moved himself from my now weak grip and jumped onto the sofa.

“S-sure, we’ll do that f-for tonight.” I pushed myself from the stairs and circled around the sofa; landing next to Glais’ already sleeping figure.

The next morning woke me from my sleep with a headache included, and my appearance didn’t look the cleanest. I couldn’t remember any of what happened last night, but s I looked at my surroundings, they seemed more damaged than when we entered this place first. Glais wasn’t in sight, so I called out his name.

“Glais!” No answer. I looked in the rooms at the top of the stairs, but he wasn’t there either. I descended to the bottom floor, grabbed my hoodie which was oddly in the corner of the room, and left the house.

“Oh, you’re finally up. Let’s go, shall we?” Glais asked me as he walked away from the house.

“Wait up Glais,” I said as I ran to his side.

“I hope your headache has worn off, ‘cause I have something to tell you,” my enemy stopped in his tracks, and turned to face me.

“Ugh, my head feels clear enough, so go ahead and tell me.” I stopped and listened.

“Right, now that you may think you’re good, you’re wrong. You’ve forgotten everything about yourself as a human, so I’ll reveal a bit more to you.” A pack of cigarettes was lifted out of a pocket, and an individual stick was lit, while in honest Glais’ mouth.

“I…didn’t know you smoked?” I was intrigued.

“You know what they say, bad person, bad habits. Anyway, ever since your parents died, you wanted revenge on the world because you thought it was all one big old pile of corruption. Now I gotta say that’s true, but you took it brilliantly far, as you killed so many innocent people to feel good about yourself. You were raised by a group of bandits for most of your petty life, so they made you into a real thug.” Glais laughed as he exhaled his smoke.

“That’s not true!” I rebelled, almost speechless.

“Whatever; let me finish. The real good person was your brother, the other survivor from your house exploding. He had a better mind to choose as he’s slightly older than you, see? One day he cloned me though, and I was the exact opposite to him, apart from looks. I wonder where he is now, the little-”

I interrupted the evil person spouting evil words. “Shut up! Don’t bad mouth my brother!”

“Ugh, you never liked him in reality. Anne; you envied him and wanted him dead, just like everyone else. Apart from me, that is. I was just as evil as you, and so we killed people together. That’s the real deal right there. You were pure evil, and we were in love. Suddenly we were punished for our sins by getting killed.” Smoke rings puffed out of the newly viewed man’s mouth.

“Well then, how come we hate each other now?” I enquired.

“We hate each other because you thought wrong about everything. You lost your memory of this world, and you rebuilt it from a flaky amount of evidence. I guess it’s time to embrace your dark side again. Here’s a gun, let’s go kill some people.” A sniper rifle bearing my name was given to me.

“My…name?” I asked, trying to take everything in at the same time.

“Yes, this is your old gun. I hope you like it, as I kept it in good condition for you. Now let’s go into that town over there.” Mr Memory threw his already finished cigarette on the ground, and took out his own gun.

“This isn’t happening,” I thought to myself as Glais and I dispatched a few police and shady travellers. We didn’t stop to ask questions or listen; we just took shots at people like stone cold killers should. Glais knew where to go as I followed his dark figure through the town, and made our way to a library. My new, unwanted partner moved a bookcase to the back of the library out of the way, which revealed a set of descending stairs to a dark basement. I followed the assassin down the stairs.

“Hello? You creeps still here?” Glais called out as he turned on a flashlight to remove some darkness.

“By ‘creeps’ you refer to your makers, right?” A voice called out from a corner of the room. The flashlight pointed in that direction and a huddled group of untidy people waved at us. “I guess you want to go back to your worlds, right?”

“Sure we do, so you better take us back or we’ll gun you down,” I abruptly spilled out cruel words.

“Nicely done Anne, I’m now starting to recognise you,” Glais commented as he patted me on the back.

“And who’s this feisty character? Oh I remember now, you’re the one I write for. Nice to meet you Blue,” A girl said as she stood up to shake my hand forcefully.

“I’m the one you write for?” I repeated, puzzled.

“Glais didn’t explain did he? We’re the Authors, a handful of people that are created by certain deaths. Obviously you died, so I was created with the intentions of making a new you, by writing. You wanted something so badly that this happened.” The girl giggled as she let go of my hand and stuck a finger in her hair to play with it.

“So, what did I want badly, to get a second chance, I’m guessing?” I enquired.

“Correct, a second chance. What you wanted was true happiness, a new start, and to be a good soul. I wrote those wishes for you, and you need to continue them.” This girl seemed so familiar to me, with her almost jet black hair, and red streaks.

“And so I became a pony, in a world where negativity hardly exists. Please, just let me go back there already!” I cried out as I became restless. I didn’t want to be evil any longer, and I didn’t want to kill anyone else.

“Fine, let’s go write you back in. Come through, and let me strap you back on to the bed you belong.” The girl ushered me through a door leading to a large room full of what seemed to be sleeping people. Two empty beds were next to each other. I was helped onto my one; and Glais onto his. A quick prick of a needle into my skin, and I fell asleep.

21 - The return

Chapter 21 – The return

Well, I’m back where I belong now. It rained heavily as I walked back home. Heavier than ever before, so much that it almost felt like pain. I noticed my mailbox was overflowing with letters, so I picked out the dry ones and ran inside. As I opened them one by one, they all read something similar.

“It’s your entire fault for ruining this peaceful world. If you hadn’t of left, or came here in the first place, we would have been safe.”

What did I do wrong? I fell unconscious suddenly, that’s all I can remember from my last moments here before. I cleared my mail from the counter with anger and went to my bed. I lay on it and listened to the pouring rain coming from outside, ever continuing to fall. I felt like I had to be somewhere important, but I couldn’t put my mind on it. Huffing as I turned restlessly, I caught eyes on Anne’s diary. I leaned over to pick it up, and started reading. Evil was my middle name after all. Most of the pages in this book describe the senseless murdering of handfuls of people, with a large amount of detail. The love for Glais made me shiver. I got up, opened the window, and threw the old diary out, in hopes that the ink would get washed out of it. A rest was what I needed to calm my nerves. It was way into the late hours of the night, so I needed my sleep.

The next morning brought a glare through the glass, which woke me. A light shower remained outside, but it was good enough to travel through. I brewed myself a coffee, drank it fast, and headed outside. I knew where I needed to be now, which was the hospital. Hopefully her wing had healed up before I got back here. I passed the market stalls, with ponies staring at me in disgust.

“And now you show here after a cruel month went by? You could have destroyed us all!” A burly, but distressed colt shouted.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know-”

“Just get out of here now! We can’t bare to look at you!” I was interrupted by another heckling market pony.

I ran as fast as I could to avoid more unneeded abuse from my apparently former friends. My legs were covered in mud as I arrived at the place I needed to be. I entered the building, and the hospital staff backed away from me, almost hissing under their breaths. Room 8 held Destiny as I remembered, so I headed there rapidly. The group of my closest friends were still there, watching over what seemed to be a healed up Destiny. I took my gaze from the window and opened the door slowly so I didn’t attract attention, but to no avail. They all gave me a menacing look immediately, like I was a complete unknown.

“Destiny, I’m glad you’re better now-”

“Shut up and get out,” Twisha snapped.

“What’s up with everypony against me lately?” I enquired, with a hopelessly upset tone.

“You heard her missy, now scoot!” Braeburn snarled.

“But…what did I do?” My voice felt choked and muted.

“You made this whole place collapse in on itself, irreversibly killing many ponies in the process. I can’t believe you did this to all of us, Blue! So many families lost!” Azure cried. “I don’t even want to call you my sister anymore…”

“I didn’t do this I swear! I didn’t know-”

“Just go already Blue.” Fluttershy interrupted as she moved towards me slowly.

“But Shy, you’ve got to listen to me-”

“It’s over, we’re through. Get out now before it gets any worse.” Fluttershy spun me around forcefully and pushed me out of the room.

I dragged my hooves out of the building, hanging my head in shame. I had never felt so low in my life. In just a few seconds, everypony I knew changed from happy go lucky souls to hateful, aggressive beings towards me. The sun in the sky hid behind sudden dark clouds which rained down their heavy droplets again. As I walked through the market again, the ponies there threw various produce at my direction. Lashing out in a rage, I charged for one of the stalls, knocking it over. It left the ponies scared for a brief moment, but they went back to their offensive positions again. I trotted quickly out of their view to my house. A sign was boarded across the door, showing the word “for sale” on it. Already I had been evicted. I sat down on the muddy ground and lost my cool. Tears ran down my face in unison with the rain, as I had nothing left anymore. A coat and bag rested on the step in front of the door, so I picked them up and put them on, and headed away from Ponyville.

Canterlot was the next place to go. I had to confront the Princess. The sun just barely shone out of the clouds as I approached the castle. The royal guards blocking the gate grew hostile as I paced towards them.

“The Princess is expecting you, Electric Blue. I suggest you see her immediately,” The gruff-voiced guard said, moving aside to let me through.

The pearly white halls brightened up the darkened day, and the numerous paintings hung high on the walls amazed me. The corridors lead me to the throne room, where Celestia and Luna resided.

“Greetings, Electric Blue,” The sun Princess called. “Please do not speak while I give you this message. Now you had been appointed the task of reporting to me with your findings, but you have lacked on that severely. In the late days of your absence, you had driven the world into a chaos not experienced before. You are also responsible with the deaths of many ponies of Equestria, which is the first crime we have ever known in this area.”

“Therefore,” The Princess of the night continued, “you are hereby banished to the snowy mountains, the most isolated place in all Equestria. The mountains are not suitable for living, so you will not be able to survive for a long time. The punishment may seem too unforgiving, but it is what is deserved.”

The princesses gestured for me to leave, and so I did, acidic tears filling my eyes. The only company I had left was myself, but that didn’t feel right, as all I am now is a shell. The mountains could be seen just over the top of the castle, so I followed in that direction. I walked through a desolate canyon which stretched between two halves of overlooking mountains; crumbling rocks rolled down in an attempt to hit me, but I managed to avoid those obstacles. The temperature began to decrease as the rain turned into snow, and the highland’s shades changed from the earthy brown to a suffocated purple colour. The only way was up now, as I climbed my way to the top of the highest snow covered peak. A convenient cave had been chiselled through near the top, so I crawled into that space before suffering from the effects of hypothermia any more. I emptied my bag to reveal an old camera, the photos, my half of the Paopu fruit, an orange orb, and a note tied up with string. I took off the string and unravelled the note, to read “you know what to do, from G.”

I knew who it was from, but what did he mean? I had other things to think about anyway, so I lamented over the apparent deaths of other ponies. My relationship with everypony was crumbling, and Fluttershy’s love for me had disappeared. This was the first time I had ever been truly alone. I had so much more to discover too, so much to explore, but I wasn’t able to let that happen. I shuffled backwards away from the puddle my tears had made, and rested. But when I tried to do that, I was awoken by the touch of the rabbit creature again.

“How did you get here?!” I exclaimed, but I knew I wouldn’t get an answer.

More of these rabbit creatures seemingly popped out of nowhere, advancing towards me. By now they would have hurt me or otherwise, but they seemed docile for once. It was almost like they cared for my existence, when they’re neutral creatures out for themselves. And then, one of the tendrils from the closest creature connected with my forehead, giving me something new to feel. I knew what to do now.

*Destiny Bond’s POV*

My wing had healed up fully, so I could finally get out of this room I’ve gotten so used to. The nurse discharged me from the hospital and our group left for home. When we got back there though, we noticed the “for sale” sign hanging on the door.

“What? I thought this house was occupied by us?” I questioned.

“It doesn’t look like it anymore,” Azure replied. “So where are we going to live now?”

“Y’all can come on over to Appleoosa ya know!” Braeburn proudly stated.

“Well, you all can do that, but, um, I should be staying in my own home for now. I have to catch up with the girls anyway,” Fluttershy piped up.

“Alright, we’ll see you around then Fluttershy,” I returned as we parted ways.

And there we were, I, Braeburn, Azure and Twisha waiting for the train to arrive.

“I’d rather go back to my own hometown, if that’s alright with you? Azure, would you like to come too? I will probably need the company,” Twisha addressed.

“Uh, well, sure, if the rest of us say we can separate,” Azure looked to me for confirmation.

“Of course you two can go, me and Braeburn would like some time together too,” I nodded.

“But, we’re not toge-”

“All aboard!” The conductor shouted, interrupting Azure with his reddening face.

We got on the just arrived train, found our seats and prepared for the journey ahead. Everything that just happened seemed faster than usual. The scenery moved past the windows as we sped along the tracks, which turned from a dark forest, to open plains of grass to sand in a matter of minutes. The buildings also transformed from brick based structures familiar to Ponyville, and then the smaller wooden constructions native to the settler ponies of Appleoosa came about. The dusty station appeared as the train came to a stop, leaving me and Braeburn as well as other ponies to get off. We waved good bye to Twisha and Azure from the platform, and the train chugged away again. I looked at the ponies of a traditional old west town, with their traditional clothes and different walks.

“We’re home Destiny,” Braeburn whispered to me, as we approached his orchard.

“Yeah, finally back where we started,” I whispered back.

“It’s good that we’re together again now, ain’t that right?” Braeburn asked as he came to nuzzle me.

“It sure is. It’s felt like such a long time since we’ve been here,” I laughed as I gave my partner a peck on the cheek.

“Ah just remembered, ah need to go get some supplies from the store, so do ya mind waitin’ here a spell?” The sand coloured stallion asked me.

“Sure, I need to rest my hooves anyway. I’ll see you in a bit,” I answered as Braeburn left my company.

I opened the door to the lodge in the corner of the harvesting field, and found the closest piece of furniture suitable to lie down on. The loveseat I lay on was soft and fluffy, good enough to fall asleep upon. I casually studied my surroundings, to see a fireplace, with some trophies that Braeburn had won resting on the mantelpiece, as well as the rustic style kitchen to the next room. The rickety staircase stood near to me, leading up to the bedroom that I remembered sleeping in. Oh, that thick, plush duvet was heaven to sleep under. When I finished my observations, a knock at the door sounded. I hesitated to get up as I found comfort in this couch, but I didn’t wanted to be impolite.

“Destiny, you’re back at last!” I could barely recall this colt standing in front of me, but his icy blue coat and wings stood out from the rest of the ponies around here.

“I’m sorry?” I asked, tilting my head to the side.

“It’s me, Snowfall! Don’t you remember?” He enquired.

“Oh yeah! Hi Snowfall! I missed you, ya know?” I gave my old friend an inviting hug. “Say, where’s Mistletoe and Holly?”

“Yes, they had to stay up in the snowy mountains because of family matters. And besides, they prefer colder temperatures especially in the middle of summer,” Snowfall explained and chuckled.

“Fair enough, but aren’t you the same?” I questioned the wintery character.

“Nah, I can cope better in the heat,” he answered.

“Uh, well would you like a drink or anything?” I offered.

“Oh that’s fine, I just came by to drop some news anyway. We don’t usually get outsider ponies visiting the snowy mountains, but we noticed this orange pony with blue and yellow hair travelling up to the highest peak. I was wondering if you knew her at all?” My cool blue friend interrogated.

“Oh yes, I know her…we all know that pony. I can’t believe she used to be my friend, when all her evil was uncovered. She even tried to destroy Ponyville, and her success is making a massive amount of ponies disappear.” I spoke coldly, as I didn’t want to know anything about that mare anymore.

“I see. We should probably be hostile towards her next time she’s seen, right?” Snowfall went along with me.

“Yes, definitely. As soon as you see her, attack her if you can. Everypony wants her eliminated, including me.” I shivered because of my chilling voice, which was intimidating me for some reason, even though it’s the default tone taken towards that pony.

Braeburn finally returned from his shopping trip, came into the house and unloaded the groceries; and then sorted them to their appropriate places.

“Aw hey Snowfall, long time no see,” Braeburn called out.

“I know, it’s been a while, but already it’s time for me to go, as I had some business to attend to with my family. See you two later on!” The ice pegasus said as he took off rapidly.

“Well, it’s kinda getting’ late now; we should be hittin’ the hay.” Braeburn yawned as he trotted past me to the stairs. “You comin’ yet, Destiny?”

“Nah, I have to do something quickly, I’ll be up in a sec,” I replied with a chuckle.

“Alright then, ah’ll be waitin’ for ya,” my partner winked at me and continued up to the bedroom.
It was time to dust off that old diary.

“Dear diary,

I’m finally back in Appleoosa, and I can spend some time with Braeburn. Where we used to live was strangely put back on sale, so we had to come here. The group split up though, so it’s just us two for now. Oh yes, I should make this as a note. I’ll need to talk with Princess Celestia soon about…that pony, and what’s going to happen with her. The sooner she’s out of here, the better, I say. But for now, I should get back into the route of a simple life with just Braeburn. We have a lot of work to do on the orchard, as it is harvesting season in a couple of months, so we’ll continue with the growing of crops.”

I placed the book on the fireplace, and doused the fire with the watering can. After that I headed upstairs, and got into that cosy old bed with Braeburn. I kissed him lightly, and we fell asleep in each other’s hooves.

22 - Harvest

Chapter 22 – Harvest

“Time ta work the orchard, Destiny…” Braeburn whispered while standing over me.

“Ugh…this early?” I asked, rolling over to snatch more bed covers and avoid the blinding rays flowing through the window.

“Sure this early, it’s the best time to get our harvest!” Braeburn answered as he nudged me out of bed.

I stretched my legs as far as they could go, and then checked myself in the mirror. My hair had better days. I yawned right in Braeburn’s face to make him do the same.

“You ain’t gonna convince me ya know Destiny; ah’m not lettin’ ya go back ta rest. Come on now, get!” Braeburn almost chucked me down the stairs as he ushered me out of the house.

“So what have we got to get?” I enquired.

“Apples ya silly, that’s all we got growin’ on them trees! After we get ‘em down we gonna pack some up, or we gonna crush some into cider, the usual kinda stuff.” Braeburn explained excitedly. He hadn’t been back here in a while so the sandy-haired colt was raring to harvest his fruits again.

“Alright, let’s get started then!” I shouted as I grabbed a bucket, attached it to the saddle and slung it across my back. I made my way to the closest tree, faced away from it and raised my hind legs slowly to gather strength. I could feel the muscles tensing up and gaining power as they rose. When it was time, I pushed my back legs out as fast and hard as I could to buck the tree, causing the apples to fall out of the branches in unison. They all dropped into the bucket, and I felt pleased with the result, but a sweat broke out. Already this was becoming hard work for this inexperienced mare.

I laughed at myself as I noticed my partner had kicked down many more apples than I had already. Even so, I kept doing my best with what little skill I had. Braeburn even tried racing to the tree I was about to go to, in his cocky ways. I lifted my full buckets and emptied the contents into a cart, ready to be taken away to somewhere else in town.

“Destiny, ah’m just gonna take these carts to th’ storehouse, so you just sight tight now,” Braeburn told me as he attached the cart to his saddle.

“Sure, see you later Brae!” I replied in a happy, but exhausted voice.

I found some shade under a tree and collapsed. This work wasn’t something to be taken lightly, and I have no idea how Braeburn can handle this so easily. But then again, he’s the farm colt, and I’m somepony who rarely uses her strength. It will improve though, or maybe I could use my wings to my advantage. Yeah, that sounds like a good idea, then I could rub it in Braeburn’s face, heheh. Those apples would be shot into the buckets as I fly past the trees. I think my wings have enough power, so I could try to test my idea.

I stood up, put my buckets back on the saddle, and took to the sky. I targeted the tree with the most apples left on the branches, and dived towards it. And like they was designed for this purpose, the apples easily gathered in the bucket closest to the tree as I flew past. This was much better progress than my last attempt on the ground. Ha, Brae’s gonna be proud of me for this idea.

“Hey missy, how did you get all these apples so fast?” Braeburn asked when he came back, to see me resting under that same tree I collapsed at.

“Well, seeing as I’m a pegasus pony, I could fly by the trees while collecting the apples, do you get it?” I proudly explained.

“...That’s a new way of goin’ about it, well done missy!” The settler colt praised me. “We could speed up production by quite a bit! Heh, and that’s why ah love you Destiny, you’re brilliant!”

“Why thank you, I love you too, Brae,” I replied, and he gave me a pretty tight hug.

“Say, d’ya wanna go to the bar? Ah bet ya feel thirsty after that work!” Braeburn offered as he already began walking in the direction of the saloon.

“Sure, I could use a drink, haha!” I followed my lovers’ trail and felt the dryness of my mouth enticing me for the sustenance I needed.

When we got to the bar, we chose the vacant table in the corner, and sat down. The old bar was visited every day by every member of this small town, as it was one of the only places to go if ponies needed some relaxation or entertainment. The townsfolk knew each other mostly from meeting in this very tavern, so the air was filled with the sound of friendly chatter, and the strong smell of alcohol. Although, the night made the atmosphere change a little, since that was when the rougher ponies of the town come out to play. Word goes out that a new, villainous gang has arrived in this town, and has taken over one of the run down buildings on the edge of the area we live in. Hopefully they won’t cause trouble though, they might just get up and leave because this isn’t the best of places for them.

“So, what ya gonna have, Destiny?” Braeburn asked me.

“Oh, just some plain old cider, please,” I requested.

“Sure thing, ah’ll be back in a sec.” The sandy-haired colt moved towards the bar and ordered our drinks. He got my cider, and he got himself some whisky. A bit strong for the middle of the day, but it’s his choice for what he has.

“Hey again Brae,” I politely said as he returned to our table.

“Hey miss. Come on now, drink up, you deserve it!” As he finished his sentence, he took a sip from his glass, and so did I. It burned my throat a little, but it went away after the next sip. The apple and alcohol mixed taste excited my tongue as it sloshed around my mouth. The flavour was perfect to take my mind off the heat of the day, as it calmed my nerves and made the pain of hard work flow away.

“I should have more of this drink, it burns a little, but it tastes so good!” I told my drinking partner, as he took a small gulp of his own whisky.

“Sure, we’ll come here every time we get some work done, how’s that sound?” Braeburn proposed.

“Yeah, sounds like a plan!” I replied, glad that we’ve settled into this good life as a happy couple.

A few rounds of drinks later, we suddenly noticed that the sun was setting over the desert hills. We got up and stumbled out of the bar, laughing uncontrollably as we went. A train had just arrived at the station, even though they don’t run this late, which was weird. I shrugged it off and continued walking home with Braeburn, and we mumbled drunken words to each other. In the distance were some shady stallions leaning against Braeburn’s fence of his orchard, possibly waiting for...us? As we approached, they looked even more menacing to us. They were definitely that new outlaw gang.

“Well well, what do we have here, boys? Some stupid ponies that can’t handle their drinks properly...” Said the largest of the colts in front of us. There were about six or seven of them, I couldn’t really tell with my blurred vision, but they surrounded us, I know that.

“Hey... ah’m shure ya can’t handle yer drinks either, mister...” Braeburn piped up to counter the mean stallion’s words.

“Brae...keep it down will ya? We don’ wanna get hurt ya know...let’sh jusht go...” I tried convincing my overconfident partner to pull back and move on.

“Shall we roughhouse ‘em a little, Boss?” A colt sounded from next to the largest. He had visible scars on his body, probably from the many fights this gang has been in. In fact, all of them have signs of violence on them.

“Heheh, we haven’t for a while, and since they’re drunk, they won’t feel a thing! What a good idea, my little minion,” The so called ‘Boss’ Replied.

And then the surrounding ponies jumped and attacked us. Blows to the face for Braeburn, and some kicks to my body, crippling my wings in case I tried to fly away. Each colt from the evil group got a chance to hurt us both. We couldn’t escape this flurry of punches and bucks, so we had to get our bones broken before we could be set free. Blood spattered over the floor, a tooth or two might have been knocked out as well.

“Alright, that’s enough now fellas!” The Boss shouted in his deep, crushing voice. The gang pulled back and left us. “We’ll see you guys tomorrow morning, when you’ll be able to feel the pain again.”

I and Braeburn moved into the house, washed the blood from our mouths, and went to sleep without saying a word. We didn’t know what had really just happened, so we stayed in a confused state.

“Ugh...mornin’ Destiny, how’d you sleep?” Braeburn asked me as he shook me awake.

“Badly...ooh...I’m hurting so much. My head is killing me, and my body feels like it’s been galloping for miles. How about you?” I replied, really feeling the burning agony from every inch of my being.

“The same...Celestia it stings!” There were some bruises on the colt’s body, coming up as large, purple lumps. I seemed to have the same kind of bruises.

“How in Equestria did we end up like this? I know we drank a lot, but I didn’t know it would affect you and me like this...” I cried as Braeburn got out of bed, stretched, and looked out of the window.

“Uh...there’s some mean lookin’ ponies standin’ outside ya know,” He worriedly changed the subject. I got up to look with him.

“Oh no...they aren’t that new gang hanging around, are they?” I asked my love, scared.

“Uh, ah think they are. But why are they waitin’ outside for us?” Braeburn limped down the stairs and out of the door, and I followed him, trying to ignore the pain intensifying through each step.

“Hey, you just get yer flanks off our property, ya hear? We don’t want you around here no more!” The sandy colt courageously shouted.

“Haha, you’re awake now, are you? How are your hangovers?” The large pony standing in the middle of the group said, with his deep, gruff voice.

“Heh, yeah Boss, hangovers...” The stallion standing next to the ‘Boss’ continued.

“You ready to take another beating? Get ‘em, boys!” The Boss shouted as his cronies came at us, pushing us to the ground with brute strength.

They all laid into us, dealing powerful punches, making the pain we already felt even worse. Every second got more and more agonising for us. Blood was spilt on the floor, and our bones sounded like they were going to get broken. Nopony was around to help us, so all we could do was take it. We were both pinned down, and I tried squirming, but it was no use.

“Stop that. Now.”

A voice, loud enough to be heard over the beating could be heard from behind the bullying stallions. But nothing else happened, we just kept getting pummeled.

“I said. Stop.”

I could see huge balls of darkness smash the colts on top of us away, and these strange rabbit creatures wrapped them up in what seemed to be tentacles coming from them. The rabbit-things took the gang away, leaving this one mare behind.

“So petty. So weak. All of you. I saved you from that small time gang because they were wanted, so I could take the reward. Alive or dead. It depends on the Lepouri’s moods. They say the work for nopony, but I think differently.”

The mare standing in front of us was wearing a grey-green coat, covering her face and most of her body. But her hair was orange, and very shaggy. She had what looked to be barbed shackles on her legs, with dried up bloodstains surrounding them. Her tail was cut up and charred slightly. She didn’t even seem recognisable.

“...Blue?” I called to her.

“That’s not my name anymore. I removed my identity because I’m no-one.” She called back. Her voice was never so deep or evil-sounding before.

“What happened to you?” I asked. Even though I hated her already, I couldn’t help the pulling feeling in my heart.

“I became real. This is the real me. My eyes were opened when the Lepouri came to me. And now I embrace the darkness like it is myself.” This ex-friend explained.

“You...you’re not who I used to know. What went wrong?” I felt like tearing up, but at the same time I felt an overwhelming anger.

“...Have a nice life now. I’ll come back for you both some day, once I’m finished with the rest of this planet. Everypony and everything else will perish in the blink of an eye, when I give my word. Spread the word, before it’s too late. Maybe you can stop me.” The pony turned and began to walk away, leaving a trail of pure dark energy behind her.

“But you didn’t explain-”

“You have three days to bring back the orbs. Our former ‘friends’ had the other six. I’ll be on the Princesses’ throne if you need me. Good day.” A small rabbit-thing stole the last apple hanging from the tree and gave it to the dark mare.

“Ah hope we don’t see her again...you need to choose yer friends more carefully next time Destiny,” Braeburn turned and spoke to me. “Now come on, let’s go get patched up, hey?”

“Uh...alright, let’s do that. I think we both need a bath and some bandages after that ordeal,” I replied, struggling to get up, and then helping my partner up. The train in the distance sped away from the station, faster than normal. What did she mean? She was too messed up with her words for me to understand. But I knew she was going to do something extremely bad. And why did she say she was on the throne? Ugh, it just doesn’t make sense. How did she change so quickly? Through that month she was gone from our sight, those rabbit-things, or Lepouri or whatever, took over and the lives of ponies were just getting thrown away like they were nothing. She left us defenseless when she had experience with those things. She used to be so good-natured, but now she’s this...monster.

Ah...a quick soak in the bath to wash out the bloodstains and give us some relaxation is good. Luckily no bones were broken, thank Celestia for that. Braeburn wrapped a few bandages around my wounds, and I did the same for him.

“Hey...Brae? Why do you think Bl- she saved us?” I asked, with a heavy heart. So many thoughts were racing through my mind...

“Ah don’t know... maybe she’s still good somewhere? Maybe she needed us for somethin’?” He replied, with more questions in turn.

“She almost always looked so serious when I was with her, it was like she was never a good pony in the first place. She talked about some pretty bad stuff sometimes, too.” I started to reveal how she acted around me and others.

“Bad stuff like what?” Braeburn urged me to continue.

“Uh, like how she wanted to kill ponies sometimes...it was strange, only a few other ponies gave us a hard time, and it wasn’t even that hard a time. And also, she was usually lost in her thoughts when we stayed in our tree house. They were probably sad and lonely thoughts; I could see it in her eyes,” I sighed as I reminisced briefly.

“It sounds like she was never happy...but she smiled when she was with our group, so how come it was like that?” The dirty-blond colt enquired.

“Maybe she found comfort in a life like that at the time, surrounded by friends who wouldn’t leave her side for anything,” I answered, actually becoming concerned for her soul.

“Now that ah think about it, why did we all split up again?” So many questions came from my partner.

“Maybe...maybe she brought us all together. It wasn’t that easy for all of us to be together as friends, but everypony had her, and she had us. Now that she was exiled, we didn’t really need to stay anymore.” I couldn’t believe how that happened so fast, it was like she stopped existing and we forgot about her, so we moved on.

“Wow, no ah’m startin’ to feel sorry for the poor gal...” Braeburn slid his front hoof around a little, as a sign of regret.

“It makes me wonder why we were all so quick to blame her for causing that month of chaos, but she wasn’t there, and nopony knew how to save us from those awful Lepouri.” I did the same hoof movements as the colt in front of me did.

“Lepouri?” He asked.

“Yeah, it’s what she called those rabbit things. If she knows their names, she must know more about them than we all do,” I confirmed.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. I left Brae to go and answer it. Ha, of all the ponies, Cyan Crumble was standing outside.

“Oh, hello Cyan, what are you doing here?” It was a weird time for him to be around here.

“Well, I couldn’t find that other partier around Ponyville, so I went home. Hey, what’s with all the bruises?” Cyan wondered with his excited, but worried tone.

“Oh, them? Uh, we kinda got forced into a fight...” I was embarrassed, but it couldn’t have been helped.

“It looks more like a senseless beating to me...are you guys alright?” The enthusiastic colt asked. What’s with all these questions anyway?

“Well, it hurts a lot, like pulsing agony, but apart from that, we’re fine, ha.” I tried to keep ignoring the pain and give a smile.

“Hey Cyan! Why don’ ya come on in?” Braeburn called as he came up to us.

“Hey Braeburn, thanks!” Cyan hopped into the house and shut the door behind him.

23 - Eternal sunset

*Electric Blue’s POV*

I thought I was a good pony. I’ve been living a lie, but now I remember so much more, thanks to the Lepouri. Celestia thinks she can exile me, but I’m not the type that listens to orders. I’m going back to ‘meet’ her right now. This is the right time too, because dusk is arriving. Perfect. I’m standing just outside the castle walls, waiting for the guards to move on. No, I’ll take it one step further.

I signaled for the Lepouri to slay the gate guards and drag them away, just as planned. I can get through things much easier now that I have these twisted rabbits on my side. I walk past the gates, and I enter the castle grounds. Lush grass covers the first courtyard, with hanging flowers and torches lighting the way for me. I blow them out, one by one, as I can’t be seen just yet. Lurk in the shadows and accept the darkness as my own, is what I’ve learned. I feel so much more powerful with my evil soul awakened again. For all these years I’ve had a miserable time in truth, and now it’s much better.

More guards approach through the hall in front of me. I whistle, and the Lepouri come to my aid again. They attack the colts, and I slip by unnoticed. Fools, the lot of them.

“Hey you! Stop right there! What are you doing here at this hour?” One cowardly royal nuisance stands in front of me suddenly.

“See you in the afterlife, friend.” I conjure up a ball of dark energy, and engulf the guard in it. The ball disappears, taking the stupid pony with it.

This is a breeze for me. I should have realised my true potential ages ago, but everypony refused to awaken me. It wasn’t long until I had dealt with all of the patrolling guards. So weak...they need to tighten their security. That reminds me, I should steal some books from the study of this castle. The lepouri informed me of it, as it contained knowledge of what they are and what other ancient creatures can be found.

I opened the large wooden doors to the study and noticed the masses of books stacked in bookcases surrounding the room. I called in the Lepouri to look for the right book, and to take it to me, as I had to get to the throne room fast. The sun was almost out of view, in time for the moon to begin rising into the sky. The Princesses must not change over, otherwise this plan will not work. I exited the study and continued down the hall.

More of those large wooden doors to open. I pushed one of them to get through, and I found myself in the place I needed to be. A long, white painted room with stained glass windows, and the throne at the far end. Haha, the princess' face. It was enjoyable to see her shocked, when she would normally be so composed. I approached her slowly.
“You! You were exiled, you shouldn’t be here!” Celestia cried out.

“Not everypony can be controlled. Especially me, the most powerful being in this place. I’m glad I got you at a time that you weren’t prepared,” I calmly replied.

“How did you get this far without being detained?” She asked.

“Your guards are not funded highly enough I’m afraid, so they do not have good enough training. I disposed of them all.” I chuckled to myself. This was all too easy.

“Please, Electric Blue, don’t do this. I know you’ve been through some trauma, but it’s time to come back down from the clouds now.” She attempted to console me. Feeble.

“Some trauma? All through my life I’ve been bombarded with abuse and disappointments, and you think I can stay normal after that? Nopony has experienced pain like I have, and those who believe otherwise shall be shown the truth. Princess, I am going to overthrow you now, and bring about an eternal sunset, so I can rule without any conflicts.” I raised my pace at which I walked at, and I radiated a dark, purple, swirling aura.

“Don’t make me have to do this to you, Electric Blue, I do not wish to resort to violence, especially to a once good student,” Celestia was ready to strike me, but I had obtained vast power with the Lepouri’s help. They all poured dark energy into my mind, bringing the darkest of magic to my control. I could take Celestia down like she was just another underpaid guard.

“It’s too late, I am taking command now, I am going to rule over this land, and get what I deserve, complete supremacy!” I shouted at the top of my voice.

The princess fired a huge, pulsating ray of white light from her horn, and I returned it with a huge, beam of darkness. The two currents collided, causing a bright red explosion in the middle. This is where good battles evil, but evil will always prevail. Darkness swallows the light. The dark beam continued to whittle down Celetia’s light ray, until it hit her, causing her face to become charred. I summoned shards of dark energy, and shot them into the princess, breaking her standing position. Her legs grew weak, and she began to collapse on the floor. I kept shooting piercing dark daggers into her, until she slid across the floor, away from her precious throne.

She looked unconscious, so I took her tiara and necklace away from her, and affixed it to myself. Not that I needed them, because I had enough power as it was, but there is always the hunger for more. I’m still wondering how this was all too easy, but no matter, I have what I deserve.

The Lepouri returned to my side, with the book that I had asked for. I flicked through the pages, and noticed that there were many more animals I could summon. All I needed were those orbs, and the unsuspecting ex-friend could bring them to me. And then I can dispose of her, as she wouldn’t be needed anymore. She hardly did anything for me with my time here, so unimportant ponies can perish for all I care. Nopony tried hard enough for me around here, and nobody on earth was any better.

Even if I don’t remember all of my time on that terrible planet, I can recall the parts that affected me in the worst ways. For a start, my entire family was killed mercilessly. And then I was attacked a few times on my travels, I got robbed, tortured, taken advantage of, poisoned, corrupted, you name it, those things all happened to me. Not just that, everyone else that I knew, friends, anyone I had talked to or seen, killed or destroyed. Vengeance is my only ally now, and so it’s time to make use of it.

“Go, take away anypony that seems unfit to work for me. Get into their heads, gather their thoughts of the ones that are able,” I commanded the ever so obedient Lepouri creatures. “Set fire to the town, give them the message that the princess has been overthrown, drive them out of hiding.”

*Destiny’s POV*

Cyan looked at our beaten bodies with a large grimace. Even if he was too jumpy to notice other ponies’ problems, this definitely stuck out to him.

“I swear there’s been more evil on the loose lately, what’s going on?” He asked us.

“Who knows, why, what have you seen?” I returned with a question to him.

“Well, when I was in Ponyville, I saw this weird pony inside a purple bubble, with these rabbits running around and making ponies disappear randomly...” The aqua pony explained.

“Tha’ was her! She means trouble. Ya didn’t talk to her, did ya?” Braeburn asked, shocked.

“Nah I didn’t, she didn’t have the happiest of faces on,” he sighed in relief.

“Wow, it’s almost night already.” I changed the subject, “that came around quickly.”

“Ah think we all feel a bit tired here, so shall we get some rest?” Braeburn offered.

“Sure, I mean the train ride made me sleepy, somehow. Maybe it’s because I was running around the carriages...” Cyan blankly said.

“Uh, yes, and that little fight we got into worn us out. Alright then, Cyan, are you going to go home?” I asked the hyperactive colt.

“Well, I kinda came here ‘cause...I don’t exactly have a home anymore,” He replied. “I was hoping I could stay at your place while my town was getting repaired after the stampede going through it...so can I?”

“Oh gosh, that sounds pretty bad, I guess you’re going to have to stay with us for a while,” I sympathised.

“Cyan, ya can sleep on the sofa if ya’d like, it’s pretty comfy!” Braeburn boasted.

“Thanks you guys, sleep well!” The messy blue haired pony called to us as Braeburn headed upstairs to bed.

Outside the window overlooking the bed showed me the sun, still in it’s setting stage, like it was stuck there. I stared at the rays of dark orange light with an odd expression, but shrugged it off and wrapped myself in the warm duvet, with Braeburn embracing me in his forelegs. A bed is the safest, most comfortable place for anypony to be, as it’s where they would be for most of their lives. It’s a place of having the best experiences too. Okay, I should stop thinking now and get to sleep.

I was dreaming now, but it wasn’t like a normal dream, where gravity didn’t exist and bright colours flashed everywhere, this seemed almost...too real. The orbs that She talked about were on the ground, in a circle around me. There were seven of them in this order, orange, with that Lepouri thing behind it. Purple, with a mutated bird behind that one. A red ball with a large, horrifying bear showing up. A blue orb with a messed up wolf creature. A green one with a mutated fish next to it. A yellow ball with this huge, towering horse, that looked very different to us ponies. And finally, the orbs rolled away from me, leaving a slightly larger, black one behind. Out of it came a figure of a pony, with its face and upper body covered by a large, grey-green coat. It was Her. Well, of course She would be in my dream, I’ve been thinking about Her ever since I last saw her not that long ago.

“Hello, old friend. How are you this fine dusk?” She asked, as She slowly approached me.

“Dusk? All I see is darkness around us,” I replied, tilting my head slightly.

“Let me explain. The self proclaimed ‘Princess Opare’ has taken Princess Celestia’s throne away from her. Now she literally has control of Equestria, has driven the world into a never ending dusk, and as we speak, she is preparing to enslave the resident ponies to build something, but I’ve no idea what it is yet. And those orbs you want to return to her will let her summon the creatures you’ve just seen,” She explained.

“But if I don’t take them to her, what will happen then?” I became increasingly confused.

“You die, basically. Everypony dies if orders are not fulfilled. Trust me, just do what she says, and nopony will suffer,” This vision of the evil pony in front of me said.

“And why are you telling me all this? If you’re in my dream, then you should be attacking me...” I worried for a second.

“Ha, no, I’m not Her. Let’s just say I’m Opare’s inner voice. Everypony has a little bit of purity in them, so here I am. You could count me as the original Blue that you used to know.” She smiled a little when she took her hood away from her face.

“Well, if you’re Blue, then how would you be able to support me?” I asked.

“Just remember this, the more acts of good shown directly to Princess Opare, or the orb, which right now is pure black, will turn it back to white. Or any colour really, depending on if anypony is holding it at the time. This ball of darkness is the master orb, and can change how many of these ancient creatures from showing up.” As Blue said this, things started to make sense to me.

“Thank you for telling me this Blue. And how would I show a good act to the orb?” That was the last question I needed to ask.

“Bring all Opare’s friends and family together, then watch the magic happen,” Blue’s former self chuckled as she faded away, and so did the dream.

*Princess Opare’s POV*

Haha, eternal dusk, just grand. The sun can stay red, and all the underlings can get confused because no other Princess apart from me will appear again. Everything on this planet will be lost in the shadows of my creation, a huge skyscraping weapon with enough power to destroy other worlds. I have two targets. Earth, and Glais’ world. Only one evil mastermind can exist. Survival of the fittest. Out with the old, in with the new, as the old clichés go.

“Minions! Deliver your messages now!” I commanded, and the Lepouri quickly responded. I’m glad that they recognise my power. I used to be a victim to them, and now I rule over those pitiful creatures.

Ah...the satisfying screams of the innocent, the weak. Once the other orbs get to me, my plan can go into full action. Hopefully there will be enough fuel deposits underground for my cannon. These ponies can get to work now, in fact. I teleported myself into the town hall in Ponyville, and ordered the Lepouri to round up my workponies. I stood behind the podium, and began my speech.

“Now, I’ve brought you all here today, my faithful subjects, to give you some important news. Those who are able to do manual labour, can help build my project with me. Some will be allocated to mining for resources, other will be made to build the structures, internals, and other such stuff. The rest can do some architecture, blueprints, coordination, and everything else. Nopony will go without a job to do, unless they cannot work. I’m feeling generous this fateful dusk, so I will attempt to spare most of you. But who can tell what the Lepouri will do? Haha. Now go! Get to work!” My speech went smoothly. Just as I rehearsed.

“Blue! What happened to ya?!” A mare called out to me as I just turned away. So I turned back around to face the shocked audience.

“Who dare utter that forbidden name to me?” I bellowed.

“Me, Blue, or whoever ya are now! Wha’ happened?” The orange mare with the blonde mane and stetson continued.

“Haha. You seem a little too confident for yourself, young filly. I just hope that kind of attitude won’t get in the way of your work.” I replied, keeping the same deep voice.

“Ya still ain’t answered my question!” The mare now grew slightly angry. Oh well. I had to admire her courage though, because she was the only one with a different expression on her face.

“Well, if you must know...I was awakened to my true self. Thanks to none of you imbeciles, I had to wait longer than I should have. Now I know the whole truth, I can reclaim my reputation, and continue my reign of terror. Also, now that you’ve made me digress, I shall not attempt to save anypony from being slaughtered by the Lepouri. Good luck now, and work as fast as you can.” I laughed and teleported back to the throne room again.

*Destiny’s POV*

That dream didn’t help my sleep at all. I feel terrible as I get out of bed. a quarter of the sun still hung over the horizon. It won’t change anymore, because as Blue said, Opare has driven the place into a never ending dusk. I made my way downstairs to talk to Brae and Cyan.

“Good morning, well, evening, Brae and Cyan,” I said.

“Good something...” They replied in unison.

“So, what we’re going to do is get Princess Opare back to Blue again,” I began to explain the situation.

“Wait, She’s called Princess Opare now? Wow, ain’t she full of herself...” Braeburn rolled his eyes.

“Yes, and I have a plan to get her down from the clouds. What I’m going to do is go back to Ponyville to collect the orbs, and while I do that, you guys can go get our friends too. Also, you’d need to get I and Blue’s parents, if you can find them. Cyan, you’d be good at that. Braeburn, you can get Azure and Twisha from Trottingham, and then both of you come back to Ponyville, and I’ll handle the rest.” I breathed out as I had stored up oxygen to talk all of that through.

“Well, seems clear enough, so let’s do it!” Cyan enthusiastically said, as usual.

“One problem Destiny,” Braeburn raised his voice with an objectifying tone,”ah don’ wanna see ya gettin’ hurt again, and ah don’ want ya to go alone there.”

“Oh yeah...just don’t worry about it Brae, I’ll be fine, as soon as I give the orbs to Opare, I’ll go hide away. And besides, with you in my heart, I’ll never be alone,” I consoled him.

“Ugh...alright, ya won me over. Just please, please be careful, won’t ya?” My sandy coloured partner fretted.

“Of course I will, Brae, I’m always careful.” I hugged him, which was our cue for us all to leave. We headed for the train station, got on the train awaiting the ponies wanting to go to their destinations, and sat patiently until the locomotive started to move.

We stopped at Trottingham, so Braeburn got off at his stop. But before he could move, I gave him a kiss goodbye. Next, Cyan got off at his stop, Manehatten, and started his search. For me, it was next stop, Ponyville. When I arrived, I got off the train, and looked at my surroundings. A lot of buildings were crumbling, some were even on fire. This used to be a vivid looking little town, but now it’s turned into a bleak, grey wasteland, with a huge plot of land where some sort of building foundations were. Ponies were scarcely around, probably hiding away from the chaos that Opare reigned down.

“And so it begins...” I sighed as I went on my search for those orbs.

24 - The gathering

The sky was a dark shade of purple, with orange coloured clouds hanging over me. Somehow, over the raging fires and the loud screaming of ponies and other background noises, the sunset almost seemed serene. Dusk is always nice to spend your time looking at before the moon replaces the sun, but everything should move on, not stay the same forever.

The orbs were never explained to where they were, but I had a feeling that they were given to Opare’s other former friends, the defenders of harmony. It doesn’t look like they have much chance to defend anything now, though. I remembered where each member of that group lived, and visited each place. But, every home was practically destroyed, so I doubt they would still be there.

Fluttershy’s cottage came first. Empty; all her pets had been freed, and the whole area had been turned to rubble. Sugarcube corner was the next place to go. A whole chunk of the building was missing, as I observed when I approached it. Of course, nopony was in there either. Okay, maybe Rarity’s boutique might still be standing. I galloped fast as I didn’t want to waste any time. Plus, Lepouri were all over the place, and who knows what they could have done to me if I stood around. The surrounding grass had been blackened, and thick smoke engulfed the air. I arrived at Rarity’s place, and to my surprise, the whole structure was toppled onto its side. I looked through the window, and saw that the interior was bare. This isn’t looking good. Where is everypony when I need them? Applejack’s farm had to have still been intact, it was pretty far away. I spread my wings and took off. The fires grew larger as they spread across the town, so there was definitely no time to waste. I flew and circled the farm, but most of the area had been burned down. Alright, another location ruled out. Cloudsdale was the place to go. Surely the chaos couldn’t have spread there? I raised my altitude to get to the sky city’s level, and flew towards it. There were some signs of explosion damage, which isn’t a good sign at all. I hovered through the streets, searching for Rainbow Dash, but she was nowhere to be found.

With a disappointed look, I dropped back down onto the ground, with a slow, safe landing. Oh yes! I had almost forgotten about Twilight’s library! They have to be there, I just know they are! I rushed towards the towering tree to the edge of the town, and knocked on the door furiously after stopping there.

Twilight opened the door steadily. I was relieved to see them all alive and in one piece when I peaked around the gap.

“Oh, it’s you, Destiny...you’d better come inside,” She said, hurriedly. I followed her orders and slipped past the slightly open door.

The whole group was huddled in a circle, looking pretty scared as the surroundings were being slowly destroyed. Twilight’s home was one of the last places standing in Ponyville, which is strange as it’s basically a tree, and trees catch fire easily. But, the purple unicorn had magic on her side, so there had to be a forcefield defending this place. Books were open and scattered around the place, a drawing board was in the corner with complex scribbles covering it, and the six orbs were placed in the middle of the room. Just what I needed.

“So what brings you here while we spend our final moments together?” Rainbow dash interrupted my thoughts.

“Oh, well, those orbs are what I need to stop this madness,” I said, pointing at the glowing, colourful circles.

“What, do you know what to do with them?” Rarity intervened.

“Well, apparently yes,” I confirmed. “If I give these orbs to Opare, as well as all of all her old friends and family being there at the same time, I can bring her down.”

“And how in the hay would you know that?” Applejack joined in the conversation.

“It...came to me in a dream. The original Blue was there, telling me to form this plan. She told me to wait and see what would happen when the plan was complete, but I’m guessing that it would everything would be good in the end,” I explained.

“Well, we better give them up then!” Pinkie pie shouted, grabbed some saddlebags, stuffed the orbs in to them, and placed them on my back.

“Uh, thank you Pinkie, now I should get going before anything worse happens. You should all come too, you were her friends after all.” I offered, and headed out the door with a good pace. The group followed me out, and we made our way to the Canterlot castle.

*Azure Spark’s POV*

That ‘sister’ of mine has gotten totally out of hand. The younger generations are more able to stray from the path these days, especially my sibling. She should have just stayed with me back on earth, instead of running away to be with a gang of bandits. Who knows what could’ve happened to her...argh, I should have looked for her sooner, and then this all could have been smoother.

Right now, the train I’m on is speeding down the tracks to Canterlot. Braeburn, Twisha and I are sitting in the same carriage, and we’re all ready to bring down this so called ‘Princess Opare’ and her reign of terror. There was absolute silence from all of us, so all we could focus on is the plan, and the sound of the wheels turning. I was almost ready to settle down and have a simpler life now that time is getting on for me. Even if I’m only thirty, I’m starting to feel older than I should do.

The landscapes changed colours and appearances and they rapidly passed us like a blur. Suddenly, the train slowed down as is approached the station. Three ponies hopped on board our carriage, sat down in the seats adjacent to us, and the steam engine resumed its journey.

“Oh, hi again Cyan!” Braeburn called out to the new passengers.

“Hey Brae, how’s it going? I found Opare’s parents by the way, haha!” This light blue colt replied. Sitting next to him were the mother and father of Opare. They looked quite aged, but their aging was good to them, nonetheless. Wait a minute, she has parents in this world?! But how? And why would she want a second set?

“Hey, you two, are you really the parents of Bl - I mean, Opare?” I asked, with my abrupt tone.

“Why, yes we are, and we were proud to have her in our care until...this happened...” The mother answered me. She was an earth pony, with a pale pink coat, with light yellow and baby blue hair. Her mane was thick and curly, and her tail was straight. She had yellow eyes, giving off a happy, but unsure look at the same time. It was almost impossible to see the resemblance to Opare; this couldn’t be right.

“Did she ever tell you that she had a brother?” I interrogated these ‘parents’.

“No, she hardly ever talked about anypony we didn’t know,” The father said. He was a pegasus, who had a earthy brown coat, with a black mane and lighter brown highlights. His mane looked combed to one side to look sophisticated, and his tail was slightly messy and wavy. His eyes were the standard blue colour, with the serious shape formed. Again, there were hardly any similarities to my sister.

“Hmm, interesting...did you know that she came from a different planet too?” I couldn’t help but spill that fact.

“Oh heavens...really? How do you know all these things?” My attention turned to the apparent mother of Opare.

“Well, I was her brother, and we both came from Earth, a planet where humans lived. I’m sure you haven’t heard of them before, but I’ll fill you in on the details. Humans were creatures who stood upright, had flatter faces than us, and only had hair on their heads. I’ll have to show you a photo later, if Opare still has her camera...” I rambled on.

“That’s certainly news to us...” The carers of Opare said in time with each other.

“Ugh, forgive my tone, I’m just very irritated by what my sister has caused. Anyway, introductions. I am Azure Spark, and this is Twisha, my fillyfriend, and this is Braeburn Apple, Destiny Bond’s coltfriend,” I told them.

“Destiny has a coltfriend?!” The father exclaimed. “Huh, our little foal has grown up! Uh...oh yes, um, my name is Thunder Hum, and my wife’s name is Zap Flower.”

“Um, now Braeburn, are you taking good care of Destiny for us?” Zap Flower asked the settler colt. This is the strangest partial reunion of sorts.

“Yes ma’am, ah’m doin’ the best that ah can for her!” He proudly showed his status off.

“Thank you young stallion, please keep it that way for us,” Thunder Hum praised my friend.

“Right, I’m sorry to get serious here, but we have a crisis on our hooves. We must all go to Canterlot castle, and confront Princess Opare with Destiny and whoever she’s rounded up. Destiny will handle the rest, so I’ve been told. It’s as simple as that.” I explained.

“It won’ be that simple, ‘cause of those Rabbit creatures bein’ all over the place,” Braeburn corrected me.

“Alright then, whoever is able to fight, will have to defend us until we get to the throne room. Any candidates?” I hoped that the majority of us would raise our hooves, but only two did. Me and Braeburn.

“Cyan, waddabout you?” Braeburn asked.

“Oh, we were meant to raise our hooves? Oh sure, yeah I’ll fight!” Cyan threw up his hoof, when the time to had already passed.

The train was slowing down again as we arrived at Canterlot station. We all got up and shuffled out of the carriage, one by one. I didn’t expect the city to be in such a state as I observed it, but the rampage of Opare’s rule was in charge around here. Debris was strewn across the streets as we walked through them cautiously, and all of the buildings were either blown to bits or set alight. In the distance I could see a large clearing, with some sort of metal scaffold shaped like a ring being constructed. The sounds around us ranged from burning to screams to warped squeaking sounds. I noticed some of the rabbit creatures passing by us without noticing, probably because they were too busy chasing other ponies. Even though they were these tiny, fragile beings, they looked terrifyingly mutated, like some sort of environmental experiment gone wrong.

For the most part, they looked like rabbits, but had larger eyes than normal, which were angry and soul piercing. Their heads looked almost like a human head, but bald and sporting long, spiky ears. Enlarged bat wings sprouted from their backs, as well as numerous tendrils. The arms were feathered, like a bird’s wings, and their feet were webbed and resembled leaves. All of them looked slightly different from each other, but collars were affixed to their necks, with a glowing orange gem in the middle of the grey metal ring. I had never seen anything quite so horrible in all my life.

As we traversed the destruction of the city, we made our way out and approached the castle. I’m glad that we didn’t have to resort to violence yet, but there’s no doubt that where we’re going to will be heavily guarded. The path was peaceful for once, as the smoothed, crushed pebbles showed us the way to the gates. The grass swayed slightly as I could feel a calming breeze flowed by us. The access to the castle was strangely unguarded, and the gates were lifted, as if we were expected guests. This is the end now, after we go through with this, life can return to normal.

“Wow, the security here is unbelievable!” Twisha remarked.

“Hush Twisha, we have to be silent, just in case of an ambush,” I said cautiously.

“Okay Spark, sorry about that,” She replied through whispering.

Our group sneaked through the garden, over the bridge standing above the river, and opened the double doors to the main halls. The long, red carpet extended across the chequered black and white floor. The ceiling was way too high for any normal pony to reach, but that was purposeful as the stained glass windows covered the outer walls. We kept walking through, towards a room with open doors already. This had to be the place to go, as every other set of doors were closed and locked tight. I signalled behind me to stop, while I carried on alone, just to check if the open room was the right place. I peeked one eye around the door to the right, and beheld the huge throne, with its back support reaching almost to the ceiling. This particular chair was painted gold, but possibly it was all made out of the same metal as the colour. To the left of the magnificent throne was a cage, holding Princess Celestia herself. How could she have been defeated so easily? Perhaps she was getting old after all. No matter, we probably should get her out of there after this is over.

Suddenly, Destiny and her company had smashed through the largest window facing the throne. She noticed us and ushered us over with a hoof gesture. Everypony was reunited again, and just in time to take back what was rightfully Celestia’s.

“Oh, hello everyone. How are you all today?” The new Princess casually asked.

“We’ve come here with the orbs, Opare.” Destiny took off her bags and unloaded six glowing balls of coloured light. Hmm, they seem...awfully familiar.

“Well done, my little courier, you’ve done something right, for once.” Opare jumped off of her throne, and walked slowly up to us all. Every step she took made us mutually scared, getting worse the closer she came.

“And now it’s time for you to be taken down!” Destiny cried, making us all circle around my sister.

“Oh yes, it’s time for me to be defeated by the acts of a pure heart. Ha, you’re all here, and that’s nice. But what good is it to me when there is no place in my heart for noponies?” Her cold words stung us all.

“What? Do you even know us anymore?” Destiny bravely asked, holding back the negative emotions.

“Nope, I can’t say I’ve ever seen you ponies before. But I’m glad that you brought me what I needed. Now I can summon all the creatures I want, to cause even more terror!” Opare excitedly shouted.

“Forget it Destiny, she has too much darkness inside of her to remember now.” I consoled the white coated filly.

“Oh, but I haven’t just yet. I have one last memory I need to share. Think back to the dream that you had,” Opare said as she pointed to Destiny. “You thought that she was the real Blue? Pah, it was just me in disguise, giving you false information! It just goes to show how weak minded you all are, you’ll believe anything!”

“No, this can’t be...” Destiny replied, with trembling lips.

“I suppose you’ll want to put up a fight now; Plan B hey? Yeah, about that, haha...” She trailed off, but snapped back like a flash.

A huge sphere of shadows was summoned immediately, which covered us all except the Princess, and everything turned black all of a sudden. This must be what it looks like in Opare’s heart. I couldn’t even see my own hooves when I put one in front of my face. I blinked, and just like that, we were all in a prison. Two groups in two separate cells. The defenders of harmony were next to us, sitting there in silence, with blank expressions on their faces, and so was everypony in my cell. This only lasted for a few seconds though, then all the ponies came back to reality one by one.

“Finally, you’re all awake again. You took your time!” Opare said as she paced across the hall.

“Just how long have we been asleep for?” I asked.

“Oh, let’s see...about a month. Yeah, a month’s worth of you not being here, and the place has just gone haywire!” She snarled back at me.

“That’s harsh, Opare.” I touched the cell bars for a brief moment of frustration.

“Ha! You shouldn’t have been so quick to blame with that month of me being gone, should you now?” The hooded mare laughed.

“Listen, Opare.” Destiny cut in the conversation, “it wasn’t your fault. I know it wasn’t your fault.”

“Oh?” the Princess stopped in her tracks.

“You did leave us all yes, but none of us would have known about the infestation, not even you,” Destiny tried to empathise.

“Pah. That’s where you’re wrong. They showed up in my life before. When I was a human, they were all over the place, tearing up homes as well as people. This is burned in my mind. All of these animals that have been mutated beyond normal recognition were there, making my decaying world speed up the process of destruction.” Opare almost sounded like her old self, for a second. “But now, they’re under my control, and I can rule freely over you peasants!”

“Ugh...what made you succumb to the darkness?” I whispered under my breath.

“Take a look at this book that was generously donated to me,” She continued, as she pointed to the weirdest creatures that I have ever seen. “I can summon them to provide more of a workforce over your terrible ponies. Go on, look out the window behind you.”

We obliged, and gazed out of the small, barred hole near the low ceiling. That large construction site was almost completed, as it now resembled a large, cannon shaped object. There wasn’t a pony in sight however, just those twisted animals, acting like slaves. Rabbits, birds, bears, wolves, fish, and horses were what they all might have been once before, but not now. As the book said, they were ancient creatures, so maybe they came before the ones we would usually see today. They must have really changed through the many years of being alive. But these ancient creatures seemed more intelligent than their newer counterparts; more sophisticated and aggressive.

“Astonishing, aren’t they? They’re very efficient towards my cause,” Opare grinned in a slightly sinister way. “Anyway, I must be off now, have fun.” She left from the corridor, back up to the throne room.

“Great, so now what do we do?” Rainbow dash groaned from the other cell.

“Well, one of us will figure something out, hopefully,” Twilight added.

“Hey, yer Opare’s brother, ain’t ya?” Applejack called to me.

“Uh, yes I am, why do you ask, my friend?” I answered back, walking closer to the bars holding us in.

“Whaddya think Blue would do in this situation?” The orange country mare asked.

“To be honest, she’d kill herself again,” I answered.

25 - The Authors, Part 2

“What do you mean, kill herself again?” Twilight asked me.

“Oh yes, you don’t know, do you. I guess it’s time to reveal how Opare got here in the first place.” I sat down on the hard bed as the other ponies got closer to me. “Okay, to start off, did Blue tell you personally that she used to be a human?”

“Yeah, um, she did...” Fluttershy abruptly joined in.

“Alright then, that makes it easier for me. I’ll try my best to fill you all in on everything I know about this mysterious group of humans. They call themselves ‘The Authors’, and what they do is write books about the dead. But this isn’t a normal book, each book The Authors individually write in controls a person who has died recently. A few people were granted with the power to live again back on Earth, but only by getting hooked up to a machine. The machine is connected to a special book, and a particular Author writes a story about them, usually giving them a perfect life which they could never have in their real time existing. One of the people chosen was Blue, or Anne as she was known as a human. Now her guardian wrote her into this world, and she seemed to be having the best of times, because this world is far more exciting than my world after the apocalypse.” I started to wonder why Blue started to dislike this world, as she could never do such a thing as that. She was the kindest soul that I had ever known.

“Wow...that’s very interesting...” Twilight said quietly, waiting for me to continue my speech.

“You see all the ponies here in my cell, apart from Braeburn and I? They have all died before coming here. Heh, this world is pretty popular,” I chuckled and waited for everypony’s reactions.

“Seriously?!” They all shouted together.

“Yes, seriously. I didn’t die to get here though, because I was lucky enough to find a loophole in the system. I built my own machine, but didn’t include a book because I didn’t need to be written for. If I’m still alive, I can make my own story.” I laughed briefly again.

“Then, how do you know that we had all died?” Twisha asked.

“The Authors allowed me to see my sister. They’re a pretty nice bunch of people, like angels spawned from death, in a way. Anyway, when I saw Anne, I noticed about ten or more people laying on their machines, so I noted down their names and features before I went into the sleep-state in my homemade apparatus. And of course, when I looked at all of you, I could recognise who you all were, I just couldn’t reveal that.” I concluded my answer.

“Hey, why couldn’t you have told us that we had all passed away and that you knew us?” Cyan challenged me.

“Well, as The Authors explained to me, if I had told you about your past life or anything outside of this world too early, you would have all seized up from complete trauma, and recovery wouldn’t be possible. It would be like burning the book, erasing all of the data. Luckily, you had been in the systems for long enough, so the sensitive information wouldn’t have mattered enough anymore, meaning you are all fine,” I responded, looking up to the ceiling to think for a moment.

“So what about Blue, or Opare, or whatever she is now?” Twisha looked concerned at me as she asked.

“Think about it. She had been exposed to whom she originally was, but in her case, the trauma didn’t set in exactly, the data of the book just became corrupt. She must have had a pretty good writer in order to pull that off, even if it wasn’t perfect. I have no idea how the data can be fixed, but I just hope it can be, for all of our sakes.” My expression grew into an extremely worried look, with feelings that I had not felt for a while, due to my overly laid back nature. I just hope my sister will pull through. The purity is still inside her somewhere.

I glanced at Destiny, and noticed that all this time she had been looking away from us, as if she was trying to avoid the subject.

“What seems to be the matter, Destiny?” I requested.

“It’s just...nothing, don’t worry about it,” She said, scraping her hoof along the ground in nervous motions.

“Hmm, whenever somepony says there’s nothing the matter, there is always something wrong,” I replied, thinking back to the times that my sister said the same type of things.

“Ugh...” Destiny paused for a while. “I...I’m just worried for her, you know?”

“We’re all worried about her, but she’s strong. We all know she’s innocent now thanks to you, as those creatures didn’t come from her, they just came from the worlds outside of this one. We’ll get her back, she just needs to fight the darkness,” I added.

*Opare’s POV*

A week of good progress had passed quickly. My project was complete, and it was time for me to operate it. I left the castle to the site of the World Cannon, as I call it. It was finally time to rid those two entities that had plagued my life, Glais Pectus, and planet Earth. I walked down to Ponyville for one last time, as I knew this world was about to end as well. The cannon can only be fired if it drags some of the planet it’s on with it. I approached my godly weapon with a proud smile.

“Thank you, my friends. I hope you had put enough fuel in this machine to power it?” I called out to my obeying creatures as I stepped up to the seat on the side of the cannon. One of the Pugnasi nodded. The Pugnasi are my second favourite to control, they are the bear-looking creatures which are kind of like bodyguards. But my most favourite are the Ficipos, the wolf type animals, as they are the most evil seeming, much like me.

I could actually fire this weapon now, as I sat in the driver’s seat, screen in front of me displaying the target world. I locked in Glais’ planet, which made me laugh; I was going to kill Glais again. And then he will be gone from my life and my thoughts. I pressed the fire button hard. A green bar filled up to the top as I watched it, and then the cannon reacted. A giant, red laser shot into the sky at an extremely rapid pace. The on-screen map showed the laser’s location. It approached Glais’ world, and then it hit. The world blew up as it showed the animation. I laughed maniacally, because it was done! I had killed that damn ruiner of lives successfully! I just kept laughing until my lungs were fully emptied! It was so incredible how easy this whole process was.

The ground started to shake below me. That was expected, as Equestria is collapsing in on itself now. Oh well, when it’s all gone as well as me, I’ll be happy in knowing that my goal has been accomplished. Ha, I can actually be happy for once. And then I’ll get a well deserved rest.

I set my target once again; moving the crosshairs to Earth. I didn’t have much time left as I looked behind me, to see that most of the ground was missing and it was creeping up to me. I pressed the fire button, and the green bar filled up slowly again. The beautiful laser shot out of the cannon again, as it made it’s way up into space. The display showed the laser coming up to that good for nothing Earth. I suddenly felt myself falling downwards. I looked from under me, and noticed the huge, blackening sphere swallowing everything from this world. Chunks of the ground and buildings were flying in spirals as they descended into the growing ball. This was my last moment as I plunged into the sphere, but I caught a glimpse of the Earth blowing into pieces on the screen. I laughed again before everything turned silent.

*Anne Ultrice’s POV*

I awoke in a hot, sweating state, as my eyes adjusted from the blurriness. I was back on the life support machine. Wait...I’m on Earth again? But how?

“Quick, we gotta get you out of here!” A frantic voice shouted to me.

I turned my head to see my Author looking at me nervously, gesturing me to go with her.

“Wait, we should wake the rest of these people up first!” Another voice called out, still just as frantic. I shifted my eyes to see Caerula there as well.

“Okay, Anne, help us unplug our patients please, quickly now!” my Author commanded me.
I got up as fast as I could from where I rested, stretched a little, and went around stopping the machines from processing. I didn’t have time to question what would happen to these other people, but they awoke like they were all still alive. The ghosts of the specially chosen were definitely convincing enough to look real. They all got up after our telling them to get up and go, and we exited the building. My Author and Caerula were confronted by heavily armed soldiers. Before anyone could speak, the two caretakers of mine attacked them with amazing speed and skill, knocking them all to the ground.

“Wow, I didn’t know you two were capable of that,” I remarked.

“Well, we need all the training we can get as we’re still alive,” Caerula replied. “Now come on, lets keep going guys!”

We all ran and followed my carers as fast as we could. It’s strange how, even if I’ve passed away, I still felt all the fatigue and normal effects that someone who was still alive would have felt. The deserted wastelands stirred as the wind brushed the sand from the ground into little spirals, and then settling again. I wasn’t able to assess who I was anymore, as I’m now in another body again. I couldn’t remember if I was good or bad, but that didn’t matter now, as we were on the run, so it was no place for thought yet. Olive coloured helicopters flew from the horizon and over us swiftly, as they were chased by red choppers trying to shoot them down. In the distance were more soldiers fighting each other, with lasers shooting everywhere. What’s happened here? Has it escalated into a warzone again?

We came up to a building hidden past a forest of tall trees, with their leaves obviously stripped from the radiation effects. Caerula stuck his hand on an identification module, and the door to enter the building opened slowly. We were whisked inside by Cae’s signalling, and the door closed behind us before making a loud, metallic locking sound.

“Right, we’ve relocated here today because your old place was deemed unsafe. Those soldiers you saw were about to raid the place, and they could have destroyed the machines as well as all of us,” my Author explained to us.

“For now, we only have one machine in this place,” Caerula said with a pause. “But, I will be able to make more. Only one of you can use the machine at a time, so I suppose a rotation will be made.”

“And who exactly were those soldiers?” I asked, still dazed a little bit.

“Basically, the government. The politicians of today are bloodthirsty pirates, as this world has broken down so much. Well done nuclear warfare,” Cae explained to me.

“Wow...and they discovered the last place?” I questioned my Author.

“Yeah, unluckily. Although Caerula came to check on you, as well as warning me of the invasion that we almost had to face.” she thanked my brother.

“Phew, that was pretty miraculous then...” I ended the conversation, and we all dispersed around the building. Caerula disappeared to get his work on new machines done, and my Author walked up to me.

“Heh, you got pretty out of control there, didn’t you Anne?” She said to me.

“What do you mean?” I asked her.

“Think about it, you totally wiped out three worlds in one sitting!” She laughed.

“Oh yes, that...” I looked away to the floor, turning my body slightly.

“I guess, for a minute there, you lost yourself?” She tried to sympathise with me. “We all lose ourselves sometimes, but that was pretty intense for you, hey?”

“I’m sorry that I ruined everything, I didn’t want to do it, but I just...gave in too easily.” I looked back up at her with sad eyes.

“Aw, it’s alright Anne, it was out my management, as well as yours.” She put her hand on my shoulder in comfort.

I brushed her hand from me. “Tell me, what happened?”

“Oh yeah, I probably should tell you. You’ve probably forgotten all about my instructions, haven’t you?” She chuckled in her unchangeably happy demeanor. “Alright, well you sort of broke the book’s code, by finding out more than you were supposed to. Think back a sec. You know those creatures you took charge of? Yeah, all of them are bugs, like you’d find in a computer. Those bugs corrupted the book, and you gained access to forbidden knowledge of the outside world, which every person that goes in the machine forgets about. We’ve had a case before you, and he passed away for the second time after finding out about his past life. But the rest of the people who found out the same thing just went into comas, but survived. And for you, you are special because you refused the coma situation, so weird stuff happened the first time you came out of the machine, and the second time your mind became broken, essentially. And then you worked with the bugs and ripped up your story written for you,” She finished her speech.

“Whoa...I could fight off a coma?” I felt shocked. I had the power to evade going into a comatose state.

“Exactly. But even so, it had really bad side effects.” She had a worried look on her face, for once.

“I wish I could reverse my actions in that perfect world you made for me...” I turned away again.

“And that’s where you can! The machine has a one use only reverse mechanism, which would damage a part of the machine; that’s why it’s one use only. It would ruin the pages of the book attached to the system, so the whole thing would become pointless. It’s lucky that Caerula’s self-made machine doesn’t have a book, so it would probably work fine, but we wouldn’t want to try it any more than once, just to be sure.” Her returned smile caused me to light up as well, suddenly.

“But, if I reverse it back, what will happen?” Puzzled, I thought back to Glais and him being alive or not. “And, what about Glais?”

“Hmm, well, it’ll go back to before you blew up the planets, and your personality will return to normal hopefully. But you’ll have to help us exterminate the bugs to help us with that process of recovering your former self.” She glanced back and forth to the machine, with the look of deep thought.

I asked again. “Glais?”

“Oh yes, that guy. We can try to keep the time from reversing on his planet, and so it’ll stay blown up. I saw him in the corner of our old location, laying there, no heart rate as it showed on the monitor.” She felt just as pleased as I.

“Ha! So I did something good in the end?!” I celebrated.

“Yes, his terrible world is gone now, and so is he. It worked out in the end for you! It wasn’t the right way to go about it, but he’s gone now, and you can live freely.” She watched me jump in the air as we both laughed in victory and enthusiasm.

I stopped for a second. “Wait, I didn’t even get an introduction from you!”

“Ah...okay, the only information the people of the machine can know of the outside world is who their Author is. My name is Rose Vincol,” she told me.

“Alright, Rose, and where did you come from?” She really did look like someone I knew from before, so maybe I might remember who she is.

“Well, I came from you, basically,” Rose said.

“What?!” I bursted out, making a few heads turn to look at what just happened.

“I have some more explaining to do...listen closely. When a person who was secretly chosen to be a candidate for the ‘Second/Perfect Life’ project died, an Author was created, designed especially for the specific candidate. This may be a lot to take in, but you died, and I was created afterwards. When that was over with, you were connected to one of those machines, and seeing as I was the Author, I started writing a book where you are the main character, and you get the best life you could ever receive, personalised for you.” She was definitely a talker, I could tell that easily.

“I...died?” I asked, trying to remember how that happened.

“Yeah...you were killed by a bullet straight through your heart. There was also a guy next to you, he had died from multiple stab wounds; blood loss,” She made clear to me.

“Glais...now that I think about it, that’s what that flashback was all about. I and Glais were facing off against each other in some sort of final fight together, and I picked up a knife and charged, then he shot me. Everything’s making sense much more now.” I laughed the thought off, as my head became clearer.

“I just hope you don’t remember much else, because it could turn nasty if you recover anymore of your human life, understand?” She looked at me carefully, as if to study me.

“Of course, I’ll try not to get caught up in my past life.” I wiped my mind from reminiscing about Anne.

“Good, because you need to follow what I’m going to say next.” She paused and I stood closer to her. “Alright, I’m going to burn your book once you go back into the machine next. It’s too dangerous, so the only option I have is to let you become independent in your world.” She paused again.

“Wait wait wait, you’re going to burn my book?!” I cried out again, heads turning in the background.

She hushed me by putting her hand over my mouth. “Yes, otherwise you will get more bugs in your world, and it was affecting everyone else too. I mean, you had most of these people you see around here locked in a prison cell because of your new nature as Blue!”

Rose lowered her pale hand. “Oh...so I know these people!” I smiled again.

“Yes, but not outside. There is only a certain amount of information people can tolerate if they switch between two worlds, and introducing yourself outside of your main place wouldn’t be recommended.” She had to go and disappoint me...

“Aw...fine then.” I sulked for a while.

“I’m sorry, but that’s just the way it is. Anyway, we’re going off in a tangent now. Once I get rid of your book, you will permanently forget all about your human past, so you can focus on one life. You had a few holes in your pony memory, so losing one life will fix the other.” Rose was explaining so much to me, that this huge jigsaw was falling into place, finally.

“Haha, will it fix my angst, too?” I joked to her, and we both laughed.

“Heh, no, but at least the darkness will be removed from you, bringing back your brilliant personality.” The black and red haired girl radiated her happiness for me, as I felt my feeling of morality coming back to me. I was really good, not bad like I was tricked into thinking.

It was getting dark already, so we had to prepare to sleep for the night. Everything was coming together nicely, and no soldiers would be able to find us. Caerula brought us all some blankets and such instead of using the hard floor to sleep on. I had a friend on Earth again, which was Rose. Anything could only get better for me now, as there wasn’t anything in my way anymore.

Rose seemed so familiar to me that it would have knocked me over if I could put my finger on it. Her black and red, short and spiky hair, her slightly pale skin and grey eyes, all looked the same as someone I had seen before. It frustrated me so much, but I couldn’t stay annoyed because tiredness took over. I formed a sleeping area with my provided blankets, and fell asleep in the corner of the large main room of the building, next to Rose on the left and Cae on the right of me.

26 - Clearing out the bugs

“Hey Anne, wake up...” Rose’s voice travelled to my ears, and I opened my eyes slowly.

“Ugh...Good morning, Rose,” I yawned and smacked my lips sleepily.

“How was your sleep honey?” She asked me.

“Uncomfortable. Yours?” Thin blankets on a metal floor doesn’t mix well with my back.

“It was the same,” she laughed.

Caerula provided us all with some breakfast from his large food stocks, saved up especially for this apocalypse. Good choice Cae, a nice, chocolatey cereal for us. It still surprised me how I got hungry, even after losing my life and becoming some sort of ghost. This almost makes me question if I had actually died in the first place, but I’m sure that ghosts have their needs too.

I studied the other people around the building, and I noticed some similarities with their ponies. Although there were a few other people who I didn’t see before. Of course, everyone gets their own world, but it was strange how some chose the same world as I did.

“Rose, if everyone got a world for themselves, then how did some people come into the same world as mine?” I challenged.

“Okay, well according to data we picked up from all of the people who were entered into the machines, most of them watched a cartoon called ‘my little pony’ when they were younger, so I decided to recreate that world for you and everyone else who loved the show.” She looked proud in her work.

“Heh, well I guess I owe you one,” I beamed at her.

“You don’t owe me anything, I was just designed to give you the perfect life, that’s all. And now you can carry it on without my help. It’s time for your session in the machine now.” She pointed the way to the system.

“Okay, so once I go into the different world, you take my book away, and I become self serving, right?” I questioned her.

“Absolutely. No more bugs or tampering; you’ll just have to clean up the place when you get back, understand?” Rose started up the machine for me.

“Yes, I understand. And after that, my human history will be erased, and I’ll only get memories from what happens in the future.” I climbed on top and positioned myself on the machine, in the usual style of laying on my back. Much more comfy than the floor here.

“Okay, good luck in there, see you later my friend!” my former Author called out before my eyes closed and I switched lives.

*Electric Blue’s POV*

I witnessed everything going backwards for a few minutes. Equestria found its way out of the dark purple sphere and rebuilt itself. I was sat in the seat of the World Cannon again, just before firing it’s first round. Time then slowed down and returned to normal again.

“Minions! I’ve changed my mind, dismantle this thing!” I commanded, trying to stay in character in front of those creatures. They did exactly that, and I retreated back to Canterlot castle.

I am probably going to get punished so much, even after I explain everything to Celestia. I had attacked her, stolen her throne, and locked her away. Maybe she’ll send me to the moon...I’ll be the second pony to go up there, probably. I had committed so many crimes in one time, which would make that kind of penalty deserving for me. Although, she is a pretty forgiving alicorn, but I wouldn’t doubt what might happen for a second.

I had returned to the throne room. “Celestia! Let me get you out of there now!” I cried to her, unlocking the large cage I had trapped her in.

“What is the meaning of my release, Opare?” She asked me, in an aggressive tone.

“I’m not Opare anymore, I’ll explain in a while,” I said, rushing to the prison cells, leaving the Princess at a loss for words.

“Okay, I’m here to let you all out now.” I told the prisoners.

“Opare! What the hay do ya think yer doin’?” Applejack shouted at me.

“I’m plain old Blue now, not Opare, I’ll tell you later. Right now, we have to get rid of these creatures!” I said to them all, unlocking the cell doors.

“How can we trust you exactly?” Twilight asked.

“Look, Opare kept the dusk, and now it’s night-time. I don’t have that power now, and besides, my tone of voice has changed, can’t you hear it?” Even I could feel the difference in my throat, as it was much softer on my vocal cords.

“And where are all th’ other ponies?” Braeburn showed me where the missing ones just were.

“Well, back on Earth, we had to relocate, so the machines that transfer us to this world couldn’t come with us. Only one is able to be used, and I’m using that one now, so the other ponies can’t be with us at the same time, just I can,” I explained a little.

“Machines?” He looked very confused.

“I’ll talk about this all some other time, but for now, you have to help me with these creatures.” I ran out of the small prison room to see Princess Luna in the throne room, as it was finally her time to rule.

“I’m really sorry for delaying your shift, Luna, I had some...personal issues,” I told her.

“Uh, well, it’s quite alright really.” She gave me a forgiving smile, but Celestia didn’t have the same expression at all.

“I must return to my chambers for some slumber now, Electric Blue, I cannot aid you at the moment.” Celestia said, analysing me.

“Okay then. Ponies, let us reclaim Ponyville!” I yelled, as we charged towards the overtaken town.

The unsure group followed from behind me, but I was confident to bring back order to the town of disappearing ponies. I charged straight into one of the bear-looking mutants, which enough driving force to knock it over, making the thing dissolve into black dust. They seemed pretty weak now, so I began to fight the other creatures. The rest of my group joined in the brawl, knocking down the bears just like I did. The viruses spread out and surrounded us, in their huge waves of evil armies consisting of the most messed up animals you could ever witness. We bucked the heads off of the masses of rabbits, tore down the towering horses leg by each tall leg, roared at the wolves as we pushed them into walls with sheer power, the fish were dissolved by hammering blows knocked all over their bodies, and the birds were shot out of the night sky by rainbow dash’s superior flying skills.

There were still more to come though, as more bugs raised up from the ground, and approached from the nearby hills. They must have been alerted to gather here. They all retaliated furiously, battering and bruising our bodies, with about fifty creatures beating each pony. My skills in a combat situation had seemed to have been forgotten, so I wasn’t really effective against the hoards of glitchy animals.

AJ and Braeburn faced up against the bears in a struggle, managing to fight back at last. Rainbow Dash and Twilight protected us against the birds swooping down on us, as well as focusing on the gigantic warhorses trying to trample us all. Rarity had some talent with close quarters combat as she fought against the wolves, and Fluttershy mustered the courage to defend herself against the fish-type things. Pinkie Pie excelled in speed against the terrifying rabbits, knocking them all up into the air as she slipped past them in zigzag motions. They all had things under control, but I was still getting pummeled by the rest of the packs of bugs. I countered a few blows, but it wasn’t enough to keep me standing up for more than a second.

I was almost about to give in and get my life taken away from me if I suffered from any more blood loss and broken bones. My friends valiantly bashed the remaining few away from me, and took care of them all for me. I didn’t have the energy to move, so I just lay there, watching the brutal battle rage on. This brings me back to a time before...

The area was now filled high with piles of black dust, being added to all the time by the creatures getting annihilated by the wilfully powerful group of fighters, much better trained than I could ever be. They finished the rampage by taking down the last creature all in formation. The last virus was a huge horse, bigger than the rest of them, but the harmonious group knocked down the skyscraping creature like it was just foal’s play.

We all cheered as we victoriously dispatched the bugs from this world. Miraculously, for each creature we erased, a pony came back to life, and the town started to repair itself. We fixed the bugs, and everything turned back to normal again. This series of nightmares was finished for us all. I really did lose myself to the darkness though, and I caused this all, meaning my heart was weak, and I had forgotten who I was in that corrupted state.

“Well done everypony!” I congratulated them all as they helped me to stand. But then I changed my mood. “And...I’m sorry for putting you all up to this.”

“So ya should be!” Applejack returned. “But tha’s because we were all so worried about ya, and what ya had become.”

“I strayed from the path, and I discovered who I really was, so I turned into Princess Opare. Ugh...I shouldn’t be here right now...why did I have to go wrong?!” I lost all confidence in myself, turned away from the group, and trotted away in shame, limping slightly as I went.

“Wait up missy!” Braeburn called to me, and caught up. “Where are ya gonna go?”

“The very depths of Tartarus, so I can suffer and be destroyed.” I sternly said, still not turning from my chosen destination.

“Don’t ya care about wha’ yer friends think? Destiny wouldn’t want ya to go missin’ again, ya know?” He tried to console me.

I slowly moved my body to face the light gold coloured colt. “Destiny...look, I caused all this, and I shouldn’t ever be forgiven.”

Applejack joined us. “Listen, how about ya come sleep at mine tonight, Blue? Ya ain’t got any place ta stay at th’ moment, so ah’d be more than welcome ta let ya sleep there a while, alright?”

“I’ve still got so much to learn about friendship. Okay, I guess it is quite late now, so I’ll come with you, Applejack.” Who was I kidding? I couldn’t just send myself to Tartarus. Yet.

The group said their goodbyes as they split up to get back their reclaimed homes for some well earned rest. I walked behind Applejack as she led me to her farm. My head was still hung in shame though, so I stared at the ground for most of the way there.

“Sweetie, ya are allowed next ta me, ya know?” Applejack looked back to me as she told me that.

“I’m sorry, I just don’t want to be seen at the moment,” I replied as I returned my gaze to the floor.

“Don’t be a silly filly now! Jus’ come over here, ah’m not gonna hurt ya.” She ushered me over to her side.

“I apologise for everything...I never should have moved into this town, because then all trouble could have been avoided,” I said, doubting my actions of coming to Ponyville.

“Yer still bein’ silly! Ya didn’t make any trouble, it just kinda...came to ya, which was pretty bad luck.” The filly with the somewhat lighter orange coat compared to mine sympathised with me.

“I appreciate all this, but you can’t just let it slide for my case. I should still be hated and outcast because I deserve it,” I stubbornly went on.

Applejack stopped in her tracks, turned to me, and put a hoof on my shoulder. “Nopony could ever hate ya, Blue! We all love ya, no matter what ya become. We knew the old Blue was still with us when Opare was around, because ya have the purest of heart, and ya fought back against th’ darkness in yer heart, then ya won! In mah mind, yer already forgiven, alright?”

I raised my hoof and clutched Applejack’s. “Thank you. I’m sorry. I’ve never been the most perfect pony, and I have so much to discover about myself as well as everypony else. Okay, I’m going to keep trying my hardest at being a good pony, because that’s who I should be; good.” I gave her a small, hopeful smile, and we carried on walking.

We crossed the path leading up to the large, red, barn looking house of Applejack’s, overseeing the large surrounding area of apple orchards and crop fields. My stetson wearing friend showed me to the sofa that I had slept on a few times before, and I collapsed onto it. She then exited the room, and came back shortly after with some blankets for me, throwing them over me. Then the fire in the fireplace was extinguished, and before Applejack left the room for the second time, she tipped her hat at me, and gave me a smile. I positioned myself to get comfortable enough to rest, and closed my eyes slowly.

The next morning, I woke up to the smell of those traditional apple pancakes that had been so long since I last had one. The agricultural mare brought me a plate of them, and I dug into them.

“Oh, these are so good, Applejack, thank you so much!” I praised her for her excellent cooking skills.

“Heh, yer welcome sugarcube. Also, here’s a letter for ya.” She passed me the sealed scroll with my name on it. The seal looked to be of a royal design, so it must have been important.

“Dear Electric Blue,

By default, you must come to Canterlot castle to speak with me, as I have to talk through a few things with you. Do not worry, you will not be punished for your actions, as I shall explain, because our conversation will be on the same type of grounds.

Yours faithfully,

Princess Celestia”

“I guess I gotta go see the Princess now, AJ. I’ll, uh, see you later then, I suppose?” I felt nerves in my words.

“Sure, ya know where I’ll be!” Applejack nodded at me, I got up from the sofa, and cleaned up the blankets before heading out.

Trying to avoid the public eye just in case I wasn’t completely forgiven, I made my way to Canterlot, and then to the Princesses’ castle, by quickly sneaking from behind the main parts of the towns and beyond. The castle was still in a damaged state, which was strange, but that wasn’t my focus for now. I would pay for the fortress to be repaired, but I had no bits left whatsoever. I didn’t in the first place anyway. I should think about employing myself later on, possibly. One of the royal guards at the gate stared at me with an angry look.

“She’s just inside, in her quarters,” The sentinel told me, pointing back towards the main halls beyond the gate.

I nodded, and looked at him apologetically for a brief second, then I carried on. I crossed the little bridge over the river, walked over the drawbridge, and continued through the corridors towards Celestia’s room. It was a decent way through morning, as the sun was two thirds of the way to the top of the sky. I stood outside the Princess’ door for a while, because I suddenly felt nervous for some reason.

I regained my strength, and rapped on the large, wooden double doors quietly.

“Come in, the door’s open!” A voice came from inside the room.

I pushed one of the doors open, and moved inside. The magnificent white alicorn, with her flowing light blue, green, cobalt and pink mane and tail swaying as if there was an eternal breeze around her.

“Uh, you summoned me, your highness?” My throat became dry with the returning nervousness.

“Yes, my subject. I have brought you here to discuss your future.” Celestia paused.

“Oh...okay, go on...” I said, and listened patiently.

“Well, seeing as we cannot exile you again, as that would cause problems, we were forced to choose a slightly less harsh decision. You shall go into isolation until you have rehabilitated properly, and then we shall provide you with work. You must go to a house on a hill, just by the outskirts of Ponyville, built there so we are able to keep an eye on you.” She turned to face the window behind her, and I followed her actions.

I put my forelegs on the base of the open window, and viewed the panorama of the land. A house on a hill was standing on its own, surrounded by a circle of lush, short trees. The house appeared to be made mostly out of glass, but the rest of the building had wooden supports and such.

“So you’re providing me with shelter?” I turned my focus to Celestia’s.

“Of course, we don’t want anypony to be homeless. Anyway, I shall need a direct explanation to what happened to you exactly. Come, we’ll walk and talk.” She again turned and I followed her. the sounds of our hooves hitting the ground made a graceful noise as we strolled through the halls, to the large private garden area.

“Okay, I’ll tell you everything, but first, I must apologise to you personally. If I had my way, I wouldn’t have dethroned you and locked you away.” I looked up at the Princess, and she looked back at me, studying my lament.

“I shall forgive you, Electric Blue. I am not one to scold a pony for his or her actions heavily, especially if they weren’t in control of what they were doing, usually. I had experienced something like this before, which I shall save for you to read about. I shall send Twilight Sparkle to visit you at one point to provide you with reading material. Now, your explanation...” Celestia waited for me to begin, as we lay down on the grassy floor.

“From what I know, I had been taken over by something unknown, possibly relating to the human world. When that happened, the darkness in my heart swallowed my purity, and I took the form of ‘Princess Opare’. Those terrible creatures had become my servants somehow, so they started to ruin everywhere they went, in an attempt to please their master. When I battled you, I won, taking the throne shortly afterwards. I then brought about an infinite dusk, and made a plan to blow up two worlds, where my arch rival was residing, and Earth. Of course, that plan failed, but at least my enemy’s planet is gone, so I can rest easy finally. I suppose Opare did a good thing, but in that state, I kind of messed up what was so peaceful and innocent at the time. I had now dragged too many ponies into my problems, and there was no way to get them out. My problems should be going away now that they’re all gone, but who knows how long it’ll take before they come back?” I felt angry at myself for everything that I had done, up until this day. So many mistakes that I had made...

“Thank you for telling me this, Electric Blue. I hope that you will become stronger over time, because I shall need you to stay on our side.” The Princess gave me an assuring look.

“Of course, your highness. I will stay loyal to you, Equestria and I will try to keep to the path.” My allegiance to the good side had to stay true now. I wanted to be as good as I possibly could be; it was my destiny.

“I am glad to hear that, Electric Blue. Now, it’s time for me to have some lunch, so I will be retiring for a while,” the royal alicorn said, smiling.

“Alright, I’ll leave you too it. Goodbye, Princess.” I got up, and vacated the premises to visit my new living space.

Once I got through the trees blocking the view of the house, I stood and stared at the sight of such a modern structure. It was quite a large house, if only one floor to it, but it showed off a lot of space through the glass. I opened the front door, and explored the interior. It was all so new and well decorated, with a stylish kind of feel to it. I bet Rarity had helped design this wonderful place. I found the bedroom, and flung myself on the large, cushioned bed to rest.

27 - The calm after the storm

I stared at the ceiling, feeling relieved that everything was in its right place again. It was just a shame that I wasn't strong enough back then. Perhaps I’ll never be strong, I’ll be this fragile little pony, living in a corner, scared of what might happen next. No, I mustn't jump to negative thoughts. It was a mistake to trust those terrible creatures and become bad for it, but it was also a learning curve. I experienced the darkness taking over my heart, and so I know how to defend myself against it now. I must resist from now on, and hopefully my friends can keep me going straight. That’s if I’m able to be a friend myself. I've always thought of myself as a lonesome pony, with little experience of friendship. Destiny practically became my sister, but that was different. It wasn't friendship exactly, because we merged into the same family, so it was more than that.

I had to run myself a bath to relax my bruised body, and my tense muscles. I pushed off of the bed, and trotted to the bathroom. This tub looked very luxurious, with what looked like little holes for bubble jets or something like that, dotted around the lower area. I turned on the flow, and the hot water came out instantly. I left my hoof under the water for a while, feeling the soothing temperature wash over it, allowing the relaxation session to begin.

I had noticed a gramophone in the main room, so I went back to it and chose one of the records from the stack next to it. A perfect smooth jazz album was right for me, so I took it out of its sleeve and put it under the needle of the gramaphone. I turned the music player on, and the needle came down on the grooves, causing the noise of the song to be heard. Jazz was one of my favourite genres, and it always helped me think better, as well as calming me down. We used to have a record player in our tree house when we were little fillies, so it made it fun for us, listening to music when I and Destiny were doing whatever we were doing at the time.

I returned to the bathroom, and the water had almost already filled the bathtub. I turned off the flow, and gently eased myself into the bath. The warmth that I had submerged most of my body in welcomed me in its embrace of unwinding myself. I closed my eyes and dipped my head underwater a few times, allowing my hair to get wet and clean my face. My mane lost the spikiness it once had and passed over my face, as my fringe had the longest part. I brushed most of it to one side, and continued to bathe peacefully.

Seeing as I would be in an isolated environment, maybe I could develop a means of communication with the outside world, just so I don’t go completely crazy. I could try inventing the telephone again...that would probably help a lot of ponies out, but I wouldn’t want them to become shut-ins just like when it was commercialised over on Earth. Nah, it won’t work, I’d have to go out of this place in order to get the materials, and I can’t do that. I guess I’ll just have to wait for visitors, if any.

My mind gets hazy whenever I try to remember the events of Princess Opare ruling over, because they aren’t exactly my memories, they’re somepony elses. But the most important details are there. I just can’t believe I would lock Celestia herself up, and give in to my dark side so easily. I wasn’t able to cope with sudden rejection and exile, so my emotions backfired on me. Maybe it was me who caused those bugs to generate...And how could I have trusted Glais too? He told me a false truth, just like the rest of them. There were too many fake truths shown to me. But maybe Rose told me the real story of before I came here. Oh well, it’s all been forgotten now, so I can begin on my new-new life in Equestria. I’ll become a permanent resident here, and I will only return to Earth in emergencies.

A knock at the door sounded.

“Hang on a minute!” I shouted, trying to get out of the soak as fast as I could. I got a towel and wrapped it over my mane, letting a white, fluffy swirl rest atop my head. I shook off some of the water droplets as I approached the door.

Opening the entrance revealed a light-mulberry coloured mare in front of me. “Hello there; the princess sent me here so you could borrow some books?”

“Uh, yes of course, please come in, Twilight,” I confirmed, giving her a smile.

“Thank you, Blue.” She trotted inside, a stack of books following her in a purple ethereal bubble.

“You know, I've probably talked with you the least, haha.” My ice breakers weren't in the best shape.

“That’s quite true, we might have the smallest knowing of each other,” she chuckled in her friendly reply.

“Thank you so much for letting me borrow these, Twilight, it’ll provide me with some entertainment.” I moved closer to see the titles of what I would be reading later on.

“You’re quite welcome. Oh! Let me just show you something quickly,” the librarian pony flicked through the pages of one of the books. “This one is about ancestry, and I found something that might be of interest to us all.”

I took a look at the page Twilight was pointing at. ‘The old cornerstone princesses’ it read at the top. It illustrated two alicorns, one called ‘the princess of dusk, Opare’ and the other was ‘the princess of dawn, Aora’. They looked awfully similar to me and Destiny for some reason...

“It says Opare here!” I cried, plastering a shocked look on my face. Twilight reflected my expression.

“No...it can’t be...you’re a descendant of a Princess?” she asked, even more bewildered.

“Surely not. I’m too far from being related to royalty, surely...” I pondered for a moment. I must do some more research on my bloodline in the future.

“I have to tell Princess Celestia right away!” She prepared to gallop her way to Canterlot.

I stood in front of Twilight. “Wait, before you go Twilight, could you ask Rarity to visit me next time you see her? I have a favour to ask.”

“Of-of course. I’ll see you later Blue!” She took note of my request and shot off.

Okay, let’s see what this article shows.

‘Before Princess Celestia and Princess Luna had full progress with their powers of controlling the sun and moon, Princess Aora and Princess Opare were there for support. Aora helped Celestia raise the sun, and Opare assisted Luna with the moon. Reflecting their roles, their personalities had similarities to who they were working with. Aora and Celestia were the sweeter, more gentle ponies, while Opare and Luna were darker, serious ponies. This wasn’t always the case though. It has been recorded that they all got along like the best of friends, with the nighttime two playing harmless tricks on the daytime pair. They all taught each other valuable lessons, and had their shares of fun day to day, according to the royal maids.

However, Princess Aora and Opare disappeared without warning one day, and never came back. Most word got out sometimes that Opare had become corrupted in an unknown part of Equestria, and ruled over there, possibly creating a factor of Princess Luna following her example, as they were truly close. Aora had been lesser heard of, but Princess Celestia stayed true to the vanished alicorn’s words, to stay in the light.’

I had so many more things to find out about now. Maybe if I stay up one night and visit Luna, she may just recognise me from who my ancestor was. Destiny should do the same with Celestia, wherever she is...Destiny wasn’t a pony who came from Earth, as she was here before I first arrived in Equestria, so she should be around here somewhere...

“You called, darling?” somepony called to me from out of the doorway.

“Oh Rarity, there you are! That was quick...step inside please?” I offered her to come in.

“Thank you. Now Blue, what is it that you’ve brought me over her for today?” She questioned me.

“Well, uh, I was wondering if you could give my mane and tail some cutting and styling, you know?” I nervously requested Rarity for her special hair treatment.

“Yes, yes of course I can do that for you, I’d be more than happy to!” She said, laughing positively.

“Thank you so much,” I held one of her hooves in mine for gratitude.

“Not at all, it’s no problem. Alright, if you could just sit somewhere comfortable, and I’ll do my stuff.” She brought a stool over for me to sit on.

“You seem to know what you’re doing, so please, I’d love to see what you’ll do,” I giggled a little.

“Okay dear, let me just put this mirror in front of you, and I shall get started.” She did what she said, and I saw the reflection of myself. It’s been a long, long time since I last looked at myself properly.

Seemingly out of nowhere, Rarity brought some tools for hair styling towards my mane, wrapped up in aqua coloured magic bubbles. Scissors cut random parts from my hair, and a comb swept through the droopy, drying locks of mine. The white hooves messed up my straightened mane, turning it back into an almost identical old hairstyle at the time. After that process, Rarity took a sphere of some sort of gel, and slapped it on my head. She then put her forehooves through my mane again, creating new spikes and removing the old slight curliness. My fringe became more punky and sharp, and my sides were longer, pointing further to the ground. I preferred the new look, with the larger, more lengthy style. Lastly, another comb was used on my tail, in such a technique to make it more wavy, instead of the plain straight tail like it used to be.

“Wow, that was a fast service,” I complimented the resident stylist and fashion expert.

“Why thank you, Blue. I am known for giving ponies the best makeovers in Ponyville, and so I’m able to design my client’s coiffure into something that suits them perfectly,” Rarity boasted.

“You’ve done a brilliant job. And uh, how much do I owe you?” I asked, just realising I had no bits at all.

“Nothing at all sweetie! You’re a friend, and friends shouldn’t have to owe other friends anything. Apart from friendship of course, but that’s not what I mean.” She laughed a little, and put a hoof on my shoulder from behind me. Friends should never have to owe things to their friends, hey? I guess what’s mine is theirs, and vice versa. Another lesson I should have to learn.

“Thank you so much for this amazing work, I really appreciate it.” I kept offering my gratitude to the elegant white unicorn.

“You are quite welcome, Blue. But unfortunately, I mustn’t overstay my welcome, as I must be elsewhere. Good bye for now!” Rarity up and left gently, taking her equipment with her. I watched her travel down the path into the surrounding circle of trees. She then turned around briskly, blew me a kiss, turned back and continued.

“What was that...?” I said out loud, then trailing off. Maybe I did look that good...

I closed the door after Rarity came out of view, and went back to my new books. I guess I wouldn’t have much else to do than read. I turned the page to see more content explaining the older princesses, and started to read.

‘Before the next heirs to rule over the land, Princess Aora and Opare were sisters. With their powers of making dawn and dusk happen, they had a gentler transition of raising the sun, and then lowering it to change to the moon rising. The sunrises and sunsets lasted much longer than they do today, which provided for a much more peaceful setting, in a simpler time where the days went on almost forever. Aora let ponies sleep in for extended hours compared to modern times, and Opare allowed the feelings of romance to flow under the descending sun.

Of course, Aora trained Princess Celestia to raise the sun, and the ponies of Equestria slowly noticed the difference in how fast it came up. This happened quicker because the era was turning into a new one, as we see it to this day, and the evolution of towns and cities transformed themselves and expanded in order to accommodate the growing population.

Opare tutored Princess Luna to raise the moon, and she excelled to do so rapidly. The moon appeared faster as well, in order to manage the amount of sleep ponies get properly. The night shift pair were never really happy that most ponies didn’t stay up long enough to be active through the evening, but everypony had to get their rest at some point.’

Another knock at the door. I put the book down, and opened the door after going back to it.

“Good afternoon, Electric Blue,” Celestia greeted.

“Oh, hello there Princess. Have you come to talk to me again?” I replied, feeling slightly frustrated for some reason.

“Why yes, I have. You are more important to us than we all might realise. And your sister too, she’s just as important. Mind if we come in?” I allowed her inside, and a hidden Twilight followed her.

We sat around a table in the main room, and began to discuss what the Princess had discovered about me. My jazz record was still playing thankfully, so the atmosphere remained calm and soothing to me.

“Now, Twilight Sparkle had informed me about you being in the bloodline of Princess Opare and Aora, is that correct?” the alicorn asked me.

“Uh...well it might be, for now it’s only an assumption I guess.” I looked at Twilight, and she looked back at me.
“Let me think back...” the Princess continued the subject. “I remember exactly what Opare looked like, even if I didn’t see her that much personally. You bear a striking resemblance to her, so you just have to be one of her descendants. You almost have the same personality to Luna’s teacher as well. Ah, she was one of the nicest mares I had ever met.”

“Really? I thought she turned bad?” I questioned.

“That happened after we took over the throne you see. Opare and Aora’s jobs were done, so they both decided to explore the rest of the world together.” Celestia took a much more affectionate tone now.

“So, what were they like to you? Let’s start with Opare.” I wanted to know just how much she was like me.

“Okay, she was pretty quiet, but when she talked, it was usually in a friendly way. Even if she had the always serious or sad look on her face, we were able to make her smile in the blink of an eye. I, Luna, Aora and Opare spent an hour in the gardens just before the sun set completely, talking about our day and our interests, and what kind of responsibilities came with raising the sun and moon. Us four couldn’t get enough of each other’s company. Opare and Aora were almost like parents to us, as well as our closest friends. When our positions changed though, Opare and Aora announced that they were leaving, and we said our tearful goodbyes. We got word of Opare going sour, and I, as well as Luna especially, felt so disappointed.” The pure white alicorn’s expression changed to a satisfied look to a concerned one.

“Okay...Princess, say no more on that, I don’t want to burden you with sadness,” I consoled her. “Perhaps talking about Aora?”

Celestia took a pause before speaking again. “Ah yes, my personal mentor. She was quite confident in her words, and her optimism was astounding. I was always eager to learn more from her, and she was always willing to teach me. I suppose the reason why I’ve never been exactly sincere is because Aora never was herself; she had to give a joke or laughter after every other sentence she said. Although she sometimes had arguments with Opare, my teacher was quick to stop them, and so they kept their bond of friendship strong. She left the castle about a year after Opare did, but they were on better terms, and the news from her was always good.”

I thought to myself for a moment. Is that why Destiny and my friendship stayed strong, no matter what? Because we were descendants of these Princesses? Maybe it was something stronger...

“Twilight, my dear, did you ever wonder why I wanted your reports on friendship?” Celestia asked the purple unicorn sitting beside her.

“I guess so...” The student answered.

“It was because I was so sad after the old Princess’ parting of friendship, that I worked tirelessly to help mend it for them. Unfortunately Luna was held on the moon at the time, so I didn’t have much luck without her support. Nopony outside the castle thought of me as a friend, just more of a ruler, so things were different in that case. The blessing that was Twilight inducting into the school for gifted unicorns, gave me the chance I needed. I must thank you formally for your studies, young one.” The sun goddess smiled at Twilight in appreciation, and the smaller unicorn smiled back.

“Now I know that, I assume Twilight’s writings were much better than mine, as they were random paragraphs detailing gibberish,” I cut in light-heartedly.

“They were important to me, Electric Blue, but you just weren’t consistent enough. No matter, I may just have a task for you which will help me in a way that Twilight’s letters cannot.” She turned to face me again, with a slightly grave face.

“Oh yes? And what might that be?” I asked.

“You must go and find Aora, then bring her to Opare. Tell them as much as you can about their friendship, afterwards bring them back to the castle. Luna and I would be happy to see them both again,” Celestia replied, hopeful that I will succeed with this task.

“But...I don’t know anything about their friendship.” I shifted my eyes around the room, trying to think of what she might have meant.

“If you say that your sister is your friend too, then what is that?” She chuckled a little bit as she got up from the table. Possibly Destiny and my relationship was the same as Aora and Opare’s...

“Well, I think we’ve overstayed our welcome now. Besides, you must be getting on with your task now. I shall remove the status of isolation from you, Electric Blue, as I know so much more now, and I can trust you considerably.” The Princess turned and left from the door.

“See you later, Blue!” Twilight called back to me as she followed Celestia outside.

I closed the door after the two went out of sight. I returned to the bathroom, drained the water in the tub, and checked myself in the mirror again. As the music record came to a close, I approached it and removed it from the player, to put it back in the sleeve it came from. The red, rectangular sofa looked comforting to me, so I placed my body on it to rest.

28 - The dreamings of a wild mind

“Uh, Pinkie Pie...would you consider...being my fillyfriend?” I asked the pink party pony nervously.

She turned around to face me, opened her mouth, and then darkness took her away from my view.

“We are sorry to interrupt your pleasant dreaming, but we are here to tell you something.” A new voice came from the blackness surrounding me now.

“What? Who are you?” I shouted out towards the direction of the voice.

“Do not be afraid, young one. We are the gods and goddesses that watch over the ever-crumbling Earth. We’ve come to monitor you, as we do with all humans.” The voice turned into that of a female’s.

“Okay...” I allowed the voice to continue.

“We must ask you something. Do you still remember your task?” The booming, but gentle voice asked.

“What...task? I had a task to do?” I felt very confused, wherever I was and whatever I was doing. I must’ve drifted off again.

“You have forgotten...she has already erased it all. That may make things more difficult.” The invisible entity seemed like it was talking to someone else.

“Who’s she? What are you talking about?” I called out.

“Your keeper is now Rose, is she not?” The voice asked.

“How do you know that name?!” I cried out in puzzlement, as this new event became so weird to me.

“That does not matter for now, but we assume that you are looked over by her.” The disembodied speaker confirmed.

“Ugh! I don’t get it, show yourselves!” I grew more annoyed by this conversation.

“We do not mean to make you angered, our subject. We will show ourselves.” Two large, glowing, floating human-looking folk emerged from the darkness. There was a male, appearing old, and inside a huge ring detailing strange signs around it. The other was a female, half covered in earth, with an accompanying mute infant. “My name is Gaia, goddess of the earth, and the man beside me is Aion, god of time.”

“Uh, hello...” I was taken back by the sights of these large deities in front of me.

“Greetings,” Gaia simply said.

“Please, explain what’s going on here?” I pleaded.

“As you might need a proper understanding, we shall tell you,” Aion cut in. “Two supremes had gone missing from the heavens, and we believe it has something to do with you. When we investigated, we uncovered a lot of new knowledge. Nemesis, god of revenge, had been single handedly slain by you, but you met your demise in the consequences. Tyche, goddess of fortune and destiny, took you into her care in your unearthly, detached state, and so here you are today.”

“Whoa...” I took a minute to think about this. “You’re saying...Glais, and Rose...”

“They used to be supremes like us, but they strayed away from the path, and became mortals. They then used you for their own purposes, and still are. Well, Rose is,” Gaia finished my sentence for me.

I looked around at my dark surroundings, to see nothing but these two beings. “So whose side is Rose on?”

Gaia sighed. “She was on the side of good, being the goddess of destiny and fortune, but now, we do not know. Possibly she is neutral, as she is working for her own gain, and don’t think that she will be helping you.”

“But...she’s my friend-”

Aion interrupted me. “She cannot be your friend, Anne. She is a dangerous character, as the gods and goddesses that have strayed before have become, themselves. There is no telling what her motive is, and what she may do next.”

“Perhaps we can set you a new task,” Gaia considered. “You must find out Rose’s plans, and destroy her like you did with Nemesis if her schemes are for terrible reasons.”

“I couldn’t do that! And why should I even trust you? Higher powers or not, I need to know everything before I can make a proper decision,” I battled.

“You must trust us, as we are the creators of life and Earth. You must carry out this task, or we can bring about your end once and for all.” The female goddess spoke more forcefully now.

“So called creators of life! Earth is ruined, and it’s only going to get worse there? What the heck have you been doing since that, huh?” I became defensive over my home planet, for some reason.

“We apologise, but we cannot repair the Earth without Rose’s and your help. We must get Rose back to being Tyche again, otherwise the world will be doomed to crumble into dust.” Aion spoke out, trying to convince me to go through with this.

“Ugh...what if Rose’s plans are for bad purposes though, what then?” I argued back.

The two deities stopped to think for a moment. “Take back what we said about her not being able to be your friend. You will need to form a stronger bond with her, and if she reveals her motives, then you must convince her to come to light. You may have forgotten everything, and the planet may be dying, but there is always a chance for you to redeem the Earth. You also dragged your brother into this, and he wants the world to return to its former glory the most. He wants his family back, and you can do that for him and you.”

“Caerula...my brother...he didn’t want this to happen, but I let it...it’s my fault, isn’t it?” I settled into sadness once again.

“We have watched over you since you were a child, and had proved important to us. You did not cause this, Nemesis and Tyche did in their respective ways. They worked on the sidelines while you threw yourself into a nightmare which became your normal life. You will not remember any of what happened now, as Rose erased the memories from you to ease the pain. But it wasn’t the best of ideas,” Gaia tried to console me.

“I...ugh...I’ll do what I can then. For my brother, as he was more valuable than I was. He could lead us all into the future, when I could not.” I started to lament. “That’s the only fragment remaining from my removed memory. I could never be a leader like he could. I succumbed to the darkness to much, and I destroyed lives as well as the soil that used to lay beneath my feet.”

“You can bring yourself into the light again, Anne, anyone can. No-one is left without even the smallest shred of goodness inside of them, and it can grow past the darkness.” The Goddess of earth put her hand on my now human shoulder, and the dream ended.

My eyes opened to witness pink, curly hair covering them, and warm lips attached to mine.

“You could have just asked me instead of dreaming about it, Blue!” Pinkie Pie spoke softly, with red-lined cheeks.

“Wh...what are you talking about?” I asked, confused yet again.

“You’re my fillyfriend now, silly! I just came over here to check on you and I overheard you sleep talking, heehee!” Pinkie exclaimed.

“You...really want to be with me?” I was bewildered that she was even here, as well as the likelihood of her accepting me.

“Of course I do! I had been thinking about you so much since we were last together that I couldn’t stand it! I’m glad you want to be with me too!” She chuckled, and kissed me again. Her lips felt good on mine, and she smelled as sweet as flavourful candies.

She parted from my mouth so I could speak. “But...I’m so miserable and serious, and you’re so happy and opposite to me...”

“That’s what makes it exciting, Blue!” The pink pony climbed on top of me, and touched her mouth with mine multiple times. Her weight felt a little overwhelming, but that passed when she shifted to get more comfortable.

I began to return the kisses, more wet saliva accumulating each time. This felt great, as I hadn’t been taken care of like this for a while. I extended my forelegs and clamped onto Pinkie’s back, taking her down a little bit, which made her pleasantly toasty belly contact with mine more. All sorts of emotions returned, but the sadness definitely was gone for now. I felt safe and content with Pinkie Pie, as I did when I was encased in snow, those fateful weeks back then. I had gotten a perfect partner, and everything was lovely once again.

Then I woke up again. Nopony was around, it was just me this time. My throat felt tight and painful as the sadness returned in a harsher form. It was the first dream finishing itself off. Pinkie would never understand my feelings for her anyway, she isn’t a very romantic pony, as she’s too bouncy to care about the lovey-dovey stuff.

“Who am I kidding? I couldn’t get anyone else in my lifetime!” I shouted aloud as I kicked the wooden plank covered floor with my forehoof. I’m a hopeless romantic, emphasis on the hopeless. Maybe I could go and ask her...no, she wouldn’t understand.

Shaking off my embarrassing feelings to be replaced by my normal, serious self, I headed out to find Destiny. It’s strange how she hasn’t turned up yet. The house that I now live in is on top of a partially steep hill surrounded by a thin line of trees and flowers, so it’s able to look over Ponyville with ease. Across the thatched roofs I noticed a shop looking building with large glass windows. There was a sticker of an ice cream slapped onto one of the windows, and behind it was a white-coated mare with the fashionable black and red streaked hair. What was Destiny doing in an ice cream shop in the increasingly cold weather? I had to go and investigate.

My hooves trampled the gravel path leading through a small gap in the trees, sloping down to the normal level of the rest of Ponyville. I crossed the cobble bridge, stopping in my tracks to listen to the soothing ambience of a running stream that skirts around the town. I then continued after a minute or so, closing in to my target. The door rang as I activated the bell hanging over me by walking into the shop.

A range of different ice creams were on display in glass cases atop the black, marble counter; they all looked so appetising, but I’d regret having one if I tried, as it would’ve only made me colder than I already was.

“Destiny?” I called to my friend as I stood behind her with a little bit of nerves.

The speedy pegasus turned from the counter to face me. “Oh, hello there Blue. How’s it going?”

“It’s going great...say, what are you doing here?”

“I was told to try out this new ice cream flavour, it’s sea salt by the way.”

“Sea salt? Bleh! How can that work with ice cream? It’s all meant to be sweet stuff.”

“Blue, it can be whatever the customer feels like having! Here, try some.” Destiny extended her hoof holding the stick of frozen ice to almost meet my mouth.

“Uh, no thanks, I’ll pass. Besides, it’s too cold for that!” I shivered as I remembered the chilly breeze that softly pushed my mane when I was outside.

We sat down in one of the booths opposite the counter, and I waited for Destiny to finish the part of her ice cream that was melting the most.

“Uh, so we need to go on another adventure soon, how does that sound to you?”

“Heh, we’ll be teaming up again, and going to fight more creatures as usual?” My friend chuckled.

“Well, it’s a bit more serious than pretending this time. We have to go to a distant place to find two alicorns that are dear to us. We’re going to find our ancestors,” I said, giving her a stern look. This was very important to me, and probably to her as well, maybe.

“Ancestors? Surely they’ve gone by now?”

“They are alicorns, and royal blood ponies live for a much longer time than us.”

“Wait...we have royal ancestors?!”

“Yes, Destiny, we do. Do you remember Opare? That’s who I’m focused on looking for. She’s corrupt as you’ve witnessed through me, but I’m sure that can be fixed with Aora’s help. Aora is who you want to look out for too.”

Blue droplets from the ice cream landed on the table, making a mess for the less than busy staff to clean up. “And what exactly will they look like?”

“Like us, basically. They’d just have much longer hair than us, and not styled so roughly.”

“That reminds me. Blue, nice new hair you got!”

I tried to stifle a funny looking smile, but of course, it had to show itself. I’ve always looked silly whenever I smiled. “Thanks, Destiny, I appreciate it.”

“You’re welcome, sis! Anyways, you were saying?” She affectionately named me as ‘sis’...interesting, she’s never really said that to me before.

“Yes...we must go to find Aora first, and then the three of us will go to Opare, and reunite those two to bring back their friendship and make them happy, like Princess Celestia wants from us. Is that okay?”

Destiny smiled at me and nodded, as she knew that this was going to happen either way, especially if the Princess was involved.

“Good,” I continued. “Then we shall be going in a couple of days time. Prepare as much as you can, say goodbye to Braeburn if you’re able, as we won’t be coming back to the place we know the most for a long while. After all, Equestria is a huge place.”

“Well, I suppose I had better get on a train to Appleoosa then. I’ll go now, to save time of course. And I’d wanna spend some time with Braeburn too, you know?”

“Okay Destiny, that’s fine by me. Have fun over there!”

The small wooden stick was placed on the table, and the snow white pegasus left the shop for the train station. I removed myself from the table, and exited the building too. I had missed out on an ice cream, but still, it was too cold for that, again.

What else could I do now? I could just go home and lay there maybe, but I don’t want to get bored and I especially don’t want to dream for a while. Maybe I could visit Sugar cube corner...no. I don’t want to push anything onto Pinkie, and she’ll probably decline my offer. I approached the large building with an abstract gingerbread house decor, and paced around outside of it. Despite my refusal, I subconsciously brought myself here. Why do I have to be so awkward and stupid about this? I’ve fallen in love before...I just don’t think I could do it again, if I’ve become like this.

“Why am I even waiting outside of this place?” I whispered to myself. I then departed, and returned home. “It’ll have to wait, my attachment will have to wait.”

I lay back on the sofa again, feeling all sorts of doubt and regret, and so I sighed heavily.

*Anne’s POV*

My eyes flickered open to see the change in surroundings. Here I am, back on Earth. I sat up from the cold machine below me, and looked Rose square in the face. I then remembered.

“You’re the fallen goddess, Tyche, aren’t you?!” I cried at her.

“Oh. You found out, did you? I guess I’d better explain to you then. Listen up Gaia; I know you’re there.” My pale skinned Author - keeper - whoever she was looked up as if to view the gods and goddesses. “We all took an interest on you, Anne. You were an exceptional subject in our records. A lot of traumatising events you had gone through, like losing family and the world. You ruled the world one day, but it was very tyrannical, and so Glais, or Nemesis stepped in to aid you. Nobody wants the god of revenge on their side really, so I came down to Earth to help you as well, but for the better. To this day I’ve been constantly trying to mend your breakages and remove your bad memories, and it’s been slightly easier without Nemesis in the picture.”

“You have hidden agendas though!” I retaliated with stubbornness.

“The only thing I want to do is heal the world. It’s your destiny to, and I am the goddess of destiny. This task is a huge burden, and you alone would never be able to do it. With a higher being working with you, Earth should be repaired much faster.”

“My task? My...task was to heal the world?”

“Yes, and I had erased all your memories except the most important and pure ones. Everything is still there with you, just the bad stuff is taken out. It’ll ease the pain for you, as you wanted that.”

I quickly changed the subject, as this was all I needed to hear for now. “I have something I need to do back in the machine, and I was wondering if you and Caerula could make the machine make me go back in time?”

“Uh...” Rose was stunned. She called my brother over to us. “She wants you to modify the machine so it can go back in time.”

“And why would you want this, Anne?” Caerula asked me.

“I need to go back to figure out what went wrong in two alicorns’ lives to make them lose their friendships. I also need to know where they’ve gone so I can find them.”

“You’re lucky I’m a scientist, otherwise you’d be stuck, wouldn’t you?” A small amount of patronising tone slipped out in his voice.

“Thanks, Cae, I really am in your debt.” I hugged my brother, something I hadn’t done in a while.

“You’re...welcome. Now, I’ve tried time travel once or twice before, and the first test won’t take you too far, but at least it’s something when you witness it.” Caerula disappeared into a nearby cupboard, and returned shortly after with a strange, coloured light displaying device, as well as some soldering equipment. He began to attach the device to the machine, opened a small panel on the side of my body changing contraption, and pulled some wires out. The same wires stuck out of the back of the smaller, white device, so he could easily band them all together. Immediately fire flowed around the wires from the soldering tool, and they stuck together like slowly melting glue.

“We’re in a kind of rush if you’ve noticed, as we’re in a warzone trying to fend off government attackers.” Rose announced.

“Great...I can help though, can’t I?” I asked.

“No, we don’t want you risking your life. You must complete your task as fast as you can, and then we’ll be truly safe again.” She replied. “You’re also protected by a shield in the engine, so bullets or any other form of attack can’t get to you. Lucky.”

“There you go,” the quickly finished older brother of mine proudly told me. “It won’t go far once, but it shall soon. Just test it out.” Caerula took my hand and lowered me down to the laying position again.

“And what about you guys?” I shouted to them, as I felt the machines humming and whirring yet again.

“Don’t worry about us, we’re trained enough to be able to fight the soldiers off,” Rose told me, just before my vision went blurry and dark. Who knows now where I might end up when I get back to Equestria?

29 - This is Ponyville

I opened my eyes, and I was back in Ponyville again. Except, a lot of it was different. The buildings were made of different materials, and the ponies were more dressed up, with their hair put up in strange, unfashionable ways. I heard a lot more music that came from some scattered houses, which made a change from the usual atmosphere. I looked around, and noticed a little stand placed adequately next to the town hall, where I was near to when I awoke for some reason. On that stand was a newspaper showing the date of 1982, five years before I was born back on Earth. The time travel thing must have worked then, but it hadn’t taken me far enough which was expected.

The main source of the music came from the town hall, so I took a peek inside. It looked like a disco, with a glitterball, colour changing dancefloor, the works. A real party was going on, and everypony seemed to be there, dancing rapidly and frantically to a synth pop number. Pinkie Pie would be proud...

“Hey! What are you doing here?” A dark pink mare called out to me, even though she was right in front of me. The music was almost shaking up the ground as it was so loud and vibrant.

“Uh, I’m just...visiting?” I nervously answered her.

“Figures, as you don’t look local!” She pointed to my mane and how it was styled. This was the eighties, not the nineties.

“Sorry, it’s so loud in here, shall we step outside for a while?”

We then made our way outside of the town hall, until we were far enough to talk at a normal volume.

“So uh, mysterious pony from somewhere else, what’s shakin’?” The punk-looking mare asked, with a very slight speech impediment caused by her braces.

“You’re name is Cheerilee, is it not?”

“It definitely is last time I checked, but how do you know that?”

“So that’s what she used to look like...”

“Speak up!”

“Oh, yeah, I apologise. My name is Electric Blue, and I’d just want to find out what you do in this town, as it looks like a nice place to be.” I was now totally improvising, as I wasn’t prepared to do this in any way.

“Well, in Ponyville, we like to dress the part, and you seriously don’t look it! Come with me, I’ll take you back to mine and give you a make-over.”

“Uh...okay then, sure.” I had no choice now. I also just had my mane styled recently, but I’m certain this style won’t live for much longer.

I thought about my modern-day encounter with Cheerilee, and how she said that we were good friends. This travel will probably get my memory fully working again, as this part is the only thing I can’t recall. Come to think of it, I could only remember the times I had with Destiny present, but none else.

We crossed the Ponyville streets, local flags strung along houses, with confetti littering the cobble paths. What kind of celebration was this for? That explains the loud music and dancing ponies, in a way.

“Cheerilee, what’s up with the party atmosphere?” I asked the retro-pony.

“Haven’t you heard? We won the hoofball world cup!” She shouted, and some other ponies passing us cheered in acknowledgement.

“Ponyville? Huh, that’s pretty awesome then,” I replied, happy that this place won the game. I wasn’t really for sports, but it was good to know that hoofball was one of our achievements back then.

“I know, right? That’s why we’re all partying until Celestia brings back the sun!”

We got to my companion’s house, and Cheerilee sat me down in front of a mirror-clad dressing table. Instantly she was messing up my mane to remove the spikes and poofy form. Most of my fringe was pushed to the right, and the rest of my hair was teased downwards until it looked mostly curly and wavy. The same was done to my tail. A bottle was sprayed over my hair in order to keep it all in place.

“Here, put these on as well so you don’t look so bare.” Cheerilee adorned my ears and neck with pretty jewelry, gave me some sort of belt to wear, and a bunch of leg warmers. It really was a strange fashion, but I had to go with it. “There, you look much more fitting now!”

“Brilliant! Now, what are we going to do now?”

“Let’s go back to the town hall and rock out together!”

“Wait a sec, Cheerilee. You don’t even know me, so why are you being this friendly to me?” I questioned her actions.

“Well, I’ve just...I’ve always wanted to make ponies happy. See, that’s where my cutie mark comes from,” she explained as she showed me the three smiling flowers on her flank.

“I see. But you shouldn’t just be automatically friendly to strangers, as it could end you up in a bad situation. Do you understand?”

“Yes I...understand, Electric Blue.” She reeled slightly from my stern reply.

“Please, call me Blue for short. I’m not a bad pony, but you never know who could be out there. Now, shall we go?” I smiled sadly at her. I told her what I could never tell myself. If Destiny hadn’t been there to stop me, I would have gone off with that tall, suit wearing stallion all those years ago. It happened twice, because I didn’t listen to what I should have done. Destiny kept me on track though, and I can’t owe her more than my greatest amount of friendship.

“Sure, let’s go, Blue.” She had the look of concern for a moment, but I escorted her out of the door, shutting it behind me.

“So what else do you have to teach me?”

“I...what do you want to know about?” I looked at her confusedly as we trotted across the stone path.

“Well, you look like you have a lot of knowledge, so you gotta tell me something that I should know!” Cheerilee looked back at me with a radiant grin.

“Uh, how about this - you’ll need to be able to read your friends like a book. If you know everything about them, then you can excel in your friendship. How many friends do you have?”

The pre-teacher pony paused nervously to think for a second. “About ten, twenty even! But we’re all friends here in Ponyville, right?”

“Sure we are, but those you really choose to be friends are who count the most. You’re very lucky to have a large amount of friends.”

We arrived at the town hall again, and the party inside was still in full swing. We entered the building, and headed straight to the dancefloor.

“Whoa there Cheerilee! I don’t dance.”

“Ha! You’re pulling my leg! Who doesn’t dance these days? Come on Blue, you’ve gotta get into this tune!” She pulled me in with the force of her enthusiasm, and moved my forelegs for me, as we stood upright together with the rest of the ponies here.

I hadn’t danced a day in my life as far as I can remember, so I wasn’t too great with my motions. I improvised though, and tried to have fun while throwing my forelegs outward in random directions. I hadn’t been this energetic in a while, as I’ve stayed too serious for my own good. It felt great to actually enjoy myself for once though, and I could see that Cheerilee was feeling the same way.

She laughed at me falling over a couple of times, and just generally being silly with my new found dance moves. The songs blasted into our ears, and I was loving every note of them. The new wave style was the night’s main choice of genre, but some pop and glam rock hits got in there too. Music was my one of favourite pastimes, and I hadn't heard a good tune in a while. There was one about young hearts being free and time being on their side, and one about somepony’s hair being beautiful on this night.

“You havin’ fun yet?” Cheerilee shouted at me.

“Of course I am! I haven’t had this much fun in ages! I’ve discovered a new side to myself!” I laughed heartily and carried on jiving. It was true, I hadn’t felt this alive and free for a long while now. I was sweating quite a bit, but it didn’t bother me.

The time was now getting to be early in the morning, so the celebrations of winning the hoofball cup were slowly, but hesitantly ending. I staggered from the dancefloor to the improvised bar, exhausted, and asked for a fine cocktail drink. And then another. And another. I wanted the euphoria to last, and what better way to get intoxicated?

“Ha! Well if it isn’t Gloomilee!” A patronising voice came from behind my view. I turned around, trying to stay in the same place, to see what was going on. Cheerilee was faced with a group of rough looking ponies wearing leather jackets. I had watched enough eighties movies back home to know that this was the stereotypical bully scene.

“Oh...hi everypony...what do you want now?” The lilac filly replied.

“Nothing, nothing...we just wanna know why you’re here, and what you’re smiling about.” The leading, clean-cut pre-mare talked down at her.

“Uh...I just wanted to celebrate like everypony else, you know?” Cheerilee started to back up.

“Did we even, like, allow you to do this?” Another annoying pony spoke out. I took another sip from my glass as I witnessed this; too drunk to move about.

“I’m sorry girls, but I have the right to do this, as we all do.” She firmly replied with a forced smile.

“We didn’t say you could do anything, runt!” The leader grabbed Cheerilee violently.

“Whoa whoa, we can work something out here! Blue, help me!” She called out in my direction.

“I-I-I’m coming...” I slumped down from the barstool, and stumbled my way to the group.

“Y...You jusht le’ go of her, now!” My voice changed into a menacing tone, even if I wasn’t properly conscious.

“Really? And what makes us, like, listen to you?” Yet another annoying, shallow looking filly back-talked me.

“I’m...I’m her friend, and I’m not gonna let you harm her!”

“Um...you’re drunk. You’re a pushover!” The leader put down Cheerilee and knocked me over. “See what I mean?”

The rest of the group giggled at my stupor. I struggled to get up. “Hey...don’ do that again, you hear me?”

I was pushed down again. “You really wanna fight for that sap? You can’t even handle yourself!” The back pony of the group came forward. She was quite a bulky pony; quite intimidating to me.

“Girls...we don’t have to come to fighting now, do we?” Cheerilee piped up.

“Oh yesh, we sh-should have a brawl, it’sh good for your reputation ishn’t it? Shtupid poniesh...” I laughed and hiccupped.

I received a hoof straight to the face. I didn’t feel a thing, luckily. I got to my hooves, and ran at the attacker, forehoof raised and ready to retaliate. I felt like I could do anything, so I would surely win this fight. A brutal battering to the bulky filly’s face caused her to tumble out of the way, for just a second. The smooth leader pushed me away, and I took a smash to the back. The ponies outside of the dancefloor just stood and stared in horror. I recovered quickly from my collapsing, and bucked the strong pony as hard as I could, pushing her quite a distance from me. I thrashed the leader’s side when it was open, and managed to floor her easily. The two ponies left with the annoying voices just gave me a feeble smack each, but I put them down, full force.

I had no idea where all this power came from, but I was surprised by it. The leader levelled me as she returned, throwing me against the nearby wall. She held me up, and pummelled my chest with a fierce amount of blows. I slid down to lay flat on the floor, keeping very still as I lost my ability to move. The sound of a knife being drawn was heard loud and clear. I didn’t feel it, but I saw the blade slicing my stomach multiple times, but only with small cuts. I had been in this situation before...

“I’m...sorry...” I said weakly, sobering up quickly somehow. As I rapidly stopped the stabbing hoof, twisted it with such force that the pony above me slammed onto the floor, tearing up and shattering some of the floor boards. The knife was now in my hoof, but I dropped it quickly. I didn’t want to cause that much of a scene, even if it escalated into this so quickly.

“Cheerilee, let’s...go...” I offered the terrified filly. She hesitantly followed me out of the town hall, leaving the injured group and the rest behind.

“I apologise for that happening, Cheerilee...”

“I...don’t know what to say...” She was still so shocked from the event, she wasn’t even walking right because of her trembling.

“You don’t have to say anything. You needed my help, so I gave it to you. I know you probably won’t want to see my face anymore, so I’ll be going now.”

I looked back at her as I trotted away, scared at even myself.

“Wait a minute!” The shaky voice called to me. I turned to face Cheerilee, then walked towards her. “You fought back those bullies for me, and I should be grateful. Thank you, Blue.”

I nodded to her, then walked away again.

“Do you have a place to stay?” She asked me, stopping me in my tracks for another time.

“No, I don’t...” I answered, facing away from her.

“You can come to mine again, if you want...” she encouraged me.

“Okay, but aren’t you nervous about me?” I faced Cheerilee this time.

“A little, but you did what had to be done, right?”

I caught up to her, and we returned to the house. A couple of ponies gave me some bitter stares, but I tried to shrug them off for now. Shutting the door to the world, I sat on the sofa, and Cheerilee brought some bandages to wrap up my cut up belly.

“You can sleep here for a while, is that alright?” The jagged-haired pony told me.

I winced as the bandages were tightened around me. “S-sure, that’s fine by me, miss.”

“What was that?”

“That’s fine, I said. Thank you.” I cleared my throat, narrowly avoiding that slip-up. “Uh...to be honest, I’ve been lying. I’m not really a good pony at all. I’m an extremely profane, violent pony who shouldn’t be existing for her terrible nature.”

“Don’t be silly! You should exist, just like everypony should! Sure that nopony’s perfect, but they’ve all got a good heart, deep down inside...You’ve got a good heart, I know it.” Cheerilee put a hoof to my bruised face, avoiding the painful parts.

“You’re too kind, Cheerilee, but it can’t be true. I’ve known myself to be a very self-centred, calculating filly, and I haven’t done enough to become true friends with anypony. I just can’t cut it with other ponies at all.”

“Well, we’re friends, aren’t we?” She consoled me.

“I...guess so...but how can you consider me as your friend?” I asked the hospitable pony.

“You protected me, and taught me a couple of things. I can also read you like a book, because I know that you’re a serious filly, but you just want to have fun at heart. You also defend those you care about, which definitely means a lot to me,” she smiled at me as she identified me in that instant. “And speaking of friends, I’ve been lying too. I don’t have twenty friends at all. I just have one friend, and that’s you.”

“Cheerilee...” My heart had a clenching feeling, but it was warm at the same time.

“We have to get some rest now. I’ll just go get a blanket for you, okay?”

“Sure, thanks Cheerilee,” I thankfully replied.

I carefully put myself into the normal sleeping position, making sure the bandages wouldn’t move around. The blanket suddenly landed on me, and Cheerilee set it right, to make me comfortable.

“Sleep well, Blue,” She whispered.

“You too.” I closed my eyes and started to drift off.

Later on in the day, I woke up to the greeting of a pounding headache. I thought I had sobered up long before sleeping... I got up to fetch a glass of water. Over the sink, I gulped down the painkiller affected water while looking out of the window at the bright daylight. Several ponies were sweeping up the remains of the celebratory evening, removing the flags pinned to the roofs, and clearing the confetti as well as whatever else litter was strewn about the ground.

The door to the left of me was wide open, so I ventured outside. A huge garden welcomed me, with Cheerilee tending to her magnificent plants.

“These are some nice flowers you have here!” I called out.

“They aren’t just flowers, they’re vegetables too. I have a big interest in gardening, so this is what I do in my spare time,” she responded, smiling at her many different and colourful arrangements.

“So that explains your cutie mark then.”

“I suppose it does, with the flowers and all. What are the smiling faces for though?”

“You mentioned that you like to make ponies happy, so you’re cutie mark must be special, as it’s combined out of two talents.”

“Do you really think so?” She chuckled to herself. “I have two special talents. Who’d have thought!”

“So you should keep this in mind,” I began to explain. “If you like having your plants grow, you should do the same with your friends. You’ll enjoy the fact that you’re helping your bonds thrive and your development with your friends build into something beautiful. Believe me, you’re going to excel in your talents, and you’re going to be teaching your friends, or students even, in order for them to grow into successful ponies.”

“What are you telling me all of this for?” She questioned me.

I looked down, and my body started to become transparent. It was time for me to leave to go back to the future. “I have to go now, as I need to be somewhere else, maybe if we meet for the third time, I’ll explain where I’m going and who I really am. But for now, goodbye.”

“Third time? Uh, good bye then Blue! See you later, friend!”

“Please, try to make more friends, it’ll do you good. It’s your purpose, so remember that. In some ways, it’s the meaning of life.” After that sentence, I was gone. I’ve just made somepony’s future pre-determined. I don’t know why I did that, but I wanted to make sure that she wouldn’t stray from the path she was meant to go on. I had also made a true friend. Apart from the exception of Destiny, I now have an actual friend to keep. Things were getting better.

30 - Where love was lost, Part 1

*Anne Ultrice’s POV*

I sat up from the machine, still with an aching headache, pulsing in agony. I’m sure I didn’t drink that much...

“So how’d it go?” Caerula asked me, taking the time device away from the machine to tamper with it.

“I didn’t get that far, really. Instead of sending me a thousand and three hundred years back, the device only sent me thirty years in reverse.” I shook my head at my brother, and took the time accessory from him.

“What do you think you’re doing? That’s delicate material!” He scolded me, but I was about to re-assure him.

“You aren’t the only one with brains here; I know my way around hardware too,” I said, taking a tool set from the counter next to the machine, and unscrewed the device.
I exposed the circuits and wires, and immediately noticed a red cable connected to the wrong circuit board, so I moved it to the right place. A bunch of different coloured wires were messed up too, so I fixed them all.
“Cae, are you sure you’re not losing your touch?” I chuckled as I gave back the corrected device.

“...What exactly did you do?” He asked.

“I just made it accessible to go further through time, as your cabling was all wrong!”

“You surprise me Anne, you really do.”

I looked around the room, but there was no sign of her. “Where’s Rose gone off to?”

“Oh, she went outside to get some fresh air. You want to join her? I’ve got to reinstall this thing anyway.”

“Sure, I’ll see you later Cae.”

“Be careful!” He cried before I left out of the front doors. Anything could be out there, which is a constant worry to all of us.

“Hey Rose. Everything alright?” I said to my pale skinned colleague, with the jet black hair and the deep red streaks.

“Of course everything’s alright. Why wouldn’t it be?” She turned slightly away from me as she said that.

“Something’s wrong if you’re not looking at me, I can tell.”

“It’s nothing.”

“When people say that ‘it’s nothing’, they mean much more than that.”

“Anne, I want to tell you something.” Rose looked up at the stars, which shone back down on our faces. It was night, and the air was cool. It hadn’t been cool for a long time, since all the heating up of the planet happened.

“You can tell me anything, Rose. What is it?”

She turned to face me this time. Her expression showed deep sadness, like something bad was going to happen to someone dear to her.
“I...I used to rule as a goddess, did you know that?”

“Yes I did,” I replied quietly.

“I was the goddess of destiny and fortune. I had to watch over so many people’s destinies and fates; and viewing passing is a difficult task. With my management of fortune and luck, I witnessed a lot of people becoming more greedy and hateful because of that type of corruption.”
She paused for a moment, and then changed the subject.
“The gods and goddesses long forgotten had watched over the war, you know. We saw your kind killing each other over and over again; it was unbearable for most of us. We watched you participating in the effort, killing packs of people with your fire team, or just a bunch of shoddy mercenaries. You were in the military, in the rank of captain. But, like most of the Earthlings, you were corrupt as well.”

“Why are you telling me all of this, if you made me forget?”

“Hush for now. Let me finish what I have to say.” Her voice took a turn to sound more mature and loud.
“Glais was one of the first gods to choose mortal life, and he joined the war to fight against you, being the god of revenge he is. But, wars lead to crooked, misshapen people, and he changed in those couple of days. Nuclear warheads were starting to be used, and things were getting out of control, leading to these days now.
This war started because the countries and continents had joined together as they were in the prehistoric era. Nobody wanted to be together, so they all fought for power and their own governing forces. But now that the situation is critical, anyone is against anyone else. Families aren’t even working together anymore. It’s a savage place, where humans have desecrated the land with their filth, and the corruption of power. It’s a completely broken land, with broken people doing whatever they can to scrape through another day, but their days don’t last long, not now.
I gave you a chance though. I am responsible for the Authors, because I wanted the war to end, through means of stories, and I wanted to teach everyone the error of their ways. Everyone deserves another chance, and you got it.”

“I...I don’t know what to say...I’m sorry.”

“I know. I could see it in your eyes.”

“Why did I never listen to my brother?”

“You were too naive to understand the gravity of the war. Joining it was a must, and so you had to do it. Your brother didn’t, because he chose to be a coward instead of dead. Cowards can be the most wonderful of people, because they know the true meaning of life, and love. Fighting would just be a mistake against anyone’s name, but not many people realise that.
Caerula just wanted peace, and he wanted to advance the human race to unreachable levels, as he was a scientist, just doing his job. You both wanted to help, that’s a given, but for you, you fought instead of preventing war.”

“Excuse me a second...Rose, please?”

“You are excused.”

I ran back inside, straight towards Caerula. I slammed into him, and wrapped my frail arms around his body.

“What’s this for?” He asked me.

I looked up at his face with tears streaming from my own. “I’m sorry Cae, for all I’ve done. I’m sorry for being stubborn and going down a terrible path. I’m sorry for being a bad sister. I’m sorry for not helping you. I’m sorry for-”

“Stop now, Anne. Your apology is accepted. I understand, and I love you as my only sister. I always have, no matter what you’ve done.”

We embraced together, arms tightly holding each other, uncaring that everybody was watching us in the awkwardest of ways. I saw Caerula smile for once, truly smiling this time. He was happy again, and I had helped him feel that.

Rose watched us from outside, smiling back at us because of my good deed. This was one of the first steps to redeeming the human race again. They needed to learn love and friendship like they once did, many years ago.
“Now Anne, you’re all set to go back to the time you wanted. If you don’t manage to make up that friendship again when the time is up, you’ll be sent to the present day again. But you’ll stay with whoever you made the most progress with, and you can take it from there,” Caerula informed me, helping me on to the machine again.

“Thank you Cae. I just hope Destiny will be with me too...” I looked up at the ceiling, in efforts to try and get my friend back to me.

“It’s doubtful, but you never know. Good luck!” He gave me a little wave, and so did Rose from the background. The room went black.

*Electric Blue’s POV*

It was still in the middle of the night. I was in Canterlot castle again, but it looked much different in design. There were more banners and textures draped across the internal walls, and a lot more flags decorated the place. There was a more rustic feel to the atmosphere and decor too.
After admiring the scenery, a tall mare briskly trotted past me, with a very pronounced gait. She looked a lot like me, but her hair was flowing and ever so slightly transparent.

“Princess Opare!” I called out to the alicorn, but I was ignored. I followed the Princess and called to her again.

“I’m sorry, but visitors are not allowed in the royal halls right now. Please, go home,” was the reply I got. What could I say back to that?

“What’s wrong with you?” I asked her.

“I’m far too busy to answer your questions right now.” She kept the cold air about her.

“Maybe I could help you out with whatever you’re doing?” I persisted. I couldn’t have just shied away from the situation, as my place wasn’t exactly in this time period.

She stopped and turned to face me. Looking down upon me to scan my features, her eyes widened as she realised how similar I looked to her.
“Do I...know you?”

“No, you don’t. I am just a lowly peasant from Ponyville. But I know a lot about you; I feel that I’m your most loyal subject!” I laughed good-naturedly, while Opare just stared at me, unsure-looking.

“You are a...strange little pony. But if you aren’t going to go easily, you may as well help me with my task,” she announced.

“Okay, and what’s that?”

“I need you deliver this message to the Princess on the other side of the Castle, her name is Aora, but I assume you know that.” A scroll appeared from behind the tall, pumpkin coloured mare.

“I’ll get this to her right away!” I rushed off before the warning of “She’s sleeping, so be careful” from Opare. The corridors seemed to be longer as I felt like I was running through them for a much longer time than in the future.

I peeked through each of the doors to see if Aora was in that room, until I came to the fifth set of doors in a row. Slowly, I allowed the door to creak open before stepping inside. Even though I was being as quiet as I could be, I caused Aora to wake up. She truly bore the looks of her latest predecessor, Destiny, if a little different with hair and structure.

“Uh...hello?” She spoke, confused about my sudden presence.

“I apologise for disturbing you, but Princess Opare had me give a message to you.” I passed the scroll to the Princess of the dawn, and she unravelled it.

“What...this scroll is blank. What is the meaning of this?”

“Blank?! What do you mean?” I sharply questioned her.

“Take a look for yourself...” Aora answered, beckoning me over to her side. She was right, there was no evidence of writing or anything on the message. I hastened my way out of the bedchambers without another word, and became annoyed with what Opare had made me do. She was so busy with a task that had absolutely no point! I paced back the way I came, trying to find the dusk Princess again.

I noticed her in a room of study, so I entered, making a fuss as I went.
“Why the stupid errand you gave me? Huh?!”

“I’m sorry, I couldn’t resist. I just wanted to make a little joke, and interrupt Aora’s rest for humorous effect,” she stated, chuckling at my expense.

“You think that’s funny? Me going a long way away for no such reason at all?”

“Oh please, lighten up, young one. You must learn to laugh in this castle, as boredom is not welcome here.”

I tried to calm down as much as I could. “What do you mean by that?” I asked.

“Even if I’m the more serious sister Princess, I like having fun now and again. We all sometimes play tricks on each other. We may be somewhat pioneers in the activity, you could say.” She gave me a pleasant grin, inviting me to be more friendly with my ancestor. What was on my mind was the way I had become Opare that while ago, with the way that I acted. It was by far the opposite of what I’ve experienced just now.

“Come, take a seat, have a cup of tea,” She generously offered. I sat in the surprisingly big, comfortable leather chair adjacent to her. She brought me a small teacup with her magic, and I took it from her. Sipping the tea gave me a warm feeling in my stomach, and the taste was better than any other hot drink I had tasted to this day.

“So tell me, what brings you to our castle, at night?” She asked me, drinking her own tea carefully.

“Well, Princess, I just...wanted to see you up close, and I don’t really have anywhere to go,” I nervously answered.

“Is that so? Hmm. Actually, maybe I can make use of you. You see, my student Luna is having trouble with her training, and I’m not exactly the best of teachers. My sister, Aora, is the sociable one, as with me, I struggle to explain what I am talking about. So maybe you could help me translate what I do for little Luna, yes?” She had the need for my usage in her voice, and I just had to accept this, even if I wasn’t the best at explaining things either.

“Uh, okay then. I’ll try my best to support you, your highness.” I gave her a hopeful smile, and she smiled back at me in approval.

“We have a guest room available, so you can rest there in the meantime. Everypony’s asleep apart from me and the nightwatch guards, so I don’t have much more to provide for you. You must be tired, so I’ll show you to your quarters.” Opare put her magically suspended cup onto a table, and got up from her seat.

I did the same, and I was escorted out of the room, then through the corridors. “Thank you for your generosity, Princess, I’m so glad that you’ve accepted me here.”

“It’s my pleasure. Oh! How silly of me, I had forgotten to ask for your name.”

“It’s Electric Blue. Thank you for asking,” I laughed softly.

The Princess’ ears folded back, and then lifted up again. “And you don’t have to call me Princess. It’s not terribly formal inside the castle walls, so you should feel welcomed. Just address me as Opare, nothing more.”

“Okay, Opare. Thanks again for all this,” I said with excitement, as getting to meet Opare was getting the better of me. To think back on this occasion, I’m actually walking next to my ancestor! I didn’t even know I had ancestors in this world, which was strange, as I transferred to this realm; I didn’t come from here.

We stopped at yet another wooden door, and Opare opened it with her forehoof. “This is where you shall be staying. I hope it suits your needs?”

“Oh yes, more than enough! A bed was all I needed, but guests have to be treated best, I suppose. You’ve been so kind,” I said to the orange alicorn, with a beaming face.

“You’re quite welcome, Electric Blue. Aora will greet you in the morning, and perhaps you can watch Luna’s sister, Celestia too?” She said so me as I was already feeling the bed for its comfort.

“Sure, I’d be happy to do that.” I got under the covers, and could feel the utter softness from the mattress.

“Great. Good night, Blue.” Opare shut the door slowly. She called me by my preferred name on her own, too. Ponies who do that become closer as friends, for some reason, as I’ve noticed.

I blew out the nearby candle and shut my eyes, ready to sleep soundly in this brilliantly built bed. Tomorrow I will be meeting the young versions of my current-day ruling princesses. Maybe I can tell them that I’m the real ruler of Equestria? I laughed aloud as I disregarded the idea. I wouldn’t want to be managing a world; I’m not cut out for that. Maybe if Destiny were by my side...Even so, that just wouldn’t happen. After clearing my mind of all the thoughts I had racing around, I settled and drifted off.

I sat up from my laying position, seeing the rays of dusty light shine in through the large arch-shaped windows. Sitting in front of me was a pink haired, white coated, teenage looking alicorn. “Hi there, Electric Blue! My name is Celestia!”

I rubbed my eyes in order to see better at the young mare. “Oh, good morning, miss Celestia.” Her inviting smile was warming to see, on this cold autumn morning.

“Come, Celestia, we have much to do,” The voice of a pleasant Princess Aora said, moving away from the side of me, with the other white pony in tow. “You may join us if you like, Electric Blue, but you don’t have to rush.”

I stretched, clicking some bones in my body to provide relief. Celestia used to have just a pink mane hey? I wonder if Luna had different features in her younger form...
I got out of the highly comfortable bed, feeling the sudden chill of the air. Conveniently there was a thick black and white checked scarf hanging up on a wardrobe handle, so I took that and wrapped it around my neck. It didn’t cover all of my body, but it was better than nothing. Taking slow chase of the two visitors, I ended up in a partially enclosed courtyard, with a view over the whole of Canterlot and Ponyville, as well as the surrounding areas and forests. The local towns looked smaller and more rustic than in the modern versions, and a lot more trees surrounded them. It was still quite dark, as the sun had not been fully raised yet.

“Now Celestia. Raising the sun is the most important task of the day, any day, as ponies need to function properly with the sun gazing down upon them. The sun makes them happy, and content with life. One day it won’t be my responsibility for that anymore, so it will be your turn to keep the ponies of Equestria happy,” Princess Aora lectured the young sun goddess in training.

“But, how am I able to raise the sun on my own? It’s surely too heavy to lift!” Unsurety was in Celestia’s voice, as would be anypony’s if they had to lift up the giant ball of light by themselves.

I cut in. “Deep within everypony contains a hidden power, stronger than they can ever imagine. One must call and handle that power to be able to use it effectively.”

“That’s exactly correct, young Blue,” Aora praised me. “For you Celestia, you must harness that power inside you to control the sun, and raise it. If done right, you should be able to lift it without struggle.”

“It just seems...impossible. But I must do it! I have to please you, my mentor.” The white and pink-haired teen mare kept her optimism to its full.

She closed her eyes slowly, and stood completely still for a moment, as if she was searching inside herself. The horn on her head started to glow dimly, but flashed shortly afterwards, blinding me instantly. Even when I closed my eyes, the darkness that I would usually watch was replaced by pure light. I had to turn away as they felt like they were burning, but the light just grew even brighter. The sun itself had been manifested in Celestia, causing the heat and the light to flow over the castle, turning it into a shining white object, heating up more by each second. I tried to open my eyes to a squint, and I witnessed the sun soaring higher into the sky. The nearby light started to fade, and when I looked around to see the source, it was coming from Aora’s horn, instead of Celestia’s.

“On the fifth try, you almost had it! Your potential was there, but it didn’t last long enough to sustain. It was a valiant attempt though, and so you’re getting there! Well done.” The dawn princess applauded her student by stamping her front hooves on the ground. I joined her, for moral support of the aspiring Celestia.

31 - Where love was lost, Part 2

Celestia looked up at Aora’s approving face, and then collapsed. She must have delved so deep inside herself that she drained all the energy that was being contained. The student wasn’t ready to raise the sun on her own, for probably a while from now. I rushed to help her back onto her hooves again. A weak “thank you” escaped from the exhausted filly.

“I’ll take her to her bed, so she can rest from that trial,” I said to Aora, partially carrying Celestia away.

“Of course. I’ll be waiting here should you need me,” she replied while in thought.

The tired pony directed my to her room, and I put her safely down on her bed.
“I’ll leave you here so you can gain your strength. You really must have found some power, look at you! I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“Blue, you are kind. But it wasn’t all my doing, as I failed to keep control over that power. I lost it, and hurt myself in the process.” She coughed a few times, then shuddered.

“What made you lose control, if I may ask?”

“I just...was distracted by irrelevance. I thought of what Aora would say should I have gone wrong.”

“Like she would be made at you! Aora is a good pony, she’s too pleasant to get angry at something such as that. Celestia, you don’t have to worry about it.” I put a supporting hoof on her shoulder.

“Thank you. Aora and I haven’t really known each other for long, so I guess I was just scared of her reactions.”

“There’s no need to be afraid of her, Celestia,” I laughed.

“Blue, you only have to call me Tia. Like you, I prefer shortened names.”

“Heh, okay Tia. You say that you don’t know Aora that much? I’ll talk to her later, so that she can prioritise making friends with you. After all, being a student isn’t all about working. It’s about developing a relationship and making the most of your time with your trainer,” I started to ramble.

“You seem to know a lot, Blue,” the white and pink alicorn gave a small giggle.

“Well, I like to pass on the knowledge that I could never give myself.” I frowned hard for a moment, but tried to return my humble smile quickly.

“Are you okay?” Celestia asked, noticing my brief change in emotion.

“Yeah, I’m fine; don’t worry about it,” I replied. I looked away, and saw the missing cutie mark from her flank. “I see you don’t have your special talent yet.”

“Oh yes, not yet. But I know exactly what my talent will be, and that’s why Aora is teaching me. She will be passing down her place on the throne to me through the daytime, and so the responsibilities of controlling the sun are given to me too. The same goes with Luna and Opare, if you don’t know that already.”

“Just keep at what you’re practising. One day you will be the pony to raise the sun, I’m sure of it. You have the potential, and you managed to unlock a power I have never seen with my own eyes before. It’s the heart that managed to do that. If you unleash your heart, you release the hidden energies that are determined to do your bidding on the largest of scales.”

“My...heart? I suppose I’m still quite young, so I haven’t exactly realised how much the heart matters to me.” Celestia sat up in order to focus more on the situation.

“I remember when I abused the power from my heart. I used it to be somepony else, in order to obtain domination over the other ponies. It was a terrible time, because inside my head, my conscious was suffering for the evil ways. I wished I didn’t turn bad, but I lost balance when I was shunned by everypony.” I looked at the floor, disappointed with myself as I thought of that memory.

“When did this happen, if I may ask?” The intrigued alicorn moved closer to me, attempting some sort of comfort.

“Oh...quite recently, as I recall. Of course this occurred in a far off land from here, so nopony really got word of it.” I had to lie in order to keep the fabric of time intact, but I almost revealed when it actually happened, seeing as the future Celestia was present and all.

“I’m sorry, Blue. You’re a good pony, and you lost your way. You’re here though, and I still trust you.”

“You don’t have to apologise. It was my stupid decision. Why do you trust me, anyway? I’m such an unstable pony; I could turn at any moment...”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself!”

“It’s true. I’m an extremely destructive pony, and I’m just...I’m just jealous that other ponies make friendship look so easy. I am trying to be a friend, but I’m just not that good at it.” My negative emotions were starting to creep back into the picture.

“You don’t have to be good at friendship to be a friend. Just being there for another pony is enough. They’ll show you the way if you need the support, but it’s a learning curve in the long run,” Celestia sympathised with me.

I looked around the room, observing all the objects and decorations making the place look something more than bare. A single tear came from my eye, and stung as it lay there, forcing me to wipe it away. I would have no idea what will happen when I return to the present. My friends had disappeared after saving them from myself, and now I’m alone. Would they take me back? Would they truly accept me as they once did?
“Thank you, Tia. I should leave you to rest now. Take care.”

“Good bye, Blue. And say hi to Luna from me!” She replied.

“I will, don’t you worry,” I said, just before shutting the door to Celestia’s room.
I made my way back to where Aora said she would be. For some reason, a number of paper lanterns were in her possession now.

“Ah, there you are Blue. Do you mind helping me with these?” She requested.

“Sure, what would you have me do?”

“Just place a small candle inside each lantern. Hopefully that won’t be too hard.” She sounded a little bit patronising, but I shrugged it off, and obliged.

The candles were lit, so I had to be careful handling them. I slowly but surely moved one into a hole cut in the middle of the lantern. But as soon as I did it, the paper immediately caught on fire. I blew on the lantern, and then stomped on it to put out the flame. I cursed under my breath.

“Ah. You are not disciplined yet, my young foal.”

“Excuse me?” I faced Aora with a stressful face.

“I did the same test with Celestia, and she had the same results at first. The way to complete this test was to use magic to guide the candle into the lantern, but that’s a little unfair on you,” Aora said, placing another lantern in front of me.

“Well, what’s the point of my doing this if I can’t even do it?!” I angrily shouted.

“Calm down, Blue. Remember what you said about the power that comes from within? If you can use it correctly, you can surpass the limits of you not having magic.” She was right.

“Oh...yeah...thing is, the last time I tried it, I just let loose dark energy,” I kicked the ground with a hoof in annoyance over myself.

“You’ve done this before? Then that’s progress,” Aora smiled. “But I’m hazarding a guess that you didn’t harness it right, so the dark overcame you.”

“I think so. I’m afraid of trying anything like that again.” I kept my gaze on the stone-bricked ground.

“You worry too much. Even if I don’t know that much about you, I get reminded of Opare, my sister. She isn’t the most optimistic of ponies, and I’d say you’re the same. Cheer up, we won’t be here for long, I say to her.” Aora also began to sympathise with me.

“Aora?” I said. “How can I be a good pony? All I like to do is get drunk and fight other ponies, just for my selfish needs.”

She paused for a moment, in slight shock from what I just blurted out. “Are you fighting to protect something, either way?”

I had to think for a second. “Well...I got into a fight to stop a gang of ponies from harming somepony I met...”

“Even if fighting isn’t exactly the right answer, you’re doing the good thing and helping your friend,” Aora consoled.

“She was my friend...I’m sorry. I had actually made a friend. But even so, I had kept all my secrets from her,” I confessed to the listening alicorn.

“You still had a friend, and nopony has to know everything about you, right?” The thought process she had provided me with cleared my head.

“I suppose so. But friends like hearing what a pony’s got to say. Even...even if they don’t like what I say, they would still be my friend.” Those who I know have to be happy to see me when I do return.

“Yes! Now, do you feel confident enough to use your heart’s power?” The Princess challenged me.

“Okay, I’ll try my best.”
Closing my eyes, I focussed on finding my heart in the darkness. It wasn’t a beating organ as normally seen, my heart was instead this orange, glowing sphere. It looked almost like a perfectly round supernova. Next to it was an identical ball, but this time it was pure white coloured, and significantly bigger. Perhaps...this was Destiny’s heart? The paopu fruit had brought us together with the unending bond of both our hearts. Somehow, I willed my front hooves to extend outwards and clasp onto the orange object. Opening my eyes again, I thought of lifting the candle, and it did so. Maybe this was how I could make that magic all that time ago, with advancements on my heart. I struggled a little, but I could move the candle around with my mind and my heart’s power. The candle slid through the hole in the dark orange lantern, just barely touching the sides. I placed it down, and my ‘inner hooves’ let go of my heart, as I could see when I blinked.

“Well done,” Aora congratulated me. “We can use these for tonight, when the celebrations happen.”

“Celebrations?” I asked, catching my breath.

“Yes, every year the ponies of the land put up as many lights as possible to ward away the evil spirits that gather. This was instructed to us from the ancient texts of the Equestrian calendar,” she motioned, showing me an old, worn parchment piece with foreign scribbles and illustrations.

“Ancient texts...” I was amazed by this new resource, so I became eager to know more.

“Yes, we found these in a chest below the castle. The rulers before us talked about it to us, so we went to retrieve this information when we turned to power,” the black and red haired alicorn huffed.

“Please, tell me more, I’m fascinated.” I listened in, waiting for more of this.

“Seriously? It’s really boring...Opare could tell you more about it, because she’s the boring sister,” Aora laughed jokingly.

“Okay then, I suppose I’ll wait until tonight. Meanwhile, what else can I do to pass the time?” I looked around, viewing Canterlot and Ponyville across the horizon.

“Hmm, what else can I have you do...Oh yeah! How about you deliver this message to the mayor of Ponyville? You could have a look around there too, to check out the cultures of our subjects and such.”

“I’m sorry?” Was she on to me?

“Opare mentioned you weren’t from here, so maybe you could see what was different to your lands.”

“Oh-oh, yes, sure. Okay, I’ll get that message sent for you.” I stopped myself from going into panic mode just then.

Aora gave me a signed envelope and a couple of rolled up documents in a bag, and told me the way to go. I was trotting out through the castle gates, and followed the stony path to the town of Canterlot. Even though this was one of the wealthiest places, the inhabiting ponies looked nothing more than peasants, with tattered clothes and poor looking features. The buildings were structured quite high up, and were built out of mostly expensive materials of stone, marble and wood, but there were the occasional scatterings of regal appearing tents. Snow was piled up and shoved to separate corners away from the buildings. How could that be there if we had just come out of summer?

I moved on, exiting out of Canterlot across a long bridge overlooking a waterfall. The ground reduced itself into just plains of grass with forests, and flower meadows. Travelling to Ponyville took longer than I thought. Stopping atop a hill overlooking the town, I studied the amount of development. It was much, much smaller than the Ponyville I know, and it was absolutely covered in snow. The ponies there looked even more worse for wear, with blackened ovals under their eyes, symbolising the lack of health they had. I approached the settlement, and took myself towards the largest building in the area. This one wasn’t made just out of dirt and sticks like the other huts, so this had to be the town hall. I walked through the archway, and looked at the stallion behind a shoddily made desk.

“Oh, hello there. And you are?” He sounded like there wasn’t much time on his hooves.

“I’m just a messenger, with a letter from the royal Canterlot castle.” I took out the contents from my bag, and spread them across the wooden surface.

The mayor stallion studied the pieces of parchment and the letter. “Ah yes, the plans to expand Ponyville! Just what we wanted. Thank you for this. Please make sure to thank the Princesses for us, will you?”

“Um...you’re quite welcome. Of course I will.” I walked away feeling awkward as this delivery felt too easy.

I finally returned to the castle, and it was a delightful sunset again. In the courtyard stood Princess Opare, with a very young Luna, as a simple small filly. They were talking away as I walked up to them.

“Hello there, Princess. Hello, Luna.” They greeted me back with a nod, but Luna seemed a bit shy of my presence, being little and all.

“You’re just in time, Blue. Of course, tonight's the night of Resermane, or keeping the spirits away. On this special evening, we will colour the moon orange, as it can reflect more light back on to Equestria.”

“And how the hay are you gonna do that?” I immediately interrupted, trying to understand the absurdity of that statement.

Opare smirked at my disbelief. “You pick up a few skills over the years, young Blue. Of course, I am able to focus more than Aora can, so I studied the ancient texts more than she did. Through lifting the moon, you can do all sorts of things with it, like changing its colour, size, what have you.”

“Oh...well, you must show me these texts, as I’m still quite intrigued by them.”

“Of course. But now, we must help Luna with the moon.”

“But, she’s only a foal!”

“It doesn’t matter about age, it matters about where the heart is,” Luna corrected me.

“That’s exactly right,” Opare praised her.

“Luna, do you understand what you’re doing here?” I asked the filly.

“Not...really...” the dark sapphire coated Luna replied, nervous in her voice.

“Like you said with the heart, you must look inside yourself for it, and take control. You channel the new-found energy into the moon, and you lift it,” I explained.

“And if done right, it will be as light as a feather.” Opare looked at the purples and oranges which lingered in the sky, waiting to return under the horizon in place of the black backdrop.

“Just close your eyes to start,” I instructed Luna. “You should see darkness, as normal. And then you go searching in the dark to find the source of light, deep down. It should be a ball with the same colour as your coat.”

“I-I found it!”

“Good, now grab hold of it, as hard as you can. Will yourself to grasp the ball. Feel the flowing power as your hooves are touching your heart. The power will course around your body, which will feel strange at first, but you’ll get used to it.”

Luna jerked around a little as she stood in place. She started to glow a dull white colour. “Okay...what now?”

“You can open your eyes again. Here’s the most difficult part now. You must concentrate all of your thoughts on the moon. With that, you should start to think about lifting it, way above your head, way above the skies.”

I and the dusk Princess waited in anticipation. The little filly had a fixated look on her face, looking straight into the distance. Complete silence held us in the air for a few moments, before a shimmering light exploded from Luna’s horn, penetrating my vision once again, forcing me to turn away. I had to squint painfully, but I could just about make out the moon, rising up through the atmosphere. She was actually doing it! The light suddenly disappeared though, leaving an exhausted filly now laying down. Opare took care of the rest, and the white craterous plate started to turn a light shade of orange.

Just like with Celestia, I helped Luna back on her hooves. She looked tired now, and was breathing deeply.
“Did I do it?”

“Yes, you managed to raise the moon quite high. You did well. I’m impressed!” the Princess called out.

“I suppose I’ll be taking her back to her room then,” I said with a pleased sigh.

“That will be fine. When you exit her room, to the opposite side of the hall will be a set of downwards stairs, which is where I will be. I’ll tell you everything then,” the dark orange alicorn approved.

Luna also directed me to her quarters. It was in the same room where Celestia resided, with her bed just next to hers. It was a large room after all, and they were sisters growing up together.

“Rest for now Luna, you will have more training and studying to do when you feel better,” I told her. She smiled at me, and then passed out before I exited the room.

32 - Where love was lost, Part 3

I walked down the set of spiral stairs leading down under the castle. Opare was there waiting for me, surrounded by stone tablets, varying sizes of pages stuck across the walls, and many drawings and diagrams.

“I’d call this the treasure house of olde study,” the Princess heartily spoke.

“This is a very interesting place...what do you think this whole room holds?” I asked.

“As you can see, the written and drawn pieces show the astronomy and astrology that the princes and princesses had worked on before us. Here, take a look at this, it’s the scroll that I’m currently looking at,” Opare beckoned me over to her side.

“What is this about?”

“This particular scroll notes down all the types of meteor recorded, and their relations with Equestria. Some meteor showers had led to adverse effects in the past, by changing the shape of the land, and contaminating plants and such. The most notified meteor that travels around the world, causes lightning to strike trees; apple trees. The leaves would turn grey, and multicolour apples would form over time. Isn’t that fascinating?”

“Wait, do you mean zap apple trees?”

Opare looked at me with a tilted head. “Zap...apple?”

I had to avoid slipping up at this point. “Yeah, that’s what I called them anyway. The bolts just kind of...zap the trees, changing their appearance.”

“Would you mind if I can get that name down?”

“Sure, be my...guest.”

The dark orange coated alicorn scribbled down the name onto the scroll with a magically floating quill.
“Oh, you must look at this too. I just can’t seem to figure out what it means...”

I was directed to one of the stone tablets, with extremely complicated engravings decorating the beige material. A mass of strange lettering was scrawled down one side of this large rectangular piece of stone. On the other side however, were some illustrations.

I began to describe what I could make out. “At the top, here, are a range of different planets and moons, lined up. Then there is a creepily grinning sun, and a sad-looking moon just below it. A flying disc object seems to be moving around a separate planet. A pony wearing a royal helmet is shown, being overrun by an army of sinister enemy ponies. I suppose it would be telling some sort of prophetical story, about a pony against all these other creatures.”

“You may be right there. Well done, Blue! How did you manage to figure it out?” Opare looked ahead in wonder at the tablet.

“I just pieced the drawings together. I’m not that smart though, so you don’t have to flatter me. You’re the only intelligent one in this room, really.” I nudged the piece of stone in awkwardness.

“I’m sure you have a large amount of intelligence, just as anypony would. It just takes focus to unlock your mind to use it fully. There is a way to do it practically, if you’d want me to show you,” my ancestor offered.

“Um...alright then, but I’m getting pretty tired right now.”

“That’s quite okay, I have it here on a piece of parchment, recovered also from this room. I’ve looked over it enough times to understand it, so maybe you could try yourself sometime.”

“Of course, thank you Princess Opare. I’ll put it to good use, if it can help clear up my lack of memories.” Even though Rose had made me forget all of the bad human memories, I wanted them back. I started to think out that she was planning against me, as deities that defect from their place in ruling are known to lose the moral way. I also wanted to recover all the memories I had as a pony, not just having the ones with Destiny present.

I left Opare for the night, and returned to my room for rest. For about two or three weeks, I stayed with the royal residents. I watched the Princesses train their students every night and day, I helped them all support and build their relationships with each other, and I ran errands outside of the castle, mostly establishing developments with the town of Ponyville. Sometimes when I had nothing better to do, I visited the Canterlot tavern to get my fill of mead; usually unacceptable amounts of the liquid was consumed by me. What a drunken mess I was at points, coming back to the castle and getting disappointed talks from my peers.

One day, I overhead the shouting of disagreements coming from behind closed doors, opposite the throne room.

“What are you talking about?”

“It’s too early to let them be in charge already!”

“Don’t you remember that we can’t rule forever? We’re falling apart because of our conflicting views, and they can do much better than us.”

“Luna is just a foal! And so is Celestia, pretty much!”
“They get on better though, and we’ve taught them as much as we know.”

“It doesn’t matter! Even if they do work together well, they don’t have the experience to protect Equestria!”

“I know you’re the boring one and all, but I honestly hate ruling over ponies! I just wanna get out there already!”

“Are you abandoning your responsibilities?”

“I...I guess I am, yeah! You can take care of this on your own, seeing as you’re the ‘older, wiser’ one!”

“How dare you be so insolent!”

At that moment, a loud crash sounded, and Princess Aora came running out of the room, carrying a panicked expression. “They have to take over sooner or later!”

A dark purple light came from the room, emitted from Opare’s horn. “Well, what if this happens, hey? How are they going to manage to keep on protecting themselves and their land?”

“What will happen?”

“Go to the courtyard, you’ll see.”

Aora rushed outside the halls, and Opare followed, as well as I. A huge, glowing sphere appeared in the sky, hovering over the small hamlet of Ponyville in the distance.

“Don’t you even dare!” Aora yelled in refusal.

“Why should you care? You hate ruling, don’t you?” Opare looked at the appalled alicorn, emotionless.

Aora charged at her sister, knocking the dark blue-haired mare to the ground with an awful sound. Her attempts to stop the magic failed though, as the ominous sphere descended on the village. Its colour changed from purple to bright red in an instant, and then disappeared. The product of the spell left a crater of wasteland, and Ponyville was gone.

“How could you?!” I screamed, letting the duo know of my presence.

“I was demonstrating to my incompetent sister the gravity of our situation, simply put,” Opare replied calmly.

“You just-just got rid of a whole area, ponies and all!” Aora scolded her.

“Are you going to stay with me, and keep ruling, or not?”

“Why should I? You’re just a tyrant, Opare! A tyrant!”

I had to help now, as this was an extremely dire situation. “Both of you, just stop! Aora, hold on. Opare, can you bring back Ponyville?”

The dusk Princess pushed Aora off of her, and stood upright. “Unfortunately not.” In a way, her face seemed to change slightly, for a split-second. “I...I have done what is needed, so why would I need to get back what was necessary to remove?”

“What are you saying? We were helping Ponyville to become an actual town!” I snapped at her.

“It was high time to erase that waste of resources anyway. Do you think we’re able to handle any more ponies like this? I think I should take control on my own, since Aora cannot qualify.” Opare’s tone also changed to be a sinister one.

“Sister! Stop slandering me! What’s gotten into you?” The Princess of the dawn looked dejected.

“I obtained a newly-found power in the archives this morning. The ancients had a fondness for dark magic...you know.” The dark orange coated Princess took slow steps towards Aora, lighting up her horn again.

“Wait! Please! I’m your only sister! You can’t do this to me!” She moved backwards, attempting to get away from the somehow possessed Opare.

“You already know of your fate? Clever. But I don’t care what’s going to happen to you now, just as long as you...die.”

I watched in horror as this event unfolded. Aora looked at me in need of help. Opare stared at Aora, waiting to bring her destiny to her. I heard a wooden door open from behind me, and stood there was Celestia and Luna. They suddenly understood what was happening, and hid behind the door in fear. Opare crept ever closer to her former co-ruler. I just had to do something before it was too late...

“T-traductos meteoron!” I shouted, and my magic spell was cast. My abused sorcery brought up a meteor, which hurtled from space and hit Opare, making her fly out of the castle grounds at great speed.
“It is done.”

“What did you do?!” Aora berated me.

“I saved you from your demise, what else?” I replied in the same way.

She remained silent, and still.

“I’m sorry, but I couldn’t just stand there and watch you lose your life!”

In the distance, Opare was galloping away from the castle, and the rest of Equestria. Where was she going?

Aora collapsed, and I rushed to her. She smacked me away.

“Listen, we’re going to get her back, don’t worry about it. She must have uncovered something evil in those archives, so I guess we should seal up that place.”

“I...can’t believe what you’ve done,” Aora said in defiance.

It was time to play with the machine. “Aora, I have to admit something to you. You probably won’t understand this at first, and this isn’t the best time to say it.”

I waited for Aora’s reply, but no answer.
“I...I am from the future. I am also Opare’s latest descendant,” I whispered into her ear. “This happened for a reason, and I’m here to resolve this mess.”

“W-what did you say?”

“I’m from the future.”

“That must be why you looked so familiar...”

Celestia and Luna came out of hiding to comfort the grieving Princess.

“What’s going to happen now?” Celestia asked.

“I will have to rule over Equestria on my own, for now,” Aora stood up. “Blue, please come with me. You two, go and rest, you have a long day ahead of you later on.”

We parted ways, and I went with the Princess. She walked towards the throne room, then sat and slouched in the tall, golden seat.
“I take back what I said about reigning over the land. I and Opare’s disagreements about our power got out of hoof, and so it came to this. She never used to be that aggressive with me, as we only argued a couple of times before...”

I waited for her next couple of sentences.

“And now I’ve got to take care of this all by myself, something I’ve never done before.” Aora sighed in complete discontent.

“It’s funny, really.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s like this,” I started, trying to change the subject a little. “You’ve lost Opare, your sister and your best friend, right?”

“Right...”

“Well I’ve lost my sister and my best friend too. Her name is Destiny Bond, and she’s your descendant.”

Her eyes widened. “You’re more important than I first thought...”

“I’m not important, at all. I’m a nopony, really. And on that thought, I’ll leave you be. I must retire because it’s getting late.” I trotted out of the throne room, and directed myself to Celestia and Luna’s room.

They were both on the same bed, excitedly and nervously chatting to each other.

“If I can have your attention for a moment, please,” I called out quietly, and they both turned to face me in silence.
“Okay, right...this is mostly for Celestia, but Luna, you may be needed in this too. You’re going to have to help me and Princess Aora with the job of maintaining balance in Equestria. So you’re going to be semi-assuming power soon enough, until Aora leaves the throne to both of you in full. I probably won’t be here for much longer, as I’m needed in a far off land, so you’re going to have to help the Princess as much as you can, while you can.”

“It’s lucky that I’ve been studying about becoming royalty, then!” Celestia cried happily.

“Yes, that is lucky. Celestia, I know you’re going to do good on the throne, I can see it. Luna, When you are older, you’re going to have to support Celestia even more. As Celestia will be reigning during the day, you will be during the night. And just remember, ponies won’t celebrate the time of the moon as much, because they all need their rest, as everypony does. Don’t give in to jealousy, and stay as close as you can to your sister. Good night, and good luck.” I then exited the room without another word, leaving the two to discuss everything that was going to be carried by them.

I went to my room, and sat on my bed. I noticed a bottle of strong brandy on an end table, and decided to gulp it down. I then proceeded to pass out.

I woke up feeling worse for wear. What’s suddenly given me this habit to drink so much nowadays? I didn’t see enough of Opare, and I don’t have an idea of where she went. Maybe I should check the treasury room for evidence, as she definitely changed after coming out of that place. I got up from my bed, walked out of the room while holding my head in pain, and made my way to the archives. Right in the centre of the room was an open scroll, singed at the corners and off-purple in colour. I immediately turned it over so I couldn’t read it. This place had much more of an eerie atmosphere to it now, so I didn’t want to stay long. I had a thought, and then lifted the overturned scroll on to a wall-mounted torch, which burned it away to ash. I didn’t want anypony else to read that piece of dark magic literature.

“Is anypony down there?” A voice called out.

“I am,” I replied.

“I’ve been told to seal this place up, so you better come out of there quickly.” I complied with the voice and exited the room.

A normal enough looking royal guard nodded his head at me as I passed by. The armour was a lot different, like scale mail mixed in with a partially ripped cloak, and a strange looking knight’s helmet which you could hardly make out the face from.
I went to check up on the now-lone Princess, to see if anything important was needed for me to do today.

“Oh, good afternoon, Blue.” Aora was slouched on the throne.

“Good afternoon, Princess. Am I required for anything at the moment?” I asked.

“Let me think...How about you go to get Opare for me?”

I looked at Aora, perplexed. “What!? I can’t do that! You know how dangerous she is, right?”

“Hmm...you have a point. You aren’t somepony who is expendable, after all,” she doubled back, somehow slouching even further.
“Maybe you can gather some information on her whereabouts. Is it alright if Celestia goes with you? She hasn’t been outside of the castle walls in a long time.”

“That’s a better idea. Celestia can accompany me too, of course she can.” I gave Aora an encouraging smile, and headed to fetch the sun goddess in-training.

I knocked on the door. “Hey, Celestia? Would you mind coming with me into town?”

Already she was walking out of her chambers. “Sure, that should be fun.” For some reason, she sounded sarcastic with that.

We explored Canterlot in efforts to find any details on where Opare had gone to, or what she was doing. But, she did make a quick escape yesterday, so nopony caught sight of her. After canvassing the whole of the town fruitlessly, I and Celestia travelled to the defunct Ponyville remains. It was just a huge, scorched crater, with nothing that resembled a town. I picked up a faint smell of burning, still lingering from the magic’s effects. I only had to hope that the future Ponvyille stayed intact. The bright sun glared down on the dirt wasteland as I looked around the scene. I looked at Celestia, but when our eyes met, she looked straight down.

“Is something wrong?” I asked her endearingly.

“Why do you have to be here, Blue?” She snapped.

“I’m...sorry?” I was worried about what was going to come next.

A fixed look of anger cast across my companion’s face. “You messed this up for all of us, didn’t you? Just look at this place! You made Opare destroy it. You made her go away when we needed her. You made Luna cry all night, as she lost a close friend. She’s only young you know!”

“This wasn’t my fault!” I countered. “Opare got caught up reading something about the dark arts, and so she became possessed by that certain scroll. That’s what I think happened anyway.”

Her face lost the aggressive look for a second, but changed back. “You still got rid of her!”

“It was either that or let Aora be lost forever. I had no choice,” I somberly said.

“Look, I don’t really know who you are, but you came to the castle unexpectedly and then things started to unfold badly. You...you should just stay away now. We don’t need your place there anymore.”

“But-”

“But nothing. I’m sorry it’s like this, but we just can’t cope with anymore threatening situations right now. Goodbye, Blue.” The pink haired teen-mare turned and galloped away, leaving me behind.

What was I supposed to do now? I was just abandoned by Celestia. Again. Maybe I could catch up to Opare, in light of what just happened. I distinctly remember her going through a forest, probably the same one that was off in the distance. With no other choice, I took my path. I needed to do something more about this still.

33 - Where love was lost (and found), Part 4

I couldn’t believe that I was just...thrown out for some reason. How could Aora do that to me? I know taking Opare away was harsh, but it had to be done, at least to save her life. I now had to go and find the dusk Princess, by entering the Everfree forest.

Although I remember it being a dark place full of mysterious creatures, it looked totally different. The sunlight shone through the trees to let the grassland and plantlife grow plentifully. There were no animals save a few tame foxes or bunnies, but nothing out of the ordinary. I got to a clearing, with a large meteor resting in the ground of this circle bare of trees. I noticed the hastily scrawled writing on it, which I had to get up close to make out.

‘Blue, if you are reading this, I’m sorry. I am already on the path to destruction, and there’s nothing to stop that. Hurry, and you’ll see me outside the gates of Tartarus.’

Did Opare retain her conscious mind, even in the slightest way? I had to pick up the pace, and try to follow her trail. I could see faint outlines of hoofprints on the thick floor, so I went for them. After almost blindly wandering around the forest back and forth, I came to a dome-shaped building with pillars lining the structure. One of the entrance doors were open, and my curiosity got the best of me. Surprisingly Opare was in the building, sitting away from the doors and looking up at this unfinished platform of possibly a statue. I had no idea if she was aware of my presence, but I would assume she was, as hooves aren’t quiet walking across stone.

A sparkling purple magic field flowed around what looked like a knife. It lowered slowly, and was positioned to the horizon. Opare was going to off herself there and then.
“What are you doing there?” I shouted as hard as I could, enough to startle her away from the shiv.

“Oh, hello there, youngling. Why are you here? Come to end me yourself, hey?” She gave me a wild-eyed glare.

“N-nothing like that, Opare. I’ve been kicked out of the castle,” I tried to empathise.

She rolled her eyes. “What do I care? I’m just a shadow of my former self now.”

“Opare, you’ve been possessed by something that you read. Let me help y-”

I was interrupted, “no! Just leave me alone! The only help I can get now is eternal rest and peace, do you hear me?”

“I’m not going to let anypony die in front of me. Especially you. Opare, let me tell you something. I am you. I’m your descendant from the future. I came back to find out what happened, and where you and Aora both left to.” I confessed my real intentions to her. Her face returned to a normal look, instead of madness ridden.

“You...You’re me? How can this be?” The dark orange mare looked to the floor, pausing for thought.

“Please, let me help you. I need to help you. I can’t just let the future run its course in the same way. Even though Destiny isn’t with me, I must do this. I have to help somepony, in all my days of causing terror and suffering. I just want to change.” My throat began to tighten.

Opare moved closer to me, then knelt down to nuzzle my cheek, just like a mother would to her foal. I hadn’t felt that feeling in a long time. The feeling of innocent, paternal, sincere love, stirring and touching my heart. I collapsed, and she collapsed with me. Tears rapidly formed and dripped onto the cold grey ground simultaneously, as we frantically took in choked breaths.

The Princess tried to talk through her strained words. “We’ve both been through alot, Electric Blue. Too much for us each to bear for ourselves. I was much very like you, when I was a young filly. I was possessed before this after discovering that scroll, and all I did was just end ponies’ lives. I overcame that by trying to be somepony else. I wanted to change, but each day brought the darkness back, and corrupted me further. Only with Aora’s help was I able to stay on top, even in the smallest ways. But still, I don’t deserve royalty at all, because I’m just living a lie. I should have said something before the ones before us gave up the throne.”

“Princess, of course you deserve royalty. You have the power over the night. It is your responsibility,” I assured her.

Our eyes met, and she looked straight into mine, trying to transfer what pain she had went through before. “I trained in dark magic for a long time. That’s the only reason I split off from the academy, and practiced on my own. I fell in with a crowd of evil mages too. They always repeated to me that life was cruel, so I had to be cruel to life. I didn’t feel any pleasure in ending ponies at all though, just regret and shame. So Aora helped the best she could, when she could. She’s my only sister, and she’s done so much more than I could ever accomplish in my petty life.”

“And even when she supported you for all this time, you just gave in randomly?” I raised the point.

“I accidentally read that one scroll. Fate tempted me, and that entity entered my life again.” Opare started to falter. “I’m...sorry...”

She stood up, eyes glazed over and changed colour. Stepping back and getting into position, the then-lamenting mare fired a black thunderbolt at me, missing my forehooves by mere inches. Immediately after, she repeated and hit me to send a powerful shock through my system, knocking me to the ground. I got up quickly and charged at her, but that was a mistake. Again, I was sent flying backwards. Staggering as I regained my standing, I ran for the possessed alicorn. Dashing out of the way of one bolt, I got closer to her. Shot back again. I was starting to struggle under the pressure of the large amount of volts travelling around my body, but I had to retaliate against this madness. I kept my wits about me as I maneuvered towards Opare, almost managing to reach her. I springed with enough force to push her over, then darkness swallowed me whole. Blackness surrounded me, but I returned to the room shortly after. Three bolts were summoned and thrown into me, pushing me fast into a nearby wall to break it off. I shook the loose bricks off of me, then returned to the room and ran for her once again. I was limping this time though, so I reached her much slower as she observed my movement. I lifted a front hoof and hit her with what strength I had, but was shocked to the very core by raw electricity on contact. The pain...was unbearable to hang on to, but I lost the ability to move. The charge just kept coming as I stood there, straining to break away.

“R...removere mallum,” I hoarsely commanded, and a flashing sphere of red encased Opare for a moment, intensified the colours, and disappeared. The agony stopped and I fell to the ground, exhausted.

“B-blue? Are you alright?” The Princess frantically asked, her appearance normal again. Maybe that simple spell just cured her, like nothing. Was I really that skilled with my magic? I remained silent, lacking the strength to even speak.
“What have I done?!”

She lifted my flimsy body onto her back, and carried me outside to the fresh, muggy air. We were going back to the castle now, but for who knows what reason. We’ve both just been banished from that place, so why was Opare bothering? Did she regain her true senses again? I noticed the tears streaming down her face as she hurriedly made her way back. I wanted to say that I was okay, but I could only act lifeless as the energy had gone. All of it.

In my mind, I could only think of Destiny for some reason. I was replaying all the events that happened with me and her. The day we found each other, when we built our own treehouse, all the drawings, notes and adventures. We ventured into the Everfree forest most days, writing on that one big rock and slaying deadly creatures that lurked in and around the trees. We became local heroes after saving Ponyville on numerous occasions from big bad monsters. And then the daily routine was struck when we were almost grown up. The whole forest suffered a major fire, burning our treehouse to ash and making us evacuate. This one time, we couldn’t face the monster. He was Glais, leaked into our world, but he called himself Nemesis. He wanted to get Tyche to return to the realm of the gods. Of course, Destiny refused to go anywhere when Glais was trying to get...her...to...return...

It dawned on me. The ultimate puzzle of my life was piecing itself together, but taking itself apart at the same time. Tyche...Destiny...Rose. They are all the same. All my knowledge about the higher powers was scarce. Were the gods evil? Why did Rose never tell me that she was Destiny?

“We’re back, Blue. Please still be alive...” Opare worriedly said to me as we approached the castle walls that housed royalty. She looked back at me, noticed that I was blinking, and gave a sigh of relief.

“Stop! You are an enemy of the state!” A guard yelled as the Princess was taken aback.

“I only want to deliver a message to Aora. A plea, if you will.”

A long pause held everything in the balance. “...Fine, go in. But don’t try anything to harm the Princess or anypony else inside.”

We continued on. As I was slumped in a position that could see past Opare’s neck, I could see Aora and Celestia standing still on the bridge overlooking the waterfall river.

“So, you’re both back then.” Aora gave a large grimace.

Opare immediately burst out “I’m sorry sister! It was not me that caused us all this terrible situation, I assure you.”

“Like I would take that. Opare, you have been banished for upsetting the royal balance, as well as us. What were you thinking?”

“I was possessed! Think back. To when you were tending to me. I was recovering from sickness, which was caused by that ghostly form attacking my mind. Blue sacrificed every fibre of her being to make it vanish as it had returned.”

“Blue. You are a meddling good for nothing, do you hear me on that?!”

I winced a little.

“How could you say that?!” Opare countered. “She tried with her all to help me. And she did, unlike you. Aora, have some respect for the poor filly. She’s only an earth pony, and not the strongest of wills.”

“I do not care for the peasant of no origin. Why don’t you take her outside the castle and leave her there.”

“Aora...you are starting to sound like me. Please stop.”

Celestia walked up to me, and looked deep into my eyes. “Blue. I apologise for what I said earlier. I did not mean that your were officially banished, I just thought that it was the only way to stop Aora and Opare from quarreling.”

I could only still stay motionless as well as speechless.

“Celestia, what are you saying?” Opare asked the smaller alicorn.

“I was trying to help. That is all. I’m sorry if you’re angry...” She hugged the dark orange leg of the mare.

Opare looked to the white teen-filly and smiled.“I...I am not angry. Not anymore anyway. All the anger has escaped from my soul, and I live in peace once again.”

Aora was also latched on to the dusk ruler now. “I take back what I said. Why was I being so mean? I guess I was just surprised at you coming back in this form.”

Opare chuckled. “It’s alright. I know the feeling entirely. We’re all sorry for eachother at this instant, because we shouldn’t have been torn apart. It was mainly my fault for driving us apart, but Electric Blue helped me with her extremely high-level magic. I don’t know how she had mastered such a form like that, but the entity that corrupted me simply melted away.”

“I’m sorry, Blue. I also didn’t mean what I said. You are good for something, and you saved my only sister. Thank you.” Aora nodded her head and nuzzled me. Just like a mother would.

As I lay on my bed, now recovered from my body being sapped of all life force, I thought how Destiny wasn’t able to make it on this quest. I did it all on my own, but she would have helped me personally. I hoped that this whole chain of events would change the future, so that the old Princesses didn’t have to move away.
And about Rose...I won’t discuss that with her until the time is right.

My head turned to the side, and my eyes focussed on the scroll of remembrance. I took it, and started to read aloud. Even though Rose had erased my memory, I wanted it back. Before uttering a word, I indulged in a swig of brandy.

“Those who read this text, shall remember every living moment of their past. The verses here shall trigger memories to flow back, whether repressed, forgotten, or otherwise.

The gods are the all-seeing beings, watching over every single occurrence and circumstance. Although for mortals, they do not always want to see what happens, so they forget by force. In the unlikely event that they want to see clearly again, they must recite these exact words.

At the gods’ request, allow me to obtain memory, rekindled and pure. Bypass all souls, and regain what was lost from the mind’s eye.”

My head was adrift with flooding memories from my human life. I could finally witness the real truth to my past, instead of relying on what people said. My birth, what living was like as a child before the ‘event’ and learning from my super intelligent brother but mostly failing at the skills he possessed, my parents also showed me the way, but I never got to finish listening to their teachings. Growing up as a teen with a group of bandit nomads living in a ramshackle camp on a broken up roadside; they taught me how to live in the tough wasteland, and trained me to fight or kill. And then I was joining the improvised military as a mercenary against some other part of America. I was commanding a big handful of troops, being the best that I could be. Of course, the war was immoral, as I grew mindless and ordered to attack anything that moved in order to stay on top. So many sad recollections, so many unsaved and innocent families, shot to death by me, the neo-grim reaper. I didn’t want to fight, but we had no choice. Everybody just signed up, regardless of consent. My brother was a coward though, so he hid in the corner of his laboratory as I said my goodbye to him. I should have been a coward too. I should have stayed to comfort him while the everlasting bombs dropped. I was a cold, overzealous death-dealer, and I couldn’t stop myself. Until Nemesis showed up, and we fell in love shortly afterwards. I realised that I wasn’t straight, then we fought constantly, even harder than a normal warzone would carry. He killed me himself. I did the same for him though, and so we entered purgatory at the same time. We stumbled through the wastes, talking begrudgingly to each other, soon enough encountering a library with many people hooked up to machines. They had their lives taken away from them too, so we joined. This was a place where the dead get a second chance if they are specially chosen by the gods to exist in a ghost type form.

Rose was there, and so was my brother. Rose looked after me, and Caerula looked after Nemesis, or Glais as he liked to be called. None of us really talked until recently. Glais, as I sometimes overheard, talked to Caerula that even though he hated me, he was slowly beginning to stop that. He grew respect for me as Caerula told him stories from his childhood involving me. Rose argued with Glais, being brother and sister and all, which I overheard as well. Rose was Tyche, the good one; Glais was Nemesis, the evil one. I saw Caerula form a slow but steady relationship with Rose, and everyone started to get along while I sat on the sidelines with everyone still against me. Glais wanted me gone obviously, but what he didn’t show was his newfound respect that he had when we were outside of the machines, roaming the wasteland. Rose started personally talking to me when we moved to Cae’s lab, and he started to interact with me as well. And here we are today.

I’m sorry for ending you, Glais. I thought on that, truly putting feeling forward with it. I apologised universally to all the people affected by me in the past. Maybe there was some way to bring them all back, somehow. Maybe I could go back in time to stop the war. But that would erase everything in this world.

On that, the memories I had as a pony came to me for the first time. I was actually born for a second time, I grew up in Manehatten with Thunder Hum and Zap Flower as my parents, I went to a normal, public school and gained some friends. Temporary though, as we only stayed in Manehatten until I turned into a teenager filly. We moved to Ponyville, got a house that I used to live in when I was on my own surprisingly. We frequented Sweet Apple Acres when Applejack was a tiny foal herself, so I tried making friends with her, but she was totally different from the ponies at that school were like. I attended Trottingham college, where I saw Twisha, but she was with her own group so I went unnoticed. I was quite alone all through those certain years, so I grew more serious, studious, calculating. I matured well I suppose, while learning history, sciences and astrology most of the time. I hadn’t mentioned Destiny at all, but I already had those memories left over from before. I actually found love once in the college, but it didn’t last too long. I was just too serious and brooding to that filly. Even though it was a place where names and wealth meant a lot, I fit in with the intelligence in a way. I returned to Ponyville after the longest years of my pony life, and my parents wanted to move again, to somewhere even more humble. They landed themselves in a secluded part of Appleoosa. An elderly looking Opare visited me from time to time, learning every bit of detail that she wanted to hear from me. Then she took me in a carriage to the Badlands, a place of evil and also dragons’ territory, where she happened to live. She gave me the task of forgetting all about what happened in my past lives, and moved on to a new one; start afresh. I was pulled back in the carriage to Ponyville, and that was the beginning of my new life which I remember the start of. Applejack became my friend for the second time around then. Or maybe she still remembered me?

I sighed in absolution, and took a gulp from my alcoholic beverage before resting after the tiring day. Just what was with everypony erasing my memory anyway?

34 - Parallel lines

I had stayed in this alternate time for quite a while now. Opare gave me a gift a couple of days ago, a painting of the equestrian valleys at sundown to be precise. This must have been the early stages of Hearth’s warming. Soon enough I realised that I had overstayed my welcome, and that it was time to go back to the present.

The dusk princess was standing at the doorway now, waiting for me to get out of my bed.
“Hey, sleepy head, the sun has risen, why haven’t you too?”

I groaned and flipped myself over, obscuring the rays from my eyes.

“I mistakenly overheard you talking about leaving last night, where will you be going?”

I flipped over again and sat up slowly. “Uh, I hope you can understand, but it’s not good to stay in the wrong timeline for too long.”

She looked down, then back up again. “I understand.You must go to the future, where you belong. It won’t be too much trouble for us all to say goodbye, will it?”

“Not at all,” I said, knowing that will be a hard goodbye to accept.

“I shall request for them while you get ready,” Opare nodded and disappeared from the doorframe.

I washed my face at the basin in the private bathroom and stared out of the window above it. The old Ponyville will be long forgotten, but it will be rebuilt again. In the optimist’s point of view anyway. My mind then transitioned to the thought of having too much alcohol, which I have done for a while now. Where did this dependency come from? I walked back into the main part of the bedroom to be greeted by the castle’s main residents. They held strong faces when they saw me, trying to hold back the emotions for a while.

“You’re...going...now?” Luna piped up with a dry voice.

“Unfortunately yes, I must. My duty lies in the future, and I must fulfil it,” I replied, wondering what was actually going to be in store for me.

“Will...we ever see you again?” Celestia asked me in a pained tone.

“Of course you will. You all will see me again, just as long as you promise to stick together like a family.” I smiled, edging the sadness off a little bit.

They each put a hoof on each other’s shoulder, and promised, through thick and thin, to stay together, as a family. Maybe this was the start of my good, reformed self. After regaining my memories and accepting the past, I could change it all around.

Time was running out now, and I was fading out. I walked towards the fillies and their mentors, gathered them in a tight hug while forgetting everything for a moment in peace. I was actually with one distant piece of my family, making me heartbroken but content at the same time. My soul was immersed in love for those few seconds. Everything was all too familiar when the darkness surrounded the room.

I was dropped on my back at high speed in a thick layer of snow covering the ground. It broke my fall from wherever I came from, so I could safely get up and survey my surroundings. Rows of tall buildings bore down on me, high class ponies walked the streets at a slow pace, big banners and signs stuck out of most surfaces, and a lot of carriages were driven back and forth. This was Manehatten; I was sure of it.I was back in my actual hometown, which felt strange. I was in the park that I used to play in when I was younger, which was even more strange.

Why the hay am I here though? I walked through the alleyway nearby, as that path would take me to the bigger part of the town and nearer to my old home. the sun was high in the sky, and the icicles hanging from the lampposts dripped beads of defrosted water. The packed snow made my hooves paler than normal, and made me walk slower. If only I had something to cover up like everypony else around here...

“Hey, what’re ya doin’ round these parts?” A hooded pony yelled from a distance in the alley.

I looked at the gravelly-voiced colt with a confused face. “Well I’m just, uh, passing through...”

Another similar looking pony stepped out from another turning. “You-you wanna buy some horse tranquilisers?” He whispered in a slightly mellowed out tone.

“Real good stuff, makes ya see some very colourful images,” The first one joined in.

I shook my head at them. “No thanks, buddy.”

“Okay, ‘cause it’s you, we can do it for free. Ya wanna get high ‘cause it’s free, right?!” The mellow colt offered.

What were they trying to do? “I don’t want your mind altering product. Never touched the stuff before, doesn’t mean I’m gonna start now. Please excuse me...” I tried to edge past them.

They laughed weakly. “Suit yourself, but someday everypony will want these.”

Getting away from those lowlifes fast, I removed that whole situation from my head. I then entered a bustling marketplace filled with all sorts of low price foods and clothing. The stench of the whole place wasn’t the most pleasant, and the appearance of some of the ponies weren’t the best either. My living space was pretty close to the seedier side of Manehatten, I realised. At least the snow wasn’t as thick around this area, so my hooves could at least gather their internal warmth back. Passing the shouting, heckling ponies and crowds of street shoppers, I made it closer to the location of my old place.

There seemed to be some ponies sitting on my house’s doorstep, busking. Guitars were being played, and singing was going on. I couldn’t see them though as they had attracted a mass of passers-by. Pushing my way through the audience, I managed to get to the front and see who was playing. There I saw a white pony with jet black hair; some sort of cutie mark that resembled a flower. The second pony I noticed was what astounded me the most. How was I sitting there, when I was standing here at the same time? It was me playing the guitar. Me. Over there. Fully grown too. What was this, a parallel world or something? What was I to do? Just walk up there and say hi? I looked up to the first floor window to look in amazement at Thunder Hum and Zap Flower, my parents.

How could this be happening? I moved away from here ages ago, according to my timeline. Too many questions were spouting from my mind. Soon enough, the merry melody had finished, so the audience were clearing away after giving the players some bits. I was left standing there, causing the remaining ponies to become as dumbfounded as I was.

“Who...who are you?” The other me asked, others following with the same question.

“I...must be you. From a parallel world, I’m thinking. I was dropped here for some reason, stupid transport system,” I explained, improvising.

“How can this even work?” The black haired mare asked me.

“Hay if I know, that’s why I’m figuring it out too,” I replied. “Also, who are you, may I ask?”

“My name is Cherry Blossom, Blue’s best friend!”

Interesting. I guess I met Destiny in Canterlot, but that didn’t happen this time. “Nice to meet you, Cherry,” I happily welcomed her name to my tongue.

“Also, meet Hibiscus and Shimmershine, if you please!” The polite pony told me.

The two said ponies came from out of the doorway behind her. I guessed that Hibiscus was Cherry’s identical twin, as he had another flower cutie mark, just a different breed of flower, and Shimmershine had an intriguing grey coat with yellowing hooves and ears, complete with turquoise and light yellow streaked hair; ponytailed mane. I also witnessed Hibiscus give a peck to the other Blue. Well...my preference is changed to normal in this world. It was kinda creepy to watch myself be in love with somepony. The two new ponies looked at me, then back to the other me, but I explained to them the situation too.

“Hey, do you mind if I talked to your parents, Blue?” I asked my doppelgänger.

“Sure, go ahead, other Blue,” she replied, clearing the way of the doorway so I could step through.

My actual parents could be anywhere, as far as I know. I haven’t had a chance to meet them properly yet, after all these years of waiting. The best I could get for now would be a parallel. The house was exactly the same as my own from way back, as I observed while walking to the stairs. Blue’s parents appeared at the top and told me they’d meet me down here, so I waited for them to come down.

“What is that you’d like, honey?” Zap Flower, Blue’s mother asked.

“To ask some questions, if you will. How come you haven’t moved to Ponyville yet?” I awaited whatever response I would be given.

Zap Flower looked at her husband in confusion, then Thunder Hum talked. “Ponyville? We’re happily settled here, the best town in Equestria!”

“Is that so... Well what about Canterlot? Have you visited there yet?” This question will probably give me a different response to what I would hope for.

“We haven’t been to Canterlot at all. The closest we’ve got to there is getting some clothes imported, but nothing more,” The father answered.

This had to be the clincher. “Okay, so does the name, ‘Azure Spark’ ring any bells?”

“Nope, sorry.” The conversation returned to Zap Flower.

I reeled a little. I didn’t even have a brother in this world. “Alright, thank you for your time.” I turned away and exited the house swiftly.

“And where do you think you’re going?” My double called to me as I was walking away.

I turned around bearing a serious expression. “I’m going to get a drink.”

“Can we come with you? It would be fun to be with another me too!” She laughed.

I didn’t want much more of a part in this, but I was curious too.” Uh, sure, come along.”

“See you folks later!” Other Blue pleasantly said goodbye to her parents, the others waving at them too.

Why was she so sprightly? Not like the real me at all. The group caught up to my side, and we continued on. I could just about recall where the nearest bar was, so I headed in that direction. The other parading ponies didn’t notice that I and the other I were the same pony; maybe dismissing that we were identical twins or something. I looked at Other Blue, studying her bright, smiling face. She must not have had a care in the world. Reminds me of somepony pink...

We all reached the bar, and entered the premises to get a well deserved refreshment glass. “One of your finest liquors please, barkeep. And for you?” I ordered.

“Just a round of ciders for the rest of us, please,” Other Blue quietly said.

“That’ll be twenty bits, thanks.” The bartender started pouring the beverages.

Definitely not like me, free of alcohol. “Uh-oh, I don’t have any money...”

“Don’t worry, I managed to get loads from earlier, remember? I’ll pay for us all,” Other Blue placed the golden coins on the bar’s surface.

We sat at a nearby table, and I drank almost immediately. My parallel took polite little sips. At least she’s able to handle herself...

“Thanks for the drink, Blue.” I gave a weak smile.

“Anything for myself,” She said, chuckling at the strange kind of feeling when saying that.

“I see you have a coltfriend,” I looked at Hibiscus.

“Heh, we go way back,” Cherrry’s twin spoke up. “My sister was in the same music class as Blue; they became best friends. I became attracted to Blue when I saw her the first time, and things just went from there. Shimmershine helped push it along though, as I and Blue are both quite shy at times.”

Shimmershine asked, “Do you have a coltfriend yourself?”

That almost hurt, but I guess they were none the wiser about my personality. I had to go with it for now, as I didn’t want to get more attention than I should. “Um...no, I don’t. No, unfortunately I don’t have one.”

“Aww, that’s a shame. With a pony as beautiful as yourself, you should have one,” She returned.

What a good conversation. My cheeks couldn’t help but turn rosy. “Uh, th-thanks, Shimmershine, but you don’t have to flatter me.”

“Do you have a job, or profession? Like us, we play guitar,” Cherry Blossom grilled me. This was going to become a question and answer session, I just knew it.

I could just about see Blue’s cutie mark; it was the acoustic instrument instead of a computer. “I don’t have any employment yet, no.”

“Do you have a best friend? What is his or her name?” Blue asked me.

“I do, her name is Destiny Bond. She is a feisty, happy pegasus, her coat is white, she has black, messy hair a bit like Cherry’s, but with red streaks.”

“What’s different in your world?” Hibiscus examined.

“Well, nothing much, only that I don’t know any of you, and I’m living alone in Ponyville. slightly different lives me and Blue live, right?”

I took another large swig of my drink before being asked the next question, which came from Shimmershine. “

“So is where you are fun to be in?” She asked.

“Not exactly, as there was an invasion of corrupted animals before, tearing apart the whole of my town, I lost all my friends by giving up the will to stay strong, I am shunned from society now, and the memory that was permanently burned into my mind was the loss of Destiny’s parents; I had to watch over the burning wreck and cover it up for all of Destiny’s life, until she forgot. And now I have to drink loads to drown out my past in order to cope, just about.” By the time I blurted that out, my vision was starting to blur and distort.

“Whoa hey, she didn’t mean to tell us about your personal life, she just meant to ask if it was nice, scenic there...” Other Blue told me, shocked at what I had said.

I rose from the table, bashed my hoof on the table and pointed at my counterpart, attracting the rest of the eyes in the humble tavern. “You don’t know what I’ve been through! You don’t know what I’ve seen. None of you have lived a life as miserable as mine, you just think it’s all roses with your fancy guitars and your happy faces! I’ll tell you something, it’s not that easy to survive out there in the world. Have you ever seen three dead ponies mangled and melting after a sky-crash, at the youngest age of five?! No! You haven’t! But I have! I stared into their souls, I heard their last screams for salvation! And that’s not all! I was in the army once, and I saw so many pale, departed face; heard every single one of their cries as they were shot down and destroyed, every last one of them! My family...they passed away in front of my very eyes...I survived the bomb drop, but they didn’t! They were eviscerated of their skin and their bones turned to complete ash. I ran so far that day, scared out of my mind as the bombs dropped all over the city! My life was ground down to nothing but pain as I lived through each day knowing I had to keep going. I couldn’t die! I can’t die! I am protected by the gods! I just had to sit through each and every death that wasn’t my own until I was run through by the god of revenge himself. But still I remained, and then I had to suffer in this new world too!”

“S-sit down, I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings...” Other Blue tried to calm me down, but it didn’t work. The whole table was pretty much terrified by my drunken, monster-like form that I had taken shape of in the blink of an eye.

I couldn’t take this anymore. I stormed out of the bar, into the freezing snow. Was there a way to get out of this place? Was there a way to remove the gods from my life? Was there a way to end it all? Was there a way to be happy again? I galloped to a nearby patch of grass hidden under the snow, and threw myself into it in a feeble attempt to cause injury. I looked up at the falling snow coming from the grey sky, as if staring down the gods above me. I knew they were there, looking over me. Did they care about me? What about Rose, did she actually care? She left the group to become a mortal, but for what purpose? And what about Glais? There was too much mystery in my life. I just wanted to be settled into this world without having any repercussions. It started out normal enough, but where did it go wrong? Destiny’s family losing their lives hugely affected me yes, but it didn’t change the course of my steady lifestyle. Was it when I met Fluttershy? Was then after punishment for not having the right orientation? Was it beforehand, when I met Applejack? Was that chose disapproved upon because she wasn’t supposed to be a friend?

“Hey!” a voice shouted to me. I adjusted my skewed view to face front. It was my apparent twin, yet again showing up. “We’re sorry that we pushed you too far, we shouldn’t have asked so much...”

I wasn’t like this at heart. My anger slowly subsided, and I got up the right way round. I stumbled a little bit because of the effects from my alcohol induced mind.

She put a hoof on my shoulder, and looked me straight in the eyes. “Blue, I can sympathise with you. I’ve been through losses as well. You know Hibiscus and Cherry? They had lost their parents too. I comforted them for their whole lives when I shared my home with them here. I’ve heard their stories over and over, I know how much they miss who bore them as children. I know it isn’t as much as what you’ve been through yourself, but it’s almost like my own family, and it means alot to me. I’ve helped them for so long that we are so well knit together now. You know, I’ve had foals with Hibiscus recently? They look a lot like their father.”

“I’m sorry,” I said, painfully. “I shouldn’t have had that outburst. Sometimes I don’t think, sometimes I act selfishly. You know the rest, you’re me aren’t you? The only thing is that you’re the more refined version, the two point zero if you will. You’re straight up, your morals are correct, you have your life sorted out and you know what you’re doing. But me, I’m the older model, I’m the pathetic mess of a pony. Whatever had happened in my life was my fault, and really, my life is pointless. Everything I’ve done will be for nothing in the end. But you can actually live a decent life. I know you. It’s like I’ve been here before.” I proceeded to look at the ground, realising how small my life really was, and how my existence would not matter to anyone, here or not. I was just another number on the record; I was just a test subject to the gods.

“Listen, everything happens for a reason,” Other Blue assured me. “Not all of what happened is your fault, you were only part of something bigger. You aren’t an evil pony, you can’t be! You just seem to have a tough time with your life and your history, I’m guessing. You don’t know where to go or what to do. I’m not trying to be harsh or anything here, but you never learned the meaning of how much you are a part of the universe and life itself, did you? In everypony’s hearts that you know, each and every one of them reserves a place for you, as friends or as family. They never want to see you gone, they never want a replacement. You can only be one pony, a personality that is made and shaped one time ever, and that’s how valuable you are. Nopony in Equestria can copy you, so they rely on you as who you are. To be honest, I know you’re going to be leaving this place soon, and even though we haven’t met you too much, we’re going to miss you. Before you go, I want to help you. I want to comfort you. We want to comfort you. Please, come back home, stay for a night, we will make you feel welcomed, like a family.”

Has everypony been noticing my loneliness all of a sudden? I don’t tell them this, so how do they know? “I...I accept your offer. I’d like that, Blue. I’d want to see your foals too. It will give me hope for the future.” The feeling of serenity cleared my stained soul for now.

We all got together again, Blue explained the situation and the rest of the group’s intimidated faces turned back to pleasant ones; then we went home. It was altogether a crowded house, but it was a decent sized abode nonetheless. We sat down and had a healthy, sumptuous hay-based dinner. I followed Blue up to her room afterwards, and I saw her two children playing. She was right, they did look a lot like hibiscus, both of them, but just with a slight orange tint to their coats.

Blue had it all under control, everypony in this home did. They all stuck close by each other, they all looked satisfied with their lives, they were all family. It inspired me to think. My parents were long gone, but I still had my brother. Destiny was my sister by heart, but I didn’t want to think the same by her human form. Any god or goddess is evil in nature, and Rose had to have something planned, even if she did act friendly towards me.

Cherry Blossom showed me how to play guitar, and I strummed away while watching Hibiscus and Blue gently kiss each other. Shimmershine told me all about the twins’ past, and everything that went on in this family; I listened with utmost intent. I was intrigued by everypony’s lifestyle, and so I was willing to listen and learn to what this wonderful pony had to say to me.

I slept on the sofa as usual, but I accepted it because it was pretty comfy this time. By the time of the morning, I said my goodbyes as I knew I was about to slip away from this timeline. Everypony was tearful, especially Blue, as I talked to her at sunrise about how I personally will miss her and what I could have done with her if I had more time. They wanted me to stay, but I noticed that I was fading again. It was time to go back to the correct time and place; Canterlot castle to see if Opare and Aora were there.

I waved a final goodbye, choked, and flashed into darkness for a time.

35 - Lover, not a fighter

Outside of the windows of my house, I could see snow all around, covering the hill it was perched upon. It seemed like a long time since we had snow in Ponyville before. I got up from the comfort of my sofa, walked to the kitchen and took a bottle of brandy from the cupboard. I poured a tiny amount into a glass, and drank. It was to warm me up, you understand.

“I was meant to do something...” I said aloud, looking around the house. The Princesses had to be attended to, I recalled. Let’s hope everypony is there, otherwise we’ve got some investigating to do. And in this weather, I’d rather not go exploring uncharted areas in order to find Opare or Aora.

I wrapped the black and white scarf around my neck a little bit tighter, found my old, green-gray coat and put it on, opened the door and stepped out of the house. Shutting the door behind me, I proceeded in trudging through the thick blanket of clear white. Nopony had stepped in this area yet, so I could see the beautiful sparkles. As I walked, the pleasant, satisfying sound of soft crumpling came from underneath my hooves. It was amplified through the silence of the atmosphere, so it warmed my ears. A couple of steps were made on the way to the castle, but I was stopped by something that crashed straight onto me.

“There you are Blue! I missed you so much! Where did you go?” The pony I knew so well had greeted me in...style, and stood up above me, grinning while I looked directly at her.

“Hello, Destiny. It’s been...been a long while.” I wrapped my forelegs around her torso to end my longing for her presence. She was one of my only friends after all.

“Yeah, it’s been like ten years!” my companion joked. “Okay, I remember you telling me we were going on a quest somewhere, right?”

She helped me up, and I shook the snow off. “Turns out we won’t be going far. At least I hope so anyway. I’ll explain what I’ve been through while we make our way to Canterlot castle.”

After telling her everything that happened in those different times and places, we arrived at the destination. Princess Celestia surprisingly, personally greeted us at the gates. “You are finally back here, after all this time! Come in to the castle you two, we have business to attend to.”

The bridge under the river had frozen, the waterfall that it developed into had turned to icicles. Why was it so cold? The snow wouldn’t usually last this long either.

“Princess, did I cause anything bad to happen when I left to the present?” I asked my former semi-student.

“What do you mean?” She asked me, not looking back.
“Think back to when I left you all when you were a teen. I’ve just come back from that.”

“You’ve just come back? But I’ve seen you before recently...”

“It’s a little bit complicated, but I was transported to the past after you told me to go looking for the older Princesses.”

“I understand, I think? Electric Blue, you are one crazy pony,” she said as she giggled. I could only nod to agree.

We trotted through the well-known halls and approached the throne room. She invited me to open the doors, and I did so. At the end of the room, I noticed two other alicorns sitting there. I couldn’t help but gallop towards them, and gracefully hug them both. It was Aora and Opare, in their healthy forms, albeit having slightly greyer manes and coats.

“We stayed, just like you told us to.” Opare told me.

“I am very grateful, I really am,” I complimented them as I smiled.” But surely Celestia and Luna are much happier than I, as you had stuck together as family.”

Celestia put a hoof on my shoulder. “We are very happy. You’ve done me proud, Electric Blue. You fulfilled my task, and so you deserve a reward. I am offering you an official role as one of my personal royal guards, with priority training in the Equestrian military should you accept the offer.”

The times I had in the war flashed in front of me for a few seconds, then vanished. “Military you say? That wouldn’t involve going into the front line or anything, would it?”

“No, of course not,” Celestia assured me. “You won’t be going into any battles at all. You’ll only receive some specialised training from the professional teachers and then you’ll get sent back here. Don’t worry, you’ll be paid for your services under me. You will have customised armour according to what your preference is, too. how does that sound?”

I thought hard for a minute. “I suppose I need the bits, and I suppose I need to brush up on my combat skills too...It’s a very good offer, but I’ll have to think about it, Princess. I’ll write you a letter when I decide.”

The white alicorn slowly nodded with eyes closed. “I can accept that, Blue. Anyway, thank you once again, now we have some catching up to do as family reunited.”

Opare turned her gaze towards me. “I must also thank you for saving me from the ills of my, evil possession all those years ago. Soon after you left, I removed all scrolls that contained dark magic from the castle and returned them to the mages I had trained with. I replaced the chamber with documents of white magic, and began writing my own to restore my faith in my benevolence and peace.”

“That’s very good, Princess,” I said as I gave a cheery grin.

“And also, a young mare named Twilight Sparkle had requested some books from me which I had authored; she mentioned of your name, funnily enough. Remarked that you were a poor soul and needed some support.”

“Oh yes, she is my friend. And by help, I think she means...well, I don’t know what she means. For once I don’t know what somepony means.” Was it with my friendship problems? Nopony except me contemplated that before...

Aora interjected. “We haven’t been introduced yet, Destiny! Pleased to meet you, my descendant. You look very much like me!”

“And you look much like me!” Destiny exclaimed. Those two never seemed to be absolutely serious.

Celestia explained that there were private, princessly matters to attend to shortly after the get-together. I and Destiny understood, and we left them to it. We exited the castle, and returned to Ponyville swiftly. I had the craving for drink again, so we headed to the nearest bar, to Destiny’s surprise. She hadn’t seen me drink before, and remarked upon my new-found addiction. The alcohol was the easy way out for holding my memories, as coming to terms with my past would be difficult on the straight and narrow. I had a shot of gin or two, and Destiny had her usual rapid-cola. She always thought that the terrible product would make her faster than she already is. Wing-rot is what it actually caused, according to the scientists up in Cloudsdale. The naive filly didn’t care much about theories though; she did what she liked, and it didn’t seem to affect her anyway.

“So, Destiny, what exactly did you do to keep yourself occupied while I was away?” I asked my friend sitting opposite me.

She laughed. “Most of the time I spent with Braeburn, of course, but I had a few run-ins with Rainbow Dash when checking up on your return, which was kind of often. We raced a lot, because I was still set on getting into the Wonderbolts academy, and she had recently gotten the opportunity to join. I swore she looked pretty tired after the first few laps, but I didn’t break a sweat,” the white-coated filly boasted.

“You’ve still got your touch then, you fast fool.” I chuckled. “You’ll get into the Wonderbolts, you just gotta...promote yourself, you see? You’ve gotta, gotta show the town your stuff, then they’ll talk about you like the next big hotshot.” Even after a couple of shots, the effect of drunkenness was returning. At least it had made me giddy instead of angry.

“I’ve got to show off? Maybe I should do that sometime. I’ve only really trained away from everypony, but I could do some tricks in front of the townsfolk.” It was as if a lightbulb turned on above Destiny’s head.

I moved on to a different subject. “Hey, about the uh...uh, royal guard position, what do you think about...that?”

“In my opinion,” Destiny paused. “I think you shouldn’t take it. Think about what you’ve been through already... to go back to that is a no-no.”

My body wavered a little bit in my seat. “But, think about the money! I’ll, I’ll be getting loads for just standing around all day.”

My friend frowned. “It shouldn’t be about the bits...Your job should involve doing what you love, and you hated the war, right?”

“Of course I did! But I won’t be going in to action. In my lifetime I’ve never heard reports of attacks on the castle, so it will be pleasant to just, just wander around pretending to defend the place.” My head landed on the table and I watched my hoof swirl around the rim of my shot glass.

“You don’t exactly sound like the Blue I know. I remember you mentioning once to me, that you wanted to be a lover and not a fighter. At the rare event that something might happen against the castle, what are you going to do then?” The black and red haired pony could only argue with better logic than mine at the time.

I stayed silent for a while. Actually, for the most part of the afternoon I didn’t talk to Destiny. I ordered some more gin, gulped it down, and Destiny had to drag me out of the bar because I was getting too intoxicated. A gruff looking colt was having a stare down with me, which would have ended up in a brawl if my companion didn’t get me out of there fast enough. She walked me back home, got me inside the house, and put me down on the bed for me to rest on. She then left after saying something about being disappointed in my decisions.

There was a knock at the door after ten or so minutes. I got up to answer it, after attempting to overcome the obstacles of my trembling legs and double-vision. On the other side of the door was Applejack herself. A quick “Howdy pardner,” and she let herself in.

“Now, ah happened to watch ya from across the bar while I was receivin’ some orders about our drinks production. Ya got mighty tipsy, why is that, Blue? Do ah gotta knock some sense into ya? Ya gotta quit that habit while ya still can!” the pale orange pony consoled me.

“You can’t tell me what to do! I need to drink, it...it helps me cope,” I defended myself.

“Cope with what?” she asked.

“My, my past, of course! It haunts me so much, and drinking myself stupid is the only way to drown out those memories.”

“There’s gotta be another way round that. Ya can come ta terms with yer past by accepting what happened and move on!”

I began to grow angry. “It’s not that...simple, Applejack! I can’t just forget about what went on before; it’s going to stay with me forever!”

She closed her eyes for a second, then opened them. “Ya were talkin’ about becomin’ a royal guard too. Do ya think ya have what it takes, huh? From the state ye’re in, ya ain’t gonna cut it.”

“How d-dare you say that! I’m fit and healthy, I’m good in combat. I can take you down right now if I wanted to! I’ve gotten mad enough to!”

I dashed for her, tackling the workpony to the ground. Applejack retaliated by headbutting me, and bucking me away, then getting back up quickly. I went for her again, raising both forelegs at the last second, managing to knock her straight into the wall. The picture frames that hung on the wall fell off altogether, one hitting the blonde mare on the head. She brushed herself off fast, and rushed me, beating me to the ground this time. To the right was a bottle full of whiskey; she promptly smashed it on the floor and threw the glass remains away.

Returning to me, she began laying into me, punching me in the gut with her forehooves repeatedly. I grabbed her neck, and threw her mightily off of me, stood up, then crashed into her with my side at brutal force. It was her turn now, as I was panting for air. She took her hat off and put it to one side, then jumped on to me, all hooves first to smack into my face. A small amount of blood spattered onto the floor. A lamp was nearby; I grabbed it and whacked it across the farm mare’s face, making a gash from the sharp edge of the lamp cover. Applejack manoeuvred it out of my grip and beat my back with it a few times, until the lamp was crippled. She threw it away and pushed me to the wall, pinning me and lifting me up. taking one hoof off of my body, she punched in various places that hurt the most. I kicked my opponent in the chest as hard as I could, winding her, but freeing me. I bucked her in the side, blowing her away, then repeating the process a couple more times.

The house was looking like a bomb had hit it. Papers were now scattered everywhere, blood painted some of the material, furniture was toppled over and stuffing was ripped out. Glass covered the floor, and items were broken and scattered. I and Applejack were still standing though, however both bruised and battered. The light orange pony took a length of rope lying next to her, then quickly lassoed it and threw it around my body, tying my legs up and tripping me over. With a burst of strength, she pulled the rope and tossed me to the other side of the room, slamming me into a corner. I picked up some glass and cut the rope desperately, then charged with the only amount of power I had at Applejack. She was dazed long enough for me to obtain a kitchen knife. I waved it furiously, then tried to attack the workpony. I managed to get a cut here and there, but she disarmed me by biting my foreleg and then twisting it hard.

I staggered backwards, defenseless, but Applejack brought up the opposition and beat me even harder with her hooves, almost crushing or denting my head and body. She stopped after noticing that too much blood and tears were seeping from me.

“Do ya...still think...ya have what it takes...Blue?” the country filly was gasping for air, having defeated me.

I couldn’t reply. I almost felt unconscious. Or worse, even. All I could think of was the company I was leading in the war, how I lost them all, and nearly myself after a huge firefight with the enemy. I was leading part of the rebellion against the New Global Government, and in the final years, I just couldn’t make it to victory. I was a failure in the army’s eyes, and so I turned to doing the bad deeds, going back to my roots of being a bandit and an outlaw and attacking everyone with my newly formed group of evildoers. Glais turned out to be my right hand man, and Rose was in the group too. They both plotted against me to become the leader of the outlaw group, and when I found out, I killed Glais. But Rose killed me after, not Glais. Rose was never on the good side at all, she’d just been acting so I would be none the wiser when she strikes next.

After reliving that flashback, I opened my eyes slowly to see Applejack covered in bandages, and applying some to me. Some of the pain seemed to be gone; she had worked some sort of magic.

“Applejack, I’m sorry-”

The light orange mare interrupted me. “This was just like the first time we met, ya remember? Ya were a rowdy li’l pony who wanted a fight with the whole town, and ah just so happened ta stand up against ya. We fought hard, and ya came out on top, because ya were a fightin’ pony after all. We were friends after that though, because ya said ya needed some! But now, ah can see ya’ve been degraded by the booze, which ain’t good at all. Ya’ll have gotten fatter too, and not the normal fat! Ah’m gonna help fix ya up, ‘cause ya can’t present yerself like this, no sirree.”

“But...how can I just quit the drink if I have to live with these memories all the time?” I asked my carer.

“Ya have got to let go, ya see? Ya aren’t human anymore, ya are a pony just like me, and all the rest of us. Ya don’t have ta worry about that world anymore! This is where ya belong.” She pressed a forehoof very lightly on my cheek.

“I...I wanted to be a lover, not a fighter, you know. I was just plunged into the wrong situation every time. I mean, I was with Fluttershy briefly, but then the gods ruined that moment of happiness for me.”

“The...gods? Who are they, Blue?”

“They are a group of giant human-like creatures with the powers over everything that exists. They somehow managed to slip into this world when they are confined to the human world only. They are all evil, in some way or another, and they like making every living thing’s life a misery.”

“Is there any way ta get rid of ‘em?”

“I’m working on that, since I now know where they come in through my life. Rose is the person connecting the gods to my life, and so I must dispose of her.”

“Whoa there!” Applejack slowed down the flow of conversation. “ah don’t want ya to get rid of anypony now...”

I grew into an angry wonderance. “Why not? Rose has been working behind the scenes, ruining my life throughout the whole course! I can’t just let her keep on breaking my mind!”

“There’s gotta be a way for ya ta level with this Rose character, and violence isn’t the answer,” Applejack said with considerable irony.

I quickly calmed down and introduced Rose to her. “If you think about my friend Destiny, she has a...human handle like me. Rose used to be a god herself, but she lost interest in that business and became somewhat like a normal person. However, the gods had planned this, because they were targeting me for my crimes against humanity, and such.”

“So they needed somepony ta get closer ta ya, is that right?” My orange friend asked.

I nodded to confirm. “Exactly right. And about Glais, as you might remember, he disbanded from the gods too, and he actually worked with me for a time. even if they were evil deeds I was doing, that guy was on my side all along, when we all thought different.”

“We were all fooled!” Applejack exclaimed, looking slightly confused about my situation.

“In a way yes, but I just didn’t have enough information after all. Oh...I think I need a drink now, to clear my head,” I said as I shivered and headed to the kitchen.

The farm pony slid in front of me, stopping access to whatever drinks were kept. “Ya don’t need a drink!” She simply said, then rushed to each cupboard, grabbed every bottle she could find, and smashed the glass, emptying the contents into the sink.

“What are you doing?!” I was distraught from the sight I beheld in front of me. I tried to stop her, but she pushed me away with force each time.

“Ah can’t let you go through what I had to go through too! You have purpose, and this poison is only gonna hurt ya!” I heard a large amount of emotion in that sentence.

“What...what are you trying to say?” I asked, approaching her slowly, as she closed her eyes and finished the rapid movements she was making.

“Oh, ah...ah don’t wanna talk about it...” The stetson rested on her head was forcibly tilted lower, in an attempt to cover her face.

36 - The absence of family

“Applejack, of course you can talk about about it! What did you go through?” I asked.

“Blue, nevermind. Let’s get this place cleaned up now, shall we?” The pastel orange pony changed the subject.

After she was done pouring the drinks away, I complied and helped her out with the wreck my house was now in. Nevertheless, I wanted to know what she had just brought up. I gave her a stare to make her feel uncomfortable, until she fessed up.

Applejack took a deep intake of breath. “Okay, okay! Ah hit a rough patch when Big Mac offered me a try from some of his ‘private cider’ one day. It was better than what I’ve ever tasted before! So Ah kept asking for more and more, until Ah got hammered. It was such a weird experience ta me, but Ah liked it. So Ah got into the habit of gettin’ drunk each day that passed, which made me lazy. Mah family would complain at me all the time, but Ah didn’t care... nopony helped me, as Ah got violent when anypony got near me, so I stayed that way for a long while. Ah got out of shape, mah mind was hazy, and I started havin’ physical problems, like my stomach hurtin’ a lot. After havin’ an awful breakdown afterwards though, Ah kicked the habit. Ah’m doin’ you a favour before ya get like I once was.”

“Applejack...I’m so sorry, I didn’t know...” I hadn’t actually considered the consequences, every time I drank was just to get rid of all my thoughts, nothing else.

“Of course ya didn’t know, I hadn’t told ya yet!” the stetson on her head was adjusted to a friendlier position.

I carried on cleaning up. I just had to come to terms about my memories, they were in the past anyway. What matters now is what lies ahead, because this is the world where there are no marks against my name. I’ve tried my best to be a good pony. I wanted to reform, and so I was offered to go to a different world, which I chose this one for. The only times I had been bad was when I was possessed, but that wasn’t me after all. Also I drank a lot; bad stuff. Applejack forcefully removed my means of getting the poison down my throat, but it was for the best. I looked in the reflections of the broken mirror on the floor. I had definitely grown pudgy around the edges, which was no good if I’d be going in to the group of royal guards.

“Applejack, would you...mind training me?” I asked my comrade.

“Trainin’ ya? Ah dunno, do ya think Ah’m up to the task of that?” She asked back.

I smiled at her orange face, tinged with the few pale yellow freckles on her cheeks. “Of course, you’re probably one of the most athletic ponies I know, honestly.”

She chuckled and turned her face slightly away. “Ah mean, maybe Ah can do it...Ah’m kinda okay at tellin’ ponies what ta do...”

“Okay, great. I needed somepony’s help, and who better to turn to than you? Look at me, I’ve grown fat!” I vainly remarked.

“Ya just need some exercise, then ya’ll be back on track! Let’s do this then,” Applejack excitedly said, trotting in place.

I gave her a thankful hug, and she blushed because of it. We then went outside, and prepared the course for today. Luckily the hill I was located on was quite flat, and the clearing surrounding us had a large enough area to work with. She told me to do some stretches first; I heard some cracks in my bones when I tried extending my legs to warm up the muscles.

“Now ya’ve done that, we’ll start with a simple run around yer house.” I followed Applejack at a steady pace, but she sped up, and I had to match her speed. Her brisk trot developed into a run, then a gallop. I had not worked out in years, and so I couldn’t keep up. She laughed and shrugged off her overconfidence in running, and slowed down the gallop to a run, at the speed I could compete with.

I overtook the workpony at some points, to which she took the lead right back. I would not be able to become as fast as her in my lifetime, but at least I could be fast in a way. I was more versed in knowing my strength, mind you.
I grew exhausted shortly, and had to collapse for a rest.

“Aw, is that all ya got, Blue?” Applejack asked.

“Cut me some slack, I was just in a fight with you,” I huffed.

“Heh, just messin’ with ya, didn’t mean anythin’ by it, sugarcube.” The blonde-maned mare stopped to look at the circle of trees around us. “Hey, how about we do some tree-buckin’? Ah know that bein’ a royal guard would mean defense, and buckin’ the enemy is probably what ya gotta be good at.”

“I think I have some strength left for that. Could you help me up, please?” She gave me her hoof, I took it and got pulled upwards.

Obviously this pony was knowledgeable in her field, so she showed me the absolute correct way to buck a tree. A couple of demonstrations later, I was stood facing away from one of the dark purple leaved trees. All I had to do was retract my back legs while lifting my body up, and then kick backwards as hard as I could. At first it hurt my hooves and the limbs connected to them, so I had to make intervals in between. They got shorter though, as my back legs started getting conditioned to the activity. I was eventually bashing all the leaves off of the tree since I had grown much more force, so Applejack told me to stop for now. We moved on to weight lifting.

“Now, ya’ve gotta do some push ups for me, while carryin’ these saddlebags full of bricks. I’ll add more in each side when I feel like pushin’ you some more.” My trainer gave me a set of two leather pouches that lay on my back, and put a brick in each. I had no idea where the bricks came from, but it wasn’t time to ask such questions.

I haven’t really lifted anything heavy in my time, but the time had come to get doing that. I bent my forelegs to face outwards, making me lean further towards the ground, and then pushed myself back up, and repeated the phase. It wasn’t tiring at first, but then Applejack added in a few more bricks. When I lowered myself, it was harder to bring myself in reverse, as gravity was not on my side anymore. I was only partially breaking a sweat though, so I could keep in control. More bricks were stacked into the bags. It got more difficult to hold myself up now, and pushing my forelegs out felt relieving, but I couldn’t just hold the position. I came back up, panting slightly. I was now losing my energy, albeit quite slowly. A forced exhalation came from my mouth as more of the weighty material was given to me. In a last effort, I sped up my push ups to the point that I couldn’t lift anymore, then fell to the ground, exhausted.

“Aww, and Ah thought ya had more in ya!” Applejack keenly remarked.

“Hey, you want me to fight you again?” I replied, giving a hoarse laugh.

I lay on the grassy surface as I had been pushed to the limit on the first day. I didn’t do much, but I don’t work out either. She gave me some time to rest before I started up again, this continued until dusk. I was seriously tired out now, I begged Applejack to stop the training for today. She agreed to let me off, and she later returned home after a warm goodbye. As the light orange pony disappeared from my view, I noticed over the trees on another hill, sat Destiny. She was alone, and staring upwards, not moving from that spot at all. I decided to go to her in an investigative manner.

“How’s it going Destiny!” I called to her. She turned around to see another pony in her presence, and launched upwards in shock. She had already flew away from me.
“Funny, she’s been kind of scarce as of late...” I added to the situation.

I returned to my home after waiting for her to come back, to no avail. Suddenly the white pegasus had planted herself in front of me. “Oh, you’ve come back now?” I wondered.

“I didn’t know it was you, and I was deep in thought!” she laughed. “I was just cloud watching, would you like to join me?”

“Hmm, sure, Destiny. I’d be willing to do that,” I accepted, and we lay down on the grass.

The orange sky transitioning to a lavender colour set the backdrop to the clouds passing by slowly. We couldn’t really make out any shapes, as the clouds all resembled squares, for some reason.

“So, my friend, what deep thoughts were you having?” I asked.

“Oh you know, the past, the future, that sort of stuff.” Her black and red mane waved softly through being buffeted by the mild breeze in the air. The trees around us made slight shaking sounds, birds of the evening were singing, as well as the crickets. The grass beneath us was cool, but not cold enough to be uncomfortable.

“What about the past?” I enquired.

She sighed. “Well, recently I’ve been having dreams about my family. In fact, all the time I’ve been having dreams about them. It’s been so long since I’ve last saw them you know. I wonder to this day about where they all went...”

The time had come. She had to find out about what happened now. I had kept it to myself for too long, and it would have been unfair to keep it any longer. “Destiny...”

“Yes, Blue?” She looked directly at me at this point, with her big, grey coloured eyes.

“I have...something to tell you.”

“Do tell, I’m all for news!”

“This time it’s bad news. Please try not to overreact to what I’m going to say.”

“Uh...okay...what is it?”

“Destiny...your...you see, your family...”

“What about my family...?”

“Ugh. Destiny, your family had passed away. Years ago in fact. When we first met up, there was a chariot crash, killing your parents, and your brother. I had seen it, so I covered it up by diverting you away. I didn’t know who crashed there at first, but the news was quick to reveal. And for all the time we’ve been friends, I kept it a secret from you. All I wanted to do was protect you. But you’re old enough now to hopefully accept the fact.”

The white mare seemed to turn a shade lighter. She gave me a funny look for a while, laughed nervously, then looked back up to the sky. Already the liquid was forming under her eyes. She wasn’t taking this well at all. Her forehooves clutched at her head, tightly, and she breathed heavily, but with a choked sound. After that display, she took off again. This time she wasn’t coming back.

“I’m sorry...” I whispered, holding a hoof out to the sky. What did I just do? I’ve ruined the life of my best friend. I told her the truth, and that cost me another friendship. I ran inside my house, climbed onto my bed, and wept until falling asleep.

I woke up in the morning. I was back in my human form, to my surprise.

“So how was your trip to the olden times?” Rose greeted me.

“Uh...I managed to reunite the Princesses,” I replied.

“Well done, Anne! You did well. Do you know what’s going to happen next?” She held up a pistol, and cocked it. Faint smoke was coming from the barrel. I looked over her shoulder to see a mound of soldier’s bodies stacked up.

“What...exactly is going on here?” I felt worried now. I fidgeted off of the DreamTable, and looked for Caerula. He was standing in the corner, with a few other people that inhabited this building.

“Caerula! Get yourself over here now,” Rose commanded. I exchanged glances and places with my brother hastily.

“Yes, Miss Rose?” He sheepishly said.

“Do you know what your sister has just done? No? She had crushed my other half! That’s right, Anne, you told the truth to Destiny, and now she is going to begin the path to self destruction.” Rose pulled up the gun and held it firmly next to Caerula’s head. He could only whimper in absolute terror, with the rest of us.

“Rose, please, don’t do this!” I yelled out in desperation.

“I can’t forgive you, Anne. What I can do though, is exact my revenge. Destiny’s family is gone, and now so shall be yours. Say goodbye Caerula. Say goodbye Anne.” The trigger was slowly squeezed, and a loud explosion appeared out of nowhere. My brother’s body dropped to the floor. A brutal ringing in my ears occurred as the rage and upset grew to an enormous peak.

I thrust myself forward as I dashed for the gun. I wrestled it out of Rose’s hands with force that actually broke them, tackled her to the ground, and pointed the gun in her face, with the sounds of a skull cracking going on through the sheer violence and pressure I was holding the gun with.

“You want to kill me, don’t you? If you try it, Destiny will die too. You don’t want that, do you?” She smirked as she began choking.

I was positively shaking with anger. “I don’t care. I’ve had enough now. Forget that world. Forget this world. After I kill you, I’ll dispose of myself. You’ve removed the person that kept me going in this life, and for what? You’re a liar, Rose. Destiny isn’t your other half at all. You just extracted all the light from your mind, and moulded it into her. You hated the light, and you always will. As well as all of the other gods. You also ruined our lives in the other world, by tampering with so much data throughout the years. Your role in this operation wasn’t meant to be. You poured darkness and obscene forces into our world to slowly destroy us and everything around. You possessed and broke my mind. You killed Destiny’s family. My relationships are destroyed. You even messed with those who weren’t supposed to be messed with. This is actually my revenge. The final blow. I go out with the last laugh.”

I pulled the trigger. I stood up. I pulled it again, and again, until the clip was empty. I threw the gun away. The only thing I could do now was mourn at Caerula’s side, while I deteriorated into tears and nothingness. I chose not to shoot myself for some wild reason. I didn’t know what else to do. For me, it was all over. The last member of my family had been lost to a bullet, making me in turn, lost. I got up, and moved over to the pile of soldier’s bodies. I picked through them to find any more weapons, one of which was a submachine gun; I took it and ran out into the open, breathing in the acidic air of the wastelands. The constant shooting of government agents’ guns against the rebels, or pirates should we say, irritated my hearing. I sprinted towards the agents, firing upon them in some sort of vain effort to regain my moral status. I didn’t know what I was doing, nor did I care. I just wanted to get shot and end it there.

A hand grabbed my arm and pulled me backwards all of a sudden. “What do you think you’re doing? Get back inside, now!” a male voice shouted at me. I looked behind me, and I couldn’t recognise who was pulling me. We headed back into the building, and he shut the doors behind us.

“Why did you take me back here? There’s nothing left now,” I stubbornly protested.

“Okay, everyone, please help me remove the bodies from this place, before they create a smell!” The guy ordered, and so the people got to work.

“Wait! Nobody touch Caerula!” I yelled. I didn’t want him to be chucked out like he meant nothing. “Isn’t there any cryogenics stuff lying around?”

“The government soldiers raided this place at the wrong time, I’m afraid,” the annoying male told me. “Most of what’s around us is destroyed now. There’s no choice for Caerula, I have to say.”

“Can’t he regenerate like I did?” I crazily asked. I wanted some hope in this dead-end situation.

“Was he selected by the gods? Only time will tell. If Caerula is selected, then he’ll come back to us like you did.” This person did give me a little bit of ambition, at least.

“Let’s hope he can get another shot. I wonder who his Author will be?” I asked, my emotions changing to that of an optimist.

“Could be a female, I reckon. Authors usually generate as the opposite gender of the deceased person,” he answered with his own knowledge, it seemed.

“Hey, just who are you?”

“That’s right, introductions. Yes, my name is Sean, I am your Author. The main one anyway. Rose just joined in making your story for her own kicks. I don’t even remember why I allowed her, to be honest. Not a trustworthy bunch, the Gods.”

“You...you’re my Author?”

“The one and only. You suffered quite a bad death, as I recall. A chain of Rose killing you, and you killing Glais. I must congratulate you on disposing of two of the Gods, a feat that not many of us can do on our own.” Sean shook my hand in delight.

“Thanks, I guess...” Did this guy have a grudge against his makers? If so, why?

“Okay, what shall we do now...I think you better go comfort your best friend in the other world. Don’t worry, I’ll cover everything over on this side until you return. And even if I hate the Gods, I’ll try to reason with them to bring Caerula back,” Sean generously informed me.

“Really? Thank you very much!” I felt overjoyed when he said those words. I walked back to my DreamTable, lay on the surface, and Sean gently strapped me in. All I had to do now was shut my eyes...

37 - Going nowhere in a hurry

I had to go and see Destiny. My guess was that she was back at her home, in the comfort of Braeburn’s forelegs. I stretched my legs, and ran out the door to the train station, just in time to catch the train about to leave. I had no ticket, but maybe the Princesses had put in a good word for me. The coal powered engine sped towards Appleoosa, my destination. I got off, and hurried towards Braeburn’s orchard. I so badly wanted to stop for a drink before I approached the couple, though. Destiny was in the air, constantly flying in circles. Probably training in order to take the pain away.

“Howdy Blue,” Braeburn greeted me, with a cold stare. “Ah don’t think ya’ll should be here though.”

“I-I...just wanted to apologise to Destiny for keeping the truth from her. I suppose she doesn’t want to see my face, so you if you could pass on the apology, please?” My heart felt like it had gained a load of weight, pushing it to the ground.

“Ah’ll tell her. Now, you’ve gotta leave.” The sandy-haired colt was unusually unfriendly this time. I suppose the one dearest to him was hurt beyond belief, so obviously he would copy the emotions of Destiny.

I turned back and walked towards the train station. I had lost my longest standing friend, but at least she was alive. My heart had been broken so many times in just a short interval, by getting the most important characters of my life removed from me. I approached the station, and the train had already gone, smoke clouds following behind it. I kicked the ground in frustration. What could I do now? The only two ponies I know here don’t want me near them at all, and this wasn’t my kind of town. The saloon took my fancy. I sat at the back, watching the other resident ponies have a good time, unaware of the situation I had gotten myself into. Ignoring Applejack’s words, I took my last drinking session, and hit the bottle as hard as I could. I wanted to get as intoxicated as possible, and choke on my own vomit later on. I still didn’t have much to live for, so I kept that thought running in my mind.

At the point of nightfall, I was absolutely surrounded in bottles. It forced the other ponies to evacuate the premises by the sight of it. Although some ponies admired how much alcohol I had consumed. I got up out of my seat, fell over followed by the crashing of stacked bottles, almost swam through the wreck, and awkwardly stumbled outside. A train whistled a couple of times, and I realised I needed to be on that train. I flung myself aboard, and the locomotive headed off. I arrived back in Ponyville, and struggled to find my way home, but I got there after taking a very strange detour through trees unknown to me.

My head pounded rapidly as each second passed in the morning. Applejack was there, tutting at my pathetic form and mistake. She was right to, after all. But what else was I about to do after losing everything dear to me?

“Rise and shine, sleepy head!” she said in a quiet shout.

A trickle was felt on my forehead, but then it broke out into a whole torrent of water being dropped from a bucket. At least that calmed the thumping of my head.

“Ah’m disappointed in ya, Blue. Ya went out drinking yesterday, didn’t ya?” The light orange farm pony said.

“How...how did you know?” I asked, intrigued by her knowing of what I did.

“Well, ya darn reek of the stuff! And ya look pretty hungover too.” She shook her head slowly.

“Oh, yeah...that...I’m sorry Applejack, I had to give in for one last time,” I admitted my mind’s defeat.

“Why’s that then?” she inquired.

“I...I lost my friend by telling the truth of her family being long gone ages ago, when I told her they were just missing. I also had my brother killed. I couldn’t take having a clear head because all I did was think and repeat those scenes.” My throat had become painful while saying that.

“Blue...Ah’m...Ah’m so sorry...” Applejack rested a hoof on mine in comfort.

“There’s no need to apologise, it wasn’t your doing. Like you said, it’s in the past, so I should forget about it. I mustn’t grieve on what has been and gone. Destiny will never accept me as a friend anymore, and I’ve got to come to terms with that. With my brother, I have to respect his passing, and consider that I’m the only member of my family left,” I finished my sentence, and sulked afterwards.

A silence stayed for a few minutes while I stared at Applejack’s hoof on mine, then to the ceiling. There would be no hope in looking back to the past, so I could only move on from there. At least Destiny won’t have to put up with my horrible antics anymore, and the evil attracted to me, I thought.

“Blue, let’s go do some trainin’...would ya be okay with that?” she asked.

“I suppose we should do that. I have an important career to get into after all. Thank you again, Applejack, for helping me out here.” I got out of bed, and we exited the house.

We went through a similar session as before, but more pressure was added this time. I ran around the house for a about fifty laps, making a sort of shallow, grassy moat around my house, bucked trees until more purple leaves fell and covered the ground, did more push ups whilst carrying a heavier amount of bricks. Applejack introduced sparring to me, in order to help me with my ‘sloppy’ fighting skills. I thought they were alright...I threw some punches at her while she blocked them, and returned some punches to me, mostly hitting me straight in my face. I had always been slow when it came to hoof-to-hoof combat. I had also pretended to be burlier than I actually am, just to boost my confidence when fighting. After that long session, we went back inside to get a refreshing drink and rest.

“Hey...that was a pretty good training session, wasn’t it?” I asked my coach.

“Of course it was, mah friend!” Applejack happily replied.

“You...you called me your friend...” I was startled. Why did she say that?

“Yeah, ‘cause Ah am? Did ya forget or somethin’?” her hoof gently knocked on my head a few times.

“I thought you all weren’t my friends anymore, since what I put you through...” I reflected on the time that I was possessed by Rose, making me impersonate an even more corrupt Princess Opare.

“We’ve always been yer friends, and we will be no matter what,” the workpony assured me.

“And...and what about my relationship with Fluttershy?” It had been so long since we had talked directly.

“Well, Ah don’t even know about that one. But she’s still yer friend after all, Ah guess just on a strange level,” she explained, puzzled at the old situation I had with the yellow pastel coloured filly.

I had to go see her again at some point. I have doubts if she’d actually be able to talk to me though...
In any case, I had to get the position of royal guard accepted, so I grabbed a piece of paper as well as the quill and ink, and started to write with my mouth.

“Whatcha doin’?” Applejack asked me.

“I’m writing a letter to the Princess, telling her that I’m going to accept the role as one of her guards,” I wholeheartedly said while concentrating on writing. It looked a little bit messy, but I hadn’t written anything down in a while.

“That’s quite a commitment ya are gonna make; ya know Twilight’s brother is captain of the guards!” she exclaimed, looking proud of herself knowing an important pony.

I laughed in acknowledgement. “Oh really? It’d be interesting to meet this brother of Twilight’s. What’s his name?”

“Shinin’ Armour is his name. Maybe ya can learn a thing or two from him, eh?” the farm pony encouraged.

“Maybe so...there could even be some rivalry,” I replied, thinking back to my time as a leader of some military groups during the war.

I finished the letter, placed it inside and envelope and sealed it, then went out to send it away. The evening sky was a brilliant orange and purple, just like yesterday’s evening...it was only recent, but it felt like talking to Destiny for the last time happened ages ago. Not that she was already a distant memory, it just felt weird to think back to yet another saddening moment when it was so soon from the present.

“Is that letter about your recruitment?”

“How do you know about that?” I said as I turned to see Princess Luna standing there.

“Miss Opare taught me a trick to read through envelopes, to figure out what mail should be read or not, since we get a lot through each month, back at the castle.” The Princess of the night offered to take letter from me, so I kindly gave it to her.

“What brings you here, Princess?”

“Ah, I was just patrolling Ponyville. It’s nice to walk around here in the evening, after the lanterns have been put up around the town. They’ve been left from Hearts and Hooves day, but it seemed like a nice touch to keep them on for now.

“Destiny loves Hearts and Hooves day...” I remarked in a melancholy tone.

“What was that?” the dark blue alicorn asked about my mumbling.

“I...I lost my best friend yesterday from telling the truth about her family...they had passed away in a crash, and I covered it up for her by saying they went missing. For about ten years I had said that...” I sighed and looked directly at the ground, hanging my head in shame.

“Ten years ago...I remember Celestia telling me about that. It was a sad day for her, as she saw the whole thing,” Luna explained as she remembered what went on.

A spark of hope appeared in my mind and my eyes. “So I wasn’t the only one to witness it?! That gives me an idea...would you mind asking Princess Celestia to help me get my friend back? I assume she’s had her share of seeing passing, as have I...but she can handle it better, I’m guessing. Or even get Aora to reason with Destiny...could you-could you do that for me, your royal highness?”

“Hmm...I shall see what I can do. You are a friend of us, and so we shall try to help you and your friend out,” the moon-marked mare agreed with my request.

“Oh thank you, thank you Princess Luna! That means so much to me!” I couldn’t contain my excitement, but I had to restrain myself from hugging the Princess, she was royal material after all.

“You’re quite welcome, Electric Blue,” Luna formally replied.

“Thank you so much, I’ll let you get on with your patrol now.” I tipped my head at her and returned home.

As I was walking back through the trees and up the hill, the memories of me parting ways with Destiny when our treehouse inside the forest was burned down, and reuniting with her that fateful night in Appleoosa. Even though I tried, I couldn’t quite remember what happened in between. Even I did have all that I lived through with me now, why did I not know what happened in that timespace?

“Applejack!” I shouted as I burst in the house, then looking at her sipping some sort of hot beverage.

“Y-yes?” she nervously answered at my strange intrusion.

“Can you tell me how I got here, because I don’t quite remember...” This was one weird question to ask her at random.

“Uh...well...when a mare and stallion love each other very much...”

“No! Not that! I’m trying to figure out how I arrived in Ponyville.” I just couldn’t help but smile at that remark.

She shook her head with a smirk. “Oh right! You coulda told me, sugarcube. Ah remember ya came ta Ponyville in a carriage, with a very angry look on yer face. Ah said this before, but ya were lookin’ fer a fight. Ya picked on me ta challenge, and ya beat me too. Ya went away fer quite a while, Ah don’t know where, then came back and apologised to me! Yer mood changed ta that of Rarity’s, and Ah gave ya some old furniture when ya were movin’ in to yer old house. Does that make sense now?”

“Not quite. Why was my behaviour aggressive, and then suddenly the opposite?” I questioned myself.

“Ya’ve done things like that a few times now, if Ah recall. One time ya are bad, then ya’re good, one time sad, the next happy, yer emotions change pretty quick,” the blonde maned mare said in an observant tone.

“I’ve never really noticed that myself...” I changed the subject rapidly. “Applejack, I know you probably won’t be able to answer this, but, where did I go wrong in my life?”

“What do ya mean, Blue?” her head tilted to one side as she replied with a question.

“Ever since birth, all that happened to me was in a bad form. I was hated as a human child when I went to school, just because I couldn’t let go of my ‘little girl’ ideals. The war came shortly after I matured, so my family were killed in a bomb blast as I escaped, except from my brother, but him and I were separated for the longest time. I was forced to join a group of bandits or thugs for my teen years, and all we did was bully anyone that passed our camps. We raided government supplies frequently, and we killed a lot of people too. I didn’t want any of that, but if I left I would have been killed myself.

Soon enough the group disbanded after we all had a fair share of action, and I received a lot of hurt from the others throughout. I got angrier and more emotional as things progressed when I walked through the wasteland of what was once a world, while getting fought or generally harassed by passers-by. I enrolled with the rebel military a few years later, and we fought a lot of crooked government agents.

The person called Glais joined my group one day, and we took a break for a while when the government were little in numbers. I was invited to a ball, where I danced with my friends, not that I remember how I got them. Glais showed up and took me away from that place, and we had a good time with each other. I had fun for one night in my life, practically. Terrorists invaded Glais’ home and wrecked the place the next morning, almost killing us both. We kind of were on shaky terms after that incident.

After a time, I became crooked myself as I rose through the ranks, so it was like reverting back to being in the group of thugs when I was a leader. All we did was steal and kill, non stop, because I felt like exacting my revenge of my family’s death. The military got word of my atrocities, and took away my ranks and state in the army. I was losing hope and gaining rage; all I wanted to do was settle down but I just had to keep moving. The food and water I stocked was harshly running out, I couldn’t find good shelter, I was dying slowly. Glais and Rose then showed up one day, and shot me in the head after I killed Glais with a knife.

Everything was black, and then the Gods came out of the darkness. They offered me a second chance, and I took it because I was selfish and wanted to keep going. I awoke in a building where I was introduced to my author, the person who created my character that you see in front of you, and who brought me into this world. I also met up with my brother, but he despised me for everything that I had done prior.

After that, I grew up for sixteen more years from some sort of re-birth, and here we are today. The details of what went on in this world were not pleasant either, as I witnessed Destiny’s family in a crash, I only brought evil to my companion through the years through Rose constantly writing in embodiments of bad and fighting us. We parted ways because I wanted to stop her from being attacked; it was getting to be too much for us both. She stopped being my best, or only friend for a time, because I forgot all about her. We were meant to stay close together at all times, otherwise our memories together got erases, which they did.

And I think you know the rest.” It had been a long time since I had poured out so many words, but it all had to be explained. Applejack was probably my closest friend now, and I had to take comfort in knowing that she was. I didn’t want her friendship to be wasted like before, with Destiny.

“Ah...Ah guess ya just made some bad choices in yer life?” Applejack told me, still pondering the whole timeline.

I almost, almost got mad there, but me getting angry wouldn’t have helped anypony. “Why did I make those choices? Because the thoughts brought on by my family instructed me to. I was so focused on revenge, that I did whatever I could to get it. But later on in life, it lost meaning, and I just...went bad.”

“But what about here? Ya have been a good pony to all of us!” the workpony encouraged that notion onto me.

I gave into my anger, once again. “What are you talking about?! I’ve only made everypony’s lives worse by interfering and bringing evil upon them through me! My existence here is pathetic, and I only cause negativity. I shouldn’t have gone for the second chance. I should have just died unhappy, instead of descending into the mess that I am today. I tried in the early days, to be as good as possible, but under that guise, I was really a savage.”

“Now listen here Blue, you ain’t a savage at all! Ah’ve seen things from the Everfree forest, and Ah know ya don’t compare ta what it holds in that place.” She tried the hoof of my hoof thing again, and I swatted it away. I didn’t want her to touch evil.

“That isn’t going to cut it, Applejack. I’m sorry, but this time there’s no sorts of advice that can help me anymore. I have become a monster, and it can’t be reversed; it’s affected my mind too much.” I slumped to the floor and hung my head in the shame of who I was.

38 - Fight and flight

Applejack said she was tired, so she left after apologising that she couldn’t do anything for me at the time. I climbed into bed and beat the pillow as there was no alcohol around, then fell asleep. The nightmare of losing my brother kept replaying in my mind. Destiny also showed up, looking angrier than ever, morphed into Rose, and shot me multiple times, in the same way that I murdered Rose. I killed a person because I couldn’t take it anymore. I almost felt sympathy for her, feeling the sting of death especially from my hand. All of the Gods assembled, pointed and laughed at me, then ripped me apart piece by piece.

I woke in a cold sweat in the darkness of the morning, just before sunrise. I got up, strayed out of my house, walking far behind it. I approached the edge of a steep cliff, looking down to see the blurry floor below. The cool wind swept my mane around, making it wave gently. It was time to give in. I breathed in deep, looked up to the sky with my eyes beginning to leak, and thought about all the memories I had. In the time that I had to live, I didn’t accomplish much in the way of justice. I made one real friend, but she was mostly oblivious to what went on in my mind. I at least learned to have some happiness with her. Destiny was gone now though, so there was no reason to be happy anymore. She, as well as my brother, were the only driving forces to keep me going, and they were both eliminated at the same time. I lost the holds of my life immediately.

“Goodbye, cruel universe, I’ll leave you alone now. It can be finally done with after this,” I feebly said, then stepped off of the edge.

The pressure of gravity was increasing as I fell, making me go faster, even though everything around me was projected in slow motion. These were my final moments, there would be nothing to reason with or save me now. The hope I had was depleted, the thoughts drained from my mind as my life flashed before me, one last time. Sprinkles of tears fell upwards, and my hair shook violently as I plummeted.

A rainbow-like flash came from under me, and swept me away from falling. As we were flying from the cliff, I struggled to get out of this pegasus’ tight grip. I wanted to give up my life, not be saved!

“What do you think you’re doing?!” I screamed at this pony.

“Saving your flank! I don’t want to see you just jumping off cliffs!” the gruff, but concerned voice of Rainbow Dash screamed back.

She placed me on the ground when we got back up there, and she hoof-slapped me in the face. I winced. “I just wanted to depart, okay! I felt like I had run out of options, and that was the only way out for me.”

“What in the hay are you talking about?” the cerulean mare with the spectral mane asked.

I explained everything that had happened recently, to her growing dismay. “And you see, when I’ve been through that for most of my life, it gets hard to keep on going.”

“Blue...but you have to keep going, no matter what...” the pegasus replied with an unusual amount of sympathy.

“Why, though, Dash? Why would I want to try and live anymore after losing the two beings most dear to me? I have nothing now...” I replied, disheartened about the whole situation.

“You’ve still got friends though...right?”

“I don’t know, are you my friend, Rainbow Dash?”

“I...yeah I’m your friend, and I wouldn’t stop that!” She admitted her relations with me.

“You say that only to avoid hurting my feelings. All I’ve brought you as well as the others is pain, and annoyance.”

“Things got a little out of control once, but we fought those monsters off like no problem. Gosh Blue, you don’t have to blow this out of size.”

“It’s not out of proportion at all. I’ve been treated badly, and all I do is repeat that treatment.”

“Blue, would you listen to yourself?! We’ve met only a few times, and all you’ve been except that one time, was...n-nice. You’ve got it all wrong! You aren’t a bad pony in any way.”

I was reasoned with my illusions, even though it was in a harsh way around it. “Do you...do you think so?”

“Of course I think so! I still don’t know too much about you, but you’re alright, I can tell you that.” She gave an almost endearing smile to me, and my head was cleared of the overpowered thoughts of my apparent evil deeds.

“Thank you, Dash. I guess you’d probably want to know a bit more about me then, hey?” I asked her. Apart from that time where we had a race way back when, I didn’t really interact with this mare.

“Uh, well, how about...why do you seem so angry or sad most of the time?” Quite an obvious question was posed by the light blue filly.

“It’s because I’ve never experienced fun that often, and I’m too much of a serious pony to stop and have a break. I have to complete my mission-” I stopped my sentence there.

“What mission?” Dash asked with a cocked head.

“You know, there is no mission now. Applejack told me to forget about everything bad that happened in the past, so I tried. I still am attempting to forget. But anyway, I wanted to exact revenge for the passing of my family, but I’ve already got it. Most of it anyway. I can accept that, and move on with my life. Maybe...maybe I can return to living a clean, easy life now!” I rejoiced at the realisation. I was free from the chains of the human world! I didn’t have to go back there ever again! There was nothing left for me to worry about! My revenge was bittersweet, but at least Rose was out of the picture.

“That’s...that’s good then, Blue!” she slightly joined in with my celebration, even if she didn’t understand it.

“I know! So what can we do for fun? I need some happiness in my life, and you helped me get that thought back!” I thanked the spiky-haired pony, and we walked away from the cliff. My sudden change in emotions almost scared me.

“For me, since you’re interested in knowing now, I sleep during the day, and train for the wonderbolts at night. I’ve gotten into the academy, but I still have to stay active!” She revealed to me her enrollment, which I was pleasantly surprised by.

“Okay, but what else can we do?” I asked her patiently.

“Uh...we can...I feel embarrassed about saying this...” Rainbow replied slowly.

“What do you mean? You don’t have to feel embarrassed around me,” I consoled her.

“Hmm...Applejack told me that you were a good fighter. I...don’t really do this, but can you teach me how to fight?” The slightly proud pegasus requested.

“Are you serious? I’m not that great, at least not anymore...” I admitted.

“Sure you are! I mean, AJ told me about that recent fight, you really stuck it to her!” Dash grinned and encouraged me.

I looked away and shrugged. “Eh, I don’t know about that...”

The cyan pony hovered above the ground now, rasing her front hooves, ready for a brawl. “Come on, Blue! Ya gotta teach me!”

I shook my head in disbelief, because I didn’t exactly want to get into this. “I can only really show you drunken fighting, as that’s all I have left with my skill. And, this type of learning is mostly experience based, so I’m going to have to demonstrate on you. Are you ready?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be!” Her confident voice hollered. She lowered herself to grass again, but still on her hind legs. I matched the stance.

I let her throw the first punch, which hit me straight on the nuzzle. It was light, so there was nothing to worry about. “Is that the best you’ve got? You did it all wrong,” I remarked, retaliating with a hoof balled up and foreleg bent, then unfolding the leg and turning my hips gradually with the punch for added force. It connected with her face too, leaving her dazed and stumbling back for a bit.

“Oh, so that’s how you do it?” Her blow matched with mine, and it hit me much harder this time.

I moved on to the side punch, where my hoof would come in from the side in a diagonal slant upwards, hitting her in the right of the ribs. She followed up with the same attack, which almost winded me. This was repeated for the left half as well. Equally as painful. I then showed her the uppercut, which had me rising from a small crouch and pushing my hoof against gravity’s forces, then smacking Rainbow’s chin with my punch. She took it like it was nothing, as with the rest of my moves. However when I received the hits, I felt less than okay. The countering uppercut left me staring at the sky, while trying not to topple over from the power.

I experimented the sweep kick on her, at the cost of my own balance, but at least I got her tripping over. Getting up and dusting her apparent strong frame off, she copied my attack and threw me over in a flash. A coughed for a bit when I was on the floor, and tried to recover. With a rush, I went to tackle her, pulling her with me to the ground with frightful speed. I got up and reversed, then my opponent grabbed me and threw me to the ground. My back seemed like it was screaming in agony after that fall. I was in awful shape, but I kept going, despite the pains. I took her shoulders and headbutted her, leaving us both with blurred vision. She did the same to me, knocking me down once again.

The instinct of rage was kicking in. That helped me with every single one of my battles. We could get to the real fight now. I sprang up, and charged towards Rainbow, hooves flailing accurately, getting her pummeled. I kept rolling with my punches, and I didn’t stop until I saw blood. My rival kicked me right in the stomach, sending me careening backwards. She now had the chance to deliver the same amount of might that was suffered. I was lain into through her blows, taking the rage out of me. It wouldn’t usually do that, but it decided to leave me already. Her face showed pure aggression, and I got scared. The pain resumed again, and got much worse through each hoof smashing into my body. My own blood began to flow and cover parts of me. The student had already become the master, by totally destroying me in the blink of an eye.

“Stop! Stop!” I shouted, not being able to take it anymore. There was no fight left in me now, and I still hadn’t managed to get my strength back from the last rumble.

Her face changed immediately from anger to concern. “What...have I done?” The weather pony was horrified.

“This is what happens after an argument, you see. You’re either going to beat up or get beaten. In my history, it ends up in much bloodshed,” I returned, breathless.

“I’m so sorry, Blue...I didn’t mean to hurt you that much, I swear!” Rainbow Dash hurriedly said, checking over my wounds.

“It’s okay, Dash. I’ve been through many scrapes in my time, and this hasn’t affected me the same way the others haven’t either. Anyway, I hope you learned something from me today. I’d be willing to show you more sooner or later.” I picked myself up off of the now-flat grass, and began to walk, staggering at first.

My sides were killing me, but I ignored the pain. Tried to, at least. “Okay Rainbow, what shall we do now?” I asked my companion.

“Hey, It’s your turn to say what we’re doing now, Blue,” she replied courteously.

I paused for a second. “Maybe you can...show me how to fly?”

Her head tilted, showing a bewildered expression. “You know that you’re an earth pony, right?”

“Ah yes, but I also have the power of ancient magic. Watch this,” I said as I recalled one of the old latin spells. “Crescere alas.” I suddenly sprouted a pair of glistening, light blue, ghostly wings. I flapped them a little just to confirm that they were there, to the amazement of Rainbow Dash.

“I...you don’t even need to explain, it would be way over my head. Now, I need to think back to when I first started flying, because to me, it’s very natural,” the pegasus said, spreading her wings out in all their feathery wonder.

I tried rapidly moving my wings up and down, which got me hovering partially off of the ground. It was a very small achievement, but it was tiring.

“Okay, here’s what you gotta do. You have to stretch your wings out fully, And push upwards with power, but you have to make yourself feel as light as air. Catch my drift?” my instructor asked me.

I stopped flapping like a crazy pony, and spread my silky wings out as far as they could go. The train of thought of being lighter than I already am seemed impossible, but it could happen. I had to believe that I weighed nothing, which I focused on hard. I imagined floating upwards just by will, and repeating that thought until I felt confident enough to raise myself for real. The strength was transferred into my wings, and I propelled myself upwards, at an already great height. It was like a miracle.

“Wow, you got a hold of that fast!” Dash exclaimed, following me up to the skies. “To keep yourself up, you gotta move your wings around slowly. To go forwards, simply push your wings backwards, pulling all the air behind you.”

I did just that, and I began flying ahead.

“You’re a natural! Now, make your wings stay flat out to glide across with the wind.”

This came to me so quickly. It was a totally new experience; I didn’t know how exhilarating flying was until now! The real pegasus caught up to me, and made eyes that signified a challenge. I knew what she wanted, a race. But then I thought back to the time I had that jetpack, which backfired on me. I gulped. This time I was using a more natural way to fly though, so I would be fine.

“From your house to that mountain over there and back. You ready?” Dash asked.

“Ready as ever,” I replied, putting my game face on.

“Good. Three...two...one...Go!” she announced, and we sped off.

We were neck and neck, furiously trying to gain a lead over one another, as the mountain got closer and closer. I looked down, and saw all the ponies below, going about their day to day business, but being stopped by our display. The rainbow trail and the non-pegasus flying in the air was a sight to see. Rainbow playfully nudged me off course, and I returned the hit. We carried that on, getting more violent, but we couldn’t get sidetracked by these hard nudges. As the mountain approached, we each circled in in opposite ways, making a few loops around for decorative purposes. My wings left faint blue dust as they moved, which stuck to the mountain as I went by. We both met at the peak, and boosted back home. This was anything but a slow race, as we got to the checkpoint at lightning speed.

Maybe this was what I could show Destiny, maybe I could fly with her. She likes being up high in the clouds, so I don’t have to keep her down anymore. I just hope that I’ll be able to get her back, she is my best friend and sister after all.

The thought left me slowed down, so Rainbow was now plenty far ahead of me. I tried catching up, but she was nearing the house already. My wings were going at their full speed, and they looked like they were disintegrating from the velocity. I had to land quickly, before I crashed like I did before. I was nearing the house, with Dash on the ground, waiting for me to come down.

“You took your time!” she mockingly said to me.

“Hey, you...cheated!” I laughed, and she joined in.

It was getting late now, and Rainbow had to say her goodbyes before heading back to Cloudsdale.

“Today was a good day. I think progress was made between us, don’t you think?” I asked my closer-than-before friend.

“Yeah! We both taught each other a thing or two. You’re the only close friend that can actually fly fast, and can be challenging too. I couldn’t ask for more than that!” the rainbow maned pegasus declared.

“Heh, well, thank you, Rainbow Dash. I couldn’t ask for a more challenging friend either!” I gratefully replied.

We put a hoof on to each other’s, and shook formally. Dash quickly shot upwards, leaving me to go back home. I felt good today. This finally was the beginning of a new era, where I didn’t have to worry about the human world, I was making stronger bonds with my acquaintances, I could be happy. There was the thought of Destiny lightly gnawing at my insides, but it would only be some time until we could make up again. She can never stop being my best friend, because of everything we’ve been through. The adventuring, the monster defeating, the storytelling and game playing. One day we’ll be retelling everything we did, while having a laugh about the past. My friends warm my heart, something I’ve never felt before. I wanted more, because I didn’t feel complete without friends or that warmth. Tomorrow I will go and see Rarity, to try and make better friends with her.

39 - Past differences

I approached the carousel shaped building of Rarity’s ownership. I hadn’t planned the day of what I was going to do, but maybe she’ll need some help or something like that. I stepped up to the door and gave it a few knocks with my right hoof. The door opened slowly, with Rarity behind it, looking elsewhere as if preoccupied.

“Something reeks of...alcohol,” was her first response upon greeting me. “What is it that you wish from me?”

“I just came by to say hello,” I replied nonchalantly.

“Oh, it’s you! Blue. Why do you stink of the...stuff? Come in, please.” She invited me inside and closed the door after I entered.

“I didn’t notice. I’ve been on the stuff for many a few weeks now, but I quit because I will be enrolled as a royal guard soon,” I slightly boasted.

“That’s wonderful! being a royal guard is quite a high ranking method of employment you will be getting yourself involved in,” Rarity added. “Also, maybe you should have regulated your intake, because you look a bit worse for wear...”

“Hey, what do you know about drinking?” I questioned her for her remark.

“I...occasionally have a cocktail glass...only on rare happenings though,” she shyly replied.

“I didn’t know that...maybe we could be drinking buddies one day,” I chuckled.

“I highly doubt the situation...” The purple maned pony thought out loud about the idea.

I shrugged that off and continued the conversation. “So, uh, do you need any help around here?”

“Not at the moment dear, I’m just about to go to the spa for my usual appointment. I suppose you can come with.” At that, I was ushered outside again, and I stuck by her side to the place of regular visit.

“You know, the most amount of relaxation I’ve ever gotten is taking a bath...” I commented as we trotted to the tent-looking day spa.

“You’re in for quite a treat then, Blue,” Rarity responded with glee.

The red and orange tulips lined the shrubbery encircling the building with the pink, big top roof. The pastel green sign swung gently, displaying a tall pony with an elegantly styled mane and tail. We stepped into the spa together. As soon as the door closed behind us, I was hit by a thicker atmosphere, ambient music, and the smell of natural products. The crystalline white pony registered us, and a blue mare with her pink mane held back by a headband escorted us to a couple of pools of mud.

“This seems a little off,” I said, weirded out by the sight of the contained brown substance.

“Don’t worry, it’s harmless, and can only refresh and revive you!” The resident pony told me.

I looked at her curiously, then to the mud bath, and back to her. “Okay, if you say so. Also, I didn’t catch your name, what did you say it was?”

“Ah, it is Lotus; pleased to be of service to you!” She greeted me with utmost welcoming grace, in her beautifully different accent to what I’m accustomed to. She left us to it politely.

After watching Rarity get in to one of the baths, I joined her in an adjacent pool. It felt strange at first, being swallowed whole by this sticky, but slippery liquid, but when I got into a good position, it somehow managed to slow my heart rate down, and soothe my aching bones. Also, I had never felt this conscious and aware before in my life, as the background soundtrack filled my ears and heightened my senses. As my comrade said, I was in for a treat, for definite. I looked to the filly next to me, and noticed the slices of cucumber shielding her eyes. That was the most confusing part of all this business. I carried on resting in this bath for at least an hour more.

“Okay, I think it’s time to get out now Blue, it feels like my pores are getting clogged,” the muddy-maned Rarity said as she pulled herself out from the mixture. I followed her, struggling to get out. She was reluctant to my stained hoof, but she soon gave me help to get up.

“And how do we get this mess off of us?” I asked with the mud slowly hardening to my coat.

“We go to the bigger tub in the other room, of course. Let’s go before it starts to flake,” she remarked, taking me to a larger, wooden bath filled with clear water. Wisps of steam rolled across the surface of it, symbolising the warmth of the water.

Before I almost dived in, the pony with the diamond cutie mark poured some salts and other chemicals in, then lowered herself into the hot tub. “Come on in, the water’s fine!” She informed me.

Of course, I abided by her words and hopped in. The temperature was almost scalding, but my body could take it. As if I couldn’t relax any more than I did, it still kept getting better.

“I understand why you visit here often now. It’s really eased out all those years of stress for me!” I exclaimed in satisfaction.

“I’ve shown you the most fun bits, the rest is just getting my hooves filed and then the massages, et cetera. I know you enough to not worry about those sorts of things,” she replied. My face showed that it couldn’t get any better than this for me. The last part of her sentence made me ponder though.

“Know me enough? What do you mean?” I enquired.

“Well you know...like Rainbow Dash, I know you wouldn’t be interested in the pampering stuff.”

“Why? What’s up with her and me?”

“Nothing, nothing, just that you’re both not that interested.”

“I still don’t get what you mean by that, Rarity...”

“You, like Rainbow, are...different, so you aren’t affected by the frilly things as much.”

“Excuse me?! Different?!”

“No, I didn’t mean it like that, I-”

“There’s only one way to mean it. And I thought this place was free of prejudice! You of all ponies, Rarity...really...”

“I’m sorry, I truly didn’t mean it that way.”

I turned hotter than the water. I got out and left immediately, leaving her behind. “I don’t have time for this anymore. I’m going home.”

“Did you have a nice time?” Lotus called to me as I made for the door, with an inverted-colour mare standing next to her.

I grit my teeth. “Yeah, it was great. Thank you...so much for having me.” I then left the premises.

Storming down the path back home, I couldn’t shake the anger, but I felt regret at the same time. I pushed the feeling away quickly. I lost all sense of relaxation from my body at that point. I would have thought a high-standing pony such as herself would be over all the intolerance. I didn’t want to be reminded of the old world, and here I am, stomping off because of it. The annoyance soon came running, shouting for my attention behind me.

“Blue! Wait a minute!” She called.

I turned around. “What is it now?” I angrily asked.

“I apologise, really!” She caught up to me, gasping for breath.

“No, I’m not taking that. What’s said is said, I can’t just forget that. You class me as ‘different’, and not the good different. What is wrong with you?” I harshly said to her.

“Please, don’t blame me. Blame my upbringing,” she replied in some sort of cowardly fashion.

“Your upbringing? You’re trying to pin it on something else now, are you?” I didn’t give up my relenting speech.

“No, no, not that. If you can just listen to me, I’ll tell you why.” She had a certain look in her eyes that I couldn’t exactly identify.

I withdrew from my terrible attitude for the time. “Okay. Why is it the fault of your upbringing?”

Rarity inhaled deeply, and closed her eyes. “Ugh, I hate talking about this. It brings back bitter memories. My...parents, as well as my childhood tutor, they taught me about etiquette and high standards. Everything I know basically. In the society I used to live in, it clung a lot to classical ideals, where only the most ‘normal’ ponies were regarded as the higher classes, and the rest were outcasts. I was born into that disdainful race, and I grew up in it. But, when I was...separated from that society, I learned about all the other different ponies that existed. I wish I could remove myself from that realm, as my old nature creeps in sometimes.”

“Is that the best explanation you have? It seemed a bit too vague for me.” At that, it looked as though I had really irritated her.

“I...I don’t believe you.” She was about to really raise her voice now. ”My mother and father had died, and my little sister was taken from me by force! I went from rich to poor in little more than a few days. I was roughed up, broken in spirit, and torn to pieces by the others. I lost my whole family and I just wanted to forget it all! And you just disregard that, because you wanted more information for your petty reasons to get mad. You’re just one of those ponies who care about themselves only, aren’t you?! I know you’ve been through alot, but so have I! So has everypony I know! I didn’t want to be part of the old Equestria, even if that was where my heart was most at home. I’ve since moved on from there, and been a lot happier for it.”

I was taken back by that revelation. “Whoa, Rarity, say no more. I should be the one who’s sorry, my behaviour was uncalled for. You didn’t have to tell me all of that; I should have handled it all better. You’re right, I only have really cared about myself. For most of my life I’ve been advancing my own goals and interests, nopony else’s.”

“Okay, we both went a little overboard there. Please, let us return to the day spa,” the purple maned filly beckoned me. I agreed.

We were back in the hot tub, soaking our coats again. I was sitting exactly opposite from Rarity this time. I didn’t feel worthy to be too close to her. I had overreacted and I felt bad for it. She must have felt the same, and so I had to try make it up to her.

“Rarity, I have only just finished what I started in the other world. There is nothing left for me now, so now I can focus on the needs of others. Is it too late for me to be selfless?” I seeked some sort of moral support with my company.

“It is never too late to start helping others. There is always going to be a pony asking for assistance, and if you can lend a hoof, there’s your chance. There is more suffering in Equestria than you would believe. I should know, I’ve seen it. You won’t be able to help everypony, but you can at least now you’ve done your part.” The pony of generosity really dug into her emotions when she said that statement. She must have been through a lot, having her family pass from her, like with mine.

“Hmm, I’ll have to reflect on that later on.” A silence passed as we sat there, taking in the calm environment and flushing all the thoughts from our minds to make way for the clarity of nothingness.

Rarity lowered her head to look at me. “Blue? I don’t think you’re different. Not in that way anyway. You are just the same as I, only you become attracted to the same gender. There is nothing wrong with that at all.”

“Thank you, I’m glad you think so, Rarity. I know it must be hard to accept who others are, but you’ve said that you know the ponies out there. My best friend and I had similar problems when we first met, too. She didn’t feel right because I swung a different way, while I couldn’t accept the fact that she was a pegasus. I envied those ponies who could fly for quite a while. But at that impasse, we both soon came to an understanding that there were many forms of pony out there, as well as all sorts of creatures with all different personalities, abilities, and the like.” I began to settle with my companion again, so I scooched closer to her as a sign of friendliness.

The silence returned again, but this time I thought about how it was all over back on earth. There was no reason to return there ever again. There were no more relations, no more enemies, nothing. I had defeated the gods for now, by letting the human conversions die. My brother died as well, and I had to accept that. But at the same time, I hoped for him to return. He would be put into a machine and transported into the world of his dreams. He would have discovered how good life could be. Maybe I had to let life be good to me for once. I should settle into this world and enjoy it for what it is, before it becomes too late for me. I’ll let the anger, and the hate, and the rage dissolve from my body and mind, even if they are the feelings that built me over the years I had been conscious. Peace will come, I just know it.

I looked into Rarity’s eyes again. They had a sadder look than before, but with a semblance of relief. “Blue, would you care to follow me to the massage tables?” She asked me.

“Of course,” I replied, letting her get out of the water and lead the way.

We lay face down on different tables, wearing comfortable, fluffy gowns now. The pony dealing with me seemed like she was breaking my back, but it was actually relieving. This was the life, getting my body ironed out after all the years of painful work. I was vibrated as hooves chopped my back repeatedly up and down, and then pushed themselves around my shoulder area and neck. The stiffness and the knots seemed to disappear, and I just felt like laying there from then on. So I simply fell asleep.

“Hey, wake up! You’ve been in that position for hours. It’s not good for your health and complexion to sleep longer than you should!” The high class dialect of Rarity’s voice called to me.

“Oh, sorry, must’ve dozed off...” I groggily spoke. I noticed the small queue of customers and cross looking staff. I got to my hooves slowly, and stumbled towards the door to outside, putting my gown into a basket along the way.

“So, did you enjoy that experience?” the freshly beautificated pony asked in a positive tone.

I let out a heavy sigh of joy. “Yes, it was super rejuvenating. I really do understand why you go there often now. Thank you for letting me accompany you today.”

She smiled delightfully at me. “I’m glad that you liked it, darling. It should be a custom for everypony, to feel as good as we do at this moment.”

“Now, may I come back to your shop? You said you might have needed help...” I referred to this morning’s events.

She lit up with a feeling of excitement. “Oh, oh yes! I do have a need for you. Let us head back.”

We quickly made our way to the Carousel Boutique, entering to see all the fabrics strewn across the floor and surfaces, with unfinished dresses on pony mannequins. It was a seamstresses’ messy paradise, as far as Rarity was concerned. I never had much interest in fashion, but where would dress sense be in a war zone after all?

“So, what did you have in mind?” I asked.

Clothes were being thrust towards me, as if trying to find a good fit for me. “I want you to model some of my dresses, if you please,” she said with enthusiasm.

“Okay, sure, no problem,” I responded, and we soon got to work.

I put on a light-green dress with frills protruding from all over the place, and then a beige one with a big pink bow sticking out of the back. Then there was a ruby encrusted one, with a shorter skirt and slightly see through, which was kind of strange to me. Then there was one which wasn’t really a dress at all; more of a wacky saddle that didn’t look like you could sit on it from all those soft spikes. Rarity seemed to nod and approve every design that I wore. Then came the last dress to put on. This one brought back that one memory from back on Earth, at the ball. I wore this exact same dress. The same aquamarine colour, the same layers and slightly puffy sleeves, the same wavy skirt running down to the delicately cut up looking edges of it. I didn’t want to dismiss it that quickly, so I stopped.

“Where...where did you get the inspiration for this one?” I asked the designer.

“Oh yes, I drew inspiration from a book I found at Twilight’s house one day. I took out the page, luckily, as it had disappeared from her library the next day! How strange is that, to take a tattered old book that didn’t form anything resembling a storyline or information. It was mostly made up of scribbles...” she hastily explained to me. It was so strange to coincidentally find an exact same design in a random book. Maybe it was...it couldn’t be.

“That doesn’t seem like anything normal Twilight would own. Anyway, do you mind if I take this dress? It really appeals to me,” I offered to take what I was wearing off of her hooves.

“Hmm...I suppose so, but it isn’t finished yet...” Rarity replied, looking unsure of me. It was obvious that I wasn’t into dresses.

I gave a pleasant smile. “That’s okay. How much do I owe you?”

She tutted. “You’re a friend, you don’t owe me anything, I have told you this before.”

“No, you have to get your share of bits once in awhile. I’m not helping your business if I just leave with this potentially expensive dress and not pay,” I argued sternly but had a fair point.

“I guess I haven’t been doing that well lately. I wonder why, as I have the most beautiful clothes around, if I do say so myself. I would price this dress at one hundred and fifty two bits.” The pretty pony didn’t look so pretty after she announced that value.

“That has been the steepest amount I have ever heard of. But even so, I’ve not really paid for much in my life. I don’t have any money at the moment, so can I put it on a tab or something?” I laughed craftily.

“I don’t think I can give you my dress after what you’ve said. I’ll keep it reserved for you until you get the bits, then we’ll see,” she combated. “I can work on it while I wait for you to pay, if that’s okay?”

“Yeah, sure. It’s not an urgency or anything, but it means something to me. One day I’ll get enough for you, I promise.” I hoped that the royal guard job would get me good earnings.

“Now that that’s out of the way, would you care for a drink?” The purple, stylishly curly maned mare asked me.

“But...I have to abstain from the alcohol.” I told her, gently refusing her offer.

“Don’t worry, we’ll only have a few sips. I’ll teach you how to drink responsibly, not like the brutish ways you are used to.” I had to admit that she was right upon saying that, so I couldn’t fight her.

“Okay, show me. What do you have?”

“I have some fine grape wine, very sweet and smooth, if you like.”

“Wine huh? Never tried it. I’m used to the hard liquor.”

“Well, this will be quite the diverse taste to what you’ve had.”

She receded behind a door, followed by the sound of a wooden cupboard opening. From there, she asked me to come to her side. This area of the building was like a small alcove, as I faced a grid of all sorts of glass wine bottles, next to flute glasses set out in rows inside the cupboard. “This must be for those special cocktail parties,” I assumed.

“Sometimes, but I have a hobby on the side as a wine taster. I take samples of these drinks and then write about them, as recommendations to other ponies that like a little drink, as I do. Here, try some.” Rarity gave me a glass of the red liquid.

It had a strong, sugary smell that I wasn’t used to. I slowly took a swig, and it burned my throat. It was too refined for me at first, but then again, having any sort of alcohol is an acquired taste. The bitterness went away after the next swallow, and the sweetness began to touch my taste buds. It tasted a lot more like grapes now, and I wanted more of it.

“Uh-uh, you have to take it slowly. You’ll have it going to your brain in no time otherwise,” my advisor told me, as she pushed the wine further away from me.

“But that’s no fun Rarity!” I whined. I quickly snatched the whole open bottle and drank it down like there was no tomorrow. “Join me, please! You get a kick out of it every time, trust me!” My vision started to blur after that.

“Oh...alright then. I’ve always wondered what it’s like...” she said as another wine was opened and gulped down. At least somepony else enjoyed it as much as I did.

For the rest of the night, we ended up kissing and caressing each other on a sofa, as well as talking about our pasts and laughing it off like it wasn’t important anymore. And hay, it wasn’t! We both were individuals that told ourselves to look to the future now that we knew it didn’t matter, what went on before. We held each other tightly and danced drunkenly to a classical waltz piece of music. We bonded well through the hours of the evening to the morning, laughed at the sadder things in life, as we threw life down on its face. We didn’t care anymore, we wanted to live and have fun! After the record had ended, we stood there, then passionately kissed until we slumped to a laying position on the comfy woollen rug, and kissed together until we fell asleep, still tight in each other’s hooves.

And that was all I remembered from earlier back then.

“I think we must keep what we did a secret,” Rarity said, for protection of her ladylike image.

I thought about it for a moment. “...Okay, it was a drunken time and we didn’t have control of ourselves. I won’t say a word of it to anypony else. It was good though, right?” I headed for the door as I had to get home and wash the stench of alcohol from my body.

“Blue? I know I am not one to approve of it, but; thanks for showing me what it’s like to be you. When you aren’t the angry little mare that you are,” Rarity said with a giggle. She looked like she was fighting the feeling of butterflies in her stomach.

“No problem, Rarity. I told you we could be drinking buddies,” I replied with a joyful smile. She came up to me and gave me a tight hug.

“One day we can do this again, I’m hoping. I had fun that I could only share with somepony special. See you again.” She released me from her friendly grip and I nodded to her happiness.

40 - More than a pretty face

I closed the door of Rarity’s shop behind me. Relishing the day that passed, I put on a smile and headed for home. I didn’t have a care at all, that was the way I liked it. I could look up to the sky, and it would always be blue. As I was practically racing back, not looking where I was going, I clumsily crashed into somepony.

“Hi there, Blue!” A fluffy pink mare shouted as she stood over me.

“Well, isn’t this a position...” I mumbled, realising what I thought about Pinkie Pie.

“What was that?” she quickly asked.

“Oh, n-nothing, nothing.” Pinkie helped me up off of the ground.

“You smell funny. Have you been enjoying Applejack’s special cider a little too much?” She noticed my scent too. I had no idea how much wine I had last night.

“Uh, something like that, yeah. I have to get back home to wash myself, again,” I replied, edging around her to the direction of my place.

“Okey dokey, I’ll let you get on with that then!” She then skipped off, leaving me alone.

“What a strange encounter...” I said out loud. That must have been the second time I’ve spoken my thoughts aloud.

I entered my house and closed the door behind me. I went to the bathroom and turned on the water flow of the bath. Even if I did visit that spa yesterday, I still felt unclean. I must have sweated a lot through the night. There was probably alcohol running through my bloodstream too, but that couldn’t be removed unless I refrained from drinking anymore. I was sure I could do that. Maybe. I turned off the water as it reached the brim of the container, and slipped into the liquid. It wasn’t nearly as relaxing as before, but it was pleasant all the same. I grabbed a sponge and scrubbed up and down my legs, belly, neck and face. I submerged my head in the water, ruining my perfectly styled mane.

For all this time I had ignored my hunger pangs. As the thought crossed my mind, the violent need to eat something hit my stomach. I finished up my bath and got out of the tub. I wrapped individual towels around my waist and my hair, then moved to the kitchen. Already prepared on the surface was a triple decker sandwich with all sorts of ingredients between the bread, like cheese, grass, lettuce, and more.

“Eat up!” Pinkie Pie said as I noticed her standing next to it.

“How the hay did you get in here?” I asked, scared by the fact that she was somehow present here and now.

“I heard you were hungry, so I just had to help you out with that!” she enthusiastically answered.

“Well...thank you...I guess?” I was so confused by the situation.

“No problem. Now are you gonna take it before I do?” Pinkie said in jealousy of my meal.

“Why don’t we share it?” I offered.

She thought about it, and her belly rumbled. “Okay, I’ve got time for lunch.”

I took a cutting knife from a drawer, and sliced the sandwich into two parts, one for me and one for her. After all, it was too much for me to have all by myself. I quickly put the knife in the sink afterwards. I devoured the sandwich in such an uncivilised manner which I wasn’t used to. It embarrassed me, but the crazy-haired pony beside me ate in the same way, so it didn’t seem to matter. That definitely filled the whole in my gut.

“That was some very well made food, thank you Pinkie. I think you have a knack for that,” I complimented her.

“Aww, it’s simple really, I can’t do that much,” she modestly replied.

I shook my head with a smile. “Of course you can, I mean you live in a bakery, you’ve got to pick up some things there.”

She turned her head away with a smile too. I took it that she wasn’t much used to compliments. I took my eyes off of her after looking at her for a while. I didn’t want her to get the wrong impression of me, if Pinkie knew what I thought of her. Was she naive when it came to love? I didn’t want to ask that question. She had never seemed to be interested in that sort of thing, as I noticed from her frantic nature. We were polar opposites too, me being overly serious and all, and her being constantly happy. Maybe I could indulge her with one of my history stories, as my thinking was beginning an awkward silence that I had been known to associate with.

“Do you want to know something, Pinkie?” I asked.

“Sure I do, I always wanna know more things!” She said, not aware of what I was about to tell her.

I took a sharp intake of breath for my speech. “Ever since I started growing up, or maturing as it were, I’ve always wanted to fall in love. I wanted to settle down at the earliest age and be over with the searching around. I probably matured faster than any other girl back at home, on Earth, so that’s why I started thinking serious, adult thoughts quickly. I did find love once, but was betrayed pretty quickly. For you see, he was a god, and the gods on Earth were never on the good side. I was traumatised by the event, because I had no experience at all, no education on relationships. It got worse as I was almost immediately dropped into a warzone, fighting for no relevant causes other than to make more conflict. For most of my life I yearned for love, but I was denied it every time I wanted it, and it was pushed to the back of my mind gradually. But now that there’s nothing to bar against it, I can be as free as I like with the feeling. It’s grown incredibly strong though, so I’ve returned to my original thought patterns again, but it’s literally always on the agenda for me. That short time with Fluttershy helped, if you remember, but it wasn’t enough. It was such a shame it ended on bad terms; it was going so well. Ah well, it’s all over now, and I just have to move on. I don’t know if you understood that at all, but there was a little story about me for you.”

“Yeah, I understood that perfectly,” she commented.

I was surprised. “You, you did?”

“Why wouldn’t I? I have to understand everypony to get to know them. That way I can make better friends with them!” the raspberry-ish earth pony exclaimed delightfully.

“But, what does love have to do with friendship?” I questioned. I thought they were two separate things altogether.

“It’s everything! You’re not that silly, are ya? Love doesn’t have to be that kissy-wissy stuff,” she said as she made a sickly sign of retching, “it can just be the bonds between friends, and how strong they are because of what they do together, and what they like, as friends do. See, when Twilight came to town, we all weren’t friends, but when we were drawn together by the elements of harmony, that’s what made us become closer. We all were friends because that made our power stronger, among other things.”

“I and Destiny were friends because of the peculiar fruit she had. She shared it with me, and then we were bound forever. It didn’t last forever though. Was I blinded by the other love so much, that I forgot about true friendship? Did I forget about my heart and focus on my brain too much? That was what my life had been so frequently. It was all just thinking and information. I had been serious for so long, that I forgot to show real emotions.” It had been a long time since I had shared my philosophical discussions outside of my head.

“I know you wanted a relationship with me, Blue, I could see it in your eyes; I’m not interested in that at all. I only want to be more of a friend to you, but that’s it. It doesn’t all have to be about love anyway. That love, not this love,” Pinkie continued, trying to keep the atmosphere light.

My heart sank. Deeply. I was denied of it. I tried to swallow it down for now. “I’m sorry, Pinkie, I should have known better. It’s just...I’ve waited so long.” I said with the shred of stubbornness that was always with me.

“It’s okay...you’ll get a relationship one day, I promise you that,” my lost love said with a friendly hope that I could only cling onto.

“I...I understand you. I abused the thought that I could have anything. I’m just some filly, not a Princess or anything like that,” I admitted with anguish.

“I’m glad you understand. Not many ponies understand me,” the pink pony sadly told me.

We stood there for a while, taking in the whole conversation. This was the most insightful she’s ever been to my experience. I felt ashamed about my whole thought process on love. I wanted to apologise to Rarity. I wanted to say sorry to Fluttershy. Maybe when Glais loved me, it messed me up. Why did I chose to form a relationship with a male? It was such a rocky state of my life, and I was still in the experimenting stage, I suppose. If there was some piece of courtesy that I could give to his departed soul, is that he taught me to be strong. And at rare times, he was okay to be with. I shook my head and stopped having feelings for the enemy. Even if he did warm, he was a God. I guessed that I did have one last mission; taking out the Gods before I expired. I looked to Pinkie Pie’s direction, and remembered her last sentence.

“What do you mean, not many ponies understand you?” I quizzically asked.

She sighed in lament, saying that “they just say I’m ‘just being Pinkie Pie’”.

“I don’t get it. You are Pinkie Pie, aren’t you?” I confusedly continued my interrogation.

“Yes, but they don’t think about why I act the way I am.” Her head dipped low in humiliation.

I indulged her in asking about who she really was. “Why are you the perpetually happy, bouncy pony that you are?”

“Because I didn’t want to go wrong. Because my parents told me to be that way. They thought I would be better off away from them, but I didn’t agree. I wanted to stay with them, but no. They let me go on my birthday, of all days. I had been the disappointment of the family, not knowing how to do anything on the farm. So I tried being the fun party pony that I was destined to be. But things went wrong, and it hurt more. The pain of not being accepted. I ‘changed’ into a side nopony wants to see. I never wanted it to happen...I never-” She cut herself off by getting ashamedly choked up.

“Whoa!” I cried, going to her and pulling my forelegs around her. “There there, don’t cry...” I consoled her dutifully.

“Why did it have to be this way?!” she wailed uncontrollably.

“Let’s go to your parents, I’ll show them how much of a ‘disappointment’ you are,” I said with a sharp tongue, taking sympathy in her words.

“No, I can never face them again,” Pinkie reasoned with me, struggling to speak over the closing up in her throat.

I still wanted to give the pained filly justice as I had vengeance on the mind. “Okay, who can we show that you need to be more than taken for granted?”

“There’s nopony to show anything to. It’s no use,” had to be the reply I got. Why did she have to have defiance towards telling others that she had feelings too?

“I don’t get it,” I said, playing along this time.

She shut her eyes tightly, in an annoyed expression. “My...other side. I wouldn’t want to show it. Everypony would get scared of me, and my reputation of being a party pony would go away. Repeating the past is something I want to avoid.”

“You and me both, sister,” I agreed with her.

Something started coming together in my mind. Everypony had been affected by dread in their history, just as I had. Collectively, we have all gone through a traumatising event or another during our lives, but in turn, they made us who we are today. I had been through war, loss, all that, to make me stronger, wiser, more serious, as well as a little unstable. Rarity had a difficult time growing up in a strict society, and she overcame that barrier, making her the diverse, tolerable pony that she is. Pinkie Pie got rejected by her parents one day, but she didn’t want to disappoint them anyway, despite her...tendencies, which I’ve experienced personally. But Destiny is the unique one in this. Her family died, but I never told her about it. She grew up none the wiser, and she became the fun-loving, fiery-natured pegasus wishing to rule the skies some time. If I had told her straight away, would she have changed? Would she have moulded into something resembling me? Had she receded into the darkest corners recently, thinking about her forgotten family? Would she take on a new, more docile life? I so wished to see her for one more time, just to apologise for everything.

“Blue, do you remember that time? When I...lost it?” Pinkie asked me; stopping my incessant thoughts in their tracks.

“Yes, I remember. What about it?” I returned the questions, reminiscing how that all went down.

She gave me a sullen look. Her rose-coloured mane looked slightly deflated. “Why weren’t you scared?”

“I’ve had my share of attackers during my time. But honestly, it scared me every time that I was assaulted. Nopony can remove the fear, only mask it, so your opponent can’t see that they have the upper hoof,” I explained honestly.

“We can only mask our true selves to make us feel better,” Pinkie added sentimentally to my statement.

“That doesn’t have to be correct. You should never hide your emotions, because it’ll only cause frustration inside. You have to tell ponies how you feel; they will try to understand and help you out, especially your friends.” This came as a revelation to me too, the ideas unravelling as I spoke. “Confiding in your friends allows you to grow stronger bonds and gives you a better hold on life, knowing that there are ponies out there who will support you.”

She seemed to wince a little, as if retracting certain thoughts. She asked me, “what if they don’t like what they hear? What if they stop being friendly?”

“Your true friends will never stop liking you for whatever you reveal yourself as. They should always be accepting to differences,” I asserted, becoming entrenched in a subtle form of anger and regret, which I couldn’t quite diagnose.

“Would they really want to deal with the fact that I had a troubled past?” The saddened pony seemed to cheering up slightly now, although still she was finding it hard to go with what I was saying.

“I think that almost everypony I know has a rough background, and so they can sympathise with you. Like with me, otherwise we wouldn’t have been talking in this way at all. You’d still be happy, but suffering on the inside. I want you to turn that pain into happiness; a bit like I should. I’m trying my best to forget all ties to the old world and focus on this one, and I am starting to feel better for it. Like Applejack told me, you should forget about the past, or at least, don’t keep it so close to make it affect you negatively. I’ll need to amend her sentence when I next see her...” I noted to myself. She usually gave good advice really, most of the time anyway.

A small grin appeared on Miss Pie’s face, as she began to realise that living would eventually be alright, seeing as everypony can live with or without their suffering just fine. There didn’t feel like any point in keeping the misery from growing up with her, so she wanted to let it go; and talking to her friends would help that along. I wondered if I could explain to Destiny about hiding the biggest secret from her, as she sure didn’t take just the announcement well, so going into the details probably wouldn’t help. She had to know the truth though. I just hoped that it was going to be successful, showing her the real world. What had I been thinking?

“You wanna go get some ice cream now? It’s getting boring around here!” my companion’s normal voice had returned, and I felt delighted of that fact.

“Sure we can, my house isn’t that great to hang around.” At that, we left my place and headed for the ice cream parlour. It suddenly became hotter by the minute, and we needed something to offset that heat. “The only thing is, I don’t have anything to pay with.”

“Gosh Blue, you’re such a freeloader!” She giggled at me playfully. “I’ll cover for you this once.”

“Yeah I know, there’s a lot of bits I owe to my friends,” I admitted, embarrassed of the fact.

We approached the store and entered, making the traditional bell above the door chime to welcome us into this wonderful place. In front of us stood a counter, and behind it lay many different flavours of the frozen treat.

“So, what kind of ice cream would you girls like?” the server stallion asked us with a pleasant smile.

“I’ll go for starfruit flavour, my favourite! And Blue my friend wants chocolate, as usual,” Pinkie ordered for both of us, to my surprise.

“Sure, comin’ right up!” he said as he scooped out some of the flavours into little bowls and the money was pushed along the counter.

“How did you know about my favourite flavour?” I asked in confusion as we sat at a nearby table outside with our ice cream.

“I didn’t! I just figured that you were that kind of pony!” she cryptically answered. I shook my head and dived in to eat the frozen milk product.

The chilling headache set in, as well as adding the sharp pain to my teeth, so I had to stop for a second. I just watched the seemingly crazy pony opposite me keep going with her ice cream, not affecting her at all.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a pastel yellow coloured mare casually trotting down the path, probably to go to the market, and I wanted to go see her. “Pinkie, if it’s alright with you, I have to go and settle something with Fluttershy. Can I go?”

“Oh, sure you can!” she replied with the starfruit flavour around her face. I got up and left the table, causing my ice cream to be devoured by her as well.

I felt uneasy leaving the pink pony on her own, but she would be able to figure out what to do next, probably. She’s much more intelligent than she lets on. I also felt strained about meeting with my former lover, because I didn't know what would happen. Had I been forgiven? Did some sort of trauma exist between us? I just had to get to her and find out the situation.

41 - A new relationship

I walked up behind the slow-moving Fluttershy, and uttered a hesitant “hello” to her. I regretted the decision of talking to the back of her, forcing the frail-looking pony to grip to floor with most of her now trembling body.

She turned her head reluctantly to face me. “Oh gosh, it’s you! I’m sorry,” she whispered.

“It should be me that’s sorry, I startled you and I shouldn’t have.” I offered her a hoof to get up, but she didn’t take it as she stood. I could understand why. I changed the subject. “So what are you doing out here today?”

“Oh, I’m...I’m going to the market for some groceries. I’m getting quite a lot of stock, for the animals, you see.” Her coyness remained as charming as ever. Ugh, I can’t have the thoughts of affection in my head still, can I?

“I see. Would you like some help carrying things? I’ve got nothing else to do so I might as well be useful,” I happily offered her my strength for the apparently heavy load she will be buying.

“Um...sure...that would be nice...” the pastel yellow filly responded shakily. I then walked with her to the bustling market up ahead.

Why this didn’t feel more awkward I could not think. It seemed like there had been nothing wrong between us, almost. I wanted to ask Fluttershy about the situation, but I feared of making her break down; I didn’t want to cause a scene. It wouldn’t be healthy for her.

I took some spare saddlebags from the pony’s back carefully, and placed them on my back. I insisted that I carry the bulk. I watched my comrade buy these fruits and vegetables from the stalls, rather nervously albeit, but she did get the ingredients needed. Most of them were loaded into my bags as necessary. I enjoyed doing this good thing for her, carrying the weight that she may not have been able to do alone. I trivially wondered how Fluttershy earns her bits around here, as she had been too occupied to talk to me at the time. It’s funny, I've never had a job; I’ve never really wanted one. And yet I’ve managed to survive this long. I’ve also only seen her smile, but never heard her laugh. Is there some sort of hidden sadness residing in Fluttershy as well? Everypony has a story to tell, and almost every time I hear them it’s of a depressing escence. But all I see are happy faces and no downsides to life showing in these ponies’ lives. Nopony would ever truly be happy, it seemed. There’s only so much of a level of sanctity to be had, it cannot stay perpetual. Trivialities. I had suddenly been brought back to the real world as the rose-maned filly signalled me to go back to her home. I naturally followed her in the steady pace which she walked in.

The heavy bags were weighing me down a little, but at least they weren’t as bad as the bricks I had to deal with in training. I didn’t know what to say for once. I just kept quiet in Fluttershy’s company. It felt tranquil though. She didn’t speak either, as expected. For the longest time, everything seemed like a never ending conversation until now. Walking down a winding path at noon with the birds still proudly singing in the trees, breathing softly while taking in the scent of a brilliant summer’s day; flowers in bloom and the breezy humidity. The pure effect of peace hit me, and it definitely identified as good.

We approached the humble cottage, Fluttershy opened the door suspectedly. She knew that there were some hungry animals anticipating their next scheduled meal, leaving her able to deliver that premise. I stoically stood outside, not waiting for any invitations; only listening to the near-silent ambience and feeling at one with myself. Then I had the thought of asking her the question of the relationship between us.

“Fluttershy, I need to talk to you about something...” I perked up in my former silence.

“Y-yes, what is it?” she cautiously asked me.

“It should be in private,” I added.

“Oh...we can go to my room, if-if you’d like.” Her voice became slow. At this point in time she didn’t exactly want me to go into her bedroom again, it seemed. The event happened anyway.

I faced some mild hostility while being observed by the groups of animals scattered around the cottage interior as I followed the uneager pony up the stairs. I made sure to keep my distance, I wanted to avoid coming off as confrontational, especially to her.
We now stood facing each other’s left shoulders, askew of our faces as both of us couldn’t bear looking at the other directly.

“So...what, what did you want to say to me?” I noticed that she had been against using my name.

“I know you probably don’t want to discuss this, but...it’s about us. What will become of us? Why did it end so abruptly?” I gave a soft barrage of accusation.

“I...I didn’t want to be with someone evil. And...I wasn’t ready. To be truthful, it was almost like I was controlled into forming a relationship with you. I didn’t know you at all, but at the same time, I did. I apologise,” she confessed, becoming puzzled near the end of her statement.

“I see...at heart I am technically evil, but I’m trying to turn that around. Have been for a while now. We met when I had major amnesia, so I didn’t know if I had knew you prior or not. And you say you were controlled? That’s...strange. To say the least.” I quickly looked at her face then down at the floor in less than a few seconds. She might have done the same afterwards.

“B-believe me, I want to be friends with you, but nothing more. I’ve never wanted anything more than that. It was unlike me and I’m sorry for that,” Fluttershy added, which I accepted.

That came across an interesting thought, how we just got together immediately when I first met her. It could have been the work of my former author, who had the power to do anything to my story. She broke up with me as well, on peculiar circumstances as I recall. Maybe Rose played a cruel trick? I wouldn’t think any less of that. All of that time felt strange; these monsters came out of nowhere, and I took over the town for a while. I felt like I had no control of myself either at the time. I’m just glad that I cut myself from outside writing, so I can go my own way instead.

I changed the topic circling my head quickly. I wanted to know more about everypony’s lives now, seeing as each went through a tough time before, as far as I know. “Fluttershy, this may sound a bit weird, but I’m doing an investigation. What were your parents like?”

“My parents?” she questioned immediately. “They...my parents were okay.”

“Just ‘okay’ and nothing more?” I had a feeling the naturally nervous pony kept the details from me.

“Yeah, they were. Would you like a drink, Blue?” she offered in a slightly harsh voice.

“You’re dodging the question, I can easily tell that. How were they? Good or bad to you?” I conducted my interrogation further.

She had a visibly angry look on her face now. “I...don’t...want to talk about it. Please, let’s move on.”

“I just wanted to know...why can’t you tell me?” I regretted this question.

“Just, stop it Blue! Stop it!” the shyness removed from her persona to be replaced with rage for me, shocking me to the core.

“Whoa, whoa, settle down. I’m sorry,” I called back, trying not to push her over the edge any more.

She stormed off into the bathroom adjacent from our standing position, leaving me alone.

“I just wanted to help,” I shouted, but got no answer in return. My time to leave had come, I gathered. I caught a glimpse of Fluttershy staring at the mirror in sadness as I went down the stairs. The animals hissed at me as I walked on through the open door.

Why did I even think to push her that hard? She’s sensitive, and so must be handled with care. The curiosity got to me back there, as it usually does. I have a hunger for wanting to know things, so sometimes I go too far when trying to get information.

Sitting in my home, I realised that I had forgotten how to entertain myself. The things I do are usually with others. I stuck a jazz record from my collection onto the player, and lay on the sofa, beginning to ponder upon what had just happened today. I met Fluttershy, she seemed uneasy around me, then I went too far. That about sums it up. The curse of my matter-of-fact nature. I am cold and I want answers. I have always had social problems; I can’t always talk to somepony without becoming angry at them for no reason. It’s like the world owes me something, which it doesn’t. But that implanted thought from my teenage years stayed there at the front of my mind.

I thought about my winged friend, the memories of us sharing a moment here and there whirled around my head until I wiped them away with my hoof casually. There could be nothing left for me now. I had no chance of rebuilding the relationship I and the yellow filly made. Moving on had to be the only answer, or I would face more suffering than I need. I wished that I still owned some alcohol. It seemed to help universally.

A quiet knock sounded at the door which went on twice only. I just managed to hear it and notice who stood there. I rolled off of the sofa onto my hooves, and let Fluttershy in. Her face seemed to be somewhat tear-stained, but the streams were drying.

“Fluttershy, I’m so sorry that I asked you for what I did,” I immediately reacted.

A solemn voice spoke. “It’s...it’s okay. I feel ready to tell you; I trust you enough to understand.”

We sat on sofas facing towards each other, this time making eye contact. It didn’t feel as awkward no, especially with the background music.

“You don’t have to tell me everything if you don’t want to, you don’t have to say anything really. Please, take your time though,” I consoled her, choosing my words wisely this time.

“T-thank you, Blue. Here goes...My parents, they...tried too much. I never had too much confidence, but they made it worse. My father didn’t like the fact that he was wingless; he got angry because it. Too angry at times. My mother...she became an alcoholic...and she just couldn’t take care of me and him well. They beat me sometimes...but put me down more than often. I hated my life for a long time, having no friends and all. I was never taught how to fly either. I’ve always had the weakest wings. Rainbow Dash gave me some hope though, she was my first friend you see. I refereed a race for her against some nasty bullies once, but I got knocked over and fell to the grounds of Equestria. I discovered this whole new place, and I felt some hope in my life come back to me. After that, Rainbow took me back up to Cloudsdale when I wanted to go with her. I met my parents a few times more, but they weren’t happy to see me as I tried to be each time. One day they’ll see that their daughter is much more important than their own problems, I guess...I’m sorry that I spoke so much.” Fluttershy had delivered the longest speech she may have ever said.

“There’s no need to be sorry, Fluttershy. Having abusive parents is probably the harshest thing you could ever face. The most important ponies that can exist in a life can’t just squander their positions like that. I want to help you set them straight. Can we do that?” I asked the pony trying to hold back more tears.

“One day...” she shakily replied.

I put a hoof on her shoulder. “You can grow strong, believe me. Confidence is very important to have. Stick by me and your friends and we can all grow stronger together. I wish I could help you with your flight as well...maybe a friend of mine can fill in for me. If I win her friendship back, that is.”

“Thank you again. You’re the only one I’ve said this to, by the way.”

“Really? Why would that be?”

“Because you still mean something to me, a little more than everypony else does. We-we had something once, and I don’t want that to slip away completely.”

“Aww...that means so much to me. Thank you. Thank you, Fluttershy, a pony I could have complete faith in.” My lips trembled a bit and she blushed.

The record had finished going around its grooves, and I offered my guest to change the music, as well as a drink from the earlier proposal. She accepted and I went to the kitchen to find something good for drinking. Lo and behold, the cupboards were bare. The fridge stood empty. I couldn’t just expect ingredients to turn up in a no-income home at this point.

“Turns out I don’t have anything to drink! Or eat, or anything else for that matter,” I called out to the pegasus, showing her the lack of stock I had.

“It’s alright, we...can go out if you like, I have some bits to spare,” she told me, and I gladly agreed. Not to take advantage of her though, paying her back became definite, the same went for everypony else.

We got a soda for me and a smoothie for her at a walk-thru restaurant place, sipping happily on each as we strolled to a park together. This local park received quite a recent development, introducing a sizeable pond for ducks and other wildlife to inhabit, and allowing a place of relaxation for ponies of all ages. We were more than happy to be in each other’s company now, not talking much but that didn’t matter. We were friends, but we had one of those special bonds that can’t be gotten easily. A bit like best friends but in a different sort of light. Our conversation turned to how I and Destiny had been friends for all this time, all the adventures we went on, and how we split up. We talked about our parents without fear, and observed how everypony’s parents affected them. I asked where my foster parents had gone to, but she didn’t seem to know. I also asked her about what she does for a living, she told me that her job is working in a wildlife rehabilitation clinic, which doesn’t get much as it is a donation-driven business, but she gets by. She avoided asking me about my military background, which seemed fair enough, I didn’t want to go on about it much longer myself. She wanted to know how life kept up back on Earth before all the fighting started and I gave the answer of it being average or gloomy, but my family kept me going. They still do, even if they are departed.

Funnily enough, Destiny and Braeburn happened to be in the park. Why were they hanging around Ponyville at this time? We approached the couple cautiously.

“Hey, it’s her,” Braeburn mumbled with a furrowed brow. They both assumed an angry face out of their former leisurely expressions.

“Hey Destiny!” I cheerfully cried. She looked away, as expected. “Still not over it, I see...”

“What you did was unforgivable.” I could hear the hatred in her voice. Why did it go so wrong so fast?

“Listen, I’m sorry. I would apologise a thousand times over and keep going, because I never wanted this to happen. I just want it back the way it was. I said what I said because I thought you were ready, but was I right? I didn’t think so. I couldn’t just hide the truth from you forever though.”

“I wondered where my family was every day, and then that’s how it happens, you tell me that fateful time.”

“All I wanted was to-”

I suddenly had been interrupted by Fluttershy becoming confrontational. “All-all she wanted to do was protect you from harm! All her life she had to live with her lost family, and so did you, but she didn’t want your life to be shattered and broken like hers was! She wanted you happy and carefree so she could take the weight of the world without you having to share the burden. She was your only friend for a very long time, and you can’t keep that going because of one thing? To all of us here, parents don’t mean as much as friends do now, especially for me. Especially for Blue. They’ll never leave her, as much as yours won’t leave you. Think about that, why don’t you?”

Way to go Fluttershy, my inner voice shouted. “Please Destiny, your family will always be there in spirit. Your friends are here to support and guide you, as well. I’ve been here for the longest time, and it’s been all for you.”

“I...I...I still need some time. Braeburn, you can stop giving them mad looks. There’s no need for you to be angry in the first place, it’s not your problem. Let’s just to go now. Blue, I’ll be back. We’ll see what happens when I return.” Destiny’s face still turned away with her eyes closed, but she faced me that ever so much more. They soon left us alone.

“Thank you Fluttershy for telling it how it is, but you didn’t have to defend me, really,” I told my newly-courageous companion.

“I’m your friend though. That’s...what friends are for. I only wish the best for you, seeing as I’m one of your closest friends.” She gave me a great smile. The sun’s setting rays were showing now, and the long-haired pony had to tend to her animals. We gave each other a goodbye hug, and went our separate ways home, as we lived pretty opposite from each other. That short encounter with my old friend shook me up a little, but maybe it sparked some hope of fixing the damage. Just maybe.

42 - In the army now

Today brought the day of reckoning. The time for me to depart from here and go to the military training camp had come. I knew that Twilight had a brother who works as a royal guard, and maybe I could get a special sort of reference, or at least directions from them both.

I got out of bed and stumbled to the bathroom. I washed my face above the sink while looking in the mirror and contemplating still how I had gotten this far. I grabbed some breakfast from my local diner and told them to put it on my tab. My supposedly never-ending tab. The sunrise mesmerisingly shot its golden rays all across the town, reflecting off of the windows and into my face when I looked to the left. Maybe I could invest in sunglasses when I go on my next shopping spree. Not that I ever browsed for anything.

I kept my pace going as I neared the large treehouse with the many windows cut into the branches. The peace of the early morning felt as pleasant as yesterday, with the birds continually chirping in different places. I knocked on the door with the large candle symbol pasted on the upper section. The pony I felt the most distant to in terms of friendship had opened the door upon my response, and greeted me formerly. She seemed to be half awake, judging by her untidy mane and yawns.

“I’m sorry to disturb you at an early hour, miss Twilight, but I’ve got a really important place to get to in a while and I was hoping you could help me get there,” I asked politely, wondering why I addressed her by ‘miss’.

“Oh, I see, where are you going today, Blue?” she returned with another question.

I nodded and told my destination to her. “I’m going to the military training camp to the east to get in better shape. I’m going to be a royal guard, like your brother. Do you think you could take me to him?”

“Shining? Of course, we’ll go see him, let me just get ready. Come in for a sec.” The purple mare beckoned me inside.

I noticed another purple creature, this time with green spikes and took the form of a baby dragon. “You must be Spike, nice to meet you.” I stuck out a hoof in hopes of getting it shook.

“And you are?” he said in a casual tone, looking at me with a puzzled expression.

“I’m Twilight’s friend, Electric Blue.”

“Don’t worry, she’s not harmful!” A voice echoed from above us.

My hoof eventually got taken and lightly shook by the reluctant dragon. “So what do you do around here?” I tried not to sound patronising, like talking to a child. It felt like it I needed to compose myself in that way at the time, for who knows what reason.

“I keep Twilight’s place in check; she’s a messy pony in this place, and I run errands for her, as well as write her notes and letters. I’m her best assistant!” The pride in his words brought a smile to my face.

“She must be lucky to have such a diligent worker. I mean, who wouldn’t like an assistant?” I admired.

He got close and told me in a quieter voice, but just enough for Twilight to hear, “she gives me some back breaking work sometimes though, and doesn’t even pay me for it! It’s outrageous I tell ya!”

“Spike, you know that my gratitude and respect are more valuable than anything else I can give you...” the studious pony shook her head as she walked down the short set of stairs with a properly brushed mane.

“Yeah I know...” he grumbled. Jokingly, of course.

“Now, I’m going to go out for a while, please take care of the place and yourself while I’m gone, okay?” she requested of him.

He nodded.

“Great, see you later!” Twilight said as I lead my way out of the house in front of her.

“Interesting assistant you have,” I told my guide.

She chuckled. “He’s such a good dragon when he needs to be.”

We made our way to the train station and boarded the next locomotive that had arrived. It didn’t have many passengers in the cabin, as would usually be seen. We sat down and the train began its journey.

I had only just noticed Twilight’s new pair of wings. “Hey, where did you get them from?” I exclaimed in disbelief.

“Oh yeah, I became an alicorn recently,” she nonchalantly announced.

“How...how did that happen?” The bewilderment increased.

The mare explained to me about her predicament where all her friends had the wrong cutie marks, and she helped bring them together and fix their incorrect roles; while in the process casting a spell which revealed the true power and magic in the essence of friendship, giving her the privilege to become even stronger than her older form. “I’m yet to master flying well however,” she added.

“Wow, friendship can grant you powers beyond normal thought. I never knew. I wonder if I’d get any special abilities if I recited the correct ancient magic that I know...” I laughed at the idea. It would be long before I could get anything special like that.

The scenery passed by quickly as we watched out of the window. The terrain changed frequently, transitioning from light green to dark, sometimes grey and sometimes brown when they blurred together. I turned back to the one sitting next to me.

“Say Twilight, can I ask you something about your parents?”

“My parents? What about them?”

“Well, I mean...how are they?”

“They’re fine. They’re the best parents that any pony could have. I couldn’t have gotten this far without them. Why do you ask?”

“No reason, I just felt like conducting an investigation into pony’s parents, that’s all. So far you are different, because your parents haven’t taken a turn for the worse, as I’ve noticed in other cases.”

I thought to myself for a moment. She had literally been the only one to have good, or living parents. Why just her and not anypony else? It didn’t seem right, or fair. I would guess she didn’t have a tragic backstory like the rest of us. Saying anything more about the subject would have been pointless though, I don’t feel too strongly about it. All I would say is how lucky she is, but I didn’t want to feel sad about myself today.

We reached the Crystal Empire station at around noon. We got off and continued on to the palace, housing Princess Cadance and Shining Armor, as well as the regional guards, explained to me by Twilight. This whole place looked peculiar to me, because everypony had crystallised forms, but were still moving.

“Uh, Twilight? I’m scared. How are these statues trotting around like these?” Yes, I genuinely asked that question.

“Don’t be silly, the ponies that live here draw power from the crystal heart that floating blue gem over there,” she said as we passed the object hovering under the palace’s supports, “which gives them their appearance. Let’s say they have magic in the air.”

I tried to keep a straight face on that last sentence. We made our way up the palace steps to see a young couple comprised of a cerise-coated alicorn and a white knight sitting in separate thrones next to each other. They both looked alarmed when they saw us approach, then got up and ran to my lavender coloured companion and embraced together. I’d never seen anything quite as nice as that before.

“Ahem. Good afternoon, miss...” the blue-maned stallion addressed me.

“Electric Blue. Call me Blue; everypony else does. Pleased to meet you both.” I stuck out a hoof to be shaken two more times today.

“I see. I am Prince Shining Armor, and this is my lovely wife, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, Or Cadance. She’s the strong pony of the relationship,” He chuckled. This new Princess took my hoof after him.

“She wants to be a royal guard, Shining, and Blue was hoping you could take her to the training place. Do you know it?” Twilight intervened in the pleasantries.

“Oh yes, I know the place; I show all the new recruits there. When would you like to leave, Blue?” He asked in vehemence.

“Hmm, I suppose now, unless you want to catch up with your sister here, which I can wait around for.” I gave them the offer to spend some time together, seeing as these siblings were far apart in terms of location. They agreed, and so I left the building for a while as the three got chatting with each other.

The ponies around here must lead noble lives, accommodating themselves in gem shaped designs as houses, and well-groomed lifestyles. It had the atmosphere of Canterlot, save for the pretentious personalities. There were a few scattered market stalls with light masses of the populus visiting each, but not much activity apart from the haggling. I thought the city to be strange, seeming peaceful and bustling at the same time.

The next thing I knew, I began looking for a bar. I needed a cool drink on this sweltering day. I soon came across a large two-storey building with a fancy sign labeled, ‘Restaurant Bar’ in cursive, so I had found my match. I quickly entered to see a plethora of cloth covered tables with numerous crystal ponies talking and eating with each other happily. I passed through the middle of these round tables to get to the barkeep in the center of the large room.

“One of the coldest kola nut sodas you have, please,” I ordered charismatically.

“Coming right up,” the red slick-maned stallion returned, lowering himself to get a bottle of the dark liquid, uncapping it for me and passing it over. “On the house for a first time customer such as yourself, miss.”

“Oh, what good service! Thank you very much,” I heartily complemented, thinking to myself how much of a relief not making another tab meant to me.

I put my back to the counter as I sipped from the bottle, watching the glistening ponies supposedly talk about their day and who gave their friend a most foul look the other night. Meaningless jawing to what I felt. I didn’t have too much strength in social skills so I couldn’t say anything though. A mundane life, would it have been easier? I wondered for a moment. I only had one of those for a few years, and I had trouble remembering the time I spent living easy. What I do remember is too action and drama packed for these folk to handle. I laughed to myself quietly.

“What’s so funny?” The bartender asked me.

I returned a question to the cream-coated pony. “Hey, why did you want to work in a bar instead of going out adventuring?”

“Uh, because I gotta earn some bits for my family.”

“Okay, that’s all well and good, but why not go out and see the sights, the foreign plains, discover new and fascinating creatures?”

“Not everypony is cut out for the life of adventure.”

“Sure they are, I’m one of the most cynical, laziest fillies around, but I’ve still had a life of danger and exploration, and to be honest, it feels better than the lives you would expect to see sitting at these tables.”

“But still, some ponies don’t want to get themselves hurt. They can just read an exploration journal and learn from that.”

I contemplated for a moment. “You’re a smart stallion. But deep down inside you want to go out there, everypony has to have that feeling.”

“Well...I’ve craved seeing the other side of Equestria once or twice, I’ll give you that.”

“Right? And surely you’ve been sick of seeing these folks from day to day?”

“Not really...they’re nice ponies. They provide my salary, after all!”

I nodded in a mutual agreement. I finished the soda and placed the bottle on the counter, tipped my non-existent hat to the bartender and left. Kinda fun putting thoughts into another's’ head, I admitted to myself.

And now to get back to the trio. I thought about Twilight and my relationship with her as I passed the pleasant, sparkling ponies that greeted me casually. We were the most distant out of my friends. Why did we not converse with flowing emotions like I did with others? How come we understand magic and have a similar amount of intelligence, but don’t collaborate like colleagues should do? Nothing wrong affected her personality or appearance, and I could relate to her on certain levels.

It dawned on me just as I thought of everypony else I knew. She had family. Or parents that actually still provided for her in multiple senses. She has more support than the rest of us. Somepony with the privilege of parents; I could never seem to relate to. I grew up without them, my friends, especially Destiny, grew up without them, so it brought difficulty being a friend with Twilight, I could assume. The envy grew inside of my heart, but I only wanted to push it down. It hurt knowing she had the ability to visit her mother and father when she wanted, and I had no access to mine. Not even their graves, with the Earth being disfigured by the bombs.

I approached the palace with intermittent sadness or anger, whichever alternated at the time. Heading up the spiral staircase I reached the floor the three were still located, and met up with them.

“Ah, you’re back!” Shining Armor cried. “Do you want to go now?”

“Sure, I just want to take care of one thing first.” At that, I marched up to the purple student pony, and proceeded to raise my forehoof in rage. I wanted to hit her there and then, because of my desire to have parents again. It had soared to the highest peak of feeling at this point. Did she see it in my eyes? The veiled, fearful look affirmed that thought. I lowered my hoof and placed it on her shoulder. “Goodbye, my friend. I’ll be gone for a while, so make sure everypony remembers me, okay?”

“Okay, Blue, I’ll make sure of it. Good luck with your training!” She smiled at me as the Prince escorted me out of the palace and to the station.

We boarded the waiting train and sat down in yet another almost empty carriage. “It’s the prince!” I heard from a few hushed voices.

“So how’s this going to go down?” I requested the details from the white-coated stallion.

He cleared his throat for a second. “It’s simple, really. I’m going to put in a good word for you as taken from Princess Celestia herself, and the instructors will be training you to become military grade in combat and other related formalities. It will take a couple of weeks for regular recruits, but as you’ve been in battle before, you will only need a few days to renew your skills. You’ll then get shipped off to Canterlot Castle and take an alternating day and night shift depending on the week, guarding the castle from evil-doers and the like.”

“Easy. In theory anyway. The training’s going to be as rigorous as I’ve imagined it to be,” I predicted.

A couple of minutes flew by after his agreement, as the land moved faster than the train, it seemed. The cerulean-maned pony spoke once again, but about something I wouldn’t expect. “It seems Twilight speaks very highly of you. you’ve helped every one of of her friends in one way or another, there's your knowledge of magic which she is very interested in, and you’ve managed to change Ponyville too, one in small ways, and others as saving it from total destruction one time. You’re such an unknown pony, but you’ve made a huge impact at the same time.”

“Heh, I suppose you’ll have to thank her from me when you see her next.” That almost changed my outlook on our friendship. I would never get over the parents business, but she cast herself in a new light to me.

We reached a station in the middle of nowhere by the looks, and we took our leave from the steamer. There stood an open building in front of us, with multiple ponies looking active in an enclosed patch of sandy ground, doing push ups and lifting weights, plus other various exercises. Shining Armor showed me through the doorway and we were met with a rough-looking receptionist.

“Good afternoon, Corporal Boulder. We wish to sign up this little filly...”

He had been cut off. “Hah! This squirt? I bet she couldn’t lift a rock above her head let alone join the army!”

“It’s serious business, Boulder. She’s covered wars, you know. She is to become a royal guard by order of the Princess herself.”

“I see. I’ll keep my suspicions close, but oh well. All you have to do is fill out this form, then you’re all set.”

A contract looking piece of parchment turned and laid out in front of me. I skimmed the menial words and got to the bottom, where I had to sign my name and put in details about my birth and address, et cetera. I turned the form around to the receptionist, he nodded his mohawk laden head with somewhat muscular force, and Shining accompanied me as I walked through the barrier.

I could see to my left a large amount of obstacles, climbing walls and frames, hanging bars, hoops, and other facilities for physical training. To the right stood a row of bunkers housing plain beds and lockers inside. Parades of camouflage-suited ponies prance past me, shouting two opposite directions repeatedly at themselves. This definitely looked like an authentic army camp here.

“Seems like my kind of place,” I remarked with a slight sarcastic tone.

“Don’t worry, you’ll be out in a few days, trust me,” Shining Armor returned as he continued showing me around.

The armoury was not anything to get excited over, with a rack of spears on one wall, crossbows on the other. Had gunpowder came about yet? I never researched the subject before, seeing as weapons were not priority on this relatively peaceful world. The mess hall became crowded as soon as we set hoof in the room, while an alarm bell rang loudly above us. I started to feel hungry, so I ushered my white-coated tour guide out of here.

“And this is where you’ll be staying,” he smiled as we stood at the end of one of the beds at the far end of a mare-only bunker.

“Cozy.” I said the one word answer to my sleeping quarters, and Shining laughed.

“I suppose I’d best be off, write to us if you can!” he requested as the stallion started to the door.

“I’ll only be here for a few days, you won’t miss me that much, haha. Also, thanks for taking me here, Shining.” I gave him a bright grin of joy as well as nervousness for what could come about for me.

“You’re quite welcome, Blue.” The Prince waved as he backed slowly out of the bunker, in aid of not saying goodbye too quickly.

I hopped on the hard, springy bed backwards, and exhaled greatly. “Let’s hope this will go through quickly...” I thought aloud.

43 - Bug Company

“Wake up, recruit!” A booming mare’s voice yelled, startling me right awake. “You’re new here, so I suppose you’ll want to be treated fairly, isn’t that right?”

This obviously had to be a trick question. “No, I want the same regime that everypony else is getting, not easier or harder.”

“Think you’re a wise pony eh? Well guess what? Wisecracks are frowned upon in this institute! Twenty push-ups!” This brutal, brown-maned instructor with the big campaign hat had it in for me already.

I got out of bed and stretched quickly, then began pushing my body down and up in rhythm with the counting in my head. What else could I expect from this place? Just wait until they hear my war stories, they’ll treat me fair then. I couldn’t exactly sound like a hero, but I could change my role up a bit if needed.

The other fillies took trouble to stare and giggle at me. I shook my head and carried on as the instructor turned to the others and told them to go about their business. I never felt like breaking a sweat and my legs weren’t shaking at all; thanks to Applejack’s prior training. I didn’t retain a perfect good amount of fitness, but I had enough guts to keep going.

After that event, I had to share the showers with the rest of the group residing in this bunker. I shivered at some of the sayings I remembered from my old Earth army training camp, but luckily we were pretty far apart from each other. I dried off and clothed myself with the standard army training fatigues that everypony received.

The orders that had been barked at me entailed going through the obstacle course three times, cleaning the mess hall, lifting weights until I couldn’t anymore, galloping round the circuit a few rounds, then lights out at twenty two hundred hours. Seemed simple enough to me.

I limbered over to the assault course. When I saw it in its entirety, I said aloud “looks easy”, while a pony next to me snorted. This straight white-maned, pale green mare had a rough and tough air about her; I probably wanted to avoid her.

Taking in a deep breath and closing my eyes, I readied myself for the task ahead. Ducking and diving, climbing, dodging, crouching, and jumping were some of the amenities that lay before me. When I became prepared enough, I ran for the first obstacle, which simply presented itself as a low wall that I could vault over. One hoof on the top surface, then I could project myself across the bricks.

A bunch of small wooden hoops had been set out in a zigzag styled row after that. I coordinately put a forehoof in the first, then the other in the hoop next to the last, and followed the rest of the pattern until I reached the end.

The low wall made another appearance next, with some low bars accompanying. I dived over the first wall and rolled under the bar, jumped over the next wall hind legs first, curved my body so as to not hit the bar with my face, and sprung myself off of my legs to make a final push over the last wall.

The tunnels came next, which I gave myself a headstart for and dived through one, crawling the rest of the way through the dark tube.

A group of panels had been set out in a way to make me dodge past them in side to side movements, in which I did effortlessly.

A set of ropes hung all the way to the ground, and my intention had to be getting to the top of a rope to make it past and access the rest of the course. I wrapped one hoof after the other, each being higher than the last, getting to the top in a rapid time.

A large ditch made me take a leap of faith to try and reach the other steeper side of the disconnected ramp I had just stood on. Reaching out with my forelegs caused me to catch the other side, climbing up quickly after and carrying on.

A corridor that I squeezed myself into had me crouching near to the ground so I had to avoid exposing myself. I made a quick sprawl down the corridor, taking care not to hit my back on the way out.

A balancing bridge put my standing skills to the test on a narrow plank of wood sloping up and down respectively. However, my skills seemed top notch at the moment, so I didn’t feel like falling at any point as I crossed the thin bridge.

Some makeshift windows had me vaulting again, but this round I forced myself to grow smaller in size by tucking some body parts together to get through the gap.

I ran towards an apex ladder, like stairs but the steps were much further apart; I took quick, large strides across each going upwards, then came down the other side.

Lastly came the terrace, so I had to gather my confidence and keep running off of a ledge I couldn’t see the drop. Alas, I kept galloping at the same speed and fell. Landing safely, I took myself away from the course in absolute triumph. The other ponies who had just participated in the course stared at me in awe, unbelieving how well the newcomer did.

I then opened my eyes and stopped imagining the mental ease of the obstacle course. Taking another deep breath, I propelled myself towards the first wall. But as I approached it, I stuttered on my hooves a little, tried to vault over with little confidence, and fell flat on my face in a patch of wet mud. I quickly gave up afterwards and told myself these few days are going to be long.

Those so-called ‘guts’ had betrayed me at the moment I didn’t want it to happen. Unfortunately I had to take another shower to remove the mud covering my body. For the rest of the day I had to wear the dirty clothes until I could find a washer. Speaking of messes, I had to go and clean up the mess hall.

I dragged a broom across the floor, sweeping up the remains of apparently well-cooked meals into a large bag, tied the bag up and threw it into a disposal unit. The other step came as using a damp mop to make the floor cleaner than before. By the time I finished struggling away at making the place look spick-and-span, a translucent reflection watched me from below, smiling at the small victory we shared on this day.

An alarm bell sounded from one of the walls, and a crowd of assorted ponies piled into the room, leaving my work unappreciated. Either way, I didn’t take it to heart too much as my stomach had me preoccupied. I deserved a bit of food to compensate my work.

I lined up, tray in hooves, and shuffled my way towards the array of different edible products of mostly fruits and vegetables, grass and a huge bowl of soup. Or gruel, upon closer inspection. I happened to receive the gruel. The complementary apple hit me as a nice touch though.

I sat on the end of a random bench and began eating silently with my head faced down. The gruel became too terrible tasting to bear, so I moved on to the refreshing apple. Nothing can beat the fruit of the gods. I almost thought of taking a bite just to spite my background overseers. I soon left the table and moved on to the next task of the day.

In the gymnasium I searched for a pair of fairly lightweight dumbbells and got to work curling my forelegs after the pre-training stretch. I looked around the room, seeing much more able-bodied ponies galloping on treadmills, pulling handlebars down or up from weight machines, lifting barbells, and playing basketball on the court separate from the other strength and cardiovascular trainers. The dumbbells I held were too light for me, so I swapped them for something more fitting to meet my standard of weight lifting.

What did I get myself into? Taking the role of a royal guard...could it be worth it? Would it really suit me? The chance of finding something else menial, I might have found something, someday. At least I’d be seeing Opare a bit more. She was the only family I had. Or at least close to the bloodline. But would I be fulfilling what I want in life?

Then I realised. I don’t have any major goal in life. Directionless from the start, I could admit. But somehow, I made it here after all this time. Did the gods have a hand in guiding me? No, I didn’t want to agree with that. The ‘divine entities’ were never on my side.

My foreleg muscles began to cramp and burn in agony of the weighted equipment, so I put the dumbbells down and stopped that section of my day from continuing. The track stood just outside the walls of the building I accommodated, so I walked to the oval of painted lines.

I didn’t want to mess up after the debacle that happened to me earlier. I had never been much of a trackstar though, so my breath would run out fast when I take to the circuit. Readying myself in a starting position, I steadied my air intake, counted slowly from three to one, and sped off at a galloping pace. I had a good start, taking this mock-race practice seriously until I hit a snag, which happened to be my lack of fitness. I should have taken Applejack’s training more to heart, if only I had the time.

I lay on the bed, tired from a day of actual work. At least I did one thing right today, which entailed cleaning a dirty floor. The other mares in the bunker wanted nothing to do with me, as most of them took to sleeping already or talked in their small groups. The green pony from before happened to be in the same room as me, but she didn’t take any notice of my existence.

Contemplating staying longer at this compound, I rolled onto my side. If I wanted to impress the princess and show my competence I had to train hard here, and become the best that I could be. It had been long since I took my role in the military, so the skills I owned lost their refined quality, much to my mind’s disagreement. The best fighting talent I had involved the drunken style; nothing more. I now had a goal. I wanted my old skills back. But this time I would put them to good use. Proving myself to be good would put an end to the past I used to live. I’ve tried already, but it felt terrible because of how worn out and frail I held up afterwards, like the time I fought off those bullies from the young cheerilee. I pulled it off, but I didn’t recover well. Now I thought of striving to become fit, to make an actual role of being a protector.

I fell into a slumber with a smile on my face. Tomorrow would approach, and then I could make a name for myself. At least in my mind anyway.

*Princess Opare’s POV*

After a few hours of studying ancient magic, I took my leave from the research room and walked to one of the large balconies facing Canterlot, where Princess Luna resided.

“Good evening, Miss Luna,” I announced as a whisper to the alicorn of midnight.

“Oh, hello Opare. Is anything troubling you?” she kindly asked me, through her usual habit at any night I joined her.

I exhaled with a pleasant smirk. “Everything is well in the castle, along the streets below us, and across the flowing rivers. I cannot sense any disturbances in the balance.”

“That is good. So tell me, what brings you here?” the mare with the flowing cobalt mane questioned further.

“I wished to get some fresh air. I do not have the same responsibility as you do, so I am usually stuck reading texts from long ago and such. You are a lucky student of mine, getting to see the sights and rule over the lands.” I chuckled in a reserved fashion.

“You ruled over before we, your highness,” Luna replied with a sarcastic, but light-hearted tone.

“Ah, that is correct. But in my old age, it has become difficult to remember those times.” I shook my head. My time had reached a certain period where it began to run out. I knew my days were numbered, but I accepted that. “I am glad I could pass down my knowledge to a mare much more able than I had ever been.”

“Opare! Please do not talk in futility. You are still here, so do not speak ill of yourself. Spirit must be kept high.”

“I apologise for bringing you down. But everypony must go someday. Even if they have perfected the life-extending spell. I have never used it, just to inform you. I wanted to live an honest life, I can suppose.”

“I know you wouldn’t use dark magic such as that; only study it.”

We stay silent for a while with the conversation ended. Looking up to the stars, I watched the balls of fire twinkle in the night sky. But then I noticed something. Something unpredicted.

“The stars. They are misaligned tonight.”

“What does that mean, my mentor?”

“Something terrible is coming. Tomorrow, we must collaborate with the other Princesses and warn them of what is to come. I cannot tell what it may be, but we must all prepare. The future is going to bring a wicked, world-ending catastrophe.”

*Blue’s POV, a few days later*

“Hey, fillyfooler! What are you still doin’ round here?! Get lost!” The white maned pony held me up against the brick wall. Her cronies laughed behind her.

“What happened to don’t ask, don’t tell?” I returned, innocently enough.

“It don’t matter when I’m talkin’. Now, why don’t you get outta here while you still got the chance?” The mare with the scar on her cheek held me up tighter.

“You don’t scare me, whoever you are. How about giving me your name?”

“Yeah, it’s blow off.”

“Nice to meet you, Blow Off, I’m Electric Blue. You can call me Blue for short.”

“You ain’t kiddin’, huh? Well if you ain’t scared of me, why don’t you give me a kiss? We get awful lonely around here, and you’re into that kinda trash.”

“No thanks.” The still nameless pony tried to lean in towards my face, but I had enough room to dodge.

“C’mon, you know you wanna, you filthy fillyfooler!” She tried again, but failed.

A couple of attempts later, I perked up. “Hey, how about you earn my love? Let’s compete in the ring for it. If you win a fight against me, you can do whatever you want with me. Your friends can too. After all, you’re all in desperate need of release, right?”

She paused for a moment to consider. “Sure...fine. I ain’t like that, but you’ll be like a piece of flesh to us.”

She slowly unpinned me from the wall. “Don’t worry, I won’t put up a fight, I know how it is.”

We made our way to the boxing ring, all the while she and her gang wailed insults at me. They didn’t do anything to affect me though; they’ve all been underestimating me. I’ve been working as hard as possible since day two. The boxing matches I signed up to have brought out the best in my hoof to hoof combat abilities as well.

We both stepped into the ring contained in a dimly lit room apart from the square we stood on. On her side, the roughneck mare pumped herself up and received support from the crowd of her friends. On my side I summed up my previous matches in my mind, and thought up a plan of attack. We stood on our hind legs only, something we had been trained to do now.

“Three, two...one...fight!” shouted a random pony in the background.

We immediately removed the space between us and bopped each other on the nose once or twice. The gloves were literally off, as we fought with our bare hooves this time. She tried fighting dirty and turned to buck me in the stomach, but I caught one of her legs and threw it back down. I waited for her to turn back, and gave her a left hook to the ribs, as hard as I could. This winded the lime pony for a while. I gave her a fair time to recover, making her take a quick swing at me, catching my jaw. I reeled back, but returned with a jab directly to the chest.

We were both sluggers, throwing the hardest punches and being slow about it. I had to step up my game. I tried getting closer, but I took a wave of jabs to my chin for it. However, I could absorb the punishment. My only thought became speed, so I countered massively by giving my opponent a barrage of hooks and uppercuts to the face and body, varying rapidly and putting all the power able to use in a swift punch. I finished my combination with a much slower, but mighty uppercut to the face, causing her to fall onto her back in a daze.

The count brought itself to five before she rose up again. Halfway to ten, so I could be close, I thought.

After each punch I got hit with, I began to feel worn out. But I didn’t want to go down. I summoned my anger and used it to my advantage, retaliating with a jab, cross, jab, cross, repeating until I felt like using a haymaker, punching from a wide angle to the side of the other fighter’s face. Almost falling, I finished her off with a disorienting uppercut to the stomach, then hooked the other side of her face, sending the pony flying downwards.

“One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight...nine...nine...nine?” The background pony returned with the count, but she had been rooting for my opposition, so she didn’t want her to lose. “Ten...” she finally confessed.

I put my forehoof out to the downed mare as the others walked away in disapproval. The straight-haired mare took it reluctantly, and I helped her up.

“You still want that kiss?” I asked sincerely.

“Nah, nah that’s alright...just, just go, I won’t touch you again,” the mare told me, with some form of sadness projected in her voice.

My habit came to be never celebrating a winning fight, just congratulating the other side with utmost respect and walking from the ring quietly. I didn’t want to prove any sort of point either with the match that happened just then; I knew she didn’t have such a grudge over me anymore. If anything though, I hoped for a friendly rivalry at the least from her. I took my leave to retire to my quarters for the day after complaining about my bruises a little bit.

44 - It's a date

It had been a gruesome few weeks now; I decided my training could end. The strength, stamina, endurance, and all of my old skills returned through rigorous exercise and hard work I put into my daily regime in the camp. I thought wrong about my former rival, her real name being Crass Charger, as over the time we boxed together, we became slow friends at the least. She’d have my back in a war, if one came, according to her words. The rank lineup came this morning and I had to be part of that. Some of us depart to the military after our training with a set rank depending on our tact during training, and some of us joined the royal guard via reservation by a princess or guard captain from one of Equestria’s towns. I knew what division my place resided, but I could still keep the rank because of military formalities.

An officer rattled the names off, gave them their respective ranks, shared a hoofshake then sent the ponies on their way.

“Crass Charger, Sergeant first class. Congratulations,” reported the large hat-wearing mare, giving a horizontally striped and stylised patch to the tough green pony.

“Well done!” I called to my high-ranking friend. She nodded at me with a grin as she passed. I came up next.

“Electric Blue, Veteran General; the highest rank achievable in the military. Your admirably high skills in training have prevailed for you, as well as your wartime background and recommendation from the Princess herself. Congratulations.” Everypony gasped in awe at the statement just made towards me. I took the four attached metallic silver stars in a trembling hoof and held it tight. The highest rank...

“This can’t be real. I can’t take the badge; I don’t deserve it,” I replied in a natural modesty.

The instructor pony sympathised. “You’d better believe it because you’ve earned it. The insignia symbolises your talent in the army and you have a lot of responsibility to undertake when it will ever come to a skirmish in Equestria.” She stuck out a hoof in approval, so I took it in politeness.

I sent myself towards the entrance afterwards. I could finally be free to take a leisurely day off. And by the next day, I would actually have a form of employment for the first time in my life. I had the ability to spend some quality time with the Princesses for a while, and feel like a protector of the ponies. And my rank...I had become the overseer of the whole army and the royal guards just like that. My leadership experience would eventually be put to the test, but I always deemed myself to be a leader-type. And this time I would be putting the ponies under my command to good use. My destiny came to helping Equestria prosper and defend itself in its time of need, instead of taking a path of destruction like I had done in the past.

I arrived home and quickly tested out the comfort of my own bed once again, just to compare the awful box-spring I slept on for those couple of weeks. I checked my mail lying soundly in the box which turned out to be a single postcard. I took it out and brought it inside to read, as I noticed it came from Destiny herself.

“Dear Blue,

Me and Braeburn have spent a good month or so together in Appleoosa now. We feel happy by each others’ sides, and so I wish to inform you of a number of things.

One. I am going to stay in Appleoosa with my future husband now, so I will not be visiting anywhere else much as there’s no need.

Two. We cannot be friends anymore, as all things must come to an end. Our relationship deteriorated over time anyway, as I began to see too many differences between you and me. I left my half of the paopu fruit in your home because I don’t need it anymore. It is hidden safely away so don’t try finding it and returning it.

Three. I have finally been accepted into the Wonderbolts academy, just to let you know.

Yours sincerely and goodbye,

Destiny Bond.”

My emotions were mixed. The happiness I had felt for a time left me heavily. I felt joyous at her acceptance into the academy she once longed to get into, but that joy didn’t sit right. It struck me as a bittersweet end to the writing sent to me. I read the second point over and over until the liquid that leaked from my eyes smeared the ink on the piece of card. I thought I had reached out to her? Why did she think this way now? I wanted to blame Braeburn for her decision, but he would never do that to anypony.

I just wanted to be with somepony at that moment. I wanted to go to the parallel world and forget about everything while enjoying the company of my other self and her family. But that proved to be impossible. The dimensional travelling device I didn’t know how to use, only my deceased brother did. Who could I find solace with on this day?

The six ponies I knew well had to be busy as they were all out of town when I read the notes on their doors. The Princesses maybe? No, they lived too far from what I wanted to walk. Who could give me shelter on the frequently pale day of my life? I thought hard.

Then I remembered that one magenta pony of which a visit seemed overdue. Cheerilee was an old friend. I recalled where her house stood and took off in that direction, changing from scraping my hooves across the cobble path to rapid trotting. I didn’t want to pour my heart out to her as we didn’t share much of a friendship, but I could improve on that.

I knocked on the door slowly and waited. The teacher-pony opened the wooden obstacle between us, and greeted me with a smile despite my grimacing.

“Hello Electric Blue, long time no see! How are you doing today?” she politely asked.

“Not very well I’m afraid, Cheerilee. I know you don’t know me all that much, but could you let me inside a while? I need somepony to talk to and you’re the only filly I feel like seeing.” I drew out an invisible circle in the ground with my head faced down.

“Uh, sure thing Blue, come in. I’ll help you as much as I can...” the pink-maned pony stepped away from the doorframe to let me through.

Her home looked beautiful, with vinyl records framed and adorning the walls, a direct view of her garden from an almost complete-glass wall, jazzy furniture straight from the golden years of her youth, paisley wallpaper all over the place...it felt like one big throwback. I immediately threw myself on the black and white striped sofa with a somewhat dramatic approach.

“I’m sorry that I haven’t exactly updated my home to what the standard should be, I’ve been awfully focused on other things since the start...” Cheerilee ashamedly informed me as she sat on an adjacent beanbag.

“That’s alright, I like the decor,” I replied in honesty. “I see you stuck to your plan,” Also pointing to the large wall-window.

She smiled and nodded at me. “Ah yes, with what little time I have to spare, I managed to grow a decent garden.”

I didn’t come prepared with a speech, so small talk held me afloat until a conversational breakthrough could happen.

“So how have you been since we last, last met?” I asked casually.

“Oh, well as you may know, I pursued the path of being a teacher, because I wanted to help my students find out their talents. I found that out when I realised how many ponies told me that I was good at making them laugh and be happy. And also your cryptic words drove me in that direction too.” She giggled when we both started to reminisce the times back then together.

“Maybe if we meet for the third time, I’ll explain where I’m going and who I really am,” the quote from my own words struck me as I said them aloud.

“Yes, I remember what you said now. The thoughts about you drove me crazy for a while!” the pale rose-maned pony admitted.

“I suppose I should let you know the answer then.” I gave her the story I had told everypony, revision after revision. How I existed as a human in another world, how I fought in a war and turned bad, how I tangled with the Gods on numerous occasions, mostly ending messily. I retrospected my life in Equestria, my adventures with Destiny when we were young fillies, my manipulation from the machine I lay in, up to today.

“But why would you tell me all this, Blue?” she asked quietly, still shocked by the hardships and the happenings of my life.

“Because right now...and since when we met...you’re my oasis, Cheerilee. You’re the only friend I can rely on. I...Cheerilee, I...” I wanted to say it badly. Back when I thought Pinkie Pie could be the only one for me, it turned out to be a bad decision looking back. Her aggressiveness would have been all too much for me to take. But the mare sitting next to me...her aura could contrast from my miserableness, and give me somepony or something to wake up and look forward to each day.

“What is it that you want to say?” Her head tilted to the side.

I swallowed slowly. This had to be the first time in ages for me to want to take it at a gradual pace. “Gosh darn it...Cheerilee, uh...would you want to...go out on a date sometime?” I shut my eyes tight after releasing that statement.

She shook her head thoughtfully. “Blue...this is a lot to take in right now. You told me all that, and now you want to go out with me? You don’t even know if I swing that way! And I just won’t be able to commit, I don’t have the time on my hooves. I’m sorry...”

My eyes felt damp for the second time this day. I got up from the sofa and walked to the wall of glass, looking out to the sky. “And I’m sorry for asking...” I replied with an audibly shaky voice.

“No, I didn’t mean it like that!” the teacher-mare cried and ran to me.

I spun around, a tear leaving its prolonged sting on my cheek. “So how did you mean it?”

“Uh...hmm. Blue, it’s just a lot of responsibility to withhold as the leader of a class...” her words trailed off. After staring at my lips trembling and choking sounds, she put her forearms around me tightly in realisation of my emotional condition. “Okay, okay. Blue, I accept, I am like you, and I want to go on a date with you. We’ll decide where it goes after that, but you have to respect my busy schedule. I’ll see you on the weekend. Alright?”

“Al-alright. Thank...you...Cheerilee. You...didn’t have to go through with it though...I could have moved on...” I replied with a voice recovering from crying.

“No, you have to at least get to know me after pouring your heart out like that. You meant a lot to me from the start, because you protected me from harm. You showed me the light as well; made me fulfil my destiny. This is the least I can do for you.” A magenta forehoof raised itself to my face and wiped the tears gently away.

“Thank you again...Cheerilee. I won’t let you down, I promise. And I won’t get in your way if this goes further.” I gave my future date a weak smile.

I didn’t want to take up much more of her time so I left the house when the welcome became overstayed. Feeling a little better, I returned to my own home. I still needed an actual rest from the rigorous training I had underwent for those few weeks.

As I laid in bed, I pondered about my surrogate parents. Or foster parents, to be more sentimental. Neither Destiny or I had seen them in quite a while. There came an urge to get them to move in with me, but how could I have contacted Zap Flower and Thunder Hum? No clue remained directing to the location of their residence, so I couldn’t mail to an address.

Why did they leave us anyway? I tried recalling the time our parents still looked after us, but I couldn’t find the point where the two guardians drifted away. I wanted to blame that blind spot on the higher powers above me. The mischievous Rose comes to mind. It had to be one of her first steps to ruining my life, subtly but surely.

I pieced that puzzle together quickly. Knowing my ‘story’ could be manipulated when I used to be dependent on an Author writing for me, Rose must have given me a good life to start out with, then slowly made it crumble and burn through the corner of my eye. But there could be only so much pain I would be able to undo. My brother, for example. I had no power to bring him back. And Caerula must have passed on at the same time, right? Poor Twisha, my relatively old friend. She must’ve took it harder than me, knowing he would be the only love she would ever have.

Either way, I set to work writing a letter addressed to my ‘parents’ asking them to come and stay with me. I could only put ‘to Mr. Thunder Hum and Mrs. Zap Flower’ on the envelope and hope for the best when I sent it off. Maybe they could quell my thoughts when it came to abandoning us.

I then took my rest duly. There had been nothing more deserved than getting some sleep to repair my mind and body. A dream rose up from the darkness of my closed eyes to accompany me for a while as soon as I fell into a deep slumber.

“Anne? Blue? Can you hear me?” a male voice called with an echo.

“I...hear you,” I replied, with the back of my head now fading into view.

“Good. I’m here with some good news and some bad news. Listen carefully to what I’m about to say.” The voice formed into a human man. His name being Sean, the guy I met with briefly before coming back to this world.

I nodded at him and waited for his words to carry on.

Sean scratched the back of his head in preparation. “Here is the good news first. The Gods have spoken to me and they said they’re going to back off of us all for now. Sounds great right? No more interventions from the evils above us. But then here comes the bad news. They know exactly where you are and they will all be coming for you in due time.”

“Why do they want to come and get me?” I worriedly asked.

He shook his head at me slowly. “I spoke with Zeus throughout the day, and he refused to tell me his intentions. Of course he was against me from the start, because he knew I could help you. So whatever the Gods will throw at you in the future, you must be ready for it.”

I took a deep breath and sighed. “Great, another problem I’ve gotta deal with.”

“You will want to figure out what to do fast, because I know they are going to arrive in your world very, very soon. Heed my advice as much as I can.”

“This dream, or transmission or whatever it is will probably end soon, so I want to ask something. Who really are you?”

“I suppose I owe you the answer, seeing as I’m your overseer now. My name is Sean, but my real identity is known as Janus. Janus, the God of doors, gates and choices. I’m here to give you advice, be it good or bad. And I can open the doors for you; but it’s up to you if you go through.”

“How can I trust you?”

“Just like Nemesis and Tyche, I took my leave from the Gods to become human. I can still contact the higher-ups though, as we all could. I have no quarrel with you, unlike the other Gods, and I want to be your friend. I’m just disappointed that you had to end their lives though, as we were friends to some degree.”

“But Rose killed Glais!”

“That’s true, but it was ultimately your fault because of that. She became jealous of Nemesis being your Author, so Tyche stepped in and took over. Anyway, they were actually doing their jobs when it came to you, however in the cruelest ways that they could think of. Nemesis is the God of revenge and consequences, so to answer for your war crimes he was sent to eventually eliminate you. He seemed to be stopped by his untimely death through Tyche. Now Tyche is the Goddess of destiny and fortune. Your destiny, still set at answering for what you did in the past, so took it more easy than Nemesis and gave you an increasingly harsher life. And now I’m here, but I’m not going to make you answer. But the rest of the Gods are, so you have to watch out. You own a lot of souls and lives, which the powers above want back.”

I took all of this in quickly. The Gods felt to me as more powerful and fearsome than I thought before. They had something planned, but I had no counterplan. Another burning anticipation could be added to my mind now.

“I’ll try to get some more information out of my supervisors in the meantime, but now I should leave you to let you get that rest you need. Good luck with your new employment!” Sean abruptly said to me with good intentions. The dream faded and led me into the next morning.

To my surprise I had awoken early. At that moment I got ready and headed over to Canterlot castle which I could see in the distance. I wondered excitedly about what had to be in store for me starting out my very first day of work in Equestria, albeit later than most other ponies who owned jobs.

45 - A fallen Princess

“Good morning young Electric Blue,” Princess Celestia greeted me as I crossed the courtyard from the entrance.

“Good morning, Princess. My duty is to serve you and be your protection, as well as the rest of the castle and its inhabitants. How may I be at your service?” I rehearsed an improvised statement of my role.

She chuckled. “Very good. The royal guards’ chambers are over at the end of the left wing. You can take a set of armour, specially made for the first female guard to defend Canterlot castle.”

“I...the very first guard mare?” How come I would become the first? I suppose not many mares feel it as their place to be a guard and risk their lives in a way. I just hoped that had to be the case and not some sort of equality issue.

Celestia bowed her head in agreement with the strange news to me. “That is correct. Now your job is fairly simple - survey the castle inside and out daily, checking for any damages or environmental hazards, check out the local populace every week, and cater to the Princess’ every whim. I fully understand that you’re as strong as any other guard here, so I won’t make your tasks any easier than the others’. I expect you to be timely as well, and record a brief report fortnightly, explaining the happenings of life in the castle and outside events.”

“Understood ma’am, I’ll get to work right away,” I asserted as I directed myself to the guard chambers.

The armour made for me looked similar to the standard, apart from the thinner body armour with the curled spikes pointing straight down instead, and the whole platinum colour scheme, with the normal blue star on the front replaced with a green cross made up of arrow-heads pointing towards each other. The helmet had a shortened neck guard, and the crest also had a dye of green instead of blue. Anklets unique to me adorned each leg, decorated with a wave-like pattern flowing around the rings. The hoof guards I wore covered slightly more of my legs too, with the crown-looking spikes reaching further around. I definitely carried a lot more weight after putting on all of this, but the worth of making myself part of a group of protectors felt significantly important.

I began patrolling the floors of the bastion overlooking Canterlot, looking for any fragile bricks lining the walls and flaws in structures or pillars. I noticed that this role hadn’t been laid on my shoulders alone, as the other guards walked around the halls as much as I did. The expressions on the stallions’ faces showed a serious, but spiritless disposition. Of course this line of work didn’t involve entertainment, so I could imagine nothing good happening over the time I would be making use of my talents.

Crime never struck anypony as threatening because of the all-time low it remained at, nopony needed protection in that sense too. The only place that needed to be fixed took the name of Fillydelphia. The heart of criminal activity resided there, to say the least. The castle walls had been built perfectly, so structural damage wouldn’t be a problem in many a hundred year. It almost felt pointless to be looking around the fortress.

The usually fast day I would have turned itself into one of the slowest I’ve had in a while now. I passed Princess Aora every now and again with a smile aimed towards her, but she wanted nothing to do with me. Why the sudden cold shoulder? Did Destiny let her know about our situation? I assumed so. Surely Aora would be able to maturely make sense of it though? Maybe Destiny told it in a fabricated way. No, I don’t want to think anything bad against her.

I wondered about Destiny’s progress at the Wonderbolt camp as I examined the foliage in the outside gardens, hoping she had gotten as far as me with employment. Her flying skills could compete with the best, rivalling even Rainbow Dash’s speed and tenacity. We were best friends because of our extreme amounts of determination when it came to anything we did. I reminisced battling an ogre in our foalhoods, with Destiny circling around the giant’s head and taunting it, while I put my strength into taking it down through kick after bludgeoning kick. This ogre planned to terrorise Ponyville back then, so we got together and defended the town. Being licensed Professional Adventurers, it became our duty to do that sort of thing; by going out into the foreign wilderness together and exploring, as well as defeating monsters on the side, whatever the mayor and townsponies assigned to us. Every colt and filly out there aspired to be us or be with us at some point or another because of our sheer power and courage. But then the day came when the fire ravaged the forest, so we had to disband.

The town of Ponyville blamed us two for starting the wildfire, but we downplayed the claims. It turned out to be Glais, back before all the drama happened. He sent a warning to me to get out the world of Equestria and back to Earth so he could dispose of me. He knew Destiny was close to me so he threatened to kill her on numerous occasions through talking inside my head. I couldn’t take the constant whispers, so Destiny and I had to part ways for a time. She made her way to Appleoosa, forgot all about me, and vice versa. The connection of the Paopu fruit lost its strength and needed to be renewed, as our friendship revolved around that special item. I stayed in Equestria, but then the total blank spot happened where control had been completely taken from me. Rose obviously must have killed Glais at the point where I arrived in Ponyville by cart ride. The first few days of my second half of memories seemed so strange to me, in ways I couldn’t explain.

After that casual introspection, I congratulated myself for the thorough look around the castle for flaws. Nothing interesting had appeared to me along the way. As expected, perfectly built. What could I do now? The sun still loomed high in the sky so the time to go home would not come for a while yet.

“Hey, what are you doing standing idly by?! Get to work, please!” A stallion older than me ordered as he noticed me leaning up against a cold marble pillar.

“I can do what I want, I’m a general you know,” I answered coolly, making the more mature guard take a step back.

“Oh, sorry miss, you can go about your business.” He clearly looked shocked at the reply of my military rank.

I shook my head and smiled. “You are right though, I am not doing anything right now. What else can I do around here?”

“Uh, well…”

I wanted to reassure the poor fellow. “Don’t worry, you’re not my subordinate, you’re just as equal as me. What is there to do?”

The stallion thought about what needed to be done around the castle. “Okay, there are unmade beds in various chambers, a pile of unorganised books and scrolls in the library, and the Princess’ lunchtime is coming up, so the food needs to be delivered to them.”

“Aren’t there other guards to do these things as well?” I asked.

“Oh yes, but you can do just one of the tasks if you want.”

“If it helps pass the time…”

The days passed in my job as a royal guard, and I eventually become settled in the monotonous schedule that I went through during my hours and time sped up for me. Despite the lack of crime or war and such, the castle felt particularly high security. I suppose it’s good to be prepared with our tight system and protectors.

In the evenings the other guards and I got together, had donuts and coffee and shared stories of our personal escapades. The colts were attracted to my war history, and came to respect me highly, thinking I had been a real heroine. I obviously left out the parts that I didn’t feel too proud of, and I didn’t feel that heroic either. The Princesses and the military picked a good general, they kept saying to me. Some even wished that my barn door didn’t swing the other way; which I could only laugh lightly at. The guards looked up to me as a role model and a brilliant fighter, but I told them that they didn’t have to do that, as they had to be better than me, even though I appreciated the compliments.

On one regular day, I received an urgent message from Princess Celestia to come an see her. I had been hurrying from my home to the castle as quick as I could. This important business couldn’t wait, especially when it involved me in a big way.

I opened the door to Princess Opare’s chambers. Everypony who lived in this fortress had crowded around her bedside. Her breathing sounded uncomfortably heavy.

“Princess Opare! Are you alright?” I worriedly asked my ancestor.

“Yes, I am quite fine-” she said, being quickly interrupted by a hacking cough.

“Please, do not try to sit up,” one of the nurses who had been brought in told the ruler of the sunset.

“What’s going on here?” I enquired, the apprehension climbing through each passing second.

“Blue, come outside with me for a moment,” Princess Luna offered me. I followed her instruction with care.

We stood on that frequently visited balcony which overlooked the towns. The time of dusk had approached, and the sun lowered itself ever so slowly downwards.

“Now, this is going to be hard for me to say. But there comes a time in everypony’s life when they reach their peak. The flame cannot keep burning forever. Now Blue, you may not have known her that personally, but I have; since I was a young foal. She taught me everything I knew, and told me stories of her travels back in the days of old. Opare is a mother, a big sister, a friend to me. She tried her best raising me and Celestia along with Aora, and I couldn’t thank her enough for sticking by us for all those years. She even went to the moon when I was banished there, just to give me the protection I needed against the darkness. She sacrificed her soul for me until I came back to reality thanks to the elements of harmony. I selfishly traded it away to return to Equestria in the new form that the darkness had forced upon me. I will always regret that day, even when Opare had gained her soul back. And now...she’s dying...while I still have many things to atone for. I want her to be proud of me before she departs…” Luna finally lost control of her collection and broke down quietly.

I had been recovering from reeling when finding out what Opare’s status showed us. I formed a sentence from my quivering mouth. “But, Princess, she is proud of you. More than you could ever imagine. You were her prized student, and you felt like a daughter to her. You mean the world to her, do you know that? She told me each time about you when I was in her company. She can leave this life knowing that the world is in capable hooves. We may not be directly related to each other, but we are family, and we’ve stuck together. Now’s the time to be strong, because the last goodbyes are here.”

I wiped away the tears from Luna’s face as well as my own, and she tried to control her breathing to talk again. “Thank you for telling me this, Blue. I doubted my expectations through Opare’s eyes always, and I’ll have to thank her when we go back inside, for everything.”

We returned to Opare’s side, comfortable in this new solace of togetherness. All of us just sat there for awhile, in silence, holding hooves, eyes closed. None of us wanted to let this moment go. I opened my eyes for a second, and streams of tears had formed on everypony’s faces. There were only thoughts of the past and our interactions together flowing in our heads; nothing more. I closed my eyes once again and remained in silence. The sun’s last few rays warmed my body as they passed by the window slowly, keeping the comfort of this circle from corrupting into a feeling of rage and a want for vengeance on the world. This became a time of passing, and I had to come to terms with it, like a strong pony. The pony I had never been. The thought of death didn’t come to my thoughts until now. It brought me back. All those people I wronged. All that murder. I would never be truly forgiven until my own day of reckoning, where I would be set free. My actions and self would dissolve into time’s unrelenting rivers. I would be forgotten and nopony could truly need to discover me in the future. The point of leaving my mark as a good pony seemed pointless as I pondered on and on about the ultimate insignificance of my being. Why I existed with a purpose and survived for this long astounded me.

I felt my hoof unlink and then gain back the hold in a steady movement. By glancing to my left I noticed that Destiny now sat next to me. She shook her head slowly as I noticed her quivering lips. I controlled myself at that moment. No outside interference of our bickering should be needed at that moment. Princess Aora looked at Destiny and then me with a furrowed brow. This moment had to lead to a discussion later on, but now the time brought us to focus on the moment happening.

“Everypony, thank you for coming here this evening,” Princess Luna spoke softly after the minutes had passed. “Like I have said to miss Blue, this will be a hard time for all of us. Now has come the time of Princess Opare’s departure, one of the greatest rulers of Equestria, the closest thing I’ve had as a mother, another sister, and a best friend. She was my tutor since I was a foal, and now it is the moment to say a final goodbye to the one that protected, raised and cared for me with the best of her abilities, and far surpassing anything that I could ever do, in body or mind. Thank you for everything that you have ever done for me and everypony else.” She stumbled with her last words at an extreme level at this point. “And goodbye, mother.”

“Goodbye, mother…” we all followed in a melancholic unison.

Opare lifted her hoof weakly and beckoned me closer to her. I moved into better hearing range for her private whispers. “Blue...the stars...they’ve told me...something evil is coming…for us...for you...you must...surrender yourself to them...immediately when they appear...I’m sorry…”

I took a step backwards in sheer horror of her words. The situation sounded too dire and serious for it to be taken lightly. I got close again and spoke, trying to keep my voice in a normal enough tone. “Thank you, Princess Opare. I know the times we have had are short, and I have always wished that we could’ve gotten more time together. Maybe in the next life we’ll share our knowledge and experiences. I’m sorry that I have not been a better pony in your eye, and I am trying my best to become morally desirable. I will protect the castle as you did in your reign, and I will make sure Equestria stays the best it can be for you and for everypony. Goodbye, mother.”
After we all had our final words with the ruler of the sunset, Aora requested that she be with Opare alone for a while, and we allowed her. For the intermission I took my time to speak with Destiny. Her being here felt strange, but at least she appeared for Opare to pay her respects.

“Destiny, I’m glad that you’re here for Opare. I began to think you weren't going to show up,” I said with a lingering hope from before.

“Of course I would've come. I'm not heartless enough to not visit her.” We shared a weak chuckle.

Even though that brief moment of happiness between us sparked, it sent our emotions back downhill into an awkward standing around. Things still stayed difficult between us, but the bond would slowly gain strength again. She lost all the trust in me and it had to be difficult to get it back after what I said to her. The news came way too late for her, and she understood too well.

“So...how have you been?” I asked my pegasus ex-companion.

“I’ve been fine. You?” she asked back in a cold tone.

“Well, I’ve got myself a date coming up, and I got a job as a guard working here. I’m moving up in Equestria!” I laughed. Destiny didn’t laugh with me, just gave a struggle of a smile.

“That’s...good.”

“Is there something on your mind, Destiny?”

“Later.”

“What do you mean, later?”

“I mean, we’ll talk about it later. Now’s not the time, alright?”

“Alright, sorry Destiny. This is hard for us all.”

And true that statement proved. Aora opened the door to Opare’s chambers once again, and walked out, staggered and crying. We gave her our support by moving close and hugging her. The white veil adorned the princess of the dusk’s face now. The story had come to a close. Opare existed physically no more, only her soul would live on. The sight got to me and I began to wail and sob uncontrollably. I couldn’t take the crushing sadness of today’s events and so I left shortly after.

My foster parents arrived at my home before I got back, so they took the liberty of going inside and making themselves at home. I didn’t mind because that’s what I wanted them to do. I had cried all the way home, still continuing until my eyes burned and my head pulsed painfully, but I couldn’t stop. Thunder Hum and Zap Flower asked me what the matter had been, but I felt in no shape to answer. I laid face down on my bed, drowning myself in the sorrow of passing. I took a week off because of grievances, even if it happened to be after my first day. I just couldn't gather the strength to do anything, it affected me too powerfully like never before. This came to be the beginning of my understanding of life.

46 - First Date

I looked at myself in the mirror and began to cut my hair with some nearby scissors. It had become unkempt and messy beyond making a style of it. It’s good I knew Rarity, otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to do it myself. I then applied almost half a bottle of perfume to myself so I could smell attractive at least. I had lost control of myself and I didn’t care what I did for the week just past. But tonight brought a special night for me, and I had to do something to be prepared.

I had that one dress Rarity had given to me, which I so dearly needed at the time, apparently. It didn’t look like much, but I owned no other dresses. It fit perfectly as usual, and at that I felt ready to go meet Cheerilee at the restaurant. So, to my embarrassment, I borrowed a few bits from my parents to pay for tonight’s dinner and went on my way.

I hadn’t been on a date in a very long time, especially one as formal as this, so I betted to myself that it would go awkwardly. And would Cheerilee accept me? Would she have enough time for me? Will she turn up at all? Did I make her do this and push it too far when I did? Have I been too much of a romantic fool? Have I been a fool in general? All these questions brought genuine fear to my mind.

I wanted to turn back and stay inside for the rest of the evening, but I couldn’t just stand Cheerilee up. I’d never forgive myself, but she wouldn’t have to see me in this broken down state, and she wouldn’t have to go against her will for me. The decisions I tried to make in my head crossed paths and destroyed my train of thought. I didn’t know what to do, so I just kept on walking to my destination. Maybe it will go down fine, I thought to myself.

I saw the rose-coated teacher pony waiting outside of the fancy restaurant. I almost ran up to her with a certain unease propelling me, and asked “shall we go in?” with a hint of nervousness. We sat at a silk cloth laden table together, near a window for an atmospheric view. A waitress pony lit a large candle in the middle of the table and asked if we’d like some drinks.

“One of the finest wines you have, please,” Cheerilee responded. I didn’t want to argue, and tonight predicted itself difficult to pay back to my parents.

“I’m glad you came, Cheerilee, I was worried that you weren’t going to be here.” I laughed a quiet, shaky laugh to break the ice in one of those awkward ways.

She almost looked offended. “Oh Blue, of course I would come! This date is too important to just pass up on.”

I leaned back a little at that statement. “Important? What do you mean, it’s just a get together with little old me, nothing special. You didn’t have to do this in the first place, you know?”

“Blue, it was obvious that you needed a special somepony, and that you’ve never planned a date before. This time you’re going to take a relationship slowly, if you’re okay with that,” the pink-maned pony frightened me with how much she knew about my lovelife.

The wine arrived at our table, and the waitress poured a glass for both of us. And I thought I’d got over my alcoholism...maybe I could control it this time. That would prove to be hard after what happened recently, but there might be a chance of conquering my problem just for this night.

I took a small sip as Cheerilee put herself nearer to me over the table. “Are you okay, Blue? I read the news...it’s so terrible, losing one of the finest Princesses in Equestrian history. I’m really sorry…”

“Yeah, I’m alright, I think. I stayed in bed all week so I could recover from the stress, and I can just about handle it now. It hurts though, watching one of the last of your family slip away like that.” I looked into her light-green eyes in sadness, but her face brought a newfound comfort to me.

“I know what you’re thinking,” the naturally happy pony started, “you need somepony to help you find peace and support at this time. That’s why this date is important. I want to prove to you that I can be there for you, even if I don’t exactly have the good schedule. I want to be the sunshine to your rain, so to speak.”

The romantic words coming from Cheerilee’s lips made me melt. “Thank you, but this won’t be all about me though. I can really do with the help now, but I want to provide for your needs as well.”

“You don’t have to worry about me for the while. It should be all about you in your time of need. It’s my duty to fill your heart with the warmth it needs.” Her polite return in the conversation took me over. She’s going to do everything in her power to make me happy, and I can’t wait for it.

We ordered some food shortly after our talk, which looked too expensive for my tastes, but it would have to do. Pumpkin risotto with a green salad side, the most appetising looking thing on the menu at the time. I ate my dinner with heartiness as it tasted good, to my surprise. Cheerilee chose the same thing as me in agreement to my decision, which seemed sweet to me in a way.

That certainly filled a hole in my stomach. The time came for the idle conversations to begin. “So Cheerilee, how have you been coming along for the week just passed? How has your garden grown?”

“I’ve uh...been doing well. For my garden, I’ve decided to expand the vegetable patch, so I’ve planted more potato and carrot seeds for a start. It was getting boring for me to go to the market to buy already grown food when I could do it myself, you see?” the avid gardener replied. Her mouth showed me that she wanted to talk more about the various plants she grew.

“I’d have to agree with you if I had any talent with gardening. It would be so much fun to have your own little farm,” I said as I smiled genuinely.

“Maybe you could help me in the future! I need a helping hoof every once in a while. You could look after my little flowers while I teach!” She laughed at the thought.

“That could happen, provided I have enough time too.”

“I could even make homemade meals for us both! I don’t have to go anywhere to get anything because I would have everything with me already! Oh Blue, I can’t wait for the days we can spend together to come along. You’ll be somepony I can actually spend time with, I can tell you that.”

“It shall be fun, Cheerilee. I can settle down with you, and finally get to grips with my life. Hopefully the winding path will straighten out from here, eh?”

“Hopefully. You’ve been through a lot, I just know. We’ve both travelled through tough times, hectic events, and in the end things will relax when we have each other.”

“And it’ll be a slow relationship this time for me, so I can ease into a new life. Another new start. Maybe I could forget about Destiny and move on...it’ll all be okay when I have you by my side.”

“Whoa there, why forget about Destiny? She’s your best friend, right?”

“Not anymore. I’ve told you why we separated recently, and it doesn’t look like we’ll ever be as close as we once were. It was one of the biggest mistakes that I have ever made. One that I will probably regret for the rest of my life. I lost my friend because I broke the bond of trust I had built up after so many years. I promised to her that I would tell everything in truth and not keep secrets. But I did. And for all that time too. The increasing pressure and suspicions of me knowing something that Destiny didn’t. Why didn’t I say sooner?!” I banged my hoof on the table, leading to some sharp stares at my outburst.

Cheerilee put her hoof on mine to try and keep me calm. “It’s alright, Blue. You knew that you were doing the right thing, you had good intentions and you wanted her to find out when the time was right. She will understand one day. Destiny probably hasn’t looked this deep inside of herself before, so it’s tough for her to come to terms with what happened back then.”

I asserted my thoughts. “She’ll never recover, I know it. The poor pony had no idea what happened to her family for all that time, so many questions I had to avoid and twist the truth just so I could protect her. Was it worth it? Did everything I chose to do for her help? I’ve always made bad decisions, and this one was truly unforgivable.” I blinked rapidly and swallowed hard to keep my tears down.

“Maybe you need some fresh air. Let’s get out of here, we can talk more about this in a bit; I don’t want you to be judged by the other ponies any longer.” The lavender pony stood up and paid the bill we owed. I gave her the bits as I left the building, head hung low.

We made our way up a semi-steep hill which overlooked the town and it’s nightlife, while giving a clear view of the stars above. I laid down on the grass, not caring if my dress got dirty. The care for such petty things slipped from my mind as I sunk uncomfortably into yet another depression. The teacher-pony joined me, staying close to radiate her warmth onto me.

“You made the correct decision Blue. It’s one of the hardest discoveries anypony could ever take, but through time and discussing it with another, she’ll find a way to accept the truth.” Her hoof crept up to my neck as she pulled me into a tender embrace. I held her tight.

“But will she ever forgive me?” I asked with a muffled voice; my face buried in her shoulder.

“She will, but you need to talk to her about it. Destiny will be mad at you at first, but she will calm down and see your side of the story. Tomorrow you’ll go and see her, okay? Tell her how it is.” Cheerilee’s smile would never stop persisting to try keeping me happy. Her aura shone brightly with the passion of an optimistic pony.

I tried leaning in for a kiss, but her hoof stopped me by putting it on my mouth. “I’m sorry, I need to keep myself under control. It only leads to bad things when I do that. Why am I so stupid?!”

“You don’t have to be sorry, I just wanted to be the first one to give the kiss in the relationship.” She moved her hanging hoof and placed it on my cheek, then kissed me on the lips slowly and gently.

When she pulled back I noticed the subtle shaking coming from her body. “Have you...is this your first time?”

She looked embarrassed and turned her head away from me. “I...you see...yeah. I’m sorry, did I do it wrong?”

“Your kiss was just fine. You’re nervous now though, and you don’t know what to do with yourself,” I observed. The pink face saturated into a darker shade of red.

“Is this how it feels? I didn’t know I would be trembling so much,” the inexperienced mare admitted as she tried to stop herself from moving around.

I held her tighter now to help her muscles relax. “It starts out like this for most ponies finding love. It’s a natural reaction, and you’ll get used to advances like these in time, trust me.”

Cheerilee pulled me in for one more kiss. We watched the stars afterwards, acknowledging everything separate that had happened in our lives until now when they had become intertwined. One of many redemptions I tried involved saving a troubled teenage Cheerilee from those local bullies, and I relished in the fact that I met her the way I did. I’m not a pony to regularly look out for others, but I felt like changing my stance then and there. Protecting others became my new purpose to oppose the past. Maybe I would be pleasing the Gods this way, or at least getting them off my back.

For my new partner, I turned to her and asked about her past. She described growing up in Ponyville, as a filly she wanted to make the other ponies laugh and be happy. As she grew older though, the more she became bullied because of her undying elation. She told me that sometimes she wondered about this joyful ‘mask’ she put on, just so ponies knew nothing seemed wrong with her, even if she had other emotions at certain times. Cheerilee had never cried in front of anypony before because that would ruin the representation everypony had of her; an upbeat mare with a heart of gold. The social ineptitude she possessed annoyed her, as she had always wanted to have a good conversation with somepony else, but the time to get out and be cordial with others never truly came for her. Gardening and teaching on the side came to be this complex pony’s release though, as she loved watching things grow, be it her students or her plants. And now that I have come along again, I could help her out a little with her social ability, even if I don’t talk to ponies much myself.

“Hey, Blue, I think we both deserve some ice cream right now, so can we get some?” The light pink maned mare asked me with dreamy eyes.

“Of course, let’s go!” I enthused. We both got a scoop of the same chocolate flavour to match each other. Apparently Cheerilee had very similar tastes to me, more than I expected.

I walked my love back to her home, gave her a quick smooch and said a warm goodbye before returning home myself. I went straight back to bed, but this time I felt the opposite to crying myself to sleep. I felt strong now that I had the cute teacher mare by my side.

“So how did it go?” Zap Flower asked as she walked into my bedroom casually.

I closed my eyes and gripped a pillow in joy. “It went very well, mother. I’ve finally found the right special somepony for me, somepony on the same wavelength. She is the yin to my yang, if you understand.”

She smiled at me satisfaction. “Me and your father are proud of you, Blue. We hope you can keep together and have a happy life together. Good luck!” She returned to her room as I prepared to go to sleep, safe in the knowledge that things just began looking up for me.

*Sean’s POV*

“Anne is coming along just fine. She has opened the door to true love,” I remarked to myself. I then created a temporary door in front of myself and opened it, taking myself to the realm of the Gods. The ‘Princess Opare’ character had revealed a clue to Anne, which would not bode well with Zeus and the rest of the higher-ups. I obviously had to report my findings.

The aging leader of the Gods sat on his almighty marble-white throne in the matching material room, taller than everyone else’s as he had the highest rank. The other main Gods perched themselves on lower thrones depending on their ranks as well. The purity of the huge room did not reflect the darkness that we all operated in. After the bombs dropped, we did not desire working in pleasant manner anymore, unfortunately. Even I have to own up to my evil half, by making people I watched over in the past go insane and kill themselves. None of us had done a good deed for many a year. Preserving Anne’s sanity will prove to be tough, as I have not protected someone in such a way before. However, she is the catalyst to our master plan, which may have to be carried out soon if not executed carefully enough. We’ve come this far already…

“Zeus, I have a message to give to you. It could be very grave to us,” I called out to the King of the Gods. I then explained the recent events of Opare’s passing and her preparations beforehand.

Zeus looked angry. However, that didn’t differ from his normal expression. “These ‘supports’ for Anne...I’m beginning to lose my patience with them. I’m just glad that she had reached the end of her lifespan, otherwise we would have a lot more work cut out for us. No matter. Janus, please tell me about Tyche. What has happened recently with her?”

“She was killed, sir. By the hand of Anne, might I add.” A drop of sweat ran down my face after saying that.

“What?!” Zeus bellowed, waking the other Gods from their afternoon slumber. “Tyche! I should have never allowed her to become mortal. She defected through extreme measures, and now because of her meddling she died as well! This is not good, Janus. Gaia and Aion will be furious, and I’m going to have to answer for it! Can we not have this plan; perfected through months of thinking, time and careful steps taken, go through properly?!”

“Master Zeus, settle down now,” Athena, the Goddess of wisdom intervened. “I am the main strategist here, and don’t think the plan has fallen through just yet. It may have to be inopportune, but we must strike before a counterattack can be launched. Janus, the machines we built have a time limit of the chosen ones’ life. I want you to turn the timer onto three days left for everyone. Ares, you must gather separate armies to invade each chosen mortal’s world on the right command. Hermes, you must demand for the items that each person has in their possession which I will list to you later on. If they do not give up their items, the armies of Ares shall back you up. Hephaestus, you can forge the weapons needed to supply the armies, and feel free to set fire to each world the mortals now live in. And finally Hades, you get to torture the humans into oblivion after they have all died and arrived in Tartarus.”

Zeus seemed to be thinking hard on this new scheme. “There will be no way they can resist our forces. We will take what we want from them, assume control of the worlds and bring ourselves back to full power. And then finally we can take over the planet Earth that we watch over. We shall rule once again, fellow brothers and sisters!” he cried, spilling his goblet of wine as he thrust it into the air with triumph.

I then returned to the room of Anne’s dwelling once more. I input the countdown codes through each machine and set the time to a measly seventy-two hours each. The only flaw with changing the time is making the other inhabitants of the people’s worlds aware of the amount of time the main character has left to live. Unfortunately for Anne, she had become independent from the system, so nobody would know that anything changed.

This had been the most sinister moment of my life, but it all went to a good cause. The conquering of worlds would begin again, and then I would have utilise the purpose of overthrowing King Zeus. The Gods need a new leader, like me, after all.

“Goodbye Anne, I hoped you had a nice life while it lasted,” I whispered into her ear while wearing a smug grin on my face.

48 - Equestria's rout

An aching sensation in my heart and my head woke me up rudely all of a sudden. This pain I had never felt before stayed with me for the rest of the morning. I rode the train to Canterlot to start the next day of my job that I hadn’t been very active in yet, and that needed to change.

I dressed myself in the platinum armour that shined as much as the polish could make it, after my rigorous applying of the solution. The day set itself out as it normally would; patrolling and checking the grounds, fixing any problems in the castle, serving the Princesses with whatever they needed, et cetera. Not as exciting as being a royal guard would mean to outsider ponies who don’t know what an average day actually consists of. The only thing to look forward to would be the free coffee and donuts at the end of my shift. At least this employment put food on the table, so to speak.

I spent some time looking in the armoury, still contemplating on the primitive weapons compared to the ones I’ve held in the past. Of course, advanced technology isn’t so much needed in a relatively crime-free place like this. Either that or the scientist-ponies just haven’t gotten around to researching that sort of subject in this world. The single cannon in the corner gave me chills, however.

“Hey Blue! How’s it going?” called the other guard ponies as they passed me in the halls. My reputation had certainly grown between the others. As a General it had to be automatic, even if I’ve never experienced a battle while in possession of this rank. When it would come to it though, will I have what it takes to lead an army into battle and command them accordingly? I know that I’ve done it before, but could I do it right this time?

“Good Morning, dear General Blue. How is the day going for you so far?” asked a sudden voice of Celestia from behind me.

“Uh, pretty well I suppose,” I replied courteously, but changed my tone after. “Well, that’s not true. I know I haven’t been here long, but…it’s just boring going around the same castle again and again, you know?”

The alicorn looked at me in subtle shock. “Now you know this is a responsibility every guard has to undertake. I can understand how you feel, but it is very important that you do your duty.”

I huffed and nodded coolly. “Can’t I at least go out for a little while?”

She thought about it for a moment. “Oh, alright then, but don’t tell anypony I let you off.”

We laughed as I thanked her and left the building for some more open patrolling.

The upper-class ponies stared at me as I trotted along, not expecting a royal guard to be casually outside of the castle. I repeated the phrase, “don’t mind me, I’m just passing through,” in my head when I traded glances with the others. Everypony seemed to have a sort of incriminating fear against the guards. It could only be expected as we are authority after all, it’s an intimidating factor in some cases. Being a newbie though, I didn’t understand that quite as well.

Approaching a tea room, I entered the establishment and immediately ordered a hot chocolate. When I walked up to the counter however, the ponies surrounding the area moved away from me.

“What’s wrong?” I asked aloud. “Does my presence scare you?” I received no answer.

“Don’t worry, I’m on a break. And besides, I’m just as equal as you are, I’m not issuing arrests or anything.”

A general sigh of relief erupted at that moment. I took my paid for drink and sat at a table near the entrance’s adjacent window, took my helmet off and rested it on the surface, facing away from me. I didn’t get the situation. Did these folk have trouble with the guards before? Is everypony involved in the criminal underworld in one way or another. I shook my head and took a sip, reeling from the scalding heat of the chocolate.

“Hey, you mind if I sit here? Electric Blue, right?” I heard as the scrape of a chair rang around my ears. I slowly looked up from my beverage, and there two ponies sat in front of me. I became so shocked I almost fell out of my own chair. The couple smiled back at me simultaneously.

“You...you’re…” I couldn’t get my words out.

“Yes, it’s me. My, you’ve grown Blue, last time I saw you you looked much less formal,” he chuckled.

“Spark…” I whispered, sudden tears trickling down my cheeks. “But how?”

“How what?” he replied with his own question, looking quizzically at me.

“How did you...survive?” I couldn’t contain myself. Just seeing him there, in the flesh, brought me instantly to crying, quivering lips and all.

“What do you mean? I’ve been alive ever since. Anyway, it’s nice to see you,” he said as he kept smiling, contrasting my emotional control.

“And please do stop sobbing, it’s making a scene,” Twisha jokingly added.

“It’s...nice to see you both...too…” I struggled to reply.

“You’ve finally got a job, hey? As a royal guard too. That’s very impressive. I became a science lecturer at the Trottingham academy, surprisingly. And Twisha is still studying as hard as ever as an art student,” Azure Spark contemplated.

“Things have been looking up for us all, as of late,” I related, finally giving off my own grin of satisfaction through the blubbing like a foal who had somehow failed at the game of peekaboo.

Literally nothing could get better than this now. I have a source of income, I’m giving to the community, I have a purpose, my foster parents are back with me, I made up with my best friend, I have a successful relationship at last, and my brother is still alive in this world. A hedonistic sense of worth and will washed over my mind in accordance. Life for me had finally reached a point where I felt good about living it. And maybe it could get even better.

“So what brings you to Canterlot?” I broke the short silence.

Spark cleared his throat. “Oh, we needed to pick up some materials, and this city is one of the closest places to get them. It’s for Twisha’s latest art project, which is the is huge experimental canvas painting.”

The maroon coated mare continued after her companion, “It’s like a landscape picture of Marelin in Germaneigh which we travelled to recently, but some parts stick out more than the rest in a three dimensional way. When it’s finished, I’ll put it in the Trottingham art gallery and ponies will be able to walk around and interact with it in certain ways.”

“That sounds very interesting. I’d be happy to come and see it when it’s done,” I acknowledged appreciatively. Being able to walk around an art piece instead of just look at it is one of those brilliant advancements in artistry.

“Anyway, we must be heading off now…” the stallion abruptly announced, getting up from the table.

“What?! Already? But we just met after being apart for such a long time!” I blurted out.

“I’m sorry, but we don’t have a lot of time to stick around, unfortunately. Maybe next time though, we’ll do a formal meeting. Alright?” his calm and reassuring tone persuaded me.

“Alright, Spark.” I quelled my grudges against time and gave my brother a tight, almost unending hug before he left with Twisha. And just like that I returned to being alone again. At least I had the hot chocolate to finish.

As I returned to the castle in order to carry on my duties, I thought about how Spark could still be living in this world. Maybe somehow, he figured out how to make the separate connections like Rose and Destiny did. Just how did he manage to convince her to give up her secrets…

*Janus’ POV*

“Right, is everyone ready?” Zeus bellowed as he stood up from his throne.

“This is going to be very easy for us,” Athena announced. “Anne has what we want, the few items that are stopping us from gaining more power. When the time is right, we enter her little world, take what is rightfully ours, and dispose of her.”

“Correct,” Zeus intervened. “The sacred orbs...the ones she’s stored for this long, and they’ve been growing in power ever since we gave her that second chance at life. And what a horribly, deviously sweet deal that was. And it was all thanks to the sacrifices of those two other mortal members of ours, now long gone. But with the orbs soon to be in our possession, they will be able to regain new life.”

After the small speech the readying Gods waited for the time to come. And we would strike not just on Anne’s world, but every other world in our control. Every ‘volunteer’ of the second chance plan we devised all those years ago, will be reaped for the well deserved rewards that we all desire. We crush their worlds, destroy their lives and take their power for ourselves, propelling us into a higher plane of existence; not that we aren’t already high enough. I laughed dryly outside of my head. The moment we had all been waiting for. We gave the little people who ‘signed up’ everything they could want in their personal bubble, until it would be popped suddenly by us, in a maelstrom of hellfire and doom. The excitement got to me, and I grinned maniacally for a moment.

All we had to do now would be to sit and wait. Everything had to be perfect. The Gods did have a reputation to uphold, after all…

*Blue’s POV*

I continuously swept the dust-free halls with my broom as I walked slowly down each one. Cleaning happened so regularly that the evidence of dirt lay out of the question of sanitation. Canterlot Castle had to be spic and span at all times, so it stayed as a presentable standard to the higher-ups of Equestria, who rarely visited anyway. Every visible object in the vicinity had to shine permanently too. Only the best for the rest, I suppose.

As I leaned on a pillar to take a short rest, a massively oversized cannonball blazed through the castle walls, leaving a gaping hole and debris scattered everywhere. So much for my hard work…

I looked through the hole and noticed the large army of the Gods floating in the air from far away, with this ancient-armour clad, bulky God leading the charge. This situation didn’t look good. “Guards, everypony, quickly, evacuate! Follow me!” I commanded as we ran out of the now ruined building.

“What is going on here?!” Shouted Princess Celestia.

“Opare was going to warn us about this; she ran out of time before she could. The Gods from my world, Earth, have come to destroy us all. We must rally all of our armies as quickly as possible,” I requested, causing Celestia to fire up her magic to deliver the message.

One of the guards had cleverly snuck out of the castle with most of the armoury’s contents, now dropped onto the floor for everypony to pick a spear up. Our equipment met little match to the opposing army’s guns.

Janus had appeared from a portal in the sky. He approached me cautiously. “Blue, please give us what we require. We want those orbs that are in your possession.”

“Orbs?”

“The various coloured spheres that you acknowledged one or two times.”

“Oh...those things? What are they for?”

“Never you mind. We wish to take them as they are rightfully ours now.”

I gave it some thought. If refusal showed itself as an option to me, I would be sacrificing everypony’s lives. They served no purpose to me in the first place, so I might as well give them up. “Okay, I’ll present them to you when I can go and get them. In my absence, you will stay there and not harm anypony. Do I make myself clear, Sean?”

“You have a deal,” he said with a smirk. “Just hurry it up now.”

I rushed back to my house, panicking my parents as I began aggressively rifling through various cupboards and containers until I found the ‘sacred’ orbs. They all glowed with a dull, saddening light at me. I stuffed them all in a saddlebag and raced back to the Gods, ignoring the concerned questions coming from my mother.

“Ah, so do you have them?” Sean asked me, nonchalantly.

“Yes, I do. Name your price,” I said, cottoning on to the shady antics the Gods would try to pull.

“No price...we just want the orbs. For free! You can trust us,” he said with a salesman’s grin.

“Sure, I can trust you,” I muttered under my breath.

“What was that?” Sean responded.

“Oh, I was going to say, are you leaving now? If so, nice meeting you, bye-bye,” I tried to shoo these divine beings away quickly, after uncarefully throwing the saddlebag of the magic spheres at Sean’s feet.

“Dear Blue, you cannot just make us go without giving us a warm goodbye. And while the final hours of your life come to a close, you’ll probably want to start reciting your speeches.” Sean cruelly revealed his true nature to me. “Your body has a time limit until it ceases to exist. We felt generous and gave you three days to live. You have one remaining. We have no use for you now, because your soul has grown and come so far. The orbs we now have stored your soul’s essence over the time you have stayed here. And just like that, you released your soul from your possession to us. Thank you very much for your cooperation.”

I felt utterly helpless, speechless. Celestia as she heard this, became enraged and started to charge up her powerfully volatile magic.

“Ares!” Sean called out, and the army leader rapidly pulled out his own gun and fired directly at the stone floor under her, leaving a bullet to ricochet wildly off the pillars and fly off. She stopped her magic and stepped down, shaken from the muzzle flash and the projectile which headed towards her.

Like a natural instinct, the braver royal guards dashed to the Princess’ side to protect her.

I had been caught in a stalemate of sorts. I didn’t want the situation to arise to a conflict, because I knew the power that this army of the Gods held. But I didn’t want my soul just to be taken away like that, and my life to end in a single day. I didn’t want to go yet. It felt as though they planned this from the beginning, by building my life into something I could be happy with, then tearing it straight down again.

“That’s it! This is what you’ve been using me for. Your own sick amusement! You slowly gave me a life that I could live in utter joy, but when you felt it was right, you wanted to bring it crashing down before my very eyes,” I surmised out loud.

“Exactly right, young one. And at that, we might as well get started on making your world crumble before you. No mercy.” Sean assumed the position of a commanding officer. “Ares, begin the assault!”

Ares turned to face the vast amount of minions behind him and barked various orders. As quick as a flash, guns blazed everywhere, managing to take down most of the guards in the surrounding area before they could do anything. The rest charged in, throwing their spears and impaling a few of the opposition in a blind attempt at retaliation. I had no weapon equipped, so I made a break for it to Celestia, and escorted her away from the scuffle as fast as I could.

“Princess, are you alright?” I softly spoke as we now hid behind cover of another part of the castle.

“The...the guards…” she mumbled, still reeling from the shock.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t have done anything sooner.” I felt failed as a protector, but nopony could have seen that coming.

We looked at the slaughtering of the scattered guards. “Bows and arrows against the lightning…” the white alicorn sadly remarked.

As the massive army advanced, I noticed some guns strewn across the floor, lying next to some of the downed infantry. “Celestia, I know you feel weakened right now, but I need you to retrieve one of those guns for me.”

She noticed the hunk of metal on the ground as well. With her yellow magic, she slowly picked up the gun and levitated it to me. I took hold of the pistol with one hoof, struggling to form a grip until I could hold it properly.

“Canterlot and Ponyville must be evacuated. Be strong, Celestia. You’ve been through a thousand years or more and still you’ve stood high, so please go quickly. I’ll distract them from getting close to the town,” I delicately commanded. She came out from behind the remnants of the mighty castle, and approached the town covertly.

I fired off a warning shot to draw the army’s attention to me, luckily managing to get one of the minions in the head. I would not be going down without a fight. as they edged closer to me through the grassy field, I fired the pistol faster and took as many headshots as I could as the entire battalion edged closer to me. With a click, the gun ran out of bullets; automatically making me eject the magazine and holstering the pistol. The countless swarms of the enemy started to run as soon as I did, striding over the plains and plunging into the waterfall on the edge of the precarious cliff. I dived into the lake below me, bullets following as I went.

Clinging to the riverbank, I watched as Canterlot’s residents shuffled out of their living place in a terrified manner. Looking into the distance, Ponyville had a queue of the village’s inhabitants scurrying out and over the hills. Nopony had been left to fight as they realised the gravity of the situation by witnessing a few ponies being shot to death. This horrified me to the core. Almost all of us stood defenseless against the overcoming army. I swam farther down the water’s current, hoping that there would be something waiting at the end of where I willed myself to go. Some last line of resistance.

49 - Armed with death

I watched the armies of the Gods overtake the towns, setting them alight and destroying the areas that ponies once lived in. The bonfire rose into the skies, mixing with the blue and transforming it into a dark red. Various ponies who had not made it with the rest of the evacuees were rounded up and killed, one by one. Every precious life meant nothing to the Gods. I just couldn’t stand for this any longer, but I would stand no chance against the horde. If I had trained harder as a fighter instead of a lover, maybe I could stand tall and prevail against this nightmare, but what good is love when it comes to the fight?

I had been a fool all my life. I made this happen by becoming what I once was on Earth. I should have stayed with my family, stayed as an innocent as the bomb blast swept them all away.

That sparked inspiration in me at that moment. For all this time, I wallowed in my own misery. But what about everyone on Earth who had been slain at the hands of the Gods? My family, the neighbourhood, the country, the world. All decimated by the sheer power of the almighty beings. Now came the time to avenge them all. If anything, the spirit of all humankind had to live on in my veins, unless all those lives would go to waste, after billions of years of development and prosperity, the work we had put in could not go unnoticed. The Gods built us, but we thrived on our own. They became jealous, scared even, and wiped us out. Except for a select few. The survivors. Me. And as I slowly realised this new purpose, it became my duty to avenge the human race, as well as defend the population of Equestria. But I couldn’t do it alone. Even if I tried. But maybe, just maybe for a while...I could prevail against the dark army.

I ran towards the burning remains of Ponyville, crashing into one of the patrolling squad members, and snapping the runt’s neck. I took his ammo, loaded my pistol, and began the true retaliation. As another patrolman came past the building I stood behind, I swiftly shot him without his notice, causing him to fall flat on the ground. He had another pistol, which I took and stored in my saddlebag. I glanced at my platinum armour, hoping that it could take a few bullets, but I doubted it, surveying the thin density of the layers.

When I came across the local well, I took the bucket hanging from the pole above of the hole, filled it with water and threw it over the flames engulfing the charred buildings. Of course, my acts wouldn’t go unnoticed, so I had to react fast and shoot the fleeting infantry. After taking their weapons, I tried my best to put out the fires. The deserted town made me shiver between the numerous ambushes I had to set up. Nothing could be left to save now. Nopony stayed around, and all possessions had been lost.

Out of nowhere, the army came together again, facing up to me as I stood alone against the multitude of aggressors. Nothing but doom befell me if I stayed, so I repeated the procedure of shooting down as many as I could before running from the area as fast as I could.

A well-aimed sniper shot sent me flying and dented my armour as I tried getting over the hill of which the evacuees traveled. My opportunity to fight back came and went, but I fought as much as possible in that small window of opportunity. I galloped hard, trying my best to get away from the masses of troops.

Rain began falling intensely, putting out the town’s fires slowly as well as making the ground I ran on muddy and slippery. I trudged my way through a narrow path in between dense forests, disappearing out of sight of my pursuers and into a clearing facing a rushing river. I dove in straight away and fought the current. The weight of my armour caused me to buckle temporarily, but I got up and carried on. I didn’t know where my destination lay, but I only hoped to find some form of counter-attack.

I stepped onto a freshly plowed field as I kept my speed up. I aimed to get past another wave of trees in front of me, but instead I abruptly fell into a hastily dug trench. Stallions dressed in military gear stood in this ditch, and fixated their view on me as I landed.

“General Blue ma’am! What’s the situation?” addressed one of the crew.

“I don’t know,” I simply replied. “There isn’t much hope for us yet. This ragtag group you’ve got here is nothing compared to the large amount of footsoldiers who are heading straight for us.”

“And that’s why we dug this hole. Ambush. We take the front line by surprise, and deal a number-scattering strike,” the stallion repeated his plan in confidence.

I remembered the guns I had collected from the dead. “Here, take these and arm yourselves properly,” I announced to the others, and showed them how to hold the weapons properly as well as load them. “Don’t hesitate to shoot on sight, and the bigger gun they have, the better for us to take from. We cannot let them break through this one line of defense.”

“One line? General, you must think that we’re the only military backup here. Look over the top of the trench, past the trees…” this intelligent pony told me.

I poked my head out from under cover, squinted my eyes to see beyond the trees that blocked the way. I made out silhouettes of hundreds of army ponies at the ready, waiting for the signal to go. They all held longbows in their hooves. Unbelievable; there existed a force to fight back the invaders.

We sat there in the dirty, waterlogged pit, anticipating the enemy’s movements. I took a swig from one of the officer’s whiskey hip flasks, and prepared to make the ambush.

For what seemed like hours of wasting time, we finally heard footsteps, differing from the normal hoofsteps. It had to be them.

“Okay, I’m going to take a peek, and if it’s them and they come running, we must pull as many as we can under when the moment is right. We kill them, take whatever they have equipped, and fight hard,” I bravely announced. “We can do this, we can destroy the opposition. As General, I give you all my hope and luck. Ready?”

I raised my head to the surface of the field, and grew excited at the sight of the fleet. I brought up my pistol, with one round remaining. I aimed, and fired at a hulking brute, taking him down in one precise hit. The rest took notice of me, and sprinted towards my position.

Me and the stallions in the trench all reached up simultaneously and took a long string of minions down. “Quickly! Blot out the sky with your arrows!” I screamed.

The many ponies on the other side of the scuffle fired their bows in unison, causing a hailstorm of dark arrows to mix with the rain and hit the army severely, lowering their numbers by almost half. I picked up an assault rifle and randomly sprayed bullets over the top of our cover, managing to take out a few more infantry in the process. The others followed suit, shooting the contents of the stolen rifle’s magazines into the crowd of attackers.

The enemy dwindled, and they had no control over it. We cheered in victory as the stallions climbed over the trench and fired at the remainders. I ordered the rest of us to come out from behind the foliage and take up better arms.

“Surely this couldn’t have been it…” I thought aloud. I looked up into the sky and realised that statement became true. Droves of fighters flew out of numerous portals, including massive tripod-like machines. The stood in front of us and began to deliver the killing blow immediately. As I had stayed in the trench, they did not notice me at first. I crept around the side and took the rocket launcher from the brute I fired at earlier, loaded it with a projectile, and locked on to one of the metallic creatures. I shot off the rocket, which impacted with the armour of the machine and caused it to explode on contact. The tripod fell instantly. Unfortunately no more ammo existed for the launcher, so I dropped it and scavenged more magazines for my pistol.

I saw the machines warm up the miniguns hanging from under the cockpit, then swept the field and hit everything in sight, not caring if the guns hit the allies or not. The brutality of the opposing force scared me. The need to stay in the area had passed, so I ran again.

The rain suddenly stopped when I reached the desert. The arid lands housed a small camp of tents where the refugees resided now. Rich and poor cowered in fear together while Celestia tried to console them all. I swallowed back the pain in my throat. I didn’t want anypony to come to harm, but this just had to happen. My rage grew stronger against the Gods. I vowed for total and utter revenge for each and every God and Goddess. They would all perish by my hoof.

I stood atop of a sand dune, overseeing the landscape. The enemy kept advancing, bringing dark stormclouds with them as they marched. The outlook seemed grim, and I could not keep retreating like this. The desert had to become the place of my final stand.

To my surprise, the cavalry had arrived just in time. A thousand lines of military ponies filed up the hill to join me in a proud salute to the troops. What scared me out of the character of General happened to be the appearance of all of my friends standing by at the front. “Twilight, Fluttershy, Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie...Destiny, Braeburn...Twisha, Spark, Mother, Father...what are you all doing here?”

“We’re fighting with you!” Cried them all, with so many other townsponies joining the ranks all of a sudden too.

“No...no, you mustn’t do this,” I responded, now worrying about the fates of the innocent.

“Why not? We’ve been driven back, and now it’s time to go on the offensive!” Shouted a villager-pony.

“But, none of you are trained in combat! You can’t just go up against highly trained soldiers and hope to win against them!” I tried to convince them.

“So what? They have the guns, but we have the numbers, don’t we?” These ponies who lived normal lives refused to back down.

I wouldn’t allow it. “Please, think about what you’re saying! Yes, you’re all angry, and so am I, but that doesn’t mean you can go and lose your reasoning. I’m not just going to let you all go and get yourselves killed!”

“We’re not leaving you, no way!” argued Applejack, one of the most steadfast friends I had.

I closed my eyes in frustration. “As General, I order you all to stand down! Let the professionals handle this. I do not want any collateral damage or slaying of the untrained ponies. I don’t want to hold the guilt and regret of losing the more important lives than ours.”

Some of the battalion grimaced at that statement, but they understood my words. The others still wouldn’t listen to reason. Not being used to battle situations, they didn’t figure out what they were trying to get themselves into. If they had seen what I have in the past, the other ponies would know that their place lay in survival.

The Princess approached me and stood by my side.

“Celestia, please, make them listen to me! I don’t wish to put their lives at stake, so I order these ponies to stay away from the battlefield,” I told her majesty.

“General Blue, you see, when the ponies of Equestria make a stand, they mean to. Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do, nor I. I know this must be difficult for you, but you must accept this. The best thing you can do is protect them all as best as you can. You are perfect for that role.” The flowing-maned alicorn announced to me and the rest of the masses. “Everypony, you must all be prepared to take on dark forces from another realm. General Blue will guide you all into victory, while you all fight hard and push back the opposition. Those who are trained in combat, advise the newcomers and protect them as much as Blue will. It is your duty to aid Equestria’s continuance.”

I felt nauseous. My mind harkened back to my time as a corrupt mercenary. The amount of civilians I murdered by my own hand...the sacrifices I made...and for what? Power? Money? Appeasing the Gods? To me now, every reason appeared as useless. Maybe...did Celestia plan this? I’ve told her about my past as a human before, and she remembered that time. This had to be a test to see if I possessed the ability to keep everypony safe instead of vice versa. It seemed cruel, gambling the lives of these folk, but she knew about my process of reforming and becoming a protector. It all came down to me now. My chance to ultimately prove myself and redeem myself from the darkness that surrounded me for all this time.

The army of the Gods came into view as they stepped onto the desert plains. Both parties now stood opposite to each other atop of our own separate dunes. The God called Ares pushed his way to the front of the crowd, and shot a menacing glare straight at me.

“My my, Anne. You are certainly a defiant one. You put up much more of a fight than the others…” he said with a smirk.

“The others? Who do you mean?” I shouted back.

“You know...the fugitives you were staying with, in that warehouse you fled to. We invaded their worlds too; and now they all cease to be. You’re the only one left I’m afraid.” This god unsheathed a gladiatorial sword and began to polish the blood from the blade with a freshly ripped off piece of sleeve from one of the armymen.

That pain in my heart came back to me as I processed those words. “How dare you...Just why would you go and slay so many lives...they did nothing to you, nothing!” A dark aura surrounded me as I started to lose my cool.

“That’s right. But it’s all part of the bloodsport. We hunt for the mortal survivors as we gain power through each day. It’s also entertaining to give your subjects the time of their lives, and then strip them of those few last moments before we slay them. That’s how the game is played, dear Anne.” Ares broke out in a fit of maniacal laughter, proud of himself and his recent actions.

The darkness slowly clouded my mind and vision as I grew ever more hateful and rage-induced. The want for the revenge of the Gods increased. I trembled as I held my ground as much as I could. The ponies behind me yelled worried questions at me, but my mood didn’t permit me to listen.

“You will pay for this! For everyone! For everything! I’m going to kill you, and all the other Gods, and your entire battalion by myself! I can take you all on and win! The blood of the almighty will be splashed to the four winds as you cower in fear as one by one, you all fall in your broken glory. This will be my final redemption and your final ultimatum. Prepare for your utter doom and defeat!” I cried in a valiant, twisted battlecry.

I charged alone, the other behind me hesitant to move. Nopony could do or say a thing as they witnessed the bloodthirsty, warmongering side to me. I crashed into the wall of guns and armour, shooting all in my way as I chased the fleeing Ares. The soulless minions collapsed by the bullets riddling their bodies. The hordes reacted and shot at me, hitting my flesh hard. The adrenaline and massive burst of strength kept me going. Ares climbed atop of a boulder, to get the higher ground. I joined him on the rock, tackling him finally with an animal-like maneuver of violence. He wrestled me off, and stood up to face me. The sword he swung caught my foreleg, making me drop my gun. Bullets flew in all directions, some hitting my armour and denting in until it became useless, so the missiles could pierce through and pepper me even further. I didn’t care about the pain anymore, as countless years of experience numbed me to the feeling. I got up on two legs, threw my armour off, and tried to punch the God of war. I knocked him clean on the jaw, dazing him for a window of opportunity. I crippled his arm, by snapping it in a way which it wouldn’t normally bend, took his sword, and plunged it into his heart.

“You think you can kill me?” Ares exclaimed. “I am a God! I cannot die!”

I drove the sword into his heart again and again, not stopping until something would happen. I didn’t want to let Ares gain the advantage. Slowly but surely, he coughed up blood.

“What?!” He roared in contempt. “This cannot be! What have you done to cause this?!”

I slashed and tore at the body as he writhed in agony, the work of a miracle. Or perhaps the Gods weren’t as immortal as imagined. I brought down the sword, now bent out of shape, one last time, severing his head from the rest of him, which rolled off of the rock and into the angry crowd. They saw this debacle, the great Ares, now dead by the hooves of a mortal. They all took aim and fired at me, not stopping until their magazines ran on empty. I kicked the remaining body from the boulder and laid down in a pool of my own blood.

From the corner of my eye, I watched the defending ponies run down the hill, fighting the overwhelming troops back. They had no leader. The morale lowered even more for the invaders while each of them died in a furious counter attack. Crass Charger fought in the skirmish; she had my back like she promised. The band of ponies struck back hard as the powerful magic users reflected the bullets, the pegasi swarmed and divebombed the unsuspecting, and the earth ponies broke through with brute strength.

A fog of dust and sand descended on the warzone. The deterrent heeded no match to the combatants though, as they kept on the battle. My aggressive assault on the leader of the pack sparked inspiration and fire in my team’s hearts, leading them all to this. The opposition tumbled about, running and dying while I watched intently. I felt satisfied that I did my part for the greater good, despite the many sacrifices. My status had me going nowhere however, even if I did have the motivation to carry on and dispose of the other Gods.

My time had come at long last. My hearing faded into nothingness. My friends surrounded me now, shouting at my pale, wounded figure. I tried to say “leave me, I’m finished, goodbye,” and hoped that it came out right, then they began to sob. While I smiled at them, their expressions took a turn for the worse. But my statement rang true, as my life happened to be finished for me. My vision now blurred and lost the vibrant colours of the world, so I closed my eyes. My mind blacked out, cell by cell, as all of the memories rushed by and transitioned to grey. Somepony shook me as if I lay asleep, but sleeping waited for the time to come. Right at that moment, my soul was to begin the journey beyond the planes of existence and onto some other land.

As much as I regretted the most of the things I did in my life, the past I spent in Equestria brought me the true meaning of friendship, love, and a purpose. I only I spent more time apologising to everypony and everyone who I had met for the things I have done. It meant nothing now though. I was shown a good time however, a laugh or two, a reuniting on many occasions, love on many scales, a parallel universe involving a better Blue, adventures, a teaching and learning process, a garden grow, and most importantly, friends. I couldn’t be anymore thankful to the ponies who gave me those opportunities.

Maybe my name would go down in history. Maybe I would set an example for some. Maybe everypony learned a thing or two from me. Maybe I ultimately had no regrets. And maybe I...would live forever.

50 - Final solace

The Gods had been defeated, at long last. It took all of our might and heavy sacrifices, but we knew they didn’t survive as immortals in this world. Blue guided us in the right direction, and fought harder than all of us, the sole driving force behind the battle of Equestria and the Gods. As my friend fell that day, the fire in my heart burned brightly while I fought back the enemy. I, as well as everypony else, didn’t want her efforts to go to waste. Seeing death didn’t feel easy like it may have for Blue, but we all had to go through with it, one way or another if we were to protect our land. And so we did.

The relatives attended the funerals of the fallen, and we all mourned collectively over so many lost souls. We rebuilt upon the destruction caused by the invaders, brick by brick, and thatch by thatch. It took a lot of time and hard work, but we managed to make Equestria back into the proud standard it had before. We hoped that something this devastating would happen again.

A few years have passed now. We’ve all grown older, and I’ve married and had twins since I’ve been in the company in Braeburn. Little Soul Seed, the earth colt and Hearts Wing, the pegasus filly. The days fly by as we take care of the two foals, playing with them and having the family that we dreamed of for so long.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders know their talents already, so they’ve separated in order to focus on what they do the best, but sometimes they all get together and have epic adventures like me and Blue used to; which would carve the way for the new generation.

Twisha and Caerula had been away from us for most of the time, and it would seem to stay that way. But they grew successful in the town of Trottingham while teaching and learning at the same time.

Zap Flower and Thunder Hum, our foster parents, moved into their own place in Ponyville, through our financial aid as they didn’t have anywhere official to stay before, for some reason. They wished to be close to us though, even if we have grown up faster than they could keep track of. They always showed us how good parents should be, and they set an example for me especially.

Cyan Crumble, an old friend of mine, still had his friendly rivalry with Pinkie Pie. Although now they jointly owned a party production business together. ‘The best party you’ll ever have’, their slightly unoriginal, but effective slogan said.

Mistletoe, Holly and Snowfall, the three ponies of winter, visited us every Hearth’s Warming time with gift after gift. I wished to spend more time with them, but they had their own lives to be getting on with as a trio, which I could respect.

Twilight Sparkle and the gang vacationed to the Crystal Empire a while ago, and haven’t returned since. They must have booked a very long stay there altogether. Ponyville stayed very relaxed and quiet around this time of year anyway, so no wonder they would have gone away for now.

And as for Blue...she’s in the town hall, up in front of everypony, reading out her book to us, the audience. It seemed more than a miracle that she survived that final attack back then. She’s bound to a wheelchair as her body still needs to recover fully, as the process would take a couple more years from now. She told me that the machine had a timer, and it ran out when she supposedly ‘died’ on the battlefield, meaning the human half of her soul faded away, leaving her inside this world for the rest of her days. She didn’t mind though. But because her time as a human had run out, she lost all the memories she had on Earth with it. Blue explained that it made her feel much better, not knowing anything about the other land, as she didn’t have to think about that past anymore.

She and Cheerilee had married quite recently, and they adopted a unicorn filly too, named Merry Teal. She had a quiet yet smart personality about her, as she got taught by Cheerilee of course, as well as Blue in the art of ancient magic and other complex subjects, passed down from Princess Opare’s teachings, who she tried to make up for not being able to see her passed relative more often.

Merry played with Hearts, the social and passionate filly, and Soul, the reserved but friendly colt often. They spent most of their time together, exploring or asking us grown-ups questions all the time. The three were the best of friends, and every day brought a sense of energy and happiness as they lived without a care in the world. And just before our foals went to bed, we gave them life lessons for them to think and dream about as they slept, just to make sure they understood how living worked. Blue told us to do that, as she wanted them to know that they had a purpose in life and wanted to figure out the workings of the past, present and future at an early age, so they could become the best that the foals could be. Blue wanted her filly to grow to be a strong, intelligent mare, and she liked to enforce the same kinds of rules to me, Braeburn and Cheerilee, seeing as we had roles as parents too.

I came back to reality as Blue spoke up a little louder now. “And that, fillies and gentlecolts, was my story. I thank you all for listening for so long, and I hope you can take away a few moral lessons tonight. And please take a copy of my book for yourselves if you’re interested in reading on your own. Thank you again.”

Everypony rose from their seats and applauded the pale-orange coated mare on the stage, which lasted for a longer time than a usual applause would take. Then they all filed out of the hall, talking amongst themselves, intrigued about what they learned today. Almost all of the townsfolk took a book from the huge stack before they left, wanting to know more about Blue’s now famous life.

I walked up to her with a big smile on my face. “Well, I think we’ve finally made it,” I joyfully exclaimed.

“That’s true, Destiny. I’m glad I’ve managed to survive this long. And now here I am, married with a foal of my own. I would have never thought of getting that far, but my goal is achieved. I owe it all to you, my friend.” The mare grinned at me, making me blush in modesty. I looked at her hairstyle and the extreme change it underwent. She had a wavy, curly mane instead of spiky, and her tail looked wild and sharp instead of curved and linear. She said to me that it symbolised her turbulent past being behind her, and a simpler, more settled future lay ahead. The colours she had on her body now looked faded and duller, because of all the stress of before, as well as her age. She didn’t mind her complexion not being what it used to be though, she said it suited her.

“Thanks Blue, and you helped me get to this point too. I have to be as grateful as you are because of that,” I said, suddenly reminiscing about everything that took us to this moment.

“I know that look of yours,” Blue noticed.

“Oh yeah, just getting nostalgic. Do you remember the time when we first met?”

“Almost like it was yesterday. Somehow I landed in Canterlot for one reason or another, and found you walking down a path. It was a bittersweet meeting though, because of what happened during. The crash, me covering it up. I only realised who they were after a year of investigations.”

“I know. It’s hard for me to not frown when I think about it, but I know you were trying to do the right thing, or at least you thought. The cause of the crash was to do with a lightning strike, apparently.”

“That’s right. A bolt hit the air-chariot, even though there wasn’t a cloud in the sky at the time. Nopony could explain it. I read that one weather researcher claimed it came from space, or a different dimension completely. Strange huh?”

“And what about that time we fought that massive dragon? He claimed his name was Calix something…”

“Ashkore the mighty. I could never forgive myself for that defeat.”

“We were two tiny fillies facing off against that monster, Blue. Of course we were going to get beaten.”

“I suppose so. Maybe we can take revenge one day, heheh…”

“Ooh, and what about when we travelled to Fillydelphia that one time?”

“What an awful place that was. But we met this renegade character running away from police-ponies with this bulky, foreign sounding stallion. They seemed like nice guys though, one of the better criminals in that town, so we helped them hide away for a bit.”

“We had a bit of trouble with the authorities after that. The thrill was nice until we got thrown in a cell for a night. Why did we even consider helping them, Blue?”

“They promised us power beyond our wildest dreams. We were young so power meant a slightly different thing to us, hah.”

“Oh yeah! Silly us. Oh hey, remember that time when…” We carried on bringing up times of our adventures of old, just us two alone in the town hall, drinking alcohol in celebration of getting this far. Our status as best friends stayed that way, we promised to each other. ‘It’s us against the world’ we chanted as we took swigs from the bottle, continuing to recount the hectic days. The generation that our families took care of now, they were the future, and maybe they’d be telling stories to each other in the same way that we did; some day. But for us, the humbler part of our journey began, and we wished each other the best. It would be the adventure to end all adventures.

Blue’s brother, Azure Spark, had perfected a dimension hopping machine with his students. It could only be used once a month though, as energy to power the advanced system seemed very hard to come by. Blue had a personally reserved use for a certain month every year though, Hearth’s Warming time. She visited her parallel self which she didn’t tell anypony about except her closest relatives. The other Blue retained the appearance of the younger current Blue, as she still had intense times to come. But when our Blue went, she spent time with her other self, ponies called Cherry Blossom, Hibiscus and Shimmershine, as well as a parallel Zap Flower and Thunder Hum, the other Blue’s natural parents. Our Blue claimed that they were the tightest family ever; more together than anypony else’s families. They spend Hearth’s Warming dinner together, with our Blue buying all the food and gifts as her own special contribution to the considerably poorer family. That other world stood as one of the things that kept Blue going.

All in all however, we were all family, really. The tree has grown, and the dawning of a new age brings us into the bright future of prosperity and happiness. And through all the hardships we faced before, especially fro Blue, we felt good. Through the chaos and darkness, Blue held on to that shining light in her heart; hope. The pain we felt through the years meant something to us, something better. We meant something, to each other and to Equestria. And honestly, we wouldn’t have had it any other way.

“An even shinier day than usual, I see,” Announced Princess Celestia from her private tower as she admired the sun shining over Equestria for just another day, that yellow ball of light, cherishing the land that it ruled over with Celestia, as much as the moon did with Luna. Everything looked up for everypony, because nothing could stop them from being happy now.
Luna surprisingly joined Celestia. The looked out together, surveying the towns, forests and trees, shining back in their eternal glory. And when the time felt right, they spoke in harmony. “Thank you, Electric Blue, for everything.”

1 - A new home

"An even shinier day than usual I see" announced her royal majesty, Princess Celestia. "That only means one thing, a new pony has arrived in ponyville."
(Whenever somepony is introduced to a new place, the sun shines a tiny bit more on the place where the pony is.)

Electric blue, a pony of knowledge for technology, a pony that cares a lot for friends, a pony that wants to find a new place to live. This particular pony has just bought a house in Ponyville, as she knows that this is the place to go when you live in equestria if you want a fun, humble environment. Her new home is ironically near to sweet apple acres, a farm owned by simple ponies.

And now for first person mode
I open the door to my freshly bought house, and pushed my bag, containing a few clothes and accessories, to the corner of the hall. I breathed a big sigh and jumped onto the warmest, cosiest bed I've ever rested on. Tired from a four hour cart ride from somewhere that I don't remember to Ponyville, I closed my eyes and rested for a while.

After a small afternoon nap, I awoke to a stetson wearing orange pony nudging in some slightly worn furniture. "What are you doing exactly?" I asked the earth pony.

"Ah'm jus' helpin' ya out as yer' stayin' with us now, ain't ya? Ah noticed you were close to our farm, and we had some spare furniture layin' around, so we thought it'd be a good idea to give you it!"

I noticed that this pony talked in a strong country accent. "Well, I do thank you for your kindness, I wouldn't expect anypony to be so giving around here, but I've just moved here, so I think my first impression of this place is that it's going to be simply wonderful."

"Ah think yer' gonna be a swell pony to be around! Oh whoops, fergot ta give ya mah name, it's Applejack bah the way, what's yers?"

"I am Electric blue, I'm very pleased to make your acquaintance."

"That's a nice name, and ah hope we become good friends. Shoot, d'ya want a tour of the farm?"

"I'd love to see it, it looked like a nice place when I looked past my house."

I squeezed past the huddled furniture and closed the door of my house behind me, and then followed the newly befriended Applejack to her farm.
"Well what do you know, so many apples everywhere!"

"and that's just tha start, lemme introduce ya to mah family! Come out everypony, we got a new visitor!"

The whole apple family hurried next to Applejack, as well as Granny Smith, the slowest of the bunch. All of them had an apple related cutie mark on their flanks, ranging from the simple fruit to pies and pastries. They all looked so homely and friendly, nothing was going to go wrong with these ponies.

"So how d'ya like our family, blue?"

Applejack was quick to call me by my most known nickname, so this must've meant that she had me as a good friend already, or that she was just so excited to show me around the place.

"I can see that they're all very lovely, it's amazing how big your family is, and how you work on such a huge farm!"

"come on, lemme show you the features of everythin' here!"

I was practically dragged to each and every part of the farm, zigzagging through the apple orchard, inside and outside the barn, and shown every nook and cranny of the farmhouse, that looked so welcoming, as if you could live inside there and never come out because it looked so warm and cosy.

"I don't know how you do it here, Applejack, it's such a great place that you have here!"

"Aw, it's nothin' really, just buckin' apples every day, gettin' a few bits for 'em, the usual stuff."

"You must be very proud of this place, I sure would be if I owned it!"

"We sure are, an' we make so many things with our precious apples, like apple pie, apple cider, apple ice cream, apple juice, and much, much more!"

"I think I'm really going to love this place, there's no doubt about it."

47 - Different roads, different ambitions

The rain pounded hard on the window panes as I looked out of them in a hopeful sorrow. Cheerilee’s advice to me involved talking to Destiny once again. My ex-best friend felt a need to talk to me as well, but ‘later’. I would agree that now would be her later.

I packed her half of the Paopu fruit after luckily finding it in an easy place, under my bed; said a brief goodbye to my parents and asked them to wish me luck, as I needed it badly. The once passionate pony had grown a hardened shell. Getting her back to her normal self would be a difficult task, but I could do it. I knew her like nopony else after all.

My mane became flat and soaked like the rest of my body as I galloped to the station. I looked a mess as I boarded the train, but it didn’t matter to me. The locomotive made its way to the prosperous western settlement of Appleoosa. There resided the inseparable couple of which nopony could rival. That fact brought me to feel envy.

The weather gradually improved as we moved down the line; the sun fighting its way through the clouds and shining over the sandy place I had arrived at.

Braeburn’s orchard. I knocked on the door of the little house beside it, but received no answer. Did they know I stood outside? Maybe. I took the fruit from my saddlebag and delivered it through the mailbox. Surprisingly it hadn’t gone rotten yet. Did the friendship we had not totally wane yet?

“What am I supposed to do now?” I said out loud. The saloon bar’s rickety hinges of the swinging doors called to me. I had to resist.

I sat on the edge of a steep drop, overlooking the desert and the herds of buffalos happily going about their business. The time came to contemplate my existence again. Where could I have improved on my and Destiny’s relationship? Maybe if we didn’t split up, she would have come with me to Ponyville and things could have been easier. But Braeburn’s got her now. Maybe if I told her the truth sooner, she’d accept that better and build a bridge over that rough patch. But I’ve broken her now. Maybe if we never became friends in the first place, she would have lived a nicer life. But the bond between us has been shattered now. Maybe if I never made that awful deal with the Gods in my youth, I would have died peacefully. But I’ve cheated death for this long now. So many mistakes I’ve made, and no tangible way to fix them. Why did it have to be me to get everything wrong? At least I’ve seen it all. More than anypony else would see in their lifetimes. Apart from maybe Princess Opare, Celestia rest her soul.

I looked back at the house, and saw one of the top floor windows wide ajar. Everypony closes their windows before they leave, right? So the two were in after all! They just didn’t want to answer. I huffed at that fact. Maybe they’ll come to me. I sure as hay don’t want to be the smaller pony right now to go back and knock.

I turned back around and noticed Applejack casually sitting next to me.

“Fancy seein’ ya here, Blue! Ah like the new hairstyle of yers!” she cheerfully complimented.

I tutted. “But it’s been raining; my mane’s all ruined.”

“It dried into somethin’ perfect though. Ya’ll should keep it when ya see yer reflection next!” The farm-pony gave me a friendly punch on the shoulder.

“Thanks, I suppose…” I could only reply to that. My tone quickly changed as I remembered something. “Hey Applejack, what happened to Braeburn?”

She looked at me, puzzled. “Huh? Ah don’t know what yer talkin’ about. Ah saw him just a while ago and he was as dandy as ever.”

“But every time I saw him, he seemed much quieter and brooding. What’s up with that?” I asked, hopefully sparking some sort of thought into the relative of his.

“Strange...he would never be glum. If ya go see him today, Ah’m sure he’ll be fine!” her reassuring voice of confidence told me.

“If you say so, my friend…”

We sat together for a few minutes, admiring the view. I hadn’t met Applejack for a while now, and her showing up here felt like a funny coincidence of sorts.

“So what brings ya here then?” the freckled filly questioned.

I shook my head when I thought about it. “I’ve got a debt to repay, you could say. I’m going to talk to Destiny, and try to give her the support she needs.”

“She didn’t look half as good like when Ah last saw the poor gal. Destiny’s taken this pretty badly, and Ah don’t think she’ll recover for a long time now.” She had the look of absolute worry on her face.

“Maybe, just maybe I can make things right though. I don’t want to regret my actions for much longer; it’s too crushing to bear.” I would never let go of that persistent hope that I always carried with me.

The door opened when I looked behind me once more. The time came to strike and get in that doorway. Applejack followed closely as I ran to it, watching Destiny’s head peek out and return in a certain disgust for my appearance.

“Oh, hello,” the white-coated pegasus scoffed as she looked at one of her hooves. “You better come in.”

We strolled through and the door slammed behind us through Destiny’s anger.

“Destiny, I-”

My speech had been interrupted by an agonising hoof-slap to the face. I reeled, losing my balance and forcing Applejack to catch my body. She raised her hoof and dealt another blow. Braeburn watched in the background, feigning some sort of shock. The pony holding me up lost her grip and I fell to the floor. I struggled getting up, but Destiny, full of malice beyond what I have ever seen before, struck me down again. I rose to standing height slowly and painfully now. Her hoof put itself high once more, but lowered shortly afterwards. Her face flooded itself with tears.

I slumped down onto my flank. “It’s what I deserved…” I hoarsely whispered then coughed chokingly.

A moment passed as Applejack cradled me helplessly, gently caressing the gash now embedded in my cheek. Destiny and Braeburn had transitioned to another room. This had not gone as smooth as I would have expected.

“Applejack, you can go if you want to. I don’t want you getting hurt yourself,” I said as I got up, spine clicking into place.

“No, Blue! Ah can’t just leave ya like this! Ah’m standin’ mah ground,” she spoke out in defiance.

I put a weak hoof on hers. “Please, just leave, you’ve got to. You can wait outside if you want, but I’m not allowing you to get caught in the crossfire.”

“Blue…”

“Go, I’ll be fine. This is nothing compared to what you can deal out to me, so I can handle it.”

The stetson wearing mare gave a look of despair as she turned and opened the door.

“Jus’...be careful, okay?”

“I will, don’t worry about it.”

I stumbled across the hall, zigzagging my way through as I periodically leaned on the walls for a few seconds each time. “Destiny?” I called out. No response. I came across a sink and washed my face in it to try and remove the blood pouring from my right cheek. When I looked up, Braeburn had appeared from out of nowhere. He grinned, turned around and bucked me into the mirror above the sink, smashing my face into it and breaking the glass into tiny, burning shards that littered my head and body now. He dashed into another room again after that.

My strength had been lowered to that of a crawl. I cried for Destiny again. No answer. Trying to move further than where I lay proved useless, so I stayed there, writhing in pain. My body had taken its fair share of damage over the years, and the lacerations became more difficult to cope with every time. The aching overwhelmed me, and I blacked out. I just couldn’t take this much in one go anymore.

“Blue. Poor little Blue. Now you know what it feels to be in my position. At least yours isn’t permanent, like my pain,” a drowned-out voice said to me. My vision blurred in and out as I struggled to keep my eyes open.

I looked at the blinding light bulb hanging above me, then to the shape of a black and red haired pony to my left.

“You wanna know a secret Blue?” Destiny asked me. Her voice seemed slightly off though; at a different pitch than usual.

I stayed silent.

“I’ll take that as a yes then. Well, thanks to the extreme hatred you brought to Destiny and Braeburn, me and Glais came back from the dead and possessed these bodies. At least we’ve got somewhere to reside, right, Braeburn?” she snorted.

“Right, Destiny. Or should I say, Rose. You know, it’s good we got over our differences, with her killing me. It was all part of the big plan though. You’ve been a great pawn to us all in our game. Funny thing is, we always win; the Gods.” He laughed with Rose.

I gagged as I sat up. “Why are you even bothering to exist still?” I asked bravely.

“We wish to overthrow the kingdom, so to speak. After we’re done conquering the Earth, the Gods will do battle to decide who is strongest to lead. Zeus is old enough, so he’s not going to last as well, so someone has to step in,” Rose explained.

“The big plan though, you want to know about that, don’t you? Tough luck. We don’t want you to prepare. Oops, did I just say that?” Glais had a shifty look.

“You wanna know another secret, Bluey?” Rose giggled.

“Whatever,” I replied, rage for these two building.

She smiled smugly as she paced around the room for a bit. “Well, you know that old Princess? Opare, was it? Yeah, she almost caught on to what was going to happen. At that, we had to...hush her up.”

“So you’re saying…”

“That’s right, by our hands, surprise surprise. She wasn’t very good at fighting back either. Just took that poison straight away...after a round of roughing up though.”

They both laughed maniacally. The rage reached a fever pitch inside of me. The pain disappeared as I got back onto my hooves. “How dare you...destroy the remains of my family.”

“Ooh, what was that you whispered?” Glais taunted.

“I said...how...dare you! How dare you exist! How dare you kill mercilessly! How dare you stand in front of me, portrayed as close friends while you use them as vessels! You Gods will not win this time, I won’t let it!” I charged into Rose and Glais, tackling both to the ground.

I began wailing on them, throwing punch after punch increasing with power each time, slowly transforming their faces into a bloody pulp. I ripped the piping from under the sink and plunged it into Glais’ heart, killing him instantly. I watched Rose try to get up, and fall over because of her broken bones, some fractures piercing through the skin. I took the basin lying on the floor and raised it above my head, then throwing it down onto Rose’s mashed up body. I picked it up and smashed it on her skull, over and over until it had been totally flattened and detached from the neck.

I looked at the ravaged bodies, once containing living souls; now unrecognisable piles on the ground. “What have I done?!” I shouted, collapsing in horror. I had murdered two of my closest friends. The anger they brought on made me do this. I lost control. Even from beyond the grave, the Gods ultimately took another win over me. I didn’t want to face living anymore; I’d had enough.

I staggered to the living room, tears in my eyes, and sat down on a sofa. The dark and dusty room filled my mind with thoughts of ending it all, as I glanced to the former ponies motionless in the corner. I could have talked them out of their bodies...I could have reasoned with them.

Applejack busted through the door after the time for her to wait had expired. “What in Equestria is goin’ on here?!”

“I...I killed them, Applejack...I did it...” I stuttered, as I pointed to the corpses.

“What...are ya talkin’ about, Blue?” she asked me calmly. I looked up at her, squinted at the sunlight protruding from the doorway, then back to the other sofa adjacent from me. Destiny and Braeburn sat there, looking at me with puzzled eyes.

“She just...came in here, calling our names even though we were right in front of her, told you to get out of here for some reason even though you already were, fell to the ground a few times, and destroyed our sink. Blue, what happened in your mind just now?” Destiny investigated with actual concern for my well being.

Did I...imagine that all? No...it all seemed too real. Am I beginning to lose my mind? Has it...already been lost? “I’m sorry I came here, Everypony. I shouldn’t have planned this day if I knew I was going to put you in danger.”

“More like puttin’ yerself in danger! Jus’ what were ya thinkin’, ya silly filly? At least that sink was cheap,” Braeburn laughed. They all acted so normally when they shouldn’t have, after what I had experienced.

“Can I get a drink of water, please? I really need to calm my nerves,” I requested with that all too familiar shakiness in my voice.

Braeburn rushed to get me a glass, which in turn chilled my mind as I drank.

“So what are you here for anyway?” asked the only pegasus of the group.

I took a moment to gather my thoughts. “Destiny...I wanted to apologise. I’ve made so many mistakes in my time, and this one was truly unforgivable. I will forever regret not telling you sooner. And for all those years before, you stuck by me when you shouldn’t have. We should have passed each other instead of taking interest when we first met. I never should have been in your life. I forced you to live a lie, one of the ultimate crimes, and for what?! Oh Destiny...I was selfish. I only wanted to protect you...so I could keep myself hanging on by having an only friend. I kept you by my side all for my own gain. I threw it all away just like that. Everything I had built you up on was wrong. I was the one to raise you when you should have gone your own way. I used you Destiny, for my pointless existence to further itself. Just what’s the point anymore…” I choked here.

“Blue, stop, please. You don’t have to say anymore.” Destiny transferred to my side and put me into her embrace. “I’ve forgiven you. You were doing it to protect me from becoming less than what my personality was, and I’m proud of you for that. It was tough to take at first, but I had to come to terms with it. Over the years I began to figure it out too. I knew that my family weren’t coming back, and that reason you confirmed to me recently. That’s why I left you; I needed time to think and reflect for a while. But Blue, always remember this. I will always love you, no matter what you’ve done. You’re my best friend, and I would never abandon that status from you.”

A weight had been lifted from my mind after that speech. “Here, I brought you your half…” as I pulled the star-shaped fruit out of my bag.

She took it gently from my hooves. “Oh! I was wondering where that had gotten to.”

My mind took a step back. So that letter I received had been forged? I couldn’t believe it. A question cropped up though. “Destiny, so what’s going on with the Wonderbolts? How’s that coming along?”

She stayed silent and looked away from me.

“Uh, what’s wrong Destiny?” I openly pondered.

“Well…” she started.

“Well what?”

“The thing is…”

She walked outside, not finishing her sentence.

“Destiny…” I said as I watched her look up into the sky.

At that moment, the pegasus took off, leaving us in the dust as all of us took our place outside. Conveniently the Wonderbolts were flying by, and so Destiny joined them. The group disappeared into the clouds.

“So she’s...gone for good then?” I asked Braeburn. He didn’t look like he wanted to answer.

“Looks like she made that choice... Ah’m happy for Destiny, she’s followin’ her dreams…” he replied, looking downhearted.

“Ah’m sure she’s gotta come back sometimes, ta see ya at least,” Applejack tried to reassure her cousin.

“That’s not going to happen,” I confirmed. “Her particular enrollment to the Wonderbolts is a permanent stay basis. And the location of which she will live now is extremely hard to get to, even for average pegasi.”

“It’s true...and though she may never return, Ah will always love her,” the strong stallion remarked with an essence of hope for the future; for himself and Destiny. True love couldn’t get any better than what the couple had.

The three of us shuffled back inside the house to contemplate her leaving and all the things we’ve missed on saying to her.

Until a faint whistling from out of the distance, which made us stop in our tracks. A white dot came into view, which transformed into a living object. A certain red and black maned mare shot back down, colliding into Braeburn at a shocking speed.

“Oh Braeburn, I could never leave you! You’re far too important to me for any other thing in Equestria!” she cried, grabbing his face and planting multiple kisses on it as Applejack and I watched before realising and turning away.

“Well, it certainly looks like life is looking up for us all,” I remarked, smiling greatly at the notion. Life did in fact, get to its peak and keep on climbing. I couldn’t ask for any more than what I had now.