Nopony left behind.
by SQRT(-2)
Chapter 1, Mythical Pony
“Is somepony there?” Fluttershy called to the darkness. She walked carefully into the garden, away from the welcoming lights and music of the reception. Her footsteps were uncertain as she ventured into the unknown. “Hello?” She said softly. “Oh, I know we got off on a bad hoof, but I really am a nice pony. I would love to be your friend.” The yellow pony walked nervously forward, her ears alert, her eyes searching. She came to a small clearing where several of the trees and bushes bore broken branches. The party seemed distant now, it was only dancing lights and the beat of music that intruded into the serenity of the park. Leaves rustled ahead of her. “Oh come out little one, the nasty Changelings are all gone, it is safe.” Her heart was pounding in her ears, her failure at the grand galloping gala was fresh in her mind. If one, just one creature in the Canterlot garden trusted her, she felt she would be redeemed. “I see you, come on out.” She lied.
The bush moved. A unicorn emerged. In the dim light, Fluttershy could make out a scuffed white coat and a disheveled pink and black mane. “Ow,” she gingerly touch her head with a hoof. “Where am I?” The unicorn asked. Fluttershy’s brief disappointment that it was a pony and not one of the park’s many creatures was replaced quickly with concern for the pony.
“Why, You are in the Royal Garden. Did one of those changelings hurt you?” Fluttershy approached the injured unicorn. “I thought they found everypony. Oh, I hope no pony else is still missing.” She poked her head into the bush the unicorn had just exited.
“I guess I was kicked pretty hard.” The unicorn surmised. “Thanks for the help, I guess I should get this looked at.” She turned to leave.
“No, no, no, you can’t go that way.” Fluttershy walked around to stand in front of the mare. “It’s this way.” She motioned to the distant lights and sounds of the party. The unicorn looked to the party, back to Fluttershy, and smiled nervously.
“Yes, How silly of me.” The two walked to the party in silence.
They had just entered the party when a pink pony bounded to them. “Welcome to the party!” Pinke threw a hoof full of streamers over the newcomer. “Woah, you look like you have been partying too hard! Who is your friend Fluttershy?” Pinke began to bounce with excitement. The newcomer stood frozen, overwhelmed by Pinke’s energy.
“Oh, I don’t know. Would you tell us your name, that is, if you want to?” Fluttershy asked.
“Myth.” The unicorn said, still watching Pinke as she bounced in place before her.
“Well, I believe in you, you are right here in front of me!” She stopped bouncing. “You are not very good at this are you?” Pinke cocked her head examining the new pony. A few ponies were starting to gather behind Pinke. “If I was a Myth, I would live in the Everfree forest. All sorts of Mythical things there. Or there would be, if they were real. But then they wouldn’t be Mythical would they?”
“Who are you bothering now Pinke?” Twilight emerged for the wall of watching ponies to rescue the latest ‘Pinkified’ pony.
“Oh, Don’t worry Twilight, She is a myth, so I’m not bothering anyone!” Pinke explained.
“Her name is Myth, she is hurt, the changelings hit her in the head.” Fluttershy said.
“Well, help her, don’t scare her out of her mind.” Twilight rolled her eyes at Pinke. She turned to the newcomer. “Sorry, Pinke Pie can be a little, well Pinke Pie sometimes.” Twilight smiled apologetically.
“Wait, Pinke Pie? Fluttershy? You must be Twilight Sparkle.” Myth said, she took a step back.
“I don’t think we ever met.” Twilight said cocking her head inquisitively to the pony.
“Come on Twi.” Rainbow Dash’s voice came from above. She was hovering just above head level as she liked to do. “We have only saved Equestria three times now, she probably just heard about us.” Dash looked out over the party, she sighted who she was looking for and waived her hoof when she had his eye. A pegasus in a dress uniform winged over.
“What is going on Dash?” Soarin asked as he landed near Rainbow Dash.
“That is a combat medic pin on your uniform, right?” Dash pointed to his chest.
“Yes, But what does-” He noticed Myth and the bump on her head. “Oh, now I see what you are after.” He moved to examine the bump. Myth pulled away from him. She was half a breath away from bolting, running into the crowd and shifting again and again until she was lost forever. But could she make it? Did she have a chance?
“Are you are in the guard?” She eyed his uniform, trying to buy some time. Ponies, Stallions in particular, liked to talk about themselves, it always worked.
“Air Core, the whole Wonderbolts gig is just what some of us do for public relations.” He answered. “Please, someone needs to look at that bump.” Myth looked around, the gathered pony’s eyes were on her. The last thing she wanted now was to be under the scrutiny of a member of the guard, but refusing aid would look really suspicious. She decided it was best to let the stallion show off to his winged blue friend. The sooner she let him do his thing, the sooner his attention would be off of her. Reluctantly, Myth leaned her head forward for inspection. Soarin took her head in his hoof and began to examine her. “Do you hear anything odd?” He asked.
“A bit of a ringing in my ear.” Myth said.
“Ok, now, how is your vision?” He turned her head to him and examined her eyes.
“It was a bit blurry when I woke up, but it is OK now.” For a second, she found herself eye to eye with the stallion. She looked away. Over the years, she has stared into countless faux lovers eyes. Never had she flinched, why now? Why under such casual circumstances?
“Pupils are the same size, that is good.” Soarin said. “I have seen enough crashes to know a concussion when I see one. You need a doctor.”
“A doctor!” Myth pulled back from his inspection. If anything could ruin her ruse, it was an medical examination. If she got anything wrong with this disguise, the slightest oversight on her part and the Doctor would be able to tell in an instant. “D-D-Doctors make me nervous, I’ll be OK, I just need rest.”
“I insist.” Soarin said firmly. Myst considered protesting, but only looked away. He turned to the others and smiled. “I’ll get a doctor, you girls take care of her. Don’t let her wander off.” He took to the air with a grace and power only a few pegasi could.
“I’m OK, Please don’t bother!” Myth called after him. She winced in pain from the exertion. A bundled up towle full of ice levitated to Myth’s head. A bit of pink punch dripped from it.
“Sorry,” Twilight smiled, “I don’t have an ice bag.” Her horn was glowing softly. “Relax, everything allright. You can rest here until Soarin returns with a doctor.” The gathered ponies smiled and nodded.
“Please, I am OK.” Myth said. “Don’t let me ruin your party, I’ll just rest a bit then I’ll be on my way.”
“Think nothing of it. It’s always a pleasure to meet another pony.” Twilight said. “Are you a thespian?” Twilight asked. Myth looked back at her with a lost look. “Your cuti mark?” Twilight explained raising an eyebrow.
“Oh,” Myth looked to her own flank and saw two mask on it, one smiling, and one frowning. “Yes, Sorry, Theater is what I do. Yup, that is me, drama pony.” She smiled, perhaps a bit too much so.
“Poor thing,” Fluttershy said, “You must be terribly confused. They must have hit you really hard. Here, have a seat.” She pushed a cushion forward with her nose. Myth sat down, it was no use resisting, and her head was still throbbing. This role was hard, she had no time to prepare, no time to study the subject. It was like being thrown into a play without even seeing the playbill.
The gathering of ponies began to break up, making way for somepony. The night seemed to retreat from her regal form, even after her sister had raised the moon, the sun seemed to remain with the Sun Princess. Myth knew now she could not run, she could not dash into the party and slip away. There was no escape. She did not know what happened to her Queen, but the Sun Princess must be behind it. There was no way one such as herself could stand against her power. Discovery would be the end of her.
“Well Twilight, who do we have here?” Princess Celeste asked with her usual calm air.
“She is a myth! But I believe in her, look she is right there!” Pinke jumped as she answered the question for Twilight.
“Princess,” Twilight nudged Pinke aside and couldn't help but give the pink pony a quick glare, “She was hurt during the battle, Fluttershy found her. Soarin is getting a doctor.” The Princess smiled to her student and turned her attention to the newcomer. She walked slowly around the the disheveled unicorn. Myth fidgeted as the alicorn circled her. After a long moment, the Princess finished and stood in front of the unicorn.
“So you're a myth?” The Princess’s omnipresent smile was gone.
“No, Yes, I mean.” Myth took a deep breath, she struggled to calm herself. “Myth is my name your majesty.” She bowed. Why did she have to give her real name? Why? Did she want to be exiled to the moon and then imprisoned there?
“A Myth indeed.” The Princess said softly, she then looked over her shoulder into the party. Here eyes sought out and found a midnight blue alicorn. Luna was rescuing Rarity from the company of Prince Blueblood. She watched for a moment, watched her sister ‘slip’ into the royal Canterlot voice in order to scare the Prince away. As he left, Rarity and Luna shared a knowing look. Only those two ponies would have the decorum to avoid laughing. Her decision made, the Sun Princess's smile returned, she turned back to the pony at hoof. She said aloud, “I am sorry no one found you sooner. Can I get someone to escort you home?”
“Thank you, your majesty.” Myth bowed, “But, I am from out of town, I was just visiting for the day.” By ‘escorting you home’ she was certain the Princess ment ‘arrest you where you won’t make a scene at the party’. The Princess was worried about disturbing the party, she might be able to use that.
“Excellent!” The Princess replied, she then turned to her number one student. “Twilight, your new friend will be spending the night in the room next to you and your friends. Please, show her all due hospitality.”
“Of course Princess.” Twilight piped in, eager to please her teacher.
“Now if everypony will excuse me, the Groom still owes me a dance.” The Princess returned to the party, leaving a very scared and confused changeling behind her.
The room in the palace was comfortable, her coat and main were now clean and groomed, a bandage covered the bump on her head, and a sandwich from the royal kitchen filled her stomach, but Myth was not at ease.
“Oh, give them your real name Myth, that will work great! It is such a trustworthy sounding name!” She scolded herself. She trotted over to the window. She did not look out to the view of Canterlot below, but instead at her half reflection in the glass. Somehow this disguise had fooled the doctor, but how? She had assumed it in hast and while in a haze of pain. “And who am I supposed to be? I have never seen this pony? And this, she turned to show her flank in her reflection. The drama mask cuti mark showed clearly in her reflection. This is too much, let’s just advertise to everyone that you like to pretend to be other people.” As bad as this form was, she was stuck with it for a while. Changing now would only raise suspicion. She could shift into a guard and try to slip out of the room, but it surely must be guarded. She would never make it.
She lowered her head. “It doesn't matter, the guards will burst in the door any moment now.” She closed her eyes, waiting for the end. Minutes passed, but nothing happened. She turned to the door. How cruel was the Princess? To let her stew here in this room, waiting for her own doom. It was Inpony of her! She called to whomever the Princess had listening in to her. “. . . any moment now.” The door refused to burst open and spill out a troop of guards. It refused to end her suffering. In fact it was completely silent. She sighed. Slowly, she walked to the bed. Might as well enjoy the comforts of the room while she could. The moon was bound to be much less hospitable. She crawled into the bed, closed her eyes and waited.
She dreamed of her Queen. She dreamed of her in a darkness surrounded by all her victims from over the ages. Thousands of ponies of every walk of life, the rich, the poor, the young, and the old, but all were those capable of great love. All facing their destroyer, waiting together for some unspoken command. As one they swept upon her like the sea, a great tide of ponies crashing against the Queen of the changelings. She struggled to stay afloat, to save herself. She shouted for her subjects, her children, to save her. None came. Slowly, she sank into the ocean of betrayed ponies.
“Wakie! Wakie! Sleepy head!” The pink pony shouted. Myth awoke with a start. Sunlight shone in the window. The door was open wide, but no troop of guards, only a pink pony and a tuft of streamers. Myth’s heart pounded, it wanted to escape from her chest. It was morning? How? Why? She had made it to another day!
“Pinke, don’t scare the mare to death, we have to be going, the train is leaving soon.” Twilight stuck her head in the room. “Sorry Myth, you know Pinke pie! We got to be going, nice meeting you. If you are ever in Ponyville, make sure to stop by.” She pulled her head out of the room, levitating Pinke pie after her. The doors closed with the glow of unicorn magic. Myth jumped out of the bed.
“The train, that is it. I’ll take the train as far away from this place and those ponies as I can. I’ll take someponies place and start over.” She shook the bandage off her head and headed out the door. A changeling’s body was a thing of flux, of change. It shifted from one form to another with ease, a mere plaything of the mind. This plasticity also meant it healed quickly, unless of course, the changeling did not wish it. New hope energized Myth, she was a survivor, you had to be to do what she did.
If she remembered the way in correctly, she only had to cross this causeway between two of the towers and she was almost to the exit. She broke into a trot as she entered the morning sun. She felt good. She heard wings above her and a midnight blue pony landed in the middle of the causeway blocking her path. The Alicorn was facing her, waiting. It was the princess Luna, mistress of the moon.
“We would have a word with you.” The alicorn boomed. Myth came to a screeching halt. This cause Princess Luna to pause, she then continued in a softer tone. “I mean: I would like to talk to you.”
“As you wish, Princess.” Myth carefully approached the princess and bowed before her.
“Twilight told me how you lost your belongings during the battle. Do you have the means to return home?” The alicorn asked.
“I thought I would take the train.” Myth answered, she rose to face the former Mare in the Moon. If anyone knew how bad the moon was, it was her. One thousand years, it made Myth shudder. But with nopony to replace, no love to drain, a changeling like her would starve long before that. Myth did not know if that made it better or worse.
“As I thought as well.” Luna replied. “But, do you have money for a ticket?”
“Oh, good point, I, um, No?” Myth looked sheepishly to the Alicorn.
“As I thought. Here, this will get you home.” A coin purse levitated to the unicorn. It came to a rest in front of Myth’s hooves.
“Princess, I couldn't.” Myth began.
“Yes you can. Please, take it.” The Princess spread her wings to take to the air. As she lifted off, she said. “Watch yourself Myth, we must all live with our choices.” She was gone, into the sky. Myth wished she could just assume the form of a Pegasi and be that free, but it would have to wait.
Myth grabbed the purse and continued across. Minutes later she was running through the streets of Canterlot towards the train station. She almost ran into the ticket window. “Quick, how far will this get me?” She levitated the coins on the counter. The clerk looked at the bits. He was an old pony, and slow to start. However he knew everything by heart and did not need to look up the fairs.
“Well missy,” he said, “That will only get you to-”
“I’ll take it!” She interrupted. She took the ticket he offered her and hurried onto the train. She bounded through the door just as the pony was closing it. Quickly she found an empty seat and flopped down, satisfied. Leaving Canterlot things became a lot saver. She could find some food, gain her strength back, and forget this whole ordeal.
“Well, Ye Ha, Providing the grub for that hoopla more than made up for the grand galloping gala! I reckon I will be able to do a lot around the farm with this.” a familiar voice came from a seat behind Myth. She slowly turned around, afraid that she was right. Yes, right behind her was a familiar orange pony. She was talking to her friends as they were settling in for the trip. Myth rubbed her head sympathetically, thinking of the long gone bump. Farm ponies hit hard, real hard. She levitated her ticket in front of her to read it.
“Ponyville!?” Myth exclaimed, her surprise gotten the better of her and she had shouted out the destination on her ticket. Twilight and Rainbow Dash turned when they heard a familiar voice. They looked around but did not see Myth as she hid in her seat. Crouched down, hiding, Myth didn’t breath. All six of them, all six of the elements of harmony, or at least the pony embodiments of them, sat in the seats just behind her. And her ticket was to their home town! Rainbow Dash shrugged and they turned back to their books. The train started to move. The Stallion sitting next to Myth was giving her a disapproving look. She smiled nervously. “Excuse me.” She said softly and slipped away.
“Why would Princess Luna give me exactly the fare for Ponyville?” Myth was in the train’s mare’s room, talking to the mirror. “And where have I seen this pony before?” She looked into the mirror examining her reflection. “She seems familiar, maybe she was one of my first victims? You would think I would remember someone that I replaced. Has it really been that long? Have I really copied that many people that I can’t remember them all?”
“Open up, I gotta gooo!” A hyper pony on the other side of the door squealed.
Myth began to concentrate, her horn started to glow with a green flame. She pulled up a form in her mind, one she used long ago. No one would recognise that pony, she could disappear, start anew. Something stopped her. She looked at her reflection in the mirror. “No, I want to know who this is, maybe if I hold this form a bit longer, it will come to me.” She opened the door. A pink blur rushed into the room and ushered her out.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you.” The pony blurted out as she locked the door. Myth gathered herself and walked to her seat. The key, she reminded herself, was to act as if she belonged. Then everyone would assume she does. As she sat right next to the six most dangerous ponies in equestra, she did not feel fear, but a rush. Twilight had said if she was ever in Ponyville to come by. It would be rude to ignore the invitation. She was a Changeling, a creature of deception and disguise, sometimes the best place to hide was right next to those who would hunt you. After all, what changeling would be foolish enough to be near these six ponies, these heroes of equestria?
End Chapter 1
