Free Fall

by The_Machinist

Rating: everyone
Tags: Sad, Princess Luna, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Princess Celestia, Alternate Universe, Human
Length: 2763

Letters to one who will not exist for some time... Perhaps they exist, but not as he knows it.

A man writes letters to a friend who no longer exists, but yet in the future... There is hope. Perhaps this friend exists, but not as the man knows him to be.

Published 2015-03-28 02:50:02 UTC
Last updated 2015-05-24 20:22:27 UTC

Letters

To Alex,
Is it not possible for one to be so alive at a time that is now? Can you not see what has been gifted to you? You have been gifted the most important thing somebody can get! Of course it may seem a tad bit arguable to you, but I feel as if it is a gift! A gift that I… Unfortunately… Cannot receive in these troubling times. As you may have noticed; the virologists are worried about the outbreak of a certain virus in Russia. It is spreading quite rapidly with millions already affected in a month! I wish you well, and good luck at your new place of work! I certainly wish I could be promoted to the head of the Astronomy department. Fair thee well dear friend!

…"Gone, but for how long...?"...

Dear Alex,
There is talk of the virus in the United States my dear friend. I noticed that you have not replied to my last letter, but it is alright. There is an odd phenomena occurring inside of our solar system! It is troubling to witness Jupiter’s moons fall into the cloudy haze of the gas giant. We know not the reason, or the why for that matter. In other news, the virus is being reported to have odd effects in ninety eight percent of cases. Hair… Or perhaps fur of odd coloration sprouts about the body. The other two percent of cases renders the afflicted… Well… Dead. It is sad, yes, but I show great interest in this phenomena, as it the only piece of news that is not about talk of war… Anyways, I must go. Talk to you soon, Alex!

…"One thousand years, Celestia..."...

Alex,
We… I wish you would correspond with me. I wish to apologize if I have been bothering you as of late. Jupiter is acting strange. Clouds of matter bursting forth at random intervals over the course of the months since we last talked. Perhaps the letters we send truly do not matter to you? Mayhaps you return one of the letters so that I know you are okay. They have stopped reporting the virus, much like the Ebola virus all those years ago. Except that this… ‘Discordia’... As they now call it… Discordia is still about. I suspect that the sightings of strange, oddly coloured horses may have something to do with it. Wishing you well, yours truly… I miss you.

… “You have no idea how much I cared…” …

Dear Alex,
I understand now. I’m sorry Alex. I thought that you may have sent a letter by now. Perhaps even an email, though I know how opposed you are to such things. You always were the vintage type, no? It has been four months since my last letter. Those creatures prefer to be called ponies… Apparently...They are commonplace now. I suspect that they have existed since the viruses coming a year ago. We are… I’m the head of the Astronomy department now. Doctor Swirl has chosen to take leave due to the virus. I do not wish to contract Discordia. Though I suspect you might have already become affected. I still care for you, pony or not, remember that you are my dearest friend.

…”We were together in the end…"...

Alex,
Doctor Swirl now prefers to be referred to as Star Swirl. An odd name for a man, or perhaps stallion, like him. He is still interested in the celestial bodies and how they work, but I have heard that Star Swirl is studying magic. Magic, my friend! It is odd, no? A certain race of ponies, including Star Swirl, can use the horns on their heads to practice this new field of study. I watched as he dazzled many minds of the student body at a recent assembly. He formed a seemingly holographic picture of our solar system the size of the auditorium! It was amazing! I wish you could have been there to see it... I still miss you... Until next time.

..."Your student, Twilight Sparkle, we thank her for lifting our previous transgressions..."...

My Friend,
Too long has it been. The sun does not follow its’ normal orbital pattern. The orb of night remains in its’ free-fall around earth. Do not fret, everything appears to be fine. The ponies who dub themselves as ‘Unicorns’ now jump start the sun’s setting and rising. Most of the university staff and students are now ponies. Another odd phenomena about Discordia is that the afflicted do not mind the physical change in their bodies. It is odd, but they seem happier. War is declining. The Middle East is settling down, but the men and women stationed in the International Space Station have reported odd weather patterns in the Antarctic region of the Earth. I’m sure it is nothing. Wishing you luck in this tough world, Alex.

…”I’m so sorry Luna…” ...

To Alex,
Am I all that remains? No. The President of Russia and America are the only two leaders that are not afflicted by now. I suspect they are immune. From this humble observatory that the university has solemnly gifted to me, I watch as borders crumble. I’m sure you have heard the talk of other creatures emerging out of the woodwork. Birds of prey that were once mere animals now prefer the term ‘Griffon’. Livestock that were once cows are now calling themselves ‘Minotaurs’. The virus is obviously cross species. I suppose I should be happy. I only correspond via letters now. The Digital Age has begun to crumble, hooves and telekinesis cannot operate computers and circuits. The observatory, whom I like to call ‘The Castle’ rests in the rocky mountains. I hope you’ll visit one day… Are you still alive? We… No, I hope so.

…”We forgive thee, dear sister...”...

To Luna,
This is a letter to myself. Although it may not make sense to you… It makes sense to me right now. Discordia had some unfortunate effects on the population that goes well beyond the change in physical appearance. These former men and women are slowly but surely losing memory of Humanity as a whole. Delusions are formed in their minds. They believe that the human race has never existed. I observe and watch as the world crumbles around me. The three races of ponies have now congregated and formed their own country ruled by a pony called Celestia. You will know her of course. I have discovered that I have the virus, hence the reason I write this letter. It will be a shame to leave this world behind, but I shall lock myself in The Castle for the time being. Goodbye, Doctor Lune.

..."We will forever rule in peace..."...

"Celestia? Twilight Sparkle?" Princess Luna backed away from her desk in a frightened manner. "No... This cannot be true... We cannot be of the fabled species! A virus..." Princess Luna felt a headache coming on. She trotted back up to her desk and re-read the letters over and over again. "But if I... Sent these letters to this 'Alex', then how were they kept in the possession of our dear sister?" Luna lifted a hoof up to her chin in thought. her eyes widened and she gasped in surprise. The Princess of the Night dashed out her office doors while crying out Celestia's name.

..."I certainly hope so, Luna..."...

Author's Note

Something I came up with.

Vocalizations

Everyone is gone. Most of the bloody population whom I thought were dead have disappeared. It’s that damned virus, Discordia. I locked myself in this castle, well… Observatory. A room of it at least. Who knows what’s going on in the world. Nothing is left anymore. Russia activated it’s dead man’s hand and now a good portion of their country is just nothing. They call it the badlands I think… That was years ago. My hair is turning into a shade of blue, I think I have the virus. I may very well be the last human alive. I wish time would tell, because my aging has slowed down over the past decade. I estimate myself to look about thirty four when I am really fifty five years old.

I sigh and angrily clutch the pen in my hand.

Nothing, absolutely nothing is the same anymore… I wish I could go back. I wish I could warn them all to eradicate it. Nobody would have listened to me.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK I look up from the sturdy oak desk I sit at. Curious as to who could be knocking. A pony, Celestia I think she calls herself, has claimed the observatory as her place of ruling. She has some memory of humanity. It’s really quite surprising to find another who has memory of the precursors. That’s what the ponies call humanity… Precursors… How ironic that we thought another race built the pyramids, and ponies wonder who built the towering skyscrapers of New York City.

“Yes. You may enter.” I furrow my brow, I believe Celestia to be the one entering. A pretty young… Alicorn I think. Clean white fur, with a long spiraling ivory horn perched on her forehead, and a beautiful set of wings. Her crown sits atop the pink mane that flows elegantly down to the floor.

The door opens, and it is indeed Celestia. When she notices me, her charming and royal gaze turns into one of concern. She carefully shuts the tall oaken door behind her and walks forward, slowly, up to my desk. She sits on a cushion in front of the mahogany wonder, and stares at the bookcase behind me that stretches wall to wall, containing thousands upon thousands of books that deal with various human knowledges. The alabaster alicorn gulps as my gaze copies her’s.

“What is wrong, Celestia? You seem quite concerned for us- Er… Me.” Another thing that has happened recently. Speech mannerisms seem to be rewiring in my head, a prospect I do not wish to entertain too often.

Her gaze flicks between my face and the bookcase behind me. “Your hair is longer and more indigo colored towards the roots.” She’s concerned for my well being. I appreciate the gesture, but it doesn’t help that I understand my fate.

“Yes. I know that Celestia. Thanks to that damned virus, you, me, and all your bloody citizens are becoming, and have become ponie- augh!” I clutch my throat. My voice cracked! I cough a few times, hoping to get rid of the feeling of my vocal cords tightening. “N-now this shit is happening.” Yes. A slightly higher pitch than my normally low octave tone.

Celestia movies a little closer to the desk as I rub my temples. “Doctor Lune. Would you like tea…? You know I can get a maid to brew some for the two of us.” She is even more concerned at this point… How interesting that a being who has only known me for so many years has become more worrying for my well being.

“No Celestia. It’s quite alright. I’ll just fall asleep much earlier today with some help…” I open a drawer in the desk and pull out a quarter-filled bottle of scotch and a small glass. I set it on the table, and gasp slightly as Celestia’s hoof lightly touches my hand holding the glass.

“You do know that drinking yourself to sleep is not healthy, right? Drinking itself is a horrid thing to do.” Her gaze hardens. “That is exactly the reason why I mandated a ban on the importing and exporting of alcohol, and banned the product itself! The ponies are fine with it. You do not need alcohol to make yourself feel better or fall asleep, Lune.” Celestia’s eyes soften when they meet my curious, yet sad state.

“Of course I know that…” I reluctantly put the bottle and glass back into the drawer and fold my hands on the desk, sighing. “It’s a hard life ahead. I can tell that my gender will change. I’ll become like you for god’s sake!” I lift my hand up slightly to gesture towards the alicorn. “I have a bump on my head and wings on my back, the jacket just covers them…” My eyes water slightly. I did not want to become a mare. I did not want to lose my humanity.

Celestia stands up from her seat and walks around the desk to me. I get off my desk chair and kneel in front of her, teary eyed and a broken man. Celestia smiles as she sits and wraps both hooves around my neck, pulling me in for a hug. “We both know what’s going to happen. You find it sad, but I think it’s for the best. Fighting the change does nothing but prolong your depression, Lune.” She begins to stroke my bluish/blonde hair, presumably as a gesture of empathy. She reared back slightly when her hoof touched my new wings, covered by the jacket. “Hm. An Alicorn then?”

I nod in affirmation, my arms wrapping her her chest and patting her back. “I suppose so… You control the sun, correct?”

Celestia blinks and nods. “Yeah, why?”

I look at the wall behind her. “If i became an Alicorn, would i control the moon…”

Celestia blinks again, this time out of surprise. “W-well I don’t know. I suppose we’d have to start calling you Luna if you did that.” She laughs at her little pun. “Get it…? Doctor Lune…? Princess Luna…?”

I frown. What was Celestia thinking? “We- I still do not want to become a pony, Celestia. Much less a Princess.” She must be mad.

The mare let go of me, and I the same. “Yeah well. Princess Luna has a nice ring to it, unless you’d just like to remain Doctor Lune, but still be followed around by ponies because you will be an ageless alicorn for a long time.”

I scoff. “I think I’d go mad if I was followed by ponies, and I think I’d go mad if I was a Princess!” I wave the matter off with a hand and sit back on my chair. “I’m sorry Celestia, I must stay like this for as long as possible.”

Celestia looks down at the floor with a grimace. “If that is what you wish. I will have two of those bat pony guards you look upon so fondly guard the outside of your room, and if anypony asks who you are, I’ll just tell them that you are my sister.”

I blink. Sister? “What do you mean, sister? I’m a man.”

Celestia smiles, her eyes becoming more filled with cheer and joy. “Well, you’re going to be an Alicorn mare, so it’s only natural for you to have some sort of alibi until the change is complete. It will benefit you in the end, I promise you that.”

Now… Now we- I am getting mad. I slam my fist down on the desk, creating a fissure. “WE DO NOT WANT TO BE A GOD DAMN PONY!”

Celestia’s ears flatten against her head as she looks back at the floor in a sad manner. “You’re going to have to face the truth soon. It’s going to happen eventually. Why, just look at yourself now.” Celestia looks back up and gestures to me ears. “Your ears have become pony ears while we were talking.”

My eyes widen as I grasp for my ears, only to find them poking through my more indigo colored hair. “No no no…”

Celestia nods. “Yes yes yes. Don’t worry. I’ll see to it that you’ll be happy…”

I feel enraged. I feel like I’m going to go mad. I don’t want to be a pony. I’d rather be Doctor Lune, studying the skies with a computer aided telescope, not Princess Luna, the monitor over the night and those who dwell within it. I cannot take it out on Celestia though. That would bring bad results. Though if I am driven far enough, I may have to act upon it.

My eye twitches. “Fine. Leave at once, I have work to do.”

Celestia gets up and glances back at me. “Just think about what i said, alright Lune?”

I nod and turn back to my writings. Once I hear the door shut, I pick up my pen and begin to write again.

To Luna,
This is a letter to myself. Although it may not make sense to you… It makes sense to me right now…

Author's Note

Felt as if it deserved this.