Chapters Guardian Octavia Melody, beginning log. It’s hard to believe it’s already been six weeks since Guardian Noteworthy passed away, harder still that he chose me to succeed him. I’ve tried my best but I always feel inadequate compared to him. He was always smiling, always keeping spirits high despite what has happened. He never balked at helping others, never said no if he could help it…no wonder he was so popular. I sometimes wonder if the others think of me the same way or if they feel my inadequacies as well. I know I shouldn’t worry like this, it isn’t a Guardian’s duty to worry about themselves but about those they have been sworn to protect…I just sometimes need to get it off my chest before it becomes a burden too heavy to shoulder.
Thankfully since the…incident…all those weeks ago we haven’t encountered any further problems other than a lack of food. The ground is nearly frozen solid in most places and finding edible plant matter is proving a difficult job. We have enough supplies to last a few more days but even that is spreading our resources thin. The children all look too tired and hungry, it pains me that I can only give then barely a hoof-full of oats a day. For the last two days I’ve been giving up my rations to some of the weaker foals…I know I shouldn’t! If I become too weak I will not be able to perform my duty but…those faces…they haunt me in my sleep. I have to find a supply of food during today’s patrol or…no I will find something! Even some dried pond thrushes will be enough!
Speaking of the patrol, I have two new volunteers following the recent accident with Emerald Green. I hope that they will listen when I speak, neither have been very co-operative in the past but we can only hope. It’s likely we’ll be gone for several days so I’m going to have to keep a close eye on them at all times. Our patrol will take us out past the White Tail Woods towards Las Pegasus…or rather what is left of Las Pegasus. We can’t go near the city itself though, I’ve received reports that a brood of dragons have taken up residence there and I don’t want anyone injured in a mission to search the city, that’s simply a fool’s errand.
We will be looking for edible plant matter, even rotting vegetation is fair game. Apparently Cupcake has an idea on how to dry it out and cook up a stew with it. I’m not enthralled by the idea but food is food and that means survival.
As for other matters all is well…or as well as it can be. Moral is a little low but that has been a staple for many weeks now. I will report again in one week as usual or sooner if required. May the fallen princesses forever watch over us.
There was a small static click as Octavia lowered the small recording device she was holding to the table top. For a moment she looked at it in awe, up until a few years ago recording technology had been a common household item but now it was revered. Few magically powered items had survived the Overload and those that had were now treated as artefacts of an age that would never return.
She adjusted the cloak that was fastened around her neck, taking an additional moment to double check the two sword sheaths that were fixed to her midriff under the garment. Until recently she couldn’t have imagined using a weapon but in this new world there was only one rule for survival, kill or be killed. It had caused her many sleepless nights at first but now? Now she found she could sleep but the act of killing was not one that came naturally to her; it was only the thought of protecting the ponies that depended on her that kept her going.
Turning she headed towards the far side of the room…well room was a rather luxurious word to use to describe her current abode. They had been lucky to find the cave network they were currently sheltering in, luckier still that no aggressive animals had also been making it their home. Using rope and pieces of fabric they had been able to section off parts of the cave in order to create small private sections where ponies could sleep without being disturbed. As she pulled the curtain back she found a light cerulean coloured pony sitting outside waiting for her. She looked tired, almost nodding off as she sat. Octavia knew why this was, after all Lotus was in charge of looking after the many orphaned foals that they had found.
“Lotus? Are you alright? Can I help you with something?” she asked quietly.
Lotus stirred, yawning widely before pulling herself to her feet and turning to face Octavia.
“I hope I’m not disturbing you,” she replied, her rich Germaneic accent creating a soothing melody.
“Of course not, I’m always here to help, what is it, is everything alright?”
Lotus looked down for a moment and shook her head, “I’m afraid not Miss Guardian, its little Pipsqueak. His fever is running high again and there doesn’t seem to be anything we can do about it.”
“But I thought those herbs we found last week would settle his illness!”
“So did I Miss Guardian, I’ve spent my whole life studying herbology and using it to create relaxing oils and soothing shampoos but…it seems my skills are not that good when using herb medicinally. My sister was always better at that than I was.”
Lotus looked down once more, both saddened and ashamed at her lack of ability. Octavia quickly raised a hoof and pulled her chin up to look at her.
“I won’t hear any such words being spoken from you Lotus!” she said firmly, “Since I’ve known you your skills and gentle touch have soothed, calmed and reassured more ponies than I can count! I know your sister would be proud of you if she was still with us and I know that we are all grateful for all your help over these difficult years.”
Lotus sniffed back her slowly building tears and nodded slightly, “Thank you, I just find it so hard to keep going when everything seems to be falling apart.”
“I understand that very well Lotus, don’t give in to fear and doubt and if you ever need to talk then I am always there for you.”
Lotus nodded, “I know…but I hate to place more on your shoulders than necessary. I heard you recording your log…I didn’t know you had been giving up your rations, you must be so hungry.”
As if on cue Octavia’s stomach gave an appropriate grumble. She looked away, blushing slightly as she did.
“Don’t worry, I won’t tell anypony,” reassured Lotus, “In truth I’ve been doing the same.”
“I guess it’s hard to ignore isn’t it.”
Lotus gave a small nod, “I-I should return to the children, if you find any herbs whilst you’re on patrol please bring as many as you can to me. I know food is short but even just a little of the right one may help Pipsqueak’s condition.”
“I will do what I can,” replied Octavia with a firm nod, “Pickings have been slim lately but I promise you will have anything we can spare.”
“Thank you.”
Lotus gave a smile and trotted away leaving Octavia to sigh deeply. Pipsqueak had been a sick child for quite some time now. He had fallen and broken his front hoof several months ago and the wound had become infected. Lotus had done her best in using natural remedies to reduce his symptoms but the infection was still present in his body. Octavia kept hoping that the next time she took out a patrol they would find something. If they could just get into Las Pegasus they might be able to find a hospital with medicine but she wasn’t going to risk the lives of many on a single child. She felt like a spike had been driven through her heart, she wished there was a way for her to save everypony.
Taking a deep breath she set off towards the mouth of the cave. The path was narrow and lit by only a sparse number of candles that they had been able to scrounge from a derelict house they looted a few weeks ago. Once they had burnt out they would be plunged into complete darkness in their home and Octavia had begun to wonder if they should move on when that happened. Would the dark encourage creatures to intrude? Would it be safe to live in the darkness?
She passed very few ponies on her way, the ones she saw bundled up in as much clothing as they could to try and keep the cold away. They nodded and smiled at her but she wondered what exactly they were feeling. Did they believe in her like they did Noteworth? No she mustn’t think like that. All that mattered was that she did her best and pushed forwards, that was all anypony could do now.
At the mouth of the cave a small group of ponies stood waiting for her. She knew them all but as she had recorded in her log earlier she wasn’t sure on several of the group’s members. Thankfully two of her usual companions were still there; Junebug and Apple Bumpkin. The other two in the group were the new volunteers; Berry Punch and Helia.
“Greetings all,” she announced as she trotted towards them, “Are we prepared?”
“All ready,” replied Junebug motioning to the saddlebags they were all wearing, “Rations, tools, maps, you name it we have it ready.”
“Excellent,” said Octavia as she turned to the new ponies in the group, “I understand you’ve volunteered to fill in for Emerald Green whilst he is recovering.”
“Yeah that’s right,” replied Berry Punch with a glance at Helia.
“Guess so,” added Helia, “What does this entail anyway?”
“Our patrols serve several purposes,” began Octavia with a small nod, “Firstly we check to ensure there are no imminent dangers in the local vicinity. Then we search for supplies, everything from plants to whatever we can find that might be useful. We are also on the lookout for any pony that may require assistance or shelter. As you know we are usually gone for several days and will be camping in the wilderness, I hope I don’t have to remind you of the potential dangers we could face. If you wish to back out now is the time.”
Both Berry Punch and Helia nodded firmly; so far things were going smoothly. Octavia checked her cloak and weapons once more before looking out of the cave mouth. The landscape was unlike anything she could have imagined before it all occurred. The sky above them was grey with rumbling storm clouds and the sun’s light barely made a showing. The ground itself was covered in a thick sheet of white snow that the wind whipped back and forth like waves on the ocean. It had been like this for the last two months and showed no sign of relenting, winter was only going to get deeper.
“Well now, if we are all prepared there isn’t much point in standing on ceremony,” announced Octavia as she turned towards the cave’s mouth and set off at a slow walk.
The other ponies nodded to themselves and set off after her, each shivering slightly as they stepped into the frozen wind. Berry Punch and Helia were less enthusiastic in their progress than the others; the two new ponies having been huddled inside the cave for much of the last few weeks. They looked around themselves mournfully; remembering back to when the land had been lush and green, when the sky were clear and the sun shone down on them. No more could they rely on the peaceful passing of the seasons; nature now ruled this world and nothing would change that.
Slowly the five ponies trekked through the swirling blizzard, Octavia stopping from time to time to scan for danger and for Junebug to check their position. Octavia knew all too well the delicate nature of their condition. The blizzard made normal navigation by sight almost impossible and they were relying almost entirely on Junebug’s directional sense. If she lost her heading they would be lost in the snow with virtually no chance of survival. It was a chilling thought, one that always lurked at the back of Octavia’s mind and poked her from time to time; namely whenever Junebug made a nervous twitch.
Presently though there was nothing to worry about, until they passed White Tail Wood the path was well known and one only had to be on the lookout for Timberwolves that had taken up residence in the once beautiful forest. Despite its decrepit appearance the woods still held a lot of memories for Octavia. Memories of quiet picnics and long evenings watching the stars. She had once gone looking for her old family holiday home but the snow had long since crushed it to nothing and covered its remains in its chill. It had been a sobering time for Octavia, a moment when she had finally let go of the past and looked towards the future. As much as it pained her she knew the memories of old would never return.
“Bit for your thoughts?” asked Junebug with a bubbly grin.
Octavia jumped at her voice and took a deep breath, “Apologies I should be watching for danger not daydreaming.”
Junebug just continued to smile, “Don’t worry, it just means you’re still one of us and not some stone sentinel.”
“Just how do you remain so cheerful all the time?”
Junebug didn’t reply and simply winked at her as she trotted ahead a little. Octavia shook her head, Junebug was always happy; whether it was genuine or just a mask she could never tell but if it was a mask there was never a crack in it. She was slightly jealous of the mare, being able to find happiness in this time was a rare thing indeed. She glanced back at her other companions, Apple Bumpkin currently being sandwiched between a rather unhappy pair of ponies. She bit her lip, if they looked this miserable already they were going to have trouble. She slowed her pace, falling back so she was walking beside them.
“How are you holding up?” she asked curiously.
“So freaking cold!” hissed Berry Punch, “What I wouldn’t give for a strong shot of cider right about now.”
“That makes five of us I’d imagine,” continued Helia as she shivered under her cloak.
“We’ll set up a camp soon and try and warm you guys up, best idea is to keep moving though if you stop in this weather you’re unlikely to get moving again,” instructed Octavia with a firm nod.
“Yeah come on you two, shake a hoof now,” added Bumpkin with the best kind of smile she could manage.
“Oh don’t start Bumpkin,” grumbled Helia with a roll of her eyes, “it’s bad enough having to deal with Junebug’s constant good mood without you joining in too.”
“Hey what’s that supposed to mean?” replied Bumpkin with a huff.
“Settle it!” snapped Octavia quickly, “I don’t want any arguing out here! Until we get back to the cave we have to rely on each other for survival and the first part of that is making sure we don’t get noticed! Or would you like to have a pack of timberwolves hunting you down?”
Helia fell silent but she didn’t look happy; Octavia sighed, had it been a mistake bringing her along? For the rest of the day they mostly travelled in silence, stopping now and then to keep track of their bearings. As luck would have it the blizzard cleared by the time they reached their camping site which pleased Octavia; it was one less problem to worry about. By the time evening began to fall though Helia was looking fit to burst. Octavia was unsure on how to proceed, she knew that talking to her wasn’t going to help but in the same breath if she didn’t say something there was only going to be trouble. That said she couldn’t spend all of her time worrying about one pony, if she didn’t keep her eyes on the world around them they would be in a lot more trouble.
“Alright everypony lets set up camp here for the night, we’ll set off at first light in the morning,” announced Octavia as she came to a stop and gave the area a quick glance over, “Junebug get the tents set up, Berry if you’d go and collect some water from that lake over there, Bumpkin, Helia if you’d collect some wood so we can start a fire. I’m going to give the area a quick check.”
Checking her swords one more time she turned away from the group and started a short patrol. They had stopped at the edge of what had once likely been a glorious forest full of colour. Now the trees were bare; scorched with cold and snow that had left little but dead husks that stood like sentinels. Octavia couldn’t help but shed a tear for what had been lost. Glancing back she watched for a moment as Junebug began to roll out the tents and the others set off on their own errands. She sighed lightly and turned away again, hopefully a good night sleep would do everypony some good.
Helia meanwhile was still fuming as she followed Bumpkin towards the edge of the forest. She was already regretting volunteering, had she not owed a favour to Emerald Green she likely wouldn’t have raised her hoof at all. She was cold, wet, tired and hungry not to mention her own insecurities were starting to raise their head. Ever since Octavia had cut her off earlier she had found herself musing on how much she now hated earth ponies. They couldn’t understand the pain she carried inside her and yet they all acted like they were better than her; or at least in her own eyes they did.
Bumpkin meanwhile didn’t appear to have any feelings about the earlier altercation. She was looking back and forth, occasionally scraping at the snowy ground with a hoof as she looked for firewood. Presently she stopped and looked at one of the trees at the edge of the forest. Her eyes seemed to brighten slightly as she rushed up to it and sniffed the long since dead trunk. A moment later she reached out and pulled a piece of the bark from the tree with her teeth. Helia watched with a cringe on her face as Bumpkin crunched up the bark and swallowed it.
“Apple tree,” informed Bumpkin as she looked towards Helia, “Long since dead but you can still taste apples in the bark, sorta anyway. Oh what I wouldn’t give for a nice apple pie…or even just an apple. Still, even if we had seeds I doubt we could get anything to grow, not with this weather anyway.”
Despite the comment being completely factual Helia felt herself twitch, had that been a dig at her?
“Excuse me?” she said after a moment, “Is that sort of comment about how we can’t control the weather anymore?”
“What? No sugar I didn’t mean that, I was just saying…”
“Oh yeah I know all about your ‘just saying’! It’s not like every comment about us that I hear from you earth ponies is about how you wish we could still control the weather! Maybe we should all stop eating so you can have all the supplies you need! Huh?!”
Bumpkin backed away slightly, raising a hoof to try and steady the irate Pegasus, “Now steady on there Helia, I didn’t say anything of the like. I was just…”
“You think I like not being able to fly anymore? You think I like having these worthless scraps of feathered skin as a constant reminder of what I’ve lost? You earth ponies are all the same! Only ever bothered about yourselves!”
“Now wait just a cotton picking minute! I didn’t say anything of the sort! What’s more we earth ponies have lost a lot too.”
“Oh yeah, big loss, you can’t feel the ground anymore!”
Helia could feel her anger boiling. Ever since the Overload there had been growing rifts between earth ponies and Pegasus. The loss of magic had hit the Pegasus the worst out of the two; the airborne cloud hoppers suddenly finding that their wings on their own would never be enough to lift them into the skies. It had been a devastating blow to them all and the constant whispers and comments dropped by the ponies around them didn’t help their mood at all and caused most of them to become incredibly volatile when pushed the wrong way; Helia was no exception.
“So what next? You going to tell me to calm down? Do it! I dare you to tell me to calm down!” cried Helia, her voice getting louder with each word she spoke.
“No I’m going to tell you to keep your voice down!” hissed Bumpkin frantically, “You don’t know what might be out…”
As if on cue there was a shrill howl that cut the air like a knife. Both ponies felt the hair on their neck stand on end and Helia fell silent instantly. Slowly they began to back away from the wood, both of their eyes locked on the growing darkness within the dead forest. A silence fell over the air that even the whistling of the wind couldn’t break. Then they saw it; a pair of glowing green eyes within the darkness. Bumpkin swallowed hard, there was only one thing that would be living out here.
“H-Helia, run! Run!” she hissed as she backed off a little more.
The Pegasus though stood frozen to the spot, her gaze locked on the glowing green eyes within the wood, “I….I….I…can’t…”
The next few moments happened quickly. With a flurry of dead splinters the large form of a timberwolf leapt from the darkness straight towards Helia. The Pegasus screamed but still found herself unable to move. Without thinking Bumpkin threw herself at the Pegasus, sending her flying to the side and out of the way of the timberwolf but leaving her right in its path. She in turn screamed herself and curled up expecting the claws of the beast to strike her at any moment.
Instead there was sharp call and a tremendous crash as Octavia’s hooves slammed down into the beasts back in mid-air. The force of the impact shattered the wolf’s spine into wooden fragments and sent the rest of it scattering all over the place. As the pieces fell down around her Bumpkin looked up slowly to find Octavia standing over her holding out a hoof.
“Quickly get up,” she snapped, her eyes glued to the forest behind them.
Bumpkin looked round to find another three sets of green eyes looking back at them. Her eyes went wide in fear and she scrambled to her feet alongside Helia. Together the three of them turned and ran back towards the camp. Behind them three more timberwolves leapt from the darkness and sprinted after them. Octavia whistled hard, a shrill warning call that caught both Junebug’s and Berry’s attention as they charged into the camp.
“Move! Everypony move! Now!” cried Octavia as she galloped towards them.
Berry looked stricken with fear much like Helia had been but Junebug quickly shook her and ushered her into a gallop alongside their fellow ponies. Without stopping Octavia ran through the middle of the camp and carried on into the growing darkness.
“Our supplies!” cried Bumpkin as they failed to stop.
“Too late, we have to run!” replied Octavia as she kept her eyes forward.
Bumpkin looked back just in time to see the pack of timberwolves stampeding over their camp, crushing the tents and scattering their saddlebags and their contents into the air. She returned her eyes forward and continued to run, all of them now following Octavia as they galloped through the snow. As fast as they were though the pack was gaining and the constant howls and growls from behind them didn’t do much to comfort them. They had to find somewhere to hide and quickly!
As they crested a rise Octavia heart skipped a beat. There, sticking out of a cliff ahead of them was a small square building. In the dying light it was almost impossible to see, had it been any darker they could very well have run right past it, but right then it was like a shining beacon of hope. She quickened her pace, straining against her own limits as she headed towards it.
“Move move move!” she screamed as she urged the others on.
They were all panting around her, pushing themselves as hard as they could as they made for the small building. As they reached it Octavia skidded to a halt and spun quickly as she brought her rear hooves up and kicked the door. It was made of metal, her hooves denting the surface slightly but otherwise proving ineffective. She tried again, kicking as hard as she could but to no avail. A moment later Bumpkin joined her, the earth pony throwing her whole body into the door as it creaked and rattled in its mountings. Octavia looked back at their pursuers; they were almost on top of them.
“Keep trying!” she said quickly as she drew a sword and charged towards the oncoming timberwolves.
Berry Punch and Helia couldn’t believe it, standing rigid on the spot as Octavia charged. Junebug and Bumpkin though continued to throw themselves at the door, the metal obstacle now shaking with every impact.
As the first wolf made a swipe at her she ducked, flattening herself to the ground as the clawed wooden foot narrowly missed her. She didn’t pause, clutching her sword in her mouth and jumping straight up. It wasn’t perfectly aimed but the strike had its effect, chopping straight through the wolf’s front leg and separating half of it from the wolf itself. It snarled and landed in a heap a short way off but Octavia knew it would be back. Timberwolves had an affinity for healing themselves even if splintered into pieces; all she had to do was keep them occupied for a short while.
As she landed she jumped to the side, a second timberwolf landing just where she had been a moment before. She took off at a run in the opposite direction to the others, the timberwolves in hot pursuit. Octavia was just glad they weren’t that clever but even so three timberwolves versus one pony was not a good situation even if one of them was injured. She skirted the edge of the cliff and picked up her pace.
“Here wolfy wolfy!” she called through the sword in her mouth as loudly as she could.
As the chase continued though she was beginning to feel fatigue setting in. She had been running for so long her earth pony stamina was being tested to its max and she knew it was only a matter of time before she collapsed. Just then one of the wolves made an unexpected leap at her, Octavia having to dive sideways at a very odd angle.
In that moment Octavia felt like her entire body had been set on fire. The searing pain shot from her front hoof all the way up her leg and into her mind as her ankle joint twisted awkwardly and almost dislocated itself. She screamed, slamming into the snowy ground; ironically the second wolf missed her due to her fall.
“Miss Guardian!” cried a voice.
Octavia looked up from the snow, Junebug stood waving at her from the now open doorway, they had done it! She heaved herself to her feet and looked behind her. The two wolves that had leapt at her were still pulling themselves out of the snow but that still left one more. She looked back ahead just in time to meet the clawed paw of the third timberwolf. With another scream she was sent spiralling through the air and into the cliff face, the impact almost knocking her unconscious. Looking up she found the injured timberwolf growling at her, half its front leg still missing.
Adrenaline was now pumping through her body, her senses numb to the pain despite the blood that was dripping from her midriff where the timberwolf had hit her. As the timberwolf jumped at her she jumped to the side sending the wooden wolf into the cliff face. Glancing to her side again she saw that the other two wolves had recovered and were staring straight at her. With fear and pain filling her mind she started to run. With every stride her ankle sent shocks of searing white pain straight through her, each one causing her to gasp in shock. The wolves were on her tail and gaining fast; the shelter was just ahead of her.
As both distances closed though she came to a realisation, she wasn’t going to make it. The wolves were closing far too quickly. As the thought struck her she felt a wave of sadness wash over her, she was going to fail…not only that but she hadn’t even named a successor. She was going to fail and there was nothing she could do about it.
With a blinding crash something shot past her and slammed straight into one of the timberwolves. The wolf floundered, its limbs going everywhere and tripping the second wolf sending them both crashing to the floor. Octavia couldn’t see what had happened but ahead of her Junebug and Helia waited in the doorway.
“Get her inside! Quickly!” called a voice from behind her as Octavia was met by the warm hooves of Junebug and Helia.
They quickly dragged Octavia into the small building as Berry Punch, screaming as she ran, charged in behind them. Apple Bumpkin was quick to move as well, slamming the door shut and sliding a large retaining bolt across it moments before the third timberwolf slammed into the wall outside. None of them said anything, each of them lost in their own fatigue as they lay still in the darkness.
Chapter 2 - Memories of Old
“Sweetheart! Time to wake up!” called a cheerful voice.
“Five more minutes mom,” replied a groaning reply from under a pile of blankets.
“You’ve had five more minutes three times already, that’s quite enough for a young colt like you. Now come on, up and at them!”
The blankets under which the colt himself was hiding were suddenly floated into the air by a magical field leaving him to curl up and groan in discontentment. He looked up slightly and pulled a grumpy face before sighing heavily causing his deep blue mane to fly upwards before it fell back in front of his face.
“I can’t understand why you’re always so sleepy in a morning, a colt of your age should be bouncing with energy,” continued his mother, the tan coloured unicorn currently pulling the curtains back allowing the sun to burst into the room.
The blue unicorn colt groaned again and turned away from the light to rub his eyes. Slowly he sat up and yawned once more. Finally casting his vision outside he watched for a moment as the hustle and bustle of Canterlot passed by.
“Dunno mum,” he replied with another yawn, “I went to bed early last night too.”
His mother sighed, “Perhaps we should take you back to the doctors.”
“But he said I was fine!” protested the colt, “I don’t feel ill or nothing!”
“Don’t use that tone with me young colt.”
He flinched slightly, drawing his ear back at his mother’s comment. His mother took a deep breath.
“Sorry darling, I’ve had another rough night,” she said with a shake of her head, “Your father was late home last night and wasn’t exactly quiet about it. It’s alright for him, he doesn’t have to get up early in a morning.”
The colt’s eyes brightened suddenly, “Dads home?!”
“Yes dear but don’t disturb him, he’s…”
She didn’t get to finish her sentence as the colt jumped from his bed and shot out of the room. Biting her lip she followed as quickly as she could but she knew she wouldn’t be able to stop the inevitable. As she reached the corridor she hung her head in despair as a loud shout filled the air.
“Daaaaaaaaad!”
There was a loud thud, a wheeze and a cry of surprise that only served to speed her on her way to the next room where the door was wide open. The colt sat on top of his father’s bed smiling broadly, the current occupant looking a little dazed.
“Metaphor!” she snapped, “Get down from there this instant, you know your father is tired when he gets back from the lab. Sorry sweetie, he was just excited that you were home.”
The bed’s occupant, a light orange earth pony with a black mane, groaned as he opened his eyes. He felt dizzy, as if he had just been hit by a runaway hay cart, ironically it wasn’t far from the truth. Metaphor was still sat on top of him smiling despite his mother’s insistence to get off him.
“Hi Dad! Where you been? I haven’t seen you in ages! You said you were going to help me with my science project yesterday!” he rattled off quickly as he stood up on his father’s chest and looked down at him.
“Oh….yeah…I did promise that, sorry kid,” moaned his father in reply, “I’ve been involved in some pretty intense research back at the lab, guess I lost track of time.”
At this point Metaphor’s mother walked to the edge of the bed and lifted Metaphor to the ground with her magic. She frowned at him for a moment and then turned to her husband.
“You always seem to lose track of time darling, I take it you’re still working on that…uh…whatcha-ya-ma-call-it rock.”
“Magicite, and yes I was,” he replied as he sat up slowly, “its important work, could change the way we look at magic forever.”
“As much as that might be true dear don’t you think it would be better to let those unicorn scientists you introduced me to last week look into it, they are probably better suited to…”
“Just because I’m an earth pony doesn’t mean I’m not qualified to research this. I’m a geologist, it’s a rock…a magical rock for sure but that still doesn’t mean…”
“Alright darling, I’m sorry. Didn’t mean to insinuate anything, I’m just saying your family is missing you, isn’t that right Metaphor.”
“Yeah!” cut in Metaphor as he bounced up and down on the spot.
The stallion gave a gruff sigh and shook his head, “Very well, I’ll try and get home a little more often in the future.”
“Yay!” cried Metaphor as he continued to bounce up and down.
“But right now I need to get some more sleep; I’ll be down by lunch time.”
His wife nodded and quickly ushered Metaphor out of the room and down the hallway. She had met Pumice Stone originally when she had been a little filly and the pair had hit off a good friendship. Her family had moved soon after but they had been reunited at high school later in their life and from there on their future had been set in motion.
Pumice had always been a funny one, always going on about earth pony magic and how it differed from that of other magic that existed in the world. She had always found it intriguing being a unicorn herself. Whilst magic wasn’t her forte she liked to learn and they had spent many long nights together discussing and debating the finer points of magic in its various forms. Eventually their love blossomed and Metaphor had been the ultimate result but they hadn’t been unprepared.
Pumice had worked hard at his education and was now one of the chief researchers at the Canterlot Science Institute researching some new form of magic rock. He had explained it to her a number of times but each time it had been like trying to listen to somepony in fast forwards. She was sure the detail was there but it was recited so fast she couldn’t follow it at all. That said she didn’t mind, she knew he was happy and despite the fact that she hardly ever saw him, so was she.
She huffed slightly, how could she not be happy? Not only did she have a wonderful husband and a fantastic child she had the job of her dreams. She knew magic wasn’t her forte but she did love to learn; and what better place to learn than the library at Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns? She might only be a humble librarian but with a name like Bookworm she was more than happy to spend her days surrounded by leather wrapped books and old tomes.
As she ushered Metaphor down the stairs she found herself musing on the colt’s future. He was fast approaching the end of his regular schooling and the choice would soon be upon them as to what to do next. Part of her hoped that he would be able to enrol in Celestia’s school but she doubted this would happen. Metaphor was a decent magic user, definitely better than she was at his age, but with her limited talents and his father being an earth pony she doubted they would even look at his application much less accept him into the school. The pompous nature of the school was one of the only things that soured her days but what could one expect from such an important institution?
If he wasn’t to attend magic school though what would his next step be? Metaphor had shown little interest in most things and even less at the rest. He enjoyed his school subjects but none of them struck her as a potential direction for him. He liked reading and writing like her but he found it hard to sit still for long periods and often put books down mid chapter for days before going back to them. He wasn’t interested in sports, nor was he vested in the arts, science or anything else. It had caused her more than a few headaches in the past. He didn’t even have his cutie mark yet!
In fact the only thing that always got his attention was his friends. Numerous times he had rushed out of the house after catching word that something was wrong. He had always been there to help them, care for them and council them. Maybe he should be a psychiatrist?
“Mom? Are you making breakfast or not?”
Bookworm blinked and shook her head. In her daydreaming she had seemingly been stood in the middle of the kitchen for several minutes much to her embarrassment.
“Oh! Yes, yes of course darling! What would you like?” she said quickly as she started rummaging through the cupboards.
“Hmm…pancakes?” replied the colt.
“Pancakes! Yes no problem, you go and wash up and I’ll start mixing the batter. I’ll let you flip them if you get back in time.”
Metaphor grinned, he had to admit he liked to bake every so often. Dashing off he made his way to the bathroom and quickly ran a sink of water and quickly washed his face and hooves. For a moment he admired himself in the mirror, pulling a few goofy grins before rearranging the mass of dark blue and black hair masquerading as a mane on his head. By the time he got back to the kitchen Bookworm was already stacking up pancakes by the stove.
“Wondered if you were coming back darling, come on there’s a few left you can flip.”
“Awesome!”
Metaphor quickly hoisted himself onto a chair and propped himself up on the edge of the stove. Grabbing the batter and pan with his magic he quickly poured out a new pancake and watched as it sizzled on the stove top. After a moment he loosened it with a spatula, grinned and flipped it. The pancake did at least three full revolutions in the air before it landed with a splat on the pan again. His mother grinned, he always did love showing off.
Soon enough they were both sat at the table munching happily on a stack of pancakes. Bookworm had seemingly forgotten her earlier musing and was now watching her son with an amused smile as he tore into his stack of pancakes like a starving pony.
“Are you going out today?” she asked after a moment.
“If that’s ok mom, I’m meeting up with Dust Storm and Paper Weight,” he replied, “We’re going to go and see Misty.”
Bookworm gave a small gasp, “Oh that poor little filly, I was just speaking with her mother the other day. Yes of course it’s alright, that girl needs all the support she can get.”
“Yeah, me and the other have been feeling really sorry for her lately, she’s missed the best bit of the summer.”
“Well why not bring the summer to her? Just a moment dear.”
Metaphor could only watch as Bookworm jumped from her seat, grabbed a nearby basket and started going from one cupboard to the next filling the basket with various early season fruits, jams and chutneys before putting it down on the counter top and heading from the room. She trotted down the corridor, opening the back door as she went and headed into the garden. It wasn’t a large garden, space was a premium in Canterlot after all, but it was enough to grow a few flowers and still have enough space to relax in the sun. She quickly plucked a few nice flowers with her magic and started arranging them into a bunch as she headed back inside. She headed back to the kitchen but not before stopping by the lounge to pluck a piece of ribbon from her book binding kit to wrap the flowers up in. As she set the amateurish bouquet down on top of the basket Metaphor just looked at it blankly.
“What all this for mom?” he asked curiously.
“It’s a care package darling, you can take it along with you when you go to visit Misty,” replied his mother with a smile.
Metaphor didn’t respond at first but his mother could only grin slightly as a warm blush began to spread over his face. She had known for a while of course, any mother would be able to spot the tell-tale signs of infatuation. The slightly broader grin when he talked about her, the way he always seemed to strut up to his room after visiting her, the blushes and gasps when he saw her, the way his eyes seemed to linger on her just a little too long than was polite. Young love was always so cute to watch.
“C-Care package? Mom…uh…do I have to… can’t you take it round later?” he asked slowly.
“No I’m afraid not, I’ve got a lot of things to do today. Besides, you are already going and I’m sure she’ll appreciate it.”
“Oh…uh…well…sure, ok then if I have to.”
Metaphor snorted slightly as if the task he was been given was a chore and he was doing her a favour. Bookworm just smiled, perhaps she had just read too many romance novels but she really liked playing matchmaker even if it didn’t go anywhere. She wasn’t sure how much faith to put in a childhood fancy but she wanted to do what she could, after all he was her son and she wanted to see him happy.
“Good good, now you run along and get yourself ready, I’ll wash these dishes up. I’ll leave this basket here for you to collect on your way out, don’t forget it now.”
“Ok, thanks mom!”
With that Metaphor rushed from the room and galloped upstairs to his room. As he got there he shut the door and let out a whimper. His mind was racing back and forth with questions. Why had he said anything? Did his mother know he had a crush on Misty? Would Misty really like a care package? Wouldn’t it just remind her of what she’d missed? He didn’t want to upset her or make it out that she’d missed out. Plus it was going to be super embarrassing! He hadn’t told anypony about his feeling, what would his friends think when they saw him with the package? Would they tease him?
With another whimper he threw himself on his bed and curled up in a ball. He suddenly didn’t feel like going at all but then he had promised his friends they would all go together and he didn’t want to upset them. Groaning in acceptance he rolled off his bed and left the room heading to the shower.
Soon enough though he was stood in a stream of warm water and nothing seemed to matter anymore. He took his time as was his usual custom, when it came to showers there was no point in rushing. In fact by the time he had washed himself and started to dry his fur half an hour had gone by. As he stumbled out of the bathroom, his magic running a towel through his mane, his mother’s voice called up the stairs.
“Darling your friends are here!”
Metaphor cringed, he wished she wouldn’t call him that in front of his friends, “Be there in a second!”
Rushing back to his room he finished drying himself off and quickly got to work getting himself ready. Opening a draw he pulled out three long lengths of red cloth and lay them down on the bed. Picking the first up with his magic he tied it around his head under his fringe and allowed the loose ends to fall down his neck. The next two were wrapped around his tail, the first near the base and the second about halfway down. It was his trademark signature; he never left home without them much like some ponies were never seen without a bow, hat or fancy shirt.
As he charged down the stairs he found his friends Dust Storm and Paper Weight waiting for him in the hallway. The trio had been friends since they started school and usually went everywhere together. Dust Storm was a Pegasus, the purple filly sporting a newly acquired cutie mark of a tornado. She was always full of energy and never stopped going on about how she was going to join the Canterlot weather team. Next to her was Paper Weight, the brown earth pony colt swinging back and forth in time to the music that was playing through his headphones. Much like Metaphor he hadn’t got his cutie mark yet but every pony in his class knew it was only a matter of time given his love of music.
“Hey guys!” called Metaphor as he reached the bottom of the stairs.
“What took you so long?” asked Dust Storm, “You take longer to get ready than my sister!”
Paper Weight smirked as he took off his headphones and stored them in his saddlebag; Metaphor just rolled his eyes, this kind of playful banter was common between them.
“Won’t be a moment guys, just gotta pick something up,” he said as he snuck passed them and into the kitchen.
He looked at the basket once more and then lifted it into the air with a sigh. Slowly he lowered it onto his back, his magic not yet strong enough to hold it up for very long. Making sure it was steady he walked back into the hallway where his two friends were waiting still.
“Yo M! What’s with the basket?” asked Paper Weight.
“Well duh, it’s a care package,” commented Dust Storm as she jabbed his side, “For Misty you know.”
“Oh right, I knew that…uh…good idea!”
“You think so?” asked Metaphor in an unsure tone.
“Oh totally!” replied Dust, “She’s so going to love it!”
Metaphor felt himself relax, his first fear had been quashed; perhaps this wasn’t such a bad idea.
“Guess we should get going then eh?” he said with a broadening smile.
The others nodded and together the trio left the house, Metaphor’s mother watching from the lounge window with a smile on her face. Together they trotted down the marble lined streets of Canterlot basking in the warm sun that shone above them. As usual Dust was occupying a majority of the conversation going on about what the weather was going to be like over the next few days and how her dad had arranged a trip to Cloudsdale to visit the weather factory. You could tell she was excited and in a way Metaphor found himself feeling a little jealous although happy for her at the same time. Dust knew where she was going in life but there was still plenty of time for him to work out his own future, for now he just wanted to have fun.
Before long they arrived at a small but tastefully decorated house on the outskirts of Canterlot. The building was made of white marble like much of the city and was decorated with window boxes and banners that fluttered in the wind. Paper Weight stepped forward to knock on the door and then stepped back with the others to wait. When the door opened a tired looking female Pegasus appeared before them. Her white fur dazzled in the sun but it did little to hoist the expression from her face, what did lift it though was the sight of the children on her doorstep.
“Why hello you three!” she said warmly, “Come to check on Misty have we?”
“Yes ma’am!” replied Dust in a confident tone, “If that’s alright that is.”
“Of course, she’s been a little weak as of late but she’s getting stronger now. I’m sure a short visit will really lift her spirits, come on in!”
She opened the door and stepped to the side to let them in, the Pegasus smiling broadly as she finally noticed the basket on Metaphor’s back.
“What’s this?” she asked.
“Oh uh…it’s a…a care package for Misty,” replied Metaphor a little awkwardly, “She’s been stuck inside all summer so I thought this might cheer her up.”
“Oh aren’t you just a little darling!”
She leaned down and planted a kiss on Metaphor’s cheek, the young colt cringing and pulling away.
“Eww,” he said quietly as he wiped his cheek.
His friends and the Pegasus just laughed. Heading inside they made their way upstairs to Misty’s bedroom. Her mother knocked gently and opened the door.
“Misty are you awake?” she said quietly.
“Just resting mom,” came a weak reply from under the covers as a white face appeared from under the blankets.
“Good, you have some visitors.”
Her mother stepped to one side to allow the three youngsters into the room. As she saw them Misty’s expression turned to absolute joy. If she’d had the strength she would have leapt from the bed to greet them but as it was this was impossible for her. Instead she just smiled broadly at them.
“Dusty! Paper! Metaphor! Oh it’s so good to see you!” she exclaimed as loudly as she could.
“You too Mist!” replied Dust as she stepped forward to hug her friend, “We thought we’d drop by and see how you were doing.”
“A little better, still feel very weak but my illness seems to have settled for now,” replied Misty as she returned the embrace weakly.
“Don’t worry you’ll be feeling better in no time at all! Hey look we brought you something, well Metaphor did anyway!”
Dust jumped backwards and slapped Metaphor across the flank with her wing causing him to jump forwards in alarm. He glanced back at Dust with a scowl but as Misty gasped he looked back towards her. She was staring at the basket on his back, her eyes almost glinting as she stared at the contents. Metaphor found himself unable to speak as he looked at her.
Misty was a Pegasus like her mother and like her mother shared her white coat colour. Her long red mane flowed down her back like a banner in the wind and her green eyes shone like emeralds. Metaphor had liked her ever since she had moved to Canterlot. When she had stood up to introduce herself in school Metaphor had gone into a trance that had only ended when the teacher had snapped at him to pay attention. Her time at school hadn’t lasted long though, barely a few weeks before she had been taken ill. It turned out she suffered from a congenital heart problem that often left her feeling weak and short of breath. It also made her much more susceptible to illnesses and it had been one of these that had forced her out of school. She had spent much of the term and nearly the entire summer holiday in bed resting and they hadn’t seen her very often at all. Metaphor always wished there was something he could do for her but so far there was not much he could do.
“Is…is this for me?” asked Misty weakly as she broke the silence.
“Uh…yeah, I brought it for you…you missed the whole summer so I thought I’d bring you something so you could still enjoy it,” he replied, copying his mother’s words without even realising it, “Hope it doesn’t make you upset or anything.”
He looked away slightly as he felt his earlier blush returning. What he felt next though caused him to go completely rigid in shock. Misty leaned over and planted a kiss on his cheek, the touch was brief and light but it sent shivers up his spine and all the way to the tip of his tail. He looked back sharply as Misty pulled away with a small embarrassed smile on her face.
“Thank you,” she said quietly.
“Oooooh!” cooed Dust, “Metaphor and Misty sitting in a tree! K, I, S, S, I, N…hey!”
Paper Weight didn’t even apologise as he removed his hoof from Dust’s side. Metaphor and Misty looked away, both thoroughly embarrassed by the events that had transpired but both feeling a warm glow inside them that not even the snickering chuckles of Dust could quash.
“Oh the innocence of youth,” smiled Misty’s mother from behind them, all of them forgetting that she had been stood there the whole time, “Makes me feel young again. Anyway I'll leave you all alone for a little while.”
“Mom?” asked Misty quietly, “Do you think…maybe…they could stay the night?”
“A sleepover?” replied her mother, “Are you sure you feel well enough for that, you know what can happen if you get too excited.”
“I know mother…it’s just…I get so lonely at times…”
Her mother sighed and gave a small nod, “Very well, but it depends if they can stay as well.”
Dust cringed, “I’d love to but I’m going to Cloudsdale tomorrow with my dad and I have to be up super early, really sorry Mist.”
“Yeah I can’t stay either,” added Paper with a sigh, “I have a music exam in the morning, my mum barely let me out of the house to visit you today.”
Misty’s face fell and she gave a small sigh.
“I…I might be able to stay,” said Metaphor quietly in a nervous tone.
“Really?!” exclaimed Misty excitedly.
“I’ll have to check with my mom but…yeah, probably.”
Dust snickered again quietly to herself and shot a sly glance at Paper Weight, the colt simply rolled his eyes at her.
“Well you can ask her later right?” interrupted Dust, “How about we have a little fun together first huh?”
“Oh, that would be wonderful,” replied Misty with a smile.
The afternoon seemed to come and go in an instant, especially for Metaphor. Misty spent most of her time in bed but the grin never left her face. Stories and jokes were shared and most of the content of Metaphor’s care package was eaten between them. By the time Metaphor arrived back at Misty’s home later that evening he felt as if he had been living there for weeks. It was an odd feeling really, he and the others had only known Misty for about six months but already he felt as close to her as he did everypony else he knew; perhaps even closer. Did she feel the same about him? He paused for a moment to rub his cheek where he had kissed her. He shook himself out of his own thoughts and knocked on the door. It was answered promptly, the same white mare answering the door with a smile.
“Oh hello again, do come in,” she said warmly, “Misty is just washing before bed, can I get you anything?”
“Uh, no thanks, I ate before I came over Mrs…um…oh…”
Metaphor could feel himself blush all over, he didn’t actually know what Misty’s mother was called! How could he not of picked up her name? That said when it came to names Metaphor was utterly useless; it had taken him nearly three months to learn Dust’s name!
“Wispy Cloud,” informed the Pegasus, “Although you can call me Wisp, most ponies do.”
“O-Ok.”
Metaphor wasn’t sure what else to say, he was normally a quiet pony to begin with but talking to adults who weren’t either his parents or teacher was incredibly difficult for him. Some ponies thought he was rude but in truth he just didn’t know where to start.
“You’re a quiet one aren’t you, no wonder Misty likes you! Come on, I’ll take you upstairs and we can sort you out with a sleeping bag,” chuckled Wisp as she ushered Metaphor towards the stairs.
Metaphor felt his heart skip a beat, Misty liked him? What did Wisp mean by that? Soon enough though he found himself in Misty’s room as her mother fished through a set of draws for a sleeping bag. Trying to distract himself he took a moment to look around the room properly. The ceiling was decorated with constellations that seemed to glimmer slightly in the light. Each one was marked with a small name plate to help identify them. The starry scene faded down the walls which were covered in all manner of posters; most of them featuring famous ponies including the Wonderbolts and Princess Celestia. Furniture was sparse; a bed, a set of drawers and a small desk with a light. Metaphor guessed she didn’t need much else as she spent most of her time in bed. Presently Wisp pulled a sleeping bag from the draws and unrolled it onto the floor.
“There you go, now then I just want to make sure you’re clear on a few things,” said Wisp, her voice becoming a little more stern as she spoke, “I know you’re her friend and probably want to have fun but Misty needs her sleep. She has little energy to begin with so it’s vital she rests well. When she says she has to sleep she means it and I don’t want you keeping her awake until dawn.”
“Y-Yes, of course!” stammered Metaphor as he nodded quickly.
Wisp gave a small sigh, “Sorry to be so strict, I just worry about her a lot. So long as you understand that’s fine. If there are any problems in the night don’t worry about waking me up alright?”
Metaphor gave another nod, calming slightly as Wisp’s tone returned to normal.
“Good, now let me go and check on Misty.”
With that she left the room leaving Metaphor on his own. He didn’t have to wait long though as Misty trotted slowly into the room. As she did Metaphor once again felt his heart skip a beat, she looked even prettier than she had earlier. Numerous hair clips were scattered across her mane in order to hold it up and her tail had been braided. Her small wings were folded neatly at her side and a large smile was plastered across her face. She crossed over to him quickly and wrapped a hoof around his neck.
“Thanks for staying over,” she said happily, “I get so lonely here sometimes.”
“It’s…uh…nothing really…” replied Metaphor, the colt unsure on whether he should return the hug or not.
“Oh it’s not nothing! I’m not allowed out very often and usually it’s just to visit the doctor. I don’t get to see ponies my age very often, it gets a bit boring.”
Metaphor nodded slowly in agreement, he couldn’t imagine what it must be like to be locked up in a room on your own for days on end. Presently Misty trotted past him and hoisted herself into bed. Even the small amount of exertion it took to do so caused her to pant a few times once she was settled. She yawned broadly and gave a small stretch. Metaphor meanwhile was taking off the bands of red fabric that decorated his tail and mane. Placing them off to one side he wiggled his way into his sleeping bag and looked back at Misty. He was about to speak when Wisp returned to the room.
“All settled in?” she asked warmly.
“Yes mom,” replied Misty as she continued to task of removing the hair clips from her mane.
“Good, now I don’t mind if you two want to sit up and talk a little but don’t be up too late, you know you need your rest.”
“I know mom, thanks.”
Wisp walked into the room and gave Misty a firm embrace. Metaphor watched them, easily able to sense the love that existed between the two of them; they both cared for each other so much. As the embrace ended Wisp planted a small kiss on Misty’s forehead and cast a brief glance at Metaphor, smiling at him as she did.
“Alright, good night you two, sleep tight.”
“We will mom,” replied Misty.
Wisp smiled once more and flicked the lights off, closing the door behind her as she went. As the room faded to black the constellations in the ceiling above them began to glow, filling the room with a soft light that almost seemed like moonlight.
“Woah…” cooed Metaphor as he looked at the scene above him.
“It’s nice isn’t it?” asked Misty with a small sigh, “I don’t get to go outside much so my parents brought the night’s sky inside for me. I’d still like to see it properly for myself, maybe go on a camping trip in the forest and watch the stars come out.”
Misty’s voice was quiet but Metaphor could sense the sadness in it. He felt his heart heave as if it was trying to leave his body and console her. Despite knowing her for over six months he hadn’t actually been able to talk to her properly before, at least not one to one.
“Are you ok?” he asked slowly.
“…No,” replied Misty after a moment, “I’m not…”
Metaphor wasn’t sure what to say, he’d never had to console somepony before and even if he knew how it wouldn’t really have helped him right then.
“Can I ask you a question?” said Misty after a moment, “If you could have one wish in the world what would it be?”
“Uh…well…”
Once again Metaphor found himself unable to answer. Not because he didn’t want to, rather he wasn’t sure how to answer. He had often wished he had had certain things but none of it had been very important…all except one.
“I wish my dad was home more often,” he replied finally, “He’s always working and I never get to see him…what about you?”
“I want to fly…even if it’s just once…”
“But…you’re a Pegasus, can’t you fly already?”
“Not with my condition…the doctors have forbid it. They say that if I try to fly I’ll stress myself out too much and that could lead to complications. I just want to know what it feels like…to have the wind beneath my wings. I sometimes watch the other children from my window and…I feel so angry. I don’t want to but…I do.”
Metaphor clenched his teeth, now he wanted to help more than ever but what could he do? He rolled onto his back and looked up at the glowing constellations above him. There had to be a way to make Misty feel better, something…anything?! As his gaze fell on the North Star in the ceiling he gasped… that was it. He quickly wiggled out of his sleeping bag and stood up.
“Misty! I’ve just had an idea!” he announced confidently.
“Huh? What do you mean?” she asked as she rolled over in bed to face him.
“Come on, get up and I’ll show you.”
“I’m not supposed to get out of bed after lights out.”
“I won’t tell if you don’t, come on I promise everything will be fine.”
“Well…alright then.”
Slowly Misty wriggled out of bed and stepped down next to Metaphor. The blue colt gently took one of her hooves and guided her over to the window. Once there he drew the curtains back and pointed up at the night’s sky.
“We’ll send a wish to the stars! I heard that when you wish on the night sky, if you wish really really hard it will come true.”
“Are you sure?”
“Let’s try it, you never know right? I’ll wish for you too.”
“O-Ok then…”
Misty seemed a little unsure but Metaphor’s insistence seemed to be catchy. Together the two ponies propped themselves up on the window sill and looked up at the night sky. Placing their hooves together they closed their eyes and began to make their wish. Their brows both furrowed as they stood there and it was hard to tell who was wishing harder than the other. After a few moments though Misty opened her eyes and gently reached across to nudge Metaphor who still had his eyes closed. As he opened them he looked across at Misty to find her smiling at him. It was a gentle smile, a smile that warmed his heart.
“Thank you,” she said as she leaned over and hugged him, “Even if this doesn’t work I feel a little better.”
Metaphor was hesitant for a moment but then relaxed and returned the embrace. He found himself snuggling into Misty’s shoulder as if she was a great big pillow.
“No problem Misty, glad you feel better.”
For a moment they remained stationary, simply enjoying the hug before they finally separated. With another smile Misty climbed into bed once more and curled up in a ball, her breathing light and carefree. Metaphor also returned to his sleeping bag, curling up content with the knowledge that he had helped…even if it was just a little. He soon fell into a comfortable sleep.
Chapter 3 - Past Meets Present
The silence didn’t last long.
“Holy sweet merciful Celestia! I…I…I can’t believe I just did that! I could have died! No no no no no! I need a drink, for the love of Celestia give me a drink!” cried Berry Punch as the realisation of what she had just done finally dawned on her.
“Berry snap out of it!” shouted Junebug as she grabbed the earth pony and gave her a firm shake.
Berry went silent but she was shaking from mane to tail and promptly fell on Junebug in a tight embrace. Apple Bumpkin meanwhile had her head pressed up against the door in an attempt to hear what was going on outside; between the whistles of the wind she could make out the growling snarls of the timberwolves that lurked just beyond the stone wall. She checked the door again to make sure it was securely closed.
“Try not to move!” said Helia sharply as a groan emanated from the pile of limbs that was Octavia.
All of the others quickly looked their way but the darkness made it impossible to see what was going on.
“I can’t see a blind thing in here,” said Berry Punch quickly, “Do we have anything we could use for light? Anything?!”
“Calm down Berry,” instructed Bumpkin, the earth pony thankful for one small mercy, “When myself and Helia went to collect wood I didn’t take my saddlebag off. I should have something in here, give me a moment.”
The earth pony quickly slung off her saddlebags and started rummaging through them. It didn’t take her long to find what she was looking for, a torch and two pieces of flint. Being careful not to miss the torch she clipped the two pieces of flint together sending a few sparks onto the torch end. It ignited quickly and she picked it up, taking a moment to illuminate the room they were in.
It was small as it had looked from the outside. The walls were all made of uninteresting brick and mortar, the door indeed being metal and housed in a large sturdy albeit rusty frame. Other than a lot of plant roots and mud though there wasn’t much else to see in the flickering light.
“Get that light over here,” instructed Helia quickly as she pointed to Octavia.
Bumpkin didn’t argue, moving the light closer to them. As she did she couldn’t help but gasp, a reaction copied by the other ponies around her too. Octavia was in bad shape; her right front ankle was badly bruised and swollen from her trip and three long red cuts had been sliced into her stomach and up her right side where the timberwolf had struck her. There was a lot of blood, the light of the torch showing the small pool that was forming under her as she lay there. Berry Punch nearly fainted on the spot and even Junebug looked visibly sick.
“S-Sweet mother of Celestia!” exclaimed Helia as she did her best to hold back the urge to throw up as well, “Oh my…this is…we have to stop the bleeding!”
Helia looked over Octavia once more before acting quickly. Grabbing Octavia’s torn cloak she pulled it off and began tearing it into small pieces. With haste she quickly placed them against the open wounds and pressed hard. Octavia cried out in pain and Helia bit her lip hard as she watched the fabric slowly turning a darker shade of brown. Junebug was quickly at Octavia’s side as well, sitting herself next to her head and gently hugging her warmly.
“Shh, it’s alright Octavia, we’ll get you fixed up,” she cooed gently as Octavia herself gave another cry of pain.
“Keep her steady, if she moves too much she’s going to rip these wounds right open,” said Helia quickly, “Bumpkin hold that light a little closer, Berry I need you to hold this cloth right here whilst I get a proper bandage sorted.”
The ponies around her quickly followed her instructions. Berry Punch, still looking slightly nauseas, knelt down next to Helia and placed a hoof against the mass of cloth, Bumpkin quickly found a better place to stand where the light would be best used and Junebug continued to quietly reassure Octavia who now had her eyes closed tight as she tried to control her own breathing.
Helia meanwhile had a firm expression of determination on her face. She worked quickly, tearing up the shredded cloak and laying out strips of it on the ground. Next she dived for Bumpkin’s saddlebag, rummaging through it for anything she could find. Giving a large sigh of relief she pulled out a small pouch of herbs from the bag.
Without a grinding tool however she was left to use the next best thing. She almost retched at the taste as she stuffed the herbs into her mouth and started to chew them. Whilst all herbs could be medicine they couldn’t all be food and this particular herb was proving that point quite clearly. After a moment she spat them out onto her hoof, the mass of plants now reduced to a rather sloppy looking gunk.
“Ok Berry, take the cloth’s off, slowly now,” she instructed.
Berry did just that, slowly peeling the bloodied cloth away from Octavia’s wounds. It was now possible to see them a little clearer, the three long gashes not quite as deep as she had feared but still deep enough. As the wounds began to seep again she quickly pushed the chewed up plant matter into each one. Octavia gasped as the herbs stung a little but otherwise managed to keep calm.
“Right Berry, I need you to lift her a little so I can pass these bandages under her. Again easy does it.”
Berry just nodded, taking the instructions from her friend very seriously as she carefully lifted Octavia’s hind quarters allowing Helia to pass the bandages under her. As Berry lowered her back to the ground Helia began wrapping the fresh bandages around Octavia’s midriff. She used a few extra pieces to make a thicker mass around the wounds themselves and then secured them in place with the bandages. As she tied each one and pulled them tight Octavia’s hind leg would twitch in pain. By the time she was done though Octavia’s wounds had been completely bandaged and, despite a little leakage, looked dry.
Helia breathed a sigh of relief, “Just hope that heals properly.”
“Where did you learn that?” asked Berry in astonishment, “You looked like a proper nurse.”
“I’ve spent a little time working with Lotus looking after the kids,” replied Helia, “You know helping bandage up cuts and stuff.”
“We’re…lucky to have you along then,” came a croaking voice to their side.
Both Helia and Berry looked towards it to find Octavia smiling weakly at them. She looked tense and the pain was evident on her face but at the same time she was smiling slightly. Helia quickly looked away though, her ears drooping as she shook her head.
“I’m the reason all this even happened…” she murmured quietly.
“What do you mean?” asked Junebug.
“When Helia and I went off to collect firewood she got really angry at something I said,” replied Bumpkin with a small sigh, “It was her raised voice that attracted the timberwolves.”
Junebug gave a small gasp, “Oh no…”
“That’s why I came running,” coughed Octavia quietly, “I heard her voice and knew something would hear it…four timberwolves was not what I had expected…”
They all looked at Helia, the mare looked like an entirely different pony compared to earlier. Octavia knew why, she had finally realised just how dangerous their new world was. Ever since the Overload it was a rare event that a pony would go out into the world without a definite purpose. Most took shelter in holes, caves and other such places, hiding from the teeth that Equestria now bore.
“Speaking of those timberwolves though,” said Berry after a moment, “What is with those things? I’ve seen them before before…well before, but they weren’t as aggressive then…and certainly not as big!”
“We don’t know,” replied Junebug, “Ever since everything went wrong it just seems that everything with a shred of magic in it has gone berserk…apart from us of course.”
Junebug looked down at her flank and couldn’t help but shed a tear. There was nothing there, her shimmer bug cutie mark absent from her fur. Of course she wasn’t alone, none of them had a cutie mark any more, not since the Overload. For a moment a silence fell over the group. None of them knew what to do next, all except one that was. With a grunt of exertion Octavia pushed herself to her hooves. She stood with clenched teeth and a shivering body as she looked at the door but her eyes burned with resolve.
“Octavia?” asked Bumpkin curiously, “What are you doing?”
“What a guardian must,” replied Octavia through laboured breathing, “If we stay here we’re as good as dead. We have no supplies and no pony will come looking for us. The only chance we have is to make a break for it.”
“Woah woah woah! You mean we have to go back outside? Those timberwolves are still out there, shouldn’t we wait for morning?” protested Berry, her face aghast.
“Timberwolves will never leave their prey once they have found it. We stand a better chance at night when their vision is impaired,” replied Octavia factually.
“Even so we barely made it in here before being caught, how we are going to get past them?” asked Helia slowly.
Octavia didn’t reply, she simply stood looking at the door. As she took a step forwards Bumpkin quickly intercepted her, blocking her way forwards the door.
“Out of my way,” ordered Octavia as she glared at Bumpkin.
“No!” replied Bumpkin as she returned the glare.
“I said out of my…”
“You’re going to sacrifice yourself aren’t you? You’re going to distract those timberwolves so we can escape.”
As the other ponies around them gasped Octavia let out a slight growl.
“And what if I am?” she replied, “It’s the duty of every guardian to protect those ponies under them. If I can keep their attention on me long enough then you should be able to sneak past them and escape, or would you rather we all sit here and slowly die of starvation?”
“Isn’t it also the duty of a guardian to never leave a pony behind? Let me let you in on a little secret. When Noteworthy was still alive he had me promise that whatever happened I would watch over him…he made me HIS guardian! He entrusted his life to me as every pony else entrusted theirs to him.”
As Bumpkin spoke she began to shake, raw emotion beginning to pour forth like a swelling river.
“When he died…I…I promised myself that whoever he chose as his successor would be granted the same promise I made to him,” continued Bumpkin, “So no, I will not move! I won’t let you throw your life away. If we are to die I would rather we died together than have to watch somepony who has watched over us and been like a mother to us all torn apart by a thousand hungry teeth. I know you are only doing what you feel is right but being a guardian is more than just fighting off dangers…it’s about being the anchor that holds us together. Other ponies don’t say it but just your presence has been enough to give us all strength.”
Octavia felt as if a sudden weight had been lifted from her shoulders. All her worries and doubts about her previous decisions seemed to vanish in a puff of smoke. In that moment the memories of the last few weeks flooded back to her but not in the way she remembered. Before all she could think about was the problems she had faced; protecting those in her group, whether the children would have enough to eat, whether other ponies respected her like they had Noteworthy. Now though the only thing that filtered in were the small smiles she had missed, the kind words whispered on a departing shoulder and the rekindled hope in the eyes of a small foal.
Her knees shook, her body finally losing the last of its strength as her mind finally realised what it should have been seeing all along. Slowly she lowered herself to the ground and began to cry, sobbing openly as repressed emotions flooded to the surface. Bumpkin was at her side immediately, wrapping a hoof around her as Octavia started to cry into her shoulder. The other three ponies simply sat in silence, each stunned by the scene that had played out before them.
It was some time later, the moon now high in the sky outside, when one of them stirred. Berry Punch, unable to sleep, got up and looked around. The other ponies were all asleep, or at least they appeared to be. In a corner Octavia slept soundly against Bumpkin, the two ponies having not separated since their earlier altercation. Berry was still a little shocked by everything that happened but her earlier desire for a drink had subsided for now. At the other side of the room Helia and Junebug slept separately, both ponies seeming somewhat calmer that before.
As Berry looked around the bare stone walls of the room they were in she couldn’t help but sigh. She didn’t know what was going to happen next. They had no supplies and the timberwolves were still waiting for them outside. Worse still even if they managed to get away from the timberwolves they were still lost, all of their navigation equipment having been left behind at their trampled camp. It was doubtful they would be able to find it again never mind their home.
She shook her head and walked over to the torch that sat by the wall burning brightly and picked it up. As she waved the flame slowly around the room she realised that none of them had actually explored the room they were in; not that she imagined there being much to see. The walls were all cracked and showing signs of extreme aging, the floor was cold concrete and the roof matched the floor. Just what was this place anyway? Why would somepony build a concrete box in the middle of nowhere?
Sighing to herself she slowly began to walk around the small room, exploring the darkened corners to see if there was anything of interest at all. What she found was unremarkable at best; nothing more than dirt and chipped plaster. That was about to change though and in a rather painful way for poor Berry Punch. As she neared the back of the room she found that the concrete floor gave way to wood. She frowned slightly wondering what it could be as she stepped onto it.
Unfortunately, the worn and rusted hinges that held the trapdoor in place were not prepared to support her weight and fragmented into pieces. Berry could do little but yell out in surprise as the wooden trapdoor gave way under her sending her plummeting down a short flight of metal stairs before she hit a landing. The stairs groaned under her weight but not as much as Berry did as she slowly picked herself up, bruises covering much of her body.
“What was that?” cried Junebug’s voice from above her.
“Sounded like Berry!” replied Helia, “Berry?! Berry are you alright, where are you?”
“Down here!” called Berry as she leaned over to pick up the torch she had dropped during her fall.
She looked around quickly. She was stood on a set of metal stairs, her fall being only a small section of a much larger staircase that descended down into the darkness below her. The stairs were housed in a concrete shaft, circling around the edge in a spiral.
“What in the hay is this?” she said out loud to herself.
“Good question…” replied Bumpkin as her head appeared over the edge of the broken trapdoor, “What were you doing?”
“I couldn’t sleep so I decided to have a look around the room,” replied Berry as she looked up at her, “Didn’t realise that was a trapdoor, it gave way right under my hooves.”
“Good thing those stairs were there to catch you…where do they even lead?”
Both ponies looked down into the gloom below them as the rest of the group arrived at Bumpkin’s side.
“What do you think Octavia?” asked Junebug slowly.
“I would say it’s a better option than going back outside,” replied Octavia, “Still we have to be careful. Berry are those stairs secure?”
“Well they didn’t collapse when I fell down them,” replied the earth pony as she rubbed her bruised flank, “Groaned a bit mind you.”
“Then we’ll take it slowly and carefully, Junebug can you help me down?”
“Of course.”
After gathering together the few supplies they did have into Bumpkin’s saddlebag the group slowly began to descend into the darkness. Bumpkin and Berry led the way, Berry illuminating the walls as Bumpkin watched out for any trouble. Next came Octavia, the earth pony supported on her kin Junebug but still moaning in discomfort with every step. Last came Helia, the Pegasus keeping a sharp eye on all of them as well as casting glances back up the staircase from time to time. The stairs themselves seemed to go on forever, winding downwards in a spiral. Perhaps it was because they couldn’t see the bottom but it felt like they were descending into the pits of Tartarus.
“Is anypony else feeling really creeped out right now?” asked Junebug quietly.
“Totally,” replied Bumpkin as she looked back for a moment at her, “Where does this staircase even go? We’ve been walking for ages.”
“Keep it down,” interrupted Octavia quietly, “We have no idea what we are walking into.”
The others nodded and fell silent as they continued on. Eventually though Berry paused causing everypony else to stop and look at her.
“I think I see the bottom…” she said quietly as she waved the torch over the edge of the guardrail. Sure enough there seemed to be a bottom to the otherwise bottomless staircase. Even so beyond the glimmer of light that the torch provided there was little to see. Cautiously they continued to the bottom of the stairs and looked around. There wasn’t much to see, just more concrete and cracked walls. However as they peered further into the darkness something appeared, a small red light flickering in the darkness.
“What do you suppose that is?” asked Bumpkin curiously.
“Only one way to find out isn’t there,” replied Junebug, “Let’s go see.”
Slowly they approached, the blinking light becoming clearer and clearer as they did. They soon found themselves stood in front of an electronic device set into the wall. The single red light was the only thing on the panel apart from a single button set beneath it. For a moment they all stared at it in confusion.
“Um…I don’t mean to sound dumb here but…does any pony know what this is?” asked Bumpkin, “I know fancy thingamajigs exist, or at least used to, but down on the farm you don’t tend to see a lot.”
“It’s a button Bumpkin, surely you must know what one of those is?” replied Octavia.
“All I know about stuff like this is you shouldn’t go pressing it if you don’t know what it does,” she replied with a huff.
“It’s not so much seeing it that surprises me,” commented Helia, “It’s more the fact it’s still working! I thought most machines were powered by magic.”
“Same here,” added Berry as she leaned forwards and sniffed the panel curiously, “What do you suppose it does?”
Octavia looked at the machine in front of her with a slight frown. The questions of what it was for, why it was here, how it was still working and other floated around her head as if they were stuck in a whirlpool. They had descended quite some distance already and the thought of climbing back up again wasn’t one she really wanted to entertain not to mention the timberwolves still waiting for them outside. No there was only one way to go now, forwards! Whatever happened they would just have to deal with it as best they could but it was still better than the alternatives. She took a small step towards the button and looked around at her companions for a moment before looking back and pressing the button.
Bumpkin looked like she was about to say something but fell silent as the area was suddenly flooded in light. Such was the brightness that every pony found themselves shielding their eyes from it. The light only lasted a moment though as the sudden surge of power blew out ever bulb in the area. It was a moment later that a steady red tinted hue filled the air as the emergency lights flickered to life. As they managed to look up again though all they could do was stare at the sight before them. Even in the dim light they were able to make out an assortment of piping and ventilation ducts that ran through the ceiling as well as the stairs they had walked down. None of this mattered though because in front of them was a door; not a normal door, a large cogwheel like door that towered over them as if they were ants. Black and yellow markings were strewn across it and in the centre the words ‘Emergency Exit – Proteus Lab Beta’ could still be made out.
“Emergency lockdown disengaged!” came a crackling voice that forced all of them to jump in fright, “Releasing door seal, stand clear!”
“What in Equestria is going on?!” cried Berry as she looked back and forth as if she was about to be attacked.
“Everypony calm down,” urged Octavia before wincing hard as her wounds throbbed.
A sudden hissing sound filled the air that caused them all to look towards the door. A gas was leaking out from around the edge of the door as some sort of seal was broken. A moment later the door shuddered and then began to slide back in its mountings causing a waft of dry air to billow into the small room. Helia and Bumpkin turned green and nearly threw up, the others all looking slightly nauseas as well as the two airs mixed.
“What…in Equestria…is that smell?” hissed Junebug with her mouth covered, “Smells like…rot…but ten thousand times worse…”
Despite her condition Octavia was still stood at the front of the group as the door slowly slid back. She didn’t like the smell either; it was unlike anything she had smelt before and that made her even more nervous, what was on the other side of this door? They could do little but wait though as the door slowly slid back allowing them to look into the room beyond. It was lit, emergency lights illuminating various gantries and metal walkways criss-crossing over large machines. However, as the door reached halfway Octavia wished she had never opened it, the source of the smell was now completely apparent to all of them. Helia’s stomach finally giving up as she turned and began upchucking what little food there was in her stomach.
The bodies were piled several deep, each pony stretched out and reaching towards the door. Their rotting bodies had been partly preserved by the dry atmosphere and lack of insect life and that only made the sight even more horrifying. Octavia felt her own stomach churn as she looked at them and finally had to tear her eyes away from the sight. She instead set her gaze on Helia, who was currently being cared for by Berry Punch.
“How are you Helia?” she asked after a moment.
Helia was shaking from the violent retching but otherwise seemed alright. She looked towards Octavia slowly and raised a hoof in reply to which Octavia simply nodded. Helia looked away again and continued to breathe heavily. Bumpkin and Junebug stepped up next to the former musician, both looking a little unsettled.
“We should go back…” murmured Bumpkin quietly.
“And do what?” asked Junebug, “There is nothing to gain from going back. Besides…we can’t leave them like this…”
Bumpkin gave a small sigh, “you’re right Junebug…but it’s not like we can bury them.”
“We should at least say a prayer then.”
Bumpkin nodded and together with Junebug turned and set off towards the doorway. Octavia stood still, looking back and forth between the two pairs of ponies. It was the two sides to dealing with situations like this. Whilst Helia and Berry comforted each other in their hooves Bumpkin and Junebug were slowly dragging the bodies away from the door and arranging them on the metal flooring. Sadness and determination; the two constants that ruled every moment of their lives…just for once Octavia wished that she would find something to give them hope.
After a time the group had reformed and now stood just inside the large doorway. The bodies that had once been piled up in front of the door were now laid out neatly next to it, each covered with the lab coat they had been wearing. Junebug had said a prayer for them, wishing them all safe passage to whatever world existed beyond this one and granting them peace. Helia herself still looked a bit unsteady and the smell of death still hung in the air although not as strongly as before. Octavia had taken a little time to rest, her wounds still paining her and the exhaustion from her earlier actions still clung to her.
As she took her first steps into the unknown laboratory she couldn’t help but wonder what the place actually was. Science wasn’t something new of course, ponies had experimented with chemicals, machines and such things before…but none of them had ever seemed very important, at least not whilst magic existed. Nearly everything mechanical had been powered by magic, small energy cells charged by unicorns powering everything from lights to ovens to the recording device she had been using the day before. They did of course use steam power in abundance, especially for transportation. Thinking back she realised how much of a hodgepodge it was.
As they walked past the lines of machines and piping the temperature slowly began to rise. Octavia felt her body shiver as it was warmed; she had become so used to being cold that such warmth was actually a little unsettling. The air itself hummed with a background noise interrupted only by the occasional pop or rumble, all mechanical noises but she still remained on guard.
“What is all this stuff?” murmured Helia almost to herself.
“Geo-thermal power…” replied Berry with a slight hint of astonishment, “When I ran my vineyard back in Ponyville I used the stuff to regulate the temperature in my wine cellar.”
“Guess that explains the rise in temperature, these must be steam pipes,” added Junebug.
“And why it’s still working,” continued Berry, “Heard this stuff can run for years completely unchecked.”
“Not sure if that’s a good or a bad thing,” finished Bumpkin as they continued their journey through the maze of pipes and machines.
As they rounded a corner a set of regular double doors came into view at the end of a long gantry. For a moment Octavia paused to examine the doors.
“What do you think?” asked Junebug curiously.
“It’s the only doors we’ve seen so far,” replied Octavia, “Doesn’t seem to be anything in this area but machines so I guess this is our best route.”
“I’ll go check,” cut in Bumpkin as she trotted ahead of the group.
She edged up to the doors, flattening herself against the wall and then reaching round to push one of the doors open. Whilst the machine room had been high ceilings and full of machines the corridor beyond the door was small and painted in a light beige colour. Along the roof a number of emergency lights flickered intermittently, some of them had gone out entirely but not enough to plunge the corridor into darkness.
Bumpkin looked back at her companions and nodded. They approached slowly and Junebug stepped up to open the second door. Together they all looked down the corridor, Helia nearly vomiting again as she saw another dead pony lying on the floor. Slowly they pressed on, examining every aspect of the corridor as they walked.
“Have you noticed anything about these ponies?” asked Berry slowly as they passed another corpse.
“No unicorns,” replied Octavia quietly as she cast her vision over the dead pony.
“It’s odd…” added Junebug, “What exactly was this place? What happened here?”
Octavia didn’t reply this time and instead looked to her side where a single door led off the corridor. They had already passed another door but it had been locked from the other side, this one however seemed to be hanging open slightly. She reached out with a hoof and pushed at the door, jumping back in fright a moment later as the handle fell off and clattered to the ground. The door itself did open though leading into a large room with intermittent lighting. She poked her nose inside, listening and sniffing for potential threats but soon gave a small nod.
“Seem safe enough,” she said to herself before turning to the others, “Alright everypony here is the plan. We need to find a way out of this place, the sooner the better. I know it’s risky to split up but we can cover a lot more ground if we do. Everypony pick a door and start looking but keep your guard up. We will meet back here shortly and if anypony hasn’t returned in five minutes we’ll go looking for them. Agreed?”
The others nodded in agreement, it was the best plan they had at that time. Taking a deep breath Octavia turned back to the room and stepped inside. The room was dirty and still, each hoof step she made sending a small puff of dust into the air. A steady thrumming noise filled the air from a machine in the corner but otherwise there wasn’t a sound. Worktops lined the outside wall, each covered in half full beakers, distillation equipment and containers of various items. It was almost eerie, like she was walking into a world frozen in time; had this place been like this since the Overload?
Octavia was still musing on her questions as she rounded a piece of machinery in the middle of the room and stopped dead. Her eyes went wide in shock, her lips quaking as she backed away slightly. Ahead of her stood a pony, a unicorn…or at least what was left of one. It stood rigid on the spot, its body reduced to a blackened skeleton.
“N-No…” murmured Octavia, “…Vinyl…”
…
“Oh come on Tavi, at least admit you had fun!”
“Oh alright…yes it was…rather entertaining.”
Vinyl sat back in her seat with a smile that could have blotted out the sun such was its size. Octavia rolled her eyes as she picked up her drink and took a small sip, the red wine in the glass glinting with a ruby sheen.
“Tell me Vinyl,” she said slowly, “Why do I put up with you?”
“Because I’m the best roommate ever?” replied the unicorn as she looked at her over the top of her shades.
“Not quite…I put up with you because you are the only pony I know that I can truly relax around without feeling like I’m being judged.”
“See, best roommate ever!”
Octavia shook her head and took another sip of her wine. They sat at a small table outside one of Canterlot’s many cafes. In truth it was the first time they had seen each other in several days, at least in a conscious state. Most days Octavia awoke to find Vinyl snoring on the sofa and got home just in time to see her leave in the evening. They did indeed lead quite different lives but occasionally they made time to talk to one another, this was one such time.
“So do you think you’ll be able to make it to my next show? I’ll get you front row seats!” grinned Vinyl.
“Vinyl I know full well that there are no seats of any kind at your show…never mind front row ones,” replied Octavia with a chuckle, “But I will see what I can do, my ensemble is still practicing for our performance at the Canterlot Theatre next week but if I’m still awake I’ll try.”
“You should totally come; the place is always alive when I’m at the decks! Ponies dancing until the break of day!”
Octavia smiled slightly, Vinyl was always so hyper…considering she spent almost every night at the club she was amazed she managed to stay awake during the day at all. Looking down she took a final sip of her wine, swallowing the last mouthful before looking back at the café. She was about to call a waiter for a refill when she felt a shiver run up her spine. It was as if somepony had dumped her in an ice box. She hugged herself hard as if trying to warm herself up as she looked up at Vinyl.
“Did you just…”
She stopped mid-sentence as she looked around. Everypony around her was shivering where they sat, some even looking a little faint especially the unicorns. Vinyl herself looked like she was suffering from a major hangover. Her body shook like a leaf and she held her head in her hooves.
“M-Make it stop…” she murmured quietly.
“V-Vinyl? What’s…wrong?” asked Octavia, the earth pony finding that her strength seemed to have disappeared.
“Pounding….like….drums….”
Just then something swept past them like a gust of wind. Cries of pain erupted from many of the ponies around her and Octavia felt as if her very soul had just been sucked from her body. She curled up in her seat and tried to control her breathing but the pain that was sweeping through her body was unlike anything she had felt before. It was almost as if her blood was on fire, every vessel in her body burning with some unseen energy. It was only Vinyl’s scream that cut through the pain and caused her to look up.
Her friend was sat rigid in her seat as magic pulsed from her horn like a fountain. As she watched Vinyl’s scream fell silent but her mouth remained open in as silent call of anguish. Octavia couldn’t understand…what was happening to them? Then it happened.
In a blinding flash Vinyl’s magic flashed like a match and she suddenly erupted into flames. Octavia’s own pain seemed to vanish into the ether as she watched her best friend burn before her. Her fur blackened and burned away, her flesh igniting a moment later and melting from her form. For a moment Octavia managed to catch the look of absolute pain in Vinyl’s eyes before they turned to jelly and evaporated into the air. Still the fire burned hotter and hotter as Vinyl’s form vanished before her eyes leaving only a blackened skeleton in its place, fused together by the blazing heat.
She didn’t even notice the other ponies around her; not those writhing in pain, not those paralysed by fear…not even the other unicorns who had just suffered the same fate as the pony in front of her. It was a dream…it had to be…it was all just a dream…
“Octavia!”
“Octavia!”
“Octavia!” cried Bumpkin as she shook the earth pony.
Octavia finally snapped from her memories and looked towards Bumpkin in shock. Her gaze flashed back to the charred unicorn skeleton before her and a moment later she fell into Bumpkin’s hooves, her tears flowing forth as she began to sob. Bumpkin just held her, casting her own glances at the blackened skeleton. When the Overload had happened she had been working on the farm surrounded by other earth ponies. She had never seen what had really happened.
“Octavia? Are you alright?” she asked at length.
“No…no I’m not,” replied the earth pony, “Why did any of this have to happen?”
“I don’t know…I…” Bumpkin slowly released her and stood up, “…I think you better come see this.”
Chapter 4 - New Discoveries
The first thing that Metaphor noticed as his eyes opened was that he was no longer in the same room that he fell asleep in. Instead of the star scene ceiling a white panelled one was present. Whilst this was very odd the importance of it didn’t seem to register in his brain, he was still tired, incredibly tired in fact. Had he been more awake and able to reason he would likely have thought it very odd as well.
“Metaphor! Oh my goodness Metaphor!” called a voice frantically, “You’re awake, thank the Princess!”
Metaphor knew the voice but the name of the owner escaped him, well that was until he found himself wrapped in an embrace tight enough to crush rocks.
“M-Mom?!” he croaked, “Wha…mom…I…”
“Please ma’am, give him a little room,” interrupted another voice as his mother’s hooves were pulled back.
“I…I’m sorry,” replied Bookworm, “I’m just so happy to see him awake.”
“I understand but try to restrain yourself a little, this is a very unusual situation.”
Metaphor raised a hoof to rub his eyes and slowly the world came into focus. Above him stood his mother and a nurse pony, both of them looking down at him with concern.
“W-What’s going on? Where am I?” he asked with a yawn.
“You’re in the hospital, you were brought here this morning, “replied the nurse, “I’ll let your mother tell you the rest, if you’ll excuse me I have to go and inform the doctor of this.”
Bookworm just nodded as the nurse departed leaving the two alone in the hospital room. For a moment they just looked at each other, neither knowing what to say next.
“H-How are you feeling sweetie?” asked his mother at length.
“Just really tired,” replied Metaphor with another yawn, “Feel like I could sleep all day.”
“Metaphor, what happened last night?”
His mother’s tone had changed; it was firm and questioning like that of a teacher questioning a pupil.
“Huh?” N-nothing mom,” he replied slowly with a hint of confusion, “we just talked a little and then went to bed…like Misty’s mother told us to.”
“You’re absolutely sure, nothing happened?”
“Y-Yeah mom…why? Did something happen? Why am I in hospital? Is Misty alright?”
“Misty is…”
Bookworm was interrupted as the door to the room opened suddenly revealing Pumice Stone and one of the hospital’s doctors. Pumice looked worried but the moment he saw his son his face relaxed immensely. He crossed the room quickly, throwing a hoof around him and hugging him tightly.
“Oh thank Celestia you’re alright, we were so worried weren’t we Booky,” he said quickly.
“Uh…hi dad,” replied Metaphor with growing confusion, “What…what’s going on? What’s happening?”
Pumice pulled back and looked at Bookworm who in turn gave a small sigh.
“There was quite a bit of panic this morning,” started Bookworm, “I came to pick you up and…well the hospital staff were already there. You wouldn’t wake up regardless of what anyone did. We…we didn’t know what to think at all. They rushed you to the hospital and we followed, we’ve been here since this morning.”
“This morning?” asked Metaphor as he looked around the room.
At that moment his eye caught a clock positioned on the wall opposite his bed. It read a little before six. For a moment Metaphor pondered the time before the realisation hit him.
“You mean it’s nearly six…” he started.
“…in the afternoon, yes,” finished his mother, “You’ve been unconscious all day.”
“The doctor’s said it was like some sort of coma but they hadn’t seen anything like it,” added Pumice.
“Indeed,” spoke the doctor finally as he stepped up to the bed, “Now I need to do a few checks and ask you a few questions if I may. Do you feel up to it?”
Metaphor just nodded, still slightly perplexed at what was happening.
“Good good, now hold still this won’t take long at all.”
The doctor quickly set about his checks, recording Metaphor’s blood pressure, temperature, heart rate and various other statistics, each of which he noted down on a medical chart. Finally he frowned at the information he had recorded and settled himself down in a chair next to the bed.
“Very well now I’m going to ask you a few questions, firstly have you been feeling unwell recently, any loss of concentration or blackouts?” he asked.
Metaphor shook his head, “No…well I’ve been a bit sleepy but the doctor said it was nothing to worry about, right mom?”
Bookworm nodded.
“I see, very well. Have you done anything out of the ordinary at all in the last few days? Been anywhere new, tried anything new to eat?”
Again Metaphor shook his head, the doctor pulled a face.
“This really is perplexing I must say,” he said after a moment.
“What about the tests you ran this morning?” asked Pumice.
“Inconclusive at best,” replied the doctor, “Nothing of consequence showed up on the tests at all. We registered a slightly lower magical reading than we’d expect but that has apparently been a common thing when it comes to your son. For all intent and purpose the tests showed nothing but a healthy individual.”
“Then why wouldn’t he wake up?” asked Bookworm.
“That has yet to be discovered, I would recommend that you bring him back to us in a few days and we will run a few more tests to make sure we haven’t missed anything.”
“And what about now?”
“Well given the time it would be best for him to stay in overnight and we’ll discharge him in the morning. Does that sound agreeable to you?”
Both Pumice and Bookworm nodded in agreement at the doctor’s suggestion who nodded back at them. Silently he picked up the medical chart at the bottom of the bed and made a few notes on it before getting up and turning towards the door.
“I’ll have the kitchen arrange for a meal to be brought up for him, it may just be something cold but I imagine you are quite hungry right now lad eh?” he said as he reached the door.
“Uh yeah…I am…” replied Metaphor as he finally noticed his gurgling stomach.
The doctor smiled, “Oh and if you wish to visit your friend down the hall I can’t see why not. There is still an hour left of visiting times and you seem perfectly healthy.”
With that the doctor left the room leaving the family alone in the room. Metaphor’s next words were pretty predictable one could say.
“Misty is in hospital too? What happened to her?!” he asked quickly.
“We don’t know too much, we’ve been too worried about you to check much,” replied Bookworm, “She was brought in at the same time you were.”
“I want to go see her,” Metaphor insisted quickly which earned him a stern glare from his mother.
“Absolutely not, you’ve just woken up and I’m not…”
“Booky,” interrupted Pumice, “maybe we should let him see her. Who knows, maybe it might shed some light on what happened.”
“But I…” Bookworm sighed hard, “…alright…but we will be going with you.”
Metaphor felt a wave of awkwardness wash over him but slowly nodded. Giving a stretch he rolled over onto his side and swung his rear hooves out from under the cover. Taking a moment to rub his head he jumped down from the bed and gave another stretch. He couldn’t deny that he felt a bit odd, like his body was much lighter than it had been and for a moment he stood and tried to balance himself properly. His parent’s watched curiously with a little concern but as he walked around the end of the bed and into full sight their expressions changed drastically. Pumice’s eyes went wide as saucers and he quickly did a double take whilst Bookworm clasped a hoof to her mouth and gasped loudly.
“M-Metaphor, you…” she squeaked quietly.
“Huh? I what?” he replied with a puzzled expression.
“You got your cutie mark!” she exclaimed, her voice holding a hint of disbelief.
“What?!”
Metaphor’s head flicked round quickly and his expression quickly copied those of his parents. There on his flank was a new cutie mark, a set of red and orange flames intertwined into the shape of a heart. He quickly flicked his head the other way and sure enough there was another identical mark on his opposite flank. Finally his head swung forwards, staring at both his parents.
“But I…I…I…what?!” he stammered quickly as he flicked his gaze from Pumice to Bookworm and back again.
“You…you didn’t know?” asked his father curiously.
“N-No dad,” he replied with a slightly nervous hint to his voice, “W-When I went to sleep last night it wasn’t there.”
Pumice cast a glance at Bookworm and then looked back at Metaphor, “Then I think we should definitely go and see Mist, this is all becoming very odd indeed.”
After a moment they left the room and headed down the corridor. Despite the unknown aspects of the situation Bookworm couldn’t help but smile. She kept glancing looks at Metaphor sideways, smiling broadly at the new cutie mark that adorned his flank. Metaphor himself wasn’t sure what to feel. His body still felt a little light and now questions of how he had got his cutie mark whilst sleeping kept flashing around his head. Pumice meanwhile was thinking hard. Being a scientist his mind was already working on possible explanations but nothing seemed to add up.
As they arrived at Mist’s room though their direction of thought all turned towards the young filly in the room. Bookworm gently knocked on the door and they all waited. After a moment the door opened and the face of Wispy Cloud appeared. She looked a little worn out and it was still possible to see the pattern of tears that had been running through her fur a short time before. As she saw the family outside her eyes brightened like the rising sun. She opened the door more, stepped out and threw her hooves around Bookworm. Taken aback slightly Bookworm was initially slow to return the embrace but quickly relaxed.
“Oh Bookworm!” exclaimed Wispy, “I was hoping you’d stop by…I’ve been wanting to talk to you all day but it didn’t feel right interrupting you when…when…”
She paused and released Bookworm, her eyes quickly flicking down to the side where Metaphor stood. The young colt could only watch like a sheep stuck in front of an oncoming train as Wispy swept him up in her hooves and hugged him tight.
“Oh goodness! Oh I am so glad you’re alright! I would feel so bad if you weren’t! I don’t know if you did anything last night but I don’t care, I’m so happy I could...”
Metaphor coughed slightly, the embrace being more like a bear hug than anything pleasant for him. Wispy quickly realised her actions though and released him to the ground. As she looked at him though Metaphor could see a totally different mare to the one he had spoken to the day before. Then she had been a worried and tired looking mother…well she still looked like that but now she had a smile that could have spanned the horizons and a flame of joy and hope twinkled in her eyes.
“Wispy…?” asked Bookworm after a moment, “What’s going on?”
“Mum? Who is it? Who’s at the door,” came a voice from inside the room before Wispy could reply.
“Mist?” chirped Metaphor quickly as he dashed past Wispy and into the room.
Inside Mist was sat up in her bed looking curiously at the doorway. As Metaphor appeared though her face brightened like a sunrise.
“Metaphor!” she exclaimed loudly, “You’ll never guess what happened! It worked! Our wish! It worked!”
Metaphor was a little dumbfounded, had he heard that correctly? Their wish had worked? That couldn’t be true could it? That had just been a whim to cheer her up.
“Wish?” came the voice of Bookworm from behind him as his parents entered the room alongside Wispy.
“Yeah yeah!” continued Mist from her bed, “Last night Metaphor and I wished on the night stars and it worked!”
“She’s been going on about this all day since she woke up,” added Wispy as she wiped her eyes, “I…I really don’t know how much of it to believe though but I don’t care when my little filly is perfectly healthy again.”
“Healthy?” asked Bookworm, “You mean healthy enough to go home again?”
“No! That’s just it, she healthy…perfectly healthy! Her congenital disorder…it’s gone!”
“What?” cut in Pumice as he finally broke his own silence.
“I don’t understand it myself either,” replied Wispy, “This morning I found her flying around her room and panicked so hard I nearly had a heart attack. Then when Metaphor didn’t wake up I rushed them both to hospital as quickly as I could. When the doctor’s examined Misty they couldn’t believe it, it was as if her heart problem had never existed.”
“I keep telling you it was the wish!” pouted Mist, “We wished that I would be able to fly again and…and it happened!”
It seemed at that moment that Misty finally reached the breaking point of her excitement and was unable to hold it in any longer. Jumping from under the covers she launched herself at the colt stood next to her bed at such a speed that Metaphor himself was only able to understand what happened after he had been knocked flat on his back. Mist quickly hugged him.
“It’s all thanks to you Metaphor! I’m so happy I can’t thank you enough!” she squeaked.
“M-Misty get back into bed this instance!” snapped her mother as authoritatively as she could but even so she failed to hide the snicker behind her words.
Misty blushed slightly and stood up but before she got back into bed she noticed something that caught her attention.
“Oh wow! You got your cutie mark!” she exclaimed as she pointed at Metaphor’s flank, “That has to be from the wish right? You got a cutie mark in wishing! That’s amazing!”
“I-I don’t really know what it means,” replied Metaphor as he got up, “I…just sorta woke up with it.”
“This is all getting very confusing,” commented Bookworm as she rubbed her head.
“Perhaps it is best if we try not to think about it right now,” suggested Pumice as he placed a hoof around his wife’s neck, “Let’s just enjoy the moment and work it all out later.”
Bookworm sighed, “Yes you’re right dear, you are quite right.”
And so for the time left to them the two families sat, talked and enjoyed each other’s company. Not much was explained but short stories were shared, quiet laughs were had and a few tears were shed. Metaphor, however, found himself becoming more and more tired as the minutes ticked by. There was so much to be happy about and yet all his brain could think about was why and how. By the time he finally returned to his room at the end of visiting hours though all he could think about was sleep. His parent’s had barely left the room before he found himself wrapped in a deep slumber that only faded as the morning broke over the city.
The next few days seemed to pass in an instance. No sooner had Metaphor been released from hospital that all of his friends wanted to know what had happened; a question which he found himself highly incapable of answering. Things only got more out of control when Mist was released from hospitals and rumours of his wish granting started floating around the city. His parent’s did their best to keep things quiet but even so the young colt found himself hiding in his room a lot of the time.
Both of his parents were concerned but there was little either of them could do at that time. Both of them hoped that they would be able to get more information soon though. Pumice was due to return to work and his line of research regularly had him dealing with magical objects on a daily basis. As he left the house two days later he left with high hopes that somepony at his lab or one of the many research papers in storage would be able to help identify what had occurred that night.
Pumice too had decided to pursuit her own avenues of investigation and as she walked into Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns she found herself longing for lunch time. The morning passed much too slowly for her own liking, the librarian pony finding her usual tasks of categorising and sorting very tedious. Even a large stack of late returned books failed to hold her interest.
As her lunch time break arrived she couldn’t shut the library doors fast enough. Having made sure she was alone she slid the lock shut and wandered into the rows of books and parchments. She made for the magical history section, judging it was likely the best place to start looking for ideas. Settling herself down at a small desk she flipped a large sheet of parchment onto it and started writing down a few notes about what she knew already. It wasn’t much but it would give her magic something to look for.
Bookworm wasn’t very skilled at magic but when it came to books and searching there was very few others who could do what she could. Calmly she wrapped her magic around the parchment and then with a glance directed it towards the first set of shelves. She closed her eyes and allowed her magic to wrap itself around the first shelf of books, pulling each of them off the shelf and holding them in mid-air. Then her magic began to quickly flick through each book as if it was speed reading each one in turn. Actually it was merely scanning each book for the words and phrases she had written on the parchment, her search spell was one that a lot of ponies at the school envied.
And yet despite how good her spell was her hour lunch break passed by with little success. A few times she had lowered a book for closer examination but each time it had been unrelated to what she had actually been looking for. A glance at the clock showed that she only had ten minutes of her break left and Bookworm found herself getting more irritated by the moment. When the front doors of the library gave a rattle she lost her patience.
“Still closed for lunch!” she called out in an annoyed tone.
She huffed and closed her eyes, going back to her book scanning.
“I’m afraid you won’t find what you seek in those books,” said a calm voice suddenly.
Bookworm was shocked back to her senses, her magic faltering and an entire shelf of books clattering to the ground next to her. Her annoyance stirred once more, her head snapping upwards towards where the voice had come from.
“How did you get in? We’re still…” she started before falling suddenly quiet.
Before her stood a tall white pony, her sleek form shimmering in the light coming in through the windows. Her mane and tail were alive with a shifting rainbow of colour that flowed back and forth across it. She ruffled her wings slightly, allowing the feathers to return to their resting position before taking a step forwards and allowing the sun’s light to glint of the small crown that sat upon her head.
“My magic knows every lock in this place,” she said calmly, “Sorry to have startled you.”
“P-P-Princess Celestia!” stammered Bookworm as she turned slightly white, “F-Forgive my harsh words!”
“Oh it’s alright my little pony,” chuckled Celestia lightly, “I did startle you after all.”
Bookworm took a deep breath and then slipped off her chair. She bowed low and then flicked her vision over to the pile of books on the floor, “W-What can I do for you Princess?”
“Actually I was thinking more along the lines of what I can do for you,” replied Celestia as her magic sprung to life and began to sort the pile of books back onto the shelves.
“What…you can do for me?” enquired Bookworm curiously, “What do you mean Princess?”
“It took me a little time to track you down but I believe you are the mother of a certain child, Metaphor is it?”
Bookworm was a little shocked but slowly she nodded her head, “Yes Princess, he’s my son.”
Celestia just nodded as she finished putting the books back into place. She turned slowly towards the door and motioned for Bookworm to follow her.
“Come with me, we have much to discuss.”
“But…but the library is due to open again…”
“I have asked my aide to watch over the library whilst we talk. Now come along, I know you haven’t eaten yet and I refuse to allow my staff to work without a proper meal.”
Celestia turned away and began to walk towards the library entrance as Bookworm stammered on the spot. The Princess wanted to talk to her personally?! She had of course met the Princess once before when she had first started working at the school and you always caught glimpses of her throughout the day when she wasn’t busy…but a private audience? Her breathing quickened slightly, her heart thumping in her chest as her mind began to whirl.
“Are you coming?” asked Celestia calmly as she stopped for a moment and looked over her shoulder.
“Oh….yes! Yes I’m coming Princess! Sorry Princess!” replied Bookworm as she snapped herself out of her trance and trotted quickly after the departing alicorn.
As they reached the entrance of the library the unicorn pony Raven was already arranging things on the main desk. She smiled and bowed her head as Celestia walked past, the two ponies sharing a silent conversation that completely escaped Bookworm. As she herself passed by Raven gave her a gentle smile too and then continued to organise her things on the front desk.
Bookworm followed Celestia closely, always sticking a little behind her as they went. As they walked along ponies of every sort quickly brushed themselves to the side to allow them past. Celestia smiled at each and every one of them, never letting a single pony go unnoticed. Bookworm could remember a few times when it had been herself that had been stepping aside for the Princess, the same smile and nod being cast in her direction each time.
Soon though they left the main corridors of the school and began their journey into the more restricted wing of the building. Bookworm hadn’t really set foot in this part of the school before and she found herself looking all around, admiring the artwork, statues and tapestries that decorated the walls. It wasn’t until they reached the first set of royal guards though that Bookworm began to feel a little nervous. Even when you hadn’t done anything wrong the way they looked at you always made you feel like a criminal! Celestia though just nodded and walked past, one of the guards opening the door for her as they both passed by.
“P-Princess,” murmured Bookworm quietly, “Where are we going?”
“Don’t be nervous my dear, I just thought somewhere private would be best to discuss the matter at hoof. I have a small study here at the school where I can relax and be alone. I’ll have some sandwiches brought in for us,” replied Celestia as she turned a corner and headed on.
Bookworm just nodded and the pair continued on for a few more corridors before Celestia finally stopped next to a set of doors. Her horn gave a small twinkle and the doors unlocked themselves and opened. Bookworm could only gawk at the room beyond. A large log fire burned to one side of the room casting a flickering light across the entire room. A large set of curtains sat drawn at the far end of the room covered in elaborate trim. A small desk with a large chair was positioned next to the window and next to the fire sat two rather large cushions and a small table that was currently covered in what looked like a tea set and sandwiches.
“Do come in,” insisted Celestia as she looked back over her shoulder at Bookworm, “Have a seat by the fire and make yourself comfortable.”
“Oh…yes, of course!” replied Bookworm with a slight blush.
She trotted over to the fire and took a moment to examine the tea set. It was fine china with a filigree pattern and gold trim. A small sugar bowl sat next to the teapot itself accompanied by a jug of milk and two teacups. Next to them all sat a plate piled high with what looked like daisy sandwiches with the crusts removed. It was almost fairy tale like in its appearance.
Next she turned her attention to one of the large pillows that sat next to the fire. They looked amazingly soft and a quick test with her hoof confirmed this. She cast a glance over her shoulder at Celestia, the princess currently gathering up a few papers from the desk, before settling herself down on one of the pillows and waiting.
A moment later Celestia also settled herself down onto a pillow and placed the gathered paper on the table next to the tea set. Bookworm waited for the princess to start talking but instead she simple lifted the teapot with her magic and started pouring two cups of tea.
“Help yourself to a sandwich my dear,” said Celestia as she set the teapot down, “I imagine by now you must be quite hungry.”
“Oh…um…yes,” replied Bookworm as she slowly lifted a sandwich from the tray and took a bite, “Princess…what did you want to talk about? What did you mean when you said I wouldn’t find my answers in a book?”
“Allow me to clear a few things first,” began Celestia as she took a sip of tea, “Your son has recently acquired his cutie mark has he not? And a rather unusual circumstance surrounds it?”
“Y-Yes, that’s right. How did you…?”
“I felt the magical burst when it happened; it roused me from my sleep but I was unable to locate where it had come from. I have only felt such magic a few times in my long life. Eventually I was able to find out where it had come from and then I came looking, I was quite surprised to find his mother working right under my nose.”
Bookworm blushed slightly and took another bite of her sandwich.
“Still I have to be sure, tell me…does your son often seem tired or weaker than you might expect? Does his magical talent seem…less than you might expect from one his age?”
Bookworm nodded, “In the last few years he has been tired more than I would have expected. He would probably sleep all day if I let him. And…yes, his magic is quite poor. I always put it down to myself not being very good…or that I married an earth pony.”
“Fear not, it is not you or your husband that is to blame,” reassured Celestia, “But speaking of yourself how have you been feeling? I would hardly say that the spell you were using earlier in the library was not very good.”
“Well…yes I suppose my magic has been a little stronger in recent years. I’ve found I could focus more than I could. But why do you want to know about me?”
Celestia nodded briefly and took another sip of tea, “Your son is a thaumaturgist.”
“A thaumawhat?” spluttered Bookworm as she tried in vain to pronounce the word she had never heard before.”
“A thaumaturgist,” repeated Celestia, “In essence thaumatology is the art of using magic to create real physical effects…or as some have called it in the past, creating miracles.”
“Miracles? But…but that would…”
“I know it seems a little impossible to believe. I have only encountered three thaumaturgists and of those only one truly understood the power they wielded.”
“But…how is that even possible?”
“I will explain as best I can,” replied Celestia, “As you know, all ponies are magical, we as a species have a natural ability to absorb the natural magic around us and bend it to our own will. Either unconsciously as with earth pony strength and the Pegasus ability to fly, or consciously as with unicorns. However we can only store so much magical energy in our bodies and sometimes we must release it. This happens naturally, usually as we sleep and we are none the wiser about it.”
Celestia paused for a moment and glanced sideways at the fire next to them.
“But with Thaumaturgists this ability to release their own magical energy cannot be turned off, they constantly give out their own magical energy which leaves them with very poor conscious magical abilities and results in them being tired a lot of the time. Additionally, those around them will absorb this magic they are giving out and slowly the affected ponies will become more capable and stronger. Sounding familiar?”
Bookworm gasped, “Yes…just like Metaphor and…and how my own magic has got better…but if he is one of these th-thauma…what does this have to do with him getting his cutie mark? And what happened that night?”
“Thaum magic is always cast unconsciously but there are ways to influence it. I have already said that they use their power to make physical impacts on the world around them but in order for this to happen the pony must first believe it is going to happen,” Celestia gave a small chuckle, “Simply put they make a wish…and if that wish is reciprocated by those around them the pony’s magic will respond even more strongly. In the case of your son the wish was for that young filly to finally be able to fly…and his magic did just that.”
Bookworm was completely stunned. She had to admit it all made sense and she couldn’t think of a reason for the princess to lie to her…but it all seemed too strange to be true. Even in a world where magic was common there were limits! Celestia seemed to notice her feelings and slowly took a final sip of her tea before setting it down.
“I know this is a lot to take in,” she said slowly, “And I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t believe me. But I will say one thing, your son is in no danger and neither are those around him. His talent cannot be forced and it will take a very strong emotional link to even have it surface again. Of all the thaumaturgists I have encountered before only one ever granted more than one wish. As unusual as this is it is nothing to fear.”
Bookworm nodded slightly. Was she really alright with this? Was this explanation enough to settle her nerves? Was the explanation even relevant if she knew her son would be alright? Looking back at Celestia she found the princess smiling at her warmly and in that moment the doubt in her mind melted away.
“Th-Thank you princess,” she murmured quietly, “I…still don’t really understand but as long as my son is safe I…I don’t think it matters.”
Celestia simply nodded and started to refill her cup of tea as the fire crackled gentle beside them.
Chapter 5 - Revived Demons
Octavia could only stand in shock at the scene before her. She wanted to cry in joy, she wanted to jump and scream but all she could do was stand and stare. Before her, lit only be the glow of the emergency lights, lay row upon row of plants…or at least they would have been rows if the passing of time hadn’t turned it into a living jungle. They stood several meters tall, each row a different plant and each plant fully laden with fruit, vegetables and grain.
“Octavia!” cried Junebug as she looked up from the pile of food before her, “Th-This is AMAZING!”
You would be hard pressed to get more excited than Junebug in that moment. She looked as if she had just been given the most amazing gift ever…and perhaps in that moment it really was. She quickly snapped her attention back to the food in front of her, picking up an apple and devouring the whole thing within a few seconds. Octavia still found herself unable to move and quickly looked over at Bumpkin who was still stood next to her.
“What…? H-How…?” she stuttered quickly.
“Ain’t got a clue,” replied Bumpkin quickly, “Junebug found this place when we were all investigating doors, she came running to find all of us and after she did I came to get you. I still can’t really believe it myself…first thing I thought was how are all these plants still alive down here? I guess they must have been doing experiments on them or something because by all rights they should be dead.”
“This is…incredible,” murmured Octavia as she finally took a step forwards, “With all this food we could…we could feed everypony and still have more than enough spare. We…we have to find a way back to them!”
“Buck that!” retorted Bumpkin with a slight chuckle.
“We have a responsibility to them! How could you say that?!” Octavia replied in disbelief.
“We have a responsibility all right and we’ll find a way out…but not before I’ve filled myself to bursting point! Hey Junebug there better be some of those apples left or you’ll be sorry!”
As Bumpkin charged off towards the other ponies Octavia could help but smile slightly. It was true that she had a duty to those ponies she watched out for but perhaps in this case Bumpkin was right. She licked her lips and quickly trotted down towards the others who were all munching into various fruits and vegetables.
“Catch!” called Helia as she threw a corn husk at her.
Octavia caught it and sat down quickly before pulling off the husk and examining the corn cob under it. Her examination didn’t last long though and she quickly sunk her teeth into it and started eating. The cob was raw of course but right then Octavia could have imagined she was sat eating haute cuisine at one of Canterlot’s five star restaurants. For a time no sounds other than that of chomping molars filled the air as the five ponies ate and even after they had finished the air remained still.
“By Celestia…I’d forgotten what it feels like to be full…” murmured Berry before belching loudly.
The others chuckled slightly and a murmur of agreement ran between them. Octavia gave a small stretch as she lay on the ground before slowly propping herself up and looking around at her companions.
“So…did anypony find anything else?” she asked slowly.
“Not a thing,” replied Helia with a groan, “just more labs and dead ends.”
“Same,” added Bumpkin.
“I found some locker rooms with showers and stuff,” finished Berry, “None of it looked usable though.”
Octavia looked back at the lush jungle next to them and frowned to herself slightly.
“It has to be daytime outside by now but who knows what time it actually is,” she murmured to herself, “by the time we find a way out of here it could even be night again.”
“You saying we should bed down for a rest and try again later?” asked Bumpkin curiously.
“It may be the best option we have right now. Once we are all properly rested we can search again and hopefully find the exit.”
“What about heading back the way we came? It’s been some time so those timberwolves may have…”
“No I’d rather not. Even if they aren’t there they know our smell and will likely pick up our scent before we’ve gone far. I’d like to try and find another way out and avoid them entirely if possible.”
Bumpkin nodded and lay back against the ground, “Well it isn’t the comfiest place to rest but it could be worse.”
“Too right Bumpkin,” cut in Berry as she rolled over to look at her, “Although if we’re resting here you better not snore.”
The others laughed but Octavia herself instead shed a tear. She quickly wiped it away before anypony saw it; it wasn’t sadness, rather joy. To hear other ponies laughing again, it was like a gift from the heavens! It was strange though after so many years of struggle and turmoil, she had almost forgotten what it felt like to be happy. With a small sigh she stretched out for a moment and then curled up where she lay.
“We should all get some shut eye,” she said after a moment, “Junebug do you think you can take first watch? I doubt there is anything down here but I’d rather be safe not sorry.”
“Sure,” replied Junebug with a smile.
“I’ll take second watch,” added Helia, “Just wake me in a few hours.”
It was indeed several hours later that Helia found herself on watch duty. Her short sleep had been refreshing but she was eager for her time to be up so she could return to the land of dreams. She yawned widely and stretched slightly, her wings fanning out behind her instinctively. There was a short pause before she looked back at her wings and sighed.
What a fool she had been. So caught up in her own sorrow and self-pity that she hadn’t even seen what had been going on around her. She had always scorned earth ponies for having lost nothing during the Overload, always blamed them for her misfortune. And yet all along they had also been suffering in their own way.
“Now’s not the time to feel sorry for yourself Helia, ” she thought to herself as she shook her head, “What I wouldn’t give to feel the wing in my feathers again though. ”
She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. As her imagination pictured her soaring effortlessly through the clouds her wings stretched wide in response. She could almost feel it, the rush of the wind, the gentle caress of the sun, the tingle of…
Her eyes shot open and she almost choked on her breath. What had just happened? She looked round at her wings but nothing looked different. Had she just imagined it? And yet it had felt so real. Looking back at her friends she tried to settle herself…
It came again. This time Helia was on her hooves in an instant, her wings spread wide and tingling with a sensation she had almost forgotten existed. Her breathing quickened as panic began to take over. What was happening to her? In an instant she rushed to Octavia’s side, nudging the earth pony awake in a rather urgent manner.
“Huh? Wha…is it my watch already?” murmured the grey pony as she stirred from her sleep.
“Miss Guardian!” urged Helia, “I’m sorry to wake you but…but…but…
Octavia could sense the panic in Helia’s voice, an emotion that washed away her own sleepiness in an instant.
“What is it Helia? Go slow.”
“I-I don’t know…I…I was just sitting here and I suddenly felt…for a moment it suddenly felt like I was flying…like I was actually flying!”
“Flying? What do you mean?”
“I don’t know! I was just imagining what it would be like to fly again and then suddenly….I…I don’t know, it just suddenly felt like I was flying! My wings felt…different…I didn’t recognise it at first but it was like I had my magic back again.”
Octavia didn’t reply, she just stared at Helia. For a moment Helia wondered if what she had said had stunned her but then Octavia began to shake slightly.
“Miss Guardian? Are you alright?” asked Helia.
“I…can feel it too…” murmured Octavia, “I…I can feel…things…like…like the ground. I can feel the rocks this place is built into…and…that plant over there…”
Now it was Helia’s turn to fall silent. For a moment they just looked at each other, both totally aghast by what was going on around them.
“What does this mean?” Helia’s voice so quiet it was barely above a whisper.
“I don’t know…” replied Octavia slowly, “But we have to find out. Wake the others…gently…”
It wasn’t long after that all five ponies were awake and standing. As each of the remaining three had woken they had felt the same thing as Helia and Octavia. A feeling so familiar to them and yet alien at the same time. Junebug had burst into tears and both Bumpkin and Berry looked completely stunned. For a while they had simply sat in shock but now all five were ready to go.
Following Octavia’s lead they made their way further into the facility. The feeling came and went as they walked, pulsing strongly and weakly as they progressed. They searched for what seemed like hours but eventually they found it…and when they did none of them could believe their eyes.
It sat in the middle of a square room, the walls covered in electronic devices of various kinds. It suspended itself above a small pedicel, gently bobbing back and forth on the spot. A pale yellow glow radiated from its shiny surface illuminating the room many times more than the emergency lighting could ever do. As they looked at it they all felt a pull as if attracted like a magnet and for a moment all of them lost all sense of time and space.
Octavia shook her head viciously, tearing her eyes away from it and quickly nudging her companions. One by one they snapped out of their trance and shook themselves. They all felt faint, as if starved of oxygen for too long and each could feel their heart racing.
“W-What is it?!” exclaimed Berry as she looked back at the object.
Octavia didn’t reply, instead she simply stared at it. The object was small, barely bigger than an apple, but its surface was jagged and cracked like a stone exposed to wind and water. It was a light yellow colour and a slight translucency allowed them to see a pulsing light at its centre.
“Some sort of crystal?” replied Bumpkin at length as she took a step to the side, slowly circling round the pedicel, “Ain’t seen nothing like it before though.”
“I remember Rarity used to use a lot of gems on her clothing back in Ponyville…but nothing like this,” added Junebug.
“So what do we do?” asked Helia, “Whatever we’re feeling is definitely coming from this thing. Is…is it really…magic?”
Nobody spoke all of them too caught up in the ‘what ifs’.
“Help me… ”
They all jumped a foot backwards in shock. Each of them looked from one of them to the other in quick fashion, each trying to work out what they had just heard.
“T-Tell me you all heard that…” murmured Berry nervously.
“Y-Yeah…” replied Bumpkin as she nervously looked around the room.
“It was like it was in my head…” added Junebug.
“Keep calm everypony,” snapped Octavia as she looked around her friends, “We have no idea what is going on here, let’s just take things one step at a time.”
It was only as Octavia stopped talking that Berry gave a loud gasp and pointed. Octavia turned but it was too late for her to do anything. Helia looked like she was in a trance, the Pegasus swaying slightly on her hooves as she came to a stop right next to the crystal. Without saying a word she raised a hoof towards the crystal and touched it.
The next sequence of events happened very quickly and chaotically. As Helia touched the crystal there was a piercing pop that filled the air. The other ponies recoiled at the sound moments before Helia was flung across the room and into the opposite wall. As she landed with a crunch on the floor the crystal too wobbled in its floating. The glow it was emitting faded for a moment and in those seconds it fell from the pedicel. With a splintering crack it hit the floor and shattered.
Berry and Junebug had started to move towards Helia moments before a massive pulse of energy erupted through the room. Each of them was flung to the floor, luckily for them not as far as Helia but enough to daze them slightly. As the dust began to settle each of them began to slowly pick themselves up from the floor.
“Is…is everypony alright?” asked Octavia as she painfully dusted herself off.
“All my limbs are still here,” commented Bumpkin with a hint of sarcasm, “What the hay just happened? What just happened to Helia?”
“Helia!” cried Berry loudly as she shook the Pegasus.
Octavia and Bumpkin both looked towards them. Helia lay motionless on the ground, cuts and bruises covering her body and her front right hoof looking slightly singed. Berry looked completely frantic as she tried to rouse her friend. Bumpkin was quickly at her side and gently pulled Berry to one side as she turned her attention to Helia.
“Still breathing…still got a pulse…” commented Bumpkin as she lowered her ear to Helia’s mouth and chest, “She’s just unconscious. Berry, help me get her into a more comfortable position.”
Despite her panic Berry managed to help Bumpkin in lifting Helia away from the wall and lowering her onto the floor. Bumpkin quickly checked the Pegasus over for any other problems but she couldn’t find any.
“No serious injuries, I think she was just knocked out cold by the impact,” stated Bumpkin as Octavia walked up beside her.
“That is good news,” sighed Octavia, “But what just happened?”
“Beats me,” replied Bumpkin with a shrug.
“M-Miss Guardian!” stammered a nervous sounding Junebug from behind them, “You…you m-may want to look at th-this.”
“What is it Junebug, you sound like you’ve seen a…what in Equestria is THAT?!”
Whatever Octavia had been expecting to see certainly hadn’t been what was now before her. It was a pony, but unlike the ponies around her this one was very different. His mane and coat was as white as snow and seemed to radiate with the same kind of glow the crystal had been giving off. He lay unmoving on the ground; his body almost piled in a heap as if thrown there but Octavia was still able to notice one other feature, something that made a chill run up her spine.
“T-Tell me I’m not imagining this…” she said slowly, “…but he’s a unicorn.”
Sure enough a short horn protruded from the stallions head, almost completely obscured by the mass of unkempt hair on his head. Slowly she approached him, her gaze flicking left and right every so often, until she stood but a few feet away. He looked young, barely a stallion out of his teens. A small smile sat on his face as if he was dreaming pleasantly but otherwise he was completely still and lifeless.
She reached out towards him, her hoof hesitating for a moment as she looked back at the others, and then lightly placed her hoof against his back. Nothing happened. Octavia blinked, the earth pony expecting another sudden burst of energy or something else entirely. But there was nothing, even the unicorn before her failed to move at her touch. She sighed harshly and turned away.
“What in Equestria were you thinking?!” exclaimed Bumpkin as she leaped forwards, putting herself between Octavia and the unicorn to which she looked with incredible distrust.
“You expected me to stand and stare?” replied Octavia, “If something was going to happen I wasn’t about to let another one of you end up like poor Helia.”
“That doesn’t mean you have to go looking for trouble!”
“I’ll keep that in mind…anyhoof it looks like whomever and whatever he is he’s safe.”
Bumpkin snorted loudly in reply, the earth pony obviously not liking how lightly Octavia appeared to be taking things, “Oh we really need to get out of here.”
“Agreed,” nodded Octavia, “Junebug, take Berry with you and scout out as many of the other corridors as you can. I don’t care about anything unless it’s an exit or an imminent threat.”
“I…I would like to stay with Helia…if that’s alright,” asked Berry slowly.
Octavia sighed, “Very well, Bumpkin would you go with Junebug? I don’t want any pony alone right now.”
“So long as you promise not to do anything else rash,” replied Bumpkin.
Octavia just nodded and Bumpkin, content with the response, headed for the door. Junebug followed, casting occasional glances backwards at the white unicorn until she was out of the room. Octavia meanwhile settled herself down on the ground next to Berry and Helia. As she did the Pegasus began to stir, her eyes fluttering as small moans escaped her lips.
“Easy Helia!” cooed Berry slowly as the Pegasus slowly opened her eyes.
For a moment her vision was fuzzy and all that occupied her mind was a dull thumping pain but at length her vision began to clear and she looked up.
“W-What?” she murmured quietly, “Oooooh…my head…what?”
“Just relax,” instructed Octavia as she placed a hoof gently on her chest, “You’ve had quite a trip.”
“Trip?” came a confused response, “What do you mean?”
“Well I was hoping you could tell me, what is the last thing you remember?”
“We were just discussing that crystal rock thing…a-and then…there was that voice…” Helia stopped and looked at Octavia, “…I…I don’t know…I remember hearing it and then…I woke up here.”
Octavia nodded to herself, “It looked like you were in some sort of trance, I can’t really say for certain…but as we were all wondering where that voice came from you reached out and touched the crystal.”
“I what?” exclaimed Helia.
“Then you got flung across the room, the crystal broke and we all got flattened by this blast of energy. When we picked ourselves up…well we had a new acquaintance.”
“Acquaintance?”
Octavia motioned over her shoulder, Berry helping Helia to a sitting position so she could see. For a moment Helia just sat and stared, her face frozen in complete shock.
“Is…is that…a pony?” she asked at length.
“Not just a pony, a unicorn,” informed Octavia as she too turned to look back at the white stallion, “He seems to be alive but we can’t get a response out of him at all.”
“W-What…?”
“Trust me I wish I knew what was going on here too,” interrupted Octavia as she looked back at Helia, “Secret underground laboratories, feelings of magic, strange floating crystals, ponies going into trances and now him…this is all getting more than just a little unusual.”
Octavia exhaled harshly and slowly stood up.
“Don’t worry though. As odd as this situation is we still aren’t in any imminent danger…or at least none that I can see. Right now I’m just glad you’re awake, how are you feeling?”
“Confused,” replied Helia as she looked mournfully at Berry Punch, “I…I think I just want to go home.”
Berry drew Helia into an embrace, the two ponies going silent as they tried to console each other. Octavia just gave a small nod and turned away, she knew how Helia felt right then. Things were definitely getting out of hoof and now she had even more problems to deal with, namely their new friend. She looked back at the white unicorn with a frown. What were they going to do now? By rights she should just get everypony together and get out but at the same time she felt responsible for him now. What would happen if they left him here? Would it be safe to take him with them?
The questions in her mind were still floating back and forth by the time Bumpkin and Junebug returned. It had been some time and both ponies looked tired from their search but Octavia could see a spark of encouragement in their eyes.
“We found a way out!” said Bumpkin quickly.
Octavia’s head snapped towards them, “Where?”
“It’s a bit of a trek, must be a good half mile from here through a few collapsed corridors and such like,” replied Junebug, “It looks like that emergency shaft that we came down but it’s much bigger. There were elevators and a big open reception area.”
“Don’t tell me the elevators were actually working?” questioned Octavia.
“No such luck,” Bumpkin scoffed, “But there looked to be several stairwells too so one of those should be clear. How is everypony here anyway?”
“Better to see you two back,” replied Berry as she flashed them both a smile before looking at Octavia, “Are we going?”
“Providing Helia feels ready to walk yes,” Octavia looked at the Pegasus.
“Ready,” nodded the Pegasus firmly.
Octavia nodded to herself, “Right, Junebug, Berry, go back to the room with all the plants and grab as much as you can carry. If you can find anything that can be used as a bag, fill that and bring it along too. I’m not leaving this place without taking as much of that food with us as we possibly can. We’ll set out and meet you in this reception area.”
Junebug and Berry nodded firmly and quickly left the room, heading back along the corridors towards the plant room. Bumpkin meanwhile was helping Helia to her hooves, the farm pony looking much brighter now that an exit was in sight.
“Bumpkin!” called Octavia quickly, “There’s something I need you to do.”
“What?” replied the earth pony as she turned to look at her kin.
“You’re not going to like this…but I need you to carry him out with us.”
For a moment Bumpkin didn’t realise what Octavia was saying…him? But they were all…
“Oh no! No no no no!” replied Bumpkin as her mind twigged onto what Octavia was asking, “Are you out of your mind?! We don’t know the first thing about him nor do we know if he’s dangerous!”
“I know all that,” retorted Octavia harshly, “I’ve been sat here since you left thinking about what we should do with him. He may indeed be dangerous; Celestia knows this whole world is dangerous now! I don’t know what to make of him either but after what I’ve seen here today maybe, just maybe, he might be able to shed some light on what’s happening.”
Bumpkin was about to reply but as an angry response formed on her lips she was interrupted.
“I think she’s right,” cut in Helia.
“What?! Are you serious?!” replied Bumpkin as she looked back at the Pegasus.
“I know how you feel Bumpkin, this is all just too strange to comprehend. I never imagined we’d find anything like this when we set out…but we have. And isn’t it a Guardian’s duty to protect everypony?”
She looked at Octavia, the grey mare giving her a firm nod in response. Bumpkin sighed and shook her head.
“Alright, alright,” she said slowly, “I guess you both have a point. I just…”
“It’s alright Bumpkin,” cut in Octavia, “I know you’re just looking out for us all, me especially. But if this pony can tell us anything it has to be worth the risk right? Even if he can’t I couldn’t call myself a Guardian if I left him behind?”
“Alright, you win, I’ll carry him,” replied Bumpkin.
“Good, now let’s get a move on, I don’t want to be down here any longer than is necessary.”
With that the ponies sprang into action. Octavia and Helia made for the door and Bumpkin, hesitantly, hoisted the stallion onto her back. He felt warm but at the same time completely lifeless. She shivered slightly but otherwise set her eyes forwards and followed her companions. She soon took the lead though, guiding them through various corridors and over rubble where their path otherwise seemed blocked. As they approached their destination they could begin to hear voices, Junebug and Berry Punch seemingly having already arrived. As they too clambered their way into the same room Octavia paused for a moment to survey her surroundings.
The area did indeed look like some sort of foyer. A long desk occupied one wall that was covered in decaying paper and moss. Chairs lay scattered about as if flung there in a violent rush. Corridors led off in all directions and Octavia once again found herself wondering just how big the underground facility was. Her attention though was quickly drawn to the far side of the room where several rusty looking elevators stood. There was no sign of life in any of them though.
She turned her attention to the ponies before her, Junebug and Berry. On their backs sat a pair of food bundles. They had wrapped each bundle in leaves and secured it to their backs with plant stems it seemed; very ingenious.
“Junebug, Berry, glad to see you made it,” she called as she made her way towards them.
“Barely!” sighed Berry Punch, “These bundles are surprisingly heavy. Think I’m going to sleep for a week when we get back.”
“We got as much as we could,” informed Junebug as she gave the bundle on her back a small shake, “It was hard work getting it here but I wasn’t going to leave any of this behind if I could help it.”
“Good, the more we have the more mouths we will be able to feed, Celestia knows we need it right…”
“Sweet Luna!” exclaimed Berry as she took a few steps backwards, “You brought him with you?!”
“Yes we did,” replied Helia before Octavia could speak, “We might not know everything about him or this place but we can’t leave any pony behind.”
Octavia smiled slightly as a rather surprised Berry Punch tried to formulate a response.
“You’re beginning to sound more like a Guardian than I do. Anyway let’s get moving, Bumpkin lead the way,” chuckled Octavia as she turned towards the elevators.
Behind her Helia couldn’t help but blush. Soon enough the group were climbing the stairs that spiralled up beside the elevator shafts. They were a lot more solid than the set of stairs they had descended previously, these ones being made of concrete with proper supports. Each of them could have sworn that it took days to reach the top but in reality it was only a little over thirty minutes; the endless coil of steps having a very hypnotic effect on them all. As they reached the top they could feel the temperature beginning to fall and the howl of the wind began to fill their ears.
“Wonder where this will lead out,” commented Berry Punch.
“Hopefully somewhere we can get our bearings,” replied Octavia, “We must have walked miles down there so your guess is as good as mine for where we really are. I just hope we don’t come up anywhere near Las Pegasus, the last thing I want to deal with right now is an angry dragon!”
Berry shivered at the thought, she too didn’t like that particular scenario.
As they rounded a corner in the stairs they found their progress blocked by a pile of rocks. Wind whistled through them and many of the rocks were damp with melted snow; the way out had to be just beyond it. Helia, being the only one not carrying something or badly injured, stepped forwards and began to knock the rocks aside. Thankfully for her the rocks didn’t seem to be propped up by much and a few hard shoves was all that was needed to send them tumbling down and out of the way. As they fell the wind quickly filled the gap, each pony turning away from its bitter chill for a moment before slowly proceeding out of the stairwell.
What they found outside caught them all by surprise. Carved into the side of a mountain was a large open balcony. The remains of various entrances and lift shafts dominated the inside edge whilst the outer edge looked out over the west ocean. The floor may have once been pristine white marble but was now cracked and broken, intermixed with dead trees and plant life that had tried to make the balcony their home.
“Woah…” murmured Bumpkin as she looked out at the view.
“Woah indeed,” added Helia, “This balcony looks like the main landing area in Cloudsdale.”
“Pegasus architecture for sure,” added Junebug, “So where now?”
“We’ll have to find a way down, come on,” replied Octavia quickly.
Their search didn’t take long; indeed there wasn’t much ground to search in the first place. To one side of the balcony was a path cut into the rock face. At some point it may have been a passable highway but after many years of neglect and weather beatings it had been reduced to little more than a thin sliver. None of them were eager to test their luck but a further search turned up no other way down from the balcony so they had little choice.
The trip was slow and steady, Octavia leading and testing each hoof step carefully before she put her weight on it. A few times a piece of the path would crumble and roll off down the mountainside, each of the ponies going tense every single time it occurred. Despite the precarious nature of the path though they were slowly approaching the base of the mountain and Octavia could see not only the bottom but a major landmark as well. In the distance, a little way up the coastline was the remains of buildings. Some tall towers still stood in defiance to the weather but other had crumbled and fallen.
“You see what I see Bumpkin?” asked Octavia.
“You mean the remains of Las Pegasus? Yeah I see them! Hope we don’t have to go too close to them but at least we know roughly where we are now right?” replied the earth pony.
“Yes, once we reach the bottom we can rest a while and work out where we are going next.”
It didn’t take them much longer to reach the bottom of the path and soon they were all standing on solid ground. Behind them the mountain loomed up into the sky and all around them the remains of a large pine forest stunted their vision. For a moment all the ponies allowed themselves a moment of peace. A little food was unloaded from the bale on Junebug’s back and together they ate in relative silence.
Eventually though Octavia felt the need to move on again. Gathering all of them together they drew a map in the snow marking down what they knew about their surroundings. East was the direction they needed to go but for the moment more exact directions eluded them, they would just have to keep a lookout for landmarks. And so the party set off once again, making their way east through the pine woods. Octavia hoped their journey would be uneventful and short; fate, however, seemed to have other plans for them.
At length Octavia stopped still, her vision looking ahead at one of the trees. It was a sturdy pine tree, or rather what was left of one. Its bark had been shredded beyond recognition and deep grooves had been carved into the inner wood. Fresh snow had been falling but the imprint of rough paw prints could still be seen in the old snow beneath. Octavia felt a shudder run up her spine.
“Timberwolves…” she murmured quietly.
Her companions remained silent as she slowly approached the tree to examine it closer.
“These markings can’t be any older than a day,” she said as she turned and sniffed at the air.
She couldn’t smell anything but that wasn’t a reassurance, if they were upwind of them the wolves would likely have already smelt them.
“We have to get away from this area,” she hissed quietly as she examined the tracks.
They appeared to be heading away to the south but the fresh snow made it difficult to be completely sure. Looking back at her companions she motioned forwards and took off at a gently gallop. She let out a small groan of discomfort as she did; the wounds on her stomach still fresh enough to cause discomfort.
“You sure its timberwolves?” asked Berry as she drew level with her.
“Absolutely, nothing else I know of except maybe a dragon that could leave a mark like that…and I don’t think dragons mark their territory with scratch marks,” replied Octavia as she steered them away to the north hoping she was going in the right direction.
“We have no luck it would seem,” scoffed Bumpkin quietly.
“Everyone, mouth’s closed, eyes open!” instructed Octavia, the entire group falling silent and setting their eyes forwards.
The gentle gallop continued but it was clear that the exertion was already showing. Whether it was injury or heavy load didn’t seem to matter as all of them began to flag in their speed. Octavia was the first to slow but Bumpkin and Berry were quick to follow. Helia looked the most refreshed of them all but her earlier trip across the room had left her with a headache that pounded in her ears with every step she made.
“Not much further! Not much further! If they could get a few miles from the ripped tree they would likely be out of the hunting area! ”
Octavia knew that timberwolves didn’t stray far from their home; they hunted as a pack but they always had a den to go back to. She had evaded packs of them on a few occasions by being able to skirt the edge of their territory but this time they just had to hope they were running in the right direction. If the wolves picked up their scent they would undoubtedly follow them and they would be a lot quicker than they were right now.
Just then it hit her; the smell! Like decaying wood and boiling brambles it struck her nose like a freight train and her blood chilled at the realisation. She looked both ways as she ran but nothing came into vision, were they behind them? Turning sharply to the right she hoped to get a look behind her but found something much worse.
A snarling maw of wooden teeth bore down on her like a bat out of the night. She barely had time to flatten herself to the ground as the timberwolf skimmed over the top of her. Scrambling to her feet she took only a moment to look at her attacker before she took off again at a run once more. Her companions followed but each was now looking around them in fear.
How had the wolves been able to get so close to them without her knowing? Had she missed something? Had they been tracking them all along but had been waiting for them to tire? Was it just a lone straggler? It didn’t matter! They had been detected and all they could do was run. Even so she had to do something, try to slow them down.
“All of you keep running! I’m going to try and slow it down,” she said quickly, “Whatever happens keep running and don’t look back.”
The others seemed content to simply nod as they continued to run. Octavia meanwhile pulled slightly to the side of the group, looking frantically for anything she could use as a makeshift weapon. She spotted it quickly, a tree that had partly fallen over and had a long branch sticking out at a low level. Jumping over it she gave the trunk a firm kick with her rear hooves causing the branch to swing round into the path of the pursuing wolf.
It wasn’t the most effective attempt. The branch did indeed catch one of the wolf’s limbs but it was going fast enough to shatter the branch to pieces as it passed by. There was a stumble but nothing more; Octavia cursed her luck. She had to find something more robust to try and slow it down.
As they rounded a rocky outcrop though it appeared that luck was very much not on their side. Two timberwolves stood before them, both seemingly waiting for them. There was little time to stop or even to dodge as one of them leaped at them with a powerful swipe. Luckily for them all the blow missed them directly but it did strike a nearby rock, shattering it to pieces in the process. The fragments flew off in all directions, some striking the ponies directly and others tangling their limbs causing them to crash to the ground with a splat that only wet snow can make.
Octavia moaned as she slowly raised her head. She hugged one of her front hooves to her chest and glanced around quickly. Her friends lay scattered all over, the various loads they were carrying also littering the area. A little way off Helia was raising her head, a brief look of hope crossing her face before it fell like a stone in a pond. Fear gripped her, colour draining from her face as her vision locked onto something behind Octavia.
The grey mare didn’t need to look around to know what it was, she could feel the timberwolf’s presence behind her and she could smell its breath. She knew there was nothing she could do to stop it; she just didn’t have the time.
“I’m sorry…” she mouthed quietly before it happened.
The blow was like being hit by a train and sent her mind spinning just as her body spun through the air. As she struck a large rock there was a sickening crack and a shrill scream split the air like a knife. Helia found herself unable to do anything but watch; her body frozen and her mind desperately trying to accept what she had just seen. This was it, this was the end, she was going to die and nopony would find what remained of her body. Sadness washed over her, regret that in that moment she was powerless to do anything. She hated how she always ended up feeling this way ever since…
“I wish I could fly… ” she thought to herself as tears began to flow down her face.
In that moment though something happened. Something that none of them could have predicted or even considered possible. In the snow a short distance away the white unicorn that had been thrown from Bumpkin’s back began to glow. In a flash a bright pulse of magical energy erupted through the barren trees. The two timberwolves were flung away from the ponies, both landing in a heap a short distance away, and quickly began to bark and growl at the unexpected interruption.
Helia suddenly felt a well of strength flare up inside her; a warmth that filled every inch of her being and calmed her mind. She knew what she had to do and slowly she pulled herself to her hooves. She could do it…she could do anything! She snorted loudly, setting her sights on the two timberwolves and spread her wings. Another burst of energy erupted through the forest, this time from Helia. As her wings unfurled they flared wide and long, trailing ribbons of energy and colour flowing over them and off into the snow behind her. She coiled her back legs and sprung forwards.
The sonic rainboom was near instant as Helia’s speed went from nothing to eye watering in a mere second. Neither of the two timberwolves stood a chance against her as she crashed into them one after the other sending splintered fragments of them in all directions. To Helia though nothing was out of her control as she pulled up, soaring high into the sky before arching back and heading for the forest floor once again.
The third timberwolf caught her eye and she went straight for it. At the last moment she swung her rear hooves round and kicked out delivering a spine shattering blow to the unfortunate timberwolf. To her left a series of whimpers sounded as two more timberwolves turned tail and began to flee. Helia, however, didn’t appear to be in forgiving mood though. She didn’t even bother to avoid the trees as she flew, the old wood shattering as she flew straight through it. It took less than the blink of an eye to reach her target and when she did she didn’t hold back.
As she reached them she spun round, a sharp uppercut liberated one of the wolves head from the rest of its body. As its body fell to the ground Helia grabbed hold of the rest of the wolf’s body. With a building scream she lifted the body from the ground, swung it round her head and then released. The other timberwolf took the full brunt of the impact as both of them shattered into pieces.
She looked around once more. Another few wolves could be seen fleeing into the trees but it seemed that Helia’s rage had reached a boiling point. Instead her mind switched to another matter, Octavia. Turning quickly she sped back to the others to find Junebug and Berry crouched over Octavia. Bumpkin lay nearby, her front leg seemingly broken. As she touched down they all turned to look at her but Helia had no time for questions, instead she brushed her companions aside and knelt down next to Octavia. The earth pony lay in a heap on the ground, the white snow around her slowly turning red as blood oozed from various new lacerations.
“Octavia! Octavia! Don’t die on me now!” she cried frantically as she looked back and forth over the earth pony.
Octavia gave a small groan and her eyes fluttered slightly, opening just enough so she could see the pony above her.
“A-Are…you…an angel?” she asked quietly her vision filled with the wafting flow of energy coming from Helia’s wings.
“N-No! It’s me! Helia!”
“Heeee…lia? I’m…so-sorry I couldn’t…”
Octavia stopped mid-sentence and coughed. A few specks of blood appeared on her lips and for a moment she closed her eyes and took a few laboured breaths.
“Am…am I going to die?” she asked quietly half expecting to be greeted by a solemn silence.
“No!” replied Helia firmly, her eyes filled with a steely determination, “We’re all going to be alright…all of us!”
As if spurred on by her words the magical energy wafting around the Pegasus began to drift off in different directions around her. Thin tendrils of rainbow colour snaked its way towards each of her companions and gently swam around then like a warm breeze.
“We’re all going to…be…alright…”
With a thud Helia collapsed into the snow beside Octavia, Junebug and Berry looking shocked but finding it impossible to move. Both of them could feel the energy washing over them and both could feel a gentle comfort like being wrapped in a warm blanket. Their aches and pains seemed to fade to nothing, cuts and bruises healed before their eyes and a moment later they too collapsed to the ground. Unlike Helia though they both kept their consciousness and slowly began to look around them.
“What in the name of Celestia was all that?!” exclaimed Berry as she slowly pulled herself to her hooves.
Junebug didn’t respond, instead she was staring at Helia and Octavia with wide eyes.
“June?” asked Berry as she looked at her curiously.
“Berry…look at them! They…they have their…”
Berry looked and soon joined Junebug in her staring. Both Octavia and Helia lay quietly in the snow, the gently rise and fall of their bodies the only sign that they were both still alive. This isn’t what they were staring at though. On Octavia’s flank was a purple treble clef and on Helia’s a sunflower…cutie marks.
