Decades of Equestria: The Filly in Orange

A dim redness began to sneak into my closed eyes as I began to regain consciousness. My eyes fluttered open and were greeted by a stream of beautiful white morning light. A gentle voice drifted through my ears. “Good morning Lady Light! It’s good to see that you are finally awake. If you had been unconscious for two more days, there would have been no hope for you...”

“No hope for you,” I echoed back, realizing the gentleness was gone and letting the meaning of those words sink in. “What do you mean, no hope?”

“You came very close to dying, your heart had stopped by the time that Chef got you here, then you were unconscious for two months--”

“Two months?” I was close to dying!

“Of course... We normally would have considered you dead after a month, but based on your record, the doctor decided to--”

“My record?” I interrupted. Her grey coat was beginning to clash with the tranquility of the room.

“Oh? Didn’t she tell you? That’s just like her--“ she snickered “--just like Hard Wood, never telling her patients just how bad their conditions really are. You know her daughter’s shy-mentality is beginning to make a bit more sense now... Anyways, your ladyship was being kept alive by a thread for nearly two weeks...” I had been here for months? Had the princess responded to me yet? “Nopony has ever survived with Greywater for that long before... They either got over it in the first week, or they died. Before you, there was no middle ground.”

She turned towards the door, “I’m going to tell the doctor that you aren’t dead. You lucky filly-- or should I say mare... I counted your rings...”

Two months of unconsciousness? So I had been poisoned. Why was poisonous food set before me? Who had paid off the chiefs? What had I done to make somepony want to kill me? Was I rude to somepony? This world of Unicorn politics was absurd-- things were so much simpler back home. But still, who would want to kill me? Why had I survived? Why was the nurse talking about my growth rings? I want to go home!

Now listen Shadow, mares haven't always had growth rings, they are a rather modern, novelty. It’s not completely vital for somepony looking at your intimate places to know how old you are. Yamaha, however, seems to disagree. Nopony can disagree that Star Swirl, or Lily as she goes by now, is one of the greatest mages of all time, but did he really have to make a sentient troll of a tree? Especially considering the tree has control of the very fabric of existence? Why did he have to make it enjoy playing pranks?

My musings were disrupted by a white and blond stallion (a handsome color scheme if you ask me) walking into the room carrying a clipboard in his mouth. Setting down his clipboard, he glanced over me.

“Welcome back Lady Light. It has been a long time since you were last with us. It is my pleasure to finally have a chance to meet you, ” He said with a warm, comforting smile. He glanced at the clipboard, “You’re awake! That’s all I can tell you, I don’t have the equipment--” he tapped his hornless forehead “-- to do a complete investigation, but from what I can see you are healthy… Your body seems to have efficiently dealt with the poison that was plaguing it and to my knowledge, you are safe to go home. Just be sure not to do any kind of strenuous activity for the next few days or get overly excited. And, of course, don’t eat any more dandelions.”

The grey nurse had reentered the room while he was talking and had quietly seated herself in a corner of the room. Finished with his analysis, the Doctor nodded to her and left, leaving me rather void of the reassurance that I was hoping he would give.

“Well, you heard the doctor. It’s safe for you to go home.” The nurse smiled, offering me a hoof in assistance.

“Are you sure?” I asked. “And what kind of operation is this, where the practitioners ogle their patients?”

“The best kind of operation,” she smirked. “If you need to almost die again, we’ll still be here,” The smile which accompanied that statement was so disturbing, I decided the best course of action would be to get out as fast as I could!

Outside, gusts of cold winter air blew freshly fallen snow into huge banks. Light glinted off every tiny particle, sending the whole world into a brilliant array of gloriously, sparkling white.

An assortment of school foals were playing in the snow. An intense battle for supremacy raged in front of the town hall, while a few young pegasi provided more ammunition for the combatants below them. Several others were holding a fast-paced race down main street, while still others were making snow-ponies out of the leftover ammunition from the battle. It was all so wonderful. Nothing is like the magic of the first snow of winter to bring even the bitterest of enemies together.

Our three tribes (and the Crystilians) haven’t always been enemies. Until recently, we have had a ‘peaceful’ alliance between the four of us.The pegasi haven’t ever been hostile to any party, although they are the only tribe with a standing army. They seem content with just being messengers, wagon pullers, weather managers, and priestswith a purely defensive military. Maybe it is because of their church that they have remained neutral. Whatever the reason for Pegsia’s neutrality, it still stands that Unicornia and Earth have been fighting for centuries and many ponies (like myself) view it as a senseless feud. Both Unicornia and Earth have integrated pegasi into our societies. Why can’t we do the same for each other? Like the Crystal Empire-- they have had all three races living harmoniously for years.

A pegasi wagon flew overhead, landing on the street in front of the scribe’s shop I had used for a moment before flying off again. When I arrived, a small herd of passers-by was beginning to gather around the spot. Ponies jostled me right and left as I tried to push my way through the crowd. Everypony wanted to see the newcomer who had disappeared into the shop. Secretly, I was a little glad that I had arrived in the way I did, half drunk and alone. It saved me from having to endure this kind of excitement at my arrival.

“How many of you saw the wingless pegasi last night?” Those words echoed above me, slowly rippling through the crowd as several others echoed the question. A haze fell over them. The boisterous, bustling crowd fell silent. In ones and twos, they began to saunter off. All hope of discovering the importance of their visitor, vanished.

A cold wind blew up the lonely street, chilling me to the bone. My eyes flittered from side to side, and my entire body shook in a state of consternation. I had been gone for months, not upholding my responsibilities, and now there was something, who knew what, out there with us. Something that could make me cold… Visions started replaying through my head… Was I the foal who had called for its mother? If so, what was that shadow behind it? Was that shadow the ‘wingless pegasus?’

The door opened and a gust of warm air blew out from the shop, banishing the cold back to the foul source from whence it came. The unicorn who had been the total center of attention moments earlier looked out upon a single filly shivering in the street. Bending down he looked into her morning blue eyes and smiled, “Hail, young filly! This town’s fair scrivener informed me that thou governor hast been missing forthwith time.” There was a hint of concern in his voice, “Wouldst thou knowest whereforth she hath partaken herself?”

In hindsight, I wished I had pretended to be somepony else for a while. Instead, I looked up at him with a smirk to complement his smile, “You’re looking at her!”

“Thou art the Governor?” He asked incredulously. Then, shaking his head, he looked calmly at me, “Prove thyself.”

Turning my body slightly to the side, I showed him my flank mark and started off towards the Keep. He started after me, obviously approving of my identification. I was suddenly very aware that I was missing my tail. It had grown back a bit, somewhat confirming that I had indeed been unconscious for several months. It, however, still hadn’t attained its full protective length, leaving me feeling naked.

இڿڰۣ-ڰۣ—

Silence pervaded our trip back to the keep, broken only by the steady sound of hoof steps behind me. As we came in sight of the Keep, my companion cleared his throat. “If thou art, how thou sayest... what wouldst thou requesteth of me?”

“Well, first, I would like to know your name. Second...”

“Emberoseaus Ash at thine service my lady,” he said bowing to kiss my hoof. What is it with Unicorns and doing that? It’s a bit creepy, having random stallions just kissing your hoof… whatever happened to hugs? Or hellos? Or just waving a hoof?

“I’m a lady now? What have I done to ‘prove thyself?’--” silence “--Second, I would like you to create an infinite flame. --“ he nodded ”-- And third, may I call you Ember?” he nodded again.

“Wouldst thou be able to gather such small group of ponies as you deem necessary for this venture?”

“Group? Why do you need a group?” It wasn't like it needed fuel or anything-- right?

“To protecteth thine flames, making for sure naught besiegeth it.” That made sense, in his convoluted way of making sense. We wouldn’t want any stray giant spiders messing with our new sanitation department.

I nodded, opening the door we had just reached. “Tell one of the servants that Lady Light has sent orders to provide you with a room.” He nodded. Confident that he would be well taken care of, I turned back towards the town.

இڿڰۣ-ڰۣ—

What had at first appeared to be a large-scale snowball war had turned out to be several small scale battles. That was until one valiant filly charged the defenders of the Hall, rallying the besieging forces behind her. The victory won, she entered her captured fortress in search of a group of fiery defenders.

Inside the Town Hall some ponies talked within small groups. Some huddled near the fire, but all of them were avoiding the battle raging outside. I entered, bringing a large gust of cold air, and a few unfired, telekinetically holding snowballs with me.

Twirling the snowballs around me, I did the cool magic rune thing that I still don’t understand the purpose of and bowed to the crowd. “Hello, everypony! My name is Spotlight. You might have heard of me --” my magic flickered “-- and, this is really hard to keep up... Would you all mind if I dropped the epic act?” The majority of the crowd nodded. Throwing the magical snowball rune behind me I closed the door and clasped on my side wheezing, “I... need a moment… to... catch my breath… and then… I have an announcement to make.”

Magic isn't my forte. Doing almost any spell (aside from telekinesis) uses up most of my mana, leaving me physically drained.

Several minutes later, I rose to my hooves. “Let’s try that again… Hello, everypony! My name is Spotlight. You might have heard of me. You know, the one who is in charge around here. To cut to the chase, I need some volunteers willing to leave your homes, to go out down to the lake, and keep a small fire lighted down at the bottom of the aqueduct.”I could have phrased that better.

To my surprise, five ponies came forward. I had expected to have to offer some kind of compensation to entice people to leave their homes and families, especially considering the way I had marketed my little proposition. But no, these five were willing to throw away something I never had. At least it would keep the rest of the town safe.

I soon had my little party of firekeepers, each with their name written on a chalk board nailed to the wall: Bundle Bread, Sour Cookie, Emerald Bearer, Spoon Dipper, and Strawberry Lemonade XII. They were an excitable group, hardly letting me get a word of instruction in and scattering like flies the moment I gave them permission to leave. It had been settled that we were all to meet at the hall the next morning. All I had left was to dine with Ember.

I was tired. Being poisoned is exhausting, while their endless yammering and the fighting to make myself heard wasn't helping either. Which is why I was less than thrilled to see Strawberry standing outside the hall waiting for me.

“Lady Light, do you think we’ll be safe? I know that we four mares aren’t very strong. Could you find a few other stallions to protect us? Dipper will only be able to do so much.” She worriedly asked.

She had a point, four mares and a thin stallion wouldn’t be much good against anyone trying to deposit more excrement, even if they could fend off the giant spider. “Did you have anypony in mind?”

“Is there anypony in your army who is willing?” Great, now I have an army, too...

“I have an army?” I asked, trying to hide my disgust. I don’t like fighting, or war, or violence. It’s just a horrible excuse of a past time to keep others occupied.

“Yes... locked up in the Keep somewhere. A recruiter came through several months ago and got a few colts to join the ‘Army.’ Why didn’t you just ask them to take care of your fire?”

“I… honestly didn’t know I had an Army.”I hate being in charge… but, maybe if I’m lucky, she can bring some of them. “Tell you what, how about we both go and take a look at them, and you can pick out a few to protect you.”

இڿڰۣ-ڰۣ—

The maid’s map led us to an Earthen-style building off the side of the Keep. A small patch of orange light encapsulated the door’s latch. With a creak the door opened, revealing thirteen sweaty stallions. By sweaty, I mean… sweaty! As I opened the door, out came a whiff of a completely unbearable odor that just made me want to throw up.

Strawberry had already charged right in and was ferociously hugging one of the stallions. So she did have somepony in mind. Content that Strawberry would now have sufficient “protection,” I opened the windows to hopefully keep some of them alive and turned back towards the Keep. Dinner with Ember, then I could go to bed.

I froze, spellbound by one of the most beautiful sunsets I had ever seen. The sun gently wobbling back and forth as the council put through their last effort to get it over the horizon. And then-- it was gone.

I quietly opened the door to the empty kitchen. From a corner of the room came the rhythmic breathing of a sleeping pony. I had almost reached the door to the dining room when his breathing stopped. Hearing nothing for a moment, I turned to investigate.

Rising off the sleeping pony was a shadowy pony. Its back half was missing, replaced with a tapering twirl. It grinned at me, a terrifying toothy grin, before vanishing.