Broken Worlds: A Sea Of Tears

I groaned as I stirred to wakefulness, glancing around in a daze as I tried to figure out just what the hell was going on. The last thing I remembered, I had emerged from the portal into an Equestrian military camp, and everything ended there.

They must have knocked me out, I thought as I staggered to my feet, leaning against the wall for support. “Water…” I mumbled, and looked up to see a water trough in the corner of the room. It looked clean enough, and after taking a sampling sip I deduced it was safe enough to drink. At least they treat their prisoners well enough, I thought as I thirstily drank the clear liquid, taking a break every so often to catch my breath.

“Ah, so you’re finally awake,” I heard a mocking voice call out from outside my cell. I looked over my shoulder to see a unicorn guard staring at me through the barred door. “You’re a lot softer than most human spies they send through the portal; you fell like a sack of potatoes when one of our weakest recruits hit you in the head!” he laughed. “How’s it feel to be on the other side of a cage, huh? I’ve got a cousin who’s trapped in one of your human labor camps, you know, and I’ve been itching to return in kind what’s being done to him.”

I looked at my reflection in the clear water. I couldn’t even recognize the face that stared back at me; finding out you’re just a disposable clone is a good way to make you question everything you’ve ever known. “I’m… I’m not with BlackTech,” I said softly. “I mean… I was, but not anymore…”

The guard snorted. “Well, don’t expect any handouts around here; the only thing worse than a human is a disloyal human,” he snapped.

I sighed heavily, when something came to me. “Wait… you said I was easily knocked unconscious?” I asked, remembering that the Pandora Serum was still coursing through my veins, supposedly increasing my strength beyond the limits of normal human beings.

The guard chuckled. “It was hilarious,” he said, fondly recalling the memory. “I wish I had a video recorder at the time; I’d like to see it again a few more times.”

I stared at my hands and flexed my fingers. Perhaps the serum only has temporary effects, I thought slowly. No, wait… I still feel quite strong. Maybe it increases muscular strength, but does not improve vitality and vulnerability? After all, father said that the serum was still imperfect. I tested this theory by gently pushing the water trough. It was definitely made of some sort of dense metal, but easily moved when I applied pressure to it. Okay, so that explains that, I thought affirmatively. “Excuse me, guard? I have to use the bathroom,” I said innocently.

The guard glanced at me over his shoulder for a moment before sighing begrudgingly. “I don’t want to have to clean up your cell when we finally get rid of you,” he grumbled as he levitated a ring of keys from a nearby coatrack over to the door and unlocked it. “Right this way,” he ordered.

As soon as I had exited the cell, however, I quickly grabbed the guard and tossed him in the now-vacant cell and slammed the door, crushing the lock like a wad of clay and sealing the door.

“What? Help! Prisoner escape!” the guard cried out as I sprinted down the hallway, keeping a wary eye out for other guards. I eventually found myself in the main section of the castle, tiptoeing through the quiet halls to avoid raising any more alarms.

As I traversed the castle, I stared in wonder at the paintings and statues that depicted great heroes and battles. I found myself captivated by one in particular; a dark-blue alicorn with a star-filled pelt, as though he was made of the night sky, that stood next to a human dressed in silver-and-gold armor.

“Beautiful, isn't it?” I heard a gentle voice say. I jumped and turned around, surprised to see Princess Celestia, leader of the Equestrian Alliance, slowly trotting towards me. “An old friend convinced me to hang it here,” she said fondly, gazing at the painting with eyes full of admiration. “A reminder of what once was, and could be again.”

I turned back to the painting and stared at its beautiful accents and details. “Who were they?” I asked quietly.

Celestia let out a deep breath. “My father, King Cosmos,” she said, gesturing to the alicorn. “He led his people bravely and fiercely, and I hope that i may one day be remembered as half the great hero he was.

“By his side is Argentum Vindex,” she continued, gesturing to the armored human. “He was the leader of the group of humans that arrived in this world, who were given the Elements of Harmony by my father. They were corrupted by their power, and Argentum set out to stop their conquest.”

Celestia turned to me. “I know who you are, Cyrus Anderson,” she said simply. “You are the spokesman for BlackTech Incorporated, aren't you?”

I nodded slightly.

“I have lost much because of the war your company started,” she said grimly. “Friends, subjects, cities… What is it all for?”

I stared at her like one would regard a god. I suppose it was an appropriate reaction; after all, she was one of the primary deites of the Equestrian Pantheon. “I… I'm not sure,” I admitted, looking away from the regal pony. “BlackTech claims that it was because of the destruction that the opening of the portals caused; that it was part of an intentional attack. Others say it's just so humans can have a new world to live in, since so much of our own has been ravaged.” I looked back into her soft, purple eyes. “I don't know what to believe anymore. I just found out that I'm not a real person, but a clone of the man I thought was my father,” I explained. “The disposable end result of a hare-brained science project.”

Celestia nodded understandingly. “So why run here, to Equestria?” she asked gently. “Humans are not usually taken in with open arms these days.”

I stared helplessly at the ground. “I… I don't know,” I admitted sadly. “I just had to get out of there, and this was the only place I could think of that my father shouldn't be able to find me.” I let out a heavy sigh. “I apologize for intruding on your kingdom, Princess Celestia, and I know it doesn't mean much, but I am sorry for all the trouble humanity has caused you. With your blessing, I will depart from Canterlot and never bother your people again.”

Celestia was silent for a few moments. “Do… do you take me for some kind of careless savage?” she asked, taken aback and slightly amused by my statement. “You have exiled yourself from your world because remaining there would mean death, or worse. You clearly do not seek to cause trouble with myself and my subjects, so I see no harm in allowing you to stay.” She gave me an inquisitive look. “You do mean no harm to my subjects, correct?” She asked carefully.

I shook my head. “I don't want to cause trouble; I just want asylum from BlackTech,” I said affirmatively. “And, if it isn’t too much trouble, I would be interested in learning more about Equestrian society,” I added hopefully.

The princess looked surprised. “A former BlackTech employee wants to learn about ponies?” she asked incredulously.

I nodded. “All my life, I’ve been told that you and your people meant to destroy us, and that you should be feared. After spending so long surrounded by lies and xenophobia… I want to learn the truth,” I explained. “I want to know what you’re really like.”

Celestia nodded, a small smile appearing on her face. “I would be happy to teach you,” she said kindly. “What would you like to learn first?” she asked, beckoning for me to follow her as she began to trot down the hallway.

I jogged lightly to catch up. “Well, what about the Disaster?” I asked slowly. “What really caused it?”

Celestia proceeded to tell me the tale of Allen Greathouse, a young man who arrived in Equestria nearly five years ago and saved their world from enslavement at the hands of - and I didn’t believe her at first - Drayke Blackwood.

“Is something the matter?” she asked when she saw my face fall when she mentioned Drayke.

I sighed. “Princess Celestia,” I began, “I’m afraid that Drayke Blackwood has been killed.”

Celestia gasped. “No!” she said fearfully.

I nodded sadly. “I… my superiors hired a mercenary to hunt him down and kill him,” I explained quietly. “I was the one who brought him his orders,” I added shamefully.

Celestia looked horrified. I hoped her horror was directed at the news I told her, and not my actions. “I… I don’t believe it…” she whispered. “What of the others? Drayke had some humans and ponies working with him. What became of them?” she was sounding frantic now.

I shrugged honestly. “I am not entirely sure,” I explained. “After his death, there was a squad with him that was brought to a nearby prison factory. Some soldiers followed the trail back to Drayke’s base, and destroyed it.” I couldn’t bring myself to look up at the regal alicorn. “Anything that was unable to escape was executed.”

Celestia stayed silent for a long time. “Well, at least there is hope that Cadence survived,” she said quietly, and continued to walk down the hall with a grim expression on her face. I once again found myself fogging to catch up with her.

“Celestia, I…” I froze when she glanced to look at me. “I am sorry,” I said softly. “I am directly responsible for what has happened to your friends and subjects, and I understand if you are angry with me.” I wasn’t entirely sure why I regarded her with such respect and admiration; after all, just a few days ago, I wouldn’t go near one of these horses if it meant refusing to do so meant death. Perhaps the incident with my father and the awakening of the Pandora Serum had altered my thought processes? Or maybe it was just a minor case of post-traumatic shock.

Celestia nodded slightly. “I do not blame you, Cyrus,” she said softly. “You were merely following orders from those whose motives you did not know.” She looked over and gave me a comforting smile. “You have no reason to fear me, like your former superiors would have you believe.” As we approached a pair of massive double doors, Celestia directed her attention to a pair of guards that stood on either side of them. “Guards! This is Cyrus Anderson,” she explained in a clear voice. “He is a defector from the BlackTech Corporation, and is to be treated as a valued guest. Bring him to the living quarters and help him settle into a vacant room.” She then turned to me. "I'm afraid I must return to some royal buissiness, Cyrus. Shall we continue our conversation later?"

I nodded quickly. "It would be an honor, your highness," I replied.

The guards nodded dutifully and trotted to my side. “Right this way, sir,” one of them said with a respectful nod, and I followed them deeper into the castle. They led me to a long hallway lined with identical doors, stopping at one and motioning for me to step inside. “This will be your room during your stay,” one of the guards explained. “Should you need anything, there is a bell right here above the door; ring it, and one of us will come to assist you,” he added, pointing a hoof at a golden bell that hung just above the doorframe, with a thread hanging down from it. “Please enjoy your stay in Castle Canterlot,” he said, and they both gave me a respectful nod before leaving me to explore my new dwelling place.

I stared after them, a pleasantly surprised expression glued to my face. All my life I had been ordered, praised, questioned, and even threatened, but that had been the first time anyone had regarded me with genuine respect.