The Morning of My Departure
I woke up a little after dawn to a knocking on my front door. Knock, Knock, Knock. I open my eyes to see the time. Ten after eight, who could possibly be here at this time of the morning I think as I roll out of bed. My hooves hit the floor slowly, and I groggily walk over to the door of my bedroom. KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK. "I'm coming, I'm coming, hold your horses", I say as I chuckle at the last part being as ironic as it is.
"Hurry up man, you got to see this stuff", came the voice I know to be my best friend Jacob or his pony name, Quick Wit. "Let me in man", I here him saying as I reach the front door of my house.
"Alright Wit, why in Equestria are you waking me up at the crack of dawn", I ask my friend as he prances around the front door.
"Have you seen ENT today", Quick wit asks me almost jumping into my face.
"The What", I ask him back.
"The Equestria News Today", He nearly yelled into my ears.
"Dude, I just woke up, what would be so important to me that I would wake up this early for", I said grumpily.
"There was a breach in the portal, and a human came out", he said to me, nearly running me down as he runs into my house.
"Just make yourself at home I guess", I say as he runs to my kitchen, using his unicorn magic to open my fridge to find a drink. "So there was a human that came through the portal, what happened to him".
Quick Wit's expression changed as he looked at me with a somber look. "He's dead now and Jack, there's more. It was your brother. I am so sorry", he said as a tear rolled off his cheek.
The blow rocks me both mentally and physically, bringing me to my knees. My family, at least one them, was alive. "What happened, How did he... Was it at least quick" I asked him as he pulled a drink from my fridge.
"They said that he came through the portal, and upon seeing the ponies, charged and tried to attack the royal guard. He was killed by a guard with a killing spell. The News said that Princess Celestia will be sending the Elements through to investigate and search for more humans. She said she would be hiring a brony to guide the six through our world", Quick Wit said with a small grin. "This is your chance to go back and find them jack. If nothing else then to give you closure".
Another knock was heard at the door, but I recognized this knock all to well. Rainbow Dash was here. "Come on Jack, get your lazy rump out of bed so we can get to castle already", she called out from the door.
"It's open dash, you can come in", I say as the door busts open and the Pegasus trots happily in, acting like she owned the place.
"I tell you Jack, you really need to move into a cloud house. So soft and you don't have to worry about uninvited guests", She said, gesturing at Quick Wit.
"Hey, I will have you know that I only knocked ten times this morning", Quick Wit rebounded.
"Hey, hey, I'm just saying that there nice when you don't want to be woke up at dawn or earlier", Dash said with a bit of sarcasm.
"Why are you up so early for anyway Dash", I ask her as she gets into MY Fridge to grab a hayburger from the night before.
"What, I was hungry", dash said through her teeth as she ate my supper from the night before. "I had to get up early because Twilight wants to get an early start to Canterlot, and she told us to bring a brony friend with us, so I chose you", Rainbow said as she cleaned up her muzzle from her meal.
"Why are we bronies even being chosen to go through the portal with you", I ask Dash as she begins to look for a glass in my cupboards. "Dash, they haven't moved since you were here yesterday", I say sarcastically as I open the last cabinet revealing the glasses.
"Oh, right, hey, how did you know about the portal. You don't get up early enough to see the ENT. Princess Celestia wants us to have a guide to show us where possibly your people could be hiding, and what their situations are", Dash said, grabbing herself a drink of water from my sink.
"You should know that a human in Equestria would spread word quickly, and I have a great gossip pony right here. He nearly tore down the door this morning. There is something you should know Dash, that human was my brother, Jesse", I said as dash nearly spit up her water.
"I am sorry Jack. You have my condolences. We are going to have to get moving, Twilight's waiting for us at the train station", Dash said, placing the glass into the sink and began to fly towards the door.
"Write me with the news Jack", Quick Wit said as he walked out the front door.
"Alright Dash, I'm ready, let's go", I say as I walk through the door, locking it behind me.
The flight to the train station woke me up. The wind flowing through my wings and mane, relaxing and invigorating me. We decided to have a race to the station, and Dash took off with a rainbow streak behind her. I try to keep up with her, flying as fast as I can, but I am too tired and am not in the mood to strain a wing this morning. I landed at the train station a little after dash, and the rest of her friends and Bronies were waiting on us.
"Sorry we're late, had to wait for sleepy here to wake up", Dash said to Twilight, who gave me a dirty look.
"After she decided to wipe me out of house and home of all my food", I said as I laughed at the morning's events. This seemed to satisfy Twilight, as she turned away to look at the rest of the group.
"Do you all know why you were asked to come here", Twilight asked, looking at us bronies. We all nodded our heads in agreement. "Good, then you know that five of you will be riding the train back here tonight, never to speak of this. The Princess will interview each one of you and decide on which of you to send with us to your world", Twilight said as the conductor walked out of the train.
We boarded the train heading to Canterlot, and the next part of our journey.
As we arrived in Canterlot, me and Dash flew out and towards the nearest restaurant for lunch. We ended up stopping at Pony Joes. Dash had about five donuts and a cocoa, and I just got a cocoa and a jelly filled donut. Twilight walked in as me and Dash sat down with our lunch.
"What in the hay are you two doing, we have to get to the castle", Twilight yelled, getting the attention of the crowded donut shop.
"Twi, we don't have to be there until one o'clock, and it's only noon, we're hungry. Why don't you get a donut and settle down", Dash said to Twilight calmly.
"No Rainbow Dash, we have to be there early, because Pinkie Pie has something in store for us tonight, so we have to be back tonight before dark", Twilight said back to dash.
Dash rolled her eyes and motioned for me to go along with her. We paid for our lunch and left for the castle. We arrived around twelve thirty, and Princess Celestia was waiting to start the interviews.
"Hello Twilight, and hello to the rest of you. If you six would come this way, we will get the interviews underway", Celestia said as she gestured towards the room to our right.
We went into the room, and it was a waiting room into another. The room was well lit, and had a table with a few pony magazines. Celestia walked into the room and stopped at the door to the other room.
"I will talk to each one of you in the other room, and make my decision for the guide. I will start with you", she said, pointing her hoof towards the only mare in the room. She was the friend that Fluttershy brought.
She was in there with Celestia for almost half an hour, before coming out with her head hanging low. Celestia then took the next pony into the interview room. They were in there for about an hour, before coming out with the same result. Celestia pointed at me, motioning for my turn in the room. I walked into the room, and Celestia closed the room behind me. The room had a single desk, and two chairs. Celestia sat behind the desk, and gestured me to sit down at the other chair.
"So, you are the pony that Rainbow Dash brought with her, I have heard from Twilight that you two are quite close. Is there something romantic going on between you". Celestia asked me as soon as I sat down on the hard wooden chair.
"No your highness, me and Dash are just friends. We do a lot together, but that's it. We're just best friends", I answered Celestia.
"Hmm, ok. my next question has to be why do you want to return to your world, and don't lie. I can see through any liar by their energy", Celestia said to me seriously.
Oh no, here was the question I was hiding from. Did I answer it truthfully, and admit that I wanted to see my family, or lie and tell her that I wanted to further the pony cause. Before I knew it however, I answered. "I was informed by a good friend that my brother was the human that breached the portal yesterday, and I wanted to go back to search for my family, if for no other reason, then to have closure that they are dead", I said shaking. This seemed to move Celestia, as she placed her hoof onto her chin, and began to hum as she thought.
"The search party leaves tomorrow at dawn at the portal, don't be late", Celestia said.
"Does this mean that I am the guide, but why Celestia, surely one of the others had a better reason than to see if their family was alive or dead", I asked Celestia.
"Yes, you are the guide. As to your other question, I know what it is like to be haunted by family, and you weren't afraid to speak that truth to me", Celestia said quietly.
I left the room, and Celestia followed me out, dismissing the others out. I found Dash and the others at the front of the castle.
"So, what's the verdict Jack", Dash asked me.
"I will going with you tomorrow morning" I told Dash as she fluttered in delight.
"That's so awesome, now you can show me where you did all that cool stuff as a human at", Dash squeaked out in delight.
We went back to the rooms that the princess prepared for us and seen the "surprise" that Pinkie Pie had in store, a going away party. We danced most of the night, and then went to bed for the day ahead of us. What we were going into though, I have no idea.
I hear Twilight yelling from my door, each time she is getting louder. "Get up Jack, we're are going to leave without you". Twilight yells from the door.
I rise from my bed, my head throbbing from all the cider from the night before. I should not of challenged Rainbow Dash to that drinking game, cider pong. We had played it all night long, and Dash and I had been so trashed that we had to be carried back to our separate rooms.
"JACK, GET YOUR RUMP UP NOW!!! WE ARE GOING TO LEAVE YOU BEHIND", Twilight screamed again.
I call back to Twilight as I open the door. "TWILIGHT, I AM AWAKE, NO NEED TO KEEP YELLING", I say as I throw the door open. Twilight looked at me like I had just given her a torch for a library. She then throws up her hooves and walks across the hall and bangs on the other door.
"Dash, get your lazy drunk rump out of bed, were getting ready to leave", Twilight screamed at the door. A sound of mumbling was heard and something hard hit the door. She groaned and opened the door and closed it behind her. I heard a bit of yelling and then heard dash screaming uncle, and then both came out. Dash's mane was worse than it's usual unkempt style, and she looked like she had the same throbbing headache that I did.
"Some party last night, right Jack", dash said, rubbing her temples. "Oh, my head, I drank way too much cider last night. You didn't have to twist my hoof Twilight", she said walking down the hallway.
"You would have never gotten up, Rainbow trashed", Twilight said, giving Rainbow a rotten look.
"Ok Twilight, I get it. You don't have to start calling names", Rainbow said.
we exited the hallway into the throne room, where Princess Celestia and Luna were sitting on their respective thrones. Celestia looked at me and rainbow dash with a curious look as we stumbled up to her with the others.
"Sorry princess, SOME of us had a VERY good time last night and didn't get up this morning", Twilight said as she approached the throne.
"Yes, it would seem that way", Celestia said, eyeing me and Dash. "You and your friends will be leaving right away, but be on your top guard. I want a letter every evening describing your situation and events of the day", Celestia said, getting up off her throne and walking to her right to a mirror. "This mirror will take you to the portal", she said as she led us through the mirror portal.
We arrived on the other side of the mirror portal to look upon the earth portal. It hadn't changed much, it still had the earth markings on the outside, describing where the portal led. the only difference now was it was blocked by a magical force field. Celestia's horn light up and the force field disappeared.
"Now go my little ponies, go through and search for other humans", Celestia said to us as she motioned for us to go through.
I was the first to go through, I walked slowly through. The next was Twilight and Dash, then the rest. As we looked around, I couldn't believe my eyes. My world, it had changed so much. Nature had taken over, there were no vehicles roaming on the roads and no bustling streets. By the looks of it, we had landed in my home town in Indiana. My eyes watered up as I looked around and the memories flooded in, most of my life had been lived here. There were no signs of human life anywhere. A few deer walked across what used to be a street. Dash walked over and put her hoof on my shoulder.
"Come on Jack, we need to get moving", Dash said.
I started moving down the street towards the center of town, or what used to be town. Twilight seemed to have her guard up for something, and if I would of known why, I never would of volunteered to come. We saw a young man come out from a building, and upon seeing us, started to run away and scream. Twilight's horn light up and she cast a green spell towards him, hitting and killing him. My eyes widened in horror as I realized why we had come to earth, to finish off the human race. My tears began to flow, and Dash looked over to me.
"What's wrong Jack, why are you crying", Dash said looking at me.
"If I would of known this was why we were coming back here, I never would of volunteered. now if I find my family alive, I have to watch them die", I said, hiccupping from the tears.
"We have our orders Jack, the human race is to be found and exterminated. They proved to us before that they were not to be trusted", Twilight said, continuing to walk towards the center of town. "Split up every pony, we can search more places at once".
I began to walk away from the group, and saw Dash give me a look that I could only describe as caring. I found the house that I once called home, and found the front door open. I walked in, expecting to see the skeletons of my family. The house is a wreck, there are plants growing from the floor, and it looks like the back had caved in. I hear something to my right, almost like a breath. I thought I was alone, the closet door moves an inch or two. I walked over to the door and opened it a little bit. I couldn't believe what I saw, my mother and my sister were alive. My sister began to squirm and scream, and my mom put her hand on her mouth to keep her quiet. I placed my hoof to my mouth, then looked around to see if any of the others were around.
After I was sure that they weren't around, I looked at my mother and sister. "Hi mom, I know this might be a bad time to come home and visit", I say as her mouth drops.
"You, you mean that your one of them", she said shaking. "you've become part of the human killing squad".
"What, they are still here. No mom, I am not one of that terrible group. I am here after Jesse breached the portal, and the princess sent us here", I tell her.
"Jesse is dead, isn't he", my mom asks me slowly.
I slowly nod my head, and her face tears up and she gets up and hugs me. It had been years since anyone had actually hugged me, and I took no time hugging her back. My mother had been one of the only people who had loved me more after I embraced being a brony. She was also the one saddest the day I moved to Equestria. I was one of the last bronies to move to Equestria before the fall of humanity.
"Oh, oh my", came a voice from the door. Fluttershy stood at the door staring at me and my family. I quickly took to air pulling away from my mom and rushing Fluttershy. She squeaked as I reached her and closed the door.
"Fluttershy, you have to promise not to say a word to Twilight, you know what she will do if she finds them", I told Fluttershy. She agreed hesitantly, and walked towards the door when it opened and Dash came in.
"What's going on in..., here", Dash said, looking straight at my mother.
"No Dash please, they are the only family that I have left", I pleaded with Dash. She looked at me, then back at my mother, then nodded her head and shut the door.
"What is going on in there, what did you find in there", Came Twilight's voice from outside.
"Nothing Twi, Fluttershy just got a little scared and I am calming her down", Dash called out to her.
"Hurry up then, Jack has gone missing", Twilight said from the door.
"I'm in here too, I kinda scared Fluttershy when she came in, I wasn't expecting her", I said to the door that Twilight was behind.
The door suddenly burst open and Twilight walked in. The first thing that she saw was my mother, and her horn lit up and she started her spell to kill them.
"NO Twilight please, she is my only family alive", I screamed to Twilight.
"We have our orders to kill all humans left alive Jack, even if they are your family", Twilight said.
"What if they were your family Twilight? You are a princess of Equestria, you can end this now. Give humanity another chance, maybe they have changed", I pleaded with Twilight.
"Listen to him Twi, what if it was the other way around. I know I would never scoots get killed, especially if I had to find her for her killer", Dash said to Twilight.
"Alright", Twilight said softly. "Find your leaders and meet me at dusk", Twilight said to my mother.
"We have our meetings with the town chair in the courthouse in the center of town. I can find the chair and have a meeting today", she said to Twilight, who nodded in approval.
That evening we went to the courthouse in the center of town and seen what was left of the town. There were only about twenty people there. There was an old man who sat in the middle, and my mother said he was the town chair. Me and the other ponies sat at the other side of the room behind Twilight.
"Good evening your highness", the chair said bowing in respect to Twilight. "If it would suit you, we would like to have the next town over at this meeting. This meeting is too important for one town to decide on", he said in utmost respect.
"I agree town chair, I shall send my pegasi over to collect them", Twilight said, looking to me, Dash, and Fluttershy. We flew over to the next town and gathered up the Town Chair, who gathered up the town, and then set back for the courthouse. We arrived and we could have heard a pen drop.
"Now that the other town is here, let us begin our conference", The first Town Chair said respectfully.
"Yes, let us begin", Twilight said to the Town Chairs. They nodded and the negotiations began.
"The first question we think is worth asking is why now Princess, not that we're complaining, but the Ponies from Equestria haven't really cared about us humans for a long time", the Chairs asked.
"I was recently shown a different view by a fellow human of yours, and we are considering giving humanity a second chance", Twilight said. "So what we ask of you humans is what are your conditions for surrender".
"Conditions your majesty", the Chairs asked. "We are grateful just to be offered peace".
"I am pleased with this, but I am afraid I am not the one you must please. I am going to Call Princess Celestia, she is the only one who can end this war", Twilight said rising from her sitting place. The rest of the room rose with her, and Twilight walked out of the room with her quill and parchment to write the Princess.
Dear Princess Celestia,
I am writing you for a very big request. we have come to terms with the human race thanks to jack and his mother, and your presence is requested to seal a peace treaty between our two races.
Sincerely, Princess Twilight Sparkle
Twilight sent the letter via magic, and it wasn't even two minutes before a teleportation spell was heard and Princess Celestia stood before Twilight. She didn't look very happy. Twilight's ears sunk and she shrunk before her, expecting to be banished to this world's moon for her insolence. Celestia's face softened and she caressed her former student.
"Twilight, I am glad that you could see why I chose Jack to guide you through this world. I have been waiting for so long for a reason for the war to end, and I had hoped that humanity had found a way to survive our attacks. Where is the treaty being signed and I will go there", Celestia said as she let Twilight away from her grasp.
"We are holding the negotiations in the courthouse", Twilight said, pointing at the building behind her. The two Princess walked into the Courthouse, and the Chairs rose in respect for the highest princess In Equestria. She looked at the Chairs, and motioned for them to follow her into the room on her right.
They were in there for nearly an hour, and when Celestia came out, she nodded and walked out of the courthouse. Only one of the chairs came out, and I got worried. asked him where the other one was.
"I am afraid that he will not be coming out, he was so overwhelmed by the Princess' terms that he had a heart attack", the chair for the town said.
"What terms, what is going to happen", I asked him.
"We are going to Equestria until our world is rebuilt from the mega spells and is made livable for us once again. We are leaving for the capital where the only radio is for miles and send the frequency out that the war is over and the terms of surrender", the chair finished.
The next few months went by fast, as every day more and more pegasi left Equestria and brought more humans back. My mom and sister lived in my house while the terraforming ponies worked on earth. I took some advice from both Celestia and my mom and talked to Dash about more that just stunts and flying, and now we are going to our first wonderbolt show as a couple, well more than just friends. Jacob found out that his parents died of a plague that took a lot of people after the spells, and like a lot of bronies for some odd reason, came to my mom for advice and mothering. once the terraforming was complete, the Princesses had a meeting with the Chair that ended the pony human war, making him a world leader and ambassador for Equestria.
My mother decided to stay in Equestria, only telling me that she was needed. She became ponyfied, and took on the name of all mother. she took up residence at the edge of ponyville out by Fluttershy, where it is said that she does all the motherly stuff like bake cookies and watch our programs and look at our art and shows. I hope that one day she will be able to watch the finest show on earth when I confess to Dash and tell her that I love her, but that's still a while off to go. I still wonder why Celestia chose me to guide the ponies to earth, I mean why me. Maybe there is something in me that I never known about, or maybe it was just luck, I guess I'll never know.
