Chapters It was a beautiful summer day in Ponyville. The birds were chirping, the sun shone brightly and ponies were frolicking through the fields and town. Twilight Sparkle and her friends were in the meadow enjoying a nice picnic together.
"Oh Twilight, this was such a glorious idea you had to have this outing." Rarity said with glee, "And on the most perfect day."
"Uh-oh. Twitchy twitchy twitch..." Pinkie Pie murmured as her tail shuttered uncontrollably.
Just then, Rarity noticed something. "Look, there! Somethings falling!"
"C'mon, Dash! You can't let this pony down!" Rainbow Dash said to herself. She straightened her body and began to go faster and faster; but she wasn't going to make it. The pony fell through the tree line of the Everfree forest.
Fluttershy knelt down next to the pony. He was a light green colt, a Pegasus. "Oh dear, you poor, poor.... Pegasus? But.. why didn't you just use your wings?" She asked in astonishment.
He looked at her, and said three simple words. "Who... am...I" And with that he drifted back into unconsciousness.
Everything was coming back. Sound, smell, but it was all unfamiliar. He had no idea what was going on.
Two weeks passed. The ponies were all going about their business. Rarity was making her outfits, Rainbow Dash was practicing some sweet new moves to impress the Wonderbolts, Twilight was studying, Applejack was bucking apples at the farm, and Pinkie Pie was being Pinkie Pie.
They made it to the market place. It was crowded with ponies and it seemed to make the colt nervous. They continued on until they saw AppleJack with her stand set up.
Everything went black. He was lost to the world as he fell into the void in his mind. The memory appeared. He was in a big room. There was a basket sitting on the desk in front of him full of apples. He heard himself munching on one as phones rang and the sound of voices filling the air all around him. One called to him shouting a name. "Woodwind".
The three mares looked at each other in astonishment.
The day dragged on with flying lessons after that. Rainbow was trying to teach Woodwind and Fluttershy laid down under a tree, and immediately was surrounded by little woodland critters. Woodwind was curious about her so he decided to seek his answers from Rainbow Dash.
The next week went by pretty uneventful. Woodwind spent all his time with each pony. He spent time at the Library with Twilight reading up on Equestrian history, he baked cupcakes and other delicious treats with Pinkie Pie, he even helped Rarity at her boutique designing outfits, although he knew he didn't do so well by the way she took over all his work. He spent more time with Rainbow Dash learning to fly, but he hadn't been able to spend time with Fluttershy.
*****
The year was 2128. The sun barely shone through the clouds of smog and ash in the sky. His quarters were made as best they could. Better than most since he was the President. His daily routines were simple, wake up, get to work, and try to keep the peace long enough to live another day to start it all again.
They went down to the basement, which was lined with computers, monitors and large obscure machines. But only one was surrounded by scientists. it wasn't complete, Woodwind could tell by that much. But Dr. Brust assured him it was ready.
Woodwind was briefed on the procedure and what would happen. Brust explained that a diplomatic exchange would go better if he became one of them. A small organic chip was place on his neck, which would change him at a molecular level and turn him into one of them based on the many 3-D models they had from the observations. He was also tolled that this would be the first time they sent someone through the small portal. Woodwind stared at the larger portal on the other side of the curtain.
*****
The strange creature had finished his story, and Woodwind sat their speechless. Twilight and her friends heard about what was happening in town and went to investigate. they arrived shortly after the creature started the story. Twilight looked shocked, Rarity and AppleJack just looked confused, Pinkie Pie was scratching her head with a dumbfounded look, and Rainbow Dash just looked angry. Fluttershy didn't come. Too scared to face the creatures.
The Pegasi of Cloudsdale had a storm set for the night. Fluttershy was finishing putting umbrellas over the little birds nests and tending to all her animals, big and small. It was hard work to do all alone, but it was rewarding. "Keep dry now, my little friends." She told her outdoor pets as she hummed a toon heading back to the house. She noticed out of the corner of her eye someone walking down the path to the lake. It was Woodwind. She decided to let him be and entered her cottage, just as the first bit of rain fell.
Fluttershy was reading her favorite book on nature and creatures as the rain continued to poor down. She couldn't help but wonder If Woodwind had gotten back to the hotel in Ponyville where he was staying. She looked down the road to see if she could see him. A flash of lightning lit up the land and saw him still sitting by the lake.
Woodwind continued to stare at his own reflection in the water. He ran the tip of his hoof in the water in slow, circular motions. When he stopped, the shape of his pony faced reflection warped and twisted into the creature he once was. He couldn't tell if it was an illusion, or reality.
*****
Cole watched as Woodwind vanished into the portal. He let out a sigh of relief that he was gone. The Scientists were cheering and patting themselves on the back for their accomplishment.
"Yo, Hair-line? stop bluffing and play your hand already!" Crissy said as the card game reached its end.
They left the barracks and headed toward the lab wing. Hair-line started to look paranoid. "Teeny are you crazy? Common soldiers aren't aloud down here!"
*****
Fluttershy awoke early that morning to tend to all her early rising animals like usual. She tiredly walked to the bathroom, giggling at the mess her mane was in.
Woodwind was dumbstruck. They all were. Twilight was the first to speak.
Teeny was a little uneasy about this whole thing. all these horses were looking at them, whispering, Hell, they were talking! It wasn't right. Hair-line just stood there and smiled.
Woodwind look defiant. he had to keep an appearance of power in front of these creatures. Power was everything to them. "Well, i heard you were looking for me." he stated. "What do you want?"
They all headed for the library, where they could talk in private. Hair-line and Teeny laid out a plan. They had come from the Everyfree forest which was where the human base of operations was being built. but they didn't know how it could be of help. Woodwind thought hard about what they said. "There's no way we can hold off this "Cole" guy. He seems tough and i don't know how anypony will fair in a fight against him and his army."
She had no idea how long she'd been walking. it seemed like forever. The tears were drying on her cheeks, crusting the light layer of yellow fur under her eyes. She fell to her knees and let more tears fall. "It's just not fair!" She cried out. "He's my friend and i don't want him to go!" She got up and stomped her hoof in a puddle.
A twig snapped behind her. She turned her head as fast as she could. There was nothing. Then everything went dark. Something grabbed her by the back of the neck. it tied a sack over her head. She screamed in terror and tried to fight back. It was no use. They were too strong for her. She fainted from the fright and the creatures carried her away.
Everything was coming back to her slowly. She awoke in a small metal cage. There were two tall creatures with what looked like big black metal sticks. A larger one came over, and the other two straightened as he got right up to the cage. Fluttershy lunged to the back in fear. The creature stared her dead in the eyes and spoke.
Woodwind raced to her cottage, it was empty. He went to the spot they were talking last night. Empty. He was frantic. He called her name as loud as he could. No reply. He kicked the dirt in frustration. he put his head down and saw his way of finding her.
AppleJacks eyes began to water. "Are yah sure you don't know if she's alright?"
Fluttershy looked up at him, "B-but you already know where he is. I-I heard you were there yesterday." She said quietly, closing her eyes hoping this was all a dream. Cole laughed.
They had been crawling on their bellies for at least twenty minutes, much to the distain of Rainbow Dash. "ughh, Why do we have to crawl there? Flying would be easier."
Fluttershy was awoken with a start as a bowl of water was thrown on the floor in front of the corner she was hiding in. The monster in charge had let her out and put her in his office. He sat at his desk just staring at her. "I thought you could use some seeing as how you've been cooped up here for hours."
"Good work Rainbow!" Woodwind yelled from above. He grabbed another rocket launcher from the tower and shot at the guards coming out of their barracks. They flew through the air wildly and hit the ground with loud thuds. "THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!" he yelled at the top of his lungs with a laugh. "Rainbow, get Pinkie and get out of here. I think i know where to find Fluttershy!" Rainbow Dash threw her spent launcher at a guard running along the wall. It hit him square in the chest with a thud and he fell into the brush below. Rainbow swooped Pinkie up and flew back to town.
Fluttershy's heart was pounding. She didn't know what would happen to her, but she knew it couldn't be good. Cole grabbed his weapon and headed for the door. "You stay here. I'll be back to finish this conversation in a minute."
Cole had had enough. "Give me that gun!" He shouted. He grabbed it and shot the wooden door with the entire clip and kicked it down. He yelled in anger and threw the rifle at the wall in the now empty room.
They landed outside the library and Fluttershy was met with hugs and cheers from all her friends. Woodwind just stood their and smiled. They all acknowledged him and walked over. He kinda hesitated but walked to meet them.
*****
October 21, 2126. New Stalingrad. 21 miles behind enemy lines.
"WOODY!" Hair-line yelled "GET DOWN NOW!"
Bursting from cover and clouded by smoke, they began firing at the building with the 50. cal machine gun draped on Woody's shoulder. He was their tank, but it didn't mean they left the real ones behind. Two tanks rolled up each side of the street and shot down the 5 foot thick steel doors.
The lobby was an absolute mess. bussiness men and soldiers were twisted and broken into impossible shapes, and there was an inch layer thick of soot and ash everywhere, but otherwise it was dead silence. Woody felt uneasy about it. "Captain, how is everything on your end?"
*****
Everypony was staring at him as he continued to stand their, just looking at the Medal. Apple-Jack stepped forward.
Cole was pissed, all the soldiers could see that, so everytime they saw him storm by, they worked three times faster. His second in command can running up.
Twilight waved to her brother as the pegasi landed the chariot in the town square. "Shining Armor! It's so good to see you" She said as she galloped to him and gave him a huge hug.
Cole had reached the tank line at the edge of the forest with the rest of the soldiers. He turned on his mic. "Soldiers, you know what to do. Rockets at the ready. We all fire together. That goes for you tank column."
And with that, the loudest explosion to assail Woodwinds ears rocketed towards the force field. Despite shining armors best attempts to hold it. It exploded into tiny, purple magic fragments. Woodwind was distraught. The evacuation wasn't finished and the whole army was now rushing from the woods into the town. He had an idea. It was a long shot but he had a feeling it might work.
The resulting explosion was something Cole never expected. That one pony falling from the sky created a blast that sent him sailing thirty feet away, knocked his entire battalion to the ground, flipped almost every single tank ten feet into the air, crushing some unfortunate soldiers as they landed, and managed to piss him off ten times more than he already was. He stood and turned on his radio.
This gave Woodwind an idea. He flew to the Cakes now vacant restaurant . At least it would have been if Pinkie Pie wasn't their with her party cannon. As he opened the door, a stream of confetti and streamers shot inches above his head.
Woodwind returned to the ground with Pinkie to see nothing but chaos. The royal guard was engaging the soldiers and they weren't fairing to well. The humans opened fire on them, their armor useless, they fell to the ground wounded or dead. The guard moved in as close as they could, making their weapons useless. Their short spears cut into the flesh of the humans. Death hung in the town like horrible fog.
To say what happened next was painful was understating things. "He felt his body slowly change at a molecular level. He screamed in pain as he began to grow fingers and toes, his face began to shrink and distort into what it once was, And his arms and legs began to grow.
Twilight had returned to the library to check on spike who was hiding in the storage room. "Spike! I need you to write a letter to the princess!"
Dear Princess Celestia,
I hope all is well with the evacuated citizens of Ponyville, but i need you to help us. I need you to send the elements of harmony to aid in this fight. We can use their power to repel the invaders. I await your quick response.
Your faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle.
Spike rolled the letter and sent it on its way.
Woodwind was at a huge disadvantage. He still didn't remember how to function in his old body. It was something he never wanted to experience again anyway. He was just a little bit smaller than Cole, but Cole still held the power in the fight.
The girls, all except Fluttershy, were back at the library while the battle had suddenly ceased.
Fluttershy bolted out of Rainbow Dash's embrace and raced to Woodwind.
Cole typed furiously on the control panel next to the massive bomb. "They think they won, do they? Those arrogant shits! I'll show them what it means to mess with President Cole!" The nuke began to hum as it primed. Cole grabbed the remote and waited for it to give the green light.
"You're the most obnoxious man I ever met, Woody! You never knew when to back down!"
Fluttershy was the first to run to the edge. She peaked over to see nothing but the rushing river below.
He grabbed at the shore with the rest of his strength and pulled himself up.
A week had passed since the war had ended. The residents of Ponyville had returned home and began cleaning up the mess.
Five years later...
Woodwind was sleeping peacefully in bed. It was around 8am and Fluttershy had already gotten up early to tend to the animals. Today was saturday though, the day Woodwind got to sleep in.
Dear Princess Celestia,
It's been five years since I last talked to you. Time sure does fly. I just wanted to say I never stop thinking about what you've done for me. You gave me life, a home, and with that i was able to start a wonderful family. The things i would have never been able to have in my old life. You gave me a purpose, and for that, I owe you everything. Thank you Princess Celestia for believing in me.
Your loyal subject,
Woodwind.
The
End
*****
Celestia awoke with a start from her dream. Her sister, Luna still sound asleep next to her. Their world was in war. The humans had spread from their land in an attempt to conquer all of Equestria. They were an advanced barbaric race that desired nothing more than power. Celestia walked over to the stand her armor rested on.
"Princess?" Celestia turned to see Starswirl the bearded entering the tent. "The spell is ready for us to do. Are you sure the humans will fall into the trap?"
The day waned on. The soldiers stood uneasy at their posts, The refugees huddled their young close and feared the worst. Others retreated deeper into the Outlands. Celestia, Starswirl and Luna stood in the front of the camp watching the approaching dust cloud with apprehension. Celestia could tell Luna was the most frightened of anypony. She was still young, just a filly. Starscroll just stood their as calm as always. Celestia always respected Starswirl for his bravery and collectiveness.
Celestia returned to her tent, ripping off the uncomfortable armor like a burden on her shoulders. Their was a note laying on her bed. It was from Starswirl.
My dear Princess Celestia,
Im afraid I wont be around for the celebrations this day. I didn't want to tell you what the spell would require, because i knew you would have refused to do it otherwise. It required that i sacrificed myself, to save you all. I have taught you and Luna well. I know Equestria will flourish under the rule of you two. I know great things will come from you. Be strong for your sister, and for yourself.
Your faithful teacher,
Starswirll the Bearded.
Tears streamed down Celestias face. The unicorn she had known all her life, the most father like figure she and Luna had, was gone forever. Luna came prancing in as she removed her pitch black armor. A huge smile spread across her face. Celestia turned away so Luna wouldn't see her crying. But it was too late.
*****