Finding Freedom

AN: I'm not sure if i'm happy with this at the moment. After a while it was all i could come up with. I might change it so be warned and stuff.
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I was awoken from my slumber by something extremely cold hitting my face. Waking up instantly I shook myself to get rid of the feeling. Snow flew off of me as I looked around for the culprit. Pinkie Pie was on the ground laughing as I glared at her. She had built herself a small snow fort, but it wouldn't be enough. I dove towards the ground and pulled up at the last moment. I gathered a whole bunch of snow using the air speed to keep it up. I flew a little ways a way and turned around. I stated flying back towards Pinkie's fort. She saw me and screamed in fake terror,

"AIRSTRIKE!"

I let go of my load and watched as a large pile of snow covered pinkie. Before I could celebrate my small victory, a barrage of snow balls flew at me. Twilight, Rarity, and Lunar were all using their magic to send large amounts of them at me. I weaved in between them, but I wasn't quick enough. One managed to clip my wing, unbalancing me for a second. From that moment things went bad. My movement was halted and I was pelted with snow. Before I was taken down, Rainbow rescued me. She flew in and dropped another load of snow on the unicorns. Rainbow and I landed, cheering. Our celebration was short lived as a huge amount of snow flew towards us.

"TANK! DUCK AND COVER!"

Applejack was bucking huge snow balls at us that pinkie was making ridiculously fast. I laughed as one hit rainbow and she disappeared from view. Seems that every winter day started with a large snow fight.

It's been about 3 months since I arrived in Ponyville. Most of my time here has been spent with friends. Every day it seems, someone would want to do something. Sometimes Fluttershy would want to go out, other times Caramel had something planned. Occasionally Pinkie would find an excuse for a party. Life here has just been perfect. It's like I can't be unhappy, like physically unable. I still feel like I'm forgetting something, but it hasn't come back to bite me yet. Nothing too interesting has happened in the last few months. Well except the time Fluttershy and I… Well never mind.

An hour later we were all inside the library sitting in front of the fire. I was occupying the couch like usual, with Fluttershy with me. She had elected to stay out of our snow war games, good idea too. We were all shivering from the cold. Spike just shook his head at us as we complained.

"You guys do this every day. And every time you come here and tell me to light a fire. Maybe you should give it a rest."

Lunar responded, "Where would be the fun in that?"

"Besides it gives me an excuse to wear my snow fashion wear." That was Rarity.

From my spot on the couch I looked over at all of my friends. In only three months they had become the best of friends. Lunar and Twilight had finally started something, but I didn't ask for any details. I had already been through that mess once already. Applejack had recently started seeing a lot of Caramel, which had nothing to do with me. It wasn't my fault that I hit Applejack with a snowball and hid, she was the one who had blamed a nearby Caramel and tackled him. Pinkie was a mystery as always, and Rainbow was probably still training for the wonderbolts.

Twilight looked over at Rarity, "I think I know what ti get for my next birthday. My snow clothes can barely keep the cold out."

I finally spoke up, "Speaking of presents, when do you guys celebrate your winter holiday? It's been snowing for quite some time."

Everyone but Lunar gave me a questioning look, "What winter holiday?"

For a second it took me a minute to comprehend what they had said, "Wait a minute. Are you saying you don't celebrate any winter holiday?"

Twilight shook her head, "Unless you count winter wrap up as one, then no we don't."

I nearly panicked. Winter holidays were always awesome. Gifts, amazing food, and free time galore, what isn't to like about them?

"Uh you okay there sugarcube?" AJ asked.

"I will be once you tell me you're joking."

"We're really not."

I took a deep breath, "Okay this situation is salvageable. If you don't have a holiday, then we will have to make one."

Twilight gave me a disbelieving glance, "And why would we do that?"

"Because winter holidays are awesome. They're like a birthday party in which everyone gets presents."

I had won over Pinkie with that statement, "Oh my gosh that is such a good idea. It wil be the bestest best party ever!"

Twilight still didn't give in, "And how are we going to get everyone to celebrate with us?"

"We don't have to. I'll be happy as long as we do."

"And why would we celebrate."

"I don't know… Wait yes I do, we're celebrating the fact that me and Lunar came to Equestria. We'll call it Silver night. To be celebrated when the first snow is scheduled."

Twilght just shook her head, "I don't think people will get behind that…"

"OOH I can't wait, but the first snow already fell, so are we too late this year? Oh I know! We'll just celebrate it late! when is the next snow scheduled Rainbow?"

"I think next week sometime. Should give us plenty of time."

"You can't be serious."

"Come now Twilight. This is a great idea. It's always good to give gifts. Besides, I can get you a new scarf."

"Ya, and Ah love a good feast. This is the perfect excuse."

Fluttershy didn't comment, and Lunar just looked on with amusement.

"Come on even if it is a great idea, if we go through this, Silver's ego will inflate to unknown levels. Think about it, were pretty much celebrating him and Lunar."

"Its already there, so no worries. Besides you 'celebrate' Lunar quite a bit already."

She blushed, but said nothing.

Rarity added on to the idea, "I just had a wonderful idea. What if we don't tell anypony what we want? Then it will be a surprise when we get the gift."

"Good thinking"

Rarity and Fluttershy got up and left us, they headed to their usual spa meeting. I stretched out to fill the spot that Fluttershy had left. I sighed and said,

"This is the life."

Applejack got up to leave as well, "Ah'll see y'all later. I got uh.. plans."

"Would those plans involve a certain stallion?"

"Uh…"

"Don't be silly, she's obviously going to meet Caramel for a date."

"That's would I meant!"

"No, you said a certain stallion, and Applejack isn't going out with her brother."

That was a subject that could have been left alone. Brings up a good point though. I wonder if ponies frown on that kind of stuff, probably. Applejack left quickly as soon as Pinkie said that. Pinkie followed her out, and Applejack's protests could be heard until the door slammed closed. I didn't really want to be left alone with Lunar and Twilight.

"Well I'm going to leave now, don't leave any 'messes' for me to find. Especially on my couch."

"I don't know what you're talking about, I'm very neat."

"I hadn't realized you had convinced Lunar to do anything like that yet. Bye now."

Twilight blushed, and before she could say anything else I leapt out the door. I walked around town aimlessly. I though about rounding up Storm and Chance to go mess with Caramel, but I decided that not messing around with AJ on her date was a good idea. Then again that was a lifetime opportunity. Her reaction would probably be one for the ages. So against my better judgment I started to walk towards the house that Storm, Chance, and Caramel shared.

On my there I was stopped by a mare with a basket of flowers.

"Would you like to buy a flower? Maybe surprise a lucky mare?"

I was hit with instant inspiration. AJ would get just a little bit more time of peace.

"Hold on." I flew back to the library and opened the door. I closed my eyes and shouted out,

"Twilight I need some of the money I gave you!"

"You can open your eyes, were not doing anything."

"I don't believe you, I need like 10 bits."

"Why do I have to hold on to your money?"

"Because I have no where to put it. Now the money please."

"Fine, now leave so we can get back to what we were 'doing'"

I opened y eyes, "Please you are both extremely prude, you won't do anything for a million years."

I left a ,once again, frustrated Twilight. I flew back to the flower mare and bought one. I took the flower from her and zoomed off to the spa. The receptionist looked up at me curious,

"Can I help you?"

"Actually yes you can. Can you give this to Fluttershy when she comes out? Just tell her something that sounds sweet."

"Of course, that's very nice of you."

"Well I am pretty sweet aren't I?"

She chuckled, "I'm Lotus, nice to meet you."

"Silver, interesting name. I know this one story about some ponies called lotus eaters."

She was probably feigning her interest, "Oh really?"

"Ya, there was this one pony who was on a quest to go home, but he was tricked into eating the lotus flower. The flower made him happy and he never wanted to leave. He nearly forgot all about his quest, and was content to just stay in the paradise."

At that moment my head nearly exploded with pain. Memories started to rise from where they had been buried. Visions of earth pummeled me. I saw the homeless begging for food, and I saw people ignoring them. I saw army men of all kinds shooting each other. Terrified people ran in all directions, and abandoned children crying in streets. I saw people who went through life looking like machines. Then I saw a tower. I saw Morkar talking to me, telling me to come back when I was ready.
I was on the floor and Lotus was standing over me.

"Oh my gosh, are you okay?!"

Well that was interesting. Flashback much? It brought up something important though. Morkar had told me about a potentially dangerous threat, and I've been ignoring it. Looks like i had a tower to visit.

"I gotta go, tell Fluttershy that I'll be back soon."

I sped out the door and down the road that seemingly led to nowhere. I remembered what I had forgotten. I hadn't killed myself because my life sucked. I could deal with that. I had done it because the earth itself sucks. People killing each other in glorified natural selection. I remembered what Morkar had told me, that whoever had been messing with the ponies months ago would be biding its time. I had given it months to do so, good job me. Looks like I was the pony version of Odysseus. I flew to the general area where the tower was located and landed.

The only problem was that I couldn't see the tower. I walked around the area shouting, but it didn't appear. Then I saw another pegasus flying towards me. It was a mare, light blue in color. She landed down next to me.

"Uh hi?"

"Oh hi there, I'm Ditzy, I'd like to chat, but I'm running late. I need to deliver this package to the top of this tower."
I looked behind me, expecting the tower to have appeared, but to my surprise it wasn't there.

"Um… Tower?"

"Ya right here, sorry, but I really gotta hurry."

She flew towards nothing, and stopped. She acted like she was opening a door, and then disappeared. I tried to find the spot where she had went it, but I had lost it. She came flying out to my left, and I rushed to the spot. I still couldn't feel anything, tower or door.

Frustrated I screamed, "How the hell do I get in?!"

Then I was inside. I tried not to think about and looked around. The tower had as many books as ever, and the staircase still didn't work. Trying what I had just did, I imagined myself in Morkar's room. I was still somewhat shocked when I found myself there. Morkar was opening a box, and pulled out a rock.

"Ah, I see you got my message."

"Your message? Wait did you mess with my head."

"I deemed it necessary. You had apparently forgotten about me."

"I guess I did, life here caught up with me."

"No worries, that's just the peace core at work."

"The what?"

"The peace core. A marvelous piece of work. I'm not even sure how, or who made it. I can't tell if its ancient, or very advanced."

"But what is it?"

"I can't really answer that, I can only tell you what it does. Answer me this, have you ever once thought about eating meat, or seriously harming anyone? Have you seen anyone else do so?"

"Well no."

"The peace core drives this planet to naturally be a place of peace. It strives to make everyone happy, and remove any form of violence. Didn't you find it odd that everyone was so accepting of two strangers who fell from a hole I the sky? Or that in days you had a relationship with one of them? That's the peace core at work."

"So all of this… Everything here… Has been fake?" All my new friends, Fluttershy, hell maybe even Lunar… Fake.. I don't think I could handle that.

"No, and maybe it's worse for that reason. Everything you felt is genuine, it just may not have come as quickly or at all on a planet without a peace core. Everything everyone else has done is genuine. They all did so because they wanted to. Now back to important things…"

I sighed in relief. I don't know what I would've done if it had been.

"I was looking through your memories, when I noticed something odd…"

"Wait you were looking through my memories?"

"Yes I took a copy when you knocked yourself out. Now be quiet, I have important things to say. When you arrived in the spirit stream, something odd happened. You should've been able to see all the worlds in all of existence. However, you could see nothing, and there was nothing. Just you and they Martin boy."

"His name is Lunar, but you went through my memories?"

"Didn't I already answer that? Now I have a theory that works out quite nicely. This Lunar did not achieve enlightenment. He simply pushed his spirit away from the earth with sheer willpower. He however was only focused on this world here, so when his unconscious spirit arrived in the stream, he could only go to this place. So when you arrived in the stream, you somehow got caught up with him."

"You did it without asking me."

"Are you still on that? Now as to the voice you heard. I believe it was the regulator of earth. He somehow also followed you here, and I think that it is him that is interfering here. He's limited to what he can do though thanks to the peace core. However, he has probably found a way around it, and we are short on time. If he has then he will come for you. I was going to teach you several things, but time is of the essence."

"Why didn't you ask me, didn't that thought cross your mind."

"No, now pay attention. I can't say when he will strike, but I have a feeling it will be soon. I want you to stand guard over the town you live in right now. So I'm going to transfer some of my knowledge to you temporarily. With it you'll actually stand a chance of living. I know this is a lot to absorb in such a short time, but I think you can handle it."

"You didn't even think that I would be upset about it?"

"Nope, I also got you a present. Here it is"

"Is that my katana?"

"It used to be, I fine-tuned it a little."

"Fine tuned it? It's completely different. It's not even curved!"

My katana had become a simple one edged blade. The handle reminded me of a kitchen knife, square with bolts holding the blade's tang in place. The hand-guard had become a black square.

"Now are you ready for the knowledge transfer?"

"Wait what?"

"You weren't even listening. Looks like I'll have to include this conversation as well. Now remember this is only temporary so you won't keep this knowledge. Oh and one more thing."

"Ya?"

"Don't die. If he can get in the spirit stream, he might be able to stop you from going."

Morkar suddenly grabbed my head with his hands and started to glow. I started to feel light headed, and started to lose focus. That changed quickly as for the second time today my head exploded in pain. Strange I didn't feel like I knew anything more than usual. The pain started to get worse, and I tried to shout. My voice didn't come, and the pain kept getting worse. I wasn't even going unconscious from shock. It would be useless to try and describe this pain. It was a whole new kind of pain. Something that made brain freezes look good. After what seemed like hours, the pain faded, and thankfully so did my consciousness.

I heard one last thing from Morkar, "Oh and I would keep this hidden. No need to start a panic, eh?"
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AN: I know this is all very sudden like, but I couldn't think of another way to do it. If you haven't gotten it yet, then we are now several months ahead of where the last chapter ended. If you really want to know what happened in between then reread the last chapters, and imagine them being slightly different. Thanks to all you commenters and stuff. Your opinion is greatly appreciated. Seriously though, it helps me to keep going. The story calms down again, so don't panic. I won't just end it with a bang.