Sands of Time

by Amaranthine Thought

Rating: teen
Tags: Cutie Mark Crusaders, Adventure, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Other, Original Character
Length: 81077

To the past! And try not to step on anything! Kidding, kidding, but seriously, don't touch too much.

Some creatures have intelligence in a body like an animal. a few of these creatures are rarely capable of speech, and learning. Only the rarest have magic, or an ability of magic. Ponies are a good example of the rarest.

There are others though, and when one of them finds himself in Equestria with no memories and only knowledge, he is very lost. What will become of the beast that can manipulate time? Will he become an enemy, an ally, or something else, as he has no real control over his ability.

Time is fairly malleable. Tough, capable of changes without deviation even from past ripples. That is... very fortunate. Or maybe change might be for the better. Only time would tell, but it might not have much of a choice in the matter anymore.

Published 2017-03-25 03:00:01 UTC
Last updated 2022-04-12 11:11:39 UTC

Prologue 2

I wake to a chilling wind, rousing me from my rest. I cannot suffer it, and force myself up, favoring my wounded leg.

In doing so, I toss the small pony, who squeaks again as it tumbles. Accident. I hadn’t recalled its presence next to me. It is unhurt.

It seems I do heal fast. My wound no longer bleeds, and hurts less even as I use the leg. Which helps as I block the entrance with wood and try to cover the varied holes I can find. I find the finished product, though it does reduce the wind, ugly and unsatisfying. The wood is soft, rotten, and simply… not right. I want stone.

I sigh, and remind myself that this is, at best, a very temporary den. Something to hide within while I recover, and maybe enough to keep the wind and rain at bay. Nothing more.

I return to the inner sanctum, and the tiny pony moves to me, pressing its tiny form against me. It is colder than I am. I allow it to remain.

We shall warm with the sun, and at least I have stopped most of the breeze. For now, I should try and clean myself. And… why not the tiny pony as well? Being covered in dirt and my dried blood cannot be pleasant for it.

It is reluctant to let me do so. Afraid of my mouth I think, which is understandable. If I was its size, I wouldn’t want my jaws near me either.

It can wait. I manage to clean most of myself, finding that I can flex and shift to enable me to reach most of myself. A cautious grooming of my leg reveals a large scab, one that I hope means it is healing well. My licks seem to make it feel better for some reason.

Hm? The tiny pony seems to wait for me, trying to use its hoof to wipe at its face. Maybe now it will let me?

It does allow me, and my vague fear was proven correct. It is disgusting. I would guess that it had not been clean in a very long time. It seemed to enjoy the experience, making… giggles I think.

Perhaps these things are not true ponies. Ponies don’t make such sounds, and the color is all wrong. Not to mention the armor, and the spears… I need to look more closely next time I see the others. To try and see exactly how they were carrying those weapons.

I discover it is female, and when I finish, she is a pleasing shade of brown, darker than my coat and lighter than my feathers. If I try, she is very close if not the same color as what I suspect to be my mane.

She continues to make sounds when I finish. They are… quite varied. Far more sounds than a normal horse would, and possibly even could, make.

I am hungry, and as my stomach growls, she pauses, looking up at me.

Well, if the shape is any indication, she eats plants. Unless she is nursing. Which is stupid, she lives on her own. She no longer requires a mother.

However, she is far too small to go hunting with me. And too small for me to feel safe with her free to wander.

I manage to stuff her back into her den, unhappy noises issuing forth as I do so.

“Stay! It is not safe for tiny things to wander!” I tell it, hoping it will at least understand the message.

I hear muffled sounds, but it does not come out again. I had thought I might need to do that a few times, but it seems to have understood. And just in case, I shall block the entry as I leave.

As I leave, I wonder what I can get to eat. Perhaps another pony?

No. They would be ready for me, they might even be gone, and I would… feel guilty. I was already caring for the tiny one, like a… pet? Denmate? I don’t know, but eating another pony would be like eating her, which was oddly unacceptable.

I must be bonding. But I am lost and alone and totally unknowing of everything around me so…It is normal to bond with animals in these situations, correct? Even if said bonding did deny me a… truly wonderful food source? I ponder on my feelings toward the tiny pony as I hunt, using my roar to help me gain an acceptable meal of rabbits and birds. A good sleep seems to be enough to refresh whatever I use to stop things.

As for the pony… I won’t harm her, I know that already. She saved me, and now seems to accept me in what I suspect is actually her own wooden den. The big ones lived in them, why not her? It would explain the badly made properties as well; she is too young to make her own properly. Yet, why is she apart?

I find myself wanting to be near her more. Protective feelings. I feel… happy considering them, so it is decided.

I shall accept her as my companion.

I wonder how much she eats, and then wonder where I will find water as I return.

“I return.” I call as I enter once more, finding the phrase automatic. Another mystery I suppose. As I reach the inner sanctum, I expect her to rush me, but she does not.

Why not? Has she left? Is she… hurt? Fear strikes me, and I look around, trying to spot some clue. Has something taken her for a meal?! I…

Wait. Her tail pokes free from its den, flicking, as if to catch my attention.

The relief is stunning. I really have to think about this bond I have with her. That was great fear for her I had felt. I drop the plants and head to her. Maybe she is stuck.

I carefully grasp her tail and pull her free. I set her down, and she makes lots of sounds, and seems upset with me. I would swear she is complaining about my having stuffed her inside her den.

She seems intelligent, like myself. Enough to make me doubt my certainty that she is but an animal. But surely, I must just be attributing her those things, trying to find a better companion for myself. It makes me happy to imagine those things for her, and helps me feel better in this strange place.

I know the perfect name.

I pat her with a paw, and name her, “Mirage.” She looks up at me, and I repeat. Eventually, she will understand. At least, I hope she will, but then, she does seem smart. She will learn quickly.

After a dozen or so repetitions, she seems to know her name. She responds to it now.

What is this? She is repeatedly making the same sound at me over and over. Tapping at me, and saying the same, sound, over and over.

I think it would sound something like, ‘Kitty’.

I… Is she… is it possible..?

I manage to reproduce the sound, and she beams at me.

“Kitty.” she repeats, tapping at my leg. Then she taps herself.

“Ma… mari… Mirage.”

I…

What is…

But…

I don’t…

“Kitty? Mir…Mirage?”

She is… speaking. Not just her sounds, but… my sounds.

She has… she has named me, as I have named her… I look at her, and see her eyes, watching me. See her faint confusion, her mild concern, see my own shock reflected in her bright orbs.

She is no animal. It is not a product of my mind that I see those things.

She is like me. Intelligent. She speaks. Not like I do, but she speaks. She thinks. She feels, just as I do. And with her, so the rest of them…

I ate two of them. Two ponies. And…

Truly speaking, I would not care. Even now, looking back, I don’t care. Even if they had spoken my tongue, I would have eaten them, wanted to eat them. It is a surprising side of myself, and one only quieted by Mirage.

She alone makes me stop, and hesitate, and not want to. She saved my life… and in so doing, saved theirs. I did not hunt them, nor will I hunt them, and only because of her.

Her races owes her a debt of gratitude. But, now what? What should I do, knowing that the ponies think? Leave far and away? Remain near them? Is it even safe to remain near them, for either them or me?

Mirage seems to see my thoughts, and grabs hold of my leg, staring up at me.

“Mirage.”

I… I must have been blind earlier, because now, I can see her eyes and meaning with ease.

She fears for me, cares for me. She worries that I might do something, and… perhaps she fears my leaving? My leaving here? Or my leaving her?

I push her toward her den, and feel her grip tighten. “Mirage!” she cries, and I understand.

“…You want to stay with me?” I ask her, despite knowing that she won’t understand the words. Her response is to somehow clamber atop me, and I smile.

“Mirage!” she chirps from up high.

I laugh at her antics. I know I will remain with her, and know that, even when she helped at first, I had never had an intention to leave her behind. Even should I gone to find a new den, I would have brought her with me.

I will remain here, with her, with her den, her home, her place where she knows. This is good enough for me, and with her…

For her, I can suffer this cave of wood and these cold winds. For her, I shan’t eat pony. I’ll feed her, see her cared for. See her looking at me with those big eyes, and knowing that she knows me, and I her.

From nothing, I have found life and now purpose. I am happy.

Mirage is happy, frolicking in the fields outside as I watch her. I think she is starting to understand my reasons ever more, and each day, she manages to get me to understand her a little more. Like how she really hates me stuffing her inside her little den when I go hunting. I’ve seen her trying to improve it, and my thoughts from before are correct; she is very bad at making a den.

She has no fear. Not of me, not of our location, of nothing. I fear that some predator will attack her as she happily canters into the nearby woods without a single thought if not for me. I try to let her tell me when something is bad or not, but I do wonder if Mirage knows everything. But what she does know matters much:

She knows where to find water. She knows the best spots for her to eat, and she has even brought me to where I can find prey to eat. In many ways, it is she that cares for me, and not I her.

Four days I have lived with her. I have only truly lived for those four days, but I suspect I will not find a happier time than right now. Seeing her happiness, seeing the land around us, bright and green and warm, albeit growing colder as the time passes. I worry about that, but then, I am sure I will be fine, as will Mirage.

Together, there seems nothing that can harm us, her knowledge and my strength. And I have discovered something strange.

When I roar, everything freezes, even the skies above, the clouds and winds. But one thing does not.

Mirage continues to move with me. And since the first time, I have noticed that she has gained a strange mark on her flanks. Two white circles, with regular markings along their inner edges. One is larger, and has a lion’s roaring head in the center, mine I suspect. The other is smaller, and free of the greater decoration.

She loves when I roar as well, not only just yelling with me, but laughing as she jumps in the frozen world around us. She even takes the time to design shapes in the grass before it wears off. They make me smile.

And she looks much, much better now. She has gained some weight, and looks healthier, cleaner. Alone, she wasn't really able to care for herself, but with my aid, she gets her favorite food, apples, and now no longer looks so thin.

This time is perfect. I don’t want it to end.

The sun sets. Time to return to the den. I call, “Mirage!” and see her head over to me. I smile at her, before I hear some kind of sound. Like a fearful scream.

I look up, while Mirage looks confused and worried, and spot a pony in the distance. They are rushing away, and I am… unsure.

I glance at Mirage, and note her vague fear. Something about that sound has upset her. It has upset me. She leans on me, and looks up.

I cautiously pick her up in my jaws, and carry her back to our den. Something upset that pony, and I am feeling worried.

If it wasn't me, it was something like me that I haven’t seen, which was bad, considering I had no idea what that might be. If it was me…

Considering what I did days ago, it was possible that I might find some more spear holding ponies coming after me in defense of their own. And considering their intellect…

Well, I would do something about me if I was near me so to speak. I would not enjoy something much larger than myself living near me that I knew had killed and devoured two of my own kind. I would leave rather than fight, but then, they might not. I don’t know.

Their wooden caves might be too important for them to leave them so readily and easily as that.

I reach our den, and set Mirage down, and note how she seems unsure and worried, retreating back to her own tiny den, before looking back out at me.

“…It will be fine.” I tell her, both for her and myself. “I am sure.”

I am not sure. In fact, the more I think on it, the more concerned I am. They are fast, their spears hurt, and if there were more than two…

I shudder, and Mirage gives a faint cry, coming to me. I see fear in her eyes, and see my own fear reflected in them. But upon seeing her like that…

My spirits harden, and my fear is slain by a determination to calm her, and keep her safe. I smile at her, and purr, and she calms again, and now, now I am sure.

This is my home. This is my place. If they come, I will not run away, nor surrender to them. I know them better now. I won’t make the same mistakes as before. I shall defend myself, my den, and Mirage to the best I can.

Let them come. I shall be ready for them. They shall find their deaths at my claws and teeth.

It is late, and I hear them now. The soft, gentle sounds of steps nearby, my ears up and listening for anything like that. I hear them, and Mirage looks at me, nervous.

I push her behind me, and look at the entry. They will break the wood, or otherwise enter. This space is too small for me to fight easily, and considering the spears, will be easy for them to hold me off. I cannot allow that.

I should preempt them, and in so doing, find the initiative. I tense and then pause.

I could also just roar, and find them still and helpless instead. I nearly forgot.

I roar, and sensing the stillness, exit.

A dozen or more of them, each with a spear. If I had charged out, I would be dead on them already. I smirk, seeing them ready to fight, but unable to even blink. My den, my home.

No invaders allowed.

I bend down, to snap my jaws on the nearest when I hear “Mirage!” screamed behind me.

I look, and spot Mirage, eyes huge and fearful. “Mirage!” she screams, and shuts her big eyes tight, as if trying not to see something horrible…

…I know what she means. I do not snap my jaws shut, and stand back up.

I go back to her, and purr, making her start in surprise, looking up at me before looking toward the frozen ponies. Seeing them unhurt, I see her calm greatly, and she peers up at me again.

I feel a very deep urge to kill the ponies for what they have tried. But I deny it, for her, and her alone. But if I deny it…

…We cannot remain. We must leave, now. This den is no longer safe. We must find another, preferably one far away.

I think I saw mountains during my flight; those might do. A den with a good view of the land, where nothing can harm Mirage. A den of rock and safety.

One where ponies cannot find us, and thus, I will not need to fight them. Not feel the urge to kill them, nor the temptation to eat them. The forest should have something within it for now, and who knows. Maybe I might find something within it for good.

For her, I shall travel the world to find a place to be without harming ponies. I would bed down wherever I can find food for her and me so long as she is happy.

I take several steps away when I notice.

I do not hear Mirage following me.

I look back, and spot her staring at the frozen ponies. I… do not know what she is thinking. But… I… think I know.

She wants to be with them. Her own kind. I understand; I would choose the… the whatever I am. I mean…

She is a pony. She eats plants, things I cannot. She is… she is prey, and I shouldn’t truly be near her at all. It is the rules of nature that it be so… But…

But I was happy. I was so happy, so peaceful. I… I loved caring for her. I loved finding her food, hearing her tiny laughs, her tiny voice speaking to me despite the lack of understanding. Her bright eyes staring up at me with such… kindness and… dare I say it, love?

I… We had something special, I think. Something so potent that my hunger and instincts were quieted, and I lived for her, wanted to live for her. But she has found her place now. She will find a better life amongst ponies than with me in isolation. Surely she will.

It was never a permanent bond between us. Just like the den, it was fated to one day end. I can start eating ponies again, and live a life more fitting for me, and… and…

…

It…

It… it hurts. More so than the spear had hurt somehow. I try to ignore it, and force myself away. It is for the best for her to stay, and I to go…

I…

I… I am…

I am not crying. I am big and strong, tough and hardy. I do not cry. I do not feel this pain in me as I walk to the forest. My legs feel heavy, my wings feel heavy, and I feel my tail hanging limply behind me…

Something gently impacts me, and I stop. I turn, and with bleary vision,

Not crying.

Bleary vision, I see Mirage. She smiles up at me, and climbs onto my back. “Kitty” she says, along with much more, and settles down there, her intent obvious, though her words are not. I can feel her gripping my back, tiny hooves holding onto one wing.

She is coming with me. She has chosen me, over her own. My vision is nearly useless, but I smile at her.

I am not crying.

We go together, to find a new place.

It grows late, and I do not find another shelter for the night. The air is chill and cold, soon to be colder still. The trees offering minimal protection from what is thankfully only a faint breeze.

It grows too late to continue like this; Mirage is both cold and tired, her grip lessoning as the light dims. We shall have to sleep outside for this night. I might freeze during the night, but Mirage will be near me, and she will be warm, and in her warmth, I will somehow find comfort.

I am woken in the middle of the night by whimpers. I look, and spot Mirage, caught within a thorn bush. She must have been hungry and gotten stuck within it in search of its berries, finding herself unable to back out of it.

I find it slightly amusing, slightly concerning, but I am far too tired for this. I groan as I stand up; I have to get her out.

I push my own head in, my fur enough to hold off most of the thorns, and gently grab hold of her. Then I pull her free of the bush.

She gives a little shriek of pain as I do so, the thorns cutting at her, but she is fine. A few licks, and she will be,

Something behind me has just gasped.

I whirl, and see two horses, standing tall. One white, the other a dark blue if not black. They both have wings, and have a single horn on their heads, six spherical rocks floating near them. The rocks each have some design on them, and they float without reason, glowing in blue and gold. I see them both glare at me. I sense power from them. Power that terrifies me.

I try and act, dropping Mirage, opening my mouth to roar. Then a rainbow light blinds me before slowly fading again.

I…

I can’t move.

I can’t even blink as the two horses sigh and approach me. I see my paw… it’s white, and looks like… like stone. I can’t feel it.

Mirage is under me somewhere, yelling “Kitty!” over and over again. I can hear fear and panic in her tone.

She makes many angry, unhappy sounds at the two horses. She is angry, crying as she seemingly floats into my vision, gently glowing gold, wiggling in the… whatever is holding her. I note that the white one’s horn glows gold as well.

The two horses remain calm, and much is said between them, Mirage unable to be calmed. In the end, she simply quiets, glaring at the pair, angry eyes leaking tears.

Then the blue one looks at me, and I lift up into the air as that one takes flight, bring me with it somehow. I have one last sight of Mirage staring up at me, and one last cry of “Kitty!” before the sight is stolen from me.

What is this inability to act? I cannot even feel anything as we go, not the cold, not the air. Not even an urge to blink. I can do nothing save continue to see, think, and hear...

The blue horses carries me far. Flying across the land so far below. Flying is not fun when you cannot move.

She eventually comes to a mountain, and upon it is… I am not sure. More of those oddly square caves, this time made of stone, and a massive… thing like a tiny mountain rising high above the rest, all of it on the mountain’s side.

I am set on a strange ground, unable to name anything near me. The ground is made of rocks, making up an almost smooth surface somehow. There is a pattern to them. The square caves are near me, though I seem to be set away from them slightly.

The blue horses speaks something to me. Then she looks beyond me, and says something more, presumably to something behind me. She leaves, flying into the night sky, and another pony comes into vision.

It also has a horn, and I notice how that horn lights, and a rag covered in that same light floats to me.

I cannot feel it rubbing at me. Not even when it gets my eyes.

What has happened to me?

Prologue 3

Twenty years. Twenty years now.

Twenty years unable to move or act as a thing of stone. Unable to feel or want. Only able to think and see. I… have not thought much during that time.

Am I even still sane? I feel that perhaps I am not. I sometimes wonder if I had ever lived. Or was I always a statue, and have only dreamed my time of life? I… I do not know anymore.

There are always ponies. Always passing by on their way to someplace, this place filled with their kind. Seeing them has staved off the madness from me, though I can still feel the creeping desire to simply… give up.

I suppose I am jealous of them. Able to live and act while I cannot.

I have taken to trying to track them, remember them. It helps to pass the endless days by trying to recall ponies in the groups that come and go.

I have grown very bored of noting differences, even with such variety before me. Many vibrant colors walk before me, and each pony seems to possess a unique mark on their flanks. Some have wings, some have horns, and some do not have either. I’ve yet to see any other the same size as the pair that have done this to me, nor any other with both wings and a horn. But I no longer care for the differences. I am currently trying to learn the language.

It seems impossible. I hear many voices, and might know some ‘words’ but I have no context to understand them with. A futile task, but the last lingering way for me to not… stop thinking.

The shadows have reached the lowest point once more. It is time for a pony to wipe me off again. It is the same time, every week or so, often with a new pony to do the job. At least whatever is blocking the vision in my right eye will be gone, and the knowledge that I am kept clean is at least somewhat comforting.

…My eyes deceive me. It cannot be…

This pony before me… the brown coat, the brown tail and mane… It is the colors of her… of… of Mirage, but it cannot be her…

Then I see the twin white circles on its flanks, and the face on the larger of the pair.

It stops and pauses before looking at me closely, as if trying to determine something. I see its… I see her eyes open a little wider, and she looks up at me with disbelief etched into her face and form.

She whispers but one sound: “…Kitty?”

In twenty years, I have never felt trapped. Unable to move or live, cursed to slowly go insane, but never trapped.

Now? Now I am trapped. I give all I have to do something, anything, but it is in vain. I am helpless.

The pony, Mirage, comes to me, and puts a hoof on my stony paw. I do not know how, but she remembers me.

“Mirage!” she yells, gesturing to herself, and making the nearby ponies glance at her. She speaks quickly and excitedly as she wipes me off, and… I feel happy, and yet, worse than I ever have.

She is right there, and I can do nothing.

She stops with a look of realization. What has she realized?

She leaves, and I am saddened. Maybe she will be back? Or was this just for this time? Just one last look to her, before my mind succumbs to madness and insanity. Well…

One last sight, seeing her well and healthy and happy is… enough. I feel… Ready to go on now. Ready to stop thinking and never think again. Better than the pain imparted by the two horses.

…I shall wait and see. Not yet will madness claim me… not quite yet…

Mirage is back. The very next day, with a place to sit and a few books. She sits where I can see her, and picks up a book before opening it so I may see.

It has markings within it, and images. A pony playing with a red orb.

She points to the red orb, and says “Ball.”, moving her hoof to a specific mark. Then she points to the pony, and says, “Pony”, repeating the motion to a different mark.

She is teaching me. Twenty years apart, and she not only recalls me, but wants me to understand her and her kind.

I shall not fail her lessons.

A year passes, and I no longer wonder if I have dreamed my time of life, and I no longer suffer in stillness. Not with Mirage near me.

I feel proficient at understanding ponies as well. Not that I can tell Mirage that, and she takes steps to ensure my understanding.

The first day of the week she returns with a foal’s book and reiterates the simple words within. Then, as the week progresses, she brings more complex books and words and slowly speaks to let me best understand, often with pictures she drew herself. It is very effective.

I do wish I could tell her that I was learning fast with her efforts, but I am made of stone.

Apparently, I am in front of a ‘library’. The caves so oddly shaped, wood and stone? ‘Houses’. The oddly smooth stones, patterned before me? ‘Cobbles’. The massive thing nearby is a ‘castle’, and this whole place is called a ‘city’. Canterlot, if I am understanding Mirage correctly.

And, of course, ‘Kitty’.

…

I know she named me in her youth, or her ‘fillyhood’, which, of course, influenced her choice of names. And I accept that name. Even if it is a gross misrepresentation of my appearance, and mildly degrading.

It is the name she gave me, and that makes it precious.

Mirage has a job. ‘Librarian’. Every free moment of hers is spent with me, and she has started to mix the language lessons with simply speaking to me. She speaks to me every day.

She loves her job and tells me about it, the oddities, her coworkers, how the library functions. She tells me she really likes somepony called Rustled Pages, and wants to know him better. She tells me about pony culture, their understandings, their expressions. Their royalty.

Princess Celestia, and Princess Luna. The pair who have cursed me to stone.

I hate them. Each day, that hate grows. They stole my life from me, took me from Mirage, and made me stay here, helpless. Unable to help or comfort Mirage when she is hurt or upset.

I rage when she is upset, and burn when she is sad, unable to comfort her. Something within me grows stronger with each impotent rush of anger and pain.

Celestia and her sister shall pay for this! I will make them suffer! For each tear she has shed, they will cry a thousand more, their blood to pay for her and my suffering! So I swear!

Time passes. For 50 years, Mirage has come to read to me. She has never stopped making certain I know her language.

After the first five, she brought her husband, Rustled Pages. A tan earth pony who also worked within the library. I don’t like him.

He thinks me a statue and I do not like him being near Mirage. I want to be in his place.

After two more, she brought her foal with her, and introduced me to her new daughter.

She has named her Mirage, in my tongue, rather than her own.

Other ponies found this strange apparently.

As soon as Mirage the second could read, she was with me, reading all she could get her tiny hooves upon.

After twenty years, Luna went mad, and tried to kill Celestia. I did not enjoy hearing about that. My hate still burns, and I want to kill both, but Celestia has apparently banished her sister to the moon somehow. I will have to be satisfied with the one.

After 50 years, Mirage the first is old, and her own daughter has married and has her own daughter, a pegasus.

Named Mirage.

Mirage is late this day. Oddly late, even considering her age and the rain that makes the ponies stay inside. I haven’t seen Mirage the second either.

Well, perhaps they are mourning Rustled Pages. He died only a year or so ago after all. I am sure it is nothing.

I see her now. Mirage the second, coming toward me, but… something is wrong.

As she reaches me, I see tears in her eyes despite the rain, her eyes red. I can see her sadness, and feel a growing fear in me.

Is… is she is sad because…

“Mom died.” she tells me without warning, and I see her tears worsen. “Just… Just a few hours ago. She… wanted me to… to come and tell you.”

…

Mirage the second touches my paw, as she has many times before. I see it shaking.

“It… hurts Kitty. It… It… I can’t stop crying…”

She leans against my stone to sob, and I cannot feel her. I can barely notice her.

Mirage is dead.

The tiny foal who saved me. The tiny foal who changed my life, and lead me to happiness all those years ago. The mare who taught me her language, who saved me from the coming madness, who was there for me each and every day.

The reason I have chosen. The pony I lived for, wanted to live for. The pony for whom I would happily die for.

She’s dead.

…

The anger I feel is… almost frightening. I imagine harming Celestia in ways… I want to make her suffer like I have, like nothing else ever has. Bloody, horrible things, a desire to make her live for a long time, and not in a good way.

That anger only quiets when a Mirage is near me, which is not always now, and merely most of the time. It grows worse when they are upset.

Much worse when Mirage the second passed away.

It almost consumes me, and even with Mirage the third and fourth near me, speaking to me, I have a hard time listening to them. My mind and heart seem to be filled with rage, and unable to hold much else; it’s been that way ever since… she died. I am not truly listening to them until Mirage the fourth wonders something aloud.

“Do you think he’s angry?” she asks, and catches my attention.

My angry thoughts hesitate, and I see Mirage the third look confused. “Whatever for?” she asks her daughter.

“Well… for being trapped in stone.”

Mirage the third hums faintly, thoughtful. “…I’m not sure. But we have to go; your father is waiting for us.”

“I’ll be right with you.” Mirage the fourth tells her mother.

She waits until her mother is gone, and then looks to me, wondering. She is a unicorn, the first in the family line, a brilliant yellow color. She is often intelligent, though soft spoken and prone to being quiet. I feel curious for the first time in some time, wondering what she might be thinking.

“…So… you alright in there?” she asks me, looking at me. Trying to see some indication of life in me I’d imagine.

“…Well… I’ll just assume a few things then.” she says, and smiles for a moment. “You’ve been here for… what, a hundred years now? More? Me, mom, grandmother… never mind. I’ll make this quick.”

“Anger isn’t a good thing. Neither’s revenge.”

She speaks of anger and vengeance? With her youth, and combined with ignorance, it means nothing. She does not know, nor understand. I know better, and though this anger burns so hot, it is right and good.

“It just makes us unhappy, and upset. It… It… it does something bad to us.”

She frowns, trying to think before snorting in frustration.

“I’ll be back tomorrow.” she promises, and hurries off.

She returned the next day, as she promised. I think I will always recall what she said.

“Alright. I think I got it now, and plus, I have time.” she had said, sitting near me, a notebook in her magic. I saw her open it, and read the writing inside:

“Anger diminishes our ability to be happy, and encourages increasing anger, even should said anger be soothed with vengeance or revenge.” she told me, quoting. Then she looked up at me. “I found a few books that said that delayed anger, and particularly grudges, are incredibly difficult to deal with as well. And that they commonly occur when the angry party is unable to do something about said anger, which… you’re kind of overqualified for.”

“So I’d like you to think for me Kitty. Remember when you were turned to stone? Think about that. Think about how it makes you feel.”

I did so, and felt anger, but curiosity kept me from perfect rage. Why was she doing this? What was her intent?

“Now, think about why it makes you feel that way.”

My very first thought was Mirage. Mirage the first, under me, screaming “Kitty!”, and I, unable to do anything. But I didn’t want to hurt or maim Celestia and Luna, I wanted to help her, calm her… save her.

My anger dimmed upon that realization.

Mirage the fourth waited for a time before continuing, as if to try to allow me time to respond. “Anger is often caused by some slight, most commonly something that shouldn’t really get us angry. However, there is such a thing as deserved anger Kitty. At the same time though, deserved anger soon turns evil if you let it fester. Like mold; leave it alone and it turns into the massive fuzzy thing that used to be your science experiment.”

“And… there is really only one way to make it go away too. And it’s not revenge. It’s forgiveness.”

She sighed, trying to think. Of what, I wasn’t sure. “Think of it like… Like… I know. Grandmother told me this story once.”

“Great grandmother used to hate the twin Princesses.”

I, already stunned, ceased truly thinking at that. I had never truly given thought to how Mirage might have felt. She never told me what upset her, unless said thing was truly distressing her. She never mentioned anything like that though…

Why not?

“Grandmother said she held onto hates and grudges for a… a long time. Because they stoned you, and took you away, and stuck you here, she hated them. But you know what she did?”

“She thought of you. And she thought to herself ‘Kitty is hurt by my pain’. ‘Even in stone, he must think and feel. I shouldn’t give him more to be upset about. I need to smile, so he might smile, even in stone.’ So she never told you, and did her best to smile and be happy for you.”

“But that wasn't really enough, so she went and made peace. She never actually spoke to Princess Celestia, but she forgave her. So she wouldn’t be upset anymore. For you, and only for you.”

“She left her anger behind, and she did it all for you. And she realized something really important too.”

“Anger only hurts us. It makes us less and it makes us unhappy. And the worst part; it hurts those who love us. Those we don’t want to see hurt suffer because of our anger.”

“So, Kitty… I know that you’re stuck in stone, and I’m not totally sure if you agree, but, if you can, please listen to me.”

“If you’re angry, forgive them. Because… Because we’re here for you. Mom and dad and I all care for you. Even as a big statue, but you should know that, right? And… if you’re angry… then I’m going to be really upset.”

With all my heart, I had wished to somehow speak to her, somehow tell her I understood. My anger was still there, but I hated it then. I hated it, but not for my sake.

For theirs. For my Mirage, and her oddly wise great granddaughter.

If only the pain of seeing her fail to see that understanding was so easily removed. I saw her sigh, and I knew.

She cannot know, and without that, she cannot find true peace. She helped me to fight anger, and now she suffers from being unable to truly know. She cannot know if I listened or learned; none of them could.

It is why they still teach me their language.

I still feel anger, but now, I fight it. She is not wrong.

Anger does nothing save harm us and the ponies we love.

Sadly, so does being petrified.

Over time, Canterlot changed. Sometimes by tiny things, a new color, a new sign. Sometimes by great things, new construction, new buildings, new ways and traditions.

Eventually, I saw Celestia once again, speaking to the city upon a balcony that I can just barely see. She does that every decade or so now.

She seems not a single day older than she has always been. Seeing her like that, whole and healthy, when my Mirage aged and died, when her children age and die…

The embers of my anger simmer. Only doused by Mirage the fourth’s tireless efforts in her lifetime, and the ongoing presence of the Mirages. I find some measure of peace and happiness with them, and bit by bit, I master my old rage.

And there is something within me. Some power, slowly growing. It beats like a heart, the one thing I can feel. Pressing on the stone, but not able to break it. It’s hot, and beats harder when I’m angry, and harder when I want to act. I am not sure what it is.

Centuries pass by, and Mirages come and go, sometimes faster, sometimes slower. A tradition to name the first daughter Mirage, and a duty to keep coming to read to me given to them.

I have noted that a fair few of them have treated that duty less like a friendly visit and more like a job. It is not… unexpected. Time passes, and the knowledge of me decreases with each successive generation. I do not fault them for feeling no strong connection to me.

I have discovered the power within me as well. It is the power that I use to stop things. Slowly growing stronger and stronger with each impotent rush of anger or attempt to act. It gives me a little hope:

Maybe one day it will be enough to shatter the stone and free me.

Chapter 1

A thousand years and more now. The power within me is strong, almost painful. Burning hot against my prison, but not harming it.

Now, Mirage the 39th speaks to me, a brown pegasus of my Mirage’s colors. She spends much time near me, for several reasons.

It began with a simple like of me, one far stronger than the recent Mirages. It grew stronger when her father suddenly left with neither cause nor goodbye when she was barely four. Then she was eight when her mother passed suddenly. Accident, she later told me.

And, for varied reasons, the family has suffered. Few births, and family members have left for faraway places, leaving only a very few in Canterlot. Mirage the 39th was made an orphan that day, and no living family could be found.

So she was moved into the orphanage, and she… hates it. She has trouble making friends, a problem she both blames them and herself for. She has a rather low opinion of herself, though she does try to resist the feelings. She often tells me of her miseries, and then her dreams, her desires of a life not one she has. She often cries on my stone in the night, sobbing or screaming whenever her life is particularly bad.

In many ways, she is both a renewal of my heart, seeing her devotion when a fair few before her were less than dutiful, and a deep pain for me, considering her ongoing sadness. I want to help her.

But I can’t.

Mirage the 39th has gained a job. Working in the library behind me, as a part of something called a ‘school work initiative’ which she isn’t too fond of. ‘It could be worse’ she says: she has the task of cleaning me, which makes it better for her.

She doesn’t work hard in favor of simply speaking to me. Talking about her recent lessons, and a few interesting tidbits she has learned. She has confided that I am the only one she would speak to about the things that truly matter to her.

My heart swells that she would choose me. It bleeds that she cannot find another.

It is as she is cleaning me that I heard another pony yell, “What are you doing!?”

I hear Mirage yelp, though I am unable to see or feel her.

“Loafing around is not encouraged!”

“Sorry Mr. Harshneigh!”

A snort. “Don’t sleep on the job.”

“I wasn’t.”

“Then what were you doing?”

“I was talking to Kitty.”

I hear a long pause. Then Mirage adds, “This is Kitty.”

“…Don’t let me catch you slacking off again. Or else, understand?”

“Yes, Mr. Harshneigh.”

A few moments pass before a huff of anger. I can hear Mirage muttering to herself, and what words I do hear are not kind ones, nor… welcome ones.

It seems that Harshneigh has been bothering her as of late. And… something about a threat? Is he threatening her?

I don’t know. She hasn’t mentioned anything like that before though…

Night comes, and I spot Mirage flying to me, as she has before. She lands at my paw, as she always has, and looks up at me.

“Hi Kitty.” she says, and I take some hope in her tone. Her voice is normal, and this time, she doesn’t look like she has been crying.

“So, you’re doing well. Clean and everything. I’m… alright. Well… mostly alright.”

“Nothing bad, I mean… bullies are bullies, but the new teacher, Mr. Harshneigh… he bothers me. I think he doesn’t like me. He’s always watching me and frowning. Whispering to my other teachers, and having ‘quiet words’ with me, which means he tells me to stop doing something.”

She signs. “And this time… he… he had another stallion, a… a doctor. And they asked me about you. So I told them about you.”

“And the doctor suggested I was feeling tense and upset and…” She pauses a moment to frown heavily and snort, before muttering, “I don’t know, something about ‘anthrowponyzation’ or something.” She looks back to me with mild anger in her eyes, though I suspect more. “And Mr. Harshneigh told me that I could always speak to him, and he took me off cleaning duty. Despite the good work and everything!”

Did he? Why?

“He wants to have me transferred to Canterlot high, so I can ‘make friends’.” Mirage tells me, sighing. She frowns at nothing. “Like that will be any different than right now.” she mutters before looking up at me.

That might not be bad. The school isn’t far from here, and might even mark a new chapter of her life. One not so bad, even if she is being pessimistic.

“And… he… he sort of implied he would make sure I could never see you again.”

What!?

“He had a lot to say. ‘I’m only doing what’s best for you’ and ‘it’s bad to not have any friends'.” she spat in a poor imitation of the voice I heard, and snorted. “Like he knows anything, right Kitty?” she asks, looking up at me. “Because we’re friends and he doesn’t know anything. So we can look him right in the eye and tell him ‘no. I don’t want to.’” She nods firmly, “Because I’m going to keep on talking to you, and you’ll keep on being there for me.”

She smiles, and spreads her wings. “Yeah. There, together, forever.” she tells me, the same phrase she uses often when she comes to me. “Thanks for listening Kitty. You’re the best.” She flits up to hug my head, as she sometimes has before.

She flies off again, and I am left wondering. What could the two have spoken about, and why a doctor? Mirage the 39th is sure she can just defy them, but she is too young to truly do so…

But nopony would actually force her away. They will listen to her. She’ll just have to find free time to speak with me. Canterlot high is nothing bad. She won’t lose me.

I won’t lose her.

The early morning is never a busy time. My square is never particularly crowded, and the early morning and deep night were times when nothing really moved, save a few rare things.

So I am more than a little shocked to spot Mirage rushing toward me, and to hear shouted voices when the sun has barely graced the sky.

She is under or possibly behind me in an instant, and I spot a few ponies heading over, adults, concerned ones. I think Mirage has told me of them from time to time. Two are the ponies that have been caring for and teaching her I think, a yellow pegasus and a red earth pony, though the last is unknown to me; a white unicorn.

“Mirage!” one snaps, and I recognize Mr. Harshneigh’s voice from the red one. “Come here!”

“No!”

“We must handle this with some care.” the white unicorn told the angry stallion. “She is in no psychological condition to accept commands or shouts.”

…I believe that to mean nothing good. In fact, this whole situation is making me greatly worried. Why is she here now, and why are they following?

Why is the pegasus deeply worried, why does the white unicorn look so calm, and why does Mr. Harshneigh seem at a cross between anger and deep concern?

The pegasus calls, “Mire, come here.” Her tone suggests fear, or deep concern.

“No! I’m not going!”

“Don’t make me!” Mr. Harshneigh snaps.

“Calm.” the white unicorn interrupts, and Mr. Harshneigh takes a deep breath.

“I’m not going!” Mirage yells.

“This is for your good.” the white one says. “You will enjoy the change, I assure you.”

“Come on Mire.” the pegasus says, smiling, or at least trying to. “You’ll love Manehatten.”

…Manehatten? The city on the coast? That takes days to reach, even by flight…

If Mirage leaves like that… She’s the last. The only one.

I would have nothing left.

“No!”

“How bad can this be?” Harshneigh hisses to the unicorn. I can just hear his response.

“If she continues to anthropomorphize the statue, she will easily fall prey to full delusions and even psychosis. Other effects will be many, and few will be beneficial if any. We must stop her now.”

Harshneigh’s frown worsens, and the unicorn whispers something more, making him nod.

He takes a step forward, his face settling into a determined frown. “Listen to me girl. We aren’t here to hurt you.”

“Stop that!”

He takes another. “Nopony is going to hurt you, and nopony hates you.”

“Stop coming closer!”

A few more. “This is for your good Myrage. It is for the best.”

“It is not! And it’s Mirage!”

She… isn’t moving back as he moves closer. Despite being a pony, I can see… almost predatory motion in Harshneigh as he moves under my vision. And Mirage either fails to see that, or…

Or I am the last place she can run to.

“Stay back.” I hear her say, and I hear fear, weakness. She is trapped. Not running. She won’t run; she can’t run.

“Everything is for you. We only want what is best for you.”

I see tension on the remaining pair’s faces, carefully hidden, though not well.

“I don’t want it…” Mirage says, almost in a whimper. “I want him.”

“It is just a statue Myrage. Nothing more than carved stone. Come on.”

“…You’re wrong. He’s there! He’s not just a statue!”

“Myrage…”

“He cares for me a whole world more than you do! More than anypony else does! He does! I know he does!”

…

“…Last chance girl. Come on.”

“…No.”

“Then I have no choice.”

I hear a thump, and wings flapping, and see the other pair wince, and what sounds like Harshneigh’s hiss of pain. Then motion, as if dragging, the wing beats rapid and panicked.

“Let go!”

“Stop fighting!”

The pair come into view again, Mirage fighting a losing battle against the grip of Harshneigh, who seems… hurt. The other two move to aid him.

“KITTY!” she screams, and I can see a few tears in her eyes as she thrashes in his, and soon their, grip.

I remember my Mirage. I remember her screams, her tears. I recall her desperation, her fear.

I recall my helplessness then.

I feel my helplessness now.

…

No.

No, not again.

I will not be helpless!

I WON”T BE MADE TO WATCH AGAIN!

I SHALL NEVER AGAIN BE HELPLESS!

I! WILL! SAVE HER!

The power within me swells. It is painful, but in that pain, I feel the stone on me shift.

The rock on me cracks, the sound almost deafening, and they all stop, to stare at me. The power thunders within me like a heartbeat, and with each thud, the stones break a little more, a spider web of cracks growing. I strain against my bonds, and the power swells a final time.

I erupt from the stone, and roar my victory into the air, shattering the windows nearby, and shaking the very stones we stand upon. I rear tall, feeling flooding back into me. I can feel the air around me, I can smell the city, I can feel my might!

I look down as I land heavily, to notice I have grown. I am nearly twice as large as I once was, all at once.

I glare down at the frozen four, hearing the city wake suddenly, panicking. With a swipe, I snatch Mirage from them. The mare and unicorn faints, and only Harshneigh still stands, though pale and shaking before me. I care little about the ponies running about nearby, screaming and yelling.

They dared to steal her from me… To try and take my last precious thing away from me…

I bend down, my jaws opening to devou, no, no, kill, not eat. Just kill they who dared to take what I care for. My shadow falls over the trembling Harshneigh.

“Mirage!”

I stop, just before snapping my jaws shut. My vision flickers, seeing grass and cobbles in the same space. I... My mind reasserts itself in the flood of anger and instinct. I… I heard…

I look, and see Mirage, but with wings. It… they are… it is only the descendent, but… the voice, the color, those huge eyes that shut tightly in fear of what I was about to do… She is just like my Mirage…

As before, I stop. But now, I remember, and I pull away from the petrified, and now fainted trio as others gather near the edges, only to skid to a halt and gape and scream at me. It is… Hard to not attack them. Hard to deny the growing hunger in me.

“Mirage!” she cries again, trembling in her fear.

But with her being there… I am stronger than myself. I can hold myself still and steady, deny the raging urges, and deny my instincts. I look to her, and smile.

“Mirage.” I call, my voice even deeper than it once had been, and see her look up, her eyes filled with emotions I am unable to read.

We must leave. Together, far from here, where they won’t find us. She has no connection here. Nowhere to turn to.

I am back. It is now my duty to care for her, just as I once cared for my Mirage. It is a duty accepted without weight, but with gladness. Even eagerness.

I might snatch back the days of happiness and peace I once had with her.

I scoop her up with a paw, finding my new size making her like a foal to me. She squeaks as I do so, and I chuckle at the sound as I press her against my chest, to keep her safe.

Now, to escape.

I roar again, with purpose, and see it all stop. The panicked ponies running all around. The guards racing toward me, even the pegasi, seized and held still in the air. It all stops, and I turn to walk beyond the library.

One way to escape quickly; flying. I walk beyond the library towards the edge there, and ready myself. I spread my wings, lightly flap once, and then leap over the edge, feeling my wings catch the air.

I wobble, but my larger wings allow me greater control, even in my ignorance. I flap hard, to fly higher and faster, and use my all to keep control of myself. After all:

I hold precious cargo.

Ponyfeathers. It seems my time of stone was not without effects. My left wing has seized up in sudden cramp, and one alone is not enough to hold me aloft. We are falling to the ground so far below.

I hold my one wing out, hoping that maybe that will slow us enough, and hold Mirage with all four of my legs, to protect her. May the impact not be as bad as last time…

Pain… I shake myself, and hear things shift and groan. Something is on me, and my head… This one was far, far worse than the first.

Considering the fall, I suppose I am lucky to even be alive.

I heave, and hear the crack of wood. I blink in the sudden light and dust, and see broken homes and shattered wood around me. I… I think I hit a home, and skidded through several more. It is hard to think… I was holding something…

Mirage!

I look, and the sudden bolt of fear is gone, seeing her unhurt under me. She is unconscious, but has no true mark on her.

My paw is bloody as I attempt to wake her, but she does not. No matter.

I bend, to pick her up in my jaws when something slams into my head, forcing my mouth away. I start, and see a blue pegasus with a rainbow mane.

“Got ya you big beast!” she yells.

I try to ignore her, and reach for Mirage again when she returns, and again rams my head away.

“It’s me you want! Come on you fleabag!” she taunts me. I growl and snap at her as she flits out of reach, jeering. Like some arrogant mosquito!

“Rainbow!”

Others come. Two unicorns, white and purple, the purple leading the group. A yellow pegasus who seems fearful and worried. Two earth ponies, one orange with a hat and determination written on the face, and a pink one, who seem to bounce more than walk.

Is this the response of today? Six ponies? No armor, no weapons? This will be easy, and filling…

No! Stop it! Focus, thrust those feelings away! I do not want to eat them! I don’t even want to harm them!

I want to grab Mirage, and escape. Nothing more than that. Nothing more.

“Rainbow, get her away from it!” the purple one yells, and the blue pegasi salutes her.

“No problem!” she says, darting down again.

Her movements are simple and easy to predict. She underestimates me, thinks me slow and stupid. And if she thinks she can snatch Mirage from right in front of me…

When she comes close, I slap her with my paw, slapping her into the ground. I hear her groan as I lift my paw, the others gasp, and I smirk, feeling better. Now for the finishing, no. Escape, focus on escape. Don’t kill them. I grab Mirage, and the others act.

The white unicorn tries to blind me with lights, the pink one throwing pies at my head. The purple one uses magic that singes my fur and delivers a surprisingly strong blow, though that is nothing to the strength in the orange one darting amongst my legs. Or the yellow one, yelling something I do not care to listen to in my ears.

I manage to swat the yellow and orange ones, tossing them away. They do not get up immediately. The purple one gasps again, glares at me, and her next bolt burns. I flinch from it, pulling inward, and a glowing bubble appears around me.

She tries to trap me again.

I slam into it, giving my all to break the shield, and press upon it, bending the magic, my claws scraping along the glowing bubble. It deforms under my pressure, and I see the unicorn struggling against me until I manage to overcome her fortitude, and pop it. She yells as her horn sparks, and falls over, making the remainder gasp and move to her.

It takes all my control to not rush them and devour them whole. Instead, I roar again, and see them freeze in their places. There is now a pain in my throat; the ability does harm me if used often. I might not be able to have a third time.

But seeing them still and helpless… I want to kill them! I want to eat them! Make them suffer and die for daring to harm me, for daring to try and steal Mirage away! Satisfy my urge, sooth this hunger, ease this pain and weakness! But I… I mustn’t… I… I…

I see Mirage as my instincts near silence my thoughts with their demands.

She makes it better. Seeing her, I recall, and my instincts quiet. I feel happy seeing her, and calm. My mind returns to me.

I defended her, and succeed when once I had failed. I am proud of that, and prouder still that I have done so without killing. She will be proud in return.

I press her into my chest, closing my eyes for a moment, collecting myself. Then I hurry towards the nearby forest. The one place that might offer some shelter and concealment for us. It hasn’t before, but I am fairly sure that I have time to leave and not be found in only a few hours like last time.

I will not fall prey to the power from before. Let Celestia come!

I shall be ready for her.

Chapter 2

Taking some time to… calm down and breathe has helped immensely. The pain has thankfully faded on its own, and after cleaning myself, I feel far better. I only have minor cuts and bruises from the fall. And the pies that the pink one was throwing were actually very good. I almost regret not having more.

Seeing the gently sleeping Mirage and focusing on her helps my heart and soul to calm down. To help me regain the peace I once had, and silence the urge to hurt and kill those who dare to hurt me and her. Even now, those voices are loud.

I have found a shelter. A massive, ruined castle in the woods. For what reason it is here, I do not know. I have propped the fallen doors up, and the entry is large enough for me several times over. It will do for now.

I also found a thing to eat. Some beast, similar to myself, but with bat wings and an armored tail. It was filling, and the forest outside is oddly dangerous; filled with thorns and more beasts like the one I ate. No pony would enter this place willingly. Which is good.

If that is true, then we might not even have to look farther, and we can simply den here, in this ruined place.

Mirage herself is sleeping next to a pile of berry bushes I found for her. Her peace makes me smile.

So, other than a few lingering pains, I am calm, fed, and happy.

Mirage stirs. I feel eager for her to wake and speak. For the first time, I can speak back to her, the first time I can speak and be understood with a Mirage. My smile widens at the thought of it as I walk to her and wait.

She gives a faint groan, and blinks as she wakes. She stares at the bushes, and then looks around, confused.

Her gaze settles on my nearby paw, and she stares at it for several seconds before she looks up at me very slowly.

Then I am wincing, a sharp pain in my ears. Mirage is very fast. And loud. In a second, she is gone, and my ears are ringing with her scream. I shake my head, and spot her staring at me from some tiny doorway, eyes huge.

“Mirage!” I snap, irritated, making her start. “Why are you screaming?” I ask in her tongue, finding the words cumbersome, but not difficult. A little time and I won’t have any problem.

She does not respond, but her mouth does drop open. Is she hungry?

“…I have found you food.” I say, “Eat, if you desire.”

“…You talk…” she murmurs as if in awe.

I frown. “Yes, I speak. You, your mother, her mother, and her mother, all the way to Mirage the first, your long-ago ancestor, all spent time teaching me your tongue.” It grows easier the more I speak as well. But why is she confused?

“It’s true.” she whispers, soft enough I can barely hear her from so far.

“What is true?” I ask.

She starts a little. She seems to hesitate, uncertain, or even fearful for a few moments. That fades little as she asks me, “Are you… are you Kitty?”

“…I am.” I say, confused at how she is unsure. Maybe she got a little confused from the fall?

She steps toward me, cautiously, worriedly. It is almost as if she doesn’t truly know me, or even fears me. Perhaps she is simply upset and thinking about our flight? She needs comfort.

I lie down, making her jump a little at my action. “We are safe.” I tell her, keeping myself calm, despite her tension. “There is no need for fear.”

She comes up to me, but still has that note of tension. That impression she is ready to dart away at the slightest indication of something. I can see her wings spread slightly, ready to send her back and away.

Is… is she afraid of me? The thought is… a little painful, but perhaps, just perhaps, it is because I have grown so. I might be a little unfamiliar now. It must be that.

It can be nothing else.

I lie down, and remain still, waiting for her. Calm is best for this; just like my Mirage, she needs a little time to grow used to me. She will simply do so faster, surely.

She reaches out and touches at my paw, and I feel her hoof trembling faintly. She flinches at the touch before calming slightly, and truly feeling.

“…It’s… soft.” she murmurs.

“And at last, I can feel you.” I tell her, and see her start, but she doesn’t run.

“…What?”

“For so long, I could do nothing more than see and hear. But now, at last, after so very long, I can feel again.” I tell her, reveling in the feeling of her touch. “I can know your scent, feel your hoof, and live again. A thousand years and more I waited for this, denied for so long, but now… now, I have it once more.”

She blinks at me, as if a touch unsure how to react to that.

I only smile a little more, despite the slight pain of memory. “You should be proud.” I tell her. “Do you know why?”

“…Not really.” she says.

“You are Mirage the 39th.” I tell her with pride. “The sole daughter of your mother, Mirage the 38th, who in her own turn, was the sole daughter of her mother, Mirage the 37th. The newest member of an unbroken lineage. I remember the first day you came to me, brought by your grandmother. The first book you read to me, the first time you came alone.”

My happiness dampens a little at my thoughts, but I persevere. I won’t let her sadness continue.

“I remember the first time you came to me in tears. The first time you screamed about bullies, and anger over authority. The time when your father left you, the time when your mother passed on. I remember every secret you told me, everything that made you sad or upset. I remember every night you came to me, to tell me of your hopes, dreams, pains, and angers. My heart bled when yours did, my anger matched your own, but for so long, I could do nothing. Until now.”

I see her frozen, blushing faintly. “…Everything?” she asks in a near squeak.

“Everything.” I tell her. “I won’t let you be so unhappy ever again. That I swear on the sand in my blood.”

I pause at that. The expression… another oddity. So familiar, and I know the importance of it, but I again fail to know why. All the time in stone, I never felt that sensation which plagued me at the beginning. It seems to be making a return.

Never mind it. I can find out later on, and it matters nothing or near nothing right now anyway.

I look at Mirage and she is… hiding her face. I wonder… I recall.

She often spoke to me of many things. Things which I suspect she never really intended to be heard. Having me hear them and remember them must be…

Wait.

She always knew I could hear. Every Mirage knew that, it was why they spoke to me, read to me. She came to me in confidence, as had her ancestors. She knows I would know those things. There is no cause for sudden embarrassment or concern. Unless… It can’t be, but…

The only possible explanation is if she truly hadn’t meant for those things to be heard, and spoke to me because… because she thought I couldn’t hear them. Which would mean she thought me…

“…Mirage?” I ask, and see her flinch. I have to know… I… I dread the answer, but I must know.

“…Did you… Did you think me… a statue alone?” I ask, and I cannot keep the pain from my tone. Did she?

She glances at me, and says, “Well… kind of.”

If she had taken a spear and thrust it into my heart, it would hurt less. Suddenly, it is all cast in doubt.

How many of them looked at me as nothing more than stone? How many of them only followed tradition, and either didn’t know or didn’t believe the truth of my life?

How many of them thought I was nothing but a statue?

“Kitty?” I hear her ask me.

The name hurts. I… I know it is true.

After Mirage the 7th, the rest simply did less. She was the last who had ever pondered about me. The last one who had ever considered me. All the rest…

They had just followed tradition. Kept up what their ancestors had begun, and lost the reasons why they had done them.

I have been forgotten. The ages passed, and I was left behind in all but name alone.

“…Something’s wrong, isn’t it?” she asks, I see her. Worried, maybe concerned. I need to know.

“Tell me.”

“…What?”

“Tell me how you know of me. Tell me how you know my name.” I ask of her.

She stares at me for a moment before thinking.

“…Grandmother told me your name.” she says. “And she told me… she told me that, if I ever really needed help, to call for you.”

“Why?” I ask.

“Because…” she says rather slowly, thoughtfully, and I could almost be convinced she suspects my thoughts. She seems unsure as she continues. “Because she said that you were the ‘soul of the family’. And that, if I ever got really upset, I should call your name.”

“Because I would hear you?” I ask.

She shakes her head. “Because you were the symbol of us. The great creation of the first Mirage, the start of a legacy. Grandmother always said I should be proud to be a Mirage, but mom was… you never mattered anything to mom. She always said you were just stone, and that being a Mirage meant nothing more than being a part of a long line of… well, of stupid traditions that never had a point and never did anything for us except give us a name nopony could pronounce...”

That is enough. So, now I know.

How many of them must have thought much the same? I was trapped in stone, and they forgot me. They forgot the reasons why it all began. Why they carried the name, why they came to speak to me.

The only reason I kept myself, the one reason I hadn’t given in to madness was because of the unbroken line of them. Because…

Because I cared for them. Because I thought that if I gave up, I would fail them, hurt them. And it turns out that it wouldn’t have mattered.

Because I did nothing for them. Because I was just a symbol, just the work of some ancestor they knew nothing of and cared nothing for. Because I was a duty that weighed them down.

Mirage the 39th has revealed that to me. Her surprise, her fear, it all makes sense now.

She never imagined me to be real. She never thought I was actually listening to anything, that I would hear her voice. She didn’t call for me when she was being taken.

She had called for strength from the half-believed tales of her grandmother. She had come in the night looking for that same strength, not because I could hear, but just so she could yell and sob where others wouldn’t see and hear her.

All my reasons, all my pain… All that I endured, all that I have heard and seen and suffered in helplessness…

I must have done so in vain for over eight centuries.

My heart feels… it is agony that has no physical reason. It bites at me, tears at me, rips at me.

Countless memories suddenly sour with the realization. They echo in my head, the knowledge of it all hurts. It… hurts more than I can endure.

I close my eyes, try to resist, but…

Even my pride is not enough. All that I based myself on has been taken from me. The ages of time have proven me a fool.

I cry. Despite trying not to, I feel the tears escaping. I do not even have the strength to lie about it now.

I… I don’t know what to do. What to think, what to imagine.

It is just like when I feared my Mirage leaving me behind, except this time, this time they have. This time, I have gone into the woods, and ripped Mirage the 39th from her place of choice. Dragged her with me because I thought…

Because I thought that they had cared for me.

I… I think I can hear something, feel something. I listen, and hear Mirage.

…She is on me, holding my head, telling me soothing things. In this pain, I cannot understand her. They are simply soothing sounds…

Just like my Mirage once spoke to me so long ago. In my pain, she tries to sooth me, just as her ancestor once did the same…

Why? Why would she? She cannot be concerned about me. It must be something else…

…

“…Why?” I ask, my voice ragged.

“Why what?” she asks me, rubbing at my head.

“…Why do you try to comfort me?”

“…Because… I… I don’t like seeing you upset. I… I feel as if we are… connected. Even if I never thought you could hear. Even if I never really thought you were alive. You’re… important to me.”

“You ran from me in fear.” I say.

“Because you’re… really big and terrifying. And I was tired and confused, and… look, I’m sorry, alright? Just… please stop crying.”

“…I was forgotten,”

“But now you’re back.” she interrupts. “And I remember you.”

“You do not.”

“I do too. You’re Kitty, the savior of Mirage the first. You got turned to stone by the twin princesses, and placed in front of the library, there to be and watch over us all.”

“…How,”

“Great grandmother believed with all her heart, that’s how. She might have died before I was born, but I once got my hooves on her diary when grandmother wasn’t looking. The day I read you that foal’s book, I thought you were just a statue, and a way to make reading fun. The day I read that diary, I always, always knew that you cared. In some… weird, stony sort of way, but I knew it.”

“…”

“And listen. Mom was wrong. You are important, and even when I thought you were just stone, you were super important to me. You know why?”

“…No.”

“By being there. By listening. By just existing, you made it easier for me to put up with all the garbage I had to put up with. Just the thought of you being there, caring about me, was enough to help me through the worst days of my life. I would have given up a long time ago if you hadn’t been there. So, maybe a lot of us forgot about you. Maybe we all sort of thought that you were a big statue, and that you couldn’t hear and that you weren’t really alive.”

“But you’re free now. I can feel your fur and warmth. I can see your eyes and face move, hear your voice. And maybe you’re terrifying, and maybe you’re a bit too big with way too many sharp teeth and huge claws, but… You’d never hurt me. You care for me. You want me to be happy, hate it when I’m upset.”

“And… I hate it when you’re upset.” she adds in a slightly tight whisper. “So, please, please stop crying. I’m here. I won’t leave you. …There, together, forever… right?”

I listen to her, and I have ceased crying. She does her best, and I can hear her truths. Maybe I was forgotten.

But I was never truly left behind. They all recalled, they all continued. Perhaps never as well as they once had, but not one of them hadn’t gone to speak with me. Not one had ever broken the tradition, none had failed to keep visiting me.

And now her. The last of them.

She has pulled the spear free, and has slowed the flow of blood with her words.

It is as if she is the reincarnation of my Mirage.

“…There. Together. Forever.” I repeat.

She flies from my head, to hover in front of me, and gives me a bright smile. One perhaps a touch forced, but it is there.

I manage to smile back.

“…Thank you.” I tell her.

“Just doing what’s right.” she says, and I see her yawn. “You feeling better?”

“Much. It grows late. I feel tired, and I suspect the same for you. It might not be much of a den here, but by my side, you may find warmth in this ruined place.”

She looks around, and she seems to notice the castle for the first time. She hesitates, and then flies to my back, and I feel her land upon me.

“Soft.” I hear her murmur, settling down.

“Am I?”

“Very. It’s almost weird.”

“Think of it like a little gift.” I tell her, and feel her chuckle. “Sleep. Nothing will come to you when I am here.”

“…Thanks Kitty.”

Chapter 3

Hot…

I stir, and feel… sand? My eyes open to a glaring sun, bright, almost too bright. I can feel the heat, and yet, it is almost… comforting. My fur holds it and retains it and I feel… energetic under its effects.

I stand to look around me, and see nothing save sand as far as the eye can see. A hot wind carries sand forward, but I do not feel the grains. The sands and heat calls for me to wake, and I want to spread my wings to fly upon those hot winds.

I do so, and take flight, but not like before.

I know what to do, and the winds lift me high into the bright skies. I laugh, and my body knows how to act, what to do. My wings flap according to my desires and will, and I swoop and fly without fear of crashing, seeing the glittering sands underneath the burning skies.

The more I let control go, the more I seem to have. Odd perhaps, but exhilarating. I feel free of anything that might hold me. It is good.

I close my eyes, exulting in those feelings, and roar of myself, my voice carrying across the endless sands to proclaim my greatness.

I open my eyes again, and see birds. Large ones, and I hurry after them to snatch and devour them in flight. They cannot evade me, in neither speed nor agility, and I feel… powerful. I devour the one I hold, and snatch another.

It tastes so… perfect, so good. So soft, and so… so…

I look again, and the bird in my paws is no bird, but a pegasus.

I… I can’t let go. I… I resume eating it, the taste making my horror fade. This… this is not what I have chosen, but it is right.

I look down, and see a town below. I roar, and dive, caught in myself.

I don’t want to, but I do at the same time. I land amongst the ponies, my wings throwing a great gust of air that tosses the nearest ones away. They are frozen from my roar. I walk to them, horrified and yet satisfied.

The desire to eat is stronger than my will to not. And with each one, it becomes harder, and harder not to. Harder to think of things, harder to recall why I should not.

I must not, but I cannot stop myself… I… I know that… that…

…

That this is right. This is what I should be doing. This is what I am, and what I was born to be. My might tears their homes open, my power holds them still and helpless before me!

I am the might of the sands, the predator without match! I am the lord of these places, and nothing shall stand to defeat me, not even,

“Kitty!”

I snap back, an icy feeling dousing the burning fire within me. I look, and see Mirage. I see them all, gathered before me. As I stand there, dripping pony blood, surrounded by the fallen, they stare at me.

“Kitty, why?!” my Mirage screams, and I… it is hard to understand her, as if I am unfamiliar with her language.

“We did so much!” her daughter cries.

“We were there!”

“You were there!”

“Why would you do this?”

“Kitty?”

I shut my eyes, and open them again, to see them closer. They… no, I moved closer. They stare at me without fear, and only disappointment, a touch of fear.

“Kitty?”

I… I… no, I…

I can’t… I…

I hear them screaming. I hear it as if… as if…

I blink, and the sand is gone, the blood and death is gone, the feelings and taste is gone. I see stones, walls, a castle ruined in time. I hear… heard a scream.

I move to hear a yelp, and spot Mirage the 39th on my back, clinging to it as I contort to see her. I breathe heavily from my own dream, that… that nightmare I have had.

“Mirage? What is wrong?” I ask, and see her look at me with wide eyes. “What is there, what is wrong, speak to me!”

“…What are you saying?” she asks me, and it is only then that I notice my slip back to my own tongue. I blink and calm before resuming.

“What is wrong?” I ask again, in the correct language, and force my fear away from me. It was just a dream. Nothing more than a few fears and desires made manifest in my sleep. Nothing more.

Nothing more.

“…I… just woke up and got a little… confused.” she tells me, taking a deep breath of her own. “I just got surprised, that’s all.”

I slowly calm. That is good. Nothing bad.

“And what’s wrong with you?” she asks me, making me pause.

“…I don’t understand.” I tell her.

“You woke up with a jerk and you yelled something.”

“Just a dream.” I tell her. “Just a dream.”

I close my eyes, and see it again. And I…

I do not feel horror. I do not feel regret, or sadness. All I did has this… enticing feel to it. A feeling that I hold back only with will. As like before, I still hold no care for pony kind, save for Mirage. The urges shall pass; eating something shall help, I am sure.

“Kitty?”

I feel her walk to my head, and pat at it. It helps, a lot. I purr in response, and feel my tension fade away. I am... I can control myself.

Twice, I have faced dire occasions, and I have not eaten, nor even killed, a pony. Not when I was swelled with might and new life. Not when I was hurt and dazed, not when they harmed me, not when they tried to trap me again. Even at my worst, I only harmed them; made them stop trying to hurt me.

I will not break that choice I made so long ago.

I stand up, and feel Mirage flutter from me. She goes around to my head as I stretch. And then I wonder something, and open an eye to see her.

I ask, “Why did you call Mirage when I was newly freed?”

She hesitates, and seems to think before looking uncertain. “…Um…”

“Tell me.”

She flinches at that, and flies a little away, not looking at me. She seems awkward, and rather obviously doesn’t wish to tell me.

“Mirage…”

“Alright, alright!” she says, and sighs. “Well… I did read Great grandmother’s diary, remember?”

“Yes.”

“It had the tale of when you were stoned, at least in some part, and… some ideas.”

“Like?”

“Well… that… That my ancestor might have gotten you to not… eat ponies by shouting her name.” she says rather quickly. “Not that you would!” she swiftly adds, before she pauses, seeing my expression. “…Kitty?”

I recall that day. That day, and the day that lead to it. The two ponies I ate, and the group I had nearly slain if not for Mirage’s call.

“It is true.” I tell her, and see her pause before seeming to shake it off.

“That’s… alright.” she says weakly. “It isn’t like you ever actually… did that after all.”

“When I met my Mirage, I had just killed and devoured two stallions.”

Mirage pales greatly, and begins to slowly drift to the ground.

“I woke within a forest without memory.” I tell her. “I had tried to fly, and had crashed in their town. I had never seen ponies before then, and they were… very tempting a meal, and I tried to hunt them. The two came to the others’ defense, armed with spears. One impaled my leg,” I glance at the leg in question; only a tiny mar in the fur remains of the once great wound, “but I slew and ate them both.”

She swallows heavily, still pale. “A, and then?” she asks, her voice trembling. “What… what happened then?”

I pause for a moment, watching her. She fears, but wants to know. “I limped to a ruined home. One that lied forgotten on the edge of a forest. I entered it to find shelter, and collapsed from my wound. I was unable to pull the spear from myself.”

“Your first ancestor, just a filly of four, was in that same house. She had found a home in that place, amongst the fallen wood. She came to me, a beast she had never seen, covered in blood, wanting to help. I growled at her, but she found the courage to resist my empty threats, and came to my leg, trying to calm me.”

“…She?”

“She pulled the spear free. Used her own tiny form to hold the wound shut. Helped me to heal as best she could. I can still recall her courage and kindness as if was just yesterday, and it is due to her actions that I swore to never again eat pony.”

She nods, still pale, but recovering. “I… She really did that?”

“She did. I knew her only for four days, but… I have never seen any with the same strength she held, even in her weakness. She feared nothing, and when I was stoned, she tried to defend me.”

Mirage nods slowly, and gives a faint sigh, calming. Then something occurs to her, and she hesitates.

“…You never saw a pony before then?” she asks.

“No.”

“And you didn’t speak before us…” she murmurs, and I can see her thinking. Then she nods. “So… you didn’t really mean to eat anypony.”

“…What?”

“You didn’t know any better. You couldn’t understand, were hurt and dazed from the crash, and just acting like… like you thought you should. So there. You’re still good, and even better; you chose to not do it again.”

I nod slowly, though I suspect she is trying to excuse the action more than explain it.

“And even when you were defending me, you didn’t.” she said, and I smile, seeing the little pride she has for me doing, or rather, not doing, that.

“And even beyond that, after our fall.” I add, and see her pause. “You fainted.”

“Oh… yeah, that… flight. It was… really… um…”

“Bad.” I say for her, and see her pause before snickering. “I do not fly well. That flight was my third, and the greatest fall.”

She nods, happy before pausing. “…After the fall? What do you mean?”

“I crashed into a town, and my bulk destroyed a few homes. I felt confused, and was acting slowly and thinking very little when I was attacked.”

“What!?”

“A blue pegasus saw me trying to pick you up again, and tried to stop me. I grew angry with her, but she was too fast for my addled mind to strike.”

“…She might have been trying to help me.”

I give Mirage a confused glance.

“Big, terrifying winged cat, remember?” she tells me, and I ponder that. My Mirage had never feared me; did that make her normal, or even more heroic than I first imagined?

“So, what happened?” she asks, flying up and looking over me, wincing as she spots the lingering burn left by the purple unicorn. My skin is visible under the blackened fur.

“Five others came to help her, but I managed to swat her flat when she tried to grab you.” I spot Mirage gape, and add, “She was moving still, and I did hear her groaning, so she is fine. I had to battle the others to claim you and escape. None are dead, maybe hurt, but not dead.”

“Blue… five more… what did they look like?” she asks me, a thoughtful, slightly worried look on her face. She is paying particular attention to that burnt patch of fur, from the magic the purple one had used. I see her touch it and have some of the blackened fur fall off from her touch alone. It feels a little sensitive.

I think back, ignoring the sight. “They were… many colors, and two of each kind of pony. The blue pegasus stands out though; her mane was many colors, and a purple unicorn seemed to lead them. She is the cause of my burn.”

Mirage’s mouth drops open again, and she freezes for several seconds. “…You… you were attacked by the bearers of harmony?!” she gasps.

“…Was I?” I ask, not knowing that name, or title I suppose.

“That pegasus was Rainbow Dash! The fastest flyer in Equestria, and you swatted her! How could you even hit her!?”

I frown a little. “She was underestimating me. She went in a straight line and wasn’t paying attention to me as she tried to snatch you. It was easy.”

“And the others!? Swat them too!?”

I frown a little more. Why is she so upset? “No. I had to beat an orange and pink one away from me, and the purple one fell from magical overexertion, but they are fine.”

Mirage only calms by a thin margin, and begins to pace around, muttering to herself.

“…Why does this matter?” I ask.

“Because they’re only the most important heroes Equestria has!” Mirage screeches. “Princess Celestia herself calls them when something goes wrong! They shouldn’t be attacking you, and you really shouldn’t be attacking them!”

Really? Princess Celestia herself... I wonder.

Why did they attack me? To help Mirage due to some misunderstanding of my shape and size, or… or did Celestia contact them, and send them to attempt to trap me again? The unicorn had tried to after all, and I know that letters can be sent by magic…

I should be wary. Celestia obviously remembers me, and has a very good chance of wanting me back in stone. I will need to be extremely careful to not let that happen again.

“They attacked first.” I say, and Mirage huffs.

“Which is the only reason why I’m not really upset with you.” she mutters. “We need to go back and find out if they’re alright.”

I’d be stone the moment I so much as go near the town. Or something even worse.

“No.”

Mirage glares at me. “Why not?!” she demands.

I need to have something to tell her. Something not ‘because I’m now terrified of Celestia’s heroes’. But, what reason could I give her...?

“Because I am hungry.” I say, and see her pause. “As you might be as well.”

“…So, breakfast first, and then we go?” she asks, and then pauses, regarding me. I try to appear calm and normal, struggling to think of some excuse.

“…Are you afraid of,”

“No!” I snap at her with all too much force. “I am not!”

She fails to repress a smirk at first, then pauses, thinking, and a look of realization and horror crosses her face. Then, she seems… understanding and slightly sad, looking at me before sighing again.

“Alright.” she softly says. “We can stay here.”

…

“Thank you.” I tell her.

“No, no, it’s… You’re the adult here. I should listen, right? I can trust you.”

She gives me a bright smile. I smile back, and feel better.

“So, we should go find breakfast.” she says.

“I have already found yours.” I tell her, indicating the bushes. She looks that way and hesitates.

“…You have got to be kidding me.”

“It is the same stuff my Mirage ate. They are good berries and plants.”

“They have dirt on them, and roots and everything. You just ripped them out of the ground, didn’t you? Ponies like… like flowers and things like that.” she tells me, looking back at me with a mildly pleading expression. “And I… kind of hate leaves and berries. Especially raw leaves and berries.”

“It is still food.” I tell her, and lean down to nuzzle her and purr, making her giggle. “I go to hunt my own meal. Stay here, where it is safe.”

“I can just follow you and,”

“No. Stay here.” I say firmly. I see her pause for a second before she huffs.

“…You better be back soon, and try to find something else for me.”

“How about apples?” I ask her, and see her brighten, making me chuckle.

Another similarity to my Mirage. A love of apples.

I leave the castle, making sure to put the door in place before I enter the forest. Just in case some predator comes calling.

I enter the woods in bright day, and find them dark. They almost seem… threatening in some ways. Nothing to harm me, but lots that might hurt Mirage. We shall have to find a different den fairly soon; this is no place for her to stay and be safe.

I find my new size useful as well. Being careful, and finding a large tree, I can lift myself up to stand on my hind legs, and see over the treetops. The forest stretches without end in most directions, but I can see an edge of it nearby. I think I can see the town I hit in the distance, but nearby, not very far, I see the familiar red globes of apple trees. Lots of them.

I head that way, smiling. On the way, I find yet another of those odd bat winged things. It was smaller than, and not as good as, the first, but that is my hunger settled.

The faint urge for pony still lingers. I dismiss the feeling, and continue onward.

The apples are here, but so is a fence. And a farmhouse in the distance. The trees are heavy with their fruit, but… I should be careful.

I find a problem more or less instantly. The fence is stepped over, but I have no real way of carrying the apples with me. I cannot hold them in my paw, and filling my jaws with them is a good way for me to swallow them by accident, something I learned with my Mirage. I need something to hold them in…

I see something. A fairly large bucket with a helpful handle, left behind. I pad to it, and see an apple already within it. This will do.

One claw to hold it, and my other paw to carefully knock apples from the trees into the bucket. Simple enough, and…

…I would have sworn I heard something, some soft and tiny sound nearby. Maybe it was a squirrel or something. I keep listening as I fill the bucket, a little worried I might be spotted by a pony.

I have no wish for the past to repeat itself.

Once the bucket is full, I catch the handle in my teeth and hurry away, slightly damaging the fence in my haste. The less time here, the better.

I hear no sounds, no yells or screams. But I feel watched, and now, followed. Every look back tells me I am just being paranoid though. There is nothing there every time, yet this sensation won’t leave me…

I take a few steps back every now and then, and I still find nothing. Other than the tracks I leave through the forest anyway; I might have to do something about that next time.

I also take a slightly winding path, and try to prefer the thorns and heavy bushes instead of the way I came. As I do so I would swear I keep hear something yelping behind me, but there is never anything there. No matter how long I look, or what bush I swat.

It is just my imagination, surely. After all, what would follow me? I am the largest thing in this forest, and to hide, whatever it is must be small, smaller than a pony. And what small thing would follow me? Nothing.

I walk forward in some confidence after that, and ignore the faint feelings and sounds. Until one sound was a growl.

I turn, and see… a timberwolf. I know of them, from the stories I have heard. I had thought them fantasy alone, but I can see the wooden creature nearby, along with several others.

They seem to be avoiding me, but linger nearby anyway. Like they want… my apples? Mirage’s apples? Are they trying to steal her food from me?

Best to teach them some humility now, instead of waiting for later. I set the apples down, and growl at them. They growl back, taking a step away.

I pounce on the nearest, and find that they tend to explode at the slightest hit. They are fast though, and the others bark and yip as they dart around me.

Their wooden teeth hurt, but they are not enough to puncture my skin and fur. I am smirking as I keep swatting them one by one, their wood and plants erupting across the area in a pleasing manner. A few try for my apples, but I don’t let them.

The last few finally run off, and I grin hugely and half roar my victory before I stop myself; somepony might hear. But that was fun. I might try to hunt them down whenever I feel bored. Maybe this place isn’t so bad after all. I pick up my apples again and head back to Mirage.

I attempt to say ‘I return’ despite my load, and more grumble something. Mirage looks over, and flies to me, smiling.

“You found apples? And a bucket? But why are you covered in leaves and… sticks and thorns?”

I pad past her, and set the apples near the… untouched berry bushes. Mirage the 39th is a picky eater I see. I can feel her near me, pulling things from my fur.

“You really went wandering into…”

Her words trail off, and I wonder as I turn around. I see her paused, hovering in place, and then I see what she is looking at.

Three fillies. A yellow earth pony, a white unicorn, and an orange pegasus, each one rather young. They are covered in leaves and thorns as well, and seem… a little stunned, perhaps.

Mirage heads toward them, and asks, “What are you fillies doing here?” in a tone suggesting shock.

“Followin him.” the earth pony says, pointing at me.

“Why?”

“Because he took th bucket an th apples.”

“And we never saw anything like him.” the pegasus adds.

“And… we wanted to?” the unicorn finishes, a touch uncertain.

“You followed Kitty through the Everfree?” Mirage says with some note of concern. Maybe this place really is dangerous then. I walk silently to them, and see the fillies watching me, but I do not see fear.

I see curiosity, maybe even some strange form of… happiness?

“Ya named him Kitty?” the earth pony says, smiling, as do the others; the pegasus snickers.

“Well, I didn’t,”

“Where’d he come from?” the orange pegasus asks.

“I don’t,”

“He’s so big…” the white unicorn mentions, looking up at me with wide eyes. “How’s he so big?”

“I,”

“What’s yer name?”

“I’m,”

“Why are you here?”

“Sto,”

They keep going, one speaking right after the other is done and overwhelming Mirage in questions and remarks. I smile a little.

I can help her.

“You may ask me.” I say, and all three stop and stare at me with wide eyes.

“He talks!” the white one chirps.

Mirage puffs up in pride. “He does! Me and my family all taught him how.”

The look to her in some awe, and she swells with pride, standing tall and spreading her wings out.

“How did ya do that?” the earth pony asks.

“I sat near him and read him stories.”

“So, you weren’t afraid of him?” the white unicorn asks.

“Or course not!” Mirage lies. I frown a little, and lean down to lick her. She shrieks, and shoots high into the air.

We all crane up to see her high above, and I smirk. “Not afraid Mirage? You cowered when we first met, and if I recall, ‘big, terrifying, winged cat’ was your choice of description.”

“Kitty!” Mirage objects, descending to the giggles from the fillies. “That’s not fair! You are… a little scary.”

I eye her, and then look to the fillies. I see their eyes bright, and I lie down, to have them approach me without fear.

The pegasus jumps atop my snout as the other two feel my head, all three without even the faintest hesitation.

“…His fur is so soft...” the white one says.

“Did ya get beat up? I think there’s a bruise here… was it th timberwolves?”

“Look at his eyes! They’re as big as I am!” the orange one yells.

Mirage lands as I watch her, frowning at me in understanding. “Alright, alright, I get it.” she sighs, heading over to me. “Still, fillies shouldn’t be here.”

“Why not?” all three ask at the same time, ceasing their activities to stare at her in what I think is some kind of practiced act. Mirage startles, eyes wide, uncomfortable more or less instantly.

“It’s… it isn’t safe for children here!” she tries, recovering a little.

“But you’re not an adult either.” the orange one says, almost accusatory.

“Yeah! Yer here, and ya only look a couple a years older n us!”

“I’m here because I’m with Kitty!”

“We’re here with Kitty.” the white one says, in a perfectly innocent tone. Mirage groans, pressing one hoof against her face as she thinks.

“…Your families will worry.” Mirage says after a moment, triumphant.

“Not fer about five hours yet.” the yellow one says, instantly deflating her again.

The orange one nods. “This is crusading time.”

“Rarity wants me back by dinner though...”

“Then three hours. Lots o time.”

“But,” Mirage tried, a little pleading.

“Can’t we stay?” the orange one asks, interrupting.

“Please?” the white unicorn adds, and I might only imagine what expression she has on her face.

Mirage looks to me in a kind of desperation and I chuckle. “Kitty, tell them.”

“Tell them to leave, back to their homes?” I ask, speaking carefully lest I dislodge the orange one. She almost seems to take it as some kind of challenge, shifting to stand on me despite my speech.

“Yes!”

“Where they will be safe?” I ask her, watching the pegasus. She grins at me, a very visible challenge in her eyes, and I stop attempting to speak carefully.

“Yes!”

“Where their families are?”

“Yes!”

“Through the forest, alone, in the dimming light?”

“Ye, Kitty!” I laugh, and Mirage stomps, frustrated. “You did that on purpose!”

“I did.” I chuckle, and look to the fillies. “This place is not safe, for you or Mirage. We shall be leaving soon, and I will lead you back to the farm from whence you came.”

They sigh, but nod as I stand up.

“Sure we can’t spend any time?” the orange one, Scoots I think, asks me as she leaps off.

“Time for what?”

“To get to know you!” the white one says.

“Yeah, you an… an… an her! Afore you go an leave!”

“We’ll behave!”

They all stare at me, and the thought is… tempting. They… encourage me. New ponies, new fillies. I want to know them better, and so long as they wish to know me better, why not allow them to stay?

…I cannot guarantee that their families would not worry. Nor could I guarantee somepony would not come looking for them. Even should their estimates prove true, fillies are never truly left alone.

Returning them now might have me meet with somepony, and that can easily lead to the events of the long ago past. However, the longer they remain, the greater the chances of that happening anyway. Therefore, it would be for the best to return them as soon as possible.

However…

Three fillies. Three fillies that hadn’t known of me at all, not even as a statue, unafraid of me. Not simply brave, but friendly; they do not tolerate my presence, they appear to delight in it. Curiosity drives them, and there is no fear within them.

As much as they wish to learn of me, I wish to learn of them. Why are they like this? I’ve not truly heard of any other pony behaving as such, and their truth implies something more.

It implies that I might not find spears or magic, but instead find words. That ponies might no longer try to trap or kill me. The others I met had tried, yes, but these three…

…

I shall return them. And in their return, perhaps the others might stop and think for a few moments. A filly might not be much to change a mind, but at least they could introduce doubt and uncertainty.

I wonder what I will do if somepony comes in peace. I’m not sure really. What do I want? Something I can determine later.

“No.” I tell them, to a chorus of whines. “It is best to go back now, before…”

I stop, and look at the door. I… feel something. Something bad.

The fillies hesitate, and Mirage notices my concern.

“Kitty?” she asks, and I hush her.

What… is that? That… sensation I feel, the… whatever it is outside? My fur rises, and I focus, listening hard. I can hear the breathing of the fillies, Mirage’s own slightly harder breaths, but that is not what I listen for.

…Silence… I know it is…There!

Hoofsteps. Gentle hoofsteps on the grass outside. The faintest murmur of words. More than one. They are moving toward the door.

Ponies, already. They have already found me.

Celestia cannot be far behi…

The rainbow power.

That is what I feel. The power that stoned me. It comes with them.

I have no time. I have seconds or less.

I must escape. The power is too much, I must leave!

I roar with some urgency, hoping that I have acted in time this time. Mirage and the fillies scream in sudden surprise at my action, and an instant after, I just barely hear a yell from outside. Almost a shout.

Like the gasp from long ago, heralding my end.

But this time, I am already acting.

May that be enough.

May we be able to escape the power and the wielder of it.

I feel my power catch and start as it always has, but this time, I put forth my all, shutting my eyes in effort.

I soon grow worn, but still I roar, even as my breath runs out and the power within me dims and begins to burn. More and more is demanded of me and I am unable to deny it as it simply takes what is soon no longer there.

My strength soon fails me as agony lances through me. My roar dwindles as my sight fails and my body falls limp.

The last few sensations as I fall to my side is the lack of the power nearby, the confused cries of the fillies, and Mirage’s nigh desperate scream:

“Kitty!”

Chapter 4

…It is warm.

I open my eyes and see a bright sun lighting a field. It is not familiar to me.

I feel weak, trembling as I stand. All around me is green, spotted with flowers. Hills that remind me of the dunes…

The sky above is blue, with little wisps of clouds drifting across it. A gentle breeze rustles the grass around me, and brings strange scents with it. I don’t know them, but they make me hungry instantly.

I look, and where there had once been field, there is a pony town. They are happy, gathered together in some form of celebration. The scent seems to come from within.

Many see me, but none seem worried, upset, or anything. They wave at me, happy to see me. I walk toward them, and while they part to allow my mass, not one fears me.

They make no sound, though I see them speaking and waving as I pass. As I go, it seems… as if I am weighed down. Like nothing clings to me, trying to pull me back.

The scent pulls me forward.

The crowd thickens, and I slow, ponies struggling to get out of my way. Before I am even aware of it, the town itself seems smaller, closer together, and I am having a hard time fitting.

But the scent, my hunger, pulls me ever forward as the buildings tower over me and ponies swarm under my feet. Only a little more. It is so close! These obstacles matter nothing.

Until, at last, I can progress no more. The area ahead is packed with ponies, no room for me. The scent itself comes from what lies in their center, a small building, tiny compared to the towering things nearby.

I cannot reach it. Nothing can move anymore. The only way I could progress would be to step on ponies, or…

Or devour them so as to clear a way.

I shake my head, and stare at the colorful mass under me, each pony seeming to blur into the next.

Earth ponies are strong… maybe they could support my weight?

I lift a paw, and the space under it fills with more ponies. I hold it up, and spot a few earth ponies nearby.

“…I shall be careful.” I tell them, and slowly set my paw down.

As they disappear under my paw, I hear a single yell.

A child’s yell.

I pull back, and see a single pony, just a filly. A yellow earth pony, breathing hard in minor panic before she vanishes into the crowd.

I had almost smashed her.

The ponies around me press ever closer, and I still have my paw up.

I feel some of them holding onto me. A few try climbing.

I am tempted to shake them free, but…

I would kill somepony in this mass.

But the scent is so close, so good. They swarm, leaving me trapped, the buildings loom, preventing my flight. They cling to my fur, pulling on it, a few climbing onto me like ticks! The sensation is…

Unbearable!

I am breathing hard, staring at the tiny building. It is red now.

Most things are red now. A few of the buildings are damaged.

The crowd is gone. In a sense. I… don’t really have much reason to fear stepping on them anymore anyway. I walk forward, and my steps squish until I reach the tiny building.

I bend to see better, and the tiny building changes. The scent does not, but I no longer see a structure.

I see fillies. Terrified, huddling together, not looking at me. Yellow, orange, and white.

My desire, and my action, changes not.

My jaw opens wide, and I hear them scream.

“Kitty!”

I wake suddenly, something thudding into me with some force. My mind comes back to me, and I am left dazed and weak. I still feel hurt.

“KITTY!”

I stir more, and feel another powerful strike. The jar of it drives me more awake.

I open an eye, and see a green blur. I shut it again, and swallow, enduring the pain and weakness within me.

“Kitty! Wake up!”

“Mirage..?” I murmur, finally recognizing the voice.

“Kitty! Giant lizard thing! Get up!”

I open my eyes again, and see Mirage, desperate. Terrified.

The sight removes some of my weakness. I force myself up, and stand upon trembling legs as I stand once more.

I hear a trio of yelps as I do so, but I also hear the crack of branches and the thud of heavy steps.

I turn toward that, my strength returning slowly, the pain nothing to me right now. I see three lizards. About as… no.

There is but one lizard with three heads on long necks. It stomps with two feet on a big body, damp and muddy. Little scales cover it, and its eyes are surprisingly sharp. It is… technically my size. I am longer and less of my size is composed of neck, but I suspect it outweighs me.

It spots me and hisses, stopping its advance, all three heads acting independently. I growl back, flapping my wings out.

It is not retreating. I am… not really up to fighting it.

But Mirage depends upon me, and this beast must be driven back before it eats me and her.

I roar.

And seriously hurt myself as I choke, the pain within me spiking suddenly.

But it has… slowed. It has not stopped, but it is moving slowly.

That is enough.

Despite the pain within me, my jaws and claws worked the same. Tearing all three heads off was actually easy. A simple mauling later, and the beast was no more.

I ate some portion of it as I did so. The pain, though encompassing, seems eased by the act of eating, and by the time it wasn’t twitching anymore, I felt full and my pain had reduced to where I could think rationally. Not that it tasted very good, but food is food I suppose.

I look back, and spot Mirage. She is pale and trembling, turned away from the sight. The fillies are near her, and are pointedly not looking either, though they seem mostly normal.

I take the opportunity to rip another hunk from it and swallow, most of my strength returning. I still ache, and I still feel dazed and weaker than I would be normally, but it is fading.

“It is done.” I say, my voice harsh and raspy, heading to them.

The fillies look at me, and wince a little.

“Yer,” the yellow one says before Mirage looks again, pales heavily, and rushes into the nearby bushes.

The trio look after her, and the yellow one, speaking slowly as they look back to me, finishes, “Covered in… blood.”

… More evidence that my Mirage was a unique individual. It seems most ponies are bothered by the sight of blood. I take a few moments to lick at least most of it off, the trio taking note and then trying to help by telling me what I had missed.

Their mild distress vanishes as they do so. After a moment, the white one even giggles.

“Is something amusing?” I ask her.

“You’re just like Opal.” she tells me, smiling.

The others ponder that for a second. “…I suppose.” the yellow one murmurs.

“Do all cats do that?” Scoots asks the white one.

She nods. “Opal always licks herself clean.” Then she pauses, recalls something, and adds, “Thank you for saving us.”

“Oh, yeah! Thank ya Kitty!”

“Thanks.”

I chuckle at them, and they smile back. “I never heard your names.” I tell them.

“I’m Applebloom!” the yellow one says.

“My name is Sweetie Belle.”

“Scootaloo!”

I nod, and turn to try and spot Mirage. Then, with a practiced motion, all three climbed atop me, to stand upon my back. I watch them do so, curious. They seem perfectly at home on me.

Their being there feels… oddly familiar. Still, I have Mirage to find.

“Mirage!” I call.

“O, over here!”

I go that way and find her, a little pale, shaking slightly, but alright. Her seeing me clean seems to calm her immensely, and she flutters uncertainty up to land atop my head, grabbing hold of it.

I can easily feel her tension and relief in her grip. She gives a gentle laugh as she holds onto me, and I think I hear her sniffle.

“…Mirage?” I ask, worried.

“Give me a moment.” she murmurs back, inaudible if not for how she is so close to my ears.

After a few moments she sighs again. “It’s good to have you back.”

“…I was gone?” I ask her.

“Ya slept fer three days.”

I look back to the fillies, and see them nod.

“You wouldn’t wake up no matter how loud we got.” the white one says.

“Yeah.”

I wonder. “…Why are you still with us then?” I ask.

“Cause we can’t find anythin.”

“After you roared, everything went all blurry.” Scoots says.

“And the whole castle disappeared, and the forest changed.”

“An then we were here, an you fell over, an wouldn’t wake up.”

“You really scared me.” Mirage adds in a slightly tight murmur.

“…My apologies.” I say. Three days. Mirage, trying to take care of three fillies for three days in some unknown place. “You have all been through a trial, and because of me.”

“Not your fault Kitty.” Mirage sighs. “Besides; they’re more upset that we can’t find anypony.”

Because they can’t find anypony? Why would… I’m being stupid.

First, Mirage is used to being in a city. Not by herself. Second, the fillies have families that they no doubt want to return to.

Mirage taps at me, and the fillies hop off of me. They move to stand nearby as she begins to whisper, holding one of my ears close to her.

“They want to go back home, and we haven’t spotted anypony for three days. And… I haven’t told them yet, but…”

“Told them what?” I whisper back, wondering why she is being quiet.

“I flew up high, to try and see more. And I saw… I found…”

I waited a moment as she took a breath. “I found where Canterlot should be.”

“…Should be?” I quietly ask.

“It’s not there, Kitty!” she hisses, distraught, “It’s not there! Nothing is! Everypony’s gone and I can’t find them! The girls don’t know about that yet, but I can’t keep it a secret forever!”

Canterlot is gone? Everypony is gone? What has happened?

I must take charge. Mirage is near tears already. It is long past the time when I should have been awake and caring for her.

“I shall handle this.” I tell her. She calms atop me.

I look to the fillies, and say, “I shall discover where we are. Then I shall make a decision; climb back upon me, and tell me should you recognize anything.”

I wait to allow them to get atop me and then I set forth. Flying would be more effective, but I would crash, and I cannot guarantee the safety of my passengers.

I walk out of the forest into a land of rolling hills. It is bright, green, and flowering, with a few trees scattered about. I see a mountain in the distance, and while I am not sure, it could be the one where Canterlot is supposed to be.

For obvious reasons, I haven’t spent much time looking at the mountain.

It doesn’t take too long before one of the girls gasps and begins to thump my side. I stop, and look back to spot Applebloom, excited.

“Over there!” she yells, pointing toward a small lake overgrown with reeds and long grass. “That’s Froggy Bottom Pond!”

“That’s near Fluttershy’s house!” Scootaloo says, happy.

Sweetie thinks for a second, looks around and frowns. “But… I don’t see Fluttershy’s house.” she murmurs. The other two hesitate and look about as well, all three faintly tensing.

“But… it should be…”

“Over there!” Scootaloo yells, pointing at a small hill nearby. A brook passes very close to it, and though it is a noticeable hill in the land around it, it is nothing to me. But they are growing worried.

“Is… is that Fluttershy’s place?” Scootaloo asks, as if she dreads the answer.

“But the tree! The house! It’s not there!” Sweetie says.

“An if her house ain’t there… what else ain’t there?” Applebloom asks the others. “Ya kin see Ponyville from here, right?”

We cannot. I realize something.

The first is that I recognize the area. Despite my having only spent a short time in it, I vividly recall it. That field is where I had crashed, and the same land I had walked into the forest from.

The next is something I should have realized a while ago.

My Mirage could walk when only I could. When my roar stops things, she moved unencumbered.

She gained her cutie mark the first time I roared in her presence.

Said cutie mark was a pair of clocks.

Mirage the 39th also has a pair of clocks, and she too, moved despite my roar in Canterlot.

I think I might not be simply stopping things with my roar.

I might be stopping time itself. And then be able to move despite that.

However… that is when I roar with the intent to stop things.

I did not intend to stop things earlier.

I had intended to escape. Escape as far as possible.

And if my roar affects time…

It is all too possible I have thrust us all through time, to arrive at this time: a time beyond Ponyville and Canterlot. Beyond the heroes and even beyond Celestia and Luna. Escaping the rainbow power by fleeing to where it is not.

The thought is… oddly nothing to me. I’m not truly sure why, but I look to the fillies, sure that I will find them distressed. Best to keep them calm.

I… soon grow confused.

First, they are horrified, thinking the entire town has been destroyed. But then they turn towards more fantastic explanations, and horror slowly changes to curiosity, and wonder.

And I do not know how, but it takes them almost no time at all to somehow arrive at the same conclusion I have. What was left of fear turns into fascination and excitement as I watch, speechless.

“You can time travel!” Scootaloo says, “That. Is. Awesome!”

“I can see where my house will be!” chirps Sweetie.

Mirage seems confused at this. She has obviously expected something much worse, but she soon tries to accept the circumstances.

“You’re not upset?” she hazards, worriedly.

“Course not!” Applebloom tells her, “It’s jus time! We kin go back anytime we want, an no time woulda passed, right?”

The fillies nod as one, and Mirage lets out a long sigh of relief.

…

“It may be a time before we can return.” I say, and all four look to me, curious. “The ability… takes much out of me. I cannot do it again so soon.”

They all nod, understanding, and the fillies begin chattering amongst themselves. I watch for a moment before resuming my walk.

I need to find a den. And I think I know where I might find one.

It is not a long trip to the mountain, and once there, I see a cave in the rock. It is not much, barely a small cove, but I might be able to enlarge it. I lie down to allow the fillies to get off, and then I head within.

One blow has me discover that my claws pass through stone with ease. And soon after, I am digging.

I spend the rest of the day doing such before I grow too hungry to ignore the urge. I need to find food. Flowers can sustain a pony, but I require more.

I leave them in the cave and head back to that lizard corpse, to devour the rest of it. When I return, the sun setting, I find a small fire, the fillies covered in soot and Mirage’s tail appears burnt. They seem proud. She seems irritated.

“Hi Kitty!” says… Sweetie I think. The ashes make it hard to tell.

“What has happened in my brief absence?” I ask, heading inside and carefully lying on the stone.

Mirage sighs. “They wanted a fire, so I got some sticks and tried to start one, but it wasn't starting.”

“So we got a whole bunch of leaves ta help!” Applebloom says.

Mirage unhappily nods. “I put a few on, and got a little flame going. And they decided it wasn’t burning fast enough and dumped the rest of the leaves on the fire.”

“It was really cool!”

“And there was a huge fireball, we all got covered in ashes, my tail somehow caught fire, and I can’t smell anything but smoke.” Mirage slumps at the last, grumpy. She is unhappy, being so dirty.

I understand. I would be the same. A small sacrifice on my part would do wonders for her mood.

Mirage shrieks when I lick her, and leaps away. Or rather, she tries to. As she leaps, I move a paw to grab her back, and pull her close so I can finish. She yells quite a lot, and continually tries to wiggle out of my hold, but I keep her until I am sure she is clean once more. Then I let her go.

She zips a bit from me, to turn and stare back in mild shock, panting. “What do you think you’re doing!?” she yells, her voice higher pitched than normal.

“Cleaning you.” I tell her, and look to the fillies, who shrink back. “Come here.”

I grab all three, and they all take it far better than Mirage. I cannot hear her well past the little shrieks and laughter, but she tries to say something about personal space or something while I clean three fillies, none of whom try to escape. Or at least they didn’t really try very hard to.

Eventually, they are all clean once more, and with the exception of Sweetie, mostly enjoyed it. ‘Better than a bath’ Scootaloo said. Sweetie disagreed, her mane and tail having lost their curl. Applebloom was somewhere between those views.

I licks the ash from myself, the scattered patches I have from touching them, and yawn. The land outside is dark.

I settle down, and the fillies come to my side to lie next to me as well. Mirage hesitates before flitting up and landing on my mane, curling up there.

Their presence soon makes me begin to gently purr, furthered by the happy sigh Mirage gives and the way her hoof idly rubs at me. The purr and the crackle of the fire soon has all four asleep. But I remain awake, thinking.

What would I find out here? This time unknown not only to me, but to Mirage and the girls. What dangers might be waiting? More multi-headed lizards? Something better? Something worse?

Would I really be able to care for three fillies and a young mare? I am not truly sure how one goes about raising a pony. Many stories about youth, but not one about caring for them. Maybe it won’t be so hard to find out on my own? Maybe they can help me help them, perhaps?

And what of my power? The inner part of me still faintly burns, aching. Will the strength that brought us here ever return? If it does, will I even be able to control it?

Or am I going to have to someday look at all four of them and tell them that we must live the rest of our lives here?

They are worries I have no control over, nor even assurance of, but they consume my thoughts for some time. It is only when Mirage murmurs, “Kitty.” In her sleep that my thoughts are disturbed. I smile at her, and decide.

Let what comes come. For Mirage, I shall endure, and I am sure she and they will as well. Listening to their soft breathing as the last embers of the fire dim and cool, I am soon sleeping.

Chapter 5

I am on my back, happy and content, stretched out, body and wings alike. The sun blazes high overhead, and its heat warms me and feels so very wonderful on me.

I bask for a time before rolling over, and opening my eyes.

I see a field around me, green grass and flowers stretching away in a land of rolling hills. The sky is blue, and the day is beautiful.

I spot the girls nearby, running in the grass, and smile as I stand. I walk to them, seeing other ponies nearby in the field.

They spot me, and the three of them grin, and dart off.

I smile in return, and run after them. Just like I once chased my Mirage, I chase them. It is a game I enjoy.

They scatter, other ponies join in, and I am momentarily hard pressed to choose who to chase before I spot Mirage running away. I leap after her, already smiling more.

Oh, the fun it will be when I finally catch her…

I am faster than her, but even as I leap to catch her, she turns suddenly, and darts another way. I land and rip at the grass as I turn and chase once more. A few more turns like that, and I am grinning broadly.

She is making this challenging. But I am enjoying this game greatly.

Again, and again, I miss her, and I do so on purpose, drawing it out. Then the time comes.

I leap at her, and my paws reach out to grab her between them, making her yell in surprise. I slide a little on the grass, due to her being in my front paws. We stop, and I laugh, lifting her up, and then I toss her into my mouth.

I sharp chill shoots through me in realization as I bite down, but it is muffled underneath the taste of pony…

No! No, not this!

With all my will, I stop myself, and clamp my jaws shut, trying not to bite again. It is hard, it is so hard not to give in.

I shake from the effort, the urge screaming at me, Mirage’s taste tempting me. I… I can’t open my mouth, for fear of biting again…

I won’t… eat her… open! Let her… go!

I… I can’t hold this forever… it pounds at me, screaming at me, battling with me over control.

I… I can’t….

I hear her scream as I bite.

And underneath my pain, there is a deep satisfaction. It mixes and sooths even as I scream from it. A pulsing, voiceless voice that whispers to me.

And I know its name.

It is my instinct. It is my being, it is my flesh and body. It lives in my blood and burns in my heart. It is more than my control, and before it I am helpless.

Even for her, I could not stop.

I have killed Mirage.

“Kitty!”

…Mirage…?

“Kitty, wake up!”

What… I can hear her still…?

“Kitty, don’t do this to me again!”

I open my eyes, and see Mirage, fluttering before me. I see stone, the little den I dug.

“Finally,” she says, before I grab her, and hold her close.

She is alive. I didn’t kill her, she is alive!

It was only another dream! It was just a dream!

“Kitty, Kitty, what, what’s wrong?” I hear her ask me, wiggling in my hug.

“Nothing.” I tell her softly, my heart hurting in happiness. “Nothing is wrong.” I let her go, and see her step a bit away, staring at me in confusion and mild concern.

The sight of her is so, so good. She’s safe.

“…What were you dreaming?” she asks me, concern slowly replacing confusion, stepping closer to me.

“A nightmare.” I tell her, standing up, and taking a deep breath. “Just a nightmare.” It was so vivid, so powerful. I had truly believed that I had…

But I haven’t.

And I never will.

“Are… are you alright, Kitty?” Mirage asks me, flitting up to hover near my head.

I nod and smile at her. “It was only a dream, Mirage. I am fine.”

She nods, and smiles, and a brief glance around me notes the absence of the fillies. “Where are the fillies, Mirage?” I ask her.

“Outside, waiting for you to wake up.” she tells me. “The sun’s been up for a little while already Kitty.”

I head that way, and spot the trio soon. They are simply milling nearby, but when I exit, they head over.

“Mornin Kitty!” Applebloom greets. “Finally awake?”

“I am.” I say, stretching my wings out in the sunlight. It is a warm day; not hot, like in my dreams, but warm. I can smell scents many and varied, carried upon a gentle wind that caresses my feathers. I can see quite far, the land green and filled with flowers.

I have a desire to go and explore, to know what is there. To learn about the land I will be calling our home.

“Can we go explore?” Scootaloo asks me, echoing my own faint desires, the other two perking up at her suggestion, eager looks appearing on their faces.

“We shall be.” I say, earning a small cheer, before I add, “Together, though. I do not want you to discover dangers by yourselves; we shall go together, and find what is and is not here.”

They nod happily, and clamber atop my back. Mirage lands upon my head, and says, “Everypony stay atop Kitty, alright?”

“Yes.” they chorus, followed by three different failures at attempting to say ‘Mirage’.

I chuckle as I hear Mirage’s faint sigh at that, and set off.

We walk the land for a few hours, seeing the fields stretch and roll around us, a gentle and silent breeze shaking the tall grasses and flowers that bloom by the thousands in spots. A few small trees break the grass from time to time, the tiniest of groves that grow in low spots.

If not for the small hill that is ‘Fluttershy’s house’, none of us could see the spot where Ponyville would one day stand. It is no different from any other location nearby, save a small detail:

Many rabbits run in the tall grasses there. Lots of small prey for me to eat.

It is seeing them that makes me pause, and then decide that I want breakfast.

“Everypony off.” I say, lying down to allow them to do so with ease.

“Why?” Mirage asks me as the girls hop off and I stand once more.

“I want breakfast.” I say, and then roar.

They all yell in surprise, but the fillies are soon caught, held in their startled positions. Mirage, however, keeps yelling for as long as I roar.

“What was that for!?” she demands of me once I stop.

I ignore her. She will find it great fun, just like her long ancestor once did.

“…What… what is going on?” I hear her ask as I pluck a rabbit up and eat it. “Everything’s… girls? Are… are you alright?”

I glance back in mild confusion, seeing Mirage looking nervous for some reason, glancing around often and looking almost worried. Then she looks to me with an almost helpless expression, and flies to me.

“Kitty, what’s happening?” she asks me, and I hear her fear.

“…It is only my roar.” I tell her, watching her in return, wondering why she is responding like this. “You heard it before, in Canterlot.” I remind her.

“Yeah, but… but the girls aren’t moving and the grass is all weird and the wind stopped…”

…Maybe she somehow didn’t notice the first time? Perhaps. She was rather confused when she woke later on, and she could have been focusing on me, rather than her surroundings, during our escape from the city.

“My roar stops everything near me for a short time, Mirage.” I tell her. “Everything that you touch here moves, but does not react; like the grass. It bends, but does not bend back, because it cannot.”

She nods slowly, still seeming nervous before asking me, “Why are the girls stopped then?”

I shrug, starting to hunt rabbits again. “I have no command over what does and does not stop, if that is what you ask. But you, as your great ancestor once was, are immune to my roar.”

“What? My great ancestor?” Mirage asks me, flying to land atop my head.

“Mirage the first.” I clarify. “Your great ancestor, and the start of your lineage.”

“She could…” Mirage trails off as I snatch a rabbit and eat it, before starting again, “She could move when you roared too?”

“She did.” I tell her. “But for now, I need to focus; these rabbits are hard to spot in this grass. I can tell you of her later, when we have the time to speak of such things.”

Mirage stayed atop my head for the duration of my hunt. It went quite well; rabbits abounded in the area for some reason, and I managed to find and eat a full six before my roar faded. And that wasn't even finding a den of them.

I feel Mirage startle a little at the sudden return of sound. I almost smile before I remember:

I forgot the fillies.

I turn, trying to spot them, hoping to hear them, but neither works. Just as Mirage starts, “Kitty,” I push myself up on my hind legs, lifting myself up to see farther, my wings flaring out to help my balance.

…There they are. Distant, but their bright colors help me see them despite the distance.

I drop back down, and hurry that way. They must be worried and confused.

Even as I see them, they spot me, and hurry over. Soon enough, I can hear them.

“Kitty, what jus,”

“How’d you,”

“You vanished!”

I reach them, and they mill in front of me, asking questions and expressing confusion and more, all talking over top one another.

“I can explain.” I tell them, “Just listen for a moment, and be silent.”

They stop talking, and after a moment, are lined up in front of me, staring up.

“Do you remember hearing the end of my roar?” I ask them.

“No.” Applebloom says as the others shake their heads. “Ya jus roared an then you an… an her,” she indicates Mirage, “were gone all o a sudden.”

“What happened?” Sweetie asks.

“My roar stops everything near me.” I explain. “And you are no different than anything else.”

“…You can stop time too?” Scootaloo asks, perhaps more wondering aloud, more than asking me a question.

“I do not know if that is true.” I tell them. “But it might be. I apologize if I frightened you.”

“You didn’t!” Scootaloo says suddenly.

“Ya jus surprised us.” Applebloom adds. “But maybe th next time, kin ya maybe be a bit closer, so ya don’t jus seem ta disappear?”

Sweetie nods firmly in agreement.

“I will do my best.” I promise them. “Climb back atop me. I have had my fill of prey for now, and we still have far to go.”

I had intended to walk through all the fields and tall grasses, wanting to be certain that nothing may be hiding within them. But, after a few hours of doing so, I have had enough.

The tall grasses itch and poke at my paws, and they are not enjoyable sensations. So, after failing to find anything more fearsome than a hawk, I headed toward the places where the grass was not so tall.

That led me to the small brook, which in turn, led back to ‘Fluttershy’s house’, which was a small landmark in the landscape. We ended up having to drink from the brook, which had not been an enjoyable task for me or them, instead of using the pond, like I had intended.

Froggy Bottom Pond, as Applebloom had called it, is filled with plants and the still water is home to many, many things. Like the frogs that hide amongst the reeds and stared at us from underneath a covering of algae. None of us wished to drink that water.

However, it was as we were there that my eye caught motion, and I spotted a fish appear, snapping at something before vanishing back into the water.

I haven’t seen a fish before, only heard of them. Many, many a tale included them; They showed up often in any story that spoke of ‘faraway places’ or ‘exotic foods’. I believe that ponies can even eat them, though each description of their taste was different from every other.

The glittering glimpse of it I had gotten was enough to remind me, and that enough to convince me I wished to try to eat it.

So, I shooed the fillies off of me, and leaned down, over the water, peering into the pond and trying to spot it. I am still doing so, watching the dark shadow it is move unpredictably in the still water, one paw reached out, waiting.

…There!

My paw strikes, and causes a huge splash of water.

That the fish was missed is the least of my problems. My paw is wet, and water has splashed at me, little glittering droplets flying up to splatter on me.

And I hate it! It is cold and horrible and itches and I just wiped my face with the same damp paw and now my face is wet!

My displeasure is only worsened by the fillys’ laughter at my mildly urgent attempts to dry myself off, licking at my paw and using the other to wipe at my face.

“He is just like Opal!” Sweetie laughs, and I frown at the three, no, four of them. Mirage is hiding her giggle, but I see it.

I groan, and glare back at the pond.

And right then, the fish flips into the air, flicking yet more droplets at me as if it wanted to. I jump back, startling the others as I land a bit away, glaring.

Then the fillies all just burst into laughter and nearly fall over and I am left glowering at them.

“This isn’t funny.” I mutter, licking at my poor paw again. It even has something green on it now. I had heard that water was supposed to be fun and relaxing.

This is neither.

“Girls, come on.” Mirage says, seeing my reaction and finally taking this as seriously as it should be. “We’re upsetting Kitty.”

That seems to calm them down, and after a moment or two to breath, they chorus, “Sorry Kitty.”

“We kin get ya that fish if ya want it.” Applebloom then adds, her offer enticing.

I have barely nodded before, with little cries of joy, they rush and leap into the pond whole heartedly. With the splash they make, I am happy to have already moved back. Mirage is not so lucky, though she uses one wing to protect herself from most of it.

She chuckles as she shakes the wing off, the water still rippling. “They get way too excited over things like this.” she says.

“…They seem to enjoy the water.” I mention as the trio float back to the surface, looking like they’re having much fun. I don’t understand it. It has to be a pony thing.

Mirage nods. “You were asleep most of the time,” she says, turning to me, “but the girls are always eager like this. Give them something to do, and they make a game out of it. I didn’t know you hated water though, Kitty.”

“…I didn’t either.” I mutter, before asking her, “Why do you not go and help them?”

“Oh, they have this.” Mirage says, evasive. “Let them play around for a bit; burn off some energy. Growing fillies need that you know.”

…

“…You hate water too?” I ask her.

“No, no.” she says quickly. “But look at it, Kitty. It’s full of plants and sticky things and frogs live in that pond. I’d get disgusting.”

“I will be cleaning them after, and would do the same for,”

“And that’s why I am not going.” she says firmly, nodding.

I don’t have time to ask her what she means by that when, with another splash, the girls reemerge, carrying a fish out of the water. It flops and glints in the sunlight, Applebloom proudly holding its tail in her mouth.

All three fillies are wet and soggy and have green things on them too. Yet still, they look quite happy with themselves as they bring the fish to me.

“We got it!” Scootaloo tells me happily.

“Ab it!” Applebloom tries, and I relive her of the fish, which ceases to flop once it is carefully pinched between two claws. It is about the same size as a rabbit, but I can feel its scales. They are slick, and I have a faint feeling of having it about to slip away from me, should I try to hold it harder.

I smile at it, and then at them. “Thank you, girls.” I say, feeling happy. Maybe they upset me earlier, but they caught me the fish.

They beam, and I lift it to my mouth.

For it to suddenly jerk, slipping from my claws.

Scootaloo dives toward it as it hits the ground, and it somehow flails under her, to dodge Applebloom’s tackle a second later, both fillies tumbling into one another and trying to get back up. Sweetie gasps as it throws itself at her and ducks it, having it fly over her.

“Catch it!” Applebloom yells, she and Scootaloo racing after the fish, which is somehow rushing back to the lake, towards Mirage, who is staring, wide eyed.

Then she holds her ground, wings spread out, ready for it. “I have it!” she yells, as the fish leaps at her, flashing forward in flops and bounds.

It nears her, and then she pounces at it, grabbing it with both front legs and holding it firmly. Then, its tail flaps wildly, slapping her until she yells and lets it go, the fish slipping out from underneath her. She just manages to turn to see it flick itself over the water, seemingly pose there as if mocking us all, and slip right back where it came from with barely a ripple of water.

The girls groan, drooping, heavily disappointed as Mirage simply stares at the pond.

“It,” I begin, wanting to comfort them, feeling no less disappointed in its escape, when Mirage yells, “You’re going to pay for that!” in some anger.

Then, as we all startle and look at her, she turns and runs to the water to leap into it bodily, causing a huge splash. The girls hesitate for all of a second before they cry out and charge to join her.

I am left blinking on the land as the pond ripples. After a moment of silence, they resurface, and Mirage is yelling for them to ‘catch that horrible fish’, and the girls are yelling with her, possibly happier than they were originally, their voices overlapping and mixing together in a sort of happy cacophony.

I take a few steps back, considering how much they are throwing water around, and sit, waiting for them.

I do not understand how they can stand being in the water. But their happiness, though Mirage seems more than a little mad at the fish, shines bright. Seeing them splash and yell and try to catch the fish is a sight that makes me smile.

It takes a little bit for it to finally be caught.

And to hear Sweetie’s triumphant yell of ‘I got it’! was heartwarming. Seeing her looking so proud as she held it in the shallows made my smile grow. Seeing them all dragging it back ashore, all of them attempting to make certain it didn’t escape again, was a sight I will treasure.

They were all wet and dripping and partly green, but they all beamed and laughed in ways I haven’t seen since the days with my Mirage.

Then, they tossed the fish, and I snatched it from the air, and tasted it.

I did not enjoy it, as it was cold and wet. There was a strange, new flavor underneath that. Enough of one to tell me that fish were nothing like what I normally ate, but the cold and wet part was more than enough to make me dislike it.

“Did you like it?” Sweetie asked me eagerly, watching me swallow it; the more I chewed it, the more its scales seemed to shed off, and I wasn’t enjoying that either.

“…It was new.” I tell them, smiling at them. They tried hard for me. It doesn’t much matter if it was bad, I don’t want to make their sacrifice worthless. “Let’s try and clean you off before we continue.”

Cleaning them was a bit more difficult than normal. I didn’t really want to touch them, so I had to rely on them standing still and moving to allow me to try and dry them off and clean whatever that thin layer of green was away. Far from the worst of tastes, but it seemed to stain or something, and even repeated licks left behind small bits of it.

I suspect more might do the job, but Applebloom, the only one of which hadn’t had difficulty holding still for me, whined that she wasn't enjoying the sensation, so I stopped.

“Try and dry off in the sunlight.” I tell them, and then look for Mirage, spotting her nearby, using her hooves to try and clean herself off. I am almost tempted to just let her do so; she will fight me, just like last time.

But she sacrificed for me. I can do the same for her.

Mirage shrieks when I grab hold of her, and as I anticipated, she does struggle, and I do not enjoy the damp she gets onto my fur. By the end of it, it was less of a cleaning and more of a game: Either I cleaned her first, or she would get me dirty.

I half-win, I think, as I finally let her go, and idly lick at the worst spots she got on me.

“Kitty!” she whines, fluttering fairly high overhead. “I thought I told you not to do that again!”

“He’s jus cleanin you!” Applebloom yells up at her.

“You would never become clean with just your hoof, Mirage.” I tell her, staring up. “Already, you look better; do you not feel better?”

She mutters unintelligibly up above, and the girls climb back atop me. They are still a bit damp and cold yet, but nothing I cannot endure. I can hear them still speaking about their ‘fish catching’ something or other. They are still happy with it, and Mirage slowly descends to land on my mane once more.

There, at least, I do not feel the dampness on her, nor the chill.

“Did you see Miriage?” Sweetie says as I being walking once more. “I caught the fish!”

“…I saw, Sweetie.”

“Hey, we helped!”

“I know that! But I caught it!”

“Girls, don’t fight! You all did a great job, together.”

“An we had fun too. Right?”

I hear the other two respond ‘yes’, but Mirage is silent. I wonder if, perhaps, that fish upset her more than I thought it might have. Or that, perhaps, she did not enjoy this nearly as much as I, or they, have.

…It dampens my enjoyment of the event, to think that she found no cause for happiness. I understand why however; should I have been attacked by the fish and gotten wet and disgusting in the pond after, I too, would be unhappy even with the fish’s catch.

“Miriage?”

Perhaps Mirage shares my dislike of water? Or perhaps it was something else I might have missed.

“Yeah girls?”

“You had fun too, right?”

“…”

Was it maybe my cleaning her? Her objections to it are rather vocal, but I… Perhaps I should stop. If it does upset her so…

I hear the girls fall silent as well, and I walk onwards, thinking.

I continue to follow the short grass from Froggy Bottom, which leads to a forest, or so I thought it was, at least. Just beyond the edge of trees, the ground turns muddy and wet, and the trees brown and different. Droopy.

A swamp in the wood, apparently. Wetlands, places where the ground turns soft and liquid. I pause at the edge of it, not intending to set paw into it. I have had my fill of water today, and that brown slurry looks even less appealing than the water did.

A hiss makes us pause, and I spot a lizard head, glaring from the water. Far smaller than the one I had seen, but obviously of the same kind. I growl back, and it retreats into the mud.

“Kitty, we should go.” Mirage worriedly tells me.

I barely nod before I spot another. A lizard with five heads, quite far, but obviously big, its two massive feet thudding into the mud as it walks.

I leave, as I can feel my passengers gripping me tightly in fear, but I will remember this place. If those big lizards frequent this swamp, then they will offer me a meal far more than the rabbits. Something that big can even be eaten off of for days, and the lizards pose me little threat. There is the mud, however… maybe this might not be the best hunting ground, even if the lizards are big prey.

I exit the swamp and travel along the wood’s edge for a while before entering within. It is thick, but not as thick as the wood I have gone into before. Should I go certain ways, the trees tower over even me, and little sunlight comes through the dark treetops.

I hesitate, seeing scratches on a few of them, and pause there, wondering.

“…What are these?” I ask, hoping that maybe one of them might know, reaching out to touch at the scratches. They seem to vary in age, with some being very recent, while others are barely impressions in the bark.

“…It’s either a bear or a manticore carvin up that tree.” Applebloom supplies worriedly.

“Manticore?” I ask, looking back to see them huddled together on my back, looking around often.

“It’s a monster.” Scootaloo tells me.

“It’s a lion with bat wings and a scorpion tail.” Mirage says, and I know them now. This place might be an even better hunting ground for me. No mud.

“We shouldn’t stay here.” Sweetie nearly whimpers, and I pause.

I am growing hungry, and large prey can be found here. Yes, my passengers are afraid of such creatures, as they were the many-headed lizards, but perhaps it can be worth it to,

A roar that silences all sound shakes the woods suddenly, long and drawn out, far longer than I can roar, far, far louder, and deeper. I can barely hear the girls and Mirage screaming atop me, it is so loud, and I feel it reverberating through the earth under my paws.

That sounded huge, and angry. And far, far too close for me to feel comfortable, even slightly. The roar sounded like it hadn’t been very far away at all…

And whatever could make a roar like that might even be big enough to see me as prey.

I do not need to hear Mirage’s yell of “Kitty!”, to begin rushing away, firmly intent on creating as much distance as possible between us and whatever made that roar. It is only when we are free of the trees that I finally relax slightly, looking back and listening, just in case. I hear no sound, nothing disturbs the trees, and I relax a little more. It has not chased us.

“…What was,” I begin to ask.

“Dragon.” Mirage tells me, a touch breathless. I feel her, and the girls, shaking atop me.

Dragon. The gargantuan, armored, fire breathing, flying monstrosity of many tales. I think they are supposed to grow to a size of hundreds of feet long. With a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth, wicked claws that can pierce even enchanted steel, their breath enough to burn most things to ashes.

They were even intelligent, if the tales are true, cruel and cunning and greedy.

Forget the woods. I can live with mud. Those lizards don’t taste that bad. I can hunt rabbits if I can’t stand the mud.

“None of you are ever to go anywhere so much as near these,”

“We weren’t going to!” Scootaloo yells.

“Kitty, just keep going!” Mirage tells me, her voice fearful yet, and I listen.

Perhaps a small comfort is that those monsters are supposed to never leave their own dens, and can spend centuries or longer simply sitting atop the piles of gold and treasure they accumulate over time. I can remain mostly secure in the knowledge that it will not come hunting for us some day; it will likely remain within its lair for many years to come.

And worst comes to worst, we can hide in the den until it leaves.

We found another river, this one larger than the other, though farther from the den. More fish swim in it, though they are too small to bother with trying to catch, even if I enjoyed fish. It flows from the west, vanishing into the Everfree and upstream it seems to point toward distant peaks.

Another forest is present as well, northwest of the Everfree, as the girls have named the one where we heard the dragon’s roar. The trees there are smaller, brighter, and spaced apart. It is inviting, as compared to the Everfree, and we found nothing within that frightened my passengers. The land there is rough, with many cliffs and ridges hidden underneath the treetops, making it somewhat difficult to get around at times, but berries of all kinds grow in abundance in the shadows of the cliffs. My passengers had a very pleasant dinner there, while I had the fortune of finding a bear mulling about nearby those same berries. Big and satisfying.

A large lake is to the north of the mountain, quite large and very clear, as compared to Froggy Bottom. Another forest is beyond its water as well.

The rest of the land seems to be nothing more than more plains, though only the land near the mountain holds flowers. The rest are just tall grasses.

As the sun begins to set, I return to the mountain, and walk around its base, learning its sides and seeing if I could spot anything I saw elsewhere from it. The Everfree is obvious, and the great lake is a line of white on the horizon, the other mountains small and harder to spot, but still there.

“Kitty?” I hear Sweetie ask as I return to the den, the setting sun casting an orange light across the land. “Can we climb the mountain?”

I pause, before looking up. High above, I know there is a large cliff. And her suggestion is tempting.

“…If I can, we shall.” I answer, heading to the rocks. I test, and find that, though my claws slice rock easily, I can grip the wall without much difficulty. It doesn’t feel as if I will have difficulty in scaling the peak.

“…Girls, come to my mane and hold tightly as I climb.” I tell them. “Mirage, please try to ensure that none of them fall.”

As soon as they announce they are ready, I ascend, finding it easy to. My paws catch the stone and hold firmly, and the effort to pull myself up is made far easier with careful flaps to push me higher.

It is also easier as I ascend slowly, to try and ensure that the girls do not fall. Mirage may be flying nearby, just in case, but I’d just as soon not have to test her ability to catch them.

We reach the cliff without trouble, and I relax as I climb up. It is large, and mostly flat; almost oddly so, as if something cleaved a bit of the mountain’s top off.

I walk away from the edge before allowing the girls to let go of me, and then we turn toward the edge.

The setting sun casts the land in its fading light. The fields below us a speckled field of green, the two rivers a sparkling line weaving through them. The Everfree is a bumpy, darker green that stretches quite far, a brown smudge the swamp we discovered, a rocky peak of some kind just barely visible, rising just a bit through the treetops. The woods seem to suddenly end at a certain point, and far, far beyond it, I see the ocean, glittering as if something has spilled gems before the falling sun.

I see the whole of the land we explored all the day, and it seems so small. As if we have explored almost none of what this place has to offer us, even though I made certain to try and see and much as I could.

The sight is capturing, enrapturing, and I smile.

This land is beautiful. It is only now, that I see it in all its glory, that I notice that.

It is warm, and filled with flowers and life. There is no cold here, and even though it has threats, those same threats make it special, in a way. Its dangers only add to it, and they are kept in select spots.

Perhaps this is why ponies chose to build their capital here. So they could look out and see the land they chose as their home in all its beauty.

My enjoyment, however, is slightly dulled by the knowledge that the same sight was denied to me, during my time of stone.

I dismiss those thoughts, and continue to stare and enjoy the sights it offers as the sun sets and a blanket of shadows is slowly set over the land. The stars emerge, and the moon shines in the sun’s place, the land below cast in shades of the darkest of blues and blacks. It is still beautiful, and the Everfree in the darkness has gained small lights all across the woods, making them as if a reflection of the starry sky. I wonder what those lights are as the night grows darker.

I feel Mirage lean against me, and turn to see her. I cannot see her expression.

I look to the girls, and see them already starting to sleep, Sweetie and Scootaloo leaning on Applebloom, all three with their eyes barely open, little smiles on their faces.

I nod, and carefully stand once again, drawing their attentions, and I walk away from the edge and curl on the rock. I glance in their direction, and a slight lifting of my wing has the fillies move to my side, curling up happily there as I place my wing over them.

Mirage comes to my head instead, smiling at me. She lifts herself up and embraces what she can of my head.

I purr gently at her action, and she smiles at me.

“…Do you know, Kitty, that when we first came here, I hated this place?” Mirage softly tells me.

I do not answer, and simply allow her to continue speaking.

“You were asleep, and I was left alone with the girls. Trying to care for them and having to listen to them, because they knew what to do and I didn’t. I hated this place so badly. I hated sleeping on the grass, and I hated having to eat raw things, and I hated how I kept hearing sounds I didn’t know about. But now?”

“I don’t hate it now.” she says, climbing atop my head and curling in my mane once more. “And you know what?”

“I did have fun with that fish. I loved sitting atop you as you went and looked around. I loved how I could stay atop you and feel safe even with the hydras and the Everfree. I was scared of them, but you were there, and I just knew it was going to be alright.”

“It’s like you woke up, and suddenly, everything’s good.” I hear her yawn faintly as she continues, “All of a sudden, I’m not afraid of everything, and I’m not terrified for the girls, and I’m not trying to sleep at night and waking up in terror every time some stupid cricket chirps.”

“And it’s all because of you.” she tells me, her voice filled with affection. I feel her hoof softly rub at my head. “Because you’re there for me, and for them, I’m not afraid anymore. I can finally see this place as something not horrible. Because you’re here.”

A few moments of silence pass before she continues, her voice growing more tired and softer as she speaks, “I really loved today, Kitty, and I want you to know that. Even your bath. I know I yell and I don’t really like it, but… You care so much that you’re willing to do that for me, and that’s just...”

A moment passes before Mirage whispers, “Nopony ever cared that much for me before. Even mom barely cared if I got dirty, and it was always up to me to make sure I was mostly clean. Nopony cared to make me clean, or to help. And now, here you are, willing to lick me clean. You… You matter so, so much to me Kitty. You always did, but now, now it… you mean so much more.”

“…There. Together. Forever.” she murmurs softly, and I feel her hug at my neck. “I love you, Kitty. Goodnight.”

…

“I love you as well, Mirage.” I whisper, smiling.

I am happy. For the first time in a millennium and more, I am happy once again.

I drift to sleep, and for the first time, I know contentment.

Chapter 6

Coming down the mountain was… a trial.

Climbing down was something that seemed unnatural and more than a bit difficult for me, enough that I slightly scared both the girls and Mirage on the way down. I almost slipped a few times, and more than once found myself fighting against the urge to climb back up.

But we made it down without true incident. I sent Mirage and the girls to go eat, and I turned to the den.

Over the course of a week, I dug it deep enough to consider it a real den, taking some time to blend the rocks I carve out into the mountainside and hide the entrance a little. Under my paws, the stone gives, just slightly, allowing me to meld the stone together, and more importantly, smooth the floor; the smoothing helps light reflect inside the den itself.

I can see in the dark, but Mirage and the girls cannot. Oddly enough though, they can see by the lights of my eyes, at least partially; still, daytime should not see the den wholly dark for them.

Most of my time is spent digging. Mirage watches the girls and the four of them go off into the fields around our new home as I dig, only stopping twice in a day: once to go hunting, and as the sun sets, to find them and join them for the short time the sun is still risen.

I’ve not dreamed since the last time, my nights often restful and calm. With the exception of one night when some bird woke us all up. It had somehow gotten inside and made a nest I failed to see, and when we came back and fallen asleep, it woke up and it decided to yell at us until I found the stupid thing and ate it.

Otherwise, the nights are fine. Mirage will only sleep atop me, though the girls prefer my side. With the addition of some ‘bedding’, freshly gathered grass, their sleep has improved dramatically. I personally find the same stuff irritating to me. I prefer the bare rock, but I tolerate the stuff for their sakes.

Mirage cares little for the girls’ wild natures. They are always rushing into the fields where their homes used to be with abandon, always on the lookout for a new adventure, or ‘crusade’ as they call them. Most of the time, this is entirely harmless, though there are times when they find something. Like a beehive.

By some chance, they didn’t disturb it until I was nearby, and it was my roar alone that saved them from the swarm. That they wanted honey meant little then, and little now. It might be sweet, it might be delicious, but it is guarded by tiny needles on wings, and neither I nor Mirage have any ability to take honey from the hive, stopped or not, without destroying it or even managing to get nothing but honey, instead of honey and hive and bees. Let the bees keep it.

It is rather common, and entirely understandable, given their natures, that I have to clean them once a day. They have adopted to it well, and with a little direction from them, mostly from Sweetie, I can even sort of handle their manes a bit, instead of just licking them straight. Mirage often does her best to ensure she doesn’t need cleaning, but she has begun to accept the process on her own as well.

She almost made a game of it. Trying to get me to chase her.

It only took a few moments of chase before my dream came back to me, and I stopped in some dread. Mirage noticed fairly swiftly, and though I did not tell her why I stopped, I did tell her that I was unwilling to chase after her, and that I would greatly prefer it if she didn’t attempt to get me to do so.

She didn’t and hasn’t pressed me to tell her more. She simply accepted it. In turn, I have tried to understand her a bit more, which I have: my licking her wings wrong causes discomfort and even later work realigning them. Scootaloo is apparently too young to have the same problem, and ever since I’ve learned that, Mirage is less tense during my cleaning. She still fights me, however, and I do find that game enjoyable.

Much time has passed. We’ve been here for nearly two weeks now, and the den is… sort of complete. I’ve dug a large den, and made a few extra chambers as well, one of which serves as my food storage. When I go hunting and find large animals, I’ll drag them back there, for later eating.

The entire reason said storage exists is due to the girls. None of whom can stand the sight or smell of the half-eaten things I bring back with me. The other chamber is mostly there because I felt the den needed an extra chamber, since seeing a single cave leading away was annoying me for some reason. I need to find something to put in there someday.

But better still; in my digging, I broke into a natural cavern deep within the mountain. When I first looked within, I was caught by the sight. Hundreds, if not thousands, of crystals line the cavern, ranging in size from as large as I am to dust like examples that coat the floor. Each gently glows from within, and the sight is beyond words.

The girls loved it to death, and I made the choice to leave the cavern as it is. Its natural beauty is enough for me, and through I was tempted to collect a few of the larger crystals, decided against doing so. Save for those few I have already dislodged by my digging into the cavern. Those I have set around the den, and we all enjoy their glitter.

Mirage has begun giving me flying lessons too. As the den was completed, I began spending more time with them, and she recalled my inability to fly, and since I wasn’t doing anything anyway…

It has not been going as well as I would have liked. It is far better than before, but still not so good. At least the girls find some amusement in my flailing in the air and the occasional crash.

I sometimes spot Scootaloo looking oddly whenever I take into the air as well.

I found myself carving the walls. The den done, the floor finally smooth, I went to flatten and shape the walls as well. In the midst of doing so, I noted that one of my paws was scratching at the smooth wall I just made.

I stopped myself, and wondered at what I wrote. I am writing in my own language, not in pony.

But I cannot recall ever seeing it before. The knowledge is there in me, and I write with ease, read it with ease, yet how I know it eludes me. It is one of the greatest mysteries of self I’ve encountered.

That I do so automatically and that the act of doing so is incredibly satisfying is equally odd. But I’ve since been doing so with purpose, instead of instinct.

I write of myself. I write what I’ve seen, what I’ve done. As I continue to smooth the walls, I write my story into them, slowly carving away, often being able to do so for a full day without interruption. It feels so perfectly correct to do so, as if my doing so was important, or even vital. I find that I have a sort of system to writing as well, detailing how I do so and how it progresses along the wall; another unspoken knowledge I have.

The girls found it confusing, unable to read it at all. I’ve enlightened them a little, and started to add little images to assist their understanding. For the most part, not even Mirage can pronounce my own tongue, despite attempts to teach them. The fillies still cannot pronounce Mirage. I suspect it may be beyond them.

Otherwise, the days have been warm, sunny, and peaceful. It is a life fulfilling, and as I finish the smoothing of the den, I feel good. This life is one I am happy with, and I love the time I spend working on the den, love the time I spend with Mirage and the girls. I’ve even begun forgetting my dreams, and have yet to have another nightmare. It is good. This is good.

I want it to never end, but one day, I have a duty to return the girls back to their homes. One day.

“Kitty, Kitty!”

I turn, and see Mirage hurry inside the den, eager and excited. I ponder at that, having never seen her quite so eager before.

“Kitty, we saw somepony!” she tells me, near unable to keep herself still. “The girls and I are going to go meet them!” With that, she shoots off, barely able to control herself. I can imagine the girls are already off and running.

I am a bit worried. Despite my flights of the land, I’ve yet to spot any sign of ponykind anywhere near us. Why are they here now?

After a moment, I dismiss those fears, and resume trying to make the ceiling flat as well. Ponies are kind and good. The girls and Mirage are simply very eager to finally see another of their own kind, and I’ve no doubt the meeting will go well. Perhaps it might even allow me to one day meet other ponies.

It’s not like they are here to conquer our home, or soldiers sent to ensure their control.

…I will ask the girls about it when they get back. I am curious about why they are here. With any luck, Mirage or the girls will ask those questions for me.

I’ll wait for them to return.

It is growing dark and they have not come back. I am not happy that I spent so long waiting. I should have gotten worried long before this!

Fortunately, I do have a way to track the girls. Just this morning, the trio had the bravery to enter my food storage to try to identify the bones of past meals. All three should still stink a little of blood and death.

I find the scent, and hurry along, worry filling me. Why have they not come back? What has happened?

After a time, I find a flag, planted atop the small hill near Froggy Bottom. It is purple and pink, and has a flower of some kind drawn in white upon it. the scent stops there, overcome by a far stronger one of flowers and something sweet.

That scent leads back, into the Everfree. I look up at it, and worry more. Even a scent this strong would swiftly be lost in the wood. I have no other option then. I take flight, and soon soar over the dark wood, hoping beyond hope I might somehow see something, anything, in the dark night.

I remember seeing the woods having many lights in it before, but now, it is entirely dark as I soar over it.

For a time, I keep flying, trying in vain to see some hint. Still though, I fly, unwilling to give up my quest. I cannot abandon them.

There!

As I turned once more, an odd shape was present over the treetops. As I fly toward it, I can just barely see little lights, hidden amongst the trees.

…It appears to be a giant tent, set up amongst the woods. I find the sight rather strange, and fly over it, momentarily wondering what it was and why it was even there. I think there might be others nearby it, but it’s difficult to tell.

My second pass gives me the faintest scent of sweet, and I am fairly sure I could just barely hear Mirage’s voice inside it. As I fly away and swoop back, I aim, ready.

I skip just over the treetops, and as I reach the tent, I slash, cutting its side open as I manage to skid to a stop half inside it.

The inside is bright enough to momentarily blind me, and a sudden shriek fit to break glass fills my hearing. I can feel things hitting me, weak and soft, ignorable if irritating. Amongst it all though, I can hear “KITTY!”

My eyes adjust, and I see.

The inside of the tent has many unicorns within it, their horns alight and casting little magical bolts at me. They wear armor, but their strikes are like firm thumps against me; far from painful. More come into the tent from outside, joining those already casting.

One unicorn in a dress of finery and covered in gems and gold is emitting that horrific scream still. Another unicorn in a simple dress stands protectively in front of her, her spells hurting a bit more than the others. Near them, I see Mirage, tied up and possibly screaming my name still.

Yet, that is not what consumes my thoughts. The inside of the tent glitters and gleams with wealth. Gold, gems, fine woods, fine cloths, chests that promise even more. Even the armor of the guards shines with a value I can see.

I want it. No, more than that.

I need it.

I am… not particularly sure how, precisely, I got into the air once more, my paws weighed down with… what I suspect is most of the tent. The memory of the whole thing is a bit… foggy. I can hear something…

“Kitty!”

“Mirage?” I ask, before cheering. I saved her too. Good. I nearly worried I might have just stuffed her amongst all the wealth. I have the oddest feeling I had actually done that, but I can now feel her atop my head, so I have not done so.

“Kitty, what the hay are you doing!?” she demands of me.

“Saving you?” I say, wondering about her anger.

She gives a stomp atop my head. “And taking everything with me!? You even took the carpet, the actual carpet! It was like you went mad Kitty! Why did you steal everything!?”

“…I… I am not certain.” I admit, looking to the wealth in my grip once more. It is… so very alluring to me. I want it so very much. I want to fill the den with it.

I very much like the sound of that. I see the den glittering with wealth and finery, and I grin. I can go and place the best bits in the extra cavern, display things around the walls. I can already see some ideas as to how I’ll spread it around. It will be wonderful.

Mirage huffs atop me, and I spot us coming to the den. Then I realize that my legs are all currently occupied holding precious and delicate goods.

This seems bad, but I am not going to drop it. It might get damaged, but I have an idea. As we near the den, I begin rotating. Mirage yelps and jumps off of me, a slight comfort considering my plan. I slide into the den on my side, stopping as I thump into the back wall.

That was unpleasant to be sure, but the wealth is safe! I gently drop it and recover as Mirage enters after me, her face concerned and upset. She gains a note of hesitation as she notes my watching the pile with glee. It makes me so very happy to see it for some reason.

“Kitty?” she asks, flitting over to me.

I look to her, and recall I had found only her, and not the fillies. I am certain that they had not been present in the tent, despite my… momentary lapse of attention.

“Mirage, where are the girls?” I ask her, making her pause in turn before growing rather agitated.

Mirage hesitates a moment before telling me, “Oh Kitty, it was horrible! We had gone to meet the ponies I’d seen, and the girls were talking to them, and sounded upset. And when I came over, one of them looked at me and yelled that I was a filly napper! Another tried to grab Sweetie, so I kicked him, and told the girls to run, and they caught me in their stupid magic and carried me to that tent, where this other unicorn in a dress told them to tie me up!”

Not something I expected nor wanted to hear. Mirage is greatly upset over this. I am greatly upset over this.

“I will find them Mirage, do not fear.” I tell her, and she nods and flies to me, to land atop me as she normally does. I can feel her distress.

This is not good. Not good indeed. Who are these ponies, to do such things? They dare to steal my happiness, my ponies away from me? To tie Mirage up like some kind of animal?

The tent is just the start. They will regret the day they dared to…

…

Did that rug just move?

Chapter 8

I’m starting to wonder if this was a good idea.

Mirage told me that the fillies had managed to escape her own capture, running away, but where could they have gone? I am very sure that they would have tried to make it back to the den, but since they did not return on their own, two ideas come to mind. They either got lost somehow, and are out wandering who knows where, trying to get back, which seems unlikely at best, or they ran into other ponies, who captured them and took them someplace else.

Following Chancellor and Smart was mostly because I had hoped that they had found the girls, and that following them would lead me right to them. However, though I managed to spot them entering the mountains, they entered a cave soon after; one far too small for me to enter, forcing me to fly into the peaks, hoping to find them again later on.

The mountains are far larger and more numerous than they first appeared. I’ve flown for hours amongst the peaks, and I think I could fly for days more amongst them. I’ve seen no hint of ponykind anywhere, be that the peaks or the valleys.

I worry that Chancellor and Smart’s group might be within the peaks someplace, within a cavern similar to my own den. If so, I had no chance of being able to scout them from the air, and would force me to enter unfamiliar caverns which only might be able to allow my bulk through. A disheartening thought, to say the least.

I hope otherwise yet, hence why I’m still flying, but now, I’m doubting most of my choices. What if this is futile? What if the girls are actually still amongst the unicorns, in a different tent or someplace? What if they’re lost someplace out there, alone and afraid, trying to find their way back and not being able to? What if I am wasting precious moments flying around these…

…Did I hear something?

…

There!

An echo, bouncing amongst the peaks! I am nearly certain that was Sweetie’s voice! She’s nearby! I just need to try and follow these echoes!

My doubts cease plaguing me as I flap with renewed determination. My fears for them are great, but I am close to, at the very least, one of them, and it is hard to believe that they had been separated.

I am going to save them. The mere thought strengthens me.

I have flown for a time now, and I have not heard her again. I’m growing worried once more, more so than before. I hesitate in midair, my fear gnawing, before I suddenly roar, hoping that she might hear me, and resume her calls.

My heart finds ease as my roar fades, and I hear her again, louder this time. I rush forward, determined to find her.

I rise higher and higher into the mountains, chasing her voice, before I finally spot something. At first, just a glint on a cliff, but as I near, I see a pegasus in armor, the source of the glint.

And right next to it is Sweetie.

I roar in victory, and see them both startle, the pegasus suddenly cowering, while Sweetie starts trying to spot me in the skies. She soon does so, and I see her waving at me, trying to get my attention. As she does so, the pegasus seems to recover, and grabs onto her protectively, looking up at me with rather obvious fear.

The pegasus appears female, with flowers plaited into her mane, her coat a soft sort of yellow. The armor had me a little worried she might prove a problem, but her reaction to my roar and now my approach convinces me that I should be able to scare her off with ease. As I near, it is more and more obvious that she is no warrior. I grin as I near them, my goal so close it might as well already be in my grasp.

Then, I grunt as something hard and fast slams into my side, hitting with enough force to throw my flight off, and force me to correct it. That had hurt, and as I recover, I spot another pegasus in armor, blue, I think, darting through the skies.

“Come on you brute!” he yells, his voice harsh and commanding, hovering in place. “It’s me you want!”

His words are rather familiar as I recover, growling at him. Then I look back, spotting Sweetie still, the other pegasus still holding onto her; she seems to be trying to get Sweetie away from me, and I snarl at the sight.

Which makes the other pegasus slam into me again, harder than before, making me yell, and tumble momentarily.

“Private, get the filly away!” he yells, the voice telling me he was well used to being listened to.

My sides ache, and I’m more than a little mad at him as I recover again, but I keep myself in check. I will simply stop them, grab Sweetie, and make an escape, and be long gone before either moves again. Glaring at him, I roar.

…My power,

He slams into me, cutting off my roar, but the shock of that pales before the other:

I hadn’t felt it.

My roar hadn’t been working. The power wasn't there. What had been in me since always is gone, and I don’t know why.

I can’t stop time. I can’t stop him.

He flies close to me, and I retreat slightly, seeing his face for a few moments. He… almost seems like he is admiring me, and has a rather irritating smirk on his face, but I’m… worried. A little fearful now.

I don’t fly very well yet. Certainty not at his level, and he is far, far faster than I am. He hits hard too, hard enough to even move me through the air; where he has hit me still aches. I… Don’t think I can get rid of him. Too fast, too strong…

I hear Sweetie call for me once more, and that tiny sound of ‘Kitty!’ firms my shaking soul. I must do this. I have to save her, save the rest. I can overcome this, even without my roar. I will save her.

And if it means hurting this annoying blue pest, then so be it.

I am falling. I’m barely conscious, the wind rushing past me as I fall, my wings limp, catching the rushing wind in tiny part.

The blue pegasus had been fast, strong, and merciless. I had no luck trying to hit him, my attacks clumsy and slow to his blurs of speed. I’d gotten angrier and angrier at him, a fair bit because of the insults he had thrown during the fight, if I can even call it a fight. He flew literal circles around me and I was reduced to swiping madly in a blind rage.

Then, at last, I finally made contact, one claw clicking off his armor and flicking him away from me; I think from sheer chance rather than any actual aim on my part. Right then, he had decided to stop playing around with me.

And yes, he had been playing around with me the entire time.

I saw him glare at me, and seem to outright vanish, before he slammed into the side of my head so fast that I didn’t even see him. I managed to stay in flight despite the daze, and spotted him flying overhead, and saw clouds pulling together over him, the mass growing swiftly, turning darker.

I saw him build a thunderhead over me in moments, and saw him glare down at me from its center as it rumbled.

And then the clouds flashed, lightning crackling over the dark clouds before it collected to him, covering him in a terrifying aura of crackling power. He had swung, and thrown a bolt at me, searing me from the sky.

I can see him now still, watching me fall. So far over me as I plummet past the peaks, his tiny form wreathed in lightning.

I see him leaving, the thunderhead dissipating in his wake, and I know. He is my better.

He is my better a thousand times over.

I’m never going to save Sweetie from him. My roar is gone, my power is gone, and I’m falling, watching the peaks shoot up around me, growing closer and closer and closer. I am helpless, helpless now, helpless then…

I slam into the side of a peak, and the pain is too much.

…Pain…

“…s… hel… yo… rt…y!...u.”

…A… voice...?

The pain… too much…

“…ad…st…wha…”

…Voices again… distant… warped… can’t understand…

It hurts… pain fills me…

“et…tt…so…”

“…ine…ate…bea…upi…nu…he…eas…”

I sink back, away from the pain.

“…nd…he…an…ful…rol…”

“…rk…id…ar…”

“…ea…yo…eas…ade…rol…”

More voices… the pain is… less?

Hard to think…

“…rt…eas…st…”

“…or…nks…”

…I… the pain is less. My mind is… a little free of it.

“…rking…bett…eek…”

“…ime…dly…ime…help?”

The voices are stronger… What are they saying...?

“…end…pony…ing…ork…rt…”

“…n…est…lor…”

“…east…azy…”

“…ack…lor…old…own…”

“…pid…ould…ile…an…”

“…out!”

I… I think I’m… recovering? The pain is… fading. I can feel my life… strengthening.

I feel something touch my head, and its touch is both painful and comforting, somehow.

“…ya…guy… got...”

I drift back to sleep.

There is… a cold sensation in spots. It makes the pain fade.

“…oing bett…ealing...ouple…”

“…nt…orking…time…pegasi…”

“…time… hurt…ime…recover…”

Voices again. I… think one is familiar…

My head hurts when I think…

Something touches my head again.

“..ot ya…ig guy… got…”

I… I can sort of feel myself again.

I am returning from death, I think. I feel so weak.

My mind is muddy and unclear…

“…rowing…nicely…healing…”

“…don’t…orry…big…”

“…fectly…oftie…”

I… I know that voice now.

I know the touch that comes.

“Got ya… guy… I got ya.”

The pain seems ever-present, unwilling to leave me. Each waking, it is there to greet me. Under it, I can feel a grave weakness.

It worries me, but… I feel better each time.

“…down!”

The voice I know?

“…out, before I… hurt…out!”

…Is somepony taking care of me?

I again feel the familiar touch. Now, I know she whispers to me:

“I got ya, big guy. I got ya.”

My mind is still… foggy. The pain is fading, weakness taking its place.

I taste something grainy in my mouth.

I fight the weakness, and suddenly, the pain returns sharply. I hear sounds.

“…it did!... ave to…thing…”

“…royed the… rong…”

“…danger! …to…before… us all.”

“…orried… plan… ollar…”

…Unfamiliar voices. I don’t know them.

I again feel the touch at my head.

“I got ya big guy. Don’t worry, I got ya.”

Her voice is calming.

…Images, places, thoughts. They drift through my consciousness, mixed and blurred.

What has stolen my clarity...? What has given me such pain to rob me of my mind…?

I think I hear my own voice.

A gasp.

I’m afraid…

…I want… something. It lurks just beyond me, somehow… waking has it fade from me, slipping from my mind.

A touch I know. So gentle.

I... feel stronger now. Somepony is there for me.

I must rest more. Heal, recover. My life is so weak yet…

“Got ya, big guy… I got ya.”

…She’s sad…

…Something’s wrong.

“Giant problem…”

I don’t know that voice. It’s dark, grumbling… angry.

“…won’t listen. I’ll just… myself.”

It moves in front of me, and I worry of it. What is it,

A sudden burning pain strikes me. Then another, and another, in swift succession.

It is enough for me to move, trying to pull away from it, but it remains there, chasing me.

“Hold still!”

The pain… I must make it stop!

I heave forward, my jaws opening wide. I hear a gasp just before I snap them shut, and I feel the sudden spray of blood in my mouth and across my face.

The taste… helps the pain inflicted to fade. The warmth feels so good. But this taste is so… this taste…

This taste is pony.

I disgorge it suddenly, sickened by it now, the taste no longer so good. But the blood, the lingering flavor… The urges are growing. Eating sounds so tempting, the food is right in front of me… My body begs for me to eat, to recover…

I… I mustn’t!

The fight is so hard. The scent of blood fills my mind, and the taste lingers in my mouth. My pain and weakness confuse me, weakening my will, tugging at my mind.

I whimper in distress, and try to move away from it as the urges keep growing.

I hear something rush to me. Gags and retches issue from my side. I feel something press against my side.

“Sun above…”

She’s here… good.

The urges grow weaker, knowing she is near. I drift to sleep once more.

…What is that? There is a strong scent. One… almost overpowering. I can almost choke on its… sticky sweetness.

“…seen him at all?”

“Nope. I haven’t…”

More voices… one I know, others I do not.

“…worried about… could have gone?”

“…the woods?...helpin…lookin fer some… maybe?”

“…your help…”

“No problem.”

“Why the pine?”

“Fresh scent.”

Pine? This scent is pine? I hear movement, and no more voices, and I wonder.

I no longer smell blood. So, what of the pony I… killed?

…They would have killed me in my helplessness if I had. I must have somehow dreamt it. It was so real, but… even the injuries it had inflicted no longer hurt.

I feel the familiar touch. I purr at its presence, making it startle a second before resuming, a little stronger.

“I got ya, big guy, I got ya.” I hear her tell me.

With great effort, I manage to crack one eye open. At first, my vision is little more than blurs of color and a shining light that mostly blinds me, making me shut it again.

“Hey… you wakin up?”

I open once more, and some of the blurs and shine are faded, my vision righting itself. I see something orange standing in front of me, something red and very large just beyond.

A sudden feeling comes to me, one of urgency. Something… Something precious needs me. But, what is it..? I… I know it!

Sweetie! The girls!

Mirage!

I have to get back!

I heave trying to get myself to move, to get back up, fighting the weakness that constricts me mostly unsuccessfully. I can barely move, even so desperate to do so.

“Whoa there, ain’t time just yet, big guy.” I hear her, the orange blob, say. “Ya need jus a little more time.” she tells me, and I sort of see her reach out and gently close my eye once again. “You rest till yer ready ta get up.”

Despite the urgency, I find her words easy to accept, and I relax once again. She’s probably right anyway; what could I do, so weak as I am? Recover swiftly, then go to whatever I am needed for. I’ll be of no aid like this.

“Ya don’t have ta worry big guy. I’m right here fer ya.” I hear her murmur to me. I hear her determination, her affection, and oddly, her slight sorrow.

“…I’m sorry.” I hear her whisper as I drift back to sleep, and I only slightly wonder what she meant as I return to my slumber.

Chapter 9

I wake to the faint sound of something rustling nearby. The smell of pine is still present.

I feel… so much better. Weak still, but the pain is finally gone.

I have a new urge to wake fully, to live once again. No more do I wish to sleep.

I struggle to move, my limbs numb and a touch unresponsive at first, much like they had been when I first woke, long ago. It is a familiar weakness to me, one that will fade swiftly. I hear something move past me, to get in front of me.

“Come on Big Guy, you kin do it. Wake up!”

I hear her voice again, and even as I get my legs under me, I open my eyes. It takes a few moments for my vision to right, but then I see clearly.

I am in a barn, I think, or some other large red building. The floor is covered in hay, and I suspect the green colored bits might be pine. The orange pony stands before me, and now… I recognize her.

It is Smart. She isn’t wearing what she was when I first saw her, but it is her standing before me. Watching me wake with a bright, happy smile.

“How are you doin, Big Guy?” she asks me, and I see her approach, and she rubs at my head how she has done often before. I gently purr at her action, and see her grin grow a little. “Feelin better now?”

“Much.” I tell her, my voice rough and uncomfortable. I feel weak yet, and hungry.

“That’s good.” she says happily. “You were hurt real bad, but seems you’ve finally healed. Give it a little time, an you’ll be back on yer paws afore ya know it!”

She turns around, and grabs onto… some big thing. It faintly resembles a large pad of something brown.

“Open up.” she tells me, holding it with some purpose.

I open my mouth even as I wonder what it is. Smart moves forward, and a slight jolt runs through me as I feel her touch again. I can sort of taste her, sort of smell her faint fear, and that dream has returned rather suddenly…

“It’s jus a boost, nothin bad.” Smart tells me, getting the thing in my mouth and backing out immediately afterwards, to my and, I suspect, her relief. It’s rough, grainy, and lacks any true taste. I don’t like it. “Swallow.” she tells me, and I somehow manage to do so, the thing a touch painful to swallow at all. It still somehow continues to taste bad.

But my hunger is fading swiftly, and I do begin feeling stronger for it.

I ruffle my wings, and then slowly manage to stand once again, my legs a little wobbly, but swiftly growing capable once more. My muscles ache, but from lack of use instead of injury as I stretch out, feeling my wings hitting the roof of the barn, unable to completely extend in the structure.

That done, I feel far better. Not my normal self yet, but better. I look down at Smart, who peers up at me with something akin to awe. I can see a shadow of fear in her eyes though, conflicting with the other emotions.

“…Thank you.” I tell her, coughing a little on my voice. The boost she gave me did little to sooth it, but even that is recovering nicely.

“Jus take it easy Big Guy.” she tells me. “It’s your first time getting up again, and it might take a bit of time afore ya get back ta yer old self; give yerself a day or two to really get back ta yourself.”

“I am… mostly fine.” I tell her, smiling at her. “I have been still for… far too long.” I say, flapping my wings slightly as I do so. I want to really stretch them, but I need to be outdoors for that.

“Well… welcome back ta the world o the living, Big Guy!” she says. “I’m Smart Cookie.”

“A pleasure to meet you, Smart.” I greet her. “I thank you for your aid in my recovery; but I ask, what of the others I heard?”

“Others? It was only me, Big Guy. Nopony else.”

“I heard other voices in my infirmity.” I tell her.

She hesitates for an oddly long moment before she says, “Just th others, lookin fer a show. An Chancellor, looking in on you from time ta time. She wants… well, a lot of things from you, but she can get weird sometimes. It ain’t nothin ya have ta worry about.”

A sort of odd sparkle comes to her eyes, and she ends with, “I’m here fer ya.”, her tone suggesting something a bit more than helping me to recover. The look in her eyes is… determined, somehow, but why?

I mean to ask her what she means when a happy gasp comes from behind me, and I see Smart startle faintly, her gaze looking behind me.

“He’s finally up!” I hear, and Chancellor walks to my front. She stands next to Smart and looks up at me with a bright grin. She is still in her ridiculous outfit; if anything, it might actually have gained a few ruffles since I saw it last. “Great job, Smart!”

Smart doesn’t respond, and I notice that she seems… a touch uncertain. She doesn’t like Chancellor’s praising her for some reason. She even seems a little worried now.

“And now Big Guy here can help us!” Chancellor says, beaming at me.

Help them? I wonder with what, but… well. I guess I can. I have a bit more to recover; Smart suggested a few days. I do want to leave, to find the girls again, to find Mirage again, but I do owe Smart for her aid, and I feel unready to fly once again. I need more time before I can go back.

More time before I can swat that blue pegasus from the sky.

So, I shall help them for the time I am still here. It is only right.

“Ask, and I will assist you as I might.” I say, and Chancellor’s grin grows, and I spot Smart startle, looking at me with wide eyes for a moment before an odd look passes over her face.

“Then follow me, Big Guy!” Chancellor says, leaving. I follow her, wondering about Smart. Her behavior was a bit off the whole time; perhaps it was just me being paranoid, but… I feel that there was something odd about her behavior. I ponder as I follow Chancellor, soon distracted from my thoughts by the sights.

I exit the barn into a green and verdant valley. A few structures are here, scattered amongst the edges, while the center seems a sort of farmland. A small lake lies in the very middle. I can see that there is more elsewhere, placed in adjoining valleys or on the mountainsides.

Many earth ponies are in the fields or elsewhere, and as I exit out into the open air, most stop what they are doing to stare. A few seem curious, even eager or happy, but many others appear worried. Some are even afraid. A small number seem angry.

Chancellor seems to not notice nor care as she leads me to a large structure. There, she turns back to look up at me again.

“Alright, Big Guy, there’s lots of work to do.” she tells me. “The harvest is hard work, and big and strong means good worker!”

I soon learn what Chancellor wants from me. And she isn’t so strange as to expect me able to tend to the tiny plants in the field. She instead expects me to move the wagons to and from the fields, and to assist in helping to clear and prepare the land for planting. Work I am more than happy to help with.

The work is not too bad. The weakness still in me makes it as if I was made for dragging the carts around. It is a little hard to move the full ones, and I notice that my strength is less such that it would be difficult for me to break the wood or accidently flip the cart over. However, while that is good…

It is also incredibly frustrating. My strength is missing! I cannot even lift the empty cart without struggling, and I cannot tell why!

I am not recovering as I should be. It has been hours, and I am still as weak as when I first woke. It is almost as if something is holding me back, preventing my full recovery.

“Big Guy!” I hear called, and I look to see Smart approaching, dragging a smaller wagon filled with… some sort of large brown pellets, not too different from that boost she gave me. “Lunchtime!”

I look at it with some distaste, but try a few anyway. “These things are food?” I ask her as I eat them. They are bland, and not so bad as that boost was. They instead lack any real taste, and their texture is very unlike anything I normally eat, though I can eat them all the same.

Smart nods. “These’ll help you get better faster, and encourage healthy growth too.”

So, they’re some sort of medicine, I guess. However, “I find that I return to strength by eating normally.” I tell her. “And I would greatly prefer it if you could at least include some meat with these things.”

Smart startles at that, whipping her head around before relaxing, giving a faint sigh before looking back to me. I cannot read her expression. “…Finish eatin, Big Guy, I got… somethin ta ask you.” she tells me, keeping her voice quiet. “Later, after th day’s over, when ya get back to th barn.”

I nod, curious, but it seems Smart doesn’t want to ask where others might hear her. I don’t know why, but I am willing to wait to receive answers.

Smart brought me dinner as well, both composed of the same pellets as before. The best I can give them is that they are food, and that they are meant to help me recover. Not that they seem to be doing so.

She lingered as I ate dinner, and then she led me back to the barn I had emerged from; I sort of suspect it is the shelter they built for me. Once I enter, she shuts the doors behind me as I turn back to see her. Then she sighs, and walks over to me.

“You wished to ask me something?” I encourage, watching her. She seems worried, reluctant.

“Yeah Big Guy.” she says with a faint sigh. “I do.” A few moments pass before she near begs me, “Please Big Guy, whatever ya do, don’t let anypony know that ya eat meat.”

“…Why?” I ask her, confused.

“Because… Because they’ll… they’ll get upset.” Smart tells me. She is watching me almost fearfully, and my curiosity grows.

“No more upset that when you saw the bones of my previous meals.” I tell her. “Ponies see my form and know that I eat meat. Why should I attempt to hide the obvious from them, Smart? What would come if I were to declare my diet to the rest?”

Her fear grows a little at my words. “You can’t… do that.” she quavers, and I start to feel some concern for her. Something is truly wrong and bothering her deeply.

“…It would only take a second or less.” I say, wondering. “I could even do so right now.”

“No!” Smart yells, grabbing onto my leg. “No, you can’t!”

I look back at her, seeing her fear. I only wait as she stares up at me, terrified… for me, I think. Then she slowly lets go of my leg, still staring up at me. She is afraid. Very afraid. But not of me… I think.

“You can’t… because I told everypony that you ate the pellets and that you didn’t eat meat.” she finally tells me. “I, I had to! If… if they thought that you ate meat, they’d have… The only reason everypony’s even sort of calm is because they think that you don’t eat meat. And if they get upset…”

She looks down for a moment. “I…I don’t want to see you get hurt again.” she weakly tells me. “You were hurt enough…” She looks up at me, her eyes pleading. “Please Big Guy… don’t tell anypony. For me. For you. Please?”

…

“Very well.” I promise her, and she is so relived she lays down, near shaking. “I shall do as you ask, Smart. Not because I am afraid of them, but because you asked me. I owe you a great debt for your care of me; speak, and I shall heed your words.”

At that, she is suddenly conflicted again, and I cannot read her eyes as she looks up to me. I can only barely tell she is some mixture of greatly relieved yet also upset. She almost seems like she wants to tell me something, yet also wants to never tell me something.

Then she shakes her head, stands up, and appears mostly normal once again.

“Thank you, Big Guy.” she tells me. “Tell you what, I’ll see what I can do to make th pellets taste better for you.” I smile down at her, and though she still seems slightly worried, she smiles back. “You get some rest, and I’ll take care of things.” She tells me.

I nod, and lie down myself, relaxing as the sun sets, and she walks up to me and rubs my head as she always has.

“I… I can take care of things Big Guy.” she tells me. “You don’t have to worry; I got ya.”

“I know.” I tell her as I get comfortable. “I trust you, Smart Cookie.” I murmur as I close my eyes, starting to drift off once again. I… almost thought I saw Smart about to cry, but I don’t hear or feel her doing so, and after a few moments, I hear her leaving.

The next day goes well, with me doing much the same as I have been before. And in some ways, not the same at all. Chancellor got it into her head to have me try everything.

And she seemed a bit unable to comprehend that I was far too large or clumsy to even try some of what she wanted me to try. Like sewing, or baking, or cleaning, or even helping with the laundry. A few disasters later, mostly because Chancellor insisted that I try and I felt I might as well do so just to appease her, and I was back in the fields, doing the work I could do well.

The weakness from before is still here too. Why is it still here? Why has it not faded, not even with eating the pellets Smart has been giving me? It is frustrating, but now… almost worrying. When will it finally fade? How long am I to be so weak?

In my thoughts, I didn’t notice much until a small voice cuts through my thoughts.

“Big Guy!”

I look, and see a small colt running to me. He’s agitated, fearful, but not of me.

“Ya gotta help!” he yells, pointing in the direction that he had come from. “Everypony’s mad at Smart, an,”

I do not hear the rest. I am already rushing to her aid.

I rush through the valley, and into a neighboring one. I find that the town itself seems set here, with many buildings in a small wooded location. A clearing lies in the middle, some sort of town square. Many ponies are gathered there, gathered around a coffin surrounded by flowers.

The air is filled with angry murmurs, and I spot Smart backing away from three ponies in particular, most of the rest looking her way, possible and likely glaring. She is on the opposite side of the clearing.

With all that I can bring to bear, I leap toward her, trying to flap to keep myself airborne over the crowd. I manage to clear them, landing beyond the far side, and using a tree to propel myself back to Smart, snapping it in the process. I slam my front paws on either side of her, and growl dangerously at the ponies approaching her, their angry gazes turning to terror in mere moments, tripping as they try to get back.

“Big Guy!?” Smart yells, shocked, the rest dropping their aggression to stare in shock. I hear them murmuring.

“Look at what it just…”

“This is really bad…”

“We have to,”

“Your attention, please!” Cuts through the murmuring. We all turn, and see Chancellor in the front of the crowd, waiting for everypony to look at her.

“We are all feeling grieved over the loss of Quick Call, and times have been rough.” she says, her voice oddly strong. “But I need to set a few things straight here about Big Guy.”

“One: he is a giant cat and most of you got convinced that he wasn't a carnivore. You should be ashamed of yourselves for believing that, and superashamed for getting upset when somepony finally pointed it out to you. That’s just plain old wrong.”

“Two: until I say otherwise, Big Guy is a citizen of Sparkly Cupcake. He has been nothing but a fine, upstanding citizen, willing to listen to both myself and Smart, just like any of you would.”

“And three: until one of you has proof that he eats ponies, Big Guy is here to stay. So I don’t want to get any more angry mail or see any of you muttering about him anymore.”

“If we all pull together, we can make a home here, and live in peace and happiness. But if we break apart because of silly angers, stupid hates, and dumb fears, then the unicorns and pegasi will take this whole land for themselves, and we will end up underneath their hoof just like we were before. So stop the hysteria, and the drama, and look to the facts, instead of rumors and imagination.”

“Now, let us return to mourning Quick Call.”

The crowd remains silent as Chancellor stops speaking, and I am somewhat surprised. Chancellor is somehow an effective leader, despite her eccentric and occasionally lunatic nature.

I suppose if she wasn’t, she wouldn’t be their leader.

However, several things are distressing me right now. The crowd is gathered for a funeral, and I think that I…

…

My simple effort just in getting here has left me feeling strained. The strength from before, if I can call it that, is even weaker. I need answers.

And I think I know where I can get them.

“…I want to meet you in my barn when sunset comes, Smart.” I tell her, walking away, ponies scattering a little so as to allow me through. “I feel I have much to speak to you about.”

I need time to sort my thoughts.

I hear the door to my barn creak open, after the sun has set. I have been waiting for some time, and I believe I have found some answers.

They are not nice answers.

Smart walks around to my head, and I see she is worried.

“You wanted ta speak ta me, Big Guy?” she asks, trying to sound normal. She is afraid, but hiding it well; not as well as Princess did before, but well.

“I did.” I tell her, watching her. Trying to remind myself that I have suspicions, and not answers, keeping calm… for now. “I want to know some things.”

“Go ahead an ask then.”

“I want your honor that you will not lie to me first.” I say.

“I wouldn’t lie ta,”

“You did to the townsfolk.” I interrupt, glaring a little, Smart wincing at the mention. “I do not want lies, even ones meant to help me feel better. Do you understand me? Your honor, Smart Cookie.”

Smart watches me, worried, but she slowly nods.

“Good. Then first:” She tenses, and I ask her, “What have you been feeding me in those pellets?”

Smart relaxes greatly, and even gives a nervous giggle. “They’re just some mashed up vegetables and some other ingredients, all baked together. It’s animal food, Big Guy. It’s actually good for you. Anythin else?”

“The funeral we were just at. It was for a pony named Quick Call?”

Smart nods, tensing almost imperceptibly.

“I passed close to his coffin. I could smell him.” I tell her, and she seems mildly surprised. “He died from an injury, didn’t he? I could still smell old blood on him.”

“He did.” Smart tells me, surprised. I’m not sure if her reaction has anything more in it…

“…What killed him?” I ask her, and watch closely.

Smart hesitates, and looks slightly away from me. “He… he got… he died in th woods.” she says.

I am not concerned with her lie just yet.

I am too upset with myself.

“…It was not a dream.” I murmur, now certain. “I did snap my jaws upon a pony.” Smart’s gaze snaps back to me, and she is wide eyed. “I knew his scent, the same that filled my senses that night… and you have lied about my killing. You have broken your honor, Smart Cookie…”

Smart is near speechless, terrified suddenly.

Terrified of me.

“…I do not eat ponies.” I tell her. “Long ago, I chose to never eat pony again, and I hold that decision even to this day. I shall not harm you, Smart Cookie, but I wonder; do you know why I slew Quick Call?”

Smart calms only somewhat, but I am greatly upset, and she is as well. “…He was hurtin you.” she murmurs. “I,”

“I have other concerns.” I interrupt. “How did I come under your care, Smart?”

“Ch, Chancellor was the one who found you.” Smart tells me, staring at me, still greatly worried. “She just came back one day, draggin ya inta town. I thought ya were dead, but Chancellor somehow knew otherwise. She told me ta take care o ya, an I did.”

I nodded slowly, and then asked her, “How long did you care for me?” A question I should have asked the moment I woke.

“Jus about seven weeks.” Smart tells me. “You were nearly dead, an, whoa!”

“SEVEN WEEKS?” I roar, suddenly thrusting myself up once more, shocking her. “I do not have the time to heal for seven weeks, Smart Cookie! There are ponies who depend on me out there! They need me to be there for them!”

“And I’ve spent seven weeks unable to even act after that blue bastard blasted me from the sky when I tried to save them! But do you know what’s worse, Smart Cookie?”

“I AM STILL WEAK!” I bellow at her, my rage pulsing with each beat of my heart. “I am barely a shadow of myself and I do. Not. Know. Why! But I think it might be you!”

I tower over her, Smart terrified, backing away from me. “You kept me safe, helped me heal, but what now, Smart?” I demand of her, raging, advancing as she retreats. “Are those pellets truly harmless, or are they your way of making sure I stay?!”

“No!” she tries, bumping into the wall, shaking in fear. “No,”

“How can I trust you, Smart Cookie?” I roar, interrupting her again. “How can I, when you tried to tell me that Quick died in the woods? When you told me that you lied to your own kind? When you have broken your honor? HOW, Smart Cookie?”

She is pressed against the wall now, nearly fainting in fear, but I am far, far too mad to care. I have been too weak! I have been failing my ponies! I might not have evidence that it was her keeping me so weak, but I can stand this no longer!

“ANSWER ME!” I roar a few inches from her.

“Ordo, down!” is suddenly snapped from behind me. Just as I hear it, a sudden fatigue shudders through me, and robs me of strength. I gasp, and collapse, fighting against it in vain, my struggle met with pain that robs me of ability.

Chancellor walks into my vision, glancing at me before looking to Smart. “I got him, Smart.” she tells her.

“Ch, Chancellor…” Smart murmurs weakly, shaking badly, barely able to stand.

“I thought you’d fixed that, Smart.” Chancellor tells her, almost as if she is mildly chiding Smart. “You told me he couldn’t get violent like that.”

Smart swallows as I stare at the pair, confused.

“That collar really works though, doesn’t it?” Chancellor asks, looking back to me. “Keeps him nice and controllable, just like you said it would. And it might keep him weak and slow too, but he’s still really big and strong.” I see Chancellor’s face shift to concern and care as she adds, “You have to be more commanding with him; don’t let him lash out like that again. I don’t want to find you hurt because you froze up.”

Collar? There is a collar, making me weak? A collar that is now controlling me? A collar that Smart put on me!?

“Sleep.” Chancellor tells me, and I feel the fatigue grow even more. A pressure is driving my consciousness weaker. I hear a few things more as I am forced into unconsciousness.

“…take charge…change, and…Find… tell everypony…strong!” Chancellor says.

A few moments pass, and I hear the door creak open again.

I feel something hug at my head. Something wets my fur.

I hear Smart repeating something. My last act is to growl with what tiny bit I still have. She is causing this. She is keeping me from my ponies. Smart and Chancellor both have taken advantage of me in my weakness.

This collar controls me. I need to find out how to get rid of it. and the moment I do so…

No. No, I won’t give into my anger. I will break the collar and then go and find my ponies.

This won’t keep me here for much longer.

And should Smart happen to suffer during my escape… well.

I shall feel better.

Chapter 10

I wake suddenly from a sleep like no other. It was almost as if I had just blinked, and time has passed.

My anger burns hot in me. It is strong, demanding, and I find it hard to deny it. What had been done to me demands vengeance.

A chill makes me hesitate, however. A cold feeling in the air. It reminds me of the time with Mirage the first. It feels like fall, or even winter, is approaching. I hate the cold, but… It isn’t important.

Smart is not here. An oddity, but her absence gives me an opportunity.

I reach, and feel the collar around my neck. It is not made of metal. I can cut it.

I hear the door open as I latch a claw on it. “Big Guy?” I hear Smart murmur, her tone sad, and then suddenly, “Wait, don’t!”

The moment I try to cut the collar I am filled with agony, and collapse again. The pain almost like the lightning that had hurt me so, but far less. The pain is gone in a second, but it had been strong, and stolen all my strength from me, somehow.

“You can’t remove the collar.” Smart tells me, walking around to where I can see her. She seems concerned. “It can’t be, ah!”

I snap at her and growl dangerously, though I do not intend to actually harm her. A little part of me wants to, but I won’t. She seems afraid, but there’s something more there.

“Hold still!”

I feel myself freeze, almost as though I am stone once again, and I see Chancellor again. Any attempt to move is met with pain until I cease trying.

“Smart, we talked about this!” Chancellor says, frowning at Smart. “Commanding!” She sighs, and tells her, “Get his food ready. Now, follow me, Big Guy!” she finishes, brightly smiling at me.

I get up and turn, following her, not in command of myself anymore. I cannot resist her call.

I do not know if I can be angrier at Smart. She is the cause of this. She found me in weakness and has crippled me with this… cursed collar. So that I might serve them as labor.

I try to resist, but I cannot. Chancellor orders, and I must obey her. Others order, and I must obey. My resistance is nothing save in my mind, and in the pain until I obey.

It is Chancellor by my side most often, controlling me. It is she who orders me to work, she who orders me to eat, she who orders me back to my barn, she who once again orders me to sleep. Smart is nowhere to be seen. A different pony delivered me the pellets.

They taste better.

Am I doomed to this? Unable to battle the command of the collar? To spend who knows how many years tapped under its influence, listening to orders?

I can only hope that Mirage and the girls are alright.

I sleep, struggling to think of some way to break the collar.

I am back in the barn, listening to the rain outside.

Three days have passed. The collar remains firmly on me, and nothing seems to make it break or even weaken. The moment I attempt to cut it, agony and weakness remains until I stop trying. Everything else will not get under it; the trees bend away when it nears, and the collar will not catch on anything.

It seems impossible for me to remove it. And maybe impossible for anything or anypony to remove it as well. Worse:

Somepony got it into his head that he could order me to answer. And he was right. He could, and did.

He asked me if I ever ate a pony. And then he asked me if I had killed Quick Call.

So, I am lying here, listening to the rain outside, paralyzed by the collar, waiting for them to come back and almost certainly killing me. Or maybe they could be inventive and just order me to die or something.

This seems my end. Ordered to remain here, and wait. Wait for my execution. Leaving my ponies behind.

No one to rescue the girls. No one to help them in this time so before their own. No one to ever return them to their proper places, to their families. A tragedy of two times, their own, where they are gone, and now, where they will be for the rest of their lives. Here, to struggle on their own, amongst the strange ponies who live now, amongst the ponies who have proven to be a threat to them. There, their families mourning their loss.

Mirage, alone.

Just how I almost lost her, she is going to lose me.

I care little for my passing, if not for the pain I know will come from it.

I hear hoofsteps coming closer. Running hoofsteps, oddly enough. I suppose that is my end. The door opens suddenly, and I see Smart enter, to my mild interest; I have not seen her since three days past. Is she to be my end? Fitting, considering she is why I am here, and why the collar is upon me.

She looks to me. Her eyes are determined and red. I can see that she had been crying, despite the rain obscuring that, and her mane is unkempt. She just stares at me, silent, and I wonder what she waits for.

I hear other ponies approaching. Distant yet.

“Big Guy…” Smart says, her voice cracking slightly. She looks like she wants to cry, but she firms herself.

“Ordo.” she says, in a strong and clear voice, and I feel the collar jolt at the word, and I feel myself focusing on her intently. “Listen to me, and only to me.” she begins. “Forget everything you’ve been ordered.”

I feel a change in the magic constricting me; a sudden increase in strength swiftly follows it.

“Get up.” she says, and I do so, both forced and willing. What is she doing? What is she planning? I can hear the rest nearing, but I do not take my eyes from her.

Just as the barn door begins moving, Smart yells, “Fly! Break the barn and fly!”

My strength surges. I crouch and leap, smashing through the roof, and flap, somehow catching the air with a mastery I do not possess and take flight. I hear shouting below me. They scream for me to return, but their words mean nothing, now.

“Go far!” I hear Smart scream up at me. “To a peak so far they’ll never reach you!”

I feel Smart’s ability to command, but she commands what I desire. I can hear the outrage below, the anger of the ponies. I turn in the air, and look down, to see the anger shift towards Smart.

I see her confronting Chancellor, defiant and angry in the pouring rain. I see her say something that has the rest shocked, and suddenly silent. Then I see several move forward, with dark intent.

…She has saved me.

And she seems fit to take my place for it. They will kill her for what she has done.

…She is the sole one left controlling me. If she dies, what would that mean for the collar around my neck? Would it fail, or break? It might. Perhaps it even should.

…I know what I must do.

I flap in the air, bracing myself for the pain I know will come, and then drop back down.

I feel the collar trying to make me ascend again, but I manage to keep my wings faltering. Break the barn, she said… I focus on the walls still upright, and the pain weakens. I keep dropping.

I slam back into the earth, and I only just manage to snag Smart in my jaws before I am driven to break what is left of the barn. The walls falling, ponies screaming, wood shattering, I leap back into the air, letting the collar guide me. I grip Smart with all I can, and hope I do not drop her as I go. Into the storm I fly with her.

I keep going for a long time, as she commanded me, until the urge finally fades. The rain has slowed, thankfully, and I find myself far into the peaks, lost amongst them. I slow, and land on a nearby ledge, and finally drop Smart in front of me.

She is shocked, dazed, and wet, falling over and shaking before she starts to try and recover. I see I have ruined her outfit, but she seems unharmed.

“B, Big Guy?” she quavers, confused, shaken, afraid. “Wha, what…?”

“You.” I breath, sighing, very unhappy about my being wet, but it matters… not too much right now. “You, Smart Cookie, are the first pony who has earned both my gratitude and my wrath, and remain an enigma to me.” I tell her, water dripping from me. “You drew me back from death to condemn me to servitude, yet now, you have set me free from the same. I need to know. Why have you chosen to set me free? Why have you chosen to go against what you first sought of me?”

She looks up at me, shock still primary, but I see many things now. Confusion, fear, sadness, regret, and more. She seems paralyzed from them all.

“…Start from the beginning, Smart.” I encourage her, watching. I see her nod, and take a slightly shuddering breath.

“It… it started when Chancellor brought ya back.” she began, trying to stop shaking quite so much. “She dragged ya inta town and told me to help you get better. She thought… she thought that you were gonna be th solution ta all our problems. I told her that she was nuts, that you were… were jus a big monster, but Chancellor insisted.”

“I thought that you were… I thought you were somethin horrible.” she tells me, regret etched into her words. “As I cared for you those first few days, I kept fearing what would happen when ya got better. So I talked to Chancellor, and eventually convinced her to let me put th collar on ya.”

“I found it when we were comin here. An I figured out it could control things, make them listen. I convinced Chancellor to let me put it on you, so that when ya did wake up… so you wouldn’t be th beast that haunted my nightmares.”

Her eyes fill with tears as she continues, “But as ya started gettin better, ya started ta mutter; dreamin. I heard ya talkin ta others. I heard that ya were happy. I saw ya smilin, I kept on hearin you being… being kind an good.” She shook her head, “Eventually, I decided I had messed up, sticking th collar on ya, and tried ta get it off. But nothing I tried worked. It wouldn’t cut, it wouldn’t loosen, it wouldn’t even really move.”

“I… I convinced myself that it was still a good thing, that you were… that you were still a monster, no matter what ya said in your dreams. But… but I kept worrying that you weren’t, hopin that you weren’t, an tryin to tell myself that ya were…”

She shakes her head, tears flowing. “An then Quick Call tried ta kill you an you killed him. I almost thought that I had been right all along, but… but he’d been trying to kill you, and… and you were so upset over him! You were whimpering in pain and regret and I saw that! But… but if anypony else saw, if anypony else found out…”

“…I dragged him into th woods and hid him in a bush and some leaves. I washed th whole barn, burned th bloody hay, an covered everythin in pine till I couldn’t smell anything else. I told everypony that I didn’t know where he had gone an that you had just dropped a rake on yer head; that ya didn’t eat meat, so they wouldn’t even suspect. An then… an then ya woke up after so long, an… an you weren’t th beast I was afraid ya were. Ya even offered ta help! Ya never even noticed th collar cause ya wanted to help us!”

She sobs, and trudges forward to press her head against my leg.

“You… you trusted me then.” she sobs. “Ya even told me that you’d listen to what I asked cause I had helped ya and I felt like so much dirt. Ya even came to help me when they figured out I was lying to em.”

“An then ya asked me ta be honest.” she says, her voice suddenly tight. “An I told ya that Quick Call had died in th woods. Because I… Because I was still afraid of you. I was afraid of what you’d do or say if I told you that you had killed him. You got so, so mad, and I, I was so, so afraid… But you didn’t hurt me! You didn’t become what I thought you might be! You proved that you were nothing like my fears, that I never had any reason ta fear you!”

“But I didn’t do anythin about it!” she yells, looking up at me, her tears blurred by the rain. “I couldn’t face you an I couldn’t face them, an I jus let Chancellor an all th rest order you around while I jus hid from everypony!”

“But, but then, then they figured out that you had killed Quick Call.” Smart continue, her voice softening, her tears worsening. “An, an then they got together and they decided to kill you. I tried ta convince em not ta, but they... I… I couldn’t let them do it.”

“Cause I had put th collar on ya. Cause I was why they could hurt ya, an why they could kill you. Cause I was th one who had done that to you, an I was th one keeping you from th ponies you cared about so much… I… I…”

She stops for a moment, trying to regain control of her voice. “…I slipped out, an ran ta you. An I did th only thing I could do. I ordered you to listen ta me an only me, freed you from the orders I told you to keep you weak, an then I ordered you to get away afore they could get you.”

For a few moments, she remains silent, softly crying. Then she suddenly looks up at me, and yells, “They wouldn’t listen to me! They couldn’t see you as anything but a monster! I finally got th courage ta stand up ta them an try an tell em that you weren’t what they thought ya were, but they wouldn’t listen! I, I’d broken their trust, but in savin you, I’d broke something more! They thought I had betrayed them!”

“An now, I’ve lost everything!” she screams in near despair. “All cause I lied ta you an them! All cause I couldn’t face my fears! All cause I was scared of nothin! All cause of what I did!”

She wails suddenly, unable to continue, screaming wordlessly into the rain. She collapses as it fades away, and her form heaves with sobs.

I slowly lower myself, giving a slow sigh. I reach out, and gently pull her closer to me, Smart not resisting at all. When she is close enough, she simply seizes onto me, still sobbing with all she has. I think she does so from simple instinct.

She has lost all she cares about. She likely imagines that she has still lost me; that I have just dragged her away to find answers. She does not know it yet, but that is no longer true.

I flap a wing out, and drape it over her, protecting her from the drizzle. It feels a little stronger, as if the rain echoed her own tears. I don’t really care about how wet I am.

I now know her reasons. I now understand her.

I forgive her what she has done, and I trust her anew. Her pain was true, her regret etched into her words. My heart beats in empathy, and my eyes are wet for her sorrow. I am determined.

She has not lost everything. She may have lost her place, the ponies she knows and loves, but she has regained me.

I will give her a new place, one by my side. Together, we will go back to Mirage, together, we will find the fillies, and thus reunited, she will remain with us. I will count her amongst my ponies.

I want to see her tears slow and stop. I want to heal her hurting heart. I want to see her renewed in spirit and being.

I want to see her as I once did.

I hear her sobs slowing, her grip slowly fading, slowly starting to relax against my side. The rain grows harder, the winds blows cold and wet over me, but my wing is over her, and keeps her warm and dry.

“…I forgive you, Smart.” I say, unsure if she can hear me. “I understand you, I know your pain. And if I can, I will ease your aching heart. By my side, you are welcome. Rest. I am here for you.”

I feel her shift slightly under my wing, her tears no longer audible. I sigh faintly, the rain growing harder. This is no good place, but…

I can tolerate this for her. She gave all she had for me. I can put up with some rain for her.

I remain awake, until the rain finally slows and stops. As the skies grow dark and a cold wind blows through the peaks, I shiver as I drift to sleep.

But a part of me is warm.

Chapter 11

I wake to a cold breeze. I’m wet, the water in my fur making the cold stick to me; horrible. The sky is cloudy, the sun not visible, the clouds covering the nearby peaks.

I feel Smart stir next to me, and I smile a little, even in the chill. I feel her get up, and then feel her startle. I slowly stand again, a bit cold and stiff, and see her.

I catch a glimpse of surprise and confusion before realization hits her and she adopts a saddened look.

“Good morning, Smart.” I say, flapping a little to try and warm me.

“Hey, Big Guy.” she says, managing a small smile. She shivers a little in the cold herself before she faintly sighs, and looks around us. I see her looking almost worried, a touch regretful and sad, before she looks back at me. I’m not sure how to describe the look on her face; sad and tired, perhaps. “Think ya kin drop me off someplace green?” she asks me.

Realizing that she thinks that I will abandon her, I shake my head. For a moment, she seems greatly saddened, before she hesitates, noting that I am smiling at her.

“B, Big Guy?” she asks, uncertain, wondering.

“I will not just leave you behind to find your own way, Smart Cookie.” I tell her. “You sacrificed your place to save me, and in so doing, not only saved my life, but allowed me to save those I care for as well.” I bend down, to place my head very near to her, watching her watch me, her eyes uncertain; perhaps a touch unwilling to accept my words so easily.

“I forgive you, Smart Cookie.” I softly tell her. “I know what you have lost, and, if you so choose to,” I say, intent on ensuring I make this her choice, and not my own, “then you will have a place by my side as you do within my heart. I would love it if I might count you amongst my ponies.”

She stares for a little longer before she looks down, her expression weirdly caught between happiness and sorrow. “…Ya mean that?” she softly asks.

I push forward and press my head against her, purring suddenly. I feel her sudden surprise, but then, to my delight, I feel her rub at my head as she always has, and hear her soft chuckle.

“Oh, Big Guy.” she whispers, and I feel her get up to hug my head, one hoof still rubbing. “I don’t have th… no. No, I do got th words, don’t I?”

A moment passes before she whispers into my ear, “I got you, Big Guy. An I know you got me.”

She pulls back, and I look to see her smiling at me, still a little sad, but she will heal quickly, I feel.

I stand once more, and stretch my wings in the chill air. Despite the cold, and the lingering damp, I feel rejuvenated. The future stretches before me, and not even this cold wind nor this damp can douse the heat in my heart.

After so long infirm, I will finally return to the ponies I care for.

And now, the newest of their number will come with me.

“Climb atop me, Smart.” I tell her, intent on flying soon. “I need to return to my home, and it is far from these cold peaks.”

Smart nods, before moving to my side and trying to climb up. She is awkward about it, and after a moment, I find it necessary to sit, so as to allow her an easier time doing so. As I stand up, I hear her slight yelp, and peer back in mild confusion, noting that she seems rather uncomfortable, as though she anticipates falling off at any moment.

After a few moments of that tension not fading even with my stillness, I tell her, “Smart, come to my mane, and grab hold there, if you feel unsteady.”

She nods, and tentatively nears before she does so, and though she grips tightly at first, she soon relaxes, feeling far safer amongst the mane than upon my back.

Then I look out, intent on going, before I then hesitate, even as my wings prepare to flap.

I do not know where I am. And thus, I do not know which direction to go to return to my den.

I know that these peaks are a great many, and the clouds above would prevent my just flying high so as to spot the single peak where my den is. It is concerning.

How am I to…

…I wonder.

“Smart?” I ask, wondering if my idea is possible; it sounds stupid honestly, but just maybe…

“Big Guy?”

“Can you order me to return to my den?” I ask.

A long moment passes before Smart, stunned, asks, “What?”

“I don’t know where to go from here.” I tell her. “However, I think that, perhaps, the collar might be able to force me to return, despite my ignorance of how to.”

“Big Guy, that… that…” Another long moment passes before I hear her ask, “…You sure about this?”

“If it fails to work, then nothing comes of it.” I tell her. “If it does, then we return without incident; order me, Smart.”

Smart sighs, and I feel her wiggle in my mane for a moment. Then, she finally says, “Alright. Big Guy, return to your home.”

For a few seconds, I feel nothing, and I feel that the idea has not worked.

Then I feel the now familiar power of the collar, and my wings itch for flight. I grin, and leap from the cliff, catching the air and flying once more, feeling the collar tugging me in a certain direction.

As I leap, Smart screams, and keeps screaming until my flight settles after my leap. And even after, she is grabbing onto my mane with enough strength that it is slightly painful.

“Smart, what is the matter?” I ask her, confused at that behavior.

Smart doesn’t respond to me, and continues not to. Why would she…

…Is Smart afraid of flight? I have heard of that, though not often. Pegasi, after all, fly everywhere, and the girls are near fearless; they had even wanted to try riding atop me when my own ability to fly was poor. However, I have heard that some ponies get uncomfortable around heights, and that some have a strong fear of flight.

“…Smart, you have no reason to fear.” I tell her, noting that, over time, her grip is reducing, though every shift in the air makes her startle faintly. “You are perfectly safe atop me.”

“…That ain’t th problem.” I hear her say, her voice rather subdued. “I jus… keep feelin like I’m,” she startles again as I flap hard to lift myself over a larger peak, and I wince at the grip, “like I’m fallin, sometimes.” she finishes.

I note that her tension is in rhythm with my flaps. She relaxes with each flap, only to grow tense in the time between them; this tension increasing should my flight deviate at all.

Perhaps, someday, I might be able to attain a flight that even Smart can feel comfortable with, but as it stands, I am at a total loss how I might comfort her now, outside of my assurances.

I instead focus on getting back to the den; the shorter this flight is, the better for Smart.

Finally, we are free of the peaks, and I soar over the green lands I know. the clouds are still present, and the land feels a little dismal to me; as though the land itself is saddened, somehow.

I hate this cold that is present. I thought winter was supposed to come after the leaves turned colors, but I can see the forest from here, and it is still a dark green.

I can only imagine how bad it will get once the snow comes. I saw it many times as a statue, but suddenly, I recall it being frozen water; two of my most hated things, together.

Dark thoughts aside, my spirits rise as my den comes into view below us. At long last, I am returning home.

And, with any luck, Mirage might still be living within.

I make large circles to descend, feeling Smart’s extreme tension as I do so. I suspect that, if I were to just swoop as I normally have, she would react very badly.

But, eventually, I land on the ground without incident, feeling Smart trembling in my mane, though the moment my paws touch the earth, she begins to calm again.

I don’t even have the time to pull my wings back before she leaps off me, and I turn to see her hugging the ground. The sight is comical, and I grin.

“Not a flyer, Smart?” I ask her.

She gets up, and looks to me, and bluntly states, “No. I never want ta do that agin either.”

“You should never have to.” I tell her, to her relief. “Though I will fly again, there is no immediate reason for you to fly with me.”

I walk toward my den, and Smart follows after me, calm once more. “…I know this place.” she remarks after a moment. “Me n Chancellor first saw ya here.”

“This is my den.” I tell her, entering within. I expected it to be cold, but it is not. And there is a strange scent as well.

I pause as I enter, noting it instantly. In the middle of my den is a small fire, of sorts; it seems to come from a large red crystal that simple sits there, generating heat and flames. And sitting by it, the source of the odd scent I caught, is a unicorn; not one I know.

He, I think, is already standing up as I enter, and as I pause, seeing him, I note his tension, yet determination. He is afraid of me, yet, something seems to steel him.

“Kitty?” he asks, and I blink, confusion growing a little more. He knows my name?

“Hey!” Both he and I look to see Smart move past me, advancing on the unicorn in obvious anger. “What do you think yer doin here?” she demands of him, stomping.

The unicorn instantly turns from slight fear to abrupt insult and anger. “Who are you to demand such?” he asks with no little anger in his tone.

“This is Big Guy’s Home!” Smart yells, stomping again. “Yer tryin ta steal it, ain’t ya?”

“The dirt must have gotten into your head.” he growls, glaring, making Smart snort, lowering her head slightly.

“If you rock head,” Smart growls, the unicorn taken aback by the name before he seems almost enraged, his horn giving off small sparks as he too, snorts and lowers his head, matching Smart’s glare, “don’t leave right now, I’m gonna make ya.”

“You can try, dirt horse.” the unicorn growls back, making Smart startle before she yells in anger.

Smart charges, to be rebuffed by a sudden shield between her and the unicorn. Yet, even as the unicorn smirks, Smart turns around and bucks it, shattering it and shocking him. He swiftly glares with dark intent and his horn shines as she whirls back around to snarl at him.

Before one or the other can do anything more, I act. “Smart!” I snap, and as they startle at my yell, I snatch her and pull her back swiftly, making her yelp as I do so. My paw remains in front of her, both to keep her back and possibly protect her if necessary.

As I do so, I glare at the unicorn, who notices swiftly, his own shock turning to abrupt fear. He backs up, obviously intimidated.

“Enough.” I growl, and the unicorn nods swiftly. I feel Smart trying to move past my paw, and I push her a little farther back in response. To her, I snap, “Smart, this is my home, and my responsibility. Not your own. Stay.” Then, to the unicorn, I ask, perhaps with a growl that I shouldn’t have had, “Who are you, and why are you within my den?”

The unicorn keeps staring before he tells me, “I am Emerald Dust, and I was ordered to.”

“Ordered to?” I ask, calming.

He nods, trying to relax, though he retains an obvious fear of me. “My princess told me to remain here, and await your return, oh great Kitty.” He bows then, and I suddenly understand.

I left Princess and Mirage behind all those weeks past. It is no hard leap of logic to assume that she is, truly, royalty, and thus able to command the other unicorns. As he knows my name, then it can also be assumed that either Princess or Mirage told him of it; he wouldn’t know it otherwise.

“I was tasked to relay several messages upon your return as well.” Emerald tells me. He seems to wait for my nod before he begins, “My princess wishes that you know that the pegasus who was here with her is now her honored guest at our new home.” he tells me, to my great relief; Mirage is not only safe, she is cared for.

Emerald seems to relax, noting my relaxation and smile that develops. “She also wishes that you know that she would be delighted to invite you to the same, oh great Kitty.” he continues. “The pegasus also asked that I tell you that she is alright and that she wants you to come back as soon as possible.”

I nod. “That is good.” I say. “How long have you been within my den, Emerald?” I ask.

“Just a little more than six weeks now.” he tells me. “Ever since our princess returned from… her sudden diplomatic meeting with you.”

I can’t help but note the hesitation. The implication makes me smile more, however.

I had ponynapped Princess, even if it was an accident. However, it seems my apology has truly been accepted by her, if she has decided to have the event termed as a ‘sudden diplomatic meeting’ instead. If I had no reason to accept her invitation before, I do now:

I want to know the pony who chose to forgive my capturing her, stealing her things, and humiliating her, better.

“…Why’s he callin you ‘Kitty’, an there was a pegasus here?” I hear Smart ask, and I look down, to note that she remains behind my paw and seems a bit humbled. I then regret my overt anger toward her; her intent was, though entirely out of line, meant to be helpful. I probably shouldn’t have snapped at her like I did; especially not with ‘stay’.

“That is my name.” I tell her, and I catch her mild amusement before she seems to ponder on it. “And the pegasus here was Mirage, one of my ponies.”

“Like me?”

“No. She is blood.” I answer, looking back to Emerald, though not before seeing Smart hesitate underneath me. I notice Emerald has a strange confusion on his face, though it vanishes once I look at him.

“I accept your princess’ invitation, Emerald.” I tell him, Emerald shaking himself slightly. “Am I to find my own way, or shall I follow you?”

“I can guide you, oh great Kitty.” he says, bowing again.

“You needn’t add anything to my name.” I tell him. “Neither do you have to bow; I neither deserve nor require any title nor show of respect from you, nor anypony else.”

Emerald blinks, a touch confused before he simply nods. I smile at him, and he hesitates before he manages a rather weak and forced one of his own; likely due to not being familiar with me.

He remains in place, however, as time passes. I grow more and more confused, Emerald growing slightly nervous and uncomfortable himself, and I’ve not idea why.

“Is something the matter?” I ask.

“You’re, um, kind of in the way.” Emerald nervously tells me.

…I will give him that I am in the entrance. However, I know that anypony can just walk right past me to exit. He is likely unwilling to get so close to me.

I say nothing, and pad more into the den, Smart swiftly following me, doing her best to remain underneath me, freeing the exit. I look to him, and Emerald levitates the burning crystal, somehow douses it, and walks that way.

As he leaves, Smart mumbles, “Sorry about earlier, Kitty.”

I sigh faintly in response, watching Emerald leave before I look down, to see Smart peering up at me, obviously regretful. Yet, I feel there might be something more present in that look. I’m not sure what that is, however.

“You meant well, Smart.” I tell her. “Though I do not understand your anger at Emerald. It was almost as though you already hated him for some reason.”

“…It ain’t really about him,” Smart murmurs, glancing at Emerald with obvious discomfort, “more n it is about rock… about unicorns.”

Emerald glances back, wondering why we were not following him. I hesitate a moment before calling out, “Wait outside for a time; we will join you soon.” He nods and leaves, allowing me to turn back to Smart.

“What about unicorns?” I ask her.

Smart hesitates suddenly. I wait, but she fails to say anything; I suspect she doesn’t want to tell me.

“…You thought he was trying to take my den.” I say, making her look up at me. I cannot read her eyes. “Why was that?”

“…It’s a long story, Big… Kitty.” Smart says, not looking at me.

“We have a little time; you can tell me at least part of it, Smart.”

Smart doesn’t respond immediately, looking down. After a moment, she gives a heavy sigh, and looks back up at me, her gaze split between old sorrows and old angers.

“Cause they took ours.” she tells me simply, looking up at me.

“What?” I ask, confused suddenly. “But, why would they?”

Smart huffs. “Cause they only care about themselves. Pegasi couldn’t give a single feather about earth ponies, an unicorns can barely care enough ta not treat us like slaves.”

I wonder at that; it sounds… wrong, somehow. Like a piece is missing.

Even as I wonder, Smart answers that question for me. “When th cold came, they didn’t care about us, buried under snow. Unicorns were safe in their big castles with their magic, and pegasi just went straight up, higher than the clouds. But when th harvest failed, they wanted what little there was.”

She grows angrier as she continues, “They wanted what we had worked so hard for. We had fought the winter, we had planted the crops, we tended to them despite the cold and snow, and they didn’t care! They wanted it all! They wanted us ta die, starving under the snow!”

Smart growls in rage, and I am taken aback. “I cannot imagine,” I begin.

“They wanted it all, Big Guy!” Smart suddenly yells. “We told them we were starving, an they didn’t care!” I watch her, seeing great rage, great sadness, fighting with one another as she continues, “We did all we could while they sat warm an cozy in their own homes! We froze in the snow an ice while they sat next to their stupid magic fires and looked down from atop the clouds! We gave all we could to get what little could survive the cold! An they came ta sometimes tell us that we weren’t doing enough! THAT WE WEREN’T GOOD ENOUGH!”

She rears up, gives a fierce scream, and slams her hooves down, badly cracking the stone. She remains in that position, glaring at the floor, trembling in rage, as I stare, speechless.

What is this time I have come to? What is the difference between now and then?

How could ponies have ever come together with such a dark past?

I shake myself as a cold wind gusts in from outside, and sigh, dispelling the dark thoughts. I have seen the future of this. I know this will mend itself in time. Perhaps Smart might even be exaggerating with her tale; after all, she couldn’t truly know what the pegasi and unicorns were thinking or doing at the time. There is a more than likely chance that she is only seeing one side of things; that there is, somewhere, a reasonable explanation for all this.

“Big… Kitty?” I hear Smart ask, and I see her looking up at me, worried, perhaps a bit regretful. “I,”

“Smart.” I interrupt, lowering my head to her level. She watches me do so, still worried and sad before she notes my smile, and gains a note of confusion. “I was once told about hates and grudges. I remember those lessons still, even after so long.”

“…You were?” she asks me.

I nod. “Once, long ago, I felt the same sort of anger you did just now. I now share the lesson I learned:”

“Anger only hurts us. It makes us less and it makes us unhappy. And the worst part; it hurts those who love us. Those we don’t want to see hurt suffer because of our anger.” I recite, the words still clear in my mind.

“An you… care about me, an I care about you.” Smart sighs, understanding, though looking saddened. “Kitty, I don’t think I can,”

I carefully nuzzle her, and purr, making her stop. She hesitates before she hugs me again, though I do not see her smiling yet. “Smart, I will always be there to help you.” I tell her. “It took me many years to let go of my anger; I do not imagine your own some frail shadow to be chased away so swiftly.”

Smart sighs, and hugs me a little tighter.

“We go now to the unicorns, Smart.” I tell her. “I don’t want you to become enraged.”

“…I’ll try.” She whispers, but I hear her doubt.

“…Smart, climb back atop me.” I tell her, pulling back, Smart letting go as I do so.

“Why?”

“Perhaps it might give you some strength.” I tell her, sitting down. “If you feel weak, hold onto me, and know that my strength is your own.”

She stares before she nods, and heads to my back. After a moment, I feel her climb up and I stand once more, looking back to see her standing atop me. For a moment, she is uncertain, before she comes to my head, moving beyond my sight, and I feel her grab onto my mane.

That done, I exit the den, and find Emerald waiting outside. Seeing me exit, he turns, looks back, and then begins walking in one direction. I follow him, looking ahead to my meeting with Princess, my reuniting with Mirage, and pondering what Smart has told me.

A cold wind blows as we walk.

Chapter 12

The colorful tent from before is gone, and Smart’s words return to me as we finally reach the unicorn’s home.

‘Big castles’, she said unicorns lived within.

The castle that now rises from the Everfree is certainly big. It towers quite high, and is a sight to behold.

I feel Smart shift slightly atop me, and hear her whisper, “Kitty?”

“Yes, Smart?” I ask, looking back at Emerald, to ensure I don’t run into anything.

“Promise me that if anything happens, you’ll get away.”

“…What?”

“Unicorns have magic. Lots of magic. If they want to, they could… do lots of stuff.” I wonder, hearing her mild fear. “If anything happens, I’ll try to stop it and you just get away.”

“Smart,”

“No, Kitty.” Smart says. “I mean it. Unicorns can be dangerous, an I don’t want ta see anything happen ta you. If they try anything, I’ll try to stop them and you get away. Promise me.”

I can hear the strength of her determination. As well as the depths of her fear. It seems Smart fears unicorns, which I did not expect, especially after her anger towards Emerald.

I am tempted to agree, to set her mind at ease; I am certain that nothing like that will happen. However, to do so seems wrong.

Instead, I tell her, “Smart, I will not promise you that.”

“Kitty!” she hisses.

Before she can say more, I tell her, “I would never abandon you.”

I feel her hesitation, and then hear her faint sigh. I feel her rub at my head again, and hold onto my mane a bit tighter as the castle comes more into view.

It is truly magnificent. It stands in its own clearing, the walls high and strong, the towers tall and regal. A massive gate stands at the entrance, strong and unyielding, large enough to admit me with ease. Unicorns in armor stand atop the walls, watching as we approach. Princess’ banners hang from the same, declaring the castle to be her own.

I very much approve.

As we near, one of the unicorns atop the walls gives off a bright, blue spark of sorts that lingers in the cold air. Emerald gives off his own, green version, and I note that it seems to have a distinct shape to it. An answering green spark appears atop the walls, and Emerald nods, finally stopping outside the gates and turning to look at me.

“This will take just a moment, oh… Kitty.” he tells me.

I nod, though I do feel a little impatient. The wind seems to have worsened, and I shiver in its frigid touch.

Then the great doors shine with magic, and creak open, allowing us entry. Emerald moves, and startles when I move past him, eager to get out of the winds. I feel Smart’s grip increase as we enter a rather small and unremarkable room that, oddly, has another gate the same as the first. A few magical lights cast their shine on nothing but stone.

I see Emerald walk past, and hear the gate behind us shut. Smart startles atop me as it does so, making the comfort of the wind finally stopping a bit less. I feel her slowly shifting atop me as the other gate shines and opens.

I can only stare as it does so, though Emerald seems unaffected as he trots forward.

The room beyond is a grand entry hall, thrice the size of my den if not more. A great fire burns in the far back, a pile of red crystals the source of it, hugged by a twined staircase that end at a beautiful pair of double doors at their peak. Magical lights are set along the walls, competing with the fire’s red glow with their own colorful shine. I recognize some of Princess’ furniture placed around the room, the gold reflecting the fire and the wood shining with polish. A long red carpet lines the center of the hall, leading to the fire, where my gaze is captured.

A very large, plush, white carpet sits in front of the fire, large enough to admit even my size. Above the doors at the top of the stairs is a great portrait of Princess herself, sitting regal and proud.

Seeing Emerald looking back finally snaps me out of my admiring Princess’ home, and I follow after him. It is a delight to move toward the fire, its heat radiating out. I spot a few other unicorns watching from the far end of the room; nervous and fearful, they retreat away into pony sized doors as I near.

“My Princess will be here shortly.” Emerald tells me as we reach the far end of the room. “Please, make yourself at home, Kitty.”

I nod, and very happily settle onto the white carpet. It is soft and warm and the fire’s heat is incredible against my side. Emerald heads away and I relax, settling down, starting to give a gentle purr. The fire is so very wonderful, its heat against my side.

After a brief time, a unicorn appears from the upper doors, and announces, “Her royal princess, Princess Platinum.” Before he bows and moves aside to allow Princess to enter.

“Princess Platinum.” I greet warmly, smiling as she heads down the stairs. She has regained her finery since I last saw her, and stands regal and strong once again. “It is good to see you once more.”

“As it is you, Kitty.” she says, smiling back as she approaches, followed by another unicorn in a simple dress I recognize, in part. She was the one who was near Princess before, when I first saw Princess; the purple one. “It has been a long time.”

“It has.” I agree, sighing. “I have been absent for far too long. I heard that you took Mirage under your own care, Princess?”

“I have.” Princess tells me. “She is here as my honored guest, Kitty.” I nod, my smile increasing for what Princess has done. “I’ve much to tell you, Kitty, but first I must ask you where you got that… necklace.”

I am left at a loss as to what she means before I realize that she is talking about the collar on me. I note that the unicorn behind her lights their horn as I ponder why she would choose to call it a necklace, instead of what it actually is.

“A collar of command!” the unicorn behind her yelps, startling. Princess does as well, and I hesitate, seeing her grow agitated and fearful swiftly, looking back to the unicorn.

“Clover, find the holder, quickly!” Princess yells, Clover refocusing with an almost urgent appearance to her.

They can identify the collar then? It has to be a unicorn’s magical nature, but why are they so upset? It… oh.

“I have them!”

I just realize why they are so agitated when I spot Smart float past me, encased in a lavender bubble. I can see her yelling, but I hear nothing from her as she goes past.

I snap forward, seizing onto the bubble and slamming it down, struggling to hold it in place. I see Clover flinch as I do so, but she continues trying to tug Smart away from me. I dare not use more force to try and pop the bubble; I would inevitably hurt Smart in the process.

“Kitty, Kitty, you must let her go!” Princess tells me quickly, still agitated as Clover continues to struggle with me. “You must understand, a single word from her can cause you to act, regardless of your will!”

“I… know that.” I say, struggling with Clover, making Princess hesitate just a little. “But she has… earned my trust…”

Clover finally ceases pulling, and the pair of us stop struggling as Princess stares at me, gravely concerned. I see other unicorns nearby, all watching her, waiting, several with horns already alight.

“I am very well educated of the collar’s command.” I say, looking at Princess, thinking about how I might convince her that Smart is no threat to either myself or her. “I spent five days under its domination, the slave to a group of earth ponies. It was this one who tried to help me during that time, and the same who ultimately freed me from that servitude in the only way she knew how; by making herself the sole pony able to command me.”

“In so doing, she saved me, at the cost of her place amongst her own kind. It does not matter that she might command me; I trust her with that power, and she has proven that trust many times over.”

I see Smart looking at me, her expression hard to see through the bubble; I do not know if she can hear within it. Princess looks thoughtful and worried, and Clover is looking to her with her own expression of worry. I remain focused on Princess; it is she who will decide to listen or not.

I can only hope that she might hear my truth.

“…Clover.” Princess says at long last, looking to the unicorn. “…Release the earth pony.”

“What?” Clover asks, stunned. “But, but Princess, she can,”

“I know what she can.” Princess interrupts. “But did you not listen to him?”

“…But she could have just ordered him to say that, Princess.”

“Clover, could you imagine some way to command Kitty behave in such a particular fashion and tell us such an explanation, and yet deny him the chance to alert us that he is not acting under his own free will?” Princess asks.

Clover doesn’t answer at first, a small frown appearing on her. After a few moments, she slowly shakes her head.

“For that matter, did you sense the collar activating when Kitty acted, or when he spoke?” Princess asks further, and Clover’s frown doesn’t change as she again shakes her head.

“Thus, we can only imagine that his words are his own, and not placed in his mouth, and that his actions are of his own free will.” Princess says.

“…What if they tricked him?” Clover asks after a few moments, making Princess hesitate, confused. “What if the earth ponies worked together to create a giant lie for him to believe, so that he would trust one of their own beyond doubt?”

“To what end, Clover?” Princess asks, thoughtful, seriously considering Clover’s proposal.

Clover thinks for a moment before she begins speaking again, “They could try to demand something from us. They could want to worry us or intimidate us. They might just want to prove something.”

“Conjecture, Clover, and nothing more.” Princess says. “I have already realized why that is so as well:”

“That earth pony has been with Kitty this entire time, including the time before we realized that he wore the collar. She had more than enough opportunity to enact any plot she could wish to enact long before you identified the collar and captured her.”

Clover stares as Princess explains, her frown increasing at first before that slowly gives way, and leaves her simply concerned.

“…But she still might,” Clover begins.

“I must side with Kitty on this, Clover.” Princess interrupts. “He has clearly shown that he trusts her, and explained why he does so as well. I might only imagine the sort of trust that has him believing in her despite the power of the collar.”

“And that trust, at the very least, merits that we not condemn a pony just for what she is able to do.” Princess finishes, and I catch the slight emphasis, and Clover’s nearly invisible flinch, at those last words. “You do agree, do you not?”

“Yes, Princess.” Clover sighs, retaining her concerned look, but no longer having any refusal in her.

“Your worry serves you very well, Clover.” Princess tells her, smiling. “It is why you are my most favored of assistants.”

“…Thank you, Princess.” Clover answers back, giving a tiny sigh and gaining a small smile to match Princess’ own.

“Now, let the earth pony go, Clover, and we shall swiftly discover if Kitty’s trust is well placed.” Princess says, looking back to me. I can barely notice her tension, she hides it so well.

Her words have made me tense a little myself. I do trust Smart with the collar; nothing can change that, but… How might she react to this? Did she hear anything in that bubble, or was she incapable of hearing anypony, as she was unable to be heard herself?

I am very aware that the collar can react to anything that could be understood as an order. Smart has been careful speaking near me, I am certain, but with her fear and anger of unicorns, would she manage to continue to do so?

I glance at her, and find her still watching me. Her expression is still hidden behind the magic, but I take hope in her still and calm appearance. She won’t do anything rash.

Clover takes a long, slow breath, and then releases her spell.

Chapter 13

The moment she is free, Smart darts to me and says nothing as she grabs onto me with amazing strength, getting behind one of my paws before she lets go, watching Princess and Clover with caution, and mild fear.

Princess releases the breath she was holding, and relaxes. “Kitty, could you enlighten us on who the earth pony is?” she asks me, Clover relaxing in turn, though she remains guarded herself, just like Smart is.

“Her name is Smart Cookie, Princess.” I tell her, suspecting that Smart might be unwilling to speak right now. She is incredibly tense, and I would guess she is more afraid than angry; she is more or less hiding behind my paw.

“Well then, Smart Cookie.” Princess says, looking to Smart, Smart flinching a little as she was focused upon, “I feel your actions in saving Kitty are nothing short of heroic, and applaud your sense of justice. I am also extending my invitation to him to you; for so long as you remain by Kitty’s side, you too are welcome in my home as an honored guest.”

I find that a pleasing thing to hear, and smile a little.

“Like unicorns would know th meanin o justice or honor.” Smart mutters darkly, making Princess and I both hesitate. “Where is Kitty’s pony, ‘Princess’?” she asks, nearly spitting the last.

“Kitty’s… do you mean Mirage?” Princess asks, and I note that she pronounces the name perfectly, though oddly, her horns lights as she does so. “She is here.”

“And why ain’t she here right now?” Smart asks, and I wonder at her anger even as I wonder about her question. Where is Mirage? I would have thought she would have come immediately upon hearing of my coming.

“She’s,”

“Not here.” Smart interrupts. “And I’d bet that you can’t call her right now either.”

“I can, but I would not. She is currently resting, something of which she has gotten rather little of as of late.” Princess says, frowning back.

“I thought unicorns were better n ta keep family apart.” Smart near spits. “That’s such a,”

Seeing nothing good coming from more of this, I pull Smart back, more or less trapping her between my paw and chest. She startles as I do so, but she doesn’t resist me either.

Princess looks to me with a strange mixture between distaste and curiosity.

“You must forgive Smart, Princess.” I sigh. “She means no real harm with her words.”

“Is, is what she,” Princess begins, before something shoots just over her head to impact against me.

I smile hugely, recognizing Mirage even as she holds onto my muzzle as though she might never let go again.

“Mirage.” I say, already starting to purr again, unable to not do so. It is so, so good to have her with me again.

“I missed you.” Mirage tells me, squeezing me a moment more before she looks at me, her gaze happy before it turns confused and mildly concerned. “Where were you Kitty? What happened to you?”

“It is a long story, Mirage.” I tell her. “In short, I found Sweetie, high in the mountains, being watched over by a pegasus. But when I went to retrieve her, I was met and fought by another one, in gleaming armor that flew through the sky faster than the eye could follow. In the end, he summoned a storm over me, and struck me from the sky with lightning.”

“That had to be the Commander.” I hear Clover mention, her voice quiet, Mirage’s expression a touch horrified.

“I spent much time recovering before I could even wake again, and then a few days afterwards. Days I feel should be spoken of not by me, but by Smart Cookie, who saw to my healing over that time.”

“Smart Cookie?” Mirage asks, and I nod, looking down to where Smart is still pinned against my chest.

Mirage flutters back a little bit, looking down curiously before she goes down and lands just in front of me. I let Smart go, but she remains very close to me, watching Mirage.

“…Did you save Kitty, Smart?” Mirages asks.

“…I only helped him ta heal, I didn’t,” Smart manages before Mirage rushes her to hug her, to Smart’s obvious shock. I chuckle as Mirage lets go and backs off just as quickly.

“Thank you.” Mirage tells her, Smart still rather stiff, though she soon shakes it off.

“Smart.” I say, Smart looking up at me. “Please tell them what transpired during my time amongst your kind. I have partially explained already, but it would be for the best if they all know what happened.”

“…Can’t you jus tell em?” Smart asks, and I note the hesitation on her.

“I want you to, Smart.” I tell her. “I could not hope to recapture the tale in my own words.”

Smart keeps watching me before she sighs, and refocuses on Mirage. I see Princess and Clover listening as well, and other unicorns appear to be slowly gathering, remaining at a distance, but watching as well.

“…It was Chancellor who found Kitty an dragged him back.” she begins, “He was jus about dead, an Chancellor asked me ta heal him. I didn’t know him at th time, an thought that Chancellor had lost her mind, wantin me ta get him back on his paws, but she insisted an I said I would. Even though I thought he was jus some giant monster.”

Mirage nods, to Smart’s slight surprise. Mirage then says, “Big, terrifying winged cat, right?” to which Smart gives a slight nod, relaxing somewhat.

“…Well, I had had th collar fer a while afore then. I knew what it did, cause I had put it on an old dog th once, and I felt that th collar was going ta make my fears go away and make Chancellor’s nutty dream come true: to have Kitty be our trump card against anythin. I convinced her ta let me put it on him, an that’s why that’s there right now.”

At Mirage’s confusion, I clarify, “The collar controls me, and cannot be removed, Mirage. If not for Smart’s efforts, I would be bidden to obey any order given to me.”

Mirage nods, glancing to me before refocusing on Smart, her expression slightly conflicted. “Alright… You put that on Kitty because you were afraid of him, right?”

Smart nods sadly, but Mirage gives a small sigh and smile. “Yeah, I can see why.” she says, surprising Smart once more.

“Wh, what?” Smart asks.

“You had no idea who he was, and you could only see what he was.” Mirage tells her. “You were only trying to do your best; even if you did mess up, you meant well.”

Smart hesitates for a brief while before she resumes. “Once he started getting better, he started mumblin in his sleep; dreamin, an starting to tell me just who he was. As time passed, I was more n more certain that he wasn't jus some giant beast. But once I found out that th collar couldn’t come off, I jus… started tryin ta convince myself that I was right th first time, even as I started ta like him more n more.”

“Cept the rest o th townsfolk didn’t really like him bein there, specially not once he started getting better. Chancellor kept tellin em otherwise, but they kept on grumbling about him; fearing him. And then one of em tried ta kill Kitty in th night with a knife.”

Mirage and a few others gasp at that, Smart sighing.

“He stabbed Kitty a couple a times, an Kitty… bit him in half fer it.” she says, Mirage pale, Princess dismayed. “I almost thought I was right all along, but Kitty had spat him out an was tryin to get away from the whole mess, an he weren’t even awake then. I… I hid th body an washed th barn an lied ta protect him from th others, cause if they knew he had killed one o th townsfolk, even if he had been defendin himself, they’d have killed him fer it.”

“A week later, an he finally woke up. Chancellor wanted him ta help, an he did; he didn’t even notice th collar workin, cause he wanted ta help us. He wanted to listen to what Chancellor asked o him, all cause we had helped him get better. It was then I knew I had messed up, putting th collar on him.” Smart hesitates for a few moments before she resumes, “He trusted me at first, even as he started getting upset, cause of th collar holdin him back. I didn’t tell him about it, all cause I worried what he would do, or say. I knew better by then, but I… I was still afraid of him.”

“Eventually, th rest figured out I’d lied, but not that he’d killed; jus that he did eat meat. Chancellor talked ta me about that; she even brought up losing trust. Then she asked me if I’d made sure ta order Kitty right; that’d I’d ordered him ta be all th things she wanted him ta be. I hadn’t, but I told her I did. An then it was Kitty, who was starting to feel that something was wrong. An when he asked me ta be honest, I… I told him that Quick Call had died in th woods.”

“Kitty got real mad, cause he knew he had killed Quick Call. He told me then that he had ponies what depended on him; ponies he cared for. He didn’t know what was holdin him back, but he thought it was me, and th worst part of that is that it was me. Cause I put th collar on him, cause I was th one who’d ordered him to be weak. I… I thought he was gonna… I almost wanted him ta, but Chancellor yelled at him ta stop, and then ta sleep. She then told me ta be more commandin; told me that she was real disappointed that I had lied again; one o the things she told me ta order Kitty was that he couldn’t get angry.”

“All in that one afternoon, I lost th trust of the town, Chancellor, and even Kitty.”

“I never felt more miserable then I did right then.” Smart says, hanging her head. “I jus… left an hid from everypony fer a few days, cause I couldn’t face anypony. But then somepony ordered him to tell them if he killed Quick Call. Then they got together ta decide his fate and they came up with th idea ta jus have him go leap off some cliff until he died.”

“I couldn’t stop that. So I did th only thing I could do. I snuck out, ran ta Kitty, told him to forget every other order, ordered him to only listen to me, and then ordered him to fly away where’d they’d never find him. I finally found th courage ta stand up ta em, finally realized that I had always had the chance ta help… but it was too late. Nopony wanted ta listen ta me then. In th end, I was yelling at Chancellor an I called her worse n th pegasi and unicorns combined.”

Smart pauses for a moment her expression troubled, before she begins again, “…I don’t know what might’ve happened. They all went quiet, but afore anything could happen, Kitty dropped from th sky, grabbed th back of my shirt, wrecked what was left of th barn, an took off agin wit me danglin from his teeth. I didn’t know what ta think then, what with the yellin, everythin I had realized, an how high we were... Eventually, he landed, and then he asked me ta explain myself ta him. So I did, little like how I just did.”

I finish for her, speaking, “I forgave her, and as she had lost her place amongst her own, offered her a place by my side. She accepted, and we returned to the den to find Emerald there. Soon after, I followed him here.”

Mirage looks to me, her face a little sad. Then to Smart, still a little sad. “Well… I don’t know how to say this, but if Kitty says you’re with us, you’re with us.”

“Huh?” Smart asks, confused.

“I mean… You sort of saved Kitty twice, thinking about it.” Mirage tells her. “First you helped him to heal, and then from the townsponies. Yeah, you did wrong, but really, you’ve either already paid for it or have already mended it. And if Kitty wants you to be with him, then I welcome you there. My place is on his head mind you, so no taking that, but the rest is alright.”

I chuckle at Mirage’s clumsy attempts to explain what I have offered Smart, and lower my head to nuzzle Smart, Mirage moving forward to hug me again as I purr. I note that she makes a point to hug Smart in the process, Smart still looking a little confused before she relaxes.

“Once, I would have never believed I would ever hear such a story.” I hear, an I look to see Princess, smiling at us. “To imagine that you went through all that, Kitty, is simply… stunning.”

I nod, drawing back once more, Mirage moving to atop my head as Smart remains pressed against me. “But I now ask you, Princess; what happened in my absence?”

“Quite a lot.” Princess answers. “After you left and did not return, I began trying to persuade Mirage to return me to my unicorns, with the promise that she would be my honored guest, instead of her… previous stance. She was recalcitrant, certain you would return soon, but once my unicorns eventually found me again, she decided to come back with us.”

“Once I had made true on my promise to treat her well, Mirage began to tell me more about you, and soon enough, about the three fillies you had gone in search of. I decided to assist you in that endeavor, and enlisted my unicorns to begin the search for them.”

She looks at Clover, who begins to speak, “With Mirage’s descriptions of the three, we managed to scry on their locations, discovering it to be someplace within the mountains. A squad was set to retrieve them, only for them to be rebuffed by pegasi, who have claimed that entire swath of mountains as their own. Realizing that the pegasi had taken the fillies, we attempted a diplomatic approach soon after.”

“Which went simply dreadfully.” Princess tells me, sighing. “The Commander is a simple brute with no delicacy to him. He wouldn’t listen to reason, and refused to even tell us why he was keeping the fillies, save for that he didn’t trust us. I had imagined that Mirage might assuage his fears, only for him to claim that we were controlling her somehow and to then demand that we relinquish her to him. Of course, we refused, and diplomatic methods were deemed useless from then on.”

“Unfortunately, further attempts at retrieving the fillies has met with continued failure.” Clover continues. “We have only been able to determine that they are being cared for, but little else, as the Commander himself seems to have begun patrolling the peaks sometime after our first attempt, driving away any team we send. After the Commander threatened military retaliation, we have since discontinued ongoing missions into the peaks.”

“Which leads us to today.” Princess finishes, sighing. “I did so want to ease your troubles, Kitty, but I’m afraid it just wasn't possible.”

“I already owe you great thinks for caring for Mirage, Princess.” I tell her. “That alone is a debt I wonder how to repay, but to hear that you have tried to work on my behalf is even more deserving of my gratitude. I owe you a great deal.”

Princess waves one hoof, and tells me, “It really wasn't anything much, Kitty. You need not feel as though you have some great debt to me because of this, and my actions would be near cruel if I were to try to use them in such a way as to have you indebted to me. I did what I did because it was the right thing to do, and not to earn or demand anything from you.”

“I feel I must, Princess.” I tell her. “If I do not, it would devalue what you have done for me, and though helping Mirage might be simple charity, trying to retrieve the fillies for me is far from any simple charity.”

“Well… if you do insist.” Princess tells me, smiling.

“I do.”

“Now then…” she says, thoughtful. “There is the slight problem of Smart Cookie.” I feel Smart tense against me. “It is a crime to misuse an artifact like a collar of command, much less so as to steal a pony’s will. I do feel that she should at least be held accountable for that, Kitty, despite that you’re no pony.”

I wonder, though her small grin suggests that she has something she feels I would agree with. “What are you thinking of, Princess?” I ask, my curiosity burning.

“A great crime merits a great recompence.” Princess says, teasing my curiosity, though I suspect Smart is growing rather tense, as I know Mirage is. “And I feel that I’ve the perfect sentence for this crime.”

“I’d like to sentence Smart Cookie… to work with Clover so as to discover a method by which we can remove that collar from you, Kitty.” Princess finally says. “If that is, of course, acceptable to both you and the pony in question.” She adds, looking at Smart with a rather mischievous expression.

“…If it’s fer Kitty.” Smart sighs, moving from me.

“Wonderful!” Princess says, happy. “Clover has been asking for an assistant for a while now, and I can only imagine that by mixing your knowledge with her own, we might arrive at some innovative solutions.”

Smart stops, confused, and I see Clover hesitant, before Princess nudges her.

“You two can begin right away.” she says, using a touch of magic to push Smart and Clover both towards one door, Clover soon leaving on her own, Smart hesitating to follow until I nod.

Princess watches them go before she looks around her. “Everypony else is free to resume their duties.” She calls out, and I see the gathered unicorns scatter rather quickly. As soon as the last is gone, Princess sighs, and approaches me.

“Kitty… I had anticipated this meeting to go very differently than it has gone.” Princess tells me, sighing softly. “And even though it has not gone as I had wanted it to, I still want you to hear what I have to say to you.”

I nod slowly, wondering, a little unsure what Princess is feeling. Regret, maybe sadness, something else?

“Much as Smart had, I too had thought you to be a monster, Kitty.” Princess begins. “And that image of you remained even after you spoke to me, asking for my forgiveness.” She hesitates a moment before she tells me, “I, like Smart had, lied to you. When you asked me for forgiveness, I spoke only to protect myself and my ponies, fearing you even after all you said to me.”

“It was not until Mirage began to tell me about you that I truly began to change my opinion.” Princess continues, “The more I learned, the more I began to understand you. But it was not until now that I have truly understood what drove you to those actions that night. And, in that understanding, Kitty, I want you to know that I have truly accepted your apology, belated though it might be.”

“And it is the same understanding,” Princess says, lowering her head, “That I find I must ask you to forgive me.”

I do not respond immediately, and feel less able to once Princess bows her head to me. I should have seen that long before, yet, I had simply accepted her words without even imagining what she might have felt or thought during that time. To hear the truth is surprising, and a touch hurtful, but she has soothed it in nearly the same breath.

“…For what do you ask my forgiveness, Princess?” I ask her, wondering.

“That it was I who scattered the fillies, and I who kept Mirage from you.” Princess tells me, keeping her head lowered. “I forgive your actions, Kitty, but it is now that I wonder how much you truly had to apologize for.”

“…I cannot accept, Princess.” I say, and she looks up, with just a hint of surprise on a saddened face, before I continue, “I did far more that night than might ever be excused, and cannot accept your apology in the light of that.”

Princess blinks, a touch stunned even as I sigh. “If I were to do so,” I tell her, “it would be as though I would accept that some part of what I did was correct in some fashion. That night I gave into my anger, and my greed alike; if you feel as though you have anything to apologize over, know that you have done so merely by accepting my own.” I tell her. “That alone is enough.”

Princess keeps staring at me for a long moment before she gives a soft sigh and gains a small smile. “Kitty… If you can say that, then I insist on this: you owe me nothing for my caring for Mirage nor for my attempting to retrieve the fillies.”

I open my mouth before Princess interrupts me, “If you might find my apology in as little as my accepting your own, then whatever you might owe me is paid in full by simply accepting my offer to remain here as my honored guest.”

I watch her before I sigh, and smile as I nod, accepting, Princess’ smile growing in response.

“Now that that’s done.” Mirage says from atop me, fluttering up to get in front of me. “Are you sure that you’re all better Kitty?” Mirage asks me, concern passing over her face. “What with the lightning, and the fall, and the collar, and the mad pony with the knife…”

“I am recovered Mirage.” I tell her, Mirage giving a small sigh as I tell her that. I reach up to carefully grab her, and pull her closer to me, Mirage nuzzling into my chest, even as I lower my head, starting to gently purr as she does so. “Again, I’ve left you alone, and again, I ask that you forgive me.”

“Oh, Kitty.” Mirage mumbles, pressing into my chest a little harder. “You know better than that; it isn’t your fault all that happened.”

A moment passes before she gently sighs, and adds, “It’s so good to have you back.” Her voice cracking a little at the last.

“As it is you, Mirage.” I tell her softly. “As it is you.”

“You are a fantastic father.” I hear, and I see Princess watching, smiling.

“…What?” I ask, wondering. A fantastic father? What does she mean? Mirage wiggles from my grasp to peer out, curious herself, it seems.

“The fillies, I know, are ponies you care for because of circumstance, but I always felt Mirage was different, somehow.” Princess tells me. “If Smart had not told me, then I might have imagined that your bond was something else, but now her words make perfect sense.”

“What words?” Mirage asks her.

“’Kitty’s pony’.” Princess quotes. “At the time, it didn’t seem to make sense, but seeing this makes it apparent.” She hesitates a moment, thinking before she gives a slight chuckle and gains a faint blush, adding, “I do admit some mild curiosity as to the… shall we say, ‘mechanics’, of how you and Mirage’s mother had her, though.”

Mirage stare for a moment before startling, realizing what Princess was saying. “Th, that, that’s not!” she tries, stuttering and blushing. “K, Kitty!” she yells, “Tell her… Kitty? Kitty?”

“…Why are his wings extending?” Princess asks nopony in particular.

“Kiiittttty!”

Chapter 14

That was a first. I’ve never been embarrassed before. But Princess thinking that Mirage was truly my daughter was more than enough to be that, as was her ‘curiosity’ over how I fathered her.

I did clarify that misunderstanding, both with Princess, and then with Smart and Clover both. Admittedly, my telling Smart ‘she is blood’, was misleading on my part, but I wasn't really thinking at the time. And why is it that not one of them thought that to be ridiculous, and seriously imagined that I am Mirage’s true father?

It raises one particularly uncomfortable question, and several others as well. I’ve never really thought of fatherhood; I have sort of acted as Mirage’s and the girls’ father, but I never felt that way and they didn’t show any particular sign as to the same. More so, I’ve not even had a single thought as to me finding a… mate.

And now…

Now, female ponies sort of ‘stand out’ to me. There is a new attribute to them that draws my eye which I cannot describe, and Princess’ ‘curiosity’ keeps coming back to me, bolstered by the way nopony thought the idea absurd. It’s mildly worrisome.

Particularly as the sight of Princess has become capturing. There is a new feeling in me whenever I see her, one that grows a little whenever she smiles at me, or calls my name.

Mirage herself spent a few days feeling uncomfortable and embarrassed about it before she recovered. She seems to have almost forgotten the incident altogether, though I suspect a reminder might return her to hiding in my mane.

I’ve spent almost a week now simply resting by the fire on the rug. The air outside grows colder and colder, and cold drafts gust in whenever somepony opens a door to the outside; I’ve no real desire to move from the fire in the face of that, and Smart has continued to feed me her food, which keeps me satisfactorily full.

Smart spent several days sleeping by my side, until she grew comfortable enough to take her own room. Mirage spent a night with me before telling me about her bed, which she likened to a cloud, but ‘better’. I let her go without trouble; she enjoys the novelty, and she won’t have it forever.

Smart, thankfully, soon lost her aggression towards unicorns, and I think I have Clover to thank for that. She was so nice and understanding with Smart that Smart calmed down, but to then later learn that Clover was being nice because she herself feared earth ponies was a bit of a surprise. But it seems that they’re both helping the other to overcome their fear and hates, so that’s all good.

I also got to hear a little more about what Smart told me back in my den. I had Clover tell me why the unicorns were here, and the tale she told me was rather interesting to hear, even if I did have to yell a few times at Smart to let her speak.

In brief, the unicorns were apparently putting in their all, while earth ponies and pegasi leaned on their magic and demanded ever more from them, ultimately leading to the unicorns feeling abused.

I now firmly suspect that they all have their own unique tale that make themselves the victim, though Clover was far calmer about it than Smart had been. I might be missing the pegasi version, but I think I’ve gotten to the heart of the conflict:

They all hurt and hate one another because they all hate and hurt one another.

Whenever that began, nopony knew, but apparently, it had been going on since before their first home was buried under snow and ice. Princess, Chancellor, and even Commander, all came here to find a new home for those left behind. All fleeing the encroaching snow and ice, and the other tribes.

They had actually all bumped into one another when Mirage spotted them, and had made up their minds to just go their separate ways and never see one another again, splitting the land here into more or less equal parts, and declaring the fields around the single peak to be neutral ground so no border had to touch another. Peace through separation.

Which seemed to have been working, up until Princess, in the pursuit of helping me, reignited old hates in her attempt to reclaim the fillies.

Smart was able to tell me that unicorn and pegasi battling one another in the peaks was the big reason why Chancellor wanted me to get better. She had wanted me to scare them both off so that the earth ponies could live in peace, without pegasi messing with the weather and unicorns causing avalanches, which was accidental and apparently easy to do, according to Clover, or miscasting spells into the earth pony valleys.

I doubt this conflict will end peacefully at this point. Clover and Smart both told me that as it stood, Commander would undoubtably make a move on his own if the unicorns did not, and Chancellor might take an action as well, since I escaped, depriving her of her first plan, though Smart has no idea what Chancellor may decide to do.

I feel rather responsible for this whole mess. If I had just gone with Mirage and the girls in the first place, Mirage wouldn’t have been captured by unicorns and the fillies wouldn’t have run into the pegasi. Princess wouldn’t have wanted to help me, and in so doing reignited slumbering hates between the pegasi and unicorns, their conflict distressing the earth ponies in turn.

Conflict is assured, but nopony yet knows what shape it’s going to take. Just that it will.

And that it’s going to be bad.

If it does happen…. When it happens, I’m going to side with the unicorns. I’ve a grudge against the Commander, and Chancellor and her ponies did little to earn my respect. The unicorns fear me, but none of them hate me. Princess has been nothing but kind and accepting as well.

But this situation troubles me.

It would trouble me far more, however, if Mirage had not adopted a new habit.

Every night, before she heads to sleep, she comes to me, carrying some book, and reads to me.

Carrying on the long tradition of her ancestors.

I cannot really express how soothing it is to hear her reading to me. It brings to mind many, many memories; ones I often share with her, and Mirage adores hearing about her ancestors. Every moment of hearing her reading takes my mind back, and steals my worries from me.

I watch her leave after the latest, and sigh as I shift on the rug. The days grow colder, conflict on the horizon, Smart and Clover yet to find any hint as to how to get the collar off of me, and this newfound feeling I’ve yet to be able to describe. And, of course, the girls…

Lots to worry about, but Mirage’s reading yet lingers, and help me to relax. The fire’s flickering light the only light now, as the magical ones turn off when it comes to night, I yawn and close my eyes.

“Kitty? Are you awake?” is whispered just as I start to drift off.

I crack open one eye, wondering who it was that was bothering me so late at night.

I see Princess standing in front of me, and she is… She isn’t wearing her tiara, and her normal gown is replaced by a far simpler nightdress. Her necklace is the sole piece of jewelry on her, and the flickering firelight glints off the gold. She seems faintly damp, her mane and tail undone from their normal designs, and I catch a stronger scent of flowers and more from her.

“Princess?” I ask softly, finding the sight of her stunning. She seems… perfect.

She nears me, quietly asking, “Have I disturbed you?” before she delicately sits on the edge of the white carpet, just a few feet away from me.

“No, no.” I tell her, trying to focus. “Why have you come so late at night, Princess?” I ask, shifting up a little.

“There is… something I feel you can answer for me.” Princess says, her voice a touch hesitant, her gaze drifting towards the fire. I wait, and she continues, “About yourself, Mirage, and the fillies.”

“Ask.” I tell her, wondering.

A moment passes before Princess looks at me and begins, “Mirage… she told me many things about you, Kitty, but she… she recently said something rather… strange. She was talking with Clover about the recent snow, and she… she said that she ‘knew the story of Hearth’s Warming’. That she knew about the snow and ice, and about… about me, and Commander Hurricane, and Chancellor Pudding head; things she couldn’t possibly have known about us.”

“When Clover asked her to explain, she panicked, and refused to answer her; saying something about ‘not wanting to mess something up’.” Princess sighs, a troubled look on her face as she looks away slightly. “It reminded me of other strange things. Like how she told us that you arrived here with her and the fillies, but she wouldn’t say from where, nor how it came to be that you have come to care for three fillies, one from each tribe, with her.”

A moment passes before Princess looks at me again, her face troubled. “…What did Mirage mean when she said she knew the story of Hearth’s Warming, Kitty, and why has she been hiding things from us?”

I do not respond for a long time, watching her, the fire crackling softly nearby. Then I slowly tell her, with as much seriousness I can manage to imbue it with, “The knowledge you seek, Princess, is not something you can forget. Once you know it, you can never not know it again. And even if I do tell you, I might not be able to answer your questions anyway.”

“Are you certain you want to know?” I ask her with careful seriousness, watching her watch me.

Her face is unreadable, and she makes no motion as she keeps staring at me. I see her answer before she even speaks; her eyes harden, and I see her determination to know. “I am sure.” she tells me, and I only nod, accepting.

“Mirage, the fillies, and myself came to this land less than a year ago.” I tell her, trying to think of the best way to tell her what I am about to.

“From where?” Princess asks me. “What land did you come from Kitty?”

“…The question is not ‘where’.” I say, and I see Princess hesitate even as I finish, “The question is ‘when’. Mirage, the fillies, and I came to this land from one far distant, yet, the same. We came from this land many years in the future, to arrive here, in this time, in the same place.”

Princess stares as I continue, “Sometime centuries from now are the fillies’ true homes; the field outside this very forest is where their town will one day be. Mirage was born in the same age, which looks back upon this one through the broken lens of oral history and tradition; that tradition being to tell the story they tell each year about the time of cold and ice, the time of conflict and struggle.”

“They tell one another the story of your age, and they call the time when they retell the tale, ‘Hearth’s Warming’.” I finish.

“…Magic eternal.” Princess breathes, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. “You… You walked through time.” She says, looking at me again, her expression complicated. “Only the most powerful of unicorns ever entertained the idea of manipulating the moments, and that only in the very heights of their pride…” Princess tells me. “Yet, you walked through unnumbered years, carrying four ponies with you…”

I nod as she says so, watching her. She is taking this far better than I feared she might.

Princess doesn’t say anything more for a moment, her expression still difficult to understand, but there is a sheen of awe, and the hints that she is thinking quickly.

Then she stands, and with her voice a touch desperate, asks me, “Kitty, I, I must know; what is the end of the story of Hearth’s Warming? What is the fate of the unicorns? What is my fate?”

“…The details elude me, Princess.” I tell, her noting the mildly desperate look in her eye. She wants to know more; perhaps even feels she must know more. “And even if they did not, I could not tell you what will happen.”

“Why not?” she asks me, gaining just a faint glare.

“If I tell you, that would make it different.” I tell her, and Princess hesitates. “If you know, you will act differently than you might have, and your changed actions would send ripples through your future and will make anything I tell you wrong. A large enough ripple may even have catastrophic consequences, not only for the future, but even in your own present.” I finish, and I feel a familiar sense of unknown familiarity.

I know that it would be very bad if I tell Princess too much. I know that speaking the future to those not myself could cause some terrible thing to happen. Another unlearned knowledge within me, though I am not certain what the consequences I speak of would be…

“…I suppose that makes sense.” Princess sighs, shaking her head as she sits back down. “It would be as though you told me the moves I might make in a game of chess, where the motion of a single pawn changes the whole of the game.”

“There are things I can tell you, Princess.” She perks up slightly, looking at me again. “I can tell you that unicorns are within the future, as strong as they are today, and that they do not live within a barren tundra; this land does find its sun again.”

“That is… calming.” She tells me, relaxing from a tension I had failed to see before. “…How do they recall me, Kitty?” she asks. “When they tell the tale of my time, do they know me? Has history recalled me fairly?”

“…I am afraid not.” I tell her, seeing Princess hesitate as I say that. I don’t really want to tell her, yet, it seems wrong to not let her know at least this. “You are recalled as arrogant and stubborn beyond reason, apathetic to the troubles of your own, and an enemy to the other tribes.”

As she gains a look of horror, I try to sooth it, by adding, “Commander Hurricane and Chancellor Puddinghead are recalled much the same, Princess. The tale of the past is foggy, passed through countless hooves and many might forget something in the retelling. Others might change something purposefully, or add something else, so as to make the story what they want it to be, rather than what it is.”

“…That is cold comfort, Kitty.” Princess sighs, lowering her head, obviously saddened.

“It is the only comfort I might offer.” I tell her, a touch saddened myself; I don’t like seeing her so. “…But I know you.” I say. As Princess looks up at me again, I continue, “When you thought me a monster, you faced me with courage. When I tried to remove your dignity, you remained dignified. You showed great kindness to Mirage, myself, and Smart. You lead your unicorns with strength and wisdom alike, worrying for them as I might worry for the lost fillies.”

Princess gains a small smile as I speak, looking away slightly, and gaining the faintest touch of blush.

“And all the words they speak of your beauty do not touch upon the reality.” I say, smiling at the sight of her.

Princess looks to me, surprised, before she gains a brighter blush, and a slightly wider smile. “…You have a silver tongue, Kitty.” she tells me.

“Go rest, Princess.” I tell her, trying to relax myself. “It grows very late, and even I begin to tire.”

She nods and stands up, only to then hesitate. I see her thinking about something before she smiles at me again, and heads to me. I hesitate somewhat as she carefully reaches out to delicately put her hoof on my nearest paw, leaning closer to me still.

“…I’ll have to find ways to get you to talk to me more often.” she tells me, smiling, before she ever so delicately kisses my head.

She then steps back, and tells me, “Good night, Kitty.” As she leaves. I do not respond. I cannot.

Is there a word for ‘paralyzation by kiss’? Because I… she… but then I… is… I don’t…

…

My thoughts are a mess. I suspect I won’t sleep well tonight.

Yet, I think I won’t mind not getting much rest either.

I… I still do not know what to think or feel about this whole thing. I still don’t have the words to describe this feeling, and I still have not made up my mind whether or not it is a good or bad thing for me to feel.

I have found I cannot bring myself to speak it in front of others though. Mirage might be the only one I might, but once I managed to get across what I was feeling, she got flustered and agitated and asked me to please stop.

The day after passed without incident, to my mild surprise. Princess was the same as she always has been, and I firmly suspect she has not told anypony else what I told her last night. I expected something to change, but it hasn’t… I’m not entirely certain if I wanted it to change or not either.

The next has barely begun when Smart delivers my breakfast, only to remain nearby.

“Princess called Clover for some meetin or another.” she told me once I looked at her, wondering why she was lingering. “Didn’t tell me fer what, but she did remind me o somethin.”

“What did she remind you of?” I ask, for Smart to produce a large brush.

“I haven’t groomed ya since a couple a weeks ago an you could do with one.” She says, heading to me with it.

I do take care of myself, but the feeling of the brush is quite pleasant, so I say nothing as I finish the food, and just relax, feeling Smart brush me. Mirage comes soon after, and joins her in doing so. Between the two, I am purring and near totally relaxed.

At some point, I hear the door open, and I see Princess, in full regalia, enter, followed by Clover and three unicorns in armor; one of them is Emerald.

“Kitty.” she says as she stops near me, her retinue stopping behind her, her expression serious. “The time has come. If we wait for much longer, Commander Hurricane will take the initiative, and we cannot allow that. As such, we are making plans to besiege their peak stronghold, and rescue your fillies from them. I felt it important to ask you if you would join us in the assault upon the pegasi.”

Smart and Mirage have stopped brushing me, and I knew that this would come one day. I already know the answer:

Commander is going to pay for that humiliation he gave me.

“I shall.” I tell her, and Princess nods, her expression firm, but I spot the hints of a smile.

“Your assistance shall be of great aid.” Princess tells me. “As the plans develop, Clover shall alert you to whatever role you shall play during the conflict.”

With that, she leaves, followed by the others again, and I hear Smart sigh from atop me as they go.

“This is it then.” she says, resuming her brushing with a little less force than she had before. “Pegasi against unicorns. Exactly what Chancellor knew what was going ta happen days after she found ya in th mountains.”

“I’m not staying behind this time.” Mirage tells me firmly.

“I ain’t either.” Smart adds. “Even if it means flyin agin, I’m gonna be wit you th whole way.”

Their determination might have made me smile, if circumstances were different. But this is nothing to smile about.

The future promises that this conflict would end, and that peace between the tribes will one day come. I know that to be true.

But now I begin to wonder how many ponies are to die before that peace comes.

Clover returned to me several times to tell me how the plans were taking form.

I am to be the leading point; Commander Hurricane is expected to zero in on me immediately, and I am to be the one to fight him, with Mirage and Smart assisting me. Later on, Clover was assigned to join me, to ward off the cold so I might not freeze in the frigid air in the peaks, and to try and protect Smart and Mirage as well.

The rest of the unicorns are to distract Commander’s forces, hopefully so I can face him by himself. The idea is that I incapacitate Commander Hurricane, and in so doing, cause his forces to surrender without too much loss of life between the pegasi and unicorns. Clover told me that the unicorns will be using spells to stun and incapacitate, but could not guarantee that a fall would not be fatal nor that a panicked or upset unicorn would not use more deadly spells.

Apparently, the Commander is very well known for his ‘no prisoner’s’ attitude, though whether that holds true for ponies remains unclear.

As the plans finalize, and unicorns start preparations to move out in the morning, Mirage is atop my head. She is tense and nervous; I feel much the same.

Come the next day, I will march with a small army up the mountains to confront the pegasi, and Commander Hurricane. As much as I hate him for his humiliating me, the memory of his power still makes me shudder. Even with Mirage, Smart, and Clover assisting, I am not certain I can defeat him.

And if I do not, the conflict will take many, many lives.

Starting with my own, and my passengers’. It is not only my life I now hold; it is Smart’s, Clover’s and Mirage’s as well. The fate of the girls rests on me on well.

The fate of ponykind itself might rest on me.

I have to do this. I must overcome him. I must defeat him.

I cannot lose this battle.

Chapter 15

Again, I find myself high in the peaks, but this time, snow blankets the ground, and the wind howls as freezing flakes whiten the very air. But I do not feel it. Atop me, Clover keeps me warm with her magic, and despite the cold all around me, I feel warm. I can feel Mirage holding my mane tight; my own tension is nothing to her nerves. Smart is behind her, tense, but calmer than Mirage is. All three wear furred armor, Smart and Mirage’s crafted specifically for them.

They look nice, but their purpose is all too clear.

Just behind me are almost three hundred unicorns in similar armor, shivering and stomping to try and keep warm. In front is Princess, wearing beautiful silver armor that is currently hidden underneath a heavy furred coat.

She is beautiful in either. More so, seeing her determination and unflinching gaze.

Just next to her is her captain, Emerald, and they both stare off towards the pegasi stronghold. It doesn’t look like much; the snow likely hides what they have built, and the flurry makes it difficult to see.

But we can all see the pegasi. Watching us as we watch them, flying in place and shifting back and forth, making it difficult to count their number. Sometimes they pass through the grey clouds not so far above us, but I can see that they too, shiver.

We have already announced ourselves. We only await the Commander. At this point, the show of giving one’s foe a final chance to back down is just that; a show. Commander Hurricane is not going to acquiesce to Princess’ final demand, and conflict is inevitable.

Commander keeps us waiting for ten minutes before we spot him and three more leaving the stronghold, and flying our way. I suppose the flag whipping behind one of them is the pegasi flag; his flag.

He lands about thirty feet before Princess, before he alone steps forward, as Princess does. They both stop once they are near one another.

“Commander Hurricane.” Princess says.

“Princess Platinum.” he greets in turn, his gaze flickering to me before he refocuses on Princess, glaring. “Again, unicorns trespass on our peak, but this time, it seems you play at soldiers.”

“I play at nothing, Commander.” Princess states, her voice firm, standing a little taller.

“The beast was yours all along, wasn't it?” he asks her. “Tougher than I thought it was, if it survived my bolt and the fall.”

“He is his own.” Princess tells Commander, her voice gaining a sharp edge. “I now give you your final offer, as it is prescribed: give us the fillies, and we shall leave in peace, and never face another again.”

Commander glares, anger passing over his expression. “If you call the storm, you get the storm.” He says, his voice dark. “I too, give you your last warning: give us your brainwashed pegasus, and leave our lands never to be seen again.”

“Then we have agreed.” Princess says. Commander nods.

“You’ve agreed nothing!” is shouted, and Princess and Commander both startle a little, turning to see.

Chancellor comes up to the pair of them, still wearing her outfit, and we can all see a gathering of earth ponies behind her. More than I saw in Sparkly Cupcake.

“Not without me.” Chancellor says darkly as she reaches them, her gaze hard.

“You want in on this, Puddinghead?” Commander asks, snorting. “Go back to your valleys.”

“You’ve nothing to do with this, Chancellor.” Princess adds.

“I’ve plenty to do.” Chancellor says. “Enough with all of this. Enough I say! Pegasi and unicorns have brought nothing but strife and hunger to the earth ponies, and we shall stand for it no more! Here, and now, I declare this land, all this land, to be ours and ours alone!”

A biting wind blows, and the air seems to grow colder, the snow thicker, the other two staring at Chancellor in minor shock. Then they both glare.

“Think you can take it, Puddinghead?” Commander yells as the winds howl. “Fine then! You ask for the storm, you get the storm. We fight for this land.”

“You are not going to leave us out of this!” Princess objects, stomping. “If that is what this has come to, then so be it! Are we agreed?”

“I accept the terms.” Commander says, glaring at Chancellor and Princes in turn.

“Winner takes all.” Chancellor adds, her eyes flicking between Princess and Commander.

“This land for one.” Princess says, and all three stomp together.

“Ten minutes.” Commander says as he takes flight, his guards going with him.

“Ten minutes.” Princess says before he goes too far.

“Ten minutes.” Chancellor adds, to then head towards me, to Princess’ surprise.

“Where are you going?” she asks, frowning.

Chancellor doesn’t respond, looking up not at me, but at Smart.

“Smart Cookie.” She says, stopping nearby. “I have something to tell you.”

Smart doesn’t say anything, leaning down to watch Chancellor, her face troubled, Chancellor’s own kept perfectly neutral.

“I’m sorry.” Chancellor says, and Smart startles. “You were right the whole time. I should never have thought I could control Big Guy, and I should never have tried to force you to do so for me.”

“Ch, Chancellor…”

Chancellor sighs, and gives her a small, sad smile. “I was so worried when Big Guy took you that rainy night. But it looks like he took you in; he made a good choice. You’re the best pony he could ask for to have by his side. You be sure to… to…”

Chancellor stops, her face wobbling, before she lowers her gaze for a moment. Then she looks up again, simply looking at Smart. “…You make sure you be his best pony, just like you were mine.” she says. She gains a small smile as she adds, “But if you ever do feel like dropping by, you’re always going to be welcome in Sparkly Cupcake.”

Chancellor then leaves, though not before I spot the glint of tears in her eyes, hurrying back to her own group. Princess watches her go with a frown before she then turns to see the rest of us.

“The terms have changed!” she announces, her voice carried clear via magic to the gathered unicorns, spells shimmering amongst the whole as some seek shelter from the growing storm. “We fight now not just for what is right, but now for our very home here! If we do not overcome this day, then we shall be pushed to the edges and forced away!”

“But we shall not falter! We shall not bend our knee to the pegasi nor the earth ponies! Remember all those that wait for us, waiting for us to find them a new home! Waiting for us to bring them back hope! And they seek to take this home from us! But they shall not!”

“Stand tall! Stand proud! We shall show them our birthright, and we shall teach them the meaning of magic! We are who command the skies in their paths, it is us who master the world around us! It is us who are their betters!”

“We shall make them compromise, or it shall be they who shall be forced away! For what is right! For our King! For our families! For our future! We fight!”

The gathered unicorns all call out in answer to her, and begin to move. I see the earth ponies moving as well, and the pegasi swarm out of their stronghold in their turn.

I take to the air as the battle begins, and fly high, heading towards the stronghold. There, I should find Commander Hurricane, and it is there that I’ll face him; on the ground, where I’ll have a bit more control. In theory, at least.

Chancellor has turned this battle from a simple skirmish to a pitched fight for the homes they built in this land. None of them can back down anymore. There is no question of mercy, or ceasefire:

They fight for their futures.

None of the pegasi in the sky near me. As Princess had anticipated, they do not wish to face me, and will leave it to Commander Hurricane to do so. The battle below is smothered in white, making it difficult to see what is going on, but the sparks of spells are common, and soon enough, the yells and screams of ponies.

The storm seems to scream around me with them. I’d swear that I keep seeing something, some ethereal shape running through the clouds and snow, but I never get a good look. Yet, if I listen, I could swear that I can hear faint hoofbeats, and a ghostly sort of neigh.

I ignore it, for there is a far more important thing to think about as I near the stronghold. As it comes more into view, I spot the Commander, waiting for me. But even as I move to land, he seems to vanish in a gust of snow, leaving me to land in an empty fort. A walled town on a high peak, covered in snow and made of stone. The peak rises a little higher there, and I see a cave within it; some sort of small sanctuary in the stone.

I step towards it, and somehow manage to spot and dodge the blue blur that’s shoots past me, aiming for my head. The Commander stops nearby, fluttering, his eyes glaring hard.

“I bested you once before, beast.” he growls, moving to get between me and the cave. “I don’t know how you survived, but I won’t allow you to take the fillies.”

“They are mine to care for.” I growl at him, glaring as well, my claws scratching the stone under me.

“Even with allies, I am still your better.” He says, his glare hardening. “This land is our land, and we shall not forfeit it! Bring it!”

He crackles suddenly, shockingly, only for the bolt to scatter off a shield, the Commander crashing through a second after. I snap, only for him to dodge me close enough to brush past my fur, Mirage managing to kick him away from my back, throwing him up.

I am barely able to turn to see before Smart stops his near instant return with a solid buck of her own, stopping him from ramming Clover. Clover then attempts to shock him herself, her horn crackling, but he again slips away, zipping along the ground to hover in front of me, watching me; keeping my head between him and Clover.

He must be unwilling to dare her magic. His lightning needed him to hold still, didn’t it? Clover could get him if he did so, which leaves him one option then:

His speed against my claws and teeth.

Despite his remaining to my front, I still find him difficult to hit, and can only give him glancing blows, nicking his armor or thumping him harmlessly away from me. I need to restrict him more! His sheer agility makes it impossible to truly know where he is going!

I have an idea, and as we keep fighting, I start pressing him, moving forward. He fights harder for it, his blows increasing in power, but eventually, he has to avoid a rock wall, and I manage to snag his armor, swing him, and throw him into a nearby building, where he impacts, hard.

He gets up again, shaking his head, but that hit was a good one. Two or three more, I think, and this will be over.

Unless he learns to not let that happen again, as he swiftly does. As soon as I start pushing him away, he zips past me again, and I hear Mirage yelp.

I don’t feel her on me.

I whirl, to see Smart wrestling with him in the snow, holding one of his wings, Mirage fallen nearby. I move, and just as he breaks her hold, he flaps once to get up before I snag his armor again, and whirl him to slam into one of the stone buildings nearby.

But that time, I keep my hold, and I do not let go as I swing him again, repeating the action. I heard something snap, and then I hurl him into the cavern he tried to prevent me from getting to. There is a loud crack and I hear a set of gasps that I know, and I grin. Smart and Mirage hurry back atop me, and I head that way as Commander fails to reemerge.

The cavern is spacious, oddly circular, and seems natural. The Commander is struggling to get to his hooves near a cracked dent in the wall, his helmet badly dented.

The pegasus that I saw with Sweetie from before is there, with her wings spread out as though to protect or hide them. She looks at me with obvious fear, but she doesn’t move as she looks to the trembling Commander, who glares at me, obviously pained and weak now.

“Commander…” she says in the softest voice I’ve heard.

“Stay back, Private.” Commander says, managing to get to his hooves again, though I can tell he is no threat now. “I’m not going down without a fight, beast!” he yells at me. “Come on! Finish it!”

“You seem finished already, Commander.”

He hesitates, and Princess walks past me. “Now, surrender, and I might be merciful.” she tells him, Clover hesitating before she hops from my back, and stands with her.

Commander stands tall again, his wings flicking, moving so he stands in front of the trembling Private. “To give you this win?” he asks, snorting. “Never.”

“Right, because she is not the winner here!”

Chancellor enters, to all our surprise, taking a position so she can see both Commander and Princess. “I am!” she announces, and I feel Smart leave as well, hesitantly coming to Chancellor’s side as well.

“You?” Princess asks, aghast, and I feel Clover forget to keep me warm, cold sinking into me as they begin to fight amongst each other.

“As if earth ponies amount to anything.” Commander says, glaring at her.

“You two are going to end us with your bickering and oppression!” Chancellor says, glaring.

“We never oppressed you.” Princess objects, anger flickering across her face as well.

“You oppressed everypony.” Commander near spits.

Something is happening as they continue to yell at one another. Ice seems to be creeping down the walls, slowly growing inwards. I can’t do anything about it; a chill unlike any I’ve felt saps my strength, and I feel Mirage grab hold of me to try and resist the same. I feel like I am freezing solid.

“You really are just a peacock!” Chancellor yells, the ice reaching her back hoof.

“I, of all ponies, a peacock?!” Princess yells, the ice reaching her back hoof as well. “You prance in that ridiculous outfit and call me a peacock?!”

“You’re insane!” Commander yells at Chancellor, to then yell, “And you’re no better!” at Princess, as the ice reaches him as well.

None of them even appear to notice as the ice starts climbing up them, slowly consuming them, but the others do. Clover, Smart, Private, and the girls all retreat from the nearing ice, even as their leaders all seem unable to notice as they slowly freeze over.

I can only watch helplessly as they keep screaming at one another while the others are slowly driven closer and closer together, the girls closer still, all six with worried expressions.

The ice takes all three leaders in turn, their yells suddenly ceasing, their faces locked in angry expressions. As I watch that, ice creeps over my own vision, blurring it. It makes a sort of shell around me.

I see the three mares all bump into one another, and then I think turn to look at one another, the girls huddled close in the center. I can just barely make out the ice grabbing them as well.

I hear something said, and I think they all reach out to hold one another.

Then something flashes white, and fires up. The ice on me shatters as warmth fills the room, allowing me to see Clover’s eyes shining white, warm air gusting from the beam coming from her horn, Smart and Private holding onto her and each other, their eyes closed in odd peace.

The beam shifts, and suddenly, two ghostly horses are shot out of the air, crashing down near me. Clover is sending out waves of heat, melting the ice, but the ghostly horses seem to fight against it. They struggle to get to their hooves, and they seem to emit waves of cold to combat Clover’s warmth.

I’ve not seen nor heard of anything like them. They look like real horses. They are cold, and fight against the warmth. They are trying to freeze everypony with that cold. I know what I must do.

I reach forward, and snap my jaws on each in turn.

They puff like mist once I do so, but they are so cold that biting them actually hurt. But the moment they are gone, the warmth pulses even stronger, and I hear the melting ice and snow hissing.

Clover’s eyes cease glowing, and the beam fades, but the air continues to warm. She slumps slightly before they all turn to their respective leaders, the ice on them melting to reveal wet, dazed, and oddly weak ponies.

The fillies look around before they all rush to me.

“Kitty!” they all cry, leaping at me to cling to me.

They then babble over one another, all trying to tell me… something. I think they are telling me that they really loved being here, which confuses me.

We all almost froze to death. What’s good about that?

I get back on my paws, and they clamber atop me, still babbling. I leave the cave with them, not waiting for anypony else to recover.

I have no place in what is happening between the six of them right now.

I feel Mirage hold the girls tight as I slowly walk out of the cave, and hesitate as the sun starts shining through the grey clouds above, the snow melting around my feet already. I flap a few times and then take flight as a new, warm wind blows over the shining peaks.

I see ponies struggling in the melting snow below me as I go. They all assist those in need of aid, regardless of species. I see nothing but wonder and confusion on their faces as they look up at the sunlight breaking through the clouds, and stand amongst the swiftly melting snow.

I see snow falling from the rocks, water flowing down slopes. The sun’s light shines bright and warm across the land, the clouds fleeing from its rays, the snow glittering many colors as it swiftly melts away. A warm breeze gusts me along, and my heart soars at the sight of it all.

The cold is gone, the snow is melting, hope breathes new life as the sun’s rays grace a land that had gone without for too long!

As the sun breaks the last of the clouds, I roar to greet it, to cry out that this is over, finally over! I see the ponies below me looking up at me as I soar ever higher in the warm sunlight, roaring an end to this age! Below me, I hear a few of the ponies cry with me, soon joined by others. I look to see them all united, cheering even as my roar fades, and I smile.

Then I start to fly back home, feeling the girls and Mirage atop me.

We won.

We all won.

Chapter 16

I have started writing the tale on my walls. My own, but also that of the ponies.

I want that the true tale survives the ages, even if it does so only within my den.

It is difficult, however. Mirage grants me some insight, but if I truly want to record this tale, I shall have to learn it from the ponies first. Princess, Commander, Chancellor, Clover, Smart, and… Private, wasn't it? I’m fairly sure it was, should all be consulted before I can complete this task.

I’ve not heard of anything that’s happened between the unicorns, pegasi, and the earth ponies. That is not surprising, as I am currently avoiding them.

This time is historic. This time determines the shape of the times to come.

If I were to interfere, the future might change.

My present and past, their future, might change.

I must avoid them, lest I find my life rewritten. That too, is another thing I know without knowing why, but that knowledge is embedded in me as though carved into my very bones. Time is stable, but if I were to influence a historic time, then the ripples would change everything ahead of them.

Leading to me becoming what I can only know as ‘timelost’, a fate I dread despite my ignorance of its meaning.

So I remain within my den and ensure I do not near them, waiting for the day that they remember me on their own, and come here, which should only happen once all the important parts are set in stone.

And I do recall Smart. I’ve not forgotten her, nor abandoned her that day.

I gave her a place with me, but she has a true place for herself. I offered her my strength, but she had to find her own again. Which was why I encouraged her to face her own troubles, and encouraged her to face her own hates and fears of unicorns. When the time came to battle, I heard the renewal of her strength in her voice. When Chancellor apologized to her, I heard her desire to return to where she truly belongs: by Chancellor’s side. Just as Clover went to her place by Princess, Smart returned to her own.

I know she is alright now. I just know she is once more in her true place, as Chancellor’s ‘best pony’, keeping the eccentric mare company and maybe starting to realize just how wise Chancellor really is underneath all that weird behavior.

I’ve reclaimed the life I once lived with Mirage and the girls. In some ways, it is as though nothing truly changed, though I now spend far more time with them than I once had.

However, despite all that is good, there is something yet that troubles me, and greatly so.

I find myself still unable to stop time. Still unable to use the power that had always been within me. I had, at first, hoped it to be an effect of the collar, but I soon remembered the first time it failed me; when I first encountered Commander Hurricane. The collar has not done this to me, and that leaves me lost as to what has.

The power is still within me. I can feel its gentle beat, just like I once did so long ago in stone. But though I’ve tried, I’ve yet to rediscover how I once used it. It was once so automatic that it has left me no real clue as to how I once stopped time nor travelled the ages.

I’ve not told Mirage nor the girls about this trouble. The last thing I want is for them to fear that they might never return to their true time.

I worry every day for the time when they ask me to return them, and they finally discover that I cannot. I can hear the girls making plans for their return, speaking of all the things they’ll say and do. They have grown weary of this time, and want to return to their homes and families; they just haven’t told me that yet.

“Kitty, Kitty, wake up!” I hear in a soft, but urgent whisper. It is Mirage, I know, but her tone lacks fear, so I wake slowly, wondering why she is disturbing me.

Just yesterday, the girls had wanted to try staying up, to see what they told me was called ‘the frog song’. Apparently, the frogs in froggy bottom like to ‘sing’ when the moon was new and the fireflies crowd their little lake.

The girls really wanted to see it, so I decided to treat them and did so. It was fun, certainly, and interesting; the frogs really do seem to sing. However, we got back very, very late, and I had imagined that we could sleep in today.

Based on how little light there is, however, Mirage has disturbed me when the sun has barely risen in the sky.

“What is it, Mirage?” I groan softly, feeling the girls asleep next to me yet, seeing Mirage in front of me, a touch agitated, or maybe excited.

“Princess is here to see you!” she tells me, still speaking quietly, and that has me wake fast.

As carefully as I can, I get up, doing my very best not to disturb the slumbering fillies. I try and shake the tiredness from myself, and ask Mirage, “Where?”

“Outside.” She tells me, pointing that way, and I nod.

Not the best of times for her to come back, but far from the worst one. I head that way, Mirage soon joining me.

I find Princess waiting for me outside my den, along with Clover. Her smile is a little dampened once she notices me; I suspect I seem tired and worn.

“Princess.” I greet, before I yawn. “F, forgive me.” I tell her, shaking my head again. “Last night was a long one.”

“I do apologize if I’ve disturbed you, Kitty.” Princess tells me, “But I simply had to come as soon as I could once Mirage reminded me.”

“…Mirage reminded you.” I say, glancing to Mirage, who looks to me with a neutral expression. Now that I think about it, I sort of remember feeling something was missing last night.

And now I think I know what, or rather, who, that was.

But why did she go and find Princess again?

“Reminded you of what, Princess?” I ask her, suspecting Mirage wasn't about to tell me herself.

“Well, of you, Kitty.” she tells me. “I had so much to say once all that business with the ice and snow was over with, but you had left, and by the time we had realized you were gone, we heard your roar, and saw you leaving. And right after, there was just so much to be done that I somehow completely forgot about you.”

“That is perfectly alright, Princess.” I tell her, sitting. “What happened after I left that day?” I ask her, already suspecting I know.

Princess hesitates a moment before she tells me, “We are all still unsure what happened precisely, Kitty.” she begins, “But that cold and snow was… unnatural. And we all think that we all, I, Commander, Chancellor, and everypony else, were being influenced by something. Difficult as it is to imagine, something strange seems to have been responsible for the cold, and had us acting… rather irresponsibly. I’ve never been so mad as then, and I don’t think I will be ever again.”

“And if it wasn't for Clover, Smart, Private, and the fillies, I firmly suspect that we might all have been frozen, forever caught in that moment of rage.”

“What did you and the others speak of, though?” I ask her. “Once the warm returned, and the sun shone, and I roared and left, what happened then?”

Princess nods, though I suspect she wants to continue what she was saying. “I, Chancellor, and Commander had a long talk.” She tells me. “Where we came from, the tribes stand apart, each with their own, distinct leadership, laws, and customs. When we first left that land to seek a new one, we thought that our problems had come from what little connections that we had shared; that our being together was what caused our strife.”

“Even before we found this land, we had each decided that we could only move forward by relying on our own strength. When we found one another here, we decided to enforce that separation; that we might never be bothered by another tribe again. I took the forest, Commander claimed the high peaks, and Chancellor took the valleys as we left the land around this peak to be never claimed by any. We all thought that we had found the true path forwards, all thought that by standing alone, we could become greater than what we were.” Princess sighs, and continues, “We were all wrong; we all ran into troubles that the others might solve, but none of us even considered asking for aid.”

“And if Mirage had not run afoul of my scouting team, and the pegasi never taking the fillies, then we might have all fallen to our own hubris.” Princess says, shaking her head. “…To my great shame, Commander tells me that if I had not trespassed in his land, nor demanded the fillies to be given to me, then he would have returned them on his own, and more so, would have wanted to meet us again. For the fillies had inspired him, and he then inspired us.”

“As the snow melted and the sun shone, he told us his amazement with the three little fillies who managed to outwit his guards and overcome his every effort to contain them, all because they stayed together, cooperated, and used their differences to overcome challenges any one could never hope to overcome, acting in union with one another. And he asked us all:”

“If three fillies could do so much together, then what majesties might we make if we made them our example?” Princess asks, smiling before she gives a small sigh, and sadly adds, “If only this new dawn could have come without so much cost to you…”

“The cost to me is nothing, Princess.” I tell her. “To hear that the fillies inspired the most important ponies of this time far outweighs any trouble I might have suffered. If they knew that it is they who are responsible for unification of ponykind, I might never hear them stop boasting about it.”

Princess smiles again. “Again, you surprise me, Kitty.” she says. “The depths of your magnanimousness is truly unfathomable.” I have barely begun to react before she then adds, “But telling you all that is not why Mirage asked us to come; actually, it was Clover she asked to come visit you.”

“Oh?” I ask, again looking to Mirage, who still has a neutral face. I look at Clover, and ask her, “And why is that?”

“Mirage is worried for your health, Kitty.” Clover tells me, to my surprise. “She tells me that you were once able to stop time, an ability you used to hunt, but apparently, find yourself unable to do so any longer.”

I look at Mirage, wondering; when was it that she figured that out?

Mirage looks back, and then tells me, “You’ve been weirdly tense, and it wasn't going away. And when I followed after you, to try and find out why you were upset, I saw you roaring and nothing happening.”

“Mirage,”

“Kitty, I know you don’t want me to worry.” Mirage continues. “And you might think you can hide it, but not from me. When something bothers you, it bothers me; always. And when you don’t tell me what that is, I worry that it’s something really bad. Like ‘losing you’ bad.”

“Mirage…”

Mirage closes her eyes for a moment, clenching them shut. I gently tap her with a paw, and she looks up at me again, her eyes a little teary.

“…You have to stop scaring me like this.” she says, her voice a little tight as she wipes her eyes with a hoof. I lower my head to her, and gently push against her.

“…I’m sorry, Mirage.” I tell her, hearing Mirage sigh against me before she hugs at my head. “But whatever is wrong is not much, I promise you. The only thing wrong is that my roar has lost its power; my tension that I am unable to complete my duty to the girls.”

I feel Mirage nod against me, and hear her sniffle, to my pain. I should have told her a lot earlier. I never thought she would notice…

“…There, together, forever?” Mirage asks me, sighing.

“There, together, forever.” I respond, Mirage sighing again and letting go. She gives me a weak smile as I lift my head back up, trying to smile reassuringly at her. Then I look back at Clover, who seems a bit stiff, Princess looking a little emotional herself.

“What can you do for me, Clover?” I ask her, making her startle slightly.

Clover swallows before she starts, “I should begin with a thorough examination, so I can start to understand your physiology. It will help if you can tell me anything about yourself as well.”

“I understand.” I tell her, thinking.

“We should begin with a species name.” Clover says, using her magic to ready a notepad and writing utensils. “If I am able to look you up in a bestiary, that will accelerate this process by quite a bit. So, Kitty, what is your species?”

“…I do not know.” I tell her, making Clover startle, actually dropping her pen in her surprise, both Mirage and Princess startling as well.

“W, what?” Clover manages.

“I do not know what it is I am.” I tell her.

Clover just gapes at me for a few moments before she stutters, “Bu, but that, that doesn’t make any sense! You had parents, and,”

“I had nothing.” I interrupt. “The first memory I have is waking by myself within a forest, and finding my body unfamiliar to me, yet comfortable.”

Clover continues to stare, gaping. After a moment, I think, and add:

“Even then though, I know how to speak a language my own, and I still find that I know things despite not knowing how I would know them.”

“K, Kitty.” Princess says, shocked herself. “Are, you are aware that what you are saying,”

“Seems impossible.” I finish for her. “I know that. But I have no answer I can give to either you, or myself. For the longest time, I have known myself by what the first pony I cared for called me: The Great Winged Lion.”

A few moments pass before Clover takes a long and slow breath, recollecting herself.

“Alright.” she says, calmer. “The Great Winged Lion it is.” she says, jotting that down. “But just as a placeholder: one of these days, I’m going to find out what you are, and maybe get some clue as to your past as well.”

“That is acceptable.” I tell her, nodding.

“…Could you not discover that for yourself, Kitty?” Princess asks me, making Clover hesitate again to look at her, confused. “If you can walk the ages, could you not have just peered to before you woke, to try and discover your origin?”

I notice Clover gape again, at Princess that time, as I think about it. the idea seems feasible, yet… there is something about it that makes me not want to do so. A slight sensation of fear… Ah. Now I know.

“…I could not.” I tell her. Seeing her wanting to know, before she can ask, I tell her, “I cannot be in my own past; it is beyond my ability to do so.”

Princess nods slowly, but Clover asks, “H, how do you know that?”

“I told you already, Clover. I know things without knowledge of how.” I say. “That is as inborn in me as my own language is.”

“Besides, my past has long since had no value to me.” I continue. “It grants me knowledge that keeps me safe, but nothing I value nor think I might value comes from it. I do not need to know what came before my waking. I only need remember the life I’ve lived after I first woke, and the treasures that I have gained through living that life.”

I smile at Mirage with some purpose then, and she smiles back.

Clover takes another deep breath. “…Alright. First things first. Princess, how do you know Kitty can travel in time?”

“He told me himself.” Princess says, as though that is a perfectly normal thing for somepony to say and then for another to not mention to others. “Though I do have to say that the ability is rather limited; he cannot tell us much about the future he came from.”

“What?” Clover yelps. “Pri, Princess, he, he, he, future?” she yells.

“Don’t think he’ll tell you too much, Clover.” Princess says, gaining a mischievous grin. “He only told me that the story of this time gets retold with each passing year.” she frowns slightly, and adds, “Though the accuracy of my depiction is frankly terrible.”

Clover seems to shut down after that, just staring, unblinking, at Princess.

“…This seems unkind, Princess.” I tell her, though I am unable to not grin a little at Clover’s overreaction. Mirage seems a little more uncertain, but my calm makes her relax soon.

“Oh, I get to surprise Clover so rarely!” Princess tells me, giving a small, beautiful laugh. “She’s just so clever you know; she always anticipates things. Although, she does seem to have taken this rather surprisingly.” She adds, looking to Clover with a slight concern, who had yet to move. “Clover, are you alright dear? Clover?”

Princess hesitates, and I reach out to gently tap Clover with my paw. When she does not respond to that, I carefully extend one claw and ever so carefully prick her flank with it.

She yelps and jumps, shaking herself hard soon after, still looking stunned, but no longer frozen in place.

“Clover, are you alright?” Princess asks her, worried. “I didn’t mean to shock you that badly.”

“I, I, I’m.” she tries, breathing a little hard, obviously trying to get herself under control again, though she seems near panicked. “K, Kitty, you, you…”

“…I still want you to help him, Clover.” Mirage tells her, trying to get her to recover.

Clover nods, and calms a little more, slowly losing her frantic look. After a moment, she shuts her eyes, focusing on her breathing, and a few breaths later, she gives a large sigh and seems mostly normal, though a touch frazzled.

“…Is there any other shock I should know about?” she asks, looking at Princess with a tired expression.

“None I know of.” Princess tells her, making her giver a faint sigh of relief before she looks back to me.

“Alright. So, you cannot stop time anymore. Can you travel still, or not?”

“No.”

“Got it.” she says, recovering a little more. “Did this happen before or after the collar was put on you?”

“Before.”

She nods, recollecting her notepad and pen, and starting to jot things down. “…The name is still just a placeholder, but I’m going to make you a whole new entry in the bestiary.”

“I would rather you didn’t.” I tell her, making Clover pause, and look at me.

“Why not?” she asks.

“I first lived in the future, Clover.” I tell her. “I would sooner not have any mention of me find its way there, lest I find my recent past changed.”

“Do what he says, Clover.” Princess says. “He is the expert on the subject.”

“Of course, Princess.” Clover says, glancing at her notepad. “I’ll make sure to destroy these notes later on, then.”

“Thank you.” I sigh, relieved.

“Now, we can start with a general physical aptitude test so I can learn your limits and general strength and endurance.” Clover says, looking at me. “I didn’t get to learn it comprehensively, but the pegasi have their own variant that accounts for wings, and I’ll be using that as well.”

“What does my strength have to do with my power?” I ask.

“Simple.” Clover says, looking to me. “As you are entirely unknown to me and yourself, we are going to cover every possible variable that might play into your capacity to manipulate time.”

“…I suppose.” I say, unsure.

“Let’s start.” she says, her horn lighting.

I spent all day being examined by Clover. The whole morning, I was running, leaping, and flying to try and test my limits, Clover taking careful measurements during the attempts.

At some point, the girls woke, and joined Mirage and Princess watching. I saw them cheering a few times after I’ve managed some particularly impressive feat.

Clover noted that I used my wings when I was running, something I did not know I did, and then asked me to try flying.

Apparently, I am a power flyer. My top speed is higher than the average pegasus, but my agility in the air is abysmal compared to the average pegasus as well.

Recalling Commander Hurricane flying inches over the ground, able to maneuver near impossibly, that seems fair.

I was tired and hungry after that, and Clover came with me on my hunt for food. She was quiet during the time, as I asked her to be, but once I had killed the manticore, she asked me all sort of questions about my diet. How often I ate, how much I normally ate, the things I normally ate, the things I would eat if I was hungry enough, the things I preferred to eat, and more.

She showed no indication of caring about me killing and eating the manticore, though she did ask me if I felt uncomfortable eating something that looked somewhat like I do. I told her that it didn’t, and she said that meant I was likely not related in any meaningful capacity to manticores. Which I felt was good until she said that that set her farther back in understanding my physiology.

Once we got back, she tried to physically examine me in any way she could think of, and she thought of more than I ever could. She even had me open my mouth so she could count my teeth, and actually climbed in herself to try and see so far down my throat that I near choked on her. That took hours to finish, but she did answer a few questions about myself I never knew I had, even though I had to throw everypony out of the den so she could do her work in peace and I could retain my dignity.

It was late once that was done, and she finally asked me to demonstrate how I would normally use my power, with every attempt to try and mimic them as closely as possible. I admit, I was a bit thoughtless at first; we were still in my den, and she was right in front of me, but I was tired by then and not really thinking.

Once we were outside and Clover felt better, she had me roar a number more times until I felt that doing more might be painful.

All that finally done, I pad back over to where they are all waiting, watching Clover flicking through her notes.

“Well?” I ask her, wondering, my voice a touch worn.

“Nothing obvious, I’m afraid.” she says, getting her notes in order. “I don’t believe that it’s your health that has anything to do with it, but that means it’s something else, and I’ll need some time to sort through all the data I collected to try and discover it.”

I nod, understanding, and sigh, tired. After the late night, the early morning, and all the exercise, I’m exhausted at this point.

“I’ll try to have an answer for you as soon as possible, Kitty, I promise.” She tells me, seeing my exhaustion.

“Thank you, Clover.” I tell her, my voice worn. “I’m just tired now; it’s been a long day. Mirage, girls; if you want to stay up, you may do so, but I am going back to sleep now.”

They nod, but as I turn to go, Princess stops me, asking, “When will you be available next, Kitty? Chancellor and Commander both wanted to meet with you again, and I’d like to have us all meet at your den sometime.”

“…The day after tomorrow.” I tell her, heading away. “And then anytime not before sunrise, and not at noon.”

“Get a good rest, Kitty!” I hear her call as I leave, and I gain a small smile as I go.

Chapter 17

The day after the next, I waited outside early, anticipating the meeting to occur soon enough. Mirage and the girls waiting with me.

I did not have to wait long.

They came together, the six of them alone. I waited as they neared, noticing Commander’s worried look, and Chancellor’s regretful one. They stop near me, and I watch them, wondering.

Then Smart heads to me, followed by a nervous and fearful Private, and she smiles up at me before she hugs my legs, and gestures for Private to feel. I smile down at them, making Private squeak.

“Big Gu, Kitty.” I hear, and I look to see Chancellor looking up at me sorrowfully. “I am very sorry for how I, and the earth ponies, treated you. I can’t believe how I was so blind, thinking I could use you like you were a big dog.”

“The only question I have, Chancellor, is to wonder if Smart has returned to her rightful place?”

“She has.” Chancellor tells me, and I smile at her.

“Then you and yours are forgiven.” I tell her, and she smiles back, growing happy swiftly.

Commander comes next to her, before Chancellor joins Smart near me, and I look at him. I cannot keep the faint frown from my face, seeing him again; I still recall his trying to attack Mirage.

“…Kitty, I’m willing to make whatever amends you desire for my actions.” He says. “I thought you a beast, denied what was yours, and again attacked you, even after I knew better. I… I offer my regrets.” He says, lowering his head.

I’ve already thought of what to say to him. “I offer my own regrets, Commander.” I tell him, Commander looking up, wondering. “I gave you no reason to not imagine me a beast, and when I defeated you that day, I took far too much pleasure in seeing you hurt and weak. If you feel you might owe me anything, your cooperation with Princess and Chancellor is far more than anything I might have wished from you.”

“Now, enough of apologies and forgiveness.” I continue, looking between each leader in turn. “Enough of regrets and guilts. Let it be finished, and let us all enter this new dawn, free of the past.”

“Here, here!” Chancellor agrees, and Princess nods, relief on her face. Commander hesitates before he nods as well, sighing. I smile in turn. It was done already, but now, all is said and they too, know it is finished.

“Sooooo…” I hear Chancellor say next to me, drawing the word out. “…Future, huh?”

I blink at that, and look to Clover, who suddenly has wide eyes. Seeing me looking at her, she winces a little, and weakly tells me, “I might have been a little… big mouthed. But only to Smart!”

I sigh, to spot Smart, who looks a little guilty herself. “…Alright, I told her!” she yells, breaking without any action on my part. “But come on Kitty! It’s jus too much fer any mare ta keep secret, an Chancellor’s like a hound after a squirrel with secrets!”

As I sigh, bringing my paw to my face, I hear Princess say, “Now that the important part is over with, Clover thinks that you have suffered from your own form of ‘horn numbness’, Kitty.”

I look again, and Clover tells me, “It happens sometimes when a unicorn reaches full maturity; they find themselves not as sensitive to the magical flow as they were before, and can find themselves unable to use magic at all until they have grown used to it once again. I think you might have something similar, but how or why, I’m still not sure.”

“Well, it is a start.” I sigh, lying down so as to allow the girls to climb atop me, soon joined by Private and Chancellor. “But I am still at a loss as to how I might regain the ability.”

I see Smart hesitate, and then she wonders, and asks me, “How did ya used ta stop time anyway?”

“I would roar, and would only have to wish for things to stop.” I tell her, finding it difficult to frown, what with hearing Private softly but happily talking with Chancellor, who is all too happy to be on my back.

“…Kitty, stop time.” She tells me.

I open my mouth to ask her what she is thinking before a sudden urge passes through me. I suddenly stand, to the surprise of the ponies atop me, and suddenly roar, not of my own will.

And as I blink, they freeze, most of them mid-surprise. The collar…

Mirage flies up, a grin growing on her face as she looks around at their frozen forms. “Kitty, you did it!” she yells, overjoyed.

I smile in turn as Mirage flies back down, to stare wonderingly at the frozen ponies nearby. The collar can force me to use my ability. Why did I not think of that?

And better, I felt something different in that roar. A few more times, and I think I might be able to recapture my own ability!

Time soon resumes, and I hear the end of the yelps from behind me, and I turn to see before I hear Smart yell, and I look to see her recoiled from Mirage, before I spot her hesitate, think, and then smile.

“It worked, didn’t it?” she asks, and Mirage nods, beaming at her.

“The collar can force him to use his ability…” Clover murmurs, a touch stunned. “Kitty, did you feel anything different about that time? Was there something new?”

“There was.” I tell her, smiling.

“Does that mean you’re better!?” Sweetie yells, and I look to see the three of them with their eyes sparkling.

“Can we go back now?” Scootaloo asks.

“We’re all set an ready ta go!” Applebloom adds, all three excited and eager.

“Wait, wait!” Princes yelps, realizing something. “The collar! Clover, if it reaches a point where Kitty cannot be ordered, wouldn’t it,”

“Malfunction.” Clover says, suddenly realizing before she turns worried. “Kitty, Smart, don’t do anything just yet!”

“I heard, I heard.” Smart says, frowning. “How would it mal… whatever that was?”

“It might even explode.” Clover says, which was enough to have several of those gathered gasp.

I frown in turn, the gathered ponies in varied states of concern, thought, or worry. If that would happen, then how might I prevent it from,

“Can’t ya jus come wit us if it’s so important?” Applebloom asks, and we all hesitate and look to her.

“…If Smart came, then nothing would happen, right?” Sweetie asks.

“Wai, wait jus a second.” Smart says, wide eyed. “Ya can’t be suggestin that I go… go with y’all.”

“I think you may have to.” Clover says. “So as to safeguard Kitty from the collar and to ensure that he can fully recover from his ailment.”

“If I may.” Princess announces, her voice loud. We all look to her, and she looks up at me with. “Kitty… You once told me that you cannot tell me much about the future. But… but if Smart must go with you anyway…”

“I’d so dearly love to see something, anything, to tell me that what we’re doing here succeeds.” she finishes, and I spot the glimmer of the same start to spread through them.

“…Can we, Kitty?” Chancellor asks me. “You know, just a peek?”

“…If anypony else is going, I’m going.” Commander says. “Who knows what might happen out there, or then, or whatever. Private, with me!”

As Private timidly flutters to him, I sigh, thinking about it as they all look at me.

…It couldn’t be so bad if I did so from my den, and they only looked outside, right? Only for a brief while couldn’t possibly hurt, and they’d only be able to maybe see Ponyville.

I nod, and tell them all, “Very well. A brief visit, and no more. Come into my den, and we can go.”

Chancellor cheers as the girls rush that way, swiftly followed by Mirage, and then by Chancellor. I smile as they go, and the rest follow after me into the den.

Then I move into the center, and sit, readying myself. They all gather around me, the girls clustering in front of me as Mirage alights atop me, the other six arranged in front of me. They are all eager, even Commander, who is trying to hide it.

“I warn you all.” I begin. “Keep what you learn to yourselves, and do not tell any other. Stay within the den as well, and do not exit.”

“Got it!” Chancellor tells me as the others nod. “Ready to go?”

“Ready!” the girls chorus, and I look at Smart.

“Ready, Kitty?” she asks me. I nod, and she nods in turn. “Alright. Get the fillies back ta their time, an bring us all wit ya!”

I roar, and feel the power moving in me. Unlike the first time, I feel the strain, but it is not beyond my endurance now; perhaps because I have gathered more power, maybe.

From one day to the next, we go.

In order to avoid some confusion, I should mention this here. My time travel is slightly inaccurate; the longer the time span, the more likely it is that I’ll ‘miss’ by just a little. I returned to the present three days after I first left, within my own den.

The bearers had followed me after my first crash, along with the elements, recalling the pegasus they saw me trying to get, and easily noticing that I disappeared with her after our first encounter. They were warned by Celestia about my pony-eating past, and Twilight had felt I was highly magical as well, which had them bring the artifacts, just in case.

They hadn’t known the girls were with me then up until I roared, and they screamed. They had burst into the place, only to see our swiftly fading forms, and then nothing as we left.

At first, they hadn’t been certain that the girls had been with me. That hadn’t been determined until they got back to Ponyville, and turned the place upside down looking for the fillies until they had arrived at the conclusion that I had somehow taken them without anypony noticing me doing so; the broken fence was enough to assume that the girls hadn’t just wandered off on their own.

Suffice to say they worried. Twilight had gone in search of something, anything, to try and tell her what had happened, what I was, and where I had gone. She finally found something the next day.

My den survived the ages, but at some point, it had been buried in a landslide. Uncovered a few years before my breaking free, my writings and old home had been discovered by ponies. They thought the writing was of one long dead in their culture, but as nopony could decipher my language, everypony more or less forgot about it after a few years of useless attempts, save for those who loved to try and crack impossible puzzles.

Twilight was one such pony, and she found the book she had on it, and then, the image of the winged lion had far more meaning than it had before. She spent the rest of that day in research and ensuring beyond any doubt that the girls were missing, and the next morning, she and the rest had left to reach my den, and hopefully find some clue as to the girls’ fates.

There, Twilight had begun looking at my writing and imagery, and the rest waited for her to come up with some result, upset and worn if not impatient and tense.

It was then that we appeared, materializing amidst them, my roar heralding our arrival.

My roar fades amongst screams, and I feel weak, and disoriented.

“Contact!” I hear Commander roar, and I hear an odd shattering sound, followed by a yelp. Then somepony decides to flash a great spark, blinding and disorienting everypony present. Much yelling ensues, and I hear the sound of Commander’s armor being hit, and the distinct ‘clop’ when two ponies slam their hooves together, over the sudden cacophony.

“Foxtrot, foxtrot!” I hear Commander bellow, and I make a sudden decision, and drop, so as to protect the girls from this chaos.

“Clover, stop her!”

“You get away from her!”

“What do ya think ya’ll are!”

Something soft splats against my face, and I carefully lick out. The taste is familiar.

“Is that pie?”

“My own recipe!”

“EVERYPONY STOP!” is abruptly shouted, the voices unable to not be obeyed, and the chaos around me stops, suddenly. We all look, to see Private standing next to a yellow pegasi.

“This is all a misunderstanding.” Private tells us, her voice soft and quiet.

“Everypony, take a second look.” the other says, her voice too, soft and gentle.

We do so, and I recognize the extra ponies. The same mares who came when I crashed into Ponyville, the bearers of harmony. I tense, realizing, but they are not carrying the rainbow power right now.

After a moment, I see them suddenly startle, realizing something as they each look at the varied ponies who came with me.

“It, it can’t be.” the purple unicorn breathes, shocked.

“…Commander Hurricane?” the pegasus with the rainbow mane hesitantly asks Commander, once the two of them have ceased fighting with one another and gotten back on their hooves.

“The same.” he says, causing her to gape.

Smart has speckles of what I now know to be pie on her, and the orange earth pony near her asks, “Are ya’ll Smart Cookie?”

“Ya know my name?” Smart asks, baffled, the other mare staring in a troubled confusion.

“This is very good.” Chancellor says, she and another pink earth pony near one of my walls, Chancellor eating what is left of a pie.

“Aw, thanks.” the other says, smiling. “Hey, are you Puddinghead?”

“That’s me!” Chancellor says happily, and the pink one gasps and beams.

“I always wanted to meet you!” she squeals, tapping her hooves.

“Oh my gosh, really!? I have a fan!” Chancellor squeals, rearing up in near perfect mimicry of the pony next to her, both of them throwing their hooves open wide.

“Wait, wait, wait!” the purple unicorn yells, shaking her head, Chancellor and the other pony looking at her as they embrace one another. “This, this doesn’t make any,”

“Applejack!”

“Applebloom!?” the orange mare startles, the fillies crawling out from underneath me before they each dart to a particular pony. I spot Applejack’s shock swiftly turning to joy as Applebloom leaps at her, tearing up in relief and joy. “Applebloom! Yer safe!”

“Rarity!” Sweetie yells, running to the white unicorn, who gasps, seeing her.

“Sweetie!” the mare calls back, before grabbing hold of the charging Sweetie in her hooves. “Oh my goodness, Sweetie… what happened to your mane?”

“Oh, right. Kitty tries his best, but,”

“Rainbow, Rainbow!”

“Scoots!” the blue yells as Scootaloo runs to her, to stop nearby, nearly prancing in place.

“We were history!” Scootaloo yells, near overjoyed, though Rainbow only returns a confused look, before again looking around her.

“We, we even got thanked by Princess!” Applebloom tells Applejack, who was holding her a might too tightly in my opinion. That comment has Applejack lean back so she can stare, confused, at Applebloom.

“And it’s all thanks to Kitty!” Sweetie finishes, Rarity staring at her, just as baffled as the others are.

Princess looks around before she sighs. “Perhaps,” she begins, speaking to be heard by everypony, “It might be for the best if we were to all introduce ourselves, and to pretend the last few moments didn’t happen?”

The purple unicorn hesitates, before she nods, taking a deep breath, and calming herself somewhat. “I am Twilight Sparkle.” She begins, looking to Princess. “And the white unicorn is Rarity.” she continues, Rarity hesitating as she hears her name, “The yellow pegasus is Fluttershy, and the blue pegasus is Rainbow Dash. The orange earth pony is Applejack, and the pink earth pony is Pinkie Pie. The fillies are,”

“I already know them, Twilight.” Princess interrupts. “I am Princess Platinum of the unicorns, and this is Clover, my trusted aide.”

“Commander Hurricane.” Commander says, looking at Private, who meekly moves to his side. “And Private Pansy.”

“I’m Chancellor!” Chancellor exclaims.

Smart sighs, and says, “I’m Smart Cookie, an she’s Chancellor Puddinhead.”

“The g is sometimes silent.” Chancellor whispers to Pinkie, who nods as though she understands.

“Now that introductions are over.” Princess says. “I am pressed to wonder what exactly just occurred? Because I would swear that you attempted to magically contain us all, I saw Rainbow Dash tackle Commander Hurricane once he had broken your containment, and Smart Cookie was the one who prevented Applejack from coming to Rainbow’s aid, in, apparently, attacking Commander.”

“Pr, Princess Platinum.” Twilight begins, obviously uncomfortable with the name. “You… You all simply appeared here, and I hadn’t intended on containing anypony.”

“Oh? Then what were you trying to do, Twilight?”

“I was trying… trying to contain and stop the monster you appeared with.” Twilight explains.

“Not agin.” Smart sighs, hanging her head.

“What monster?” Princess asks, and I am certain she is doing so to pressure Twilight.

It seems to be working, as Twilight gains a confused, worried look, and I spot her glancing at me a few times as though trying to tell Princess without actually telling Princess. But Princess is just watching Twilight, her face perfectly calm, waiting for an answer.

Once she fails to get one after a few moments, Princess gives a gentle huff. “While I am certain that I do not know why you would consider Kitty a,”

“Kitty?” I hear asked several times, Twilight one of them. I spot a small smile creep onto Fluttershy’s face as well, before she seems to suddenly realize I am looking at her, and she turns a bright shade of red and hides her face with a wing.

“Kitty.” Princess firmly reiterates, “A monster, rest assured that your first assessment is wholly incorrect. Kitty is nothing save a humble, merciful, forgiving, and even kind great winged lion, who does not even begin to deserve such a title as ‘monster’.”

Twilight simply stares, and I suspect she is entirely at a loss for what to say, or even do. The rest seem little better, and I can only guess what the collective bearers are thinking of right now.

…I feel I must act. I think there might be a chance here…

If I am to ever find peace in this time, I must reach them. All I have learned, all I have experienced… may it be enough.

“Twilight.” I call, and I see the bearers startle. I slowly push myself back up, their gazes drawn to me, and I see curiosity and concern both. “I am greatly surprised to find you here, and I admit, even now, I would sooner you not have been here.”

“You… you speak.” Twilight says, stunned, and I spot Princess give her a mildly upset look.

“I do.” I tell her. “A thousand years, the family of Mirage taught me your tongue. When I first fled this time, I fled from you and yours. And even now, my heart beats in fear at the sight of you and the other five.”

Twilight blinks, surprised at that, and I spot the others with varied expressions.

I sigh heavily, and continue, “But I find myself here, and I face my fears, and I wonder: might I find peace in this age, as I have in the age long past by? Perhaps, but that lies not with me; it lies with you, Twilight.”

“M, me?” she says, staring at me.

I nod. “I may fear you, but far more I fear the power that stoned me; the power you and yours hold in this day. I fear that what came to be once will come once again: that again, I will spend a thousand years in stone.” I spot the ponies that came with me stop in shock at my words, but I focus on Twilight, and continue, “I wish I might not feel that fear, and it will be by your will if that fear is erased, or set in the stone I was once made of.”

“I can but wait your judgement, bearer of the rainbow power.” I tell her, lying back down, watching her.

Twilight stares for a long time, and I can only guess as to her thoughts. Then, after so long, she tries to say, “The family of… Ma… Meer…”

“Mirage.” I say for her.

Twilight nods, focusing. “Who was she?”

“Mirage was the filly who saved my life.” I tell her, to her, and the rest’s, surprise again. “For that, I indebted myself to her, and cared for her as best I could in my ignorance. It was I who gave her the name ‘Mirage’, my word for illusions of desire, for I had thought I was seeing illusions of intelligence in her, perhaps reflecting my desire for companionship. She gave me the name I still hold dear, and I then realized that ponies were not the animals I had first thought them to be.”

“For her, I swore to never eat another pony again. Even when they came, seeking vengeance for the two I had devoured, for her, I but escaped, and left them alive. I fled with her into the woods, where I was found by the twin lights. It was then I was stoned, and carried away. Mirage later found me once more, and she did her all to ensure that I might learn of her, and her kind. Her family in turn followed in her hoofsteps.”

“The last of that line is still with me, in Mirage the 39th.”

I feel Mirage move atop me, and spot Twilight glance up at her. I see her eyes glimmer with recognition before she looks back at me.

“…Why did you carry the past with you when you returned, and why here?” she asks me.

“They desired I give them some glimpse of the future they seek to build.” I answer her. “I cannot grant them knowledge, but I thought a sight would be enough to have them know that their chosen path is correct.”

“As for here, this is my den.” I tell her. “There is no place I felt safer to try traveling to, and I chose this place because I had thought it would be empty.”

Twilight nods once more, and I spot her thinking. Then she looks to the others, likely seeking advice. They all look back to her, their expressions varied, but none of them seem worried or upset.

Then Twilight looks back to me, and a moment of dread comes to me as I see her expression turn uncertain, even perhaps a touch sorrowful.

“Kitty…” she begins, hesitant. “When I first saw you, I didn’t even know what you were.” She tells me. “Even when I asked the princesses, all they could tell me was that you were a beast from long ago who had once eaten ponies. Up until right now, the best I knew about you was just that and that you’d been stone for a thousand years; nothing else.”

“When you reappeared, we only heard your roar, and saw you materializing like you had just been invisible this entire time.” she continues. “You brought historical figures along with you, returned with the girls and the pegasus we thought you had taken unharmed and well, and I…”

“I still don’t know what to think about all this.” She says, distressed. “How can I even begin to rationalize you, traveling to Equestria’s past, and interacting with what might be some of the most influential ponies within our history, along with a young pegasus and three fillies? To then reappear, with those same figures, now of all times, when I was trying to learn more about you by studying this place where your image is carved into the walls, for you to then tell me about yourself and ask me, me, to decide your fate?”

“It’s, it’s just too much.” she says, shaking her head. “I, I tried, but I, I just can’t!” she sighs again, taking a moment to take a deep breath and then look at me again with a slightly regretful expression.

“…And in the end, I’m not even the one who’ll decide.” She says. “It’s going to be up to the Princesses to make that choice. I won’t promise you anything I don’t have the power to really promise.”

…

“Might it be enough,” I ask her slowly, “If the student speaks to the teacher on my behalf?”

“Kitty… Kitty, I promise you, I’ll tell them everything you told me.” Twilight says, still looking distressed. “I don’t think you’re anything bad, and I’ll try, but I can’t,”

Twilight stops suddenly as I softly purr, shutting my eyes.

It is not what I had tried for. But from fear, to this, this hope, this little hope, that I might find peace now as well is so, so good. I feared when she didn’t immediately answer me. Worried as she talked about her confusion. That’s gone now though.

I reopen my eyes, to find Twilight with a small smile on a tired face. Then I slowly push myself back up, and that seems enough for the bearers and the girls to gather near Twilight, and the past near me.

“Thank you, Twilight.” I tell her. “In a few days’ time, I shall again return here, to hear an answer.”

“…I want to hear more about you, Kitty.” Twilight tells me. “I don’t think the Princesses will say no.”

“I think this is enough future.” I say, looking to those near me. “Smart, if you would?”

Smart nods, giving a final look to the gathered bearers and the girls. Then she says, “Take us back, Kitty.”

I spot the girls waving as I roar once more, and feel the strain return. It leaves me weak, and exhausted as my roar once more fades, and to my surprise, I hear yelling once more, and a sudden crash.

I look, and find my den in near total darkness, save for soft lights from my eyes and the glitter from the crystals on the walls. I spot Commander, who seems to have flown into the wall, before I look, to perceive a number of rocks, burying the den’s entrance.

I have a sudden feeling that I shall have to leave the den, and find another, preferably one where nopony will stumble across it. I will have to dig us out, and then rebury this place, but nothing hinges on the position of a boulder.

But now, I am exhausted, and I lie down and shut my eyes, to the worry of those around me.

“Kitty, this ain’t th time ta sleep!” I hear Smart yell.

“I am too tired to even begin.” I manage to say as I feel sleep catching up to me. “Traveling from one age to another is difficult, and I’ve done so twice… I’m sorry, but I am soft and warm, and you are all welcome here with me…”

I am soon drifting off, but before I manage to do so, I can feel them moving near me. After a few moments, a couple of warm spots come to my back, and a couple more by my side. I feel Mirage settle upon my head.

I hear myself purring as I drift off.

Chapter 18

I spent some time in the past after we returned. Once I woke, I dug us all free and reburied the den. Before they left, I also gave them all a final warning:

I should be left out of any history and story they might spread or find spreading. My present might be in danger should that happen, and each promised me that they would ensure that nothing like that will make it to the future they saw.

It wasn't much of a look, but they did see the bearers all cooperating without regard for tribe. Enough for their hope, and far from too much for any danger.

I went and made a new den deep within the mountains for my use otherwise. I admit I did get carried away with it, creating a spacious arrangement of six total caverns, any one of which can happily contain my bulk several times over. It’s well hidden, placed right in the side of a chasm; nopony should even care to come by, and none would ever come low enough to spot the entrance.

This doesn’t hold true for the six I have befriended in this time, but they are special, and make excuses when they come to visit me. I often watch over them, watching them build.

Watching them build right on the central peak. A city they have already called Canterlot.

Apparently, this was wholly coincidence, and had nothing to do with me, Mirage, or the girls. Or so I couldn’t get anypony to admit it.

Soon after our trip, they all sent ponies back, to call for all those they had left behind. And many had waited for news of hope it seems. I’ve never seen so many ponies all in one place before. The news of unification was met with uncertainty and hesitation, but it seems to be going quite well. Save for that a number of the pegasi apparently will not live anywhere except atop a cloud. Which is a touch incorrect to say, considering.

Pegasi can manipulate clouds, to make them permanent and able to be stood upon. Once the pegasi group came, they made a cloudy city from the fluffy stuff, and it’s quite the sight to see as it floats around. It’s still more than a bit ridiculous, since they tried to make it look like a floating citadel.

Citadels shouldn’t be so lumpy. They keep working on it, but it still looks like a giant joke to me.

I also got to meet the leaders of the ponies; each of those I knew had their own superiors.

Commander has his own Commander, Commander Thunderbolt, who is older and far gruffer than Commander Hurricane is. I did get to learn that Commander apparently really appreciates my size and strength, but Thunderbolt is bored with ‘giant things’ these days.

Chancellor is one of four, and they are all kept in check by an elderly arbiter, Blueberry Drop, who seems… well, he didn’t even see me at first, actually sitting on my paw as everypony tried to overcome his hearing problem. He still thinks I’m an overgrown house cat.

But if anypony thinks him too old, he’s got his hoof right on the pulse of what’s currently going on, somehow, and none of the chancellors are willing to dare fight with the old stallion. He’s got a nasty way of making ponies feel terribly guilty over just about anything.

And Princess lives up to her name. I do not like King Platinum, and he does not much like me. But Princess makes a big point out of liking me, so that helps.

Soon enough, an official history was penned, one that kept any mention of me or the girls out of it. Nopony but the six knows about the girls anyway, and everypony else doesn’t write tales down. Oral tradition is nice, but it won’t survive the ages enough to worry me.

I did have to remind Clover to destroy her notes, but she did so, so all’s well.

This life is pretty calm otherwise. Occasionally, I’m visited by one of them, most commonly Commander, who comes by sometimes with news of some monster he’d like me to go deal with. I personal think he just likes seeing me attacking things, but I generally get a good meal out of it, and I don’t comment on him being a little too happy about my mauling something.

Smart’s ‘training’ me has finally enabled me to recapture my ability on my own. Once more, I can stop time, and I feel I can travel without her command as well. She still comes every time Chancellor does, and she generally brushes me during the visit.

Chancellor dropped by a few times, just to visit and try to teach me hobbies. Most of which were ridiculous and impossible for me, such as knitting. However, she did, somehow, manage to create a giant version of her own outfit for me. I didn’t want to, but wearing it made her happy. I felt stupid, Mirage laughed, but Chancellor was happier than I’ve seen her before and I got to see Smart panic when Chancellor asked her opinion.

I still have it in one of the caverns.

Oddly enough, Private has taken a great liking to me as well, often coming by herself to just hold onto me and fuss over me. Apparently, I am just the right sort of big and soft, and she adores hearing me purr as well.

And Princess… she can only come rarely, as she is the least able to take the journey without being noticed, but each visit is a true treasure. She and I… we have an understanding.

Her father doesn’t know, but I sometimes think he suspects.

The collar is still on me too. Apparently, there are twelve of the stupid things, great artifacts created by some magical prodigy so as to be able to tame even the greatest of creatures: dragons. That supposedly worked, and created something known as the ‘Draconic Magisterium’, a pony kingdom of myth and legend alike, when the twelve oldest dragons of Equestria had been collared by the collars’ creator. Clover was more than happy to tell me all about it, but that myth is perhaps even older than this age is to the girls’ own.

There are only two collars left in known existence, at least in this time, and by some wild chance, Smart found a third, which now lies on my neck. They are not meant to come off; they are actually spelled so as to resist an ancient dragon’s attempt to remove them, and King Platinum had the arrogance to chuckle when he suggested that they might only be broken by a god.

But perhaps the greatest event to happen so far? Princess secretly asked Mirage, who then talked to Clover, who used some method as to divine a date.

And then they threw me a birthday party. With a big cake that Chancellor somehow snuck inside of without anypony noticing so she could pop out of it and surprise everypony.

So now, my birthday lies in the latter days of fall, when the weather starts to change.

It was technically my first as well. Four days before my time in stone, and around a year’s worth of days after. I still smile as I recall it.

Yet, the time must come, and I have once more returned to my first den, to be met by the six.

“Make sure you come back often!” Chancellor says.

“You’re going to miss out on the fun, Big Guy.” Commander says, having long since adopted the name Smart had given me; he doesn’t like calling me, or anything, kitty. “I have a whole bunch of new targets, and one of them was a dragon. I’ll save that one for last, so you make sure you come back soon.”

“It is time, Commander.” I tell him, chuckling. “Years now, days then, I can move between the ages without trouble.”

“But you’ll be gone for some time anyway.” Princess tells me. “Kitty, if anything goes wrong then, you will always have a place here and now.”

“Thank you, Princess.” I tell her.

“Alright.” Clover says, nodding. “Smart, if you will.”

Smart nods, and takes a breath, and begins the preparations she and Clover have worked out to make the collar safe. “Ordo. Kitty, if anypony else says that word an says something, ya have ta listen to what they said, but only if they start an end the command with Ordo.”

I feel the magic in the collar change, and Smart sighs, uncertain. With that, Clover is sure, the collar shouldn’t fail, as there is always a possibility for somepony to order me. Along with the security that they had to do so specifically, thus ensuring that nothing would happen, since nopony should be able to guess they had to use the command word twice.

“Are we set?” Mirage asks from atop my back. She has been planning herself. She has asked Commander how she might go about stopping a unicorn from casting, and then Clover, to ask how she might prevent somepony from using a magical object.

She plans for the worst to happen; that I have been rejected, and that they might try to stone me. I spoke with Mirage about it already, and she is absolutely certain:

If anypony tries to harm me, she will do her very best to prevent it.

I worry, but to keep her from the same, I take hope that the worst will not come to pass.

May my words and Twilight’s vouch be enough.

“Everything we can predict.” Clover says, and I nod, readying myself, the gathered ponies backing away.

“Good luck Kitty!”

“You’ll be fine!”

I then roar, and feel the power moving as I focus my mind on the age. I feel Mirage clinging to me as we go, and I feel nervous. Almost as much as when I first told Princess of my feelings for her.

And that went better than I could have hoped, so I feel this shall as well.

We arrive, and I lower my head to see Celestia and Luna turning to see me. Seeing them, I drop, lowering myself; I’d sooner not intimidate or worry them in any possible way.

“Kitty, weren’t you supposed to be within your den?” Twilight asks me, and I only notice her then, but I remain focused on Celestia, who merely watches me, her own expression impossible to decipher.

“There were some complications.” I tell her, a little worried. “Have my words been heard? Has my plea been accepted?”

“You truly do speak.” Luna says. “And quite well as well.”

“It was her that taught you, wasn't it?” Celestia asks. “Mirage, and then each of the first-born daughters in their turn.”

She says the name perfectly, even without magic, which is how Clover and Princess have been managing to.

“They did.” I tell her. “They taught me much.”

“And one is yet with you, even in the current day.” she says, smiling up at Mirage. “The 39th, wasn't it?” she asks. “You have much to be proud of, Mirage.”

I feel Mirage shift atop me, but she says nothing as Celestia looks back to me.

“Twilight told me what you told her, and more besides.” Celestia tells me. “She was quite determined to make sure I know you well, and she reminded me of something I’ve forgotten for a long, long time.”

“The archives of Canterlot hold precious things from years long, long past.” she tells me, thoughtful. “And one of those things is a strange tome. It is written oddly, for it speaks as though the author themselves is unsure if they are writing about the past, the present, or the future. It never names anypony, and hides its meaning quite well, but knowing you, the book’s secrets seem to unravel. For though it hides its truths, so often does it speak of a winged cat; a great winged cat that the book is never certain how to refer to.”

“And I think you match that description quite well, Kitty.” She tells me. “With your ability to walk in time, the book’s oddities make far more sense, for they attempt to write of you, walking through time itself; helping ponies in need of your aid.”

I am unsure what to think of that, but Celestia smiles, and continues, “If only I recalled that old tome those thousand years past. I would have realized that I had misunderstood the situation, and I would never have brought the elements with us.”

…I think I might have just had my heart stop for a moment there. I shall have to head to the past and… but then again…

“I would be more than happy to welcome you properly into the herd.” I hear her say as I think and focus.

Yes, that was bad. However, it didn’t cause anything, so it wasn’t that bad, and my meddling might make it worse. It’s for the best to just leave it alone.

“Twilight, if you will?” Celestia asks, and Twilight nods, focusing, her horn lighting. Then she gives off a large spark, and things materialize around me. More ponies than I could easily count, the bearers and the girls amongst them, along with tables and food and more, and as they appear, and I startle, they all shout:

“Welcome to Equestria!”, which is punctuated by a loud bang sound, confetti, and Pinkie, flying through the air.

“You’re one hundred percent officially welcome Kitty!” Twilight says, moving to my side as I slowly relax again. “We spread the word, and now, nopony should think you’re a monster ever again!”

“An we’re right sorry fer th trouble we caused ya th first time.” Applejack adds, walking over along with the other bearers.

“No hard feelings, right?” Rainbow asks me, and I smile at her, nodding.

“Let the past be finished!” Luna then bellows, her voice carrying over the crowd. “Let old mistakes be forgotten, and our old pains left behind us! Let us learn from our pasts, but let it not haunt us! Let us all once more carry the flame of hope with us, and into the days to come, we march, born anew!”

Celestia comes to my side, and smiles up at me. “Welcome to Equestria, Kitty.” she tells me. “Welcome home, my great winged lion.”

The land outside my den is covered in confetti. Pinkie has assured me that it will go away on its own by dawn, somehow. The party went on all day, and it is still a little mind boggling, to have all those ponies around me, cheering and happy and calm.

A little clearing, and my den is as good as new. Mirage sleeps next to me, her stomach distended from eating her body weight in cake and sweets. And though I am overjoyed, and loved the party, finally at peace in this age, I remain awake, thinking.

The more I think about it, the less the book Celestia told me about makes sense. I don’t wander time like she described, and I don’t do so to come to the aid of ponies. For that matter, I could not even do so; my travel is difficult, and I am restricted from such activities, lest I cross my own path, and become time-lost. It is strange, but it matters more than its oddity right now.

Her words then still haunt me.

What if Celestia did remember the book then? What would have happened if she and Luna had come to me in peace and happiness, instead of worry and tension? If they came imagining that I was something I was not?

I do not know, but I am terrified. It feels like I am but a hair’s breadth away from changing my past, and becoming time-lost.

By chance, Celestia didn’t think of the book, and by chance, the sight of me didn’t make her recall it. By chance, Mirage the first got stuck in a thorny bush, and by chance, they found me at the same moment I’d pulled her free.

If they found me sleeping, would she have recalled? If they found me without me holding a foal in my jaws that had just shrieked in pain, would they have thought me something I wasn’t?

Who wrote that book, when did they, and why did they? I do not know, and for so long as I do not, there is a danger I might change the book, and in so doing, change Celestia’s knowledge. Edge closer and closer to her recalling the book, and changing my past, and rendering myself time-lost.

I cannot go to sleep as these thoughts continue to plague me.

Then Mirage pushes at my head, and I snap free of them, and turn to see her. She seems exhausted, but she yet stands on unsteady hooves.

“Kitty, what’s th matter? You keep on mumblin…” she mumbles, leaning against me.

“I… I am afraid of what might have been.”

“W, what?” Mirage asks, seeming a bit more awake as she shakes her head.

“That book Celestia mentioned.” I tell her. “What if she remembered it, and never stoned me all those years past? What would I have done? What would have become of Mirage? I do not know, but I know a few things.”

“I know that you would not be. I know I would never have learned to master my instincts. I would never have seen Princess, never went to the past, never realized my failings to rectify them. It terrifies me, Mirage.”

“Just one tiny change is between me and a wholly different life. It was the greatest of chances that led me to where I find myself today, but what if,”

Mirage softly kicks me, making me stop. “Kitty. Kitty, listen to me.” she says.

“Everything that happens to us is chance, and a whole lot of it seems like it might never happen again.” she tells me. “Anything can make our lives different, and anything can change that. But our pasts won’t change, not unless you tried to do so on purpose, which you won’t.”

“Nothing’s going to change now.” Mirage tells me. “And no tiny change is about to become super important; if I thought like that, I’d never sleep again. Stop worrying over what’ll never be, and help me.”

I calm with her words, only to be puzzled by the last. “What is the matter, Mirage?” I ask, wondering.

“I feel really sick right now.” She groans, to then burp, her cheeks abruptly bulging out.

Mirage calmed my fears with her words. She is right. Tiny things won’t matter, and I shouldn’t worry myself sick fearing that book. What happened will remain such unless I attempt to make it different, and with a clearer mind, I think I would have to try hard to change it anyway.

I’m not at peace yet, but that’s no longer the reason why.

I had needed to go to the lake to wash myself. In the middle of the night, holding Mirage while she threw up over the landscape below. While it was colorful, I have never been subjected to such a disgusting thing on me before. I hate water, but plunging my head into the lake was preferable to trying to groom myself clean of it. I’ve licked many things off myself and the girls, but I’m never going to clean that with my tongue.

Mirage was still feeling terrible afterwards, so, having no other recourse, I took her to Ponyville, where I know Twilight lives. She lives in a library in a living tree in the middle of Ponyville, but that oddity matters little right now. There, in the dead of night, I woke her up and passed Mirage through her window so she can be checked on.

I am greatly concerned over this. Why is she so sick? Is she very sick? Should I worry more than I am right now?

“She just overate.” Twilight says, shaking her head tiredly. As Mirage gives a weak groan, she tells me, “She’ll feel better in a few hours.”

“Thank goodness.” I breathe, and Twilight levitates Mirage out so I can take her back. A I do so, I noticed Twilight’s tiredness, and I wince a little. “I’m sorry for waking you so late for this, Twilight.”

“It’s fine,” she tells me, yawning as she walks over to rest her head on the window frame. “She’s important, you worry, I get it. When Spike first got sick, I went and destroyed a carpet with my fretting.”

She looks down, and adds, “You seem to be prone to nervous clawing yourself.” I look, to discover I have ripped gashes in the cobbles. “And I think I’d like it if you were calmer.” She says, looking back at me. “Is there anything else bothering you, Kitty?” she asks, yawning once more, her eyes turning a little unfocused for a moment.

“…No.” I say, smiling. Mirage’s words have done enough, and Twilight helping like this is more than enough to make me feel happy. “There is nothing.” I glance at the cobbles, and wonder. “…And maybe I can fix that.” I try, manipulating the stone under my paw to try and mend the gashes, and wind up flattening the spot instead of the lumpy surface the cobbles are meant to be.

Twilight looks at it, by lying her head sideways on her windowsill. “Neat.” She says. “You can manipulate rock. Can you do the same to gems?”

“I’ve never tried to smooth them, but I can cut through them.” I tell her, wondering if the flat spot is truly alright. I doubt it is; not that I have any method to repair it with.

“That’s a little like Spike.” she tells me. “Not the rock bit, but the gem bit. Maybe you have some kind of natural magic that lets you do that, like dragons do with gems. You should try to see if you can eat a gem.”

I blink as she smiles and giggles a little.

“Spike says the rubies taste like strawberries, or like peppermint, or even raspberries and cherries. He’s got all kinds of flavors in all sorts of gems, and you should try and see if you could eat them too, and I’m babbling.” she says, sighing and pushing herself up slightly, though she stumbles merely by trying to stand. “You eat meat, not gems, and I’m recommending you gems based on Spike’s ideas of what they taste like, and sorry, sorry, I get like this when I stay up, it’s just my way of keeping myself awake, just talk, talk, talk…”

She wobbles on her hooves back to her bed, and I worry for her until she manages to more or less collapse into it, badly attempting to draw the blanket over herself. I suppose it was a little rash to go and wake her in the dead of night over this, but I was afraid for Mirage, who is already asleep in one paw.

I gently hold her close, and then pad away, heading outside town where I can once again spread my wings and take flight. The moon shines bright over the land, and the stars sparkle above. A gentle breeze blows over the land, and I smile.

It is peaceful. And I might be happier than I’ve ever been.

I visited Twilight in sudden need, and she was wholly willing to not only wake for me, but to examine Mirage despite her exhaustion. And then to try and see if I needed any more help before she finally went back to bed. That alone reinforces that I am welcome here. I am known and accepted here.

Nothing to threaten me. Nopony who hates or fears me, and many who look at me with admiration, even awe. And I think I might find some friends here as well, as I do in the past.

Speaking of, I’d like to go back and visit Princess again. Sometime soon, her soon to be exact, as I will spend a time longer here, to spend some time now, before I go back to then. But for her, it will be soon.

Oh yes. I’d almost forgot. The collar is finally off of my neck, and I live free without it binding me any longer. Enough training with it has given me my ability back to me, and after the trip here, I am certain I can manage to return without trouble.

And King Platinum was right. It did take a god. Two gods, one named Celestia, and the other Luna, to finally overcome its enchantments and snap it off my neck.

I fly towards my den, and see Canterlot sparkling on the mountain’s side like a star fallen to the earth, shining like a beacon in the night. Behind me, the Everfree glitters with its strange lights, and the stars twinkle in the dark sky above.

I land at my den, and carry Mirage inside, to curl up with her, smiling. Mirage is alright, sleeping peacefully, and I’ve nothing to fear in this age. My power is my own once more, and I am finally free of the collar. I have a home here. I have two: one now, and one then.

I even have a… a marefreind in the past. I want to see her again, and I know she too wishes the same.

It feels perfect. Everything has become good. I am eager to see what tomorrow holds for me, and I feel not the slightest touch of worry.

I have found my place, and it is perfect.

And Mirage is by my side.

There.

Together.

Forever.

Epilogue

“You have the strength to rule tempered by kindness, the will to rival steel with wisdom to guide it, a graceful touch over everything; I might not imagine a more perfect princess. Your voice is enchanting, your singing unrivaled, your smile enough to snatch my breath away. Your beauty shines from within, and even the most perfect of gem and dress cannot make you greater than you are simply by being yourself.”

A small giggle, and a blush. “You’ve the strength to crush stone, yet the delicacy to hold an egg in your paws. Your fur so silken, your feathers so perfect, like an image of greatness, be that standing, sitting, or in flight alike. Your voice so deep, your tongue weaving words like a master tailor might cloth, your roar like the trumpet of the heavens themselves, shaking the land and making me shiver.”

I smile, sensing victory ahead. “Once, an old master crept his way into the heavens, and there, stole a piece of perfection. Carrying it back, he worked upon it for years, putting forth all his effort, all he had learned, all his soul, into improving it. Yet, for years more he worked, until, one day, exhausted, unable to work any longer, he looked upon his creation and a tear came to his eye. Seeing it, he said but a single phrase:”

“I always wanted to meet you, Princess Platinum.”

Princess stares before she blushes hard and giggles, unable to continue. Feeling my own face warm, my smile grows; I have won again.

This game I’ve come up with I call Compliment. I and Princess take turns complimenting each other until one of us is unable to continue, and it is much fun to do. Mirage thinks otherwise, but I think that is because she is poor at the game. Even being near a game between Princess and myself is enough to have her blushing and speechless.

“How do you even think of these things?” Princess asks me once she recovers a little. “What is your secret, Kitty?”

“I’ve the best inspiration.” I tell her, my smile growing a touch more.

“What is it?” Princess asks me. “I must know.”

“You.” I tell her, and it take a moment for her to realize, which is when she blushes even harder than before, somehow, actually frozen in place. I laugh, feeling myself blushing harder, feeling very, very happy.

Princess looks away for a moment, and I spot her nod, as if deciding something. Then she looks at Mirage, who sits nearby, pretending to not listen. Her own blush and stiffness gives her away, however.

“Mirage.” Princess calls, making Mirage startle greatly and jump up. “I’m afraid I forgot something back at Canterlot. Could you be a dear and go fetch it for me?”

“…Won’t that take me near an hour?” she asked, confused, trying to shake off the blush and relax, flapping her wings. “Can’t you just teleport?”

“I can, but that would make me unable to return.” Princess tells her. “Teleporting is no simple undertaking, you understand.” Mirage nods, understanding.

“What am I getting then?”

“Just go and tell Clover that I want her to get me that special thing I asked her for.” Princess tells her. “She’ll know what I mean.”

Mirage nods, and takes to the air, soon out of the den and of toward Canterlot.

Princess watches her go before she turns to me with a bright smile.

“Another round?” I ask her, smiling back.

“I had something else in mind, Kitty.” she tells me. “I have a surprise for you.”

“That you sent Mirage for?” I ask, wondering, but Princess shakes her head.

“One much better than that.” she tells me, her horn lighting, and an odd sensation assess over me. And suddenly, Princess seems to start growing before my very eyes… or… no. She is not growing.

I’m shrinking. After a few moments, I stand only a head taller than Princess.

“It worked!” she says happily, heading over to me.

“What is this?” I ask, finding it strange to see Princess so large. It’s… weird to be pony sized. Everything looks wrong, but Princess… somehow looks even more beautiful than she had before.

“I had Clover come up with a spell to shrink you down.” she tells me, looking me over. Then she smiles again, blushing, and I feel myself blush, a little speechless at the sight. “It won’t last too long, but it will last long enough.”

“Lo, long enough?” I ask. “But, but why would you want me smaller?” I ask her.

“It isn’t you, smaller, Kitty.” Princess purrs, her eyes shutting slightly, her head tipping, in a tone I’ve not heard from her before. She walks to me, shifting in strange and capturing ways, before she leans against me, brushing past, pressing my wing against my side, to flick my face with her tail and move beyond me. “It’s you, the perfect size.”

I feel very stiff as I turn to see her, and find her…

…

“Don’t keep a lady waiting, darling.”

…I don’t.

That was… I mean…

It… I… we….

…

I’m technically a little less than two years old now. I’ve decided to try and equalize my time spent now and then, so I am the same ‘age’ in both times, while I keep track of the total.

I did spend a thousand years in stone, and I near doubled in size after I broke free. I always was unsure about my physical state, and even with Clover’s long examination of me, she and I both couldn’t really guess as to how I have grown, or might continue to grow.

But if I ever wondered if I was mature…

Well.

I am.

And Princess was right.

That spell made me the perfect size.

I remained small for a little time after that. Seeing Mirage large was just as strange as seeing Princess large, though not in the same way, and she found the sight funny and endearing. She tried to make it better by telling me that I was cute now, but then she made it worse by calling me Kitten. Princess left me with Mirage laughing, and told me that if it persisted, I should contact Clover, with her own laugh as she went.

Thankfully, I returned to my normal size about an hour after she left.

Once Mirage got over her laughing at me, she did tell me that she was confused. Apparently, Princess hadn’t forgotten anything, and oddly enough, Clover seemed to have forgotten that she hadn’t forgotten anything either, making Mirage hang around for nearly a half hour before she finally recalled that little fact.

I’m pretty sure that there was never anything to get in the first place. Or rather, what Princess wanted Mirage to get her was time.

I did learn something new about myself. I have a special purr. One I only make when… certain things are happening. It’s pretty deep, vibrates my chest, and I cannot consciously control it.

Princess loved hearing it. She said it… never mind.

…Mirage keeps giving me funny looks for some reason. Possibly because I’m blushing again.

I can’t say I ever expected this to happen. It sort of reminds me of when Princess said she was ‘curious’ about how I would… Well. I guess she figured it out.

Enough of that.

Things have been great. In the future, I’ve been making friends with the bearers, and they are surprisingly normal ponies; far from the image of heroes I first imagined in them. In many ways, I see echoes of the past in them, but none of them are exactly the same, or even mostly the same.

Applejack is hardworking and a little stubborn. I greatly enjoy helping her around the farm, as she pays me in apples, which Mirage always enjoys. Big Mac, her brother, likes me, though their Granny doesn’t like me.

She says I shed too much.

Rainbow has a job, and though I tried, I cannot move clouds like a pegasus. I can, however, ‘break’ them, though I am still unsure what that means even with Rainbow’s trying to explain what it meant. She does appreciate racing me, however, and has started developing a habit of napping atop me whenever she happens to be nearby and feeling tired.

Fluttershy has little I can help her with, but she, like Private, simply enjoys being able to pamper me. Her animals are rather strange though; they don’t act right. Especially that rabbit.

Pinkie is as eccentric as Chancellor, but her brand is more chaotic. Anytime I want to spice my life, I go find Pinkie, and she’ll always be up to something. I greatly enjoy her pies too.

Rarity is possibly the most difficult, as she creates dresses and I have no ability to aid her with that in any real capacity. She herself is lost as to what I can help her with, and the both of us have so far failed to find any way we can truly spend time together.

And then Twilight. she, more so than any of the others, loves being near me, and I her. She tells me endless stories and I tell her about the past, and often, we can spend an entire day, just doing that. I have begun teaching her my own language, but it seems that she, even with the aid of magic, cannot speak it.

Here in the past, I got to battle a dragon. It was an experience, as its scales were harder than my claws, and even able to resist my bite. I was only able to dent a few scales before my roar wore off, and it took Commander and five of his best to aid me so it didn’t hurt me or them. It eventually flew off on its own, and we let it go.

Apparently, that’s how one is supposed to deal with dragons. Annoy them until they leave.

I should mention the one I fought was a drake; barely more than a child in dragon terms. And it still breathed fire and needed six trained pegasi and me to convince it that making a den there wasn't going to be worth it. I can’t imagine just how powerful a truly aged dragon could possibly become.

The den in the past is also home to my growing hoard. Commander insists on paying me for my services, Princess started giving me stuff to put around the place, and Chancellor started to give me gifts too once she saw that the others were. The den is looking really nice, and I’ve begun to pile the bits in one of the caverns. Just a little pile right now, but I have hopes it will grow.

I still write on the walls, though between here and now, the story tends to jump a bit. I’m not always done when I move from one time to the next.

I’m not about to write this event on the wall. Even if I wasn't teaching Twilight and Mirage how to read my language, I still wouldn’t. That isn’t something one writes down.

But it will be something I shall never forget.

And something I hope happens again.

Prologue 1

…What is this? This feeling…

Slight pain, confusion, a strange fading numbness. A faint, lingering… fear? What… what happened to me?

Nothing… I don’t know, and I feel dazed. What is this confusion?

I open my eyes, and am blinded by the bright sun above. Slowly, I feel the land around me, and feel grass under me. My vision adjusts, and I see green. Trees, bushes, grass, vibrant and strong. A gentle breeze makes the leaves shake, the sun above shining bright. Nothing I’ve seen before, and yet, I know of it all, as if told of them in great detail…

I push, lifting my head, and look down. I see paws.

…

They are mine. But…

The knowledge, the use, it is missing. As if I am newborn, new to a body and form. I don’t even know what I look like…

I shift one, and feel the leg under me. I have four I think, and they feel… stiff. As if I’ve been lying still for some time. It’s happened before…

Why do I know that? Never mind.

I flew a paw, and yell, seeing several black claws slide out with ease. I hear a roar, and yell louder in sudden fear before noticing.

It’s me. That my voice. My… roar.

I had shaken the trees near me. I feel powerful, prideful, but I need to move. And stand up. Noise is worth nothing to me, and might attract unwanted attention…

Like what? I don’t know, and yet, I know I might have done something wrong that will get me hurt or even killed…

But why? Why do I know these things, and yet fail to know why I know them?

It takes time for me to wobble upright, weakness combating confusion for which would cause me to fall back.
Nevertheless, I stand up, and the feelings fade away as I stand and support myself.

I wonder if I am newborn. It makes little sense, considering I know things and I do have a body that at least feels strong and large. The confusion and unfamiliarity I have of myself would be explained by it though…

Who am I? Where have I come from? Where am I? What am I? I know none of the answers, and wonder of them.

Then I shake the wonder from me. I need to learn to live first. Then I can wonder.

I look and see myself. A large pair of wings is on my back, the feathers a dark brown, complementing the sandy color of my fur. Beyond them is a tail, with a little tuft of brown hair on the end of it. I think I have a mane as well, but I’m not sure.

I watch the tail and note that while I can command it, it also acts on its own. Like it has a mind of its own. Interesting.

The wings are exciting. Can I fly? The prospect raises my spirits greatly, and I smile. I feel for their control, and then extend them, spreading them out with ease. They control very easily, and I feel the power behind the gentle motions I am making.

I ready myself and flap. I hurtle through the air, uncontrolled, and scream, not roar, as I go over the nearby trees before crashing back into them.

That hurt. I lie in a bush and groan, giving some thanks that I missed the trees. I need to be careful it seems.

My wings are very powerful and I have nothing to help guide me in their use. Or in the air for that matter. I need to learn, but then, how? Maybe if I watch birds perhaps.

Or maybe I can just walk on the air. Just as likely really. Best to save them for emergencies. Or when I want to again, which shall not be soon I think.

My torso keeps hurting even as the other pains fade. How have I injured myself..? I hear a grumble.

Ah. The pain is hunger. I should have known that, but then, I have just fallen from the sky after waking unknowing of anything. Some confusion is to be expected.

I get up and start walking, stumbling around and trying not to plant my head in some bush or tree. Balance is hard, and doing it in this forest is harder still. I learn fast, but one thing is not good still.

I am making a lot of noise. If my earlier roar hadn’t scared off the prey, then me stepping on every twig and rusting every leaf will be doing so. Hm.

I eat living animals then. I hadn’t really thought about it until I made noise. So, either more knowledge without explanation, or instinct perhaps? If the latter, I should be relying upon that heavily. It might be my best guide to myself, and should keep me fed and safe.

I am starving and I can’t find anything!

Trees and bushes are the only things present, and I cannot stomach them, I checked. Curse my inability to stalk! I am likely frightening off anything I can eat with all this noise, yet I can’t stop myself from making it!

I’m hungry! Really hungry and my patience is…

Those berries I see better not be poisonous.

To eat them without also eating the bush they grow on is very difficult. I am too hungry to care, and they are good, but they are nothing. I am still hungry, and they did almost nothing to ease that.

I’m angry and frustrated and covered in leaves and twigs. If only the food would just hold still for me! It would be so much easier! It’s very frustrating to be like this!

However, I do have a great way to relieve frustration, don’t I?

I sit back and roar as hard as I can. An angry, frustrated bellow to help relive my tension.

Something is happening. As I roar, I feel a strange kind of effort in me. I stop, and notice.

The wind has stopped, and everything near me seems unnaturally still. The world around me seems frozen in place…

I press the bush I have just mangled, and see it bend and fail to bend back when I let go.

I do not know what has happened, but I am delighted! I walk through the forest, snapping branches that make no sound, and take no small amount of cheer in moving everything near me and snickering at their inability to reform.

I nearly trip on something, and I look to spot a rabbit, frozen like everything else. Mid run in fact.

It is in my mouth in an instant and I am very happy. It is both satisfying and delicious, the crunch of small bones a delightful sensation in my jaws, its blood and flesh delicious, if not very satisfying. There should be more nearby.

I find a few more, and after eating them as well, my hunger is calmed and I am satisfied.

I start when the wind resumes suddenly, and then wince at the sudden chorus of snaps and whipping sounds. So, the stillness only lasts for a short time, and when it’s over, events held still do occur, all at once.

Thinking about it, that vague feeling of exertion hasn’t faded either. Perhaps it is some kind of side effect, one to warn me that I cannot do so often without harming myself? Not something I would test.

I won’t ever need to overexert that ability anyway.

I want to explore, and see what there is. Curiosity takes hold, and I happily accept its given quest. Besides; daylight won’t stay and I should find some kind of shelter. I should find rocks to den within… Because… something.

Another odd piece of unexplained knowledge, but the want is there. Rocks it is.

I go in a mostly straight line for some time, until I grow bored of seeing nothing new. I glance at my wings, and decide to try flying again. Maybe I could spot something from above, and head that way. And who knows? Maybe I’ll get lucky and figure out how to use my wings better through use.

I find a clearing, and extend my wings, feeling the rush of delight. Flying seems a passion of mine. And yes, even if I only had one flight, made of only one flap, and that had me crash painfully. I have visions of soaring high, perfectly in control of my flight, and want to live them.

I try a few gentle motions, feeling the air rushing around me, trying to tell how my wings work. Then I flap.

I hurtle into the air, and manage to find some vague description of balance. More accurately, enough so I don’t fall, at least not always. I keep flapping, sending me through the air in somewhat random directions.

The forest stretches below me, when it isn’t above me, and I hold my breath as I try to resist the nausea the whirling sights cause. I can just barely keep myself in the air, jerking up and down and everywhere with each flap.

I spot something colorful. It looks like a field of flowers, or possibly tall grass. A final flap has me hurtling towards it, by chance or skill I am not quite sure. With luck, it is soft and not painful to ‘land’ there.

I hit something hard, and feel it shatter under me, dropping me down onto what is also hard and now covered in shattered pieces of the first thing that now jab into me. That also shatters and breaks, dropping me one more time onto yet more hard with yet more sharp things to stick me. The impacts take my breath away, and a sudden rush of dust and debris blind me as pain fills me. I choke on the dust.

As I recover, I give some thanks that whatever I hit broke instead of breaking me, though I am in agony. Definitely not a field of flowers then. Nor grass.

I blink and right myself, standing up and trying to see what I have hit. Most of the pain fades as I lift from the broken… wood. Lots of shattered wood.

In fact, I seem to be in a… cave made of wood? The ground is wood, there are wooden walls, and looking up, a wooden top that now has a huge hole within it. Square holes are present in the walls, glinting for some reason, and many… shapes are nearby. I have no name for any of them, but not everything is wood. Merely most things, and in shapes I have never seen before, nor know the name of.

I look around and spot two small and colorful horses, maybe not as they are rather small, trying to force themselves out of a particularly large hole, currently stuck in... Never mind. They are free now.

They are… ponies, and yet, I know that they should not look like that. Ponies do not come in bright pink and blue coats with extra colors in their manes and tails. They also seemed far too… soft. I saw them squishing when they were stuck, as if they lacked muscles or any toughness. Like one would have the same firmness of overripe fruit.

I am drooling. The pain seems to bring out my hunger, and the idea of biting into one of the colorful ponies is incredibly tempting. Even if they are so strange. I can imagine the tenderness already, and even one is so much larger than the tiny rabbits…

I head to the hole, and force myself free, breaking it a little more open, and look around me, shaking the wooden shards from me. I see a number of colorful ponies, darting into yet more of the wooden caves, and blocking the entries with yet more wood.

There are several of the caves, and each one is oddly square. They seem to have no reason, jutting up from the ground with brown grass covering the tops. I wonder what they are as I head to the nearest and try to force my way inside.

The wood is harder than it looks. I only hurt my head and paws trying to break it, and my claws get stuck.

I see others nearby, and brighten. Then I hesitate, seeing them better.

Two more colorful ponies, each one wearing… armor. Leather armor, another piece of knowledge that denies me how I know of it. And they seem to have spears with them.

I could almost imagine that they are holding them, but they have to have it strapped to them somehow. Maybe with those little leather bindings on their legs perhaps. They hold them pointed at me, and seem to be trying to appear intimidating. It’s almost amusing.

However, I know iron when I see it, and the spears are a threat, even attached to the pony. I must take them as seriously as I can. After all, I might stick myself with one by accident.

This will be very satisfying.

My leg hurts. A lot. If you wish to know why, it is because colorful ponies are faster than they look. One of them dodged the first swing. And I do not know how, but it managed to impale my leg. Great pain lances through me with each step, and I am bleeding fairly badly.

It even diminished the heavenly pleasure of the ponies themselves. They are… nothing will ever taste as good. Their taste transcends mere meat, and holds tastes that defy reason. I might grow addicted to them, and I would hazard that the females might be even better meals than the males. However, if the males tend to have spears, I shouldn’t go near them so quickly.

But the sun sets, and more might be coming. I am in no condition to fight more darting, spear holding ponies. I limp onward, and eventually spot another wooden cave, that one more natural.

It slumps, and plants cover it. A large hole in the side allow me access and it is a good size for me. I discover a natural sanctum within it, a place cleared of shattered wood, and lie down there. This place shall be perfect.

I carefully settle myself, and attempt to relax.

Pain fills my mind and form as I lay, panting heavily. A burning, horrible pain is in my leg, the spear making it impossible to rest.

I am unable to remove it, futilely attempting to grasp its shaft with my jaws and pull, but I cannot. It is too small, and with every motion, the pain becomes somehow worse. Every moment, it grows worse.

Am I… am I to die like this? Lying in agony in some wooden cave, all because of something that should be prey, and not foe? My thoughts grow weaker, and my strength is failing me… I feel cold…

I hear motion, and look to see a tiny thing come from the fallen wood cautiously. It is another pony, one very small. The others had stood tall enough to meet my lower chest, but that one is less than half that. It is brown, covered in dirt and mud. It seems… oddly weak as well, as if it has not been able to eat for some time. Thin, too thin.

It comes near me and I growl, making it squeak and freeze, but it does not go away. Is it trying to finish me? It reeks of fear, but I see a glint of strength in its eyes…

It comes near again, and I lack the strength to truly growl again. I am helpless as it approaches.

It makes… soothing sounds, and I wonder, what little part of me is able to wonder in this agony. It reaches me, and looks at the spear in my leg. It gently bites the shaft.

I fear, but I can do nothing… What does it intend..?

I… I can think again. The agony fades. I am… very hurt, but the pain is lessoning!

The tiny pony has removed the spear from my leg, and even now, tries to stop the flow of blood with its tiny body. It emits little sounds, sounds that sooth, sounds that tell me that it is slightly upset.

I only wait and watch until it gets off, its brown now stained red, and feel much better.

I shift, making it start and retreat, off into a tiny den of its own. It peers out at me, large eyes watching as I lie on my belly. The position feels natural and comforting, and I can keep an eye on my front leg like this.

“I,” I begin, my voice deep, unknown to me, but I press on. “I thank you.”

It makes no motion nor sound. It doesn’t understand. It is just an animal after all.

I won’t eat it. It is covered in dirt, and now my blood, and would make less a meal than a rabbit, but first and foremost, it had helped me. Perhaps I know almost nothing about myself, but a sense of honor is within me. It helped, and likely saved me. I should repay that.

I wonder about it though.

Its size suggests immaturity, and seeing it better, it is thin, worn, and ill cared for. Did it have parents? Why was it here, alone? Ponies are pack animals, and yet this one is apart. Why? I feel pity for the tiny creature. It was obviously suffering alone, hungry and dirty, unable to properly care for itself.

“I won’t hurt you.” I tell it, and see it slip a bit farther into its tiny den. No matter. It is only an animal, and perhaps it knows what it needs and wants. It at least seems to have lived on its own for some time. Surely, it can care for itself.

As night continues, it grows cold. Very cold, and I see the tiny form shivering. I mimic it, finding the cold near unbearable, even through my own coat and wings. Perhaps I am sensitive to it?

It seems to see this, and comes from its den again, cautiously, nervously. I purr suddenly, surprising myself and it; I didn’t know I could make those sounds. It is calming, to both myself and it, and it comes near me to rub a hoof against my side.

I am… not truly sure how it is now nestled against my belly, a wing draped over it, but that is what is. I can feel its tiny warmth against me, and the lingering pain of my wound fades with its presence.

And even so cold as I am, one tiny part of me is warm, and something within me is warmer still. I find rest soon.

Chapter 7

As I watch, the rug gives little shifts and motions. I lean a little closer, and I can just barely hear something within it.

I feel Mirage shift atop me, and hear her quietly ask, “Kitty?”

I do not respond, and reach out to the rug, watching it carefully. I gently grab its edge, watching the moving bit of it with care, noting that it is growing stronger over time.

Then I roll the rug out with a sudden motion, and I hesitate as a unicorn appears from within it. The same unicorn I saw screaming, still in her fine dress and jewelry.

She stumbles to her hooves, dazed and obviously greatly confused. “This… is… unacceptable.” I hear her mutter as she wobbles to her hooves, a bit disheveled. “Clover!” she abruptly calls. “Clover, to me! Clover!”

She shakes herself a little, and hesitates a little, looking around at the den. “…Clover, why are we in a cave?” she asks. “The luggage will be ruined by the humidity…”

She pauses, staring at the pile of my wealth.

My wealth? I… really enjoy that thought, actually. My wealth.

“…Clover?” she calls again, but far weaker, uncertain. I can see fear growing in her, and feel myself smiling. “Why is the luggage just dumped in a heap, Clover? …Clover?”

She swallows, and stops. I simply keep watching her, wondering about her. I spot her horn light and she suddenly flinches, badly. Then she very slowly turns her head, keeping her eyes shut, towards me. Once she is directly facing me, she keeps her eyes shut for a few moments, her face incredibly fearful and reluctant.

Then they open, and we see one another. For a few moments, it is silent, us watching one another, her wide eyes staring, me, grinning at her.

Then she screams and panics. And in my den, her scream echoes off the walls and seems without end. I think it might even somehow be louder than before.

“SILENCE!” I roar at her.

At my roar, she suddenly freezes in place, her scream mercifully stopping. I look back at Mirage, and reiterate, “I will find the fillies, Mirage, but first, this unicorn.”

I look back at her, still in the same… Wait.

She has moved toward the exit just a little. Still in the same position she froze within too. She even somehow got her tiara back as well without me noticing. Cunning.

However, this is a, maybe the, unicorn that had Mirage captured. I am not about to let her go without teaching her a lesson.

And I do so dearly want everything she has on her.

Her scream instantly resumes the moment I move, so I just roar to make her stop, and in the stillness, begin trying to get everything off of her. I feel Mirage climb to my head.

“Kitty!”

“Yes, Mirage?” I ask, trying not to damage anything on the unicorn as I try to get it off of her, focusing on the gold and jewelry. I don’t really care about the dress; too small.

“Kitty, what are you doing?” she asks me, and her tone makes me slow a little.

“…Is this the unicorn who captured you, Mirage?” I ask.

“No.” she tells me, making me worry a little, before she adds, “She’s the one who told that one to tie me to a post.”

“Then I am simply teaching her a lesson.” I tell Mirage, fairly happy I have an excuse for her. I kind of don’t want to tell Mirage about this newfound urge for wealth.

“By… stealing all her jewelry?” Mirage asks me, her tone doubtful.

“You’ll see.” I tell her, trying to fiddle with a tiny clasp on a tiny necklace. I sort of think it could open or something, and I want it despite its small nature. “Now, help me get this off of her. I don’t want to snap it.”

Mirage flits down, but I see some hesitation in her even as she helps me. As she works with the last of the stuff, I look, and spot some chain I must have grabbed by mistake. Taking it, I grin, a good idea coming to me.

A brief while alter, I had dirtied the unicorn, damaging her dress before managing to seal the chain in the stone and then getting the chain to hold her. Fiddly work, but rather satisfying to do. That done, I simply laid down and waited for my roar to fade. Mirage’s own nervousness and hesitation matters little; this is what is right.

My roar fades, and she blinks at me, startling suddenly, only to notice the chain holding her in place. She looks to it in shock and dismay, then to herself in the same, to my growing satisfaction. As she feels her head for her missing tiara, my grin grows, and as her hooves dart to her neck, she gasps and looks down, and I greatly enjoy the ripple of horror that passes over her as she looks up, and finds me close to her.

But even as I ready myself to speak, my mouth opening, she suddenly sits down, and her eyes fill with tears. I hesitate and she sobs suddenly, and collapses in place. She cries gently, but I can hear her despair.

I… I am left unsure how to respond, but Mirage instantly flies from my head to try and comfort the broken unicorn. I watch them both.

A part of me is exalted by the sight of the sobbing unicorn. A part of me revels in what I have done, and wants me to do more. To make her suffer more. It is only fitting, that part tells me, that she does so for she has harmed Mirage, and through her, harmed me. Harmed my pride.

But another part wonders about what I have done. Memories of my time in stone return to me, and the pain I felt when a Mirage cried. The stories I have been told about revenge and anger, all the evil that comes from rage.

…I feel I have a choice. I cannot resolve the two feelings.

On one side is my instinct. My birth. All that I am for being born what I am, demanding that I act as I am meant to act. The unlearned knowledge within me, the voice that guides me to action, the urges that live in me.

The other is the lessons of Mirage. The lessons of all the Mirages. Each one, marching through the ages unbroken, teaching me something more than my birth, be that by tales or by example. I cannot turn away from them, even with the pull of instinct. They are all I have lived.

Yet, I cannot deny my instinct, and I find myself caught between the two.

My birth, or my life. Instincts or lessons. Myself, or them.

The struggle grows, and I groan, shutting my eyes. The call of instinct screams in my head: hurt her, make her suffer, eat her for daring! Each of the Mirages call for me to spare her, to know her, to forgive her.

It is one or the other, but I cannot choose! Life or birth!? Themorme!?

I cannot decide!

I slam my head into the floor, trying to make the struggle stop. The pain momentarily gives me some clarity.

Can I even deny what I was born as? Is it even possible that I might become something that I am not, to accept all that they have taught me? To grow beyond my blood and flesh, to silence the call of my body? It is even possible, or am I doomed to this conflict?

Am I what I was born as, or am I what I lived as? Which is the truth? Which is correct? What is the right answer?! Why do I not,

A sudden buck disrupts my thoughts, and I look up to see Mirage, looking at me. Her words are meaningless to me.

But I can see her kindness, her compassion. I can see the bond that we share reflected in her eyes. I can see her fearing for me, and I know that she is screaming in concern and worry for me. In her eyes, I can see something I have not seen for nearly a thousand years.

I see her love for me. I see the same love reflected in her eyes that I once saw so very long ago in her ancestor’s eyes.

Seeing her, I know the answer.

Seeing her, I wonder why I ever struggled to know the answer.

All of them gave of themselves for me. An unbroken line of Mirages, teaching me their lessons, being there in my imprisonment.

I am what I was born as. A giant winged cat that doesn’t even know his own species. The instincts that live in my blood and flesh, the same that I’ve heeded over and over again, the unspoken knowledge that lives within me. With them, I am but a predator; a monster in the skies.

But they gave me so much more. For nothing, they gave me everything they had. I took their lessons into my heart and built something that was something more than what I was born as.

I accepted the mantle they gave me, and bore the name she gave me with pride. I rose up beyond anything I could be alone, every last one helping me to stand up, to go beyond what I am. I did it for them. For a thousand years, I trusted them. For a thousand years, my mind endured for them. For a thousand years, my heart beat for them.

I am more than my birth. They lived with me and they live on in my memory. Every one, etched into my heart, every lesson learned and known and accepted, every Mirage known and remembered, never to be forgotten.

By myself, I am nothing but what I am.

But with them, I am everything I could ever desire to become.

My instincts silence within me, and I feel myself relax from a tension I was not aware of.

“Mirage…” I murmur, and I see her calm, at least a little.

“Kitty, what happened? Are you alright? You bashed your head really hard…”

“I am.” I tell her, before I look to the broken unicorn; she has stilled, and no longer cries. The sight is no longer good to me. “But I have done something terrible.”

Mirage hesitates, looking with me. “…We went too far Kitty.”

“I went too far, Mirage.” I correct her, reaching out to gently snap the chain. “This is my mistake; not yours.”

I gently pull the unicorn to my side, feeling her shift slightly, but she makes no sound. I… I still don’t feel anything for her, but all I know calls for me to make amends.

Suddenly, all the wealth matters little to me.

“…I remember when others made me cry.” Mirage murmurs, watching her. Then she looks up to me, her face uncertain, her eyes regretful. “Kitty...What did we do?”

I sigh gently, relaxing. “This blame lies with me, Mirage, not you. To me, Mirage. Come the morning, I shall make this right.”

Mirage gently flaps to my head, and I feel her settle there.

“I am tired now.” I tell her. “Try to find some peace this night.”

“…I’ll try Kitty.”

I can hear her hesitation, and I know why she is hesitating; she wants to fix this. She wants to comfort the unicorn, to make this better, to make right what I made wrong.

Maybe someday, I might want to do those things as well. But for now, I can accept something a little simpler. I will obey the lessons. I will listen to them, and even in ignorance and apathy, I will follow the prescribed trail that they have left for me.

As a foal listens to their parents, I will listen to them. I walk with every Mirage, and I become something more than my birth.

Come the morning, with any luck, Mirage might show me the way forward.

I worry for the girls as I sleep.

“Go on then. Just eat me and put me out of my misery.”

I blearily open one eye to see the unicorn standing in front of me. She is standing tall, and though she seems brave, I can smell her fear. I can see the trails of tears on her face yet. She is also wearing her tiara and necklace, and I think that she has attempted to clean herself and straighten the remains of her dress.

“Come on then. You won’t find a better meal.” If my eyes are not deceiving me, she shifts, standing obliquely so that I can see most of her. She grows slightly more fearful as she does so, though she hides it masterfully.

…What is she doing? Is… Is she trying to tempt me into devouring her?

…Maybe it is a dream? My instincts trying to get me to renounce my earlier choice? I would not do so, not even in a dream. Never again.

I slightly shake my head, denying her and them, and close my eye again.

“And why not?” I hear her ask, and there is a strange tone of indignation in her voice, her fear reducing. “Here I am, the prized princess before the beast, helpless before you. Now, give in to your desires, and quickly, before your handler wakes.”

I do not respond, and after a moment, I hear her huff. She then pokes me with a hoof, and I ignore that as well. I will not…

…She’s now trying to open my mouth on her own, I think. That is either her magic or her hoof, possibly both, trying to get my jaws open.

Definitely a dream then. There is no possible way that this is actually occurring; she is showing such determination to get me to eat her it may rival my own to not do so.

I’m tired though, and her attempts are annoying. Irritating. However, I have a sudden idea.

I open my mouth and sense her back up suddenly. Not to be outdone, I move forward, and grab onto her carefully. She goes perfectly still as I do so, and I shift to get her entirely within my mouth, not harming her in the slightest. Then I shut my jaws, and relax; I will show mastery, and not bite down. I feel the urge to bite, but I shall not! I am the stronger of this dream.

I feel her lose her stiffness, and feel her shift in my jaws. Then, she shrieks. My head vibrates from it, and Mirage yells, leaping from my mane. I spit the unicorn out, baffled and dismayed.

It had not been a dream! The unicorn had actually tried to get me to eat her! Is she mad!?

She is currently gasping on the floor, her eyes wide with panic, and I hear Mirage gasping as well, shocked herself.

“What are you thinking?” I demand of the unicorn, utterly baffled by her action, struggling to wake fully. At my voice, she calms, and gets to her hooves oddly quickly, though she remains in her place. “Explain yourself.”

She reacts oddly, as if I caught her doing something criminal. She is suddenly quiet and defensive, not looking at me in a rather pointed fashion and appearing almost aggressively defiant. Almost as if she is daring me to question her, though her gaze is looking elsewhere…

“Kitty, what did she do?” Mirage asks me, flying a little forward.

“She tried to have me eat her.” I tell Mirage.

“What?!” Mirage yelps, looking to the unicorn as if she was mad.

The unicorn turns to see us both, her gaze defiant and determined, and directed at Mirage. “I will not surrender before you nor your beast, pegasus.” she declares, standing tall and somehow appearing regal despite her current state. “I am Princess Platinum and I will not show weakness before you nor the great beast you command. You may have captured me, taken me from my kind to this cavern, stolen my luggage, tried to humiliate me, but I am the princess of the unicorns, and I will not bow or quake before you!”

I can still smell her fear, and see it despite her strong stance. She is still not focusing on me, instead glaring at Mirage.

Mirage is speechless, as if in great shock.

“You are Princess Platinum?” she asks in astonishment, to my faint wonder.

The unicorn tosses her head back, and seems almost arrogant, a little of her fear leaving her. “I am she. How do you not know me? How would anypony not know me? Has Commander Hurricane decided to keep his recruits ignorant of his betters?”

“Commander Hurricane!?” Mirage gasps, slowly drifting toward the ground. I’m not sure why the names have such an impact on her, but it is obvious that she is in no condition to further this. I must take action.

“…We never intended to take you, Princess.” I say, a little worried; she seems aggressive, and I’m a little worried that this will end badly. “Nor do we intend to have you surrender to us.” Princess looks to me in surprise, which I take as a hopeful sign.

“I… I was overtaken by greed, and thoughts of revenge for the taking of Mirage.” I admit, struggling to think of what to say that might calm her fear and anger alike. “That is why I took your gold, gems, and finery, and why I sought to humiliate you.”

“I was wrong to do so, but, in greed and anger, I’ve done these things to you. If you would, Princess, accept my apologies, worthless though they may be, and take back your things.” I end that by lowering myself, to try and make myself seem smaller, so she might better know my regret.

Princess seems stunned, staring at me, almost gaping a little. She blinks several times before she slowly says, “…I never… you are… very well spoken.” She takes a breath, and seems to calm, looking at me without her earlier fear.

“…I had thought you to be just some terrible, unthinking beast.” she tells me, her eyes growing unsure, hesitant. “Yet, you… aren’t.” A few moments pass as she continues to watch me with that worried confusion for several long moments before she speaks again.

“…If you truly mean what you said,” she says slowly, uncertain, “then I accept your apology.”

I relax, giving a large sigh, to her slight surprise. That went far, far better than I worried it might.

If she had not forgiven me, I might have found myself at odds with her and the other ponies I saw in the tent, presumably those part of her group. I am not certain what might have occurred, but I do know that, if Princess did leave with a grudge towards me, it would inevitably lead to conflict between me and them.

“Thank you, Princess.” I tell her giving her a small smile. I see her hesitate again, obviously trying to think, but I am relaxed now, relieved.

I note that she is still dirty from my earlier handling of her. I have a sudden idea about how I might help her; how I might better my apology. She startles as I grab her, and, as I anticipated, she shrieks as I start cleaning her. She struggles weakly, before seeming to accept it.

I set her down, clean once again. She pants in place, and before she might come to any conclusion on her own, I tell her, “I’ve a debt to pay you, Princess, and grooming you is only the start of repaying that debt. I only groom those I trust, and I hope that I might one day earn your trust in turn.”

Princess stares at me, gaping a little, and doesn’t respond, her exact expression a little hard to guess. Then she looks away, looking almost troubled before she gives a soft sigh and relaxes. She looks back to see me, her expression still concerned, but far less tense than it had been before.

She opens her mouth only to freeze as we hear something outside my den.

“But I didn’t hear anythin, Chancellor.” a tired voice says.

“I know I head somepony scream!” another voice, one far more excited and energetic, responds. “And what if it’s one of us, crying out for help!?”

“How would anypony get ahead of us? We’re th first an th only ponies out here, remember? An there’s no place fer anypony ta hide anyway.”

“There is! That cave, right there!”

I look at the entry, wondering, and Mirage hides behind me. To my and her surprise, however, so does Princess.

“What are you doing?” I hear Mirage ask her, though I remain watching the entrance, wondering what is coming.

“Hiding!” Princess retorts. “I can’t let her see me like this! It is entirely unacceptable!”

I wonder at her words, but I have… something coming. They are ponies, I know, but still… I’m not certain if they are foe or not. I sit up, and spread my wings out, making myself appear larger, and more intimidating. It might be for the best if I just scare them off.

Two ponies enter, both in strange clothing. One is pink and covered in ruffles and much more, with a ridiculous and oversized hat atop her head. The other is a dark orange, and her dress is far more normal, brown, simple and durable.

They both hesitate as they enter, gazes drawn to the drawings on the walls and the crystals I have placed around the area. Then the orange one spots me, and shrinks back in sudden fear, but the other seems to not even notice.

Still staring at me, the orange prods her companion, and whispers something hurriedly to her.

The other looks at her, almost appearing confused. “There’s no giant winged cat here Smart.” she says as if stating an obvious fact. “This place is empty, except for the crystals, the odd writing on the walls, the heap of stuff, and the giant winged cat.”

Smart doesn’t really react to the insanity that the pink one is producing, as if very well used to it. I decide to interject.

“Why are you trespassing in my den?” I growl at the pair, repressing my curiosity over them; they are rather strange indeed, but I have something important to protect, and little reason to trust.

They both freeze, though Smart swiftly begins trying to drag the other out of the den. Then she shakes her sensible companion off and walks to me, fearless.

“We thought we heard somepony screaming, and came to check.” she tells me as if talking to any other pony, her perfectly calm nature enough for me to have a hard time keeping up my aggressive stance; she was being too strange. “Did you, by chance, happen to hear anypony screaming?”

“Chancellor!” Smart hisses as she remains stubbornly by her companion’s side, despite her fear, “If anypony was screamin, it was because of that beast!”

Chancellor turns back to Smart. “Don’t be silly Smart. It’s his home, and he would know if anypony was screaming in here. And besides, he’s harmless!”

That had both me and Smart stop and stare at the mad pony.

“I mean, just look at him!” Chancellor says, turning to gesture at me. “He’s simply enormous, with gigantic, beautiful wings, gleaming, perfect black claws, and shiny, sharp white teeth as large as a pony!” she says, and I’m left uncertain how I should respond. I’m entirely at a loss for what to do now. “Look, he even has a bunch of bones stacked in that other cavern, like a real gentlepony.” she adds, pointing that way, Smart glancing that way, paling a little more.

I think I might have felt something shift behind me, but I ignore it. Weird as Chancellor is, she’s a strange pony and thus far, new ponies have meant trouble. I glare, and softly growl, threatening them.

“So, it is totally safe here!” Chancellor declares happily as I bare my fangs at her; she seems to not even hear my growling, despite my slowly increasing it in volume. “He’s just a massive carnivore who can easily swallow a pony whole!” With that, she gives Smart, who is backing away, terrified, a large grin before she hesitates and adopts a thoughtful look.

“You know what Smart?” she asks slowly.

“Y, Y, yes Chancellor?” Smart asks, staring at me. I shift my gaze slightly up, looking to her now, making her freeze in place, her eyes huge.

“That does sound like something that would make somepony scream.”

Smart is near panicked, though she remains still as I look down at Chancellor. She is still calm, if deep in thought.

Then Chancellor seems to realize something, and nods happily to herself as I loom over her, intensely curious as to what was wrong with the pony, but keeping my aggressive appearance. Then she, without warning, leaps into the air and gives off a wild scream, before rushing out of the den, Smart already ahead of her, having started the moment Chancellor screamed.

I stare after them, a bit startled by Chancellor’s jump and scream; I hadn’t expected something like that. I huff, and shake off that feeling, and frown, thinking.

They seemed harmless if… strange. Very strange. I am still puzzling about them as Mirage walks around to my front, her own gaze confused.

“…Why were they like that, Mirage?” I ask her.

“I… I have no idea Kitty.” she tells me, shaking her head. “Oh, yeah: Princess Platinum fainted when she saw the bones. You really need to clean that place out some time.”

I turn to see Princess, collapsed upon the stone. I’m still a little unsure as to how I will make everything up to her, despite her accepting my apology. Worries for later, however. I have to find the girls, and don’t want to wait the time for Princess to wake back up.

I stand, and tell Mirage, “Stay within the den, and keep an eye on Princess for me. I am going to search for the girls, and with luck, I shall find them soon.”

Mirage nods and I exit the den, and soon spot the retreating forms of Chancellor and Smart, still running away. They are heading north, toward the distant mountains.

It could prove a promising start to follow them, but doing so may reinforce the ‘pony eating monster’ thing and I’ve no wish to further that image. However, they have given me a hint of direction, and I will still follow it… just not directly. I will instead head toward the smaller forest beside the Everfree, and from there take flight to the distant peaks. Following them still, but in a way that would be unlikely to be noticed.

I flap a few times, and I take flight, hoping that I might find the girls, or if not, then some hint as to their fate. Soon enough, the mountains rise before me, and I firm myself.

I will find the girls.