Chapters A lone stallion walks along a beaten path, his hoofsteps padding softly on the many inches thick layer of dirt. His mottled gray coat does little to cool him down in the harsh sunlight, but he trudges onwards, intent on finally reaching the rugged peak of the mountain.
Journal #1 Prologue
I wonder who’s reading this right now. That’s what’s going through my mind as I write this. I don't know who you are, and I don't know what you are. All I know is, someone got my journal, and is reading it. I would have liked to have had the choice in who, but then again, we don't always get the best choices in life. Not to say that you aren't a good choice, that is. I may not know you, but that isn't enough to say that you wouldn't be a good choice as the holder of my journals.
You know, I decided to start writing these journals because I realized that it was time to be honest with myself. I figured if I could get it down on paper, all of it, then maybe, just maybe, I’ll realize something. I’ll realize a different solution, one that could end any way other than the one I’ve figured out. But to be entirely truthful, I’ve already accepted my fate. I know how this story ends, the same way everyone’s story ends… eventually.
I’ve been here for so long, long enough that I’ve completely lost track of the actual amount of time I’ve been here. I mean, sure, with how everything started, I guess even an hour would feel like an eternity to me, but that’s beyond the point. What matters isn't how long I’ve been here, but rather, what’s happened since I’ve been here.
I guess this is supposed to be the part where I begin to tell you some sort of adventure of grandeur, and how I rose to the occasion to become more than who I was, to become something greater than myself, in order to fight a great evil that only I could defeat. I’m supposed to start to tell you how I learned to perform impossible feats, and gained superhero abilities to take on the darkest, most evil forces across the universe.
Except… that’s not how it happened. That’s not how it happened at all. Sure, if you ever did hear anything about what happened, it might have been from a myth, or a legend, or even a story told for children through a multi-billion dollar television network. And while it is most likely wrong almost completely, it still will probably have some merit of truth to it.
That’s how it works, right? Every story, no matter how far-fetched, how outlandish, how impossible, will always have a grain of truth to it? I think that’s how it works, I don't really know. All I know is what I know, and not a single thing more.
Maybe one day, everyone will get to know the truth. The full truth, as best as I can describe it in my journals. It may be something that people won't want to believe, and will vehemently deny as fact, but at least I’ll have given it my best to let people know what really happened. What I’ve really done. What I haven't done.
What should I tell you next? What I look like? Well, I guess I could give you an idea. I’ve been told I’m something called a Unicorn, and everyone who’s mentioned it has usually said I have a dark green coat, whatever that means. I think one of my friends even told me once that I was a muddy green color, and I honestly think he’s right. I wouldn’t know, but he’s been around me the most, so I’d have to say that he probably has the best chance of being right.
Maybe I should tell you about where I am now. I’m currently living up north, somewhere along the coastline of a giant, well, not really island, but rather, a sort of small continent. The locals have said that it’s not a continent, but I’ve felt the maps, and I know this is far larger than any other islands in the area. I also know that there’s a lot of dragons around here. I know this area the best, and I’ve decided that this is where I’ll stay. I don't know anywhere else very well, and I don't trust anyone else as much as those who live here, so this is where I’ll probably end up staying for a while.
There’s also a large empire off to the far left, across the ocean, with griffons taking up the majority of the population. They’re the main reason I’m here now, and I honestly don't know how I feel about the majority of them. Below them, there’s a place called Equestria. It’s filled mostly with ponies, all of whom are usually one of three main races: pegasi, unicorn, and earth pony. Sure, there’s other species here and there, but not in numbers anywhere near as abundant as the ponies.
The first time I was in Equestrian, I didn't do much. Actually, that’s not right. I couldn't do much. I couldn't walk, couldn't see, couldn't remember- yeah, I couldn't do a lot of things.
I think that’s why I was picked up the way I was. I mean, it’s not like anyone would miss me, right? No one knew me, or even knew of me, so therefore if I just disappeared, no one would notice, right? The thing is, I noticed. I noticed when I was taken, but I didn't know why. I couldn't make sense of anything, and my mind was too far gone at the time to process everything. Really, it’s all mostly a foggy blur, but I still remember enough to tell you what happened.
You know, I think I’ve got it figured out. I wasn't too sure where I should start it, and considered just a brief run-down, but honestly, what would be the point of that? I wouldn't be able to be very honest with you if I did that, would I? The beginning is the best place for everyone, you, me, and whoever else you decide should read this.
So that’s where I’ll start it, then. Right at the beginning, the beginning of me. The me now, the me I know. Not the me I may have once been. That version of me is off, gone somewhere I can't think of, somewhere I can't find. Even if I could, I don't think I’d be willing to. Could I give up who I am now, if it meant I could have a chance at understanding more about what’s happening? I don't know the answer to that, and I hope I never come across the chance to have to answer that question.
That leaves me in a bit of a predicament, but it’s no matter. I’m here to tell a story. I’ll start from the beginning, the beginning that I know. The beginning that I know to be the truth. The beginning that will reveal who I am, both on the inside, and the outside. You may not fully like what you read about me, and about everyone around me, but honestly? That’s alright. Because this is the way it was meant to be.
Celestia
Canterlot
I gasped as I woke. A sheen of sweat glistened on my fur, and my breath came in short, quick bursts. Moonlight streamed in through the satin curtains, providing me with just enough light to see the confines of my chambers.
An alarm spell had gone off. An old one, at that. So old, in fact, that it hadn’t even woken me properly, simply just going off in my dreams until my subconscious had panicked enough that it forced me awake. But the spells weren’t supposed to do that. Every alarm spell in use was checked every half a decade, to ensure they wouldn’t fail. And the older spells that weren’t in use anymore were always deactivated, so as to not provide false positives. So what had gone off?
It must have been old, but not too old. If Luna hadn’t woken me up, then that must mean that it had to have been something from within the last thousand years. Not much was added in since then, really, other than spells to check for the return of Nightmare Moon, but all of those had been long since deactivated, mostly due to their uselessness in determining her return. Beyond those, nothing was added. Perhaps a faulty current alarm spell? If so, then that meant something had happened. Something that needed to be looked into right away.
I rushed out of bed, magically grooming my mane, and moving it into place as I left my magically sealed room, teleporting almost instantly down into the throne room, startling both Luna, and the guards.
“Luna,” I began. “What has happened? I felt an alarm spell ring, but it was different. Did the griffons finally make a move against us? Or has something else happened?”
A small frown fell on her face. “Celestia, sister, whatever are you talking about? No alarm spells have gone off this night.”
I pondered on her words for a moment, and glanced around the room, taking in the Royal Guards. Only eight. That was normal, a bit less than what was expected, actually, as during the day, there were usually about ten or so. Luna was unaware of an alarm spell going off, and the guards were in small numbers. That meant it was a relatively peaceful night.
Racking my brain, I thought about what it was that I had heard. Perhaps I had only dreamt the alarm. In fact, I most likely had. The griffons were in no position to attack Equestria, despite what they’d like to believe. Nightmare Moon was long since vanquished. Discord was transformed, bettered into someone friendly- er, friendlier. Tartarus had been sealed off, preventing the likes of it to seep into Equestria again, lest an Alicorn decided to break the seal. Yes, everything was… fine.
I smiled at my sister, relaxing. “My apologies, Luna. I hadn’t meant to barge in like that. It must have been a dream gone awry.”
A soft smile graced her lips. “It is alright, Celestia. You know, if you’d like, I could add your dreams to the list of ponies to check on. I know you prefer to keep them more private than that, but I would understand if you wanted me to check on them every once in awhile.”
I opened my mouth, about to respond, when it happened. An alarm spell went off, this time, plaguing the entire castle with its sounds. However, this alarm was… different. It didn’t sound proper, like the other alarms did. It had a sort of musical tone to it, one that nagged at the back of her mind, like something she could almost remember, but couldn’t quite seem to fully grasp.
Luna, along with the Royal Guards, were immediately put into high alert, albeit confused on the actual threat. None of them recognized the actual alarm. “Celestia, is… is this the alarm that you heard in your dreams?”
“Yes,” I responded, straining to recall what it meant. Perhaps, when the runner came to deliver the message that normal came with alarm spells, she’d remember. But why didn’t Luna, or the guards, for that matter, know what it meant?
And then, the world shattered around her as she suddenly remembered where she had heard the alarm from. A long time ago, a pony who was close to her had spoken of something that he would mark, something that rang with these same musical notes. He had even offered to show it to her, which she had accepted, curious as to what he had been referring to. And what he had shown her both terrified her, and intrigued her. He had even asked her to be something for him, his acolyte, he had called it. But once he had passed, she had never thought she would hear the alarm spell go off, the very same one he had personally created for her, so that in case it ever went off, she would know what was happening, and she would be prepared.
“Starswirl,” she whispered, her eyes widening in a mixture of both fear and wonder. “What have you done?”
(Continued) Griffon Empire/Equestrian Eastern Coast
A world of sound. A world of beauty. A world of music. That’s the earliest memory I have. It was like something out of an old storybook. The sounds that had started off faint, were slowly raising in volume, and were a mixture of sweet, jumbled musical notes, not really playing any discernible tune, instead just simply being pleasant, calming. It was like being in a trance, one that was perfect in every way.
It’s kind of hard to remember what exactly was happening. I know I was surrounded by thousands of small, bright white specks, their light diminishing by the second. I also know that I wasn't standing, but rather, floating along, pushed by a force beyond my comprehension.
I saw a growing light approaching from the front of me, one that seemed to have a sort of blue tinge to it that danced all along the edges, just barely noticeable in my vision. There was also a sort of groaning sound, one that sounded similar to rock grinding against rock, that built up slowly, until it became a full on rumbling.
This sound, for whatever reason, instilled a feeling of fear within me. I instinctively knew it was bad, but I didn't know why. The light growing ever closer, I soon gave in and shut my eyes, preventing myself from seeing what came next.
That didn't stop me from feeling myself burst through the light, feeling as if I was breaking through a large, thin sheet of wet paper, making a loud squelching sound as I went through. At the same time, the rumbling came to its peak, and I felt a shower of rocks come crumbling down around me, falling from both the ceiling, and the walls.
To make matters worse, all of a sudden it felt as if I was falling. The force that had been holding me aloft, and allowing me to travel forward had suddenly ended, causing me to be affected by gravity once more.
I started screaming, flailing every which way, but to what purpose, I’m not sure. I didn't fall far, probably just a few feet, as I wasn't badly hurt afterwards. But as I fell, even with my eyes closed, I knew a few things. Firstly, that there were still rocks tumbling down around me, a lot of which were landing on me. And second, I knew that something else was happening.
Even with my eyes closed, I could still see a bright blue light bleeding through my eyelids, filling my vision completely as my body tenses up involuntarily, locking me in place. And from there, I felt myself pelted continuously with more and more rocks, until finally, I felt one land on my head, and the light cut out completely as everything went dark.
How long I was there for, I’m not sure, but I do know that when I finally woke up, my entire body was stiff, frozen as if it hadn't been moved in a long time. I struggled to open my eyes, to see where I had ended up, but I couldn't. I could feel them moving, but I was so weak, and so stiff, that I couldn't control them properly. I then decided to change tactics, and opened my mouth to call out for help.
A dry, high-pitched mess, my voice rang out, barely audible to my own ears. “H-hello?” My voice echoed, resounding off of what sounded like walls in a cave.
I coughed a bit, both to clear my throat, and because I couldn't stop myself, feeling a weird, coppery taste in my mouth as it felt like something was pushing out. I felt the thick liquid start to fill my mouth, and I quickly spat out as much as I could.
Feeling that same liquid dribbling lazily out of my mouth, I called out one more time, my voice finally ringing out clearly, and loudly. “Hello?” It reverberated around the cavern, bouncing from wall to wall. It was still painful, and it continued to come out high pitched as if I was weak, and hadn't spoken in a long time, but it was something.
I paused then, hoping to hear something, anything to indicate another presence nearby, one that could help me. My own shallow, ragged breaths filled my senses, and a thin rattle came from deep within me on every intake and outtake. Slowly, I became aware of the beating of my heart, thumping along steadily, barely audible to my ears.
I held on for as long as possible, which honestly probably wasn't all that long, before finally succumbing to the call of unconsciousness, drifting away from reality. Slowly, steadily, my touch on reality faded, leaving me with only an emptiness that refused to be filled.
I'm not sure how long I was like that for. It could have been a few minutes, a few hours, or even a few days. All I know is that when I came to, I felt something unusual underneath me. It was different from the hard, rocky ground I had previously been on, and was instead stiff, almost like it could give way to form to a shape, but only if something much heavier than I were to lay on it.
There was pain, mostly about my head, but it wasn’t anything intense. It was more of a dull throb, like one you’d get after having a headache for a few hours that just won’t go away. It surrounded my eyes more than anything else, almost as if there were a deep warmth spreading from them.
A slight pressure enveloped my head, as if something was wrapped around it. I tried to open my aching eyes, as I had previously tried in the cave, but again, to no avail. I then decided to try and remove whatever was covering my face, and reached up to try and grab it in the hopes of pulling it off. However, all I got for my troubles was something firm bumping against my face, something that gained virtually no traction as it rubbed against it.
From my right side came a gruff voice, one that seemed lathered with a blasé shell. "I wouldn't remove that, if I were you. You'll just end up making things worse."
My head twitched as I heard that, and I froze, temporarily stuck processing those words. Recovering from my mental paralysis, I responded, "What do you mean? What happened?" Still sounding both coarse and high pitched, my voice was painful to both hear and use, something that I didn't expect. I knew it wasn't supposed to sound like that, but what it should have sounded like, I couldn't remember.
The voice sighed, and replied, "Look, all I know is, I was out on the edge of the Griffon Empire, running my usual scouting routine, when I found you during one of my breaks. Honestly, I couldn't care less who you are, other than the fact that you're probably worth something to someone." The voice continued to speak in its indifferent tone, sounding for all intents and purposes as if it truly didn't care at all about my well being.
I, however, neglected to pick up on that, and instead said, "Oh. So then you don't know what happened to me?"
There was no response this time, other than another sigh, and what sounded like the voice standing up, and beginning to walk away from me. The sound of walking halted after a few steps, though, and suddenly, I heard something glass being placed next to me on the floor. "If you get thirsty, drink this. Or don't." I heard the footsteps start up again, and a few seconds later, I heard a door close, and I was alone again.
I wasn't quite sure what to do. I still felt tired beyond reasoning, but I forced myself to stay awake. I wasn't able to move very much, due to an overall stiffness that encompassed my body, but I could still move minimally, so that's what I did.
I tried to turn myself off of my back, and onto my side, only to quickly realize that I wasn't near strong enough to manage that. I settled instead with accepting my current position, and thinking about my current situation. I knew I was hurt, but how badly, I didn't know. I also knew that I had to... what? What was I supposed to do?
For the life of me, I couldn't remember what it was that I was trying to do. I tried to think back, to before I had gotten hurt, and came up blank. In fact, I couldn't remember much of anything from before all those shining, tiny lights inside that cave. I vaguely remembered being hit on the head by something, but I didn't know what. I guess my head should still have hurt, too, but instead, I only felt a sort of dull throbbing. Uncomfortable for sure, but nothing that really hurt.
I quickly realized that I was finding it hard to keep awake. I still couldn't see, so there was nothing really interesting to look at, and there was no point in trying to move, so I was effectively immobile. I started to think of whoever it was that had found me. Who were they? Why did they bring me here? And why did he say that he couldn't care less about who I was? Did he have an idea of who I was? Maybe I should ask him...
I don't know when I slipped away from reality again. I just know that the next time I was aware of what was happening, there was more than one voice this time. Most of the pain was gone, but the stiffness remained, as well as the burning ache in my eyes.
"You're sure no one's claimed a lost foal? You're absolutely sure?" The original voice. They sounded nervous. For what, I didn't know.
A new voice this time. This one spoke with a higher pitch, although it was still relatively deep compared to mine. "Yes, yes, I'm sure. I already told you, I've checked all over the nearest parts of Equestria, and even some parts of the Empire where the ponies still feel brave enough to live. If any pony was looking for him, word would have been out by know." This one sounded irritated with the other. Was it because they were being questioned? Or did it have something to do with me?
A sigh this time, coming from the original voice again. "Look, Gwen, I'm sorry, alright? I just don't want us to do anything we might regret later."
The other, Gwen I assume, responded with a curt, "Yeah, well, you never wanna do much of anything anymore, what with joining the Empire's army. Now it's always groveling at their talons, and doing everything that you're told without so much as a blink. What about me, huh, Glenn? What about everyone else, your family? Or are we just second to that precious army of yours?"
I heard what sounded like Gwen taking a few steps forward, a clacking noise echoing with every step, presumably causing who I assumed to be Glenn to take several back in response. I realized that I might have woken up just in time to bear witness to an argument that was going to quickly become physical, and I felt my already slow breath catch in my throat.
Stumbling over their words, Glenn spoke quickly to try and diffuse the situation. "Gwen, please, I know that I care a lot about the army, and the Griffon Empire, but I promise that everything I've done so far has been for you. If you weren't around still, I wouldn't have joined the army to try and help make sure we had enough to go around. Please, if you could just understand..."
Upon hearing Gwen take a few more steps forward, and hearing the guttural growl begin to emanate from within Gwen's throat, I finally decided that it was now, or never.
I braced myself, and turned my body onto its side. I was still stiff, but it didn't bother me near as much as it would if they started fighting right next to me. I opened my mouth, and called out, "W-wait, don't fight." Okay, so I didn't call out so much as rasp out, but it got my point across. "P-Please, I don't want you to hurt each other."
I heard Gwen snicker after I spoke, replying to me right after. "So, the sleeping colt finally decided to wake up. I wasn't even sure you would make it to your delivery date. Looks like we'll be able to charge a bit more to those Dragons who decided to buy you. I wonder what we'll be able to get out of them now that we know for sure that you're not going to die as soon as we hand you off. Hopefully at least a few extra bits."
I wasn't entirely sure what to make of what Gwen was saying, so I decided to say, "Look, Gwen, wh-whatever you want to do is fine, just please, please don't hurt each other." I tried to will myself to be able to see through the darkness that the cloth on my face created, but I only succeeded in doing a grand total of nothing in that regard.
Another snicker, this time sounding a bit closer to me. “Whatever I want to do? Well, ruffle my feathers! I didn't know I needed your permission. Ya hear that, Glenn? I need this little colt’s okay before I can go and trade him. Who woulda thought?”
Nervous chuckles rang out from Glenn, and he replied, “Yeah, I-I didn't know we needed him to… to allow us to trade him off with the Dragons.”
I suddenly felt something close to me, and in a slanted, whispering voice, I heard, “You know what I think? I think maybe we should just take care of him, here and now. There’s not much more we can get for him alive, and I honestly don't think he’ll be worth the food.”
My heart beating ever faster with every word, I could feel my breath catch in my throat at her words. Was she thinking of killing me? At the time, I honestly thought so, and looking back on it, I still think so.
“I don't… I don't think that’s a good idea, Gwen.” Glenn, coming to my aid. I couldn't understand the words fully, but from what I knew, Glenn was trying to defend me. Mostly. “Ponies are, um, are at a bit of a premium now, you know, with, uh, the growing hostilities and all. It’s been getting harder and harder to get them to the Dragons for selling, and… and I think the better the condition, the better prices you can get. Don't you want to try and maximize what you can ask for?”
Glenn paused for a moment then, before backing up quickly from me, a clacking sound echoing with each step. “You know what? You’re right. But you’ll be the one in charge of keeping him under until he’s ready for trade. If Equestria gets even a whiff of us, I’ll know that I have you to thank.”
You know, you have to give it up for Glenn. Thinking back on it, his heart may not have been in the best of places, but at least he tried. That’s more than I can say for others. But at least with him, his moral compass was at least somewhat in the right direction.
“Alright, fine. I was already planning on putting him under again, anyways, at least until we could get him to the fence.” Glenn’s voice took on a relieved tone, sounding calmer now that Gwen had agreed to the idea. And honestly? I think I was glad, too. I could still feel the slight, burning pain in my eyes, and I knew that with the way Gwen was acting, I would have been liable to witness a fight at some point. I didn’t really like either of those things, and it was better that I didn’t have to deal with them much longer.
A few more clacks rang along along the ground, and I heard Glenn’s voice once more, this time right next to me. Glenn sounded to jangle around in a nightstand or the likes for a few seconds, before the sound of a drawer being closed hit my ears. I heard a cap unscrewing, and what sounded like Glenn shaking a filled bottle a bit in the air.
Firmly pressing against my forehead, a talon kept my head down, and prevented me from moving. Something else, presumably another talon, moved towards my mouth, carrying the bottle I had just heard being opened. “Don’t worry,” Glenn said. “You won’t feel a thing in a bit.”
I tried to respond. I really did. Problem is, I don’t think either of them heard me. I don’t even think I said anything. I don’t think I was really doing much after that.
Author's Note
Thank you for taking a chance on reading my story! I’m hoping that I can get at least a chapter a week out, and I will guarantee that they will all be at minimum 4k words! I’ve already begun to prepare the next chapter, so be sure to keep an eye on this story. Also, any and all reviews would be amazing, and the same goes for any sort of ratings!
~Press
The stallion struggled up the last few meters, his breath coming in ragged, short gasps, but it was worth it for him. Finally, after months of taunting, and agonizingly slow planning, he had made it to the top. He was the first in over a century to have made it to this point.
(Continued)
Dragon Southwestern Coastline
The world was freezing over. That was the first thought to come to my mind. Wind crackled all around me, feeling as if it were clawing at me, crawling all along my body into its deepest recesses. I felt stiff, constrained, like I would soon turn so cold, I would be able to find cracks forming within me.
A dull, monotonous thudding was what had woken me. It came every few seconds, causing my entire body to shift slightly as I moved up and down. As I became more aware of my surroundings, I realized that I was moving, and the sound I both heard and felt was that of a wheel, gliding over a mostly smooth path, save for the occasional rock, or pothole.
I knew it couldn’t be entirely smooth; the constant vibration I soon became aware of proved otherwise. No, this was something different, something like a paved path, one that used stones. Although flat, they did provide a constant lateral movement, however slight it was.
There was something covering me. It was thin, coarse, not unlike a woven blanket that had been left in the sun for far too long. It provided very little warmth, but what it did give I was glad for. No matter how cold it was under it, I knew it would be far worse outside of the confines it provided.
I forced myself to move, to escape from the confines of the blanket. Whatever covered me, I had to remove, but to what purpose, I don’t know. It was a reaction more than anything, an idea. I pushed at it, the woven strands brushing against me. I couldn’t quite get much of a grip on it, but still I struggled, until finally, the blanket was off of my face, freely exposing me to the frigid air. I forced my eyes open.
Nothing. Only an ink filled darkness met my gaze. I knew, I remembered that I was supposed to be seeing, but… what was I supposed to be seeing? I tried to think, but all my thoughts did were become more muddled. The best I could remember was what I had seen in that cave, just before the shaking, before the rocks began to fall. But nothing, no colors, no forms, naught save for the star filled caverns I had been in, and the dark outlines of the rocks raining down.
I didn’t understand. There should have been something there, something for me to see, I was sure of it- but what was it? Nothing could fill my thoughts, nothing except for that cavern, and its stars. My memories couldn’t help me, they were effectively nil. So then the mystery of my sightlessness would begin.
I felt my ear twitch, twisting oddly. Someone had spoken just then. I didn’t know who, and I didn’t know why. I did know, however, that they were close. It may have just been barely more than a whisper, but I knew that it was speech.
Again. They spoke again. Straining, I listened harder. There was someone here, someone speaking. It was just out of range of my hearing, but I knew they were there.
Once more, they spoke. It was a somewhat high pitched voice, and although it was a bit deeper than my own, the voice was nowhere near as guttural as the ones used earlier by Gwen and Glenn. Closer to mumbling, more than actual speech, the words came out quietly, and lacking in projection. “Alright… so hopefully when we get there... mom and dad’ll have gone back to sleep… or maybe… maybe they’ll be traveling again… or… or something…”
Focusing in on the words, I realized that whoever it was, they were worried about their parents for some reason. Why was that? Were they doing something that they shouldn’t be doing? Was I a part of whatever they were doing?
Almost as if my thoughts were being read, they continued speaking. “Maybe… maybe I should take a few extra days getting back. This is the first time they’ve sent me out to retrieve a pony on my own. I could just… I could just tell them that I got lost, or that there was a snowstorm, and I needed to wait it out.”
So they were worried about not taking long enough to get home. Or was it they were worried about taking too long to get home? This was… confusing, to say the least. At least I knew that what they were doing, retrieving a pony, whatever that meant, couldn’t have been a bad thing. The voice said their parents had sent them out to do it, so of course it had to be something they approved of, or at the least, wanted done.
I decided to speak up then, if only to gain a few more answers to my questions that had yet to be answered. “Why are you taking me to see your parents?”
I flinched at my voice. It rasped out painfully in the cold, and came out a garbled, hoarse mess. Nonetheless, it was still understandable speech, and it sounded loud enough for whoever else was near me to hear.
The initial speaker seemed to pause slightly in their walking, almost indiscernibly so, before responding to me. “Oh. I didn’t know you had woken up.”
My lips curled at the tips involuntarily into a slight smile, and I replied, “Yeah, I, uh, I heard you talking a bit.” I rolled myself over after saying that, rising into what felt like a comfortable position. It felt kind of like I was laying down, but on my stomach, with my legs underneath me. I moved around a bit then, putting my head closer towards where I had heard the voice coming from, and wrapping the blanket tighter around myself.
We walked in silence for a few seconds after that, surrounded by nothing but the sound of wooden wheels turning over smooth rocks, before I was given an answer to my question. “My parents… my parents decided that I was older now, old enough to learn some more about what it means to be a dragon. So they sent me out to meet with the griffons at the trading port, where they ordered something for me to pick up.”
I waited for the words to continue, but hearing no more, broke the silence and asked, “Why am I here, then?”
The silence rang loudly in my ears. I decided to ask a different question instead. “Okay, well, what did you pick up?”
I’m not too sure what I expected. I should have figured it out then, but I guess the pieces just hadn’t all fit together yet for me. “You.” The words came quietly, and although they were louder than when they were being mumbled earlier, I still strained to hear them.
I wasn’t quite sure what to respond. As far as I knew, I had just been told that I had just been bought. Deciding I needed some clarification, I replied, “What do you mean?”
A sigh. “Look, I didn’t want my parents to buy more ponies. I’m fine with just gems and other stuff, it’s just… they’re the ones who made me do it, alright? And, plus, you’re just a colt. I don’t even go near adult ponies, let alone foals.”
I tried to understand what I was being told. Of course, I had next to no understanding of what was being explained to me. “Yeah, uh, I have no clue what you’re talking about.”
Another sigh. “Are you thick in the head or something? I know they told me you had gotten roughed up, but those traders never said you were that bad.” Frustration was evident here, laid thickly on every word.
Not sure on how to respond, or how to continue, really, I just stayed quiet. I wasn’t sure what I could say that wouldn’t increase the frustration, since just about everything so far had done so. Maybe silence would be the best option.
So we were alone together. Nothing but the sharpness of the frigid wind whipping around us, threatening to slice us into two.
“My name is Dale. In case you were wondering.” The silence shattered.
“Hi, Dale.” I didn’t know what else to say. So the silence solidified once more.
Suddenly, shattered silence again. “What’s your name?”
I opened my mouth to respond, but hesitated. My name. It was on the tip of my tongue, I knew that I knew it, I just… didn’t. “I don’t know,” I said truthfully.
“What do you mean? How do you not know your own name?” Surprise filled Dale’s voice, threatening to tip, and spill out on the both of us.
Consternation slowly seeped into my own words, and I replied, “I mean… I think I know it. I can almost remember it, I just… can’t. I don’t know why.”
Dale didn’t respond after that. I almost spoke again, but I bit my tongue, refraining from doing so, just in case I accidentally caused more frustration. I’m glad I did so, because then Dale said, “Well, I guess I’ll just call you Sage for now, then. I mean, your coat looks the same color as it, so it’ll work until you can remember your real name.”
I rolled the word around in my head a bit. Sage. It gave me a slight tingle in the back of my head, and I could have sworn I almost remembered something just then, something to do with Sage. But when I concentrated on it, it just… vanished, gone into thin air.
So we moved back into silence. The wheels continued to turn lightly over the ground, the entire cart vibrating ever so slightly, providing the only reprieve from the whistle of the wind. I don’t know how long I laid there for, alone with only my thoughts. I want to say I might have fallen asleep at one point, but I can’t say for sure.
I do know, however, that at one point, I did muster up the will to ask something that had been nagging at the back of my mind. “Hey, uh, Dale? Are you a boy? Or are you a girl?” I don’t know why that particular question needled at my mind, but I knew that it was something that I just didn’t know on my own. Hopefully I would get an answer, and not more frustration.
Confused, Dale responded, “Uh, I mean, I get that you’re a pony, and I’m a dragon and all, but can’t you tell from looking at me that I’m not girl?”
“I didn’t even know that you were a dragon.” A pin could have dropped just then, and it would have only been drown out by the wind.
His voice giving away his befuddlement, he said, “Uh… are you… wait… what do you mean by that?”
“Like, how was I supposed to know you’re a dragon? And, why does it feel weird that you say you’re a dragon?”
He paused then, taking a few moments to think carefully on his words. “I mean, I didn’t know that you wouldn’t know what a dragon looks like. I thought that at least in some history books we would get mentioned, or maybe from your parents, or… or something.”
I cocked my head to the side. “How am I supposed to know what you look like? It’s not like I can see you.”
Puzzled, Dale responded, “What are you talking about? I’m only a few feet ahead of you.”
“Well, I mean, I can tell that you’re not that far from me. But I can’t see you.” He thought I could see? I thought I had been able to, at least, I think I use to be able to, but I guess if I never told him, he probably wouldn’t know.
Trepidation crept its way into his words, and with care, he said, “Um, Sage, are you… are you blind?”
My mind filled with an image just then, an image of… black. Not exactly very far off from what it had been filled with normally, but at the same time, this was different. I didn’t know why, but it just seemed like this was what I thought of when I heard the word blind. Almost, but not exactly, what I saw. “I… think so? I don’t know, I just… can’t see anything.”
I’m not sure if my answer was what he wanted or expected to hear, but it was the truth, as best I could give. If I thought blindness equated to seeing black, and I didn’t really see anything, then I guess… I guess I was blind.
He chuckled nervously then, and replied, “My bad, I, uh, I nodded there. Sorry. But, uh, so is that why your eyes are that shade of blue? They look a bit like some of the older dragons do, mostly the ones who are also, well, blind.”
My lips formed into a smile, small as it was, and I felt myself instinctively shrug, my shoulders slightly moving upwards. “I don’t know. I didn’t even know my eyes were blue.”
“So… how long have you been blind, then?”
“I don’t know. Pretty much as long as I can remember, I guess, except for when I was in that cave. Before that, I wouldn't know.”
“You were in a cave? And you could see? How long ago was that?”
I shrugged again, this time of my own accord. It probably came out a bit jerkier this time, though. “I don’t know, right before Gwen and Glenn had me, I think.”
He seemed to think then, a pause in conversation that felt to last a little too long, before quietly asking, “Did they make you blind?”
I felt myself frown at his question. “What do you mean? How could they make me blind? They couldn’t make all those rocks start falling, there weren’t even there. Plus, there was a lot of them, and I don’t think they could move all of those at once.”
Speaking a bit louder again, he continued, “Oh, okay. That’s good, I was hoping they hadn’t.”
So we went back to traveling. It was mostly in silence, save for the minute snippets of conversation we would have. I’m not entirely sure how long we traveled for, or how far. As far as I knew, we only made one stop, when we had passed by what I thought was probably a cave, although there were probably more. I think that I periodically fell asleep over an over. I just always felt… tired. I don’t know how to explain it. It wasn’t something that I could just sleep once, and be rested, and ready to go. I just… kept falling back asleep, I think.
Since I couldn’t really keep track of time, I was surprised when I heard Dale say, “Alright, we’ve been traveling for a while. I think we should probably stop at the town coming up ahead.”
I think I had just been coming out of another sleep, because I groggily asked, “How far away is it?”
“About another hour or so. It doesn’t look more than a few miles away. It’s a small port settlement set up by some ponies, so they shouldn’t bother us too much.”
I finally picked up on the word that I had heard both him, and Gwen and Glenn using, pony. I don’t know why, but until then, I hadn’t really thought too much of it. I decided to ask. “Why do you keep on using that word, ponies? What does it mean?”
“Uh, you know, a pony? The thing you are?” Confusion was evident in his voice.
“What are you talking about? I’m not a pony.” What was he talking about? I might not remember too much, but as far as I knew, I wasn’t a pony, whatever that was.
“Okay...? Well, if you’re not a pony, what are you, then?”
My mouth opened up to respond, but my voice caught in my throat. I wasn’t a pony… right? At least, I didn’t think so. I knew I was something else, something that was just on the tip of my tongue, right where I could almost say it. I shook my head in denial. “I… don’t know. I guess I’m just… just me.”
“So… you’re a pony, then?”
I bit my tongue, then sighed deeply. “I guess. I don’t know, I just can’t remember.”
He chuckled lightly at that. “Alright, whatever you say.”
Being around Dale was… different. He wasn’t like Glenn and Gwen. I couldn’t really remember them too well. Maybe it’s because I wasn’t with them for too long, or because I slept too much, I don’t know. My memories of them were hazy at best. But being with Dale gave me a sort of feeling, something I couldn’t quite explain. It was like he gave me something I didn’t have before, something that Glenn and Gwen either couldn’t, or wouldn’t.
It was like… he represented something to me. What it was, I didn’t know. It felt important, though, like I had to have it. Whatever it was, I was glad I had it with me, through Dale. Hopefully I would be able to keep it.
I shifted under the rough blanket, huddling within its meager warmth. It was going to be a while longer before we got to the port. Hunkering down to wait seemed as good an option as any. Maybe I would fall asleep, and when I woke up, we'll have gotten to the port with all those other ponies that were like me, or whoever else was there.
Author's Note
Hello once more! Glad to see some of you have chosen to stick with the story! Well, be sure to continue on to the next chapter, then. Don't worry, the other ponies will be here shortly~
Oh, and also, be sure to leave a review in the comments section, and mention any errors you find. I tried my best to find them all, but you know how some of those pesky errors can always slip through.
He looked all around him, curious as to his surroundings. As the first being to be there since the Equestrians and Griffons had almost had their war, a Never War they called it, he knew that what would be here would be the same as taking a glimpse into the past. And glimpse the past he did.
Journal #1 (Continued)
Dragon Western Coastline
Waves warily washed against the shore, their salty water lapping gently at sandy beaches. There was a sort of ambient noise as well, filled with the sound of a plethora of voices, all intermingling together. It was unlike anything I could remember having experienced before.
Lifting my head from its rest, I felt my ears flick side to side as they struggled to concentrate on any one sound, before finally settling on a familiar one.
“...Yeah, just the two of us. We’ll only be the night.” Another voice responded to him, asking him for something called bits. He paused for a moment, before a jingling sound rang out, and a bag filled with something, presumably the bits, was exchanged.
A few seconds later, a door creaked open, slightly scraping against a piece of wood. I spoke up then, asking, “Are we staying here?”
“Yeah,” Drake replied, before continuing, “It’s better than staying outside again, so I figured we may as well.”
Silence fell over the both of us again, momentarily stealing away our voices. “So, uh, are you going to come in? I don’t think you’d want to stay in the cart the rest of the evening.”
I blinked. “Oh, uh, sure.” I was stuck. I didn’t have the slightest idea on how to get down, or even how high up I was. “Do you think you can, you know… help me down?”
“Oh! Uh, yeah, yeah, my bad. Sorry, I forgot the whole, uh, yeah.” He chuckled as he trailed off, and I heard him close the small gap between us, before I felt two claws wrap around my sides, lifting me into the air.
My breath caught in my throat as I rose up, and out of the cart. I had expected to be picked up, but I hadn’t expected the claws. I had expected… something. It was something else that I expected, but I couldn’t quite remember what it was. Still, the pointed, scaled claws pinching at my flesh wasn’t something that had passed through my mind as a possible scenario.
“What’s wrong? Is something the matter?” Compassion filled Drake’s voice as he lowered me to the worn down dirt path, placing me on all fours. A claw glid across me, lingering on my back.
I released my breath then, forcing my breathing to return to normal. “Sorry, I was just… I didn’t expect you to have claws, is all.”
Confusion apparent in his words, Drake responded, “You didn’t expect me to have claws? What, did you think I would have a hoof like you?”
“No, I was just… just surprised is all.” When he said the word hoof, I immediately imagined something hard, and stubby, like… like when I accidentally hit myself in the head. Was that a hoof? If so, I thought I had… at least two… maybe four…
His claw pulling away from my back, he continued, “Alright, if you say so. But yeah, let’s head in. We should be able to get some food, too, while we’re here.”
I heard him start walking then, presumably headed towards the door. I lifted up a forehoof slightly, unsure of what to do. Ultimately, I placed it uncertainly forwards a few inches. As it moved, I felt a sort of muscle clench in one of my hooves in the back, not quite forcing it forward, but making it feel uncomfortable enough that I ended up moving it.
This left me in a weird half step, one that almost felt natural, but was just out of place enough that I couldn’t really hold the stance effectively. Starting to fall to the side of the front hoof that hadn’t moved, I quickly took a step with that one as well, consequently moving the back leg for it as well.
So began my slow journey towards the door, and Drake. It wasn’t very long, really more of just a few seconds, but to me, a small eternity was taking place as I grinded for those few steps. It wasn’t really difficult, but at the same time, the stiffness in my muscles and joints coupled with the unnatural feeling provided by my walking hardly made it easy.
As I approached the door being held open by my… dragon friend, I felt an increasing warmth emanating from the building, the hairs on my body all standing on end from the new source of heat. It was considerably warmer in there than it was outside, and I subconsciously increased my pace as I escaped the freezing evening air.
The door closing behind me, I asked, “Are we going to the room first, or are we going to go eat?”
A new, light voice replied, “Well, I’d think you have some time to eat something. I don’t see either of you with any bags, or anything other than that cart you brought, really, so you might as well.”
Drake, apparently knowing the voice, answered, “Yeah, I was thinking we would probably try and eat before heading up to our room, Azure. Do you have a restaurant, or anything like that here?”
“We do, just down the hall! However, we don’t carry any meat related products here, but just about everything else we have.”
“Great! We’ll be sure to head there, first. Thank you, Azure.”
Hearing Drake begin walking again, I started following him, glad that he was going at a slow enough pace that I could keep up with him.
“Sorry if I’m going a bit fast for you. I think it would be hard, what with, you know.”
I grinned in response to his apology. “It’s fine, I don’t think you’re going fast at all! Just as long as you stay near me is good enough for me.” The idea of tripping over something crossed my mind, but I pushed the thought away.
“Alright, if you’re sure.”
Curious about our encounter with the ‘Azure’, I decided to prod at Drake for information. “So, Drake, how do you know Azure?”
Fluidly, he responded, “Oh, her? She’s the manager of this inntel. I rented the room from her earlier, just before you came in.”
Understanding washed over my face, clearing away the misunderstanding. I chose to ignore his use of the word ‘inntel’. “So that’s who you were talking to earlier? I guess I missed her voice when I heard you getting the room.”
He chuckled at that. “Probably, haha. So, what’s it like being around ponies again?”
Confused, I cocked my head slightly. “I don’t know. It feels the same, I guess. Was that Azure a pony?”
“Yeah, she was a pony. Er, sorry, forgot again that, uh, yeah.”
Curious about her appearance, I asked, “Well, what does she look like?”
Drake took a moment to think before responding. “I mean, I guess she looked like… like a regular pony. She was kind of blue, with some streaks and stuff through her mane, and… oh, uh, I mean, I guess imagine you, but, uh, taller, and older, and a girl, too. You know?” He trailed off a bit at the end, sounding more unsure of himself as he progressed.
Chuckling at his response, I replied, “Yeah, I know what you mean.” The truth was, what he’d said had made me think of something. Something… blue. I don’t know what in particular, it seemed more of just something big, something really, really big, huge compared to me, but it was… blue.
Lost in thought, I almost didn’t notice when Drake made a turn, keyword being almost. I quickly spun to face his direction, quickening my pace to try and keep up with him, my steps coming faster so that I wouldn’t- Pain. Shoulder.
I backed up quickly, cringing at the sudden sting in my shoulder. Drake, realizing what had happened, turned around, an apology leaving his mouth before he even knew what had happened.
“Oh, damn, I’m sorry, Sage, I forgot to tell you, and I, I just-”
I cut him off, waving a hoof in the air. “I’m fine, I’m fine, it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have been trying to go so fast.”
“I should have told you that we were turning, and that the doorway was there. I know it was my fault. Look, I’m sorry, okay? I swear I won’t let it happen again.”
“Swearing now, are we? Well, isn’t that a mite strong thing to do.” A new voice spoke this time, joining into our conversation. They had a deep voice, one that resounded well throughout the hallway, or room, if we were in one.
I cracked a smile at that, and said, “Yeah, it does seem kind of strong. Are you sure you should be swearing right now, Drake?”
Sputtering, Drake eventually sighed, chuckling a bit, too. “Alright, alright. No swearing here. You won’t hear a peep out of me.”
My smile living on, I turned towards the direction of the mystery newcomer, and asked, “So, who are you?”
Amicability prevalent in his words, he cheerily replied, “The name’s Golden Spyre! Glad to meet the both of ya.”
A moment of silence passed between us, before Drake suddenly said, “Oh! Sorry about that, Mr. Golden Spyre. Sage, he’s, uh, holding out his hoof.”
I felt the pressure of the both of them looking at me, and, having no idea what he was talking about, slowly replied, “Okay? What does that mean?”
Nervous laughter escaping from him, Drake continued, “I’m sorry about that, Mr. Golden Spyre. He, well, he can’t exactly see.”
Faltering a bit in his jolliness, Golden Spyre responded, “Oh, I understand. It always is rough when folks are hurt, especially foals. Please, come, have a seat. Anything you want, on me. And, call me Gold. No use in constantly saying my full name, now is there?”
He seemed to rise a bit from the darker tones he had taken on, and Drake and I were ushered over to a table, wherein I was allowed to experience firsthand what it was like eating. It was a bit weird sitting down on the bench they had, but I managed to sit on my haunches just fine once I’d figured out what exactly what it was that I was supposed to sit on.
“So, Sage, what do you feel like having? They have quite a few things on the menu here, and honestly, we don’t normally have that many come around that often, so I’m sure that the chef can make just about anything you can think of.” Gold seemed rather filled with pride when he said that, almost as if he was the one responsible for the food.
I was a bit put off by his question. What did I feel like having? I hadn’t really eaten anything recently, as far as I knew, but at the same time, I never really felt hungry. I decided to go with a safe bet, and answered, “I mean, I guess I’ll have the same thing Drake is having.”
Drake, deciding to speak up, responded, “Are you sure? I mean, I think I’m going to order a gem salad. I don’t think ponies are able to eat gems, let alone foals.”
“Well, why don’t you try something simple? They do have some wonderful pastas here, and some top notch sandwiches. Personally, I’m rather partial to the rosebud pasta, but everything is just as good.” Gold again, unwittingly coming to my rescue with the name of a food.
“I think I’ll have a rosebud pasta. I mean, if you say it’s good, then that means it must be!” I smiled at the end. Thankfully, I wouldn’t have to struggle to come up with a food name.
“Alright, well I’ll be sure to let the chef know what you’d like!” With that, I heard Gold turn to leave, his hoofsteps thudding on the thick wooden floor.
As soon as Gold had turned a corner, Drake immediately turned to me, saying, “So, Sage, why didn’t you want to shake his hoof? Like, I get that you’re, you know, but still, I told you that he had it out and everything, so why’d you act like it wasn’t there?”
I frowned. “What are you talking about? I knew his hoof was there. I mean, you told me and everything, right?”
“Well, yeah, but that’s what I’m talking about! If you knew it was there, why wouldn’t you shake it?”
I shrugged in response. “I didn’t know I was supposed to do that.”
Sighing, Drake said, “Alright, well, at least he felt sorry for you. It would have really, really sucked if you’d upset the owner of the inntel.”
“He’s the owner? So, like, he owns this place?”
“Yup. That stallion owns the innlet, and a few of the shops meant for travelers. Like I said before, ponies built this port city, so they own pretty much everything out here.”
A door opened then, swinging gently on its hinges as Gold returned. “Alright, I’ve gotten the both of your orders placed with the chef, so you should see your food arrive in a few minutes. So, Sage, was it? Tell me, what brings a colt your age out here?”
Biting my lip, I replied, “Well, I don’t really know. I can’t really remember much.”
Drake, deciding to fill in for me, said, “Some griffons found him, and when none of the ponies in Equestria claimed him, they decided that they’d trade him out here.”
A darker tone appearing in his voice, Gold replied, “I see. Well, that sounds a bit odd. You know, you never really told me your name.”
His question directed at Drake, the dragon simply replied, “Oh, my name is Drake. I’m from further up north a bit.”
His tone immediately lightening up a bit, but still holding a few of the earlier, darker strands, Gold said, “Ahh, from up north? I’ve been there a few times myself, it’s quite nice.”
Practically oozing with pride, Drake responded, “Yeah, a lot of ponies around here tend to think that. Personally, I’ve always liked it much more than the southern parts, but that’s probably because I live there.”
Directing his attention to me, Gold said, “So, Sage, you’ve lost your memory? Any idea how that could have happened?”
“Well, I don’t really know. The earliest thing I remember was being in a cave, and a lot of rocks falling. Before that, nothing else, really.”
“And, before you ask, no, the griffons didn’t do this to him. I already asked him that, and he said they didn’t do it.” Dale, coming in to finish what I was saying.
“Okay, well, at least it wasn’t them. Still, I wouldn’t put it past those birdbrains.”
My head turning to the side a bit, I asked, “What are you talking about? They didn’t do anything wrong.”
Incredulity seemed to top off in Gold. “What do you mean? They’ve done just about everything! Plus, we’re almost at war with them now, all because of everything they’ve done to hurt Equestria! Not to mention what you should be feeling because of what they did to you when they basically sold you!”
Trying to defend them, I replied, “But they didn’t do anything to me! They couldn’t find anyone who was looking for me, so they just sent me here, where someone actually wanted me.”
Sighing, Gold said, “Look, I know you might not really understand what’s going on. Heck if I know, really. I don’t even know the whole story. But you have to understand, those griffons, they didn’t care about you. They haven’t cared about anyone except for themselves, and they’re the entire reason we’re all in this mess to begin with.”
“If they didn’t care about anyone but them, then why did they try to find people looking for me in Equestria? Why’d they give me water, and a place to stay?” I tried to think more of what the griffons did for me, but honestly, I was only coming up with a blank. Still I couldn’t just let him talk down about them. They may not have been the best of people, but they were people nonetheless.
Another sigh from Gold. “Alright, alright. I won’t try to make you see it my way. Still, I think you’d do best to trot carefully around those griffons. You never know what sort of things they could get up to.”
Deciding to accept his olive branch, I jokingly replied, “I’ll keep my eyes open.” It earned me a chuckle from my two companions.
And so went dinner. I hadn’t really noticed it, but I actually was hungry. It wasn’t really anything that turned me into a ravenous beast hellbent on feasting for eternity, which I would assume it to be considering I hadn’t eaten in a few days at the least, but it was enough to convince me to eat.
Actually eating, of course, was another matter altogether. I had no idea how to go about actually eating the pasta, so I really just ended up eating directly off the plate. Gold seemed as if he was going to comment about it at one point, but instead chose to ask if I knew how to use any magic yet.
“Magic?” I asked, after swallowing a mouthful of rosebuds and noodles. “I don’t think so.”
“Well, when do you plan on learning? You look old enough to be able to cast a few simple spells, so it shouldn’t be too hard for you to start.”
I cocked my head to the side, giving him an odd look. “You mean I can actually learn magic? I didn’t know it was real.”
Seeming surprised, he responded, “Well, I’d imagine so! I mean, you are a unicorn, albeit with a bit of a stunt in your horn, although I’m sure it’ll grow in soon enough.”
I gave him a weird look. “What are you talking about? I don’t have a horn.” To prove my point, I raised a hoof to check above my eyes, and found… a horn. I tapped at it a few times, feeling it’s weird boniness. “Oh. I guess I do have a horn. Sorry, my memory is still really bad,” I ended with a chuckle. “I guess I just forgot I had one.”
“Oh, no need to apologize! Why, I’m sure in your position, I would forget I was a unicorn, too! You know, if you ever wanted to practice some basic spells, I’m sure I could teach you some basic levitation, or even prestidigitation, if you felt it necessary. I always was a bit of an expert at charms, so I’m sure I could teach you a thing or two if you wanted.”
“Well, that sounds good and all, but… how would I know if I was actually levitating an object? And plus, I don’t even know what prestidigitation is…”
Laughing gently at that, Gold replied, “Well, levitation is something you might have a bit of trouble doing at first, but once you get the hang of it, I’m sure it’ll be a cinch! And, if you become advanced enough, I’ll be more than happy to show you exactly what prestidigitation is! Although, it isn’t really any one thing, but more of a plethora of things, all bottled together into one general spell.”
I smiled at him. “Sure, you might as well teach me! If you say it isn’t too hard, then it mustn’t be.”
“Well, perhaps tonight I’ll show you what I can! I must warn you, however, you shouldn’t expect to see any results right away. Few unicorns do, save for the most gifted, of course.”
We finished up dinner together, all three of us having eaten our fill. Gold had apparently ordered himself something while he was in the kitchen, I think he called it a three cheese penne pasta. I don’t really remember, it wasn’t something that he commented too much on. He even offered us dessert, but we both declined, Drake because he was full, and me because of my shyness in not knowing any sort of foods that were sweet.
Afterwards, we headed off to our room, which turned out to actually be a sort of double room. Drake helped me find my room, as well as the bed, lounge area, and his room. I did my best to remember where everything was, although to be quite honest, I probably wouldn’t remember very much of it.
We then basically just hung around in the lounge area together, Drake flickering through the large radio that was there. It wasn’t very loud, maybe about the volume of a talking pony, and it might not have had the most clear of sounds, but the few stations it could pick up proved to be entertaining. Some aired sports games, others news, and others then talk shows. Occasionally we’d find a channel playing music, but Drake would usually change it due to the static that would weaken the song’s feeling. I asked him if he could show me how to use it, and he invited me over, explaining what each knob, button, and lever did. I wasn't really able to move the knobs very well, but Drake didn't comment about it.
We talked a bit, mostly about the radio. Drake said that it really only played things from Equestria, and occasionally the Griffon Empire, mostly because not many dragons cared to listen to the radio, and so only the long distance channels were available. I asked why the dragons didn’t like hearing it, and he explained something about how the bigger a dragon became, the harder it was for them to hear mechanical and digital sounds. I didn’t really understand it, though, so I just smiled, and said okay.
After a few hours of fiddling around with the radio together, a knock came at our door. Rising from his spot on one of the two cushions he’d placed on the floor next to the radio, he went to answer the door.
“Oh, hi, Gold!”
“Hello, Drake! Glad to see the two of you up and about. I was wondering, was Sage still interested in coming along for some practice with his magic?”
I jumped up from my cushion, eager to learn anything Gold might be able to teach me. “Yup, I sure am!” I quickly trotted over to the door, a grin plastered merrily on my face.
“Wonderful! Well, don’t you worry now, Drake! I’ll be sure to have him back in an hour or two at most, Celestia knows his magic reserves won’t be able to handle too much.”
“Thank you for offering to help him, Gold. I’m glad he’ll be able to learn some form of magic, even if it is basic.”
Cheerily laughing, Gold replied, “Well, no matter how rudimentary, levitation is indeed an important skill to master, one that many unicorns use on a daily basis! Now, come along, Sage, I’ve got a small training area in the back that will be perfect for us.”
And so we went, off for me to learn the basics of magic, my eventual best and worst friend.
Author's Note
Glad to see that you're still here! I hope that you enjoy the story so far, and if you do, be sure to leave a rating, and explain why in the comments. And, if you don't, please, still leave a rating, and explain why not. I would love anything that can help me to improve my writing!
Oh, and for those of you who wish to continue
Few objects surrounded him, most in various states of frozen decay. However, one in particular managed to capture his eye, and he walked towards it, his breath slowing as he did so. A brown, closed journal seemed to call to him, beckoning him closer. He reached out with his magic, gently lifting it out of the snow.
Journal #1 (Continued)
Dragon Western Coastline
Gold led me down the same hallway I had just walked through a mere two hours prior, however, he chose to take me down a path I had not yet been. At first, I was almost glad for the fact that I was blind, as it gave me a valid excuse as to why I was moving so much slower than Gold, and requiring him to keep a watch on his speed. After the third time drifting towards the wall before Gold could catch me, however, I quickly grew tired of being unable to see my surroundings.
“Oh, my apologies! Are you alright?” Concern filled his voice as he ushered me back towards the center of the hallway once more.
I smiled half-heartedly at him. “Yeah, I’m fine. I just hate running into these dumb walls so much.”
“Ah, I understand. Yes, hitting a wall repeatedly would tend to become tiring rather quickly. Not to worry, however, as we’ve almost reached the very back.”
We turned two more corners, one of which might have been a doorway, before I was assaulted with a chilling blast of cool night air. It was a refreshing change, to say the least.
“Alright, we’re here! Now, a lot of this is meant for ponies more into the intermediate to advanced stages of magic, but since we’re really only going over the bare basics of levitation, I’m sure that it won’t matter too much.”
He paused then, most likely waiting for my response. I wasn’t sure what to say, so I hesitantly replied, “Thank you for bringing me.”
Seeming satisfied with my reply, Gold continued, “So, I have a few things I feel would be good to start with. Most foals start with things a tad heavier, however, given the fact of your… current state, I feel as if you might have difficulty moving much more.” I heard something akin to a whooshing sound, and then heard Gold take a few steps towards me. “Now, hold out your hoof.”
I did so, holding it up, and felt his own meet mine, something lightweight and fragile coming along as well. He pressed it into my hoof, and then left it sticking there, pressed flat on the top of it. I tried not to move too much, as I could tell it was a feather, and I knew even the slightest of movements could cause it to fall. Although intensely difficult, I managed to hold relatively still on only three legs.
“Are you alright? You seem to be a bit off balance.” I felt a hoof press against my shoulder then, holding me steady.
“Yeah, I’m okay. I’m just having some trouble standing, and holding this feather at the same time.” It didn’t sound nearly as weird in my head.
“Trouble holding… a feather?” I heard a bright, flashing sound come from Gold. “Why aren’t you holding the feather properly? I wouldn’t think it would be that heavy.” Confusion filled his voice as he continued doing… something.
Puzzled, I started to turn my head down to my hoof, before stopping, and moving it back up. “I don’t know what you mean. Isn’t this how you’re supposed to do it?”
“Well, to be quite frank, while it does work for this feather, an object with a bit more weight to it would give you some more trouble, I’d think. I mean, you aren’t even grasping it with your hoof, you’re just letting it rest on top of it.”
I subconsciously shifted around my other foreleg, the one that wasn’t holding the feather. The hoof didn’t really have anything on it to bend, although the hoof itself felt pliable enough. Something was telling me that wasn’t what he was talking about, though. “I don’t know, I just thought that’s how you were supposed to hold things with it. I don’t really remember holding anything before.”
“Ah, yes, that’s right, your memory problems. Sorry, it must have slipped my… Anyways, I suppose I should show you how to grab hold of things then. Now, I’m going to take hold of your hoof, alright?”
I felt a hard object press against both my hoof and the feather, presumably his own. “Now, I’m going to take the feather from you, alright?” He pulled away then, and I felt the feather move away as well. It was sort of weird, like it was being lifted out of my hoof, but I couldn’t feel anything really pulling on it. It was like the entire feather moved at once. “There, now I can show you how it feels. Keep your hoof there, or switch, if you’re getting tired.”
Taking his advice, I swapped hooves, exchanging my left one for my right. “How are you going to show me to pick stuff up, then?”
“Well, most foals don’t have to be shown how, so most ponies don’t need to be taught, but luckily for you, my niece had some difficulty herself when it came to picking things up, and I was one of the ones who helped teach her. So, what I’ll be doing for you is simply picking up your leg, and using this nifty spell I learned to share a sense of touch, so that you can know how it feels. Does that sound good?”
I nodded in response, before pausing. “What does it feel like?”
Stumbling, he answered, “Well, uh, it doesn't feel like anything, really. Just whatever I feel, you feel, although the spell’s been modified a bit, so you’ll only feel what my hoof feels.”
I considered it for a moment, before accepting his proposal. If it helped me to hold things better, then I may as well try it. “Okay, I guess we can do it, then.”
He must have smiled then, because it sure felt to me as if he did. “Great! Alright, let me just cast the spell, then.”
I heard a bright, shimmering sound, and then felt my foreleg glow with a warm feeling, before an odd sensation came about it, almost as if it wasn't a part of me anymore.
“Okay, I’ve cast the spell. You should be feel a bit funny, perhaps some tingling, or a slight warmth.”
I moved my foreleg, wiggling it slightly. The feeling seemed to stick, and I ceased my movements. “So, uh, now what?”
“Well, now I just have to pick something up, and you should be able to feel the sensation. Here, how about this?” The tingling in my leg seemed to almost shudder, and I suddenly felt as though my leg was moving. The weird thing was, however, that as far as I knew, my leg was still firmly planted on the ground. A slight pressure developed then, just on the edge of my hoof. It wasn’t anything bad, just something… different.
I tensed up a bit, and asked, “Are you picking something up?”
“Yes, I am! It’s actually a weighted ball, one that a unicorn can use for practice with magic. I figured it would be the best, since it seemed to be the lightest object that you would feel me moving.”
I twitched my hoof, feeling how it didn’t really seem to affect the pressure all too much. “Are you the only one who can move it?”
“Of course! Why, it is my own hoof, after all. Did you think I was controlling your foreleg with my magic?”
I pursed my lips. “I don’t know. It just feels kind of weird is all, you know? Like I’m moving my leg, but it’s staying in one place.”
He chuckled at that. “Ah, yes, I know what you mean. My niece reacted in a similar manner when I cast the spell on her. I had initially thought it was from her living in cloudsdale, and having very few direct interactions with unicorn magic, but I suppose it might have been for the same reason as you.”
I tried to focus in on my foreleg, and tried to differentiate between what I knew I was feeling, and what I assumed was from Gold. I soon noticed that the sensations I felt from my own leg felt… normal, I suppose, while the ones that Gold was “sharing” with me had a sort of different feel to them, an almost different air about them. I can’t really explain it, but I knew the difference was there.
“Here, allow me to try picking the ball up again. That way, you can have a second go at learning the feeling of using your hooves to pick something up the correct way.”
I shivered as I felt him start to move again, but this time, I concentrated fully on his movements. I now knew how to tell what were his, and I intended to make full use of it. He dropped the ball, and as he did so, I felt… something. A spark, a light, whatever you might call it, that was there. I know, because I felt it. I focused in on the feeling, rolling it around in my mind’s eye.
Gold shuffled slightly, and I felt him pick the ball up once more, the spark returning with him. It was gentle, moving quickly, yet ever so slowly. Whatever it was, I thought it had to do with what Gold was trying to show me, and I was ready to put it to the test.
“I… I think I get it. Do you think I could try picking something up now? I don’t know, either the ball, or the feather if you think I should start there.”
“If you’re sure, then I don’t see why not. Although, I would take care to remind you that the spell is a bit draining, so you’d have to wait until another time before I would be able to perform it once more.” With that, the shimmering sound returned, and the warm feeling in my leg receded back to where it had come.
I heard Gold pick up the ball, and felt him push it against my hoof. “Here, I think you might be able to move this. If not, we can always try the feather.”
I eagerly took the ball from him, and tried to recall the feeling that had appeared when he had picked it up earlier. It was kind of weird, mainly because I wasn’t too certain on how I was supposed to use it, but mostly I just kept imagining it, remembering the way the ball had felt nestled in my hoof, the sturdy, iron weight providing a firm pressure as I remembered the spark, and how it seemed to encompass my hoof, pulling the ball towards it…
I gasped as I felt the spark. It was a bit weird, now that I didn’t have the warmth to go along with it, but I knew that this was it. Now I just had to figure out how to use it.
As far as I understood, remembering the way Gold had picked up the ball the last time had worked for me, so I tried to continue with that, imagining the spark surrounding my hoof as the ball pulled against it, pressing gently towards it. I tried imagining the spark as a physical thing, one that could be molded, reshaped into what I needed, something to pull the ball towards me, and let me move it.
And then I felt it. The ball seemed to push a bit more against my hoof, and it was a sort of weight, one that I knew meant that I was holding it. Slowly, I lifted my hoof, and to my delight, discovered that the ball came with it, bobbing gently.
I could practically feel the smile emanating from Gold just then. “Well done! Why, if you keep learning at this pace, I’m sure that learning to use levitation should be a cinch!”
I moved my hoof around a bit, careful to move slowly so as not to lose my balance. It was a bit weird, really, what with the way the ball wasn’t really being held by anything other than the spark, but it didn’t feel bad. Rather, it just felt… comfortable.
Lowering my hoof, I sort of… cut off the spark, allowing the ball to cease its sticky hold to me. Grinning, I said, “Thanks for teaching me how to hold that ball, Gold! I was having a lot of trouble earlier with the radio, but I bet I could use it way better now!”
“Oh, it was nothing, Sage! Anypony would have done the same in my place, really. Now, are you ready to learn some magic?” He spoke with a sort of cheeriness in his words, prevalent mostly around his last sentence.
I noticed his odd wording there, using the phrase ‘anypony,’ but I chose to ignore it for now, and smiled. “Yup! Are we going to practice with the feather, then? You might wanna hand it back to me if we are, haha.”
“Alright, well, for starters, it’s really the same basic concept as with any sort of magic, including what you did to pick up the ball. Now, I don’t exactly have the mana reserves the cast another spell to share senses, and even if I did, I’m afraid it doesn’t work with horns.”
Biting my lip, I thought about what he said. “Okay, so then I just have to try and make the spark-thingy come back, but this time… in my horn?”
He laughed then. “Well, while that is an odd way of describing the touch of magic you used to pick up the ball, yes, it’s the same idea. Once you can get it in your horn, you should notice something a bit different, one that might make things a bit easier.”
“Alright, I guess I’ll try it, then.” I concentrated then, summoning up the spark in much the same way that I had done it the first time, although instead of thinking of it in my foreleg, I tried to imagine it in my horn. It was a little harder this time, almost as if there was some sort of resistance, before I finally managed to get the feeling of the spark in my horn, and once I had, I blinked, and recoiled in shock. This was… different. I hadn’t been expecting this.
I could see color. It wasn’t much, it was more of a singular, dark shade of blue, with some subtle, somewhat lighter shades here and there, but nonetheless, it was color.
I saw a form of blue directly ahead of me seem to move slightly. “So? Can you sense the magic yet? It might be a tad difficult at first, but it should all sort itself out soon enough for you.”
Choking out a response, I said, “Y-yeah, I… I can. At least, I… I think so. I don’t know if it’s magic, but I see… color. Like, blue, but… everywhere.”
I tried to hone in on the color, trying to focus on anything that looked different. At first, I couldn’t really see much, but the harder I tried, the better things looked. Well, not really. In reality, not much changed. Instead of seeing only black, I was now seeing a constant blue, with occasional shudders in the color. Still, it was much more interesting to see. “How come I can see blue now?”
“Well, I would imagine that what you’re “seeing” isn’t anything more than your own aura. Of course, should you try and cast a spell, such as basic telekinesis, that should change, and you might be able to sense an individual object close to you. When you’re older, you might even be able to sense multiple nearby objects, but most ponies don’t normally advance too far past that.”
I smiled at him. “I might not be able to remember much, but I bet this is way more than I’ve seen before! Thank you, thank you so much, Gold!”
I was genuinely… happy with the color. I don’t know how to describe it. Sure, Drake had inspired a feeling of… something, in me, and the mare from earlier had made me feel content, I suppose, but this blue, these shades of blue were… calming. It was like everything just made sense with it, like it was supposed to be there.
“Think nothing of it, Sage. I just saw somepony in need, and thought to help him out.”
“Well, if you ever need anything, I’m sure I could help you! I might not be the best at it, whatever it is, but I’ll try my best. I mean, you did help me see this blue!”
He paused for a moment, almost lost in thought, before he said, “Well, there is one thing you might be able to help me with. A question, more than anything.”
Grinning, I replied, “Sure! What’s the question?”
“Your… friend, Drake, the dragon. Are you with him… against your will?” He spoke slowly, carefully plotting the direction each word would take him.
I cocked my head to the side. “What do you mean? He’s nicer than pretty much anyone else I’ve met, other than maybe you.”
“Ah, yes, I see. But, what I’m wondering is, if given the chance, would you leave Drake, and head for, say… Equestria? I mean, you must have parents, or somepony who’s looking for you over there.”
I shrugged at him. “I don’t think so. I mean, I don’t really remember anyone from before those griffons, and I like Drake. Plus, I don’t even know what Equestria is.”
“Really now? Well, if you’re sure about that, then I suppose I’ll allow you to make your own choice.” The blue light shuddered again. “Alright, let’s try and teach you some basics of levitation. I’m sure it won’t take you too long to pick it up.”
Even though I learned how to move things with my hooves the right way, I didn’t really learn how to use levitation correctly. No matter how much he tried to show me, I just couldn’t quite get a grasp on it. Maybe it was because I couldn’t see the stuff I was trying to pick up? I didn’t really understand it, and it didn’t help that by the end of our session, I was exhausted, as if I had just done a long distance run.
Gold, noticing my tiredness, said, “Well, I suppose we’ll just have to call it a night. Your magic reserves are starting to fall a bit low now. Still, you made good progress! Most foals can’t use levitation on their first try, and take a week or two to learn how to pick up more than a pound or two.”
Weakly, I sighed. “Thanks anyways, Gold. It would have been nice to be able to hold things in the air, though.”
He chuckled at that. “Yes, while that is quite a useful skill to have, that’s not all there is to a pony. Remember, the amount of magic you have isn’t what makes you who you are, but rather, it’s what you choose to do with that magic that creates you.”
I frowned at that. “Okay, but… that doesn’t really make a lot of sense.”
Another chuckle. “Well, I didn’t quite understand it, either, but back when I lived in Canterlot, my magical tutor told it to me, and I suppose the words stuck, even if the meaning was lost to me at first.”
“You had a tutor?”
“Yes, indeed, I did! Most unicorns would be ashamed to admit it, but I don’t mind talking about it much. I was never that talented with magic, and to this day, I still can only cast the more toned down versions of the more advanced spells. Still they’ve helped me out of many a pickle, so I wouldn’t say my lessons were a waste.”
“But I thought that sense-touch-thing was really cool! Plus, it seemed like it would be something really, really hard to do!”
“Yes, I suppose it might seem that way. The body-swapping spell is generally a highly advanced spell, although I used a lesser version of it then. And, I normally can’t do it more than once in a day, which should give you an idea of how low my magical reserves are. Now, let’s head on back to your room. I’m sure Drake is waiting to hear all about how you learned to sense your own aura, and how you’ll be able to use the radio all you like.”
And so ended my first day of magical training. I might not have learned much, but I had taken the first few, precious steps towards a better understanding of both my magic, and the world around me.
Author's Note
For some reason, I can't fix the way the part at the top is. You know, the part that says which Journal this is, as well as the location. Also, copy and pasting didn't carry over any spacing and indentations, so I had to do it by hand on FimFiction. Please be sure to let me know if you spot any errors in the chapter so that I may fix them!
Also, here's the next link for those of you interested.
