Chapter 3: A slice of life at Everfree
THE PRETTY PONY PRINCESS OF EARTH BET
Disclaimer: I own nothing in this story.
Chapter 3: A slice of life at Everfree.
“So that's another point towards the “Construct” theory...”
Silver Dawn looked at the walled whiteboard almost completely covered with annotations. “I'm afraid so... Still, in practice it's hardly relevant.”
Wanda Winsky, director of the Everfree summer camp, nodded. Having the girls of Sapphire Dormitory bringing her an authentic winged unicorn this morning wasn't something the staff of the camp was prepared for. True, they received instructions and training in case someone in their care experience “a Trigger Event” but it was mainly phoning to the nearby PRT and praying death-beams and other powers didn't reduce them to dust.
Still, she felt lucky to have such a most remarkable individual with a very sharp mind and much wisdom. Silver Dawn was coherent despite the distress about her memory. She identified herself as a named Alicorn from another universe called humorously Equestria. However, her current appearance was different from her memory of home and she demonstrated to have TWO other sets of knowledge. One specific to Earth Bet without an identity (she had to use the net to confirm who was whom in an obscure political country government when she tested the equinoid knowledge) and one covered another Earth WITHOUT any parahumans nor a personal identity in it (and thus not Earth Aleph) and that's wasn't counting on her knowledge of ANOTHER earth, this one the mirror of Equestria but with non-parahuman human counterparts to everyone... Frankly, it was a miracle she didn't called in the psychologist of the camp... for herself.
Silver Dawn called herself an adult in Equestrian society and logically deduced the same on Earth Bet and the other Earth (mainly due to the sum of subjects that only an adult could easily acquire), but acknowledged that her current de-aging has affected her personality as she recognized reacting like a younger filly. Her squeal of happiness when they had served her vanilla ice-cream made Wanda smiled. Her considerable experience with children and teenagers made her think that the Alicorn was genuine and acted truly like a child but with an adult education... or vice-versa...
So far, there were four plausible explanations: She was a traumatized parahuman having build a fairytale story to explain her appearance. She was a Case 53 parahuman with fabricated memories. She was a biological construct made by a biotinker. And finally she could be an authentic alien equinoid from another world.
And she was right that any of it wasn't relevant. Regardless of her true origin, she was a non-humanoid minor with a parahuman power-set and no legal identity... nuff said, they'll say...
Oh well, it wasn't an urgent problem. The Alicorn had accepted a cursory medical exam (and blushed when they called in their veterinary), let them typed a file on what they knew for sure, witnessed that her saddlebags and all her possessions were put in the staff safe until she needed them or her departure and placed a call to the Boston Bay PRT Head-quarter to signal her presence and the fact she was relatively low-powered and in need of help.
The PRT psychologist they had on call, acknowledged that it was a little late for any safety procedures since Silver Dawn already slept in one dormitory and since she was a child, it was primordial for her to stay in contact with social peers of the same age-range. A summer camp seemed perfect... Until she was presented to the children...
“Hello, everypony. My name is Silver Dawn and it's a pleasure to meet you...”
“SOOOOO CUUUUUTTTTEEEE!!!!”
Silver had slightly recoiled in fright at the veritable wall of sound coming from the assembled teenagers of the Everfree Camp. She had been presented as an impromptu “guest” in need of some help, comfort and rest and that they were perfect to make her feel accepted.
The girls of the Sapphire Dormitory had smirked while the rest of the boys and girls acquired large round eyes at her sight. Her visible anxiety and nervous posture at their scream reinforced the cuteness factor and a veritable wave of teenager rolled over the flabbergasted Alicorn.
It was a very good thing that Silver Dawn retained the basic power-set of the three pony tribes. Especially her Earth Pony resistance and strength. She was petted, poked, taken in arms, having her mane and tail braided, and so on and so for.
She gently but firmly took the wave of youthful energy aimed at her in her metaphoric hooves and redirect it to make clear one point: She wasn't an animal and will never be treated as such.
How? Well, first by staying within eye range of the adults. Then by making sure there was at least one member of the Sapphire dormitory nearby. And finally, by playing games with the children of a summer camp. After all, she was a child also.
The staff looked on, amused as she took against fifteen children in a tug-a-war with just Taylor Hebert on her side and managed to hold until a staff member broke the balance and the group dragged her and the hysterically laughing Taylor on their winning side.
The responsible of the horses nodded to Director Winsky. “Yep, she's strong as a horse.”
“That's how much, by the way?”
“Approximately eight hundred kilograms of lifting capacity at maximum, although I would say she's not using her full strength. And she's durable as well.”
“Yeah, if those children have tried what they did first with a normal animal, the initial surprise and the following pain would have made it react violently.”
The man shook his head. “She's not an animal. Anyone seeing her interacting would scoff at the very idea.”
Basketball enabled Silver Dawn to test her agility. The two teams watched awed as she first dribbled with one hoof, demonstrating her tactile telekinetic hoof-field, then using her extended wings as a pair of arms and finally using her unicorn telekinesis to put the ball in the far away goal post... on another ground.
Hilda Swartz who asked her to demonstrate her skill before being chosen by a team, looked at the crème Alicorn and raised an eyebrow with her habitual deadpan expression. “Absolutely... No... Fair! Off to the lake with her!”
Giggling and screaming, Silver Dawn let herself be captured by the fuming teenagers and thrown into the lake where she joined for a time the swimmers along with Samantha Parker. The twin-ponytails brown-haired girl was an average swimmer, but had the amazing capacity to both swim AND maintain an almost continuous flow of questions, answers and overall gossip. She managed to make Silver talked about her adoptive mother. “Wow, another Alicorn like you! And a bookworm, like Taylor!”
Her aunts. “You sure have a large family! But what are the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony?”
Her favourites colours. “White and gold with emeralds and rubies as trim... A little too new rich, don't you think? Wait..? You can make precious gems GROW on your world..? YOU'RE ROYALTY!?”
And so on, and so on... Silver Dawn managed to retain her dignity while leaving the lake and she didn't go too much in the details, but surely, Samantha would terrorize the whole court of Canterlot with her social gifts... Celestia, Fancy Pants, Fleur de Lys and her must never met... for the sake of the universe.
She was sitting near the race tracks and preening her wings after the swim. She considered joining the runners but thought that her inherent speed was something too much of an advantage and was about to pass the coming competition when she noticed a frowning Tina Rosenberg near the tracks that was discarding her track number from her t-shirt. “A problem, Tina?”
The slightly obese girl frowned more. “They all say I'm too small and fat...” She bit her lower mouth. She liked cooking and she liked eating. But she also wanted to practice sports like the rest, even if she was fat.
Silver Dawn narrowed her eyes and caught the race number in her telekinetic field. “Hum... We'll see about that.”
The racers could only watched as a smiling Tina, firmly secured on Silver Dawn's back by her prehensile mane, ran to victory as the Alicorn could, for now, gallop at 30 mph compared to the average 15 mph of a human being. Some tried to point that it was cheating, but the laughing staff member, thinking it was a good lesson to learn, gave the wining ribbon to a smirking Tina.
Silver Dawn faced the scowling teenagers. “You are correct, if we follow the spirit of the rules, then Tina and I are disqualified.” She narrowed her eyes at the group. “But then, why did you pressure Tina to not participate? If she had no chance of winning as you said, why didn't you let her running?” She pointed her hoof towards another race. “Many like to simply enjoy doing sport. Competition is good but where is the fairness you ask for when one is prevented to participate? Think about it.”
Taylor joined her side as Tina proudly show her ribbon to Hilda. The teenagers were dispersing, some deep in thought, a few grumbling but nodding and a very few still scowling and frowning at both the Alicorn and Tina. “That was a very good thing you did for Tina.”
Silver nodded. “I dislike bullies... Perhaps because one pony that I almost came to loathe was in fact bullied herself and forced by one parental pressure to denigrate others... And I didn't see it... A bully is a coward and yet, this one taught me a lesson in courage.”
Taylor blinked. “It's not the same with Tina.”
“But it's a beginning. And it can escalate quickly, very quickly if the bullied don't react swiftly... There were tears for a too long time...”
“You have a good heart, Silver Dawn.”
The Alicorn smiled as the one who could become THE heroine of Earth Bet. “Somepony would called me naïve and idealist.”
Taylor plunged her own green eyes into the emerald gaze of the real mythical creature and frowned at what she could read. “But “somepony” don't have your experience... You feel both young... and old... so old... It's as if... I could see galaxies swirling in your eyes...”
Silver lightly put her wing over Taylor's shoulder. “Then let us pray you'll learn by examples and not be an example.”
Taylor blinked. “Oh... True, my world isn't a safe one... But that's why heroes exist! So that they can save us...”
Silver lightly shook her head. “A hero is anypo... ANYONE at the wrong place at the right time and then choosing to act. Saving people also mean never let them dependent on only yourself. Sometimes, you have to light a spark in every heart so that they can make their own fires. Sometimes, you have to let people fall so that they can get up.”
“... A delicate balance..?”
“Following the right path is to never confound it with the easy one. And no matter what, you'll have to pay a personal price...” Her ears swivelled in the direction of the central building. “... Do I hear that the kitchens are opened to prepare lunch?”
Cooking was something relaxing for Silver Dawn... Especially cupcakes... cooked with Pinkie Pie... One must be very relaxed when deal... WORKING with Pinkie Pie.
Fortunately... in a way, Tina wasn't Pinkie Pie and she was a good cook. She didn't hesitate to try new recipe and neatly noted them. She had a knack for finding the right ingredient for a better taste.
Silver Dawn quickly began to use her telekinesis to pick up the ingredients and give them to anyone requesting. She then focused on her own contribution. Cupcakes were a must, Pinkie Pie would have gone full puppy eyes if the young Alicorn didn't. A simple colouring cantrip gave her quite the rainbow collection of cupcakes.
The lunch was a joyful affair and everyone thanked the cooks. Silver particularly liked the vanilla ice-cream and then distributed her cupcakes...
They were really appreciated for both the taste and the appearance, but why was the staff looking at her with irritation..?
Well, yes, she put perhaps a trifle more sugar in her cupcakes, but it was less than what Pinkie Pie put herself... Oh, sweet Celestia... Those who tasted her batch seemed to be in a sugar rush...
Well, at least doing the dishes was one way to continue to retrain (or was that training?) her telekinesis. If only the girls from Sapphire weren't smiling and laughing at her. Taylor, the traitor, was hiding her face with a towel to muffle her laughs. Hilda seemed to be 50% grin. Tina was red in the face as she tried to contain herself. Samantha was chatting a mile and giggling at the same time. Finally, Pepper was, of course, videoing everything especially Silver's pouting face as she claimed it should be preserved for posterity.
Smirking, Silver remembered some exercises that Rarity taught her and focused on her horn who shone a brighter emerald colour as she went for multiple manipulations. The girls screamed and ducked as the plates, glasses and cutlery (without the knives and forks) flew around the camp kitchen and neatly placed themselves on the right shelves. Then, whistling a merry tune, Silver Dawn exited the kitchen, letting the grumbling girls finishing to tidy the rest.
The activities of the afternoon consisted mainly into walking on the paths available. Silver Dawn asked that she stayed within one group and Taylor “volunteered” her comrades to the dismay of Hilda who then face-palmed and promptly assigned her to do both wood and water chores.
The emerald-eyed Alicorn joined Pepper in her art group. Digging into her knowledge of cantrips, she fashioned little silver amulets from in the forms of a winged alicorn head. She chuckled as she remembered a bigger one in black, grey and red that was also “a little” evil. A small coloured green pearl in place of the eye and voilà. The staff was assured that the items had been made by power, but didn't have any power themselves.
It was during the dinner that with the authorization of the camp director, she gifted those amulets to the entire camp and kept one for herself. “You opened your arms to a stranger... A weird stranger... This is just a little memo for all of us who have encountered the unknown and managed to spark an ember of friendship.” She bowed to the children of Everfree, a few had suspicious shining eyes. “Thank you from the bottom off my heart and may Harmony always shine brightly over you all.”
“It's too bad, you'll go to Brockton Bay tomorrow, Silver.” Taylor was walking with the Alicorn towards a phone-box since she had promised to call her best friend at this moment.
Silver Dawn shrugged. “It wouldn't be prudent to differ more a briefing with the PRT and the Protectorate. And the parents shouldn't be too sure about an unknown parahuman near their children.”
Taylor chuckled. “You're hardly “an unknown parahuman”. How many asked to braid your mane with flowers this afternoon?” The various videos of the crème-coloured winged unicorn had been posted by the Everfree campers and were gaining more and more attention from the Internet community. PHO, of course, was exploding with various threads about her.
Silver grumbled about stereotypical little girls, that Royal Manes weren't made for braiding flowers in it (even if the many brushing had felt heavenly) and that she wasn't a toy. Taylor giggled at her friend... Yes, she felt that the almost alien being was truly a friend. It was the same warmth she felt when she was with Emma. She smiled as she discretely touched the silver amulet pinned on her t-shirt.
The Alicorn let her new friend phoned to Emma Barnes. Being at a time before the breakdown of their friendship by Sophia Hess was both an opportunity and a problem. Put simply, Silver Dawn couldn't, wouldn't let what happened in canon Worm passed. Her simple presence had already changed the Quantum Continuum. In a way, it was a relief, too many times her counterpart as an author had been burdened by the knowledge of what should happened. Having a somewhat blank slate and with many of the background information still relevant was better on the long term.
She knew that she couldn't save everyone, preventing everything bad in this world. But nevertheless, she was here... That was already a powerful influence in the setting of Worm. It was perhaps the reason she didn't have the Cutie Mark of the original Silver Dawn. She wasn't engaged on the path to save this world and others. She wasn't yet, by choice, the Alicorn of Hope... Besides, nothing prevented her to take another path, perhaps better adapted to this particular setting.
The sudden distress in the voice of Taylor shocked her back into the present.
“Emma..? Emma... I can't hear you..? What's going on..?” Taylor looked at the phone in hand and turned somewhat alarmed and perplexed to the Alicorn. “We have been cut off during our discussion... Silver... I'm afraid for my friend...”
Author's Note
Notes: it's has been very difficult, but I managed to write this WITHOUT taking notes...
You wouldn't believe the temptation and the sheer frustration when I suddenly realised that I was writing wrong things so many times and had to rewrite a few parts.
Many will note that Silver Dawn is using her Equestrian memories a lot. It is intentional as I need to make the Alicorn of Hope personality preponderant.
