A Pony's Diary and the Other Stories

During Lion's dream, there was a lake. But that is not the star lake, he just knew that. Dark waters flew slowly, shining like a metal. The sky was as heavy as a metal too. It slowed down, watching Lion wherever he hided himself. Then suddenly all was gone, like the ink cleaned by water, vanished to the air. And then there was a sound. He looked and listened carefully. He found he stood in the middle of a field, a wildland. He couldn't locate the sound, because it was moving around, like fugee.

"Ring ... "

He remembered. The sound of magic bells. He even believed that is the bells which saved his life for just a moment. When he tend to hear it, the sound vanished, too. But when he didn't pay attention to it, the bells rang again. Like the stars smiling, the sound. And it's a clear fontain flew into his heart, so cold, and full of happiness. The night is like the sky painted by Vencent Neigh Gogh, had a deadly beauty. He looked around, the montains slept in the far lands. The plain is full of emptiness, just one pony standing in its heart. Montains surrounded, but very far away. Just him.

He felt so lonely. And he never felt that before.

A voice called. Resonant and gentle.

"Lion Song. Thou shall not be afraid. We shall light, guide, but thou shall must follow thy own path, that we cannotdo it for thou. Beware, and take care, " and then the voice got louder, more like not speaking to Lion, "begone, the dark creatures, the nightmare, I curse you! " Then there was a thunder slashed.

After that, the sky was getting clearer, more green got in. There was no more wildland but more like equestria, his home village. There was a wooden mill, with the rill chattering, and butterflies playing. He felt like he was in his childhood again, tho he was exactly in his childhood, but more in mental. His mind met freedom.

This dream was sweet. Lion was still sleeping even the train met his destination, and his paterners had to shaked him awake.

The train station was new, and so upper-class style. There was no wonder, because there was no train station at the begining, and it was built just a few years ago. There was a changling detector, but just a piece of cake for Zorro. He cheated it easily.

There were two giant yak statues at the entrance, when you walk acorss that, yakyakistan land is right here. The tourists crowded the road, with ridiculous flags in their hats or hooves. Lion reminded what did Fury write in his diary: Yakyakistan is a poor country. Sloven yakyakistanishes, and dirty streets, they have their wisdom, but still not civilized. They like to get them drunk, and being rude to everypony, and consider that a polite manner. It changed a lot, or maybe Lion just didn't see the real yakyakistan, Lion couldn't sure. Tourism makes profit, but also hides the dark sides from the light.

They found a cheap hotel far from the tourism zone, somewhere don't have too much famous places of interest, somewhere don't too crowd. Zorro changed him into a grown-up, a black pegasi as always, and went in. Before that, Lion took a little peek at the alley, wet and dirty, just like what Fury had described in his paragraph. Maybe he was right. Lion could even imagine there is a foal yelling "help me" but finally was pulled away in that alley.

The next day, they went to the collage where Fury had studied when he was young. "The National University of Yakyakistan", the characters stayed steadily in a wooden board, hanging in a place that wouldn't get too much attention, the handwriting is quite yakyakistanish style, thin and long, like a mop mopping the edge of the board, touching the ground. The gate looked like just renovated, the paint wasn't dried yet. There was a little cabin aside, with some guard sitting in it, drinking tea, reading newspapers.

"Hold on! Report your purpose! " A fat yak, just as fat as any yaks, noticed the strangers, stopped them, with a spear in his hand.

"Erhm... " the stallion, of course it was Zorro as the pegasi, hesitated, with a embarrassed smile, "my name is Nopony, and these are my little students, we just want to take a visit, to encourage them to study hard so they can enter this world's most famous and greatest university. "

The guard looked at the two foals and looked at Zorro again, said, "sorry, sir, we don't support any kind of visit, whatever the purpose is. You may go back. "

So the foals left, loafing in the street.

"Seriously?! World's most famous and the greatest university? Why don't you just say you are Celestia! " Lion complained.

"Wait what? Good idea! Hmm... no... hmm... "

"What are you talking about? " Lion said.

"Listen, they don't like strangers go in, that means something is weird in this university. Your words remind me that I can change myself into princess Celestia, but then maybe tis a bad idea. " Zorro said slowly.

"You are right, you can't change yourself into princess... " Lion thought about something suddenly. It was the voice in his dream, it sounded like a princess. Could be Luna, but couldn't sure, because there was just a voice but no imagine. Lion was conquered by that voice, it was so fabulous, and the greatest voice he ever heared, even there was a moment that he would do anything for that voice no matter who is behind it.

"Hey! " Papageno shaked Lion to earth from his day dreaming.

They still followed the street, actually the streets around the university. In the gate there was guard room, and four or maybe more cameras, as they had seen before, and there was no way to go through it. There was also a door in the back, it was small but also two cameras there. The walls were high, that was easy as pie for an unicorn, because they can teleport, but they can not sure if there are more cameras. There was no extra openings. At the east part, there should be a yard, for no buidlings could be seen from the outside, and then they should find the archive, where may have some files about young Fury. Zorro couldn't be Celestia, because he couldn't simulate the tone and the royal qualities, and that may make a shocking news, which would be really shocking and bad for them, but if anypony found them suddenly, he can change into the princess to distract.

That was the plan, the time should be tonight.

It was not the first time being a burglar like this for all of them. They crossed the wall skillfully, and landed in the lawn, without a sound. They simply checked, and soon got a conclusion that they were not captured by cameras. There is none around the lawn, but in in main building of the campus, there were cameras outside, covering the paths.

They went to the back side of the main building, and leaving Papageno there, in a corner. Zorro and Lion and fly and teleport into the building, leaving no images in the cameras (thank celestia, they cameras were all set in low position, that couldn't get anything flying creatures), but since Papageno is just an earth pony, he couldn't get in. Besides, they were afraid if Papageno would mess things up, for he was clumsy and talktive. So they left Papageno outside, but as a sentry, to let him keep watch. Then the two burglars went in.

This building was quite huge. There were several buildings in the campus, but this one was the largest one, and that was why did they think the archieve might be there. It was dark and quiet, the hearts of two foals were already hanging in their throats, just waiting to jump out of it. They still felt nervous, and held their breathe. A glimmering came out from Lion's horn, checking the map aside aside the stairs, they found they were in east wing, the third floor, and the archieve was also in the same floor, but the west wing. They located what they were heading to, easily, but they had no time to cheer. They moved their hooves slowly forward, following the long corridor, with ears up, alerting. The light broke into from the window, it was the moon, and the city's lights from somewhere else. Tourism, a tourism city never rest, day by day, night by night. The fury could even be heard from this place. Lion sighed slightly. He wondered that if the voice he heard in his dream was Princess Luna. The question was meaningless, and he didn't want to do anything after knowing it, he just wondered the answer. If Luna rules all the dreams of equestria, does she also protect the child yaks who live in yakyakistan? If doesn't, then who will protect them from the nightmares? Yakyakistan has a Prince name Stanford, but a princess? Seems never had one. Lion felt sorry for them, because they were not as lucky as him, nopony protect them from their terrible dreams.

The corridor was not long actually, but it was long enough for two foals. They felt it years to arrive the end of it: a dead end.

"What? " Lion didn't expect that. That supposed to be the west wing, but now there was only a wall with a door in it. Also there was a board with some characters in it, but they could only identify a word "room". The door looked old and dirty, Zorro tried to pull it, and push, but the door stood still. "Let's go. " Zorro said lightly. Lion didn't know really what did Zorro want, but he could guess it, so he said nothing and followed. They returned to the first place, there were stairs, they followed, trying to get to the upper or lower floor to see if there are any other way. But the way was blocked too. They returned and then checked the map again. The map proved the doubt in their hearts. There was no such a chamber shown on it. Nothing, not even a name, was marked in the map. It was quite strange.

Following that long long corridor, they were standing in front of that chamber, again. It seemed that the chamber was right on the middle of this floor, connecting the two wings of it, and maybe, just maybe, and the foals thought like that too, that if they can get inside, then there must be a way to get to the west. Lion tried to pull that door, and then push, still, nothing happened.

"Step back. " Zorro said.

He tried to cast a spell. As I already mentioned it for several times, that the changling's magic is quite different from the unicorn's. It is more like dark magic. Even all the changling changed into good ones in Sorex's reign, there are still differences. Anyway, when a silver orb of magic came from Zorro's horn, he knew he did it. That orb slid, and then disappeared. Zorro pulled that door lightly, but once his hoof touched its surface, the door opened.

They came in.

They couldn't close their mouths, even Zorro.

It was like a dragon's cave. Strange things everywhere, creepy things. Skulls (nopony knows if they were real or just models), dream catchers (very yakyakistanish), thangkas hanging on the wall, weird wizard staffs, herbs in the bowl on a wooden table. Lion felt a little regret that he didn't bring Papageno together, because he would be really happy and exciting seeing all those stuff. He went to the window, trying to find Papageno, but he couldn't see him from this angle, the building blocked it.

"Don't worry about him, let's finish our job first. "

Zorro came to the window, and drew the curtains, and then lighted a candle in his hoof, just found somewhere from this room. It seems that nopony had ever came here for quite a long time, maybe years, Lion thought. Everything was covered in dust, they could smell it. Some pictures on the wall, painted by somepony, looked familiar. It was painted by the same pony who drew the magical symbol in that paper they got in Fury's secret cabin. It was also like a symbol too. When Lion came and took a closer look, it suddenly glimmered. Out of suprise, this time nothing happened to Lion. Lion caught a paper from the desk, copied it. Zorro found a book, it was a special edition, the first edition of the yakyakistanish ancient history book. He opened the book, but he couldn't recognize any of words in that page. He had a quick flip through the book, he couldn't recognize any. But it seemed the book was written in two languages, Zorro could only get that conclusion. In the first page, there was a sentence written by somepony, that was not in equestrian language absolutely, but according to the handwriting, he thought that belonged to Fury. "Eques, nosce tu ipsum, " it wrote. And, he also found several pages which shouldn't be there, could belong to somewhere else, then somepony tore them off, and put it there. The characters unknown, again, but one thing could be sure, that was Inky wrote those pages. Could be a part from his diary, he guessed.

"Come here. " Zorro said.

Lion came and took a quick look at the book, and noticed the inscription in the first page, too. "Fury! " he asked Zorro, "do you know what does it say? " Saying nothing, Zorro shaked his head, and looked at Lion for a while. He heard a sound. Zorro blew up the candle quickly, like a wind, and grabed Lion, hided behind the door they've opened. Nopony or yak came here. That sound was suspicious. It didn't sound like from corridor, even didn't sound like from a hoof. But he could tell that it was not just a cat or something. That sound must be somepony made on purpose. Standing still, they listened carefully.

"Dit - dit - dit -"

"Dah - dah - dah -"

"Dit - dit - dit -"

And then was heard no more. And then, they didn't know how long did it take, that sound happened again. They had no idea what was that about, but somepony must be sending a message through knocking something, and made a noise like that. It was from the desk.

They moved the desk somewhere else, there was a gate on the ground, made of iron, looked like a gate of a giant safe box. And there was a combination lock. What a surprise! They looked at each other, didn't know what to do at the instant.

"Errr... lend a hoof? " Finally Lion asked.

"You crazy? That's not our job! Leave somepony else to save him and let's just get to the archieve! " Zorro looked at Lion doubtfully, looked a little angry.

"Hey! Why are you getting so angry? Do you really want leave a poor somepony who's asking for help, and maybe he has been trying to find help for years? " Lion was a little more angry, too.

"No! " Zorro said quicker, trying to lower his tone, "I mean we shouldn't waste time in it! We must get Fury's file before dawn, and Papageno is still waiting for us! Besides we don't know if that is a signal for help or what, you understand? "

Zorro tried to reason him but it seemed failed. Lion wanted to open that door and check anyway. He yelled, "no I don't! Why are you thinking that I can trust you? Why are you thinking, that I never doubt you and your purpose? You just wanna get what you want and never cared about anypony! You are selfish! And now use your magic to get this door open, quick! "
Nopony noticed that Lion's eye was getting weird, which might make him such angry and out of control. But we don't have time to talk about that now. Because Zorro was getting angry too. No, angry is not enough to describe him. He saved Lion's life from the explosion in Canterlot, and saved him from his parents, taking care of him when he past out, and what did he get after all? A command. A command that he will never accept, just like the others. He tried to hold his tears, and turn his back, just simply said a word, peacefully: "fine. "

Zorro exited, closed the door at his back, walked into that long long corridor. The archieve was at the head of him, and his friend was behind, locked in a room.

It was dawn when Zorro went back to the lawn. Papageno slept at the corner. He shaked Papageno awake, and brought them outside of the wall.

"What happened? Where is Lion? " Seeing Lion wasn't with him, Papageno felt a little worried, "and what did you get from Fury's file? Anything useful? "

"The file is empty. There are even more questions. I must investigate them alone. Lion is trapped inside, I suppose, since he is not here. But don't worry, we will find a way save him, and before that, hope he is still safe, " stopped at the front door of the hotel, Zorro didn't quite want to enter, "now go to your room and if you don't have too much things to do, just don't get out of it. I must investigate something important, stay right here in your room, and I will get back once things are done. "

"Bu - But - you didn't take any rest last night! " Papageno turned his head, but there was already no sign of anypony else.

Let's back to the last night.

Zorro didn't think too much. If you forget everything we've been through and still wanna do what you want, well, suit yourself! But meanwhile, a part of him hoped that Lion could catch up and join him, but that didn't happen. Checked the sky out there, he knew he doesn't have too much time.

He went in the archieve. The boxes filled the room, and every box had a mark in it. Zorro searched for a while, finally he found a file with a name in its cover: Inky Book. it seems that he didn't change his name into Fury Comedian yet, in his younger ages. He opened the file, but what he saw made him shocked.

It was empty, not a word, no, not even a paper. Could it be that the file never existed? No, there is no way! Somepony must stole it! Zorro thought. He felt his anger is going to burn this place!

Suddenly, he heard a sound. It was like a explosion from the room where he had been, he wasn't sure what just happened, but he was worried. He could imagine the worst, and that increased his anger, and his fear.

"Stupid! "

Zorro cursed Lion in his heart while running back. You are not Papageno, and you do stupid things! Damn! He felt quite angry and frustrated. But when he got there, there was no more Lion.

He could hardly believe what he saw. There was big hole in the ground, and no idea where it would lead to. Dusts everywhere, the walls turned to black. Only celestia knows how did Lion make a powerful explosion! But galdly there was no fur left in the ground, so Lion survived and fell into that hole he made. Zorro breathed a sign of relief.

Wait...

He heard something. Somepony was walking in the building, maybe he was unlocking the doors in the stairs. That sound calmed him. No, I can't follow. It is already dawn, soon will be morning, and the guard is opening the gate and the doors.

He came out, locked that room, and cast a strong spell to make a magic lock. He was satisfied with his work. There was nopony come here for a long time, and he added a spell on that door, so nopony could get in and know what was happened. Having done those, he changed into a pegasus and flew out through the window, and found Papageno and woke him... well, you know the rests.

Lion couldn't remember when did he lose his consciousness when he woke up. It was a deep hole, it seems. It reminded him the novel talking about a young little girl went into a wonderland through a rabbit hole. He was in the bottom of it, the grasses were like a giant mattress, so soft and relaxing. He opened his eyes, trying to recall his memory. There was a light, yes, it stung the eyes, and then he couldn't get more, and to recall what happened just made his brain like burning. He could barely stand up, shaking his head, to make his mind clearer. He listened carefully, for one second he could hear nothing but only the sound when waterdrops hit the ground. But then here it was, the knocking sound continued, as what he heard upwards, even clearer. He lighted his horn as a torch, looked around. He felt his magic was weakening, the light from his horn kept flickering. It was a huge room, really huge. Lion wondered that if this room could contain all the ponies in his little town, and there would be much more spaces. The room is also beautiful, it had a baroque style of decoration, the gold in the pillars still shined fine and well, even covered by the dusts of time. The arcs were old, but still looked with the light of grace, looked like an artwork from the drynaid race.

It was not a cave, but a part of an ancient palace, dark and wet, but still a palace, hiding beneth the earth for a long time, without any protection, let alone repairment.

The sound continued. The sign of calling for help.

Lion stepped forward.

The sound suddenly disappeared.

It didn't take him long to bring him in front of another door. Actually there was only one door. It was closed tightly. Zorro wanted to open it, but before that, he heard something on the other side. Hoofsteps. Somepony is coming.

Zorro hided himself behind a rock, then the door was opened. Two pony walked out, cloaked and hooded. Zorro couldn't that his face from his place.

"So, " one of them spoke, "what do you do with him? "

"We wait for the order came from the goddness. Until then, " the other one answered, "he is locked. "

"Fair enough then. He should know he must pay for... "

"Silence! " for once, Lion thought that he was found, but he didn't. That one continued speech, "we shall not judge him on our own. We belong to the third eye. "

They stopped, greeted to each other, and went far in different directions.

"The third eye... what does that mean, is that a god of them? " While thinking, Lion stepped forward to that door.

The door was made of stone, like the others, giant and heavy, and decorated with dusty gems. Some gems were missing, like an empty hole without an eyeball. The door wasn't locked, maybe that's because those two ponies forgot that. But that also means they would come back and check soon.

Lion opened the door and went in, and closed that door carefully. Luckily he didn't make any noises.

This place was totally a piece of ruin. The ground had sunk like for ages, and there were fractures all over the walls. There was a pipe made of bronze, leaded to somewhere. Asides it, there were so many cages made of steel, in one of them, there was a very very old horse, weary and could hardly open his eyes. It was him! It must the pony who sent the help message! Lion thought, and went closer, considering that if he should shake him awake or not. In this moment, the door was opened again, and came a monk.

"I knew you would be here. Now hand over the book! Quickly! " the monk yelled at him, and came closer. He didn't come alone.

"What? The... what book? " Lion confused, stood alertly.

"The diary wrote by Inky. Give it to me. We promise that we won't hurt you. " the monk smiled, but the instinct told Lion that he couldn't be trusted.

Lion hissed.

He didn't know what's the relation with that diary, but he felt angry and fearful. Sometimes when we feel helpless and fearful, we act like we are angry, and hiss to everyone around including our friends.

Lion felt bad, because he had lost his temper to his friend Zorro, and put him away. And this moment he standed alone, without any friends asides. He hurt Zorro, he thought. He hated himself for what he had done to Zorro, for what he had spoken, for this pony what he became.

Lion felt his heart is dead. After leaving his home, after traveling so far, after saying all those hurting words.

He felt guilty.