Chapters Morning in Trottingham. I can’t imagine it being any more underwhelming than it currently is. The skies are grey, and the grass is just forming that spongy feeling that hints at an oncoming rainstorm. I sigh heavily. Walking through the town is also completely dull. The problem with this city is just how plain it is. The houses are so perfectly designed that they’re basically cubes, more examples of geometry than construction. We don’t even have control over this weather; the plants grown around Trottingham need lots of rain to survive, so we’re forced to live in it.
“Good morning, Rush,” I smile at a passing unicorn. He nods, acknowledging my presence, before continuing on his way. He doesn’t stop to chat, but then, they never do.
I near the tower. The huge building is the only one in the city that isn’t square. It’s gorgeous, a beautiful landmark in an ugly town. I’ve been walking the spiral stairs to the top since I was just a filly, but that doesn’t make the steep incline any less daunting as I start my slow ascension. I would go faster, but I daren’t in case I draw everypony’s attention before the message begins. The familiar buzz through my horn alerts me to the upcoming event, and as I reach the top I pause for scarcely a moment before nearing the balcony.
I look out over the enormous city. Trottingham is one of those places that, because it’s plain and dreary, everypony seems to forget about. But it does have a few redeeming features. Thanks to the low housing, from this height I can see far and wide. If I tilt my head and squint in just the right way, I could swear I can see Canterlot in the distance, perched precariously on the side of a mountain. Just like Canterlot, Trottingham was also founded by unicorns, and even today we make up the majority of the population here, even if we are a tad more common than the fine fillies and gentlecolts in the capital city. I imagine Princess Celestia seated on her velvet chair, preparing her notes for her upcoming decree. Showtime.
I take a step forward, ensuring that everypony below is able to see me clearly. I lift one foreleg, just as I always have, and delicately, slowly illuminate my horn.
“Greetings, my loyal subjects. I can only hope that you are all safe and sound after the recent mishaps occurring across Equestria.”
The Princess’s voice booms across the city, emitted on waves from my horn. It’s a difficult magic to control. I have to add just enough force to keep her voice loud and clear, without adding too much and deafening everypony. My horn ignites, blue magic wavering around it as her speech continues.
“As you are all aware, there have been several problems recently involving various dark creatures being set free by some trouble makers. A recent dragon attack in Ponyville, along with a herd of angry minotaurs running rampant in this very city. All of these no doubt have you confused and frightened. In which case, I add a new responsibility onto the already heavily-laden shoulders of my dear broadcasters.”
My ears perk up at that, and I almost wish that I could see my own horn and the way in which it brightens and dims with each pause and breath.
“The broadcasters for each city are, as you know, notably talented unicorns with telepathy strong enough to emit my decrees across Equestria.”
My chest swells with pride at the mention of those like me who are all, at this moment, standing with the same feeling in their respective towers.
“But now the broadcasters have an additional job. Should anything go wrong in your town, should anything appear that should not be there, alert them. The broadcasters will contact me via telepathic link and I will send out the only ponies who have thus far been able to defeat any of the attackers. I will send out the Elements of Harmony to your aid.”
I hear a gasp below me as the transmission ends and the light in my horn dies down. I’ll admit, I may have joined in with it. In a city of unicorns, there isn’t even one foal that doesn’t know about the legendary Elements of Harmony. It’s magic that few of us can even imagine. After a moment, though, I feel myself cowering. Should something go wrong, I have to contact the Princess directly? By entering her thoughts in the same way that she enters mine? How… intimate.
Once I’ve dragged my body down the stairs I’m inundated with questions about the Elements and the new decree. Most of the ponies just argue with one another about the level of danger and the sincerity of the decree, but one voice shouts louder than the others.
“Indigo!”
I turn and follow my name. Outside of the crush stands Maize, the only earth pony who actually settled down here in Trottingham. He stands far above me, his golden coat dazzling me. He tosses his black mane and I notice for the millionth time that his cutie mark – a golden horseshoe – is metallic. In short, next to him I feel like as grey and dull as a rock, despite my warm blue coat.
“Hey, Maize.”
“You were great today! I mean, not that you’re usually bad… but you know what I mean. Oh, I know what I meant to say, but-“
I hold up a hoof to silence him.
“No worries. Let’s walk.”
We take a steady walk through the city, and every so often I’m acknowledged by a brief nod. Maize, on the other hand, is greeted by high hoofs and laughter.
“So tell me,” I mutter, “What’s the talk about today’s broadcast?”
“Well, it’s mostly about the monsters, but I assume you’re talking about the whole broadcaster thing.”
I nod.
“Well, pretty much normal. Somepony said that Indigo Wave filly would run before trying to help us.”
“What?!”
“It’s okay. Somepony else bucked them into the wall. Hard.”
I feel my expression soften.
“Thanks, Maize.”
“What? Wasn’t me.”
I grin.
“Oh come on, Indie! Who would actually put their life in your hooves?”
I spin on the spot, baring my teeth as I glare at the red unicorn beside me.
“What do you want, Lava Pit?”
He laughs scornfully.
“I want you to stop acting so high and mighty, miss broadcaster. Just because the Princess speaks to you, doesn’t mean that you’re any better than us.”
“I never said I was better than anypony else, Pit. On the other hoof, I have no problem admitting that even if I were a half-mad diamond dog, I’d still have a nicer personality than you.”
Maize scoffs, trying to cover his mouth before giving up and spluttering.
“Good one, teach that guy a lesson!”
“You just wait,” snarls Pit, “sooner or later, somepony’s going to put you in your place.”
With that he stalks off, his last threat still hanging in midair. I wait until he’s gone before hanging my head.
“Maize,” I mumble, “Am I really like that? Do I act superior?”
“Nah,” comes the reply, “You don’t. Lava’s just never gotten over the fact that you got your cutie mark.”
“I suppose.”
We head towards the edge of town, to where the level houses stop abruptly by the forest. The shadowed trees and nearby river always serve as a means of relaxation for me, so whole Maize checks to make sure that we weren’t followed, I take a step into our secret base.
The thick trees serve to cover the area from prying eyes. A slow-running stream takes up most of the space and I jump in, taking a moment to revel in the sensation of chilled droplets against my coat.
“All clear,” says Maize as he walks in. For a moment he seems stunned to see me splashing about, but then thinks better of it and joins me. As we jump and play, I catch sight of my reflection in the water.
I’m rather a diminutive filly, I’ll admit. My mid-blue coat glistens with water droplets. I shift slightly, feeling the royal blue mess of a mane fall around my eyes. Standard, overall. A regular blue unicorn, with little or no extra abilities or particular skill. The only mildly interesting part of my appearance is my flank. No, not my actual flank – although I’ve never paid it much attention – but my cutie mark. Bold white lines, curved outwards to symbolise waves emitting from nowhere.
“Indigo.”
I look up. I must have looked rather sad at the sight of myself, because Maize has now taken residence on the bank, looking at me sympathetically.
“Maize, what’s up?”
“Don’t let him get to you. Nor any of the others.”
“I’m not.”
“You are. I can tell you right now what you’re in need of.”
I gulp loudly and stumble backwards.
“N-No. Maize, please no…”
“A PARTY!”
My hoof hits my face so hard I almost knock myself out. Always with the parties. You’d think, that with a shiny horseshoe as a cutie mark, Maize would always be stoic, calm and hardworking. Not that he’s not sometimes those things, but when the metallic balloons come out you know he’s gone into party mode.
I run down the street, aware of the fact that my short legs don’t stand a chance of outrunning him. He may as well walk after me as I run full out, and he’s still sure to arrive in the square before me.
And I’m right. While my magic is limited to broadcasting, Maize has the strength and agility of, well, an earth pony. I can’t even teleport, so he beats me there easily. I skid to a stop in the middle of the market which, in the last few minutes, has become flooded with balloons and streamers. Ponies gather around – they may not be all that bothered about me, but nopony can resist one of Maize’s parties. Within a minute I’m swept up by the crowd, who follow the golden earth pony in some kind of insane parade through the streets.
“When did this become so crazy?” I scream, but my shouts are lost in the noise of the crowd. I drop to the floor, praying that none of the thundering hooves find their home on my back.
It’s not long before the super-shiny party has gone, leaving me sitting alone on the slightly damp stone floor. I get to my feet. It’s as though once they leave the street all sound seems to vanish. I smile to myself.
“That silly stallion,” I mutter, “He just doesn’t get it.”
I turn and start to walk away, occasionally tripping on an abandoned streamer.
The walk home seems to take forever. I pass by a familiar pink pony who, at my silence, takes to the air and comes to rest by my side. A Pegasus, strange enough in these parts even without taking in her odd appearance. Her wings are a pale lilac – a throwback, she says, to her connection to royalty – and seem oversized for her tiny form. Flowing curls in a combination of fuchsia and plum tumble from her scalp and to the ground. It’s a good thing she can fly, or that mane must get awfully grubby.
“Hey, Indigo Wave!”
“Hi, Raspberry Sundae.”
“Good job today.”
I force a smile. Sundae is one of those ponies who I can never figure out. She can be kind and loving one moment, and the next insult you in the most painful way possible. But despite her agonisingly childlike demeanour, you can’t help but like her.
“I am so jealous of you unicorns!” she laughs, before taking to the air, “I mean sure, I’m descended from royalty and can fly, but you’re a megaphone!”
I nod absent-mindedly, knowing that she won’t care if I tune out.
“No, but really,” she comes to land next to me, “Aren’t you worried? If something goes wrong, then you’re the only one who can alert the Princess. It’s kind of all resting on you.”
“I know. But it’s okay. It’s my special talent, and all.”
She grins, baring her teeth just a tad too much to be friendly.
“And that’s great! Mine is so boring, I just make yummy desserts!”
“I’d say in some ways, that’s better.”
“What was that?”
“Nothing.”
She hums under her breath and then seems to remember her initial topic.
“So can you do it?”
“Can I do what?”
“If a big, scary monster comes, and starts hurting everypony, can you call for the Princess?”
I shrug.
“I don’t see why not. The whole point of being a broadcaster is that it’s two-way communication in case of emergencies.”
She stops suddenly and I turn, only mildly interested at her sudden change in attitude. She does this.
“I don’t think that you can do it.”
“Why not?”
“I mean, you're a good broadcaster but really, you're not exactly the most level-headed of ponies, are you?”
I tilt my head.
“I don't think it's all that bad. It wouldn't be my job if I couldn't handle it, right?”
“I suppose so,” she sighs, “by the way, I saw Lava talking to you earlier. What was he saying this time?”
“The usual. He doesn't like me.”
“Give him a break. He was so mean to you for being a blank flank. He's probably just embarrassed now you've got an important job.”
“I thought you said I couldn't do it.”
She grins and takes to the air, calling back as she does a mid-air twirl.
“That doesn't mean you won't. It's just an opinion. Geez, Indigo, you really worry too much!”
I shoot her a sarcastic stare.
“I will never, never be able to figure you out, Sundae.”
“Good for you!”
I sigh. See? She's not even listening to me. I continue walking until she lands unceremoniously at my feet.
“Wrong way!”
“What?”
“Maize is throwing you a party, right? Not sure why or even where, but if you wait here I'll fly up and find him!”
“It's okay Sundae, I really don't care for parties.”
“Boo.”
With that she takes to the air, searching madly for signs of the distant party. As soon as she disappears from my sight I turn and walk pointedly away. On the main road I smile and greet several ponies. They all respond, as predicted, with a nod and a polite 'good afternoon'.
As I walk, I feel myself becoming increasingly agitated. I can't place my hoof on why, though; today has been a fairly regular day by all counts. Yes, Lava Pit has been... well, Lava Pit, and Sundae has been her strange bipolar self, not to mention Maize and his imminent, unavoidable parties – but isn't that just a regular day in Trottingham? Why is there a spinning feeling in the pit of my stomach?
I shake off the strange feeling and push on, heading back into town. As I near the centre, the heavens open and suddenly I'm drenched through, shivering in the icy cold.
“This. Is. Insane.” I mutter, as I walk on. After a moment or two the rain seems to stop – I glance up to see a green stallion levitating an umbrella over both myself and him.
“Afternoon, Miss. I hope you don't mind, but you'll catch your death out here.”
I try to smile sweetly; but it just ends up being a grimace as the uneasy knot in my gut tightens.
“Thank you very much.”
He walks me over to a shelter, where I assure him that I will wait out the storm. The truth is that I don't have anywhere to go. I could return home, back to my cramped, square room, but there's very little to do there. No doubt Maize is still partying; I daresay he hasn't even realised that I'm missing yet. Lava Pit is probably boiling over somewhere, and Sundae – Celestia knows. I stand up and shake violently, trying to get the water droplets off my body. It helps a little, and I'm filled with hope as I see the first tiny rays of sunlight in the distance. But this is Trottingham, and it's always grey, always cloudy, and always, always raining. Even a bright, perfect summer day is marred here by the occasional droplet of rain. There's never a chance to see snow and ice because the heavy downpours wash it all away in hours.
I kick a rock into the rain and watch as it instantly becomes darker with rain. My mind wanders back to the Princess’s orders. If anything goes wrong, I have to contact her – despite the fact that little has seemed off about today, a strange squirm in my chest makes me feel instantly sick with nerves.
Ponies wander past, most hovering umbrellas over themselves as they walk. None of them seem to be concerned about anything. Their days are beautifully monotonous. Wake up, go to work, wander into town, go home, sleep. My days, on the other hand, are spent waiting around and doing very little, while I wait for a new law to be passed or for some horrific bout of destruction to be launched on my home town.
My quiet whine of envy is drowned out, however, by an unearthly roar. I'm on my feet in an instant, focussing as the town falls silent.
Darn. I was only joking about the destruction.
There have been times in my life when I've wondered why I was given this job. Sometimes I've made lists of everypony who would be more qualified for this than I. It wouldn't be hard to find somepony happier to do it. Now is one of those times.
My hooves hurt. I run through the crowd – which isn't easy, as everypony else is running in the opposite direction. I kick hard off the ground, as though each step will somehow send my flying off the face of Equestria and into some bizarre world where the leading species walk on two legs and spend hours on end seated before miraculous computing devices. But I digress.
My target is the tower. Despite the screams of my friends and neighbours, and the strange figure looming into the square, I have a job to do. The height makes the tower the only place from which I can contact the Princess – if not for the monster that stands before it.
My mouth falls open and I fight to hold back a scream of terror. The creature before me is almost as tall as the tower; and made of stone. It walks on two legs, a great heavy thing that, despite knowing little about magical creatures, seems far more formidable than a herd of rampaging minotaurs. It lumbers around, groaning and creaking in a way that sends my fur tingling. The awful sense of foreboding has gone – replaced with a very argumentative self. Even as I watch the lump of stone crush a marble statue, some part of me demands that I run away. My legs move of their own accord and I step back, out of the firing line as shards of marble rain down on the square.
“I don't think you can do it.”
And suddenly I'm running, right at the tower. It doesn't seem to notice as I weave between its legs; it's far too intent on causing as much destruction as possible. The steps up to the balcony are broken, several snapped away by the flying debris. I stumble, catch myself, and proceed as quickly as I can without falling to my death.
At this point, somepony could be forgiven for thinking how brave I am, or how well I'm dealing with the situation. But as I pull to a stop at the balcony edge and light my horn, it wavers with my shaking. I stamp the ground, trying to stop the shivering. It helps a little and my horn ignites.
The connection with Princess Celestia is not something I've ever gotten used to. It's okay to know that she sees into my mind – there's very little there that's of any interest to such an amazing being. However, her mind is something else. Simply receiving a broadcast is one thing, but contacting her leaves me breathless. There's such a barrage of magic from a clearly celestial being that it instantly drains my energy and leaves me cowering. Even in my current state of terror, I fear seeing through her sad eyes and sensing all the agony and guilt behind her gentle smile. Still, this is for the good of everypony. I close my eyes and open the connection.
I'm in the throne room, watching slender white hooves pace up and down. There's a general sense of worry; but it's not my own. The Princess lifts her head – I feel her horn ignite as she allows contact.
“Indigo? What's the matter?”
The connection breaks and I fall to my knees, exhausted. Upon opening my eyes I notice that the thing has gotten closer – far too close for comfort. Still, this perch is the best place to be if I'm to contact everypony. I try my hardest to ignore the rampant destruction occurring below me, but the way that the tower shakes makes it difficult.
I close my eyes. The screams continue, but they're quieter than before. Once somepony goes into the narrow streets here all sound is lost, so it's likely nopony else knows about the attack. My magic spreads out in waves, touching all of Trottingham to the very edges as I magnify my own voice as loud as I can.
“Everypony please. Um, remain calm.”
The broadcast ends with a dull clicking noise. I've always hated the sound of my own voice, but I suppose that in situations like this, I can't be picky. The screaming has stopped. I can, however, hear the thundering of hooves as everypony flees the city. A fresh sense of dread washes over me as I realise that, in order to continue broadcasting, I need to remain on the balcony. Still, I should come away from the edge. I turn, take one step forward -
Let me just clarify something. Magic has never been my strong point. While broadcasting is one thing, generic unicorn powers can be quite difficult to do. Teleportation is impossible for me. Even levitating things can be hard at times. So I think that I can be forgiven for taking a few minutes to ignite my horn.
The light only spreads out about a metre ahead, but I can instantly tell that I'm in a bad situation. There's only stone, as far as I can see. A particularly ornate section by my hooves alerts me to the fact that the tower has crumbled – leaving me trapped underneath. For a moment I daren't move for fear of making more rocks fall, but upon shifting a little I realise that nothing's lying on me.
I glance down at my side; despite the dim light and my blueish fur, I can already make out the large, nasty bruise developing along my ribcage. Luckily, that seems to be the only injury, so I put a little more power to my horn and search for an opening.
I find nothing. There's no gap large enough to even put a hoof through, let alone crawl out of. My side pulses as I look around, unable to move.
I rest my head on my hooves. Buck it. Nopony's around, what with that thing rampaging outside. What's the point in trying to shout for help? I doubt anypony even heard the tower fall, and those that did probably shrugged it off in their efforts to run away. Despite knowing that I'm the one who told them to run off in the first place, I can't help but feel a pang of sorrow at the fact that they really have all left me. Not just left me in the square with a monster, but left me trapped under a rockfall and unable to stand.
Still. I could do a broadcast for help. I let the place grow dark before trying to magnify my voice. I spread my reach as far as I can – which is about six inches ahead of me.
“Oh...”
I can't tell if the hot tears streaming down my face are from pain or whether they're somehow linked to the twisting in my chest, but I don't bother to wipe them away.
“Princess,” I mutter, “How I wish you could help me.”
A few moments seem to pass before I feel her magic touch me. It's always an elegant, golden magic that comes from Princess Celestia. It's not something you can mistake for anypony else. After a short struggle I manage to open the connection.
“Indigo, can you update me, please?”
My mind is too fuzzy to form words, so I show her what I can see and feel instead. The dark stone walls imprisoning me, the throbbing in my side, even the salt water running down my cheeks.
“The tower?” she asks, her voice low.
I nod, knowing that she'll see it.
“Oh my. Is there anypony else in there?”
“No.”
“Good.”
Somepony might be offended that she asked about others before me, but I really don't care at this point. It's more important the civilians are kept safe than it is the broadcaster survives.
“Indigo, the elements aren't far away now. Did you warn everypony to run away?”
“Yes. I told them everything.”
“Thank you. I must say, I'm very impressed with just how calm you seem at this point, Indigo.”
“Calm?” I laugh breathlessly, “I'm terrified, Princess. But at the end of the day my part of the job is over now. The Elements can stop the... thing, and then hopefully somepony will try and get me out of here.”
The connection abruptly breaks – I wonder what's going on before my chin hits the ground, the exhaustion far too much for my already shattered form. I try and think back. Back to when I was falling.
I hadn't been aware of the tower being hit. I'm sure that I didn't just walk right off the edge of the balcony – I'm clumsy, but not to that extent – and there's every way I would have moved had I seen it try to attack me directly. No, the tower must have crumbled what with the attacks on the nearby buildings, the shaking of the earth and perhaps a poorly aimed hit from the creature.
The fall itself had been thankfully quick, though. It hadn't hurt hitting the ground, although perhaps I had passed out by that point. I do recall, though, during the fall, seeing a flash of something huge and golden. By golden, I mean actually gold. Bright, perhaps even shiny. But it doesn't seem like the flash was the Elements of Harmony coming to my rescue, or I'm sure that right now I wouldn't be hearing the muffled sounds of continued destruction as the thing moves further into town. Which direction, I can't be sure, but the sound is getting fainter and that can only mean that somepony will be in danger again soon. Unfortunately I'm too low and too fuzzy-headed to broadcast anything remotely reassuring. My strained voice would do little to comfort the masses, but rather it would drive them to panic. Still, even if I could stand, I may be able to call for help at least.
Oddly enough, falling from the tower to the ground had been quicker than a flash, but somehow the trip from the ground to my hooves takes forever. Every sudden movement of my legs results in some kind of twitch, and by the time I struggle to my hooves I'm gasping for breath. Is the air thin in here? The mere notion of it sparks fear running through me and I shake my head hard to keep from thinking about how long I might be left here until somepony thinks to look for me.
But it isn't long before the sound of moving rocks reaches my ears. I step back as a few pebbles fall from the outer wall, followed by one huge stone being lifted up – by magic, I presume – and moved away.
Sunlight streams in, making my eyes water with its brilliance. I take a few shaky steps forward, looking up the slope and into the eyes of the first pony that I see. They extend a hoof, smile sweetly, and speak.
“Indigo Wave, right? Skilled broadcaster for Trottingham.”
I reach up and take their hoof, trying to hide my obvious pain.
“I know who you are, too. Princess Celestia's famed student, and one of the Elements of Harmony. Good afternoon, Twilight Sparkle."
I barely have time to look around upon reaching the surface before something knocks me to the floor, kicking the air from my lungs. A flash of gold pins me down and I kick and struggle against its hold.
“Maize!” I squeal. But my struggles are useless – he picks me up his enormous hooves and holds me close against his chest.
“Oh, thank Celestia...”
It's only now that I notice his fur seems matted. Mud? Dust? But he was so far away – how did he get involved?
“Maize, what are you doing here?”
“I heard the tower fall...”
I nod. Out of all of Maize's peculiarities, his super-sonic hearing is certainly one of the most useful.
“Indigo.”
I turn back to the purple unicorn who helped me out. My front legs instinctively bend and I bow deeply to the Element of Magic.
“Thank you, Twilight Sparkle. Thank you so much.”
“Thank your friend,” she smiles, “he was already trying to dig you out when we got here, so luckily we knew where to find you.”
I shoot a glance at Maize, who turns away pointedly. After a moment longer I turn back to the other ponies standing in the square.
The first thing I notice is that they're not all unicorns. There are two of each here. I feel a pang of guilt that the only pony I know out of all six is Twilight Sparkle, and so I make a point to smile at each pony in turn.
Standing before me is an orangey-gold earth pony with a mane the colour of straw and lime green eyes. She smiles openly at me, tipping the brim of her hat in greeting.
“Pleased ta meet ya, Indigo,” she says, “Name's Applejack.”
“H-hi, Applejack.”
“And this here's Pinkie Pie.”
How did I not notice the pink creature standing beside her? A huge poofy mane takes up almost my entire view as the fuschia earth pony leaps at me.
“Hi! I don't know you, but Twilight spoke to the Princess and she told us that you needed help and so we came to use the Elements – you know, of Harmony – to come and save Trottingham but I'm a bit dissappointed, the things' already in the part of town where there's nopony, so we don't get to see chaos! Although I don't suspect that this chaos will involve chocolate rain so I suppose we're pooped!”
I stare blankly, not having heard the words so much as having spent the last twenty seconds wondering just what this pony's lung capacity is. Luckily Applejack drags Pinkie Pie away and we begin to walk as Twilight explains her plan.
Unfortunately, her plan is less of an articulated, organised plot and more random thoughts leading from nowhere to a slightly more interesting nowhere. She rants and raves, occasionally cursing the heavens for the lack of something called 'Spike', and exclaiming just how helpful it would be right now for note-taking. I lift a hoof, preparing to say something, when a hoof touches my shoulder.
I turn and am faced with two of the most elegant ponies I have ever seen. A snow-white unicorn with luscious plum curls, and a butter-coloured pegasus who moves with grace the likes of which I've never seen before. When the former speaks, her voice has a smooth, fancy edge, not completely unlike the accent here in Trottingham. Still, the edge is learned, I can tell.
“Don't try to interrupt her when she's thinking, darling. Twilight really doesn't like everypony disrupting her thought process. Besides, I can see a simply ghastly bruise on your side, dear. I think we should have a look.”
I swallow loudly, trying not to reveal just how intimidated I am of the obvious fashionista pony.
“I-I'm fine.” I grin, “Just... dandy.”
“Don't be silly, darling! Let Fluttershy have a look at you.”
At this, the pink-maned pegasus steps forward, a blush playing on her cheeks as she approaches.
“Now, if you just stay still – um, if that's okay...”
She takes a moment to look at the injury. Her hardest prod feels like a foal's kick, and I find myself swooning over her cuteness. I'm not generally the kind of pony who notices, much less appreciates, adorableness. But Fluttershy is so sweet that I bite my lip to keep from making constant 'aww' sounds.
“All done,” she says, stepping back. I glance down. Somehow during my daydream, she's managed to fasten a support around my torso.
“Oh, wow,” I say, “Fluttershy, that's amazing. It feels much better already.”
She blushes madly at the compliment.
“O-oh no. My, please. It's not me. Rarity is the one who makes these supports. I'm sorry if it's a bit tight, they're not meant for full-size ponies.”
The unicorn who must be Rarity gives a quiet chuckle.
“Although I must say dear, you are positively tiny!”
Now it's my turn to blush.
“Aha!”
We all turn expectantly to watch Twlight.
“I've got it!” she cries, “we need to surround the golem using the side streets.”
“What did you just call that thing?” I say. I knew it had seemed familiar, but no name had come to mind upon looking at it.
“A golem,” she says, “a magical creature made of inanimate material, in this case rock.”
“Oh. I-I knew that!”
“Indigo, we'll need your help to guide us through the side streets. This place is confusing.”
“I know. I'll lead you right to it.”
“Me too,” says Maize.
“No, Maize. You hurt yourself trying to get me out. Things will be fine now that the Elements are here. You need to go and calm everypony else down.”
“But I-”
“I'll do a broadcast, okay? Let everypony know what's going on in real time. Just make sure that nopony else is hurt. Okay?”
He nods solemnly and turns, racing off towards the outer edge of the city. Rejuvenated by the rescue I light my horn, spreading my magic over the city before speaking.
“Attention everypony.”
My words no longer shake, even as I run.
“The Elements of Harmony are here. They're chasing the golem now. I'm leading them there, and once I see it's defeated I'll tell when it's safe to return.”
I hear an audible sigh of relief as everypony in Trottingham releases their fear of the thing. I run a little faster to keep up with the legendary ponies who are by this point racing ahead.
“Wow, that hurt!”
I glance to my side to see the coolest looking pony I have ever seen. Cyan coat and a mane that seems to contain a thousand different colours, along with large feathered wings that flap alongside her as though helping her gather speed.
“What hurt?” I ask.
“Your voice! It's so loud!”
“Heh, sorry about that.
“N-no worries. So, they did tell me who you are, but I'm sorry, I forgot your name. Remind me?”
“Indigo Wave, broadcaster. You?”
“Rainbow Dash, badass.”
I smirk at the pegasus. She's much taller than me, and as she turns her head to face forward she speeds past me, leaving me struggling to keep up.
“Turn left!” I shout, “And then on to the crossroads for another left!”
Twilight, at the front, follows my directions. After a few minutes I hear a loud smashing noise that tells me we're getting close. Something akin to fear strums through me, but somehow it doesn't affect me so badly as it did moments ago. I have the greatest friends in all of Equestria with me. What is there to fear?
The golem has, during my short-lived absence, proceeded to destroy a large number of buildings. There are no screams, no sound of fleeing hooves; this reassures me as I think that maybe, maybe my broadcast got everypony out in time
“The sandstone is the weak spot!” cries Twilight, clearly deducing the same thing.
Can I just mention, as an offhand comment, that although Trottingham is packed full of unicorns, I have seen many a flying pegasus in my life. I've always thought them graceful, a notion which is only backed up by the way in which Fluttershy slows to a stop. But the blue pony is something else. I blink and she's above the creature, a grin playing on her face.
Pinkie starts yammering immediately, something which leads me to think that the comment is an inside joke between the two. Not that I care, of course. I'm far too busy watching in astonishment as Rainbow weaves in between the thing's limbs. Though its movements are far too clumsy to form an articulated attack, it's strong and not that slow. Nevertheless, she ducks amongst the rock, dodging and spinning and catapulting herself in every direction. The golem looks so confused, so reproachful that I almost feel sorry for the poor thing.
I wish that I could remain watching the epic show of athleticism forever, but now I become distracted by the actions of Twilight Sparkle. She opens the side of her saddlebag – how did I not notice that before? - and levitates out several gold, shiny objects. I step forward.
“What are those?”
“Well, we are but we aren't. When a pony represents an element then they can use these charms to harness that magic, but without the necklaces even the most loyal friend is completely helpless. That's why they're stored-”
I roll my eyes. Studious can be good, intelligent is fine, but sweet Celestia, this pony's mind works far too fast for my normal pony head to keep up with. I level out my hooves and turn to look her sharply in the eye, an incredible fail when you consider that I'm about as intimidating as a ladybird.
“Twilight Sparkle!” I cry over the sound of crashes, “Use the elements and destroy the golem, now!”
Fluttershy steps forward first and Twilight snaps the necklace around her throat. It's ornate and gold like the others, but with a pale pink butterfly gem resembling her cutie mark. Rarity's is a blue diamond, Applejack's an amber orange. Rainbow lands nearby and accepts her red lightning bolt charm, while Pinkie runs around like a crazed filly upon being granted one shaped like a blue balloon.
“Twilight, what's yours-”
“That- it looks just like Celestia's!”
“Oh, yeah! Giant... destructive golem and stuff...”
“The elements of harmony are about to begin, please hold on,” I say, “Everything will be alright.”
"Go, my little ponies."
You know, I always imagined that my death would be boring. Sleeping alone in my bed at an average age, withered and weak. An utterly average, boring end. I certainly didn't imagine that I would be blinded first.
White light fills my vision, causing tears to stream down my face. My body doesn't hurt, although as I hit the floor in a cower I feel the jostling. My mane conceals my face but the light burns through it, and I realise that although I'm not dying, I'm certainly in a fair bit of pain. All seems to fall silent, and as I manage to lift my face, something shines through the blankness.
Dash? I rub my eye, ignoring the burn as my hooves brush past the sorest area. It isn't dash. But it is... a rainbow? Not the form of rainbow I've ever seen in the sky, no, it's far too blinding for that. Luckily my already strained eyes have given up, and simply allow me to stare into the glow as I watch the multi-coloured strip snake up, up, up into the sky, where it seems to focus more.
I glance down, toward the source of the magic. It's Twilight Sparkle, of course, her eyes glowing white with effort. I stand on shaky hooves, reassured that this is only a consequence of her magic. Around her stand the other five, all floating a few metres up. The charms around their throats shine, and I try to resist sighing about all of the shiny, glowing light in this picture. Even so, I step forward, my vision now restored, and watch the Elements of Harmony's rainbow as it collides with the golem at such a speed that I'm knocked back to the ground, mane blown back by the force of the blast.
I close my eyes, and instinctively reach out to all of Trottingham. It takes but a second, inspired by the overwhelming strength of the magic surrounding me. Once my connection is established, I allow everypony to enjoy the sensation of the moment, and feel a sigh coming from them all as they watch the Elements save our city. I make the image especially bold for Maize, and I sense him smiling as the images fly through his mind.
Suddenly the connection breaks – a cry rings out and I snap back to reality. The rainbow is gone, the golem is infuriated, and the Elements of Harmony are backing up in horror.
“I-I don't know!” shouts Twilight, “Is it not strong enough?”
“Twilight!” I yell, “Why didn't it work?”
“Ooh!” screams Pinkie, launching herself into me. I hit the ground hard and groan, opening my eyes to see the earth pony pinning me down.
“No, duh! What I mean is, the broadcasting thing is like, magnifying sound and pictures, right? So what if... she used the broadcast to magnify our magic and make it stronger?”
The light erupts once more, but this time I'm ready for it. I lower my head to avoid the glare and instead focus on my magic while the rainbow forms.
I've never attempted this before. While technically broadcasting does involve magnifying magic, it's normally just the effects of the magic rather than the magic itself. Accessing that magic is almost as terrifying as seeing directly into the sad, strong heart of Princess Celestia. I find it difficult to harness, and by the time the rainbow forms I'm on my knees, unable to remain standing. My body shivers as though the entire Golem were resting on my back. But I've got it. I've got a good, strong hold of their power.
When I feel a tug, I open the floodgates, pushing through the unbelievable magic and adding my own, which only serves to broaden each stroke of colour in the already enormous rainbow. The Golem yells, an unearthly sound that causes my ears to sink back against my head. The elements give a last push of their magic and then it's over.
And with that as my final thought, I happily collapse to the ground, unconscious.
Morning always seems to come far too early for my liking. The sun streams through the tiny gaps in the stained glass window of the town hall, illuminating the ground in an array of beautiful colours. I'm resting on something solid. As I come to my senses my ears meet a barrage of chatter, dozens, if not hundreds of ponies all talking at once. I can't help it – I stir and groan a little at the noise.
And it falls silent immediately.
“That whole... elements thing is pretty incredible. Well done you lot.”
“How are you feeling, darling?”
“Oh... my.”
“Shoot.”
“Wow. That's so... deep.”
“Yes, she is the Princess's star pupil, right? I know that much.”
“But even I know all about Celestia's students. Great ponies, all of them. Not all unicorns, either. There was an incredible pegasus who learned how to fly from watching an alicorn – he went on to found the Wonderbolts – and an earth pony who learned all about the art of growing crops to perfection. Throughout history Celestia has only taken under her wing ponies who have the potential to have an amazing influence on the history of Equestria. To these ponies she gives friendship, love and ultimately, complete trust.”
“R-really?”
We all turn quickly – Fluttershy yelps, while Dash and Applejack start forward in awe. Up at the top of the crumbling stairs stands an intellectual-looking lilac unicorn, her magenta-streaked man bustling in the wind. A smirk plays on her mouth as she descends, heading toward us before coming to a stop before her friends.
Gasps of delight and relief come from all sides, and I tilt my head to avoid questioning her out loud. She nods at me.
“Thank you for your help, Indigo. You've done a good job.”
Rainbow's pink eyes stare me in the face and I stop so suddenly that my back end slides out from under me and I land heavily on the floor.
“The elements of harmony needed one broadcaster in order to defeat a simple golem, for pony's sake. Whatever kind of magic is controlling these beasts, it looks to be about as powerful as Discord himself.”
“But this constant fighting has weakened us. We need to go to the nest, and we need a broadcaster to magnify our spell.”
“Not alone, no. But there are lots of towns and cities in Equestria.”
“Um. That's an insane idea.”
I didn't ever realise just how far Canterlot is from Trottingham. The train trundles along underneath me as I sit on the cushy seat and watch out through the window.
I consider this. It doesn't do much more than ache, but the pain did increase once the adrenaline rush from fighting the golem had subsided.
“Oh-” she adds, “That's only, um, I you want to...”
After we explained Twilight's idea to everypony in Trottingham, they consented to let me leave. Initially I had wondered why I needed their permission, but as we left I spotted a large, pale blue dome appear over the city and realised with a start that without their broadcaster to call for help, the whole city needed to go into lockdown while I was away, and this meant erecting a protective barrier around themselves in case a monster tried to attack. The blue dome has been out of my sight for a long time, and yet I keep watching that way, hoping that I'll see even the tiniest glimmer of blue to reassure myself that everypony will be okay without me.
I rest my head on the window sill. How will they cope without me? Trottingham has never been without a broadcaster. Some places have a few years in between the death of one and the allocation of another, but we had an overlap.
It was then that I felt a strange magic. Some kind of electrical current met my horn and I was floored by the strength of it. I continued crying and somehow my grief fuelled the sensation – and my horn seemed to implode. That was when I met the Princess.
She told me all about the broadcasters and asked that I find myself the current broadcaster to train with. I agreed, overjoyed, before passing out.When I came to, at long last, I had my cutie mark. It was not unlike that of the current broadcaster, an old stallion named Meringue. At that point he was really on his last legs – he had taken to being carried up the stairs of the tower before a broadcast began. I close my eyes as I try to recall the old pony.
Cream coat, dark red mane, and a peculiar love for tartan. That was Meringue. He was terribly grumpy, and never really enjoyed the company of other ponies. I remember mentioning it to him once during my training.
“Mr Meringue, why don't you like other ponies?”
It had made me sad. I hadn't understood why finding my talent meant that I had to be alone. But as I grew, I learned. I watched Meringue pass on, stood by the coffin at his funeral during which nopony came near me. I became lonely, with no friends. Only Maize, a cheerful newcomer, was willing to accept me despite my unusual magic. Many a time he's assured me, saying those oh so familiar words, 'The only reason to hide your thoughts is if you're embarrassed by them.' Maize had pretty much saved me. I would have grown to be as unhappy and unfulfilled as Meringue had he not been around.
I ignore the sound.
“Whatever are you doing, darling?”
Her expression instantly changes to one of sympathy as she lays a hoof on my shoulder.
“I've never been out of town before,” I murmur, “and while I know I'll be okay I really worry about what will happen if something else attacks the city.”
“It's okay,” says Twilight from the other end of the car, “I taught them how to set up that barrier. It's kept up by three ponies running one hour shifts. This gives everypony a short time upkeeping the barrier and plenty of time to rest.”
A sudden gasp from the other end of the car alerts me to the protruding flanks of Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie, as they hang their heads from the window.
“Oh my gosh! We're almost there!” cries Pinkie.
I step forward and mimick the two, craning my neck to look through the train window and up to the city of Canterlot.
Canterlot is amazing. Spiral towers, marble peaks and ornate stairways seem to decorate everything. I find myself on my hind legs, gaping at the beauty of the place.
“You are kidding me!” I cry.
“Watch out, girls.”
“Don't worry,” she replies, “there's no risk of any changeling attacks now. They're relatively weak when faced with wild creatures, so they're probably in hiding.”
“Remind me, what's a changeling?” I ask. I feel I should know – something happened recently, but the memories just don't come to mind. The unicorn opens her mouth to reply, but in that moment the train slows, and I find myself following everypony else out onto the platform.
I'm not by nature a shy or bashful filly, but instinctively I shrink back and hide behind the others. They stride out, confidently laughing and pointing out the changes since their last visit. My ears fall flat against my head and I find myself walking low to the ground; a small-town pony like me isn't cut out for a place like this. Perhaps Celestia's magic affects the unicorns here, too, because I can sense how much weaker I am than they. Of course, my magic is honed and pointed as opposed to being generic, but that doesn't make it any better.
“Oh goodness,” smiles Rarity, “This place becomes even more beautiful each time I visit. I wonder if I should go and visit Fancy Pants, while we're here.”
Everypony rolls their eyes as the seemingly inside joke washes right over my head. I had imagined Rarity to be... fancier, but if she has contacts within the Canterlot Elite then perhaps this is one pony I shouldn't cross.
“Are you okay, Fluttershy?” I ask.
“Well, at least now that we're here, we can fix whatever it is that's causing all these attacks, right?”
“Th-there's plenty to be scared of, Pinkie...”
“Not alone. Without the Broadcasters, we don't stand a chance of defeating this... whatever it is.”
“I wouldn't worry about that,” I say, “Broadcasters are hoof-picked by the Princess herself. She knows more about us than we even know ourselves. That's why my cutie mark is the waves – because magnifying magic may be a special talent, but what I'm destined to do is broadcast Celestia.”
I finish up and blush with the realisation that I just sounded incredibly snobby.
With a further shudder and a familiar chill down my spine, I turn and follow the Elements of Harmony through the gates of Canterlot Castle.
“We're going to need your help to convince her of our plan. Be prepared to show the Princess exactly what you can do.”
“Excuse me?”
I try to cry out, to correct her, to beg with them to give me a chance to run, but the guards' horns are lit, the vast doors are open, and there I stand, legs shaking as I meet the eyes of the Sun Goddess herself.
