When Worlds Collide

Chapters

Chapter 1 | Being an Orphan Sucks
Chapter 2 | Of Princesses and the Past
Chapter 3 | Reset of a Lifetime
Chapter 4 | There's More to Reality than Meets the Eye

Chapter 1 | Being an Orphan Sucks

Author's Note

This story will be completed! I have the first 13 or so chapters written on paper, I just have to get the time to write them all out! Please feel free to make suggestions as it goes along!

Chapter 1 | Being an Orphan Sucks

Not knowing one’s own parents is something not many ponies worry about experiencing. Nearly everypony grows up with two or more parents looking out for them. However, this was not the case for a certain pegasus. The oddest part of it all was that the doctors and nurses couldn’t find any records that resembled his DNA sample. He simply appeared on the doorstep of two happily married pegasi in Fillydelphia.

Dashing Star and Fiery Rose were not planning on having foals anytime soon, but when the stallion returned home from work one night, he was surprised and confused to find a little pegasus foal on his porch. However, without any hesitation, Dashing Star took the infant colt inside. Talking it over with his wife, the couple decided to take care of him for the night, and then take him to the doctor’s the following morning.

Everypony involved that morning was completely baffled when the foal’s DNA brought up no results. After hours of search, examination, and discussion, the medical team assured the young couple that this foal was ordinary, despite the circumstances. This brought much relief to Fiery Rose, and, being the sweet mare that she was, she decided at that very moment that she and Star would raise the little colt as their own.

Probably the most interesting part about all of this was that the foal had not cried once in that entire incident. He was asleep for nearly the entire morning, and when he was awake, he was completely calm. As he did wake up, towards the end of testing, he was moderately content, and oddly playful, like a young wolf pup. They gave him some bottled milk to make sure he got something in his system.

The parents came up with his name rather easily. His primary name was “Astro,” as his appearance on their doorstep was a complete mystery. Just like the stars above in the dead of night, little to none was known about this stallion. His secondary name was “Wolf,” due to his calm and collected attitude in the office, as well as his playful mentality he seemed to have, which resembled that of young wolf pups.

The couple took Astro Wolf home, raising him as if they had actually conceived him. They were the happiest little family on the block, and while most ponies related to, or friends with, Fiery Rose and Dashing Star knew that the foal wasn’t really theirs, they accepted the little colt into their family as if he was.

Four years have gone by since Astro appeared on the doorstep in Fillydelphia. Four years since Dashing Star and Fiery Rose adopted this mysterious colt. And four years have passed since a lovely little family was born. Rose and Star decided that Astro’s birthday would be celebrated on the same day that they found him at their home, since they couldn’t pinpoint exactly how old the little pegasus was. This ended up being sometime in mid-spring, when the birds and animals began to become lively again, and the sun’s heat began to kick back in.

Right now, however, it is a cool autumn’s evening. Dashing Star was just leaving for his overnight security job after tucking his son in bed. However, before his mother could leave his room, Astro piped up: “Mommy, is daddy going to be home tomorrow morning? He promised to take me to the movies!”

Rose giggled. “Of course, honey, but he needs to get some rest when he gets home from work first. Just like you do right now. It will be morning before you know it!” With a soft kiss to his forehead once more, she left the room, and Astro quickly fell asleep.

Just as his mother had said, morning came quickly for the energetic volt. Checking the sun’s position to try and get an idea of the time, he smiled and hopped out of bed. Racing out of his room, he trotted down the stairs two at a time to get to the living room. Reaching a hallway, he slowed down. He slowly approached his parents’ door and extended a wing to the doorknob. Silently, he opens the door and peers inside.

Much to his disappointment, and confusion, his mother was sound asleep in her bed. Alone. Dashing Star was nowhere to be seen, and it seemed like he wasn’t even home, what with the lack of any sounds coming from within the house. That, and the living room had been void of any signs of life when Astro had passed through. With nothing better to do, Astro did a quick search through the entire house, checking the kitchen, bathrooms, and even the front and backyards. With no luck, Astro hadn’t seen any signs of his father anywhere.

Getting a little worried, the colt darted back inside, racing through the home towards his mother’s room. His heart was racing, and he was scared. His dad was never this late from work, and being as young as he was, Astro didn’t really have any idea how jobs worked. He just assumed that ponies got to work at a set time, and then went home a few hours later.

“Mommy! Mommy!” He cries out, bursting into his parents’ room.

Rose’s motherly instincts immediately kicked in, as she immediately sat up. “Astro, dear, what’s wrong? Bad dreams?”

Astro hopped into the bed, his wings buzzing and fluttering with anxiety at his sides. “No! Daddy isn’t home yet! Where is he??”

Fiery Rose’s eyes drifted over to where Dashing Star usually slept in the bed. Seeing that he was absent, she blinked a few times out of confusion, before turning back towards her son with a gentle smile.

“Honey, I’m sure something came up at work, and he was asked to stay a little longer,” she responded, pulling little Astro into her chest. Wrapping her hooves and wings around him, she squeezed and nuzzled him lovingly. Even eliciting a few giggles out of her son in the process.

When he was finally released from his mother’s torturous love, Astro sighed and said: “Oh, okay… I just got a little scared, I guess…” He then leaned against the mare, snuggling into her side.

“I understand…. Say, let’s go get breakfast! I’ll make waffles!!” Rose smirked, knowing what his reaction would be.

Sure enough, his eyes widened like saucers, his ears perked up, and his wings started flapping. “With blueberries and strawberries, right??” He asked, looking like he was ready to explode out of excitement.

The mare simply giggled. “Of course, my little star,” she responded, rolling out of the bed.

As the two trotted to the kitchen, two stallions adorned in golden armor were approaching the front door, solemn expressions on their muzzles. One looked at the other and said: “Which one of us should be the one to break the news?”

“Relax,” came the response of the other stallion. “Just follow my lead. This is a rare occasion, but try to act natural, okay?”

Fiery Rose wasted no time in getting the waffle mix ready, using both hooves and wings to cook, chop, and mix. It wasn’t long until she had two plates of fruity waffles on the table for herself and her son. She had also prepared a bit extra for when her husband returned home from work.

Astro wasted no time diving into his favorite meal. Unfortunately, just as Rose was about to sit down to eat, three knocks at the front door drew her attention. With a reluctant sigh, she turned towards her colt. “Just a moment dear,” she said. “I’m going to go check on that.” With that, she began walking through the living room to the front door.

She was stunned when she opened the door and found two of the local royal guards standing before her. Both were baring saddened expressions. It took her a moment before she regained her composure.

“Oh, um, h-hello there. Is there… Something I can help you with, gentlecolts?” She asked, suddenly feeling very concerned.

The closest guard stepped forward, bowing his head while removing his helmet. “Good morning, ma’am. Unfortunately, there is no help that we can get from you. We simply bring you some news…”

The mare looked puzzled. First of all, she has never been visited by the local royal guard before, and with their expressions so down, it really began to worry her. As she watched, the second guard repeated the actions of the first one and asked if she was home alone.

Rose shook her head. “No, my son is home as well. Would you two like something to drink?”

The two guards exchanged concerned glances, before shaking their heads. The first guard responded by saying: “It would actually be better if he didn’t hear this news from us, ma’am. Could you… step outside for a moment?”

Once again confused, Rose nodded and stepped outside onto the porch, closing the door behind her. “So, what is this news that you two seem so solemn about?”

“Well, this information is about your husband… A Mr. Dashing Star?” The second asked, looking up to get a confirmation that this was, in fact, Dashing Star’s home. Once she seemed to confirm that this was correct, he looked away, knowing how bad this is going to sound.

“Um… Wait, where is he? Do you know where he is? Shouldn’t he be coming home right now??” Fear began to rise within her, and her breathing began to get heavier, as if dreading the worst.

“I’m…. I am afraid not, ma’am. He was… killed last night. Some machinery activated where he was working, and, as a part of his job, he went in to go check on it. If he could, he was to try and turn it off. For some reason, the cameras didn’t pick up exactly what happened, but we assume that he attempted to shut it down, and the machinery snagged him out of the air and crushed him.”

Rose went deathly silent, as if her mind stopped. Her wings were fluttering against her sides, her heart was racing within her chest, and tears were quickly welling up in her eyes. “Th-Thank you… Thank you f-for bringing me this information…” Without waiting for a response, Rose turned and went inside her home, closing the door behind her.

“You… have our condolences, Miss Rose.” Once the mare closed the door, the guards picked up their helmets and left.

As she returned to her colt, who had already finished his waffles, she was struggling to hide back her tears. She slowly sat down at the table, silently eating, all the while she was sniffling, and could feel a couple of tears run down the sides of her muzzle. Astro quickly noticed that something was wrong.

“Um, mommy? What’s wrong? Who was at the door?” He asked, a look of concern for his mother on his muzzle.

Looking at her son, the dam broke. Rose immediately started sobbing, getting up and walking around the table, she picked up her son and carried him into the living room. Sitting on the couch, she held him in her lap, sobbing still. Tears quickly stained her fur and Astro’s mane as the colt looked up and back at her in confusion.

“Sweetheart… That was… Some of the royal guards here in Fillydelphia,” she said. “They came to let us know that… Um… Your father… Will not be coming home. He is, um… He’s gone…”

Astro didn’t quite understand what she meant, what with how young he was, and that he had never experienced death in his life before. “Well, where did he go? We can go find him! Right?” There was a short pause. “R-Right, mommy…?”

The mare simply hugged him closer, sobbing harder than before. The sweet youthful innocence hit her hard, despite the situation. As she managed to catch her breath, she said, “No, dear, we can’t find him. He’s… He’s dead…”

Astro went quiet, looking up at her mother. Surely she must have been joking. But the tears, the crying, and the seriousness in her voice told him that the truth was that his father was, in fact, gone. “So… that means I d-don’t get to see him anymore? Ever?”

Fiery Rose shook her head, and Astro immediately started crying, hugging his mother tightly with every ounce of strength he had. Which, mind you, wasn’t much. This simply meant no more cloud games, no more movies, and no more bedtime stories with dad. Life just simply wasn’t going to be the same for this little colt.

The rest of the day was spent with the mare and the colt inseparable. Mourning and cuddling, and eating every now and then. As the news spread, family members that lived close by, as well as neighbors and friends, all came and visited Fiery Rose and Astro Wolf.

That night, Astro slept with his mother, who didn’t sleep well at all. If she wasn’t asleep, she was awake, silently sobbing. Constantly wondering why something like this happened to her and her family. She somehow managed to make it through the night, however, despite the sorrow and depression.

The next day was rather busy. Astro followed his mother around silently all day everywhere that she went. They had the funeral after lunch, and when Rose finally made it home, she took a quick shower before heading out once more. This time, she went to the company that employed her husband, swearing up and down that she was going to sue them, since it was their machinery that killed Dashing Star. The company’s board members were angry and annoyed, claiming that a mechanical failure wasn’t their fault. Having none of that, Rose got up and left, taking her son with you. As they were leaving, Astro noticed a purple unicorn stallion watching the mare, with an odd glare.

The rest of the day was spent the same as the day before, except there was a lot less crying. Fiery Rose sent a letter to her attorney, making sure the lawsuit was well underway. For the rest of the time, she spent time with her son. Eating pizza, watching movies at home, and just being mother and son. They went to bed shortly after sundown, huddling up to each other beneath the blankets in Rose’s bed.

When Astro woke up the following morning, he immediately felt that something was off. First of all, he woke up in his bed. Secondly, he didn’t smell any food cooking. What he did notice was the sound of his mother singing and whistling outside. Slowly making his way to his window, he spotted his mother working in the garden she kept in front of the home. She had her mane tied back, and was prancing around, acting so care-free.

Despite all of this happiness, Astro noticed slight motion down the road. Squinting his eyes, he notices a purple unicorn stallion, who kind of looked like the one he saw in the meeting the day before. The stallion was heading towards Astro’s house. It wasn’t long before the stallion was standing at the front of Astro’s home, staring down at his mother. And what happened next traumatized Astro for the rest of his life.

Unable to open his window, Astro couldn’t quite hear the stallion’s quiet voice as he talked with his mother. The conversation went on for a few minutes, and it almost looked like it had turned into an argument. What he did hear was the high-pitched screech his mother let out mere seconds after the unicorn’s magic pushed something shiny into his mother’s chest. It was when Astro saw blood that he screeched and raced down his stairs, using his wings to try and glide down, and then raced out of the front door.

“Mommy! Mommy!” He cried, rushing over to his wounded mother. The purple stallion was nowhere to be seen.

Rose slowly laid down on her side, tears streaming down her cheeks. She was oddly quiet as she looked up at her son. Her breathing had become ragged, and the blood was pooling in the grass beneath her. As Astro looked, he realized that the unicorn has stabbed his mom with a sharp knife.

Softly stroking her son’s cheek, Rose smiled weakly and said, “Astro, darling, you’re made me s-so proud… Mommy loves y-you…”

She was wincing, her breathing now turning into wheezing. Shouting, and the sounds of hoofsteps, could be heard behind Astro, but he was in too much of a shock to notice.

“Mommy! Don’t go, please!!” He was sobbing as well, not entirely sure as to what was happening, but could clearly tell that it wasn’t anything good.

The mare could only giggle faintly, wincing and groaning in the process. “Shhh… It’s going to be okay… Promise me that you’ll grow up big and strong, alright…?”

Astro let out a whine, not liking where this conversation was going at all. “Mommy! What do you mean? I’m not leaving!”

Tears were now streaming down the mare’s cheeks harder as she weakly pulled the colt closer, kissing his forehead one last time. Ponies were gathering, and medical teams were pushing through to get to her. Her final words were simply: “I know you’re not… But I am… I l-love you, my little Astro Wolf…”

Chapter 2 | Of Princesses and the Past

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Chapter 3 | Reset of a Lifetime

“In all due respect, Your Highness, why wouldn’t I be bunked with the other guards?” Astro asked, as the chariot was soaring through the air, on its way towards Canterlot Palace.

Celestia and Luna exchanged glances, as if not sure that they wanted to share the actual truth. After a bit of tense silence, Astro finally got a response from Celestia.

“Well, you see Private, there is something peculiar about you that my sister and I have caught note of. While we are not sure as of yet what it is, until further notice, we will have you located near us, just in case another magical mishap occurs. And so we can keep a close eye on you so nothing happens to you,” She replied, looking down and smiling softly, like a mother looking down at her inquisitive foal.

Astro went silent, not sure if this is a good thing or not. He went into deep thought, wondering what his latest vision had meant, especially since this was the first time that anypony he knew was actually in it. Despite the Royal Sisters being present, they looked younger. And were simply unicorns at the time.

“We simply wish to understand your similarities to a dear friend of ours from centuries ago. We also desire to understand why you continue to have these flash episodes,” Luna added, also looking down at him briefly. However, her gaze was more analytical, and maybe a bit… hopeful?

Astro simply returned her gaze. “I am under the impression, Princes, that, given the fact that you’re able to see inside somepony’s dreams, you know that I don’t sleep as often as I probably should?”

Luna nodded, narrowing her eyes slightly. “Yes, of this we are very aware. If you’re going to be serving under our wings, you must learn to get much-needed rest.”

Celestia shook her head. “From what we’ve been told, you use this rare blue elixir to keep yourself from sleeping. Is this true?”

Astro nodded, averting his gaze from the Princess. He wasn’t entirely sure how to respond to them. It’s not like it was some deep, dark secret of his. But he had to admit, he was a little insecure about his issue. He knew that at some point, these two sisters would need to know the truth behind why at some point. However, just as he was about to voice his response, Luna cut him off.

“Nightmares are my specialty, Private. Even those spawned by memories. I cannot, unfortunately, remove memories, but I am able to soothe you in your sleep, as it is my primary job as Ruler of the Night,” she stated, her gaze not wavering from Astro. “You simply have not yet given me the opportunity to help you.”

Astro’s eyes had widened slightly, shocked that she had known exactly what his issues with sleeping were.

“We will discuss this matter with you later, but the most important thing we want to discuss involves your flashes. Are you seeing anything, or is it just a bright light?” Celestia asked, and by the way she asked it, it sounded as if she already knew the answer.

“Well, each has been different, but I do see things. They kind of seem like memories, but not my own…” He responded, noticing that the chariot was now coming up on the Palace. “They seem set in a time years upon years ago. This last one actually included you two, which was rather unusual in my opinion. However, you two were unicorns, with a third who seemed excessively old. You three seemed to be discussing something about some war. That is, until a mare entered the room, informing you three that there was a visitor, some pegasus stallion.”

Celestia and Luna shot each other alarmed looks. It was at that moment that the chariot began to descend into the castle courtyard.

“I was unable to get a view of the stallion, for whatever reason, but his voice sounded familiar to me. They said his name was Jagged Thorn.”

Luna’s expression was pure excitement, and Celestia couldn’t help but smile. Just as the chariot was touching down, Celestia seemed to have made a decision. “Sister, I’m ending day courts early today. It seems we have more to discuss with Private Wolf, and I’d like to show him a few things.” The chariot stopped, and the two sisters stepped out, watching as Astro also stepped out.

Luna nodded in agreement. “I shall send for his roommate, and have her escort him to his room,” she added, gazing over at Astro. “Private Wolf, in two hours, Lunar Shade will escort you to the throne room to meet with us once more.” Her horn flashed, and then she smiled. “I do hope you are fond of bat ponies, because you will be spending a lot of time with them here very soon.”

Astro looked up at the Princess, gulping silently. “Bat… ponies? I rather enjoy their company. I had a couple of… acquaintances growing up that were thestrals. But the mares tended to be rather flirty, what with me being of a darker color, and being more nocturnal than anything.”

Celestia was unable to hold back a giggle. “Well, relationships aren’t forbidden between staff here, including between the maids and the guards. However, you can’t let it get in the way of your job, understand?”

By now, Luna was giggling as well. Astro’s cheeks started to turn a bright shade of pink as he responded, unable to hold back a bit of a stammer. “Ah, w-well, um… I wouldn’t j-jump to any conclusions, Y-Your Highness…”

Luna and Celestia, once finished with their cheerful giggling, regained their composure and began to walk towards the castle, flanked by two guards each. Astro simply followed in between them. Up ahead, a bat pony mare, dressed in a frilly, black-and-white maid’s dress, trotted towards them, bowing before the Princesses. “You called me, Mistress?”

This mare was a deep, navy blue in color. Her mane and tail, which looked freshly brushed, were black with a single stripe of neon green down the middle. Her mane gently flowed over her right shoulder, and she certainly looked like she kept her appearance clean and sharp. Her dress flowed down her entire body, stopping just above her hooves on her hind legs. It had slits in the sides for her leathery wings to fit comfortably through. She also had what looked to be black heels on all four hooves. The sleeves of the dress stopped about halfway down her forelegs. All in all, the outfit fit her quite nicely.

Luna nodded. “At ease, Miss Shade. You are dismissed from your duties today.”

The mare promptly stood up, eyes widened in surprise, and partial fear. As the fear began to fill her eyes, she responded by saying: “P-Princess, are you certain? I’m willing to do whatever it takes to keep wor--”

“Oh, no, no! You’re not fired, young one…” Luna quickly interrupted, smiling as relief washed over the bat mare. “I have a more important task for you at this moment. This here is Private Astro Wolf, newest addition to the Royal Guard here in the palace. He also is now your roommate.”

Lunar Shade looked down at Astro for this first time in this encounter. With Astro looking back at her, Lunar replied, “Wait, you’re giving me a stallion for a roommate?”

Luna nodded, as Celestia said, “Yes, unless, of course, you’d prefer to be alone in that room of yours?”

“Oh, no! Of course, I am thrilled to finally have a roommate!” She quickly interjected. “I just, well, didn’t expect it to be such a handsome one!”

Astro snorts and takes a step back in surprise, immediately blushing, and covering her mouth, giggling. “I understand your surprise completely, Miss Shade. I think you two will learn to get along quite well with each other. We hope that this is true.”

Astro shakes his head, mumbling quietly to himself. “Of course, as soon as I show up here, I get mixed into love schemes. This isn’t what I wanted…”

Luna seemed to hear what he said, or simply read his mind. “Unfortunately, private, love is not our expertise. It is the expertise of our niece, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza. All we can say, is that the heart wants what it wants.” Luna then shook her head, despite the grin on her muzzle.

After the blushing and giggling had passed, Celestia lets out a sigh. “Well, you two had better get a move on. Miss Shade, try not to get too attached to him just yet. At least until he’s more comfortable with your presence and personality. And Private Wolf, please do your best to listen to her as she gives you a tour. In two hours, however, Twilight should be here, and we can take care of a few things regarding your flashes. Understood?”

Both Astro and Shade bowed simultaneously, awaiting further command.

“Excellent,” came the princess’ response. “You are dismissed.” With that, the two Princesses accompanied by the four guards, left to take care of their own duties. Astro and Lunar Shade stood and glanced at each other.

After a short moment of awkward silence, Shade spoke up. “Well, I guess we had better get started, huh, Private?” She asked, smiling innocently and cutely at him.

Astro nodded, unable to look directly at the mare’s bright green eyes. “Yeah, might as well. I’d like to unpack and shower before this meeting, though.”

Lunar nodded, giggling softly. “Oh, you’ll have time for that. The tour I’m required to give is simple and doesn’t have much to it anyways.” With that being said, Lunar began to show Astro around the basics of the castle.

The tour was indeed fairly general. She showed Astro the barracks, where most of the other royal guards bunked. The throne room, where she said Luna and Celestia do most of their public and diplomatic handlings. She also showed him where the armory was located, saying that the ponies within were the ones who made and repaired the shiny armor they see on every guard. She also showed him several of the more casual rooms, such as the various lounges and dining areas the staff at the castle used. She stated that usually Princess Celestia and Princess Luna use their own private rooms, but on occasion, appear alongside the staff. The final hallway they walked through housed the entrances to the towers where the Princess’ chambers were located. One of the many rooms between these two towers turned out to be theirs. With a final speech, she took the two of them inside the room.

“Well, here we are. Your stuff arrived earlier, but at the time, I wasn’t told what it was,” Shade said. She began to slowly remove the maid’s outfit. “Your bed is the one by the window on the left. Bathroom is to the right, and you have a dresser and a small closet, for storing anything you might possibly have. I was told that an armor stand would be delivered soon.”

Astro silently listened to everything that the mare had to say. As he did, he began to unpack the items he brought with him: his toiletries, blanket, and pillow. “Why thank you, Miss Shade. Your help is greatly appreciated.”

Shade was suddenly right next to him. “Of course! I’m here to serve the crown, even if it means catching new faces up to speed!”

Astro jumped out of shock, due to Shade being close enough that their furs were brushing up against each other. His heart was racing, and he had landed a few hooves away, in a lowered position like he was under attack.

Shade couldn’t help but giggle. “Oh, relax, Mister Wolf! I understand we have just met, but as a bat pony, I tend to be a bit more physically interactive than most. I do hope you can understand. So close proximity will be normal.”

Astro stood back up, grabbing both bottles of shampoo, as well as his towel. “Believe me, I am very much acquainted with the habits of bat ponies. Despite what you might be thinking, I have interacted with numerous bat ponies in the past.” He begins his walk towards the bathroom. “However, I am not seeking out any forms of affection at the moment, so if you may, please refrain from physical contact.”

Shade pouted as the stallion closed the door to the bathroom, starting his short bathing process. When he came out fifteen minutes later, steam billowed out into the bedroom, quickly dissipating. The smell of chocolate and strawberries wafted into the room as Astro strode over to his half of the room, furthest from the door. Lunar shade was watching him silently from the comfort of her own bed. Her slitted, cat-like eyes watched his every move.

After spending a few minutes organizing the things he had, he turned and headed for the door. “I will see you later, Miss Shade,” he said without looking at the mare.

“You haven’t got time to talk to your roommate? Your meeting isn’t for another half an hour, and the throne room is a five minute walk away.”

Astro simply shook his head. “Arriving early is arriving on time, and arriving on time is arriving late. I need to put up a good impression.”

Lunar sighed. “You guards and your statutes. I sometimes wonder if you ever have fun.”

Astro didn’t answer, leaving the room without another sound. He headed off towards the throne room, and found it empty as he arrived. Save, of course, for the two guards standing at attention at the main entrance. The moment they noticed him, they gripped their spears and rushed towards him.

“Intruder!!” They shouted. Astro stepped back, as if ready to defend himself, but he didn’t have to. The two guards were suddenly enveloped in a purple aura, and were lifted up into the air. A female’s voice, authoritative, but also much different than Luna’s or Celestia’s, said, “Stand down, soldiers! He has permission to be in here!”

As the guards were moved back to their posts, Astro watched as Princess Twilight Sparkle, the newest alicorn in Equestria, stepped into the room, followed shortly by Luna and Celestia. Astro immediately dropped into a bow, closing his eyes. He heard the three sets of hoofsteps approach him, followed shortly by the sound of magic being used. When Astor opened his eyes, he had to blink a few times. The four of them were no longer in the throne room. Instead, they were in what appeared to be a lounge, but was much nicer than any he had seen. There were two sofas on either side of the coffee table in the middle, with two smaller chairs at either end. Celestia and Luna sat together on one of the sofas, and Twilight sat on one of the chairs. All three were looking at Astro expectantly, waiting for him to sit.

“Would you care for some tea or coffee, Private?” Celestia calmly asked, sipping from a pristine white teacup held by her magic.

Astro simply shook his head as he sat down on the vacant sofa. “No thank you, Your Majesty.”

Luna simply shrugged, sipping on what appeared to be coffee. She then turned to Twilight, who looked a little too excited. “Shall we get this started, Sparkle? I have to raise the moon soon.”

Twilight nodded eagerly, shifting in her seat with excitement. “Yes, yes, of course! I’ve only ever tested this spell once before, and I’m hoping it works!”

Astro snorted, looking at Twilight nervously. “In all due respect, Princess, but are you sure that this spell won’t have any other side effects?”

“First of all, Princess titles, please,” she stated, standing from her seat.” Normally, I don’t prefer them, but in this situation, they are required. Second, you can rest assured that no harm will come to you from this spell. All it does is trigger memories buried within your subconscious.”

Astro bows his head. “Forgive me, Princess. I seem to understand. I guess there’s nothing wrong with this, then.”

Smiling gleefully, the lavender colored alicorn stepped up to him and gently placed a hoof on his. “Just relax, and trust me, Private. It’ll be done as soon as it starts.”

Despite flinching slightly at her touch, he nods and closes his eyes, just as the flash of magic occurred.

It’s been a few years since Jagged Thorn joined Celestia and Luna in their crusade to unify the three pony tribes of the land. Their numbers have grown substantially, consisting of a coexisting society of all three primary races, as well as numerous hybrids.
Around this time, the sun had just come up. Luna was standing next to Jagged Thorn, on a hill in the center of their current campsite. “We’re so close, Commander. Negotiations with the Earth Ponies and the Pegasi are almost complete,” she was saying, smiling gently at the rising sun.
Thorn, who was adorned in his magnificent armor, nodded. “Indeed” he replied. “If only those unicorns weren’t so stubborn and prideful.”
What made his armor unique was the fact that it was enchanted. When he wore it, it fit perfectly. It also felt light as a feather, making flying a simple task, and giving him full range of motion and maximum mobility. However, if another pony were to attempt to wear the armor, it would become as dense as titanium, making it impossible for another to move around in it. With swirls of golden yellow and silvery blue all over the armor, it looked like the sun and moon got meshed together. As for the helmet, it matched the rest of the armor in regards to coloration. It also put his mane up and down the back of his neck in a crest. It did well to protect his head, without minimizing sight and hearing. It even came with complete wing armor. The armor, when completely worn, connected and covered every inch of his body. Save for parts of his muzzle, as well as his mane and tail.
“Well, considering our race is gifted in magic, and such magic has almost no bounds, one could only assume that that’s their source of pride,” came the voice of Celestia, who was approaching the two. “What brings you two up here so early?”
Thorn chuckles. “You know that this is my favorite place to be in times of rest. And,” he said, glancing at Luna as Celestia sat at his other side. “You know how your sister is.”
Luna gasped, blushing darkly. “Wh-What is that supposed to m-mean?! Am I not allowed to admire the sunrise?!”
Celestia giggled. “Sister, I don’t think that that is all you’re admiring. We both know how you feel about Jagged.”
Jagged couldn’t help but laugh in response. “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel happier when I’m with you two.”
Jagged then stood up and stretched. He slowly removed his helmet, his red and black mane now resting freely on his head. Piece by piece, the rest of his armor was removed from his dark grey body. At certain points, like his hooves, flanks, nose, and ears, were tinted to nearly onyx black. The tips of his wings also faded to black.
However, his most distinctive feature lied on his muzzle. Almost every single pony had a vibrant color for the irises of their eyes, that complemented the color of their coat. Jagged Thorn’s eye, however, was different. It became visible as he gave Luna a loving hug.
As the sun was rising, its light glistened off of his stormy grey eye, the other covered by an eye patch.

Chapter 4 | There's More to Reality than Meets the Eye

Astro’s eyes returned to normal, and he gasped, panting softly. Twilight had a look of pure glee on her muzzle, clearly happy that the spell worked. Luna’s eyes were wide, tears welling up in them. Celestia, meanwhile, remained fairly neutral, a gentle smile on her muzzle revealing that she had already known the truth as she was sipping on her tea.

Astro looked around the room, eyes widened in disbelief. “That… Shouldn’t be possible… If these events did pass, then they would have passed over a thousand years ago. And yet, I saw a pony who looked almost identical to me, whose name was Commander Jagged Thorn.”

Twilight nodded. “We all saw what you saw, Private. Part of my spell allowed the three of us to share this vision with you.”

Luna wasn’t able to speak, all of her energy spent trying not to burst into tears. Celestia calmly wrapped one of her massive, snow white wings around her sister. “There are clearly two major differences,” Celestia began. “First, your personality seems to be a stark contrast to the Commander’s. Secondly, your cutie marks are obviously different. His was a thorny rose, while yours is a constellation.”

Astro nodded, staring down at the coffee table. He was utterly confused, unable to wrap his mind around this plausible concept. “So if you’re saying what I think you’re saying, then that means…”

“That Jagged Thorn, and yourself, are one and the same pony,” Luna finally said, smiling so gleefully that her wings were also twitching against her sides.

“There is one more thing we can do to confirm this possibility,” Twilight said, looking to Celestia. “We do still have it, don’t we?”

Celestia nodded. “We most certainly do, Twilight. I will have your brother bring it with him when they visit for Astro’s knighting and acceptance. Only then will we truly be able to tell if he is who we think he is.”

“Um, Princess…?” Astro asked, looking up in confusion. “What exactly are you talking about?”

“The legendary armor of the Commander, himself, of course,” Celestia replied with a gentle smile. “I will be having Captain Shining Armor bring it along when he and Princess Cadenza arrive. After all, the Captain has to be here for your knighting. Only then can we truly confirm if you are who we think you are, Private Wolf.”

Astro had to take a moment, looking around the room to avoid eye contact with any of them. If everything they were saying was true, then that means that he’s the reincarnation of a legend, one of the greatest military strategists to ever live. Which probably meant that, in turn, the princesses very well may expect more from him than he can offer right away. Astro was simply concerned that the Princesses would expect of him the same great things that Jagged Thorn had brought. However, even if he is the same pony as Thorn, Astro wasn’t sure why that made a difference in his life.

As if reading his mind, Celestia stood up and said, “Do not worry, Private. Just because you may indeed be the reincarnation of our late Jagged Thorn does not mean you are identical to him. The simple fact that your cutie mark is different should be evident enough that you’re not an identical recreation. You are simply whatever this world thinks it needed from a stallion of your nature.

“That being said, you will go through most of the normal processes any new guard goes through. There will be a few minor adjustments, however, due to your unique personality as well as your excellence in training. As a result, you will be trained to be a private guard for my sister, and, in time, we shall hope to promote you to a Lieutenant's position.”

Astro stared at her in silence, not entirely sure how to respond. Luna seemed to glare at Celestia, as if wanting to counter the idea that she even needed a private guard. A quick glance from Celestia, however, quickly turned her down. Twilight, also silent as well, watched Celestia intently.

Celestia, seeming content with his lack of response, continued. “As of right now, Mi Amore and her husband, Captain Armor, will be receiving a letter from me posthaste, requesting that they bring along the armor when they come. Meanwhile, Private, you will be working closely with Miss Lunar Shade to adjust to the nocturnal schedule, and will ideally be working alongside the Night Guard for the time being. The simple fact that you are not a bat pony does not mean you will be an outsider, for there are numerous mares and stallions on the nightly staff that are not as well. You are to memorize the layout of the castle, and adjust to the nightly routines.”

Luna smiled, adding: “I could not think of another pony better suited to work with you, Astro Wolf. Despite the vast differences in your personalities, you two should get along well.”

Astro couldn’t hold back a faint groan. “In all due respect, Princesses, it almost seems as if she wants to pursue a romantic interest in me. Whether this is accurate or not, I cannot say. What I will say is that I did not come here to pursue relationships. I came here for work and to protect. If I am simply going to be manipulated into a relationship, I will leave.” With that, he stood and turned to leave the room. “If there is nothing else, I request permission to leave.”

While showing signs of surprise, Celestia nodded. “Yes, you are dismissed, Private.” Luna looked purely confused, while Twilight was flabbergasted and horrified. “As is, there is nothing more to speak on at this very moment. Turn right when you leave the room, and you will know exactly where to go. Please be ready by ten o’clock this evening to work with Miss Shade.”

Satisfied, and mildly disappointed and annoyed, Astro left the room. Not long after the door shut behind him, he could hear Twilight complaining rather loudly, almost arguing with the sisters about how Astro had “raised an attitude” with them.

After spending a few hours exploring the castle alone, Astro started to make his way back to his room. Most of the guards didn’t seem to pay much attention to him, so Astro assumed that they had already been alerted to his presence in the castle. He did notice that a few mares on staff, however, kept eyeing him a little longer than they should have.

When he finally returned to his room, he found Lunar sound asleep in her bed, buried beneath three fuzzy blankets. The currents were closed over each of the windows, casting a dark purple shadow into the room, allowing the naturally nocturnal mare to sleep peacefully.

“Good,” Astro thought. “I can get some time to myself for once. In silence.”

With just a few hours to kill, one would think he would’ve taken a nap. After all, it wasn’t like he was officially on duty as of yet. He had to admit that it puzzled him slightly, why the Princesses were so laid back when it came to his involvement in the castle. Sure, he had just shown up, and they were planning on knighting him. He simply didn’t understand the big deal behind his identity. Shaking his head, Astro decided to pull out a book from his bag and read for around an hour, before he noticed that the sun was starting to set.

Sighing softly, Astro closed his book and left it on his pillow. He then reached under his bed and pulled out a small black bag. Opening the bag would reveal a dozen vials of a glowing, blue fluid. About three bottles were currently empty, and Astro pulled out one of the full vials. Shaking it up a bit, he pops off the top and quickly dumps it into his maw. It fizzed like soda upon contact with his tongue, and he couldn’t help but squirm a bit. No matter how many times he took this elixir, the taste and sensations would never get old. Once finished, he shook his body like a wet dog for a moment, before returning the empty vial to the bag.

Suddenly, a very chirpy, feminine voice rang through his right ear. “Ooh!! What is that?!”

Astro let out a startled yelp, jumping back and nearly colliding into Lunar’s bed. Given that there wasn’t much space between their beds, he very well could have, had he not quickly gained control of himself via his wings. Breathing heavily due to the adrenaline, he turns and notices that Lunar’s bed was empty. Whirling his head back around, he finds the bat pony staring back at him, giggling behind a hoof. It just so happens that she was currently standing mere inches to the right of where he had been moments before.

“You… You should have seen your face!! You looked like a colt who had been caught stealing a cookie!” The mare then descended into more giggling.

Astro, however, was not amused one bit. He let out a low growl and walked over to the window, kicking his bag back under his bed in the process. At first, he ignored her question, choosing to watch as Luna’s moon began to rise. After a moment, it sounded as if Lunar had finally maintained control of her giggling (which, in Astro’s mind, seemed to take quite a long time). Once settled, the mare began to approach him.

Astro immediately spoke up. “Don’t. You just get yourself ready, Miss Shade. We have a busy night ahead of us.” His voice was tainted with a bit of anger, and was very authoritative. It may not have been his place to speak in such a way to her, but he did. That’s just how he is.

“But…” Shade started, pouting just a bit. She stared at the back of his head for a moment, before eventually letting out a groan. “Fine, I’ll let you be. It’s as if you don’t know how to have fun.” She let her head hang low as she grabbed a few things, then trotted into the bathroom.

Waiting until the door had been closed, and the water of the shower could be heard cascaded into the floor, Astro sighed, closing his eyes and shaking his head. “If only you knew… Then maybe you’d be able to understand…”

“Hold on, time out. What you’re telling me is that Princess Luna really pulls pranks on her sister, as well as the Guard??” Astro was currently following Lunar Shade through the castle once more, albeit this time through newer corridors.

Lunar let out a giggle. “Indeed! Once, Celestia woke up with a black mane! She was not happy.”

Astro could only imagine what Celestia would look like with her mane dyed black. She’d look gothic, and like she was going through a stage where she didn’t want to be a Princess anymore. Astro couldn’t help but chuckle at the image. He then shook his head. “I can only imagine. Not that there’s anything wrong with the color black, of course.”

Lunar couldn’t contain her next bit of giggling. “Of course not, but just imagine how all of Equestria would respond!”

At this point, both ponies were chuckling or giggling, but their soft banter was abruptly interrupted by a loud screech, followed shortly by a blur of dark grey, speeding overhead. Mere seconds later, hoofsteps could be heard from around the corner behind them. As the two confused ponies turned around to identify the commotion, Princess Luna appeared from around the corner.

“Come back here you feisty thestral!” Her voice indicated she was angry, but the look on her muzzle seemed to say otherwise. In fact, it looked as if she was smirking. Laughing could be heard elsewhere as Luna ran past a confused Astro Wolf and Lunar Shade, who both turned to watch as Luna raced down another corridor.

For a moment, there was silence. Both Astro and Lunar were staring at where Luna had disappeared. When they turned to look at each other, they jumped, letting out similar yelps of shock. There, standing between them was a bat pony stallion, who, oddly enough, was an ear shorter than Lunar. He immediately started giggling, and Astro would have with him, had he not noticed Luna’s crown sitting haphazardly atop his dark orange mane. As he laughed, his different colored eyes shone in the light.

“Hiya! I’m Night Fang! I bet you’re wondering why I have Luna’s crown, so let me tell you! I took it from her!” His voice was fast and quick, and Astro could barely keep up with what he was saying. As it is, it almost sounded like it all came out in one breath.

“Brother!” Lunar cried, rubbing her face with a hoof disappointingly. “How many times have I told you not to take the royal regalia?! She needs that, you know!”

The stallion simply giggled again. “But, Shady! You know she likes to have some fun! She has said so herself! It helps her calm down! Besides, I’ve been playing around like this for weeks!”

Astro simply shook his head, and was about to walk away, but was abruptly stopped short by a scowling Princess Luna standing directly behind their group. She looked like she was trying hard not to smile behind her facade of anger.

“Night Fang! We will ask of you once more! Return my crown at once!”

The stallion pouted, removing the crown from his head with one of his black, leathery wings. “B-But, Lulu!! I’m just trying to have some fun!”

The nightly princess stared at him for a few moments, before letting herself relax. Using her magic, she lifted the stallion up into the air and pulled him towards her. She nuzzled his cheek, eliciting a giggle out of the smaller pony, before snatching the crown from his wing. She then set him on her back.

“Well, you know that I would love to continue! However, I really must get to my work. It’s already later than I normally start, and I do have some things I have to get done before my sister rises in the morning! But you shall accompany me!”

Night Fang began to prance in place with glee atop the princess’ back. With a roll of her eyes, Luna bid Astro and Lunar a good night, then trotted away. Astro simply shook his head, continuing to walk in their original direction.

“And to think I expected complete order and regulation in the palace,” he said, unable to hide a soft grin on his muzzle.

“Well you’re certainly incorrect. That is simply the perception the princesses wish to portray to the public. Besides, a lot truly happens here. If you thought that was crazy, you should meet the Security and Intelligence colt! Er… Stallion.”

“What’s so crazy about him?”

“Oh, just wait and see! I’ll introduce you right now!” She then bursts into a trot, leading Astro through a few more halls in the palace. “You just have to realize that he’s a bit… antisocial. You’ll understand when we get to where we are going.”

Astro shrugged and continued to follow her through the seemingly never ending turns inside the palace. After a few minutes, she stopped them in front of a large portion of the wall. This part seemed to be very little decorated, as this was a section of the castle scarcely used anymore. The windows also seemed to let less light in, casting low lighting over the corridor.

Lunar approaches this section of the wall, and knocks on it three times, pauses, then knocks again once. After another pause, she knocks twice. She then steps back from the wall, smirking a bit. ”Now watch this,” she says, glancing over at Astro.

For a moment nothing happened, but when Astro opened his mouth to speak his confusion, the wall began to hiss and spew steam out of cracks that made the shape of a rectangle. The rectangular section that appeared began to sink into the wall, before suddenly sliding off to the side, revealing a doorway into a massive chamber. Somehow hidden with the castle walls seamlessly. Inside was what looked like some kind of laboratory.

Two glowing, purple eyes appeared, attached to what appeared to be a metallic pony. Some sort of mechanized contraption perhaps. No matter what it was, Astro hadn’t seen anything like it before in his life. What made it even more entertaining was that it suddenly began to speak in a gentle feminine voice.

“Oh, hello, Miss Shade. What can we do for you?” The pony-like contraption paused, seeming to turn and gaze at Astro. “Ah, this must be Astro Wolf, the soon-to-be newest member of the Royal Guard.”

Lunar giggled. “Well, you probably know more about him than I do, Dusk! But I’m actually here to introduce him to Mister Volt!”

Astro was too busy staring at this weird talking contraption, whose name was apparently Dusk, to pay attention to the conversation. Dusk looked like a pony, but didn’t at the same time. Her eyes were purple, but glowed like some kind of light, and they resembled camera lenses. Her body was silver in color, but clearly cleaned up and made to the tiniest detail.

Other than the fact that she was obviously mechanical, she was nearly identical to a pony mare. Her joints stood out as metal plates that somewhat overlapped, and bent effortlessly. Her mane and tail, however, looked and moved naturally. Both were purple in color, matching the eyes.

“They’re made from synthetic fibers crafted from the softest of sheep wool,” Dusk stated, as if able to read Astro’s mind. “Master Volt’s mother helped create the thread and craft it into a mane and tail for my design.”

Astro stepped back with unease, clearly not liking how she knew what he was thinking of. However, before he could voice his concerns, a new voice called out from behind Dusk.

“How many times must I tell you not to call me that, Dusk?” An earth pony stallion appeared, with what appeared to be flight goggles over his eyes. He was a chocolate brown in color, with mint green markings on his hooves and flanks. He had a cutie mark of a 9-volt battery over a gear, but Astro was lost on what that even meant. He had a mohawk style mane, green in color, with red through the middle.

He stepped up next to Dusk, pushing the goggles to his forehead. “Hey there, Miss Shade. How’s the maid’s work?” The colt asked, seeming to ignore Astro at first.

Lunar snorted and rolled her eyes. “It’s kinda redundant when you see almost everything that happens in the castle, Thunder.”

The stallion, who’s name is apparently Thunder, laughs and shrugs. “Not quite. Dusk monitors all the feeds and gives me the important or questionable parts. Or the parts I ask for when I’m bored and decide to look at them.”

Lunar let out a giggle before hugging the stallion. “Thunder, we all know you like seeing mares in those maid uniforms. Don’t bother hiding it.”

This time it was his turn to roll his eyes. “Yes, of course. I just love to see all of the mares cleaning this massive castle. All while wearing those puffy, soft outfits. Cleary I am a total pervert.”

There was silence for a moment as Lunar and Thunder made eye contact. Astro began to wonder if one of them was actually offended. This thought, however, was quickly discarded as the two ponies began to laugh.

“Oh, Thunder!! You’re too much!” Lunar cried out in between breaths. “You need to get out more!!”

“Pfft! As if! I do more good here than anywhere else! Come on in, you two!” Laughing, Thunder stepped aside, allowing Lunar and Astro to head inside.

As Lunar followed Dusk and this Thunder character into the room, Astro was beyond confused. First of all, this stallion had a metal leg. Second, there was something about his voice (albeit cheerful) that was just off. Not to mention the odd hint of red in his right eye. After a moment’s hesitation, Astro reluctantly followed the group inside. At this point, he had no expectations, and didn’t know what to think of the new stallion he had just been introduced to. He followed them to a small, circular table with three chairs set up around it.

“Dusk, can you go get some coffee, please?” Thunder asked, pulling out a chair and sitting down.

Lunar sat down as Dusk walked off into another room. The setup was cozy, almost like a large condominium found in cities such as Manehatten, Fillydelphia, and Las Pegasus. The room they were currently in was rather cozy for what appeared to be a hidden hole in the wall. It was a conjoined setup; one half of the large room they were in seemed to be the dining area, while the other half appeared to be more of a living space. The room Dusk entered, Astro assumed to be the kitchen area. There was also a hallway that more than likely led to the bedroom and bathroom.

As Astro sat down, he glanced over at Thunder. “So, you must be Thunder Volt then, I presume?”

“In the flesh! My father is a retired royal guard, and my mother is a former Wonderbolt instructor,” came his rather chipper response, and Astro thought he detected a hint of pride. “Celestia heard of my talents, and invited me here. One thing leads to another, and I’ve got the entire palace, every nook and cranny, save for bedrooms and bathrooms, under video surveillance! Everything also has audio recording. I then started spreading to Canterlot, so now half of the capital is monitored from here!”

Astro’s eyes widened, mildly impressed. “But… I guess I don’t understand what your talent is…”

“Ah, right, of course. It’s the ability to work with a form of technology that uses electric energy, the same thing from lightning bolts, to run machinery, instead of magic from a unicorn! I even learned to manifest, charge, and duplicate the energy!”

Astro nodded, rubbing his chin curiously. “I see… So, does this have any explanation for your leg, as to why it is metallic?”

Lunar let out a gasp and stared at Astro in horror, just as Dusk re-entered the room and approached the table. Thunder went silent, looking away, as if his leg was involved with a very personal aspect of his life.

“Oh, um… Well, if you don’t want to talk about it, it’s alright. I mean, I was just curious about it…” Astro quickly added, looking around the room nervously, before settling his eyes on Thunder. Thunder continued to remain quiet. “... Did you lose it in a freak accident, or wh--”

Astro was cut off as Thunder began to speak. His right eye began to glow red, and his voice was different, and the language foreign. “Il y a plus dans un personnage que ce que pouvez voir. Ce n’est pas le moment pour mon histoire. C’est ton histoire, mon heure n’est pas encore venue.”

Astro immediately identified the language as Prench, but didn’t catch a lick of what the stallion had said. Astro wanted to respond, to voice his confusion, but didn’t get much of a chance to. Thunder was shaking his head, rubbing his head. He turned and gazed at Dusk, who’s eyes began to glow purple, and Thunder’s once more began to glow red. For a minute or so, it looked as if they had some silent conversation, probably through this foreign technology that Thunder was talking about. The silence didn’t end until Thunder’s eye stopped glowing, and he took a sip of his coffee.

“Ahem, sorry about that. I just, um… Well, you see, the thing is…” The stallion started, avoiding eye contact. He didn’t seem to want to share what happened.

Dusk stepped forward, giving Lunar and Astro a cup of coffee each. “What he’s trying to say is that he’ll tell his story when he feels comfortable doing so,” She then paused, turning to Lunar.

Lunar let out a sigh, nodding. “It’s far more gruesome than you could expect… The things he had to grow up with… It makes me hurt just thinking about it…”

Thunder nodded, setting down his coffee mug. “Let’s just say that my voice, leg, and eye are the way they are because of a terrible thing that happened to me a few years ago.”

Astro nodded. “Well, I’m terribly sorry for bringing the subject up. I, for one, can understand what you mean. Talking about my own past isn’t something I can easily do.”

With that, the three ponies began to chat, enjoying their coffee. Astro went silent, watching as Lunar and Thunder caught up, like two old friends who hadn’t seen each other in years. Then, Astro’s situation was brought up, and they began to discuss some finer details, including some that Astro had overheard through his surveillance systems. One being that in about two weeks, Astro’s official knighting ceremony would take place. Once Shining Armor and Cadence showed up with the armor.

The hours went by, and before they knew it, it was about time for shift change. That being said, Lunar and Astro stood and began to bid Dusk and Thunder farewell. As Lunar left the room, Thunder put a hoof on Astros shoulder.

“Hey, at some point, I’d like to introduce you to a group of good friends of mine. They’d love you a lot.”

Astro snorted, before looking at him curiously. “Is that so? Well, I suppose I’ll have to meet them at some point, won’t I?” That being said, Astro approached the doorway. But before he could leave, he once more heard that odd Prench coming from Thunder.

“Un moment viendra où vous devez prendre une décision dangereuse. Ne laissez pas la situation vous distraire.”

Author's Note

Sorry to any of you who know French. I did my best, but I'm sure it isn't perfect.

On another note, got to throw in the first of many of my characters. More to come in a later chapter, so stay tuned!