"Warrior of a distant time." You wake up, but you're not in bed. You're not at home. You're sitting in a field of stars and void. How you got there is anyone's guess. "Rise." The voice is that of a woman, but you don't see them anywhere. "Rise." Well, fine then. You stand up. You're not feeling tired, just confused anyway.

You try calling out to the voice, and it responds, "Good. After so many years of defeat, a new warrior already wears three jewels proudly."

That's when you notice the glinting shine. Around your neck are three big pendants, each like colored metal, cut into decoration. Some balloons, an apple, and, sitting in front, some butterflies. What do they mean? You ask just that question. Maybe the voice knows?

"Ancient symbols. Current virtues. Source of pony power."

Now they're getting somewhere. A hint! But why are you the only one? It doesn't feel like it's that impossible of a task.

"When one begins to climb a mountain, one may ask why nopony else even tries. Surely the first few steps aren't that difficult." The voice was gentle and educational in tone, patient in its explanations. "Why aren't others climbing alongside them? But where one sees a challenge, something that can be overcome, many see an obstacle best left well alone."

Huh... Alright then. Nopony?

"Sorry. That is a dated term." Emerging from nothing strode a pony, but not just a pony. She had fluffy wings spread wide, and a long horn. She wore a dazzling tiara on her head. "Warrior, climber of the mountain."

You take a quick step back and feel your hooves striking the... nothing. You're standing on a bed of stars, and you are a pony too. You don't have wings, but your horn's still there. "Who are you?"

"An ancient warrior." She nods at you lightly. "My time has long since past. I fought for those same virtues... But it fell between my hooves, and you see the result. You climb the mountain. Will you reach loftier heights than ever I managed? This would please me... You look confused. I feel no envy, only sorrow, that our ponies are in such dire straights." She folded her wings tight to her large back. "Warrior, do you understand my words?"

Mostly? Why was talking so... difficult? Your thoughts seem to carry to her, what you want to say, but most of your words never leave your mouth.

"This is a place of the spirit. Your soul is still being refined." She leaned in, her breath washing over your face. "Proud warrior, that you can even stand here, to hear me, is a sign that you have begun climbing. The world decays around us. It is not a safe place, for anything, let alone a lost little pony. They need their warriors, but they have none." She smiled then, going quiet a moment. "But I misspeak. Clearly they have at least one... But she is still growing. Can you feel the warmth? You are overflowing..." She raises a hoof to direct at your dangling pendants. "You are living the virtues, and their songs fill you."

You glance down at the pendants. You can feel their power, each glowing with the 'warmth' you have gathered. But what can you do with it?

"You can protect. You can display." The strange pegacorn paces around you in a slow circle. "This energy is the fuel for the most powerful of our magic. Unicorn, I know you've felt magic. Turn it towards our virtues, and it will be strongest yet." She batted at the pendants in one swipe. "But you are full. Another reason we speak. To hoard the warmth is not your purpose. To use it is. Do you know how?"

Well... There was that big healing explosion you did?

"Yes. A kind thing." She tapped at her chin. "So far have we fallen, that none eagerly tell you of the others. You have taken a lover, with Honesty. You wear their jewel." She directed to the apple, the first symbol you knew which was which of. "Your connection to them has meaning. Shall I share its power with you?"

If it wasn't taking it from someone else?

"You are too kind, perhaps." But she's smiling despite that. "The virtues only grow when given. They only diminish when taken. I will give it, and our discussion will end."

Wait! "Wait." Ah, voice, blessed voice. "You seem to understand what's going on. How did ponies get kicked out of the dreaming?"

The large pony took a step back. "Ah... I should have expected that question. You walk among old friends... Far have we fallen. We deserve the hatred focused on us."

What? "What did... some ancient ponies do?" It is difficult, getting the words out, but you force them one at a time.

"Broke a promise." She shook her head slowly. "One of the worst things one can do, involving them. The world needed us, and we weren't there. Long have we fallen. Warrior, will you catch us, and make the world a little better, perhaps?"

That's a lot of responsibility being dumped on you.

"You are not alone." She raises a hoof under your chin, raising your head up to face her. "You are loved and supported. Even those who have the right to hate you haven't turned you away. Mistakes can be worked against."

And all you had to do... What was she offering?

"This." She touched her horn to each of your shoulders and a new warmth spread quickly from each point of contact, filling you with radiance. "Good night. Good luck."

You awake abruptly in bed, sitting up with an equine snort.

"When'd you go pony?" Nick was there, roused by your sudden motion. "Good morning."

You had gone to bed as a human. You even... did things. Your grip on your man card felt pretty weak of late... You'd feel worse about it if you weren't enjoying it as much as you did. "Good morning." You felt it, a tickle. A new... thing... "I have a question."

"Yeah?" He brushed your fuzzy side lightly. "Does it involve why you're on all fours? Not complaining, just curious."

"Why aren't you trying to learn more about how any of this works?" You cross your arms, one hoof bobbing. "You've been a pony way longer than me." You felt it, that pull. You used some of that 'warmth' in asking that question, and with it...

"Well... Um." He looks nervous, but he doesn't stop talking. "Life's been busy, always is. I was just living. You know? One day at a time." He levels a finger at you. "It's a bigger question why you went from nothing to wanting to know it all overnight."

"We're in it." You throw a hoof up. "It's around us. Ignoring it is hardly an option. My introduction was your house getting ambushed by a literal vampire and you're wondering why I might care?"

"Okay, okay..." He wards you back with flat hands. "You have a point there. I didn't have such a... an intro like that. " He slides from bed and starts putting himself together. "You've had a hell of a time. Look... Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Thank you." You hop down with the clip-clop of your hooves. "But now you know better. I want you to be honest."

"I feel like you forced that."

And... perhaps you had. "Wouldn't you have told me anyway if I asked?"

"It's not a lie, exactly." He wobbled a hand. "If you're in denial. You're not wrong though. This is a bit more than a weekend hobby. It deserves a little more attention." He snapped his fingers. "By the way, you staying on all fours today?"

Right! You rise up onto human feet. "I learned a new trick, an honesty one." Do you tell how you got it? Well, it would be the honest thing to do... "In my dreams, of all places."

"What?" His flat tone carries the fact that he doesn't get it.

"I had a dream. There was a pony in it." You raise a hand up, not taller than you are as a human. "Big, horn and wings. She had a lot of good advice. Kept calling me a modern warrior."

"'Cause you are." He swats at your side on the way past. "You keep getting into trouble and fighting through it. I'll get breakfast going."

You follow after Nick into the kitchen. "That's it?"

"Should there be more?" He's working on making breakfast happen with the clinks of metal on the stovetop. "You've been a lot of things, but a liar isn't one of them. If you say something happened, I'm inclined to believe it. I'm not even sure this rates as the strangest one."

"Really?" You tap a foot, watching him. "What does win that prize then?"

"Well..." He cracks a few eggs into a bowl, whisking them up. "I'd have to go with the 'I fought a bunch of angry spirit-magic dogs with a bunch of people in the land of dreams. People died." He pours the mix into the pan to stir and beat to a frothy creation. "That is a thing you did."

It was... "Okay... That's at least about equal. What puts it over the top?"

He turned to face you a moment, jostling the pan in one hand. "You were with other people. I can't call that a fanciful dream when you have witnesses, can I? So, yeah, that, winner." He flips the pan over, dumping the eggs out and soon making up two plates of breakfast. "Here ya go."

You take the plate and start your day properly. "Still... Are there any crazy legends about visions of pegacorns?"

"Just one." He raised a finger a moment before reaching for some orange juice. "Not called that. I think Alicorn was the word? I heard it from a girl that heard it from a guy, you know how that goes?" He shrugs, chewing on his food. "Couldn't peg the source if I tried. You saw one, and it gave an honesty trick. That's...pretty cool, really." He fired a thumbs up. "Why haven't they ever visited me?"

"You're not climbing the mountain."

That gets him looking so very confused. "No... You climb mountains? I didn't know that was a thing you're into." He puts his plate in the sink. "Kinda cool. Interesting hobby to pick up at your... old age? New age? Whatever age, didn't think you'd be doing that."

"Fuck off." You snort, annoyed at the ableist ramblings. "There are plenty of old climbers out there, but I don't mean a physical mountain anyway." Your anger abates, soothed by tasty breakfast. "I'm chasing all the pony virtues, and that impressed them, apparently... I'm a 'warrior' that makes me the world a tiny bit better."

"Already made mine better." He takes your plate from y our willing hand and it joins the first in the sink. "That's more than a little trippy... Look, don't mean to be sexist or anything, but 'be super nice' strikes me as a more... female thing. I'm pretty happy as I am."

You toss up your hands. "Cut that out. You're on a roll today, and not a good one. Guys can be nice people too. I was a nice person."

"Part of what drew me. But then... You're also a guy that's pretty comfortable living the girl life, so not sure how good that example is."

Shoot... He has a little point. You have to decide what to do. Warrior of modern times, how did you wage that battle? Maybe Nick was a fine starting point, or the Freehold, or just normal people who needed a decent person to take the time and give a damn? You had countless options, but there was only one of you... Which to try?

Author's Note

Y'all want to dive into the past, so let's do that!

Three down, sorta? Practice is needed... She seems open to the idea of maybe hiring on Moon, but that sure isn't a sealed deal.

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