The Traveler

In my single-minded quest to drive the swarms of Changelings off this planet, the face of a human female with fair skin, fiery, red-hair and blue-eyes flashes before my eyes after an intense battle. For some reason her face feels familiar to me as more of my memory fills in the blank spaces during the battle and recall a communication I received from my superior, hearing her call through my comm, hearing, "Change of plans Hunter Squad, you aren't going after their Queen today. Your orders today are to locate the downed flagship Galaxa and recover a crate of high-value equipment before the bugs can find it, it is located in a secret compartment inside the storage compartment."

I then remember how I felt at hearing that when I hear myself reply, "My sister is on that ship, Actual. How can she or the passengers be SECONDARY!" I then hear a partial bit of the following commands, one such bit being me called LT. Thinking over the orders, the word Galaxa and my sister causes the same girl's image to appear before my eyes again when I remember something from an earlier time, remembering that she was my half-sister and also my girlfriend. The full memory returns to me when I remember how she looked when I rescued her from the insect race and see how I ended the war.

Returning to myself among a battlefield, her request plays through my mind as I sigh and say, "I'll do as you ask, Tracy, I will not fight them to extermination. I will, however, fight them until they flee this planet." All the while, wondering, 'I wonder what became of you...'

I reduce five other hives of changelings to nothing but slag and dust as I chase down the last hive that somehow managed to elude me and leave them no choice but to flee the planet. Throughout my trip to reach the last bastion of the changeling swarm, I notice that both the sun and moon rise and set randomly right next to each other. Noticing immediately that it's not how it should be, I shake my head and think, 'Those girls must either be arguing quite heatedly over something, or having a bit of fun.' Deciding to return later, I quicken my pace back towards home to check on the girls.

Running a few scans over the surrounding area, Evette uses the internal speaker to speak, saying, "Traveller, some type of unusual magic is pervading the world around us for hundreds of yards, examination of the atmosphere and soil reveal that the magic is not part of the pony species."

Trying to use my analysis visor's different modes to find anything, it comes up a failure as I ask, "Is there any way to locate the source of the phenomenon?"

Thinking of a possible solution, the AI speaks through the internal speaker, saying, "Yes, search for materials to build a Signal Booster, here are the design instructions required to construct it."

After receiving the information, I set out to find the materials I lack. Taking me quite a while to find enough sodium, I then take an even longer time to build the device. When I finish, I set it up and then ask, "Alright, what do I do next."

Responding, Evette says, "You need to set the parameters of a specific type of scan to triangulate the ambient anomaly's source, allow me to tell you what to enter."

Once I do the first scan, I then follow the AI's guidance to the second spot due west four miles and repeat the process, then heading northeast the same distance from both points and going through the setup process one last time before performing the scan.

Receiving the data from the last one, she analyzes the results and compiles an answer, saying, "Source located, calculating distance and direction to target... Travel approximately 1,200 miles to the northwest and search the area for anything out of the ordinary that might be the cause of this disturbance."

Setting off to the Northwest, it takes me a few weeks to get there as I look around to see that the ground is riddled with large checkered patterns with smaller checkered patterns within them, being either two shades of blue or pink. The homes look like huts built out of mud, brick, straw or even wood, with a few of them upside down squarely sitting on their roof's peak. The sky even is unusual, being pink and having floating islands of dirt with homes on top of them. I walk through the area to see not a single creature out and about, eventually spotting a large mound with a strangely-built chair on it facing away from him. With the chair having an unidentifiable occupant on it, having something looking like a dragon's wing on the left side of its body and a pegasi wing on the right, I head towards it to speak with it.

Sensing they have a visitor, the creature turns its chair around with its magic, saying, "Ah, a visitor...what a pleasure, what a pleasure." Taking in the visitor's unusual appearance, he looks it up and down before saying, "Ooh, now there's a creature that I've never seen before, let's find out what's underneath that stuff you're wearing..." then raises his clawed hand and puts his talons together.

Raising my own hand quickly, I say, "WAIT! This suit is how I survive the environment."

Pausing his talons before they can snap, he debates whether or not to believe the creature and then shrugs, saying, "Very well, you may keep it on...for now." Putting his paw and claw together in front of his face, he says, "Although I am very curious to know what kind of creature you are, do tell."

Looking up at the male creature, I say, "Thank you, I am what is called a human male. I have skin instead of fur, hair on my head, two arms with five fingers on each hand at the end of my arms, and two legs with five toes on each foot at the end of my lower legs. I also don't have a tail, or wings. Though I do have magic, I was never taught how to use it. May I ask who and what you are? I've never encountered a creature that looked like you before."

Smiling at how polite the creature is being, he claps his paw and claw together, saying, "Oh goody, goody, I love guests that have manners!" Snapping his clawed talons together, he makes a tea set appear, then takes a cup as a tea pot flaps its wings and flies up to fill the cup, saying, "My name is Discord, and I am a Draconequus as well as the god of chaos. Would you care for some tea?"

Shaking my head, I then say, "I appreciate your offer, but no thanks. Although I would like to know if all this strangeness is your doing?"

Discord drinks the glass around the tea gone, then tosses the solidified tea away, causing an explosion in the distance, saying, "Oh well, suit yourself." then throws his arms wide and lounging across his chair, saying, "It is my doing, and isn't this chaos wonderful?!"

Looking around again, I then spot some eyes peeking around the side of the curtains with wide eyes that have a small bit of hope in them, turning back to Discord and saying, "While it is true that everyone likes something different, I can't say the same for the others your magic is affecting, and I am among them. Unfortunately, I have come to ask you to return things to the way they were, or I will have to make you undo it all...by force."

He thinks it over for a second and then says, "Let me think on that for a second...hmmm...I have thought it over and have decided to refuse." Flipping around to be lying upside down on his throne, he puts his hands under his chin and says, "I don't know if you noticed this, but I am the ruler of these lands now. Which means that I can do whatever I want..." He then looks the human over again and laughs, saying, "Very well, do your worst to me. If you can make me shed blood, I will consider listening to your booring demands."

Shrugging, I then select my Geology Cannon and then aim at the hill his throne is on and say, "Alright, let me show you what I can really do..." then fire off three grenades at his hill that explode in a large flash of light.

He then looks down to see that the hill is gone as his throne crashes to the ground, falling on its side and throws him out of the seat. Returning to his hooves with a snap of his fingers, he then huffs and says, "HOW RUDE! I WAS DOING MY BUSINESS ON MY THRONE, AND YOU HAVE THE AUDACITY TO PUSH ME OFF!"

Not caring in the slightest, I then quickly switch to my Scatter Blaster and then fire off a few shots at him, watching as they all do nothing more than leave scorch marks on his fur which he just wipes away with a hand. Picking a different weapon, I then select my Plasma Launcher and fire off round after round at him, watching as the first shot knocks him on his butt with the next throwing him back a few yards on his back. The rounds flip him over and send him flying back a few feet each time as I notice that nothing is really happening to him, making me switch to my Paralysis Mortar and hit him with it when he returns to his feet.

As the orb of light heads towards him, he rolls his eyes and says, "Okay, so you do have enough strength to make me do somersaults, big whoop. You still haven't managed to make me bleed yet, so you are still failing miserably." The orb then strikes him and sends him rigid and twitching violently from the electricity shocking him repeatedly, causing him to repeatedly stutter, "T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-!"

Firing it off again, I watch as it makes his body start to convulse while the electrical glow gets brighter, making me notice as no harm is being done and shake my head before firing off another round, saying, "You are quite the resilient one, aren't you? Let's see just how much you can handle before you either explode or burn to ash..."

Discord watches helplessly as he is unable to control his fingers due to his violently spasming muscles, unable to even glare at the human as he manages to actually make him feel pain for the first time in his life. While he is being hit by orb after orb in quick succession, a flicker of fear crawls its way up his spine before he squashes it with anger until his body finally blows apart and scatters his parts everywhere.

Looking around in triumph, I then walk over to his head and say, "I win, now rest in piece by piece."

His anger boils under his skin as he chuckles softly while watching the human look up and wait for things to return to normal, snapping his fingers to return himself to normal. Standing up as if he only fell down, he brushes himself off, saying, "First off, I still win as you didn't draw blood." Slowly leaning forward, he says with a low growl, "And secondly..." then gets into the human's face and shouts as his eyes glow red, "THAT HURT!" His growl remains there as he says, "For being such a nuisance, you need some time alone with your thoughts." Snapping his fingers, he then turns him into a marble statue on a low, wide-stepped base and adds, "As reward for making me understand what pain feels like, I will send you off on a nice, long vacation by the sea." Snapping his fingers, he sends him away and smiles when he vanishes, recreating his mound and placing his throne back on it with another snap of his fingers. Returning to his throne, he then sighs and says, "Such a trifling day..."

Finding myself looking over an ocean somewhere on a beach, unable to do anything but think, I mentally sigh and wonder, 'I let you down girls, I'm sorry, but daddy might not be home for a good while...'

A couple decades pass when Celestia and Luna learn about something powerful called the Tree of Harmony, collecting the relics that the tree has around it, as the elder sister says, "Even without these elements, the tree will possess a powerful magic. As long as that magic remains, it will continue to contain and control all that grows in this forest."

With the elements in their grasp, Luna then nods and turns to her sister, asking, "Once we defeat Discord, do you think that we can try to find papa? I'm really worried and scared that he will never come home again, we never got to say goodbye...or to tell him that you're going to be a mother."

Hearing her sister sniffle, she hovers in the air and turns to face her, touching a hoof to her cheek affectionately and saying, "So am I, little sister, we can look whenever we get some time to ourselves. Perhaps when we find him, we can then tell him the news."

Unfortunately, they never get the opportunity to as they both have to deal with the aftermath of Discord's rule after defeating him, with the pony races all deciding unanimously to make them the rulers of Equestria.

Keeping her pregnancy quiet with illusion magic, she gives birth to a healthy light blue unicorn filly with a dark blue mane and tail with a pair of light magenta eyes. Deciding to name her Bright Star, Celestia and her sister spend a lot of time raising her together out of the public's view until she is old enough to keep the fact that she is a princess, from getting out. Bright Star grows up to enjoy the public not knowing that she is royalty, settling down with a nice dark blue stallion and getting a house with him in Canterlot. When her husband finds out her secret, he is over the moon at knowing he is married to the one he loves...princess or not. When they have foals, they decide to wait until they are old enough to know how important it is to keep their family's heritage a secret.

Several generations later, that tradition is thrown out the window by a pompous stallion overly proud of the fact that he is related to the two princesses and shares it with whoever asks about it. Still swamped with responsibilities a century and a half later, the Crystal Empire falls under the control of King Sombra. Having only heard of it fifty years ago, Celestia and Luna banish him with their own magic. However, he is able to put a curse upon it, making it vanish into thin air as Luna sniffles and says, "Sister...we failed our promise to papa..."

Pulling her sister into an embrace with her forehooves, Celestia says, "Fret not sister, we did not truly fail, because the empire and its citizens may return in time. Please be strong for me, Lulu, I will always here to watch over you."

Smiling, her tears stop and she returns the embrace, saying, "Okay, and I will do the same for you, Cece."

The two sister's happiness comes crashing down after two centuries pass as Luna begins to feel jealous and bitter that the ponies enjoy her sister's day and don't even notice her beautiful night as they slumber through it. The feelings eventually lead to her refusing to lower the moon and challenge her sister for the throne, resulting her body to transform into Nightmare Moon and leading to a fight that leaves their mentor's old castle in ruins.

After being knocked out of the sky by an attack from her sister, Celestia sighs and looks up at her, saying, "I am sorry, dear sister...but you leave me no other choice than to use these."

Collecting the elements from their hidden place under the floor, she carries them up with her into the sky above the castle and faces her sister. Bringing them before her, she channels a magic beam through them that meets her sister's magic in the middle and drives it back.

When the beam hits her, it sends her flying into the sky towards the moon as she shouts, "NOOOO!"

Once a shadow of a unicorn mare appears on the face of the moon, Celestia's heart breaks as she takes off to be alone when tears spill from the corners of her eyes. Arriving at a location in the Everfree Forest, she lands and rushes up the path towards a dilapidated cabin. Hurrying through the empty door frame as the door itself lies rotted on the floor, she slips through gaps under fallen beams and heads for her father's bedroom. Throwing herself upon the only piece of intact furniture in the whole house, she buries her face in the mattress and shouts, "I'M SORRY......BUT I FAILED YOU FATHER! PLEASE COME BACK AND PUNISH ME!!"

When nothing happens for several minutes, she begins to wail out in grief, screaming, "I'M ALL ALONE NOW, WHERE ARE YOU PAPA!?!"

Left to wallow in her own sorrow, a thousand years pass until Celestia's sister returns to her as she holds her sister close and sobs, whispering, "I'm sorry sister, but the cabin is gone...you can't even tell it was there in the first place due to the area being so overgrown and the building crumbled away into a pile of debris."

Sobbing at hearing the news, newly returned Luna nuzzles against her sister, asking, "Were you able to save anything at all, or is it all gone?"

Holding her close, she smiles a little and says, "The ship and his bed, but that was it. I am surprised that it has remained hidden for so long, but I still haven't found what became of father...I've searched everywhere I could with scouts and my own eyes. The bogs of the Everfree, the mountain ranges between the Frozen North and Equestria, and I even asked for a few trusted seaponies to search the seas. It still grieves me that no traces of him or belongings were ever found..."

Hugging her sister back tightly, she sniffles and asks, "N-Nothing? Not even his suit, helmet, backpack, or even his weapon?"

Fighting to hold herself together, she squeezes her sister harder against her and whispers, "No...it's as if he never even existed in the first place."

A few tender moments pass as they hold each other in an affectionate embrace while deeply upset about their father's disappearance, when Pinkie Pie then cries at the happy reunion a few seconds before saying, "Hey! Do you know what this calls for?" She then jumps for joy and says, "A party!"

So, a huge welcome back party for Princess Luna is hosted in Ponyville, with the younger sister receiving a necklace of pretty red and white roses, and Twilight Sparkle being given a new home in Ponyville so she could be with her friends.

It isn't until a year later, after spring, when Discord breaks free from his prison and wreaks chaos across Equestria, that any hint is given of their father's absence.

Discord lurks behind the image of himself in the stained glass window mural, chuckling darkly before saying, "Awwe...did you miss me, Celestia?" Then enters his image and looks at Celestia, saying, "Well I've missed you..." He then flits over to the neighboring mural and says, "It's quite lonely being turned to stone, but you wouldn't know that, would you, because I don't turn ponies into stone." Recalling what happened before facing the Princesses, he then says, "Well, I do suppose I did that one time to a bothersome nuisance that tried to make me give up my rule, as a reward, he got to go on an extended vacation at the beach."

Agitated at his meddling, his words go right over her head as Celestia says in an angry tone, "Enough! What have you done with the Elements of Harmony?!"

Creating a place for himself in the mural above Rainbow and Fluttershy, he smiles and says, "Don't worry, I only borrowed them for a teensy little while." then snaps his fingers to make the elements vanish from their spot below him.

Raising her wings threateningly, she bares her teeth and glares at him, saying, "You'll never get away with this, Discord."

Sighing, he looks at his paw's nails nonchalantly and says, "Oh, I forgot how grim you could be, Celestia. It's really quite boring if you ask me."

After a bit more conversation with the others, he tells them in his way where to find the elements and vanishes to go pay a visit to a certain statue. Appearing in front of it, he looks the marble statue over. When he sees how it is covered in bird poop, seaweed, and the bird nests in whatever space the birds could build them, he claps and laughs, saying, "Oh, you look remarkably spectacular like that, mister human."

Raising his dragon claw to his chin he ponders aloud, "I wonder if you had enough time to learn from your mistakes yet..." Being extremely bored, he then sighs and says, "Oh I desperately need a good source of entertainment now, but what shall I do first?"

Thinking on it for a bit, he then groans and says, "Well you're no help at all...perhaps I'll show some mercy and release you from your torment..." Moving to snap his fingers, he then pauses mid-snap and then grins maliciously, saying, "Oh, I will definitely be releasing you so I can transform you into a terrifying creature at a later time. So, for right now, I shall cast a delayed release spell on you, and then come back when I rule Equestria once again..." He then snaps his fingers to cast the spell and vanishes, appearing at the maze to put his plan in motion.

End of Frequent time skips

Being nearly driven insane with rage, time wears on as days, weeks, maybe even months pass without my knowledge until I hear a soft crack from somewhere nearby. The sound causes several cries of alarm to rise from nesting birds as I watch them take off, causing feathers to slowly drift down from the sky in front of my static view.

It takes a few hours before I get any feeling back in my limbs, but slowly, I am able to flex my muscles and cause the cracks to spread further up and around my stone body. I believe it takes me two full days for me to get my upper arms free from the stone, a few hours more to free my legs to where I can walk off the platform I was on.

When the sun rises on the third day, my stomach begs me to eat something, so I take off my backpack and set it down. Once I see the marble around it, I shake my head and see that my weapon is the same way. Deciding that my priority is food and water, I use the weapon to break up the marble around my pack so that I can get food.

After my pack and weapon are free of stone, I pull off my helmet and put it onto my pack, only to find it covered in bird shit. Sighing, I make my way into the water and start to carefully clean it off as best I can, then move on to cleaning my suit to the best of my abilities without getting water in my suit. Heading back onto the beach, I then pull out some of the food I should have left. However, as I look at the desiccated apple, I toss it aside and check the others, finding them all the same way. Feeling really hungry, I continue checking my food stores and find them all spoiled, leaving me no choice but to discard it all and find fresh food.

Thankfully, my fresh water is still good, allowing me to quench my thirst. Satisfying my thirst, I then put my canteen away and look around for something to eat and spot a forest not too far away, saying, "I really hope that there is something edible in that forest."

Heading into the forest with my helmet back on, I find a few trees with curved, long, yellow fruits in bunches hanging from branches. Grabbing one off the ground, I scan it to find that it is spoiled and inedible. Looking up at the hanging ones, I pluck one off the bunch and scan it, finding it ripe and edible. Tearing the fruit in half to eat it, I find that it is soft inside and needs to be peeled first. Eating what's left of it after peeling the outer layer off, I use my weapon to shoot the whole bunch off and pick it up. Carrying the bunch to a clearing, I enjoy their sweet flavor and store the rest of them into my pack.

Grabbing a few more bunches, I then check my map and head due west due to there being settlements to the north and south of my location on the eastern coast, saying, "I swear that I will find a way to make you suffer tremendous pain after what you've done to me and the ponies of this world, Discord!"