Fractured Equestria

Arthur Green's morning.

The morning sun slowly streamed through the gaps in the tent, drawing soft shadows that danced on the blankets. Arthur stretched with a slight grunt and rubbed his eyes with his hooves, remembering the chaos of the past few days.

"At least I had a rather interesting conversation in the library last night... although I never found out who that pony was," he thought, as he recalled the philosophical exchange he had. His life had gone from one disaster to another since he came to this world, but for some reason, it gave him a strange sense of normality.

He slowly sat up, stretching his legs and feeling the creaking in his joints. "Nothing like a little pain to remind you that you're still alive," he muttered to himself, as he took a breath of fresh air.

He stepped out of the tent, watching the city of Canterlot wake up around him. The bustle of supply stalls and distant conversations were beginning to fill the air, giving the city a lively and, surprisingly, peaceful air for a place full of ponies concerned about the problems of the kingdom.

Arthur decided it was a good time for a morning walk and some food. With a sigh and a wry smile on his face, he headed towards the city market, looking for something to eat for breakfast other than vegetable soup or stale bread. As he walked, he recapitulated his previous day, the decisions he had made and, of course, the registration for the audience at the castle.

"The interview is until nine... I still have plenty of time," he thought, as he sniffed the air, trying to locate the nearest food stall. He walked down the cobblestone street, observing the ponies around him, the majesty of Canterlot's buildings and the towers that rose in the distance.

However, as he browsed the stalls, he noticed a small detail.

"Oh, great... I don't have any money."

With an expression of mild frustration and some resignation, Arthur searched his saddlebag (which he had borrowed), looking for some coins, but only found the guitar he had brought with him. "Well, at least I have this..."

It was then that a spark of inspiration lit up his mind.

"A guitar..."

A mischievous smile spread across his face as he looked at the guitar with new eyes. "I may not have bits, but I do have music," he thought, as he held it between his hooves. And although he was not exactly a virtuoso musician, the guitar was made by a talented inventor who modified it to play itself. He knew enough to strum some decent tunes so as not to raise suspicion, and more importantly: the trick was in the show.

Arthur found a small space in one of the busiest squares in Canterlot and, with his guitar in tow, he prepared for what would be his debut in this new world. The idea of being a street musician seemed strangely perfect for the situation he was in.

"I don't know if anyone will give me money for this, but at least I'll have fun," he thought as he placed the guitar in position and turned the instrument down. He began to strum the first few chords, hoping that some generous soul would drop a couple of coins on the ground in front of him.

As the first few minutes passed, some ponies began to approach, curious about the sound and, perhaps, the unusual presence of a strange pony playing in the square. Arthur, with a sarcastic smile, decided it was time to raise the level of the guitar and his voice.

"Maybe Canterlot isn't so bad after all..." he thought, as he played, feeling that, somehow, he had found a small way to deal with the chaos that surrounded him. And although he wasn't sure what would come next, he was willing to face it in his own way: a little crazy, a little disorganized, but completely himself.

Twilight Sparkle's Morning

Sunrise in Canterlot used to be a majestic event, a perfect dance between the sun, moon, and sky. However, as of late, that cycle that once brought peace and harmony to Equestria only brought a sense of emptiness to Twilight Sparkle.

Twilight watched from the window of her office in the highest tower of the castle. Though the sun was rising as usual, she knew things were far from normal. In the distance, the air of Canterlot seemed calm, but she could sense the latent unrest lurking beneath the surface. Her thoughts tangled, caught in a loop of guilt and responsibility.

"All of this…," she thought as she closed her eyes for a moment, "is partly my fault."

The event had changed everything, fragmenting not only the kingdom but the lives of her friends as well. Since that fateful day, she had no idea where her companions were. The bond that united them, once so strong, now seemed like a distant echo. She knew that each of them had been dragged into a separate realm, fragments of Equestria that now lived under the uncontrolled influence of the Elements of Harmony. And although she had worked tirelessly to try to fix what had happened, the burden of that guilt still weighed heavily on her shoulders.

“If only…”

Her thought was interrupted by a soft knock on the door.

“Come in,” Twilight said, turning her attention to the entrance.

The door opened, revealing Raven, her royal assistant, who entered with her usual precision and calm. The white-furred earth pony with a dark mane, always impeccably collected, approached with a folder of reports between her hooves.

“Princess, I have the updated report on those registered for today's interviews,” Raven announced, bluntly, always straight to the point. “The number of participants is low, as we expected. Only a few from each fragmented territory have decided to share their experiences.”

Twilight sighed as she nodded. It wasn't a surprise, but the low turnout only confirmed the atmosphere of fear and hopelessness that reigned in Equestria.

“And what about... Ponyville?” Twilight asked in an almost subdued voice, as if the mere name of the place made her uncomfortable. That place, among all the others where they had little information, the place where they were completely unaware, gave her a bittersweet feeling.

“Only one pony from Ponyville has managed to escape and decided to sign up for the hearing,” Raven replied, flipping through her papers. “We don't have any more details about him other than the peculiarity of not having a Cutie Mark despite being older, but he seems to be the only one who was able to get out of that territory.”

Twilight frowned. “Only one…” She pondered what that could mean. “Without a Cutie Mark... it's not someone I know,” she said with a downcast face. She hoped that one of her friends could have escaped.

Raven looked at her, waiting for instructions. However, Twilight changed the subject.

“I snuck out to the public library last night,” she said, changing her tone, though with a hint of melancholy. “I needed more information, something I didn’t find in the castle library. There… I had a conversation with someone. I never knew who it was.”

Raven raised an eyebrow, curious, but professional as always.

“Was the information you found useful to you?”

Twilight shook her head.

“I didn’t find what I was looking for. But the conversation was… unexpected, it made me reflect on some current issues. We talked about philosophy, politics, even our lives, but… I never saw his face.”

“Would you like me to look into who it was?” Raven asked.

Twilight looked at her, considering the offer, but after a moment shook her head.

“No. It might not be important right now.”

Raven nodded and changed the subject, something more urgent in her tone.

“About the ponies’ spirits, Princess. I’ve noticed they’re lower than usual. The few who have decided to speak today do so out of despair. “There’s barely any life left in the city.”

Twilight sighed deeply, walking over to the window to look out at the horizon. It was something she had noticed for a while now. Morale was dropping, and even though she was doing her best to stay calm, things felt more and more out of control.

“I can’t blame them, Raven. Equestria is broken, and my friends…” Twilight paused, sadness enveloping her words “I don’t know if we can ever get back what we had.”

Raven remained silent, knowing there were no words to comfort the Princess at that moment.

It was then that a peculiar sound interrupted the heavy silence between them. A distant, almost jovial noise that didn’t fit with the gloomy atmosphere of the morning.

Twilight frowned and peered out the window. In the distance, in one of Canterlot’s squares, a lone pony was playing a guitar, a lively tune that seemed to resonate with an energy that had been missing from the hearts of the inhabitants for a long time.

“What is he doing?” she wondered aloud.

Raven came over to look as well, and they both watched the strange pony play nonchalantly, as if the world wasn’t falling apart around them. Twilight couldn’t help but be drawn to the simplicity of the scene. It was so ordinary, yet at the same time, so unusual in these dark times.

“I don’t know, but it seems that, somehow, it has caught the attention of some,” Raven said, pointing to several ponies who had stopped to listen to the music.

Twilight smiled for the first time in what seemed like an eternity.

“Maybe that’s what we need now…” she whispered, more to herself than to her assistant.

Raven looked at her, not quite understanding, but accepting the change in the Princess's mood.

Twilight, for a moment, let go of the worries and guilt she carried, allowing herself to enjoy the strange little moment unfolding before her eyes.

Arthur was sitting on a bench in Canterlot Square, his automatic guitar resting on his lap. The sun was not quite up yet, and around him, ponies passed by, looking distracted and downcast, as if the weight of the world was on them. He could feel the gloomy atmosphere that reigned in the city.

"Well... if there's one thing I know how to do since I arrived, it's cause a little chaos," he thought with a half-smile.

His hooves lightly tapped the guitar's strings, which automatically responded with a cheerful melody, almost as if the guitar itself was eager to change the mood. Arthur glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, pretending to adjust the strings, even though he knew the guitar was doing all the work.

"Time to pretend I know what I'm doing," he thought with amusement as he began to hum a catchy tune.

Soon, the sound of the guitar echoed through the square, attracting a few curious glances. Some ponies stopped to watch from afar, though most continued on their way, too absorbed in their own problems.

Arthur smiled and began to sing, his voice blending with the lively rhythm of the guitar.

—Today is going to be a good day!, I can feel it! Put your hooves on the ground, feel the beat!
Let the music make you move, come on, there’s nothing to lose.
Jump, laugh, sing loud, the world won’t stop. Let’s dance, until dawn!

As he sang, Arthur slowly rose from the bench, marking the rhythm with one of his front hooves as it hit the ground. The movement was simple at first, just small steps in time to the music, but soon he began to move with more energy, letting the music guide him.

—Hey, hey, there’s no time to lose!
Shake your mane, feel the power!”
The world is crazy, and so are we, so let's have a good laugh.
Dance in circles, spin around, life is better if you don't look back.

Arthur was now jumping, spinning around with improvised grace. His right hoof still tapped the ground hard, echoing throughout the square. His voice was clear and carefree, and his carefree attitude was beginning to infect the ponies who stopped to watch.

Some ponies had already gathered together, forming a small, curious crowd. Arthur, pretending to play the guitar strings, walked towards them, a mischievous grin on his face. He moved back and forth, dancing with exaggerated movements, causing his spectators to let out shy laughs or smile unintentionally.

—Hey you, yes, you! Why so serious?
Come on and move those hooves, forget the mystery!
Jump high, do one more turn, the music doesn't stop, and neither will you ever.

Arthur got closer to the audience, with increasingly energetic movements, doing pirouettes and playing with his automatic guitar, as if he were really playing each note. The ponies watching him began to sway to the rhythm of the music, and some even began to hit the ground with their hooves in time with the song.

The atmosphere in the square had completely changed. What was once a tense and heavy atmosphere had now become a small improvised party, with ponies laughing, moving, and enjoying the show that Arthur was putting on.

—Raise your hooves, there is no end here!
The music continues, and there is nothing else!
Dance with me, don't look back, life is enjoyed if you don't stop.

Arthur took one last leap, stamping the ground with both front hooves, as the guitar finished the tune with a final vibrant note. The audience erupted in applause and cheers, many of them laughing and chatting amongst themselves, as if for a moment they had forgotten the sadness that had enveloped the city.

He took an exaggerated bow, leaning forward and raising the guitar above his head, pretending he had done all the work.

“Thank you, thank you, I’m a genius, I know that,” he said quietly, with a mischievous grin, looking out at the crowd. No one had any idea that the guitar played itself, but who needed to know that? As long as it worked, he would remain the star of the show.

Arthur allowed himself to enjoy the moment. For a brief instant, he forgot the chaos, confusion, and troubles that had brought him to this strange world. As he watched the ponies clapping and smiling, he couldn't help but think that maybe being a little annoying and chaotic was just what this world needed.

I never would have imagined playing in front of a whole crowd before I got here. I guess the fact that once I get home, it won’t matter what they think of me does wonders for my nerves in front of an audience. When there are no social consequences, this becomes a lot easier.

Plus, it’s fun. I’ve always wanted to do it at least once. Well, I did it before, but that was different… it was for survival. This is out of necessity.

Speaking of necessity… I said to myself, looking back at the saddlebag I left open in front of me. It had been strategically placed to catch the generous shower of bits from the audience, who were clearly enthralled by my talent, my energy, and—well, my automatic guitar.

“Let’s see how much loot I got for the show…” I muttered with a confident smile.

I walked over to the saddlebag and, with some anticipation, opened it wide to count the generous reward that—… What?

My eyes stared at the bleak contents: a few, very few bits. Barely a handful.

For a moment, I stood completely frozen, the smile erasing from my face, replaced by a grimace of disbelief. This was not a charity show – I need money to eat hot food!

In my mind, the voice transformed into a desperate cry, but my whole body reflected that despondency. I dropped to my knees, raising my hooves to the sky in a dramatic, exaggerated silent protest, as if some higher power could see me and take pity on my misery.

“Why?!” I blurted out, though of course, only in my head.

After a long sigh, I resigned myself. Well, at least I wasn’t completely broke. I gathered up what little I had managed to gather and, with a final sigh, I got up from the ground. With what I got, I couldn’t afford any luxuries, but something hot to eat was non-negotiable.

With a slow but determined pace, I made my way to one of the nearby stalls, the ones that didn’t look like they charged too much. I bought a notepad and a piece of charcoal to write on. I don’t know, maybe I’ll end up needing to jot down any ideas that come to mind, after all I’m on an adventure and keeping a journal is crucial.

Finally, with the last bits, I treated myself to a hot meal. Nothing fancy, of course, just a simple stew and some bread. But after the spectacle, the music, and the lack of any worthy loot, sitting down and eating something that wasn’t cold was reward enough.

“Take it easy, Arthur,” I thought as I savored what little I had. At least you survived another day…”