Apogee
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Our Inevitable Forever

Apogee

974 BFF
Northern HinterLands.

Apogee smiled softly as she looked at the ancient tribe of pegasi laughing as they prepared a feast. The ancient pegasi had fluffier feathers and a much more bulky body, more equipped to withstand the colder climate of the north. But overall, not too different from modern pegasi. Apogee mused on these thoughts as she maneuvered around the hulking ponies who excitedly pranced everywhere, determined to make this feast go splendidly.

"Apogu of Distant Lands! Come! You deserve seat of honor!" Chief Flight of Pouring Cloud shouted over the rumblings of his subordinates. Apogee looked up to see him gesturing to a nicely carved out wooden chair. She smiled hesitantly and made her way over, carefully picking her way through the crowd.

"Thank you, Chief Flight of Pouring Cloud." She dipped her head before slowly easing herself onto the chair.

"No. I must thank you, Apogu of Distant Lands. This bountiful harvest would not have come to pass without your guidance." The ancient tribe settled down once they realized that their guest of honor was now seated. Many of the pegasi were nodding enthusiastically, one grandmare especially. A rare sight, elders. "Today, we feast in your honor and as well as Great Faust of Higher Lands."

"Honor!" Came the resounding roar of all pegasi present. They raised their wings in near perfect sync before slamming it down on the wooden table. There was a moment of silence, then they began to eat.

Apogee smiled awkwardly and had tried to follow with whatever they were doing, but even after two days, it still felt completely alien to her. Chief Flight of Pouring Cloud gave her a big leaf that had fruits piled on top of it. He grinned shamelessly which made Apogee blush and demurely accepted the leaf.

"Truly, Apogu of Distant Lands, you are a blessing of Great Faust of Higher Lands." He bit into a round red fruit, reminiscent of a modern apple. Juices dribbled down his brown lengthy beard, but he didn't seem to take any notice.

"You flatter me too much."

"No. I do not think that."

"..." Apogee awkwardly smiled at that and distracted herself with a bite of her own. The fruit was delicious, sweet in a way that was pleasant to the taste buds. "Chief Flight of Pouring Cloud?"

"Yes, honored one?"

"I have a favor to ask."

"Ask away, I shall endeavour to grant your greatest desire." He put away his leaf and bowed deeply. Apogee blushed again but didn't fight against it.

"I am leaving soon, but before I do, is there a cave nearby?"

"Truly?" Apogee nodded. The chief murmured something under his breath, but then shook his head. "I understand. Blessings from Great Faust of Higher Lands must not overstay their need, else it becomes a curse." Apogee instinctively grimaced. "Very well. If that is your last request, then it shall be granted. If it pleases you, I can show you the nearest cave after our feast?"

"That would be great."

"Splendid, then let us continue to partake."

The feast lasted for another hour and Apogee tried her best to enjoy every moment of it. After all, she was never coming back. She laughed with a stallion called Roar of Under Mountain, who told her about the time he fought a bear and lost his wings in the process. Reflecting back, she had no idea why it was funny. She also remembered very fondly a chat she had with this relatively old mare by the name of Mist of Hinter Wood. She told her amazing stories about gliding through a mysterious cavern and how she got lost because of a fog that rolled in. She described with vivid detail how she had to camp for the night but when morning came, the sunlight cast a brilliant glow on the red rocks of the canyon. Apogee remembered shedding a tear when the mare finished telling the story. But, all good things must come to an end.

"Apogu of Distant Lands, are you ready?" The chief stood next to a tree, his wings fluffed up against the bitter nightly chill. Apogee nodded and together they set off.

It was a mere twenty minute trot, but every second felt horrible. She had told herself, time and time again, to stop making friends, to keep herself isolated. But her very core being resisted violently and time and time again, she always found herself drifting to ponies and hearing about their stories, only to leave them behind, time and time again.

"Apogu." There was a pause. She blinked herself out of her stupor and glanced at him, very confused. "From the bottom of my heart and on behalf of my tribe, we wish you the blessings and good tidings Great Faust of Higher Lands offers." He bowed once again, with one wing outstretched to the right.

Apogee followed with her eyes and noticed a small crack in the cliff wall, but it was big enough for a pony. She turned around to say thank you but he was already trotting away, head held up high and wings fluffed up. She smiled softly for a moment before heading into the crack.

Once she couldn't feel the bitter cold, she went for the knife that she kept under her wing the whole time, with her mouth. After she made sure that she had a firm grip, Apogee carved out with practiced ease, a symbol and some numbers. She then sheathed her dagger and stepped back. The lines were straight enough.

Then, out of the blue, a wave of paralyzing electricity raced through her veins, causing her to gasp out in pain. She collapsed on the floor and saw the floor through her hooves. She whimpered and cursed at herself. She stayed too long, yet again.

She closed her eyes and willed herself away before another shock could arc around her body.

109 AFF.
Castle of the Two Sisters.

Apogee cracked through space time before getting spat out onto sand. She groaned and rolled over. Time travel still felt horrible, after all these years. Unlike the first few, admittedly terrifying, times, Apogee had learned to just relax. Just take it all in before choosing a decisive plan of action. That is if there weren't any spears pointed at her.

"You are under arrest! Submit yourself to a weapons search and wing bindings, then prepare yourself to face Her Majesties." Apogee blinked her eyes open with a pained grunt. Glaring light threatened to make her blind so she squinted. From that, she could gather the outlines of three guards. Royal guards from the looks of things. She sighed and willingly submitted herself.

The process took a whole hour, all the while, answering questions, like how did she get in the middle of the castle's garden without being spotted, was she a minotaur spy, or her personal favorite, what was her favorite color. She answered everything truthfully, omitting the fact about time travel of course. That one stallion who asked was pretty happy to learn that her favorite color was purple.

After her wings were tightly secured, two guards escorted her through the Castle of the Two Sisters and past two heavy double doors into the throne room. The carpet was a luxurious red that led up to a raised platform in which two pedestals were raised. Each had a throne, but only the white one, the one on the right, was occupied. Apogee bowed as was custom.

"Rise. We have been told that thou were found in Our garden. Speaketh thy truth." Princess Celestia boomed out. Apogee found herself prostrating herself even more, much to her embarrassment. She kept her tail firmly clamped and stammered out a response.

"I found myself there on accident. I was forcibly teleported and had found myself there without exact knowledge of my circumstances." One hundred percent the truth.

"...We find no lies. Thou speaketh truth. At least, thine truth." Princess Celestia pondered for a moment. "Knave, what is thy name?"

"Apogee."

"Peculiar name." She flicked a hoof and an aide came scuttling out. "Apogee will be Our guest. Make suitable arrangements." The aide nodded before scurrying off.

Apogee stayed still, not wanting to set off any alarm bells. She's dealt with Princess Celestia far too many times over the years, one could almost mistake her for a companion of sorts. The only problem was that when she inevitably leaves, everypony forgets about her.

73 Years ago.
1294 AFF.
Canterlot.

Apogee burst through the double doors, and took on another burst of power from her wings, completely ignoring the royal guards scrambling after her. She effortlessly dodged a few flying spears before tumbling through another set of doors that led into the throne room.

It'd been several years since she was given an opportunity to meet with Celestia, but surely she would remember her. For her, the last time they met would have been nearly two hundred years ago. They talked for days, sharing their deepest secrets, comforting each other, knowing they had each other, immortals of two different planes of existence.

There were startled gasps as nobles who were there for court stared at this errant pegasus, all dirtied up from her crash land. Apogee ignored them and darted forward to land in front of Celestia. She grinned breathlessly and waited, mostly due to her lack of breath, but also hoping to see a hint of recognition in her beautiful eyes.

They never came.

Instead, she had her guards surround her and dragged her into the dungeon. As she was dragged away, she heard whispers of 'griffon spy' and 'attempted assassination.' Those didn't hurt as much as Celestia's callous dismissal. All she could do in that moment of despair was stay silent until they threw her into a cell. It was until the last lights disappeared as they closed the dungeon's entrance, that Apogee succumbed to tears.

Present.
109 AFF.
Castle of the Two Sisters.

Apogee sat on the guest bed and distractedly sipped some tea the indentured servants had brought her. Maybe twenty years ago she would have fretted over her circumstances, but she's come to learn to accept her reality and situation. In one jump, she crash landed into a forgotten library buried in the desert, it was there she learned more about Princess Celestia than anypony would have likely ever know. This time period was before jealousy overtook her sister, so, this Celestia was one of peaceful composure and was willing to lend an ear to a pony in distress.

Of course, this was a time where Equestria was still relatively small, in both population and size, so it made it easier for Princess Celestia to follow up on those endeavors. It certainly made Apogee much more relaxed.

She didn't have to wait long as within twenty minutes, there was a knock on the door. Apogee allowed entry and in came Princess Celestia, in all of her pink and white glory. She bowed with a slight reluctance, unsure whether or not it was proper. She stayed there until she heard a polite cough from above. When she looked up, the princess gestured to a smaller table off to the side with two chairs. After they sat down, Princess Celestia began to speak.

"We find Ourselves most curious of thine predicament, Apogee. If thou could recalleth thine circumstances prior to forced 'portation, perhaps We could be of some assistance." Despite her being of lower stature in consideration to her future self, this Celestia still demanded a certain aura that held Apogee captive.

"I uhh...my fate is not one of consequence, Your Highness. Please, do not bother yourself with such frivolities." Apogee gave her the best smile she could muster.

"Nonsense. We strive to help Our little ponies, and thou is no different." There was a certain sternness in her voice that compelled Apogee to speak.

"I...am a traveler of extreme circumstance. I have been privy to these forced teleportations for most of my life. It is of no consequence." She said softly, in hopes of convincing the princess to drop it. It is futile.

"Once again, dear Apogee, Our generosity does not extend to patience. Would it not be better to tell Us of thine predicament so We could solve it for thou?" She shook her head, almost mournfully. "If thou truly believed in thine words, then this is an issue of utmost importance."

Apogee had to smile at that. A small tear leaked out that trailed down her cheek like a loving caress. "I apologize, Your Highness, but the best sorceress of all the land could not fix me. There is nothing to be done, but wait and see. Forever."

She was silent after that. Both of them. Lost in their own trains of thought. The silence stretched long past the comfort zone, but Apogee nonetheless felt at ease. It was not a preferred ease like she longed for, but it was the best she could muster. Soon, or rather, much later, the silence was broken by a timid knock on the door.

"Come in." A small pegasus poked her head in and said that she was needed. Princess Celestia sighed. "We will be right there. Apogee...thou art free to make use of Our facilities till thine forced departure. We...We are truly sorry." There was an awkward pause, but before Apogee could say anything, the princess bid a hasty retreat.

She sighed and made her way back to the bed. The last light of the day were fading that cast a warm glow through the windows. Princess Celestia had said she could use the facilities to her advantage should she wish it. It was tempting, especially after those last few days in ancient Equestria where there was nothing to eat but fruit and grass.

After a quick ponder, Apogee decided to stay until her time inevitably ran out. With that internal declaration, she summoned a servant and asked for some dinner. To her surprise and guilt, it arrived in five minutes. A delicious bouquet alongside a bread basket. A tea kettle was also brought in that complemented the flowers superbly.

When she was finished, Apogee turned in for the night. It had been quite a while since she had laid on a soft bed such as this one. It didn't take long for her to slip into the dream world. As such, she wasn't terribly surprised to see a pony waiting amongst a field of stars.

"Your Highness, I am honored." She bowed low. Just like Princess Celestia, Princess Luna held a unique awe that captured amazement more than respect. Despite that, Apogee could tell that it was subdued, as if straining against a barrier.

"So thou art the newcomer." She murmured, a soft look of contemplation on her features. "Our sister seems enamoured by thou, care to tell Us why?"

"I was forcibly teleported into Your Highness' gardens. It is not uncommon as I have been cursed since foalhood to forever remain in flux." Apogee whispered, yet the sound still traveled as if she had spoken with confidence.

"Truly..." Princess Luna leaned back onto a manifested pillow. Her blue tail swished hypnotically as she contemplated. "Apogee, that is thine name, yes?" She nodded. "We see why Our sister has taken interest. Thou speaketh of a harrowing tale that holds much grief and truth, yet, absolute truth is still hidden. Fret not, We shall not press, We merely find it curious."

Apogee swallowed. She had only met Princess Luna once, a few years after she was liberated from Nightmare Moon. The experience had been...something. But, throughout their interaction, Apogee noticed that there was a distinctive hesitancy in the way she spoke, as if she was carefully selecting words. She didn't take much care to figure out why as she was soon chased out by an opossum of all things.

"Your Highness...may I ask a hypothetical question?" Princess Luna's ears perked up with surprise as she tilted her head to give her her full attention. "If you knew that you were going to sleep for a thousand years, say, in four hundred years from now, what would you do?"

There was an odd silence that followed. Apogee in terrified silence and Luna in a contemplative one. The dream world seemed to flex upon that emotional instability as it seemed to bend space around them. Constellations she knew shifted and danced across the night sky, creating an entirely different sky.

"And it is nigh impossible to escape from?"

"...yes." Apogee calmed her nerves to the point where she was able to hold direct eye contact should the need arise, but it still lingered in the back of her head, like a mosquito in a swamp.

"If We were given a mere four hundred years, We would journey around and make a difference." Princess Luna declared, her stance tall and assured. "We would learn about the crafts and then teach them to the poverty. We would interact with Faust's nature, to enjoy what life We had left among the living and the awake. If We are to wake again after those thousand years, our Faust given world would no doubt have changed. In conclusion, knave, We would live just a bit more. Does that satisfy thine question?"

Apogee stared at her, unblinking, and completely in awe. She had not expected anypony, much less Princess Luna, to answer a question regarding their inevitable future. The intensity of her answer on top of that sparked a warmth that Apogee hadn't felt in a long long while.

"Yes, Your Majesty. I have been humbled and appreciative by your serious answer." Apogee felt inclined to bow again and indulged. This time, it felt much more natural and respectful.

"Speak nothing of it, knave. It has been an age since We were required to think of such an answer. It is Us who thanks thou for thine question." Princess Luna dipped her head, if only slightly, before speaking again. "Our time grows short. We bid thee farewell and good tidings. If thine curse allows thou for another night, We might come visit again." And with that, she disappeared into a smokey haze, leaving Apogee alone to dance among the field of stars.

1526 AFF
The Fields of Solitaire.

Apogee thudded heavily onto a grassy hill. She sighed sadly as she recalled the soft bed she had left behind. She wearily blinked open her eyes and nearly flinched at the sudden explosion that graced the war torn sky. Fear held her in place for a minute but when nothing else seemed to happen, she snapped out of it. Another sigh came out, this one of jadedness.

She's been to this particular event several times throughout her journey, each time in a different location of course, but it's the same wherever you go. The Third Griffon War, also known as the First Equus War. The conflict that spanned griffons, ponykind, dragons, changelings, and even yaks. The hippogriffs and kirin went back into hiding, afraid of their past. Other sentient creatures followed suit soon after, but it didn't matter. The war affected all.

She mused silently as she scaled a hill and plopped herself down underneath a sturdy oak tree. After she was settled in, Apogee pulled out a pastry she had taken from the pantry before she left and munched on it, all the while taking stock of the situation. This appeared to be the Fields of Solitaire, famous for the infamous explorer by the name of Free Solitaire who was the first to document the area. Villages and outposts were set up, and the valley became the gateway to the unexplored frontier. Ponies of all kinds visited, thirsting for that dream of a new world.

It served as a gateway for the next hundred years before it fell obsolete. The valley became just a footnote in history until it would then later become even more notable nearly 700 years later due to the massive conflict between a horde of rebel dragons and eight Equestrian divisions. The death toll was in the hundreds of thousands.

"Terrible, isn't it." It wasn't a question. That seemed to surprise Apogee more than the fact that a mysterious stallion appeared right next to her, resting against the trunk in a similar position to herself.

"...yes. It is." And she meant it, but that small hesitation startled her. "Ah...I'm sorry, I've just...seen a lot, I suppose."

"I understand." Apogee glanced back to get a proper look at him. He was a pegasus with a light blue coat. He wore a farmer's hat and little hints of a light green mane underneath. His amber eyes held a lot of warmth but a lot of pain as well that seemed to suck Apogee into its depths.

"...I suppose you do." She smiled a little stiltedly. "If it isn't too rude, may I ask why you're here?"

"On this hill or this battlefield? Or perhaps you mean more existentially?" He grinned toothily but it didn't reach his eyes. It made Apogee feel sad for some reason.

"All of the above, I suppose." She rummaged through her tail and got out two more pastries. She offered one to the mysterious stallion who accepted gratefully.

"Thank you." He sniffed at it and smiled, this one a little more genuine. "A royal pastry if I ever smelled one, delicious to a grizzled traveller like me. To answer your question, I was brought here."

"Brought here."

"Yes, what a simple notion." He chewed on his pastry with such luxury that it almost made Apogee second guess the contents of her own pastry. "I'm a Wanderer, one who follows the wind like a leaf."

Apogee chuckled ruefully. "At least you're given a choice. If you're a leaf, then I'm a stick in turbulent waters, tossed and turned, occasionally getting snagged in the riverbed, never in control."

"I sympathize, truly." His voice became softer, one that spoke of decades of comfort. It seemed to work, much to Apogee's confusion, but accepted nonetheless. It was strange, it had been a while since she felt so comfortable with another pony.

The two sat under that oak tree, eating pastries, for what felt like hours. Apogee felt a certain camaraderie form between them, much to her reluctant displeasure. She sighed, already visualizing what would happen given enough time, and stood up. "I'm sorry, mr. Wanderer..."

"Please, just Wanderer."

"Wanderer." He nodded. "I'm sorry, but I have to go now. It's been pleasant talking with you, thank you." She turned to leave but before she could, he spoke out.

"I enjoyed it too." Overhead, the roars of dragons accompanied by the thrumming of machine gun fire. The Wanderer looked at her with concern. "Do you have a place to go to? If not, I have a safe enough place, at least for the night."

Apogee thought about it for a moment, then conceded. He smiled at her confirmation and gestured in a direction with a wing. The two set off, a sort of peace developing between them despite the chaos nearby. They marched for a considerable distance, but Apogee didn't mind. It distracted her from the sounds of senseless slaughter behind them in a valley meant for peace and exploration.

"Here is my little temporary abode, make yourself at home." He chuckled mirthlessly as he presented a small grotto that was furnished with dirty blankets and a gray tarp, effectively camouflaging the area from above. Apogee gave it to him, he knew how to make a hideaway. "I have little to offer in terms of food or drinks, but the rain capture still has some fresh water if you want some."

Apogee politely refused. "Are you...homeless?"

"My, so refreshingly blunt!" He chuckled. "Since the day I was born."

"Sorry?"

"It's perfectly alright. I've long grown used to it." A loud crack shook the sky that was soon replaced with loud whistling. Apogee watched the Wanderer's face as it went from strained pleasantness to resigned despair. A loud muffled boom followed. "I thought I knew war, you know? I've fought in a couple of skirmishes myself, but it never gets any easier. It doesn't help our technology has improved to the point where a single insignificant pony could stand toe to toe with a dragon." He sighed heavily and slipped his farmer's hat off. "I don't know what to do."

"...have you tried leaving? Leave Equestria, go somewhere else. I'm sure there's more out there, beyond our maps." Apogee said with a hollow smile. What was worse was a hollow smile in return.

"Thank you for trying, but it wouldn't help. All I can do is play the spectator until I am needed." That last part held more determination than anything else he had said the entire time Apogee had talked to him. She tilted her head, morbidly curious.

"What do you mean 'needed'?"

"I have long promised to help those in need, this war is no different. Should a wounded griffon fall from the sky and still draws breath, I would try my hardest to save them." He looked back at Apogee and she could see a fire behind those amber eyes, it drew her in just like before. "If I didn't, I fear what I would become."

"...I kind of get that." Apogee said after a while. She looked away and the two fell into companionable silence again.

She decided to look to the skies, morbidly interested in seeing the contrast of the cruel senseless slaughter against the beautiful natural backdrop. As she watched, she saw three fighter planes doing barrel rolls around a medium sized dragon, fruitlessly trying to swat them away. The fighters would expertly dodge and all the while, peppering the dragons hide with magi munitions. Apogee winced when part of the dragon's wing tore away. It was thousands of meters away yet she could still hear the fleshy tearing sound in her head.

"Come. Violence was never meant for ponies." She looked up to see the Wanderer spreading his forelegs as if preparing for a hug. She squinted questioningly and he merely smiled. She shuffled forward and pitifully laid her head against his surprisingly comfortable chest.

"Wanderer?"

"Yes?"

"I...I don't know. I just..."

"Want to hear a pony's voice?"

"...yeah." She snuggled deeper into his fur. "Tell me a story."

"Let's see...there was a mare. Weighted down by the burdens of life and responsibility, most forced upon her not of her own will. She knew that if she took a single day off, everything would fall apart, but she did. One fateful evening, she decided to shun everything. It was a courageous move to step out that door, one that I immensely respect. She took a train bound for the coast. By the time she got off, it was nearing midnight, but it didn't seem to matter for her. The mare strolled to the beach and looked at the stars. Just, simply looked at them. It was nothing special, just a view anypony could see, but that in itself made it the most important thing in the world in that moment. The mare felt free, free of responsibility, free of sadness, free of civilization. Even if only lasted for an hour, she would later tell me that it was the best hour of her life."

2021 AFF.
Ruins of Canterlot.

Apogee walked a lonely ruined road, but it had a certain essence to it. It might've been the weeds uprooting cobblestone or perhaps the decaying wooden support structure causing buildings to sag. It could've been the fact that the pony capital was long forgotten but it still remained glorious despite the overgrowth and total absence of ponies.

She smiled sadly as she trotted up to an ancient fritter stand. She wondered how it happened to be there, up in the higher echelons of Canterlot poshness. Her thoughts naturally drifted into how the cart was abandoned in the first place. A small thought crossed her mind, just a flicker, but it made her almost nostalgic. Perhaps, just perhaps, the cart owner was whisked away on his own adventure.

She patted it a couple times before scaling up the hill again. After the war torn sky, the deafening silence felt off. It was comforting, but it also felt fundamentally wrong. However, the higher she kept climbing, the more noise seemed to bleach back into reality. Birdsong, crickets clicking, she even heard a far away roar of an unknown beast.

Another few hundred hoofsteps later, another thought caught alight. It had been a while since she was truly alone for a jump. The past eight or so jumps, there was always another sentient creature to converse with, to break bread with. Granted, there was that one time where she was captured by a Changeling Queen and held hostage until she blipped out again, but even then, she chatted with the drones on guard duty.

She pondered on what this meant. The thoughts didn't really went anywhere as her eyes kept on drifting to the scenery around her. Pony Joe's, Quills and Sofas, Rarity 4 U, and so many more recognizable names. Even after all these years, they still held their grandeur and warmth.

She smiled as memories flooded in. That warm bite of a donut. That soft luxurious texture of a couch. Trying on a particularly appealing dress. Those were the first few years into her jumps. 'Happiness just around a jump' she used to say. It was so simple. Where did it all go?

Apogee found herself at a park overlook. It was overgrown, bushes and vines everywhere, but a bench was still relatively alright and clean. She sat down with a grateful sigh and leaned back. It was a spectacular sight. Rolling green hills, no sight of civilization, just unrestrained nature.

A second later a brilliant golden light sparkled across the sky, like a summer rain shower. How beautiful.

Author's Note

Initially, I wanted a simple one-shot about a mare 'surviving' her circumstances, not 'living it'. As you can see, it grew exponentially, but I believe it holds still that core idea. It also evolved into a two chapter story, so stick around for that to come out.

I hoped you enjoyed it!