Gateway to Harmony

I slowly regain consciousness. My eyelids glued shut begin to separate back to their natural position. I take a deep breath and hold for several moments before exhaling with a yawn. I start to exercise my muscles as my body comes to life. Slowly, I turn myself over to face the ceiling. What I see, I did not expect. I see Twilight at the foot of my bed, tears welling in her eyes her mouth puckered. As I sit up she gallops to me and holds me tight in embrace. I am shocked, not knowing what to do I wrap my arms around her. I am the first to speak.

“Twilight what happened, are you okay!” I immediately realize the stupidity of the question, but in my line of work I am not exactly trained to properly deal with emotion. Twilight sobbing struggles to speak.

“I am so sorry.” Twilight hugs me even tighter.

“Why would you be sorry, you have done nothing wrong.”  Twilight loosens the embrace her eyes still filled with tears. She closes her eyelids gently. Just a short time later her horn begins to emit a purple luminescence. She leans into my forehead.

I feel a sharp shock in the back of my head. Suddenly millions of images start flooding my brain. I feel and perceive them as if they were happening now. For what I was experiencing were my memories, memories of home, and its destruction.

I saw my childhood on Earth, my home in Connecticut. I saw my mother and father. Then everything went dark. A moment later the images came back, but not of my parents or childhood home, no, the evacuation.

I remember that day. It is seared into my subconscious, overpopulation and overuse of Earth’s resources made our once great world barren. Our cities burned in riots, our fields expunged of all plant life. We were force to leave for another home.

Teraforming was a revolutionary new breakthrough in biological science. It gave us the ability to make a new home. Ships were built. Shuttles housing the device were sent to surrounding planets across the solar system. We soon followed, simply abandoning our sinking ship. The image went dark once again.

Twilight moves her head back, her eyes still closed. The luminescence around her horn dissipates completely. I open my eyes, which were now also filled with tears. I stutter.

“Wha..how…why.” Twilight lays her hoof upon my mouth, I remain silent. Twilight now spreads her eyelids apart, her pupils now glistening.

“I am so sorry, I needed to see. I needed to know what you really were, where you came from.”

“Twilight, I left those memories behind long ago, and for a reason. Nobody deserves to feel that pain, especially you.” Twilight forms a small smile and softly buries her head in my shoulder. I too smile. We fall back asleep.

Morning

As Twilight retreats downstairs to the library I erect myself. I begin to move around stretching my stolid body. It had been a while since I had any natural sleep. It felt rejuvenating. With a smile on my face I walk downstairs. I slow midway trying to avoid the sleeping dragon grasping a mop in the center of the stairs.

“He must have fallen asleep during his morning chores, poor thing.” Twilight says with a comical face while she rounds the stair post.

“He sure is dedicated.”

“That is why he is my number one assistant.” Twilight smiled. This moment was swiftly halted by a loud belch. The once sleeping Spike had awoken with a small poof a flame as a piece a parchment formed from nothing in the epicenter. Spike groaned as he drifted back into sleep.

“This world will never cease to amaze me.” I say jokingly. Twilight walks over to the sealed scroll and scoops it up in her mouth. She then advances over to the nearest table and gently lays the scroll upon it. She removes the seal with her hoof as the paper unfolds.

“It is a letter from princess Celestia.”

“Oh her, what does it say.” I remark with a bitter tone.

“It is about you.”

“Not surprising.”

“It says that she wants me to come to the castle immediately. She knows you crashed somewhere near Ponyville, and wants me to assist in her location of you.”

“Mission complete.” I say sarcastically.

“R.J. this is serious, she wants you captured. Remember the princess still has no idea what you are, she could think you are a threat.”

“A threat, need I remind her that her guards fired on me.” I say in a fierce tone.

“R.J. I don’t know what to do. If I don’t go she will eventually come to us, and there will be no place to hide then.” Twilight has a concerned look on her face.

I think for a moment before responding. “I’m coming with you.”

“You’re insane.”

“Anything but. You are right Twilight I can’t hide forever. Eventually they will find me. It might as well be on my own terms. If I hide I just look guiltier. At least this way I will have a chance to make peace.”

“Well what if they take you back into custody!”

“Honestly, I would like to see them try.” My comical expression quickly turns grim.

“I see your logic, but I still think it might be a bad idea.”

“Twilight you need to trust me.” I say in a reassuring tone. Twilight remains silent for several moments.

“Fine, just don’t do anything stupid.”

“That is purely up to them.” Twilight nods.

“There is just one problem. How will we get you there undiscovered? We need to take a train to get into the city, and they have the Royal guards check every car before docking.”

“I am way ahead of you. Computer, execute function active camo.”

“Yes sir, executing function designation active camouflage now.” A white light forms at the base of my suit and once again moves up the crevices. As the light ascends the area left behind it becomes transparent until it engulfs the whole suit.

“That might work.” Twilight grins.

Twilight and I exited the house moving swiftly for the train depot. I stayed closely behind her minding not to knock into any objects as to indicate my being. As we approached the station we slowed to a light jog. Twilight whispers without looking back at me.

“Get in one of the cargo cars in the back. When we get to checkpoint at the barrier stay where you are! Like I said the guards check every car. After we arrive at Canterlot when the station clears I will sneak around and open the door to release you. We can work from there.”

“Sounds like a solid plan.” I then swiftly run over to the furthest cargo car making sure nobody notices the door opening. I unlatch the handle and gently slide the wood panel to the right. I step onto the platform without making a sound. As I secure myself I softly shut the door behind me locking it from the inside. As I turn around I see piles upon piles of crates and scattered luggage. I notice a small pile of suitcases in the top left corner next to the door linking to the next car of the train. I remove them from their place and sit down in the open space. I then rebuild the pile around me forming a cocoon. Now I wait.

It was not long after I heard what sounded like the boiler starting. The train jolted forward verifying my evaluation. The cars slowly gained speed as we hurtled towards the capitol.

The ride to Canterlot was fairly short, a half hour at best. By that time we had come to the checkpoint at the barrier. I looked through the window. I whispered.

“Computer switch visor mode to infrared.”

“Yes sir, switching visor mode now.” A green light formed at the base of the visor and elevated leaving a trail of green luminescence in its wake. I look up and see the familiar scarlet mass in my screen.

“Fingers crossed.” Short after I hear a door open in the distance. I presume the guards had made their arrival. I hear them move from car to car opening door after door. When they grew closer to the cargo hold I made sure the suitcases were secure. Suddenly the train car opened. A flood of background noise from the passenger cars above filled the room. First a unicorn stepped in. His horn emitting a bright yellow light, he was wearing a gilded outfit headed by a turquoise star. As he stepped in he was followed by two other colts in identical uniforms.

They began to slowly walk around the circumference of the car scrutinizing each section of the cargo. My heart begins to race as they approach my section of the car. I try my best to remain still and silent. The head guard begins his pass around me lighting the way for the others behind him. My heart stops when one of the soldiers halts in front of my corner. He turns to me and leans in close. I remain solid as a rock. He stays in this position squinting and making curious sounds such as hmm and ah.

“Hey what are you looking at?” One of the soldiers asked.

“Oh ah nothing, just thought I saw something.

“Well hurry up, there is another train scheduled to be here in three minutes. We need to clear the tracks.”

“Alright alright.”

The colt then began to retreat to the exit. He then regrouped with the rest of his squad and left the car. I exhale a sigh of relief.

We pass through the checkpoint continuing onto the city. I feel the train jolt once again as it comes to a stop. I wait in the car as Twilight requested. During this time I could not help but think. What I would do, what I would say. This moment would either gain me an ally or curse me with an enemy. I needed to be careful.

After five minutes had past I heard a sound coming from outside the car. Unsure I crouch back into the corner not wanting to take any risks. As the door unfolds my defense melts away as I see the familiar purple mare standing with her hooves laid up on the base of the car. I notice her eyes moving side to side, probably looking for me. I once again whisper.

“Computer, de-activate cloaking.”

Twilight hears the sound and turns her head toward my position. I stand as my camouflage faded away. I gently push the cases aside as I make my way to the exit. She seemed relieved to see me safe. I could tell she was nervous to the possibility I was discovered by the guards. I step off the train stretching as I do. Sitting in a crouched position in the corner of a wooden train car isn’t the most comfortable of activities. After a moment I speak.

“Alright, they want me, here I am.”