Secret No Longer (Revised)
“S-So, how?” - I asked with a trembling voice, looking straight at Octavia’s face.
Going back to the tavern by her side, and still being alive, somehow calmed me down a little. I was still a bit shaky, but I also felt that most of my senses were back and operational.
“I don’t exactly know how to answer such an imprecise question.” - She lowered her gaze to the beer
she was holding with both her hooves on the table. But she wasn’t too eager to drink it. So she looked at me again.
“And more on that,” - she continued. - “you’re the first pony who I actually have to explain anything to”. - Well... maybe that didn’t give me any answers, but it created my first particular question.
“How so? How come no one ever asked you about it? I haven’t noticed if anyone was scared of you here. I don’t understand why, because they suppose to. However, that yellow pegasus from earlier was even worrying about you.” - Now that I think about it, assumption that everypony in this town was crazy, has pretty high chances to be true.
She smiled a little at my conclusions and looked at her beer again.
“No... Nothing like that. It’s just...” - She raised her eyes - “...that you are the first pony, who actually ever saw me in that state.”
My mind, which a while ago had restored its functionality, went blank again. How in tartarus, could a living, flying star, fighting a giant dragon go unnoticed two hundred meters from the town's center?! But I wasn’t sure of my luck enough to ask the question in that way.
“Don’t get me wrong.” - I moved a little forward - “But, how could it be possible that no one have ever seen you? You are quite hard to miss.”
The desire to know the answer was my curse. When I get too offensive, it would sometimes not end well. This would mostly occur at the beginning of my career. But sometimes it was a blessing. When the right question was asked, every unwanted factor in my mind, from anxiety, fear, to even alcohol, would completely disappear.
“Well...” - She sighed a little, her head resting on her hoof while looking at the wall next to our table - “That’s the reason why I came to this town in the first place.”
“Sorry,...” - I started. She directed her eyes at me with her face still turned at the wall. - “...but I still don’t understand what is so special about this place.”
“Haha.” - She laughed a little as she turned her face at me. Her hoof got back to it’s previous position on the table. - “I don’t blame you.” - She started. - “Because, what makes this town special, is much too subtle, even for your great observational skills.” - Then she moved forward and leaned over the table. I did the same so we could be in the whisper range. “The thing is...” - She started with a half whisper. - “...that in the entire town, there is not even a single window.” - She smiled and straightened on the chair, leaving me with a stupid frown on my face.
Hit by my own weapon. That was ironic. But I must admit that I like her style, somehow. I haven’t had as much luck as Octavia had earlier, though. The tavern wasn't such an empty place as before, and two stallions next to the bar giggled at my sight. Which, on the other hoof, helped me to sober up from this awkward state much faster than Octavia did. I got back in my place.
“You’re good.” I said, narrowing my eyes at her. - “But don’t say that there’s never anyone outside.”
“You won’t meet anyone when there’s a dragon, that’s for sure.” - She said, and took the first sip of her beer, causing me to look at mine. I realized that this was the first time in a while that I actually looked away from Octavia. My eyes hurt a little. She put her mug down and continued. - “There's not a single pony in this town that won’t go hide in their basement when they at least hear the dragon. I wonder, when was the last time anypony has even seen a dragon here.”
“Like half an hour ago?” - I said with a little awkward smile. It still wasn’t much of a pleasant memory.
“Oh, right.” - She said with a little smile and took her mug again. - “Sorry about that.” - She looked at mine. - “Better start to drink your beer, or it’s gonna get cold.” - She took the next sip of her’s.
“No, no. Don’t be sorry. It wasn’t that bad.” - IT WAS HORRIBLE! - “And you killed that dragon, right? So you did something good.”
She choked on her beer.
“WHAT?!” - She yelled, loud enough that it was probably heard outside. Everypony inside looked at her. But after a while of awkward silence they all went back to their previous activities.
Octavia just looked at me with wide eyes.
“I didn’t kill it!” - She said in a half whisper. She was a little angry, like I had hurt her feelings.
“But... Wha... - I hobbled in confusion. - “But, I saw it collapse! That was a powerful hit! - I said, trying to not be too loud.
“Yeah!” - She rolled her eyes. - “But it doesn’t mean that I killed it! I would never kill a friend! I wouldn’t kill anything!”
What? What had she just said?! Maybe I just misheard her. But I was always sure of my ears. There is no way that I heard her wrong! Well... There's always a first time for everything. Please... I’m not that old. I definitely heard it right! So where is the problem then? The brain? Have you hit your head recently? I don’t remember anything like that! Well... Then maybe we found our answer. But I don’t feel any pain or have any wounds! There has to be something else! Hm... Right... Then maybe... She drugged you? She couldn’t! What happened that made you trust her? She just admitted that she’s friends with...
“Are you ok?”
“Eeee... What?” - I was brutally dragged back to reality. Octavia’s concerned face was right next to mine.
“Oh thank Celestia.” - She said with relief. - ”You got white like the snow outside and I wasn’t sure if you were still breathing?”
I realized that I was half standing, so I collapsed on my chair and looked at the floor.
“Sorry for that.” - I said and looked at her. I can’t say that her concern vanished entirely, but she was mostly in the same state as before...
“Did you just say,...” - I started. I giggled a little because of the silliness of the question I was going to ask. - “that... that dragon was your friend?” - I smiled, of course it can’t be.
“Yes, he IS. Maybe he'll be unconscious for a while, but he’s still alive, remember? I didn’t kill him.”
Congratulations Pal! Your mind is completely fine! Of course besides the fact that you've started talking to yourself a little too much.
“WHAT!?” - I yelled so loud that again everyone in the tavern looked in our table’s direction. And again we had to wait a while before I could continue again.
“How can it be?!”
* * *
The first time I had heard about Octavia was in Gray Light City, the biggest port city on the south of the continent. It was in a small tavern at the land edge of the city. I usually choose taverns from the side of the sea, because it’s much more probable to hear a great, new story from a sailor from a faraway country, like Western Rift or Equestria, than from one of the natives,(Especially after you've heard the same story for the 10th time). But at that time, I was kind of short on money. So I had to spend the night in the cheapest inn in the town.
There, I met a group of merchant ponies, who were heading north with their next shipment for the capital city. They told me that they had found a new, shorter way through the Catnicktzar Mountains. These mountains are famous for having a big population of dragons, and there are also stories about a town full of insane ponies living there.
The caravan leader said that they had once gotten surprised by a tempest and didn’t have much choice other than to go through the forbidden route. They couldn’t believe that they had safely reached the Rust River Town. And there, in the town’s tavern, somepony had explained their luck to them. That in one of the huts lives a powerful pony named Octavia, who protects this part of the mountains from blood thirsty dragons.
I wanted to meet that pony, and get to know the full story. So I went with them for the journey.
We marched for ten days. And everything I listened to were stories about The Amazing Dragon Fighter Octavia. When we had reached Rust River Town they continued on their journey, but I stayed behind, full of their wonderful tales.
* * *
I stood up and placed my front hooves on the table. Now I think I may have gesticulated a little too much. - “Now I can see that the stories I've heard about you were a LITTLE undetailed. But all of them have ONE common detail! That you are Octavia The Dragon Fighter, proudly FIGHTING dragons, so the last village in the Catnicktzar Mountains, remains in one PIECE!” - With the last word I hit the table with my hoof, causing my mug to jump a little, while Octavia calmly took a sip from hers.
I reminded myself to look around, but apparently no one was interested in us anymore.
“So...” - She started, putting her mug back on the table. - “From your reaction, I'm guessing that your intel isn't usually that completely wrong. Would you like to sit down, so that I can straighten this out a little?”
I had no argument against that, so I did as she told me and sat back in my chair.
“So... Do you have any questions in particular?” - She asked, and leaned on the table, crossing her front hooves.
“Two or a million.” - I said, moving back a little while also crossing my hooves. - “First. What about you fighting dragons?”
She sighed.
“The thing that's wrong with that question is that there aren't DRAGONS in the first place.” - She raised a hoof and gesticulated a little while explaining. - ”There is only one dragon, Cuddlefrog.” - I raised an eyebrow when I heard the name. But Octavia continued. - “Maybe at first he was coming here on rampages, and that’s why most of the citizens have moved away. But now he comes every couple of weeks only because he likes to spar with me.” - She finished her explanation and, using her gesturing hoof, grabbed her mug and took a sip. It caused a quick unpleasant frown to appear on her face.
-”Eh... Cold.” - She said and again in one large haust drank all of what her mug contained. I tried to act
unimpressed though, because after the most ridiculous answer I ever heard, I had decided to switch into “just accept it” mode.
She put the mug on the table.
“Ok.” - She said and raised a hoof to order her next hot beer. Causing the barman to immediately put down the mug he was polishing and start filling another one from the beer tap.
I really wonder how he is able to control what is going on in the whole tavern with only one eye.
“What is the second of your million questions, then?”
I had to think about it. Actually no. I knew exactly that I had only one question left to ask. But I wasn’t sure if it was the right time to ask it. I looked at my mug. I had half of my beer left. Well... There was nothing to lose anymore. I took my mug and tried to drink all my beer in one glug like Octavia had done with her's being almost full... But failed and did it in two.
“Well...” - I said, and looked at my mug as I started playing with it in my hooves. - “My second question was already asked two times today.”
“So... Now is the best time to ask it the third time.” - The barman put two piping beers on our table. He also wanted to take the empty ones, so I had to quit playing with mine. I gave it to him with a nod. Octavia grabbed her mug in both hooves, and quickly sipped it.
“The thing is, that I would like you to start from the beginning. So my question is...” - I started moving forward with my hooves crossed on the table looking again into Octavia’s eyes. I then asked my question, saying every word slowly. - “... Why is a pony like you, leaving a paradise like Equestria, to spar with dragons, in this land of Eternal Winter?”
Octavia looked down at the steamy mug in her hooves and answered with a sigh.
“It’s gonna be a long story.”
It was about noon when I reached the main station, and after a six hour trip by train from Canterlot, which I had almost missed by oversleeping, I felt really tired. To be honest, I thought only about going to my prepared hotel room and sleeping until the ceremony. So I left the station and walked out into the square in front of it. But instead of proceeding with my plan, I stopped and watched the stunning picture before me. Most of the city's sights could be seen from that spot, and I must admit, as impressive as the city had looked from afar, it was nothing compared to how it looked from this point. I even stopped wondering how it was possible that a single city could be called an “Empire”.
Buildings made of pure crystal, in various shapes and colours. Shining in a way as though they were emitting their own light. The effect was even more noticeable since the sky was cloudy that day.
But I don’t think that the city even needed the sun. The palace in the centre shone like a star itself. Which even created a question, why Celestia hadn’t moved here yet? But somehow, I didn't care about the answer then. I even forgot why I came there in the first place. I could just stay and admire.
“Hey! Octavia!” - I heard familiar voice from a distance in front of me. I was still looking at the palace so I had to look down to actually see the voice’s owner, and I realized that my eyes had burned a little.
From the street made of unpolished crystal as well, leading the straight way from the station square to the palace, an aquamarine unicorn was trotting my way. It was Lyra. She also was a musician pony and we had couple of chances to perform together. So due the natural flow of things we became, more or less, friends.
I smiled at her when she trotted closer to me, and tried to catch her breath.
“How are you, Lyra?” - I said simply.
“I’m fine.” - She answered rolling over her eyes, her breath steding up . - “More importantly, how are you?”
“I’m fine as well, thank you” - I really didn’t want to talk about all the events that happened since the day has started. And I just remembered how tired I was. Oh please Lyra. Give me a break.
“Are you sure...?” - She narrowed her eyes at me. - “Because from what I see, you look like you haven’t sleep for at least three days. Your mane is, to simply put it, a mess, your cello case has a dirt on it, and you’re clearly two hours late.” - She paused. I'm sure that she noticed couple more things, but gladly she had enough tact to not point it out in public. Then she took a deep breath and asked in forced concerned tone. - “Will you tell what happened, or do you rather want me to continue?”
I quickly tried to figure out an excuse, and just quickly find my place for that night. But as the world around me, my mind wasn’t on my side that day. But admitting defeat somehow seemed unnaturally relieving.
I lowered my head a little and sighed. - “I will. But, can we please talk about it later? I'm really tired after all that.”
She brighten up in an instant, and answer with a grin. - “Sure thing! Let Lyra The Investigator lead the way. Hehe.”
I smiled back at that reaction. Partly because she figured that title out for herself, but mostly because I knew how “well” she could navigate in the place she just came into. We literally could end up in entirely different city with her sense of direction. So I decided to point that out before it happen.
“Yeah, sure.” - My smile become slightly vicious there. - “And the next thing we’re gonna do is catching next train to The Crystal Empire. - When I said that she was just about to go, but stopped in the middle of her step and sighed.
“Oh please, Octavia.” - She turned again in my direction, put her hoof on my shoulder, and continued. - “Are you still mad for that what happened in Hoofington? That stallion was really...”
“Yes, and I told you that I won’t forget you that. And please... Don’t dig this case any deeper. Not here at least.” - I had to interrupt her. The square was surprisingly crowd less, but even if, it wasn’t a topic which you should talk about in an open space.
She grinned again.
“Ok.” - She said. - “But we’re also going to talk about it when we reach our destination. And we will.So... If you please, after me... ” - I raised one eyebrow on that. Such a promise after all that happened.
“What’s with that reaction again?” - She said that with a little of indignation in her voice. But then her eyes went wider, like she just reminded something.
She brought her hoof to her face and said with a smile. - “Oh. Right.” - She giggled a little. - “You don’t know yet.”
“Know what, excuse me?” - I said confused.
“Well.” - She smiled and started to play in avoiding eye contact.
I knew that she enjoyed teasing me. It was the only thing which I wasn’t sure if I should like or hate in her personality.
“Oh for the love of Celestia, just tell me!” - I had enough of it. Go hotel, bed. Talk tomorrow.
“Ok.” - She grinned. - “I live here.”
That simple answer caused short, but noticeable silence. After which I continued.
“Oh... Is that so? - I must admit that it surprised me a little.
“Yeah. For half a year already.” - She answered, still grinning.
It was even more surprising than I thought at the beginning.
“Half a year? And you couldn’t even write me a letter about it?”
“Like I supposed to know where and when you’re staying...” - She again rolled over her eyes when saying that. - ”If you could write to me about that little secret first, then maybe...
“I was doing that! But on dear Celestia, I was sending that to Ponyville!”
You know that feeling when no one is doing anything wrong, but everything doesn't work like it suppose to, anyway? No one to blame, nothing to fix. I just hated that.
After another part of awkward silence, we just started to laugh, and we did that for a while. I must say. It was first good thing which had happened to me that day.
“By the way...” - I said after a while, still laughing a little under influence of that silly situation. - “Why did you even leave Ponyville in the first place? I thought that you were pretty well settled there.” - On a mention of that, grin instantly disappeared from Lyra’s face. But she noticed it quickly and said with a smile.
“Yeah... Yet another thing we can discuss when we reach my house.” - With that she started to walk into main square direction. But she, again, hasn’t gone too far.
“Wait. Your house? Why?” - She stopped. - “I thought that we are heading to my hotel.”
“Ha!” - Such an unexpected reaction, again. This day wasn’t going to stop surprising me, was it? - “You wanted to find an unoccupied hotel room a day before Crystal Fair Festival? - She giggled a little. - “Good luck with that.”
Then she started to walk again. I stayed in place and looked around. There was no one around who I could ask for hotel directions. And that what she just said enveloped my mind with a thick fog of hesitation. So I had no other choice than to follow. I started to trot after her.
“But I got the letter. In which was clearly said that my room will be prepared.” - I'm not sure why I even tried to reasoning with reality. Like it would change anything or like it would matter in any way. But I maybe had a tiny hope that when I get to my hotel room, I will be able to come out with an excuse and eventually have some rest before answering any uncomfortable questions. But now we continued our conversation while walking. However due to my constant confusion, I stayed a little behind her.
Lyra sighed.
“Let me guess.” - Cello by any definition isn’t a light instrument. And as it was in the case strapped to my right side, running wasn’t the easiest thing in the world. But I finally equalled with her. She then continued. - “That letter. Was by any chance sent to you by a pony named Flawed Diamond?”
I didn’t have to go too far with my memory . I actually read that letter again on the train. And after thinking about it, there wasn’t any mention about where exactly the hotel is located or, if to think a little more about it, there wasn’t any mention that it even was a hotel either. Just “...and your room will be prepared.” So I thought that I will just have to ask about it when I get there.
“Now when you mentioned it.” - I started. - “Yes. I think it was.”
“So... If the question was, what went wrong?, then we have our answer.”
“What do you mean?”
She became thoughtful for a while. Then answered.
“I don’t think that he’s a bad pony. It’s more like... how to put it...” - I think that she really tried not to say anything offensive. - “He has a habit to chose not the best way to say something. And he keeps forgetting things...” - She paused there, lost in thoughts again. But not for long.
“So...” - I started. It maybe wasn’t in best tact to dig this case, but I just wanted to know. - “Why it was him who actually sent me that letter? Not that is my problem now. But is he an adequate pony for such a job?”
It was the last improper question I asked. It was one thing talking about it with only Lyra around, but we were just about to go into the more crowded part of the city. Where a couple of ponies were working on decorating a big crystal arch going from one side of the street to the other.
However, Lyra answered my question.
“Yeah, about that...” - She giggled. - “It was me who recommended you here in the first place.” - She turned her head at me with a grin.
“So you’re saying that it was actually you who caused all this misunderstanding?” - I answered with a smile.
“No, no.” - She did a hurt mare’s eyes there. Her cutie mark might be a lyre, but she was a good actress as well. - “I did everything splendidly good! I went straight to Oatz with my recommendation. He really had to be occupied to let his assistant write that letter.”
Something wasn’t fitting there. It was really a strange name for a pony. Too short for sure.
“I’m sorry again.You went to who?” - I asked.
Lyra stopped and her eyes widened a little.
“It also wasn’t mentioned in the letter?” - She asked with a bit of disbelief in her voice.
“You know...” - She started, still with a hoof on her face. - “When you’ll finally meet Oatz...” - She putted her hoof back on the crystal made street. “...don’t tell him about it. It would be really sad if Flawed Diamond lost his job.” - She finished with an awkward smile.
After that scene we started to walk again. Two crystal ponies passed next to us with next bunch of decorations to help their fellows with the arch.
“So let me straighten up yet another misunderstanding.“ - Lyra continued with a smile. - “Oatz, or Oatzmeal to be exact, is in charge here. In the charge of the festival, I mean.” - She quickly added before we went on to political topics.
“Don’t get me wrong but...” - I lowered my voice to a whisper. - “... it’s a strange name for a pony.”
Lyra giggled at that notice.
“Yeah. If he was a pony.” - It yet again surprised me a little. My right eyebrow was going up quite a lot today. Lyra of course noticed that and continued. - “He’s a griffon.” - She said, and laughed at my unfading confusion.
“Excuse me, could you say that again?” - I always thought that due griffon's rather mean nature, and their love of dark sided humor, putting them in the charge of anything fun related would never end... you know... too well. It may sounds a little racist and probably is. But for most of ponies, it was common knowledge, and even griffons didn't deny it. So my disbelief was rather justified. - “A griffon in charge of a festival? It’s a weak joke to say the least.”
Lyra tried to stop laughing. and with her magic she whipped a single tear from her eye with a tissue (which actually appeared from nowhere if to think about it).
“I’m sorry, I'm sorry.” - She said, still trying to stop laughing, probably realizing that she went a little too far with her teasing this time. “But I must say, that seeing you confused is a rather priceless view.”
I might have gotten a little red there.
“Let me open your mind again.” - She started. I decided to not interrupting her explanations, so she would have less opportunities to tease me. - “Oatz, is not a stereotypical griffon.” - She expected another confused question, but I didn’t give it to her so she just continued. - “Believe it or not, but it’s his second crystal fair festival. He was here a year ago as well. And apparently festival was such a big success, that crystal ponies didn’t want anyone else to be in charge of it this year. He’s pretty famous here. So yeah. What were the other things which confused you?” - She grinned again.
“...She’s here...” - I heard a whisper, like from inside of my head, and a cold chill passed through my entire body. I quickly looked back, and then on Lyra again. We were the only ponies in there right then.
“What did you just said?” - I asked her. She only rolled over her eyes.
“Oh silly pony. You want me to explain that again? Ok, lets see... Oatz is a griffon who...”
“Not that.” - I interrupted her. - “The thing you said after that. That which you whispered.”
Now she was the one with a raised eyebrow and all the sets of things which are effect of confusion.
“I didn’t whisper anything...” - She said with awkward smile on her face.
“Are you sure? Cause I’ve clearly...”
“Yes, I'm sure. How could I be unsure about that?
“Yeah... I really need that sleep I think.” - Yeah... I was just tired.
“Sure you do. My house is quite close already. There. Right on the other side of the main square. Not the palace.” - She pointed into direction. We couldn’t actually see her house yet. But as she was pointing it supposed to be somewhere behind the palace in the center. - “So right. Lets just go there, rest and talk.”
“Right. Lets just go.” - I said, I started to feel a slight headache, what made me even more eager for that idea.
We headed right through the middle of the area. The festival opening was planned for tomorrow morning, so the food stands and attractions were already in advanced construction. Including the stage on which I was supposed to give a cello performance on tomorrows evening. Somewhere afar I saw a griffon which was talking with a group of crystal ponies about something. I thought about going over and talking to him. But now I was just enjoying the thought about resting ‘till the end of the day.
“...She’s coming to us...” - I heard that whisper again.
“Seriously now. Who is doing that?!” - I looked around. But there wasn’t anypony who could do that. Not in a whisper range at least.
“Doing what?” - Lyra also looked around.
“The whispers! It’s really annoying!”
She narrowed her eyes and said. - “You’re really having a hard day, aren’t you?” - She was probably right. It wasn’t first time when I was so tired, but also a lot had happened that day though. - “You know what?” - She continued a little concerned. - “We don’t have to talk about it today. You can go take a nap as soon as we get to my place.”
“Yeah. That may be the right thing to do.” - However, I looked around one more time. There was nothing more that would nail my attention so I just started to walk again with Lyra.
“You know.” - She started, but she was a little unsure about it. - “When we’re already going this way, you’ll be able to see the crystal heart. It won’t be charged till tomorrow, so maybe it’s not in it’s greatest glory, but it still is a nice piece of art though.” - I must admit that even if I was so tired that I started to hear voices, I was pretty eager to see the famous crystal heart, which literally was the “heart” of the whole Empire. And it’s not like we were taking the scenic route ether.
“Yeah. I really would like to see it.” - I said with a smile which apparently melted some of Lyra’s concern as she answered with a grin.
“That’s great! We’re just about to see it.”
We just went on the area under the palace. In the center of it, a particularly shaped crystal could be seen. Something in it was making it look impressive even from far distance. It was a flawless, blue crystal. Even if it wasn’t charged for almost a year, it still emitted a weak but clearly noticeable light. Theoretically even now it was still protecting the whole Empire, so even now the amount of magic contained my this crystal clear diamond heart, had to be enormous.
“It’s beautiful. Isn’t it?” - Lyra said when we come closer to it.
“I agree. It’s quite outstanding. And the light around it. It almost look like there would be a life in it.” - I said. And looked at surprisely confused Lyra.
“Sorry... But what light?” - She’s teasing me again...? After all that concern about my mental health?
“Oh, Please... That white light around the heart. It’s maybe a little deem. But you for sure can see it.”
“Lets go... You definitely need sleep right now.” - She answered, with much bigger concern than before. “As far I know, the only time when the hearts emits any light, is right when it’s being recharged. That’s one thing to hear thing, but seeing things is an entirely different level.”
“Right. Sorry for making you worry.” - I said apologetically. I really had hope that a bit of rest will solve everything. “Lets go then.” - I smiled, and went after the Lyra again.
“...ONE OF US!...” - This whisper was like a broken glass, like a needle made of ice stabbing directly into my brain. In pain, I immediately turned my head into Hearts direction.
“BECOME THE ONE!” - With not a whisper, but a horrible scream, my world turned into complete white. Last thing I remember was the feeling of collapsing on the ground.
* * *
I felt like I weighed nothing. So why did I feel like I was falling? Faster and faster, with every second closer to the ground somewhere below. I kept my eyes closed tightly, and waited for unavoidable death. I waited and waited, with panic accumulating within me. I knew that I can reach the end at any moment, but every one of those moments of falling was leaving me with mixture of relief and fear, as if it wasn’t the one yet. I couldn’t bear that feeling any longer, so I opened my eyes.
To my awe, I couldn’t see any ground beneath me. Just the endless ocean of pure white, without even one little shadow, which would assure me that there somewhere is at least a single thing which I could say that it have a shape. In panic I looked around, I looked up, down again, I looked everywhere, just to be greeted by the same view. An universe of white.
Then I realized that I'm not falling anymore. Was I even falling at all? I was just levitating in the middle of the space I found myself into. After a while I calmed a little, but I still wasn’t sure what to do. I was trying to use every of my senses to understand where I actually am. I tried to listen, but variety of sounds wasn’t more different from variety of sights in this dead dimension. There wasn’t anything to touch, anything what would have smell, there wasn’t even an air, which I could breath with. Then I realized that I'm not breathing at all. With that I started to panic again, I brought a hoof to my chest, desperately trying to catch a breath. But I couldn’t. The white world started to losing it’s brightness, slowly turning into gray, and finally into black. But I accepted that. I closed my eyes. Eventually, I couldn’t do anything.
“You must to be strong.” - I can’t describe it better than that it sounded like an unbearable, white fire, burning my body from the inside. - “Otherwise, some of us might start to think that you aren’t ready yet.” - I felt that my whole body burned alive then.
* * *
I opened my eyes. First thing I saw was some kind of flat surface above me. After a short while I realized that the surface was actually a ceiling. It was made form a reddish crystal, in which I could see my blurry reflection. That was how I noticed that I'm lying in a wooden bed covered by a sky blue blanket. I turned my head a little, so I could see the rest of the room.
As the ceiling, most of the room was made of red crystal. Exception was the furniture, which like the bed, was mostly created from wood, with an occasional, various metal elements. On the other side of the room I was in, was also a simple sofa with my cello case staying next to it’s right side. There was also a particular shape lying on the sofa. And this shape was surely breathing.
I felt like I wasn’t using my mouth for at least a year. Or rather like I hadn’t had a body for at least a year.
“...where am I?” - I said weakly.
The shape which was apparently sleeping on the sofa a second ago, now fell on the floor, confused and with a blanket on it’s head. It stood up, but not for long, cause it stepped on the blanket which hanged also on it’s horn, and with a thud, end on the ground once again.
“Ohhh...” - It moaned unamused, and stood up again, without a blanket this time.
It was Lyra which in no time found herself next to my bed, hugging my tightly.
“IwassoafraidIwassoafraid...” - She repeated in obvious relief, not paying attention that I was suffocating right there. With the rest of my strength I used my free hoof to pat her two times on her back. Which apparently worked, because I was able to breath again.
“I’msorryI’msorryI’msorry...” - Now she was sitting next to my bed, repeating her new formula, with tears gathering in her eyes, and from sight of those, I knew that she cried a lot more before.
“No...” - I had to calm her down somehow, cause she really was starting to cry. I didn’t really remember what had happen, but it clearly had been a harsh events for her. - “I’m well. So you don’t have to cry out your soul.” - I smiled and touched her head with my hoof, so she looked at me.
“You... you’re really sure, that you’ll be ok?” - She said, looking to my eyes, still sobbing.
“Of course I'll be. I feel like a new filly, to be exact.” - I answered with a smile, which worked really well, according to that that lyra stopped sobbing and even smiled back at me.
Now that the mood in the room became less tense, I had to ask Lyra about some things. There were a lot of questions in my head already, and my mind had just started to actually wake up.
“I brought you here, silly. I'm a unicorn so it wasn’t so hard.” - She said smiling proudly. I heard that it demands some telekinetic power to lift a pony, so I can understand her pride. Then she brought her hoof to the back of her head, and continued with an awkward smile. - “But I needed a little help with your cello, we were very lucky that Oatz was nearby, I have no idea how you can even lift that thing.”
She grinned a little after that, letting me process her answer. But it wasn’t the one I wanted. So I had to ask more precisely.
“Yeah. But what really happened so that you had to do that?” - The grin disappeared from Lyra’s face. - “I mean, the last thing I remember was that I left the station, talked with you a little and then I just woke up here.” - The frown on Lyra’s face was now picturing a terrified pony. But I really had no idea what I could had said wrong.
“You said that you’re ok!” - She started to cry again with her head strongly pushed into my blanket.
“Yes, yes. I am!” - I just didn’t know what actually I supposed to say, anymore. - “Just please, stop crying.” - Luckily it worked almost equally good as before. Lyra popped her head up and whipped tears with her hoof.
“But losing memories never is a good sign.“ - She sobbed one time. It somehow felt like I should answer on a some kind of question now.
“Yes. So would you be so kind and help me to bring them back?” - I smiled, and with relief saw that Lyra smiled back again. But her smile quickly got a little evil. Like she just remembered something. She whipped rests of tears from her eyes.
“Ok.” - Said and playfully looked away. - “I can tell you what happened. But you...” - She closed her face to mine, dangerously close. - “...have to tell me what happened before that, first.” - She then moved her head away and grinned widely. I knew that sooner or later her powerful teasing nature will defeat her caring one. But I looked at her for a while, surprised a little.
“Alright.” - I sighed. I really didn’t want to talk about all what happened. It really wasn’t a good day. Some things were annoying, some of them were disasters, and some of them were simply awkward. But I at least I can hide some details, so she wouldn’t be able to dig where she shouldn’t. - “But I'm going to tell you the shortened version.”
“Good enough for me.” - She said with her unfading smile.
“Ok. It was overall a very bad day.” - I said and looked at her. She immediately narrowed her eyes at me, creating inconvenient pressure, so I sighed again and continued. - “First of all, I overslept. When I realized this, I literally just freaked out. I jumped out from my bed so fast that I maybe it even moved it a little. I hadn’t even eaten breakfast. I just grabbed my cello, bow tie, and ran straight on the station. Well... It was raining, and when I ran I slipped and landed on my cello case, into a pool of mud.” - It was a really painful memory, Lyra realized that from the look on my face, and laid her hoof on mine. - “Well... It was even worse. Cause as you noticed, cellos weights a lot. And as it was strapped to me, or more like I was strapped to it. I couldn’t get up. Just laying there and comically waving my hooves in the air. It was horrible!”
“Ha!” - Lyra of course had to comment that. - “It sure was funny.” - She said, really trying to not start laughing maniacally. But she failed, and for a while she was laying on the ground, doing exactly that. I could only give her an unamused look, and wait untill she would come back to the world of sane ponies.
“Oh.. Ok.. ha, ha ha.” - She said finally, and whipped her tears with a tissue which she again alternated from nowhere. - “I think you can continue now.”
Then she got up from the laying position, and once again sat next to my bed. But this time she moved a chair she could actually sit on.
“Yeah. You can continue now. Start with that how did you actually break free from your little music prison.” - She said with a grin, and waited eagerly.
“Yes. I'm glad that you enjoy the story. I shall continue then.” - I gave her a last unamused look and continued. - “To break free, as you put it, I had to unstrap myself... It was raining, so luckily no one saw me in that awkward situation. But unluckily no one could help me as well, so I spent there like maybe fifteen minutes, before I took my cello and continued my run to the station. I had enough luck that the train was still there. It was a first class train, coursing straight to the Crystal Empire. And as you maybe know, after last problem with diamond dog’s invasion, you have to have a reservation to get into that train. And I kind of...” - I brought my hoof to my face. - “...forgot mine.”
“Happens to the best of us.” - Lyra said smiling.
“Maybe.” - I looked at her - “But I'm not going to talk what I had to do to finally get to that train.” - I got a little red then, and hoped that Lyra didn’t see it.
“You don’t have to. I already know everything.” - She grinned viciously. My eyes for sure widened a lot in fear. - “The state of your mane, and that little mark on your face told me everything.” - I was really panicking there. - “And finally, I talked with the conductor.”
I gulped loudly, I was afraid what she’s thinking about me now.
“But I think that as a mare, you should respect yourself more.” - She said that with a concerned frown on her face, but I knew it was fake.
“Can I please you to not tell anyone?” - I asked with an enormous amount of hope in my voice.
“Don’t worry. I'm not going to.” - She answered briskly. My heart started to slow down. - “And as I took the responsibility, for your little break-in, into that train. And then for your six hour ride, under one of seats, without the proper reservation...” - She narrowed her eyes - “...the conductor won’t inform the guards as well.” - She smiled once again. - “So don’t you worry about that.”
“Thanks.” - It was all I could say then. But after awhile I smiled and added. - “It’s the first nice thing which had happened to me this day. Maybe this day won’t be such a disaster after all
He he” - I ended with a nervous giggle.
“No.” - Lyra said unexpectedly, what made me keep my breath for a while. - “That day was a full disaster.”
“But you just...” - I started, fully confused”
“Yes.” - She looked straight at me. - “But it was, yesterday.”
I was just looking at her, not sure what to answer on that statement. Lyra seeing that stood up from the chair she was sitting in and sighed.
“I will tell you what had happened, but also in short.” - She looked at the ceiling and then back at my waiting face. “You fainted at the main square.” - Her face was serious, pretty adequate to my confusion.
Unfading confusion really wasn’t helpful my mind to create a precise question. But I didn’t need that at the moment though.
“H...How?” - Even if short, that was the most appropriate question I could figure out then.
“I don’t know. You were admiring the crystal heart and then, bam! You’re laying on the ground.” - She was describing it pretty stoically, but it for sure was much more traumatic experience then. - “It reminds me...” - She looked at the clock on the opposite wall. - “I was playing to stay here with you as long as you would need me. But now when you seem mostly ok now... - She looked at me with her eyes narrowed. - “...because you are ok now, right?”
“I think so...” - I actually felt better than ever before, but it was first time when I actually had slept for so long, so I had a reason to not consider it suspicious.
“Well, then.” - Lyra grinned widely and continued. - “In about an hour, the crystal heart which you liked so much, will get recharged. So I thought that you would like to see that.”
Was she asking if I want to see that? Was she serious? I heard a lot of stories, about that how mighty is the crystal heart. About that that Luna herself offered the brightest star from her mane for protecting the crystal empire. And Lyra was asking me if I want to see it?!
“You don’t have to ask me twice.” - I answered with a smile.
“Then we’re set. Now, go do something with that mane.” - She said with a smile brought a mirror from a nightstand and looked at herself. - “Right after I'll do something with mine.” - She added, and in no time disappeared after the doors on the other side of the room.
* * *
“For sure, there are a lot of ponies here, and not only the crystal ones.” - I commented the sight of the big crowd on the main square, which gathered around not charged yet crystal heart.
“Ha! You were so excited about coming here that I considered packing you back into the bed, and you’re complaining about crowd?” - Lyra said even more cheerfully than usual. I knew that she wasn’t any less excited about being here.
“We promised to not talk about it.” - I answered with a smile.
“Yeah, yeah...”
We had a bit of time left, so I looked around if I would notice any familiar ponies in the crowd. But I had no luck though.
“Hey, look. Even elements of harmony are here.” - Lyra said and pointed somewhere in the middle part of the square. But when I looked in that way a group of crystal ponies crossed my line of sight.
It’s well know fact that the ones who actually kept this town looking like it looks today, was mostly elements of harmony. They brought the crystal heart back to it’s rightful place, and defeated the evil slave driver who ruled this place over one thousand years ago. What was his name? Sombrero I think. With such a name, I'm not surprised that he lost. Even the fight didn't take long. But now, no one was actually thinking about it anymore, and they was just enjoying their festival.
“It begins.” - Lyra said, poking me with her hoof little, so I looked at her. She was staring straight on the crystal heart, so I also moved my look on it.
The heart started to slowly rotate in it’s vertical axis. Which somehow made me a little anxious, and even more excited I was a while ago. The cheerful crystal ponies started to gathering closer to it, and one by one kneeling before it. It was a really calming view, seeing their happiness and gratitude for the always protecting them heart. I could even say that I even felt lighter cause that sight. Then, all the positive energy, that crystal ponies was experiencing throughout the day, just flowed into the heart direction, through the crystal veins of the whole empire. The heart started to shine like a true star. I can say, that I never saw anything more beautiful in my life. But I knew what will happen next. I knew that this sight will last only for a little while before a new wave of protecting energy will run through the empire, and will keep their citizens safe for the next couple of months. I felt warm inside.
But after an apparently too long while. The whispers started all over the crowd. The wave which everyone was waiting for... wasn’t coming. Ponies was looking around, anxious and unsure about what is happening.
But I... I felt happy... I asked myself, “Why?” But I didn’t actually care for an answer. I closed my eyes, and I felt like I weigh nothing. Just staying there, when every whisper, every word of any conversation around me started to fade. I never felt so happy before.
I heard distant scream, like from a bottom of a deep well, and started to wonder who is bothering me. Who is such an unpleasant pony, to interrupt me right now, in this wonderful moment. So I opened my eyes.
The sight of what I saw was like a collision with a glass wall, when all the happiness transformed into fear and confusion. I realized that I wasn’t staying in the crowd anymore. I was floating over it! I was so scared that I couldn't make a sound. With all the ponies looking in my directions, frozen in an indescribable awe.
“Twilight?” - Only a little dragon in the crowd was more confused than terrified. - “Is it suppose to work this way?”
No one was looking at the heart right then. And it was right then, when the heart finally decided to unleash it’s energy. But it wasn’t a wave which everypony was expecting a while ago. It was a beam of light, which was shot directly at me. The only thing I felt, was that my body was burning alive.
Star on The Horizon (Revised)
Hey! Let’s tell a story! Without names! Or with names! I don’t know! Let’s say that there is a hero! Or wait! Even better! A Heroine. And her name is Octavia! Ha! It was so spontaneous! But now it just has to be. So, Octavia! And her special talent is... you know right? As she told me when I first met her, her special talent is... window cleaning! Ha! You knew that was coming! It’s a dangerous job. But don’t worry, there is not many high buildings in... oh I have to remember the location... hmm... It was... Right!. Rust River Town! It’s a great place! Maybe not because the weather. But I liked it somehow. All set and ready! We have a heroine, Octavia the Window Cleaner of Rust River Town! But there is not a single window to clean! Oh no! Why is there not even a single window in Rust River Town to clean?! Because in the land of Seabeertopia, rules an Eternal Winter! And citizens don’t have windows, to better avoid looking at the gray, icy, snowy, windy landscape of the Rust River Town, which not even a hundred years ago was an iron miner’s village. Now no one needs iron. Because iron is cold! And people have had enough of cold things!
So... What does our Heroine Octavia The Window Cleaner do for a living? She fights dragons! The dragons who now live in the abandoned mines. There are a lot of them. Some storytellers (like me for example) in taverns, say that under the Rust River Town is a whole City of dragons! That there are more dragons underground than all the other creatures on and over the ground! And sometimes dragons can be seen outside their domain. But bad for them. 'Cause they find themselves in Octavia The Window Cleaner's domain! And she just hates dragons!
“So Octavia, my dear.” - I, Chris The Storyteller said - “That’s all your story I know so far”.
“I see.” - Octavia said shortly. But after a brief moment of deep thought she added. “Well. There's not much more I could say about myself.”
“Oh, just the opposite I would say.” I answered, slightly lowering my head and moving a little forward on the small, round tavern chair. “You could, for example, tell me why a pony leaves, in comparison, paradise like Equestria, to fight dragons in this frozen land.”
Octavia just looked at me, thinking of how to answer my direct, and I'm sure, unexpected question. I don’t yet know where in her past her thoughts took her, but after a longer while she answered me.
“A lot has happened...” - I can’t deny that I expected an answer like this. So I tried to push it a little.
“So tell me instead” - I started, the barman came to our table and put two mugs of hot beer on it. I nodded with gratitude in his direction, showing him that we wouldn't need anything else right now. I placed my right hoof on the table and continued my question.
“So tell me then. Why the lie about your occupation?” - I gave her some time to process the confusion I had just caused.
“W-what do you mean?” - She asked as if she didn't know what I was talking about. But the young dragon fighter couldn’t hide the slightly stressful tone of her voice, which only made me sure of my observations.
“Oh please, Octavia, my dear.” - I stretched my back with a wide smile on my face. “These people here may be blind,” - The One-Eyed Barman gave me a short look from behind the bar, still polishing a mug. He was the only pony besides us in tavern then. - “but I'm a traveler, I’ve been in many taverns in my life; and as a storyteller, I have good ears, and my eyes aren’t even a slight bit worse.”
I grabbed my beer with telekinesis and took a big haust of it. Octavia remained silent, obviously interested in what I was going to say.
“Those,” - I pointed to her hooves. She looked at them too. “Are hooves of a musician”.
I put my beer back on the table. I looked at Octavia, waiting for an answer. But I already knew how this conversation would continue.
“So...” - She said after a while, still looking at her hooves, now with sentiment in her eyes. - “That’s what betrayed me in the first place?”
“No.” - I answered shortly, which caused her to look at me with a little surprise in her eyes. “What betrayed you, was much more subtle.” - I leaned over the table in her direction and she did the same in mine, so we could be in the whisper range. And then I half whispered to her. - “Who in tartarus comes as a window cleaner to a town where there is not even a single window!?”
She was looking at me with a stupid frown on her face when I, with a smile on mine, came back to a normal position, crossed both hooves on the table, and triumphantly took a sip from my beer.
Octavia sighed once she was sitting again on her chair. Then she took a hoof to her forehead and answered with a shadow of smile on her face.
“You’re impossible, you know?” - After that, she also grabbed her mug, and took a sip from it.
“For sure I am.” - I answered smiling a little as well. Then I took a breath in and continued. - “After all, I didn’t come here to tease you.”
“Ha! That’s funny. Because since we talk, it's exactly what you've been doing.” - She said, a little irritated
I didn’t mean to make her angry. Maybe sometimes anger is an effective way to get some answers, but not this time. So I just had to straighten it out.
“Don’t get my intentions wrong.” - I laughed a little. - “Showing irony is only a little part of my personality. Most of all, I'm a storyteller. But to be a good storyteller, you have to also be a good story listener.” I said with my hoof raised. I lowered it, and drank some of my beer. I took another deep breath and continued my explanation.
“So... By the string of stories, and thanks to the kindness of a certain caravan, once a year passing by that middle of nowhere, with this town in center of it. I found myself here, in this windowless small tavern. And the main reason for that, is that I want to hear your story.” - Then I leaned slightly forward and looked her in the eyes. - “And my first question is, why a pony like you leaves Equestria, and fights dragons in this land of ice?”
She lowered her look a little and answered.
“As I said.” - She looked away and added -”A lot has happened”.
Then she stood up and took her mug, which was still almost full, and drank it with one big haust. Oh man! Such a shame You couldn’t have seen that!
She put down her now empty mug on the table.
“Thanks for the beer” - She said, moving to go towards the tavern’s door, I just stood next to the table in the position she left me, cursing myself for my failure. I rarely commit them so easily.
“I'd better go gather some wood. Another cold and dark night awaits us.” - The mare said with a little sigh, which was probably caused more by the thought of daily routine, rather than by the conversation from a while ago.
She was quite lucky that she wasn’t going a little faster. Because as she was almost next to the door, they opened inward with quite a force and speed, missing Octavia’s nose by just about half an inch. What left her unamused, by the way.
“Dragon!” - Yelled the gray earth pony stallion who had just run through the door, with real panic in his eyes. After him, in no better state, galloped in a yellow pegasus, followed by cold, winter wind.
Octavia just sighed at the sight, and said. - “I think that I will have to make a little detour first.” - After that she just left the tavern.
“Hey!” - The yellow pegasus yelled after her - “There's a dragon! Don’t go there, miss Octavia!”
“Better worry about yourself, or me at least!” - The gray pony said to his friend. - “She’s the luckiest pony I know. She’s always outside when there’s a dragon. And somehow, none of them have eaten her yet!”
“Calm down you two!” - Yelled the One-Eyed barman, which calmed them down in an instant. Even I was dragged out from my storm of thoughts and looked at him. - “You can hide in my basement again.”
“Oh! Thank you Mr. Light Saber!”
“Yes! Thank You!”
The two stallions said as they trotted behind the bar.
But I was having other plans. I was going outside. Because I was just reminded of a very valuable lesson. “When you can’t get information by asking questions, try to get it by observing”. And, as much as I wanted to know that mare’s story, I also wanted to see a pony fighting dragons.
I went outside, but I've apparently lost Octavia already. Her hoof prints were already covered by a fresh layer of snow, and due to the snowstorm (which luckily was getting weaker) the range of my view was really short. Where in tartarus did she go?!
“ROARRRR!” - Oh right... the dragon. I started to run to the southern edge of the town. Rust River Town wasn’t big. As an old miner's settlement, it was now only empty miner’s houses, a smith’s workshop, and a tavern standing in the center of the town. The windowless buildings had doors almost the same color as the walls, giving the impression of some big rocks sticking out from the snow; if you had to traveled there at night, it is very possible that you wouldn't have even noticed that you had passed through any civilized location . From the tavern I had only around two hundred meters to every edge of the town, so I was there pretty quickly.
Due to the unpredictable mountain weather (though you can always predict that it will be freezing cold and windy), the snow stopped falling for a while.
And then, when I had passed one of the bigger rocks, I saw it. With the height of a hundred ponies, width like fifty, razor sharp teeth and claws, and eyes, which were burning with red fire in them. Those were the first things my mind understood, and immediately they indicated to me that I should turn around and run, even if behind me was the edge of hell itself. Then I noticed that the dragon was green... I'm really afraid of dragons. OK!?
It wasn’t easy. But I eventually looked away from that terrifying sight. And saw that a couple of meters before that overgrown lizard, so vicious that even tartarus couldn’t bear it's presence, stood Octavia. I wanted to scream after her, to make her go back somehow. But my voice just stuck in my throat, my mind had turned off everything besides my legs. But I couldn’t run. I just looked at her terrified. I fell on my knees and hugged a rock next to me. Scared even more than... What?
Then something, that I definitely didn’t expect happened. She started to glow. I thought that maybe it was just fear messing with my mind. But there was, like an orb of white, a delicate light around her body. And then with a little explosion, her mane and tail caught fire! How?! The dragon hadn’t yet chance to do anything! So what th... No... Her mane and tail became fire! Pure white fire! There were so many thoughts that my mind couldn’t even process it. I was in overwhelming awe, but at the same time it was so beautiful, that I was unable to describe it in any language known to me.
And then she shot herself into the air, right into the dragon’s direction. The sight of that caused me to fall backwards. But I just couldn’t stop looking at it. She collided with the giant lizard like a comet or a star, and the next thing I knew it was falling in the opposite direction, like a motionless doll or a bag of sand, which only imitated the terrifying beast I was so scared of seconds ago. And it just laid there. Just like it fell. Was it dead? Killed by a single strike?
My thoughts were interrupted by the comet now starting to fly in my direction. And I was now more scared of it than I was of the dragon. I started to pray to every god I had ever heard about, that I will be a good pony now! That I will make a charity for filly pegasi with wing cancer! I’ll write back for all my mom’s letters! Just don’t let me die here!
I just closed my eyes, and kept them closed tightly. In the end I was a coward, I couldn’t even look dead in the eyes. I felt something landing next to me. So I waited. And waited... And then…
“Were you lying here the whole time?” - I heard Octavia’s voice.
“Don’t kill me, please.” - Was all I could say back then. And it didn’t even matter how high my voice was.
I opened one eye a little; she was again her normal self.
“Eh...” - She sighed, and said. - “Come... It seems that this time I’ll be the one who buys you a beer.”
Author's Note
Hi. This is my first fanfic so please be nice. And by that i mean constructive criticism. Also... English isn't my first language, so i'm really grateful to my editors who fixed the heck out of it for me :)
21/12/2013: Editing, after my editors.
