A Promise Not Forgotten

Dan:

Discord led the way as we ran through the countryside. The strange mix of creatures ran oddly, really it was quite a sight. His limbs of different sizes made it difficult to run and quite comical. We sped past Ponyville in a flash leaving the small town in the dust. Canterlot and Ponyville were actually quite close. You could see the whole route you would need to take when leaving Canterlot. Why Ponyville wasn’t a more popular village was beyond me. You’d think that as ponies were travelling they would pass through it. When push came to shove I could really get going. Discord was a little faster than me so he had to slow down a bit. He knew exactly where he was going so I didn’t have to worry about getting lost.

We ran for quite some time, and because we left right after we ate we had to stop to eat. Aidan and I can regenerate, so eating isn’t a problem, but that doesn’t mean we don’t get hungry. Discord still needed to eat anyway, so I had no choice. Because he was made up of many different animals he can eat meat, and thank God he can! He left after I stopped and came back with a full fucking cow! Apparently moral ethics didn’t faze him at all because he was fully ok with killing a cow that could not only think for itself but talk too. I don’t think I could to that, feels more like murder that way. It’s easy to pretend the steak wasn’t sentient though, so I am under no mental duress. I honestly have never been so happy to eat a steak. Thankfully, he has his strange magic to conjure up whatever he needs whenever he needs it, and right now he needed a grill. Let’s just say that was the best damn steak I’ve ever had. I don’t know what he put on it and I don’t care.

“You would have loved Earth!” I said as we talked for a minute while resting and preparing for another run through the forest we were in.

“Oh, I doubt that. Tons of disgusting humans running around and being ugly! How could you ever stand it? I might throw up just looking at you!” Discord said with a gagging expression.

“Please, Earth was a giant shit hole,” I said laughing a little bit at how much we humans failed.

Discord looked back at me with a confused look. “Really? Prophet made it sound like everything Equestria tries to be.”

“Not at all, maybe in the past, but not now. When I left the whole world was in chaos. Wars everywhere, peace was almost never found,” Discord squirmed in excitement thinking of all the fun he would have there. I went on to explain the state of Earth, and what it was like before the collapse.

“Oh, the things I could do…” Discord said letting a wicked smile sprawl across his face. He looked back at me and noticed the slightly depressed look on my face. “Oh, sorry.”

“Not a problem, soldiers learn to accept what happens and move on.” I said coldly.

“Have thou a heart of stone?” Discord asked.

“How would you feel if you lost everything you ever loved?” I asked. Really these ponies never understood how one might feel if they lost as much as we. The simple thought of grief was unfathomable. Ponies died of old age or medical complications, never murder or war.

“Forgetting about Aidan?”

“No. He is different now, isn’t he? Somehow I know that he will never be the same if we get him back.” I looked in the direction we were supposed to be running.

“I won’t lie, you are probably correct. The only way to come out of mind control mentally stable is if the controller wants you to.”

“Cruel magic, it seems that not everything is for good here.”

“It was actually created to root out evil or unpleasant memories, but some abused it,” Discord said. He really appeared to be changed, and enjoyed it too. I would be happy to call him my friend, who wouldn’t? “Believe me when I say: Our society has just as many quirks as earth did before it fell. They are just so miniscule in comparison with the good in everypony.”

I looked off into the sun, it was about noon now. We had ran for a good amount of time and were almost there.

“I suppose you would like to get moving again?” Discord said with a half-smile. I replied with a nod.

Again he took lead sprinting ahead of me leading the way to Aidan, or where we thought he was. Something about Aidan makes me believe that he couldn’t be killed, or ruined by Prophet. He was just too damn determined. He sure loved his promises and kept all of the ones he made, there is no way in hell he would break the ones he made here. Of all the people Prophet could have fucked with, he chose the wrong one.

James:

Vis had faded into the depths of Dan’s mind and found that Discord could be trusted and it was safe to leave Dan. Prophet had gotten what he wanted and wouldn’t want anybody else. The time was nearing that Vis would have to take action to ensure the return of Aidan. He just had to talk to Colin and tie up some loose ends first.

Wiggling his way into Colin’s head, who was again studying magic in the Canterlot library he said, “Colin, I must say that you are making great progress with your magic.”

“Yeah, for a while it was going pretty slow but now I’m getting pretty good,” Colin said. “I’m able to actually make hard-light at will.”

Vis slowed his active moving in Colin’s head at those words. “Hard-light?” Vis asked, hoping to confirm his suspicions.

“Yes,” Colin said lifting a hand which emitted a light made replica of a pencil sitting on the table in front of him. “At the moment, unfortunately I can’t do anything too impressive, but I am practicing.” Colin then proceeded to make several pencils. “And I’ve been messing around with combining my hard-light with my telekinesis. Watch me move this pencil.”
The pencil lifted off the table-top and..

*Thwack*

*(insert Wilhelm Scream here)*

“Sorry Man!” shouted Colin, as the pony got off the floor at the other side of the room, his chair having lost half of each right leg.

“I guess I need some more work, but yeah. At least there’s some progress.” Colin said with a sigh.

“G-good, keep up the good work, and don’t feel bad that you haven’t gone to look for Aidan. What you are doing here is far more important than anything you could do there,” Vis said with his voice fading a little bit.

“If you are working so hard to ensure we succeed, then why hide yourself so much?” Colin asked hoping to finally meet Vis face to face.

“Colin, you and Aidan are extremely important to this world. I can’t risk that by revealing myself just yet. It might jeopardize your positions in Equestria.” Vis replied.

“But what is the harm in revealing yourself?” Colin asked, still unsure of Vis’ reluctance.

“Certain ponies would not appreciate you having my assistance,” Vis said.

“Shady history have we?” Colin asked

“Just know that when the time comes, I will reveal myself. To you and Aidan all the doors will be shown…” Vis said leaving Colin before he could ask any more questions.

Dan:

Discord and I kept running for a good hour before finally coming to the border. It was still intact but the gryphons were our side, not theirs. As if to hold something in, not to keep others out. As we approached they sized us up and many recognized Discord and panicked. With his powers Discord held them all in place so they could neither run nor attack.

“Why are you all on this side of the border?” I asked walking up to their leader, marked with a larger set of armor and jewels on his chest.

The gryphon looked back with regret, “Prophet has returned…” I remember this gryphon himself being the one who threw the rock at Aidan’s head. Even though I wanted nothing more than to kill that son of a bitch I didn’t hoping to aid Celestia in repairing broken bonds with the gryphon nation.

“Where is Aidan?” I asked, scanning the crowd of beaten and bloodied gryphons at the same time.

“Who is this Aidan?” Their leader said gaining my attention.

“The one you threw a rock at, dumbshit!” I yelled at the high ranking soldier.

“You do not yell at me!” He shouted back. I’m in no mood for this shit.

Taking the gryphon in a headlock and choking him I asked in a threatening tone, “Where is he?”

“He is Prophet!” The gryphon began to cry as I let him go. I suppose the reality of the situation sunk in.

Damn, that confirmed my fears. Prophet was now controlling Aidan and had broken the gryphon nation from the inside out. “Where is ne now?” I asked looking past the barricade into the land. Far in the distance I could see a burning town. Many other large fires dotted the horizon but didn’t compare to the large crumbled citadel far off in the distance; If I had to guess, Aidan would be there.

“Gryphondor!” He said back. Really? That’s what they came up with? Wow… The guard then pointed to the citadel I was looking at before, making my guess correct. By my best estimates we wouldn’t make it there by night, and would have to make camp. Oh well, better get running.

I stared to walk past the barricade before one guard shouted back, “Where are you going?” At least there were some gryphons that were nice.

“To find Aidan.”

“He will KILL YOU!” he said with extra emphasis.

“That’s a risk I’m willing to take.” I said walking further. Then I looked back, “You have to send a message to Princess Celestia, she must know the gravity of the situation.” Well played Dan, well played. I can act nice when I want to, and when the time calls for it, this is one of the latter.

Discord walked past the guards over to me. “Shall we?” He said with mock manners.

“After you,” I said with a snide smile. Then we both took off running leaving the guards bewildered at the sight. They couldn’t fathom Discord working for good, but Prophet had returned, they had bigger things to worry about.