A Misty Future

My house sometimes seems awfully stuffy. And to make matters even more confining, the world is a tiny place, centered around this one building. I can see where the world falls away from my house, the mountains that guard the edges of the world. If I were to climb to the top of one peak and look over it, maybe throw a stone down there, it would be nothing but blackness forever. I think I’d be too scared to even walk halfway up the mountain, let alone get to the top or (heavens forbid) fly down into that abyss. Instead, when I’m especially bored, I just sit there and wonder if there’s even a point; I’ve been here all my life, but I feel trapped. I feel an urge to wander and discover new things, this tugging in my chest and hooves, but how can I do that when there are no new things? I have far too many questions and I’m certain that Celestia can’t answer them all. Maybe I can answer them someday.

In any case, ‘someday’ couldn’t be farther away; I’m currently curled up on my bed, bored as all Tartarus. Is that an okay phrase to use? I read it in a book, but Celestia told me once that I shouldn’t repeat everything I read. I wonder where those books come from, anyways. They had to have been made. I’ll ask her about it next time I see her, which should be any second now. I just wish I had someone else to talk to. Celestia is wonderful, but she's only one pony.

At least I have my books to read.

     A sigh escaped my lips when I finished that last sentence. Having no idea how to follow it up, I decided to simply stop for the day and released the pencil and diary from the blue aura of my magic. How long until sunset, anyways?

     I glanced out the window next to my bed, where the sun hovered just over the darkening horizon. It was sinking lower and lower, guided by magic to be laid to rest for the day. After a few moments, it slipped below the horizon, where it would travel to the other side of the universe and be lifted next morning. One by one, the stars began to twinkle against the indigo sky and the glow of the moon partially lit the other side of my room.

     Celestia once told me that every night she lowered the sun and rose the moon from her castle at the end of the universe. I allowed myself to bask in the memory a moment.

     “Celestia, where do the moon and sun come from?”

     “I put them in the sky at dusk and dawn every day, little one.”

     “What about the stars?”

     “The stars are the moon’s friends, and when he comes out to play, they come play with him.”

     “Wow! Do you do that all yourself?”

     “My, how many questions you ask!”

     At this point, it was almost time to see my mother again, so I pulled myself off the bed and trotted down the stairs, sending out a hoof-full of sparks to light each lamp in the house. When I reached the bottom steps, I threw open the door in front of them to wait on the porch in the summer night. The glow of the lamp, now given life, outside lit up the yard, silhouetting the oak tree a few yards away. I settled down next to a small table to watch for Celestia, picking up a notepad that sat on it and reading the poem I had written on it quite some time ago. It was a brief description of any average nighttime.

Not my best, but not too bad either. If I work at it, maybe I can capture some emotion or such.

    The idea seemed fascinating, so I set to work fixing it up and adding in new phrases or lines, eventually so engrossed that I didn’t even notice a bright yellow glow in the yard, the mark of a materialization spell. I didn’t hear the light hoofsteps up the stairs, nor the creaking of the porch as it suddenly found itself under pressure that it was unaccustomed to. I did, however, notice when a sweet voice greeted me, “And just what are you working on this time, Misty?” I looked up and, upon seeing who it was, hugged her gleefully. I always did enjoy seeing my mother.

     She stood tall and elegant, bearing both wings and a horn elegantly offset by an enormous, flowing mane of blue, green, indigo, and pink that complimented the white of her coat. On her back she carried a pair pink saddlebags laden with food, each buckled down by a sun insignia that matched her cutie marks.

     I, too, bore wings and a horn, though my mane was much smaller and only held two colors: a blue to match the sky, and a darkish green like the pine needles opposite me in the yard. Unlike Celestia's, my mane was mundane instead of ethereal, simply resting its curls against my neck and forehead in a disappointingly boring fashion.

     I sat back down on my chair and levitated the notebook in front of her, flipping the page to show the second half of the poem. Celestia smiled as she read it. "This is quite lovely, dear. How long have you been working on it?" I scratched behind one ear and said, "I don’t know...I forgot about it for a while. Then, well, I was bored."

     Celestia just nodded, still smiling, then entered the house. I followed her in, catching up to her in the kitchen. She had taken off her saddlebags and was levitating the food in it into the various cupboards and shelves on the fridge where they belonged.

     “Did you already eat tonight, Misty?” Celestia asked me once she was done. I nodded and said, “I bet your ghost-servants made you a big feast, right? I wish I could have some. Then I could read instead of cook!" Celstia just laughed, walked into the living room, and sat down on the couch.

     “Since we’re not having dinner together today, do you want to hear a story instead?” The older alicorn offered, walking into our living room and sitting down on the couch. I hopped up onto the couch to sit down next to her.

      “That would be great! Can you finish your story about those ponies in Equestria?” I asked her earnestly, adding a bit wistfully, “I love those stories.” Celestia chuckled and feigned memory loss. “Well,” she said, “I can’t quite remember where we were. Maybe you can?”

      Knowing the game, I told her, “You were just telling me about how Twilight was going to defeat the fake princess! She was trapped with Princess Cadance in the caves and Shining Armor was waiting at the altar.” Celestia said, “Oh, I remember now!” and launched into the story.

     “Twilight suddenly realized who it was that was sitting beneath her: none other than Princess Cadance herself! She backed away, not sure if it was another trick. But the Princess said, ‘Twilight, it’s me!’ and started to do their secret dance. ‘Sunshine, sunshine, ladybug’s awake. Clap your hooves and do a little shake!’ Now Twilight knew that this was the pony that had babysat her, and hugged Cadance as tightly as possible. After Cadance explained about the fake Princess, they both set out to find a way out of the caves and stop the wedding.

     “They ran for a very long time; though Princess Cadance was tired from her ordeal in the caves, she was strengthened by her love for Twilight’s brother Shining Armor. In fact, Twilight could hardly keep up! Eventually, they found a mine cart and Twilight used her magic to push them down the cart. Down they spiraled, into the black heart of the caves. Twilight looked ahead, and panicked when she saw the end of the tracks. Certainly she was doomed!

     But Princess Cadance wasn’t just any old pony. She was a princess, with a set of beautiful wings to match her horn!”

     That caught my attention. “Am I a princess, Celestia?” I asked, looking at the wings resting on my back. Celestia said, “You are to me, sweetheart. So, Cadance was able to fly Twilight and herself across the gap, where they landed in front of a huge crystal blocking the way. But before they could despair of finding a way out, Twilight turned around and saw the exit at last. Using her magic, Twilight teleported them to the platform at the exit. Cadance and Twilight took a step to leave, but out of the darkness came three familiar-looking mares with eyes that glinted green with evil magic.

     “It was the fake Cadance’s old bridesmaids, bespelled and set as guards. They advanced on the two mares, but Cadance was clever- after all, the three were still bridesmaids. So she threw a bouquet for them, away into another section of the cave. And thus, Twilight and Cadance were free! They rushed-”

     “Wait,” I interrupted. “Why did Cadance have a bouquet with her?” Celestia replied, “She was going to be a bride, dear,” as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “Whatever,” I said. “So, they were escaping?”

     “They rushed out of the cavern and into the Canterlot castle. Above them, they could hear the murmur of my voice wrapping up the ceremony. Quickly they made their way to the chamber where the wedding was being held, and just before I could pronounce the couple mare and colt, Twilight burst in and yelled, ‘Stop!’ once more interrupting the proceedings. The fake Cadance rolled her eyes and exclaimed, ‘Why does she have to be so possessive of her brother?’ with a stomp of her hoof. This surprised me greatly, although nopony else noticed over the gasps and facehoofing of the crowd. Noticing her mistake, the fake Cadance whined, ‘Why does she have to ruin my special day?’

    “Now it was the real Cadance’s turn to burst in. ‘Because it’s not your special day! It’s mine.’ The impostor, dropping all pretenses now, gasped, ‘What? But how did you escape my bridesmaids?’ Cadance and Twilight glanced at each other knowingly and Cadance simply said, ‘We threw the bouquet.’ The fake caught on immediately.

     “ ‘Hmm. Clever. But you’re still too late,’ she taunted. Applejack glanced around and announced, ‘A-ah don’t understand. How can there be two of ‘em?’ Cadance stepped forward and explained, ‘She’s a changeling! She takes the form of somepony you love and gains power by feeding off your love for them.’

     “The changeling’s eyes and horn glowed a sickly green and fire erupted around her. The green fire crawled against her pony skin, turning it black as her soul and revealing the changeling’s true form- a gangly, insect-like creature with a patchy blue mane and a small crown atop her head. This was none other than Chrysalis, Queen of the Changelings. Chrysalis giggled, ‘Right you are, princess. And as Queen of the Changelings, it’s up to me to find food for my subjects! Equestria has more love than any place I’ve ever encountered. My fellow changelings will be able to devour so much of it that we will gain more power than we have ever dreamed of!’

     “Cadance yelled at the queen defiantly, ‘They’ll never get the chance! Shining Armor’s protection spell will keep them from ever even reaching us!’

     “She stared smugly at Chrysalis, who just giggled in return. ‘Oh, I doubt that,’ she smirked. ‘Isn’t that right, dear?’ She glanced back at Shining Armor and cast a spell, making him nod and mumble agreement, showing that Shining Armor was under complete mind control. Cadance looked dismayed, but ran towards her husband.

     “Chrysalis stopped her with a stomp of her hoof and threatened, ‘Uh-uh-uh. Don’t want to go back to the cave now, do you?’ She lit up her horn to stress that point.

     “Cadance stepped back, thwarted. Chrysalis jumped back up on the altar and continued to explain, ‘Ever since I took your place, I’ve been feeding off Shining Armor’s love for you. Every moment he grows weaker- and so does his spell. Even now, my minions are chipping away at it.’

     “She cackled and taunted, ‘He may not be my husband, but he is under my total control now,’ with a stroke of her chipped hoof under his chin. She continued, ‘And, I’m sorry to say, unable to perform his duties as Captain of the Royal Guard!’

     “Cadance exclaimed, ‘Not my Shining Armor!’ Chrysalis paced across the altar and boasted, ‘Soon my changeling army will break through. First, we take Canterlot, and then all of Equestria!’

     “I stepped forward. ‘No. You won’t. You may have made it impossible for Shining Armor to perform his spell, but now that you have so foolishly revealed your true self,’ I butted my horn against hers and leaped back into the air, ‘I can protect my subjects from you!’”

     Celestia paused right then, looking as if she was thinking very hard. “Go on,” I pressed. “You were going to defeat that evil Changeling Queen!” Celestia failed to reply. She stayed silent for a moment longer and I became increasingly concerned at her expression. She looked like she was listening intently to something, but all I could hear was the crickets outside. I let out my breath when she stood up, but wilted when she said, “I’m sorry, Misty, but I have to go. There’s a bit of a problem back at the castle.”

     I put my ears back and sighed, “Okay, Celestia. But you’ll finish your story tomorrow, right?” I felt a hoof under my chin and looked up. Celestia smiled at me and said, “Don’t you worry. I’ll be back here again before you know it.” She kissed me on the forehead and turned around, trotting outside. I followed, tail drooping.

     This time Celestia flew back to her castle instead of teleporting, and I watched as she became a white speck among the stars, then disappeared behind a cloud that the wind blew in front of her. Eyeing that cloud, I decided to be bold and do something unique for once. My wings flared out and pushed me off the ground, struggling to support my weight. It had been a long while since I’d done any flying besides hovering.

     Though my wings were weak, I hadn't forgotten the actual flying techniques. It was nearly impossible to forget that feeling, that wonderful feeling that flooded me once I gained some speed. I was much higher now, able to look down on the roof of my house. If I reached out, my hooves would brush the tops of the tallest trees. Why don’t I do this more often?

     Lost in my thoughts, a gust of wind buffeted me, tossing me sideways. I lost sight of the ground, stars and trees trading positions and my hair whipping in my face. I flailed my wings, trying to regain stability before I hit the ground or some sharp object. My heart thudded in my chest, pumping adrenaline through my weak body. Come on, flap, you stupid pony! Finally, I flipped myself back upright, shaking. That’s why I don’t do it more often.

    Instead of attempting to fly upwards again, I simply hovered, considering my options. I knew there was no way I would be able to reach that cloud; the wind was picking up even more and I was incredibly out of shape. But my magic’s not too shabby, and I don’t feel like going inside just yet.

     I lit my horn up, cerulean light spilling from my forehead and across the treetops. I pictured myself sitting up on that cloud, the feel of the soft, cool cloud on my hooves, and the sight of the ground below. My vision faded to black for a moment, and I was suspended in oblivion for the shortest of breaths. With a slight popping sound, I came back into existence all at once and lowered myself onto the cloud that was just below my hooves. Satisfied, I tucked my wings back against my body and strode over to the edge of the cloud.

     Above me, the stars shimmered against a velvet background, mostly concentrated in the band across the middle of the sky. The ends touched the mountaintops bordering the valley, where the Moon was balanced on one particularly tall peak. I imagined the Mare in the Moon waving to her friends the stars from her silver throne, the stars winking back a joke in reply. I sat down and sighed.

     “Hello, Moon,” I whispered up at the nighttime vista. “How have you been up there? I bet it’s awfully cold up there, but you have so many friends to keep you warm. I wish I could be your friend.” I looked back at the wings resting quietly on my back and tilted my head back up, continuing, “Someday, when my wings are strong enough, I’m going to fly up there and join all your wonderful friends. Then I’ll be a star, too, and I can be happy forever.”

     I smiled at the image: my mane and tail flowing just like Celestia’s, with stars studding the mass of blue and green. My entire body glows brightly, its light shining down on the small world. I dance among the other stars, under the watchful eye of the Mare in the Moon. And on the darkest of nights, Celestia looks up at the stars shining down at her and smiles because she knows her daughter is eternally happy.

     I laid my head down on my hooves and let the daydream carry me off into sleep.

I stood in a room filled with thousands of ponies of different varieties, all milling about, chatting happily, and wearing smiles that never once wavered. Their coats, each one a different hue or shade, glowed brightly and created a rainbow that at first hurt to look at. My eyes adjusted quickly, though, allowing me to gaze at the sight as much as I wanted.

I didn’t know what surface I was standing on, but it was cool and midnight black, with little points of light embedded in it at random intervals. Upon closer inspection, I found that they were diamonds, thousands upon thousands of tiny diamonds embedded in the dark floor. It was impossible to tell whether I was outside or not; the background was completely black, giving no indication of walls, ceiling, or sky.

Rising above the crowd was a silver throne, upon which sat a dark blue alicorn mare with a star-studded, flowing mane. Her regal gaze swept over the crowd of oblivious ponies, locking with mine when she saw me looking. She raised one silver-clad hoof and beckoned for me to come closer.

I gulped and pushed my way through the crowd, which didn’t take much effort as the crowd parted at my touch. Soon I reached the throne, and bowed down before the pony. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Mare in the Moon.”

The pony frowned. “I am no longer the Mare in the Moon,” she said. “I shed that title a hundred years ago.” I hastily apologized, but she said, “It is no matter. I simply wish to welcome you to my Court of Stars, young one.”

A grin split my face.  “Thank you, miss!” I replied with a bow. The dark mare flicked her hoof in dismissal, also smiling. I darted back into the glowing crowd, determined to make some new friends.

A blur later, I found myself talking to a group of five vaguely familiar ponies, two of which were pegasi, two earth ponies, and one unicorn. The pegasi introduced themselves as Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, the earth ponies as Applejack and Pinkie Pie, and the unicorn as Rarity. I found myself awestruck at the idea of a pony that didn't have both wings and a horn, but they seemed to treat it like a normal fact that some ponies lacked one, the other, or heaven forbid even both. Our conversation was idle, and it was everything I could have ever hoped for. I chatted with the five of them for an endless amount of time, perfectly content, although most of my conversation centered on the pegasi and unicorn. Earth ponies just weren't that interesting.

After awhile, Rainbow Dash got bored of sharing the limelight, and interrupted Rarity's stream of chatter. “So, you’ve got a sweet pair of wings,” she said, poking at my feathered sides. “You a good flyer?”

I blushed a bit, but answered steadily, “I’m more of a pleasure flyer, really.”

The pegasus snorted, “Hmmf. Alicorns never did have a taste for speed.” Then she added under her breath, “Twilight...”

I looked up at the black sky and wondered, “Do you think we’d hit a ceiling if we flew?”

The cerulean pony followed my gaze and replied, “What? Nah, you could fly up forever if you wanted to.”

I spread my wings in response and offered, “Do you want to go for a flight? Not a race, just...just flying.” Rainbow Dash huffed, but consented, saying that it was better than nothing before taking off. I turned to invite Fluttershy along, but she was talking to the other three ponies, so I took off instead. She seemed much more content among her friends anyhow.

Together we swooped through the air, dashing over the crowd barely a hooflength above some of their heads. Evidently this was common practice for Rainbow Dash since nopony looked up. She led and I followed on her tail, somehow a much stronger flyer than I had expected. Maybe it was this place. It all seemed very odd.

There seemed to be no wind here, but I could still feel the air whipping through my mane as I sped through the air. I reveled in the feeling. Just ahead, I saw Rainbow Dash’s bright form change its angle flight, moving up, up, up. I followed suit, never growing tired.

Without warning, something struck me in the chest. I looked down, but there was nothing there. I started moving backwards, no longer under my own power. My panic swelled. I saw Rainbow Dash look back and yell something, then vanish behind a curtain of darkness. As my backward movement accelerated, I looked down to see that the Court of Stars, too, had vanished. I was surrounded by utter darkness, unable even to see my own hoof.

I felt my wings stop holding me up and started to fall, a silent scream tearing from my lips as I, too, vanished into the nothingness.

     I jerked my head up, coming awake all at once. The cloud I was asleep on was moving down and back rather quickly, just like my movement in the dream. Still groggy, I swung my head to the right, seeking the source of my momentum: a sphere of yellow magic, rapidly closing in on my house. It could only be Celestia’s magic. My head spun, and I desperately tried to clear the last vestiges of sleep from my system. I had to act, now, before I got squished.

      With a shake of my head, I was able to think somewhat clearly. I stood up, inhaled deeply, and found my center. My horn lit up as I prepared a quick transportation spell, holding the image of the view from my front porch in mind. The way the mountains cut the skyline, the wooden beams supporting the porch roof, the chair and table beside it, the feel of the wooden planks beneath my hooves....

     My vision faded black and my body tingled, then all my senses came back at once. The sight I held in my mind’s eye matched the one in my physical sight, only with the addition of a translucent yellow wall rushing towards me. I whipped around and, hooves scrabbling against the porch, dove inside the door.

     From the psychological protection of the doorframe, I watched the shield bearing down on my home. It was ten yards away...five...three...two....My heart clenched and time slowed as it raced down at me, and I braced myself for impact.

     Instead, as the barrier hit the edge of my porch, it stopped, stretching up to form a dome around the perimeter of my house. I stared up at it, praying and hoping it wasn’t what I thought it was. Slow hoofsteps brought me to the sun-colored dome, and I reached out a tentative, shaking hoof to poke it. Contact brought ripples across the magic surface, but the wall was definitively solid. It might as well have been fifty feet thick. I’d seen and practiced this type of magic; nothing can get in, and nothing can get out.

     I was trapped and alone. And Celestia had lied.