Anomaly 4 (Celestia talks a lot)

>Separating things properly has the potential to release stored energy.

>Spitting an atom apart, done properly, will unleash a devastating torrent of power.

>But this is true on higher levels, and with things you would not expect.

>Separating a friendship will cause a wave of discomfort and possibly strife, which affects not only the people directly involved in the friendship, but also the people on the peripheral as well.

>Separating anything will release some power that was hidden away, but it’s not always easy to perceive or apply it.

>Following the disappearance of an epileptic child, and a strong dose of LSD, one man had a vision.

>His child had undergone an operation, a corpus callosotomy, effectively separating the hemispheres of his brain.

>And unknowingly, had found how to utilize some unseen power granted him by this.

 

>The man wasn’t the only one working on this problem, in his research he came across other people who had approached the project from different angles, for different reasons.

>They formed a bond of their own, consolidating this power.

>And fifty years later, their lives work produced a prototype.

>And ten after that, a greatly advanced prototype.

>But test subjects who have damaged a damaged corpus collosom are rare.

>Some were acquired by paying off families of patients, families who believed there was no further way to treat the damage done by crippling epilepsy that had left you comatose.

>And eventually you woke up with a few other people in new dark surroundings and felt your bald, scarred head.

>You were told that you were selected to partake in a trial, and you were told pretty bluntly that you didn’t really have a choice.

>And you heard a humming sound, coming from the middle of your skull.

>And now, years later, you are trapped in the land of Equestria.

>The humming, that you had learned to see as a symbol for freedom, replaced with a sad broken click.

>Until the sun goddess of the ponies landed behind you, bringing a sliver of hope.

 

>”My faithful subjects!” the princess’ voice rang clear and loud enough that all Ponyville could hear.

>”I apologize for being too late to fully avert this disaster, and I am more pleased than you can know to see you handle it yourselves. I hope that all of you know that I would personally see to the safety of all of my subjects, were such a thing possible. But my presence is finite. I have placed my trust in certain ponies to care for you when I am unable, and time and time again they have proved up to the task. But you should know from this event, and others that have occurred that dark times may be falling on Equestria. Even my most trusted servants may not be present to protect you from unseen danger. This being the case, I choose to place my trust in all of you. If the time comes when our presence is not to be found, you must trust in yourselves and in your friends to stay steadfast, to not let difficult times or the machinations of evil erode your friendship with one another.” At this she gestures toward Twilight and her friends. “Friendship is the spark that grants magic to these ponies, it is from where they draw their power, and it is from where I draw my power, and it shall be where you draw yours as well.”

 

>As she finished, thunderous applause shook the crowd (if ponies stomping their hooves to the ground counts as applause).

>”Meet me at the town hall in an hour.” She instructed the six ponies at her feet.

>She then looks you dead in the eye. “You will come as well. I’m very interested in you, Anonymous.”

>Despite her large size, the princess took to the air as gracefully as any pony you had seen and flew toward the center of Ponyville, half a dozen armored pegasi in her wake.

>The ponies continue about their work, talking among themselves more intensely and more quietly than before, the princess’ ominous words sobering them up more than the elephant attack.

>The three blue-suited ponies approach and begin to speak to Twilight’s pegasis friends.

>”Anonymous!” Rainbow Dash yells excitedly. “Come over here! The Wonderbolts want to meet you!”

>The yellow mare extends a hoof, which you clasp and shake in your hand.

>”So you’re the friendly monster of Ponyville!” She greets you warmly, “Ever since I heard about you a week ago I’ve been keeping prepared to come cut you down on a moment’s notice if you ever grew freakishly large and went rampaging through the town!”

>You’re not really sure how to take that so you just roll with it.

 

>”Good thing you were, since a giant monster did attack the town.”

>”Yeah, I just wish it were the first time, like I said: you’re the FRIENDLY monster of Ponyville.”

>”Even the friendly ones are a problem sometime.” interjected another female Wonderbolt. Only the slightly darker shade of orange in her mane allows you to distinguish her from Spitfire.

>Rainbow Dash lets out a laugh, “Blaze here showed up the time Spike grew huge and tried to steal the entire town. Spike wound up trapping her in a water tower for a while.”

>Upon hearing this you re-evaluate your opinion of Spike.

>Blaze points at you with her hoof and you notice the blade embedded in the arm of her suit.

>”You try growing and rampaging like that,” she warns “and I’ll take off a lot more than your spines, or hair or whatever you have.” She draws the other side of her arm across her throat, making a schhhhhick sound that, universally, means throat cutting.

>”Well,” you reply, “Thanks for rescuing me from that elephant. I thought I was done for.”

>”Oh don’t mention it!” she cheerily waves, “Glad to help out!”

 

>”Speaking of that severed elephant trunk,” the third Wonderbolt, a blue stallion with a darker blue mane rushes up frantically “did anyone see where I put that? I’m totally keeping that thing!”

>”No Soarin, for the last time, you are not bringing that thing with us!” Spitfire groans “I will not have the train smell like rotting elephant flesh all the way to Appleloosa!”

>”You guys are going to Appleloosa?” Rainbow seems concerned. “The buffalo aren’t causing some kind of trouble are they?”

>”We’re going further east of Appleloosa, past the end of the line.” Spitfire explains. “And I’m pretty sure you guys are coming with us. Including you, big guy. I’m sure the princess will fill you in on the details.”

>”Unlike us.” complains Blaze, “Nop0ny tells the grunts anything.”

>”A secret mission? With the Wonderbolts? Oh my gosh!” Rainbow is ecstatic. “Guys! Does this make me an honorary member of the Wonderbolts? Can you like, deputize me or something?”

 

>You take this chance to slip away and talk to Twilight, who had been on your periphery for a few minutes.

>”So Anonymous?” she asks, “What did you think of the princess?”

>”I was skeptical before,” you admit to her “from your descriptions, it was obvious you had a strong relationship with the princess, and I assumed your familiarity put you in a position to see only the best in a what would ultimately be just a ruler of ponies. Where I come from, rulers are people and their faults are more evident than others. Here it seems that is not the case. Your princess radiates power, just from being in her presence and hearing her voice, I’m convinced she is a being that can raise and lower the very sun of this world.”

>Twilight allows herself a triumphant smirk at your long-winded declaration of awe.

>”I’m glad you were impressed Anonymous,” she tells you, “Believe it or not, your opinion seems to mean a lot to me.” She says this as if it surprises her, and you understand how she feels because it surprises you too.

>You have become quite friendly with Twilight over the two long weeks you’ve been in Ponyville, but this admission seems out of nowhere to you.

>You both realize you’ve been thinking about this for a few too many seconds and simultaneously break the stare you were giving each other.

>”Spitfire seems to think that the princess will have us accompany them somewhere, I should probably pack some things.” As you say them you feel you speak the words too quickly.

>”I’ve assumed as much, I should probably have Spike prepare a checklist.”

>You both start to head in opposite directions, but something quickly makes you turn and call out to her.

>”Twilight!” she breaks her gallop and turns to face you. “I’m a stranger here in your world. Your opinion, believe it or not, means very much to me too.”

>She smiles warmly at you and you both turn and head back to your homes to pack.

 

>Lyra is prancing around your apartment as you stuff supplies into a modified saddle bag that you normally keep your herbs in.

>You pull a few spare petals of Poison Joke out of the bag and shove them in the back of the rudimentary refrigerator. You accidentally spill a fair amount of dirt on the floor but your landlord doesn’t seem to mind.

>”Oh man! I thought the monster was going to smash every house in the town but you and Flutters just..” at this point she just resorts to making stabby noises with her mouth and smashing her hooves together. “And that was the end of that!”

>You just smile at the enthusiastic unicorn and ask her to hand you the clothes laid out behind her.

>She levitates them over to you without a glance, her horn glowing a different shade of green than her coat.

>”It must be so useful to have hands!” she exclaims, “You climbed all over that black stuff on the monster, a unicorn like me would have fallen to her doom in a second.”

>She uses her magic to flip open your fridge and levitates herself a leftover flower sandwich that was too bitter for you to force down.

>While magically keeping the sandwich at her mouth she picks up a Rarity-crafted glove of yours and deftly stretches over her left hoof.

>”Hewoh.” She says with her mouth full of sandwich “Ah ahm Awanawas. Ah pec fwowahs em fa woohs ah dah wong!”

 

>You pack two sets of clean clothes, the bread you got from Pinky earlier, a few medicinal herbs that would be of use to the ponies, Twilight’s Daring Do book that you keep struggling through, a stack of parchment, quills and ink, a watch, your coin purse with all your bits, and a small, crude human doll that Fluttershy gave you on your first night in the new apartment so you wouldn’t be lonely (It is now your most cherished possession).

>Almost as an afterthought you grab the long bread knife and pack it as well.

>It is literally the closest thing in Ponyville that comes to weapon, barring magical powers, and you realize that only your human mind sees it that way.

>To a pony it’s a tool to cut bread.

>You grab the glove off Lyra’s hoof and its pair from the back of the couch and slide your feet into the closest approximation of human shoes that the best cobbler in Ponyville could make you.

>”Lyra, it seems I’m joining some ponies for a trip on behalf of the Princess. Take good care of Ponyville while I’m gone.”

>She gives you smart salute which you return.

>”See you later Anonymous! I’m sure glad you paid rent in advance!”

>You close the door.

 

>Exactly an hour after her command, Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and You have arrived at the town hall.

>Blaze, Soarin, and Spitfire are out of uniform and lazily reclined on some quickly assembled cloud lawn chairs, in sharp contrast to the six armored pegasi standing rigidly at attention.

>”Go on in,” waves Spitfire, “the princess said you guys can brief us on the train.”

>You go on in.

>The town hall is empty except for a single pony.

The Princess sits before you in repose, her legs folded beneath her, seemingly deep in thought.  

>Before her lay an elaborately jeweled chest, ornate even by pony standards.

>”Princess Celestia!” Twilight announces “We’re here just like you said, I assume from your speech earlier that you’re going to be sending us someone to use the Elements of Harmony to stop the dark times ahead that you spoke of?

>The princess chuckles, kindly but sadly.

>”My dear Twilight Sparkle, I wish a simple use of the elements was enough to stop whatever has befallen Equestria is recent years.

 

>”A little more than two years ago, I sent you to Ponyville before an event long prophesied took place: the return of Nightmare Moon and her subsequent defeat at your hooves.”

>At this she lets out a sigh. “The prediction Twilight uncovered in her research was a greatly abridged telling of a much longer, elaborate prophecy.  It was from a time before my sister and I existed and it was difficult for us to decipher, but over the years we have been convinced of its authenticity. After foretelling the release of my sister, it mentions a plague of unnatural creatures, which we had in the forms of rogue dragons and devastating parasprites. It tells of attacks committed by old enemies, and in the same year we have witnessed both the rebirth of the Changling Horde and the return of my nemesis Discord. Finally it mentions constant attacks of our land by grotesque, corrupted beasts, and I believe that has begun today.  In addition to your elephant, the city of Manehatten has been overrun by mad lunatic griffons, Twilight, your brother is there now, and from the messages I have received he is controlling the situation admirably.”

>She pauses a moment here, and you are grateful.

>This is a lot to take in, and you attempt to piece together events from the few stories Twilight and the others have related to you.

>”Fillydelphia,” the princess continues, “has essentially been lost to us. Still recovering from the devastating parasprite invasion from over a year ago, they were this morning overwhelmed by a group of marauding minotuars. My sister is overseeing defense of the city and her reports are bleak. Unlike here and Manehatten, ponies have diedin the attack, and the city is in ruins. Survivors are fleeing to Las Pegasis and Luna is worried it may become a new target for the marauders.

 

>The most confusing thing about this is that we have always had nothing but peaceful relations with the Minotaur, I even count some among their number as my dear friends. I cannot fathom what would drive them all the way from their lands to the west of us to nearly our eastern border, or what would make them practically declare war on us.  The same can be said for the griffons, we have always been at peace with their people.”

>The princess stops for a moment and is visibly upset.

>“This prophecy that tells of our peaceful land being overrun with beasts, ends with what I can only interpret as being my death. This, Twilight is the true nature of the words you discovered that told of the banishment of the sun and the rule of eternal night.  It referred, I believe, not to my sister destroying me, but succeeding me.”

 

>”My little ponies, I tell you now, that I will not stand for it, I will not sit idly by and let this land, let this kingdom that I have nurtured for thousands of years, that I have brought into the light of the sun day by day for millennia, be overrun by monsters that murder my subjects and drag us into never-ending war! I will not let myself be erased, and have it be passed onto my sister, as much as I love her, or to anyp0ny before I am unquestionably sure that it’s future is one of unalterable peace! I will not bow to arcane prophesies that came before me; I refuse to believe that the words of a single pony, spoken untold thousands of years ago, control my destiny, or this kingdom’s destiny or even that on their own they hold any power at all! Someone is behind this, prophecies can be made but it is ponies that carry them out.”

>She pauses to breathe, and she radiates so much light she is difficult to look upon.

>This fierce princess is a far cry from the kindly, caring one I had seen address her subjects an hour ago. From the stunned reaction of Twilight and her friends it is my guess that it’s a side of her unfamiliar to them as well.

>She visibly composes herself.

>”After months of research, and a little bit of luck in the Royal Archives, I believe I have a hypothesis as to the ponies behind this prophecy.”

 

>”You all probably know that a long time ago, the three pony races, Unicorns, Pegasi, and Earth Ponies, were not always at peace. Back then the entire Unicorn race held the role that my sister and I hold today, that of raising and lowering the sun and the moon.”

>”The reason for this, nop0ny but I and my sister know for a certainty, but I will tell you now, and trust that it will not be spoken of outside this room. This World was in fact created by the Unicorns, and the ponies used their magic to pass from their old world, into this one of their own making.”

>(And with that your hypothesis of this being a created universe is confirmed.)

>”Another secret known only to my sister and me: our powers and our very selves were created for us by these unicorns, so that control of the harmonious elements, might pass from them, onto us, reliving them of their burden.”

>”Long before we came into the world however, there were legends of three unicorn mages who’s names are still spoken down to this day. It is my belief that these mages have returned to Equestria and are the stars in the prophecy discovered by Twilight, which aided in my sister’s escape from her banishment, for although it is often said that I banished my sister for one thousand years, the truth is that as far as I was concerned, I had banished her forever. It was not known for sure what caused her release from the moon, but the magic of the ancient unicorns is a definite possibility.”

>”I will tell you now the names of these unicorns and why I believe they have returned to this world. The first star is Stardust, known as the Blind. Stardust was a scribe and a prophet, and is very likely the pony that set down the prophecy in the first place.

The second is his brother, Daystar the Bald. Daystar was a foil to his studious brother, interested more in the living body and its limits and potential. There are legends that claim he was responsible for the creation of many creatures in our world today and maybe to some degree even for changes in our own pony physiology. And the third star is the most well known, the unicorn that is responsible for much of the way magic itself is used and applied, Starswirl the Bearded.”

>”Among the many powers known to have been mastered by Starswirl is magic that manipulates the flow of time. Across the millennia, legends have persisted that claim that the three Star Mages of the Pre-Classical era fell out of favor with the Unicorn King for one reason or another. Rather than being locked away in a dungeon to rot for the rest of their lives, they participated in a spell that carried them outside the bonds of time, and away from the Unicorn King’s grasp forever.”

>”After going though all the evidence available to me, it is my fear that these Star Mages have reappeared in our time and are attempting to manipulate events for reasons that I cannot fathom. I believe they released my sister from the moon, I believe they had a hand in the release of Discord and the reoccurrence of the Changlings and I believe they are in some way responsible for the disasters that are befalling us even now.”

>”Reaching this conclusion, I am at a loss as to how to combat these beings of unknown power. At the present time we need information. And that, Twilight Sparkle, is where you and your friends come in.”

>”It is time that the Elements of Harmony come completely into your care. They have been yours for two years now, and I have watched over them, but whether it be my death or merely the waning of my powers, it is you ponies that control the elements now, and may find that you need them for the task I am giving you now.”

>”Twilight, I need you to travel to the source of the mad beast that attacked Ponyville. Beyond our western most border, lies the Graveyard of the Elephants. You are to go there, and attempt to contact the elephant queen about her missing subject. On the way, you will pass a settlement of Minotaur who owe me a small debt, you are to take whatever they give you to aid in your quest for answers and ask them about the rogue tribe that has attacked our city. Any piece of information you find, send to me. Twilight, my most faithful student, if there exists anyone who can find a solution to this dilemma, it is you.”

 

>There were questions asked and answers given.

>There were tearful goodbyes and gentle admonitions by the princess to not worry.

>The jeweled chest was opened and the Elements, common seeming jewels on golden necklaces and one tiara, were distributed to their respective ponies.

>Your mind tries to fit all the information you’ve absorbed into a proper context, but it will be days before that finally happens.

>And right now the princess wants to see you alone for a bit.

>The ponies leave and you are left alone with the princess and all her power.

>”I don’t quite know what to make of your presence.” she tells you “When Twilight first sent me a letter saying you had suddenly appeared, I very nearly came here immediately, to protect her from what I saw as the latest threat in a series of threats. But her description of you was strange, and it was clear to see from her words that she was fascinated and intrigued and so, without meaning to, she reminded me that even in times of peril, you cannot reduce yourself to seeing every new occurrence as a threat. Like Twilight I had to see you, as what you really are.”

>”And what is that exactly?” you ask.

>”What you are,” the princess spoke softly now, “is an anomaly. An unforeseen, unexpected occurrence. You are from outside our own universe and you are unknowable and unpredictable. And for a pony like Twilight, who is always striving to learn something new, this is an amazing thing.”

>As she speaks she gets closer to you, her voice now a whisper. You are almost touching her as she seemingly peers into you and through you, seeing all the potential stored within you. You can only hear the beating of your heart and the clicking of your head for almost a minute before you speak.

>”And for a pony like you?”

>”For a pony like me, you are the perfect thing for a prophecy, if want you want with it,” and at this she broke into a wide grin, “is to just really fuck it up.”

 

>And with that, an hour later you, the Elements of Harmony, and three Wonderbolts are taking a private train to Appleloosa, on the Western border of Equestria.

>You find yourself seated next to Soarin, who is mostly complaining about Spitfire not letting him keep various bizarre trophies from their missions.

>”OK so this one time” he tells you “we were supposed to herd some giant hydra away from a swamp, or into a swamp or something, I don’t remember. And it was REALLY foggy, like I couldn’t see a thing, and I hear this roar. The next thing I know I fly straight into the hydra’s mouth, and this is the really gross part, I just burst right out the back of his head! It seems hydras are like, really spongy or something!”

>“That’s pretty gross.” You agree.

>“But it gets worse! I realize as I’m flying out, that I’m really warm, like even more than I should be considering all the hydra blood I’m covered in. I look down, and realize I’m holding on to the hydra’s severed tongue!”

>“That’s, wait what?”

>“I only kept that tongue in the locker room for two days, and Spitfire just threw it out while I was at lunch! She has no respect for other people’s property! I was going to have that made into a pillow!”

>”That’s pretty harsh man.”

 

>”I think she was just pissed off cause me killing the one head made it grow two more, oh hey speaking of which, how well do you know Applejack?”

>”I…well she kicked me in the head a bunch when I first got here, but we’re pretty cool now. What does that have to do with…?”

>”Well you see, the hydra was near Ponyville, obviously and this one time at the Grand Galloping Gala,”

>”The what?”

>”Applejack made this killer pie, and she’s from Ponyville and. Well, you know…”

>You stare at him and slowly shake your head, subtly indicating that you do not, in fact, know.

>”You think you can get me some free pies?”

>You clap your hand on his shoulder-equivalent in what you hope is a manly, confiding gesture.

>”I have to pee.” You inform him “is there a bathroom on this train?”

>As you head up the aisle you hear a really load whisper behind you.

>”ASK HER”

>”ABOUT THE PIES!”

>These ponies, you reflect to yourself, are all crazy.

>You search for Twilight to discuss the day’s events with her.

>Your implant clicks.

End of part 4