Once upon a time, in the magical land of Equestria...
Princess Celestia was distraught. Her heart was filled with pain at the fate that had
befallen her dear sister, banished to the moon for a thousand years. With pain also
came worry, since a thousand years were still a finite amount of time.
Her solution was only temporary. Nightmare Moon would be back, and Celestia found the elements of harmony now non-responding to her will. In her grief, she had lost the right to them. Another battle with Nightmare Moon would be long, grievous, and would surely end up taking the life of one of the two sisters. The thought further unsettled her, especially because if she fell, Equestria would be at the corrupted AlicornÆs mercy.
Thus, looking into the future, a thousand years from the day she trapped Nightmare Moon, she took a decision. She couldnÆt take the chance of having Equestria undefended. She had to make sure the Elements could be wielded when the time came. She had to make sure there were ponies worthy of doing so, as she wasnÆt any more.
Thus, the War of the Elements came to be.
Prologue
ôHmm...ö The man in his mid thirties cracked his neck to the right, observing the city sprawling around him from the stationÆs exit. ôSo, this is the place? That lady you talked about sure knows how to pick æem.ö He commented, turning his head to his companion. ôYeah, I know. I will be careful. WeÆre probably one of the first ones to arrive, but not the only ones.ö The man took a few steps forward and then stopped, his eyebrows raised as he turned to face his companion again. ôWhat? Seriously? ThereÆs a human without a partner yet? In this city?ö He laughed after a few seconds. ôWell, canÆt very well let this go unpunished, can we? Lead the way, partner.ö He started walking again, all the while not noticing the bewildered gaze of a young mother and her son.
ôMommy, why was that mister talking to the stuffed toy on his shoulder?ö
-MyLittlePony-
Well, where should I start? I thought about starting directly from the time I met my partner but telling you about me as I was in the beginning without giving you at least a bit of background first could be off-putting. I was a smart-ass and kind of a jerk, after all.
My name is Jason Clark. And when this story began, I was attending College.
ôYou wanted to see me, professor Miller?ö
ôAh, Jason. Please, come on in and take a seat.ö Jason complied, closing the door behind me and taking a seat in one of the lush armchairs as the plump man adjusted his glasses and put away some papers.
Professor Miller taught Anthropology, and I had decided to major with him. Knowledgeable, a bit too enthusiastic about his work, but professional most of the times. He had asked me to come to his office after lunch, around 2 PM. He didnÆt say why.
ôWhat is it? Is there something wrong with my thesis?ö
ôOh, no! ItÆs coming along wonderfully. The newest batch was very interesting.ö The professor chuckled and swiveled his chair around till he was facing me again. ôI didnÆt call you here to talk about your studies.ö Jason raised an eyebrow, confused. He was a professor. If he didnÆt want to talk about his studies, what else? ôHowÆs your family, Jason?ö
æDarn.Æ Jason thought. He was one of those professors. ôGood, professor... I guess.ö
ôYou guess?ö How the hell did he find out, is what he wanted to know.
ôI havenÆt heard from them in a while, so, I can only assume. I havenÆt received any funeral notifications, so...ö Jason tried to change the subject with a joke.
ôThatÆs... Rather morbid, Jason.ö Miller was not amused. ôDonÆt they pay for your room and board?ö
ôYeah. So, I guess thatÆs proof enough...ö The student continued, hoping the professor would change the subject. He had never been comfortable talking about my family.
ô... Jason, indulge my curiosity, will you?ö Miller started. One of those questions was coming. Jason pre-grimaced. ôI donÆt mean to be invasive, but IÆve noticed that you have a severe lack of social life. IÆve never seen you chat with anyone, be it before, during, or after lessons, be it in the classroom or in the campus. You donÆt belong to a fraternity, and you donÆt exactly mess around either, do you?ö
ôI think æmess aroundÆ is a bit old, sir.ö
ôAnd from what your dorm manager says, you hardly even leave the campus. So, I must ask, why.ö Why was he such a shut in and an asocial freak, Jason thought he would ask. ôWhy did you decide to study Cultural Anthropology, of all things?ö
I found myself surprised. I thought I was going to get another pep-talk about socializing more, but instead, I got a question that no one had ever asked me before. I found myself at a loss of words.
ôI...ö Jason opened his mouth. Then closed it again. He knew. But it was difficult to put into words. And it was hard to think about. ôI donÆt... I donÆt really know how to answer that, professor.ö
ôHmm... Well, I suggest you think about it, Jason. This is your future weÆre talking about.ö Miller continued, earning JasonÆs attention again. ôEvery student has its own reasons for choosing his curriculum and career, but you strike me as one whose reason goes behind the prospect of money or financial stability. Your motivation is more complex. What I want you to be sure is that itÆs a good one.ö He sighed as leaned back into his chair. ôIn the long run, an unhealthy motivation, no matter how strong, will just leave you empty inside, or damaged.ö
ôUnhealthy.ö æThatÆs one way of putting it.Æ The young man exhaled.
I was confused, surprised. It was the first time someone simply asked for my reasons instead of just giving me advice. And it was the first time someone put in correlation my choice for a field of studying with my lack of a social life. But I still didnÆt know how to explain myself without sounding bitter.
Because I was bitter. And disillusioned.
ôI... DonÆt really have an answer for you right now, professor.ö
ôI didnÆt ask for one right away. I just wanted to give you some food for thought.ö The professor smiled amiably, leaning forward on his desk. ôYouÆre a very bright young man, Jason. ThereÆs many things you could do with your abilities, and I want you to be sure of the path youÆve chosen.ö
ô... Can I go, now?ö
I didnÆt mean to sound rude, but he sure gave me some food for thought. Food that lured out some bad memories. I needed air. He nodded and next thing I knew, I was out of the room.
-MyLittlePony-
ôJesus, professor...ö Jason was recovering on a bench in the campus, sprawled out and looking at the sky. He was able to mostly tune out the bad memories, but the sense of discomfort and anger that they had brought was still there. æI can probably find that answer, but IÆm not sure weÆll like it.Æ He straightened his head, leaning his chin in so that it fell on the necklace hanging inside of his shirt, as always. He pulled it out, observing the trinket. It was quite heavy. Attacked to the leather string, there was a series of dog-tags, all blank except for the first one. It had an engraving of the Great Dipper on one side, and a sentence on the other.
When everythingÆs bringing you down, donÆt forget to laugh!
æIÆm trying, mom. IÆm really trying.Æ Still, he couldnÆt get more than a twitch of the angles out of his mouth. Dejected, he strapped his backpack on and started heading back to the dorm.
-MyLittlePony-
ôHuuu... IÆm lost agaaaain...ö At that moment, high, high in the sky, a lonely figure sniffled as she let the air currents carry her forward. ôWhy canÆt I get to where I want to go? It used to be so easy...ö She had been lost in an unfamiliar territory for weeks, now. SheÆd been hunted and chased away. She had to steal food or eat yucky grass. No sweets. And she still hadnÆt found who she was supposed to find. She raised the pamphlet to her face again. ôæFocus on the image of your partner, and your inner magic will guide you to him/her.Æ But I keep getting distracteeeeeed!ö She whined.
Focusing was hard. It meant only think of one thing at the time, but she was always thinking about so many things, and now she had to think about other things because everything was new, and meaner, and confusing... She threw her hooves in the air, exasperated. ôWhy does it have to be so-WAH!ö In her frustration, she had just thrown the pamphlet to the winds, and it started slowly swaying down. ôPAMPHLET! DONÆT LEAVE ME ALONE!ö
-MyLittlePony-
ôSo, thatÆs the guy?ö The rough looking man asked his partner as he observed the young man walking to the dorms. ôHmm, canÆt really attack him in broad daylight now, can we? And since he doesnÆt have a partner, we canÆt invoke the D-Field.ö He waited for a few seconds, and then nodded. ôYouÆre right. Night it is. LetÆs just hope he doesnÆt have a room-mate.ö
ôEhm, dude, are you okay?ö He broke out of his reverie as an unknown voice called for his attention. He turned around to see a young student staring at him strangely. He raised an eyebrow. ôYouÆve, like, been talking to yourself.ö
ô... Oh.ö æDarn. Gotta lose that habit.Æ ôSorry æbout that. IÆm practicing for an improv thing, you know. Well, have a nice day.ö With a nod of his head, he turned around and started walking away, not wanting to lose his prey, the student staring at him all the while.
ôDid the dude have a fucking plushie on his right shoulder?ö
-MyLittlePony-
ôAah... Aaah... Aaaaah...ö After hours of chasing, wayward winds and avoiding unidentified flying objects, she had finally managed to grab onto the pamphlet, which she was now clutching tightly to her chest as he recovered her breath. She started sniffling right after, staring at the unfamiliar, dangerous sky which was starting to tint with the orange light of sunset. ôHuuu, I want to go hoooome... I hate being all alone, and this world is so ugly, and mean, and-!ö A jolt went through her whole body, every hair on her body standing on hand. ôIt... Yes!ö Suddenly cheerful, she jumped back to her feet. ôI found it! Him! Her! Whatever! My partner! ItÆs nearby!ö Her head shot from side to side. ôOkay! I have to focus! Even a little! So that I can find out who it is! Focusfocusfocusfocus...ö Fortunately, no one looked for that precise spot on top of the universityÆs main building. Otherwise, they would have found a very weird being squinting her eyes, long ears folded on top of her head. Immobile.
For three hours.
-MyLittlePony-
I didnÆt feel like studying. I didnÆt feel like eating dinner. I didnÆt feel like going out.
So, what did I do?
I stared at the ceiling above my bed, moping around.
Like a boss. Well, not really. Like a loser.
At least until the hunger became too much to ignore. I went to the cafeteria, ate my fill for the night and the started heading back to the dorm. For more moping.
Little did I know that I had unknowingly gained a room-mate.
The first clue that something was off was the fact that his door was ajar instead of closed. He was sure to have closed it. He opened it inwards. The second clue was the guy sitting in his chair. Wearing a trench-coat and a fedora. Either heÆd seen too much Dick Tracy, or he was trouble. The rough features and square jaw made Jason think of the second option. ôIs it him, Top?ö
ôYes, he is.ö The third, and most blatant clue that something was really, really off was... ôI can feel it?ö
I seriously didnÆt know how to refer to the thing in front of me. The first word that came to my mind was, of course, horse. But a horse didnÆt have such soft features, nor tattoos on its flanks, nor such bright colors and big eyes. Such an intelligent expression.
Horses didnÆt usually have a perm, either.
And finally, horses. DidnÆt. Talk.
ôWhat the flying fuck?!ö Jason let out, earning a soft gasp from the small equine in his room, who lifted one of her hooves -he thought it a she because of the eyelashes and the voice- to her mouth.
ôHey, mind keeping it down with the language? Carrot TopÆs a lady.ö The guy said, standing up. Jason just kept on staring.
ôOkay. IÆm calling campus security.ö He then went for the phone inside his pocket. ôSee how you l-ACK!ö The moment he pulled out the device, the æladyÆ turned around and standing on her front hooves, bucked it out of his now injured hand and into the wall, where it shattered in pieces. æWhat the hell?!Æ
ôNow, now, no need to resort to such drastic measures. Also, even if you made the call go through, what were you going to say? æThereÆs a guy with a talking pony inside my roomÆ?ö The man snorted, earning a chuckle from JasonÆs attacker as well. ôWeÆre just here to get something, and then weÆll be out of your hair. But, since we couldnÆt find it in your room, we have to assume you carry it with you.ö
ôS-Something? What are you talking about?ö Jason let out through gritted teeth.
ôI donÆt really know, to tell the truth. Top?ö
ô... Around his neck.ö Jason tensed. ôUnder his shirt. I think itÆs a necklace, Richard.ö
ôThere. So, just hand it over and-ö
ôNo!ö Jason shot back immediately, surprising both man and pony alike. Right after, the man called Richard sighed and shook his head.
ôBoy...ö Then, he narrowed his eyes. ôI wasnÆt asking.ö
So, my situation was: a man older and bigger than me who looked like a Dick Tracy villain and a talking pony who had just assaulted me wanted to get, for some reason, my most treasured possession. And, the door was still open behind me.
What do you think I did?
Princess Celestia was distraught. Her heart was filled with pain at the fate that had
befallen her dear sister, banished to the moon for a thousand years. With pain also
came worry, since a thousand years were still a finite amount of time.
Her solution was only temporary. Nightmare Moon would be back, and Celestia found the elements of harmony now non-responding to her will. In her grief, she had lost the right to them. Another battle with Nightmare Moon would be long, grievous, and would surely end up taking the life of one of the two sisters. The thought further unsettled her, especially because if she fell, Equestria would be at the corrupted AlicornÆs mercy.
Thus, looking into the future, a thousand years from the day she trapped Nightmare Moon, she took a decision. She couldnÆt take the chance of having Equestria undefended. She had to make sure the Elements could be wielded when the time came. She had to make sure there were ponies worthy of doing so, as she wasnÆt any more.
Thus, the War of the Elements came to be.
Prologue
ôHmm...ö The man in his mid thirties cracked his neck to the right, observing the city sprawling around him from the stationÆs exit. ôSo, this is the place? That lady you talked about sure knows how to pick æem.ö He commented, turning his head to his companion. ôYeah, I know. I will be careful. WeÆre probably one of the first ones to arrive, but not the only ones.ö The man took a few steps forward and then stopped, his eyebrows raised as he turned to face his companion again. ôWhat? Seriously? ThereÆs a human without a partner yet? In this city?ö He laughed after a few seconds. ôWell, canÆt very well let this go unpunished, can we? Lead the way, partner.ö He started walking again, all the while not noticing the bewildered gaze of a young mother and her son.
ôMommy, why was that mister talking to the stuffed toy on his shoulder?ö
-MyLittlePony-
Well, where should I start? I thought about starting directly from the time I met my partner but telling you about me as I was in the beginning without giving you at least a bit of background first could be off-putting. I was a smart-ass and kind of a jerk, after all.
My name is Jason Clark. And when this story began, I was attending College.
ôYou wanted to see me, professor Miller?ö
ôAh, Jason. Please, come on in and take a seat.ö Jason complied, closing the door behind me and taking a seat in one of the lush armchairs as the plump man adjusted his glasses and put away some papers.
Professor Miller taught Anthropology, and I had decided to major with him. Knowledgeable, a bit too enthusiastic about his work, but professional most of the times. He had asked me to come to his office after lunch, around 2 PM. He didnÆt say why.
ôWhat is it? Is there something wrong with my thesis?ö
ôOh, no! ItÆs coming along wonderfully. The newest batch was very interesting.ö The professor chuckled and swiveled his chair around till he was facing me again. ôI didnÆt call you here to talk about your studies.ö Jason raised an eyebrow, confused. He was a professor. If he didnÆt want to talk about his studies, what else? ôHowÆs your family, Jason?ö
æDarn.Æ Jason thought. He was one of those professors. ôGood, professor... I guess.ö
ôYou guess?ö How the hell did he find out, is what he wanted to know.
ôI havenÆt heard from them in a while, so, I can only assume. I havenÆt received any funeral notifications, so...ö Jason tried to change the subject with a joke.
ôThatÆs... Rather morbid, Jason.ö Miller was not amused. ôDonÆt they pay for your room and board?ö
ôYeah. So, I guess thatÆs proof enough...ö The student continued, hoping the professor would change the subject. He had never been comfortable talking about my family.
ô... Jason, indulge my curiosity, will you?ö Miller started. One of those questions was coming. Jason pre-grimaced. ôI donÆt mean to be invasive, but IÆve noticed that you have a severe lack of social life. IÆve never seen you chat with anyone, be it before, during, or after lessons, be it in the classroom or in the campus. You donÆt belong to a fraternity, and you donÆt exactly mess around either, do you?ö
ôI think æmess aroundÆ is a bit old, sir.ö
ôAnd from what your dorm manager says, you hardly even leave the campus. So, I must ask, why.ö Why was he such a shut in and an asocial freak, Jason thought he would ask. ôWhy did you decide to study Cultural Anthropology, of all things?ö
I found myself surprised. I thought I was going to get another pep-talk about socializing more, but instead, I got a question that no one had ever asked me before. I found myself at a loss of words.
ôI...ö Jason opened his mouth. Then closed it again. He knew. But it was difficult to put into words. And it was hard to think about. ôI donÆt... I donÆt really know how to answer that, professor.ö
ôHmm... Well, I suggest you think about it, Jason. This is your future weÆre talking about.ö Miller continued, earning JasonÆs attention again. ôEvery student has its own reasons for choosing his curriculum and career, but you strike me as one whose reason goes behind the prospect of money or financial stability. Your motivation is more complex. What I want you to be sure is that itÆs a good one.ö He sighed as leaned back into his chair. ôIn the long run, an unhealthy motivation, no matter how strong, will just leave you empty inside, or damaged.ö
ôUnhealthy.ö æThatÆs one way of putting it.Æ The young man exhaled.
I was confused, surprised. It was the first time someone simply asked for my reasons instead of just giving me advice. And it was the first time someone put in correlation my choice for a field of studying with my lack of a social life. But I still didnÆt know how to explain myself without sounding bitter.
Because I was bitter. And disillusioned.
ôI... DonÆt really have an answer for you right now, professor.ö
ôI didnÆt ask for one right away. I just wanted to give you some food for thought.ö The professor smiled amiably, leaning forward on his desk. ôYouÆre a very bright young man, Jason. ThereÆs many things you could do with your abilities, and I want you to be sure of the path youÆve chosen.ö
ô... Can I go, now?ö
I didnÆt mean to sound rude, but he sure gave me some food for thought. Food that lured out some bad memories. I needed air. He nodded and next thing I knew, I was out of the room.
-MyLittlePony-
ôJesus, professor...ö Jason was recovering on a bench in the campus, sprawled out and looking at the sky. He was able to mostly tune out the bad memories, but the sense of discomfort and anger that they had brought was still there. æI can probably find that answer, but IÆm not sure weÆll like it.Æ He straightened his head, leaning his chin in so that it fell on the necklace hanging inside of his shirt, as always. He pulled it out, observing the trinket. It was quite heavy. Attacked to the leather string, there was a series of dog-tags, all blank except for the first one. It had an engraving of the Great Dipper on one side, and a sentence on the other.
When everythingÆs bringing you down, donÆt forget to laugh!
æIÆm trying, mom. IÆm really trying.Æ Still, he couldnÆt get more than a twitch of the angles out of his mouth. Dejected, he strapped his backpack on and started heading back to the dorm.
-MyLittlePony-
ôHuuu... IÆm lost agaaaain...ö At that moment, high, high in the sky, a lonely figure sniffled as she let the air currents carry her forward. ôWhy canÆt I get to where I want to go? It used to be so easy...ö She had been lost in an unfamiliar territory for weeks, now. SheÆd been hunted and chased away. She had to steal food or eat yucky grass. No sweets. And she still hadnÆt found who she was supposed to find. She raised the pamphlet to her face again. ôæFocus on the image of your partner, and your inner magic will guide you to him/her.Æ But I keep getting distracteeeeeed!ö She whined.
Focusing was hard. It meant only think of one thing at the time, but she was always thinking about so many things, and now she had to think about other things because everything was new, and meaner, and confusing... She threw her hooves in the air, exasperated. ôWhy does it have to be so-WAH!ö In her frustration, she had just thrown the pamphlet to the winds, and it started slowly swaying down. ôPAMPHLET! DONÆT LEAVE ME ALONE!ö
-MyLittlePony-
ôSo, thatÆs the guy?ö The rough looking man asked his partner as he observed the young man walking to the dorms. ôHmm, canÆt really attack him in broad daylight now, can we? And since he doesnÆt have a partner, we canÆt invoke the D-Field.ö He waited for a few seconds, and then nodded. ôYouÆre right. Night it is. LetÆs just hope he doesnÆt have a room-mate.ö
ôEhm, dude, are you okay?ö He broke out of his reverie as an unknown voice called for his attention. He turned around to see a young student staring at him strangely. He raised an eyebrow. ôYouÆve, like, been talking to yourself.ö
ô... Oh.ö æDarn. Gotta lose that habit.Æ ôSorry æbout that. IÆm practicing for an improv thing, you know. Well, have a nice day.ö With a nod of his head, he turned around and started walking away, not wanting to lose his prey, the student staring at him all the while.
ôDid the dude have a fucking plushie on his right shoulder?ö
-MyLittlePony-
ôAah... Aaah... Aaaaah...ö After hours of chasing, wayward winds and avoiding unidentified flying objects, she had finally managed to grab onto the pamphlet, which she was now clutching tightly to her chest as he recovered her breath. She started sniffling right after, staring at the unfamiliar, dangerous sky which was starting to tint with the orange light of sunset. ôHuuu, I want to go hoooome... I hate being all alone, and this world is so ugly, and mean, and-!ö A jolt went through her whole body, every hair on her body standing on hand. ôIt... Yes!ö Suddenly cheerful, she jumped back to her feet. ôI found it! Him! Her! Whatever! My partner! ItÆs nearby!ö Her head shot from side to side. ôOkay! I have to focus! Even a little! So that I can find out who it is! Focusfocusfocusfocus...ö Fortunately, no one looked for that precise spot on top of the universityÆs main building. Otherwise, they would have found a very weird being squinting her eyes, long ears folded on top of her head. Immobile.
For three hours.
-MyLittlePony-
I didnÆt feel like studying. I didnÆt feel like eating dinner. I didnÆt feel like going out.
So, what did I do?
I stared at the ceiling above my bed, moping around.
Like a boss. Well, not really. Like a loser.
At least until the hunger became too much to ignore. I went to the cafeteria, ate my fill for the night and the started heading back to the dorm. For more moping.
Little did I know that I had unknowingly gained a room-mate.
The first clue that something was off was the fact that his door was ajar instead of closed. He was sure to have closed it. He opened it inwards. The second clue was the guy sitting in his chair. Wearing a trench-coat and a fedora. Either heÆd seen too much Dick Tracy, or he was trouble. The rough features and square jaw made Jason think of the second option. ôIs it him, Top?ö
ôYes, he is.ö The third, and most blatant clue that something was really, really off was... ôI can feel it?ö
I seriously didnÆt know how to refer to the thing in front of me. The first word that came to my mind was, of course, horse. But a horse didnÆt have such soft features, nor tattoos on its flanks, nor such bright colors and big eyes. Such an intelligent expression.
Horses didnÆt usually have a perm, either.
And finally, horses. DidnÆt. Talk.
ôWhat the flying fuck?!ö Jason let out, earning a soft gasp from the small equine in his room, who lifted one of her hooves -he thought it a she because of the eyelashes and the voice- to her mouth.
ôHey, mind keeping it down with the language? Carrot TopÆs a lady.ö The guy said, standing up. Jason just kept on staring.
ôOkay. IÆm calling campus security.ö He then went for the phone inside his pocket. ôSee how you l-ACK!ö The moment he pulled out the device, the æladyÆ turned around and standing on her front hooves, bucked it out of his now injured hand and into the wall, where it shattered in pieces. æWhat the hell?!Æ
ôNow, now, no need to resort to such drastic measures. Also, even if you made the call go through, what were you going to say? æThereÆs a guy with a talking pony inside my roomÆ?ö The man snorted, earning a chuckle from JasonÆs attacker as well. ôWeÆre just here to get something, and then weÆll be out of your hair. But, since we couldnÆt find it in your room, we have to assume you carry it with you.ö
ôS-Something? What are you talking about?ö Jason let out through gritted teeth.
ôI donÆt really know, to tell the truth. Top?ö
ô... Around his neck.ö Jason tensed. ôUnder his shirt. I think itÆs a necklace, Richard.ö
ôThere. So, just hand it over and-ö
ôNo!ö Jason shot back immediately, surprising both man and pony alike. Right after, the man called Richard sighed and shook his head.
ôBoy...ö Then, he narrowed his eyes. ôI wasnÆt asking.ö
So, my situation was: a man older and bigger than me who looked like a Dick Tracy villain and a talking pony who had just assaulted me wanted to get, for some reason, my most treasured possession. And, the door was still open behind me.
What do you think I did?