Then and Now Pt. 9

>You are Anon
>And you and Princess Celestia have talked for a good, long while
>You started with back home, Earth, where you grew up, and what it was like
>You explained how you arrived in Equestria your first time, the passing through the ground, the colorful portal
>You explained leaving again, with the grey portal back to Earth
>You explained that eight years have passed since then in your time, and you found yourself back in Equestria in much the same way
>She listened intently, asking questions when clarification was desired, which you gladly gave
>You conversed and conversed
>Eventually, you found yourself at the end of your tale
>Celestia nods with her eyes closed
>”…that is indeed most peculiar, Anonymous…” she states
>You nod your head in agreement, hands still in coat pockets
>You wish you had your basketball with you, but you’re pretty sure Rainbow Dash took it with her off the train
>Well, it’d be rude to bounce it in here anyway
>”What I’m most hung up over are these portals that seem to exist between our worlds,” she says, “and how you are able to access them.”
>You just shrug
I’m just a regular guy, Princess. Could it all be coincidence?
>She shakes her head
>”To happen upon such magic twice, being taken to this world? I find that highly unlikely.”
>You nod in agreement
>Yeah, what ARE the odds of that?
>”I know of such portals, however.” She says, beginning to pace the room a bit
>”They’re old, arcane pieces of magic. They haven’t been used in some time…”
>She returns back from her lengthy pace
>”It doesn’t surprise me much some are still about the land. Why these ones are linking to Earth, though… I haven’t an idea.”
>You nod, just out of habit at this point
But what about the Earth portals?
>You ask
Why do those exist? There isn’t any magic in my world.
>She raises an eyebrow
>”Are you certain, Anonymous? I believe there to be magic in every world.”
Well…
>You kick the ground with your foot, looking down to it
Nobody’s casting any spells over on Earth, that’s for sure.
>Celestia focuses on you
>”Anonymous, may I ask a favor of you?”
>You look back up to her
Sure, I suppose.
>”I ask if I may scan your body for any traces of what could be identified as ‘magic.’”
>You look to your left, then right
>Out of confusion, mostly
Umm… yeah, go for it.
>She nods, then closes her eyes for a moment
>Reopening them, she walks up to you, horn glowing
>She places it to your chest
>A yellow aura surrounds you, and a warm feeling engulfs your body
>This lasts for about ten seconds, then she backs away
>She sits in thought for a moment
>”…your blood, Anonymous.”
>Your… blood?
My… blood?
>”Yes. It seems there are traces of magic in your blood. Small, but it is there. Circulating through your body.”
>You’re a little confused
So… does that mean I could cast spells…?
>She shakes her head
>”No, this isn’t anything you can channel. But it could have been acting as a magnet of sorts to these portals.”
>She closes her eyes in thought again
>”Based on the amount you possess, I’d theorize most humans either have far more than you, or none.”
>She reopens them
>”In other words, humans should either be very magical creatures, or ones that lack said ability completely.”
>You’re confused
>But there certainly aren’t any wizards roaming Earth
>But… it’s in your blood
>Perhaps, long, long ago… there were such magicians
>Celestia herself said every world should have magic
>Did it die out?
>And you just seem to have remnants of some past, wizard ancestor?
>Hereditary magic…?
>This is far too complicated for you to try to be thinking about
>”I don’t think we could ever know for sure,” she says, interrupting your thought process
>You agree with her. There’s no true way of knowing
>”I have one more topic to ask you about, Anonymous.”
>You stretch your back out a bit
Why not? Ask away.
>”The p0ny who put you through those trouble six months ago… Fluttershy…”
>Your chest rings in shock
>But yeah… she was right there when that aerial dogfight between Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy was happening
Yes?
>”Have you seen her since your re-arrival? How are her ties with her friends?”
>Like that, you’re on the spot again
>Fluttershy’s threat still lingers with you
>But… this isn’t Twilight, or Rainbow Dash… could you tell her?
>She’s the benevolent ruler of the land, surely she could help in some way…
>What do you do?
…yeah, I’ve seen her, Princess.
>”And what came of this visit? What was the reason?”
>You can see curiosity and worry in her eyes
…I wanted to talk to her. Sort that whole thing out that happened all those years ago. It still kind of resonates with me…
>Celestia lets out what seems like a sigh of relief
>”You want to repair ties with Fluttershy?”
…as crazy as it sounds, Princess, yes, I do. And hers with her friends, too.
>You look over to the doorway where Dash and Twilight left some time ago
I don’t want to feel responsible for destroying their friendship. And I know that Fluttershy can see things my way if I could just get through to her.
>Celestia nods
>”…thank you, Anonymous,” she says, “this is exactly what I was hoping to hear.”
>You turn curiously to her
Why’s that, Princess?
>She sits up and begins her mild pacing again
>”Those six friends… together, they are able to wield and control power relics called the Elements of Harmony. Such power has saved our land on multiple occasions.”
>You’re a little shocked to hear this
>Those six mares are heroes?
>”But it is essential that their friendship must be strong and powerful for the elements to be used properly.”
>She turns to you
>”Since your departure six months ago, I’ve felt that tie break down considerably.”
>That makes sense…
Actually… Twilight and Rainbow Dash are less than happy about what she did.
>”I feared so.”
>How bizarre…
>You had a few reasons for wanting to talk with and get through to Fluttershy. One of them happened to be for the safety of the land
>And you didn’t even know
>”What happened during this visit? The bond is still weak.”
>You inhale deeply and sigh
>Should you tell her?
>She’s only trying to help…
…I tried to get through to her. She attempted to… force herself onto me again, but I’m fit enough for that not to have been a problem.
>Celestia is listening intently
But… once she realized that wouldn’t work, she used some kind of… stare on me.
>Her eyes widen at the word “stare”
At that point… I was immobilized. With quick thinking I was able to get out of there unscathed, but… I’m terrified to try to talk with her again knowing she has power over me like that.
>Celestia nods once more and closes her eyes in thought
>”I’m familiar with this stare…” she starts, “such a glare pits the two minds together, burrowing into each other, completely incapacitating the weaker.”
>Sounds exactly like what happened to you
So… what can I do about it?
>She turns to you
>And smiles
>”We must strengthen your mind.”
>Strengthen your mind?
>Can she do that?
>”I know of somep0ny who can help you with this, but…”
>She gazes out the window to the night sky
>”…it is very late, Anonymous. Perhaps you should get some rest.”
>She turns back to you
>”You will meet this helper soon enough.”
>Well, now that you think about it, you ARE really tired
Yeah, tomorrow sounds better for me anyway,
>You say
…thanks for everything, Princess.
>She smiles at you
>”Of course, Anonymous. I must do my best for all my subjects”
>All her subjects…
>You’re a subject?
>Such a statement… warms you up inside
>Celestia shows you to your room, then takes her leave to her own quarters
>Rainbow Dash and Twilight must have already gone to bed
>You change into your game attire and slip into the bed
>You close your eyes and begin to drift off…
>When suddenly
>Your door creaks
>You snap your eyes back open
>You push yourself up to a sitting position and look toward the large open wooden doors
>The silhouette of a pegasus stands
>Your mind immediately goes to Fluttershy
>Oh fucking shit
>”Anon?”
>You hear
>That voice…
>It isn’t Fluttershy
Yeah, Dash?
>She steps into the room, closing the doors
>You can see her a little clearer
>”I…. I can’t get to sleep…”
>She looks down at the ground
>”Would it be alright if… if I slept with you tonight?”
>Sleeping in the same bed with a p0ny…
>You’ve already been over this with Twilight and Fluttershy
>But…
>This is Rainbow Dash
>Probably your best friend here
>Would it be alright?
>What about what they were talking about in the train cabin
>Would this be… leading her on?
>You don’t dwell on it too much
>You start to feel a little bad for her
>Coming all this way to ask this
Sure, Dash. Come on up.
>You say, patting the side of your bed
>She looks up to you and smiles
>She trots over and hops up into the bed, getting comfortable
>”Thanks, Anon.”
Don’t worry about it.
>And with that, you re-adjust yourself comfortable and drift off into sleep…

[spoiler]Optional background music for this segment: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nenLowRQsog[/spoiler]
>You feel an odd sensation all over your body
>Like you’re falling
>You open your eyes
>You’re drifting downward slowly
>Everything around you is dark
>You snap a little more alert and look around
>Dark everywhere
>Except…
>There’s a speck of light below you
>It grows bigger and bigger as you drift downward
>Eventually, you make out what it is
>It appears to be a circular platform of stained glass
>It is decorated with the mane 6, with Fluttershy front and center
>How peculiar…
>Eventually, you land down softly on this platform
>You wander the amount of space you can
>To the edge of the platform
>You gaze out into the area of darkness
>How solemn and lonely it is here
>Suddenly, a sound gets your attention from behind you
>The clop of a hoof
>You dart around to see the source of the noise
>There, in the middle of the platform, stands Fluttershy
>She’s glaring at you
>Not The Stare, just… glaring
Fluttershy…
>You say, stepping out toward her
What are you—
>Cutting you off, she pounces toward you
>Slamming her front hooves into your chest, she topples you over
>She sits atop you
>You grip your hands under her and push
>You push as hard as you can
>But… she won’t budge
>She leans her head down and starts kissing your neck
>You ring your hand around her neck and chin and push
>Not to strangle her, but to push her away
>It’s… not working
>Why are you so weak?
>You struggle and struggle, but…
>She has you pinned
>Her kisses make their way down your body
F-Fuck!
>You yell, straining your muscles as hard as you can against her
>She lifts her head and glares at you again
>Then smirks
>Her body begins to dissipate
>As if she was made of dust, being blown away in the wind
>Eventually, she is gone
>You sit up from the ground, looking around
>What happened…?
>”The Human Anonymous…”
>You hear from around you
>You dart your head from left to right
Hello?
>You hear the strong sound of beating of wings from above you
>A figure glides down slowly and lands on the platform
>A dark, winged unicorn with the emblem of the moon around her neck stands before you
>Her tail and mane flow with star night beauty
>”Greetings. We are Princess Luna, guardian of the night and dreams.”
>You stand back up
>Princess Luna?
>”Our sister has told us you desire help with the strengthening of your mind.”
>Oh, she must be Celestia’s sister
Yeah.
>You say
So… this is a dream?
>She nods
>”What better way to train your mind, than in your mind?”
>You glance around
>So… this must be the physical representation of your mind
>Princess Luna approaches you closer
>”We observed that display against the one called Fluttershy.”
>She did?
>Maybe she knows what’s going on
Princess, why was I so weak? Why couldn’t I budge her?
>The Princess closes her eyes
>”We are in your mind, The Human Anonymous. That was not your physical display of strength, but your mental.”
>You absorb that statement
>Makes sense…
>Luna’s eyes and horn flash for a second
>”Let us adjust your body to reflect that.”
>Suddenly, you feel yourself begin to shrink
>You look at your hands and arms as they decrease size
>You feel yourself grow shorter
>Then, it stops
>You frantically look at your body
L-Luna…
>You’re shocked at the pitch of your voice
What did you do?
>She gets even closer, now looking down at you, rather than vice versa
>”We have adjusted your body to match the strength of your mind. The symbolic link of physical and mental strength will be represented as such here.”
>She turns and begins walking away
>Well… twelve years old in Equestria again, it seems…
>”But…”
>She begins to add
>”Even just standing here, we realize…”
>A disembodied door appears in front of her, at the end of the platform
>”You do possess the strength of the mind and willpower to stand against the one called Fluttershy.”
>You absorb her words once more
>”It resides here. But…”
>A lock appears, and clamps down over the door
>”You must be ready to claim it.”
>She turns back to you
>”Do you understand, The Human Anonymous?”
>You take a deep breath
I do, Princess Luna.
>”Good.”
>She walks slowly over towards you, and stops at the middle of the platform
>”Let us begin.”
>With that, her horn flashes
>Princess Luna and the platform itself dissipate, not unlike Fluttershy did
>You can feel the world morph around you
>You close your eyes for a second
>Reopening them, you notice yourself inside Fluttershy’s cottage
>The lights are off, and you sense a feeling of intense isolation
>As if no place exists outside the boundaries of this cottage
>You take a deep breath
>This must be a trial put forth by Princess Luna
>You step forward further into the cottage, but the downstairs seems abandoned
Hello?
>You call out
>No answer
>After lapping the main floor, you decide to head up the stairs
>To Fluttershy’s room
>You climb each step
>Each lift of the leg feels heavier than the last
>Until you reach the top
>And turn the corner into Fluttershy’s room
>You breach the threshold, and see the yellow mare herself staring out the window, facing away from you
>You gather your strength
Fluttershy.
>Her ears twitch to her name
>”You came.” She states
>You raise an eyebrow in curiosity
Yes, I did.
>“Good.”
>She turns around to face you
>Her eyes shoot daggers into your soul when they meet yours
>Instantly, you freeze up
>Shit! This wasn’t supposed to happen
>Fluttershy takes a step toward you
>As she does, she splits down the middle, multiplying into another Fluttershy
>Now two Fluttershys take steps toward you
>You’re baffled, and still cannot move
>Each step they take, they divide, freeing more and more Fluttershys into the room
>Until they circle around you
>All glaring at you with their demonic eyes
>You’re completely immobilized
>You fall to your knees, incapable of defending yourself
>They’re closing in
>Closer and closer they come, until they engulf you
>Dogpiling you, melting on top of you, smothering you
>You close your eyes and thrash around, trying to resist
>Until you feel the weight slowly lift from your body
>You reopen your eyes, and to your surprise, you are no longer in Flutterrshy’s room
>But rather, the stained-glass platform from before
>You sit up from the ground, Princess Luna eyes you from across the stage
>”The Human Anonymous… that was most pitiful.” She says, with much disappointment in her voice, “We know you are capable of so much more.”
>You stand to your feet
I’m sorry, Princess, but… that was overwhelming.
>She shakes her head
>”Only because you perceive it that way.”
>She steps immediately to your person, and looks down at you
>Thinking
>”Allow us to show it in a manner more comfortable to yourself.”
>Her horn flashes once more, and the platform around you dissipates again
>You close your eyes, just as before
>When you open them, you notice yourself in your University’s gymnasium
>You are at the freethrow line, in your game jersey
>The skyscrapers of opponents you faced before arriving in Equestria stare you down from around the key
>With your twelve year old body, they absolutely tower over you
>They say nothing, only glare
>The stands are absolutely packed with fans and observers, but they make no noise
>All eyes are on you
>The referee walks over to you and hands you a basketball
>You know what to do
>You bounce the ball once or twice, then take your shot
>Swish
>But there is no applause for your basket
>The ref reclaims the ball, then gives it to you
>Your opponents eye you viciously
>You meet their gaze, but brush it off
>Bouncing the ball once more, you take your shot
>Another swish
>The skyscrapers’ eyes lighten up, and they too dissipate
>The dust they leave behind swirls together, forming a shape
>Princess Luna constructs herself
>”That was a phenomenal display, The Human Anonymous.”
>The court and fans also dissipate to dust, blowing away in the wind
>You stand once more at the stained-glass platform
>”Do you see it now?” She asks, “What you are capable of simply by focusing your mind?”
>You think it over for a second
Yes, Princess, but… I’m trained to handle that kind of pressure. I’m an athlete.
>She nods
>”Yes, and this is why you already hold the potential to resist the one called Fluttershy within you.”
>She steps slowly toward the locked door
>”You may think pressure at a sporting event and holding your mind strong against a psychological attack are very different. However…”
>She stamps her hoof and turns toward you
>”They are much the same!”
>She turns from the door, back to you
>”You focus your mind and calm yourself to relieve such pressures, do you not?”
>You’ve never really thought about it that way…
Yes, Princess. I suppose I do.
>”Your mind was forged to never feel the strain of worry, or crack under the pressures of your peers. Is this not correct?”
This is correct, Princess.
>She stamps her hoof again
>”Then prove it to us!”
>With her stamp, the platform dissipates once more
>You close your eyes and take a deep breath
>You know what’s coming
>You open them again
>You’re in a dark, open field at night
>You seem to be surrounded by some creepy, lightless forest
>You believe you recognize such a forest from around Fluttershy’s cottage
>”There you are.”
>You hear from behind you
>You recognize the voice
>You were expecting her
>You turn around, and become face-to-face with Fluttershy
>She’s glaring at you
>You try your hardest to focus
>Just like basketball…
>Just like how you’ve been trained since you were six years old
>It’s just like pressure…
>You’re good with pressure
>Her eyes flare open, and her pupils focus and dig into yours
>She’s initiated The Stare
>You can feel the force bump against your own consciousness
>Just like basketball! You keep telling yourself
>You widen your own eyes and focus
>You’re doing well
>The strain isn’t nearly as bad as it was in reality
>It’s like pushing through a tough rep at the gym
>The force is there, sure, but you can overcome it
>Fluttershy continues her Stare
>She divides down the middle, and like before, becomes two
>Double the Stare is now upon you
>But you don’t falter
>You hold your eyes and mind strong, darting them between the two yellow mares
>They each divide
>And divide
>And divide
>You are once again surrounded
>But unlike before, you hold your ground
>Just
>Like
>Basketball
>And just like that, you don’t even budge
>They close in
>You hold your ground
>One Fluttershy walks immediately up to your short, twelve-year-old body and glares at you immediately in the eye
>You hold strong, glaring right back
>Immediately face-to-face
…get the fuck out of here, Fluttershy.
>She squints her eyes
>And she dissipates
>Her clones dissipate as well
>And the open field around you follows suit
>You close your eyes, basking in the sweet feeling of victory
>You enter a sort of trance
>Soaking in your own glory
>But don’t let it go to your head, Anon
>Who knows how different it may be in real life
>”The Human Anonymous.”
>You hear
>You reopen your eyes
>You’re back at the platform
>Everything seems… lower
>You glance to your arms and body
>You slap your hands to your face
>You did it
>You’re a young adult again
>Twenty never felt so sweet
>”Superb, The Human Anonymous. We knew you had the power.”
>You hear a snapping kind of sound
>You turn your attention to the door
>The lock has broken and fallen off the door
>Princess Luna smiles at you, and nods
>She, like so many other things in your dream, dissipates
>You step towards the disembodied door, grip its handle, and open it
>Behind it are steps made of light, climbing higher and higher into the dark sky
>You plant a foot firmly down on the first step and begin to climb
>You climb the stairs for a good long while
>Until you begin to notice another platform
>The stairs connect to it, and you approach from under
>At the top, you approach another stained-glass decorated platform
>This one is of you
>Two of you, actually
>A young, child Anon grasps a basketball with both hands, head down, eyes closed
>At his back, an older, young adult Anon holds another basketball in one hand, other hand in his coat pocket, head down, eyes closed
>In the center of the platform is a pedestal, which holds a ball of light of sorts
>From behind the pedestal, Princess Luna emerges
>”The Human Anonymous.”
>You approach both her and the pedestal simultaneously
>”Here, in the center of your consciousness, is the strength you require to stand against the one called Fluttershy.”
>You give her a nod of understanding
>”You have demonstrated here your ability to claim it. We are most proud.”
Thank you, Princess.
>”Take it, and let it temper your mind.”
>She begins to dissipate once more
>”May our paths cross again sometime, The Human Anonymous, perhaps in the world of the waking.”
You give her a thumbs up.
>She acknowledges this gesture, as if she understands it
>Being in your mind, she most likely does
>And with that, she vanishes
>You gaze over to the ball of light
>You pick it up, it floating above your palms
>It slowly guides itself into your chest
>Immediately, you feel a warm sensation all over your body
>It courses through your veins, before journeying up to your head and planting itself
>It’s a powerful feeling
>With that, you begin to feel the world melt around you
>The world of sleep is leaving you

>You open your eyes
>You’re in bed, in your room at the castle
>You hear snoring
>You turn to your left
>Rainbow Dash is cuddled up next to you, snoring lightly
>You pat her on her head
>You begin to dwell over the dream events you experienced
>Clearly it was real
>It felt so
>And you feel a newfound power resonating in you mind
>Wherever Princess Luna is on this lonely, starlit night, she has helped you immensely, and you owe her a debt
>Suddenly, you hear a gasps of sorts
>You dart your eyes over towards your door
>It’s open
>How long has it been?
>You’re sure Rainbow Dash closed it when she came in
>You sit up in bed
>Is that a… silhouette?
>Before you can react, it darts to the right of the door
>The sound of clopping hooves resonate down the hall
Hey!
>You call out
>You hop out of bed and jog down to the door
>Rainbow Dash rolls over slightly and continues sawing logs
>You exit the door and look down the hall
>The silhouette just rounded a corner
>You give chase, your bare feet slapping against the cold tile
>You twist around the corner
>There it is, down the hall
>You book it into an all out sprint
>If that’s who you think it is…
>Rounds another corner
>You give chase
>You see it dart into a room
>You sprint over to the room and turn in yourself
>It’s well lit
>You slowly walk in and observe your surroundings
>Seems to be a study of some sort…
>Suddenly, the heavy doors slam behind you
>You turn to look at them
>How did they…?
>”Anon…”
>You turn your head back around
>Just as you thought…
>You swore you saw her on the train
>And in the crowd outside the castle
>She followed you here…
>Fluttershy stands at the end of the room
>Your eyes meet
>…good, she brought the party to you
>Less effort on your part
Fluttershy, what do you intend to get out of this?
>She looks to you with such big, innocent eyes
>”Y-Your love, Anon…”
>She shyly looks away
I can’t offer you that.
>She turns back to you
Allow me to offer something else.

End of Part 9