Tenses Saga: Adjustments
Aug 3, 2009 8:06:44 GMT -8
Post by Caelum on Aug 3, 2009 8:06:44 GMT -8
Reposted from the old forum. Most of the author's notes and such are just copied and pasted from there. Enjoy!
The Tenses Saga
Past...Present...Future... Tenses
Part 1: The Beginning of the End
Part 2: Adjustments (You're reading it!)
Disclaimer: I do not own My Little Pony, nor any of the characters contained therein. I do have a few OCs, but I'm usually willing to share, provided you ask permission.
Part 1: Strangers
In which Cheerilee gives the term “stressed” a whole new definition…
Cheerilee didn’t know what to think of the stranger standing in front of her. The other’s face was void of expression, and her eyes were fixed blankly on the floor. She didn’t make eye contact, didn’t speak, didn’t move aside from swaying ever so slightly. If it wasn’t for the fact that it was obvious this pony was breathing and standing on her own, Cheerilee would have wondered if she were truly alive. As it was, she was just a shell—an empty, purple shell of who she had once been.
“Queen Lily Lightly?” Cheerilee asked, tentatively calling out the unicorn’s name. When she received no answer, she went on, “Lily Lightly? Lily? Can you hear me?”
The unicorn’s eyes flickered briefly, meeting Cheerilee’s for just a moment before looking back to the floor. And, for the first time in her life, Cheerilee felt truly afraid. If someone could hurt her friend, could make her suffer this much damage…
“Oh, Lily,” she whispered, taking a step forward to place her head on Lily’s neck in what she hoped was a comforting manner. To her surprise, Lily Lightly stepped back, evading the embrace and eyeing Cheerilee uncomfortably. Cheerilee felt something in her break.
“Who did this?” she demanded, turning to face the other ponies in the room. “Who the hell did this?” Her eyes landed on the white earthling standing beside Captain Radiance. The newcomer looked worried, scared, tired… Cheerilee didn’t really care. “Well?” she demanded, looking directly at the white mare. “Was it you?”
“No!” the other exclaimed, looking shocked. “No! I’d never—”
“Who, then?” Cheerilee demanded, walking forward to stand over the newcomer. “And who are you, anyway? What were you doing in the Lavender Mountains? Answer me.”
“Cheerilee,” Radiance broke in, casting a quick glance at the now-terrified earthling, “I don’t think you need to be quite that harsh…”
“Tell me this, Captain,” Cheerilee snapped, “how is it that a stranger—an Earth Pony, no less—suddenly shows up the same time our queen is incapacitated, her guards are killed, and her husband—” She broke off there, shivering. Taking in a deep breath, she shouted, “Do you think this is all just a coincidence?!?”
Radiance frowned. Cheerilee rarely got like this. Normally she was a sweet, polite mare who would do anything for her king and queen. Which was probably why she was so upset. “I admit it is suspicious…”
“So forgive me if I want to know just what is going on! We have no idea what she”—she gestured emphatically at the white mare—“is doing here! Maybe she was sent to assassinate the king, maybe she—”
“I wouldn’t!” the white mare broke in, looking horrified. “I would never—”
“Then just who are you and what are you doing here?!?”
The other shuffled her hooves nervously. “I—it’s a long story…”
“Then you’d better get talking,” Cheerilee growled. When the other was silent a moment too long, she went on, “Are you responsible for what’s happened to the king and queen and their guards?”
“No,” the other said quickly. She seemed to think a moment. “Actually…”
“IS THAT A YES OR A NO?!?”
“I—it—I—” She looked conflicted. “I suppose…it was because of me…that they got hurt…”
“What did you do?” Cheerilee’s voice was dangerously low. The white mare didn’t answer, however, as a door suddenly slammed open and a light blue unicorn dashed in.
“Sorry I’m late,” she said quickly, coming to a halt next to Cheerilee. “I was trying to—oh, wow.” She broke off in the middle of her sentence, staring at the white earthling. The other stared back, albeit nervously.
“Whistle Wishes,” Cheerilee stated. The blue unicorn blushed.
“Sorry,” she said to the stranger. “It’s just—I’ve never seen an earth pony in real life before…”
“Most of us have never seen an earth pony at all,” Radiance shrugged. The white mare frowned.
“So…” She looked at Whistle Wishes. “How have you seen earth ponies, if no one else here has?”
“In my dreams,” Whistle Wishes answered. “Speaking of which,” she turned to Cheerilee, “I was trying to see if I couldn’t fall asleep again, maybe get more information, but it didn’t work. They don’t feel like sharing much, I guess.”
Cheerilee sighed. “Right then,” she grumbled.
“It’s nice to meet you,” Whistle Wishes went on, looking at the earthling. “I’m Whistle Wishes, as you’ve probably figured out.”
“I’m Wondermint,” the other answered. “Uh…nice to meet you.” Her eyes flickered worriedly to Cheerilee. Whistle Wishes followed her gaze.
“Something wrong?”
“Yes. There is,” Cheerilee scowled. “Our queen isn’t mentally sound, her guards are mysteriously dead, our king is—is—” She shivered, her loyalty to her monarch showing plainly. “And there’s an Earth Pony standing in our throne room! Do you think this is a coincidence?!?”
“High Advisor,” Radiance began, hoping to calm Cheerilee down by using her title, but Whistle Wishes beat her to it.
“She’s a friend, Cheerilee. I was told that in my dream. We are to treat her well.” Whistle Wishes looked at Cheerilee meaningfully. The other unicorn kept her eyes on the ground. Whistle Wishes didn’t find the floor tiles all that interesting, so she turned to Wondermint and began walking around the earthling mare in a circle. “It’s interesting,” she said. “You don’t glow. I guess not all earthlings glow, but the ones I see in my dreams do…”
Wondermint frowned at that. “Glow?” she repeated, but Whistle Wishes didn’t answer, because she was looking back to Cheerilee.
“It’s still suspicious,” the High Advisor was grumbling. Normally the purple unicorn kept a level head, but with all that’d happened, Whistle Wishes was surprised she hadn’t ordered Wondermint’s head on a silver platter already. Yeah, Cheerilee really was loyal to her king and queen…
Speaking of the queen…
“How is she?” Whistle Wishes asked, looking towards Lily Lightly. Cheerilee sighed.
“She’s…she’s gone, I think,” Cheerilee whispered. “I don’t think she knows who I am…who we are…where she is…”
Whistle Wishes froze. She hadn’t thought it’d be this bad. “What…what about Rarity?”
Cheerilee took a deep breath. “I don’t know.”
There was silence for a moment. Then Wondermint spoke up.
“She…Secret Wish said she might get a little better, if she’s taken care of…”
Cheerilee turned to the earthling. “Who?”
Wondermint shuffled her feet. “Secret Wish.”
“Who’s that?”
“You know…I don’t really know.”
Cheerilee scowled, but Whistle Wishes was interested.
“Secret Wish?” she repeated. “That’s her name?”
“Yeah…she, uh,” Wondermint paused, looking nervous. “She glows.”
Whistle Wishes was all ears. “Glows?” she repeated. “Like, shines? With some sort of inner light?”
Wondermint blinked, dumbfounded. “Yeah…just like that.”
Whistle Wishes was ecstatic. “What does she look like?”
“Well…she’s pink…”
“Light pink or dark pink?”
“Um…it’s just pink, really…”
“Okay, think of it this way. Is she more of a pinkish-pink, or a purpley-magenta pink?”
“Pinkish-pink.”
“Green eyes?”
“Yep.”
“Light pink, plain pink, and burnt-orange hair?”
“Yeah, just like that. And her symbol—”
“Is a magic wand in the shape of a star,” Whistle Wishes beamed. “I’m right, aren’t I?” Her expression was hopeful. Wondermint smiled. She rather liked this mare.
“Yes. Just like that.”
“YES!” Whistle Wishes exclaimed. “FINALLY!! I know one of their names!!”
Everyone else looked at her funny, except for Lily Lightly. Whistle Wishes forced herself to calm down. “You know…those dreams I have…” She looked to Cheerilee for help.
“Whistle Wishes has dreams every so often,” Cheerilee explained, looking at Wondermint grudgingly. “They’re weird, but helpful.”
“And there’s always a glowing pony in them,” Whistle Wishes added. “They…tell me things.”
Wondermint looked curious. “What did Secret Wish tell you?”
“It wasn’t Secret Wish. It was…the orange one. I don’t know her name. But she told me the queen needed help, and that you were a friend.”
Wondermint was silent for a moment. “She said she’d send for help,” she said quietly.
“Who did? Secret Wish?” Whistle Wishes’s questions knew no end.
“Yeah.”
“You have dreams too?”
“No, I didn’t dream her. I saw her. Like, in real life.”
Whistle Wishes stared at Wondermint in shock. “Real life?” she breathed.
“Yes.”
“You…you actually saw her…?”
“Yes…”
“Tell me.” Whistle Wishes looked desperate. “Tell me everything.”
“Yes,” Cheerilee added, looking at Wondermint. Whistle Wishes’s dream said the mare was a friend, and while Cheerilee had no reason to like the newcomer, she trusted Whistle Wishes’s word. Besides, Wondermint was the only one who knew what’d happened to Lily. Cheerilee needed to know what’d happened to her friend, and screaming the only witness into terror wasn’t going to help. “Tell us everything.”
Ha. Poor Cheerilee. She isn't always so grouchy, but having the government of your country suddenly and violently rearranged and learning your best friend's brain was turned into a slurpee in the process can put a damper on your personality.
The Tenses Saga
Past...Present...Future... Tenses
Part 1: The Beginning of the End
Part 2: Adjustments (You're reading it!)
Disclaimer: I do not own My Little Pony, nor any of the characters contained therein. I do have a few OCs, but I'm usually willing to share, provided you ask permission.
Part 1: Strangers
In which Cheerilee gives the term “stressed” a whole new definition…
Cheerilee didn’t know what to think of the stranger standing in front of her. The other’s face was void of expression, and her eyes were fixed blankly on the floor. She didn’t make eye contact, didn’t speak, didn’t move aside from swaying ever so slightly. If it wasn’t for the fact that it was obvious this pony was breathing and standing on her own, Cheerilee would have wondered if she were truly alive. As it was, she was just a shell—an empty, purple shell of who she had once been.
“Queen Lily Lightly?” Cheerilee asked, tentatively calling out the unicorn’s name. When she received no answer, she went on, “Lily Lightly? Lily? Can you hear me?”
The unicorn’s eyes flickered briefly, meeting Cheerilee’s for just a moment before looking back to the floor. And, for the first time in her life, Cheerilee felt truly afraid. If someone could hurt her friend, could make her suffer this much damage…
“Oh, Lily,” she whispered, taking a step forward to place her head on Lily’s neck in what she hoped was a comforting manner. To her surprise, Lily Lightly stepped back, evading the embrace and eyeing Cheerilee uncomfortably. Cheerilee felt something in her break.
“Who did this?” she demanded, turning to face the other ponies in the room. “Who the hell did this?” Her eyes landed on the white earthling standing beside Captain Radiance. The newcomer looked worried, scared, tired… Cheerilee didn’t really care. “Well?” she demanded, looking directly at the white mare. “Was it you?”
“No!” the other exclaimed, looking shocked. “No! I’d never—”
“Who, then?” Cheerilee demanded, walking forward to stand over the newcomer. “And who are you, anyway? What were you doing in the Lavender Mountains? Answer me.”
“Cheerilee,” Radiance broke in, casting a quick glance at the now-terrified earthling, “I don’t think you need to be quite that harsh…”
“Tell me this, Captain,” Cheerilee snapped, “how is it that a stranger—an Earth Pony, no less—suddenly shows up the same time our queen is incapacitated, her guards are killed, and her husband—” She broke off there, shivering. Taking in a deep breath, she shouted, “Do you think this is all just a coincidence?!?”
Radiance frowned. Cheerilee rarely got like this. Normally she was a sweet, polite mare who would do anything for her king and queen. Which was probably why she was so upset. “I admit it is suspicious…”
“So forgive me if I want to know just what is going on! We have no idea what she”—she gestured emphatically at the white mare—“is doing here! Maybe she was sent to assassinate the king, maybe she—”
“I wouldn’t!” the white mare broke in, looking horrified. “I would never—”
“Then just who are you and what are you doing here?!?”
The other shuffled her hooves nervously. “I—it’s a long story…”
“Then you’d better get talking,” Cheerilee growled. When the other was silent a moment too long, she went on, “Are you responsible for what’s happened to the king and queen and their guards?”
“No,” the other said quickly. She seemed to think a moment. “Actually…”
“IS THAT A YES OR A NO?!?”
“I—it—I—” She looked conflicted. “I suppose…it was because of me…that they got hurt…”
“What did you do?” Cheerilee’s voice was dangerously low. The white mare didn’t answer, however, as a door suddenly slammed open and a light blue unicorn dashed in.
“Sorry I’m late,” she said quickly, coming to a halt next to Cheerilee. “I was trying to—oh, wow.” She broke off in the middle of her sentence, staring at the white earthling. The other stared back, albeit nervously.
“Whistle Wishes,” Cheerilee stated. The blue unicorn blushed.
“Sorry,” she said to the stranger. “It’s just—I’ve never seen an earth pony in real life before…”
“Most of us have never seen an earth pony at all,” Radiance shrugged. The white mare frowned.
“So…” She looked at Whistle Wishes. “How have you seen earth ponies, if no one else here has?”
“In my dreams,” Whistle Wishes answered. “Speaking of which,” she turned to Cheerilee, “I was trying to see if I couldn’t fall asleep again, maybe get more information, but it didn’t work. They don’t feel like sharing much, I guess.”
Cheerilee sighed. “Right then,” she grumbled.
“It’s nice to meet you,” Whistle Wishes went on, looking at the earthling. “I’m Whistle Wishes, as you’ve probably figured out.”
“I’m Wondermint,” the other answered. “Uh…nice to meet you.” Her eyes flickered worriedly to Cheerilee. Whistle Wishes followed her gaze.
“Something wrong?”
“Yes. There is,” Cheerilee scowled. “Our queen isn’t mentally sound, her guards are mysteriously dead, our king is—is—” She shivered, her loyalty to her monarch showing plainly. “And there’s an Earth Pony standing in our throne room! Do you think this is a coincidence?!?”
“High Advisor,” Radiance began, hoping to calm Cheerilee down by using her title, but Whistle Wishes beat her to it.
“She’s a friend, Cheerilee. I was told that in my dream. We are to treat her well.” Whistle Wishes looked at Cheerilee meaningfully. The other unicorn kept her eyes on the ground. Whistle Wishes didn’t find the floor tiles all that interesting, so she turned to Wondermint and began walking around the earthling mare in a circle. “It’s interesting,” she said. “You don’t glow. I guess not all earthlings glow, but the ones I see in my dreams do…”
Wondermint frowned at that. “Glow?” she repeated, but Whistle Wishes didn’t answer, because she was looking back to Cheerilee.
“It’s still suspicious,” the High Advisor was grumbling. Normally the purple unicorn kept a level head, but with all that’d happened, Whistle Wishes was surprised she hadn’t ordered Wondermint’s head on a silver platter already. Yeah, Cheerilee really was loyal to her king and queen…
Speaking of the queen…
“How is she?” Whistle Wishes asked, looking towards Lily Lightly. Cheerilee sighed.
“She’s…she’s gone, I think,” Cheerilee whispered. “I don’t think she knows who I am…who we are…where she is…”
Whistle Wishes froze. She hadn’t thought it’d be this bad. “What…what about Rarity?”
Cheerilee took a deep breath. “I don’t know.”
There was silence for a moment. Then Wondermint spoke up.
“She…Secret Wish said she might get a little better, if she’s taken care of…”
Cheerilee turned to the earthling. “Who?”
Wondermint shuffled her feet. “Secret Wish.”
“Who’s that?”
“You know…I don’t really know.”
Cheerilee scowled, but Whistle Wishes was interested.
“Secret Wish?” she repeated. “That’s her name?”
“Yeah…she, uh,” Wondermint paused, looking nervous. “She glows.”
Whistle Wishes was all ears. “Glows?” she repeated. “Like, shines? With some sort of inner light?”
Wondermint blinked, dumbfounded. “Yeah…just like that.”
Whistle Wishes was ecstatic. “What does she look like?”
“Well…she’s pink…”
“Light pink or dark pink?”
“Um…it’s just pink, really…”
“Okay, think of it this way. Is she more of a pinkish-pink, or a purpley-magenta pink?”
“Pinkish-pink.”
“Green eyes?”
“Yep.”
“Light pink, plain pink, and burnt-orange hair?”
“Yeah, just like that. And her symbol—”
“Is a magic wand in the shape of a star,” Whistle Wishes beamed. “I’m right, aren’t I?” Her expression was hopeful. Wondermint smiled. She rather liked this mare.
“Yes. Just like that.”
“YES!” Whistle Wishes exclaimed. “FINALLY!! I know one of their names!!”
Everyone else looked at her funny, except for Lily Lightly. Whistle Wishes forced herself to calm down. “You know…those dreams I have…” She looked to Cheerilee for help.
“Whistle Wishes has dreams every so often,” Cheerilee explained, looking at Wondermint grudgingly. “They’re weird, but helpful.”
“And there’s always a glowing pony in them,” Whistle Wishes added. “They…tell me things.”
Wondermint looked curious. “What did Secret Wish tell you?”
“It wasn’t Secret Wish. It was…the orange one. I don’t know her name. But she told me the queen needed help, and that you were a friend.”
Wondermint was silent for a moment. “She said she’d send for help,” she said quietly.
“Who did? Secret Wish?” Whistle Wishes’s questions knew no end.
“Yeah.”
“You have dreams too?”
“No, I didn’t dream her. I saw her. Like, in real life.”
Whistle Wishes stared at Wondermint in shock. “Real life?” she breathed.
“Yes.”
“You…you actually saw her…?”
“Yes…”
“Tell me.” Whistle Wishes looked desperate. “Tell me everything.”
“Yes,” Cheerilee added, looking at Wondermint. Whistle Wishes’s dream said the mare was a friend, and while Cheerilee had no reason to like the newcomer, she trusted Whistle Wishes’s word. Besides, Wondermint was the only one who knew what’d happened to Lily. Cheerilee needed to know what’d happened to her friend, and screaming the only witness into terror wasn’t going to help. “Tell us everything.”
Ha. Poor Cheerilee. She isn't always so grouchy, but having the government of your country suddenly and violently rearranged and learning your best friend's brain was turned into a slurpee in the process can put a damper on your personality.